kwollity

I recapped my 2011 running season the other day. Here’s looking ahead to 2012; the races I hope to do and some goals I have.

(Some dates aren’t official yet and I’ve guesstimated)

Dirty Duo 25km – March 10
Distance: 25km
Previous time: 2:46:26 (2011)
2012 goal: Just to beat 2011′s time

5 Peaks Trail: Golden Ears – April 21
Distance: 14km
Previous time: 1:12:21 (2011)
2012 goal: I’ll take it easy as I’ll be tapering for the Van Marathon
Notes: This was original scheduled as April 28 (1 week before the Van Marathon) so I was going to pass on it this year. But I think 2 weeks should be ample time to recover for the marathon, so count me in.

Vancouver Marathon – May 6
Distance: 42.2km
Previous time: 4:14 (2010), 3:29:56 (2011)
2012 goal: 3h 05min
Notes:  In 2011 I shaved 45 minutes off my marathon time. This year I plan to shave off another 25. Sounds crazy, but I want to give Boston a shot.

North Shore Triathlon – May 21
Distance: Sprint (~26km)
Previous time: 1:36:02 (2011)
2012 goal: To get out of the pool in under 20 minutes (ie, 10 minutes faster than last year!)
Notes: I did my first Tri last year and nearly drowned on a simple little swim – this year I’ll focus some training on swimming!

5 Peaks Trail: Squamish – June 9
Distance:  TBA
Previous time:  N/A
2012 goal: N/A

North Shore Knee Knackering Trail Run – July 14
Distance: 48km (“The race as a whole has some 16,000 feet of vertical climb and descent.”)
Previous time: n/a
2012 goal: To finish in one piece
Notes: This would be my first foray into the ultra distance. There is a lottery however as only a limited field is allowed to run each year. This one’s a bucket list item.

Seek the Peak – July 14
Distance: 16km
Previous time: 2h 45min (2009), 2h 17min (2010), 1:50:59 (2011)
2012 goal:  Sub 1:50
Notes: In 2009 this was the first race I ever ran (with no training). Super fun race from Ambleside to the peak of Grouse.

5 Peaks Trail: Cypress – Jul 21
Distance: TBA
Previous time:  n/a
2012 goal:  n/a

Squamish 50 – Aug 11
Distance: 50 miles
Previous Time: n/a
Goal: To finish
Notes: I most likely will not do this – but I really want to run an ultra in 2011. If I don’t get into the Knee Knacker again I may consider this – but the distance is probably too killer for my first ultra.

5 Peaks Trail: Whistler – Aug 25
Distance: 10.6km
Previous time: 1:15:29 (2011)
2012 goal: To beat last year’s time (assuming same course)

Vancouver Triathlon – Sep 2
Distance: Olympic
Previous time: n/a
2012 goal: To complete an Olympic distance triathlon
Notes: Hopefully I’ll have learned how to swim well enough to tackle an ocean swim before this race.

Coho – Sep 8
Distance: 14km
Previous time: 1hr 05min (2010), 1:01:52 (2011)
2012 goal: Under 1hr

5 Peaks: Buntzen Lake – Sep 29
Distance: 15.5km
Previous time: 1hr 28min (2010), 1:17:53 (2011)
2012 goal: 1hr 15min

Okanagan Half Marathon – Oct 7
Distance: 21.1km (Possibly will do the 42.2)
Previous time: 2hr 08min (2009), 1hr 41min (2010), 1:37:15 (2011)
2012 goal: 1hr 30min
Notes: If I fail to qualify for Boston in May, I may re-prioritize some other races and ramp up to give it another shot here instead of running the half.

Hallow’s Eve Trail – Oct 21
Distance: 21.1km
Previous time: 2h 10min (2010), 2:08:01 (2011)
2012 goal: 2hr

Phantom Trail – Nov 13
Distance: 24km
Previous time: n/a
2012 goal: n/a
Notes:  I’ll see how the body feels this late in the season. Tentative race.

So we’ll see. Will I be able to do every race? Probably not. Will I reach every one on my goals? Probably not. But I sure am stoked to give it my best shot!

My running season for 2011 ended in October with the Hallow’s Eve Trail race.

It was my second full year of running, and I saw a lot of improvement. Race reports for all my events are available on the post of my 2011 Race schedule.

My highlights were:

• Beating my goal of a 3:30 marathon (and knocking ~45 minutes off my previous best time)
• Completing my first triathlon (and embarrassing myself by having to backstroke to stay afloat on a sprint swim)
• Completing a total of 12 races and setting a PB on each course I had run previously
• Coming second for my age group in the 5 Peaks series (enduro)
• Running a total of over 1,600km in 146 hours of training

.

