8km Run, and a "new" car

This morning it took me a while to get out of bed, mostly because I was not rushed to get running and partly because it was -9 when I woke up. I guess that's somewhere in the teens Fahrenheit, and I certainly had never run in that kind of temperature. I figured it wouldn't be that bad, though, since I've skied and biked in much worse. Anyway, I finally got outside at about 8am and started in on my planned 8k. The foot doesn't hurt at all while I am running, but certainly has been achy in between, and this keeps me from pushing too hard since I know it would mean more pain. I basically just ran on feel, and discovered that I layered too much since the last few kilometres I was overheating a little. The inside of my old jacket was wet around the ends of the sleeves, and for a guy that doesn't sweat at the best of times this came as a real surprise. It will take me a bit of experimenting to find what works as far as attire in winter goes...

The run itself was fine. I completed the 8k in 42:45 for an average pace of 5:20/km. My fastest split was 5:12 (the last kilometre) and the slowest was 5:30, so I kept the pace pretty even. Given that it was really cold and my legs felt very tight at first I am a bit surprised that I managed the first K in 5:29, but I guess it was just my body trying to warm up.

The foot is hurting a bit now, but I attribute that more to the fact that we pretty much spent the entire day in the car than anything else. After my run, and breakfast, we cleaned out the old car and drove up to Bolton to pick up the 2001 Honda Civic. Paying for it took a bit of time since we had to call our bank and get authorization to make a debit payment above the daily limit, and that process was a bit of a pain. By the time it was all completed an hour at least had passed.

A bit of an aside: The new car seems to be running great! The dealership put a new set of all-season Michelin tires on it and they improved the already good ride that we experienced on our test drive. When we picked up the car we were presented with a copy of the safety inspection certificate, and emission test, a newly cleaned car ready and waiting, and the salesman went out and transferred our plates without even us noticing! My opinion of Pickard Lane Leasing couldn't be better at this point - a real pleasant surprise every step of the way.

Then we drove to Barrie, about an hour away, and had lunch with the Boys at an OK Chinese buffet restaurant. On our way there we stopped in Alliston, coincidentally where all Canadian Civics are assembled, and bought some floor mats at the Canadian Tire since the car didn't come with any.

Lunch completed, we drove to Hardwood Hills, a cross country skiing venue, and enrolled the boys in a season of lessons! Monica and I got a stack of passes for ourselves and we'll be going every Saturday morning for the entire winter as long as things work out. Should make for some great cross-training, not to mention a lot of fun!

This evening I did another chin up routine and now I must off to ice the foot. The chin ups went 9-7-6 wide grip overhand, and 7-7-6-5 narrow grip underhand for a total of 47. The first set of reps underhand was a low number, but I got distracted by my 4 year-old and couldn't maintain concentration. It's amazing how that can affect your ability to do this exercise!

Garmin don't lie.


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A Snowy 5K

This morning Monica and I drove out to Bolton, a town about 45 minutes northwest of Toronto, to check out a used car that we spotted online. Long story short, we liked it and bought it. It's a 2001 Honda Civic with only 59,000 kilometres on it! It's going through a safety inspection and emission test over the next couple of days, and if all goes well we'll be picking it up on Saturday. Yay! Sorry, no pics of the new wheels since they pulled the ad off the Internet, but if I feel inspired I'll take a pic once we bring it home.

In my post from this past Monday I wondered if running in -2 Celsius temperatures (and the dark I might add!) counted as a winter run. Laurel from Lily on the Road commented that in fact this did NOT count, but I wonder what she would say about my 5K this evening? Once again the temperature was somewhere in the -2 Celsius range, but this time it was snowing! Yes, by the time I got home all the sidewalks and roads were covered in snow, and it was still coming down. I got dressed, strapped on the Garmin, and headed out as fast as I could given that the snow was not slowing down and I didn't want to run on anything deeper if I could avoid it. The footing was slippery, but I stuck to the sidewalks even though the accumulation there was thicker since the roads were much more slippery, especially where cars had packed the snow down and turned it into ice underneath the freshly fallen snow. The stuff was coming down pretty good and it was getting in my eyes the entire run, but I had a great time! No accidents, lots of strange looks from many people that I passed along the way, got cut off by a couple of cars and one bus (dumb ass! you totally saw me, and did it anyway!), and made it home unscathed.

