I’m 90% sure I’m going to run a fall marathon,so I thought I’d throw in a little double tempo workout in the form of back to back races in a weekend.
Sat.July12th Rattlesnake Point,Milton,10am
Enduro Distance 12k
Saturday morning was warm and humid but thankfully overcast as we made our way out to the escarpment for race #3 in the 5 Peaks series.
Easily one of the most technical of the races,Rattlesnake was made even trickier with the humidity and precipitation from Friday evening making the numerous rocks on course pretty slick.
I started out in the 1st wave and settled into a comfortable pace,concentrating more on safe footing and foot placement rather than speed.
The course tackles a number of rolling,rocky,root-filled risers for the first 4k or so before throwing a decent climb up a rock face.Today that climb was slow and careful.
The group I was in climbed cautiously and we were elated to find a gravel trail a couple of hundred metres from the top.A slightly turned ankle welcomed the flat terrain,and the race was on!
The tree canopy really held in the heat and humidity and the aid stations with numerous volunteers were a most welcome sight,the runner in obvious agony grasping a nearby tree was not.After checking on him I sped on.I wanted to distance myself from 2 training buddies who were both well ahead of me in series points.
Finally left the trail to the welcomed encouragement of onlookers and an amazing head soaking under the water tap near the Start/Finish line.
Ecstatic to find I’d finished 10th overall and ended up 2nd in age group.Closing in on you guys! (Dave & Jamie)
So…
an ice pack for the turned ankle,64 oz. of Gu2O & Gatorade,protein powder and chocolate milk,plenty of food and rest,then…
Sunday July 13th,8am
Nissan 1o Miler,Distillery District
Sunday morning was overcast and a lot cooler,and the rain clouds were rolling in.By the time I had cycled the 4k or so to the Distillery District,the rain was falling.Oh well,could be worse!Started my usual warm-up and the rain was no bother,refreshing in fact!
Starting corrals were a welcome sight at this nearly sold-out event and right on time,we were off.Being part 2 of double race weekend I really wasn’t expecting much,but my pace was decently fast from the start.As I live in the Beach,I run most of the out and back around the lagoon on the Leslie St.Spit often.So I was confident that I would be able to pace myself well and save a little something for the end.Immediately I fell in with an old 10 mile adversary whom I had passed at the 8 mile mark of our last encounter for my one and only victory.It was clear he knew who I was though no words were spoken.We played cat and mouse out and around the lagoon and he opened up a small lead as we headed back on the return leg.Totally forgetting my game-plan of a last kilometre push,I passed the 12k marker and I was off to the races(so to speak!)opening up a 75 metre lead on my aforementioned old foe and the small group I was running with.I managed to hold the gap and even catch another runner or two on my way to the finish.36th overall,5th in my age group,but what a satisfying race!7 or 8 seconds off a PB, and no soreness after the race.What an encouraging weekend.So home to rest?? No, I headed straight to Canada’s Wonderland for a day out with my wife and 2 daughters!
I’m definetely not well.
Cheers
