New location, new route, same great atmosphere!

Thanks to roadwork and construction, this year’s Boogie the Bridge took participants on a new adventure but with the same energy and excitement as past runs. I was looking forward to seeing the changes that had been made and what the new location would bring to the table.

It definitely didn’t disappoint – even the parking situation wasn’t as bad as we had expected it to be. Kyle, the girls, and myself all found a place to park in the morning with plenty of time to line up for the porta-loos and see Kyle off for his half-marathon start!

After we saw Kyle off, both Isla and Norah lined up with his mom and step-dad to run in the Mini Boogie! This was Norah’s first Mini Boogie ever, and she was super excited to be running it with Grandpa. The kids are always so much fun to watch, and I’m glad mine got to experience it with their grandparents! They both did awesome and were super excited to show off their race bling after the race!

Then it was time for the 10K runners to line up for their wave. I really wanted to use the loo one more time before I had to line up, but the line up was so long that I didn’t want to risk missing the start. As it turned out, we had to wait around for quite a while and I probably would’ve had enough time to go, but oh well.

Eventually we got going and I felt pretty good during for the first half of the run. I ended up stopping at the 3.5K pit stop/water station to use the bathroom, which slowed me down a little, but better that than having that nagging feeling in my head.

Split stats!

By the 8km mark I was really starting to feel it and had to take a short walking break while going over the overpass. It had such a funny angle to it that it was a challenge, so I figured it was a good spot to quickly catch my breath before tackling the last 2kms.

Crossing the finish line was the best feeling ever – especially having Isla and Norah there cheering for me! Pee break included, I managed to finish with an official time of 58:01. I felt I could’ve done a bit better, but I’m content with my time overall!

Isla and Norah were quick to lead us to the Kids’ Zone, where they played in the bouncy houses, and I eventually made my way back to the finish line to find electrolytes and wait for Kyle to finish. He came through right on schedule and finished with a solid 2:10:51, which he was pretty happy about considering he didn’t have the opportunity to train as much as he’d like to!

Overall, it was a great day and the Boogie team did an excellent job adapting the course to the changes that had to be made. I really liked that there were more water and bathroom stations available on the course, although there could have been more at the Start/Finish line. I also heard a rumour from some of the racers that the half-marathon distance was 300m too long, but since I didn’t run that distance and Kyle doesn’t have a tracking device, I can’t confirm that.

Anyway – a big shout out to the hardworking Boogie the Bridge crew for organizing another great run this year! We’re looking forward to next year’s run already!

What a day!

While it was only the second year we’ve taken part the Boogie the Bridge, it was the 20th annual event! It’s amazing to think about how far it’s come, and I’m glad that our family was able to take part in such an awesome community event.

After a whole bunch of running around like a crazy person in the morning trying to get the girls organized and ready to go (I swear they eat slow just to drive me insane), we picked up my mom and were at the park with plenty of time to settle in and use the washroom before the races started.

Isla got to run in the 1km Mini Boogie this year, which she has been excited for since February! Kyle ran the race with her and she did great; it turned out to be a great warm-up for Kyle as well since he was running the 10k race afterwards.

After the Mini Boogie we all split up, with my mom watching Isla and Norah while Kyle and I ran our races. I opted to do the 5k run again with the simple hope to just better my time from last year. I did manage to train a bit better than I did last year, doing a couple short (2k) runs on the treadmill per week since mid-March. If anything, at least I wouldn’t feel like dying as soon as I crossed the finish line, right? Riiiiiight …

Pre-race photo!

I actually felt really good up until the turnaround point, where I made a quick pit-stop to use the washroom. I sprinted to make up some time and that’s when I got a big ol’ cramp in my side, so I was a bit slower heading back to the finish line. Regardless, I pushed myself through the homestretch and managed to finish with a time of 30:07! And holy hell, I thought I was going to throw up. My mom and the girls found me and gave me a big hug; I guess they were cheering for me at the finish line but I had a serious case of tunnel vision and didn’t even hear them. I found some water and a snack and then we went and waited for Kyle to finish his 10k!

Kyle finished strong with a PR of his own, 52:29! He was super stoked on that and I’m a pretty proud wife ;)

We rewarded ourselves on a job well done with some greasy breakfast from McDonalds, and Isla hung up her bib and ribbon with pride! She can’t wait for her next race at the end of the month, the coveted “Ice Cream Race.” (A.k.a the Blackwell Dairy Run)

I cannot thank the organizers of the Boogie the Bridge enough for putting on such a great event! It is truly one of the best family events in town :)