The Beast of the North

The course is called the Beast of the North - Ironman 70.3 Muskoka. And I did it on Sunday, July 8, 2018.  Daybreak was a refreshingly cool 12C as the athletes organized themselves in transition zone before heading over to the swim start. However the daytime high was forecast for 27C, with clear skies, which meant that despite the sweaters we were all wearing at dawn, we would all end up melting down on the hot asphalt run with the sun blaring down on us in just a few hours time. Oh yes, there would be sunburns today.  

The swim was great, cool air and warm water to start. The beast aspect of this course starts mid-way in the swim, when we leave Fairy Lake and turn upstream, against the current, up the Muskoka River. I did the 2k swim in 42:39 with only one good kick to the chops (no harm done) near the end where all the swimmers bottlenecked to exit the river. I was sure happy to see the wetsuit strippers ready to help peel my suit off before heading into T1, they really are angels, no perhaps more like fairies for this course.  

The bike portion has changed this year from previous years.  When I became familiar with the original bike route (the 94km full loop of the Lake of Bays) I was using it to train for the hills of Ironman Mont Tremblant in 2017. I did that loop 3x last year.  It was an incredible course with lots of hills, but there were also lots of really rough patches and pothole roads which I’m thankful I didn’t have to navigate on my racing bike.  I’m always a little worried about hitting bumps and potholes when tucked into aero-position, so when I saw the revised bike course (an 90km out and back along Brunel Rd and the 117) I was slightly relieved for my safety, but secretly a little disappointed I wouldn’t have the official epic ride on my record books. There was no Britannia Rd, Dwight Beach or highway 35 on this day.  This year, people have nicknamed the course “Beast lite”.  Wether you think its a good or bad thing, I’ll let you decide for yourself. 

Either way, the course lay out was out of my control and I just had to race the road that lay before me as decided by the race officials.  I had a great ride, I really committed to staying in aero, especially when the headwinds picked up on the way back which I know made a difference.  I paced 27.8km/h in a time of 3:14:15.  I rode the race route two weeks prior in a time of 3h35m so I’m happy that I brought a little more intensity on race day. I know that if I want to be more competitive in the future I’ll have to build more power on the bike and its something I’m going to make a point to work in the months ahead.  But for todays performance I was happy with what I achieved. And I felt positive going into the run.  

The run is my favourite and strongest part of triathlon.  However, I know my performance suffers in the heat.  I run my best in cooler weather and have never gotten the hang of heat training.  I remember going for my Sunday morning long runs over the last couple weeks in the +32C heat wave and using it more as mental rather than physical training.  

Every good athlete has a plan for race day weather, and so did I.  Going into the hottest part of the race, I was going to keep my core body temp down as best I could.  At almost every aid station I grabbed a cup of ice, dumped it into my sports bra, poured the cold water over my head, replaced my hat, took a couple swigs of gatorade and just kept moving.  It worked for me.  I never cramped, puked or had to stop/walk at any point.  I kept an average pace of 5:40/km keeping the run under 2h (1:59:47).  Its not my best run time, but considering the heat and hills I’m OK with it. 

There were a lot of great people I met on the run that helped push me forward.  Chatting  with Darragh, a charming Irish guy, who kept catching up with me until he told me to go on down the hill faster so I could try for my sub 6h goal.  The woman in my same AG in the yellow shirt who kept passing me on the bike but I finally passed her back on the run.  The lovely local couple who were watering their lawn and kindly sprayed me down with their hose as I ran past their house, and of course all the volunteers for their support and high fives. 

I came so close to my sub 6h half iron, alas I crossed the finish line at 6:03:16. (I started in the fifth swim wave @ 7:20am as decided by age group, for those noticing the time discrepancy). 

https://www.sportstats.ca/display-results.xhtml?raceid=93803&status=results&category=F40-44

A respectful performance none the less, considering the rugged hilly terrain of the course.   

I placed 17/59 in my age group, which is pretty awesome considering all the strong women who raced the course.  Mad respect for you all!  

