"They're already running up the other side?!" we all said in astonishment.
About 15-20 minutes into our 10k race on Ottawa Race Weekend, my friends and I were feeling pretty good. Having just past the restaurants on Elgin street that were taunting us with smells of food, we hit the long stretch along the Rideau canal. The weather was beautiful, and the crowds were enthusiastic. We were warmed up and were just easing into our race pace when we saw a truly humbling experience.
We spotted the elite runners coming back in the opposite direction. Wow. In the time we covered only 3km, these guys covered more than twice the distance and were already on the homestretch. It was humbling, yet impressive to watch, and gave us amateur runners something to aspire to. They ran at a pace similar to me at a full sprint, but for 30 straight minutes. Phew.
At the end of the race, we didn't post a good time, but what the heck - it didn't really matter. We finished a 10k in one piece, and we're looking forward to doing the next 10k, either on Canada Day or in September. So who's in?
