Date: August 23, 2007
Description: 6k road race
Location: Ward’s Island, Toronto
Race Name: Sunset Shuffle 6k
Sport: Running
I was informed of this little gem of a road race last year by my co-worker Andy Hayes. The Sunset Shuffle takes place every year on Ward’s Island, on roads that are flatter than a pancake. I had a great time last year, so I decided (a little last-minute, I must admit) to run it again. I had been racing triathlons almost exclusively this summer, so I figured that it was time to enter a road race in order to see what kind of shape I was in before the beginning of cross country season. I could test my fitness, and if I happened to have a terrible race, I could always write it off as a tempo effort for the week.
The forecast called for rain, but it was a hot and humid evening rather than a rainy and unpleasant one. After a bit of fretting on my part as to whether or not I would catch the 5:30 ferry to the island (I did, but barely), I tried to relax and get into my usual pre-race routine. I focused on the luxuries of road racing that I miss in triathlons. I could wear socks! Everyone started together! I didn’t have any fear of drowning! This was going to be great!
Of course, my optimism was squashed and stomped upon at a fairly early point in the race. I had hoped to take the first mile fairly easy. Instead, the flat course and the fast pace of some of the men got the better of me. As I passed the first mile marker, I looked at my split (5:46!) and knew immediately that I was in trouble. I managed to tuck in behind two men running side by side, thus avoiding the added stress of battling a headwind. But after about two miles, the pain really started to set in, and I rapidly fell off the pace. My final mile took me about six minutes and thirty seconds, during which my mind was plagued with regrets, harsh language, and colourful statements with many words that amounted to little more than “ouch.” I managed to hold on to my second-place spot among the women in the race during this little mile-long ordeal, but more important things like my dignity and self-respect proved to be more slippery.
In the end, I crossed the line in 22:28. Despite the impressions that the above description of my pain may give you, I was satisfied with my time. Last year, I finished the race in just over 24 minutes. My goal for this year was to break 23 minutes. All things considered, it was a successful venture.
I ran a brief cool down and returned to the finish area for the most important part of the evening: the post-race BBQ. Once the race is over, the volunteers got straight to work, cooking hot dogs and handing out beers to the participants. I’m not sure if hot dogs have the perfect post-race recovery carb-to-protein ratio, but I ate two nevertheless. I decided to skip the beer, as I had a 70-mile week to complete.
I’ll finish by stating that the crew responsible for putting on this race did an amazing job. For starters, the race is limited to 200 runners, making for a low-key and relaxed atmosphere on race day. Ward’s Island is a perfect location for a road race. It is a beautiful location close to Toronto where one can escape hectic life in the city itself. The fact that the course is flat and allows for very fast times is just a bonus. The post-race party was a lot of fun. It was as if about 150 people who all happened to be runners had gathered for hot dogs and beer on a weeknight. There was plenty of food and drink to go around, and lots of draw prizes to be won. For me, the Sunset Shuffle is a great race to attend, because it reminds me to stop stressing out about running and racing and have some fun for a change.
