Vegelope

Cheers!

2009-05-09T19:35:00.005-04:00

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

2008-05-08T10:16:00.005-04:00

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

2008-04-07T13:11:00.006-04:00

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!

2008-03-19T09:42:00.003-04:00

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!

2008-03-14T15:12:00.002-04:00

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

2008-03-10T22:36:00.000-04:00

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?

2008-03-05T10:22:00.004-05:00

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! :)

Macgyver

2008-02-13T15:23:00.001-05:00

I ran entire the Disney Half Marathon with a pouch of Kleenex tucked between my bra and my tank top for reasons that can be very clearly explained in the picture above.

Olympian dreams?!

2008-01-28T14:56:00.000-05:00

In 1988 my parents took us out of school for part of the day to see the olympic torch pass through our town with one of 7,342 torchbearers selected to run 18,000 kms across the country to bring the torch to it's final destination in Calgary! The day left a lasting impression on me. In fact the 1988 Olymics left a lasting impression - I remember watching a lot of the coverage and feeling absolutely inspired...too bad I never acted on it back then!

The Winter Olympics are coming back to Canada in 2010, and today the announcement was made that "the cross-country torch relay leading up to the winter Games will be the longest such in-country relay in Olympic history"! Sweet! They are expecting to enlist 12,000 torchbearers...and I want to be one! What their criteria is for selection, I have no idea - so how you make your "resume" stand out amongst the millions they are expecting is also a mystery to me. All I can do is keep my ear to the ground and get my application in as early as they allow them. This is a great thing that the Olympic Committee organizes that spreads the excitement of the games - the journey will last 100 days! What a great way for an average chick like me to live out her "Olympic dreams"!

The greatest motivator...

2008-01-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

The Disney Half Marathon was the run of my life! Erin and I finished in 2:15 (a 7 minute improvment on our last Half), and I felt great throughout the run! I don't know how it happened because I certainly didn't feel quite prepared for the run that day, but I don't remember a single moment of discomfort - I loved every minute, and could have kept going! It was great having Erin by my side to talk to, and laugh with, and support, and be supported by! It was also great knowing that my only 2 siblings were running that very same run, Glenn a little ahead (1:43 finish), and Tracy a little behind (3:25 finish). What Glenn thinks gave me the edge was an incredibly good sleep the night before the night before the run! That's not an error - 2 nights before the run I had the best sleep I had had in over a month...the two hour hot tub soak may have assisted in that, I'm not sure?!

The greatest motivator, even greater than family and friends (and those are tough to beat), is a really good run! I was so excited about getting back on track with my running after returning from Florida, but unfortunately I let the sub-zero temperatures take away much of my excitement! It must have been that my previous trips to Florida had been over the March break, and I had it in my head that I would be returning to spring-like weather?! Bad idea! Either way, I haven't forgotten how great that run felt, and this weekend I'm going to plug in my iPod and just go for re-creating that feeling minus the palm trees and humidity. My mind is set on the Spring, but I'm not going to sit around and wait for it!

I got Sole

2007-11-28T16:37:00.001-05:00

My feet are killing me. I've been running in my new Nimbuses since July, and my mileage can't warrant a new pair of runners already? So what's the deal? I paid a visit to my friendly neighbourhood Running Room last week and had a chat with the girl there about my sore feet. She suggested trying a pair of insoles as a cheaper alternative to getting a new pair of shoes so soon. I should have taken her advice right then!

Instead, I went and did my 13.1 run last weekend and had a reasonably good run. My lower back started to ache about 8 miles in, and my feet were quite sore by the end of it - but my rationale said "lady, you just ran 13 miles...of course your feet are gonna be sore"! So I didn't think much of it...at least I didn't until Monday morning when I took Charlie out for a walk. My left upper forefoot just ached while I was walking!? What did I do?

I still have the pain today. Maybe not quite as bad, but I still have a throbbing pain when I put weight on the left foot - especially after I've been on my butt for a while. I went for a short run yesterday morning and found running far more comfortable than walking. Odd. So I made it a priority to go back to the RR for a pair of these lovely Spenco insoles. I haven't run with them yet, but they felt pretty good in my shoes. I figure that I was wrong to ignore the throbbing I was feeling over the last few weeks, and because of that I may have landed myself with an injury. I'm not too worried yet - my hope is that it is a minor "flare-up" that might be alleviated with a little icing, and some extra cushioning in my shoes. I'll let you know.

I finished my 13.1 miles in 2:12 - not a bad improvement over the 2:22 in Nashville back in April.

Keep on Rocking in the Free World

2007-11-16T13:54:00.000-05:00

How often do you get an invitation to be a Rockstar? If you've ever wanted to be a Rockstar, your chance is here and now! Rockstar Runners is a new running club that my brother Glenn and his friend Jeremy, both from the band downhere, have hatched up to bring together a community of runners wherevever in the World they happen to be. According to the guys...

Rockstar Runners will be based on three C’s: Condition, Connect and Contribute. We want to Condition ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually to be in the best shape possible. We want to Connect with each other so that we can encourage one another and help each other along in this journey. We want to Contribute by having others benefit from all that we do as Rockstar Runners.

I'm excited about this new community that will encourage motivational dialogue, offer training and nutrition tips, and possibly even some World Vision fundraising in the future. And what's so great about this virtual community is that there will be plenty of opportunity to meet one another at various races throughout North America...and possibly the World?! We are real, and we are capable of making a real difference in the World - what could be more exciting than that!?

So tomorrow, as I embark on an 11 mile training run, I will think of my Rockstar brothers and sisters and know that I am not alone in my pursuit to rule the road! All of my training efforts will culminate this Spring at the Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon, the inaugural race for the Rockstar Runners team. And who knows? Maybe being a small part of something bigger might give me the confidence to try another full marathon...? Maybe, but don't hold your breath!

Confessions of a Running Blogger

2007-11-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hi. My name is Krista, and I am a runner and a blogger. I have been blogging almost regularly for nearly 3 years, and I have been running almost regularly for nearly 2 years. I spend 10 hours a week driving to and from work, and 40 hours a week sitting at my desk at work. I'm really bad with numbers and math in general, but I'm pretty sure all this adds up to a dire need for physical activity. So I run.

After 2 years of running I still find it hard sometimes to get out of bed and go for a run. It's not automatic for me, but I hope some day it will be. I don't think I would be much of a runner if I wasn't so stubborn...er, I would prefer to call it tenacious in this context. I'm currently training for the DisneyWorld Half Marathon in January 2008.

Though I blog, I have no technical awareness. I figure there is a maximum of 8 people who will read this post, so I am not embarrassed to admit that this post is solely to sort out my lack of profile picture on Blogger. While I'm at it, I might as well admit that the photo above was taken with my cell phone on the commute to work while I was in a rather shamelessly narcissistic mood, and should have been concentrating on the road. And I chickened out on my long run last weekend. My absolution will come in the form of 11 miles this Saturday morning. I will be redeemed! ;-)

Four-legged reason to run...

2007-11-09T14:46:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday I went out for 9 miles, and actually had a great run. It may have been that my run was fueled by a higher than average level of adreneline after having a creature very similar to the one pictured here cross my path 3 miles in! There are rumors of coydogs in Cambridge, and I am here to perpetuate it! This is my third sighting, second one while running...scary! You know, I often complain about how Charlie runs with his head facing the opposite direction - but that was me for a at least a mile on Sunday, making sure the mangy-mutt wasn't hot on my trail! Running in fear, it's not quite as much fun as just running...but it can help the bottom line. I shaved a good 30 seconds off my minutes per mile pace! Not bad!

You should see the 11 mile route that I've planned out for this weekend. Let's just say that in avoidance of country roads, open fields, and forested areas...I'm going to get to know my little corner of residential Cambridge a whole lot better!

Compromise

2007-10-31T14:22:00.000-04:00

I thought I was the cat's arse last week after hatching up my latest and greatest plan for my weekday runs! My subdivision is hilly and small, so I've always left it to complete a 3+ mile run. But as the established 3 mile route was not working out with the dog, I thought my only option was to leave him at home on the mornings I ran. That idea has never sat too well with me.

Than it occurred to me, if I stayed in the subdivision with the dog, most of our problems would be eliminated, as it was mainly the traffic that distracted him and provided me with the extra workout of making him run forwards rather than backwards. So I gave it a try last Thursday.

I ran our usual walking route with the dog, plus a bit - ended up being close to 2 miles. This route includes 2 substantial uphills, and a nice downhill, and naturally brings me back home...here's the fun part! I pop Charlie back in the house, and head back out in the opposite direction! The reason for this is that the 'nice downhill' turns into an 'ugly uphill'! A needed challenge to strengthen my legs.

I did this run the last 2 mornings, and it seems to be working well. Charlie's getting his morning exercise, and I'm getting a challenge...a challenge that I'm still feeling in my lower half today - love that 'good burn'! I don't have to get up ridiculously early, plus this route is adding a bit more distance, which ain't a bad thing either. I think I've finally found a winning combo! The only thing I'm worried about now is snowy paws in a month or two...

Help Me Cesar!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-16T12:32:00.000-04:00

I finally caught an episode of the Dog Whisperer this weekend - Cesar Millan is my new hero! Look at this guy! Running with his pack, and a tennis raquet - not a single dog on a leash...I can count 15 dogs, but I think there's probably more.

When it comes to running with Charlie, doing it leashless would be so much better - but I just don't trust him off leash as he's prone to bolt. I don't mind stopping for restrooms breaks - those are necessary. I'd prefer him to go faster, but he is 6 years old now - that's 42 in doggy years, so he's allowed to slow down. It's how he's constantly watching the traffic BEHIND us that drives me nuts. This morning while we were out for 3 miles, I tried to correct Charlie everytime he turned his head. It was exhausting, and I ended up feeling worse after these 3 miles than I did after the 8 miles I ran on Saturday!

My 'fake it till you make it' trick seemed to work on Saturday. I wasted no time getting out of the house, had the iPod loaded and charged, and everything ready to go the night before. The run felt really good too - it was a cool and crisp, but sunny morning! I spotted 6 herons throughout the run, which I ran entirely on a riverside trail. Gorgeous! My only complaint was that my stomach started to feel tight, and I had a slight feeling of nausea in the last 2 miles. I'm pretty sure this was because I was running reasonably quick - for me anyway! 8 miles finished in 1:16 - a little less than 10 minutes per mile.

Anyway, I think I need to make a decision about whether to suck it up and just deal with Charlie's running handicaps, or do I load up on some Cesar Millan books and DVD's and try to whisper my way with him? Anything is possible...right?

Running Warrior!!!

2007-10-11T15:48:00.000-04:00

I like how I feel the need to be accountable when I put something in writing on my blog…regardless of how few people may pay attention! Two weeks ago I blogged about my 3 X 3 scheme, and looking back at my training schedule (Runlogger on Facebook) I’m actually in my fourth week of sticking to it! Werd!

This feels really good – it’s a totally do-able amount of running for me. I’ve often goofed up and slept in or just didn’t feel like running on rising, and it’s put me in situation where I’ve had to 3 run days in a row…but I seem to be recovering well enough, so no reason to sweat it.

So all is well, yet I’m having trouble having happy thoughts about long runs? The longest I’ve done since the Half Marathon in April is 6 miles (2 weeks ago), and that was a great run! So why the worry? I need to use the mind over matter theory here.

First, I’ll load up my iPod with some kickin’ tunes, as it was the iPod that made the 6 miles go so well. Second, I’m going to apply a CS Lewis theory to the situation - I’m going to fake it ‘til I make it! I think Lewis said something more like: if you don’t love someone, then act like you do. Eventually the feelings will catch up with your actions. I’m going to act like I love getting up early on Saturday mornings to run for hours! There is something very appealing about it…especially when it’s over! But I’ll turn my thoughts to the act of running – the blood circulating, oxygen flowing, the toxins pushing out, strength and determination increasing. It’s a constant battle, but every day I get out there a little part of the war is won!

3

2007-09-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

Three miles, three times a week - maybe more, but never less - that, along with my weekly long run, is my training strategy for the Disney Half. I'm basing this on a couple of things - first being that for mostly irrational reasons I've been avoiding my 4 mile route - those reasons may or may not include the following:
Low light levels at 5:30 am
Increased traffic on the route
Sleep feels good
Charlie is slow
There are 'coy-dogs' in Cambridge
So I played a trick on my brain and said, "okay, no more dark country roads with traffic and coy-dogs - stick to the city streets, but leave your subdivision so you can get in 3 full miles". Okay!

The second reason is based on Glenn's theory that you should aim for total accumulated weekly mileage to equal or exceed the distance of your long run for that week. I estimate that it will be late October - early November before I actually do a 9 miler, so 3x3 is great for now!

I'm also going to try to ditch Charlie for one of those 3 milers each week so I can work on my speed a little. Overall, I just want to take it easy and continue to enjoy running! But not too easy after all , I have to keep up with Erin and Mark and Tracy, now don't I?!

Early Start

2007-08-22T16:43:00.001-04:00

I followed the plan this morning. I was up at 5:15, and out the door by 5:20...I forgot that my alarm clock was set 5 minutes ahead, so that put me a bit ahead of the plan. I really could have used those extra 5 minutes of sleep too! I walked Charlie, then headed right back out for a run. I finished the 4 mile loop (in the same direction I ran it on Saturday) in 37:15. That's 1:15 slower than Saturday - not bad considering the time of day.

I've been fairly tired today, so I know that if I want this to work I have to be really careful about getting to bed good and early. I think I turned out the light at 10:30 last night, so that wasn't too bad. It must just be the hour - even if you've had enough sleep, 5:15 can feel pretty gross! I did enjoy the silence of walking so early. I wore my iPod but turned the volume down enough that I could still hear the crickets over the music. After a trip to the gym and another walk with Charlie, I think I'll be hitting the sack early tonight!

The Charlie Dilemma

2007-08-20T14:06:00.000-04:00

I've complained a lot here about running with Charlie. And I'm going to do it again. Sorry Charles. My mileage has been pretty low, and slow since finishing the Nashville Half in April - and I've enjoyed it. But I've got another run to train for in January - since winter running is not a lot of fun, I'm hoping to get my fitness level up early and try to keep it there till January. Erin and I are hoping for a 2:10 finish, and that's going to take some work on my part.

Saturday morning I woke up with the intention to run 6 miles - this is a distance that is a little bit out of Charlie's comfort zone, and I just couldn't bear the thought of dragging him along behind me for an hour. So I decided to take him for a walk. This could have been a bad idea, because after returning home from a walk I usually feel like I've done enough exercise and would have no inclination to do any more. But, on this particular morning I was very aware of this possibility, and so I dressed to run and threw on a light pair of pants and a jacket overtop (it was a cool morning for this time of year). I took Charlie for his regular walk - about 1.5 miles (30 minutes), and when I got home I very promptly got into running mode and went right back out there. I adjusted the distance down to 4 miles and ran my favorite loop - country roads down to the river and back into town. I managed to complete the 4 miles in 36 minutes - that equates to 9 minutes per mile...a fantastic speed for me!

So, I guess the conditions were perfect - I was well-rested, and hydrated, and warmed-up from the walk. The morning was cool, I was dressed just right, and I was dog-free!

I did the same run with Charlie this morning (but in the opposite direction) and finished in 41 minutes. I'm actually pretty surprised that there's only a 5 minute difference here, considering that we had 4 potty breaks (2 were #2), and that Charlie found a cute dog to look at behind us when we were trying to go uphill - gravity is really enough resistance for me, I don't need a 50lb dog pulling back on me when I'm trying to move forward.

I'm wondering if I can reproduce that speed from Saturday through the week if I get up early enough to walk Charlie first? It's really important to me to get him exercised in the morning since he's home alone 10 hours a day - but I really feel like my running can't improve as long as I run with him. So perhaps it's time to take advantage of the timer on the coffee maker, and learn how to pack my lunch in the evening - it'll be 5:15 starts a few times a week if I'm going to make this work! I think I can...

A Running Reputation

2007-08-03T12:31:00.000-04:00

I run primarily to help maintain my health. I run to explore my surroundings, to challenge my fitness and my mind. Many things come along with being a runner – the bad; black toes, blisters, and sore calves – the good; a stronger sense of self, a connection with nature and God, and for some, humility. Today I was made aware of another thing that comes along with being a runner – a neighbourhood reputation!

Charlie and I met a neighbour with her dog this morning that we had never met before – but she knew us. She said, ‘you’re the runner, right?” She went on to explain that she and her husband often see us running in the morning with Charlie –she said her dog was jealous, but she is not a runner so “tough’! She was a funny and very friendly neighbour – she reminded me of a toned-down version of Sally from 3rd Rock. I make the rounds in our tiny neighbourhood so often that I thought I had met all the dogs and neighbours – but apparently not.

