Around The Bay (and the hills of Aldershot)

So this past week end I ran my first Around The Bay Road Race. It really started on Saturday going to the expo. All in all it was a mediocre expo, but it payed off in the long run ;). I saw a tweet from Alan Brookes, Race Director for the Canadian Running Series, on my way down. We tweeted back and forth a bit and although I never actually got to meet him I did stop by the booth and was the winning recipient of a free entry to STWM. YAY!

So let's get to the run. I planned to run the 1st half with a friend that was running the 2 person relay and then switch up and run with the 2nd friend for the last half. After the gun it took us a full 5 minutes to get to the start and we were off. We zig zagged our way through the downtown streets of Hamilton and it didn't take long to feel over heated. The temperature at race start was -10C but it was hot in the narrow streets. The jacket came off by the 3km point and it seemed to help. I was keeping my pace in and around my marathon pace and felt that I should be OK with it. As we turned up towards the lake at the 8km point the cold air shot through the wet shirts fiercely! The jacket went back on and stayed on! I was drinking my own water and filling it up at water stations. This proved to work well at Scotia previously. Where my hydration fell down (in hind site) is I didn't drink any electrolytes through the run...I think this killed me late in the run. I was feeling pretty strong approaching the 15km transition zone and Bekky ran ahead to make her change. When I got to the rely point I couldn't see either her or Martine so I just kept running. Met up with a nice lady named Linda that was running a similar pace so we ran a while together. Over the lift bridge and around the corner to North Shore Blvd and I was starting to feel a little tired but not bad. As we made our way through the first group of hills and by the golf course I was still feeling OK. Then after the 21km point I was really starting to feel beat up. A few more hills and I was having troubles with my left IT/glut. By the time we made the bottom of the little hill to go up to Plain's Rd I was toast. The walking started. In looking back at the Garmin I peaked my heart rate in the last few KMs of hills and this combined with an IT issue had me done. I walked and ran off and on from here. I ran down into the valley trying to allow gravity to help and then walked up the killer hill knowing it wasn't even an option. As I reached the top of the hill the 3hr pace bunny passed me. I gave pursuit and kept ahead of him for a few hundred meters but just couldn't keep pace. I watched his little pink ears get smaller and smaller until I lost them in the crowd. From here it was just a struggle of walk/run for 3km in.

Funny how no matter how you feel once you are close to the finish you can effortlessly glide into the finish. I finished in a chip time of 3:04:56, slightly behind my goal but happy to have finished. Next year I will be ready for the hills, better in tune with the electrolytes and HR and improve dramatically on my time....by at least 4 min and 57 seconds!!

M

No Nay Sayers Today

I won't have it!

A few years back I did a post where I talked about "Nay Saying Horses". Today as I passed a farm on Greenfield Rd I noticed some horses. It took me back instantly to that run.

Today there were no nay sayers. Today I was not having it. Today they looked at me running strong and said nothing. I continued on to the next pasture full of bison. Big, tough and lean they looked up and realized that I was not taking shit from them either.

After a few rolling hills I came to a farm at the bottom of a big hill. There again on my left was a horse. Big and brown with doubt steaming from his nostrils in the cold air. I lifted my hand in a salute and politely told him to fuck off, I was taking that hill.

It seemed this was not the last of the animals in my journey today. About 1.5km from my water station there is a dog sniffing the side of the road. As I approach he makes it known I am not welcome. More aggressive than most dogs he runs right up beside me barking with ferocity, teeth bared. I raise my hand, ready to strike and he backs off as I pass his property.

The beagle freed the mind and the horses got me up the hill. Nothing like a country run!

M

Sickness Sucks

I spent 2 weeks unable to run and then a week just getting my legs back.

I ran my first interval run in almost a month last night. Felt good to push it. Felt good to suck some wind as Theresa pushed me to my limit in the last interval. Felt good to get home and realize that I was back in.

What really sucks is I am now 3 weeks back on my ATB training. That is always the challenge....not to race, to be prepared to race.

Winter always poses a significant challenge for us here in SW Ontario. Hence the popularity of fall races. Will I get my 2:30 at ATB....maybe. Will I finish, no doubt in my mind!!

M

Oktoberfest 2010

NEW 10KM PB!!
After a late night, a few too many drinks and an early wake up from Molly I was still able to knock 50 seconds off last years PB. As usual with this race I started too fast with the 1st km in 4:25. Ran the next 2 at 4:35 and 4:31. Knew I was gunning and slowed it down to 4:50 for km 4 and 5. KM 6 peeked up to 4:58 but then I settled in to a groove at 4:45 for 7. 8 is always a tough km in a 10km and another 4:58 for it. Saw my time was on pace to beat my PB and still felt strong so I picked up the pace a bit and finished with 4:46 and 4:48. Considering I wasn't planning on even running for a PB, I am pretty happy with this run!

