Race Report: Cheese Curd Festival 10K

This weekend, Deb and I went to the Cheese Curd Festival in Ellsworth, WI.  I had never heard of the Cheese Curd festival until Deb mentioned it a few weeks ago.  My first impression was, “I like cheese curds, but it is worth driving all the way to Wisconsin?  You can only eat so many cheese curds and then you’re full.”  Then Deb told me they had other things like craft beer from several Wisconsin breweries and ice cream from local dairies.

As it turns out, Ellsworth is only a 50 minute drive from where we live.  I thought the city sounded familiar and wondered aloud if they had a race there.  Deb said, “They have a 5K and a 10K.”  Cheese curds, craft beer, ice cream, and a 10K race sounded like a good enough reason to travel.  I decided to see how fast I could race-walk the 10K race.

Some of the events we were interested in were Friday afternoon, and others were Saturday morning.  We could have made two trips, but decided to save time by staying in a motel that was just a few miles outside Ellsworth.  We drove to Ellsworth Friday afternoon.  The Cheese Curd Festival started at 4:00, but we got to Ellsworth early, so we could check into our motel room first.  Then we went into town to find parking before it got crowded.

As soon as the festival started, we bought tickets for a tasting event called Craft and Curd.  Five Wisconsin breweries each paired one of their beers with a different flavor of cheese curd.  Each pairing cost two dollars.  Afterward, you could go online to vote for your favorite pairing.  I tried all five.

Rush River Brewing Co. in River Falls paired their Unforgiven Amber Ale with a tomato/basil cheese curd.  This was probably the most conventional cheese curd flavor, so it was a good place to start.

Barley John’s Brewing Co. in New Richmond paired their Mango Double Pale Ale with a habanero/pineapple cheese curd.  The mango flavor in the beer paired will with the pineapple.  The beer was strong and hoppy enough to hold its own with the bite of the habanero.

Pitchfork Brewing Co. in Hudson paired their Third Stall Pale Ale with a Sriracha cheese curd.  I thought the Sriracha flavor overpowered the beer.

Swinging Bridge Brewing Co. in River Falls paired their Peanut Butter Porter with a raspberry cheese curd.  They called it a peanut butter & jelly pairing.  I like porters, and I also like raspberries, so I was excited about this pairing.  The beer was good, but I thought the raspberry glaze on the cheese curds needed to be stronger.

Finally, Hop & Barrel Brewing Co. in Hudson paired their Crooked Grin west coast style IPA with a jalapeno cheese curd.  The IPA had enough hop flavor to pair well with the jalapeno.

I voted for Swinging Bridge Brewing Co, but my opinion was in the minority.  The last time I checked, Barley John’s Brewing Co. was leading the voting.

After the Craft & Curd tasting, we browsed the arts & crafts booths in the marketplace.  Then we hit the food trucks.  Deb had a taco baked potato.  I had a brick oven pizza with chicken, bacon & cheese curds.

After dinner, we looked at the classic cars and went back to one of the booths in the marketplace.  Deb fell in love with this cowboy themed decoration.

Later, we made one more visit to the food trucks.  I had to try a smoked bacon-wrapped jalapeno stuffed with cheese curds & BBQ.  We each had maple ice cream shakes.  Finally, we left with maple cotton candy, maple root beer, and maple candies.

I sometimes have trouble sleeping, but this was one of my worst nights ever.  The air conditioner in our motel room was too loud.  Even with ear plugs, I just couldn’t tune out the noise.  Without the AC, I would have been too hot to sleep, but with it, it was too noisy to sleep.  I managed to nod off two or three times, but each time I woke up after only about 20 minutes.  I eventually got up and started getting ready for the race, but I briefly considered skipping it.

Packet pickup for the 10K race started Saturday morning at 7:00 at Snap Fitness, which was only a few blocks away from the park where the festival was going on.  We got there a few minutes early, but had to wait a long time before I could get my race packet.  Apparently, all the race bibs got delivered to the wrong city.  They eventually got them, but it delayed packet pickup by 45 minutes.  After I had my race packet, Deb moved the car and went to a pancake breakfast that started at 8:00.

The 10K race was supposed to start at 8:00, but it was delayed until 8:30 because of the mix-up with the race bibs.  We needed to check out of our room by 11:00.  With the 30 minute delay, I was worried about having enough time after the race to drive back to the motel, shower, and pack.  Again, I briefly considered skipping the race.

