Carlene Paquette - Race Reports - 2000

This page was last changed: August 6, 2002


The listing of all my race reports is located on the 2002 Race Reports page.

Contents (in reverse chronological order):

Cumberland Duathlon - October 2000

Written: October 9, 2000

The race had a few hiccups. Perhaps the nicest was that they shortened the bike distance to 18K from 20K. Here are the numbers:

Cumberland Duathlon (Run 4.8K, Bike 18K, Run 2.8K)
Official results from Sportstats = 1:32:11 total time
Run 1 place = 51   4.8K run = 28:37       (pace = 5:58 per K)
Bike place = 50    18K bike time = 49:00  (pace = 22.0 km/h)
Run 3 place = 46   2.8K run = 14:35       (pace = 5:13 per K).
Placed overall 47/51 (+ 1 DNF), 7/8 in women's 30-39, 14/16 women overall.

Yesterday was cold. It was -4C with windchill when I left the house.  Add to that a wind of 17km/h plus some gusts and intermittent flurries during the day. It was a heck of a day to do a race. I think we were all nuts.

The duathlon start was delayed from 9 am till about 9:45-9:50. By the time the race started I was starting to get hungry again. Standing around in the cold trying to stay warm takes a lot of energy. Next time I'll need to eat a much bigger breakfast. Another lady from my club named Andrea was doing her first duathlon too so we had someone to chat with prior to the race which was really nice.

The first run started with a 5K race on the same course. They continued on to the finish line and we peeled off to the transition area in the final stretch. It was nice to have so many people to run with. I am pretty sure that if it was just the Duathlon people I would have done much worse on the first run. Had my HR up to 185 during this run though which was nice and high. Running back towards the transition zone I saw my mother and father-in-law who had been talking about coming to spectate. (I tried to talk them out of it since it isn't that exciting. I figured the cold weather would really convince them not to come but I was wrong.) I waved to them and headed into the transition zone. Some more people started cheering for me. Linda, Mike, and Sarah from the running club as well as Sarah's brother Chris and mom Diana had come to cheer. What sweethearts!

Changing shoes was hard but I managed it. Then I put my helmet on and grabbed my bike. There was some confusion as to whether I was supposed to run over the chip mats again which caused me to stop a second but then I was off and running my bike down a gravel road to the paved road. There was another lady in front of me. We both mounted our bikes and started riding. I quickly passed her (yeah! I passed someone) and then started to pedal like mad to stay ahead. The first 4K of the bike course was described as winding and uphill with some significant climb sections. They didn't lie. I had my HR up to 180 on some of the bike climbs and later while biking into the wind.  The course was well marked with pylons and I found myself riding from pylon to pylon in the wind and rolling terrain. One bad thing was that I had been expecting to use my bike computer to guage my progress. However, I took my bike tire off to put the bike into the car. When I put my bike back together I had so much trouble getting the brake cable re-connected (another athlete ended up helping me) I neglected to check the computer. The sensor was misaligned and so didn't read anything. About 10K into the bike course I caught up with the half marathon runners and we were sharing the course. It was a bit annoying in some parts as some runners were travelling along 5 across completely blocking the route. (The course was also open to traffic and some cars were passing us.) I used my bell a lot to warn people of my approach. I also encouraged a few of the runners I was passing.  During the bike we experienced a few bad weather patches where we got sleeted/hailed upon. That was a real treat. My hands were getting quite numb. I had been really looking forward to the final stretch back to the race site as the wind should have been behind me. Didn't really feel that way though, especially when I was having trouble seeing anything due to rain on my glasses. Luckily, though we got pelted I didn't get soaked.  Finally I saw the signs that there was only 2K to go. I really worked it and zoomed past some more runners. Traffic was heavier here though and that was a bit problematic.

Braked hard and skidded, hopped off the bike and started running back up the gravel road to the transition area. Lots of bikes in the lot this time. Saw my cheering section and commented to them on the 'lovely weather'. My voice was hoarse and my hands were frozen.  Getting the shoes changed again was a huge challenge. Finally that was done. I grabbed some gloves from my bag and headed out for the final run. I was alone but the loop was part of the course we had run earlier. Having the gloves on was great as my hands were warming up and felt heavenly. Coming down the first hill I saw a group of 7 or 8 runners coming in the other direction. I ended up running on the shoulder so that the passing cars wouldn't take me out. I saw Andrea and she looked great. I told her to keep up the good work and kept running. I was alone but doing fine. I had my HR up to 175-80 on the second run. Funny thing was that there was a small cul-de-sac we had to run down and back up as part of the course. A guy in a truck drove by to make sure I actually ran this part of the course. I thought it was ludicrous that they would check and see if I cheated.  Anyhow, after the cul-de-sac it was back out of this subdivision and up the hill. Then I was on the final stretch. I saw my father-in-law and my mother-in-law was trying to get to the finish to get a photo. I could tell that I was going to beat her there if she didn't hurry up and I did. I turned off my watch and it read 1:31:59. I was extremely pleased.

