Observations of a 2-Hour Pace Bunny

Building on last week’s column, I wanted to touch upon a few things I noticed or came to the realization about while pacing.

1. Ipod nation.

Good or bad, there is a crazy amount of people running races with their portable listening devices. If it helps get you through a race that is fine by me, but you must be aware of what is going around you for safety reasons. A lot of the people following me were wearing these so there was not a lot of chatting going on – no audience for my lame jokes.

2. Women have gas too.

I won’t identify anyone in particular but let’s just say one of my followers was belching like she just downed a beer after each kilometer. It was pretty funny, and it got louder from the 15 km mark onwards. She certainly cleared a path for our group. I got embarrassed a few times so I joined her once or twice.

3. The pacers are on pace.

I got this question few times and my response is always the same “Always!” I am not there to race, I am there to do my assigned pace and I take that job seriously since a lot of people depend on me. At the Waterfront Marathon/Half Marathon they do a great job in recruiting experienced pacers, and if you can’t cut it you are not asked back. This was my 4th time and I hope to be back (I was 15 seconds under the 2 hr assigned pace).

4. People go out way too hard.

I saw so many people get caught up in the excitement and blast off, only to be passed by me and my 2-hour group later in the race. It is supposed to feel easy early, but that doesn’t not mean it is time to go for it. Be patient, do what you did in your training runs, and if you feel great late in the race, then go for it. It feels so much better to finish strong. Plus, you will find that you will be passing a bunch of people if you do.

5. Nutrition/Hydration.

Whether it be the half or full marathon, you should have some kind of nutrition plan heading into the race. I was baffled by the amount of questions that I got at the race expo regarding race day nutrition (pre-race and during). You need to have this dialed in way in advance of race day. It was a humid day and I was drenched in sweat within 2km. With such conditions, you need to take in more fluid. I saw a lot of racers who didn’t and they paid for it with poor races or a visit to the medical tent. I typically shoot back a quarter or half cup of water/sports drink at each aid station and take one gel at the 10 km mark if doing a half marathon. Whatever you decide to do, you need to experiment first to figure out what works. Race day is not the time to try something new.

6. Slow moving traffic.

If you are going to start walking or are doing your 10 and 1’s, please move over to the left or right side of the road. Too many times I encountered people walking right in the middle of the road, causing faster racers to zig zag around them. Partly connected to number 1, was it a coincidence that many of these individuals had earphones on? Just be aware out there. It makes for a better race experience for all.

7. Pay it forward.

Thank those volunteers! Thank everyone you grab a cup of water from, those who are directing traffic, or whoever else impacted your day. Positive energy is always a great thing and somehow has a way of coming back to reward you. This includes you family of course. Who have made sacrifices to allow you to do your long runs, and put up with a host of ridiculous demands and behaviours.

8. Check that.

Keep a check on those self-centered behaviours and demands. Try doing things so that it has minimal impact on family life, that way you can sign up and race again without any chance for conflict at home. Getting workouts completed before the family wakes up, presents, and trips to great locations goes a long way to ensure that you have a long race career.

9. Never give up.

If you did not have the race you wanted do not get down on yourself. The great thing about the popularity of running is that there are a ton of other races to do and get that performance you are looking for. This also goes for during the race. Stay positive, and keep plugging away because you never know if things might turn around. Even the best have crumbled in big races. What makes you tougher is being able to bounce back from those experiences. It is more satisfying too.

That’s it for now, see you at the races.

Have a great week!

Bunny Man