North Olympic Discovery Marathon Race Report

Intro

This is going to be a long entry, be warned. I'll be discussing my motivation for running a marathon, why I chose the one I did, my training schedule, and a long winded blow-by-blow of the race. This is mainly just a way for me to record my thoughts before I forget them. In a later blog post I plan to include a comparison of my training stats for my 2007 marathon with this 2011 marathon.

Decision

In December 2010 I decided that I wanted to do another marathon. It was a very spontaneous decision as they often are. It is rather easy to forget all the hard work that usually goes into training for a marathon!

My only other marathon experience was the Royal Victoria Marathon in 2007 when I ran 3:02:56. My goal for that race was to break 3 hours, and because I only just missed it I knew I would run another marathon one day and break the 3 hour mark. So naturally when I decided to do the North Olympic Discovery Marathon (or NODM for short) I had the same goal.

My main reasons for choosing NODM were: close proximity to Victoria and small race (usually ~300 in the full marathon). NODM is a point-to-point marathon that starts in Sequim and finishes in downtown Port Angeles which is a short ferry ride away from Victoria. There is a good website called marathonguide.com that has user comments about the marathon and previous results. I found it a useful guide for helping me make my decision.

Training

By registering in mid december I had a full 5 months of training from January through May. Each month I wanted to increase my mileage and gradually incorporate more long runs and tempo runs, and ending with a 3 week taper at the end of May leading up to the race on June 5th. I also planned on incorporating a few local races into my training plan - Bazan Bay 5K, Comox Half, and the TC 10K.

The training went pretty smoothly with no real set backs except for one nasty cold in early March and a brief vacation in Hawaii. January, February and March were decent months, but not as consistent as I wanted (probably partly due to the less than ideal weather!). But luckily April and May were really solid training months where I was able to log some really high mileage (for me) and lots of tough long runs and tempos. Each of my 3 pre-marathon races went well too with a road PB of 17:57 at Bazan Bay 5K, a steady 1:25 Comox Half, and a really great 10K PB of 36:09 at the TC 10K.

All in all I was feeling pretty confident going into Sunday's marathon. But I knew that a marathon will always be tough and not something to take lightly.

The Race

We stayed at a nice hotel 5 mins from the starting line which was a great way to do it. I jogged the 5 mins to the start line, stretched a little gently, and then did 1km at race pace.

I had a pretty clear strategy in mind - push the downhills, don't slow up much on the uphills, aim for about 1:27 at the half way, and most importantly - stay positive. The toughest part of the marathon is from 25-33km so I wanted to make sure I was well under 1:30 at half to make up that. I also wore a fuel belt with 2x10oz bottles which I filled with water and one nuun tablet in each, and carried 6 gels (I love the Vanilla Clif Shots) in the belt's pouch. The plan was to take one gel every 25-30 mins (or roughly every 6-7km) which I calculated would give me enough energy to last the marathon. And I also planned on alternating between taking water and gatorade at each aid station which were well spaced out at about one every 2 miles.

Below is a screenshot of my Garmin Activity showing the elevation, pace, and route.

0 - 5km (20:38, 4:07 pace)

The first part of a marathon is always the best feeling: the pace is so slow feeling, and I'm also so excited. I started off the race in about 6th place, but by the 3rd kilometer I had overtaken two guys were who already breathing heavily, including one guy wearing a long sleeve heavy running shirt... not a good choice for the 20+ Celsius weather! Ahead of me in 3rd place was the lead female runner (wearing the distinctive pink top) who would stay in front of me for most of the race. As I finished the first 5km I had closed the gap on her to about 50m.

5 - 10km (21:08, 4:13 pace)

The first 8km of the course is a big loop that took us back to the start line before we started heading away from Sequim towards Port Angeles. The course was mostly on roads with a short segment on a paved trail through the park near the starting line. During this 5km section it is a gradual uphill, and I made myself slow down as I didn't want to blow up early going out too fast in the heat (plus my heart rate was still too high and I wanted to drop it below 85%). So although the pace dropped a bit, I was still feeling confident, high-fiving the volunteers at each aid station and generally feeling okay. During this section the girl in pink had pulled away and I could only just see her on some of the long straightaways. It was at about 7km when I first saw my wife and mother-in-law, who were both taking photos of me just as I had started sucking back my first gel, probably made for some great photos!

