race report - 2015 MEC Barrie Race Four (#family5k)

this was probably the funnest race ever.

(yep, i used that word).

not because it's been a while since i've entered a 5k.  not because there were a ton of the Barrie Running Ninjas out for this MEC Barrie Race Four all sporting their custom-designed, available-only-through-MEC-Barrie's-group-run t-shirts.

it's because i finally got my birthday present from my kids. 

when i was asked back in june what i wanted for my birthday, i told my girls that i would love for them to run this 5k race in september with me.  three of them immediately agreed, while my oldest knew right off the bat that she wouldn't be up for it (and instead bought me a big bag of twizzlers).  so with that commitment in place we embarked on a semi-regular schedule of 'family run nights' through the summer in order to prepare.  the kids had already had some experience with running/race-training through our local chapter of the Girls On The Run programme but would not be considered 'active' runners ... and while my wife runs from time-to-time on the treadmill she rarely ventures out onto the streets of barrie unless coerced by her nutjob husband.

It's race day! #family5k

A photo posted by patrick voo (@pbfvoo) on Sep 12, 2015 at 5:10am PDT

pre-race
despite the long-range forecast calling for rain it turned out to be near ideal 'racing' conditions (overcast and about 14°C with little wind).  granted it was a bit on the brisk side for standing around, but certainly would not make dehydration a high risk factor for the day.

allyson, the girls and i arrived about an hour before gun time for our distance (the 15k race would start at 9am, followed by the 10k race at 9:10am and then our 5k), providing us ample time to get our timing chips and hobnob with various familiar faces (well, at least to me).  it was actually surprising to me how many people i knew there that morning, and i felt like i was constantly making introductions to my heretofore snuffleupagus-like family.

with the staggered starts i was able to see off a bunch of my friends and cheer them on as they embarked on their respective race journeys.  while this was great, it did mean that my family and i were left trying to figure out ways to keep warm until our starter's pistol fired.  amelie (our second oldest daughter) thought that the best way to do that was to down as many of the complimentary taste of nature organic bars as possible.

the race
having completed our lunge matrix stretches we were sent on our way on a short stretch of packed gravel before hitting the roads just on the south side of orillia by the lake.  although i thought that amelie and allyson would be taking it nice and slow together while i paced an eager charlotte, it quickly turned out that those energy bars (or maybe just that race atmosphere) had amelie going out at a brisk pace.  i realized then and there that i would be looping forward and backward on the course to spend time encouraging each of my ladies as they pounded the pavement for 5k.  no one had any specific goals in mind (at least not that i was told about beforehand) so i was just out there to try to help them each have the best experience that they could.

here's a mini-breakdown of how each voo racer fared:

amelie - our natural-born athlete succumbed to every racer's temptation of going out too hard at the beginning.  she seemed to be overtaking numerous fellow competitors using her shorter, compact, high-turnover legs but did wind up walking good stretches of the course (as she knew that she would).  still she would lead the voo pack throughout and in the final 500m huffed and puffed her way up the incline.  i was concerned at one point that she was looking like her asthma was going to kick in (as i paced her through to the finish over the last 1.5k or so), but she gritted it out with the prospect of more 'energy bars' to devour after crossing the finish line.

charlotte - who had been eager to train with me just about every time that i offered and showed signs of being in strong competition shape wound up finding the 5k more of a stuggle than she had anticipated.  her long and lean 9-year old frame still served her well although she had to back off of the pace that she had carried through many of our training runs ... it could well have been that she was overheating a bit as she made the last-second decision to wear her hoodie for the run.  still, she finished strong in the final stretch - and as a bonus we discovered that the pickiest of our eaters (who has to this point shown the ability to subsist on ramen noodles, french fries and yorkshire puddings) enjoys CLIF bars.  who knew?!?

