Remember how last winter was so moderate and snow-less? How we got our first snow on November 22?
Yeah, it's a faint memory. My beloved hometown is returning to its roots of cold winters and snow-suits under Halloween costumes; -15C being the usual daytime high, don't tell me about the evening lows.
Yet, I still went for a run at lunch today, and it was perfect. The sun shone, there was a bit of humidity in the air, and the paths were freshly plowed. Few souls dared cross our path today, if anything because we were trucking along pretty happily.
The weather was -16C, but the Weather Network announced that it 'felt like' -22C as we left. The great thing about running in winter is that you can usually dress warmly enough to beat any winter chill, especially in an environment as dry as Alberta. Enough under-padding and a good shell will beat almost any cold air.
My co-worker and I were so bold at one point that we figured that this was not the coldest we could run at, and that we could go out at at least -20C, if it felt like -25. When that day comes, we'll recalibrate from there.
The one thing that I am missing at this point are my Yaktrax. My effort in finding them has been blasé at best, but I certainly wouldn't turn them down if they were waved in front of my face.
However, I will admit that I don't miss not being exhausted by the end of the day, because my body has spent so much effort in keeping me warm at that time.
A 15 minute nap before studying sounds reasonable.
zzzzzz.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Sunday, October 7, 2012
So Far, So Good (possibly the most boring post I've ever written)
In my last post (two months or so ago), I mourned my lack of encouragement to keep running, and vowed to set new goals to continue going.
In a way, I did. I didn't maintain the fitness to running a second half-marathon a month later, but I did keep running with coworkers. In that way, it worked. I have been running at least twice a week, except for the week that my uncle died (sort of puts a damper on things).
In any case, today I got the cabin-fever, and decided to go out for a run. Despite the air quality being less than ideal (there was a lot of smoke from a fire nearby) and no music, I decided to go out for a run. I figured it would be a nice 6km or so, but really, I was shooting for at least 10km.
As I headed out, I really did feel the air quality affecting me. I had to slow a little more at certain points, but I kept going. At one point, I passed one guy who was doing some meditation next to his bike. The next guy I passed was about 10 seconds later, and we agreed that the Meditation Guy had a better idea. But that was early on in the run, and I still had about 8k to go.
I decided that because my watch had started late, I would sort of guestimate where I should turn back. It was about 4.7km when I decided to strike north to my run-home road.
I did make one quick stop to check out Clancy's Meat shop, and continued on. It was uphill for the most part, with a fierce, sometimes unpredictable, wind that made the coming back much tougher than the going out.
In the end, it was a good 10k, with a suitable pace of around 6:30m/km. The wind notwithstanding, it was a very nice run overall, and I love the sort of latent tiredness in my muscles. It's been too long since I felt this way. The usual 5km runs just don't give me the same feeling of finale accomplishment as a long-run.
In a way, I did. I didn't maintain the fitness to running a second half-marathon a month later, but I did keep running with coworkers. In that way, it worked. I have been running at least twice a week, except for the week that my uncle died (sort of puts a damper on things).
In any case, today I got the cabin-fever, and decided to go out for a run. Despite the air quality being less than ideal (there was a lot of smoke from a fire nearby) and no music, I decided to go out for a run. I figured it would be a nice 6km or so, but really, I was shooting for at least 10km.
As I headed out, I really did feel the air quality affecting me. I had to slow a little more at certain points, but I kept going. At one point, I passed one guy who was doing some meditation next to his bike. The next guy I passed was about 10 seconds later, and we agreed that the Meditation Guy had a better idea. But that was early on in the run, and I still had about 8k to go.
I decided that because my watch had started late, I would sort of guestimate where I should turn back. It was about 4.7km when I decided to strike north to my run-home road.
I did make one quick stop to check out Clancy's Meat shop, and continued on. It was uphill for the most part, with a fierce, sometimes unpredictable, wind that made the coming back much tougher than the going out.
In the end, it was a good 10k, with a suitable pace of around 6:30m/km. The wind notwithstanding, it was a very nice run overall, and I love the sort of latent tiredness in my muscles. It's been too long since I felt this way. The usual 5km runs just don't give me the same feeling of finale accomplishment as a long-run.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Post-Race Running
You know, I think I say this every time I run a race: I'm going to keep running after.
Up to this point, I have failed horribly at this! I like to rest on my laurels (and butt) and pat myself on the back for what discipline and stamina I have! Had, perhaps.
But this time, I'm really gonna do it. I would really like to run another half-marathon in a month or so. I can't just sit around and let the race come to me, I have to get ready for the new race!
Post-race, my knees were agony yesterday. I did a lot of stretching at work, and applied ice last night, and today my knees feel much much better. I'm going to ice again tonight and hopefully be right as rain tomorrow.
Speaking of rain, the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy tomorrow - maybe I'll take my first run on Thursday...
Up to this point, I have failed horribly at this! I like to rest on my laurels (and butt) and pat myself on the back for what discipline and stamina I have! Had, perhaps.
But this time, I'm really gonna do it. I would really like to run another half-marathon in a month or so. I can't just sit around and let the race come to me, I have to get ready for the new race!
Post-race, my knees were agony yesterday. I did a lot of stretching at work, and applied ice last night, and today my knees feel much much better. I'm going to ice again tonight and hopefully be right as rain tomorrow.
Speaking of rain, the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy tomorrow - maybe I'll take my first run on Thursday...
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Race Report: Edmonton Half Marathon
As an introduction, I have to confess that I was both ready and not ready for this race. Ready in that, technically, I had done the runs, worked on my fitness, and was pretty physically prepared as I was going to be. Not ready in that my head was a mess. Yesterday was spent dashing around town, doing this that and the other, and not relaxing and thinking my race through. I generally got stuck on, "Holy crap, I'm racing, it's going to be hot, what if I..." with a general end result that was worse than death, injury, or a bad time. I like to work myself up about the little stuff.
But I hydrated like (almost) a pro, despite the new research that constant hydration is possibly not the best thing for you (just like eggs, innocent last week, are apparently as bad as smoking, but I really don't know how you'd smoke an egg). I got my race kit ready, I set my alarm, I had my boyfriend informed, and all seemed ready to go.
I did get to the race on time, though the gear check signs were a little misleading (an arrow pointed left means left, an arrow pointed up means go through this break in the fence). I got all checked in, tried to find an appropriate start place (which ended up being just behind the 2:30 pace bunny), and all too soon, we were heading out.
The route, I knew, was going to be an out-and-back, from the Northlands Park down to Somewhere in the River Valley. I started off very confident and strong (despite yesterday's emotional upheaval). Despite a frequently patched-and-rutted road (thank you, Edmonton City Council), I was moving strong, and had to remind myself that my pace target was 6:00m/km, not 5:45, or even worse, 5:30. The thing I loved was the very strong Edmonton Police Service presence, and got a high-five from a cop as I went by. I think I may make this a race custom, if I can. The first five kilometers were not through a necessarily pretty area of Edmonton, despite the River Valley on the left side. After that, we started moving closer to downtown, and the last unprettiness is the unscenic pre-Chinatown area. However, there was no Lilydale packing plant, so Edmonton wins on that.
Since we ran across Chinatown instead of through, I did not say a thing about stopping for dim-sum. I was already starting to feel some wear on my body, but kept on truckin'. Through downtown Edmonton, we raced right by Allison's apartment building (if she weren't racing, I'd have stopped for a break), and through a little arch into Railtown. Starting with the Edmonton Veterinary Emergency Clinic, the place was rife with cheerers-on, applauders, and signs. Many were the usual 'You're Doing Great!' or 'Keep Going', but some were fun, like 'Why Do All the Pretty Girls Run Away From Me?' I shouted over my shoulder, "Because we're hoping you're chasing!"
After Railtown, with all its lovely shade, we passed by the Royal Alberta Museum, and it was about this time, at 8km that my left knee started to make its presence known. Not the usual gentle, "Um, I beg your pardon," but the, "Oi, what the hell do you think you're doing up there?" It was a pain on the outside of the kneecap, so I'm pretty sure it's rejecting the runner lifestyle. Or whatever, I didn't care. I had passed the 2:30 pace bunny and was feeling strong, despite my knee. In fact, I think I passed a fair number of people at this time. Down 102 Ave we went, and suddenly, it seemed like heaven - people were turning! Thank goodness, the turn around point!
I was a little self-delusional at this point. No, the corner was not the turn-around point (as anyone who had really studied the race map would have told me), there was still another kilometer and some in the affluent neighbourhood of People-Who-Don't-Listen-To-Insurance-Companies-Or-Common-Sense. Yes, it's the beautiful neighbourhood along the River Valley where homes have been known to slide into the river below because they were built too close to the edge. Fortunately, no homes fell in today, and we safely made it past the turn-around point and again into shade.
On my way back, around 11km, my right knee was starting to complain too. I would take extra walk breaks, and for a while, Advil helped a bit. However, after leaving downtown, there was little shade. I tried to take my last Advil, and it fell to the ground. To hell with it. Keep going. Once I passed the 18km marker, I realized I really could finish this in a suitable time. My hamstring had felt a bit achey on and off, but I really felt that 3km more was not going to be much of a problem. By then I had my fellow racers who I could not lose against (one of whom turned out to be doing the marathon, bless her), and I made it, and kept it, past them. Walk breaks were a risk, though - every time I took one, it took longer to start up running again. I would do the stiff-knee waddle for a little while before whatever was hurting warmed up (or just resigned itself to a life of servitude and pain). I took one more walk-break at 21km before realizing that, unlike the Calgary 10km, my own home city wouldn't lull me into thinking 0.1km was not that far away. I started to run again, and kept up a powerful (at the time, for me, it was powerful), up around the bend, through the first arch, and up the little hillet to the second arch, and I was done! DONE!
It turns out that I came in at 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 24 seconds, another 10 minutes off my last half marathon time! I'm very happy with this.
Now, it's naptime.
But I hydrated like (almost) a pro, despite the new research that constant hydration is possibly not the best thing for you (just like eggs, innocent last week, are apparently as bad as smoking, but I really don't know how you'd smoke an egg). I got my race kit ready, I set my alarm, I had my boyfriend informed, and all seemed ready to go.
I did get to the race on time, though the gear check signs were a little misleading (an arrow pointed left means left, an arrow pointed up means go through this break in the fence). I got all checked in, tried to find an appropriate start place (which ended up being just behind the 2:30 pace bunny), and all too soon, we were heading out.
The route, I knew, was going to be an out-and-back, from the Northlands Park down to Somewhere in the River Valley. I started off very confident and strong (despite yesterday's emotional upheaval). Despite a frequently patched-and-rutted road (thank you, Edmonton City Council), I was moving strong, and had to remind myself that my pace target was 6:00m/km, not 5:45, or even worse, 5:30. The thing I loved was the very strong Edmonton Police Service presence, and got a high-five from a cop as I went by. I think I may make this a race custom, if I can. The first five kilometers were not through a necessarily pretty area of Edmonton, despite the River Valley on the left side. After that, we started moving closer to downtown, and the last unprettiness is the unscenic pre-Chinatown area. However, there was no Lilydale packing plant, so Edmonton wins on that.
Since we ran across Chinatown instead of through, I did not say a thing about stopping for dim-sum. I was already starting to feel some wear on my body, but kept on truckin'. Through downtown Edmonton, we raced right by Allison's apartment building (if she weren't racing, I'd have stopped for a break), and through a little arch into Railtown. Starting with the Edmonton Veterinary Emergency Clinic, the place was rife with cheerers-on, applauders, and signs. Many were the usual 'You're Doing Great!' or 'Keep Going', but some were fun, like 'Why Do All the Pretty Girls Run Away From Me?' I shouted over my shoulder, "Because we're hoping you're chasing!"
After Railtown, with all its lovely shade, we passed by the Royal Alberta Museum, and it was about this time, at 8km that my left knee started to make its presence known. Not the usual gentle, "Um, I beg your pardon," but the, "Oi, what the hell do you think you're doing up there?" It was a pain on the outside of the kneecap, so I'm pretty sure it's rejecting the runner lifestyle. Or whatever, I didn't care. I had passed the 2:30 pace bunny and was feeling strong, despite my knee. In fact, I think I passed a fair number of people at this time. Down 102 Ave we went, and suddenly, it seemed like heaven - people were turning! Thank goodness, the turn around point!
I was a little self-delusional at this point. No, the corner was not the turn-around point (as anyone who had really studied the race map would have told me), there was still another kilometer and some in the affluent neighbourhood of People-Who-Don't-Listen-To-Insurance-Companies-Or-Common-Sense. Yes, it's the beautiful neighbourhood along the River Valley where homes have been known to slide into the river below because they were built too close to the edge. Fortunately, no homes fell in today, and we safely made it past the turn-around point and again into shade.
On my way back, around 11km, my right knee was starting to complain too. I would take extra walk breaks, and for a while, Advil helped a bit. However, after leaving downtown, there was little shade. I tried to take my last Advil, and it fell to the ground. To hell with it. Keep going. Once I passed the 18km marker, I realized I really could finish this in a suitable time. My hamstring had felt a bit achey on and off, but I really felt that 3km more was not going to be much of a problem. By then I had my fellow racers who I could not lose against (one of whom turned out to be doing the marathon, bless her), and I made it, and kept it, past them. Walk breaks were a risk, though - every time I took one, it took longer to start up running again. I would do the stiff-knee waddle for a little while before whatever was hurting warmed up (or just resigned itself to a life of servitude and pain). I took one more walk-break at 21km before realizing that, unlike the Calgary 10km, my own home city wouldn't lull me into thinking 0.1km was not that far away. I started to run again, and kept up a powerful (at the time, for me, it was powerful), up around the bend, through the first arch, and up the little hillet to the second arch, and I was done! DONE!
