tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51126774775569076432024-03-05T01:01:57.408-08:00Get Up, Lace Up, Run HardSakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-53707889928686606602014-02-26T11:58:00.001-08:002014-02-26T11:58:36.964-08:00Last Chance at the Last Chance Half! <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b>Race Recap – Last Chance Half – Nov 10th, 2013<br /></b></div>
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With the odd burst of winter weather heading our way
intermittently since mid October, it was no surprise that on the morning of the
last Half Marathon of the year we were blessed with a winter storm. Until now
however, the weather had been pretty reasonable. We hadn’t had any significant
influxes of arctic are and hadn’t yet reached temperatures in the -20C range
(-4F). <br /></div>
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The forecast going into race weekend was not looking
favourable. On race morning we woke up to the first big blizzard of the year.
It was blowing snow and the temperature was sitting at -18C. Granted, our position
next to the Rocky Mountains means that we can be running in snow even in July
and August, but this was the first really cold, cold snap we had seen weather
wise since April. Come on, -10C (14F) is shots weather here after all! <br /></div>
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The cold burst took a lot of us by surprise. It had been
some time since the last time I ran at -20C that I wasn’t even sure what to
wear for race day. Thankfully, the weekend before I had picked up some Sugoi
run pants. I guess today was the day to give them a test drive! I’m not usually
one to test new gear on race day… but with the temperature as cold as it was,
the snow blowing sideways and the prospect of an unmanned course, I was willing
to give it a go! Boy I am glad that I did! <br /></div>
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<b>Packet Pick Up:<br />
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the day before the race (Saturday) at Gord’s store. Dozens of us were lined up
at the 10am opening vying for position in the small parking lot and side
streets. At sign in we were issued our chipped bibs, a race shirt and a small
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWC6rdgSJX8I0l9WuUjtIqM9lUB0Lzuu0jF_1FP3tH3hHHe7ptm-qKxTLbMj7crRqlFzIhtX-mACQ2NlX1yheRTeGtcFUB67kDDPFnHOfwb3g27V5NMAgSoGJiZCjcnVuPzhqLfelaadO/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSWC6rdgSJX8I0l9WuUjtIqM9lUB0Lzuu0jF_1FP3tH3hHHe7ptm-qKxTLbMj7crRqlFzIhtX-mACQ2NlX1yheRTeGtcFUB67kDDPFnHOfwb3g27V5NMAgSoGJiZCjcnVuPzhqLfelaadO/s1600/photo(1).JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foreshadowing of things to come.... hahaha.... if only we knew!!!</td></tr>
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<b>Race Morning: <br /></b></div>
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New run pants with tags still attached, it was time to
prepare for race morning. Normally I prepare for races the night before. With
the weather so unpredictable this time of year, it really is hard to gauge
exactly what it is you will need to run in on race day. I had a stack of run
attire perched on the bathroom counter ready to sort through after a quick dash
outside to test the weather. HOLY BATMAN! My ‘quick dash’ was just that!
Usually I stay out for a few minutes and jump around or run up and down the
drive way to see how quickly I warm up…. Not this morning! I made it to the
bottom of our front steps in my PJ’s and runners. Hahaha…. It was cold! <br /></div>
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A quick glance at the morning news reaffirmed just how cold
it was. For the first time this fall we had a winter storm. Driving conditions
were dismal at best and motorists were warned to stay off the roads for any
unnecessary travel. The roaring wind had the temperature sitting at about -24C
(-11.2F) at 7am. Awesome! Heat wave! … wait, what is the opposite of a heat
wave? Icicle? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
So, what to wear? Hahaha… a little bit of everything! I pulled on a pair of
ProCompression calf sleeves to keep my lower legs warm and then proceeded to
sift through my pile of run gear to pick out a few layers. I always run with
Injinji toe socks, so they would be my base layer on my feet. Nothing beat not
having to worry about blisters when you can’t feel your toes in the cold! On
top of them I threw on a pair of hiking weight Icebreaker merino wool socks.
That was it for the feet! Anything more and my feet wouldn’t fit in my shoes!
My new Sugoi pants with a windproof front panel were my only pants layer. On
top I opted for a long sleeve Salomon compression shirt, my new race shirt (I’m
not superstitious – I will always finish a run I have started!) as the image on
the front was just too good to pass up on this cold and blustery day, and an Under
Armor, base layer pullover with hood (not on my base but still warm!). I topped
off my already stylish and grossly mismatched albeit colourful look with my florescent
orange Saucony run jacket (with LED lights!!!), a fleece and cotton dual layer
Buff, a baseball hat, fleece headband and my 40-below snowboard mittens. Somewhere
under the three long sleeved layers my Garmin 310XT was hiding…. And my heart
rate monitor! One day, some day, I will remember to get my heart rate monitor
on before I finish tucking in all of my shirt layers….! I hope..! <br /></div>
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After a few last minute gear checks and collecting some dry
clothes for after the race, it was off to the races! Hahaha… slowly, and very,
very carefully! <br /></div>
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<b>The Race<br />
</b><br />
My mom decided to come along with me on race day. Well, that and I got her a
brunch ticket – anything for food! I rode shot gun in her little tractor of a
car, attempting to pin my race bib to my pants without stabbing myself en
route. I had my great big winter boots on to keep my feet warm and race shoes
dry until the start of the race. Oh what a morning! <br /></div>
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It took us nearly an hour to do the usual 20 minute drive
into the heart of the city. The race was being run out of Eau Claire. Our
initial plan was to park at her office tower but we scrapped that idea and
opted for the parking garage below the mall. $2 for parking… it was a good deal
and saved us a four block walk in the ‘blah’ for lack of a better word! <br /></div>
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I threw my race shoes over my shoulder and off we went to
find the runner check in. </div>
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The facility was already crawling with runners. Tens of
people were standing in the doorways with their arms held up towards the sky in
an attempt to find satellites through the snow and dense clouds… and building
without the need to go outside. Dozens more were doing their warm ups in the
large pavilion and still more were arriving every minute. <br /></div>
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I soon joined the group of runners in the doorways in an
attempt to locate my satellites on my Garmin. Apparently I had some issues
though. Five minutes later and I still had nothing. I gave in and threw my
parka back on and had to go stand in the court yard with my arm up in the air
for a few minutes before my satellites locked in. I don’t know if clouds are a
common issue for other runners, but for some reason I have a really hard time picking
up satellites on the 310XT on really cloudy and REALLY cold days (as in -40C
cold!). If you have the same problems, give me a shout, I’m curious!!!<br />
<br />
Anyways, after finding my satellites I decided to put my shoes on and get
warmed up. I opted to do the early start which left twenty minutes before the
main crowd. I hadn’t run a lot in the snow for long-ish distances and didn’t
know what to expect of my performance. Donning my new trail runners (yes, another
new item, what a day! I got them after package pick up!), Mizuno Wave Ascend 8’s,
I was good to go! I did my usual warm up routine to get my legs primed and then
headed off to the start area. My mom followed me out so I was able to keep my
parka on until the very last seconds before the countdown began. What a relief
that was! There is nothing like being turned into a runner-sicle before the
race even starts! </div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguisXNJLUNPM0ZFXuOa8Hs88BsPGtR7NBdQTe2ewqkMMASpjEY4rNzBJj3a2n4KH6_hoF_EDHpfpTFWGw_gLgX740mtoD9JhgZ2xoQsoevuxQzPBhmjOTnYcOOBhKkQ09Evv_6Qe1xLMHf/s1600/100_3439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguisXNJLUNPM0ZFXuOa8Hs88BsPGtR7NBdQTe2ewqkMMASpjEY4rNzBJj3a2n4KH6_hoF_EDHpfpTFWGw_gLgX740mtoD9JhgZ2xoQsoevuxQzPBhmjOTnYcOOBhKkQ09Evv_6Qe1xLMHf/s1600/100_3439.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being a goof and trying to keep warm. I think I scared a few people with my awesomeness! :D </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>3…2…1…GO!</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The countdown was on. I tossed my winter jacket to my mom
and scrambled to find my GPS under my multitude of layers. I found it just as I
stepped over the starting mat. What a relief that was. The early start had
about three dozen or so runners. The bulk of the pack would be behind us
shortly. I started somewhere in the middle and stayed that way for the first
three or so kilometers as my body and lungs adjusted to running into the
headwind as we headed west along the banks of the Bow River. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcT5zQpbYnWMmrQEMzfPhYjuQpFoKn6H-L5aS6wql3bDOjLQB6r-0We1MdG65dYFMRZpV7FmQFZmbrekcGxkdWkvw1kJdqlsIwHqYg_DRYE9gyBW4_QvPpTOpUaCNv_XDFNAHezLHpfoC/s1600/100_3444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcT5zQpbYnWMmrQEMzfPhYjuQpFoKn6H-L5aS6wql3bDOjLQB6r-0We1MdG65dYFMRZpV7FmQFZmbrekcGxkdWkvw1kJdqlsIwHqYg_DRYE9gyBW4_QvPpTOpUaCNv_XDFNAHezLHpfoC/s1600/100_3444.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the final count.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EYaLvDf4LqdW5O9Z57g1qyVSyRS1RXxSb_QlmY5PPKDB6Oc3kHgIAuBkqthbyasQ0X8lPSNKpYlqnTF-owXbJ5T9Mv92UvI5i-PTPtBh3LqP9zduBJcVhVgM8DEdAYYmQqPuG5EgLnZc/s1600/100_3447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EYaLvDf4LqdW5O9Z57g1qyVSyRS1RXxSb_QlmY5PPKDB6Oc3kHgIAuBkqthbyasQ0X8lPSNKpYlqnTF-owXbJ5T9Mv92UvI5i-PTPtBh3LqP9zduBJcVhVgM8DEdAYYmQqPuG5EgLnZc/s1600/100_3447.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off we go! </td></tr>
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Shortly after Prince’s Island Park I took the lead of the
pack. I was way out in front with only the lead cyclist in front of me. At this
point I was feeling really good but also a bit nervous and I hadn’t studied the
route map as well as I normally do. I hoped that the cyclist stayed near by, or
at least in sight for a while!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we
headed towards our crossover at Crowchild Trail (the pedestrian underpass), I
passed the course marshal who was shouting out directions as we had beaten her
to her post. Cross at the bridge and go right. Easy! <br /></div>
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The signage on route as actually quite good! I was pleasantly
surprised to be able to see anything! There were kilometer markers almost every
kilometer and arrows at all of the turning points! Woohoo! Amazingly, the paths
until the bridge at Crowchild were also clear or in the process of being
cleared. I had to pass a ride on snow blower on a narrow section on the pathway
and had to slow to a walk and all but climb on the fence to get by. The
blasting of the snow at this stage was actually quite welcomed as I was
definitely starting to warm up. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As I passed over the Bow River I was able to get a glance at
where the rest of the filed was. The next closest person to me had yet to make
it to the bridge. Also in bright orange, she was nice and easy to spot! There
were the odd few people that I could make out amongst the trees making their
way to the river crossing but they were a good 500-700m back. I was definitely
way out in front! </div>
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<br /></div>
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The pathway along Memorial Trail was beautiful. It was hard
to fathom that only a few short months ago most of it was under water in the worst
flooding the city has seen for hundreds of years. Here we are, mid-November
amidst a blizzard where only six months ago the water would have been over my
head at this same point. I took in the sights and sounds along the river. There
were lots of geese and ducks floating by on the still un-frozen river. Traffic
hummed by on my left. A few houses that had flooded were gaited and workers
were working away, dumping materials into industrial sized waste bins,
hammering, shouting. The world seemed quite relaxed for 9am on a Sunday. No
hurry. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The lead cyclist and I began to talked with one another for
some time. Given the snow, I was definitely not pushing myself so talking was a
nice way to break up the run. I was running comfortably just over six minutes a
kilometer on the still cleared pathway. We talked about various races, past and
future. He was a multi-time ironman and all around amazing! He had run the
Grizzly Ultra as a soloist, the same race that I had tackled with a team a
month earlier. What a nice guy! I enjoyed chatting with him for another three
or four kilometers. Every now and then he would ride ahead but we would chat
again as I caught up with him. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As we neared the Zoo the pathways were no longer cleared. I
was nearing the 11km mark of the course and knew the faster pack would be
catching up to me in no time. I was the first to make it through the aid
station – YAY, how exciting is that? On the menu was slush water and slush
orange Gatorade. Hahaha, it was quite funny! I tried to take a quick drink but
ended up having to stop and take off my mitten and fish out the slush with my
finger so I could get a bit of fluid! I was not running with a hydration belt
knowing my water would just freeze. Why carry the extra weight right? I was amazed
that we even had a water station. The conditions were definitely less than
stellar and the volunteers were quite clearly frozen. Kudos to them for
sticking it out to support us! They truly were amazing! </div>
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<br /></div>
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I got a pat on the back and some more cheers as I headed off
from the aid station. Solo. Still! </div>
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Shortly after the aid station we rounded the zoo. Here the
course got slightly more hilly and more snow laden. JUST as I was rounding a
corner (on a hill… go figure) the elite men caught up to me and passed me in a
flash. I recognised our local run hero Benard Onsare fly by with two others hot
on his heels. After that, I was on my on again for a few minutes. From then on,
the odd body trickled past. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The course was getting tough! It was a luxury to run on
cleared pathways for the first 10k of the race, but from then until the end of
the race, the rest of the course was a mine field. You knew there was ice under
the powdery snow, but where was the question. I continued, carefully onward.