allyson - my wife would call herself almost exclusively a treadmill runner, so dealing with breezy, cool conditions on an undulating route was challenge enough.  but ally played it smart - from the get-go she determined to find a 'manageable' pace that she thought that she would be able to keep up for the entirety of the 5k distance, and to her credit she took fewer walk breaks than did our daughters.  it was certainly a test of endurance for her, made a little more enjoyable when she connected in with a group of other ladies who seemed to be running at close to her pace.  apparently during their banter it came up that she was running this as a birthday gift for me - to which they responded with some wit "then next year you should ask your husband to take you on a trip to cuba for your birthday".  i dunno ... i got ally into the race on a complimentary registration ... cuba sounds a whole lot pricier (not that she isn't worth it!).  in any case, we crossed the finish line together (after our daughters) at which point she revealed that she'd hit her goal of completing the event in under 45 minutes.  success!

post-race
everybody seemed to be in fine shape after crossing the timing mats - ally spent a little extra time with a cool-down walk, while i found the girls raiding the refreshment tent like it was going out of style. ally would also fill me in later that charlotte had said to her that after she'd finished the race she felt 'proud of herself'. big win there!

as well it was great to check in with the Ninjas to see how they'd done ... there were numerous happy faces to be sure, and great results to boot.  it really is such an awesome feeling to be in with a league of such happy and dedicated runners - they are without a doubt like another family to me.

so i got to double-dip on family time!

[ photos courtesy of chris hillis ]

race gear:

• Skechers GORun Ultra 2
• Special edition MEC RUN technical tee
• Team Running Free Sugoi calf sleeves
• Nathan Quickdraw Elite handheld bottle
• Saucony Inferno split shorts
• Garmin 305 GPS watch
• Zensah compression leg sleeve
• Wrightsock Coolmesh Lo socks

race report - 2015 MEC Barrie Race Four (#family5k)

race report - 2015 MEC Barrie Race THREE (half-marathon)

more and more i'm enjoying races for the successes of my friends and training partners.  this race was a mixture of both great successes and crushing defeats (or is it de-feets ...?).

i'd planned to enter this race once again as an opportunity to support our local chapter of MEC and to encourage their grassroots fitness efforts through these economy-priced but excellently-executed race series events.  it fit into my training schedule as i had on tap a "35km at comrades pace" run, so my thought was to run an easy 14km lead-up to the race start time and then join in the half-marathon (not unlike what i did at at the previous two MEC race series events this year).  i had a particular interest in the HM distance this time around not just because i'm less than three weeks out from The North Face Endurance Challenge Series 50-miler but because our Barrie Running Ninjas saturday group run had included a number of people who had joined MEC's half-marathon training clinic and i was very much interested in seeing them all hit their goals.

a ninja-tastic turnout!

having arrived about 90 min. before the start of the HM i couldn't even park in the designated runners' parking lot as the barrier gates were shut/chained.  the MEC crew had anticipated a record number of registrants for this event so overflow parking with a shuttle bus was organized, and i thought that i would happily park at the off-site (by about a km) lot since i was logging extra miles anyway.  in the end i got prime parking right at the start/finish area and still managed to trot out my pre-race distance down by the shores of lake simcoe.

as the gun time neared i crossed paths with my good pal and fellow ninja lewis who was volunteering this day as he'd developed blood clots in his leg which necessitated him taking time off from running.  as he was an unofficial co-leader of the HM clinic for MEC i'm pretty sure that this was disappointing and frustrating to him, but wisely he chose the path of discretion as the better part of valour and went with his doctor's (and also his wife's) advice.

i also squeezed in the last of the pre-race kilometres with another ninja, trevor, who'd cycled his way up from barrie (a distance of close to 40 km) and was treating this HM as a bit of a brick workout - even though he doesn't have any triathlons on the calendar.

the race
i was closely monitoring my time and my distance, as it worked out nearly perfectly that just as i hit 14km on the button i was the last person in the pack to cross the starting line.