In the end I raced every event I had set out at the beginning of the year with the exception of the Phatom 25k Trail race in November (and the Knee Knacker because I wasn’t selected in the lottery). By the time I completed the Hallows Eve trail race my knees were getting continually sore. The week after the race I was running the 13km trek home from work and I didn’t have any gas in the tank. My body needed a break.

I took 3 full weeks off of zero running and consumed many, many carbs (see: IPA). I’m now doing some base-building as I ramp up for the 2012 Van Marathon which will be my ‘A’ race for the year.

I have some more ambitious goals for next year (including running a BQ) and I’m looking at all the races I want to run. I’ll be posting my schedule soon.

I find myself wondering when I’ll get bored of running. Or at least tired of running so much as is required to continually improve. So far I haven’t found the answer. 2011 was a great year and I’m proud of how far I’ve come a runner. I’m looking forward to getting better still.

I’ve really become addicted to running over the last year and a bit, and as the Vancouver Marathon approaches has passed, I started thinking about some of the other marathons I’d like to do like Victoria, San Francisco, and if I can get a little bit (ok, a lot) faster, the Boston.

Then I started to think how cool it would be to do a lot of different marathons in different countries – and thus the latest addition to my bucket list was born: To run a marathon on every continent.

So after some quick research on the ‘net, here are some that look cool.

#1 North America

- So I can already scratch this one off the list, but some I’d like to do are San Francisco, Boston,  Victoria, Nunavut Midnight Sun, and New York

#2: Asia

Yoron Marathon, Japan or Great Wall Marathon, China

#3: Europe

Athens Marathon, Greece or Rome Marathon, Italy

#4: Africa

Two Oceans Marathon, South Africa

#5: Oceania

Rotorua Marathon, New Zealand

#6: South America

Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru (27.5 miles) or Buenos Aires, Argentina

#7: Antarctica

Not much choice here:  Antarctic Ice Marathon but it costs an arm and a leg (~ €10,000 !!!) so I’ll have to be rich for this one to ever happen.

This turned out to be a day I will never forget. Ever.

It was a picture perfect day, and after 5 months of training I was ready to try and tackle my ambitious goal of shaving 45 minutes off my marathon time from last year (which was my first and only marathon, finishing in 4:15). The only problem was that I’d been fighting a head cold for the week leading up the race. I was admittedly having some doubts as to whether I could do a sub-3:30 marathon with a stuffy nose and less-than-full energy levels, or if I could even do it on a good day.

Either way I was primed. I got there 45 minutes before race start wanting to leave myself plenty of time to get to the start line and find the 3:30 pace bunny. Problem was that after checking my bag I spent 25 minutes in the damn port-o-pottie lineup. I was taking my pre-race whiz when I heard the gun go off to start the race. D’oh! I ran to the start line and joined in at the very tail of the whole crowd. I did my best to pass the mass of people at the end of the pack and after about 5km I managed to catch the 3:40 pace bunny. I was amazed. Last year I finished just ahead of the 4:15 bunny, so I thought maybe 3:30 isn’t so crazy after all.

The 3:30 bunny was far more elusive though.

I settled into a groove and by the half-way mark my legs were already feeling sore. Hamstrings especially. Not good. But I found the 3:30 pace bunny on Pipeline road (half-way mark) and inched up to him. ‘I just gotta hang with this bozo for an hour and 40 minutes and I’m golden!’ I thought to myself. But it wouldn’t be so easy. My right knee started to hurt. A pain I haven’t had before, and a clear sign my road shoes with almost 700km on them were out for their last race.

As I pulled even with the 3:30 bunny there was a big crowd cheering and I may have got a bit ambitious. ‘Rather than just hang with this bozo, I can pass him!’ was my brilliant idea. So rather than pull in behind the dude I decided to keep my own pace going and inched past him. This would turn out to be a huge mistake.

I made my way over the Burrard Bridge into Kits and I was HURTING. Bad. I wasn’t wearing a hat or sunscreen and I could feel the full sun sapping away my energy. My legs were getting heavier and heavier, and I was getting discouraged. No amount of Gatoraide, water or Gu seemed to provide me with more energy.

