Falling Water - My First Trail Marathon

Somehow, after 12 years of running, this was my first trail marathon. Happy Trails first announced the race in summer 2018, with no details other than 1. it's a marathon-ish 2. there are very limited spots and 3. the scenery would be amazing. I was one of the lucky 80 people who snagged a spot.

v gud boi Tucker tied to my hubcap pre-race. Video credit: Martin.

The race didn't start too early so I drove up in the morning with Steve and Tucker. Normally at races with local peeps I'd say I know about 1/3rd of the field; at Falling Water I knew the majority of the participants.

Some of my favourite people: K, Bogdan, Agnes!

The first 6.5K was out and back, with a giant climb up a ski hill. That was the only point at which you could access drop bags so I travelled light and brought nothing extra beyond what I'd carry with me. The course was kind of a convoluted figure 8 - course descriptions beyond the basic three (loop, out and back, point to point) make no sense to me in written form.

Photo credit: K

As you can see from the pictures, I decided to use poles, and a lot of other people did too. A few weeks ago, Agnes let me try her lightest poles (that she used) just to see if I liked poles, then she lent me her 2nd lightest poles, which are significantly heavier but still tolerable. The poles are really helpful for getting uphill.

I learned from my training mistake last year for Cape Chignecto and did almost zero speedwork and added in long hill repeats. I also did two long runs in Blue Mountain, and the hills at Cook Forest were also excellent training. The worst climb by far was the Graham's/Campbell's Hill ST, which is actually a gravel road, which we did twice during the race and was about 3-4x the length of Martin Rd in Dundas. I don't have a picture of this hill and pictures couldn't do it justice anyways, as we'd round a bend and the hill kept going..and going..

Rounding out the back of the pack with Agnes and I was a lady named Karen, we ran together until she dropped at AS4 because she was supposed to be tapering for BFC next week. Steve is also doing BFC but he finished because he's a special brand of crazy.

Karen and I, endlessly climbing. Photo credit: Agnes

So we were promised awesome views and waterfalls. Here they are!

We were probably up at the top at some point. 
Good thing #vertsnotreal.

Hogg's Falls in motion. See the rainbow in the mist?

Love how the course detoured a few metres off the BT for waterfall picture opportunities at Hogg's Falls!

Eugenia Falls. SO GORGEOUS!!

This stone arch with a rock propped up in front - perfect photo op.

As we finished Graham's/Campbell's hill (aka The Big Fucking Hill That Never Fucking Ends) the second time, we came up to AS2/5, which was staffed by the Beaver Valley BTC. The club president gave us instructions on how to navigate the final 5K, which had a turn that was easily missed, but I admitted to her that in our brain-dead state, I could not process her instructions. 

This house. This waterfall! OMG! ❤❤❤

So this happened at some point in the later stages of the race:

Agnes: I see a big black dog over there.
Me: eeeee

We pass by and there is no dog.

Agnes: I think that might actually have been a bear cub.
Me: AGGGGGGGHHHH

But hey, there were no pictures, so maybe it didn't happen. 🤷‍♀️

Since our friend Bogdan had been MIA for so many months, I wanted to make sure he was at the finish.

Last horses. Photo credit: Steve

I LOVE the fact that we got a badge for completing Falling Water, because of Trail Math the distance was of course 42.2K-ish, definitely not a Boston Qualifier! Since this was my first trail marathon, it was a PB of sorts but also a PW if you also count my 10 previous road marathons.

#collectbadgesnotpbs

Agnes: who stumbles through the woods and climbs torturous hills for 9+ hours and still has fun?!

Me: psychopaths like us. 

well earned beer and chäir.