Fairweather athlete

By 'fair' I mean, absolutely gorgeous weather! I went for a another 10 miler today and it was hot out. Ok, so its only about 17 celcius but it was shirts-off-warm out there. The run itself was pretty decent too. I was a bit too excited for the first while and new i'd pay for it in the end, which I did. The last couple of miles were pretty tough energy-wise, however I didn't have any aches and pains which is great news. Well, my lower legs were a little sore towards the end which is a bit odd, so i'll have get to stretching my calves out.

I am still fighting with getting out the door even though when I am out there I am super stoked to be running. During the runs i'll start making plans to race or run different routes and what not but I can't seem to maintain that enthusiasm into the next morning when the alarm goes off. It definitely feels good to be able to just go out there and get 10 miles in though, and the weather helps as well. So for the time being i'm going to try and get a long run in on the weekend that gets progressively longer, and possibly look at doing a longer trail race later in the summer if I can find one. I would like to explore running further than my max run which was 30miles in just under 3 hours. I have never run futher in distance or in time before. I will definitely break the 3 hour barrier before I break the 30mile one though, you can bet on that.

Next goals: get a battery for my watch and 2 hr run on Saturday.

10mi nice and easy

So, i've been feeling extremely lethargic lately. Probably from the end of semester push, both because of the effort and the present lack of obligations and repsonsibilities. I decided yesterday that running was probably the key to getting out of this state, and so I gave it some thought. Today I decided my regular 10 mile run on the transcanada trail would be a good idea so I set out at a nice easy pace and it turned out really well. I hadn't thought about it being allergy season so it was pretty tough on the lungs but my energy level was good and my legs responded well, not without some aches and pains but that is to be expected. It was good and fun, so i'm going to keep this experiment going. I've also noticed a little more meat around the midsection which is cause for concern...
Goals for the next seven days:
2 more(min) runs of 10mi+
3 - 30+min yoga sessions
Very short term goal:
2hr long run two weekends from now

Easing into it...maybe not...oh well

Sad State of Affairs

Enough with the good intentions! Evidently the will to run has disappeared, well not completely since I did go for a run today, however the whole goal setting thing is failing miserably.

humpin it

Although I only managed to get 3 runs in this week, it was still a good week because I managed to get over the hump of dragging my ass around. Today marked the first day where there was some jump in my legs, on a few occasions I actually felt like striding out, and when I started up a hill I was compelled to pull my knees up and work rather than cut my stride and grind. So this is good.

I am feeling the pressure of the school/running balance for sure, being that I am not in shape and I am in the end of semester crunch. For now I will say the Times Colonist is going to be tentative and probably end up being a race week decision. It falls on the weekend following my last exam and there is a camping trip I would like to join in on in Victoria. Sounds convenient because they are both in Victoria, but think about it for a minute...

I guess that is about all the news, on a more general note, I am still feeling very much uninspired in most pursuits in life right now. I know that sounds bad, but....I guess it is. I think I need to pick up a book and get some new ideas flowing, I've thought of an author so I'll try and find some time for that, perhaps it will refresh me. I am also going to a conference this saturday out at UBC which I expect will be inspiring. It is called Bridging the Gap, which is an international development conference presented by Engineers Without Borders. A friend was a major part of the organizing committee and promises it to be a great one. I'm not sure if there are still tickets left but check it out.

oops

ok well i missed the deadline for the knee knacker due to some indecisiveness, perhaps if i get in great shape and run maybe a thetis lake ultra or something I can request to get in....if not well I only have myself to blame.

yowza, how about this weather. It was blazing hot on saturday but today, gross, about 5 degrees and raining. I know its cold when I head out and in the first 15mins my forehead is frozen. Not to mention the lung burn. I am still struggling to get out there, but mainly just getting out the door, once I am out there I feel great so I think I will employ the tactic I when I trained best and that is roll out of bed put the gear on and start running while still half asleep. It is hard to sacrifice the glorious morning coffee wake up but I think this will be necessary. I am still just doing easy 35min runs, although the other day I was pressed for time so I hammered it which was pretty nice actually. I have also decided that on these easy runs i'll do a couple of Ironworkers hills to get the muscles and lungs activated on a regular basis. Really I am still just muddling around. I am also going to commit to weekly updates on sundays so I can keep track of my running seeing as I am not really keeping a log these days. Well, off for another long day at school. Happy trails.

