How I Feel about Setting the Pace: 9Run Run 2013

Photo courtesy of Brian Lafleur

The Stittsville 1/2 marathon is a smaller race, but its home. It's a run I really enjoy because it's local, it's friendly, and it supports some great causes. (Emergency services in Ottawa-Ambulance, Fire, Police), DIFD, SolesforSouls, and Stittsville Food Bank. The course can be challenging: it's hilly, and the gravel trail on the stretch to the finish can be ominous for some roadrunners. But I love running through familiar sites/training grounds, seeing the beautiful fall colours, and once again experiencing what amazing Volunteers are all about.

It's hard setting the pace in a race. An amazing feeling, but there's a lot of guessing involved. Because of course you feel this pressure of being in first because you've taken it upon yourself to jump in front; it's a heavy responsibility. It's heavy because if you reach a point of getting passed while in first, it can really deflate you. In Haliburton (50miler) I was running scared, truly afraid I would lose it. Today, I went to my comfortable 1/2 pace, and prayed that I could hold it and no one else could. Though if someone had been leading me and I kept a similar pace, it might have given me the extra gumption to chase after them.

As the race begins, I make small chat with a fellow racer as we speed ahead of the rest of the group. I'm not really sure what my game plan is until we're about 5KM in and I hit my stride. I'm rolling at about 3:40-3:45/km, and I've thought it might be achievable for the remainder of the run. This course is tricky though based on the lengthy stretch of three major hills on Flewellyn. So...you might be in the realm of 3:45/km for the entirety of the run, but unless you can maintain that on the hills, you're average pace won't represent your effort.

After running 100KM on October 5th (14 days ago) I was experiencing a lot of fatigue. Not in the legs, just in general. It made me nervous for this one, but it was a good nervous. I know it helped lift my strength. As I hit my 3:45 pace, I was able to maintain and gap out the runners behind me. I was thankful for the 100K at this point, because mentally the struggles that I went through on October 5th were much harder than those that one experiences in a 1/2 marathon. It made the fight a lot easier than normal.

As I hit the turn around, I start to get slightly fatigued, but I keep my head up and follow the wheelchair rider in front of me. He's been my inspiration all morning. I know that if I consider him "the guy to catch" it will keep my legs moving at proper speed. I pretended he was the leader; it worked quite well for the majority of the run.

As I exit the gravel pathway with less than a 1KM to go I see my Mom. She's down from Scotland to visit me. She's jumping up and down in the crowd screaming. "That's my son! It's my son, he's in 1st! Go Dusty!!!!" I'm blushing and embarrassed. "That's my Mom everyone!" I yell, as I speed ahead towards the finish line.

I've made it. I feel great. It was a beautiful day once again to run, and the last race of my training schedule. From Around the Bay > Boston Marathon > Ottawa Marathon > I2P 52KM Trail Run > Haliburton 50 Miler > 100KM Sears Great Canadian Run > 9Run Run 1/2 Marathon, I've finally finished... AND after 4 years of trying, I've managed to grab 1st place on my hometown run. That was on the bucket list. As a friend from GGT once said (Corey Turnbull) "It's all about who shows up on race day" I do think I got lucky today to win a 1/2 marathon with a 1:20:28. Most are won sub 1:20. I'll take it, I'm proud of it. But I still have a ton of things to learn and work on, and I love that. One thing that has got me through this season undoubtedly is my mental fortitude. Now to work harder on the physical strength to come back next season and maintain the improvements.

It was also so great to have amazing fans at the race today. My wife, son, and Mom filled me with endless strength and inspiration. Gotta love it!! 

Here's to you and setting the pace!

D

Sears Great Canadian Run: Good Guys Tri 100K and $100,000 for Kid's Cancer

The Start of the day. We're all looking great at this point. 

As all 23 of us arrive at the gates of Chateau Montebello, we've finally made it, we're finally there. We take a moment to stop, embrace and collect ourselves together for one last time before we cross the real finish line in 800 meters. What a day, a beautiful day that encompassed a suitcase of emotions, and the epitome of strength and unity. 

