Of blood and carbon

Well, it's just about time for my annual blog entry ...! 

This past weekend I managed to accomplish something which I'd never done before - I gave blood!

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There have been a number of friends of mine who have been regular donors and it's something that I've thought about from time to time but never managed to pull the trigger on actually doing it.  Any number of excuses come to mind, but none of them really outweighing the significant impact it could have on someone else's life (which may or may not actually depend on that available blood supply).  I'm proud to say that I overcame whatever reservations I might have had to actually book this appointment, and the team at Canadian Blood Services were incredibly helpful, courteous and considerate.  It was very straightforward and pretty much discomfort-free!

 

That all being said - did I plan this out smartly ..?

 

I'm set to serve as a full-marathon pacer again at The County Marathon in just less than three weeks' time, and it wasn't until after my donation that I paid attention to it's potential impact on training and performance.  My radar was immediately alerted when the phlebotomist told me to make sure not to exert myself for 6-8 hours, and that made me wonder about my planned workout for the next morning.  I then dove in my Google researching and found several helpful articles (check out this one, this one and this one) that shared a consensus opinion that the likely time required to full recovery aerobic recovery is about three weeks. 

 

How long is it again until I have to pace ...?

 

Yep.

 

Perhaps I have not totally set myself up for failure (as last year's DNF as a pacer - due to back spasms - was not pleasant at all) as the race sits right at the boundary marker for the prescribed post-donation recovery period.  I've also decided to drink the proverbial kool-aid and purchased a pair of Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 carbon-plated 'supershoes' specifically for race day.  If I do happen to benefit from the supposed 2-4% improvement in running economy then perhaps that will help to off-set any residual deficit from my reduced red blood cell count.

 

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Only really affordable thanks to a Running Room gift card from a friend ...!

That's how things stand as of right now - and since I've set the stage for this upcoming race I suppose that I'll have to write-up a post-event report to close the loop on how everything worked out.  Here's hoping that after October 1st I will have managed to both help save lives and help runners hit their time goals!

Of blood and carbon

Race report - 2016 County Marathon (full pacer edition)

I went for the three-peat this year.

The last two runnings of The County Marathon I served as the 3:30 full marathon pacer and while I knew that the goal was to finish within about 60 seconds (either way) of the target time I somehow managed to cross the last timing mats at precisely 3:29:40.  With those two bunny stats in the record books I had to take a shot at the trifecta.

Pre-race
I was grateful to have once again been contacted by the pacer team lead Erin McDougall to help out at this year's edition of the race, and to have been able to make the road trip for a third year in a row with my good friend Lewis (who would be a pacer for the half-marathon for a second time).  Lewis and I had hoped to perhaps see a few more of our fellow RunNinjas join us for this weekend extravaganza but alas conflicting race goals (e.g. Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon) and other obligations left it to us to carry the torch for MEC Barrie out in Picton.

A few changes had been implemented to the 2016 race due to some construction that has affected the main street in Picton, so the finishing stretch of the race route had changed along with the race kit pick-up site.  In previous years the pick-up/mini expo had taken place at the Crystal Palace located by the old finish line but this year we headed to the Essroc Arena right by the start line of the full marathon.  The expo has always been a no-muss no-fuss affair with a line-less kit pick-up, usual chat with race director Kailey and technical advisor Tim and a brief browse of the Runners' Choice retail booth.  This year was not much different, but it definitely had even more of an 'economy' feel to it - the physical space was smaller, as pacers we were provided with simple cardboard bunny ears (not laminated as in previous years - read on for more about this ...) to affix to our own hats or provided wooden dowels, and safety vests in place of the oft-expected technical race shirts.

I'm not complaining ... the cheezies went down nicely!

Not wanting to throw too many variables into the mix Lewis and I checked in to the same hotel we'd stayed at two years' prior (Mastersons Motel) in nearby Napanee and also took in our dinnertime meal at the same restaurant we'd hit up for three trips in a row now.

Now quickly becoming an October tradition... #PECMarathon #RunNinjas #roadtrip

A photo posted by Patrick Voo (@pbfvoo) on Oct 1, 2016 at 2:27pm PDT

After dinner all that was left was to put the finishing touches on our race day outfits, take in a little Blue Jays action, and konk out for the night (at 8pm for me).

The race
While waiting in the Essroc Arena for the call to head to the starting corral I met up with Erin and the favourite to win this year's full marathon - Evans Maiko from Kenya.

Does it look like Maiko is ready to rock it? :)

Gilbert Kiptoo had been the winner from the past few years and was unable to join in for 2016, but Maiko was his friend and running partner (both now living in Hamilton during the race season in Canada) and so it was great to meet him and chat for a little bit.  He seemed a little on the anxious side given that this was his first experience at The County Marathon ... but let's not confuse anxiety with nervousness.  He had a definite air of confidence surrounding him.

