This morning, at precisely 9:30, I ran the 10km Oasis ZooRun through the Metro Toronto Zoo. You can see the course here, which started in the Zoo parking lot and snaked around the perimeter for a couple of kilometres before heading into the zoo and finishing up near the kangaroos.
Before I get into my time and thoughts about the race itself, I'll answer the main question I've been getting. Yes, you see the animals, but not nearly as many as you think. I remember the elephants, the cheetahs and the giraffes, but not a heck of a lot more. Of course, they were probably freezing, but more on that later.
I was certain I'd run this race in 50 minutes. I'm still surprised at my time but I was wearing an ankle chip, so it has to be accurate, right? It's right here on the interweb. It was a tough 10km. It was hilly, there was some questionable surfacing, there were a few unnaturally tight turns and even a spot where you had to run up six or so stairs. Then, there was the weather. At the zoo this morning, it was cold. I ran in shorts and a short sleeved shirt but few others did the same. They all sensibly bundled up. Last weekend I complained it was too hot and today I was complaining I was too cold. Go figure.
All in all it was a great day. I drove the party wagon with my 10k clinic peeps and after the race we headed to a Tim Hortons for coffee and convos. I'm not familiar with the area, but I was confident we'd find a Tim Hortons within five minutes of driving on Sheppard. I was right.
I don't have a next race scheduled, but if all goes well it might just be a half-marathon next spring. Here's the obligatory photoset from this morning's 10km ZooRun.