I don’t know why I was so surprised to learn that I had a reputation – at least with this one neighbour. I suppose I’ve always assumed that most neighbours are still in their warm beds as I run by – that’s another thing that sometimes comes along with running; self-pity! But now that I know this, I wonder if my running might have an influence on anyone that I don’t actually interact with? I’ve seen the influence it can have on the people in a runner’s social circle – there has been a really incredible evolution in my family, and extended family. Then you can look at high-profile runners like Dean Karnazes, who has no doubt inspired thousands of people to either take-up running, or take their running up a notch (Glenn)! It’s infectious!

I’m encouraged by this little chance meeting – though this neighbour says to her dog, “we’re not runners, so TOUGH!” perhaps a spark has been ignited? Who knows? Last week during a run we passed a different neighbour who was out for a walk. She looked at us and said “good for you guys” in a way that both Bob and I took to mean, “I wish I was doing that”. So Bob invited her to join us! Of course she just chuckled, but that’s what it’s all about – encouraging others to break through their self-imposed boundaries! It’s not always about a getting a PR, or a tight rear. It’s about loving yourself, being thankful for your health and for the sidewalk, road, or trail that brings you closer to knowing who you are and what’s truly important in life. This running reputation is one which I want to uphold, not to put it up on my mantle like a trophy; but to preserve the potential for a positive influence on whoever it might be in my neighbourhood. Perhaps the next time I pass this toned-down Sally, it will be on the trails?!

God Bless America

2007-07-25T10:05:00.000-04:00

Bob's in the lovely State of Pennsylvania for work this week. The weekend before last we were in Niagara Falls, NY for some shopping and noticed that the Asics Gel Nimbus were $119 as opposed to the $179 that we'd pay here at home. So, not wanting to blow the weekend budget, Bob suggested that he pick up a pair for me while he's in Philly. Since I had already waited 6 months longer than I should have for new shoes, I wasn't bothered by having to wait another couple of weeks.

I told him my shoe size, and since he's running in the same shoes, it was no problem for him to remember the model, etc. So, I get home last night to a ringing phone - it's Bob calling form Dick's Sporting Goods in Philadelphia.

Bob - "It's the Asis Gel Nimbus, right?"
Krista - "Yeah, the same shoe you're running in."
Bob - "Is it the Nimbus VIII?"
Krista - "I think so...I'm not sure. It doesn't really matter."
Bob - "They're like 75 bucks?!"
Krista - "What? That's awesome! They must be clearing out last years' model?!"
Bob - "Do you know which model your old ones are?"
Krista - "I think VIII...that's fine. Do they have my size?"
Bob - "The salesperson is just checking..."
Salesgirl - "I only have a 7.5"
Bob - "You ONLY have a 7.5? That's what I need, 7.5!"
Krista - "They have my size???"
Bob - "7.5?"
Krista - "Yes! They have it?"
Bob - "They have it!"
Krista - "YAY! THANK YOU! SAY THANKS TO THE SALESGIRL FOR ME!!!"
Bob - "Yeah, okay..."

So there you have it. $75 US dollars for a new pair of sweet sweet Asics Gel Nimbus. With the current exchange rate that's about $80 Canadian. God Bless America, indeed!

Running Stateside

2007-07-17T15:27:00.000-04:00

I don't get out much, so when I do, I always like to get up early and go exploring with a run. We spent last weekend in NY, just Buffalo/Niagara area to do a bit of shopping. We stayed in Lockport on Bob's mother's recommendation, and I'm glad we did. It was nothing special really, but it was so much better than staying at a Super 8 by the airport. And Lockport is a cute enough little town. We got a complimentary map at the hotel that I studied before heading out so as not to get us lost. We had a nice run along the canal, into the downtown, and through the older neighbourhood at the heart of the city. The best part was that we scoped out this little diner that became our breakfast venue an hour later.

At one point we were approaching an intersection where a car was stopped at a red light and we had the right of way. I made eye contact with the driver before I entered the intersection - a rather safe habit I've formed - and then proceeded. I guess he thought he was sticking out too far, because as we crossed the road he started to reverse... But he didn't notice the car behind him until he heard the CRUNCH!

What would you do as a runner in this situation? There was a certain level of 'unease' to begin with as we didn't really know our way around - we just wanted to go for a run without any trouble. Bob had seen it coming and waved at the guy to stop, but he didn't clue-in in time. As this happened we had both slowed down, but as it was a very slow speed accident, and both drivers proceeded when the light turned green...we decided to do the same. The offending driver slowed right down and we were pretty sure he parked his car at the church right across the street. But the female 'victim' kept driving, and as she went by us we could hear the profanities flying - not at us though, thankfully. Weird.

Nobody was hurt, and I don't think any noticable damage occurred...aside from maybe a couple of bruised egos. By the end of this run I was surprised to see that we had covered 5 miles! Bob's longest run - and he barely even noticed! Good times.

And now I will torture you with the same Suzanne Vega song that has been bouncing around in my head since Sunday...

I am sitting
In the morning
At the diner
On the corner

I am waiting
At the counter
For the man
To pour the coffee

And he fills it
Only halfway
And before
I even argue

He is looking
Out the window
At somebody
Coming in

Doo, doo, dooo, do
Doo, doo, dooo, do
Doo, doo, dooo, do
Doo, doo, doo, doo

iPod+

2007-06-22T12:57:00.000-04:00

I took Jake's advice and bought the Nike+ transmitter and a cool little clip called RunAway, and suddenly I'm running with my iPod and it's telling me crazy things - like, my tried and true even 5-miler is actually 6.21 miles.

I used both the iPod transmitter and my Garmin on a short run - Garmin said 2.67 miles, iPod said 2.98 miles. I believe Garmin. So it looks like some calibration is needed...

What I like about running with the iPod transmitter is that I can't see my time, distance, speed or pace as I have the iPod strapped to my upper arm with an armband. This wouldn't be ideal for many runners, but I enjoy the freedom of just running for the sake of running. All it takes to get an update is a tap on the centre button and the iPod tells you all of your current stats - best to tap it before a walk break though, if you want to get an idea of your running pace. Because mine isn't properly calibrated, my running speed was something in the 8 minute per mile range, and I know I don't run that fast - but it's cool to think so! I'm enjoying running with (low volume) music again too. It can really change the whole feel of a run.

One complaint, the headphone cord. It dangles, causing a waste of energy from worrying that I may somehow, inadvertantly rip my ears off. My armband doesn't have a "cord-management" feature, so I should probably just look for another one. The alternative would be the $80 Nike+ running shirt with built-in iPod pocket and cord-management. But I'm still on the fence about giving my money to them. Shoes are the next purchase - so let's say that if I do decide to buy the Nike's, that will give me clearance to purchase one of their overpriced shirts to complete the ensemble... though running in style has never really been my thing!

A new running partner?

2007-06-06T14:03:00.000-04:00

Bobby is now the proud owner of a fresh new pair of Asics Gel Nimbus, the same shoes that got me through a marathon and half...and then some. So excuses for him not to run are few and far between. We've been out for a couple of runs together (and with Charlie) and Bob really enjoys the way he feels during, and especially after the run! So this is good.

I'm in a pretty good place right now - low milage, but regular runs. Having a running partner with the capacity to converse (sorry Charlie) is a great motivator. Now we just have to get into a routine that works for both of us.

Speaking of shoes, mine don't have too many miles left in them. While we were at the Running Room last weekend I tried on a pair of Nike Zoom Vomero +...have you hear of this Nike+ thing? Where your shoes talk to your iPod? I'm interested, and even more interested now that I've tried on a pair of Nike+ ready shoes and found them just as comfortable as the Nimbus. But, disturbingly I came across an article claiming that runners using Nike+ can essentially be hacked and tracked via RFID signals and Google Maps...a little technically over my head, but should I really be concerned about this? Especially now that I've blogged about it? I may not even buy into the Nike+. As Bob theorizes, it's all a marketing scheme - inferior products sold by the thousands for their cool factor. But the shoes were comfortable, and for some reason I trust Apple. Am I being duped by this tag-team of marketing giants? Will I be exposing myself to the possibility of cyber-stalking? Or is Nike+ really worth it's price tag?

In the end, with my two running partners at either side, I'm pretty sure we could take on anyone creepy and pathetic enough to cyber-stalk this victim of monster-marketing! Besides, it would be all the more reason for Bobby to keep at it! :)

The Results - Country Music (1/2) Marathon

2007-05-01T19:23:00.000-04:00

What a day of accomplishment! We had a blast in Nashville at the Country Music Marathon last Saturday. It was topped off for me when I saw my brother Glenn coming into the finish line, and moments later finding out that he met his marathon goal of 3:40! I screamed, or squealed - or made some other very girlie sound that was born of pure joy for him when he told me his time over the phone. I know what hard work it is, so I knew what this meant to him. What a thrill! :)

I was very happy with my time, and with finishing comfortably. I really enjoyed running with Erin Thiessen - we ran the first 11 miles with her husband Jeremy before he continued on to complete the full marathon. As this was Erin's first Half Marathon (and her first time running a distance longer than 10.5 miles I think) I was expecting to have to encourage her towards the finish line. We definitely didn't talk as much during the last 2 miles, as we were both pretty spent. But as we were getting to the final stretch a young boy shouted out, "only a tenth of a mile left to go!". Erin looked at me and said, "Okay Krista...LET'S GO!". I was happy enough to continue as I was, but I did have a little energy left in the tank so I picked it up and off we went. Unfortunately neither of us noticed that we hadn't actually reached the 13 mile marker yet, so when we saw it we had a bit of a laugh! But we kept the pace up and finished the run strong! It felt great! And that was Erin's doing - I would have just kept plodding along, but she was ready to go for it! Just look at this picture of Erin - the lady who presented Erin her medal said, "Honey, you did NOT just run a half marathon?!" Fresh! It was a great moment - we had smiles from ear to ear!

This was an incredibly well organized event, and somehow the downhere team was really organized too given that this was an event with a registration of 30,000 runners. Heather Germain, Jessica Lewis and my sister Tracy volunteered at an Accelerade table and had to be there for 4-4:30 am!?! I travelled with Jeremy and Erin, Glenn and Dave went together, and Jason had his own arrangements. Team Thiessen parked at LP Field (finish area) where we were promptly picked up by a shuttle and dropped off at Centennial Park and the Start Area. There, we checked our bags, met up with Glenn, Dave and Jason, and got in line for the toilets - these were long lines and our timing could not have been better. The day just continued like that - things falling into place perfectly. The clouds parted and we had the most beautiful day you could imagine. Upon finishing Erin and I were able to get our bags, change at the van and pick up our cameras, and then we managed to see most of the guys coming in to finish the marathon! This is our team - the Thiessens, the Germains, the Lewis', and the Lavenders - thanks to Holly for snapping many great photos throughout the event! Official chip times are:

Krista Lavender (Half) - 2:22:47
Erin Thiessen (Half) - 2:22:48 (first time running half marathon)
Glenn Lavender (Full) - 3:39:47
Dave Lewis (Full) - 4:24:12 (first time running marathon)
Jeremy Thiessen (Full) - 4:47:55
Jason Germain (Full) - 4:58:40 (first time running marathon)

Nashville Half - Training Week 4

2007-04-22T09:01:00.000-04:00

I haven't been following a plan for my 1/2 marathon training, I've just been making it up as I go. I had a converation with Glenn last month and he mentioned something about your accumulated weekly miles being approximately the same as your long run on the weekend - that's just a ratio that seems to work for him. It made a lot of sense to me, so that's essentially how I've tried to structure my training for this half marathon.

This week I decided to cut the long run short. I don't necessarily think I needed to, but I can't really see the harm in taking a bit of a break the week before the event. I ran 12 miles through the week, and just 6 for my long run. For my fifth week of training I think I'll do roughly the same...we'll see! ;-)P

Saturday, April 21st
6.08 miles
00:59:01
9:42/mile average pace

Thursday, April 19th
4.00 miles
00:43:03
10:46/mile average pace

Wednesday, April 18th
4.06 miles
00:41:01
10:06/mile average pace

Tuesday, April 17th
4.01 miles
00:40:07
10:01/mile average pace

Nashville Half - Training Week 3 (I'll Tumble 4 Ya)

2007-04-14T12:12:00.000-04:00

I experienced my first fall while running today! Luckily I was on the trail, and not the road at the time. I don't even know what happened. My footing must have gotten messed up and next thing I know I'm lying on the ground looking back down the trail to see if the woman that I had just passed walking her dogs noticed my sudden gravitational pull to the earth. She hadn't, so I got up as fast as I could and kept running. I landed on my right side, but a fair bit of impact was also taken by my left knee. The picture I posted here was supposed illustrate the dirt on my Garmin and water bottle (the shoes are just there for balance!). I wear both on my right arm, and because the right hand was rendered useless by the presense of the water bottle, I wound up landing on the back of my arm - pretty much right on my Garmin. I think I'll have a bruise there tomorrow, but aside from that I got away with no more than a bit of gravel-burn on my right hand and left knee. The fall was only 4.5 miles into my run, so I was worried that it would be hard to get though the rest - it was a bit of a mental distraction. But, I got back on track and managed to finish just 44 seconds short of my goal time!

Saturday, April 14th
11.00 miles
01:49:16
9:56/mile average pace

Friday, April 13th
1.65 miles
00:17:01
10:21/mile average pace

Thursday, April 12th
1.50 miles
00:16:28
11:00/mile average pace

Wednesday, April 11th
5.01 miles
00:53:10
10:37/mile average pace

Monday, April 9th
3.07 miles
00:29:01
9:27/mile average pace

Nashville Half - Training Week 2

2007-04-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

Saturday, April 7th
9.00 miles
01:32:01
10:13/mile average pace

Tursday, April 5th
3.05 miles
00:32:58
10:45/mile average pace

Tuesday, April 3rd
3.20 miles
00:34:01
10:39/mile average pace

Monday, April 2nd
3.00 miles
00:29:20
9:47/mile average pace

Nashville Half - Training Week 1

2007-04-07T12:32:00.000-04:00

Saturday, March 31st
7.02 miles
1:10:00
9:59/mile average pace

Thursday, March 29th
3.01 miles
00:30:36
10:11/mile average pace

Tuesday, March 27th
3.04 miles
00:32:02
10:33/mile average pace

Sunday, March 25th - Around the Bay!

Around the Bay 5K

2007-04-04T09:18:00.000-04:00

Tracy and I ran the 5K in Hamilton March 25th, and we had a great day. I got to the house on time to pick up Tracy, which in itself was quite the feat. We had a nice, calm, Sunday morning drive through peaceful Dundas into bustling Hamilton! We saw an insane line up to pay at one of the parking lots as we were getting close to our destination, and that was when I started to worry. I don't really know downtown Hamilton all that well, and I was afraid that we wouldn't be able to find anywhere to park - but we did! Within probably 5-10 minutes of getting downtown we found a parking lot for a gym that appeared to be under construction. Lots of other runners were parking there, so I figured I would take my chances. It was a sweet spot too, we were right by the start line.

We made our way to Copps Colliseum where all the runners were keeping warm. We met one of the girls from Tracy's running group there, and we had a very successful trip to the washroom - short line-up, and ample toilet paper (very much unlike the situation preceding the Toronto Marathon). The 30K started 15 minutes before the 5K, so we were able to soak in some of the energy from their take off before we had our turn. We then made our way to the back of the 5K line where Tracy found the rest of her running group. The energy was pretty great, and I was so thrilled to be there with my sister!!!

Not far into the run we spotted Rod, a co-worker of Tracy's that is a veteran of the 30K, and sitting out for the first time in years on account of a foot injury. We were going at a...er, moderate enough pace that Rod was able to keep up to us at a brisk walk. This was great, he took some photos of us and kept us distracted with conversation. He stuck with us for a little while, and then left for some other photo ops.

The weather was a little cool and overcast, but we dressed appropriately and didn't find it to be a problem. I was a bit sore from a run I did the day before, but I think the easy pace of this race was good for my recovery. Tracy did really well - it was the longest run she had done in recent history, and she finished feeling great! I think we both had massive smiles at the end of the run. It was an accomplishment for her, and not only a fun, but also fulfilling event for me being there with her. Tracy finished at 48:46, and I finshed at 48:48 (trying to be a finish line photographer). The run ends inside Copps Colliseum, and they put your photo up on the Jumbotron as you cross the finish line! That was pretty cool!