Checkpoints (Brief idea of how our day played out timeline wise, it was about 7:30pm I think to end the run. Approximately 13 hours! )

	Checkpoint Number	Total Distance	Distance From Previous Checkpoint	Time To Run Checkpoint	ETA	Estimated  Time of    Departure
	Start	0km	0km	0:00	7:00am	7:00am
	Checkpoint 1	4.5km	4.5km	0:27	7:27am	7:35am
	Checkpoint 2	15.7km	11.2km	1:08	8:43am	8:51am
	Checkpoint 3	17.4km	1.7km	0:10	9:01am	9:09am
	Checkpoint 4	29km	11.6km	1:10	10:19am	10:27am
	Checkpoint 5	30.4km	1.4km	0:08	10:35am	10:43am
	Checkpoint 6	40.2km	9.8km	0:48	11:31am	11:39am
	Checkpoint 7	45km	4.8km	0:29	12:08pm	12:16pm
	Checkpoint 8	55.2km	10.2km	1:00	1:16pm	1:24pm
	Checkpoint 9	60.7km	5.5km	0:33	1:57pm	2:05pm
	Checkpoint 10	66.9km	6.2km	0:37	2:42pm	2:50pm
	Checkpoint 11	73.9km	7km	0:45	3:35pm	3:43pm
	Checkpoint 12	81.8km	7.9km	0:48	4:31pm	4:39pm
	Checkpoint 13	86.5km	4.7km	0:30	5:09pm	5:17pm
	Checkpoint 14	90.8km	4.3km	0:25	5:42pm	5:50pm
	Checkpoint 15	93.3km	2.5km	0:15	6:05pm	6:13pm
	Checkpoint 16	95.3km	2km	0:15	6:30pm	6:38pm
	Finish	96.1km	0.8km	0:07	6:45pm

Get Things Started in Here

My alarm stuns me awake at 4am. I go through the motions of the wake up call, and get dressed in all of my pre-prepared clothes, and eat my pre-prepard bowl of oatmeal. It's robotic at this point, and after a short 4 hours of intermittent rest, I'm satisfied that I'm good 2 go. It's time for the big show. 

My ride arrives at 5am. I'm rolling with my training pal Neil Rosenthal and his parents, (Doug and Carole) who were integral in making our day happen. Along with several other volunteers. The day would never have ran as smoothly without them.(No pun intended :) We had 1 car for every 2 runners, with a total of over 30 volunteers. Drivers, gophers, sweepers, first aid & camera crew. Just amazing, and on a day like today, they were "the oil to our car." 

After we arrived at the Aviation Museum, we pulled up to our convoy of volunteer vehicles. We all helped decorate the vehicles, grabbed our amazing sponsors signs and headed in to listen to the opening ceremonies. After introducing ourselves to one another, listening to the inspiring words of the race organizers, and getting the last pieces of running equipment in order, we were on our way to a very long day! 

The Best is Yet To Come
A quick 4.5KM to our first checkpoint back to the Aviation Museum, we were all anxious to put some real miles behind us and get on our way to Montebello. At first everyone was jubilient and there were a lot of jokes. I got the feeling that everyone had a sense of  relief to shake out the nerves and banter. The first few checkpoints for me, involved getting used to the idea of what we would need  in terms of apparel and nutrition. 
After 90 minutes your stomach really starts to send those hunger pains, so it's important to fuel up. I like to maintain steady fuel from here out, I find it keeps my energy fairly balanced. At 1.5-2hrs on the legs it was a nice point in the run. We were all able to get to know each other a little bit more, and those that already knew each other were able to catch up. It was a beautiful day to run such a long distance and  I'm sure this only added to our great attitudes. Rain would have made this a lot tougher. Our little angels were really watching us and shining their light over us, and on my sun burnt freshly shaven head.  

Goals from the start to finish: (My inspiration to keep me going kept changing the more fatigue weighed on me) 
1) Watch the Leafs vs. Sens Game tonight
2) Sleep in my bed tonight
3) Eat a whopper
4) Drink a beer
5) Run the next 10KM 
6) Run the next 4KM leg
7) Stop thinking, just fall 
8) Just Finish