It turns out that I came in at 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 24 seconds, another 10 minutes off my last half marathon time! I'm very happy with this.
Now, it's naptime.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Jelly's Somewhat Removed Report of the Canadian Death Race
As I mentioned previously, my boyfriend did the Canadian Death Race in Grande Cache, AB this past weekend.
At first, I wasn't going to be joining him, but one thing derouled into another, and I got to go. I wasn't running, just cheerleading, but a weekend of camping (despite my novice camper status) was too good to be denied.
Especially with the eye-candy provided by ultra-runners.
Anyways, we took off on Friday at around noon. It takes about five hours to get to Grande Cache from Edmonton, but the going is pretty smooth. Getting the day off was also no problem, because my boss was also competing.
The drive to Grande Cache was uneventful, and we made good time. Upon arrival, we discovered that Ragnar's team had a little cluster of tents in 'Tent City'. We had been warned that space would be rare, so we brought a little 2-man tent with us - however, we could have easily fit our borrowed 5-man tent!
The group also had no fire pit. But no! These are army engineers, of course they will build a fire pit! Except no one had a shovel. Ragnar's friend had just sharpened his axe and Ragnar probably wouldn't want me volunteering his tomahawk (don't ask me why he has one, it just is that way), so they were left to their own sticks, rocks, and devices. They're a resourceful lot, though, and as us womenfolk (numbering two) looked on, the boys got a nice fire going.
I sat up with my friends, chatting and showing chutzpah in licker-drinkins' (even if I don't like the taste, I'll swig it like a good Alberta-strong girl). Eventually we went to be... er, sleeping bag, and slept.
Saturday was more tense. The race was done in relay, and the first two runners had had a fair amount to drink the night before. However, they got their runs done, and suddenly Ragnar was carted away to do leg 4 of the race. I had been just been coming back from the out-houses (FYI, Death Race outhouses are beautifully maintained - cleaned once a day! Can you imagine?), so I didn't get to go with him.
Ragnar's friend would be doing the leg after him (the last one), but leg 4 was the killer - it's called the Hamel Assault for good reason. You go up a mountain (Mt. Hamel, in fact), go around, come down a bit, and then go back up again. At one point in the leg, I got a call from Ragnar. He was quite out of breath, and dismayed to tell me that he had underestimated Mt. Hamel - he was going slower than he thought, and he didn't think he'd make the time he'd estimated. However, since he was out of breath, I got only half the message, and eventually, it was a good thing I did.
Ragnar's friend, his wife, and I hung around for a little longer, and then accepted a drive to the relay point where Ragnar's friend would take over the race. At this point, I was keeping an eye out for my boss (who had actually passed the point three or so hours earlier), but it was good we arrived when we did. Friend got a text about 10km out from Ragnar, and my own calculations were that he could do that in about 45 minutes.
And so he did. As Ragnar was pounding into the chute to the last leg, catching his breath, and generally not-falling-over, he revealed that due to the elevations of the mountain, there were some points that his Garmin watch wasn't getting GPS signals, so he thought he was doing 10min/km, rather than the 7min/km reality. Thank goodness I didn't really hear him say something like, "I'm going to be an hour late," because then the last leg would have started later.
We left Grande Cache on Sunday, Ragnar content to let his teammate pick up the medallions for the team. They finished 53rd overall, which I figure is pretty good for a first time.
As for me, I'll definitely be going back. Who knows, maybe I'll run a leg myself...
At first, I wasn't going to be joining him, but one thing derouled into another, and I got to go. I wasn't running, just cheerleading, but a weekend of camping (despite my novice camper status) was too good to be denied.
Especially with the eye-candy provided by ultra-runners.
Anyways, we took off on Friday at around noon. It takes about five hours to get to Grande Cache from Edmonton, but the going is pretty smooth. Getting the day off was also no problem, because my boss was also competing.
The drive to Grande Cache was uneventful, and we made good time. Upon arrival, we discovered that Ragnar's team had a little cluster of tents in 'Tent City'. We had been warned that space would be rare, so we brought a little 2-man tent with us - however, we could have easily fit our borrowed 5-man tent!
The group also had no fire pit. But no! These are army engineers, of course they will build a fire pit! Except no one had a shovel. Ragnar's friend had just sharpened his axe and Ragnar probably wouldn't want me volunteering his tomahawk (don't ask me why he has one, it just is that way), so they were left to their own sticks, rocks, and devices. They're a resourceful lot, though, and as us womenfolk (numbering two) looked on, the boys got a nice fire going.
I sat up with my friends, chatting and showing chutzpah in licker-drinkins' (even if I don't like the taste, I'll swig it like a good Alberta-strong girl). Eventually we went to be... er, sleeping bag, and slept.
Saturday was more tense. The race was done in relay, and the first two runners had had a fair amount to drink the night before. However, they got their runs done, and suddenly Ragnar was carted away to do leg 4 of the race. I had been just been coming back from the out-houses (FYI, Death Race outhouses are beautifully maintained - cleaned once a day! Can you imagine?), so I didn't get to go with him.
 |
| This is the elevation chart of the race. That big peak? Yeah, that was Ragnar's job. |
Ragnar's friend, his wife, and I hung around for a little longer, and then accepted a drive to the relay point where Ragnar's friend would take over the race. At this point, I was keeping an eye out for my boss (who had actually passed the point three or so hours earlier), but it was good we arrived when we did. Friend got a text about 10km out from Ragnar, and my own calculations were that he could do that in about 45 minutes.
And so he did. As Ragnar was pounding into the chute to the last leg, catching his breath, and generally not-falling-over, he revealed that due to the elevations of the mountain, there were some points that his Garmin watch wasn't getting GPS signals, so he thought he was doing 10min/km, rather than the 7min/km reality. Thank goodness I didn't really hear him say something like, "I'm going to be an hour late," because then the last leg would have started later.
We left Grande Cache on Sunday, Ragnar content to let his teammate pick up the medallions for the team. They finished 53rd overall, which I figure is pretty good for a first time.
As for me, I'll definitely be going back. Who knows, maybe I'll run a leg myself...
21km, Solo, Hot
This past weekend, when I was scheduled to do the 21km on Sunday morning, I was waking up in a tent in the wilds of Grande Cache, AB, where my boyfriend was participating in the Canadian Death Race.
Instead, I did the 21km run yesterday, which would have been nice had I not decided to run it at noon. (interjection: I wish we had HTML voice tone tags. That would be so useful)
Yes, at noon in Alberta's summer drop-dead heat, I was running 21km. I knew it wasn't the best of ideas when I made it to 3km and was looking at my watch. I had already taken my shirt off, and by 5km, was giving serious thought to packing it in.
Alas, no, the Pride of Jelly is not to be denied. Someone had mentioned doing a 10km run, and I was indignant. By the 6km mark, where I could have crossed the street and gone home, I turned the other way and continued. Up 97 St. I went, imagining how wonderful it would feel to toss 21km in someone's face in retribution. By 11km, the shirt actually went back on because I was getting cold chills which meant my core temperature was overheating. At 13km, I stopped again at Subway and availed myself to their cold fountain water. Through-out, I would stop under shade for a few minutes, and took far more walk-breaks than I usually do. By 15km, there was no stopping. I paused at the nearby church to take a photo of their advert sign ("Is your prayer well-done or rare?"), and continued.
The last 4km were the hardest. I was walking every 2-5 minutes, but I kept going, damnit. I even passed the last 'Go Home Now' point (17km) in order to get the full distance. The sun was beating down hot and repressing at 27C. I wasn't sure if the cold chills had given up the ghost or if I'd successfully beaten back over-heating.
Finally, I made it to 21km, right outside my house. I tramped back in, chucked down a glass of water and some salt chips, and went for the best cold shower ever. Well, it started warm, so as to not shock the system.
Let me say this: running long distances in heat is not fun. It can be done, but it sucks. If my race day doesn't begin at a beautiful 15C, the least the weather can give me is some cloud.
On the other hand, I met the wall on 21km, and I ... well, it didn't win, but I didn't either. But I can learn.
C'mon, Canadian Derby Half-Marathon, bring it on. Two weekends from now, I will win over you, and then I will eat a ridiculous brunch to celebrate.
Instead, I did the 21km run yesterday, which would have been nice had I not decided to run it at noon. (interjection: I wish we had HTML voice tone tags. That would be so useful)
Yes, at noon in Alberta's summer drop-dead heat, I was running 21km. I knew it wasn't the best of ideas when I made it to 3km and was looking at my watch. I had already taken my shirt off, and by 5km, was giving serious thought to packing it in.
Alas, no, the Pride of Jelly is not to be denied. Someone had mentioned doing a 10km run, and I was indignant. By the 6km mark, where I could have crossed the street and gone home, I turned the other way and continued. Up 97 St. I went, imagining how wonderful it would feel to toss 21km in someone's face in retribution. By 11km, the shirt actually went back on because I was getting cold chills which meant my core temperature was overheating. At 13km, I stopped again at Subway and availed myself to their cold fountain water. Through-out, I would stop under shade for a few minutes, and took far more walk-breaks than I usually do. By 15km, there was no stopping. I paused at the nearby church to take a photo of their advert sign ("Is your prayer well-done or rare?"), and continued.
The last 4km were the hardest. I was walking every 2-5 minutes, but I kept going, damnit. I even passed the last 'Go Home Now' point (17km) in order to get the full distance. The sun was beating down hot and repressing at 27C. I wasn't sure if the cold chills had given up the ghost or if I'd successfully beaten back over-heating.
Finally, I made it to 21km, right outside my house. I tramped back in, chucked down a glass of water and some salt chips, and went for the best cold shower ever. Well, it started warm, so as to not shock the system.
Let me say this: running long distances in heat is not fun. It can be done, but it sucks. If my race day doesn't begin at a beautiful 15C, the least the weather can give me is some cloud.
On the other hand, I met the wall on 21km, and I ... well, it didn't win, but I didn't either. But I can learn.
C'mon, Canadian Derby Half-Marathon, bring it on. Two weekends from now, I will win over you, and then I will eat a ridiculous brunch to celebrate.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Running 18k Ensemble
Given last week's lonely run, I got wise and went in to the Running Room to find out where the half-marathon group would be running from. It's a good thing, too, because they were running from a mildly obscure area in the River Valley, and starting an hour earlier.
Waking up at 6 a.m., I really did consider just running on my own, and stealing the extra sleeptime. However, I really didn't want to do the whole run on my own again, so I got up, ate my bowl of Cheerios and a slice of toast with peanut butter, and drove down to the starting site.
I started out rather slow, to maintain pace with someone who hadn't run since the 12k weekend. During the first 5km, we went down roads, into ravines, and down gravel hills that I dreaded coming back up. I kept up the chatter, as my running companion seemed to find my patter absolutely interesting - or she couldn't catch enough breath to interrupt me.
Right around 5km, my running buddy decided to head back, and conveniently, there was a bathroom stop just around the corner. Even more conveniently, the city employee had just arrived to open the locks on it. However, despite the five adoring women thanking him profusely, he did not seem terribly amused. I hope he remembers us fondly, because we sure will.
Anyways, continuing on, through the swelling hill-ettes and along the paths, we made it to 9km, and paused long enough to wait for everyone to catch up. By that point, I was extremely glad we'd started early, because despite the trees and the River Valley, the sun was hot and the mercury was rising. It was, of course, at that point that the rest of us discovered that the lead-pack had gotten lost twice. Whoopsie! However, we were close enough to downtown that I would have been able to find my way home (or at least given Ragnar enough direction to pick me up).
We headed back, and I was quite pleased that, not only were my knees reacting ... reasonably well, and my hip wasn't paining me nearly as much as last week. During the run back, it was time for more runners and bikers to be out, and I saw an example of bad road courtesy: a road biker was heading towards us, and shoved a walker out of the way, to the ground (though whether there was actual contact, I didn't see). He then took a moment to look back, but continued on his way. Mitigating circumstance: the walking group was not sharing the road either, and looked like they could be working off last night's hangover. Bad karma all 'round.
We stayed to the path on our way back, and I was not taking as many GU energy gels as I had expected. Speaking of GU, their Chocolate Outrage and Peanut Butter gels are pretty tasty. I just know I can't be the only person to think there needs to be a Chocolatey Peanut Butter Explosion.
Anyways, it was during the last 3.5km that I started really watching my watch. We were still going up and down hills, and my knees were letting me know about it. And just as we got to the end... Stairs. The dreaded River Valley Stairs loomed before me. The last time I had seen these stairs, I'd nearly puked, and I hate puking. But I did them, and found that, despite having elapsed nearly 17km already, I did the stairs with relative ease - my lunchtime runs in the Valley, doing similar stairs, had trained me well.
We were pretty close to the end, and I managed to burn some extra by finishing fast and strong. I like doing that. It makes me feel like it's a piece of cake, and the last 18km was de rigeur.
Post-run, I enjoyed a raspberry protein shake, and a nap. My knees and left hip feel pretty comfortable, though respectably tired. It feels like a job well-done, and we shall see what next week entails.
Speaking of my hip, I am debating between going to get it checked out, and leaving it be before the big race. This week will be the big decider.
Waking up at 6 a.m., I really did consider just running on my own, and stealing the extra sleeptime. However, I really didn't want to do the whole run on my own again, so I got up, ate my bowl of Cheerios and a slice of toast with peanut butter, and drove down to the starting site.