Knee Knacker....hmmmm

So i've been sick for about a week and a half now, so I really haven't run in the least. I used to get chest colds every november for as long as I remember and know that any amount of running is a bad idea. Today is probably my second to last day of being sick so I decided it was ok to go for a run to clear out the last of the nastiness. Not to mention the blue sky was beckoning me. You know when you are called out on a gorgeous day, and you think wow this is going to be a great run. I knew better of course and it was a bit of a struggle with the lungs in rough shape, however the body held up well.

In other news, i've been having some motivational problems lately, for reasons not entirely running related, so on my run today I decided I just need to commit to something and that should give me the little push I need. I also figured, the bigger the goal(read: extreme) the better, for someone like me. I had already been playing with the idea of doing the Knee Knacker 30mi ultra trail run across the north shore mountains, and I think i'm going to take the plunge and sign up. Unfortunately there is a lottery so I might not get in. There is a provision for people who "may contribute to the competitiveness of the race" however I haven't done many trail races in my time, all I have going for me are the marathon credentials which are seriously outdated. Anyhow, i'll hope for the best. Its going to be pretty badass thats for sure, and take some serious hill training over the next few months. I knew this day was going to come sooner or later, now its time to commit to it and make a plan. I'm quite excited, but thats easy when there is sun shining and the temperature is mid teens in mid february!

Running on Empty

I don't know if it is a lack of maturity, sheer laziness, or just lack of desire, but I have never for the life of me been inspired to eat properly. In the past I think I generally took in enough of the right nutrients just because of the sheer volume of food I was eating, but when i'm not training hard I think I am chronically undernourished. The year before last I started to read the Chris Charmichael book and started to pick a few things up but I have long since regressed into my poor diet. I just really can't bring myself to it. The main problem is I just don't get the satisfaction out of food that other people do, I think anyway. The brief moments of eating food, even when it tastes good just never becomes the payoff that inspires me to spend the time preparing it. I realize there are some quick and easy good meals out there, and I suppose I should just learn them, but even then I don't get any enjoyment out of going to the grocery store and finding the ingredients. Anyway I am just writing nonsense because I always come to the same conclusion, I need to get off my lazy ass and respect my body more and just fuckin learn it as much as I loathe it. Yes I said loathe. So I think this time I am just going to jump into it and hope it sticks, like actually go out this week end and cook some meals for the week, lunches and what not, plan the meals to make during the week, buy the damn ingredients and all that bullshit haha. I suppose I should commit myself to a month of it and see if the benefits convince me to stick with it. I have been living on my own for 10 years, bout time I got with the program. For whatever reason I have comment moderation on, so i'm going to turn it off and if anyone has some good advice or recipes that are quick and easy, feel free to spill some knowledge out!

TIRED

Not sure if its the running or if I am depressed, probably both. One of the worst things about getting back in shape is that a 35min run actually takes quite a bit out of you, sad, but true. I have been running every other day for 35-45mins and it has been pretty great in general, but totally crashing later in the day. I am really looking forward to my body adjusting to the load, and hopefully naturally adjusting to the increased calorie demands.

I met up with the group on saturday which was really nice. It has been months, many months, since I have met up with them and its great to see not much has changed. There are a few new faces(to the group), and it was good just to see everyone who I haven't been able to connect with in a long time. Of course I could only chat with them on the warm up because I had to take up the rear, and only for half the workout! The good and bad thing about that was the fact that it didn't much bother me that I was back there! I suppose I didn't mind it because I can accept where my fitness level is, but it would have been nice if a little part of me wished I was up there with Steve and Richard.....oh well, i'll give it some time. And in all fairness even when I was fit last spring I had a hard time keeping up to them in the park. Regardless, I am enjoying the return and looking forward to being able to do a long run one of these days.

Sucker for Punishment

Last semester I decided in the first week of classes that I would transfer out of a course I needed to re-take and into the hardest course I have taken to date. This more or less set me up for a super busy fall. Turns out masochism extends beyond running because I am doing it to myself again. OK, not nearly as bad but I am now transferring from a 6 credit course involving a thesis paper(with quite a bit of overlap) and a lot of discussion into two math classes. The drawback isn't so much the work involved but the interest level. Anyhow, this time around running will not be sacrificed, which brings me to today.