One foot in front of the other. My pace started to slow on the unbroken snow
covered path. The snow was a good six or so inches deep, fluffy but at the same
time, quite heavy. Our early season snowfalls tend to be quite heavy with
moisture. This was no exception. The flakes landing on my face were a good
indication of that. At times I felt like I was crying with the amount of water
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<br /></div>
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We continued on our course around the Zoo. We could see
guests inside the Canadian Wilds section. I even heard a little boy ask his mom
why all of the people were moving so fast on the other side of the fence. How
cute? As I rounded the final, big corner by the zoo I could hear the wolves
howling. It made my hair stand on end and my heart skip a beat. What an incredible
sound, and no one around to share it with! On they sang until I was out of ear
shot. The final large corner of the zoo brought us onto the Nose Creek Pathway
system. We were no heading north by the Deerfoot Trail with the freeway on our
right and the Zoo and Science Centre on our left hand side. We continued
heading north until our turn around point a kilometer or so after the science
centre. </div>
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<br /></div>
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This section was really difficult. I could tell by the foot
marks in the snow that had kicked up significant amounts of snow that there was
a LOT of ice in hiding. Running cautiously, I expected to land on my rear at
any moment. As I neared the science centre, I thought for sure the lead pack
should have hit the turn around and I should see them coming over the rise any
moment. But I didn’t. I guess it was a lot further to the turn around that I
thought! Either that or they couldn’t get back up the little hill because of
all of the ice? Who knows? I almost made it to the little downhill section
before I caught sight of my cyclist friend with Benard hot on his tail. A quick
wave of recognition from my buddy, I guesstimated that I was about a kilometer
from the turnaround point. Maybe less. I think they may have extended this
section of the course as I know on our maps that we hardly passed the Science Centre
before turning. Not the case on race day! <br />
<br />
Anyways, one foot in front of the other! More and more people started to catch
up with me now so I knew the bulk of the main pack was near. I kept going and
tried not to let the heavy foot falls of those around me change my pace or the
feel I had for my run thus far. I was so relaxed. Hearing a herd of elephants
(okay, so they aren’t elephants but having 50 people come up behind you, it is
kind of loud!) come from behind started to make my anxiety rise a bit – the make
or break moment of the race. As I hit the turnaround I had a good sense of how
many other runners were around. I was definitely greeted by the bulk of the
pack as I headed up hill and back toward the science centre. It didn’t take
them long to catch up. 11.5k in almost solitude and then BOOM! I’d be running
the final 10k with the rest of the group! It is what I planned on but still,
when you hear the masses coming up from behind, it definitely gets your heart
pumping a little faster! </div>
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<br /></div>
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The turn around was hard. It seemed like the wind had
changed direction. Again! Boy was it cold! Maybe I was just really sweaty at
this point but WOW! At least the snow had started to subside. The remainder of
the race was pretty uneventful. I saw a field mouse as I neared the final leg
of the Zoo corner and high-fived some friends that were still running towards
the turn around. It seemed like the race was a lot longer than the usual 21
kilometers given the conditions. Boy I couldn’t wait to finish the race. We had
a pedestrian overpass to climb our way up and over the Bow one final time
around kilometer 18. I remember thinking “OMG, are we there yet? 18? Seriously?!?”
I was starting to get worn down from trudging through the snow. It was starting
to hurt. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The over pass and the final bridge on the home stretch were
terribly ice laden. It definitely took some careful footwork to make it across
the puddles that had frozen in to works of art by Jack Frost overnight. I know
I slowed significantly over the final, small bridge. I didn’t feel confident in
sprinting on ice as this was really our first anything of the season where the
ice was unavoidable. Instead I just kept it slow and steady. </div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXUpH3Q5uf7EWpWKXF14gvnGKMdRw-yaBcwQ8SdccnT5fmHuyd5Hs0b27NyjFIePzcNJXKY7cD4rDK773v1PKP-RdobiRESYSc5-vo9TzNGBFZ80nLTNTw3f8yf2Exbbi2MiRcxwapKNn/s1600/100_3452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXUpH3Q5uf7EWpWKXF14gvnGKMdRw-yaBcwQ8SdccnT5fmHuyd5Hs0b27NyjFIePzcNJXKY7cD4rDK773v1PKP-RdobiRESYSc5-vo9TzNGBFZ80nLTNTw3f8yf2Exbbi2MiRcxwapKNn/s1600/100_3452.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The middle of the pack-ers filing into the finish area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Amazingly, I finished with a PR of almost 4 minutes. In the snow…
at -18C (when we finished)… after carefully shuffling over ice patches the size
of small lakes. I was floored! I definitely did NOT expect that to say the
least! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT-W0YfplcbcIsc88OFkvRRIy5-OweTeCWLE98tNYFm6Fwfs-Ba36LMOiGqD6IknWWLsEl1FxQqLPgEBTwNZZVCEX9ebJ-7cYHP85Llv7SrcWmLtD4VTF3HNmH5tNP4cRvjamx_RFfCZw/s1600/100_3453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOT-W0YfplcbcIsc88OFkvRRIy5-OweTeCWLE98tNYFm6Fwfs-Ba36LMOiGqD6IknWWLsEl1FxQqLPgEBTwNZZVCEX9ebJ-7cYHP85Llv7SrcWmLtD4VTF3HNmH5tNP4cRvjamx_RFfCZw/s1600/100_3453.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A quick hug to my cyclist buddy and I was off to find my mom
and some warmth. I learned that Benard had hurt himself (his hip?) on the ice
but still won the race. What a day. Congratulations bud, you are amazing! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4PizO0H-f8-x3X20HR0W1NIjDg44g7QWK0KBpcKVB5ie9RrDQ34yqlVUXhUt972-1wQgiJklDeV3TIFdsG2QllSfX8MRbAQENtITYZtyRZ9vE8VRTJkgUpaW5BSn_RWZUovNsortIeBk/s1600/100_3454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4PizO0H-f8-x3X20HR0W1NIjDg44g7QWK0KBpcKVB5ie9RrDQ34yqlVUXhUt972-1wQgiJklDeV3TIFdsG2QllSfX8MRbAQENtITYZtyRZ9vE8VRTJkgUpaW5BSn_RWZUovNsortIeBk/s1600/100_3454.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy BUR! Happy to be back in the warmth! My cheeks were frozen making it really hard to smile! LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<b>Post Race: </b><br />
<br />
For a measly 21km race, that was almost tougher than the marathon I had run
only a few weeks earlier. Ha! It’s amazing what snow and ice can do to a run! <br /></div>
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A quick change into dry clothes and it was off to celebrate
another great season of running at the Garage with my fellow Last Chance
runners. What fun! Our brunch ticket numbers were checked upon entry in the bar
to see if we had won any draw prizes and then we were off to collect some
munchies. What great munchies! There is nothing better than finishing a long run
on a cold day with warm food and fruit. Eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes and
fruit salad, orange juice, tea and coffee! What more could a girl ask for?
While definitely not my usual post run food… it was warm, and I was more than
happy and grateful for that! I may have chowed down more on the fruit salad
than anything (see earlier post, but most of my family thinks I’m a vegetarian
because I eat so much in the way of fruit and veggies!). I also don’t usually
drink coffee, but today was a definite exception. I was happy to have finished
my run with feeling in all of my extremities and digits but I was definitely
cool. Something about coffee and hot chocolate after long cold runs – it tastes
so much better when it warms you from the core! <br />
<br />
My mom and I stuck around and mingled with other runners for about an hour
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A nice ending to the first real wintery blast of the year –
we were blessed with a sunny and clear ride home! <br />
<br />
Thank you again to the race organizers and all of the volunteers, timers, and
everyone else that braved the cold on race day to make this event happen. It is
always so hard when that first real blast of cold hits after a few months of enjoyable
weather. No one really remembers how to dress to prepare for the worst – I think
we are all optimists and hope for the best! I know I am grateful to those that
give up their time at any given race, but a definite heartfelt thanks goes to
those on races like this where the conditions are more so poor. Thank you for
all of your support! Without awesome people like you willing to give up your
time and brave the cold, we wouldn’t be able to do all of the crazy things we
do! Thanks again! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br /><br />
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Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-64699426502046498972013-12-04T18:14:00.001-08:002013-12-04T18:27:38.321-08:00STWM - Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Toronto. <br />
<br />
Oh my goodness, where to start?!?! Well, it won't be a short post, so sit tight and enjoy! <br />
<br />
<b>THE JOURNEY</b><br />
I flew out to Toronto on the Thursday night before race weekend. I wanted to
make sure I was at the expo early to get everything sorted, pick up my bib, get
a feel for the weather and attend some of the race weekend events. Our flight
was rather eventful. We were slightly delayed on the home front and were treated
to a rather bouncy ride across the country. We made up for lost time in the air
but, upon arrival into Toronto airspace… we lost whatever time we had made up
and then some. Our flight had to abort landing three times. It was mildly
terrifying. <br />
<br />
The low-lying clouds, the fog, the rain, the dark. The plane approached the
airport on three different occasions. We were traveling quickly as if we were
prepared to land. It was difficult to see much through the fog, but on
occasion, it was possible to discern just how close we were to the ground as
the odd roadway or building crept into view. A fast approach and then the nose of
the plane was thrust upward, time after time. By the third aberrant approach
eyebrows started to raise and questions started to fly through the air as
people began speculating what was going. <br />
<br />
More than an hour late by the time we actually landed, I was glad that I booked
a late shuttle to take me to my hotel. Apparently our plane suffered from some
landing gear issues. Hopefully they solved the problem before its next voyage.
Either way,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made it safely, and in one
piece! <br />
<br />
The shuttle ride to the hotel was blasé. There wasn’t much to see save for
thousands upon thousands of blurred tail lights from the cars in front of us on
the freeway as viewed through the pouring rain. It took about 30 minutes or so
to reach the downtown core. I was required to transfer shuttles and get on a
smaller vessel to take me to my hotel in an older, more cramped part of town. If
not for the dumping rain I could have walked from the transfer point as it was
hardly but two blocks from my hotel on a maze of one way streets that appeared
to frustrate the driver. <br />
<br />
The hotel was in an old, almost Victorian style building (maybe?). The exterior was
beautiful and the interior was extremely modern. I was stunned upon my arrival
to find the lobby of the facility absolutely filled with people… I was even me
stunned when I realized I was a lot taller and the only white person in sight.
It didn’t take long for me to put two and two together… especially after
hearing the concierge explain to the gentlemen in front of me that ‘his party
was waiting for him in the lounge on the second floor and that the other elites
had already arrived.’ HA! Little Jane-Doe just walked in to a room full of
elite marathoners from Kenya, Ethiopia and elsewhere. I’m sure I blushed right then and
there but kept my ‘cool’ until I made it to my room on the sixth floor.
OOOOMMMG! I nearly died when I discovered who was in the room across the hall from me! Holy runner envy!!!!<br />
<br />
The reality of what I had set out to do this weekend hit me like a ton of
bricks when I opened the door to my hotel room. I’m not a fan of flying so the
nervous anticipation for a flight is one thing in and of itself. NOW I was
nervous for an entirely different reason; one than spanned a distance of 42.2km
and called itself ‘Sunday Morning!’ <br />
<br />
My night was very uneventful. I treated myself to room service as it was dark
and I didn’t want to go out in an attempt to find somewhere to eat; especially
not in an area known as the ‘distillery district.’ The image conjures up
pictures of lots of shabby old pubs with large bearded men hoisting glasses of
beer the size of pitchers. I enjoyed my dinner and called it a night. I knew
tonight was the night I needed to get sleep leading into ‘the big day.’<br />
<br />
<b>THE EXPO</b><br />
On Friday morning I made it my mission to find a Tim Horton’s on my way to the
race expo. The carb loading breakfast of choice for this girl was a whole grain
bagel with cream cheese. That, and I was dying for a warm coffee. The wind on
the Friday before the race was impressively strong. As it wove its way through
the mountainous buildings it created what felt like a wind-tunnel effect. No
matter which way your turned, it felt like the wind was in your face. After
finding the ‘local addiction centre’ (as Timmy Ho’s are often referred to in
Nova Scotia) I continued on my 8km trek to the race expo. <br />
<br />
The walk was pleasant despite the roaring wind. I passed the CBC building in
the Entertainment District, the CN tower, the aquarium and the Blue Jay’s Stadium.
It was quite the adventure! I was even more thrilled when I got lost in a bunch
of construction and blocked streets when I happened upon a grocery store. I was
going to have fresh fruit for the weekend! YAY! I stocked up on apples and
bananas and walked the last few kilometers enjoying the sights and sounds of
the booming metropolis. The last thing I passed before finding the race expo
was an old armory fort. They were tarring the roof in front of the doors or I
would have gone to investigate. It was a nice looking, old building. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7CBQaiaZ8WlM9DrAO8GB2GukV3568SkjI0aF6J0TrA-jMXbiRX_8MX1tE9xu0LQYXeqcrFOf09vwvnTrIxG6uau8l7y0louK5629RopOzciadVs_TTRlUuTkC952KUXp42INOsdr3B_6/s1600/1374736_10202128516519484_772635406_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7CBQaiaZ8WlM9DrAO8GB2GukV3568SkjI0aF6J0TrA-jMXbiRX_8MX1tE9xu0LQYXeqcrFOf09vwvnTrIxG6uau8l7y0louK5629RopOzciadVs_TTRlUuTkC952KUXp42INOsdr3B_6/s320/1374736_10202128516519484_772635406_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The CN Tower reaching up in to the big blue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
The facility housing the expo was gargantuan. I can’t say I have been in such a
large building before. It was easy to know I was in the correct place. There
were at least a few thousand people in line waiting to enter the venue. The press
conference for the event was just wrapping up with the race organizers and the
elites and high profile athletes. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EAPR_vJ1wHdsLJmm1B9OLyhddRe5ka8uDBQDa6BsU5ip3OkbEMS1YiV9GX3D-4NePhlWeQZnnEhtOK8OqTF6fTGiPzSUK3LWy_zIyrAsNM3oGrlaZ5MD4bpsssbmp3kkh348dQHzgr0j/s1600/1379735_10202128514959445_1326626729_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2EAPR_vJ1wHdsLJmm1B9OLyhddRe5ka8uDBQDa6BsU5ip3OkbEMS1YiV9GX3D-4NePhlWeQZnnEhtOK8OqTF6fTGiPzSUK3LWy_zIyrAsNM3oGrlaZ5MD4bpsssbmp3kkh348dQHzgr0j/s320/1379735_10202128514959445_1326626729_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expo lines. I was standing just behind the marathon lineups and was looking toward the half<br /> marathon lines and the 5km race lines on the far side of the building. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When the doors opened it didn’t take long at all for the massive line up to
move. I had to have been a few thousand people back (we went down the hallway
from one side of the building to the other and back again, I was near the
end!). Within a few short minutes I was in another, significantly shorter line
up where the marathon runners were collecting their bibs. Bib and ‘swag’ system
was impeccable! The marathon runners were at the far end of the room and had
about 8 small lines that were allocated for bib numbers within a given range.
