And my vertigo was back, so I wasn't even sure I'd be able to run at all, so I'll happily take a crappy treadmill run of any distance over not physically being capable of doing anything.
Run and done.
That's about it.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Dreadmilling it up
October 7 Plan: 6k Actual: 4k
Not much to say about this one. It was raining so I had to stick to the treadmill.
And my vertigo was back, so I wasn't even sure I'd be able to run at all, so I'll happily take a crappy treadmill run of any distance over not physically being capable of doing anything.
Run and done.
That's about it.
And my vertigo was back, so I wasn't even sure I'd be able to run at all, so I'll happily take a crappy treadmill run of any distance over not physically being capable of doing anything.
Run and done.
That's about it.
20k - say whut?!
October 4 Plan: 20k Actual: 20k
20 frickin k, yo.
That shit is far. Crazy far.
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a good route for this one. Whitby/Oshawa is stupendously hilly, this I've learned over my past few months, and given how my knees and legs have been feeling, anything I can do to cut down on the number of uphills is a good good good thing.
So I smushed together some of my favourite parts of previous routes and came up with this one which, wouldn't you know it, came precisely to 20k. Mercy be.
Wasn't sure if this run was going to happen on the Saturday or Sunday because of the weather but I really really like getting them done on Saturdays so was delighted when the weather cooperated. Conditions I love - relatively overcast with bits of sun and no rain. Phew no rain. Loved it.
There were many walking breaks in this run, hence my pace. Knees were crazy sore the final 5k which makes me really appreciate that this is my last long run before the actual race. I think my body really needs the taper. Big time.
My one and only goal (other than to finish) on race day is to be done in less than three hours. So I was relatively happy to get this one done in 2:53 giving me a bit of an estimate about how fast I need to go on race day to actually get there. I'm feeling like I can do it, having come this close now. Especially since the course is flat and not as stupid hilly as the routes out here.
The look on my face in the picture below pretty much says it all. That was my smile, really and truly was. Took this at about the 18k mark when I thought my knees were going to seize but I kept going. Never been so happy to see my house in all my life.
Next long run? The race! Ack!
That shit is far. Crazy far.
I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a good route for this one. Whitby/Oshawa is stupendously hilly, this I've learned over my past few months, and given how my knees and legs have been feeling, anything I can do to cut down on the number of uphills is a good good good thing.
So I smushed together some of my favourite parts of previous routes and came up with this one which, wouldn't you know it, came precisely to 20k. Mercy be.
Wasn't sure if this run was going to happen on the Saturday or Sunday because of the weather but I really really like getting them done on Saturdays so was delighted when the weather cooperated. Conditions I love - relatively overcast with bits of sun and no rain. Phew no rain. Loved it.
There were many walking breaks in this run, hence my pace. Knees were crazy sore the final 5k which makes me really appreciate that this is my last long run before the actual race. I think my body really needs the taper. Big time.
My one and only goal (other than to finish) on race day is to be done in less than three hours. So I was relatively happy to get this one done in 2:53 giving me a bit of an estimate about how fast I need to go on race day to actually get there. I'm feeling like I can do it, having come this close now. Especially since the course is flat and not as stupid hilly as the routes out here.
The look on my face in the picture below pretty much says it all. That was my smile, really and truly was. Took this at about the 18k mark when I thought my knees were going to seize but I kept going. Never been so happy to see my house in all my life.
Next long run? The race! Ack!
Perspective is everything
October 2 Plan: 8k Actual: 8k
I feel like I've complained a lot in my past few posts. Well, I have. Complained. A lot. I've been tired and sore and busy and hot and frustrated at my slowing pace and and and and.
So it's been hard. This training process. And long. Sooooo long. The whole plan is 18 weeks and here we are in week 16 with just over two weeks until race day.
So it likely won't surprise you when I say that it was really hard to get out the door for this one. Like, super hard. I just didn't wanna. I was tired. Work has been crazy busy. And Micheal and I had had a disagreement earlier on that we'd tried to resolve but I still left the house in a less than ideal head space because it was going to be dark soon, I was starving, and I had to just get out and get it done. So I did.
I have a typical 8k route that I've done many times before but I didn't feel up for it tonight. Has a few hilly sections and nope, didn't have it in me. So I ran down Thickson then back, adding in extra sections of my 'hood to get me to that magic 8 number.
One of those extra add ons is the wee square you see at the bottom. That? It's a cemetery. Yep, you read that right. Cemetery.
A while back I was planning out my routes and Map My Run suggested I run through this green space on Taunton. I had to think long and hard before I realized it was a cemetery. Chatted to my other runner friends about running in such a space (have you seen House of Cards and what happens to her when she runs through one????) and there were many of my compatriots that have run through them so that made me reconsider.
On my way back from my out and back I came across said cemetery and decided to give it a try. It's a small space so I knew it wouldn't add too much but would give me the extra distance I needed. I rounded the corner and was committed.
It was very quiet and very flat. It felt strange, like I was trespassing or something, yet it was very peaceful at the same time. I felt out of place, and rightfully so, and decided that would be my first and last time running in this particular place.
