Running Wild

Mississauga marathon exhilirating even from spectator stand

One of the big race weekends happened in Mississauga yesterday.
The Mississauga Marathon and half marathon took place, amid what was a fairly perfect day for a run. Minus the wind of course.
I didn’t run, but was there at the halfway point for the runners in my group many of whom were running their first full marathon.
I have to say despite being a little chilled it was one of the most fun spectating experiences I ever had.
A full marathon is a big deal and when you’re surrounded by marathoners, you sometimes lose sight of that fact.
Well I was reminded of that yesterday when several of my counterparts ran their first one.
You never get that feeling back.
The one that comes with the first one.
That feeling that you have for one or two weeks after.
“I can run the world, I just ran a marathon.” It stays for quite a while from what I remember.
Remarkably everyone did well.
I say remarkably, because when you run that long and that far, sometimes things happen that you didn’t see coming, whether it be an injury or just an off day.
I was airborne a lot yesterday as each one of them came through the half way point, where me Paul and Lori had their extra supplies stashed.
Our fearless leader was first and had a great run to finish his umpteenth marathon.
The first newbie followed right behind.
Ed was one of the newbies to join the marathon clinic this year.
All through the training, there were sparks of this unbelievable speed.
We all saw it but I don’t think anyone was prepared for his first ever marathon.
He came through the mid-way point looking strong.
But you never know how the rest of the race will go, so as our last runners came through the halfway point we headed up to the finish to see people come in.
I think the three of us were near hysterical when he flew by us still in mint condition, well ahead of the four-hour bunny. He finished with a 3:53:58.
We were screaming and yelling and jumping.
He didn’t even notice.
It was pure focus.
More than impressive and continuing to earn his nickname “Fast Eddy”.
Lesley, another newbie, blew our socks off.
An energetic person by nature, she was out of control when she came through the half way point, much sooner than any of us had expected.
I thought to myself we should bottle her enthusiasm and energy and bottle that to sell at future race expos.
Again, I internally worried that the marathon would be unkind in the second half.
Not on this day.
She sailed passed us at the finish and finished super strong, I believe somewhere in the time area of 4:41 and still with a smile and that energy.
In the end, the stories at the finish were fun as they tried to characterize that feeling your body gets that happens in the marathon.
“It’s like your limbs, everything in your body just goes (insert expletive in here).”
Another quote was “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”
More expletives followed that.
In the end, it was a good day for all, even those who struggled, making it to the finish line in one piece.
Kudos to all of you on a job well done.
As for me, people want to know what’s going on next. I have a fun 10k in Ottawa in two weeks and then it’s the first-ever all women’s half marathon May 31.
Bring on the firefighters and chocolate.
Fall may bring a marathon surprise, if my name gets pulled in the New York City Marathon lottery.
What will the running Gods decide?
Until then Happy Trails.