I started out rather slow, to maintain pace with someone who hadn't run since the 12k weekend. During the first 5km, we went down roads, into ravines, and down gravel hills that I dreaded coming back up. I kept up the chatter, as my running companion seemed to find my patter absolutely interesting - or she couldn't catch enough breath to interrupt me.
Right around 5km, my running buddy decided to head back, and conveniently, there was a bathroom stop just around the corner. Even more conveniently, the city employee had just arrived to open the locks on it. However, despite the five adoring women thanking him profusely, he did not seem terribly amused. I hope he remembers us fondly, because we sure will.
Anyways, continuing on, through the swelling hill-ettes and along the paths, we made it to 9km, and paused long enough to wait for everyone to catch up. By that point, I was extremely glad we'd started early, because despite the trees and the River Valley, the sun was hot and the mercury was rising. It was, of course, at that point that the rest of us discovered that the lead-pack had gotten lost twice. Whoopsie! However, we were close enough to downtown that I would have been able to find my way home (or at least given Ragnar enough direction to pick me up).
We headed back, and I was quite pleased that, not only were my knees reacting ... reasonably well, and my hip wasn't paining me nearly as much as last week. During the run back, it was time for more runners and bikers to be out, and I saw an example of bad road courtesy: a road biker was heading towards us, and shoved a walker out of the way, to the ground (though whether there was actual contact, I didn't see). He then took a moment to look back, but continued on his way. Mitigating circumstance: the walking group was not sharing the road either, and looked like they could be working off last night's hangover. Bad karma all 'round.
We stayed to the path on our way back, and I was not taking as many GU energy gels as I had expected. Speaking of GU, their Chocolate Outrage and Peanut Butter gels are pretty tasty. I just know I can't be the only person to think there needs to be a Chocolatey Peanut Butter Explosion.
Anyways, it was during the last 3.5km that I started really watching my watch. We were still going up and down hills, and my knees were letting me know about it. And just as we got to the end... Stairs. The dreaded River Valley Stairs loomed before me. The last time I had seen these stairs, I'd nearly puked, and I hate puking. But I did them, and found that, despite having elapsed nearly 17km already, I did the stairs with relative ease - my lunchtime runs in the Valley, doing similar stairs, had trained me well.
We were pretty close to the end, and I managed to burn some extra by finishing fast and strong. I like doing that. It makes me feel like it's a piece of cake, and the last 18km was de rigeur.
Post-run, I enjoyed a raspberry protein shake, and a nap. My knees and left hip feel pretty comfortable, though respectably tired. It feels like a job well-done, and we shall see what next week entails.
Speaking of my hip, I am debating between going to get it checked out, and leaving it be before the big race. This week will be the big decider.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Running 18k Solo
You would think I'd learn after one lesson and call to see where the running group is at, but as I may have mentioned, it takes a few times to get through to my cognitive processes.
But no - I got to the Running Room this morning and discovered that the half-marathon group was doing their 18km run out of St. Albert. Again, it was then too late to drive to St. Albert, so I said to heck with it, I'll do 18km on my own.
I stopped briefly at home to bolster my resources and check out a new route.. The last version involved road-side running, which I dislike for safety reasons. This new route was all side-walk friendly, and involved some paths that I'd traversed a few times. I explained my route to my boyfriend, and set out.
In the first loop through Lago Lindo, I already felt the need to use the bathroom, but shrugged it away until later thought. I had a pace of around 6:45min/km, which was alright. The breeze was cool, but the sun was hot. Thankfully, there was a 7-11 who gave me succor (and by succor, I mean air conditioning and the bathroom key).
Then I started through Castle Downs, ran by the dude with the gigantic Great Dane again, past the church, and down Castle Downs Road. As my boyfriend had worried, I was starting to get low on water, so by kilometer 11, I stopped at the nearby Subway (eat fresh!), and was able to get free cold water from their drinks fountain. It was around this time that I remembered GI Jane and the recitation, "A bird will drop dead from its tree, without feeling sorry for itself." Imperfectly remembered, probably, but the sentiment kept me going.
By about 10:30 a.m., it was getting quite warm. My left knee had ached on and off for a while, but I concentrated on exactly how my foot was falling. The 16th kilometer was on a bit of an uphill, but I powered through that, but right around 17.5km, my knee started trying to buckle every 200 meters. Well, that wasn't going to get my run finished, so I used a Granny Weatherwax tactic: "But her voice wasn't faint and she wasn't swaying, Nanny Ogg could see, because Granny Weatherwax's body was in the grip of Granny Weatherwax's mind." (Lords and Ladies, Terry Pratchett)
The saying goes that 90 per cent of running is mental, and this really proved it. My knee continued to come close to buckling, and every time it did, I kept thinking it as a strong joint, moving forward. It did work, but as I came close to the final turn, walking was very tempting. As I hit the 18.01km mark, I was very very happy to mark this run as 'complete'.
And next week, I will indeed be checking where the hell the running group will be!
But no - I got to the Running Room this morning and discovered that the half-marathon group was doing their 18km run out of St. Albert. Again, it was then too late to drive to St. Albert, so I said to heck with it, I'll do 18km on my own.
I stopped briefly at home to bolster my resources and check out a new route.. The last version involved road-side running, which I dislike for safety reasons. This new route was all side-walk friendly, and involved some paths that I'd traversed a few times. I explained my route to my boyfriend, and set out.
In the first loop through Lago Lindo, I already felt the need to use the bathroom, but shrugged it away until later thought. I had a pace of around 6:45min/km, which was alright. The breeze was cool, but the sun was hot. Thankfully, there was a 7-11 who gave me succor (and by succor, I mean air conditioning and the bathroom key).
Then I started through Castle Downs, ran by the dude with the gigantic Great Dane again, past the church, and down Castle Downs Road. As my boyfriend had worried, I was starting to get low on water, so by kilometer 11, I stopped at the nearby Subway (eat fresh!), and was able to get free cold water from their drinks fountain. It was around this time that I remembered GI Jane and the recitation, "A bird will drop dead from its tree, without feeling sorry for itself." Imperfectly remembered, probably, but the sentiment kept me going.
By about 10:30 a.m., it was getting quite warm. My left knee had ached on and off for a while, but I concentrated on exactly how my foot was falling. The 16th kilometer was on a bit of an uphill, but I powered through that, but right around 17.5km, my knee started trying to buckle every 200 meters. Well, that wasn't going to get my run finished, so I used a Granny Weatherwax tactic: "But her voice wasn't faint and she wasn't swaying, Nanny Ogg could see, because Granny Weatherwax's body was in the grip of Granny Weatherwax's mind." (Lords and Ladies, Terry Pratchett)
The saying goes that 90 per cent of running is mental, and this really proved it. My knee continued to come close to buckling, and every time it did, I kept thinking it as a strong joint, moving forward. It did work, but as I came close to the final turn, walking was very tempting. As I hit the 18.01km mark, I was very very happy to mark this run as 'complete'.
And next week, I will indeed be checking where the hell the running group will be!
Friday, July 13, 2012
My Week In Running
I discovered a lot of new things in running this past week:
Addendum: Dear hip, shut up. Just because we're turning 30 tomorrow does not mean my warranty has run out. Stop whining. You just have two more half-marathons to do this season. Quiet.
- BC has a lot of hills. Sweetie and I did our 15km long run on Saturday, as we were planning to drive home on Sunday. This began with a big downhill, which meant on the return, there would be a big uphill. However, it was a nice run, fully enjoyable time with Ragnar, and I was able to enjoy the beautiful near-countryside of BC. Weird thing seen: a couch in the ditch.
- Podcasting: I've heard of podcasting, but never figured it out until I needed something, anything, to block out the Flames of War podcast Ragnar was listening to. So I hooked up to Geeks in Running Shoes, which is a couple of self-proclaimed geeks who are recording their continuing efforts in making running a norm in their lives. They have guests, they talk about their race results, and they're super-nice: one already responded to me on Twitter! They also led me to the Slow Runners' Club, which espouses a joy in running and racing that is based on having fun, not racing for time, personal bests, or a win. Also, running while listening to podcasts? Not awesome, because you may have to laugh too hard.
- Upon returning to Edmonton, it was, as my sister had described it, as hot as the seventh level of Dante's Hell. Constantly 28-30C, and humid to boot! Fortunately, I had lived in Ottawa, so this humidity was a mosquito's bite compared to some I'd experienced, but it made me start running in the morning again, because running at noon was torturous.
- Which I did, actually, because I hadn't woken up early enough Thursday morning (the invasive heat and resulting two-hour thunderstorm broke my sleep too much). In deference, I brought a bottle of water with me, and took more walk-breaks than usual. It was a light 5k, but ended up taking a bit longer than usual.
- Speaking of torturous running and podcasting, one of the topics that Geeks in Running Shoes covered at one point was Ultra running. This was very interesting for me because my boss runs ultras, and Ragnar is getting into them. As a matter of fact, Ragnar is training to participate in the Canadian Death Race (my boss is also training for this, but I'm not his pit crew). Listening to GiRS's podcast, I got a sense of what Ragnar will need on his run in the Death Race: yes-or-no or other equally simple questions, like "Are you peeing? When did you last pee? Are you drinking water? Electrolytes?" Quadratic equations are right out at a time when someone is concentrating on one foot in front of the other.
- Last but not least, I really hope the wildfires in northern Alberta die down fast because I want everyone to be safe, and I want the air in Edmonton to clear up - right now, it's a disturbing yellow-peach colour during the day, stings my eyes, and doesn't feel healthy in the lungs. I wanted to go rollerblading tonight, but maybe I'll wait for a clearer day.
Addendum: Dear hip, shut up. Just because we're turning 30 tomorrow does not mean my warranty has run out. Stop whining. You just have two more half-marathons to do this season. Quiet.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Stanley Park Seawall, Vancouver, BC
Today, I woke up after Ragnar had to go, and I didn't really feel like running. I knew we would have a long walking day with Stanley Park and the Vancouver Aquarium.
Fast forward past the traffic jam to Vancouver, getting somewhat lost in Stanley Park, and the Aquarium, as lovely as it was. Ragnar suggested we get out the rollerblades and since it had been years since I'd last rolled, I was excited and nervous all at once.
You can imagine that it started out badly. The car, our starting point, was parked on an incline, and I was nervously clutching at Ragnar. I did land on my butt once. However, once we got down to the actual sea wall, it was pretty straight-forward, with some curves. As I continued on, I gained confidence and speed. Through children and runners and other rollerbladers, I made my way through. It really didn't feel like a cardio work out, and perhaps at the speed I was going, it wasn't a huge cardio effort.
Blading along the Seawall was amazing. Sheer stone to our left, sea to our right, it was a beautiful day to be out there. Sunscreen was an absolute necessity, but so worth it. Ragnar estimates we went about 8km, but I was having so much fun that I didn't notice. We saw boats coming in, seaplanes taking off, and the diversity that is Vancouver.
After we landed back at the car (no other traumas to my self), Ragnar and I went for ice cream. Worth it!!
Fast forward past the traffic jam to Vancouver, getting somewhat lost in Stanley Park, and the Aquarium, as lovely as it was. Ragnar suggested we get out the rollerblades and since it had been years since I'd last rolled, I was excited and nervous all at once.
You can imagine that it started out badly. The car, our starting point, was parked on an incline, and I was nervously clutching at Ragnar. I did land on my butt once. However, once we got down to the actual sea wall, it was pretty straight-forward, with some curves. As I continued on, I gained confidence and speed. Through children and runners and other rollerbladers, I made my way through. It really didn't feel like a cardio work out, and perhaps at the speed I was going, it wasn't a huge cardio effort.
Blading along the Seawall was amazing. Sheer stone to our left, sea to our right, it was a beautiful day to be out there. Sunscreen was an absolute necessity, but so worth it. Ragnar estimates we went about 8km, but I was having so much fun that I didn't notice. We saw boats coming in, seaplanes taking off, and the diversity that is Vancouver.
After we landed back at the car (no other traumas to my self), Ragnar and I went for ice cream. Worth it!!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Sometimes, Indoors Isn't Hell
Hey, everyone,
I'm writing from British Freakin' Columbia. I'm celebrating because I can now say I've been in BC, more than driving through a corner, or stopping through the airport, or spending a few days in Victoria (which seems to be a world unto itself).
Last night, after about nine hours of driving, as we lay in our hotel bed, my legs were going through the usual haven't-run-in-a-week jiggles. Which is funny because I ran on Sunday, but apparently nine hours of sitting in a car equals three or so days of not-running, so who's counting?
Anyways, I got up and hit the fitness room at the hotel this morning. Admittedly, fitness room is a bit of a stretch for a title, because they had an elliptical machine, a stationary bicycle, and a treadmill. I hopped on the treadmill for an intended 30 minutes, but then as I was going on, did the math: if two miles is 3.2km, what is three miles? Close to 5km.
The pace I was hitting was not a challenge, so I decided after the first 30 minutes to let my boyfriend sleep a little longer and run until I hit 5km. Let's just say, worth iiiiit! I felt great coming off the treadmill, my legs didn't bug me until just now, and my hip, which has been worrying me, has stopped pestering me for the day. The best part was, the room was so warm that I had to take my shirt off... and spent a few too many minutes of the run, watching my newly svelte self in the perfectly placed mirror! Hard work success!
Then, funny story, I went to dinner with the boyfriend's family, and his grandmother had been kind enough to buy us a basket of fruit. But someone had misunderstood her, and cut up the fruit onto a huge fruit platter! So now we have enough fruit to make some great snacks!
