After a good training season and a great ATB race I got the bug (well I had it before then), then once we found out we were going to have a baby in the fall that just gave me more motivation to run a Marathon now. I picked Waterloo because it was a local marathon that wasn't on Mother's Day.
My pre-race planning was going excellent until the power went out right after my nap, I thought no biggie it won't be out for long then I could get back on plan. Supper time came, I want to eat my whole wheat pasta around 5:00, no power. I BBQ'd for my parents, the boys and Bridie while she went to get me some take out pasta (bless her), we ate about 7pm. I want to take my pre bedtime shower and shave still no power. Luckily the power came on in the middle of the night, so did half the lights in the house at 4am, I take my shower in the morning. Anyway things turned out fine, just not as smoothly as desired.
Got to the race early, talked to Ron and CasualRunner briefly and I was off. My goal was 2:55, I knew the course was going to be tough, B goal sub 3. Plan was to start off with 4:10-15 pace for 20-25k then turn it up best I could. After about 6-7k I was in 6th place and on my own, 1-5 were way ahead already, a guy from UK caught up to me and we cruised and chatted together for quite a while. My family showed up for the first time around 13k, turns out they were about half the spectators that were on the course today.
About 5k were on a gravel road, it felt like home, until a couple Mennonite horse and buggies past us. We carried on and past the family a couple more times. At around 27k I drop my friend and start taking off, I go through the wooden cover bridge and there is my family waiting for me on the other side. At this point (30k) I'm now in 4th and the next guy is easily a km in front of me (later my Mom tells me they were over 4:30 ahead, but didn't tell me as to not break my spirit), I can barely see him on some straight aways, I think there is no chance I can make up the ground, these guys are good runners and it is too late in the race, and I concentrate on finishing best I can.
At about 34-35k I see Bridie and she reports that the two guys in front have slowed, I give her through her my hat (the Kara Goucher through down) and tell her I'll catch them. A couple km later I pass one guy, he's dead, and I'm now in 3rd, I can see Kyle and 2nd place and I try my best to catch them. The wind and hills in this final stretch were very tough, I caught #2 at 40k, he didn't put up a fight at all, he stepped aside and let me through. Now I set my sights on Kyle, and I'm gaining on him but I'm running out of race. I see him looking back many times and I do what I can but there just isn't any road left. I think I could have caught him with another km.
Final time 2:55:51
I'm very happy with 2nd (that should get me on the front page of MarathonGuide.com tomorrow with Wanjiru) and being able to power through that course, about a 2 min negative split, and first place in my age group. If I'd have been neck and neck with Kyle for the race then I died or he out kicked me then I'd have regrets, but that didn't happen, I finished super strong and PB'd.
2 frozen chocolate bunnies are calling my name now. I must eat them.
splits http://itsmyrun.com/laps.php?id=15012
5-20:37
10-21:07
15-21:11
20-20:51
25-20:57
30-20:35
35-20:14
40-20:26
21k-1:28:07
42k-1:26:07
http://www.creativeambiance.ca/eventgallerysearch/11040/115/1/
. Congrats on a fantastic race!
