Elizabeth ran with me for a bit on the second loop near the canal turn which was great. She was very encouraging. Then it was a short jaunt over to the finish approach where Jane ran me in. According to the timer volunteer I finished in a time of 34:20. Then I had trouble getting my watch turned off (it reads 34:31). Adjusting my second split for the difference between the timer's number and my own my splits were 17:09 and 17:11. I guess I ran a nice even race :) Sure didn't feel like it at the time.
Anyhow, there were about 100,000 people out to see the Santa parade and so there were lots of spectators along the course. Many of them cheered (unlike years past) and it was great fun running this race. I finished in 14:25 - a new PR (my 1999 time was 18:00). Adjusting for the distance this works out to 7:52 mile pace or 4:53 km pace. WOW! I hope I can do as well at my 5K in a few weeks time.
After the race I hung around for the awards and door prizes but didn't win anything. Una won a door prize though. Afterwards we toddled down the street for some post-race eating and encountering and watched the parade through the restaurant window. It was an awesome time all around.
Carlene
PS - Both Una and I looked smashing in our Toronto Penguins shirts. I hope Una will pipe up with a race report of her own when she gets a chance.
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Yesterday there was a 5K/10K cross country race to commemorate the life of Dr Jim Howe a local sports medicine practitioner and runner who passed away in 1996.
We had a pretty wet week leading up to the event with some snow (that later melted) and lots of rain. The race location is called the Hornet's Nest and the course description indicated that the conditions would be highly weather dependent. Saturday the OFSSA (Provincial level highschool track and field) competition was held on the same course with 1500 kids running 3, 4 and 5K races. I have been told that one highschool coach described the course as a mud-bowl. Those kids certainly prepped the course nicely for us :(
I had been talked into this race by my coach Jane as a 'fun way to end the season'. Jane was unable to run due to a slight ankle injury and was the dedicated cheering section for our running club. Many of our club members (Michel, Manuel, Andrea, Sue, Jack, Jennifer, Andrew - 5K) were there and running the 10K. Having not done any crosscountry racing since early grade school I wasn't really sure what to expect.
Luckily for us the rain Sunday held off till afternoon so we were spared racing in a downpour. I was prepared to get muddy and wet and I did. There were some screaming downhills followed immediately by steep uphills including one cruel trek down a nice tobogganning hill, around the bottom and back up same hill (to an even higher level) before getting back on the trail. Trail conditions ranged from muddy grass to muddy track to muddy gravel (added to the trail). Water crossings ranged from bridges to logs. I never had any idea where I was on the course and just dilligently followed the volunteers promptings and the little white flags. I was dying mid-race and wanted to walk but I resisted the temptation and simply used my HR monitor to reign in my pace slightly to a more manageable level. (HR ranged between 175-188 for most of the race.) The race felt a little long and one runner projected that we may have run 5.5K instead of just 5K. I can tell you that I was HEARTILY glad Jane talked me into the 5K. Running that course twice would have killed me. During the race I vowed to never do a cross country race again. It made me feel slightly better. Of course at this point my shoes were caked in mud, felt like the weighed a ton and I had this shoulder/side stitch thing going on.
This race certainly felt harder than anything I have done recently which surprised me because I felt like I really worked quite hard at my last half marathon. I guess road racing and cross country really are two completely different things. One runner remarked upon finishing the 10K "That was the hardest half marathon I have ever run!" which garnered a few laughs and totally echoed how I felt about the course.
End result was a finish of 29:15 (watch time) which apparently was good enough to win the womens 30-39 age group. The next I can tell you I was quite surprised to hear my name called, particularly in first place. The medal is quite nice and Jane was thrilled for me. Unfortunately the results haven't been posted on the web yet so I can't obsess over, oops... I mean analize them, properly.
So... Sunday's short jaunt felt like the hardest race of my entire life,
it seemed like a slow time, but this race ended up to be the
best placing I have ever achieved. Weird how life is sometimes
eh?
Carlene
Still surprised and slightly sore in Kanata
NOTE: My placings were 7th/26 women, 36/66 total finishers. The
very next finisher about 40 seconds behind me was in my age group.