After the race I chatted with my cheering section and Andrea. I thanked them all for coming. Finally I started to feel more recovered. They were doing the awards for the 10K race and my family asked me if I intended to stay for the duathlon awards. I told them I didn't expect to win anything and so I declined. My father-in-law offered to take my bike in their truck (as the tire wouldn't have to be removed) and I packed the other stuff into my bag and thanked them. They took my bike off to their truck and I walked to my car. I started driving home and stopped to buy a pop. The sky opened up and it started dropping ice bits and rain on us again. I ran into the store and back to the car. Later in the evening I also ran to tha car for a sweater. Today I feel perfectly fine. I am wondering if maybe I didn't push hard enough? It is an odd feeling as I usually end a race feeling completely spent. (Andre thinks I'm just fitter than I think I am and that's why I feel so good now. I was just properly prepared for the effort I did.)

Overall impressions: The race was well organized. The late start was the only major snag. The course was well marked and I never felt lost which was really nice for me. The course also had lots of distance markers which was great, especially since my bike computer was non-functional. It was a very good event. I was also impressed with the chip timing since my race number was on my shirt and not visible for most of the race. Finally, they had the results on the web in the afternoon of race day which was awesome. I would consider doing this event again however I see that next year it is scheduled for Oct 14th. Given the weather problems this year I wonder what next year's weather will be like. Luckily this company puts on a series of races and I can do some of the others in the summer instead.

Thanks for reading
Carlene
 

Gloucester 1/2 Marathon - September 2000

Written: September 13, 2000

Hi Folks

For myself, the weightloss thing seems to be going pretty poorly.  I keep yo-yoing between 163ish and 166.5 pounds.  UGH!  This week was an up week.  I was disappointed.  However, I had also run a 1/2 marathon the day before weigh in so I expected to be retaining water and up a bit.  However 3.5 pounds was more than I expected.  I am feeling a bit discouraged.  I just want to be done!!

On the race front... finished the half marathon in 2:27:45, 1:15 slower than the race in May.  However, since it was very hot, humid and sunny I was pleased with my time.
 

Graham Beasley Memorial 5K - August 2000

Written August 29, 2000
 
Hi Folks
 
Wanted to drop a note about my race Sunday.  This race is about 1.5 miles from my house and commemorates the life of a local runner, duathlete and cross country skier who died unexpectedly 3 years ago.  This was the third running of this race and my second time doing it.  My goal was to try and break 30 minutes in the 5K for the first time.
 
Last year my husband Andre and I ran together in a time of 32:35 (my 1999 5K PR).  This year my husband hasn't been running at all and so opted to spectate instead.  Conditions were much nicer this year, cooler and slightly overcast.  It was a perfect day for running.  I had two parts to my race plan - try to stick with Sarah (a 12 year old from my running club who is generally faster than I) and race by heart rate.  I took splits but did so without looking at the watch.  I didn't want my time to influence my time, if you know what I mean.
 
So... the race started congested and once we turned the corner only got worse as we were constrained to about 1/2 a lane along a busyish street.  Passed the first K marker in 5:37 which is very fast for me but I still felt pretty strong.  Remaining splits were 2K = 4:53, 3K = 5:41, 4K = 5:48, 5K = 5:28.  Final time was 27:35 on the watch, 27:30 on the official results.  (I hit my watch stop button in the chutes which probably means my final split should be 5:23 instead of 5:28.)  Sarah finished about 5 seconds ahead of me.  On the HR part of the plan... I kept my HR around 185 (above 85%) for the majority of the race.  At one point mid-race it had fallen to 176 but I pumped it back up.  The final hill in the 4th K saw my HR climb to 194, then it was a short trip down the street and around the bend to see the finish line and do a sprint.  Finishing HR was in the 190's.
I have to tell you all I was thrilled by this sub-30 race.  I didn't know I had a 27:30 race in me.  I was shocked when I saw the clock and realized that if I kicked I could finish in that time.  It was a wonderful feeling.  I finished feeling great in the legs but crappy cardio-wise.  Makes me wonder how much better I could do if I continue to improve my endurance.  I am also pleased that I followed my race plan to the letter.  My next race is a half marathon on September 9th.  I can hardly wait.