video courtesy of helen yang

i'm not sure that i'd ever started at the very back of any race before, and what i'd found was that i was necessarily bobbing and weaving my way forward since the slowest of the half-marathoners were basically walking their way down the single-car sized rail trail.  my plan was to run at base pace for the first 10.6km, hit the turnaround point (it was an out-and-back) and then race the home half and try to pick off as many people as possible.  early on i was passed by james (a HM clinic participant) who looked really strong and efficient - his goal was to come in at under 1:45 and i had a pretty good sense by the look of his stride that he was going to nail that target.  a few other competitors overtook me including a guy in an Orillia Freewheels cycling top who looked like a very strong all-around athlete - and since he looked like maybe he was in my age-grouping i set my focus on keeping him within visual distance for as long as i could.

a quick word on organization - as the route was along the oro-medonte rail trail there wasn't a ton of marshaling required, but there were several road/concession crossings where there was either volunteer or paid police staffing.  although there wasn't a great deal of traffic on these rural roads early on a saturday morning this added bit of assistance was very much appreciated ... when they were paying attention (foreshadowing ... dom dom dom!)

the conditions for the day turned out to be just about perfect - somewhere in the ballpark of 14-15°C, a mostly overcast sky, just a smidge of humidity but no rain (and more importantly very few bugs!).  i felt like i was running a very controlled first half as i approached the turnaround aid station, having identified about 12 runners who were ahead of me including my good bud ricky 'the real-deal ninja' doucet.  having downed a gel in approach of the aid station i paused for about 5-6 seconds to nab a cup of water and a few nuun tablets before shifting it into racing gear.

for the second leg of the race i definitely clipped away at a quicker pace - nothing all-out, but just increased turnover and a change in my breathing pattern (sucking back a little more air with each inhale).  as i passed ricky he told me that he was hurting, and i knew that he'd been trying to rest up a lower-leg issue.  i hoped that it wouldn't hinder him too badly, and would have to wait to see how he finished up to find out for sure.

my strategy to pick off as many fellow competitors as possible worked as a motivator to put forward a strong second-half effort.  i think that i managed to pass six runners in total, including james and the Orillia Freewheels guy.  as i closed in on the final 5k i saw the 10k race leader (they'd started an hour after the HM) approaching his turnaround point and recognized him as fellow Skechers Performance Ambassador and sub-elite athlete frank sorbara.  we exchanged greetings and he went flying past me in both directions looking as if nothing would prevent him from claiming the win (which he did in just over 33 min.).

now remember the marshals that i mentioned before ...?

as the path became more congested with HM, 10k and 5k runners all occupying the same path (and sometimes traveling in both directions) i approached one of the road crossings where a group of about five runners were 20 metres in front of me heading back as i was.  as they crossed the road with the marshal holding back traffic, i noticed that the marshal began to wave on a car that had been waiting.  the problem was that i was booting it much faster than the group ahead and either the marshal didn't see me or miscalculated my rate of speed - so i'm thankful that the SUV driver did see me and clearly processed that it was not going to be an unimpeded crossing for either of us and decided to wait.  

that near-miss was one of two minor blemishes on the day.  the other was that as i was gearing up for the final 2km the path became more occupied with runners, mostly the slower 5k entrants.  while most of them could detect my approach on account of my harder breathing i did come upon three runners walking (yes, walking) abreast, blocking the entire path and each of them wearing earbuds so as to not hear my shouts of "on your left!".  after repeated warnings even up to the point where i was just mere footsteps behind them i had to squeeze between the two ladies with a bit of an exasperated "ok then!" for the final sprint home.

in the end i crossed the line with a chip time of 1:36:58 (and a negative split of approximately 90s according to garmin connect and strava) - and tongue-in-cheek blurted out as i stopped, "tell me that i came in first in the 35k division!".