The boyfriend will be heading out for a run at a faster speed than me tomorrow morning, so I will have to find my own pace and route. Some time this week, we will be going to run around Stanley Park and the Sea Wall, and then on Saturday, we'll do 16km.
Ahh, vacation. C'est la vie!
I'm writing from British Freakin' Columbia. I'm celebrating because I can now say I've been in BC, more than driving through a corner, or stopping through the airport, or spending a few days in Victoria (which seems to be a world unto itself).
Last night, after about nine hours of driving, as we lay in our hotel bed, my legs were going through the usual haven't-run-in-a-week jiggles. Which is funny because I ran on Sunday, but apparently nine hours of sitting in a car equals three or so days of not-running, so who's counting?
Anyways, I got up and hit the fitness room at the hotel this morning. Admittedly, fitness room is a bit of a stretch for a title, because they had an elliptical machine, a stationary bicycle, and a treadmill. I hopped on the treadmill for an intended 30 minutes, but then as I was going on, did the math: if two miles is 3.2km, what is three miles? Close to 5km.
The pace I was hitting was not a challenge, so I decided after the first 30 minutes to let my boyfriend sleep a little longer and run until I hit 5km. Let's just say, worth iiiiit! I felt great coming off the treadmill, my legs didn't bug me until just now, and my hip, which has been worrying me, has stopped pestering me for the day. The best part was, the room was so warm that I had to take my shirt off... and spent a few too many minutes of the run, watching my newly svelte self in the perfectly placed mirror! Hard work success!
Then, funny story, I went to dinner with the boyfriend's family, and his grandmother had been kind enough to buy us a basket of fruit. But someone had misunderstood her, and cut up the fruit onto a huge fruit platter! So now we have enough fruit to make some great snacks!
The boyfriend will be heading out for a run at a faster speed than me tomorrow morning, so I will have to find my own pace and route. Some time this week, we will be going to run around Stanley Park and the Sea Wall, and then on Saturday, we'll do 16km.
Ahh, vacation. C'est la vie!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Running in the Rain
As I take a break from packing for my visit to BC and my boyfriend's family, I reflect on this morning.
I got up and debated not going on my 16km run. Then I got breakfast, and figured I might as well.
It looked sunny enough, and as in my past few posts, if it looked like rain, it generally wasn't. So you can imagine that, as I looked out and saw clouds, I generally presumed it wouldn't be too bad.
We started off at a slower pace. My slower running buddy was there, and, loathe to leave one man behind, I stayed with her. We had gotten to about 5km in the route, and the heavens opened up.
At first, it was a trickle, but then it quickly became a downpour. My running buddy and I stopped for a bathroom break at Starbucks, and I debated calling my boyfriend for a ride home. But no, my buddy said, we started this, and she would finish this. And I said, if she can do this, so can I.
We kept running on. I turned off my Garmin when thunder started ringing, but I didn't see any lightning. Still, better safe than sorry.
Long story short, it was a pretty easy run over all. When we got in, other people from the half-marathon group clapped us in - I love that feeling. It certainly made the wet shoes, the shorts threatening to drop, and the mosquitoes feel worth it.
Then I hopped in my car and scrambled back home to get out of my clothes and into a very hot shower.
Next week will be 16km on Saturday in BC - looking forward to it!
Happy Canada Day, everyone!
I got up and debated not going on my 16km run. Then I got breakfast, and figured I might as well.
It looked sunny enough, and as in my past few posts, if it looked like rain, it generally wasn't. So you can imagine that, as I looked out and saw clouds, I generally presumed it wouldn't be too bad.
We started off at a slower pace. My slower running buddy was there, and, loathe to leave one man behind, I stayed with her. We had gotten to about 5km in the route, and the heavens opened up.
At first, it was a trickle, but then it quickly became a downpour. My running buddy and I stopped for a bathroom break at Starbucks, and I debated calling my boyfriend for a ride home. But no, my buddy said, we started this, and she would finish this. And I said, if she can do this, so can I.
We kept running on. I turned off my Garmin when thunder started ringing, but I didn't see any lightning. Still, better safe than sorry.
Long story short, it was a pretty easy run over all. When we got in, other people from the half-marathon group clapped us in - I love that feeling. It certainly made the wet shoes, the shorts threatening to drop, and the mosquitoes feel worth it.
Then I hopped in my car and scrambled back home to get out of my clothes and into a very hot shower.
Next week will be 16km on Saturday in BC - looking forward to it!
Happy Canada Day, everyone!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Morning, Redux
Morning. Morning again. Sun peeking through the... wait, no, it's not.
It's grey outside. Grey and windy, and threatening to rain. Sometimes the best condition to run in, if you're not waking up at 5:15 to do it. But I said I would, so I get up, sneak to the bathroom to dress, and head downstairs. Today, I grab half a muffin and some water. I think I learned my lesson from yesterday.
Today, I put on my wind jacket, because who knows what will happen. I do a reverse of yesterday, heading out to the path under the power lines. It seems to stretch on forever, like two mirrors facing each other. My pace is slower than yesterday, which is great, and I feel more energy, from either the half muffin or running slower. I've already decided to do a shorter course, because I might go to the gym tonight.
However, as I'm approaching the turn-around point, I do consider going longer than I thought. But no, stick to the plan, I think. I hit 71 St, and start the turn around. Then I get to 167 Ave., and smack dab into the wind.
I hate running against the wind. So much extra effort and none of it recorded on my Garmin watch. Well, whatever. It's harder going against the wind, and all I can think about is passing the goals that lead me to the big one: home. There's the lights for 77 St. There's the cafe sign that sits in front of the pharmacy. There's the street lights, the fire house, and then the lights of my turn back towards home.
At about 50 meters out, I start to push. Not the fastest I can do, but faster, and to keep going, on a slight uphill grade. I'm reciting, "Finish strong," in my head as a mantra, "Push hard, finish strong." Just to the corner. But what's the corner? I'm too precise. It's the 45 degree angle of the corner block. I finish hard, and find my watch telling me I have run 4.5km this morning. Time to go home, shower, and have a coffee.
And get ready for work. I can't wait to run at lunchtime again...
In other news, one of the things I pass on my runs is the beautiful wild rose of Alberta:
It's grey outside. Grey and windy, and threatening to rain. Sometimes the best condition to run in, if you're not waking up at 5:15 to do it. But I said I would, so I get up, sneak to the bathroom to dress, and head downstairs. Today, I grab half a muffin and some water. I think I learned my lesson from yesterday.
Today, I put on my wind jacket, because who knows what will happen. I do a reverse of yesterday, heading out to the path under the power lines. It seems to stretch on forever, like two mirrors facing each other. My pace is slower than yesterday, which is great, and I feel more energy, from either the half muffin or running slower. I've already decided to do a shorter course, because I might go to the gym tonight.
However, as I'm approaching the turn-around point, I do consider going longer than I thought. But no, stick to the plan, I think. I hit 71 St, and start the turn around. Then I get to 167 Ave., and smack dab into the wind.
I hate running against the wind. So much extra effort and none of it recorded on my Garmin watch. Well, whatever. It's harder going against the wind, and all I can think about is passing the goals that lead me to the big one: home. There's the lights for 77 St. There's the cafe sign that sits in front of the pharmacy. There's the street lights, the fire house, and then the lights of my turn back towards home.
At about 50 meters out, I start to push. Not the fastest I can do, but faster, and to keep going, on a slight uphill grade. I'm reciting, "Finish strong," in my head as a mantra, "Push hard, finish strong." Just to the corner. But what's the corner? I'm too precise. It's the 45 degree angle of the corner block. I finish hard, and find my watch telling me I have run 4.5km this morning. Time to go home, shower, and have a coffee.
And get ready for work. I can't wait to run at lunchtime again...
In other news, one of the things I pass on my runs is the beautiful wild rose of Alberta:
The Wild Rose of Alberta
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Morning Again
Morning again. Morning alarm. Time to wake up, and run.
The sun is already up and would wake me but for the heavy blinds blocking most of it out. My body knows it's time to get up, but does the rest of me?
Boyfriend is deeply ensconced in blankets and sleep. But I am determined that I'm going to do this, I prepared for it, and I know it's the best chance I'll have to run today.
So I get up, and get dressed, and go downstairs. I am on automatic. Water? No, I'll have a need-a-bathroom-NOW moment. Coffee? Dehydrating. Food? ... Not this time.
All is ready. It's a bit chilly outside, I can't find my sunglasses, but my Garmin is started, and here we are, out the door.
And I'm off, at a quick pace. 5:30 min/km is a bit quick, first thing in the morning, but I figure it's how my body is feeling, so let's go with it. I can feel my muscles waking up, protesting this movement, the quick turnover of my legs and feet. Hey, they say, this is not what we do first thing in the morning.
After five minutes, the quick pace is affecting me, so I take a small walk break. I figure it's because I haven't eaten anything. No water with me, either. Try to slow down, maybe. There are so few cars on the road, I feel like I'm in my own little world. Sun, birds, gentle breeze - this is perfect.
Start running again, and slowing down is not what my body wants to do. The faster I go, the faster it's over, right? Down 167 Ave, and I have to squint because the sun is over the horizon and just to my left. Sunglasses are necessary. By 71 St, I can feel the wall I'm starting to approach. It's not even 2km in, and I'm feeling this. Should really slow down.
Turn down 66 St, heading for the power lines. I have learned my lesson from Sunday, and switch over to the other side of the road when the side-walk runs out. As I complete the 180 turn and start heading back, I'm still hitting my previous speeds, maybe just a touch slowed to 5:45 min/km. There are a few more people on the path under the power lines, but the usual wind-tunnel effect hasn't started yet. It's pretty pleasant, now that the sun is behind me, but my legs are starting to hurt more.
I'm running out of energy, and I'm still at least a kilometer away from home. Can't stop now, though. No one is awake to pick me up, and I didn't bring my cellphone. Keep running, keep running, and you'll get there sooner. I pass an old Asian man who runs a few steps, then stops to walk. I want to tell him, "Don't let anything stop you from running," but it would be weird and condescending, so I keep going. Besides, anyone who gets out there is winning, no matter what speed they're going.
Up past the school, so very close to home. On my final walk break, I see that I've breached 5km. That's good enough for today. Besides, that run was nearly 400 calories already, and on an empty tank. I walk back to my house, cooling off as I go, anticipating the shower. As I enter, the house is still quiet. I press the button to reheat yesterday's coffee, and head upstairs.
A good start to the day. Now, to the rest of it.
The sun is already up and would wake me but for the heavy blinds blocking most of it out. My body knows it's time to get up, but does the rest of me?
Boyfriend is deeply ensconced in blankets and sleep. But I am determined that I'm going to do this, I prepared for it, and I know it's the best chance I'll have to run today.
So I get up, and get dressed, and go downstairs. I am on automatic. Water? No, I'll have a need-a-bathroom-NOW moment. Coffee? Dehydrating. Food? ... Not this time.
All is ready. It's a bit chilly outside, I can't find my sunglasses, but my Garmin is started, and here we are, out the door.
And I'm off, at a quick pace. 5:30 min/km is a bit quick, first thing in the morning, but I figure it's how my body is feeling, so let's go with it. I can feel my muscles waking up, protesting this movement, the quick turnover of my legs and feet. Hey, they say, this is not what we do first thing in the morning.
After five minutes, the quick pace is affecting me, so I take a small walk break. I figure it's because I haven't eaten anything. No water with me, either. Try to slow down, maybe. There are so few cars on the road, I feel like I'm in my own little world. Sun, birds, gentle breeze - this is perfect.
Start running again, and slowing down is not what my body wants to do. The faster I go, the faster it's over, right? Down 167 Ave, and I have to squint because the sun is over the horizon and just to my left. Sunglasses are necessary. By 71 St, I can feel the wall I'm starting to approach. It's not even 2km in, and I'm feeling this. Should really slow down.
Turn down 66 St, heading for the power lines. I have learned my lesson from Sunday, and switch over to the other side of the road when the side-walk runs out. As I complete the 180 turn and start heading back, I'm still hitting my previous speeds, maybe just a touch slowed to 5:45 min/km. There are a few more people on the path under the power lines, but the usual wind-tunnel effect hasn't started yet. It's pretty pleasant, now that the sun is behind me, but my legs are starting to hurt more.
I'm running out of energy, and I'm still at least a kilometer away from home. Can't stop now, though. No one is awake to pick me up, and I didn't bring my cellphone. Keep running, keep running, and you'll get there sooner. I pass an old Asian man who runs a few steps, then stops to walk. I want to tell him, "Don't let anything stop you from running," but it would be weird and condescending, so I keep going. Besides, anyone who gets out there is winning, no matter what speed they're going.
Up past the school, so very close to home. On my final walk break, I see that I've breached 5km. That's good enough for today. Besides, that run was nearly 400 calories already, and on an empty tank. I walk back to my house, cooling off as I go, anticipating the shower. As I enter, the house is still quiet. I press the button to reheat yesterday's coffee, and head upstairs.
A good start to the day. Now, to the rest of it.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
What I Want to Do After a Run or, How I Started Listening to my Body
Frankly, when I get in after a long run on a Sunday, I want to spend a quiet day at home. I know that after the initial rush fades, and I have my desperately needed shower, I am going to crash, hard. I don't even want to listen to music.
Like today: I got in, and did my stretching (hoping to alleviate future knee and hip problems). I made a protein shake. I put an ice pack on my knees and sat quietly, and then I went and showered. After I dried off, I went and lay down. That's just what my body needs.