10 - 15km (21:02, 4:12)

This section was probably the flattest part of the course, and flew by uneventfully. The first river crossing was at about 9.5 miles (15km) where we crossed the Dungeness River. It was very scenic, and not a difficult river valley like some of the ones coming up. At this point I was getting more concerned with how high my heart rate was staying. My watch was telling me that it was hovering between 86-88%, which I know is a little on the high side for a marathon (75-85% is "safe"). I expected it to be high during the first 20 mins since this usually happens to me, but after an hour into the race it was still there and I was starting to feel the effects of the heat and my mind was already warning me to slow down. But I also have a theory that my max heart rate is higher than my age predicts, and so I told myself not to worry about my heart rate - if it's too high then my body will force me to slow down.

15 - 20km (21:01, 4:12)

It was around here when I had one nice moment when I passed a man and woman who were walking the full marathon. I ran by and yelled out "great job, keep it up!". They replied saying "Thanks! You're much nicer than the other 3 runners who ran by and didn't say anything. We hope you win. You're looking really strong too!". Definitely a confidence booster.
But just before the half way I was starting to really struggle. I had just taken my third gel (around 1:20), and already drank all the Nuun flavoured water in my fuel belt. I wasn't feeling great, and I knew my pace was starting to slip.

20 - 25km (21:07, 4:13)

I didn't know it at the time, but these last 20km were remarkably consistent. My pace varied from 4:00 to 4:23, but somehow each 5km was the same time. It sure didn't feel that way!
My plan had been to drop off the fuel belt as soon as I finished the water and carry the remaining 3 gels in my hand. As I approached the aid station at the half way point I was really unhappy. I felt like crap and was very disappointed that the time was already 1 hour and 29 minutes - a full 2 minutes slower than my game plan. The guys at the aid station were busy yelling at me to keep going "you're looking great, keep it up" etc. Ha. Yeah. Right. As I ran by I asked if I could drop off my belt and collect it at the finish line, and they said yes. So I stopped for 5 seconds as I dropped the belt, grabbed the remaining gels from the pouch, handed the belt to the volunteer and sprinted off yelling out my name and race number as I went on. I wondered if I'd ever see the belt again but didn't really care. I was just glad to be feeling a little lighter and less constricted around my waist. The next few kilometers were much better and I was able to get my pace back down under the magical 4:16 pace that I needed to break the 3 hour mark.

25 - 30km (21:58, 4:23)

Right at 25km I had a short but painful calf cramp in my right leg. I stopped for 2 seconds and gave it a quick stretch fearing the worse. The prospect of running the last 17km with a cramp was scary.
I knew that the first really tough hill section was at the 17 mile mark (27km). So with that in mind I pushed the first few kilometers to try and gain a few seconds and hoping my calf would not be an issue. At 27km the trail dropped down into Sieberts Creek and back up again. I had jogged this section the day before to prepare myself, and boy was I glad I did! It is very steep, but also very short. And knowing that my wife and mother-in-law would be there cheering me at the top of the hill I flew down into the valley, and pushed really hard up the hill, making sure to give them a winning smile to give the illusion that I was still feeling strong and confident! Even though I knew at the point that it was going to be almost impossible to break 3 hours now. But still, having just seem some friendly faces my confidence grew, and I kept pushing through the tough undulating hills. At some point near the 30km marker my left calf had the same sharp cramping feeling, but it also didn't last and so I kept going without stopping.

30 - 35km (22:11, 4:26)

This was always going to be the toughest section because it is so far into the race and it features the hardest hills. It was exactly at this point when I knew my pace was slowing and my sub 3 hour goal gone that my mind started to try and trick me. I kept thinking thoughts like "if I just slow down here a little bit, then it will be impossible for me to break 3 hours, and then I won't have to keep pushing". This is what makes the marathon so tough. Of course the physical aspect is tough, but that is the "easy" part to train. I think it's the mental aspect that is what makes the marathon so tough. At this point I was already seeing myself slowing slightly and finishing in 3 hours and 2 minutes again. My mind trying to justify that it was still a good result.

