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 - 2017 The County Marathon (Pacer Edition)

I know that being a pacer is all about helping others to achieve their goals.

But to be honest, having my own goal in mind helped me to give my very best to the runners at The County Marathon this year.

And the goal was simple enough:  finish within the two-second window of my three previous appearances as pacer in Picton. 

• 2014 - official clock time of 3:29:40
• 2015 - official clock time of 3:29:40
• 2016 - official clock time of 3:29:42

So this year, under absolutely splendid conditions (5°C at the beginning, 15°C at the finish, clear blue sky and breezes that couldn't have topped 5kph) all of us marathoners were set up for success ...

• 2017 - official clock time of 3:29:40

I went into this race training to be my very best, because I knew that if I did any less than that then I would not be able to hold the prescribed pace (4:59/km) and coach/encourage/goad/joke/galvanize the runners around me to hit their targets.  After my first experience (ever) pacing in 2014 at this race I quickly discovered that the role encompassed much more than crossing the finish line within 30 seconds of your assigned pace time, but that it was about creating a helpful and enjoyable 'pocket' within which to run.  If I showed up on race day just being confident of being able to pull off a 3:30 marathon myself, that would cheat the group of having someone who wouldn't rely on a gut-it-out-sprint-across-the-mat finish much less having a motivator alongside them.  As such my training since my failed redemption run at The Limberlost Challenge was all tailored to this race.

I consider myself blessed to have been invited back to serve as a pacer by the self-proclaimed 'bunny herder' for this event, my friend Erin McDougall.  This year he proved himself even more gracious by denying my request to save a parking space on his driveway so that I could sleep in my car (!) and instead opening up his home to let me sleep on his living room couch.  This was all due to my complete inability to properly schedule/space-apart events, as my wife asked me several months back "what are you doing on Sep. 30" - and since that particular date didn't set off any alarms in my head I replied with "nothing, I'm free".  Of course I didn't calculate that I would need to be in Prince Edward County that night since I'd be pacing a full marathon the next day, so we wound up joining a team with her high-school friend and husband in a charity event modeled after "The Amazing Race".

Team Treetop!  (not named because of my height or my wife's ...)

The event didn't involve a lot of extra exercise/activity (which I normally try to avoid the day before a marathon) but it was held in the region of the Blue Mountains, about an extra hour away from Brighton, ON where I'd need to be to spend the night.  This just added to the complexity of my weekend, as the plan for post-race was to hightail-it to Ottawa to take my daughter (a frosh student at Carleton University) out for dinner ... but I was most concerned for the lateness of the hour and the inconvenience that it would post to Erin's family to have me roll in when everyone else was trying to bed down for the night.  As it was, our "The Amazing Race" event wrapped up earlier than expected and I was able to make some decent time on the highway, arriving in 'The County' by just after 8pm ... where leftover supper was awaiting me and a nice relaxed chat with Erin, his wife and kids, their dog (Percy) as well as another pacer (Ned) and his companion.

Race day
Given that the details of arriving at the start line mirror the previous three years' events, I'll just note that while staying warm in the Essroc Arena I connected with a few familiar faces from previous years/other events, including Richard (a tough-as-nails runner who had run with my group at least twice before, and not yet hit his 3:30 goal), Patrick Kelly (an amazing man and runner whom I'd been privileged to meet at the 2016 EndurRun), and my good pal Taylor (with whom I'd worked for several years at The Rogers Cup in Toronto).  This year there was no Kenyan or Ethiopian elite athlete to spy on/meet since this was the first year that The County Marathon did not offer any prize money - a bit of a shame since it was always cool to rub shoulders with the kind of people who were themselves rubbing shoulders with the best runners in the entire world.

Within the first couple of kilometres of the start line I also met up with a few runners who indicated that their plan was to stick with me, including:

• Albert - who'd just raced in the Berlin Marathon the previous weekend and notched a new PB (3:08), and was also planning to pace a friend in the following weekend's Chicago Marathon - making for three marathons in three weekends in three different countries.  He also brought with him a sportdrink that had Maurten fuel mixed in (now made famous as part of Eliud Kipchoge's Breaking 2 attempt), as they had provided some samples at the Berlin Marathon.
• Dean - a seasoned marathoner who had posted results all in and around the 3:30 mark.
• Nathan - a former 140.6 Ironman finisher (at Lake Placid) who had stepped away from endurance sport nearly 10 years ago and was just now trying to get back into it.

