So this past year I've really pushed myself to the limit when it comes to running - I've completed three (THREE!!) different half marathons. It was always on my todo list but it was one of those things you never think you'd actually be able to cross off. Then one day I just signed up for my first half marathon .. and 7 months later, I've ran three! The feeling you get when you cross that finish line is like no other, and especially for a slow poke like myself, all those weeks of sweat, pain and tears have finally paid off.
Just thought I'd share my experience with the half marathons I've run in: Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon, Angus Glen Half Marathon and the Toronto Goodlife Half Marathon. Now granted, I'm not usually one to pay attention at each few miles like other people, but there were a few things that stuck out for each one.
Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon 2012
First thing that comes to my mind: BEING LATE.
Oh yea. That's right. I was late for my very first big race, my first half marathon. But let's back track just a little bit and start a few days beforehand. Run kit pick-up is always at the Direct Energy Centre, and it always happens to be in Exhibit D .. the FARTHEST hall away from the GO train. Anyways this has got to be the most organized and straight forward run kit pick-up ever: give your bib#, and you get everything you need in a very nice draw-string bag. Shirt, bib, safety pins, samples and all. Activate your bib in the booth right beside the pick-up area and you're good to go. The shirt was meh. Just a standard red sweat-wicking shirt with the Toronto Waterfront Marathon logo ironed on. Fast forward to race day.
The half/full marathon was supposed to start at 8:30am, so I figured that leaving home around 7:15am would be plenty of time; it'd probably take 40minutes to drive down (chauffeured by the awesome bf), and I'd have time to find the start line and stretch. Right? Wrong. It was 7:45 and we were on the Gardiner when we hit a brick wall at Yonge St. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes pass and we've only inched along, no where close to Spadina. Why did I think that at an event with 12000 people running JUST the half marathon would not be driving to the event as well? I don't know. Call me ____ [fill in your own word]. We swerved out and got out at Davenport (or whatever the next exit was) and tried to weave our way back east but kept hitting road closures and I just tell the bf to let me off wherever we are. By this time, it's about 8:40am, I'm about almost 1.5km from the start line and my corral is going to start soon. And it begins to rain. Awesome.
I make it to the start line just as the last corral is starting to move - phew! By this time, the rain has subsided but it's starting to get a bit humid. The first few km were a good wake up call - slight uphill on University Ave, but that's all the uphill there was until the very end. The route reminds me of the CIBC run, which ends up running north on University until Bloor and cutting west towards Bathurst. We pass Robarts library with lots of students looking at us like we're crazy and before I know it, 5K is already done. I'm feeling good and the 2:15pace bunny and its mob are right in front of me stopping for water. I breeze on by.
We weave west to Bathurst and then south. Here is where there are a bunch of people with awesome signs. It's about 7k now and I usually break for water. Now when you pass people cheering you on, you can't just pass by walking. You feel like a loser and need to keep those legs moving. First awesome sign I see: "STILL FASTER THAN THE KING STREETCARS!!". I crack up laughing and give the lady holding the sign two giant thumbs up. Next sign: "RUN LIKE YOU STOLE SOMETHING!". Laughter ensues and my legs make it to about 9K where I slow down for my first energy gel.
I love running over the bridge at Bathurst and Front. It feels great running on the sidewalk overlooking Fort York, but it feels even more awesome running on it in the middle of the road. 11K arrives somewhere on Lakeshore and I slow down to take a breather. It's been dead flat which is great. I'm near the 2:30 pace bunny. Gobble down a GU Chomp and off we go. A guy running barefoot passes me holding his shoes. So does a guy in a giant pumpkin costume.
I remember the scenery being very boring. Lakeshore is boring. There are few to none people cheering you on in this section because it's not near anything. It's just road. Just you and the pavement. I step in a puddle at 13K and curse out loud. I've lost the pace bunny too. Down goes another few GU Chomps.
The turnaround has arrived!! I don't remember when but all I remember was rounding some pylons and heading back east. Oh the joy! But still like 7K to go lol. And I think we're going slightly uphill. At 15K my legs are starting to feel stiff. My quads, my calves are tight. I park myself on the side and stretch for a good minute before joining the crowd. At this point I text my bf to tell him where I'm at.