Ironman 70.3 Muskoka was my second half-iron.  Previously I did Barrelman, the Niagara Falls half-iron put on by MultiSport Canada, and I finished that course in 6:00:05.5.  To be honest, even though I had a faster finishing time at Barrelman, I am more proud of my performance at IM 70.3 Muskoka as the course is much more challenging.  Comparing both courses would be like comparing apples and oranges though.  One is flat and fast, the other is upstream and hilly.  Both are beautiful in their own way and I plan to do both of them again in the future. I expect I’ll probably get my sub 6h at Barrelman before I’ll get it at Muskoka though, especially if the race organizers return to the original bike route (94km).  Either way, I’ll just keep training for it if I really want it.  And I do want it.  We all have a hunger. 

I’ll be back for you again - you beast! 

************************

On a more whimsical and personal note on endurance racing... 

Many of my friends and family ask me why I do these races. These events are torturous to some, as many of my less athletically inclined and even many of my ultimate frisbee teammates have commented when they look at my Facebook and Instagram feeds, but to me they are wonderful. They bring me such joy. I suppose it takes a special kind of intense person to find joy in such an endurance event, but thats the kind of person I am.   

I know I’m feeling joy when I start singing songs while I’m cycling and running.  (For some reason I never sing while swimming. I suppose it would be more like gurgling than singing, and I then there’s that drowning risk. I guess that answers my own question.)  

During this race I found myself defaulting to some music in particular and I thought I might share my thoughts with others who did the course more out of curiosity to see if they sing or have the same songs pop into their head while racing this course.  

On the downhill portions of Brunel road, where the cyclists pick up lots of so called free-speed on the steep descents, I always find my mind drifts to that great classic rock song “Free Ride” by the Edgar Winters Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GjYlTwWQHI   If you’ve ever circled the Lake of Bays you know about the highs and lows and wanting to take the free ride parts of the course.    

Then there was a man standing on a dock alongside highway 117, near Grandview, ringing a cowbell to a rhythm that reminded me quite distinctly of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”.  All aboard!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0i9yCZ5D8E  That song stayed with me all the way to back to Baysville. 

The sign that I knew I was the most happy when when I was simply coasting along the highways and Florence and the Machine just organically popped into my head.  Songs like ‘Grace’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgnWirJ1LUI and ‘100 years‘ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GX0Zf4FMI make me feel happy and joyful, like I’m floating along my way, with the piano and voice filling the space around me.  I know I’m mentally in a good place when this happens. I was having a good race. I knew I wasn’t going to win it, but I was loving it the whole way.  Perhaps this is the runners high/endurance high we all talk about. 

I recall on the run, when I saw a guy cramp up on the stretch on Main street next to the Shell station I even found a musical inspiration for that situation.  He was gripping his leg and violently shaking it, as if trying to shake it into submission. I started signing to him the lyrics from FATM “Shake it Out” - “Shake it out, Shake it out, oh whoa! And its hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake it out! Shake it out!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs  It seemed somewhat appropriate to me. Maybe I was a little delirious from dehydration at this point, but I was feeling joyful running down that road. I have no idea if it helped his leg cramp, but it may have lifted his spirits a little. Or perhaps he just thought I was a weirdo. Either way it felt like the right thing to do in the moment. 

Just like singing “I love hills” (sorry there is no link, I only perform it live on hills during my long rides) along Ironman 140.6 Mont Tremblant last year, and the “SuperFreak”  song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYHxGBH6o4M that was playing along the highway in Quebec that day on August 20, 2017, singing and music and mantras in general really help me endure for some reason.  I don’t know why, but when I push myself out of my comfort zone and need to push even harder when things get tough, my mind defaults to music, whatever will help get me through at the moment. It seems to resonate with other people too, as they’ll comment on it when they see me later on in the race or at the post-race celebrations. “Hey you were that girl singing to me on the hills, that was great.”

That’s the thing about these Ironman 70.3 and 140.6 races.  From my experience, I find they test me both mentally and physically, taking me to places of discomfort, soul searching and eventually joy.  Remember - Anything is possible with a song in your heart.  