Next to our lineup was probably a good 20 or more lines for the half marathon
and on the side of the room nearest the entry way was the lineups for the 5km
race. The lines moved extremely quickly. We were given our swag bags, our bibs
and a clear drawstring bag with a number on it to use for the bag drop on race
morning. As soon as we collected our gear, we went through a ‘chip checker’ to
ensure that our timing chips were reading correctly and then it was off to the
expo. <br /><br />
My expo experience so far this year has been pretty small, for lack of a better
word. Ever event I have gone to has had an very small expo. Sometimes there was
one or two booths, with a bit of luck, maybe even ten…. There was one expo had
only a Running Room booth. You could well imagine my surprise at the size of
the race expo in Toronto. I was in runner heaven. <br />
<br />
I don’t know the exact size and despite spending the entire day at the expo, I
didn’t think to count the tables. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say there
were probably close to 40 independent tables/operators. It was fabulous. There were
booths advertising countless other races, booths selling running gear, sport
fuel specific tables, you name it… it was probably there! <br />
<br />
It took me about an hour to walk through the various goods at the expo and I
picked up a few things in the process. I was pretty happy about finding some
run tights for winter knowing that the snow had started falling at last
weekends race. It was only a matter of time before the snow decided to stick
around for the winter…. Or spring like it did last year. I spent a large chunk
of my day at the talks at the expo. The speaker series was great and I even got
to meet a few of my running idols. What more could a girl ask for?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also waited around for an hour or two
(during the long break in the speakers) for the only two people I knew running
the race to show up and catch up on all of the goings-on. It was almost dinner
time by the time I finally left the expo. It felt like bed time. It was a long
day! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRZA_vNEMpx_8cPsLKxG6F24vIDcX_RzK5VCSdN1lxtqynO2d8oS3hBxveOCmQ47Ym3mDaJmnwJvFh2ApXcf__D919IGQjDbYHniapyOi95JKxS5oapwScQcC_utGtuQS7wdW06vMmd0J/s1600/1384277_10202128513759415_1286891081_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRZA_vNEMpx_8cPsLKxG6F24vIDcX_RzK5VCSdN1lxtqynO2d8oS3hBxveOCmQ47Ym3mDaJmnwJvFh2ApXcf__D919IGQjDbYHniapyOi95JKxS5oapwScQcC_utGtuQS7wdW06vMmd0J/s400/1384277_10202128513759415_1286891081_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So he closed his eyes, but meh! I got to meet one of my running idols, Eric Gillis!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I ended up taking the shuttle back to the down town core with one of my friends
instead of walking the entire way back to my hotel. I didn’t know if my phone
battery would last for the walk and didn’t particularly care to chance getting
lost in the labyrinth of construction between me and my hotel! <br />
<br />
After a quick stop for dinner I more or less locked myself in my room until
race morning. I popped out for some pictures of the area I was staying in and a
shake out run of 5km on Saturday morning. I found a Subway restaurant and
grabbed a sub for an early dinner (more like a late lunch) and then settled in
with my books. It was a VERY early night for me. I thought if I turned the
lights out early the night before the race that maybe, just maybe I would be
able to get a bit more shut eye than I did before my previous races. <br />
<br />
<b>RACE DAY</b><br />
It was close to 12am before I finally got a bit of shut eye and thus, my plan
clearly backfired. I was up and getting ready to go by 3:30am. Race day routine
in order, I was out the door and walking my way up Younge Street towards the
race area, in the dark wearing sunglasses and shorts. The police and countless
volunteers were out already barricading the course and rerouting traffic. There
were numerous other runners making the same trek although some opted for taxis!<br />
<br />
It took me about 25 minutes to get to the bag check area. I was frozen solid
but I was thrilled when I discovered that City Hall (at least I think that was
the building we were in) had its doors open so we could stay warm for a little
while longer. I talked with countless other runners and did my warm ups before
wondering out towards the race course and the massive lineup of Porto-potties
(no joke, there had to have been at least 100) for one last pit stop before
finding my corral. <br />
<br />
I was placed in the purple corral. This meant that I was one of the last to
leave the starting area and I would be up against the clock to finish the race
before the cut off time. This made me quite nervous as, from my previous posts
it is clear, training had not gone according to plan. As a result of my less
than stellar training leading into the race and reoccurring knee/hip issue my
only goal for this ‘race’ was to use it as a learning experience and long
training run. I knew in August that my marathon race for time had turned into a
marathon training run… my only hope was that my knee/hip cooperated and let me
get through the day. <br />
<br />
We were freeeeeezing in our corrals while waiting for the race to start. I knew
I was significantly faster than most, if not all of the people in my corral
(provided my knee held out) so I made sure to line up early. With 45 minutes
before gun time I found myself at the front of the corral with about 5000
people behind me. This whole ‘early’ stuff must be a Canadian thing….! <br />
<br />
I made friends with those around me. Race day nerves tend to make most people
quite chatty. Thankfully the loquacious bodies around me made the time pass
quickly. Nearing gun time most of us were having difficulty getting words out
between the chattering of our teeth. It was a cold morning! <br />
<br />
Mayor Rob Ford (drew a significant amount of eye rolling from those around me)
and the Mayor of the town of Marathon in Greece were there to kick off the
race. After introducing the top elite contenders for those watching the race
live and at home, the horn was sounded and the race began. The elites and those
individuals in the first corral were off. The people on the main street in
front of us shuffled forward. The horn went off again and the people in the
second corral began their races. The process continued until it was our turn.
We were the last of the runners, a good 8000 or so strong with the walkers in
the orange corral behind us. As the volunteers holding the rope in front of our
corral began to usher us on to the main street (slowly), my nerves began to
pick up. I lost my spot at the very front but was only a few bodies behind the
start line when our race horn went off. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t know whether I was going to throw up or not, but
the butterflies swarming in my stomach were definitely having a delightful
time. <br />
<br />
There were thousands of people lining both sides of the street. The bodies were
three and four people thick, in some places even more. Many people had signs
cheering on loved ones but everyone was cheering and clapping, whistling or
ringing bells. It was a pretty special moment crossing over the start line and
beginning my 42.2km journey. It was almost overwhelming. I don’t think I
expected it to feel quite like that. I expected it to feel like any other run I
have done…. But this one was different! <br />
<br />
I chose to continue running with a 4:1 run to walk ratio for this race. It had
allowed me to work on distance while my knee/hip was acting up and to get back
into the swing of things in August. I didn’t think a change in my game plan was
in order before a marathon or I would have run the race solid. It was my second
walk interval and I had almost made it to the Royal Ontario Museum, my charity
group, when I was cut off by a group of 10:1 people following a pacer. It made
me a pretty angry to be cut off (i.e., have someone stop dead in their tracks
without looking or signaling that they were slowing down) but I tried to not
let it bother me. I sped up to get around the group of bodies that were
stopping throughout the width of the street, all of whom seemed to be following
the pacer. This is my only complaint about the race – PLEASE make sure, if you
are a pacer or a pace-ee, that you follow your pacer and stick to the side of
the road and/or use proper run etiquette so those behind you don’t bowl you
over when you stop!!!! GAH! <br />
<br />
Anyways, the race went on. For a long time! I was happy to pass the ROM knowing
it was my charity of choice for the charity challenge and that it was also
going to be on my finisher medal when I crossed the finish line. What more
could a girl ask for? I was elated! Along Bloor Street (kilometers 2 and 3),
the course was nice and flat. The tight mass of bodies began to spread out ever
so slightly. We rounded the corner of Bloor onto Bathurst Street for the next
three kilometers. There was a slight downhill gradient to this part of the
course which allowed me to view the seemingly endless sea of heads leading
straight down to the waterfront area along Lake Ontario. Along Bathurst the
crowds were impressively large. In places there had to have been at least 8-10
bodies thick lining the sides of the street and cheering. IT was incredible. <br />
<br />
I reached for a gel and dropped it as I was trying to open it. A slight moment
of panic ensued. I could turn and grab it as there wasn’t someone directly on
my heels… or I could leave it and keep going. I think I thought about grabbing
it and then decided to just keep going. It was $1.50 loss (or so, maybe more or
less?) but I couldn’t let it phase me. I wasn’t concerned so much about the
cost of the thing or having wasted it so much as I was about the fact I didn’t
think I brought any spare gels with me…. Less weight to lug right?!?! Oh well!
Onwards!<br />
<br />
Passing the Fort I had seen on Friday, we ran in front of Exhibition place and
onto the Lakeshore. The group of cheerleaders by Exhibition place was
incredible. They belonged to a charity and all were in matching red shirts. They
lined both sides of the street and were cheering up a storm. High fives all
around for a good hundred or two hundred meters. If I wasn’t overwhelmed by the
crowds before, I definitely was at this point. I actually had to fight back
tears at this stage. What an experience! With every step I was more and more
satisfied with my decision to run a ‘big’ marathon in Toronto. I wanted the
experience of running with many, many thousands before heading to Disney in
January. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to experience the crowds and
the people. WOW!<br />
<br />
The lakeshore section of the course was really cool. While the elites had long
since passed through this section, probably before our corral had even started,
it was a nice feeling being able to see thousands of other runners coming back
at you along the other side of the freeway along the water front. While
separated by a good few hundred meters until closer to the turnaround point
between kilometers 12 and 13, it was nice to both encourage those on the other
side and also to receive encouragement. This would be one of the few sections
in the course where this was possible. <br /><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK-y3QnsRnjE-fSP3jxg63RTvlzY8gGDrEuu9zMRqtqAG69_ollK1MBMVCR2wtDJSh-KcfNsic7kTqVJyvaUXbUsAGcJsH3l8PXS6GnOwaiO-PCvGJmOMi8R3UnEnCLb41DSgwHl6ukGo/s1600/249074_10202145630507323_454202391_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK-y3QnsRnjE-fSP3jxg63RTvlzY8gGDrEuu9zMRqtqAG69_ollK1MBMVCR2wtDJSh-KcfNsic7kTqVJyvaUXbUsAGcJsH3l8PXS6GnOwaiO-PCvGJmOMi8R3UnEnCLb41DSgwHl6ukGo/s320/249074_10202145630507323_454202391_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...don't ask what possessed me to take a photo while running!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was somewhere along this section that I saw the infamous ‘Sign Guy’ Mike K.
dressed in a beer bottle costume. Not a big drinker at the best of times, I
still couldn’t help but wonder how good a beer would taste post-race, and
whether I splurge and get one to celebrate! I received a quick high-five from Mike
as I passed and then it was back to thinking about post-race celebration. Hey,
whatever keeps your mind off your feet and on the race right?!?<br />
<br />
I was feeling REALLY good when I passed the turn around and went up the small
hill (bridge maybe?) and headed back towards the city. The bodies on the
roadway were thinning out even more than they had previously, but there were
still many thousands in my sights. When we started we were probably running at
least 15-20 abreast. Now we were running about 10-15 abreast. There was wiggle
room, or weaving room as I all it, and I was definitely doing a lot of weaving
to get around slower people without allowing my rhythm to falter. <br />
<br />
As we re-entered the part of the city with skyscrapers that really do touch the
sky, we ran under the Gardiner Expressway. At this stage of the race, pylons
were placed down the centre of the double wide section of the road. Volunteers
were placed ever 20 or so meters and they began to direct people to one side of
the course or the other. THIS is when the race became even more real to me. Had
I been running a half marathon, I would be entering sprint mode. There was just
over 1km left for those running the half marathon. I was directed to the right
side of the road while those running the half marathon were directed to the
left side of the road and began their final ascent up Bay Street to the finish
line. This made me wonder how my two friends had made out in their respective
races. Had they finished yet? <br />
<br />
I passed under a red blow-up archway that read “MARATHON.” Now the roads were
very clear. Where we had been running ten across (easily) only a few minutes
before hand, I now had only three of four people near me and probably only about
20 in my line of sight until we turned onto Queens Kay ( approaching kilometer
21). My race was half over and therefore, it was only just beginning. At this
point, I was still feeling really good. I had received a text from my mom while
running to say who the race winners were and that they had JUST finished the
mens race. I was dying to know who won and I had my phone with me to keep my
intervals consistent… still relatively new to my Garmin 310XT, I didn’t know
whether it would allow me to program enough 4:1 ratios into it to allow me to
finish my marathon or not. Again, I wasn’t about to change anything for race
day so why not lug the phone… I do in practice anyways! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtVrA_kYeTnOs7gXZ-KQi2pqMfP_sYHfRbpvwRZ7poNMvtrNz4euxfMoE7dWZO6-WumFN1_BZG8eSiFAfg1_ON6elnolpqM6T5MztRY_3ZA4va7hs5UZrb29-UkMFktU4WQbC3XmiJF39/s1600/1379374_10202145630267317_1880921994_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtVrA_kYeTnOs7gXZ-KQi2pqMfP_sYHfRbpvwRZ7poNMvtrNz4euxfMoE7dWZO6-WumFN1_BZG8eSiFAfg1_ON6elnolpqM6T5MztRY_3ZA4va7hs5UZrb29-UkMFktU4WQbC3XmiJF39/s320/1379374_10202145630267317_1880921994_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, fine! Because I wasn't running for time, bur using the race for 'experience' and as a long training run I felt I could take pictures! I only managed 3! You've now seen two of the three! :D </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
There were probably a few hundred runners around me along Queens Quay, which
felt like next to nobody after having been so tightly packed earlier in the
race. As we turned on to Commissioner street I saw the first signs of the race
taking its toll on people. There were the odd one or two bodies stopped to
stretch their legs on the side of the curse, but at the turn from Queens Quay
onto Cheery Street I watched a guy only 10m in front of me go down in agony.
