Happy Easter, Happy Birthday to me, oh and...

Well, it's been longer than I had intended, but honestly, not much to report. Am just trucking along, doing my weekly runs and increasing distance on the weekend. Nothing rigid, nothing fancy as far as training, I am just trying to keep up with my yoga and my maintenance runs so when the actual training takes off, I can literally hit the ground running.

Well...except for one thing that happened that was so horrible I am still having trouble coming to terms with it. I'll post some disgusting pictures soon, but in the meantime try to guess based on these clues...

1. It was like something out of a horror film

2. It officially makes me a Real Serious Runner

3. It eliminates most of my summer shoes from wardrobe contention this summer

4. I hope I get to enjoy a discount the next time I get a pedicure

Any guesses?

Even though it's nearly March, this is like a New Year's Resolutions list of sorts.

1. Start blogging about running again (check!)

2. Pick a few runs to do this year to keep us motivated (check!)

3. Start running.....*crickets, crickets*

Yes, it's been months since any updates, and the truth is, there hasn't really been any. Pretty much a full stop on running, and I for one have filled that void with pizza. Needless to say, taking up running again won't be easy....but I'm happy to report Princess Chris and I went for our first run together this year yesterday at the Reservoir in spite of -5C, snow and howling winds. While it might not have been the most pleasant run ever, it sure felt good to be back on track and getting some running goals together for the year. Yes, it was a very difficult 5K as we gasped along the icy trail, but we DID IT. And we have concrete plans to run twice so far this week. And compared to so far this year, that's a pretty good start.

Running out of time

So, in just over 5 weeks we'll be leaving for Disney.

HURRAY! 

Um, at which point we'll need to run another half marathon.

CRAP! 

I'll be honest, we're not quite as prepared as last time. We're finding summer is actually tougher than winter training and man, do we miss that snow (for running! We still love summer!) There are more bugs, more sweat and less time to do things like...well....run 15 or 20km at a time.

As far as the trip, we have booked our hotel, we're not renting a car for this trip (Disneyland is so easy to get around, we figured there's no need) and our flights look fine, so that's good.

Ummm....we don't have costumes yet either, and this is just as stressful as the lack of training.  We know what they're going to look like, but haven't gotten around to buying/making them yet.

Never fear, the upside is that we still have 5 whole weeks to get back into shape and whip up some snappy running outfits. We're starting with tomorrow's 15k run at 545am...yeah!

Be nice to me, I gave blood today!

After my soccer practice was cancelled last week, I opted NOT to be lazy instead and rallied one of my buddies to go for a run with me at the Reservoir. We headed out around 730, and it was (once again) GLORIOUS. The sun was shining, everything smelled great, and it was just awesome. Plus, my buddy hadn't gone through the Weaselhead before, so I was able to point out all my previous victories (beating Sinewy legs, peeing in the snow, running up THAT hill) as we went.

About halfway out, we started noticing the bugs were bad.

Like...really bad.

Like, REALLY REALLY bad.

By the time we realized we were getting lightheaded from blood loss, we were already 3.5K away from the car and there was nothing we could do but bravely huff back, slapping each other on the shoulders and arms as we went. We were much faster coming back in an effort to outpace the skeeters. At some points, a slap would kill 5-6 bugs at a time.

By the time we got back to the car, we were both covered in bloodsmears and carcasses. I'd hate to say it ruined an otherwise great run, but I think we can both agree it was the most memorable part of a 7k trip. I had to take a picture before bed so that I could remember yes, they actually WERE that bad!

Not chicken pox, but just as itchy!!!

At my soccer game two nights later, I was able to refresh them with a whole new batch of bites, particularly on my legs,  in spite of slathering self with bug spray. Let's just say, my increasingly pudgy body isn't the only reason I'm not baring much skin at Stampede this year!

Mexico Runs

dónde está la playa?!

Now, before you jump to conclusions...I'm talking about sunrise beach jogs during my trip to Cancun last week, people. Man, I don't think I'll ever grow weary of running somewhere I can see the ocean. I woke up at 6am last Thursday for a 5K run along the beach. Now, you may remember I've gained some notoriety for getting lost, but this time I was ready! Well, sort of...I turned on my trusty Nike Plus and started jogging along the edge of the pool towards the beach, what should have been about a 2 minute walk. Well, I was at nearly a kilometer before my feet touched sand, but no worries, I made it! 

I turned left and started running, making notes of my surroundings to ensure I wouldn't have to try and learn Spanish should I get lost. Happily, the resort I was staying at had the only long dock around, so I had a pretty good marker even from a distance. I had hoped for a sunrise run, but was about 20 minutes too late (damn you, snooze button!!) Nonetheless, I happily plodded along the sand, occasionally misjudging the waves and soaking my feet and even tripping once when a tiny (but surely bloodthirsty) crab popped out of hole at my feet. Now, did I mention it was June in Cancun? Even at 615 in the morning it was already nearly 25C, and the sand running wasn't helping me either.  Long story short, I ran out nearly 3k before turning back and then quit at 4K instead of the five I had planned...I was exhausted and slow, but still happy with the run and totally proud of myself for doing what I did (not get lost, get up early, run in tricky sand).

