Niagara 50K Ultra Marathon - Saturday June 20, 2015

Did my 6th Niagara 50Ker yesterday.  Strangely enough this is the third time I have finished this race in 53rd.   Its was also my third fastest Niagara and the third time I finished 53rd!  

2009 -   4:40:11     Rained like crazy!  
2010 -   4:52:51     The year I BQed at STWM
2012 -   5:06:10    53rd/172
2013 -   6:07:11    Wan't racing it this year shooting video like a tourist
2014 -   5:07:49     53rd/172
2015 -   5:06:00     53rd/199

 The race start of 7am made for a 2:30 am wake up call...early as is usual for any race in the Golden Horse Shoe.    Felt really tired on the way down after a somewhat apprehensive sleep.  Can't fool the subconscious for what I was about to put my physical part through!  

 Great weather at the 7am start,  cool 12C no breeze and sun but I knew that this would change.    Settled into a relaxed sub 6:00 pace for the first 11K.  Gelled on schedule at the 45 min mark and continued every 45 min until the end of the race.    Climed the escarpment over the 12th and 13th K logging a 6:35 and 6:42 K.   At the 15K mark my left knee complained loudly so much so that I visioned dropping out of the race.   I slowed the pace a bit and in about 5 min the pain dissipated and I was able to continue.   Running the last few Ks of the loop through the Tourists never dissapoionts...always a thrill and the mist and the power of the Falls is just magical.   Made it through 25K in 2hrs24min14sec.    So having a little time banked I felt that I had a real shot at a sub 5 hour day.  Heading back the goal was to keep as many Ks around the 6:00 pace as I could.   It was really starting to warm up heading back and the first 10Ks were almost entirely exposed to the Sun.    There is a pretty good little climb coming out of the falls at around the 28/29K mark...on fresh legs no problem but with the distance already logged and the rising temps I geared it back to a 6:30 pace.    Made it to the 30K mark in 2:54:39 but I after leaving the fun part of the run behind I just wanted it to be over.  For the next 30K I battled to keep the pace near 6:00 but it was getting increasingly difficult to do.   I was through 40K in 3hrs59min47sec.   I took some solace in keeping it to an avg 6:00 pace but I knew a sun 5hrs probably wasn't going to happen so I just kept chipping away 1K at a time just wanting it to be over.   I also did my first and only S Caps of the day downing 2 of them heading into the last 10K.  So I kept moving ,  walking was tempting me but I only did that briefly on a couple of small hills otherwise I kept chipping away.   Last 5K were logged in  7:05, 6:19, 6:30, 6:27 and 6:41.

 Although I fell short of my A goal it was a solid result that I am pleased with.   Being able to run the entire 50K was a good mental after having more or less a 20K death march at the end of my Sulphur 50 miler.    Up next I am back to Niagara in 2 weeks for the 50K Laura Secord on the Bruce Trail.