Thankfully he landed on a small patch of grass. My heart jumped into my throat.
I don’t know who he is, but I stopped briefly to make sure he was okay and to
make sure that one of the course marshals knew he was in distress. His legs had
cramped so violently that he collapsed and fell to the ground in a heap. It was
probably then that I realised the seriousness of the race and what it really
means to run 42.2km. I’ve seen lots of people go down before in races, some out
cold, but on this day I was feeling so good that I didn’t want to believe
anything like that could happen to me. Not a chance. The reality sunk in with
this guy crumbling to the ground. I don’t know if he got back up or if he
finished his race. My mind was elsewhere. Even if I had read his bib number, I
wouldn’t have remembered it for the next 17-18km with thousands of other bib
numbers around me. <br />
<br />
Not terribly far up the road, now back onto Lakeshore Bullivard on the way to ‘The
Beaches’ I saw a few other people go down in a similar fashion. It was safe to
say that with each runner I saw fall, you could see dreams being shattered by
the looks on their faces. It was a reminder to ‘drink’ and ‘take in
electrolytes’ and ‘monitor your body.’ Now the words of Eric Gillis were
swimming through my head. It was a pleasure to meet him in person at the expo.
I have to say I was pretty lucky to get a picture with him and a personal pep
talk. Kilometer 26 and his words were engrained on the back of my eyelids. Not
only could I hear him saying them in my head, I could see them! <br />
<br />
The Beaches district was a lovely area. The street front shops and cafés were filled
to the brim with people. The sidewalks were bustling with early morning
shoppers. The cheers were plentiful. The hustle and bustle of the district made
my pace quicken slightly. My body was starting to tire after the turn around
just after kilometer 29. The somewhat ‘sharp’ turn (I say sharp, I’m sure it
really wasn’t all that tight, but on tired legs that were beginning to feel
more like lead, sharp felt like a good descriptive) make me feel the weight of
my legs as we reached the plateau of the gradual uphill section and began to
run down it again. There were hundreds of people behind me. I was tired but
still comfortable. Seeing the 30km and then the 31km marker made me confident
that I was going to finish this sucker. I was also amazed that I had just run
30kmand my knee/hip hadn’t given out yet. Holy cow!<br />
<br />
At the kilometer 32 mark I knew, from reading online, that the “Dream Team” was
close at hand. If I needed company or felt like I was starting to struggle, all
I had to do was ask and someone would come join me for a few hundred meters –
just enough to give one an extra boost of energy. This was a really neat idea
and I hope that the marathon out here elects to do something similar! <br />
<br />
The hardest part of the race for me was the overpass on Eastern Avenue at
kilometer 35. The bridge. I had a feeling the bridge would be my downfall. For
the few meter incline it offers, it made my lead-like legs scream. I would
normally hasten my pace on a downhill but I really didn’t have enough left in
the tank to push on the downward side of the bridge. After hitting the 36km
marker, the course got interesting. <br />
<br />
You could describe the next few kilometers as though were running in a knot.
There were 3.5km of very tight, angular turns to make over a relatively short
distance. I found this part to be exceedingly difficult. There were laid bricks
over a short section of the course and all I could think about was ‘ooooh
goodness, please don’t trip...if you fall, you won’t be able to get back up.’
This was probably not the best thing to have running through my head at this
stage in the race, but it was there none the less and I couldn’t really help
it! The knotted section was also comprised of small undulating hills. Although
small, they definitely did a number on your legs. Mentally, they felt like
small mountains. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the longest portion of the knotted section I had to stop
for a moment and re-tie my right shoe. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
was fun! Thankfully the curb was rather tall or I would have gotten stuck! I
was still surrounded by hundreds of other runners and it was when I bent over
to tie my shoe that I realized how much of a toll the race to this point had
taken on my body. My fingers were slightly swollen and, the need to re-tie my
shoe (loosen it) suggested my feet were a bit swollen too. That’s a first! I
also think it was at this point that I started seeing more and more people go
down and watched their races end before my eyes. That was hard. <br />
<br />
I don’t like seeing others struggle (animal or human) and I wish I could have
helped them get to the finish line but for a number of them, you knew they were
done. I had just passed the hairpin turn at kilometer 38 and was approaching
kilometer 39 when I watched an EMS SUV pull away with its lights flashing and
its horn going to get through the hundreds of runners still on the trail. That
was intense. Someone’s race came to a grinding halt, to say the least. <br />
<br />
While still okay plugging along with my legs feeling like led and the rest of
me feeling like I had been hit by a ton of bricks, I kept pushing. As I
approached the corner that was kilometer 39 I found three girls from the
Dreamteam and shouted out “anyone want to go for a run?” and just kept going. I
don’t know why I shouted out, but I’m glad I did. I was alone in my running and
alone in my journey. It was more than thrilling to be able to share the last
few kilometers with someone and have a bit a ‘pick me up’ for lack of a better
word. I had two girls run with me until I reached the next corner and then I
met up with one other girl. Her name was Lisa DC. Instead of running a few
hundred meters with me, she ran about a kilometer. Her company was amazing. I
was definitely feeling worse for wear at this stage (now kilometer 40) and it
was positively delightful to have her by my side. I knew there were still
hundreds of runners behind me and a few thousand had already finished, but I
had someone with me at the race and I was now over the moon. <br />
<br />
I run by myself. I train alone. I do the odd group run, but I’m usually running
solo. I wanted anyone from my family to join me at the race and someone was
going to until they pulled out last minute. I don’t know if I was feeling the
blow from that as I neared the end of the race or not, but I all I knew what
that I was elated to have someone to talk to, even if only for a quick minute.
I’m really strong so far as the mental side of sports goes (yay for being
brought up in a competitive, Olympic level sporting world with sports
psychologists coming out ones ying yang), but for whatever reason as I neared
the end of my journey, the only thing I wanted more than to cross that finish
line was to have someone on the other side waiting for me. I didn’t. But
sharing the last few kilometers, even with total strangers was more than
fulfilling. <br />
<br />
I was handed off by Lisa to Paul and then to another lady for hardly but twenty
meters. I was on the home stretch now and I could feel it. I didn’t have enough
‘umph’ left in my tank for my usual sprint to the finish, but I finished! I don’t
know how many people were still behind me, but the stand were still filled with
people. The yells from the crowd had finally taken its toll. All I have to say
is I was really happy that I had sunglasses on and you couldn’t see the tears
they were hiding in all of my race pictures. The crowds on the home stretch
along Bay Street were phenomenal. I crossed the finish line with tears of joy
rolling down my face. I also finished with Batman! Technically, I actually beat
Batman, but we crossed the line together and that’s all that matters. I am so proud
of him and I’m thrilled to call him my friend. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, it's Batman! His bib even says so! Well done sir! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Kilometer 42.2 and I was still standing. I felt indescribably stiff but I was
nothing short of amazed that my knee/hip held out for the entire duration of
the race. That in and of itself was incredible! <br />
<br />
<b>POST RACE</b><br />
As soon as we crossed the finish line, there were tables and tables filled
(stacked a few rows high actually) with Gatorade and water. After grabbing a
drink, I was given a space blanket and proceeded through a maze to receive my
race medal. I’m damn proud of that one! After collecting my medal I was given a
bag to put my race food in. I received two bagels, a banana and a bottle of
water. I think they had yoghurt earlier in the day but they had run out by the
time I had finished. I would have liked the yoghurt more than anything, but
that’s okay. I think we were all given a second bagel for compensation. <br />
<br />
I started munching on my banana right away and joined a line for a finisher photo.
It was still hard at this point to hold back the tears. It took almost
everything I could muster to put my space blanket, food bag and run belt down
so I could have a quick picture taken. It was nice to know that I was not alone
in this feat as most others also appeared to be struggling with the whole ‘bend
over’ thing. Hahaha! <br />
<br />
I followed the slow moving line out of the finishers area were family members
of those who had just finished were awaiting their arrival. It was pretty
anticlimactic for me, for obvious reasons, so I pointed my legs in the
direction of the bag check. <br />
<br />
Having missed the turn I had taken when I dropped my bag off earlier in the
day, I was challenged with a set of stairs on my way to the bag drop area.
Ooooh you can well imagine my excitement! I thought that I could turn around
and figure out where I had walked in the dark a few hours earlier but then
decided it would be best to ‘put on my big girl panties’ and get it over with.
I was done my race and if my knee/hip decided to go on the stairs… so be it! I
could crawl my way through the airport to get home! Meh! <br />
<br />
I actually fared rather well. Better than I thought I did although the trek to
the bad drop was definitely a challenge for tired muscles. I showed my bib
number (now hidden by my space blanket), gathered my things and found an area
to stretch in the main pavilion area of the race. I had my post-race munchies,
put on my jumper and proceeded to prepare myself mentally for the almost 2km
walk down hill to my hotel. Thank goodness it was downhill and not up!!!! I’d
also like to mention how unbelievably lovely it was to receive congratulations
from random strangers on my walk down to my hotel – young and old alike. I was
almost floored when a kid I would probably describe as a ‘punk’ walking with
his buddies walked up to me and said congratulations. That was unexpected to
say the least and, once again, nearly brought me to tears!<br />
<br />
In the end, my trip ended almost the same way it started; with room service and
a bumpy flight across the country. At least going home I could say I
accomplished my goals and that I shared the course with some of the best
runners alive! Incredible! Oh, and my pilot on the way home also ran the marathon!
It was fun to share stories with him! <br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>RACE RECAP</b><br />
The Race: Toronto Waterfront Marathon<br />
Thoughts: The best race I have run to date! By a long shot! The first half of
the course, even though you are released in waves, is very tight until you hit
the 20km mark. I actually had a distance of 43.44km on both of my GPS devices
by the time I finished – from weaving in the early part of the race. I am
really good at picking my tangents so that isn’t an issue, but the weaving adds
a LOT of distance to your race, particularly if you start in one of the later
corrals. While there are no real ‘pinch points’ on the course were you have to
walk to get through a section, there were still so many bodies out there that
in order to run a comfortable pace you were going to have to weave to some
degree. <br />
Would I run it again: In a heartbeat! If I’m out east again, I will be there!
