Tag: Mile2Marathon

2019 week forty nine + fifty

Book Read
45. Whatever – Michel Houellebecq

Kilometres Ran
week forty nine – 71.6
week fifty – 40.6

2019 to date: 2,628 KM

I first came across Houellebecq back when his book Submission came around in 2015 and I liked it so I picked up his other stuff and thought that I’d go back to the beginning. Fast forward a few years and I’m reminded of him and my intention when I came across a review of his new novel Serotonin so I picked up his first novel (translated as) Whatever and while I found shades of what I liked about Submission for the most part the (arguably terribly) translated title, in the end, seems rather apt. Whatever, or Extension du domaine de la lutte is the first-person story of a 30-something IT professional. It seems to capture the banality and nihilism of post-millennium existence well enough. I mean, it wasn’t so bad that I’ll stop reading his books, but I don’t expect it to accelerate either. Then again, it’s a new decade in a couple weeks. And I’m terrible at predicting the future.

Mile2Marathon pre-CIM shake out run. Photo by Angus Doerksen (his last name is probably not Doerksen)

A week ago I was in Sacramento to run the California International Marathon, which if you’ve been following along doesn’t come as a surprise at all. If you’re new here, Hi! Heck of a place to start. After the 2019 year of racing in which I crushed every one of my running goals, a couple of which I’d had since I started running a few years ago, CIM was going to be the cherry on the sundae. It was not. Normally I’d be writing this a week ago, but I didn’t and I’m glad that I didn’t because it would have been a hell of a lot more bitter. I’ve spent a week trying to figure out what went wrong and I’m no further along that I was at noon last Sunday.

Obligatory pre-race motel photo.

It started pretty normal. I woke up on time, made coffee, went through my pre-race morning routines and got out the door to head to the start without so much as a hiccup. The difference being that it was a few hours earlier than I was used to, but I felt rested and fine. From my motel it was a ten minute walk to catch a 5 a.m. bus that would drive everyone from downtown Sacramento out to Folsom (yes, that Folsom) California. Then we’d all run back. As I walked to find the end of the shuttle bus queue I found fellow Mile2Marathoners Anna, Claire and Sara and joined them in the line. The bus ride was in the dark and uneventful. We’d been told that we could stay on the bus once we arrived but few people did. I was entirely too antsy. I got out, walked around a bit, stood in line for the toilet, found some free coffee, checked my bag, stood in line for the toilet again just in case, then elbowed my way into the start corral near the signs for the 3:09 runners with a couple of minutes to spare before the 7 a.m. start.

At 6:54 A.M. on my way to the start corral.

I felt ready for anything. I mean, I didn’t feel great, but I figured I felt pretty normal for my fourth time standing the start corral of a marathon. Coach and I had talked about targets, and looking at my recent race times and paces we figured 4:20 pace was ambitious and achievable if I had a really great day. My B goal time was 4:30 pace, so we decided to split the difference and go 4:25. So that’s what I did, and it started great and at 5 km I felt great, and 10 km, and 15 km, and 20 km. I was holding back a bit, but was right on target. When I crossed halfway I still feeling fine but I started to feel like I might need to find a toilet. I fought it for a bit and started to feel not so great, but every time I looked at my watch it read 4:25 pace. I decided not to chance it and went for the next portable I passed, which was into kilometre 25. I got in and out and right back onto pace and thought I was going to be fine. And 26 km was fine, and so was 27 km. But then my body decided that it didn’t want to run anymore. I don’t know how else to describe it. I wasn’t tired. I wasn’t even out of breath. I had fuelled on plan. All of a sudden everything was a struggle. I got to 30 km at 2:15 having already slipped to 4:30 average pace. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold it, but I thought I could at least cover the last 12.2 km in an hour, hit my C goal and qualify for Boston with a five minute buffer. I was wrong.

Then I thought I could at least hang on for a new personal best, but I watched that slip away too. Kilometre 37 was my worst split. I was just over three hours into the race when I crossed 38 km and it sunk in that the way it was going, finishing under 3:20 wasn’t going to happen. At that point I think that if it wasn’t a point-to-point course I would have quit. I zombied into Sacramento. I remember being passed a lot, and somehow passing others. Somewhere past 40 km a pub patio stretched onto the course, and some really aggressive dudes were screaming at me to stop and have a beer. I was tempted. I rounded back onto Capital Mall for the short home stretch and crossed the finish line 3:24:33.

