A Review of the 2009 Ontario Ultra Series

On Saturday, October 16, 2009 the Ontario Ultra Series season came to an end. The concluding race for the season was the Vulture Bait 25/50K Trail Race.

As I was running the course at the Fanshawe Conservation Area in London ON - taking in the beauty of the lake, watching the rowers on the water, watching the golfers on the neighbouring golf courses, and marvelling at the fall colours on the trail - I couldn't help but recall the highlights of the season. We have all been through our highs and lows throughout the summer but in the end, we were all happy.

Some of the highlights of the season are as follows:

Fulfilling the 100M Pact along with Kinga and Stephan and completing not only one, but TWO 100 milers. You see, after running the first 100M race at Sulphur Springs and recovering, we realised just how much we loved it and decided to do it again in Haliburton Forest. Getting the belt buckle placed in our hands at the end of the physical and mental exertion of the last day and a bit was definitely quite rewarding. We are definitely looking forward to continuing this journey...

Travelling to races outside of the Ontario Ultra Series. The great times I had at Burning River and Oil Creek with some great friends from both sides of the border made the long drive worthwhile. These two races - plus Mohican and others that appeal to me - will definitely be part of the roster in 2010, whether I volunteer, crew, pace, or run.

Realising that I can do what I want when I put my mind to it makes the list as well. The biggest examples include my 24H performance at the Dirty Girls 6/12/24H Trail Race, a week after pacing Fred for 40M at Burning River. Things got tough but help from some great friends helped me pull through. Haliburton was another example. I had experienced loss the week before. Before that, I was going through some low periods where I questioned who I was, what I was doing, and what I was trying to prove. I wanted to just go into hiding and be in my own space. At that point, It became a mental battle. In fact, I almost walked away from the series because of the pressure just before Haliburton and almost stayed home that weekend. What got me there was that little spark that wanted to be out there. I wanted to go back to basics and just run, forgetting about stuff such as standings, and tuning out those who insisted on adding to the pressure by constantly chatting about race strategy and what to do from what not to do. I wanted to be the person I was before - a person who loves to run trails, and aiming to finish happy. Once I got going in Haliburton, was no turning back. I picked my pace, held it, picked it up when it felt right, faked it until I made it, and thought about what I wanted to think about - the people and events in my life that mattered the most. It was probably the most fun I ever had, aside from the fact that I had to work really hard at it...

Winning the age category award for the Ultra Series was definitely a highlight. Oddly enough, while this was a great accomplishment, it did not really mean anything to me. I accept that I won - especially since it was a close race between Kinga and I - but in the end it was all about going further than I ever have, knowing what it takes, and inspiring others in the journey. And yes... UltraQueenga and I are still friends :-)

So there we have it - another end to a successful season... A lot of lessons were learned, and fun was had by all. We all look forward to basking in our recovery (however we choose to do so), picking up the training, and meeting once again for the 2010 ultra season.

I already have some races picked out and they can be found listed in the sidebar. They will be updated accordingly...