So it rained at Pick Your Poison trail race! Somebody should have warned me. The course for my 25 K race was 2 loops. Other distances of 12.5 K and 50 K all started together. It was a little busy at the start but just for a bit. The sun had come out just as we lined up to begin. It quickly clouded over, but stayed warm for the first loop. The course was very mixed: raw, fresh singletrack that was very hilly and winding, and faster sections of tractor roads made of sand or cedar chips. Splits went from 5 minutes to 8 minutes and back again. Some of the singletrack was downright miserable, other sections were huge fun. Also grass sections across or down the ski hills, and forest tracts too.
I was feeling okay but it seemed steady more than fast. By the end of the first loop I was soaked in sweat.This was probably my low point physically, starting to fade. Second loop, it started raining solid. It had sprinkled a bit up until now, just enough to make it humid. Soon the heavy rain cooled me off and I picked it up again. On the faster stuff I thought maybe I would be faster than the first loop, but the Garmin says just a touch slower. Then the rain took its toll on the course, especially the goofy new singletrack. Much of it was off-camber, going across a hill, and it was slick mucky going. Much slower on these sections, up to 90 seconds per K. Also here, I followed 2 guys off course for 400-450 metres, and the same again to backtrack. Cost us at least 5 minutes. So my second loop took 15 minutes more than the first, 1:14 and 1:29. At least my energy was good until the end, and I passed two guys on the final descent in a 3 minute kick. Official time was 2:43:46, good for 33 place out of 71 runners. Those 5 minutes didn't help me there, but I know we weren't the only ones who wandered a bit. I was drenched at the end, but at least I didn't actually go down in the mud as so many did. Lots of friendly faces before and after. There was a meal served indoors, even though the power was out from the thunderstorm. Swag was a jar of honey, a water bottle, and "Pick Your Poison" defeet socks.
That now shows as my slowest 25 K ever, even going back 5 years. Also have to wonder if the course wasn't short, as most Garmins showed. It doesn't matter to me if I ran a tough 25 K or 23 K, but if I had to explain why my first 50 K might have really been 45 or 46, I might be disappointed. Still, that's trail racing. All in all, a fun, challenging unique day on the trails.
Spur at 16 K is the off course bit.
Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
- Doonst
- Abby Hoffman
- Posts: 10598
- Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:17 pm
- Location: the corner of Sixth and Where Do I Go?
- Contact:
Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
next up:
This broken wing will fly again
One fine day
This blackbird's mute gonna sing again
One fine day
So all you sinners come out
And all you drunkards crawl out
Come into the light of one fine day
This broken wing will fly again
One fine day
This blackbird's mute gonna sing again
One fine day
So all you sinners come out
And all you drunkards crawl out
Come into the light of one fine day
- ultraslacker
- Site Admin
- Posts: 46890
- Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: paradise
- Contact:
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Doonst wrote:if I had to explain why my first 50 K might have really been 45 or 46, I might be disappointed. Still, that's trail racing. All in all, a fun, challenging unique day on the trails.
yeah I think it's the nature of the beast... it's hard to be super accurate on crazy trails! :)
That was an excellent time, though, even if it wasn't your best time; it sounds like a hard course with bad weather!
"You're an ultrarunner, normal rules don't apply to you." (Doonst)
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus
First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus
- QuickChick
- Lynn Williams
- Posts: 13274
- Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:52 pm
- Location: Whitby ON
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
It would've been really hard to do that in the rain- it would absolutely make a difference to your time. How many trail races have you done in the rain- maybe you can start setting "in the rain" pbs. That must've been a fast field if you were 33 out of 71, too.
"Don’t let negativity rent space in your brain for free. That is how you become a badass…by excavating her from inside you. You don’t have to become someone else. You need to identify the effing awesome parts of you that are your tools to work with, and maximize those." -Lauren Fleshman
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Nice running Sheldon! It sounds and looks like quite the challenging course, especially in the rain. But, I bet it was a lot of fun.
I hope they found everyone that wandered off.
I hope they found everyone that wandered off.
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Tought day but you got it done! You trail runners are a bunch of crazies....
- Robinandamelia
- Jerome Drayton
- Posts: 5044
- Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:31 am
- Location: Bradford, Ontario
- Contact:
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Congrats, especially under the difficult circumstances!!