Hope to see you all out there again on the course. I'll keep doing them as long as they bring me joy. And if you see that strange girl singing on the bike or run, that’s probably me, look for Kelly on the Bib :) 

Cheers to a great day everyone! 

Muskoka - training, racing, summering hard

The TriMuskokan & Prepping for Ironman 70.3 Muskoka

Tapering is hard. I find it very difficult to just sit down and watch TV or read a book instead of running, cycling, swimming, playing ultimate frisbee or strength training in the gym, like I normally do each day.  

I know tapering is a very necessary and important part of preparation for any big race, especially the longer courses, like what I’m about to embark upon - Ironman 70.3 Muskoka (2km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run). 

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman-70.3/muskoka.aspx#/axzz5KOdvjtdo

If you’re wondering what Ironman 70.3 means, it is the actual mileage one travels in the race (1.2 miles, 56 miles, 13.1 miles = 70.3 miles). It is also known as the half-iron, as it is half the distance of a full Ironman (2.4, 112, 42.2 = 140.6).  So that will clear up any confusion you may have when you see Ironman 70.3 and Ironman 140.6 - that is if you ever cared, or thought its all a crazy distance anyway. 

But back to my point, I know I need to taper so that my muscles can recover, I can catch up on my rest, and I’ll be primed and ready to go on race morning.  So since I’m not swimming and cycling this morning I thought I may as well catch up on my blog. This way I still feel I’m being productive while staying true to my taper plan.  

Sunday, July 8 is the big day, one of my A races for the year.  Pretty much everything I’ve done in the last few months has been leading up to this event.   The swim starts in Fairy Lake and takes us upstream into the Muskoka River, where we transition to the bike so that we can cycle through the beautiful and very hilly Muskokan countryside, and finally we run through quaint downtown Huntsville for the half marathon leg of the race.     

My last big training brick was in Huntsville when I raced the TriMuskokan short course championships on June 24, and managed a top ten finish in my age group (http://trimuskoka.com/).  There was significant overlap on all the swim/bike/run courses so it was an excellent chance to get some practical training in.

   

The unique section on this course is the upriver swim, so I was glad to get some course recon in a race setting.  I learned that the key to this particular swim is to stick to the side and stay out of the middle of the river where the current is strongest.       

As for the bike, you just need to learn to love hills and pace yourself accordingly (I know, easier said than done right!).  I did lots of hill training last year when I was prepping for Ironman Mont Tremblant, and trained on these exact hills.  So it was good to get a couple more rides on the hilly terrain to refresh my muscle memory.  My trainer at home can not replicate the same elements that you’ll find on these hills in real life.  I must admit, I’m jealous of the locals who get to ride these roads regularly, while I'm stuck in the mess that is downtown Toronto. 

Of course, the run will be hilly too, but I always feel good about my run, I did lots of hill training this spring prepping for the High Park run off and the Toronto marathon where I had strong finishes. 

Honestly the factor I’m most concerned about is the heat.  Southern Ontario has been gripped in a heat wave of +32C (even higher humidity in the low 40C's) for the last 10 days.  And I will be the first to admit, I struggle in the heat.  I’m an east coaster after all, and Newfies are not acclimated for this type of oppressive heat.  I’m absolutely desperate for mother nature to give me a break this weekend!!!  On the bright side, it’s been nice for the open water swim training at what is normally a rather chilly Cherry Beach, but its been hellish during the runs. Pure. hell.  Here’s hoping the weather breaks before I do! 

I decided to make one change to my race kit since coming back from the TriMuskokan race weekend.  I invested in a more aerodynamic cycling helmet.  Price has been a sticking point with these for me, however, I’ve rationalized that since I’m putting in so much effort in my training and suffering on the hills, that anything I can do to make this easier on myself is a reasonable purchase, especially since most serious triathletes are already using these.  Further considering my bike is probably the weakest of the 3 disciplines I feel its a justifiable decision.  I opted for the Giro Synthe, one of the more economically priced models at $299.99 plus tax (I can honestly say that Canadian Tire has become a distant memory for me!).  I took it for a test ride yesterday and honestly, I felt faster in my aero position and my head even felt lighter.  I averaged 1km/hr faster just pedalling around Sunnybrook Park.  