As I rounded the last corner I passed a man in front of a very well tended grave. He had to have been my age, maybe a little older, and he was sitting in one of those folded camping chairs. Just sitting and staring.
It broke my heart.
The very first thing I did when I got home was go straight to Micheal and give him a massive hug, apologizing for whatever the hell it had been we were squabbling over. So not important, given what I'd just witnessed. So not important.
While I'll likely never run through that space again, I'm still glad I did if only for the perspective it gave me.
So it's been hard. This training process. And long. Sooooo long. The whole plan is 18 weeks and here we are in week 16 with just over two weeks until race day.
So it likely won't surprise you when I say that it was really hard to get out the door for this one. Like, super hard. I just didn't wanna. I was tired. Work has been crazy busy. And Micheal and I had had a disagreement earlier on that we'd tried to resolve but I still left the house in a less than ideal head space because it was going to be dark soon, I was starving, and I had to just get out and get it done. So I did.
I have a typical 8k route that I've done many times before but I didn't feel up for it tonight. Has a few hilly sections and nope, didn't have it in me. So I ran down Thickson then back, adding in extra sections of my 'hood to get me to that magic 8 number.
One of those extra add ons is the wee square you see at the bottom. That? It's a cemetery. Yep, you read that right. Cemetery.
A while back I was planning out my routes and Map My Run suggested I run through this green space on Taunton. I had to think long and hard before I realized it was a cemetery. Chatted to my other runner friends about running in such a space (have you seen House of Cards and what happens to her when she runs through one????) and there were many of my compatriots that have run through them so that made me reconsider.
On my way back from my out and back I came across said cemetery and decided to give it a try. It's a small space so I knew it wouldn't add too much but would give me the extra distance I needed. I rounded the corner and was committed.
It was very quiet and very flat. It felt strange, like I was trespassing or something, yet it was very peaceful at the same time. I felt out of place, and rightfully so, and decided that would be my first and last time running in this particular place.
As I rounded the last corner I passed a man in front of a very well tended grave. He had to have been my age, maybe a little older, and he was sitting in one of those folded camping chairs. Just sitting and staring.
It broke my heart.
The very first thing I did when I got home was go straight to Micheal and give him a massive hug, apologizing for whatever the hell it had been we were squabbling over. So not important, given what I'd just witnessed. So not important.
While I'll likely never run through that space again, I'm still glad I did if only for the perspective it gave me.
Ouch ouch, my everything
September 30 Plan: 6k Actual : 6k
This run was doomed from the get go.
Sore legs, sore knees from the weekend's long run, a few days to wait before all the angry body parts get to see my chiro again.
And it was warmer that I'd thought it might be.
And windy.
And my damned pause thingie didn't work properly.
Sigh.
I did enjoy listening to the Book of Mormon soundtrack for the first time, though. Had a few good laughs as we prep to go see it on November 7.
So yeah, that's pretty much it for this run. Let's put this bad boy to bed.
Sore legs, sore knees from the weekend's long run, a few days to wait before all the angry body parts get to see my chiro again.
And it was warmer that I'd thought it might be.
And windy.
And my damned pause thingie didn't work properly.
Sigh.
I did enjoy listening to the Book of Mormon soundtrack for the first time, though. Had a few good laughs as we prep to go see it on November 7.
So yeah, that's pretty much it for this run. Let's put this bad boy to bed.
Upping the distance yet again
September 27 Plan: 18k LSD Actual: 18k LSD
I was strangely looking forward to trying out this next distance. I'd done 16 twice and this didn't seem like that much longer so I was ready for it.
Had my pre long run breakfast of coffee and a thin bagel, packed up all my stuff (shot bloks and lots of water) and hit the road. Again it was warmer than I'd expected but there was some good cloud cover before I left so I was hoping it would hold.
This would be my first time running down Thornton Ave so I wasn't sure what to expect. I have mixed feelings about trying new routes because a) it's exciting - everything's new, despite how many times you may have actually driven down the road before and b) it's scary, 'cause you don't remember the weird hills that pop out of nowhere, despite having driven down the road many times before.
As I ended my time on Taunton - the long eastern run - I turned on to Thornton to head south and made my way to the east side of the street. By now the sun had come out and was much stronger than I'd expected so I was all about running on the shadier side of the street.
Problem.
There IS no sidewalk on the east side of Thornton. Allllll the way down to Rossland. Sigh. So I ran in the blazing sun.
When the sidewalk finally revealed itself to me in all its shady glory I couldn't have been happier. I didn't even wait for a stoplight - I ran right across the middle of the road and was rewarded with a much cooler environment. Even better? Shortly thereafter I came upon a massive downhill that seemed to go on forever. Bliiiissssss. Pure bliss.
I enjoyed the hell out of that downhill then paid for it with a massive climb on Rossland back up to Garden. But I walked as much as I needed to then took a quick pee/water break at Tim Horton's and carried on.
The rest of the run was slow but steady. Tried to stay out of the sun where possible but yeah. Some things you just can't dodge.
