Beloved Boston

Posted on April 18, 2013 by marlene

I’ve been feeling pretty shaken and speechless all week, and I know I am not alone in that. It’s hard to find the “right” words and I went back and forth between writing something or not, but I feel the need to share some words.

The terrorist attacks and violent crimes which have become all too frequent are horrifying and disgusting even when we have no personal connection to the target or the victims. This attack at the Boston Marathon hits close to home for us, as runners. We take it personally. We are hurt, angry, offended and we want to fight back in the best way we know how. The power of resiliency and community among runners is so strong that this will only drive our passion further.

On a personal level, my drive to return to Boston is stronger than ever. Some of my friends who ran on Monday and re-qualified have vowed to return next year to take Boston back. Many others in my running group have vowed to work harder than ever to qualify so they can run Boston and stand up against this disgrace - a disgrace not only against those who attended the Marathon this year (or any year) as runners/spectators/volunteers, but against all ~~runners~~ people. Trust me, if I believed I had a remote chance at qualifying again this year, I would pour my heart and soul into that goal. When the time comes, I will return and we will take back our finish line.

On Monday my running family came together like never before – my phone and email went totally berserk with emails and messages as we all tried to find out the status of our peeps who were at the scene. Thankfully, we managed to track everybody down after a few hours. And tonight, I couldn’t have been happier to get together for our weekly run club and see them in the flesh.

It has been so inspiring to read and hear stories of the outpouring of support in Boston that day, and every day since. I take comfort in seeing that the good, by far, over-shadows evil.

Keep running. It’s the ~~right~~ only thing to do.

Angus Glen Ten Miler Race Report

Posted on April 12, 2013 by marlene

Last weekend hubs and I ran the Angus Glen Ten Miler. In our seven years of running, we have never taken the opportunity to check out this local race, although we had only heard good things. I had planned to run 10K ahead of time and use the 10-miler as a “glorified long run” as I like to call it. Unfortunately, I ended up coming down with a wicked chest cold the week of the event and didn’t know if I was going to be able to run at all. I managed three very short runs in the seven days before the race, and coughed my way through them feeling pretty whooped. Sunday morning I was definitely not 100% and still had a good cough going on, but I didn’t feel too rough so I figured I could take it easy and do the distance. I also knew that the route looped around the golf course, so there would be a few opportunities to stop early if needed. Of course, I nixed my plan to run any extra mileage.

Our friends K & E were kind enough to pick up and deliver our race kits the day before. There was some decent swag including a nice jacket.

It was drizzling as we arrived at the race site, so thankfully we were welcomed inside the clubhouse to stay warm and dry, and use indoor bathroom facilities (score!).

We headed outside, where fortunately it had stopped raining, just minutes before the start. There were wave starts for the 500-ish runners to help prevent crowding on the cart paths, and we started in wave 2. I had urged hubs to start in wave 1 so he wouldn’t have to do as much weaving, but he was content to hang back. I giggled as I watched him run ahead on the grass alongside the masses once we got started. It was really congested at first, but I took advantage of the excuse to go extra slow and just relaxed. After a kilometre or so it started to spread out and I was able to find my own pace. I really didn’t know what to expect given the challenging course and how I was feeling, but I seemed to be settling in just a bit faster than my long run pace and it felt alright.

The course took us up and down short, steep inclines as we wound our way all over the golf course. It was definitely tough, but very peaceful and scenic. I listened to music and plugged away, crawling up most of the hills since my energy level was just not there. Around 6K we ran passed the clubhouse and I had to duck into one of the port-o-potties set up outside. I glanced at my garmin and figure I only lost 40 or 50 seconds, which definitely wasn’t going to make a difference on this day.

I had a gel around the half way mark and skipped water stations in favour of my handheld – I brought it along in case of a coughing fit, which thankfully did not happen. I was feeling pretty tired almost the entire time. There was no kick in my legs, but I didn’t really feel any better when I slowed down either. So, I trucked along keeping my 5:40ish (/KM) pace and counted down the kilometres. At 11K, we ran by the clubhouse again and suddenly 5K to the finish seemed really long. The sun was trying to come out and it was getting really warm (at least compared to what we are used to these days). I enjoyed the headwind to cool off when we had it.

I had one of those moments of “I CAN NOT RUN ANY FARTHER” a couple of miles from the finish and allowed myself a brief walk break to get it together. It seemed manageable after 30 seconds or so when I started running again. Of course, this last portion of the course ended up being the toughest! Finally, I made my way to the finish – where they announced my name as “Jennifer.” Hmmm…

I ended up finishing a little faster than I expected, and my splits were actually pretty steady throughout the race. I was pleased, all things considered.

Chip time: 1:31:00

147/443 overall

17/61 F30-39

One of the best features of this race is the hot buffet-style lunch served inside the golf course.

Good runnin’ and good eatin’ make for a good day.

Just like riding a bike…

Posted on April 1, 2013 by marlene

With dry roads and clear skies in the forecast and a three hour ride on my (non-)training schedule for this past weekend, there was no question that I would be taking my two wheels to the road.

The weather looked best for Friday and Saturday, so I decided to take advantage of those days for my long ride and long run, and then I could hide out for a lazy day and some family time on Sunday.

I should take my bike in for a full tune-up before the season is in full swing, but for now I just changed my wheels and tires and added a little grease. Everything seemed to be in good working order, and I was not sad to leave my trainer looking lonely in the corner.

