Doubt is an ennemy.... (Esquimalt 8K race report)

Pace yourself.....pace yourself....and what if for a 8k I did not pace myself. What if I forget about wearing my Polar and listen only to my body, how I feel? What about not even looking at my watch during the race? What if I told you that my last 3 races I did much better than expected because I ran only by feel....

Well, yes, I looked at my watch but only for a second...and only once...or twice!

The Esquimalt 8K is a small local 8km race and according to last year's times and my current fitness level, I knew I could do very well there.

8:20 AM

I start to warm up...but it's already warm outside, there are no clouds and no wind. I run to wake my legs up and prepare them for that little surprise I have for them...

"Hey legs...we're gonna run under 4min/k today! How about that?"

This warm up is not going too well, I am hot and tired. My legs do not respond very well but this happened to me before at the TC 10K. I had a PR!

8:59:30 seconds AM

I am on the very front line, just behind Marilyn Arsenault, AKA the Running Diva,I am determined not to let her go....for at least 2km.....

9:00 AM

Here I go....I remember this commercial from Versus.com...it says: "...it's not because they're strong it doesn't mean they can't get their asses kicked"...I am going to kick ass, including mine! I start very fast (for me) and I decide I am going to keep it fast, for as long as I possibly can. If I slow donw, then I slow down. You see, since I read that quote for Shakespeare, I see racing in a totally different way. I see racing as taking risks and trusting my feelings. I now refuse to view racing as just a fast training run...I now see racing as a game of mind over body, a game I CAN WIN!

Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we might win, by fearing to attempt.
-- William Shakespeare

9 and something AM (km 4)

It's damn hot and my mouth is totally dry. I am not wearing my heart rate monitor but I know I am way above lactate threshold. My HR is probably 90-95% Max HR. I decide to keep it like that, I still feel good but I need a drink. I get a cup of Gatorade from the aid station but I am not slowing down...cherry (yuck!) Gatorade all over my face and sunglasses...not a pretty sight! Oh well, only 4km to go!

9 and something AM (km 6)

I do not feel so good anymore, I had omega-3 gel capsules this morning (as I always do) and I am burping fish oil, that's because of that stupid cherry Gatorade.... Negative signals start to kick in. Doubt is THE ENNEMY!!!! My legs are starting to feel like cement as lactic acid starts to accumulate.

9 and something (somewhere between km 7 and 8)

I think of Simon Whitfield, I think of Lance Armstrong, I think of the Tour de France and I think about these heroes. I remember some blog posts from my coaches Clint Lien and Mike Neill and I decide to keep going strong. I hear a runner coming close to me, breathing as hard as I....I accelerate. He comes just next to me and I accelerate more, this guy IS NOT GOING TO PASS ME!

I see the finish line....even though I did not win the race, this race is mine! I achieved a personal record (31 minutes and... results pending) and finished 3rd in the masters' category....a very nice race indeed!

Getting there...

The New Balance Half Ironman is just weeks away and I am starting to feel confident. I know it will be difficult and long, the longest race ever so far but I am really looking forwards to it. I went for a 104km bike ride yesterday and today I ran 16km....in the sun! My legs were tired from yesterday's ride but not as much as I expected. In fact, I ran a very good 10km (Times Colonist 10k see also this blog post) after a long ride last month. I have a bit of stiffness in my calves and maybe in the quads but rolling on my foam tube should take care of that.

I am in some sort of dilemma right now....I would like to run the Oak Bay Half Marathon next sunday (May 24th) but I am not sure for two reasons:

1. I haven't run more than 16 km in the last few months...and only once (today)
2. I certainly do not want to get injured before my big day on June 21 (Elk Lake half Ironman)

On the other hand, it could be a good training session at tempo pace and I am in very good shape right now...I could get a PR.....humm...what to do?

Back to training!!!!

Sunday's race went well but I want my next race, the New Balance Half Iron, to go even better. It will be a much longer race and I will need to really pace myself there. In the meantime I need to get in perfect shape for this important race. Last night we ran around Elk/Beaver Lake. This is one of my favorite spots here. So beautiful, such nice trails. We had to go for 3 minutes at 10k pace with 1 minute recovery jog in between. That was a hard workout, very demanding but a lot of fun. I am happy I got to run with Lysanne. She is a very good athlete and runnign with someone makes me running harder. Tonight.....bike!

TC 10K Baby!!!!

I haven't blogged in a while.....just did not have the time! Here's a good reason to blog again: Sunday it will be the Times Colonist 10km run (TC 10K) - Bib number 368. I am part of a group at work called the Camosun Human Racehorses. Let's see how I will do! I got injured a few weeks ago but I am now back in running full force....I want to do well but I do not expect a PR here...but it could happen! By the way, that PR is 44 minutes 7 seconds (not that great!...my excuse? There was ice on the roads that day)!

