Race report - 2024 Sudbury Rocks Marathon

I would consider this to have been my real first 'post-pandemic' race, as I kind of fell out of the racing mindset over the past few years.  I could chalk it up to getting older (and slower), but I would also say that I've been very discouraged by my inability to hold the pace at my last two attempts to serve as an official marathon pacer at The County Marathon (in Picton, ON).  For both of the last two years I volunteered to be the 3:30 pacer - and while I had successfully completed that task for six years prior to 2021, the efforts that I put in for the 2022 and 2023 ended up in DNFs for me (as I fell unrecoverably off the pace both times and finished the race without actually crossing the official timing mats).

 

As such this was to be a bit of a 'redemption attempt' for me ... and I'd eyeballed the Sudbury Rocks Marathon several times before but the timing of the event (plus it's relative distance from my house - about 3 hours' drive) never quite worked out.  However this year with my responsibilities as a volleyball coach together with rehearsals/performances in "Honeymoon In Vegas" meant that this was probably the best time to give this race a shot.

 

Pre-race

My training in a lead up to the race followed basically the Hanson‘s marathon method, and while I did feel quite sluggish through it I felt also that my conditioning was actually coming to a bit of a peak - so I had some real optimism heading into race weekend. I didn’t have any solid goals, but knowing that my friend David Thompson had broken 3:20 in his Las Vegas race I decided to also use that as a benchmark.


The other thing that really helped was seeing my friend Natalie post on Facebook that she had a free pair of Nike Vaporfly 4% shoes to give away! I quickly snatched them up even though they were two sizes larger than what I would normally wear, and I had in mind that I would MacGyver them into a racing flat that I might be able to actually put to use.  But when I slipped them on my feet I didn’t feel like they were entirely like clown shoes and wondered if I might be able to actually work with them as-is. The one thing that I really liked was how spacious it was in the forefoot because of how much bigger they were … I had actually just cut out the lateral side of the upper on my Saucony Endorphin Pro 3s because the curved last was pinching my pinky toes in the most uncomfortable way.

 

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A post shared by Patrick Voo (@pbfvoo)

You can see the Vaporfly 4% shoes (in size 12, my normal size is 10) that came courtesy of Nat & Dylan

 

Notice the cut-out section on the Endorphin Pro 3s that I loosely covered over with another piece of borrowed shoe-upper

The trip up to Sudbury was rainy and somewhat eventful as two hours into the three hour journey my car's dashboard decided to light up like a Christmas tree and the vehicle started slowing down on its own even though I had cruise control on. That lasted for about seven seconds, and then the dashboard returned to its normal status and I was able to carry on if nothing had happened (although I know that something is definitely up).


The other thing was that my GPS device ended up taking me to a gravel pit instead of the high school where the race expo was taking place. Last time I trust TomTom.


I checked in to the residence at Cambrian College (it was the cheapest of reasonable available options) and while it was nice to be able to spread out in two-suite room the lack of a TV made it difficult for me to try to watch the Prefontaine Classic which was taking place on Saturday. I went through all sorts of password gymnastics with my family trying to log into our different accounts to see if I could access our various subscription services but in the end found that CBC Sports actually had a free live stream on their website, so I was able to sit back and relax with pizza and enjoy the event. 

Race Day

I arrived at the start area with just over an hour before the starter's horn would sound, and while there was no indoor waiting space the conditions outside were pleasant enough (10°C but foggy) to sit on some concrete planters and wait for the crowds to assemble.  There was a row of about 15 porta-pottys at Tom Davies Square which made it convenient to enough to make any last dashes before the race began.

At 7:55am the marathon, half-marathon and marathon-relay runners started out together.  It wasn't quite a mass of humanity, but it did mean that we'd have people running all sorts of different paces because some were only going to be huffing it out for 5-7km in total.  And since we weren't going to be running on an entirely closed course it meant some close quarters in various sections as we were basically ushered into the roadways' bike lanes by pylon markers.  In fact during the first 2km I clipped a runner just ahead of me because we were so pressed in together - thankfully after a quick apology on my part we were all able to carry on none the worse for wear.

I must say that for the first 7km or so I felt remarkably good, running a solid 4:21/km (which was faster than my planned goal pace, and faster than any tempo run I'd put in during the training block).  I'll credit the Vaporflys for that as I was impressed at how light the size 12s were feeling and how little I had to worry about tripping myself up with the extra length.  The margin for forefoot splay was definitely pleasant and working in my favour.

The route was already proving to be quite undulating, and knowing that I'd have to navigate these hills over the next 35km I decided to take the climbs rather conservatively.  Up to around 11km I was steadily passing runners, but at 11km one of the guys that I'd gone by caught back up to me and we had a quick chat before he overtook me.  He'd run the full at Toronto just a few weeks back and was running the half-marathon this particular morning, noting "f*** this marathon!" as he happily confessed to already being into the home stretch.  Perhaps I should have clued in that the day ahead of me might offer more than I had bargained for.

