2013 Toronto Goodlife Marathon - May 5

[canalrunner]

My question to those who have run this course before. I waw thinking of trying to do a negative split 4:15 but the first half of the course is down hill and will be the coolest temps as the day goes on. Does it make sense for a race like this to try just for an even pace or positive split because of the elevation drop

Good assessment of why your first half may be quicker. I'd say try for even or a small negative split as far as energy output goes - but pace may not reflect this effort. A perfectly run race would likely see a minute or 90 seconds saved on the Rosedale Valley Road stretch and other downhills in the first half that would be hard to match in the second.

I'd say the same thing--maybe even 2-3 minutes. Sweet first half after the Hog Hollow bit. Adjusted goal for my son's first marathon is 3:40 to 3:45. Anybody find it weird to be running the Toronto Marathon with the Leafs playing playoff hockey rather than golfing or in training camp for another season of futility. (Don't worry, it won't last long)

[Double Bellybuster]

Be sure to say hello if you spot me, I will do the same. I have the slimming bib number, #111, strapped to an otherwise pleasantly chunky dude in a Boston, We Run With You T-shirt.

Dave

[AjaxRunner]

I'll be sporting bib 3793, with this shirt:

[purdy65]

Port o potties outside my building!

[purdy65]

OK, I'm getting a wee bit nervous about the warm temps predicted! I'll take the sunshine any day, but maybe 5 degrees cooler please? Hopefully the race will be done before it reaches the high for the day - which is predicted to be 20.

Nothing but sunshine in the forecast!

Bib 7296!

[christine84]

First time running this particular half. How organized is the start? Just wondering how early I should be getting to my corral. The Scotia half last year was a bit of a mess at the start and it took ages to get into the corral. thx!

[purdy65]

First time running this particular half. How organized is the start? Just wondering how early I should be getting to my corral. The Scotia half last year was a bit of a mess at the start and it took ages to get into the corral. thx!

You will find it MUCH smaller than Scotia. No worries - maybe 10 minutes prior. Good Luck!

[jonovision_man]

OK, I'm getting a wee bit nervous about the warm temps predicted! I'll take the sunshine any day, but maybe 5 degrees cooler please? Hopefully the race will be done before it reaches the high for the day - which is predicted to be 20.

Nothing but sunshine in the forecast!

Bib 7296!

Looks like it'll be nice and cool at the start and get progressively less tolerable! Might have to jump in the lake on the trip back along the shore.

On the bright side - low winds predicted, and humidity shouldn't be bad.

jono

[tgilpin]

I will be sporting Bib# 604

Hopefully I will be wearing my "Boston" shirt too. I am going to the expo today to get my kit and shirt - hopefully it fits well.

I too am a little concerned about my 'hydration' plan. The first few runs in tough heat/humidity always gets to me and I take in too much fluid and get cramps. The sunshine is fantastic though. Usually the early May races are cool, windy and rain!

[jonovision_man]

Hopefully I will be wearing my "Boston" shirt too.

Saw them at the expo, they look great!





jono

[Double Bellybuster]

OK, I'm getting a wee bit nervous about the warm temps predicted!

Hopefully they have their supplies together!! Last year was 5 degrees cooler - I started to slow in the last 4K after consecutive late water stations were out of water. But I wasn't back-of-pack, I was in the front 350 runners.

[Double Bellybuster]

First time running this particular half. How organized is the start? Just wondering how early I should be getting to my corral. The Scotia half last year was a bit of a mess at the start and it took ages to get into the corral. thx!

You will find it MUCH smaller than Scotia. No worries - maybe 10 minutes prior. Good Luck!

Agreed! But these girls, with signs marking corral edges, were interesting last year - for the marathon, they were standing together...on the course side of the timing mats!



So the fenceless corral was one big mess. Even the bunnies couldn't save it - the 3:15:00 pace bunny and the 3:40:00 bunny both thought the same spot was the appropriate place to stage their groups. While the girls with the signs stood together at the 50 metre mark of the race chatting and texting...

[jonovision_man]

First time running this particular half. How organized is the start? Just wondering how early I should be getting to my corral. The Scotia half last year was a bit of a mess at the start and it took ages to get into the corral. thx!

