Philadelphia 2015

More than anything, I am relieved. Relieved to have achieved this milestone and finally end this cycle. 

I started this cycle back in June with STWM being my goal race. Unfortunately for me Black Lungs Toronto, whom I had done all my long runs with over the winter, were planning on doing Philadelphia which meant that our long runs wouldn't line up. Over the summer, I ran 32-36km every Sunday alone in the sweltering heat it was awful… But I won’t lie a part of me loved the suffering. 

Unfortunately STWM didn’t workout for me. I was devastated. I felt so ready to break 2:30:00. The conditions were perfect and I knew the course. I had dreamt of how amazing it would be to achieve a goal that I had been working so hard for in my hometown with the support of the Toronto running community. I cannot express how grateful I am to have had my parents there for me at my lowest point. I literally reverted back to a 5 year old and absolutely needed them.

They told me I could do Philadelphia in November. At the time I couldn’t bear the thought of extending my training another 5 weeks.  I was SO TIRED. What if I showed up to Philadelphia burnt out.  Even worse, what if I showed up and just came up short of my goal, I didn’t want to have to deal with that disappointment. They told me that I had worked so hard and that I had to give myself a chance.

So, despite how much I didn’t want to on October 19th I woke up early and ran. Although 5 weeks seemed so far away, I knew that it didn’t leave a lot of time to get back into the swing of things. 

In the weeks leading up to Philly I  joined Black Lungs Toronto in their workouts. I really couldn’t have continued to push myself alone any longer, so thank you for having me out BLT! 

THE RACE

Going to the start line of this marathon was different because unlike all my previous marathons I had an actual goal time. Having a goal time meant that I couldn't just be happy with improving on my previous PB. It also meant that I had to work really hard the whole cycle and not become complacent.

My last Marathon I ran 37km out of 42.2km alone.  Thankfully, this time around, that was not the case. A few weeks before Philly my friend Cam reached out to me to ask what my goal was for the race. Cam had just ran a 1:12:xx half marathon at STWM and said that he was thinking of aiming for a 2:30:00 at Philly. We planned to meet up at the start line and work together for as long as we could.  We did a good job at that! We made sure to stay on pace and worked together in taking turns blocking the wind.

On Friday night I wrote down the 5km splits that I would have to run to hit 2:29:45 and what I would have to run to hit 2:30:00 flat. Cam and I were hitting our splits almost perfectly. 

Around the 30km mark Cam started to pull ahead of me as we ran into a strong wind on some rolling hills.  My gluteus were killing on the hills and I couldn’t keep up. Thankfully, once I hit the turn around and started to head back down I lengthen my stride and the pain in my gluteus subsided. I caught up with Cam who, by then, was feeling some pain in his hamstrings and had to fall back. I pushed forward and hit my 35km dead on 2:04:12!  At this point I told myself to stay strong and steady.

There is a workout I like to do during my long runs: Within my 36km log run, I do 5km at marathon pace x 3 with 3 minutes rest. When I looked down at my watch at 37km and saw my clock at 2:11:07, I told myself that this is what I had trained for. I had done this exact workout almost every other Sunday in the stinking heat at the end of 140km week.  

My parents said they were getting anxious watching the clock. The clock read 2:29:00 when they saw me at the top of the hill. I told myself on fresh legs I can cover 400m in 60 seconds and this had to be less than 400m I kicked as hard as I could. I crossed the line and a huge wave of relief came over me. I didn’t feel crazy endorphins, I didn’t feel overwhelmed or emotional. I just felt calm and relieved that I could move on from this. Part of me is surprised to have broken 2:30:00, but there is also another part that isn’t surprised at all. It’s exactly what I had trained for and I ran the exact race I had planned.

Splits:

Thank you

Dave Clark & David Hiddleston: I remember watching the Scotiabank Marathon last year and seeing you dip under 2:40:00 / Just off 2:40:00 It was very impressive and it inspired me.  I told myself that if you can do that, I could do better. I wrote down a list of goals for 2015, one of them was to bring my 2:42:32 marathon time down to 2:34:00 by STWM2015. Seeing how well you guys did really is where this all started for me. 

