Ah, I’m gettin’ all emotional

Anyone else experience a flurry of emotions this passed weekend?

What a weekend, I am blown away by the fantastic job that the Race Weekend organizers  and volunteers did.

I experienced Joy and Happiness for such a smooth weekend with exciting races from 2k to 42.2 k!

I would love to tell you about my race and describe some of the emotions!  I ran the 10km on Saturday night and I was lucky to have the opportunity to suit up next to some of the world’s best in the elite section!  Sure I may be almost a foot taller than Mr Merga but boy is he intimidating. I was grateful to have one of Canada’s best distance men there beside me (Reid Coolsaet) he is always smiling and wow what a pace bunny!  Reid was using the race as a training run so he was running at his marathon pace and he is something of a metronome.

The plan was to go out and run 3:10 min/km, simple enough right?  Well let’s look at kms 1 and 2…Over excited and slight downhill so 3:oo and 3:02 respectively…opps.  Somehow missed the 3km split but then it was bang on 3:10 until km 7 when things got rough!  Kms 7 and 8 are a little up hill and I started really noticing the heat, I was ready to shut (pain) it down by the time we got to Pretoria bridge during the 8th km and Reid obviously knowing this says “Hey dude this is where you make yourself a man”.  Right I’m suppose to give up after that (pride)?! So after a dismal 3:25km in that portion of the race I fired up the last km and let loose any and everything I had left and ended up 31:48!  A personal best! 16th Overall.

http://sportstats.ca/display-results.php?lang=eng&racecode=46317

It was a great race and I was in awe, there wasn’t a 5m stretch without a screaming fan.  I was really excited to see how popular running truly is in this city!

The next morning I went out to cheer on friends and family in the marathon.  Flashback to Saturday post race I was in rough shape, I didn’t sleep and spent a lot of time in and around the bathroom.  The combination of going all the way to the well in my race and lack of sleep put me in one hell of a mood Sunday.  I kid you not I road my bike up along side the marathon saw a woman crying and hugging someone on the side of the road and shed a couple of tears myself right then and there.  There was just something overwhelming about that sight, I couldn’t for the life of my figure out why the hell any one would do that to themselves.  Luckily, Chef and I got a lot of “I Run” statements at the Expo so I do know why people do it but I’m still baffled at why we put ourselves through that pain.  For me I think it’s just all I know at this point, pain and perseverance.  I’d love it if any readers post below and tell me why they do it.

Anyway I’ll say it again what a great weekend and congrats to anyone who was out there I hope the weekend was an emotional roller-coaster for all of you as well.  I know some of the above aren’t all emotions per se but you get the idea!

Keep doing what you do,

Josh

P.s stay tuned I may have video of the finish! Chef?