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Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon - RunHalf Marathon


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Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
12C / 54F
Overcast
Total Time = 1h 48m
Overall Rank = 214/1107
Age Group = M30-34
Age Group Rank = 22/56
Pre-race routine:

Up a few hours before race time. 2 slices of toast with PB, some water and some gatorade.
Drove to the race, had a small cup of Timmy's, and GU'ed about 15 minutes before the race began.

Event warmup:

No stretching, no strides. Just get in and get going.
My warmup consisted of walking down the line and seeing if I knew anyone there.
Run
  • 1h 48m
  • 13.1 miles
  • 08m 14s  min/mile
Comments:

Well, a pretty good race, all things considered. It is my PB for that distance, so hooray... but still I had hoped to go a little faster.
My plan was to run 10:1s for the 1st half, then reassess once I got to Assiniboine Park and see if I could just boot it from there. I hoped to run in at 1:45. Perhaps a stretch, since my PB at this distance was 1:51 and change, but I hoped I could do it.

Went out at the gun, feeling pretty good. Ran my first mile at the perfect pace and felt pretty good. Took my first walk break after 10 just because I wanted to keep in mind that this was a practice for my full marathon in 5 weeks.
Mile 2, still feeling good. Heart rate is coming down after spiking right off the hop, as always happens. Good! This leg of the course is usually the most boring part, but it was kind of neat this time, since there was some crazy person flying a helocoptor up and back along the course just over the trees. Not sure what buddy was doing, but it sure was fun to watch from the road.
Miles 3 and 4 were out the Saskatchewan, around the military loop and back out. Nothing interesting happening to me or the race here, really. They hired a music man this year who BLASTED music down the street, so that was nice. Got a good little rythym going when they broke out the Elvis!
Miles 5 thru 6 were good and bad. Good, I got to chat with some nice triathlonner from Edmonton who fell in step with me. Bad: the exact same thing. It was nice to chat and keep my mind off the course, but I definitely was not running my race while I was yapping. He ran back with his friends after about a mile or so, and I was happy/sad to see him go. I just really wanted to try running this race on my own, since I'm usually so busy talking to everyone around me, I lose sight of what I'm trying to accomplish.
Miles 7 and 8, thru the relay station and into and out of the park. The crowd here gave me a good rush, and I got to hear a couple of "Go Grant"s, which is always nice. :)
At this point, my race plan called for me to evaluate whether I wanted to continue on with 10:1s, or to just go into a straight run. I decided to keep going 10:1s because my legs were a little fatigued already. Forgot to gel here too. Oops again.
The next couple of miles down Wellington Crescent were actually really tough. The little "hills" on the road (more like speedbumps) felt like mountains to me. Dang, shoulda taken that gel at my last walk break.
Gelled up, got to the turn-around that marked the final 5k jaunt back to the finish.
Another decision to make. Flat out, or keep the last couple of walk breaks in. Again, walk breaks it is. My legs just did not have any finish in them.
Saw Sann & Joey at about this point, and that gave me a little more bounce in my step, but that didn't last long. Basically just went into survival mode for the last couple of miles. The fubuki drummers in the park were an awesome way to come in. I tried to pick up the pace for the last 2 miles, but my legs just really didn't hace it in them. I was also picking up a pretty good blister on my right heel. No legs for the final surge. Oh well.
Came across the bridge and there's the finish line. My old cop-friend Anna's there directing traffic, and she gives me the old Yay Grant that helps with that last push (sounds like giving birth, doesn't it?)
Anyways, there was some gal near the finish that I was pulling abreast of and easing ahead of who saw me coming and started booting it. I called her a witch and pounded after her, caught and passed her a few yards before the finish line. Look, I found my competive spirit 50 yards from the end. Maybe I should have been a sprinter? ;)
Picked up my medal, got my chip cut off and collect my finisher's cap. Nice!
What would you do differently?:

Only run the prescribed 2 miles the day before, not 4 and 1/4. Also, run it on the trails, instead of the grass. I turned my ankle a bit on Saturday, and it applied quite a bit of pressure on my right calf. I managed to work most of it out Saturday night, but the massage therapist after the race still said my right calf was WAY tighter than my left. Oops!
Also, maybe not run the 18 miler on the preceding Sunday. I'm not sure my legs were fully recovered from that one, despite the mini-taper I did this week.
Post race
Warm down:

Got my medal and finisher's cap. Found my family. Had a pancake breakfast and a leg massage.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Dead legs after mile 9. Just couldn't pick up the pace. Aside from that, really good run.




Last updated: 2006-02-28 12:00 AM
Running
01:48:00 | 13.1 miles | 08m 14s  min/mile
Age Group: 22/56
Overall: 214/1107
Performance: Good
Lap (#) Time 1 7:38 2 8:00 3 7:06 4 8:28 5 8:13 6 8:28 7 8:19 8 7:46 9 8:28 10 8:26 11 8:27 12 8:03 13 8:17 14 2:16
Course: Assiniboine Park, north to Saskatchewan and back, down Wellington Crescent to Harrow and back. Out and back out and back.
Keeping cool Average Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 5
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2006-05-01 7:52 PM

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Extreme Veteran
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Winnipegosis
Subject: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon


2006-05-01 8:13 PM
in reply to: #411703

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Champion
6627
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Rochester Hills, Michigan
Gold member
Subject: RE: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon

Wow, grant...what a fantastic run, considering - 18 miler before...and the 4 the day before...and timmy's in the gut?  Oh, my...

Congratulations on the PR, though.  That's a fantastic pace at that distance.  Well done!!!

2006-05-01 8:25 PM
in reply to: #411703

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Master
1494
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Kingston Ontario
Subject: RE: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon

Yeah double-double!! Sounds like a good time was had. You crack me up with your talking to everyone and getting distracted

"...north to Saskatchewan" Hmmmm......wouldn't that be west and a long way to run?

2006-05-01 8:26 PM
in reply to: #411703

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Master
1480
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Plant City, FL
Subject: RE: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon

You had me at hello!!   Awesome race!

 

2006-05-01 8:53 PM
in reply to: #411703

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Master
1728
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Pulaski TN
Subject: RE: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon
Great job with the tweaked ankle!!
2006-05-01 10:07 PM
in reply to: #411703

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Extreme Veteran
365
1001001002525
Winnipegosis
Subject: RE: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon

Thanks, folks. I had alot of fun.

Re-checked the race results tonight, and found that 11 of the 'people' who were ahead of me were actually groups in the 2-man relay. So my actual place would be around 203rd. I'm actually moving up to the front of the middle of the pack.



2006-05-02 3:17 PM
in reply to: #411703

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Master
1254
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Chesapeake, VA
Subject: RE: Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon
Awesome job man!  You sure are getting fast and right in line for that 3:45 mary!  Nice race report.  I don't think I could run on a cup of Timmy's.  Congrats on the PR!
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