 

From km 11 through to 21 I was passed by two other runners, both of whom I'd seen at the one hairpin turn on the course (have I ever noted how much I dislike hairpin turns in races ...?).  I managed to reel in one other runner at 19k as he was struggling to finish up his half-marathon, but as I went by I kept turning around to yell encouragements to him over the next 2 km.  He managed to dig deep and crossed his finish line not long after I cruised over the half-way timing mat.

 

Halfway split - 1:34:59 (which would have been good enough for 12th place overall in the half-marathon, and 2nd place in my age category).

The second half of the race is where things really got interesting - with only 67 full-marathon entrants once I crossed the half-way point I was no longer able to see anyone ahead of me.  I was obviously well behind the next person in front, and all of a sudden it got very lonely and quiet.  Those of you who know something about the psychology of racing may have a sense of how this can be quite demotivating - especially since I couldn't detect anyone in reasonable distance behind me either, and I knew that I wasn't in first place.  Still I managed to hold my pace (now at about 4:29/km) thanks in large part to seeing some of the 10km runners coming back towards me on the opposite side of the road.  Their route was something of an out-and-back and so being able to applaud and cheer them on as they were wrapping up their race (and receiving some encouragements in return) gave me some energy to feed off of.

At this point between the escalating heat (it was a full-sun kind of day with effectively no shade on the course whatsoever), the roly-poly roads and what seemed to be a consistent headwind I watched as my pace steadily crept up.  Aside from thanking the volunteers and police officers along the way there was very little interaction with other people until 30km into the race, where I came upon another marathoner (Justin) who was battling hamstring spasms.  I checked to make sure that he was doing alright, and even though he was walking as I pressed on he would manage to pass me again in about another 4km.

The final 8km was a bit of a slugfest for me, and Justin and I was leapfrog each other (as he'd recover and then be halted by spasms) through to the end, and another three runners caught me from behind.  Still one of the things that I was perhaps most pleased about was how I managed my fueling ... this continues to be a challenge for me, but at least this time around I was able to stay on track with taking my gels on-schedule (even though the GU "Cola" liquid energy gel that I took at 35k was absolutely disgusting).  I could have done a better job of actually drinking the water/electrolytes that was being offered at the generously peppered aid stations, and perhaps in hindsight I was getting a bit dehydrated but I certainly didn't feel that way.  I may have also accidentally self-sabotaged a little bit as earlier this week I'd misread my training plan and put in a 6x1mi. workout on Monday instead of an easy 12km - but who's to say?

As I crested the hill where the 40km marker was I knew that I was not going to hit a sub-3:20 time, but I was determined to try to gut it out as best as I could.  In the final 300m I was caught once again from behind by another marathoner - but he reciprocated what I'd try to do for that half-marathon about two hours before as he cheered me on and urged me to do my best to catch him.  I wasn't able to do that, but still managed to finish upright and with a smile on my face.  As far as the shoes go, they performed admirably well - I was definitely feeling like there was still some 'bounce' in my step even late into the game, and the only thing that detracted from my experience in them was a small, sharp pebble that found its way into my left shoe at that 40km marker.  But at that point I wasn't going to stop to clear it out - so just a little reminder that sometimes you just gotta push through the pain.

Final gun time:  3:21:46

Post-race

I waited in the finishing chute area for Justin to cross the line, and he managed to run it out just about 2 min. after me.  I congratulated him and encouraged him that the marathon distance has to be respected, and that he did the best he could with what was presented to him this day.  

 

I wandered through to get my medal (presented by members of the Canadian Armed Forces), my banana and cookie and bottle of water, and then stopped to check in at the Chiptime results tent.  I chuckled as I saw that I'd finished first in my age-category ... but only because the official results showed me as "1/1" in the M50-59 group.  I'd realize a bit later that there were two others runners in my division, and that at that point they'd not yet crossed the finish line.

 

All in all it was pleasant day in the nickel belt, and I definitely give kudos to the Sudbury Rocks team for a well-organized and executed event.  Not sure I'd do it again (because of the profile of the race course itself) but I'd be happy to recommend it to anyone based off of the quality of the team hosting it!

Now it's time to recover and see what the rest of the 2024 racing calendar might hold ...

Thanks for reading (and watching)!

 

Race report - 2024 Sudbury Rocks Marathon

race report - 2015 waterloo marathon

meat loaf was right - two out of three ain't bad.

i'd stated my goals for this race earlier this week, and made good on (1) finishing top 3 for my age group and (2) running a negative split.

well, at least i think that i ran a negative split.

pre-race
at my daughter's request (so that she could have friends at the house for an overnight without worrying about her dad going to bed at 6pm) i'd booked a hotel room in kitchener (the city adjacent to waterloo), and so headed down the day before to get into the marathon mood.

i had half a mind to try to snag my race kit on saturday, but there was only a four-hour window that they would be available and i missed it.  having arrived into town about 30 min. too late, i decided to drive the course route to familiarize myself with what was reported to me as being a very hilly course.  as it turned out, there were a number of formidable hills to take note of, and specifically two that appeared within the last 6km or so of the course.  it was the first time that i'd driven a marathon route in advance, and in my mind it was well worth it - if for no other reason than to check out the beautiful heritage covered bridge.