I was a bit surprised by my pacing upon uploading the data since I didn't look at the Garmin during the run, preferring to watch the road and my footing instead. I completed the 5k in 25:32 for an average pace of 5:06/km (or roughly 8:12/mile). This was a bit faster than intended, but it felt good so I'm not going to worry about it. I iced the foot down while eating dinner, and will do the whole ice water/hot water routine later after my push up routine. I think the plan calls for sets of 20-25-20-22-MAX, so we'll see what happens.

Garmin don't lie.


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Update: I had the push up numbers a little wrong as I was going on memory, so tonight the sets went 20-25-15-15 and then I maxed out at 40. Tomorrow, chin ups, pull ups, or something resembling the two as much as I can manage...

A Rare Morning Run

First, I must admit to some Garmin inadequacies, though I don't think user error was responsible for all my data magically (tragically) disappearing from Training Center. (I managed to get it all back by exporting each workout from Motionbased as a .hst file, saving it onto my computer, and then importing it back into the Training Center software to rebuild the history.) What a pain, but at least it's back. I've just been tipped that the software stores the data in some proprietary format as one file somewhere in the dark depths of Windows, so I will have to look for that and back it up once in while...

This morning I dragged myself out of bed and went out for an easy 5k in below freezing temperatures. Does this count as my first official winter run? Who knows, but it wasn't that bad and the run felt pretty easy save for the first kilometre, which I took at barely a jogging pace in order to get the blood moving. Here's where the Garmin dumbness comes in: I forgot to reset the watch from Monica's run the day before and the thing thought I was just adding distance to her 15k run! For a moment I thought the watch was frozen from the cold and wasn't moving, but then realized the "time" wasn't stuck at 2:02 (minutes and seconds), but rather was displaying the hours and minutes that elapsed from the beginning of Mon's run. No secret here, she's likely getting her own 305 from Santa...

As mentioned above, the beginning of the 5k was really slow and my first K took 6:24 to complete. After that I settled into a nice pace right around the 5:30/km mark and finished in 28:34 for an average pace of 5:42/km (roughly 9:10/mile).

The only issue with this run was that I didn't have time to ice afterwards, and my foot felt a bit tighter than normal all day. Nothing to worry about, but I might have to leave even earlier to work that into the plan if I am to do more of these dark morning runs.

Garmin don't lie.

Here's the running route, combined with Monica's 15k as a result of my Garmin SNAFU:


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Back Outside Running, Losing Data!

I finally stopped neglecting the Garmin and got outside for a run today! My foot is slowly (too slowly for my liking, mind you) getting better, and I am now convinced that the footwear was to blame. While out and about looking for cars last Tuesday we stopped by an Outlet Mall and I picked up another pair of running shoes, making me feel a little like I am getting too obsessed with running shoes. The deal was too good to pass up! Even though they were a couple models old, the Mizuno Wave Nirvana 2's felt so good that I had to get them. On top of that, they had then in 12.5 so I figured it was meant to be. You can't really go too far wrong at $69.00 either...

Anyway, these were final sale and, while I am still considering keeping or returning the Wave Inspire 4's that I bought a week ago, the other new shoes allowed me to head outside in the rain for an easy 7k. It's been raining here since last night pretty much non-stop, and I was sort of waiting for the rain to stop since I didn't really feel too hot about the treadmill yet again. By mid afternoon I just decided to run in the rain, and it was great - the run felt really easy, the foot was fine, and I got pretty wet but was not cold. I managed the 7k in 38:56, for an average pace of 5:33/km. I wasn't paying attention to the Garmin while running and was shocked with the final time and pace since I felt like I was running in the 6:00/km or slower range. The average heart rate for the run was 154bpm, and that too surprised me since I wasn't breathing hard or anything. Looking at the data I was under 80% of max HR for most of the run, so that means I was in the right zone.

The other thing that happened, which I only just realized, is that the Garmin Training Center software seems to have completely lost all of my training data! It's all gone, and without the screenshot I took of today's run when I uploaded this afternoon I wouldn't know the above details. Has anyone else have this happen to them? Were you able to get the data back? HELP! A total bummer for an otherwise good day of running...

I never managed to discuss my racing schedule for 2009 yesterday, but there is tonnes of time to get to that. Just too busy to really note my thoughts on the matter in blog format. I will get to it at some point, and also discuss the training plan for the year to coincide with the schedule for advice, etc...

Garmin don't lie.


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Another 5k on the Treadmill

Today my wife and I enjoyed a day of freedom on account of it being Remembrance Day. Although only government employees like us get the day off, I think a lot of places were closed until noon to let people honour the memories of those who serve, served, and especially those who lost their lives in battle. In case some are not aware, Remembrance Day is celebrated on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month every year and has its origins in World War I. Naturally, we paused for a moment of silence at 11am.

