Anyways while this cake is cooking, I thought I would write this post.
Signed up for the Tobermory trail Marathon soon after it opened, well as soon as I read it was 60% sold out. Signed up really before I realised it was two weeks before Chicago... thus no one race got my full attention. Preparation leading up was less then ideal. I am not really a runner who does well in the heat, and this summer happened to be rather warm, thus I just didn't run, or if I did it was for shorter distances then required. Oh well last year was the year for dedicated training regardless of the weather, this summer was for a bit more sitting by the water. Seriously I had a month after dirty girls with weeks less then 20k.
The difference between this race and other trail races I have participated in the past is that the race organisers wanted it to be run fast. As in there were cut off times. On the surface they look rather generous 3hours to be at 21.1k, and 6hours total. seems easy for a Boston qualifier right? Umm nope, not if the race is Tobermory to Cypress Lake and back on the Bruce trail. Have you ever gone to the grotto and climbed around the rocks?? Imagine racing it. Thus my race plan was run like hell for the first half and be conservative on the way back , and try not to break an ankle for the entire thing,
The race field was limited by I think fear, many people took the race organisers urging to drop down to the half or form a team if they felt they would not make cut offs. I was stubborn and went ahead solo.
Perfect race conditions, not so perfect were my preparations. key running equipment was not brought, and what is available at 8pm in Tobermory... very little.
Went out at my own comfortably hard pace on the easy sections, any road or flat and I was running sub 5min/k. Once I hit Little cove and I started having to climb with ropes and my hands, combined with large boulders and I was down to 9:30min/km. Then there was rock beaches, which is understandable why one would go slower, however for much of the race it was the rocky footing that made for slow going. Made it to the half way mark at 2:34. For the actual climbing around the grotto I was 14:23/km. Followed by 10kilmetres of 10min/km. at this point I said screw it and took a few selfies. Do not get me wrong, I was taking it cautious but still it was hard going, even that slow. I realised towards the end that I may not make the cut off for the marathon and started working but still could only manage 7:30/km.
On the way out saw the half marathoners coming, even saw the lead men for the marathon coming back but on the way back I was all by myself. Sure there are some self righteous runners who do not run with music, but I have ADD I need music or at least people to talk to. I was all by myself out there- the race organiser's even encouraged people to bring a phone so even thought the rules in bold letters said no headphones, I only half broke the rules I kept one headphone in. And here is the crazy thing, I was completely aware of what was going on all around me at all times. I was prepared to be DQ but I am old so I do not care about stuff like that anymore.
Finaly made it back into town, saw Luke and Ever, and was pretty happy to have him run in the finish line with me... except I looked back and saw a female hot on my heels. I literally shivered Ever out of the way and sprinted 400metres to the finish line, all along wondering where in the heck that girl came from..... yah so she was in the relay. Opps.
In the end, I was the end, last official finisher of the marathon and even then I didn't make the cut off. Ended up being 6:05 , and that was good enough for third female overall. I know I could have run this faster, perhaps I will try again, or perhaps I will do the half, or perhaps I will let somebody else try.
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