War of 1812 Bicentennial Race

I committed the ultimate sin for someone who loves the military: I didn't run the Army Run.  I was originally signed up to run the 5K, but admittedly, I found a race with a medal I liked more. A lot more.

Enter the Run for Heroes - War of 1812 Bicentennial Race.

With this year's hype surrounding the commemoration of the War, I thought it would be a fitting race to do. And, how often does a bicentennial come around?! Off I flew to Toronto, where I rented yet another car and headed down the 401 to Amherstburg, Ontario.

"Where's Amherstburg?" you ask? About 15 miles south of Windsor. Very quaint, very historic and very War of 1812. Major General Isaac Brock took command of the town on August 13, 1812, and three days later captured Fort Detroit - the Battle of Detroit was won! Two months later, General Brock would be killed at Queenston Heights (Niagara).

The online registration process for this race was amusing: the question of whether I was a red coat or a blue coat made me laugh. Fun way to ask for your nationality. 

Race kit pick-up took place over two days; however, no race-day pick-up. As an out-of-towner, that's always a huge letdown because it means I need to book a hotel room and go a day early. Unfortunately, the women's small shirts looked more like men's sizes and there was a misprint. All the 10K shirts were printed with "volunteer" on the back. Lord knows I paid to run this race, so that was also a bit disappointing considering they were really nice shirts!

After the kit pick-up, I headed into downtown Amherstburg for a quick look-see and a stop at the tourist bureau. I made sure to grab a guide book for the town (so much history here!). My first stop brought me to the King's Navy Yard Waterfront Park. The Park is a footprint of the prior Navy Yard dating 1796. The site was responsible for the construction of several provincial warships that fought in the War of 1812. Next, I visited the International Peace Sculpture, a legacy project to commemorate the longest undefended border and lasting peace between the U.S. and Canada. 

International Peace Sculpture

I enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Lord Amherst Public House before retiring to Windsor for the evening. While it wasn't my usual pre-race supper of chowder and wine, I can't say I was far off with beer and cheddar soup and a pint of Innis & Gunn dark ale. 

On the morning of the race, I headed to Tim Horton's for my usual pre-race breakfast and then continued on to Amherstburg. The race website asked 10K runners to "park at the old arena 2km west of the start line"...wherever that was. A map, address or directions would have been really useful. How do I know where the "old arena" is?! Took some googling, but I found what I thought was the right place and drove there. Thankfully, I chose the right place! The bus shuttle worked perfectly and we were off to the start line in no time. 

The race started with the firing of a cannon. Ironically, that's the third race I've run this week that started by way of cannon!

The course was as advertised - flat. Halfway through, I realized I hate flat courses. I enjoy the challenge of an uphill and the reward of all the downhills. Aside from this fact, the course was great!

The route took us along Dalhousie Street where we passed the Amherstburg Legion. I almost cried - there was an honour guard with flags and veterans saluting us and cheering. They looked so proud to be there wearing all their medals! As I ran by, I slowed down to thank them all for their service. And with a "Good luck, dear!" from one of Canada's war heroes, I was back on my way towards Fort Malden. That was the best part of my whole race and it totally made my day! 

As we entered the grounds of the Fort, a solitary British soldier stood atop the grassy walls. His bright red coat stood out smartly against the green grass. I gave an excited wave and was happy when he waved back!

For me, the last 4K were uneventful. I wasn't feeling the greatest and all I could think about was that awesome medal waiting for me at the end! Two ladies were standing in front of the cemetery on Alma Street with a huge bowl of M&Ms. I wish I realized what they had earlier because I would have stopped for a handful!

I crossed the finish line in 56:11 and a big smile on my face. One of the volunteers thanked each and every runner as they walked through the finish corral. The bronze-coloured medal was the icing on the cake!

Such a fantastic way to participate in the War of 1812 commemoration events!

To be honest, I've got to do a little more research of the course before race day. That way, I'll know what it is I'm passing along the way! 

The drive back to Windsor was awesome. I followed the marathon course for 10K  and tooted by horn for almost every runner. The pace groups were the most enthusiastic with their waves. When I'm racing, I know I appreciate all the spectators' cheering!

There were plenty of volunteers, water stations and porta-potties. The post-race food station was well-stocked with water, apples, oranges, yogurt and bagels. The only race day let down? Having to wait 20 minutes for the shuttle to take us back to our cars. It wasn't very warm, so when you're sweaty and tired, it was a bit annoying. All in all, it was a well-organized race that I am glad I ran!

Blingy blingy!

Happy trails, fellow runners!

