What is a Marathon?

It would be nice to assume I know exactly what a marathon is.  And I do know what a marathon is.  It is 26.2 miles, or 42.2 kilometers, all on foot, propelled by mental and physical endurance.

But that is the simple answer.


A marathon is so much more than that.  It is more complicated, and at the same time, it is more basic.

A marathon is all of these things:

- A marathon begins years, months, weeks and days before many of us take our first step running.  A marathon, for many, is a, "maybe one day" idea.  It is rattling around in our brain as a goal that we might get around to doing when the time is right.
- The strange thing about a marathon, is that, although the finish line seems impossibly far away, also seems within reach.  How else can we explain the amount of people that run marathons?  Many of us have signed up for them without having accomplished that distance before, and we place all of that trust in our training that we will get there, ready to do it.  This is still amazing to me.
*I do know one person that decided to "practice" the marathon distance prior to signing up for the race, to be sure that he could cover the distance.  His only flaw was that he did his "practice run" 3 days before race day.  He still finished the marathon, but he was quite sore by the end of it all.  Definitely not recommended.
- A marathon "is crazy!!" Or so I'm told.  All the time.  When I am told this, I just nod and shrug it off.  I don't expect everyone to understand that it isn't crazy.  Things like jumping out of an airplane are "crazy."  Spending many years/months preparing your mind and body for an endurance event actually seems sensible.  But, to each his own, right?
- A marathon is long runs in crappy weather.
- A marathon is long runs in lovely weather.
- A marathon is speed work where your lungs are on fire.
- A marathon is speed work that makes you mentally tough enough to push your legs beyond what you ever thought possible.
- A marathon is easy runs with friends filled with laughter and chatter.
- A marathon is alone time to run for miles and think about everything, from upcoming lesson plans, to blog posts, to hopes and dreams.
- A marathon is 5am runs.
- A marathon is the fear of injury.
- A marathon is blisters, ugly feet and ice baths.
- A marathon is going to bed early (through discipline, or pure fatigue).
- A marathon is a choice.
- A marathon is peeing in a corn field.
- A marathon is calculating pace/splits (math on the run).
- A marathon is obsessively checking the weather.
- A marathon is hoping and praying your Garmin will work properly on race morning (or maybe that's just me...)
- A marathon is accepting things we cannot control, like long traffic lights in the middle of a tempo run.
- A marathon is a forgiving and supportive family.
- A marathon is "character building."
- A marathon is physio/massage therapy.
- A marathon is choosing a haircut based on whether it can easily pull back into a ponytail (true story).
- A marathon is pure mental strength from mile one.
- A marathon is about moving forward.
- A marathon is sunscreen, sunburns, and after-sun lotion.
- A marathon is being inspired by training partners and friends.
- A marathon is full of diversity.
- A marathon is never boring.  No two races are ever alike.
- A marathon is emotional.  I have cried many tears, smiled happy smiles, dug deeper into my heart and mind than I had ever thought possible. I have felt indifferent, frustrated and defeated.  I have felt exhilarated and triumphant.
- A marathon bonds runners together.  In training, in the race itself, and in recalling stories long afterward.

A marathon is running to the finish line

A marathon is always a part of us, whether we have done one, two, or a hundred and two.

Canadian 5k Road Championships! Race Recap

I'm going to start at the beginning.

Back when there was snow on the ground, and I was hobbling around with an injury (in March) I heard that the B&O Yorkville 5k registration was opening.  A friend had run this race last year, and said it was a great course.  Good for a PB in the 5k.

That's all I needed to hear!

When I went to the website to sign up, there was something interesting on their website.

They were also holding the "Canadian 5k Road Championships" at that race site on the same day.  There were qualifying times listed, and my most recent 5k was under the qualifying time for women.  Hmmmmm.

Should I enter?

After some encouragement from my friends, I decided to go for it (gulp)!

A few weeks later, I received an email that I was in the race, at which time I promptly panicked that I had made a terrible mistake and that now, as I was in this championship race, I would perhaps have the chance of finishing in last place.

Now.  There is nothing wrong with last place.  Nothing at all.

Ask my high school cross country coach.  I have definitely finished a race in last, or close to last place.  I have always felt like I am still waaaaay ahead of anyone that didn't even start the race, amiright?

I was going to strive for a strong race, and a strong race for me would probably be an easy run pace for some of the elites I would be starting beside (ok, behind).

I know I was being dramatic. I spent the summer of 2014 achieving PBs in a few races, and running some amazing (and challenging) workouts...thanks coach Tia!  I have never been in so many 5k races before this summer.

As race day approached, and I tried not to fall back into my panic zone, I realized that I should just take this opportunity (afterall, this might be the one and only time I have this opportunity) and enjoy it for what it is!  When they sent out the starting list for the race, I found my name 12 places up from the bottom of the list.  My goal became finishing at least 13 from the bottom of the list (Or, go for the win! hahaha!).

I went to pick up my race kit, and the race director (the amazingly quick Megan Brown) said hello and told me a little about the course.  I felt special in that moment, of course!  This sub-elite thing was kind of ego-boosting!

Just as I was standing waiting for my kit, a woman said hello, and that she recognized me from another race.  It was a woman I had met while seeking shelter from the crazy rain and wind a the Midsummer Night's Run, Alice!  I saw her the next day at the race, too.  Her friend (Genevieve) was doing the 5k as her very first race.  So awesome.  The feeling of crossing the finish line never gets boring, but the first race finish is quite special.  Way to go, Genevieve!

Race Morning...

Papa and the boys were making the trek to the race with me.  This was my big day, so they weren't going to miss it.  The fact that it was 5k was great, as there is a lot less time to hang around while I am out on the course. 

