Saturday, November 27, 2010

Week Summary

It was a good week. I skipped one run (Wednesday) but it was only 4 miles so I'm not worried about it.

Monday - 4 miles with the puppy
Tuesday - 6.2 miles
Friday - 18 miles, part with the puppy and part without. I decided to run paved instead of trails because I was feeling lazy... but that backfired! It was really slushy, slippery, and muddy, and a very tough slog! I had no traction going up hills, and by the end I was pretty wiped!
Saturday - 9 miles with the puppy. Less slush today but still tough!

Total: 37.2 miles

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Week Summary and Race Report

Fall Classic 10k

I'll keep this short and sweet. :)

This is the race I pb'ed last year on the day my aunt passed away, so I guess I will always associate it with that, and will likely run it every year in memory of her. It also makes a great yearly fitness test for me.

I was pretty sure I could beat my old pb (56:27) because I am in much better shape this year (that is, I'm not injured!). But I wasn't sure how much I could take off. I decided to go for 8:50 miles, which would get me in under 56 minutes. These were my mile splits:
8:44
8:47
8:31
8:49
8:59
8:57
2:20

Final time (by garmin) was 55:10, so I am very happy with that!!

I do think I could have pushed a bit harder. At the 5k mark I was at 27 minutes (so on target for 54) but I slowed down in the second half. Had I pushed harder I could have been under 55. My muscles and lungs were doing fine but my tummy was starting to revolt and I didn't want to throw up so I slowed down because of that. Otherwise... it could have been faster. Next time. ;)

Week Summary
Tuesday - track workout. I did 4x400m (1:49-1:53) and 1 mile at 10k race pace. 6.2 miles altogether.
Wednesday - 5.7 miles along the seawall with a friend. Great run.
Friday - 4 miles easy with the puppy.
Sunday - 10k race and pb!

Total: 22 miles, a light week because of the race. Back to ultra training!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Getting Ready for Race Day!

I don't run short races very often, so it's kind of fun to be prepping for a 10k this weekend. I'm pretty sure I can pb, as I've got way more fitness than I did a year ago and have been working on speedwork at the track. I'd like to take a minute off of last year's time (56:27).

In the spirit of pumping myself up for the race, I've made a playlist that is 56 minutes long... if I am not finished the race by the time the last song finishes, I will have missed my goal. Every one of these songs is guaranteed to keep my feet moving fast. Here's my list:

Christina Aguilera - Fighter
Dashboard Confessional - Vindicated
Eminem - Lose Yourself
Fallout Boys - Dance Dance
Hot Hot Heat - Let Me In
Hot Hot Heat - 5 Times Out of 100
The Killers - Sweet Talk
Mika - Grace Kelly
My Chemical Romance - The Sharpest Lives
Panic! at the Disco - The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage
Panic! at the Disco - But it's Better if You Do
Pink - Raise Your Glass
Silverchair - Straight Lines
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
The Ting Tings - Shut Up and Let Me Go

can't wait! :)

Monday, November 15, 2010

November 15: Dedication

Today marks the one year anniversary of the passing of my Aunty Janine. She took her last breaths early in the morning, surrounded by family (including her three daughters), after having spent three months and her 45th birthday in intensive care. The three months had been a roller coaster of emotions, while a sudden and mysterious illness wreaked havoc with her body and our hopes for her recovery.

I was on the bus when my mom called me to tell me that Janine had passed, heading out to run the Fall Classic 10k. Running had already taken on a new meaning for me; I had thought of my aunt during every run, thankful for each step and praying that she would recover. After her legs were amputated, I had stood in front of the Terry Fox statue in Victoria and thought about her. Running also served as an outlet for the feelings of frustration and helplessness, as I was feeling so far away from my family, alone out here on the other side of the mountains. So on November 15, just hours after my aunt's passing, my mom told me to run the race for Janine. And I did. I shut off my brain and ran hard. Every time I wanted to slow down, I thought of my aunt and pushed harder. I ended up with a personal best time, and dedicated the race to her.

I will be running the same race again in a few days, and once again will dedicate it to the memory of Janine. I promise to run my hardest. And I promise never to take my life, health, or running for granted.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Week Summary

Monday
3k straight up on the Grouse Grind, with a new Grind pb (55:58), followed by a run down old mountain highway to Lynn Valley Road. Total 10.5 miles, and I was quite happy with it.

Wednesday
4 miles with the puppy.

Friday
10 miles, trails, with a very badly behaved puppy. This wasn't a good run.

Sunday
8 miles, road, no puppy, and a much better run!

Total: 32.5 miles (plan was 32 so close enough!).

The week upcoming will be quite a bit lighter since I am racing a 10k next Sunday. So I'll keep my runs short and fast this week. :)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Week Summary

The first week back on a schedule went really well!

Monday - 4 miles easy, paved, with the puppy.

Tuesday - 6 miles, 3 of which were at LT pace (at the track).

Wednesday - 4.8 miles with a friend - my second night trail run. Very fun!

Friday - 16 miles, trails, with the puppy. A good mix of technical and non-technical, and a good run. I felt tired in the first half and much better in the second.

Saturday - 8.2 miles, paved, easy pace. A few sore spots from yesterday, but nothing too bad. The hills burned a bit!

Total: 39 miles.

One of the things I want to work on over this winter is climbing. I am pretty weak on the hills (especially steep ones), and my lungs tend to give out faster than my legs. Of course, the only way to get stronger on the climbs is to do more of them, so that is the plan!

Monday, November 1, 2010

One Up, One Down

Time to start training again! After three months of running whatever I felt, I'm back on a schedule as of today. But it's a slacker-friendly schedule. Five runs per week, with most of the mileage happening on the back-to-back long runs on the weekend. This means the weeknight runs are short (nice during the winter!). It's also one-up-one-down, meaning that every other week is a cut-back week. This allows for a long, gradual build, and I've found in the past that that pattern works well for me. I am looking forward to this!

I love that I'm not starting from zero this time, and I am excited to see what improvements I can make in 2011.

This week's plan:
Monday - 4 miles
Tuesday - 6 miles
Wednesday - 4 miles
Friday - 16 miles
Saturday - 8 miles