No doubt about it!<br />
Course: Fabulous, but it is definitely not ‘flat.’ The back half gets a bit
technical (naturally, when you get more and more tired). Flat would be the
marathon in Winnipeg. This is a great course and, as the records indicate, it
is also an extremely fast course! <br />
Crowds: Incredible! Not what I would have expected from Toronto at all. I was
totally blown away by the support! <br />
Aid stations: Awesome! The setup of the entire course was perfect! While I brought
a hydration belt, I definitely could have gone without easily. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-27990128304235434682013-10-27T22:50:00.001-07:002013-10-27T22:58:00.813-07:00The GRIZ!The time has come. <br />
<br />
Training has finished.<br />
<br />
Taper has finished.<br />
<br />
It's time to run.<br />
<br />
...and be careful!<br />
<br />
Over Thanksgiving long weekend the Grizzly Ultra and Relay was set to take place in Canmore, Alberta. Individuals and teams from across the country were are assembling to take on one of the challenging events put on by race director Tony Smith.<br />
<br />
Our team consisted of five runners from all across the board. Initially a family team, injury, moves, weddings and the like unfortunately changed the team make up pretty substantially. A neighbour, an old friend, an ex-pro baseball player and a new friend (we met online through a run group and later at the Edmonton Marathon); we all came together to take on the grueling event. <br />
<br />
The course was second to none. The event was based at the Canmore Nordic Centre, an olympic and training facility for cross country skiing and biathlon. The course consisted of five individual legs ranging in length from 5.7km to 14km and each leg was allocated a difficulty rating ranging from one to five (one being the easiest, five being the hardest). <br />
<br />
The day was cold. Freezing as a matter of fact and Mother Nature created a beautiful show by adding a dusting of snow on the mountain tops, small flecks of which continued to fall throughout the duration of race day.<br />
<br />
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The race started at 9am with all of the solo runners and team members running leg one hold up in the starting corral. What seemed like hundreds upon hundreds of runners took off on the path and road leading down hill from the starting arena area. Not to be misleading, the leg offered two fairly sizable hills and two smaller ones; enough to make your legs feel the burn that's for sure. Leg 2 provided a trail that looked more like an EKG reading and a 4 claw difficulty rating. Leg 3 provided a 5 claw difficulty rating and had it's fair share of up hill sections inclusive of one near vertical range where runners literally had to claw their way up on hands and knees. Leg 4 hit where it hurt with a 3km vertical stretch before beginning the descent. Leg 5 was the shortest and was fairly roll-y poll-y. <br />
<br />
Our team did a fabulous job. We finished and finished strong. Everyone worked extremely hard and pushed themselves to their limits. It was a successful day as we finished injury free and everyone still had their toenails post-race (always questionable when running trail, especially in the rocky mountains). <br />
<br />
It was a long, cold but special day and I am glad I was able to race with the people I did. We couldn't have done any better.<br />
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<br />Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-3018790433174142852013-10-27T22:13:00.001-07:002013-10-27T22:13:48.719-07:00The looooooong slogWell... today is the day I ran my first 30km run since spring. <br />
<br />
Now that was a good effort! <br />
<br />
Why is running such long distances important in marathon training? <br />
<br />
There is a lot of literature out there to sift through, but the final answer comes down to 'it just is!' <br />
<br />
Training runs between 10km and 25km are common for most of us when training for marathons. They aren't anything particularly special. I have a hard time telling my non running friends or even my running friends that don't run long distances, that a 10k run for me really isn't much more than a warm up run. My mid week training runs are 10-15km in distance and all serve a purpose. Frequently I use the shorter (10-12km) runs to work on speed. I run intervals of varying lengths, but lately I have been running 4:1s where I run at a 5km race pace for 4 minutes and then walk or jog slowly for 1 minute to recover. For a more challenging work out out I do 2:1's where I run as fast as I can at a steady pace for 2 minutes and then walk for one minute. This is where my real speed come out when compared to my other training runs. In these shorter interval runs (hey, sometimes even 30s:45s intervals) my pace is approaching the three minutes per kilometer mark. My mid distance training runs, typically 15-18km are all tempo runs. I am still working on pushing the pace with these but I'm not going crazy. The point for these is to get the distance out in a comfortable but fairly fast pace. To switch things up, I also do short hill runs every few weeks. <br />
<br />
Long runs on the other had are a different story.<br />
<br />
Long run. What to say. They are long and sometimes they are really long! <br /><br />On this particular day I was prepared to break the 30km distance at the Reservoir in what I was hoping would be a relatively 'easy' two loop track. Breaking the 30km mark is a pretty nice training effort on the physical side of things, but is also important mentally when preparing for marathons. As is common knowledge amongst runners, your bind will give out long before you body does. For this reason, it is especially important to push both. By doing such long runs in one go, it is possible push yourself both physically and mentally. It is also important when it comes to determining your 'bonking' zone, if you will. A 'bonk' in running occurs when your body depletes its glycogen stores (more on this later).<br />
<br />
My run started out great. It was a little bit later in the morning than I would have liked but we had just had our roof done and the roofers had come by in the morning to clean up stray nails and staples. I was on dog-duty and had to take her around the block numerous times to empty her tanks and so she could keep tabs on all of the guys swiftly doing laps over our yard with magnetic strips. Anyways, it was starting to be a bit warm by the time I headed out. Preparing for a long, long run I took my hydration belt and a few Honey Stinger gels and then I was off to the races. <br /><br />Being a route that I frequented regularly over the last few months, the day started off as per usual. The boats were out in full force - sail boats, row boats, outriggers and the big paddle steamer. The paths were filled, almost overflowing with activity. It was a beautiful morning. <br /><br />The first 5km flew by. By 7km and the big down hill I could feel my knee starting to get a bit tight. By 12km I was at an all out walk. My knee had given in on the flats of the Weaselhead. <br /><br />I really have NO idea what it is about this particular place, but it seems like ever time I run around the reservoir my knee gives out. One day I will figure out what it is... but I wasn't about to start playing guessing games and experimenting. I was also not about to leave until until I made it to my target distance. I was in for a seriously long walk, and walk I did! 35km later, I was very sore and my knee was throbbing but I made it! 4h 33m but I made it! I was definitely not impressed with my time but I wasn't going to let that stop me. This was only one step in the beginning of my journey post-injury. There would be bad days and good days, but I was going to get to my races and smash them. ...Heck, Murphy's law.... bad training = good race.... While I'd much rather have good training and accomplish many more of my goals in training, I am also prepared to take the bad days with a grain of salt and chalk it up to 'experience.'<br /><br />Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-22641079022743218762013-09-13T21:38:00.003-07:002013-10-27T21:52:13.894-07:00Dinosaur ValleyTwo weeks after what felt like a set back of a race in Edmonton, I was in route to run a 10k race in Drumheller. This is one of the shortest races I have run, but I figured it would be a nice way to test out my knee while pushing race pace a little bit.<br />
<br />
My training runs after the Edmonton Marathon weekend had gone well. I was stiff for a few days, as was expected, but my knee didn't seize up like it had previously. I considered this a good step in the right direction. To ease the impact my body was under while pushing to get my long runs back into the 20-30km range, I decided I would once again tackle a Galloway running technique. <br />
<br />
Galloway's method is an extremely popular running method in the United States. I do know a number of Canadian's that swear by it but I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan in the beginning. I didn't like running a race to have someone in front of me stop dead in their tracks for their slow interval. It drove me nuts. I was of the mentality that if you could run a distance solid, don't run it at all because it is obviously too much for you to handle. <br />
<br />
When I tested out a few different run/walk intervals earlier this spring I found I would cramp instantly after the walk interval which would make me struggle for that entire interval and kill my time and technique. Three different time intervals later....well... I wasn't enjoying myself and went back to my solid runs at a consistent speed.<br />
<br />
Having done more reading and research while out injured I decided I would give the sucker a try again. Ha. Go figure. It worked!<br />
<br />
After Edmonton, I adopted a 4:1 run:walk ratio in my training. I decided to test it out with a quick 5km to see what would happen - if anything. I was fine. Not only was I fine, but I was also running my run intervals at my usual race pace of 5:10min/km. With a quick walk I had an average pace just over 6mins/km. Thinking it was a fluke, I tried it again on my next training run, 8km, thinking that the slightly longer distance would have me winded as I neared the end while running the run intervals at a fairly quick pace. Sure enough, I ran at 5mins/km, even faster than the last time and I finished the 8km feeling comfortable and only slightly tired. My next mid-week 8km run was the same, and again it was slightly faster than the previous.... so maybe this thing really was worth a try after all! <br />
<br />
Race morning my mom, dog and I left for Drumheller at 3am. A quick stop at the local addiction centre (a.k.a. Tim Hortons) for coffee and we were set. We arrived in the Ditch (it's nick name) shortly before 6am and settled in at the race venue. Impressively we had another vehicle pull up shortly after we arrived. If you know me at all, you know I like to arrive for things... really early. If you know my mom at all, you know she likes to arrive for everything really, REALLY early! Seeing another vehicle pull up shortly after us was pretty darn impressive! I must say I was a little bit surprised! Okay, I was really surprised! <br />
<br />
I checked in at packet pick up around 6:30, collected my swag and awesome running shirt. The fact that it was blue AND had a dinosaur on it meant that I absolutely had to wear it for the race. I don't usually wear a race shirt on race day because it isn't something I have trained in or with. Usually the fabric isn't the same as what I run in and you can never really tell what is going to happen with it until you try it out or have a similar shirt. The last thing I'd want to do was to discover that the shirt wasn't as breathable as I thought and to then overheat as a result. WELL, this shirt also happened to be a material very similar to my typical run shirt, it was a match made in heaven! I HAD to wear it! Dinosaurs... I still love my dinosaurs even though I haven't worked on them in a few years! <br />
<br />
*the swag and bag were also awesome by the way - best one yet this year for me*<br />
<br />
The half marathon slow start was small and uneventful. There were probably about 15 or so runners that took advantage of the start an hour before the official race time. The race director counted down to the start of their race and the dozen or so individuals made their way out of the starting gates and around the corner of the first city block and out of sight. As the 'slow pokes' (no disrespect meant, I started my first race with slow start and made some pretty awesome friends there too) began their official races, the crowds of runners preparing for the half, 10k and 5k races were growing exponentially. <br />
<br />
The parking lot for the Community Facility was now overflowing with vehicles and bodies and the lines for the toilets were goring by the minute. As every runner knows and knows very well - there can never be enough bathrooms at the start line of a race! Well, I would just like to say the race organizers for this race know that REALLY well! We had the indoor facilities and probably 2 dozen portable bathrooms for our use. Line ups were actually quite short given the number of runners! It was quite impressive to be honest! I was extremely pleased with this aspect after standing in line for 15 minutes prior to the race in Edmonton only a few weeks earlier. <br />
<br />
Just before 8am all 10k and half marathon runners were called to the race area for a pre-run warm aerobic warm-up. I don't do these kinds of things because I don't change anything on race day. I had a good time chasing the guys running in a pack around the Community Facility building in their Boston Marathon shirts and compression socks and sleeves. With my sleeves on, I fit right in! Hahaha, this was probably the only time I'd be able to keep up with these guys. After the gun went off I'd be miles behind them! After our jog, I then did my usual warm up and bounced up and down behind all of the people doing their aerobics. <br />
<br />
Just before the aerobics finished I made my way to the front of the starting gates. I knew, having looked at the placements and times for the previous few years this race had run, that I stood a really good chance of placing in my age division and the race overall. Even being in less than peak shape, I knew that my times would still put me in a really good position for a top notch finish. <br />
<br />
I was the furthest runner to the left and had the shortest tangent line out of the start gate to the first corner. I really couldn't have planned it better in all honesty. I was also next to one of the fastest runners in the race (anyone shooting for a 40 minute 10k is a good one to be next to in my books), I definitely couldn't complain. We sang the anthem, the radio station dude said a few words and then our race count down began. I had 800 people behind me fighting for my spot, I knew my start was destined to be a good one and a fast one.<br />
<br />
5.... 4.... 3.... 2.... 1.... GO<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5...4...3...2...1...GO! And we're off!</td></tr>
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<br />
Ha! Fast was an understatement! I made it through the first kilometer in under four minutes! I have NEVER done that before, not even in training. I was happy but knew I'd never sustain it. After my Garmin 310XT beeped at me to tell me I reached the 1km marker I decided to go with what I had done in training. Run and walk. So here we are crossing main street and about 100 people pass me as I'm speed walking and waving to the cars and saying thank you to the police officer holding traffic. I'm more than certain all of these people running with me must have wondered what in the name of wahoo I was on to be walking so early...! <br />
<br />
My minute was up and then it was time to go again. That is how my race went. Run for four like you've never run before and walk for one. Run for four, walk for one. It was simple really. I had my eyes glued to my iPhone's RunKeeper app and on my Garmin. I could hardly believe what either device was telling me outside of the time. I just ran.... and then walked.... and then ran and walked some more! <br />
<br />
The rest of the race in a nut shell. The course was awesome! One small downhill that allowed me to fly past a few people. Three great water stations and cheering sections in the residential areas west of down town. I got to wave to my friends and their cat watching from their living room - twice! I passed almost everyone in my race.... oh yeah... that hundred that passed me early on.... pay back... well, at least to those that were running the 10k race, the 10k race and the half marathon race courses split around the 4km mark. But anyone that was doing the ten kilometer race and passed me, I made up for it by kilometer 5 and 6. Easily! <br />
<br />
By kilometer seven I was running pretty much alone with one other person in my sights. The fastest runners were around a bend in the road but I had my sights set on the girl in front of me. At first she was about 400m away, then 200m... and then I passed her. My walk interval allowed her to catch up every now and then and going into the final kilometer we were almost shoulder to shoulder. <br />
<br />
Looking at the girl next to me as we leap-frogged one another, I could tell she was undoubtedly in my age group. There was no way she was over 30 and she was definitely not younger than me. Anyways, whatever possessed me to do the math to determine her age in my head also said 'when you hit the underpass for main street, book it.' Long story short, I booked it! <br />
<br />
My last kilometer was my fastest. I managed to catch up with another runner who also looked like they were in my age division in the last 300m of the course. We turned the final corner shoulder to shoulder, she had the inside and subsequently tighter turn. I could hear her foot falls getting quicker but she hadn't yet put a gap between us. Without even glancing to the side my feet kicked into high gear. I ran the previous 9700m with my typical forefoot stride, landing square on the balls of my feet and my toes. I finished the last 300m of the race pounding it out like I had in my spring sprint training. Holy heel strike, but it paid off. I left the girl in my dust and finished a good 10m ahead of her. <br />
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I should also mention I am more than certain I didn't breath on the home stretch until I hit the finish line. It is definitely safe to say I was winded to the max and more than thankful for the water that was tossed my direction after what was, quite probably, my strongest race and best race finish EVER! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was not about to let anyone get in front of me. Zoom Zoom!</td></tr>
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<br />
I was pretty much on a high just from the final few hundred meters alone... you should have heard the screams when I got my race time!<br />
<br />
So, when most people run a personal best they do it by a few second here or a few second there in a fast race. In the big picture, a 10k is considered a fast race! I smashed my personal best by a solid 5 minutes and some change. I was elated. Not only did I have a great finish, I had a new personal record and quite probably placed in the race! <br />
<br />
Results were posted about thirty minutes after I finished my race. I got my race metal (also amazingly awesome with a dinosaur :D :D :D), some munchies and changed into some warmer clothes as the sun had yet to break through the clouds. <br />
<br />
