Scotiabank Calgary Marathon – HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

Whoohoo! The Centaur Subaru Half Marathon finisher medal.

This past Sunday, I completed my third half marathon race. W00t. Boy am I tired! It was only a few weeks ago that I boarded a bus with Sanjay and Shari en route to Vancouver to run the BMO Half Marathon. Fast forward three weeks and Paul, Shari and I were excited to conquer the Centaur Subaru Half Marathon in Calgary. I may not have completed the training I was hoping to do, but irregardless, I was going to run this thing anyway!

It was the 48th Annual Scotiabank Calgary Marathon event. The morning was cool and crisp, the sky was blue with little chance of rain, and the air was filled with the collective excitement of thousands of runners and spectators. I had been up super early to eat a banana, a bagel and other goodies, followed by a cup of black tea to help flush out my system, so I knew it was going to be a great race. I checked my bag and did some brief stretching and warming up. Shari met with Paul and I before the race began, and we were all pumped. But then, of course, I had the pre-run “I-have-to-pee” feeling. It happens with me every time. The half marathon was scheduled to begin at 7 am, and I figured it’d be great to line up for a port-a-potty at 6:45 am. And so did everyone else! I think I chose the slowest line, because with 10 people still in front of me, the gun went off and the half marathon had started. Argh! Paul and I had hoped to follow at 2 hour pace bunny, but alas, all the bunnies had run away at the sound of the gun. A good 7 minutes and 20 seconds later I emerged from the bathroom and gave Paul an apologetic look while he gave me the WTF glare :). Hey, I can’t help when nature calls! Lesson 1 of the day- One does not simply line up for the bathroom at gun shot!

Lesson 1. True story. But when you gotta go, you gotta go.

NBD, no big deal. For us, the chip time was what mattered most, so once we crossed the start line, our chips were activated and we were off! We began with a pretty quick pace, probably because we started late and wanted to catch up. Before we knew it, we were running with many other marathoners and half-marathoners, and our pace would taper to a consistent 5:40 for the majority of the course.

The new half marathon course route

The course routes for the races were new this year. I found the half marathon route to repeat quite a bit, taking us back through streets we had passed before while failing to remove some of the distance markers along the way. But overall, no complaints on the course itself. In terms of the run, however, everything was fine and dandy until about 8 km when I realized I had to pee again. With that said, I refused to stop! I would fight through the sensation as much as I could. I kept on running and at around 10 km I realized that I needed my first energy boost via the honey stinger gummies I kept in my running pouch. I call it a running pouch; Paul calls it a glorified fanny pack. Whatever it is, I couldn’t seem to get the gummies out of the pouch while running, so I turned to Paul and asked for some of his. “Yo, lemme bum a gummy!” Thankfully, he gave me one or two. It’s the least he could do, really. Then around the 18 km mark, I started hurtin’. My knee was in pain, I really had to go to the bathroom, I was out of gas, and it was a lot of stop and go for me. I began to get disappointed in myself that I couldn’t maintain my pace at the end, but I was still determined to achieve a sub-2 hour half marathon. Upon seeing the finish line, I sprinted and came in at 1:59:45.67. YES! It may not have been a personal best, but I was definitely pleased with the time.

All smiles after finishing the Calgary half marathon for the second time 🙂

I’ll never get tired of that feeling of crossing the finish line, realizing what was just accomplished, and getting that finisher medal. It’s a good feeling. I also never get tired of all the post-race free food! There were bananas, oreos, chips, jugo juice, water, pancakes and sausage patties. At the end of the race, Paul, Shari and I ran into a fellow colleague, Eric, and we celebrated our accomplishments.

We’re so cool it hurts

A pair of sexy after destroying the half marathon 😉

Me, Shari, Paul and Eric

So why is this post called “Revenge of the Prairie Dog”? Well, have you ever seen a prairie dog pop its head in and out of its burrow? Well, I can’t say that I’ve seen it myself, but prairie dogs are fast critters, so I can imagine them darting in and out of the network of holes that they’ve spent time digging. I can also imagine them emerging from a hole to take a peak, and hiding back, and then emerging again, and back in… rinse and repeat. Now we’ve all heard of the runner’s runs. It’s a horrible thing to experience during a run: that sensation of having to dash to a port-a-potty, or the nearest bush, or God forbid, you don’t make it in time and your pants are the victim. Well, let’s just say that of the two of us running, someone was doing some serious prairie doggin’. And let me give you a hint. It wasn’t me ;). Let me give you another hint. It was Paul. And that prairie dog was rearing its evil head. Still unclear? Click this link for a definition via the urban dictionary. Once the runner’s runs hit at the 10k mark, it made for a very uncomfortable remaining 11k…. or so I’m told. I’m just super impressed that he managed to finish while experiencing so much discomfort. Thankfully there were no embarrassing shat-tacular incidents!

A prairie dog rearing its evil head (credit)

I felt good about what I had accomplished that morning, but my insides thought otherwise. First stop upon entering my place- the bathroom. Following that episode, my right knee was crying, so I iced it for a while. I was also exhausted. I tried to surf the internet for a little bit while sitting in bed, but the next thing I knew, my laptop was half-off my lap because I had dozed off unexpectedly. My body was destroyed; I was a broken man. Running may be a fashion show, but no one said it was glamorous. Perhaps if I had trained a little better, I would have been in better shape post half-marathon. Lesson 2- One does not simply put on running shoes and run a half marathon! A note-to-self: I must be more diligent and focused with my training for the next big race.