post-race
overall it was a pretty stellar day for the Ninjas - trevor crossed as the third-fastest male (based on gun-time finish) in the HM distance; scott took fourth overall in the 10k division; and mark was 3rd overall in the 5k race.  our HM clinic runners all did fabulously too - james clocked a 1:42:17, jo and sarah came in at just over 2 hours and helen finished (and was smiling!).

 l-r:  a pre-race ricky, lewis, jo, helen (smiling!) and sarah

l-r:  post-race with sarah, jo, ricky, pat, lewis, helen (still smilin'!), scott et moi

the downside to the day was that ricky experienced a nasty pain and accompanying sound at around the 15km mark that reduced him to an intermittent dash/hobble/walk for the remainder of the race.  to his credit he still powered through for a sub-1:55 time but ended up both at the first aid tent and later at the hospital emergency room.  last word was that he had stress fractures and torn ligaments in his right foot, so it was more than just a bit of overtraining.

i got a quick chance to chat with frank after his win and he was looking as fresh as a daisy, and we also swapped thoughts about the GORun 4 (which he wore to victory and which my friend mark wore to his podium result).  i also stopped for a quick chat with fellow Team Running Free athlete dakota poulter who took top female finisher in the 5k race.  she was slightly mortified (i think) since it was her parents who dragged her over to meet me and snap a quick Team RF photo op.

all told another great MEC race, an excellent day of running with lots of friends (i didn't even mention half of the other familiar faces that i spotted - tina, rose, mariane, sonja, rick, brenda, nancy and more), and one more confidence-boosting workout in advance of my biggest test to-date.  

next stop:  the twilight zone blue mountain!

race gear for the MEC Barrie Race THREE:

• Skechers GORun 3
• Team Running Free branded Headsweats visor
• Team Running Free Sugoi singlet
• Saucony Inferno split shorts
• Garmin 305 GPS watch
• Nathan Quickdraw Elite handheld bottle
• Original SPIbelt
• Falke RU Energizing compression socks

race report - 2015 MEC Barrie Race THREE (half-marathon)

race report - MEC Barrie Race Two 15k

i think that i could get into this 'using races as key workouts' thing.

as this week marked my return to training after the waterloo marathon i have shifted gears to focus more on time-on-feet and refining my trail legs.  this is all in anticipation of the Sulphur Springs 50k and The North Face Endurance Challenge Series GORE-TEX® 50 miler.  this saturday called for a 33-38k run at 'comrades pace' (given that i've jumped into following a training plan for the renowned comrades marathon), and since the 2015 MEC Barrie Race Two - their first trail-specific competition - was scheduled for the same i decided that i would put in about a 19k warm-up before joining the 15k distance option for the race.  although i was very much looking forward to this event i had second thoughts the night before as i experienced some soreness in my right knee (likely as a result of ramping my mileage up again to full throttle after the post-marathon week off) but decided that i really didn't have the time to waste before the 50k.

the race took place in the simcoe county forest with which i was somewhat familiar given some training runs i'd done with the barrie trail running club.  however i felt that i'd best be served for the race by doing some advance scouting of the route (just to make sure that i could actually find my way through and test my friend jim willett's trail marking abilities) so i arrived a couple of hours before the scheduled start time to run the course.  the MEC crew was already well under way setting up the start/finish area as well as setting up some final signage along the course to help ensure directional clarity.

photo courtesy of MEC Barrie

as far as the warm-up went, i was joined for most of it by my new friend rob (whom i'd met at the MEC Barrie Race One) who helped keep the pace honest.  by the point that we connected on the trail i had already gotten off-course once (and had to double-back to find the appropriate ribbon markers), and together we managed to overshoot the turn-off to the finishing loop by some 2 kms - i would find out later that we were out before some of the final signage had been fastened in place, and when the marshals were in place we'd have no problem discerning where the appropriate turns would be.