At the start I found a few folks who were aiming to go 3:30 for the day, including Richard who had run with me last year and remembered me trying to coax him along.  I laid out my plan to try to hit even halfway splits, noting that the hill at around 37km is a notorious point at which the pace group does tend to splinter (if it's stuck together for that long).

Yep - my first ever run in the Skechers GOMeb Speed Elite was a marathon.  Don't do this at home kids!

Our gang was a decently sized one, and in the pack were a former third-place finisher at The County Marathon (Ken), a guy who'd represented Canada in the 2013 ITU Duathalon World Champtionships (Lee), and someone who traveled from Stayner to run his first marathon ever (Gabe).  Everyone was chatty enough, sharing stories of favourite races and what drew them to Picton for this particular event.  It was great to see how we even formed a sense of community as one other runner noted that Gabe had lost a pin from his race bib and it was about to go flying - so Ken offered up an extra safety pin that he happened to have tucked in a pocket in his shorts!

While the pack seemed to spread out by about the 20k mark we were all still within shouting distance (for me, as I tried to send out words of encouragement and the occasional tip about running tangents, even efforts into the wind/uphill and taking nutrition before you feel you need it) and managing to stay up on our target pace by 25-40 seconds.  It was great to cross the halfway mark and high-five Lewis as he waited for the half-marathon to start, as well as my friends Dave and Sandy who were also serving as pacers for the day.  Passing by the start point for the half-marathon while the racers are all still waiting to begin is a rush because we get the benefit of going through a bit of a cheer tunnel, and it's truly invigorating.

Half-way split:  1:44:24

Things strung out earlier than I expected for our group with Lee experiencing some hamstring spasms and everyone else slowly drifting off of the back by the 23k marker.  By the 25k point I picked up Amanda (who was quiet due to having her earbuds in and being somewhat more reserved in personality I gather) and Hillary (who had started out fast with a friend but then backed off when the pace was much richer than she'd planned for).  Hillary was running only her second marathon but was hopeful to clock another BQ (she'd managed to scrape in a BQ in her first race but had a conflict for the 2017 Boston Marathon so did not register).  In the course of our chatting I discovered that she was a classically-trained vocalist enrolled in a post-grad degree in vocal performance and had toured Italy with an opera production ... talk about interesting characters you meet on the run!

Hillary, Amanda and I managed to hang together through the marathoner's graveyard (28k-32k, just after which Amanda began to drop off the pace).  One of the things that I noted for myself was that while I was watching to see how consistently we were staying in front of the prescribed pace-band splits at each kilometre marker I neglected to pay as close attention to my own fueling pattern.  It may have been because I was fiddling so often with my bristol-board bunny ears that kept drooping and slapping the side of my head - here's where it would have been handy to have the ears laminated again as that would have kept them upright and not a physical distraction.  In any event I was taking gels rather haphazardly as a result although to no detrimental effect it seemed - perhaps because I was hovering within a comfortable-ish effort level.  Still, this is something that I'll need to be more focused on in a few weeks as I go for my own new PB at the Hamilton Marathon Road2Hope.

As we approached the 'big climb' at 37.5k I offered a few words of encouragement to Hillary (who was now just a couple of metres behind me with each step) and kept the speed on cruise control.  We entered downtown Picton and with the weather having turned out to be absolutely gorgeous (closing in 20°C and mostly sunny, where the forecast leading up to race-day had predicted drizzly, cool, breezy conditions) there were a good number of spectators lining the main street and based on the gap between cheers & applause I could tell that Hillary was only a few seconds behind me without even having to look.

The 2016 route detour took us off of the main drag and through a few side streets - which honestly was a pleasant change as there were again more people sitting out on the front lawns rooting us on to the finish, and closer to the road than they might have been on the double-wide main thoroughfare.  With a quick right and final left we entered the 300m straightaway to the finish line that still essentially ended up adjacent to the Crystal Palace.  Hillary was giving it a strong finish and so I slowed ever-so-slightly to let her stay ahead of me in the finishing chute and cross in an impressive 3:29:38.

That left me crossing in 3:29:42.

Two seconds over.  :P

Post-race
I hung out in the finishing straightaway to cheer on Amanda, Gabe, Ken, Lee, Laura, John and a few others (nevermind having to wait for Lewis to finish as the 2:10 half pacer).  During this time I saw Tim (the race technical director) speedily attending to a half-marathoner who was wobbling terribly on the second last turn, only half a kilometre from the finish.  He waved for additional help so I ran down to the finish line to notify Kailey and the on-site medical team, and together we ran back to meet Tim who was now with the downed Dean on the grass at the roadside.  A bike patrol police officer was also there to help by this point as well as some of the local residents who brought water and a blanket for Dean.  He was responsive and aware of his surroundings but blurred in speech and slightly drooling - on spec it appeared to be a case of dehydration, but we left it up to the paramedics who arrived by ambulance just a couple of minutes after I returned with the medical volunteers.  After Dean was taken away by ambulance I didn't hear how he fared, so I'm hoping for the best.

