July 20, 2008

i heart g & n

You probably know a g & n, or maybe just a g or an n. Simply great people who make this world a little better. They open their home, give their time, are supportive, fun to be around and make me smile ... especially around mile 8 of a 16 miler.

This week g & n exceeded their normal level of perfection. Something I would of thought impossible.

Last Sunday, g provided us with the most incredible waterstop on our long run on what can only be described as a hotter than hell day. He wasn't running, but came out for 3 + hours to provide about 6 of us with cold refreshments and much needed sponges. Supporting the 6 of us soon changed to supporting the entire group all 80 + of them. If you had asked any runner last Sunday who was the better humanitarian G or Mother Teresa, I think G would of taken it.

I've had the last week off work, it's been hot and sunny. G and N have a pool. N says come on over, door is open, help yourself to the pool. Enjoy. Seriously. It was like being on vacation all week.

As if supplying the masses with water and keeping my tan all bronzey isn't enough to be granted a sainthood, well there's more. G provided a impromptu sponge stop at Friday nights 5k. Again another hotter than hell day. Then today, he was back out there with his travelling waterstop. Complete with sponges, water, coke, jubes, pretezels and watermelon.

If they start adopting children from Africa they'll be the local Brad and Angelina.

I got just over 16 miles in this morning. The run was good, I felt really strong. But holy crap was it humid. I looked like I jumped in a pool at the end of the run. I was drenched. Everything I was wearing was soaking wet. When you realise it is all your own sweat, it really is quite gross.

I am currently aching like I was hit by a rather large truck, then beaten with a baseball bat by the angry driver, then forced to run an ultra marathon.

Posted by Ali at 05:34 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

lightening funnel

We have had freakishly weird weather this summer.

Normally we have thunderstorms in mid to late August, but this we have had, well too many to count already. When I say too many to count, I can count that high, I just can't remember, I like to think I am so smart that my brain is full and only the really important information, like who is doing who in celebrity-land is retained.

Just believe me when I say lots, like a couple a week, enough to make you build a straw bale house and invite Eco-Al over, or maybe just contemplate it.

We had one at the track the other night. When I got there, this huge menacing storm cloud a few miles south was moving towards us. Then I glanced at the track, metal stands all the way around. It was like a giant metal funnel that I was going to run around playing chicken with a lightening bolt.

Since I'm not a lover of speedwork and don't want to die by electricity surging through my body, my plan was the first flash of lightening or roll of thunder and I was outta there.

The rain started as we began our first 800m interval. By 100m my shoes where squishy, by 200m my contacts were floating around my eyes, I had to squint to keep them from popping out.

The storm passed over without any lightening by the end of the second 800m. I would of have sacrificed a contact or two to have kept it raining, it was refreshing. When it stopped the heat and humidity came right back. The last 800m was brutal.

800m - 4.09
800m - 4.06
800m - 4.08
800m - 4.12
800m - 4.16 ... it would of been 4.30 but I picked it up on the last 200m so I felt like death when I finished

I wasn't at all happy with those splits, until I looked back at the same workout this time last year and my fastest was 4.22. It went straight to my head, I am awesome!

Posted by Ali at 10:16 AM | Comments (9)

July 06, 2008

what day is it

After posting on proper preparedness for a run, I thought I should do as I say. It was going swimmingly Saturday.

Hydration - lots of water all day ... check
Eat Right - homemade pasta, sauce and turkey meatballs ... check
Sleep - early night ... check

Waking up is where things started to go wrong. The alarm went off, I don't even remember whacking snooze. Alarm goes off again, I remember hitting it this time, thinking I had extra time because my white pants where ironed and I'd wear my black top with it, don't have to waste time picking an outfit ... 10 more minutes. The next time it went off, I actually looked at the time, 6.35 am! Why would I set my alarm so early, my first meeting is at 10am, I don't have to be at work til 9am today.

Snooze, 10 minutes later, snooze, another 10 minutes.

Then it hit me. It was Sunday, not Monday. It was 7.05am. I was running in 25 minutes.

ARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!

I dressed, grabbed my bag (thank god I packed it the night before) and half a bagel and headed out the door. My garmin, luckily is right where I left it last week (I only use it on long runs, no idea why) in the trunk of the car. As I am driving and eating my bagel I turn on the garmin, which instantly dies. Low battery. I left my watch at home. Since I am already late, I decide I am going to have a liberating no watch run.

I finally arrive 10 minutes, and my awesome running buddies are still waiting. We head out on my new favourite route. It is almost all on park paths with lots of shade. I have no idea how far we've run until C turns back since she is doing 10 miles. That means 5 miles done, only a mile til the turnaround, kinda loving this no watch no garmin run. It seemed to take forever to get to the turnaround. Miss my watch miss my garmin.

The run back is good, except my foot bothered me a bit. I am experimenting with some new things on the bad broken foot to protect it from future breaks and pains. I'm wearing my new sunshine shoes, which are half a size bigger than my brooks, my foot feels like it's flopping about. I stop and tie the laces tighter. I've wrapped my foot, half way back that starts to irritate me so I stop again and take the tape off. The last couple miles my foot goes numb because the laces are too tight. I stop and retie.

The whole foot stopping starting thing was really annoying, but it did distract me from the heat and how tired I was near the end.

After we had been back a while someone came in with a garmin and told us the 12 miles we had just done was actually just over 13 miles .... wooo hoooo! Totally glad my garmin battery was dead, I would of turn around at 6 miles and not done the extra. Yeah!

Posted by Ali at 06:46 PM | Comments (5)

July 01, 2008

planning and preparation prevents piss poor performance ...

I just had a comment from Emily asking ...