Aaaaaargh!!!! Maritime Race Weekend

Kim and I decided to head to Nova Scotia for a Canadian destination race series. Built into our first family vacation in 17 years, we toured about Nova Scotia for a few days before the race festival began. Friday night featured a 5K while Saturday morning saw the 10K, half and full marathons run.

With lobster hats to celebrate Maritime Race Weekend

We picked up our race kits Friday before the race - they were awesome! The theme of the race was pirates! A pirate eye-patch, gold hoop earrings, a Maritime Race Weekend mug, a T-shirt for each of the two races and a personalized bib indicating our participation in the Tartan Twosome (the 5K on Friday and one of the Saturday races).

Some of our fellow runners in awesome pirate-inspired costumes

The race was extremely well-organized, had a consistent, well-implemented theme and awesome swag and bling! Runners really got into the pirate spirit with elaborate costumes and wigs. The race organizers also had volunteers in spectacular pirate costumes circulating through the runners.

In the starting corral with some of our pirate friends! 
(I think he had just flogged me with his whip when this was taken)

The course was absolutely beautiful. Starting in Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, we wound our way along the seashore for an out-and-back 5K. The race started with the sound of a cannon firing, which somehow my Mum got a picture of (and it was in focus!).

And we're off!

Kim and I raced the first 1.5K together and then split off to run our own race. I was having a fairly solid race by the 4K mark. My shin splints weren't bothering me and I was managing to maintain a 5 min/km pace. Two women started to pass me going into the final kilometer, so I joked that it was a no-passing zone. The three of us ended up running the last leg together. As I rounded the corner for the finish line, I could see the official clock in the 24-minute range. I had a strong kick and wound up shattering my old PB by over a minute, coming in to clock a super-fantastic 24:53!  Kim wasn't far behind, killing her previous PB from two weeks ago in 26:11. We were so excited for each other's awesome races. I've been trying to run under 25 minutes since April. Best of all, my last kilometer was my fastest of the five!

With kick-ass medals to cap off totally awesome 5K races!

The 10K started at 7:30am, 12 hours after Friday's 5K. We weren't entirely sure how we'd feel given we'd just pumped out a strong race the night before. The fog started rolling in as the cannon went off. We paced out at a 5.5min/km pace. Again, we split off to run our own races somewhere around the 3K mark. I ran with two older guys who were ultra-marathoners. Those guys are really crazy! We joked and laughed as we ran and even broke into a horrible rendition of Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" as we passed signs urging half- and full-marathoners to merge "to the left."

We passed a pirate bunny pacing out a group of new runners. Seeing their enthusiasm and dedication was pretty cool. By the 5K mark, Kim had caught up to me and we ran a while together. I hit the turnaround at the 6K mark feeling remarkably good. Thankfully, the final 1.5K is downhill, so I started picking up my pace and choosing runners ahead of me to pick off. I managed to get past 4 runners to finish in a final time of 56:02. Not too bad for racing twice in 12 hours!

(From L to R) Medals for the 10K, 5K and the Tartan Twosome Challenge 

This is definitely a race I would recommend to other runners. Great post-race refreshments including chocolate milk, free ice cream cones, and vitamin water along with your usual post-race food. The larger medals are a whopping 4" in diameter and weigh a ton. Walking through the runners' village after the race hearing the Tartan Twosome finishers clanging around like oxen was hilarious!

 Good job, United By Running!

On the wharf at Halifax Harbour with my best haul of medals to date!

Happy trails, fellow runners!

So many races to recap!

What a summer it's been! I was incredibly busy with work, training and racing that I neglected my blog and haven't posted since May 12.

Since that time, I have done 11 races, so there is lots to catch up on and lots of pictures to post.

First up, was the Ottawa Race Weekend 10K. To be honest, I don't think I would run it again. The route along the Rideau Canal was gorgeous,  but there were far too many people running to make it enjoyable. The road was too narrow for the nearly 9,000 runners who were struggling to keep up with their pace bunny and trying not to trip on the runner in front of you.

Pretty decent medal for an hour's work!

Next up, Girls on the Run 5K. This race was adorable. The guiding principle is empowering young girls and helping to promote self-esteem and confidence. The race took place at Downsview Park in Toronto and included newly paved paths and some good hills. Parking was free, as well. The best part was receiving my race medal from a tiny little girl who couldn't have been older than 4. Her smile was huge as she held out her hand with my medal dangling from it. I crouched down so I could say thank you. She was so excited to be at the finish line handing out medals to everyone. So cute!

Chuggin' along to a 27:32 finish.

