Yet another long run

Or how about "The Long and Winding Road" which was one of the more appropriate song titles that was on my ipod today? Whatever, another 20 miler is now in the books and it's nice to sit now by the fireplace with my glass of Keith's Amber Ale with pizza in the oven for supper. Actually my glass is empty, perhaps I need a refill. Hydration is key to recovery, right?

Marathon and Beyond has a great article in the most recent Jan/Feb issue (see table of contents for articles summary) by Guy Avery on goal setting and training which has got me thinking about the obvious that "you can't do on race day what you haven't trained for". Which comes back to today's long run which was meant to stress and simulate conditions that will occur on April 16th. Namely I will get tired and sore and will dearly want to stop but there will still be 5 or 6 more miles to go. I like to say that the main purpose of the long run is to get to the last few miles where you are (usually) tired. Granted, there are days when it's a slog from the 1st step but what you do in training while tired will pay dividends on race day both mentally and physically.

Today's run was done from home as my usual Boyden Lake route was canceled with Andrew who was away for most of the week and not up to another long one. Maybe next week, I miss the company. However, only about 1/2 mile into the run I ran into a friend from work who I was surprised to see on the roads. Les is just getting into running and is preparing for his very 1st race, a 1/2 marathon at the Bluenose International Marathon in Halifax on May 20th. We ran together for a couple of miles and then continued our separate ways, Les to his warm home and myself for 17 more miles. But it was a nice break; long runs go so much quicker with company.

Back to my music and listening to some podcasts as I did 2 loops of the town for 12 miles before refilling my gatorade and heading out of town on the highway for the real meat of the run. The next 4 miles were at a slightly faster pace (close to 8:00) and into the steady 10mph wind with temps around 34C (felt a bit cool). Finally it was time to turn for home and to see what was left in the tank for the last 4 miles which I hoped to do around marathon pace. There was still a bit of energy left as I managed 7:26, 7:28, 7:19 and 7:08 with heartrate slowly climbing (along with the hills). It was sooo nice to stop! Another one in the books....

Oh yeah, recap for last week was 6 runs for 70 miles and a Parrot Predictor now falling to 3:20. I think there is hope for my goal of 3:10 if I can just make it through the next 3 weeks in one piece and then begin the taper. Time now for some delicious Chocolate Fudge Crackle vanilla ice cream, mmmm! Not good for the diet but the furnace is hot tonite.

Happy running!

Snow Day

Yup, it's still winter here and we'll just have to make do and put up with it for a few more weeks. They did a pre-emptive strike at the local schools shutting them down for the day, even though it didn't even start to snow until noon and very little accumulation until about mid-afternoon. I guess they just want to be extra cautious, "But in my day, we never got a day off ...".

So what am I doing out in this you ask? Why didn't I play it smart and get my run in early before it all started? Well a couple of reasons, #1: hate to get up early (only for the long runs), #2: still feeling the effects from the interval workout on Tues with a bit of general tiredness and not looking forward to the ambitious plan in my log for today.

As I posted before, things were great on my 90 minute run on Weds, the day after my mile intervals as I sailed along at an easy pace of 8:10/mi. However, the next day the old DOMS (delayed onset muscle syndrome) kicked in and things were very slow and stiff. All I could manage was a 1hr run at about 8:25 pace but at least the heartrate stayed low. Bonus was the nice sunny day with temperature just around the freezing point (almost balmy!).

Back to the plan. Today it called for a 2 hour run with 6 miles at marathon pace. Sheesh! Maybe if I delay long enough the coach will give me a pass. Oh, I'm the coach! No free pass today. Besides it's not that cold and not accumulating much so let's try the roads 1st. Maybe, I could do part of the run outside in the fresh snow and then finish with the fast miles on the treadmill. Oh and I'd forgot to mention that I'd worked thru lunch and left work early so I could run before the real storm hit. After even more time-wasting, window gazing at the dark clouds and snow, gatorade mixing, and setting up the treadmill along with a change of clothes it was time to go. The 1st part of the run, which turned out to be about 8 miles, was actually rather nice. The temperature was only about -1C (30F) and the driving wind and snow was only an issue for a few open spots where it felt like running in molasses. Besides that I just cruised along at an easy pace mostly on the deserted side roads in town. There wasn't much accumulation yet (less than an inch) and so the footing was good for the most part but not anything to try faster running on. The picture was taken just as I got back from the 1st part of my run.

It was then a quick change and on the awaiting treadmill. After a 1/2 mile warmup it was straight into 6 miles at about marathon pace where I slowly ramped the pace up from 7:30 to 7:13. Ended up with average pace of 7:18 and heartrate of 143 although it was getting to be harder work for the last two miles. All in all it was a decent workout and managed to get my money's worth once again.

Hope you're running is also going well.

coming around

After a couple of tough weeks both mentally and physically it looks like things are finally starting to come around. The grind of weather, work and trying to get my running fitted in have been a bit wearing to say the least but in the last few days we caught a little bit of a break with warmer temperatures. In fact we've had daytime highs above freezing now for two entire days in a row and you'd think that it was summer or at least closer to spring. However, the forecast for the weekend is a blizzard with 20+ cm (that's about a foot) of nice white fluffy stuff. Local forecasters call it 'Sheila's Brush', ha! I think winter has a few tricks left yet up her sleeve...

Legend of Sheila's Brush
Sheila's Brush is the last of winter usually around St. Patricks day. The snow is a result of Sheila's sweeping. Legend has it that Sheila was St. Patrick's wife, sister or mother. Sometimes a storm before"Paddy's" Day is called Patrick and Sheila.

But speaking of coming around I had a workout yesterday that made me think I might be finally getting into decent condition. I had taken Monday off, as per usual, and didn't really feeling any ill effects from the Sunday long run besides the usual residual tiredness.

However, my penciled in workout for Tues of 4x1 miles had me a little nervous all day. Am I rested enough? Do I really want to do that many? How hard/fast should I go? My 800m repeats last week were barely at 6:40 pace on the treadmill, what can I possible aim for today? Even the sunshine and calm winds had little effect on my dark mood. "Are you running outside today?" my wife asked as we got home after work. "I'm not sure, I'll figure it out when I get dressed" was my reply and the next thing I knew I was breathing fresh air and slowly jogging down the road towards what felt like impending doom.

Finally, after a 1.5 mile easy jog, I'm lined up by the high school at the start line of our annual Father's Day race. Ready, set, go! Click the watch, roll down the slight incline, these new shoes feel good, this isn't so bad, 1/2 mile gone and pace is looking good, watch the form, save it for the next three, click, 6:38, whoa that was unexpected! Easy 1/4 mile jog, meet a walker going the other way, turn and start the next repeat, blast by the walker, hold back now, cruise around the Point ignoring the fantastic view on a calm sunny day, now uphill slightly and working harder to hold pace, holding on to form, click, 6:35! Next one in 6:32, meeting a jogger during the recovery and then worked hard to catch him on the final one in 6:36. I'll take my roadkill where ever it comes. Finished with a couple of easy miles with a very content feeling. I've got no idea where this came from but it gives me a standard that will be fun to try to maintain and improve on over the next several weeks.

Today I was no worse for wear as I had expected to at least have some stiffness or tightness in the legs but nothing. We had another lovely mild day (anything above freezing is a bonus) but not yet shorts weather. Managed a nice relaxing 11 mile easy run in about 90 minutes and heartrate low at 128 average. The run felt smooth and easy as I enjoyed some old Beatles music on the ipod.

Thus February ends with 248 miles in the bank and now at 500 thus far for the year. It just seems to get better and better. Good running all!

It doesn't get any easier

I don't know where to start, 20 milers in 15 of the last 16 weeks but "It just doesn't get any easier!" Just ask Andrew who bonked and collapsed in a heap in his car after surviving today's run; I wasn't too far behind.