But then I got lucky. Up ahead I suddenly saw the lead girl (pink shirt, called Tanaya Gallagher), who was obviously slowing. And even more of a surprise I saw the 2nd place guy (gray shirt, called Kurt Warwick who I later learned had ran an impressive 2:47 at Boston this year) who I hadn't seen since the start. Hmm. So maybe even if I can't break 3 hours I could pass them, and come in second! I was spurred on to catch them, and also knowing that the toughest hill section was right at 20 miles (32km), and after that it was all down hill! Almost.
Around 31km I easily passed the guy in gray who was hardly moving, and voiced some encouragement, and then flew up a short hill and passed the girl in pink. Saying something nice too. I made sure to keep pushing it for the next 500m to get away from them and leave them feeling a little disheartened by my pace even if I knew I couldn't keep it up for long!

Then came the famous Bagely Creek hill. I quickly inhaled my second to last gel (mmm Vanilla) and descended a nasty switchback downhill followed by a very steep 33m hill climb over 400m. I had also scoped out this section the day before so I knew it was steep. I do admit to stopping for a few seconds at the top here to catch my breath, but only for a couple seconds. A guy standing at the 20 mile marker yelled out my time of 2 hours and 17 minutes. This was again 2 minutes slower than the 2:15 I had hoped for, leaving me 43 minutes to run the last 10.2km. Still possible, but it was not going to be easy. After my slowest kilometer through Bagely Creek of 4:58 I reached the highest point of the marathon (77m, 250 feet). It was almost all downhill now. Yeah! I quickly sped up to a pace of 4:05 down the hill.

Here is where I got lucky again. I saw my wife at 33km and got a surge of energy after she yelled out "the lead runner is not far ahead, you're totally gaining on him!". What?!? No way. Well, maybe even if I don't break 3 hours I might be able to win this race. Inconceivable! Anyways, down I went and at each aid station and many walkers that I passed all said the same thing: "You can catch him!". I passed one couple on this section who yelled out "showoff!". Um, sorry?

35 - 40km (21:35, 4:19)

By now the route was taking me out to the coast, down to about 10m of elevation (having dropped over 60m in just over a kilometer). And what had I gained from that nice downhill? 11 seconds. Oh well, I was still gaining on the lead running (blue shirt, Adam Read). Ahead of him I could see the official cyclist who was keeping the trail clear for him. For the next 2km I slowly reeled him in despite putting up slow kms of 4:26. I gulped back my final gel. As I got closer and closer to him the walkers that I passed would yell like crazy for me to catch him. Part of me wanted them to be quiet so that the lead runner didn't hear them and start to speed up! But luckily for me he was toast. Nice. I came up along side him at around the 37km marker (3 miles/5km to go) and shouted some encouragement and again picked up my pace making sure to look really strong. The official cyclist pacer looked very surprised to see me, and we quickly left blue shirt guy behind. The cyclist then radio'd in: "Guess what, we had a new leader! Bib number 66, Chris Callendar". I envisioned hearing the announcer at the finish line saying just that. At this point I realized that unless something terrible happens, I was going to win this race! Passing the 3 runners had really taken my mind off the pain and allowed me to run at a really decent pace without my mind interfering.

At this point I remember looking at my watch and saw it read 37.2km, and 2 hours and 39 minutes flat - exactly 5km to go. I realized that if I wanted to break 3 hours I could still do it, but I had to run the last 5km in under 21 minutes. It was possible, but that meant I had to run my second fastest 5km of the day. It really helped having the bicyclist in front of me, he'd honk his bell and all the walkers would move aside and start cheering for me. It was great encouragement. About all I could do was put my thumb up as a way of saying thanks.

40 - 42.2km

Just before 40km there is a nasty little gravel hill around a sharp 150 degree turn. I flew up it anyway despite feeling rather unsteady. There is a less than pleasant horse-shoe shaped loop around an old mill that is all gravel. My pace slowed very slightly. My watch read exactly 2:51 at the 40km mark. 2.2km in 9 minutes. That meant I still had to run faster than the 4:15 pace and hope for enough energy to sprint the final 200m to squeak under 3 hours. Once I got back onto the seaside paved trail I knew I could do it, but didn't dare let myself think too far ahead or slow down. As I rounded the final curve and finally saw the finish line in the distance I knew I had done it. I sprinted the final 200m in 30 seconds and crossed the line in a time of 2:59:47. The clock unfortunately read 3:00:35 when I crossed, but it must have been started early for the other races.