Along the way we managed to pick up a few other runners (whom we could have just as easily 'picked off' since many of them fell into the perennial racer's trap of starting out waaaayyy too fast ...) and so our pack grew to about seven, including:

• Nancy - who was aiming for a BQ but upon seeing my "3:30 FULL" sign immediately exclaimed "Oh man - I'm going at least five seconds per kilometre too fast!".  We encouraged her that she had it in her and that she could use the group as her own personal drafting aid.
• Shayne - dressed in a super-awesome Spider-man long sleeve tech shirt, but also running in nylon warm-up pants!  
• Spencer - who dialed into the group at just about the 33km mark and toughed it out (saving most of his breath and energy by not speaking) for his first ever marathon.

As it was we had a really enjoyable time staying together (with a few new faces coming into and out of the group along the way) up to the 35km mark.  This was the furthest that I'd seen a group progress with me in the four years of pacing this event, and so it was a new experience for me and a super-proud moment!  The infamous hill just before the 38km mark did take its toll, but Dean (the last one to hang with me) proved to be mentally tough enough to plod his way up the hill alongside me and picked up steam after we crested it - cruising on through to a 3:29:15 finish.

To be honest I didn't do anything to try to speed up or slow down as I finished the tour of gorgeous downtown Picton and spied the finish line - I felt like I just kept to the effort I'd carried throughout the race, knowing of course that just about everyone picks up thanks to the crowd energy in the closing 150m or so.  I didn't even catch the clock time as I crossed, I was just pleased/surprised that I'd actually carried my "3:30" sign the entire way.

Post-race
I assumed my 'usual' position at the back of the finishers' chute to watch the other runners come across the line, and I suspect that I was afforded a bit more latitude than other participants (since I was a pace bunny) as the volunteers tried to keep that area clear by having racers keep moving through to the open field adjacent to the roadway.  I managed to connect with Dean (who sounded quite emotional as he gave me a big hug), Spencer, Nancy, Nathan, Shayne and Taylor - all of them pretty spent but still pumped about having enjoyed a glorious day in the sun.

Not that I do this for the vainglory, but I'm pleased that I was able to do what they recruited me to do - and some of the evidence of this came in the form of a couple of generous social media shares from the other runners:

It was yet another spectacular day in Prince Edward County, and each year I have as much (if not more) fun than the year before.  If you're a veteran runner/road-racer and haven't yet tried your hand at serving as a pacer I'd encourage you to explore this option - not just as a way to help bolster the running community but also as a challenge for your own training and race strategy.  For what my opinion's worth, I think that you will be glad that you did!

Key race gear used:

• Skechers GOMeb Speed 3
• CW-X Stabilyx Ventilator compression shorts
• Garmin Forerunner 305
• Endurance Tap energy gels

Race report - 2017 The County Marathon (Pacer Edition)

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 - 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)

race report - The County (1/2) Marathon 2015 [guest post]

“the people, the place and the pace”

Well this journey all started about a year ago.  My friend Patrick Voo was a pace bunny at the 2014 Prince Edward County Marathon (PEC) and I volunteered to accompany him and volunteer at the race.  I parked cars in the darkness of the morning and placed medals around finishes as they crossed the line – it was a great experience!  So when Patrick asked if I wanted to pace the ½ marathon I hesitated but remembering the hospitality and vibe from last year I said yes. After a few e-mails back and forth with the pace bunny organizer Erin we decided on 2:10 or 6:10/km.  A bit of a challenge for me as I settle in at about 5:30/km naturally.  So adjust my training, learn to slow down and we are on our way to Picton.

Pre-Race-Day

A four hour drive down had my legs achy and sore, but the time with Patrick to chat about faith, family, life and running (and running, and running) was well worth it.  We showed up to the expo, got our bunny ears, bibs (mine was listed as “SABO” not Lewis – Patrick says they do that for the elites?), shirts and socks and headed out our motel for the night.

Got our clothes all laid out for the race based on listening to the weather (the weather is of great concern for this particular location).  We probably put more though into this and spent more time on it then a teenage girl getting ready for a prom!

Out for dinner in scenic Napanee and somehow avoided maybe the best and biggest fish & chips in the world (every other person in this little restaurant was having them) and settled for a toasted western and a huge salad.  Back to check the weather again, write, read and lights out about 9 pm.

Race Day – Pre-Race

Rotten sleep and up at stupid o’clock (4:30am).  Patrick went out for a run! I ate, checked the weather again, got on our race gear, packed up and on the road at 6 am.  To the PEC and dropped Patrick off to catch his bus for the marathon.  Now I had three and a half hours to do something with.

