Living as a hashtag sell-out ...?

I know that it sounds weird, but I've now dropped a sponsor.

Right?!?

Like, who in their right mind (as a wannabe athlete) would give up the opportunity to be aligned with a corporate entity and receive the benefits associated with that kind of partnership?

Apparently this guy.

After four years of being supported by and representing Skechers Performance Division I've walked away from my 'contract'.  And just like anyone with commitment issues, I swear that it's not them, it's me.

Hear me out - Skechers has been a fabulous sponsor and it's been a wonderful ride.  It hasn't just been about the product perks and being affiliated with one of the greatest running brands in the world (I truly believe that), but I'm thoroughly grateful and privileged to have been able to call many top-notch human beings my colleagues during this time.  People like Cris Alcantara, Nick Resch, Larry Sirois, Kyle McCabe, Josh Bolton, Tanis Bolton, Rob Brouillette, Adam Hortian, Daryl Flacks, Kirstin Schwass and Erin King are just a few of the quality folks that I got to know during my time with the ambassador team.

So why move on?

For me it's not about what I wasn't getting from them, but all about what others might.

In the same vein as my reasoning for not reapplying to claim a spot in the Boston Marathon I would love for someone else to be able to experience sponsorship at this level - and knowing that there are a limited number of spaces available on the Skechers Performance Ambassador team for Canada I felt like I have hogged some of the limelight long enough.  Add to that that I definitely know of at least one person who has innocently inquired of me how to apply for an ambassadorship with Skechers ... and I knew that I'd reached the tipping point.

I will definitely be continuing to wear my Skechers Performance shoes with pride (nevermind that I still have a closet full of road and trail footwear from them!) and will likely continue to be peppering my social media posts with #getyourmilesin, #haveafastday and #GOlikeneverbefore (I mean come on, aren't those great hashtags?!?), so they'll not be far from my heart.

At around the same time that the dissolution of this partnership took place I also received a notification from the team at Endurance Tap that they accepted my application to become one of their affiliated ambassadors.  So new hashtags here I come!  #fuelsimply #livesimply #TeamTap #tapitevery45

I've been consistently using Endurance Tap as my energy gel/fuel of choice for a little over a year now since discovering that its consistency was the easiest to take over the course of long-distance races (marathons and beyond).  I also confess to loving the fact that there are just three ingredients - maple syrup, sea salt and ginger - and I don't have to struggle to pronounce any of them.

In now way do I believe that I'm deserving of this opportunity, but I do hope that in some small way I can contribute to Team Tap's efforts to enhance the brand in our local running circles.  Plus I'm always game to try something new, believing that somehow I will become a better person for it ...

Here's to new relationships and the prospect of an exciting 2018 running season!

P.S.  Feel free to use the promo code "VOOFUEL" for an instant 20% discount on any purchase made at the Endurance Tap Shop!  https://endurancetap.com/collections/all

Living as a hashtag sell-out ...?

Gear review - Skechers Performance GO Shield BWW-DX Elite Jacket

I've had the privilege of being a Skechers Performance Canada brand ambassador/athlete for three years now, and each year I'm more and more impressed not only with the advances in their running footwear but also their technical apparel - and this year's offerings are no different!

Here's a quick rundown of the jacket that I've seen already at some races being sported by other Skechers Performance athletes:

You can check out a similar jacket on the Skechers website by clicking here.

Be sure to the Skechers Performance line of apparel a lookover if and when you are looking to gear up for any season of running!

#GOlikeneverbefore #getyourmilesin

Gear review - Skechers Performance GO Shield BWW-DX Elite Jacket

Race report - 2017 Chilly Half-Marathon

Can we say "second time's a charm"?

I know that that's not how the saying goes, but the second time in two years I've been the beneficiary of somebody opting to not arrive at the start of the Chilly Half-Marathon, and therefore being offered the opportunity to transfer their bib to me.

While I did not originally have the Chilly Half on my radar for 2017 still it fit into my plan of racing shorter distances (i.e. no full marathons for me) this year.  Climbing the age group ladder I had resolved to try to work on improving my overall speed by focusing on 5k and 10k races, with a smattering of half-marathons tossed in for good measure.  But when my friend Steve informed me that his wife was not feeling prepared enough to tackle the Chilly Half and that the bib was mine if I wanted it ... well, at that point in time I wanted it. :)

Pre-race
Being fairly fluid with my training plans I sort-of used a schedule from RunBritain.com to try to prepare myself for a decent race.  However I was mostly looking forward to being able to join my friends Mike and Dave for another roadtrip (as we'd made this trek last year with another friend Carol), along with their friends Becky and Ashlen.  We were also planning to meet our pal (and fellow RunNinja) Rad who was going to be running his first Chilly Half, and likely right around the pace that I was also going to target.

For the second year in a row I did not attend the expo held at Mercedes-Benz Burlington as Mike's dad (running the Frosty 5k with Dave, Becky and Ashlen) offered to pick up our race kits.  All we had to do was show up on Sunday morning and arrange a meeting point in order to nab our bibs and step up to the start line.

The departure from Barrie at 6:50am provided us with an indication that this would indeed be a chilly race day - raw temps were around -11°C (with a windchill closer to -20°C) but thankfully without any precipitation.  We watched Mike's dashboard thermometer carefully and saw the readout climb to about -8°C when we pulled into a free parking lot in Burlington, about a block away from City Hall and the start/finish chute.

