Sometimes you have to wonder how you didn't do a race before. For me, this was Run for the Toad. Sure, it's a bit of a drive for us Torontonians, but I've come to realize that some of the best trails are in the west end. This race features 12.5K loops and runners can do 1, 2 or 4 loops which is 50K. I signed up for one given it would be my longest trail race to date. A couple friends were doing two loops, and Karen was tackling the 50K distance! 

Note to announcers: Never use the term 'joggers' around a bunch of 'runners'.

Organizers go all out for this race. There is a cool tent village offering warmer shelter that was much appreciated in the chilly morning. A full meal of hot options was available to runners post race. There are retailers and free Tim Horton's treats. The medals and cute signage were appreciated by this designer! A marching band officially starts the events and everyone crowds around for a very nice patriotic-feeling opening ceremony. 

In trying to get in a last minute washroom stop, I somehow lost my friends at the start. There are a lot of runners heading out on the 12.5K and there was a bit of a bottleneck on the stairs, but very soon after everyone spaced themselves out nicely. I ran the first couple kilometres at a good and what felt to be challenging yet maintainable pace. I had a thought that maybe this would be my best trail race yet, that maybe I should have signed on for two loops after all. 

One reason I was very happy to sign up for this race was that I had several friends that lived out this way that I hadn't seen since I raced Around the Bay in 2015. I found my friend Penny on the trail and we had a very nice chance to chat as we ran. I was still feeling good so headed off a at a little faster pace. I should have stuck with Penny!

At around half way my digestive tract started to feel wonky. This is the first time I have ever had an 'issue' during a race.  Since the course went through campsites and areas of the park and I'd seen several park buildings along the way, I figured it was just a matter of time before I passed a washroom. Alas, no washrooms on this section of the course. I was too far along to go back, I had to just keep moving forward. It became a balance of walking to reduce the cramping and running so I could just get to the darn finish line. The last kilometres were painful, and completely distracting. Finally, finally, I crossed the finish line, and flopped down on a bench. Alas, within a few minutes I felt normal. Argh, of course! I went to get my medal and a girl in the finish area who'd been injured asked if I wanted my photo taken. 

I'm still not sure what the issue was, I did try new fuel but have tried it again since with no issues. Perhaps just the time of day and pushing hard on the trail? Who knows. I can only hope to never experience that during a race again!

I found several of my friends and we had our very yummy lunch. There were even options I could have eating plant based which was a relief. After lunch we went to cheer on Tracy who was running her first trail race and wait for Karen to pass through on her third lap. We managed to find a comfy patch of grass in the sun which served us well for the next couple hours. Soon Karen was there, looking amazing despite already running three laps! She would go on to finish her last lap and her first 50K on a course that was definitely a challenge. 

This race was very much an all-day event. Lots of fun and a relaxing atmosphere. It was great to watch and cheer on runners doing longer distances. I can definitely see this becoming an annual event!

Heart Lake. The hottest trail race I'd done to date, as well as seemingly the most packed. The parking lots close by were full much earlier than previous races and the line ups for bibs and swag water bottles were exceptionally long. Leanne wasn't feeling great, so I took it upon myself to chatter away and distract her. We wound up running the whole race together which was a really great treat. With the loop trail races I always find myself feeling glad to cross the finish line and not head out for a second Enduro loop! Lisa was doing the longer race so we grabbed some snacks and water and went to watch for her. When she arrived, I think she was so excited to see us she made a beeline for us. We called her out for cutting the course and she very deliberately backtracked and finished properly. I don't think there is a 5 Peak's race that we haven't gone home with sore faces from laughing. 

I think Will is the most popular non-running (yet) attendee at races!