Today's run started cold and windy (-5C and NW 30-40km/hr) so we decided to head north, doing our regular Boyden Lake loop in reverse, in order to avoid some of the windy open spaces along the route. It proved to be a good idea as our pace in the 1st 10 miles was a bit quicker (around 7:40) with the wind mostly at our back and the hills down. However, this later became our undoing as the 2nd 1/2 of the run seemed to be mostly into the (stupid) wind and uphill. Whether it was the quicker 1st 1/2 pace, a lack of pre-run carbs or just us being wimpy, we'll never know. Things did get very quiet 2nd 1/2, which is very unusual with A and the pace slowed too, which was a welcome relief for my weary legs. Maybe next time we'll borrow a snowmobile. Tough run but we got it done (mostly).

Thus ended another week of training with only 7 weeks to go now.

A few other highlights during the past week. Total of 62 miles in 6 runs, 3 on the treadmill due to winter blues and the nasty weather. Time for spring is coming soon, happier running ahead!

Drag days of winter

I never thought you'd hear this come from me but this stupid winter is for the birds!! In the last week we've had 2 snowstorms, there have been 3 snow days for Andrew and the temperature has barely improved one iota. Yuck! And the slippery, slushy roads are driving me crazy too.

Positive note: received my confirmation acceptance card from the BAA today. (55 days to go)

Back to the rant, Sunday's long run was a slog fest from the get go. It was snowing when I started and snowing when finished but it did let up during the run. On the positive side it wasn't -20C with a crazy windchill and my ipod was charged up with a few podcasts to keep me occupied during the run. Negative side again; roads were very greasy and required the Yaktraxs for the 1st 15 miles of the run. I only took them off during the final push home along the highway as my feet started to complain about being cramped in so much. Anyway 20 miles mostly a steady easy paced run but got very tired over the last few miles. Then literally collapsed on the couch for the rest of the day. Enough said.

On Monday we had another storm here with schools closed and very high winds with blizzard conditions. Work still went on as normal though... so I walked the mile in across the field instead of venturing out with the car. Today with the roads still snow covered and 1/2 plowed I decided to take it easy and use the treadmill option again. It's not necessarily always an easy option but at least you don't have to work about getting hit by snowplows or falling and risking injury. But I did just take it easy with an hour of running at recovery pace.

Hang in there winter runners, only a few more weeks till spring.

Sunday's are good days

First, here's a nice link to the Ottawa Ice Sculpture competition. Click on a carver in the list and you can see the design and some great pictures of the best ones. The competition is ongoing with the masters competition and the amazing snow sculptures can be seen here.

Second, I've been a real slacker with keeping up to date on my blog lately. It's been ridiculous again at work and the first thing that seems to go is writing up the latest happenings. Even my blogline reading and commenting is way behind. However, I'm keeping up the running end of things no matter what and with only 8 weeks to go the end is in sight.

Rewind to last Sunday which seems like ages ago now. The three amigos got in a super fun run on our standard Boyden Lake loop with a Sipayik Trail loop thrown in for good measure. The conditions were decent with good footing, light winds but a little on the cold side at -15C (5F).

Oh yeah, just to put my 2 cents worth about my comment at our little break at the Farmers Market. I must have been getting a little impatient about all the stretching and lolligagging or something as I started up the road with "Let's get this show on the road!". Didn't realize what an impression that this made on 'the boys' but they quickly fell into line and then proceeded to crank things up and put the 'old man' in his place.

Lots of good conversation made it seem like a short easy run but it got a little tough in the last mile or so. I was just hanging on for dear life as Marc picked it up when he started to smell the apple pie and brownies waiting for us at the car. I spent the rest of the day flaked out on the couch rehydrating with whatever could be found in the fridge.

Monday - rest day
Tues - hill workout (profile above) on a local incline called 'The Bunny Hill', not because it's easy but because a local resident raises rabbits and there are often bunnies along the roadside. I only noted one today but maybe they were indoors with the cold and windchill of -25C (-15F). Today's 11 mile slogfest was brutal with the wind but I was well dressed for it (love my new balaclava) and the roads were mostly bare. The hill section of the run was a set of 4x 1/2 mile downhill efforts at a cruising marathon pace which ended up close to 6:30/mile with the steep incline. Slow jog up and repeat then finish with an easy run back to the start.

Weds - another dumb work trip which messed up our Valentines Day plans at home. I now have a big IOU to make up. We had to leave early in order to beat the snow storm that was barrelling up the coast from Downeast no less (not from the Great White North). When we got to Dartmouth there was time to get in an 8 mile run along with a few strides and another run was in the books.

Thurs - up early to get a run in before the meetings but the streets and sidewalks were treacherous with ice and snow. Even with the good old Yaktrax it was tough sledding but managed 6.5 miles without falling down. Pace was near 9 minute though.

Friday - home at last again but the roads are barely plowed and my medium long run was a true slug/slog fest. Again it would have been un-runnable without the Yaks and still nearly fell a few times on the slick roads as I barely managed to get in 11 slow miles with a nasty north wind blowing. I totally agree with Andrew's sentiment, "Enough already with this winter cold".

Sat- blew off any attempt to run in the cold and jumped on the treadmill for a change of pace. After a few miles warmup and a few pickups I was able to put in 5 miles at marathon pace (7:18 avg) and with heartrate below 150. It felt good to move a little faster for a change in just shorts.

Total for the week of 66 miles with 97% of my plan completed. The week was a repeat of what I'd intended last week as the next 5 weeks will be aimed at race preparation. I'm considering running the Hypothermic 1/2 marathon next Sunday in Saint John but may hold off and see how bad (or good) the weather is going to be.

Have a great week everyone!

What a crazy week!

The week started out on Sunday in Ottawa amongst the ice sculptures which were pretty cool! But instead of a long run it was 8 miles of skating on the canal and my streak of 12 long runs of 20+ was ended.

Another neat sculpture which stands about 5 feet high.

But back to reality a few days later with a work trip to Dartmouth, NS. Winter really has quite a grip on us now as we've been in the deep deep freeze for about 2 weeks now with no end in site. I was able to get a 7 miles in early on Tuesday before our meetings but it was a might nippy at -28C with the wind. Any thoughts of going fast or too long were quickly squashed as I was on a tight schedule.

On Weds there was a bit more time before starting our trip back home so was able to fit in a decent hill workout in downtown Dartmouth. After a 3 mile easy warmup I found myself at the foot of the Maple Street hill which is well know by local runners and an unwelcome part of the annual Bluenose marathon. My workout plan called for 6 hills and that's what I was able to pull off but the urge to walk became quite strong after about 3 of these at about 3 minutes up and 2 minutes jogs back down. The hills and valleys in elevation and heartrate tell the story. Finished the run with another 3 miles back to the hotel.

Thurs - back home at last and just an easy 8 miles on heavy legs. Also submitted my Boston application and received a little bonus cheque for my age group placing at Wineglass. A little late but that's fine.

Friday - another cool day with winds and windchill near -20C and waited till later in the day to get my medium long run of 15 miles in. Ran it as an out and back figuring to run into the wind on the way out and do my marathon pace miles on the return leg. But somehow it seemed that the wind was shifting continually and was in my face during most of the way. Still managed to get in 5 miles at just under MP at 7:30 pace and heartrate of only 147 avg. It was work but quite manageable despite the weather and all the layers. Maybe the new shoes helped!

Here are the new shoes, Mizuno Wave Riders and this is pair #23 for this brand. They work very well for me and I can easily get 500-800 miles on them before it's time for fresh ones. Bought 2 pair so that I can save one for the marathon.

Today was just a short 1 hour run to give the legs an easy day before the long run planned with Marc and Andrew on Sunday. It was cold again but I've got the layering thing down pretty good now.

Total for the past week was only 53 miles for 73% of my planned week. Oh well, at least my Parrot predictor is coming down to near the 3:30 mark. Actually looking at my plan, next week is scheduled to be a rest week but since I've slacked off so much this week, maybe I'll call this a rest week and just repeat what I'd planned last week. Does that make any sense? I'll bounce it off 'the boys' in the morning and see what they think.

Happy running!

Ottawa report

I'll try to keep this short but it might be hard as there is so much to fit in and not enough time. As you can see I made it to Ottawa and found the canal nicely frozen for winter fun.