Other than that, we spent the day driving our crappy car around the GTA to various dealerships as we are scouting out a replacement for our current automobile, which is dying a painful and noisy death in its 12th year of existence. We didn't buy anything, nor did we expect to on our first day, but we got our feet wet in the whole negotiating and dealing with car salesmen realm. I cannot express how much I loathe the entire experience...

Once we returned home I headed off to the gym for another slow and short run on the treadmill, and then some weights. I once again ran for 30 minutes at 6.2mph, which translates to 5k at 6:00/km pace. I think my body is still working out the kinks that have been left over from the 10k race a couple of weeks ago, but it felt pretty good all things considered. As much as I hate the treadmill, I am happy to be running again. Also, I am committed to listening to all of your kind comments on taking it easy and plan on running slow and short, adding a little bit of mileage each week as I go. I really hope that the foot continues to improve the way that it has been, but if I have a setback then I will take more time off. I committed to that 30k race at the end of March, but not the 10 miler on Boxing Day so I guess I really don't have to run that one if it comes down to a decision between staying healthy or racing...

I really hope I don't have to make that decision!

My short weight workout was quick and light:

• Dumbell Bench Press 12-12-12 45lbs
• Lat Pulldowns 12-12-12 115lbs
• Rope Triceps Extensions 12-12 40lbs
• Dumbell Flys 12-12 20lbs
• Dumbell Biceps Curls 10-10 20lbs

5k Test Drive

I'm not really 100% as far as being pain free in the foot or anything, but I think I am on the way to recovery enough to start back slowly into running. The added motivation of my new pair of shoes also had me itching to run, and so I hit the gym and it's treadmill today. I had to test drive the new sneakers, after all. And since I can return them as long as I try them out indoors, the treadmill was my only option.

I walked for ten minutes to loosen up and then started off at 6.2mph on my planned 30 minute run. This equated to a 5k at 6:00/km pace, also known as nice and slow. It was certainly not a cardio workout or anything, but at least it was something two weeks to the day after my first race. The foot felt fine for the first twenty minutes or so and then started to tighten up a bit. The shoes felt great, and I did not feel like they were forcing me to pronate the same way that the New Balance 1062s did, which I still think was the cause on my foot pain in the arch. In short, I think the Mizuno Wave Inspiration 4s made a great first impression, and I will hit the treadmill again this week to continue to test them out during the return/exchange period.

Afterwards I spent about a half hour dipping my foot in ice water for a minute, then hot water for a minute, etc... I think this helps, though at the beginning it certainly was not what I consider fun. I can't imagine sitting in an ice bath!

One last thought: does anyone else feel like they are neglecting their Garmins when using a treadmill? I sure do! Nothing to plug into the laptop, no metrics, no graphs... Feels like I've only half-ran or something.

Easy Maintenance Day, Preparing to Pop the Cherry

As I prep for the 10k I am in uncharted territory as far as what I should be doing leading up to Sunday's start time. What to eat? How much to rest? How much should I be staying off my foot? Did that peanut butter cookie ruin everything? How many litres of water should I be chugging every hour? Do I have to obey the laws of thermodynamics?

Anyway, these things will fall into place I'm sure, and I am going to have a blast!

I swam again at lunch - 1500m in 22:30. Not bad, but the pool was super busy today. All the people in my lane were experienced swimmers and everything was cool as far as passing went, which was refreshing.

Then after work I went out for a real easy 5k mostly because I felt it was prudent to get a short run in and avoid five full days of no running leading into Sunday. I really held back and went slow, trying my best to minimize the pounding on the foot. It still feels tight, which is not surprising, but I want to let it heal as much as possible before running hard. One more treatment with the doctor awaits tomorrow morning, and then I am on my own for the weekend.

Garmin don't lie.


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Pacing vs. Racing

Just to start, I think that I may have unintentionally given some the impression that I am fast or something when I listed the splits for the "slow and steady" 6K I did yesterday. Just so we are all clear, my splits are based on kilometres and not miles, and no, I CANNOT do repeat miles in and around 6 minutes!

OK, now that we've established that my pacing for "slow and steady" is somewhere in the 9:30/mile range (using my somewhat unscientific, but reasonably accurate pace converter on the right hand side of the blog... scroll a little down, and BANG, there it is!) I am soliciting help with how I should prepare for my first ever race this coming weekend. Let me say that again: FIRST EVER RACE this coming weekend.