The overall female winners were all younger than 30. I really was
the first person in my age group. What a thrill.
Saturday I got up and ran 15 minutes as instructed by Jane (my coach). This was just long enough to get warmed up and work some kinks out but not to get tired. After that I headed downtown to the host hotel to meet up with the Penguins. We had a loose plan to meet there around noon. I got lost on the way there and was a bit frazzled by the time I arrived. Penguins David Gegear and Kathryn Lye managed to find me and then we spent the afternoon getting our packets, talking with Jeff Galloway and shopping. Glenn Gabriel joined us for dinner at a FABULOUS Italian restaurant and later we were joined by Tracy Gilliam and his friend who were on the way home from an Argos (football) game. (Shortly thereafter the next table was filled by extremely beautiful women who turned out to be the Argos cheerleaders. If we could book them for the Penguin conference we would. I’m sure it would increase registration significantly. However, I really don’t think we could afford them.)
My coach had suggested that my goal time for this race should be 2:11. When she emailed that to me I read and re-read the message and generally cowered in fear. I really couldn’t wrap my mind around that time. My ½ marathon personal best time was 2:26:29 (May 2000). That race was a 12 minute improvement over my first ½ marathon the year before. Dropping another huge amount off my ½ marathon just didn’t seem possible. I spent a lot of time pre-race trying to grasp that number and convince myself that it was possible. Let me tell you - training my mind was harder than training my body.
Sunday morning Kathryn, Kelly, David and I took the shuttle buses from the host hotel to the start area, checked bags and did the porta-john line. Then we began to walk towards the start. Turns out we were still walking to the start line and the race was about to start. Kelly, Kathryn and David suggested I run along ahead so that I could get in place. (I was on the wrong side of the timing mat at this point.) So I ran ahead, and squeezed on to the course.
My plan for the race was to line up with the 2:10 pace bunny and see how things went. I managed to get into the crowd behind the 2:15 bunny but figured I could try and catch the 2:10 bunny as the crowd thinned out. Then we were off. People kept telling me this race was flat. They lied. I never did catch the 2:10 bunny but I strove mightily to keep the 2:15 group behind me. I ran the entire race by HR and know that I was in the low-190’s for some of the hills early on in the race. Somewhere around 10 or 11 K I was really discouraged and feeling really fatigued. I began drinking Powerade in addition to water. This helped a bit. It also began to rain which made me feel a bit cooler. During the second half of the race my overall goal was to keep my heartrate around 180 (or above). I am pleased to say I managed this. Towards the end of the race it was really hard seeing the people walking back with medals. Finally I heard the bell and began to look for Glenn. Got cheered for, had my photo taken by Glenn and then was off to finish my race. Imagine my surprise when I rounded the final corner and finally saw the finishline clock and realized that – if I kicked I could finish in sub-2:11 clock time. Finished, hit my watch and then I saw the 2:10 pace bunny. I had finally caught him (he was 2 minutes early). I collected my rose, medal, food, etc and then wandered back to join Glenn and cheer for more runners. Soon David was waddling towards us and then Kelly. I don’t know where I found the energy but I ran back down the course and ran with her for a bit and she looked so fabulous. It was wonderful. My final time and new PR is 2:10:10 (chip time) – an improvement of 16.5 minutes. WOO HOO! What a wonderful pay-off for all my hardwork trying to follow Jane’s wonderful training schedules.
After the race Kathryn (who DNS and dropped out somewhere along the way) sweetly drove me back to the hotel, waited while I got changed into dry clothes and then drove me to lunch with the Toronto Penguins. We had a great time at lunch and I have to say I had such a wonderful weekend. Thank-you so much for being such wonderful hosts and for supporting me. In particular I’d like to send huge Penguin flipper hugs out to Glenn, Kathryn and David who went above and beyond the call of duty before, during and after the race. Thanks for reading and sending those Penguin prayers my way today.
Carlene
Still grinning in Kanata
PS - Here is a slightly blurry picture that Brian took of me near the finish. I was moving along well and was really happy to be almost done. Thanks Brian!
