Forest City Road Races

Forest City Road Races

The Forest City Road Races are the biggest thing London has on the running scene, including a marathon, 1/2, 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km. 3 Sicas participated and we all had fun, I did the half, Cass the 10 km and Pat the 2.5 km. Unfortunately, weatherwise it was a brutal day, not the kind of day it is fun to hang around and socialize which was disappointing. It was grey and 5 ºC with a 30 km/h NW wind and I don't think I have FLA out of my blood yet: it was bitter. I brought my bike and spun 30 min before dropping off my bag and doing some pickups, and even riding the trainer it was hard to get warm.

The start was fun, since this for me was a 'C' race I was loose and got to see some friends I hadn't talked to since last season or longer. We headed out and did our running, and I managed to handle most everything but the Shriners on the corners, something about a Fez which stirs bad chemicals in me. I asked several times to anyone around "where are the tiny cars! dammit!". From about 2 to 10 km there were several of us 50-54s all running about the same pace, but we got thinned out going up Adelaide into the wind. I stuck to my plan to stay relaxed to about 16 km then pick it up to the end. The race really thinned and by 18 km I was basically by myself until the finish. I went steady to the end and ran 1.41.28, about 4.5 min slower than last year. This was about 2-3 min due to wind and the rest my lack of effort. Last year I was in my build for IMCDA in June, while this year the serious racing is still awhile off. I really know what's up tomorrow, and see if I recover like a normal long run or if I'm sore at all. So far so good.

Cass had a great race, 4th in his AG, and is really coming along with his training. We're going to do the Milton Tri together at the end of the month (hope it warms back up so we have a swim first and not a skate). After his race he got to share Mother's Day with his Mom on her race and was her pace bunny. After race we indulged Mom in her 2 favorite pastimes: puttering at greenhouses (so many kinds of basal, so little time) and collecting rocks. This must be why Chey is studying to be a geologist. The woman is loves her rocks. This affliction has gotten worse, she used to just pick up rocks and bring them back from everywhere we would go (enduring years of my comments about air heads and rocks in your pocket). Her "passion" has gotten worse and the rock on the right is the size she is fiending now. "Pat, I can't pick that up." "You just don't want to, boo hoo". AAAHHH. So we cruised around a new subdivision going in near us and she happily found a 25 lber to put in her new garden space out front.

(I mean I'm pre-driving the course at Muskoka a few years ago, "Stop, look at that one" and almost got a hernia putting it in the van which sat so low on the shocks we couldn't drive above 80; I thought I wouldn't be able to race the next day. We have a strict rule now, no rock hunting during an IM taper. :-)

OK 8 days to Victoria's Du and we'll see where I'm at there. I hope it is a warm day.

Happy Mothers Day to all qualified candidates,

boB