I am coming into this thing with no experience running with/against other people, and I have only my imagination to guide me. Specifically I am wondering about how to pace myself. Do I go blind and just run on feel, or do I strap on the Garmin and come up with a goal pace and try and hold it as long as possible? This is only a 10k mind you, and for a longer race I think the answer might be more clear to me. Also, I am getting advice from other runners I know, and those who used to run, to do it one way or the other and am a bit confused. Also, if Garmin is the way should the heart rate monitor be brought along for the ride?

My tendency is to use the Garmin since I have been training with it and am comfortable with glancing at it now and then, adjusting my pace, etc... However, I am concerned that it may be a source of negative thoughts if I fail to hold the pace I set for myself, or if I realize that my goal pace is too easy and I start kicking myself for not going out harder.

As far as how my day went, I pretty much was too busy to do much of anything other than work today. I did sneak out for a lunchtime swim, though I cut it down to 1500m partly because of time and partly because I am trying to save energy this week. It took me 23:00 to finish, and I am not doing weights tonight.

And lastly, it is SNOWING here! Not much, but definitely white stuff falling from the sky. It was so cold this morning that my fingers froze inside my biking gloves on the way down to work, and the wind was so strong it nearly blew me off my bike at one point. Either it was that strong, or I've lost too much weight... The weather forecast said it would be windy, but nothing about snow.
I fired up the furnace tonight...

Summer is officially over...

Slow and Steady 6k

I had another treatment with the good doctor this afternoon, after spending the entire day in meetings, which meant dress shoes. Whenever possible, I try to avoid wearing these things and you'll normally find me roving around the office in socks, but when meetings are in store I have to put on an air of professionalism, or some such thing.

Anyway, the treatment was good, and by that I mean painful. Although I can't notice a difference, he says my hip flexibility has already improved. I hope that this leads to less pain in the foot, especially by Sunday.

As far as running goes I have decided to really scale it back this week and ran a short and slow 6k tonight. I will probably not run again until Thursday, moving my reagular Wednesday 5k to that evening given that I won't be running on Saturday before the race. Although I am not deluding myself into thinking that I have trained nearly enough to require a taper, I am going to do some taper-like things anyway. My swims I think I will cut down, and perhaps will not do weights at all, or maybe just once. This way I should have lots of energy on Sunday.

The run was super easy, with my average HR at 133bpm, max drift to 144. I didn't look at the Garmin as often as I usually do, but was pleasantly surprised that my pacing was pretty steady, even with navigating sidewalk traffic through much of my route.

1. 6:04
2. 5:54
3. 6:04
4. 5:58
5. 5:55
6. 6:01

Total time: 35:58
Average pace: 5:59

Garmin don't lie.


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10K on a Chilly Morning

I woke up at about 5am, thanks to my 4 year-old, and lay in bed unable to fall back asleep until my alarm went off at 6:40. Although this normally would not be a very cool thing to have to endure, at least it did allow me to get my run in during the morning before the day got taken over with kid related activities.

It was still dark out, and cold cold cold when I left the house. I guess it's all relative since 1 degree Celsius will feel nice and warm in mid February, but today is still chills the hell out of me. Frost on windshields everywhere!

I worried about how many layers to put on because I wanted to avoid overheating at the end of the run, but also didn't want to freeze during my ten minute warm up walk. I wore three layers on top, a running t-shirt, a "technical" long sleeve, and then a fleece jacket on top, and this seems to have worked well enough for the temperature.

As I started into my run I was definitely feeling a bit stiff, and my legs felt heavy and tired. I don't know why this is since my weekly mileage is not very high, and I haven't done anything extra to tire my legs out, like walking up tonnes of stairs or biking more than my usual 20k a day to work and back home. Perhaps the chiro treatments have something to do with this...

I changed my Garmin setup finally to beep at me each 1km lap, and I started off nice and (what I thought was) slow. The first lap was faster than I thought I was going, and it felt really easy despite the heavy legs. As I continued on I noticed that I was moving pretty well, though I also knew I'd have to drop down into Riverdale West and then climb back out of the Don Valley during the run. As expected the downhill slowed me down (shouldn't it do the opposite???), and the uphill kicked my ass! I'm glad the 10k course at Niagara Falls is flat, and based on today's run I think breaking 50:00 is a realistic goal, though the dream goal of 45:00 is at this point not in danger of being attained. My kilometre lap splits are as follows:

1. 5:28
2. 4:59
3. 4:53
4. 4:50
5. 5:12 (this is where I dropped down into Riverdale Park)
6. 4:56
7. 4:58
8. 4:59
9. 5:49 (this is where I got killed climbing out of the Don Valley)
10. 5:16 (just couldn't recover enough to get close to 5:00/km pace)

Total time for the 10k: 51:24, at an average pace of 5:08/km.

