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Toronto Half Marathon Report from this past Sunday (Read 40 times)

ckerr1999


    This past Sunday I ran my 2nd half marathon. I only started running (from nothing) last August. I completed my first half marathon last November with a time of 2:12. This past weekend my time was 1:54. I was hoping to break 1:50, but hopefuly next time. The race day conditions were a lot hotter then I was expecting, especially since we had snow here in Toronto 2 1/2 weeks ago. I think the temperature was in the mid 60s.

     

    Most of the course is downhill and I got off to a pretty good pace. The course is marked in Kms, but the water stations were spaced approximately 1 mile apart. I started skipping the first couple of water stations, but then got worried about become dehydrated later in the race. I then started hitting every water station. In hindsight I think this was my mistake, as by the time I hit mile 9-10 my stomach was upside down from the water I was drinking. Thus I decided to skip the remaining water stations. By the time I hit mile 11, I was begining to feel better better and able to pick up the pace for the remainder or the pace. I must confess thinking about my favorite Rocky movies the last 2-3 miles helped.

     

    Overall I really enjoyed my second half marathon, much more then my first. My next goal is to run my first full length marathon this fall. I can't believe I am still sore. I have been limping around the office the last two days.

     

    Unfortunately the day wasn't wiithout tragedy. An 18 year old girl who was running her first marathon with her parents collapsed and died at the 40 km mark. She was one of the top runners from her  high school, and had run numerous half marathons. She had trained for her first marathon for the last two years. My thoughts and prayers are with her family.

     

    There was also an off duty police officer running the half marathon who collapsed at the 11 mile mark. Fortunately there was a doctor standing at that very spot and was able to get to the runner very quick. They were able to contact the  paramedics who had mobile defribilators on the back of their mountains bikes and were able to revive the runner and get him to a trauma centre. It was later reported that he did suffer a heart attack but he will be okay. The doctors had to insert a stent into his arteries.

     

     

     

     

      Congratulations! It was a hot day. Enjoy training for Scotiabank - it's a good marathon, lots of hype, lots of support!

      Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.

      ckerr1999


        ****Update - The coroner's report was released late this evening. The 18 year old runner died of an anatomical heart abnormality that is rarely detected. One of the arteries was not at the normal angle coming in through the heart. Thus the stress of the late stage marathon caused the artery to constrict causing her heart to stop. Nonetheless still very sad and very tragic.

         

         

         

         

        redleaf


          Hello from another Torontonian!

           

          Congrats on your second half-marathon.

           

          Always sorry to hear about people dying though.

          First or last...it's the same finish line

          HF #4362