Everybody Hurts
It was inevitable walking into a 100K run that once the running began, pain would eventually follow at some point; especially on a road run. How does that saying go? "If you're running an ultra and you feel good, wait a while, it'll pass." Our GoodGuys Tri Team had the motto of "one team": volunteers, runners, everyone involved. What a beautiful thing this was. I can remember the time(s) where every one of my teammates was in a down moment. Everyone had their own way of dealing with it, but it was great to have support through those moments. There were stomach issues, nausea issues, fatigue issues, muscle tightness/ceasing/pain, among other things. For any muscle issues we were fortunate to have two awesome lads from Holistic Clinic loosening up any tight or restricted muscles (Troy, Isaac). I was there when they actually busted their massage table out on the side of the highway for one of us with ceasing muscles. Incredible. There was also a volunteer who's a friend to many of the team. In addition, he's an experienced ultra runner (Mike Stashin) and was able to give advice on footwear, blisters, nutrition, and provide good music and treats while driving by us on the course. 
You were never alone in your struggles and I think that was essential to many of us battling through the rough times. As soon as you're mentally deteriorated and something physically goes wrong, it's just an extra irritation. That's when your day spirals. To have people who can help revive you, is why we all crossed that finish line.  


Stop This Train 

We had about 8 minutes reserved for each checkpoint. Though when fatigue struck, that 8 minutes seemed more like 3 minutes. There just wasn't enough time to get everything ready. Perhaps it was that there was so much more to do in the latter stages of the run. These are points in a run that aside from checkpoint errands, you've got to remind yourself of other things too... "How's my salt content?" "Am I eating enough?" "When did I pee last?" "How's my fluid consumption, etc" The checkpoints are good for things like that snack you were craving, the iPod you need to lift your spirits, soft drinks, clothing changes, fresh Gatorade, etc. This was something that I hadn't experienced much, but in the end I made it work, and carried a lot of my nutrition. 

Hurts So Good
My wife, mother-in-law and son were waiting for me at the 30KM checkpoint. I can't describe with words just how good it was to see them, it was amazing and revitalizing. My 3 month old son looked in my eyes and I felt so special, I felt how much he meant to me, and how much I would do for him, and then....just how important it was to finish. They gave me strength. I maintained that strength until about 60KM when I hit my recession. I was coming up to the check point and starting to get tired when I was signaled to the side of the road by my family again. I thought they were gone home 30KM ago, and I didn't think I'd see them again, so when they were there it hit me hard. It was such a good feeling to see them there, I started tearing up. By this point,  I was tired enough that it was tough to leave them, tough to be without them for the next 40KM ahead, just choked. The following 2.5 hours would be what I describe as my dark place. My stomach became weak, eating anything was a struggle, my muscles were exhausted, I was so drained. 4KM checkpoints began to feel like 10KM, it seemed endless.
I started to notice our team's first signs of fatigue/slumps at around 45KM. I encouraged and hungout with those at the tail end for a bit. This was great and it came to pay me back throughout my struggles later on. I can't count the number of teammates and volunteers who came to check on me, first class people. When your trying to help someone who's going through this much discomfort, you can feel helpless. Sometimes just being there beside them is best. It's tough to explain such struggles, it's as if your body says "Ok, I'm done" from there you have to maintain that mental fight until it resides. I managed to comeback to life around 74KM, it was a joke that set me back on track...so funny! I'm grateful to finally understand this battle that I had heard about so many times before. I'm glad I stuck it out. When I came back online, I was strong again, and a brand new man. What a relief! 

 Eye of the Tiger
I felt as if around 80KM we all started to hit some kind of reprieve. Not everyone was smiling, but many of us started to get over "the hill". It would seem that we were all at the point of knowing we were going to handle it, and we were going to finish it. Exhausted or not we were going to finish it. As we all headed into the last stretch, it was an incredible relief. Spirits were lifted, life was grande. Mike Stashin's music helped, and yes, he played Eye of the Tiger..or maybe it was Steve Thomas wearing no shirt and crazy green lights with a wig?  

