Canadian Death Race in 16 Days

My first, last, and only attempt at the Canadian Death Race will occur in 16 days (July 31).  I was very excited when I first heard about the race about three years ago.  When I signed up with my friend Gregg on January 1 of this year I was nervous, but excited too.  Now, I'm just wanting to get this thing over...and survive.  The race is 125km through the remote Canadian Rockies around Grande Cache, Alberta. There are three mountain peak summits.  We start in town at an elevation of about 4,000 feet, the highest peak is around 7,000 feet, and several valleys go as low as 3,000 feet.  Lots and lots of elevation change--over 17,000 feet across the full 78 miles--with very little steady flat running.  The picture above is the "main street" highway through Grande Cache.  Nice mountains in the background.

If you've never heard of Grande Cache, you are not alone.  The town is about a 5 hour drive west from Edmonton.  It's in the middle of nowhere.  The pictures and video from the race web site and town tourism department look great.  It's a beautiful location for a race.  I hope to take some digital video and lots of photos.  Stopping for pictures should allow me to catch my breath on the long ascents. This sucker has lots of elevation change!  Being from central Illinois doesn't give me any advantages for mountain racing.  I've lost interest in long runs, hill repeats, speed work...I run a little each day and hope that my overall fitness will carry over to a slow, but satisfying, finish.  I'm not injured and I feel healthy.  I just don't feel fit for a mountain race.  Oh well.  I paid a lot of money to register for the race, get a flight, and rent a car.  I better finish this thing.  I do save on hotel costs since WE DON'T HAVE A HOTEL for the darn race!  Gregg and I will be in the race's "tent city" for three days. Not sure how bathrooms and showers work in this tent city.  Sure would be nice to be freshly showered and "expunged" of human waste material before the start of the race.  I suppose we'll all be sweaty and smelly once we are just a few miles into the race.

I'll post some training updates over the next 2 weeks...and lots of photos when I return from Canada.  Wish me well...I'll need it. I'm not going back...so this is my ONE concerted attempt!