Aside from using the washroom multiple times (see: cold-induced diuresis) and staying warm inside City Hall, it was just a waiting game of about 90 min. before joining the masses in the starting chute.  I did note that I spotted one other runner wearing exactly the same Skechers Performance warm-up kit as I was, so I went over to say hi and create a deliberately awkward 'we should have told each other what we were planning to wear' moment ... but it turned out to be fellow Skechers athlete Paul Rochus (who wound up finishing 7th overall), and so I was happy to try to absorb some speed by osmosis.

We managed to meet up with our good friends Rad and Emily just about 30 min. before gun time, and I was amazed to find out that even after having had about a litre of water or sport-drink that morning he had no need to go to the washroom.  Must be nice to be young, fast, and have a superhuman bladder.

The race
Rad and I lined up together and wound up running the first 4km or so side-by-side, with Mike quickly leaving us in his dust.  We were clipping along decently at a shade over 4:00/km with a noticeably robust head-and-crosswind, and as it was with last year's event I found that the first quarter or so of the course was an easy out-and-back loop that kept the energy high because there were plenty of runners to see as you passed back and forth.  It was a bit of a game of 'where's Waldo' as there were a number of folks whom I recognized on the confirmed entry list but hadn't yet seen on the day so I was hoping to shout a 'hey what's up' as I spotted them.

I did my best to try to find a small group of runners to 'latch onto' that would help me stay on target pace, and to that extent there were four Longboat Roadrunners who seemed to be pressing forward at the same rate as yours truly.  I also managed to catch up with someone in an Adaptive Running singlet (Larry) representing the crew co-founded by my friend and running hero Stan.  Larry was aiming for a casual sub-1:25, so I knew that I wouldn't be hot on his heels but wanted to keep him in sight.

The rolling course essentially offered up about 13km of wind resistance, and it wasn't until the second hairpin turnaround that we experienced any subsiding of the wind, perhaps even some benefit from it.  At that pivot point I'd seen Mike flying by way ahead of me (by a good 4+ minutes) and Rad only trailing by maybe 40 seconds at most.  I was still feeling reasonably light on my feet and was doing my level best to work the downhills and not redline it climbing the slight uphill sections.

Once again at the 16k point (Appleby Line) I tried to give it some more gusto and managed to find myself creeping up slowly on some of the competitors who were ahead of me.  With about 2k to go I was trying to follow the rhythm and cadence of a female racer who seemed to be barely working at all (while I was sounding a whole lot like a rabid dog panting in the middle of the desert), and managed to yet again find one extra gear for the final 1000m.  I was far from sprinting (as the finishing chute photo below will attest) and was actually outkicked by another runner who caught me from behind in the last 150m, but in checking the race clock I could see that I was going to cross the line with a modest (13s) personal best.

Yep, that's me hurtin' my way to NYC Marathon qualifying time!

Post-race
It was awesome to see Rad come flying in behind me by a mere minute, shattering his previous PB in the half-marathon by about 2-1/2 minutes.  When we reconnected with Mike, we found that he'd also crushed his previous PB by close to 2 minutes with a 52nd place 1:19 race!

Awww yeahhh boyyy ... I give all the credit to my Adventure Time Jake hat!

It was so great to chat with other race friends on the day as well - Vicki (8-time ENDURrunner), Peter (part of J.P.'s Team), Jeff (who was a default pacer for my 2015 Waterloo Marathon BQ), and fellow Team Skechers athletes Kirstin, Josh, Tanis and Rob.  It hadn't turned out to be such a great day for Kirstin or Josh, as both of them had experienced physical issues during the race (so much so that Josh had pulled himself out, which is why I saw him jogging on the sidewalk against the flow of runner traffic at the 10k point).  I also managed to finally meet my social media friend Tyler, who was there supporting his Grand River Endurance teammates (Josh and Tanis and Rob) but was himself nursing an injury and not racing on the day.

So despite the race living up to its name, it was another worthwhile trip to Burlington.  Now it's time to tackle a few more short races before hitting up the Pick Your Poison 50k at the end of April!

Race gear for the 2017 Chilly Half-Marathon:

• Skechers Performance singlet
• Skechers Performance capri legging & compression shorts
• Falke RU energizing compression socks
• Skechers GOMeb Speed Elite

Race report - 2017 Chilly Half-Marathon

Race report - 2017 MEC Toronto Race One (5k)

Having completely gapped my last race I felt the need to close the book on the January racing season with a 5k - and so when my friend Lewis invited all comers to join him on a trek down to the MEC Toronto Race Series ONE I quickly leapt on board.

The course for "The Winter Run" was purported to be along a fast and flat route (a wonderful marketing approach if you want to try to up your registrations) following the Martin Goodman Trail beside the shore of Lake Ontario.  Add to that the fact that downtown Toronto shows pretty much no evidence of winter (certainly not coming from Barrie) I went into the event feeling fairly confident about being able to test myself, and perhaps establishing a new benchmark for short-distance speed.

Let's let some #RunNinjas loose at the MEC Toronto Race One! #golikeneverbefore #haveafastday #werunthistown

A photo posted by Patrick Voo (@pbfvoo) on Jan 22, 2017 at 3:03am PST

So it was a very foggy Sunday morning that Lewis, our friend Mike and his girlfriend Becky set out down highway 400.  We were set to meet up with our Aussie RunNinjas companion Rad who had recently moved down to The Big Smoke for a reunion of sorts (nothing like a race to bring friends together!).  Our arrival was earlier enough for Lewis to connect with the MEC staff there (being an MEC employee himself) to assist with some of the set-up while the rest of us attended to whatever pre-race preparations would normally occupy our time.  For my part I was able to nab a couple of easy miles, a short dynamic stretching routine and some strides while observing the solid turnout of runners for this brisk morning competition.