Race: Run 10K, Bike 40K, Run 5K
Short results:
Heading
out on the bike leg of the course after a hot opening run.
My goal for this race was to finish upright and smiling. This would be my longest duathlon ever and my strategy was to try and run a comfortable opening run, do a decent bike time and then push through the final run as best as I could. We estimated that I would finish around 3.5 hours. I figured 3:15 was possible but only if I was having a really good day.
This race was a qualifier for the Canadian National Duathlon team. Because of this and the length of the event the caliber of athletes who raced was significantly higher than the shorter Duathlon I did just a few weeks ago on June 23rd. I knew from the outset that I would likely be last and alone for most of the race but hoped to be able to meet up with some triathletes who I could pass on the bike.
The run started on a bridge and it was already sunny and warm. I felt slightly nauseated and was hoping the feeling would disappear. I started at the back of the run and quickly saw people fade away. My first K was 6:15 which I determined was a fine pace for this first 10K run. Kept my heart rate between 170-180 on first run. The 10K was two loops of a 5K course. At the 2.5K mark there was a water stop manned by 3 brave volunteers including someone I knew from work. They were strategically located under a nice shady tree. Luckily I also planned ahead and wore a belt with a water bottle. Despite doing a short run warm-up I felt tight and sluggish for the first 5K and was really glad to be feeling better during the second 5K. It was then that I began dumping water over my head to cool off.
As I was running the opening 10K run I began to get passed by 5 and 10K road racers. It was very odd being passed by people who were running so fast (some of them looked to be at the puke threshold). However I also had some encouraging runners pass me including one fellow who complimented me for being a real athlete and doing one of the big races. I laughed and told him I was just pacing myself to finish sometime today. I think having the other runners pass me helped me pick up my pace a bit since my 6:15 pace would have yielded a 1:02:30 10K time and my time including transition was 1:02:37. During the run I contemplated eating the balance bar I had in my pouch because I didn't want to bonk later during the race however I still felt queasy and so decided to hold off in favour of drinking some gatorade during the bike ride. As I was running down towards the transition area I glanced at my watch and saw 1:01 and knew I was ahead of schedule (we had estimated 65 minutes for my opening run). Unfortunately I couldn't figure out where to take a split time for the transition and so gave up on taking personal splits during the race.
At the transition I had to dump my bottle fanny pack, don my camelback (1/2 gatorade, 1/2 water), helmet, change shoes and grab my bike. The transition zone was basically empty and I knew everyone had been out on the bike course a long time. (The triathlon running at the same time was a 1500m swim, 40K bike and 10K run so all the du and tri people were well ahead of me.) However, I was hopefull that I would be able to catch some people from the last triathlon wave. Got headed out of town and turned a corner to find a headwind. Great. I'm plodding along trying to keep my cadence and spirits up and watching all these bikes going in the other direction. I passed one rider who appeared to be doing the sprint event (15K ride) and was barely moving on the bike. Drinking the gatorade did help calm my upset stomach though which was wonderful. Eventually the course turned again and the headwind was gone. Of course the hills in this section of the course made for challenging riding. Andrea, one of the members of my running club who was doing the tri and Jane (my coach) passed me going back and yelled encouragement to me. Somewhere past the 15K mark another rider told me that it wouldn't be long till the turn around. At the 20K turn around I thanked the volunteers and told them I was really glad to see them. My race was now half finished and overall I felt pretty good. Sure, my back/neck was sore, my legs were tired and my knees were creaking a bit. However, overall I was good to go and keen to see if I could get my average bike speed up to a decent number. Gradually I saw a rider in the distance and I spent 15K trying to catch them. I ended up passing that one bike within the final kilometer of the bike course. I skidded to a stop, hopped off the bike and dragged it over to my transition spot. Then it was off with the helmet and shoes. I decided to keep the camelback because the gatorade would be welcome during the final run. After dealing with a knotted shoe lace I was off for the final run.