"How do you prepare for the run and refuel during the run?"

I love a good question, not only does it make me feel smart and like an expert that I definitely am not, but it also saves me the energy of thinking of something witty and enlightening to blog about.

I don't mean to disappoint you Emily, I actually have a good, sensible answer to this question, but if you were looking for someone who puts it into practice, I can recommend a few other sites.

Case and point ...

I moved my Sunday long run to Saturday last week.

to prepare for the run ....

I drank very little water all day Friday
I consumed three beers and an amaretto sour
I ate popcorn and a slice of spicy cajun shrimp pizza for dinner
I got very little sleep
I pressed snooze so many times I didn't have time to eat before my run on Saturday morning

refueling on the run

I forgot to pack my fuel belt the night before, so I showed up to the run with one gel in my hand.

That is what not to do.

After years of doing this I know better, but I am a very very slow learner.

This is what I should have done ...

to prepare for the run ...

Hydrate, Eat Right, Sleep.

Drink lots of water, I try and drink 2 litres throughout the day. If the weather is going to be hot for my run, then I'll drink a bottle of gatorade as well.

Eat what works for you. You will probably have to experiment to find the perfect pre-run meal. For me it's pasta with tomato sauce or homemade veggie pizza and salad. It is definitely not chinese food nor anything with beans. I learned this the hard and painful way.

In the morning before my run, a bagel works really well. I have half toasted with PB, then when the mileage goes over 16 miles, I eat the whole bagel. I usually need an hour and a half to digest it, so I'll get up and eat at 6.15am go back to bed for 30 minutes and run at 8am.

Sleep. I really need sleep to function. As your runs get longer and more demanding you'll get tired. So your body needs to rest. Not just before a long run but the days leading up to it as well.

Refueling on the run

For me water and gels work best. I can drink gatorade if it is really watered down otherwise it makes me feel sick. I love blocks, but they don't love me.

During a marathon I take a gel before I start and then at 6, 12, 20 miles. Usually after 20 I can't stomach anything sweet, a couple pretzels seem to work magic around 23 miles.

If you haven't tried gels yet, take one on a shorter run to see how they work (react) for you.

Post run ...

This one is really important. Get some protein into you 30 minutes post run. A protein shake, smootie or half a pb sandwich.

The exact combination of what works or doesn't an individual thing, a bit of trial and error. Try things out. like pasta for dinner and oatmeal for breakfast, or pizza and cereal to find what fuels you best.

oh and stretch. Like you life depending on it!

I'm off now to lie by the pool, drink margaritas and devour chips before tonight's run.

Posted by Ali at 10:09 AM | Comments (11)

June 26, 2008

girls on tour road trip part two

There is something I love about training for a Fall marathon.

Even though I hate running through the long hot days of summer, when I think there is just no way I'll be able to do it, run 26.2 miles. There will come a point sometime in September, when the heat will be replaced with fresh cool air. It's like breaking through a barrier. Exploding out of a coccoon.

That's my favourite moment in training. When sweat and self doubt are replaced goose bumps and belief.

This year, Fall marathon plans have reached a whole new level of awesomeness. If running 26.2 miles isn't enough to get your party pants on, well we have confirmation that our Ottawa Girls on Tour will reunite and take it state side.

I'm starting to get excited about my Fall marathon.

I've decided to change my plans for running this weekend. I was going to do the 8k race on Sunday instead of running long, but I feel I need the distance. With not running long this winter due to injury I really feel my lack of endurance. Since February, I've run over 10 miles once. My legs were not happy last Sunday, the last mile was brutal. Mentally this screws me. So, I will run long, 12 miles Saturday morning, then watch the race with coffee in hand on Sunday.

This fabulous plan also means ...

a) I can drink Saturday night
b) sleep in Sunday morning

Posted by Ali at 10:03 AM | Comments (10)

June 22, 2008

just doing their job

I wouldn't want my every move captured by photographers, my bad hair days gracing the cover of a tabloid. I try not to fuel the celebrity gossip monster, I refuse to buy the mags, instead I read other peoples or pick the longest line at the grocery to give me my fix.

As much as I believe in someone's right for privacy, I also believe when Prada gives you free stuff, you gotta suck it up and smile.

So just for today I am defending the paps. You see earlier, one of them took one for the team.

Photographers were trying to get shots of Matty hitting the surf. Some surfers got all territorial and a fight broke out ... of course Matty was not involved, his hand was full.

One of them still managed to get this shot ... thank you jebus!

In running news, I did a 12.5 mile run this morning. It was a tough one. I am rather sore all over.

Posted by Ali at 02:47 PM | Comments (13)

June 18, 2008

what do you think ...

The following is based on a true story. Names, places and identifiable details have been changed to protect the innocent and the stupid.

I have a 'friend' who was considering dating a guy. The guy is not her type. Since her type has not been working out, she thought she would fish in a different pond.

After a few dates, she realized that although he wasn't her type, they got along great, they had lots in common. Once she got him running, he would be 'hot' and they might live happily ever after.

Then the other night he stopped by. He was chewing tobacco.

Yes, that's right, chewing tobacco! Let me just clarify, he is not a Major League Baseball player.

While at her house, he continued to chew, until he needed to spit. He asked for a pop can. She refused and told him how disgusting this was. So he got up. He opened the front door. He spat on the front path.

So I ask you ...

Is he disgusting?

or

As a host, should our poor single gal have provided a spit pail?

I was going to include a picture, but when I googled chewing tobacco, the images made me hurl. On the plus side, I am down 2 pounds and am contemplating having fries with lunch.

Posted by Ali at 10:34 AM | Comments (18)