The trip up was eventful and with a lucky last minute flight change I got an upgrade and 1st class service on the flight up. My treatment by Air Canada was exceptional and very different from the poor service that Phil got a few weeks ago. The short story was that I arrived early, well fed and raring to go for a run around the city before the meetings began.

So quickly out the door of the downtown hotel I was soon on one of the many running trails in Ottawa. This one goes down the Rideau River past the parliament buildings and then down by the canal. I ran on the sidewalks for the most part doing the entire route while watching the skaters on the ice. I attempted to run along the ice for a short bit but found it was too slippery for even the Yaktraxs and quickly got back on the road. Ended up with a nice 12.5 miles on a perfect calm and almost mild day with temps around -5C.

That night, fantastic beer and meal at Pub Italia with my son. This restaurant has over 200 beers on it's menu, you get a beer list booklet and we sampled only a couple; Satans Killer Red from Kingdom of Fire (malty amber red beer) and an Erdinger Dunkel from Germany (very smooth dark wheat beer). And the food was good too!

Saturday - up early for another jaunt on the trails but this time I headed up the river searching out new unexplored territory. Due to some construction and blocked access I proceeded to get a little bit lost or should I say misdirected before finding my way as far as the Champlain bridge before turning back for the hotel. The hour plus run was very slow due to the snow packed and lightly traveled route that I took. Total for the week was 67 miles and more or less on track, just missed the tempo run.

Saturday night, Saturday night, Saturday night at the hockey game with the Ottawa Senators and the Toronto Maple Leafs !!!! We were so lucky to get tickets and the game was unbelievable. Sold out 20,000+, almost as many Toronto fans as Ottawa and an exciting 2-2 game which went to overtime and a shootout! To bad the home team lost but we got our moneys worth, WoW!

Sunday morning - blown long run but instead we were up early and on the canal by 7am for some great pictures and uncrowded skating. Total of 8 miles return trip on the ice which was in great condition. The temp was cool around -15C but there was little wind and we were very well dressed. It didn't even hurt when I crashed one time when distracted by the view. Also spent some time at the ice sculptures which were very impressive.

I flew home later that day but this time had to endure the coach class with little or no elbow room. Thankfully I wasn't between large bodies and the trip was only about an hour. But the streak of 20 milers has finally come to an end with no obvious way to fit one in before the weekend.

I'm now in Dartmouth, NS for an emergency work meeting and my running will be catch as catch can for the next few days. I was only told about it when arriving at work this morning and basically just repacked my bag and headed out once again. Took only enough time to put in a quick 5 miles on the treadmill before hitting the road once again.

Have a good week out there! I hope to get caught up soon!!

Ottawa bound

Believe it or not I did survive the weekend and am still able to kick the can down the road. Now on the road again with a trip to Ottawa for work aka union business so I'll get a chance to visit my oldest son. Another bonus is that it is the Winterlude festival and the Rideau canal is open for skating. It lays claim to being the world's longest skateway and my skates are sharpened and ready to go.

Very short post this week with things sort of working on the running front. My legs are still sore today (Thurs) from Sunday's brutal downhills.

Monday - day off and very tired and sore just walking around

Tues - easy 8 mile loop in the cold and wind. The legs were extremely stiff, especially on the downhills

Weds - 11 mile run with 4miles at marathon pace (avg pace about 7:20) Again the legs were sore but was able to get the pace up for the MP portion of the run. I also underdressed and paid the price by being chilled after the run. At least I was able to curl up around the fire.

Thurs - easy 8 miles again but it was a very tired and slow run.

Now visiting with my sister and will be flying off early in the morning. Hope to get a quick run in when I land in Ottawa before the meetings later in the afternoon. Wish me luck at staying upright on the canal!

3 blind moose

So much to say and so little time to say it... and I'm still very tired and need more sleep. This post will be mostly just the highlights and pictures.
The choice of wine was appropriate at many levels.
Marc's camp is, well a running camp to die for. Eat, sleep, drink, run, repeat.

The standard butt shot for the Pink Lady, pre run on Saturday morningIt was a little chilly but nothing we couldn't handle with the right gear. Andrew was showing his age a little too, don't you think?

After the run we scouted out the course for Sunday's long run. This is the view from the top of Tory Hill , which was the big climb we did. As you can see there are some big hills in this region of Maine. We're about 15-20 miles away from Sugarloaf Mountain which has an elevation of over 4000 ft.Here's the Garmin plot for Sunday's run with the elevation in green and my erratic heartrate in red. You can see our little rest breaks where the red line drops drastically, mostly for water and gear but also to avoid very large dogs. You'll have to check out Marc's blog for more pictures and the full story about those man eaters.

Between the beer, ice cream, bagels, coffee and naps we got two great runs in. We kept saying to Marc that he's so lucky to have all these great hills to work with but he just keep looking at us like we were nuts. There is only two directions around here, up or down, no flat and easy to be found anywhere.

Saturday morning was an easy 8 miles as an out and back or should I say down and up where I/we deliberately tried to run slow as we could. It was a cold morning -20C (-2F) but not a breathe of wind and we had a comfortable run with the right layering (once we got warmed up of course).

Sunday's run was another story. After taking our time getting ready with lots of coffee and food we were on our way into more hills. The final plan to park the car at a midpoint area of the run turned out to be a saving grace in this brutal 20 miler. The 1st mile was a gradual rise which then quickly turned into a really tough long climb with about a 900ft elevation change. The monster dogs were actually a nice rest break near the 1/2 way point up where we had a short flatish respite before an even more brutal downhill. My yaktraks were put to good use in maintaining myself upright with the light snowcover on the ground.

Of course going down only meant one thing and that was more uphills over even more treacherous backwoods logging roads. The lack of traffic made it a safe run from that point of view but the footing was tough for Marc and Andrew without cleats. But we soldiered on with no other options available to us, finally arriving at the car around the 14 mile mark. The final 6 miles got progressively more difficult and it was a great relief to finally be able to stop after doing an out and back to Marc's house. A run to remember guys! Thanks for a great weekend.

It's now more than 36 hrs since the run and I'm still tired and sore. Time to get some more sleep I think. Good running!

Making hay while the sun shines

And the fire is now burning brightly. It's cool having a remote with flame and fan setting controls but there still is a bit of trim work and likely room redecorating to come.

I'm all set for the running weekend with the guys, Downeast Andrew, Marc on the Run and possibly Jamie-Maine Runner down in southern Maine where the wind never blows and the sun always shines brightly, ha! The plan is to motor down on Friday and get some runs in on Saturday and Sunday between the eating, ice-cream, running movies and beer.

Thanks for all the interest and nice comments on my 'plan'. I've started to implement the details and so far it's been 100% except with the usual rearranging of days to fit my schedule. After Sunday's long cold run with Andrew, Jonathan and a drive by sighting of Stephanie the 1st day of the plan on Monday was a rest day! I also spent about 7 hours on the road driving my Mom back up to Bathurst from her appointment in Saint John. She's doing very well and it's really nice to see her on these long trips when we can get all caught up on things.

Tues was the long drive back home from Bathurst but it turned out to be very revolutionary in my thinking about how I approach running because of the podcast that I was listening to by Simply Stu. It's episode #52 and the idea is a bit hard to explain in detail but the short story is that Stu recently was tested at a high tech lab to determine his lactate levels while running and he was discussing the results with the physiologist Neal Henderson. He could tell that Stu overtrains on a regular basis before taking even one step on the treadmill and that his easy paces are never truly walking in the park easy when doing base work. As a result he does not improve because he never allows himself to rest and recover. You really should listen to it but what I got from this is that there is a place for easy running in my program and it starts today by using heartrate as a guide.

So... I arrived home all enthused to go for a run at an easy, easy pace (love it!) Since the sun was shining brightly with no wind at all I made it a medium long run of 14 miles, at the prescribed easy pace with heartrate below 135. There were also 2 marathon pace miles thrown into the day's schedule which came in at 7:17 and 7:10 each where the HR pushed up to about 150. Total time of 1:54 for 8:04 pace and felt great!

Weds - just an easy 1 hour run, again trying to keep the heartrate low as I meandered around town. Conditions were again calm and mild around -2C.

