MEC # 2 Birds Hill Park Race

MEC # 2 Birds Hill Park Race
MEC #2 Birds Hill Park 2017 3rd Overall After A Sprint Finish!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Holiday Hustle 5K

On Sunday, December 9 I ran the Holiday Hustle 5K in Sechelt. Normally the Stewart Mountain Challenge is my final race of the year, but Teresa and Larry Nightingale created a new event this year to raise funds to send the Chatelech Secondary School band to Hawaii Tour 2013, and food and goods for the local Elves Club for Christmas hampers. So naturally I had to do it.

We started off at 9:30 AM on a road near the Aquatic Centre, and the untimed 2K began 5 minutes later. Both races also had untimed walkers and dance walkers participating.

John Atkinson (B.C. Johnny http://bcjohnny.podbean.com/ ), who used to reside in the Lower Mainland until fairly recently, but now lives in Sechelt, blasted out ahead of everybody else and never looked back until he crossed the finish line in first place. We ran straight up the road for a few hundred meters and then it became weavy for another half kilometer or so. After this we turned off and ran along some twisting residential streets. There were 2 younger guys wearing identical gray t-shirts running in front of me. One of them looked to be in his early twenties and was built more like a large football linebacker than a runner, and I was impressed at how he was keeping up with our pace.

Soon he slowed down and dropped behind his friend, and then I went past him and kept following his slightly older but slimmer buddy. After a short while we turned off into a small park and onto a winding gravel path going around some ponds full of ducks. They quacked loudly as we ran through, and my pacer yelled "They're cheering for us!", and I laughed and said "Yep!" as we exited the park and hit the streets again.

I was going great guns staying right behind him, but then we turned and hit a fairly steep hill about 300 meters long, and I slowed up considerably while he surged ahead. I'm pretty sure that doing the Stewart Mountain race the previous day wasn't helping my cause here, and he was about 30 meters ahead of me by the time I crested the hill and turned right onto level terrain. Soon we hit the 3K point as we headed back to the Aquatic Centre, and I managed to close the gap between us slightly a few times, but each time I did he would surge again and be even farther ahead of me than he was before.

When I reached the road near the Aquatic Centre again John Atkinson came jogging toward me doing his post race cooldown, and yelled "Way to go Gord!", and gave me a high five. About 20 meters later I was directed by the volunteers to take a hard right into the centre's parking lot before dashing the final 30 meters to the finish line.

After myself and some other finishers congratulated each other we headed into the centre to get out of the light rain and warm up. The Hawaii bound school jazz band was getting ready to play, and there were huge tables of food waiting for us. They had bananas and oranges plus fruit, cheese, and veggie platters. The band members and their families plus some volunteers including Teresa had also baked up masses of delicious baked goods for us, including cookies, small pastries and various chocolate enhanced creations. The ones that stood out the most, for myself anyway, were Santa's hats made from strawberries on chocolate bases with white icing toppers. I periodically sampled all of these delights and enjoyed them immensely.

We were each given a draw ticket, and they gave out several prizes while results were tallied and then the band played a lively Christmas number for us. Next they did the awards and since it was mainly a charity fun event there were no age group presentations, just for the top three male and female 5K overall finishers, plus a special award for the fastest 2K runner, 5-year-old Joffre Storey.

The band was preparing to play another tune after which there'd be more draw prizes, but I decided I'd better head out because I wanted to make sure that I caught my ferry. I gave my draw ticket to one of my many fellow competitors still there enjoying the festivities, and reluctantly made my departure. Kudos to Teresa, Larry, all the other volunteers, plus the band members and their families for putting on such a well organized, fun, and worthwhile event. Almost $1300 was raised for the band, and $195 plus two and a half big boxes of food and toys went to the Elves.

The race website is here:
Here's the race map for those (including me) who found my course description confusing:
I was 4 of 60 overall, with a time of 21:45.

My next race is the Resolution Run 8K trail race on New Years Day at 10 AM in Crescent Park.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Harriers Stewart Mountain 10 Mile Challenge

On Saturday, December 8, I competed in the Harriers Stewart Mountain 10 Mile Challenge at Thetis Lake Regional Park just outside Victoria.
 
We took off at noon from near Thetis Lake's beach and headed off into the forest where we ran along a weaving single track path for a bit, hitting some ups and downs while watching our footing on the abundant tree roots.
 
It had been raining steadily in the days preceding the race, and when we hit the first patch of ice cold water it was a couple of feet deep. After a few meters we were out,  but not before stopping and climbing over a huge log suspended about 3 feet high across our path. After running a few hundred meters through the mucky trail we were treated to 3 more water holes in succession, thankfully a little shallower than the first one.
 
