Cheers!

I may have temporarily quit on blogging,but I've been trying, with some level of success, to keep consistant with my running. 2008 was a huge year of change for me, so I beg your pardon. 2009 has been a bit of a roller coaster already, but I've always maintained that I'm all for change - I'm not complaining! The winter was tough, as winters generally are. But Spring is finally in full bloom - oh, the sweet relief that is!

So, here you see me and my friend Pam after completing the Slainte St.Paddy's Day 5K in Hamilton, ON - a downhill run, all the way down the Niagara Escarpment to the pub! I finished 3rd in my age group with a time of 25:54...beer might not be the healthiest form of motivation, but whatever! It worked! I won a pint glass.

Running has taken me to some interesting places. It took me to my physical limits in 2006 during the Toronto Marathon, and that stripping away of limitations brought me to a much healthier place spiritually. That change has re-routed my life completely - I'm stronger physically, and less afraid to take risks in my life because of my faith. Would I have come to this place without running? Probably I guess...but would it have been as much fun or as rewarding any other way? I can't imagine how it could! So now, I find myself working for the largest running shoe/apparel chain in the country and about to embark on running as a guide and encourager to other runners by leading a half-marathon clinic that will end at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon this September! How's that for accountability? Life's about to get really busy, but I hope to keep the blog up to date as I'm sure this is going to be a pretty unique time of growth for me personally, and as a runner! Here's a quote about risk-taking to ponder and enjoy...

“The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and
becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn
and feel and change and grow and love and live.”
Leo F. Buscaglia

Nashville Country Music Half Marathon 2008

Oh yeah!?! I finished another Half a couple of weeks ago. My poor, neglected blog! Tracy and I travelled down to Nashville to take part in the half marathon...and shop! Last year things were different - Glenn, Jeremy, Jason and Dave all ran the full marathon, Erin and I ran the half, and Tracy, Heather and Jess volunteered at an Accelerade table (I still shudder when I think of how that stuff tasted). It was quite the group event! It was meant to be that way this year, but the boys and girls ended up on tour and had no way to get back in time for the race. We did our best to round up some Rockstar Runners, and had the great fortune to meet up with Nicole and Vicky before the run, and Tina after the run. I can't wait to meet more people in the Rockstar Runners community...you should join!!!

This year, instead of volunteering, Tracy already had her first half marathon under her belt and was trained and ready for her second! I'm so proud of all that she's accomplished in the last year! Way to go Sis! :)
Here's a recap of my run...

I was placed in corral 16 but started in corral 29 with Tracy so we'd cross the start line at the same time. I was annoyed for the first few miles especially, because I felt like I was wasting a lot of energy weaving through the throngs of runners - this is why they place you in a corral with runners of a similar pace, to avoid such weaving! But in retrospect, I feel like this gave me a better run than I would have otherwise had. It was a constant challenge to find an open space and get past this guy, and that girl, and these walkers, etc. Tracy's Garmin crapped out on her before the run, so I gave her mine - this was totally fine by me because I had already pretty much decided to go without the Garmin. I had my nike+ and my iPod, and had decided to take walk breaks at every mile marker.
My run started with Feist's Past In Present - I'm not a really big Feist fan, but I absolutley LOVED kicking off my run to this song! It was perfect. I missed the first mile marker, since the second mile marker was on a downhill, I waited till somewhere after 2 miles before takling my first walk. This sort of set the tone for the rest of the run - I'm pretty sure I only took 6 breaks in total. Not having my Garmin, I wasn't really sure where I wasat with my pace, or distance or anything - it was so freeing! I was feeling good, and I had a feeling that my pace was pretty good, so I just went with the flow.
I had a PowerBar Gel around mile 9 (I think?), and was starting to feel pretty tired at that point. Sometime around this point I started to wonder where I was at in this run - I remembered seeing the mile 8 marker, but I hadn't seen one in what felt like a long while. When I finally saw the next one it was mile 10, and I swore I had to be at 11! Somehow I managed to fight off the negative thoughts, realizing that I really did still feel quite good.
Between miles 10 and 13 I went into autopilot - I don't know how, it just happened - and thank God it did! Once I saw the mile 13 marker I started thinking about Erin and how she pushed me to finish strong last year! This time it was all up too me....
So I poured out what I had left and by some miracle managed to finish in 1:59:26! I thought a sub-two-hour run was still a couple of half's away, but there you have it! So what's next???

Olympic Torch

Robert Menard, head of Reporters Without Borders, said the group had altered its initial plans to protest because of the heavy police turnout, but promised protests would be "spectacular."

Meanwhile, in Beijing on Monday, International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge said he was "very concerned" about unrest in Tibet.

"The International Olympic Committee has expressed its serious concern and calls for a rapid peaceful resolution in Tibet," Rogge said. He added that violent protests, "for whatever reason," are "not compatible with the values of the torch relay or the Olympic Games."

If even the torchbearers' security is threatened, I think I'd be pretty worried about competing at the Summer Olympics if I was an athlete. Read more here.

Skort!

I slathered on some sunless tanner yesterday morning in preparation for my run at the gym in my new skort last night. Canadian winters (particularly this one) can do a number on a woman's legs. Mine are transparent. The tanner helped.