Planned on sleeping in his car for at least an hour but as I settled in and closed my eyes I started to question and wonder what I had gotten myself into?  The running a ½ was no problem at all, but keeping a consistent pace and encouraging and talking to people and having them rely on me to help them cross the finish line at 2:10 started to freak me out!  I can force myself to be an extrovert and hold a conversation but really I am very introverted – “what have I done by agreeing to wear these funny bunny ears and draw attention to myself!”  There must be easier ways to give back to the running community which has given me so much?  Anyway, no rest ever came.

Up to catch to bus and people started talking to me (SABO) right away.  Come to think of it “SABO” was a nickname when I was an awkward teenager trying to get through high school alive.  Memories I did not need floating through my head at this time.  On the bus and a totally beautiful 15 minute drive on a crisp perfect fall morning.

We get to the ½ start out in the county and it was a bit breezy so I duck into a tent they have set up.  It feels like all 400+ runners are in the tent and they are starring at me because I have bunny ears on!  I make my way through the crowd, lean against a pole and nobody talks to me and I do not know a soul – a few long lonely awkward minutes!  Eventually Erin comes over to say hi, but leaves after a brief chat.  A few ladies sitting near me have pity on me and finally say hi. They ask about my plan to run 2:10(which I had not really thought of - I was just going to run?) and a couple say that they will be sticking with me to the finish.  I step outside the tent to see Patrick pace by at exactly 1:45 into the full marathon; we snap a picture of all the bunnies and line up to start the race.

The Race

Off goes the gun and I start my two watches (just in case!) but I am a good 200m from the chip time start and this takes about a minute before I cross.

And we are off!

One of the original ladies in the tent, Debbie is with me and a few others fall in close by.  Turns out to be an absolutely beautiful early fall day, mostly clear skies, about 10 degrees and a refreshing wind from the south.  The course is very flat and very scenic with water stations every two km's and many local residents out at the end of their driveways cheering us on.  I settle in to my almost effortless pace and begin to compare with my watches every few kilometers.  My watches are way off the km markers because I started then so early, so I had to always do some math to make sure I was on pace.

Debbie and I begin to chat about all kinds of stuff and it turns out she has the same birthday as me – now that deserved a high five!  After we settled into our rhythm a few runners passed us, Debbie and I passed quite a few runners, and I few times I heard “So, Sabo are you going to hit 2:10?”  Again the running itself was almost effortless for me at a 6:10 pace, but I say that very cautiously and with great respect for any other runners regardless of their finish times.  My biggest challenge was not tripping as I fumbled and checked my watches every few kilometres.

At about 19 km I was a bit ahead of schedule and Debbie felt great, so as we made a right turn onto the main street I slowed down and encouraged her to go on and finish strong.(Which she did – somewhere around 2:08 and a PB by about 3 minutes).  At the final left turn towards the finish line four other runners were just behind me so I slowed down to let them all pass and cheer them on.  I crossed the line at 2:08:41 chip time and 2:09:36 official time – not to bad, just off by 24 seconds.  Will have to be closer next time!

Post-Race

And there was Patrick right at the finish line cheering me on!  Found Debbie and gave her a hug, got something to drink and eat.  We took some pictures with the other bunnies, chatted with Erin a bit, stuck around for the awards and headed out home.

Conclusion

I write in a journal every day and at the end of almost every day I write "Good Things" and try to list a few things that stand out for the day. 

Good Things:

• the people - the volunteers, the residents of Prince Edward County, Patrick, Erin, Debbie, and all the other bunnies
• the place - Prince Edward County is like PEI with out the hills or red dirt yet it is only four hours away, not twenty one
• the pace - “It’s all about the journey, not the destination” I did put in the effort and training so the pace was almost effortless.  So the 21.1 km journey from the start line was incredibly enjoyable.  Finishing at 2:09:36 was just a tiny little perk compared to how much I was encouraged by others during this race.

Buen Camino!

