My first YouTube video

Time to catch up!

Oh, boy, it's been a long time!

Here's the quick update. I started a new full-time job in March, while finishing up my thesis. I successfully defended said thesis on April 6 and spent the rest of the month making revisions. It was handed in and I got the last rubber stamp (literally, a rubber stamp) of approval on April 23. I will graduate next week!

I have family coming from Ontario for the big event. I'm the first person in the family to ever go beyond the bachelor's level of education, so they're pretty happy. It's been a few years of lots-n-lots-n-lots of what feels like non-stop work.

School work wasn't even done when I started the new full-time job, so I've been on a bit of a learning curve. It's only a temporary contract (until the end of June), but given the job market, I'm pretty happy that I have it. I'm at a local college doing all kinds of applied research and professional development type stuff for instructors. Right up my alley!

Running took a big hit during these past few months of whirlwind life and transition. Miles decreased. Waistline increased. Love of running remained the same, but unsatisfied. Until recently.

I've done two 10K races this year. My plan of doing a marathon got demoted to a half marathon upon the advice of the volunteer coach of the running group I train with. He and a couple of others from our club were also training for their first marathon and putting in way more miles than I was. I realized that while I *may* be able to do it that it certainly wouldn't be pretty. And the risk of injury was high. I set my ego aside and downgraded to the half marathon.

Race day approached. I was feeling unsure. But it wasn't the usual type of uncertainty. I knew I wasn't ready. I hadn't done much running, my knee was grumpy and my general fitness level had declined some in the final stages of the thesis.

On the day we went to pick up our race packages, I went to the registration desk and asked to be transferred to the 10K. The volunteer working graciously obliged and I was set to go. Todd was also running in the race, but kept his original plan of doing the half marathon.

On the eve of the race, once again the blogging world brought like minded-friends together, we gathered with some friends from the blogging world to break bread. Dinner with Karen and her family and John and his wife, whom we were meeting for the first time. Karen put on a traditional pre-race meal of pasta and lots of carbs. The meal was lovely and the company was even better.

We finished up the evening early, with well wishes for runners and Karen, as a volunteer, knowing it would be an early start for everyone.

The race itself went well. It was my second 10K of the season and my time was only seconds faster than what it was in April. I am OK with that, given the lack of training I've had! The weather was fantastic and I saw and caught up with a number of friends, which is always one of my favorite parts of racing. It has inspired me to get back to what I love - and to blog about it.

Whoooeeee! Time flies!

My, oh my, how time flies!!

These past couple of months have been a complete and utter blur. Let's see if I can do a quick recap for you:

School
As of last Tuesday, I handed my thesis in to my supervisor. We are hoping it is a final version. I will send it around to the other committee members next week. My 2-hour oral exam is scheduled for April 6. If I pass, I'll graduate in June.

Work
I accepted a 4-month contract as a Research Project Officer at a local college. It is much like work I did at the University, so I am coming into it with a fair amount of related experience. It will be busy until my oral exam, for sure, but the full-time income will be nice!

Running
My running has suffered a bit, due to very cold weather and (mostly) my thesis. The stress of that brought some terrible insomnia that left me exhausted. That took its toll on my immune system and I got a couple of minor infections that I just couldn't seem to shake. They're better now, which helps immensely. And since handing in my thesis I have enjoyed several nights of good, deep sleep, which has helped immensely. My first race of the season is in 2 weeks. It's a St. Paddy's Day 10 K.

Love
Yes, folks, you read that right. Love. We're into month 3 now. His name is Todd. He's amazing. And he runs. :-)

So there have been lots of changes in the past few months... most of them positive and wonderful. Now I just have to settle into my new job and get my mileage back up!

Weak knees... and a couple of dates

Howdy y'all!

Thing have been super busy here lately. I am finally back in the gym now, after a rather long hiatus. My right knee has been giving me grief, so I figured it was time to get back to squats and the like.

I'm heading out for my first run in days... hoping the knee will behave.

Naturally, the temperatures have dipped and it's friggin' cold out there again. Argh!

