Winterman Half Marathon

Winterman Half-Marathon - February 20^th 2011 - Ottawa, Ontario

I decided to run Winterman as a marathon-paced run to get a feel of what level my fitness was at following the base-building I have been doing in the first phase of my marathon training program.

I did the 10km race at this event last year and really enjoyed it. It is an out-and-back race on the parkway beside the Ottawa River. The route could be described as hilly as well as windy too.

The race itself starts at the War Museum and continues along the western carriageway of the Ottawa River Parkway to the off-ramp to Parkdale Ave. There is a turnaround point on Goldenrod Street in the Tunney’s Pasture complex and then it’s back towards the Museum, where you complete your loop in front of the museum and then down a chute that takes you to the start of the next lap. The half-marathon is 4 loops plus a short out-and-back portion that makes up the final 1.1km of the distance.

When we arrived at the race site it was minus 16˚C and windy, the calculated windchill factor was minus 24˚C and we really felt it as we went to collect our race chips to fit around our ankles. Luckily with this race, the War Museum kindly lets you stay warm in their huge foyer. The foyer was packed with 1,400 excited, expectant runners trying to stay warm and keep loose in preparation for the races.

In this event all the races (bar the 3km race) are started at the same time, so it can be pretty confusing exactly who you are racing against (bibs are colour-coded). My wife had entered a team in the 8 person relay and decided to run the 1^st leg so she could start with me.  

As expected the start was pandemonium with no seeding, we all just huddled together bracing ourselves against the cold winds coming across from the Ottawa River. The race was started by a huge military gun, scaring the heck out of most of the runners, and we were off. I bid farewell to my wife and wished her a good race and started to weave through the throng of runners, trying to find some pavement to get to my pace as soon as possible. Straight away there a was a long climb as the road goes up and over a railway bridge so it was pretty slow going but I was able to nip in and out of the packs of runners and get some space. I hadn’t really decided as to what pace I would run, I told myself “marathon race pace” but I don’t really know what that is yet with any conviction, so I decided to just run by feel and let the pace take care of itself.

I was pretty cold for the first 10 minutes or so, so most of my focus was on warming up my fingers and toes, this is a good thing though as you should be cold as you start a run like this and it wasn’t long before I was nice and toasty and comfortable and could focus on how my legs and breathing felt. I felt great to be honest, it was great to be in a race so soon in the season and my body was not complaining at all.

On the off ramp it was a little icy as were sections of Tunney’s pasture, but it was a lot easier underfoot than last year when we had actively falling slow and it was slippy and slushy underfoot.

Soon enough I was heading back into the museum and glanced at the clock as I came around the chute to cross the lap mat and start another lap; 27:26, not bad, I decided to just keep doing what I was doing and see how I felt as I continued along the course. The runners on the course had spread out considerably and with all the 5km racers finishing, the number of runners on the course started to decline. The second lap went along without any problems, I took a gel at 7km and I felt really comfortable at the paces I was going at which seemed to be roughly 5:28 per km on the uphill section, 5:15 per km on the other sections and as I glanced at the clock at the lap end it was 54:27 so I had run that lap in roughly 27 minutes.

At that point I started to form a plan for the second half of the race, I wanted to keep going as I was and do another 27 minute lap, keeping an eye on how my legs and lungs felt and then increase the pace during the final lap if I felt capable at that point. I took my second gel at 14kms but by this time it had frozen so it was pretty chewy. As I came through the lap chute the clock read 1:21:29, so I was pacing it really well with another 27 minute lap.

This time when I turned at Tunney’s pasture I took one last swig of water and started to consciously increase the pace. I didn’t bother to look at my Garmin, I just increased the pace and held it there and it felt fine, actually it felt really good so I increased it again as I was coming down the hill towards the museum. Through the lap chute for the last time, clock read 1:47:59 so I put the hammer down and ran as hard as I could back up the hill towards the 1.1km turnaround marker, around it, back down the hill and into the final stretch. I had somehow passed a guy that I had been on the heels of for the last 5km but he blew past me with 100 meters to go, I duly responded breaking into a full-out sprint, I didn’t catch him, but we both flew past two other runners and I hit the finish line one step behind him (5:11 for the final 1.1km).

Final time 1:53:08, the second-fastest of the five half-marathons I have run to date.

I was 99^th out of 277 runners and 10^th out of 20 male 35-39 year olds.

