In what I’m hoping is going to become a yearly tradition for me, I ran the Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5K for the second time this year!
2016 Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5K
The start/finish zone is by Steamwhistle Brewery in downtown Toronto and last year I clocked my personal best of 26:10 (tied personal best actually… I got the exact same race time in the 2014 Rat Race), so I was hoping for some magic this year and to finally crack into 25 minutes.
2016 Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5K – coming up to the end
But, as I’ve been non-stop lamenting through 2015, I’ve been in not so great shape and I (frustratingly) keep packing on the pounds. I look at last year’s racing post and I get a little bit jealous of the body I’ve got in those shots… and yet the weight difference is only 5-7 pounds!
2016 Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5K
All moaning aside, I love this race. It’s green, it’s St. Patrick’s Day themed and it’s supported by a brewery. The course is relatively decent (except for that ASSHOLE of a hill near the end as we cross back over the bridge towards the end) and it takes place during a month where the temperatures are usually just above freezing which is my preferred running temperature. (Over 15C? Hate it.)
2016 Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5K – finally the finish line!
It’s a loopback course, so you run out 2.5k, switchback and carry on back to the start/finish line. It’s a relatively small race so you don’t have to worry about mass crowds which I love. I felt pretty decent throughout the bulk of the race, BUT I was able to sprint towards the finish line which definitely means I had more gas in the tank that I could’ve used throughout the whole race.
2016 Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5K – course map
I clocked in at 26:51 – thankfully still in the 26 minute mark, but perilously close to 27 minutes which is disappointing. It’s “only” a 41 second difference from last year’s race, but seconds are HUGE in racing so this is quite a bad drop in terms of racing. In general terms, I dropped from the top 25%, down to the top 32%.
Still, I love the atmosphere and they serve you a beer and insanely delicious spicy chili afterwards. I’m happy to get back into racing this year with this race, but I’ve got a lot of work to do to get back in line with where I used to be!
Race Results
Finish Time: 26:51
Pace: 5:22 per kilometer
Overall placement: 415/1273
Age group placement (Female 30-39 years): 54/245
Gender placement (F): 139/706
By the way, if you’re ever interested in the other races I’ve run, you can always visit my Race Results page for a breakdown by year and by race. Enjoy!
Because I like running so much on vacation, I decided to sign up for the Fleet FeetNew Year’s Day Dash in Middleton, Wisconsin while we were visiting my inlaws over the Christmas break. Why I thought a 5 mile (8.4k to those of us outside the US) run on New Year’s Day would be a good idea… I haven’t a clue! Chock it all up to desiring more and more running experiences!
2016 New Year’s Day Dash -Start/Finish Zone
The race was mid-morning so thankfully we didn’t have to worry about being there too early (normally I’d say hungover… but I was actually so tired I went to bed at 11pm the night before!), but MY GOD was it cold. The wind was whipping about us and even though it was only -6C, the windchill was certainly giving it some. I wasn’t really sure what to wear as I’d never done a race below 2 degrees Celsius, so I ended up whacking on a thin long sleeve racing shirt (not thermal) and a Lululemon jacket along with my Lululemon Wunderunders. Our race kits (which were AMAZING btw – best race kit I’ve had yet) came with some awesome hats so I popped that on as well.
2016 New Year’s Day Dash – Nearing the end
The race was labelled as “extremely flat” and… it kind of is? I mean, there’s one beast slow incline that goes on forever roughly halfway through the race that I wasn’t impressed with, but overall it was decently flat. I wasn’t really sure how I was going to pace myself, or even what time to go for. Being a 5 mile race, it’s not exactly a common distance. I mean… 5 miles is 8.4 kilometers… almost a 10k, but not quite. And definitely not a distance I can put out a 5k race pace for. With that in mind, I basically went into this knowing that whatever speed I finished this race at, it would be a personal best!