Lesson 2. True story. I should really learn my lesson and train next time.

Thanks to Shari and Paul for a great race day! I’m so glad we were able to complete the race together again for the second year in a row. Third time’s a charm for some personal bests, yes? And to Robbie- thanks for making your way to the Stampede grounds to cheer me on and show your support! You’re awesome!

And with that, the Calgary half marathon is over. Phew! Instead of letting myself rest up, I’m getting ready for two quick races this coming weekend when I visit home: the Moon in June 10k (Burlington, ON) and the Bread and Honey 5k (Mississauga, ON). Hopefully my legs are fully recovered by then…

I conquered you… again!

Since running my first 10K in 2008, I have wanted to complete a half marathon. However, it had always seemed so daunting, and I just couldn’t bring myself to commit to it. When I was creating my 30 before 30 list, I knew that I needed to add this task. So in January, I signed up for the Centaur Subaru Half Marathon, part of the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. At that point, run day was so far away! But before I knew it, the run was just around the corner, and I still didn’t feel quite ready. Days prior to the race, Mother Nature was not so kind to Calgary. It rained and rained, and I monitored the forecast closely. Regardless, rain or shine, and whether or not I was ready, I would be running the half marathon on Sunday May 29th, 2011 :). And in the end, I would be running with two of my awesomely awesome friends, Paul and Shari. Team 403, as we sometimes called ourselves! We would also continue to tell ourselves that “We’re Awesome!” and “We Got This!” to help psych ourselves up for the big day :D. True words, true story.

The 21.1 km half marathon course is quite nice. Starting in Bridgeland, the run passes by the Calgary Zoo, the Stampede Grounds, along 17th Avenue, through some neighbourhoods and parks, and then on to Memorial Drive along the Bow River. Race day turned out to be gorgeous and sunny (Praise the Lord!), and with such a great course, I was getting pumped…

On the morning of the half marathon, I was up at 4:30 am to try to get my insides sorted out. Honestly, my biggest fear was having to go to the bathroom during the race! Yes, this is share-worthy information, and I’m happy to say that my insides co-operated :). For breakfast, I ate a bagel with peanut butter and a banana accompanied by a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. I’m not sure if that’s a great runner’s breakfast, but it was good. Paul and his wife, Vanessa, who was running the 10K, picked me up and we headed down to the race site where we met up with Shari. The energy was amazing- so many excited and crazy people thinking that it’s a great idea to run for hours starting at 7 am on a Sunday morning! I can identify with these people :). Naturally, I had to go to the bathroom right before the race started. I did that last year before the 10K too. At least I’m consistent. Afterward, Paul, Shari and I lined up and the run was on!

As expected, the start of the race was packed, with everyone trying to find their stride and with so many runners of different paces. It was a bit difficult to navigate through the crowd, and it took some time before we found our pace, but eventually we did. It then dawned on me- “I’m actually running a half marathon! This is awesome.” And even though I was focused on my breathing and running, I was able to take in the sights around me. As we meandered through the course, I was reminded why Calgary is a great and beautiful place… when it’s not -40 degrees Celsius, of course.

Around the 12 km mark, Paul and I were absolutely thrilled- we had caught up with the 2:00 Half Marathon Pace Bunnies! We knew if we ran with them, we would finish in about 2 hours, which seemed like a lofty goal at the start of the race, but a goal that we really wanted to achieve. So we ran 10s and 1s with them for a few kilometres, and then around the 16 km mark, we forged ahead. At 17 km, my right foot started to cramp a bit, and my left foot would do the same a few kilometres later. The end was a bit rough, but Paul and I kept to a good pace (thanks Paul!). Overall, with our pacing and determination, and with the help of well placed Gatorade stops, some sports beans/honey stingers/energy gels, and the well-timed voices of Beyonce, Katy Perry (Firework, of course!), Gaga, and Britney, Paul and I crossed that finish line in under 2 hours! Shari would cross not too long after with an amazing time! As expected, I was hurting afterward, but incredibly elated. I am so proud of Team 403 :). To Paul and Shari: It was amazing to run our first half marathon together. We rocked it!

To say that I am happy to have completed my first half marathon within my goal time is an understatement :). Thanks to my family and friends for all of their support! And with that, I am now able to cross off what I think was the most challenging on my list of 30 before 30: #11, Run a Half Marathon. Right after the race, I thought “OMG, never again!”, but as I write this, many hours later, I can’t help but think when the next run will be. Maybe I’ll run another one at the end of the summer. And my ambitious goal is to run my first marathon in Honolulu, December 2012. Anyone interested?

In another note, I want to say congratulations to my awesome friend Dan of Consumed By Wanderlust and face-smashing fame. He completed the 42.2 km Ottawa Marathon on Sunday with an epic time of 4:08. Amazing! I give you a face-five smack to the centre of your face for finishing your first marathon :).

Oh, and what’s a big event without a planking shot, just because. It’s very rare to see Memorial Drive closed off and with no cars in sight. Sometimes you just need to seize opportunities when they present themselves…

(UPDATE: My net time was 1:55:23.50. W00t!!)

Tag: Scotiabank Calgary Marathon

The Calgary Half Marathon: Revenge of the Prairie Dog

You’re Off The List, Half Marathon!!