As I headed out of the transition zone I was thankful that I had such a dedicated cheering section. Many of the members of our running club had come out to spectate and their enthusiasm was quite welcome. As I went by I got some smiles and high fives and smiled and told them I was glad I only had 5K more to run. As I was starting the loop I glanced at my watch and saw I was around 2:45 and knew I was well ahead of schedule. However I decided I wouldn't look at the watch again. I wanted to try and run as hard as I could and not coast on my prior hard work. Of course my legs felt quite stiff and I was shuffling along. However, I kept moving. I saw lots of people walking but I refused to do so because I had trained to run that final 5K. I chugged along with my heart rate around 170. I just couldn't seem to get it any higher. I was around 2.75K when Andrea passed me going strong in her final 10K run. I told her to tell my coach that I was just behind her (my coach missed me finish at the last race because I arrived earlier than expected) and that she was looking good. I tried to keep her in sight and gained on her a bit around 4K when she did some walking.
The final kilometer felt LONG. Came down the main street and saw Manuel from the running club and then my husband Andre (who I didn't think would be there). I was struggling to breathe at this point and wheezing. Saw Jane and then saw the clock - 3:09 as I'm approaching. Had no kick to give. Just dragged myself across the finishline. YEAH! One more goal accomplished.
After the race I got to talk to my friends and thank them for coming out. We loaded my bike and stuff into the car and then wandered around a bit. We saw that Duncan, one of the other athletes who Jane coaches, had a National Team jacket under his arm and had obviously met his goal of qualifying for the team. It was nice to be able to congratulate him on a great race. We stayed for the awards start because I wanted to hear Jane talk about Graham Beasley who the race memorializes. After that we saw Andrea get her 3rd place ribbon and then Andre and I decided to head home. (I was a bit befuddled and thought the awards were finished.) Andre headed off to his car and I headed off to mine. As I was leaving I heard the Du awards start. I decided to go back to see Jane get her award and ended up getting one of my own for 3rd place in my age group. (The woman who was second in my age group finished only 28 minutes ahead of me.) Gotta love strategic racing. Too bad I had sent my husband home and he missed my big moment :(
So… I finished upright and smiling and much faster than I expected. I was last for the entire race but I also got hardware. Today I am sunburned and achy but also very, very satisfied with a job well done.
Thanks for reading
Carlene
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This race is located only a few blocks from my house. The course
is two 5K loops through the subdivision and it is a gently rolling (read
mostly flat) route. The day before the race it was horribly hot and
there were air quality warnings. Therefore, it was with some relief
that it was cooler and rainy before the race started. The temperature
was 18C, 24C with humidex. The rain stopped about 2 minutes prior
to the race start. From there the clouds parted and the sun beat
down and we started to get quite hot. By the 3K mark we were all
wishing the rain had continued. However, we were in for another hot
steamy Canada Day 10K this year.
My plan for this race was to keep my heart rate consistent for the first 5K and then see where I could bring it from there. The first 5K felt really hard. I began to regret the 2 glasses of wine I had drank the night before. Running felt HARD. I passed the 1K mark in 5:36 (a bit fast). My HR was around 178 and my 5K split was 29:15 (watch)/28:28 (chip time). After that point I passed a couple of people and turned up the volume. My HR moved into the 180's. Coming along Teron Road I had a HR of 188. I turned the corner and kept pushing it. I saw lots of friends including my coach Jane Armstrong and my friend Howard (a total surprise). I pushed down the final part of the course and finished my race with a HR of 190 at the finish line. My final kilometer was 5:28 according to my watch. A good effort indeed. I was very pleased with this race - my pacing was good and I put in a very solid effort. Afterwards the aching back, tired legs and stiff neck all felt worthwhile :) Now ONWARD to the next race. |
Short results: time 1:27:24, 48th/56 overall, 16/19 women, 11/12 women
30-39
Official splits: Run 1 17:56 (place 49, pace 5:59 per K), Bike 42:11
(place 41, pace 28.5 km/h), Run 2 (place 48, pace 5:28 per K)
Note: Run times include transitions (approx 1:10 seconds each)
Smiths Falls is located 45-60 minutes drive from home. Since I can get lost driving almost anywhere I was nervous about getting there alone on race day. I talked my husband into going the night before and staying overnight with me. This meant I wouldn't have to worry about getting lost and I could get up early to get ready while he stayed in bed. It would also mean that I had up early to get ready while he stayed in bed. It would also mean that I had a private bathroom at my disposal which is a wonderful thing on a race day.