Driving the Waterloo marathon course and sure enough here it is ...

A photo posted by patrick voo (@pbfvoo) on Apr 25, 2015 at 12:42pm PDT

the rest of the evening was spent at the motel resting up and finishing the carb load process.  that morning i'd performed the 'western australia carb load' requisite workout (1 mi. w/u, 150s @ 1 mi. pace, 30s flat-out, 1 mi. c/d) and so was taking in approximately 12g of carbs for every kg of lean body mass for the remainder of the day.

as i watched a little bit of UFC 186 prelims on the tele, i laid out my race kit to be sure that i'd be worry-free in the morning.  one of the things that i'd not done before for an 'away' race was to bring two pairs of racing flats - and this time i was glad that i did.  given that i was so positive going into the competition i didn't want anything to mess with my headspace - and the one last variable was a niggling doubt about wearing the Skechers GOMeb Speed 3 as my shoe of choice.  i'd done some key race pace workouts in them but wasn't entirely sold on them feeling as solid as the GOMeb Speed 2 - and given that that was the other pair that i'd toted along, i made an almost-gametime decision to wear the Speed 2 for the race.

the remainder evening would have gone off swimmingly except for the fact that the guests in the room adjacent to my bedroom wall decided that this would be a great night to party (loudly), rearrange furniture at random and intermittently get into verbal sparring all the way until 2am.

if they were there for the marathon too then they had some secret to sleep that i certainly knew nothing about.

race day
you know how one of the standard rules of smart running is 'never try anything new on race day'?

i didn't listen well in school, either.

i started off the morning with something i'd not practiced in any previous races - an early morning shakeout run.  when my 4:30am alarm went off (not that i needed it - i'd been tossing and turning since the neighbours finally passed out or something) i threw on some sweats and headed out for about a 10 min. shuffle down the street, ending up outside the nearby tim horton's waiting for the staff to open for the morning.  i really wanted a toasted bagel for breakfast.

bechtel park in waterloo was the next stop, where the race would begin and end.  the park houses an indoor soccer facility where the on-site registration and kit pick-up took place - and showing up about 80 min. before start time meant that (a) i was bibbed and chipped with 75 min. to go and (b) there were no line-ups at all to use a port-a-potty.

there were a few other 'never-done-befores' that were part of this race:

• the day before i'd performed the western australia carbo-load workout - different from my previous pre-marathon day workout of 5 km of easy running
• i donned my new skechers performance division racing kit for the first time
  
  
• i wore the tiux compression socks (review upcoming) that i'd received in the mail just two days prior, courtesy of 9run.ca and tiux



Last piece of race gear has arrived ... #tiux

A photo posted by patrick voo (@pbfvoo) on Apr 24, 2015 at 12:46pm PDT

• in line with a decision that i'd made to really pay more attention to my body during this race, i chose to run naked ... no GPS watch or timing device of any kind for me.

given that i had no splits of any kind to really base my race report off of, i thought that i'd break it down in terms of sections of the course ...

>> stage 1 - bechtel park to bloomingdale road
i stayed back to start with the 'second wave' (of only about 100 runners), and the first 2km or so dropped about 25m - almost boston marathon-like.  i quickly settled into a easy-running pace, of what i wasn't quite sure but it felt like i'd just headed out on a group workout run.

>> stage 2 - bloomingdale/sawmill road to crowsfoot road
this was the first stretch of rolling hills, and lasted about 7km.  as we started to head out into the rural areas the wind also became noticeable - not quite a factor yet, but enough so that i found a fellow named jeff (from the london pacers) who was trucking along at my nice easy pace and we took turns drafting off of one another.  jeff was a bit taller than me so i found his height of some benefit in slicing through the wind - even though he was a lean running machine.  i'd find out that this was his first ever marathon distance, although he was familiar with half-marathons and shorter races.  jeff also provided me with my first and only read on pace, as he indicated that our steady 4:45/km pace was fine for him but if i wanted to step it up not to worry about him.

>> stage 3 - crowsfoot road to maryhill road
the turn onto crowsfoot road was almost a hairpin, and introduced the first short & steep hill on the course.  thanks to my advance scouting of the route i was prepared for it, and after cresting the hill we were now out in the mennonite countryside.  this 7km section was the flattest stretch of the course, but the most travelled ... by horse and buggy.  there must have been seven or eight families that passed by us presumably on their way to church, wearing their best sunday black and making it feel like we'd stepped through a wormhole back into the early 1940s.  but it was all very cool, and they were friendly enough to acknowledge back every wave of thanks for the wide berth as they went by.  and having to dodge the occasional horse apples on the road was something distinctly different as well.

my new friend jeff had dropped back during the ascent onto crowsfoot, which left me running with rob, a guy i'd met keeping warm inside the building before the race start.  he was a 30-marathon guy with the guelph victors who was tackling this race and then planning for the toronto goodlife marathon the following week.  i knew that i was still running easy because rob had planned to come in at just under 4 hours.