As I approached the top of the ‘out-and-back’ section to Locarno beach area, I was drained. And there was still about 10km to go. Also, I dropped one of my fuel belt bottles trying to put it back into the belt. ‘Oops a $5 mistake’ I thought and kept running. Then as I hit the turnaround I saw it by the sidewalk in the other lane so I decided to go grab it. Another big mistake. As I leaned down to grab it both my hamstrings seized bad. I could hardly hobble on them for a few minutes. Then, to make things worse, yet again I dropped the fucking bottle trying to tuck into the back of my fuel belt! As I looked back to see it land behind me on the pavement I saw the 3:30 pace bunny had caught up to me, looking strong and steady. I was spent. Completely spent.

‘Hey, you’re not supposed to pass me!’ I said to him (half-jokingly).

’45 minutes to go bud, you can do anything in 45 minutes’ he replied back. Ok, so he’s no bozo I decide, and I’m quite happy to get any encouragement I can as I struggle to get my hamstrings working for me again. The pace bunny (hence-forth to be called Keith which was his name) pulled about 75 meters ahead of me. I was crushed and I was angry with myself.

‘I’m done’ I thought. ‘Still 8km to go and I’m utterly spent. FUCK!’

Luckily, I caught some wind on the downhill stretch heading back to downtown and pulled even with Keith again. He gave me some more encouragement as we chatted for a few seconds. “I’m just going to hang with you” I had mumbled. But I wouldn’t be able to. 5km to go and Keith was gone again. I was in pain like I’ve never experienced before.

In the port-o-pottie lineup I had spoken with a lady who has done 15 marathons. ‘Ohh the second one is the toughest’ she had said to me. ‘You have expectations’. How right she was. I had expected to finish in 3:30, when I’d never run that fast for that far before in my life. Or anything even close to it for that matter. My body had paid a price, and now both groins were even tightening on me. I felt like I was lumbering along on stilts, rather than legs, trying to keep them as straight as possible for bending them just caused cramping. At some points I had to hobble on one leg, trying to keep any kind of decent pace as my hamstrings would interchangeably seize.

Spectators could see I was in pain and just hobbling along. They were shouting words of encouragement. “Keep going 627, almost there! Home stretch!”. I wanted SO BAD to keep going. The problem is my body said no. I had to walk. ‘FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!’ FUCKING FUCK!’

The start of the Burrard Bridge on the way into downtown seized both my hammies to the point of physically being unable to run. I looked up and Keith was completely gone from my sight. FUCK!

I was devastated and furious with myself that I couldn’t muster something to finish strong. So close to the finish and I had hit the proverbial wall in a big way. I walked for a good minute massaging my hammies and then tried running again. It worked, but I was going painfully slow. Over the bridge, and more seizing, and even more walking, hopping, grunting and swearing. Anything to keep moving forward and get this over with.

I started looking behind me for the 3:40 pace bunny. I’ll be damned if that bozo was going to beat me.

But he was no where to be seen so I kept going best I could. Then I saw the finish line. I took teeny-tiny steps as fast as my stupid legs would move. I knew I started at a least a few minutes behind the 3:30 pace bunny, so I thought I still had a shot at being close to 3:30 on my chip time. As I approached the final stretch, I saw the clock.

3:32 and something seconds.

‘Whoa – maybe I have a hope in hell!’

I ran hard the last 100 meters and ‘sprinted’ the final 10m with every single ounce of whatever was left in me.

I crossed the line, tore my fuel belt off, hobbled to the side and threw myself on the pavement. I tried sitting in a ball but my legs began to seize hard so I just laid on my back. A volunteer came and asked if I was ok. ‘Yes, thanks’ I replied, feeling incredibly dizzy and wondering if I was about to pass out. I tried to roll onto my side but it was too much effort.

After a few minutes, I got to my feet and assured the volunteer I was ok. ‘I just need some water’.

And then something bizarre happened. My eyes welled up with water. ‘What the fuck? Am I crying? (Or as Seinfield would have said – ‘What is this salty discharge coming from my eyes?’) Were the handing out estrogen at the aid stations or what? Why the hell am fighting back tears?!’

I can’t remember the last time I cried, and I sure as heck have never cried from joy, exhaustion, and/or relief before in my life, but damn that was weird. I think I was just so completely physically and mentally drained it happened. I couldn’t control it. It was one of the weirdest moments of my life.

Anyways, I told myself to ‘stop being such a pussy, its just a race, and its not like you won the damn thing’, and hobbled over to get my medal and about 20 cups of liquids.

I sought out Keith and shook his hand. ‘Thanks!’ I said. Without him pushing me I would not have come close to 3:30, I’m sure. He asked me how I did, if I met my goals, and all I could say was ‘my goal was 3:30. It’s gonna be close, within a minute over or under I’m sure’.