Felt great hitting yet another milestone. Wasn't too happy with my pace but really, at this point it's all about getting the distance in and less about speed for me. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.
20k next week - eeps!!
Had my pre long run breakfast of coffee and a thin bagel, packed up all my stuff (shot bloks and lots of water) and hit the road. Again it was warmer than I'd expected but there was some good cloud cover before I left so I was hoping it would hold.
This would be my first time running down Thornton Ave so I wasn't sure what to expect. I have mixed feelings about trying new routes because a) it's exciting - everything's new, despite how many times you may have actually driven down the road before and b) it's scary, 'cause you don't remember the weird hills that pop out of nowhere, despite having driven down the road many times before.
As I ended my time on Taunton - the long eastern run - I turned on to Thornton to head south and made my way to the east side of the street. By now the sun had come out and was much stronger than I'd expected so I was all about running on the shadier side of the street.
Problem.
There IS no sidewalk on the east side of Thornton. Allllll the way down to Rossland. Sigh. So I ran in the blazing sun.
When the sidewalk finally revealed itself to me in all its shady glory I couldn't have been happier. I didn't even wait for a stoplight - I ran right across the middle of the road and was rewarded with a much cooler environment. Even better? Shortly thereafter I came upon a massive downhill that seemed to go on forever. Bliiiissssss. Pure bliss.
I enjoyed the hell out of that downhill then paid for it with a massive climb on Rossland back up to Garden. But I walked as much as I needed to then took a quick pee/water break at Tim Horton's and carried on.
The rest of the run was slow but steady. Tried to stay out of the sun where possible but yeah. Some things you just can't dodge.
Felt great hitting yet another milestone. Wasn't too happy with my pace but really, at this point it's all about getting the distance in and less about speed for me. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway.
20k next week - eeps!!
Mixin up my routes
September 25 Plan: 8k steady Actual: 7.23k
Hotter than I'd expected for this late September run. Was supposed to do 8k but didn't have it in me so decided to go for 7ish instead.
Changed up my route and went west instead of my traditional east. Now, the real reason I generally stay away from this side of town is that it's crazy hilly in certain spots. Some are fantastic downhills but as always, what goes down must eventually go back up. If I want to run home, that is.
As you can see from the many red sections on this route I had to walk more than I would have hoped. Combination of hills, general exhaustion from the day and the heat. Yeesh!!
Despite more walk breaks I still managed an 8:15 pace which isn't too bad.
One more done!!
Changed up my route and went west instead of my traditional east. Now, the real reason I generally stay away from this side of town is that it's crazy hilly in certain spots. Some are fantastic downhills but as always, what goes down must eventually go back up. If I want to run home, that is.
As you can see from the many red sections on this route I had to walk more than I would have hoped. Combination of hills, general exhaustion from the day and the heat. Yeesh!!
Despite more walk breaks I still managed an 8:15 pace which isn't too bad.
One more done!!
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Running with a full brain sucks ass
September 23 Plan: 6k steady Actual: 7k
Ah, this was supposed to be a fantastic day. A great run. Just before 9am my mother and sister were going to pick me up and off to Ste Anne's we would go for a day of relaxation and pampering. So instead of running at night, I decided to make the most of the morning opportunity and got out to run before we left for the day.
I love morning running. Way better than evening. So I was actually looking forward to this!
Until Monday night, that is.
An email came in saying a big, huge mistake had been made at work. One that I was, by extension, a part of. I was reasonably sure that I'd done everything I'd needed to do but couldn't address any of it without being in the office.
Which I wasn't going to be, all day long.
That really changed the feel of my run, to say the least.
My brain was all over the map, as was my pace. It all sucked. I couldn't get into a groove. Couldn't get out of my head.
We of course did end up going to the spa for the day and I had a wonderful hour long massage to help me work out my legs and all the tension I was carrying. Sadly I spent a good portion of the day on the phone or checking email, but all was not lost.
Everything got sorted - as well as it could - in the long run. But in the short run, this 7k short run, everything sucked.
Ah, this was supposed to be a fantastic day. A great run. Just before 9am my mother and sister were going to pick me up and off to Ste Anne's we would go for a day of relaxation and pampering. So instead of running at night, I decided to make the most of the morning opportunity and got out to run before we left for the day. I love morning running. Way better than evening. So I was actually looking forward to this!
Until Monday night, that is.
An email came in saying a big, huge mistake had been made at work. One that I was, by extension, a part of. I was reasonably sure that I'd done everything I'd needed to do but couldn't address any of it without being in the office.
Which I wasn't going to be, all day long.
That really changed the feel of my run, to say the least.
My brain was all over the map, as was my pace. It all sucked. I couldn't get into a groove. Couldn't get out of my head.
We of course did end up going to the spa for the day and I had a wonderful hour long massage to help me work out my legs and all the tension I was carrying. Sadly I spent a good portion of the day on the phone or checking email, but all was not lost.
Everything got sorted - as well as it could - in the long run. But in the short run, this 7k short run, everything sucked.
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