In other news, this week I got the date date for my final Ph.D. oral exam (a.k.a. thesis defense). For now that date is top secret, so that in case I don't pass I have a couple of days to process it before I tell anyone. I will say that it isn't for a couple of months yet... late spring.

But being the eternal optimist that I am... I applied to graduate yesterday. February 1 is the deadline to apply, so at the urging of another grad student, I gulped and took the plunge. What's the worst that can happen? I flunk my exam and graduate later. But if I don't apply to graduate now and I do pass, I have to wait to graduate later anyway. So... what the heck!

If it all works out, I should graduate in mid-June - Friday, June 12 to be exact.

Now I just have to get my knees in shape for the marathon on May 31 and my butt in gear to walk across a stage a couple of weeks after that.

20 seconds

Twenty seconds. That's all it took for me to realize, during my run the other day, that my water bottle belt was uncomfortably snug. I had to let ot out some.

Boooooo!

Too much holiday cheer I'm afraid. Well, that coupled with the stupidly freezing temperatures we had through the latter part of December, dipping down as low as -42 C (around -46 F) with wind chill on at least one occasion.

It's been better this week, though the above-freezing temperatures they promised for today seem to have been revised. It will be a little below zero today and then get colder again.

Oh joy.

As I sit inside working on my thesis draft corrections, I mentally scheme of ways to get my water bottle belt back to where it was... and wear it comfortably.

Last run of 2008

I went out for my last run of the year today. I did 5 miles (8 km) in crisp, but not cold air. It was only around -5 C, just below freezing. The sun was shining bright and I thought about the year to come.

So what did I do when I go home?

Registered for the marathon, of course!

Bring on 2009!!

Happy New Year, all.

Time for something new

Two and a half years ago, when I started on my fitness journey, I had a trainer who was into monitoring your heart rate while working out. I bought a Polar F4 heart rate monitor and despite the fact that the watch unit was a bit big, I loved it and I wore it all the time.

This semester, I has all but given up the ghost. It is scratched beyond the point of being decent. I've dropped it one too many times on the locker room floor, and the LCD display is now all blotchy. It constantly tells me the battery is low, even though it just got a new one a couple of months ago. It occasionally resets itsef to its orignal settings and I have to re-program it to tell it what time and date it really is. Oh yeah, and a few weeks ago, the button to do just that fell off.

I don't really need another HR monitor, since my Garmin has one. What I do need, however, is a reliable watch. It damn near broke my heart, but today I used some gift certificates and replaced my dear old Polar F4 with a Timex Ironman Sleek model for ladies in dark purple. I really love the colour!

I am nostalgic sometimes and I'm a bit sad to retire the Polar. It's been with me through so many ups and downs and has been good to me, but I'm also excited about the new watch. It's so much more feminine and just plain snazzy! I figured it was time to change things up a bit.

Northerners do it in the cold

Well, it's been bitterly cold up here - and unusually snowy, too. Boo!

Today it has warmed up. It is finally warmer than -20 C (-4 F) for the first time in about 10 days. It has been as low as -42 C (-43 F) with the wind chill. I didn't run outside that day.

In fact, I have succumbed to the treadmill twice. I haven't run in 2 days. Ugh! As I write this, it is currently -15 C (5 F). Woo hoo! I will most definitely go out for a run after this.

Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas (or a Happy Holiday season, whichever fits best with you). Here's to a happy and healthy 2009!

Life is good

Well, I pulled off a 15-miler (24 K) this past Saturday. It was the first time since September I've done more than 13 miles, so I'm happy. Overall, my weekly mileage is gradually increasing and I'm loving it.

The downside is that I'm spending less time in the gym, but that's OK. I love running, and I'm so grateful that my legs and knees are letting me do what I love. I have learned that I have good stamina and I'm learing to appreciate it. I find this sense of tranquility out there on those long runs, alone with my iPod.

