from SportingLife10K.ca website
"Celebrating 30 years Camp Oochigeas, or “Ooch”, has been providing magical camp experiences for children affected by childhood cancer since 1983. Camp Ooch is much more than a summer camp. Ooch is the only residential camp in Ontario to offer on-site IV chemotherapy treatment and blood transfusions. Camp Ooch offers year-round programs for children affected by cancer in Muskoka, at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), two other regional cancer centres and Ooch Downtown in the heart of Toronto. As a registered charity receiving no government funding, this is all made possible by the generous support of fundraisers, donors and volunteers like you."
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| Some of the 27,000 in teal blue shirts supporting Camp OOCH |
It was a fantastic day on Sunday, getting up in the morning ready to attempt this 10K. Basically the same course I did 3 weeks ago for the Toronto Yonge Street 10K where I PB'd by 1:23sec. Ivana and I drove to the start area, but where we normally would park, the street was closed due to construction (In Toronto we have to seasons... Winter and Construction). This year there are streets closed all over the city due to construction. Well we had a little bit of a walk to get up to the start line to meet some friends whom I was going to try and run with, Steve and Jennifer. I found them just before the start and took a couple of photos and then we were off down the famous street in Canada, Yonge Street.
I have to go back a bit first to the beginning of the week as this week was a truly humbling week for me. As you know, I entered into a couple of draws last weekend and I almost never win anything except those give-a-ways that cost you more money so they really aren't free lol. The week started out by winning a Finisher's Pride Metal Frame as I had posted earlier, then as the Sporting Life 10K was sold out, 27,000 people, I had to attempt to obtain a BiB# for the race. I had obtained a bib from a woman who couldn't make the race, paid her for the bib and I received an email from the Heart & Stroke for my Fund Raising Campaign that a donation was made. I looked it up and the person that I purchased the Bib from donated that money right to the Heart & Stroke in memory of her father. That really made me feel deep and warm inside knowing the kindness that is out there in this world. So I decided that her fathers memory would be Racing the rest of my 500 Miles this year on my Jersey's along with others if anyone would like to let me know.
So the next thing that happens is that I get an email from Kim at Running Free in Markham, asking me if I would like to join the Team Running Free for the remainder of the season. You see, in September you get to make an application for Team Running Free for the next season. This team consists of Elites, AG's and all of the rest of us athletes that are at any level of performance with personal goals to attain and a desire to give back. Well, I said YES, so on Saturday I went and talked with Kim and picked up my Team Running Free Gear. I have to say that I love the Tri shorts, I ran in them for the Sporting Life 10K and were really comfortable, can't wait to go for a ride and then see how I feel on the run right after. So the week has been fantastic for me which has been a big uplifter for me to really get out there and start raising funds for Heart & Stroke. Thank you again Finisher's Pride, Amy W for your bib and Kim at Running Free for allowing me to be a part of your Team
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| Jennifer, Steve and I |
Well back to the Race. Beautiful weather for Mother's Day and running down Yonge Street. We started off at 9am in our wave and I was going to try and keep up with Steve and Jennifer for as long as I could. Now I am about 7:45-8:10/km, not the fastest but I can go and go and go just like the Energizer bunny I have no problem going the distance, I sometimes don't know when I will be done but I will persevere to the finish line. My moto on my Road ID is "Progress Not Perfection". As long as I am going forward I am progressing. At the 1K mark we were 6:50/km and I was feeling good, a little pain in the knee but breathing was good. 1.5K comes and my HR is 167bpm (max for me is 145 bpm) and I realized that I forgot to take my medication before the start. So I told Steve and Jennifer that I will catch up in a while, I backed it off to a walk, took my pill some water and waited for my HR to come down.
Now as you can see, Steve is quite tall so it was easy to look ahead and down the hills and see him to keep them in my sight. Started power walking and then into the run I went keep them in sight the best I could. I was keeping a good 7:12/km then later a 7:23/km pace for most of the race knowing that I probably won't catch up to them, but no worries, I'll still finish. If I keep this pace up, I am going to PB for sure on 10K. I was feeling really good, running, walking chugging and talking with people around me that were asking about this 500 miles in 2014. My race was so good that nothing was really bothering me, my knee was aching but I kept running then when the HR got a little high, I would walk then start power walking then back to the run I would go.
8KM - I looked at the Garmin and saw 1:02:23, the whole time during the race I am thinking seriously about making a 1:15:00 race, that would be a big cut time in my 1:20:36 PB, but I can't make that time if I just keep walking as well, so I decided not to walk the rest of the 2K and just run it the best I could. I lost track of Steve and Jennifer somewhere around the 6K mark. I ran the rest of the way to the finish line seeing Ivana just before it, stopped for a kiss and then kept going.
I am about 500 yards from the finish and it was the longest distance in my mind, then some guy (the one on the right in the photo above with the beard, I think looked like him) slapped me on the back and said "Lets GO" and he started running, so I followed and he turned around at the finish line right before me and HIGH FIVED each other. Awesome Finish..... 1:16:00.01 Personal Best. There must have been a lot of factors on Sunday for me to have that great finish, Amy's fathers' name on my jersey, Team Running Free, the slap on my back, my wife and my friends there running the same race. Thanks to everything that fell into place.
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| Steve and Jennifer before the Finish Line |
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| The Guy behind me is the one that Slapped my back |
Steve and I are off to Buffalo for the ½ marathon on May 25th, and we are both looking at a PB there. Steve makes his PB, he will be waiting a little bit at the finish line for me. Here is to Steve making it under 2 hours and me under 2:42.
Here is a few plugs for friends, supporters and my company, Things couldn't get done with out them.
GU Energy Gel Mizuno Montrail Aquaman
7 Systems Supplement CW-X Fox River Nathan Quntana Roo
Damaged Heart
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