All These Things That I've Done
I'm reminiscent of the day, it was such a blend of emotions. Between green jumpsuits, singing, making jokes, staying organized, and pushing each other past our limits, while fighting through our own personal battles. We left it there on the pavement, in our blood, sweat and tears. We were organized by two of the best guys I know in Mike Herzog and Steve Thomas of Good Guys Tri. They led our team like true leaders. I wish more of the world could emulate these lads. We really were "One Team" 

The Emotional Finish

As we enter through the gates towards the Chateau Montebello, it's so surreal. One of our teammates starts the GGT Chant..  "People ask who we are!"...."We are GGT" as the rest of us follow along, the sound of our 23 person group is powerful. Within the same breath of our final chant, it's as if our voices are being echoed by the cheers of the crowd up ahead. Shivers rush up my spine, it's so loud, I'm filled with energy. The team in unison pushes Mike and Steve to the front of our group. "let's run it in!" As we make our way through the finish line, it seems there's about 100 metres of crowd. There are people crying, and cheering and I'm overwhelmed with emotion, just completely elated. As I look around, it appears that all of my teammates are as well. We all hug each other, and congratulate one another. We're receiving hugs from crowd members. I feel so small in this big picture, but significant at the same time. What we did on October 5th and the months before was amazing, and it's things like this that push change. We raised over $100,000 for Kid's Cancer research!

I'm so proud to be a part of this group of runners, SGCR, GGT, and any change that may happen based on our efforts. Whether it's new goggles for the MRI machines in the hospital, renovations to make CHEO look more homely for their young patients, or funding for a new experimental treatment that may save a child. This all attributes to the end goal of beating cancer, saving children, and promoting positive change. Being a part of those waves is an honor.

"Leverage Your Passion for Good" -GoodGuys Tri

D



▼Shameless sponsor mentions below!!! ▼
Thank you so much guys. Big hearts, and believing. Just awesome.

Some photos in blog courtesy of sponsor. Zoom Photo. Thank you: Jim Johnston [Photographer] and Joe Elliot [Owner of ZoomPhoto]

Haliburton Forest 50 Miler (80km) Trail Race

It's always good to keep things mixed up, fresh and exciting.

For me, I'm a typical marathoner/half marathon road runner. As much as I like road races, I enjoy training on the trails much more. There's much more to see and do on the trails. It feels good to be running in the woods, and.... I feel more like Tarzan, and that's what matters most. :-D

I'd never jumped into an ultra, but after joining a 23 person team to run 100KM for Kid's cancer on October 5th, I thought this race could be icing on the cake, since I'd already be putting in the distance to train.
After many Gatineau training runs and a lot of hill climbing, I was ready for the challenge that would be the Haliburton Forest 50 miler. Along with a crew of some other great runners, we all showed up hoping to achieve our goal times (8 hours in my case). We all set up camp right beside the race course, with hundreds of other tents and trailers. I enjoyed hanging with alot of GGT members that I'll be running with on October 5th, and there were a few other really good people to enjoy the weekend with. Word.

5AM
Up and dressed for the race. It's cool out, but that won't matter much with a bit of running. Our campsite is literally 200 meters from the start line. It's tent city and so different, but perfect. Gotta love the great outdoors. I haven't quite woken up yet, but my stomach is going! As usual I'm feeling the common race jitters.
After some food and coffee, we're good to go. Our headlamps are on and we're gone. This race offers distances of 12K, 26K, 50K, 50Mile, 100 Mile Relay, 100 Mile Solo. We were all signed up for the 50 mile. I'm up front with my training mate Neil, and we're trying to keep it fairly conservative to start. We're aiming to hit our 40KM turn around at around 4 hours.

auto-pilot......First 20KM 
The first 20 were a bit rough for this guy. It took about 6KM to enter a long stretch of trail that crests a lake, at this point I was still quite sleepy. I tripped twice within 10 minutes of entering the trail! I felt like a rookie, I looked like a rookie, I shouldn't have taken my headlamp off. Mentally I had to wake up and change the way I was thinking about things. By 20KM, I'd finally sorted that out, and changed to auto-pilot.  What's auto-pilot you ask...? For me, it's when you stop talking and in general, stop paying attention to jist of everything-pace, gait, etc. This makes things easier, because you can focus on something else...anything else....

Turn Around at 40KM
After I got in tune with the course and picked my feet up a bit, Neil and I had taken the head of the pack with another runner. All 3 of us stayed together until the turn around. Lots of elevation, enough to conserve some energy and walk some of those big hills. Once we reached 40KM, we filled our packs and headed back to the start. We were 20 minutes ahead of time, coming in the turn around at 3:40.