Labatt 24 Hour Relay - August 2000

Written August 20, 2000
 
They're having a 24 hour relay event this weekend.  I wnated to be part of a team but didn't have the time to commit to camping there for 24 hours.  So... I asked the team captain if I could come, run a number of laps in a row in the night and then leave.  They agreed :)
I arrived around 2 pm to scope out the scene and put myself on the run roster for the team so that I could run the course once in daylight.  I screwed up my watch but ran my 2 mile loop in around 19 minutes which is great for me.  Then I settled in to wait.  This involved some reading, some drinking and lots of eating.  I don't know what's up but for the last 3 days I have been pretty consistently ravenous every 3 hours.  It is becoming a real problem.  I am trying to eat reasonably but it is hard.  I just hope Monday's weigh in yeilds decent results despite this problem.
 
A few hours went by and then I signed up for 5 loops in a row with my friend Vanessa signing up for the lap right after me.  Goal was to get 2 hours of running in to satisfy my coach.  Temps were perfect, nice and cool (11C which is around 50F I believe) with no bugs.  Ran by heartrate and stopped at the water stations (they had two of them) as needed.  Ran pretty even splits which I am pleased with.  After my 5 loops I decided to join my friend Vanessa for her loop as I still had not gotten to the 2 hour mark.  Vanessa and I were running and she explains to me that her quad is killing her.  So... after the first water stop we start walking.  We walked most of the loop and it took us around 30 minutes (I messed up my watch and so this loop and the previous loop were combined).  When we finished there wasn't another runner there to take over.  So... we dug out another bib (bib numbers had to go around the course in order) and I started running another loop while Vanessa set out to find a team mate to take over.  By this point I was tired, cold from the walking and desparate for a bathroom break.  However, I forged on and finished my last lap in just over 21 minutes.
 
So... I logged 14 consecutive miles (my longest run ever) in 2:28 and had a blast doing it.  I am feeling really pumped and hope my half marathon in September also has nice cool weather.  If so I have the potential to set a massive PR.  (My 1/2 PR is 2:26:29.)
 
Thanks for reading
Carlene
 
PS - My philospohy is to eat as much as I can and still lose weight.  This yeilds a slow weightloss but also a higher quality of life. Besides, I can't walk around with my stomach growling so loud my co-workers look at me funny all the time.  It just isn't practical or pleasant.

Penguin FlightSchool Canada (Brock, St. Catherines) - July 2000

There are 2 reports from Flight School - Mine and fellow Canadian Penguin Glenn Gabriel.
Written: July 24 2000 by Carlene Paquette
 
A small group of Penguins gathered in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada for the first Canadian Penguin Flight School.  (For the schedule of upcoming schools see http://www.waddleon.com/teampenguin/flightschool/index.shtml)
 
Our group consisted of Sylvia, Rick, Glenn, Kelly, Kathryn and myself (Carlene), in addition to John and Karen.  I like to think of it as 4 days of intimate conversation, training and fun.  We definitely had a groovy time burning up the trails in St. Catharine's and taking in the sights.
Brock University was a wonderful setting and we had these great townhouses to stay in.  It was private and air conditioned.  We couldn't have done better.  Our meals were at the cafeteria (a short walk away) and were quite varied and yummy.  I am already dreading the scale at Weight Watchers tonight.  I am expecting a slight gain but that's okay.  After all, this was a vacation, not the way I eat all the time.  Kelly also provided a number of yummy treats, Kathryn provided fresh Niagara berries and Rick (trooper that he is) came through with fresh coffee for the group every morning.  (Note to group: John requires coffee in the morning.  Otherwise he just isn't quite himself.)
 
We were sharing the facilities at Brock with a Clown Convention (No, I am not kidding) and a camp teaching English to children from other countries. This lead to some interesting sights and sounds around campus.
 
