It's starting!

The longer days that is. I just got in from a run. It's 6:00 and until a few minutes ago there was still a sliver of sunset in the sky. You have no idea how happy this makes me. Okay, well you probably do because I don't think there are too many people who prefer the shorter days. Especially people who like and want to run and ride outside. And if you are lucky, swim outside. I am dreaming of late sunsets and summer evenings spent here.


That is Kits Pool. 137.5m of outdoor goodness. Opening day is May and I can't wait.

Anyway. Run was good. First couple miles were sluggish, but it got better. 45 mins which broke down as:

Mile 1 - 9:50
Mile 2- 9:48
Mile 3 - 9:20
Mile 4 - 8:31
Mile .83 - 7:31 or 9:07 pace
Total of 4.83 mi or 9:20 pace.

My legs felt strong and I feel like I am making some progress. My hamstring had some tweakiness (yes a great word) at the start but it went away. And the weather didn't hurt. Partly cloudy and 6C and a lovely sunset over downtown. Which of course happened on a run where I didn't bring my camera.

As for the last few workouts Wednesday evening was a 40ish min run (I apparently have issues pressing stop and start on my watch sometimes), Thursday evening was a 45 min trainer ride (5 w/u, 15 hard. 5 easy, 15 hard, 5 c/d) and then a 40 min swim this morning.

Oh, in case anyone was wondering, the Canucks lost and I don't want to talk about it.

Hockey tonight!

With the forecast calling for cold (-6C) temperatures on Monday morning, I decided to move my 35 min run to after work when it would be warmer, as the swim I had planned for the evening was a lesson which I didn't think would take too much out of me.

I ran a nice and easy 35 mins, had a snack and then headed to the pool for my 7:30 lesson. I was there at 7:25 and when the instructor hadn't shown by 7:40, I convinced myself to get in the pool anyway, even though I wasn't feeling it. I ended up doing a quick 30 min swim with a lot of drills as I didn't feel up to a long or hard continuous swim. I think I finally figured out the fingertip drill - yes that is where my swimming is. But its coming along so at least there is progress.

I'm still not sure what happened on the no-show. Both Graeme and I were there when the time was set so I know I was not wrong. I will have to call and find out but I didn't get around to that last night.

Want to know what our living room looks like right now? Like a gym. Two bikes on trainers and every piece of self massage equipment there is. Apparently couples time is now both of us on the trainer in the living room doing our separate workouts.

Tuesday's workout was 40 mins, including some intervals which made me pukey. My quads felt awful on the first 5 min interval and I really didn't think I'd make it through the next 3, but I did. Watching the poor tennis players swelter in the Australian Heat at the Aussie Open helped to pass the time. There is something about intervals that somehow make the time go way faster, but during the interval each second seems like an eternity.

And now to Wednesday. I was lucky enough to be given 2 tickets to the Canucks/Nashville game tonight. It's a 7:30 start so I will run from the gym by my work and then meet Graeme for a quick bite before heading to the game. Pleasepleaseplease let them win. I had the "pleasure" of attending the last game against Phoenix which I think was one of the worst games I have ever seen. A win would be a really good way to start of the last part of the season.

Go Canucks!

Weekend action and an anniversary of sorts

It has officially been 4 years since I started running. I ran a bit of track in high school, but was not consistent about training and then had a number of years where I did pretty much nothing.

For years I had talked about doing the Sun Run, a local 10K that last year had close to 60,000 registrants. It is a big deal in the city and every year thousands of people attend the associated running clinics or follow along with the Learn to Run or Run Faster programs that are on the web and printed in the local newspaper. So after years of saying I would do it, and then not, in 2005 I decided I would follow the online training program. I completed the program and ran the race that April.

Of course I continued to push myself and over the next few years was pretty consistently injured or just returning from injury. I have been back to running since April of last year after an almost 6 month layoff due to a calf injury and this has probably been my longest uninjured stretch. I attribute this to a few things. First, I have found a great group of sport chiro/physio people etc. that helped me start back to running and help me if I feel any niggles coming on, second, the addition of more biking and swimming, and third, I really feel I know my body better now. I think this is the first time I have been smart about training and about increasing my mileage.

You may have noticed I have not talked at all about goal races. That is because I have purposely decided not to have any. I have injured myself leading up to my last few goal races which were never run, and this time want to build a base that allows me to race, but at least at this point, not focus everything on one day and one race and just continue to enjoy running, riding, swimming and in general being active while gaining fitness.