Writing down goals is a practice that I have taken after Krista DuChene . 

Black Lungs Toronto: This time last year my highest mileage week ever was 80km. In January I started doing my long runs with Black Lungs Toronto and ran my first 100km week.  Thank you BLT for introducing me to long runs, for toughing it out through the winter and for being a great example of the hard work it takes to train for a marathon. 

Cam:  Running with you made all the difference. You have so much experience, you warned me not to try and bank to much time on the first 1/2. Running with you kept me calm and made me run smart.

Mom, Dad and Jessy:  You are perfect.  

I have grown so much over this last year as a person and a runner. I have become so much more focused and have surrounded myself with great people that strive for excellence and motivate and support one another. Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this journey! 

I look forward to taking a short break while I figure out what my next goals will be. 

- ebang. 

Toronto Zoo Run 10km

TORONTO ZOO RUN

Over the last several months I have improved my PB's significantly in every distance except the 10km.

As the Toronto Zoo Run approached, I thought about switching to a different 10km race that would have a less challenging course, so that I would have a better chance at  running a faster time. But in the end, I decided to stick with the Zoo Run because I knew that it would have a strong field of runners and I believe that tough competition with people to pushing you is what brings out your best on race day.

I normally try to negative split 10km races, running the first 5km more relaxed than the second. However, I was drawn into a fast pace at the start and ended up running a 16:05 for the first 5km.  I paid for that over the next 2km and finally started to get myself into a more reasonable pace over the last 3km. I am glad that I was reminded of the consequences of not pacing yourself during this race, so that I wouldn’t make the same mistake during STWM this October.

The course had a lot of ups, downs and winding turns. It reminded me a little bit of cross country. Had my goal for the day not been time orientate, I would've actually really enjoyed the course.

I finished in 6th overall in a time of 33:36. It's not anywhere close to the time that I wanted, but given the challenging course I think that the time reflects some good fitness.

I started this cycle off by running a 33:33 at the Toronto Ekiden, it’s a little disappointing to not have been able to improve on that time after 3 months of training. As frustrating and disappointing this is, I have to remind myself that improving my 10km PB isn't what I have been training for and is not my goal this cycle.

This was my last race before STWM.  This cycle has been much more training and less racing than last cycle. Not having raced much this cycle I haven't gotten to really demonstrate / prove my fitness to myself.   I am trying to trust the process and have faith in my training. I have a few more weeks of work left before STWM and I don’t plan on wasting them.

- ebang

P.S

Congratulations to everyone that raced over the weekend. Several members of the Toronto Running Community raced their fall marathon, Others did some tune up races at MEC's road races and several runners toed the line at the Canadian 5km Championships. The results are motivation and inspiring!  Good job #RunTO!

Toronto Island & Wasaga Beach Race Reports

Toronto Island Sprint Triathlon

The Toronto Island Triathlon came surprisingly quick. I knew that I had not spent enough time on the bike or in the pool to really improve in either of these disciplines but I felt that the time I had dedicated to them helped me feel comfortable enough to race well.

Going into the race I expected my times to be roughly:

750m Swim- 16-16:30

20km Bike- 35-36

5km Run- 17

Overall - 1:08:00 ish

The weather was perfect and the water was smooth.  Since the swim was so short it felt like an all out sprint for the whole thing. It felt really.... frantic. I was surprised to find myself among the first to get out of the water and through the transition zone from my wave. As soon as I got on the bike I just started cranking the wheel as hard and fast as I could. In my mind everyone would be faster than me on the bike and I needed to make as much distance as I could, while I could. I was shocked to see that I was biking between 37km/hr-40km/hr for most of the bike! I assumed it was the result of adrenaline and I was worried that it wouldn't last and that my pace would drop.  I passed the 5km mark and no one had caught me. Then 10km... still no one. Once I passed the 15km mark I knew that even if anyone caught me, there wasn't enough distance left on the bike course for them to make up enough of time on me before we got to the run.