I have been running now for about 14 years or so but it still always shocks me how great it feels when you start up again after a layoff. Even though I am sore and tired, I am just happier, and feel better all around. I may not get into great shape over the next few months but my number one goal will be to remain consistent and stay in touch with that feeling which often dissipates as you start grinding through training. Today I was up to 40mins in the pouring rain and really enjoyed it despite the slightly sore calves, hamstrings, groin, left compartment.....the list goes on! It is going to be nice to be light and fluid again that is for sure. Goal for the week: meet up with the group on sunday and do 45mins, ambitious I know....

Day One...

OK, this is legit.

I almost can't believe myself this time but really, today I have started running. Not training, running. After a slack summer of passive healing and low motivation and an impossibly busy fall I dusted off the tights and running shoes and headed out into the cool evening air. Sounds nice so far right, but it was pretty uncomfortable, no major pains, a little discomfort in the left compartment, and some gut discomfort but on the whole, not bad, until this joker in track pants and a hoodie decided to chase me! I wasn't going fast by any means and I actually said 'good work' when he went by because he dogged me for at least a mile then moved past me at a decent clip. I'll give him some credit, but he didn't need to kick me when i'm down, ha! Anywho, it was really nice to get out there and clear out the lungs. It actually made me remember how painful it was not to be training in the fall, which is my absolute favorite time to run. I'll have to make the best of the winter months when it isn't raining and snowing, however on Richard's orders i'll be easing into things nice and slow. At this point and probably no where in the near future do I have any racing goals, but will focus on becoming consistent, healthy and enjoying the sport. It is pretty safe to say i'll do the Sun Run and the Times Colonist because they are a couple of my favorite runs out there, but not necessarily race them, and I am going to have to make a decision on registering for the Knee Knacker pretty soon.

In other news, I am well into this semester and busy as ever, but looking forward to classes where I can delve a little more into my interests. I would say most people, myself included tend to learn easier and with more depth when you get to learn about something you have a vested interest in, and something that is more or less tangible.

Well that is about all for now, I am really looking forward to the next few months of a little better balance in life, and also meeting up with the group for some weekend and perhaps even weekday runs since I have relatively few afternoon commitments. I hope the holidays treated everyone well. Happy trails!

Summer Sabbatical

Well as per usual I took the summer off from running and gained about 10 lbs. Oops. It was a great summer of school, the beach and riding around on my fixie but its now the fall and time to get back down to it. I have a really tough semester coming up but had a great 3 week vacation back home to Kitimat and over to Haida Gwaii, which was a good refresher. This morning I laced up the shoes and ground out a 30min run that was exactly that, a grind. My body was not pleased nor were my lungs, I am heavy and out of shape, a little bike riding really doesn't do much of anything to stay even in modest shape. I am somewhat excited to get in shape again although the time constaints wont make it easy, I am setting a goal of not embarrassing myself at BC cross, and I mean to do that by doing some hill work during the week and a long run on the weekend. Hills are the best bang for your buck and it just so happens I go to school on a small mountain so that works out reasonably well. Here we go.

The Itch

Well it took a good 3 weeks for the itch to come back. And today I scratched it till it bled.

Today was my long day of school, 5 hours straight fight to stay awake, and when I got home I decided to go for a nice easy 5 mile jog. But when I got over to the second narrows bridge I ended up crossing it running to the lions gate bridge and into the west end to my girlfriends place hoping she would be home and I wouldn't have to tack on another 35mins. Thankfully she was there but I still had to ride my bike home from there which takes about 20mins going hard. So it was a pretty tough go on the whole but I enjoyed it, its so nice to just go out and pick a goal and suffer it out. It certainly doesn't lend to consistency but as a way to get back into running it is always fun to do. Although I am officially back to running I haven't really thought of any goals right now and just going to take it day by day. The next fun thing is going to be the bike races on July 8th I think, time to get my sprint on, its going to be a blast.

