Ready, Set, Go!

Last weekend (Thanksgiving), Margot ran her very first race! It was a 1km, named "The Turkey Trot". Well, she did more than trotting! She ran her heart out.

Pre-race

Her two biggest feats:
-Running all by herself (without a parent)
-Running the entire 1km course (and not walking)

The annual event was Fall Colours, which hosts many different races (from marathons to 1km) every Thanksgiving Sunday. The 1km course is around the Cumberland Village (a pioneer village).

Warming up.
The sky cleared up.

Simon ran the 5km. He did quite well (!) and came in 7th place (out of 289). Apparently, the 5km course was quite hilly, albeit beautiful with the colourful leaves.

Simon passing those slow pokes!

Approaching the finish line. Only 100 meters to go!

Overall, it was a lovely morning filled with smiles and good cheer!

The racers: father and daughter

Margot ran 1km in 6.01 minutes!
Here she is enjoying her well-earned granola bar.

32:57

This morning, I ran a 5km race. Run for the Animals (Ottawa Humane Society race).
My time: 32:57.

I did it! Soaked from head to toe!

Awesome!
I really didn't think I was going to beat my last timed race (in May), but I did!
It was a rainy morning (as you can tell from the pics).

i'm a bit unsure about this race... hum...

The course was covered with puddles and there was a downpour a few minutes after I reached the finish line. I was drenched by the end of it.

My 7-week training for this race had lots of ups and downs, mostly due to the hot days, a cold and our visit to Toronto. During these last few things I didn't even want to run the race anymore...

However, despite my hesitation this morning (especially when seeing all that rain!), this race went better than expected. I'm proud that I ran the entire course. I'm also proud that I beat my time (this wasn't really planned). Both my watch and my iPod failed me (what are the odds??!) and I had no idea on how I was doing for time and no music to keep me going.

Margot signed up to run the 1km Kid's Run, but it was cancelled due to the weather. Boo! Here she is, all geared up to go:

Fun: A 33.28 Race

 Facts:

• 4pm on a Saturday - great time slot for running!
• 10 850 runners in the 5km. (48 000 runners this Ottawa Race Weekend - 5km,10km, 1/2 and full marathons)
• Really crowded: runners and spectators.
• Nice course (along the canal)

Pre-Race:
I have been training for this 5km since March 29th (8-week training); running three days a week; following a running schedule (walk/run; timed runs, etc) Felt ready. My goal was to to run a 5 km under 30 minutes, which was feasible since I was running 5km in 27, 28 (sometimes even 26!) minutes, with a pace of approximately 5.30"/ km.When I originally signed up, I decided to be in the green Corral (31-33 minutes), but then switched to the faster one of 28-30 minutes (yellow corral - shown in the picture below). Got it under control!
Now, how did I know I was running a 5km distance? By consistently trusting my Nike+ app on my 2012 (or is it 2011?)  iPod.

The Race:
Felt good. Ran the  entire distance. Good pace. Still had energy at the end. Never out of breath. Felt like a solid run.

The Reality:
33.28!!! ??? Really?? There must be a mistake… somewhere… My training proved that…  Maybe I was running much slower…maybe I was distracted by all those other runners…            until…
Simon asked me to check the website Map My Run (which does what it claims it does). This morning I started mapping my runs (the ones I was running during my training). So… the "5km" my iPod was indicating was really 4km! My iPod was totally off!!! (and it's not because I made a mistake with miles or set up, etc.)

My cheering squad. They're just so cute!

Lessons to be Learned:
i) Never trust technology.  What I mean is: never trust only one source of technology.
ii) You don't miraculously become a faster runner in the span of a few months. It takes time and dedication and a bit of seriousness.


