Doonst returns to Damn Tuff Ruff Bluff Run

[Doonst]

The Damn Tuff Ruff Bluff Run is a trail race in Owen Sound Ontario, distance choices are 25 k and 50 K. Yesterday I ran the 25, same as I did last year. There are lots of pictures in my previous race report: http://www.runningmania.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9017
Last year we camped right on sight, this year being a bachelor for the summer I just drove up in the morning. Stats on that: up at 4:40, driving at 5:40, 150 K drive arriving at 7:20. It was a beautiful cool sunny morning. I met up with Kinga and her husband "the Viking", Mike Lazenby, and a good friend from Toronto and her running friends that I have come to know from races.
One goal for the day was to get somewhat more even half splits. It is a 12.5 K course that I did twice. Last year I went out too fast and took almost 6 minutes longer the second loop. Even so, it seemed crowded once we quickly got on the singletrack, so I was pressured to keep up with traffic, and even pass people in my way. By 3 K in, after climbing a hill, I noticed that I was already dripping sweat, so much for the cool day! The first half of each loop is much tougher than the second, being a 120 M net uphill. I swear we climb the escarpment twice around the 4-6 K marks, but the elevation profile says we go like up 3 down 2, up 5 down 2. At the top of the biggest hill, my thoughts were, man that's gonna be just a bit harder next time around.
It turned out to be a more technical course than I remembered. Running it for the first time last year, I knew just this about it then: it was partly on the Bruce Trail, it went up the escarpment at Inglis Falls, and it had a scary name. So last year, it didn't end up to be as tough as I expected. This year, that's what I remembered, but in fact it is a medium difficult course. There are roots and rocks and hills in abundance, but also flat graded sections and even a 1 K paved road section. My split this year ranged from 4:31 (road, downhill, first loop) to 7:32 (uphill, roots, second loop).
Last year my times were 1:11:03/1:15:38 for a 2:26:41. Of course I wanted to improve on that. I figured 2 minutes better would be okay, 5 would be very good, and beating 2:20 would be great but ambitious. This year I came through after one loop at 1:08:23, so I figures maybe I had a shot at that.
The second loop is just so much harder. Especially at the hills and tough terrain, you really notice that you don't have the push that you had first time. I figured I had to be within 10-15 seconds per K second time. No way. I did it barely on the easy stuff, but the big hill split was over 60 seconds longer second time around. The nicest thing about this course is that the last 5 K of each loop is relatively smooth and downhill. I pushed on and eventually caught a group of 6 people. As they disbanded near the end, you could tell which ones were running the 50 K: the ones I passed. Coming across the finish I saw the clock at 2:20 already, my final time 2:20:42. Six minutes improvement. I'm pretty happy with that, I know its the best I could do. I ran it as hard and as smart as I could, still a little room for improvement though. It sure is easy being hard on yourself in a trail race. Second loop took 1:12:19, a little more even but not as close as hoped.
Last year I came in 20th out of 80, this year 29th out of 84, even though I was over 6 minutes faster. I was 6th in men over 50, last year I would have been 3rd. Fastest man over 50 came in second, course record for that age group, in 1:46. I'm told he is a 2:45 marathoner though, so the fact that he was over a minute per K faster than me sounds about right. Yikes.
After the race there was cookies and fruit at the finish line, then sandwiches and pasta salad over at the community center race headquarters. Finishing "medals" were beer cozies. Shirts were white tech tees. Everybody seemed to do well and had a good time. There were massages, and a pool and showers to use. Most people stayed up for the weekend, but I just screamed home to my waiting puppy.

[Robbie-T]

Nice run Doonst, you are definitely ready for ITT

[HCcD]

Awesome, Sheldon ... Congrats on another race and PB .. you just keep on ticking and ticking, eh !!!

[Jo-Jo]

Another great race...you truly are a Running Machine

Puppy...did I miss something...do you have a new furfriend??

[mlazenby]

Fantastic run Sheldon. Hearing your great time at the halfway point gave me a real boost to push hard on that critical third lap.

You're absolutely right: that course was WAY more technical than I remember it. I think that all that heavy rain must have washed away some of the dirt leaving a lot more exposed rocks and roots. At least it felt that way - my feet were sore at the end. I bet it was hard to keep that pace going heading up that long, greasy, rocky stretch at 3.5 km!

See you at ITT.

[Doonst]

Another great race...you truly are a Running Machine

Puppy...did I miss something...do you have a new furfriend??

Nah, the old guy just thinks he's a puppy, just like his master.

Mike, my feet hurt too. Have you seen the ITT course description here? http://ouser.org/results/00/it00.htm Hey, we'll finally run the same distance!

Robbie, I think I'll go sign up for the ITT now. I didn't fall apart yesterday, I'm good to go!

[Jo-Jo]

Sheldon...thanks for the update...I was worried that something had happened to Buddy.

Yep...Like Master

[braveheart]

great race Sheldon -that sounds like a crazy technical run to me

[Lx2run]

Sheldon

Thanks for the great report. Nice run for the rocky conditions. Sounds like you had a good time.

[arestall320]

Congratulations on your 6min improvement

[Ken B]

As usual you write a superb report , Sheldon. You achieved a great result as well. You have become a running machine!!


Congratulations!

[Ed Fizz]

Week in/week out...you rock Sheldon!!!

[Marg]

SHeldon, you are so resilient and such an incredible runner... congrats !!

[trixiee]

Yup, a bonified running machine!

[AlfiefromPickering]

From your report, it sounds that you had a great day in Owen Sound. I already told you that I feel so sad that I missed that race due to my cold, which has not gone away yet. Congrats....you're rocking at every race!

[msdesigner]

Way to push it, Sheldon. Congrats on the awesome PB! It sure sounds like they named that race appropriately!

[MINITEE]

Way to go Sheldon..

6 minutes on a course that even YOU describe as technical & difficult..

Nothing to sneeze at!

[QuickChick]

It's cool that you were able to compare your results to last year- it sounds like in trail races that is the best way to see if you are improving. Six minutes sounds like a huge improvement to me over that distance- way to go! That is a lot of driving... wow!

[redhead]

Way to go Doonst. You're fast no matter what the terrain. Congrats on your Damn Tuff Ruff Bluff 6 minute PB.

[Robbie-T]

Robbie, I think I'll go sign up for the ITT now. I didn't fall apart yesterday, I'm good to go!

I just signed up too, I better set up a date with you to test the trail test.

[Amber-Leigh]

Wow way to go, great improvment! Sounds like a fun run.

Amber-Leigh

[UltraQueenga]

Way to go, Doonst! Getting faster every year.
It was great to see you and chat a bit last Saturday.
Good luck at ITT. I am so not going there this year.