Upon exiting the final one I yelled to the young guy in front of me "That's enough of that!", and he yelled back, "That's for sure!". About 100 meters later, however, just as I was getting some of the feeling back in my lower extremities, we were faced with one more water patch that froze us up again. I had been following Brian Connon for most of the race, never getting too far back of him and content to keep his pace. As we hit dry ground again and I'd come up right behind Brian once more I thought I should try going faster now, so I went by him.
 
Next we hit the uphill path to begin the ascent up Stewart Mountain, and most people kept running for the first 100 meters or so. Then it turned really steep, and most of us started walking, even though a couple of people continued running and gradually disappeared from view. At one point a fellow came up beside me who looked to be about my age. He was walking with his hands pressed down on his knees really hard for added support. I looked at him and said "My calves are screaming!", which they were, every step brought a massive burning sensation, and he said that his were too.
 
Every once in awhile we'd hit a less steep patch and start slowly running again. This was always short lived and soon we were back to the same old walking grind. Nearing the summit we started climbing over huge boulders and up short vertical paths, and there was a fairly large pack of us doing it together. We had to search for footholds and even handholds sometimes to make the ascent, and at one point an older fellow who was in front of a young woman asked her if she wanted to go past him, and she quipped "No thanks, that's alright!", and everybody laughed. 
 
We reached the summit and one of the volunteers said "You're at the summit and the halfway point, and it's all downhill from here!", and I said "No it isn't!" and everyone laughed again, because most of them knew that plenty of hills still awaited us.
 
We started our descent down a steep narrow path covered with loose rocks, dirt, and tree roots. Occasionally we'd hit a more level patch and be able to pick up some speed, but it was never long before it would turn steep again. A guy wearing a Ceevacs club jersey went by me, followed by the fellow who'd been walking up the mountain beside me. Eventually we hit relatively level ground again as we completed the descent from the peak, and started running back through the muck and pools of ice cold water. After awhile I saw the 2 guys who'd passed me up ahead, and I sped up and closed in on them, until I was right behind them coming out of a pool. I darted around the pair and kept thinking they'd try and pass me again, but the next time I saw them they were crossing the finish line well behind me.
 
There were some fairly minor ups and downs along the way, but then we came to the first of the 3 final major hills. Last year they had signs out but this year there were none. The first had said "Gunner 1: little one. A fellow was running about 10 meters in front of me, and he made some struggling sounds but managed to keep running to the top, and I kept pace and crested it right afterward. A little further on was where a year ago the signs had said "Gunner 2: big one, followed by "Gunner 3: it's a big bugger!". Then I had to walk a good part of all of these hills, but this year I managed to keep up with my pacer and run almost the whole way. Finally we were on level yet rocky ground, and both of us started to get some energy back as our legs recovered. Soon we were running on a slight downhill, and you could hear the announcer calling out people's names as they crossed the finish line.
 
Both of us sped up as we hit the concrete path running alongside the lakeshore, and soon we turned the corner and the finish line was in sight! As we hit the beach we made a hard right and raced the final 60 meters through the sand to the finish. I managed to close in on him a bit but in the end he held me off handily. We bumped fists and told each other "Good race!". He said that those last hills so late in the race were brutal, and I certainly had to agree with that!
 
For refuelling they had tasty Power Bar protein chocolate fudge balls, chocolate chip cookies, Gatorade, water, coffee, hot chocolate, and chicken noodle soup. I had a few fudge balls and cookies, followed by a cup of soup, and ended up getting some hot chocolate later as we cheered in finishing competitors and waited for the awards to begin.
 
I went to my car and got my jacket, bell and camera, and then headed back to the beach to welcome the incoming finishers.
 
 

 
 The odd person braved the frigid lake waters to try and get some of the mud off themselves and their shoes, while having a post race "ice bath" to kill any inflammation, but most chose to change into or put on warmer clothes instead.
 

 
 
When most of the competitors were in, we had the draw prizes and race awards. Besides winner's cups and prizes for the top 3 male and female overall finishers, they had medals for the top 3 in each 10 year age group, and ribbons for 4th & 5th place.
 
Brian was 2nd in his age group, and I won a $20 coupon for lunch at Evedar's Bistro http://evedarsbistro.com/home.html  in Langford, and there's no expiry date on it so I can use it when I'm over there again sometime.
 
My first time running this race, in 2010, I finished 81 of 149 overall and 5 of 11 in my age group,  winning a surprise ribbon, with a time of 1:34:24. The next year I was 83 of 156 overall, and 11 of 18 in my AG, in spite improving my time to 1:30:45. This year I finished 7 of 24 in my age group, but moved way up to 58 of 170 overall, with a time of 1:26:58. So I won a ribbon the first year, which was pretty cool, but failed to the next 2 years while running faster each time. But that's quite all right, I'd much rather be improving than just getting a ribbon or medal because the competition was weaker. I've cut almost 7 and a half minutes off my time in 2 years, so I'm very pleased with my progress!
 
