2018 Northumberland Humbler Half Marathon

Saturday Sept 29th 2018 was the final race in the Substance Projects Half Marathon Series at the Northumberland Forest. While initially had planned to drive down and camp in the Dirtbag Ute to make life easier. ended up going early in the morning. Oh well.

This race would be different as aside from the Paul's Dirty Enduro racing is done by labour day weekend. By end of September it is fun time on bikes.

As always follow my older and wiser pre race plan of arriving maybe 45 minutes before the half marathon start. Why arrive early and have to kill more time and over think even further? How about Nope. After getting the plate and getting the bike ready.

Got off to a better start then usual and as always rode the first half conservatively as I start racing truly at the aid station for the last half. Of course with the first half going smoothly have to screw up for the first time at a Substance Projects race over shooting a turn at an intersection. Once back up to the rest and back in flow got to the aid station and the road crossing.

Cross the road and in the immortal words of Phil Liggett...the preliminaries are over. Now the work begins to maintain flow while pushing it for the next 15km. Knowing that will reel in many as so many burn it all in the first half.  Nailed all the downhills and corners. Caught a a few racers who slowed down in the second half....never blow it all in the first half.

Back across the road crossing and down the sand road to the turn onto the last few KM's of singletrack. After the singletrack was the finish. Good day at the races with a 3rd in Clydesdale for the day and with the second year as Ontario Half Marathon Clydesdale champ. Wooo

El Bandito

El Bandito 70k report from July 2018....

El Bandito 68.42km

Just so we are clear....me and 60k or more that involves Ganaraksa Forest is not a good time.

Not counting injury from a crash 4 months ago this was simply a training event to simply do the 70k distance. No hurry no rush who cares about the time. And to simply get one 60k plus event in involving the Ganaraska that wasn't an exercise in extreme mental toughness.

End result...despite one leg cramp on Thertell Rd...the first hill after Cold Springs Camp Road. No other issues of pain, cramping, or what not. Got in one event involving Ganaraska that wasn't looking for a new level of suck.

Drank beer, ate food, heckled Barry,. And then feats of strength with Dan to tear down....apparently carrying 70 pound steel bollards for 200m x5 is a good idea at the end of the day.

Happy that got 70k involving Ganaraska that wasn't a fight. No...I have no interest in further pushing my chances at that distance in the Ganaraska area again.

Besides sticking to 40k will get one to the cold beer sooner.