Her running group waited for us at the end of the run, and I managed to get a photo of all the smiling ladies. The timing was great - we didn't linger too long, thinking that if we got off right away we wouldn't have too much traffic to deal with. We got back to the car, and just as we were getting there ther first of the 30K runners passed on their way to the finish line! That was very cool! We had a nice easy drive home - I wore my race shirt and medal, and was recognised as a runner by the girl at the Tim Horton's drive-thru. She said her dad was running the 30K!

We certainly didn't set any records with our finish time (I was 100 of 103 in my category!), but there is definitely something to be said for low-speed running. I felt great the entire time, I felt great afterwards, and I felt no pressure - it was all about finishing! Maybe I'll have to take this frame of mind with me on my next run!

5K and a Half

2007-03-22T13:46:00.000-04:00

As a fitness mentor I pretty much suck. I had to give up on my running streak last month on account of a massive head cold. Since then I've been in a bit of a fitness rut. And my health hasn't been quite right either. But I've had enough. Enough excuses, enough "rest", enough not feeling like myself.

I'm hitting the road this weekend with Tracy at the Hamilton Around the Bay 5K, and from there I'm going headfirst into 5 weeks of training for the Nashville half Marathon. The full Marathon took 26 weeks of training, so now I'm training for half the distance in a quarter of the time. That's probably dumb, and the condition of my feet in five weeks will probably prove it. But, I know I need a kick in the pants - so here it is!

More to come...

60 Minutes to Health

2007-02-09T16:03:00.000-05:00

How much time do you spend exercising every day? According to the Public Health Agency of Canada you should be spending 60 minutes a day pursuing physical activity of some kind. Now, I consider myself to be fairly active, but I know that there are many days that I don’t quite manage to fit in 60 full minutes of activity. Especially in the winter; it’s tough walking the dog in -30°C wind chills. But generally speaking, an hour is my daily goal.

I decided to go for a run everyday in 2007. I set 1 mile as my minimum, but I have to admit that I’ve fallen short of that a few times. But my excuses are good - horrible weather and a head cold – I still went out, and that was good enough. What I like about this decision to run everyday is that I have a plan every morning when I get out of bed. I know I’m going to run, and I find that it’s always a great way to start the day – even when the weather is horrible. There are plenty of great reasons for exercising in the morning – you kick start your metabolism, you get energized for the day, and you help regulate your appetite for the day. You can read more reasons for exercising in the morning here.

I like to get out for my run in the morning to free up my evening for other things – usually some of that time is spent at the gym and/or walking the dog. That’s how I work in my 60 minutes. If you’re working on a new fitness regime for 2007, the best advice I can give is that you set yourself a goal – and 60 minutes a day is a good place to start. Break it up into smaller sections to make it more manageable – try three 20 minute walks. Or go for a half-hour walk in the morning and in the evening work out with your exercise ball in front of the TV for the duration of one sit-com. Set a goal, and make it a priority. Your heart will thank you for it!

Bring on the Protein Powder!

2007-01-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

Last night I bumped into an old schoolmate at the gym. She's a year younger than me, and we were more acquaintances than friends, but I remembered her quite well, and so I thought I should say hello. She remembered me too. She told me that she's been playing hockey, and is trying to "bulk up" her upper body to get it in balance with her more muscular lower body. She looked great, very lean and muscular, but not gross at all - very fit. I asked her about her protein consumption, and we had a good laugh over the less-than-appealing texture of many protein drinks. This conversation reminded me of my mindset of about a year and a half ago, when I was really steady at the gym. I loved how I could see the gradual changes in my physique, and it was so satisfying to know that I did that! I stayed on schedule, I did all the lifts, I ate well, and I gained muscle!

What fitness goals can I achieve in 2007? I've started a running streak (everyday, at least a mile) because it's important to keep running, and it will be fun to say that I ran everyday for a year - but the long distances still seem overwhelming to me. I think I'd like to do a Half Marathon in the fall, but I'm still undecided. In the meantime, I want to really concentrate on building muscle! Bumping into Corey really inspired me! She's driven, and I want that drive back!

Currently my weight lifting routine is a 3-day split. Perhaps my initial goal will be to have perfect attendance, 3 times a week for the next month. Then switch to a 4-day split and step it up. By that time I will probably be ready to tackle a bit more distance with my running (the days will be getting longer too) to take full advantage of all of my work at the gym. Great plans, but they require action, and lots of dedication! And I think I'm finally ready for it!

Sweet, Elusive Motivation

2006-12-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

The 1/2 in early March is not going to happen. It still could - I could get 13.1 done by then, but I don't want to. After the marathon my motivation to run really evaporated. I figured I would just have to push through it, keep running and eventually I would snap out of it and feel strong and motivated once again. But it just didn't happen. Anything beyond 4 miles has been a stretch, and a chore. I need a goal to keep running, this much I know. But, I need to really enjoy running again. I need to get up in the morning and be excited to get out there. I need my inner-motivational speaker to give me two-thumbs-up, a sparkling wink, and a kick in the pants!

I went for my first run in almost a month yesterday morning, and I loved every minute of it. I may have run 2.5 miles. I took the dog with me, and I stopped as often as he needed me to. I ran with no Garmin, just some comfy running clothes, Charlie and a couple of plastic bags. Why did I go? I was afraid that if I didn't go then, I never would again. This morning I went again - I took a slightly shorter route, and I may have enjoyed it even more than yesterday's run. Again today, I was more afraid of not going for a run than going, so off I went. And thus I've learned how the "streak" is born.

Have I conceived a streak? I hope so. It's less intimidating to me than training for a marathon - you just run everyday, at least a mile...more if you feel like it. 10 minutes a day, that's totally doable. I don't know that I will get much in the way of fitness gains if I do not push past a mile at least a few times a week. But I'll be running every single day, out of fear of stopping! Weird, but I like weird. I do weird well.

I'm still here

2006-11-24T09:52:00.000-05:00

It has been way too busy at work lately for me to blog. I might have to start looking for a new job!

I am now officially in training for the Tim Horton's Frosty 5K and Chilly 1/2 Marathon. Tomorrow will be my first "long" run - 4 miles. I like this! The Galloway program that I'm following only has 3 runs a week, and I'm really enjoying that. I'm walking about an hour with the dog everyday, and I'm pretty confident that I can say I've made it to the gym no less than three days a week since I've started going. I feel like I'm still pretty casual with my weight-training program, that's okay for now - but I'm ready for more!

I went for a 40 minute run on the indoor track at the gym last Saturday. It was good, but I doubt that I would want to run on that track much longer than an hour at a time. Worst case scenario for my winter training - there's a blizzard, or an ice storm, and I have a 10-miler to run. Solution, go to the gym and alternate between track and treadmill for the approximate period of time. Works for me!

Glenn mentiond something about running the Nashville Marathon next year. I wonder when that is....

Drop and give me 20, Maggot!

2006-11-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

That's right! I'm going back to the gym, and I don't care who knows it! I thought I had it all planned out. I was going create my own mini-gym at home and stick it to the man. But these girly muscles were begging for more.

So, I went to the Y-M-C-A! Did you just spell it with your arms??? Look, the Village People knew what they were talking about:

Young man, are you listening to me?
I said, young man, what do you want to be?
I said, young man, you can make real your dreams.
But you got to know this one thing!

No man does it all by himself.
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,
And just go there, to the y.m.c.a.
I'm sure they can help you today.

I loved that on my first day back at the gym the euphoria of lifting came back immediately! My good posture returned and suddenly I was an inch and a half taller! I loved that my marathon training kept me fit enough that my return to the gym didn't feel like a struggle - it felt great, and I can't wait to go again tomorrow!

I haven't yet registered for the Half Marathon in March, but I will. The hurdle of winter running is much smaller now that I have an indoor track and numerous treadmills at my disposal. I expect (and hope) that I may have to substitute a long-distance cross-country ski for one or two of my long runs in January/February. The Galloway program that I'm going to follow has a 17 mile long run - I won't be too disappointed if I am not able to run this distance in preparation for the race, but I will do my best to stick with the program.

And, the hoody I was dreaming of? I'm wearing it right now, and I'm loving it! I still think this hi-tech active-wear is overpriced, but it feels so good to work out in proper, well-fitting gear. Blogging in it isn't bad either!

I'll update soon on my routine at the gym, once I get it worked into a routine. And the running program will start the week after next, so lots more to come!

95% Sure

2006-10-30T22:02:00.000-05:00

I went for a walk with Charlie this evening and tasked myself with deciding on my next run. I might be closer to 97% sure now that I want to do the Tim Horton's Chilly Half Marathon in March. I know for a fact that having such a goal is the only thing that will keep me running through the winter.

I poked into the Running Room while we were out shopping on the weekend - I didn't know there was a Kitchener location?! Sweet! I saw some really incredible winter running gear, which is of course terribly expensive - in my frugal world especially. But I haven't been able to get this one hoodie out of my mind. It was so soft, and looked so cozy. It didn't have a price tag on it, and I didn't bother to ask. I looked at a similar shirt and it was $99, so I could only imagine what this one was priced at. But the more I think of it, the more I want it - the idea of snuggling into it after rolling out of bed and running out for a quick three-miler thrills me to bits! Why deny myself such pleasure? And if sweet gear is going to help motivate my sorry butt, well I say so be it!

I'm at about 98% sureness now.

I'm nervous about winter running. All the dark mornings, disappearing sidewalks, and black ice. Motorists don't have a sense of humor in the winter, and find people like me taking up their space on the road a real nuisance. That makes me nervous too.

So, I'm going to visit the Running Room on my lunch break tomorrow. I'm hoping that the other 2% of confidence I'm looking for can be found there, and if so, I hope it's not too expensive!

4:43:50

2006-10-26T20:53:00.000-04:00

This post has been a long time coming not only because of our crazy week away after the marathon, but also because this whole experience has been so life-altering for me - how do I wrap it all up in one little post? Well, here's the thing - running for me is all about learning, and that's something I plan on continuing to do. I thought finishing the marathon would feel like the end of something, but not so. I feel like a hundred doors have opened and now I have to choose which one to go through! I can't wrap up something that's only just beginning! :)

As you might have already realised, I finished the run in 4:43:50, 23 minutes and 50 seconds over my goal finish. I might have been disappointed at some point over that result, but definitely not at the moment you see captured here - crossing the finish line and being rewarded with that medal was a sweet victory regardless of the finish time. It's a lot to take in, and I still feel as though the reality of the completion of this run still hasn't fully sunk in.

If I feel any disappointment in myself over the run, it is only in that I lost control sometime after 13.1 because I didn't manage my blood sugar as well as I should have. Basically I wasn't being careful enough to get a 50/50 mix of Gatorade and water at the drink stations - I wasn't getting enough fuel, and that caused me lose my mental focus completely. I had experienced similar situations in my training, but never anything quite like this. My head and my vision got fuzzy. I couldn't focus on anything mentally or physically, images were slightly blurred and I started taking walk breaks every couple of minutes. Because of this, my poor brother had to make the decision to leave me - he felt terrible doing it, and I felt just as terrible for causing him to make that decision.

But, it was a good thing he did. After 10-15 minutes, a couple of slurps of a Power Gel and an inch of fresh, sweet, delicious banana later, my focus was recollected and I was able to run in short spurts again. All I could think about for the last third of the race was finding another banana stand (little did I know, there would only be the one).

I walked a lot during the last 8 miles. I really just wanted to run, but the damage from that blood sugar plunge was already done and the energy just wasn't there. Luckily I found a friend to talk to in the last few miles. His name was Allen, and he was running something like his 25th marathon that day. He was dealing with a hip injury, and I'm sure that was the only reason I was anywhere near him. He was also an ironman triathlete! And I finished a minute before him! Poor Allen! But, I enjoyed his company - it helped to know I wasn't the only one suffering out there, misery loves company! I sure hope he's on the mend now.

I was still thinking about bananas when I got to the finish line. Aside from getting my medal, and finding my family (easy, they were all right there!), finding a banana was my top priority. I grabbed a couple, and gobbled one down right away - dumb! Instant nausea followed, but soon enough passed. Glenn was getting a massage in one of the tents, so I was pretty anxious to see him. Mom and Tracy were worried about him because he seemed zoned out when he finished his run 20 minutes earlier. Later he said he just went into that tent to get warmed up - there was a bitterly cold wind that day. We both felt understandably tired, but also really good after the run.

One of the highlights for me was being at the front of the starting line! I guess that was pretty bad race etiquette considering that neither of us are competitive runners, but it was so cool being right up there - so much energy and anticipation. It was really hard to not just want to keep up with all of the fast guys, well..for the first couple of minutes anyway!

I now have a love for bananas that I have never experienced before. I feel like they give life, and they must be revered. I also have a dislike for lemon Gatorade that is new to me. I hope I never have to taste lemon Gatorade again, ever. But, that is probably highly unlikely if I plan to ever register for another organised run. And that is my plan, incidentally. I'm thinking 2 Half Marathons in 2007, but I'll let you know!

Thanks for hanging out and reading about my sweet victory over these 26.2 miles. If you want to keep checking back I'm going to continue to write about running, but also the other ways in which I attempt to keep myself healthy. I'll probably even start talking a little bit more about the things I eat, since that's so hugely important to all of us. Also, stay tuned for winter sports like cross-country skiing, and perhaps some skating lessons! So many doors just wide open!

Cheers!

Lucky Numbers

2006-10-14T21:28:00.000-04:00

964 Glenn Lavender

965 Krista Lavender

Sportstats.ca

Toronto Marathon

Week 26 - Gratitude

2006-10-13T13:17:00.000-04:00

I've had quite the week for running. Monday was warm and sunny, Wednesday was cool and rainy, and today, it was freezing outside! Literally! There was snow on the ground - nothing to complain about though. We may have had a couple of centimetres - a far cry from what they got in Buffalo! Charlie tagged along on Monday and Friday - can you tell?

Friday, October 13th
25 minutes
2.5 miles
10:00/mile average pace

Wednesday, October 11th
30 minutes
3.27 miles
9:10/mile average pace

Monday, October 9th
33 minutes
3.28 miles
10:04/mile average pace

So, that's it. Nothing to do now but prepare for the marathon on Sunday. Bob and I are going into Toronto tonight to pick up our race kits, so I'm sure that things will start to feel real once I have a look at my bib.

I'm glad that we decided to plan our trip to Nashville for the week following the marathon. I had thought at one point that it was a bad idea; I thought that it was too much to prepare for all at the same time. But now I'm really thankful for the distraction of having to prepare for our trip. When my mind wanders to marathon day, and my heart starts pounding, I try to remind myself of all the long runs I've done in preparation, and how so many of them were really great. Let's face it, no one finds the task of running a marathon "easy", everyone out there will be working hard just like me. The positive thoughts are starting to float in and I'm anticipating the moment more so now than dreading it!

For those of you who don't know, let me quickly explain the order of events for Sunday. Glenn will meet Bob and I at our house (I think) quite early, and the goal is to be in Toronto for 8:00am, in plenty of time for the 9:00 race start. We'll run, and hopefully finish around 1:30 (hopefully earlier). We'll reunite with Bob and the family, then hop in the car and head straight for Bob's office in Oakville where Glenn and I will shower - not together. GROSS!!! Then back in the car and we're on our way to Erie, Pennsylvania for a Downhere show! Glenn's hoping to make it in time for soundcheck. I'm just hoping our legs don't seize up on the way! They might have to give Glenn a stool to sit on while he's on stage! After the show we'll have a well deserved night of rest, then back on the road in the morning to head down to Nashville. I can't wait!

I'm not sure when I'll be able to post our race results, but I will at the first opportunity. So, let me just take this time to say thank you to everyone whose followed this little journey and offered me so much encouragement and support over these last 26 weeks. I hope that in some way you've found a little something in this blog that has been motivational or helpful to you:-)

Thanks for tagging along!

A sore throat? Are you kidding me?

2006-10-11T10:20:00.000-04:00

I'm trying not to panic, but the marathon is only 4 days away and I feel like I've got the start of a stinking head cold. Last weekend was our Canadian Thanksgiving, so I had an extra day of rest - and I actually took advantage of the time and rested. I napped on Sunday afternoon, and by 10:00 that night I was asleep on the couch. I actually slept until 9:00 the next morning - that's crazy for me, because I'm lucky to get 7 hours a night through the week. I thought that was odd, but nothing more. Then, yesterday morning I sneezed while I was walking the dog in the dark at 6:30 am. I knew then that something was up because I don't usually sneeze unless the sun is in my eyes, or I'm at work (we've got bad air, I'm convinced of it). Sure enough, my throat started feeling a bit raw, I was headachey, my eyes were burny, and I had a heavy feeling in my head. I picked up a bottle of ColdFX on my way home last night, and took two doses over the course of the evening. I bundled up and sat on the couch to watch Gilmore Girls at 8:00 (thank goodness for the CW), and was up to bed shortly after 9:00.

