Sun Run 2006

Well! The race went pretty well today.

The starting gates: As there was a record 50,700 people taking part, the wave start was insane and our division didn't get started until about an hour after the first one. They actually had each group herded into a pen with gates and when they removed them to move us up a few hundred metres, they had everyone link arms and walk slowly so no one would get trampled. Having strangers pressed up against me for that long while I was unable to move, I was glad that agoraphobia is not on my list of neuroses. I noted that by the time we got started, the winner of the race had already finished, stood around for photo ops, jogged home, showered, eaten lunch, and gone to sleep. I don't know how it humanly possible to run 10K in under 30 minutes, but someday I would like to actually see it happen. Finally, we crossed the start line.

All running and no water makes me something something: The weather was actually too nice; it was very sunny and hot. I hadn't really done a lot of training in those conditions, so I was thrown off a bit by that, as I was by the lack of water. There were about 4 or 5 water stations along the route, but by the time I reached the first one, the volunteers had already run out of cups and were using whatever they could find--including plastic gloves--and issuing apologies.

Since I started further back in the pack than in previous years, I don't know if they usually run out, but seeing as there were still thousandsof people behind me, it didn't seem right and I was actually really exasperated. I had elected not to carry a water bottle of my own since the information package assured us there were lots of water stations. However, a lack of cups makes drinking said water extremely difficult, and stopping to put my head under the water cooler spigot was not really an option. So I basically had no hydration throughout the whole race and due to the heat, I was sweating like a mofo.

Hitting the wall: I made it through the first 5 km more or less okay, and even managed to jog up halfway of the really steep hill leading up to the Burrard Bridge. I hit my stride going across the bridge and for a couple more kilometres, but then the heat and lack of water really started to get to me and I had to alternate running with brief walking breaks. I was sort of disappointed about that because in training, I'd been able to sustain running for the whole distance, and I thought if anything being in race mode would improve that. But a lot of people in my division were walking, so I think that made me feel like it was okay if I did, too. I did pick out people who ran at a similar pace and tried to hover around them without acting like a creepy stalker. I lost track of the first lady I "ran with," but somehow at the very end, she turned up right in front of me again and it was funny how glad I felt to see this total stranger.

Bringing it home: With the finish line in sight, I ramped up my speed. I was passing lots of people and I don't think I've run that fast since elementary school track meets. Having the crowd cheering us on the sidelines made me feel like I was Steve Prefontaine or something, so I pushed myself to the limit.

I actually forgot to time myself but as the race uses timing chips, my "official time" will appear in the newspaper tomorrow for all to see. I think I actually did end up taking around 75 to 80 minutes, which is sort of disappointing because my training had indicated I was capable of getting closer to the hour mark--the walking breaks added up. But I'm trying to be okay with that and keep in mind the different conditions I was operating under and the fact that the race is just one day and doesn't negate the 3+ months of training I did. I guess it's not that unreasonable to feel a bit disappointed when I know I could have done better, but I would really like to be able to be proud of what I do accomplish. It would help me a lot in life, I know.

Next up: My friend Y. is talking about training for a half-marathon, which would be about double the distance we did today. That has been a goal of mine for awhile, but I think I might register for another 10K first and try to improve my time a bit, first. Or maybe even a 5K so I could really focus on speed. I want to keep up my level of fitness, if I can, because in the past when I've trained for the Sun Run I've slacked off after the fact and basically reverted to pre-training ability, so I think the best thing would be to have another race in mind. But I think I'll give myself a few days to recover, first.