Hello Everyone,                                                                                                           May 17, 2007

In this Issue:

                  Hardy Rocks!! Run Ganaraska Trail Run

The Ganaraska Trail Run is the 4th event in the Ontario Trail Series - a 9 race series of eight 25km trail events and the ITT 32km. Horseshoe Valley Resort near Barrie hosts this event (12.5k, 25k and 50k). The courses are scenic, very hilly and challenging.

Two Rocks!!, our trail aficionados Monique Fournier and Karen Beaulieu, took on the challenging 25km course and came away quite impressed with the trails.

Karen writes:

Originally the trade-off was Monique would run the 2nd half of the SudburyRocks!!! Marathon with me then I would do this Trail Event with her on the following weekend. Obviously she got a better proposal and I was blown off. I kept my end of the bargain though and joined her in the Ganaraska 25k Trail Run in Horseshoe Valley.

We left just after 5:00 am and arrived at the resort sometime around 8:00 am. It was quite cool and I was wishing my shorts were as long as Monique's pants.

We registered for the race and commenced to waiting for the 9:00 am start. Unfortunately it was delayed until 9:30 am so we retreated to the car for a quick nap. On returning to the Nordic Centre we found out the race was delayed further due to insurance problems (NONE!!). My thought was "I got up at 4:00 am for this!"

When asked by other participants where we were from they were amazed at how far we had traveled. Where the heck do Southerners think Sudbury is?? James Bay!

Finally the race began at almost 10:30 am and we were off. Monique told me to run my own race so I dutifully abandoned her after the first km.

The hills in this race were many and killers. The first one was this long steep hill covered in soft, yucky beach sand that sneaks into your shoes. I hate running in sand and I was seriously regretting my decision to run this race. Only a couple of km. in and my shoes were filled with sand (not quite full) and that is how they stayed...wah wah.... Thankfully there were only a couple of areas like this. After that it was pure bliss...except for the hills.

The next hill was named "Mile High?". That was my clue to begin walking up all other hills. It was not actually a mile but still too long for me and there were too many yet to come. I don't care what Brent says. "Hills are not my friend".They were steep, long , too many...wah, wah... My quads were still sore on Tuesday. All I was thinking was "Thank God for downhills, flat land and please, let THIS be the last hill".

The downhills are where I can make up time. I love to run full speed and no holding back (hee haw - please don't let me fall now). Vince knows this feeling. I had several guys and gals come up to me after the race and comment on my unique attack after I had passed many of them. I am the Queen of the downhill!

It was a great race and I recommend it to anyone looking to get off those sissy roads....sorry guys. You need to come out in the bush. I can redeem myself out there after sucking badly at the track.

I had the best weekend in a long time thanks to Monique. (remember Karen abandoned Monique at the 1km mark of a 25km event).

Trail running rocks!! I want to be a bush pig!

Karen