Yesterday I participated in the Run for the Toad event held at Pinehurst Lake Conservation Area in Paris, Ont. Celebrating its 10th year, the race also served as the ACU 50K National Championship, attracting a number of elite runners, such as Taylor Murphy, Ellie Greenwood and Glen Redpath.

Having spent much of August and September recovering from a nasty bone contusion on my left leg, I decided to stick to an easy pace for the duration of the race. My plan was to enjoy the day and not put any undue stress on my leg.

The weather was quite cool at the start, so I wore my Patagonia Houdini jacket for the first 12.5K loop. My leg felt great for the first loop, and I had to keep mentally restraining myself from going out much faster. Even if my leg had completely healed, I knew that I hadn’t done any speed work or enough long runs to sustain a racing pace for 50K.

During this first loop, I passed Ryne Melcher who was running the race with his girlfriend (I think). I quickly said hello and thanked him for introducing me to the wonderful world of trail running. Ryne had led the pace group during my first marathon a number of years ago and sparked my interest in trail running and ultramarathons.

The second loop felt great, and I enjoyed the freedom of running (and sort of racing) pain free. I continued to make a conscious effort to take things slow, as I knew the final two laps would prove challenging no matter the pace.

I definitely slowed down on the third loop, but picked up the pace for the final few K’s as I ran with Laurie McGrath, an ultrarunning legend here in Ontario. I ran the final loop at an easy pace, appreciating the rolling hills of the course, talking to other runners and thanking the great volunteers for their time and assistance.

I finished the race in 4:35, so not too fast for a relatively flat 50K, but I was very happy that my leg had held up for the entire run with no pain or discomfort. I finished in 17th place, 13th male.

George and Peggy Sarson, race directors, and their army of volunteers, do a wonderful job at organizing the Run for the Toad. I will certainly plan on running this race again.