Still in The Rut

But worrying less about it. Since I determined I dont have a goal race anymore, and my training is all for nothing, it kinda got a little easier.  I really do need goals for advancement but for the moment I am just going to still aim for 4 runs a week and add more biking and Lord I should add some swimming as well or I wont be able to even consider a triathlon. LOL I might switch to Duathlon since the swimming is the suckiest part ;)

After the hockey tournament last weekend Ive put away my skates for a bit.  I do have some summer hockey coming up but Im taking a break :) I need to think about other things like swimming and biking and Ball Hockey started this week.  On to other things!
 

very important OTHER things :) Good times!



 The weather has been improving with some nice warmer weather. Since we are SO not used to it, its a little tough on all of us lol but no worries it hasnt been so hot at any point that I actually didnt want to run. Or anything. 


Maggie feels its a little warm. :)

Tuesday I must have gone for a late run because that is what my log says. Maybe that is the night Toni and I ran in the rain?  And part way up the Soul Sucking Hill we called Scott for a pick up. I was tired that night.

So Wednesday I did nothing. It rained all day and was cold and sad and despite this Annika went to soccer tryouts and I stayed home and didnt do anything.  :)

Thursday I worked kinda late-ish and then while waiting to pick Holly up from track practice I went for a run around town and on the trail. It was only 8 km but it felt like forever. I did some pick ups/Fartleks (although there was nothing fun about that) and maybe added a little speed. It was harder and less organized without the Garmin because I was on roads and trails and didnt speed up for a particular distance or time, I just picked up the pace to a hard pace for a determined space (to the bridge, to the funny looking tree).  The distances were pretty variable and I cant tell from my log when I sped up and when I slowed down (hoped I could). But I felt like I had increased the effort so I call it intervals. 8 km 49:30 minutes.

Friday I did not do anything lol until it was Ball Hockey time. I actually tried really hard to have a nap but I didnt even manage that.  I was tired and sluggish, felt a lot "off" and wondered if I was getting sick.  Ball hockey went ok, I didnt put a tonne of effort in because the other team had few players and we won 6-1 without a tonne of effort ;) I backed way off and we still scored many goals.  Still feeling pretty crappy.

And in the morning I was going to my first "race" of 2013! Not that it was a really big one, or had any glory...it was a local fun Spring Fling Freestyle Run at the park!  The intent of this run was not to run as fast as you can and beat everyone; we had to predict our finish time, and then, wearing no timing devices, attempt to get this time. I know my pace pretty well so I was able to make a prediction that did NOT have me killing myself to attain it, and then ran that. We started in a staggered start, with the person who predicted the slowest time over 6 km starting first, and then counting down to the next slowest time, and then into the 4 km racers, then the 2 km races. With the staggered start, if we had all picked our paces correctly, we would have finished together.  Which we didnt do LOL. 

It was SOOOOOOO freaking cold. I would say closer to freezing than NOT. And we went early (Holly and Annika and I) to help out, so we were actually there for quite a long time before we ran.  It was sad that it was SO cold at the end of April.  But the company was good.

I signed the kids up for a 2 km run. Annika never has raced so I had no idea how she would do on 2 km.  She did super well.  I gave her 20 minutes to do it, which was rediculous but really I had no idea how much she would walk, and how much she would actually run, left to herself.  She finished in around 15 minutes ;) I was very wrong. and she loved it.

Holly was a little easier to guess, based on her times from last year's races, we guessed she could do the run in 15 minutes. And she did it in 13.  It was much flatter and easier than her cross country runs.



Try not to look so COLD!