This was a good test for me, and based on the results I should be able to go under 50:00, as mentioned above. Of course, it all depends on how I feel day of, and race conditions, that will determine just how far under 50 minutes I can go. The foot is still tight, but at least I don't feel like I am doing any more damage to it. I have three treatments set up for next week and I am hoping those will loosen things up enough to minimize the pain on race day. After that I am fully intending to take a week off, or maybe even two to let the foot recover completely.

Garmin don't lie.


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6km, Foot Doctors, and Ultramarathonman

After a most frustrating day at the computer, where I was forced to miss both my regular swim at lunchtime, and my weights, I am back and ready to go for the week and a half heading into my cherry popping race. On top of the above, I seem to have had a recurrence of the cold that jumped me two weekends ago, and then kind of hit me again over the Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to go swim in the evening, but crashed hard and just couldn't manage the energy to bike downtown.

My foot, as I mentioned before, is tight on the bottom and it sure feels like something that only major rest will solve. Therefore, I decided to see what an expert can do for me and will be seeing a foot specialist tomorrow morning. I hope that this Doctor can get me through the race and onto a recovery plan. I dread him telling me to stop running all together and miss the race!

Also, I finished Dean Karnazes Ultramarathon Man in about a day, and haven't talked about my impressions yet. This book, ironically, is more of a sprint than a marathon, isn't it? I am a sllllooooowwww reader, but I had this thing done by Saturday evening, having picked it up Friday after work and only reading a couple of pages once I arrived in Ottawa after midnight. In any case, I very much enjoyed this book. It did not preach to me to choose a more endurance oriented lifestyle, which I kind of expected. Instead, it was a great confession on Dean's part and definitely served to motivate me to keep running, no matter what. I know all the others who've read this have recommended it on their blogs, but I will do the same here. If you already haven't, READ IT!!! And try eating a pizza and a whole cheesecake while running - add that to my bucket list. Well, at least the cheesecake part...

Tonight I continued to deal with Microsoft issues, but have now entered that state of resignation that I figure a condemned man must experience on his way to the gallows. I simply don't care anymore and don't have the energy to care. I got home at 5:30 and started in on the project, neglecting my kids and wife terribly. Then, just as I came to some sort of compromise, I realized it was almost 8pm and I still hadn't eaten anything, and I hadn't gotten my run in.

So I headed out the door for a scheduled 5k. It had rained in the meantime, and the streets were nicely cleaned, the air was clean, everything seemed clean. I started off and quickly realized I'd forgotten my heart rate monitor strap. I said to hell with it and went on feel. This was definitely the right move. Sometimes running just seems like the most perfect thing one can do, and tonight, foot pain and all, it was one of those magnificent times. I loved running! I had so much fun just... running! A cyclist even shouted out to me at one point, asking me how far I was running, and I responded with a smile rather than the usual suspicious stare/glare that I am accustomed to as an urban dweller. The urge to say, "None of your business, shitbox!" didn't even surface! Amazing...

I ended up running 6k because it was so nice, and my pace was a decent 5:16/km. The foot may feel it tomorrow, but I figure the doctor wants to see me in pain and not miraculously healed overnight. (I think this was a topic of one of my other posts back in the month of knee issues...)

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my run.

8km Around the Canal Again, Then Gridlock

This morning we had a bit of a late start, but decided to take advantage of the grandparents and went out for another run together, spousal style. The morning brought perfect weather, and if left until after our trip home who knows if either one of us would have the energy to get our runs in.

Perhaps this was the last shorts and t-shirt morning of the year, and it was so nice running around the canal again with all the trees in beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow along the water. We followed the same route as on Saturday, but were aiming for 8k this time as long as my foot cooperated.

It felt tight and sore, but no more than on Saturday so I don't think I'm doing any more damage to it running this way. I will do as much as I can until the race, and after that stay off of it for a bit. Even though we were taking it easy today, and Monica was largely setting the pace, I was surprised to find that we actually improved on our average pace from Saturday's run. This time we managed the 8k in 49:27, which translates to a pace of 6:10/km. I think Monica will have no problem breaking 60 minutes in the 10k.

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of our run.