The camp is all about effort based training.  I had attended camp last year in Boston and so was quite familiar with my heart rate monitor.  My goals for the weekend were to fine tune my heart rate ranges and keep learning.  I was hoping the camp would help me understand a bit more and that the effort based training stuff would 'gel' for me.  I am lucky enough to have a great coach.  I do what she tells me to do. The camp was meant to help me understand more about WHY she assigns various workouts and see what else I could pick up.  Camp exceeded my expectations.  It was AWESOME!  Having met both John and Karen previously I was not surprised at the excellent job they did hosting this camp.  The knowledge and experience they have to share is wonderful and was well received.  However, and I hope John and Karen take this the right way, by far I think the highlight of the weekend for me was the race the St. Catharine's Roadrunners and Walkers put on for us.   The agenda at Flight School usually includes a race.  It is the participants chance to practice some of the effort based training they have been learning about and to run a race with a real strategy designed for success.  Unfortunately there weren't any local races that would fit our schedule and the campus does yet have a track (an indoor one is under construction).  Luckily for us, the St. Catharine's Roadrunners and Walkers stepped in and organized a fun 5K for us.  This club bills themselves as a Drinking Club with a Running Problem.  They are a perfect match for the Penguins (The Eating Club with a Running Problem), and are extremely beginner focused.  They set up a terrific race for us.  They had kilometer markers, race marshals, a water stop at 3K and another at the finish and a real race clock.  Oh yeah, the course was also marked with arrows using baking flour to help us know which way to go.  Club members ran with us and kept us company as we traveled their delightful trails.  These people ROCK!  They are friendly, they are fast and they are TRAIL RUNNING BEASTS!  It seemed like the 4th kilometer was completely vertical as we climbed a step woodland path up the Niagara Escarpment dodging tree roots, logs and poison ivy.  They two angels who accompanied me up this steep part of the course were a godsend.  They kept up a steady stream of friendly conversation and encouragement as we made the ascent.  They were also relentless and would not let me dog it on that hill.  We worked really hard and I am quite proud of that 7:40 km!  I was both elated (to be finished) and disappointed with my final race time of 30:28.  I had been hoping for a sub-30 5K effort.  However, in true Penguin spirit I have decided to call this my 5K hilly course PR and celebrate.  After the race we drove to the St. Catharines Tennis and Squash Club, the home base of the running club.  We shared a few hours of conversation as we enjoyed some beer and victuals.  It was a very, very good encounter.  I thank them for their warm hospitality and hope I can return some of their generosity when they next head to Ottawa for a race.  This first Canadian Flight School was a resounding success.  Many things will remain etched in my memory.  So... to John and Karen, Sylvia our speedster, Kathryn our wood nymph, Glenn the running budda, Rick the elk hunter, and Kelly who listens so well and speaks so smartly - I say thank you.  I had an AWESOME time.  I just might have to come back and do this again.  (I wonder, could I get an award for attending the most flight schools?  Might be a chance at hardware :)
As Glenn would say, Waddle on EH!
Carlene

 
Written: July 24 2000 by Glenn Gabriel
Fellow flightless fowl...
The event: Ontario Penguin Flight School
The place: Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario
The dates: Thurs Jul 20 to Sun Jul 23, 2000

----------

This was the first Flight School outside of the United States. The purpose of the weekend was to teach us a strategy for attaining our running goals.  We did that with the help of our coaches, John and Karen Bingham, and the use of heart rate monitors. But those weren't the only didactic moments.  I've chosen some of the weekend's events that made me think, laugh and cry.
"Sylvia v Carlene"
The parking lot was about the size of a 400-metre track. Friday afternoon, sun blazing down on the gravel. We had our heart rate monitors on. John made us do laps, each one with an increased effort. We had completed our fourth lap at more than an 85% effort and waited for our heartbeat to slow to 60%.  Then John asked Sylvia and Carlene to do one final lap, with Sylvia slightly ahead and Carlene following. We expected both of them to slow down considerably from the last lap. However, when John said go, something miraculous happened. Instead of slowing down, each was pushing the other to be faster. Carlene's goal was catching up with Sylvia; Sylvia's goal was keeping ahead of Carlene. There remained between them a space of several metres, but that distance hardly changed throughout the entire lap. The rest of us clapped them in. When they crossed the line, we expected them to collapse from exhaustion, but apart from some temporary fatigue, they were both fine. One tip, though: Never eat a big meal before a track workout!

(Note from Carlene: My time was 1:45 (who knew I could run that fast?) and I was complaining because lunch wasn't sitting well.)

