In anticipation of next week’s First Annual Red River College Fun Run, we asked several regular RRC runners to recollect their own best and worst races.  If you are interested in taking part in the Fun Run,  the race will be held on October 10th (noon start) at the bus loop on the Notre Dame Campus. Click here to register.

James Slade – Instructor

Best race: No question, Boston Marathon, 2008 where I had to run with one contact lens missing (lost it in the pool the night before) in the blazing sun (who the heck thinks of sunscreen in April???) and desperate for a port-a-potty (yup…me and the other 25,000 runners…get in line).  What was it that made it the best?  The crowd was the absolute best!  I was at least a km away from Wellesley College and thought I could hear water running, then about 500m away I realized it was not a waterfall, but the famous Wellesley Scream Tunnel!  You get through that, you go on another 17 km or so and enter the city proper to more screaming fans, on both sides of the road, and by the end of that stretch, my ears were ringing!  You simply cannot quit amidst all that support.

Worst race:  So many it’s hard to pick just one, y’ know?  Was it the torn hamstring that went ‘pop!’ at km 4 of the 10 k that slowed me to a snail’s pace, looking for ice at the finish line to discover NO first aid facilities whatsoever?  Or was it the race I showed up late for…so late when I arrived, everyone else was finishing? (just screwed the time up, no one to blame but me).  I could go with, not a race but rather, my first really long run starting my marathon training that was all of 6 km, and hurt so bad I had to walk down stairs backwards for the next two days!  Here I am still running and still looking for more ‘worsts’!  In the grand scheme of things, I always figure that if this is the worst thing in my life right now, then life’s pretty good!

Derek Kochenash casually running

Derek Kochenash, Chair

Best race – 2009 Winnipeg Police ½ Marathon. Everything went smooth, great run, felt strong and completed in a Personal Best (PB) of 1’36”.

Worst Race – 2003 Manitoba ½ Marathon. This was my first attempt at the ½ marathon distance and would be considered my worst race because at mile 12, I decided that I would chug down a cup of beer (on Kingston Row) and then finish the race.  It did not turn out to be a wise decision as I suffered for about the last 4 miles dragging my hurting body across the finish line.  Let’s just say that beer is not part of my racing nutrition anymore!

Judy McMullen, Assistant Controller

Best race: Run with Porter 10km run/walk and races for the children @ Birds Hill annually in June.  It was such a bitter/sweet run for me, I was so inspired by this young couple who organized this family fun morning in remembrance of their son and donating the race proceeds to help other sick children. In their pre-race speech by the parents, they talked about the importance of taking time to enjoy the moment and the outdoors around you.   I was so humbled.

Worst race: MB Marathon Relay, I hadn’t trained much but gave it my all for the 3^rd leg of the relay and was spent by the time I got to the exchange area but I couldn’t find the person whom I was to hand off to.  I went up and down the exchange area calling his name.  I knew that I couldn’t possibly run the next leg although people were telling me to. I ended up giving the wrist band to another team member I knew so they could take it to our 4^th person.  It was disappointing.

Mike Krywy, Senior Analyst

Worst race:  I recall Track and Field day back in Grade 8. I had just transferred into a new school, and hadn’t run any races in a really long time, and for some reason, I decided to sign up for every category – 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.  I remember the 400m race in particular, as I finished last and was about 100m behind the next-to-last finisher. I’m sure the humility has served me well in life…somehow.

Best Race:  This would have to be back in Grade 6 Track and Field Day, in a race that was several lengths of the soccer field. At that age I was probably the shortest kid in my grade, and seemed to be progressively falling behind the others in short-distance running races. I vividly remember passing the long-legged  almost “gazelle like” Kurtis A just in the last paces as we reached the finish line for a second place finish.  It felt like it wasn’t just my victory, it was a victory for short-legged people everywhere.

Feel free to add your own memories in the comment section, we’d like to hear from you.