Getting it done at BMO, a tale of a new PB
Posted: Thu May 11, 2017 10:41 am
The 3rd time is a charm!
Now that I have had sometime to let the events of Sunday sink in, I feel it is time to reflect on that. Sunday was my 4th marathon and 3rd attempt at breaking my marathon PB, which ironically was set on May 6th, 2012; 5yrs plus a day to the date. Last year, I was better trained and at a better fitness level (thanks to Curb Ivanic my coach). My indicators said I could possibly do a 4hr or less marathon last year. However, the heat on race day last year did not help. It likely caused my GI & cramping issues. Thus my PB eluded me last year. By the fall of 2016, I had made up my mind that I was going to finish what I was not able to do earlier in May 2016. However, due to commitments with family & work, I was unable to use my previous coaches clinic, due to conflicts. However, I had all his emails from the last cycle and workout instructions readily available, I planned to utilize them
Fast forward to January 2017! Up to then I kept up with my base and planned to kick it up a notch in the new year. However, the winter in Vancouver decided otherwise. We got snow early, it came a number of times and it lasted for sometime. As a result my speed training took a serious hit; as I did not feel confident, comfortable or safe doing speed work on the snow covered track and the TM can't replicate those workouts IMO. At one point, I even contemplated carrying on leading the full clinic, but dropping to the half. In the early parts of the cycle, I was struggling to do 24K. I attributed that to my lack of speed workouts and finding it difficult to get my homework runs in. It started to eat at me and add some politics with some participants in my clinic, I wasn't feeling to motivated. I had a long discussion with a friend, who helped guide me as a leader when I first started. R is a friend I admire very much and she always seems to bring things back into prospective. That faithful Saturday morning chance meeting changed my outlook and I was refocused.
By Mid-March, I was refocused and starting to hit my stride. However, it was about a month too late. Then Sunday rolled around and all of a sudden it was race day! I felt loose and ready. I met up with lots of the participants I lead in the runners compound. I Gave them some well wishes, last minute guidance and then I started my way to the corals, but not before saying hi to my friend R. Coincidentally, R is responsible for the elite athletes at BMO and is involved with the race. She has 'all access pass' and thus got some good pictures at the start & end of the race. I lined up with my friend K & H; both from my connection with TNT. K was also one of my clinic participants in this training cycle.
The race went well, I did go out a little fast in the first quarter, but it was a struggle to stay at my desired pace early on as it really felt uncomfortable. In the end it did not fully effect me, as I was only 10sec/km over my desired pace, as I looked over the numbers/splits. I killed Camosun Street once again and it was great to see Cheryl (CMMH) there cheering me and the others with continue ridiculous enthusiasm. Sadly, I was way too focused on getting it done to really so anything more than a high-five. But her sighting was very welcoming. The section thru UBC was uneventful and in no time I was down to Spanish Banks and the halfway point. I was well within pace, hitting the the half at just under 2:05. At just before 24K we hit the climb out of Jericho. This was where I took my first real walk break outside of any water station. But just before the top is where the the second marathon relay hand-off was, and this was my 2nd sighting of Cheryl occurred. Once again here cheering was very motivating.
Going thru Point Grey and Kits Beach were uneventful. My pace was slowing slightly, but I was still on pace for a 4:15 finish. I reached the 29K mat and the last marathon relay hand-off area, still within pace. Then we hit the final big climb, with the Burrard Street Bridge. Now my friends were tracking me and had planned to meet me after I got off the bridge, as I hit Pacific Ave. Here is were the problem came. The section is maybe 6min or so for me, except I decided to walk up and save energy and thus took me a little longer than 6min to complete. As a result my friends thought I had a problem or worst yet, dropped out. I finally meet up with M & J (Team Super B as they called themselves) and they pace me thru the dreaded Stanley Park seawall. Now before I met up with them, I had planned for them to have a bottle of water for me so I could add a Hammer Electrolyte tablet. I hate the drink on course (Ultima) as you can taste the Stevia and therefore only took it once on course and it was water down. M & J are dear friends, both running and outside of running. I have high regard for them and there presence was certainly up lifting for sure.
Stanley Park was better than last year; no heat or dead air to contend with. Such a little thing like a breeze, which was missing last year, was so helpful in the late stages of the race. Certainly my pace started to to slow, but the 4:15 bunny was still not far in front of me. The 4:15 bunny passed me at about 30K when I was walking up the bridge. The goal at this point was to keep the 4:30 bunny behind me now. We hit Brockton Point and the 38K marker. It was here were I really started to struggle. The last 3-4K were simply put, torture and that is due to the fact that you now can see the Vancouver skyline across the water. My pace was really starting to take a hit and my 4:15 finish was gone. Once we hit the 'Final 1K to go' signed I knew I had it done. However, the bit on Pender (600m) is pure nasty with a false flat to finish off the race. There was nothing better than that feeling of crossing the finish and knowing I had a new PB. I then met R again and she gave me my medal, which was really special. She also got some pretty amazing finishing photos. So overall... A great day!
The numbers:
Gun: 4:30:18.xx
Chip: 4:24:14.xx – matched my Garmin
Overall: 1936/5000 – not sure exact registered, but close to 5000 limit
Gender: 1323/2829
Age (50-54): 124/292
I hope you can see the pictures, I’ve linked them to the photos posted on FB by my friend R, enjoy!
Feeling loose at the start as I spotted R, but she saw me well before.
