Toronto and Beyond

1

Oasis Zoo 10k (as long as usual....) (Read 466 times)

redleaf


    You guys put up with so much from me I thought I'd share my race report Smile


    A few of weeks before this race I got sick with a chest cough sinus thing. And I got roped into a 10k clinic with a friend so I decided this would be a fun run - no expectations just go out and run at the zoo. How cool is that - the zoo!!! Daddyo was nice enough to remind me that that there are oodles of hills at the zoo - and I live downtown near the waterfront - I have to hunt out a hill. Even more so - no expectations.

     

    Out in the GSP I stumbled across a thread where I heard the fateful words "slightly reckless" or words to that effect. So that became the new plan. Go out at a pace that I'm not actually sure I can hold for 8 km never mind 10!

     

    And so I did....Woke up. Made coffee, got everything together. Remembered to eat something - multigrain life cereal with milk. More coffee. Up and out to the zipcar (short term rental) OMG the car REEKS of smoke. DH and I used to smoke. I know what that smells like. Shit Damn and worse. We're picking up DH's 5 and a half year old nephew (and his parents) tonight. Can't do that in a smokey smelling car. Race is in a little while though - don't know where my cell phone is so go out in the car. Windows wide open on the highway else I'm getting sick.

     

    This is the first race where no one came with me, no one was there to meet me at the end and I ran into no one I knew. Very odd sensation. Talked to the friendly people around. Waffled about whether to keep on my shell (ended up putting it in the car) and headed off to the start. Slightly Reckless. Yeap. And the first thing they throw at you is a slight hill. Slight but a fair length. Can't remember the plan -- run up all hills all out, slowly, walk? damn -- run the first few. Very surprised to hear the garmin beep - look up see the 1k marker and, against my better judgment, I check. 6:26. Look behind. Nope no tigers.

     

    Hell - well, let's see how long this keeps for. Race starts in the parking lot, out on roads for a little bit and then back into the zoo - mostly along the staff maintenance trails but also some along the main paths. Honestly I only remember seeing the zebras (a little past 3k and then again at around 6k. It was a little chilly (0c) when we started so I guess most everyone else was sleeping. Oh and flamingos and geese.

     

    Approaching the end of the first 5k I can't resist a look-see - just over 34 minutes. Which is about 45 seconds faster than my 5km PR in June. And so a little self doubt creeps in. Hmm can I do that again? Really? I started off in the 6s and I'm already in the 7s but there were already some hills in there. And then the big hill came! I am glad to see once I downloaded the garmin info a nice big spike in the 5-6 km elevation! I think I'm still learning how to read that damn thing. Anyway, there's this wooden rise up the side of a hil that ends with about 6 - 8 stairs! Sigh.

     

    The garmin shows the next big hill after near the 8km mark - which is about when my times started to slow again.

     

    All told, 4 of the 10 km were at speeds of less than 7 minutes/km. My slowest was about 7:37 (the penultimate km) when I knew both that I was (a) going to beat my earlier 10km time and (b) NOT going to finish under 1:10 (which would have been way cool). I had a little bit of a mental break where I sort of said "no one will think less of me" etc. and then all of a sudden I swear all I heard was "keep going" over and over again.

    I am very very happy with how I did. My 1:12:41 is slow compared to most everyone else but blazingly fast compared to sitting on the couch. Wink And I'm already looking forward to the next one....

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

    HF #4362

      Great race report!  What a bummer about the car.  Hmm...hills....not sure whether I'm going to do that one next year.

       

      Congratulations - PR on a hard course. 

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

      redleaf


        Great race report!  What a bummer about the car.  Hmm...hills....not sure whether I'm going to do that one next year.

         

        Congratulations - PR on a hard course. 

         

        thanks Ruth - of course this means you're doubly kind - you read it twice!

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

        HF #4362

          Congratulations on a well-run race, Lisa.


          Go Pre!

            Woohoo, great race. Keep it up!

              nice job on the PR Lisa.

               

              I ran the zoo 10k before... it is a tough course.  well done!

                Nice job, Lisa.

                 

                Hope the next race is under less stressful circumstances and with fewer hills.

                PBs since age 60:  5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

                                                    10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

                 

                  LMAO- Sorry Lisa I forgot all about you. Dam the Zoo is just up the street as well would of been a nice race to go to. I was suppose to go to grandmas, so I put the thought of watching your race out of my mind. She cancelled because the weather was to nice for yard work. << Yeah I know I don't get it either. Anyway I could of went had I remembered. Sorry! Oh well sounds like you did well, without the support. Good Job.
                  redleaf


                    LMAO- Sorry Lisa I forgot all about you. Dam the Zoo is just up the street as well would of been a nice race to go to. I was suppose to go to grandmas, so I put the thought of watching your race out of my mind. She cancelled because the weather was to nice for yard work. << Yeah I know I don't get it either. Anyway I could of went had I remembered. Sorry! Oh well sounds like you did well, without the support. Good Job.

                     

                    Oh well - that's okay. I'll forgive you this time...although, talk about convenient eh?!

                     

                    Thanks everyone for the nice comments Smile

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

                    HF #4362

                       ...although, talk about convenient eh?!

                         ......LOL

                        Lisa, you should run the Sporting Life 10k in the spring, It isa a huge race so lots of atmosphere, and a blazing fast course so you will get a great time and really boost your motivation.

                         

                        It was the first race i ever did, and I was nearly 5 minutes faster than I expected, which really gave me enthusiasm.

                        (You have to at least be comfortable with crowds, though!)

                        PBs since age 60:  5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

                                                            10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

                         

                        redleaf


                          Lisa, you should run the Sporting Life 10k in the spring, It isa a huge race so lots of atmosphere, and a blazing fast course so you will get a great time and really boost your motivation.

                           

                          It was the first race i ever did, and I was nearly 5 minutes faster than I expected, which really gave me enthusiasm.

                          (You have to at least be comfortable with crowds, though!)

                           

                          Thanks Simon - and actually, my 3 minute PR is compared to my time at this year's Sporting Life. I ran that as a prep for the 21.1 I ran at the end of May.

                           

                          I will run another 10k at the end of the 10k clinic my friend and I are doing now but I think I will do Sporting Life again because I'm already signed up for the 21.1 again!

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

                          HF #4362