I just got back from the Cabot Trail Relay Race in Cape Breton NS. Here are some observations from that experience:
Running is Easy
Compared to driving 14 hours just to get to Moncton, anything is easy. We headed out under cloudy skies, which just got worse as the trip went on. My co-driver got nailed for a $125 ticket by the Quebec Provincial Police just 20kms after leaving Ontario. Then the rain hit. The wipers didn't stop working for ten straight hours, some of which were pretty shaky considering how little one could see when stuck behind a water-spewing semi trailer. Then after a good night's rest, we did it all over again all the way to the Cape!
Plans Don't Always Work Out
Since I didn't have much time to run leading up to the race, I figured I could get a few quality jogs in before my leg of the relay. I didn't factor in the +3 Celsius temperature, with rain and fog, and ground so wet that you got two instant soakers just going out the front door! I also conveniently forgot that there would be scotch and beer. Neither of those two items encourage one to "go for a run."
Gas is Cheap
At least here in Kingston it is. We filled up at the Shell downtown at $1.23 per litre. It was $1.40+ in Quebec, about $1.26 in New Brunswick and $1.36 all over Nova Scotia, where the government legislates a one-price-everywhere policy. The spending money I withdrew before we left was gone before I knew it.
Running is Hard
I was in great shape for my leg of the race. I knew the terrain, the distance and what the conditions would generally be like. But there were a few things I didn't know such as: not warming up would mean I ran tight for the first fifteen minutes; coming down with a cold really does make it harder to push your body to the limit; and skipping that last-minute visit to the portapotty can be nearly fatal! I'd planned to make the top 15 and finished 15th. However, my time was slow, even by my standards, and I got beaten by a woman just ten seconds from the finish. And so it goes.
Good Times Don't Last
It seemed like the five days were over before they even started. Good friends, good music, good food and some pretty good running went by in the blink of an eye. But still, I'm glad to be back.
