Destroy Yesterday. Vancouver Sun Run

Last weekend was the Vancouver sun run.  The largest 10km race in Canada... this year over 48,000 people ran it (including simon whitfield and sean astin...so cool)  What an amazingly fun race.  I ran as part of my work team.  15 people from my work of all abilities entered the race.  Of course it was also well attended my the amazing triclubbers.  I was skeptical about this race being very good with so many people but figured it would just be a cool event to be a part of, but I was wrong.  During this race they seed you based on time for where you start and I was in the second group.  I arrived an hour early and got near the front of the second group.... glad I did... here is why (that's 40000 people behind me)

Our group started 2 minutes after the elites and celebrity groups, after a minute of silence in respect for the losses in the Boston Marathon bombing.  I spent about 1km dodging people and then that was it, wide open road for running.  What an amazing race community wise, so many people out to watch, an amazing route across so many of the downtown bridges (made for a few steep climbs).  High fives all along the course, it was SO much fun.

  My goal was simply to beat my fall classic time of 46.22, I was hoping for somewhere in the 45 min. range.  I destroyed it.  43.49  faster than I ever imagined being able to run.  I ran blind, no pacing, no watch, no garmin, all feel.  My training, and water running has been paying off, and probably just the exhilaration of such an epic event.  I know a lot of triathlon club members PB'd as well, and all my work friends exceeded expectation!  My time also means I can start in the elite group next year!  I couldn't be more pumped!  Blue bib for me!

This race has got me really pumped up for the BMO half marathon in just two weeks!  AFter the race we ccelebrated in a friends yaletown condo with good food and drink and watched more people pouring in across the granville street bridge.  Go Vancouver!

STORM THE WALL

Never thought i'd spend a week climbing a 12 foot wall.... definitely never thought that would be the most fun week I'd have since moving to UBC.  Storm the wall! What a unique event.  A long standing UBC tradition and allegedly the largest campus wide intramural event with over 2500 participants.  A race that consists of.... a 225 yard swim... a 450 m sprint... a 300m bike.... a 1km run... and a 12 foot wall.  "Storm" as it is affectionately called  by those who suffer it, can be run as a team of 5 or as an individual... mens, women, corec, just for fun; there is something for everyone.

 

I participated as an "ironwoman" (individual with one person to help me over the wall) and as the 'sprinter' on a UBC triclub co-rec team (all 5 racers help eachother over the wall at the end).

 

 

What an event, great practise for transitions... tons of fun, quite a few bruises and amazing memories.  For the ironwoman event my amazing friend (who also happens to be my boss) assisted me over the wall.  My first heat was a bit rough.. started off with the best swim of my life (flip turns and dolphin kicks, oh ya) and progressed onto the worst bike crash I've had to date. The storm bike course is 9 laps of a tight 300m oval on slick rock.  I had switched my bike pedals to flats and underestimated cornering... skid out, lost my chain, and ate sh*t.... err.. pavement.  Elbows, knees and back roadrashed, I was up, chain back on and on my bike in a matter of about a minute.  Still finished first off the bike but got passed on the run..... Made it to the wall second, but over the wall first!  Won my heat with a time of 19.12

 

Went on to compete in semi finals with the third fastest time of 18.12 (behind 2 tri club girls) and this got me a spot in the finals.  Ended up 4th overall in finals with a time of 18.02.  My time at the wall improved significantly each round.  My strategy was to stand on my wallmans shoulders and hoist myself over the wall up to my armpits, then swing my legs back and forth until they were high enought o hurl one over (this is where all the bruising came from)

What an insanely fun race J  Couldn’t have had more fun.

For the co-rec I was blessed to be racing with some of the fastest people I know and we cleaned up the co-rec division with a group time of 12.56, which included getting all 5 of us over the wall. 

 

Proud of myself for storming the wall so many times in one week! It was a bit intimidating because so many people were watching all the time! But the support of my lab friends who came to watch, and the amazing Triclub made the whole week completely unforgettable!  Can’t wait for next year!  Now back to intervals and eye on the prize.. shawnigan lake?