Spotting my family near the end of the race
I ended up running the whole at what felt like an exceptionally comfortable pace. I was never tired or out of breath – something that surprised me immensely given how much I’d eaten over the course of the last week (thank you holidays). I clocked in a finish time of 45:50, which gives me an average pace of 5:27 per kilometer according to the race web site. However… I really don’t think it was a full 5 mile run. Both my Garmin and my Nike+ tracking app clocked me with a distance of 8.03k which is almost 400 meters shy of the full distance. Had I had to run that additional 400 meters, I would’ve been a few minutes slower, which would’ve made a lot more sense. Given my current fitness level (not amazing), my weight (heavier than normal) and the distance calculated by both my Garmin and Nike+… I have to say my finish time truly doesn’t make sense, so I’m quite confident the race was indeed a bit short for the declared distance.
HOWEVER, despite all this, I was aiming for under 50 minutes, and even if I tacked on a few more minutes to my actual finish time, I still would’ve been under that marker, so for that I’m quite happy!
Finisher!
My husband and inlaws were waiting near the endzone (David got some of the shots above) and were trying to hand me Canadian flags they had brought out to cheer me on (so I could cross the finish line with them!). I was semi-oblivious to their intentions so I just started laughing because it was a cute and unexpected gesture!
Sidenote: Mid-race I tore my hat and gloves off, unzipped my jacket and rolled up my sleeves. I was soooo stinking hot!
Woohoo Canada!
I got an AWESOME medal at the end (seriously – it’s huge!) and I heard they had beer and wings at the ready, but we didn’t stick around for it. By that point everyone was getting pretty cold and we just wanted to head on home! Overall though – a well organized race with under a thousand people. The race kit was BOMB (pint glass, gorgeous hat and a hell of a medal AND the professional photos were free!) and I really enjoyed myself!
This was my second year doing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (half marathon) event and I had mixed feelings. I did quite well last year (had a personal best time for a half), but as I keep bitching about, I haven’t been in the greatest shape of my life this year.
My dad came down to Toronto from Ottawa to run this one with me, so we suited up before dawn on the morning of the race. It was slightly above freezing but thankfully there was no wind.
I have no idea at what point this was taken during the race!
I started off the race not knowing what pace to even aim for. In training I had been languishing around 6:30/k and not overly enjoying myself. But if I stuck to that I’d come in horribly slower than I’d ever done during a half marathon. I came to the conclusion that I could do 6:00 minutes per kilometer without much effort and it would put me on target for having a faster half marathon than I’d had in the past (although not by much). I wasn’t breathing hard and it was relatively comfortable so I decided to stick with it.
Unfortunately, by the third kilometer, I realized I really, REALLY had to go to the bathroom despite having emptied out my bladder fifteen minutes before we started the race. At this point I’d come up to Bloor Street, and the first porta-potty in sight had a lineup already. I kept on running and waited until I saw a row of five of them with a few available. I ended up racing some guy for the porta-potty and beat him to it. Overly concerned with losing time, I kept an eye on my Garmin’s timer. Thankfully, I was in and out of that porta-potty in just under a minute.
Waving to my husband just shy of the finish line!
With my lost minute in mind, I started doing some mental math. If I could pick up my pace a little bit and stay somewhere between 5:50-6:00 per kilometer, I’d actually be able to make-up my lost minute and stay on track. And that’s what I did! As the kilometers added up, I started to slowly gain back the seconds I had lost in the bathroom. (Which is to say, I was gaining them back as if I was sticking to my 6:00/k pace.)
My pace was going so extraordinarily well for the first 10k that I kept wondering when my body would be like “fuck you, I’m done – slow the hell down”. But it never happened. While I hit the 10k mark at a rather slow pace for myself (just over an hour), I knew that if I just kept going at my pace, I’d be able to get a new personal best time.
My toes went numb around the 14k mark (thanks shoes), but I didn’t develop any knee pain like I did in the previous year. Frankly, I spent a lot of this race incredibly pleased with myself. I felt excited and proud that I hadn’t pushed a ridiculous pace at the start of the race like I normally do (like 5:00/k for three kilometers then I bottom out), and that I was able to work out what I needed to do to set me back on track after my bathroom break had stolen time from me.
I even felt amazing at the end of the race! I saw my husband in the VIP Scotiabank area at the end zone and I was in such good spirits that I was actually able to throw him a smile and a wave without looking like death (which is how I normally look after a 5K).
Inside the VIP tent with my coffee!