I had a great sleep the night before the race.  I woke up excited and ready.  When I went in to wake up Olly, he said, "we're going to your raaaaaace!"  It was so cute to see him excited with his bed-head.

I ate breakfast in the car, and we arrived to the race area around 8am.  I headed to the school (race headquarters) to use the washroom, then  I went out for a warm up around 8:20, while Papa and the boys hung out in the car.

Tech time in the car while Mama warmed up.  Check out those BRIGHT shoes!!

My garmin (oh, my silly garmin) started to act up during my warm up.  Not sure if it was all of the tall buildings in the middle of Toronto, but it switched (spontaneously) to pace/km.  Ummmm.  Either that, or I was running close to race-pace for my warm up (6:00 pace?).

Then, suddenly after a mile (or kilometer?) it switched back.  Phew!

*I know I should be running at pace/km.  I know I am Canadian and that is what we do.  But for some reason, I have always worked in pace/mile.  I think I like the fact that I don't have to count as high.  Seriously.  "3" seems less far than "5".  Duh.

Our little family parade heading to the starting area

I got back to the car, changed my shoes, and we got the kids ready to head over to the start!  It was almost time!

We really lucked out with this venue.  The start and finish were very close to each other, with a school (that had a big playground) right in the middle!  As soon as I started, Papa and the boys played on the playground for 15 minutes, then headed to the finish area.  Perfect!

they don't look that enthused about my race. hmmm

The starting area was my favourite part of the whole day.  All of these *actual* elites, doing warm up drills back and forth, and I was in there with them, just doing my strides.  No big deal. (!!)

In the last few minutes, as I started to line up (near the back) I saw Alice again, and she wished me a good race.  I also saw Robin (one of my speedy Guelph running friends).  Seeing them made me more calm and I was ready to do this thing!

The horn went off, and, wow.  So did the runners.  I took a deep breath and forced myself to keep calm and not rush out to fast.  This was a crowd that I was NOT going to get caught up in. 

The first mile headed down Bay Street, which had a slight downgrade.  That, combined with the fast runners, could spell disaster.  I managed to keep it cool.  My first mile beeped in at 6:23.  Perfect.  I was hoping for 6:20, but this was even better.  I didn't lose control! yay!

Then, as we were still heading down a bit, I sped up.  I thought I was safe from the evils of going out too fast, so I started to pass a couple of people. 

Mile 2: 5:58.  Ya.  Oops.  That wasn't exactly as even as I had hoped for!

Maybe I could keep it up?  (pfffft)

We were headed up University Ave. at this point, passing Queen's Park.  We were headed back up that slight upgrade now.  And there was a head wind I wasn't happy about.  We passed a water station, which just didn't seem worth it to me.  There would be water at the finish!

I came up on a few guys (what?!) and tried to draft behind them.  When it was time to pass them, I tried to tell myself to just push through that burning feeling and find the finish.

As I rounded the corner for the final few hundred meters, I couldn't even look down at my watch.  I just wanted to get there.  My lungs were on fire and my arms were pumping as fast as I could make them! (mile 3 - 6:33, and mile 0.1 - 6:10)

As I came up to the finish I could see Robin, and I tried to smile (goodness knows if it looked like a smile, or sheer pain?!) and I was so so happy to be done.  It was over in a flash.  And I wasn't in last place!!

Little Milo was there, and gave me a hug (he probably could've knocked me over at that point) and I found Papa and my good friend Stephanie!  Yay! for spectators!!

A diligent runner would have gone for a nice cool down run at this time.  I did not.  I was too happy to chat with my friends/family that I ate my banana and lived on the edge.

Final time: 19:54
Age Group: 4/10
Gender: 44/68

Overall: 137/168 (way better than my goal!)

I am not an elite runner, nor do I ever want to be.  I love striving for PBs, working as hard as I can, and throwing myself into races where I know I will be uncomfortable and challenged.  That's what it is all about!

I am so proud that I was part of this race.

milo, my number one fan, "gave" me a stuffy that he promptly asked if he could keep :)

New (school) Year's Eve

Labour Day.

The dreaded day, when our summer holiday comes to an official end. The last day before it is time to start sorting back packs, cramming schedules, and eating lunches out of brown paper bags.

I dare say the summer wore us out a little?

I could cry through lots of this post, as I just love the freedom that summer allows.  The long days that get us out of bed for early runs, and allow us to take a walk after dinner without bundling into warm and visible clothing.

But I am not going to dwell on all of that amazing stuff.

Nope.

Instead, I am going to allow myself to get excited about all of the things a new (school) year brings.

…and there are lots of things.

- The kids will be back into their routine.  They love summer, but they have been role-playing "school" for more than a week now.  I think they are ready to be back in the classroom with their friends.

- I will be back into a routine.  We do have a little routine going on here in the summer, but I certainly feel like I am accomplishing more (I am) and I am more organized when I am working.  I guess those school bells have me trained as well.

- The fall is a beautiful time to be a runner.  The weather is still wonderful, the cool air is refreshing, and as the leaves on the trees change colour it is so pretty.  Long sleeves really aren't that bad, right?

- The Chicago Marathon is in 6 weeks!  A big fall race (and the taper beforehand) is something I am very excited about.  The fact that Papa and I will be spending the weekend in one of our favourite cities with some friends for Thanksgiving weekend isn't so bad, either.

- Halloween happens in the fall!  I am excited to make the costume ideas the boys have into actual costumes.

- Food in the fall is great.  I am really into summer foods, but I am ready to dig into some warm soups and stews.

So…school begins in the morning.  I have an early-rise and some speed work to accomplish before the day really begins.

Summer of 2014, you were very good to us.  The weather was *perfect* for running.  I enjoyed a very busy schedule of races (TEN races, that is) and we were so fortunate to have a great deal of family time together.



Cheers, to a good New (school) Year ahead!

