Toronto Good Life Marathon - A New Hope.

Oh boy was it cold this morning at the Spirit Catcher - My bed was so toasty and warm it was a shame to say good bye to it, but I gave it a fond adieu and headed out the door with ALL of my racing required accessories. Shoes, bib, chip, waterbelt, E-load, Vanilla Bean Gu, hat, shades, vest & something pink.

I arrived EARLY & low and behold Bill was there with our shirts - so I devested my vest and donned on my MOST AWESOME Barrie RoadRunner's shirt ( complete with Spirit Catcher on the back).

I shamelessly hugged Carlton the Bear for luck! Some dude taped that so watch the news .. ahaha.. I was hoping he'd bring me more luck than what's currently happening for the Leafs. ( but that's a blog for the FAN 590). Started off with our group. Tim, Lyndy, Steve, Catherine, Dave, Stephen, Kelly & Lori. Slight delay - There were No Jonas Brothers so I'm not sure what happened.

Okay what's up with Hogs Hollow? People just RUNNING up that willy nilly. I took a more conservative approach as it was my first time running Toronto and I wasn't sure what other surprises it held for me. ( I'm not one to really study a map closely - I get lost in Barrie still from time to time.)
Trish and I were working together with a hope of finishing in 4:30 - something that elluded us at Scotia. We were doing brilliantly well. We PB'd at 30 K with a 3:18 and a faint glimmer of " could be possibly get UNDER 4:30?" registering on our eager faces.

Yeah not so much.

Things started unravelling around 35 - but I managed to keep it together until my calf muscle would spasm and I'd lose my balance, yell in pain, scare the pants off Trish and then regain my composure.
Then at about 38 my left quad started doing the same thing. So I was running one block - walking ...
and at 40 it pretty near levelled me horizontal. I've never seen my leg veer off to the left on it's on. One leg in one direction, the other going straight ahead.
41 - interesting km my calf and quad would alternate spasming. I looked wickedly cool.
as Trish and I entered into the circle at Queens Park we decided one last walk ... up to the green sign --- then we heard it.
The loudest most bestest cheering section this side of anywhere. CRAP... now we can't walk. I see Sandra... Okay Trish we hafta run now.

We made it in 4:43 a PB for me. 12 minutes off my Ottawa time and Scotia -- well :)

Also a heart felt congratulations to Roger in Amsterdam !! UITSTEKEND JONGEN... Gefeliceeteerd!
And to Tracy & Cindy out in San Fran - woot woot.... You ladies rock!!!

Jvh