Home Sweet Home for runners

It’s a question that, ultimately, can only be answered by running the course. As an intellectual exercise, though, it’s an intriguing inquiry with just days to go before the Victoria Marathon: is there such a thing as home course advantage in running? And not just a course traversed before, but one that is intrinsic to training.

My hometown Victoria race will be my third marathon of the year, with the others being Vancouver and San Francisco. Each of these races featured varying degrees of familiarity.

Vancouver, after coming down the hill from the University of British Columbia to Spanish Banks, was largely known. The last portion of the race goes along the Stanley Park Seawall, which almost every person who has put on running shoes has ventured out on. The first half, though, was very much unfamiliar – especially the damn hill around nine kilometre. When the calf exploded around 25 km mark, knowing what lay ahead was a key determining factor in being able to finish.

Then came San Francisco, where the route was a magical mystery tour. Only two things were known: going over (and back over) the Golden Gate Bridge and AT&T Park signifying the end was near. Other than that, no idea what hills and dales would be covered. Just ran and ran some more, all without prescription specs so can only be distracted by things really big or really close. The national park, the local neighbourhoods like Haight Ashbury and the views of ocean water were all witnessed as if on a slow-moving train.

Which brings up Victoria. It’s literally the home course, as it starts and stops practically outside the front door of my abode and literally starts and stops outside the front door of work. It’s perfect for breaking up into different lengths – need a 16 km, 25 or 35? Head out on the route and customize as needed. It’s the long run taken before the last two marathons.

But when running first returned to take a place of precedence in everyday life, two runners offered the same advice: travel for races, it’s more fun, less pressure and no thinking.

Until San Fran, didn’t really understand that, as races were either in Victoria or Vancouver. The courses may have not been intimately familiar, but they were not unknown. So San Fran was fun, no real over thinking: ‘need to speed up here,’ ‘okay, can catch breath here for that hill coming’ or ‘let’s make sure we hit x spot by certain time.’ In fact, the watch was barely glanced at, as other than the marker signs (which were in miles) there were no local markers to gauge progress.

Victoria will be different. The temptation will be to assess performance by landmark. Crossing into Beacon Hill Park, leaving the park, passing Ross Bay Cemetery, hitting Oak Bay Avenue, dodging golf balls while admiring view by Victoria Golf and Country, not to mention passing marina knowing that means another damn hill, plus the last stretch was signified by loping past the Terry Fox statute.

As they say, TMI!

There are plus sides, though. Surprises pretty much shouldn’t occur, unless it’s some kind of mechanical failure of the body. Inclement weather? No problem, can wait inside office and sip a coffee till about two minutes to start. As the course unfolds no sudden exclamation of ‘where did that hill come from’ or ‘damn, it’s windy along Dallas Road.’ So not a lot of excuses open for use.

So which side will win? The intellectual argument not to overthink? The competitive side which wants immediate information on performance? Only one way to know and that’s run the course. So stay tuned.