A on-site discussion on the trials, tribulations and triumphs of some Oakville endurance runners. Use the "comments" box below the blog to add your feedback.

Friday, April 06, 2007

May 27 Ottawa Marathon


36 comments:

Anonymous said...
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davehowlett said...

Hi Jennifer, Yes, it was bit of a heat furnace last year. I hope you are running in your sauna at home to practise up! Seriously though, make sure you do that hydration check to make sure you have enough fluids and you will do fine. Go Jennifer Go!

Anonymous said...

Jenn, I hope the weather treats you Ottawa marathoners better this year! Really enjoyed running ATB with you and we will miss your smiling face at Mississauga. Enjoy your race, it's a beautiful one!

Heather

Anonymous said...

Jenn Ottawa is a great race. I did the half in the sauna conditions last year. This year has to be better. Even if it isn't there has been warmer weather leading up to it so you will at least be getting use to running in shorts and a top rather than the winter gear. Have a great race! (best of all the last long run was over today)

Lynn I

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen,

Ottawa is an excellent route and a very well-run marathon.

Enjoy your day! We will be thinking of you and will look forward to hearing all about your experience.

Treat yourself well these next few weeks and enjoy the remaining part of your training.

You will rock on May 27th!

Mary Lynn

davehowlett said...

Hey Jen - I know you have your racepace run tomorrow and I wanted to wish you all the best as you start your journey. Have fun with this and do as much as you can too simulate raceday (clothing, nutrition, hydration, lubing etc). Let me know how it goes!

davehowlett said...

Hey Jen - are you getting excited about Ottawa? Can you meet at the Queen's Head on Thursday night at 8pm to get some advice from the Mississauaga folks? Otherwise, I'll rally the troops to cheer you on through the blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen,

Just wanted to wish you the best of luck for a great race in Ottawa. Less than two weeks to go! Even though we won't be there in person, know that we will all be thinking of you on the morning of the 27th. The Mississauga crew had beautiful weather so I figure that it is only fair that the weather man delivers up the same for you. Enjoy your 42.2K reward for all the hard work that you have put in over the last 4 months!

Take Care,

Kathy

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen:

One more week for your marathon. I hope that you have a great run and good weather. Make sure you taper off next week. You are in great shape and I am certain that you will be able to keep up with your boyfriend! We will be sending you good vibrations and while you are running, think about the improv routine you will perform at the grand party in Joe's place!(ha ha)

Best of luck and see you on Thursday or when you come back from Ottawa.

Mario

Anonymous said...

thanks so much for remembering me, guys :-) i was just reading al the mississauga stories, and i am literally wiping away tears- what an amazing day!!

I think I will be at the Queen's Head tonight... I sort of vowed to stay off alcohol for the two weeks leading up to (hard to do when you work at a winery ;-) but i will definitely join you for a hearty coca cola or fruit juice...

I'm actually getting super nervous... as I told Cathie and the rest of my ATB co-runners, My big goal for this course has been consistency- although this is my 4th marathon, I have yet to finish a single run at anything close to the same speed I started. I was able (thanks to the girls :-) to keep up the 10 and ones for ATB, if I can do it in Ottawa, I will be ecstatic!!

The other big ottawa story is that I am meeting up with my girlfriend Leanne, who is running her first 1/2 there... Leanne's story is that her husband was Robert Mitchell- one of the 42 cdn soldiers that was killed last year. He was a marathoner, and she has been training really hard up in Petawawa to do this for him... If any of you are on facebook, on my profile I am in a group called 'will leanne and tracey finish ahead of the race walkers' and the group is publicly accessible, if you'd like to read her funny training stories about unitards and body glide... and the theory of why margaritas help with 1/2 marathon training :-)

anyways, i'm babbling because i'm nervous (speaking of nervous- go to www.ncm.ca - that countdown and the scary music they play with it is torturous!!)

see you tonight!
jenn.xo

Anonymous said...

Jenn, I wish you the same sort of weather that we had at Mississauga. It was a beautiful day on Sunday so I hope that the weather gods cooperate and give you an equally gorgeous running weather type of day! Although we may not be there in body, we will be there in spirit.

Sending lots of good vibes your way... And best of luck to your friend Leanne as she runs her first half. :-)

... Cathie

Anonymous said...

Hey Jen,
I don't know what to say that everyone else hasn't already said :)
I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully you can feel all those good vibes that everyone will be sending your way. Most of all...... enjoy yourself.
Can't wait to hear about it at the party. Have great run and a wonderful day.
Kim

Anonymous said...

Jen,

Good luck with the race pace today. Remeber that this is just practice you haven't tapered yet so you will be even stronger on Sun. Enjoy, you will be awsome. I look forward to hearing all about it at the party.

B'Ann

Anonymous said...

Hi Jenn,

I'm sure the marathon gods are going to come up with a perfect day in Ottawa next Sunday, to make up for last year. I hope you have a great trip and an awesome run.

Best of luck,
Dave O.

Anonymous said...

okay- i know that 'everything longer than 2 days ahead of time is a science fiction forcast' but... :-) the weather networks forcast for that day has now gone down 10 degrees!! it's saying 14!!

heehee

jenn

davehowlett said...

14 degrees? PERFECT running weather! Just have your boyfriend hug you to keep you warm before the race and cast him off when he starts slowing down around 35 km.

