The weekend of May 1 brought about one BQ and two PBs.
[Seeing ‘BQ’ made me think of ‘DQ’ which kind of made me want some ice cream… but that is a topic for a whole other day].
So, before I get to my race report, first and foremost a HUGE congratulations is in order to Kirsten for an outstanding marathon PB and a Boston Qualifying race! YAY!!! So proud of you Kirsten.
Anyway, the morning began by finding stellar parking just across False Creek, only a short (10min or so) walk from the start line. Once at the race site and after standing in the porta-potty line twice through, it was time for Kirsten and me to go our separate ways. Off she went into the masses of the starting chute. I won't lie - she looked nervous. I tucked her clothes into my backpack and made my way up to where I could see the 3:40 pace bunny, hoping to cheer her on as she left on her 42.2km journey. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be - even though she was in a bright yellow t-shirt, many others were too and I was unable to spot her in the crowd.
From there, I quickly went and checked my bag at the gear check and headed back outside to do a short warm up for the 8k. During my warm up, I did manage to see some of the marathoners around the 1-2k mark, but (in what would become the story of the day) I must have just missed seeing Kirsten, as the first pace bunny I saw was the 4:00 rabbit.
As for my 8k, well… overall, it was a pretty good race.
When I got into the starting chute, there was plenty of room. I slowly walked up to the front, and for the first time ever in my racing career, there was not a mad crush of people and I found myself almost right at the starting tape with a big gap in front of me as the gun went off. It was weird… but a good weird. Because of this I will admit to going out a bit fast (it’s hard to pace yourself when everyone in front of you at the start are total speedsters) but I was feeling pretty good and nicely relaxed, so I just tried to maintain it.
Everything I read about the route said it was a “fast and flat” course (and for the most part it was) but there was definitely a bit of a gradual climb and a decent sized hill right near the turn around that took me a bit by surprise. Unfortunately when the gradual incline and hill hit, I definitely started to fall off my pace a bit.
The weirdest moment of the race came about the 6.5-7k mark... I don’t know if it was a bug or just a big ball of phlegm, but I inhaled something horrible and starting choking really badly. I probably had a minute or two where I was really struggling to get my breath back, so that made the end a little more challenging (although must have looked really funny).
Once I finally managed to get my breath back, I gave one final push and felt strong heading toward the finish line. Shane, Tyler and our friend Ash had crawled out of bed [extra hung-over after the previous night’s Canucks game that they had scored tickets to at the last minute] and were cheering me on as I rounded the final corner.
I came in with a chip time of 38:43 (gun time = 38:45). That was good enough for 88th overall and 4th out of 123 in my age group (which was a pretty satisfying result). It was also a PB for this distance, but only by about 15seconds. I say but, because in hindsight, part of me thinks I could have pushed myself a little harder, and I will admit to having slightly higher expectations for myself time wise (what with the “fast and flat” course) but overall, it was a good race and I was pretty happy with the outcome.
The remainder of the day was spent trying to find Kirsten on the course to cheer her on and just missing her (we kept seeing that darn 4:00 pace bunny). We managed not to see her once out on the route, but thankfully, we were at the finish line in time. She crossed the line, looking strong, in a time of 3:38:15.
So, next on the CHEER schedule is rooting for my parents as they tackle the Oak Bay Kool Half Marathon this weekend.
Next on the RACE schedule for me will be the Shawnigan Sprint on May 29th. My home race! I’m really looking forward to it, but am starting to wonder if I will even attempt a lake swim before that weekend? Haha. Time will tell I suppose.
In the meantime, I really just need (and want) to shake an awful whopper of a cold that has been plaguing me for the last few days. I never get sick and this is the second cold I've had since March – blech.
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