Some of my runs
I'm a decent runner, and would certainly do better if I didn't enjoy food
and wine and soccer as much as I do.
But I figure these times are pretty good for an overcommitted fortysomething--yikes--now fiftysomething,
and I list them only to demonstrate that it is possible to get halfway decent
times without committing 30 hours a week to it.
I train about five hours a week, if that, in addition to playing a bit of
soccer.
I started running in late 1999
because I didn't like oblate spheroid I had turned into.
Incidentally, I stopped running hard a few years ago because I developed numerous tears in my
naughty medial meniscus.
I think they were due to too much hard soccer years ago, but after some surgery, I decided
to take it a bit easier and instead started running adventure relays.
10K Runs
- Thrill on the Hill, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, 29 October 2000 (my first 10K): 43:09.
- Thrill on the Hill, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, 28 October 2001: 40:59.
- Sporting Life 10, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 5 May 2002: 39:49 (chip time
on lots of downhills, but I broke 40!).
- Thrill on the Hill, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, 27 October 2002: 42:42
(only a week after the half-marathon below, windy, and a bit under the
weather--excuses, excuses).
I'm not crazy about this distance, but I do OK in it.
Half Marathons
- Rock'n'Roll Half-Marathon, Burlington, Ontario, Canada, 27 May 2001 (my first half-marathon) 1:36:40.
- ScotiaBank Half-Marathon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 23 September 2001: 1:32:50.
- Bob Hartwell Runner's Challenge, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, 14 April 2002: 1:37:53 (very hilly and early in the season).
- ScotiaBank Half-Marathon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 15 September 2002: 1:32:53.
- Canadian International Half-Marathon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
8 October 2002: 1:29.15 (chip time)!
I finally cracked 1:30! Almost perfect conditions--just a bit cold.
I had almost identical 42m first and last 10Ks, which made me particularly
happy.
See if you can spot me in
this picture!
- Bob Hartwell Runner's Challenge, Aurora, Ontario, Canada, 13 April 2003: 1:37:03.
I didn't like this run the previous year (see above) but I thought I'd do it
again, this time taking it easy.
I ended up doing my first long run of the year
almost a minute faster than last year...but I still don't like this run (but,
ya know, I live in Aurora and you should act locally, etc.)!
- ScotiaBank Waterfront Half-Marathon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 25 September 2005: 1:37:55. I took a couple of years off due to injuries. I hope it's
not age that's slowing me down!
- Canadian International Half-Marathon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
16 October 2005, 1:35:40. Hmm. A small improvement. I'll get fitter next
year and give it another go.
This is my favourite distance, and the variations in time through each
running season are now pretty obvious.
Marathons
- Canadian International Marathon, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 20 October 2002 (my first marathon and a badly executed run) 3:46:25 (1:37:49/2:08:38 split times--silly eh?)
This is definitely not my favourite distance, and my discipline completely
breaks down here!
I'll do one or two marathons a year and see if I can keep my enthusiasm in
check during the run.