It's nice to know we're on our way back. My energy is good and I feel like I have a bit of energy left to get me to the finish. Neil and I have both got some more fluid from the rest stop at 39K and we're ready to go. Mike; the guy leading with us, has moved ahead. He's been pressing the pace for the first 40K, and now he's gone ahead, trying to create a wide gap on us. After a few KM on the way back, we've past a lot of our friends, it's great to see them and know that they're making it through on good pace. There's a turn coming up on the left and a big hill ahead. Mike has taken the hill and missed the turn. Neil yells for him, as I'm following him. Then I whistle at him and we follow Neil to the right route. Easy to get lost on this course. (More on that later.)
It's great to see the camaraderie that exists in a race like this. It's better than any race I've ever participated in so far.
Mike passes Neil and I again to take the lead, and he's gone. He rushes ahead, and we're at about 43KM in. Neil and I step off the pace a bit and cruise. Knowing we have a lot of time banked, and left to run, it's maybe the smart choice. Though after 10 minutes of this, I start getting anxious and tell Neil that I'd like to try and catch Mike. It's weird leaving, but I've got to see what I can make of it.

Solo Mission
Now that I'm on own, I'm excited to have a new game plan. I've got a burst of energy now that I'm on target to catch Mike. My new goal has allowed me to drive up the hills harder and jump into a quicker pace on the dirt road portions of the race. I jump to the first checkpoint after leaving Neil, they say: "He's about a minute ahead of you." Next checkpoint: " He's got about 30 seconds on you." Then I see our running friends Serena and Suzanne who yell "He's just ahead!" At this point it seemed like I was chasing him forever, and I started to think he was way too far ahead to catch. Though, as I wrap around a road ahead I see Mike taking the corner ahead. "Gotcha!" As I pull up behind him, I decided I'd pass him right away, and speed up, hopefully to break his groove a little bit. Thinking if I was passed, the same thing would apply.
Now I'm in the lead, and I'm scared! Just the concern of holding the pace is a huge weight. I've got 28KM left to hold on.

Downhill Fun 
I decide that until my body tells me to take it easy, that I'm going to press the pace hard. My plan to stay ahead is to give it on the downhills 100%. I'm not one to love a downhill after a long distance, based on the knee pain and usually I slow down a fair bit. But, I'm pretty confident on downhills, and start thinking this could buy me a few minutes. Every downhill I hit opens my eyes up a bit, I had to really watch where I was stepping, I was flying, what a wake up call.  It didn't take long until I had to start seeing 50K runners as I passed them on the slopes. "Great race, good Job!" What's amazing is that even in the lowest moments of a trail race, you're still forced to keep some sense of awareness and cognitive thought when you have to navigate the terrain. Though the road is also a nice change, because you get to go pick up the pace a bit.
As I hit one of the last aide stations before the turn around, I'm wiped, and white, and stumbly... They tell me to sit down... but I can't do that, I'm in the lead, I'm losing time just standing here! I'm willing to take some HEED and a Gel. That suffices the crew for me to continue.  What a day!

LOST
How does one get lost on a trail race that's marked..? Well after one of the last checkpoints, I'm on a dirt road where I come up to a sign. Arrow to right for PASS 1, arrow straight for PASS 2. At about 68KM in at this point, with the low sugar in my head, I thought. "Well... this is my 2nd pass of the course" Straight I guess.... nope nope nope....
So I headed to the finish line yelling " I don't know where I have to go, I have to hit the lake again' Answer: "You have to go back and take a right at the road you came from!" F%^&!

I've never got lost in a race before. If I had a clear head at this point, I'd have realized that I should have went right at the sign. But I was in no shape to make any sort of educated decision when I made the wrong turn.... In my fatigue I race back to the sign at 4:05/km, now I'm sure all of that work to stay in the lead this last 30K has gone to waste and I've lost the lead.... I'm just done, and angry and using every last bit of will power to charge through the path that I should've been on 10 minutes ago. I'm now thinking that if I power through this portion, that I might be able to catch up to Mike and have a good last race battle royale. As I use every ounce of strength to get through the up and downs of the lake, I'm forced now to walk on the uphills. I've allowed myself 5 seconds when I NEED to walk. Then go, and "keep falling, just keep falling, I could do this all day." I'm in auto-pilot again, until I reach the checkpoint, where they tell me I'm the first 50 miler! What a relief! Along with that, It's also a relief knowing that this day is almost over, as I'm 2KM out from the finish. I'm quite dizzy at this point and I start thinking...maybe I'll pass out and that 1.7KM that I got lost will be the difference between consciousness....I turn off those thoughts and force the rest of my water down. A few minutes later I finally make it to the end. That was the longest physical fight, I'd ever have so far. 7:48minutes, It's very anti-climatic compared to other racers. I dig it.
"You a 50Ker?"
"No, 50 Miler"
"Wow, you're the first, congrats"
"Thanks"

