Day-Off, Trippin'

We're off to Ottawa for the Thanksgiving weekend, Canadian style, this evening. A 4.5 hour drive after work awaits, with the boys in the back hopefully falling asleep so that I can listen to the baseball game in peace (no idea who I will end up rooting for - Red Sox aren't doormats anymore, Tampa Bay shouldn't be this good yet: I'm so confused!). I'm glad that I've made Friday an off-day for just such occasions, and hope that the foot will be good enough to go for a slow 10k run tomorrow by the canal. I will be running with my wife on this occasion, and that should not only be fun, but will also force me to chill and not push the pace the way I typically do with sometime less than happy results.

The foot is feeling a bit better, but not yet 100%. I am not sure if it is smart to start running until I am completely pain free (though it is worth stating here that I haven't been in that state for the better part of a decade, so it's all relative), but I also need to balance the fact that with each passing day I am losing conditioning. I figure that if I can run between now and the race and manage the pain, then push it during the race itself, I'll be able to take some time off if the foot issue continues to linger. It's just a case of plantar fasciitis, I'm sure of it, but I don't know if I can cause major injury if I continue on my plan for the next two weeks. Anybody have any advice? I don't want to risk too much, but I also don't want to have all my training go to waste.

See y'all on the weekend, and good luck to everyone running races! I am entering Owen in the Turkey Trot on Sunday, a 1k race for kids where they get to wear a chip timer and everything! Thanks to Nat for turning me onto this event - Owen's going to love it!

Baseball Champ, and 6km Run in New Shoes!

So, on the shoe search I went to New Balance Toronto last night and, lo and behold, indeed I am a 12.5 normal width footed homosapien. The NB1062 was definitely the shoe for me, but the store only had a 12.5 in extra wide at the downtown location. I was a swimmer, but I don't have webbed feet! After getting them to get another pair transferred from another location, I left somewhat dissappointed, but looking forward to the Monday arrival of the new treads...

Jump to this morning... I woke up too late to go for my planned 6km run before Owen's Championship Baseball game, so that's what was on the menu for the first half of the day. As a proud Dad I must report that my son's team won in a classic "come back" type game - they entered the bottom of the fourth inning (the last) four runs down, and managed to score 5 to win 11-10! Here are some pics of the memorable occasion for all to ogle:

Owen getting ready to play in the big game, Dad forces him to stop for a picture:

Mom and Malcolm: the tension is palpable!

In the on-deck "circle":

Loin-Fruit #1 with his trophy, happy endorphins coursing through his veins!

The triumphant "Green Giants" with their trophies, coaches, etc.:

Naturally I took a couple of videos of the Loin-Fruit's at-bats, and may attempt to load them up later... Let's just say they were spectacular for now!

After the game, the boys got hot-dogs, the parents reminisced. Once we got home I started getting antsy and decided to check the availability of my prospective sneakers at the other locations around Toronto. The first place I called had a pair and I made the decision to drive up there and pick them up. I even got a free running shirt out of it since that location was running a promo. I should have taken a picture of it, but didn't... Here are the shoes just before my run:

So, I strapped them on, put on the Garmin accoutrements, and off I went on my "easy" 6km run. I walked ten minutes, then started up on what I thought was a slow pace. The first kilometre was feeling good, the knee was cooperating, and I was yet to get blasted by the heat. Tears were streaming from my eyes on account of the friggin' ragweed, but I didn't care because the 1062's felt awesome! Not too plush, not too firm. Definitely a good first impression. By the time I dropped into the Park I was feeling great and didn't care that I was running well below the prescribed 6:00/km pace. I paid for this by about kilometre three, first with a stitch that would be my running parter for the duration, and then by the hill that would take me out of the Park back onto the roads. I ran the first 5km in 28:34 and was definitely pushing to hold the pace for the last km. The Garmin don't lie, and my HR was way higher than intended. I guess all I know how to do is "tempo" runs, but I have no idea what that actually means, just want to sound cool...

In the end, a great day! Hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday as well. Oh yeah, the cherry on the top: Red Soxs 0 - Jays 11!!! Oh yeah!!!

Details:

The google image of the run!

Jays Win! Final score 6-4

It was great to take the little guy to a Jays game and have them actually win! Over the last three years I have a miserable record when attending games. Prior to last night the Jays obliged just once, losing every other time I took Owen on my own. When my wife attends, on the other hand, they almost always win. Needless to say, when the A's jumped out to a quick 3-run lead in the second inning I was thinking, "Here we go again..." But the enthusiasm of a six-year old knows no bounds as Owen was positive the Jays would get the four-game sweep over the struggling Oakland team. Having other little guys from Owen's baseball team there was also cool as they all had a great time. By the time we left (after watching the "World's Fastest Grounds Crew", a bunch of guys that run out from behind the left field wall, sweep the dirt of the turf around the bases, change the bases, and rake, then run like hell back from whence they came) at the conclusion of the 5th inning, the game was tied and one of our favorite players, shortstop Johnny Mac, was the key to the comeback and eventual victory. On the way home we listened on the radio as the Jays took a lead on a bases loaded HBP (how thrilling!...), and then watched BJ Ryan close it out. It was particularly sweet to see Frank Thomas (who I don't dislike, but his grumbling earlier this season as a Jay was hard to take given the money he was being paid) hit into the game ending double play, turned by who else but Johnny Mac of course!.

I forgot to take my camera, and am still deciding whether this blog will be a picture-rich or picture-poor endeavor... Hmmmmmmmmmm.

In other news, I watched the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" while icing last night. If you haven't seen it I recommend it as a good diversion. Corporate America is completely insane in this case. I'll never figure out why GM did what they did.

Rest, and the Jays

With the knee pain (patella femoral, IT band, gettin' old) lingering like a bad dream, it's probably a good thing that I won't be home tonight working on my paper and tempted to go for a run. Instead, I am taking my older son to the A's vs. Jays game! We normally go to one or two games a month, but this year we haven't gotten out since April. He loves baseball, plays on two teams, and is riveted when watching the game even though he's only 6. I remember his first game three years ago when a friend of mine, on the spurr of the moment, suggested we go see a game. I figured Owen would last an inning or two and then we'd be heading home. He was on the edge of his seat the entire game, and within days had all the player names memorized, knew which side of the plate they batted from, and could recite their uniform numbers! Needless to say he corrected me a lot when we played in our backyard pretending to be various Jays players as I would invariably make a mistake in batting from the right side while pretending to be a lefty. Anyway, we're off to the game and my running is on hold for the day.