After Lewis came in (at a spot-on 2:10:01!) we hung around a bit for the awards ceremony to see Maiko claim his trophy, and also (to my great pleasure) to see Hillary claim third female overall!

Kenyan dominance continues at The County Marathon!

 Woohoo Hillary!

It was another great time in a beautiful part of our province - I would again wholeheartedly recommend The County Marathon as an event to put on your list of potential fall races.  The people are great, the competition top-notch and the scenery not to be missed!

Race gear for the 2016 County Marathon:

• Special edition MEC RUN technical shirt
• Skechers Performance split short
• DeFeet Levitator Trail socks
• Skechers GOMeb Speed Elite
• Epson Runsense SF-810 GPS watch

Race report - 2016 County Marathon (full pacer edition)

Race report - 2016 GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon [Guest Post]

Grateful. 

That was my emotion when I toed the starting line of the Goodlife Toronto marathon. 

When I initially planned (during Summer 2015) on training to run a fast marathon at the PEC marathon (October 2015), half way through the training I had a glute issue that wrote off my training efforts. And any hopes of a ‘race’ planned! I still ran that marathon, primarily treating it as a ‘systems-check’ and ‘speed-check’. 

Training 
I spent the most of the first 4 months of 2016 training for this marathon, in the backyard of where I live these days – Toronto. I had a variety of interruptions from January to April, from 3 weeks of travel to India / Dubai in Feb, to some Achilles strain in April. When life got in the way of training, I had to use a pen to keep moving around workouts and adjusting the plan to get in the right portion of mileage and intensity with sufficient rest and recovery in balance.18 weeks in and 628 miles later, I was ready for the race weekend. 

Pre-race 
I went to the Exhibition Place on Friday to pick up the bibs for my friend and I. The expo was the usual –find your bib #, pick it up based on your event registered for and walk ahead to get your T Shirt – and I thought it was pretty small and uneventful. Just a handful of stalls and running vendors. I was done in less than 10 minutes and found myself taking the return shuttle to downtown from where I was heading home for my first carb-loading of the weekend. I heard from other folks who have ran this race in the past that the expo has only gotten smaller, and support, etc. on race day was not being very well organized in recent years. 

Shumit – a friend from India, these days is in Michigan – was running the full too. He and his wife Ekta came by on Saturday, we had some pasta at a local diner close by, talked running, and some more. We were up at 4:30 am, without an alarm, continuing our conversation on running. I still remember talking to Shumit on the telephone a week before I ran my first marathon in 2009. Being new territory back then, I could use all the tips I could find. Shumit gave me some valuable input that helped me. As you’d imagine, we’ve been good friends since. 

Race morning 
Ekta drove Shumit, Ryan and I to the start. Ryan is a local running friend from my local running group, East York Toronto Runners (EYTR). He was all fired up to run a 3:05, and seal his spot at Boston 2017. Everybody in the car was so engaged in conversation that we missed the intersection where we had to get off to walk to the start. Half a km later, Ryan is the enlightened one, and we find ourselves taking a U-turn. 

Everything happens for a reason. I earlier touched upon how I was hoping the PEC marathon (October 2015) would have been a fast marathon for me. When I still got there, hoping to run a decent time, I decided to stick to the 3:30 pacer. This introduced me to Patrick Voo, a genuine human being and a fabulous runner. Patrick and I became friends after the run, and we stayed in touch. He offered to pace me for the Toronto marathon back in March. And even before he finished his thought, I took him up on the offer. 

I wish I had my phone before the bag check-in because I would have loved to take a picture of the huge sign that Patrick had made that said “NAV”. It was fun to see the expression of some runners as we traversed through the crowd, trying to get close to the 3:15 pacer. And confusing some folks in the process. I even saw a couple of them taking pictures. Anybody want to share some here?? 

First half – Fun 
The plan was simple. Try to stay in the 3:15-3:17 range. Go a bit easy on the hills / incline, let gravity drive you on the downs. Save the legs. Try not to push too early, and maybe get an even (ideally, a negative) split. The weather called for light rain for the first hour or so, with some occasional windy conditions. 10 minutes to the start, people started to throw away their trash-bag turned ponchos as the drizzle started to wade off. 

7:30 a.m. and off we went. The start line was the same for the half and full, but since we kicked off an hour before the half marathoners, we didn’t have a sea of people to dodge our way through. It wasn’t long before we settled into our pace. I’m not sure if Patrick was an ‘exclusive one-person pacer’ in the past, but boy did he look like a seasoned one at it. I seldom watched the pace on my Garmin. At most, I would look at the watch when it beeped every mile’s split; and once in a while, when I saw myself losing ground on him. I guess that’s what you get when you have a fine runner leading you in a marathon. 