It took me 3h35m to do the 90km on the IM Muskoka bike course the last time I did it with my old helmet, so lets see what I do on the bike this Sunday.  Any guesses for my time?  Feel free to comment below. 

So now, I'm just trying not to overeat in the last few days of my taper (at least until my carb load begins on Saturday morning - all the bagels, peanut butter, bananas and pasta I desire), get enough rest, try my best to avoid the temptation of summer drinking (at least until the post-race celebrations) and re-check my gear until I head north again this weekend.  Send me lots of good vibes - both for speed and cooler weather.  

June Blog Updates: Riding for Heart and Running Rattlesnake Point

With the summer season upon us I find myself behind on my blog updates again.  It happened last year as I was prepping for Ironman Mont Tremblant and I told myself that I wouldn’t let it happen again.  Perhaps its because I’m only doing an Ironman 70.3 course (as opposed to 140.6 - the number referring to the total number of miles travelled) this summer that I’m not falling too far behind again.

So whats been happening? Lots of charity fundraising, more triathlon training and some fun trail running events for both me and my clients, so far.

First up on Sunday, June 3, I participated in the the Manulife Ride for Heart event for the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  I’ve done this event for 5 years in a row now, and the last four as a VIP rider.  I feel very grateful to be as physically healthy as I am, and I understand it is important for us all to be active members in building healthy communities and promote charitable acts. And as an avid cyclist this event really appeals to me.  I’m both proud and grateful to say that I achieved my fundraising goal of $1000 this year.  A very big thank you goes out to all of the generous friends, family and clients who donated to the campaign again this year. I could not have done it without you all!  Nobody goes through life alone, and we are all touched by stroke or heart disease in some way.  My family is no exception.   

As for the triathlete inside me, I used this opportunity to pedal out 101km that morning and even snuck in a 2k run afterwards to make it a full-on brick workout, all as part of my training for Ironman 70.3 Muskoka coming up on July 8.   

Next up was a trail running event held at Rattlesnake Point.  It was the second race in the Ontario section of the Five Peaks Trail Running Series (there are many held across this great big beautiful country of ours - O Canada!).  Every year I like to take on new challenges and trail running was definitely something I had wanted to explore further this year, because, you know, road racing wasn’t hard enough... 

Inmar, both a friend and run client of mine, also wanted to partake in more trail races this year so off we went into the woods in search of adventure.  
Although, this wasn’t supposed to be our first trail race of the year.  We had originally intended to do the Terra Cotta trail run back in April but like so many outdoor events Mother Nature had other plans, and the doozy of an ice storm that she threw at Ontario altered those plans completely, wreaking havoc with the Terra Cotta trail, preventing accessibility for any trail racing this spring.  So here we found ourselves racing Rattlesnake Point instead.  We didn’t really mean to sign up for the most difficult and technical trail race of the season, but hey, it seemed like the fates were pulling us here and I’ve always been up for a challenge. 

I have to say, I absolutely loved this trail run. It covered a stretch of the Bruce Trail between the Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area and Crawford Lake.  I loved being in the woods, running on the soft earth, the single and double track trail, up and down the hills, sliding in the mud, hoping over downed trees across the path and of course pulling myself up rock walls with my arms and back muscles - all the things you wouldn’t get to do during a typical road race.  You had to use your entire body for this run.  I know this because it all ached the next day.  But in a most gratifying way.  

The race photographer took some lovely race photos on the dry wide flat track on the trail, but I felt I should add in another amateur shot that showed the actual more rugged, gnarly, hilly terrain. 

So how did we do?  Inmar did great. For her first 5.5km sport trail run, she hoped to complete the course in under 35min, and she did, 34:59 coming in 15th in her AG.  A job well done!  

