The One Where I Run to the Start Line of a Half Marathon

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This Sunday marks my last really long run before NYC.  My plan is to do 35km.  It also happens to be the day of one of my favourite local half marathons:  The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half Marathon.  Since I really enjoy this race and wanted to do it, I figured there had to be a way for me to incorporate it into my long run.  Running to the start of a race is nothing new for me.  I did it multiple times last year, although most of the time, it wasn't more than 7 or 8km and I wasn't running to the start of a half marathon so I'm just a little scared.  I thought about splitting the difference and running 7km before and then 7km after but the more I thought about it, the more I figured once I was done the race, I'd just want to go home, have a nap and get ready to go rock my socks off to Rush that night.  I did think about running home but quickly dismissed that idea.  No way I'd be able to face that after racing 21.1km.  So, I figured running to the start would be the best idea.  It will also test my ability to race on tired legs.  I sat down and mapped out a route to the start.  Turns out it's just over 15km from my house.  Hmmmm. 

Don't think I want to run 15+km as a warm up.  Time to re-jig the plan.

I decided to enlist the G-Man.  He'll be up early anyway, so I'll get him to drive me to roughly 11km out.  Once I get to the start, I'll find him, re-fill my fuel belt bottles, hand off my layers and be ready to go.  After I'm done  I can then do a 3km cool down run by heading back out on to the course and cheering on my friends that are also racing.  Win-win situation if you ask me.  Although the last time I decided to do something like this it went horribly wrong.  G has promised that won't happen again but just to be safe, I'm wearing my race belt & number under my jacket.  To be extra safe,  I'm going to wear a running jacket I got from the Chilly Half last year.  It's absolutely hideous so if I have to leave it on the side of the road, it won't break my heart.  This will all depend on the weather of course.  The current forecast for race morning is a 49% chance of rain with a temperature of 15 degrees but because of the gusting winds it will probably feel more like 10 degrees.  Sounds like perfect running weather to me.  Minus the gusting winds of course.

I'm thinking Sunday is probably going to hurt a lot but like I said, it will be a good test to see what I can do on tired legs.  I don't expect to set any PB's either but I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to beat my time from last year.  Not sure how possible that's going to be given my rather ambitious warm up but we'll see.  All I can do is go out and try my best.  I will probably be a bit of a mess by the end of it all but that's ok.  Good thing I have the to option to sit through the concert.  But given that it's my favourite band, I highly doubt that sitting will even be on my radar.   I am definitely going to have to fit a nap in if I want to stay up past 9:00 pm.  What can I say, I know how to live it up.

Anyone else racing this weekend?  

If so what are you racing?