Well That Was F&%king Hard!

So I had done all the training. Lost a toenail, twisted an ankle, even struggled with summer schedules (including vacations). All in all I logged 614kms training over the 16 weeks leading up to my marathon. I felt more ready for this than I did for the half I ran last year.

Stayed downtown with the family last night so I didn't have to get up at some ungodly hour to make it in. Relaxed mostly, hung out at the pool and the hot tub with the kids after our "carb load" at the Old Spaghetti Factory. Slept like crap with the anticipation of the race...I hate being so worried about missing the alarm that you wake up every 90 min to make sure you haven't. GRRRR

The morning came and I was up before the alarm and got ready in the dark so as to not disturb the family too much. Had everything ready the night before so it didn't take me long. Kissed Yvette and the kids and away I went. It was a 1.4km walk to the start so it was a nice way to get things stretched and loose.

Kudos to the organizers for the efficiency at the bag check. Ran into fellow Run for Lifers so we made our way to the start together.

Started well and ran with a Robb, who was doing the half, for the first 5km. Was feeling great and was hitting my marks (4 hour goal required 5:41/km). My 10km split was 56:54. At the halfway point I was 1:59:45, still right on for the 4 hour mark! My knees (IT Band issues) started hurting around the 22km mark but I pushed pass. met a lovely lady from Winnipeg who was also running for 4:00 hours. We kept each other company and on pace for the next 15km or so. Our time at the at the 30km mark was 2:50:49 so just off pace at 5:42/km. This took us into the Beaches out and back. This was a tough 5 km. Crowds were great but it just seemed to go on and on. Came out of the Beaches section with the 4 hour pace bunny on our tail and just off pace with 3:19:58 (5:43/km). This is where the wheels started to fall off. I let Leslie go on as my hips started to tighten up. My pace slowed as we turned onto Eastern Ave. Getting worse and worse as I pushed I knew the minute I stopped I was toast. Then I saw my demise. The hill was slight by any standard but it was at the 39km mark!! I took my own advice and put my head down and just kept putting one foot in front of the other. This got me over the hill but I didn't get much further. My hips were so tight I just couldn't keep the pace up so I did the unthinkable...I started to walk. It actually hurt more but I could actually continue. Got to the 40km mark and my split was 3:54:32 (5:52/km). I knew once I started walking 4 hours was done. I also knew that I would finish this race. I kept walking and made my way onto Front St. I tried a few times to run, to no avail. The further I went the tougher it got. I had to stop and rest a few times and after I passed Church I almost sat down. I knew that would be the death of me so I pressed on. Across Young St looking at the Hockey Hall of Fame and Union Station I knew I was close. My head was saying go and my body was saying stop. As I approached Bay St I said regardless I was running the final 750m. Turned the corner and started to "run". I am not sure if it was the pain of starting but I started to gasp for air. I almost couldn't breath. I settled down and put it out of my head and focused on Old City Hall at the end of Bay. As I approached Queen St I almost sprinted to get to the finish line.

4:18. All in all happy to have finished and proud to call myself a Marathoner!!

Long Cool Run

Today was MUCH wrmer than last week. Amazing what -1C feels like after -15C!

I woke up this morning with a clogged nostril thinking 10km would be enough.As we headed out with the Harriers from Melville Cafe things got losend up. I always forget what a run in the cold can do for a clogged nose.

As we reached the 5km turn (which would have been the 10km run) I talked Robb into running the extra. So we continued on to add on almost 3km more. This meant the hills of Cheese Factory Rd just to ensure a good workout. As we headed onto Hwy 24 I was feeling good and picked up the pace for the final 4km. Always good to run a negative split they say!!

Next week's long run will be 16km and the last run before my 5km PropertyGuys.com race in Vegas!

Tonight's Hills

It was snowing lightly most of the afternoon which led to a slippery run tonight. Other than it being a little slippery it was a great run. Large group and some strong runners. I did 5 repeats on the top of Gordon St which added on some extra distance as I was only planning on doing 4. All in all a little over 10km.

Afterwards it was home, a quick stretch and change and then off to the Run For Life board meeting. Great meeting with some input from new members. Looking forward to the new iteration of the website due this week and to see how the "Footprints" idea comes to fruition. It would seem that they are lining up some great minds.

dailymile.com

Just stumbled on dailymile today. Seems like a great online log and running community. Have asked them for some additional widgets for their mapping as they were none when I found them.

So far I like what I see.

Should help me both on my quest to log 2010kms in 2010 and help keep track of my shoe usage....