 I guessed I could do 6 km in 35:02.  It was a pace that was pushing below 6 mins a km, but not going to be too hard, considering I felt sick the night before and I had a long run Sunday planned.  The run was 3 laps of a 2 km course around the park. I HATE laps, I may have mentioned before.  First lap was ok, I could see the chick in front of me, and the fellow behind me. I was supposed to catch the lady in front, but race mentality sets in, and she ran faster, and the guy behind me? Ran a little slower than he expected. So we never met up. I ran a steady pace at about 80% perceived effort, and finished in 34:36 minutes. So I was 26 seconds off my expected pace. I was third, as a fellow who guessed his 4 km time and was off by 4 seconds (first race luck) won and the guy behind me was 19 seconds slower than he expected.  Some pretty close times! 

Truro Triathlon Club Executive

It took us hours to thaw out once we got home.  I managed to clean up a flower bed before collapsing into bed :)

Sunday was long run day and after Scott took Taylor to Drama I left to meet Toni and I ran her home before continuing on through town and back home for 20.31 km.  The weather was nice and I dressed far too hot (result of freeezing the day before? I love NS).  I rolled up my tights and sent a shirt home with Toni and then a couple of times I was cold lol but mostly I was much more comfortable in a tShirt and fashionable capris lol. 
this wasnt a bad run.  I didnt feel as crappy as I sometimes have, and I didnt feel an urge to call for a ride until about 12 miles, when it's uphill all the rest of the way home. I didnt make that call, I ran right to the driveway.  So a better run.  Nice weather helps.  I ate my last chunk of Cliff Bar at about 7 miles, and had the Energenix drink along but didnt drink so much of it.  Likely should have drank more because I was pretty thirsty when I was home and had eaten. 

After a little rest I spent the rest of the day cleaning the yard; DOGS are a messy lot over the winter, and a lot of leaves/flower beds needed some attention.  We raked for hours, spent a little time looking at birds and searching for woodpeckers, and searching for pussy willows (didnt find any; too late by now I suspect). 

Monday was a crap day.  less than 3 weeks ago Scott lost his grandfather. Monday his grandmother followed her husband.  The family has a lot to cope with.  No run was to be had. I kind of forgot about everything; I had a meeting I missed, forgot a soccer game. It was terrible!  All these things came back to me this morning.

Im in my 4rth to last day of work for this school year.  I will finish on Friday.  Then it's all about the kids and whatever athletics I can stick in there!  Soccer has already started for 2 of the kids.  Annika has her team for U12 competative soccer, and Holly has tryouts this week.  Fun!

Its all good. Im going to run today despite being super sore.

Not Really Sure Where I am going from HERE :)

Havent written about runs since April 10th; in that time I have had 8 runs, 2 of them over 20 km, none particularly long due to time constraints. Last weekend I intended to do a step back week and did a little less than 22 km long run. This week I unexpectedly joined a hockey tournament and since the championship game was Sunday afternoon, I put off my long run until Monday.  And since I had to deal with kids/go to work, the time crunch got the better of me and I cut the run at 20.5 km, intending to do another in the evening which I ended up not doing.  POor planning.  This leaves me wondering exactly where my training is at, and what I am going to do. Why keep up these long runs if Im not running anything?  What am I gaining? 
I fear it's nothing at all :( Ive no goal race, my speed is terribly absent.  I need to do a race, soon. 

I am signing up for the Spring Fling Freestyle Race this weekend at www.gotruro.ca.  It's a small race and I haven't much of a goal but it might get me back into racing.  But Im just questioning it all, and thinking for weeks that I need some quality speedwork hasnt gotten me to the track.  Im not doing hills or intervals or anything.

I hit over 700 km for the year yesterday.  It's satisfying to be adding the miles.

Worrying trend?  weight gain.  I know, its only about 4 pounds but its in the wrong direction and I feel large and heavy and hungry all the time. Im drinking lots of water and trying to pay attention to the sugar and other crap ingredients in my food but Im really being left with NOTHING to eat, since everything I read says everything is poison. SIGH. 

Still running but really doubting the reasons.