And you know what? I did it. Despite not feeling like I was in awesome shape and despite going to the bathroom during the race… I still got a new personal best time. I crossed the finish line in 2:07:09, 16 seconds faster than last year. And it may only be minutely faster, but I’m feeling pretty proud of that time since I started out thinking I’d do quite poorly. ESPECIALLY since I did freaking terribly during the Ottawa Half Marathon back in May.
My dad’s in the very front there! This is his second half marathon.
I finished up my race, exited the runners’ finish chute, grabbed my medal and joined my mom and husband in the Scotiabank VIP area to watch my dad finish. He came in down the finish line and totally ignored us despite being only a foot away from us while we were shouting at him. Too funny – when you’re in the zone, you’re in it!
Me and my mom watching my dad finish the race.We’re looking a bit dopey, but this is me and my dad after we’d finished the half!
I was very thankful to be a Scotiabank employee for this event. Since I raised enough funds, I was able to get myself and my family into the Scotiabank VIP spectator area which was not only catered, but spacious and not even remotely crowded. I had hot coffee waiting for me at the finish line! On a day when it’s only two degrees outside… that’s amazing!
I had a lot of amazing donors during my fundraising efforts and managed to raise a total of $675 for United Way Toronto! While I have thanked everyone personally for their donations, some of my donors were actually bloggers and I’d love to give them a shoutout for throwing cash my way. (If I missed one of you, please tell me – so many people marked themselves “anonymous” on my donation page!)
2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon – Half Marathon course
Course Details
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (half marathon course) is labeled as a flat and fast course. Here’s my take on it: The first 1.5 kilometers are uphill to Bloor (not steep, but still noticeable), then flat across Bloor and downhill down Bathurst. Along Lakeshore to the loop back point (which is around 13k) it’s either flat or slightly downhill. Once you loop back, it gets a bit uncomfortable. There’s an uphill climb that’s a bit longer than I’d like, but not terrible. The worst part is the uphill ramp in the last two kilometers, followed by the very last kilometer being uphill. It’s not super steep, but you’ll feel it for sure. Thankfully, the cheering section is really strong in this area and the finish line is one of the best I’ve experienced in all my races in terms of energy.
Standing in front of the Start/Finish Toronto 10 Miler
I often try to coerce my friends into running races with me. It’s just so much more fun to wait at the starting point of a race with a friend. You’re both nervous, you’re both excited and it’s definitely a bonding experience for me. And yet, I’m not usually all that successful in getting people to go to races with me!
Myself and Zoe before the race
So imagine my surprise when Zoe of Writing Whimsy not only planned to come out to Toronto for IMATS, but *also* agreed to run a 5K with me the next day. I’d suggested it as a joke – I didn’t actually think she’d take me up on it! But we managed to hype it up to each other and somehow we found ourselves signed up for the Toronto 10 Miler 5K race!
Such a beautiful day at Cherry Beach
These were the absolute best race conditions I have ever experienced. The race was around 9 am and the temperature was cool but not cold. There was no wind and the skies were clear. The race started and finished at Cherry Beach in Toronto and it was just gorgeous down there. The sun was rising and reflecting beautifully off the lake. And there were only about 200 people signed up for the 5K making it a relatively small group.
Photo finish!
It was a 5K so I don’t have a ton to say about the race since it really only lasts about thirty minutes or so. It was easily the flattest course I have ever run (I’ll definitely be back next year!). There were a few bumps in the pavement, but absolutely NO HILLS which was such a blessing.
I’m in the midst of training distances for the Scotiabank Waterfront Half Marathon so I haven’t been focusing on speed runs. And, as I’ve been lamenting THIS ENTIRE YEAR, I’m still an infuriating ten pounds heavier than I was last year, so it’s not like I was expecting to be spontaneously fast.
I did push it for this run though! My first kilometer came in under a 5 minute per k pace but, as per usual, I couldn’t keep that up and my pace slowed over the next few kilometers. I ended up completing the race with a 26:32 finish time, which will make this the third race this year where I finished between 26:29 and 26:32 which is just crazy! I felt good at the end though. I was spent, but I didn’t feel like I was going to fall over and I didn’t get that awful lightheadedness I’ve experienced with some races before. The only thing I did differently this race was carry water with me. I stopped at one water station to drink, but at the other I just ran on through and drank from my tiny bottle at random intervals.
