saving myself

Less than a week to go!  This race was like my safety net.... a race before the big one!

Today I ran the Sporting Life 10k... planned well in advance of even contemplating a marathon. Given the calf lately, and timing, I was focused. Determined not to get caught up with the adrenaline. Firm about this being a training run... just with 12,000 other people. Committed to testing out the leg, and hoping to build a little confidence.  

Took more than 8 minutes for me to cross the start line, and I successfully lost the other 8 people from my group. I hadn't planned to meet up with them post race either, as I had a baby shower to attend in the afternoon, so I was going to "attempt" to leave quickly, more on that later.

Before hitting the 2k mark, I saw another girl from my group, so I darted over to where she was walking as I was a little concerned. She's been having issues with her foot, and was having a bit of difficulty breathing. Surprised to see me, she told me to go.  I chose not to, I felt it was better to hang with her, even though she tried to convince me she was ok. 

Took a minute to snap a few pics when she was using the porta-potty... I avoid those unless it is an emergency.

I told her that we were going her pace, whatever she needed. I was there for the company, and to get in one last longish run on a gorgeous day before next weekend. Oh ya, and get a new shirt and medal ;) Plus this is a fun downhill race down the middle of Yonge Street, once in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest street in the world. As you can tell from my heart rate trace, most of my time was spent in zone 1 & 2, barely into zone 3. So I accomplished what I had set out to do... treat this as a training run, and she was very appreciative.

The race course changed slightly from last year, specifically the end.  It finished in Fort York. If I had time to sit there after the race and enjoy it, then it would have been great, but I had to hustle outta there to get home and ready for the baby shower, an hour away from my house... there's something about this weekend, the Sporting Life race and showers, I had to bolt for a wedding shower last year right about the race too!  

This is where it all slowed right down... once past the medal pick up and the food tents, we were slowly shuffling forward, all being corralled through a narrow chain link fence, along another path, through another small fence, and finally freedom -- one of the girls in our group commented that a fort is intended to be difficult to get into or out from! LOL Once out, it was another 3 or 4 km to hit the subway station to ride back to our cars.  Ugh.  Thankfully I wasn't in a rush... oh crap! I was! 

Sure I could have taken a cab, or found a bus or street car, but the group managed to all be together at the end, so we all shuffled together. :)  Great day for a run!