Elaine Burkholder
Elaine Burkholder Cam (Trapline Marathon 2009)
(larger version)
Post Race Report
I so enjoyed my half marathon in the beautiful town of Goose Bay, Labrador. I have been to some beautiful places in Newfoundland (Twillingate is my home town) however none as beautiful as Goose Bay. The scenery, the people and the food were awesome. If you go on the PEI Roadrunners website under the message board you will find a comment from me on your marathon encouraging people if they are looking to do a Fall marathon this is the one. The food at the finish line was delicious. I couldn't believe that you had all my favourite Nfld food at the finish line. You should take great pride in your marathon and I can certainly see this one just getting bigger and better. I will most certainly be back and do the full marathon next time. A great big Thank You to all the volunteers because without you this would not go ahead. You people work just as hard as us running it (unless you are Pierre because he just glided through the marathon and didn't even make it look like work).
Again Thank You so much for making me feel welcome and Thank You to everyone involved in making this marathon such a hit. I have done nothing but brag about this since I came back to PEI. I will see you at the start line of the full marathon in the not too distant future.
I ran the half marathon and we started out keeping warm in a beautiful chalet. We then proceeded to the start line and I must say that this was my first time starting a run half way down a hill on a gravel road. Had to be careful with the footing but didn't mind that because I was too busy looking around at the beauty of where we started the half.
Started out a bit fast so had to pull myself back (as I was running the full marathon in PEI the following Sunday). Pulled back, found a comfortable pace and just enjoyed the beauty along the way. Unlike Derrick's story I had no port-a-pottie stops (which I usually do) so I took pride in that and decided that I would like to come in around the 2 hour mark. I forgot my garmin at home in PEI so I had no idea what my pace was so just ran to my comfort zone and once I saw the finish line I sprinted a little. I was very impressed that not only did I come in under 2 hours but came in first in my age division, 9th overall and finished in 1:48:19. As for the course itself, if Jamie and the crew can somehow tame down that hill a little bit coming into town then it would be perfect running course.
Finally I came away from this thinking I cannot wait to come back and do the full marathon. The following week I did the full marathon in PEI on Sunday and ran a PB for me. My time was 3:46:09.
HAPPY RUNNING EVERYONE
ELAINE BURKHOLDER
PEI
Again Thank You so much for making me feel welcome and Thank You to everyone involved in making this marathon such a hit. I have done nothing but brag about this since I came back to PEI. I will see you at the start line of the full marathon in the not too distant future.
I ran the half marathon and we started out keeping warm in a beautiful chalet. We then proceeded to the start line and I must say that this was my first time starting a run half way down a hill on a gravel road. Had to be careful with the footing but didn't mind that because I was too busy looking around at the beauty of where we started the half.
Started out a bit fast so had to pull myself back (as I was running the full marathon in PEI the following Sunday). Pulled back, found a comfortable pace and just enjoyed the beauty along the way. Unlike Derrick's story I had no port-a-pottie stops (which I usually do) so I took pride in that and decided that I would like to come in around the 2 hour mark. I forgot my garmin at home in PEI so I had no idea what my pace was so just ran to my comfort zone and once I saw the finish line I sprinted a little. I was very impressed that not only did I come in under 2 hours but came in first in my age division, 9th overall and finished in 1:48:19. As for the course itself, if Jamie and the crew can somehow tame down that hill a little bit coming into town then it would be perfect running course.
Finally I came away from this thinking I cannot wait to come back and do the full marathon. The following week I did the full marathon in PEI on Sunday and ran a PB for me. My time was 3:46:09.
HAPPY RUNNING EVERYONE
ELAINE BURKHOLDER
PEI
Elaine Burkholder
(larger version)
Pre Race Feature Story
I am originally from Twillingate, Newfoundland and my husband was with the RCMP and we were transferred to PEI back in 1999 (husband is now retired from the force). We decided to make PEI our retirement home as we both love the island.