The rest of the day was less than spectacular. We left Ottawa at 1pm (did I mention we were slow getting out?) and set off on what normally is a 5 hour drive with the kids, and 4 and a half without. However, the traffic on the Monday of a long weekend just seems to get worse and worse each year. There were no accidents or construction to explain the gridlock, but with 200 kilometres left in the trip the highway became more of a parking lot. It was stop and go the rest of the way home. We did get off for a bit and took the old single lane highway, but it was more of a mental break than a time saving strategy and eventually we had to get back on the 401 and stumble home. Total time for the trip ended up being 7 and half hours, and now the boys need to be fed and put to bed. Then I have to start working on an assignment that is due tomorrow... Man I can't wait to graduate!!!

I also haven't had a chance to catch up on all the race reports from this weekend and am very much looking forward to doing so, but will have to wait for that until sometime tomorrow. Sorry!

10k Along the Canal in Ottawa

The traffic leaving Toronto last night was absolutely nuts! It took us over an hour to travel to Whitby, a half-hour trip at most on a normal day, where we stopped for gas and some coffee. After that I took over the wheel and we didn't stop until we pulled into Monica's parent's driveway a little past midnight. The boys had slept in the car, but woke up just long enough for us to get them into their pj's, and then they were asleep again in minutes.

I headed off to bed as well, though couldn't resist reading a little bit first. I picked up Dean Karnaze's book "Ultramarathon Man" at the library earlier in the day and was excited to start reading it despite all the schoolwork that I needed to get done this weekend. Let's just say I am enjoying this book very much. My favorite quote so far is:

"Often we think we're moving in the right direction only to learn that the rules have changed."

This morning, upon waking up at about 8:35am, I was ready to get my 10k in and excited to be able to run with my wife. I think the last time that happened was right here in Ottawa when we completed a 5k together sometime back in the summer. Today, the weather could not have been nicer. Very sunny, nice and cool, and not windy. We walked down to Dows Lake and started off on our 10k at an easy pace, predicting that a loop around to Pretoria Street Bridge and then back towards home would be the right distance.

Tonnes of other runners were out there today, and it was nice to see. Everyone is so friendly when they pass, always with a smile or a wave, some sort of acknowledgement that makes one feel welcome. We continued along at about a 6:30/km pace for the first couple of kilometres, but slowly this pace started to speed up. I think for most of it the Garmin registered 6:21/km, and it was very nice and east. Monica is hoping to go somewhere in the 60 minute range for the 10k at Niagara Falls, and I think based on today's training run she can definitely do it. As we started on our way back, after crossing the canal at Pretoria, Monica actually picked up the pace. My foot was feeling OK, but if it had been up to me I would have stayed at the 6:20-ish pace. Nevertheless, as I called out "8k, just 2 to go!" Monica continued to push the pace. I switched the display on my watch to see what our current pace was (not the average for the entire run, which is normally what I am looking at) and it showed that we were now running at 5:47/km! As we neared the end, and I was calling out our distance periodically so Monica would know where we were at, I again switched the display and was pumped to see that she had us running at 5:35/km by the end!

The totals were 62:14, at an average pace of 6:13/km. I totally think she can get under an hour for the 10k, don't you?

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of our run.

The foot feels pretty OK, if that is a way one can describe it. I am not as concerned about missing the race, though I think I have to scale back my running a little. I had planned on 12k on Monday, but might make it a shorter 8k instead, especially since it will be after a day of driving as well.

Also, thank you Lily for your comment on my last post. I will definitely look for you at the Turkey Trot! I left a comment on your blog as per what I will be wearing, etc... See you then! I am off to get Owen registered right now!

Treadmill Rears It's Ugly Head

Yes, tonight's scheduled run has yet to happen. Due to some family related duties, namely yet another curriculum night, I was unable to fit my run in before dinner. This is probably a blessing since I have eaten already, got some dishes done, and have had a chance to work on an assignment that I have to email off tonight. Now I thought I'd post a quick few words here prior to starting the bed time routine with the younger one. I am planning to run later tonight, but it looks like it will be treadmill for me for the first time in almost three months. I'll get to catch a bit of the Angels-Red Sox game at least, but I am not really looking forward to running in one spot for an hour.

The other thing that has me leaning to the treadmill is the tightness I have in the bottom of my right foot. I think it's from walking on the beach on Saturday morning, but I actually don't know why this is happening. I didn't do that much walking on the sand, though I did carry my 4 year-old for a significant distance at one point. I'm not too worried about this, but plantar fasciitis crossed my mind. I had this condition in the past, and it is not fun to treat since it takes forever to heal (ha ha ha, no pun intended). I think the treadmill may be easier on the bottom of my foot for tonight's scheduled 10k slow run, but we'll see. I may cut the run short if it really starts to bug me. I'll add the details about the run later...

