The MEC Victoria Race 5 took place on November 1, 2015 on Hamsterly Beach, on the north-end of Elk Lake. I didn’t run the race but I was there.
At this point, you are probably wondering why am I writing a race report for a race that I didn’t run…
The truth is, it’s not all about me.
I owe my congratulations to my clients and MEC run clinic participants who did a fantastic job and had a strong showing at the race.
It was an honour, a privilege and a real pleasure to watch them come across the finish line in less than ideal weather conditions.
It may have been cold and wet, but that didn’t stop the run clinic participants from achieving personal bests.
A bit of background: In August 2015, my friend Andrew McCartney (who is a super fast runner and a fantastic triathlete) and I started coaching a new group of MEC half marathon clinic participants in preparation for MEC Race 5.
Above: Andrew McCartney and I prior to the start of MEC race 5.
The first time that Andrew and I worked together on a run clinic was in the first half of 2015. He is a fantastic team player and we coached so well together that we were back to doing it again. 🙂
We were thrilled that some of the participants from our first clinic signed up again and brought recruits. 😀
Andrew and I coach through a combination of personal experience, education, and entertainment.
We strive to create a supportive, learning filled environment where fun is the key to success.
What’s exciting is that we have succeeded.
Many clinic participants became friends outside of the clinics and not only that, but they also achieved their goals. Above all else, they genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere.
It’s not about “he’s faster than her” and “she’s better than him”. It’s about doing it together with the success of the entire group in mind.
Above: Race start. I can see how focused Peter and Jerry are right out front! And, of course, how can we miss Andrew!?
Here are some notable finishes from my clients and/or run clinic participants who Andrew and I coached:
*Jerry Hughes (individual coaching client, half marathon) 1:29:39-I told him to take it easy and he did. Now, he can easily break 1:30 in a half, just like that.
*Peter H. (MEC Run clinic participant, half marathon) 1:32:55-Personal Best
*Rafael M. (MEC Run clinic participant, half marathon) 1:43:52-Personal Best
*Alixe R. (MEC Run clinic participant, half marathon) 1:46:38-Personal Best Equivalent (PB was 1 sec faster on a road course in ideal conditions, this race was done on a trail course in rainy conditions)
*Patrick H. (MEC Run Clinic participant, half marathon) 1:48:48-Personal Best
*Ryan L. (MEC Run Clinic participant, half marathon) 1:51:28- Personal Best (approximately 3 weeks after running the Victoria Marathon…great recovery!)
*Carolynn C. (MEC Run Clinic Participant, Half marathon) 2:04:07-First half marathon successfully completed.
Above: Carolynn was all smiles after her big accomplishment. So proud of her!
*Dominique S. (individual coaching client, 10k) 54:54-Personal Best in less than ideal weather conditions, previous PB was on the road at TC10k when the weather was great. I actually told him to take this one easy too, but he still ran a personal best and said he had fun and didn’t push it too hard.
By the way…my first half marathon ever was 2:12:xx, and ALL my run clinic participants beat that with time to spare. At the start of the clinic, I was 100% sure that they all would, even those who were running their first one. 🙂
Above: Dominique and Jerry post-race. Clearly, they still had enough energy to show their sense of humour. 😉
Over 80% of the MEC clinic participants (coached by Andrew and I) who started the race, finished with a new personal best. Some MEC clinic participants did not start the race because they had conflicting work schedules that prevented them from making it to the start line.
I cannot attach a numerical value to the friendships that emerged as a result of the run clinics.
I truly love sharing the joy of running with everyone. MEC has given me the opportunity to do so through leading the run clinics and for that I’m grateful.
Above: Party time never stops. 🙂
By the way, I’m coaching a new MEC Run clinic targeting the TC10k. Space is limited, so sign up early. You get a FREE MEC race entry with your clinic registration and now it’s your turn to get a PB.