Going Long (again) in 2024

Toronto 10 Miler/Half Marathon

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Location:

Garson - Sudbury,ON,Canada

Member Since:

Apr 20, 2013

Gender:

Male

Goal Type:

Other

Running Accomplishments:

I ran my first marathon in 1998: "The Friendly Marathon" in Massey, Ontario.  I was 32. I had never raced in a shorter event, and I trained really poorly - ended up running it in 4:00:30.  After that, I gave up running for the most part for 6 years.  I got into karate a bit more seriously, until I got my knee kicked out and had ACL surgery.  Then I became a 'fair weather runner' and started to run half marathons every so often.  As a priest, entering weekend races always meant having to book a holiday, so it just didn't happen much.  My holidays were primarily focussed on various canoe and kayak trips.

At some point, I started training more consistently, and started to think of myself as a runner.  I guess doing that in your 40's is better than never doing it at all.  I even started to wonder if I had it in me to qualify for Boston.  Well, I did.  First time didn't count, I suppose, since I didn't make the "cut".  But the second time was a charm, and on my sixth Marathon, run in Chicago in 2015, I beat my BQ by almost 6 minutes.  And now, running a BQ is routine for me, not that I have any desire to run Boston again.

Through it all, I've made tons of mistakes - and have had lots of injuries to show for it.  Hopefully, now that I'm in my late 50's, I'm a bit wiser and can use that to my advantage to continue running for a very long time.

My PRs:

5k (12 run):      Guelph, ON.     October 10, 2016   (50 yrs.)   20:10

10k (10 run):    Collingwood      October 5, 2013  (47 yrs.)  43:37

Half Marathon  (25 run): Cleveland   May 18, 2014  (48 yrs)  1:33:08

Marathon (12 run):  Ste-Jerome, QC  October 3, 2021   (55 yrs.)  3:22:10

Ultras (5 run):   

Run for the Toad 50k Trail   September 30, 2017 (51 yrs.)  5:31:23

Niagara Falls 100k   June 17, 2018 (52 yrs.)  12:26:30

That Dam Hill 24 hours   September 15-16, 2018  Completed 100 Miles in 23:20:44

Sulphur Springs 50 mile Trail   May 25, 2019  10:37:27

Haliburton Forest 100 mile Trail   September 7-8, 2019  26:46:27

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Pacing my sister in her 1st Half Marathon.

Short-Term Running Goals:

After a broken right foot in 2022 in the later stages of a marathon training cycle, then adjusting to a 1/2" heal lift in my right shoe to compensate for a leg length discrepancy, and then a left plank plate rupture in the late summer of 2023, I had to decide:  go fast or go long.  I opted for long, for this year at least.

May 2024:  Sulphur Springs 50 Mile Trail (revisiting it after 5 years)

July 2024:  Limberlost 54KM Trail

September 2024:  Haliburton 100 Mile Trail (also revisiting it after 5 years).

Everything this year is really focussed on the Haliburton 100 as my key event.  After that, and depending on how things go, I'll reevaluate.

Long-Term Running Goals:

Run until this old body of mine won't let me run any more.  I was inspired in the Spring of 2016, watching the start of the Ottawa Marathon.  Near the back of the pack was an 'old man', running with his walker.  I loved it!  I thought ... there's me in 20 years.  Maybe.  

Personal:

I am a Roman Catholic priest of 30 years, ministering in the Diocese of Sault Ste. Marie.  I spent 8 years ministering in the small town of Wawa (where I helped establish the annual Blackfly Run) and 9 years in Sault Ste. Marie.  I have been in the Sudbury region now for 13 years.  Currently I Pastor 2 small Parishes:  St. John the Evangelist in Garson, and St. Bernardine of Siena in Skead, covering the area just Northeast of the city, surrounding the Sudbury Airport.