Starting at Mel Lastman Square, the course took us north for about 800m before turning around to head down Yonge Street for the next 8 km. The first half of the race has a net downhill, with the occasional inclines. The only ‘climb’ I’d consider is the Hoggs Hollow Hill – a 500m steady incline, just after Yonge & Sheppard – at the 4th km. Being so early into the race, we kept it nice and steady, focussing on effort rather than pace. I thought it looks like a killer of a hill only because there’s a huge drop before you get to it. All about perspective! 

We chatted a good bit in the initial miles. I did give Patrick a heads-up early on that I was going to save up the numerous tokens of appreciation, for all the great things he was doing as a pacer, to thank him big at the end. Before I knew it, we hit the 10k mark in 46 minutes and change. The course then hangs west into a stretch than zig-zags through many corners as we go through some pretty neighbourhoods, passing the Upper Canada College, Casa Loma, handing us down into the beautiful Rosedale Valley. This was one of favourite patches as we ran through the picturesque section. Trails in our peripheral vision, running a long and slightly winding stretch, and making friends with runners in the same pace range. 

We were hitting our splits for a 3:15 pace, but could not see the official pacer in the horizon anymore. Positive split is a popular strategy in such a course, where the first 20 kms has a significant amount of downhill stretches. This probably explained the split for the first half split of many runners, including us as we pass alongside the Don Valley Parkway on Bayview Ave to register the half marathon distance in 1:36:56. 

Second half – Agony 
The second half starts by running through downtown, a 5 km stretch heading west ward, first onto King Street and then onto Wellington Street. It was nice to run on familiar ground for a bit, and getting the first real chance to run on flat roads since the race started. We made friends with a couple of other runners as we ran in a 5 pack for the next 20+ minutes. As we ran through the financial hub, we got a sneak of some landmarks – Air Canada Centre, CN Tower, Harbourfront, Rogers Centre, Billy Bishop Airport – every now and then, between those tall buildings on the south side.

26 km in, I let Patrick know that my right Achilles was bothering me for the last 10-15 min, and was only getting worse. We decided to keep at a 3:16-3:17 pace, letting go of a couple of folks who looked strong. If this wasn’t enough, my left Achilles also played along and bothered me from the 34th km. As I was being a cry-baby, I learnt much after the race that, Patrick was also having issues with his right knee from the 16th km. But he kept pressing, because I was counting on him. Isn’t he a stellar of a dude or what! 

Back to the race, it teases by taking you adjacent to the finish line, heading further west as you get into the last third of the distance. The final 14 km is an out-and-back from Ontario Place to Humber Bridge, on the Martin Goodman Trail. I was hurting in my Achilles, but I was feeling alright otherwise. My stride was good and breathing normal. For the first 5 km out, we enjoyed some tail wind. 2 km to the turn around, and I could feel the wind picking up. The turnaround as such is a small cone shaped trail section that houses the park boat ramp which you circle around, and make your way back. I would imagine that it would be easy for many runners (especially the back packers) to be confused to which turns to make. 

The conditions started to worsen in the last 8 km. With light rain and headwind, my body was getting cold. And the series of inclines (that at this point felt like mini hills) was making it only worse. I saw Shumit and Ryan before and after the turnaround, and they too looked spent. When you feel like you are pushing hard and your pace is 45-50 seconds / mile slower, you know that it’s not your day. I was determined to keep moving, and that’s all I managed. All the above factors meant that I lost about 3:40 in the last 8 kms. Crossed the finish line in 3:19:41, a PB by 5:07. 

Post-race 
I felt a huge amount of gratitude for Patrick for giving up his time, energy and more importantly, a potential good time for himself. I don’t think my embrace and words could relay my deep appreciation of his selflessness. Thank you so very much Patrick, you’re the best dude. 

Patrick continued to help me beyond the finish line. I was hypothermic and was trembling like crazy. He helped me grab my bag, change into some dry clothes and get into some shelter to warm up. Standing at the massage tent was not going to cut it, since I could not cease to tremble. We then moved to the medical tent where I was first made to go horizontal, wrapped up in a few layers of mylar blankets and cotton sheets as my body temperature plummeted to 34C. I was then advised to sit next to the heater. Finally, after about 55 minutes my temperature returned to normal and I could walk and talk without moving like a bobble head. I realized that I was not the only one since many runners seem to have faced the same fate. 