Splits

1 - 27:26 (5:29/km pace)

2 - 27:01 (5:24/km pace)

3 - 27:02 (5:24/km pace)

4 - 26:30 (5:18/km pace)

5 - 5:11 (4:42/km pace)

I am extremely pleased with that result as I felt comfortable throughout and had plenty left in the tank to increase the pace and then sprint finish. So far I have only done training runs at my slow pace (6:00/km) and have yet to add any speed work, so in theory I should get considerably faster. With the 300km at slow pace I have run this year, I have built a solid base to build off of, and that will pay great dividends come May.

Link to other race photos of me taken by Zoomphoto

2011

Feb 20 - Winterman Half Marathon - 1:53:08

Apr 10 - Minto Run for Reach Half Marathon - 1:44:24

May 29 - Ottawa Marathon - 3:55:22

Jun 19 - Alterna Do it for Dad 10km - 46:26

Jul 1 - Bushtukah Canada Day 5km - 22:21

Sep 18 - Army Half Marathon - 1:50:22

Oct 10 - Chelsea Challenge 10km - 45:22

Oct 29 - Beat Beethoven 8km - 35:48

January 2011 - Building a base

Great start to the year. I am in the process of building up my running base, increasing my mileage little by little before I start adding the speed work and long runs that will come later in my marathon training plan.

Despite the snowy and often down-right freezing conditions I managed a new personal best for mileage in one month with 172.91 km over 17 runs during the month of January 2011.

Hopefully this will continue and I will set a new mileage personal best in February (despite fewer days) as I ramp up the mileage and also compete in my first race of the year, a half marathon at the Winterman race on the 20th February. My goal for the race will not be a personal best time, but a good solid training run at marathon pace (5:20 - 5:25/km) in race conditions.

2010 - A year in review...

First off I'd like to wish you, my faithful readers, a very happy New Year. All the best for 2011, and if you have set some goals, not necessarily a running goal, but if you start on any path towards some sort of accomplishment then I hope you fulfill your goal and that you learn something great about yourself in the process.

I had a great 2010 both from a personal and running perspective. So here is a review of my year of running. 

Total for 2010 - 144 runs - 1237.83 km

January - 6 runs - 31.12 km
A pretty quiet start to 2010 with only 6 runs in January, most of those on the treadmill. My goals for the year were to go under 2 hours in the half-marathon, under 50 minutes in the 10 km, under 25 minutes in the 5 km and log more than 750 kms.

February - 7 runs - 48.99 km
A slight increase in mileage as well as the Winterman 10 km race clocking 57:24, a satisfying result considering the snowy and slippy conditions that day. The race was a lot of fun, there were 5 km, 10 km, half marathon, and marathon distances available, with all races starting at the same time with a commitment to race in whatever the prevailing conditions. We got pretty lucky with minus 15°C, a light dusting of snow and very little wind.

March - 12 runs - 75.38 km
March didn't get off to a good start, I picked up a nasty cold and except for one 3 km run I was unable to train at all for my first chip-timed 5 km race. I went into the St Patrick's Day 5 km with a goal to run as fast as my lungs would let me. I was accompanied by my friend Carlos and we clocked 26:32 and 27:28 respectively. This turned out  to be a personal best for me, although I had a fair bit of trouble breathing, especially from 3 km onwards. The best part is that this race really lit a fire in me and I really knuckled down with the training, increasing the length and pace of my threshold runs and slowly increasing the length of my weekend easy/long runs.

April - 14 runs - 135.48 km
Continuing on from the enthusiasm I had gained in March I pressed on towards a "tune up" half marathon with a number of threshold runs, long runs and hill repeats. The tune up half marathon came in the shape of the Minto Run for Reach race. My intention was to try out a couple of paces (5:45/km and 5:35/km) and see how long I could maintain them over 21.1 kms. The race course was from City Hall in Ottawa, down beside the canal along Queen Elizabeth Drive to Dow's lake and back twice. This race turned out to be a huge success for me with me running all 21.1 km without stopping to walk (for the first time ever) and the first time I was able to run the half marathon in a sub-2 hour time (1:56:39). This month ended up being my second highest month of the year for total distance run despite having to take a week off right before the Run for Reach with a painful tibialis anterior (shin) muscle.