Tonight I did an easy 10K (6 miles) after school. We had a big dump of snow yesterday. The sidewalks were slippery, with ice in some spots, snow in some spots and black ice in others. There were very few spots that were very well cleared and safe. So it was slow going. But who cares? It was blissful.

Can you tell I'm feeling grateful? Yesterday I attended a funeral for the husband of a classmate. He didn't suddenly of a massive heart attack. So sad. And today is the anniversary of my Mum's death. It's been 9 years. The sharpness of the anguish has subsided, but I'm not sure the sadness will ever completely disappear. That is OK. I'm not sure I'd want it to.

Now, instead of the sadness overwhelming me, it makes me contemplative. That leads me to think about all that I have... all that I enjoy. A loving family and excellent friends top the list. Good health is up there, too. And I appreciate having the fitness level to do things like 15 mile runs when I feel like it. Really, with these things, life is pretty darned good.

Finding my way

On November 27, I turned two. On the same day in 2006 I went for my first, full 30 minute run, after having tried and been sidelined by injuries for over a year. In September 2006 I started on a walk/run program that had me running non-stop for 30 minutes on November 27.

And so, that weekend (which also happened to be the weekend I celebrated my "real" birthday), I spent the day with many friends enjoying a variety of activities, including, of course, running!

This fine trio of Karen, Jason and Carla spent 45 minutes with me enjoying the river pathways, under a bright blue sky and sun shine. Karen had baked some muffins which we enjoyed after the run.

The rest of the day was also filled with many activities, laughs and good times. I am so thankful to have so many wonderful people in my life.

It makes me sad to think that I may have to leave all this, and the many people who are near and dear to my heart, just to find a job. That is a reality I have been trying to face as I apply for jobs in the U.S. I haven't even started to look in other countries yet, but it is coming, I'm sure.

I am trying to focus more on the possibilities of good things that I do not yet know exist and be open to the adventure of it all. But I am not so easy to uproot, I must confess.

I'm sure I'll find my way eventually. One step at a time, as always...

And speaking of steps, running has been super as of late. The long runs are getting easier and the short runs are getting a bit faster. I've been running for 2 years now and I feel like I'm starting to find my legs.

That probably sounds strange, doesn't it? I've been experimenting over the past few months with my form. I experiment with how I plant my foot when I land, trying to be lighter on my feet, trying to increase my cadence and decrease my upper body movement. The results have been a few aches and pains, a mildly tweaked hamstring for a few days, but overall, a joy in discovering new ways of running. My speed seems a little faster and in general, things feel less "clunky". I am learning to tap into the power of my legs to move me forward.

I'm not exactly sure what I was doing before, since running is all about legs and feet to start with. I just know it feels a bit different now. It is still hard work, but less... struggle, at least in a physical sense.

Something Leslie said about trail running after the Death Race has stuck with me. She talked about dancing over the tree roots and rocks. I have thought about the dancing analogy a lot and have tried to incorporate lightness and playfulness into my running. It has helped! There is more joy and less struggle now.

With the snow and ice on the ground now, I dance around patches of ice on the sidewalks and pathways. I think about all parts of my body moving in synch, with my steps offering a rhythm to move me forward. Sometimes I speed up. Sometimes I slow down. However it happens, it feels light and free!

These days I am depending on my legs for that feeling of lightness and freedom. It helps to keep my soul at peace as I find my way into unchartered territory.

Rutabagas and running

A few weeks ago I went on a fresh veggie binge. I bought all kinds of seasonal vegetables with the intention of enjoy the harvests of fall. Then, a friend brought me over a large box of, you guessed it, vegetables. I have been eating lots of veggies ever since.

But there was a bit of a problem. I'm getting down to the last of them and there remained two, now-forlorn-looking rutabaga turnips. Oh dear.

Truth be told, I'm not a big fan of rutabagas. I mean, I'll eat them if I'm at someone's house and they are served for dinner, but let's just say that they do not appear on my list of Top 100 favorite foods.

But I'm even less of a fan of throwing out perfectly good, healthy food.

So, I went on a quest to find creative rutabaga recipes.