"Kathryn Hits the BMZ"
The St. Catharines Roadrunners and Walkers had organized a 5K time trial for us in and around Brock University. Around 20 of them showed up on Sat morning to volunteer and run with us. A young man named Scott had shown up even though he had broken both his ankles in a car accident and was walking around in two casts! (With painted-on Nike swooshes, natch.) The day was perfect. Mostly clear skies, a slight breeze, and not too hot. After making our introductions, we headed for the start line, marked by flour. Art Weaver, club president, said "GO!" and we ran down the gravel road the skirted the university. I was the final runner and I hit 1K in 6:11. I knew I was on track to run 30 minutes.  Soon, I caught up John, Karen and Kathryn as well as several St. Catharines club members. After 2K we reached a huge downhill that the club used as their training hill. A short stretch along a paved road led into the trails.  The trail became deceptively steeper and was littered with obstacles. At this point, my heart rate pushed 194. A final climb on poorly maintained stairs and I'd reached the top of the hill. More trail and a final climb up a road (HR: 200) led to the entrance to the university. I asked Karen at the entrance where the finish line was. She said to look for a set of orange cones. One hundred metres ahead, I saw Carlene running in a group of three. I knew I couldn't catch them, but I focused on a strong finishing kick. I crossed the line several seconds behind Carlene's group, just under 31:00.  A couple minutes later, Kathryn appeared and John B ran along beside her. We applauded her effort, knowing that this would be a 5K PR for her. John soon left her side and as she ran the final 50 metres, we encouraged her to finish strongly. We were taken aback, however, by a slightly annoyed look in her eyes. We'd seen that look in other Penguins before, but to our knowledge, this was the first time that Kathryn had hit the BMZ: the Bite-Me Zone! Fortunately, it was a temporary state and after a short rest and some fluids, Kathryn left the BMZ and we all cheered as the remaining runners, including Rick and Kelly crossed the finish line. As for myself, I placed 10th!  All of us took a short trip to the upscale St. Catharines Racquet Club where we shared stories over chicken fingers, fries and copious amounts of fluid.
 
"Be a Clown"
We weren't the only group using Brock's campus that weekend. Math camp.  English lessons. Leadership classes. Then there were the clowns. I am not joking. Clowns Canada was having its annual conference and nearly 100 clowns from across Canada and the United States gathered at Brock for a weekend of performances, workshops and seminars. And we thought the Penguins would be the strangest group there! On Saturday afternoon, Rick and I attended Mass at a local Catholic church. As we left St. Julia's, we noticed a fully-dressed clown walking across the street. Rick and I both looked at each other and I said, "We've got to give this guy a lift." Rick yelled out to the clown and he ran to our car, getting into the back seat. He explained that he had a performance in half an hour, so he didn't have time to go back to Brock and prepare after Mass. He was prepared to hitchhike back if necessary! We wondered aloud why we hadn't seen him in the pews. Apparently, he had a conversation with the priest that went something like this:  "Father, I'd like to attend Mass, but I don't think you want me sitting in the pews" "You're right, my son. You'll stay in the back room." "But what about Communion, Father?" "Don't worry, my son, we'll bring it back to you."  Five minutes later, we arrived back at Brock and dropped off Franco the Clown at the front door. But before he left he treated us to a Red Skelton impersonation. Clowns!
 
"It Never Ceases To Amaze"
Saturday night, we made the 15-minute trip to Niagara Falls. On a July night, the place was packed. Fortunately, Kathryn knew of a park close to the Falls with ample parking. Although many of the Canada Penguins have seen the Falls, we knew that Karen B hadn't seen them from the (more impressive) Canadian side. There's something about millions of litres of water tumbling over the edge of a cliff. More impressive to me was the DOUBLE rainbow generated by the mist. After the mandatory stops for tacky souvenirs and fudge, we walked back to the park and returned to St. Catharines. It was a long day and we crashed early. But not before deciding to bag the morning run.
 
"Use Your Gift"
Apart from the camaraderie, I think the greatest gift I received this weekend was inspiration. On Thursday afternoon, I enjoyed jumping over some of the logs, rocks and other obstacles on the trail. Karen observed: "You would be good at the steeplechase." It was one of those moments that caught me off-guard. Really? I thought. I never imagined doing that. And for the rest of that run, I pictured myself as a 3,000-metre steeplechaser, leaping hurdles and kicking up puddles in the water traps. On Friday, John said, "You should concentrate on the 5K. If you trained, you'd break 18 minutes."  Really, I thought? I'd never concentrated at that distance and I believed my lower limit was 20 minutes at most. From these observations, I knew that my decision to lay off marathon training this year was correct. Out of this weekend, I also measured my current running condition. And I knew I that I was consciously RUNNING, not TRAINING. "Use Your Gift" is a chapter in an excellent I'm reading called, "Faith Works". Although the book focuses on faith-based action, its lessons can be applied to all activity, including running. Later Sunday night, my family watched the U.S. Olympic Trials as athletes used their gifts. I might not be ready to give up running for training, but I know which direction I'm headed. The next step:  perspiration.
 