>> stage 4 - maryhill road to katherine street north
wind and dirt sums it up.

maryhill road was almost an entirely unpaved section of the route, pitted in the tire-track lanes and loose gravel towards the shoulder.  it runs through some wooded stretches, but for the most part was flanked by open fields - and this was where we could start to feel the effect of the wind coming in from the northwest.  the weather network predicted that they would be about 19-22 kph winds, and coming across your body it felt somewhat refreshing as the sun was now high in the sky and the temps had to be around 7°C.

this was the section that i started to find myself catching up to and picking off runners.  i hadn't sensed an increase in effort - instead i focused on keeping my cadence quick and footsteps light, breathing deeply from my diaphragm and enjoying the sunshine and fresh (well, occasionally fertilizer-laced) air.  i think that i passed four runners on this stretch of road.

one more quick note here - as you might gather, the cheering sections were fairly sparse out in the back roads in particular, but there was one couple that provided support at the intersections, then got into their vehicle and drove ahead to the next intersection to root everyone on again.  they must have done this at least five different times (that's how frequently i saw them), and they even picked up my hat when i ditched it and returned it to me after the race.  i would find out later that they are not volunteers but just fans - the husband having been a 2:25 marathoner in his younger years but not being able to run anymore due to two blown out knees.  i just gotta say that these folks were fantastic.

>> stage 5 - katherine street north to river's edge dr to line 86
a short 3.5km where a lot happened.  the first thing was the turn into the headwind - there was no mistaking that this would be a challenging length of road, however short, due to the resistance and placement in the race (wrapping up at around the 26km mark).  the second notable marker was that it was along this stretch that we ran through the famous covered bridge and took on the second short & steep hill climb.  and the third thing that sticks in my memory about this section is that i passed another four runners, and could only make out about four more runners ahead of me as we turned each corner.  could i have climbed towards the front of the pack ...?

>> stage 6 - line 86 to northfield drive east to university avenue east
in short, the most amazing 11km of my racing life.     

i picked off the other four runners that i'd spotted in front of me - which was a huge boost every time that i passed one, but it also gave me the (false) impression that i might actually be at the head of the race since there were no other marathoners in sight.

i clicked through to 33km without experiencing any kind of runner's wall.  this may have been in part due to fat-loading, proper carb-loading, or having made the choice to (again, first time ever) take in five gels over the course of the race instead of my normal four gels.

and at 33km i knew that i still had a racing gear, and i kicked into it.  i wanted to keep everyone that i'd passed in the rear-view mirror.

>> final stage - university avenue east to bridge street west to bechtel park
these final 5km were roly-poly, and held the last steep & short hill climb.  we also were joined by the half-marathoners whose gun time started 30 min. after the full marathon, and so there were more people to use as 'targets' to chase down.

with about 3km to go i spied someone clipping along at a good pace about 300m ahead of me - too fast to be within the half-marathon crowd that i'd caught up to, and so my pipe dream of leading the marathon was over but i also had someone that i could try to catch.  however, try as i might i could only get to within about 150m of him even with a hard-effort sprint finish down the bechtel park straightaway.  it was a huge boost however to spot 3:11:xx on the official race clock and to know that i would set a new marathon PB by about three minutes.

the start/finish line - the fan and volunteer support was terrific!

post-race
crossing the finish line i did feel a bit of the burn, but afterwards had not ever felt as strong finishing any marathon distance run.  even my stomach cooperated, allowing me to take in some decent calories from the generously provided 'finshers food bag'.

wanting to stick around to find out just where i'd finished, i headed back into the soccer dome to find ed whitlock there.  ed had served as the honorary race ambassador wishing us all well at the start, and stuck around to award prizes.  if you don't know who ed is, you're missing out - he is currently the holder of 33 world age-group record times in both indoor and outdoor racing events, including a 2:54:48 marathon while 73 years of age (!), which when age-graded works out to a 2:03:57.  ed was incredibly personable albeit on the reserved side ... it was interesting that during the course of our conversation i mentioned tackling a 50km trail race next (sulphur springs) and he responded by saying "you'd never find me doing that!"  apparently ed deliberately sticks to pavement and would never (and he distinctly said "never") be out on the trails.

the legend himself, mr. ed whitlock

i managed to find the posted results, and was pleasantly surprised with an eighth place finish overall, and a second place finish in my age category (meeting my 'A' race goal - and possibly my 'C' race goal of a negative split, but i don't know for sure).  sadly, i was the last place finisher of entrants from the city of barrie (2/2) thanks to my new friend, 'fast' bill steinburg.

my age-group podium standing landed me with a sport first-aid kit courtesy of st. john ambulance - a nice (and extremely useful) prize to go along with the hand-made clay race medallion.

in all the waterloo marathon was a fabulous race.  it was a gorgeous day, i managed a PB (and another clear BQ time), and really very well run.  definitely a hilly course, but nothing that should scare anyone off.  my hat's off to tony lea and his team for organizing a great event.

my thanks also goes to jim willett, the barrie running ninjas, the barrie roadrunners, Skechers Performance Division Canada, team running free, stan ong and the Hansons Marathon Method for helping me pull this off.  for now, it's time to get into the ultra part of the competition season ... see you on the trails (except for ed)!

race gear for the 2015 waterloo marathon:

• Skechers Performance Division racerback singlet and split shorts
• sugoi arm warmers (Team Running Free branded)
• tiux compression socks
• skechers GOmeb speed 2

race report - 2015 waterloo marathon

why you (and i) need a real off-season

this has been a banner running year in so many ways.