Lewis

Trust, Love, Act – Now!

race report - The County (1/2) Marathon 2015 [guest post]

race report - 2014 County Marathon

this story starts in the world of social media.

as an aspiring social medialite, a couple of years ago i started putting more attention into developing a presence on facebook, twitter and the blogosphere.  it was through connecting with the running community on twitter that i came into conversation with erin mcdougall who is the organizer for pace bunnies for the County Marathon.  he asked whether or not i'd be interested in being a pacer for this year's edition of the race, and given that i was looking for more ways to become a contributor to (and less of a consumer of) the running community i agreed.

the pace was yet to be determined.

at the time of asking (early this spring) my posted PB in the marathon was still 3:18:14 - and so in terms of comfort i suggested that i might be best suited to be the 3:45 pacer.  erin then let me know that was normally 'his time', and wondered if i might perhaps be open to being a faster pacer at 3:30.  my response back was that i would see how the mississauga marathon went, and then get back to him.  after posting my new PB of 3:14:43, i agreed to take on the 3:30 pacing duties.

pre-race
my good pal lewis asked to join me for a road trip to picton, ontario and i was happy to spend the time with him - so he arranged to be a race crew volunteer.  we headed out on saturday of race weekend to hit the only day of the expo (and of race kit pick-up), and what started as an uncomplicated 3-hour trip extended itself thanks to a demonstration/blockade on the skyway bridge leading into picton.  apparently an unannounced protest by the native canadian community of tyendinaga over missing aboriginal women shut down the main trafficway into this little town, resulting in a 50-minute detour for us.  given that we'd given ourselves enough buffer time, it was a non-issue that day, but meant that we would have to plan for a different route in the morning.

the expo took place in the "Crystal Palace" in downtown picton, a picturesque barn of a building that is an elaborate community hall.  there were perhaps three or four vendors (including one local running retailer), a table selling previous years' race-branded gear, and the designated kit pick-up tables.  it was a straight-forward in-and-out affair, although i did get to meet kailey the race organizer along with a few other key race team members.  each of them were incredibly friendly and obliging - consistent with all that i'd heard about the character of this event.

i'd booked a hotel (prior to lewis' request to join me for this trip) at a small motel in napanee - about 30 min. away from picton ... if the skyway bridge weren't closed to traffic.  we timed the trip to the motel at just shy of an hour, and adjusted our morning plans accordingly.  after checking in, we headed to the fish 'n' chips restaurant next door on the hotel concierge's recommendation.  a quaint little joint that was hopping with familes and seniors, and good, sizably-portioned homestyle cooking.  i even had a quarter of a club sandwich leftover which i refrigerated for my pre-race breakfast.

after that it was just time to lay out my gear for the next morning - and aside from trying to figure out how to best affix the two rabbit ears to my hat the biggest decision that i had to make was whether or not to be shod in the Skechers GOBionic 2 or the GOMeb Speed 2.  i'd brought both pairs with me as i was unsure what would work best ... the GOBionic 2 was the newest iteration of my #1 ranked running shoe, but the GOMeb Speed 2 had gotten me across the finish line at the mississauga marathon in BQ time.  i decided that i could give no less than my best effort to the group of aspiring 3:30 runners and chose to wear the GOMeb Speed 2 racing flats.  i'd prepare for this race like i was preparing to go and nail my best possible time so that there would be no sense of 'coasting it' for this race.

race day
as part of the parking crew, lewis had to be on-site by 6am - which worked out fine for me.  it meant an early 4am wake-up (anticipating the detour around the blockade area, which turned out to have been cleared up overnight ... but we didn't check twitter in time) but traffic was non-existent.

however, we did drive through plenty of nasty, windswept rain showers.  all the way into picton i was hoping that there would be clearer conditions by the seaway.  though we arrived in spit and mist, by the time that i boarded the shuttle bus (the race is a point-to-point, so we parked at the finish line) to the start area the precipitation had let up - but there was a distinct autumn chill in the air.

the start line was adjacent to an arena so the runners all huddled in there in the warmth, with plenty of indoor washrooms and even an indoor track for warmups!  i spent the time meeting the other pacers, as well as making myself visible to anyone who had designs on trying to lay down a 3:30 time ... which was not hard to do given the size of my ears.

the headband was necessary because only two staples were holding each ear to the hat

the starting chute was about 700m away from the arena, and when it came time to head for the lineup it was still awfully brisk - even though the sun had come up there were plenty of clouds to keep it just a few degrees cooler.  if i had to guess i would have put it at about 7°C, which i knew would be perfect once i got moving.

just prior to the starter's gun firing i met some of the group who would plan to become my posse ... and it began with a barrage of "what's your strategy going to be?" questions.  i let them all know that i was aiming for even pacing and splits, which seemed to set everyone at ease.  there looked to be about six or seven who'd be in the 3:30 wolfpack, which felt like a nice critical mass to me.

as we started the group countdown one runner came through the crowd in a harried fashion, slicing his way to the front of the chute.  his thin kenyan frame pretty much justified what would otherwise be a presumptuous and inconsiderate move - this was gilbert kiptoo, previous winner and on this day attempting to break the course record.

