Race Report: 2018 Manitoba Marathon

On June 17th, I ran the Manitoba Marathon in Winnipeg.  I’ve traveled to Canada several times, and I’ve been to six provinces, but this was my first marathon in Canada.

This race was only two weeks after my exhausting effort at the FANS 24-Hour Race, and I had doubts about being sufficiently recovered for another all-out effort.  Since that race, I’ve gradually eased back into both running and walking.  My last three races were all-out walking efforts, so I felt more comfortable running this race.  

The drive time from Minneapolis to Winnipeg is about eight hours.  I wasn’t sure how much time to allow for crossing the border, so I spread the driving over two days.  On Friday, I drove to Fargo, ND, which was about half way.

When I got to Fargo, I discovered I forgot to load one of my bags into the car.  It was the bag with my running shoes.  This wasn’t the first time I’ve done that, but it only happens when I’m driving to a race.  It’s more obvious if you’re missing a bag when you fly.

It was already mid-afternoon, so I didn’t have time to go back and get it.  I called Deb to find out what else was in that bag, so I wouldn’t have any surprises when I got to Winnipeg.  Besides my running shoes, it also had my SpiBelt, fanny pack, and a few things I could live without.

The shoes I use for everyday wear are running shoes, but they’re older and have quite a bit of wear on them.  In a pinch, I could wear them for the race, but then I wouldn’t be able to change into a dry pair after the race.  I actually had two pairs of shoes in the missing bag.  I was going to use the other pair to do a few walking workouts.

There was a Scheel’s Sporting Goods store a few blocks from my hotel.  They had the model of running shoes I wear, and they had my size.  Unfortunately, they didn’t have the type of replacement insoles I need to be able to fit my orthotics in the shoes.  I bought the shoes and had to use the same insoles for both my new running shoes and the old everyday pair.  It wasn’t an ideal solution, but the insoles don’t get as sweaty as the shoes, and they dry faster.

I also bought a Nathan Mirage Pak, which is similar to a SpiBelt.  I needed that to hold my cars keys and hotel room card while I was running.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t big enough to also carry a camera. For that, I would have needed my fanny pack.

When I got back to the hotel, I walked a few miles on the treadmill in my new shoes.  The more times I wore them before the race, the more opportunities I would have to adjust the laces for an optimal fit.  After a quick shower, I had dinner and got some sleep.

Saturday morning, I drove the rest of the way to Winnipeg.  At the border crossing, there was a long line of trucks waiting to cross, but the line for cars wasn’t too bad.  It took between 10 and 15 minutes.  For the rest of the drive, I had to mentally adjust to speed limits that were posted in kilometers per hour.  I got to Winnipeg just in time for lunch.

The race starts and finishes on the campus of the University of Manitoba, which is on the south side of the city.  The entire university is closed to traffic the morning of the race, so you can’t drive to the start.  Instead, they had several park and ride locations where you could catch a bus to the start.  I stayed at a hotel that was about two kilometers from one of the park and ride locations.

After checking in, I drove to the university to pick up my race packet at Investors Group Athletic Centre.  The expo was on the small side.  I could easily have found a belt to hold my keys, but I wouldn’t have been able to buy the shoes I usually wear.  I’m glad I went shopping in Fargo rather than waiting.

The race shirt was a long sleeved shirt with a hood.  I like getting race shirts that are different from the usual T-shirts.

After the expo, I did more walking to break in my shoes.  I probably should have gone sightseeing, but I wasn’t near the downtown area, and I didn’t feel like driving anywhere.  After spending hours on the road, I just wanted to stay close to the hotel.

For dinner, I went to the pizza place closest to my hotel.  It turned out to be a pleasant surprise.  My first impression was that it looked like food court mall pizza.  They actually had good gourmet pizza and a selection of local craft beers.

I don’t usually eat much breakfast before a race, but I like to eat something.  My race packet included a Honey Stinger waffle biscuit.  Along with a cup of tea, that was just enough so I could start the race without feeling hungry.