Finish line in sight

Afterwards the Mile2Marathon crew in town for the race met at a brew pub to celebrate our triumph or, in my case, sulk. I was sad and embarrassed and really felt like I’d let people down, but it was hard to sulk when so many other who have become friends over the past year had their own great day. I did take some time to have a private pity party for one that evening, then packed up and flew home on Monday. On Tuesday, the whole Mile2Marathon crew came together and celebrated the year and I was forced to reflect on the fact that in spite of this one event I’d had a really great year in which I had improved running exponentially.

This week has been a bit of a struggle too. I’ve run three times with just the intention of going out and enjoying the run. And I have, maybe too much. Quite a few comments on how soon I’ve gotten back onto the Seawall, and at what paces and distances. It’s a bit frustrating because, yes, seven days ago I ran a marathon and I should be wrecked. But the fact is on that day my body, which I’d trained to race a marathon said nah, and right now it’s not nearly as wrecked as it probably should be. On Wednesday at the end of a 12 km tempo I was pretty mad.

On the Seawall with Gary Franco, and Karen & Mike McCullough. Photo by some random dude.

Then yesterday out on the Seawall I ran into Gary and Karen and Mike and, as if I’d forgotten since Sunday afternoon and Tuesday evening, was reminded that I’m part of a community that’s pretty inclusive and supportive, and that’s pretty great. Today I sat down for coffee with Coach Kevin to talk about 2020, because we’ve got big plans.

2019 week forty seven

Book Read
43. Berlin – Jason Lutes

Kilometres Ran
week forty seven – 61.0

2019 to date: 2,466 KM

I was looking for something easy and casual to read because I just haven’t been in the novel mood lately and I’m pretty tired of short stories so I was poking around and came across this graphic novel called Berlin that I thought looked interesting and familiar. A while ago I picked up a copy of the Left Bank Gang by Jason; it’s a fun, easy read set in Paris. So when saw the cover of Berlin by Jason (Lutes) I expected a fun, easy read set in Berlin.

They’re nothing alike. At all.

Berlin is not a fun, easy read. The book is a collection of Lutes’ 20 year long, 22-issue series exploring the life in Berlin from 1928 until 1933. It’s a very deep dive into historical fiction. It’s all drawn black and white or whatever the graphic-novel lingo is for black and white and my only complaint is that from time to time the text is really small and dense and difficult to read. Otherwise, it’s really great. It’s timely what with the re-emergence of fascism that is currently happening here and south and in Europe. So, yeah, not a happy read. Makes me want to revisit Maus though. Maybe I’ll just read comics for the rest of the year.

It only happens once per year. Thank gawd.

So after not shaving my face since October 31 I got out the clippers and cut away the sparse sprouts from my cheeks and chin, leaving behind a snot saver just below the nose, and then jogged down to Second Beach in Stanley Park for the annual Moustache Miler. The weather wasn’t great but the rain was trying to stay at bay. With just two weeks until CIM I threw in for the one mile race, a short loop east and back on the Seawall, starting and finishing at Second Beach Pool. It’s a fun run, but I was taking it seriously only in that I felt like I had some unfinished business at the mile distance. I ran my first mile on the track in the spring and managed 5:52. Fast forward towards the end of summer and I set out to better that, once again on the track. I finished 5:52. I’m pretty certain that I am faster now, but I wanted to prove it, and find out how much. This course had some tight turns and a bit of a hill up and down, so slower than a track for sure, but also a lot of people who run anywhere from marginally to significantly faster than me for me to chase.

Coming Around Second Beach Pool, finish line in sight. I look surprisingly chill.
Photo: Jeanine Avelino

I got off the line okay and felt like garbage sooner than I was hoping to, then the climb from the Seawall up to Beach Ave and the turn around back towards the pool. I tried to check my watch at the halfway marker but whatever it said didn’t register. That second half is a blur. I got passed a few times until the pool when there was one just ahead who I thought I might be able to catch on the sprint to the finish. I managed to get by him and crossed the line and stopped my watch. It read 5:59.52. So that sucks. But it also read 1.69 km. The course was long. Later I checked Strava, and it said I ran a 5:41 for my fastest mile yet. I was 15th over all, and second in my age group. I am very please with all of that, but I’m also rather annoyed. I ran the fastest mile (and kilometre for that matter) in my life (so far…) but I don’t actually know what that is because the course was “a mile” and not one mile.