Once I got to the run, I took off. There were several other races going on at the same time, so there was a lot of people on the course. It felt like I was running the last 5km of a 15km race. There wasn't a single moment that I felt comfortable on that run.

When It was all said and done, my overall time was 1:03:44!  I came 7th overall and 1st in my age group.

750m Swim- 13:24

20km Bike- 31:38

5km Run- 16:49

I swam and biked much faster than I had expected and placed way higher than I ever imagined

 

Wasaga Beach Olympic Triathlon 

Although I had done very well in the sprint, I was still very anxious about the olympic distance. I was mostly worried about being able to hold my pace on the bike for double the distance.

The swim was insane! The waves at Wasaga beach were really coming in. I felt like I was in a washing machine.  It was very hard to spot. I had to spot other swimmers because the waves often blocked the buoys. I  kept telling myself to just get through the swim and assess where I was at in the race, so that I could figure out  what I would have to do to catch up to everyone else.

When I got to the transition zone there were several bikes already gone.  At about 5km there was a turn around point, so as I approached this point I was able to count the people who were already coming back. I was about 15th place with 35km to go. I had my work cut out for me but I had a fair bit of distance to do it. I caught  up to people fairly quickly. I did a good job on staying on top of hydration and  replenishing electrolytes with nuun. By the end of the bike, I was about 8th place.

The run felt a lot easier than last weeks run.  I was running strong and feeling good. I was coming to the 2.5km turn around, when someone  told me I had missed a turn. I had to turn around and run back. This mistake cost me an extra kilometre. In the moment I was frustrated, but I knew that there was nothing else I could do other than push harder and keep running. The detour added about 3:30min to my overall time and cost me at least 2 places. Frustrating... but I accepted the responsibility for not studying the route more carefully. On the upside, I managed to hold a 3:26/km for the 11km and am happy with the fitness I demonstrated.

I finished  with an overall time of 2:13:14.

8th overall and 1st in my age group.

1500m Swim - 28:10 6

40km Bike - 1:05:47 3

10km (11km) Run- 37:29 1

It would've been nice to have an over all time closer to 2:10:00.... Next time.

Both of these races were very positive experiences. I would love to try again another season when I am not in the middle of training for a marathon. Since STWM is my main goal, I didn't taper at all for these races. I went into them with around 130km of training already done for the week. I am happy with the fitness these races have demonstrated. I am looking forward to getting in a few solid weeks of quality running and preparing for Scotiabank.

Thank you to everyone who provided me with guidance and advice going into these races. Nina, Alan, Jackie, Christina and to Avery for loaning me his wet suit.

Also a huge thank you to Laura. Thank you so much for letting me use your old bike for the summer. You gave me the opportunity to try something that I have always wanted to do.  I love racing and I love being competitive, thank you so much for giving me a fantastic tool to do so.

- ebang

Try Something New

I have always wanted to try racing Triathlons, but not having access to a decent bike has always held me back (or has been my excuse for not trying).

I was talking to my friend Laura about our fitness goals and what we were training for.  She is training for an Ironman next summer AND she is about 5 months pregnant!  #Ironmom! Check out her Blog here for some inspiration if you are ever feeling unmotivated.  I told her that I was in the middle of a marathon cycle but that completing an ironman was on my list of goals.

Laura gave me a look up and down and asked me how tall I was (a staggering 5"8).  She told me she had an old bike that would be just the right fit for me and offered to let me use it for the summer!

I immediately signed up for Multisport Canada's Toronto Island Sprint Triathlon and the Wasaga Beach Olyimpic Triathlon. This was the perfect opportunity to try out the sport and gain experience at the shorter distances, before deciding on whether or not I really want to invest the time and money into training for an Ironman.

Training started June 25th and the races were August 23rd & August 29th.

Being in the middle of marathon training and having STWM be my main goal, I couldn't sacrifice running workouts / milage for biking and swimming workouts.  I managed to bike about twice a week and swim about once or twice a week. I knew that I wasn't dedicating enough time to biking and swimming to improve in either discipline and there were times that I thought, "if I am not improving I am just wasting my time". As I got closer to the race day I started regretting signing up. I hate competing when I know that I haven't put in the proper work and that I am not going to do the best that I can do. I had to talk down the competitive side of me and tell myself that this was for experience, not performance.