I am 52 years old and work at Veteran Affairs Canada and I started working with a girl who use to run years ago but got away from it and I was never a runner. I never ran in my life. I walked quite a bit but never ran and did not consider myself a runner. We then started running in 2003. In 2004 I trained to do the PEI Half Marathon which I did and then decided that I would train for a full marathon but would only do one to say that I did it and that was it for long distance running for me. So in 2005 I completed my first marathon here in PEI.
Let's just say I was bitten by the running bug after that and someone said to me about qualifying for Boston (I didn't qualify my first marathon) and then decided I will run one more marathon (PEI) just to see if I could qualify for Boston, but I wasn't going all the way down to Boston to run a marathon even if I did qualify. So in October of 2005, I did the PEI Marathon again and this time I qualified for Boston with a time of 3:46:14.
Well I was so excited that I qualified, that a week or so after doing this marathon thought, well I am qualified now so I may as well go to Boston and run it just to say that I have run the elite of all marathons (BOSTON MARATHON). In April of 2007 my friend and I were off to Boston to run the marathon. The weather was just terrible with rain and wind. Of all the years that the Boston Marathon was running this was the only year that they thought they might have to cancel because of the high winds and monsoon rain (tail end of a hurricane) and of course this was the year that I was running it. I finished this marathon and what a thrill it was. I couldn't believe that I was running with some of the world's best runners. I ran Boston again in 2008 and 2009.
I have since completed a total of 14 marathons and will be running two more this year. I will be running Saint John, New Brunswick on September 27th and the PEI Marathon on October 18th. I wish I could do the full however two marathons within a week is a little too much so I will have to be content to do the half.
I will not be running Boston in 2010 (even though I am qualified) as I will be doing Charlottesville, Virginia on April 17th, 2010. I now like to travel around and do different marathons.
My daughter is now residing in Goose Bay and is a nurse there. She runs a little bit however she is getting into it a little more now. She volunteered in Boston the first year that I ran it (2007) and really enjoyed it. She will be proudly volunteering at the Trapline Marathon as a part of the medical team!
Happy running!
Elaine
I am 52 years old and work at Veteran Affairs Canada and I started working with a girl who use to run years ago but got away from it and I was never a runner. I never ran in my life. I walked quite a bit but never ran and did not consider myself a runner. We then started running in 2003. In 2004 I trained to do the PEI Half Marathon which I did and then decided that I would train for a full marathon but would only do one to say that I did it and that was it for long distance running for me. So in 2005 I completed my first marathon here in PEI.
Let's just say I was bitten by the running bug after that and someone said to me about qualifying for Boston (I didn't qualify my first marathon) and then decided I will run one more marathon (PEI) just to see if I could qualify for Boston, but I wasn't going all the way down to Boston to run a marathon even if I did qualify. So in October of 2005, I did the PEI Marathon again and this time I qualified for Boston with a time of 3:46:14.
Well I was so excited that I qualified, that a week or so after doing this marathon thought, well I am qualified now so I may as well go to Boston and run it just to say that I have run the elite of all marathons (BOSTON MARATHON). In April of 2007 my friend and I were off to Boston to run the marathon. The weather was just terrible with rain and wind. Of all the years that the Boston Marathon was running this was the only year that they thought they might have to cancel because of the high winds and monsoon rain (tail end of a hurricane) and of course this was the year that I was running it. I finished this marathon and what a thrill it was. I couldn't believe that I was running with some of the world's best runners. I ran Boston again in 2008 and 2009.
I have since completed a total of 14 marathons and will be running two more this year. I will be running Saint John, New Brunswick on September 27th and the PEI Marathon on October 18th. I wish I could do the full however two marathons within a week is a little too much so I will have to be content to do the half.
I will not be running Boston in 2010 (even though I am qualified) as I will be doing Charlottesville, Virginia on April 17th, 2010. I now like to travel around and do different marathons.
My daughter is now residing in Goose Bay and is a nurse there. She runs a little bit however she is getting into it a little more now. She volunteered in Boston the first year that I ran it (2007) and really enjoyed it. She will be proudly volunteering at the Trapline Marathon as a part of the medical team!
Happy running!
Elaine