May - 11 runs - 128.43 km
Buoyed by my unexpectedly good performance at the Run for Reach, I pressed on towards what I had envisioned at the start of the year as my A-race, the National Capital Race Weekend Half Marathon. I started to dream about a possible sub 1 hour 55 and set my training accordingly. Unfortunately the injury bug struck again, my left Achilles tendon and lower calf cramped up hard after a trail run with my brother-in-law, I could barely walk the next day. After a few days off and some treatment with ice, I resumed training albeit at a slightly lower intensity. Then 1 week before the big race, I had pain in my right heel, probably as a result of plantar fasciitis. Worried that my big race plans were in tatters before I had even started, I took a week off running and babied the heel. This course of action did the trick as I was able to run the whole race without any pain problems, however I didn't have the race of my dreams, suffering from too fast a pace at the start and losing a lot of energy weaving in and out of the 11,000 strong field. My pace dropped off and the last 6 kms were a death march with only the amazing crowd responsible for getting me home 4 seconds ahead of the 2 hour mark (1:59:56). I was disappointed with the time, but I had broken 2 hours again and learned a few valuable lessons about pacing and running my own race. 

June - 12 runs - 118.64 km
A switch in focus saw me gearing towards breaking 50 minutes in the 10km. After the disappointment of the National Capital Half Marathon, I was wary of pacing and formulating a plan and then sticking to it. The Alterna "do it for Dad" 10 km provided a great opportunity for redemption. My plan was to see how close I could hold my pace at around 5:05/km and then try and finish strong and perhaps get closer to the sub 50 minute goal I had set myself at the start of the year. I stuck to my plan and came through the halfway split in 24:53, the first time I had ever run a 5 km in sub 25 minutes. The second half of the race featured a 2 km uphill stretch, knowing that my pace was going to suffer I slowed it down with a plan to run the last 2 kms downhill as fast as I could without blowing up. This turned out to be a good strategy with only 2 runners passing me in the 2nd half of the race I made up 12 places (i.e. passed 14 other runners) and hit the line at 50:15, just shy of the sub 50 minute time goal, but a huge personal best (down from 53:55). With a smoking 4:22 in the last km of the race I felt I had broken a mental barrier running kms consistently under 5 minutes.

July - 10 runs - 83.07 km
After running the first half of the Alterna 10 km race in under 25 minutes I was itching to do a 5 km race where I could run it that bit harder and make the sub 25 minute goal for a 5 km official. A number of races were available on Canada Day (1st July) so I opted for one that I was most familiar with, since its route bore a resemblance to one of the routes I run on my lunch hour at work. The route started with about 800 meters of uphill, so I took it easy and then ramped it up on the downhill and flat sections. Despite having a bit of a chesty cough, I was able to run a great race and ended with 23:41. The rest of July was tough, with extremely hot and humid conditions. In effect my running was kept to a minimum, although I had a really nice run around Lac Boivin in Granby, Québec whilst staying there with my family.

August - 13 runs - 123.30 km
Back on track in August and now the focus was on the Army Half Marathon. I was desperate to redeem myself for the disappointing performance at the National Capital back in May. The improved 5 km race time gave me some challenging paces to train by, and without any races in August I was able to knuckle down and put in a lot of great training sessions and recover well.

September - 12 runs - 121.79 km
Continuing on from August in the final stretch of training before the Army Half Marathon, I made good strides in training hard and recovering well. I definitely started to feel an improvement in post run recovery that has come with all adaptive physiological changes my body has made due to all the kilometers I have logged over the last 2 and a half years.

On the morning of the Army Half Marathon I made a plan to start at a slower pace than my goal pace (5:10/km) and then ramp it up to see how I felt, if I could sustain the pace then perhaps take it up another gear near the end. The conditions for the race were perfect and I got off at the pace I wanted, managing to guard against getting carried away with the excitement of the race and the paces of the other runners. I quickly settled into a nice pace that felt good, going through 5 kms in 25:20. The next 5 kms featured quite a few hills both up and down and I managed my pace accordingly, still feeling nice and comfortable I hit the 10km split at 51:04 (25:44). At this stage I really felt that my race plan was working and it was just a case of sticking with the plan and counting off the kilometers, reaching 15 km in 1:16:40 (25:36). With 6 kms to go I put the second part of my plan into affect, to run the rest of the race like a threshold run. I ramped up the pace to a level that felt "comfortably hard" and just went with it for the rest of the race, barely looking at my watch, just focusing on running with good technique and seeing if I could hold on to the end. My training had prepared me for this, the countless threshold runs, running at a fast pace on tired legs, I actually managed to finish with a good kick in my stride with a 4:37/km pace over the last 500 meters, stopping the clock at 1:48:50 (30:23 for the last 6 km), a massive personal best by almost 8 minutes, a great reward for sticking to the plan.