My mom and I strolled through the outdoor expo - which was impressively large for such a small race! It was bigger than the expo in Edmonton! By the time we made it through all the booths and by the time our dog said 'hi' to all of the other dogs out for race day, the race results were being posted. <br />
<br />
I finished one out of the money. Darn! BUT, I had a top 5 finish in my age division and placed 17th overall. Heck, no complaints there! My first top 10 and top 20 finish respectively. I was THRILLED! I couldn't have asked for a better day! I was also really happy my mom and dog were able to come out for the race! This was the first race I have done where I have had someone there to cheer me on at the start/finish line. It was pretty awesome and was made even more awesome because I was able to share a really great racing accomplishment with them. <br />
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My mom and I stuck around for the awards as some of the people I had met before the race had placed. Runners are an awesome group like that - really supportive and happy to share in the fun and festivities of a race... they are also really quick to make friends! Of the 4 other women I started with at the front of the start line, we all placed and placed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively. What a special moment to share with some really great people! <br />
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<b>Race Recap:</b> awesome course(s). I will definitely be back to this one! Extremely well organized down to every last detail. I wouldn't hesitate in the least in recommending this race to anyone of any ability for any of the distances being run. The organizers and volunteers should all be extremely proud. I don't think they could have done anything better! <br />
<br />Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-69362118219740662492013-09-13T14:16:00.002-07:002013-09-13T22:07:42.002-07:00The Edmonton Marathon I'm a bit behind on my blogging as a result of preparing for exams. As soon as I get the rest of my schooling out of the way (almost there! YAY), my posts will become significantly more regular. <br />
<br />
Anyways, on August 25th I ran the Edmonton Marathon - well, the half marathon. Below you can find my account of the event, my trials tribulations while overcoming an injury and about all of the cool people I got to meet. <br />
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I registered for the half marathon in Edmonton in early spring. I wanted to run a race later in the season that would allow me to get a better time than my earlier half marathon and subsequently a better corral placement for Disney in January. Well, that was the plan at least! <br />
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I arrived in Edmonton early on Saturday morning for packet pick-up. I drove. Driving in the city centre of Edmonton, to me, is like trying to find ones way around a different planet. I had my GPS yelling at me to turn this way and that way and constantly came up against one way streets, construction blocking the most obvious paths and a farmers market in the heart of down town. Had I not been pressed to arrive at 9:30 to meet with a fellow runner, I would have ditched the truck and walked to the host hotel and convention centre instead of fighting my way through the city. After three different loops around the downtown core and two trips out of the city on the various one-way express ways, I did eventually find the place I was looking for. I did have to go in the exit ramp of the parking garage to turn myself around so I was facing the right way to get on to the entry ramp... but that's another adventure in and of itself! <br />
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The expo was small, very small. The bulk of the expo consisted of a running room 'booth' with gear and event shirts for sale. There were other, significantly smaller booths as well, most were promoting other races (i.e., the Vancouver marathon), travel packages (i.e., run the ING New York Marathon - guaranteed spots if you travel with us) and 'run food' samples (i.e., power bar pieces). <br />
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Anyways, I grabbed my race bag, bib and shirt and sat down to chat with a few fellow runners - some of whom I had met online through various run groups but not in person to date. What better place to meet fellow run geeks than at an expo right?!? We had a lovely time chatting before parting ways for the day to begin our pre-race day rituals. <br />
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Sunday morning started bright and early - 4am. Well, I guess it is safe to say it definitely wasn't bright, but it was still pretty darn early! I was packed up and ready to check out of my hotel and head down to the Northlands for race morning. A pre-race oatmeal and water and I was set to go! I made it down to the race grounds shortly after 5am and was one of the first ones there. The early start marathon was beginning at 6:30 so a few of the slower runners were also beginning to show up. I had no idea what to expect in terms of parking and figured it was better safe than sorry. I do wish someone had told me there was no need to rush... but whatever... I was there, and I was ready and, I was definitely staying camped out in my truck to avoid turning into mosquito bait! <br />
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I hung around and just relaxed until the sun started to break the horizon. A truck pulled up next to me with a man preparing for the slow start (for those expecting to take longer than 6h to finish the marathon). I joined him and headed to the starting line. It was quite a nice morning. It was cool in a t-shirt and shorts but definitely comfortable. I had the wonderful pleasure of being the loudest cheerleader for the start of the early race. Along with the medical supervisors and a few race volunteers, it was a pretty small cheering section.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: from the Edmonton Marathon FB page</td></tr>
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The start was pretty uneventful with probably 20-25 people taking advantage of the early starting time. One brave individual was running the race in a gorilla suit - of which I am sure was immensely hot by 8am. A second individual, which grabbed my attention immediately, was running the race with a guide dog and a white cane - he was blind. This, to me, was nothing short of amazing! What an inspiration! <br />
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By 7am the marathon crowds were beginning to appear in droves; first in tens, then by the hundreds. I met a few really nice runners while waiting for the marathon start. One girl, Kim from just north of Edmonton, was running her first ever marathon. We chatted for quite some time. She was really excited but also extremely nervous. It was fun to see her later on during the race, while we were running ours, and to be able to cheer her on! I also met dozens of others from all over the province. Two other girls were running their first ever half marathon. It was kind of fun to be able to help answer questions and ease their fears and nerves about the race. I also saw them on the course after the switch back - it was fun to give them some high fives and check in with how they were doing. I am sure they will be back, the definitely looked to be making out okay. <br />
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At 7:30 the marathon started. Hundreds of runners dashed away from the start line and out of the gates of Northlands Park and began their course through the heart of down town Edmonton. Pace bunnies with sign posts and pink rabbit ears were scattered amongst the sea of runner, bunny ears and signs bobbing up and down like a bird floating on the water. As soon as the last of the marathon runners were out of sight, runners for the half marathon were called to the starting gates.<br />
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Our starting gates were PACKED! Even then, packed would be an understatement. I couldn't get anywhere near where I had anticipated starting. In fact, I was probably in the last 1/4 of the starting field and next to the 2:30 pace bunnies. Definitely not where I wanted to be. Oh well! After the signing of the national anthem and some casual chit-chat with those around us, the gun went off and it was time to get the legs moving. It took me a whole minute and a half from my position in the starting gates to hit the start line (I have a real hate for the use of gun time over chip time when it comes to race placement...). From the start line, it was a hard and very fast right out into the city. I was definitely starting too hard but I did want to make up a bit of ground early to get past the slower runners and run/walkers. I did catch up with the 2h pace bunnies by the end of the first kilometer so pulled back and just let things happen.<br />
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The course was great! The volunteer marshals, the police man blocking the streets and random passers-by were all very supportive and cheered everyone on. <br />
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My first 10k where pretty quick. I was on pace to set a pretty substantial PB and my knee was feeling good despite having very little in in the way of distance training since hurting it nearly a month earlier. The this part of the race, we had the elite marathon runners and half marathon runners coming back at us. It was an amazing atmosphere as runners on either side of the course were yelling words of encouragement to one another. <br />
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At this stage in the race, the suns rays were also beginning to hit the ground with their full intensity and the temperature began to rise from a balmy 10C to 20C fairly rapidly. I must say, I was thrilled to see the residential section of the course was well treed - the shade was definitely a welcomed relief. Running the entire length of the course in full sun, even mid-morning would not have been very fun!<br />
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The turnaround for the course was around the 11km marker. I turned around and felt that I was somewhere close to the the middle of the pack. Another 5 or so kilometers brought us back into the hear of the city where Sunday morning commuters were inching through gaps in the runners cautiously under the direction of police officers at every intersection. Off in the distance sirens were wailing. At one stage a group of us were stopped to let two fire trucks and an ambulance through the race course. If there is one good way to get your anxiety levels up, this would have been it! <br />
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As I neared the water station around kilometer 17 my knee began to tighten. I knew it was time to pull off the throttle and give my legs a break. Knowing that this was just the beginning of my fall race 'season' and my first race in a month and a half, I knew there was no sense in pushing too hard. While I wanted to finish with a solid race under two hours to use towards my corral placement in Disney World, finishing in one piece and being able to run all of my other races over the coming weeks was more important. <br />
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I had just reached the water station and watched a girl collapse hardly but a few meters in front of me. If my tight knee wasn't a good enough indication that is was time to pull back a little bit... seeing something like this definitely was! Thankfully the water station was full of volunteers and also had a medical team stationed there. The girl was definitely in good hands. <br />
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Hardly but another kilometer up the road however, I came across another girl my age who was throwing up like mad. An older man and I checked in with her to make sure she was okay. After waving off help, we decided it was best to take action and alerted a bunch of course marshals and volunteers as to her condition. While I am all for pushing yourself to your limits... I'm not a fan of the 'run so hard you puke' club or the 'run through injury to get a good time in this race and never run again' club. I have my limits, that's for sure! I'm crazy and I can push myself extremely hard, but I know when it is time to take a step back... clearly the girl throwing up and the girl that collapsed have yet to find their breaks! <br />
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The last stretch of the race for me was really tough. I knew I was falling off my pace faster than a cheetah going after its breakfast. It was really disappointing even though I knew I had made the right decision to pull back. A walk break here, and a walk break there allowed me to really pay attention to what was going on around me in the race instead of just barreling through the crowds to hit the finish line.<br />
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A few steps ahead of me I saw another girl, also my age, walking. We had run the first 7 or so kilometers almost stride for stride. She was really struggling and almost in tears. As I got closer to her I asked if she was okay. She said she was fine and I continued to explain how we started together and ran almost half the race together. She smiled and let out a bit of a laugh. When I asked if she had anything left in the tank she said yes and I suggested that because we started together, we might as well finish together. Right up until the 21km marker we stayed close to one another. On occasion I would lose her as she took a quick break but she would catch up if I slowed down, taping me on the shoulder the same way I did to her to get her to keep going. We made it. My the 21k route marker though, she was running on empty. Her boyfriend was trying to encourage her and was running beside her on the other side of the fencing. She had nothing left in her tanks. While sore and feeling the tightness of my knee (as a result of a lax hip muscle, of which I was also feeling by this time), I decided I did have enough left to book it to the finish line. <br />
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This was probably my toughest race mentally because I knew I could do significantly better. Having a bit of fuel to burn lead me into a 500m sprint to the finish line in which I passed another 50+ runners. Hearing the cheer of the crowds was definitely a nice driving force and made me want to run harder. While my finish was strong, and the last half of my race disappointing, I felt like I didn't want to disappoint the crowds waiting in masses at the finish line. That was one whopper of a sprint and it was the only time I heard my name called on the course by someone other than the announcer on the microphone (which happened to be John Stanton!). Thank you to whoever it was that tried their darnedest to say my name - man that was some seriously good motivation! <br />
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After crossing the finish line and receiving my metal and finish line photo (hahaha, I looked so winded!), it was on to the food line. <br />
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The race over all was pretty low key. The webpage was a far cry from the webages of any other marathon out there, and the information was limited... but boy was the food great! Water, juice, bananas, apples, oranges, muffins, granola bars, your choice of sandwich/wrap, chips... sheesh... I'm usually lucky to get an orange slice. I was pretty darn happy to be getting a lunch! One less stop required by this girl before hitting the road for the long drive home. Additionally, while waiting in line for food, I got to meet up with a fellow digital runner. How awesome is that? We met initially as part of our training for the 'Dopey Challenge' that we will both be running in January through a forum online. Little did either of us know that we cross paths quite frequently and had just never met! Well, now we both have someone to talk 'run geek' with. What more could a girl ask for!?!?<br />
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<b>My thoughts on the race:</b> I will definitely be back and would definitely consider this race to qualify for the Boston Marathon. While not totally flat, it is pretty darn close. What hills were on our course (and thus half of the marathon course) where hardly but a few meters in elevation and had a pretty generous slope. I really enjoyed the course! The volunteers were great although I feel like there could have been more water stations. We had 3 very busy stations and I feel like maybe one more would have been good.... maybe it was just from my lack of training but I ran out of water en route and felt uncomfortable with the distances between stations. I don't usually take water for anything less than a 16k run so it was odd to me that I would go through my 2 whole little bottles when I usually hardly ever take a sip (even for a half or full). Other than that, GREAT run and GREAT race! <br />
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Well done Edmonton! I am already looking forward to hitting the course for the full marathon next year! Can't wait! Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-12067786757082808602013-08-07T13:28:00.004-07:002013-08-07T13:37:42.288-07:00The Runners SmileSo my last run was Sunday. I don't even know if I can call it a run! With the exception of a clinic visit and 5 minutes on the treadmill tomorrow, I'm not allowed to run again until next week! <br />
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I did run somewhere between 7 and 11km of my usual 16k loop around the reservoir on Sunday though. It wasn't a constant run after the 4km mark as my left knee has been unhappy since my first run at Camp Calvin on the Monday morning. I have NO idea what I have done to it. Physio seems to be getting it back on track to a degree. <br />
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Mentally I was more than prepared for this run. I was ready to knock this sucker out of the park. I was using it towards a 10mile virtual race (16.1km), a training incentive to help me work on both distance and time together, to help me get to 'bigger and better' things. I was ready! I was ready to smash this sucker out of the park and to run the 'loop' faster than I have ever run it before. <br />
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I was optimistic. I guess I was a little too optimistic! I smashed out the first 4km in record speed for me and then everything kind of fell apart. I went from the prospect of setting a new 5km PR to my slowest 5k split time to date. It was bad! Really bad! My knee buckled for lack of a better word. Something pinched and it hurt. A few hopping steps to slow down and I knew that was pretty much the end of my blistering pace (I was averaging 4:30mins/kilometer. A normal run for me is about 5:50/km most runners that I know in town that aren't elites struggle to keep the pace under 7mins/km). I was done. My brain was still on over drive - go go go - but this time it was my body that threw in the towel. <br />