Midsummer Night's Run 30k - Race Recap

Midsummer Night's Run is an evening race in Toronto that offers a 5k, 15k, and a 30k.  Every year I consider it, but I have never done it.

I was back and forth over this race for weeeeeks.

Should I do it?  Would it take too long for recovery afterwards?  Am I ready?

In the end, I realized that I would have to do an evening long run that day anyway (due to Papa's work schedule) so I might was well have some entertainment, some company, and some aid stations if I was running at dusk!

…a lovely race shirt, and amazing medal were added bonuses

This has to be one of the nicest medals I've received!

The run was going to be a training run with some fast miles.  No big deal.

As Saturday approached, the weather here in these parts started to turn.  Like, really turn.  People everywhere were calling it, "Augtober," and, well, I was bundling up too.

Surely the weather will brighten up by Saturday's race?

Not so much.  The weather network was calling for rain.  All day.

Summer rain isn't so bad.  It has a nice way of cooling off those really hot days, making for a nice and refreshing evening.  It will be ok.  Right?  Anyone?

Saturday came, and so did the rain.  And the wind.

I drove to the race parking, where I then had to leave the warmth of my car to board a shuttle bus to the starting area.  I was prepared with a bag of warm clothes for post-race, and a garbage bag to wear until the race start, if it started to pour at all.

By the time I got to the park, near the starting line, I had dug out my sweatshirt and was wearing it under my garbage bag.  I would then have to wait to check my bag, as I would definitely want that sweatshirt after the race.

The sideways wind out of the southwest brought rain drops that stung against my goosebumps on my legs.  This is August.  Mid-August.

Time passed very slowly, as I huddle at the side of a tent, trying to stay out of the wind.  Eventually it came time to go for a warm-up.  I was actually excited to go and "warm up."

I checked my bag (so long, sweatshirt!) but kept the garbage bag on.  High fashion at this race!

*many people actually do dress in costume for this race.  The weather didn't break anyone's spirit, either.  Lots of fairy wings in attendance here!  But not on me.

I made my way back to the start, and I actually thought, "what if I have to run this entire race in a garbage bag?"

I made sure my garmin was set, then, just before the gun went off, the rain really started to pour.

ah, well.

There is something magic about races though.  The moment the gun actually did go off, the weather was furthest from my mind.  Sure, heading out into the wind was kind of sucky, but we were moving, in a large crowd, trying to settle into pace.  We didn't have time to worry about the rain.

I am not really sure when the pouring stopped, but it did.

I told myself to keep those first couple of miles slow.  This was just a training run.  But then, it wasn't just a training run anymore somehow.

Put a timing chip on a runner, and all bets are off?

I settled into a pack of dudes that, if I played my cards right, could serve as nice wind-blockers when we would inevitably get into the big windy stretches.  One of the dudes was the 2:20min "pace fairy".  I knew this pace was sustainable, as I have run the Around the Bay in 2:18:47.

My goal became keeping my pace regulated throughout the whole course.  I really wanted to finish the race with Garmin results that I didn't cringe at in those last miles.

This course was lovely.  Mostly paved trails, with small stints on the road (very small road portions).  We started into the wind at about the 4 mile mark.  This lasted beyond the 7 mile mark, then we got a nice break with the wind behind us.

miles 1-7 splits: 7:24, 7:28, 7:16, 7:15, 7:32, 7:27 (Gu), 7:21

We headed back toward the main road, and joined the course of the 15km runners.  It was a HUGE crowd!  We ran together for a mile or two, then split apart.  They headed toward the finish, and we headed toward Ashbridges Bay park.  Lots of twists and turns in this part of the course.  Also, varying terrain.  Pavement, wooden boardwalk, mulch, sandy gravel, back to pavement.  While in the park, they had a timing mat at the half-marathon marker! (1:36:46)

miles 8-14 splits: 7:12, 7:18, 7:32, 7:33, 7:29, 7:16, 7:14

As I headed out of the park, I could feel the west-wind like a wall.  This part was going to be tough.  I had well under 10km left to run.  I could do this, but it might hurt a little.

miles 15-18.7 splits: 7:36 (Gu), 7:32, 7:40, 7:41, 7:28

The course was a lot busier in the last few miles, as the 30k route joined back up with the 15k route.  Lots of 15k runners still on the course.  It wasn't a big deal.  There was lots of room for everyone!

And it wasn't dark yet, and the rain had let up.  Oh, and I had warmed up a little bit :)

At the finish, they were handing out bottles of water (normal post-race behaviour, yes) but they were Reusable bottles that were pre-filled with cool, fresh water!  I love this.  They had a variety of colours and they let me pick my colour (red)!

nice touch, Midsummer Night's Run!!

Finish time: 2:19:33 (so much for the training run)
overall 72/630
Age Group 6/108
Gender 11/297

They had post-race festivities like Steam Whistle Beer (which I do enjoy) and a BBQ, but after I grabbed my checked bag and bundled into my sweatshirt, I took my banana to the shuttle bus and headed home.  Evening races are tiring sometimes!

My legs feel great, post-race, so I am ready for the next week of miles ahead of me!


               
               

Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon - Race Recap

Can I just say that I love this race?  It's a race that in some ways, feels very much like a race, but in other ways, feels like a fun day of hanging out with your girlfriends.

That is the perfect mix.  I love racing.  But I also don't like taking myself too seriously, especially when it comes to triathlons, where I still have so much to learn.

We did this event last summer, and it was really the race that made me think I could survive triathlons.  My first try-a-tri had been earlier in the summer, and, although it seemed to go well, it was my first open-water swim (ever) and it was kind of a miracle I ever stepped into the lake again afterwards!

I was very nervous last year for Irongirl, especially the swim, but it turned out to be amazing.  Clear, cool, clean water, and the 500m was a confidence booster.

