Tag Archives: road race

Pre-Race: Around the Bay 30k Road Race

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My first ‘A’ race of 2011 is only 5 days away; the Around the Bay 30k Road Race.  Considered the oldest road race in North America which has been running since 1894.  Last year I did the 5k race of this event and told myself that in 2011 I would do the 30k.  I can say with certainty that this will be only time I do it.  Why?  Because I despise cold weather training.  None of my future races will be early in the season for that reason alone.  Now on to the good stuff.

Initially when I made up my 2011 race schedule back in November, I had set a goal to finish this race in 2h 50m, but as time went on, I felt that 2:45 would be doable based on my training schedule, and the fact that I would be at my “race weight” by then.  Well, my training has not been optimal, and I’m no where near my “race weight” of 195 for this time of year.  I’ve been struggling in that department significantly and it’s a real downer. So I’ll be carrying an extra 18 lbs….yes 212 lbs is my current weight.  Disappointing to say the least.  With that said, the 2:50 goal is more realistic than the 2:45 at this point, so that’s what I’m shooting for.

On my last long run of 27k the previous weekend, I did practice my planned nutrition and it seemed to have worked out fine.  Not GI issues, or bonking at the end so I’ll go with it.

Last week and this week are tapers in the running department.  I only saw 22k last week, and this week 13k is scheduled, and Saturday I have no planned training whatsoever to make sure I’m well rested.  My legs should be good to go by Sunday.

As of this post, the weather forecast for Hamilton looks like it will be sunny, but chilly around 0C temp, which is fine by me.  The chillier it is, the faster I can go. :)

Stay tuned for the post race report which should be up the following day.

 

EDIT: Added a news clip from the local news about the race.

Race Recap: Around the Bay 5k, Hamilton ON – March 28, 2010

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Once again, the weather didn’t look promising but the rain held off, and it turned out to be perfect running weather; Overcast, 3C and no wind.


PRE-RACE

7:00 AM – Got up and have the usual All-Bran/milk/protein powder breakfast combo with a banana.

7:30 AM – Hit the road with the customary stop at Tim Hortons.  Mrs. FatGuy, and FatGuy’s mom were coming for the event also this time.  :)

8:45 AM – Arrived in Hamilton ON and proceeded to park the car, and make our way to Copps Coliseum.  Since race packet pickup/registration was on Saturday, it was just a matter of getting ready to run and find a place for my 2 fans to have a seat.

9:20 AM – I had everything hooked up & ready to roll.  Met a fellow runner and had a brief chat.  Nice to meet you Al. :)

9:35 AM – I headed downstairs to the starting area only to see almost 2000 people already standing behind the gate.  My odds of starting at the front at that point were nil.  I did some kick sprints and then stretched a little to warm up.  I then tried to find a spot mid pack, but that didn’t help me much….more on that later.

9:45 AM – Horn sounded, but from where I was, didn’t start moving for over a minute.  Since they score these things based on “gun” time and not chip time, I was a little disappointed.


THE RACE

My strategy for the race was as follows:

  • First 4 kms – 5:30 min/km pace
  • Last km – Go by feel, but faster than 5:30.  I was shooting for an overall 5:20 to 5:25 min/km average pace

The 1st km was just dealing with traffic….and lots of it.  It was like a freeway at rush hour and I knew this was going to affect my pacing.  But I did the best I could and got going.

For the following 2-3 kms was kept dealing with traffic, and trying to find a groove.  I felt good overall, heart rate & breathing was in check, everything was still on track.  My Garmin was telling me my average pace was holding @ 5:30 min/km which was perfect.

From 3-4 kms; encountered a hill I didn’t know existed for this run.  I slowed my pace a little not to drain the legs for the climb.  Must have worked as I still felt great at the top.  I knew I would need to drop the hammer pretty soon.

The last km went by fast, probably because I was “hauling the mail”.  Seeing the coliseum just around the corner I bolted, passing alot of people like I was running from a wild animal. :)  The finish line was inside the coliseum, which meant going in through the back entrance, down a steep concrete ramp.  My legs felt like limp noodles at that point, and when I saw that ramp, I was so paranoid I would go head diving, I had to slow down a little.

