For those of you who tend to take the stairs, I’m sure you know that the Annual “Loop the Lakes” Trail Race is this Sunday. The organizers have moved it earlier in the year so that folks can use it as a training opportunity for other sporting and fitness events and competitions that are littering the corridor calendar all summer long.
What sort of sets the Loop the Lakes apart, though, is that it just seems a wee bit more “user friendly” than many of the high octane events and extreme tests of endurance/skill that our region seems to produce. And as such, it’s a great event to use as a launch point to build skill, gain experience and perhaps boost your competitive confidence if you’re not quite as hard core as your friends and neighbours.
And the fact that it’s held along the gorgeous forested lake trails in Alice Lake Park, is a major bonus.
Don’t get me wrong, this is NOT an easy event by any stretch. But it just has a wee bit of forgiveness that makes it seem less daunting for those of us who…well…love our lawnchairs a little too much, if you get my drift.
There is a choice of 8 km, 15 km or 21 km routes – and, bless her heart, the co-organizer Jen Segger is quoted in this week’s Squamish Chief as stating “…you can just run the flat areas and walk up the hills; it’s totally up to you.” Now, THAT’S cool!
She also happens to run a company called Challenge by Choice, a performance coaching company which helps folks get a personalized training plan in place for running, biking, and general fitness- for anyone and every one, based on their level and ability and goals. INCLUSIVE fitness. For even coach potatoes like me.
There is even a kids 1 km fun race, too, so that the Sea to Sky wee ones can get their first taste of organized racing. And, if I were to be completely honest, I’d admit that 1 km sounds about as much as I’d be able to handle, personally. But I also take solace in the fact that my toddler keeps me running the equivalent of a half-marathon almost every day.
Still, there’s hope for me should I decide it’s time to challenge myself: A nice, family-friendly competition in a gorgeous setting run by organized people who encourage you to do what you can, as best as you can. And who knows- there might even be the odd athlete still picnicking with their families hours (days?) later when I arrive at the finish line.
