Hugh Trenchard

The Sooke 10k running race was not originally in my plans. But as the months since January passed by, rather at their own choatic pace tempered by an underlying rhythm of coldness and grey; and, in contrast, as the Island running series ticked down one by one in their bi-weekly clocklike regularity, I discovered in myself an unexpected but burgeoning desire to win the top Master award (40+) for the series.

Originally I had intended to cease running altogether after the Albany Marathon in March, and to begin training in earnest on the bike soon thereafter. This plan seemed reinforced by the calls for capitulation from my troubled plantar fascia, which calls I well thought to heed.

But after returning from Albany I was quickly tempted by the possibility of a decent half marathon, knowing I could rely on marathon fitness to carry me over the next two weeks with very little running required in between. So, I partially heeded the cries of my foot by running minimally after Albany, remained well aware that the foot was far from fully healed, and knew of the risks for long term injury were I tempted by the Comox Half. Still I considered that after the Half I would certainly be replacing the runners with cycling shoes, so even if I came away injured, I would have months of healing over the cycling season before resuming running again.

With that in mind I ran the Half to a reasonable finish by my standards, but the last two kilometres obliterated my plantar fascia. And so afterward I swore to myself that that was it for the season. Time on the bike ensued and indeed my mind shifted toward the multiplicity of bike races, and away from the Island series and the possibility of winning the Master award.

But then after three weeks of no running, the Island series Master award leaked into my consciousness, and that trickle, by dint of continued analysis, gradually became a torrent. What if circumstances are such that I cannot even run at all next year? Who will be 40 next year and faster than me? Will I regret not having taken the calculated risks associated with pursuing the goal of one last race and winning the Master award?

The die was cast, but my foot was in rough shape, and I set out to calculate the minimum time I would need to run to win over the next two competitors, Hicham el Amiri and Kevin Searle. On points Hicham was not far back of me, but he was in Boston and, with only four races completed in the series, would not qualify for the award. Kevin was farther back, and I had a fairly comfortable margin over him – I could run relatively slowly, for me, and still win the series.

With that in mind, and in consideration of my injured foot and no running in three weeks, I ran three runs in the week leading up to Sooke (but plenty of riding): an easy run around the lakes on the previous Sunday during which the foot was sore but held up, a treadmill run on Wednesday with 15 mins of tempo, and an easy half hour on Friday (followed by some time on the bike), and no training on Saturday.

This proved an adequate formula. I ran better than expected and felt quite good for the race. After about a mile, I settled in with Mark Nelson, running second and third behind Dave Jackson, way out in front, and who is finally returning from a long term injury. I didn’t think I would be able to stay with Mark, so I tucked in behind him most of the way. On the return, at about 7km, where the 300m hill at about seven percent gradient is located, I discovered more gas than I thought, and found myself pulling away from Mark, and holding on for second place in 34:34, and securing the Master award for the series.

I am quite proud of winning the top Master award. It represents the validation of 20+ years of nearly continuous training and racing; a confirmation that all the years of sweat and sacrifice, the countless highs and lows of racing and training, have all been worth it; a confirmation that all the years of dedication can and do keep your body young and in fantastic shape.

Now is the stage set for another twenty years of dedication, but if it were all to end tomorrow, I would be satisfied and happy with the immense efforts of the last twenty years. And so the Master award marks both twenty years past and the uncertain future whose highs and lows no doubt will not pass with clocklike regularity, but a future that begins now with the same unwavering dedication that has buoyed all the years passed.

The Master award is truly a great honor, and I am indeed proud of it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 23rd, 2009 at 11:23 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.