There seems to be some delay

We appreciate your patience 

 Hope to have the Monster of Mazinaw race report for you next week..

C'est Bon

After three years of waiting, Monster of Mazinaw is finally a go!

With views of Mazinaw Rock that will make these cliffs along the Grand River look like nothing

I've been looking forward to this since it was first announced in 2019, as Bon Echo Provincial Park is one of my favourite places in the world. While I'm registered for the 60k (the longest distance available), I plan to drop to the 30k - it will still let me see the whole course, but hopefully won't be quite as hard on me.

The trails around here aren't the only things that have taken some damage

I suffered a minor back injury in late August - just as I was starting to get back on my feet after Tally - during a hockey game. Some physio got me feeling much better, until the very last play of another hockey game.

The first injury happened early in the game, and I was able to keep playing; this time, I could barely get back to my feet after collapsing to the ice. I managed to very carefully get to the dressing room and change out of my gear, but on Saturday I could barely walk and the pain was relentless. I tried my inversion table, my TENS machine, stretching - nothing would settle it down. I finally resorted to some strong anti-inflammatory drugs we had on hand from when Tank broke his hand in February, and those gave me enough relief to exist without constant whimpering.

It would still be a couple of days before I'd attempt even a tiny run again

This particular injury seems to be more persistent than those I've had in the past, partly because I think it arose from some changes in the way my pelvis and spine interact after some chiropractic treatment the week before the hockey game in which I was originally hurt. Trying to unwind a chronic issue that's been going on for several years doesn't necessarily come without consequences, and I still have a lot of stiffness and soreness when I get out of bed each morning.

I have, however, successfully managed to play hockey again since without exploding!

So, given that the 60k course will just be 2 laps of the 30k loop (that will essentially cover all of the open trail in the park - most of the Abes & Essens backpacking trail is still closed due to damage from the derecho and tornado in late spring of 2022 which cancelled last year's race), I think the right thing to do is drop to the 30k. I won't have to worry about time cutoffs or darkness, so I'll have plenty of time to enjoy the course and take loads of photos, and I will hopefully emerge a little less beat up at the other end.

It will be a mix of camp roads and really gnarly trails

We'll actually already be in the park by the time you read this - I'm writing in the car at midday on Thursday as we drive up, with hopes to get out for a paddle on Mazinaw Lake tomorrow (when the post is scheduled to publish) and maybe a hike of the Cliffside Trail. 

Which will also put our local trail views to shame, lovely as they are

All being well, I won't wear myself out or damage myself too much before the race, and then afterward I hope to be able to join Tank at Aid Station 1 at the head of the Shield Trail to cheer on those who are brave enough to take on a second lap of Bon Echo's rugged beauty.

Me, though? I've got a hockey game the next day..

..so I'll be taking it easy.

If you're one of the 250 of us lucky enough to have a spot in either the 10k, 30k, or 60k, I'll hope to see you out there! If not, I'll be back next week to tell you all about it.

May the forest be with you

 We weren't going back this year..

..but who could resist?

A new experience this year: rather than helping out at AS2 with Merle & the gang, we were asked to take on the challenge of heading up AS4 - the first aid station on the 50mi & 100mi course, just 3km from the start (also the final AS for the 50k, with 3km to the finish). We arrived Friday afternoon to go find our spot, where the forest/race staff had dropped off the supplies of hard goods.

We set up the 10x20 pavilion tent, 3 tables, rubbish bins, plastic chairs, plus our own tent - our luxury accommodations for the weekend.

After picking up our bins of perishable foods (that needed to be stored in our car overnight to avoid them being raided by critters; we had to set up camp first to have enough room in the vehicle), Tank headed off to the pasta dinner and I hung out at the AS to make my own dinner.

Fortunately I'm pretty well versed in camp cookery (and kept it really simple)

I may also have spent a bit of time working on another item for Tanker's chosen aid station theme..

..which then got hung up in the pavilion tent.

I made a little addition to Tanker's usual aid station sign, too..

You'll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy..

It went up along with some other signs I'd made the weekend before, unsure of how they'd end up placed.

This one went up in the tent beside Tank's sign

This one went up at the turn off the double-track trail on which we'd set up the aid station

..and Admiral Ackbar warned runners not to fall for the allure of Clay's tent, pitched up the trail from the AS

We all turned in pretty early Friday night, with Tank and I rising at 4:40am to get a pot of coffee on and start laying out the rest of the decorations and goodies.

The sun wouldn't rise for almost 2 more hours

Clay looks for his coffee mug to be filled after all the snacks were laid out

The first 100mi runners showed up around 6:15am, followed by the 50mi runners around quarter past eight - we were well ready to meet all their needs as they headed off for the longest stretch without aid.

10km to the water drop, then another 6km past that to Nancy at AS3

When the last of the 50mi runners had come through, I cooked up a mess of bacon & eggs for our volunteers.