- b_squared
- Bill Crothers
- Posts: 1294
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 4:23 pm
- Location: escape is at hand for the travellin' man
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Seems like you had a victory just not going down in the mud!
Let's hope for better conditions at Sulphur.
Let's hope for better conditions at Sulphur.
- West Grey Runner
- Bill Crothers
- Posts: 1301
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:29 am
- Location: West Grey (Near Owen Sound), Ontario
- Contact:
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Great report Doonst.
The course was short! I figured it was an 11.25K loop…I was quiet Ok with that, the OUS folks were making up for Seaton.
Finish times in a trail are really doing mean much. A better way to gauge yourself is where you placed in regards to the others. I just ran my two slowest 50Ks ever yet I am extremely pleased with my results.
Hope to see you in Mount Forest Saturday.
The course was short! I figured it was an 11.25K loop…I was quiet Ok with that, the OUS folks were making up for Seaton.
Finish times in a trail are really doing mean much. A better way to gauge yourself is where you placed in regards to the others. I just ran my two slowest 50Ks ever yet I am extremely pleased with my results.
Hope to see you in Mount Forest Saturday.
- Robbie-T
- Jerome Drayton
- Posts: 6340
- Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:44 am
- Location: Awesome World
- Contact:
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
ok trail running in the rain is just fun, lucky you, and great run!
Mississauga Marathon - 2:52
Around the Bay - 1:58
Click>> Race History
ItsMyRun.com
"If I'm running, it will be a good run" - Robbie-T
"I just hope that people look at it and say, 'Hey if this yahoo can do it, then I can do it too.' That'd be cool if people thought that. It's just a matter of putting the miles in and working. It's not so much how much talent you have. I hope." - Brian Sell.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift." - Pre
Around the Bay - 1:58
Click>> Race History
ItsMyRun.com
"If I'm running, it will be a good run" - Robbie-T
"I just hope that people look at it and say, 'Hey if this yahoo can do it, then I can do it too.' That'd be cool if people thought that. It's just a matter of putting the miles in and working. It's not so much how much talent you have. I hope." - Brian Sell.
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift." - Pre
- ratherBrunning
- Jerome Drayton
- Posts: 4412
- Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2008 7:50 pm
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Nice report, Sheldon! It sounds like a tricky course and then throw in the rain! It appears that you coped really well
Congrats on yet another good 25 km trail race!!
Congrats on yet another good 25 km trail race!!
- AirForceRunner
- Bill Crothers
- Posts: 1776
- Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:44 am
- Location: Buried under the snow!!
- Contact:
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
RAIN!?! Whoda thunk it?
Sorry, but you knew that was coming.
Still kicking myself for missing this, but your description of that off-camber messy stuff....probably best I did.
Nice work Doonst. Seeya at Sulphur.
Sorry, but you knew that was coming.
Still kicking myself for missing this, but your description of that off-camber messy stuff....probably best I did.
Nice work Doonst. Seeya at Sulphur.
http://www.itsmyrun.com/?display=myrace ... orceRunner
2011 Wishlist
Sulphur Springs 50 miler
Dirty Girls 12 hr night run
Haliburton 100 miler (gulp!)
"Try the meditation of the trail, just walk along looking at the trail at your feet and don't look about and just fall into a trance as the ground zips by..."
-Jack Kerouac
"I am no longer a runner, I am now a father who runs. I will let the running come to me and I will make the most of every km I am fortunate enough to receive."
-Smack
2011 Wishlist
Sulphur Springs 50 miler
Dirty Girls 12 hr night run
Haliburton 100 miler (gulp!)
"Try the meditation of the trail, just walk along looking at the trail at your feet and don't look about and just fall into a trance as the ground zips by..."
-Jack Kerouac
"I am no longer a runner, I am now a father who runs. I will let the running come to me and I will make the most of every km I am fortunate enough to receive."
-Smack
- mcshame
- Sylvia Ruegger
- Posts: 8480
- Joined: Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:05 pm
- Location: St-Lazare, Quebec
- Contact:
Re: Doonst Picks a half-dose of Poison
Sounds like messy fun, well done. I'll have to try a trail race one day.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests