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

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

race report - 2014 MEC Barrie Race FOUR

i'm trying to finish off this MEC race season by completing as many of their series races as possible while not messing up my own training schedule - so this past weekend i was able to sneak in a 10k in conjunction with MEC Barrie's Race FOUR event.

the venue/locale for this race was around the orillia youth leadership camp which also served as the course for the Race TWO event.  this meant at least a somewhat familiar course - complete with a hairpin inclined turn and an uphill homestretch.

a few of the usual suspects were on hand for this race - several of the 'running ninjas' (so called because of our group runs with the one and only Optimism Ninja, jim willett) including lewis, rick, jason, pat, chris and jo.  also spotted darren from the barrie roadrunners when lewis and i pulled into the parking lot - a very fast and seasoned runner.

just a few of the 'running ninjas' (photo courtesy of MEC)

as they would say in pizzaville, it was a rainy day - alternating between mist and steady droplets by the start time.  this was all forecast of course, but between that, a noticeable breeze and the 12°C temperature it made for borderline miserable conditions - at least for standing around.  having already identified that darren would likely lead the pack and then noting at the start line that natasha (a girl who beat me by several minutes in the last MEC 10k that I ran) was also entered, i knew that i'd be working - and sweating - hard to be competitive.

natasha at far left and darren at far right (photo courtesy of MEC )

 

first three kms:  3:45, 4:10, 4:04 

i'd already determined to try to run this race 'digitally blind', meaning that i would not consult my watch at all during the run.  i'd had a couple of great workouts exceeding my expectations when i done that over the last two weeks, so i figured it was worth trying to 'run by feel' again.

from the start darren took to the front, followed by natasha and then me (with my good buddy rick hot on my heels).  the early part of the race had some noticeable elevation changes, and after the first 400m or so natasha assumed the lead position with a burst.  i managed to stay in third spot until about the 2k mark when a girl from the pack behind me put on a bit of a surge (or did i slow down?) to skip past rick and i and put a bit of distance between us.  

middle four kms:  4:08, 3:59, 4:04, 3:55

while staying in control i kept the 'elastic' intact between this new runner ahead and me - but as we hit the bends in the road i chose to take the tangents (even though it was not a closed course) while she did not.  i can't say for certain whether or not this bothered her, but what it did do was allow me to gain some ground - enough to overtake her to resume third place by about the 4km mark.

i was working off of my planned "comfortably hard" mental cue for these middle miles, and it seemed to hold me in good stead.  not having any statistical feedback on my paces, i would not have guessed that i'd put in two sub-4:00 min. kilometres during this stretch.

last three kms:  4:12, 4:00, 4:04

perhaps one of the downsides of running by feel and not by digital readout is that you do run the risk of zoning out ... in a less-than-optimal way.  that happened to me during the eighth kilometre and it took me a bit to realize that my stride had shortened and turnover was not quite as quick.  so with a shake of my head and a few bursts of driving knees i shifted into "uncomfortably hard" mode and tried to bring it home. 

i managed to pick off some of the 5k runners who'd started 10 min. after we had - what i didn't realize is that there was another guy behind me who was picking off the 10k runners in search of this third place spot which i'd held for most of the race.  by the time that i crossed the finish line i was sucking air for just two brief seconds before i felt a pat on my back and a "nice run - i just couldn't catch you". 

although the weather was sucky enough to not encourage any post-race lingering, i decided to head back out on the course to try to track down a few of my fellow running ninjas who were still working it.  i first found lewis who was trucking his way to a 46 min. 10k - a clear PB for him.  after confusing everyone at the second line with a second crossing, i turned back out to go find jason who was putting in a 15k - we connected with at about the 3k to-go mark, and i tagged along for the ride as he powered it home.  

this was again another outstanding event put on by MEC Barrie - from the loads of post-race goodies to prizes for win/place/show to free coffee and massages/medical.  the attendance numbers showed that they are definitely growing some head-turning events with both a professional feel and personal touch.

all in all i'm happy with my performance as this was basically a tempo run in my scheduled training week - plus it was an opportunity to once again race in my ever-lovin' Skechers GOMeb Speed 2 and don (for the first time) my new-to-me Skechers racing singlet (graciously sent over by my friend Stefan Albinsson).

next stop on the racing circuit is the County Marathon where i'll be an official pacer for the first time, hoping to help anyone who's interested to cross the finish line in 3:30.

see you on the roads - and as always #GOlikeneverbefore!

race report - 2014 MEC Barrie Race FOUR

the Skechers hit parade

make no mistake - i know just how privileged i am to be in the small percentile of runners on the planet who have the luxury of choosing from a closet full of shoes.

i also recognize that many of the best runners alive today may not have shoes at all.  and certainly not ones that fit them properly, or that they were able to select for themselves.

however, given my context in an middle-upper class community situated in a first world nation, i've had frequent conversations with people about what pairs of shoes are the 'best' to run in for particular types of workouts and/or races.  since i do run six days per week (with some doubles) and have the habit of not wearing the same footwear two workouts in a row, i have definitely developed some preferences on what shoes help me to feel at my optimal level for any given day.

so without further ado, here is my top five list of shoes, period:

1.  Skechers GObionic
   
   
   
   super light, fast, zero-drop, ultra-flexible, wide forefoot - i'd take these anywhere, anytime (if only the upper didn't tear on me they'd still be in my rotation).


2.  Skechers GOrun 2
   
   
   
   if i want to go fast, these are perfect.  if i want to recover, again these will do the trick.  lightweight, work-with-the-foot dynamics - i think that i've recommended these shoes more than any other to my friends.


3. Skechers GOmeb speed 2
   
   
   
   these got me across the line in Boston-qualifying time. racing flats that have great pop to them and make you forget that you have shoes on your feet at all.


4. Skechers GOrun ultra
   
   
   perfect recovery shoe - but also the pair that most encourages me to forefoot strike, so they feel primed for bursts of speed. #GOalldaylong


5. Skechers GObionic trail
   
   
   
   for all of your off-roading plans.  nimble, airy, solid all-terrain traction and just enough impact dispersion material.  i should race in these more.

the Skechers hit parade

race report - MEC Barrie 2014 Race Series Three

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

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

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

representing Skechers Performance Division once again!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

race report - MEC Barrie 2014 Race Series Three

road review - skechers GOmeb speed 2

i'd been shying away from these shoes for a while because (generally speaking) i have a preference for footwear with a wider forefoot or at least space for decent toe splay - and i'd read that (a) meb keflezighi has narrow-ish feet and that (b) in designing these racing flats with Skechers Performance Division (SPD) he'd requested that these shoes hug the foot rather snugly.  so after passing on the first iteration of the Skechers GOMeb Speed, i found myself with a pair of the GOMeb Speed 2 thanks to my friends at Skechers Performance Division - and this time quite excited about them!

it's hard not to be struck with a 'love at first sight' impression from these shoes.  i opened the box to see the gold/black New York colourway, and the words "Limited Edition" printed on the non-removable insole.  how can you feel anything but special when you don 'limited edition' racing flats?

so how did i really feel about them?

• fit - let's tackle this one off the top.  it was my biggest concern with this model, and as they were provided to me they weren't sized up or down compared to my other SPD shoes.  the first slip-on was surprising, as i definitely did not feel as cramped in the forefoot as i'd expected.  form-fitting would be a good way to describe it - a little north of snug and a little south of 'generous toe-box'.  length was spot-on, and i liked the way that the heel fit (not too high on the achilles, not sloppy at all).  although these shoes have very cool printed overlays and not stitched ones, i still opted to skip cross-lacing the first pair of eyelets like i did with the GORun Ultra to allow for a bit more breathing space.


