Ottawa Race Weekend

I love Ottawa race weekend!  This is the largest race in Canada with 45000 runners taking part in the different events.  Once again this year, I ran the 5K and my goal was to break 30 mins, something I have been trying to do for a while.  Race day arrived and it was windy and cold and I was not feeling great and did not really want to run.  Maybe it was race fatigue, maybe it was nerves, who knows but I sucked it up and showed up ready to run.  I was in the second corral in the first wave, I had hoped this would allow me to get out fast and not be stuck behind the walkers this year.  Unfortunately this was not the case, dear ORW, if you are going to have corrals and waves, maybe you can make sure runners are in the correct one, just saying.  Anyway, that is my only whine about the whole weekend. otherwise it is a top notch run, the shirts, the organization, the community spirit everything is fabulous.  

My first km was 7 mins, more then a min off my sub 6 min per km pace needed to break 30 mins.  The good news was I felt fabulous, whatever was bothering me during the day was gone and I was in the zone. I was happy, felt like I was flying and enjoying the other runners as I passed them and boy was I passing them, lots of them.  The 5K is a fast, crowded race and the weaving and dodging slower runners means you have to concentrate or you will end up on the road.  Once we passed the Convention Center the runners spread out and I havd room to turn up the speed.  I was surprised when I looked at my Garmin to see 5:35, I have never run that fast.  I knew I could not sustain that pace so I forced myself to slow down to 5:45 and to enjoy the run.  As I crossed Pretoria bridge I knew I would be under 30 mins barring any major problem and slowed for the water stop and a small drink.  The last km of the run is glorious, it is lined with people cheering you on and their energy lifts you if you are tired. This is one of the few times I was not dragging at the end of the race and totally enjoyed the crowd.  I managed to find Neale in the crowd, slowed for a quick wave and a photo and took off for the finish line.  I jumped over the finish line, arms in the air to a new PB of 29:32, I did it! For the number people I took 2:51 off my old 5K time and was in the top 16%  in my AG.  

We stayed to watch some friends run the 10K, well start anyway as it was cold and headed home so Neale could get a good night sleep before his race.  My hubby was trying to run his half marathon in under his Boston qualifying pace to see if he could do it and to test his training program.  He usually runs the marathon but decided to work on speed and let a foot injury heal and run the half this year.  Well once again my running man ran...and ran...and ran, all the way to a new PB well under his Boston pace! I can not wait to see him get his chance at the Chicago marathon and I will once again wait hours to see him for 5 seconds as he passes the finish line.  

So my May madness is over, for both of us. Both Neale and I ran a 5K, a 10K and a Half marathon in the last 5 weeks and got a PB in each, we had fun and enjoyed the races, it was a great month.  Now we move onto Duathlon training for Neale and Triathlon training for me and of course running, lots of running.