Marathon Weekend in Saskatchewan Part 1

Well, it has actually been a year since the last marathon... so here we go.  As you probably know by now, I'm running the Manitoba Marathon in a few weeks (primarily because I fell behind in training for the Saskatchewan Marathon), so tomorrow I'll be running the 5K race--I can't fathom the idea of being in town and not participating in the event.
Luckily the race expo was held at Prairieland Park once again, and not TCU place like last year.  Truth be told, there wasn't much doing at the expo when I got there.  I didn't stay too long--just long enough to pick up my race bib and tech shirt--because I had just finished a 32K run (mostly on the marathon course, interestingly enough) and still hadn't had more than 700 calories all day, despite burning 2900 on the long run alone.
The Saskatoon Road Runners had their booth as usual, and I saw a few familiar faces.  Because I'm the least talkative person to ever operate a blog, I probably spoke only a handful of words in procuring my bib and shirt.  That changed when I ran into a member of the run clubs named Sue--we exchanged the latest and gave our thoughts on the next day's race.

Then it was over.  One of the events I await all year was quite literally over (for me) in minutes.  I should say that I admire the volunteers for giving so much of themselves and their time.  I feel guilty for not volunteering.  Granted I had a 32K run on the agenda, but that's an excuse.  Next year!  Until then, however, I will volunteer at local races!


I took a single photo while inside the hall.  New Balance Saskatoon (which I've supported quite enthusiastically) had a selection of shoes on hand.  I suppose I could have used my Mastercard to acquire more shoes, but in light of a recent instagram post, I think I need to abstain.

That moment when you realize how many running shoes you own. I go through a pair per month--on average. Maybe it's time to start donating? #runningshoes #running #runningaddict #newbalance

A photo posted by John (@misterspalding) on May 26, 2016 at 12:02pm PDT

Mogathon cancellation, Saskatchewan Marathon news and more

With just over a week until the Saskatchewan Marathon, I feel pretty good.  Now, as you know, I've switched from the full marathon to the 5k (as such, I'll be running the Manitoba Marathon in June).  I'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel like I was missing out on something special by missing the full marathon, but such is life.  The Saskatchewan Marathon is now the largest racing event in Saskatoon, btw.
And this brings me to the next topic of discussion:

One of the things I just don't understand is why the good races are disappearing from Saskatoon.  As everyone knows, the last iteration of the Bridge City Boogie was in 2014.  This time it's the Mogathon.  At least with the Mogathon we can speculate that timing was probably what killed it.  Holding the race mere weeks after the Saskatchewan Marathon (i.e. the race that most serious runners participate in) probably didn't help--though oddly enough, in 2015 the Mayor's Day Marathon event occurred days after the Sask Marathon.   There is no Mayor's Day race this year, it seems.

Although the race organizers did the right thing in agreeing to refund everyone's registration fees, they ought to have released a statement explaining the reason why the race is cancelled.  Truth be told, I'm hesitant to set aside time in 2017 before knowing what happened in 2016.

Switching from the Marathon to the 5K...

A funny thing happened when I was running along the seawall in Vancouver... I started to feel an old and familiar pain in my upper hamstring.  To make a long story short, I noticed the very same malady that had struck me in 2014.  Now rather than living in denial and getting injured, I've decided to not to do any more long runs (e.g. 15k+) until I've got some treatment and recovered.  The one exception to this is the upcoming Saskatoon Police Half Marathon on May 1.

Other than that, I have to admit that I'm really excited about trying to get under 20 minutes in the 5k, so my training will continue.

So yes, for the third year in a row, I'll be participating at an event at the Saskatchewan Marathon.