Nothing New to Say about Boston

Every blogger/runner has something to say about Boston's sad events from yesterday :( none of it will be new or original but we are all feeling something about it. Mostly sadness and outrage that they picked on runners and more likely, family members at something as non-political, non-religious as a marathon.
What I cannot figure out is, what statement are they trying to make? They were not trying to "get" someone famous, weren't trying to take out a leader, a radical. They aimed at back-of-the-pack runners and families waiting for them. Runners like me. Slow but out there doing it because we love it. Families supporting. Children. there was nothing to be gained by this.

But either way it's never going to be the same again. Something has been taken from us again.

Out and Back vs Loops

I was reading a blog this morning talking about a monotonous out and back route taken over almost every run.  The thought gives me nausea.  This runner liked the consistency of the same out and back route, as it gave her confidence on her long runs. Whatever works, get out and get it done.
But the thought of running the same route would be enough to send me back to bed.

I do not like out and backs unless I have someone to talk to :)  I prefer loops.

I almost never run the same route more than once every week or so.

I have a few familiar routes that I can run in a pinch because I know well where the challenges are, how long its going to take, and I dont have to guess paces and times.  But if I had to run them over and over I wouldnt go. I know I wouldnt.

But recently I have struggled some with my long runs.  The first time I was marathon training I had someone to run almost every long run with. My partner had no intention of running a marathon but she ran my long runs with me, right up to the end.  And now she isnt running long distances anymore, and I have been going most of my long runs alone.  This, along with the memory of stomach upsets from last summer, the trouble I have now with dogs feeling super threatening (PTS?) and the foot pain from a couple of weeks ago, have left me putting off the runs, or allowing them to be put aside for "more important things" I would have skipped previously.  Getting them in during the hockey/soccer season was challenging, but now the schedule has cleared and I still find I feel paralysing fear when I am getting ready; to the point of nausea. It's ok once I actually get out there, but getting out the door can take hours. 

I definitely feel better or at least more accountable when  I am meeting a friend.  But that has rarely happened due to schedule conflicts and I cant seem to get anyone to meet me even for part of the run.  In fact, I cant get people to come out for even a 5 k; new runners think I'm too advanced (if they only knew) and previous partners might not be running much anymore....either way, much of this cycle of training has been solo and its not helping :(

Last week I ran 3 times other than my long run. Some were good, some felt like I was wasting time.

I cannot seem to shake the 4 pounds hanging around from winter. Maybe I need a cold hard reality check on my diet. It's not clean and certainly not sugar-free. I am weak.

Ive not run since my long run(s) on Sunday. Monday was a rest day *much needed and Tuesday I played noon hockey and had planned a run later on but due to unforseen circumstances that didnt happen.  I really should have hopped on the treadmill to avoid the slush falling from the sky but was left with absolutely no get up and go :( its going to be a long week :(

Some Peeves

Im trying to stay positive but since Spring is trying desparately to Spring, some of my worst peeves have been cropping up :( I wish there were some way to raise awareness!  :(

I had a lovely long warmish run yesterday that was marred at various moments by inconsiderate other human beings. Considering we have to share this world, it would be super nice everyone did something to make it more enjoyable for the other humans.

1. I ran up Harmony Ridge yesterday which is challenging but quite beautiful.  I couldnt look up from my feet....someone is doing a very poor job of hauling cattle manure to be spread on fields.  I am a "country girl" and I do not object to the spreading of manure, the smell, the sight, the idea.  I think farms smell awesome.  But while running on a road where I am apparently only entitled to a super small section of the roadside to run on, it sucks when that little sections is coated in cow crap.  I ran dodging some piles that were a foot high and 3 feet around.  I mean, whoever was doing it was doing a REALLY bad job.  I discovered how far away hew as doing a bad job when I ran around and back home, he was going almost all the way to town and leaving gifts behind the whole way.  When Im driving tthrough it and then parking in my garage, I will be completely irritated.