Change of plans, or cancellation

Well the evening after the race last week I realized the wedding I am best man at is on July 4th, which means racing in Kelowna on July 5th is not an option. That being the 5th of the 5 timex races I need means there is no need for me to bother racing every weekend 4 weeks in a row. Which is why I didn't do the Sandcastle 10k yesterday and won't be doing the UBC 5k next sunday. So basically that is the end of any racing plans in the near future. Things have been pretty rough over the last couple of months and struggling with minor injuries is really played out so we have decided to just get healthy over the next month and get into training consistenly over the summer then get into serious training again come september. I think the goals for the fall will be to get a fast 10k in, maybe go to Ottawa for national 10k champs, and to try and have a cross country season. I know I decided last fall I was compltely over cross, but I want to give it a proper try this fall, I feel like there is some unfinished business there of some kind. I can't really imagine going all summer with just running and not racing at all so I think at some point i'll find a trail race or two to get into and keep things interesting.

In other news, I put a fixed gear rear wheel on my bike and have been doing quite a lot of riding around town. It is really strange at first because you always have to keep your legs moving, no coasting, and it ends up feeling kind of similar to running because you have no gears or extra moving parts just the mechanical advantage(and disadvantage) of one gear. Basically is it like the sprint bikes you see in the velodrome, so once you get a couple turns in you can really get moving super fast and it is a ton of fun to ride. I am actually hoping to get some racing in on the bike this summer, no training, just using my funning fitness which should be fun. There are some races around town that are informal and fun social events that I am going to check out.

Shaughnessy 8k - 3rd

Well, I won't say it was easy by any means. I knew going into this race it was going to be tough and it certainly didn't disappoint. I am basically 'racing into shape' and this was a step in the right direction. I went out at the start with David Jackson thinking he would be a good guy to key off of since we have run some similar times, and if I were going to run well it would be at roughly his pace. I had no idea that Ryan Mackenzie was in the race since I have never met him and didn't know what he looked like. So there was this running room guy hammering off the front and I was wondering what was going on until I asked David who it was. From about a mile in I realized I wasn't going to be able to stay with David so I just got my grind on and rode it out. I am pretty happy with the effort I put in since I am not strong on hills right now and was a bit worried about my calf and groin. The groin turned out to be just fine and we will see how the calf turns out, as of now they are both roasted, and I suspect some serious soreness over the next few days. The most important thing is that I got in a solid effort on a course that is not terribly easy, and I had fun. I am looking forward to the 10k next weekend now and hopefully can get a half workout in this week.

In other news, I ran twice up at sfu during class breaks last week and really enjoyed running on the trails, I am seriously feeling the trail racing itch so I am going to have to look around for one this summer for sure. Speaking of school, my schedule this semester is kick ass! And I am totally stoked for the summer of long weekends, running, relaxing and of course studying, good classes for the most part too! I think this downswing has more or less played itself out and I am excited for some more positive energy to flow. Happy trails!

Rookie

Well, things didn't go so well on the weekend, but it wasnt as though I was completely caught off guard. I didn't feel very good going into the race and it is partially because I made a couple of rookie mistakes like all the biking last wednesday, taking friday off completely, only going for a very short run on saturday after a few hours in the hot sun. When I went for a jog saturday evening to do a shake out, it felt like death, which wasnt entirely surprising. What was surprising was how strange my legs felt when the race started. I can't really describe it but they just felt funny and not like they wanted to run. I went out conservative and figured maybe things would feel better around 7 or 8k and that didn't really happen. Never the less at 7k I picked it up and went after Jim and Jason who I let go from the start. I managed to get up ahead of jason by 10k and ran with him until the turn around until it turned uphill and the wheels(what little I had) fell off. From that point on I just struggled home. I had resolved before the race that I would not drop out save for injury and the way I felt put this to a serious test. In the end I struggled home in just under 72mins which was entirly depressing but with a minor victory, in not dropping out, and by the guided realization that my groin did not bother me even a little bit. What did hurt were both my calves and hamstrings in a way that was foriegn to me and I can only assume is from the effects of the cycling. I guess I have to take the good with the bad, but one conclusion is that there is a good chance I may have to get into a half marathon sooner than Richard and I planned, to erase this memory.