• weight - many other people have commented that these shoes just feel fast, and i have to agree.  at somewhere a hair over 7 oz. per shoe, there's a 'hardly anything to them' kind of aura to them.  as a racing flat, this means that there's just enough structure to them to help your feet experience some support (especially in the later stages of a longer run like the marathon) without wearing you down by forcing you to carry unnecessary weight with every stride.


• drop - listed at a 4mm (18mm heel, 14mm toe) drop, the GOMeb Speed 2 give the impression of being level and low.  this shoe provides just the right platform for a mid/forefoot striker to activate all of the necessary tendons and muscles for efficient coiling and propulsion through the running gait.  


• outsole - i've found that most racing flats will give you very little jazz in terms of textured outsole design, basically because its about maximizing traction and ground contact.  the GOMeb Speed has a fairly straight-forward dimple/pod design, with strategically distributed GOimpulse rubber sensor pods (M-strike design) for durability and enhanced traction.  the remainder of the outsole is Skechers' proprietary Resalyte^TM mid-sole material which is tough enough while keeping the overall weight down.  all in all it's plenty grippy, doesn't pick up gravel (unless you manage to lodge it in the space where the stability plate is visible).


• midsole - a nice firm midsole which is great for a racing flat ... i definitely look for a stable platform which offers good impact rebound rather than cushy-ness for my marathons.  add to that the Dupont Hytrel^TM stability plate for some added 'pop' (which proved helpful over the last 7km of this year's mississauga marathon) and this shoe offers outstanding racing performance.


• aesthetics - these are a seriously groovy pair of kicks.  this colour combo is flamboyant without being flagrant ... you could totally wear them out for a night on the town and they would look cool without screaming 'jock'!


• laces - the GOMeb Speed 2 comes with two sets of laces, and while they contribute to the overall lusciousness of the shoe i found that they lacked the elasticity of 'standard' laces.  this might be part of creating a tight riding package for racing - and while they don't bother me at all while running there's something about the feel of laces without any give that makes me think that they belong on dress shoes.

here's the full video review for you as well:

i know that it becomes rather trivial to post a 'footprint rating' when it just appears as if i'm in desperate and utter love with all Skechers Performance Division footwear, but let me share two quick notes in passing:  

1. i am providing an honest - not obligatory - review of the shoes that i receive as a Skechers Performance brand ambassador.
2. i will soon be reviewing a pair of Skechers running shoes to which i will not be giving a full five-footprint rating (shock and awe)!

... but for now, the GOMeb Speed 2 receive a well-earned five out of five.

*** disclaimer:  i was provided with the GORun Ultra by Skechers Performance Division (Canada) but was not obligated to provide a positive review.  all opinions - however poorly expressed - are my own.

road review - skechers GOmeb speed 2

changing it all up for race week - the checklist

with just a few days to go before the 2014 mississauga marathon, i'm running through my checklist of things to bring/do:

• gatorade, beet juice and clif bars:  i've actually decided to tackle carbo-loading a bit differently this week compared to previous marathons.  i'd read that while most distance runners have a sense of the advantages of carboloading, most do not do it enough - so this time around i'm going to try a three-day carboload after having come off of a two-day carbodepletion mini-cycle.  honestly i feel as fit as i have ever been in my life, and am ready to start the fueling process for this race.
  
  
  
• Skechers GOMeb Speed 2:  none of my previous marathons have been run in a racing flat - and in fact, the only time that i've raced any distance in a racing flat was my last 10k event in which i also wore the GOMeb Speed 2.   a review on these is still to come, but at this point i can say that the fit is better than i had expected, and the pop on these shoes (courtesy of the Dupont Hytrel™ stability shank/plate) makes the propulsive phase of the running gait cycle seem that much more dynamic.  besides being a Skechers Performance Division ambassador, i would have had no questions about using these for the race this weekend - especially after Meb's iconic win at boston last month.
  
