September 2006 Archives

So this place I come to each morning with my coffee "the office", apparently they expect me to work.

Who knew?

All the resources are here to organize my personal stuff very efficiently, like blogging, emails, planning my running, making grocery lists, chatting to the others that show up here each morning too about last nights TV shows. My boss seems to have different expectations, selfish really. I think I might propose getting an assistant to actually do the "work" and I can continue to do what I do best "me stuff".

It's been a busy week, working, running, friends, family and new TV shows. I can't fit it all in! Tuesday, my cold had finally cleared up. I was feeling good and motivated.

So I did it.

I registered for Niagara. In 3.5 weeks I'll be running marathon #2 officially.

I joined the group for speed work, no time like the present to kick this training into high gear. When I woke up on Wednesday the boomerang cold had returned. I felt like crap again. Tired, sore, congested, ick. Maybe it's a reaction to committing to M2. Took Wednesday off from running, which makes it sound like I run on Wednesdays, which I should, but haven't been. This week I had a legitimate excuse.

I looked at the schedule for Thursday, 10 miles. Okay I have a meetings till 4.45, then I need to run 10 miles and make it home, shower, change, dinner and on the sofa for 7pm. I definitely need that assistant or find me a rich man so I can quit working.

I ran from work to the park where I was meeting K and N at 5.45. I got 4 miles in, and then the three of us did 6 miles together. I tried to keep it close to marathon pace to get me zoned in to what it will feel like. The run went really well, everything felt great. Made it home for 6.50pm, jumped into the shower had my sweats on and dinner in the oven by 7.15pm!

Now I must begin preparing myself for the 22 miler on Sunday ... oops ... I mean get back to work.

Normally on a Monday night I workout at the gym with my best friend M. However, we have somehow managed to get out of the routine the last few weeks. After much convincing this afternoon, I talked M into doing a Pilates class with me.

I'v never done a pilates class at the gym before. But I have a pilates dvd at home, this practically makes me an expert. It seems easy, well the one time I watched the dvd while sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine, it didn't look tough.

So we go to the 5.30 class. The first thing the instructor says is this is an advanced class. M chokes, I smile, don't worry, how hard can it be. Really people, I'm a runner.

Oh. My. God. My abs are screaming! I glance at the clock .... 5.43 ... what. Sweet Jesus, I have 45 more minutes.

Seriously the hardest ab workout I have ever done. As a runner I know I need to work the core. The hour flew by, we will definitely do another class. Can't wait to see how I feel tomorrow!

My thermostat seems to have returned to semi-normal. I wasn't cold last night for the first time in two nights. My head, however is more congested. So I added spasm coughing, nose blowing and advil cold and sinus to my pre run routine this morning. It seemed to work. When I met J at 7.30am for a pre-long run couple of mile I felt pretty good and surprisingly warm.

I didn't realise how good until I looked at gizmo at the end of our 2.2 miles ... 18.04 ... hmmmm .... wow... maybe I'll be popping advil cold and sinus all the time!

We had about 10 minutes before J and T joined us at 8am. After a quick 'bush' break and some stretching. A few runners started to arrive, there was a half marathon this morning in the park. S from the marathon group came over and chatted for a bit. He swore after Chicago last year he would never do another marathon... but guess what he is thinking of doing Niagara ... maybe that's a sign that I should definitely do it. T and J arrived and the four of us set out for our 12 miles.

We pass, sorry we are passed by a guy in lycra doing a warm up before the half. Serious lycra, singlet and shorts, painted on lycra. T makes a comment that you have to be a confident man, a serious runner to pull that off.

After about 3 I realized either the advil had worn off or I was not as well as I thought. I was really congested and could only breath through my mouth, and since I insist on talking, breath is kinda hard. The weather was really humid and wet, which made things feel even worse than they were. About 4 miles (or 5 tissues) into the run, we hear the bike leading the first runner in the half.

Guess who?

Yip... Mr Lycra ... the man has ever right to have painted on gear.

