2013 IROQUOIA TRAIL TEST 34KM - RACE REPORT

The Day Before

Welcome back. The print has only just dried on my Dirty Girls 48 hour race report. Tomorrow I attempt (no attempts - I will do it!)  the ITT 34km race just up Guelph Line. I went to Guelph University many moons ago in another life and at the time studied Microbiology. Did I ever use that in the real world. Nope. Instead, after University I moved to the UK and worked in investment banking. No, I didn't bring down Lehman's.

34km after a 33 hour 33 minute race seems pretty doable. I'm glad I went two weeks ago to the training run there because there is no way I'm going to be cocky about this one. It is a true challenge and I intend to treat it with respect or I'll end up with something broken or sprained. The good news is that the OUS race series results have been updated since Dirty Girls and I moved up a place in my age group and overall. I'm in 5th overall and 2nd in my old fart age group of 40-49. Gino is definitely going to take it overall for the guys if he keeps it up and his girlfriend is doing very well also. I had a chance to run/walk with her a tiny bit at DG. She is nice but was faster than me and I told her to get going. Allot can still happen between now and Vulture Bait as there are still 5 races left in the season but congratulations to everybody so far. There have been some very varied races.

I have not run anything since DG and my heels are still bruised and sore but I've got out my kit and will be toeing the line tomorrow. The legs are definitely 'heavy' feeling. The forecast is to get up to 25 degrees but most of the race is tree covered. I'm going to try the Injinji toe socks.

This weekend I'll be signing up for Halliburton 100 mile. I wanted to do the 100 earlier in the season but after my DNF at Limberlost and 24 hours into Dirty Girls I thought I'd do the 50 miler but what the hell. I've read all about the pain and suffering in other blogs and figure I need a little more whimpering. Sorry Ron! I'm going to make you work to keep your placing! ha ha.

Well, time to go make a pasta dinner so stay tuned. Oh, I had Diane (race director at DG) come into my retail store (Beauty Safari) during the week. What a surprise. I learned at the race that she lives in St. Catharines which is very close to my store and she popped in with her mother and we had a nice chat about her and the race. They have added me to their email distribution for the runs they do on Sunday's around here so I'm looking forward to going out on one of those. I'm sure they know some great trails.

Here is the map of the course at ITT for 2013

2013 course map for ITT 34km race - part of OUS series
even though not a true ultra because it is one of the longest that has been around -
only the 34km counts for points in the series 

Well, wish me luck please. Oh, we can't forget the all important Race Prediction! Um, I don't have a clue. Previous years were a different course so I can't really make an educated guess based on my training run since I got lost. Let's just hope it's not 24 hours!  

Post Race

Welcome back! You didn't have to wait long for another blog entry. This race seemed to be ages coming and then Bam!, it was here and gone, and here I am the day after writing to you.

I went to the training run two weeks ago where I mentioned I got lost on-route (er, does that make sense? How do you get lost en-route?) but I now had a good notion of the course and the terrain. They are quite right to add 'test' in the title of this race - they are not kidding. You know those obstacle courses you see with the tires that football players practice on? Well, it's like that but with giant leg-breaking rocks dotted all around with fat roots interspersed. 

This is the most technical race on the OUS calendar. If you like trail you're going to LOVE this puppy. There was no shortage of blood to be had but fortunately I didn't see or hear any ambulance sirens carting off anybody but if you trip, the likelihood is you're going to see the stuff you're made of! Not really enjoying the sight of my own blood I was quite careful and the closest I came was kicking a stump. 

My legs held out pretty well considering my 100 miles last weekend and I had no expectations other than to want to finish and I did. I placed 32nd of 80 runners in a time of 3:44:27 (8th of 22 in my age group).

My 3 laps of 11 and a bit km were:

Lap 1 - 1:10:56
Lap 2 - 1:17:39
Lap 3 - 1:15:53

I'm very happy with those splits. My usual splits are a fast first lap, followed by a sliding second, followed by an abysmal 3rd. There were three races taking place; a 7km, 18km and 34km. Personally I wouldn't get out of bed for a 7km but Ok, I'm sure there are many that would rather stay in bed than run 34km! ha ha.

I woke at 5am, had some cereal and toast and was out the door by 5:45am. I got there a bit before 7am and parked in a field some marshals were directing us to. I popped into the big cabin and got my non-descript bib number and technical T-shirt. I saw Gino and Karin in the car park and congratulated him on Dirty Girls and inside I saw Ron Gehl and then I saw Joe Hewitt who is the race director at Sulphur Springs. I don't see him often at the races but he runs a crazy amount. I think he celebrated running 100,000 miles in his lifetime! He keeps a log so he would know.

Milling around the start I saw some other familiar faces from the ultras but looking around and at the confirmations it seems this race had many names I never see. 34km is not really ultra ultra but it's in the series because it's been around so long and I'm glad it's there. It is very different from the other races around here.

