Frozen Flask 50k and Hurtin' Hamstrings 100k Race, 27 January 2002, Owen Sound, Ontario Doug Barber Race Director Hurtin' Hamstrings 100k RESULTS 1. Bruce Barteaux -Ottawa - 8:28:31 2. Marianne Perz - Uxbridge - 8:41:10 (Both qualify for the 2002 World Challenge 100k in Belguim) 3. Gord England - Toronto - dnf @ 50k - 4:30:51 4. Howard Parker - Toronto- dnf @ 50k - 4:52:43 5. Doug Barber - Owen Sound- dnf @ 50k in 7:36:53. 6. No show Frozen Flask 50 k RESULTS 1. John Remington - Etobicoke - 3:26:44 Course Record 2. John Culhane - Toronto - 4:06:30 3. Jim Morrison - Thornhill - 4:08:37 4. Charlie Upshall - Schomberg - 4:22:38 5. John Turner - Burlington - 4:28:03 6. Torval Mork - B.C. - 4:29:27 7. John Dickson - Owen Sound - 4:38:02 8. Grant Campbell - Guelph - 4:54:14 9. Joe Cleary - Georgetown - 4:55:42 10. Helen Malmberg(F) - Toronto - 5:40:24 Course Record 11. Leslie Nigh(F) - Etobicoke - 6:04:01 12. Bob White - Owen Sound - dnf @ 30k - 3:24: 13. Justin Nigh (14 years old) - Toronto - dnf @ 30k - 5 hours 33 runners in all events. Don't forget to check out the story & photos on www.community-focus.com Hi Guys, The Frozen Flag 50k was bigger, better, and way warmer than ever before. Race Director Doug Barber changed the name to Flask. Previously he encouraged us to bring flags (The Frozen Flag) to liven up the race's single aid station. Now we were to bring flasks and flasks were brought! Then I find a long range forecast that says minus 11C race day. Brrr. No problem! Doug not only changes the minus into a plus by race day but also makes sure all the snow and all the ice was melted off the course prior to the start of the 50k at 9am. Race headquarters was at Joe Tomatoes. Justin Nigh, my nephew, in his second ever race has a full rack of ribs following the lead of Gord England and Howie Parker. The fact that his aunt and uncle are vegetarians impresses him not at all! He assures everyone he is going to do the whole 50k! Quickly back at our hotel wearing our race hats which are black and red we mention to Justin that he's not wearing his. He never does! Teenagers!!! We take to the pool and swim for ages while Leslie stays in bed complaining of a cold. Race morning I am wide awake at 5am but cannot rouse Leslie and Justin. 6am I finally get them up and they both announce they probably won't run. I launch into my "this is a family trip and we are going to run and smile about it even if it kills you" speech. After much mumbling we head off to Tim Hortons to load up with coffee. Its warm so I wear singlet and shorts. Because its January I put a short sleeve coolmax Tshirt underneath and wear gloves. Everyone else is in tights and jackets and some even have woollen hats on. Of course Doug Barber and Grant Campbell are in kilts because it was Robbie Burns Day on the 25th. I hear John Turner and Jim Morrison laughing just before we start and say "whatssup!". "We are betting on where you'll drop! Just kidding mate!"-Jim says. I have a good laugh at this and say one of two things will happen. "I'll go too fast and die or I'll go too fast and win. I bet I die!". Jim and John are great friends and know my weakness in the suicide charge from the line. With their words and humour ringing in my ears we are off on the first 5k loop. The next 5k is a 2.5k out and back with the aid station at the meeting of these two road courses. My last 5k race was a return to sub-19 minutes (just!) after a long tussle with injury (plantia fasciitis). Being insane I decide to try 20 minute 5k sections which was the same plan I had used in my very long and slow 2001 Frozen Flag race. 19:45 and I grab the gatorade bottle from the top of the car, throw the short sleeve Tshirt down on the ground, and take off up the road. Now perfect weather it was almost but there was a nasty wind which made the up section feel like treadmill running. At the turnaround marked by a pictures of "Brandy" and "Javier" the wind showed its force and hits me square on. About 5 minutes later a car reversed at speed out of its driveway to avoid other runners coming up the road. The car hit me square on and I collide with it almost full on which made a loud noise. Nothing much was injured except my left wrist and the driver waved his "sorry" and drove off thankfully missing the other runners! Back at the aid station in 19:50. What the?#@! And so I went onwards without pause until 20k when I see Justin sitting in our car. I stop for over a minute to find out what is the matter. Nothing-he's just tired and waiting a bit before another 5k section. Listening to Crystal Method and eating huge amounts of race food! Around I go again holding to 20 minute 5k pace with some one minute drink breaks waiting for reality to hit and the pace to drop. Jim and John slap my hand everytime I see them and I try to say something to everyone I meet. Still my "world" is with the present 5k and what I am doing is not allowed in. At 40k I still do not look at the elapsed time nor make any calculations. It is hard running to the 42.5k mark but here I finally look at the elapsed time. 2:53:21. My marathon in October was 2:57! It has been a long time since I have run this well. I arrive at the 45k mark overwhelmed and exhausted having ran just over 22 minutes for the 5k loop. With no time to think I fly through the aid station with John Culhane's ringing cry of "Get going! You're going under 3:30! You