The final stretch as I approach the finish line
Knowing I just pulled off a new PB, shaving 6min off my last PB
Marathon #4 in the books
Now that I have had sometime to let the events of Sunday sink in, I feel it is time to reflect on that. Sunday was my 4th marathon and 3rd attempt at breaking my marathon PB, which ironically was set on May 6th, 2012; 5yrs plus a day to the date. Last year, I was better trained and at a better fitness level (thanks to Curb Ivanic my coach). My indicators said I could possibly do a 4hr or less marathon last year. However, the heat on race day last year did not help. It likely caused my GI & cramping issues. Thus my PB eluded me last year. By the fall of 2016, I had made up my mind that I was going to finish what I was not able to do earlier in May 2016. However, due to commitments with family & work, I was unable to use my previous coaches clinic, due to conflicts. However, I had all his emails from the last cycle and workout instructions readily available, I planned to utilize them
Fast forward to January 2017! Up to then I kept up with my base and planned to kick it up a notch in the new year. However, the winter in Vancouver decided otherwise. We got snow early, it came a number of times and it lasted for sometime. As a result my speed training took a serious hit; as I did not feel confident, comfortable or safe doing speed work on the snow covered track and the TM can't replicate those workouts IMO. At one point, I even contemplated carrying on leading the full clinic, but dropping to the half. In the early parts of the cycle, I was struggling to do 24K. I attributed that to my lack of speed workouts and finding it difficult to get my homework runs in. It started to eat at me and add some politics with some participants in my clinic, I wasn't feeling to motivated. I had a long discussion with a friend, who helped guide me as a leader when I first started. R is a friend I admire very much and she always seems to bring things back into prospective. That faithful Saturday morning chance meeting changed my outlook and I was refocused.
By Mid-March, I was refocused and starting to hit my stride. However, it was about a month too late. Then Sunday rolled around and all of a sudden it was race day! I felt loose and ready. I met up with lots of the participants I lead in the runners compound. I Gave them some well wishes, last minute guidance and then I started my way to the corals, but not before saying hi to my friend R. Coincidentally, R is responsible for the elite athletes at BMO and is involved with the race. She has 'all access pass' and thus got some good pictures at the start & end of the race. I lined up with my friend K & H; both from my connection with TNT. K was also one of my clinic participants in this training cycle.
The race went well, I did go out a little fast in the first quarter, but it was a struggle to stay at my desired pace early on as it really felt uncomfortable. In the end it did not fully effect me, as I was only 10sec/km over my desired pace, as I looked over the numbers/splits. I killed Camosun Street once again and it was great to see Cheryl (CMMH) there cheering me and the others with continue ridiculous enthusiasm. Sadly, I was way too focused on getting it done to really so anything more than a high-five. But her sighting was very welcoming. The section thru UBC was uneventful and in no time I was down to Spanish Banks and the halfway point. I was well within pace, hitting the the half at just under 2:05. At just before 24K we hit the climb out of Jericho. This was where I took my first real walk break outside of any water station. But just before the top is where the the second marathon relay hand-off was, and this was my 2nd sighting of Cheryl occurred. Once again here cheering was very motivating.
Going thru Point Grey and Kits Beach were uneventful. My pace was slowing slightly, but I was still on pace for a 4:15 finish. I reached the 29K mat and the last marathon relay hand-off area, still within pace. Then we hit the final big climb, with the Burrard Street Bridge. Now my friends were tracking me and had planned to meet me after I got off the bridge, as I hit Pacific Ave. Here is were the problem came. The section is maybe 6min or so for me, except I decided to walk up and save energy and thus took me a little longer than 6min to complete. As a result my friends thought I had a problem or worst yet, dropped out. I finally meet up with M & J (Team Super B as they called themselves) and they pace me thru the dreaded Stanley Park seawall. Now before I met up with them, I had planned for them to have a bottle of water for me so I could add a Hammer Electrolyte tablet. I hate the drink on course (Ultima) as you can taste the Stevia and therefore only took it once on course and it was water down. M & J are dear friends, both running and outside of running. I have high regard for them and there presence was certainly up lifting for sure.
Stanley Park was better than last year; no heat or dead air to contend with. Such a little thing like a breeze, which was missing last year, was so helpful in the late stages of the race. Certainly my pace started to to slow, but the 4:15 bunny was still not far in front of me. The 4:15 bunny passed me at about 30K when I was walking up the bridge. The goal at this point was to keep the 4:30 bunny behind me now. We hit Brockton Point and the 38K marker. It was here were I really started to struggle. The last 3-4K were simply put, torture and that is due to the fact that you now can see the Vancouver skyline across the water. My pace was really starting to take a hit and my 4:15 finish was gone. Once we hit the 'Final 1K to go' signed I knew I had it done. However, the bit on Pender (600m) is pure nasty with a false flat to finish off the race. There was nothing better than that feeling of crossing the finish and knowing I had a new PB. I then met R again and she gave me my medal, which was really special. She also got some pretty amazing finishing photos. So overall... A great day!
The numbers:
Gun: 4:30:18.xx
Chip: 4:24:14.xx – matched my Garmin
Overall: 1936/5000 – not sure exact registered, but close to 5000 limit
Gender: 1323/2829
Age (50-54): 124/292
I hope you can see the pictures, I’ve linked them to the photos posted on FB by my friend R, enjoy!
Feeling loose at the start as I spotted R, but she saw me well before.
The final stretch as I approach the finish line
Knowing I just pulled off a new PB, shaving 6min off my last PB
Marathon #4 in the books
. And I love the pics - so full of fun!!!
