Sunday, August 12th was the River Run Classic. I had asked my friend Sarah if she would come run this event with me and help me try to finish in under two hours. She happily agreed. Our mutual friend MJ was registered to run the 10km distance, so on her way through from Prince Albert, Sarah picked us up in Warman.
My friend Katy was running her first 10km. My friend Sheila, who I know from working at the Headstart in Cumberland House, was running her first 5km. My cousin Becky was back in the city with her friend to complete the 5km. I knew a few other people who were registered to complete the other distances and was happy to have a chance to say hi to them before things got under way.
Together we met up with the other runners at River Landing. The weather was a bit brisk when we got there around 7:30, but I knew that by the time we finished it would be substantially warmer and I wouldn't regret wearing my shorts.
The Event
The River Run Classic is presented by Ernst & Young. The Saskatoon Road Runners Association organizes this annual event that offers 5 km, 10 km (this is the 10km provincial championship) and 21.1 km distances. The charity of choice is the Meewasin Valley Authority. Three charities and one non-profit group ran the water stations to raise funds for their causes as well (Parkinson's, breast cancer, leukemia/lymphoma & the Saskatchewan Senior Fitness Association).
This event was really well organized and I really liked the route! They changed the race location from previous years and I appreciated that the course maps were available online prior to the event so I could familiarize myself with the details. It is a smaller event with 84 entrants in the 5km, 157 in the 10km and 108 in the half marathon, for a total of 349 participants.
I think that this race package is my favourite to date! The race directors definitely decided to go for quality over quantity and I think it paid off! With registration in the event, participants received a nice tech shirt, a pair of running socks, a finisher's medal and a couple snack samples.....and on the back of the bib, there was a voucher for 25% off your entire purchase at Lululemon!! Way to go River Run organizers!
The Excuses
This was the second hardest run I've ever done (second only to my first half marathon ever!).
Two weeks prior to the run, I asked Sarah if she would come down and pace me. I felt like if I focused on my speed and time throughout the race, I should be able to finish under two hours. It wasn't until after she agreed to run with me, that I actually printed off a pace chart and realized how much faster I was going to have to go to reach that goal. Gulp! I had bitten off more than I could chew. So, I trained hard for two weeks, running intervals and doing pace runs.
I follow two female runners who have written a couple of good books. You can check out the Mother Runners website for a wealth of information. Recently, I have been listening to their podcasts. In their discussion of goals, they recommend setting a couple goals for each running event you do. They suggest a primary goal (that would be attainable if everything lines up perfect on race day), a secondary goal (something you'd be happy to achieve if the day is less than optimal) and they may have mentioned a third option that would be more like the worst case scenario.
Going into the River Run, my primary goal was to finish in under two hours and my secondary goal was to finish under two hours and six minutes and forty seconds (my best finishing time to date).....I didn't really entertain a third option.
I was trying my best to approach the event with a Zen attitude. I tried to have as much faith in my abilities as Sarah did. However, by the time I got through the line at the biffy and got organized, I didn't have any time to do a proper stretch and I was frazzled. Our plan was for me to set the pace for the first mile and then, using her Garmin, Sarah would run the rest of the race at the pace required to complete the run under my goal time....and I would do my best to keep up!
The race started and off we went! The route began with an uphill section going across the Broadway bridge, so when we got through our first mile and Sarah told me how FAST we had been going I was shocked! I don't run that fast...ever. She was pumped because she thought that my training had paid off, but I shuddered. I've read about this happening before, getting caught up in the excitement of start line atmosphere and taking off faster than you should only to have it kick you in the pants later. Oh well, I was determined to give it my best try.
After we hit the three mile point Sarah said our speed was slowing a bit and we had to pick up the pace. Enter phase two of the plan. She ran at the required speed and I tried to keep up. Slowly, we got further and further apart. Each time I grabbed a water at an aid station, the gap got wider. I know, that probably doesn't sound like fun; but, it was a great opportunity for me to see how seemingly small things add up to make a big difference. Sarah represented the goal of finishing in under two hours, and running with her gave me the chance to see exactly how far (or maybe how close) I am from that.
By the time we got to the 10km point, it was obvious that I wasn't going to be able to catch Sarah. She waited the couple minutes for me and we carried on together. Instead of being disappointed in me, she continued to encourage and push me for the rest of the run. I don't know if it was the quick start, the fact that I had been pushing myself so hard during the two weeks prior to the event, the hot weather or if something else was at play, but the last half of that run was a STRUGGLE!
In an attempt to cut a bit of time, I quit slowing at the aid stations. This was probably not the best idea. It was a HOT day, but by the 11 mile point I was shivering and had goose bumps. I sweat too much to not drink water en route....so, although the water breaks cost time, they aren't really optional for me.
The last two miles of the route were hard. My left hip hurt. My right knee hurt. And the toes on my right foot felt funny. Sarah stuck with me and pushed me not to stop.
When we crossed the finish line, the time clock said 1:57. I'm not sure what caused the discrepancy, but I'm thinking it probably had something to do with the fact that the 10km event (which began ten minutes after the half marathon start) was the provincial championship. I knew it was wrong, but that is how hard it felt like I had run.....and you know what? If I had finished in 1:57, I probably wouldn't regret pushing myself as hard as I did. But, our finishing time was 2:05:57. I had met my secondary goal, but I wasn't as thrilled as I should have been.
The Best Part
I am REALLY thankful to have such amazing support in my friends and my family. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone like Sarah who is willing to help them try to meet their goals. MJ is a great Cheerleader and she smashed her previous 10km time!!
Having my hubby and boys waiting at the finish line was wonderful. They don't care how long it takes me to finish, they are always smiling and happy when I get there!
We took a couple minutes to catch our breath, grab some grub at the post-race snack tent and then I quickly borrowed Sarah's small foam roller to work out the kink in my knee. And we were off! I jumped in with my family, we stopped at my husband's office so I could quickly shower and then we made our way to the lake.
It was great to be able to spend a handful of days together enjoying the quality time and activities that the cabin has to offer.
We even managed to take in the Stanley Cup parade in Yorkton! The boys were thrilled to see it!
After the race, when I took off my shoes, I found this beauty of a blister! I drained it and it quickly healed. Unfortunately, as the week progressed it became more and more obvious that my hip was not going to be as easy to repair. I didn't attempt to ski or ride the tube and my family was patient with me as I hobbled around. I stretched and stretched and iced and rested, but it didn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, if anything, it was getting worse. It is a weird kind of pain. It's not really in my muscle. It feels like it's coming from somewhere deeper.
I am excited that this half has put my 2012 total distance to date over the 630 mile point. I'm two thirds of the way done for the year! Now I've got 3 weeks to get feeling better before the Queen City Marathon in Regina September 9th.
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