I didn't take a big assortment of photos this time. Time did not permit. I was putting on my Injinji socks and applying Body Glide. The shoes I went with were my light-weight Asics trail shoes which are only just worn in. I contemplated wearing the heavier shoes I wore at DG but I think they are a 1/2 size too large and that is the reason my heels were and are battered and bruised. I took a photo of my good luck charm, a lock of hair, and of myself just in case I forget what I look like. I applied my Voltaren gel on my problem hip and had my belt with Pepeteum drink and a few Hammer Gels plus salt tablets and one Advil if i needed it and of course had my hand-held with water. 

Gotta have my charm

The Course

I believe this course has changed over the years but the race Director mentioned he hopes it stays at the current location for many years and I hope so also. It seems a great place.

We started in the furthest parking lot and there is Champion Chip timing on your bib. We got started with a count-down and were off into the trees. The initial half km is on a forested car path but covered in grass with twigs. The grass was dewy but not too deep and you curve to the right and have one tiny uphill and then a marshal directed you left down a steep - very steep - single track. Down here was dirt with big rocks and you had to watch your footing. This continued to the bottom which led to a series of narrow but well-maintained ladder style bridges which had a few steps up or down, crossing a boggy area. At the other end of this was an equally steep uphill, this time covered in roots everywhere but very few rocks.

At the top of this hill you were pretty pooped and many people walked this short but challenging section. It then turned sharply to the right and was single track but nice and easy. I then get confused but don't worry, you won't. It was well marked. I think there was another uphill with a marshal directing you a sharp left if you were in the 34km. If you were in the 18km he directed in another direction and he had to keep a careful eye on the bib colors to direct people the right way.

I then remember a long section which was mostly downhill but not at a crazy down but it was very technical with many cambers and trees which you dodged left or right and then another steep down hill right and then a long lovely section which was more or less flat, maybe just a slight uphill but with many 'bridges' along the way where were allowing water drainage - but they are the same level as the path so you run smoothly. This section was well maintained and more like double track with two runners easily running side-by-side. 

At the end of this section you turn left and again I get slightly confused as to the order of this but you end up at a BITCH of a section on the Bruce Trail. Holy crappola this section is tough. It is just knarly rocks and roots. Since there is a giant drop to your left you just forge ahead. You can pretty much always make out there is a path but it's just NASTY. I became like a little girl wanting my Mommy (or was that a grown male wanting my Mommy). Eventually the rocks and roots and crap ends (I mean the fun) and you have a path again which goes up and down and finally leads you back to a wide truck path which is again grassy.

You breath a sigh of relief and it winds through the trees for quite a while and there are only a few minor ups and the final up leads you to a taped off area which directs you left into deep grass which has been trampled by the gazelle's ahead of you. Almost immediately you enter the forest again where some nasty rocks and roots wait, making you groan, but very quickly the path appears again and widens and all the rocks are a distant memory and it's smooth sailing again. It's lovely double track and then opens even wider to nice hard packed gravel paths going through the woods. You come to a sharp left and then come to Crawford Lake itself. There are some wooden walkways for the day trippers but you are directed right, away from the lake. All this is gravel and you get some great speed after all the pussy footing.

After this you can hear the people at the car park but you dive back into single track going a sharp right and it's hard packed dirt which has a few rocks and roots but seems pretty good compared to my earlier descriptions. It does get a bit hairy again further in but you are almost done. I'd say less than 0.5km of this and you are back out on the wide grassy section that you began when you started. You pass other runners who are making their way back so you can see who is ahead of you. You then enter the car park and are directed left and and back around over the timer mats. There is an aid station here with the usual Heed/water. 

The course is about 11km long but while there are some truly nasty technical sections, there are also some extremely runnable sections. I would highly recommend this and if you are new to trails it may be too extreme but if you are familiar with single track then try the 18km as a good test. There are no time limits so go out and enjoy yourself.

My Laps

Lap one I went out too fast - what else is new? I started getting passed on the first steep hill but then tried to be more sensible and while a few people passed me it was not a landslide. The legs were a bit heavy but the hip was a big factor. The Voltaren gel wasn't doing a great job - probably because there is so much extreme movement rather than regular running action. I stayed on top of hydration and took a salt tablet but didn't stop at aid stations other than to top up my hand-held and then move on.

I saw some of the fast runners going out for their second lap as I came out of the trees and I was at the start and around and back down for lap two. I wanted to stay ahead of Ron Gehl who has been beating me at some of the longer races and is ahead of me in the points right now but I figured my more youthful legs and better looks (er, maybe not) would get me around faster. Just to let you know. Ron is 67 so I better start beating him soon or I'm giving up running. He is a kick-ass runner and his faithful wife Barbara is always by his side. Anyway, the thought of him breathing down my neck kept me going and I was relieved not to see him come out of the woods. 