Snippets
"Let's kill an elk!"... "It's THO-rolled, not thuh-ROLLED. And not THYROID or Thor-Lo"... Jello... The one-eyed clown photographer... Runner's Den, Hamilton... Escarpment = Cliff... Walruses eat penguins... The clown who wouldn't stop laughing... Chocolate milk and ice cream... "Coach Panell" who led the '64 and '68 French track team... Swimming at the St. C. Racquet Club. Signing 20+ copies of Runner's World... I-P-D-C... Tracy Gillam and John (Kathryn's husband) visiting us on Sat night... Sleeman's Dark
Thank-yous
Kelly for being the lead Toronto organizer, providing snack foods and giving me a drive to St. Catharines
Kathryn for being an excellent guide and for providing us all with towels
Rick (CTS contributor) for the drive to Mass, the Maryland quarter and the morning Tim Horton's coffees
Carlene for the drive back home
Karen and John for the constant source of knowledge and inspiration
The staff at Runner's Den (Hamilton, Ont.) for the juice and the pens (and for selling those cool Canada singlets!)
Art Weaver and the St. Catharines Roadrunners & Walkers for organizing a 5K time trial for us
Sylvia for educating all of us in Native American culture. Good luck in your new assignment!
Everyone else I missed (I'll make it up with a beer!)
Godspeed!
Glenn Gabriel
Toronto, Canada
1. Can Intl 96 (4:57) 2. Chicago 97 (4:21 PR) ...5. New York 99 (5:19)


Motionware Canada Day 10K - July 2000

Written July 1 2000
 
Hey Folks
 
I just finished running a 10K race and I'm one happy camper. My coach had me training and aiming for a 58 minute race. Well... it didn't  happen. However, I did my best on a very hot day and cranked out 1:01:34 which I'm pretty pleased with.
Also, not that this means anything, but Sarah (12 year old from my running club) who cranked out a 59:30 10K at the Nordion 10K in May finished about 4-5 minutes behind me. So... maybe this was a 58 minute effort on a hot humid day?
Whatever, it is still a new PR for me and I'm delighted. Was hoping to go out for breakie but my husband crawled back into bed while I was showering. SIGH!
 
Carlene
Happily resting in Kanata

Vermont City Marathon Relay - May 2000

Written: May 30, 2000

Hi Folks

Weighed in today and was up 1.5 pounds.  SIGH!  I expect my bike ride this afternoon influenced the scale somewhat.  Might also have been some of the food I ate while in Vermont.  Mostly healthy food I might add although I did have fries once.  Ah well, will be working to reverse this latest setback this week.  That 70 pound total loss marker is still in my sights.

Last weekend I attended the second Penguin World Conference in Vermont.  I ran leg #2 of the Vermont City Marathon last Sunday.  Clyde/Penguin Tom ran a wonderful leg #1 and passed off to me.  I then started out too fast, took a short walking break with Penguin Kathryn and then started running again.  Leg #2 was an out and back thing along a highway.  The route didn't have many spectators, rolled and seemed to wind quite a bit.  I thought I'd never get to turn around.  Finished my 5.4 mile leg in 52:32 (a great time for me) and passed off to my next team member.  From then on our relay bracelet was in faster hands - Bruce and Penguins Ward and Ken.  Our final team member finished in 3:46.  I can now lay claim to part of a 3:46 marathon :)  The Penguins awarded our team hardware for being the fastest Penguin relay team at the conference.  I now have a very buff looking female runner statue to inspire me.

Today I recovered from my weekend away and cycled some.  Logged a little over 21 km and had a great time.  Tomorrow I'm back to work and expecting to descend into work hell till late June.  So... if you don't hear from me you'll know what happened.

Carlene
 

Scotiabank 1/2 Marathon - May 2000

I wrote 2 reports for this event - a general report and a clyde report.  Note: Lots of overlap between the two reports.

Written: May 15, 2000

My general report:

Hi Folks!

Thanks for the great vibes Sunday.  I could feel them speeding me down the course.  I ended up running the whole race with Howard (the guy I ran with last year).  I think he slowed me down a bit in the first half but he kept me running consistently in the second half so that worked out well.  We finished together 2:29:55 clock time, 2:26:29 chip time.  I was thrilled.  We passed 10K around 1:09 so I think we ran reasonably evenly as well.  Yeah!  Last year our chip time was 2:38:27 so we improved by about 12 minutes.  WooHoo!  A new PR!