I have to mention here that the race organization in many quarters was below par. The bag check area at the finish line was unattended and uncovered. I know of a few folks who picked up their bags to only find wet clothes in them, and I also met a lady (who I would think isn’t the only victim) who couldn’t find her bag. There were supposedly two aid stations where gels were available – 28th km mark and 41st km. a) I didn’t see them handing out gels at the first aid station, b) why would you want to give out gels one km to the finish!!?? The race t-shirt I hear was of better quality and design a few years ago; honestly, I couldn’t care too much about the t-shirt, but I might imagine a majority do. The medal is huge, which is good as this seem to be their unique selling proposition (not that I’m a fan of medals either!). I just hope it’s does not become their ONLY selling point. 

In the last few days, I’ve had a chance to reflect about my race. I’m very grateful to have been able to complete another marathon; another lesson to be absorbed. If there’s one thing I can take away, it’s confidence. I know better than to expect perfect conditions on race day. Receive what you are offered, and adapt accordingly. Given the sub-optimal training season until now, I thought many facets of the race day turned out well – the target in hand, the ability to sustain the pace all along and the determination to stay strong when the going got tough (in the last 10k). I’m confident of only getting stronger in my next phase of training, as I work towards creating a great memory in Berlin. Here’s to better times ahead, literally! 

~ Navin Sadarangani

Race report - 2016 GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon [Guest Post]

race report - 2015 Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon

i think that they technically call it cold-induced diuresis.

i call it an unexpected annoyance that may have cost me a 3-hour marathon.  but when you gotta go, you gotta go.

pre-race

with the very real prospect of snow squalls forecasted for the toronto-windsor corridor i elected to head down on friday night to stay over at a friend's house before booting over across the border on saturday to quickly hit up the expo and nab my race kit.

getting in and out of the USA (by car) proved to be easy as pie on saturday morning - although it costs a pretty penny as the toll for exiting the ambassador bridge is $6.25 CDN each way!  i think that the sign said that the equivalent in US currency was $3.50, which really made me wish that i'd exchanged a bit of cash before the weekend.  the lineups for the border guard stations were what you'd expect - a slow grind through what felt like the grocery store cashier lines right before dinnertime.  but there must have been more than a few people like myself who declared their intention to only be in the states for an hour or two for race purposes, as the US guard joked with me about the race being cancelled due to an unforeseen bridge closure (although he couldn't play it out with a straight face), and the CDN customs officer queried me about my personal best and then one-upped me as his PB beat mine by about 40 seconds.  we also went on to chat about my upcoming trip to boston in april to run the marathon there as he made his one trip to the boston marathon some 20 years ago ... we ended up having to stop each other because our lively chat was holding up the line.

i decided to park at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino as the parking there is free and it would offer a good opportunity to test out my plan for sunday morning, which was to deposit my car there and hike the seven blocks down to the start line.  aside from my GPS navigation unit giving me a bum steer and turning me into some dead-end construction zone it was fairly straightforward in terms of finding the garage and winding a path to the center of activity (near the Cobo Center).

the expo itself struck me as being somewhat similar to the layout employed at the mississauga marathon - the race kit pick-up was lickety-split (seriously - there was no one in the line-up for bibs #101-750) and i could have been in-and-out in five minutes flat except that the flow of traffic necessitated that everyone wind their way through the maze of vendors and exhibitors in order to exit.  plenty of LRSs (local running stores) were on-site with lots of wares to be had, as well as other race promoters and various novelty companies (e.g. the 'running bumper sticker' people, medal display rack people, and even some guys who had a neat gel-pad instant hand warmer).  while i deliberately didn't bring any cash so as to not spend the money that i don't have (!), i do admit to lingering a bit at the Hansons Running Shop area because of their notoriety around the hansons marathon method and their former relationship with america's own MUT-runner extraordinaire sage canaday.

after returning to canadian soil again i spent the remainder of the day fairly relaxed, taking in my carbs and hitting up an LRS in windsor (the running factory) to stock up on my complement of gels needed for the race.  even though the gels cost me a little more than twice what they were available for at the expo, i knew that i wanted to keep the money on this side of the 49th.

race day

i'm glad that i'd gotten a decent sleep on friday night, because saturday night's sleep was cut somewhat short by a bathroom trip (oooohhh ... foreshadowing) at 1:30 a.m. after which i couldn't shut my brain off enough to actually return to sleep.  after 90 min. of fish-flopping in the bed my alarm went off and i got up for my shakeout run, breakfast and shower (in that order).

having been informed that spots at the MGM Grand Casino parking lot tend to be filled up by about 5:30 a.m. i set out just around 4:30 a.m. to ensure that i'd get a space.  i figured that i could always hang out in the car or in the casino to stay warm and rested with a couple of hours before start time.  this proved to be a smart move as the lineup just off of the freeway onto the exit for the casino lot was backed up and took some time to negotiate - but once inside the parking structure there was no problem finding a space, to my relief.

with just over an hour before the 7:00 a.m. start i joined the throngs of runners and supporters/volunteers making our way down the seven blocks toward the start/finish area.  i stopped to use the port-a-potty about halfway which seemed right on schedule in terms of me clearing out my GI system in prep for the long haul to come on my feet.

i was surprised at how abuzz the downtown core was at such an early point - it was a reminder of just how many of the marathons that i've run are smaller races.  all told there were over 17000 competitors lining up on sunday morning, plus their families and friends adding to the crowds.  it definitely made for an electric atmosphere - which was a good thing for such a chilly morning.