After I crossed the line everything gets a little blurry, but I definitely remember doing a lot of screaming and fist pumps, and then gave my wife a big delirious hug. And there was an awesome woman there who helped keep me from falling over as I wobbled through the finishing area. She said "What took you so long? I've been waiting for you for ages!", but she was laughing so I replied "I did my best to get here sooner, sorry to have kept you waiting".
Then got "mobbed" by the media. One guy from a local newspaper and one from the local radio station interviewed me. It was great. I was on a huge high of course, and got to spurt out all the usual cliches that professional athletes say. I was amused that they both asked me how many marathons I've won. At first I said 2, and then realized that they asked how many I'd "won", not "run". Oops.

Anyway, it was a great day and remarkable race. Especially learning afterwards how many other runners suffered in the heat. I'm not sure if I can top this one. I was awarded a really nice piece of art (see photo on the right) for coming in first, and a plaque for being first in my 30-34 age group. Huge thanks to my wife and mother-in-law for the support along the course (and during my training), and to my father-in-law for the inspiration to run marathons. And also to Angela and Roger who were the only other Vancouver Island runners that I knew at the race.

My Garmin Connect Activity

TC10K, 2011

We got really lucky with the weather for the TC10K this year. May 1st was a gorgeous day, perfect weather for running, and hopefully for spectators too.

Overall I enjoyed the new course, it didn't seem to be any more difficult or any easier than the previous course, and I definitely preferred not having a turnaround. But as I said in my previous post it is not as fun when you don't get to see the lead runners and the mob of runners going the other way.

Anyway, I tried really hard to not going into this race with a specific goal. I find that if I set an easy goal for myself, then I don't always feel satisfied when I achieve it. And worse is when I set an unrealistic goal and fall short, then I really don't feel happy about it. So with that in mind I didn't have much of a goal for this race. My previous best 10K was Cobble Hill in January 09, in a time of 37:07. And my best TC time was 37:41 back in 2008. I thought with my current level of training that I was capable of a 37 minute 10km...

The first few kms went by very smoothly. I started near the front of the pack with many Harriers just in front of me - including Garth, Gary, Mike, Ian, and Jeremy. I knew my family would be cheering me on near the turn off onto Vancouver, so after the long gradual climb up Johnson I put an extra push as I went by them, high fives of course! The next few km are undulating, but more downhill than up. So with that in mind I picked up the pace down Vancouver, Richardson and especially on Moss Street. The first 4 kms were really solidly paced in 3:36, 3:31, 3:37, 3:30.

After that was the hilliest part of the course - it is mostly uphill from 4km until 6.5km. I let up a little bit, and climbed up through Beacon Hill Park. My half way split was 18:03, which is actually only a few seconds slower than my Bazan Bay time this year.

Over the next 3km my pace was expectedly slower in 3:49, 3:44, and 3:43. But it's always great once you reach mile zero and a nice downhill awaits heading towards Ogden Point. Once again pushing the downhills I got my pace back down to 3:30 and 3:36 from 7km - 9km. Amusingly my 8km time was 29:00, which would be a new PB.

During the last kilometer I was urged on by Bob Reid and Scott Simpson, and by the fact that Garth was just in front of me, maybe 50m ahead. Down the straight away I did my usual sprint and caught up to Garth and then spotted Ian just ahead of him, so I kept going, pipping him at the line in a time of 36:09.

Here is my Garmin Result if you like stats and maps like I do.

Overall it was a great race, and I'm very happy to finally have had a good TC10K. Next up I'm taking part in the Victoria Track Series, and then doing the North Olympic Discovery Marathon on June 5th.

TC10K New Route

It's been ages since I've posted, oops. Anyways, I'm excited about the TC10K this coming weekend. I jogged the course today after work with my new Garmin 410 (another blog post hopefully) to check out the course, the elevation, etc. Obviously the last 5km are the same as previous years, but the first 5km are different.

Here's a screenshot I made from the garmin workout:

The original garmin workout is also public if you want to see it:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/81861120

I also superimposed the old route elevation profile on top of the new one for comparison:

The route is pretty good. The first 1.5km is a gradual uphill, but nothing noticeable, especially with all that adrenaline pumping. Then there is a nice downhill along Vancouver, and again on Moss. Then the usual uphill through Beacon Hill Park and then down to Ogden point.