I got my bag, slowly walked around trying to recoup, eating and drinking as much as I could. I enjoyed the feeling of finishing and knowing I had given myself a shot at 3:30, and was walking around super happy with my result and most of all my effort. ‘Even if I didn’t get 3:30, I’ll be happy’ I thought.

Then, as I was walking to catch the bus home, I got the text from my sister – “Official time is 3:29:56!”

I could not believe it. 5 months of training, all that pain on race day, and I beat my goal by a miniscule 4 seconds! If I hadn’t pushed as hard as I could that final 100m I would have been over time by a few seconds. It was truly an incredible feeling to have reached my goal.

I couldn’t have improved so much in one year without the support of my amazing girlfriend who let me train so many nights after work while she watched our little guy, and never complained. Thank you so much honey!

Finally, some things I learned today:

1. Wear a freakin’ hat or sunscreen if its sunny out!
2. The week leading up to an important event, take some Immunity FX or drink tons of OJ or do anything to Not. Get. Sick.
3. Bring $25 cash for a post-race massage.
4. Hard work pays off sometimes.

Something I really took an interest in, in 2010 was running. I went from hating it, to signing up for the Vancouver Marathon, and then to loving it. I was able to get 7 races under my belt last year and a lot of good experience for my first year in the sport. I’m stoked for 2011. I’m going to take training and nutrition more seriously, and I have 15 races I hope to be able to compete in:

(Some dates aren’t official yet and I’ve guesstimated)

*UPDATE: I’ve decided to update this post throughout the year with race results. Updates are in blue.

Dirty Duo 25km – March 12
Distance: 25km
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: n/a
Notes: Will be the first race of the year and first time doing this race.
Result: 2:49:46.  18/ 38 males.

This was way tougher than I thought it would be. I had a terrible cold the week leading up to the race, but felt relatively good on race day. Weather held off for the most part but rained a good amount near the end. Overall, this course was a blast, but I’ve realized I’m nowhere near ready for an ultra race. Since I wasn’t selected for Knee Knacker I was considering signing up for the Diez Vista 50k next month instead. After seeing how spent I was after this 25k I’m reconsidering.

5 Peaks Trail: Golden Ears – April 23
Distance: 14km
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: n/a
Notes: I did 2 of the 5 Peaks races last year and fell in love with trail running. This year I hope to do all 5.
Result: 1:12:21 – 22/100 Males, 5/16 Age group

The weather could not have been nicer! What a day for a trail run. The course was nice and dry, and the only killer part was the massive hill of about 300m of elevation gain over 1km distance. This was the first race where I tried to push myself to have a decent placing, rather than just run to finish, or to improve on a previous finish. The result was 5/16 in my age group, and a 5:11 min/km pace. I’m very happy with the result, and am only 2 spots out of a top 3 finish. I know its a small field, but this time last year I would have never thought I could possibly place in my age group in any race. Now I see if I keep training hard it just might happen at some point. Really looking forward to the next 5 Peaks race. After next week’s marathon is over, I’m going to switch my focus to trail running for the summer (along with learning to how, um, er, swim since I have my first triathlon in May).

One scary moment when I rolled my ankle. “F#@$!” I yelled as I immediately wondered if I had just ruined 5 months of training for the Vancouver Marathon with 8 days to go. Luckily the pain subsided after about 5 – 10 minutes and I don’t have any major post-race swelling or soreness. I also have a massive blister on my heel which came out of nowhere. I’ve logged over 400km in my trail shoes and never had an issue before today. Hopefully its not a factor for next week.

Vancouver Marathon – May 1
Distance: 42.2km
Previous time: 4h 14min
2011 goal: 3h 30min
Notes: Shaving 45 minutes off my time in one year may seem ambitious but I only trained for 4 months (minimally) for this race last year and started as a total newbie runner. My goal was only to finish. I’ve come a long way in the last year and given my current fitness and plans to train hard this year I think I can  give sub 3:30 a decent shot. I’ve also since learned the power of anti-nipple chaffing technology.
Result: 3:29:56 – 332/1824 males, 57/210 Age group.

This one has its own, long post here.

North Shore Triathlon – May 21
Distance: Sprint (~26km)
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: To finish and get a taste of what the triathlon is all about.
Notes: This will be my first tri. I expect to have a horrible time as I’ll probably have no clue what I’m doing (and likely not even a road bike).
Result: 1:36:02, 154/ 173 Males, 12/ 13 Age group.