I find that anything further than 10k will demand my lying down, at least for right now. Maybe once I'm up in the higher distances, like 18 or 21km, I will find the threshold to be 15km. But right now, I'm training, and my body wants peace and quiet to recover from this faintly familiar punishment I'm putting it through. If I say that I don't want to go anywhere or do anything, it's not because I am avoiding anyone or being anti-social. It's because my body wants to move around about as much as it would like to swallow glass. My whole system just wants to rest now.
Last week was an example of doing it wrong: I did my run, then rushed home to get ready for Fathers' Day brunch. Ragnar and I walked around the large Enjoy Centre complex, and then I went and did the grocery shopping. As a result, my legs felt like I'd run about twice the distance, I was short-tempered, and my enjoyment of Sunday afternoon was shot.
So let us just say that quiet Sunday afternoons, watching football (once the season starts up) will be just what Dr. Jelly has ordered for herself.
Like today: I got in, and did my stretching (hoping to alleviate future knee and hip problems). I made a protein shake. I put an ice pack on my knees and sat quietly, and then I went and showered. After I dried off, I went and lay down. That's just what my body needs.
I find that anything further than 10k will demand my lying down, at least for right now. Maybe once I'm up in the higher distances, like 18 or 21km, I will find the threshold to be 15km. But right now, I'm training, and my body wants peace and quiet to recover from this faintly familiar punishment I'm putting it through. If I say that I don't want to go anywhere or do anything, it's not because I am avoiding anyone or being anti-social. It's because my body wants to move around about as much as it would like to swallow glass. My whole system just wants to rest now.
Last week was an example of doing it wrong: I did my run, then rushed home to get ready for Fathers' Day brunch. Ragnar and I walked around the large Enjoy Centre complex, and then I went and did the grocery shopping. As a result, my legs felt like I'd run about twice the distance, I was short-tempered, and my enjoyment of Sunday afternoon was shot.
So let us just say that quiet Sunday afternoons, watching football (once the season starts up) will be just what Dr. Jelly has ordered for herself.
Photos and other Evidence
Today was much the same as the last week - get up, disbelieve my phone's weather report, get dressed, eat, go to Running Room.
What I hadn't done was read the RR e-mail as closely as I should have - the half-marathon group was to meet in St. Albert. By the time I figured this out, it was too late to drive to the St. Albert store and hope everyone was still there, so I went out and did the 14km on my own.
When I started out, the weather was nearly perfect. The temperature was 15C, the wind was cool but not cold, and I had my route planned out. Ragnar seemed a little surprised that I would do all 14km on my own, but as I found out through personal experience, you don't just show up to a half-marathon and expect to run - you gotta do the work first. Or, 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail', and other like clichés.
I planned out my route for maximum can't-stop-now-ness, and it worked. A leisurely tour of Klarvatten and Lago Lindo where I didn't get lost once led me back to the main road, and then I went to run around a loop in Castledowns. The houses in that area vary between new to 20 years old or so, but most of the time, the area is very picturesque, with some lovely trees providing crucial shade.
My knees, however, were not as delighted with the weather and scenery. Their main concern was the fact that the LSD was happening at a 6:30min/km pace, which used to be my fast pace. My hip was nagging me too, so I think a visit to a physiotherapist or some such medical person would be a benefit. Hopefully, it's just a need for a quick deep tissue massage to straighten things out. Did I really just say 'hopefully' about a deep tissue massage?
Right as I was continuing down 97 St., I hit the wind tunnel. Sadly, the wind was attacking me, so in natural human competitive response, I ran harder against it. Not conducive! But that's how my body reacted, and to slow it down would, sometimes, tire me out further.
Thankfully, that was nearing the end of my run, so I managed to make it to just over 14km. It was relatively flat, but not quite enough shade for my liking. Also, when there is a choice of sidewalk, take it! The initial thrill of running off the path will be soon dashed by the realizing that mud is collecting on your shoes, making you heavier!
And the only unusual thing I saw today was the gigantic Great Dane who seemed very eager to meet me.
In other news, someone mentioned that I should post some photos. I will try to do that a bit more.
Here are a couple:
What I hadn't done was read the RR e-mail as closely as I should have - the half-marathon group was to meet in St. Albert. By the time I figured this out, it was too late to drive to the St. Albert store and hope everyone was still there, so I went out and did the 14km on my own.
When I started out, the weather was nearly perfect. The temperature was 15C, the wind was cool but not cold, and I had my route planned out. Ragnar seemed a little surprised that I would do all 14km on my own, but as I found out through personal experience, you don't just show up to a half-marathon and expect to run - you gotta do the work first. Or, 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail', and other like clichés.
I planned out my route for maximum can't-stop-now-ness, and it worked. A leisurely tour of Klarvatten and Lago Lindo where I didn't get lost once led me back to the main road, and then I went to run around a loop in Castledowns. The houses in that area vary between new to 20 years old or so, but most of the time, the area is very picturesque, with some lovely trees providing crucial shade.
My knees, however, were not as delighted with the weather and scenery. Their main concern was the fact that the LSD was happening at a 6:30min/km pace, which used to be my fast pace. My hip was nagging me too, so I think a visit to a physiotherapist or some such medical person would be a benefit. Hopefully, it's just a need for a quick deep tissue massage to straighten things out. Did I really just say 'hopefully' about a deep tissue massage?
Right as I was continuing down 97 St., I hit the wind tunnel. Sadly, the wind was attacking me, so in natural human competitive response, I ran harder against it. Not conducive! But that's how my body reacted, and to slow it down would, sometimes, tire me out further.
Thankfully, that was nearing the end of my run, so I managed to make it to just over 14km. It was relatively flat, but not quite enough shade for my liking. Also, when there is a choice of sidewalk, take it! The initial thrill of running off the path will be soon dashed by the realizing that mud is collecting on your shoes, making you heavier!
And the only unusual thing I saw today was the gigantic Great Dane who seemed very eager to meet me.
In other news, someone mentioned that I should post some photos. I will try to do that a bit more.
Here are a couple:
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| This is what I get to see while running in the River Valley! |
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| Classy as always, Edmonton. Well done. |
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Very Tired
Today was a very busy day.
First, I woke up and looked out the window. My iPhone had said there was an 80 per cent chance of raining every hour until noon. However, my look outside told me there was nary a cloud in the sky. I went with the sky.
Clad in my new shorts and a t-shirt, I walked to the Running Room to run the scheduled 12 kilometers. The weather was pleasant, with a light breeze. When I looked to the north, I saw the menacing clouds that the iPhone was probably warning me about. But no, I thought, we don't run that far!
Turns out that this morning, not only were we running that way, we were driving into it, and THEN running that way. We drove up to the nearby base, and stopped at the local elementary school to start our run.
You'd think that running around a base would be stifling and boring. However, CFB Edmonton has done it right. The running path is paved and has a little forest you can lose yourself in - or, there's plenty of open space to feel at one with the world. There was even a port-a-potty next to the community garden which is always useful for runners who need to, er, go. My only complaint is that it doesn't go past the tank course. THAT would be something to watch.
We did one large loop of 7.5k, and then started the same loop, but cut left earlier and rejoined the loop for 5k. The clouds disappeared during the run, hiding just long enough to make the run pleasantly warm and bright, but then gave us a beautiful shine to finish with.
The best part was that I kept a 6:30 pace during it all. I was talking with someone who works on the base as a civilian engineer, and we had lots to talk about! The flames on her headband must have inspired the both of us to keep a faster pace. In all, 12k took me 1h23, where as last week, 10k took me 1h20.
By the end of it, I was certainly feeling it, and tried to stay around a while to cheer the last runners in - but then I looked at my watch and realized I had 30 minutes to get home, shower, get presentable, and drive 15 minutes to Fathers' Day Brunch in St. Albert. Whoops! Fortunately for me, my new friend was kind enough to drive me nearly right home.
My legs are, for the time being, toast. If they were a child, they'd be two or three years old, screaming about how they don't wanna. Probably beating their little fists into the floor.
Tomorrow will be a rest day. I wonder where we'll run next Sunday for 14k.
First, I woke up and looked out the window. My iPhone had said there was an 80 per cent chance of raining every hour until noon. However, my look outside told me there was nary a cloud in the sky. I went with the sky.
Clad in my new shorts and a t-shirt, I walked to the Running Room to run the scheduled 12 kilometers. The weather was pleasant, with a light breeze. When I looked to the north, I saw the menacing clouds that the iPhone was probably warning me about. But no, I thought, we don't run that far!
Turns out that this morning, not only were we running that way, we were driving into it, and THEN running that way. We drove up to the nearby base, and stopped at the local elementary school to start our run.
You'd think that running around a base would be stifling and boring. However, CFB Edmonton has done it right. The running path is paved and has a little forest you can lose yourself in - or, there's plenty of open space to feel at one with the world. There was even a port-a-potty next to the community garden which is always useful for runners who need to, er, go. My only complaint is that it doesn't go past the tank course. THAT would be something to watch.
We did one large loop of 7.5k, and then started the same loop, but cut left earlier and rejoined the loop for 5k. The clouds disappeared during the run, hiding just long enough to make the run pleasantly warm and bright, but then gave us a beautiful shine to finish with.
The best part was that I kept a 6:30 pace during it all. I was talking with someone who works on the base as a civilian engineer, and we had lots to talk about! The flames on her headband must have inspired the both of us to keep a faster pace. In all, 12k took me 1h23, where as last week, 10k took me 1h20.
By the end of it, I was certainly feeling it, and tried to stay around a while to cheer the last runners in - but then I looked at my watch and realized I had 30 minutes to get home, shower, get presentable, and drive 15 minutes to Fathers' Day Brunch in St. Albert. Whoops! Fortunately for me, my new friend was kind enough to drive me nearly right home.
My legs are, for the time being, toast. If they were a child, they'd be two or three years old, screaming about how they don't wanna. Probably beating their little fists into the floor.
Tomorrow will be a rest day. I wonder where we'll run next Sunday for 14k.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Overdoing It, and Loving It
In the past two days, I have run three times.
The great weather was just irresistible. Despite dire warnings of rain, the weather was sunny (or only mildly cloudy) and perfectly warmed for me (15C).
Yesterday, I ran some hills at lunch. It was the first day my boss was back and I felt the urge to just get out for an hour and run. There's a pleasant little hill into the Edmonton River Valley that's nearly perfect for the Running Room half-marathon program. I only did three hills, while the program calls for four this week. The first hill had me feeling it. The second made me ache half-way up, and the third was the hardest and yet the easiest. But I was glad I did it.
The reason I did only three hill repeats was that I play Ultimate Frisbee on Thursday evenings, so I had to keep some strength.
The Ultimate game was fine, too. I had plenty of energy and didn't feel much to any ache in my legs. I did a lot of running after a few certain people, so the fact that my legs weren't causing problems was a great testament to how fit I have become, as compared to five years ago, when one game would have wrecked me.
Today was another beautiful day, and I just couldn't help myself! So I went for an easy 3.5k run. I don't know if this is the addiction to running or the sheer need to get away from work for an hour, but it was good. My legs were tired and I slowed my pace down so I was getting out to stretch my legs, but not really making them work.
The lesson for me is, take the sun when you can, and run when you get the chance. The rewards are the feeling of having a run done, enjoying the sun, and a great photo of the River Valley!
The great weather was just irresistible. Despite dire warnings of rain, the weather was sunny (or only mildly cloudy) and perfectly warmed for me (15C).
Yesterday, I ran some hills at lunch. It was the first day my boss was back and I felt the urge to just get out for an hour and run. There's a pleasant little hill into the Edmonton River Valley that's nearly perfect for the Running Room half-marathon program. I only did three hills, while the program calls for four this week. The first hill had me feeling it. The second made me ache half-way up, and the third was the hardest and yet the easiest. But I was glad I did it.
The reason I did only three hill repeats was that I play Ultimate Frisbee on Thursday evenings, so I had to keep some strength.
The Ultimate game was fine, too. I had plenty of energy and didn't feel much to any ache in my legs. I did a lot of running after a few certain people, so the fact that my legs weren't causing problems was a great testament to how fit I have become, as compared to five years ago, when one game would have wrecked me.
Today was another beautiful day, and I just couldn't help myself! So I went for an easy 3.5k run. I don't know if this is the addiction to running or the sheer need to get away from work for an hour, but it was good. My legs were tired and I slowed my pace down so I was getting out to stretch my legs, but not really making them work.
The lesson for me is, take the sun when you can, and run when you get the chance. The rewards are the feeling of having a run done, enjoying the sun, and a great photo of the River Valley!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Signed Up Again
I have signed up for the Edmonton Canadian Derby half-marathon! Guess I have no excuse now.
Furthermore, I see my hometown of St. Albert has a half-marathon a month after, which sounds like a great reason to keep running 21km distances!
Furthermore, I see my hometown of St. Albert has a half-marathon a month after, which sounds like a great reason to keep running 21km distances!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Post-Race: Calgary Marathon 10K
Last month, my sweetie was told, "Thou shalt run a marathon!"
So he signed up for the Calgary marathon and said to me, "Hey, why not run the 10k?"
What a brilliant idea, I said, and signed up. However (sidestory), due to uncertain lodging details, I invited my friend Allison to join us, and got a hotel room.
Anyway, we headed down on sunny Saturday, met with some Running Maniacs for lunch, then went to get our race kits at the Big Four of the Olympic Park.
Now, let me preface this next statement with the acknowledgement that I was spoiled by the Ottawa Race Weekend, and I know this, and it's not fair, but the Calgary Marathon expo was ... disappointing. Getting my race kit was easy, getting my shirt was easy, finding the bathroom was very easy but there were few exhibitors, it wasn't an easy in-and-out process, and what there was to see just wasn't very exciting. It felt like it needed a face lift.