16K. ONLY 5K TO GO. I'm feeling good and as I get closer to the finish line, the Gardiner is sitting above us. Lakeshore is awful at this part and you really have to keep your eyes peeled for uneven bumps and potholes. I've caught up with the 2:30 pace bunny!! I speed up a bit so I can take a breather further down, gobble a few more GU's and wash it down with water. 1K to go!
Bay Street finally arrives and I pace myself. Cheerleaders are starting to appear again, screaming that I'm almost there. Am I?? Slowly I start to see barricades up, and more people are ringing cowbells and waving signs. People scream the name on your bib. It's a great feeling having so many strangers cheer you on. I turn the jets on and start sprinting .. 50m pass .. 100m pass .. 150m pass .. holy shit my legs are screaming at me where the hell the finish line is. I realize there's a GOOD 500m left lol and slow down. By the time I can see the finish line, I turn the jets on one last time and tunnel vision kicks in. My legs go into full throttle and I'm weaving around people and it's loud from all the spectators cheering you on .. and WHOOSH past the finish line! I do a little hop with my fist pumped in the air.
The feeling of crossing that finish line is like no other. That's all I can really say. For me, it was 6months of pain, sweat and tears.
Post-race analysis: Almost everything about the race was great. The packet pick up was easy and seamless. The shirt was some generic shirt with their logo ironed on, and the medal was nothing to gush about. They had water and Gatorade set up at the designated KM posted on the website, and it was set up on BOTH SIDES of the road (very important with billions of runners). Port-a-potties were busy everytime I passed one (I didn't use it) and I didn't end up finding the energy gel handouts. Post-race was decent - you get funneled to get food (they ran out of cookies!) - bagels, bananas, full Gatorade and water bottles and yogurt. It was hard for me to find my bf since they blocked off Bay St and you had to weave into small streets to get back out to the main streets.
Angus Glen Half Marathon 2012
First thing that comes to my mind: COLD AND ISOLATED.
With one half marathon under my belt and being in decent shape, I decided to sign up for another one a few weeks later. I picked up my run kit that morning, and apparently they ran out of small shirts. WTF? I signed up early enough to guarantee my size. All they had was a Large - I was bummed. Another lady was kind enough to give me her small shirt since it didn't look like it was going to fit her. Later they ended up finding boxes of other sized shirts - bad organization! Oh, and the shirts were a blazing yellow. No way I could get hit by a car wearing that thing. The run kit comes with FULL sized Johnson and Johnson products! Didn't use the wrinkle cream but the sunscreen has been very useful.
I met up with a friend and her husband and we chatted until the start. The nice thing about this race is that you can wait in the club house until the start of the race to stay warm! Today's weather: -1 Celsius. Oh yea this was gonna be one hell of a run. I had my tearaways on top of my shorts, my thick UA shirt under the run shirt, hat, and a pair of cotton gloves. The bf hid inside the clubhouse and waved at me lol.
I skittered outside 2 minutes to "warm up" before the gun went off. I was only like 10 seconds behind the actual start time - that's how few people there were at this race! You pass by a few golf greens which is nice .. then slowly head towards the Angus Glen community. All I remember was gawking at all the magnificent houses and how nice it would be to own one. There were a few people parked in their camping chairs at some points, some even handing out tissues for runny noses!
It's 5-6K in and we slowly leave the housing community and start heading north on McCowan road (or maybe it was Warden). One side of the road is closed for runners, but even the other side is still sparse with cars. Few spectators. There is NOTHING up here.
There are lots of rolling hills, and at about 12K I think my friend and her husband passed me. My GU Chomps were near frozen and I had to hold it in my hand for a few minutes to warm up to actually eat it. It became a lesson learned - when I need to eat, gotta warm it up first!
