2010 ROATM virtual race report

I prepared as good as I did for the race the day before, and so I was feeling pretty ok about running this race. I arrived at the the parking lot and decided to walk the 10 blocks to the start instead of taking the shuttle as it was very busy and was a bit of a wait. I got to the start line, said a few affirmations and waited for the gun. I was very lucky today as I was in corral 1, based on a random lottery of race runners for the Calgary ROATM race. ROATM is Running off at the Mind, and is based in Nebraska. The race is called “Global Warming My @ss, 6.66 mile run”

*BANG* off went the gun. The race organizers did a terrific job of laying out this point to point course, having the first section be the hilliest and overall it was a net loss in elevation.

Here is a turn by turn recap of the race.          

• Started heading North on 45th St, enjoyed the undulating path as it is the hilliest part of the run
• Right turn on 19th ave, heading downhill
• Veer right onto Glenmount drive
• Another right takes us onto 25th Ave and past a closed hockey rink. You know it’s close to spring when the outdoor rinks are closed as we will happily skate in 3” of slush
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• We get to the intersection of 45th St and race marshals turn us around back down 25th Ave.
• Make a right onto Glencastle St and the first leg of this 5 leg race is complete.

Feeling pretty good right now, the crowds were a little much to deal with, with a lot of weaving in and out of slow runners, but I managed and was looking forward to the next leg.

 

• East on 26th Ave, make a left onto Kelwood Dr, and we run a long easy uphill
• Right turn onto 19th ave
• Right turn on 38th for a nice downhill back to 26th ave
• Marshalls direct us 2 blocks back to Kelwood, then turn around and head east again down 26th Ave.

Leg 2 was a breeze!

• We continued down 26th Ave until we reached the water station, which happened to be where I parked the car. A brief stop to take in H2O and we were on our way again.
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• We turned North on the very busy 37th St. I guess If I had one complaint about the race it would be the lack of traffic control.
• Ran all the way up to 19th again
• Right onto 19th, over to 35th and down we go/
• We had a detour onto 23rd to 37th, got turned around again at the halfway mark of the race. The organizers graciously had a scheduled walk break at the half.
•  
• Once we were back to running we made our way back down toward 26th ave on 35th and that finished leg 3.

It was an really interesting run as we got to see almost ALL of the neighbourhood, with no lights to deal with and no icy patches do deal with. cool.

• The third leg started (where else) on 26th Ave, with a left onto 33rd St, back up to (where else) 19th Ave.
• What’s this? a left turn? yep, we turn left for a block and a half, then have to turn around again and head down 19th to 31st, where we are turned around again (WTH?), and then sent back down 33rd all the way back to 26th Ave.

Leg 4 was really strange. the pack was really strung out by now and we were enjoying some more breathing room on the paths.

Onto the 5th and final leg.

• Down 26th Ave again
• Made a right turn on 30th St and headed all the way up to (what!?!) 19th Ave? yep make a right (through a park) re-connecting with 19th for a block.
• Right turn onto 28th st and go only 1 block until we are turned around (again) by course marshals only to turn back right into 19th.
• Finally off of 19th we head right on 26th St for the home stretch back to 26th Ave. It’s a mostly downhill finish so it felt fast at this point.

We get to the (supposed) finish area and everyone is looking at each other kind of strange like. I ask “why are you looking kind of strange like”? they say the course is short. You have not finished the race? WHAT THE ****? crap, how much farther? about 300 yards. NOOOOOOOO! erm… ok, we can handle that. so we ran around the finish area until we reached the 6.66 mile distance.  YAY…

here is me crossing the line (the photographer missed me as I was going to fast at that point) I am first, my first ever win. It’s a new ROATM record for the Calgary Race and I am so proud. Once all the highfives and hugs were completed we waited a while for the shuttle back to the car, and waited… and waited…

Stupid shuttle never showed up, so we limped back to the car. The had bananas and chocolate milk for the finishers at the Glendale grocery (for a small fee, of 3 bucks a person) and then it was home time. It’s a good thing my DW wasn’t here for the run as I left the car door open as I went across the street for the post race food and awards.

Glad no one took the car.

Of all the Virtual Races I have run, this is most definitely one of them!

Oh, here is my Garmin Data.

And what it looks like in Google Earth…

Huh… would you look at that!! It looks like letters… what is it spelling? R…O…A…..T…..M? Cool. I wonder if that means anything?

To the team in Nebraska, Thanks for the Mojo! it was the second most fun race I ran this weekend!