Wednesday 2 May 2012

The Saskatoon Police Service Half Marathon

The Scenario

Sunday, April 29th was the Saskatoon Police Service Half Marathon. My friend Sarah Keith and her husband Kevin came down from Prince Albert to run the half marathon with me. I met Sarah a year ago when I first started playing soccer. It didn't take long for us to realize that we both really liked running! She does most of her running on the treadmill dreadfully early in the morning while her boys are sleeping before she needs to be ready to start her workday. Sarah ran the Nike Plus Virtual Half Marathon with me in January (she was in P.A. and I was in Warman, so we sweat together at a distance!). She is a super speed-demon! We were both looking forward to completing a non-virtual run together.

Heather's good friend Kristen Vanderkooy (who had also ran in the Brainfreeze) was registered to run the 10km. That morning, Kristen introduced me to Angela Bloor who ran the 5km in Heather's honour.

Finally, my friend Erica (who had taken our family pictures and the running photos of me back in March) was there to complete the 10km.

So, together we met up with the other runners Sunday morning outside the city police station. Of course, the weather of the Spring season in Saskatchewan is predictably unpredictable. On Saturday it rained and poured off and on all day, but it cleared a bit overnight and the showers held off until the afternoon the day of the race. The temperature was crisp, but perfect for running, when we started across the timing mat at 8 a.m.  By the time I was returning back South along the route, it seemed that the temperature had dropped a bit lower. I could see my breath as I huffed and puffed my way along. I was thankful that I had brought my thick headband and a pair of mini mitts. My temperature was perfect wearing a pair of crop pants, a long sleeve tech shirt and my trusty running jacket.  I am SO thankful that it didn't rain....that would have made for a soggy 13.1 miles!

The Event

This was the 3rd annual SPS Half Marathon. It is an event that offers 5km, 10km & half marathon distances. It is sponsored by Asics and organized by the Saskatoon Police as a way to bring the police service together with the community to keep active and raise money for charity. This year the proceeds are being donated to the local Recess Guardians program.

This event was really well organized and I really liked the half marathon route! It is a smaller race with 45 people completing the 5km, 129 registrants in the 10km and 104 runners completing the 21.1km this year.



The route was well marked and the road marshals & pylons were well spaced and I was never worried that I was going the wrong way. I appreciated that, after the halfway turnaround point, the half marathon route took a detour up into a residential trail area away from the river. I was able to run in an area that I had never been in before where the view of the river and the city was great!

The drink stations were pretty well spaced except toward the very end of the run it felt like a long time between the last cup of water and the finish line! I was disappointed at the lack of gatorade....on this morning especially I really could have used the extra electrolytes! The Asics running hat that came in the race packages is pretty spiffy; but to date, I haven't been much of a hat wearer. We'll see if I make use of it in the next couple months.

The Excuses

I am FULL of excuses for this one!

Again, we had a jam packed weekend that I had organized and coordinated so that everyone was able to be and do what they needed to when they needed to. As with everything in life it seems, there are always a couple things that pop up unexpectedly....so, when my husband got called out for work Wednesday afternoon, I wasn't shocked. In fact, I was kind of expecting it. What I wasn't expecting was a phone call from my brother saying that my niece was major sick and being transported from Regina to Saskatoon to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

All that I was able to do was be here for them, make them lunches, do their laundry and hold my breath and wait for news....everything else we had planned would have gone out the window if need be, but Alivia started to slowly improve as the week went on. My husband got back from work and Friday my parents arrived to help us out for the weekend.

I had originally planned to run the Regina Police Service Half Marathon. Then, we realized that it was the same weekend as my husband was to be involved in a co-worker's wedding. So, I was lucky that the SPS event was an option and that way we would be able to be at the wedding and I would still be able to complete my April run. We were treated to a nice rehearsal dinner Friday night.