More rolling hills and we finally pass by a residential stretch. Some stretches are not closed off to traffic and cars just go past you, kicking up dirt and dust. Yea, not fun. The only spectators are the volunteers (read:high school kids doing volunteer hours) at the water stations. But, the cheering was very encouraging given that it'll be the only thing you'll get until the next water station.
20K and I'm feeling good. Cold, but good. I finally round back into the entrance of the golf club and I can see the meandering path and the giant inflatable finish line. My brain screams SPRINT! SPRINT! SPRINT! and away my legs go. My bf has been waiting out in the cold for 15min for me to cross the finish line - what a sweetheart!
Sadly I finish only 2 seconds faster than STWM, but I'm not the last one in my age/gender category! I had seriously thought I ran this one better, but maybe the cold was just too much for my legs.
Post-race analysis: Other than the t-shirt screwup, packet pick up was fine. The golf club had Timmies coffee and timbits for people, and all runners get a decent buffet lunch after the race! I shoveled a lot of stuff on my plate for the both of us lol. But the biggest thing for me was the cold and isolation, and these will be the reasons I will not run this race again. It was a cold run, and I think end of October is my new cut off point for races. I also enjoy races where you're surrounded by people (others, like my friend, enjoy smaller races with fewer people. To each their own I guess). More spectators, more runners, more encouragement, more fun.
Toronto Goodlife Half Marathon 2013
First thing that comes to my mind: THE HILL.
Just like the STWM, packet pickup is at the Direct Energy Center, in the furthest hall from public transit. Only this time, packet pickup wasn't so nice. I arrive and see two areas for pickup. Er? First they direct you to pick up your bib. And if you pay close enough attention, you'll grab some safety pins sitting on the table. Next, get your shirt in the area beside bib pick up. It's a long line. I signed up for a small but am worried it's too big. They let me try on an XS and a S and I go with the small. Yes, all the women were trying on their shirts to see if it fit. Which is why it was holding up the line. I know, I was one of them - SORRY.
But damn, the shirts were NICE. The nicest run shirt I've gotten to date! Not some lame tshirt with the logo slapped on the left corner (like STWM). But now you're with a shirt and a bib and they don't give you a bag. Luckily there's a stack of white plastic bags off to the side so all of us are jacking one to stuff our kit pickup and free samples in it. I'm actually in a bit of a hurry to catch a train home and almost forget to activate my bib! They really should have made it right beside the bib pickup so you don't forget.
Learning from last year's fail, I arrive at the start line an hour early. It's a lot easier this time round since the HM starts an hour later than the full, and it's easier to get around the road closures. Bf walks me to the start area where I stretch and warm up. I've heard about this "secret" washroom in the civic center and head towards it. Well, looks like the secret is out because there is a HUGE line. I say sod it, and head back towards the port-a-potties.
We get called to the start line and kiss the hubby goodbye. I thought we were going to do a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing but I didn't hear a thing. I guess they did it at the full. I park myself right behind the 2:30 pace bunny and off we go!
It is a BEAUTIFUL day to run. Like, the most perfect day. It's a balmy 17 degrees out, no wind, just sun and a few clouds in the sky. We pass under the 401, and as we come out, I see it. The hill. Hoggs Hollow. I just keep my eyes straight ahead and avoid looking up. 4K in and here comes the journey up the hill. I did "some" hill training, but it did not prepare me for this. I made it up a good portion of the way up with a decent pace, maybe 80% up, before my legs cried uncle and I had to stop and walk up the rest of the way. I thought, WHOO that's the last hill I'll see! But to my surprise, there were a few more.
First thing I thought of after the hill was WATER STATION. There was not one right after - it was a good 0.5 or 1K later. And here begun the chaos. Everyone wanted water and Gatorade. They were only set up on one side of the road - turns out only 1 side of the road for entire course route was closed for runners. So mobs of people were trying to get water and Gatorade, and you end up waiting. And your shoes get wet and sticky because people spill Gatorade and you have to step through it to get around people!! BAH. Pretty much after the first water station, I had to make a calculated decision on whether to get water and slow down to a crawl and walk through a sticky mess each time. It was awful at most stations.