Thurs - 90 minute run today with hillwork. Started out with an easy 1 mile warmup and then ran at a strong effort up a 1/2 mile gradual hill of about 150 ft elevation. Finished each repeat with an easy jog down the hill. Repeated for 4 loops and then completed the 11 mile run with (you know) an easy run around town. It was cooler today, around -10C and a noticeable wind with a bite but felt good when it was at your back.

So far so good but I can see a few bumps coming up in the road with the weather and busy schedules. Good running and watch out for those SUV's and snowplows!

Plan of attack

Well, I'm glad this past week is finally over. The weather has been awful, brutal, miserable, blustery and cold (take your pick) but it is winter and that's to be expected. Running-wise the week was OK with a total of 62 miles but nothing with any speed/tempo except on the treadmill. Despite having had a recnet cutback week it seemed that I was tired and slow on most of the runs. Is it OK if I blame it on the icy snow covered roads?

Thurs - tired before the run, in fact it was tough even going up and down stairs at work. However, once past the 1st mile, I was able to complete the 95 minute run with 11 miles covered. Sloppy roads but warmer temp around -4C and light winds.

Friday - tired and sore from the slipping and sliding on Thurs and decided to can the scheduled 2hr run with an easy 5 mile loop. It's been awhile since I've had to call off a workout but you need to be able to take a break on occasion and save your energy for another day. It was an interesting run with conditions going from light rain, then sleet, then ice pellets and driving snow and wind by the end. Good thing it was a shortened run!

Sat - easy 1 hour run was the plan and I was feeling much better this morning. After cleaning off the 2-4cm of snow in our driveway it was off for a quick loop around town. The yaktraks again came in very handy on the icy roads as I meandered around. Ran across another runner, which is highly unusual in our little town and detoured to say hello. Turned out to be a visitor from Boston and we had an nice chat before veering off in different directions to finish our runs. Total of 10 miles in 84 min with temp of -5C and medium winds to make it interesting.

Sunday - today was the 'coup de gras' as far as tough runs so far this year. I met Andrew and Jonathan out at Boyden Lake in near ridiculous conditions of -15C with very strong NW winds for windchill of -25C (-15F). These are marginal conditions where there is risk of frostbite with prolonged exposure (duh). We organized our vehicles so that one van was at the halfway point with drinks and snacks stashed away and the others at our usual start and this turned out to be a saving grace later on. Jonathan has not been running much lately so Andrew and I met early for a quick 3 mile warmup to test our clothing in the conditions. By the time we got back Jon was just arriving and after a quick stop we were off with the wind strategically behind us.

Note - wearing 3 layers on top with a goretex jacket, running pants and goretex pants, balaclava, neck protector, fleece toque and gloves

The 1st 7 miles were reasonable with a slight cross or following wind. With our faces exposed the conversation was varied and understandable but once we hit the vans and geared up for the northern passage things changed very quickly. Balaclavas on, faces covered and all conversation was now muffled or completely unintelligable. As we came to a junction in the road with a choice of going north with the vans 9 miles away or going right with only 4 miles to go we made a vain attempt to start north into a driving headwind. This lasted all of about 100yds before the mutual decision was made to hightail it on a more direct route. The swirling gale still slowed our progress to a near halt on occasion but the cover of the wooded areas made this a much better choice. Another quick stop (with a coffee break even) Andrew and I then finished off the 20 miles by retracing our route back to my van at the Farmers Union. Oh boy, it was nice to stop and was that chocolate brownie EVER GOOD!

Meanwhile, I've also been busy coming up with a plan for the final 12 weeks to go for Boston. It's a mixture of what has worked in the past and a bit more consistency in the long runs and time on my feet week in and week out. Here goes:

Good running and stay healthy out there!

Just blab it out

After a relatively nice, easy recovery week it's back to the office both in the real world where you get paid for your efforts and in the play world, where, well you know. I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with interesting things to put in this thing so please bear with me if it's just the ORN.

Monday - rest day feeling fine. We had a decent snowfall (6 or 8 inches) on Monday with the schools closed at noon

Tues - bit of a cool day at -8C and windchill of -16C but got well layered up and had a nice if not slow run. The roads were very slippery and often felt like I was sliding back about 6 inches per step. And this is with my trusty Yaktrax in place. Without them I'd have been doing faceplants and snow angels. I think this is a nice form of resistance training that is much like running on sand dunes. Total of 8 miles in 71:00 but the heartrate was high for such a slow pace.

Weds - extreme windchill here today, around -30 in both C and F and was told by Coach not to even 'think' about running outside today. Why not? I can dress for it... Heard the usual 'freeze your lungs' stuff from co-workers and decided to go with the flow and run indoors on the treadmill. It's been awhile since I've used it because of our ridiculously mild winter and it took a mile or so to get into the rthym of the thing again. Started out at 7 mph (8:30 pace) and slowly ramped up the speed by 0.1 mph every 1/4 mile, working up to 8.6 mph (6:53 pace) before dropping down and starting up the scale again. It made for a nice speedy feeling (but sweaty) workout that lasted just 64 minutes for the 8 miles.

And that's all she wrote. Good running!

The long and winding road

First a quick peek at the custom oak mantle for our new gas fireplace. It is a beautiful piece of furniture that will soon be warming up our cold fingers and toes during the chilly winter evenings yet to come this winter. Of course the gas insert is yet to come, but soon.
On the running front, it was yet another long slow 20 miler; alone again with my trusty new Ipod. Winter has arrived and with temps around -8C (15F) I was in no hurry to get going this morning. When it's cold there is always time for an extra coffee, another blog to read, lay out the gear, charge up the tunes, check the weather again, etc. But once you get going with the enough layers, after a few minutes it was positively balmy ( right you are Zeke, we are getting soft with the mild winter thus far!).

Started the run with a 5 mile slow loop around town and was shocked awake around the 4 mile point while listening to Phedippidations to hear my blog being highlighted on his latest podcast. Cool, thanks Steve! Listen in next week for the story of George Sheehan (part 1). It woke me up a bit but didn't help my pace or energy level much as I made a quick stop for drinks and then continued out of town for another dozen miles. The hardest part of the run was arriving back home with 18 miles under my belt for another drink refill and still 2 miles to go. Somehow I managed to grab my bottle and turn back down the driveway to finish off the run. Average pace was 8:20 but felt more like 9:20's.

This makes it 10x20 but it's not getting much easier. Next week it will be back with the Boyden Lake gang and Jonathan is promising to come out with us. As long as he doesn't push the pace any more than Andrew it should prove to be a fun run. I've gotten very spoiled in the past year or so doing these long runs in a group setting. Previous to meeting Andrew I did 99.9% of my running and training alone, year in and year out as Boston or the next marathon approached. It really is so much easier when you share the pain!

Good running out there!

Lazy week

It's about time that I reported in with the weeks activities which have been slack on the running front. The idea was to take an easy week with 50% of daily mileage to give me a bit of a break and also to take the pressure to run off while at meetings all week. The plan seemed to work as it turned out to be hard to even get the short runs in. OK, short and sweet here goes.

Monday - rest day, dodgy drive to Dartmouth in a snow storm

Tues - meetings all day but able to co-ordinate a run with Anthony, our team captain for the Cabot Trail relay. He's only 2 weeks away from doing the Miami marathon and is very fit and ready to gun for his goal of 3:40. We had a great chat as we zoomed along the darkened streets but the run was over too quickly with much left to say. 5 miles covered and conversation to be continued.

Weds - crazy day with work and then a really rushed short run before going out to supper with collegues from the meeting. Went hard on a hilly out and back for 3.5 miles from the hotel and the pace was down to about 7:25 for the effort. The meal at Salty's was amazing!

Thurs - another crazy meetings all day , day finally over! Met Anthony again for another short run and again I spent most of the run just trying to slow him down a little. This guy is really ready to kick butt in Miami! After the run we met at a local Irish pub, Celtic Corner with great locally brewed beer and live music. It was a nice evening after a hectic week with good friends.