I jumped at the chance to sign up again for 2014!

I love that all of my training partners/fellow pink flamingos were doing the race too.  We headed to the race together(ish) in two cars.  The race was in Grimsby, about an hour from home.

We arrived at the venue, and the music was blasting, people were excited, and transition was filling up with bikes.  The race was a bit bigger this year (over 600 racers, vs. 500 last year).  Sylvie and I racked our bikes next to each other.  I looked around and noticed a lot of fellow racers were wearing the same (PINK--ya, I've worn it for every triathlon this summer) outfit as me!

Triathlons take a bit of setting up, ya know?  Transition area, bike, wetsuit, goggles, swim cap (mine was baby blue) etc.

It was getting HOT out there, in the blazing sun.  Just the right time to squeeze into our wetsuits.

Tricia, Sylvie, Linda, Lorraine, and myself

We headed down to the beach.  Since it was a 500m point-to-point swim (with in-water start) we decided to swim the reverse 500m to the start as our warm up.  That water was cold.  But it was refreshing in the heat, and we had wetsuits on, so we had very little to complain about, right?

When we arrived at the starting area, there were crowds of swimmers, some in wetsuits, some there for their first triathlon, some not wearing wetsuits (brrrrrr).  We waded in the water for our waves to get the "GO!"

I was wave three this year.  This race is one of the "kinder" races, as far as pushing/shoving/swimming-in-a-pile goes.  When the gun went off, I still felt like I had lots of space to move through the water.

After the race, I was commenting that triathlons have crazy starts, compared to road races.  In the water, there seem to be no rules.  People just shove and swim their way to a good position.  That kind of thing would have you landing on your face in a road race!  In the water it really is "every man for himself!"

…but this race, as I said, is a bit gentler than that.

I felt really quick and fast during the swim, and although I wasn't as quick as I had imagined, I was still happy with my effort.

500m swim: 11:37

I bolted up the steep hill to transition (or at least it felt like I bolted).  My wetsuit got caught on my heel, but I refused to sit down to get it out.  I did my 'transition dance" to get out of it, and it did the trick eventually.

Transition 1: 1:19

Off I went on the bike.  This is a very flat course.  I got right down into aero position, and only moved my arms when I ate my Gu (at 11k) and drank water.  I tried to keep my position in the pack, as I didn't want to be passed as much as I was passed last year.  I feel like I passed more people than passed me on the bike, but it is hard to say for sure.

The bike was an out and back, so I was able to see all of my fellow flamingo racers, that started after me!  I saw Tricia, Lorraine, and Sylvie!

20km bike: 38:59

As I jumped off my bike and ran into transition, I realized my feet were completely numb.  This keeps happening.  The cold water never helps with this, and I think I need to consider blaming my bike shoes.

I had to get my running shoes on, regardless and get going!  Without any feeling in the front of my feet, this would be interesting. I told myself,  "fake it 'till you make it!"  I chased the other women leaving transition.

Transition 2: 0:53

We ran through a shute across the grass to get out to the roadway.  It was very hard to get good steps in there.  Ugh.

I just focused, and looked ahead.  Only 5km between me and finish line, and it was 5km of the part I like!

I managed to catch/pass a bunch of runners on the run course, which had two aid stations that you pass twice each.  After the 3km marker, we ran down a hill, into a trail.  By this point I could feel my toes again, so I didn't feel like I had the "smack smack smack" of wearing flippers on my feet!

But, in the trail, I feel that IronGirl could have splurged on a few more pylons, signs, ANYTHING to make it feel better marked.  I was in a dead zone where I couldn't see the person ahead of me, so I had to stop/backtrack a couple of times, for fear that I was headed off course.  It didn't add too much to my time, but it was annoying!

I came out of the trail and could see the last kilometre stretch to the finish!  One little hill between me and the misting tent!

I managed to catch a couple more racers in the last 100m, which made the race :)

5km run: 22:06

finish time: 1:14:50 (PB over last year by one minute)
2nd Age group (35-39), 10/624 women

LOVE the medals…love that they give age group award medals too!

All of the other girls did AMAZING!  PBs all over the place!

Nothing beats racing with friends.  Well, training with friends is also quite awesome.

These ladies motivate me every single day.

Melissa, Tricia, Sylvie, Linda, Me, and Lorraine

IronGirl was my last triathlon for 2014.  Lots more running to do though :)

Skechers Downhill Classic 5k - Race Recap

I'm on a roll with these race recaps!

Up next, at the very end of July, was the Skechers Downhill Classic 5k, in Hamilton.

I had a great race at the Guelph Downtown Classical 5k at the beginning of July, and I really wanted to squeeze in another one.  I scoped out all of the options, and this race in Hamilton was going to be my only bet.

Of course, it had a 10am start time.  Not exactly ideal in the heat of July.  But, the fact that it was called the "downhill classic" implied that there might be some speed involved, so maybe it would trump any heat.  Maybe.

It was difficult to find information about this race online (such as course maps, etc) so I emailed the race director, who told me in his one-lined response, "see you at the pub at 8am on Saturday!"  Ok.  I guess I would just be showing up at the pub to get my race kit, and take the shuttle to the starting line, with no idea what the course was all about.  I'm sure lots of people are fine with this, but I kind of like to know what I am getting into beforehand, if possible.

Hamilton is just under an hour from my house.  I woke up nice and early on Saturday morning, and was out the door by 7am, to be there for 8am (as per the email).  When I arrived downtown Hamilton, I realized I was a bit early (who knew? No traffic on country roads early on a Saturday).  I decided to make a pit-stop at the world's scariest Tim Horton's that was close by.