Tough run, determined finish at Flying Pig

Up up and away.
The 2009 Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is in the history books now and my legs haven’t forgiven me yet.
I still groan as I get up, but the more I groan the better I feel because it means I worked hard Sunday.
I won’t keep anyone in suspense. My time goal was 4:15 and I ended up running a 4:21. It’s a new personal best in a marathon for me so I can’t be too upset about it, considering I earned my stripes in this one.
Particularly given the chain of events and the course.
I am a creature of habit before every race, down to how long I spend at the start line and where I fold my race clothes the night before.
I’m not one of those people who likes to spend more than 15 minutes huddled at the start. I like to get  there wait a few minutes soak up the scenery and wait for the gun to go off.
Keeping that in mind, I gave myself enough time to walk over a bridge, spanning the Ohio River, into Cincinnati and head to the start.
As I was walking over I was sweating, but figured I was just a little nervous.
I didn’t clue in to how humid it actually was.
As I got closer to the start I looked at my watch and realized I was cutting it a little close.
I was still standing at the top of the Paul Brown stadium when I heard the national anthem play. The pre-race Zen I was feeling came to a screeching halt.
I quickly stripped my outer layers off while walking. (In hindsight this probably wasn’t a good idea) and I tore down the stadium stairs, inserted myself in the only available space in the sea of more than 16,000 participants.
I felt panicked.
I looked around and nobody was wearing a marathon a bib, except for one poor guy who was trying to move in the crowd beside me. As we tried to edge closer to the front, I could see the sign for the 4:45 minutes pace bunny way up ahead.
At this point I was a little distraught.
I tried not to panic, but it took me about five miles to settle down. Just as I started to find my rhythm the monster hills at Mile 6 started.
Normally someone who looks for flat races, I had limited experience with a hilly 42.2 kilometre route.
It takes a lot of guts to run a challenging course and I managed to find some somewhere.
I trudged up them drinking water and wondering if my pace was too fast because I was feeling as if I was really pushing hard.
When I saw the clock at the halfway mark, I was very confused.
I was behind the time I wanted, but felt as if I was working hard.
So being that I was in the United States and trying convert my pace from miles to kilometres, I gave up and just ran.
It turns out while there were some speckles of rain, it was very humid out there.
I let it go and kept running enjoying the amazing crowd support along the route. Fresh orange slices awaited us at several mile markers and the spectators were really into it.
I was having a mediocre race, but they kept me going, including the state trooper in the last two miles who said, “I see you!, C’mon”
Cincinnati really embraces the weekend and treats the runners so well. I’m still sporting my temporary flying pig  tattoo on my leg with pride.
At Mile 20, my fiancée met me on his rollerblades and as he replenished my Gatorade supply the 4:30 bunny ran past me.
As my eyes welled up in frustration, he looked at me and said, “There’s no crying in the marathon. Don’t get upset, just go.”
And go I did. I was not letting that 4:30 pace bunny out of my sight.
I channelled my frustration into the back of that pace bunny’s head.
I wanted a personal best if it killed me even if it was only by a couple of minutes and even if I had to trip him on the way in. So I ran and ran and ran.
My worst fear is that he would surge ahead of me in the last couple of miles, kicking me in the guts.
It was enough to propel me to work even harder than I already was.
I didn’t feel as bad in those last six miles as I did in the rest of the race.
It was a new feeling for me as the last six miles are usually the hardest. But as I left the 20 mile marker I pretended the race was starting again.
I got in front of that bunny and made sure he was well behind me as I crossed the Finish Swine — a Cincinnati trademark.
As I came running down Pete Rose Way, I could feel the adrenalin pumping. I was hauling at this point.
It was proof to me what many before me said.
The last six miles is all guts.
In the end I beat my personal best by nine minutes and the great part about the race is it left me wanting more.
This marathoner is just getting started.

Cheese burgers can be great motivator

I was driving to work this morning and I was visualizing.
Visualizing the race and the finish line in Cincinnati.
I do this before every big race and it helps.
It sounds a little silly, but I’ve been doing it for years. And, on a training run, I will picture my friends waiting for me on the sidelines as I run by.
I picture meeting my goal. I picture running a personal best. I picture looking around and feeling the exhilaration of race day.
Sometimes I picture cheese burgers.
Actually, I picture cheese burgers and nachos a lot.
They’re my post race favourites.
I do this while I drive, while I sit at my desk and before I go to sleep.
It helps motivate me.
Another thing that helps motivate me is the group of runners around me who wished me well Wednesday night.
We’ve trained together through the winter months and through the rain and will definitely come to mind when I’m struggling.
Last night, as we sat around a table having our usual post run coffee, I suddenly felt as if I was on the Price is Right.
I’ve held my time goal close to my chest this time for fear of not being able to make it.
As usual I have an A goal, B goal and C goal.
I always tell people to do this, so that if you happen to wake up and have a bad run, you still have a goal you can meet.
All I will divulge is that my C goal is a personal best.
So the bids started, 4:15, 4:09: 4:00.
They started saying times, figuring I’d buckle.
I have a good poker face.
Rest assured I will tell you after what I was aiming for and if I got it.
I only told one person about two weeks ago and he will not tell a soul.
This is, after all, the reason we train.
It’s race weekend and as I frantically check the forecast and make sure I have all my race gels lined up, I’m also figuring out slogans for my bib and my arm.
What goes on the arm is for when I hit the wall.
The wall comes in various forms and for me it means feeling as if my legs are moving fast when they’re really not. This usually happens around 36 or 37K.
I’ve had great training and great races preceding this run, so I have high hopes.
I’m looking forward to seeing all the volunteers and spectators cheering us on.
So oink, oink, by the time you read this I will be well on my way to the Flying Pig Marathon down in Cincinnati, as giddy as can be.
Thanks to all of you have supported me the whole way through.