I ran the 12.7km enduro course, and was hoping to do the course in under 75min.  I ran it in 1:16:09, 69sec over my goal time, placing me 4th in my age group.  One spot off the podium for my first official trail race, which I wasn’t really planning on doing.  Not too shabby for one of the toughest trails on the 5 peaks circuit.  

Honestly, I really had no idea how I would fare with trail running.  I didn’t think I had taken enough time to develop the technical skill set to land me on the podium.  However, looking back on my strong history of running, hiking and dynamic sports like ultimate frisbee (where I move my body in different directions and planes of movement, think jumping/pivoting/reaching/sideways guarding, rather than simple straight forward running), I can see how my body was better suited than I expected.  I underestimated myself when I placed myself in the second wave of runners, when I should’ve went in the first wave.  That’s where you’ll find me next time.     

So what’s next? I have one more event this June - this weekend I’ll be doing the TriMuskokan, a short course triathlon that I’m using to prep for Ironman 70.3 Muskoka.  More sporting adventure lies ahead, this time in Huntsville. More hilly terrain to come, and I’m looking forward to it! 

The Chocolate Race

My most recent race was the Chocolate Race, held in St. Catherines, Ontario on Sunday, May 13.  It was a little far from my home base of Toronto to go for a 5K-10K, but I went at a clients request.  Juliane, had heard about the race that served chocolates at the finishing line and insisted that we do it together to celebrate one of the sweetest reasons to actually go for a 10K run.  How could I say no to that?  

The funny thing was, I remember promising to do the run with her some months ago, but I have to admit, I totally forgot what weekend it was happening on, May 13, the weekend after the Toronto Marathon!  When I realized that I only had seven days for my legs to recover from the marathon I told her that I would have to drop from the 10K to the 5K event, but that would still be fine for us.  We still had our road trip and celebration together at the end, so no biggie.    

But to be honest, I was really doubting what my quads were going to be able to do that day.  I hadn’t run all week, just some walking and lap swimming (and hot tub epsom salt soaks, of course).  On the Saturday before the race, I ran just 2K with Eric, another client of mine, to warm up before a workout but my quads still felt a little twitchy.  I wasn’t sure how this was going to go.  But a promise is a promise, and if I can help it, I will never let a client down, so off we went to St. Catherines running for chocolate. 

  

The kids 2.5K run was first up in the morning, and all the little kids running so hard for chocolate covered candied apples was super cute.  The announcer was dressed up in a super hero costume and rallied all the participants up - like you needed to get the kids any more hyper with all the chocolate about, but it was all for fun. It felt a little like a halloween party actually.  It was a nice way to get the whole family involved for a Mother’s Day event.  After the kids had their race, the 10K runners started, and the 5K runners left 15min after that. 

I enjoyed running the course, the first and last 1.5K especially, as it was in the wooded area of Malcomson Eco Park and the Sunset Beach area of Lake Ontario.  Eventually the trail gave way to some smaller city streets for 2K, but ended up looping back at Cindy Drive to the same start/finish line in the Eco Park.  

It was a nice course, a mixture of trail and pavement.  But what made this run truly unique was the chocolate covered strawberries at the aid stations.  I don’t take any water or snacks during a 5K sprint, but I have to admit, I did glance back longingly at all the sweet snacks that I blew past. I can't help my competitive streak.  I was very relieved to see more chocolate covered strawberries at the finish line and then I did not hesitate to indulge!! Mmmmmm!  

On a personal note, I surprised myself with my performance at this event.  When I lined up at the starting line I really did not place any expectations on myself, I just told myself I’ll do whatever pace my quads would allow.  I jumped out to a quick lead, and managed to hold down an average pace of 4:39/km, just tagging behind a few speedy teenage boys.  At the 3K mark, one of the race officials told me I was the lead female and I told myself to just hang on for two more km. I crossed the finish line at 23minutes 20seconds.  

Race results: https://results.rmraces.live/Enfield/events/2018/chocolate-race/results 

Video clip: https://results.rmraces.live/enfield/events/2018/chocolate-race/26/entrant?share=1

While I had other age group victories within the last couple years, it was the first time I had been the overall first female to cross the finish line, and it felt really great to finally accomplish this.  Woohoo!!  The race organizers awarded gift baskets to the overall male and female finishers of the 5K and 10K events.  It was filled with chocolates, sweets and baked goodies that looked so beautiful I decided to give it to my Mom for Mother’s Day - how appropriate.  

