Edmonton Marathon Race #7

Edmonton, Alberta

Sunday, August 23, 2015
Time: 4:25:09
Overall Place: 383/593

It was six weeks since my last marathon in Missoula and the time allowed me to get in some good training miles to get ready for Edmonton.  Typically a week would consist of about four runs which would include three shorter runs and one long one on the weekend.  By being able to do more training runs it allows me to train more consistently with less down time.  When races are closer together I need to take off about a week after a race.  I don’t run much the week before a race so this allows my body a chance to rest in hopes of preventing injuries.  Anyway there is a fine line between running too much and not enough.  It is just a matter of finding out what works.  At my age, rest is a good thing.

Our plan was to drive to Edmonton on Thursday August 20 and stay with my sister Elenore and her husband Rob until Monday August 24 when we would drive all the way back to Winnipeg.  The trip would take about 13 hours so it is a long drive but a lot less expensive then flying.  We were also privileged to take my sister-in-law Carla along for the trip. 

We arrived in Edmonton as planned on Thursday night and went to bed after the long drive.  The next day we were able to sleep in and we just kind of hung out.  Our daughter Wendy also came down for the weekend from Calgary where she lives.  In the afternoon we ventured out to the West Edmonton Mall for a couple of hours.  You are probably wondering, why the mall.  Well, I admit it, I’m a mall junkie and I like to visit at least one mall when we go on our trips.  I don’t usually buy anything, but I love malls.

On Saturday we headed down to the race site for the Running Room Friendship Run and race kit pickup.  They also have a nice little expo to take in.  The Friendship run as you may recall from two of the other races I ran this year is a short talk by John Stanton, owner of the Running Room followed by a short 3 Km run just to get the legs loosened up.  I really look forward to these events and yes I get another picture taken with John.  This year we had Wendy, Elenore, Carla, Heidi and myself running in the event.  It seems that this sport is growing in our family and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this running family.

 

 

After a couple of really good sleeps Sunday arrived with the usual chimes of the alarm on the phone.  I typically lay out all of my clothes the night before so I’m not panicking the morning of the race looking for things.  That is how you forget important items and I have forgotten some things in the past.  I have always said and will continue to say, the marathon has to be respected and cannot be taken lightly.  It’s all part of the preparation in the training, right to laying out the clothes the night before to the mental preparation.  I take it all very serious and have a routine for everything so I don’t miss a thing.

We all piled into Wendy’s car and made our way to downtown Edmonton.  This year as I mentioned five of us were running and doing different distances.  Elenore was doing the 10K Run, Carla the 10K Walk, Heidi and Wendy the Half Marathon and myself the full. Start times were all different, but all within an hour. 

 

Elenore’s husband Rob was the designated photographer and bag holder.  Everyone has an important part to play.   The neat thing was that people were always leaving or coming, so there was always someone to see.  I really liked the timing of the starts for this race. 

 

My start time was the earliest at 7:00 and yes, I was out there the longest as you can see by my time.  The course is basically two out and backs.  We go out for a half marathon and then return to the start/finish line and then we continue following the same course as the half marathoners for the second loop.  We don’t really run into them since they leave an hour after us. 

 

Elenore

Carla

Heidi & Wendy

 The race started promptly at 7:00 and we all headed out along Jasper Avenue which is a main street in downtown Edmonton.  I found the first mile a little harder and it took me almost half the race to get my breathing under control because of the elevation.  After that I settled into a nice rhythm of running one mile and then taking about a minute walking break.  Also with the first mile I was able to take advantage of some bushes to relieve myself.  Not uncommon for runners to do this.  The experts say to hydrate well, before a race.  This has a different meaning for different people.  I can’t drink that much because it becomes too uncomfortable,  thus the need for bushes. 

This course follows high above the North Saskatchewan River which provides for some pretty spectacular views.  So I ran the first half in abut 2:11 which was a pretty comfortable pace for me.  The second half of the race I find to be even more beautiful than the first half.  It again follows the river and also winds through some pretty affluent neighborhoods while still following the river.  What is interesting about this race is that they call it “fast and flat”.  Well that’s maybe true for people that live in the area but for a flatlander like me it is not that flat.  Of all the marathons I have run,  this is the hilliest with a vertical gain of over 900 feet.  On the flip side some people say it is harder to run a really flat race like the Manitoba Marathon because you don’t get a chance to use different muscles that you may use for climbing.  In any case I don’t mind the elevation gain.  It never seems to be a problem for me. 



I felt much stronger this race and was able to carry my pace right to the end even through the second half.  It did take a little longer but that may be due to the fact that my walking breaks were a little longer.  I was happy that I was able to finish really strong.  In fact my last mile was my fastest mile for the whole race. One of my goals for the race was to feel  good enough to be able to run sooner in the coming days and recover a little faster.  I believe I accomplished that.  It was a good race for me. 

 

As for the rest of the family, they all completed their races and all received the coveted medals.

 

 

What I really like about this race is that they use the downtown convention center so everyone has a place to warm up and cool down inside the building.  This makes a big difference when we get ready for a race because we can keep warm right up until we have to get into our corrals.  The other thing I like about this facility is that they have a large brunch which is included in the race fee.  Unfortunately I can’t eat much after a race, but I did manage to put down some eggs and ham.

One last thought about this race and it happens wherever I run that I can wear my Siloam running shirt. A lot of people will come running by me and ask about the 20 marathons in 15 months.  I get to tell other runners about my goals for raising money and awareness for a great organization Siloam Mission.   They are quite encouraging and to date we have raised $7,143.81 and that makes it all worthwhile. That is really what it is all about for me.  I’m not just running a race, but sharing my story about what I am trying to do with my running.

 

 

 

Next up on the schedule is Marquette Michigan in two weeks which is the first of three races in three weeks.  Oh, did I mention I added another race to the schedule?  Oh, must have slipped my mind.  Stay tuned.