Brainsport
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 5K
Time: 23:56
Post Race Meal: Tim Hortons
Comments:
I chased the Gingerbread Man for five kilometres. There, I said it. This was a fun 'race' from Brainsport down to Saskatchewan Crescent and back The elevation profile was not ideal, but it presented an interesting mid-run challenge in the form of a few rolling hills. My best kilometre was the first, which I ran in about 4:26. This event was a lot of fun.
7/10/2016
River Landing
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 10K
Time: 51:26
Post Race Meal: Tim Hortons
Comments:
PR. What can I really say? I wasn't sure I was even going to run the race until right before the starting gun (thanks to some soft tissue concerns in my left hip). I ran a half marathon pace the whole way through, and finished in one piece. Mission accomplished. On another note, it's nice to finally make it through the bulk of the local races without serious injury. There really aren't any more big races in Saskatoon in 2016.
6/19/2016
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Distance: 42K/26M
Time: 4:39:16
Post Race Meal: A&W Poutine + Chocolate Milk + Banana + Chapman's Electrolyte Pop
Comments:
It's an extraordinary feeling to cross the finish line on the track in the stadium at U of M. Winnipeg really is one of the better cities to run in--it's flat, relatively low elevation (280 metres), moderate temperatures and really terrific support from the local communities. I saw quite a few spectators cheering on marathoners. I'll have a more thorough recap on the blog.
5/29/2016
Prairieland Park
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 5K
Time: 23:42
Comments:
I ran 32K the day before, so I'm really proud of this result. The day started off with a 1.5K run to the start line, which was pretty much on the course... so it probably seemed a little strange to the volunteers. At any rate, I maintained a smooth pace the entire way and finished strong. I definitely feel like I can hold my head up high.
5/8/2016
Ceremonial Circle, Frame Lake Trail
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
Distance: 5K
Time: 25:14
Comments:
Another week, another race. I didn't go for a personal best--after last week's half marathon, I wasn't exactly recovered (a fact that was reinforced about 250 metres in to the race when I had to back off a bit).
I ran a pretty steady 4:59/k pace and finished pretty strong.
The race took place on the Frame Lake Trail near City Hall. Although the trail was paved, the elevation profile had about 86 metres of uphill, including a few steep ascents. I noted on my walk-through on Saturday that the trail was at maximum elevation around 196 metres (less than half of Saskatoon), yet despite this I found the air to be thinner than Saskatoon, though not quite as thin as Banff. It's possible that I imagined this, but I found it particularly difficult to run faster than 4:45/k without getting winded. Still, I really enjoyed my time in Yellowknife, and I think the folks at the YK Multisport Club did a heck of a job putting together the event. Having now taken seven different flights in the last 30 days, it'll be nice to be in Saskatoon for the next race--there's something to be said about the comfort of your own bed the night before a race.
5/1/2016
Police Headquarters
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 21K
Time: 1:49:20
Post race meal: Arby's.
Comments: I've been waiting two years to have another crack at this specific race (given how badly it went in 2014), and I'm happy to say that I had a perfect race. I carbed-up properly, started off perfectly, took in fuel during the race perfectly; and somehow the stars aligned.
This year's race had terrific weather (i.e. sunny) and quite a lot of participants. The mayor of Saskatoon (who ran the 5k) spoke beforehand, as did the race organizers.
The course itself was mostly on the Meewasin Trail, though not entirely. The first and final few kilometres wound through the city streets, from the University Bridge at the beginning, over through the City Park neighbourhood near the end. I ran a 5:10/k pace, which I didn't think would happen. Truth be told, my goal was to get under 2 hours and maybe get under 1:55. I really didn't think I'd have this good of a race. But when you train hard you will see results.
The highlight of the race was seeing my spouse and our kids just before the finish. Of course nothing beats the experience of your kids running up to you post race.
4/9/2016
Hyde Creek Recreational Centre
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia
Distance: 5K
Time: 22:55
Post race meal: Sausage McMuffin.