Just round the corner, we met K and she joins us. The two Js have a toilet break, and I sit down. I feel like crap. Hot and clammy. I can't tell if it's me, the weather or the cold. I don't want to go on. Then T gives me the motivation talk (guilt speech), so I cave and decided to go, swearing if i die it's his fault.

After another mile, J and T are ahead and J, K and me decide to turn around. We head back enjoying the support of the spectators out to cheer on the racers. Maybe knowing we were heading back, that the end was near, I started to feel a little more human.

By the time we were done I had clocked just over 12 miles. With how I was feeling I am really happy. Now I feel exhausted, hit by a truck tired. I think there will be more sofa time and many more advils today.

But best of all, I don't have to get up tomorrow morning. My first non-running Sunday in at least 5 months! Oh I can smell the coffee ... or at least remember the smell!

I didn't run last night. I cancelled my 8 miler hoping some TLC, the sofa, my sweats and a mega dose of McDreamy would cure my cold. It didn't cure my cold, but it was rather blissful. Around 12.30am I woke up freezing, I got the duvet from the spare room and slept with two duvets.

I feel a bit better today, but still can't get warm. Today everyone in the office was wearing short sleeve t-shirts and I have two tank tops, a hoody and a demin jacket on!

Tonight I am back on the sofa under the blanket, drinking lots of fluids to be ready for my 16 miles tomorrow morning. I think I did something to piss of mother nature, it's just started raining and is supposed to rain most of tomorrow. Ick! Happy thoughts, once it's over, I'm back home, fresh pot of coffee and an afternoon of Ryder Cup on the TV ... not so ick!

Have you ever watched a "Dr Phil" like show and thought these people aren't real? It's great entertainment, how can you not love the heart wrenching tale of finding out if you or your buddy in prison are the father of your cousins baby. Really where else can someone tell their mother they dress like a peeler?

Mindless afternoon entertainment, that I haven't watched since I was in university ... honest. Then yesterday afternoon on the way home my cell phone rings.

Me "Hey"
JL: "OMG, Guess who's on Dr Phil"
Me: "Uhmmm ... Oh, Oh, Matthew?"
JL: "No, no, someone we know!"
Me: "What? Who?"
JL: "Think high school"
Me: "Huh? I don't know, who?"
JL: "Corey T"
Me: "You're kidding! No way, seriously?"

So I rush home and turn on Dr Phil. Sure enough my grade nine high school crush in on "Revenge of the Exes". My locker was two away from his, he was two years older and looked like a rockstar in high school.

His story goes something like this, he is 38 (his girlriend thinks he's 28), he's girlfriend is 18 (she told him she was 24). How did this make it to TV, this sounds like true love to me!

Ashley's boyfriend, Corey, cheated on her three times that she knows about. Now, she says she wants to take revenge by exposing him to the world. Corey says that just weeks ago Ashley was the one begging him for sex.

I feel famous in a trailer trash kinda way.

In running news, I didn't run last night. My sore throat stayed all day and I couldn't get warm. After Dr Phil, I put on my flannel pj bottoms, a sweat shirt and big slouchy socks. I spent the rest of the night under the blanket on the sofa. My throat's still sore this morning but now my head is congested as well. It has 8 hours to clear up, I have 8 miles to run tonight!

I've just spent the last hour with a 30 something work collegue laughing our heads off at growing up in the 80's.

We both spent Saturday mornings at the rollerrink ... roller skating ... yes on four wheels with the brake at the front. They played songs like, Centerfold, Gone Gone Gone so long, Africa. I can't remember if I left my straightening iron this morning but I remember the words to almost every Duran Duran song ... who by the way I was going to meet and marry the drummer. I used so much hairspray my eyes stung in the shower.

Ahhh ... those were the days.

Last night I did 2.5 easy miles. My legs were still tired and sore from the 20 miler on Sunday and Bubba the blister is still on my big toe, with no signs of leaving.

I woke up this morning and the first thing I noticed was how sore my throat was. I am hoping it is nothing, but everyone I work with seems to be getting a cold. I don't want to get sick. I would rather spend a day in 1985.

