Sudbury Masters

Ramsey Tour 5k and Half Marathon

September 7, 2008

Race Reflection - by Sara McIlraith

I really enjoy reading the race reflections that people write to you, and I decided to send one myself following last weekend’s race.

I entered the race in the middle of a very tough time in my life. Struggling with my husband telling me the August long weekend that he was leaving me for another woman, I didn’t think I had the emotional or physical energy to run a ½ marathon in early September. Despite wanting to curl up in a ball and ignore the world around me, I pushed along with my training, and running remained my release. I looked forward to the Tuesday (and sometimes other days) runs with the Rocks group, being able to immerse myself among fellow running ‘addicts’. Although you guys didn’t know it, you have really helped me through the past month. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support of the Rocks club members.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel as I started to run the ½. I was really surprised and happy to see how strong I felt, even as I finished the conservation area section and headed up Moonlight Beach road. I tried to stay on an even pace throughout the race, but I decided to push ahead through Minnow Lake as I was feeling really good. It was really nice having people cheer me on at the various water stations and turns. A big thanks to Frank Lesk cheering me on by name! It was a big boost for me. I had warned my friend Mike, who was also racing (but way ahead of me) about how tough I find the last hill on South Bay. He didn’t believe me, saying it wasn’t even really a hill and he didn’t have trouble with it any other time. As I started up the hill, knowing I was almost done, Mike came running back to help cheer me on through the last section. He looked at my face, and laughed saying ‘I know how you feel’. He doesn’t say it is just a small hill anymore! I pushed on, and managed to maintain the lead I gained just past the railroad tracks at Moonlight beach. It was such a great feeling finishing with people cheering me on by name. I will always cherish this race, not just for finishing first, but for the supportive network of runners in Sudbury, and especially within the Sudbury Rocks Club.

Running is never just about the physical effort, there is always a huge emotional component. I am very fortunate to have found running in my life, and to have found the Sudbury Rocks Club. Thanks guys, and thank goodness for running.

Sara

Home Sweet Home - by Tawnecia Tai

Hello Fellow Rocks!!
Home Sweet Home! It was sure great to get off the plane in Sudbury after flying all day from Thompson MB to have Will greet me at the airport and bring me to our new house. This was the first time I had seen it since Will moved all our stuff in and had the rooms painted. After I got settled, Will informed me that he had registered us for the Ramsey Tour ½ marathon (the race I swore I would never do, I have not even done the route before). I ran a bit in Thompson, but not much and not for any distance. What was he thinking??!! Sunday came and I was actually excited to get out there to see all the familiar faces, run down those familiar streets again and to see how I would do. The weather was great, although it looked like it might rain at the start but the sun came out and the breeze kept us nice and cool.
It was great to run with Vince, Claire, Isabel, Jill and Will for much of the challenging and hilly course, and the energetic volunteers made the run both fun and a lot easier to get through. It was a relief to finish the course and be greeted with cheers from old friends, as well as the delicious hotdogs and creamsicles.
Until the next race (hope to see you all at the 2009 Manitoba Marathon - hint, hint J )

Tawnecia Tai

The set up was informal but the volunteers were fantastic. I had no idea what the course would look like other than what some of the local runners were telling me. Hills…and lots of them. Great…a Stittsville flatlander meets hills. Ugh.

We started at the top of a hill and the race told us that we had to cross two beaver dams about 4 kilometers in and that we would also cross paths’ with a dog walkathon along the narrow walkway’s near Science North. Oh well…time was not going to be the goal here, just run hard and get back into some race shape before the Army Run in two weeks. I had not trained to hard thru the summer as the summer is my usual downtime prior to preparing for marathons in the spring.

The gun went off and I went off conservatively. One tall gentleman went out hard and was already 20 or so meters ahead of me after less than 1 minute. No one else was going with him so I decided to try and just keep him in my sights and I picked up the pace a little. Soon we were greeted by big hills…Up and then down. Often. I fell further back…30 meters, 40 and then it stabilized at around 50 or so. 4K in or so we entered the conservation area and we kept climbing and I realized I was already tired. Darn I should have listened to my buddy Dave and run more trails thru the summer. My pace must have been around 4:10’s in this area. The uneven footing and the up and down were making a mess of my breathing and I could not seem to match the foot speed of the runner in front of me as he went down the hills hard, so I ran the uphill’s harder. We crossed the beaver dams and I lost more time and was even joined for a bit by another runner who caught up to me on the trails. I kept trying to keep the front runner in sight but he was starting to slip away. By around kilometer 10 he was a good 150 meters ahead. But then we hit pavement and I felt more confident and my stride rate picked up and I slowly inched back on him. I could feel my pace going back to around 3:50-3:55 pace. As we made our way up Howie Drive, I remembered running my first ever marathon there at age 15, where I had hit the wall and had to walk every 100 meters. What had looked like a sub 3:10 marathon became a 4:01 marathon and I crossed the line telling my parents. Never again…but since age 40 I have now run 4 more… 29 years later, Howie Drive held no more terror for me and I was catching up to the runner up front. As we hit downtown Sudbury I was a mere 10 yards back but then we hit the trails along the edge of the water and I kept losing ground again. Shows how important it is to run various surfaces to race well. Soon I was 75 yards back again and then disaster struck or dogs did anyway. The dog walkers poured in front of us. I got hit worst as they were still pouring on to the trail. I kept yelling left to the dog walkers but they were not listening or moving or worse moving left. Great. I had to walk a good part of the way as the trail is not wide at all, with water on one side and trees on the other. By the time I came thru the dog walkers and saw the leader he was a good 200 meters ahead and I had pretty much decided that I would settle for second with just about 3.5k to go. But I did not quit and surprisingly as I came around the corner from Science North and headed up the hills to Laurentian University, the leader had dropped time and looked for the first time to be vulnerable. I ate up the hills and forgot the pain I was in…I was closing in and I could see first place up ahead. With 2.1K to go I passed him aggressively and fast so that he would hopefully feel I had too much for him, which I did not. He did not follow and I relaxed my pace (read slowed down a lot) as I went up the hills heading up to the track. Enjoying the feeling of a race well fought and looking forward to seeing my dad seeing me run in a race in first for once.

I finished first. Got some amazing gifts (talk about generous) and a trophy, was interviewed by the Sudbury Star and got my name engraved on the 32nd Sudbury Masters Half Marathon Cup. All in all a perfect day!

If you want to run in the toughest Half Marathon around run this race (If I had known about all the hills I probably would have stayed at the cottage, yeah Rick I am a wimp). It might not be your fastest time but I guarantee you it will be a great race. Thank you to all the volunteers and great race supporters and of course to the Sudbury Rocks Running team.