The race itself was offered as a 10k or a 5k, with the 10k runners setting out first at 9:00am.  This allowed me to cheer Lewis, Mike, Becky and Rad out on the course as they all opted to test themselves over the double-loop track before I started with the 5k-ers at 9:10am.  Standing in the corral awaiting our starter's horn I spied several "Toronto Olympic Club" singlets on spry teenaged legs so I knew that there was some speed that was about to show up, but I chose to lineup near the front of the pack anyway.  Whether or not this served me well in the end is still up for debate.

Contender or pretender?  Time will tell ...!

The out-and-back course did turn out to be reasonably flat (about a 6m variation overall) but my warm-up jog revealed that the outward bound half would be into a noticeable headwind.  Still, with clear pavement (aside from a few patches of smeared goose droppings) and the opportunity to don shorts in mid-winter (raw temperature was about 4°C) there were fast times available out there.  As it turned out I kept pace with the lead pack for about the first kilometre (going out at around 3:39/km pace) but afterwards fell off although I was still feeling reasonably good.  At the halfway turnaround I had the experience that no veteran racer wants to have - being passed by competitors that you'd passed earlier - but it was obvious that I didn't have much more oomph to give over the last 2.5 km.

Or did I?

I 'latched' onto one of the runners who was sporting a Black Toe "Race Team" singlet and did my best not to let him out of reach.  Huffing and puffing my way past some of the slower 10k runners who were still on their first loop I kept pace through to the last 750m, at which point I tried to recruit my 'stride legs' to see if I could pick up the pace - which I did, passing my Black Toe pace rabbit across the finish line.  It was reminiscent of my final 2k at last spring's Chilly Half where Roger from the Longboat Runners pulled me through to a strong finish, and this day's home stretch left me wondering whether or not I'd given it my all out on course.

All in all it was good enough for a new PB by 4 seconds.  Not quite the time that I was hoping for, but hey, anytime you can raise the bar is a good day.

After crossing the timing mat I immediately turned around to head back out along the route to spot my friends.  I was able to see that Mike was turning in a solid result in solo fourth position, while Rad and Lewis were also both running strong a little further back.  I continued against the flow of runners (garnering a number of odd looks at this guy with a 5k bib toodling out along the grass) to try to find Becky who was tackling her first 10k race, and managed to find just having started her home half.  While sporting a big smile she was apparently dealing with some nasty knee pain, so I was happy to run alongside offering words of encouragement while she gutted it out in admirable fashion.  Mike and Rad also came back to join us over the final kilometre and it was a great finish for everyone.

Post-race we didn't hang out for any presentation ceremonies (as none of us were on the podium) but instead connected with Rad's girlfriend Emily and went out for a hearty brunch at the downtown Cora's restaurant.  It was the perfect way to wrap up a most enjoyable morning - and kudos to MEC Toronto for a really well-executed event, rivaling the best that MEC Barrie has to offer ...!

#GOlikeneverbefore #getyourmilesin

Race report - 2017 MEC Toronto Race One (5k)

Race report - 2016/17 Snowflake Series Race 3 (10k)

Nothing quite like a sunny, pleasant winter's day race with 200 other revelers to kick off 2017!

The Snowflake Series Race 3 is a mandatory 10k for anyone who is competing in the full series (all four races), but there was a 5k option available as well for anyone not compiling 'points' for the series.  The course itself is the same as it has been for the previous two races in the series, with the 10k being completed as a double loop track - and this year with chip timing we actually got a 5k split time in the results!

Here's my post-race recap of the event:

It was great to see a few other RunNinjas competing today as well - congratulations to Sonia for putting in a super-strong effort in the mushy conditions, and for James who blasted through in the end for another strong finish!

I purposely ended the year with a run and started 2017 with a 10km race. Weather was beautiful, road conditions a little less so. Met some fellow #runninjas. Thanks @pbfvoo for running me in to the finish. That support at the end is such a boost! Happy New Year everyone!! ❤ 🏃🏻‍♀️⛄️🏃🏻‍♀️⛄️🏃🏻‍♀️⛄️🏃🏻‍♀️⛄️🏃🏻‍♀️⛄️🏃🏻‍♀️⛄️ #roadtoultra #run #snowballseries #newyear #2017

A photo posted by Sonia (@sawnya9) on Jan 1, 2017 at 9:48am PST

One more 5k race to wrap up this series - and having consistently moved up in the overall and age-group placings I'm excited to see where this will all end up!

Wishing you all a great start to 2017!

#golikeneverbefore #haveafastyear #getyourmilesin

Race report - 2016/17 Snowflake Series Race 3 (10k)

Race report - 2016/17 Snowflake Series Race Two (5k)

I gotta say - I love winter running!  I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it really makes me feel alive to be out there, no matter what the conditions!

Here's a quick rundown of last Sunday's race, the second in this year's Snowflake Series.  I clocked in a time that was about a minute slower that two weeks ago, but I bumped up the standings and the top finishers backed up by about two minutes - so relatively speaking I managed to put in a strong performance!

Excited to kick off 2017 with the next race in the series, a New Year's Day 10k!

