Sinister 7 - Crowsnest Pass Alberta - 2 weeks before departure

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I may not be flying to Asia until the 19th of July but my journey has begun as far as I'm concerned. I had been training for the Sinister 7 Ultramarathon since January, 2009. I don't follow a very rigid training schedule and I always say that I'm very "savage" in my ways. After six months of pummelling my body on the roads and trails I was more than ready to run the race. I was tired of training alone and the anticipation was unbearable. For those who don't know, the Sinister 7 isn't just any race. I think that it is one of the hardest ultramarathons in Canada and maybe North America. It takes you over some of the most unforgiving mountains totalling over 19,000ft of elevation gain throughout the entire course. The course is 146km long and made up of seven stages which can be completed with a team of up to seven people or by yourself. I managed to finish the race with an overall time of 22:41:08 achieving 10th place. Until I started training for this race, the only race I had ran was 5km back in elementary school. During my training months I managed to compete in one half marathon in Lethbridge, Alberta. Don't let my racing inexperience fool you. I'm an avid outdoors adventurer and participate in late night marathons that I forget about the next day. Mentally I was ready and physically I wasn't too far off. With a little bit of dedication I would be and was, more than ready for the race. The Sinister 7 was an experience that I will never forget. I'll soon add a writeup about the race for those who are interested. Enjoy some of the race photos and come back soon to see Mt. Fuji.

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Photos

Race Check In
Checking in at the beginning of the race.

Start
On your mark, get set, go!

Shoes
My mom, Colleen, is helping me change my shoes after the hail I went through on leg 3.

Leg 4 Start
The beginning of leg 4.

Running into the mountains.
Beginning of Leg 5.

Crowsnest Mountain
Leg 5/7 Transition Area.

Christine's Leg
Christine is getting ready to conquer her leg of the race.

Getting Ready
Preparing for leg 7.

134km
Psycadelic photo taken at the end of leg 6.

Can I have a beer?
At the end of the race, asking the medic what her professional opinion was about having a beer.

Beer!
Craig is serving me a Guiness before I crash and burn.

Mmmmm
Mmmmm... Guiness

How did I place?
Asking Brian how I did.

Family photo
My parents/support crew.

The feet
Going to be losing some toenails!

Comments

[Tracy]

toes!
Good on you for finishing! An amazing feat really. But about those feet, nasty.... that cannot feel good!

[Aunt Jan]

Congratulations
Michael - Finally we are back from vacation and just got the update on your race. I am so proud of you! Congratulations from all of us in Schomberg! Have a blast on your travels - you are so right to explore the world - talk about an unforgettable year for you! Stay in touch!! Love, Jan p.s. your second toe looks the same as my second toe!

[Amanda]

Sinister Racer!
Nicely done buddy...with a beer at the end and all!! I'm impressed! I think the DR team is tackling S7 next year, but we're not crazy enough to do it solo. Cheers!

[John Sullivan]

Good Job
Hi Mike, Congrats on completing the Sinister 7! Sorry I didn't get back to you when you called - we are pretty busy! When you get back if you are in the Soo look me up again we will have you over. Have Fun John