Brutal. Just brutal. Out of 285 participants (men/ women all ages) I managed to finish 273 on the swim! My boss gave me some swim lessons 2 days before the tri and got my stroke count-per-length down from 27 to 18, but man I really really really suck at swimming. Almost called her quits after 2 laps when I was gassed, dizzy and embarrassed. Ended up resting after each length, and only survived by doing a back-stroke for half the time.

Aside from the swim, the bike went ok (considering I have a 1980s rusted-out hybrid bike) and I did well on the run (48th overall). The triathlon is indeed a fun event, and I will give this race another go next year, and likely give an Olympic distance a shot. I decided I will NOT be doing the Vancouver triathlon this Sept as its an ocean swim and I would likely drown at this point. Am comfortable that if I take a swim lesson or just practice over the next year I can get my time down to under 20 minutes on the swim and do fine in this event.

5 Peaks Trail: SFU – June 11
Distance: 9.8km
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: n/a
Result: 56:07 – 22/99 Males, 5/18 Age group. <- Amazingly, the exact same placings as the Golden Ears race

Another fun 5 Peaks race. The course was short but had 600+ m of elevation that was killer. Wasn’t in top form since I took most of May off to rest after the Van Marathon, and the Canucks Playoffs have increased beer consumption and decreased training a lot as well. Overall, happy with the result, but I still really want a top 3 age-group placing in one of these races.

North Shore Knee Knackering Trail Run – July 9
Distance: 48km (“The race as a whole has some 16,000 feet of vertical climb and descent.”)
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: To finish in one piece
Notes: This would be my first foray into the ultra (longer than marathon) distance. There is a lottery however as only a limited field is allowed to run each year. This one’s a bucket list item.
Update: Wasn’t selected in the lottery. Really disappointing as I was probably looking forward to this race most of all. More fuel for next year.

Seek the Peak – July 16
Distance: 16km
Previous time: 2h 45min (2009), 2h 17min (2010)
2011 goal: 2hr
Notes: In 2009 this was the first race I ever ran (with no training). Super fun race from Ambleside to the peak of Grouse.
Result: 1:50:59 – 34/149 Males, 8 / 36 Age group

I was aiming for a sub-two hour time and somehow managed to get it handily. The weather was rainy, very very rainy. I continue to improve and surprise myself with results. My time up the grind was a new PR of 45 minutes, and was great because that’s the only time I’ve done the grind this year. Not sure what else to say about this one.

5 Peaks Trail: Mt. Seymour – Aug 6
Distance: 11.7km
Previous time: 1hr 35min
2011 goal:  1hr 05min
Notes: In 2010 this was my first ever trail race. Should be able to shave 30 min off that time.
Result: 55:10 – 20/90 Males, 3/15 Age Group

My first age group placing! This race was was postponed by 2 weeks because of the snowpack still up on Seymour and the course had to be shortened down to 8km. It was no walk in the park though. The amount of snow that was still on even the revised route made things interesting. The lakes up on the course, that last year were nice blue water surrounded by green grass were, this year, still frozen and surrounded by the white stuff.

Overall, I had an ok race but felt I could have done better. About halfway through the race I decided eating 3 tacos AND pasta the night before the race was probably a poor choice. KidSport North Shore, who I volunteer with, had a table up at the event to raise some awareness for what we do, which was really cool.

The series results for the first two 5 Peaks races are posted and I’m in second place with 22 points (but well behind the leader of our age group who has beat me HANDILY in every race so far and has 30 points). After this race he should be at 45 and me at 35. If I can take second for the series in my age group, I’ll be really happy with that for this being my first year of ‘serious’ running. Whistler is next and it sounds like a fun course!

5 Peaks Trail: Whistler – Aug 20
Distance: 10.6km
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: n/a
Result: 1:15:29 – 18/ 125 Males, 7/ 18 Age group

A persistant snow-pack up on Whistler forced this race to be moved over the Blackcomb. It was another gorgeous day for a 5 Peaks race. The course was spectacular, with awesome views throughout – just not much of a chance to enjoy them!

There were clear skies and it was hot, even at the 6,000 ft of elevation at the start line. Being in Whistler, and this race offering prize money, I was expecting a larger field than normal and was not expecting a strong placing. However, I managed 18/125 of the men which was a big surprise.

The trail was great. Some out-and-back but it didn’t seem to cause much challenge in passing the oncoming traffic. Some stretches of snow but not too bad, and one very technical section. The course was TOUGH, and about 8km I was gassed and left walking up most of the hills. I kept expecting to get passed by other racers but it never seemed to happen. I love these races so I’m glad to just to be able to run them, but an 18th overall finish was great for me.

