What's that race doing at the end of my training walk?

The most recent issue of Runner's World suggested a training strategy for long training runs of ramping up the speed for the last 5 to 8 kilometres. By extension I think we can do the same with long training walks. The idea makes sense to me. Just when the training walks get slow and tiring, pick up the speed to race pace. The challenge is making it happen. I'd probably need a large dog chasing me to pick up the pace!



So, when I recently realized that I could incorporate the inaugural Bang and Olufsen 5k race into the final 5 kilometres of my planned long training walk last Sunday, I signed up. Being in a race, I thought, would ensure I walk at race pace.

Waking up early Sunday, I walked through a quiet city ending up in celebrity village - Yorkville during the Toronto International Film Festival - where the start/finish line was in place. No, A,B, or C grade celebrities in sight, though there were lots of black limos and security types hanging around the entrance to the Four Season's hotel. There wasn't a lot of time to search them out since I arrived in time to get my timing chip and walk a lap of Queen's Park to stay warm before the start.



While there was no walking division, a funny thing happens when I cross a timing mat. I get competitive with myself! Even though I had walked 17k to get to this race, it was like those 17k had not been walked. I wanted to finish in a good time - darn it!

The weather was perfectly cool and overcast, the course was flat and easy to follow, the bagel at the end actually had slices of cheese, lettuce and tomato, and there cinnamon buns for the craving!

Best of all a cheque for $10,000 was handed over to the YWCA Elm Centre as part of the awards festivities. Like I always say, these races are win, win, win.