Okay so I just finished a 10K race on Saturday… placed second and now I’ll take a breather… wait what’s this… a race in Ancaster on Tuesday! Perfect I’ll be down that way for business. The Ancaster Mill Race has a long 29 year history and is known for it’s steep hills and of course the meal provided by the Ancaster Mill. I was feeling pretty good and I figured only 10K, I should be good to go. I wasn’t expecting a large crowd however I was mistaken as the parking lot filled up quickly. This event was extremely well thought out, from the band to the food to all the booths set up along the event. As I lined up to start the race there was the usual “good luck” and “where you from” chatter, then a silence as two very slender gentlemen walked to the front of the race. Kenyans? Not really sure about that but they got everyone’s attention. As the race started the two gentlemen were gone with in the first kilometer. Expecting the worst as everyone who spoke to me prior to the race, was quick to point out the course had changed as a result of construction in town. This year the route included a few more hills… steep hills. No PB today… well I pushed on feeling good through out the race, I remember looking at the first hill thinking pace yourself, this is only the beginning. As the race progressed I lost track of the hills or perhaps was just trying to keep things together (breathing, strides up and down). Before I knew it I saw the 8 k mark, I thought to myself I’m feeling really good today, lets see what these legs will do for me… plus I could smell the food! 9 K one last hill, roughly 30 people in front of me, I put everything I had into that hill. I ran the final 200 meters huffing and puffing my way to the finish line. Finished 20th overall. This is one race I actually enjoyed from start to finish, I loved the challenge of the hills and route was laid out perfectly. After the race I had a chance to talk to Ray Jonasson, a marathoner / runner who over 16 years ago had collapsed at this race at the finish line. Long story short Ray was experiencing liver failure, a new much more important challenge faced Ray, he needed a donor. I’ll post a link here for everyone to read his story as I’m sure my words will not do him justice. Ray is a true inspiration!
If you ever have a chance to run this race and want the challenge of hills on pavement this is a great race to consider.
Oh, I better not forget Jefferson from MyNext Race… yep he was there too! Not to mention this is a great website to find some nice events that you might miss on other sites.