I got up just after 5:00 this morning and went out for a 30 minute run in the rain. That may have been against my better judgement, but I don't know. I like to subscribe to the theory that running brings about a sort of "fever" that can help kill off germs. I haven't really been sick since I started running, aside from that weird stomach thing after my 17 mile run back in July. I'm kicking myself now for not starting on the Echinacea a few weeks ago - it seems like I've been running into someone with a cold every single day for the last couple of weeks. And then there's those people that come into work hacking up a lung - yeah, thanks for being a hero and making it into work pal!

When I got back from my run I took a full dose of ColdFX, a dose of Echinacea, and B vitamin (stress), some Ibuprofen and a nice big glass of OJ. I'm not feeling too badly now, but I'm definitley not 100%. I also Lysol-ed my desk at work, and used my hand sanitzer a few times. I think I can stave this thing off! Let me know if you have any magical cold-killing tips!

Week 25 - Almost there...

2006-10-11T09:42:00.000-04:00

I bumped the mileage up, a little closer to where it should have been for Week 25. It felt good to do the longer distances. I think for me, the 5 mile run is perfect. It's just long enough to get into a groove, and to feel like you've had a great work out - I felt fantastic after Monday's run.

Monday, October 2nd
5.08 miles
47:00 minutes
9:16/mile average pace

Thursday, October 5th
4.02 miles
38:00 minutes
9:27/mile average pace

Saturday, October 7th
4.01 miles
37:01 minutes
9:14/mile average pace

Week 24 - Slow Week

2006-10-04T20:19:00.000-04:00

I decided that I'd treat Week 24 as a recovery week, not only for my body, but also my mind. What I'm saying is, I took it easy. Really easy. I only did 2 weekday runs, and I took Charlie with me both times for very short distances. I took my favorite 4 mile route on Saturday, and made good time - I needed that comfort run once again! After that run, I certainly didn't feel badly about backing off for the week.

Tuesday, September 26th
2.56 miles
27:01 minutes
10:35/mile average pace

Wednesday, September 27th
2.54 miles
26:02 minutes
10:15/mile average pace

Saturday, September 30th
4 miles
36:27 minutes
9:07/mile average pace

Week 23 – 26.42 miles and 5 mistakes

2006-09-26T19:24:00.000-04:00

I’ve been putting this entry off, and really it’s because I’m still processing the long run from last Saturday. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped, so I’ve been trying to learn some lessons from it and put a positive spin on it so that this run doesn’t spoil things for me on race day.

I made 5 mistakes that contributed to my less than ideal time:
1. I did not eat breakfast
2. I did not anticipate the humidity
3. I ran long intervals early in the run
4. My route had too many uphills
5. I wore a bevy-belt that made me feel barfy

These are mistakes that I take full responsibility for. I could have gotten up earlier and had a piece of toast. I could have stuck my head out of the door before getting dressed. I could have, and should have run no more than a 5/1 minute run/walk. I could have planned the route differently (this was quite a struggle though). And, I could have inconvenienced my loved ones more than I did to save myself from mid-run nausea, by having them meet me every 6 miles with drinks. But, these were the choices I made, and I suffered the consequences.

Bob met me at 12 miles with drinks. I had done the first 6 miles at 7 minutes running, 1 walking, and then switched to 5 and 1. At 12 miles I was already tired and sore, but okay. It wasn’t long after that, that things started going sour – including my stomach. I have to keep my drink belt pretty tight so it doesn’t bounce around, but that means that the buckle rests right against my upper stomach, where the ribs separate (I’m short, okay!). Nothing had been in the belt since the 6th mile when I had last refilled my drink, but now that I was reloaded, the weight of that drink in the belt was pushing at my stomach and making things rather uncomfortable. Add to that the fact that I had now turned to an uphill section of the run that I was unsure of as I had never run that particular stretch of road before. Miles 12 to 15 seemed to last hours!

I was struggling, but I didn’t break down and take an extra minute of walking till about the 19th mile. Soon after, I was at my parents’ house collecting my next round of drinks. Just the idea of drinking more Gatorade and water was making me feel nauseas at this point. I must not have been drinking much either, because I still had a full bottle when I got to Mom and Dad’s. Let’s see, I had 500ml between miles 1-6, another 500ml between miles 6-12, another 500ml between miles 12-20, and I may have drunk another 500ml before finishing at 26.42 miles. So, I guess I should factor in acute dehydration as contributing to my poor finish time. I only took one drink from my parents and I kept that drink in my hand as I couldn’t handle the idea of letting that weight push against my gut. Guess what happened? My arm got sore!

So that’s when it all started falling apart. I was running 4 minutes walking 2, run another 2 or maybe 3, walk 2, 3, heck…4 minutes! I lost it completely! I could not get comfortable; I could not get back into any kind of rhythm. I had completely lost my concentration, and at about 23 miles I had decided that if the only way for me to make it to 26.2 was to walk, than that was just what I would do. I hated feeling out of control, and I hated that I was so far off target.

I never stopped, I just kept struggling, walking more than running until I made it to 26.2 miles – I was running when I reached that distance, I made a point of it. I recorded that time but I kept going, I really wanted to reach 27 miles. But I couldn’t run anymore, and so I thought why continue to record this run when it’s no longer a run? I stopped my Garmin at 26.42 miles…

Saturday, September 23rd
26.42 miles
4hrs 53min
11:05/mile average pace

My marathon time was 4:49:09. Hey, at least it’s less than 5 hours! Positive spin, positive spin! More positive spin, my recovery from this run has been great – must be something to do with all that walking! Duh! And really, I probably did reach 27 miles after all – I had some walking to do to meet Bob, waiting for me in the car.

This run really wasn’t about time, it was about distance – and I accomplished that distance. I can guarantee that I will be well rested for the race. And I can eliminate all of the problems that existed during this run. Plus, Glenn won’t let me off the hook very easily. I’m looking forward to his encouragement on race day, and that of the crowd. I’m sure it will fire me up and keep me going! I’m doubtful I can do much worse, so the way I’m looking at it - I’m all set up for success! 

Week 23 - A little wee epiphany

2006-09-21T12:38:00.000-04:00

Getting out of bed this morning seemed impossible. I feel fine, I’m not sick or anything – I was just really enjoying the comfort and warmth of my bed. The alarm went off at 5:30, and again at 5:40, and finally at 5:50 I managed to drag my arse out of bed.

I think part of the problem is that my suburban 5 mile route isn’t a whole lot of fun. I have to run on concrete sidewalks, which hurts, and I think there’s more uphill than downhill on this route. I don’t think I’ve managed to break a 9:30 mile on this route yet. I would even say that my running stinks when I run this route. So, the later I get up, the less time I have to run, and the more likely it is that I won’t be able to run the 5 mile route. Sleeping in forced me to run my 4 mile route instead, 2 miles of which are dark and dangerous – and a lot of fun! I had sworn off the country roads, but I really needed the comfort of a good run this morning.

I’m glad I did get out of bed this morning, as I had a bit of a moment early in my run. I was listening to Phedippidations episode 51B. Steve played a song called “Marathon” by a Toronto band call Paintbox – I had never heard of them. The band formed in 1995 at the University of Waterloo, not even a 30 minute drive from my front door(cool)! Anyway, the song started and it was good – they have very much of a Canadian sound, it’s a familiar sound, one that puts me at ease. The song was pretty good, but it was a lyric that really hit me. My nose started to tingle, my cheeks got hot and my eyes filled up, only 4 minutes into my run. The lyric was, “You had to prove yourself to yourself”. That lyric shot right through to my core, and suddenly I was overjoyed to be out there running in the dark. I think I knew that I have been doing all of this marathon stuff for me, to prove something to myself - but have I been doing it to prove myself to myself? I think have! That's just incredible!

After wrenching myself out of bed, I wasn’t really expecting much – but I completed the 4.07 miles with a 9:06 per mile average pace! I don’t even remember the last time I was able to pull that pace off! It’s amazing what a little Canadian comfort music and inspiration a la Phedippidations can do for a sleepyhead on a cool Thursday morning. Thanks Steve Runner, and thanks Paintbox for making this morning's run a most memorable one!

Thursday, September 21st
4.07 miles
37:02 minutes
9:06/mile average pace

Tuesday, September 19th
2.8 miles
27:03 minutes
9:39/mile average pace

Monday, September 18th
5.0 miles
50:22 minutes
10:04/mile average pace

Painting by Rusty Valentine.

Week 22 - "Long Run"

2006-09-17T20:19:00.000-04:00

Just a 5-miler this weekend as I'm still in taper mode. I'm not sure about these taper things. I think I've gained 5lbs since my last long run. Ugh!

Saturday September 16th
5.04 miles
49:02 minutes
9:44/mile average pace

If I finish my 27 mile run this coming weekend in 4:30, I will never trash-talk the taper again!

The Final Four

2006-09-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

It's September 15th. In one month I will run my first marathon. Only one more long run next weekend, and only 4 more weeks of training. The time has really flown by, and the next 4 weeks are sure to evaporate at top speed.

About 6 years ago I decided that I wanted to run a marathon. I can't remember what it was that made me think that - it must have been an Olympic year, and I probably watched some incredible athletic feat on tv and decided that I wanted a little bit of that glory for myself. I remember it was late winter, and early one morning I ventured out into the darkness and attempted to run. I felt like I was wearing lead boots. Each stride was exhausting and uncomfortable. This stint with running probably lasted 2 weeks.

I've had similar attempts at running every second year since. In 2002 I tried and failed. In 2004 my brother Glenn ran his first marathon and I was completely captured by this reality! I was in awe of him, and even though I wanted to make that a reality of my own, after a 3 month attempt that spring, I once again was defeated.

In 2005 I finally started to reach some of my fitness goals. I was working hard at the gym 3-4 times a week and noticed a really positive change in my strength, and posture, and attitude and outlook. But, by January 2006 I was realising that I needed something more for cardiovascular endurance. I posted this innocent blog about wanting to kick up my routine, and I ended up with an invitation to run a marathon. I've been telling people all this time that Glenn challenged me, but he didn't really! I guess I've thought of it as a challenge all this time because personally, for me it is a challenge. It's something that I've made several attempts at, and have consistantly met failure. But not this time.

This time I took it seriously. I sat down with Glenn and we talked about it. He helped me plan it all out. I knew exactly what I needed to do from Easter to Thanksgiving to make this thing happen. And what do you know, as I sit here now I have completed a 24 mile run, and am looking forward to completing a 27 mile run next weekend. It's crazy what you can accomplish when you set clear and precise goals. If you need a little help setting goals check out my blog about the SMART system. I can't wait to put it in use for my next feat!

My mind for the next few weeks will be on the marathon, but also on the weeks following, and the goals I need to establish to be able to continue as a Vegeloper. This is something I need to continue with. Through running I have gained a respect for myself that I never had before. I trust my instincts more, I feel stronger than before, and I know myself better than ever before. I have more fun now, I appreciate more, and I worry less. If I can make it this far, anyone can! Honestly, I have to say that to my co-workers over and over. I've met failure so many times, I know what it's like. You don't have to run, you just have to decide to do something and set a goal. You have to forgive yourself when you fall down (this is a huge hurdle for me), but then you get back on your bike and press on.

I wish I had more deep thoughts for you, but it's Friday night and my brain clocked out 4.5 hours ago! Here's to the next 4 weeks - hope yours are rewarding and full of accomplishment.

Week 22 - Darkness

2006-09-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

In this month's issue of Runner's World there's a collection of stories about running in extremes. I really appreciated these stories as it's often these extremes that discourage us from running. Instead of discouragement, I found inspiration to embrace the extremes in which I must run. The extreme I've been coping with lately is early morning darkness.

I think Tuesday's run will be my last weekday morning run on my country roads for this year. I have to admit that it is rather exhilarating to run in darkness on a country road, lit only by moonlight, the odd flash of headlights, and the ambient glow of the nearby city centre. But for me, in this extreme, exhilaration always borders on fear. I have to let common sense prevail, and I have to stick to the safety of sleepy suburbia for now. I worry about stepping in a pothole and rolling my ankle. I worry about half-asleep commuters reaching for their coffees rather than watching the road, and ruuning me over. I worry about weirdos hiding out in the woods, waiting and ready to do me harm. And most of all, I worry about my family having to cope with my loss because I made a bad decision.

I'll still be out there at 5:30 am in the darkness, but I'll stick to the lamplit streets that are lined with homes. They have dangers of their own - I nearly stepped on a toad, and I nearly kicked a bunny this morning! It's crazy out there!

The other extreme that concerns me is Winter. Not a worry quite yet, but the time is coming. What worries me most is not that I'll be cold, or I'll slip on some ice - but that I'll find in Winter a convenient excuse for staying in bed and skipping my run. The only way, as I see it to combat this eventuality is to be in training...meaning, I've got to find another run to register for! I'm thinking a Half Marathon in March.

But for now, it's all about October 15th. Here's how this week played out.

Thursday, September 14th
5.02 miles
50:00 minutes
9:57/mile average pace

Wednesday, September 13th
2.75 miles
26:49 minutes
9:45/mile average pace

Tuesday, September 12th
5.23 miles
50:01 minutes
9:34/mile average pace

Week 21 - Around the Lake

2006-09-12T19:25:00.000-04:00

We were fortunate to receive an invite up North for the weekend. I was the first out of bed Saturday morning - we arrived after dark on Friday, and so I couldn't wait to get outside to check out my surroundings! What a beautiful place - if you ever get the chance to stay on Eagle Lake in South River Ontario, take it!

Even with the enthusiasm I had to run in the fresh northern air, with this beautiful lake view, my legs were just dead for the first mile! I think I may have been travelling uphill, because I do think I managed to get my speed over 11:30 minutes per mile for the first part of my run! Things picked up though after my first downhill!

I took a route that actually crossed over the river - very scenic. I really enjoyed the sandy shoulders on the main road, very soft and even unlike the hard, rocky shoulders that I dread at home. It was a nice way to kickstart what turned into an otherwise lazy day! I managed to get out in the canoe for about 45 minutes later that morning, but that was it for activity for the weekend! Just as well - the rest was well needed I'm sure.

Monday, September 12th @ South River
4.59 miles
45 minutes
9:48/mile average pace

Week 21 - Snakes on a Trail!

2006-09-07T20:15:00.000-04:00

Yikes! I saw my first snake whilst running this evening. We've had a bit of a crazy week, and it has caused me some sleep deprivation - that is my excuse for not getting my butt out of bed to run this morning. But I went down to the trail this evening as soon as I got home from work, and that's where I saw the snake! Creepy little things they are - so slithery! I don't think I could sit through that movie...

I'm learning about tapering, and probably just in time! After the 24 mile run I told myself I was allowed to take it easy this week, and that it would be guilt-free so long as I didn't miss a run. And I didn't. They were shorter and slower than normal, but I kind of think that's the idea - like I said, I'm still learning.

I took Charlie with me for my Monday and Thursday runs, so that was interesting. He's definitely a lot slower than I thought he was, but perhaps my pace has picked up a tad too. I like the security of having him with me while I'm on the trail, though he could be completely useless if we ever ran into danger. He looks just scary enough that most hooligans wouldn't bother with us. I think I could enjoy running with him, but it's the sudden stops and 30 second pee breaks that drive me nuts. I fear that I'm going to go into cardiac arrest if he doesn't hurry up and finish! I'm sure we'll work something out after the race.

Thursday, September 7th
4:02 miles
40:03 minutes
9:58/mile average pace

Tuesday, September 5th
2:00 miles
20:11 minutes
10:06/mile average pace

Monday, September 4th
4:24 miles
47:02 minutes
11:06/mile average pace

Week 20 - 24 miles with Ernesto

2006-09-02T14:05:00.000-04:00

I was expecting to hear rain through the night and have to start this long run in the rain, but to my surprise not a drop had fallen overnight. I got up shortly after 6:00, I had a cup of coffee (Jeff Galloway swears by it, and I can't possibly question his judgement) and a couple of slices of toast with jam, and started to get ready.

I don't usually eat before running, but since the marathon will be run at 9:00 (later than my normal start) I figure that I had better start practicing. I was definitely more "belchy" than normal, but that was probably the coffee's fault...anyway, I didn't hurl so I think it was a successful pre-run meal.

Another change today, I used brand name Gatorade instead of my grocery store brand stuff. It was fine - no better, no worse, no difference. Again, this was in preparation for the marathon where Gatorade is the sport drink sponsor for the event.

And lastly, this was my first long run in the new shoes. I had planned on having Bob take my old shoes with him to meet me for my drink stops, just in case the new shoes were causing blisters. But I forgot! Just as well, I didn't need them. I will not say my feet feel good, or that they felt good anywhere after 12 miles, but I don't have any blisters - and I finished the distance, so I can't complain.

Ernesto joined up with me around the 12th mile. It started out being just the lightest sprinkling of rain, and I wasn't really bothered by it at all till I got to mile 20. I was running on Fountain Street from Blair back into Preston, so there's lots of traffic, and noise - not my favorite place to run, but unfortunately it joins up to my 2 favorite trails, so I'm stuck with it. The wind was full on my face, and the rain was coming down sideways - also in my face. My feet were killing me, and my hips were so tight - I had slowed to 10:30+ per mile at this point.

But once I got back on the trail I started feeling a little better - I actually even managed to pick up the pace for the last mile?! That's a first. I would have, could have, should have done one more mile - but I just need to stop. I got to 24 miles a good mile before I got to the trail head where Bob was waiting for me in his car. But I just couldn't keep running, so I stopped my Garmin and walked out the final mile. It was a really good cool down...too good! I was shivering from all of Ernesto's wind and water by the time I reached the car. Lucky for me Bob put on his thinking cap this morning and brought an extra jacket for me, and a smoothie - how perfect was that?!

I waited till I got into the car to check out my stats:

Saturday, September 15th
24 miles
4:02:39 hours/minutes/seconds
10:07/mile average pace

When I realised my time at 24 miles, I wanted to stop - I didn't want to run a slow 25th mile and bring my average down...is that cheating? Nah - I was done. I'm very happy with this time - if I can turn it out like that during the marathon, there's a chance I might actually finish close to my goal time of 4:20! Now, for some lovely rest and recovery...

Week 20 - Holy Crap, it's week 20???!

2006-09-01T13:20:00.000-04:00

The first thing I have to do in this post is to offer my brother Glenn a HUGE THANK YOU for getting me to tune into Phedippidations this week! I listened to episode 52 on Wednesday night and I feel completely renewed! It's amazing what a little validation can do for you, eh?! I'm putting a link to Phedippidations in my sidebar too - I plan to tune in weekly!

I did my 4 mile loop Monday and Tuesday - I meant to do 5 miles on Monday, but I slept in...oops! I forgive myself, and I am SO over it. Both were good runs - I ran the exact same distance in the exact same time, but somehow I burned 20 more calories on Monday? Garmin?! I felt good, and I was pretty happy to be running on schedule.

Thursday was the best run this week, even though my time was off. I went out at 5:45, and it was still dark out. I've never run my country route in the dark before - it was a little frightening, but exciting at the same time. I used the darkness as an excuse to not look at my Garmin. I know where my walk breaks usually fall, so I just took them when I felt I should - I enjoyed the freedom of it!

The motivation is back up, and just in the nick of time too - 24 miles tomorrow.

Thursday, August 31st
5.1 miles
49:01 minutes
9:37/mile average pace

Tuesday, August 29th
4 miles
38:01 minutes
9:30/mile average pace

Monday, August 28th
4 miles
38:01 minutes
9:30/mile average pace

Marathon Night Terror 2

2006-08-29T11:42:00.000-04:00

I was perusing the Toronto Marathon website yesterday, and I think that was more than enough fodder for my over-active REM cycle. So this time I've run the marathon, but when I look down I notice that my "ChampionChip" is not on my shoe! That would mean that the marathon officials would have no record of me completing the run! What's worse, I wore my Garmin and it said that I ran the marathon in 52 minutes! That's gotta be a world record, no? I finished the marathon, and set a world record, and I will get recognition for neither!!!

At least when I looked down at my bib the number on it was 1.

:)

Week 19 - What is my Deal?

2006-08-28T13:16:00.000-04:00

Bob and I heard a quote from a Canadian Ultra-Marathoner last week regarding his sport, he said:

90% is mental, and the other 10% is mental

I think I'm struggling mentally right now. A 26-week program is a pretty serious time commitment, and I feel like I want to change - even though I've only got 6 weeks of training left! I need to get out of this frame of mind, and quick.

Last week I found a diversion in our office which kept me up late 2 nights in a row resulting in the loss of a run. I felt so guilty, and I kept trying to convince myself that I had nothing to feel guilty about - but it didn't work. So now I have this running-guilt-association thing that's bringing me down. Snap out of it woman!

I think part of the problem is that now that the long runs are over 20 miles, I get almost 3 weeks of "easy" runs, none any longer than 5 miles, before the next long one. I think I've got it in my head that I can really relax during this time, and though it's true that I should be getting lots of rest between runs, I still need to stay on schedule and run! I should be improving on my speed too, but that hasn't happened. My last long one went well, so I'm going to concentrate on that feeling for the rest of the week. The goal is to finish, and if I don't get out of this mental rut, that's going to be awfully hard to do!

Here's how last week went down:
Monday August 21st
5.1 miles
49:01 minutes
9:37/mile average pace

Tuesday August 22nd
2.93 miles
29:03 minutes
9:56/mile average pace

Saturday August 26th
5.11 miles
49:01 minutes
9:36/mile average pace

Week 18 - Reschedule

2006-08-22T12:58:00.000-04:00

I must stop playing around with my running schedule. It's bad news because I don't get the rest when I most need it, my legs get tired, and I get discouraged and cranky!

Tracy and I went to a little get together on Friday night, and it ended up being a late one. So, I slept in till 10:00 on Saturday (I NEVER do this)and didn't leave myself enough time to run before getting on with my day. I ran Sunday morning, and it went well - it was a 5K race, so I did what I could to get the lead out...

Sunday, August 20th
5.01 miles
46:01 minutes
9:11/mile average pace

I had a mental lapse and hit my lap button a bit too early, but my (just under) 5K time was 27:24 minutes, or 8:55/mile - that was 3.07 miles, a proper 5K is 3.1 miles so I wasn't too far off! DUH!

The problem with playing around with the schedule is fatigue - I ran Sunday, Monday and today, and my body really didn't want to do that again today. There's nothing wrong with running everyday, but since my body isn't used to it, it likes to fight back by moving very slowly. Mr. Galloway says to get your rest, and he's planned this running schedule to make sure that adequate rest is built in - if I'd stop messing with it, I'd probably feel better. I do think that at this point in my training I feel more tired than ever, even though I get 2 easy weeks of no more than 5 mile runs between the long runs. I'm sure it's mostly mental though...

Marathon Night Terror 1

2006-08-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

I have a feeling that this is only the first in what will be a series of nightmares. I think it was partially spawned by a conversation that I had with Glenn about timing and what not for the marathon. I offered to pick up his race kit on the Friday before the marathon, and he agreed that it would be a better idea for me to have it in my possession so that he wouldn't have to wait in a line for it on race day. In dreamland last night, the pressure of being responsible for our race kits exploded into a manic, desperate search for a race official.

It started with Glenn, Bob and I walking around at this event - it seemed like a fair, and we were in jeans and t-shirts, not really ready to run. The next thing I know, Glenn is in his shorts and he's jogging on the spot and stretching his legs. There's an announcement, then a bunch of runners breeze by. Glenn is ready to go, but I didn't pick up our kits. So we run into this building, and wait in line for our turn to speak with the lady at the counter. While we waited, Glenn went off asking everyone he passed where he could get his race kit, and I beat my head on Bob's chest, over and over "stupid, stupid, stupid". We get up to the counter and the lady has no idea what we're looking for - it turns out that we've been waiting in line at the bank?!???! What?!!!

So we stepped away from the counter, and I was stunned, just standing there clinging to Bob and thinking "all of that training for nothing, I really messed up". Glenn didn't say anything, he just looked sad. And Bob felt helpless as I was completely inconsolable. My heart was pounding, and sinking and as I stood there, looking down and trembling, I thought about my training. I thought about all the early mornings, all of the scheduling and planning, all the long, hard runs I had completed and the few left to be run....hey, wait a minute! I still have another 7 weeks of training left - "this isn't even our marathon".

That's pretty much where the dream ended. I woke up feeling dumb.

Week 18 - Breaking In

2006-08-17T13:52:00.000-04:00

My pace was slower than normal this week. You’ll see that I sped up gradually towards the end of the week, and I think that’s because my legs were still tired from my long run early in the week. I felt like I wanted to go faster, but it just wasn’t happening. Even this morning, my legs felt pretty good (did some light yoga stretching last night) but the speed wasn’t coming! I wonder if I haven’t been refuelling as well as I could be after my runs?

I wore the new shoes this week, and I’ve been pretty nervous about the change. As I run I can feel these subtle tinges in my ankles and feet – I would expect that any runner breaking in a new pair of shoes would experience this. I just worry that I may trigger another injury, and not realise it till it’s too late? It’s nerve-wracking! I’m a bit disappointed with the cushioning in the insole – at least, I think that’s where the problem lies? Right foot seems fine, but the left heel is getting sore. I also think I have a touch more room in these shoes than I need, I went for the 7.5 for the extra length in the toe box. I’m going to check out some inserts – I figure if I find the right pair I can squash 2 grapes with 1 toe (I don’t like to kill birds with stones:-).

On the schedule for this weekend is a 5K race. Race! Good thing – I need to get the lead out! I think I may jog down to my nice, flat trail and see what I can do to that thing in 30 minutes. Tear it apart? Probably not. But 3.1 miles run under 9:30 minutes per mile would be grand.

Thursday, August 17th
5.09 miles
49:02 minutes
9:38/mile average pace

Tuesday, August 15th
3.2 miles
31:40 minutes
9:54/mile average pace

Monday, August 14th
4.01 miles
41:00 minutes
10:13/mile average pace

Week 17 - 22 Miles

2006-08-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

I was blessed with perfect running weather on Saturday - honestly, I can't imagine better weather to run in. I wore a long-sleeved performance shirt over my t-shirt when I left the house because it was quite cool - under 10 degrees C. After doing a 6 mile loop in Hespeler I had sufficiently warmed up, and therefore lost the long-sleeved shirt at the trailhead where Bob was waiting for me with a bottle of my gatorade mix. For the rest of the run I had beautiful sunshine, and a temperature that could not have exceeded 18 degrees C! Beautiful.

Bob and Tracy met me at close to 13 miles with my next bottle of gatorade, I complained about my feet and hip flexors being sore - but I was still really optimistic and enjoying myself. Up to this point I had been right on target time-wise - 10 minutes per mile with 60 second walk breaks every 5 minutes. I felt a bit like I was playing cat and mouse with my Garmin for the first half of the run, and I was enjoying it. But somewhere after 13 miles I lost a bit of ground and just couldn't get it back. I think it bummed me out a bit because I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get that time back - my legs were just way too tired to pick up the pace. But I regained my focus, got myself centered on just finishing the distance and stopped worrying about my time.

Tracy met me for my last water stop at 18 miles - I was ready to stop, but I knew it wasn't an option. This stop was at another trailhead where there were plenty of weekend warriors getting set up on their bikes, and stretching out their legs. One such stretcher called out as I ran by, "enjoy your run!"...oh, if he only knew! "Thanks, and you as well", I returned. The last 4 miles were pretty tough, but maybe not quite as tough as the previous 4. Miles 14-18 were tough because the fatigue was really setting in, and the distance left to run was somewhat overwhelming. During the last 4 miles my legs felt dead when I tried to start up after a walk break - my pace was tedious and there was nothing I could do to change it. I kept thinking, "the faster I go, the sooner I finish", but it made no difference.

Surprisingly the last mile actually went faster than it has in previous runs. I promised myself to not look at my Garmin till the next intersection - playing little games like that can help when all I want to do is stop. I finished at the bottom of my parents's street, and walked the rest of the way, uphill, to their home. Why-oh-why did they buy a house on a hill?!

Saturday, August 12th
22 miles
3:49:55
10:27/mile average pace

I wanted to finish in 3:40, but considering the distance I really wasn't too disappointed in being 10 minutes over. I think I may have actually pushed too hard in the first half of the run, which would be part of the reason why I lost steam in the second half, and would also explain the stiffness I've had in my quads for a few days now since the run.

One unfortunate thing that this run made painfully (literally) clear was that my Adidas Supernovas had bit it. I had planned on getting new shoes in September, but since my feet have been getting sore after even my shortest runs, I decided that the time was now. Plus, right now I have 3 weeks of short runs to break them in before the next long one. Bob came with me and encouraged me to get the most comfortable (and expensive) shoe that I tried on - I have trouble spending that kind of money on a shoe. But who knows, this may be the only marathon I ever run, so might I not as well be as comfortable as possible?This is the closest thing I could find to my new shoes, Asics Nimbus VIII. The associate at the Running Room told me that they were the brand new fall 2006 model, sweet! They're pretty fierce looking. I'm going to try to take it easy breaking them in - this would be a very bad time to incur another foot injury!

Week 17 - Blitz

2006-08-11T13:09:00.000-04:00

I had to do my three runs in a row this week since I skipped Monday up north, and wanted to keep Friday free of exercise in preparation for the 22 miler this weekend. I don't know if that BMX trail run was the magic ticket or what, but I clocked my best time on the following run! I slept in Thursday morning so I had to trim a mile off my run in order to make it to work on time. It felt kind of good running three days straight.

Tuesday, August 8th
4.19 miles
38:00 minutes
9:05/mile average pace

Wednesday, August 9th
5.26 miles
50:00 minutes
9:31/mile average pace

Thursday, August 10th
4.05 miles
38:00 minutes
9:26/mile average pace

Still working on my route for tomorrow. Marathon training is starting to make Cambridge look like a really small town!

Week 16 - I am not a BMX

2006-08-09T21:30:00.000-04:00

This run was not quite what I had expected. We were up in Hepworth at a trailer park for the weekend with our friends Natalie & Scott. They told us about a trail that wound around the back of the park, so Bob and I decided to check it out Saturday morning. Bob doesn't run unless it's for a purpose - like chasing a ball in a soccer game. He wanted to run with me, but not on the boring and dangerous road - so we chose the trail.

My worry was that the trail would be too short, but once we got going my worry became - how are we going to find our way back? The trail was well marked with reflective arrows, but it had us going up the hill, around the bend, around another bend, up more of a hill, down a hill, sharp turn to the left, jump over the tree roots, watch for the weeds, "heads up", down the hill, around the bend, oops some barbed wire...on and on it went. We ended up in a neighbouring park and it felt like we might have been trespassing - the trail was still twisting and turning, and we were absolutely wiped out, so we headed for the road and back to our park. We were out for 40 minutes, but according to my Garmin we only ran 3 miles. I think that's a little under the actual distance, the trail was tree covered and my Garmin lost it's signal several times so who knows what the actual distance was? I felt like I had gotten a good workout, so I decided to not worry about the distance. We're pretty sure that there must have been some sort of bike race on that trail, otherwise it probably wouldn't have been as well marked - and it certainly wouldn't have been as twisty a trail if it had been meant for walking or running on. We had fun all the same!

Later that day we took a long walk on the beach. It was so busy that we decided to avoid the main beach, so we parked at the north end and set up camp for a couple of hours. Once we had our share of swimming and sunbathing, we decided to hike it into town. I estimated it was about a 3 mile walk. I was pretty happy with the amount of activity we had each day while we were away.

I skipped my Monday run - I had washed my running gear the night before and it was still damp in the morning. But honestly, I think I would have skipped it anyway - I was on vacation after all! So this week(17th week) I'm running 3 days in a row, resting on Friday and then 22 miles on Saturday! I'm doing my best to pick up the pace this week, and the weather has been very co-operative - it was actually cool this morning, 12 degrees C! This weather makes me look very much forward to running in the fall...but I'm not wishing the summer away yet! I need a bit more time on the beach!

Week 16 - Well deserved rest

2006-08-03T16:08:00.000-04:00

We're beach bound this weekend, and I cannot wait! A couple of days on the beach and in the water will be absolutely refreshing - my body and soul needs some renewal. I feel sorry for my poor feet - I hope my toes enjoy sinking into the sand. And my tired muscles, I hope they enjoy the buoyancy and weightlessness of floating on the lake. And I know my spirit will lighten with the laughter shared with good friends. Marathon training is as much a mental exercise as it is physical, and I think this change of scenery is just what I need to pull together my focus and energy for the next 10 weeks, which are guaranteed to be challenging.

We finally got some reprieve today from this heatwave that's been holding us hostage in our air-conditioned homes for the last week. The heat and humidity has been difficult to run in, but I've managed even better than I expected. I got my 3 runs in this week (no cheating, well...maybe a little) regardless of the record setting temperatures.

I have 2 runs to get in while we're away - but I'm looking forward to breathing in that Bruce County air and checking out the new sites and sounds. They'll be little 5 milers too, so just enough to wake me up and get my beachy weekend kickstarted! Have a great long weekend!

