Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.
- Steve Prefontaine
Yesterday, November 1st, 2009, was a humongous day in Christine Pastrak history. I managed to do what most people cannot even think of doing. Actually, even I once thought such a thing was insane. Yesterday I proved myself wrong, and it is the best feeling in the world.
The Road 2 Hope Marathon was the longest race/run I have ever completed. AND IT WAS AMAZING! The course started in the parking lot of Saltfleet High School on the Stoney Creek mountain and went this way: Highland, to (right on) Second Rd, to (right on)Golf Club, to (left on ) Trinity Church Rd, to (right on) Dickenson, to (right on) Miles, to (right on) Twenty, to (left) on Glover, to (right on) Rhymal, to (right on) Paramount, to (left onto) the Red Hill Expressway, exit at Barton St, to (left on)Barton, to (right on) Woodward, to (right on) Beach Blvd, to following Beach Blvd to the SkyWay Bridge, to following the last 7k to the finish line. PHEW!
The course was beautiful. The upper portion of the course went through mostly country property, and through some residential areas that I'd still consider country enough (if there's no sidewalks and there's a barn in the area, it's country to me). Running on the Red Hill Express way was EXTREMELY cool! That was the only portion of the race I had not actually run on first hand just because to do so would likely have ended in death. I had previously run on the actual ground of the remainder of the course throughout my training. The Red Hill road was so big and enveloping; truly amazing! I felt so mighty, yet insignificant in comparison to the size of the road. After the Red Hill portion, the rest was previously conquered territory from Around the Bay. The Woodward to Beach Blvd. roads are a part of the first half of Around the Bay, which I had ran last March. I'm excited to meet those roads again this coming March.
The weather was definitely on the side of all the runners yesterday. It was cool to start, but I hadn't even made it to Hwy. 20 (the first intersection of the race) before I was taking my make-shift arm warmers (these were men's trouser socks cut off at the feet. The Den's warmers weren't my style, being bright orange and blue, and Andrew had this brilliant idea!) off and tucking them into my fuel belt. I ran the whole race in just my short sleeve shirt and running vest with my spring running pants (with gloves off and on... it could get breezy and cooler at some points). The sun came out periodically, just enough to warm things up in the right spots. The entire last stretch along the Confed trail was bright and sunny, a perfect welcoming over the finish line where my chocolate milk was waiting for me.
It was NOT by any means easy! Not at all. The top portion was all flat with a few minor dips and rises along Twenty Rd, but nothing significant enough to call an actual "hill". Then came the most welcomed decent following the Red Hill, where I gained a bit of momentum, but was scared to go full out. I had been talking with various more experienced marathoners at the Runner's Den and they all agreed that, last year, because they went full out down the expressway, they had so much difficulty picking it back up again to complete the second half. I was determined to not let this happen to me. I definitely took advantage of gravity's natural course, but also held back a bit too to ensure that I'd be able to maintain a strong and steady pace to get me over the finish line.
I ran non-stop for 32 kilometers, minus no more than 5 steps at 3 water stations along the way (I've quite mastered drinking on the go!). THIS was monumental for me! But (and I'm not sure if I've mentioned this in previous blogs but,) I had been experiencing some pretty significant pain in the quad muscle in my right leg, which later put some stress on my knee. In the days that preceded the race, the pain seemed to dissipate, which thrilled me. But it was still there. Dull, but there. So I took some ibuprofen before the race, hoping it would last me to the end. It did pretty good, but I think all the pavement pounding just got to it and I began to feel more significant pain when I chose to walk a bit at the marker for 32k. After that I couldn't get back into a decent pace with the pain in my leg. I had 10k to go and had I chosen to take more ibuprofen it wouldn't have worked in time, and therefore it would have just been a waste. I just ran through the pain for 10k to the end. It was brutal.
What helped? My beautiful, amazing, friends. I knew some of them wanted to come and see me at the finish line, but they truly went above and beyond, confirming for me that I am a very lucky person! As I made my way down the Red Hill, at the marker for 26k, there were Kylie and Ben on the side of the road. I wanted to cry I was so happy to see them. Then they met up with Katherine, Joe and their puppy Brock at the marker for 35k. And then they all cheered me in at the finish line. IT WAS AMAZING, and I don't think I deserved all or any of that. But it meant and extreme amount of indescribable love for all of them to take the time to come out and basically watch me run past them, then to drive to a new location (TWICE) to see me do it again. I am so lucky. So, so, so lucky to know these people. I love them all. I do very much.
Anyway, back to the hard stuff. If you've been reading my blogs for a while now, you may remember me talking about Around the Bay and the enormous show of support from all the people on the sides of the road. For The Bay, people line the streets banging on pots, shaking tambourines, banging cow bells, clapping, cheering, holding out treats, playing loud music and holding signs. This was not as much the case for Road 2 Hope. The race is still relatively new (I believe this was only the 3rd of 4th time), so maybe the people in these new race areas haven't quite caught the spirit the people lining the streets of The Bay course have. I would have appreciated some cow bell up there. Or just a "nice legs" sign like I saw on Northshore for the Bay last year. I like seeing the people and feeling their encouragement. It definitely makes a HUGE difference when you feel you just want to give up and walk.
I have to pay HUGE respect to all the organizers (Gord and Esther Pauls) and all the volunteers who helped make this event a success. The race marshals were outstanding, and the students who volunteered their time to hand out water and Gatorade did an amazing job! It's pretty hard to get up in the cold to serve cold water to a bunch of in a hurry runners who, lets be honest, aren't the friendliest in the middle of a 26 miler. They had great spirit though, and put up with a lot, I'm sure (if only in the cup clean up! Yikes!).
I felt decent after that run, better than what I saw in most people. I could walk relatively fluently, while others hobbled. Today though... I'm walking like a 90year old. But I'll say that it's still just my right quad that's giving me problems. Otherwise I feel tip top! Hopefully things come back to normal relatively soon.
The advisable plan is to take approximately 3 weeks off of running completely in order to recover. Yeah, I'm not sure how that is going to go. Running is a passion of mine, and to not be able to do it for THAT long is going to be sheer torture! Maybe it will be a good thing, though, in order for my leg to heal. I'll have to cross-train to stay in shape and keep busy (note to self: get advice on cross-training during recovery. Staying busy won't be a problem at all, haha).
I'm very proud of myself today.
"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
- Sir Roger Bannister, first man to break the four minute mile
No comments:
Post a Comment