The race started at 7:00, but they strongly recommended getting to the park and ride lot no later than 5:45.  I got up early enough to get there before 5:30, which was when the buses started leaving.

The bus dropped us off in front of Investors Group Field.  This is a fairly new football stadium, which is home to both the University of Manitoba and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers CFL team.

We were able to go inside the stadium while we were waiting for the race to start.  That meant an abundance of real bathrooms, and plenty of seating.  While I was waiting, I bumped into several runners I knew.  A few were Canadian runners I met at races in the United States.  Other I met in places as far away as Austria.

After dropping off my gear bag, posing for a group picture, and making a final bathroom stop, I went outside to line up for the start.

Temperatures were in the 60s with mostly sunny skies.  For me, that’s ideal.  I didn’t have to worry about being too cold.

My only goal for this race was to finish.  I planned to run at a pace that was within my comfort zone.  They had pace groups led by “pace rabbits.”  The pace rabbits wore pink bunny ears.  I regretted not having my camera with me, but there wasn’t room for it in my belt.

I saw pace groups for 3:50, 4:00, and 4:15.  3:50 seemed too fast.  I lined up between the 4:00 and 4:15 pace groups.  When the race started, I went out of my way to run at a pace that felt easy.

When I saw the 1 kilometer sign, I had to resist the temptation to look at my watch.  I decided to run by feel.  I wanted to stay in my comfort zone and not look at my watch until the halfway mark.

At 2 kilometers, I saw a large group of runners suddenly take a walking break.  It was the 4:00 pace group.  I kept running at an easy pace and moved ahead of them.

The Manitoba Marathon has been an annual event since 1979.  This year was the 40th race.  I saw a few runners wearing signs on their backs that read, “I ran in 1979.”  I also saw a few runners with signs saying, “I’m 40 too.”

At 3 kilometers, we crossed the Red River.  We had a good view of the river, but we weren’t close enough to get a view of downtown Winnipeg yet.

As we finished crossing the bridge, I saw a 2 mile sign.  After that, there were signs for every mile, but kilometers were only marked in 5K increments.

I noticed some congestion ahead of me.  I caught up to the 3:50 pace group.  I slowed down and made a point of staying behind them, so I wouldn’t go too fast.

Soon we reached an aid station, and it was harder to spot the 3:50 pace group.  I tried to stay behind them, but they were on the opposite side of the street.  I was looking straight ahead and lost sight of them.  By the end of the 3rd mile, I realized I had slipped ahead of them.

Between 4 and 5 miles, the marathon and relay separated from the half marathon.  After that, the course was less crowded.  We were getting spaced far enough apart that I had to resist my subconscious tendency to speed up and close the gap.  The next time I reached an aid station, I walked for several seconds while drinking a cup of Gatorade.  I did that to settle myself down and remind myself that I was just taking it easy in this race.

We were near the east bank of the Red River, but rarely saw it until about 7 miles.  Then we came alongside the river and got great views.

As I came within sight of the 8 mile sign, I heard a spectator shouting something.  All I caught was the word “mile.”  At first, I thought he was telling us we were almost to the mile marker.  Then I saw multicolored chalk writing in the street that said, “Mimosa Mile.”  That’s what he was saying.  I diverted to the left side of the street to pick up a mimosa.  In various races, I’ve had beer, Jell-O shots, martinis, and Fireball shots, but this was the first time I’ve had a mimosa during a race.  I was clearly just going at an easy pace and having fun.

Before the race, a friend who has done this race before told me the course is fairly flat.  He said there’s a bridge and a couple underpasses, but that’s it.  As we entered the downtown area, we crossed two bridges.  One of them had a little bit of an arch to it, but it was no big deal.  It occurred to me that it was the first thing you could really call a hill.  This course is flatter than the Berlin Marathon, and it might be flatter than the Chicago Marathon.  Those are both courses where World Records have been set.

