Calgary Marathon

[MichaelMc]

Nine pages of posts on Ottawa and not one about the oldest marathon in Canada?

Calgary is run this weekend, and co-incidentally I was born the same year it was. Scary that I'm slightly older than Canada's oldest marathon

It also marks my return to marathon racing after a three year hiatus: should be interesting.

Good Luck to all the Ottawa crowd: that is a great race which I'd love to do again and spend a little time in the city.

[Ken B]

Nine pages of posts on Ottawa and not one about the oldest marathon in Canada?

Calgary is run this weekend, and co-incidentally I was born the same year it was. Scary that I'm slightly older than Canada's oldest marathon

It also marks my return to marathon racing after a three year hiatus: should be interesting.

Good Luck to all the Ottawa crowd: that is a great race which I'd love to do again and spend a little time in the city.

Have a great race in a great city!

[Hammie]

Good luck!

This will be the first time in years that I'm not doing something - in the last 5 years, I've done the 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon (twice). This year I volunteered, since I wasn't planning to race anything, but got an email a few weeks ago saying they didn't need me . Feels strange for marathon Sunday to not be a big event!

I think I'll be bringing the kids out with cowbells to cheer for a while on memorial drive!

[Habs4ever]

Have a great comeback race, Michael.

[MichaelMc]

Good luck!

This will be the first time in years that I'm not doing something - in the last 5 years, I've done the 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon (twice). This year I volunteered, since I wasn't planning to race anything, but got an email a few weeks ago saying they didn't need me . Feels strange for marathon Sunday to not be a big event!

I think I'll be bringing the kids out with cowbells to cheer for a while on memorial drive!

I'll listen for the bells. I'll be wearing a red singlet, otherwise the shorts, glasses and haircut as my avatar. Hopefully I'm still running like that when I hit Memorial Dr.

[Hammie]

Good luck!

This will be the first time in years that I'm not doing something - in the last 5 years, I've done the 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon (twice). This year I volunteered, since I wasn't planning to race anything, but got an email a few weeks ago saying they didn't need me . Feels strange for marathon Sunday to not be a big event!

I think I'll be bringing the kids out with cowbells to cheer for a while on memorial drive!

I'll listen for the bells. I'll be wearing a red singlet, otherwise the shorts, glasses and haircut as my avatar. Hopefully I'm still running like that when I hit Memorial Dr.

Look for a 3 year old and a 5 year old ringing cowbells and wearing duck beak noisemakers! We'll cheer extra loud if we see you.

[Dstew]

My training went great and I am very pleased with the process but in focusing on the process, my usual nerves and excitement is missing. The race is just one more step on a continuing process. An additional factor is that I was in the process of buying and then selling a home and so it really put my training into perspective. The idea of having two mortgages does seem to put whether I had a good or poor training run seem almost irrelevant.

Having said that, picking up the bib and listening to Simon Whitfield has started to juices to flow. It almost feels weird to say I am running a marathon for fun and without any specific time goals. I do plan to run comfortably hard and I do have a target I am running towards but for the first race ever, I have given myself permission to slow down if it is not happening and I am not going to push at 110% just to reach some arbitrary number.

The combination of everything has resulted in an strange calm.

[VDoT]

I am running the marathon tomorrow as well. My first stand-alone full since 2007 and only my second one at that.

This race is part of my build for Iron Legs 80k later this summer and I am not supposed to race it, but rather treat it as a long slow training run. I suspect it will end up somewhere in between those two. I have been nursing a sore hamstring and tight calf so it will be interesting to see how the race unfolds.

Good luck to all maniacs racing tomorrow!

[Dstew]

Nine pages of posts on Ottawa and not one about the oldest marathon in Canada?

Calgary is run this weekend, and co-incidentally I was born the same year it was. Scary that I'm slightly older than Canada's oldest marathon

It also marks my return to marathon racing after a three year hiatus: should be interesting.

Good Luck to all the Ottawa crowd: that is a great race which I'd love to do again and spend a little time in the city.

I never have to wonder what my age is as it is the same as the Calgary Marathon.

The problem is with the 50th running next year and me being 50, how do I not run one more marathon?

[CinC]

Don't forget about the Team Mito guys attempting to break a world record for a tethered marathon - they are attempting to run a 2:57 (Guinness record is 3hrs) - there are 10 of them running together - Darcy (my speed theory bike shop dude) is part of the group and I was talking to him y'day - excited but really hoping everyone is 'on' their day tomorrow - they have all ran that individually - but this will be a leap!

Simon Whitfield is racing the 10k - should be a good event!
Good luck guys!

[QuickChick]

Good luck guys!! Have a great run.

[barebuns1]

I went and registered for the full on friday. I thought what the hell, it is only 42kms . I am aiming for 4 hours but I will be happy with whatever time I run.

[Jo-Jo]

To all of you...Race Hard...and Race Happy.
Sending vibes from Kingston, Ontario

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Happy racing everyone

[Hammie]

Just got home from cheering - beautiful but hot day out there! I think we just missed MichaelMc (we were crossing the pedestrian overpass over Memorial drive when someone resembling his avatar ran under us!) and saw Vdot (Dan) looking strong but focused - despite shouting his name and quacking at him he was pretty focused on the road in front of him! He was ahead of the 3:30 bunny at 35k. Congrats to all the runners!

[Hammie]

And photos from today...

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/685024 ... -marathon/

If I'm not mistaken, there's a maniac in the photos!

[ian]

If I'm not mistaken, there's a maniac in the photos!

A maniac with an AG win and a shiny new PB (by 18 seconds)! Nice run, Michael.

Other results of note to me:
- 3rd place was a young guy who used to run cross country with us (I was tasked to suffer through a couple of his workouts to make sure he stayed on pace), making a marathon debut at 2:43
- The ageless Milos Kostic won the 70+ division with a 3:22
- The tethered marathon group got their WR with a 2:55

[MichaelMc]

And photos from today...

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/685024 ... -marathon/

If I'm not mistaken, there's a maniac in the photos!

Yes, I was #728. By the way, that isn't a tattoo on my arm, that is gatorade splashing! I had to look twice to figure out what was going on there.

Good day for me: I ran precisely what I projected. Considering I didn't look at my splits past 38km and ran all out to finish where I did I will call that good fitness estimation. Caught four runners in the final 4km, but as it turns out that was by MAINTAINING my pace rather than picking it up.

One second negetive split.

[Habs4ever]

And photos from today...

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/685024 ... -marathon/

If I'm not mistaken, there's a maniac in the photos!

Yes, I was #728. By the way, that isn't a tattoo on my arm, that is gatorade splashing! I had to look twice to figure out what was going on there.

Good day for me: I ran precisely what I projected. Considering I didn't look at my splits past 38km and ran all out to finish where I did I will call that good fitness estimation. Caught four runners in the final 4km, but as it turns out that was by MAINTAINING my pace rather than picking it up.

One second negetive split.

I thought it was a parrot tattoo.

Congratulations Michael.

[turd ferguson]

First time in about 12 years I've missed it (out of town on business). It was kind of weird not having anything to do with it for once.

[La]

Great action shot, Michael! Congrats on your AG win!

[runJrun]

Great action shot, Michael! Congrats on your AG win!

What a fantastic photo! Congratulations Michael

[Jwolf]

That is a great picture! Congratulations on a super comeback marathon, Michael.

[Jo-Jo]

Great picture Michael!!
Congrats on your race...nicely done!

[BJH]

Congrats! And what a great photo!