"Its as close to a trail race as you'll see on roads"
It is what it is. I guess that I think of it as my home course, cause I live 8 K away. There is a suburban 5 K thats closer, but I blew it off this year to do Waterloo half marathon.
Last year I had a good race and finished in 55:55. I was hoping to cut 3-4 minutes off that, I said that 52:anything would be fine with me. I did memorize Robbie-T's splits from his 51:32 last year. I'm an realist yet an optimist.
Sure was a beautiful morning, not as windy as they had warned. Sunny and above freezing, breezy in spots. I knew a lot of people running today, from Georgetown and beyond. Lots of name brand runners there too, road, trail and ultra scenes. Including Nicole Stevenson, who has been the fastest female marathoner in Canada most of the last 5 years.
After a brief yet hilarious trash-talking session about Dave, we set off. First 2 K are mostly downhill, 4:14 and 4:04 Ks. Thats pretty effin fast for me, but you gotta take it when you can. Then we're into an uphill then rollers, a 4:55 and a 5:05. For the fifth K I told Dave (yeah, Dave was dogging me the whole time) that I was gonna chill a bit before the big hill, a 5:13. Then the water station, and the big hill. The total elevation change from K2 to 8 is 120 meters, not including rollers, with 50 of it being in 400 meters. Its called the Niagara Escarpment. 3/4 of the up, I walked for 10 seconds, just to screw up Dave. He still didn't pass me. I say that its not just how fast you make it up the hill, its how much you spend to do it. 5:50 K there .At the top, I pulled away from him, didn't see him again for a while. Then theres another slight hill after a bit, it always seems hardest. 5:22 K, second worst. Back onto paved road heading east, wind at your back, and we're back under 5 minute Ks, 4:47. Turn south back onto dirt road, the end is almost near. Just as I suspected, Dave flies by, finally pulling off the strategy that he had planned all Fall Tour. Eventually his burst was over and I could match him, but it was hard to gain. Down the curvy hill, he got too much speed up, and even as I passed another guy Dave was still pulling away. I got a little back on the flats before the final turn into the driveway, but he beat me by 3 seconds. I had seen that our time was on track for the desired result, we ended up me 52:14, Dave 52:11. 4:49 average, on that course!! Makes you wonder what we would have done without company. It just seems so weird that out of 369 finishers, that Dave is closest in time to me. I mean I do appreciate the company, but.
So it is a tough race and you feel that, but I did hit right on my predicted result. I'm still getting faster, that's just okay with me. Gotta give a big shout out to Robbie-T, he just destroyed this course today. I think it is even more impressive than his Paris Half, time, and that's saying lots because he killed that course too.
Just a great day for me, lots of great people, I won't mention you all, nice weather, on and on. I think that's my last race of the year, number 21, but that's another topic. Thanks for reading.
http://www.rrresults.com/Races2006/EGGNOG06.HTM
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