Today was our third run this summer to Port Stanley and the longest run I've done since Chicago last October.

A grand total of 20.44 miles, 27 pieces of road kill, 5 waterstops, 3 big hills, 2 graveyards, 1 mental hospital and a huge blister I've called bubba.

I headed out at 6.25am, it was dark, foggy and cool. I had 6 miles on my own before I met up with P, and was aiming for a 10.45 - 11 min/mile pace. I struggle with pace when I'm running alone, even with gizmo to tell me how fast or slow I'm going. The first three miles went by quickly as I watched the sun come up and more fog roll in. I had a quick fuel and toilet break and continued on. I glanced at my watched, I would be right on time to met P.

It could of been the fog, or maybe I found the running zone and tuned out or I might have fallen asleep, next thing I heard was ..."Ali" huh? ... "Ali" I stopped and turned around, there was P about .25 km back, I had ran straight past her. She laughed and caught up

After a mile together, we decided to do the next 3 miles at marathon pace. So we dropped it down to 10/10.15 min/miles. Rather proud of ourselves, we slow it back down. Up ahead our two more runners, we catch them and start running together. I look at gizmo, 12.35 miles! My heel feels tender every now and again, but otherwise I feel great.

At the next waterstop, I feel the start of a blister on my big toe. The support vechicles have everything, water, poweraid, coke, gummy bears, bagels, fruit, tissues, tylenol, sunscreen and thankfully bandaids. I take of my shoe and am surprised how big it already is. I apply my bandaid likes it's a miracle cure for blisters, on with the shoes, bounce up ready to go. OUCH! My blister still hurts, I thought bandaids had special powers, making pain stop. Not to worry, mile 15 soon there would be other pains to replace my blister obsessing.

I felt great, besides for a twinge or two from bubba the next 4 miles went happily by. Then suddenly like a slap to the face my legs just stopped working. I felt like I was running, but I didn't seem to be going any where. I stopped and stretched that seemed to loosen them out a bit. I glanced at gizmo 19.18, just over a mile to go. I then contracted gizmo OCD, I looked at it 20 times in the next couple minutes. It finally hit 20 miles.

YIPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEE

20. Twenty. Miles

Another .44 and I was done. Literally! Done.

At the beach I took off my shoes to have a closer inspection of bubba. Bubba is big enough to leave home and live on his own. I can't bring myself to pop him just yet, he is like my 20 miler trophy. After a quick shower we all (about 80 runners) had brunch and an obscene amount of coffee. Between pancakes and sausages there were stories of great runs, sore muscles, wasp attacks and marathons.

Which reminds me ... I have to register today for Niagara.

I got this email from the Las Vegas Marathon ... if only I hadn't walked the waterstops in Chicago, I'd probably be in with a chance!

As a registered participant in the New Las Vegas Marathon, you may have a chance to win $65,000. We are pleased to announce plans for the New Las Vegas Marathon Invitational -- opening the field to anyone who has run a sub-three hour marathon in 2005 and 2006. At stake is $65,000, including $50,000 for The Challenge for the first man or woman to cross the finish line, along with $15,000 for the male and female winners. The Challenge gives women a head start based on the best marathon finishing times of participants. The Challenge time differential will be announced at a race week news conference.

I ran our local half marathon this morning. It's the third year running I've done this race. I really like it. I know the route like the back of my hand, I swear I could run in blindfolded. It's at that point in the training season where I don't want to get injuried, my legs are tried from all the mileage, so I feel no pressure to get a time. I just want to finish.

The weather was perfect, cool (like spectators thought you were crazy in your shorts) and sunny. I ran with J, who is a really sweetie. We both just wanted to have an enjoyable run. So we started off slow, chatting happily. Next thing I realized we were at 5k, then 8, then the waterstop at 10.

