My goals for 2016 are exactly the same last year - try to get PBs at 5K (Bazan Bay), 8K (BMO 8K), and 10K (TC10K). Last year I just missed at 5K, tied my 8K, and missed at 10K by a lot.
But this year with another baby due to arrive in the summer I have a little more motivation, as I am very well aware that it will only get harder to train properly with 2 kids and I'm certainly not getting any younger!
The start. Battling with James Cook near halfway. My #1 supporter! The pain face. 3rd place!
The year started off well with a new course best at the Pioneer 8K in a time of 28:29. I had a great battle for most of the race with Lucy Smith with her eventually pulling ahead in the last kilometer and finishing a few seconds ahead of me. That time is only 9 seconds off my PB, which is a nice result considering that it is January and on the Pioneer course which isn't the fastest! And having moved up into the easier 35-39 age group I placed 2nd!
Next up was my goal race for the year - Bazan Bay 5K. After 3 years in a row of running 17 flat I was again determined to break that barrier, in what I kept telling myself was probably my last shot at it. I had some pretty decent training in January and February, averaging about 55 km/week with some good longer runs (16-18 km) and the usual set of speed workouts - mile repeats, 300's, and 40 minute fartlek sessions. As always the struggle was finding/making time to train, and I did end up having to resort to quite a few night runs which I don't particularly enjoy. For specificity I also did two 5K time trials, 2 and 4 weeks out. The first time trial I did at the Oak Bay track and set a new "track 5K in training PB" of 17:48. The second 5K I went out to Sidney and ran the race course to really feel prepared. It was a bit windy (as it often is being on the water), and got off to a slow start (9 minutes for the first half), but crushed it on the way back running the last kilometer in 3:09 and finishing in 17:23 - a huge "road 5K in training PB". Most importantly it gave me the confidence that come race day (2 weeks away) with a bit of adrenaline and some competition I could drop 25 seconds. As a final workout the weekend before I ran 5x1K (also on the Bazan Bay route, 2 mins recovery) and really nailed it - 3:18, 3:22, 3:26, 3:14, 3:11 (16:31 total, 3:18/km avg pace).
So, the training was done, I knew I probably should have done more aerobic training, but it was just so hard to find the time! But at least the workouts had gone well.
This year I decided to actually taper for the 5K (unlike last year), so I only did a few strides and some easy running during the week.
Race day arrives, and the weather forecast is not ideal - rainy and pretty windy (20-30 km/hr). Typical.
As I headed out to run the course for a warm-up it was definitely breezy, but actually quite warm and sunny. But as we stood on the start line the clouds opened up and it started to pour with rain. Ugh. I went over my race plan again - aiming for splits of 3:22, 3:25, 3:25, 3:20, 3:15, halfway at 8:30, 3K at 10:12
Bang, off we went. First kilometer was crowded as usual, and I was running with my friend Mike, but it got too crowded and I couldn't run the pace I wanted so I moved to the outside and picked up the pace. Got to 1K at exactly 3:22 - perfect! The 2K is slightly uphill and with the wind blowing I wasn't able to maintain my pace and dropped to 3:33, not a good sign. Already 7 seconds to slow. The 3rd kilometer is downhill to the turnaround, then back uphill, so it is usually a bit difficult to run a fast K - I pushed down the hill but still got to halfway at 8:39. Already in my mind I was starting to give in to yet another year of running just over 17 minutes. I pushed back up the hill hoping to make up some time, but got to the 3K marker in 3:30 - still way slower than I wanted. At this point my watch read 10:25, and I knew I was now 13 seconds off pace. It was going to take a huge effort to do it. But I told myself to forget about it and just run as hard as I could. Luckily the wind was at my back and I flew through the 4th kilometer in 3:19, passing quite a few people along the way. I was now only 8 seconds behind and only 1K to go! A final 3:15 kilometer would do it... I had done it before (running 3:12 at the end of Bazan in 2013), but usually my last km was 3:18 - which surprise surprise would give me another 17:02... As always the final kilometer of Bazan stretches on and on, and it always hurts. But I knew my family would be cheering at the final corner with 200m to go, so I pushed on and closed the gap on the 3 lead women ahead of me. In the final straight away I passed 2 of them and sprinted towards the line, seeing 16:4X on the clock... finally it was going to happen! I crossed the line in a time of 16:54, having run the last kilometer in 3:09, second half in 8:15, and (since why not) a final 3K in 9:59! Phew. Mission accomplished. The photos show pretty well what I was feeling - a lot of pain! This also got me 3rd overall in my age group which is always nice - you get a medal instead of a ribbon :) Full results here.