5K passes and I'm just on par my with my training. How do I know? The number of songs on my iPod that have passed (yes, I played the same playlist and start at the same song so I know). I'm getting a bit dejected because I thought I'd have run a bit faster and trained a bit better. But I start to notice the downhill stretches. My cadence increases and I've got a good pace. 8K passes and I'm slightly ahead.
The scenery is nice along Yonge St - lots of stores to see, and lots of people! But the downside - slight rolling hills. No, I haven't escaped them. There were at least 3 more slight hills you had to run up before you get a nice downhill stretch. And I found it was slowly taking a toll on my body.
10K and I slow down for my GU's and water. I'm pretty sure I'm faster than my training pace, but one guy who passes by barks at me to keep running. I gulp everything down and oblige. We make a turn to go east and it's this really nice stretch of cool winding road. Near Rosedale and River St I think.
When we turn east and start heading on Wellington, I feel my body start to slow down. Maybe it was the hills. Maybe it was me running faster than normal pace. The stretch before hitting Distillery District was tough. But then I headed back into familiar territory - St. Lawrence Market - and I find the energy to keep going. I used to work in this area and I loved it. And my sister was waiting and trying to find me around here but I didn't see her :(. Saw a lady holding a funny sign: "My legs hurt - how are yours doing??". HA.
Passing through the heart of downtown is kinda nice. Not too many spectators in the downtown core, but the sound of runners beside you helps keep you going. It's got to be about 15K now (signs weren't the best here), and I see a woman on the ground being tended to by medical personnel. I hope she was ok.
We make it over the bridge at Bathurst - did I mention I love running over it? - and head past Fort York. 2K to go! We're about to hit Lakeshore when I see a giant sign: "MARATHON. KEEP LEFT. HALF MARATHON. KEEP RIGHT", with giant arrows. By now it's got to be about 20.5K and my body is drained. My legs are tired. My brain is tired. It would be so depressing for me to have to turn left instead of right. I head right and now start to see throngs of people. It's a great sight - just like the STWM. People have cowbells and vuvuzelas and are telling you to keep going. But then a thought crosses my mind - WHERE THE HELL IS THE FINISH LINE?? I crane my neck and don't see it up ahead. But wait - I see people round a bend and turning left .. ! And then all of a sudden - I see the bf in the crowd!! He's taking a video of me and I give a giant thumbs up and a huge grin. I round the bend at full speed and sprint towards the finish line! I cross the finish line with my arms up in the air. Final time: OVER 7 MINUTES FASTER THAN MY PREVIOUS TIME - BOOYAH!! The finishers medal is really cool looking too.
Post-race analysis: packet pickup could have been better organized. I didn't expect a nice bag or anything like STWM, but picking it up in ONE line and having the bib activation within eye shot of pickup would have been good. The course itself was good and bad. I found Hoggs Hollow really tough, and the smaller hills afterwards kept you from thinking it a breeze after Hoggs Hollow. The downhill stretches were really nice, and the route itself is net downhill, which was nice and helps shave off some time. I hated, HATED the water station setup (i.e that it was only set up on one side). I love the finishers medal. The medal for the HM is big and silver and the medal for the full is HUGE and looks like gold! If I had to run a full, I'd run this race only for the medal. Post race area was meh. There was bagels, bananas, oranges and only cups of water/Gatorade, but you don't get a bag. Pick up any two things and your hands are full already. Oh and they were giving out half protein bars - yea that's right - they cut it (wrapper included) in half. So you can't take any to eat for later. I found this race to be much more tiring than the STWM or Angus Glen races. Whether it was the faster pace or all the hills, who knows.
Overall:
Best race pickup (organization): STWM
Best race kit: Angus Glen
Best race shirt: Toronto Goodlife Marathon
Best race route (scenery): Toronto Goodlife Marathon
Best race route (location/elevation/hills): STWM
Best race route (organization): STWM
Best chance of getting a new PB: Toronto Goodlife Marathon
Best finishers medal: Toronto Goodlife Marathon
EDIT: I'll post some pics of shirts and medals later when I'm not too lazy.