Vancouver Triathlon – Sep 5
Distance: Sprint or Olympic
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: To get a taste of an Olympic distance triathlon
Notes: Depending on how the North Shore tri goes in May, I may only do a Sprint distance or nothing at all. This race is tentative.

Did not register

Coho – Sep 11
Distance: 14km
Previous time: 1hr 05min
2011 goal: 1hr
Notes: Easiest of the runs I plan to do. Enjoyed this course a lot last year. Sub 1-hour would be sweet.
Result: 1:01:52, 4/17 age group – 34/453 overall (incl. women)

Perfect weather for a race along the seawall. I improved by about 4 minutes over last year but fell short of my goal (gasp!). Wasn’t too surprised given I hardly ran in the weeks leading up to this race. Really would have liked to snuck in under 1 hour – next year I guess. Pace of 4:25 was my fastest ever for a race.

5 Peaks: Buntzen Lake – Sep 24
Distance: 15.5km
Previous time: 1hr 28min*
2011 goal: 1hr 30min
Notes: *Course was altered and significantly flatter than it was supposed to be due to flooding of the lake. Hope to be able to do near the same time this year on the harder course.
Result: 1:17:53 – 17/76 males, 3 /8 age group

The final 5 Peaks of the season. It was picture-perfect weather up at Buntzen. The course was the same as last year and I managed a 10 minute improvement so I was really happy about that. Managed to place in my age group again which was great, and finished the enduro series 2nd overall in my age group. Really looking forward to this series of races next year, they are always so much fun.

Okanagan Half Marathon – Oct 9
Distance: 21.1km (Possibly will do the 42.2)
Previous time: 2hr 08min (2009), 1hr 41min (2010)
2011 goal: 1hr 30min
Notes: I’ve done this race 2 years in a row so it’s a good benchmark of improvement on my half-marathon distance. May have the urge to run a full marathon so we’ll see. In 2009 I did this race with zero training and bad shoes and killed my back/knee/ankle. With a year of running under my belt was able to have a way faster time in 2010. Hope to keep that improvement going in 2011. Not sure if 1:30 is too ambitious though.
Result: 1:37:15 – 56/472 Mens, 12/84 Age group

My goal at the start of the season was 1:30 for this. After the 5 peaks races ended my training really stopped, and I never actually followed any half-marathon training plan which I would have needed to do to reach that time. I went into this race having run just once in the 10 days prior to the race. I was also in Kelowna visiting family and had a few beers the night before the race and ate a big red-meat dinner which I’m sure did me no favors. In short, I really didn’t put what I needed to into this to have a crazy time like 1:30. Still, I set a new PR for the half, so I can’t complain about that!

Race day conditions were perfect. Nice and cool and sunny.

Hallow’s Eve Trail – Oct 22
Distance: 21.1km
Previous time: 2h 10min
2011 goal: 2hr
Notes: This is a super fun train run. Last year I was going to dress up but decided not to at the last second. Got to the start line to find everyone in awesome Halloween costumes and felt lame for not dressing up.
Result: 2:08:01 – 8/13 Age group

Same deal as the Okanagan half – I was severely undertrained going into this race. I had probably put in 4 runs total in the 3 or 4 weeks leading up to this race, one of those being the Okanagan half itself. I didn’t push myself on this one, which may be a first for me in a race. This is a super fun race and I had my Mario costume on which added to it. The costume made carrying gels a new challenge (no pockets) and I also ran this without liquid and relied solely on the aid stations. I just went out to enjoy this one, but still managed to shave a few minutes off last year’s time.

I also think this will be my last race of the year. I had planned on running Phanton in a few weeks, but my body (and I think my motivation level) needs a break.  

Phantom Trail – Nov 13
Distance: 24km
Previous time: n/a
2011 goal: n/a
Notes:  Last race of the year, I’ll probably be winding things down and won’t have any time goals for this.

So we’ll see. Will I be able to do every race? Probably not. Will I reach every one on my goals? Probably not. But I sure am stoked to give it my best shot!

photo credit: shaggy359

I’ve been running for about a year now and have done 6 races in that time. There is one thing that never ceases to amaze me during any given race. That is, how much a simple cheer from a stranger can push you to run faster, harder.

During any given race there are multiple times where negative thoughts will creep into my head. Something like Oh man, I’m dying, I should have trained more, or I started out too fast, I’m not going to have a good time or Why on earth am I doing this?! But just as my energy starts to deplete there will be a spectator along the course. It could be a race volunteer, a passerby, a family member of one of the race participants, it could be anyone. But they’ll inevitably clap for you, shout words of encouragement, or honk a car horn. EVERY SINGLE TIME this happens, I feel my pace pick up. I get a sudden boost of energy. Where this energy comes from I have no idea, but goes to show you how much of running is in your mind.

