Sporting Life 10K - Race Review

I ran the Sporting Life 10K today...a great race.

Check my review here - http://willalexander.blogspot.com/2009/05/race-review-sporting-life-10k.html

I love running in Toronto...

Man, I love running in the city of Toronto...my new home.

The funny thing about this post is that I was going to post about poodles, and how I'm not a fan despite the fact that I love dogs. Of course this was due to an almost altercation with a poodle today on my run...okay, so it just looked at me funny...but it definitely looked like it didn't want me running on the same sidewalk.

Okay, back to the point...I was on my run this evening doing speed work, heading south on Bayview Ave. towards Eglinton just at the bottom of the big hill by the CNIB office when a fellow runner gave me a smile and wave as he passed me...this was an awkward moment as he had just gone by and it was time for me to kick it into high gear for one of my speed burst pick-ups (running at 95% max heart rate for 1 minute). I didn't want to be a jerk runner blowing past this guy right after he passed me (going up hill no less), but what could I do, I was on a speed burst schedule!
Anyhow, after a couple of seconds I gunned it, and when I caught up to this guy, he turned, smiled again and said "Sorry. Did I slow down?" I said no, and told him I was doing speed work and being a runner he knew, so he challanged me to run full out to the overpass 3/4 of the way up the hill with him, and I accepted. We ran together full out to the overpass at which point we said our goodbyes, and I kept on going for another 6 or 7 km.

So the point of the story is that I love running in Toronto because I have yet to go out for a run and not pass another runner, and I've been running here for 6 months now. I've ran in rain, snow, heat, cold and always see at least one other runner. It's amazing! Of course I have other reasons why I love running in Toronto, but we'll save those for another day.

Now I think it's time for me to address my absence from the running blog. Yeah, I know...it's been 1 year, 2 months, and 19 days since my last post...and I don't have an excuse, so get off my case, and just embrace the fact that I'm back and my running adventures will continue in blog form. Don't worry, I have been running during the time off from the blog, in fact I completed my second marathon back in September in 4:08 (new PR), and I'm currently training for the Toronto Sporting Life 10K on May 3, 2009.

Today's run was a good one...mostly because it was outdoor...this winter has been way too long. Wednesday's are speed work days now that I'm training again, and today was 60 minutes at an easy pace with random speed burst pickups thrown in. Today I did the pickups around every 8 minutes. My total distance was 12km...I've got to say it again...great run!

Here's my cousin Raymond's favorite part of my blog posts...some selections from today's playlist...
U2 - Beautiful Day (Oakenfold rmx)
U.S.S. - Porno Star Trek
Cut Copy - Hearts on Fire
Eagles of Death Metal - Wanna be in LA
Jay-Z - Big Pimpin'
Jurrasic 5 - If You Only Knew
Matt and Kim - Cinders
Santogold f/Pharrell and Julian Casablanca - My Drive Thru

I've gotta tell you, I'm super pumped to be writing again. It's good to be back. Thanks for reading

If you're new to the blog...maybe you were directed here by one of my twitter tweets, then I have to say welcome to the fan club. ;-)

It's gotta be the shoes...

DISCLAIMER: This post is all over the effing place, and is extremely long, so if you're going to read it, do me a favour and read the entire post. I may add more later, but for now, I'm spent.


Alright, so I've been back home for a couple of days now, and my luggage is finally home to (don't ask), so I've had time to reflect on what I've done, and am ready to share some of the details with you.

Honestly, this whole experience has been a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would ever be. I'm not just talking about the run, but I'm talking about the training, the fundraising, the putting my social life on hold at times, the leaving the woman I love behind while I went to Hawaii last week, the sharing a hotel room with what could have been a psycho serial killer, but actually turned out to be a really cool guy, and has become a new friend...thank goodness for that.