From there, I'd get pretty white and dizzy, along with ceasing up. It took about 20 minutes for me to get myself back in order thanks to some excellent volunteers. Great volunteers. Including GGT's very own Alex Flint. Thank you sir, just a gentlemen!

Here's to you and Ultra trail running!

D

Marathons & Pregnancy..Ottawa Race Weekend 2013

It's Sunday May 26th,2013. I'm feeling good about this marathon, I've built a strong mantra to prepare. I love marathon weekend in Ottawa, I've been participating in the marathon here since 2006. It's such a case of tradition between the expo and the routine of preparation. The excitement is there, but I've learned to relax a little bit more lately, especially after my chilled out race in Boston a few weeks ago. Today, I'm very excited to be running it with my good friend and training mate Neil Rosenthal.

I can't help but think that a marathon is somewhat like pregnancy. I thought I'd make some comparisons...So... my wife and I have been pregnant for..well about 8 months and a few weeks. We're pretty far and almost there. As you can imagine there's been a lot of learning, happy days, painful days, and great stories. As a dude, I think the marathon is the closest I'll get to really being pregnant..then again, I haven't run an ultra yet.

"Woo hoo, let's race!" , or "We're pregnant!"
It's a sweet time, you've just started the race, you're excited at what's going to happen.

  But at the same time you feel kind of sick.



"Oh yeah, feeling good" , or "Yup, Pregnant"
You're cruising, everything usually feels pretty good. You don't really even feel the pace. This is just like how I felt on Sunday. Relaxed, taking it easy from 1Km-25Km.

"Running sucks", or "Woh, pregnant:"
All of the sudden out of nowhere I'm hit with this feeling of pain, maybe a little bit swollen, sore hips, with an overwhelming feeling of fatigue. Sound familiar...?

"YES! Made it" OR "YES! Made it"
I'm fighting it, just holding on. It's this unrelenting pain of wanting to quit, and the only thing that keeps me going is the prospect of finishing. As I see that timing pad, I know I've made it. It's one of the most amazing feelings and proud moments that you can get in such a quick amount of time, after working so hard and going through so much.

Don't hurt me women who've gone through it, I know it's not the same. But maybe the similar on different levels. I know my wife will give me the true rundown in just a few weeks! Pumped!!!

2:50:20 PB
Ottawa Race Weeekend

Here's to you and enjoying yourself out there!

D

Thank You

It's extraordinary how much you mean. All of you.
You hold our water bottles, rub our sore spots,
Pack snacks in backpacks,
while making sure before the race-we just... relax!
The way you stand there for hours
waiting on end for us to show up.
You give us power to keep going, through the fun and the sour.
When we come home from a long one,
with nothing just done.
You look after us more, so we can just.. run.
We say what about this one, what about that race
You're there, when all we can think about, is just the pace.
From 5Ks to marathons, to the obstacle challenge,
back to the race that was painful to get some revenge
Thank you for listening, thank you for caring,
thanks for the times when the race is just nearing.
Or when it hurts there so bad and we could just laugh
and you kick us upstairs for an epsom salt bath.
When the goal is so big like and ultra or Boston
and we meet at the finish with tears, it's just awesome.
That you know all the pain and the work that is training
and you're as proud and as happy when you see us gaining.
When you stand on the race side,
with the thousands of others,
who support us to thrive, kids, fathers, and mothers.
When you hold up your signs and when you take pictures,
When you wait in our expo lines, while we try electrolyte mixtures.
You've been here through races and all different towns,
picked us up on the runs when we've lost to the ground.
I wanted to thank you, without all your support, it would not be as easy to work as hard at this sport.

Dustin Beach
P.S. Thanks Sarah Beach, you are my rock and my biggest fan. I love you! 