Comments: PR! I wasn't 100% for this one, thanks to some lagging hamstring issues, but I felt well enough to run a pretty steady pace throughout the race. The morning began with an early wake-up in Vancouver, followed by a half hour drive to Port Coquitlam. I warmed up and did a little bit of pre-race running. Pre-race fuel included a Ginger Snap Honey Stinger Waffle as a Fruit Punch Honey Stinger gel--I nearly forgot these items entirely, but somehow remembered 15 minutes before the race started. The course itself is on the local trail which is mostly gravel (!), but after the gun to signal the beginning of the race, I didn't give it much thought, nor did it really present an impediment. I ran the first kilometre at about 4:00 minutes, and the first mile at 6:58. I should note here that I did a walk-through of the race course the day before. I find this to be a very useful activity if you want to get a real sense of what to expect (narrow passages, street crossings, topography and such). I noted a subtle, yet important, change in elevation through the course. Unlike much of BC, this part of Port Coquitlam is pretty flat. Yet, the course begins with a slight downhill and ends with a slight uphill. My philosophy is that you want to bank time when running downhill, and so I probably banked a few extra seconds at the beginning (interestingly, I probably finished as fast as I started). Alas, thanks to a few lingering issues I faded from a 4:05-4:10 pace to a 4:30-4:40 pace for much of the race. I felt a lot of tightness in my calves, and the unwelcome pangs of my sciatic nerve running from my right glutes along my right hamstring. It'll be fine. All-in-all, I was very pleased to get a PR, and am looking forward to Yellowknife!
3/6/2016
Brainsport
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 21K
Time: 01:57:06
Post race meal: Muscle Milk.
Comments: PR! I've been trying for two years to get to this point. I cruised the entire way and felt good nearly the entire time. What a race! You can read my expanded recap here.
2/7/2016
Vimy Memorial
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 21K
Time: 02:07:24
Post race meal: Muscle Milk.
Comments: Icy icy ways today. Yet, I accomplished my goal of running a half marathon at a reasonable pace and not getting injured. Poor on-course support and somber atmosphere make this a race for hard core local runners. Still I accomplished my mission, so that's good!
5/31/2015
Prairieland Park
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 42.195K
Time: 05:32:45
Rank: 166/225
Post race meal: Taco Time!
Comments: Well, this was the race I've been waiting for my whole life. It was tough, but I survived. The course was sunny and warm. Plenty of aid stations with Gu and Gatorade. I have a much longer recap here.
8/23/2014
Archibald Park
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 5K
Time: 29:37
Pace: 9:32
Post race meal: Gatorade and BK.
Comments: Lovely weather for racing! There was a slight chill in the air (this is Canada, folks) which made it perfect for running. The course was an out and back along the Meewasin Trail along the South Saskatchewan River. There were plenty of dips along the way, but it wasn't an issue.
The real story here is that I bounced back from a terrible case of IT Band Syndrome and a case of tendonitis in the tendon next to my right hamstring. What a joy that was. On the other hand I learned how to deal with these maladies rather effectively. When I say I "bounced back," I mean to say that I was able to complete the race, albeit having lost over 5 minutes off my 5k time. Part of that can be attributed to weight gain, but let's face it, when you run sparingly for two months bad things happen.
There was one aid station on the 5k route (right at the turn around point). There were plenty of goings-on prior to (and after) the race, though I missed all of it.
6/15/2014
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Distance: 21K (Half Marathon)
Time: 2:06:40
Pace: 9:36
Best Split: 8:17
10k: 54:59 (PR)
Rank: 1511/3127
Post race meal: Chocolate milk, sun chips, banana, half whole wheat bagel.
Comments: Another rainy race. We started at six minutes after 7am--the delay was owed to a vehicle that stalled on the course. The course started at the University of Manitoba and wound up Pembina into a residential section. Runners were met along the route by a lot of locals with signs--a few even wanted to slap us five as we ran by.
