Living Smart with Wildlife

The bears in Kananaskis are already starting to come out of their dens for spring, and this means it's time to be extra WildSmart!

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while running in Bear Country this spring. 

• To help prevent encounters you can shout regularly to let wildlife know where you are. This will prevent them from being surprised and give them a chance to move elsewhere.
  
  
• A great way to avoid negative encounters with wildlife while you're training or racing outdoors is to remove your ear buds. When you wear ear buds, you are less aware of your surroundings and might not hear nearby wildlife that may be warning you of their presence. In fact, not only is it safer for runners and wildlife to not wear ear buds, but having your ears free encourages a stronger mental race and can better connect you with your surroundings.

• In addition to not wearing ear buds, wildlife officials and WildSmart strongly suggest you carry bear spray and know how to use it! If you need to refresh your memory on the proper use of bear spray, you can check out this informative video prepared by the Government of Alberta and WildSmart!

• Click here to sign up for our weekly bear activity reports and to stay informed on wildlife sightings in the Bow Valley

Learn more about living smart with bears or call us: 403.678.3445 ext 2.

Let the training begin, and we'll see you in Canmore!


Facebook: www.facebook.com/wildsmart

Twitter: twitter.com/wildsmart

Hey it’s Ruchel from Rocky again! Hope your training is going awesome!

Whether you are preparing to run the 5km or the 21Km race this month, a popular training and racing strategy is to use a “mantra” to help you get through you last hard training sessions and to help power though uncomfortable moments out on the race course. The word Mantra is Sanskrit in origin, and is a word or group of words, often repeated, that are believed to bring the practitioner strength, spiritual power and focus.  “To achieve your running goals, powerful legs and big lungs aren't enough—you also need a strong head. Doubts and distractions can derail your attempts, but a well-chosen mantra can keep you calm and on target,” Per http://www.runnersworld.com/race-training/the-magic-of-running-mantras.

I asked my friends to share their favorite running mantras, feel free to borrow or create your own.
“One breath at a time”
“Breathe...In, out, strength, power, peace, light, triumph, grace”
“Just keep swimming”
“I think I can”
“One foot in front of the other”
“Far. Fast. Free”
“Eyes up! Spirit Up!”
“I feel good, I feel great, I can go all day!”
“Discomfort and pain are two different things”
“Your race, Your pace”
“Today is my day”
“I kill hills!”
Happy Training! We can’t wait to see you in a few weeks at the Nordic center, give us high five after the race and let us know if you used a mantra!

To follow Ruchel’s adventures you can finder her on Instagram @Ruchely and on her website http://baggingpeaks.com/