Toronto 1/2 Marathon October 16, 2005 This race was a pure celebration for me: a victory in being able to run a 1/2 marathon event after giving up on the idea for this year after breaking my kneecap in February. As a victory parade, I had no obsessions or real "hard" goals about the result. My goals for this race were all about the 21.099km between the start line and finish line: 1) enjoy the course route - my old haunts when I used to run in TO, and the fall colours - my fellow runners, the event; 2) start slow and patient, finish fast and strong; 3) run the whole way, no stops or walk breaks; and 4) if I had a time goal, sub-2:00:00, which was my time the other time I've run this course, although I felt that 1:55 was possible if nothing serious went wrong. I was not going to wear a watch, so that I could just concentrate on doing the best that I could and enjoying each moment of the race, and let myself be surprised and happy with whatever time that I did achieve. It was cold, windy, and raining slightly as my friend Cindy dropped me off at Mel Lastmann Square at 7:15am. I had time to make changes to my wardrobe choices. It was cold in the wind, but it was a NW wind which would be at our backs for most of the race, and only in our face for the last 5-6kms or so. Would it continue to rain? Would it get warmer? Questions, questions, questions, doubt and uncertainty. I changed my shorts to my long "winter" shorts, but then put the "clothing-question" aside for the moment, and made the rest of my preparations - body glide, read my mental notes, and food. Just before 8am I made my way over to baggage check where I knew I would need time to get a tag and pins to attach it to my bag. I did need that time, as the bag check was a zoo. The rain had stopped, and the sky was lightening, so I decided to not change my attire any more - I would use the garbage bag and gloves to get warm at the beginning of the race, and I hoped that I would be able to stay warm through any rain and the expected headwind in the last few km's with just t-shirt/shorts/hat. After final preparations of a pee break in the corner of a building and stretching out, I was relaxed, loose, and confident, although my legs felt a little dead. I was ready to race. The horn sounded and we all clapped and cheered, and didn't move. It took me longer than I expected to reach the start line, but then I was off and running. I quickly realized that I had seeded myself too far back in the pack. I was having to pass people constantly, and having to weave to do so. I focused on doing this in a relaxed way, patient, and finding my pace. I kept the garbage bag on for only a few minutes, and then, warm and feeling good and relaxed, I ripped it off. I kept the gloves on for a little while longer, but then tucked them into my water bottle belt. Going through the Hwy 401 underpass there was all kinds of hooting and hollering, and I gleefully joined in. And then I started down the Hogs Hollow hill. Now 3+ km's into the race, the crowd had thinned out enough so that I was not weaving and passing so many people, and there was more room around me. As I went down the hill I concentrated on a shorter, quicker stride to protect my legs from too much pounding. Then, going up the hill, I kept my effort even and relaxed. I noticed people whom I had passed when going down the hill passing me back on the way up the hill. And I passed them again later beyond the top of the hill. I thought that they would pay for that excessive effort later in the race. Now I was settled into a comfortable pace, not pushing my effort level yet. I felt good, but my legs were not waking up, instead the deadness feeling was growing. This concerned me, and I kept hoping that it would go away. Through 5km, 6km, 7km, no change. I felt good and was happy with my pace, but my legs felt dead and lifeless. This caused me some disappointment, but I told myself that I could only do my best today, the day of the race, with what was thrown at me. If that meant that I did not get 1:55, so be it. With my attitude sorted out and relaxed and enjoying myself again, I ran on. Down past Mt. Pleasant Cemetary I went. Most of the trees were still green, as the fall colours were late this year. I focused on a short, quick stride down the St. Clair hill, which is the steepest hill on the course. I drank part of my gel at 8km, earlier than planned, as I was hoping to energize my legs. I took a bit of water at the aid stations, just to get the taste of gel and eLoad out of my mouth (I don't like their aftertastes). I was still slowly passing people, and few others were passing me. I could feel the wind pushing me from behind, and my temperature was good, although I had to take my hat off and put my glasses ontop of my head in order for my head not to feel hot and my glasses fog up. I had also rolled-up my shorts, as I did not need their 'insulating' effect with the wind behind me. I was thinking that the last few km's into the wind would be ok temperature-wise, assuming that the rain held off, and it looked like it would, as the sun was trying to break through the clouds at times. I noticed many overdressed runners around me - jackets or extra clothing tied around their waists. The route finally left Yonge St and turned onto Rosedale Valley Drive for the half-way point of the race. I had been noticing various clocks on the sides of buildings and on ad-signs, but the times seem to be quite disparate, so I wasn't quite sure what my time/pace was. But by my guestimate I reached 1/2 way in just under an hour. I was right where and when I wanted to be. Rosedale Valley Drive is my favourite part of the course because of the gentle downhill, we are out of the wind and noise of the city, and the trees are usually in full colour. But this year the trees, which only the occasional exception, were green. And, just as I started the second half of the race, I got a sharp pain in my left hip/quad. What the ^%$#* is that? I wondered if this was the result of the tight/sore hamstring that had bothered me this week. It slowly got a little worse, and I hoped that I could continue my smooth stride despite it. Otherwise, I