2011 in review

There's still the Resolution Run to do on New Year's Eve at 6pm. While it has a start/ finish line with a clock, there's no official timing, and although I call it a "race", it's kind of a stand-alone event.

I might post my 2012 plan in January, although I put it together a couple of weeks ago to stop my motivation from flagging.

Before I forget though, and as it's the season for end of year lists and reviews, here's mine.

"The One That Got Away", St. Patrick's 10k, March: Don't move house a week before a race. I also could have done with calibrating my garmin - it's not a GPS, it uses a footpod - so I was going slower than I thought. To be honest I probably couldn't have improved my 10k PB that day anyway. It was what I had been looking forward to while I was lifting boxes, painting, etc. I did this in 42:12, so my PB is still 41:28. Of the distances I attempted this year, it is the only one that I didn't get a PB in - this 2010 PB will be history in 2012.

"90 minute barrier smashed", Calgary Half Marathon, May: Having re-jigged my training after the St Patrick's disappointment, I had a more structured plan when it came to speed work, and a carb loading strategy from a book I'd read. The 90 minute barrier in the half marathon had been my holy grail ever since my first half - and indeed first race - exactly 2 years before when I came home in 1:46. Everything went right, so the race in that sense was "undramatic", and I crossed the line over a minute under the 90, believing afterwards that I could've gone even quicker. It was a dream come true, and I also loved the sound of "62nd out of 2,965".

I started my blog shortly after that race. I had mostly wanted to keep a log of race reports. I quickly wrote-up my main races to date. It's another way in which my running has evolved this year.

"Sub-20 minute 5k!", Stampede Road Race, July: What a gut-busting distance that is. Leaving the startline confusion to one side, I managed - just - to get under 20 minutes in a 5k. Last year I went way to fast and burned out halfway round, coming home in 20:15. This time I managed 19:48, getting 4th in my age group, so no medal, but happy to achieve my goal. It finished on a track - 1st time ever for that too.

"Irene & The Hamstring". My 6th half marathon and the first time I had failed to get a PB. I went to Quebec City for this one, and I missed it by 4 minutes. The beginnings of Hurricane Irene and having to stop to stretch my hamstring both led to disappointment. I wasn't unhappy for long - I understood what had gone wrong on that day. What's more baffling than that is when things go right, it's hard to understand why...

 

...which is what made the Harvest Half Marathon just 5 weeks later all the more worth savouring. I was expecting at best to squeek inside my PB, but ended up knocking off 55 seconds. My favourite race of the year on balance, a beautiful day all-round.

It's also the second time I used a "headcam", for want of a better term. In the first picture at the top, next to me is a lady with a Go-Pro camera. I went for a way cheaper and lighter option. Once again, it's another way in which my running has changed, wanting to capture every second.

The biggest surprise of all perhaps was 3 weeks after that. I entered a 5-miler as a reward to myself for getting a new job, knowing too that my 34 min+ PB for the distance was slow and beatable. What stunned me was that I came home in 31:02, at a faster pace than my 5k PB. That 10k PB will soon be gone mwah ha-ha!

 

I also volunteered for the first time ever, and it was good to give back. Next year ought to be great!

Merry Xmas, I'll be going for my first run ever on Xmas day!

Quebec City Half Marathon report - with movie!

In Quebec City I met Irene - hurricane Irene that is. I suppose I've had worse first dates...

I had booked everything in June, training had gone well since then and I felt I'd picked up speed. The only trouble had been the monday prior to the race when during a "recovery run" I got caught in heavy rain and did the last 15 minutes very fast, then had a little soreness in the right groin muscle later. It faded a few days after.

Arriving on thursday, at the expo the day after I also stopped by the Ottawa Marathon stand. On the last sunday of May (just like the Calgary Marathon) Ottawa next year might just be where I'll aim to do my Boston qualifier.

The day before the race, I started hearing about Hurricane Irene on radio and TV. Into the afternoon and questions began appearing on the Quebec Marathon's facebook page. Early evening it said that the runners for the full would get buses all the way to the start instead of a ferry across the river. Around an hour later it then announced that the full was cancelled and those runners were welcome to do the half. Those hoping to qualify for Boston must've been gutted - though as I later found out with the wind, very very few would've done it that day.

Race day: Walked to the finish line to get shuttle bus to the start line. As the photo shows, it looks like I'm off to prison.

A-Chang just wanted to get back to the hotel for breakfast.

Got to the start very early, the toilets didn't have any soap or hand sanitizer :( I spent much of the time sitting on the curbside to stay as warm as I could.

Lining up just before the start and I finally felt warmer. It was a touch crowded and I found myself further back than I would've liked. Lots of cheats people also climbed over the side fencing to take up position in front of me - so for the first time ever I would have to get past a few people at the start. Most of the photos to come are screen captures from the bullet cam I was wearing on my headband - I edited the video into 5 minute highlights at the end.

The aim was to get a PB - 1:28:56 - and I set my watch to get me just under 1:28. I felt the wind would stop me, but decided to try anyway. No huge deal if I missed out on it.

2km to 6 or so km was a bit of a climb up to the bridge, on which everyone got sideswipped by the mother of all cross winds. Runners took caps off, put one hand on their heads, or in one case had to do a quick 90 degree turn to catch a piece of runaway headgear.

I was on target still heading down the circular ramp at the 9km mark which then passed under the same bridge. One girl up ahead got bumped and took a fall and had the medics with her in seconds. She was crying and had bloody knees - a reminder that it can get dangerous out there even on  a closed course.

It was within 1km of getting to the bottom that my energy faded. The wind was gusting head on at 30-50 kph and my pacing had been structured to get me to the finish with nothing left as if there were no wind, so I felt drained very quickly. From here on, I did not pass anyone except walkers - though some had a tougher time than me and did this - several people passed me. At points I was able to draft for a few hundred metres here and there, but all those who passed me were most likely people who had kept the conditions in mind from the very start.

It can clearly be seen where the headwind started.

Oddly enough, at the airport afterwards, I got chatting with a lady who said that this race is frequently unlucky with the weather, so she goes to Montreal, Ottawa, etc. to race. This wasn't the end of it though. With around 2km to go, what felt like 3 gentle electric shocks went through my right hamstring. Running with my leg a little straight, I felt another couple of pulses a couple of hundred metres later. Best have a precautionary stretch before the finish line I thought - I'm happy that I was able to think straight at that point instead of getting all matcho and running myself into the ground.

The crowds were great on the home straight - I got to the finish line running as fast as I safely dared. 1:32:58 was my time, 319th out of 4,504.

Overall I am pleased with this - given that I've gone from weighing a third more than I do now to being slightly frustrated with getting a 1:33 in blustery conditions with a strained hamstring.

Now to the movie! Set to "24 Hours" by Athlete. My "headcam" experiment was a resounding success, enjoy!

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18BD75uF2e8 )