Running Around: Run for the Cure 2010

I made it to the goal race for the Learn to Run Clinic - woohoo!!

This was my second 5k race, and also the largest - this year, there were around 30,000 participants at the CIBC Run for the Cure.

Myself and a bunch of other people from the Learn to Run Clinic were there, freezing cold but excited and ready to get going.

Learn to Run clinic, pre-race (please note, we are freezing)

I'm amazed we were all able to find each other and meet up that morning - with 30,000 people milling around, this was pretty impressive.

The weather was absolutely perfect for running - it was cold, so it wasn't great beforehand, but it was perfect once we got going. There was no wind, and no rain.

Myself and others from the Learn to Run Clinic went right to the front of the line. It was pretty cool to be waiting for the race to start, with 30,000 people right behind us!

people milling around before the race

right at the starting line

right at the starting line - please note
the 30,000 people behind us

When the air horn signals the start, and everyone takes off, it's normal to run really quickly, and that's exactly what I did. Other people had the same idea, too, and within a few seconds there was already a large crowd ahead of me.

But that's ok - I had two goals for this race: to beat my personal best (of 33:33), and to see if I could run the whole 5k with no walk breaks.

and we're off!
(was running while taking this photo)

I had to stop once for a few seconds to tie my shoelace. It was kind of like being on a highway, except with thousands of fast runners instead of cars - I had to look over to make sure I wasn't cutting anyone off, and had to make my way over to the side before I could stop to lace up.

Apart from that brief moment, and walking for about 10 seconds while drinking water at the 3k mark, I met both of my goals for the race.

I started to slow down a bit by the end, but I ran the whole way, with no walk breaks!

And I ran the 5k in less than 30 minutes, beating my personal best by nearly 4 minutes!!!! :D

outside Convocation Hall, where we met up post-race

crowd milling around, post-race

tree-lined walkway, U of T campus
(in the background, you can see
thousands of people walking
south on St. George)

Learn to Run Clinic, post-race
(please note, we are tired and happy,
but no longer freezing)

U of T campus
crowd milling around, post-race

crowds milling around, post-race

me, post-race :)

To truly get a sense of how many people participated in Sunday's race: I had finished the race, a bunch of us had stuck around for about half an hour or more, and when I left the site, there were still thousands of people walking along the route.