I love to run, I love to hike, but I’m not a mountain biker.

I’ve tried mountain biking and I really enjoyed the climb up the mountain, but the ride down gave me grey hair. I found out in the moment as I tried to get down the hill that I am in no way an adrenaline junkie.

I want to note that I tried mountain biking in my 20s, so it wasn’t an issue of being old.

I am a swimmer by heart. I swam in university at a highly competitive level and it’s my one true love. My kids are in swimming, as well, and they are fish in the water.

But in my 30s, I wanted to try something different so I picked up running. I have been running for years now and I love it. I love the time away from my kids (yes, I admit I’m “that mom”) and that it’s just my thoughts and me. I can work a lot of stuff out on my runs.
When I started, I did mostly road running, the flat long-distance stuff. At 34, I did my first half Ironman. It was hard and I hadn’t trained enough on the bike, but I loved it. A few months later, I got pregnant with Quinn, so that was put on hold for a few years.

In my 40s, I got into weight lifting and, like most things I become passionate about, I threw myself into that, too. As a result, I took a year off running because I really couldn’t do both. If I ran a lot, I just became too slim and had a hard time putting on muscle. It’s only in the last few years that I have figured out how to eat enough food to lift and look strong while running to lean out, but not get too skinny.

So to bring me back, I started running again and I have found that I love trail running. It's my new passion. I love being out in the middle of the forest looking around at this magnificent place where I live and enjoying nature while pushing myself up a mountain.

I carry my bear spray because I’m terrified of bears and cougars, but I put my big girl shorts on and go for it.

This is where I come to mountain biking. The UROC group has put together some amazing trails that I am able to run. I love how perfect all these areas are. They are well marked, they are well maintained and I see traffic on these trails, so if something does happen, chances are I’ll eventually meet up with someone that can help me.

So even though I’m not an adrenaline junkie, I can still use those mountain biking trails for great runs. It’s also perfect for hikers of all levels and ages. I suggest you get out there and try these trails, especially the one on the local ski hill. It feels as though you’re both in town and way out in the backcountry. It’s the perfect place to start your fitness journey.

So thank you UROC for making such amazing multi-use areas for the people of the Crowsnest Pass and beyond!

With trails like we have we will eventually be found. Now that the Kananaskis area is charging a user fee to enter, my guess is Calgarians and other avid outdoor people from Alberta are willing to make the extra journey to our untouched neck of the woods.

I was climbing in Kananaskis this weekend and it was busy but not crazy, but when I got home all I heard was that it was nuts down here. The Pass Powderkeg looked like a staging area for a race; there were so many cars and bikers partaking in the amazing venue.

It’s only a matter of time before more and more people realize we are the last tapped outdoor recreation place in Alberta that isn’t a park. You don’t have to pay to come, but can surely use the amenities when you are here, once COVID restrictions lift. It’s so nice to see life coming into our beautiful community. When I arrived home after the weekend, I stopped at the office and met up with a family that was walking down the street, they were from Calgary and said this is their new favourite place. I think we are all going to hear that a lot in the future!