Thursday August 3rd
4.01 miles
39:11 minutes
9:47/mile average pace

Tuesday August 1st
3.92 miles
37:30 minutes
9:34/mile average pace

Monday July 31st
5.08 miles
49:11 minutes
9:41/mile average pace

Week 15 - 10 mile run

2006-07-31T12:35:00.000-04:00

I was hoping that Saturday's 10 mile run would feel relatively short after the previous long run of 20 miles, but it didn't! I started out around 7am and I figured that the humidex hadn't sleep all night, and was still partying it up when I started running. I took a trail from my end of town, Hespeler, to Bob's grandmother and sister's side of town, Preston, and had Bob meet me at their place with some ice-cold fuel. From there I took the shortest route back to my trail to finish up back in Hespeler.

By the time I got to Bob (6 miles in) I was already feeling a lot of tightness in my hips, and I'm pretty sure that my pace slowed a good mile earlier. I didn't really care about my pace though, I just cared about staying hydrated and getting to the cold water that was waiting for me in my car at the end of the trail - I dumped it over my head and some of it went into my shoe! My left hip flexor was feeling pretty tight after the run, and it was still irritated yesterday. I ran this morning, and so far today it hasn't bothered me. I should probably get into a habit of icing it though, just to be safe.

Saturday July 29th
10:01 miles
1:39:52 minutes
9:59/mile average pace

Week 15 - Bye Bye Black Toe

2006-07-28T16:34:00.000-04:00

I don't know that I've ever mentioned it on Vegelope, but I've been having toe issues for a while. The stricken are my second toes on each foot - the condition is called Black Toe! Sounds lovely, eh? Here's a brief excerpt from Jeff Galloway's site:

If a toe is under pressure from the shoe or a sock that is too tight or too thick, the sustained pressure, step after step, produces an impact or a friction problem between the toenail and the tissue surrounding it. When the tissue gets damaged, fluid accumulates. The red or black color is the result of a few blood capillaries that become broken in the process. The more fluid that accumulates, the more pain. The extra fluid, colored by some blood, accumulates below the toenail. When the pressure gets too great, the existing toenail will be separated from the "toenail in training," which is located below the current nail. Even if it takes several months, the blackened outer nail will drop off, leaving the new nail below. Sometimes the pressure of the fluid, will warp the new nail, but it will get smoother as it grows out.

If you read the full article he goes on to explain that the main cause of this condition is the action of the foot coming forward and then the pressure from hitting the road. So, even if your shoes are fitted to perfection, I figure you can still wind up with one of these.

The toenail on my second toe on my right foot went black shortly after the 15 mile run, and black it stayed till about 2 weeks ago after I had spent the afternoon in my Aunt's pool. That evening I realised that the toe had lifted right off the nail bed, and was just hanging on by the cuticle. I've left it alone since then because I figured it's best to let it come off on it's own. This morning, after getting out of bed and going downstairs for breakfast, I noticed that the toenail was standing up on it's end! Sorry, I know it's gross - but this is running, man! There was only a tiny bit of cuticle holding it there, so I snipped it off after I showered. There is a weird looking new nail on the toe - I'm relieved to know that it's going to smooth out because it has a strange bump in it right now. The same toe on my left foot is in pretty rough shape. I wish it would fall off too, but it hasn't lifted from the nail bed yet...maybe I need another afternoon in the pool?

I skipped my short run this week, and I have no decent excuse. I just didn't feel like it. I got up early, got dressed to run, looked at Charlie and immediately changed into my walking clothes. It's becoming a bit of a habit, skipping my short run - so I promise to clean up my act next week. I won't look at the dog, I swear!

Thursday July 27th
5.16 miles
48:21 minutes
9:22/mile average pace

Monday July 24th
5.01 miles
50:58 min
10:10/mile average pace

Week 14 - 20 Miles

2006-07-25T10:01:00.000-04:00

"You Did It!"

It's pretty cool to be greeted with this sweet encouragement by your 2-year-old nephew after completing a 20 mile hike! Maybe even sweeter that both Glenn and I were feeling good enough to enjoy that moment without wanting to collapse.

Saturday, July 22nd
20 miles
3 hours 20 minutes
10:01/mile average pace

We had Mom drop us off in Brantford around 7:30 that morning, and off we went. It was overcast and cool, somewhere between 18-21 degrees I would guess - just perfect for such a long run. We were hit by a bit of rain, but it wasn't enough to make our run unpleasant - what followed the rain was pretty awful though. Swarms of deer flies - I would guess they were with us from the 8th-15th miles! I was amazed at how long they trailed us.

Glenn just had his Garmin replaced - we have the same model. We started them at exactly the same time, but somehow his ended up a quater-mile ahead of mine?! He went off the path and definitely took a few extra strides when he was looking for Mom's car (she came down the path a fair way to bring us water - we had get a couple of things from her car), but we didn't really think it was enough to total a quarter-mile. We figure that mine must have been without signal when we went around a bend or two and made a straight line instead of a bendy one. We decided to stop when Glenn's Garmin said 20 miles!

At one point I started feeling pretty tired, I think it may have been around 13-14 miles. We had started out running/walking 6/1 minutes, then we bumped it up to 7/1 after a couple of miles since we kept running over the 6 minutes accidentally. I suggested to Glenn that we knock it back down to 6/1 when I started feeling tired - it may have been earlier in the run - 11-12 miles? I think it was a wise decision because I managed to maintain my energy level till about 18 miles, where I really started to feel myself slowing down. I wanted to go faster to get the run finished, but all of the muscles around my hip joints had tightened up and they were doing all that they could for me. Plus, I was happy with how good I felt, so there was no point in trying to push it. I dropped my water bottle somewhere around 18 miles, and we had a good laugh at the involuntary groan that came out when I bent down to pick it up. It sounded like this:

HEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRGH!

What a relief when Glenn slowed down, and turned back nodding his head. That's it! My legs were pretty tight and I had some difficulty stretching them when we got back to the house, but I'm sure that was for the best. I felt tired for the rest of the day, but not the desperate kind of "I must sleep now" tiredness that I've experienced before. I napped a bit that afternoon, and took it easy in the evening. I had very little muscle fatigue the following day, and none of the weird crampy, nausea that I had after my 17 mile run. I'm starting to think that Jeff Galloway is a genious!

Highlight - Hanging out with my brother, and finishing!
Lowlight - Dang deer flies!

My mind is made up

2006-07-21T09:45:00.000-04:00

So, I thought that I'd avoid running with Glenn for this long run for a couple of reasons - I'm slow, he's fast. I don't mind being pushed (especially when I'm wearing clothes that don't eat my skin), but I don't want to slow Glenn down - he's doing so well! For example, I did 10:05 minutes per mile on my 17 mile run, Glenn did 9:18! We've had so few chances to run together since we started training, it seems dumb to not do this run together - and since Glenn wants to, who am I to argue?

Tomorrow we will run from Brantford to Cambridge on the Trans Canada Trail! Pretty cool. We have our choice of 19 or 20 miles for this run - how could we not do 20 when we're that close?! I know at 19 I won't want to do 20, but that's another good reason to run with Glenn - he will physically push me through the last mile if I start wussing out!

Week 14 - Decisions, decisions...

2006-07-20T11:20:00.000-04:00

I'm trying to decide how to run my 20 miles this weekend. Do I go from one end of Cambridge to the other again? Do I run a big loop close to home? Do I run a smaller loop multiple times? I plotted out a 5 mile run that passes my house - I was considering running that loop 4 times - that way I could leave a cooler of my Gatorade-Water 50/50 on the porch for pitstops? I came up with this idea the other day because there is a possibility that Bob (my waterboy) may be away on Saturday, so sticking close to home seems to be a good idea. But, after 2 times round will going another 2 times seem horrible? Would it be better or worse than being 10 miles away from home and realising I'm only halfway through my run? I dunno. I guess it really depends on the status of my waterboy.

Anyway, I seem to be pretty close to having the 9:30 mile down on my short runs. I think I'd like to shave another 10 seconds off - more speed training ahead.

Thursday July 20th
5.26 Miles
50:00 Minutes
9:31/mile average pace

Tuesday July 18th
2.54 Miles
24:09 Minutes
9:31/mile average pace

Monday July 17th
5.21 Miles
50:00 Minutes
9:36/mile average pace

Week 13 - Humidex

2006-07-16T09:45:00.000-04:00

Thank goodness my long run this weekend was a mere 6.5 miles. It was a comfortable temperature when I left for my run, about 21 C, room temperature. But when I started to work up a sweat I might as well have been wrapping thermal blankets around myself. The air was so saturated with moisture that the moisture I was creating had nowhere to go. I think my face was beat red no more than a mile into the run. I started saying my prayers right then that we'd have cooler and dryer weather for next weekend - 20 miles in that humidity would be brutal.

The route I chose was different, I avoided my usual country roads and opted to tour other areas of Hespeler that I never get to see. This route was more hilly than I had realised, so the combination of hills and humidity made this run challenging enough to make up for the lack of distance. Week 13 now being completed marks the transition to the second half of our marathon training! Scary!!!

6.54 miles
1:04:00 minutes
9:47/mile average pace

A quick wildlife update for you - surprisingly I haven't seen too many raccoons since I started running back in March, but on occasion I spot one scurrying out of my path. During this run I saw a cute little baby raccoon on Black Bridge, dangerously close to the edge. He had a few choices, turn around and return to land, stay put and wait for me to pass, or jump in the water. Well, just as I passed him I heard his little nails scratching on concrete and then PLUNGE! I circled back to see if he knew how to swim, and he seemed to, so I went on my way! Raccoons are like the comic relief in the natural world, they have none of the grace or dignity that the deer and herons carry, but their misteps can seem so human that it just makes them so endearing!

Week 13 - Cramping my style

2006-07-14T12:21:00.000-04:00

New adventures in Yoga have begun. I started the Level 2 course last night, and I can already tell that this is going to be challenging. The pace is faster and the positions are more difficult. Our kind instructor saved me from embarrassment by not alerting the class to the fact that I had to pause to towel off my sweaty feet whilst doing the pose pictured here. My feet just kept spreading apart, not good for keeping proper form. I may have to purchase some of those Yoga Paws, or whatever they’re called to give me some extra “gription”.

Week 13 has been weird. The day after my fantastic 17 mile run, I was housebound by nausea. I still don’t know what caused it, but for 2 days I could barely eat for the nausea, and I had painful, intermittent stomach cramps the entire time. I never actually got sick, and by Wednesday I had my full appetite back and felt fine. I have a feeling it may have been acute dehydration, but I’m not sure. Add to that a couple of massive rainstorms, my schedule got a bit out of whack. I dropped my short run this week – I had meant to do it this morning, but I woke up with guilt over not giving my dog morning walkies all week, so we just walked. I feel fine about it. I’ll probably start extending the short run from 3 to 4 miles for a little while – there’s a good 4 mile loop that I’d like to run on a weekly basis, and I think I can handle the minor increase.

So my 2 runs looked like this:

Thursday July 13th
5.24 miles
50 minutes
9:33/mile average pace

Tuesday July 11th
5 miles
49:16 minutes
9:51/mile average pace

Now, I’d like to introduce you to my new Yoga nemesis, the Revolved Triangle, or Parivrtta Trikonasana. I don’t know that my body will ever move in that way.

Week 12 - Long Run, 17 Great Miles!

2006-07-08T10:55:00.000-04:00

I returned from my run nearly 2 hours ago, and I'm feeling pretty good...a little creaky, but good. I am just so pleased that I actually did what I set out to do! I felt good, and even better than good at times, from start to finish - all 17 miles! Okay, I might be exaggerating about the last mile - I felt sore and ready to finish, but I was still feeling way better than I had expected I would at that point!

I think I found a winning combination for fueling my long runs. I did as Nick suggested and had one of those energy shots when I got up, and washed it down with a nice dousing of water (it took plenty to wash that pastey goo down). I filled up my 2 Running Room bottles with 50/50 water and Gatorade, and left the house with just one. To avoid the heat, I started my run at 6:00 am, so I was able to drink quite moderately for the entire run. Bob met me just shy of the 9 mile point with my second bottle of 50/50, and it worked out to be perfect timing, and the perfect amount of fluids. I didn't have a single touch of nausea...sweet!

Complaints:
Had some rubbing on a couple of my toes, irritating but nothing near as bad as the horrid chafe
Deer Flies - I found the perfect shady spot to take my walk break after reaching 15 miles, but as soon as I stopped running I was swarmed by 20 flies! I had to start walking again after 30 seconds!

Highlights:
4 Planes Landing
5 Deer - 2 bucks, 3 does
2 Herons
0 Nausea

Glenn, I checked out my time at 13.1 miles - 2:11:24, and at 15 miles, 2:31:00. Not bad eh!

Saturday July 8th
17 Miles
2:51:28 Minutes
10:05/mile average pace

Testing the Waters

2006-07-06T10:51:00.000-04:00

The latest issue of Runner's World magazine has a wonderful article about hydration that has come at just the perfect time for me. During my last long run I had to bring along some energy - I tried a Clif Shot in Mocha, and I nearly gagged. Not only was the consistancy hard to swallow, but the small bit that I did manage to get down was not happily welcomed by my stomach, leaving me with a rather bothersome touch of nausea. I also ate a bit of a Clif bar during that run that gave me a little trouble as well. Last weekend I brought half of a Luna bar (which I adore) along and had the same nauseating issue, though on a smaller scale. I don't blame the products at all, I just don't think it's the right approach to on-the-go energy consumption for my delicate constitution.

So this weekend I will try to hydrate and re-energize in one step...a step called Gatorade. I really want to feel good from one end of this run to the other, so I hope the Ade works for me. I learned in the Runner's World article that there are a "new breed" of sports drinks made specifically for endurance sports, so if this first experiment goes well I may have to seek out one of these new products. Wish me luck...

Week 12 - A Need for Speed

2006-07-06T09:53:00.000-04:00

I wanted to focus on picking up the pace this week to get myself geared up for my long run this weekend. I actually managed to achieve a personal best on my short Tuesday run, that really surprised me too because things were goofy on Tuesday. I woke up exhausted that morning, and it was raining so I decided that I would run after work. I stopped by the local high school on the way home because I thought it would be wise to do some speed work on a proper track - good thing I checked. The track there was dusty gravel and in a pretty sore state. So then I decided I would go to my hill and do a little hill work instead - well, there was nowhere safe to park on the road, so that didn't work out. I ended up parking the car at a new lookout over the river and doing my run on a paved "urban trail", and around some of the older neighbourhoods in my area. It was a nice change of scenery.

Monday July 3rd
5.55 Miles
54:00 Minutes
9:44/mile average pace

Tuesday July 4th
3.35 Miles
31:00 Minutes
9:15/mile average pace

Thursday July 6th
4.00 Miles
37:45 Minutes
9:26/mile average pace

Week 11 - Long Run

2006-07-06T09:45:00.000-04:00

I slept in a little, so I didn't get started on this run till close to 9:00 am. It was hot, and buggy. I had hoped to sneak in an extra mile on this run, but I think the heat took it out of me because I just couldn't push past 9 miles. I'll be making a point of getting up earlier this Saturday for my 17 miles...oh my.

Saturday July 1st
9 Miles
1:31:34
10:11/mile

Week 11 - Pulling Lame

2006-06-30T14:11:00.000-04:00

I dropped my short run this week in order to let my massive chafe heal. I was hoping to find a chance to make it up, but unless it happens tonight, I fear that it's a lost cause. No big deal.

Friday, June 30th
5.07 Miles
50:01 Minutes
9:52/mile average speed

Monday, June 26th
4 Miles
40:30 Minutes
10:06/mile average speed

Monday's run was rough - with a large, open wound on my inner thigh and dead muscles from my weekend run, I was going nowhere fast! I'm glad I took it easy though. I'll be doing the same for my 9 Miles tomorrow. My wound seems to be healing quickly now, so I'm hoping to feel renewed next week!

Week 10 - The 15 Mile Chafe

2006-06-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

I don't usually wear shorts. I think they look dumb on me - sometimes I think my own legs look dumb on me, but shorts just make them look worse. The part below my knee is fine, it's the flubber above that irks me. Regardless of this, I bought myself a pair of running shorts (that's them to the right, I will now refer to them as "The Enemy") and decided to run 15 miles in them without testing them on a short run first. I went for a couple of walks in them and they were great - no riding up, no rubbing, they looked bad but they wore well. Just before leaving the house Glenn says to me, "you're going to run 15 miles in a new pair of shorts?". Yeah, that really was a poorly made decision.