And if all that wasn’t enough, once Juliane finished her 10K run, we headed over to the Grantham Lion’s Club, where they were serving the runners chocolate martinis to celebrate (only the adults of course, the kids had chocolate milks).  I’ve never ran a race quite like this one, but it was fun, festive and family oriented.  If you’re looking for an active way to celebrate Mother’s Day, or just a big fan of all things chocolate, I highly recommend checking it out.  

Toronto Marathon 2018

The Toronto Marathon is held on the first Sunday of May each spring (6th May 2018).  This course is one of my favourite marathons because it holds sentimental value for me. It is my adoptive home town race, it was where I did my very first marathon, and it was also the course where I earned my Boston Qualifier for the 2017 Boston Marathon.  My hopes were to earn another Boston Qualifying spot with this run.   

I left the condo early (6am) to make the shuttle bus run from the Hilton hotel up to Mel Lastman Square.  I was worried what the atmosphere would be like at the starting point this year due to recent tragic events, but the mood was the usual pre-race jitters rather than fear of anything else (at least that’s what I felt).  The memorials were still in place, but did not overshadow the enduring marathon spirit that so many athletes brought to the Square on race day. 

As we lined up at the starting line, the announcer asked for a moment of silence for the victims, we paid our respects, and then it was off to the races.  I felt really good for the first half of the race. I was holding my race pace of a sub 5min/km (4:56/km).  I saw my friend Maxime waiting for me at our usual spot at Yonge and Rosedale Valley Road, and I ran past her with a blazing high five.  I felt good going down Rosedale Valley Road and the Bayview Ave Extension, but I started to struggle a little by the time I reached the 25km mark just past Fort York in the downtown core.  

I usually start to struggle around the 30-33km mark of a marathon, but for some reason I’m not 100% sure of, I boarded the pain train early this year.  Every step on the Martin Goodman Trail was a gut wrenching effort on this run, and my pace had slowed to a 5:26/km at the 35km mark.  I began to worry that I might not make the cut off for Boston at this rate.  After hitting the 35km marker, the course brings us back east along Lakeshore Blvd for the final 7km stretch, and it never fails that the headwind smacks you in the face when you’re the most fatigued.   

I was running alongside another two women and we decided to try to draft behind two taller male runners just in front of us.  Running in a pack helps to converse energy and is a strategy used by many runners.  It helped for a few km but I struggled to keep up with the pack and found myself running alone for the last 2 km at a slower pace of 5:40. At this point, it was pure mental grit that kept me going, I dug deep and hung in there to cross the finishing line with a time of 3:40:45.  

  

Initially, I was disappointed with this run.  My current age group is 35-39 and the BQ cut off is 3:40.  I missed it by 45seconds!!!  Damn it.  But then once I settled down and thought about race dates on the calendar I realized it might not be a lost cause for me after all.  The next Boston Marathon that I would be applying for will be on April 15th, 2019, and I will actually be in the 40-44 age group by that date, and that age group has a cut-off time of 3:45.  The nice thing about getting older is that you get 5 more minutes to get the job done!  Considering this, I actually made my BQ with 4min 15sec to spare.  Woohoo!!  I won’t know for sure if I’ll be going to next years Boston Marathon due to the competitive entry system but I think I have a decent shot when the application process occurs in September.   

http://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/participant-information/qualifying.aspx 

So what went wrong with my race plan?  Why was I over 6 minutes slower this year than when I did this course previously?  I’ve wracked my brain trying to think of what went wrong.  As a run coach, I am very self-critical.  I felt well prepared.  I increased my mileage, my peak training run as 35km instead of 32.5km.  I had a great performance at the High Park Spring run off where I placed 3rd in my age group, I felt I had enough speed.  I was physically healthy, foam rolled and massaged out pre-marathon.   

