I started to write a quick reply to Kirk, trying to describe how my race went this weekend, and suddenly began writing a longer novel, something I wish have done for other races I have experienced, since a race can become such an in depth thing, that two months later can be fuzzy to recall, writing is a way to grab a hold of this in a way that endures...also writing
is a wonderful way to let people into your world, to give them a moment to try on your eyes.. Or in the case of this weekend, legs and lungs...

The racing this weekend was great, actually we were lucky and had no rain, pleasant and cool conditions on excellent courses.. Saturday was the 10k and Sunday the 42k marathon, the courses for both races had a little of everything, a lot of terrain variety and good pavement....

On Saturday I met up with Kevin, who skates with me in Binhamton, and headed northwards.. Kevin and I took forever to get to Ottawa.. And once we got to the city, and went to where race packet pickup was, we then discovered that the start was some distance away, and the race packet pickup had been moved there as well (none of this info was on the web site where we registered)... So we had to drive through some very very difficult and winding roads, then had to park somewhere near the start... Ugh, we got our skates on, skated through traffic, then wound our way through 5,000 runners and 500 skaters to the start line.. Found out where race packet pickup was, skated back through the 5,000 runners, got there, got our timing chips, and numbers, fought our way back to the start through 5,000 runners for the third time, and the gun goes off... No warm-up at all and its an all balls out 10k with a huge pack of 500 skaters!!!!

With no warm-up I knew that I was a dead duck if I went anaerobic too soon, the only chance I had was to sit in a little and hope that my body could adjust to the pressure well, so I had to race extremely carefully.. So I just sat in the middle of the line that quickly formed... The pros pushed it hard at the front and at 2k some gaps opened in the line ahead of me, I saw a strong mogema skater whiz by on my left and I tried to get his draft... I pushed hard, got him, then whammo.. Leg lock anarobic hell city..

Also since I didn't have time to properly re-tighten my boots after running around before the race my skates were too loose.. So my stroke became really inefficient, while in that much pain...

So I drop off the main pack, I catch a second pack, recover a bit, hit some hill, and whammo, I start to blow again, my legs cramping, then the front person of the group I was in makes a wrong turn, I almost smash into a curb, we all come to a dead stop spread all over the road, and then continue charging along swooping down a steep and then into a big hill, I go over the steepest climb in the course alone, plodding like the last dodo bird waddling its way to extenction.. The thin crowd on the climb silently watches me stagger by.

On the flat 3kn run into the finish I hitch in with the third or fourth chase pack of 6 skaters, and suffer in the fast pace, well the pace isnt that bad, but I am cooked... I thought I could take them if the finish was flat, but the finish turned out to be on top of a 400m long hard uphill with 50m flat at the top.. Ouch!!! so I watch these 6 skate away from me in sight of the banner.... Massive incredible crowds, 10 deep on each side.. Screaming like maniacs, as I whizzed into the finish line with my mouth hanging open like a large mouth bass gasping for air I heard someone yell to "more oxygen, more oxygeyn!!"

I felt like I was suck-o-rama skater, and I know that my 20 minute time is a bad performance, considering I know I can skate a low 18 these days.. Still I was 28th of 500 something skaters.. I still think I should have cracked the top 20... If only a good warmup!! woulda coulda shoulda.... Kevin shredded all and took 7th.. It was an outstanding course by the way, pretty smooth and all sorts of terrain and turns... I make a mental note to myself of the finish for tomorrow.

Sunday was going to be much better.. We were so intent on a good long warm-up that Kevin and I were there really early.. Like we were the first people there of the multi-thousands who would race that day ( a runing marathon, half marathon, 5 and 2k run also happened as well as the skating)... The race started steady fast.. Gradually increcing in speed... Some of these pro distance skaters can just pull so damm hard!! The most well known marathon skater of all time, Eddy Matzger, is skating next to the paceline with a digital video camera in his hand, filimg us and waving to the paceline, Here I am killing myself in a draft, and Eddy is just screwing around not even trying by himself in the wind... Ah to be a pro....

