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Around The Bay 30K, Canada - 2005

3/20/2005

This was my 3rd consecutive ATB race. As always, the race started on a damp chilly day in Hamilton. The field was again huge as it continues to attract a large number of runners from all around the world. Being my first race of the year, I wasn’t fully trained as I never put in the long runs over the winter season. Therefore, I started slow and then gathered momentum as the race progressed. The wind picked up around the bay area so it was difficult to set a decent pace. Having run the race on two previous occasions, I knew the course quite well and was determined to run up the hill at the 28km mark. However, it was not to be as I got winded 200m into the climb. Near the finish line was the ever present reaper…so I shook his hand and continued to the finish line. As I crossed the finish line, I was interviewed by the local news channel…so that was my 2 minutes of fame!

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Toronto Marathon, Canada - 2004

10/17/2004

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It was not the best day for running as it was a typical October day in Toronto…..cold, overcast and wet. The marathon starting point was about 10 minutes walk from our house and I got there well in time for the race start. The problem with running in your home town is that you know how much distance is still left before the race finishes. The initial 21K was a loop around North York and I even passed through my house. Nadia was there cheering me on. The latter part was a run down Yonge Street and all the nicer areas of Toronto. Due to the cold weather and rain, I started cramping up near Davenport. From there on, a walk and run for the next 10k’s ensured I finished the race in about 5 hrs. About 5 kms before the race finish, I saw a guy running his first marathon on his 60th b’day. He did finish the race about a minute before me!. Nadia was there at the line and since I was late finishing the race, I got two massages instead of one as there was no line ups !!!!

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Lochness Marathon, Scotland - 2004

10/3/2004

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My first marathon in Europe! Nadia, Asim, Shazia and I drove from Glasgow to Inverness the day before the race. We found a B&B just in time as almost all the places were fully booked for the race. I went to collect my race bib but somehow it got misplaced, so they had to issue a new one to me. That evening, we went to a nearby pub for a dinner and had an early night. Asim was doing the 5K run. On race morning, I jogged to the race gathering area as it was a 10 minute walk from the B&B. We were bussed to the race start which was in the middle of nowhere, 26 miles from the city. The race start was very picturesque, with hills on one side and the loch on the other. The initial part of the race was along the loch and mostly downhill. The weather was amazing, cool but sunny (the first time I saw sun since arriving in Glasgow a week earlier). As usual the first 30k’s were fine and then I started to struggle. But with not much at stake, I slowed down, walked a bit and with Nadia running the last 200m with me, I crossed the finish line in under 5 hrs. The festivities after the race were brilliant, with BBQ, post race massage and a very nice medal and T-shirt. We all drove back to Glasgow that evening. A great trip indeed!

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Glengarry Half Marathon, Canada - 2004

10/2/2004

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It was a small, low key event in a very small town. I drove from Kingston on race morning. Glengarry is a town situated off 401 on the Ontario Quebec border. A total of 38 people were registered for the half and the race was held on quite an uneventful out and back course. The windy over cast weather made the first 11 kms really difficult. However with the wind on my back, the 2nd half of the race was much easier. I met a couple of local women who were competing in their first half, so chatted with them along the latter part of the course. I reached the finish line with a handful of volunteers present. The finishers medal looked like it cost the organizers 10 cents each ! After the race, I hopped into my car and drove back to Kingston. Nadia and her mom were there as well. That evening, we drove back to Toronto.

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Montreal Marathon, Canada 2004

9/12/2004

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This was a great weekend trip. Nadia, Kiren, Saad and couple of Saad’s friends accompanied us for the race. We stayed Friday night in Kingston and drove to Montreal the next morning. We stayed at a nice hotel in Montreal and spent the evening with dinner at a really cool restaurant in the old town. The next morning, I took the metro to Montreal Island for the race start and met up with Joyee Chau. It was a hot day and wearing black shirt didn’t help either. I started cramping up around the 25K mark and struggled to finish the race. The race course was boring, mostly running through the Industrial areas but finishing in downtown. All the friends were there at the finish line to receive me. I even got a good massage in the end. Finally, around 3pm we left Montreal for Toronto. Saad got us there is 4 hrs with some high speed driving!!!!!

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Mississauga Marathon, Canada - 2004

5/16/2004

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After 2 back to back half marathons, I signed up for the inaugural Mississauga Marathon. The race started from Square One and headed south towards lakeshore to finish at the Promenade Park. It was a very well organized race considering it was held for the first time. The support on the course was excellent with water stops every 2 kms. The latter part of the race was along the lake. The only disappointment was the medal. Even the 2K, 10K and half marathon finishers received the same medal. Furthermore, the after race food stall only had bagels and water on offer and there was no massage tents as well. The journey back to "Square One" was a pain. We had to walk 2 kms to the race bus that took an hour to transport the runners back to square one.

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Forest City Half Marathon, London, Canada - 2004

5/9/2004

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It was one of those back to back races. After completing the Burlington half the weekend before, I decided to drive to London Ontario on race morning. The journey was a little over 2 hours and the race started from the UWO’s athletics’ arena. The race course was really enjoyable. It was an out and back course and most of the run was through the parks in London. The race time was as usual around the 2 hr 10 minute mark. The post race massage was a real disappointment as my masseuse seemed like a real lazy “B” as didn’t feel like exerting any pressure. The food stall was quite good though and I got myself about 10-15 power bars. I drove back home afterwards and was treated to a lovely warm bath and a gourmet meal by Nadia.

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Tough Ass Half Marathon, Burlington, Canada 2004

5/2/2004

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I woke up an hour before the race and by the time I got out of the house it was already 40 minutes left to the race start. As expected, the 401 on a Sunday morning was empty. But due to rain I could not speed on the highway. By the time I got to the race start, half an hour had already passed and the place was deserted. The race marshalls had even taken the cones off the road. Luckily I found some people on the street who guided me to the course. For the first half an hour, I was the only runner on the course and twice I took a wrong turn and drifted off the race track. Finally, I saw some runners and even overtook the van that was clearing up the cones from the street. The rest of the journey was by and large uneventful as I continued to pass all the slow runners and walkers on the way to the finish line. The one good thing I achieved by starting late was being photographed at quite a few locations! I finished the race in a little over 2 ½ hours but my race time was around 2 hrs. After the race, I got my medal and even won a bag in the draw!

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Around the Bay 30K, Hamilton, Canada - 2004

3/28/2004

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The 2nd year in a row, I took part in the oldest race in North America. The goal this year was to conquer the dreaded hill at the 28th kilometer by running the whole way. That challenge lasted only a few hundred meters and I was then back to walking again. The race was fun as usual, with great support en route and a huge number of participants. The best part was meeting with the reaper one km short of the finish. This year as well my timing was pretty much the same as last year, but I finished the race without much trouble.

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Chilly Half Marathon, Burlington, Canada - 2004

3/7/2004

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One week after the Grimsby race, I decided to run the Chilly Half in Burlington. The race was a total contrast to the one in Grimsby. It was overcast and cold on race day and plenty of wind chill. It was a big event and the organization and crowd support was at it’s best. Most of the race was along the bay and affluent residential areas. I really enjoyed the run and the scenery that was offered. At the end, we were given a really nice medal in the shape of a chilly. The post race party was held in a heated tent where they offered hot chilly and soup, courtesy Tim Hortons. On the way back, I stopped over at Rohan’s place in Oakville to see his new house.