This years Sun Run requires a whole other post and I will get to that soon.

As for this weekends action, although I wasn't feeling well I still managed to get some training in without pushing myself too much.

Saturday - 60 mins on the trainer
Sunday - 65 min easy run (mix of trails and sidewalk) on a perfect running day and 40 mins swim, with mainly drills on the advice of a very nice lifeguard.

On the hunt for sunglasses

I'm not sure if anyone else has as hard of a time finding sunglasses. I think part of my problem is that I am just not used to how I look in them, so therefore feel like I look awful in all of them. I visited the Oakley store this morning and tried on a few pairs. The one's I thought I wanted (based on the website) looked awful on me. Graeme thinks the Ravishing (shown below) were the best. I need something for general wear. Hiking/going to the pool in the summer etc. Not something too dressy, but something nicer then the pair I wear to ride my bike (which while very practical are not at all stylish).


I thought I didn't want a black pair, but none of the other frame colours appeal to me. Clear pink just is not my style.

Inside the fog

The fog has finally lifted outside but now it seems to have taken up residence in my head. Day 4 of headache. Day 1 of migraine. This is different then any migraine I have had before, but it is not just a headache. My head feels heavy and pressured and at the same time like its going to float away from my body. There is pain too, but not stabbing pain like my other migraines have had. My vision is a bit fuzzy and the nausea is ebbing and flowing. So today there is no workout to report.

Monday - 35 min run, 45 min swim
Tuesday - 45 min run, 40 min bike

From Tuesday's lunchtime run


Wednesday - off to headache
Thursday - 35 min run, and swim skipped in the evening

Foggy city

Pacific Spirit trails

Though I haven't been feeling that well, I decided to try running this morning anyway. Graeme and I drove out to UBC to run on the Pacific Spirit trails. It has been foggy here all week and though where we live was above the clouds and sunny this morning, I knew it would still be foggy out by the university.

When we got there I was surprised there was still as much snow as there was. Some of the trails were still really snowy and made for slow going. The fog wasn't too bad in the trails - enough to have pretty good visibility. The trails are beautiful in any weather though.

Graeme is much faster then me, but we ran the first bit together, then he went ahead and would circle back when he got to a fork and let me know which way he was headed. It was nice to run together again.

An hour run and though I could feel the effects of having been sick, it wasn't too bad. My hamstring appreciated the mostly flat run and the softness of the trails.


After the run we showered and had lunch at the club, then ran some errands. I would like to swim now, but that is probably pushing it. We have a dinner reservation (Dine Out Vancouver) at 7:30 so I will probably take a nap instead.

Pictures

Snowy runs


Blackcomb


And from my new camera (which is too big to run with but takes WAY better photos!)

The end of Christmas

I want to curl up under a blanket

It seems the last week of non-stop going for my work conference, plus the going out it entails on top of all the normal stuff has taken its toll. I had luckily avoided the sickness my husband had over the new year, but I seem to be coming down with something else.

4 miles done yesterday after work. Not the greatest run. Between my hamstring acting up and some stomach issues, I was very glad to get home. After eating dinner (well, what I could eat of it), I promptly went to bed. I spent some time this morning deciding whether coming in to work was a good idea, and in the end I decided I could handle it.

That combined with it being 4:22 and I'd love to go home. But I can't. Instead I have to go out this evening with work associates. At least it is to the hockey game, but I would much prefer to be watching from my sofa. Or even better from my bed.

A two week recap

Well its easy to get behind here! It has been a busy few weeks.

Workouts have looked like this

Jan 1 - 30 min trainer
2 - 60 min trainer
3 - 1600m swim. Cut short as the pool closed early due to snow
4 - 46 min run on really snowy sidewalks, 1650m swim
5 - Off
6 - 4 cold rainy miles from work at lunch
7 - 45 min trainer
8 - 5.4 mi lunchtime run (just over my 10K PR pace), 1000 m swim
9 - Off
10 - Ski Blackcomb
11 - Ski Blackcomb then start of conference
12 - Off - Meetings/conference/work ALL DAY
13 - Off - Conference then home. Exhausted after the past few days and do nothing.

So. It's time to get back to normal running now that the sidewalks are FINALLY clear. And to swimming. And there may even ben an outdoor bike ride in my future this weekend if the forecast holds.

Pictures to come from some of the last few weeks adventures. Part of my new years plan was to take a picture everyday but I missed yesterday. Still there are some good ones I need to post.