The Saskatchewan Marathon 2012: The 10 km Race, My Summary of It

This is my first competitive running race ever, so I have nothing to compare it to. Here are a few blurbs about what I encountered and did before, during, and after the 10 km Race of the Saskatchewan Marathon, just for my own interest and to see what worked for me, and what I’ll have to do as extra preparations for any future marathon races for which I may register.

My first racing bib number. I guess I can officially call myself a runner now.

The Day Before:  I did housecleaning and grocery shopping in the morning. I prepared slow-baked dry spice rubbed spare ribs, and crabmeat pasta salad for a bit of suppertime gluttony later (it was cheat day). Toured the course to study the elevation and where the water stations would be. I came back home, drank a litre of beer, then had a half hour nap. I walked from my place to the Marathon Expo to pick up my registration package. I walked back home, played with the features of my new wi-fi enabled blu-ray player. I had supper, watched a movie, drank a whole 2L bottle of kvas, read a couple books, had a long hot bath. I went to bed at 11:00 PM. I seemed to have opted for a lot of drinkable malt-based carbs.

Wake up/Breakfast on Day of Race: Alarm at 5:30; hit snooze and woke up at 6:15. Breakfast was a protein smoothie (one banana, ½ cup frozen blueberries, one scoop vanilla Kaizen whey powder, 1 cup kombucha tea); one grapefruit, two large cups of coffee (with creammilk and a dash of cinnamon).

Ten kilometer race start time: 8:00 AM, arrived 30 minutes early. The parking situation was totally crappy. Next time, come 45 minutes early. Thousands were there.

Start Position: I chose the 50 minute to 1 hour goal (middle) part of the pack. Next time I think I’ll pick the 45 to 50 minute goal position in the starting line.

Most Challenging Part(s) of the Race: The initial part of the start was very dense with people, and it was tricky to manoeuvre around some for the first half kilometer. I was stuck at the steeper downward hills near Red River Street. I use the hills to my advantage and speed down them, but I was stuck behind groups of people who were going down them too slow/cautiously. I wasted lots of time/distance/energy moving around sideways to bypass some of these people. The last kilometer was all uphill, and my right knee was showing signs of straining. I didn’t risk trying to charge up that last kilometer with that being so, and it was very draining as I came to the end.

Things I’m most pleased about with my performance: I passed a lot of people who looked a lot younger and fitter than I am, and kept them behind me (it was a bit of a confidence booster). Managed going uphill better than I thought I would. I managed to run OK without music. I didn’t injure myself. I also managed to finally discover a comfortable pace where I could run and rehydrate at the same time. I didn’t lose my tracking chip on my weirdly configured shoes (I saw a few of them that got shook off along the course).

Final Results:

• Time: 55:49 (the average finishing time for my age/sex division was 57:50)
• Rank: 277th (out of 1035 racers). In the top third.
• Average Pace: 5:35/km (sounds normal for me)
• Place in Sex Division: 150th (out of 315 men racing). In the top 50% range.
• Place in Age Division: 31st (out of the 58 male runners in this race who were between 40-49 years old)

The Age/Sex Distribution of the 10 km Race of the 2012 Saskatchewan Marathon
A man's interpretation of the graph: Hmmm...the odds are pretty good in finding a fit athletic woman at such an event. A woman's interpretation of the graph: More women than men for this sweaty challenge, that figures. . .Lazy bastards!

After the Race: The race may have been over, but my training schedule said that I wasn’t done running yet. I went home, grabbed a snack, walked the dog, and then charged out of the place to run 14 more kilometers. I at least got to listen to tunes this time. It actually felt really good to shake off whatever remaining adrenaline there was left in me from after the race. I ran back near the marathon runners’ course, and cheered a few on as I passed by them going the opposite way. I hope it served to be encouraging.

What I’ve Learned: The 10 km race is a great introduction to long-distance racing, but I seem to be built or conditioned in such a way where I need to go further than ten. I still need a bit more conditioning for a half-marathon.

My reward(s): Doing the race itself was the greatest reward, proving to myself just how far I’ve come in the past year and a half in improving my health. The tangible treat I gave myself afterward was a classic collectable Blu-Ray DVD for my new player, Das Boot: The Director’s Cut. For my little running and racing triumphs, I’m opting to treat myself with non-caloric forms of satisfaction.

Grateful for: Daring myself to do this. Having my supportive friend coming to cheer me on. Having the day off to do this (and using the remainder of it to rest and recover). Lastly, but not least, I’d especially would like to thank the designers and crafters of the figure flattering clothing that is LuLuLemon women’s athletic wear. If I couldn’t be ahead of the pack, I’m at least thankful for LuLuLemon for giving me a great reason to follow and keep up to those fine ladies ahead of me.