Around the Bay 2013 - Personal Best: 2:30:09

So, first all, the thank-yous. To John Ferguson, The Legend, and the excellent training program he runs for Runners Choice. His program got me to the point where I felt I could hit a personal best in this race. Next, to Jenny, who was out there supporting me, our daughter Karen (who completed her first Around The Bay upright and smiling!), as well as several other Runners Choice runners. But most of all, to my personal running coach, running buddy, beer drinking buddy, and friend (plus the best small animal veterinarian in London Ontario -- see www.FairmontAH.com), Dr. Brian Watson -- who paced me the entire way and absolutely allowed me to get the most out of todays run.

It would have been nice to beat 2:30 -- but being 9 seconds off is still fine. I had zero left in the tank at the finish. In fact, yet again, I ended up in the medic area after I crossed the finish. Brian kept urging me on for those last 4 kilometres and I was amazed that I finished with the time I had.

The strategy was to keep a pace in the neighbourhood of 4:55/k for the first 20 K or so, and then do what we could through the hills in Burlington before finally turning on the jets for the last 4 kilometres home. But, by the time I got through the hills of Burlington, there was virtually nothing left in the tank.

Here are my splits for this race:

4:51
4:54
4:58
5:00
4:56
4:56
4:52
4:52
4:52
4:56
4:47
4:52
4:55
4:58
4:57
4:55
4:52
4:52
4:55
4:50
5:00
5:08
5:05
5:17
5:00
5:03
5:52 (the big hill)
5:10
4:57
4:46
5:16 pace (174 m.)

We were off by about 2 seconds per kilometer comparing the GPS to the actual -- so add 2 seconds to all times above.

But, overall, I was super-pleased with how these numbers look -- particularly the last 3 kilometres where I wanted to stop a thousand times. But I was convinced that the only way I'd be allowed to stop is if I was truly injured or my calf muscles were in convulsions or something. So I just muddled through -- but still knocking off a better-than-5-minute-K pace.

Any day you can have a Personal Best is definitely a good day, so it will be a while before the perma-smile comes off my face. But, as I said above, I couldn't have done it without the help of a bunch of my friends!

The Finish Line (Look at 2:30:40 on the clock):