Nature Girl's a Dirty Girl!

We want to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly!
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Nature Girl
Bruce Kidd
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Nature Girl's a Dirty Girl!

Postby Nature Girl » Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:03 pm

I've been thinking about my fellow Dirty Girls all morning hoping their overnighter went well. And I thought I'd write a little report while it was fresh in my mind for my first trail race, the 30k.

I left Sudbury at about 2pm after rushing to pack in about 20 minutes and stopped at the LCBO, gas station and grocery store to pick up food I didn't need to cook since I didn't feel like rummaging through my stuff to find the camp stove.

I arrived at the Mansfield Outdoor Centre at around 6pm and set up my tent beside a couple of great guys I ran with in Haliburton a few weeks ago. They were doing the 24 hour as a relay team. I dug into my pasta salad and Strongbow, met Msdesigner, saw UltraQueenga and the Viking, and chatted with a few other racers and went to bed.

The camp was quiet by 9pm. I forgot a pillow and didn't have a great sleep (never really do in tents). I hate getting out of the tent to pee, so I tried to ignore it until morning :lol: .which kept me up a bit too. Originally the family was going to come up with me but I think it’s a good thing they didn’t. They can be a bit loud and still wake up in the middle of the night, which I don’t think my fellow racers would have appreciated :lol:.

Woke up, had a granola bar and a wonderful coffee from Msdesigner (thank-you!) and slowly got dressed for the race.

The 6, 12, & 24 hour crazy people started at 8am (30k started at 8:30). Spotted a guy in a tutu... I clued in that it was RabidChipmunk and introduced myself. During the race, I was passed by a guy in a turquoise skort, he said hi and zoomed by and I thought to myself that it was West Grey (?).
Diane, the race organizer talked to the groups and said the 30k awards ceremony would be at 12:30, which I took in my mind to be the cut off time. My goal for this race was to finish happy, unhurt, not last, and before 12:30pm, since this was my first trail race and the longest distance I've run on trails.

So 8:30 am rolls around and we start. I make sure to get myself near the back of the pack to keep from starting out too fast, which I always do. The first loop was all about checking out the course, and I also made an effort to keep up with this one runner. The first 10k loop I completed in 1:09 which I was very happy with but I knew I wouldn't be able to keep that up.

The second loop, my energy was low. At some point I heard someone yell "now that's what I'm talking about!" on a parallel trail, I turned to look and sure enough, I hit a root and wiped out. 2 minutes later I do it again. I just wasn’t paying attention and not lifting my feet up because I was feeling a bit tired. I laugh at myself and try to shake it off and keep going. Some of the runner's that started at 8am were beginning to pass me. It was nice to say hello to others and saw a few people I knew. Later on I pass someone and shortly after my toe hits the end of a skinny root and I do a face plant. I was seriously dirty at this point.

Some memorable parts of the loop: dirty runner’s pain – a hill about 7K in and 1/2 a K long which seemed never ending the first time it came around; pig tail’s a flying – a twisty, downhill, fun section; and my favourite: beer gut boy’s a singin’ – near the end of the loop, fast and downhill and brings you to the start/finish.

3rd loop I was a bit more cautious because of the wipe-outs and was still feeling a bit tired. Passed a couple of people but was still being passed by a lot of the 24 hour folks (I am in awe!). I caught up to a group of them again (some of the regulars) and they moved to let me pass but I said I wasn’t in a hurry and decided to hang behind them for a bit. My strategy for the 3rd loop was to walk all the hills, run the flats easy and give’r down the hills. I looked at my watch and it was 12:24. I said, oh crap I have 6 minutes to finish. Out of nowhere, a burst of energy came and I finished 34 seconds after 12:30, my finish time being 4:00:34. Got my dirty runner key chain, and a butter tart (mmm, my favourite) and chugged water.

After the race I cheered on the sidelines, had some food but as I was sitting there the mother’s guilt was setting in and I got ready to head on home.

This race was great preparation for Haliburton. And I’m looking forward to going back next year!
Hi. My name is NG and I want to run Haliburton.

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Spirit Unleashed
Lynn Williams
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Postby Spirit Unleashed » Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:58 pm

Great report!
Athlete....Maniac 973....Marathon Maniac 6645
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ratherBrunning
Jerome Drayton
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Postby ratherBrunning » Sun Aug 09, 2009 4:28 pm

Sounds like a wonderful race--great job! Congrats!! Good luck with your preps for Haliburton! :D :D
Louise

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VeloCarrie
Abby Hoffman
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Postby VeloCarrie » Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:30 pm

Congratulations Dirty Girl!
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Get off the friggin' assfalt and run dirt. ~Strider

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scrumhalfgirl
Lynn Williams
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Postby scrumhalfgirl » Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:56 pm

congratulations! you certainly go big or go home - well done on your trail racing debut!
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April - Boston Marathon
May - Sporting Life Ottawa 10K
May - Ottawa Half Marathon

DougG
Jerome Drayton
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Postby DougG » Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:01 pm