Next day, I head out at 515 to try and catch the sunrise. Big mistake...while jogging in the dark along the edge of the pool, I missed the last step and landed nastily on my left ankle. I shrieked and stopped short, and in a panic over ruining the rest of my trip, walked for a few minutes. The pain subsided, but I was now leery of it happening again. Nonetheless, I walked out to the beach and up about a kilometer before meeting up with a few coworkers where I opted to quit and watch the sunrise from the beach loungers they had set up. I figured with 22 hotel inspections in 3 days, I would still get plenty of time on my feet!

Our last day was the only day we had any free time, so once again, the trusty alarm was set for 7am for a12k run along the beach...I woke up to buckets of rain and monsoon-like wind. After quelling my disappointment over not getting any beach or pool time on the last day, I went back to bed for 2 hours of well deserved rest (did I mention 22 hotels in 3 days??)  I did sort of make it up this morning out at the airport with a solo 10k route though, so I did get a long run in this week, even if it was a bit short and super slow.

PS...for the record, it turns out the port-o-potties at the construction site by my work running route aren't locked, which really came in handy this morning around the 9k mark when I wasn't quite sure I was going to make it back to the office in time to avoid a "Bridesmaids" type disaster. Crisis averted thanks to the good people of YYC, whew!


Funny in movies, not in real life



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!

I remember this part...

When it's game time, it's pain time!! WHOO WHOO!!

Week 2 and I remember something that really sucks about re-starting running. EVERYTHING hurts right now. My toes, heels, feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, bottom, hips, and lower back are all fighting for attention this week for who hurts the most. Plus, I fell on the weekend (in a non-booze related incident, I swear), which probably didn't help.  I even ran out of Aspirin this morning.  Now, I'll be honest, we aren't stretching that much (OK, not at all) before or after we go for a run and that is going to change, we swear, but in the meantime we're going to gripe non-stop about our aches and pains.  We're also started back in on some general cardio and strength training on non-running days so the muscles that have been asleep since February just got a nasty wakeup call.  Seriously, the only situps I've done in the past four months were when I was reaching for the chips when I was watching TV and unfortunately, they don't want to snap back into shape.

So, the bad is that this readjustment back to a highly active summer lifestyle has been a bit tough. We're tired, achy, and I'm pretty much starving all the time.  The good, of course, is that we've been training together, sticking to our schedule and having some fun doing it!

Two very different 18Ks...

Part 1: 18 kilometer run



Sunday I woke up feeling lousy. My stomach hurt and I was kind of stuffed up. And really tired, in spite of a solid 10 hours of sleep. I didn't want to run 18K, I wanted to go back to sleep and then eat chicken noodle soup (laced with, um, Imodium). The great (and terrible) thing about training as a trio meant I couldn't do that, I had to get up and go. Still feeling lousy, I drove over to the Running Room to join the group and we set out on what I grudgingly acknowledge was a lovely sunny and warm (for January) morning run. We started out running towards the mountains, which was straight into a brisk Chinook wind, which means I was in trouble immediately. I find running INTO the wind means it sucks the air right out of me so the first 2K which are usually a treat before I get all tired were tough as I wheezed my way West. We wound our way into some pretty posh neighbourhoods and I eyed their 4 car garages nervously, daydreaming of what would happen if I knocked on their door and asked to use their servants bathroom should it be required. Running was NOT improving my tummy, but we kept on trucking. Crystal had brought her awesome marathoner buddy for the run and was wearing one headphone, so she stayed slightly ahead with the lead runners and entertained us with her random karaoke (run-eoke?) Christi was foolish enough to lag behind and both keep me company and force me to keep up with the group so I wouldn't get lost. This meant she had 123 minutes of me whining to look forward to!

Like the Evil Witch, this only looks good on the outside

 After a few KILLER hills, I was actually whimpering out loud. I didn't sign up for this!---wait, yes I did. After running up a dirt road hill, we reached what I can only assume was City limits, so we mercifully paused for a photo op. I made the mistake at this point of checking our distance, and was crushed to see we weren't even half way. We still had a few kms before we were even halfway. At that point, if a taxi had pulled up, I would have quit and gone home. I was tired, I wasn't feeling good, and at no point so far had I hit a running groove: basically every minute was feeling like torture and I was not having fun. But, no taxi (or bus, or rickshaw or donkey) came to save me, so on we went.

I'd like to say things got better at the halfway point, but they didn't. I whined for the next hour or so as we worked our way around Signal Hill and Richmond. Sorry Christi, and thanks for putting up with me! At one point, I got a stabby pain in my foot so sudden and severe I shrieked and dead stopped. I limped along for a few minutes until the pain subsided, and it hasn't come back since. We finally made it back to the Running Room only to realize we were still a quarter of a km off the finish, so we had to run over to the Best Buy and back, twice passing the others doing their cool downs. I was so relieved we were done, I wanted to lie face down on the icy pavement for the rest of the day. But then I would have missed what happened next...