Friday - up early with time for my favorite run when I visit the Halifax-Dartmouth area which takes me between the 2 bridges and across the Macdonald bridge to the city of Halifax (screenshot below). The sun was just starting to come up and the crisp morning air made for a great 1hr (med-long run for this week). Then the long 5 hr drive to get home at last
Sat - time for a quick 30 minute run in the morning while waiting for our fireplace mantle to be delivered. It's a beautiful piece of furniture that now only needs the heat throwing device that will sit in the middle. Something tells me we'll be needing this soon as the cold arctic air rolls in from out west.

Total for the slacker week was 44 miles with 6hr of running. The body feels recovered somewhat with no aches and pains but there isn't much spring in the legs despite the low mileage. Perhaps a little work break will be in order to refresh the brain.

Home alone

All the preparations were made, breakfast laid out, coffee ready to start, spare gear packed, post run snacks chilling, and even woke up 2 minutes before the 6am alarm. Almost out the door but then decided to check my email and 'Oh, oh, Andrew's cancelling out sick with dizzy spells and general unwellness'. Darn, I hope that flu bug is not catching via email but glad that I double checked.

So, no great rush to get on the road and may as well have another cup of coffee and catch up on bloglines while waiting for the sun to come up. It's been kinda slow in blogland this weekend, either everyone is busy, sick or just not running and posting. Finally around 730 it was time to just do it. I was not particularly looking forward to 20 miles today and the missed opportunity to run with Andrew and Marc made the distance seem that much more daunting. My initial plan was to do a few 5 mile loops around town with pitstops at home for gatorade to break up the run a bit. I'd also loaded up my new ipod shuffle (very cute) with some ZZ Top and Phedippidations podcasts for company (very poor substitute for Andrew & Marc though).

The starting temperature was 3C (38F) with gusty westerly winds and the 1st 5 miles went OK with one quick stop to talk with a friend. On the return leg home I found there was still plenty of juice in the waterbottle and so veered off on the bare grass of our local golf course and then meandered around town again with trips to all the sideroads, cemetaries, trails and parks that could be found. As much as possible I prefer to stay off the pavement when and try to save my legs; that and the fact that it's time for new shoes with my best pair pushing 400 miles (others are at 700 & 800).

Finally after 13 miles I trudged back up my driveway for a refill of gatorade and courage before heading out the highway for the last leg of the journey. By this time the temperature had warmed up slightly to about 5C (43F) but there were still occasional patches of black ice here and there and the wind still remained strong (and it seems always in my face). The pace was quite slow today, likely feeling the effects of yesterday's intervals and also the lack of a fellow pace pusher. The music and podcasts helped keep the mind occupied and finally IT WAS OVER! Man, that seemed like a long way today! 20.1 miles in 2:51 for 8:30 pace including stops. That makes 9x20 mile weekends in a row and we'll be going for 10 next weekend with company this time, right A?

This coming week will be a rest week of sorts as I'm away for work meetings in Dartmouth, NS and it's time for a little recovery before the big push to Boston really begins. The plan is to keep the long run and rest day on Monday but to cut all my other runs by 50% by time. So runs of 30, 45, 30, 60, and 30 minutes are the plan with some strides & intervals thrown in. It will be a little strange running so short as I'll barely get warmed up most days.

Good running and watch out for that flu bug that's going around!

Weekly roundup

The strange winter weather continues here in the Maritimes. It was +9C (48F) this morning with a southerly breeze and light rain and fog so I was a little unsure as to what to wear. Ended up with long sleeves, light jacket and pants which was a bit much as I had to carry the jacket after a few miles. The plan for today was 1hr with a set of 10 x 1 minute efforts (5K'ish) with 1 minute breaks and so I eased out for the 1st 4 miles along the highway before turning back for home. This workout is alot harder than it appears on paper and my jog breaks soon turned into walk breaks so as to get the HR down a bit before it was time for the next effort. As per usual the last one felt better than the 1st but maybe it was the downhill with the homestretch in site. I was then home early for a Saturday morning and had time to prepare a wall for a new gas fireplace that's in the works. Hmm, perhaps we should consider an air conditioner instead?

Oh, and then there was Friday which seems to be the day for blown out runs for me lately. The plan was for a medium long 2hr run with 14-15 miles but it just didn't happen. No excuses but mainly due to work and a lack of time all that I could manage was 8 miles. There was also a bit of payback from the nice run that was Thursday's tempo run in shorts. It was a pretty tired and slow shuffle of a run, such as it was.

Finished off the week with a total of only 65, down from last week due to the medium long run getting cut short. Coming up on Sunday is another long one with Andrew over in Perry, Maine but unfortunately Marc has had to bow out. In fact the last I heard the poor guy was still flat on his back (or maybe still on his hands and knees) with the flu. Get well soon guy!

What was that?

Wow! What a great spring day we had here today! At noon it was 10C (50F) with sunshine and light southwest winds so the decision to wear shorts and a long sleeve top was made for todays 90 minute effort. This has got to be the 1st time ever for me in shorts in January but I'll check the logs later; crazy weather!

So far this week I've been busy, on the run delivering our daughter and her cat back to college in Truro and then work has been hectic as I prepare for a long round of meetings next week in Halifax. There was time for a quick run on Tuesday before we headed back home. It was a warm morning, about 8C with a light rain but I was feeling very sluggish and slow with tired legs from Sunday's run. Managed a total of 8 miles in 67:00 in a very draggy run. Maybe it was the lack of coffee before the run but that's doubtful. In fact on Monday, my regular day off, I was weary/tired most of the day and even went to bed early after our 4hr drive.

My Weds run was a rushed effort with a shortened run after a busy day at work and then not being able to get going right away. I managed only 8 miles and threw in a set of 10x25sec strides to loosen up the legs. Andrew would not have approved today's route across the ocean floor to Minister's Island and the backroad trails that were covered along the way. Feeling a bit slow but the pace was OK at close to 8:00/mi.

Today's run was another story with the legs and body finally coming around for a change. I'm afraid that there will be payback for my exhuberance later in the week but when you're feeling good it's hard to hold back some days. With an extended lunch I was able to squeeze in a 90 minute run with some tempo on this gorgeous 'spring' day. The run was done as an out and back with the out at a relaxed easy pace for the 1st 47:00. At the turn I increased the pace and did 2 miles at tempo (1/2 marathonish pace) with splits of 7:05 and 7:11 back into a slight headwind and hills. I then took a break intending to jog the rest of the way in but lo and behold spotted another runner off in the distance. The bait was immediately taken and the pace increased with the next 2 miles in 7:03 and 7:23 as it became apparent I wasn't going to make a catch. Oh well, made for a good 2nd half of the run for a total of 11.7 miles in 91:00. The rest of the day was spent with a happy tired feeling in my legs and body, mmmm!

A quick update on my training plan such as it is. Tommorow it will be 100 days until Boston and soon it will be time to start some marathon specific training. My current base is mileage/time aka Lydiard with 60, 90, 60, 120, 60, 150+ minute runs through the week with one day off usually Monday. Next week is a rest week where I'll be cutting the time factor by 50% except for the sacred long run on Sunday. I'm now throwing in a few short speed tempo sessions courtesy of BC Mike but after that the speed / tempo / marathon pace sessions will come from the Renato Canova plan that Coach Andrew is also subscribes to. The base miles (time) will stay the same and may slightly increase giving me about 70 miles/week for the next dozen or so weeks before the taper kicks in. And that's all she wrote!

Happy running!

Resolutions

You Will Keep Your New Year's Resolution?

You're planning on making a resolution that's smart, attainable, and perfect for where your life is.

Will You Keep Your New Year's Resolution?

Anyway, that's the prediction that I got from the Blogthings website. So what is/are my/your resolutions? I don't usually make them but thought it might be fun to come up with a few and see how they come out next year at this time. Nothing like an online diary of sorts to keep you honest. So here's my running related list:

1. one bowl of ice cream per week (doctor's orders and see #10)
2. two beer per week for the added carbs that we runners need
3. three glasses of red wine per week for the good heart healthy chemicals
4. four days of easy running per week so I don't get overtrained
5. five different events in the RunNB race series to attain the cycle (5k, 8k, 10k, 1/2 & full)
6. six days per week running (except for post marathon rest weeks)
   
7. seven or 7th day to run long every week (where long>17mi or 2.5hr) (see #6 exception)
   
8. eight races over the year (this should be easy)
   
9. nine minutes off my marathon PR (3:14 to 3:05) Ouch that's gonna hurt!
   