So if you ever find yourself as a spectator to race, don’t be afraid to clap or tell the athletes they’re doing a great job. I guarantee you its always appreciated.

My nipples are going to bleed. That’s all I can think to myself as I scan the crowd for my uncle. Its 7 am and we were supposed to meet near the gear check, but I can’t find him in the mass of people. He was supposed to give me some nifty nipple protectors to prevent chaffing. Oh well, Plan B is the Band-Aids I have. The same ones that have fallen off and failed me on every one of my long training runs.

It’s now 5 minutes until the race begins, I’ve been drinking water since I woke up and I need to use the port-o-pottie but the lineups are worse than an outdoor concert. Do I risk missing race start? Yeah. I get it over with and make it to the end of the start line just in time for the 15 second count-down. 15…14… Ok, I’m ready for this, I’ve trained. No sweat…. 5….4… No biggie, I got this… BANG!

We’re off, it’s drizzling, and I’m about to run the furthest distance of my life, 42.2km. I’m near the back and stuck behind mass of people, but I’m happy to start at a slow pace because its going to be a long day.

Whoa that guy is flying. 3km mark: The race leader has doubled back on the opening stretch and is already at roughly the 8km mark. We’ve just started and he’s already gone more than double my distance. How is it humanly possible to keep that pace for 42km? All I can do is applaud as he passes by on the other side of the street.

We are all Kenyan. 6km mark: I see my favorite sign of the day. Then in small print: “But some of us are just more Kenyan than others”. Tell me about it.

“Hey Rudy!” 7km mark: I spot my uncle as I turn back on the opening part of the course. He sees me and laughs, “Hey KJ!” before vanishing around the corner.

Cool, that’s Martin Parnell! 8km mark: I spot Martin, the ultra-inspiring figure behind Marathon Quest 250, who is single-handedly attempting to run 250 marathons this year in a bid to raise $250k for Right to Play.

“Good work Martin, keep it up!”
“Cheers buddy, thank you!” he shouts back as he flashes me a smile and gives the thumbs-up.

Grumble, grumble. 10km mark: My stomach starts to grumble. Why did I eat that ‘healthy baked cookie bar’ this morning. Or is it the yogurt? This might not end well. Thankfully, the pain quickly goes away and doesn’t return.

Damn, my nipple is bleeding! 12km mark: I look down at my shirt after a sharp tweak of pain. Blood is running down my shirt from my left nipple. Band-Aid brand is definitely not stuck on me.

Rain, rain go away. 14km mark: The drizzle is now a full Vancouver rain. Not good, but not much I can do about it, just keep running.

Sweet, home-field advantage. 18km mark: The course enters Stanley Park, where I did every one of my long training runs. I feel like I know the seawall around the park like the back of my hand. Every nook, cranny and corner is expected and I get a bonus shot of confidence.

“How you doing buddy?” 19km mark: I ask a guy who looks like he’s hurting as I slowly pull even. “Great….but I could use one of those Canadians” he says referring to my Molson toque. “I think those are at the finish line“, I say. “Really? I better hurry” he replies before dashing ahead of me. 5-10 minutes later I catch back up. “I’ll meet you at the pub” I say as I pass. “I’m gonna beat you there!” is the response I get before he kicks it into high gear again, zooming ahead. Not a great use of energy I think to myself. 5 minutes later he’s walking and I pass by. The turtle wins again.

Halfway there. 21.1km mark: My cardio is fine, but my legs are getting heavy. ‘But it doesn’t matter‘ I tell myself, following what my training book advised. This race is as much mental as physical, and there’s no room for negativity here. As any negative thoughts creep into my head, I finish the sentence off with “…but it doesn’t matter”. It’s raining, I’m tired… but it doesn’t matter.

WTF, a pace bunny!? 23km mark: I’ve actually caught up to a pace bunny. I don’t have a time goal. I didn’t want to set one, miss it by a minute and feel like a failure. My goal is to finish. Pure and simple. But I’ve just caught up with the 4:15 pace bunny! Holy cow I’m actually pulling a decent pace.Is it possible I could I keep this up? I try to push the thought aside. My goal is to finish, that’s all! …. But, 4:15 would be pretty sweet.

I dislike this bridge. 27km mark: The Burrard Bridge. I used to like it. A true Vancouver landmark perched over False Creek. But now it’s just a huge mound of pavement that I have to make my way up and over.