I'll definitely miss the out and back course though. It was probably better for the fans too. I always enjoyed it because I could see where other runners were ahead and behind me, and to see the leaders. It was always great to have the cheering for/from runners ahead and behind as we passed on Dallas Road. Oh well.

Anyway, time to make a realistic goal for Sunday. I haven't had a good TC10K probably ever... maybe 3 years ago (37:42) is the only decent one. So I definitely want to beat that. Otherwise I just want to have fun, and not over do it since my real goal race is only 5 weeks away (the North Olympic Discovery Marathon).

Race Time Predictions

I was reading this interesting website called powerrunning.com and it talked about how the most accurate way to predict your race time is by using your results from other races at different (but similar) distances.

This got me thinking - what distance race have I performed best at? Because many people say that we each have a specific distance range that we excel at - e.g. short races (3-5K), middle distance (10K - Half Marathon) or long races (marathons and ultras).

So anyway, I made up this table which allows you to enter in your fastest times at each distance (or leave blank if you haven't done a distance). Then it will predict what you are theoretically capable of running those distances at. Keep in mind that this is all in theory, you still have to put in the appropriate training!

The calculations are done using a simple formula that I copied from this website:
runningtimes.com. It only allowed you to see the predicted time for one distance.

I've filled in the 10 km time as an example.

Run Time Predictor Enter in you best times for the various distances in the form [h:]mm:ss. You can edit the distance textboxes as well and the column(s) will be updated.
The fastest times will be in bold.

Distance	Time	200 m	400 m	800 m	1000 m	1500 m	1609 m	3 km	5 km	8 km	10 km	21.1 km	42.2 km

Conversion Chart
Metric (km)	Non-Metric (miles)
1.609	1
5	3.1
10	6.2
21.1 (Half Marathon)	13.1
42.2 (Marathon)	26.2

Another nice race time calculator is on the Harrier's website.

Gunner Shaw Cross Country Classic

This year's Gunner Shaw race at Thetis Lake was very different from previous years. Not only did we skip both puddles, but there was also quite a lot of snow on the ground. The decision to not go through the puddles was an obvious one - a thick layer of ice that would have cut up the lead runners' shins. But it was still a bit of a disappointment to me. For some weird reason running through that smelly swamp is something I look forward too every year when I sign up for Gunner.

The snow made it a much more technical race than the usual muddy conditions. Quite a few runners ran with YakTrax the whole way, and probably enjoyed the extra traction. I forgot to bring mine, so I didn't have to make that choice. I think it would have been awesome to race in them, if it wasn't for the first 500m being on pavement. I would estimate that over half of the race was on slippery snowy ground. There were some stretches with no snow, but many of the flat and up hill sections were very slippery in my Cascadias. Some people said the downhills would be the worst part, but I actually didn't find them bad at all.

Anyway, enough about the conditions. It was a very enjoyable race for me, which really just means I didn't push it hard enough! I purposefully didn't go out too hard, and tried to keep up a steady fast pace without getting into the "red zone" too much. As a result I was able to really enjoy the race and feel great during and afterwards. My time was 40:04, which was good enough for 35th place, out of the ~400 runners (full results here). Thanks to Bob and all the organizers, it is always such an awesome race to be part of.

Here is one more video, this one is taken by fellow Harrier Gerry:

Victoria Track Series #8 - 5000m

At the start of the summer I decided to take running more seriously, and actually start training more than 20k a week. Well that didn't happen right away, it took a back injury and a few painful track races to force myself back to training properly. I had set a goal at the start of the summer to get PBs this year at the 5K (this race), 8K (RVM), and 10K (Land's End) distances. I had previously run 5K in 17:59 twice, 18:01, 18:06, 18:08, and 18:17. Time to change that!

My first mistake was setting my goal too high. If I had simply said "I want to get under 17:59" then I would have reached my goal, gotten a PB, and probably been happy with my race. But instead I foolishly aimed for low 17's, definitely under 17:30.

Anyway, with my parents and older brother coming to watch me I was really hoping for a great performance to end the highly successful inaugural Victoria Track Series. And my friends Cam and Michelle from my gym came out to cheer me on too, so I knew I couldn't let them down! Little did they know that I would be wearing my super skimpy racing shorts... sorry guys.