The rest of March I mostly just enjoyed a feeling of accomplishment and didn't train too hard. I probably should have pushed it a bit more, but it was nice to relax. April arrived and I used my free entry into the Esquimalt 5K and ran a surprisingly fast time of 17:33, which is over a minute faster than last year, and good for 4th place.
Going into the TC10K I knew I wasn't as sharp as I could be, so I suspected it wasn't going to be a great race. But in the end it was a pretty decent effort, on another windy day. I was hoping to at least break my TC best time of 35:28 (from 2014), and maybe have a shot at my 10K PB of 35:18 (Sun Run 2013). So I had hoped to run the first half in 17:35 to give myself a good chance and maybe even a sub 35 clocking. I started out really strong and got through the first 4K in 14:05, and 5K in 17:42. A little slower than I wanted, but already going up towards Clover Point it was very windy and slow. Sure enough the 3 kilometers along Dallas Road were noticeably slower than previous years (3:36, 44, 42) and I knew it was going to be another battle. I pushed hard, but really didn't have anything left in the tank and got passed by a few people in the last kilometer, crossing the line in 35:30, just missing out on my goal(s). It's frustrating when that happens, but looking at the positives it was a very solid even paced performance (17:48 second half) and my 3rd fasted 10K ever, despite being a few years older! Full results here.
The 3rd and final big race of the year for me was the BMO 8K, 1 week after the TC10K. I knew it would be hard to be totally recovered, but being 2K less does help! This race is always an interesting one as it attracts a lot of runners (usually over 2000) but doesn't typically get the fast/elite runners as there is no prize money or comp entries. After winning it in 2014 and a disappointing race in 2015, I was hoping to rebound this year and run a PB (28:20) and have a chance at winning. Last year's winner Tyler was registered, so I was anticipating a good battle with him as he had just run the Sun Run in 35:18.
The weather was great - warm but not too hot, no wind. Minutes before the start I ran into another runner I know called Robin, who had easily beaten me at the 2015 Victoria 8K in a time of 27:03. So I knew my chances of winning were basically zero. After a bit of a chat, and me mentioning that he should have a great chance of winning, he paused and said "well I have some good news for you... I wasn't able to register in time". The race had filled up, and he wasn't able to register! He said he wanted to run it anyway, but obviously wouldn't be officially in the race. Score.
Before the start I did my usual strides to stay warm and keep the heart rate up, then tried to find a place in the narrow start line. But it was totally packed! All the other runners had squished right up (many minutes before) and it was very difficult to find a place. Eventually I squeezed in at the end of the front row, only to have a much older woman get angry at me because "that was her husband's spot". Oops. I guess everyone is entitled to try and start at the front, but I think trying to roughly organize yourself based on finishing time makes the most sense? Anyway, the gun went off and away we went. Robin and another guy jumped in with the lead pack about 100m in, and one young guy sprinted out to an early lead. But by 500m we had passed him, and the lead pack was made up of 5 runners - 2 "bandits" and 3 official runners (I think?). I was at the back of that pack for the first 2K (so running in 3rd place), then passed one guy to move into 2nd. The lead guy had pulled away a bit, and Robin picked up the pace to stay right behind him. I would guess they were about 50m in front. Far enough that it felt like a mile, but not too far to be out of sight.