The skort is necessary as far as I'm concerned, as all the girls down south have them. I felt like such a nerd running in my tights last April in Nashville. And an over-heated nerd at that. Besides looking cute, it will help me keep cool in the Tennessee sun. I can do my stretches in it without giving anyone a show...I could even wear it on my bike if I wanted. The skort's practicality is practically endless!

I did a 30 minute run at my regular pace, and as far as I could tell, everything stayed in place. I have a very rational fear of chafing, so this was only the initial test run for the skort. It's still far too cold to bare the legs outdoors, so I am thrilled to be back at the gym where I have access to many-a-treadmill. Though, I have to admit - it was still pretty weird stepping out of the change room with so much bare skin. I think that the shorts did ride up a little, so a longer run is needed to be sure. I think an hour will be all I can handle on the treadmill, so hopefully we'll get a nice warm Saturday morning in April so I can really give the skort a test before heading to Nashville. Whichever way things go down, I'll be sure to bring along my Bodyglide. There's nothing better to ruin a holiday than inner-thigh chafe.

Kickboxing!

Auntie invited me to her "cardio kickboxing" class at the gym Wednesday night. The thought of it was a little intimidating to me, so I told her I'd just poke my nose in. Of course she didn't let me away with it! The class consists of her and my Uncle, and another couple, as well as the instructor..when I saw that, the initimidation factor disappeared! I didn't actually get to kick anything, but I was lucky enough to get some one-on-one instruction on punching - jabbing and crossing, I should say! It was a lot of fun, and super-empowering. I think I'll attend regularly if I can make it to class on time. It's such a different type of workout for me - might be just what I need to give my metabolism a kick!? Woot!

Between a Rock and a Snow Bank

I must admit before even getting started here that I am a whiner and a complainer - I apologise in advance. If you don't live in Ontario you may not have heard about our latest snowstorm, but if you do live here, you are probably still rubbing your sore back from all of the shovelling you've done over the last 2 days!

It started Friday night - maybe 5 cms accumulated between late afternoon and early Saturday morning. I had a 10:00 appointment in Guelph Saturday morning, and didn't get up early enough to get out for my run beforehand. Even if I had, I probably would have ended up walking instead - the sidewalks in my neighbourhood are dismal after a bit of snowfall. The snowfall had really picked up steam by 9:30 when I left the house, and the roads were already covered. My drive home from Guelph wasn't great - I nearly ended up in the ditch after a getting pulled by a snow/ice-rut and momentarliy losing control of my car. After my hands stopped shaking from the adrenaline rush, I decided that I would stay in and relax for the day!

Sunday morning comes, and brings with it the most glorious, brilliant sunshine to illuminate the 1000+ centimetres of snow that fell the day before! Joy! Upon waking, I suit up and head straight outside with shovel in hand. I managed to accomplish very little in the first half hour of digging out. Mercifully, my neighbour with his snowblower told me to stop shovelling! He and his wife were going to go out for breakfast, but he would clear my driveway when he got back - all he needed me to do was move my car. So, I took this as the perfect opportunity to get my run in at the gym. Ah, yes - a lovely, safe run on the treadmill! Unfortunately, when I got to the gym I couldn't even get into the parking lot as the snow hadn't been cleared. I phoned and got no answer. Dangit! The gym was having a snow day!?! So back home and into forced hibernation I went.

That really stunk. And I hope it never happens again! But, at least it didn't cause me to lose focus. I headed back to the gym this evening and ran just under 5 miles, and it felt GOOD! And now I'm planning to do at least a couple of my maintenance runs at the gym each week - I'm excited to try some speedwork on the treadmill. Tonight I pushed my pace to 8 min/mile and maintained it for 5 minutes. This could get interesting... :)

Getting Somewhere by Going Nowhere?

I had a really good run on the treadmill at the gym last night. Thank goodness - I'm back to the gym after a 6 month hiatus! It felt great to actually run without tensing up and bracing for the next patch of ice. I'm realising that this is the only way for me to go if I'm ever going to consistantly train through the winter. February was a write-off for my running, so I have some catching up to do over the next 2 months to prepare for Nashville. This has been a particularly difficult winter for running - so much snow, ice, and nasty windchills.

Lucky for me, getting back to the gym was made a whole lot easier by having my Auntie and Uncle there to greet me! They've been members for years, and they were honestly a good part of the reason I joined - it's whole a lot easier to feel comfortable and fit in when you have someone there who's always happy to see you! Anything that makes going to the gym easier is good! Double lucky, last night my Auntie told me that she's got a treadmill at home that she's trying to get rid of! I'm tempted...but I'm not sure yet. Having the treadmill at the gym is a huge part of the draw to get my butt to the gym - at least through the winter. I don't know if I want to indulge the temptation to stay at home? Plus, would I have to get a treadmill for Charlie then too? Wouldn't we be quite the pair, running on our little treadmills in front of the TV watching Dr.Phil!? HA!

I did a leg workout on Sunday, and though I thought I was going easy, I've been stomping around like Frankenstein with dead legs ever since. The run and some walking helped yesterday, but I have another leg workout scheduled for tonight. JOY! Hopefully my recovery will not take quite as long. Besides, it's that good pain - the one that reminds you that you actually have muscles under all the flab! :)