I’ve only walked one other 10K race.  That was the Bermuda 10K in January, which I walked in 1:05:28.  Before that race, I did several fast-paced workouts on the treadmill.  Before this race, I wasn’t doing any training at a fast pace.  In recent months, I was doing lots of mileage, but it was all at a more conservative pace.  While I had no objective reason to think I could walk faster now, I keep surprising myself with strong race results.  It’s amazing what a good mileage base can do.

While I was waiting in line to use the bathroom, two runners who have done this race before told me it’s really hilly.  In pre-race announcements, the race director said this was a hilly course that would challenge us.  I had doubts about setting a PR, but reminded myself that the Bermuda 10K was also a hilly race.

The race started in the parking lot in front of Snap Fitness.  We had to follow highway 10 for a few blocks before turning and heading south.  The highway was open to traffic, so we had to stay on the sidewalk.  That made the first few blocks a little bit congested.  I worked hard to set a fast pace.  I was trying to keep up with the runners who lined up in front of me.

Those first few blocks were slightly uphill.  When we turned, we started up a more noticeable hill.  Some of the runners were already walking.  I worked to maintain as fast a pace as I could.

None of the early hills were unusually long or steep, but the early miles were peppered with them.  I tried to walk as fast as I could, but I wondered if my effort was sustainable.  In the early miles, I didn’t feel like my stride was that smooth.  I tried to keep my cadence as rapid as possible.

When we reached the southernmost point on the route, I began to wonder if I missed the one mile sign.  We turned west for a few blocks and then turned north to head back into town.  We eventually got to a bigger hill that challenged me.  At the top of the hill, I could see the two mile sign.  I was anxious to know what my pace was.  That gave me the motivation I needed to power up the hill.

When I set my 10K PR, my average pace was 10:32.  I was working so hard that I fully expected to be doing 10 minute miles or faster.  I was disappointed when I saw my time.  My two mile split was 21:05.  I was actually one second slower than my PR pace.

I wondered if I just didn’t have the speed to challenge my PR.  I have good endurance, but lack of speed training might have caused my mechanics to become less efficient.  Yes, there were hills, but they really didn’t seem that bad.  My impression at this point was that Bermuda was hillier.

Just past two miles, we merged with the 5K race.  They started later than we did, but they were just getting to the one mile mark of their course.  The mixture of 5K and 10K runners (and walkers) made it harder for me to know if I was maintaining a consistent pace.  I pushed myself to go as fast as possible and hoped for the best.

I passed a father and son who were walking together.  He said, “There’s a speed-walker.  That’s cool.  He’ll beat some of the runners.”  Hearing that helped keep me motivated.

We detoured a few blocks off the main road to minimize conflicts with traffic.  When I saw the three mile sign, I checked my watch again.  My time was 31:32.  My effort was paying off.  Now I was a few seconds ahead of my PR pace.

Just around the next corner, I saw an aid station.  It had been at least two hours since I last had anything to drink.  It was a sunny day, and I was getting hot and thirsty.  Still, I knew if I took any time to drink, I’d have trouble making it up.  I skipped the water station.  I told myself 10K was short enough that I could press on to the finish and drink afterwards.

The 5K and 10K routes diverged again.  With only 10K runners in front of me, it was easier to see if I was keeping up with the pack.  I picked up my effort.

A few blocks alter, we returned to the major north-south highway that runs through town.  We had to stay between the white line and the shoulder, so there wasn’t much room to pass.  To maintain my pace, I needed to pass one of the runners.  I moved around her as quickly as I could.

In the distance, I could see where the runners ahead of me were turning to head east.  Before the race, I studied the course map.  I didn’t know the streets, but I was familiar with the general outline of the course.  Each time we reached a major turn, I had a sense of where I was on the route.  I estimated we were getting close to four miles.

As soon as I reached the turn, I saw the four mile sign.  I got there in 41:42.  That was encouraging.  I sped up significantly in that mile.  If I could maintain that pace, I would easily set a PR.  I was tired, but I only had 2.2 miles to go.  It all depended on how many more big hills there were.

We started down a big hill.  I could see ahead of us that the road would eventually turn uphill again, but not for a long time.  I walked downhill as quickly as I could, and I enjoyed the rest break.  Two runners passed me.  One said to the other, “We really needed this.”

