On Sunday, September 20, in Ottawa I participated in the 2nd annual Army Half-Marathon.  Along with the 5km race the event attracted almost 11,000 runners in total.  Just over 4000 ran the half-marathon.  The weather in the nation’s capital was perfect for running.  Great event and a great cause….supporting our Canadian military and their families.

I was very happy to finish in 1:38:05.  That was a full two minute improvement over last year’s time at the same event.  I guess all the speed work and tempo runs i did this summer really paid off.   I have forty days to go until I reach the start line of the New York City marathon.  Sunday’s half-marathon PB was a real confidence builder as I head into the training homestretch for NYC.

Yesterday was the Lake Placid Ironman and several of my running friends were competing in the big event.  I was monitoring their progress online throughout the day and found it very inspirational to watch the finishers come across the line via the live streaming off the Ironman website.  It’s great to hear the announcer calling each finisher by name and congratulating them….some sprint, some walk, some look great, some look beat, but all are victorious.

Special congrats to my running coach,  Judy Andrew Piel of K2JFitness in Ottawa, who finished in 11:29:38.  Judy even managed to come in 3rd place in her age category thus qualifying her for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.  As a runner, what’s amazing to me about her time is that Judy was able to run a 4 hour marathon on top of the swim and the bike…..I will never complain about a long run or a track workout ever again!

Congrats to everyone who completed Ironman Lake Placid.  You are all inspirational!

Typically I don’t run a lot of 10km races (mainly because it takes me about 8km to get warmed up!!) but I’m finding them to be a good fast-pace workout and a good test of my fitness level.

Great to see so many younger runners participating in the today’s event at either the 10km, 5km, 1km or the tot trot. What a great way to celebrate this wonderful country of ours!

Last week I started an 8-week Speed in the Summer running clinic out on by the fine folks at K2JFitness in Ottawa. Judy Andrew Piel and J.R. Tremblay are the coaches and they been putting a group of about 20 of us through our paces on the track. There is nothing liked the shared misery of a tough track workout to make you a faster runner!

Although the month after a marathon is supposed to be for recovery, I have done two 10km races. On June 6th I ran the Barrhaven 10km run in support of Roger’s House. Today was the Do it for Dad 10km race along the scenic Rideau Canal. This event was a fundraiser in the fight against prostate cancer.

I’ll run a few more 10km races over the summer. The speed work will be good for me and make me a faster marathoner…..I hope! Only 132 days until the New York City marathon…

Finishing time: 3:48:34

Hadn’t run very much over the last three weeks due to ankle issues, so was a bit nervous going in.

Went thru the first 10km in 50:41 ( a 3:33 marathon pace). Knew I should slow up a bit but was feeling pretty good.

Hit the half-marathon mark in 1:47:22 ( a 3:34 marathon pace). Ankle was holding up nicely but i was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to hold this pace.

Hit the 30km mark in 2:34:46 ( 3:37 marathon pace)….I was slowing a bit but was still confident of being able to bring it in around 3:40, which was my original goal.

At 34km the wheels fell off the bus as I was hit with one nasty cramp after another in my right calf. I’d run a few minutes, then the calf would pop again and I’d have to walk it out for a minute or longer. Did this, run/walk, run/walk for the last 8km…..brutal. Funny how I was worried about my ankle and it was my calf that caused me all the problems!

The good thing was that the ankle really did not bother me much over the marathon…only the last 2km or so

Given all that I was happy to come in at 3:48…..the day turned hot over the last 10km so that might have had something to do with the cramping problems…..

On to NYC marathon in November……time to beat there: 3:40 from last November

The kids were all quite excited to get their gear…..a very bright green race shirt, a personalized race bib, and a timing chip. I spent a few minutes going over the important stuff like:

1. Wear your bib on the front of your tshirt. You can always pick out the race rookies because they wear the race bib on their back.

2. Make sure your timing chip is tied securely into your shoelaces…..there were a few kids who have velcro straps rather than laces so we figured out a way to attach the timing chip to those ones. Not sure if many adults have that problem.

3. Smile when you cross the finish line….keep your hands away from your bib number so the camera can get a clean shot of you.

4. Above all else, have fun……this is a Kids Race so run with lots of spirit and smiles!

5. Say thank you when a volunteer gives you your medal, and congratulate the finishers around you!

6. Thank your parents for bringing you downtown to the race early on a Sunday morning!

The training is done…the race kits are passed out…..have fun and run strong!

As I’ve done the last couple of years, I started at the marathon finish line near just east of Ottawa City Hall. I ran 8km out and then turned around to run the the final 8km of the course, back to the finish line. It’s nice to be able to run the marathon course, or at least the final portion of it, before race day.

There’s some comfort in knowing the landmarks that you’ll be passing in the final push to the finish. Ottawa is a very beautiful race course… especially over the last 8km.

With 8km to go you’re on Prince of Wales Drive moving up towards the traffic circle in the Experimental Farm. A quick downhill then takes you to scenic Dow’s Lake. It’s here that the crowds start to pick up. Past the beautiful tulip beds on your left you’ll soon come upon Lansdowne Park and Frank Clair Stadium, former home of the dearly departed Ottawa Rough Riders, and for a short time the Ottawa Renegades, of the Canadian Football League.

You have the historic Rideau Canal on your right side all the way to finish as you pass the Pretoria Bridge and a little further up you’ll catch sight, across the water, of the University of Ottawa campus.

When you start to hear the finishers’ names and hometowns being announced over the P.A. system you know that you’re almost home…….to anyone running in Ottawa Race Weekend next Saturday and Sunday, good luck!

Runners can control a lot on race day…..pre-race breakfast, clothing, shoes, gels, water or gatorade, and what pace to start out at. With the weather, however, the best you can do is be prepared for what mother nature is going throw out on that day. Good running weather and perhaps you can push for a PB. Lousy weather and you might need to adjust your time goal, especially if it’s very hot.

No one likes to run a race in bad weather but when you finish just think about the bragging rights……”yeah, I ran during the big storm of ‘09…..was pretty near a hurricane if you ask me….but I finished it!”

I can’t remember where I found my favourite quote regarding the marathon. But I do know that it pretty much sums up what the distance is all about. “…twenty miles of hope, six miles of truth…”

At at race expo in Ottawa a few years ago I heard Olympic marathon gold medalist Frank Shorter remark that “the halfway mark of the marathon is not the 13 miles mark, it’s the 20 mile mark.” So true!

The longest run in some marathon training programs does not go beyond 32km. Come race day you put a lot of faith in your training to get you through the last 6 miles. The last six miles tells you about your fitness level, your training, and your mental toughness. In other words the final 10km will truthfully tell you what you’ve got. “…twenty miles of hope…six miles of truth…”

Of all the runs in a training program, for me one of the most special ones is the last long run prior to marathon day. It’s usually 3 weeks out from race day and typically is around 32-34 kilometres long. Many runners treat it as a “dress rehearsal” for race day. I’ll eat the same breakfast and wear the same clothing as on race day. I’ll fuel up along the run the same way as I will for the first 32km on race day. If possible I’ll run a good portion of the last long run on the race course.

If you do some of your runs in a group setting then you’ll know that at the end of a workout it’s common to exchange high fives, fist pumps, or handshakes of some sort to acknowledge the shared company. After the last long run before a marathon, however, the handshakes and fist pumps hold extra meaning. After we put the last long one in the bank, we know the toughest part of the marathon training is over and that the next couple of weeks will be about tapering and getting our bodies rested for race day.

Sunday will be the last long run before the 2009 Ottawa Marathon. After that, the countdown to race day is on.