Part 2: 18k....that's 18000 calories consumed, people

Now, the only reason I pushed through the run was under the promise of Pannenkoeks. We peeled over to the restaurant to get on the waiting list, stopping only to grab a jug of chocolate milk to fight off the post-run DTs. Noticing the "No Outside Food or Drink" sign on the door but not wanting to wait in the cold, we huddled around the curio cabinet, surreptitiously swigging and passing the jug around like bad high school kids at the mall with a mickey swiped from their parent's stash. When we were sat, we apologized to our server about the milk (we're not bad kids, we totally felt guilty!) and instead of being mad, she brought us sample sizes of their own chocolate milk which she claimed was the best in the city. After trying it, we couldn't argue. She also brought us extra cookies with our tea because "we looked like we needed them". HOOORAY!

Things only got better from there. We decided since 18k was so much more than 16k, we needed to split 4 between the 3 of us---2 savory and 2 sweet. We opted for their feature: grilled chicken, Anjou pear, maple glazed pecans and Gruyere, along with a repeat of the awesome one from last week: potato, bacon and cheese. Then we sat there unable to concentrate on a subject for more than 10 seconds until the sweet, sweet nosh arrived on our table. After some hasty pannenkoek math, we dived in to what can only be described as heaven on a plate. Not only was it excellent, but we were seriously tapping into empty carb tanks at that point. I could almost feel life and happiness flowing back into me as I alternated bites of each, pausing only to slather the potato one in sour cream.

No, I can't believe Crystal left a cookie either!

Before we knew it, we were staring at empty plates...but not for long. Moments later, our dessert pannenkoeks arrived. One was banana Nutella with ice cream AND whipped cream, the other was the cinnamon bun one (sugar and cream cheese frosting) with added baked apples and maple pecans. At this point, I was so excited, I had to put my head in my lap to avoid passing out, so Crystal and Christi divvied up the goods. Again, sweet sugary joy coursed through ourveins as we mainlined our dessert.

That's what I call a money shot!

Eventually we flatlined, so full we actually left traces of Nutella on the table. All we could do at that point was rush home for showers and serious couch time, both of which were well earned.

 

This folks, is what running is all about...through perseverance comes great rewards!

Note the crazy looks in our eyes...

Shout out to the WestSiiiiiiiiiiiiide....Rec Center

We ran 18k on Saturday. That's right, just 3k short of a half marathon.  Oh, and it gets better.  We ran it INSIDE.  That's right, when we got up on Saturday morning to eat toast and drink Gatorade, the thermometer had dipped to -32C. Now, we've learned that we can totally run in the cold, but this was going to be nearly 10C colder than ever before, and would have been for a full two hours.  Ever prepared, we had a backup plan to run inside at Westside Rec since it featured a 425m track and was near both our houses. We met in the parking lot in our capris and dashed inside before our calves froze, grumbling about the injustice of having to pay $13 to go run in circles when all we really wanted to do was run along the river on a snowy day. Stupid boring inside run we had to pay for! Stupid outside weather being too cold!

Take a Midol, Mother Nature

Pretty much as soon as we walked inside, I felt like I owed the Rec Center an apology. It was AMAZING!  It had  a giant pool area with wave pool, lazy river, wading pool and waterslide set inside. The other pool area had a lap pool and diving pool. Looking up, we realized the track went all around the center, and WASN'T AN OVAL, which meant that even though we would be running laps, they wouldn't be in the same circle over and over.  We peeked into some of the classrooms and they were bright sparkling rooms filled with brightly colored weights and mats and upbeat music. When we went upstairs, we were dazzled by the number of strength training machines we'd never seen before as well as hockey arenas and indoor skating rinks complete with trees and giant firepit in the middle. We were almost speechless! (almost)

Getting ourselves prepped to run, we asked a nearby staffer how far the track was. He directed us to the chart and our hastily done in line math was bang on, we had to do 42 laps to get in 18.2K. The guy noticed our concern about losing track of our laps and offered us a counter we could click after every lap and not lose track. There was a table where we could leave our drinks and so after a quick stretch, we started from there. We were off!

I think we spent the first 3-4 laps exclaiming over new things we saw.  This track was pretty much the best we could hope for running laps inside; it was shaped like a clover leaf so you didn't just see the same people over and over again and it kept things a bit more interesting. Plus, the shape of the track meant you kept running by all the different parts of the center.

We watched some middle aged guys work out with their trainers, sprinting down the 40 yard track set up on one side, or else doing these loopy squats under the handrails. Click!

We watched these adorable little kids at hockey practice all skate around in matching Iginla jerseys for ages. Click! Click! Click!