Swim

In highschool and university I use to swim 3 x a week for an hour in the morning before going to class. I was never fast enough to be competitive but I have always been able to hold a strong and steady pace. It had been years since I swam distances, but swimming is like riding a bike, you never forget how to swim.  I managed to swim about once or twice a week. The two weeks leading up to my first race I went to Cherry Beach with my friend Christina (who is a power house in the water) to practice spotting. The first time I went I used my scuba diving wetsuit. It absorbed water and felt like I was wearing a weighted body suit. Luckily another one of my friends, Avery who use to do Triathlons, still had his old wetsuit and let me borrow it for my races. Thanks Avery!

Bike

Learning something new as an adult is - I am sure it could be fun - slightly terrifying.

Laura took me out behind our building and taught me how to clip in and out of the pedals. She walked beside me and gave me instructions and I only fell once.  Clipping in and out was only the first hard thing. Once I mastered that I had to find the courage to reach down to my water bottle. I spent a week just practicing reaching down to my water bottle, before I actually ever removed it. 

Biking wasn't only physically hard, but because I wasn't showing much progress, it was wearing on me mentally. It was a new machine that I didn't know how to use. I couldn't figure out how to transfer my energy and power through the bike, into speed.  Some days I focused on cadence and some days I focused on power. I kept close track of the different speeds I would reach in the different gears, at different cadences, but some days I would try the same thing as the day before and each time I wasn't able to hit the same speed. The most consistent advice that I got was that I needed to just spend more time on the bike. I really couldn't afford to spend more time on the bike and it was frustrating.

Once a week at the end of my bike ride I would practice mounting and dismounting my bike. I did have some improvement in this area. I wouldn't say that I was graceful at getting my feet in and out of my shoes, but I had found a system that worked. I provided a lot of entertainment for the other cyclist passing me while I was practicing this manoeuvre, and for that you are welcome!

Run

Adding two other disciplines on top of training for a marathon proved very tiering. All I will say is, that I am looking forward to getting in a couple of good weeks of quality running without the added burden of the other two disciplines.

I decided to race in the same shoe that I use for all my road races. I love the Saucony fastwitch6. I swapped out the laces for some quick pull laces and they were good to go. 

Sadly Wasaga Beach was the last race for this pair... They had a good run and served me well through many races. I have one pair of the Fastwitchc6's left and then I need to convert to the new Fastwitch7... I really really REALLY hope that the 7 is as goods the previous two versions

Nutrition

I have been using Nuun to hydrate and replenish electrolytes during workouts this cycle and I absolutely love it! I found that especially in the heat, hydrating with makes a huge difference. I have used a variety of gels in the past during races and they work great for the most part. However, I find that post race they leave me feeling sick and with an upset G.I. system. I have been using Endurance Tap  to fuel during long runs and I used it during my Olympic distance race.  Endurance Tap has 3 ingredients: Maple syrup, sea salt and ginger. It taste great, replenishes your electrolytes, gives you calories to burn and it's easy on the stomach.

Garmin / Gadgets

For training, to keep track of all my data I use Garmin. A few months ago when I was buying a new watch I splurged and got the Garmin 920XT . The 920XTis Garmin's multi sport watch. I knew that at some point, sooner or later, I would do a triathlon.  So I figured that I might aswell just get a multi sport watch now vs. later.  This watch does so much that I can't give you a concise review but if you are interested in learning more about the 920XT check out DC Rainmaker's blog. He does very thorough and comprehensive reviews of Garmin's products. All I will say is that if you do 2/3 of the disciplines  (swim , bike, run) this watch is a worth the investment. I always use a heart rate monitor when I bike and run. It allows my watch to calculate my VO2Max and give me race predictions for running. I use the flat chest strap Heart Rate Monitor because it is more comfortable, but there are others that will provide you with more running dynamic data. For the bike, since I am just starting out, I decided to just get a basic cadence tracker.