 
Like in the other years, after the awards everyone cleared out pretty fast to get out of the cold and dry out somewhere warm.
 
My next race was the Holiday Hustle 5K in Sechelt the next day at 9:30 AM.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Gunner Shaw 10K

On Saturday, December 1st, myself and some of my clubmates ran the Gunner Shaw Memorial 10K  in Jericho Beach Park. It was a 2 lap race, and there was also a non-series scoring 1 lap 5K race. We started out at 11 AM near the front of the Jericho Sailing Centre, running across the grass and into the woods for about 100 meters or so before hitting a road. We didn't cross the road but instead turned right and ran through the grass along the sidewalk for a block, hung another right, and headed into the trees again.
 
Soon we were back in the open and running on a gravel path past the sailing centre in the opposite direction now. After about 150 meters the path went through some trees briefly before we were out in the open again, heading toward the beach. We were directed onto the sand and ran through it for about 400 meters. Because of the wet weather it was packed down better than last year and not too bad to run through, until about the last 60 meters where the sand was very loose.
 
Coming off the sand we leapt over a log and into the grass, where a fellow who looked to be a few years younger than myself ran past. It struck me as odd that he was running the race wearing a jacket and warmup pants. We reached a line of bushes with a break in them where we had to cross a ditch full of ice cold water. I was right behind the guy who'd just passed me, when all of a sudden he stopped and started walking, swinging his arms wildly out to the sides. I managed to get around him and ran through the water and up onto the grass. I heard him say to someone behind me "Oh sorry, oh I get it now, keep it going. Ho! Ho!" I have no idea why he did that, but thankfully that was the last I saw of him anyway.
 
We ran around a large field before heading off into the woods again, traveling along a mud path for awhile before heading down a short but steep and slippery hill. Next we were directed to our right and down a wide concrete path, where there appeared ahead of us a sign that said "PUDDLE FROM HELL" on it. Here the path was completely submerged in water about a foot deep, but the people in front of me were just running on the grass around it, so I thought "Hey, this isn't going to be so tough." After a few meters we turned a corner and there was suddenly no more grass to run on, so there was no choice but to run through the ice cold water for 100 meters or so.
 
Reaching the end of what Dee Makepeace later dubbed "The Jericho Canal", we ran to the path going back to the sailing centre, through the trees, and then onto the grass behind the tennis courts. It was here that I lost my footing and wiped out, but the ground was nice and soft, so I just bounced up and continued running across the field and past the finish line to begin the second lap.
 
Everything was going well, and I was running behind Ian Wall who I ran with in the Four Lakes 10K, when we hit the slippery hill again. As I was going down it my left foot sank into the mud and it felt like my shoe was coming off, but I managed to free it just quick enough and it stayed on.
 
We hit the puddle again and I had Ian running in front of me, and accomplished triathlete Stephanie Ossenbrink running beside me. Stephanie said "Well, at least we're getting our ice bath.", and I replied "You got that right."
 
 

All photos courtesy of Teresa Nightingale
 
After exiting the puddle we knew the end was near and we all sped up.
 
 
 As we ran behind the tennis court I was careful with my footing and didn't wipe out this time, and then we bolted the 150 meters to the finish line. Ian dashed ahead of us, and then a young guy flew by and just failed to nip Ian at the finish line. Stephanie just outsprinted me while I managed to stay ahead of a person coming up fast behind me.
 
After a few minutes some of my clubmates started coming in, Michael O'Grady and Dee and John Makepeace, and it was time to head upstairs into the sailing centre to warm up and get some food. Elsie and Marc Fontaine were already up there. Marc's still injured and this course was a little too dangerous for Elsie to run, but they came out in support nonetheless. To refuel us they had bananas and oranges, soup, bagels, jam and peanut butter, Timbits and coffee, and everyone's favourite: Fresh Slice Pizza!
 
We all milled about chatting and eating until the racers had all come in, and eventually the awards started. Michael was second in his age group, and Roger Roufosse and Donna Lowe from my club won theirs, but the rest of us didn't come near the podium with the fast field today, and with the festivities over it was time for us to head out.
 
I finished 83rd overall out of 188, and 8 of 14 in my age group, with a time of 44:05.78.
 
 
Our club finished 2nd to the Kajaks in the series, but we'll be gunning to get our trophy back next year.
 
 
I managed to finish 3rd in my age group for the third year in a row, which I hadn't expected.
 
 
Here's a video of us running through "the puddle":
Here's also a video of the Canadian Cross Country Championships Masters Race:
 
 
And finally the photos of the same race, just click on the yellow Candian X-Country Champ 2012 to see them:
 
 
My next race was the Stewart Mountain 10 Mile Cross Country Challenge, at Thetis Lake Provincial Park just outside Victoria, at noon on Saturday, December 8.