Pick Your Poison 50k Trail Run

Today I ran the Pick Your Poison Trail 50k.

This was a four loop course held at one of our local ski resorts.

There was also a 12.5k and 25k race.

Got there just over an hour before and picked up my kit and goodies, a water bottle and a jar of locally produced honey.

Met up with a number of friends from Barrie doing the various races (3 others doing the 50k) as well as a couple of other friends from other races and Running Free, and the time went by quickly.

It was a little cool before the start, but we had thunderstorms and warming temps in the forecast, so I dressed light.

All the races started together, about 170 runners total. Ominously we started out on sandy and dirt trails and roads, which had me thinking about the coming rain.

Just before halfway through the first loop we got the first light shower. About half way it started raining harder with it continuing with various intensity through the rest of the loop and most of the second.

The trails were starting to get slick and the pace slowed in the second loop. Since I was already soaked I ran straight through our one water crossing the second time (took the log bridge the first time).

At the half way point I took a quick break to eat a little, change socks and look after a bothersome blood blister from a hot spot that developed during a trail run two weeks ago.

The third loop was my worst. Most of the runners having completed the 12.5 and 25k’s I was running by myself a lot. And although the rain had stopped it was pretty humid in the woods and the bogs and water crossing were at their worst. At one point I slid off the muddy trail and landed on my knee in the mud, fortunately no damage.

At the end of the third loop another quick break for a little more to eat, another change of socks and foot maintenance.

Fourth loop was better, a little breeze came up and helped with some of the humidity, although it didn’t help in the heavier parts of the woods. Even some of the more exposed sections of trail dried out a little, unfortunately not the bogs and some of the downhills were still pretty slick. I slipped on one of those and made the trip to the bottom on my butt, my fastest pace yet. Fortunately not a long downhill and nice soft mud and pine needles.

I managed to run the last loop 4 minutes faster than the third and didn’t get passed by any other runners, but did manage to pass one with about 3 miles to go.

The final stretch starts off down a ski hill for about 50 meters then cuts across the hill and down the side with the finish area below, so those waiting can see you coming. However there’s one final loop around a pond and past the parking lot. Here a couple of my friends were waiting for high fives and an offering of a beer for the finish.

I managed a sprint into the finish, finishing in 6:28.

No finishers medal, a pair of socks with the race logo.

The beer was good.

A nice meal was provided and got to socialize with a lot of friends after, while waiting for the last runners to finish.

Quads were not happy with me on some of the last hills, but feeling much better now after some walking and an Epsom bath soak.

Overall very happy with my time considering the conditions

Great race, great volunteers.