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I was mildly shattered to put it lightly. After the 3k mark there really is no turn around point in this loop. Sure you could turn around in the literal sense and walk back to your vehicle/starting point. If however you decided to go forward, it was at least another 4km before the next possible pick-up point if you had any issues. I figured that I was here for a race and I wasn't leaving until I knocked out my full 16km. I'm not going to lie, it hurt! Physically it was going to be a struggle to make it around the wonderfully hilly route when anything other than flat seemed to set my left leg into a world of hurt. Shooting pain up and down my leg starting from the knee with any sort of incline suggested I was in for a really good, long and painful slog. Mentally I was kicking myself in the butt. How could I be so ready and then crumble after only 4 something kilometers? Well... it happened! That also mean I had another 12km to fight with myself! SO much fun! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I did better than someone ...about 3.5km into my run everyone had to pull off <br />the path to make room for an ambulance that had to come up from the Weaselhead. <br />I hope whoever they had to go in and haul out is okay! While not 'dangerous' it<br />has to be at least mildly difficult trying to get someone out of the Weaselhead area<br />given the steepness of some of the paths and the low overhang of trees. Hopefully <br />the person(s) were not too seriously hurt/injured!</td></tr>
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While fighting with myself mentally, I was allowing my knee time to relax and chill out a bit. Afterall, on the flats (there are some, not many, but some!) the pain would go away and I could walk normally. When I pinched my LCL after sideswiping an ice block with my right leg in early March, I had a hard time walking period. I could still walk without a pinch so I was hoping I was just having a minor setback. I tried running again. I was able to last for little spurts between 6 and 8km and stopped again to walk when things were starting to feel a bit out of sorts. I survived the big hill, granted, I walked it and it pinched from time to time...but I made it! At least I didn't have to suffer the "pleeeeeaaaase come get me" phone call of tears and shame! I made the big hill so I was going to finish the last 8km of this bloody loop! <br />
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The top section between the big hill and the canoe club is relatively flat. I regained my composure and decided, still beating myself up mentally, that maybe I was doing something stupid. Maybe my form had changed and I was doing something to set my knee off? I wasn't willing to given into the fact that I still had 8km to go and that I'd be walking the bulk of it. It wasn't allowed to happen. I made it to kilometer 11 (not bad...!) paying close attention to my technique and taking the time to work on my fore-foot strike. My pace was undoubtedly slow (for me, I was pushing 6:40 mins/kilometer) but I wasn't about to give up. I made it to the canoe club and once again leapfrogged the same couple I had passed at least another four times on the path. They were also running. I blew past them in my first 4km then they caught up to me... then I passed them a couple of times in the Weaselhead and they did the same. I lost them at the hill (go figure) and thought that was the end of that. HA, then I passed them at the boat club! <br />
<br />
There was a slight incline after the boat club. The incline is slow and gradual leading up to Crowchild and Glenmore. It's noticable visually but when running it really isn't too bad. At this point my knee decided it had had enough. Another good pinch on my downward step left me to do another few hopping steps to bring myself back to a crawl. What a pain in the patooy! I'd fought it out for nearly 12km and finally had to resign myself to the fact that the rest of the 'course' was hills. I was walking! I still had a fabulous four more kilometers to hang my head and walk. Slowly. Very slowly! <br />
<br />
It's not the end of the world of course! I was disappointed with myself for being so confident in my knee post week of intense physio. I was also happy that I didn't give up and turn back after the first four kilometers, after all I still need to do some sort of activity to keep myself in shape. Additionally, I also needed to keep myself on my feet for as long as possible. The only way to train for longer run distances is to do it on your feet! 16k isn't terribly shy of 20 which in turn is really darn close to a half marathon. I need a time somewhere under 1h 50m for my next race. My goal was 1h 45m. I think what was hurting me more than my knee was knowing the possibility of breaking 1h50m in exactly three weeks time is pretty much out of the question. It's not impossible but improbable. This thought on its on means I will be required to find another certified half marathon sometime in the last two weeks of September so it doesn't conflict with my big races in October.<br />
<br />
Brilliant! Three days later and I still find myself in a bit of a bind and doing the math to see just how hard I would have to push to get the time I need on the 25th given any number of different race scenarios. My fingers are crossed that my knee behaves and I can just go for it! <br /><br />Anyways, to wrap things up a bit...<br />My motto for running - keep going and keep smiling! When you stop enjoying it, don't do it! Despite the pain of my knee (especially in the last 3km of solid roller coaster-like hills... ask me how much fun that was!) there was no way I was about quit. I came out for a reason. While I couldn't smash my run off the the charts, I was still there for a race. A virtual race in my books is still a race! It might not count towards anything in the grand scheme of things but until you REALLY do one, you don't know their value as training incentive. They are there for your time of need and they are designed to push you. <br />
<br />
I am extremely goal driven. I don't give up. I don't think I have a quit or off button. Someone forgot to design one for me when I was being assembled! It's both a blessing and a curse! I will fight until I get something but it also means I get really frustrated in the process before I get to the final 'ah ha.' To get through things I usually grit my teeth and just smile. For running this means I may not physically enjoy the process but I'm sure going to find a way to make myself enjoy it mentally. Smiling is usually a good start! ***don't try this with archery though.... smiling is a really good way to throw off one's anchor point! Laughter is also bad and tends to throw arrows way off target!!!<br />
<br />
If I can force myself to smile, I can force myself to find the good and enjoy something. Even if it is something small like a minor success or smiling at the baby ducks chasing after each other, there is always something to smile about. Heck, on this run I was thrilled to stay a few strides in front of the ominous thunderheads that were trying very hard to dampen my spirits...and maybe my socks/shoes! <br />
<br />
With that, you can always tell who the real runners are. When you are out walking along the parkways or paths in your area, the real runners are the ones who are smiling or take the time to smile. The rest are just "want to be" runners that take pleasure in having people look at 'how good they are.' I'm not saying this to be mean... more often than not it's true. Go for a run and test it out yourself! It doesn't matter how fast or slow you are or how 'skinny' you are or aren't. Just run. Simile at the runners that pass you and make your own judgement call.<br />
<br />
That brings me to the following from a fellow runner, Alice. This is why it is possible to push and keep going when you are ready to 'quit.' <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">"When
you’re out there on the footpaths, do you smile? When your feet fall
into the rhythm, one after another, do you smile? When the person
running towards you has a grimace of pain and determination on their
face, do you smile? When the person running towards you nods their head
in your direction, do you smile?<br /> <br /> The runners smile. The nod. The acknowledgement. A shared understandin<span class="text_exposed_show">g of so many t...hings. A shared moment.<br /> <br />
And every time I see someone running towards me I want to smile. I want
to say 'how awesome are we right now for being out here and running?!' I
don’t know their story. I don’t know what race they are training for. I
don’t know if they’re just running for fun. I don’t know how many years
they’ve been running for. I don’t know if they have been out there for
10 minutes or 2 hours. And they don’t know any of these things about me.
<br /> <br /> But when a fellow runner looks up and smiles it can mean the
world. It can mean the difference between me stopping running because 'I
feel exhausted' and finding the mental strength to keep going despite
what my legs are telling me. It can be the difference between me getting
down on myself for not running as fast as I want to and feeling on top
of the world. We are runners and we’re all out there.<br /> <br /> Do you
smile? Today a lot of my fellow runners smiled. Perhaps more than ever
before. And maybe that’s why my run felt so good. Even when I’m so tired
from running that my mouth has forgotten how to work and I accidentally
create a big spit bubble as well as a grin, I always try to smile.
Because when you’re out there pounding the pavement alone, it’s nice to
know that someone else is out there and for that brief exchange, they’re
with you."<br /> <br /> -Alice, 3quartersalice.tumblr.com/</span></span></span></h5>
Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-3631244898570284222013-07-29T09:33:00.002-07:002013-07-29T09:34:38.846-07:00Killer Bees <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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I have just returned from my second music camp for the month. While I have run
a few half marathons, my training has been significantly sub par since the city
has flooded nearly a month ago. I was able to get a few smaller runs out while at camp and did a
fair bit of walking. As a result I am feeling reasonable about my ability to
knock off some distance runs in the near future. <br />
<br />
Anyways, I returned Saturday evening and, after little sleep (if you know
anything about music camps, you know very well that sleep is of extremely short
commodity!) I headed out to Canmore with one of my teammates, Trish. Today was
one of our Grizzly training runs out of the Canmore Nordic Centre. The drive
was beautiful but the clouds over the mountains looked rather threatening. We
left home around seven and arrived in Canmore around 9. A few wrong turns
later, we successfully found our starting point – aptly marked with a ‘Grizzly’
truck and trailer. We were among the first to arrive and decided to walk around
a bit and to also check out the wildlife sightings report at the centre itself.
<br />
<br />
By 9:40 most of the runners had arrived and the event coordinator, Tony, had
started his pre-run briefing. There were probably about 30 runners in total.
Tony would be doing the course backwards on bike to ensure that runners didn't
get lost on the few really tight switch backs en route. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdXNs1orBCckDiAmPGHqyD2z5vLOw5V6fcBw8of_MyrSlCZlxpM8AGoqylNdO91yi7Sn09MofmIrXNtvsGis1xzQg0y-V4gWQdEFfvPWnbf2iVTBVCjA7vcJegpQuZHyzsI4d02lxTCeP/s1600/Canmore+Killer+Bees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdXNs1orBCckDiAmPGHqyD2z5vLOw5V6fcBw8of_MyrSlCZlxpM8AGoqylNdO91yi7Sn09MofmIrXNtvsGis1xzQg0y-V4gWQdEFfvPWnbf2iVTBVCjA7vcJegpQuZHyzsI4d02lxTCeP/s400/Canmore+Killer+Bees.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of our course from the 'stadium' at the Canmore Nordic Centre. <br />Straight up and into the mountains! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The course was beautiful!!! We started as a group right at ten. The first 3km
of the course were straight up the side of a mountain and were definitely not
for the faint of heart. This section did a pretty substantial job of separating
the ‘big guns’ from the rest of us. It is safe to say Trish and I hung out
closer to the back of the pack with some of the newer trail runners…. partly because
I was one of the only ones who had a phone to call with in the event of an
emergency…! We made it through the first 2.5k before we took a quick walk break
to let our calf muscles release a bit. The lactic acid build up was something
fierce and I was starting to feel like speed walking the day before hand was
maybe not the best idea. I was feeling muscles that I hadn’t felt for a while!
HA!!!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsFMz958RFr_nxb6XsRZnFkoQO6P8mEyrRoxJVIMrQ6ir2X441skfBaFIkj7gI24DIpcE5Ad4yj4SVffwHhvX3ULWFc0wY4o0RZBrJSe_tTNNQwjZuhGdK67AuilQIK2lZjNSHX7Q1foP/s1600/Canmore+Killer+Bees+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsFMz958RFr_nxb6XsRZnFkoQO6P8mEyrRoxJVIMrQ6ir2X441skfBaFIkj7gI24DIpcE5Ad4yj4SVffwHhvX3ULWFc0wY4o0RZBrJSe_tTNNQwjZuhGdK67AuilQIK2lZjNSHX7Q1foP/s400/Canmore+Killer+Bees+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The end! A few of the stragglers on the final descent towards<br />
the stadium area of the Canmore Nordic Centre. We took<br />
group photos at the end of the race. It was great gun and a <br />
great run! How is that shot for a great view? Picture that for<br />
the whole course!!!! Amazingly awesome and awe inspiring!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the 3.5k mark or so the course became filled with more bends and the
occasional downhill stint. The uphill sections were smaller and much more manageable
on already tired legs. This was Trish’s first run over 5km and her first trail
run to boot. I should mention that 7km on a trail like the one we were doing is
equivalent to running 10-12km on the road… so it goes without saying that Trish
did amazingly well! We had to take it a bit easy on some of the downhill
sections due to loose rocks and both of us nursing minor knee injuries. There
was one particular section after the switchback that Tony had been monitoring
where we were joined by another two ladies and all four of us fell in some way,
shape or form. I was leading the group and nearly face-planted (I caught myself
at the absolute last second), Trish nearly rolled her ankle on some rocks and
both of the other two fell in to the rocks. It was becoming very clear how
technical some of the trails are to the newbies but man, are they ever bloody
fun to run! <br />
<br />
It took us 40 minutes to make it through 5km. This is by far the slowest I have
ever run. Even for me this was quite an eye opener as to what will be ahead of
me over the coming months in my training leading up to the race in October. I
knew I was going to be in for lots of hills and rocks and tree roots but I
guess you can never really prepare until you are actually there. We finished
our first loop of the 7km in a little under an hour (HAaaaahaahaha!) and made
it out wildlife encounter free! The last 1k stretch was downhill and a little
bit more open. As a result, I was able to book it at my normal run pace without
having to worry about my group getting eaten by any sort of wild life. <br />
<br />
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Overall, the trails were densely wooded and incredibly beautiful. It was a
blast getting to run with a group of like-minded people through one of the most
incredible places on earth. Tony has done an amazing job organizing the Grizzly
ultra and the bi-weekly run groups in Canmore. This guy is awesome! I am
looking forward to our next run already and I am hoping that I can get some
more of my teammates out to test the trails. It will be really good for them to
learn just how much more difficult trail running is in comparison with road
running …and how a 5k trail run is not the same as a 5k road run. Race day will
be interesting but hopefully the rest of them come around. I am the speed at
the front end of the race with the longest (15k) and one of the more difficult
trails, but still! It is no reason for the others to let their guard down! <br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-50979307622569454582013-07-10T10:31:00.004-07:002013-07-10T10:31:53.851-07:00Stampede Road Race <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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So I guess it is time for another blog posting. While busy
with school and fiddle related everything-s at the moment, it is difficult to
sit down and focus on writing about running. I promise this will get better as
I have to spend less time worrying about school. <br />
<br />
Anyways, it is probably old news by now, but Calgary has recently been hit by
some pretty bad flooding. As a result, my training for the last few weeks has
been extremely limited. My normal loop around the reservoir has been out of the
question as I would have required a snorkel and floaties to make it through the
back stretch around the Weaselhead. I managed an 17km run through our district
but wasn’t overly pleased with the need to run on concrete sidewalks because
the grass was over my knees in places, or the need to stop at the dozen or so
street lights. I like a solid run, none of this stop and go stuff. I was still
proud of the fact that I was able to knock off such a distance and only get
lost twice (the cons of trying to get out a big number distance wise in a
relatively small area). The week prior to that, as the flooding was just
beginning I did my regular 10k look through our neighbourhood. <br />
<br />
This past week I was away at the Leahy Music Camp in Lakefield, Ontario. Talk
about exciting! I had an amazing time playing alongside and learning from
Leahy, Natalie MacMaster, Matt MacIsaac, Andre Burnet, Tim Edey and Mac Morin.
I wasn’t able to run but I walked a lot and made up for some running through
dance. Don’t forget that a single round of the Highland Fling is equivalent to
running a mile. Add all of my practice dances up and I still ran about 30 miles
this past week. That’s beside the point however as it wasn’t counted towards
anything….!<br />
<br />
After returning home I played a quick fiddle gig at the Calgary Stampede on
Saturday and worked on getting my hydration back up to par before my half
marathon on Sunday morning. <br />
<br />
I signed up for the Stampede Road Race half marathon in early May not knowing
whether I would be ready for the distance or not. With all of the flooding we
had experienced my original training plan had to be put on the back burner. Not
only could I not complete my 20km loops of the reservoir (both sides), but I
was also helping with flood clean up and ‘feeling the burn’ for other reasons
(i.e., because I helped carry 4 feet of solid mud out of a basement because the
‘water’ was too thick to pump out…. You get the idea). Going into the race I
was nervous! Big time! My longest run to date had only been 17km. I was still a
few kilometers short of my target distance and didn’t know how my body would
handle the added mileage. <br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkztidJkdmUYrtlZKpfaFcVg7q3JMCL6G2LlSMZ0Tfn8F8duonTgTqWfJ1T0w9aQTdOWAoPAYZ5ghIR1-r0eIUmg-P0WdDdlBcUSx7dy1abyNloXaVcCMWX2EUz9RQku14sJqZIkcy9cyZ/s1600/Leading.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkztidJkdmUYrtlZKpfaFcVg7q3JMCL6G2LlSMZ0Tfn8F8duonTgTqWfJ1T0w9aQTdOWAoPAYZ5ghIR1-r0eIUmg-P0WdDdlBcUSx7dy1abyNloXaVcCMWX2EUz9RQku14sJqZIkcy9cyZ/s320/Leading.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fellow leading buddy. The other lady ran next to me <br />most of the time. We alternated who was out in front<br />but stayed together until we hit the big hill. What a great <br />group of people to run with! We even chatted as we ran<br />.... who knew? The nice thing was I even pushed my pace<br />a little as well so it was really a good group to be with. I<br />knocked 10s/km off my average pace to stay up at the front. <br />It had me smiling for the bulk of the race which is always a <br />good thing! A happy runner is a good runner! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Start times were slightly staggered. There was a group of
runners and walkers starting at 7am and a faster group of runners at 7:30am.