10. ten pounds, lose them for a 10 minute predicted marathon gain making #9 that much 'easier', ha! (current weight 165lb)

I think that's enough for the silly goals or resolutions. Right now the last thing I feel like doing is running after surviving another 21 mile run with Andrew this morning. Survival was the watchword for today's run as we were both feeling the effects of a long hard week of more training. Andrew is still popping off one hundred mile weeks one after the other and put in a hard workout on Saturday with a variety of repeats. I was also tired after a 74 mile week and a one hour run on Sat with 10 strides (20-25sec sprints) thrown in to shake out the legs.

The border guards were again funny asking about that Andrew guy and wondering how anyone would actually want to run in the cold. It was cool this morning -8C (18F) with a noticeable northerly wind as per usual and a few centimeters (inch) of snow on the roads and trails to make it a little greasy. The extra cushioning is nice but the bad part is every step has a little slip or kickback and this wears on the legs (esp. the hams) after a few miles.

It's a good thing that we're not trying to kill each other out there because these long runs are tough enough without pushing the pace. As it was the main topic of conversation today after training plans was how awful our legs felt and how much our hamstrings complained about the hills and slippery footing. We started out the run nice and slow and just worked our way through it, enjoying the nice sunrise and ocean views. Eventually the miles ticked by and we resisted any urge to increase the pace in order to get the run over with sooner. In fact I don't think I could have run any faster if chased by a pack of wild dogs. My running style was mostly just falling forward, one foot in front of the other and praying for the next mile buzz from the watch. Finally the oasis that was our waiting vehicles appeared and we enjoyed a little holiday snack before departing with a final "See you again next week!" (we are certified nuts)

Thanks A, couldn't have done it without you today.

Good running and a Happy New Year to all!

3000 milestone

It was a cold and windy day...
And hardly a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Thankfully I have a good wind and rainproof jacket, unlike Lydiard Mike who suffered through a cold wet run yesterday in Arizona without the proper gear. With the right gear and preparations you can be more or less comfortable despite the cold. Today's starting temperature at 9am was -11C (9F) with a windchill of -19C (-2F) so it was a day for the best gear including windpants, 2 layers under the jacket, and a smattering of vaseline on the exposed skin. The decision of when to run can be difficult in anticipating whether the temp will increase or the wind decrease and picking the best time to go. The final decision was made when Coach suggested the the wind was forecast to pick up later in the day and I'd better go now.

The plan today was for about 2 hrs or 15 miles but with no special speed or add-ons. Began the run with a trip down Rabbit Lane to the ocean but the tide was high and there was no running on the ocean floor today. Instead it was back up the the hill and down Rose Lane to the graveyard where I discovered that my watch had not yet started, darn! Most of the 1st part of the run was out of the wind but each time I'd head north there was a noticeable change requiring clothing adjustments. The pace was quite slow today but the legs were feeling decent for the most part, all I can figure is the extra layers and weight. After winding my way hither and thither with a stop at the post office where my new balaclava (pic after run) was waiting for me. Cool, I can use this today and be just like Blogfather Marc.

Home to drop off the mail and pull on the balaclava and then retraced my steps to determine how much distance I'd missed earlier. It turned out to be 2.3 miles and the new face protection also worked well except for some fogging up of my glasses but now I can just laugh at the cold. Ha ha ha, take that! Finished up with a couple more miles for 15.5 in 2hr 12 min and now 66 mi. for the week. The milestone hit today was 3000 for the year with 2 more days to go. I know it's just a number and nobody ever wins races by having a good training log but it feels good to hit it and achieve a new training year PR. The key now is to continue the consistent training for another 15 weeks as the road to Boston continues.

It's supposed to warm up this weekend. Let's hope!

Holiday running

Santa was good once again this year, as always. Besides bringing my older children home for the holidays, he also brought lots of joy, happiness and family time together.
Sadly we can't keep them forever and they have to move on with their own pursuits. I hope they don't mind my bragging about them once in awhile. Christmas was a day off from running as we spent the entire day exchanging gifts, preparing meals and just laying about.

Since I'm on holidays for the week and most of the family likes to sleep in late it's been easy to get the runs in lately. Tuesday called for a simple 1 hour run which was accomplished by an easy around town loop. The weather has been unusually mild here lately with this run at +3C and a light rain. We were supposed to get a winter storm but it somehow missed our area while all around, north - south - east got snow. I was comfortable with some of the new gear that Santa brought me and also nicely entertained by a podcast by Steve Runner. Total of 9 miles in 78 min.

Similiar story today with another early morning run but a bit later start around 9:30am and cooler temps of -2C with some windchill. The simple plan today was to just do about 1.5hrs with a possible speed or tempo portion during the run. Did the 1st 6 miles as an out leg into the wind and near froze some extremities with the biting wind. The turnaround was a relief and I was then able to remove some clothes with the wind at my back but couldn't do much as far as picking up the pace. The run was uneventful except for a large German shepherd dog that came out on the highway to bark and investigate me. He was quite persistent but eventually backed off when his owner noticed him but no harm done. Finished the 12 miles in about 1:38 (8:11 pace).

It's only 16 weeks to go before Boston and time to work at my training plan to develop more specific goals for speed and tempo runs. For the last 7 weeks I've been averaging 50-68 miles per week with long runs of 20-21 miles every week but nothing as far as any faster running goes. It's just been putting in the hours and miles of basebuilding. There is a very interesting discussion going on at Lydiard Mike's blog that might help me out and I'm sure Andrew will have his 2 cents on whatever I come up with. I'm just looking for someone to tell me what to do but we'll see soon enough. Wish me luck!

Caught in the act!

Guilty as charged! Maybe it was the heat but Cody just couldn't keep away from attempting to delete some pictures that he didn't like. Silly cat!

I must also admit to being guilty of running and now writing about the event. Both of these habits are a little obsessive but it's a quiet time around the house right now and there are a few minutes to spare.

On Saturday we were up early and I was able to have a nice relaxing blueberry pancake breakfast with Jo before heading out into the rain for a 1 hour run. It was very treachorous with a thin layer water over black ice on the streets and trails. Even running in the ditches and side of the road was bad and I had visions of ending up flat on my back several times. Another incentive to take it easy and slow down though as I finished up the week with a total of 68 miles. And the kids were still fast asleep when I got home at 10am, in fact some didn't appear until after noon!

Today's run with Andrew was a bit more interesting. Up at 6am and on the icy roads to downeast Maine once again but at least the salt trucks were out in force. The US border guards were a hoot asking the usual questions, where I'm from, where I'm going, for how long and why but then wanted to know the details about my run. "You run how far?" they asked. "20 miles" was my reply. He gives me a strange look and says "You say that so casually". And then the other guy start talking about an Andrew Seeley from Eastport. It seems he's famous in these parts! There were more questions about training for Boston and then "Have a good run". It's a small world.

Arrived at Boyden Lake by 7:30 and Andrew were soon on our way for the usual 21 mile loop. We started out a bit slower this week since the roads and side trail had a few icy patches but were soon cruising along at full gab. It was a beautiful morning with a perfect sunrise and a number of Kodak moments (without the camera) and the talk was mostly about how the training is going for both of us. The last few miles saw the pace creep up but it was again hard to determine which one of us was more responsible. I just don't know who to blame and we never look at the watch except to see what mile it is on the GPS. Total time of 2:49 with last 7 at 7:33 pace. Another great run and that's now 7 in a row 20+ Sunday long runs. It's still not easy but certainly alot more bearable with friends like Andrew. And by the time I got home 2 out of 3 of the kids were still in bed.

Merry Christmas folks and happy running!