My coach and I had met the week before the race to discuss my training, the race, etc. but we hadn't put together any time estimates for the event. I'm not sure why we didn't do this but we didn't. This was my second Duathlon. My first Duathlon was last October and the distances were just a little shorter. I finished in 1:32 and change. So... I figured finishing around 1:30 would be doable and that was when I told my husband to look for me.
I got up at 6:30 and it was overcast. The forecast was supposed to be partly sunny/cloudy and no rain. I began to doubt that. I showered and dressed and then went downstairs to get my bike out of the car and take it over to the transition zone (across the river). I pumped my tires like a pro and then biked across to the transition area. I picked a nice spot for my bike in the first row and only a short distance from the transition zone exit (where you bike in/out). It was however the farthest spot from the transition zone entrance (where you run in/out). I took the bike for a spin to make sure the computer was working, etc. Then I went to a convenience store to buy cold water and gatorade for my Camelback and wandered back to the hotel to get my race kit. Before the race I walked back and forth the hotel to get my race kit. Before the race I walked back and forth several times in order to get body marked, cover the bike/shoes/helmet with bags to protect from the rain, etc. I also saw Jane my coach who was also racing this event. Around 8 am I roused my husband and suggested he get showered and dressed. Prior to the race I wasn't feeling 100%. My bowels had awoken with a vengence and I was having a bit of a mucas/blood problem. ICK! Having the hotel room with a private bathroom was terrific. Luckily I felt a bit better by the time the race started.
This race includes a triathlon, triathlon relay, duathlon and 5K race. It was a busy scene. Last year I spectated at this race and watched my coach do a phenomenal job and place third female overall. When we went downstairs there was a visual feast. The triathletes looked so picturesque with all the different colour swim caps on as they floated in the river and lined up along the bank. I met up with Canadian Clyde Kent and we chatted briefly before the race. How he managed to find me in all those people is still amazing to me. (I was not wearing my pink hat - I hate running in hats.)
Before long it was time to start. The 5K and Duathlon races started together. I lined up at the back, the gun went and then we were off. The first kilometer felt LONG and involved a bit of rough terrain. I passed the first kilometer felt LONG and involved a bit of rough terrain. I passed the first K marker in 5:35 and decided I was working plenty hard. From this point on I ignored my watch and used the HR monitor as my guide. During the 3K run my HR was 175-85 and I was working really hard. We passed some houses, went over a bridge and then ran down a winding pathway beside the river. Eventually after crossing a few footbridges we got to the transition zone. I quickly ran through the transition zone, saw my husband, found my bike and started ripping plastic bags off everything. Got my shoes changed, my helmet on and then was running the bike to the mount/dismount line and was off.
The bike course was an out and back route along a rural road. Parts were bumpy and there were some gentle rolls but no real serious hills. I was spinning like mad and really enjoying myself. HR was in the 170's when I checked (which I usually don't while biking). There was a bit of a tailwind and my bike computer was showing speeds in excess of 30 km/h. Somewhere along this route I hit a max speed of 43.5 km/h. Around the 5K mark I saw someone on the opposite side of the road with a flat walking their bike. ICK! I prayed that wouldn't happen to me. I passed some people, got passed by some buff triathlete women (they were in the final swim wave) and began to start praying for the turn around point. Finally hit the turn around and to start praying for the turn around point. Finally hit the turn around and the person behind me tried to run me off the road (they ran into my bike which really annoyed me!). I used my anger and started spinning furiously and passed them back. Now we had a light headwind and some rain drops. It was tough going, particularly in the final 5K. Speeds on the bike began to drop but I kept chugging along. Finally got back to town and into the transition zone and saw my husband cheering again. Got the bike racked, the helmet off and the shoes changed.
