Toronto Challenge: It was a good run!

Then again, when is a run ever bad?  Although I must confess the 3 1/2 hour disaster that I endured while training for my first Reggae Marathon was not pretty.  And the 3 hour recovery after I scared the crap out of myself and Sally made me promise never to do it again.

Last Sunday at the Toronto Challenge though was a good run.  Actually, make that a great run.  And it was for a good cause:  raising money for not-for-profit organizations improving the lives of seniors in our local community.  In my case, I ran for the Labdara Lithuanian Nursing Home in Etobicoke.  This is where my Mother-in-Law, Elizabeth spent her last year living peacefully and comfortably among friends and family.

I've been battling unsuccessfully a nagging right foot injury.  I know, I know, rest!  Stubborn (stupid?) through and through, I keep running so although I had rested for the week prior to the race, I was unsure how the injury would hold up during the race.  There I was though in downtown Toronto early Sunday morning determined to 'tough it out' and finish strong come hell or high water.

Although we live a little west of the downtown core, one of the things that struck me as I made my way to the start on Wellington Street near Metro Hall was the number people on the street.  And not just us runners and walkers.  Downtown Toronto has been the world's largest condo construction zone for quite a while now and it was great to see people out and about.  I appreciated their support along the entire route.

The run itself was a little anti-climactic.  A 5 km run up University Avenue to Wellesley then back down Bay Street before turning back onto Wellington for the finish at Metro Hall.  I pretty much went flat out with minimal race strategy:  mile 1 fast, mile 2 faster, mile 3 fastest!  I missed my target time by 2 minutes but achieved a personal best with a time of 26:30.  While that felt great, it felt even better knowing that I had run to help seniors at Labdara.

But I had an even more powerful experience.  My brother-in-law had been admitted to the hospital Saturday evening with a scary health scare.  As I crossed the finish line a wave of emotion crashed over me:  "I did this for you too".

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Races for 2012: Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14, Reggae Marathon, December 1

It was worth the shaved head and 3rd place finish

Never, ever give up!

Two things hurt in the Reggae Runners Half Marathon Challenge  a couple of weeks ago.  OK, three if you count my disappointment of missing my target time by only 7 minutes!!

First was the shaved head.  Oh my, I felt then and still feel now that I looked like an alien.  Thankfully I work a cap but I'm sure I scared the crap out of the little kid who was trying to be nice to me as I walked out of the running coral after the race.  What a sight that must have been:  sweaty bald guy grimacing with pain from the pulled calf muscle.

And that was the second hurt:  the pulled calf muscle.  Dam was I pissed.  I have to wait a whole year to try again to hit my target time of 1:57.  Once in my life I'll get the 1/2 marathon time under 2 hours.  Next year will be that year!!  OK, maybe this October in the Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon.  In that one I'll likely be running with the kids.  I'll channel their energy to pull 'the old man' along.

Shaved legs next time...that's it, that
will do it!

On a positive note, the Puma Faas 500 running shoes were as usual fantastic.  Comfortable and well suited to the forefoot running technique.  The only glitch was that I didn't wear socks which was a bad idea on such a warm day. I'd never beat Usain Bolt but I definitely would win in a race with Prince Harry.

The lesson in all of this was that it was definitely worth it.  It hurt.  I was dis-satisfied. I still managed a personal best!  And I'm still running.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Races for 2012: Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14, Reggae Marathon, December 1

I shaved my head bald?

What the...

It was supposed to be a simple run for bragging rights the Reggae Runners Half Marathon Challenge.  At stake the ability to crow for a year that you were the fastest.  Reggae Marathon donated a pair of Puma Faas 500 running shoes and Red Line Laser Engraving donated a medal for the winner but at no time did I agree that I had to shave my head bald.



Well, the boys, Larry and Dan put the boots to me last Saturday the day before race day May 6 and informed me that 'no shave, no run'.

My wife Sally is a great person.  There we were on Saturday evening shaving my head.  Shaving cream in left hand, razor in right we went at it.  Two dull razors and lots of swear words later we were done.  Only one knick for which I was thankful for. Who says Saturday evening at our place is boring?

Bald.  Smooth.  Alien-like.  What was I thinking?

The pluses?  Only one:  my bald spot was gone.  The negative:  "holy crap, my ears stick out'!

Who's the alien?

The hair is coming back in quickly now.  Day 1 I was up to fine grit and after day 3 I'm at a medium grit.  If you need a quick sanding job, give me a call.  But hurry.  I'll be up to military crew cut by the weekend.



Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Races for 2012: Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14, Reggae Marathon, December 1

How am I going to make it through this week?

What have I done?

It's just under a week to go to the Reggae Runners Half Marathon Challenge and I'm a bundle of nerves.  My race on May 6 is the Goodlife Fitness Toronto 1/2 Marathon that heads south from North York to Exhibition Place in Toronto.  Other than the 'monster uphill' from Hoggs Hollow at the 4 kilometre mark it's downhill.  So what's to be nervous about?


For the first time ever I'm competing with other runners head-to-head.  I know what you're thinking: "Don't you compete with everyone else that in a race?".  Other than the Triathlons I competed in a number of years ago where I went head-to-head with some semi-pros,  I've always raced for myself to match or beat a target time. Other runners really didn't affect me. This time it's different...amazing what making friendships through Reggae Marathon leads to.


Larry Savitch from New York and Dan Cumming from British Columbia turned the May 6 race upside down for me when found out we were running in separate 1/2 Marathons on the same day.  Since boys will be boys, we bought into Dan's 'age adjusted' timing thing and even though we will have different times, there will be a clear #1, #2 and #3!


Full exposure!  And I don't mean the tights.


So even though I've been training like crazy with speed work outs at the local high school track, have done my long slow distance runs, have nursed my still not fully recovered foot injury and am completely psyched about a personal best on May 6, I'm ... nervous ... as .. .hell!


"Are we there yet?". I just want to get to the start line for 8:30 am this Sunday morning.


Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

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Follow me on Facebook at Run for Heart.  Races for 2012: Goodlife Fitness 1/2 Marathon, May 6Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 14Reggae Marathon, December 1


Photo courtesy of Errol Anderson.