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to Ukraine's Armed Forces
Miles:This week: 28.00 Month: 189.50 Year: 588.50
Mizuno Wave Sayonara 2 Lifetime Miles: 412.40
Brooks Cascadia 11 Lifetime Miles: 302.00
Salomon Speedcross 4 Lifetime Miles: 160.25
Brooks Launch 8 Lifetime Miles: 153.00
Asics Metaspeed Sky Lifetime Miles: 32.20
Brooks Ghost 13 Lifetime Miles: 358.50
Saucony Triumph 18 Lifetime Miles: 372.50
Ghost 13 Blue Sole Lifetime Miles: 363.00
Hoka Bondi Lifetime Miles: 386.00
Triumph 18 Treadmill Lifetime Miles: 120.50
Hoka Bondi 8 Treadmill Lifetime Miles: 102.50
Race: Toronto 10 Miler/Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) 01:38:53, Place overall: 21, Place in age division: 3
Total Distance
14.00

Well, that was interesting.  Certainly not what I had in mind, but I guess I'm okay with it, all in all.

Bad accident on Friday, driving down, in the opposite lanes of the expressway.  Closed the highway for those going North and really backed things up.  I arrived in Toronto around dinner time, picked up my number, and check into my hotel.

Dinner at an English pub across the street.  Fish and chips.  Only one beer this time, compared to four last week.  Hmm, maybe should have gone for four!

Hot and humid in the morning.  22C/72F, with 89% humidity making it feel like 30C/85F.  The sweat was prolific.

I was very conscious of the time, as I had to run my race, get back to my hotel to shower and check out, and then drive back to Sudbury in time for my 5pm Mass.  So, needless to say, I was antsy when the race started 9 minutes late.

Cool site.  For all the years Toronto has been around, they have dumped fill in this part of Lake Ontario, and it extends out a few miles into the lake.  They have turned it all into parkland/marina, with walking/biking/running trails.  It was nice to discover this place, and the race was to raise funds for it's conservatory.

My anxiety pushed me to the front of the starting line, quite by accident.  I've never started on the mat before, and I knew I didn't belong there.  It kinda just happened!  Oh well.  There were several events going on, with the Half Marathon starting off with a 10 miler event.

So, we're off (9 minutes late!), and I'm running way too fast.  I'm too experienced to make these mistakes.  First mile in 6:54, but with a top speed of 5:25.  Right away I knew that was going to cause me trouble, especially with this humidity/heat.  I was supposed to run 7:10 splits, but my next three were all around 7:02.  Too fast, and it did catch up with me, I'm afraid.

So, it kinda went downhill from there, and I ended up running as hard as I could just to keep my splits below 8:00.  And a few still came close to that.

I came in 21st overall, and 3rd in my division.  But it wasn't a great run for me. Averaged out at 7:31/mile.

So, the route is pretty flat, and mostly paved.  The gravel sections were a bit messy, and you did have to dodge the big puddes.  It was out and around the lighthouse on the point, then back almost to the start line, and then the same thing repeated.  The 10 milers, of course, had shorter loops, which meant that I was catching up with them and passing the slower ones.  Nice, from a head perspective, even though they were racing a different event.

Anyway, my legs were toast.  I found it hard to even pick it up at the end.  And almost 2 minutes slower than my Ottawa Half in May.  Ah well.  It was still good to be there.

The ride home was a challenge.  Monsoon rain for the 1st half, and a major detour due to an accident.  I ended up driving the 4 1/2 hours non-stop, and just made it back in time for Mass.  Sore!  Major blood blister on my big toe too.

I think I'll run the 10k, rather than the Half, next week in Sault Ste. Marie.

Decent enough finish line photo, so I coughed up the $9.00 and bought it so that my blog photo is up to date.  The smile is fake - I wasn't actually that happy.

Skechers GoRun4 Miles: 14.00
Weight: 158.00
Comments
From Tom K on Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 18:44:28 from 71.203.24.182

Great report, Great $9 pic! Sorry you had to go through one of those Canadian monsoons! The going out too fast thing has always been a problem for me as well. I don't know what to tell you. If you figure it out, let me know.

From Michael on Wed, Sep 21, 2016 at 18:58:45 from 208.96.65.29

The only thing that has worked well for me is a good pacer. As in the Chicago Marathon last year. Alas, not all races have them.

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