Update: Marci's comment (something about admiring me for banging out the run on the shitmill) is much appreciated and was probably left right about the time I was contemplating my future career as a couch potato. This was quite possibly the most boring hour I have ever spent in my entire life! OK, that is likely not as true as truth since I can think of many family car trips that were worse than drilling teeth for pure agony, but this was close. I managed an hour at 6.3 mph, so I guess I "ran" 6.2 miles, or about 10k as planned. It took an hour, or so the display would lead me to believe, but I suspect that this is October 6th, 2009 and I have wasted a year of my life imitating a hamster. Hey, I guess the upside is that I've now crossed over into the 35-39 age group and am now the most spry of the category, ready to kick some 36 year-old ass!

The foot is sore, but it didn't really bother me too much so that's why I finished the 10k. The biggest problem I had was trying to adjust my form to the treadmill since what has become comfortable for me on the road just didn't translate to the mechanical torture machine. In fact, I think my knee hurts more than it has in a month right now, but I really hope that this is a temporary aftereffect and nothing more.

In short, glad to have done, going to avoid it like the plague. Maybe in the winter this is a viable option, but tonight, dark and cold, I probably should have hit the streets.

A Chilly Morning 10K

It's funny how I am at a point in my running "career" that I very much look forward to scheduled runs. All day yesterday, amidst the chaos of work, I was thinking about how fun my 10k this morning would be, what route I would take, what I had to do to take it easy and not push myself, following the sage advice of one Beachrunner, who (rightly) recommends slow and steady for uninterrupted running progress. I had a new pair of running pants and a new top to keep me warm this morning, and boy was this purchase ever timely! The temperature when I woke up at 6:30am was a nose hair stiffening 3 degrees (Celsius, so do your conversions to Fahrenheit, but I'm thinking 37 or 38 on that scale). I wore my thin cycling gloves to keep my fingers from freezing, and set off in relative darkness while the rest of the city was still pretty much asleep.

I walked down to the Danforth, the main strip of fantastic restaurants and shops known for it's Greek influence, and then started in on the planned easy 10k. My ankle and knee were not a problem at all, and yet again the usual kinks in the joints that would take a couple of kilometres to work out were not present. I could immediately tell that holding back on the pace was not going to be very hard because my quads were tired, most likely from my personal 5k time-trial of a few days ago. In fact, I was a little surprised that my brain allowed me to be satisfied with a pace of
6:20/km (roughly 10:11/mile) for the first little bit. I ran along the Danforth with not much of a planned route, and even had ideas of doing a simple out-and-back along Bloor Street, but then thought this would be too boring and there was too much construction on one part of this street that put me off.

After crossing the Viaduct (a big bridge going over the Don River Valley) I turned south and headed towards a beautiful old residential section of Toronto called Cabbagetown. This place sits on the west side of the Valley next to Riverdale Park West and has some fantastic old townhouses made from these bright reddish-orange bricks that were previously quarried in the Valley itself. Very nice indeed. There's even a fully functional farm in this neighbourhood that the kids absolutely love, complete with cows, horses, a donkey, ducks, geese, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, and all the farm machinery that any young kid, like my two boys, drools over.

Anyway, I went around the farm and headed down into the park trying to stay as light as possible on my feet down the steep hill. I had only gone 4k at this point and realized I had to lengthen the loop that I had intended to do to make up the whole 10k. After going up onto the pedestrian bridge over the Don Valley Parkway, I decided to take the stairs that led down onto the familiar trails that I've been running for the past few months. It was so peaceful in the valley, surrounded by nothing other than the sound of the river, the wind in the trees, and the leaves that have now begun turning colours all over the place. My pace was now 5:45/km (9:15/mile) and I was feeling pretty good. The quads still felt heavy, and I knew that the hill leading out of the valley near the end of my run would be a challenge.

This hill, heading up Beachwood Ave, did not disappoint. My heart rate, which had been sitting nicely in the high 140s or low 150s for the entire run, spiked to 170bpm as I made my way up and out of the Valley. At the top I noticed the Garmin said I had made it through 9k, and that my pace was 5:46/km, so I didn't really slow down that much on the hill after all! Bonus!

I made it through the last K fairly easily, with my heart rate returning to the 150s pretty quickly, and then found myself with exactly a ten minute or so walk back home. The 10k time was 57:32 and my total average pace was 5:45/km. My average heart rate was 149bpm, which only spiked up to 170 on that last hill. A great run, and I held myself back, for whatever reason (quads), and was happy with that almost as much as the distance. The new pants and top were awesome, though I need to invest in a jacket for any temperatures colder than today's.