To run a 17:30 5K the required pace per lap (400m) is 1:25. I knew there would be a few runners aiming to get under or around 17 minutes like Lucy Smith and Mike Lord, and many other who were aiming for the same time as me. As the race started, we quickly separated into packs. Mike and Lucy were leading, with Jeremy Watts keeping pace with Melissa and Jessica. Then there was a pack of 4 or 5 runners including myself, Jim Barwise, Darren Skudja, Brett McCullough, Mark Ritchie, and maybe one other guy.

My first lap was a little too fast at 1:22, but I expected that. For the next 5-6 laps the pace was perfect, 1:24-1:26 each time. I took the lead of the small pack after about 4 laps, and held that lead until about lap 8. It was windy and difficult running conditions, the home straightaway section was really tough as the wind was seriously blowing every time we rounded the corner. Around lap 8 I was feeling really rough and decided to slow up a tiny bit and let someone else lead for a while. Probably not a good idea in hind sight. Anyway, Jim and Darren passed me I couldn't stay with them. Each lap after that I lost another second, 1:27, 1:28, 1:29, by now with one lap to go I had slipped to the back of the mini-pack. No worries, my finishing sprint will catch them all! Hahahah. I pushed it as hard as I could around the final lap, catching up to Brett and coming along side him with 100m to go, but I had nothing left. He pulled ahead with 50m to go and then it was all over. My final time was 17:43, good enough for 9th place out of 15 in our heat. It is a PB, so I am very happy for that. Definitely not nearly the kind of race I hoped for. That being said every lap (except the first and last) was between 1:24-1:29, so that is pretty steady pacing. But fading at the end of a race never feels great and to have 3 runners (yet again) finish 1-2 seconds in front of me hurts.

A a few other runners had similar races on that day, I'm guessing the windy conditions probably affected us all. Both Shane and Mike tell a similar story to mine where they aimed for a certain time and fell about 10-20 seconds short.

Anyway, next up is the Lands End 10K in 2 weeks. I will have a much harder time getting a PB for that one (under 37), but it is a pretty flat and fast course... In fact I should just aim for sub-38! Following Lands End I have already signed up for the RVM 8K on Thanksgiving Sunday.

Victoria Track Series #6 - Open 800m

After a somewhat disappointing Mile at the previous race I was hoping for a better performance at the Open 800m on July 31st. The main reason I signed up for these track races is because I was so inspired watching the elite 800m at the 3rd Victoria Track Series event, where Cam Levins narrowly won in 1:51, with 5 guys coming in under 1:53. Back when I was in elementary school the 800m was my distance of choice, for some reason. So it had been about 17 years since I last raced that distance. I think my best time back then was around 3 minutes.

A big reason why the Mile race two weeks before wasn't so great was due to my pre-race preparation. I showed up late to the track and didn't get in enough warmup, and I had also eaten some food a few hours before the race that was a little suspect. Anyways, I made sure to take this race more seriously, eat properly, and show up with lots of time to warmup.

I actually still didn't get in enough warmup, but I blame the race organizers for being on time for once :)
As the gun went off I quickly took off, leading the pack around the first bend. There was one runner (Brett) that was staying right on my heels.  At the 200m mark I checked my watch and was very pleased to see 31 seconds, and I felt good. At the half way point, 400m, the clock was reading 64 or 65 seconds as I passed, with Brett 1-2 seconds behind. On the back stretch I tried to get my legs moving a little faster to put some distance between us. By the final corner I couldn't hear him anymore, I'm not sure if I actually did pull away, or my breathing was louder so I couldn't hear him. Anyways, I pushed the final straightaway with a pretty weak final sprint, crossing the line in 2:11^.5.

In the previous week I had done a 4x800m track workout where I really struggled to get under 2:30, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I figured with some adrenalin and the competition on race day I would be under 2:20, and secretly aimed for 2:15. So I was pretty ecstatic to run that well, and to win the race to boot. It was also interesting to see that the elite men did the 800m between 2:00 and 2:06, so I wasn't far behind.

Next up is the 5000m track race to finish up the series. I haven't raced a 5K on the track in a few years, so I'm looking forward to it. It has been a lot of fun racing on the track this summer, and a lot of the credit goes to Chris Kelsall for organizing these races. Hopefully they will continue next year!