felt good, and part-way down the valley I noticed that my stride had lengthened and my pace picked up. The dead feeling in my legs had not gone away, but it faded into the background as I finally entered cruising-mode. The left hip/quad pain did not appear to be affecting my stride yet. I took the rest of my gels at the 12km mark, as I thought a water-station was coming up, but it took a couple more km's for me to get some water. I was not drinking alot of my eLoad, as I did not feel hot and the temperature and weather was keeping the sweating down. I was onto Bayview Avenue now, still passing people at my quickened pace, and feeling good. The pain in my hip/quad was not getting any worse. At the turn onto Front St. I put my hat and glasses back on and rolled down my shorts again, as I now expected to have crosswind and headwind to deal with, but, instead. it wasn't bad at all. A couple of gusts hit me, but they did not slow me down at all. And surprisingly, the pain in my left hip/quad eased quite quickly - I guess there was some constriction caused by the rolled up shorts. That is so weird/funny. We turned south again briefly, and then turned west again under the Gardiner Expressway. I had to take my glasses off again as it was dark and I wanted to be able to see my footing properly. We had some crosswind gusts, but the wind was still not really a factor. Only the left lane was open to traffic, so there was lots of room for us runners. I still felt great and was motoring along quite freely and effortlessly, although both quads were starting to feel slightly strained and sore. I was relaxed and happy and in a great mood. I knew where the turn onto University Ave was - the next turn after Yonge St, so that is what I keyed on. At one intersection, as cars were stopped for us runners, I exclaimed "Today us runners rule the road!", stumbling over the words and doing a "blah! blah!" to get my tonge untied. A runner beside me giggled in agreement. We turned the corner onto Yonge St. and dove down through the tunnel before coming up onto University Ave. The few other runners around me were quiet, so I had to hoot and "eeeccchhoooo" on my own through the tunnel. Soon, going up University Ave., I could see Queen's Park and I knew the finish line was close. The incline was gradual, and my quads were starting to hurt and constrict more, but I was still running freely - I was not having to force my pace and effort yet. I now started wondering if my friend Kerri-Lynn had made it down on the subway. She is not the adventurous sort, nor is she good with a map, so I hoped that my explicitly written directions would get her down to Queen's Park safely and in time. Our plan was to meet at the Queen's Park subway stop, and I planned to drop my water-bottle belt there. The wind was surprisingly not bad as I made my way up University Ave. Gusts would hit us, but it did not make a noticable impression on my running. I continued to pass people, and I was keeping an eye our for Kerri-Lynn. I passed the Queen's Park subway stop, and didn't see her, and now was concerned. Then I saw her, and I ran over to her, dropped the water-bottle belt and gave her a "Going great!" cheer. Phew! I was relieved she made it! I now felt light and free as I turned the corner to go around the Queen's Park circle, free of the weight of my water-bottle belt, and freeof my worries. I tried to pickup the pace for my final dash to the finish line, but I couldn't. My legs were nearly done! Suddenly my form was ragged and scattered, and my focus developed the familiar tunnel-vision - "Just get to the finish line" was all that I had left to do, and all I could do was maintain my pace - I was going as fast as I could go. I couldn't pass too many people now, as they too were picking up there pace. Around the bend we went, and under the "Nearly there" banner. A girl I had just passed passed me back, and I let her go as there was a large crowd of people just ahead, and I wanted space around me for a proper finish so that I could get a good photo. Finally the finish line and clock came into view, and I was thrilled to see "1:55:24" displayed! Yippee! I had achieved the time that I thought I could get! I pumped my fist and keyed in on the photographers as I ran across the line, checking right and left to ensure no one could pass me at that late stage. I am thrilled with how the race went. I overcame the obsticles that came into my path: doubts about what to wear; dead legs; crowds at the beginning; cramp/soreness in left hip/quad; and the wind. I executed my race plan perfectly: I ran the first half like a scientist, with planning and restraint; and the second half like an artist, artistically and emotionally (quoting Joe Henderson). Without a 1/2 way split I don't know how big my negative split was, but I think it waseasily in the 3-4min range. I kept my focus on the process, in the moment, and not on the result, on the finish line. And the result was my 3rd fastest 1/2 marathon ever (and only 19 seconds from being the 2nd fastest)! All four race goals were spectacularly achieved! My stats: 1:55:30 gun time 1:52:37 chip time 1273/3759 overall 931/1806 men 159/280 men 35-39 What I would do differently/learnings: - dead legs - likely cuz of being a tourrist the 2 days prior to the race and walking around Toronto and museums; - extra-sore quads - the downhill naturee of this course, especially the Hogs Hollow and St. Clairs hills, which were particularly long and steep. I couldn't have changed this, but I obviously planned my effort perfectly, cuz the legs had nothing left at the end; - clothing - if it had rained and the wiind been more of an issue at the end, then my clothing choices would have been perfect. As it was, I was warm, and I did not need my hat nor glasses. But hindsight is 20/20, and the garbage bag and gloves for the start of the race was perfect, and it turned out that that was all I needed. - start furthur forward - it is typical of my to start towards the back of the pack, but this time it meant that I had to work a little harder in the first 2/3 km's to get comfortable running space because of the large number of runners.