  
  
• garmin 305:  i contemplated running this marathon naked (get your minds out of the gutter people!) but i have essentially been doing that this week with my tapering schedule.  normally i would have included a couple of speed intervals and hill repeats in this final taper week, but after some reflection and paying attention to how my body is feeling i decided instead to forego intensity and pick up a few additional miles.  this is different from any of my previous training plans, but i do feel very good about it.


• blue-and-yellow rainbow loom bracelet:  one of my daughters made this for me last december - she'd asked me what colours i might like to have for a bracelet, and i requested blue and yellow (boston marathon colours) so that i could wear it during this upcoming marathon as a reminder that i'm just trying to hit my qualifying time.  in both of the last two marathons that i ran i felt that i had all the conditioning pieces that i needed to hit my BQ time - but in both instances i feel that i went out much too fast and bonked.  this time i feel even more confident than before (having run more miles in this training cycle than any previous, as well as pushing out race-pace runs geared toward a faster-than-BQ finish) and will be planning to run a very controlled race through 35km.  the bracelet is to remind me that i need to stay with the 3:15 pacer until we cross through the proverbial - and in the mississauga race it's a visual - wall.
  
  picture courtesy http://marleneontherun.blogspot.ca/2011/05/mississauga-marathon-bq-race-report.html

at this point i feel more than ready - the 'madness' of the taper really hasn't struck in the same way as in previous pre-race periods ... it's more of a sense of expectation of success.  

see you at the finish line!

changing it all up for race week - the checklist

race report - barrie Spring Thaw 10k

last fall i decided to tackle a 10k (my first ever race in that distance) as a bit of a time trial in advance of the road2hope hamilton marathon.  this year, when the organizers of the barrie spring thaw races sent a request out to the barrie roadrunners to support their event, i thought that the timing was right to once again test my mettle and gauge my conditioning - this time in advance of the mississauga marathon.  

pre-race
i had a mental goal of running sub-40min., but knew that it would depend on the conditions and the pace of the other runners around me.  with this being a small-field event (maybe 130 competitors total participating in a 1k run, 5k walk, 5k run and 10k run) and having reviewed previous years' results i gathered that it could be hit-or-miss as to whether or not i'd place in my age-group, and how fast the finishing times might be.  but having my newly acquired Skechers GOMeb Speed 2 on my feet, i felt like something really good was ready to happen.

i couldn't pick up my kit the day before the race, so i arrived early on race morning, got a few kms of easy warm-up in, ran several strides and then did some lunges/stretching before picking up my bib and ankle-strap chip.  the registration space was well organized (even if the volunteers were reading their what-to-do instructions straight off of a sheet) and i got set up with relative ease.

as the 10k race was the second last event to go in the staggered-start arrangement, i spent some time chatting it up with my friends tom and brandy who were running the 5k.  tom is an 18-min. 5k runner who is built like a tank - he's got the physique of a pro-wrestler in a small 5'6" package, and he runs like the wind.  i'd had hoped that perhaps we might overlap on the course so that i could try to keep pace with him, but the logistics just wouldn't work out that way.

the race

the line-up at the start had a fair number of high-school aged students - the Spring Thaw is an event organized in support of Unity Christian High School so i gathered that many of the families enrolled in the school showed up for it.  there was also a bike pacer right at the start planning to lead the group for the first 2k or so until we would hit a limestone trail at which he would bail out - i think mostly because the trail was still a bit mushy with snow/ice spots that could make pacing (even with aggressive knobby tires) a hazard for runners trying to follow.

