FKT attempt Day 1 Summary
- Admin
- Jul 2, 2017
- 3 min read
Day 1 is for working out kinks and settling into your routine. It was a long day for Chantal with a start at 6:01am from the Cairn in Tobermory and a finish just after 10pm at Bruce Trail Forthy Hills Access. Before I get ahead of myself though, let's give you a bit of background about this run. Sidenote- I am writing from a french computer today, so if there are any spelling errors I apologize. French keyboards make everything more exciting ;)
As most of you may know, Chantal is an avid ultrarunner. What you may not know was that 10 years ago, it was uncertain whether she would even walk again. After a trampolining accident broke her back, it was a long time of recovery for Chantal. She was told she may never run again. After many months of support from friends and family, and many hours of rehab, she eventually was able to start walking with a walker, then graduated to a cane, then to walking unassisted. Since then Chantal has continued to race triathlon, cross country, and has in the past few years started increasing her distance to racing ultramarathons. Check out past blog posts to see where she has travelled and raced to. This working (she's a paramedic and has a nutritional consulting business) mom of 2 is an inspiration!
So... Why the Bruce Trail? From Chantal: I have always been a competitive person but ever since I had my spinal injury over a decade ago, I've wanted to see how far I could push my physical and mental abilities. I will never again take my abilities for granted. I want to inspire others that with a little mental grit, almost anything is possible. I want to inspire my two girls, that being a woman is powerful. I've been thinking about running the Bruce for many years. We’re very lucky to have this beautiful footpath in our backyard.
How long is the Bruce Trail? Well, according to the official website- 890km. In reality, it can vary. Sometimes there are detours you have to take, or you get lost and have to backtrack, all adding to your total kms. Tomorrow I will share a bit about the history of the Bruce trail and fun facts (so stay tuned you fact nerds).
What is the current record?
There are many people who have blazed the path before Chantal. Charlotte Vasarhelyi held the FKT record from 2010 to 2012 in a time of 13 days, 10 hours 51 min
The current womens solo FKT is held by Virginia Cann in 13 days 6 hrs 28min (2015)
Current overall FKT: Jim Willet 10 days, 13 hours, 57 min (2014)
There have also been co-ed relays, womens-only relay (Wild Bruce Chase, of which Chantal was a part of last year has the current record- go girls!), and Rhonda-Marie Avery holds the record for only person to complete a Bruce Trail FKT blind... as you can see, many incredible people have been drawn to the Bruce.
Chantal is hoping to raise funds through this run for Chorus Feeds Kids and Jumpstart. If you wish to support Chantal with this run please email aspirebrucecelerity@gmail.com for more info.
And finally what you all have been waiting for- Day 1 summary
Chantal started at 6:01am and ran through some fog and two bursts of rain. The trails in this section are wet and slick which makes this already challenging rocky section more challenging. Chantal had 4 aid stations today where she re-fuelled and switched pacers. She stopped at 10:08, 13:40, 17:37 and 21:51. Joining her today were friends and experienced ultrarunners Alan, Keith, Craig and Oliver. Pit crew including Joan spoiled Chantal with bacon (her fav!) and made sure she had enough bug spray for the next leg. Chantal met lots of people on trail today and even took time to pause for some selfies ;). She arrived in camp just after 10pm tonight and is cheerful and having dinner now.
Stats:
Mileage today: 78.63kms (ended at Bruce Trail Forty Hills Access point)
Elapsed time on trail: 15:49:35
Wardrobe changes: 2 pairs of socks
Animals seen on trail: 1 snake, 1 turtle
Thats it for tonight! Check Chantals Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for updates during the day, and each night I will write a daily summary on here. Thanks for following!
Apologies for no pics with this post- my computer is on the fritz and not allowing me to upload right now,.