upon completing my warm-up distance i picked up my timing chip and corralled in with the other 15k runners.  there was another stellar turn-out for this event, which to some was surprising given that we were tackling roots and rocks instead of pavement and parking lots.  i managed to spot a number of our intrepid tribe of barrie ninjas (trevor, lewis, rick, jason) as well as several other friends (kathleen, tina, brenda, marc) and my former coach rick ball whom i'd not seen in well over a year.

how did the race itself go?

overall i was happy with how it all went down, even though i started out a bit faster than i'd wanted (in order to clear some traffic before getting onto single track sections).  i managed a respectable pace throughout, power-hiking a few tough uphill (and sandy, to boot) sections and scrambling well down the same sections on return halves of those loops.  i believe that i turned in another negative split  which i was pleased with because (a) it was trail terrain all the way, which is energy draining due to its constant variation and (b) the temperatures rose from 16°C when i'd started my pre-race warm-up to 28°C by the time that i crossed the finish line.

my fellow ninjas brought home numerous race accolades from this event, including 1st (trevor) and 3rd (rob) place overall in the 15k, 2nd female finisher (amanda) and two 1st in AG (rick and lewis) in the 5k.  sarah also hit her goal of making the first page of results for the 10k and jason represented team running free in strong fashion with a sub-2 hour 15k training workout.

and for some last minute notes and observations:

• the bugs weren't too bad out there today - a few swarms making standing at the edge of the forest awaiting the start a bit annoying, but none during the run ... except for the one stray wasp that decided to sting my finger during the warm-up loop
• it's amazing how dehydration happens - i kept my nathan handheld full with either water or clif shot electrolyte, but between the long workout and the elevating temps i managed to lose 5 lbs. from morning wake-up to post-race ... and then gain it all back by next morning
• race gear:
• skechers performance racer back tank and split shorts
• skechers GOrun ultra
• falke RU energizing compression socks
• running free branded headsweats visor
• garmin 305 (yes, i wore my watch for this one)
• nathan quickdraw elite handheld bottle.

race report - MEC Barrie Race Two 15k

post-marathon into pre-ultra

while not an avid racer i have always found that it's training for races that motivates me to run.

so this week has been both torturous and exciting.

having completed my best-ever marathon performance last weekend, i've had a stretch of four days now (having run just a few get-the-blood-flowing miles the day after the race) of no running whatsoever.  that constitutes my longest lay-off period in about 15 months ... but i needed it.

here are a just a few observations from the last few days:

1. i've definitely gotten to the point where running is an integrated part of my daily lifestyle.  i genuinely miss not getting up to go out an run.
2. it's been a long time since i've treated myself to a good sleep-in.  it took me three mornings of not getting up before the sun before i actually slept through to when i'd set my alarm.
3. resting and recovery takes as much discipline as going out the door to workout.  for the two big races prior to the waterloo marathon last weekend i'd shortchanged myself on time off of my feet, and i think that in both instances i paid for it with a less-than-desired experience/result.
4. it wasn't too hard to put weight back on.  i gained about 5 lbs. in 3 days, but then read that most of it could probably be accounted for by water retention as part of muscle repair.  and i also saw that meb keflezighi gained about 12 lbs. shortly after his 2015 boston marathon which made me wonder if maybe i haven't been treating myself enough (!).
5. my legs feel really good.  i might attribute it to better overall conditioning, smart race-running, extra sleep or the tiux compression socks that i wore as part of my kit on sunday.  maybe all of the above.

now it's time to switch training gears - gotta hit the hills, log some longer single runs and get my trail legs under me as i focus on the next two big events on my calendar, the sulphur springs 50k and the north face endurance challenge series gore-tex 50 miler (don't forget to use the promo code D30PVON15 for a 15% discount if you want to sign up for any distance of the north face ecs!).

