Our ULTRA Weekend

We just got back from the most beautiful, exciting weekend in a long time.  Lloyd, Emily, Allan and I drove from Edmonton, AB to Vernon, BC (8 hours) to participate in the excitement of Emily and our 8-year old granddaughter Layla running an 8km trail run.  This run was so different from the ones here in Edmonton because it was a wilderness trail in a mountain park - more ups than downs according to the runners!

Emily and Layla before their run 

Layla and Em out of the starting point.  

Still going strong after 2 km.

Blazing right past us

Reaching for the finish line after 8km

Made it!

Happy to be Finished

They walked down to the lake to soak their tired feet after the run.
That's our grandson Baron in the blue shirt.

They ran the 8k in just under an hour.  Emily admitted that she 'lost' Layla early on.  One of the steep climbs saw Layla charge past Em and that's all she saw of her until about 800 meters from the finish line.  It was so nice that they were able to cross together.  As we were sitting at a picnic table by the lake after the run, an older woman came up to us and told us how Layla "saved my life".  They were running side by side for awhile.  The woman was struggling so Layla gave her some of the electrolite booster gummies for kids that she carries in her running belt.  The woman said they really helped her.  She thought Layla was a super runner.  We think she is too.  And so is Emily. We were so glad she chose to hold back from one of the longer races in order to be with Layla on her 8k.

As well as the 8km run, Layla's parents, Mary and Greg (our daughter and SIL), were running their first Ultra Marathon - a 50km (30 mile) run on the mountain trails.

Before the run.  They had a very early starting time so I went to
their motel room to be there when Layla and Baron woke up and to
get them ready for the day.

Since we couldn't be there for the start of the 50k, this is one taken by the race organizers and posted on their website.  That's Mary in the center of the picture.

Greg, after 25 km, stopping to refill his water bottles and
eat an orange slice the organizers provided.

Layla and Baron making sure their dad gets refueled at the 25 km pit stop.

Still looking and feeling good at 25 km.

Mary at 25k, getting her bottle out to refill

Rehydrating with a little help from her Dad

And Baron helped fill one of her bottles too.

Greg, coming up to the finish line after 6 hrs and 56 minutes. His goal
was to finish in under 7 hours, and he did.

Happy, proud, exhaustion, elation, relief.
The face of a runner.

Baron anxiously watching while his Dad catches his breath

Mary approaching the finish line for a time of 7hr 55 min.
Her goal was to finish in under 8 hours.  These two
really know their abilities.

Crossing the finish line with a smile on her face.

Greg taking advantage of the post-race massage with Layla looking on.

While Mary opted to soak her aching calves in the ice cold mountain lake.

Our four Ultra runners.

This is a picture taken by one of the organizers near the top of the
run.  You can see how far up from the lake they ran.

While the runners were running, Lloyd, Allan and I kept 4 year old Baron entertained at the beach at the starting line.

Baron was very easy to have around for the seven or so hours we had to
spend waiting for the runners to come in.  It's a beautiful location for
a trail run.

We watched the antics of this wild creature (there were two of
them).  Baron said it was a chipmunk, but I'm sure it's much too large
for a chipmunk.  It came out of a burrow in the ground.  Any guesses?

I taught him to skip rocks in the lake.  We spent a lot of time there.

He's going to be taller than me before too long.

And Allan found a shady spot where he could read in comfort.

Baron is running his first 5km run tomorrow.  It won't be a trail run though.  He'll have to work up to that.  Layla is going to be running a 10km tomorrow.  I guess it's in their blood.