THE UNIFORM

You know the saying " Dress for the job you want" - well I guess I had that in the back of my head when I bought this Tri-suit.

Castelli makes a great suit. It fit me perfectly and was comfortable through the swim, bike and run.  I had no chafing, full mobility and the padding made the bike ride much more comfortable.

Thank you!

Having a new goal over the nice two months has been very refreshing.  I have had fun learning a little  bit about a new sport and challenging myself in new ways. 

Thank you Avery Best for letting me borrow your wetsuit! I would've most likely drowned if I used the one I had.

Thank you-  Christina Malinas for taking me open water swimming! We HAVE to get a a group together next season.

Thank you -  Nina Sieh , Alan Mcluskie and Jackie Dupuis for answering all my questions and for all the pre-race advice.

Thank you - Laura Sanhueza-Miller for loaning me your bike . I love to race and I love to compete and I can not thank you enough for making this opportunity possible!  I can't wait to see you conquer the Ironman next year! you are truly a kind and inspirational person.

Stay tuned for race reports!

-Eric Bang

Toronto Goodlife Marathon

I have had huge gains this training cycle as I have actually been... training.

In January I ran my first 100km week and from there progressed to running between 115-130km weeks. This is a huge increase in mileage considering I was only running between 60-75km a week before this.

Unfortunately about 2.5 weeks ago I started getting  really bad pain in my left knee and had to shut the training down and switch over to cross training. I immediately made a backup plan to switch to the Ottawa marathon incase my knee didn't get sorted out in time for Goodlife.

It wasn't until the Monday before Goodlife that I finally went and got my knee treated. Let me tell you treatment works and it is worth every penny! I won't get into the details but I pretty much have the weakest glutes ever and every other muscle in my leg is over compensating and since everything is connected to either the knee or the hip ( right?) the stress was finally taking it's toll.

Luckily we were able to loosen some muscles up and I was taught some great exercises to added into my routine to help prevent this issue from happening in the future.

On race day I had a good warmup and my knee didn't give me any trouble. I know that Goodlife isn't a super competitive race but I was hoping to have someone to run with for at least the first half. Unfortunately I only had someone to run with for the first 2km and the other 40.2 I was only own. I kept pushing myself to race pace but would drift off and then push myself back to race pace and drift off.  The race felt like the longest tempo run of my life.  During ATB I ran most of it alone but there was always someone in sight to chase down and  I knew that there were people that would reel me in if I ever let up on my pace.

When I crossed the line I didn't feel particularly exhausted, my legs didn't feel shredded or overly beat. I felt like I wasn't able to push myself to my full potential and that I didn't squeeze out 100%  of my effort.  I know I had a faster time in me I just didn't have anyone to help me chase it down. In that sense I felt like this was a waste of a marathon. I regret not signing up for a more competitive marathon so that I could've actually raced 42.2km vs just run 42.2km as fast as I can only own.

The loneliest 42.2km = 2:33:38

Satisfied no... Happy yes. I am happy with the gains I have made this season. I chopped off time in every distance from 3000m to the Marathon. I was hoping to be a little faster than 2:33:00 and I find a little peace in mind knowing that I can do better.  

It was great to see so many familiar faces cheering throughout the course and to see people support their teammates.

This season has been exciting and fun and a little bit stressful. My choose your own adventure training plan has  worked for me but making all of your own decisions is hard. I must admit there were times this season I wish I had a coach who was familiar with my training and my fitness. It was hard to guess what times and paces I should be aiming for as I have never had this level of fitness before.  Moving forward I am definitely going to look into getting a proper training program and a coach to make the most out of my efforts.  

Thank you to everyone that has pushed me this season to be better and thank you #RunTO for your enthusiasm and support.  

Congratulations to everyone that raced this weekend!

- ebang

Harry's Spring Run Off

As much as I dread this race I love racing in Toronto because we have such an awesome running community!