We were lapped a few times by a guy in those weird "naked" shoes that are all the rage.Click!

We passed a woman jogging in jeans and hiking shoes a few times. Click! Click! Click!

We soon noted that the 3 leaves of the clover shape each had their own "feel". The first one was really quiet, the second one nice and cool and the third one kinda hot and stuffy. Click!

We marvelled over the whippet thin woman who was on the stairmaster for the first hour. Click!

I got to pee in a real bathroom and not behind a bush or in the snow. Click!

We admired a woman walking laps with a baby peering out of his snuggie strapped to her chest. Click!


We watched a little old man walk quite a few laps clutching his Tim Hortons and wished we had one too. Click! Click!

Without even realizing it, time was flying by!  Before we knew it, we were counting down the last 10 laps, and before long, we were DONE!  We squealed and high fived and got the nice guy who had given us the clicker to take our photo. We felt good!



You can't fake this kind of authenticity, you know



Crystal: "piff, 18k, no problem, we could totally do 3 more for the half!"
Felicity: "for sure, no problem!"

....pause....

Felicity: "ummm, but we're not going to, right? We're done?"
Crystal: "oh, yeah, we're done, I just meant we COULD do the other 3k for race day"
Felicity: "Whew!"

Still smiling after 42 laps! And the guy behind us posed too?

Sadly, we both had to dash off without getting to try out any of the crazy new stretching or situp machines we'd been eying or go for a quick dip in the pool or hottub, but happily, it was because we both had massages booked that we had to get to.  I'd be happy to go back there and spend an entire day there testing everything out!

Merry Christmas!

OK, Merry Day after Christmas, but I was too busy eating turkey and mashed potatoes yesterday.  So, it's Sunday night and I should be writing about my 16K run today...or anytime in the past 3 days. But, I'll be honest, I didn't do it...yet.  I haven't given up, I'm hoping I can squeeze it in the next 2 or 3 days, but there just wasn't a chance to do it over Christmas weekend.  I was out in the mountains in BC, and I did bring out my cold running gear, but I didn't see anywhere I could do it. The last few times I've been out there, I was dropped off in Golden and started running back on the highway, which worked just fine in the fall, but the plows hadn't left much of a shoulder and the roads were pretty icy, so I just didn't think it was safe.

Now, please don't think I was being totally lazy. Yes, I spent most of the last 3 days sitting around in pajamas eating cookies and drinking beer (and that was just breakfast), but I did get a LOT of winter sports in too.  My dad had set up a ramp in the driveway that made for some killer tobogganing.  I spent at least 2 hours a day zipping headfirst down the driveway on my belly and I ran back up as many times as I could. Sometimes I was hauling 40lbs back up the hill, and sometimes 80lbs depending on how tired my niece and nephew were getting.  My legs are KILLING me today.  Who knew cross training could be so fun?  I also went snowshoeing and cross country skiing while I was there, the cabin was a great place for both cross training AND carb loading!  Thanks Genny and Kappy!

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.

Reservoir, Schmeservoir

Yesterday, I ran 5k in Central Park. I felt like a movie star!  After a day of traipsing around New York in sweatpants and running shoes, eating only food prepared on the street, we hit the park at around 330 and entered the park right near the zoo. Bryan told me to bring my phone, and spent 10 minutes pointing out landmarks to help me get my bearings.  These both made me roll my eyes, I'm a grown up for Pete's sake, I don't get lost!  Harumph!  Finally, I was off!  I was running through Central Park!

I'd say it was one of the best runs I've ever had.  The weather was perfect, overcast and sort of cool, but not cold.  The ground was covered with leaves and the pavement that didn't have leaves had those dark imprints where leaves had been, so it was really pretty.  I admit, a few times I gleefully stomped through piles of leaves, this felt like movie set fall!  My plan was to run around the pond a couple of times to make sure I didn't get lost, but then I saw some cool looking stuff I wanted to run to.  No problem, I think, I still know where I am.  I run a few loops of a field, and run by The Met and around a few roads with horse drawn carriages, traffic cops and stand after stand of roasted nuts.  Oh, and where I was running was NOT at all flat. I don't think I ever ran on flat pavement, it was all rolling hills.  Great for training!  I also ran up and down around 8 flights of stairs.  These were neat too, it was like they were cut right into the rock, so they blended in and looked pretty.

As the iPod counted down from 400 meters, I was coming around the last loop and was all proud of myself.  Not only did I feel like an authentic New Yorker, but I showed Bryan that I don't get lost!  Hahaha!  I round the last corner just as the iPod announces I'm finished to find----I haven't been running around a pond, but a skating rink full of people. Ummm...maybe the pond froze, I think hopefully to myself and kept jogging until I realized not a thing looked familiar.  Also, I didn't remember where I had started, so the map I found didn't help me at all.  After 10 minutes of jogging and panicking, I finally call Bryan.  Good thing I brought the phone after all.  Realizing we have no way of meeting up in the park, he tells me to jog straight west out of the park and then text him the address of the street I'm on.  Apparently I ran 10 blocks past our meeting point, so I stand on the sidewalk feeling shame until Bryan comes along.  He opts not to mock my lack of direction and instead gives me a hug. 