Fast forward to race-day. We all wake up at 5 a.m. Thankfully, we had laid our race kits out the night before, because I swear if we'd had to think this through the morning of, we would have ended up wearing each other's clothes.
By 6 a.m., we are fed (granola bars) and already heading to the C-train. It is cold outside, at 2C, and it feels colder than we expected (meanwhile, Ottawa's race weekend is enjoying at least 15C). After figuring out the fare payment method, we get the train and arrive, along with the many other racers. How exciting, we're wandering around our first non-hometown race! It's getting close to race-time for Ragnar, and he has to find his regiment buddies. With a send-off and final kiss, Ragnar goes one way and Allison and I head in to check our bags.What marvelous bag-check, there is no line-up for us!
The only thing I might mention at this point is that signs above ankle-reading height would have been nice.
So we wait a bit before braving the cold to get to the start-line. Somehow, Allison and I get in right behind the 50 minute pace-bunny. No matter, though, we'll figure ourselves out. Neither of us are really going for best time.
The gun goes off, and Allison and I move quickly over the starting line. The first two kilometers is pretty hard - the scenery is not very pretty, there are cars trying to make their way through, and I'm really not sure I'll be able to keep this pace up. Into the third kilometer, I'm getting used to the feeling of it. This area is looking a bit nicer, I'm warming up, and my legs are loosening up. By the end of that third kilometer, I've gotten rid of my throw-away sweater, and suddenly, there's a hill. Okay, it's not a huge hill, but it's more hill than I expected! I repeat to myself, "I love hills. I love hills. I love hills. Oh, who am I kidding?" I do actually love hills, but it depends on whether they're thinking kindly of me.
By the fifth kilometer, we're moving into some really nice, trendy areas. A little combination of Bank St. in Ottawa and Whyte Ave. in Edmonton. Allison asks if we want to stop for sushi. For a second, I consider it, but everyone's behind me, so let's keep going. At this point, I have had a stitch which passed, a shin ache that passed, and my knees haven't started yet, so why stop now?
Six and seven pass well, but by eight, my knees have suddenly realized that I wasn't joking, and start to ache a little. This time, the hill starts down, then up, back into the Olympic park. The end must be near, right? Oh no, there's two more kilometers to go. By then, I've seen the Saddledome, and it promises and beckons. The end has got to be around here somewhere.
Back and forth, we go, winding our way to the finish line. Allison and I are saving our breath, but hey, I think to myself, I'm feeling strong, I'm upright, and I can't believe we're already nearly there! The ninth kilometer is through the parking lot, and while I'm amusing myself with mentioning I'm passing the 41st marker in one hour, the joke is kinda getting old. Suddenly, there's a turn, with a big floating arch, so that's the end, right? Oh, I am to laugh!
With 500 meters to go, Allison jets off. I figure I'll get there when I get there by now, and give my knees, who haven't stopped complaining, a little break. As I pass over the timing strip that keeps you honest, I pick it up again. The end is so close! I really can see it! Then I see the time. 1:06:21, and there is no way I'm not beating my first 10k time. I pick up some speed, and make it over as the clock reads something like 1:06:33, and I'm done! Allison and I catch up with each other, congratulations are given on jobs very well done (her, the pacer; me, the amusing but sometimes irreverent side-kick), get our packs, and then go regroup, change, and wait for Ragnar. Pancakes are also devoured.
Three hours later, Ragnar came across the marathon finish line at 4:19:16 (according to my camera). A dash back to the hotel, shower, Starbucks, and leave for lunch. Ragnar was safely ensconced in the back seat with all the room he could get in the back of a four-door Honda Civic.
We are home now, and apart from my previous recounting of the tale, my impressions of Calgary and its running event are:
Calgary's downtown is beautiful. Seriously, Edmonton, WTF.
Starbucks apparently close at 6 p.m. on weekends in DT Calgary. WTF.
Calgary marathon is a fun event, but you go for the run and the Running Maniacs, not for the Expo.
Here ends my tale.
Oh, and lessons learned: when traveling to an event, check the weather expected, and then bring everything anyways. The end is never as near as you want it to be. Stay at a Westin, you cansteal use the soap. Travel with someone, keep your phones on you, and designate a meeting point, even if you insist at waiting at the end line. Always have a warm sweater and windbreaker for after. If there is free food, and you're not allergic to it, take it. Drink water afterwards or your eyeballs do funny things. Run a race with a buddy at least once, to see how it goes. Throw-away sweaters can be purchased for cheap at second-hand stores.
So he signed up for the Calgary marathon and said to me, "Hey, why not run the 10k?"
What a brilliant idea, I said, and signed up. However (sidestory), due to uncertain lodging details, I invited my friend Allison to join us, and got a hotel room.
Anyway, we headed down on sunny Saturday, met with some Running Maniacs for lunch, then went to get our race kits at the Big Four of the Olympic Park.
Now, let me preface this next statement with the acknowledgement that I was spoiled by the Ottawa Race Weekend, and I know this, and it's not fair, but the Calgary Marathon expo was ... disappointing. Getting my race kit was easy, getting my shirt was easy, finding the bathroom was very easy but there were few exhibitors, it wasn't an easy in-and-out process, and what there was to see just wasn't very exciting. It felt like it needed a face lift.
Fast forward to race-day. We all wake up at 5 a.m. Thankfully, we had laid our race kits out the night before, because I swear if we'd had to think this through the morning of, we would have ended up wearing each other's clothes.
By 6 a.m., we are fed (granola bars) and already heading to the C-train. It is cold outside, at 2C, and it feels colder than we expected (meanwhile, Ottawa's race weekend is enjoying at least 15C). After figuring out the fare payment method, we get the train and arrive, along with the many other racers. How exciting, we're wandering around our first non-hometown race! It's getting close to race-time for Ragnar, and he has to find his regiment buddies. With a send-off and final kiss, Ragnar goes one way and Allison and I head in to check our bags.What marvelous bag-check, there is no line-up for us!
The only thing I might mention at this point is that signs above ankle-reading height would have been nice.
So we wait a bit before braving the cold to get to the start-line. Somehow, Allison and I get in right behind the 50 minute pace-bunny. No matter, though, we'll figure ourselves out. Neither of us are really going for best time.
The gun goes off, and Allison and I move quickly over the starting line. The first two kilometers is pretty hard - the scenery is not very pretty, there are cars trying to make their way through, and I'm really not sure I'll be able to keep this pace up. Into the third kilometer, I'm getting used to the feeling of it. This area is looking a bit nicer, I'm warming up, and my legs are loosening up. By the end of that third kilometer, I've gotten rid of my throw-away sweater, and suddenly, there's a hill. Okay, it's not a huge hill, but it's more hill than I expected! I repeat to myself, "I love hills. I love hills. I love hills. Oh, who am I kidding?" I do actually love hills, but it depends on whether they're thinking kindly of me.
By the fifth kilometer, we're moving into some really nice, trendy areas. A little combination of Bank St. in Ottawa and Whyte Ave. in Edmonton. Allison asks if we want to stop for sushi. For a second, I consider it, but everyone's behind me, so let's keep going. At this point, I have had a stitch which passed, a shin ache that passed, and my knees haven't started yet, so why stop now?
Six and seven pass well, but by eight, my knees have suddenly realized that I wasn't joking, and start to ache a little. This time, the hill starts down, then up, back into the Olympic park. The end must be near, right? Oh no, there's two more kilometers to go. By then, I've seen the Saddledome, and it promises and beckons. The end has got to be around here somewhere.
Back and forth, we go, winding our way to the finish line. Allison and I are saving our breath, but hey, I think to myself, I'm feeling strong, I'm upright, and I can't believe we're already nearly there! The ninth kilometer is through the parking lot, and while I'm amusing myself with mentioning I'm passing the 41st marker in one hour, the joke is kinda getting old. Suddenly, there's a turn, with a big floating arch, so that's the end, right? Oh, I am to laugh!
With 500 meters to go, Allison jets off. I figure I'll get there when I get there by now, and give my knees, who haven't stopped complaining, a little break. As I pass over the timing strip that keeps you honest, I pick it up again. The end is so close! I really can see it! Then I see the time. 1:06:21, and there is no way I'm not beating my first 10k time. I pick up some speed, and make it over as the clock reads something like 1:06:33, and I'm done! Allison and I catch up with each other, congratulations are given on jobs very well done (her, the pacer; me, the amusing but sometimes irreverent side-kick), get our packs, and then go regroup, change, and wait for Ragnar. Pancakes are also devoured.
Three hours later, Ragnar came across the marathon finish line at 4:19:16 (according to my camera). A dash back to the hotel, shower, Starbucks, and leave for lunch. Ragnar was safely ensconced in the back seat with all the room he could get in the back of a four-door Honda Civic.
We are home now, and apart from my previous recounting of the tale, my impressions of Calgary and its running event are:
Calgary's downtown is beautiful. Seriously, Edmonton, WTF.
Starbucks apparently close at 6 p.m. on weekends in DT Calgary. WTF.
Calgary marathon is a fun event, but you go for the run and the Running Maniacs, not for the Expo.
Here ends my tale.
Oh, and lessons learned: when traveling to an event, check the weather expected, and then bring everything anyways. The end is never as near as you want it to be. Stay at a Westin, you can
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Heading into May Long Weekend
It is the May Long Weekend (thank you, Queen Victoria, for giving us a birthday to celebrate and a day off), and I am going to do a petite run in anticipation of next weekend, when I do the Calgary 10k.
Wait, I didn't mention that? Yes, with Ragnar voluntold to do the Calgary marathon, I will be heading down to run the 10k with my good friend. And to support Ragnar, of course.
*** Post May Long Weekend*
Annnnd I did very nothing running-wise. Total slacker, walked to the grocery store and back, that was about it. And the gardening.
Wait, I didn't mention that? Yes, with Ragnar voluntold to do the Calgary marathon, I will be heading down to run the 10k with my good friend. And to support Ragnar, of course.
*** Post May Long Weekend*
Annnnd I did very nothing running-wise. Total slacker, walked to the grocery store and back, that was about it. And the gardening.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Sunday Long Runs: Water
Yesterday was Mothers' Day, but I really needed to go out and do a run. I hadn't eaten a proper breakfast (whole wheat biscuits and coffee just don't cut it!), I had waited until the temperature was 20C, and I didn't take enough water. I took a gel with me (the new Mint Chocolate from GU is yummy!), but I really needed to be drinking more water along the way as the sun was beating down (if I'd been standing, it'd be nice) and a hot wind not helping.
Result: General dehydration, tiredness, mental stumbling. The fact that I didn't really rest after the run, but took off to St. Albert, then came home and got cooking, doesn't help.
Lesson: Take at least two waters on long runs. Run at 15C for best comfort. Eat a decent breakfast. Give yourself time to rest (aka, basic lessons I've learned before but sometimes have to relearn).
Weird things you see: I saw a car backing out of a driveway, and as I passed to look at the driver side, I saw this huge stuffed bear leaning out the window.
Result: General dehydration, tiredness, mental stumbling. The fact that I didn't really rest after the run, but took off to St. Albert, then came home and got cooking, doesn't help.
Lesson: Take at least two waters on long runs. Run at 15C for best comfort. Eat a decent breakfast. Give yourself time to rest (aka, basic lessons I've learned before but sometimes have to relearn).
Weird things you see: I saw a car backing out of a driveway, and as I passed to look at the driver side, I saw this huge stuffed bear leaning out the window.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Start to May: Wurst Run Evar
Among the many feats in life, you have good days and bad days. Sunny skies and rainy clouds. Good moods and bad moods. Tall horses, short horses. Good films, and MST3K-worthy fil... okay, getting off track.
Anyways, yesterday was a mix of great weather, sunny skies, beautiful breeze, and a bad, miserable run.
It started out with realizing I'd forgotten a hair elastic. If one doesn't run because she forgot a hair elastic, she's looking for any excuse anyway. I borrowed an elastic from work, and bound up my hair, but realized that the elastic was going to give me a headache.
But maybe a nice run in the beautiful weather would get rid of that headache. I headed out, only to realize that the sun glaring into my un-sunglassed eyes only contributed to the headache. Well, I figured, I'll get it done and over with and that'll be that for the day.
And then 10 minutes in, I got the dreaded I Need A Bathroom (INAB). One of those INABs where you can't run, because you'll need a bathroom and a fresh change of clothes much faster.
At that point, the INAB was taking my mind off the headache a little, but I had to head back at a shuffling jog-walk pace. I did find a kindly restaurant that I'll have to go back to to buy food and thank them that had a bathroom.
On the other hand, the post-run shower felt great.
And then I had a headache for the rest of the day.
In other news, Ragnar has been voluntold for the Calgary Marathon at the end of the month! Very exciting! Since I'll be down there anyway, I figured I'd sign up for the 10k, and meet up with some Maniacs. Now it might be that my friend can come down, though she's holding off registering until Ragnar's admin staff get their collective acts together and figure out how he's getting down there, and where he's staying.
I'm also cheering support for Ragnar's buddy whose wife can't be there.
Anyways, yesterday was a mix of great weather, sunny skies, beautiful breeze, and a bad, miserable run.
It started out with realizing I'd forgotten a hair elastic. If one doesn't run because she forgot a hair elastic, she's looking for any excuse anyway. I borrowed an elastic from work, and bound up my hair, but realized that the elastic was going to give me a headache.
But maybe a nice run in the beautiful weather would get rid of that headache. I headed out, only to realize that the sun glaring into my un-sunglassed eyes only contributed to the headache. Well, I figured, I'll get it done and over with and that'll be that for the day.