By 8:05, I was parked and at the Pub.  I was given a race shirt, timing chip, and bib. (Incidentally, my race number was #72, which was the same number as the triathlon the week before!)  The t-shirts were really nice.  It was an actual t-shirt, not a technical shirt, which is nice for a change.

I boarded the shuttle, and off we went to the race start.  This bus ride was lonnnnng.  I lost track of all the turns, and roads we took.  We went up, up, up, UP the mountain.  I started to feel severe panic in my tummy.  Was the "downhill" actually down a mountain?  This could spell trouble.

At the top of the mountain, on some road I would probably never be able to find again, the bus pulled over, and we all got out.  I still had plenty of time for my warm up, so I wasn't worried (yet).

A guy on a bike The race director came up, and told us to "take this set of stairs down to the trail at the bottom.  Follow the trail about a kilometre and a half until you see the starting line."  Well, ok then.

Have I mentioned that I am afraid of heights?

Heading down!

dowwwwwwn we went

The trail was perfectly shaded once we got down to the bottom.  It was perfect for a warm up run!  I was glad I had brought a water bottle with me, but sad that there would not be any port-potties before the start (read: nervous pee).

Before the start, another bus load or two arrived, so there was a nice crowd for the race start.  I did 60-seconds race pace in the last few minutes as we waited, then I lined up.

The "start line" was hard to miss 

The race was chip-timed at the finish only.  The race director (same guy on the bike) stood in front of us, told us we had 30 seconds, then got on his bike, turned around, and yelled, "GO!!"

Off we went.  The entire race was on this paved trail.  We didn't have to make ANY turns, we just followed the trail until we reached the finish mats/line/clock.  The first mile felt like a decline, but the rest of the race was such a slight downgrade, that it was hardly noticeable (but my splits felt a bit easier, I will give it that)!

I kept my eyes on the same couple of people in front of me.  I did pass one guy, but he ended up passing me right at the end.

Finish time: 19:15
First in my AG, 5th Female

Ya, it was probably worth the scary Tim Hortons, Panic about the mountain, and lack of course maps/info!


The bonus was that we had a nice cool down mile and a half in the trail back to the pub!

The pub served a lunch, and beer.

I made friends with an awesome couple named Bill and Christie, so we ate, drank some beer and chatted.  Runners are so great.  You can make friends even when you're stinky and sweaty!

*I actually saw Christie running in a race this weekend!  She was going in the opposite direction of the 30k race we were in.  I wish I had yelled her name, but then she would have been confused, probably.

I have a big 5k race coming up in September, so this race made me feel much better about the whole situation.  "Much better" is still freaked out, but a little less-so.

Bluewater Olympic Triathlon - Race Recap

It's almost been a month since I swam/bike/ran this race.  Time flies when you're walking around telling everyone you completed an Olympic Triathlon, I suppose?!

The race recap is below, but a few days before the race happened, a few of us surprised our friend Tricia with a front lawn birthday surprise, that I really must share here:

We are doing our best flamingo impression…How did we do?  Tricia is in the middle.  You know, the one that cannot possibly look her age!!

Ok, on the the Recap…

I decided last year, after completing the Bluewater Sprint Duathlon (the swim had been cancelled due to crazy lake huron waves) that I really wanted to complete the Olympic distance in 2014.  The route seemed like a good first-time Olympic.  Flat bike ride, super flat run.  I was actually quite jealous of all of the Olympic racers last year, as the run looked like it could be a fast one.

Although I really don't feel like I trained any harder, or with more volume leading up to this year's race, I certainly felt more comfortable in the open water, and on my road bike, so I didn't feel light-headed as I signed up for the race.  I did, however, force myself to do at least one long ride of over 40km before signing up, just to prove to myself that I could handle the distance on the bike.  Yes, me and my bike don't spend that much time together.  Hopefully someday soon I will make it a priority.

I did add aero bars to my bike this year, and I have noticed that I am more comfortable riding in that position.  And when signing up for a race with a flat bike course, I knew I would have a chance to really test them out!

My friend Lorraine also decided to do this race, so we made it a "race-road-trip" together.  

I have the greatest parents in the world, and they gave us a place to stay in their house the night before the race (they live super close by, and, I invited myself over).

We drove down the day before, and we went to the very casual kit-pick up and pasta dinner.  The dinner was super yummy (all you can eat!!) and they even had fresh watermelon for dessert.  mmmmmm

As I did this race last year, I took Lorraine to the venue so we could check everything out the night before. 

Of course, as the swim was cancelled last year, I had no idea where the swim start/finish was.  Well, duh, of course I knew it was at the water, but I didn't know where along the water.

Off we went, in search of the steps we would take up from the beach to transition.

We stopped at the first set of stairs we saw, assuming it would be the place, as they were very close to the transition area.

this is what we found...

ummmmmmm…
I named these stairs the "metal death traps" and there was talk of whether or not our tetanus shots were up-to-date

So…we tried our hardest to be optimistic about the steps.  We pictured coming out of the water in our bare feet, climbing these stairs with the rest of the crowd.  It seemed a tiny bit awkward.

We tried to laugh it off.

Off we went, in search of the swim start.

We walked along, on the gorgeous night it was, trying to picture ourselves swimming all that way the next morning. This swim was point-to-point, so we would swim out to a bouy, then straight across (parallel to shore) then out (hopefully at a better set of stairs)!

When we arrived at the swim start (there was a marker on the beach) we ran into my friend Emily, and her family.  Yay!  It was fun seeing a familiar face!

We also met a young couple that was scoping out the course.  We chatted with them, and shared our insecurities about the swim exit.  They walked back toward transition with us.  They were both younger than us, so we agreed that we could all be friends, as we were in different age categories on race day.  No competition here! ;)

As it turned out, the swim exit was beyond the transition area.  So the run back to transition would be a bit longer.  But in the name of better stairs.  Still very sketchy getting out of the water though…

See that "groyne" in the photo above?  We had to "hop" over that thing on our way to the stairs on race day.  Hmmmm

Before long, we headed back to my parent's house, and settled in and checked (and re-checked) our gear.  We headed to bed early, as you do on "race-eve."