After struggling on the hills last week at ATB I was a little anxious about how this race would go.  I didn't have a goal time that I wanted to run as I figured it would be considerably slower than Robbie Burns due the difficulty of the course. For this race I just wanted to put in a good strong effort without feeling like I am dying. The start of the race was FAST. There were two lead groups and then myself and a few others trailing behind.  I slowly managed to reel in the second lead pack by the time we got to our first up hill climb. I powered up the hill and by the time we got to the top the pack had thinned out. 

I ran the rest of the race with Garrett De Jong . We were sitting in 7th & 8th  and it wasn't until the final hill that 6th place, Victor Gatundu came into our sights. I was trailing behind Garrett and had a moment where I thought whether I catch him or not I have run a good race and that's enough for me ... Not the thoughts I should be having 150m from the fnish.  Someone on the sideline shouted out  " He's 2ft in front of you go after it!" and snapped me back into competitive mode. Garrett kicked and flew by  Victor and I kicked and came up beside Victor. It was another exciting finish with 1 second between each of us.  I finished in a time of 26:28. only 9 seconds slower than Robbie Burns  and almost 2 minutes faster than my time on this course last year. 

I am happy with my result and the fitness I demonstrated  however I am a little disapointed in myself for not mentally pushing myself harder. I don't want to be an athlete that settles and tells themselves I've done good enough ... before the race is even over. This video will will serve as a remind of that.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=422823107879883

Jumping back to St. Patricks Day I raced the Achilles 5km in Toronto and finally nipped under 16 minutes ands set a new PB of 15:59. Based off the 3k's I had raced on the track I was sure I could break 16 minutes in the 5km. I was actually expecting a faster time than what I ran but strong head winds made it a challenging race.  It wasn't until the slight up hill on Spadina that I was able to move into 3rd  and start kicking home. Seeing the clock count the seconds away and having Adam Cole right on my heels I had to drive hard all the way through the finish line. 

It's been a great spring racing season so far and I look forward to keeping up the momentum. 

-ebang 

Around The Bay 2015

Well that was hard! 

I have only done ATB once before and my fitness has really improved since then so I wasn't sure what to expect to run today. A lot of guys were aiming for the 1:45:00 mark  and I figured I would be able to do that too. I held a 3:24/km at the Chilly 1/2 so I figured that a 3:30/km pace would be a strong and comfortable pace for today.  It was a strong pace but not comfortable at all. I really had to work and stay engaged every kilometre to make sure I was on pace. Unfortunately once I hit the later half of the course with the rolling hills ( we can call them hills right?) I wasn't strong enough to hold my pace and it dropped.... significantly.  

Larry Abbot et Moi, We went to McMaster together. He was an outstanding xc runner and I had no work ethic....

Slowly guys started to catch and over take me. It wasn't until we got back to nice even flat at the last 4km that I was able to pull myself together and get back to an aggressive pace. I managed to catch most of the people that had passed me and found myself going stride for stride to the finish line with Jeff Conron from the Toronto Black Lungs whom I have been doing long runs with over the winter.  Jeff ended up beating me by a hair ( it was an epic sprint).

I finished in 1:45:59.9  with an average pace of 3:33/km - almost an 8 min PB. However if I am honest I was expecting / hoping to go faster.  Like most races that don't go as planned this one was a great learning experience. This race really pointed out my strengths and weaknesses, I know what I need to work so back to the grind it is!

I'll wrap this post up by thanking everyone that came out to cheer! It was great to see so many people from Toronto on the course and to have their support! and congratulations to  everyone that set new PB's! After a hard block of winter training you have all earned your PB's! 

- ebang 

Chilly 1/2 Marathon

I think that everyone can agree with me when I say that we had an awful February. That being said I managed to continue to build up my milage and get some good quality speed workouts in.

I was a bit hesitant to sign up for the Chilly 1/2 Marathon because I wasn't sure what the weather would be like and I really didn't want to race in -15 and wind.  Luckily for everyone running March 1st brought some warmer weather for us and there wasn't much wind.