Anyhow, all that I've felt about this journey, and pretty much every emotion I've ever felt in my life came out on that race course last Sunday. I laughed, I cried, I swore (surprise!), I sang, I talked, I ran, and I even walked a little. It's amazing how much of a mental game running a marathon is...I would have never expected some of the things to come out that did. I thought a lot about many different things, but for the most part I thought about my father, and more specifically my relationship with my father. A lot of emotion came from my thoughts of my dad, however, I'm not going into any detail here as it's a conversation that's between us...when it happens. I don't have many regrets from my life thus far, but I definately wish that he was there to meet me at the finish line as we had originally planned, because he's been just as much a part of this as me and although he wasn't with me physically, it felt like he ran that entire race with me, because he did...in my head, and in my heart. He is the reason I took this task on, and he is the reason why I finished. Last night I finally went to see my parent and have dinner with them for the first time since I'd come home. When I got through the door I took my finishers medal from around my neck and put it around dad's. I told him that this was our medal, and I really hope I have the balls to explain that to him one day. Anyhow, seeing him wear that medal through dinner and while we were looking at pictures afterward felt almost as good as crossing the finish line.

Anyhow, I'm not too sure if that even comes close to explaining the mind fuck I went through on the course, but it's all you're going to get.

As far at the physical test that running this marathon was, well that I can explain a little better. I was feeling really really strong until mile marker 19, but by this point I had already ran over 20 miles (I'll explain). For some reason my body started to fight back...hard, and I had to change my game plan. I knew then, that I wasn't going to make 4 hours, even though I was on pace at the halfway (13 mile) mark. I ran to the next water station, then walked through it, then ran to the next one and walked through it. I continued this pattern until the last water station, which I skipped as I could see the finish line and got excited and all I wanted was to get there, but it was still about a 1/4 mile away. I was running towards the finish line, but it didn't seem to get any closer. I wanted to giver', but my body had had enough and simply wouldn't give me any more juice, although I did find the energy to wipe the snotsicles from my nose, raise my arms triumphantly and smile (I think)...after all you gotta look good for the camera right?!?!

Anyhow, my quads felt like they we're shredded, and I just couldn't stop moving my legs out of fear that once I stopped moving them, I wouldn't be able to start moving them again. We took a bus back to the hotel, and I couldn't even sit. Walking up and especially down stairs for 3 days after the marathon licked (fill in the blank...I choose hairy horse nuts), and I had to spend most of the day after the marathon stretching and trying to get my legs ready to surf (which went extremely well). It hurt a lot...that's the bottom line.

I've said it before, and I will say it again. Running that marathon was the single most difficult thing I've ever done in my entire life, but I might just give it another go, although the jury is still out.

If you're planning on running a marathon, don't make the same rookie mistakes I made. Don't weave in and out of the crowd at the beginning. I managed to log over an entire mile by doing this, but it was hard not to. There was 30000 people there, and it was almost impossible to run a straight line.
Don't drink too much the morning of the race...I had to stop to pee twice...that's never happened in training.
Don't line up in the womens porto-potty line by mistake. The guys line moves way faster, and there is better ways to spend your time before a race, rather than waiting to take a shit.

The final numbers...
Clock Time - 4:29:08
Unofficial Chip Time - 4:23:42 - This is unofficial as it came from my gps watch due to the fact that the chips didn't work because of the shite weather.
Placed 3241st of 20693 total finishers
247th of 1130 males aged 25-29
Approx. $7500 dollars raised for the Canadian Diabetes Association

Again, thanks for being a part of the journey. I couldn't have done it without you.

Will

A Quickie from Honolulu...

Aloha!

Okay, so yesterday this trippy journey came to an end when I completed the Honlolulu Marathon in a time of 4:23 (unofficially) I know this was my time as I used my gps to track it when I crossed the finish line. Officialy my time was 4:29:08, but it took mea good 7 or 8 minutes to cross the start line. The weather conditions were horrible and it affected the chip times and they probably won't be able to fix it, but trust me on the 4:23.

This was probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. I ended up running an extra mile because I was weaving in and out trying to get ahead at the beggining of the race. It was like a monsoon yesterday morning and I (along with 30000 other crazy nutters) ran the whole thing with soaking wet shoes. This has made my feet extremely hideous, and I'm going to lose a few toe nails, but it was all worth it.

Anyhow, I'm in an internet cafe, and I've got a surfing lesson soon, so I have to go, but I wanted to update you all and just say thanks for all your support. I went through a lot yesterday both physically and mentally...this truly was an impacting part of my life. I'll elaborate when I have more time.