I knew that I was going to get dropped, the question was when. I was tactically just trying to be as far up the road as possible when it happened... At 9k I felt that telltale crushing pain, and shortly I was off the back, again at the foot of that same section of hills that tortured me yesterday.. A sucession of small groups skates by me on those long gradual upgrades, I couldn't hang with any of them... I am struggling on the hills in my 100mm wheels, my legs felt dead. I need to recover and I am having a hard time since the terrain is pointing up and up.. Every marathon I have ever done has a point in it like this, where I am in agony, unable to stay with anyone, no matter how much I want to.. In tears of frustration, forcing stupid tired legs to move that don1t want to go where I am trying to put them, and all the while I am questioning why the fuck do I do these races.. But every marathon always offers redemption, and if I am able to, and If I have prepared well enough, I take the opportunity.. When a huge group of 40 skaters comes by, I realize this is the train I have got to be on.. So I kill myself to get in the middle of the line...

Ooohh the pain was like the last second of a lobsters life in the pot of boiling water. But the long blessed downhill comes, I recover, and this supercharged paceline starts gobbling up indivudual skaters, and small group for the rest of the race. I start feeling quite a bit better, and finish the first 13 mile lap.. I start feeling strong even, my HR is ticking along at my AT of 173, so I pick out the two skaters who I think I need to watch in the sprint, there must be 40 or so in the pack. We hit the big ass hills again with 20k to go, and I work hard but am able to match the steady fast pace. I start the mental game that I know so well, convincing myself that I must win this bunch sprint, and given that when I examined the race map this morning, I saw the finish is on exactly the same piece of road as yesterday (not part of the loop we do during the marathon, its kind of an extra spur at the end) I begin to plan my sprint, In a group of this size, one has to plan..

My plan is to hit the bottom of the hill in the first 5 or 6 guys, pull out of the line imeadiatly so no one blocks my way, and go as hard as I can, chasing one of these two fast guys, passing him a the very top as the hill flattens. As I am going along, following one of those two strong guys, I notice he has a birthmark on the back of one of his legs just like mine, same complexion as mine too, he is about my size but skinny legs. I point this birthmark similarity out and we share a laugh, he says he is a distance specialist from the twin cities area. I joke that I would show him mine, but I am wearing tights due to the cold. But then someone accelerates at the front, and we get back to the business of racing.

The pace gets really serious with 10k to go, on a rolling hill, I count 10 skaters in front of me, I chance a glance back, count 8+ left behind me. We are dropping quite a few... 4 of this group must be some of the better women in the race, and they take the lead and start hammering away, I test my legs sitting really low for a few strokes in sprinting postion, good! no cramping (often a problem at the end of marathons for me) and I still feel strong...

At 1k to go one of the strong guys takes off, and stabalizes his lead 30-40m ahead of us.. He is gonna cook putting that effort in, and I will blow by him on the hill, I slither up to 3rd place behind two of the women and wait... The other strong guy/birthmark skater starts to sprint by on my left, gains 20 meters, My legs are starting to hurt at the high speed, I feel like I have been packing this tight snowball of energy within me, am just waiting to throw it as hard as I can, we turn the final corner into the hill, AND THERE IS THE FINISH LINE AT THE BASE OF THE HILL 75 METERS AWAY!! I was so mad I was actually growling with rage as I kicked in my sprint, The race map said it was in the same place!! I make up the 20 meters in a seeming split second, and that was the amount of time it took to travel 75 meters at 25+mph.. Exactly on the the line I blast by birthmark skater with a primal yowl.. The finish line shute suddenly curves left and up a hill, and I almost wipe out on the barricades I was carrying so much speed....

A few minutes later my breathing in under control, and I feel that familiar sense of accomplishment.. I survived another marathon... I wonder where the hell I finished, and if I nipped that skater at the line...It doesn't reallty matter to me though, I could not have raced more than one place better (the first strong guy was still 20 meters ahead when I crossed the line) I left it all on the course, I don1t care if I was 3rd or 300th.... three hours later, munching a doughnut and drinking coffee I find the results sheet... (keving raged again and placed top ten, well that is why he's a pro and I am not!)...

Here are some statistics my HR monitor told me from the race, as well as the placing...

Average Heart Rate 178

Maximum Heart Rate 192 (probably when I got dropped from the lead pack)

Time 1 Hour 24 minutes and 51 seconds

I finished 28th of 255+ skaters, same numerical placing as in the 10k! what

are the chances of that! 6th of the 24 in my age group... With a little math my average speed turned out to be 18.5 mph, and my heart beat 15,042 times during the race, or about once every 2.79 meters.

s -Andrew