So the night before was the first home game (albeit pre-season) for my beloved Tiger Cats so I elected to go to the game and then get up early to head to the race. The game was great ... our starting QB Jason Maas looked so much better than any time last year. And they won ... I left at ½ time came home had a relaxing bath while listening to the game on the radio, got my gear ready for morning and then hit the sack about 9:30. At 11 my boys came home and told me about the win.

The alarm went off at 5:15. I got up and collected all my stuff and headed downstairs so as not to wake the boys. I put the coffee on and had my usual breakfast. Then at approx 5:40 I headed out the door. The race started in Niagara-on-the-Lake which is approx 45-1 hour away. Of course, on the way I stopped at Tim's () for a coffee. I was amazed how much traffic was on the road at 6 on a Saturday morning!

I got to the race start at 6:45 with the race to start at 7:00. There were quite a few cars there as there was a ½ marathon and the 50K. Not a big race though. I picked up my kit which included a hooded sweatshirt. Get my sunscreen on and my bib on and head to mill around.

Talked to few people and then the race director called everyone together and gave instructions. He says the course is all along the Niagara Recreational Trail and where there's a curve there is black and yellow tape indicating where to go. He also says there are aid stations every 5K and if you decide to pack it in to stay at an aid station and they'll come and pick you up. He also said that the volunteers at the aid stations will be keeping track of each runners time. Then he says if you do decide to pack it in tell someone! Apparently one guy decided to go shopping with his wife and didn't tell anyone and they spend 4 hours looking for him!

So there's a "go" and we're off. It's a small race approx 110 people. The group spreads out fairly quickly. There's a bunch at the back and we keep in pretty close contact most of the race. I'm doing R3/W2 since it worked so well in Ottawa. I hit the 1 mile marker at 10:24 ... and think “oh my, that's a little fast!” But I keep going. Feeling good ... the course is LOVELY ... you can see the Niagara River almost the whole time. Hit 5K at 32 ... again too fast. Keep going ... lovely homes along the way. Hit 10K in 1:03... Again too fast. Shortly after I hit 10K I come to the turnaround for the ½ which started 30 mins after us ... as I get there so does the lead for the ½ ... what a way to remind me I'm slow!!!!

Keep going ... just after this point we hit the HILL on the course. We have to climb a good distance to get up to the Brock monument in Queenston Ont. LOVELY town ... BRUTAL hill ... I walked it as did many others. As I'm walking up I'm talking to this guy Paul deBiasi who's 72 and doing this one! WOW! We chatted for a while and then he says he needs to go for a leak and wishes me a good race.

Before I hit 20K I see the lead runners. These guys (and gals) are AMAZING. The led finished in 3:05! I hit 20K in 2:20 which is 10 mins ahead of pace and I'm feeling good. Coming up to the ½ way point which is at the crest of the Horseshoe Falls (how cool is that?). As I'm nearing the falls the tourists are out in force so you have to either weave in and out or walk. I hit the ½ way mark in 2:57 which is still ahead of pace I ask the volunteer at the aid station if I'm the back of the pack and I'm told that there are at least 5 behind me ... but that I had the biggest smile At the ½ way a tourist nearby calls out to me "how long is the race?" When I respond 50K he gives me a look like I have 3 heads and says "WOW!" Just after the ½ I see 72 yr old Paul he's doing well.

The aid stations are great ... enthusiastic volunteers and they are stocked with PowerAde, water, Pepsi (EW!), chips, pretzels, candy, cookies, cheese etc. Nice. And they offer to fill up water bottles too. Toward the end of the race the folks just ahead of me I could see stop and linger for a few minutes at the aid station to "stock up".

Carrying on ... I hit 30K in 3:35 and I'm slowing down some. My calves are feeling really tight but I keep it going. I hit 35K in 4:09 I think one guy just ahead of me says "Thanks for chasing me!” My calves now feel like ROCKS they are so tight so I decide to walk a bit. I've got 15K left in this thing. The sun is up and it's a little warm now, likely around 23C / 72F. So I'm walking and start chatting with another guy. We are just around the Brock monument when Mr. 72 year old comes by. I think to myself I really don't want him to smoke me so I start running a bit. Down the hill is relatively easy and then I start trying R2/W2 but that's not working so I'm doing R1/W1 until 40K in approx 5:05 ish ... After this point I realize that I'm likely walking the last 10K because I ran for a minute and felt my head go woozy. I'm so close to the finish that I'm not going to lose it now!

Shortly after the 40K mark I meet up with another runner ... most of the crowd support came from other runners and water station volunteers as it was a small race. Richard and I walked pretty much the last 10K together. Chatting and talking ... he's done more than 60 marathons and another guy in the race Joe Cleary has done well over 100 ... he's done Canadian all provinces & territories and all 50 states and is now working on his continents! CRAZY!!!!

We hit 45K in 5:45 ... and I start to choke up especially when Richard starts talking about women he's run with who did their first marathon and were telling him that the feeling is close to the feeling after childbirth. I'm in "magic time" (aka longer than I've ever gone before) so I tear up ... and say that the comparison is so dead on ... the feeling of physical exertion and achievement is so close!

We are carrying on ... and then we see the 1 mile marker ... We're almost there! I look at my watch and we're at 6:12 and I say "Richard we're gonna do a sub 6:30!" He says ... I didn't think that was possible by you've got one heck of a pace so I'll take it! We carry on and see Fort George ... both of us didn't remember seeing it on the way out and then we see the finish. (The finish/start area was in a grassy field with 2 orange pylons)... I say
Richard what say we run in? So we do ... WOW ... 50K done in 6:26:52! Hard to imagine!
 

Shirley Forsyth,  Hamilton, Ontario, June 2007 

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