Last week, I completed my last running event for the year, the Scotiabank Waterfront full marathon (Sunday Sept. 26, 2010). I was nervous I will admit - having to do it alone with no coaches or a team to run with and also having cut my training almost by half. I think I have learned that training alone has its pros and cons - pro being a great way to just have time to do reflection, con because sometimes its also nice to talk to someone as you do those long 15km + runs. I guess I got accustomed to the training through TNT to talking to my teammates :) I miss that.
Although I was running the marathon alone, my friend susan had decided to join me this year to do her first half-marathon. We hadn't the chance to train together (only in hiking), I had given her pretty much the marathon training 101 that I had learned through experience. Including the 10 in 1 interval part, in hopes that if she did decide that was the type of pacing she wanted to do, we could run together for the first half of our course on race day.
The weekend kicked off with a great start - celebration of my friend Cecilia's birthday. High tea followed by a massage at Elmwood Spas! Way too relaxing for what I was about to put my poor body through!
We finished off the evening with a carbs feast at Epicure Cafe. DELICIOUS food. If I wasn't pressed for eating only carbs, I would definitely have ordered a whole lot of other stuff! :D
Susan and I checked back into our hotel (Super 8) at around 10:00pm, and set up our gear, bibs, and laced up our race chip. Air con troubles (it failed to turn on because we had set it below 70 degree F) caused us to extend our bed time... but thankfully we were able to sleep by 12am.
We were up at 5:45am, and having breakfast by 6:30am. My breakfast was so pathetic: half a muffin and some apple juice. My friend at least managed to have some cereal + a drink and an apple (not sure if she ate the apple though...)
We had made our way to catch the 506 street car, but just missed it by a minute. we ended up flagging down a cab and arrived at the Sheraton hotel (across from Nathan Phillips Square) to do our baggage check; it was about 7:05am. Baggaged checked, both of us headed down to the start line which was at University St. and we tried to make our way through to get to our correct corals.
Failed attempt.
It was too packed and there was no way we could make it to our corals before the race started. As we waited I remember wishing we could sit lol. My coach last year gave a really great tip about sitting before doing a race - but sadly, there wasn't even time to sit and relax before the race. We should have booked a closer hotel I guess. lol. Ah the sacrifices to save $$.
7:30am, the anthem started, and there was a cheer as the race began.
Calm and steady we ran together; and I remember at the 5km mark, Susan turned to me and said in a rather sad and disappointed voice, it's only 5km?? I smiled and nodded. Yep. 5km in!
8km in, I was starting to get really hot. The morning had been really cool - as a precautionary measure I had worn a sweatshirt that I was going going to donate/throw away anyway. I told my friend that I was going to stop and toss my sweater away... and that was the last I saw of her. lol So happens very often in races; I didn't see her again until after my race.
15-17km in, I saw two of my clients standing in the sidelines. Sid Ikeda and Yoko Matsuno - they were going to be doing their 5km run at 10am. Seeing them really helped me, and added more power in my strides.
21km, I was still feeling strong in my run. I had improved my time vs my Midsummer night run, at 2.33 (minus time to get to start line).
29km, my poor hip started to bother me. It started as a little twinge of pain, but eventually uncomfortable to the point where I had to walk it off. Ironic that my ipod started playing "OMG" by Usher.
29-38km, I did shorter intervals of running, a slight cramp on my right thigh area - at this point I busted out my emergency trailmix and started popping peanuts, cashews, and almonds into my mouth. Quite delicious considering I had been chewing primarily on electrolyte packed jube jubes and downing gatorade :)
Also did some self-reflection (life, goals, etc) and also to whom this race was dedicated towards.
38-40km, I had a slight mental wall, weariness tugged at me, my legs hurt, my thighs hurt, my feet hurt, AND my hip hurt!
40km-finish, sucked it up (realized I was running short on time), and made my fastest ever recovery run as I blazed towards finishing the marathon.
Happiest feeling ever crossing that finish line. It meant SITTING, MASSAGE, and FOOD. lol and yes, in that order. They slipped the medal on me, and gave me an emergency blanket (so that as our body cools down from all the running, we wouldn't be cold) and I made my way to the closest seat.
As I sat down, I remember having the urge to pull off my shoes to ensure that all my toe nails were still there! Yes, both sad and gross I know! But no. I didn't pull them off there...I did that only after I got my baggaged checked out to slip into my sandals. It took me nearly 10 minutes to get across the street to the hotel, up the stairs and claim my backpack. I bloody wished I hadn't packed so much though. Truly an overkill on my part. Picture my poor exhausted feet and hefting a backpack that weighs like there's a 17" laptop in it + a textbook or two!
I contacted susan and madeline, and set to meet with them; first with mad since I found her literally as I was going to meet with Susan. I left Madeline at Eaton's Indigo bookstore and utilized the Goodlife facilities (finally, my membership there for good use!!). All clean and exhausted, susan and I booked for a foot massage back at the super 8 hotel. Mad held the remote control and we watched a movie on the women's network to which we had no idea what the movie title was... (After some googling, was actually "In her Shoes").
After foot Massage, we ended the evening with sushi buffet dinner. Carbs galore. Never felt less guilty eating so much rice :)
So that ends my recollection of my most anticipated event of the year (right next to the Oxfam hike!). Thank you again to everyone who has sponsored me for all the different events I have participated in this year! Thank you for helping make a difference :)