Unfortunately this week my hamstrings started revolting against me. I took most of the week off from running and it was even painful to walk at some points. I spent a fair amount of time icing my hamstrings and doing activation / dynamic stretches ( I actually have the ice on my hamstrings now as I type this) . Despite my hamstrings protest I told myself I would race as I normally would but wouldn't push it if I started to feel a charlie horse coming on. I wanted to run at least a 1:13 but thought that my hamstrings may hold me back to a 1:16 -1:17. This was a race where I really needed to listen to my body even if it meant compromising my goals. 

The race started and within the first few kilometres I found myself in 8th place holding a steady pace in no mans land. I ran almost the entire first half of the race alone staying around a 3:30 ish pace with 7th place a good 200m a head of me.  Thankfully just before the turnaround point Ryan Tice over took me and brought our pace down to 3:25. It wasn't long before we reeled in 7th and once we did the pace started to go between 3:20-3:25. Knowing that my hamstrings were on the fritz I didn't want to push the pace at all and was hoping that they would wait until the final km before they picked it up. Luckily they waited until the last 500m to do their kick. A HUGE part of me wanted to kick as hard as I could and go with them but the more sensible part of me reasoned that 10 seconds and 2 spots at the cost of further injuring myself wasn't worth it and to just be happy that I was able to race a well as I  did. 

I finished 9th over all in a time of 1:11:58 . A huge PB.  

I am not going to lie, I am disappointed that I wasn't able to run to the best of my ability today and leave it all out there. That being said I am thrilled with my time and I am happy to know that I have more speed to leave out there... next time.

( My Bib was 112 and I ran 2 seconds off of a 1:12 flat.... conspiracy!) 

*  A huge thank you to everyone in the running community that cheered me on and shouted encouragement during the race. It truly is uplifting and makes my heart beat a little stronger

- ebang 

End of 2014 Recap

As my first race of 2015 fast approaches I thought I should take the time to quickly recap the end of my 2014 season.

XC.... Highs and Lows

A lot of the top runners in the OCAA graduated this past year and Fansahw who has dominated the OCAA for the last 7 years lost several of their top runners. Despite the turnover of their athletes Fanshaw did not make it any easier to beat them and made us work for every place. For me this season was for the most part frustrating. I was having great workouts but it wasn't showing in my results.  I consistently finished 6th-8th and my times for the most part didn't get any faster. * As a road racer you really put emphasis on your time, however for xc it is much more about place than time since the difficulty level of each course varies.

Probably the most disappointing race of the whole season for me was Provincials. My personal goal for the season was to come in the top 7 at Provincials so that I could make the Ontario team which also races at Nationals or at the very least Place in the top 14 so that I could get Second All Ontario status.  After having come at least 8th all season  I felt that I had a really good chance  at achieving my goals. Unfortunately I bombed Provincials and wound up in 18th.  Even worse after winning every race as a team all season it was a little disappointing to slip back to second.

We had about 2 weeks between Provincials and Nationals to regroup. Going into Nationals I wanted   to be one of the top 7 finisher from Ontario and prove to myself that I could have made Team Ontario. The course was a 2 km loop and we had to do it 4 times. I ran a well paced race and it turned out to be the best race of my season. I ended up coming 18th over all and finished 8th out of the  Ontario runners. Humber took home gold! It was the first time ever that Humber's Men's XC team has taken home National Gold.It was a great way to end the season and a great last race as a Humber Hawk.

Tannenbaum 10km

After my xc season wrapped up I took it easy for a bit. I continued to get some runs in and maintain my fitness but I wasn't doing hard interval workouts or speed work. I wanted to set a new 10 km PB and was aiming to run a 34:30. It was a pretty competitive field so I knew it would be a fast race and that I just needed to focus on running my own race.  Just before the half way point I broke away from the pack I was running with and caught up with the pack ahead of me.  In that moment I thought  " what the heck are you doing". I felt strong and relaxed so at about 7 km I broke away from the pack again. From there on I was on my own.  I turned on my burners and hopped I wouldn't run out of gas. I felt like I could just keep pushing myself harder and harder and that's what I did. I finished 4th over with a time of 33:36. My first 5km split was 16:59 and my second split was 16:37! After a hard xc season of running difficult courses it was so nice to run fast again.

Plans for 2015

^ Milage

^ Speed

Run more and run faster.