Running or not, it's all fun :)

Today I ran in a race, it was not a big race, and I was not breaking any personal records, and I had no intention of pushing any limits or beating anyone up. Today was about enjoying the run, being a mobile cheering squad, and cameraman all at once. I took a video camera; a new Kodak HD camera that I bought today, and tried to figure out if I could get any smooth video from holding the camera while I run.

I was running with Alex and Bobby in the Underwear Affair, between the two of them they raised nearly $1500 for cancer below the waist. Alex looked strong through the run until she left me behind at around 4k, and I stayed back so I could make sure Bobby was doing OK. 10k is not a huge distance for me, but Bobby while in decent shape is not a trained runner, he has enough fitness to get him through the run, but it is a challenge. And he did not train for this at all. The next 6 k Bobby held a steady pace, it was not till the hill before the bridge that he was finally forced to stop and walk a spell. But good on him, as soon as he got to the top of the steep hill he started running again, most if the way to the top of the Burrard bridge then again back down to the finish line in Kitsilano.

Overall I ran good, I was wearing Vibram Fivefinger Bikila shoes for the first time, with easy intervals to get ahead and take pictures, then walking at the end with Bobby when he needed a recovery.

We finished in 1:00:08 just over an hour and into a mass of runners all drinking beer, and wine in their underwear. This was a good run to remember that running is fun, and remember that I am in good enough shape to just get out and do it. There was a time that 1:25:00 was my best ever and only 10k, and that was 30lbs and a lot of miles ago.

They say no pain no gain, it's a good thing to remember to enjoy the gain too :)

Sign up for 2012, it was a great event, I will be back next year schedule premitting
http://va11.uncoverthecure.org/  

Pushing Limits - Chilly Chase January 16th

“A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more… to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
- Steve Prefontaine ,’72 Olympian, Oregon Running Legend

The feeling I get from this quote pushed me, I started hard...hard enough that I started feeling winded after 1k, and it scared me a little, I felt like I was going too hard and I would have to slow down if I kept up the pace. 

I really had no goal for the Chilly Chase on Sunday, but I decided on the drive to the race that I would set my watch to run this 10k in 49 minutes, and see if I could pull in a sub 50 minute 10k for the second time in my life. Today was probably not the best time to try this, I have been lightly training for 2 months, only maintaining some base, I have gained 10 lbs since the Victoria Marathon, and I have done no pace work since the summer. In short I had no right to expect much from this race. 

And so I used the training partner function on my Garmen, I told it to set the partner to run a 49 minute 10k with the intention of chasing this "Virtual Runner" to the line, and hopefully be less than a minute behind it at the finish. At the start I was 2 metres ahead, then 10, then 18, which changed quickly to 25m behind at the top of the first incline so I pushed again catching up. At the 5k mark I was 48 meters ahead, and feeling on the edge, I had one runner on my heels and was passing another one. The thought in my head was one of how far I could push, and what that would feel like, But I did not slow down, all I could think was "What was that Quote??...I Need to keep pushing, this is not pain..."

I started my mental countdown, from 5000 metres ahead to 4 and 2 then 1500, and I could see the finish. The pain in my lungs was uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and my legs felt unbalanced, but not weak. I pushed to the finish, and maintained my pace all the way to the line. I Crossed the finish line in 47:50:08 putting me 30 seconds away from my fastest, and best prepared 10k ever, and I did it by pushing harder than I knew I could. And I beat the Vurtual Partner, and even though there was nobody there, the belief that there was a time there kept me going. 

Hello 2011, I am here, and I am not running away. 

Ray