Post Marathon Ramblings-Goodlife Victoria Marathon 2010

This weekend was a lot of fun, I got to visit Victoria, run through all of my old neighborhoods, and relive some of the memories from my four years of life on the Island.

I miss Vancouver Island sometimes, I have a lot f memories there. Late nights a Alzus after partying on the town, and oh o many nights of Karaoke at Sopranos. I don't regret any of the time I lived there though I am glad I don't live there anymore.

This last weekend I was registered to run the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon. Ironman drives people to do crazy things, so a Marathon 5 weeks after IMC does not seem too far out there.

The weekend started early, really early.I am from the sunshine coast, and am used to taking the ferry to get around. There is something distasteful about paying a reservation fee to get on the ferry for me, so I have never done it to this day. So we got up at 4:30 am to get to the 6:20 am ferry to Naniamo. The plan was to drive down the island and have an easy afternoon around town. We got to the ferry at 5:50 am, as the ferry was about 80% full for the sailing. 10 minutes later that sailing was full (I may have to re-examine my reservation....reservations at some point if I am ever in a hurry) and we settled in for a trip across the water. The weather sucked...like rally sucked, rain and wind. I just had to have faith that he weather report for the next day was right and we were not to be drowned. Race package pickup was cool, I always see things that I want, but of course never buy and a great evening before turning in for the night.

Race Day:
The thing about a race like a Marathon is that you have to plan how you want to run it a long way out, you can ave great performances on race day, but even those come down to training. If you train for a 4:40 Marathon it is entirely possible to run a 4:25 Marathon by pushing harder and feeling little more pain but not a 4:00 Marathon. My training this summer was all geared to a slow, easy pace marathon because I was planning to Swim 2.4 Miles, and Bike 113 mils before my marathon. My body is conditioned to run that easy pace, the problem with that is I can still run much faster, and with fast runners al around it is easy to get egged on, even if I am making a conscious effort to watch my pace.

The morning started easy, I walked down and watched the early start, then the Half Marathon and 8 k starts as well. I walked around the inner Harbour and soaked in everything, there is such a buzz at the start line. Everyone should see it once. Eventually I lined up in my area, I had been telling myself since Ironman that the plan was to recreate the run from IMC, 4:30 Marathon, with no issues feeling good the whole way. I don't think I ever believed it though, I had my gels, Water, electrolyte Tabs...

Gun went off and I began my shuffle to the start line, from there it all becomes a blur. I followed my plan again, Gel, and Electrolyte alternating every 15 minutes. The run started off really good, Lookingat my pace I was running 5:40-6:00 per Km. Right on my target pace (But I decided not to stop for walk breaks...) I held my easy pace all the way to Becon Hill Park, and through to Dallas Rd. The packs started to break up and by 10 k there was lots of room, the fast guys were being fast, and the slower runners were doing there thing. At 10k I looked t the watch, and realized that I may be going a little fast, 10k #1 ook me about 55 minutes, which is about 7 or 8 minutes faster than plan. I was feeling good so I eased up the pace just a little (or thought I did and continued on. the next thing I remember I am out in Oak Bay coming up on the half way mark, and I realize that my right Hamstring, and Glute (Butt) are getting tight. I finished he first half in 1:57 which is 15 minutes faster than goal pace Feels good, but I have been here before in a different race but I stay positive and see what happens.

Within another 5 k I know something is not right, my leg is seizing up slowly and my heart rate which I had been monitoring (Unsuccessfully) was high..Too High.. at 28k I had to face reality, I am not going for a pb, and this is not the run I planned, this was becoming the Marathon that I fear, the one where all movement becomes a pain, and everything is a struggle. I stopped and walked, I switched over to 10 & 1's to see if I could save any endurance for the finish line. Eventually I started playing Tag, Marathon Style. That is where I run to catch up to a slower runner then walk or a bit. Soon Nik from the Running Room caught up with me. He was in pain too, so we got to commiserate about that, I would run ahead, then he would catch up while I was walking That proved a great way to finish the last 12k Walk...Run.......Walk...........Run.... It went on this way for a while with lots of positive motivation going both ways.

The finish line is the part of the race that we all dream about. The finish line is what I visualize while I train, then it is the training I visualize while I race. The two feed each other I incorporate lessons from racing in my training, and vice versa. I realized that this finish line was not like most lines for me, this i my Third Victoria Marathon, I have cracked 4 hours on this course, and I had nothing to prove, This one was for the experience, all for me.

The next thing I know I am looking at the finish line, I am close, do I run???....No, I stop 100 feet from the line, looked for my friends then promptly danced my way to the finish line.

Final finish time 4:13:58

Sometimes a best time is more than just a fast time, This was one of my most fun Marathons