When I reached the 10 mile sign, it seemed like the miles were just flying by.  I still felt fresh.  That’s how you’re supposed to feel at 10 miles, but I rarely do.  Usually, I start too fast, and I’m already feeling somewhat tired after 10 miles.

I was planning to check my time at the halfway mark, but it wasn’t marked.  It was too late to check my time at 13 miles, so I had to wait for the 14 mile sign.  I got there in 1:59:40.  I assumed my halfway split must have been close to 1:51.  That really surprised me.  That was only about a minute slower than a Boston qualifying pace.  That made me think.

I already had a qualifier for next year’s Boston Marathon, but that was on a downhill course.  It had been more than three years since I last qualified on a course that wasn’t downhill.  Could I make up that minute in the last 12 miles?  It seemed like a worthwhile goal, but I would have to fight for it for 12 miles.  I didn’t know if I was willing to put myself through that.  I had promised myself a nice easy race.

I made a conscious decision to stay within my comfort zone for at least a few more miles.  Subconsciously, I seemed to make a different decision.  I found myself started to reel in and pass the runners ahead of me.

At 15 miles, I checked my watch again.  I ran that mile in 8:13.  That was a Boston qualifying pace, but I wasn’t sure if it was fast enough to make up my deficit.  I decided to work harder in the next mile and then make a decision.  For most of the race, I had been walking briefly while drinking Gatorade.  No more.  Those seconds mattered now.

At 16 miles, I got my answer.  That mile was faster than 8 minutes.  That was certainly fast enough if I could keep up that pace for the rest of the race, but I still had 10.2 miles to go.  I didn’t know if the effort was sustainable.

In the next mile, I felt like I eased up a bit.  I was running harder than I did in the first half of the race, but maybe not as hard as the previous mile.  Then a runner passed me.  He was a relay runner, and we had recently passed a relay exchange point.  He had fresh legs and was starting his relay leg fast.  I knew I shouldn’t read too much into it, but it shook my confidence just a bit.  Then another relay runner passed me.

The 17 mile sign came much sooner than I expected.  I checked my watch.  It was another sub 8 mile.  The 18th mile also seemed to pass quickly.

I still had 8.2 miles to go.  I was maintaining a fast enough pace, but it was taking something out of me.  At some point, if I could keep up this pace, the remaining distance would seem short enough that I would know I could do it.  On the other hand, I was started to get heavy legs.  At some point, I would run out of gas.  Which would happen first?  That was the real race.

I was encouraged by how quickly the miles seemed to be flying by.  I promised myself the next mile would also fly by quickly.  That was a mistake.

I reached an underpass.  At first it was downhill.  Then it was uphill.  I felt the soreness in my legs as I began climbing.  Then we ran up a cloverleaf ramp to get onto the bridge we just ran under.  This actually felt like a hill, but mainly because I was fatigued.  As I crossed the bridge, I saw we would run downhill again on the other side.  That was a relief.

It occurred to me that it had been a long time since I saw a mile marker.  Where was the 19 sign?  I expected to see it by now.

After the next turn, I saw a sign, but it wasn’t 19.  It read 7 miles.  Evidently, we had merged back into the half marathon course, but the half marathon runners passed here a long time ago.  Not only did I miss the 19 mile sign, but I apparently also missed the 20 mile sign.  I had mixed feelings.  On one hand, it was nice to know that I had knocked off two more miles.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see my splits, and it would be almost another mile before I reached the 21 sign.

I didn’t know how fast I was running, but I kept up my effort.  I was passing other runners.  That was a good sign.

As I saw the 21 mile sign in the distance, I figured out what my time should be if I was still doing each mile in 8 minutes.  When I got there I saw those three miles were under an 8 minute pace by a total of 25 seconds.  I was encouraged, but I still wasn’t to the point where I knew I had it.  With 5.2 miles to go, I wouldn’t have to slow down that much to fall off the pace.

I was starting to get hot.  It was sunny now, and the temperature was climbing closer to 70 degrees.  Most of the course was well-shaded, but the late miles had more sun exposure.  My clothes were soaked with sweat.

