Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Bluenose Marathon Weekend 2019

So it was Bluenose Marathon Weekend in Halifax. This year it was moved back into June due to some conflicts and after seeing rain for what seems like an appropriate amount of time to consider Ark building, we finally got some sun.

Sun is great when it comes to standing around at the start and walking back to your car afterward, oh and hanging out on the deck post race. Sun during the race can be tough. We hadn't done much training in heat, and there was very little breeze or shade on course. So we all knew that it would make things a little tougher. Still, it could have been much worse. 

My first duty on the weekend was as a Pace Bunny for True North Pacing in the Saturday 5K. I was picked to pace the 20 min 5K. Usually pacers don't pace at these faster speeds, but I know what it was like trying to crack 20 min on a 5K and I knew this wouldn't affect my race the next day, so I was really happy to do this.

I lined up near the front but not on the front row and soon was swarmed by runners and from what I could tell within the first 300m, falling backwards to probably 60th place or more. Of course this is the usual exuberance of a 5K race and I was soon casually running by people. As I expected a decent crowd had gathered around me, many of whom were young kids from a variety of local running clubs. This was great. 

Part of my role as a Bunny is to hold pace, but also encourage and talk to the runners to help them keep their mind off of the toughness of the race. As a coach I also tried to remind them of proper running posture and arm swing. 

It was great fun and there were quite a few runners near me (both ahead and behind) as I crossed the line. A few thanked me, and that was great. I ended up 33rd overall. For a local race that is amazing to see so many runners in the sub 20 world.

I used my Brooks Launch on that run and they were a great choice, offering me just enough cushion but still felt peppy at a faster pace.

The next morning it was time for me to race and I had chosen the 15K this year. As it turns out I am really glad I did. Sunday was even warmer than Saturday and with the longer distances I knew it was going to be tougher. My goal was a 3:44 pace or under.

As the weather was nice, standing around was easy to do, so we got to the start a little earlier than the last couple of years. I lined up with a few other runners I know and soon we were off.


The Half and Full marathon had a 20 minute head start on us, but due to their course taking a different route at the start, we soon caught up with the back of the pack. I was in third at this point and had drifted slightly off of lead two. My goal though was to run my pace and not worry about placing. I mean we always hope for a good placing, but you have to run what you can.

We worked our way through the crowd as we approached the North End of Halifax, and sought all the shade we could. Soon I ran by a cheer squad that some of the BLT Runners had set up. It was great and I felt pretty good at this point.  We were now about 5K into the race and I was below pace time by a little.


The first 10K of this course is pretty fast and I knew I had to take advantage of that, though without going too hard. I was always going to lose a little time in the last 5K. 

Just before kilometer 7, I managed to catch up to Neil in second. He had been running well, but I guess pushed a little too hard (he had also run really well the day before) and drifted back from first. I decided not to play any games, stick to the plan and pushed on. If Neil could stick to me, then that was fine. Turns out he didn't.

This was the big downhill section, so I managed to pass a lot of other runners from the half and full. Then as we hit the bottom of the hill we were forced into this very narrow section. I had a few choices, but opted to run on the gravel off to the side. Not the fastest route or surface, but the smart choice.

Certainly weaving through the crowd wasn't the greatest but generally I was able to run the line I wanted to.

I hit the 10K mark and my Garmin registered a time of 36:58. So that was my fastest 10K time ever.

Now it was time to suffer. The heat was building and the uphill portion began. First was a steep climb up to Young Ave, then a quite out and back and on to South Park which is a gradual climb until almost the end of the race.

I was now all alone. First place wasn't too far away but certainly not close enough to push for and really, based on my heart rate data, I was at the limit. Third place was far enough behind that i could have eased a bit, but really, who wants to do that.

Every time my watch beeped, I was so happy another kilometer was done. Then the huge downhill of Cogswell was upon me. I ran done hard, mentally getting ready for the final climb to the finish line.



This was tough, and lonely. I have never been on the stretch of street in this race without a crowd around. Here I was in second overall and it was just me. That felt odd and fun. Lots of cheering and crowd support as I pushed hard to the finish.  I came across the line in 56:33. I had fallen short of my goal by a second a kilometer, but I know the weather played a small part in that. You have to race smart on the day you are given. And again, my heart rate data proved, I was at the limit. 

It turns out I was fastest in the top three in that last section. Was I just pushing harder or had first place settled in to a pace based on his knowledge of the gap? Hard to say. But I am happy to know that was the hardest part and that I wasn't settling. I pushed that gap down from almost a minute to 30 seconds and pushed the gap to third to 1 minute.


After the race it was time to chat with fellow friends and BLT Runner members. Some had PB days, other had fun days other lent their services to pacing duties. 


So I was second overall and top Male in the 40-45 Age Category. I won this fancy cutting board.

I am really happy with my performance, my training and my placing. Sure I wish I could have paced a little faster, but the heat and the solo running make it tougher. I need a pace bunny I guess.

Thanks to the support of the BLT Runners and Aerobic First and all the volunteers that make these events doable.

On this run I wore my New Balance 1500v2. I think it was the right choice. My feet were happy at least.

No comments: