ENDURrun Stage 1= 21.1 the half marathon Aug 12,2012

Remember, the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running.– Sarah Condor
This is my 6th year returning to Waterloo (actually Conestoga) and we are in one of the student residences. 4 Bedroom 3 bathrooms (and cost me $135 for the week)
Pictured with me are Jackie Jackman (Marathon PB 3:03) and Bob Jackman (Marathon PB 2:40) –the female and male winners of stage 1. Jackie`s time for the half 1:33 and Bob`s time 1:19
Bob has won the overall ENDURrun a couple of times and this is his 6th time at Endurrun too.
Jackie has raced Endurrun 4 times.
They are from Rhode Island and drove up just for this event.
This year I am sharing the “dorm” with 3 guys. Paul, Ed and Joanne.
I got a ride to Waterloo from Jack and Maureen who are on the 15th floor one above us.
Joanne is the “newbie” this year.
At 5:30 am the alarm goes off. And I get up 15 minutes later. The men`s marathon is starting at 6 am so have to get the wi-fi set up cuz we don`t have a TV. My sleep was surprisingly good. Except for waking up at 2 to the remaining students still partying. Quick check on the weather… looks nice and cool but a bit cloudy. The forecast calls for rain in the morning. Well, at least it’s better than full on sun and oppressive heat and humidity known as the sweatfest to the runners.
Breakfast, get dressed, get packed, and we’re off to the race site. By the time we get there most people have shown up, and standing around talking and twitching nervously. One of the volunteers found a open wi-fi and we are watching the marathon on a lap top. Wondering if Lloyd would delay the 8 am start for about 4-8 minutes, but no luck, roll call is happening.
There are 23 men and 17 women registered for the full 7 stage event this year. We also have a lot more relay and guest runners.
Finally, Lloyd calls us over to the start line. He gives us some last minute instructions, checks the time, counts us down, and the 10th Annual ENDURrun has officially begun!
Having not actually “raced’ for a few years (most of my training has been with the Running Room clinic and mostly to maintain fitness so, I had no idea what to expect of my body. My goal for today was to find a steady pace I could sustain for 21.1km, and stick to it, from start to finish. I figured under 6min/km was a good pace, that would give me a 2 hour half marathon time.
I was not intending to be competing with anyone this year (except those few runners ahead of me ) I’d use the first few kms to fall into rhythm, then stick to it. My goal was 2 hours. I started off alone and noticed Paul ahead of me so thought I would keep him in sight. I began moving forward keeping the pace at about 5:30 or so. Felt good.
The half marathon consists of two loops; a 13.1km loop followed by an 8km loop. It has a few hills in it, some steep and short, and some long and gradual. It also runs through some of the most beautiful country scenery I’ve seen in Ontario..Part of the first loop travels down a paved path that lies between the Conestogo River and a golf course.
I could still see Paul ahead of me (always about 400 meters so kept striving to catch him. At about 8 km caught up with him , but he stopped to have a gel so I carried on.
Although the temperature was pleasant it was still a bit humid so my shirt and shorts began to get a bit wet. Still feeling good at 12 k
I stopped longer than I usually do at the aid stations and had some gels and socialized.
There was group of about 4 runners who were just about 250meters ahead ofme the entire race so I kicked up the pace with some sub 5 kms to try and catch them.Finally, I hit the long final 4km stretch I’d already run in the first loop.Although I felt really good, I was running out of road to catch them ,and I was able to reel in two of the runners, but one of them pull ed away at 20 k so could not satisfy my desire to pass all of them.
I felt great at the finish! Racing is fun again .
2012 finish 1:58:14 (I am most happy)
One of the best parts of the ENDURrun (or any of the Run Waterloo events) is the food. There is not a crusty bagel in sight! Today we had hamburger, chicken breast, and tacos, with roast potatoes, salad, and all the fixings for the above. And, after the results were read out and we had eaten sufficiently, a few of us headed over to Lloyd’s house (yeah, that’s the race director) to relax in his hot tub (but alas, it was not working) with some of Paul`s beer cuz I forgot mine, and swim in the pool. That was excellent A great way to celebrate a most excellent Stage 1!
Previous Results (just to compare):
2011: 2:01:17
2010: 1:57:44
2009: 1:52.15
UP NEXT: The 15km Time Trial. Based on today’s rankings, tomorrow’s run is started in reverse order, with each runner starting 1 minute apart. This is a new course this year so will see how that shapes up.
It begins near Lloyd and Julie`s house but there is a pool and will remember to bring some beer.