BQ.  

first ultramarathon (56k).

first trail race.

first time guide-running.

first official pacing duties.

first adventure race.

most distance logged in a calendar year (4385km YTD).

and now, it's time for a rest.

if you're at all the kind of runner that i am, then you know how much easier-said-than-done this is.  one of the strengths of my training cycle has been just how disciplined i've become at getting out the door six days a week.  rain or shine, wind or hail, polar vortex or humidex alert.  it has been as natural for me to complete a daily (or two-a-day) run as it has been to eat dinner.  if anything i've only taken a pass twice all year long on my scheduled runs - both of them occurring within the past five weeks on account of knee pain (and quite possibly an indicator of overtraining).

and yet for having achieved this series of accomplishments for 2014, you'd think i'd be more than ready for a break.  you'd be wrong.

however, knowing that even the very best, most dedicated athletes in the world take a block of time away from their sport as an important component to their training was incentive enough for me to at least consider it.

as best as i understand it, the following are the benefits to a true multi-week break/off-season from running:

1. physical rest - this sounds blatantly redundant, but the fact is that a year's worth of running and racing takes a cumulative toll on the body in the same way that that cumulative miles actually develop your running form and lead to physiological adaptations.
2. mental rest - my friend jim has repeatedly said that running is 90% mental and the other 10% is in your head.  if that is the case, then your brain needs as much of a respite as any other part of your body.  all of that focus, that rugged determination, that visualization needs to take a pause and recharge so that when you need it it's still there, not worn out and fuzzy.
3. treat yourself - maybe this is the time to sneak in a few of those delectable goodies that you diligently said 'no' to during your training cycle or perhaps to the occasional less-than-ideal runner's meal.  although we make sacrifices to train that doesn't mean that the remainder of your life has to become this relentless penalty box session.  you might also take the time to sleep in some more and find out what it's like to not constantly feel fatigued.
4. take inventory and set new goals - this is a great time to step back and look at all that you've accomplished, regardless of whether or not you hit the mark on each and every race target.  and given that absence makes the heart grow fonder, each and every day of non-running will bring you closer to that place where you are absolutely itching to hit the road or trails again.
5. re-tool - if you're a triathlete, adventure racer or obstacle race competitor then you probably already spend time cross-training.  for running-specific people like me this is a time to check out other exercise disciplines, or hone in on some strength-building work.  if you're a reader, you can use this time to educate yourself on some of the technique and finesse points of becoming a more finely tuned machine - i recommend steve magness' the science of running and pete magill's (with thomas schwartz and melissa breyer) build your running body.

convinced?  i admit that this is just as much of a chore and a discipline to stay out of my running shoes as it is to lace them up on bone-chilling blustery pre-dawn winter mornings ... but i believe that this is also the smartest move and well worth the investment of two or three weeks for my upcoming race year.

what's your take on an 'off-season'?  how do you rejuvenate your running?  i'd love to learn from your insights and experiences ... please leave a comment and tell your story!

why you (and i) need a real off-season

taking it too far

december is the perfect time to talk about excess.

aside from being the season for holiday (tr)eating, shopping sprees and the occasional beverage, this is the point in the year that many runners begin to map out their next series of races on the calendar.

having completed a couple of smaller races and three marathons this year, i've already announced (to my running partners at least) my intention to register for my first ultra.  in runner's parlance an "ultra" is any race which exceeds the marathon distance of 42.195km - and in my case, the contest that i'm eyeing is the limberlost challenge which offers 14k, 28k, 42k and 56k options.  the plan is to tackle the four-loop 56k distance, which will make it not only the longest footrace that i will have run to date, but also my first attempt at a trail race.

there's all sorts of talk that is alive and well within running circles as to why certain runners feel the desire/need to press on to longer and longer race distances.  just today i read an article that indicated that registration in ultras has increased as of late perhaps because marathoning doesn't offer the same kind of challenge that it once did. i'm not so sure about that - i still have some marathon distance goals (looming large is the BQ, but also to eventually try to cross the 3-hour barrier) as well as bucket-list races (e.g. Chicago, London, New York, Big Sur).  and it's not that i feel more accomplished if i become an ultramarathoner, either.  kyle kranz, an acquaintance and social media director for skora, posted this on facebook not too long ago:

one of things that i do want to do in 2014 is focus more on speed by running some 5ks and 10ks - maybe even a half marathon or two.  there can be a kind of running snobbery that comes into effect when people progress in distances, where they feel like running a shorter race is somehow 'beneath' them.  make no mistake, an all-out 5k can be even more grueling and taxing than a marathon.  gotta respect athletes at every level.

no, for me the lure of the ultra next year is about something else.  or somethings else.

