Around the Bay

I slotted the Around the Bay 30k into my race calendar as an expectation, not a goal. The big stupid May marathon was the goal (um, still haven't registered for that yet). This was just a race, just 8.9k longer than a half, just something to do one weekend in late March. Of course I'd get through it. My expectations lowered even more in the week leading up to the race: my shins had been bothering me, I'd bailed on an 8k tempo less than halfway through, and we moved--our bodies, our selves!--into a new apartment a mere two days before the race. So now I had sore arms in addition to sore legs. I just wanted to finish in a decent time, grab my medal, and get the pain over with it.

But it really wasn't painful at all. In fact, this race was actually really good. It felt genuine. It felt supportive, and challenging, and enjoyable. The good weather probably helped a lot, but still: a happy race? Unpossible!

My blood sugar was sitting around 8 mmol/L before the start. I had a gel as a buffer--my blood sugars tend to soar during training but drop in races--and elbowed as close as I could to the start. My mom encouraged me to wear a long sleeve ("for the wind off the lake!") but I was too warm before the gun even started.

I spent the first 10k trying to slow myself down. I knew there were hills coming up in the last third, hills that I at least hoped were similar to the hills I train on in TO, so I knew it was important to keep my pace down. I ended up running alongside a woman and we paced each other through 20k. I also took my brother's advice to stop and walk at the water stations--getting down a few good gulps of Gatorade at each station was part of my blood sugar strategy, along with two Gus at 11k and 21k. My blood sugar was surprisingly, beautifully steady all the way through to the end. YES.

The hills started around 20k and I was happy to take the distraction. I held up pretty well on them, actually--my pace slowed, as I knew it would, but I had banked time going too fast in the start so my overall time was faring better than expected.

Then there was "the hill" about 4k from the end, but, I mean, really. That's "the hill"? I saw people ahead of me walking before they'd even reached a hint of an incline. I made it to the top and felt just a little winded-- and it's all thanks to you, Ellis Park Road repeats! The last few kms were sweaty and gross, but that finish into Copps Coliseum was pretty glorious. My blood sugar after the race was good (7.1) and my chip time was great, even (2:38:59!)

It was fun, full stop. I so needed this after a year of ups and downs in my running and my diabetes. Plus there was a guy on the course giving out bacon. I skipped the bacon.