You've Got to Earn Pain

It was a hot day in Ottawa yesterday. I didn't have enough time in the morning to get my run done, so I decided I'd do it after work. I had a speed workout on the schedule and I was sure that it was going to be painful. It's almost something that you plan for, expecting that you're not getting enough until you reach that point in the workout.

As a competitive runner I always like to know that I can reach my full race potential. Maybe I can hit this pace one day is a thought that often crosses my mind. I'm sure I'm not the only one. As I laced up my shoes for the impending workout, I was prepared to work to reach that point in the workout where everything in me wanted to stop. I also hoped that I could hold out for a little while until that happened, because it was inevitable that it would.

Usually I run with my fast friend Neil. He's what I call a beast. He just goes through the workout and keeps going; unscathed. Neil is one of those runner friends you have that you really want to keep up with and they inspire you to keep working harder, and really earning that pain.

As I stepped onto Hopes Side Road, (a very long slight pain in the ass of a hill in Ottawa). I was determined to crush my pace. I didn't crush it, I did what was just before crushing it. Fairly well? BUT... I wouldn't have done half as well if I hadn't pictured Neil ahead of me, it made me not give up so easily. It gave me that feeling that if I stopped, I'd be falling way behind. I felt good, satisfied to be done the workout. That's all you want.

Here's to you and earning the pain!

D

My Boston, Monday, April 16th, 2013

A day that will resonate with me forever.....

After last year's heated Boston Marathon, I decided to take another shot at it. I re-qualified in May 2012 to get back in the race for 2013. The morning of I was more relaxed for a race than I have ever been, I'd promised myself to enjoy this year. I began my 2nd Boston in hopes for a light hearted, fun run. I set out the gameplan and went out relaxing into my pace. The weather was glorious, the fans were jubilant, and I think I smiled during a race for the first time. I had a big wide grin as I high fived small children, laughed at the signs of the Wellesley College girls, and enjoyed cheers with the crowd of Boston College. As I passed the finish line at 3:03, I was happy. The crowd, the pace, the environment was perfect. These days are supposed to be such a postive experience for runners, fans, and families. As are most races, most athletic events, and most big events where people are brought together. They're times where we can make memories and enjoy smiles, laughs, pictures.

As I made my way off of the course, I decided that I felt good enough to get to the meeting area and back to our friends house where we were staying for some rest. For once I didn't stop and watch, sit on a curb to enjoy the relief from the road, or go and meander around the finish for a bit. So I left and met my wife and friend at the family meeting area, and we went back to our friend's apartment a few miles down the road. After eating a sub and taking a quick nap I awoke to the news of this tragedy.

You didn't have to be at the scene of the explosions on Boyleston Street to feel the thunderous emotion that shocked the world on Monday. To hear of it hurt, it hurt your heart, and it might still hurt. For me knowing that just last year my family would've been right there:hurt. I would've been just behind them at 4:16ish pace. That "could have been" feeling hurts. To have just come back from the finish line an hour earlier made it even more realistic.

As an athlete and marathoner I feel like my community was attacked. I've felt completely helpless. It feels like something was taken from us, our safety was taken from us. You can't put a price on safety. It's hard not to feel angry, upset, furious that such a horrible tragedy could take place at an event that should be safe, and secure. You want to hold your family close and contemplate on the evil that exists on this planet. It leaves you asking why..?
I'm not sure that why is a great question for this situation. Trying to find the why in the small slice of evil in this world is difficult, because much of the time it's an evil that has no reason that any of us could ever understand or relate to.

I have to be honest, I'm still getting over this. It may take a while. All people 'round the world with compassion have felt the weight of this. But I have found great solace in knowing that there are some amazing people out there. Heroes from those opening their doors to strangers, those running at the blast to save people, those offering their medals to participants who couldn't finish, those countless people who went to the hospital to give blood, and there are many more stories out there, I'm sure of it. We rise to the occasion together;united.

Next year the race will have a different atmosphere to it. I'm certain it will be much more quiet, and reserved. But I hope we can run again together. Together as the 2:10 runner and the 5 hour runner, together as runners. I hope we can have our families cheering at our events again, and watching us from the finish line, I hope we can smile again, I hope we can go out there and honor those victims affected by yesterday's tragedy and hold our heads high for them, our countless heroes and for Boston.

I'll see you there,

D