first off, i feel like taking on the limberlost challenge will help transform my running for me.  i'm still in search of that elusive 'love of running' ... i would identify myself as someone who loves to race.  and so in order to race, i must train, and do so diligently.  with continued envy i read those facebook and twitter posts and books from people who simply find joy in getting out there and propelling themselves by their own two feet.  there's been no runner's high for me, and few moments of transcendence through many miles logged.  perhaps that's been because my focus has been securely on attaining that 3:15 boston qualifying time.  my hope is that by taking on a distance that requires you to think more about endurance than speed, and on a terrain that forces you to be more nimble and adaptive than robotically repetitious i might connect with a purer form of running than i have to date.

secondly, crossing into ultra territory has opened up a whole new sector of the running community.  this has been very cool - once i started following various ultra-running related twitter feeds and blogs, and adding the occasional #ultra or #ultrachat hashtag, i found a brand new tribe reaching out to me.  far from being exclusive, hyper-disciplined elite level runners, what i've experienced so far in the ultra community are people who are not only more connected to running than i am but who are also more connected to their bodies, to beauty, to the environment, and to a sense of harmony.  i'm envious - and excited about this.

thirdly and finally, i have an outstanding commitment to my friend hermann in johannesburg to visit him and run the comrades marathon.  billed as the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon, it is a point-to-point 89km road race that alternates starting and finishing at the cities of pietermaritzburg and durban.  one year it's a net uphill race, the next a net downhill.  when i first met hermann at a conference in detroit in 2010 i was just becoming a runner, but we shared stories of his completions of the comrades and what amazing experiences he had each time.  while we haven't spoken of it much, i feel a bit like red promising andy to come down to zihuatanejo.  it may take time, but what a great thing it will be.

what are your goals?  what do you hope to accomplish in 2014 ... running or otherwise?  and how would you (or i) know if, with respect to running, enough is enough?

taking it too far

what doesn't kill you

since i started this running thing (back in the spring of 2009) i've really not let anything slow me down. from the treadmill to the road, there have been numerous goals that have kept me getting out of bed and lacing up the shoes:

• run non-stop through the entire album version of paradise by the dashboard light
• finish a half-marathon
• run a sub-1:30 half-marathon
• finish a full marathon
• run a sub-4:00 marathon
• run a sub-3:30 marathon
• qualify for boston (sub-3:15 marathon)

so far i've managed to hit all the marks except for the last one, and i hope to put a strikethrough line across it before the dawn of 2014.

in order to realize those aspirations, there's been some dogged determination injected as everyone gets obstacles thrown into their way.  those challenges can range from the mundane to the serious to the wild and wacky - i've seen most varieties in my own journey.  here are just some of the things that i've dealt with in trying to make sure that i was able to stick to my schedule/training plan:

• snowstorms that have downed hydro lines and forced major road closures
• colds
• flu
• pneumonia (note:  powering through this probably wasn't the smartest idea)
• being chased (for several kilometres) by stray dogs in rural romania

the strays in romania come in all shapes and sizes
• getting lost while running through the streets of detroit
• recurring bouts of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
• mysterious knee pain
• grade 1 quad strains
• exercise-induced asthma
• the normal rigmarole of kids' schedules, work projects
• the abnormal rigmarole of working nine straight 15+ hour workdays helping to oversee the 1000+ volunteers of The Rogers Cup.

certainly in the grand scheme of things my list doesn't even compare to those who have to overcome diseases like cancer, or the demands of caring for dependents who have special needs, or dealing with special physical demands (like the coach i worked with this year, rick ball).

i suppose that the bottom line is that there are always excuses readily available as to why i (and why you) could choose not to run.  and i recognize that there are times that discretion is the better part of valour.  but i'm always inspired by the stories of people who choose the path less travelled, who stare down the forces that oppose them and manage to find a better version of themselves emerging from the struggle.

what wages against you to keep you from running or exercising?  

what doesn't kill you

skechers gorun 2 - road review

i did a 'first feel' review of the skechers gorun 2 a while back, and while my initial impressions were that skechers had a solid pair of shoes on the market my opinion was definitely limited in scope and experience. thanks to an online sale from The Shoe Company, i decided to pick up a pair and give them a real go(run). 

am i ever glad that i did.

this second generation design from skechers intended to promote a more mid-foot (read biomechanically efficient) stride pattern has garnered just about universally positive reviews.  and even though all of the other shoes that are part of my running rotation now are zero-drop (no differential in sole height from heel to toe), i had wanted to test out this 4mm drop shoe for marathon race-day because it could potentially help with the late-stage muscle fatigue that accompanies constant running on the balls of my feet.

i've now logged three runs in the gorun 2 - two easy runs of 10k and one tempo 10k run (which produced a PB for that distance).  these shoes make me completely unaware of the work that i'm putting my feet through - which is fantastic.  check out the video review below:

they will definitely be my kicks of choice on sept. 15 at the erie marathon, where i (once again) hope to finally attain a boston qualifying time.

given my experience with the skechers performance division so far, i've got to say that these guys know first hand what its like to rewrite (their) history.  

remember this lawsuit-worthy footwear?