Way to go! Sounds like a great time was had by all.
2014
injured
2013
Snowflake 10k....stopped at 5k
Rest of the year a write off because of injury.
2012
Snowflake 10k Jan 1 done
Run 4 Kids 10k Jan 7 done
Harry's Spring Run Off 8k. April 8 a disaster, but I finished
Centurion 50k at Horseshoe Valley (cycling) done
Centurion 50 miler at Blue Mountain (cycling) done.....barely!
Snowflake 5k, Dec 16 - done
2011
Harry Rosen 8k. April. done
Rotary 5k fun run. May. done
CANI 10k. June. done
Canada Day 10k. July. done
Barrie Waterfront 5k. Aug. done
CANI 10 k. Oct. done
Base Borden Army Run 10k. done

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UltraQueenga
Jerome Drayton
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Postby UltraQueenga » Sun Aug 09, 2009 8:39 pm

Awesome report and performance! Good time, 4 hours spot on! Congrats!
It is a fun race, but some sections on the trails are really just nasty. Stomps, roots and those "cables". Good training for Haliburton, for sure.
See you there!!
Ultrarunner again

msdesigner
Jerome Drayton
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Postby msdesigner » Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:01 pm

Great job Christy!

It was so nice to meet you but I am sorry that I didn't see you before you left. I hope our paths cross again. You are on your way to fine Ultra!!
Running 26.2 miles is not limited by physical capabilities but rather by the mind.
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Jo-Jo
Kevin Sullivan
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Postby Jo-Jo » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:00 am

Christy....congrats on a great Trail Race debut :D
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kpoire
Bill Crothers
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Postby kpoire » Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:58 am

Congrats on your first trail race. Well done!

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Doonst
Abby Hoffman
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Postby Doonst » Mon Aug 10, 2009 8:59 am

Great stuff! You're a natural!
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

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Nature Girl
Bruce Kidd
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Postby Nature Girl » Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:33 pm

Thanks everyone!
Hi. My name is NG and I want to run Haliburton.

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HCcD
Donovan Bailey
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Postby HCcD » Mon Aug 10, 2009 12:35 pm

Nicely done ... :clap::clap:
Race Results: http://itsmyrun.com/index.php?display=p ... unner=HCiD

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lorei
Tom Longboat
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Postby lorei » Mon Aug 10, 2009 6:32 pm

What a way to start trail racing! Congratulations :)

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Darth Tater
Lynn Williams
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Postby Darth Tater » Mon Aug 10, 2009 10:55 pm

Seems a bunch of us have recently done our first trail race - congrats on a good one!
Darth Tater

"Wherever you go, there you are."

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treadlightly
Bruce Kidd
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Postby treadlightly » Tue Aug 11, 2009 5:12 am

Great report and great race!
Green Smoothies Rock!

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cgraham
Bill Crothers
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Postby cgraham » Tue Aug 11, 2009 7:57 am

Nice job out there & great report. I'm sure I'd double your number of face plants if I ever tried a trail race.
2009 Highlights
Marathon - 2:54:05 (Mar 22 - Tokyo)
Half - 1:20:00 (Apr 26 - Hartwell)
5k - 17:09 (Acura 5k - Jul 19)
800m - 2:16.80 (York U - Jul 28 )
Now - Getting back my running fitness
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kiebler
Johnny Miles
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Postby kiebler » Thu Aug 13, 2009 12:10 pm

Excellent race report and well done, congratulations on your first trail race :!:

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West Grey Runner
Bill Crothers
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Postby West Grey Runner » Sun Aug 16, 2009 4:47 am

Nature Girl

Congratulations on your first ever trail race. Mansfield is good preparation for just about anything else you choose to tackle in this part of Ontario.

It wasn’t me that passed you, I didn’t start my run until 2:44!

Good luck in Haliburton.

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Nature Girl
Bruce Kidd
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Postby Nature Girl » Tue Aug 18, 2009 9:47 pm

scrumhalfgirl wrote:congratulations! you certainly go big or go home - well done on your trail racing debut!


Yeah, it can be a bit of a problem sometimes :mrgreen: :lol:

Darth Tater wrote:Seems a bunch of us have recently done our first trail race - congrats on a good one!


Trails are the gateway to Ultras. Beware! :twisted:



Thanks again everyone. It was a blast!
Hi. My name is NG and I want to run Haliburton.

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RabidChipmunk
Johnny Miles
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Location: London

Postby RabidChipmunk » Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:38 pm

Supah race! Too bad we didn't get to be Maniacialistic together out there.

See you at Haliburton, and no, I won't be wearing a tutu.

:shock:
Cheekfully,

Rabid Chipmunk


Next up:
April 28/29 Outrun 24 hour Kirtland, OH

DougG
Jerome Drayton
Posts: 7036
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:55 pm
Location: Barrie,ON

Postby DougG » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:11 pm

Great race and race report :D Hmm, there's soemthing about dirty girl that has my attention :wink: :P
2014
injured
2013
Snowflake 10k....stopped at 5k
Rest of the year a write off because of injury.
2012
Snowflake 10k Jan 1 done
Run 4 Kids 10k Jan 7 done
Harry's Spring Run Off 8k. April 8 a disaster, but I finished
Centurion 50k at Horseshoe Valley (cycling) done
Centurion 50 miler at Blue Mountain (cycling) done.....barely!
Snowflake 5k, Dec 16 - done
2011
Harry Rosen 8k. April. done
Rotary 5k fun run. May. done
CANI 10k. June. done
Canada Day 10k. July. done
Barrie Waterfront 5k. Aug. done
CANI 10 k. Oct. done
Base Borden Army Run 10k. done


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