Zoe finishing the 5K!
Zoe came in a little bit after me and I was able to capture her finishing with my phone! What a champ, she wanted under 35 minutes and she easily cleared that with a 31 minute finish! I was so insanely proud of her since this was her first race. And I’m fairly confident that she’s been bitten by the racing bug because she’s already talking about doing 7 and 8k races. 😀
This is my last 5K race for the year, and I definitely came nowhere near achieving a 5K in under 25 minutes like I had planned to do at the start of the year. I’m sad I wasn’t able to get there, but I am happy that I at least stayed consistent. I had a pretty awesome 26:10 personal best time during the Achilles St. Patrick’s Day race back in March and after that I stayed solid around the 26:30 mark. It’s not an improvement, but it’s not a horrific decline either! Yay for being stagnant? Haha! 😉
Me after a run in Florida in April (also helpfully depicting how I feel about my current level of physical fitness)
I don’t have anything overly exciting to share with you guys this week for Fitness Friday – no fun photos or achievements. This is more of a personal update on how I’ve been doing.
2015 has kind of sucked for me from a personal fitness achievement perspective. I set out some goals at the start of the year and the ones I most wanted to achieve were:
Run a 5K in under 25 minutes
Get down to 145 pounds.
Well, it’s felt like a constant battle since I made those goals for myself back in January. I saw my weight slowly increase from 150 to 160 pounds and became really, REALLY upset with myself over it. Unfortunately, I kept half assing the weight loss aspect of tracking my calories so I’ve been pretty much been carrying that weight since January (thanks Christmas!). Even though it’s “only” ten pounds, for me, it’s around this threshold that I become completely pissed of with how I look. I don’t like how I appear in pictures and I don’t like what I see in the mirror. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
I also only really half trained to increase my speed in a 5K and I managed to get the exact same time as my personal best last year (26:10) during a race back in March. But man, I do not know how to balance training for half marathon distances while also trying to increase pace on 5Ks. What a mess.
I got so irritated with myself over the last two weeks that I basically just said “enough” and got back into exercising 5-6 days a week. I’m running three times a week, lifting twice, while still playing soccer and I’ve also chucked in a few Jillian Michaels DVDs every now and then too. I also started restricting my calories pretty drastically – keeping it between 1250 and 1500. It’s a slow damn battle, but I’ve actually managed to drop 4 pounds in 2 weeks which is almost unheard of for me.
Of course, part of the motivation is that Halloween is just around the corner and, like last year, we have another epic group costume planned – Batman villains! The last thing I want to do is be upset with how I look in my Harley Quinn outfit, so I’m all in at this point. My initial goal is to hit 150 pounds by the time I go on vacation mid-September (that’s REALLY, REALLY ambitious as it requires I drop 7 more pounds in 3 weeks) and the stretch goal is to hit 145 by Halloween. It’s hard going, but I’ve been eating clean (no alcohol, low carbs, high protein and more fruits and vegetables than I can count) for a week and a half now and it’s absolutely working – never in my life have I experience such consistent and rapid weight loss without horrific fluctuations.
Not to be a total downer though, I do have some things I’m looking forward to in my fitness endeavours! I managed to rope Zoe of Writing Whimsy into doing a 5K race here in Toronto in September. I’m super excited for that because I love running races with friends and I believe this is her first one! I am also running the Scotiabank Waterfront Half Marathon again this year in October and I’m trying to raise $500 for United Way Toronto. Having a half marathon to train for is definitely keeping me in check with my goal to run 550 kilometers this year! (Which I am absolutely on track with thankfully!) We’re also going to be in Wisconsin over Christmas (my husband’s family is there) and I’m planning to do a New Year’s race near Madison. I love races in new locations!
I’ve also managed to stay on track with weight lifting – I’m not lifting any new and exciting poundage, but I’ve managed to stay stable all year in that respect and I am really, REALLY happy that I never had a break so long that it required me to start from scratch!
So if you’re struggling, even if it takes you months to get back on track like me, you can still do it if YOU want to do it. Try to remember that. 🙂
And if you made it through this whole post, thank you for listening – it helps me to get it out there and it keeps me motivated.