What I found myself coming back to were the mental aspects.  I was definitely dealing with more stress this spring that I hadn’t dealt with previously.   My fifteen year old cat had to be put down a few weeks before the marathon and I was still coping with that loss.  In addition, I was also going through some workplace stressors that were proving quite difficult to resolve.  Most of my friends encouraged me to just channel that raw emotion into my run, but I’m not sure if it was the kind of emotion that would serve as rocket fuel.  It felt more like dead weight that piled on me and slowed me down.  In the end, I’m not sure why I was 6 minutes slower.  Stress? Age? Complacency?  I can’t say for sure, just speculation. 

In the end, I like to take away a positive from every event. And any day you finish a marathon is still a good day, a fantastic day in fact.  As critical as I am, I have to remind myself that I still ran a fast marathon at 3:40:45 and out performed most of the women in my age group (14th place AG).  I should be proud of that.  Congratulations to everybody who finished the Toronto Marathon! 

Thoughts on Running from Mel Lastman Square

I’ve always found strength, purpose and happiness in running.  As a child, I knew I was good at running, it was fun and fast, but I never realized that I would use running to actually help me cope with the stress of everyday life like I have to this day.  I’ve used running to help deal with stress, mental health issues and career fulfillment. It hasn’t always been a smooth journey, but I’ve been finding my way through it all.  

I remember watching TV during the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013.  I was no where near the place either physically nor mentally where I could complete a marathon at that point in time (I think I was competing in 10K then) but I remember feeling such empathy for those runners.  Bombs are for cowards, marathons are for the brave - I wrote that day.   I didn’t realize it at the time, but that moment solidified my intent to run that same Boston Marathon.  And I did four years later in 2017. 

This year I am going to be running the Toronto Marathon once again, on May 6, 2018.  The course starts at Mel Lastman Square and runs south on Yonge to Ontario Place on the Lakeshore.  A course I ran in 2016 and earned a Boston Qualifying (BQ) time actually.  I know this course well, it has a special place in my heart because it was both my very first marathon and where I earned my BQ.  

So this week when I was watching TV footage of the violent van attack near the start of the Toronto Marathon course (Yonge St between Finch and Sheppard), I was reminded of all the emotions I had back in 2013.  I know this may sound selfish, but I was so pissed off that someone may have ruined another keystone marathon.  I know people were injured and dying, and I didn’t know any of them, but I was angry that someone might have taken something else from the city and all the runners who take something more from this event that other people don’t realize.       

That was my initial reaction.  It may sound crude, but everybody reacts to tragedy in their own way, and how it impacts their own lives.  Obviously human life is more important than a road race, but I wanted to share how it impacted me on that day. 

Now my mind is continually thinking about what Mel Lastman Square will look like on marathon morning.  How will I feel running past the memorial site? Will I still see blood spatter on the sidewalk? Will I trip on flowers and bouquets? Will they re-route the race?  Will police presence feel intimidating or soothing?  Will there be signs held by pedestrians that make me want to cry? I had all these thoughts at Boston and now I will have them at home in Toronto now too, and it sucks.   

I never wrote about this before, but in the last 8K of the Boston marathon I felt hyperaware, scanning the crowds for signs of danger as I neared Boylston St. What if it happened again? My body was exhausted but my mind raced these thoughts. I had to stop looking for faces in the crowd because it was freaking me out, so I kept looking at the road instead. I missed out on seeing the faces of people I knew where there to cheer me on.  It changes your behaviour, thoughts and sense of joy in the moment.  And that’s not fair.  

Part of the reason I never wrote about this before now was because I used to think I didn't have the right to feel this way.  I wasn't there for the bombs, or the most recent van attack. I wasn't injured or directly involved, so what right did I have to I claim to feel affected in this way?  But it has affected me.  Its like a dirty second hand smoke wafting through the air over me, making me wheeze and cough.  I'm not sure where to go with these feelings. 

Terrorism sucks.  And I know that the root of both of these attacks are very different, (Boston was misguided political and religious beliefs, while Toronto was misogyny based), but its still very difficult to reconcile why someone would want to cause so much harm to others.  

