Click on this link to Relieve the Run
Race day forecast was for super hot temps especially being late September and it didn't disappoint. This is the second year for this race and my first time doing it. This was the 4th time this Summer that I had been up this way running and as it turns out I covered 90% of the technical bit which were about 80% of the race! I had Doug Barber pick up my race kit and arrived just before the 06:30 , after a 90 minute drive for the " mandatory meeting ". Though it was a 7:30 start but it was 07:00 am so there was a bit of a scramble getting ready but it was no big deal because as is usual I was pretty organized!
The race started with a Bagpiper and half K walk to the start area then we were off! The first 4K of the race were pretty easy ...something to look forward to on the way back! The real fun started at Little Cove and more or less lasted until Cyprus Lake where we got a break running around the Campground ending up back on the Bruce Trail just before the Grotto. The race reminded me allot of the Niagara Ultra where you run to the Horseshoe falls then back to Niagara on the Lake.... strange analagy when the Niagara Race is super easy and this race was super hard. When you get close to Cyprus Lake there are allot of folks on the trail and going through the Grotto was very busy. Running thorough unsuspecting Tourist is a blast...just like Niagara. Most are having a tough time walking some of the trails and here were are running them! As a matter of fact I pretty much flew through the Cyprus Lake area logging some 7 min Ks! It was allot of fun following the blazes and race flags through the Grotto area. It reminded me of a recurring dream have follwing flages and getting lost only this time I pretty much remained on course! I was gelling and taking in as much Water as I could but the Aid Stations were a wee bit spaced out for such a hot humid day. Temps returning from the Grotto were in the mid to upper 20's with really high humidity. The one savings grace was some unexpected haze/cloud so there was very little Sun exposure. In the last couple of hours I began to dehydrate a bit ... heart rate climbs as the blood thickens and I started to get the pain across the shoulders. Slowed down , chugged as much water I could get down and upped the S Caps. I never really recovered but did make the necessary pace adjustment to maintain a little slower run. I hadn't run long since I did Endure a month earlier so there was a little bit of doubt about how successful I would be and I have to say that I was very pleased with the run. If it wasn't so hot I am sure I would have been a sub 6 hours and I wasn't too far off the mark at 6hrs10min.
So I feel pretty much set up for my remaining 3 fall 50Kers , Sticks and Stones Oct 7, The Bad Thing Oct 21 and The Batawa Fat Ass Nov 12.
Finish Line Picture
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