#GOlikeneverbefore

Race report - 2016/17 Snowflake Series Race Two (5k)

Race report - 2016 Hamilton Marathon Road2Hope

You know how some foods just don't agree with you, no matter how they're prepared or how excited you are to eat them?

I'm convinced that some races are that way.

And this fool is now quadruple-bitten, quintuple-times shy.  No more Hamilton Marathon for me.

Pre-race
After a disappointing outcome at this year's Ottawa Marathon I was hoping that I could come back and still produce a sub-3 hour result at a fall race ... so given the Road2Hope's billing as "Ranked #1 Boston Qualifier in Canada" I thought that this would be my next best shot at it this year.


Never mind that in my three previous completions of the same race I'd not had a positive experience or satisfying result.  But you know what they say about the definition of insanity ...

Even with this being my sixth marathon of 2016 (I remember back to 2011 thinking that completing one marathon ever would be an accomplishment!) and battling through a taper week surrounded by a wife and child who had flu symptoms (e.g. vomiting/fever/chills/headaches) I felt very confident that my training season had readied me for a solid sub-3 marathon.

And then I was called upon to spend the day before accompanying our oldest daughter on her university open-house tour.

Originally my wife was going to go but having spent the 36 hours prior kneeling before the porcelain throne the chaperone duties were passed to me.  I didn't begrudge it one bit - in fact I was excited to see where my daughter might have the next four+ years of her life shaped - it's just that I didn't plan on being out of the house and on my feet for the bulk of the day.  So while we were on our feet seeing all of the sights at the University of Waterloo my friend 'Fast' Bill Steinburg was gracious enough to pick up my race kit for me, and we planned to connect on race morning to ensure that I had my bib and chip ready to go.

The one other curveball that came my way (and not just for me) was that race day coincided with the end of daylight savings time - and while this meant that we would all gain an extra hour (potentially of sleep) it also just meant making sure that all of the appropriate clocks were changed to reflect the new 'fall back' time.  Of course, this was something that I kept telling myself to do ... and didn't, resulting in me waking up at 2:00 a.m. instead of 3:00 a.m. as I'd intended.

If you've read any other marathon race reports from me you know that my standard race morning routine consists of wake-up, immediate 15 min. shuffle, breakfast, shower, travel and finally arrival at start line 60 min. before the gun goes off.  I managed to stick to this plan and felt good by the time that I arrived at the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Park ... really good.  I managed to spot and connect with several friends prior to the 7:30am start (including David Waters going for his BQ, Peter Leventis who signed up last minute just to see what would happen, Fast Bill who handed off my race bib to me and was aiming for his sub-2:50 PB and fellow Skechers Performance athlete Adam Hortian who was tackling his first marathon ever) and got all of my 'business' out of the way before lining up at the front of the pack in the starting chute.

The race
I'd planned on going out with even kilometre splits the whole way, even on the downhill stretch on the expressway.  In my mind I felt that if I approached this race the way that I treat the marathons that I've paced that I would keep things under control and play a smart game.

As always the first ten kilometres or so feel easy-peasy, but that's just the way that I wanted them to feel.  Starting at the front of the race pack I was passed by numerous runners but I thought that that was ok since I anticipated passing many of them in the later stages of the race.  While there was no official 3:00 marathon pacer I did manage to find a group of about six guys who were hugging the 4:15/km pace and so I tried to stay in that pack to feed off of their collective energy.

Things clicked along fine until the expressway.

I'm not sure if I had psyched myself out long before arriving at the on-ramp but by the time that we crossed the half-way mark (Strava tells me I went through 21k in 1:29:23 - bang on goal pace) and started the long stretch downhill I feared for the worst.  Immediately the wind seemed to pick up and blow straight into our faces ... and as I wanted to keep a steady pace I started to lose touch with the group that had chosen to try to work with gravity's pull.  That of course left me fending for myself without the benefit of any bodies to draft off of, and try as I might I couldn't reel myself back into the 3-hour pack.

When the course finally leveled out again and we approached the waterfront I felt like my chances were shot ... my right hip started providing negative feedback (and I've never had any hip pain in my 6+ years of running) and while the Endurance Tap gels were still fueling the main engine my stride length was getting shorter and shorter.  Even during the flattest part of the race I saw my pace per kilometre creep up and I began to be passed by various other marathoners.  With about 3km to go my right hamstring also decided to completely spasm forcing me to come to a screeching halt and work out the cramped muscle through a combination of hammering the back of my leg and doing a hybrid Frankenstein-like shuffle.

It was a painful (in more of a psychological than physical way) ending to my day when I crossed the finish line, even though I clocked my second best marathon time ever.  I knew that I was in 3 hour shape, and a new PB was there for the taking - but this particular race course just doesn't seem to agree with me.  Now I know that I also need to factor in that this was my sixth marathon of 2016 - three more than I completed in 2015 - but that doesn't mitigate the sense of disappointment much.

Even in the agonizing last moments I give my props to the RunNinjas

Post-race
The one consolation was that after crossing the finish line I found out that my friend Adam had actually won the marathon, debuting with a 2:29.  I chatted briefly with him and as strong a runner as he is even he found himself reduced to walking at points during the home stretch along the Burlington waterfront.  I suppose that this race takes its pound of flesh out of everyone.

And there was no rest for the wicked - I immediately proceeded to hop into my car and drove home to pick up my daughter and head out to a nine hour theatre rehearsal (with only a super-quick change of clothes as a break).  In the most remarkable way I felt fresher doing dance routines during the rehearsal than I did for the second half of the marathon.