1st km - 3:44

i started right at the front of the pack and kept up with the bike pacer/marshal and it felt like a great way to go.  after about 400m i settled into a nice rhythm and followed the hum of the tires just ahead of me, thinking that if i could keep this going that i would be golden.  at about 650m i was passed by a teenager who seemed to be moving very strong, and i was ok with that - i did want to stick to an even-splits kind of race strategy, so i let him go but managed to keep no more than about 20m behind him.

kms 2, 3, 4 - 4:07, 4:11, 4:03

i felt decent with the pace, and nearing the 2k mark we lost our bike pacer, leaving just my teenage friend and i to keep the pace.  i found him to be fairly steady, and i didn't mind creeping into the 4:xx/km territory hoping to have something strong left in the tank for the final third, especially if i had to race this kid to the finish line.

km 5, 6, 7, 8 - 4:04, 4:07, 4:06, 4:11

at about 4.5k we had a hairpin turnaround and just after that i found myself closing the gap on the leader.  i wondered at first if i was picking up the pace, but sure enough i was staying steady.  when i caught up to the leader he quickly tucked in behind me - so my immediate thought was that he was going to take advantage of a bit of drafting, save himself for the final couple of kilometres, and then take me and whomever else down.  but about 600m after making the pass i realized that i wasn't hearing his footsteps anymore - i didn't look back, but instead told myself to stick to my race and try to feel good through to 8k.

since the 5k race started 15 min. after the 10k race and shared part of the same course, i caught up to the 5k runners at about the 7k mark.  up to that point i'd found it challenging to push myself, as it was like being out on a tempo run on my own.  with no one to try to keep up to or with, i found it easy to let a few seconds slip here and there, making it up with the occasional surge.  

i want to also mention at this point that there were two aid stations available along the 10k route - i didn't make use of any of them, but it's worth noting that this event was well-staffed, including various course marshals.  at no point did i have any questions as to the route, and they were all very encouraging as i was plugging away.

km 9, 10 - 4:09, 3:55

coming down the home stretch i was able to begin to 'pick people off' as numerous 5k runners were now in my sights.  this was a psychological boost and gave me focus on both accelerating smoothly and looking good/relaxing in my stride.  however, the 9th kilometre also produced several momentary vomiting sensations - and this was new to me.  i must have been pushing myself harder than i thought i was ... and with each perceived wretching instinct i had to concentrate on relaxing my upper body and taking deep easy breaths.  i don't know whether or not this slowed me down at all, but the result was that i managed to keep going without having to hurl.

with the finish line in sight i managed a decent push knowing that there were cameras catching the finishing straight.  the organizers said that they would be sending a complimentary finish-line photo to each participant, and i wanted mine to look half-decent, especially if i was going to place in my AG.    

official race gun time: 40:59 / garmin GPS 10k time: 40:37

post-race
my friend tom was there at the finish line ready to congratulate me on a strong performance, as well as to graciously fetch me a bottled water and a half-banana from the refreshments table while i paced around trying to regulate my breathing again.  i spent a bit of time 'unpacking' the race with he and his wife brandy when i finally noticed the second place 10k finisher - the teenager whom i'd followed through to 4.5k - coming in at about six minutes after i'd crossed the line.  i went over to him to thank him for letting me follow his lead, and he commented on how he thought i must have been a good runner, and that he'd come into this race without really having trained.  ah, to be young again ...

i stayed through waiting for the medal presentation, and in so doing was able to cheer on another friend (marc) who raced 10k on this day just as he had done one week prior - almost posting a new PB this time around again!

it was fun watching the medals being handed out, as they were awarded to the top three finishers in every AG division (by gender).  tom, brandy, marc and i all received medals, which was a real bonus!  and as it often is with smaller races, there were age categories where medals were awarded by default because of the number of entrants - some groupings not even having the full complement of three finishers.

having been recognized for the fruits of my labour, i went on to finish my morning run with an easy 15k, completing a 28k morning.  

not bad - a new 10k race PB, a 1st place AG finish, and 1st place overall.  as far as lessons learned goes, i discovered that being a frontrunner (literally) requires a different kind of discipline if you're going to try to take down any records - even just your own.  i feel as if i might well have had a better chance of going sub-40 if there were other faster runners to keep up with or even just a few of us in the end going toe-to-toe as we duelled for podium places.  

so maybe i exchanged a fast time for a first-place finish.

still, i'll take it - and will continue to #GOlikeneverbefore!

race report - barrie Spring Thaw 10k