- - - - - - -

and now for a quick shout-out ... here's to my friend, training partner and fellow barrie running ninja rick doucet who's taking on his first full marathon at the goodlife fitness toronto marathon this coming sunday.  you got this ricky ... #runninjarun! 

post-marathon into pre-ultra

[guest post] gear review - Skechers Midnight Running Tight

i'd shared an extra pair of the Skechers midnight running tight that i'd received from Skechers Performance Canada with my friend, training partner and fellow Barrie Running Ninja rick "rickyd" doucet - and in exchange he offered to share some of his own personal reflections on this piece of technical running apparel.

so without further ado, some words of review from the master b-boy and registered lethal weapon himself: 

rick and i from the 2014 MEC Barrie Race One

 

- - - - - - -

I wouldn’t classify myself as a new runner. I wouldn’t say that I have a lot of experience or expertise. Other than good footwear I have no running “gear”. So when one of my two running mentors offered me a pair of SKECHERS running tights I said “sure”. As I become more passionate about the sport, I’m always looking for ways to improve and find more advantages.

I think I wore a pair of nylons in a play in high school some 30 or so years ago. Needless to say, it felt odd just putting tights on. During my first run, I absolutely noticed them every step of the way. It felt strange being squeezed as I ran. I had to go out a few more times to make an honest opinion about their 'benefits'.

What I’ve noticed is that my knees don’t feel quite as tired afterwards. I feel like the compression kind of springs my legs back into a strait position after each step. I can’t tell you the exact math, but on a 24 km run, even 1% less effort per stride adds up. I’ll take it. Less effort and less pain = happy runner.

On the downside - the ankle zippers are very stiff. And the waistband is already starting to curl inside the pants.

But the bottom line is positive. I do like them very much and I will be buying more. I think next I’ll have to try some SKECHERS running shoes next.

[guest post] gear review - Skechers Midnight Running Tight

race report - 2015 MEC Barrie Race One (10k)

i don't think that i've ever been so happy for a less-than-PB race time.

as a proud member of the Barrie Running Ninjas (led by our sensei and MEC envoy jim willett) i was eager to participate in and support the first community MEC race of this season.  our intrepid little tribe normally meets up every saturday morning at 9am for a 10k (or so) jaunt around the city, so showing up for a race at the same time that we would normally otherwise be gathering was no biggie.  it was great to have rick, lewis, mark, sarah, samantha, and trevor coming out to represent the dojo in both the 5k and 10k. 

i'd had this race marked on the calendar but not as a target race - i'm still focusing my efforts on the waterloo marathon in three weeks' time.  so what's a marathoner in training to do when a 10k race is conflicting with a scheduled long run day?

easy.

incorporate it as a fast-finish to your planned 26k workout.

pre-race

this was a hotly anticipated event for our local MEC store in part due to the fact that they had managed to 'qualify' for chip timing this year as a result of last year's race series success.  while MEC has always put forward great races (check out some of my previous race reports here, here and here) this would be a huge bonus feature - in my estimation, chip timing almost sells itself in terms of attracting registrants.  this would definitely be a boost to the already growing interest and level of competition at the MEC barrie race series.
 
normally registration and kit pick-up is a breeze - and to a certain extent it was again.  the one variable that played into it this time around was the fact that the race would take place on easter weekend, and that meant that the day before the race was good friday - a stat holiday.  MEC wouldn't be open, and so any pick-ups had to be on the wed-thurs prior to race day or one race day itself.  it was also a two-stage process as the timing chips (provided by Speed River Timing) would not be available until the morning of race day.  again, not a real inconvenience, but something that had to be factored into the pre-race plans.

race day
i arrived approximately two hours before the scheduled 9am start time in order to get in an easy 16-18k before the starter's horn would sound.  i knew that i'd have to pause to get chipped up, and i planned for at least one bathroom break during the early miles.  the first stretch of running would and did afford me the opportunity to scout out conditions all along the course route and they were notably varied ... with a windchill of about -9°C but clear sunny skies there were sections where i was overdressed for the conditions and other sections where i was thankful to have come as prepared as i did.  