As I cross the start/finish line after lap 1 all the racers are waiting for the start of their 18km race which is only 5 minutes away from starting. The second lap my hip was really hurting so I popped an Advil and was relieved when it kicked in about 15 minutes later. As I start the really steep downhill into the boggy section the first of the 18km runners goes whizzing past and I continue to get passed going up the other steep incline by those runners. I yell up ahead to a group of them something witty (or at least I hope it was - or maybe it was - bastards! on their fresh legs). I waited for a sprightly young lady to catch up to me on the nice long downhill section and stayed with her, using her speed to keep me going and I held on as long as I could and then she was off. I was then caught up by Vlad (fortunately not the Impaler), another runner I met last year at the Run for the Toad 50km. We chatted for a little while. He is from Slovakia and he had a good race and beat me again soundly. I had a chance to congratulate him after the race. Running by yourself is very tiring, especially if you are tired. It is too easy to start walking or slow further but I was quite motivated by these faster runners to use them to my advantage. It was a good strategy for me.

I got to the technical section on the Bruce Trail and got worried. I seemed to be going and going and couldn't remember any of the trail. The lap before I'd been tagging behind another runner and not really paying attention so I got to a big tree stump and sat down, thinking, damn, if i have to walk back my race is over. Fortunately I had only sat for 30 seconds when I see another figure coming through the woods and who is it? None other than Joe Hewitt. I say "Joe, is this the right way? I don't remember this". He says "yup" so I tag along after him and I'm still thinking, I don't remember this and he tells me I can turn around if I want but I trust him. Then, finally, we come to the grassy section with markings and I'm back in business.

I have lost some motivation and energy and Joe gains on me a bit but I keep him in my sights and reel him in closer to the finish and as we hit the open grassy section and back to the start/finish area we are there together. I grab some water and walk over the mats and expect him to be there with me but he's not so I think, Ok, let's keep ahead of him if I can and I start running, using the thought of him gaining on me to keep me going. It works and I feel I'm running this lap well. I'm tired but I keep thinking, Ok, I never have to see this section again. Nobody is passing me after the various aid stations and I'm thinking if i can get to the gravel section I'm home free and not a single person passes me. I pass others but I'm sure they are from the shorter races or I'm lapping some of the 34km runners. It feels great to be passing people rather than being passed but I always offer encouragement.

I get to the grassy section and I walk to the top of the last hill, conserving my energy for a last burst of speed into the car park so people think I'm ready for a 4th lap if necessary (I'm not!).  I hear some people calling out 'Well done Alex" and then I'm over the mat and receiving my medal and Freezie! Oh yeah baby! I walk a few more feet and find some fellow runners sitting under a tree on a hillock and we chat about our races and watch some other runners come in. Joe came in about 5 minutes later and I clapped him in.

Not wanting to seize up, I got up and hobbled over to the big field where there was a food company they hired which had some nice food. They marked your bib and you then got a fruit cocktail and a choice of two yogurts and then a ham burger. I grabbed my selection and hobbled over to a picnic bench in the shade and watched all the comings and goings. Eventually 3 ladies came over to join me and we chatted for awhile. After finishing my food and realizing I had to get my sorry ass to work I hobbled over to the cabin and checked the results. My name only had 2 of the laps posted but I deducted I was around 34th place and allot of runners were still out.

I got back to the car, took a medal photo, soaked a towel and washed myself which was a relief as I REALLY stunk. Feeling more human I started my drive to work which was a disaster. The whole freaking world seemed to be heading Niagara bound on the QEW and I think it took close to 1.5 hours. It was a beautiful day and got up to 25 degrees but we started 7:30am which meant it was not too hot and the woods were always cooler.

I passed the test!

State of my Body

I don't like taking Advil during or after a race but sometimes the pain or discomfort I find just too intense. An Advil will sometimes let me get some rest when my legs and feet are in too much pain. During this race I had to take an Advil for the hip and while it helped during the race, the whole afternoon and all day today the hip has been extremely sore. I'm hobbling around and it's not very pleasant. My legs are stiff and sore but I know in a few days that part of me will be up for a little shuffle out on the trails. The Injinji socks worked a treat - no blisters or hot spots, just a little blister which tried to come up where I got one at DG - and the heels are still bruised but I don't think I made them any worse.

Today I signed up for the Haliburton 100 mile on 7th September. I think this one scares me almost as much as Dirty Girls - maybe more and in different ways. There are a few good runners who are doing the 50 miler instead of 100 miler. One of them is worried about the cut-off - 30 hours. I've heard horror stories about the Normack Trail and how terrible the conditions were last year (about 70% of people DNF'd). I am much more aware that we are in the deep North and are definitely in bear territory. I was able to keep that thought out of my mind at Dirty Girls being only an hour North of Toronto but I'm hoping it doesn't spook me. This one is two laps of 25 miles out and back and I wonder how I'll feel getting back to the start/finish knowing I have to do the same thing again - in the dark. Oh well. Bring it on! If nothing else, at least I'll have an interesting blog to write when I get back.

Stay running my friends and I'll drop you a blog closer to Haliburton. Leadville was yesterday/today and one of my running friends, Chris McPeake, is looking to finish it this year with a very close DNF last year. I hope he was successful. All the best everybody.