Prince Edward Island Marathon

Published October 14, 2018

Bienvenue à l’Île du Prince Édouard. Birthplace of Canada.

Saturday 2am. Crazy early start. Woke six miles short of my Week 2 stretch goal (done/finished: 76.6 miles complete), late last-minute panic packing for O’ Canada, 6am flight to Detroit. Denver-Detroit, Detroit-Toronto, Toronto-Charlottetown. First try at WestJet. No frills, on-time experience (like our Southwest). Whatta find! How did I not know there were anti-Air Canada options? YAHOO!

6:15 touchdown in PEI. 20 minute taxi-ride downtown. 7pm Expo end. Tight timing.

5 block walk to my B&B sleeps. Oceanside digs, attic all mine. Marathon Sunday morn. Alarm set, predawn bus ride (7am prompt). Don’t be late mate. Land of Anne – Green Gables Anne, Anne with an E.

Coast-to-coast course: Brackley Beach-PEI National Park to Confederation Centre-downtown Charlottetown. Cold, breezy weather. Already LOVING my chances 😊 Shadowed 3 local runners & hunkered inside a beachside shower hut. Nippy gusts o’ ocean this morning. Brrr. PEI, Canada’s vacationland. LOL> Emerged 10 minutes before Start burrito-wrapped in last weekend’s Twin Cities mylar throwaway.

Canadian Anthem, 8am Start & SUNSHINE. Shed layers early, soaked in the coastline. Breezy cold & BEAUTIFUL. Brightly-coloured out buildings. Photo-stopped @ Covehead Lighthouse. WOW!

Sand dunes & shoreline gave way to rolling farmland. Push, push, push. Stanhope, Tracadie, Corran Ban, Millcove. All Sunday quiet. Started to slow after 12 miles. Then TRAIL. 12.5 kilometers (over 7 miles) of TRAIL. Crushed gravel & autumn COLOR, leaf-turn still happening on Prince Edward. BIG grin.

Warned one big climb late in the race. Large incline/near mile 21, but NOT Newfoundland HILLY. Head down, arms pumping, aggressively pushed to the top. 9:26/min pace. Fastest mile of 2^nd Half.

Last mile/mile-half did not disappoint, city scenic. Historic buildings, parks, statues.

Never saw a pace bunny (Canada-popular), never checked my watch. B-I-G run today. Fastest of 2018, new Canadian PR. FINALLY! Tens & tens of training miles, FINALLY! FINISH SUCCESS 🍁