The first half was perfect pacing - 3:25, 3:37 (uphill), 3:26, 3:32 (13:58). Around the half way point I started noticing that the lead runner was looking a little more sluggish, and I was very slowly starting to close the gap. Around this point Robin took the lead and opened up a slight gap. I was amused to notice that the lead cyclist stayed right with the lead guy, and not with Robin. So clearly he was aware that Robin didn't have a bib and wasn't in the race. We passed a funny sign that read "Pain Now, Beer Later". Well said! After a slightly uphill kilometer I got to 5K at about 17:38, still very much on PB pace, and now was noticeably gaining on the lead runner (not on Robin though, he was way out front). As we came down past the lighthouse (thankfully this year we took the inner road, unlike last year where they made us run long) and in front of the Aquarium I picked up the pace and flew by the lead runner. The lead cyclist radio'd in my number, woohoo.
Around this point - 6K - we turned off the road and ran along the bike path around the Coal Harbor waterfront. It was quite fun and exciting, being in the lead with the cyclist, and having quite a lot of the half marathoners still out of course walking (and cheering). "Honk honk, stay to the left, move over, runner coming through!" Around 6.5K Robin slowed down (I assume on purpose), and I came up along side him and said something like "come on, let's go". We ran around the last part of the bike path, flew past my cheering family, and turned up the hill on West Georgia. We passed another funny sign saying "If Trump can run, so can you!". By this point I was feeling pretty exhausted and was definitely not pushing the pace. I suspect Robin was just keeping pace with me, he did push the pace a little, but mostly I was content to just grind up the hill. I did a few shoulder checks and knew that there was a large gap behind us, so I was very relaxed about holding on for the win. Of course the spectators didn't realize that Robin wasn't in the race, so they were screaming like crazy thinking that it was going to be a super close sprint to the finish. I picked up the pace around 400 m to go and suddenly Robin was gone, I assume he pulled off and got out of the fenced in finishing area. Instead of sprinting as I usually do this time I enjoyed the moment, gave a few fist pumps, woot woots, and crossed the line, breaking the tape in a time of 28:32 (for the slightly long distance of 8.15K). This race is made purposefully long for safety reasons, so they also list your official 8K time (there is a timing mat about 150m into the race), which was 28:06 - a new PB! Full results here.
It was a pretty amazing moment. I feel very fortunate to have these kind of experiences, as most amateur runners don't often get to experience what elite athletes go through. The rest of the weekend was a ton of fun spent with family and friends, and lots of good food and drink. I might go back next year to try and break 28... we'll see. For now it's time to enjoy summer, and get ready for another baby!
I decided to head over to Vancouver on May 3rd to do the BMO 8K around Stanley Park. I had never done any of the BMO races (8K/Half/Full), and this year I had 3 friends running the half and 2 doing the full so it seemed like a good race to do. I will also admit that when I saw last year's winning time in the 8K was ~28:30 I had extra incentive to do it seeing that I had just run 28:32 the week before (as part of the TC10K). The 8K is a large race (with almost 2000 registrants), but doesn't seem to get the elite runners. Probably because there is no prize money or complimentary entries! The timing of the 3 races worked out well for me to be able to get up early and cheer on the half marathoners, do my race, and then cheer the full marathon runners. Unfortunately it was a rather rainy day which wasn't nearly as fun for spectators or runners.
I got up at 7:30am and headed out into the rain to cheer on my 3 friends doing the half marathon. They were all in good spirits at the 10K mark where I was cheering despite being drenched (and one suffering from nasty blisters). I paced two of them for a few kilometres before turning around and going back to my room to change into a dry set of clothes and shoes! I jogged 3K up the seawall to the start of my race.
