No?? Really??? What????Impossible??? Yep!!!

...the thoughts that now run through my mind...

...anything that could go wrong did today in the 1/2 marathon. Legs felt like crap, my mind was swiss cheese, but that's not even half the story... it gets much much better

I figure run a pace session so somewhere around 67-68 min pace, but I also knew that my legs were still dead from overcompensating from being sick so I also figured anything around 68 would be okay. Like I often say I am 'stoopid' and this was one of those times. I can train through 5 and 10kms, but the 1/2 marathon, at least for me, is a different ballgame. Todd Howard, Jim Finlayson, the Mazzotta brothers and a couple of guys from out of town were in the lead pack (huge props to Todd for a nice PR and Carmin for running his first half.....too bad he didn't lose his 'amateur status as he got outkicked near the end by some guy from Georgia). I knew early on that this one was going to be a struggle. My legs felt pounded at oh geeezzzz....1 mile.....yikes.... Anyways I was able to hang in there and felt smoother as we went along, but at about 3 miles I I started getting stomach cramps.... uh oh...bathroom (you've go to be kidding me I thought). At just before 5 miles I see some porta potties...head on in..lose 60 seconds. Ahhhh I thought 'it's a training run and besides I might still place' (if I only knew), so off I go in pursuit and feeling much better.

Off I go into Stanley Park (but I really don't know the course) and run past some course officials and on to the Sea Wall (where I assume the course goes), but no one says anything (I think I look like a runner with my race number and singlet). Now I can't see anyone in front of me, but it's twisty so I figure those guys must be rolling. I even run past some official looking people and see some official race signs that say 'garbage in here' and no one says anything to me.

I keep on running , but as I come around a corner I cannot see anyone on the Sea Wall. Hmmmmmm...... 'hey there's a guy I recognize way up ahead, but he's running on the road and is above me. You've got to be kidding me' I think. 'I am not even on the course'.....ooops!!!!! So I run up some embankment and back on to the road by the half way marker (I think mile 5 to the half took around 10 mins).

Well you can now guess where my mind is and it gets better I had to go to the bathroom one more time (stinking hamburgers my neighbour fed me last night.....lesson learned my body does not deal with beef well). In the end I ended up simply jogging in, but my legs felt pounded.

I am all about 'experiences' in running and I've been running a long time, but I don't think I've ever experienced anything like today.....now the question is whether this is good ...or bad....aaarrrggghhhhhh