Just running along

Yes, Thomas our tree does have some bits of green showing through the tinsel and home made ornaments. It's also well guarded by our very own Christmas goat which is a new tradition from Sweden since we have a visitor from there.
Cody is very photogenic, even when just awoken from sunning on the couch. He is a Birman, a breed noted for their beauty and being a people cat. This guy has quite a personality and gets lonely and talkative if ignored or left out of things. He is also very attached to his owner, my daughter and sleeps outside her door at night makes pitiful cries in the morning when we start to get up.

On the running front, things are rolling along quite nicely but I've been too busy to blog all week with the family home and no spare time in the evenings when I usually do my posting. It's really amazing how much difference a week makes. This time last week it was all moaning and complaining about being tired all the time, cutting runs short and basically just not keeping up with what the mind wanted to do. Now a totally different story, getting the runs in by time intended, managed a tempo-ish run and not especially tired except for a little background noise.

Monday - rest day; walk to/from work but now looking like we'll have a green Christmas

Tues - 8+ miles in a little over an hour at lunch. I was a little underdressed in -5C (keep forgetting to account for the wind) but the run went well and I enjoyed a nice caramel chocolate candy midrun that lasted almost 2 miles.

Weds - 11+ miles in 94:00 A slow steady run in the same conditions as Tues but better dressed for it with windpants and windproof gloves. Stopped at home for a refill of gatorade that helped get me through the last 1/2 hour where things started to flag a little bit.

Thurs - 8 miles in 63:30 with 3 miles at marathonish pace (splits 7:14, 6:59 and 7:20 varied with the hills and strong wind). Started out slow and then did the pace run back to homebase. It felt good to run a little faster than normal but got a bit difficult at the end with steep hills and strong winds in unison against me.

Friday - after a quick exit from our office Christmas eve party it was time to get quickly geared up and on the road for a longer run in the cold wind again. Temperature was -5F (23F) with windchill of -10C (14F) and I was happy to have some extra layers today. Out and back 12 miles in about 1:40 and felt decent most of the way but tiring a little over the last few miles. Decent run.

Total for the week so far is 60 miles with one run left tommorow. I'll be sure to get out early for this so I'm well rested for another meeting with Andrew on Sunday for the long run.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Of Christmas cats and Christmas trees

We're getting all tuned up for the season and even Cody is in the mood.
A lot overexposed but a neat effect I think.

Just time to make a few comments about my Sunday long run with Andrew before I fall asleep on the couch again. These runs are always so differerent in some ways but like a comfortable blanket in other ways. Sometimes it's the weather which can be exposed and nasty in places, though it was quite benign this week with temperature around 33F (1C) and just a touch of wind. Other weeks it will be a different mix of runners whether it's Marc, or Steph, or Jon but always old reliable Andrew (did you know he's about to become an age grouper?)

And then there's always the various aches and pains and accumulated weariness that we bring to each run. It often takes about 1/2 the run to explain where and what the latest 'injury' is doing. I had made the time honored mistake of running late the day before and was running of fumes almost from the start of this long run and had alot of complaining to do today. (Note to self: always run as early as possible on the day before a long run, especially if it's with Andrew). Despite the tired sore legs that never seemed to loosen up we still managed to move along at a good pace. I simply can't explain the 21 miles at 7:5x pace when if felt like 8:30's from the beginning and then the last 7 miles felt even slower but were 7:40's. Go figure.

So run completed, time to go home, not so tough now was it? Boy, did that brownie taste good!

Slacker Report

Yup, I've been slacking off. After being tired all week and then having a great run on Thursday I then took the liberty of almost taking the day off on Friday. I had planned on at least 1hr but everthing seemed to conspire with me and ended up only getting one measly mile in before cutting the run short. Ended up quitting early so Jo and I could get on the road to pick up Steph from the Agricultural College in Truro. Besides, I deserved a day off for a change, right?

Successful and uneventful trip and on the way home we dropped off at Double Diamond Stables where we visited some horsey friends of Steph's and some real people too. The baby horses were full of life, one of which is a full sister to the horse, Thea, that Steph is riding in Truro. We took a bunch of pics which are now on this site. Here's a pic of Thea who is 2 1/2 years old.

And her baby sister, Lexie who was born in May (7 months old). Very cute and full of beans. We we arrived at the barn Lexie and another colt started racing around the small corral at top speed. It was quite a show!

Safely back home and had time for a quick end of week run. Did a 1 hour out and back along the main highway for a total of 7.5 miles. Because of the missed days and shortened runs my weekly total is only 55. I'm going to need a couple of big weeks to finish off the year and catch up to Olga but know that 3000 is in my sights. Now it's time to get prepared to return to the 'Scene of the Crime' for another long run with 100 mile Andrew.

Take care and Happy Holidays!

ps. good wishes and luck to Robb Runner who is now on his amazing family road trip!

That's more like it!

Just a quick post to let you know that there is still hope and that I didn't have the overwhelming need to lie down in the middle of the road during today's run. In fact my little 1 hour jaunt was just that, a very easy relaxing run that seemed to require minimal effort.

Looking at the numbers from the run, it was basically the same as the previous day with 7.7 miles in 63 min (8:11 pace) but it felt way more fun, almost easy again. This is all a little strange from the way I felt all day, which was a bit lethargic and in need of extra coffee. Then after a busy day at work with meeting after meeting and little chance to do any real work I rushed home and did a few quick chores before being able to get on the road. I made a couple of changes designed to make todays run easier including the downhill start, carried water and wore my newest (most cushioned) shoes to ease the strain on the body.

However, right from the 1st step there was a different feeling that's been missing lately and that was the tiny bit of pep or spring in my step that's been missing. You just never can predict a good day but that's what I was blessed with today and so the run just floated along for a change instead of the usual crawl and slogfest. Thank you, thank you! Nothing unusual in the run today. We had kind of a dreary grey day after a rain event last night and the temps of 6C (42F) were nothing special. I did run into a couple of runners who I caught up to and just kept on cruising by all the while trying to press the easy button. Eventually it got dark just as my time limit was up but the legs were still fresh and raring for more, a very good sign.
Happy running from a happy runner!

Rethinking the plan

They never said it would be easy but... this constant draggy tired feeling is starting to make me wonder if I'll ever run normally again. I'm starting to get tired of being tired all the time. I look in my log and for the last 5 days in a row it says 'Tired'. Something has got to give soon and it better not be some hidden weak link in the system or some virus or cold that seems to be going around. Oh well, hopefully I can hang on for a few more weeks and re-evalutate.

On a happier note here is the rather interesting profile of my Sunday 20 mile run with Andrew. Doesn't it remind you of a series of Christmas trees with red garland floating overhead? Actually it was 4 loops of St. Andrews with a nice downhill start and ending with a long climb home for drinks and a short break. That makes 5 weeks in a row with 20+ mile long runs which breaks all previous records x2. This Andrew guy has been a good influence I think (except for the tired thing).

We had a very easy relaxing run as we were both feeling the effects of our tough schedules and even almost broke out into singing carols on the long uphills. Thankfully the fit passed and we made it to the top. Like Andrew I then spent the rest of the day looking for the nearest couch, but unfortunately had shopping, travelling, visiting and more travelling that keep me on my feet. By the time I found the couch in the evening it was pure exhaustion and not even ice cream could help by then!
A silly picture of my bro' playing with Ginger. 'And all the stockings were hung with care'

Quick recap of the last few days: Monday - rest day and still tired

Tues - delayed my run as long as possible in order to maximize recovery. It worked out to 54hr rest but still was not enough as my log calls it 'a no pep, draggy run'. Still managed to go for 11 miles in 93 minutes and there was a nice 1/4 mile in there as the sun was going down over the calm ocean bay.

Weds - sorry to bore you with all this moaning and complained but this was just more of the above. Log says 'same slow slogging pace, very heavy legs' for 7.5 miles in 61 min. Enough of that, here's another picture for your viewing pleasure and the hope for better days ahead.
Our snow is now gone, replaced with rain and warm temperatures for a few days but it'll be back soon, I hope!