passing by the start/finish area several times i was greatly encouraged by the groups of runners amassing at the registration/kit pick-up/chip pick-up tents.  i was certain that this would turn out to be an excellent day for MEC and for the local running community.

i tried to time the conclusion of my easy run workout portion with the projected 9am start, but i could hear the race marshal announcing that the start would be slightly delayed in order to accommodate 10k runners who were still waiting in the porta-potty lineups.  apparently three porta-potties and the other nearby facilities were not processing people fast enough.

as the race finally got started, i found myself at the back of the pack - quite deliberately.  my aim was to finish with a tempo-ish run, so trying to bump out the 10k at about goal race pace (4:24/km).  but between the log jam on the narrow bayside trail and the runners who were more interested in conversing than picking up the pace i wound up weaving a bit to get into the clear (i know, it chews up energy and is the wrong way to start a race - but consider the fact that i was well into my 19th kilometre of the morning by this point).

miles 1-3:  20:08 
i kept telling myself that i was trying to just hit "race pace" (my mental mantra), and i was monitoring the level of my breathing to make sure that i wasn't overcooking it.  but after i heard the first mile beep on my garmin and checked the elapsed time i noticed that i was clipping around a 4:12/km which was faster than i had counted on.  but i was convinced that the 'feel' of that first mile was what i was after, and i managed to cue in on a few runners that were still ahead of me and carrying out a steady effort.  by the end of the third mile i found that i'd passed these runners and could only see one guy about 300m ahead of me, effectively leaving me running alone in the heart of the race.

miles 4-6:  20:08 
how's that for an even effort?  that's exactly how it felt too - even though we'd now turned a bit into the wind.  after the fifth mile i caught and passed that guy (found out later his name was rob) who was 300m ahead and then tried to steamroll my way through the final mile - opening up my hands and bumping up the cadence for the homestretch.  by this time i'd caught up to a bunch of the 5k runners who'd started 10 min. after the 10k horn and did not cover the first three-mile out-and-back - so there was a bit of "on your left" going on, though not quite in captain america style. 

last 390m:  1:31
what a tease - just as you come into sight of the start/finish line you have to run past it, loop around the back and cross over the mats from the other side of a parking lot.  and in this twisty finale one of the guys whom i'd passed during the third mile (having assessed at the time that he was probably pacing his heavier-set but still very capable buddy) turned on the afterburners and blew past me to finish eight seconds ahead.

post-race 
even before checking my splits i'd a good sense that i finished in the 42 min. ballpark with an even effort the entire way - and i was super-pumped about that.  a nice fast-finish long run which left me spent in the finisher's chute but with the knowledge that i'd sustained a strong kick for the last 10k.  i was going to check the posted chip-time results but the crowd around the board was a bit too thick, and the wind a bit too biting once we all stopped working up a sweat.  i'd find out later online that unofficially i'd placed first in my age-group.

checking in with the other ninjas, the update was that mark and trevor posted top-10 finishes in the 5k, rick managed a top-15 spot while still recovering from strep throat (although his account was that it was a 'brutal' result), lewis snagged a strong top-25 finish, sarah hit a new 5k PB and samantha rocked a fast time and the funkiest running tights around!

l-r:  jim, trevor, moi, rick, sweet lew, sarah, mark (samantha had to jet for home)

what else can i say - i'm feeling really good about today's long run workout as an indicator of how i'm going to feel in the latter stages of the marathon later this month.  it's exactly what i'd hoped for, and it was a great day to share it with my amazing training partners and friends.

if you've never hit up a MEC race before, get in on the next one(s) in your region!

race gear for today:  

• buff original headwear
• skechers performance midnight run windbreaker
• skechers performance midnight running tight 
• saucony run mitt
• skechers GOrun 3
• falke RU energizing compression socks
  

race report - 2015 MEC Barrie Race One (10k)