The aid stations were more numerous and more useful than was the case at the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon. Water and Gatorade were available, as were soaked sponges; at one point, volunteers were handing out sticks with Vaseline (for chaffing). I stayed hydrated by drinking water with GU Brew. I fueled with Salted Caramel GU (3 packs total- taken once before the race, and twice during). All-in-all, I never felt tired.
6/08/2014
Prairieland Park
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 10K
Time: 57:01
Pace: 9:10
Post race meal: Arby's.
Comments: I decided to run without my phone (and thus, without runtastic and music). No regrets, though I might have sucked it up and tried for a PR if I had known what my timing was like. But yeah, my right calf tightening up made the race tougher than it needed to be. Still a lot of fun.
5/25/2014
Prairieland Park
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 5K
Time: 24:18
Pace: 7:49
Best Split: 7:36
Rank: 20/277
Post race meal: Fruit Punch Gatorade, Chocolate Milk and Burger King.
Comments: This is the province's signature 5k race (we had Olympians running today), and I'm proud that I could come out and be a part of the event. Running in Saskatchewan is much different than running in Ontario, New York or places out east near the sea level because of the elevation; it's also different from Alberta because the air seems a bit drier, if that makes any sense. Jasmine and I great time watching the 10k, half marathon and full marathon runner finish. The weather was perfect... until about a few minutes after we left, and the rain began.
5/11/2014
Victoria Park
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 5K
Time: 24:33
Post race meal: Green apple Gatorade, Arby's Roast Beef!, Tim Horton's Iced Coffee and Cinnamon Bun
Comments: Jasmine and I had quite a lot of fun on what was a pretty exciting day. I ought to note that I did break the cardinal rule of racing, and tried two new things on race morning. For one, I drank Gatorade (as opposed to Crystal Light), and this seemed to help a bit. And I also used Kinesiology tape for the first time and taped the side of my knee. I gotta tell you, it sure felt great not to be bothered by my knee... especially on a course like this one.
4/27/2014
Downtown Core
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Distance: 21K (Half Marathon)
Time: 2:19:18
Pace: 10:15
Best Split: 8:46
Rank: 42/57
AG: 43.38%
Post race meal: Chocolate Milk, Iced Coffee and Blueberry Muffin from Tim Hortons
Comments: Some days you have it, some days you don't. Let's look at the positive: I finished...
3/16/2014
Louise McKinney Park
Edmonton, Alberta
Distance: 10K
Time: 56:47:53
Pace: 9:26:00
Best Split: 9:13:00
Rank: 65/240
AG: 48.94%
Post race meal: Iced Coffee and Timbit from Tim Hortons
Comments: I treated this more like a training run than an actual race. This had to do with some pain in my left lateral ligament of my left knee (a complication from SI Joint pain) that had been aggravated by running a sub 8 minute pace at the 5k race the previous day. The course itself wasn't too bad, as far as hills go, but the hill at the end is a tad bit difficult if you typically gun it at the end of the race... and who doesn't?
3/15/2014
Eau Claire Market
Calgary, Alberta
Distance: 5K
Time: 24:02:00
Pace: 7:45:00
Best Split: 7:10:00
Rank: 9/165
AG: 55.55%
Temperature: 0C/34F
Post race meal: Arby's
Comments: My first top ten finish. Really love the red technical racing shirt. Calgary was a surprising experience. We stayed in a hotel near where the Calgary Stampeders play.
3/2/2014
City Hall
Burlington, Ontario
Distance: Half Marathon
Time: 1:57:38
Pace: 9:00:00
Best Split: 8:35:00
Rank: 930/2070
AG: 51.26%
Weather: -17C / 1F, Frigid
Post race meal: Pizza Hut
Comments: My goal was to finish in under 2 hours, and I did it. Burlington is a nice little city about an hour west of Toronto.