So it's back to the drawing board for 2017.  I'm not sure if I'm going to chase a sub-3 marathon again next year - after some much needed downtime I may look at trying to hunt down a sub-1:25 half-marathon first, or the elusive sub-40min. 10k.  For now 'tis the season for ice cream and snooze buttons.

Thanks for all of your encouragement and support - perhaps we'll see you out on the roads and trails again soon!

Race gear for the 2016 Hamilton Marathon:

• Skechers Performance singlet
• Skechers Performance split short
• Fox River ankle socks
• Skechers GOMeb Speed Elite
• Epson Runsense SF-810 GPS watch

Race report - 2016 Hamilton Marathon Road2Hope

Race report - MEC Barrie Race FOUR (2016) - 15k

I absolutely love my tribe of #RunNinjas!

It's not only been a pleasure to get to know each of them and their engaging personalities, stories and trajectories, but also to be able to watch them become stronger, faster, more resilient athletes.

This weekend afforded another opportunity to watch the community of runners shine.

The MEC Barrie Race Series made its fourth stop of the year in Tudhope Park, Orillia - the first time that it's taken to the waterfront trail following the shores of Lake Couchiching.  With paths clearly marked for walkers, cyclists and runners it actually was a pretty near ideal locale for a race - and even on a gorgeous fall day such as the one we had (albeit quite chilly in the lead-up hours to the race) it wasn't too crowded and no one appeared to be put-out or put-off by the fact that a race was being conducted on this route.

I approached this race as essentially a training run in advance of my planned target fall marathon (still TBD) but also a good solid workout in advance of next weekend's pacing duties at The County Marathon (third year in a row).  My training plan had scheduled a 21k core workout involving a warm-up / 7k @ marathon pace (MP) / 90 sec. recovery / 7k @ half-marathon pace (HMP) / 90 sec. recovery / 7k @ pace of choice / cool down - and so I thought that I could weave this in nicely with the 15k race option for the morning.

Pre-race
Showing up about 90 min. in advance of the indicated 9:00 a.m. start gave me plenty of time to pick up my bib and chip, chat with a few of the race crew volunteers and then head out for the first chunk of my workout.  It was definitely brisk, but I knew that hitting 7k @ MP would keep me sufficiently warm, plus the sun was starting to peek up over the horizon which made a real difference in the air temperature.  The early miles also provided a sneak peek at the course route since this trail/path was new to me.

The plan was to conclude my first segment just in time to fall in the back of the pack of 15k runners as they crossed the startline timing mats - but through a bit of miscalculation and a slightly delayed send-off I wound up breaking into my second segment (7k @ HMP) a few minutes before we actually launched into the race.  All in all it still worked out ok as I still waited it out to cross the start line last.

The race
There wasn't a great deal of bobbing and weaving required to clear the slower 15k runners which I was pleasantly surprised by, and I'm sure that those runners appreciated not having someone brush right by their shoulders trying to scoot toward some clear space.  I scooted by my RunNinja pals Dave, Joy, Gillian, Crystal, Mariana, Lindsey, Laurie and Sonia while cheering them forward and managed to keep in HMP stride while working into the fifth spot of the 15k crowd.  One of the very cool things that I noted was that one of our youngest RunNinjas (Ryan, a grade 9 student) was tucked in the lead pack with two older runners and holding his own.  I wondered if I'd really been pushing myself in full-on 'race mode' whether or not I could have caught and dialed into the lead pack, but I was thrilled that Ryan was there to rep the RunNinjas!

As it worked out just after the 4k mark of the race I concluded my second segment so as planned I walked a 90 second recovery.  I was surprised that during that walking stretch no other 15k runners passed me, just a few of the 10k and 5k runners (with whom we'd intermingled after about the 3k point).  When it was time to switch into the third segment of my workout I decided to try to just ease it in at the planned pace-bunny MP for next week (5:00/km) to not overcook myself and still give my body a chance to get accustomed to the pace I'll want to hold at The County.  A kilometre into that third segment I had a 15k racer zip past looking strong - and while part of me felt like I really wanted to hunt him down the wiser part of me enjoyed the jogging effort and cheering other runners along as I continued to just cruise on through.

Look ma ... no feet!

Between the weather being quite brilliant and the lackadaisical pace I had a lot of fun out there.  I didn't end up picking anyone else off (at least from the 15k crowd) and enjoyed my way through to a 1:08:27 finish. 

Ryan ended up sticking in there for 3rd OA!

Post-race
But my day wasn't done ...

One of the fun things that I've made a habit of doing in the MEC races is heading back out to accompany some of the other RunNinjas across the line.  It's mostly a labour of love for me - I certainly hope that my friends don't find it demeaning or patronizing that I hustle along with them during the finishing stretches of their races.  I hope that I'm able to add a little somethin'-somethin' by way of encouragement, and not just end up being 'that guy' who photobombs all of their finish line photos.

Does it count as 'helping' if you can't keep up with them ... Gillian?!?

At the end of the day there were many great results to be celebrated - lots of PBs (Joy!!), overall/gender wins (Mike, Youjin) and age-group placings (Ryan, Sonia, Miranda, birthday-girl Shari, Crystal, Gillian, Lindsay, Laurie) ... and some 'honorary RunNinjas' also crushed their races (Eva, Emma-Joy, Darcy, David Collver, Glenn Barnes).  Basically everyone had a killer event!

