Week One

We are four days in and feeling great! After a solid week of rain in YYC, we've had gorgeous blue skies and warmer weather, which means it's been pretty easy to get up early and knock out the day's running schedule. Even if the schedule is for a 50 minute run with 6 intervals of one minute sprints. That made for 360 seconds of me muttering words my father doesn't know I know followed by a day of SUPER sore legs.  But we are all feeling great for sticking with it and I'm sure I'll have a good sleep tonight! Plus tomorrow is the best day of the week...REST DAY! That's right...no run, no cardio, no crosstrain, just give my tired legs a day to rest and repair and get ready for this weekend's long run...but frankly 11K actually sounds better than those repeats from this morning.

Also...you know those days when you drag your sad tired fat carcass out of bed early the week after vacation and blearily dress and head out for a run, cursing the day you ever registered for a race involving the hateful activity that gobbles up so much of your TV watching time? Well, sometimes you get a reward so awesome that even 2 days afterward it makes the smile stay on your face?  Well, this is what temporarily halted our run on Tuesday morning....

How goose-stepping got its name!

Pretty much the cutest interruption ever, the morning skies rang with our shrieks of delight! So even though it was a rough start, it reminded me just how much I like getting up and running first thing in the morning.

18K is A-OK, Hip-hip-HOORAY!

Well, I know my last post was about being terrified, and we still don't have costumes figured out (essential!), but we've had two great long runs in a row. Friday we were supposed to run 16.5K and met at work at 530 to head out in (accidentally) matching outfits. We ran from work to Hooters (heh!) over to 16th Ave and Deerfoot and then back to the office. It was a glorious morning where the temperature was just right, the air felt fresh and the sky was shining. We had our Gatorade and our GU just at the right time. As we headed back up the service road, I suggested we cut back across the temporary running path and then loop back.  See, last week we ended up being a bit short and had to retrace a bit to get our 15K in, which feels a bit sad to be so close to the finish and then realize you're not quite done...

No problem, we cut back to the running path while fighting off a mosquito parade and head back. As we head to the 4 way stop, Princess Chris pulls out her iphone to check our time and our distance---turns out I had forgot to hit start on mine, so we hadn't been checking our distance or pace at all during our run...good thing there was a backup!

She punches me in the arm and shrieks.

With excitement!

Turns out, we had accidentally shot past the 16.5K we were aiming for and had already passed 17.5K in the same amount of time. Figuring we had nothing to lose at this point, we kept running for another few minutes to make it an even 18K in just a smidge over 2 hours. So, not only did we run too far, but we had done it much faster than expected. And felt great about it!

In short, we arrived at our desks Friday morning shrieky with excitement and incredibly proud of ourselves.  Anytime we saw each other throughout the day we highfived and shrieked. Saturday rolls around and I'm only a teensy bit sore.  Short story long...I'm suddenly feeling a lot more confident about this race now!!

Really need to start documenting this...

That's right, still not photographic evidence that we are actually doing any of this, but trust me, we're sticking to our program, we only have 11 weeks to go!

This is how I waddle

So, we're a few weeks in and yesterday was our first official "long" run...we did 9k on Sunday morning. We were going to do it Saturday after work, but when 5pm rolled around it was pouring and so windy it looked like our cars were going to blow away, so we pushed it back.

I'm really glad we did.

Now, I don't mind running at the airport, but there isn't much to see there. And we sort of do it a lot, so while it still beats the old treadmill, it can get stale running the same route, particularly since there's only one now with all the construction.

Anyway, yesterday 9am rolls around and it is clear skies for the first time in a week. It's roughly 13C out and the sun is shining when Princess Chris and I meet at the Weaselhead for a 9k run around the reservoir. It was pretty great. The leaves were rustling, the grass was green and the air smelled amazing, all fresh and with a hint of lilac on the breeze. Plus, since we were running towards the same route as the nearby Running Room morning run, we passed dozens and dozens of runners who cheerfully returned our hellos.  We had both worn the same shirts (not on purpose, but I guess great minds think alike!), so they probably thought we were our own race or something.

