Creemore Vertical Chllange
This was my 5th consecutive Creemoore race the 4th time doing the 50K. The course is a challenge but on Saturday Mother Nature threw a new curve at us. Arriving at 07:00 am storm clouds were gathering and it wasn't long before the sky opened up. Rain I am OK with but the Lightening not so much. I sat in the Car until there was a bit of a break in the weather around 7:30 so I ventured out to pick up my race kit. First stop was the Porta Potty ... mother nature put on quite a show while I was taking care of business and I wasn't in any hurry to leave. Ventured out and picked up the race kit then it was back to the car until 7:58. The race was suppose to go off at 08:00 am but was wisely delayed until 08:15. Mother Nature co-operated and the majority of the electrical activity had moved on so off we went.
Planned on getting through the first loop with a sub 7:30 pace being somewhat conservative on the uphills and then picking it up on the flats and downhills. It was still raining at the start and I quite welcomed it but it quickly became apparent that things were going to be slippery. The trial following the river was pretty slick so the 2K of gravel that followed were welcome. The first aide station marked the end of the gravel and the start of he old coach trial. Man was this slippery and the water was really flowing over the old Beaver Dam. After the trial ended we were back on the road and "Hill One", a must walk hill. We were still getting light rain and I actually had a chill on near the second aide station at the top of the climb. After a 1K or so loop through a little forest it was another K or so on the road before we dropped down what is usually a dry stream bed. This time it wasn't dry and the water was the colour of chocolate mile. At the bottom what is usually a small creek was a raging river knee deep and about 10 feet across...no getting around it. Heading back out on the gravel was a relief and a short distance later we hit the last aide station on the 25K loop. There is a real treat now a 2 K of downhill followed by a 1K or so of flat. Now there is a price to pay and as they say what goes down goes up ...actually its the other way around but what the heck its the same idea. I very slowly ran the 1K or so to the base of the "O2" hill just past the 15K mark. I was surprised at just how well I made it up O2 and after looping by the last aide station you more or less turn a corner and its the "Top Hill". There isn't much recovery between the two hill but "Top Hill" is about half the climb of "O2". The last 6-7K back to the start finish is downhill with a few interesting twists. There is a couple of K of country road before you really start the drop. I seem to recall this section as being flat but in reality its divide into a slight up then a slight down. After the drop into "Valley" there is a swamp crossing with a small foot bridge. Missed the bridge and sank Knee deep in Black/Smelly/Gooey Muck ...I laughed. ( there would be allot more laughing on the next loop). Valley gave way to a small up hill followed by going back down "Hill 1". The rain had pretty much stopped by now and things were starting to clear off ... the dreaded Sun was making an appearance!!! The two ravines that within the last 2K were giving folks grief. I witness a good wipe out and there were more skid marks the at the 1/4 mile at Grand Bend. Made it to the start finish in 3hrs2min, had visions of a negative split but with the ever increasing Sunshine I was dubious. So throw out the original goal of a Sub 6hr .... I would spend the next 25K estimating my time with was anywhere from a 6 to 7 hour finish depending on how things went. Heading out the river trail was really slippery. First time around there were a dozen or two or these folks that had traversed the course before me. This time hundreds of folks had been through the trail. In some spots the mud was really sticking to the bottom of my shoes adding a few pounds. The first road section was welcome relief. At the first Aide I discovered that what I thought was water proof pouch on my new Ultraspire pack was not so water proof. Reached in and found that my Eload Caps were mush..OH OH, trouble!!! Kim Van Delst just happened to be at the aide station at the same time and offered me some of here Electrolyte replacement goodies. Speaking of the Ultraspire pack this was the first long one I have wore it in. I filled the bladder with 2L of water. My hydration goal was to drink at all Aide Stations and in between use the fluid in the pack. I wanted to have the bladder drained with 5K remaining. The new packed rocked , besides the water I had my Gels, iPhone, Ear Buds, Kleenex ( in case I had to wipe my nose), GU Chomps and a Buff tied off near the shoulder that I used to wipe my Brow! The pack rode well and after 50 wet Ks there was no chaffing anywhere. With 20K remaining we entered the old "Stage Coach" trial . What was slippery the first time around was dam near impossible to negotiate. Usually after the climb that follows the Beaver Dam its pretty good trail running , this time it was more akin to skating... I laughed! After the trail and before "Hill 1" there is a K or so of running through an open field with long grass. This is where I realized that the heat was really getting to me and I wasn't getting enough fluids. Temps were starting to push up into the mid 20s but it was more the opressive humidity. Heading up "Hill One" I had visions of Niagara which was more or less 20K of please make this be over. Past the Aide Station at the top of "Hill 1" we drop back into a trial loop. Kim and I leaped fogged again and she gave me some more Electrolytes. After the Forest loop its a bit of road , a bit of trail through the creek bed then the final aide station before the big drop. It took a while to recover from "Hill 1" but I started feeling better and my thoughts of a 7 hour +day were gone and I was thinking 6:40ish would be a possibility. I started concentrating on little goals , run this walk that planing the last 13 or so Ks. First up was running from the last Aide Station to the base of "O2", manged to get there but was really feeling it heading up "O2". In both 2010 and 2011 O2 meany seeing stars and spending a few minutes resting here and there. This year it was tough but I didn't reset , I slowed down here and there keeping things in check. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to shuffle along after 02 but I managed to pick it up and get back to the Aide Station again. "O2" took a few minutes longer then last time and again my goal adjusted to a 7 hour finish. Did one more of Kims Electrolytes and headed towards the final big climb of the day "Top Hill". I so wanted to run after climbing this Hill but I didn't know if I had it in me. Fortunately for me Mother Nature co-operated and there was strong cooling breeze as I crested "Top Hill" . New goal was to run from here to the Swamp at the bottom of Valley and that exactly what I did. I wasnt feeling to bad coming out of Valley to the top of "Hill 1". My effort during the last section made me think of 6hrs3Xmins finish or just maybe 6hrs2Xmins. With a few Ks to go I was starting to heat up from the effort but overall I was feeling pretty good. The last K and the ravines were really tough in 2010 and 2011 but not today. I more or less breezed through this time and before I knew it I was running across the suspension bridge and crossing the finish line. Garmin time said 6hrs29min37sec making my 25K split 3hrs2min/3hr28min. Although I was happy to be done I was a bit sad that it was over. The race had a little bit of just about everything and it was a real fun adventure .... you never really knew what was over the next Hill.