So, on to next week. 8k! yow, that is slightly frightening. I suspect it will take me most of the week to heal up but I am going to have to get into some strides and drills and stuff to make sure I am good and loose and ready to do a fast paced race. I have no idea what to expect and wont really expect anything I suppose other than a lot of pain, it can't be worse than the 5k is going to feel at UBC the week after...

mmm...perogi

Seriously depleted. I'm not sure if I mentioned it earlier but I bought and old 10 speed bike from a pawn shop a few weeks ago, the front derailer(sp?) doesn't work so it is actually a 5 speed. So I have been riding around quite a bit. It is awesome. Even though it is a beater I can still get it going faster than a lot of people on their $1500 road bikes. The problem is that, as I tend to do with new things I am kind of over doing it, yesterday I rode from the westend all the way to SFU, went to class, bummed around, bussed to Coquitlam, did a short workout with Steve, then rode 30 odd km back to the westend. All this and I didn't really eat much that day, mainly because my guts are very particular and I didn't want to have to stop in the middle of the workout. So anyway, I was super depleted and dead by the end of the day, but it was great. I have always enjoyed going hard till you are tired then just continuing on, you know, when you get to that place where you just lock into an effort level and go, and don't realize how tired you are until you actually stop and it comes like a tidal wave. So anyway, that was my day yesterday and I didn't really replace the lost fuel as much as I should have and dragged my ass through the 10mile jog today after 5 straight hours of class. Now it is time to rest up for sunday's race.

By taking a mental survey of who is around and racing these days it seems unlikely that there will be much competition at the half this weekend, but that is also what I thought last fall when I went out for the half marathon that is part of the Royal Victoria Marathon, and sure enough Jim Finlayson and Jason Warick came out of the woodwork. I haven't talked to anyone but Jim does this race nearly every year so I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see him there, Todd Howard either, and David Jackson ran the Vancouver Half a couple of weeks ago so maybe he will come out. I think these guys are around the same fitness level as I am so it would be nice if they toed the line. I don't really have any expectations for this race since training has been pretty rough the last several weeks, and I dont really know what the course is like so I am just going to go out and run it hard and smart, trying not to get in over my head. It is also the first of a string of races i'll be doing; the remainder of the Timex series. Richard and I have decided on some shorter stuff which should be fun, if you call racing back to back to back to back fun! Luckily they are all local and the last one is in Kelowna where I haven't been in ages so that will be nice. Ok I feel like I am rambling here, so i'll post back with a race report and review of the new ST racers I recieved in the mail today!

Its like that...and thats the way it is

Well, I am still sick, the end is in sight but my 30min run today was utterly exhausting. With two weeks to go until the Ottawa Marathon it was decision making time yesterday. The marathon portion of training started off well when we did the 10miles medium, 10miles tempo, 2 miles easy, although the groin problems had already begun, but from there thing really just went off the rails. The groin did not heal and I started to get the breathing issues I had last year. I was willing to put up with this however, because I was still able to train well with the groin soreness, and I had seen the pharmacist and doctor and they concluded that it was not directly allergies causing my breathing problems but a return of some asthma problems I had as a child, which could again be helped by using ventalin. So I started working on getting the documentation and all that to submit to CCES. So in the meantime I missed a few workouts, but then I got sick and missed a few more workouts, and I am still sick. In sum, I have virtually missed 75% of the marathon specific portion of my training and so we have come to the conclusion that it isn't a reasonable expectation to put a good marathon together.

It certainly is unfortunate that I won't be able to go and compete at a high level in the marathon but unlike last year the dissapointment is not devastating. One of my major goals was to maintain a balance this spring between school, running and interpersonal relationships and i've done quite well I think. I may not be able to run a marathon but I have returned to a high level of fitness, i've achieved a 3.15 gpa this year, put a good effort into work, and maintained and developed relationships well. There is certainly a lot of improvement to be made of course. Another great conclusion of this marathon build is that I have moved from a mental space where I was seriously considering retiring from competitive running to wanting to continue, find new challenges and goals, and enjoy everything running has to offer from hard training to fun 'adventure runs,' road races to trail runs, and everything in between.

I'll post back soon after some planning and goal setting, but for now I am hoping to do the Oak Bay Half-Marathon in Victoria on May 24th. I may not be in marathon shape but i'll be rested and ready for a good half!