2. I ran up Harmony Ridge where apparently every dog runs free. And they run onto the road. with lots of teeth.  5 dogs, no word of a lie, 5 dogs felt threatening.  And twice TWICE people driving by stopped to tell me It's Ok, that dog is friendly and wont hurt me or follow me. 
Ok Ive had some trouble in the past keeping my dogs in their yard all the time, since my kids let them out without me knowing and Im not supervising :*( I hope this problem has passed.  But I still think I should be able to run on a road without feeling like some dog is going to chew my leg off.  And since my episode with the Pitbull, Im a whole lot sensitive, meaning I freaking jump out in front of traffic everytime a snarling barking dog come flying out of a driveway and meets  me on the road. 5 times yesterday!  I only saw 2 dogs actually restrained!  
and when people say really stupid stuff like It's OK, he/she is really friendly....I'm not sure if they realise that that doesnt make it ok and isnt what I need to hear right now.  I don't CARE if your dog is friendly....I do NOT want it chasing me out into traffic, and I do NOT want to stop and pet it.  and make friends with it.  and reward it for bad behavior. Get your dog off the road! 

3. My road rage has few limits but drivers driving right through stop signs seems to be an epidemic lately.  And on my long run I was nearly hit by 2 of these drivers who didnt stop as they went into an intersection and through a stop sign.  Its a good thing I was looking since they obviously were not.  One woman looked slightly apologetic when she saw me as she went by, but the man actually seemed annoyed and rolled his eyes at me.  I also had to stop and wait while a car full of teens backed out of a driveway without stopping to look and missed me completely.  I was close enough that I could have touched the front of the car but they didnt even hesitate at the driveway end, just backed right out.

I need to stop at those 3 lest I completely ruin my experience yesterday lol.

The run was good :) The kids went with their grandmother for the day, hockey is over, soccer was cancelled, so I had all day to do the run.  I did have plans to attend a United by Running organized run late in the afternoon so I needed to be done by then.  I headed out around lunch time which never seems wise to me, I always get very hungry despite my late breakfast of oatmeal; but I did that.
I ran up Harmony Ridge first, rather than running flat and then up the other way.  It is about 7 km to the top of the hill and then back down for a few km. Much steeper.

This loop was 21 km more or less.  At the bottom of that big hill I stopped to use the washrooms at the rink and Scott was still there after his lunch time hockey game; they were having a drink after and I sat and chatted for a bit, drank half his beer with my Cliffs bar, and the continued on.  It was warm enough so I left  my coat for him to take home.  the run through town and back to home was pretty uneventful.

I rested for an hour or so, had some soup, and then got dressed (so much laundry) and picked up a friend to go to the United By Running run.  We were late so they were leaving as we got there, literally ran over us lol we parked and got out and caught the pack; but got held up at some traffic stops as we were in the back of the pack SIGH Its ok it wasnt a race but I swore no WALKERS were going to beat me ;) I have not a competative bone in my body.

Most of the group turned around at the 5 km marker; we continued on as it was nice and sunny and the run was mostly trail by the Cobequid Bay, which was really nice at that time of day :)

You would think with that hill in the middle it was steep but really it was not.  Pretty flat run!  another 9.5 km finished to end the split run day with 30.5 km. 

After the run there were door prize draws. I was disappointed not to win a free race registration which would have really made my day lol but near the end when the good stuff was gone I did win a big left over medal that I can hang on my christmas tree ;) there was a pretty big crowd there. We didnt have to wait long for the prize draws since we were like the last ones in.   most folks ran the 5 k as they were prt of a start to run club or were maybe not out for the linger run; but it was such a nice day why not? :)

Long Run Success, even if it was split into 2 runs :)

Screwed

If I don't run a marathon in Fredericton in a month, I won't have another local marathon opportunity til wayyyyyy later. I don't see how I can be ready in a month. But if I drop to a half, everything I've done is for nothing? I'm so screwed. :(
ETA I suppose I could aim for the Nova Scotia Marathon at the end of July. Because nothing says hard core like a mid summer marathon SIGH