I crossed the finish line, arms in the air with the clock reading 28:03, but that’s “gun” time.  The timing chip time was 26:47 mins, which is way better than my initial goal of 30 mins.  Yes, it took over a minute to get out of the “coral”.


POST RACE

After the race, we were given all kinds of food treats and of course a finishers medal….my first. :)  Then I went upstairs and found my fans.  After eating up a banana and a bottle of water, I got changed, and headed for a Tim Horton’s Bagel BELT.  Yummy…that hit the spot!

Official Results Here

Results Recap:

Official Gun Time: 28:03 mins
Official Chip Time: 26:47 mins
Avg. Pace/Speed: 5:21 min/km, 8:38 min/mile, 7 MPH
Overall:  437 of 1804 runner
Age Group: 27 of 67 (M35-39)

Next on the race agenda:  Mercedes 10k in Oakville, April 25th 2010.


Race Recap: Grimsby 3k Road Race – Feb 28, 2010

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Although the weather did not look promising days prior to the event, it turned out to be a great day for a run, temps around 2C with overcast skies, and only a light wind.

PRE-RACE

6:45 AM – Get up & have my usual All-Bran cereal, whey protein/milk combo, and a banana.

7:25 AM – Hit the road with Mrs. Fat Guy, and stop at Tim’s for a coffee of course. :)

Warming up


8:10 AM – Arrive at the parking lot of the event, and walk to the registration area which was inside Grimsby High School.  I look up my race number from the board, and pick up my number card, and timing chip.

8:30 AM – I strap on my Brooks DYAD 5 running shoes, number belt, and timing chip and bring my bag to the bag-check.

8:45 AM – Go outside and do a little jog to warm up followed by some minor stretching.

9:00 AM – The half-marathon starts.

9:05 AM – I proceed to the 3k start area and continue to keep the muscles warm.  I also get my Garmin FR 305 ready to record the race.  I stand towards the back of the pack thinking I’d be the slow one.  This turned out to be a bad move.

9:15 AM – Horn sounds & we’re off & running.


THE RACE

I started off at my planned pace which was about 6 mins/km (9.6 min/mile), and even at the slow pace I found myself being held up by slower people, and getting around them cost more time.  The first stretch had a minor incline, but nothing that really bothered me.

Race finish

After the first turn, things opened up a little, so I picked up the pace a little to make up for the blockages, and it also helped that there was a minor downgrade.  The first km went by quick and I was surprised how good I felt, so I upped the pace a little.

The 2nd km started with a nice downgrade which I took advantage of  picked up the pace.  Then it followed by a flat on Main St.   At this point, I was still passing quite a few people thinking to myself the whole time “Am I going too fast?”.  But I still felt good, heart rate holding steady in the high 150s, low 160s, so I kept the pace.

Then the final km…the last leg, started flat, but then around the corner came a nice hill.  Since I still felt strong, I maintained my pace, which at this point was around 5:30 min/km (8.8 min/mile).  This grade was taking it’s toll on a lot of people, and where I did a lot of passing.  The last half km after that hill was flat, then downhill.  This is where I decided to “drop the hammer” and started running.  At one point close to the end of the race I looked at the Garmin & my heart rate hit 184 BPM.  So much for the started formula of 220-age to determine max heart rate….I had just blown that number by 2-3 BPM. :)


POST-RACE

After it was said & done, walked around a little to cool down & catch my breath, but with the adrenaline still going, I felt great and was really happy with my race.  I had smashed my goal of 18 mins with a 16:45 min finish and was on cloud 9.

After 5-10 mins, we proceed inside to get my bag, and I changed into some dry cloths.  I took a peak of the unofficial results and was happy with what I saw.

Click Here are the official times for the race.

Overall Place: 42 of 93 runners
Age Group Place:  9 of 11 (30-39 age group)
Official Time: 16:45.3
Avg Pace: 5:36 min/km

Changes for next race: Start closer to mid pack, and maybe pace a little faster at the start.

Garmin data