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.

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.

Post Race Day

I posted last December about maintenance plans, which I am absolutely awful for.

This time, I have a cunning plan. Let's just hope it's better than Black Adder's cunning plans.

I will now proceed to the half-marathon clinic at the Kanata Running Room. I've taken the first step and introduced myself to the leader. Whether I actually join the clinic itself or just join the Sunday runs, I'm not sure. I will start next weekend, because this is going to be an easy recovery week.

Ugh. That's all the writing I've got in me today.

First Run Back with the Running Room

I marshaled my forces this morning, and made myself go to the Running Room for the first time in months. Since it was my first run in so long for so early in the morning, I had to carefully choose what to wear: my long winter running pants, an undershirt, my long sleeve half-marathon shirt, and my running jacket. For -1C, I felt a touch chilly, because the wind was pretty cold.

Getting there with a few minutes to spare gave me enough time to kick myself for having missed out on great social opportunities, to reacquaint myself with old friends, and to figure out which group was where. With a new manager, the style of sending groups out has changed, but I still got the same warm feeling of being among friends.

Since the half-marathon group was scheduled to do 6km today, I joined them. They were going a bit longer than I had wanted to, but I knew the run path very well. I dropped back a bit, as the pace leader was faster than I wanted to go, and started talking with the half-marathon clinic leader. I'm delighted that we talked, because she's leading the marathon clinic at the Slater St. store, where I'll be taking my half-marathon clinic in February.

My run, while thoroughly enjoyable with conversation, was cut to about 5.5km, because both my knees and my right Achilles tendon were aching. I know I'll have to start my knee-strengthening exercises, and sooner or later, I should consult with my athletic therapist.

Another race I am thinking of partaking in is the St. Patrick's Day 5k/10k on March 15th. I don't honestly know what distance I'll do; if it was on a Sunday, I would do the 10k as a long-run, but since it's a Saturday, I may just do the 5k for fun.

Now, I am warming up at home, as I never do well with cold winds and exercise. Stay warm out there!

Owie.

I missed the 4km run yesterday, because I was instead trying out.

Though it felt closer to some kind of voluntary torture. I was put through sprint drills, plyometrics, regular strength tests, defense scrimmages, and then the full-on scrimmage against the other half.
By the end of it, all the muscles in my upper legs felt like painful lead.

And then I did the ultimate silly thing, and went to do my long-slow run of 8km today.

If I thought it was hard getting onto and off of chairs yesterday, it's worse today.

Almost half-way through today's run (from the store, up along the canal to the Mackenzie King Bridge and back), I developed a stitch in what I believe was my diaphragm. I'm not entirely certain if that was the location, but it hurt with every breath I took. I took that as a sign that, as much as I want to be in good shape for 10km, my body's health is more important, and I walked as much as I needed to. I also took a short-cut home, up Holmwood St. instead of continuing down to the bridge.

I will definitely be taking tomorrow off in order to recuperate for (hopefully) Tuesday run and then Wednesday's hill training.

This Long Run Sucked

Today we were without our Fearless Leader, James. Something about that dude, long ago, rising from the dead and disappearing three days later... Oh yeah, happy Easter. Even if you don't celebrate it.

Anyway, I'm probably crankier than I was earlier about the run. It was supposed to be a long, slow run of 8km, but wound up being 7km. However, with the absolutely bitchy wind, it felt like forever.

As we set out, the middle pack had a leader who is usually placed in the fast group. Now I know why - she was at the fast group's pace, and rapidly out-distanced the four people who were not looking for a fast run. Since I was already low on energy, I was one of those four.
This incident also highlights the need to take a timer of any type with you - cellphone, watch, iPod, anything that counts minutes. Since we lost our leader so early on, it became a bit of guesswork to figure out exactly how long until the next walk minute was.

And I have learned another lesson: I don't care how lazy you are, how awesome the TV line-up is, etc. Have a square meal the evening before a running morning. In fact, if you're not in the habit of at least three meals plus snacks (healthy of course!), get into it right away. My shining example: Yesterday, I had:
1/2 bagel with peanut butter (pre-run)
2 eggs, 2 pieces of toast, and 2 strips of bacon (around 11 a.m.)
8 perogies (around 9 p.m.)
See that huge gap of 10 hours? The human body is not meant to go that long without food, and to have foolishly eaten such a one-sided meal meant that I lacked a lot of energy and could have hurt myself due to either physical exhaustion or mental carelessness due to exhaustion.
Don't do that.

Post-Run

I went out with the Running Room Group (not the same as the clinic - the group is free), and found it very enjoyable. I think it's a great way to challenge my running pace and to meet and converse with new people.

When we took off, I started chatting with a woman who turns out to be an experienced runner. We chatted about running, the weather, careers, and even the bus strike. Turns out we share opinions on the Union and the City. It was a great run.

Something to bear in mind, though: when you are going for a cool-weather run where your end point is not home, take a warm coat with you.
The temperature gods said it was -2 with a -8 windchill. Hah, I said upon leaving, I will layer up in running clothes and be fine. Which I was, until I arrived at the store. By that time, I had realized I would have to lose one layer (of five, admittedly) to run comfortably.
The wind was quite cold and piercing, so I knew I couldn't take off my wind-breaker, so I took off the t-shirt, and left it at the store. The run was fine, I sweated like usual, and like usual, the sweat got trapped by the wind-breaker.
I arrived back at the store, a bit chilled, and upon putting my t-shirt on again, I realized that I would have to get home in damp, cold clothes that would do nothing to trap heat in, like it had on the walk there.

I know from working with horses that, if you have a damp horse, you never leave them to 'dry off' naturally. Horses, and you, lose a lot of heat, and then energy, when you are wet and cold. Always put a warm, dry coat (or blanket, in the case of a horse). The Running Room has a room downstairs where you can leave your coat while you run.
I certainly wish I had.