Off on the final run. UGH! I can't believe that I have 5K left to go. However I just concentrated on moving forward and ran the phrase Relentless Forward Motion through my head a few times. Finally caught the lady in front of me and said something encouraging as I went by. This part of the run course went through a park along some boat locks (where they lift the boats from one part of the river to another), over the locks and then back past the transition zone and on to the same course we ran for the first 3K run. Kept working to try not to impede other runners as well as catch those in front of me. Was paranoid about slipping on one of the bridges. Got passed by a few people but was working hard. HR was in the 175-80 zone most of this run. HR fell to 172 at one point but I pushed myself and brought it back up to 178 pretty quickly. The final kilometer seemed to last forever. Finally the last volunteer said the finish was 50 m away - down the hill and around the corner. I smiled and barreled down the hill and around the corner. The clock said 1:26 and I knew I would finish sub-1:30 and I was thrilled. Tried for a finish kick but didn't have any extra speed to draw on. Finished with a huge smile and then walked slowly in circles for a minute. Got a hug from my husband and recovered for a minute. Then we went to the transition zone to get my bike. Then back to the hotel to grab goomies (they had PIZZA!), get showered and check out. The drive home took a little longer because the rain had really started to pour down. A tractor trailer had jacknifed and was completely blocking the road. This started us on a series of detours and a very scenic drive back home. My husband was frustrated as he just wanted to be home but I enjoyed the drive.
Overall impressions:
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The Race start.
Notice the skinnyfast runners in shorts despite the chilly March temperatures. BRRR!!!!!! |
Toronto Penguins Glenn, Tracy and Heather braving the cold temps and waiting for us at the finish. |
Mary D (pink headband) and Carlene (right) running down the final stretch. |
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The TRIUMPHANT FINISH!
Chip time 3:23:57. WOO HOO! |
Mary D and Carlene with medals happy to be finished |
 Mary D, Carlene, Tracy, Kathryn and Glenn
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Sunday I got up at 6 am. Not being a morning person that was difficult. However, I needed enough time to get up, eat breakfast (2 Nutribar meal bars), digest, hydrate and stretch. Weighed myself and was up 2.5 pounds from the day before. The temps were -7C/19.5F, -17C/1F with windchill. Winds were around 20 km/h. It was also sunny. Mary called to find out what the temps were in fahrenheit and I told here that I figured with windchill it was around 0F. I was pretty close. After many trips to the bathroom in the comfort of our room we headed over to the starting line about 20 minutes before the start. We were staying at the host hotel and could see the start (2 blocks away) from our room.
Once outside I wrapped a blanket around my legs to ward off the chill. We met up with the Toronto Penguins and Mary D before the race at the back of the pack. Just before the start I passed the blanket back to my husband, grabbed a kiss and some goodluck wishes and started merging with the pack. Mary corrupted me into starting much farther up in the pack than I would have. Turned out to be a good thing as we still passed lots of folks in the first few miles.
Mary D and I had a very compatible pace which was wonderful. We chatted as we went and I watched my HR monitor. Kept the HR between mid-high 170's and low 180's for the whole race which I was very pleased with. We also walked the five water stops as well as walking once for about a block after running up the killer hill near the end of the race (26K). So... although we positive splitted the second half of the race by 12 minutes, we kept a very consistent effort level which was wonderful. (Also, even the winners positive splitted so we were not alone.) During the race we saw Clydes Dave and Brenda a couple of times (they were run/walking and so we kept passing each other) and Gail Anderson from Ottawa once. All three of them finished ahead of us.
Here is a rough outline of our progress:
5K - didn't take a split but we were just over 30 minutes. Was worried that we were going too fast but we felt good and were having fun.
10K - 1:01:50 - we are travelling a bit faster than I thought we should be but there was a gradual downhill and a tail wind. There was also only one water stop in this segment.
15K - didn't bother taking a split as there was a mat. Between 10 and 15K we began to turn and the wind was hitting us sideways. Our chip time at this point was 1:36:20. (Reportedly, at the lift bridge, in the middle of a spit of land at the 15K mark, at 9:30AM it was -40C with the windchill!)
20K - 1:09:33, elapsed time 2:11:23 - hit the split button a bit after this marker. We had gone through another 2 water stops and battled the headwind.
24K - Saw my friends Sandra and Cheryl from London bravely standing in the cold and cheering the runners on.