Vancouver Half - DNS

Fuck around. Bit of a tough morning here, an hour before the start of a race I am supposed to do, and feeling like shit. I woke up yesterday with a chest cold and was hopeful that race morning it wouldn't be much worse. At least I try to be optimistic. I woke up with fire in my throat and phlegm in my chest. At first I decided that I would still go to the race and start, do the first 5k and drop out, thinking somehow I owe it to the race organizers to at least start(what with the pre-race media stuff) but in the end I figure I won't be missed, and really my better judgement says to just stay home and sit this one out, and I would be willing to put money down that Richard would agree. I have a long standing policy not to run with a chest cold and today is not going to be an exception.

So what does this say for Ottawa? Well frankly, for now, nothing, but it is certainly a kick in the nuts after a dropping out of the second most important workout last sunday, and in general not feeling great. I decided earlier in the week that I was tired of feeling beat up, mentally and physically, from the workouts. Like they were bringing out any little pains and imbalances and making them big and hard to run efficiently and fluidly. So I just ran some easy/medium runs tuesday through friday with some decent volume and started feeling better towards the end of the week. The struggles continue.

....Sun Run

.....continued from last post....

Race Day! Despite the lacklustre week or so I was excited to lace up the T5s and hit the pavement for a quick 10k. I was prepared for disaster since my breathing had been so poor the previous few days but hoped the low pressure system and morning would help. Richard had said that this would be more of a "workman's race"(term coined by Bruce Deacon) meaning that we are training for a marathon here and we cant expect anything special, just a good hard race effort. Obviously as an athlete we hope that something special DOES in fact happen and you run really well! Not the case! In actuality I was happy with the race. I didn't feel good for any of it, in hindsight my legs did feel stale, and my breathing was only a bit of a problem(I had to breathe harder than I normaly would but it wasnt a restricting factor in performance I don't think, much like last year). That said, I didn't feel BAD either, and put in a strong mental and physical effort which I am happy about. I am also pleased that I was able to be very disciplined during the race, I new my groin and hip flexors were a problem and in a few point in the race I had the chance to really go full throttle and I held back knowing the fight was in Ottawa and risking injury here would be foolish. Unfortunately I didn't get to have fun like last year in the Sun Run and Times Colonist where I had a great kick and ran like a wild animal, that was fun! So, all in all, it turned out to be a "workman's race" who knew, Richard was right...again. Running sub 31 in these conditions is just fine with me, hopefully this summer I can get in 10k and try to break 30, I know its there somewhere.

DONE....for two weeks

The most brutal semester is over! What a few months it has been, the worst schedule, and trying to run hard while doing it. In general it was not that much fun, I am seriously tired out, which is probably why I have spent so much time in bed the last few days. It really is a relief. Even though I am starting 3 more classes on May 5th, my schedule is WORLDS better. I only have class on tuesday, wednesday and thursday morning, thats right, 4 day weekends! So awesome!

Running. Its been a trying couple of weeks, things were going really well but the wheels kind of came off two saturdays ago when we did a 3 x 3mile workout, it was solid(15:36, 15:16, 15:23) but it was more or less the straw that broke the camels back as far as my physical and mental energy could go with exams coming up, and it made my groin issues that much more sore.

I have been fighting a groin problem for a while now and, as expected, it is taking a while to heal, I am able to still do the sessions but there is an extra dose of caution associated with everything which is getting annoying, right when I want to be hitting it hard, I have to be extra careful(maybe that is a good thing). After that workout I did a hilly 20+miler on monday which I have since decided aggravated it a bit more, I reacted by doing some strength exercises to aid the healing. Ooops, went a little too hard and strained my hip flexors. I didn't really think it was an issue till the wednesday workout at the track where I had trouble getting around it at 3min/k pace(I also couldnt breathe!) So needless to say the allergy season is upon us, which only compounded the problem.

Last year was the first year I had allergy problems and I was in denial for most of it, and it really hurt my training and racing, mentally and physically. So, when I did the session on wednesday then went for a one mile jog(then quit) on thursday, and couldnt breathe, I was depressed to say the least. I decided I wasnt going to run for two days since I needed to summon all the mental energy I had for my exams on thursday and friday. I figured it wouldnt hurt to take a physical break too, even if it left me a bit stale for the race, i really needed a regroup.

Sun Run.....maybe i'll continue this in a new post.....