I checked my phone just before setting my alarm, and the weather network was calling for rain all day on race day.  Seriously?  Well, at least I wouldn't have to worry about my sunscreen failing me.

We arrived at the venue without any trouble, after a nice breakfast.  This race has a "mandatory meeting" which is scheduled 35 minutes before the start of the Olympic swim.  This was a bit tricky, as we still had to walk down (over a kilometre) to the swim start, and attempt a warm up.  All after this meeting!  It was going to be tight.  The meeting wasn't short (boo) so we walked quickly in our bare feet to the start of the swim.  We seemed to only have a few minutes (if that) in the frigid waters of lake huron before we were told to get out, back to the beach for the women's start.

For this race, all women started together, with a 15 minute lead on the men.  Age groups didn't matter.  It wasn't a huge race, and that lake is very big, so it wasn't crowded.  They also didn't care about swim cap colours.  We were given swim caps, but they were all very random.

Here is Lorraine's…

It was practically personalized!  Her initials are "LH," she is a Leo, and of course, she Has Speed (HS) so we figured all of that trumped the fact that it was dark blue, and it might be hard to spot her out in the lake (minor details…).

After a quick "have a great race" exchange, the horn went off, and into the water we ran!  It was a bit wavy as we jumped in, and it took me a few minutes to settle into pace, after we rounded the first buoy.  We spread out so well, that I actually spent much of the swim portion assuming I was in dead last place, as I didn't sight anyone near me!

I ended up with a swim buddy in the last 200m or so.  Another woman was swimming exactly beside me, at exactly the same pace.  Neither one of us moved from our position.  We probably looked really funny from the shore, swimming right beside each other in such a huge lake!

Thankfully, we rounded the final buoy, and the shore was getting closer.  I ran up (and over the obstacle) to the steps.  I sprinted to make up time.  

I came right up behind Lorraine!  Yay!

swim time: 24:07*

*we kind of think the swim was a couple hundred meters short, or the current was very strong.  This swim time seems fast.

We were parked side-by-side in transition.  It was actually very nice to exchange a few words as we wiggled out of our wetsuits and into our bike shoes.  I grabbed my bike, and said, "see you in a few minutes when you pass me!" and off I went.

transition 1: 1:23

The bike course was out in an southeast direction, with a tiny hump of a hill, (an overpass) then straight east, to a turn around.  

The wind was straight out of the southeast.  It was sucking my will to pedal, I can say that for sure.  Thank goodness for those aero bars.

At about kilometre 6, a familiar voice came up behind me as I was choking back my Gu,  "remember to take in lots of water!"  It was Lorraine.  She sped on past me.  It was the only time in a race that I have been happy to see someone as they passed me!

In the pre-race meeting, they had announced that, due to a change in the course (construction) the bike portion was only 36km long.  While I was out there struggling in the wind, I was very thankful for that!

Of course, after the turn around, time (literally) zoomed by.  It was soooooo nice to have that wind at my back.

As I rode into transition, I heard a, "Go Amy Go!"  It was my best cousin/friend Janice and her daughter Mallory.  They had arrived to cheer me on!

bike time: 1:14:48

I ditched my bike, threw on my runners, and I was outta there.  I had a bunch of people I had my eyes on catching that passed me on the bike.  I knew I wouldn't catch everyone, but I was going to try my hardest.

transition 2 time: 00:54

I came up to Lorraine, who looked awesome!  She was going to have a great run, I could tell.

The run was just as great as I thought it was going to be.  Very flat, good aid stations, and a bit of shade.  With 4km to go, I realized that I had a blister forming on my left heel.  I didn't wear socks, and I think that was why :(

I kept reminding myself that it was only 4k, and to try not to think of the pain.  It worked I guess.

As I ran toward the finish, I could hear my name being called again.  My brother, and Janice were there yelling my name.  So special.  Really.  I am so thankful to them, for coming to cheer for me!

Run time: 43:28

Finish time: 2:24:37

I was certainly glad it was over, and my first order of business (after grabbing a water bottle) was taking off my shoes!  Luckily (these are details that I'm sure no one needs to hear) the blister didn't burst, and it was just full of water, so it was going to be ok.

I watched my friend Matt finish, not far behind (he had to start 15minutes after me).  Then we headed back to catch Lorraine, as she came into the finish.

We did it!

And, it didn't start raining until the awards.

We enjoyed an AMAZING post-race meal (this race is famous for all of the food) and I received a mug for my AG award (2nd place 30-39)!

Thank you so much to Lorraine for being such an awesome road-trip-race-buddy, and to my brother and my cousin Janice for cheering!

Summer…oh, how I love summer

I love that I have neglected this blog, as it is a very clear indicator that I would rather be doing all of the fun summer things we've been doing, than sitting and typing at a computer.  I don't want to confuse anyone with this post, as it is in NO WAY a recap of summer, as I have 2 entire weeks left to enjoy of this lovely month of August, and there is still plenty of time for some awesome times ahead, before Labour Day is upon us (just to be clear).

This summer has included lots of awesome stuff.  Including, but not limited to, the following list:

- Canada Day celebrations with our dear friends, the Parkinson family.  Every year, we join the parade in Glen Williams.  It is almost always a scorching hot walk with decorated bikes, and fun for the kiddies.

Happy Canada Day!

- A trip to Centre Island with some work friends/families.  Lots of fun on the ferry, rides, and a lovely picnic!

 "spinning inside some sort of bear at Centreville" selfie

It was a tight squeeze, but Jeff enjoyed the teacups the most

- Beach.  Beach.  Beach.  Lots of beach days with the boys, splashing and building (and demolishing) sand things.