I started to wonder when I would be able to see the stadium.  The superstructure is tall enough to be visible from several miles away.

I kept up my effort, one mile at a time.  The next mile was also faster than 8 minutes.  With 4.2 miles to go, I needed to average 8:30.  I wasn’t confident yet.

I could no longer run while drinking Gatorade.  The cups were too full for that.  I resumed walking while drinking.  Then I started skipping some of the aid stations.  They seemed to be more frequent than necessary, and I only had a few miles to go.

I knocked off another 8 minute mile.  Now I only needed average 8:40.  I liked my chances, but I didn’t feel like I was home free yet.  Then I ran my fastest mile of the race.  Mile 24 was 7:47.  With 2.2 miles to go, I only needed to average 9:15.  Boom!  I knew I had it.  I had to keep up my effort, but I knew I wouldn’t slow down that much.

Toward the end of the next mile, I recognized a bridge we had crossed early in the race.  I knew it was just a little more than two kilometers to go.  Right on cue, I saw the 40 kilometer sign.  Annoyingly, I still couldn’t see the stadium.

Halfway across the bridge, I reached the 25 mile sign.  I knocked off my 11th consecutive sub 8 minute mile.  Finally, I could see part of the stadium over the trees.

In the last mile, I could afford to ease up a little, but I kept pushing as hard as I could.  As we got closer to the stadium, I tried to figure out where we would enter the stadium.  I was hotter than ever now.  That was my only concern at this point.

We made a sharp right turn in front of the stadium.  A volunteer said we had 500 meters to go.  After two more quick turns, I headed down a ramp toward the stadium entrance.  I felt a cool breeze.  I wasn’t hot any more.

I ran through the tunnel and onto the football field.  I still had to run across the end zone, turn right, and run up the sideline to midfield.  I was overjoyed when I saw the clock.  I finished in 3:35:56.  That’s a BQ by four minutes. 

It was only after the race that I realized my rid-race arithmetic was off.  My halfway split was actually about 1:52, which means I needed to make up two minutes in the second half.  Had I known that, I might not have tried.  I ran negative splits by roughly eight minutes!

The finisher medal was surprisingly large.  I don’t know if they’re always this big or if it was because it’s the 40th year.

For people running the full marathon, the recovery area was right next to the finish line.  I got some recovery food and quickly retrieved my gear bag.  Then I saw the massage tables.  I put my name on the list.  There were three people in the queue ahead of me, but they were ready for me before I even finished my chocolate milk.

After the massage, I started looking for the exit, so I could make my way to where I needed to catch a bus back to the park and ride.  This was the cruel part.  We had to walk up all the stadium steps.  Then we had to go almost all the way around the stadium to get to the correct gate.

When I got outside, a bus was loading.  The buses were efficient.  I was back to the park and ride in minutes.  Then I just had to drive about a mile to get back to the hotel.

After showering, I hopped in the hot tub.  Then I took another shower to rinse off the chlorine.  When I was ready, I went out for some well-deserved post-race pizza.  It was already my fifth pizza meal this trip.  I haven’t ruled out having pizza again for dinner.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll drive home.  This time, I’m doing the whole drive in one day.  On the way to Winnipeg, I had to worry about arriving in time for packet pickup.  Going home, I don’t have that concern.  If it takes a long time to cross the border, then I’ll just get home later.

I already had a Boston qualifier for 2019, but next October I need to start working on getting a qualifier for 2020.  My last three qualifiers were all on downhill courses.  I don’t want to keep doing that.  Next year, I want to qualify on a flat course.  It’s nice to know that I’m now in good enough shape to do that.

I’ve run fewer than 500 miles this year, and none of that has been speed work.  I seem to be getting into pretty good shape for running just on the strength of my race-walking.

Race Statistics

Distance:  26.2 miles

Time:  3:35:56

Average Pace:  8:14 per mile

Lifetime Marathons/Ultras:  355

Countries:  30