My tibias (in case you care)

Here is a bone scan of my tibias and knees. The tibias really incorporated the tracer (Technetium-99), wich is normal because I run a lot and the tibias are under constant stress.

In my left knee there is also tracer accumulation and that explain the mild pain I get sometimes (runner's knee). Cool, isnt't it?

Arrrgh ......ITBS!

Once again....I am sidelined by this ANNOYING condition! A hard track workout...always running in the same direction got me! ITBS in my left knee this time! I guess I am not a spring chicken anymore....ah...age!

Why do I run?

Why do I run...that is a good question...In a way, running makes me a better person, or gives me the impression that I am.

I run because I can
I run because I know my time here is temporary
I run to stay healthy
I run to test my limits
I run because I am a fierce competitor...against myself
I run because of the mental thoughness it takes and the one it brings
I run because I like to see how much I can get away with
I run because I have to
I run because I can look at myself in the mirror and know I gave everything I had
I run because I am an experiment
I run because I gather data on my own biology
I run because I get a high from it and because I am truly addicted to it
I run for meditation
I run for healing
I run for happiness
I run to get rid of the daily frustrations
I run to stay sain
I run because my dad did not....he should have
I run because my mother cannot
I run....just because........I run

From smile to pain in 33 minutes 21 seconds

A bit about my latest running adventure at the Prairie Inn Pioneer 8K, Jan 11th, 2009 in Saanichton, BC.



That's an easy picture, I knew Crys was going to be there and that's about 300m from the start line. I am fresh, rested, hydrated and in good spirits. That's about to change...the smile will fade away....



This second picture was taken exactly at the same spot as the first one BUT after a 4 km loop. I am pacing myself, knowing that there is still 4 long km to go. I want to go fast here but not too fast...I need gas in my tank to last long enough. A 8 k race is not long but just long enough to burn out if you are not careful! I try to smile (I thought I was smiling) but I cannot. My heart rate is now at 170 beats per minute (BPM, 88% from max heart rate)and my pace is just above 4 min/km. It's about to get more difficult....



There was a guy in front of me....I made him my prey and I ate him for lunch. I wanted to make sure this guy was not going to take any spot from my age group. At this point I am totally exhausted, I just want to finish and I no longer care about my time and performance. My left side of the brain is sending weird negative messages and I try to fight those nasty demons...if you run and ever pushed yourself, you know exactly what I mean...My heart rate is now 192 BPM (99% max heart rate) and my speed is 3.5 minutes/km. Not fast compared to elite runners but fast for me. I did it, I have a new PR that I improved by 38 seconds, and an average pace of 4 minutes 11 seconds/km. I am happy....time for chicken soup...

I finished 22nd of my age group (40-44 yrs). The first guy in my group finished in 25 minutes, 42 seconds...a pace of 3 minutes 13 seconds / km. The top male finished in 23 minutes 35 seconds....ahead of me...way, way ahead of me!

Almost there....ahhhhh!

My personal best at a half-marathon was 1h 34 minutes 10 seconds...that was in Comox last March. After my bad results at the Lands End half marathon a few weeks ago I thought I was getting out of shape but I had no reason for that. At the Royal Victoria Half Marathon 2008 I realized, once more, that long distance running is all about pace....I missed my PB by a few seconds....15 seconds total! That's 0.71 seconds for every km....AHHHHHHH! Oh well....I was 26th in my age category which makes me quite happy!

Win some, lose some! Unfortunately!

I ran at the Lands End Half Marathon today. I was looking for a new personal best, under 1h 34min 1o sec...the time I got at the Comox half marathon last march. I wanted it pretty bad, too much! My goal was actually 1h 30 minutes....to reach such a goal my pace had to be 4 minutes 16 seconds per km.

I started fast, way under 4:16, too fast....wayyyyyy too fast. By km 12 I realized I was going to run out of gas before the end....and I did. By km 17 there was no way to reach 1h30...not even my previous personal best. By then, little demons started to tell me I should slow down, I would not make it, why am I doing this etc etc...in these times the left part of he brain, the logical one, tells you many things.....not always nice things! Oh well, I did something like 1h38....I do not have the official time yet but I did not reach my goal...not today! The Royal Victoria half marathon is in a month...I will be more reasonable by then...I swear!

PS. I love my new runners....Asics Gel Nimbus 10 (pic above).....like running on pillows! The right amount of support, the right amount of cushionning.......