Yes, it has been some time since my last post. I've been busy, of course, but the real reason is not placing high enough emphasis on sitting down and writing an entry. Period. Rather than list all the excuses why I haven't blogged of late, let's get to it.
2019 Update:
This is a cleverly hidden attempt to justify not blogging this summer...
Spring Warm-up: We had a record crowd in attendance and quite good weather for running. The trail was "mostly" in good shape, but a few icy spots ensured an interesting time.
Pick Your Poison 25K: This was to be the start of my dominating the old guys in the Ontario Trail Series. As you read on, you might note that several other initiatives sidetracked my plan to run many of the trail races - typically the 25K distance. After scrutinizing the Men 50+ Trail series category of prior years, I had estimated that running only 4 of the races would place me on the age category podium this year. Perhaps several other old guys made the same estimate, as there are 4 runners with more than 3 races - so far...
Back to the drawing board!
Great Room: During the second half of May, I poured the foundation for a 16' X 16' addition to the house. June was spent in construction and by early July, it was complete. A few of the finishing details were completed in September, as I needed a break. It looks fine and will hopefully provide us with a nice area during the winter months.
OUTRace: Coordinating the Ontario Ultra and Trail Race Series (OUTRace) moves along nicely. We opted to purchase 100 dark blue towels for distribution amongst the 15 races. New this year is moving the OUTRace awards from the last race of the year (Fat Ass Trail Run) to a fun run, staged by Tony Martin near Waterloo. I thank Tony for allowing us to leverage his fun run for the awards!
The decision to change the awards was mainly due to the short timeline for Jim Orr (OUTRace statistician) to tabulate the series standings. It also puts pressure on the last race to provide accurate race results, sometimes before the longest race has even ended. In the years where the last race has had to spend time verifying their results, the OUTRace awards have been delayed until almost all the runners have left the race site.
Award winners have the option of registering for the fun run (imagine not having to kill yourself during an OUTRace event!) for the low fee of $27, including lunch! Or you can attend the awards ceremony for free. I plan on entering the Fun Run, as it means I won't be in last place! To register for the Fun Run, use this link:
Ultra Legends 3 hour Fun Run and OUTRace Awards
If you would like to attend only the OUTRace awards ceremony, please use the above link for information on location, etc. and note the awards start at 12:30.
Creemore Art Festival: The Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society hosts the Creemore Festival of the Arts this weekend (October 5 and 6). Lee Anne will be displaying and selling her pottery during the festival. This is more or less blatant solicitation for you to attend the event! As I am also on the PHAHS board, spreading word of the event is important.
Run Off The Grid: Yes, I actually made it to a second series race this year! After 2 races, I stand 16th in the OUTRace Trail series Male 50+ category. So much for series domination!
ROTG 25K Race Report
The race would be a chronic sell out if it was closer to Toronto, but it is "way up there", north of Algonquin Park. I drove up from Creemore on the morning of the race, but from the GTA, it would involve a middle-of-the-night start, or finding nearby accomodations. However, a good portion of the appeal of this race is that it is in such solitude. It is aptly named, for as far as I could tell, there is no power grid up there!
The course is a true oxymoron; an out and back loop... I know, which is it? The course is a 12.5K loop, but the second loop is done in the reverse order, so it is also an out and back. Yes, I noted the ominous undertones of a Barkley'esq style race - it filled me with a modicum of foreboding. But the course is a wonderful mix of technical single track and easier broadpath trails. This made for less issues when meeting oncoming race traffic. Rarely did I need to step off single track to let another runner by. With my incredible lack of speed, I thought that 2-way traffic on single track might be an issue. I saw myself running through the trees, to avoid slowing down oncoming traffic, but it was not so.
I ran the 12.5K course out, then back in the reverse direction, for a total of 25k. The 50K runners did it all over again. The way out seemed to be comprised of fairly steep downhills and gentler uphills. A few of the hills were truly steep, including a 100 meter hill with rope assist. This was a great mix as it meant that on the way back (the 12.5K reverse loop), the course was a few steep uphills interspersed with long gentle downhills. From those of us who have had surgery in both knees, thanks!
I was happy with my finishing time of 3:50. Slow, yes, but the overall winner ran the 25K in 2:19 and the 50K winning time was 5:30. I recommend this race to anyone who wants to experience a race in a wilder environment.
Well, this is getting longish, so I will end here and hopefully be back in the not-too distant future.
Run long and prosper!
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