They seemed so angry at the world but they chose to act on their anger in a very violent way.  I’m often angry.  But I’ve chosen deal with my anger, frustration and other negative emotions in much more healthy ways, such as endurance running.  

I love running to very angry aggressive music - Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Eminem.  The driving throbbing beat sets wonderful running cadence and provides mental strength.  Even while writing this blog I chose to listen to Pantera’s “Vulgar Display of Power” and “Strength Beyond Strength” albums to try to bridge the mindset between myself and an angry testosterone driven male mind.  

While I find most people frustrating and annoying, I can’t find it in me to hate others to that same extent.  Maybe there’s something inside me that will simply never connect to the mindset of a mass murderer.  I suppose that’s a good thing.  I like to think I'm a good person.    

It has been a tough week so far.  I ran this morning in pouring rain, to work where 3 clients cancelled appointments, and then I learned my first trail race of the year (Five peaks, Terra Cotta, April 28) was cancelled because of the damage the freezing rain storm had caused to the trail.  I was really looking forward to that trail run, out in nature away from the chaos of the city. Its good for the spirit.  I feel like I can handle bad weather, I’ve been doing that my whole life on the Canadian east coast, but the beating down of the human spirit is the harder element to cope with.  Let’s hope things gets better from here or I might need more than a run to cheer me up.
     

All I know is that running from Mel Lastman Square is going to feel very different this year. 

Race Roster Spring Run-Off 2018

The first road race of the season in Toronto has traditionally been the long standing 8K and 5K Spring Run off in High Park.  I like this event for its natural beauty, challenging course and ease of accessibility (right on the subway route).  Not many courses offer all three of these options, but High Park is a beautiful and rugged park right in the heart of Toronto.   Although the first Saturday of April is still early in the season and often windy and cold, its always a fun day out, and runners forget the chill once they get running. 

This year, I had four clients who were running this event, and after leading so many group training runs through the park myself, I decided it was about time I finally ran this race and put an official time in the record book for myself!  

Alice was up first in the 8K event.  Last year she ran the 5K and took first place in her age group (AG), so the success of last year weighed heavy on her.  However, with consistent training and hard work, she did not fail in her attempt at competing in a tougher and longer course.  Alice ran the 8K in 53:27 and placed 3rd in her AG, collecting a bronze medal this year.  

The 5K event followed shortly after the 8K, and this year I ran the course with three of my clients - Eric, Jane and Muge.  

The husband and wife team of Eric and Jane had a great day out on the course, running 28:16 and 33:34 respectively, which secured top ten placements in their AGs.  Jane paced just as we had planned and expected based on her past running experience, but Eric (our dark horse) was a pleasant surprise, running under 30min for his first ever 5K road race.  Way to go!   

Despite missing some hill training work, Muge posted a solid 35:11 on the 5K course, not bad for a first outdoor run of the year.    

While I have ran this course many times with clients as part of their training plans, I had never personally raced this course before, and I had no idea what to expect for my own performance. I had never ran this challenging and hilly course on my own terms before.  I ended up holding an average pace of 4:42, laying down a time of 23:30 which was good enough to secure 3rd spot in my AG.  I was happy with that, as there were some fast runners testing their speed out there. 

A key feature of the High Park Spring Run off is the ‘Kill the Hill Challenge’ - the tough 400m climb up Spring Rd right at the end of the race.  This is the reason I had everybody running hill repeats, both outside and on the treadmill.  The more hill repeats squeezed into training the easier it will be to tackle this hill.  So how did we do?

Kelly - 1:58

Eric - 2:34

Alice - 2:40

Jane - 2:44

Muge - 3:26

Like I said during all those hill repeats in training, you’ll thank me later...maybe.

I’m proud of everyone for showing up on a chilly day and killing the hill.  

Alice and myself, both came out with bronze medals, while Eric, Jane and Muge all put down solid runs with valuable experience gained from the event. I’m looking forward to a fun and exciting run season with this fantastic run crew.  Here's to more medals and personal bests ahead!