Will

Tick, Tock, Boom!!!

Okay, so I've named this post tick, tock, boom for two reasons...the first is obviously that I'm only 3 full days away from race day, and the second...well that's a little bit of a story.

Honestly, I haven't been able to get the catchy little ditty from the Hives latest album (Black & White), since I got back from Winnipeg on the weekend. They should make it the freakin' Winnipeg anthem as I must have heard it 1000 times while I was there and I was only there for 3 days. I know it's minus 30, and you need a rockin' tune to get you moving, but come on people, there are other songs that exist out there. Now don't get me wrong, I dig the tune, and I've been a fan of the Nordic rock quintet for years, but there may be too much of a good thing. That being said, there are a few good tracks to run to, and the album is decent, although I don't find it as aggressive as their previous work (This is me being a pompous music geek).

Okay, so I know what you're thinking...how did you run in minus 30 weather. Well, the truth is, I'm a big chicken shit and I went to the Y, where I assumed they'd have an indoor track like every other Y in the country, but they didn't, so I hit the treadmill for 14km instead. On Sunday I ran on my Aunt and Uncle's treadmill in their basement, which was an experience as it was like running and smoking all at the same time, as my uncle smokes in the basement. If he would have passed me a beer, it would have been perfect!!! (I'm kidding...relax)

Anyhow, we've done it. I fly out tomorrow from Toronto at 1:30PM and arrive in Honolulu at 11:00PM (Hawaiian Standard Time which is 5 hours behind us)...it's a really long flight...and I still have to finish packing.

I plan on updating my blog while I'm en route and while I'm down there so keep posted. In the meantime I really would like to thank everyone for their well wishes. All of you're support really means a lot to me, and I will be thinking of all of you over the next few days.

Much Love!

Will

Lesson No. 6.2

So I learned a couple of things this morning...
1) If I'm going to run more than one hour in the morning, I either need to start running as soon as I get up, or if I'm going to sit around for an hour, I need to eat something small before I start. I tanked today!!!
2) It's too damn hot wearing the Team Diabetes singlet over top of one of my running shirts with sleeves. This means I'm going to have to suck it up and wear the singlet on it's own and just apply lots of Body glide to parts of my arms which haven't been previously exposed on long runs.

Oh, and just so you know, "singlet" is a fancy pants runners term for wife beater.

Okay, so here we are a mere 2 weeks + a day away from the marathon. I'm pumped, I'm nervous, I'm a little bit of everything right now. The one thing I'm sure of is that I'm ready to do this. I ran 37 km last weekend during my last really long training run, so what's another 5 km right???

Also, I had my final lactate test with Sandy on Wednesday, and it's looking like I might just be able to beat Oprah after all, but I'm not promising any finishing times here, but if you catch me in a vulnerable moment some day over the next two weeks I might just let you in on my goal time...but don't count on it. BTW...this is where the 6.2 comes into play...but it's an inside joke, and you really did have to be there, so trying to explain it here would just be silly, and the last thing I want is for this blog to appear to be silly!

Anyhow, just wanted to give you a quick update and introduce you to a new word...singlet. Don't you just love how it rolls of the tongue. Say it with me now...singlet...say it like you mean it!!!

Will

Extra, Extra...

So it's been over a month since my last entry, I know, I'm sorry, I'm a busy guy.

First off let me tell you that I have indeed surpassed my goal of raising $6,200 for the Canadian Diabetes Association, and the donations keep comming in.

Not sure if you had a chance to check out the paper today, and by paper I mean, Belleville Intelligencer, but right there on the front page is an article about my campaign. Check it out online here - Intell Nov. 8

As far as my training goes, it's still going great. My last long run was last Friday and it was 22 miles (35.5 km). It took me 3.5 hours, and my legs burned like hell when I was done, but I did it, and now I only have one more long training run to go and of course the marathon on Dec. 9th. I've gotta tell you though, all of this training definately has me convinced that I will be able to run the entire 42.2km come the big day. I'm excited and nervous all at once, and I still have 5 weeks to go.

Anyhow, I'll try to be more frequent with my blog entries over the next 5 weeks. I promise!

Will