Given that I was out of practice with only two runs under my belt for the
previous three weeks, I didn’t know what my expected finish time would be. I
thus decided starting with the slower group was probably to my benefit. I knew
I wouldn’t take longer than the 2h45m cut off time (if you were expecting to
take longer than 2h45m you HAD to start in this group), but I wasn’t feeling
overly confident about my ability to extrapolate on my 17km run time on a
relatively flat course (100m of elevation gain) to estimate my finish time for
21km on a slightly more hilly laden trail (i.e., one big hill being 250m on its
own and quite nearly vertical). Slow start it was!<br />
<br /><br />
I was actually really glad I had started with the slower group. The people were
awesome and very friendly. We had good fun joking around and talking at the
start line. I started strong and fell into my normal pace quickly. I was
actually impressed because I lead the group until the 12km marker. There was
another guy and a lady from the Bahamas’ and I that held a rather tight lead
group right from the start gun. At the 12km point, the elite group leaders had
caught up to us and passed us in a flash. Man do those guys have legs – they don’t
run, they fly! One day!<br />
<br />
The course was a bit different than my normal route around the reservoir. We
stayed to the higher trails…maybe this was in part to the high water washing
out some of the lower tracks? It was nice to have a change of scenery but also
meant we had a bit more in the way of hills to contend with. Never the less, I
think this is by far one of my favourite run routes around! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the steep descent into the Weaselhead
area, signs of the recent floods were quite prominent. Part of the trail was
sliding down the slope (marked off with bright orange pylons) and the bushes
and trails were thick with mud. Had I been awake at 4am when I was getting
ready for the race, I would have put on my trail shoes with better grips
instead of my road runners! Whoops! The flat stretch along the marsh area was
very thick with slippery mud. I am REALLY glad our little group had made it
there just as the elite group was catching up. We had thankfully made it
through the slime before the bulk of the people and thus probably made it
through the slime before it got really bad. There were the odd dry patches
amongst the mud but I can guarantee most of the 600m stretch was spent trying
to catch ones balance before falling flat on ones face... unless you were lucky
enough to have long legs that reached from dry patch to dry patch! I wasn’t one
of the lucky ones and ran with my arms slightly out to the side and up trying
to maintain my forward momentum and vertical stance. <br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxCtfoskGzB4sMUQJy7-2cV1RATZPMo5DY54Lxkm1omihQmHNaswhz1u7PW93W5AmgRZb_jPxsR021c2x8H78qlZMQ7EykjaxhbMz8KnD56aXNFSF0mR8_m19IAHcpYkhT4s1RJm-eMB_/s1600/The+Hill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxCtfoskGzB4sMUQJy7-2cV1RATZPMo5DY54Lxkm1omihQmHNaswhz1u7PW93W5AmgRZb_jPxsR021c2x8H78qlZMQ7EykjaxhbMz8KnD56aXNFSF0mR8_m19IAHcpYkhT4s1RJm-eMB_/s320/The+Hill.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whopper. Note how small the people in front of me are. This is from the half way point of the hill just after going around a hair pin turn. It's a gross hill at the best of times, never mind when you are on tired lefts and 14km into a race. </td></tr>
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Knowing I still had 1/3 of the race to go after making it
out of the Weaselhead I opted to walk up most of the whopper hill and had a
swig of my Gatorade to keep my energy levels up. Normally I would run the hill
but again, I was 4km short in my training and didn’t know what to expect from
my body as I neared the end of the race. <br /><br />The stretch along the top of North
Glenmore Park was beautiful. Overlooking the marsh area it was pretty clear
most of the plant life was gone or covered by many inches or feet of mud. Nevertheless,
it was still as beautiful as ever. Here the number of runners started to pick
up significantly. Instead of being in our small group of 4 runners (we had
another girl join us around the time we were in the mucky section), we were now
in a group of many tens of runners. We passed the canoe club and the golf
course before heading north again to cross over Glenmore Trail. Here I lost my
run buddies as I don’t like to run on concrete. The overpass over Glenmore was
concrete so I decided to take it slowly and speed walked my way up and over to
the other side of the freeway. I could still see my run buddies only slightly
ahead of me and figured I would just keep my pace solid until the end. At this
point we had just reached kilometer 18. Still breathing… still standing. Sore,
but still going! <br />
<br />
Somehow I managed to make up a bit of distance on the home stretch and
reclaimed 3<sup>rd</sup> for our group of slow-pokes. The final stretch of the
race, the last part of kilometer 20 and the early stages of kilometer 21
brought us back into the athletic park. We had a small grassy incline to run up
before getting onto the race track and crossing through the finish like corral
gates. This is where I caught up with my lead group. I finished my first
21.38km race (half marathon) in a little over 2h and 10m. I am really pleased
with my finish time as I was expecting to be somewhere around the 2:30 mark
give or take a couple of minutes. I suspect if I wasn’t airing on the cautious
side and ran the whopper of a hill and the overpass that I probably would have
finished just under 2h. Darn! Oh well, there is always next time!<br />
<br />
I signed up for this race as a challenge – to see if I could actually do the
distance. I wasn’t expecting to be prepared and I was definitely not expecting
to finish as strongly as I did. I didn’t sprint to the end like I normally do
because my tanks were well and truly empty, but I did finish with a solid clip
and I was still vertical! <br />
<br />
After the race we had a Stampede pancake breakfast. I will tell you that was
one heck of a welcomed treat! I stretched out on the grass with a couple of
juice boxes provided by Oasis and a bottle of water while the kids’ races were
getting organized. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a bit of
stretching and taking my time to get back into a vertical position I joined the
lineup for our pancake breakfast. OH YUM! The Lions Club brought out a truck,
some grills and a group of volunteers to make breakfast for all of the racers
and their families. Runners had the breakfast covered in their race fees,
family members had to pay $5 – a very reasonable price for a yummy breakfast!
We had pancakes, sausages and maple syrup a plenty. Cobs bread also had freshly
baked scones of many different varieties to choose from. I loaded up with more
juice and another water and joined my trail running buddy Greg on the bleachers
around the track to much away on my breakfast and cheer on the kids as they ran
between 300 and 1200m (ages <12m to 12 years). There were some future track
starts in the making on the track if I had to hazard a guess. The kids races
were followed quickly by awards, photos and a wrap up of the mornings events. <br />
<br />
What a great way to spend a Sunday morning. The weather was beautiful and
absolutely brilliant for running. It was 13C when our start gun went off and
20C by the time we finished. The temperature increase is another reason I am
glad I started with the earlier gun time! It was nearing 25C by the 2h mark of
the second gun time. I wouldn’t have been too excited to run the inclines, the
over pass and the long home stretch with limited shade in 25C heat. <br />
<br />
Anyways, I guess that is it for now! If I am still in cow-town next year, I can
guarantee this race will be back on my ‘to-do’ list for sure. It was extremely
well organized and extremely efficient. The people were amazing! I don’t think
we could have had a better day to get out and celebrate the Stampede. Come hell
or high water! <br />
<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-1183401347031770732013-06-10T17:51:00.001-07:002013-08-07T13:44:26.979-07:00The 'Res'Haha, a double meaning with this one! <br />
<br />
So back tracking a bit with this one as this actually happened before the blog was officially started. <br />
<br />
Anyways, one of my newest running loops is around our local reservoir. It is just under 16km if you follow the main drag over the bridge or can be 20km if you run around the entire lake. Only a small portion of the loop is in a populated area, most of it is park land or falls on a native reservation. The trail itself is maintained beautifully and the paths are nothing short of a runners dream. The trail is also 'hill central' and a prime place to work on any sort of speed or hill related training. The hills are about 225m (some more, some less) in elevation change from top to bottom... feel the burn, that's all I've got to say about that! <br />
<br />
Anyways, as you enter the furthest part of the loop away from 'civilization' and you are out on the reserve, the trail drops significantly. 250m down a winding slope you end up in a wooded marshland. There are creeks and small lakes everywhere you look. The bush is fairly dense and the trail flattens out for about 500m before rounding another corner. <br />
<br />
On this particular day I was having a great run. I was already 6km in and flying by everyone else on foot. My pace was extremely comfortable and I had managed to overcome some issues with my breathing -vs- foot strike pattern. I was feeling great! I had just made it down the 250m twisting and turning trail from the top of the river valley to the bottom by the lakes. I crossed the old wooden bridge and said 'hi' to the ducks in the small lake to my left (this part of the trail tends to be sparse in the human department as I think most chicken out as a result of the sheer drop of the paths!). As I was rounding the first small lake I had to slow, and almost came to a grinding halt as a mother duck was leading her 12 palm-sized ducklings across the path. At my sight the little ducklings started racing for the water and the mother duck turned to hiss at me for disrupting their commute. What a good mother duck she was! I was quite thankful she was crossing when the path was completely void of people other than myself. Some of the bikers can fly down the hills so fast that they would have made duck-cakes out of the cute little family. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkGMXPTb_bv2Ed2PVgP1Zt63ainoUMAJVRszr08VErYvMFbQOwZyRTRYGN0RpGLt72d0o7Z5ZlnY3jtRqi3WTv-u6M6JiIJNng1VMadGfn8ggbI_yLxS-WXTTHXJtAZl0VuZDUtMc1hQl/s1600/Weaselhead+run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkGMXPTb_bv2Ed2PVgP1Zt63ainoUMAJVRszr08VErYvMFbQOwZyRTRYGN0RpGLt72d0o7Z5ZlnY3jtRqi3WTv-u6M6JiIJNng1VMadGfn8ggbI_yLxS-WXTTHXJtAZl0VuZDUtMc1hQl/s320/Weaselhead+run.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flat marsh and swamp area on the reserve as viewed from above.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After watching all of the ducklings reunite with their mom, I picked up my pace again and continued onwards up the trail towards the river.<br />
<br />
The hair on my neck stood up as I looked forward and realized there was a rather large, not-human black thing in the middle of the trail up ahead. <br />
<br />
If you know our area, you know that the reserve extends straight out towards the Rocky Mountains. You would also know that this area is wooded for the most part and that bears are not particularly uncommon. Having run into rabbits, coyotes, eagles and other raptors and ducklings by the score it is not terribly surprising when 'holy shyte, bear!' crossed my mind! <br />
<br />
I couldn't make out the shape. It was big, black, too short to be a person, too large to be an unattended child and its 'legs' were too far apart to be a human. My heart was racing - and not just because I flew through the first 6km of my run. I had little in the way of options. In front of me was 'big, black and unidentified' and behind me was a solid 1.5km incline. I figured if I looked like food I was pretty much hooped as my legs were tired from my run the day before (that's what marathon training is all about right? running on tired legs!)... I was going to be lunch! <br />
<br />
I moved up the trail, towards 'big black and unknown' slowly. Still running, but slowly. I still couldn't make out what it was that I was seeing. I couldn't see any visible foot falls as the thing moved towards me and I moved towards it. I also couldn't see any people. 400m away. I still have nothing. 300m ... yeah... my blood was definitely pumping! 250m away and FINALLY I could breath a sigh of relief. I caught a flash of light - the kind that only man-made synthetic plastic-y stuff gives off. My heart rate slowly returned to a level below 'stroke eminent' as big, black and unknown and I approached each other. <br />
<br />
Now, MOST people wear bright colours and are pretty easy to distinguish from their background no matter where they are. I've even run this trail with army recruits coming towards me and could see them clearly from more than 500m away. This 'thing' for lack of a better word had be completely at a loss. So, what was it? <br />
<br />
Finally within 100m of this 'thing' I could tell it was a push stroller... not a normal shape by any means. It was all black and had a screen down the length of its front, also black. It had a rolled up plastic cover (to go over the screen) of which I am assuming caused the flash of light that caught my eyes. Black wheels, odd shaped, all black stroller thing... and dad in black shorts with an olive green/beige shift that completely blended in with the background. <br />
<br />
WOW - talk about heart attack central! <br />
<br />
Welcome to my world of running! If you know me well enough you will know that I have some sort of field around me that attracts animals and that a bear and I meeting on the trails is totally not out of the question. While I am not really afraid of any sort of wildlife by any means (it comes with being a biologist :D), I think I will be carrying something for protection on my runs now just in case. What? I don't know... but I am sure I will find something. My truck keys are a start (they are with me anyways)... but I will find something else too. Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5112677477556907643.post-34582103600129008602013-06-10T17:20:00.003-07:002013-08-07T13:43:44.565-07:00The beginning! Haha, where to start? <br />
<br />
I guess I need to say something to kick this sucker off! <br />
<br />
A little bit about me. I am a 20-something scientist and I'm always on the go. I love to be outside and I love music. Combined with my ability to literally never sit still, running has been a good way to put two of my interests together. I've been an on-again off-again runner for about 5 years. The advancement of technology and the ability to take everything with me 'on the go' has allowed me to get out and enjoy running more consistently than ever before. Now a 'full-time' runner (no more of this 'off again stuff'), my running career of sorts was kick started by a friend who, for nearly two years insisted that we run at Disney World together. This friend happens to be one of my best buddies who also happens to live on the complete other side of the continent. Anyways, I finally said yes and thus, I suppose the rest is history! <br />
<br />
Join me on some of our running adventures as we both train for some pretty intense runs and experience the ups and downs associated with training, racing, travel, etc. <br />
<br />
Together we have already collected some pretty fun stories and we decided it was time to share. So, this is 'me!' <br />
<br />
With that, get up, lace up and get running! If we can do it, so can you! <br />
<br />Sakihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04475471013379239971noreply@blogger.com0