The good stuff from our farmers' market

It came up to be a beautiful day in the forest - sunshine from a clear blue sky, and warmer than most years.

Drop bags ready for runners - looking down the doubletrack trail

We of course had to get some photos with those of us who chose to participate in the theme.

Myself, Tank, and Clay

Garchun and Maryka showed up some time before race photographer David stopped by - he loved our Star Wars theme, and got our group photo with all the present volunteers.

Clay, Maryka, some dork, Tank, Baldish, Heather, and Bonnie

After the 100mi and 50mi racers had come through on their second lap, I decided we probably could spare one person for a couple of hours. I changed out of my Boba Fett dress and into some slightly spandex-ier garb, then went out to play.

I'd get to see totally different trails than I usually do!

Instead of the trek across Krista Trail, Ben's Trail, Redstone Vista and The Pass, I'd get to finally see Dog's Ear and Wild Woods Walk, plus run Poacher's Trail for the first time in years.

Wild Woods Walk has some neat art installations along it, though I hear they can take on a very Blair Witch-y vibe after dark

I'd missed the little stone bridge on Poacher's

It really was a gorgeous day, even bordering on hot!

I arrived at AS3 - the same spot I'd visited last year, just from the other direction - and hung out with Julie, Jamie & the crew for a few minutes while filling my water bottles and munching on some gummy candy for the return trip.

It's not an easy trail, but it is a beautiful one.

I'd taken quite awhile to get over, having stopped by Base Camp briefly as I was hoping to find a runner (who I found on my first trip across Poacher's, and was able to report on to his somewhat anxious wife), so I took a bit of a shortcut back to AS4.

Once more through the rugged beauty of Poacher's

A quick stop to gaze at beautiful MacDonald Lake

Instead of turning left at the end of the East Road, I turned right - while desperately hoping the racer behind me wouldn't follow me! - and trucked straight out the North Road.

Past lovely Chessel's Pond

By the time I returned - a little more than 10 miles, and just shy of 3 hours later - our chicken dinner had been delivered and Tank had lit the fire at AS4.

We were going to try to keep it a little more conservative than past years

Chris and Liana had also showed up to help overnight, and as darkness fell Tank got another pot of coffee on to get us - and the runners - through til morning.

We also had big ziploc bags of Julie's 100mi soup, made hot veggie broth, and cooked up grilled cheese and bacon through the night

Things are pretty quiet out there - we didn't even get to hear any wolves howling, and the raccoons left us alone for once - but there was good conversation around the fire.

With the occasional runner joining in

I tried to nap in the late evening, to no avail - I just couldn't fall asleep. By 5:30am I was very dozy, though, and crawled in with Tank for about an hour of blissful unconsciousness. I awoke to hear that the last runner had just come through, at 6:35am, and we were good to start packing up. Chris and Liana had already left, then Bonnie & Baldish set off with the remaining drop bags for base camp.

Clay, Garchun, Maryka, Tank, and myself got the tent down and everything else tidied up to be picked up by the forest staff, then Tank and I packed up our own tent as well

We'd had some plans to stay another night in the forest with a friend, but a few circumstances came together to urge us home, so we stayed at base camp until just after the buckle ceremony and then hit the road.

Bidding the forest adieu for another year

Volunteering at an aid station - especially one in a beautiful place, and overnight when the runners need help the most - is such a rewarding experience, and I strongly urge you to give your time when you have the opportunity. These races don't happen without countless hours of work by those who just want you to have the best race possible, so why not give the other side of the aid station table a try?

If you're lucky, you might even get to hang out with your best friend all weekend!

See you on the trails!

Hiatus

 It's a really busy time right now.

It's been a tough week

Audit season meets end of quarter after our co-op student's term ended, so I had to take back over all the work that the intern has been handling for a few months now. We're getting another, but not until next week..

..and he won't be useful until I train him, which will take at least another two weeks.

So it's been long days at the desk lately, without much sleep - especially since we did some volunteering last Saturday at the Foxtail Hundred from around 8pm til 4am.

Including a minor flash of PTSD for me on arriving at the trail centre

Next weekend will be another sleepless one, in the Haliburton Forest this time. Due to circumstances beyond our control, Tank and I have had to take over running AS4 at the 3k mark of the 50k, 50mi & 100mi course (don't ask me why the aid stations are labeled in the reverse order runners visit them).

I just work here - I don't actually know anything

Since I'll be training our new co-op student all week before driving up to the forest early on Friday to  set things up (including the tent that will be our home for Friday night and hopefully a refuge for a nap or two through the weekend), the blog is going on hiatus for a bit. You get a break from me, I get a break from trying to come up with something worth reading, and hopefully we can re-convene mid-month for some giggles.

Or maybe just hang out with a fun-gi?

In the meantime, I hope you all have an amazing long weekend - sleep an extra hour for me, ok?

I'll be on the move!