October - 13 runs - 96.24 km
Two races in October, a 5 km race run by the Wellness Charitable Campaign and the Rattle-me-bones 10 km. The 5 km race was on a Thursday lunchtime as it was a race that was part of a charitable campaign that agencies within the Federal Government participate in. It was along a notoriously windy section of the Ottawa River parkway. I battled with the strong winds in the middle section of the race and used the wind at my back to break my 5 km personal best one more time, with a time of 22:32. I was really pleased with that as I ran at an average pace of just over 4:30/km which for me would have been utterly unthinkable at the start of the year. The 10 km race was to be my last race of the year and an opportunity to cross the last goal off my list; to break 50 minutes for a 10 km race. The conditions for this race were pretty cold and windy, and although I didn't hit the pace I wanted throughout the race (4:45/km), I ran as hard as I could and ended up with a satisfying 49:22.

November - 16 runs - 133.31 km
Basically just seeing out the year on a good note, with no races to train for, but plenty of enthusiasm to get out there and run. With 16 runs, this month set a new high for most runs in a month. This level of commitment will serve me well in my training for the marathon in May 2011.

December - 18 runs - 142.08 km
Rather than finish the year off with a whimper, I set new personal records for: runs in a month (18) and distance run in a month (142.08 kms). Thus finishing the year as I want to start the next one.

Let 2011 begin!!!

Another adventure in Gatineau Park...

Now I realize this is a blog about training for a marathon, but my "real" training doesn't start until January so I am taking every opportunity to just get out there and run. Today was no different, and after last week's run up in Gatineau Park, I was anxious to get up there again before the snow makes it impossible to run on the trails.

I am not going to bore you with every run I do, but this one was a lot of fun and I stopped often to take pictures.

I decided beforehand to park at P7 (Kingsmere) and run up #30 to #1 and then take #4 to #32, after that #36 to Lac Meech and then turn around and come back the way I came. As you will see from the map below I took a wrong turn and ended up running past Ski Camp Fortune before getting back on track and joining #36 (the right-hand portion of what looks like a loop). I figured it out and came back the right way, but the sign-posting is not that good at that intersection on the trails.

Plenty of ups and downs, #36 and #32 were pretty steep and then the first part of #4 coming back was a killer.

Looking up #4, the incline was severe and a good dusting of snow, but my trusty Hawk-2's didn't let me down.

Coming down #4 just before I made my wrong turn.

Found this rather nice stream while I was looking for #32 by Ski Camp Fortune. Unfortunately as I found out on the way back, #32 was actually on the other side of the hill.

Someone on Running Mania posted about this great bridge over a small inlet of Lac Meech. I stopped here for a while and enjoyed the views. A fantastic little quiet spot on trail #36 just after the O'Brien Beach car park (heading towards #50).

Another shot of Lac Meech from the bridge. It was about minus 5°C and sunny, great day for running trails.

Sun was starting to go down over Lac Meech, this was my cue to head back to Kingsmere. I was 8 kilometers away from my start-point, so I had plenty time but I didn't want to push my luck too much.

It really is a great little spot. If you are local to the National Capital Region (or in the area) you can drive up to O'Brien Beach car park (Gatineau Park Trail Map) and the bridge is about 1 kilometer down the trail (there is a bit of up hill and a huge downhill stretch, so be warned).

This is trail #32 heading up to the summit before heading down towards Lac Fortune. It is here that my left knee started to hurt. I think the hard fast downhills on hard frozen ground had taken their toll. I managed to get to an intensity level that allowed me to get back to Kingsmere before the sun went down, although the final 1 kilometer downhill stretch was a killer. The knee is fine now, just iced it and rested it up. However, this serves as a warning to put a few extra items in my pack (headlamp, extra food, some warmer clothes etc.) next time just in case.

Total mileage for this run was 15.42 kilometers with ~500 meters (~1600 feet) of elevation gain. Hopefully I will get another opportunity to run again up there before the snow makes it too difficult, I fancy checking out the rest of #36 towards #50 and #52.