Buckle up, pour yourself a drink, get a snack, because I'm recapping not only my experience spectating the Chicago Marathon, but also the first part of my weekend in Banff. My sister and I traveled to Canada for our 11th annual sister trip. It's hard to keep topping our previous trips, but our long weekend in Banff may have been our best trip yet. I have so many photos and it was hard to pick just a few to share here. Oh, and I had a big run on the Ice Age Trail in there too! And did I mention I met Des Linden?
What a week!
Weekly Rundown
Sunday: spectate the Chicago Marathon
Monday: run 4 miles, Meet and Greet with Des Linden
Tuesday: Ice Age Trail run 14.7 miles, 1800 ft climbing
Wednesday: rest/yoga
Thursday: travel to Canmore, Alberta/easy hiking
Friday; Tunnel Mountain hike 3 miles/600 ft climbing, sightseeing in Banff
Saturday: Lake Louise hike 6 miles/1766 ft climbing
The weekend fun continued (see my last post) and on Sunday, Kristin and I boarded the Blue Line and headed downtown to spectate the Chicago Marathon with plans to get there right before the runners finished. We had to change trains to get us to Roosevelt and the Green Line dropped us off right at the final 400m--local runners know it as 'Mount Roosevelt', a small incline that takes runners to the finish line. We snagged a space right along the course behind the barriers and waited for the runners to approach. It was really exciting to be so close to the action!
First, the wheelchair athletes came through and they were flying! Not long after, the truck with the timer on the roof came rolling down the street, followed by the first runner! We watched him speed by and around the corner, up Mt Roosevelt. There's a jumbotron at the corner and we were able to see him cross the finish line, right into RD Carey Pinkowski's arms! We quickly learned that he broke the marathon WR with a finish time of 2:00:35, definitively breaking Eliud Kipchoge's record.
More runners came in, along with more wheelchair athletes. The first woman approached, with the same type of truck heralding her approach. Sifan Hassan, who won the London marathon earlier this year, broke the women's course record at this race with a finish time of 2:13:44. This was also the second fastest marathon finish for a woman.
We anxiously awaited the American women and saw Emily Sisson (2:22:09) go by. But it was Molly Seidel (2:23:07) who got the crowd cheering loudly! She's from Madison, Wisconsin, and is a local favorite!
Just a few minutes later, we saw Des Linden approach, flanked by a few other runners. She was focused but turned quickly to acknowledge our screams, lol. She crossed the finish line in 2:27:35, breaking the American women's marathon record, which was previously held by Deena Kastor. What a morning!
The crowd behind us began thickening and pushing us up against the barrier. We saw who we came to see, so we left our prime spot and began to walk towards our original spectating spot near mile 25. We were joined by my sons. I couldn't believe they actually came! We cheered and rang the cowbell until the 5 hour marathoners ran by. Even though we were tracking multiple runners, we only saw a few, which was a disappointment. As the race wore on, we noticed that more runners were walking. It was fun to be at the end of the marathon, where we were able to cheer on people who were struggling and needed a push. I wore my banana hat from Hype Fest and got a lot of thumbs ups. We walked to the nearby Giordanos for pizza and beer.
What a fun and inspiring day! The best part for me was my youngest son saying he thinks he wants to run the marathon next year. I told him if he does, I will too. Fingers crossed that we get in the lottery. It opens next week!
Both Kristin and I woke up exhausted Monday morning, but the sun was shining and we both wanted to go for a short run to shake out our legs. After all that standing yesterday, my legs were stiff and I had to stop a few times to stretch my calves and shins.
After breakfast, we headed downtown for our Brooks-sponsored meet and greet with Des Linden. I brought my copy of her book to be signed. She was as kind and humble as you would expect. I showed her the photo I took of her on her way to the finish line and told me she was really hurting there. She knew she had the world master's marathon record within reach! After we spoke, I took a photo with her and a few of my RHT members joined in for a group photo. What a fun opportunity!