My Concluding Thoughts:

• I'm quite proud of myself for running a 5km. And, if I'm doing my math correctly, (basing it on 28 minutes for 4km), I did pretty good time!
• This was my second race and my first official timed one. 
• I think I'm more like a smaller race person…like the first one I did.
• Will I do another one? Maybe in the fall… TBC

And Just for the Stats: (because we all care, right?)
Overall:  4780/10849
For women: 2322/6478
For my age group (35-39): 276/731

I Did It!

33:56 (including a brief 5-second Margot kiss near the end of the finish line). My first ever race.

Post-race thoughts:
-It was a small race (250 participants). I like that!
-It didn't feel competitive.
-Myself and about a dozen other runners didn't wear the race T-shirt (given when I picked up my race kit). I felt a bit out-of-place. I thought it was a faux-pas wearing the T-shirt (judging from the gigantic 42 000 participants Ottawa Race Weekend in May) and I wanted Simon and Margot to recognize me (which wasn't a problem at all)
-I was way too fast at the beginning of the race. Everyone just zoomed through the starting line! I followed the crowd, but then realized that my pace was too quick and slowed down to my comfort zone.
- I ran for 16 minutes (when I hit the 2.5km mark), then walked for 2 minutes, then ran to the finish line (for about 14 minutes)
-My goal was to run in less than 40 minutes. I achieved it!
-5 km is the perfect length for me.

I'm the one in red with my arms in the air.

My cheering crew

Running

Yes. I started. I started running.
I admit that in the past I was a runner basher " Who can possibly enjoy the torture? In +30 degrees, -30, in rain, in snow. Why? What is so fun about running?" I didn't get it. Note: I still don't get those obsessive joggers.
However, at the beginning of August, taking full advantage of the nice weather and a reason to leave the house, I laced my mom's old running shoes (they fit perfectly and even though they are past their prime, I like them and have never had any issues with them), grabbed my iPod ("running away" playlist) and double (and triple) checked  my goal from my "couch to 5km" training schedule. And I just started running.
I'm doing a walk-run program, which is a gentle initiation to running. Nothing too hardcore and I don't beat myself up if I miss a day in the week. Or even an entire week (which happened at least twice since I began my schedule)

Last weekend, I decided to sign up for a race (and not just think about signing up). Like most big decisions (and this is big for me), I did a lot of research. There's only so many races in Ottawa in the fall (it's not like 30 will be added in the next few weeks) . Luckily, Ottawa is a race city which means that there are many races every month. Which one to choose??? For me, the cause is also important. Did I really want to race for the Wellness campaign in aid of the Government of Canada workplace or the Ottawa hospital emergency services? So I chose the Children's Make A Wish Foundation. I'm not soliciting anyone for donations, I just want to run for something which I believe in. It's in 2 weeks and I'm doing well in my "training". I'm on week 7 (out of 8-week training), which means that I'm now running 12 minutes + 2 minutes walk x3.   I have no idea how long 5 km is, but I think that I'm running that distance... We'll see on race day!   (update: today I ran 30 minutes non-stop for 3.88km - it felt great!)

This is me after my run today. This is what I wear: beat-up running shoes, rolled-up yoga pants,  cotton T-shirt and long-sleeved (cotton is a big no-no), $5 shades. I have a stick in my right hand which I hold when I jog ( it works!) and it's the only time I sport a watch)

Here's why I like running:
-It's simple.
-It gives me a reason to listen to upbeat tunes.
-It doesn't take a lot of time (compared to a 90-minute yoga class)
-I'm outside!!! BIG PLUS!!!
-I feel refreshed after a run (and after a shower)
-I'm out of the house (not like practicing yoga at home)

The location of the run is also important. At first, I was running around my neighbourhood: lots of road options, not a lot of cars, lots of uphills...  But recently I started running on the NCC path by the water: it's easy access, lots of trees, I can run on the grass by the bike path (I feel like I'm doing trail running), it's calm (except on weekends when cyclists and rollerbladers take over). Also, last weekend, I ran on the Sugarbush trail in Gatineau Park while Simon and Margot were walking. That was fun!