Fabulosi-T: Sinister 7 countdown....

Oh CRAP. only ~~a few~~ three sleeps until Sinister 7.

gah.

I am running around trying to find shit. That I know I had. That has to fit into my water pack. I do not have to have the headlamp, since I am running the first two legs. Headlamp is only for runners who run after 8pm. Whew.

My hydration pack. Got it check. Wind/water resistant jacket. Check. A. Roonie. Toque. Check. Gawd really? Its a million degrees out there. Then again. It's the mountains. But in case of emerg and all....Timing chip and bib will come later. But where the HELL is my whistle and space blanket. hmmmmmmmm

I still have to pack the rest of my stuff. I need extra hydration, snacks for the long haul, TP, baby wipes, body glide, hand sanitiser, all camping gear. Oh and running gear. Injinjis and CEP sleeves. SPIbelt. Check check. Got it. Crap. I have got to finish packing!!!!!

So ...what is Sinister 7 you ask? Why it is an Ultra Marathon...just a wee 148km (92mi) race. A race you have 27 hours to complete. It is 7 legs which range from 12km to 35km (7.5 to 22mi).
This is not an easy race - it starts and finishes at all kinds of crazy points. Its mountain trails and hard...but FUN with your pals. It is a challenge. And we are ready.

There is some awesome Elevation Change -- a gain of 5,320m (17,454') and a loss of 5,350m (17,569'). Here is a short description from the website!

All distances and elevations have been verified by GPS, foot, mountain bike and quad. Difficulty is based on how hard the leg is in comparison to the other legs of the race (ie: Leg 3 is 7/7 meaning it is the hardest) in our opinions. Every leg of the race is hard.

So what am I running? Well....the first two legs. Normally I am slightly nervous. This time a LOTTA nervous. eek. I do not want to let my team down. One of my major races to test my readiness was cancelled due to the crazy flooding. So I am going to complete on grit and determination. I have the mileage in. Just not enough time on the trails. Gotta love these descriptions from the Sin7 site!

Leg 1 - Frank Slide - Sinners must finish this leg in under 2.5 hours

Distance: 16.5km (10.25mi)Elevation Gain: 502m (1,647')Elevation Loss: 329m (1,079')Trail Type: Paved road, gravel road, double track, single track
The first leg of the Sinister 7 crosses the massive debris field of the Frank Slide. Spread over several kilometers, the slide consists of rocks and boulders as large as houses. Experts say the mountain will fall again one day; maybe tomorrow, next week, or next year... After the Slide, the route passes through the town of Hillcrest and onto cross country trails to the base of Hastings Ridge.

Leg 2 -Hastings Ridge - Sinners must finish this leg in under 3 hours Distance: 16km (9.94mi)Elevation Gain: 937m (3,074')Elevation Loss: 1,110m (3,642')Trail Type: Single track, double track, dirt road
Beginning at the base of Hastings Ridge, runners begin a grueling climb to a rewarding view. Once atop the ridge, you get a view of the entire valley, including Crowsnest Mountain and the Seven Sisters; certainly worth the punishing climb to the top! There is no time for rest as runners drop down the other side and head towards Blairmore to the finish of leg two.

Wanna know about the rest of the legs? Read about the punishment here! I'll let cha know if we see bears, cougars, wildlife (you may hear my screams from here...be prepared).