PART 1:
This was certainly a busy week and not because of running! My principal at school was sick for most of the week and I was left in charge, which always makes the time fly by with the added excitement. On top of that, I was finally able to spend a few hours in the garden, which is something that I enjoy a great deal. Our backyard is starting to look recognizable again and the chickens are happy, healthy, and enjoying shooting mulch all over the grass. After raking up the leaves and dried grass into an enormous pile, I started burning in the fire pit. Suddenly my right leg felt hot and I looked down to see my jeans and shoe on fire. Simultaneously, my pile of dried grass caught fire and sheer panic set in. Thankfully, I was able to get everything under control just in time. I was fortunate to walk away relatively unscathed, with one less pair of shoes and jeans! In terms of running, I was happy to see that my favourite trail is drying up nicely and Heather and I were able to get out onto some great trails a couple of times this week, which we haven't been able to do together for quite a while.
Leading up to the weekend, I wasn't sure if I was feeling prepared to race hard, but when I woke up on Saturday morning and started to get ready to run the Seaton Soaker 50k, I definitely felt like I was willing to push. This is one of my favourite races. I find the course to be scenic and very runnable. Also, the race draws a really big crowd and it is great to see everyone on the out-and-back course.
Although I started a bit too hard, I settled into a more reasonable pace and felt quite comfortable through 25k. I counted the runners ahead of me at the 25k turnaround and I figured I was around 10th-12th place. More importantly, I felt pretty good and I knew that if I could keep it together for the next 10-15k, I would be set up to have a decent race. I passed a few runners in the next 13k and noticed at the final turnaround that there were a handful of runners within 2 minutes of me. I suddenly felt a lot of pressure and I started breaking down the final 13k into small increments and making deals with myself along the way. I focused on running every kilometre as if it were a 1km race. With 5k left in the race, I was really feeling it. I was exhausted and REALLY wanted to walk. However, I also knew that the final stretch was relatively easy and decided to keep running.
I believe my race time was about 20 seconds faster than the last time I ran this event in 2016. It is hard to compare the two races though because in 2016, it was raining and very muddy, however, this year the course was 2km longer due to a necessary re-route. I will say that I definitely ran harder in the last 45 minutes this year than I did the last time I ran this event. When I crossed the finish line, I felt nauseous and dizzy but I also felt pretty good about how I managed my race.
I understand that I talk about this a lot but, I was once again reminded at this race that the trail running community is amazing. I feel very thankful to be a part of such an accepting and encouraging group of people. Nearly everyone that I shared the trail with offered kind words as we crossed paths.
After I finished, I immediately changed my focus towards recovery, since I would be racing again the following morning. A couple of months ago I met with Drew at DKOS in Hamilton and had custom orthotics made and also purchased compression socks. After a consultation with him, we decided that, given the number of races I am running this year, the focus for me should be on recovery. I don't wear the orthotics or compression socks while running (though I could), but rather once I am done running. I also made sure I took in a lot of fluids. I wasn't sedentary the remainder of the day but I certainly took it easy.
After the race, Heather was giving a talk at the Toronto Arc'teryx store so we walked around a little bit and I was able to check out a record shop and pick up an album ("The Who") for my son, who, like me, enjoys the warm sound of vinyl records. I also got a sweet pair of Arc'teryx Norvan LD shoes to try.
The next morning, we once again got up way too early to prepare for another race- The Chocolate Race. This was my third time participating in this event. I ran the 5k, Heather ran the 10k, and the kids ran the 2.5k. I woke up with my legs feeling quite stiff and concerned that my run may turn into a walk.
The event is really big and had 600 participants in the 5k race alone. It was a great thing to do on Mother's Day and all of the participants received an abundance of chocolate treats. In fact, there were even chocolate aid stations on the course! I don't usually stretch before I run but I needed to for this one. After moving around and stretching, I started to feel much better and figured that, although it wouldn't be great, I should be able to run the entire race.
The first kilometre was rough and was definitely my slowest, however, it was better than expected. The best part was that, after that first kilometre, I was starting to feel pretty good. By 2km, I felt warmed up and was moving way better than I expected. I ended up finishing in 20:51, which I was really pleased with, given the circumstances. My final kilometre was my fastest of the race, which isn't usually the case for me when I run a 5k. The kids had a good time and Heather ran a strong race.
I made sure that I saved most of my chocolate from the race to give to the student in my class that guessed closest to my race time. The RD of the race, who I consider a friend of mine, also offered to give me some extra race swag (which was really cool stuff!) to give to my students. The chocolate croissant was hard to give away since I had shared Heather's with her and it was, by far, the best I have ever had.
PART 2:
I meant to post the above blog last week but, it didn't happen. Since then, another weekend has passed and with that, 2 more races. I promise, I'll keep this REALLY short.
The first race of the weekend was the MEC 5k race. I decided at 8:20am that I was going to run it. I quickly packed the kids up and jumped in the car. I arrived at 8:58am. The 10k and 21.1k started at 9:00am and the 5k started at 9:05am. Although I was too late for registration, the kind woman at the registration tent allowed me to quickly register. I put on my bib, tied my shoes, jogged 100m to warm-up, and arrived at the start line with 1 minute to spare. The course was flat and had some muddy/wet sections. Within 1.5k we caught up to some of the runners from the longer distance events and it was a little more difficult to avoid the big puddles at this point.
We hit the turn around point and headed back the way we came. Although the course was marked perfectly and had marshals to guide the runners, the lead runner made a wrong turn. It was unfortunate to see because, although it only cost him 10-15 seconds, he moved into 3rd place, just in front of me. I spoke to him after the race and he had a great attitude about the whole thing. I was really impressed. By 9:30am I was back in my car heading home.
The following day, we headed to Cambridge for the Cambridge Mill 8k. A few of our kids did the 1k, Heather and her son Curtis ran the 8k relay, and I ran the 8k. Although not hilly by trail standards, the course was way hillier than I expected. I tried to run the 8k at my 5k pace, which was easy for the first 1k, which was all downhill. However, the rest of the race was a real challenge. The lead female, who ran the entire race while juggling 3 balls, was right behind me from start to finish. I was working very hard and was struggling in the final 2 km, which was the hilliest part of the course. I couldn't find my iPod before the race so I had nothing to drown out the sounds of my heavy breathing. It reminded me of Zach Miller's breathing at the end of the San Fransisco TNF 50 miler in 2016, which is also one of the most inspiring finishes ever. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favour and check it out (it's a short video):
I forgot to start my watch at the beginning so I didn't know what my cumulative time was until I finished. Even though I felt absolutely horrible at the finish, I was really pleased to finish in under 32:00 and to secure 3rd place overall. I received a nice plaque and a free pair of Saucony running shoes. The race was a lot of fun, very well organized, and a great family outing.
I've now completed 20 races in 2018- half way there! As always, thanks for taking the time to read this; I sincerely appreciate your support.