I'm sick of being sick

Alright, Cold #2 officially still under way, and it's now been a week and a half. One week prior to this cold, I had just gotten over Cold #1. But who knows, this could all be combined with wicked allergies, though it seems that antihistamines aren't really helping. Whatever ... All I know is that I've suffered long enough and am tired of congested sinuses, sneezing, headache, and fatigue. At least the sore throat has finally abaited.

So, not much training going on these days ... a few short easy runs (nothing hard, don't want to induce my asthma), some short bike rides, and finally today, a short swim, more to say I got into the pool than to actually swim.

What I have been doing though is some socializing!

The past weekend saw a whole bunch of my friends participate in the Montreal Marathon weekend. Most of my runner friends opted to do the Half, but I did have one crazy fellow Ironman, Thor, come in from Boston to run his 50th marathon with a time of 3:07. According to him, he "crashed and burned", compared to his usual marathon experience. I can only dream of crashing and burning the way he did ;-)

Okay, now for some pics ... Here are some of my running friends from Montreal enjoying some brew and grub at an Irish pub Friday night. I made sure to organise this two days pre-race to not interfere with the Saturday "routine" or carb supper for those racing.

And here's a pic of the race ... the time you see is for the Half Marathoners at the 16 km split.

And here I am, meeting up with some virtual friends from my Kickrunners Multi-sport forum, Thor and his lovely wife, H.

I realised one thing about spectating ... I suck at it and seemed to miss all my running friends pass me by as I waited at the finish. Heck, I'm the one usually racing! By chance though, I did run into two friends at the end, and I was lucky to see Thor come through the finish.

How do spectators pick out ONE RUNNER out of a crowd of thousands, especially if they don't know what he/she is wearing? I have a new-found admiration for all my friends who have waited for me and cheered me on during my races.

I would have if I could have!

VICTORY!!!

Alright, I admit, the medal's not mine. It's my friend GB's medal who ran his first marathon in Ottawa last Sunday.

Finish time: 3:42:06

I warned him not to go out too fast, but did this rabbit listen to his tortoise friend? Nope. Half split was 1:38:34. Incredibly, this was almost the same time as his half marathon finish in 2007 of 2:37:00. I'm pretty sure if he'd been a little more conservative with his first half, he would have easily knocked off 7-9 min. from his finishing time.

Nevertheless, an impressive first marathon and I'm very proud of my good friend :-)

Mind you, if he had actually trained properly for it, i.e. his longest run was only 24km, then I'm sure he could have easily run sub 3:30. I'm not the greatest influence for him though as he admitted using my guerrilla training tactics ...

Geoff: "Hey, if it works for you ..."

I rolled my eyes. He'll hopefully know better when I drag him out to a fall marathon ... and also to another particular race with me one day.

Sally: You're gonna do Ironman with me one day, right?

Geoff: Yeah, sure.

This guy has more guts than me!

Yamachiche Half Marathon - July 14, 2001

This race will forever be in my heart as it was my first real racing event.

Taper, what’s that? This race was the fifth day straight of running for me that week, just another day in my marathon training.

The field was full of elite and sub-elite runners. Little did I know what I had plunged myself into. I will never forget the Start and the relative feeling of not moving since everyone else was running. I remember the farm fields and country roads, the people cheering, my trying unsuccessfully to drink from a water cup while running and then being informed by another runner to pinch it.

I will never forget how exhausted I felt at 17km as I had run faster than I ever had for that distance. There was no special hoopla when I finished, no finisher's medal, and no friends to congratulate me. I had gone alone and don't even think I had told anyone ahead of time. I ate a snack and rested a bit, drove home, and then later picked up my friend and trainer, Dirk, at the bus station. We went to eat Chinese food that night and I had absolutely no clue as to what I had just achieved.

Gun time: 1:55:28, which still remains my PR (personal record)
Overall place: 243/285 (see what I mean about the fast field!)

Ottawa Marathon - May 11, 2003

Thought I would just fill you in on another crazy moment in my life ...

Could not have asked for nicer weather to run a marathon. This time in Ottawa, on Mother's Day. 15C to start, maybe 20C to finish, partially cloudy, with a breeze. Shorts weather!

Got up that morning and tried to eat some breakfast. Fruit went down well enough even though I had to force myself a little ... toast became a cheap imitation of cardboard as I tried to chew it. NERVES!! Alright, just fruit was good enough, had to be ...

Scurried off with DB to the start line, and made it with perhaps a minute's spare - camera did not want to work - oh well. Quickly slipped in between the 4:00 and 4:15 pace bunnies (yeah, right ...) Then I thought people were just bunching up, like at all the other marathons, but hey, whoops, there I was, suddenly running over the start line with everyone else, but most definitely less prepared ... The thing about running a marathon is that once you've crossed that line, there's no turning back ...


Race was ... interesting ... different. Ottawa's course is a double loop.

Pros: You know where you're going the second time round.

Cons: You know where you're going the second time round. It's like the mileage markers ... One can say, hey, I only have 14 km more to run!Woohoo!! Or ... F**K, I still have 14 km to run!!

I suppose in a way, like even at this very moment, I was and still am in shock of it all. I've been way too busy to prepare properly for this race, physically and mentally, but somehow I made it to Ottawa and finished it, and I can still walk ... Definitely not enough mileage during training (averaged around 35 km/week x 6 weeks, er, perhaps less) with my longest runs being 21, 25, and 32 km, coming from a "winter base" of 10 km/week. Nope, still can't believe I ran this one ... I feel like I've been clubbed over the head and sent to la-la land, but somehow I've ended up with another medal ... woohoo!

I actually didn't notice too much about the course - I suppose parts were pretty - the tulips, the water, definitely not the industrial suburban part, the trees ... but everything seemed to blend in together and I seemed to be more focused on just watching the other runners and making it around the next turn. There sure were a lot of runners, especially when the half marathoners started on the course with the full marathoners, all fresh and full of energy, only needing to complete one loop, while we were already doing our second one. You know, I still can't even remember anything in particular about what I was thinking during the run ... it all felt so surreal, and still does (well, except for the definite lactic acid build-up in my quads).

At times I would catch myself smiling because it all seemed so incredible, and the day was so gorgeous. One of the most wonderful feelings while running is when a spectator looks you right in the eye and gives you words of encouragement and you know these words are meant just for you, and you need it so much because you are feeling like you can't go on and you question why you are even running ...

I was actually a good girl this time ... no swearing, and no getting frustrated or angry at myself for thinking I had it in me to run another marathon. I guess I just let go, and went with it, even the pain and the cramping, and the feeling that it'd never end ... but it felt so good when that breeze hit just at the right time, and the music filled my soul and nudged me gently as I passed the bands, and I could feel the power of all the other runners around me needing to feel alive, just like me ...

The kilometre markings passed the quickest in the 30's, don't know why, they just did, maybe 'cause I wanted them to ... but one could not mistake nearing the finish, as "all of Ottawa" turned out to cheer us on. I asked an official "how far?", and he said 500m, and I couldn't believe it. But then I saw the Finish line, and I knew I had to boot it, and then I heard a girl's voice say "look, she's going faster!". I poured it on even more as I started "sprinting" and leapt victoriously through the finish, leaving the half-marathoners eating my dust.

Thank you John for going out of your way as the "innkeeper" of The Urban B&B and getting up early to make sure I had something in my tummy, and for chatting with me. It helped to still my nerves. Thank you to the small handful of friends that knew I would be running this marathon, that love and support me unconditionally albeit my wacky and crazy dreams ...

Thank you to my kids, Toulouse and Gustav. Thank you for helping make this such a wonderful Mother's Day, just by being mine and by being so pure and loving and sweet, and proud of their mummy ...

But a most special thank you to DB, for coming out to share all this with me ... It was so good to see you at the mid-point, so good to hear the crowd cheer as we stole a kiss - it gave me courage to run the second loop. Thank you for the special words you screamed out as I crossed the finish line ... I did hear your voice, and it was wonderful. And thank you for taking care of me afterwards, and for just being you ...

These are my stats for those who are interested ...

Gun Time: 4:25:10.8 (Wow, it took almost 2 min. to cross the start line!!)
Chip Time: 4:23:19.8 (This is the REAL time it took me ...)
Pace: 6:18 min/km

Overall Placement: 1874/2668
Gender Placement: 589/1025
Age Group (W 35-39): 118/204

First Lap (21.1km): 2:07:05
Second Lap (21.1 - 42.2 km): 2:18:07

Well, another day, another medal, back to the old grindstone now ... hmmm ... until the next race ...

Have a most fantastic day!!

Montreal Half-Marathon - April 13, 2003

Beautiful day for a long run today on Ile-Ste-Helene. Not too hot, nor too cold, average about 2-3C, slight wind sometimes (annoyingly so ... reminiscent of Niagara Marathon), lack of slight wind sometimes (annoyingly so ... boy, when that sun beats down!!) Glad I was able to take off my jacket sleeves! Never knew I was so flexible!!

Word to the wise ... do not go swing dancing for 3 1/2 hours , then go to bed at 4:00am thinking you might feel bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 7:30am, then think you might have some sort of glycogen reserve in your legs past 7km. Aargh!! For those who know me well, I guess this would not be so out of the ordinary ... I did eat a big bowl of cereal though when I got home last night!! Thank you Marcy and Robin for trying to carbo load me yesterday. Made for great swing dancing!

Anyway ... the course was nice, though it went by too quickly (as I tried to focus on finding any energy reserve in my body at all!), except for around the rowing basin which was LONG AND BORING. Nice touch being able to see the finish line so clearly though, as it gave some respite to having to run the last bit along this basin into the headwind.

So now, another leg of my short and intense period of marathon training is over. Yes, another long run down ... Three more to go until Ottawa. Half-marathons are still difficult, especially with a lack of proper training ... but one major difference between them and the fulls is the cursing. I still exclaim and doubt and question during a half, but it's over before I know it! I never quite had time to mumble expletives before I shouted "Whooee!!"

Thanks to my virtual running mates, Kara and Christelle for your wonderful support. Thanks, and a HUGE CONGRATS to my kick-boxing training partner Veronica, who ran her first race ever! Thanks to Dirk for fertilizing these horrible seeds of marathon addiction in my head, and for teaching me so much about training. Thanks to Robin and Marcy for taking care of me yesterday, and helping me to relax and get into the necessary head space. And thanks to all my friends for encouraging me and understanding why I do this (or at least feigning to ...)

Gun time: 2:03:07.3
Chip time: 2:02:37.2
Pace: 5:51 min/km

Overall: 594/735
Gender: 154/219
Category (W 35-39): 28/37

0 - 10k split: 58:00
10k - 21.1k split: 1:05:08

So that's it ... Didn't push the pace, 'cause I got bigger and better things coming up - marathon #6 .... Onto the next medal!!

Quebec Marathon - August 25, 2002

Well, about a month ago, my friend, Richard, and I got to talking about how our running and injuries were coming along.

To give us some motivation, I came up with the idea:

"Hey Richard, how 'bout we train for and run the Toronto Marathon this October? If we start now, we should be fine by marathon time."

To which Richard replied:

"Hey, how 'bout the Quebec one at the end of August?"

I laughed heartily at this incredulous idea ...

So as crazy as the idea was to run a marathon after only a month training ... we did it! (Mind you, we cursed each other during the run, more my cursing him though, I'd say!). But as Richard said, "Bonnie, consider it a training run for the upcoming marathons ..."

Yeah ... right.

So that's it, folks ... To those few who actually knew I was planning to run this, thanks for not making fun of me but rather for supporting me in this lofty endeavour of proving that I am still alive.

And thank you to my lovely children, Toulouse and Gustav, and to my sweet friend, Nadine, for those last final cheers that helped me to end triumphantly with a burst of speed, my arms thrown up in the air at the finish line. Thank you Richard for being lunatic enough to convince me to do this, and for waiting patiently for me at the finish line, albeit your own fatigue. And thank you, Dirk, for having believed in and supported me always right from the seeds of my first marathon last year.

Now, you do not want to know about Richard's and mine last conversation about running ... I think I'm in trouble ...

Here are my results (not as fast as my previous marathons, but hey, I only had a month training!)

Gun time: 4:37:16.5
Chip time: 4:36:28.4
Pace: 6:35 min/km

Overall placement: 951/1214
Gender placement: 148/211

0 - 21.1 km: 2:11:25
21.1 - 42.2 km: 2:25:52

Race Reports

Hey there,

There's some hefty reading here, but I hope your enjoy finding out what motivates me to race and also what goes on in my mind while I am racing. I am in the midst of posting all my race reports so please check back often for additions.

Don't say "I can't". Believe "I will" then just do it. Nothing is impossible.

Cheers!

Bonnie

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Please click on the links ...

2009
Ottawa Fall Colours 5k October 11

2008
Ironman Louisville August 30
Oka Sprint Tri June 8

2007
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon September 30
Défi de la Saint-Jean 5k June 24
Ottawa Marathon May 27

2006
New York Marathon November 4
Ironman Canada August 27
Memphremagog Half Ironman July 30
Triathlon des Îles (sprint) May 13

2005
Honolulu Marathon
Yamachiche Half-Marathon

2004
Barbados Half-Marathon
Suzuki Rock’n’Roll San Diego Marathon June 6
Ottawa Half-Marathon May 30

2003
Barbados Marathon December 3
Toronto International Marathon October 19
Quebec Half-Marathon August 24
Yamachiche Half-Marathon
Ottawa Marathon May 11
Montreal Half-Marathon April 13

2002
Niagara Marathon October 27
Hartford Marathon October 12
Quebec Marathon August 25

2001
Toronto International Marathon October 14
Quebec Marathon August 26
Yamachiche Half-Marathon July 14


* I race to collect shiny medals and I especially love travelling to race!