At the start line there was a huge turn out and I saw a friendly face - Marilyn - who I had run the first few K's of the TC10K with the week before. I knew she would be the heavy favourite to win the women's race, and mentioned wanting to run sub 28 minutes (which was also a goal of mine!). As we started one guy (Drew) took off and opened up a big lead, then there was a group of about 5 runners behind him, and then me and Marilyn closely following them. Around 1.5K Marilyn overtook me on an uphill, which gave me a bit of motivation to pick up the pace. The first 2K had been run in 3:32, 3:37, but I sped up noticeably and ran the next one in 3:25.
Around this point in the race (3K) I noticed that Drew had faded and the group of 5 had caught him, and I was suddenly on the back of the lead group. Another guy - Tyler - who I had picked out from the start as looking strong took the lead and I quickly tucked in behind him. I was feeling really pumped up at this point and thought "what the hell - let's go for it!". I picked the pace up some more and pulled along side Tyler and said something like "Let's go!". I slowly opened up a small lead on Tyler and the lead cyclists (and motorcycle) stayed just in front of me honking their horns at all the half marathons who were walking at this point to make way for us. It was quite the royal treatment!
I got to halfway still in the lead at 13:55, having run my fastest K in 3:21. I thought perhaps sub 28 was a possibility! But the final kilometre of the race is a gruelling uphill finish along West Georgia so it wasn't going to be easy. I knew Tyler was still close behind me as I could hear the half marathon walkers cheering for him very soon after I was past them. By around 5K I was definitely starting to hurt, those fast K's had taken a toll on me, and I could feel my legs and lungs burning in very unpleasant way. Just hang on was all I thought. The course winds around quite a lot, and I faded a bit through 5K and I had just run my slowest K in 3:42 (17:37 for 5K). Luckily I got a second wind and picked up the pace back to 3:31, 3:32 until the bottom of the hill at 7K. I was so drained at this point that I shoulder checked a few times to see how close Tyler was - and he wasn't far behind. But the nice cyclist who was leading me said "Don't worry, you got this".
Up the hill towards the finish I was hurting a lot, but now also knowing that it would take an amazing effort by someone to catch me, and even if he did I knew I had enough for a sprint. When it finally levelled out at the top I put in a decent sprint and broke the tape in an official time of 28:43, winning the race by 11 seconds over Tyler who had just held off Matt by one second who neither of us knew was there. It turns out that the race was purposefully long at 8.15K, and so my official 8K time was 28:20, a new PB (excluding my ~28:10 from the Sun Run last year), and also the largest race I've ever won (~1450 finishers).
After chatting with other runners for a few minutes, I tried to get out of the finish line area but it was a zoo. So many people, and very poorly organized so it took at least 5 minutes just to find the way out - which of course was the farthest point away from where I was headed - back down to Beach Ave to cheer on my marathon friends. Luckily I was able to jog the 2K over the hump back to Beach Ave and made it just in time to see them go by. All in all a great day!
I've fallen way behind in my race updates, so here's a condensed version of the first half quarter of 2014.
After a very successful 2013 I didn't have quite the same goals for 2014, especially with the birth of my first child due in February. I trained reasonably hard over the winter and through January/February hoping to maintain a decent level of fitness after the baby was born that would see me through Bazan and TC.
The year started out okay in early January at the Pioneer 8K where I ran 28:50 (12 seconds slower than 2013). After negative splitting almost every race in 2013 I made a mistake at Pioneer and went out a bit too hard. The first half was 14:15, and I faded a little bit in the second half (14:35) despite having a good battle back and forth with Damian as we tried (and failed) to reel in Brad Crowe. The final 100m sprint is uphill, and was okay as I placed 4th in 13.6 seconds (Byron won as usual in 12.97s, still not quite as fast as my 12.7s from 2012!).
The next race in the series (for me) was Bazan Bay 5K in early March which happened 2 weeks after my son was born. So the combination of lack of sleep and running in those 2 weeks meant that my expectations were not very high heading into the race. But I did manage one good training run of 6x1K on the track where the final one K repeat was run in 2:57! Which is the fastest I've ever run in training. It did help to have some fast friends out there to drag me along.
