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!!

Not really anything to do with running, but...

After New York last week, we went to Philadelphia. What's about the most famous thing to come out of Philly besides cheesesteaks (and yes, I had one...OK, two... shut up) in the past century?  That's right, Rocky!!!!  So, even though we had a very limited time in the city, we made a special trip to the Philadelphia Art Museum and I ran up the stairs just like Rocky.  It took me 24 seconds, and after several viewings of that part of the film, I still can't tell if that's a good time or not.  Now, I don't think I'm as fit as a 30 year old boxer from Philly, but I was still pretty proud of myself.  Two years ago I couldn't walk up the single flight of stairs from the laundry room without gasping through chest pains, and I was able to sprint all the way up just like Rocky did AFTER the Gonna Fly Now montage!  YAY ME!!!

Anyway, I may be fitter than I was then, but it turns out I'm still a huge nerd, because I had Bryan film me running up the stairs and behold: Here it the link to the better version for y'all to enjoy over and over...or the original video below.  Sorry I wasn't able to be more authentic with gray hoodie tragically tucked into gray sweatpants, but even nerds have their limits. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETCzYN4G1UQ 

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 on the Road...sort of

We arrived in New Jersey last night for the Rangers game (taking the train into NYC takes 20 minutes and saves us $300 a night) and this morning, I was ready for my first road trip run.  Yesterday, I drank nothing but lattes and beer (not a single sip of water), and ate nothing but pizza and White Castle burgers.  The complimentary breakfast at our hotel offers the Mecca of free breakfasts...breakfast sandwiches on a biscuit!  (Fueled with this 2 day nutritional powerhouse means that it's not just my running that's slow, heh) I power through a sandwich, 3 glazed donuts,  2 cafe mochas before hitting the...gym.

That's right, my first chance to run in New Jersey and I sort of chicken out.  I didn't know where to run, plus I was afraid of getting lost (and I think Bryan is secretly afraid of me getting shot) so I opted to run inside in what was a pretty fancy gym right next to the breakfast room. The upside was that I got in a 3 mile run (USA likes their imperial measurement) in 30 minutes flat in a room that smelled deliciously of bacon and eggs.  The downside was that I was a sweaty disgusting mess and wasted a great day outside where the temperature is a lovely 15C...making it 45C warmer than back home. Plus, I can't help but feel like a wimp. Tomorrow is a run in Central Park for sure!