We had planned to run 5-6K out and then come back, but at around the 4.5k mark, we hit a puddle so deep we couldn't go around it (even though it was sunny, I guess 2 hours can't erase a week of torrential downpour?) so we turned back (umm, wait, where did all those Running Room people come from then??). We had to double back just a bit, but it was still pretty great---instead of running through the cool, sun-dappled shade, we were running along the edge of the Weaselhead overlooking the water and it was glorious!

We're still not in the shape we were in at the beginning of the year, but we finished up our run in one piece. Then maintaining our winter tradition, we headed to the Pannenkoek Haus for an amazing breakfast served by the friendliest folks in town.

Tomorrow might be our last run as a trio for a while...I leave for Mexico on Wednesday and Princess Chris leaves for a Europtrip soon after, so hopefully we can get in a few blogs on the road in the next few weeks!

Back for real. No, really this time!



This morning the three princesses went for our first run together since...well...our Princess Half Marathon. We've each had the odd run here and there, but it's been a while since we were a trio! It was really great to run with the ladies again, I've missed it.

What's up, you ask?



My toes look prettier, but the idea is the same

-Princess Fliss and Princess Chris have registered for the Disneyland Half Marathon in September, which means we get Coast to Coast medals for extra blingy glory on race day!

-Princess Crys wasn't able to commit to the race before it sold out (back in March, guess we aren't the only ones who want the Coast to Coast) but has promised to keep up the race training with us

-Nobody's running pants fit quite as nicely as they did when we were running 30-40K a week.

So, we have a PLAN and we're sticking to it! Disney was kind enough to even make one for us and while we're starting a few weeks behind, I think this one will work nicely. We have the basics under our (stretched out, in my case) belts and hopefully the flexibility of this plan will help us stick to it.  We were a bit slower today that we used to be, but I think everyone felt good about the run.

As for our paths, the airport construction is in full swing but they've been kind enough to add an actual running route back in for us that's a near perfect 5K, thanks YYC!  Plus, if we run after 7am, the mosquitos are so thick out there they keep us running away from them.

4.5 Sleeps to go!

That's right...since we take the red eye flight on Thursday, I don't think it actually counts as a full night's sleep. We got a few more pictures from our practice half last week thanks to our Running Room buddies!

This is what the start looked like! Too bad we missed it!

Crowns still shiny on the home stretch!

A perfect princess wave, well done!

Princesses and our Ladies-in-Waiting! Thanks Jen and Cherie!

So much to do before we go...mostly deciding what shoes to pack and which parks to go to!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now, I'm not much for resolutions, because I find I've broken them utterly by January 10 and then feel like a failure for the rest of the year.  However, if I had resolved today to sleep in, eat greasy breakfast, nap until giant calzone lunch, then graze on pizza and anything I can find in the fridge between naps for the rest of the day, then I'd be right on track! I have to run 16K tomorrow, and I already know I'm going to regret pretty much everything I ate today by 9am tomorrow, but at least I've been drinking water and Gaterade nonstop all day so I should be nice and hydrated instead of the hungover mess I was this morning...

Another thing is that maybe I don't actually have to make any resolutions this year, because I'm halfway through one I made last year.  Yeah, I've eaten junk since mid November and I've only run 3 times in the past 10 days, but I've also been sticking to a long term running program, and I feel really good about our half marathon that's only 57 days away...we've done lots of base runs, hill training, long runs and cross training.  We've booked our days off, our car and found a place to stay. I think I have a cute outfit to wear. 