I was able to rally up a friend to join me for at least part of the long ride. It was chilly (just above freezing) in the morning, but the sky was clear and the sun shining bright. I layered up in two pairs of socks (really need toe/shoe covers!), tights, bike shorts, three layers on top (thin race tee, thick fleece and light wind-breaker) plus a neck-warmer, a thin toque under my helmet, and my new Halti soft shell gloves (AM-AZ-ING – didn’t have cold fingers even once). I ended up being perfectly comfortable except for numb toes which lasted the whole 3+ hours. Like I said, REALLY need those shoe covers.

I thought I might be nervous on the road for the first time in several months, but I felt pretty comfortable right off the bat and it was nice to remember why I love to ride. I found my groove and took in the sights as I rode solo for the first 20 miles.

I met up with Paula as scheduled and stopped for a quick ~~nutrition~~ pop-tart break before we headed out on a loop in farm country together. We both kept saying just how great it was to be riding outside. Nothing could wipe the grins off our faces.

After another hour or so, we stopped for another quick snack break before parting ways to head back to our respective homes. Before I knew it, I was rolling into the driveway after 3 hours and 10 minutes and still smiling.

I had heavy legs heading out for my long run on Saturday, which would be my first mostly-solo long run in quite a while. It was just gorgeous out, though, and I was happy to be running so I enjoyed being out there. My legs ended up waking up after the first half hour and it was a strong run afterall.

This turned out to be the kind of weekend that makes me enjoy training and look forward to the weeks ahead, which is exactly what I needed.

For an added mojo boost, I signed up for a few upcoming races – the Angus Glen Ten Miler and Uxbridge Half Marathon in April, and the Goodlife Toronto Half Marathon and Woodstock Sprint Tri in May!

And then it was time for some fun on the trails with hubs and the pooch.

All in all, a fantastic way to spend the long weekend. How was yours?

What I Ate Wednesday

Posted on March 20, 2013 by marlene

It’s been a long time since I’ve taken part in Jenn’s weekly food party (although I regularly stalk others’ daily eats). Since I’m trying to put more effort into eating a healthier and more varied diet, I thought that taking pictures of and sharing my food for a day might help spice things up. Here’s a look at what I ate on Monday:

tea, blueberry-banana muffin and tiny crustless quiches for brekkie
greek yogurt (oikos lime = yum) and sliced apple for snacking
big salad with chickpeas, feta and craisins for lunch
nutrigrain bar, mixed fruit and fresca for afternoon snacking
slice of toast with honey after work to hold me over til dinner (had an event to attend)
greek orzo salad on a pile of greens, carrots with hummus and turkey burger with mustard for dinner
sugar-free pudding snack before bed

What are you eating?

Chilly Half Marathon Race Report

Posted on March 18, 2013 by marlene

Better late than never!

On March 3rd, I ran my first race of the year – the Chilly Half Marathon. This event has been on my roster each year since 2008 (except for 2009 when I volunteered because I was still nursing a separated shoulder) and it remains one of my favourites. I love it as a season opener, with its flat and fast out-and-back course, good support and decent swag.

It holds many PRs for me, which makes it hard to check the ego like I had to do this year. I am running a lot less and a lot slower right now than I have in a long time, but I decided to make the most of my opportunity to run this race.

My plan was to treat it as a glorified long run, pacing about 15s/KM faster than I have been running long runs and counting on race day adrenaline, crowds, etc. to make that feel manageable. A (faster) friend, Andy, from my marathon clinic ended up offering to run with me, which I readily accepted. I told him I would be running pretty conservatively and encouraged him to run ahead any time he felt like it. Hubs and Miles came along to spectate and we enjoyed the company of Andy and his wife (who are both hilarious) as we waited for the start. With 10 or 15 minutes to go, we decided to find our place among the masses (just under 3000 runners) and wait for the countdown.

It was a cold morning, but conditions were pretty favourable compared to some years – the roads were dry and the winds were not gusting, so I had no complaints. I remember being pretty comfortable in tights, a long sleeve tee and a light jacket once we got moving.

Once the race started I tried to focus on keeping the pace comfortable, but I wasn’t looking at my watch. Andy stayed loyally by my side as we chatted away and took in the atmosphere. I started noticing that we would pick up the pace unintentionally each time we ran through a particularly busy cheering section, but reeled it in again as soon as I noticed. It was fun to see Hubs and Miles cheering us on, even though I think the pup got a little confused seeing me run by without stopping.

Overall I could tell that I was working a little bit harder than I should have been based on my goals for the race, but I didn’t worry too much about it until I needed a pit stop around 7K and saw that my average pace was at least 25s/KM faster than it should have been. Whoops! Andy had been kind enough to walk as I relieved myself, and didn’t balk when I told him that I needed to slow down a little once we got going again. I was able to keep things much more in control as the miles ticked by, and seemed to prevent the wheels from falling off completely.

That being said, it started catching up to me with 5-6K to go and I finally had to shoo Andy ahead. I know he didn’t mind slowing down and sticking with me, but I found myself getting to that place where I just needed to zone out and soldier through it. I counted down the kilometres and fought to keep my average pace from slowing any further until finally I could see the last turn toward the finish. There was definitely not a sprint in my legs and since I wasn’t fighting for any time on the clock, I just trotted in and remembered those previous years where I had raced down the chute to ensure that I left everything out on the course.

Chip time: 1:56:49

After thoughts: This result is a few minutes faster than I had expected, but the effort was quite a bit greater than planned. Looking back, it is only about 4 minutes slower than the first time I ran Chilly in 2008, my second half marathon at the time. My gut reaction to that is “Ugh” but if there’s one thing I gained from this race, it’s that I’m ready to start clawing my way back.