And then 10 minutes in, I got the dreaded I Need A Bathroom (INAB). One of those INABs where you can't run, because you'll need a bathroom and a fresh change of clothes much faster.
At that point, the INAB was taking my mind off the headache a little, but I had to head back at a shuffling jog-walk pace. I did find a kindly restaurant that I'll have to go back to to buy food and thank them that had a bathroom.
On the other hand, the post-run shower felt great.
And then I had a headache for the rest of the day.
In other news, Ragnar has been voluntold for the Calgary Marathon at the end of the month! Very exciting! Since I'll be down there anyway, I figured I'd sign up for the 10k, and meet up with some Maniacs. Now it might be that my friend can come down, though she's holding off registering until Ragnar's admin staff get their collective acts together and figure out how he's getting down there, and where he's staying.
I'm also cheering support for Ragnar's buddy whose wife can't be there.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
End of April
This month has been a running fiesta for a few reasons.
1. I found a running buddy at work! We go and do a 5k loop once or twice a week. She's fun to run with and very nice to chat with.
2. My boyfriend is back! Ragnar, in training for the Canadian Death Race, went out with me today. We did a nice 10k together.
3. I met people from Running Mania! A couple of people were in from Ottawa, so I went to a little meet-up and met up with four lovely women, Miss Smiles, Trixiee, Fishpants, and IronColl. It was a great night!
On the other hand, I've been missing so many long runs that I think my ambition to do a half marathon in June is shot. It doesn't help that Mother Nature has continued her weekly volley of snow days at us, usually right before the weekend. This week wasn't bad, because it melted by Saturday, but it would be really nice to plant my babies (plants) now.
In other news, I officially made it to 150lbs. For me, this is a big milestone, because while I knew theoretically it was possible, I never figured that I myself could get to that weight and stay there. I credit MyFitnessPal with helping me keep track of what I was eating, giving me a flexible infrastructure, and having a large database. It's not perfect, but as I try to continue to monitor my weight, it's a valuable tool. The other thing I love about this site is that it gives you the option of deciding if you want to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain it. The last, though not being my own concern, is a very important one to have as an option. Not everyone needs to lose it! And not everyone who needs to gain needs to do so because of an eating disorder (though the number of people is frighteningly too many, as in 'more than one').
Apropos of nothing, the national hockey season is winding down, and all the Canadian teams are out. I'm ready for the national football season to start!
I always start these blogs with something to say, and then it devolves into the basics, and I forget the neat, interesting commentaries I could make, like how I saw an Edmonton Public School Board sign advertising a music school... Oh well!
Edited to add: I really wish Canadian restaurants would post nutritional information online. There are a handful that do, but it's frustrating to go out with friends to some really nice place, try a 'signature dish' and not know the nutritional content. Before you say, "Yeah, but you look at the menu and take a guesstimation," remember that restaurants use lots of things that could vary the number of calories, like salt or fat. And no one wants to be the jerk who says, "I don't want to go there because I don't know what I'm eating, so let's go elsewhere."
1. I found a running buddy at work! We go and do a 5k loop once or twice a week. She's fun to run with and very nice to chat with.
2. My boyfriend is back! Ragnar, in training for the Canadian Death Race, went out with me today. We did a nice 10k together.
3. I met people from Running Mania! A couple of people were in from Ottawa, so I went to a little meet-up and met up with four lovely women, Miss Smiles, Trixiee, Fishpants, and IronColl. It was a great night!
On the other hand, I've been missing so many long runs that I think my ambition to do a half marathon in June is shot. It doesn't help that Mother Nature has continued her weekly volley of snow days at us, usually right before the weekend. This week wasn't bad, because it melted by Saturday, but it would be really nice to plant my babies (plants) now.
In other news, I officially made it to 150lbs. For me, this is a big milestone, because while I knew theoretically it was possible, I never figured that I myself could get to that weight and stay there. I credit MyFitnessPal with helping me keep track of what I was eating, giving me a flexible infrastructure, and having a large database. It's not perfect, but as I try to continue to monitor my weight, it's a valuable tool. The other thing I love about this site is that it gives you the option of deciding if you want to lose weight, maintain weight, or gain it. The last, though not being my own concern, is a very important one to have as an option. Not everyone needs to lose it! And not everyone who needs to gain needs to do so because of an eating disorder (though the number of people is frighteningly too many, as in 'more than one').
Apropos of nothing, the national hockey season is winding down, and all the Canadian teams are out. I'm ready for the national football season to start!
I always start these blogs with something to say, and then it devolves into the basics, and I forget the neat, interesting commentaries I could make, like how I saw an Edmonton Public School Board sign advertising a music school... Oh well!
Edited to add: I really wish Canadian restaurants would post nutritional information online. There are a handful that do, but it's frustrating to go out with friends to some really nice place, try a 'signature dish' and not know the nutritional content. Before you say, "Yeah, but you look at the menu and take a guesstimation," remember that restaurants use lots of things that could vary the number of calories, like salt or fat. And no one wants to be the jerk who says, "I don't want to go there because I don't know what I'm eating, so let's go elsewhere."
Friday, April 6, 2012
Swimming
Mother Nature has decided that she herself is funnier than Mel Brooks, and tried another April Fool's dump of snow yesterday. This time, I had planned ahead and come up with an alternative cardio regime: swimming!
I've never been the strongest swimmer, and frankly, I get nervous about having my head in water. I watch people glide along, calmly and without thrashing about, and envy their poise and lack of worry. But I have one person on my side, another non-swimming swimmer over at Running Mania. She has reassured me that no, just because 25 meters of freestyle makes me breathless does not mean I'm in worse shape than I thought.
Anyways, I went into the pool, wearing my new goggles (love them!) and old swim cap and my blue swimsuit, and did about 300 meters. Frankly, that's a lot more than I expected to be able to do. It helped that an older guy came into the pool and started those long, lazy strokes that make me feel like I've never been in water; finally I had something to compete against!
I also quickly found that backstroke is my best friend because then, I can breathe! I did a lot of backstroke yesterday. I also decided to try making it across two lengths with the power of my legs alone! And did it!
Today, my upper arms, right below the shoulder, are very sore. My back is quite stiff too, though I figure it could certainly feel worse.
As an all-body work-out and a new and novel one, swimming is definitely up there. I just need more practice!
I've never been the strongest swimmer, and frankly, I get nervous about having my head in water. I watch people glide along, calmly and without thrashing about, and envy their poise and lack of worry. But I have one person on my side, another non-swimming swimmer over at Running Mania. She has reassured me that no, just because 25 meters of freestyle makes me breathless does not mean I'm in worse shape than I thought.
Anyways, I went into the pool, wearing my new goggles (love them!) and old swim cap and my blue swimsuit, and did about 300 meters. Frankly, that's a lot more than I expected to be able to do. It helped that an older guy came into the pool and started those long, lazy strokes that make me feel like I've never been in water; finally I had something to compete against!
I also quickly found that backstroke is my best friend because then, I can breathe! I did a lot of backstroke yesterday. I also decided to try making it across two lengths with the power of my legs alone! And did it!
Today, my upper arms, right below the shoulder, are very sore. My back is quite stiff too, though I figure it could certainly feel worse.
As an all-body work-out and a new and novel one, swimming is definitely up there. I just need more practice!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Bring on the Sunshine
Today's weather was a gloriously sunny 13C. Despite an energy crash at around 2:30, I was so excited to get out there and run that I spent a few minutes texting my boyfriend, and then headed out.
It was so lovely that I kept breaking pace. You'd think I'd slow down to appreciate it more. I did slow down more than Tuesday's run, where it was cold and cloudy so I was pushing 5:15 just to get it done and over with. Not sustainable!
However, I think it's really a good time to look at new shoes, because almost on schedule, my knees are starting to hurt early in my run.
The problem is, how do I go about finding the right shoe? The Ghost 4 has apparently incorporated the technology that the Glycerin 7 adopted which led to disastrous and expensive results - did I never finish that story? Long story short, I took those 7s out and ran on them and it turned out that the pressure spots were in exactly the right places to cause me a lot of pain. Anyways, it's back to the Running Room for me. Thankfully, tomorrow is payday.
The plan for this weekend is 12k with the Running Room and then off to brunch with my mother. Getting 'er done, one run at a time.
It was so lovely that I kept breaking pace. You'd think I'd slow down to appreciate it more. I did slow down more than Tuesday's run, where it was cold and cloudy so I was pushing 5:15 just to get it done and over with. Not sustainable!
However, I think it's really a good time to look at new shoes, because almost on schedule, my knees are starting to hurt early in my run.
The problem is, how do I go about finding the right shoe? The Ghost 4 has apparently incorporated the technology that the Glycerin 7 adopted which led to disastrous and expensive results - did I never finish that story? Long story short, I took those 7s out and ran on them and it turned out that the pressure spots were in exactly the right places to cause me a lot of pain. Anyways, it's back to the Running Room for me. Thankfully, tomorrow is payday.
The plan for this weekend is 12k with the Running Room and then off to brunch with my mother. Getting 'er done, one run at a time.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Update of the Week
This week was bad for running. I had planned to go to the gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and run Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
I made it to the gym, and ran today.
On the plus side, I was able to treadmill without worry, but on the minus side, that didn't make up for two days of not-running. My reasons are legit: on Tuesday, I was counseled to stay home and hopefully head off the cold that was threatening. And on Thursday, Edmonton weather was up to its old tricks, and gave us at least 7cm of snow.
Today, I waited until it didn't seem like the mercury was going to climb any higher before suiting up to head out. It wasn't the unpleasantness like two Tuesdays ago, which I'm certain was the commencement of last week's illness, but it was only 1C and there was a wind most of the way. However, I got the 10km in like a good little half-marathoner, and kept myself warm after getting back.
One thing I put a lot of thought into while I was running was mantras. Every so often, a running magazine will start talking about the mantras that successful runners use during their races to continue. And trust me, they do work. In my last half-marathon, my mantra was, "If I can't finish this race, how can I finish anything in life?" A little dismal and exaggerating, but it got me through some of the toughest parts of the race.
I thought about the different words I would likely use during a race, and the time or distances that I'd use them at. For example, I'd start the first five kilometers with "Ease into it," to keep myself from leaping into the race and exhausting myself prematurely. After that, I'd probably try, "Slow and steady," to keep myself on pace. Right around the 10km mark, I would probably switch to, "Just keep moving," because that's when I need to keep moving forward. Then my planning went sort of out the window, preparing for the end with 'Finish strong,' or some inspiring, upright-staying message.
Of course, I remember one other mantra from my races, which I used when my knees started hurting: "Concentrate on foot placement." When one knee or the other started kvetching, I would start to pay attention to exactly how my foot hit the pavement. Usually, I found that my form was suffering from the tiredness of, surprise, running a half-marathon, so I'd pay close attention to that, and either the pain gave up and went away, or I fixed the problem that was causing the pain in the first place.
All this to say, mantras do have their place in a race, the magazines aren't out to lunch, and getting to concentrate on a mantra can take your mind to other places and the kilometers will fly by!
Interestingly enough, Myfitnesspal says that, after expending the calories of a 10km run, I should be able to eat more than 2000 calories total today. Yeah, the only way I'd do that is if I went out for pizza, and I didn't really feel like that. Instead, dinner was a herb-rubbed pork tenderloin with apples and roast potatoes. Amazing how healthy some foods can be while tasting like slices of heaven on your tongue.
On the plus side, I was able to treadmill without worry, but on the minus side, that didn't make up for two days of not-running. My reasons are legit: on Tuesday, I was counseled to stay home and hopefully head off the cold that was threatening. And on Thursday, Edmonton weather was up to its old tricks, and gave us at least 7cm of snow.
Today, I waited until it didn't seem like the mercury was going to climb any higher before suiting up to head out. It wasn't the unpleasantness like two Tuesdays ago, which I'm certain was the commencement of last week's illness, but it was only 1C and there was a wind most of the way. However, I got the 10km in like a good little half-marathoner, and kept myself warm after getting back.
One thing I put a lot of thought into while I was running was mantras. Every so often, a running magazine will start talking about the mantras that successful runners use during their races to continue. And trust me, they do work. In my last half-marathon, my mantra was, "If I can't finish this race, how can I finish anything in life?" A little dismal and exaggerating, but it got me through some of the toughest parts of the race.
I thought about the different words I would likely use during a race, and the time or distances that I'd use them at. For example, I'd start the first five kilometers with "Ease into it," to keep myself from leaping into the race and exhausting myself prematurely. After that, I'd probably try, "Slow and steady," to keep myself on pace. Right around the 10km mark, I would probably switch to, "Just keep moving," because that's when I need to keep moving forward. Then my planning went sort of out the window, preparing for the end with 'Finish strong,' or some inspiring, upright-staying message.
Of course, I remember one other mantra from my races, which I used when my knees started hurting: "Concentrate on foot placement." When one knee or the other started kvetching, I would start to pay attention to exactly how my foot hit the pavement. Usually, I found that my form was suffering from the tiredness of, surprise, running a half-marathon, so I'd pay close attention to that, and either the pain gave up and went away, or I fixed the problem that was causing the pain in the first place.
All this to say, mantras do have their place in a race, the magazines aren't out to lunch, and getting to concentrate on a mantra can take your mind to other places and the kilometers will fly by!
Interestingly enough, Myfitnesspal says that, after expending the calories of a 10km run, I should be able to eat more than 2000 calories total today. Yeah, the only way I'd do that is if I went out for pizza, and I didn't really feel like that. Instead, dinner was a herb-rubbed pork tenderloin with apples and roast potatoes. Amazing how healthy some foods can be while tasting like slices of heaven on your tongue.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Loops for the Troops
Remember how I was laughing at the idea of being fit in time to run a half-marathon in may?
