Zowie! The half-marathon went a lot better than I expected. Despite my 236 pounds, I covered the 13.1M/21.1K a half-hour quicker than I expected to walk/run.

I was worried I would have trouble maintaining a 16-minute pace to finish in about 3 hours 30 minutes. I must be in better shape than I thought as I was able to ace 3 hours 2 minutes with no special effort. Wish I had fully anticipated my finishing time during the last third of the race as I could have easily broken 3 hours.

The event was the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon run on an almost-flat course along the lake shore in downtown TO, an excellent marathon, half-marathon and 5K for first-timers, those looking to qualify for Boston, and those, like me, seeking to make a comeback. (See link at right entitled Short-Term Goal.)

All my longer runs of the last two months were working out around 16 minutes per mile or 10 minutes per kilometer. I had written 10 mins = 1 km inside my palm as a reminder of the pace that would lead to a satisfactory half-marathon at the target of 3 hours 30 minutes.

Imagine my surprise when the first kilometre came up in 8 mins 2 secs. "Whoa, big fella! You'll never maintain such a pace--20 percent quicker than target--for the entire distance." So I made a genuine effort to slow down, not running my full two minutes for every 3 of walking. But 3K came up in just over 24 mins, so I started stopping at water stations to drink my fill.

I was worried that I'd blow up if I continued at such a pace, 8 mins per 1K. I figured I could handle 9 mins--10 percent quicker than target--so I ambled along, walking 3, running 2, making a real effort to not race anyone, stopping for drinks and one pee break behind some convenient bushes.

In the end, my finishing time of 3:02:43.2 worked out to 8 mins 38 secs per 1K, or a hair under 14 mins per mile.

Faster runners will call my conclusion ridiculous, but, for me, at this stage of my comeback, it was as perfect as a race gets. Nothing broke, everything worked as it was supposed to. It was a definite personal best for this born-again runner.

Why did it go so well?

1) Eight months of training, by design always at a gentle pace and distance, all accomplished without a single breakdown.

2) The decision to drop back to the half from the full marathon for this first race. Quality as opposed to quantity, just as a running friend recommended.

3) Ten hours of restful sleep two nights before the race.

4) Lots of carbohydrates, including a delicious pasta putenesca, the day before the race.

5) Since I did have 14-, 16- and 18-milers behind me (while I was still aiming for the full marathon), the distance itself was not the challenge.

6) No racing for ego's sake, only focus on my own pace and my own target.

7) Lots of water and Gatorade and plenty of Hammer Gel and PowerGel.

8) The grace of God.

Now, three weeks to rest and recover, and then to lose significant weight so performance improves the next time out.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

I can't believe it! I have returned home from picking up my race packet--and somewhere, somehow, I've managed to lose my bib and timing chip!

I must have dropped it at the run expo right after i had my timing chip authenticated. I must have missed my bag when I put away the envelope with the bib and chip as I was walking away from authentication table. (Race packet pickup took place at an expo held in conjunction with the event.)

My only hope is that someone found the envelope, with my name, address, bib number et al imprinted on outside and turned it in to race management. For out-of-towners, there is race packet pickup right at the race start starting at 6 a.m. If someone turned in my envelope, hopefully it will have made it back to the letter K section of race packets ready for pickup on race morning.

I made the discovery as I sat down to a pasta supper. Kind of ruined the meal, but I'm trying to put this out of mind.

I hate like hell to run as a bandit, without a number, but I[base ']m determined to get my run in tomorrow. I'll wear the race T-shirt, which I did not lose, over my special running shirt so at least I appear to have some connection to the official event.

Will I be able to sleep tonight? I took a hot shower to calm me down, but now, at 10 p.m., I don't feel the least bit drowsy. As a precaution, I did get a good night's sleep last night.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Egads! Chances are I'll be beaten by a 93-year-old runner in the half-marathon on Sunday.