If I was smart, I would have commemorated this event with a photo or two, but I totally forgot.  By the time we met up, we were running late for our hockey game so we had to boot it back to New Jersey.  Then I got to ride the Subway all sweaty and gross, but still totally proud of myself.  I loved everything about that run, and wish I could do it again sometime soon, but today we're off to Philly.  At least I'll get to run up the steps of the library in Philly Rocky-style!

Running in a Winter Wonderland

I'm going on vacation tomorrow, so I wouldn't be around to do the Sunday long run with the Running Room. Instead, I opted to take part in a Running Room event on Saturday night...Sight Night, an after dark run that benefits vision impaired athletes. Not only is that a great cause, but it was 8K (just one km short of the run I'm supposed to do tomorrow) on a really nice route and I get a cool headlamp! You had me at hello, Sight Night! Crystal had to work (boo) but Christi decides to keep me company (probably so she can sleep in on a Sunday)

Princess Chris meets me at Eau Claire bearing gifts---Fancy grippies for our shoes and head gloves to keep our foreheads, ears, chins and necks warm on a -17C run. Paired with our jazzy new headlamps, we looked like pros! After a few speeches and a quick warm up, we were off! The grippies felt weird in the mall, but were awesome on the snow; nary a slip or skid along the snow covered paths. Running along Memorial with 500 people in headlamps and reflective gear was pretty amazing, and we actually saw a few blind runners being guided along the route, which was pretty neat too. We cheered for all the volunteers along the route---I'm guessing standing around in -17C for an hour is harder than running in -17C for an hour, but they were all cheerful as they pointed us along our way. Unless that clapping we heard was actually teeth chattering. We got quite a few compliments on our snazzy matching head gloves too, which princesses always love to hear.

Product not exactly as shown,
but still totally awesome

We cross the finish line in 52 minutes flat and stay at the finish line for a few minutes cheering runners in until we started freezing. Both our Ipods say we ran 9K, not 8, so we're actually right on track for the long run this week, hurray! We head inside to discover they're handing out hot chocolate WITH AS MANY MARSHMALLOWS AS WE WANT in them along with some of Calgary's best sandwiches, bananas, chips and the biggest oatmeal chocolate chip cookies I've ever seen (full disclosure: I had 2 once I confirmed they weren't raisins). We plop ourselves down on the floor with our bounty, hastily take off every sweaty outer layer (Christi almost has a wardrobe malfunction forgetting which layer was the last one) and devour what is probably the best meal I've had in weeks, picnic style. Neither of us wins a door prize, but the shower I have when I get home is prize enough for me.

I think I've become addicted to entering races. I love the energy of the runners, the volunteers and the people who just want to stand there and cheer. I love the swag, the whole experience start to finish, and the pride I feel at the finish line. And I've loved every new thing I've tried so far---running with other people, running without headphones, running at night, running in the snow and combining all of the above! Now I'm off to follow the Flames on a road trip through New York, New Jersey, Philly and Pittsburgh, so I'm hoping I can get some runs in this week in exotic new destinations...stay tuned!

100 Days to Go!

So, we have 100 days to go before the Princess Half Marathon and I think we've come a long way so far.  We still have lots to do-hill training, fartleks, speed intervals, book hotel, make costumes, lots!  But, we've had quite a few firsts...including this week, when WINTER finally hit Calgary.  After weeks and weeks of unseasonably warm weather this fall, Calgary was hit with 10-15cm of snow this week and the average daily highs dropped from 10C to...minus 20C.  For our running clinic this week, we spent all day Tuesday just dreading our 4K run.  None of us had ever run at a temperature below zero, and certainly never in -10C and not in the snow at night.  It was cold and icy, and only 6 people showed up for the clinic (I'm guessing most people were stuck in traffic rather than outright skipping it)  Fortunately, we had all stocked up on fleecy cold weather gear on our recent US trip, so we did a few outfit changes before deciding on an assortment of toques, mittens, layers, fleeces, shells and liners. 

We headed out on Tuesday full of trepidation, but as soon as we started running, things got pretty great pretty darn fast.  The snow was still falling, and it was pretty neat to run through fresh snow in near deafening quiet.  And none of us were cold, our new stuff was awesome!  There were no slips or near slips and I spent most of the run exclaiming how great I felt and how much I liked running in the snow.  At one house we passed, all the kids playing in the snow in their backyards cheered for us runners as we went by, which felt good.  When we got back, we all had icy eyelashes and frosty hair---we looked like Snow Princesses!