We are family ... ♪ ♫ ♩ ♬ ♭ ♮ ♯

Once again congrats to MEC Barrie for organizing and hosting a superb race - it's no coincidence that MEC was just recognized as the #1 trusted brand by Canadians!

Thanks to all of my friends on and off the course for a fantastic day - and of course to Skechers Performance Canada for the killer orange kicks (GOMeb Speed 3 2016) that got shout-outs from runners and various passers-by all morning long!

Race report - MEC Barrie Race FOUR (2016) - 15k

Race report - 2016 Boston Marathon

26.2 miles is 26.2 miles no matter where you run it ... right?

Nope.

Pre-race
Of course running the 120th Boston Marathon necessitated being in New England, so I'd planned to arrive on Friday of the marathon weekend and return Monday evening almost immediately after the conclusion of the race.  While I initially had intended on making the eight-or-so hour drive into the USA (because I do love a good road trip) I did figure out that it might well me more economical (and less mental stress) to fly down - and thanks to the generosity of my friend Stan I was able to capitalize on some tucked-away Aeroplan miles to get me to Logan Airport and back.  I was also the recipient of a gracious offer of a place to stay over the marathon weekend.  As anyone who's run this race before knows, accommodation can come at a real premium - room rates are jacked for this event that draws national/international attention, and hotel bookings are made literally almost a year in advance.  So it was quite fortuitous/serendipitous when my wife Ally and I had dinner with a friend and his family last summer - and one of those family members happened to be a nephew who was on conference in Toronto but whose home was in (where else?) the greater Boston area.  When this topic of conversation came up over the dinner table I casually slid my way over a few chairs to where he was seated and let slip that I had qualified for the Boston Marathon and had plans to run the 2016 edition.  Well - doesn't he say "we love the marathon - we usually join a midnight bike ride down the course route the day before the race, and if you do come why don't you stay with us?"

Music to my ears.

-- Friday --

With those pieces in place Ally (together with Robyn, our 12 year old) was kind enough to wake up at 4:30 am to drive me down to the airport to catch my morning flight.  The standard guidelines that they give you for flights into the US is to arrive two hours before scheduled departure - and this day I needed all of that.  Who knew that a Friday morning would be so crazy in the customs and security area?

The flight over to the east coast of Massachusetts was perfectly uneventful, and having landed at Logan it was an easy hop onto a no-fare shuttle bus to the South Station train/bus hub to catch a commuter rail line out to the town of Needham (just south of Wellesley and about equidistant from the start and finish lines of the race).  I was met at train station by my friend Mike and the family dog (Mocha), and after settling in at the house we took in an afternoon walk in the local forest.

The evening consisted of meeting the remainder of the Yeh family, enjoying a lavish spread of a meal together and then being schooled in a friendly (is there such a thing?) game of Exploding Kittens.

Last night's family game brought to you by...

A photo posted by patrick voo (@pbfvoo) on Apr 16, 2016 at 5:17am PDT

-- Saturday --

It was nice to be able to snag a true sleep-in after an early start the day before (I snuck in my 50 min. run at 3 a.m. before the pre-flight routine) - trying to bank hours of sleep is always an integral part of the prep for any marathon for me, and so waking up to a bright New England morning with no alarm necessary was just what the doctor ordered.

The morning was a lazy one spent reading and re-reading various posts about how to properly handle to the morning-of logistics for the Boston Marathon, as well as scouting out a few more race reports.  After lunch my new friend Sunu was gracious enough to drive me into downtown Boston to hit up the expo and check out a few sights.  I'd initially considered heading down solo earlier in the morning but decided not to be such a loner neglecting the company of my host family - and while I believe that that I indeed opted for the better choice I'm almost certain that waiting until the noon-ish hour to nab my race kit and check out the exhibitors put me/us into the most hairy window of time possible.  It was an absolute zoo of people - not for the claustrophobic or faint of heart.

Guess who's making a bee-line for the Skechers Performance booth!

One of the most unbelievable moments at the expo happened while I was chatting with Anna from Skechers' corporate HQ and who should I see flowing by in and amongst the throngs of people but my buddy "Fast" Bill Steinburg!  I was absolutely astounded that we should cross paths in the sea of humanity at the Hynes Convention Centre especially since we had had any designs on meeting there whatsoever - but then again we did happen upon each other in the aftermath of the Around The Bay Road Race in the FirstOntario Centre, so perhaps we each have our homing signals fixed on one another.  Apart from that I really did use the visit to the expo only to retrieve my bib and race kit, exercising (what I believe to be) a high level of self-control in not purchasing anything from the multitude of vendors - not even the vaunted official 'celebration jacket' which was designed in some questionable colour combination to commemorate this year's Boston Marathon.

Sunu then led me down toward the finish line area on Boylston St., and after a few obligatory shots of the most famous painted section of road in the running world we extended our mini-tour down to Boston Common and back along the boutique-y Newbury Street.  After one last stop at the Boston Public Library it was time to return to the car and out to the suburbs again.

-- Sunday --
Just about everyone who's prepped for the Boston Marathon says that this is the 'put up your feet and rest' day, despite the temptation to tour even more sights in and around Beantown.  I did snag a crisp, early morning shakeout/Western Aussie carboload run and then decided to join Sunu and her son Christian for the morning service at their church.  They were having a special 'hymn sing' Sunday given that many families were away as this was the start of "Spring Week", a holiday period for the school system that mirrors (and in this case complements) March Break.  I just have to say that if my arrival in Boston could in any way be considered evidence of my so-called running prowess, attending a church hymn-sing painfully reveals my lack of any appreciable tone or voice modulation.