He's not your everyday 93-year-old, but the world record holder in his age group. At the waterfront marathon a year ago, he set the mark at 5 hours 40 minutes. Three years earlier, at 89 years of age, Fauja Singh ran his first marathon, a 6:54 effort.

With my present weight and training, 7 hours is about the best I could do in a full marathon. That's about 16-minute pace per mile.

I'm hoping to walk/run the half-marathon in 3:20-3:30. Somewhere I saw that Singh is aiming for 2:30!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29

Walk/Run 8 miles in 2 hours and 11 minutes

I carefully measured off 8 miles on a map of the Lake Ontario waterfront and ran the distance at the kind of pace I would attempt to use on marathon day, running 2 minutes walking 3. The run went well, but I am slow, too slow to qualify as an official finisher at the upcoming Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

My time works out to 16 minutes 23 seconds per mile, about a mile per minute slower than required for a finisher[base ']s medal.

I am a little disappointed but after about a decade away from running, and especially because I'm still carrying an extra 50 pounds, maybe it was too much to expect that in eight months I'd be ready to marathon.

Maybe my friend JB is right. Instead of attempting to run the marathon distance on my own at whatever pace it takes, I should focus on quality rather than quantity this fall and run the half-marathon instead, and then get down to losing weight and increasing speed over the winter.

I still like the idea of doing my own marathon distance or even 50K, but that may be more ego than intellect at play.

I'll mull this over during the next week. Sunday is my final long training on the marathon program, a 20-miler. If I'm going to drop down to the half-marathon, I don't need to slug out that sort of distance.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27

Walk/Run 3 miles on track at 14:17, 14:37 and 14:40

Want to get a better handle on what my pace might be, so I can figure out what my chances are of finishing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon within the time limit. There will be a special early start ay 6:15 a.m. for walkers and slow runners like me. The course closes at 1 p.m. That's 6 hours 45 minutes to be considered an official finisher; thus, the minimum pace to medal is 15 minutes 28 seconds per mile.

If I'm running just under 15 mins for an easy 3-miler, I must be over 15 once the distance extends beyond 10 or 12 miles. How much over? And how much would be being part of a marathon, with other runners around me, boost my pace on race day?

I'm only eight months into the comeback, and still at 235 pounds which is hard to haul around much quicker than 15 mins per mile.

The 18-miler last Sunday and, as importantly, the recovery afterward, went very well, but the pace was likely in the 16-17-minute range. Of course, I was walking 4 running 1, not walking 3 running 2 as I would on race day, so some improvement would result.

I'll see how the 20-miler goes in two weeks. I'm going to measure the course so I can get an accurate indication of my expected marathon pace--before I spend $70 to enter the event only to find I cannot officially finish.

If I'm too slow for the waterfront marathon, I'll run my own private marathon on my own course--and maybe make it an even 50K just for the hell of it. No matter how slowly i shuffle along, i aim to make the distance. (Gee, sounds like there should be a flourish of trumpets right after that statement.)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 24

Why do I feel so good? In my running life, typically, the day after the day after the long run is always the lowest point of the week. But today, I'm all energy and light. No aches, no pains, just a brief time with a sore right knee soon after waking.

I did use ice, and Motrin, too, several times in the first 36 hours after the 18 miles, and had plenty of carbs right after the run. Wonder if any of that helped the rest and recovery.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11 30 MINUTES

I took yesterday off and went easy on the beach road today because of a sore left knee after Sunday's long one.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8 16 MILES

Last 45 minutes were tough. Out in 2 hours, back in 2 hours 8 minutes. Close a litre of water an hour, with four 6-oz bottles of Gatorade for return trip. An ounce or so of Hammer Gel every 30 minutes, every 20 minutes during last hour. I had one Carb Boom with caffeine about 15 mins before start, and the second one, when I took it with about an hour to, it gave me a lift, albeit brief.

W/R 3/1 pace held most of the four hours.

Going to take some ibuprofen tonight to ease any aches and pains.
7:48:10 PM