Around the Bay: March 25, '07

For the first time I am nervous prior to a race. On March 25th, 2007, I will be running my first 30K race--Around the Bay in Hamilton, Ontario. I visited Hamilton last Sunday to drive the race route, which starts at the intersection of York Blvd and Caroline Street. The first 20k of the Around the Bay Road Race is an exciting, scenic, and fast route. The route was relatively flat until 10.5km, where the first small incline of a bridge was encountered. The remaining hills didn't surface again until around 18k: strips of continuous rolling hills lined by beautiful estates (at least I'll have interesting architecture to distract me from fatigue or aching muscles). The last 10k includes rolling hills through scenic North Shore Blvd. The final "hill' is a steep embankment along Valley Inn Road (starting at 26km). It's this hill that causes me the greatest anxiety of this whole race, likely because I have only run five times since the start of the year. Basically, the start of my 2007 training will be begining with Around the Bay (crazy, I know). I look forward to my grand finish into Copps Coliseum at York Blvd. and Bay Sts.

Live Results! for all runners will be available during the Around the Bay race this Sunday. Follow a Runner! You will also be able to select the runners you would like to follow and watch their times as they cross the Start, 10K, 15K, 20K and Finish Mats. My bib# is 2884.