THE REPORT
It was a great race! We flew into Buffalo, NY and soon stopped at a Tim Horton's for a donut. The border crossing was so easy this time, and I actually chit-chatted with the border agent about marathon stuff. We arrived in Niagara-on-the Lake, ON on Thursday around 9:30 pm.
The hotel was nice and Savanah got her own bed.
On Friday, Savannah and I visited Niagara Falls. They are breathtaking every time I see them. Savannah was amazed and said WOW! We went up in the Skylon Tower to view the falls from above. I got a great walk pushing the stroller that really helped to loosen my legs. It was a fun day. Cousin Bonita Arrive around 6pm, and we went to the Kinsman Scout Hall to get the race packet. Nice people and a small race feel. Loved it. Got all the gear ready and went to bed around 10:30pm. Oh, and I made sure to get breakfast food ready for the next day.
Niagara-on-the lake is a beautiful place in Canada. It is wine country with miles of vineyards that sits on the Niagara River. My cousin said this is the dream vacation spot of many well-to-do Canadians.
RACE DAY:
- 6:00: up and eating
- 6:45: Race sight, bathroom break, 1 mile warm up, stretching, bathroom, ready to go
- 7:30: Race started, I felt great. 2 Miles in the rain started. It poured for another 2 and then just rained for the next 20 miles. It was fine. I smiled because I had done a 20 mile training run in the rain and was familiar with the feeling and the weight of the rain and visibility. Thank goodness for my new sunscreen that did not burn my eyes as it was being washed off my face. The last 2 miles were cool and breezy with no rain.
- My Time: I improved my marathon time by 38 minutes. My goal for my second year of running was to get faster. I was over my personal goal time by 13 minutes, but overall I was happy because I felt great the WHOLE race. I did not hit the wall, I did not have the overwhelming urge to stop running, my hamstrings were a little tight, but I took 2 ibuprophen and mile 15 and that did the trick. Feeling this good during a marathon was a huge triumph for me. You can learn from your long runs all the time, but the chance to learn during a marathon is once in a while. I think it will give me confidence to push myself in a race.
Congrats, Ruthie!!! Wow a PR by 38 min. is amazing!! We love Niagara-on-the-Lake.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap! 38 minutes?!?! That's wonderful and you rock.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!