Lessons, Learned

Yesterday I set out for 18k, my longest long training run yet, fully prepared. I couldn't believe how prepared I looked as I passed the hall mirror on my way out the door: Spibelt AND wristlet AND water bottle? I was dripping gear. I had a new route all plotted out in my head, but also mapped out on my computer in case Devan needed to send out a search party. Even my blood sugars were conciliatory: 8.0 and steady, a perfect starting number.

I ended up running 22k completely by mistake.

My Google training calendar was not pleased with me, not at all.

My plan was to run north and east, catch the Belt Line, loop through Mt. Pleasant cemetery, enter the ravine system, let it dump me back onto St. Clair and end up around Bathurst. Then I'd grab the streetcar and head home--1:30 mins, 1:40 tops. And it would have worked out that way (near perfect!) if I hadn't forgotten my Metropass at home. 8k into the run I realized I didn't have my pass or enough change to get myself home. I balked. In an effort to shorten the overall distance, I just headed north, thinking that I'd run into the cemetery sooner or later. This became my 1st Time Getting Lost. Who knew the UCC campus could be so confusing?

I finally found the Belt Line, and then the cemetery. I thought things were smoothing out until I hit my 2nd Time Getting Lost. Mount Pleasant is all curvy roads that lead NOWHERE. I did come across a map...one that had two separate 'You Are Here' dots marked on it. I walked in circles for at least fifteen minutes. Ghosts were moving faster than me.

Finally, finally, I found Moore Park Ravine. This trail, at least, was consistent, even if I had absolutely no clue where I was in the city. I checked my blood sugar somewhere past the Brick Works and realized I'd been cruising along with a blood sugar of 3.5. This is probably the point where I started to cry: lost in the east end, dangerously low blood sugar, no phone, no Metropass, and miles to go. Assumed I'd see Death but all I saw were golden retrievers.

I kept going, and kept GUing. I made it to St. Clair and Bathurst, my original end point, and conceded to keep running. I'd hoped to run this one at an easy pace, but the longer it went on the more I just wanted to be back home--so I ran fast. Really fast. Too fast?

In the end, according to mapmyrun and my shitty watch, I ran 22.2k in about 1:55. That is definitely NOT easy long run pace, but it does give me hope for the Scotiabank Half and future races. I'm wiped out today, but my legs don't ache very much. And, apart from my panic attacks, I felt good the whole time.

Lessons I learned:
1. Bring Metropass if planning a route that requires a Metropass to get home.
2. Bring phone, why not.
3. The east end is terrifying.

Longboat Toronto Island 10k

Man, what a mess.

Not my race, necessarily. That one started out messy (old splinty) but turned itself around near the end. No, the race itself was a mess. From start to finish, ferry to island, beginning to end.

This was the race's biggest year to date, selling out a few days before. Unfortunately, that meant that this once small, once sweet race was now way too big for its britches.

Even though the race instructions encouraged us to take the 9:30am ferry, we decided it made more sense to wait until the subway opened at 9 and chance the 10am ferry. Not my smartest decision: the ticket booth lineup stretched well past the Westin, all the way onto Queen's Quay. Hundreds of people deep. I knew I wasn't totally screwed since the line was full of people wearing race bibs, but there were no race volunteers in sight to help us out. I really didn't want to be forced onto the 10:30 ferry--the race was supposed to start at 11:15, and I still needed multiple chances to pee. People were getting frantic. The ferry to Hanlan's Point was out of service that morning--maybe they could have arranged for it to carry racers, exclusively? Hell, even a sign would've helped.

We managed to find a slightly shorter line, buy our tickets, and eventually jostle onto the 10am boat. I may or may not have shoved a stroller in the process; I definitely smacked a dog out of my way. The ferry was at least 10 minutes late, as it is wont to do. We chugged along. Things were not going swimmingly.

Once we got to the race site we were told that the first event, the 5k, would be delayed by "15 minutes or so". A few minutes later we were told the 10k would start "in about 25 minutes". This was not ideal. I had lowered my basal rate over an hour before, which meant that my blood sugars were only on the rise. I needed to start running, fast.

I started walking to the starting line when a volunteer ran past and screamed "hurry up! We're holding the start for you!" Um, what? 25 minutes became 2 minutes instantaneously.

A ridiculously narrow starting line filled with 1000 runners left me weaving and dodging slow bodies for the first 2k or so. The next 3k I spent battling shin splints. Once that pain faded, as it always does, I ran on my own for the rest of the race. I managed a negative split, which was lovely, and finished just over my goal time in 50:27. Yes, again, not bad.

It was a beautiful day, a nice little loop around the island, and a decent effort. But had this race been smaller, it would have made all the difference. My time, when compared to last year's results, would have netted me 4th place in my age category in 2010. This year, with the higher number of runners, it only got me to 14th place.

We left quickly to avoid more chaos on the ferry back downtown. Didn't even get to go on the swan ride.