Yeah, we've had a few stumbling blocks--vacations, being sick and oh, yeah, Christmas!---but overall, I'm incredibly proud of us!  We've done distances we've never done before, run in the cold, in the snow and in the dark. I can't believe all the new things I've tried and even liked!  Christmas was really tough on our schedule, but I know we'll be back on track soon because the three of us are set up for success.  No matter how tired or crappy one of us feels, the other two are there to keep us motivated and on track and the support has been just fantastic!  And joining the Running Room was a great idea too, we're still dragging ourselves out in the cold and in the dark to do the toughest stuff.  Thanks to my fellow Princesses, 2011 is already a success!  I can't wait for our run!



If only this could be true...



Treadmill.. shredmill.. #$%@&^$

So overall Calgary’s winter weather isn’t so bad comparably speaking. I mean, we like to complain on really cold days (and don’t get me wrong there have been some this season) but now with the runs getting longer and the weather getting colder, it was bound to happen… hitting the euphoria wall and having a bad running day!!

We've found that each run completed together usually ends with positive energy including congratulations to and for each other on continually showing up and putting in our best efforts. These actions can be explained the sense of accomplishment AND the euphoria you feel after a run caused by endorphins.


We have come to get used to this and wait for it, so even though at times during hills, long runs, tough runs, etc.. you can count on the fact that when you are done, you will feel better than when you started...That was before today. With the weather hovering at around -18C, the only logical option for me was to run the 7km (yeah, I know ONLY 7km) on our gym’s state of the art treadmill… still not feeling sorry for me, I get it.

I gave myself 45minutes to complete this task, set my pace accordingly and raised the incline to 2% (as per what we were told would simulate outdoor running). The run started off OK, the first couple km’s were completed with help of Julia Roberts running from her husband in “Sleeping with the Enemy”.. keeps your mind off of things for sure. The next couple kms got progressively harder with nothing on TV to keep my mind occupied enough to forget that I was running. I did make an effort to keep my mind busy trying to answer questions on “The Cash Cab”.. didn’t help as the commercials kept interrupting my make believe bliss.

By 3.5km or half way, usually I get kind of excited because I’m on the downhill now, halfway finished .. not so much today. All I could muster (in my own mind of course) was.. “Are you kidding me.. I’m only half way now!?!?” So switching between “Showbiz Tonight” and the “Cash Cab” during commercials got me to around 5km (my maximum treadmill run ever).. but still 2km to go… urghh.!!!

I should know better than to even have the km reading up on the treadmill because the last hard fought kms were the longest time spent ever on a treadmill I'm sure! I am sweating by this point (having gotten used to running outside), can’t concentrate on the TV (partly because I can’t answer the $100 questions) and have started texting Felic for encouragement (which she thankfully obliged to with return texts of support). Thank God it finally ended, I thought I was out of my misery, just waiting for those endorphins to check in and make me feel like I’d accomplished something, that I’d feel better because I finished.. NOT! Didn't happen.

So I guess another lesson learned.. treadmills for longer than 5km runs and for the most part aren't something I am inclined to do often AND make sure that when I am done that I tell my princess partners about the experience and who make sure to bring you that feeling of endorphins to you in words and praise afterwards.

The Gift of Foresight

Christmas season is in full swing, so we've had to juggle our schedules a bit to accommodate all the holiday cheer.  We're actually doing really well sticking to the training schedule.  Saturday was our office Christmas party and if previous parties have taught us anything, it's that we'll be in no shape to run 10K at 830 the morning after.  As you see below, Christi did her run on Friday morning, so to avoid her showing us up for the week, Crystal and I met at the Weaselhead by the reservoir at 830 on Saturday morning for our weekly long run.  We headed out quickly, as it was REALLY cold and Crystal couldn't find all her layers (I watched her bare ankles with trepidation throughout the run) and I have to say it was amazing. The sun was still coming up and the trees were glistening with frost, it was really a Christmasy wonderland! 

The paths weren't cleared, so we had to run single file through the path carved by previous runners, but I have to say the whole route was breathtaking. I know I ran all summer and fall there, but it was totally different in the winter and I loved it!  We noticed that winter runners were a bit friendlier and everyone says hello, and that the path was also being used by walkers and cross country skiers, which we thought would be great for future crosstraining.  On the way back, all we could hear was our feet crunching through the snow and our (ok, my) heavy breathing. By the time we got back to the car, our eyelashes were starting to stick together and we both had frosty goatees. 