haters beware!  skechers has moved from the detention room to the dean's list.  the gorun 2 is definitely worth of a five (out of five) footprint rating.

skechers gorun 2 - road review

the beaches jazzfest 20k tune up run - race report

i'll call this a race report even though it's marketed as a 'tune-up run' for the scotiabank toronto waterfront marathon.  the beaches jazz run comes in a variety of distances - 20k, 10k and 5k, and i registered for the 20k as a tempo run/test-the-waters distance to see just how ready i am to hit a BQ come september in erie, pennsylvania.

pre-race
i tried to treat this like any other race, although it falls smack-dab in the middle of a normal-ish training week.  from stocking up on the appropriate gels, to drinking everyone's favourite refreshment all week - beet juice - to hitting the hay at 8:30pm on saturday night to ensure a decent 4:20am wake up, i tried to leave no pre-race stone unturned.

the one thing that may well have tripped me up in terms of my race-week preparation is that my coach had prescribed a mini-taper approach to the runs leading up to sunday.  my thursday tempo run i actually ran faster than required, and i may have overcooked my system a bit even though it didn't feel like too much.  more on this a bit later ...

race day
the plan was to trek down to my buddy stan's place and park in his driveway, as it's about 1km from his house to the start line.  we met up at around 6:30am (after he'd downed his sausage mcmuffin) and proceeded to the 'expo' tent.  it wasn't really much of an expo since it wasn't a race (no chip timing), but that also meant that the kit pick-up was no-muss no-fuss.

after depositing the goodies that we received are part of the kit back at his place, we got ready to put in an easy 2k warm-up.  i say "got ready" because it took my garmin 305 about three or four minutes to find the satellites.

yes, in the middle of the park it asked me if i was indoors.

by the time that we'd returned to the start area from the warm-up, it was practically countdown time.  we located our pacer - as this run is a tune-up for a full marathon, we found that they provided pacers who targeted 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, etc.  the 3:10 pacer walked into view and we flagged him down ... only to find out that he didn't know up until he arrived that he was pacing, so he didn't even have a watch with him.  it was going to be up to us to let him know whether or not we were on target.

in the 'chute', the 3:10 pacer was at the front of the line, so stan and i actually got to take the starting pose that you see many elites in as they are poised at the leading edge of the pack.  probably the only time i'll ever get to be in a situation like that.

the race
we started off into a decent headwind on a cloudless morning.  our pacer took us out at what he thought to be the right pace (having paced numerous other marathons apparently), but our handy-dandy GPS-enabled wrist computers told us that we started out just a bit on the quick side.  typical of early-race adrenaline.

it was at about 5k that we settled into a decent pace - 4:24ish/km.  peter the pacer (aka peter rabbit) was clear of stan and i by about three metres and expanding his gap.  at 10k i'd hit my PB for that distance (43:41) but was also starting to feel the stride shorten up.  stan was still moving like clockwork - it was both amazing and distressing ... but hey, this guy's gone sub-3:00 for the marathon and is training for sub-2:50.  

at 15k the fabled 'elastic' between stan and i broke, and i was on my own to finish up.  this was the point at which i began to seriously wonder if pushing out 8k at 4:17/km pace on thursday had been a good idea.  i tried to muster up more energy but it just wasn't translating to increased speed.  kilometre by kilometre i was slowing, and one or two people passed me by.

at 19k something really odd happened - i'd never felt anything like it before.  i can only describe it as a spasming of my diaphragm ... it wasn't like a side-stitch, but like my entire core was tightening and i could only take in maybe a 1/3 of a breath of air.  i liken it to hyperventilating, and it felt like all systems were shutting down, and i was in (audible) yelping mode.  my pace dropped to something like 5:12/km, but it did allow me to breathe a bit better and when i felt like i'd regained the use of my lungs and abdomen i picked up the pace to finish at a 4:23/km pace.  i crossed the line 1:31:03 (for 20.18k) - and i gotta say that it's now a strange feeling to finish a run wearing a bib and not receiving a medal.  i need to become more of a purist.

post-race
stan and i lingered just a little bit at the recovery tables littered with juice boxes, bananas, fudge-striped cookies as well as the required gatorade and water cups.  we wrapped up with a 2k cool-down run, after which i noticed that there were some sore spots on the bottom of my left foot, the result of some hot spots from wearing the skora phase as a distance race shoe.  i'm pretty sure that while they're one of my favourite interval/tempo run shoes, they're going to fall out of contention as my race day shoes come sept. 15.

then i got the privilege of hanging out (in my sweaty gear b/c i didn't bring a change of clothes) at chez ong.  after getting schooled on the race course i got schooled in the way of beyblades and was treated to a delicious vegetarian (i know ... me, vegetarian???) meal of curry udon noodles, soy-protein pseudo-veal and stir-fried veggies.

all in all, a day well spent in the beaches.  and i didn't even take in any of the jazz fest. 

the beaches jazzfest 20k tune up run - race report

put me in coach - i'm ready to play ...

earlier today i had a great conversation with a person who just might be the coach for me.

