"Around the Bay 30Km Road Race" - Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

The event organizers for this race have no issues with pointing out to everyone that this is the oldest race in North America. In fact they have built an entire marketing campaign around it. Every one of the 13,000 that paid to run in the race (30Km, 30Km relays, and 5Km) received a New Balance technical shirt that bears the Bay Race logo on the front, and the following on the back: "Older than Boston". Too cool.

Hamilton is not the most beautiful city in Canada, but the course around the bay (Hamilton and Burlington) is a very pretty route. Lot's to see, and a lot of views on to Lake Ontario as well as Hamilton Harbour - although the views of Stelco and Dofasco (steel mills) are not all that great.

I approached this race very conservatively. I drove the course the day before, and put together a plan around how I was going to run this. Without any surprise, I decided to run the first 10Km at a slower pace (7min/Km), then maybe pick it up from there. The reason I wanted to run this way was because the last 12Km of the course is up and down rolling hills... and I didn't want to bonk.

I started the race, and was in the flow of my corral mates, soon realizing that I was running at a pace of 5:20min/Km. Not where I wanted to be. Once things started thinning out at around the 5Km mark, I pulled back on the gas a little, and settled at around 5:50min/Km. I hit the 10Km easily, popped a gel pack, and kept up the pace, feeling great. I decided to maintain this pace until the 20Km mark, then assess again when I got there. Again, once I hit the 20Km mark I popped another gel pack, and decided to maintain pace. through the hills.

Again, I am not a seasoned runner, but I know enough about control and planning in races like this. That said, when I took off from the start of the race there were a lot of people passing me. I was fine with this. I decided not to get caught up in the cheers of the people along the side of the road (even though it does get the adrenaline going), and let the people pass me by. I figured I would be passing many of these people in the last 10Km.

At the 20Km mark, I was ahead of my planned pace... and I was feeling amazing. I decided to maintain my pace of (now) 5:52min/Km and cruise through the rolling hills, straight to the finish line inside Copps Coliseum. And just as I suspected, I was passing people right, left and center. By the 25/26Km mark there were people sitting at the sides of the road, walking, vomiting, laying down on the ground trying to work out the cramps in their calves, and dropping out altogether.

The last hill in this section of the course is a good one, and at least half of the people were walking, with hands at the hips. Here are a few things I learned about this course, and more about running in general. Take it for what it is worth.

1. If you get a chance, bike, walk, or drive the actual route the day before the race. Make notes, and work out how you are going to approach the course without killing yourself. You should come up with a plan as to how fast you plan to run each section of the course. Be conservative.
2. Have different clothing configurations available to ensure you are comfortable in all weather conditions. This is very important if the race is not in your home city, and you need to overnight to run the race.
3. Eat a good meal the night before - heavy on carbohydrates - ie. pasta, potatoes, etc.
4. Drink lots of fluids the night before so you are hydrated right from the start.
5. Go to bed early, and get a good night sleep.
6. Wake up early, and go for a warm up run - 2 to 3Km.
7. Eat a good breakfast, but not too much. You do not want to be bloated.
8. If you have the equipment, bring your own water and electrolytes. I prefer to avoid stopping at the water stations as they get crowded and that means you  need to slow down, or stop altogether. With my own water in bottles on my hands, or in a fuel belt around my waist, or in a Camelbak on my back... I do not need to stop. It's not just about time, it's also about moving. I don't like stopping because I get out of the rhythm and mindset that I'm in.
9. Go to the race starting area early so you are not rushed, and stressed out. Walk around, check out the corrals, talk to people, get into the energy of the event.
10. Start the race slow. Let people pass you. Again, if you plan things right you will be passing these same people closer to the end.

These are just a few of the things that have helped me to become a better runner.

So to cap things off, my goal was to run the Around the Bay in 3h30m. A conservative plan based on my assessment the night before. Having that goal in mind, and being well prepared, I was able to run the race in 2h56m. Much better than I thought.

Run based on how you feel at the moment, stay away from listening to an iPod, and just listen to what your body is saying. Basic stuff I think. But it helps get you through long distances.

Always remember, the race is run in the last 5Km.