[photo from countylive.ca]

the initial kilometres were spent with nicole (aiming for a BQ time), robin (who knew about me from a mutual friend - whom i've only met online - anna), steve (who'd seemed to have run just about every major marathon in north america), michael (a first timer in the marathon), and a couple others whose names i didn't catch.  within the first four kilometres we picked up kaitlyn (a school teacher on maternity leave who was running the first leg of the 5-person marathon relay) and settled into a relaxed, even rhythm.

well within the first 10km i began to notice that my Garmin 305 was clicking off kilometre splits some 100m before the roadside markers - and then 125m before - then 150m before (you get the picture).  i've known for a while to 'not trust the GPS', but this was a bit disconcerting especially since i needed to help shepherd every across the finish line in 3:30, not just when my device decided that we'd travelled 42.195km.  so i decided instead to just watch my elapsed time and compare the pace bands i'd printed against the roadside markers, and that ended up working well.

kms 13-23 were the real battlefield this day - while everyone was talking about and anticipating the 30-odd metre climb from km 38-40, it was the stretch just after the little town of bloomfield that we began to run into the wind.  gusts hit about 35kph, and definitely began to break up our pack.  even for michael who stayed stride for stride with me it would eat up some first-half energy that would end up making him pay at around the 35km mark.

in terms of the aid stations, they were more frequent than i'd been accustomed to in other races (at every 2km) and several stocked not only water and electrolyte drink but also handed out gels.  there was only one station that seemed to have been unstaffed, but given that there were so many extras along the way this was not a big issue.  and the crowds were great - with the various hand-off points for the relay race as well as the half-marathoners beginning right at the halfway mark of the full marathon, there were plenty of cheering crowds.  they may have been thin at points, but they were no less supportive and vocal.  what a great rally of support from the local community!

at about 29km michael and i caught up to steve (who had put some distance after the 1st km) and also picked up another runner named wynand.  wynand had originally been a first-leg runner for a relay team, but also just that morning registered to finish the full marathon.  he switched bibs after the first relay point, and was using this as a training run having just come off of a disappointing DNF at this year's edition of the canadian death race.  apparently he had to bail after about 81km of the 125km course - but who am i kidding?  i'd probably have posted a DNS for something called a "death race"!  as i quickly perceived that wynand's accent was south african our conversations turned to the comrades marathon (which he'd completed numerous times) as it is on my bucket list of races.  

after 35km michael began to fade (in that section which wynand described as the "marathoner's graveyard") and it was just wynand and i until about 38km when wynand paused at the aid station to take his salt tablets.  i negotiated the vaunted hill without much difficulty as it was probably talked up more than it needed to be.  with a quick check of my watch i saw that i was still ahead of schedule by about 45 seconds, so went into easy cruising mode for the final 2km or so.  with about 1km left wynand caught up again, having worked hard to make up the lost ground - and with a quick tap on the shoulder i saw him break off ahead as he would go on to a 3:28:58 finish.

the finishing chute was loud, crowded and energetic.  as i approached i could hear the announcer say "here comes our 3:30 pacer - within 30 seconds of his time.  next time you want to run the County Marathon, make sure you connect with our pacers who are right on time!"  i crossed in 3:29:39 (clock time) which was a real win for me, and i felt great.  after receiving my medal i saw my buddy lewis helping to keep people moving out of the chute and toward the bag check area.

post-race
i hung around to see steve, michael and robin finish their races - and was immensely proud of each of them for their accomplishments.  i also was watching for nicole, but when she didn't show up after the 3:45 bunny came in and it started to rain (big drops), i bailed into the Crystal Palace where there were refreshments, free beer (!), and the posted results.

inside i caught up with a number of other runners that i'd connected with, including michael who introduced me to his wife and then asked her to take a picture of he and i together.  together with a conversation with robin post-race about how much she appreciated my pacing, these were the moments that provided me with a sense of accomplishment as a first-time pacer.  in some small way i'd hit the mark.

lewis and didn't dawdle too long as we both wanted to hit the road at a decent time, but we did pause to say thanks to kailey and erin for their help in bringing us to the County Marathon.  all in all it was a very memorable race for all the right reasons - and i have designs on checking in on it again next october.

if you're looking for a small-ish, super-well executed half or full marathon next fall you will definitely want to check this one out!

as for me - next stop, the Hamilton Marathon Road2Hope on nov. 2!

race report - 2014 County Marathon