After last year's frustration at Bazan where I ran 17:01 I still secretly hoped to break the 17 minute barrier (3:24 pace). The race started out perfectly with a 3:24 opening K, but the slight uphill on the second I slowed to 3:30, and hit the halfway turnaround at 8:41. Damian had been with me through 2K, but fell off the pace and I started picking off people ahead of me. 3rd and 4th K's were 3:23 and 3:26 which meant I still had work to do on the final K to get under 17. Last year I finished in 3:12/km so it was possible... I gave it everything (and didn't make the mistake like last year of looking at my watch and relaxing!) and was very surprised with 150m to go to pass Byron the sprinter. My dream of one day have a real sprint-off with him would have to wait as I was maxed out and he was coasting :) About 50 meters into the final 100m he blew by me on his way to winning his 12th(?) green jersey. I crossed the line in 17:00. Bah. Very happy with my race (22 second negative split), but so annoyed to not get under 17. I think my sprint time of 15+ seconds was the slowest one I've done, which means probably my best race effort! A week later I decided to email the race director to find out what my fractional seconds were just in case it was 16:59.5 and got rounded up to 17. Here's the screenshot he sent me, 16:59.99! How close is that?!?
It was 8:15am. 15 minutes until the start of the race.
I put in my earbuds and headed out for one last warmup jog. The catchy piano intro started playing from Hall Of Fame by The Script:
"You can be the greatest, you can be the best.
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest..."
I might have banged on my chest too. I felt a rush of energy flow through me as I flew down the gravel path heading away from the start/finish line. As I turned back towards my car the song played my favourite verse:
"You can go the distance. You can run the mile (or 26 miles).
You can run straight through hell with a smile.
You could be the hero. You could get the gold.
Breaking all the records they thought never could be broke."
It was going to be a great race. I was envisioning coming back down that very same path in exactly 3 hours, seeing the finish line and knowing the race was over.
With 5 minutes to go I lined up at the start line, anxiously waiting for the race to begin. The sun was shining, and it felt surprisingly warm. I suddenly realized I was hopelessly overdressed. I rushed over to my bag (which was sitting 20 feet away - one benefit of small races!) and quickly stripped off my long sleeve shirt and tossed my gloves and toque. Back in the start line I chatted with a few runners, including my friends Mike Janes (who was amazingly running his 4th marathon this year!) and Les Disher. A girl next to me asked how many marathons I'd done - "a few" - and what time I hoped to run this one in - "I'm not sure, around 3 hours maybe. I'm just going to try and keep up with this guy" (pointing to the tall guy in a black shirt and toque, who I overheard was called Ivo and who I recognized as being the winner of this race from 2 years ago).
As the race started we all headed up the gravel path weaving through Boundary Bay Park. There was also a half marathon, 10K, and 5K race all starting at the same time, so I made sure to be right near the front so I wouldn't get held up. But as expected quite a few people zipped passed me. There were maybe 20 people in front on me when I hit the 1 km mark at exactly 5 minutes. Wait, what?!? My plan had been to take the first 5K nice and easy at 4:15/km pace. I glanced down at my watch and was relieved, but also a bit worried to see that it read 1.2 km. Okay, the markers must be off. Don't worry. But naturally I was wondering how accurate my watch was! The pace felt really easy, but I didn't want to lose 45 seconds right away.
When I reached where I knew the 2 km marker should be my watched beeped and it read 4:19. The actual marker was 200 m still ahead, right at 2.2 km. So obviously the markers were all going to be offset by 200 meters. This is why GPS watches are crucial. I decided to ignore the markers, and just trust my watch. The third km went by in 4:15, then the next two in 4:10. I took my first gel just before 5K at the first water station. My 5K time was 21 minutes flat (4:12 pace). By now all the 5K and 10K runners had already turned back, so it was just the half and full marathoners. I could only see a few runners a long way ahead.