June's next race found me in Perth, Ontario for the Perth Kilt Run, the world's largest kilt run. Nearly 2,000 runners took to the streets in all varieties of kilt - though I must say, my Thompson tartan was the best! This event was quite a celebration, with Highland dancers, great Celtic music and various games and contests. The race began with the runners being paraded to the start line. It was an awesome sight to see 2,000 people in kilts! The fire department had a spray station that I was greatly appreciative of - who knew running in a wool skirt would get so warm?!  The race route saw us winding through the streets of Perth and continuing through the golf course. Bagpipers were even placed throughout the race, which was a real treat. In the end, a 47:19 finish for me and a kilt pin to hang on the wall 'o bling!

Finishing strong in my awesome kilt. 

Canada Day in Ottawa brought me to a 5K race with one of my friends from work, Kate. It was great to run with someone for a change! Kate and I set a goal of 27:30. I was still recovering from vertigo so the run didn't go as smoothly as planned. But, Kate was an awesome running buddy and didn't mind the two walk breaks I had to take. We ended up finishing in 26:37, nearly a minute faster than our goal, so ultimately, both of us were pretty happy with the time!

It's tough keeping up with someone with much longer legs than mine!

July 29, 2012 found me driving to Gananoque to run the I Ran Gan 5K. For a small race, it was well organized. The race ran through downtown Gananoque and a mostly flat terrain. Nothing too remarkable for this race, except for the laser-engraved wood medals. Cool concept and a new take on the finishers' medal!

My super-cool laser-engraved wood medal.

August brought a flurry of races beginning with Canada Running Series' Toronto Ten-Miler and 5K. My Mum came down to Toronto with me to cheer me on. The race started and ended in the Distillery District, a place I have never been to. I was hoping for a good time, so I lined up relatively close to the front. Though not a super hot day, parts of the race were along roadway beneath the Gardiner Expressway and in the shade! My only complaint is there were some really shitty parts with tons of potholes and tar snakes. For a runner like me who routinely rolls an ankle mid-race, this was a bit scary. I spent more time getting dizzy looking down to pick "safe" spots to step than I would have liked. Ultimately, I paced myself to a 26:24.6 and was happy with the result!

Another piece of hardware for the medal rack!

Two weeks later, after a week-long business trip to the Arctic, I drove to Toronto in the middle of the night. I arrived in Toronto at 6:30am, picked up my race kit and T-shirt and then went to take a power nap in my car. The Toronto Women's Run is fun because the course is in Leslie Park, a treed park with serene pathways and lots of shade. Firefighters man the water stations and you get chocolate at the end of the race. You don't have to ask me twice if this is a race worth doing. Firefighters, chocolate, medal. Enough said. Regardless of the 20 minutes of sleep I got before the race, I clocked in with a respectable 55:03. 

Definitely worth the 4.5 hour drive and 20 minutes of sleep.

I made good use of my trip to Toronto by signing up for a 5K in Owen Sound the next morning. The Bayshore Race is an awesome small-town race with a good race kit and nice course. The only problem is they only give medals to top-3 finishers in each age category. I knew I'd have to be fast, but based on the results from previous years, I was convinced I could run top-3. I ran the 5K in 26:03 - the fastest time of the summer, and only a few seconds slower than my PB of 25:57 in -10 degree weather (I'm not exactly a warm-weather runner). While enjoying a free, post-race massage, my Mum broke the news that I came 4th. No medal for me :(  My age category was extremely competitive...and I was far off the 3rd place time. Back to the track for some 400m repeats!

Grinding through my fastest 5K of the summer to a disappointing 4th-place finish.

My sister and I decided to race the Yorkville B&O 5K run. Great course, fantastic medal and nice race kit. My biggest pet peeve at races is walkers and new runners lining up at the front of the pack. What the hell are you thinking?! When the race caters to elite runners like Wesley and Tarah Korir (they finished the race in 14:05 and 16:56 respectively), you know you're in for a fast race. When the gun went off, the real runners were mired in slow newbies and a bunch of soccer moms out for a Sunday stroll with their girlfriends. Good on them for getting out there, but do they really need to line up at the front?! A word of advice to new runners: if you know you're going to run-walk the 5K and intend to finish over 30 minutes, save everyone the hassle of weaving around you and head to the back. 

Kim and I finally shook loose of the walkers at the 300m mark and paced out the first 2K at a 4:45 pace. Kim had an awesome race and came in with her fastest-ever 5K time - 27 minutes flat! I ran a 26:03, identical to my time in Owen Sound a few weeks before. Overall, it was a great race and the blingy-blingy at the end was well worth it!

TWs with our awesome race bling after two solid finishes!

Happy trails, fellow runners!