Anonymous said...

Good Morning Jen,

Hope you have great weather for your race and a wonderful race. I'm sure that all your training will pay off.

Lynn

Anonymous said...

Hey Jen,
Just saw the weather.... looks like it will cool down for you on the weekend....yea! I know, Dave will say that if it's past a few days out then they weather may not be right. But, it's looking good so far!
I hope you have a great run.
See you when you get back.
Kim

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen,

Weather looking better for running!

Have a wonderful race!

Hope Ryan keeps up!

Soon you will have another new Shiny metal for your collection!

Take lots of pictures in Ottawa, can't wait to hear the stories.

Grace :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen

Just wanted to wish all the best on Sunday. Whatever the weather it's bound to be better than last yer right?

One word of advice - start slow! - I never ever do and I always blow up big time! Maybe one extra person saying the same thing might have made me listen!

Have a great race.

Jo

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen:

Few more days and you will be done on your marathon. The weather looks like is going to be nice and it should not be too hot.
I have a good feelng that you will do great. Start slow and do not try to bank on time! Please post you bib number so we can follow you on line.
Have a great run and I look forward to hearing your stories of the marathon.
Mario

Anonymous said...

my number is #3015...

i'll be at the chateau laurier friday and saturday night, and the montreal hyatt regency sunday and monday night if anyone feels like having an impromptu visit :-)

thanks so much for remebering me over the last two weeks- you have No idea how much this has meant to me...

see you soon!!

jenn.xo

Anonymous said...

Good luck on Sunday Jenn...remember your 10 and 1s, just like we did for Around the Bay. I'm still crossing my fingers for good weather for you. Looking forward to seeing the medal and hearing the story at the party.

Heather

Anonymous said...

Jenn

Best of luck on Sunday - will be thinking of you. I know you'll do great!

Audrey

Anonymous said...

Hey Jenn,

3 more sleeps. The weather looks a little cooler than last year, so enjoy. You trained hard, enjoy the beautiful scenery and bring that great big medal home!!!!
See you at the party.

B'Ann

Anonymous said...

Go Jen Go !!
According to the Weather Network, there has been a change in the forecast.... but don't pay too much attention to that! It's still two days away and things can change again. Regardless, you can do it !! You've trained hard for this so best wishes for an enjoyable race.

... Cathie

Anonymous said...

Hey Jen,
I'm sure you're getting pretty excited now. I hope everything goes your way on Sunday and you have a great time. I look forward to seeing you at the party and hearing all about it.
Good luck
Kim

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike:

Have a great half marathon!

Mario

davehowlett said...

Hey Jenn - I got your text message, congratulations on finishing the race, despite slipping on that stupid hill. Darned rain! Looking forward to reading about your adventure and hearing how Jean Cretien grabbed your butt at 15km!

Anonymous said...

HI Jen:

Congratulations on completing the marathon. Let us know how you felt through the run.

Best regards,
Mario

Anonymous said...

Hi Jen,

Congratulations on your marathon. Would love to hear all the details of your run!

Take Care,

Kathy

Anonymous said...

Half Marthons are sooo civilized, sleep in, start at 8:30 and blast by the marathoners doing their second half. Had a great run as you can tell, the rain was light and managed to keep my pace for the first half and then speed-up. Thanks for the flow of positive energy Mario, gave me the boost I needed at the end.

Mike

Anonymous said...

Hi Mike:

Congratulations on your great half marathon. You have had a solid training this season and it shows in the results. We need to compare notes and see how we can make a repeat for a good season for the Chicago marathon!

Best regards,
Mario

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

hello :-)

wow... what a weekend!! well, as i think i've mentioned once or twice, it was more of an exhausting wet t-shirt contest than a marathon!!

i'm really not sure what to say- i think my splits tell the story pretty accurately: at 10km i was rockin', at half way i was on top of the world, at 30km i started to fall apart...

i'm completely okay with it tho- i finished, and i'm so happy with the first 70%- the rest just makes for a good story, and a reason to come back and keep training.

the factual stuff that may or may not have made a difference is that it WAS raining like mad- and it was Honestly my first time running in the rain ever. i do have a giant blister on my right foot- it's pretty impressive actually :-) i slipped down the hill by mexicali rosa's on the rideau which was at about 36km, so i was already slowing and tired.

in the end, i know i was well hydrated and nourished. and i'm really happy with the first 30km. and i LOVE saying to people at work "my first 30km were great" - that alone seems to stun enough people to make things fun! i'm so happy that i stuck with it and finished my last 12km in record long time... the medal is pretty cool and i can't wait to see you all to show it off!

looking forward to san fransisco for october, i think i'm going to try to cross train more, hill train more, and meditate more. i think in many ways i really psyched myself out after 32 and i'm not sure how to help that...

it was a fantastic experience- i did meet jean chretian at the 15km mark, and i heard dave does a great impression of him ;-)

see you all at jo's!!
thanks again,

jenn.xo

Anonymous said...

Jenn,

Congrats on finishing your marathon under (what sound like) horribly difficult conditions! For me, running in the rain is the absolute worst...I'll take any other conditions...so the fact that you managed to complete a 42.2km marathon in it just amazes and impresses me. Like Dave says, we do the best we can on the day of...and I'd say you did an incredible job! Congratulations again...see you at the party!

Heather