The next 5K I settled into my goal pace of 4:05/km (4:07, 4:06, 4:05, 4:10, 4:05) reaching the 10K mark at 41:35 (second 5K was 20:35). The perfectly flat course (despite being hard packed gravel) really made it easy to maintain a consistent pace. There was a slight wind was in my face, but that meant it would be at my back in the second half. I had already taken my second gel before 10K as well - I was trying to get in some carbs much earlier in the race this time.
After the 10K, the half marathon runners turned around and headed back to the finish. I think there were 4 of them ahead of me - 2 guys and 2 girls. When I passed the 2nd aid station at 10.55K I asked "How many runners are ahead?" - "Just one!" he yelled back. Sweet. It was a 2 man battle, me and Ivo. But I couldn't even see him! Despite the course being right on the water and very straight, Ivo had gone out hard and was already way ahead. Every now and then I would catch a glimpse of the lead cyclist because he was wearing a reflective orange vest that was easier to spot. "He'll fade" I repeated to myself, "he went out too hard".
The next 10K went by very smoothly and uneventfully. I stayed relaxed but focused, and enjoyed myself - smiling at spectators and random walkers. Amusingly one spectator cheered me on around 15K saying "Go catch him!" to which I replied "I will!". It probably sounded a little arrogant, but I felt strong and just had that feeling. At 18K I took my third gel.
That second 10K took 40:29 (20:20/20:09 for 5K splits). The pace had increased slightly as each kilometer was run between 4:02 and 4:06 per km, until the 20th one which was 3:58! I knew my brother and his wife would be cheering me on at 20K, so I think my pace picked up in anticipation. It was definitely a big boost to see them. I yelled to my brother "That was the easiest 20K I've ever run!". As I headed around the loop at Mud Bay Park towards the turn around I couldn't see Ivo or the lead cyclist at all, which seemed weird. I knew he was far in front, but if he was so far in front then why wasn't he coming back towards me yet? Finally on the last corner before the turn around I saw him coming back. I mumbled something like "good job" as we passed and glanced at my watch (~1:25:50). When I got to the turn around my watch read 1:26:52, so I guessed that he was about 2 minutes ahead (~500 m). I had been aiming to run the first half in 1:26-1:27, so this was a very positive first half. In fact it was the fastest first half of a marathon I'd ever run!
When I passed my brother and his wife the second time (around 22.5K) he jogged with me and I said "next time you see me I might be in the lead!". Or not. I had increased my pace to 3:56, 3:57, but Ivo probably increased his too. I could rarely see him and the cyclist in the distance, and I didn't seem to be gaining at all. The kilometers flew by now, and they were definitely getting more difficult. I took my 4th gel at 25K, and held on to that same pace - running that 5K in 20:08.
After 25K I knew my brother was going to be cheering me on at 31K, so I decided to try and pick up the pace a bit more to see if I could gain some ground on Ivo. On the long straight stretches I could see him up ahead, and the distance between us was closing very slowly. The 5K from 25 to 30 was my fastest yet in 19:58 (and 3rd 10K in 40:06), wooohooo! When I passed by my #1 cheering squad at 31K my brother yelled "you're gaining, you're way closer to him now!". I tossed him my empty handheld water bottle (10oz) which I had been carrying up to this point. It felt really good to be free of it. I had taken my 5th and last gel, and only had a few honey stringer energy chews to last me the rest of the way (I ate two every 2 km until 40K).
This is where the race begins I said to myself. The inevitable fade is bound to happen soon, so stay strong, stay focused. You only have to run 10K more. Ever. Gotta love the logic of a tired brain!
It was around this point in the race when I realized how pain free the race had been so far. I had already run 32K at a great pace, and nothing hurt! Well that is unusual. But I'm sure the next 10K will suck, right?
