Sporting Life 10K - May 4/08

Two months ago, I developed a running schedule to prepare me for the triathlon season while simultaneously training me for the Scotiabank Half Marathon this fall. I was finally going to have a spring where I was prepped to do the Sporting Life 10K. Little did I know that I would still be skiing well into April and would only get a chance to do a handful of short runs in April. At that point I decided that I would have to forgo the Sporting Life10K race yet once again.

Fast forward to two days before the race. I was out for a run, and not even a particularly good or long run when I figured why not do the race anyway? What did it matter that my longest race to date this season was a 6K and that all the others had been 3K’s? The race was predominantly downhill. I could do it with 10+1’s. There were race walkers I could blend in with if things didn’t go well. Plus I had already paid for it. I decided to go for it.

Race day arrives. Michelle drives in from Georgetown and parks at my place. We take a taxi to the start as she has heard on the radio that Yonge Street was already closed. Where does the taxi take us? Up Yonge Street. I guess the radio announcers were premature. We try to stay warm waiting for the race start by various means – walking, standing on the sunny side of the street, hanging out in a transit shelter, and my favourite, waiting in line for the bathrooms at Starbucks. It is sunny but the air is brisk. Ironically it is much colder than my last ski day this year.

Finally it is time. We start out together but I quickly realize that Michelle’s pace is going to be too much for me. I don’t want to hold her back or start out too fast for me so I send her on. It is cool to see thousands of runners spread across Yonge Street. The best view is near the beginning of the race when you can see the runners ahead going up the St. Clair hill – it was a moving sea of colour.

I feel really good. My breathing is good. I don’t hurt anywhere. Even the couple of hills don’t slow me down. I pass people walking up the hills. I keep to my 10 + 1’s even when I feel like I could skip a walk. I know I am going faster during the 10 knowing the 1 is coming. I am glad I brought my fuel belt as the water stations are too few and far between for my liking. The km’s are flying by. I alternate between watching for my 10 + 1’s and watching for the next km marker. I quickly determine that I’m on a 7:30/km pace which is exactly where I would like to be. I finish the first 5K in 37 minutes putting me right on track. I have a major runner’s high losing track of where exactly I am at Yonge Street. At times I make note of new stores or window displays that make me want to go back and check the store out at a later time.

In the second half something strange starts happening. I begin passing people. Not just a few people like I did in the first half but a lot of people. People have ceased to pass me. I check my pace wondering if I have sped up too much and am going to blow up. No. It’s just that my pacing was exactly the right pace for me and others went out too hard. This is an awesome feeling. I finish my last walk break one km away from the finish and lift the pace a little. I don’t know exactly where the finish line is but as soon as I see it I go out even faster and pass another 10 people on the way into the finish chute. What an incredible feeling! I can’t wait to do more races!

Time: 1:13