The next day  the temperature dropped further and  the snow kept up.  We eyed the weather network online all morning, and decided what the heck, let's head out at lunchtime instead of running on treadmills at the gym.  So, we bundle up and head out.  It's colder and windier out by the airport, so even though it was daytime, it was a good 10C colder.  We opted to do laps around the parking lot just in case we got too cold, then we wouldn't be more than 3 minutes away from going inside at any point.  Plus, then everyone inside would see how badass we are.  Turns out the parking lot is an exact 1K loop, so 4 laps later we were done!  It was so cold and windy, that every loop we did, our previous tracks were already gone.  Yikes!  But hitting the showers afterwards felt fantastic!

I think we spent the rest of the afternoon in a happy glow, so proud of ourselves for having faced the elements and not only won, but actually had some fun doing it.  And now we know that if we can do back-to-back runs under Arctic conditions, then we can handle anything that running throws at us.  We're going to do this half marathon in 100 days, and it's going to be GREAT!!

Benefits of a flexible training schedule

You may be wondering why there hasn't been much talk of our Phoenix trip and 10K race since it is coming up this weekend.  Well, as it turns out, we were smart not to book hotel or rental car or register ahead of time "just in case", because the wide open flights we had been looking at over the past few weeks have suddenly become quite tight...and both hotel and car prices are high, so, the Phoenix 10K is off. Not because we haven't been training (we totally have and would rock this 10K if we were going), but because we can't be sure we will get there and back in time. 

Always looking on the bright side of life, we have come up with a suitable alternative.  Now instead of flying to Phoenix for a 10K race, we're flying to Vancouver, and driving south to the Outlet Malls to get some fancy new running togs, try to find us some princess-ly outfits and to visit my favorite carbo-loading restaurant.  I actually am still considering this a full training weekend, not just because of the running accessories I'm planning on buying, but due to the cardio we're sure to do as we dash from store to store.  We're still planning to make it back in time for our first long run with the Running Room Crew, so it's not like we won't be running at all this weekend. Plus, now we're going to look really snappy doing it!

What went wrong in my hood?

I took up running a little under 2 years ago. I've lived in my house since 2007.  Yesterday was the first time I've ever put my runners on and gone for a run out my back door.  That's right, the past 2 years, ALL my runs have been on treadmills, at sports centers, near work, in a friend's neighbourhood or at city parks. Yesterday I was in a hurry and had to get my first 10k in as quickly as I could so I could get started on my Halloween baking (delicious annual tradition).  I thought I'd save time driving somewhere to run and just go from my house.  It's another great day in Cowscary, all blue skies and crisp fall air, I have my water belt on and I think I'm in for an awesome run.

Guess what?  The Signal Hill area is ALL hills. I knew this, obviously, but didn't really think about what this meant until I was about 300 meters from my back door and hit my first steep hill. No problem, I think, I'm a REAL RUNNER now, this will be fine!  I spring up the hill, then hit my second steep hill about a minute later and the third on just as my Nike + told me I had 1k down.  I walked for the first time at about 1500 meters, and  this was when I started to worry.  I had picked uphill from my house to start so that I wouldn't have to run uphill for the back half of a 10k run, which I guess was smart, but man.  At the 2k marker, I was walking up the steepest hill yet, gasping so loudly I could hear it over the Black Box blaring from my iPod.  I tried to find some level patches for swticthbacks to try to regain my breath, but the next 2k weren't much better and I started getting stitches in my side, which meant I was periodically running with my right arm straight out in an attempt to make the stabby pain in my side go away.

At 4k, I did something I don't think I've ever done before on a run. I paused the Nike + (so it wouldn't know) and sat on a bench to try to catch my breath and make the pain in my side diminish.  I drank some water and ate some of those high carb jelly beans (that I just LOVE...they're like salty jelly beans and they taste awesome!) and was probably on that bench for 5 minutes, willing myself to keep going.  I kept running away from my house even though it was still uphill because I knew if I headed back, I would quit. I was exhausted and this run was hard. I just couldn't catch my breath and my lungs and stomach hurt.  The more hills I ran (or walked) up, the more my legs started to hurt too.  And I walked a lot.

At the 6k mark, I started back home, hoping the way back would just be all fun shrieking arm-waving as I barrelled down hill after hill back to my house. Since I wasn't doing the flat switchbacks on the way back, I got to my house at 8.85k.  Here, I had another sad running first. I QUIT.  I've never cut short a run before and it was horrible.  Even as I walked up the driveway, I told myself that finishing the last kilometer would take just 10 more minutes even if I walked it all, but I couldn't muster up the emotional energy to do it.  At this point, a decent time was out of the question, but I still couldn't even will myself to finish. Bryan came into the kitchen to find me lying on the floor in a pool of my own sweat, too tired and defeated to even ask for a glass of water.  I lay there for quite a while feeling shame (and pain) before I got up (slowly). 