Weather turned out to be much better than expected - cool and clear at first with some clouds rolling in as the day progressed.  By afternoon, after we had finished, it was raining intermittently.  There was a steady headwind which we fought for the first half of the race.  Of course when we turned and it was behind us we didn't feel a thing :)

We managed to 'beat' the womens marathon winner by about 10 minutes as well which was one of my mini-goals.  I also cheered for all the lead men marathoners and the wheelchair racers who passed us.

One funny thing, I was talking to Andre after the race and told him that I didn't see him along the final stretch.  He claims he stepped out in front of us, took 3-4 photos and told us to hurry up.  I caught none of that :(  Oh well, at least he saw us running fast (well, as fast as was possible.)  We saw my friend Vanessa before we crossed the mats at the beginning and again just after we finished.  Apparently she was going to take an action finish shot but thought better of it.  Good thing because I think my shot this year will indicate how green I felt at that moment (I wanted to puke for about 30 seconds after finishing).

I weighed myself when I got home after the race and I was up 3 pounds from the day before.  That hardly seems fair eh?  Today I'm down one of those pounds and hope it'll continue to improve.  Will be weighing in for weight watchers tonight and would like to have a loss this week.

In the late afternoon we went to a BBQ with some clydesdale runners who came into town for the race (some from as far as California) and had a nice encounter.

Today everybody at work is talking about one of the marathon runners who finished a bit over 3 hours (with a PB time) then promptly collapsed in front of his wife and 2 of his 3 kids and later died.  He was only 39.  This is the first death they've had in the history of the race and it seems to be causing quite a stir.  I keep telling people that at least he died happy, doing something he loved and with his family nearby.  (I had left the race area by the time this happened.)

Today I'm feeling pretty good.  I have a few minor aches and pains and keep yawning.  Have a bit of sunburn on the back of my neck/shoulders, some new blisters on my feet and chaffing spots on each breast (that did not happen during training).  The worst are the breast chaffing spots as they scream loudly when wet.  UGH!  I have a massage scheduled for this afternoon and I can hardly wait.

So... that's my story.  I had a great time.  I'm improving and that makes me very very happy.  Thanks for listening and for all your support.

Carlene

My Clyde report:

Well, what can I say - the Ottawa encounter was AWESOME!  Lorne and Gail are wonderful hosts.  The Tank became our weekend rendezvous spot and was an easy place to find each other despite the crowds.  I will tell you, somebody DIED at the marathon but it wasn't a clyde and it wasn't our fault.  (Now I've got your curiousity up haven't I?)

On Saturday the rain cleared up before the race making for good conditions.  Watching the 10K Saturday night while chatting with some fellow clydes face to face was a nice treat.  Got to cheer for the clydes and some of my local running friends.  Seems everybody ran a great race and was quite happy.  Luckily this became the theme of the weekend.   Saturday night after the race we went to a great italian restaurant (Lorne, thank's for introducing me to a great place to eat!) and enjoyed wonderful food and lots of good conversation.

Sunday dawned cool but dry.  I met the group at the tank, introduced my husband quickly and then a few minutes later wandered off to get ready.  I ran the half marathon with my running buddy Howard.  We started quite appropriately at the back of the pack and well behind the 5 hour pace bunny.  I was wearing my Penguin Brigade singlet which says "I had the courage to start" on the back and got many positive responses about the shirt throughout the race.

Last year Howard and I ran this race in 2:38:27.  This year our goals were simple:  1) try to better our time, 2) beat the ladies marathon winner, 3) try to finish around 2:20 (I was actually hoping for 2:15 if I was having a perfect day).  The weather this year was good but there was a bit of a headwind for the first half of the race.  We reached 10K at 1:09 on my watch and I knew 2:15 was not in the cards this time.  We were doing a 10/1 run/walk thing and when running I was keeping my HR above 80%.  By 15km my HR was up to 85% and I was getting cranky.  As the Penguins say, I was sinking into the Bite Me Zone (BMZ).  It was at this point that I vowed never to run a full thon :)  In the final few kms I cranked up the HR further to well over 90%.  When we hit the final stretch the crowd support was tremendous.  I looked for my husband but didn't see him.   (I later found out he stepped into the road in front of us, took several pictures and told us to hurry up.  I saw none of that :(  Figures eh?)   We rounded the final bend and I saw that the clock was still under 2:30 and we could make it if we hurried.  We tried to crank it up a bit further for the final sprint.  We finished in 2:29:55 gun time, 2:26:29 chip time - almost 12 minutes faster than last year.  We were blessed to have finished this year BEFORE they ran out of medals (they ran out about 3 people behind us).  It sure is nice to get a medal on race day instead of a few months later in the mail.  A great volunteer clipped off our chips (this plastic tie idea is a great one!) and we were done.  About 10 minutes later I felt sufficently recovered that I would consider running another half marathon in the near future.