Off work this week, on Tuesday, I headed up to Whitewater, Wisconsin for some IAT trail miles. I ran a new-to-me trail, the Blue Spring Lake Segment, which is adjacent to my favorite segment, the Blackhawk. I was surprised to see as many people as I did on a weekday, but most of them were chasing miles for the Mammoth Challenge. This is a longer segment and I knew it was going to be hilly, but I did not expect to struggle as much as I did, especially after last week's 12 miler, which went so well. I'm not sure if it was because I was fatigued from my Chicago Marathon weekend, but by the last couple of miles, the climbs made my heart rate go through the roof and I felt as if I was going to vomit. I've never had that happen on any of my IAT runs. Thankfully, my stomach behaved itself and I finished up the segment.
On Thursday, I flew to Calgary, picked up my rental car, and drove to Canmore, where my sister and I had rented our condo for our 11th annual sister trip. By the time I got to Canmore, I was starving, so I stopped at the Grizzly Paw Brewery for lunch and a beer. I spent the rest of the day exploring the area, which was lovely, even in spite of the low clouds. I found a short trail that took me to a creek and a view of the Three Sisters--one of which was hiding in the clouds. My sister arrived in the evening, just in time for a delicious dinner at Blake.
Feeling overwhelmed by all the sightseeing options in Banff National Park, our first stop on Friday was at the tourist information center. After consulting with the young woman behind the counter, we set off on our day. Our first stop was Bow Falls, which is on the Bow River.
Our next stop was Tunnel Mountain, a hike that promised views of the town of Banff from above. The winding road that took us to the trailhead also provided a great view of the Fairmont Springs Hotel and no, we did not stay there!
As we made our way to the summit, a 2.4 km trek, we had incredible views. The clouds made things interesting. That is the Bow River in the photo below.
After stopping for lunch (we packed sandwiches), we drove to the Vermillion Lakes, where we were rewarded with more incredible views.
After stopping in the town of Banff to do some shopping and have a beer at Three Bears Brewing (very tasty!), we headed back to our condo. We decided to make one last stop along the way at Lake Minnewanka (I kept calling it Willy Wonka) and wow, we were glad we did it. Lake Minnewanka is a glacial lake and it was a taste of what was to come for the rest of our trip! Thanks to the recommendation from the bartender at Three Bears, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Where the Buffalo Roam.
The sun came out on Saturday and we changed our plans, opting to go to the iconic Lake Louise and hoping that the bright skies would bring out the lake's famed color. We were not disappointed. Our plan was to hike the 3 miles up to the Little Beehive, a viewing spot from above. When we started out, we shared the trail with quite a few other eager hikers, but the steep climb thinned the numbers pretty quickly. We took our time along the way, soaking up all the beauty. We stopped at Mirror Lake on the way up, aptly named!
Our next stop, about 2.3 miles up the trail was the Lake Agnes Teahouse. The teahouse was closed for the season, but we enjoyed the lovely namesake lake. There was a waterfall below the lake. We also stopped to use the facilities, which were up a flight of stairs, suspended above the ground. It was interesting!
We continued up the trail to Little Beehive. By this point, we pretty much had the trail to ourselves. It was very steep and rocky, and we looked forward to completing this very challenging hike! When we reached the top of the mountain, we were not disappointed. The view of Lake Louise below was breathtaking. We sat on the rocks atop the mountain and ate our lunch. We sadly made our way back down to the shoreline and the crowds below.
How was your week? Have you ever spectated a marathon? Have you met any 'celebrity' runners? Have you been to Banff? What is the prettiest place you've ever been?
I have one more day in Banff and we are wrapping up a few leftover must-see sights. How do I go back to real life after this week, lol?
AMAZING! I was in that area as a teen but do not really remember. Looks a little like Alaska. Looks like the weather and scenery was perfect for a sister trip. Enjoy the rest of your visit!
ReplyDeleteWe've got one more day. It's just so beautiful here!
DeleteOkay, you win! Those photos of Banff are breathtaking, you witnesses the marathon WR go down, you met Des Linden... what a week!!! I was once in Banff for one day (long story) and didn't have time to really see anything. Now I know what I missed! Yes, I don't know how you're going to get back to real life after this... it's going to be tough.
ReplyDeleteI'm just dreading returning home. Thank goodness I have all the photos to keep me reminded of what a wonderful trip it was!
DeleteThe cycling team Les is on provides support to the Honolulu marathon wheelchair racers, so I have spectated many times. It's fun to see the top finishers come in, but the ones that amaze me the most are the firemen in full gear.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an amazing sister trip!