The rest of the day consisted of a giant plate of bucatini pasta for lunch, a couple of episodes of Daredevil on Netflix, watching Mike and Christian prep for their midnight bike ride along the marathon course route, and getting my gear laid out for the morning.

Ready or not, Patriot's Day here I come! #golikeneverbefore #runninjas #bostonmarathon

A photo posted by patrick voo (@pbfvoo) on Apr 17, 2016 at 3:21pm PDT

-- Monday --

Monday morning started in the same way that most marathon days start for me - a 15 min. kickstarter jog right out of bed followed by breakfast (this day it was a bagel with peanut butter + honey along with a blueberry muffin), then a shower and finally donning the race apparel.  Sunu was kind enough to offer to drive me to the runner drop-off point in Hopkinton on her way to work - this saved me taking the commuter rail down to Boston Common to catch the buses to shuttle us up to the Athletes' Village in Hopkinton.  Still, in order to avoid the traffic congestion in the small town roads of Hopkinton we needed to arrive there are 7 a.m. - a full three hours before the scheduled start of the first wave of open-class runners (to which I was assigned).

As you might anticipate there was a decent level of security as runners loaded up to board the shuttle buses (yes, even the drop-offs had to hop on a short bus ride) to the Athletes' Village, including a full wand inspection.  On the short trip I had the opportunity to chat it up with my seatmate named Joe, who'd travelled in from the Dallas, TX area.  He is an English professor at Texas Christian University, and a speedy 2:28 marathoner.  I hit him up for any tips and tricks he had set his PB here at Boston, and his advice was much the same as everything that I'd read - go easy over the first five miles, and put whatever you have left into the final five because it's a smooth downhill stretch.

The Athletes' Village is basically two large sports fields populated by some giant event tenting (for shade), extensive rows of portable toilets and otherwise littered with runners sprawled out on the grass trying to stay as rested as possible before engaging the test of endurance before them.  I tried not to wander around too much (as I usually like to keep moving) but before I plopped myself down on some trash bags that I toted along with me I had my first 'celebrity encounter' of the morning.  I recognized the face of one runner as he was coming my way and clicked in that I'd come across J-Mac, or Jason McElwain.  If you haven't seen his story on social media it's well worth checking out - and it was great to chat with him however briefly about his experience of running the Boston Marathon.

The next couple of hours were spent intermittently closing my eyes for a quick snoozle, doing a few warmup exercises and otherwise people-watching.  As is usually the case I find it fascinating to see all the different ages, shapes and sizes that runners come in - especially ones that are faster than me (which were easily identifiable since for Boston the bib numbers are assigned based on qualification times and not order of registration - so the lower the bib number, the more blazing fast you are!).

My second celebrity run-in was as the PA announcer called all first wave/red-bibbed competitors to enter the walkway leading to the starting chute.  By this time the porta-potty lineups were enormous and as I weaseled my way through the thousand or so people waiting to answer nature's call I happened upon - who else? - but "Fast" Bill.  Seriously - what are the odds that two guys from the same hometown would bump into each other in unplanned fashion twice over the course of Boston Marathon weekend.  It certainly defies my calculations ... anyway, a quick check-in with and wish of good luck to Bill and I carried on toward the chute entry point.

** Parental guidance alert - the following content may not be suitable for all audiences **

[In the process of doing my pre-race research I came across a helpful little series of Boston Marathon race tips on the Runner's World community web forum that I found helpful - not the least of which was a suggestion (for the guys) that a Gatorade-type bottle and a decently-sized garbage bag can make for a personal porta-potty.  Believe me, that came in handy just before I made the trek toward the start line.]

** end of questionable content **

The third celebrity encounter occurred just as I joined the throngs who comprised the Wave 1 runners as I happened to spot a familiar-looking, deeply tanned and muscular man in a yellow North Face singlet.  I immediately recognized him to be Dean Karnazes and I approached him just to say "can I get a fist bump for good luck?"  He was incredibly gracious and said "I sure hope it helps - have we run together before?"  I then let him know that I'd met him during a fun run with Team Running Free back in 2014, and again as he was the official starter for last summer's The North Face Endurance Challenge Series 50 miler in Collingwood.  To my amazement he said "I remember that day - it was really hot" (having hit a humidex of nearly 35°C) and also commenting "Blue Mountain was a lot tougher course than I thought it would be"!  He wasn't in any rush to brush me off and in fact walked with me for a minute or two before being approached by other runners who similarly recognized him as a modern running icon.

The race
After loading up on some free sunscreen and bypassing the last field of a hundred some-odd porta-potties I joined the other sardines in Corral 6 of Wave 1.  The national anthem was played, starting field announced, and starter's pistol fired.  We were off.

Sort of.

Crammed in as we were it was about a three to four minute shuffle to just get across the true starting line.  The guy beside me in the corral (from Colorado) noted that we would likely be running in close proximity to one another for the first four to five miles due to congestion, and that that's why the corral system is so important - otherwise we'd be sandwiched in between slower runners or much faster runners, resulting in frustration and trip-ups either way.  However, the saving grace during that initial stretch was that it is an elevation drop of some 200+ feet so things kept moving.

