race report - MEC Barrie 2014 Race Series Three

i've really enjoyed the MEC racing series.  i feel as if the momentum is growing around these grassroots-type events - and there really is nothing about these events that make them second-class or lacklustre, despite what the $15 entry fee might lead one to believe.

the race report from today will be short and to the point - i entered the 10k race (distances of 5k, 10k and 15k were offered in this particular event) as a substitute for this week's tempo run.  i've officially begun tapering for the limberlost challenge in a couple of weeks, so i didn't want to push too hard but still wanted to keep the legs turning over.

my pal rick doucet and i traveled up to the start/registration area together and arrived about 90 minutes before the gun would go off ... call us eager beavers or whatever.

representing Skechers Performance Division once again!

we'd pre-registered so we spent some time schmoozing with the MEC staff, including our buddy jim willett (who will be attempting to set a new record for completing an end-to-end run of the bruce trail later this year).  

we also connected with our friend trevor morgan who is coming off of an injury sustained during the pick your poison 25k trail run this spring.  as any athlete in recuperation mode would do, trevor decided to take it easy and register for the 5k at today's race ... after having cycled 40k to get to the start location.

a number of other friends also participated in some of the other distances, including tom "flash" mullen and his wife brandy (5k), lewis sabo (15k) and sean rootham (15k).  we all chit-chatted beforehand suspecting that with the staggered start (each distance went out 10 min. after the previous one, beginning with the 15k distance) we might not all catch up after crossing the finish line.

the race itself was on the limestone-packed oro rail trail - a fairly straightforward out-and-back on a straight, flat(ish) route with very little need for marshalling ... except to cross a few rural sideroads.  i started out near the front of the 10k pack and tried to keep pace with the lone female ahead of me - which i managed to do for about 2k before she started to drop me.

i quickly realized that having only done tempo runs of 5k since my mississauga marathon that trying to set a sub-40 PB on this day was not feasible.  add to that the fact that i seem to really suffer in the heat (even at 9:10am it had to be a pretty solid 22°C before a mild humidex effect) and that for the last two weekends i'd put in 85k and 88k runs ... well, my legs were having a hard time stomping out decent paces, even with my Skechers GOMeb Speed 2s on.

my mile splits were 6:28, 6:43, 6:51, 7:01, 7:16 and 6:37 - resulting in a finishing time of 42:33, and a fifth-place overall finish (but first in my age group, methinks).  rick was hot on my heels most of the way, and finished with a 45:24 - none too shabby for his first ever 10k race, and a week after posting a PB in the 5k last weekend.  tom took first overall in the 5k distance, and wonky-knee trevor (who seemed to benefit from some free medical assessment and kinesiology tape from the back to function team) came across in fourth overall for the 5k. 

after the award ceremonies (in which tom and trevor scored some well-deserved MEC swag) i had another 75 min. of running to log so rick and i headed out on the trail again with trevor embarking with us for his 40k ride back home.  after about 3k rick turned back with some tightness in his hamstrings, and i continued out for about another 3k before swinging around and letting trevor finish his trek back into barrie.

by the time that i got back to the start location rick had the car running, the A/C blasting and some chocolate milk in the cooler.  what a great guy.

all in all another fantastic saturday with the MEC barrie running ninjas!

race report - MEC Barrie 2014 Race Series Three