(says the guy who usually likes to try to figure things out on his own)

after a brief conversation at a local Tim Horton's, i felt incredibly encouraged about how close i am to hitting my target of a Boston Qualifying time (3h15m for my age group).  and if i really believe my would-be coach, based on what's he's already researched on my training and performance history, he wouldn't be surprised to see me push closer to 3:10.

now, i'm not one who easily falls for sunshine being blown my way.  and if i read this guy correctly, he's not the kind of person to do that.  put that together with just the few pieces of recommended training tweaks that he shared, and honestly i'm starting to think that 3:10 is not out of reach.

but it's funny how conversations can dovetail as well ... i was chatting on facebook with my pal stan about training plans, heart rate monitoring and GPS watches, and he mentioned that maybe a GPS watch should maybe be on my father's day, birthday or christmas wish list.  well, doesn't my coach (let's just call him that for now) say that probably the first thing that i should do is get myself a GPS watch.

i'm not a real early-adopter when it comes to buying technology.  maybe it's because i try my best to keep my materialistic tendencies at bay - so to this point i've been using any decent digital timepieces that i could find at the local thrift stores, except for my last splurge of $11.95 on this baby on clearance:

i gotta say that it's served me well through two marathon training cycles and races - but having heard of the benefits that a true GPS/running timepiece can bring to my tempo runs and speedwork, i'm thinking that it may be time to train smarter (not cheaper).  so now i'm in the market for a garmin 305 or the like.

(see ... i'm still trying to spend as little moola as possible by going old school)

got any thoughts about garmins or other GPS-enabled devices that have made a difference to your running?  i'd love to hear about it - leave a comment!

put me in coach - i'm ready to play ...

good will hunting or the dread pirate roberts?

first off, i was at the airport yesterday picking up my daughter who arrived home after a couple of months in france.  as we stood at the arrivals deck, i watched several people clear customs wearing their 2013 Boston Marathon jackets.  recognizing that it may well have taken them a few days just to be able to secure their exit from the city, i quietly held my hand over my heart as they walked past on the ramp.  

boston is in our hearts.

* * *

and now - just as of late i've entered into conversation with several individuals about entering into a coaching relationship with them (me as the one being coached).  as you might know, i started into this whole running thing in 2009 on my own, spurred on my a pair of leather pants that i needed to wear as an elvis impersonator in a local theatre production called "discovering elvis".

thanks to little more than a treadmill and some youtube videos (for motivation and timing), i managed to begin to work myself into some kind of running shape.

now, with eyes fixed on that elusive BQ (boston qualifying) goal, i'm entertaining the possibility of enlisting the help of a coach.  i've reached out to two potential candidates, and been approached by one other.  to this point, i've had limited dialogue with sage canaday (former member of the hansons-brooks distance project, two time US olympic marathon trials qualifier and 2012 USA mountain running champion), caleb masland (2:34 marathoner, team coach of the Hall Steps Foundation and founder of Team Wicked Bonkproof), as well as one other person whose privacy i choose to help preserve at this point, as this individual is just considering entering the coaching arena - but suffice to say that this inspired and inspirational runner is a multiple world record holder.

there's (a big) part of me that would just feel incredibly honoured to even have a smidge of attention from any of these athletes.  i mean, to benefit from that person's wisdom, experience, knowledge and encouragement would undoubtedly help take my game to the next level.

the lesser, renegade part of me thinks that i can keep getting better on my own - set my own targets - push harder, run smarter and race faster based on information that i can glean at my own convenience and discretion thanks to this tool called the internet.  plus given the tightness of finances, this would be the more economical way to go hands down.

it's less than three weeks until my next BQ attempt in mississauga, so i'm sure that that will provide me with plenty of ammo to evaluate next steps, be it a great day or a not-so-great one.

but i'd love to find out from anyone out there who might read this - what's been your experience of working with a coach?  does it come recommended for recreational competitive types?  how would you detail out the pros and cons?

your feedback is hugely appreciated!

good will hunting or the dread pirate roberts?

what's the big deal about a BQ?

i confess that for me the superbowl of running is to qualify and be accepted for the boston marathon.  it's what propels me to sign up for races and train when everyone else is sleeping.

but is it such a big deal?  will i have a sense of "is that all there is?" once (and it is inevitable folks, mark my word!) i achieve it?

qualifying for the boston marathon has a mythical aura about it within north american running culture that i'm not sure can be explained.  for sure there's the impulse for me to strive to be among the 10% or so of all marathoners on the continent who are able to qualify for this race (especially significant when you consider that less than 1% of the population ever completes a marathon).  and then given that it's one of the world marathon majors - to be able to say that i competed in one of the world's elite athletic competitions, well that crosses one item off of my bucket list.

but accomplishing and following through on a BQ certainly finish the list of running goals for me.  at the very least, i have committed to a friend in south africa to complete the comrades marathon with him - the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon.  depending on who you reference, it's 87-90km of roadrunning between pietermaritzburg and durban.  just the opportunity to visit south africa is a dream in and of itself - but to run the comrades will probably be the motivation that i will need to get there.

what are your running goals (big or small)?  share them here - i'd love to know about them and cheer you on.

what's the big deal about a BQ?