Press the Easy Button

Just press here and all your troubles will be solved ;-)

And if you believe that, then do I have a deal for you! It seems like half of blogger-land is need of an easy button lately with various injuries, ailments, over/undertraining or perhaps the seasonal holiday blues. Let me see, there's Popsicle Marc still recovering from last weekend, Downeast Andrew who did too much on Friday, Blogfather Marc who just got kicked out west, Lydiard Mike who's working out the hobbles from his super amazing marathon, DGC doesn't need a shrink but has a throbbing knee, and even Marc-Run Faster Master is taking it easy!

And I'm just touching the surface of some of the blogs I read, sorry if I missed ones where things are not as good as they could be. But the short story for me is that the 'Easy Button' has been in constant use all this past week and I'm STILL TIRED! It helps a little bit but getting those runs in is still work, even if you keep telling yourself 'Easy now, slow down, just running by time today; running faster and harder won't make it go by any faster'. But for some reason I've needed that picture of the stupid Easy Button in my head to help me think about doing just that. Maybe it will help you, or maybe not but it can't hurt, now can it?

Updates since my last 'Tired' post...

Thurs - an 'easy' hour run that turned into 8 miles in 65 min because it was such a nice springlike day, mild temperature of +6C, blue skies, no wind. I was thinking about and resetting the 'button' but to no effect. Avg pace 8:07

Friday - winter came back with a snarl. Nasty wind, snow, sleet etc with a 2hr run scheduled. Ended up starting late, after work when the storm had easy and ran circles around town along the sidestreets which were mostly snow covered and unplowed. I wore my Yaktrax cleats which fit over my shoes and provide amazing traction on snow and ice. You can run with no fear of slipping what-so-ever. Now if only the body was feeling better. It was a nice evening but a little cool and windy as well but managed to get 90minutes in before I decided to call it quits. Total of only 10 or so miles and could have done more but certainly didn't 'feel' like it. Besides supper was on the table and it was time to stop!

Sat - took my time getting going this morning so that there was more recovery time since last nights run. Ended up doing a really easy 7.5 miles around 8:30 pace and had no inclination to even round it up to 8 miles (as I normally would).

Total for the week of 66 miles in 9hr 10 min. The body report is OK but not great with no major aches except the %$# achilles for the 1st mile of each run and the general tired thing which Coach Andrew tells me is 'normal'. Onward and upward!

This is the route I take when I walk home from work (it's about a mile through the woods and fields).
I also found these high bush cranberries along the trail which made me go a little artistic. The birds love these and the provide some color in the trees.

Tired

What happened to my so called fitness? It's only the 2nd week of the new training regime and already my old body is throwing up little warning signals or is it more like the white flag of surrender? Perhaps a little exaggeration there but I'm not looking forward to the rest of the week's plan of attack. There are no real injuries or specific sore muscles but just a general tired feeling where it's even a bit of an effort to just sit and you just want to lie down and go to sleep. Now there's a good idea!

Schedule for the week: 2:45+, rest, 90, 60 completed and 60,120, 60 to go with no specific paces yet, just time on my feet and miles on the body.

You've already heard about the long cold run and our failed attempt to turn Marc into a popsicle. My rest day was a nice break and I had no desire to run all day until... later in the day we had our 1st snowfall. I love to get out in the fresh snow but was able to resist today and instead just took a few pictures of the winter wonderland.
It was getting dark but you get the idea.
Here's a shot of our fish pond with a night light for the fish. It provides just enough heat to keep an air hole melted so they can get the oxygen they need.

Of course the Christmas lights are now on welcoming visitors and friends.

On Tuesday I was able to give my shoes their 1st taste of the snow and salt for the season with a 90 minute jaunt around the golf course followed by a trip around town. It's perfect cushioning when there is a 2-4 inch layer of snow on the grass and with little black ice on the cartpaths there was minimal slipping and sliding around. My only problem was forgetting to bring some water as I got thirsty as the run went on. I need to remember that my runs are getting longer now and water will make the runs a little easier. Total of 11+ miles at 8:20 pace and ended feeling pretty good but just a little tired and thirsty.

I ran today at lunch for an hour and it felt like a 2 hour run. I'm not sure if it was a lack of sleep, not quite 24hr recovery, or lingering dehydration but this was a real slog of a run. Even going slow, slow didn't help the heavy legs to feel any better as I trudged though 7.5 miles at 8:25 pace. It was also a relief that I wasn't facing further humiliation at the hands of the twins today and was able to run quietly on my own. The temperatures were cool but I've now got the layer thing sorted out again and was comfortable in the -8C conditions with a light wind.

Tonite I'm just feeling t-i-r-e-d but nothing a little ice cream and bagels can't fix.

Take care out there!

That was (not) good !!

And I'm glad it's over! Our 1st run in real winter weather just about did us all in today. A combination of improper clothing choices, nagging injuries that surfaced with a vengeance and a biting northly wind all combined to make this a run we'd all rather forget.

It started off OK with the nice downhills, easy pace, good friends chatting away, miles clicking off but with the wind ominously at our backs. The temperature was only about -3C (27F) but -10C (13F) windchill and I had even packed an extra headband to use if necessary. We were woefully unprepared for what happened next...

See Andrew's post for the full story. We'll have to wait for Marc to unthaw so we can hear his side of it but it won't be very happy I'm afraid. I'm not sure if he'll ever come back to Boyden Lake again.

A popsicle between two (so-called) friends. Even the camera was having issues with the cold today as evidenced by the blurry image.
Well, at least the little 'treat' tasted good.

Total of 21 miles with last 7 in 52:44 (about 7:30 pace) and last mile in 7:20 as we tried to keep warm by running faster. Next time there will be an extra layer and my never-fail neck warmer upper thingie.

And for your viewing pleasure, here is the perfect tile...

And go give Lydiard Mike a big congratulations on his superb 2:37 at the California International Marathon. Great job!

Lydiard experiment: week 1 report

Where to start? At the beginning or the end? OK the end. Total of 65 miles in 6 runs and 9hr of time on my feet (8:11 avg pace). The plan calls for 6-8 weeks of conditioning work where the runs will be based on time and not miles and the effort will be of secondary concern until I can get up to speed as far as the total time goes. In this 1st week all the runs have been either 1hr or 1.5 hours besides the longer 2.5+ hr Sunday run.

After surviving an easy hour on day 1 and the trouncing that I took on day 2 at the hands of two teenagers it was another easy hour on Thursday with my new running friend Eddy. You may or may not remember my story of Eddy at the Saint John marathon in August. It was his 1st marathon and he struggled in with me after a fast 1st 20 miles. He swore never again but after a few months to cool off he's back again and thinking about the 3:10 he needs to BQ. Anyway, he's back in town and was looking for a run so we did the golf course path route while we jabbered away about training programs and stuff. Total of 8 miles in just over 64 minutes and it felt like we were just jogging along.

Friday called for a 1 to 1.5 hour run and the conditions were just dreadful with temperatures just above freezing at 1C (34F), a steady cold rain and a brisk northeast wind to put the icing on the cake. My plan to leave work early at the end of the day was thwarted by the threatening weather and my vain hope that it might let up a bit. A quick check of the latest weather radar loop showed that it was not to be and so it was do or do not.

And as usual, I did, with a rather miserable slog of a run again on the golf trails so as to stay away from traffic and to give me the option to bail if it got really bad. There were a few nice minutes in the woods with the wind at my back but mostly it seemed that I was running into the wind and cold driving rain for the most part. At the 1hr mark the temptation to cut the run short was very strong but I quelled the urge long enough to begin an out and back loop around town that sealed the deal. The run finished just as it was getting dark for a total of 1hr 34 min and 11 miles. My fingers were so cold that it was hard to undo my double knotted shoes and I then had to disrobe my wet clothes into a bucket so as to not track a path through the house to the hot shower that was from heaven. Check!

This morning I finished up the week with an almost 1hr run or 57 min. Close enough Andrew? I was running a bit late as we were about to hit the road for a shopping trip to Saint John to try to pick out the perfect tile. It was a success but more on that another time. Right now it's time to get ready for tomorrow's long run with Andrew and possibly Marc if his knee holds up. I've got a very special 'treat' in store for them which should put a smile on their tired faces. We'll see what happens....