I couldn’t believe how long we kept going downhill.  I feared what might be coming later.  When the road eventually turned uphill again, it didn’t seem like the climb in front of us was nearly as big as what we just descended.

The hill was still somewhat tiring.  I reminded myself that I only had about a mile and a half to go.  I didn’t need to conserve energy.  I was taking long powerful strides, but my cadence was slowing down.  I forced myself to pick it up again.

As I neared the top, I saw a sign saying there was an aid station ahead.  I realized I would need to skip this one too.  Somewhere in the previous mile, I found my rhythm.  I didn’t want to risk interrupting it to drink, even if I had the time.

I saw the next major turn on the course.  Now we were going to head south almost all the way to the park, where we would finish.  The aid station was right after the turn.  The five mile sign was right after the aid station.  That mile wasn’t as fast as the previous one, but it was fast enough.  I gained a few more seconds.

The road turned downhill.  It was gradual at first.  I saw a group of four runners ahead of me, and I tried to catch them.  I passed one when he took a walking break.  I couldn’t catch the other three.  The road turned more sharply downhill.  I worked to go as fast as I could, but there was no way I could catch a runner going down this hill.

I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I kept looking ahead to see when we would begin climbing again.  I couldn’t see any hills yet.  The descent kept going and going.  Then the road leveled off.  A runner who had already finished was going the other way.  She said we only had 400 meters to go.  It soon became apparent that there wasn’t going to be another big bad hill.

The last two miles seemed to be mostly downhill.  Thinking back, I realized the first two miles were mostly uphill.  It was never that steep, but the road would go up, level off, and then go up again.  That’s why my first two miles were so tiring, yet weren’t that fast.  It was an uphill trend in the early miles.

Finally, as I was nearing the last turn, the road turned ever so slightly uphill.  Right at the turn, I saw the six mile sign.  My time was 1:02:57.  I was on pace for a PR, but not by as much as I expected.  I suspect that mile marker was misplaced, but at the time I had to trust it.  I worked hard to maintain a fast pace over the last two tenths of a mile.

I could see the traffic barriers at the northwest corner of the park, but I couldn’t see the finish line yet.  There wasn’t any big balloon arch or anything – just a chip mat in the middle of the street.  You had to get close before you could see it.  A runner flew by me as he sprinted to the finish.  There’s no way I could match that pace; I just kept up my effort.

As I got close enough to see the clock, I realized I would break 1:04.  I finished in 1:03:45.  That’s a new PR by a fairly wide margin.  Early in the race, I had doubts, but I never let up in my effort.

For post-race snacks, I got a water bottle, a banana, and a bag of cheese curds.  That more than made up for skipping breakfast.  The curds were filling.

For doing this race, I also got a T-shirt and a bag full of swag.  For a $35 dollar entry fee, it was a good value.

Deb and I walked to the car as quickly as we could and drove back to the motel.  I ate about half of the cheese curds in the car.  The rest had to wait until after I showered.  We had no trouble checking out on time.  Then we went back into town for the next tasting event.

At 11:00, there was a Milk and Cookies tasting.  There were seven flavors of milk and eight kinds of cookie.  You could pair them in any combination.

While I was in line to buy milk and cookies tickets, Deb got in line for the big tent where you could buy baskets of deep fried cheese curds.  We didn’t get any on Friday because the line was too long.  Deb didn’t have room for both and decided the cheese curds were more important.  I decided to try just two milk and cookie pairings and then join Deb in the cheese curds line.

For my first pairing, I had a chocolate chip cookie with whole milk.  That was the favorite pairing from the previous year.  Then I got exotic and had an “Elvis” pairing of a peanut butter cookie with banana milk.

After eating our deep fried cheese curds, we were both full.  We took one last look at all the craft booths and then we left.  We were originally planning to go to an ice cream tasting at 1:00, but we were both full.  We were also tired.  It was time to drive home.

We went to Wisconsin mostly for food and fun.  The 10K race was an afterthought, and I almost skipped it.  I’m glad I didn’t.  I not only improved my 10K walking PR, but I got some training that will help me improve my marathon times.

Race Statistics

Distance:  10 kilometers (6.2 miles)

Time:  1:03:45

Average Pace:  10:17 per mile

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