The Ginger Rutabaga Muffins turned out pretty well. The ginger really makes them, I think.

The mixed, roasted seasonal veggies that I did with potatoes, carrots and rutabaga, all tossed in some olive oil, salt, pepper and chili-infused honey were great!

But the best, by far, has been the Silky Rutabaga Apple Soup. I absolutely love blended veggie soups and this one is deee-vine!

Now, all my turnip has been used up and I'm a happy camper.

Oh yeah, and I had a great 17.78 km (11.05 mi) training run yesterday. It was windy, but otherwise a nice day for a long run. I have noticed that the long runs are not taking as much out of me as they used to. Although I'm tired later in the day, I don't come home puking, crapping or basically passing out as soon as I see the couch. Now I get home, have a shower and carry on with the day. I never thought it could be like that. But I am sure glad it has become that way. :-)

I've been researching, reading and planning. But not for my thesis. I'm taking a bit of a break from that for now. I've been looking into running, of course. I have set up a training program for the Calgary Marathon next year. Training starts today. I have 27 weeks to get myself ready.

There. I've declared it. I have a plan. Here's hoping I make it.

A month in review

Eep! It's been a month since my last blog post. Shame on me!

Well, I've been running, of course. I did my first cross country race on October 26. It was a 3 x 4 km relay. Karen was our team captain. What a blast! I wasn't too keen on the river crossings, as the water was icy, but it was good times all around! After the race there was soup and desserts for all. What a great way to spend a weekend afternoon.

I haven't been out as much doing speed work lately, as I was working in runs around my thesis. As of last Friday I sent my supervisor a draft of my thesis in its entirety. That included the changes we talked about when we met last month, as well as new stuff - introduction, literature review, conclusion, glossary and appendix. That endeavour pretty much consumed my life for two solid weeks.

Now that it is in I have a few weeks to breathe while Tim reads it over. In the meantime I get to prepare a manuscript for an academic journal and start applying for jobs. There isn't much in Canada for jobs in my field. There seems to be more in the U.S., so that is what I am looking at. The job applications take a long time to do, but if it gets me a job, I'll be happy.

Tonight is Club Night for the Calgary Road Runners, so I'm going to go join up with my running buddies for a run, followed by some beverages at the pub.

Oh yeah, and I'm starting to put together a training plan that will hopefully see me go the distance. It's time, folks...

Maritime bliss - friends, food, running and fun

Pre-race Report

As many of you know, the main reason I came to PEI was to work with my Ph.D. supervisor, who relocated to the island this past summer. About a week prior to my departure I sent him 150 pages of draft chapters of my thesis for us to discuss during the trip. His feedback has been very valuable and has moved me forward a great deal with my study.

He and his wife hosted me during my stay, which was delightful. They are generous and kind hosts. I have eaten more fish, scallops, crab and lobster since I arrived than I have in the past decade, I daresay, and I've savoured every bite of it!

The fact that I got to run a race while I have been here is just a bonus. And since this is mostly a running blog, I'll keep most of the post about that. I could rave on about the seafood, but for folks back in Cow Town, that would just be cruel and unusual punishment, as good seafood is hard to come by at reasonable prices in most corners of Calgary, I find.

The day before the race, my supervisor's wife took me out in the family car for a survey of the race route. Apart from the foot trails, we drove the entire course and that got me pumped. I find it adds a lot to my race experience when I know what to expect along the course. It adds a degree of psychological comfort that makes the run much better, I find.

I wondered how all those scallops that topped my pasta bowl the night before the race would sit in my tummy, but that did not stop me from devouring them. Oh, right. I promised not to go on about the seafood.

Moving along...

Race morning brought a delightful surprise.

As I was heading into the race headquarters to drop my bag I heard someone call my name. I turned around to look and a woman about my age screamed something to the effect of "Oh my, God! It's you!!"

I looked at her. Blankly. I don't know anyone on PEI and anyone I know through contacts isn't around my age.

She said, "It's Rosanne, from Halifax!"

