Doonst at the Damn Tuff Ruff Bluff Run
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 10:24 pm
Saturday July 22 in Owen Sound. We went up the night before and camped right in Harrison Park Campgrounds, the start/finish location of the race. It was a little touristy, motorhomes and patio lanters, but very convenient. Slept ok after the kids and dogs quieted down. Got to sleep in right to 6:45 for an 8 oclock start.
Met Mike (mlazenby) before the start; I've seen him in several races, but only on the course. There was 140 in the race, not quite a record. The 10th anniversary tshirts were great, sorta like a concert T.
After a few speaches (the mayor was there) we were off.
It was a funny course, quite a mix of terrain. Some city paths, some Bruce trail, some trails in the Inglis Falls conservation area, and in Harrison Park. And some that they just cut a swath of grass through the forest for the race.
I think that this is Mike, number 32 at the back.
The course consisted of loops each 12.5 K. The first 7 K was tougher than average, the next 5.5 was easier than average, mostly groomed trail with 1 K of paved road.
Hilly bits.
My first loop, splits ranged from 7:14 down to 4:53. It was pretty humid after rain the day before, but not too hot at least. I passed the line for the first loop just under 1:11, better than I thought I was doing. I knew I couldn't keep up that pace for the next loop, the next 3 K were the low point for me; I lost about 3 minutes compared to first loop.
Leveled out a bit up on top of the escarpment where the wind helped with the humidity. Then I lost another minute off in the bushes,
that's never happened to me before. Bound to I guess, there was just no waiting 15 minutes to the next washroom.
I had a good last 5 K, passed the 3 guys who got past me on my "break". Plus, its mostly easy downhill trails coming into the finish. Finished in 2:26:47 I think (for 25 K). Results aren't posted yet.
As you can see, there was no chiptiming, just a couple of people counting laps and writing down times. No idea how I placed.
Afterwards, I had a bagel, 5Alive, then a 15 minute massage. Went back to our campsite and had a shower while Heather reheated some pasta. Had lunch and a beer, then a 1 hour nap. Some perks to camping at the race. Got up to go watch Mike finish his 50 K, first time I've waited around. Were sitting down on lawn chairs cheering as people finished, when Mike just comes walking by, nobody cheering; he said he had dnf-ed. It was sort of anti-climactic, or maybe ironic? All in all the race was just sort of weird, not what I expected. Not your typical Bruce Trail rocky terrain. I was happy enough with my result, not a PB, but every course is so different. And half of it felt pretty slow.
Later that day, we went out to a Georgian Bay shoreline and went swimming with Bud, our dog. Sunday too.
Bud watching the race.
Met Mike (mlazenby) before the start; I've seen him in several races, but only on the course. There was 140 in the race, not quite a record. The 10th anniversary tshirts were great, sorta like a concert T.
After a few speaches (the mayor was there) we were off.
It was a funny course, quite a mix of terrain. Some city paths, some Bruce trail, some trails in the Inglis Falls conservation area, and in Harrison Park. And some that they just cut a swath of grass through the forest for the race.
I think that this is Mike, number 32 at the back.
The course consisted of loops each 12.5 K. The first 7 K was tougher than average, the next 5.5 was easier than average, mostly groomed trail with 1 K of paved road.
Hilly bits.
My first loop, splits ranged from 7:14 down to 4:53. It was pretty humid after rain the day before, but not too hot at least. I passed the line for the first loop just under 1:11, better than I thought I was doing. I knew I couldn't keep up that pace for the next loop, the next 3 K were the low point for me; I lost about 3 minutes compared to first loop.
Leveled out a bit up on top of the escarpment where the wind helped with the humidity. Then I lost another minute off in the bushes,
that's never happened to me before. Bound to I guess, there was just no waiting 15 minutes to the next washroom.
I had a good last 5 K, passed the 3 guys who got past me on my "break". Plus, its mostly easy downhill trails coming into the finish. Finished in 2:26:47 I think (for 25 K). Results aren't posted yet.
As you can see, there was no chiptiming, just a couple of people counting laps and writing down times. No idea how I placed.
Afterwards, I had a bagel, 5Alive, then a 15 minute massage. Went back to our campsite and had a shower while Heather reheated some pasta. Had lunch and a beer, then a 1 hour nap. Some perks to camping at the race. Got up to go watch Mike finish his 50 K, first time I've waited around. Were sitting down on lawn chairs cheering as people finished, when Mike just comes walking by, nobody cheering; he said he had dnf-ed. It was sort of anti-climactic, or maybe ironic? All in all the race was just sort of weird, not what I expected. Not your typical Bruce Trail rocky terrain. I was happy enough with my result, not a PB, but every course is so different. And half of it felt pretty slow.
Later that day, we went out to a Georgian Bay shoreline and went swimming with Bud, our dog. Sunday too.
Bud watching the race.
Looks like I will need to hit Fanshawe Lake sometime in the next month or so!!!