- Ripley's Aquarium.  Such crowds, but awesome to see and do.  Elliott is a self-proclaimed marine biologist.  He was kind of a 'tour guide' of all of the sea creatures we saw that day.  Only a monsoon slight downpour as we headed there from the subway.

- Birthday fun for my niece Lyla at the Ridgetown Zoo.  The zip line trumped all of the animals.  It was kid-friendly, and not scary.  I still declined to participate.

Fireworks.  Happy Birthday, Lyla

- Watermelon and Popsicles.

- Two subway rides with the kids.  Still a novelty for them!

Museum stop at the subway

- Splash pads.

- Storybook Gardens with the work crowd.  It was a gorgeous day, and lots of fun.  The kids even had the chance to roam in the bunny pen.  Highlight of the day, for sure.

Those gracious little bunnies...

- Hanging with Grandma and Grandpa at the farm.

- The ROM.  The boys are allll about seeing cool stuff.  Museums are kind of the way to go here.

Strike a pose, Elliott!

- Bike rides, walks to the park, canoes, caves...

- Campfires!  S'mores.

- Running.  So. much. running.

- Swimming.  A fair amount of open-water swimming.  Zero indoor pool swimming!

- Biking.  Not nearly enough biking.

- Racing.  Ya.  Since I last posted about three races, I have done FOUR more.  I will get to those race reports.  Promise.

Summer is really the best.  I love having time to cuddle with the boys, listen to their antics, (with more than a moment to spare) make bigger breakfasts, hang in our jammies, stay up late, bbq, use up lots of sunscreen and bug spray, run in the daylight, and enjoy the longer days.

Needless to say, I am going to miss the carefree days of summer, when school begins, and we are back into that routine.  But, I am not going to say I didn't enjoy the summer to the fullest!

…more on the four races that happened soon!

Three-for-One Thursday!

It seems that I have to complete at least two whole races before I feel the need to blog about it.  And it's summer, so there are lots of races happening, which means, this post is as long as the 3 whole races I am reporting on.

Here I am, writing another multiple-race-report.

The Waterloo Classic 10km, The Guelph Lake 1 Subaru Sprint Triathlon, and the Downtown Classical 5km in Guelph.


I will start back in June, with the Waterloo Classic 10km…

This was my first time running the Waterloo Classic, but the race has been around for decades.  My friend Lorraine was also running the 10k, so we carpooled.  I picked her up bright and early, and we drove to Waterloo (about 30 minutes away).

Lorraine and me pre-race…it was heating up before 8am!

We met Robert, Tricia, and their son Andrew (…part of the cheering squad!) at the race.  Robert introduced me to Robin, an amazing masters runner, and she and I quickly started to talk about race-pacing and decided we might be a good match for pacing.  A race buddy is always a good thing!

*the only issue Robin and I had, was speaking in actual "paces".  She (logically) speaks in km/pace, and I (un-logically, considering my geographic location) speak in mile/pace.  It was hard to translate for each other!  Note to self: wear calculator watch next time??
I have always gone by per/mile pace.  I just find it mentally easier to count to 26.2, than 42.2.

We did our warm up run, then entered back into the stadium for some strides until it was go-time.  The race begins and finishes in the stadium at Wilfred Laurier University.
The 10k and the 5k begin together, and follow the same route for the first 2.5km, then the 5k runners turn around.  The 10k makes a big loop, then comes back to a different turn-around, then back to the stadium.  It sounds confusing, but it was fairly straightforward when we were on the course.

Robin and I started together, and it was so nice to run with someone beside me.  We stayed together until just past the halfway mark, then I pulled away a bit.  Robin is a very strong runner, and she is good at keeping her pace!  I was striving for a slightly faster finish time, so I knew I would have to speed up a bit to achieve my goal time (but I still came a bit short).

Funniest Race pic. Ever.
What on EARTH is happening here?
WHO is the guy in green?

As I was nearing the turn to the stadium, Robert came back to cheer those of us in the 10k. He had run the 5k, so he was lonnnnng done his race by this point!  It is so nice to grab some encouragement heading toward the finish line!  It was getting very hot, and we had just climbed a big incline, so I needed every bit of positive energy I could get.

I had been hoping to hit the sub 42 minute mark in this race (I guess I will just have to keep trying) but it just wasn't meant to be.  I am not good at running in the heat, and that sun was H O T.

The results:

Chip time: 43:11
Age Group: 1/39
Gender:   7/239
Overall: 55/542


Annnnnd, up next is the….

The Subaru Guelph Lake 1 Sprint Triathlon:

Triathlons are awesome in that most of the time, they take place over more than one day.  There is a "race weekend" atmosphere, that, if you go and cheer on at the other races, you really immerse yourself into the races!  I love that.

My friend Tricia was doing the try-a-tri distance on the Saturday afternoon, so the boys and I packed up and headed to Guelph Lake to cheer.  The planning and volunteers needed at triathlons is astounding.  There are people everywhere, buzzing around like worker bees, making sure everything is ready to go. Three mini-races happen within each triathlon.  That is a lot of ground (and water) to cover!

Tricia had an awesome race.  She looked strong and focused.  A job well done, Tricia! *especially in that HEAT!

Could you ask for a cooler bib number?!

I went home that night, and was eager to get everything sorted for my race the next morning.  So, so many things to pack up.  Bike, pump, helmet, bike shoes, sunglasses, wetsuit, goggles, water bottle, running shoes, visor, towel, easy button, kitchen sink, etc etc.

The next morning it was time to head back to Guelph Lake.  I love that the race venue is less than 15 minutes from home.  If I had forgotten any of the above mentioned items, I could have even rushed home to grab them (not that I would have wanted to!).