One of the first sensations to hit me was how hot it was already.  The call was for a high of 66°F (about 19°C) but with no real canopy/cover and a near-cloudless sky the sun factor made it feel all of that and more by just after 10 a.m.  While this might (and did) up the challenge for the marathoners it also lent itself to gorgeous viewing conditions and therefore tons of spectators out cheering us on and soaking in the pleasant springtime conditions.

The second sensation/observation was just how hilly the entire course actually felt ... most of the fame is reserved for "Heartbreak Hill" in Newton (at just after the 20 mile mark) but from start to finish it was like one big roller coaster ride.  It wasn't enough to have the sun beating down on us (as my singlet-revealing sunburn can attest to) but the 'over hill and dale' terrain really did take a toll on the quads long before the famed rise near Boston College.

The third of my 3 Hs for this race was headwind, as this contributed not only to the fatigue level when it kicked in at around the halfway point but I'm sure that it also insidiously accelerated the dehydration process for almost all of us who were running into it.  And it wasn't the gusty kind either - which could have made it psychologically devastating for anyone trying to hit a particular time goal for the day - but it was steady enough that before long it faded into the background such that you didn't notice it in a discernible way except to observe your per-mile pace continually creeping higher and higher.

With all that being said there were many great moments along the route for me - like

• seeing so many neighbourhoods and groups (even one motorcycle club, all in full biker colours) setting up their own unofficial aid stations
• being offered the equivalent of at least two full bags' worth of strawberry Twizzlers along the way
• high (or low) fiving kids and the kids-at-heart lining the streets



• the Wellesley College scream tunnel - yes, hundreds upon hundreds of girls holding up homemade signs and yelling at the top of their lungs "kiss me!" ... this was an unbelievable boost of energy (and unplanned injection of pace), and while I didn't kiss any of them I was momentarily tempted when I saw the sign "Kiss me if you don't want Trump to be president!"
• passing by and cheering on the uber-inspirational Rick Hoyt (being pushed by Bryan Lyons, stepping in for the now-retired Dick Hoyt)
• hearing someone yell from out of the crowds behind me:  "do you run for Skechers Canada?  I saw your post on Instagram!"
• making my way over to touch three Canadian flags being waved by roadside fans
• powering through a nasty right hamstring spasm at the 25th mile marker and not having to stop or be reduced to a walk
• turning down the four-block homestretch on Boylston Street and managing to shift into one more gear to pass four runners before finally crossing the finish line.

 

Post-race
Immediately after crossing the finish line I kept on moving as I had designs on walking the 1.5 miles down to the South Station terminal in order to catch a commuter rail train back to Mike's place.  What was very cool was that in a way I finshed the race where I'd begun - having turned to look around me at the finish line and spying Jay, the guy from Colorado, who was standing beside me in the starting corral.  He'd finished just a few seconds ahead of me (talk about evenly grouped!) but confirmed that it was indeed a difficult day as he'd finished the 2015 Boston Marathon (in windy, cold and rainy conditions) a full 13 minutes faster than he had on this day - and this he attributed to the weather.

One of the things that you discover while running the Boston Marathon, and maybe especially after you've finished, is just how supportive and appreciative the local community is of the runners who come to participate in the race.  While walking the streets over to South Station wrapped in my race-branded thermal blanket (man, does the wind howl down Boylston and chill you to the bone!) I was greeted by innumerable smiles and random comments of "great job!" and "congratulations!".  I'd even read that if you wore your medal around for the remainder of the day you might benefit from some discounts or freebies - such as when I went to purchase my commuter rail ticket and the agent behind the glass booth said "it's okay, you've got your bib number and your medal showing so you get to ride for free".  Bonus!

I guess if u run 26.2 miles it's reasonable to take the @MBTA_CR back congrats @pbfvoo @necn pic.twitter.com/YwzAfUxKbj

— Mimi Wishner Segel (@MimiSegelNECN) April 18, 2016

I was able to snag a quick shower back at Mike's place before he graciously gave me a ride to Logan Airport to hop my homeward bound flight.  One of the things that I was looking forward to on the way home was being able to fly with Stan who was catching the same flight back after having come to town to support the Adaptive Runners that he coaches.  We deconstructed everything from race conditions to coaching conundrums to the state of the Toronto Raptors' post-season drive.

All told I had an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.  I've been asked whether or not I will return to run the Boston Marathon again (having actually clocked another qualifying time at the race), but I'm not sure that I will, at least for the foreseeable future.  It's not for lack of enjoyment or appreciation of the event - it's because (a) it's not cheap, even with a standing invitation to stay with my good friends the Yehs; (b) I have other destination races on my list - like hopefully Chicago in October 2017; and (c) I know first-hand what it's like to try so hard for so long to qualify only to have your hopes dashed because there were so many registrants that you didn't make the cut (since the B.A.A. takes the fastest times first).  If by my restraint an extra place opens up for someone else to cross off a bucket list item then I'm happy to help make a dream come true.

Because one of mine has - thanks to the support, interest, encouragement and sacrifices of my family and friends.  Boston 2016 is now a memory ... one that I'm privileged and honoured to have.

Race gear for the 2016 Boston Marathon:

• Skechers Performance Division racerback singlet (Meb 2014-style) and split shorts
• Zensah compression calf sleeves
• Skechers GOMeb Speed 2
• Headsweats race hat
• Running Room no-show socks
• Garmin Forerunner 305
• PowerBar gels 

Race report - 2016 Boston Marathon