We mingled a bit and totally missed the ladies marathon winner finishing about 8 minutes after us.  We got oriented and decided to head home.  I think we left the race area about the same time the marathon finisher who died finished the race.  Basically, a 39 year old man finished with a PB time of 3:03, collapsed in the finish area while with his wife and 2 of his 3 children.  He had a heartattack and though they tried to revive him  was prononunced dead later at the hospital.  The news coverage of the race can be read at http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/000515/4103884.html and http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/000515/4103941.html

Now... back to the encountering.  After the race we gathered for a BBQ at Gail's parents house (I think).  I finally got to meet some more clydes including Tom who had driven all the way to Ottawa for the BBQ.  What a great guy eh?  We shared race stories, limped around and ate a ton of great food including some PieO from BathO.  Lorne and Gail were the bestest of hosts and even had prizes for some of the speedsters in the group.  All in all everyone was having a wonderful time.  It was great meeting so many people and getting to put some faces to some of the names on the list.  All too soon my husband's headache reached migrane proportions and it was time for us to go.  We said a few goodbyes and drove home.  It was a most splendid day and far more fun than last year's race.

Thanks to everyone for coming to Ottawa.  It was great fun meeting you all.  It was also extremely good for my ego - you were all so complimentary about my slowly diminishing girth :)  I am all charged up for the Penguin encounter I'll be attending in Vermont in two weeks and hoping I get to attend another clyde gathering sometime soon.  This encountering thing is addictive.

Thanks for reading this far.
Carlene
 

Richmond Road Race 10K - January 2000

Written: January 30, 2000

Hi Folks

Ran a beautiful 10K this morning. On the way there the world was breathtakingly beautiful. There was this thick hoarfrost on everything and with the sun rising it made everything glow. It was wonderful.

Wandered over and introduced myself to Clydesdale runner Lorne before the race and had a brief chat.  Then was off for a final trip to the potty and out to the start.  Lorne nicely cheered for me as I waddled by (the course loops by the finish in the first 2 K) then it was time to get serious and concentrate on racing.

The temperature was great for racing (-10C when I left home, -6 C when I got back) - clear, bright but not blinding and no wind. I wore just thin tights, my cool max long sleeved shirt and a jacket that I ended up wearing open for most of the run.

I wore my HR monitor and decided to keep it around 175-180 (80%) for the majority of the run and crank it up at the end if I had it in me. I wanted to be cautious because my knee was still bugging me.  Howard (the guy who ran the half marathon with me last spring) arrived and joined me at the starting line. I figured he'd start with me and then slowly pull away. Not today... he stuck with me all the way and we had a great conversation as we passed the km's. We positioned ourselves nicely at the back and so were only passed by two people late in the race. We also passed two other people - one of them in the final stretch which felt wonderful (I seldom get to pass anyone).  My knee bothered me quite a bit  throughout and was like a toothache between km's 5 and 8. Luckily I had Howard to help me distract myself and keep plugging away.

After the 8K mark we turned up the volume and slowly tried to pass the few people in front of us.  In the final km we were met by some folks from my running club who helped run us in and crank us up further.  Managed a final sprint to the finish line where Lorne was cheering (thanks Lorne - I appreciate it!) and then about 5 minutes of gasping as I tried to catch my breath.  My friends were trying to herd me inside before I got chilled but we stayed out long enough to cheer the final 10K finisher.

My goal was to match my July 10K time of 65:50.  I exceeded that by running a time of 63:27, including a wonderful sprint at the end. Yeah! Splits were: 1 Mile: 9:35, 5K = 31:22, overall pace 10:12 mpm. .  Last year this race was my first 10K and I finished in 1:17:28.  I feel so happy today and just sore enough to know I worked hard but didn't injure myself yesterday.  I will be working hard to increase my endurance in the next few months.  I'd really like to be able to maintain about the same pace for the half marathon in May.  We'll see how that goes.

Lorne, thanks for being so supportive and friendly.  It was great to have a crowd of friendly people to meet me at the finish despite being at the back of the pack.  I hope your injury recovery progresses smoothly and we can meet up at some more races soon.

Carlene
Glowing in Kanata
 

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