It's not all bad, I learned that maybe it's OK to listen to my body once in a while. I haven't had side cramps like that since I was a kid, and I really didn't want my lungs to burst out of my mouth. And, I have to say, right behind my house is a ravine that has a bunch of paths that are actually really pleasant that I had never thought about running through before. I bet that if I ran up the ravine for 2k, then turned around and came home, it would actually be a pretty great 4k hill training run.  As a 10k, my route stank, but I'm totally going to give it another shot in the very near future on a much shorter run.  Oh, and I guess I have to wash the salt stains off the kitchen floor too.

Madonna who?

I don't wear as many diamonds when I run, but you get the idea

OK, I'm a girl who likes her stuff.  I have to say, part of what I like about running is all the snappy accessories that go with it. In fact, the only reason I bought myself an Ipod  was to try to get myself out and moving more often. I can't believe I fell for it, or then later, that it actually worked!   I've probably logged HUNDREDS of hours on the ipod chugging away. Next, it was my first pair of $175 running shoes. When the Running Room guy saw that I had been running in Target brand sneakers that cost $14.95 and were crusted with blood on the back from repeated blisters, he asked if he could throw them out and wear the new ones right out of the store(I said yes).  I found that my shin splints and chronic foot pain vanished instantly.  Then I decided I could run better in snappy moisture wicking capris than in dirty sweatpants. I don't know if I got faster, but I felt more comfortable and less disgusting after the long runs.  Then I started buying cute Lululemon jackets and funny headbands, and laughing at "Running Shirt Jokes".  Those don't make me faster, but sometimes I just need a good laugh when I'm 30 seconds into an 8 run.  

Accessories are important too.  Today, I received my first ever Avon order.  I feel like such a grown up!  Instead of lipstick though, I bought a water bottle holder and some socks.  Happily and sadly, my old water bottle holder had grown too big and would fall off when I ran unless I tied the velcro strips around my waist instead of strapping them together.  Not cute at all, and actually pretty chafy, so my last few long runs have been thirsty affairs.  It doesn't look quite as comfy as my old one, but the price was right and it comes with a pocket for my Ipod AND my keys. My old belt had such a small pocket, I could barely fit a house key in there, and my car keys didn't fit at all, so I had to run while holding the key, argh.  This pocket looks like it would hold keys, credit card and a snack!  So long, dry mouth and leg cramps, hello hydration! I'm looking forward to giving the new one a whirl tomorrow morning!

How Jurassic Park failed me

Yesterday it hit 24C in mid October in Calgary. This morning when I woke up to go for my long run, it was gusting wind and flurries, temperature 4C. I know I harp about Calgary weather a LOT on this blog, but seriously, this is crazy. Maybe if I had my fellow princesses, then MAYBE I would have gone for a run outside.  But I draw the line at running in the dark, cold, wind snow by myself. I did think about scrapping the run altogether, saying go back to bed and I can always do it Monday.  Then I realized if I didn't do it now, it wasn't going to happen at all. I'm great at lying to myself. So, inside on the treadmill it was. 

I used to love the treadmill.  Running in place while watching TV or movies was great, so I thought.  Now I've really come to hate it, and hate it I did this morning for 6 whole miles.  I put in Jurassic Park to cheer myself up, but it didn't come close to a good long run out by the reservoir or the airport or anywhere that wasn't just staring at the same 4 walls. In fact, the movie was...starting to look like it was 20 years old.  What was with all the high waisted pants? Marky Mark was 20 years ago, but he's still awesome! And for probably the first time ever, I started thinking the whole premise of the movie was stupid and implausible. I bet a T-Rex would eat more than a single goat for lunch.  And I bet scientists would know when they were splicing frog DNA that the species can switch genders, that seems like a pretty stupid mistake. 

Sorry JP, I think this is the runner's low talking

I was so busy being angry about running on a treadmill I couldn't enjoy the movie at all, but nor did it distract me from my task at hand.  I get sweaty anytime I run, but running inside on a treadmill is the very worst, I was DRENCHED when I was done.  My headband was actually heavy when I pulled it off, and my shoes were soaked.  Also, I realize now that 6 miles is actually 9.6K, which means I ended up running an extra half kilometer because I can't do simple math!? GRR!!

I'm not saying treadmills are useless, I like them for speed intervals and hills and for sometimes just mindlessly watching the Food Network (yes, I love to watch bacon fry while I run, don't judge me) .  And yeah, they will sometimes beat the heck out of running in the snow or paying a $15 drop in fee to run laps at your local rec center, but I just didn't enjoy my run at all today.  I won't dwell on it, because it's done and next week's run will be outside for sure.  On the bright side, now I won't have to run on Monday with a hangover.

It's all about shoes!