25K - 37:59, elapsed time 2:49:22 - course is definitely rolling and we have travelled through another couple of water stops.
30K - 35:04, elapsed time 3:24:26 - forgot to hit my watch right away. Adjusting this split based on our finish time, the last 5K took us about 34:30. This 5K involved the killer hill (1K in length and a 13% grade) and 1 water stop. I must say that the killer hill wasn't too bad for me. Those hills I have been running in training really helped. During the final stretch we saw the Grim Reaper letting us know the end was near. I was also in the Bite me zone. I thought we had to turn to get to the finish and let out a very unladylike tirade to the delight of the runners around me. Lots of folks were walking during this stretch and we could see folks who had already finished limping back to their cars. I am certain that if I was alone I would have been walking during those last few K's. Mary dragged me along to the finish quite ruthlessly speeding up as she went. It was HARD! However, we also passed lots of people which was very cool. Near the end we saw the Penguins cheering us and then my husband Andre and the Clydesdales. Then we were DONE! It was awesome. I couldn't stop SMILING! (I am still grinning like an idiot.)
Overall notes: From the start of the race I had a tightness in my upper left quad that never really went away. By the middle of the race my knees had started to ache a bit. In the latter half of the race as the course rolled my right quad and left quad began to be equally sore. During the final 2 miles my feet were really sore. My feet swelled as we ran - next time I'll leave my shoes a bit looser because they felt bruised on the top after the race. I ate fig newtons and drank 1/2 gatorade and 1/2 water from my Camelback during the race. I also drank water from the aid stations as we travelled through them. By 8K I was already hungry. That was a bit unexpected as during training I usually had to force myself to start eating after 60-80 minutes.
After the race we got our chips removed and received our medals. Then we headed inside to get cleaned up and before our luncheon. My friends Sandra and Cheryl made it to the finish line after we finished. They thought it was funny that it takes longer to drive to the finish than to run there. (Traffic was nuts with the road closures.) We had reservations for 2 pm at East Side Marios. We had a great time chatting and my friends seemed to survive our running talk pretty well. I was trying to corrupt them into running with their local Penguins but don't know if I was successful or not. We also got to see Mary D's photos of Antarctica which were beautiful. WOW! Kathryn gave out cute Penguins as presents and we had a grand time.
After lunch everyone headed home. Andre and I had elected to stay in Hamilton an extra day and we were very glad we had. It was snowing quite fiercely and we got worried about our friends travelling to London and Detroit. ICK! However, since there was nothing we could do for them we took a nap. (Well, I took a soak in the tub first.) Later that night we ordered pizza and wine from the room service and had a picnic in our room while we watched a movie on TV.
Monday morning I awoke stiff and HUNGRY! I weighed myself and was up another 2.5 pounds. UGH! We drove back to Ottawa in sunny and dry conditions and had an uneventful trip. Tuesday I was back down 4 pounds (still up 1 pound from where I started Friday). I am barely sore and have been bouncing around at work. I am however still HUNGRY and still grinning like an idiot.
As I said earlier, it was a good day and a very fun weekend. I
feel so blessed that I could have so many things go right for me all at
the same time. My friends, family and coach have been very supportive.
My training went well despite a crappy winter. The race conditions
were pretty good and the company during the run was FABULOUS! I can
hardly wait to do it all again next year. Encountering with the Toronto
Penguins is THE BEST! I'm warning you all now - Encounter in Hamilton
in March 2002!
Hi Folks
On Sunday I ran the Richmond 10K for the third time. It was a sunny cold day (-20 C plus windchill). I was quite pleased with my race and managed to churn out a time of 59:37 - my first sub-60 minute 10K. I was so happy! I was also particularly pleased that I ran a very even race. (My 5K time was 29:17.) It was also fun to note my new time in my log. My times for this event now show:
1999 - 1:17:28 (my first 10K, last place finisher)
2000 - 1:03:27 (201/206 finishers, 3rd last female)
2001 - 59:37 (71/91 females, 199/234 overall)
So... this has been quite an improvement. I wonder what the rest of the year will bring. As you can imagine, I'm still floating from how well things went on Sunday.
Carlene