I can only imagine how awesome it is to see those firemen come in!
DeleteBOTP runners appreciate those who stick it out (although I very much doubt I would ever finish in 5 hours).Still, on behalf, thanks! What an amazing day (and week) you've had!
ReplyDeleteI have long wanted to go to Banff. Someday . . . enjoy the rest of your sister time!
I think you need to go!!!
DeleteSo lucky to have sister hiking companion.
ReplyDeleteBanff looks beautiful... I haven't traveled much but I'd say the French Albs and Switzerland.
I've spectated the NYC Marathon, Maine, Mohawk Hudson... so fun.
I've met Joan Benoit and Deena Kaster but I'd love to meet Kara and/or Des.
Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
I'd love to see the French and Swiss Alps!
DeleteI did not get to hang out with any celebrities at Chicago, but I did hang out with Bonnie on Tues night :) She was at a club event. Banff looks so beautiful!! You did pick a great place for a vaca with your sis. So cool you get to experience that together.
ReplyDeleteSo where do we go next? Our list is long.
DeleteSo sorry I missed you in Chicago.
Isn't Desi tiny? I met her when I ran with "The Bachelor" and he was dating Desi's little sister IRL. Haha! Glad you had fun spectating. I think Banff is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It's been a billion years since I was there. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you...Banff is something else. I hate to go home!
DeleteBanff looks absolutely stunning! The lakes and streams look beautiful. I always try to snag a spot near the finish line (similar to where you were positioned). The "later" finishers are so inspiring, especially the first-timers!
ReplyDeleteBanff has exceeded our expectations!
DeleteI spectate London every year as I always have several friends in it, and it's exhausting!! I usually do it with my best friend but was solo apart from some other Kings Heath folk at the beginning last time and that was hard. I think it's almost as tiring as doing the things. A great meet with Des and then a lovely trip, thank you for sharing it all with us!
ReplyDeleteOh that was me (Liz)
DeleteYou are right--spectating is exhausting!!! But it sure is fun!
DeleteOh wow, this is wonderful, Wendy!!!
ReplyDeleteDarlene is right, Banff does look a bit like the Swiss Alps, but Banff seems to be bigger with more space (to me, everything is bigger in North America, ha!)
Awesome that you could spectate the Chicago marathon. And meet Desi!! It's so funny that she took the second row for the photo - I guess that move is typical for her personality.
Are you going to visit Banff again sometime?
I'd love to visit Banff again soon, but there are so many other places I'd love to visit as well. Like you said everything is bigger in North America, lol! But it was spectacular. I'll have a few more photos in next week's rundown.
DeleteWow wow wow! Those pictures are unbelievable! Banff is stunning. Thank you for sharing! What an amazing tradition with your sister :)
ReplyDeleteAnd how cool would that be to run the marathon with your son!!
I can't believe you haven't been to Banff! You definitely have to go. I have never ever been anywhere as beautiful.
DeleteWhat an incredible trip! This is somewhere I've been desperate to go, but we just haven't made it happen! This has been an amazing week for you and I'm so glad you enjoyed all the things!
ReplyDeleteThere's beauty everywhere, but I think this tops everything! I hope you get to go.
DeleteWow what a week! Amazing from start to finish. Your photos of Baniff are stunning and now I want to see it. And of course meeting Des is just awesome. I love that you're inspired to consider running Chicago again - did you enter the lottery?
ReplyDeleteI haven't entered it yet...still weighing my decision. I'm not sure my body would be happy about it.
DeleteWhat a week! Banff is a wonderful place. The last photo is too beautiful with that landscape over you.
ReplyDeleteI have never spectated a marathon. I really hope you that you can run a marathon with your son: this dream didn't come true for me.
I travelled a lot for work and tourism. Scotland is my favorite place.
I have heard other people say that they love Scotland as well!
DeleteI really loved following along with your adventures in Banff. It's so beautiful. I've never been to Canada! It is now on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteI'm so surprised! Yes, you must go.
DeleteGosh I wish I was paying more attention to other blogs especially yours! I would have loved to have met up when you were in Alberta. I would have shown you some hidden gems. Next time!
ReplyDelete