Are On Fire!". Then it hits me. This is a PB day and its come after three years of mixed results. No longer the 162lb 33 year-old who won Nanisivik effortlessly I am now 37 and 180lbs with bad feet. Physically the end is close and I am crashing. Charlie Upshall is passed early on and as always shouts his encouragement to me despite racing a great effort of his own. "Move your arms. Get them moving. Slow down now and you'll kick yourself for ever!". I mumble and start pumping. Near the final turn I pass Leslie and cannot speak. She shouts "You are a machine!". Emotionally this nearly overwhelmes me. Leslie has never been with me during my prime but has never doubted me when listening to my grand dreams. Today I just have to do another 2.5k and I'll be a sub-3:30 guy. Turn. Wind hits. It hits hard as its been picking up force all day. Down I go passing Leslie and Charlie who shout encouragement. Count the house numbers down. Block the fatigue. Refuse to walk and refuse to slow. 530. 499. Finally 399. The end is outside 313 as the Renfrew's let this wacky race use their house as washroom, aid station, and hot tub area. There is the line and I roar in as hard as I can. When I stop John Culhane asks me my time. I look. 3:26:44, a PB of seven minutes and four years after the last one. Justin is standing looking at me in amazement and uncharacteristically silent. I grab a water and wander to our car to get some thinking time in alone. Leslie was about a kilometre away when I finished and told me she heard the roar go up when I came in. My race went great and my time was wonderful but it was a shared triumph. John, Gord, Charlie, Howie, Doug, Torval, Grant, Leslie, Jim, John, Joe, Helen, Marianne, Bruce, and everyone including the Owen Sound Gazette photographer Terry Welton pushed me along. THANK YOU! Not for the time but for the friendship. So what then? Leslie was still out there and Justin now wants to go again after watching my finish. Leslie is full of cold and her ankle is screaming yet she heads out with Justin. Of course a beer or two and the hot tub awaits for me as well as huge amounts of hot chili! Nay! I head out with the two of them just wanting to share a part of the inner glow that is filling me. After four minutes of listening to loud bitching between the two of them I still have my glow but I am forced to say "Enough!". Turns out they have been bitching on and off all day. We take 35 minutes to do the 5k loop. Its the beautiful one that passes right by Georgian Bay. Leslie goes on alone while Justin rests by sitting in the car listening to Crystal Method and eating again. I hang with the guys at the aid station. Gord England had to be physically restrained from heading out on the last 50k after missing the cut off by a few seconds but at least he beat his arch rival Howie Parker to the 50k mark. When Leslie comes back we go out on Justin's last loop and 38 minutes later he's done 30k in just over 5 hours. He'd never run more than 14k before and was unhappy he couldn't do 50k. Wait until the Kingston 6 Hour Race in June! Leslie is almost crying and getting madder than usual as pain hits. "I am dropping at 45k" she says. "Sure" says Justin anxious to get into the hotel pool. "Wait until the aid station before deciding. Whatever you do I love you" I say. Justin makes barfing noises so I make him run again. Leslie decides to run alone for her last 5k so the celebration begins even though my concern for her is very distracting. Justin jumps right in sampling small amounts of everyone's flasks especially Howie Parker's who is his new number one new hero. Leslie finishes and most are off the course except for the two remaining 100k runners. Jim Morrison gets his BBQ set up on the road and soon tasty burgers are being consummed. Jim has brought vegeburgers so I get to join in. Torval is from BC and is surprised at the friendly Ontario ultra scene. He claims not to know our famous "export" to BC Dom Repta but we forgive him that! He gets a vegeburger and offers of free beer from all his new friends. Heck he even gets a chair to sit in as we party along in the street. Most head to the hot tub where loud noises erupt while "Team Nigh" stand around shocked at how far Justin ran and how fast I ran. After the tub clears we decide to get in it only to find that most of the water has been splashed out of it! Thanks Howie! Still we soak and relax and all is wonderful again. We get out to see Bruce Barteaux just after his finish and get to see Marianne Perz finish. Then into the house for the certificates. Doug Barber conducts the awards in a speedy manner after the 100k runners are encourage to leave the chiropracting coach! For a fun run Doug puts on a great race and even gives Helen Malmburg and myself trophies. The 100k winners get beer mugs but very nice ones and personalised. Then its back to the hotel where we all hit the pool for a swim and hot tubbing. So now I have to share my secret. No it wasn't hornet's juice or toad's legs but just luck, feet getting over plantia fasciitis and doing this: "I just run as hard as I can for 20 miles, and then race." - Steve Jones!!! Thanks Doug and crew for an awesome race. Can we have snow again next year as it was a bit hot! Report by John A. Remington Co-Race Director Greater Toronto Ultra Race 50k and 100k April 20 2002 -The 2002 Ontario 100k Road Championship Frozen Flask 50k