Luckily (and similar to the North Olympic Discovery Marathon in 2011) I was in 2nd place and had the leader in my sights. This really helped me stay focused and keep pushing. I was definitely gaining ground on Ivo now. I felt like I could have passed him around 34K, but instead I let myself ease back slightly to conserve some energy. I wanted to overtake him "dramatically" - not slowly inch past him. I could tell he was fading now, as looked tired - he would run the long way around a corner instead of hugging the inside corner. The 5K from 30 to 35 was 20:03.
When I was about 20 meters behind Ivo at 36K I picked up my pace and zipped by, saying something like "Great work Ivo, keep pushing man, get that PR!". The lead cyclist sped up to match my pace and off we went. I tried to make a bit of conversation with the cyclist, but he tended to stay about 10 meters ahead of me. At this point I realized again how good my body felt. Shouldn't I be suffering by now? But amazingly nothing hurt, and I was running faster than I had all race. I dropped my fastest kilometers so far - 3:55, 3:51, 3:57. I had this big goofy smile on my face and was just ecstatic to be out racing on such a beautiful day. I felt tears come to my eyes as I envisioned crossing the finish line. Not yet I thought, still 3K to go. Anything can happen.
When I passed 39K I glanced behind and saw that I had a big lead now. The 5K from 35 to 40 took 19 minutes and 42 seconds. Unbelievable. I have often visualized running the final 10K of a marathon in under 40 minutes. Well today could be that day. The final 2 kilometers were back in Boundary Bay Park on the winding gravel trail. I continued to pick up the pace, causing the lead cyclist to speed up as well. The final kilometer was my fastest in 3:50, and the final 10K took 39:30. Once again I felt overwhelmed with emotion, and fought off tears as I could see the finish line up ahead. Hearing my brother yelling "He's gaining on you, he's right behind!!!" I sprinted all out, crossing the line in 2:51:08. A new personal best by almost 9 minutes (was 2:59:45), a course record (previously 2:59), and amazingly almost a 3 minute negative split (1:26:52/1:24:27). I had fully expected to fade a few minutes and run 2:56.
The rest of the afternoon was awesome. Family friends had made it to the finish line just in time to see me cross the line, and so we all hung out for an hour in the glorious sunshine, and then had a nice lunch together before I headed back to Victoria. Unfortunately Mike didn't have a good race as he has been battling an abdominal injury and had to pull out after half way. Les on the other hand ran a very strong race finishing 4th overall in 3:07 with nearly even splits.
Post race my right hip was a bit sore, and I had a raw spot on my left baby toe. But otherwise the body felt fine. And interestingly I felt fine the next few days too. No DOMS on the quads, and I was back running 2 days later. Perhaps the softer surface and the flat course took less of a toll on my body then previous marathons?
I would highly recommend this race to anyone wanting to run a fast marathon. It was well organized, has a nice friendly small race feel.
Obviously being in November and on the water (no protection) means that the weather can be a big factor. The gravel didn't seem to be an issue. It is mostly hard packed (as long as you stay in the tire tracks) and didn't cause any discomfort. About 4 km is on pavement, and 4 km on softer gravel (at the start/finish). A few things to consider if you are planning on running this race - prepare for all weather conditions! And consider carrying water. There aren't many aid stations (5, 10, 14, 21, 28, 31), so it's hard to get in enough liquid. I carried a handheld 10oz water bottle which I swapped out at half way for a full one.
Garmin Activity, Full race results.
Note that there was a glitch with the timing system, and all the times were shifted 40 seconds faster. I suspect the glitch only affected the half marathon (since they were the ones who complained).
The Sun Run on April 21st was near perfect conditions. A little gusty perhaps, but not too cold and not too warm.
Leading up to the race I was feeling great - I was very satisfied with my training, especially my speed work. I did have a nagging left toe problem (seismoiditis) but I figured it wouldn't affect my race. I was well tapered, and feeling good.