Saturday morning, in the rain, I met the group of "Moms on the Run" that have started getting together for a weekly run. They were such troopers to come out in the rain! It gave Sarah and I a chance to decide how we should dress the next day in the less than optimum weather. It was obvious that I wouldn't be able to wear my shorts as I had planned, but my capris were slipping around and would have driven me bonkers if I had had to wear them for the half! I'm very thankful that my friend Ang offered to lend me a great pair of crops that worked wonderfully. I didn't have any time left to shop before the next morning!

I got home and got organized, packed everything we needed for the next 24 hours, had lunch with my family, got spiffed up and headed to the city for a beautiful wedding. I hadn't realized how long it had been since we had been to a wedding, but it would seem that I'm still as much of a suck as I used to be!

Between the ceremony and the reception we got checked in to the hotel, zipped over to Brainsport to get my race package, we went up to the hospital to visit Alivia and then I still had time to do a quick blog post! When we got back for cocktails, it was clear that this was going to be a fun evening!

Because my parents were able to come and stay with Owen and Myles, we had decided that we would just get a room at the hotel and that would simplify everything. I had planned to behave myself, have a couple of drinks and dance a couple songs and then sneak off to the room to get a good night sleep while still making it possible for my hubby to have fun with his friends....well, those good intentions quickly went out the window!

We were having so much fun that I didn't want to leave and before I knew it it was 1:00! While my husband was sound asleep within seconds, I lay awake too excited to sleep. I didn't actually sleep much before the alarm went off at 5:30. I got up and made coffee and using the second cup I whipped up some instant oatmeal. I lay back down for another hour before it was time to get my duds on. Of all the things for me to forget at home, I had left my gatorade! I drank as much water as I could and then headed down to meet Sarah & Kevin in the lobby. To say I wasn't feeling 100% would be a bit of an understatement, but I was committed to running and ready to give it my all.

The Best Part

Only a city block or so into the run, Heather's mom Barb was standing at the corner cheering for us as we started on our way. It was so early on a cold Sunday morning; and yet, there she was giving me the encouragement I so needed.

Sarah and I ran the first half mile or so together and then she wished me well and took off like a gazelle! She finished the half marathon in 1:41:55 shaving over ten minutes off of her time from the Las Vegas Half Marathon she ran in December!

I popped my earphones in and found my pace. I was doing fine until around the 5k point when the route went right past the hotel. I had a room key in my pocket and it took all of my willpower not to just sneak off and snuggle back in to the warm bed. BUT, again a block later, there was Barb on the curb ready with a hug and a cheer and that reaffirmed what I already knew. I had to stay the course.

Kristen beat her previous 10k time by a minute and a half. Although she is pleased to have bettered her time, she said that she found the run tough. She is training to complete the half marathon at the Mogathon in June and I'm sure that she is going to ace it!

If this run had been half the distance, I would have completed my best 10k time. The second half of the run, however, was when my body started to retaliate for my antics the previous night. There were some of the regular culprits like sore hips and quads; but, I also had a smattering of new aches and pains such as sore calves and a tight chest which were more likely due to dancing in my beautiful wedge sandals until all hours and the over-consumption of Great Western Light.

With about 1.5 km remaining, I was happy to see Sarah. After completing her run, she had walked back to find me and was ready to help me get to the finish line. Together we ran across the Broadway bridge back to the police station where I was so happy to have Barb, Kristen, Angela, Kevin and my husband (who was a smidge groggy and a bit put off by the exuberant person cheering with a cow bell!) waiting for me.





Usually I have a little bit of gas left in my tank to give an extra surge for the last bit of the course, but this is the first time that I've been completely out of energy when I finished. I am very pleased to have completed my fourth run of the year in 2:11:40 (only a minute and a half more than my event last month). Although I do not regret staying out late and having fun, I definitely learned my lesson and will NEVER run a half marathon after a night out again!


My niece is still in the hospital, but she's improving each day. Her hospitalization has served as another reminder for us to focus on the important things in life. Family, friends, love & fun. We only have one life to live, so lets make the most of it!

I am excited that this half has put my 2012 total distance to date over the 330 mile point! I'm already one third of the way done for the year! Now I've got 4 weeks to prep before the Saskatchewan Marathon on May 27th.

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