Laughed so hard I could have cried...
Anyways, I realized that:
1) I was running with the 10k group who were doing their final run for the time.
2) The half-marathon group was off doing 16k, and my knees would NOT have forgiven me that.
3) Despite my being at the 10k mark, I still have time to get ready for the Loops for the Troops half-marathon on June 3.
So that's my goal: building up to a 21k on June 3.
Yesterday's run was a nice square, which gives me a great new 10k path. It's one I had hoped to try a long time ago, but never quite had the nerve. It had snowed the night before, so there was an icy slush for some parts of it.
That's actually about all I can remember about the run, other than some lovely company. Then I had a power nap, lunch with family, and spring seedling shopping.
Laughed so hard I could have cried...
Anyways, I realized that:
1) I was running with the 10k group who were doing their final run for the time.
2) The half-marathon group was off doing 16k, and my knees would NOT have forgiven me that.
3) Despite my being at the 10k mark, I still have time to get ready for the Loops for the Troops half-marathon on June 3.
So that's my goal: building up to a 21k on June 3.
Yesterday's run was a nice square, which gives me a great new 10k path. It's one I had hoped to try a long time ago, but never quite had the nerve. It had snowed the night before, so there was an icy slush for some parts of it.
That's actually about all I can remember about the run, other than some lovely company. Then I had a power nap, lunch with family, and spring seedling shopping.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Reconnecting with Friends
One aspect of running that I frequently forget about is the social aspect. It's not that I mean to, or that I'm upset - I just stop visiting places. It's happened with the Running Room (though moving away helped) and with Running Mania, a Canadian running website. I just... stop going.
But part of my re-entry into the great outdoors is acknowledging that man is a pack animal, and sometimes, it doesn't suck to run with people. In fact, it frequently doesn't.
So I logged back onto Running Mania and re-introduced myself. Everyone was happy to see me again, and I'm heading to my first RM event at the end of April! Everyone is full of advice, stories, and jokes, and it's so much fun to find a place on the internet where everyone gets along so well!
In other news, today's run was a lot more pleasant than Tuesday's. Tuesday's 30m run was gross and full of wind and damp and grey skies. It was a huge letdown after a beautiful day.
Today's weather was a lot sunnier in the evening, a lot warmer, but there was still a bit of a cold wind. However, it could have been a lot worse. I decided to run my usual route backwards, for some adventure, and I'm finding that I'm tracking about 4.5k in those 30 minutes. Given some time, patience and effort, I have no doubt I could bring it to 5k in 30 minutes, or even 25 minutes. Wouldn't that be something?
In upcoming races, my friend and I are talking about the Canadian Derby half-marathon race in Edmonton. I asked the RM folk about it, and got a lot of glowing reports! It's fast, as the website boasts, flat, and apparently very well run.
There's also a Run for the Troops on June 3 that has a 5k, 10k, and 21k. I think I'd like to do the 10k.
Speaking of 10k, I looked at the latest e-mail from the near-by Running Room, and it says the half marathon group is doing 10k this week. Just in time! Wouldn't it be funny if I started running with them and wound up in shape to do whatever half-marathon is in May? Hilarious! And tempting.
In other news, I have seen that I am exceeding my cardio calorie needs. Even if I don't run 45 minutes a day, or recumbent-bike on the days I'm not running, I'm still expending more calories than it requires. Me, I'm gonna put that down as one of those things that can't be helped.
In other other news, I've got busy legs like mad and I think I'm gonna go stretch them out!
But part of my re-entry into the great outdoors is acknowledging that man is a pack animal, and sometimes, it doesn't suck to run with people. In fact, it frequently doesn't.
So I logged back onto Running Mania and re-introduced myself. Everyone was happy to see me again, and I'm heading to my first RM event at the end of April! Everyone is full of advice, stories, and jokes, and it's so much fun to find a place on the internet where everyone gets along so well!
In other news, today's run was a lot more pleasant than Tuesday's. Tuesday's 30m run was gross and full of wind and damp and grey skies. It was a huge letdown after a beautiful day.
Today's weather was a lot sunnier in the evening, a lot warmer, but there was still a bit of a cold wind. However, it could have been a lot worse. I decided to run my usual route backwards, for some adventure, and I'm finding that I'm tracking about 4.5k in those 30 minutes. Given some time, patience and effort, I have no doubt I could bring it to 5k in 30 minutes, or even 25 minutes. Wouldn't that be something?
In upcoming races, my friend and I are talking about the Canadian Derby half-marathon race in Edmonton. I asked the RM folk about it, and got a lot of glowing reports! It's fast, as the website boasts, flat, and apparently very well run.
There's also a Run for the Troops on June 3 that has a 5k, 10k, and 21k. I think I'd like to do the 10k.
Speaking of 10k, I looked at the latest e-mail from the near-by Running Room, and it says the half marathon group is doing 10k this week. Just in time! Wouldn't it be funny if I started running with them and wound up in shape to do whatever half-marathon is in May? Hilarious! And tempting.
In other news, I have seen that I am exceeding my cardio calorie needs. Even if I don't run 45 minutes a day, or recumbent-bike on the days I'm not running, I'm still expending more calories than it requires. Me, I'm gonna put that down as one of those things that can't be helped.
In other other news, I've got busy legs like mad and I think I'm gonna go stretch them out!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Death of a Toe Nail
One thing that I don't miss about running is the way it affects my feet. To my annoyance, it's not a situation that can be solved by new shoes or better socks. Mainly, it's my toe nails. Actually, it's one specific one (as the others do well enough when clipped).
It's a weak nail, and has a tendency to fall off whenever I run a half-marathon. Actually, it falls off several weeks after the race, giving me a lot of time to contemplate the eventual death of that toe-nail. Essentially, a bruise forms beneath the nail, pushing the nail away from its bed, and turning it a spectacular purple-black. The lack of bloodflow (remember, a bruise is full of dying blood cells) will kill the nail.
After today's run, it's feeling pretty tender, so I won't be surprised if it starts turning colour soon and takes a walk.
Anyways, I went out for a nice long run this afternoon. I decided to try to focus on time in my runs instead of distance, so I said to myself, "I'm going to run an hour today!" It turned out to be an hour and 13 minutes, average pace of 7:39m/km, and a distance of 9km! I'm feeling very happy with myself, though I have little doubt that I will feel it tomorrow. My breathing was good, though, and my legs and knees, though tired, are still functioning (after a nice application of ice).
And now, I'm going to have a nap before dinner and a movie with my mother!
It's a weak nail, and has a tendency to fall off whenever I run a half-marathon. Actually, it falls off several weeks after the race, giving me a lot of time to contemplate the eventual death of that toe-nail. Essentially, a bruise forms beneath the nail, pushing the nail away from its bed, and turning it a spectacular purple-black. The lack of bloodflow (remember, a bruise is full of dying blood cells) will kill the nail.
After today's run, it's feeling pretty tender, so I won't be surprised if it starts turning colour soon and takes a walk.
Anyways, I went out for a nice long run this afternoon. I decided to try to focus on time in my runs instead of distance, so I said to myself, "I'm going to run an hour today!" It turned out to be an hour and 13 minutes, average pace of 7:39m/km, and a distance of 9km! I'm feeling very happy with myself, though I have little doubt that I will feel it tomorrow. My breathing was good, though, and my legs and knees, though tired, are still functioning (after a nice application of ice).
And now, I'm going to have a nap before dinner and a movie with my mother!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Spring Running
I love running as winter is melting away, and spring is warming the air.
I don't mean that I enjoy splashing myself through soggy mush, or slipping on the hidden ice beneath. But I do enjoy the feeling of anticipation of a warm run, where I don't come home feeling chilled, where there's sunlight past 6:30 p.m., and I don't need a face mask to avoid frozen skin. The renewal of life seems to renew my love of running.
Today's run was a bit of a challenge. I haven't been outside nearly all winter, but I decided to try to keep a 6.5min/km pace. That's probably about what I do on the treadmill, but doing it on uneven ground, in slush, is a different story! In the end, I had to take more walking breaks than I like, but I did 30 minutes of it, so for my first run, I was pretty happy.
My muscles were pretty complacent with the idea of out-door running. A bit stiff at the beginning, but they soon warmed up. I don't remember if they were entirely happy at the end, but there was a general sense of tiredness in them. I'm looking forward to pushing that wall of tiredness back, starting Sunday. One thing I'd forgotten is to move my neck while running. I am the type of runner who holds her head very stiffly. After about 20 minutes, I need to shake my head and neck a little, or it goes from nada to nagging to 'fix this now there is no option'. No wonder Paula Radcliffe (fastest female runner in the world, and a great role-model to boot!) has a head-bobbing motion; it must negate the stiff-neck issue I have!
It was also my first run with my iPhone. I had hoped to tuck it into the little pocket in my pants, but that was a non-starter when I realized it would drag my pants down. I ran with it in-hand, but I think I'll be looking for an arm band instead.
In other news, I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app for my phone, and so far, I'm quite impressed. They have a very comprehensive food database with easy repeatable options, and they can calculate how much more you can eat a certain day from how much you've exercised (don't get me wrong, they start with a reduced calorie intake idea, and then adjust). What I adore is the option to scan bar-codes of packaged foods, and it shows up in your day's food tally! Well done, MyFitnessPal, well done!
I don't mean that I enjoy splashing myself through soggy mush, or slipping on the hidden ice beneath. But I do enjoy the feeling of anticipation of a warm run, where I don't come home feeling chilled, where there's sunlight past 6:30 p.m., and I don't need a face mask to avoid frozen skin. The renewal of life seems to renew my love of running.
Today's run was a bit of a challenge. I haven't been outside nearly all winter, but I decided to try to keep a 6.5min/km pace. That's probably about what I do on the treadmill, but doing it on uneven ground, in slush, is a different story! In the end, I had to take more walking breaks than I like, but I did 30 minutes of it, so for my first run, I was pretty happy.
My muscles were pretty complacent with the idea of out-door running. A bit stiff at the beginning, but they soon warmed up. I don't remember if they were entirely happy at the end, but there was a general sense of tiredness in them. I'm looking forward to pushing that wall of tiredness back, starting Sunday. One thing I'd forgotten is to move my neck while running. I am the type of runner who holds her head very stiffly. After about 20 minutes, I need to shake my head and neck a little, or it goes from nada to nagging to 'fix this now there is no option'. No wonder Paula Radcliffe (fastest female runner in the world, and a great role-model to boot!) has a head-bobbing motion; it must negate the stiff-neck issue I have!
It was also my first run with my iPhone. I had hoped to tuck it into the little pocket in my pants, but that was a non-starter when I realized it would drag my pants down. I ran with it in-hand, but I think I'll be looking for an arm band instead.
In other news, I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app for my phone, and so far, I'm quite impressed. They have a very comprehensive food database with easy repeatable options, and they can calculate how much more you can eat a certain day from how much you've exercised (don't get me wrong, they start with a reduced calorie intake idea, and then adjust). What I adore is the option to scan bar-codes of packaged foods, and it shows up in your day's food tally! Well done, MyFitnessPal, well done!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
After (nearly) A Year
Wow, I've managed to go nearly a year without posting in here. A year in which so much changed!
First: I moved back to Edmonton, to live with my boyfriend.
Second: I didn't run very much over the winter, though I did start going to the gym.
Third: I applied to try being in training for a fitness competition... and didn't get it.
One thing I learned with the first is that, upon moving to a new climate, it will take time to get acclimatized. It took me nearly a month for my body to stop feeling out of oxygen, once I'd moved back to a higher, dryer, altitude.
One thing I learned with the second is that, 10 minutes on a treadmill for warm-up will never be enough cardio. I also learned that that's all I can really enjoy on a treadmill, because they're boring as heck. The rest of the gym visit is much more fun.
One thing I learned with the third is that, there is no harm in trying. So I sent an application with a 'headshot' (read, a nicer self-portrait), and never heard back. Still, it's cool to imagine that maybe this is something I COULD do.
Ragnar and I went out for our first run in a long time. It was 30 minutes of 0C weather, which wasn't bad. Without getting too into the subject... the run was cathartic.
Now that the weather is getting nice, I'm hoping to hit the gym and the pavement more often.
There's a few in-town races, including a half-marathon that I want to get in on!
Edited to add: I totally missed the third birthday of this blog!
First: I moved back to Edmonton, to live with my boyfriend.
Second: I didn't run very much over the winter, though I did start going to the gym.
Third: I applied to try being in training for a fitness competition... and didn't get it.
One thing I learned with the first is that, upon moving to a new climate, it will take time to get acclimatized. It took me nearly a month for my body to stop feeling out of oxygen, once I'd moved back to a higher, dryer, altitude.
One thing I learned with the second is that, 10 minutes on a treadmill for warm-up will never be enough cardio. I also learned that that's all I can really enjoy on a treadmill, because they're boring as heck. The rest of the gym visit is much more fun.
One thing I learned with the third is that, there is no harm in trying. So I sent an application with a 'headshot' (read, a nicer self-portrait), and never heard back. Still, it's cool to imagine that maybe this is something I COULD do.
Ragnar and I went out for our first run in a long time. It was 30 minutes of 0C weather, which wasn't bad. Without getting too into the subject... the run was cathartic.
Now that the weather is getting nice, I'm hoping to hit the gym and the pavement more often.
There's a few in-town races, including a half-marathon that I want to get in on!
Edited to add: I totally missed the third birthday of this blog!
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