[and this is a good point to insert a note about the weather conditions - the advance forecast had indicated sub-freezing temperatures (about -2°C) at start time and reaching about 3-4°C by 10:00 a.m.  armed with this information i packed just about every conceivable outfit combination that i could, including split shorts, compression shorts, capris, arm warmers, calf sleeves, singlet, t-shirt, toque, thin socks, wool socks.  after consulting with some friends on facebook i chose to go with the singlet, arm warmers, compression shorts, calf sleeves, gloves and toque - which still left me shivering while waiting in my corral.]

as the starting chute started to crowd up i met both the 3:05 and 3:00 pacers - each was a capable 2:40:xx racer in his own right, but i was a bit surprised that when i inquired about their strategies for the race the best answer that i got was "to finish with 30 seconds to spare".  no plan about even-splitting or taking the 3rd mile (climbing the Ambassador Bridge) a bit slower to level out the effort expended.  there's was no question about how capable they were to cross in the designated time - i had just hoped that perhaps they would be a little more focused on coaching/encouraging the aspiring racers in their group instead of just hammering out a time.

and at about 6:57 a.m. it happened.

i had the feeling that i needed to pee.

by this time i was sandwiched in on all sides, having even forgotten to perform my lunge matrix of stretches.  i had already hit the washroom twice since arriving in detroit but the cold weather had constricted my blood vessels, elevated my blood pressure and forced a fluid dump into my bladder to try to maintain equilibrium.  i really needed to pee - but with nowhere to go, i tried to focus on just getting the race started and hoping that the sensation would go away.

alas, it didn't.

after latching onto the 3:05 group for the first two miles we hit an aid station and i veered off to make use of the port-a-potty.  i'm glad that i did as i'm surprised at how much my bladder had filled since my last bathroom break not 30 min. before (and that without taking in much by way of additional drink).  by the time that i exited i could see the 3:15 pacer had already passed me - and fearing that i would get caught in the congestion of runners on the Ambassador Bridge i decided to squeeze the pedal a bit to try to catch back up to the 3:05 pace group.

d'oh!

of course you don't feel like you're expending too much energy - it's early in the race.

you've got lots of glycogen stored up.

and it's easy to tap into that fuel source.

so i did - scooting by scores of fellow runners as we ascended the ramp to cross the bridge.

early speed + up up up = bad idea.

on the plus side i managed to lock back onto pacer jeff and his 3:05 congregants before the end of the bridge and decided to hang with them for another two or three miles after that.  it was quite an experience humming past the lineup of six or seven border patrol guards on each side of the race course as we entered into canada - they were there spotting your bib to see if you were on their list of properly accredited/identified runners, but they were also quite encouraging as they smiled or shared the occasional "great job" compliment to a passing racer.  there was also an announcer at the border reminding us to all ensure that the view of our bibs was unobstructed, as well as providing some entertaining commentary about how the exchange rate is so low that we can carve off nearly 30% from our time while running through windsor.  (hardee har har ...)

the stretch along riverside drive was fairly pleasant if plain - except for the one tanker ship that was navigating the seaway just as we were strolling by.  i did note that a couple of times there were some of the pace group runners who were asking pacer jeff if we were "going a bit fast", which he confirmed - and as he dropped his pace ever so slightly i decided that i would try to maintain and perhaps inch up on the 3:00 group.  while i never did catch them, i was able to tuck into one or two other runners at a time in order to take advantage of some drafting (the winds were maybe at 17-18 kph) and dialing into another person's cadence.

the tunnel back into the states was an interesting stretch for a few reasons:

1. immediately upon entering the tunnel the temperature rose a good seven or eight degrees, which initially felt like a blast furnace door opening but then turned out to be a pleasant climate.
2. my garmin 305 indicated loss of GPS signal about 15 seconds into the tunnel - this would mean that my distance vs. time displays would be off and i would most definitely be relying on the roadside mile markers to indicate how i was faring.
3. the exiting climb seemed quite long - and not knowing how i was actually pacing i had to rely entirely on perceived effort.

the u.s. border patrol guards were out in similar force upon our resurfacing from beneath the detroit river checking bib numbers and cheering us on.  my initial concerns about whether or not i needed to actually carry my passport with me (as per the strong recommendation of the race officials) turned out to be quite unnecessary as the process was so well organized and painless.