I had a cup of coffee on the way over to meet up with Glenn at the house. Jeff Galloway writes about how he enjoys his pre-run cup of coffee - I've always wanted to try but I don't usually have the time for it. I hate having food in my stomach when I run, so I only ate a couple of bites of an energy bar - and that, along with my coffee with soymilk was all that sustained me for the first 10 miles...give or take. You can probably already see where this is going to go...

About 2 miles into the run my shorts started riding up. It was annoying, but I thought it was probably just the wind because we had changed direction and were now running with the wind in our faces. I was feeling great at this point, ignoring the tickle from my shorts and enjoying the energy borrowed from the cup of coffee. By 4 miles the shorts really started to scratch my inner thigh, it was becoming harder to ignore but I had the distraction of conversation - I really enjoyed having someone to talk to and laugh with while running - it was a rare treat for me!

At about 7 miles my inner thigh was feeling raw, and my stomach was feeling icky. Glenn and I had brought along these gel shots to try out. I wasn't too keen on mine - it was mocha flavoured, but it wasn't sweet enough and the texture was a thick paste - too thick. I may have consumed half by the time we reached a transition in the trail, and a garbage can - and that's where the other half went. After that my stomach really got bad - I was starting to feel nauseas, and my water was almost gone. Thankfully, it was at this time that Sherri(an Angel from God!) met up with us and replenished our water supply and brought me the rest of my energy bar. I knew I wanted to eat it, but the thought of it was making me even more nauseas. I managed to get a few bites down, and the fresh, cold water revived my spirit...a little bit anyway.

By now we were on the last leg of the run, the last 5 miles. My end of the conversation was getting pretty short as I was naturally trying to conserve as much energy as I could. Glenn was doing really well and was quite happy with our time - this was good for me because my body was telling me to stop, and I'm pretty sure that it was his encouragement that kept me going. He asked me to keep an eye on my Garmin for our 13.1 mile time - half marathon time. We made it there at 2:09 - Glenn says to me, "That's a 4:18 marathon Kris"! How encouraging is that! Awesome! If only I had more gas in the tank, but I was sputtering.

So, Glenn literally put his hand on my back and gave me a shove 3 or 4 times to get me going! I would have been laughing if I had the energy to, because I thought it was hilarious! And then the worst part of the run - my Garmin loses signal at 14.96 miles! AWE! COME ON!!!!!!!! Run as fast as you can to the next clearing! 15.03 miles! "I'm stopping Glenn"!!! We did it!

Saturday June 24th
15.03 Miles
2:28:34
9:53/mile average pace

We had a little less than a half mile to walk to the end of the trail where we were met by a second water Angel, Bob! Water and a ride home - perfect! Well, it wasn't till this point that I actually looked at my thigh to see what kind of damage had been done by the friction between my shorts and legs. To my surprise my thighs were all bloody! I now have a weeping wound the size of and egg on my inner thigh!

It was an amazing run. We covered Cambridge from West Galt to Hespeler in under 2.5 hours. I ran at pretty much my top speed, I conversed most of the way, I surpressed the pain of my skin being slowly rubbed away, and managed to fight through what was probably close to a dangerously low blood sugar level - not too shabby for a Saturday morning run! I am paying for it now - my quads are in rough shape, and the weeping wound on my thigh requires a 4-step dressing, but I made it through, and I learned some very important and necessary lessons. Glenn, on the other hand, says he feels better after this long run than he ever has! He ate before we ran, he drank more water than I did, and he wore shorts that his body was familiar with. Smart guy, eh?

I'm hoping that with these lessons learned I will be able to complete my next long run feeling much better - I will be running it on my own so I can guarantee that my time will not be nearly as impressive! But, it's more important to me at this point to be able to complete the long runs intact, and looking forward to building my strength and endurance. Thanks for the run and all of the encouragement Glenn! This whole experience is making more of an impact on me than I had ever expected!

Week 10 - Hinterland Who's Who

2006-06-22T21:06:00.000-04:00

I had a fantastic run for spotting wildlife this morning. Just around the corner from home I saw a doe with her fawn, very close to the road. She watched me, but wasn't frightened by me. I saw a large turtle by the river - there's a group of three trutles that I see there quite regularly. The guy I saw this morning had lumps of moss clinging to his shell - it was pretty funny, like he was in camouflage or something! Then I saw a heron, it was up in the trees! It lept from one tall evergreen to another, and perched there as I ran by. I didn't realise that herons hung out in treetops like that?!

I had some trouble gearing up for speedwork this morning. The humidity was insane, and I wasn't expecting it, so I took it easy for the most part.

Thursday, June 22nd
5 Miles
50:00 Minutes
10:00/mile average speed

Tuesday, June 20th
2.86 Miles
27:15 Minutes
9:31/mile average speed

Monday, June 19th
5.03 Miles
50:00 Minutes
9:56/mile average speed

Glenn and I are taking a 15 mile sightseeing tour from Galt to Hespeler on Saturday - that means from his side of town to mine. It's pretty crazy to think that we're actually going to cover that distance by foot. But we'll be prepared - we'll have roadies lined up to deliver water to strategic points on our route, we'll be armed with power bars and gels, and we will conquer Cambridge!

Week 9 - Short Long Run

2006-06-19T15:31:00.000-04:00

Saturday, June 17th
6.10 Miles
58 Minutes
9:32/mile average pace

Jeff Galloway builds rest into his training programs, and for that I am very thankful! This run was only a mile longer than my Monday and Thursday runs, so I was able to get on with my day without any fatigue at all! It was nice to have a break.

The idea here was to run a 5K (3.1 miles) in good time, and use that time to determine my estimated marathon completion time. I completed the 5K in 27:48 minutes, which puts me at 4:40 - 4:45hrs to complete the marathon. Not quite my goal time of 4:20, but for now I'm happy with it. I think the volunteers will still be there at 4:45!

Week 9 - Fartlek

2006-06-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

It's not me being a goofball, it's Swedish for "speed play"! I need to read a bit more about it, but it sounds like fartlek is generally a free-form type of speed training. I tried it out this morning - what I did was I went full tilt between one pair of hydro poles, slowed down till I reached the next one, then sprinted again, slowed down again...I continued like that for about 4 sprints. I'm glad I read about fartlek last night, because my plan had been to run mile repeats this morning, and I was sort of dreading it. Fartlek allowed me to do a little bit of speed, then I hiked it up a hill, and did a few more fartlek sprints on my way home. I think I frightened a deer!

This week I ran minus the dog, minus the iPod and water belt, and probably with the same amount of sleep. I carried a water bottle in my hand, and though it was a little annoying at times, I found it reasonably manageable.

Thursday, June 15th
5.19 Miles
50:00 Minutes
9:39/mile average speed

Tuesday, June 13th
2.91 Miles
28:00 Minutes
9:38/mile average speed

Monday, June 12th
5.00 Miles
49:29 Minutes
9:54/mile average speed

Week 8 - I am insane

2006-06-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

I decided to do my 13 mile run during the Relay for Life last weekend. If you don't know anything about the event, basically it's an overnight relay to raise funds for cancer research. I've participated in previous years, but I generally wimp out and go home by midnight. I guess I wanted to make up for my previous years of wimpiness, because not only did I stay all night, but I stayed AWAKE all night, and I ran 13 miles(43 laps) in the middle of it. I must admit that I had fun, despite the bitter-cold and wind, and the cramps in my feet. That's me on my 10th lap - I think you'll find I'm very reflective at 3:30 a.m.

So, after my conversation with Glenn last Thursday I finally understood the concept and importance of mile repeats. I decided that doing mile repeats during the relay was a good idea, as it would probably keep my interest better than my usual, steady 10:30 pace. Plus it was on the schedule.

I aimed for 6 mile repeats at 9:30 minutes per mile. I did 5 mile repeats that averaged out to 8:40 minutes per mile each. I basically floored it, for lack of a better term, since I really didn't know what 9:30 felt like, and I wanted to see what I could manage - plus it was friggin cold out. The map that my Garmin produced is hilarious - looks like a child scribbled a lopsided circle 50 times. The track was rough gravel, and often grass as I had to dodge a great many weary walkers. It's provided a feeling of lasting pain in small muscles about my feet and ankles that I didn't know existed. Here's how the run looked, in the standard Vegelope format:

Saturday, June 10th (3:01 am)
13 Miles
2:10:06 Minutes
10:00/mile average pace

I am shocked that I was able to trim a hefty 30 seconds off my average pace on the longest run yet. Speed baby - that's where it's at. I really want to keep up the speed work this week, and I'll try to. But the main objective is to continue to enjoy running. So, as long as it hurts, I'm going to take it a little easy - I think I need to go seek out that foot rub I was promised...

Week 8 - The last of the Maintenance runs, and some brotherly love!

2006-06-09T00:07:00.000-04:00

This is my brother Glenn running the Disney marathon in 2004. He is the one that "challenged" me to run this marathon. He is my mentor. And I'm really glad we chatted tonight.

Glenn has been away - to Denmark actually, and we didn't even talk about his trip tonight?! Sorry Glenn - we'll have to catch up on that this weekend! My loving brother had been catching up on my running here on my blog, and noticed a peculiarity - my short runs show an overall slower pace than my long...that's a little backwards. We chatted about it, and I'm glad we did. I think I'm slow for a few reasons, and I think I can control most of them.

I need to leave the dog at home. I have not convinced him that what's ahead is more interesting than what's behind, and his resistance may be contributing to my lack of speed.

I need to lose some of the gear - Glenn thinks that the water belt is best avoided, and has offered me some resonable alternatives. I've been running without the iPod for a week, and it seems doable. That leaves me with just the Garmin - and I'm down with that.

I also run first thing in the morning (between 5-6 am), so a little earlier bedtime (consistantly) would be beneficial.

Having said that, here are my times for the past week - let's see if they improve with these adjustments next week!

Thursday, June 8th
5 Miles
52:24 Minutes
10:28/mile average speed

Tuesday, June 6th
2.39 Miles
25:02 Minutes
10:27/mile average speed

Monday, June 5th
4.05 Miles
41:22 Minutes
10:13/mile average speed

Week 7 - Long Run

2006-06-08T23:59:00.000-04:00

Oops - I thought I had already posted my last long run! Sorry folks, I'm slipping!

Saturday, June 3rd
8.73 Miles
90 Minutes
10:18/mile average pace

I thought I was running like crap for the first few miles - I've noticed that this has become my routine, sore lower legs in the first few miles. But things evened out and it actually turned out to be a great run. The weather was beautiful, sunny but calm and comfortably cool. I didn't feel exhausted after this run, but I crashed in the early afternoon - I had to nap. I need to figure out why this happens? I think it must have something to do with the combination of what/how much I eat and how long after the run, as well as how much I'm on my feet. I think I'll try to journal this info for the next few weeks. See if I can devise a way to avoid the crash-and-nap routine.

Week 7 - Maintenance Runs

2006-06-02T15:46:00.000-04:00

I'm feeling the heat, and understanding why I need to step back before stepping up - to prevent exhaustion!!! I'm looking forward to my run this weekend because it's only 8 miles! If it were any longer I'd be stressed. So I get to relax a little more this weekend, next weekend I'll be up to 13 miles. From there we go down to 6 miles, then up to 15! Aaaah! The rest is good, it helps me to get excited about the long distances!

Here's how my short runs looked this week:

Thursday June 1st
4.11 Miles
44:49 Minutes
10:55/mile average pace

Tuesday May 30th
2.95 Miles
31 Minutes
10:33/mile average pace

Monday May 29th
4.07 Miles
44 Minutes
10:49/mile average pace

Week 6 - Long Run

2006-05-31T21:42:00.000-04:00

Saturday May 27th
11:39 Miles
2:00 Hours
10:32/mile average pace

My run last weekend wasn't great. I felt sluggish and sore from the start, and I'm not really sure why. The first 2 miles were tough, but things warmed up and the next 7 miles were fine. Around the 9th mile I realised that I had run out of water - the temperature was a fair bit warmer than on my previous long runs, and I guess I hadn't really anticipated the increased water consumption. I started feeling pretty crappy by the 10th mile but promised myself to at least make the 11 mile mark. When I got there I decided I would get to 2 hours, then stop. I walked for about 5 minutes, then I called Bob and got him to pick me up! I was basically just around the corner from home, but it would have taken me another 15-20 minutes to walk home, and to do that without water was just not going to happen.

So I take a step back this weekend - 8 Miles. I hoping to feel really good for this entire run! The following weekend I do 13 miles! Should be interesting...

Week 6 - Maintenance Runs - Farm Alarm!

2006-05-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

What a rude awakening! There is a crazy rooster not much more than a mile away from our house, and after hearing that thing on my run this morning I was absolutely shocked that I'd never heard it from home before. It is horribly loud! It's cool though, I live in a city with a population over 122,000 and my neighbours just a mile down the road set their alarm clock to rooster each morning! I wonder though if it would seem quaint waking to the sound of this bird each morning, or if I, my vegetarian self, would have horrible visions of throttling the bird every morning at 5:45, just as I imagine smashing my alarm clock to smithereens most days? Waking would be so much easier if I got to bed earlier.

Anyhow, had a good run this morning. I chose a different route to add a bit more mileage - I could have probably cut the run a little shorter than I did, but I enjoyed that I was out for an hour on a weekday! I might keep it up!

Thursday May 25th
5.67 Miles
57:14 Minutes
10:06/mile average pace

Tuesday May 23rd
2.92 Miles
31:00 Minutes
10:37/mile average pace

Monday May 22nd
4.01 Miles
39:18 Minutes
9:48/minute average pace

Week 5 - Long Run, Found money & a buddy

2006-05-23T07:25:00.000-04:00

Saturday, May 20th
11.44 Miles
2 hours
10:29/mile average pace

The results of this run are amazing to me. Because of my inability to read my own running schedule, I decided that I would have to run some hills on Saturday to make up for the skipped hill-training run. So, my plan was to run 10 miles, 1.5 miles were to be hill-training. I plotted the run, and thought I had calculated the distance correctly, but I ended up being about 2 miles over?! I actually stopped my Garmin and walked the final mile because I didn't want to run 2 miles (20%) over my previous run. What makes this run amazing is that regardless of the hills and the increased distance I kept my average pace consistant with my previous runs.

The hills came around the 2 mile mark, they were tough, but not too tough. I proceeded onward and found an excitable little Jack Russell Terrier barreling towards my feet shortly after crossing a fairly busy highway. Luckily I was just slowing down to a walk break because this little guy was all over my lower legs. I got my hands down and managed to settle him without bringing myself to a standstill. In the half mile that the little guy stuck with my I re-plotted my entire run and planned a return to his home and a phone call to Bob to come pick up my tired butt....but it wasn't needed. Jack Russell stopped just short of the next turn on my route, and started head back towards his home.

When I got to 90 minutes I realised that I screwed up on plotting this run, and I felt a little defeated. The weather was getting to me at this point as well - cold and so windy. But I pressed on. I was disappointed that the cattle that ran from me last week were grazing on a separate field, away from the road - I love seeing those incredible animals up close. My hips started aching at this point, and I was feeling tired - but just as I was starting to wonder how much longer I could go, I saw a lovely 5 dollar bill in the grass to my left. I picked it up, and felt guilty?! But then I felt okay about it! It was my small reward for getting through a tough run.

My legs felt pretty rough for the rest of the day - but not too rough to do a bit of shopping with Bobby! And guess what we found?!! (in purple though!)

So - my 13-mile reward has come early - oh well! My feet are pretty happy about it!

Week 5, Rainy Run on Strong Legs

2006-05-18T14:50:00.000-04:00

Thursday, May 18th
4:07 Miles
43:49 Minutes
10:43/mile average pace

I heard the rain falling at 5:45 this morning as my alarm clock went off. I would have considered running after work today, but I had already made plans for the evening leaving me with no option but to run in the rain. I dragged poor Charlie with me as I didn’t have the chance to get him out for a walk last night, and won’t again tonight. He was pretty happy to get home after our run.

I didn’t mind the rain that much. I wore a baseball cap and it did pretty well to keep the rain off my face. This run is getting easier each time I run it, but I think I need to do something to lengthen it a little. According to the schedule the Monday and Thursday runs should be 45-50 minutes, and I’m falling a little short of that. Unfortunately that means that I’ll have to set the alarm clock another 10 minutes earlier…booooo!!!

My legs are feeling a little rough today – I did a home-gym leg work out yesterday evening, and I’m actually a bit surprised that I did enough “damage” to feel it today. I did some walking lunges, yoga-style squats, some single-leg squats (that’s what did it) and some deadlifts. I was in pain for probably 3 or more days after the first time I tried doing single-leg squats last fall. I remember feeling the worst pain when I was squatting down to sit – it was almost impossible not to let out an audible grunt!

