Vancouver Marathon 2014 race report
It was a cool wet Vancouver day, May the 4th AKA
Star Wars day. The rain looked for a
while like it was going to just be a mist but it went back to rain again
shortly after the start. We stayed with
our friends Frank & Caroline who treated us like celebrities, even before
they saw the news coverage of Lori…
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| Lori and I keep warm in the rec centre prior to the race start |
Got to the start line early and had lots of time to go
through my race plan; I typically run
even splits and I had planned to run today between a 4:35/K and a 4:45 which
would put me finishing around a 3:20 or so.
I was not sure how long I would be able to hold the pace but that was my
goal. I knew very little about the
course as it has changed dramatically since I last ran Vancouver, all I knew
was there was a significant hill around 10K into the run and the rest was flat
to undulating and it finished downtown near Canada Place after a run along the
sea-wall. I was not expecting the
incline immediately after the start line!
Not a long or steep incline but it sure woke the legs up in a hurry, I
tried to control my pace and not get swept up with the rabbits running alongside
of me, my first KM was at a slower than desired 4:51 but I was good with that
and felt like it was the correct pace for that KM. Very early in the run better to go a bit slow
than too quick at this point. The next
few KM I tried to control my pace but it seemed to get away from me and I found
I was running in the low 4:30’s for the first 8K; the pace felt comfortable and
I was not feely any fatigue or soreness from it so I accepted this as my pace
for the moment and figured time in the bank…plus I was encouraged by Jim &
Sandi then again by Lori & the Pataky’s.
My pace was on track, I had the support of friends and the encouragement
of the spectators who had braved the rain; what could go wrong? Oh Oh, I had to ask… for the past couple of
KM I had the feeling that I had to pee, it will go away right? Wrong it did not
go away and I really did have to pee and that would take time. I got lucky and found an empty port-a-potty
at the 9K water stop which was just at the bottom of the big hill; I was in and
out in short time and after a few minutes back in my stride. The hill was not as long as I had expected
but it still rose up for just over a KM and lots of folks were feeling it. I had taken some gel at the 6 KM mark and
figured I would take more at 18K and again at 30 which should get me to the
finish before the sugar crash, at the top of the hill I felt the rush of energy
from the gel and I crested then sped my way down.
The next 10K went well and at 18K I was on track to achieve
my goal, feeling pretty good physically and mentally and I was a 3rd
through the run. Then came a surprise hill;
not a big one but I was not expecting anything hill wise after the one at 10K
so anything other than a slight incline was a surprise. I crested the hill and on the way down took
another dose of gel and kept going.
The half-way point was just ahead and I was feeling good and
running well. I had not been looking at
my net time just my pacing so I really had no idea where I was at time wise; I
was a bit shocked when I crossed the line at 1:37:39, which was only a minute
more than my Comox
half this year! Could I maintain this pace for another
21.1K?
I was expecting Lori and the Pataky’s at the 24K point to
give me a fresh water bottle which was good because the one I had was empty; they
were not there! OK, I must have miss
heard the KM point Caroline told me, not to worry they’ll be just around the
next corner??? There they are (thank goodness for Lori’s Boston jacket, I can
spot her a mile away), toss one empty bottle on the ground and Lori hands me a
full one. With a smile from her and a
grimace from me I am off and fully stocked for the last section of the race.
The next 10K are a blur for me aside from a quick stop at KM
32 to get a cup of water, I decided that I would walk briskly to get the water
in me. This plan worked well until I
started to run again, what a mistake my legs had started to cramp up as if I
had signaled to them the race was over.
It took about 100m before they actually believed me that there was more
to do. No more walk breaks no matter
what! I was pushing myself harder than I
have in the past and was sure I could finish this in my pacing window but it
was going to take every bit of mental fortitude I had to keep my legs moving. At some point I realised I was on the
Sea-Wall but I was going the wrong way? The other runners were running in the
same direction so I gathered that I was going the correct direction they must
have changed the route. It seemed like a
cruel joke as there was a wicked head wind and for whatever reason I was thinking
one step to the left and you could fall over, hey that would be a good excuse
not to finish the last 8K. 8K? Really
was I only 8K from the finish? Well I’m
not sure where the last 4K went to but I can run 8K, heck I do that most
mornings. All I needed to do was run my
4:45/K and I would be done in less than 40 minutes. I told myself this as I reached each KM
marker, I was looking for someone to pace off of as I was tending to lapse
mentally and slow down. I found a few
people but they too were slowing down, then I noticed a woman just ahead of me
with a long distinctive ponytail and she seemed to be running strong and pretty
close to the pace I was looking for. I
caught up to her and stayed just behind her right shoulder, she was running a
perfect pace for me and was not looking like she was going to fade,
perfect! Then she stopped at the water
table and my pacer was gone, I just inhaled and dug deep to keep my pace going
4K to go, the wind was noticeable and blew a bit harder when I turned the
corner. I heard footsteps coming from
behind me, they sounded familiar, and she was back! Great news, she got ahead of me said
something to me I said something along the line of thanks for pacing me in and
we ran together until the last mile when she gradually picked up the pace and
pulled away from me. I only had a mile
left and anyone can run a mile, right? I
was depleted! My legs were screaming at
me and my brain was telling me all sorts of things like you were too aggressive
with your pace, you should take a short walk-break… then I heard someone yell
out to me “Boston Strong”, Yes I am Boston Strong I thought and sucked up as much
air as I could and put my head down and just ran. 1K to go Ok I was going to
kick it up for the last K? No I’m not my
legs very quickly told me I was going to maintain but not surge to the
line. The line, I should be able to see
that by now shouldn’t I? what a cruel joke, they have you climb a little knoll make
a left turn then a slight downhill before a right turn then with only 400m to
go I could see what I hoped to be the finish line. I was absolutely spent I tried to pick it up
but could not and by this time my hand and feet were tingling and I was feeling
a little light headed, then I noticed off to the left the familiar orange of a
Boston jacket, it was Lori! I was there
I was at the finish line! Just run! I looked at the clock and saw 3:17:?? I crossed
and stumbled for a moment and one of the catchers approached me, “No, I’m OK” I
told them. They looked at me as if to
ask are you sure? Yes, I was sure I had
just ran my first marathon in two years, my first after starting chemo
treatments and I had managed to run a personal best time to boot.
I was more than OK, I was elated! John Stanton was at the finish area placing
medals on finishers and I went to him for mine, some water, juice and food now
the challenge of finding Lori & the Pataky’s then to their place for a well-earned
soak in the tub and some real food.
Frank found me wandering around the finish area and directed me through
the maze, I was done and safe now to rest and plan for my next marathon.
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| Me just 100m or so from the finish line! |
Yes I am that sick I was still reeling in pain walking like
a zombie and already thinking of my next marathon, this autumn in Victoria I think…