After party with Phil Finlayson who jogged the mile, thereby letting me have AG 2nd (and also helped take care of my free beer), and Declan White who jogged his way to first overall in both the mile and the 5 KM races.
Photo: Jeanine Avelino

But in the end it was all for fun and for a good cause. I’d set a goal to raise $614.54 for the Movember Foundation supporting men’s mental and physical health – one cent more than last year – and it wasn’t looking like I was going to make it. I was happy with the support regardless, but on Saturday morning before the run I was still a bit short. Then another donation came in, and then another, and I was closer. Then later in the afternoon Stephanie and I stopped for a coffee on our way to the Vancouver Art Gallery and two more alerts in my inbox tipped my total over to $621.45. Thanks so much to everyone who donated: Albert, Shannon, Dan, John, Kelly, Stephanie, Ryan, Sandra, Roland, Steve, Jeff and the five who wish to remain anonymous. I sincerely appreciate your support. Plus it was a lot of fun.

2019 week forty six

Book Stuff Read
The Capilano Review 3.39 (Fall 2019)

Kilometres Ran
week forty six – 83.8

2019 to date: 2,405 KM

Help me raise money for the Movember Foundation!

Click here to donate!

I didn’t read any books again but the new fall 2019 issue of The Capilano Review arrived in the mail and as usual it is beaut AF and as usual has a bunch of work by people I love and a bunch of work by people I’ve never heard of and that is just the best. I’d be lying if I implied that I’ve gotten all the way through it yet so I will probably keep picking away throughout this week but maybe I’ll also pick up a book. Who knows. Inside the issue, a tribute to Kevin Killian and the wave of regret returns that I didn’t see him when I brought Poets Theatre back to Vancouver this spring and I suddenly remember that buried deep in my phone is a video clip of Clint Burnham paying tribute to Kevin at the launch of Some lit journal back on June 23. I remember the date because it was the evening after I’d ran the Scotiabank Half Marathon and in the process helped raise a few dollars for The Capilano Review. I really need to dig out that video file.

Moustache Miler 2018 – Photo by Jeannine Avelino

My first foray into fundraising and running (fundrunning? Rundraising?) was the Moustache Miler last November and it was a lot of fun. Well, as I sit here I recall that it was a lot of fun. Fundraising really isn’t very much fun most of the time. My experience with both giving and soliciting (from long before the Moustache Miler) is that the cause is often secondary to how much you like the person who is doing the fundraising. It can be a humbling experience. And yet, here I am taking another stab at it because why not? I’m running anyway.

Warning signs are up at Second Beach. Gross face coming along grossly.

Last year I somehow raised $614.53 so I though that this year I would aim higher and go for $614.54. If you’re reading this and maybe think that I’m alright then perhaps you’ll feel inclined to help get me there. All donations $25 or more receive a tax receipt. You can donate here or paste this URL into your browser if the link isn’t working: https://raceroster.com/events/2019/26302/2019-moustache-miler/pledge/participant/6930111

Yesterday I ran my last looong run before CIM – 35 km out to Confederation Park in Burnaby and then back under the Iron Workers’ Memorial Bridge, through Hastings/Sunrise, Strathcona, Coal Harbour, and finishing up with a loop around Stanley Park. It was a killer route with some hearty incline up Adanac just east of Commercial, and then some rolling hills before a long climb from Boundary to Willingdon.

And it went really great. It was a nice confidence boost for a last long run, something that I haven’t had in my past two marathon builds. With three weeks to go I’m not saying the work is done but this was the big week and I came out the other end of it with a solid week’s load and feeling pretty great. It’s made me reconsider my goals going into the home stretch (I need to have a conversation with coach Kevin…different Kevin, ahem…). I am feeling pretty excited to see what happens in three week’s time.