the middle miles were where i was caught in no-man's-land ... not really running with a pack, and occasionally eyeballing someone who was clicking off a similar pace and trying to stick with him or her.  this became tougher as the runners of the international half-marathon peeled off to their finish line, thinning out the field - but for a good 10k after that i was able to focus in on a guy who was running pretty effortlessly with a quick cadence.  he was wearing a green tank top and every time that we approached some roadside spectators i would hear "go green!" or "go state!", which provided me with enough information to surmise that his singlet said "Spartans" on it (as in the Michigan State Spartans).

at the 20 mile mark we had crossed another bridge onto belle isle - a point in the race that i had visualized and had tentatively planned for a shift in gear to try to finish out with a real 'racing' effort.  however i was watching the mile laps on my garmin increase in time (to 7:09s and 7:11s) so i thought that i would try to slug it out until returning to the main shoreline and detroit's "riverside walk" where i would try to put in a burst effort for the final 5k.  in my head i would be simulating the negative split runs that i'd been doing all summer with the barrie roadrunners along the kempenfelt bay waterfront - a little mental trick that i hoped would help turn on some afterburners.

i can't say enough about how invaluable this video was for my race prep!

just before we started hit the section of riverside walk i passed my spartan-supporting friend and tried to urge him on saying "i've heard 'go green' in front of me for the last six miles, i don't want to be hearing it from behind!" - but he encouraged me to keep pushing and i wouldn't see him again.

i did find that my legs were able to pump it up again and found myself passing another three or four runners down the final stretch - this definitely helped to lift my spirits.  since the 3:00 pacer was nowhere within sight my goal at this point was to not let the 3:05 guy pass me at any point - and while this was made tougher by an uphill, into-the-wind turn at the 25 mile mark i channeled my inner deena kastor (who said "Today it was just putting my head down and grinding through it" after setting the new u.s. masters record at the 2015 chicago marathon) to see me through to the finish line, and a 3:04:34 gun time finish.

I'll take a new PB - thank you #detroitmarathon ! 3:04:17 #golikeneverbefore

A photo posted by patrick voo (@pbfvoo) on Oct 18, 2015 at 9:08am PDT

post-race

the march through the finish chute was very well organized (as was the race all the way around), with a very cheery volunteer congratulating me and donning the hefty Detroit Marathon finisher medal around my neck followed by tables of chocolate milk, bananas, fruit slices, water, hummus and protein bars.

i'd decided not to stick around for the much-touted "Conquered" after-party but instead grabbed my throwaway clothes (all but one piece - the hoodie - had remained where i'd left it before entering the starting chute) for warmth and headed back to the car for the short ride back to my friend's house to nab a shower before the long ride home.

at the border i had one more fun exchange with the canadian patrol officer who asked me how long i'd been in the states - i responded with "around six hours", to which he said "are you sure you didn't run past me just about four hours ago?" at which point i chuckled for not having accounted for that crossing.  he also quizzed me about items to declare which i'd obtained in the united states - and i noted a bunch of protein bars, a banana and some free hummus.  his response was to give me the people's eyebrow and say "anything else ...?", and i quickly came back with "oh, and this beast of a medal around my neck."  he then broke a big smile and said "you're darn right!  congratulations - have a good day!", sending me on my merry way.

as i reflect back on attaining my second marathon PB this year (with a fairly significant cut of 7:33 from my accomplishment just over months ago) there are a few key takeaways:

1. it was great to run in detroit - i really do like the city, and it was great to sense how encouraged the people of the motor city were that they were being supported.  it's definitely been tough times and tough neighbourhoods that have dogged this community - and we ran past a few areas that seemed like they were post-apocalyptic landscapes with abandoned factories and apartment buildings - but they sure do have spirit there.
2. i hit goal 'A' and 'B' but not 'C' - maybe i have to re-order those?!?
3. there was a better race that could have been run out there for me - potty-stops aside, i could have made up the time in much smarter fashion without expending nearly as much energy as i did, and may not have had to pay for it as much in miles 14-20.  was sub-3 possible?  maybe not, but 3:00:xx maybe ... and that may just become my target for the 2016 boston marathon.
4. i still don't know what it's like to experience the full benefit of running with a pace group.
5. GU gels are getting harder and harder to stomach, especially on cold days when they coagulate like crazy.  honey stinger gels were not bad, but the packaging was a little more bulky than i would have liked.  powerbar power gels went down the easiest, but i still found myself wanting to finish the race faster so that i would have to consume fewer gels overall.

thanks again to my tribe of Barrie Running Ninjas, the Barrie RoadRunners and the Barrie Trail Running Club for all of your companionship, coaching and support in preparation for this race. i was proud to sport my Team Skechers Performance and Team Running Free colours as well in and amongst the sea of other running brands and clubs.

so it's time to embark on another off-season, and construct my plans and goals for 2016.  i'll be sharing them later, but for now i can say that i think it'll involve a combination of attempts at going longer and a bunch of attempts at going faster (how's that for obscure??).