The run back was just as good, until my stomach revolted again a few too many jalpenos stuffed olives I ate last night ... I know ... but they were soooo good. I skipped the waterstop at 16k, told J I would run on, make a potty stop and catch up with her. When I finally emerged and started running I saw J way way ahead, just over .5k. I caught back up at 18k and we finished together.

2.17!

Afterwards I decided to sign up for a massage. I ate, chatted, ate, stretched, then it was my turn. Oh bliss. I've only ever had one massage at a race, and it was really relaxing.

Dave introduces himself and asks what hurts the most ... hmmm ... hamstrings and IT band.

He says, what does IT stand for?

Huh? I could spell if?

Okay, spell it, then you can have a massage.

I.T.O.I.B.I.A. no I think there is an L somewhere .... I.L.I.O.T.I.B.I.A.

After I passed the spelling bee, I climb onto the bed for my 10 minutes of bliss.

About 5 seconds into my 10 minutes of bliss, I realized, Dave was not the foo foo, soft music, scented candles kind. Nope, Dave was the make you scream kind. He gave my hamstrings a deep tissue massage, rip through my I.L.I.O.T.I.B.I.A.. Time for the next leg. He found something extremely tight and painful on my right inner thigh, I personally thought it was just his thumb stuck in a far as it would go, when he removed that, really there was no pain. Time for some release technique ... aka ... more pain. I was flipped over and treated to an intense massage of my inner thigh. He asked if it was feeling better, I said yes through gritted teeth, then he asked if I was lying to get him to stop, I said yes. He laughed and continued.

Finally my torture was over, turns out I got a 25 minute beating ... oops ... massage. As evil as I thought Dave was, when I started to walk, my legs felt better than before the race, seriously, they were like new legs. I can't touch my inner thigh, it is really sore but I feel like I didn't run today.

It was complete blissful abuse!

I went to physio a few weeks ago about the pain in my heel. On the bottom, it's about the size of a quarter and feels like a bruise. He thought it was either heel spurs or an inflamed bursa (sp?). Neither of these sound particularly appealing. However the treatment for inflamation involves drugs, I love drugs, so I am more likely to choose inflamation.

After Sunday's run, my heel was really sore ... like can't put any weight on it sore. I took a few days off and didn't do speedwork (mile repeats yuck). I rested, iced, watched reality TV, popped pills ... it was heaven.

By Thursday my heel felt better, so I joined the group for a tempo run. I had a great run, no pain jast a slight discomfort.

Hopefully my heel has healed.

I am resting it today, then taking the heel for a short little run on Saturday to test it out before Sunday's half marathon.

There is something about labour day weekend, even when you have long since graduated, that marks an end to laid-back carefree days and welcomes in structure and organization. Although the official end of summer is a couple weeks away, today is my official end to summer.

Bring on the cool mornings, the crunch of leaves under my feet and the smell of apple pie. As a runner the next three months are my favourite time of year.

I did 12 miles yesterday, our long run dropped down this week to recover, then it's up, up up for the next three weeks, then the taper. Three weeks till the taper!

Freakout

The run was really good yesterday, cool, cloudy conditions. I actually wore a long sleeve shirt to the run, I changed to a short sleeve, but had to think about it for a few minutes. I ran with P, we had a nice steady pace for the whole run, except around mile 9 when we got distracted by someones garden and stopped to have a look. Then looked at the next one. A few runner flew past us. We stood there talking about a rock sculptures, walking a bit then stopping again. Finally a few more runners ran past us. We looked at each other, with the same thought .. why aren't we running? We started running, finished the last three miles, without admiring anymore gardens.

I didn't take any gel on the this run. Not because I have a new strategy, or need to buy some. I just forgot. Last year I sucked gels back like my life depended on them, ever 6 miles. This year, in the last 59 miles I have taken 3. I need to start taking them ... I need to remember to take them.

I still haven't registered for marathon #2, Niagara Falls, Oct 22. But I am making progress! I spent almost an hour this afternoon searching for hotels. baby steps people. Maybe if I do all this training, and have a hotel to stay in ... I'll register? Nope, I'll need more than that, I think maybe I'll guilt P into running the half.