Rosanne, from Halifax, was one of my closest friends from childhood. After graduating from high school, we went to different universities and all but lost contact, except for Christmas cards and Facebook.

Of course by then, it had all clicked. We quickly established that she and her husband had decided at the last minute to come from Halifax for the weekend and visit his parents, who live in Charlottetown. She had remembered that she'd seen a status line on Facebook saying I was going to run the race and decided on a whim to come and look for me.

I was flabbergasted. We hadn't seen each other in 20 years and she decided to get up early on a Sunday morning and, as she put it "try and look for my needle in a haystack". If you've ever tried to find someone at a major race, you know it is possible, but not always easy. Try adding 20 years of not seeing one another, and one of you having no idea that the other was looking for you, and the chances diminish a bit.

She said she recognized me from behind, as I was about to enter the building where the headquarters were. I laughed. Now there's proof, after 20 years, that running keeps more than your spirits from drooping.

We both found ourselves in tears at our unexpected reunion and I quickly got her phone number so I could call her after the race and we could catch up properly. With just a few minutes to spare, I hit the bathroom and then made my way to the start line, full of the usual pre-race emotions, and also with elation and surprise about seeing Rosanne.

Race Report - PEI Half Marathon - October 19, 2008

As for the race, I clocked my fastest time this year, but not my fastest time ever. Having said that, I can't complain.

First off, let me say that this is a beautiful race course. With ocean views, trails, bits that weave through gorgeous residential areas and give the runner a chance to see downtown Charlottetown, this definitely ranks among my favorite races ever. The organization was outstanding and helpful volunteers who readily share their Maritime hospitality and generosity abound from the moment you get to race headquarters, at regular and short intervals along the course and again at the finish line. To add to that, the weather was perfect. Really, the conditions were ideal and I'd recommend this race wholeheartedly.

They say that you never know what to expect during a race and you hope that you face most of the potential "blips" in training so you figure out how to deal with them. I had a surprise yesterday that's never happened before.

I got the most spectacular calf cramp that came on slowly and built steadily until it peaked when, like a lightening rod, it shot down my leg and through my foot, causing my toes to spasm shut. That part was instant - and immobilizing. I actually cried out in pain and had to stop. I tried to relax it and get the toes to unravel, but they wouldn't. It was like a car engine seized up at -40 degrees in the winter. Nothing moved.

I had to *sit down* on the side of the road, take off my shoe and manually uncurl my toes - while gasping and grunting and yet, sounding light and happy to other runners who asked if I was OK. I yelled back, "Yeah, it's OK. Just a cramp." Just. Yeah, right.

Meanwhile, the toes spontaneously and involuntarily slammed shut again a few times before I could get them to stay flat long enough to get my shoe back on. Once it was back on, I thought, "Keep moving, or everything is going to cramp up." So, away I went - much slower than before. I thought I was well hydrated and followed the usual diet as closely as possible, not being at home, so who knows what happened. Whatever it was, I am quite sure it had nothing to do with the scallops the night before. At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Apart from that, it was a good race and I enjoyed it.

Rosanne was waiting for me at the finish line with a big smile and a hug. I quickly retrieved my bag from the drop and wrapped in the silver emergency blanket that volunteers draped around each runner after the timing chips were retrieved and medals were bestowed, Rosanne and I set off to break bread and catch up on the last two decades. We shared stories over lunch, as time melted away. Finally, it was time to go and, still nursing a cramp, I headed back to my host's home for a shower and to get ready for a dinner of lobster and crab.

There I go with the seafood again... What can I say? I'd take this trip over a holiday to a tropical resort any day.

Tag!