The morning of the race I followed my usual routine - wake up 3 hours before the race and go for a very easy 15 minute shakeout run. I didn't really feel like running around the streets of Vancouver yet, so I ran on the treadmill at the hotel. It worked out okay despite my dislike of treadmills!
After the run I gobbled down my usual pre-race breakfast of a small bowl of yogurt, fruit and granola. Then proceeded to crank up some tunes and get pumped up! Luckily no one got to see my horrible dance moves except for my wife.
The race starts at a very reasonable time of 9am. I headed out the door at 8:25, and as soon as I started my warmup I had this sudden burst of energy and excitement. "Oh yes, I feel fast today!". A few laps around Nelson Park and then headed over to the start line. It's a nice setup - the start is on West Georgia Street (very wide, probably 4-6 lanes?) - and the first kilometer of the race course is open to seeded runners for warmup. Did a few sprints, chatted with some friends, and then it was time to get serious. I purposely waited as long as possible before moving in behind the start line to be as near the front as I could. I figure I was probably about 4th or 5th row back.
The gun went off, and away we went. The first kilometer is very fast - it's straight and mostly downhill which really lets the lead runners get off to a fast start. It was congested but not too bad at all. I tried to make the most of the downhill without getting my breathing up too much, and passed the first marker in 3:16, perfect! The second kilometer has a couple corners and a slight uphill in it and ended up being slightly slower at 3:39, but still nicely on pace and feeling good. The next two kilometers are flat and relatively straight and the goal was to maintain a 3:30 pace: 3:30, 3:34, close enough. Just before 5K there is a short and nasty hill up Hornby before going over the Burrard Street Bridge (which is also an uphill but not as steep).
I knew my friend Jonathan would be waiting at the bottom of the hill, and sure enough there he was! Perfect placement because it really helped propel me up the hill. I also knew that my wife would be waiting at the top of the hill, so I had to be smiling :) Here is a photo from the bottom of Hornby. Interestingly the guy in green and the girl in orange both finished right with me. Both of them pulled ahead after this photo but I just caught them right at the line (although the green shirt beat me even though we had the same time, and of course he is in my age group!).
The 5K was slightly slower as expected (3:43) due to the climb, but my 5K time of 17:47 was right on target for my goal of 35:30. I clawed my way up the Burrard Street Bridge telling myself that there is a nice long gradual downhill on the other side. The next few kilometers were a little bit of a blur but the pace was good: 3:33, 3:31, and 3:27. I had some more friends waiting at 8K and it really helped to keep me going. Somewhere around this point I glanced down at my watch and saw that my pace was 3:31/km... and had visions of going sub 35 minutes (3:30 pace)! But I quickly realized that my Garmin watch is never that accurate, and so in a 10K race I usually run around 50m more (10 more seconds), so I figured I was on pace for 35:20.
Right around 9K there is a short and unpleasant uphill on to the Cambie Street Bridge, and this was when the race really started to hurt. That kilometer was slow at 3:36, but luckily by then all the hard work was done. I held on along the bridge knowing my wife would be cheering at the end of the bridge, and put in one final push down the off ramp and a decent sprint to the finish, crossing the line in a time of 35:18. As the photos show, I was quite happy with that result! 50 seconds faster than my previous PR at last year's TC10K. It is also my highest ever points - 770!
After the race I met up with my wife and brother (who also ran the race) and we walked back along the course to the 8K marker. It was incredible to see the sea of runners as far as the eye could see. We relaxed in the warm sun at a friends place, and then walked over to Granville Island for some lunch. My legs felt pretty good overall. Slight soreness in my right knee but otherwise fine. We stayed another night in Vancouver to relax and enjoy ourselves before heading back to the island on Monday.
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.
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.
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!
The start.
Battling with James Cook near halfway.
My #1 supporter!
The pain face.
3rd place!
