2017 was the year I tried several new forms of racing including:
WHAT I LEARNED:
Okay, so looking back on this now, maybe this was a bit ambitious to take on all in one year! I didn't really think of how it would pan out when I started the year. The important part is that I really did have fun, learned a lot and I know that the variety totally made me a better overall runner.
I'll always remember an article my friend Andrew Chak's wrote several years ago about the importance of having different goals for races other than getting a personal best every single time. Whether it's for a course PB, to not walk, only run, to get a negative split, to raise money for charity, to pace a friend, to practice for another race, or to just have fun. I would not have enjoyed track, trail and cross country races if it weren't for this mindset. For instance, in most of the track races I ran, I finished last. But, since I was able to better my time over the season and get comfortable with the how to's of this form of racing, I felt really proud. I raced totally for fun at Beaches Jazz Run and Tannenbaum. I also managed to train for and grab several PBs over the season.
It was definitely the busiest race year I have ever had, which, I won't lie, weekends in particular challenging to plan around. I participated in a racing event on 25 days, 2 of which were relays which involved 3-4 days. If you think that there are 52 weeks in a year, and most of the races fall in late spring to fall, you quickly realize how often I was racing. Coach Michelle never had to tell me to add races to my schedule for practice, that's for sure!
Jumping in didn't leave me time to be nervous about all the new things like I may have been in the past or if I was focused on just one new format. I don't think I could have done this comfortably had it not been for a few years of road running experience and the support of the running community. In all the new forms of running I did, I had someone I knew there to run with me or teach me the ropes. This was a huge comfort as no one wants to be THAT person! I absolutely love that my trying new racing formats may have been part of what inspired others to do the same. So many of my close friends ventured out of their comfort zone to try trail racing this year and are now in love with it. That makes me so happy. I know that a couple friends are going to be joining me at the track this winter and I look forward to teaching them about waterfall starts and bell laps.
Overall I'd say my biggest lesson over the season was being able to compare the exertion on a hard interval on the track with a hill on the trail or the last sprint of a road race. I think I was better able to accept and hold onto the discomfort in all of those areas mentally and physically.
MY 2017 SEASON:
Track:
OMA Mini Meet #1: 600m
OMA Mini Meet #1: 1500m
OMA Mini Meet #3: 800m
OMA Ontario Masters Indoor Championships: 800m
OMA Canadian Masters Indoor Championships: 800m (PB)
OMA Ontario Masters Outdoor Championships 800m
Trail:
5 Peaks trail, Terra Cotta, 5.4K sport
5 Peaks trail, Rattlesnake, 5.3K sport
5 Peaks, Albion Hills, 6.5K sport
5 Peaks trail, Heart Lake, 7.5K sport
5 Peaks trail, Kortright, 7K sport
Run for the Toad, 12.5K trail
Relay:
Ragnar relay Niagara: 11.4K | 9K | 9.1K
Ragnar Trail Cottage Country: 8.5K | 7.9K | 7.7K
Road:
Achilles St. Patrick's Day, 5K
Pride and Remembrance 5K (and OMA Road Race Series 5K race)
Beaches Jazz Run 5K
Fall Classic 5K (PB)
Sunset Shuffle 6K (and OMA Road Race Series 6K race)
Robbie Burns 8K (and OMA Road Race Series 8K race) (PB)
Toronto 10K (and OMA Road Race Series 10K race)
Tannenbaum, 10K
Bread and Honey 15K (and OMA Road Race Series 15K race)
Goodlife Toronto, Half Marathon (PB)
Scotia Toronto Waterfront, half marathon
Cross Country:
OMA Cross Country Taylor Creek, 5K
- Indoor track
- Outdoor track
- Trail
- 24 hour road relay
- 24 hour trail relay
- Cross country
- Ontario Masters competitions
WHAT I LEARNED:
Okay, so looking back on this now, maybe this was a bit ambitious to take on all in one year! I didn't really think of how it would pan out when I started the year. The important part is that I really did have fun, learned a lot and I know that the variety totally made me a better overall runner.
I'll always remember an article my friend Andrew Chak's wrote several years ago about the importance of having different goals for races other than getting a personal best every single time. Whether it's for a course PB, to not walk, only run, to get a negative split, to raise money for charity, to pace a friend, to practice for another race, or to just have fun. I would not have enjoyed track, trail and cross country races if it weren't for this mindset. For instance, in most of the track races I ran, I finished last. But, since I was able to better my time over the season and get comfortable with the how to's of this form of racing, I felt really proud. I raced totally for fun at Beaches Jazz Run and Tannenbaum. I also managed to train for and grab several PBs over the season.
It was definitely the busiest race year I have ever had, which, I won't lie, weekends in particular challenging to plan around. I participated in a racing event on 25 days, 2 of which were relays which involved 3-4 days. If you think that there are 52 weeks in a year, and most of the races fall in late spring to fall, you quickly realize how often I was racing. Coach Michelle never had to tell me to add races to my schedule for practice, that's for sure!
Jumping in didn't leave me time to be nervous about all the new things like I may have been in the past or if I was focused on just one new format. I don't think I could have done this comfortably had it not been for a few years of road running experience and the support of the running community. In all the new forms of running I did, I had someone I knew there to run with me or teach me the ropes. This was a huge comfort as no one wants to be THAT person! I absolutely love that my trying new racing formats may have been part of what inspired others to do the same. So many of my close friends ventured out of their comfort zone to try trail racing this year and are now in love with it. That makes me so happy. I know that a couple friends are going to be joining me at the track this winter and I look forward to teaching them about waterfall starts and bell laps.
Overall I'd say my biggest lesson over the season was being able to compare the exertion on a hard interval on the track with a hill on the trail or the last sprint of a road race. I think I was better able to accept and hold onto the discomfort in all of those areas mentally and physically.
MY 2017 SEASON:
Track:
OMA Mini Meet #1: 600m
OMA Mini Meet #1: 1500m
OMA Mini Meet #3: 800m
OMA Ontario Masters Indoor Championships: 800m
OMA Canadian Masters Indoor Championships: 800m (PB)
OMA Ontario Masters Outdoor Championships 800m
Trail:
5 Peaks trail, Terra Cotta, 5.4K sport
5 Peaks trail, Rattlesnake, 5.3K sport
5 Peaks, Albion Hills, 6.5K sport
5 Peaks trail, Heart Lake, 7.5K sport
5 Peaks trail, Kortright, 7K sport
Run for the Toad, 12.5K trail
Relay:
Ragnar relay Niagara: 11.4K | 9K | 9.1K
Ragnar Trail Cottage Country: 8.5K | 7.9K | 7.7K
Road:
Achilles St. Patrick's Day, 5K
Pride and Remembrance 5K (and OMA Road Race Series 5K race)
Beaches Jazz Run 5K
Fall Classic 5K (PB)
Sunset Shuffle 6K (and OMA Road Race Series 6K race)
Robbie Burns 8K (and OMA Road Race Series 8K race) (PB)
Toronto 10K (and OMA Road Race Series 10K race)
Tannenbaum, 10K
Bread and Honey 15K (and OMA Road Race Series 15K race)
Goodlife Toronto, Half Marathon (PB)
Scotia Toronto Waterfront, half marathon
Cross Country:
OMA Cross Country Taylor Creek, 5K