I realised an interesting benefit to having a home gym last night – you can work out with no pants on. Bob thinks I’m a total loser for doing this, but I stood in front of a mirror sans pants and did my leg routine. I know it sounds weird, but I think I had a perfectly good reason for doing it! I don’t love my legs – I think they are chubby and bumpy and rather unpleasant to look at. But they get me places! They work really hard and they’ve never let me down, so I’ve realised that I really need to start loving them back. I wanted to see what they were made of, so I took off my pants and got in front of the mirror and picked up some weights. I tried to look past the bad and see the good, and I saw some – there’s definitely some muscle to be had! It felt better to look at myself, rather than to weigh myself to make a judgement on my progress. Perhaps I’ll never be a super-slender distance runner – I’m 5’2”, my body is compact and my legs are thick and strong. Sure there’s a bit of extra love cuddling my quads, but even without that love my legs are substantial. It was a reality check, and though I’m still processing the experience, I think the outcome will be quite positive.

Week 5 - Spring Shoes

2006-05-16T12:47:00.000-04:00

Running in the spring is fantastic. Everything is growing, and changing day to day. We've had quite a bit of rain lately too, so that's just accelerated all of the growth. The lilacs are pretty much in full bloom right now - the scent of them is so heavy in the air as I run by. I just love it! It's so uplifting.

I bought these great Keen shoes a few weeks ago, and they've been a fantastic replacement for my running shoes at work. I dress pretty casual at work, but the running shoes were just a bit too casual. These Keen shoes are so cushiony and comfortable - I have no fear of a plantar-relapse in these babies. I would like to get another style of these Keen shoes, but since these don't classify as what I would call inexpensive shoes, I think I need to make the next pair a reward. I've been looking at my calendar and trying to decide which long run to reward myself for. I think it has to be the 13-mile run on June 10th - it's kind of the next milestone. So, in the meantime I will try to find a local vendor that carries the style I want, and continue to keep my eyes on the prize! Perhaps I'll get these in purple, in honour of the lilacs that inspire me?!

Maintenance Run - Tuesday May 16th
2.51 Miles
26:32 Minutes
10:36/minute average pace

Maintenance Run - Monday May 15th
4.00 Miles
43:04 Minutes
10:46/minute average pace

Week 4 – Long Run, really long

2006-05-15T14:46:00.000-04:00

Saturday May 13th, 2006
10.43 Miles
1:51:01
10:39/mile average

What a relief to have finally accomplished a 10 mile run! I looked down at my Garmin to watch the display go from 9.99 to 10.00! It was a truly great feeling! I can only imagine how incredible it will be to see 26.1 turn to 26.2!

I plotted out my route with the Google Maps Pedometer tool, and then drove the route to make sure I would be able to do it – it’s good to know what you’re up against! I was a little freaked out at how long the drive along the route seemed, but once I got out there Saturday morning and turned the first few corners, I was pretty confident I could complete the run feeling good.

I passed a farm early in the run where the cattle were out grazing. I was surprised that they all seemed frightened of me, and many of them ran away from the fence as I passed – I had noticed that the diesel truck that passed before I got there didn’t phase them one bit. Oooh, a blonde-female-vegetarian-jogger! RUN!!! Poor things!

Soon after passing the farm I came to a big hill and heard that gun-slinging music from the western films – it was funny how my brain just did that?! “Show me what you’ve got, hill!” But it was good, I was up for the challenge, and met it with flair! Later on a large truck passed me and blew my hat right off of my head! That was pretty funny. I wonder what look came across my face when that happened?

Before running I’d always wondered how distance runners kept going. They must be tired and hot and uncomfortable – how do they not just give up when it gets tough? Well, so far I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had nothing but pretty great weather to run in – cool and clear most of the time. And the local terrain is pretty level – hilly at times, but mainly flat, paved roads and the hills aren’t too much to handle. Right now I find the hardest thing is getting warmed up. The motivation is there because I have a goal – the marathon. It’s the first 20 minutes that I find tough – once I’m through that, it’s just about enjoying the scenery and getting to the next corner, or walk break. I keep going because…well, what else am I going to do?

Anyhow, I realised Saturday night that I somehow misread my running calendar and that I am a week ahead of schedule. Ooops. On the schedule I had 2 hill-training sessions in a row – 7 to 8 hills May 6th, and 9 to 10 hills on the 13th. I ran the 9-10 hills on the 6th by accident! Oh well. I’m thinking about throwing in another hill-training run next weekend to make up for the missed one, but I’d like to make sure that I run at least another 10 miles. Better not make another mistake like that in October! Booo!

Week 4 - Afternoon Delight

2006-05-12T09:04:00.000-04:00

Thursday May 11th
4.83 Miles
48:01 Minutes
9:57/mile average pace

This was a surprisingly good run. I had to run after work as we were in the midst of a serious downpour at 5:00 a.m., my regular running time, yesterday. I was extra careful about not eating too late into the afternoon - I didn't want any feelings of nausea to ruin my run. I ran to the hill that I do my hill training on, ran up it once and retraced my steps back home. The hill didn't feel like a challenge at all! And I found that the last 20 minutes of the run were the best!

Tuesday May 9th
2.04 Miles
23:29 Minutes
11:32/mile average pace

Tuesday's run was just a quickie in my subdivision - hilly! But I took it nice and easy.

Week 4 - Maintenance Run

2006-05-08T14:16:00.000-04:00

4.21 Miles
47:18 Minutes
11:14/mile average pace

I felt good this morning. I took Charlie along for the run this morning, and though he did drag a little, I wasn't bothered. We didn't see any of our deer friends today, but we did see a couple of bunnies, a skunk or two, and the majestic blue heron in the misty river! I think a Dead Can Dance, or This Mortal Coil song started on my Shuffle - definitely Lisa Gerrard anyway - with the mist over the river this morning I felt like I was in Middle Earth. I kept looking down expecting to see two big Hobbit feet wheeling beneath me!

This run is starting to feel like a short run, though my time hasn't improved any. I'm looking forward to this weekend already - my first 10-miler! I'd like to run it somewhere fairly flat - I'll probably just end up on my same old country roads!

Week 3 - Long Run

2006-05-07T17:36:00.000-04:00

9.22 Miles
1:43:01
11:10/mile average pace

I think this was my best run yet. I didn't get into "the zone" or have any sort of enlightenment along the way. I think it was my best run because I felt completely in control, before, during and after the run.

According to the schedule I was to run 9-10 hills, and with warm-up and cool-down the run was to total 9-10 miles. I read Jeff Galloway's instructions regarding hill training:
Take a very slow 1-2 mile warm-up and warm-down
Hill should be between 200-800 metres long
Grade should be gentle (2-4%)
Run up; Walk down
I'm not sure if the grade was quite right, but the distance must have been - I did a 2 mile warm-up run, ran up (and down-oops) the hill 10 times, took walk breaks every 5-6 minutes, and had a 2 mile warm-down on the way home. I refused to push myself - I went out determined to run 10 hills, and return home feeling good. I didn't look at my Garmin too often, because I tend to challenge myself when I do - and I know now that it's too early for that.

I sat and read and had a large glass of water before my run, I brought water with me and drank it in moderation throughout the run, and I made sure to rehydrate afterwards. I had a good breakfast and tried to eat moderately for the rest of the day - I think I did alright because I didn't feel like I needed a nap at any time throughout the day. Usually I start to fade in the early afternoon on a long-run day, and this being my longest yet, I was sure that I was in for it!

So what I learned is that water is key, I must eat moderately, and I must definitely concentrate the art of self-restraint! It would probably do me some good in the other corners of my life too!

May the 4th be with you

2006-05-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

Sorry! I know it's cheesey - but you can only say it once a year!

May 4th, Maintenance Run
4.28 Miles
46:02 Minutes
10:46/mile average pace

I had a really good run this morning. I gave my new drink belt a test run, and it worked out nicely. The only issue I have with it is the plastic bottle - the water takes on the plasticy taste. Yuk! I tried one of the Running Room naglene bottles in it, and they fit well - I may have to get one. I saw my deer in the same clearing by the river this morning, except they had doubled in numbers - 4 of them staring at me, ears all pricky! They're far too cute.

I took Charlie for 2 half-hour walks yesterday, and did my weights routine in the backyard after work! It was so lovely and warm yesterday - so much nicer than being stuck in the gym. Oh, and I sat on my new exercise ball whilst blogging last night - that was a nice change....hey, I wonder if my boss would let me sit on a ball at work? Hmmm...

Uttanasana

2006-05-03T10:16:00.000-04:00

This is the new pose we learned in Yoga last night. It will take some practise for me to achieve full range on this one. Being a runner, and weight lifter(it feels weird calling myself these things), regardless of the regular stretching I do, my hamstrings are really tight. I've noticed that my calves are being stretched pretty much to their limit in most of the poses we've learned too - this is probably good because they do tend to get tight as well. The nice thing is that our instructor really encourages us to listen to our bodies, and if we find something too difficult we should back off. He's very technical, and very meticulous about making sure we're always in proper alignment - he knows that the more careful we are to keep proper form, the less likely we are to injure ourselves. I feel like I'm really learning how to do the poses, not just copying what I see the instructor doing.

As I was packing up after class Mike, our instructor, asked me if I was bored! I thought to myself, "oh crap, have I had a miserable look on my face all class?", then he asked if I'd be interested in moving to the Level 2 class! "Phew! I didn't look miserable, I looked like I knew what I was doing!". I declined - I want to learn this thoroughly, from the bottom up. Plus, I don't feel nearly confident enough to move up a level. That was nice for my confidence though! I think it's just that I'm more athletic than most of the people in my class, and I'm good at taking instruction and being able to achieve proper form without extra attention from the instructor. I'm also a bit younger, more nimble, and less injured than the rest of the class. But I still find this challenging, so I'm quite happy with staying in Level 1.

Aside from Yoga, my mini-home-gym is almost complete. I bought a new exercise ball yesterday, and last night I pumped it with a tiny hand pump for an hour. Bob helped me plug it - I tend to lose vital air when I try do it myself. It's nice and firm - perfect for doing chest presses and back extensions. I can't believe the thought of getting a bench for home ever even crossed my mind? That ball saved me $340! I also bought a couple of sets of freeweights, so now I have 2lb, 5lb, 7lb, and 10lb pairs. We'll see how things go with those - they should be all I need for now. I'll eventually want to invest in some 20lb weights for deadlifts, but they're not really necessary right now. All of this has got me quite excited about pumping iron - being able to do it in front of the tv is pretty cool too!

I also made a trip to the Running Room yesterday and got this bevvy holster. It has a pouch that will be good for carrying cell phone, keys, snacks, etc. This Saturday I'll be running 8 miles, so I'll definitely be bringing this baby along!

May 2nd, Maintenance Run

2006-05-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

2.35 Miles
28.08 Minutes
11:58/mile average pace

I took Charlie with me this morning - he was really lagging behind again?! I'm wondering if I should drop him from my 4-Milers altogether? This was very much an uphill run, and I'm thinking that's why my average time is so high. I ran 6 and 1, and I liked it. At times I felt I could go longer, but I didn't push it. I find the uphills good for slowing me down, and they provide a great workout for the legs - good thing my neighbourhood is so hilly!

I have Yoga after work, and will do some crunches tonight during Gilmore Girls! (I love Tuesdays!)

Week 3 - Back to Basics

2006-05-01T13:43:00.000-04:00

Maintenance Run, May 1st
4.33 Miles
45:28 Minutes
10:30/mile average pace

I left Charlie at home this morning. I just had to have a good running experience after Saturday's gut-rotting run. I think it was a wise decision. I ran 6 minutes with a 1 minute walk break, and that was nice and comfy. I think I'll stick to the 6&1 for a while. I have 6 months to improve, so why push it now?

I spotted a couple of sweet little fawns grazing by the river's edge this morning! They both looked up at me as I ran by, so I waved! They didn't seem bothered at all, which I found sweet and cute - but it also worries me when the wildlife becomes complacent like that. I've run by men in camoflage with guns and thermoses on the same route - they can't trust all of humankind. Maybe they knew I was the vegelope?

My cross-training program has been in a state of constant evolution since I began running. I feel a strong desire to return to my weight-lifting, but I'm finding that my priorities are getting a little scrambled with swimming, biking, walking, yoga! I need to simplify. Yoga stays because it's already paid for and I love it - class goes until the end of June. Walking stays because it's necessary when you have a dog-child. Biking stays because it costs me nothing, and I can do it whenever I want to - plus, it's that time of year! Strength training absolutely must stay because it is the one thing I have found that has truly helped me to gain back some self-esteem.

So I think, for now, swimming gets cut. It's just too much to work into the schedule. Plus, I want to be outside as much as possible now that the weather is warming up. Strength training can be done with the freeweights and exercise ball I have at home - it may just take a little more discipline. I did my "light" weight routine yesterday, and I'm feeling it pretty good today - I think I can make a home program work. Plus, I'll be saving the $37 monthly gym fee. Maybe I'll purchase a few more freeweights and set up a little mini-gym - I've always wanted a home gym!

Week 2 - Long Run, April 29th

2006-05-01T11:58:00.000-04:00

7.20 Miles
74 Minutes
10:25/mile Average pace

This would appear to be one of my best runs yet, but not so. I think I was so excited that I pushed myself a little too hard. I had a horrible knot in my stomach that was making me feel nauseous for the majority of the run. A lot of things were different about this run - it was done late afternoon rather than at the crack of dawn, and it was probably 10-15 degrees warmer than what I'm used to. Since it was later in the day I had eaten before running - almost 3 hours before though, but the knot felt like bad indigestion. I was also questioning whether I had drank enough water prior to the run - I felt quite dehydrated just halfway through!

Anyway - I took a 3 minute walk break to settle myself down, and when I resumed running I went slower, and 5 minutes run, 1 minute walk. I started at 8 and 1. I have nothing to prove - my goal is to finish the marathon, and that's not going to happen if I push myself to discomfort like this! So, I'm going to spend some time this week reading Galloway's instructions and letting them really sink in. Run Injury Free!

April 27th, Maintenance Run

2006-04-27T10:43:00.000-04:00

4.22 Miles
44:30 Minutes
10:32/mile average pace

I felt as though I was running a lot slower this morning than what my average pace would indicate. Charlie was bugging me - it felt like he was looking behind us most of the time and I was constantly pulling at him. I think taking him with me on my short runs helps me to appreciate my long runs even more - the freedom of running alone can be pretty sweet. My plan is to run on my favorite trail this weekend, and I'm really excited about it! Flat and soft - my feet are going to love it!

Yesterday I took Charlie for a 30 minute walk, and did some weights at home. I was actually still sore from my Yoga class on Tuesday, so I wanted to take it easy.

Yoga was great this week, and I'm really looking forward to learning more. We learned the Triangle pose, that provided a nice hamstring stretch. So far Yoga has been a lot more challenging than I had expected - I think it will be an incredible workout once we really get moving along!

April 25th, Maintenance Run

2006-04-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

2.36 Miles
27 Minutes
11:26/mile average pace

I did a couple of sets of crunches after my run. My second Yoga class is tonight - I'm still fighting off a cold, hope I can breathe through my nose during class!

Week 2 - Right On Schedule

2006-04-24T14:22:00.000-04:00

April 24th, Maintenance Run
4.29 Miles
47 minutes, 10:58/mile average pace

I felt pretty good this morning - a little sluggish at times. It doesn't matter though! I'm so thankful that I'm able to run again! I must be built for living on a schedule because I love going to bed knowing exactly what I mean to accomplish the next day. That's what I love about Jeff Galloway's marathon training program, it's all scheduled out - from now till October.

I took some time last Thursday to outline a weight routine and cross-training schedule. It looks a lot like what I had posted on the 18th, only with some abdominal training and balance exercises added in. I'll try to post a copy of it soon. I'm loving the schedule!

April 23rd, Cross training - Light Weights (Crunches)

Week 1 - Long Run

2006-04-24T12:49:00.000-04:00

April 22nd
6.34 Miles - Hill training
73 minutes, 11:34/mile average pace

This run went really well considering the 2 week layoff, drizzly weather and minor headcold! My legs felt fresh, and I returned home and managed the first half of the day with very little fatigue. I crashed after lunch though. Maybe too much mayo in my egg-salad sandwich?

This was my first run with the Garmin, and I'm very happy with it! I enjoyed watching my pace as I was going uphill. The first time I went up I was running slower than my average walking pace! But by the 3rd and 4th times up I had improved significantly! What I love about this is it reminds me of weight training - you see the amount of weight climb up as your conditioning improves. I like timing and measuring because I can see changes and improvements over time - I get a lot of satisfaction out of that. I have a lot more exploring to do with the software, so hopefully I will be able to upload some graphics soon!