I've been tagged by She Who Makes Waves. I need to come up with six random thing about myself and tag a few others. Here goes:

1. My favorite candy is Smarties. When I was a kid one of my siblings told me they'd make me smart, so I ate them any chance I could get. Guess it worked. I'm doing a PhD. And I still like Smarties.
2. I once saw Elton John perform at an outdoor concert in Madrid. That is the only time I have attended a concert held at a bull-fighting ring.
3. I'm 5'1". There are ladders or step stools on every floor of my house. I use at least one every day for something or other.
4. When I was 21 I was hit by a car while walking through a cross walk. It didn't break any bones, but the doctors said if I'd been taller, the impact would have shattered my femur. Yaay for being short.
5. I lost all sensation on the outside of my right hip after that accident. You could have drilled a hole in my leg and I wouldn't have noticed. 15 years after it happened, I started seeing a chiropractor. After two visits, the nerves "woke up" and now function just fine. I had failed to tell him about the nerve damage since by then it was "normal" for me and it never occurred to me to mention it.
6. I have a full birth brother, 5 years younger than me, who was given up for adoption at birth. We were reunited with him nine years ago and have become good friends since.

I'm tagging:

Local runner, Karen

Local runner, Dawn

My good friend from university and brand-new baby blogger, Claire

Another fellow Maritimer and runner, Robb

Runner and artist, Angie

10 days to the PEI half!

On October 19 I'll run in the Prince Edward Island half marathon. I'm so pumped about this I hardly have words. I don't really know why... It's not my first half. I'm not expecting it to be my fastest. My trusty friend A. won't be there to hand me a razor blade at the end to lance my blood blister. I have no idea why I'm so excited. But I am.

Maybe it's the thought of being back in my beloved Maritimes for the first time in 14 years. Or the fact that I'm pretty darned sure the heat won't get to me. Or that I'm trundling off to the island with a draft of *4* chapters of my thesis with me. (No guarantee on the quality. It is most likely all rubbish and I'll be told so by my supervisor.)

Training has been going well. I am really enjoying the Tuesday night speed work with the Calgary Road Runners. This week Karen was there and we paced and motivated each other well. I had a blast. This week we did a pyramid in minutes - 2-4-6-8-4-2, with rest in between. On three of them we were clocked in under a 9:00-minute mile. Wowee!

The leaves have mostly all fallen off the trees here and I have been wearing gloves this week. Fall is definitely here. Love this time of year.

Zooming along

Yesterday I went out for the Tuesday night speed work session with the Calgary Road Runners. I have come to look forward to Tuesday nights and I am enjoying getting to know people in the group.

Last night we did 2 x 2miles, along with a warm up and cool down. I ran hard. Nearly puked my guts out. It was most excellent.

Today I was too tired to run, but my yoga class started up again for the fall and I thoroughly enjoyed that.

The writing is coming along. I have finished a first draft of my Analysis chapter - emphasis on the "draft". But it is something to start with. I started the Discussion of the Results. I've got a basic framework for the chapter sketched out and 16 pages of notes to get me going. I am determined to have a draft ready for when I meet with Tim. I question myelf along the way, but that is part of the process, I suppose.

In general, I am working hard and enjoying every second of it.

I'm going to see a man about a thesis

Thanks for all the feedback on the heart rate monitor. I asked around at the U of C Fitness Centre, too, and I think I'm going to go with the idea that it was interference. Apparently Garmins can pick up the heart beats of people around you. So, if you are running shoulder to shoulder with someone, it can pick up both people's heart beats. Since both of you may have a heart beat at nearly the same moment, that would register as a single beat. The ones that are out of synch get registered individually, so the oveall HR seems to go up.

Apparently there can also be interference from external factors, too.

Since I felt just fine (well, you know... "interval fine", if that makes sense), I'm not going to worry about it.

This week I got some great news. As you know, my supervisor and his family moved to Canada's east coast this summer so he could take a job at the University of Prince Edward Island. He's still going to supervise my thesis and see me through to the end, but it'll be at a distance.

We thought it would be beneficial if we could meet in person to go over some of what I'd written. He and his wife offered me their guest room and meals, if I could get myself down there. I have a room mate now and she would look after the house and the cats while I'm gone.

This week I met with the Vice Dean of the faculty. She was happy to hear that my research work is progressing and thought that it would certainly be beneficial if I could spend some time with Tim in person going over what I'd done so far. And so, she agreed to support the endeavour by supplying the plane ticket.