Easter and a Great Long Run

It's been really spring like here. For NS that means warm sun interspersed with snow and freezing rain. LOVE it. You never know what you are going to wake up to!  This morning I opened the curtain and saw the ground coated with now. Really coated.  And I admit I was surprised although I thought nothing would surprise me about NS weather.  Where did that come from? 
I had some pretty non-existent runs last week.  A lot of them! LOL Monday we started our end of the year hockey 4 on 4 tournament.  Expectations were low.  Monday did not run as it was a long day of work, last Monday double lab, finishing at 5, and hockey was at 6, as were many other things the kids had to go to; poor Scott.   I went straight from work to hockey, where we played and lost game 1 :(
Tuesday I went for a run before work, since Tuesday morning is a lnog lab....and the afternoon is kid filled! I played lunch time hockey, then watched Taylor at her badminton Districts where she was playing girls doubles; their team advanced to Regionals!

then it was time for tournament game #2.  We played a tough team but it was my night and we won and I got a Hat Trick!  :) First real one :) in a tournament to boot!  A good game :)    For me anyway :) 

wednesday was a day off hockey tournament but after I rushed through work and lab I went to watch Badminton districts again, Taylor was playing individual Singles and she again advanced to Regionals :)

We stayed so incredibly late at the badminton tournament, home and bed was the only option :)

Thursday was a day of relative freedom. The day before a long weekend, it was a good day at work (long) and fairly stressless.  I went for a run (11.3 km) before going to a friend's place. My plan was to get her to have a few drinks, as we were playing their team that night in the tournament.  Did not go according to plan as she matched me drink for drink and handles that a lot better; it was an ok game but we lost, and although I may not have played my best game, I totally gave it all.  We started a social hockey time in the dressing room and moved it back to my friend's house to continue until about 1 am :) Talk about tired the next day;

A holiday, Good Friday, day off work.  I did not do a lot, spent some time knitting and did housework; I did go for a short run as sitting around all day does nothing but make me feel like crap and a nice short run stretched out my legs and made me feel like getting going!  The Tournament game Friday night was semi-finals, and we played a team that should not have beat us. But they did. we just couldnt score. And lost in a shootout...because I was totally nerved out and didnt lift the puck over the goalie SIGH. Yeah my fault. 

So the tournament was over. just like that. Kinda like our season....we didnt win much all year. 

Saturday was a day in Halifax.  Holly had a party at go-karts and laser tag, then dinner with the hockey team.  That's all over, her hockey season is done. And because of family reasons, Annika's season ended as well; we did not go to the planned tournament that weekend in NB. 

Sunday was Easter Sunday, it was an amazingly sunny day, the kids had a nice quiet morning then we went to lunch with Scott's family, and after lunch I ran home from there, taking a few extra km and running over the large hill in town to increase the variable hills :) see that hill in the middle?  Rivals the hill that takes me home SIGH.it took 3 hours to go 16 miles; this isnt a particularly good time. I cannot blame the weather; it was so sunny and quite warm; in fact too warm.  It was a great run; when I got to the end I decided Scott could pick me up at the bottom of our road; but I got there faster than I thought and he wasnt there; so I ran to the top; once I had decided to stop, it was super hard to keep going but I was so close to 16 miles, I couldnt see a point in stopping.

There was no nausea on this run;  I had half a Cliff's bar and energy drink on the way. I was super thirsty when I got back, although I hadnt run out of drink, I wanted a big cold drink.  I wonder if when the hot weather comes back, will nausea return? Or have I got it figured out, cannot go without a bar and energy drink? Maybe plain water isnt enough.  I have a new energy drink, that I dilute quite a lot so I am getting a lot of water, with the electrolytes in it and not a lot of sugar, no chemicals, no artificial stuff (well the flavor must be. )

Successful long run! 

Ended March with around 219 km run.