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Comments: I started behind the 1:50 pace group and figured I would follow then for at least the first half. Pace was to be about 8:20. First half mile had a little bit of a climb but was at 9:00 pace. Next half mile the pacers brought it down to 7:40 pace. Next mile was about 7:50. First 5k was way too fast and this hurt the rest of my race. Not only was it too fast but people where cutting in front of me to get around poorly seeded runners. I had two close calls within about 50 yards where I had to pull up hard to keep from crashing into people that cut into my path. This really hurts an old guy that has to build up a head of steam. It was pretty crowded the whole first half of the race to the point where half my focus was on avoiding other people. It was really bad. I'm glad this was not a car race. The course had a few more ups and downs then I expected and the a long gradual climb ove rthe Burrard St. bridge twice. Despite the yoyoing pace guys, I was right on pace at the half way mark and feeling pretty good. That lasted for a few more miles before I started to run out of gas. The gel offered was vegan raspberry stuff that tasted like it was processed through a grizzly bears digestive system. I tried to choke some down but it was too nasty. So no nutrition. The aid stations were also cluster@#@$%'s. Everyone came to the first table and just stopped or walked slowly through the station. I'd aim for one of the later tables but missed probably half of them. Was a little frustrating. The last few miles I slowed to about a 9:00 pace because I just wanted finish without a total blowup. The beers were upsetting my stomach so had to ease up the finish. It is not uncommon for me to throwup at the finish line if I'm really pushing it but I did not want to do that in the barricaded parade type finish area lined with hundreds of spectators. What would you do differently?: Not trust the pace group, not rely on the course for nutrition, not run in an event that was more a celebration of the female spirit than a race.  Post race
Warm down: Had a great lunch with more tasty drafts. Then layed around the hotel pool the rest of the day. Went to the evening concert at Stanley Park. They started with about 500 people doing yoga with some yoga master guy. Really a cool outdoor setting. I had never heard of Xavier Rudd but he was an amazing musician. Not really my type of music but it was very good. Kind of spiritual in a way. What limited your ability to perform faster: This would be a pretty lengthy list. I guess poor desicion making would sum it up pretty well. If this was a real race I would have been a little disappointed but with all the distractions and different aura of the event I settled back and just rode the horse it was going. Event comments: The course was really spectacular and a great way to see Vancouver which is an amazing place. The event was 85% women and probably should be billed as a women's only event. It is totally geared to a weekend experience with a very heavy emphasis on yoga because that is the way Lululemon designed it. Great if that is your thing. We met people from all over the country and all were very excited and happy. It was interesting that when I looked in the results for my age group placing there were no ages listed. Just male and female placings. Lululemon thinks of everything from a women's perspective. My wife can't wait to go back next year. She did really well for as little as she trained. Next year I may play sherpa and focus more on my drinking. Last updated: 2013-08-11 12:00 AM
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Canada
60F / 16C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 1145/10147
Age Group = Male
Age Group Rank = 452/1724
We were a little late getting out the door for the hour drive north that turned into two hours due to heavy traffic. Got to our hotel and checked in quickly so we could get to the race expo. We stayed right across the street which was super convenient all weekend. My wife had forgot KT tape and Body Glide so she was a little anxious. I assured her they would sell it at the race expo. I mean this was an urban race with 10,000 participants, right?
Well, after getting our race packets we went into the large expo hall and it was exclusively Lululemon yoga apparel. This race is not only sponsored by them but is pretty much a showcase for them to promote their product. And there was nothing running related at the expo. You could get your nails or your hair done though. No kidding, long lines for that.
So we had to walk a mile to a running store to get the needed supplies which further pushed dinner out to almost 9:00 which is way late for me the night before the race. Service was also really slow where we ate because of the crowds so I had nothing to do but enjoy about five beers. The food was so good I almost ordered seconds. Walking back it dawned on me that the race started in about nine hours and maybe the beer wasn't such a great idea. I guess at the moment I didn't care as we were having fun. It is a very beautiful setting along the bay.
The race started at 7:00 and the staging area was very crowded. I was just shooting to break 1:50 so I figured I'd follow the 1:50 pace group and keep myself from going out to fast. I ate a granola bar and drank some G2. I figured I'd pick up some gel on the course. Too crowded to jog around so just stretched a little.