How lucky am I?!

This means I've got to work like a maniac and write as much as humanly possible before I meet with Tim next month. It will likely be my only opportunity to have face time with my supervisor before the defense, and I want to make the most of it.

It just happens that while I'll be there, it's a big race weekend. I may just have to round out the season with a little run on the island.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must return to my thesis... :-)

Racing heart

Well, folks, no sooner had I said that I'd never done 400s or 800s than I went out for a run with the Calgary Road Runners and we did -- 6 x 800s. It was great fun! I did feel like I was going to puke, but I pulled back just enough to stave that off.

When I got home and plugged in my Garmin, I got a heck of a surprise though. Yes, this was the fastest I have worked this year. That's all well and good. The overall pace was about race pace for me. My average overall heart rate was 155, which is lower than what I race at. I usually sustain an average heart rate of about 163 for over two hours in a half marathon, with a maximum HR around 181. Is that normal for a 37-year old?

I'm asking because tonight my maximum heart rate varied from 182 to... get this: 226. WTF???

Twice before I've clocked a max HR at 255, but I assumed the Garmin malfunctioned for a second or two. But tonight I saw the max HR change for each interval and for three of the six intervals, it maxed out over 200 - once at 200, once at 202 and once at 226. I backed off a bit for the last three and maxed out in the 180s.

My resting HR, from what I can figure, is about 59 or so. My blood pressure is generally on the low side of normal... 111/70 or so is about average for me. I had my annual physical in May and I'm fit as a fiddle. And I feel great - especially since I finished off the Accutane earlier this month.

So, running friends, what do you think? Was it a Garmin malfunction? Should I try again next week and see if it continues? Should I go to the doctor, go directly to the doctor, not pass Go and not collect $200?

Speedy thoughts

What does it take to be fast? How do you get faster?

These are questions I have been asking myself lately. I've spent the year building miles - safely and injury free. I've also been thrilled this year that I haven't puked once, either in training or racing. I've come close, but I haven't crossed the line this year, so I'm getting the nutrition and hydration issues under control.

My mind wanders to the next challenge... getting faster. I've been scouring websites reading all about speed workouts, most of which boggle my mind. I've never done any workout with the numbers "400s" or "800s" in it. I monitor my stats on my Garmin, but I wouldn't have the foggiest idea how (or where?) to go run 400s. Is that even important for an aspiring marathoner?

Is it mental? Bio-mechanical? Genetic? All of the above?

What percentage of time can you expect to shave off a race with speed work (once you figure out how to do it)?

So many questions... Very little in the way of answers.

Let's be clear though... It's not that I think faster runners are better. It's that I am a challenge junkie and this is my next challenge. For now.

Sigh. If only I'd been born Jamaican. Ya, mon.

Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon Report

Race report

What a fantastic race I had today! The weather had a fall crispness to it that I just love and the course was, bar none, the most breathtaking I've ever experienced.

Here's me at the start line. Don't I look happy?

I had previewed the course a few weeks ago and as always, that made a huge difference. I knew the second half of the course was all hills.

I had two non-time related goals for this race:
1) Run the whole thing.
2) Run according to how I felt (listen to the body).

The first goal was not achieved; but that's mostly because the second goal was achieved.

The first 10 km, was the fastest I've ever done, faster even than my one 10 km race, which was run at sea level this May in Vancouver. That was the only time I looked at my watch and I thought, "Holy moly, if I can keep this up, I'll have a PR!"

But it was not to be. The rolling switchback hills in the second half reduced me to a walk at times. My Garmin later told me that my average HR through the race was 166, with a max of 181. I felt great the whole way through, but it was the fastest HR I've ever had during a race. That max was pretty near 100% for me, I figure. I worked hard and felt great. It was my fastest race time this year!

The course was spectacular - mountain views, a gorgeous river, green grass. Wow. At about kilometre 16 we were running along a river path and saw three large animals crossing the river.