#GOlikeneverbefore

#getyourmilesin

#ninjaputsdownhissword

race gear for the 2015 detroit marathon:

• Skechers Performance Division racerback singlet
• sugoi arm warmers (Team Running Free branded)
• zensah compression calf sleeves (in Blue Jays blue!)
• skechers GOmeb speed 2
• CW-X stabilyx ventilator compression shorts
• freebie (branded) socks from the 2014 county marathon  

race report - 2015 Detroit Free Press/Talmer Bank Marathon

race report - 2015 County Marathon (full pacer edition)

it was time to don the ears again.

last year provided my first opportunity to serve as an official marathon pacer thanks to an inquiry from my friend erin mcdougall.  erin was and is the organizer for the pacers at The County Marathon in and around beautiful picton, ontario, and it was through the magic of social media that we were able to connect.  when he prodded me again early this spring about possibly serving as a pacer once more i nodded agreement - and was also able to conscript my friend lewis into volunteering as a pacer for the half-marathon distance.

if you haven't already read lewis' account of the race, i encourage you to do so now - it recaps much of our experience together and my report will only elaborate on the elements of it which were particular to my pacing of the entire 42.2km vs. lewis' work with the half-marathon group.

race day
with the plan to arrive early (about 60 min. before gun time) at the start line i hopped on a shuttle bus from downtown picton and had a great conversation on the way with a racewalker named kim from ottawa.  kim was a seasoned gentleman (i'm guessing in his late 50s) who was really personable and we got into a great conversation about the ins and outs of racewalking.  having agreed that it's a very unnatural looking sport i was surprised to hear that it has a history that hearkens back to the 1800s which was rooted in military competitions.  i had no idea that it was that storied, but certainly can accept that it is a legitimate athletic endeavour - especially after hearing that the 50km world record of 3:32:33 was set just last summer at the european athletics championships.  that's a smokin' time - and when you consider (as kim pointed out) that while runners can lose form as they fatigue but still finish quickly race-walkers must maintain form or else be disqualified ... well that makes it that much more impressive.

at the essroc arena (the warm-up centre at the start line of the full marathon, complete with elevated indoor track) i met and chatted with my one fellow full marathon pacer, dave, as well as erin - who took the time to introduce me to the lone kenyan in the race, gilbert kiptoo. i don't often get starstruck - over the past 15 years or so i've had the privilege of being pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best tennis players in the world, including my idol andre agassi - but there was a bit of tingly feeling shaking the hand of a 2:08 PB marathoner.

l-to-r:  me, erin, gilbert

the race

the group that formed around me was initially about six-strong, including two guys who have the scotiabank toronto waterfront marathon and the hamilton road2hope marathon on their calendars over the next month.  aside from the one relay racer (who we ended up pacing to her 11k PB) i'm pretty sure everyone else had tackled the 26.2 mile test of endurance before.

the conditions were almost ideal temperature-wise (about 10°C at 8:00am start time) but the winds were out of the east at about 18 kph - and we were pretty much headed due east for the entire length of the point-to-point course.  the saving grace here was that it wasn't gusty but rather a steady breeze with moments of respite.

my crew hung with me through to about 30k where we began to see a couple of our new friends drop off of the back.  at 35k the pace group was reduced from three to two, and at 38k (the one notable 'hill') i lost my last two runners - nav, who had been nursing a strained glute muscle, and eldon, who felt that his ITB was flaring just a bit.  this put me in the familiar place of running alone for the final 3.5k, with crowds cheering the pace bunny on saying "you're right on target" and "where's your group?!?".

in the end i crossed the timing mats at 3:29:40 - the exact same time that i logged in last year's event.  consistency matters!

 

post-race 
unlike last year (when the rains started falling not 10 minutes after i crossed the finish line) the weather was glorious for hanging around to cheer people in.  nav wasn't too far behind at 3:31:23, and eldon a minute back of that at 3:32:33.  janet was next at 3:37:25, and richard (whom we tried our best to cheer along by keeping the invisible 'elastic' intact) wrestled out a strong 3:43:54.

 just a beauty of an autumn day!

the champ is here!

my thanks go out to erin for again inviting me to be part of this fantastic event, and kailey ellis-chapman and her team for organizing a small-town-feel-big-deal-quality race!  i look forward to the 2016 edition and perhaps three-peating at 3:29:40! 

race gear for the 2015 County Marathon:

• Special edition MEC RUN technical shirt
• Running Room basic run short
• Falke RU Energizing compression socks
• Skechers GORun 4
• Garmin 305 GPS watch

race report - 2015 County Marathon (full pacer edition)