WPS Half was Hypothermic Half Part Deux

In my April 18th blog, with the Winnipeg Police Service Half Marathon (WPS Half) less than two weeks away, I started my Canadian Cancer Society fundraisign campaign.  I proposed a double challenge: 1) challenging my potential donators to raise $300 for a worthy cause ,and 2) challenging myself to run the half in under under 1:40. I was pretty certain my generous friends and family could make the first goal a reality.  My more personal half marathon challenge was up to me, so I gave myself financial motivation. You see if a runner fundraises a certain minimum amount for the Candian Cancer Society (I think it's double your registration fee) they get their registration fee reimbursed. I decided that even if I raised that money but did not achieve my timing goal I would forfeit my registration fee reimbersement.
 

Well Sunday May 1st was race day, and it was a doozy.  Many people cursed the snow that covered our city on Sunday morning, but none were as confused and upset about it as the people who had signed up to run the WPS Half.

As you may or may not know I blogged about running the Hypothermic Half Marathon in February.  Well Sunday morning felt like the second half of that frigid February race.  The WPS Half is supposed to be the kick off of the summer running season in Winnipeg.  Instead, the blowing snow and -5 C temperature (which felt like -14 C with the 44 km/h winds) made it seem like it was November, with another 5 months of winter to go. In fact, looking back on the temperature records for the morning I ran the Hyporthermic Half on Feb 28th, the low was -17 C with winds of only 7km/h.  And with the sun shining that morning it felt like +17 C compared to Sunday morning at Assiniboine Park. 

Just under 1800 brave souls, plus hundreds of volunteers and supporters made Sunday's event a huge success despite Mother Nature's best efforts to ruin it. 

I had run outside all winter and was not afraid of a little snow, but in February in Winnipeg you know what to expect so you can dress for it confidently.  However, on this May morning I did not know if this snow was going to turn into freezing rain, or if it was suddenly going to jump up to +5 C. So it was difficult to decide what to wear.  I ended up wearing the same clothes I ran in all winter, except I also wore a rain coat.  Unfortunately my rain coat doesn't breath, so about 15 minutes into the race I took it off and tied it around my waist.  Really it was an extra layer that I did not need, however if it had started to rain I would have been glad to have it.  I also wore my snow/ice running spikes - sort of rubber slippers with some small steel studs, that you pull over your runners to get extra traction on ice.  These were helpful but about twenty minutes in a strap snapped on one so I took them both off and looped them around my wrists.

Depsite these "wardrobe malfunctions" (a close friend said I look like a homeless man running down Portage in this photo) I actually had a great time.  The weather just added an extra challenge to the race.  I was not only pushing my body to it's physical limits and racing the clock.  I was also battling Mother Nature. 

Going into the last couple of miles I was confident I was going to make my timing goal.  Little did I know how close it was going to be.  As I pushed up Portage to the Assiniboine Park footbridge my lungs were on fire, and I was scaring fellow runners with my heavy breathing.  I pushed it into top gear a little too early and I could not hold that pace and had to slow down 40 m or so before the finish line. As soon as I crossed the finish line I stopped running and doubled over putting my hands on my knees, gasping for air - my apologies to the volunteer that I almost headbutted as she tried to put the finishing medal around my neck.  After catching my breath and convincing a couple of volunteers that I was not having a heart attack, I checked my watch.  I had made it in just under 1:40. Official time:1:38:56.
   

So I achieved both my fundraising goal and my running goal. So thank you to everyone who donated money to this worthy cause.  A special shout out to my sister Angela who met me at the finish line and drove me home.  And the Sanders's who bought me brunch after I had recovered enough to eat.

And a big thanks to the organizers and volunteers of this great event.  We fought Mother Nature and won. And we will continue to fight against cancer.

Even though I made my timing goal I have decided to donate my registration fee to the Canadian Cancer Society - so that should bring the Team Campbell fundraising total to $400.  Go Team!

If anyone else would like to donate just click here. 

Soupy out.