I like shoes.  A LOT. Someday, I hope to be like Imelda Marcos (umm, but without the dictatorship, embezzling and exile) and have a whole room just for shoes.  Problem is, I have big feet.  At age 10, I could actually act my age and my shoe size.  I thought I was going to be really tall after hitting 5'5 by 11 years old, but after 2 more inches (that's what she said!) I maxed out.  Hence, my penchant for 3 inch heels; they allow me to be the height I think I should have been.  Thing is, when your feet are as big as mine, shoe shopping can be tricky.  I'll never forget when I was 10 and wanted My Little Pony sneakers.  The salesman took one look at my feet and said "oh, honey, I can sell you the boxes..." which probably ignited a lifelong desire for pretty shoes (that, and as the saying goes "you can never be too fat for a new pair of shoes", heh!) So, now all my pretty shoes come from the States as they have more variety in size Giant. For sports, I usually wear men's shoes.  I don't mind, they tend to be cheaper and don't really look that different, plus they're super comfy!

Where am I going with this, you ask?  Well, I do love me some heels, but I guess I can't wear them 7 days a week.  This week, I wore Franco Sartos heels on Tuesday, Coach mules on Wednesday and Guess pumps on Thursday.  Yeah, my feet looked awesome, but these are also days I ran 4K, 5K and 3K respectively.  By Friday, my feet were so sore that even though I wore sneakers to work I felt like The Little Mermaid---not the Disney one, the Hans Christian Anderson one who in exchange for getting legs, would feel like she was walking on razor blades.  Even watching TV on Friday night (hey there Socialite!) I had my feet elevated in an attempt to make them feel better. Good thing it wasn't a running day.

So, Saturday breaks and I have to run 8K.   Usually my long runs are the day after a rest day, and after the first K, I could already feel it wasn't going to be the best run.  It was another great day at the reservoir, sunny and a perfect 10C for running.  Boy, fall doesn't last long in Calgary, because the lovely yellow leaves I was all excited about last week are GONE, the trees were completely bare.   There were a lot of families out on bikes, and I did find myself continuously dodging small children, but I made it through without accidentally straightarming anyone.  I felt like I finished strong, but was sort of surprised at the end that I was only 2 minutes quicker than last week's 26C run where I thought I was dying.  I guess I was a bit slower overall this week, I did see a few times my pacing was slower than usual, while my feet felt better, but not 100%. I'm not trying to make excuses, because I felt pretty good about the run, but I was still surprised by my time.  Ah, well, I still ran the whole 8K plus I actually got out of bed before noon on a Saturday, so it's still another success in my books!

In closing,  I'll leave you with this video about someone else who loves shoes too!

Some Like It Hot

RIP Tony Curtis, we will miss your
dashing looks and comedic timing!

I might have just sunburned for the first time ever in October in Calgary.  After sleeping in until noon (yes, I do that pretty much every Saturday, but this week I have an excuse...I was volunteering until 1230 last night at a literacy fundraiser!  Lookit me, all philothropantic!) and eating a nutritious breakfast of Spolumbo's breakfast sausages and Eggs a la Joey, I headed over to the reservoir for an 8k run.  It was already 24C, and a glorious day, so I was looking forward to enjoying one of those few lovely fall days Calgary gets per year.  I headed out, enjoying the cloudless azure blue skies against the canary yellow leaves still on the trees while the latest international dance songs scrolled by on my Ipod.  I have to say, I really enjoyed the first 5K, I felt fast and the scenery was amazing. I felt like a RUNNER and it felt good!

Around 6.5K, I started crapping out. It was hot, my lips were all dried out and gross and my legs were getting heavy. Also, the sun was just blazing and my skin felt like it was burning under the crust of salt accumulating on my arms, but I kept pushing on.  I know from last week I can run 7.5K without too much trouble now, and I wanted to go at least that far again.  I started skipping songs on the Ipod looking for the ones I knew could carry me through another 4 minutes.

I thought I had timed it so the big hill I ran down at the beginning of my run would be the end of the 8K and I could walk up the hill as my cool down. I hit this hill just as the Nike Plus cheerfully announced "400 meters!" and I almost quit.  I was so hot, so tired, and I just didn't think I could make it up this hill after running 7.5K, but I thought I would give it a try since a sinewy woman in front of me was still chugging along.  I started up, and just at the point where I was going to quit, a sweet elderly gentleman on a bike started pacing me and saying "you can do it, you're almost at the top!"  I kept shuffling along, still running but barely as he cheered me on. At the 200m to go mark, I gasped "I don't think I can do this" to which he replied "yes, you can!  You're young, you can do it!!!.....but I can't, I'm old!" as he hopped off his bike and started walking.  Just as he did that, Sinewy Lady also started walking. 

 I'll be darned if I didn't chug my way to the top of the hill.   I was just channeling the Little Engine That Could because I figured if that old timer thought I could do it, then I probably really could.  Apparently I'm kinda petty because when I passed Sinewy Lady, I chortled to myself "you may be 5% body fat with zero cellulite, lady, but I'm passing you, mwahahahahaha!" It was a pretty weak finish to my run, and I bet that last 400 meters took as long as the previous km had, but I still ran the entire 8K without walking once, so I'd still say it was a win! 

I guess I could! Yay me!

PS...check out the update to our running to Disneyworld as of October 1...we're so close to the border, we can see the bright lights of the Duty Free!