I had picked up my race kit the day before when I was cheering, so I only needed to pick up my chip and get marked.  This made it all a bit less panicky for me.  I racked my bike in a good location (although there was a tree branch sticking out directly above my head) and quickly tried to find my race buddies.  Lorraine, Sylvie and I were racing together.

So glamorous, those wetsuits!

For some reason, I always end up in the age group with the pink swim cap.  I have a collection of 3 swim caps from 3 different triathlons.

We did a warm up in the water, then headed over to the starting line on the beach.  I could not believe how much more calm I was this year, compared to last year at the Guelph Lake Try-a-Tri.  I was so nervous I thought I might throw up last year, (with good reason, trust me) but this year I was just eager to get going!

The gun went off for my age group, and off we went, into the water.  It was like swimming in a percolator.  Waves, bubbles, feet, butts, hands, and pink caps.  Everywhere.

As I swam along, trying to find a place (there were NO places without limbs flailing) I realized the woman swimming beside me was coming up for air at EXACTLY the same spot as me, inches from my face.  I have never been SO close to a complete stranger's face in my life (and hopefully I won't ever be that close again?).

By the time I hit the second buoy, I was feeling in the groove.  There was a *tiny* bit of space around me, and I was feeling that beach getting closer by the stroke!

As I ran out of the water, I started unzipping my wetsuit and running as fast as I could.  I was tired, but I promised myself that once I got up the (big) hill to transition, I could sit down for a bit (sure, the sitting would be on my bike, but whatever!).

up close and personal, coming out of the water!  Thanks for the photos, Tricia!

750m swim (plus transition): 15:50

Transition one went well.  My wetsuit came off with no issues, and I managed to run out of there without tripping on my own two feet or (worse) my bike!

Off I went on the bike.  Biking is my weakest link in triathlon, so I just tried my hardest to keep up.  I was passed by everyone a bunch of riders, but I promised myself that I would just have to catch them on the run.

The bike portion had a couple of hills, but I did manage to try out my new aero bars (for the first time) and I liked them a lot.  I know, trying something new on race day is probably a dumb idea, but they were very comfortable and I figured something new to distract me from getting passed was a very welcome thing.

19km bike (plus transition): 41:10

Finally.  Finally it was time to run.  I dismounted at the line, and dashed (ok, "hobble-ran" in bike shoes) back to transition.

I racked my bike, threw my bike shoes, and wiggled my bare feet into my runners.  I plastered the insides of my running shoes with vaseline that morning, and it was awesome for slipping them on (with speed laces).  I also didn't get ANY blisters during the run portion, and I have that vaseline to thank!

I bolted out of transition, passing a few people on the way out.  My legs were feeling all wobbly, but they were just going to have to catch up to my brain, because I was on a mission to find all of those people that had passed me on the bike.

I heard my name being cheered (thanks, McRae family, and Morgan!) and it gave me the push I needed to get out there on the run course.  Wearing a watch might be nice on the run, but my splits weren't as important to me as just going as fast as I possibly could.  I think I redeemed my race on that run course, which is hilly.  Dang it.

Finally in my element on the run!

5km run: 21:05

It was an awesome race, and, as it was my first sprint triathlon, it was an automatic PB! yay!

Final time: 1:20:44

I was 4/32 in my age group (A medal for the top 5!) and 36/235 women competitors.

Yay Fourth!

A very fun day indeed!

Lorraine, Sylvie and Me, post-race
Non-alcoholic beer…still hits the spot.  Who knew?

Moving on…

The Downtown Guelph Classical 5k!

This race is run by the Guelph Victors.  They are the amazing Track/Running group in Guelph that I used to run with quite often, and now, I only seem to run with them when I can fit it in.  There are so many talented runners in this group.  It's astounding and inspiring.

The Downtown Classical 5k is a race that begins at the Guelph Youth Music Centre, and features members of the Guelph Symphony out along the course.  How cool is that?

It is an evening race, beginning at 8:30pm.  I actually pictured this being a hot, humid summer evening. But, as luck would have it, the evening was calm and cool.

I hung out with lots of Victors while waiting for the race to begin.  I did a warm up run, then met up with Robin, who suggested we do "60-seconds-at-race-pace" about 5-10minutes out from the start.  Normally, I do strides at the end of my warm up run to get set for shorter races, but this 60 seconds thing was a good one.  It really woke my legs up into race mode.  Maybe a little too much (foreshadowing…)

With a trumpet into, the gun went off, and so did we!  As I ran through the turns of the first 800m of the race, I realized just how much easier running on the road feels compared to gruelling track work!  All of the speed sessions were starting to come together for me, in that moment.  I settled into a small pack of quick ladies (and a couple of dudes) and decided to hang on for as long as I could.  I was just too into the race to look down at my watch.  I hate looking down at my watch constantly, especially during a race.

When it beeped indicating the first mile, I looked down to see "6:03".  Ooops.  This was more than 10 seconds faster than I intended on going.  But I was still in the little pack of women, and felt fresh, so I hoped there was some sort of "classical 5km miracle" that would keep me going and not crashing and burning.

The course is just lovely.  We spent about half of the race on gravel trails, and the other half on paved road/trails.  Can't complain about this course.  The weather didn't hurt either!

Miles 2 and 3 came in at 6:23 and 6:26.  Yep.  Although I kept up with the others, we all seemed to slow a bit in the second half.  Live and learn.

The finish line was a welcome sight, as I rounded the corner.  I was so happy to see 19:43 on the clock!

Personal best!

I only took one photo, before I left my phone in the car.  Don't mind my creepy neck :/

543.  Quite a good number!

That's that.  3 race reports in one!  Phewf.  Writing about races takes almost as much time as training for them.

Happy Running, biking, and  swimming!