G’ah, my other nipple is bleeding. 28km mark: Now my right nipple has opened like a leaky faucet. At least my left has scabbed over and stopped… but it doesn’t matter anyway.

Karl, meet wall. 32km mark: The wall. I’ve read about it. I was ready for it. It sucks.

Uncle Rudy Part II. 34km mark. I’ve made my way out to Jericho beach and am on my way back downtown. The final 8km!! No problemo! Easy-peasy! I increasingly say these things to myself, but man I’m in pain. Then I spot my uncle on his way out to Jericho. We pass by, a quick high five, and an extra boost of energy.

Cramping. 38km mark: My right quad is starting to go. I’ve slowed to what feels like snails pace, but I’m still passing people who are walking so at least that’s something. I refuse to walk.

I hate this bridge. 40km mark: Back over the Burrard. I used to dislike this bridge, now I hate it.

The final push. 42km mark: This is it, any reserves are in full gear. Run. Run. Run! I push my hardest the last 200m. Now my quads, hamstrings, groin and muscles I didn’t know existed feel like they are about to seize, but after 4 months of training I’ll fight for every second!

Finish. 42.2km mark: That’s it! A huge rush of relief. I hobble to the side and try to stretch, but can hardly bend my legs before they start to seize on me. I get my medal, some water and limp into the sports expo to grab my bag. Mission accomplished, scratch it off the bucket list.

But this feels better than other bucket list items I’ve accomplished. This one wasn’t bought with money, but with sweat and (nipple) blood. I couldn’t just pay the bucks and jump off a bridge, for example, like I did for previous things on my list, I had to fight for this one. It feels great.

Oh, and my final time: 4:14:25 and 1215/1879 males. I’ll take it.

photo credit: lululemon athletica

The first Bucket List item I’ll be striking off this year, inshallah¹, is completing a marathon. I’ve registered for the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 2.

I just read a great article by Justin Nyberg from Outside Online about his recent experience on his first marathon. What a great article, it has me totally pumped for May 2. Here’s a quick excerpt:

A few hundred spectators were standing behind the hay bales and police barricades at the bottom of the turn. For some reason, I lifted my arms above my head. Nothing happened. Then a cheer went up. I pumped my fist. It became a roar. I have never felt a second wind like the one that hit me at that moment. I surged forward, filled with energy, leaving the group behind me, catching the next one, and the one after that. That’s the power of the marathon…..

As the 43,660 finishers that day can attest, almost anyone can run a mara­thon—old people, chubby people, Bob from accounting. “It’s ordinary people doing ordinary training so they can then do something extraordinary,” says Frank Shorter, American gold medalist at the 1972 Olympics and 1976 NYC runner-up. But there is no easy way to the finish line. No matter how much pasta you eat the night before, the body can only store so much energy in its muscles, and for many runners, it’s just about gone by mile 20—where they hit the proverbial wall. Whether you’re 2009 New York winner Meb Keflezighi, who finished in 2:09:15, or 88-year-old Peter Harangozo, who completed the race after dark in a little under eight hours, going all the way means digging into your deepest reserves.

I’ve always played sports, but have never enjoyed running for running’s sake. Sprinting down-field to make a sliding tackle in soccer is something I love, but just running around the streets or a trail is always so painful. Or at least it used to be that way. I’ve been training for about 2.5 months now and am actually starting to enjoy my runs. I haven’t even finished the marathon and I’ve already selected a few other races I want to do this year (a half-marathon and a few trail races).

My training consists of 3 ‘short’ runs and 1 long run every week. It’s a 4 month program and the distances increase each week. (For my training I’ve been following a great book called, The Non-Runners Marathon Trainer).

My health has definitely improved. My cardio has improved, but most of all my muscle endurance is waaay better than it was when I started. So far my longest run is 26km, and it was painful. Very painful. It’s hard to imagine running 15km more than that, but I’ll have to get there.

Why I want to do this? I don’t really know, just had the urge. I did a half-marathon last fall on impulse (with zero training). It was so painful, my legs were not used to the running and I had an old $20 pair of runners that I used. During the race I buggered my knee and ankle, and ultimately threw my back out for a few days (all aside from the expected muscle stiffness).  But in the end I finished the race and it left me wanting a bigger challenge. When my uncle told me he was going to do the Vancouver Marathon, I decided to sign up too.

So, a little over 1 month to go!

¹Just finished reading Three Cups of Tea so it seemed like a fitting word. Highly recommend the book.