For those of you who don't know me, my name is Brian and this is my first RR.

Background

I've been a runner for almost 35 years, but up until 2000 I ran just because I liked to run.  Then for a few years I discovered the fun of racing and learned how to train to run further and faster.  I was nothing more than an average middle of the pack-er but I was improving and enjoyed being in races.

Everything was going great until I tore my meniscus and had to have surgery.  After that running was a struggle, with knee pain and other injuries limiting how much I could do, and a string of disappointing race times.  Finally in the fall of 2011, I decided I need to try something different.  I took 6 months completely off from running to give my body a chance to fully heal.

In the spring of 2012 I started running again, slowly building up my mileage.  But this time my goal was not to race - in fact I didn't think I would ever race again.  My goal was simply to be able to run comfortably and pain free and once again experience the joy I felt when running.  Nothing more.

During 2012 my running was going well and I came across the RW forum with all of you awesome people and followed you here to RA.  I loved reading your RR's and something began to stir inside me - a desire to try racing again.  I decided to enter the Calgary Mother's Day 10K but I couldn't decide how to approach the race.

Then I remembered a quote from Scott Jurek's book Eat and Run (great book BTW):

"We strive toward a goal, and whether we achieve it or not is important, but it's not what's most important.  What matters is how we move toward that goal.  What's crucial is the step we're taking now, the step you're taking now."

I realized that I wanted to put out a reasonably good effort in the race, but that wasn't my main goal.  What I wanted most of all was to be fully present in the moment, run with my heart, and enjoy myself.

Pre-Race

I woke up before dawn and saw that the temperature in Calgary was already 16C and it would be several degrees warmer by race start.  That would be warmer than I'm used to but I hoped it wouldn't be a problem.  I decided to wear a singlet and chose a red one because red is my favourite colour.

Then there was the question of shoes.  Today's shoe choice for a training run would have been a pair of Asics but I had a brand new pair of Sauconys in the closet.  Of course it's not smart to wear a brand new pair of shoes in a race but it was only 10K and the Sauconys were red and would match my singlet.  What to do, what to do?  In the end I decided to weigh both shoes on my kitchen scale and choose the lighter pair.  Yes, I am a the sort of person who is willing to weigh his shoes.  The Sauconys weighed 3 grams less so they got the nod.

I drove to Calgary and arrived in plenty of time.  That suited me fine since I'd rather arrive at a race early than be stressed out about getting stuck in traffic.  After the usual multiple bathroom breaks, it was time to head to the starting line.  The crowds were really heavy and I had to climb over a barrier to get into the start chute.  I managed to get myself into a reasonable starting position.

Race

And we're off!  The race starts from a shopping mall and the first kilometer runs through the parking lot.  I keep my pace easy and slip by slower runners when I can do so without burning too much energy. 5:48 at 1K (note - all paces are in min/km).

The second kilometer has some small hills and then levels out for the next three kilometers.  I'm trying to find a comfortable pace and settle in behind someone I'll call Redshirt Guy.  Paces for KM 2-5 were 5:21, 5:06, 5:18, 5:17.

Just past the 5K mark, there's a moderate hill.  I'm not great at running uphill and I'm hoping that Redshirt Guy will keep pacing me and drag me up the hill.  No such luck - he slows and starts following me.  Well, I figure it's only fair that I pace him for a bit.  It eventually levels off and I think "well, that wasn't so bad".  Then we make a right hand turn and there's another, steeper hill waiting.  Uh oh.

I try to hold a good pace up the hill but it's starting to hurt.  But Redshirt Guy is hurting more and starts to drop back.  I turn around and motion with my arm for him to stick with me and he picks it up a bit.  Somehow thinking about his suffering makes me forget about my own suffering.  At some point on the hill we pass the 6K mark (5:40) and now we're at the highest point on the course.

During the race I've been trying to stay focused but my mind has been behaving like a disobedient puppy, wandering all over the place.  I keep telling myself to run with my heart but it's futile because if I have to tell myself to run with my heart, then I'm not doing so.  Instead of living in the moment, I'm being distracted by all the chatter in my head.

We pass 7K (5:23) and Redshirt Guy is back level with me.  Then down a hill and a turn onto the final straight to the finish line.  At this point I'm starting to feel tired, lose focus, and Redshirt Guy starts slowly pulling away.  I don't enter the Pain Cave but I do loiter in the Discomfort Doorway.

I can't stick with Redshirt Guy and start slowing down.  Then a woman in her 30s begins to pass me and I automatically start matching her pace.  I manage to keep up and start feeling pretty good again at the 8K mark (5:09 thanks to the downhill section).

So her and I are running side by side, matching strides, and I start speeding up a bit.  She stays with me but I begin to notice that her breathing is becoming more laboured.  I realize that the tables have turned and I'm now pacing her.  We pass 9K with a 5:22 split.

With 1K to go I'm feeling really good and think about pressing it home to the finish but I realize that I don't want to do that because if I do, I'll drop the woman who helped me get back on pace a few short minutes ago.  Now I want to repay her.  I keep the pace as high as I think she can handle and make sure that she keeps sticking with me.

With 200m to go I turn to her and say "Come on, let's go, follow me!" and start accelerating.  She gamely sticks with me for 100m but starts to fade and says "You go ahead".  I tell her "You can do this!" and slow down so that she can catch up.  We cross the finish line together.  After we finish I thank her for helping me and she thanks me for helping her.

My final time was 54:30 (gun time), 366/2004 OA and 35/137 AG.

Edit: Chip times are now posted - 54:09.  I forgot to mention that it was several minutes faster than any 10K I've run since having knee surgery.  I still have plenty of training to do before challenging my old PR but things are heading in the right direction.

Post-Race

As I was driving home, I realized that in the end I did accomplish my main goal - I ran with my heart.  For the final 2K I connected with another human being and we helped each other to finish.  For the final 2K there were no distractions, no chatter in my head, and there was no race going on - I did nothing but be fully present in the moment and enjoy the sensation of running.  I felt so happy when I finished - happy that I helped someone, happy that I'm healthy enough to run again, happy that I was willing to move past previous disappointments by entering a race again, and happy that I accomplished what I had set out to do.

All in all, it was one fine day.

Zen, that was a fantastic RR. I last 2k finish with the lady are some of the things that I enjoy about racing too. Congrats on a good race.

Excellent! Congratulations, Brian! That was a great first RR, I hope to read more from you in the future.

Love that quote, btw. Thanks for sharing!

"We strive toward a goal, and whether we achieve it or not is important, but it's not what's most important.  What matters is how we move toward that goal.  What's crucial is the step we're taking now, the step you're taking now."

Great report.  I like the way you reached out to other runners.  There are many reasons to run and race.  You've shared an important one we might not think about often enough.

Great RR, and great race!!  I giggled at "Discomfort Doorway."  =)

Great job! Congrats!

Sounds like a great race, embodying what running should be.  Nice RR!

I too loved the RR.  As an ex-Albertan, I could almost picture it! (I miss Calgary)

congrats on an awesome comeback.