2/8/2014
Hudson River Park
New York, New York
Distance: 5K
Time: 24:48:00
Pace: 7:58:00
Best Split: 7:30:00
Rank: 17/183
AG: 53.23%
Temperature: 25F
Post race meal: Starbucks
Comments: My first top 20 finish. Participants received a running shirt that denoted that they were "Available" or "Unavailable," as determined by their relationship status.
2/2/2014
Central Park
New York, New York
Distance: 4M
Time: 32:12:00
Pace: 8:03:00
Best Split: 7:46:00
Rank: 1421/5961
AG: 54.17%
Weather: 46F, 83% Humidity, Wind 3 mph, Fair.
Post race meal: Hot Sausage from street vendor at 57th and 5th.
Comments: My favorite 4 mile race, and my favorite of my Central Park. "trilogy" of races. I raced in an official New York Jets jersey. Someone had to represent the Jets, right? Though not as fun as fireworks and techno tunnels, this particular race provided me with great satisfaction.
1/11/2014
Central Park
New York, New York
Distance: 10K
Time: 55:23:00
Pace: 8:56:00
Best Split: 8:20:00
Rank: 2052/4762
AG: 50.19%
Weather: 52F, 93% humidity, drizzle & fog.
Post race meal: Buttered Roll and Iced Coffee from Street Vendor
Comments: Noteworthy for the miserable humidity because of the rain. Experienced pretty intense discomfort from SI Joint pain. Haha... I was happy when it was over.
12/31/2013 & 01/01/2014
Central Park
New York, New York
Distance: 4M
Time: 34:30:00
Pace: 8:38:00
Best Split: 7:43:00
Rank: ----
AG: ----
Weather: 22F, 44% humidity, wind 6 mph.
Post race meal: None.
Comments: Technically a fun run. Rather cold running conditions. Halfway through the course, runners ran through a techno tunnel. Odd, but fun. This was certainly the most fun I've had running in Central Park... though it should be noted that I've only run in the park a few times, and only for races.
12/15/2013
Firefighters Field
Roosevelt Island, New York
Distance: 5K
Time: 24:58:00
Pace: 8:03:00
Best Split: 7:40:00
Rank: 51/518
AG: 53.48%
Temperature: 37F
Post race meal: Iced Coffee from Dunkin Donuts
Comments: My lone visit to Roosevelt Island. Fun seeing so many runners on the F train. This was one of the coldest winters on record for New York, and the course was really icy despite the temp being above freezing.
12/8/2013
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Riverside Park
New York, New York
Distance: 5K
Time: 25:56:00
Pace: 8:20:00
Best Split: 8:17:00
Rank: 93/470
AG: 51.48%
Temperature: 32F
Post race meal: Blueberry Muffin (provided by race organizers).
Comments: I did this race *one day* after the Jingle Bell Jog. Anthony Edwards of Top Gun and ER fame was present and gave a mini-speech before the race. Oddly enough, I kept the same pace throughout the entire race.
12/7/2013
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Prospect Park
Brooklyn, New York
Distance 4 Miles
Time: 34:30:00
Pace: 8:38:00
Best Split: 7:47:00
Rank: 1350/5353
AG: 50.57 %
Weather: 37F, 73% Humidity, Fair.
Post race meal: Meat pie from Dub Pies in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn.
Comments: Big event with a few local celebrities. The course has an elevation gain/decline of about 132 meters. I was corralled near the back with the slow folks and walkers. So it took a mile of passing slower runners before I hit my stride.
11/17/2013
Fred Lebow Cross Country ChampionshipVan Cortlandt Park
Bronx, New York
Distance: 5K
Time: 30:23:00
Pace: 9:48:00
Best Split: 8:56:00
Rank: 328/400
AG: 43.95 %
Temp: 55F
Post race meal: Burger King.
Comments: My first ever race. Wore a compression sleeve on my right knee. Course had a *brutal* hill about 1 mile in--hence my +30 minute time. The elevation gain was 100 meters... all at once. :0.
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