20.11.06

Another one down

Completed my third half-marathon in driving wind and lashing rain yesterday. The Fall Classic race wanders around UBC campus on a route that would be really pretty, and fast, in nicer weather. I was hoping to break 2 hours but now I can blame my 2:07 time on the weather. There was a point in the race when I realized that, with 5km to go, I could potentially turn on my inner ninja and fly to the finish line to achieve a time right around, if not slightly under, 2 hours. Of course, this was after running 16km already and now wearing sopping wet clothes (so they were heavy!). I decided it wasn't something I needed to kill myself for so instead I finished with an almost identical time to the half-marathon in Victoria at Thanksgiving. I guess I'm just not a very fast runner, but I think I'm ok with that.

The best part of yesterday was...wait, there were two things worth noting. First, by the time I finished the race, checked out the race expo a bit and had some grub, changed every article of soaked clothing for its dry equivalent, ran for the bus but didn't make it, took another bus, and walked all the way home from the bus stop, I still got to wake Rocco up from his sleepy cocoon since it was only 10:40AM on a Sunday morning. The second enjoyable part of yesterday afternoon was publicly yelling and shaking my fist at the sky; the sun shone brightly yesterday afternoon so we roamed the city doing xmas errands with our jackets tied around our waists. I ran 21.1km in a total squall, then walked around casually, fully clothed, in gorgeous sunshine. Oh the irony.

Edit: I'm not unhappy with my 2:07 time, sorry if I gave that impression. It does get frustrating when you go out and do something big like run a half-marathon and the most you can say about it is, "my time was exactly the same as my last race." I'd like to be getting better, or even to have something bizarre happen like all I could do was run 4:20 or my knees would fall off. The final story is that this race was pretty fun because of the ridonkulous weather, and I wish I was getting better at long distance racing. I guess I'm getting better at one thing: last year I was registered in the Fall Classic 10km that happens the same morning - and I didn't even leave my apartment to go to the race! So I'm getting better at getting out of bed for a race.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:33 p.m.

    I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. I think 2:07 is a fabulous time and you should be proud. Way to go Mego!!

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  2. Good for you! I am envious of you running races this time of year. I think your time is great. If we ever cross paths again we will have to go for a run together.

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  3. Anonymous1:10 p.m.

    Mego,

    2:07 is a wicked time for shit weather...shit weather definitely adds time to the run and you can´t compare the courses as well...so this girl gives you props for doing it at a time of 2:07. The fact that you could walk around town afterwards is pretty darn good as well.

    Good work my young friend...Diedre

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  4. Can't you like pro-rate it based on age? I think it looks like this;


    [(t+p+s)/E]*(1/A)

    where
    t = marathon time (1 second = 1pt)
    p = pain at end (1 advil = 100pt)
    s = water loss at end (100g = 100pt)
    E = effort invested (1 second = .1pt)
    A = age in years

    As you can see I think you did improve base on my more accurate calculation!

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