Now, mountain friends, don't laugh, but they were too far away and the sun was at an odd angle, so I wasn't sure if they were moose or elk, though I'm opting for the latter. Anyway, they were big. Runners were pointing, gasping and making "Oh wow!" comments. It was a very special moment.

As for my time, I've now run 5 half marathons. Today's time was right smack in the milddle of them. Given the hills, the Accutane I was taking all through my training and most of all, the fact that I ran hard and still finished without puking, I was very happy with it. I wasn't expecting a PR today, though I do think that there will be more hill training in my future. One day I hope to conquer the hills, not the other way around.

Oh yeah, and see that finish line photo? I managed to keep my shirt on! That's also a first, I'll have you know. It was mostly because I was too busy enjoying the scenery and the race itself.

I started out wearing a tank top today, but changed to a t-shirt after we arrived in Canmore, since we could see our breath in the morning air. It all worked out just fine, eut I have a new race rule: If it's above the freezing mark, I wear a tank top.

Fun with A.

As many of you know, my friend A. appointed herself my crew member for my first half marathon in July 2007. She's been with me at every half since. I know, I know. Half marathoners don't need crewing. But it's not like I'm going to say no!

She doesn't run. In fact, she hates running. And yet, she hauls her butt out of bed at ungodly hours voluntarily to be there for me during races. I got a chance for some payback this June when she asked me to be her maid of honour when she got married. I joked then that I finally got a chance to crew for her. As far as I can figure, planning a wedding is somewhat akin to training for a distance race. The big day isn't that different from race day. Except you look a whole lot prettier throughout, and you finish up married, of course.

Here are a couple of priceless moments from today:

Anecdote #1: During the drive to Canmore, which takes just over an hour from my place, I got a pep talk from my dear friend, who is a high-powered labour relations officer by day. The pep talk included advice like "Just say to yourself, 'I know it's hard. Now get on with it! You're not here to slack off. Go harder!'" Gotta love friends who are blessed with the gift of inspirational words.

Anecdote 2: After changing into a T-shirt, and doing some general dithering, I said to A. "I know, I know... runners are neurotic."

She laughed and replied, "Not runners, Sarah. Just you!"

As we were in the high school gym before the race, I pointed out that most of the runners it the room were fussing with something or another - shoes, race numbers, etc. Really, aren't we all a little neurotic? (Someone please agree with me here!)

Anecdote #3: After the race, we were at the car and I was taking care of my foot. Unfortunately, I got a blister on my bunion that bled and soaked through to my shoe. Oh well. So it goes. There we were inspecting it with A. making comments such as, "Oh, that doesn't look bad at all! It looks pretty good really! It's usually way worse than that!"

I couldn't help thinking that two people inspecting a bleeding foot could assess its state relative to other times it has gushed with blood. Now isn't there something just a little bizarre about that?

Anecdote #4: We went back to the gym for some post race refreshments. I was stretching and I said to A., as we nibbled on cookies, "You know, I feel great! I know this sounds sadistic, but I feel like I could go for a run right now."

She looked at me and snorted, saying, "Yeah, OK, whatever. Keep stretching."

Ah, blessed moments with good friends,no?

Meeting She Who Makes Waves

For the third time this summer, I've met bloggers at races. First it was Michelle and Eric at the Death Race. Then I met Leana at the Stratmore Women's Tri where I was cheering on friends and today I met She Who Makes Waves.

In a brilliant moment of post-race delirium I introduced her to my friend by the wrong name (Duh!), but it got better from there and she has pictures of us on her blog, so stop by and visit. What a bright bundle of energy she is!

Other tidbits

I ran into one of the trainers from my gym at a coffee shop after the race. Again, in another moment of stellar social grace, we hugged each other and I gasped with envy saying, "You've had a shower! You smell great!"

She confessed that yes, she had had a shower where she's stayed over night. We chit chatted and congratulated each other on our races. Later all I could think was, "Inside voice, Sarah. Inside voice!"

Other than that, I don't really have much to report. I had a blast. I am grateful for a fantastic race experience.