You will find it MUCH smaller than Scotia. No worries - maybe 10 minutes prior. Good Luck!

Agreed! But these girls, with signs marking corral edges, were interesting last year - for the marathon, they were standing together...on the course side of the timing mats!



So the fenceless corral was one big mess. Even the bunnies couldn't save it - the 3:15:00 pace bunny and the 3:40:00 bunny both thought the same spot was the appropriate place to stage their groups. While the girls with the signs stood together at the 50 metre mark of the race chatting and texting...

I assume those are half marathon times?

jono

jono

[Double Bellybuster]

First time running this particular half. How organized is the start? Just wondering how early I should be getting to my corral. The Scotia half last year was a bit of a mess at the start and it took ages to get into the corral. thx!

You will find it MUCH smaller than Scotia. No worries - maybe 10 minutes prior. Good Luck!

Agreed! But these girls, with signs marking corral edges, were interesting last year - for the marathon, they were standing together...on the course side of the timing mats!



So the fenceless corral was one big mess. Even the bunnies couldn't save it - the 3:15:00 pace bunny and the 3:40:00 bunny both thought the same spot was the appropriate place to stage their groups. While the girls with the signs stood together at the 50 metre mark of the race chatting and texting...

I assume those are half marathon times?

Yes, one hour later for the half marathon start (and this picture) it looks like they may have moved to the runner's side of the timing mats. But there do seem to be a lot of runners already gathered. These runners may be looking to get into a corral. But all corrals appear to be two feet wide and out-of-sequence with edges marked by signs that are in front of a camera that does not appear to be near the start line.

[La]

Pretty typical for High School volunteers. They need lots of supervision/direction.

[sarah19]

There are no corrals for Goodlife you kind of just stand behind or near the pace bunnies of the time you think you migh finish in.

[Double Bellybuster]

There are no corrals for Goodlife you kind of just stand behind or near the pace bunnies of the time you think you migh finish in.

Very much a chicken or egg thing. If the folks with the corral signs stand with the runners, there are corrals.

[chunkymonkeymelonhed]

Good luck to all Maniacs running Goodlife tomorrow.

Have a great race people!!

[marymac442]

Good luck folks - happy running.

[jonovision_man]

Code: Select all

Since the beginning of time man has yearned to destroy the sun.  I will do the next best thing...block it out!
-- Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)


^^^ Strange things go through your mind at the end of a marathon... that was what I was thinking, as that glowing orb baked me to a crisp!

Things went pretty OK, finished in 3:39 and change, not quite as fast as I'd hoped (3:35) but all in all pretty satisfying (a new PB by ~5 mins). Learned that I'll never get that last 10km right (does anyone ever??) - I was more prepared than ever, still struggled.

I also learned that the Toronto Marathon organizers don't know how to place kilometer markers. Many of them were off - by large margins. Big city marathons shouldn't make mistakes like that IMO. But I still love the course and will probably be back... although the half is starting to look more appealing, this marathon stuff is overrated!

jono

[Double Bellybuster]

The corral and water issue I whined about were fixed for this year, sorry to whine.

Good event. My Boston shirt attracted reporters pre-race. That is me on the CP24 news loop. Also did CTV and Chinese Newswire TV interviews, not sure if they made the cut.

[Double Bellybuster]

Good event. My Boston shirt attracted reporters pre-race. That is me on the CP24 news loop. Also did CTV and Chinese Newswire TV interviews, not sure if they made the cut.

One interview:

http://www.cp24.com/mobile/video?binId= ... pId=919797

[purdy65]

Good event. My Boston shirt attracted reporters pre-race. That is me on the CP24 news loop. Also did CTV and Chinese Newswire TV interviews, not sure if they made the cut.

One interview:

http://www.cp24.com/mobile/video?binId= ... pId=919797

Well done Dave!

[Double Bellybuster]

Does anyone want a shirt? Cupcake Girl has a new Women's Medium that was too big.

$26 delivered. PM if interested.

[jonovision_man]

Just saw on cp24 that an 18-year-old girl died near the full marathon finish.



Edit: add link
http://www.cp24.com/news/teen-girl-dies ... -1.1268130

It was pretty hot when I finished, must have been tougher still for those still on course. No detail yet about the nature of her condition, other than it was" medical".

jono