It's a good thing I had done this route before, because my trusty Nike Plus crapped out after 2.5K.  I'm not sure if it was just the fact I hadn't charged it all week or if the cold contributed, but we were left without it pretty early into the run.  I had a pretty good idea how far around to go before turning back, and we arrived back at the car an hour and 10 minutes later, so I think we were pretty close.  I checked on Google maps too and it looks like we were pretty bang on our 10K, but even if we were a bit short, I was still double proud of us all for planning ahead and getting our runs done early.  Even though it sucks to wake up early, and I am not an early riser in the least, I gotta say these early morning winter runs are something else.

Gooooooood morning ... 10km run!!

Ok.. so I have a new job… this is great news! It does mean leaving my fellow princesses for our ‘normal’ workout some mornings and a schedule that we had pretty much “set in stone” to step outside my calendar and create some running times of my own.

An example of this happened today.. a 10:30am start today coupled with our company Christmas Party on Saturday night ultimately means that a Sunday Long run this week is just not going to happen. I asked my friend Erin (who is also running in the WDW Princess Half Marathon) who had the day off to meet me at 7:30am this morning for a 10km run.

So we met at Edworthy Park at 7:30 on the button and we were off running on the path into the sunrise (no the sun isn’t up as early as us!). I have to say that Downtown Calgary looks really far from there the park! Thank goodness the path was mostly clear of ice and snow. It really was perfect running morning, the air was crisp, the temperature was perfect for running, the path was pretty much clear, there was no wind and the whole 10km took us just over an hour. The hour went by quickly with such good company(thanks Erin!!) and I do enjoy running more in the morning than the afternoon I have to say.

Gotta love options PLUS now I’m all done for the week!!

It's all about support

Ok, I know I've said before that I believe support is such a quintessential part when deciding to start a training program for a half marathon.. it’s would be just so easy to throw in the towel and stay under the covers if you didn’t have Felicity and Crystal’s voices in your ear urging you out of bed at 4:45am to make sure you aren’t late for your 5:45am run! Thank you for that ladies.. I mean it!

This all being said where ever you are and whatever you are doing.. the effort must be made to keep the training schedule up, and I’ve been kinda bad at this. So having the long run on a weekend where the goal is to see how much turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie you can fill yourself with, support is even more important. I was home in Sherwood Park this past weekend for Thanksgiving and upon arrival had said to my sister that I HAD to go on my long run while I was here (nothing like handing over that responsibility to someone else so there is someone else to blame if it doesn’t happen .. I know, I know.. this is wrong). With this knowledge, she still offered to join me and even asked her sister-in-law Mary-Jane to join as well. With seven children between them, having to organize childcare, decide on a time and make it all happen seemed like an impossibility but it all came together on Sunday morning.

Now it must be said that my sister has not run in months and Mary-Jane just spent a week in Disneyland with no exercise but walking the parks till they dropped (not easy, but not running either). We weren't exactly the perfect threesome given my current cold in the chest situation.. but we weren’t going to let that stop us. With the route scouted, running clothes on, we headed out for our run surrounded by a scenic route with the amazing fall colours, a perfect running temperature and great company.

We fell into a good pace for all and just ran and talked around the loop with the occasional kilometer update to keep us going. We finished at 6km exactly outside my parents place and were pretty proud of our accomplishment. My sis never thought she’d be able to do it without stopping but we ran the whole way and now she is even considering doing this more often (Leigh-Ann, it’s in print and on the web.. now you HAVE to do it ;). Mary-Jane I have to thank you for the running tips, for coming out to run and for convincing us to go to Timmy’s afterwards! Yay, a sense of accomplishment AND a steeped tea to boot!