After my run I took the boys back to Ashbridges Bay Park so that Owen and his friends Aiden and Luka could practice their 1k cross-country loop again for this Wednesday's race. Owen did awesome and will have so much fun. I am stuck at a privacy conference that day and will miss his first ever race though, a total bummer...

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my route.

5km Test, Going as Fast as Possible

Boy was that fun, and hard! I am so looking forward to the race in Niagara Falls that I decided to push my pace a little bit tonight. My ankle is really feeling remarkable given all that's come before, and the knee seems to be cooperating. I was going to do 5km tonight at a decent pace, so what the hell, I thought to myself, why not push it a bit and see if I can get the pace under 5:00/km at the beginning and see how it goes?

It was chilly tonight, and the usual ten minute walk to warm up left me a bit less warm than I'd hoped. Perhaps it was because of this that I started into my run with a quick cadence, trying to get my heart rate up and get the blood moving. After about half a kilometre the Garmin was showing that my pace was 4:45/km, and that my heart rate was in the 150s. In other good news I wasn't feeling the usual aches and pains in the first part of the run that I have become accustomed to.

As I continued running, crossing streets, dodging traffic and such, I began to get into it more and more, and I really was having fun. After about 2k I noticed that my pace was a surprising 4:26km! My breathing was the only thing that I didn't find fun - the cold air burned my lungs a bit, and I had all this goo that I had to keep spitting out which was preventing me from breathing freely. Yuck! As I struggled for the next kilometre or so with this problem I was shocked to see that my pace remained steady at 4:26/km. Maybe I could finish the 5k under 4:30/km average pace?... I thought to myself.

Then, at about the 3.75k mark the real test began. My pace was now 4:29/km and my body was telling me that it no longer liked what I was putting it through. The goo issues were gone, mercifully, and I needed every square inch of my lungs at this point. By the 4k mark my pace had slipped to 4:30/km and I was on the verge of giving in and slowing down. I kept myself going by saying to myself that I would not look at the Garmin until I hit some landmark in the distance, like a stop sign or lamp post, and each time that I reached the goal I noticed that my pace remained steady at 4:30/km.

With about a half kilometre to go I was really starting to labour. I concentrated as best as I could on maintaining form, though this was definitely breaking down a bit. For the first time in forever I even started to get a stitch in my right trap muscle, telling me that I was no longer relaxed. I didn't care though, as by this point I had only a few hundred metres to go.

And man did those last few hundred metres seem to take forever! I pushed harder to maintain my pace and with about a hundred metres to go, as I passed another runner who gave me a strange look most likely because my breathing sounded less than healthy, I glanced at the Garmin and saw that my pace had dropped to 4:29/km! Nice! As the watch counted off the last agonizing tens of metres I was nearing the end of my stamina, but I did it!

Final time for the 5k - 22:28, which translated to a pace just a hair under 4:30 and registered as 4:29/km! That's something like 7:15/mile, which a month ago seemed like an unattainable thing that only Lifestrides and Nitmos do. Of course, they do it for a heck of a lot longer than 5k, but one has to start somewhere. You gotta love the quick improvements one experiences at the beginning of trying something new...

That was a fun run, and definitely a workout. I loved every minute of it.

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my route.

8k Run, Trying to Hold Back

As per my last post, I am trying to ease back into running after taking a week off to let the ankle simmer down. Tonight I'd normally be going out for an 11k, but I changed the plan and shortened it to an easy 8k. After getting home from work I headed out into an evening that promised darkness by the time I returned. This time of year always gets me down a bit, and I wonder how running outdoors will work out in the winter when sundown comes at 5pm...

I walked for the usual ten minutes, and the ankle felt fine. I have taken to wearing a sleeve on that foot mostly to help reduce swelling and not so much for support, and so far the thing's been helping out. The blog proved its worth once more as I looked back to my last 8k run and, voila, had a ready made route all set up! Brain, I don't really need you tonight...

The start of the run is really my least favorite part, the body aching and trying to work out the kinks. I try and run as gingerly as possible through the first little bit, and I'm sure that to passersby I look like someone trying to cross a field of broken glass. Whatever...

The intended pace was 5:30/km as long as my heart rate was in the 150bpm or less, and I could tell that this was not going to be a problem. Even after taking the stairs down into Taylor Creek Park my pace was close to 5:30, and within another half k it was in the 5:20's.

The first 5k was done in 26:59, for an average pace of 5:24/km. The fact that the last bit of this section included the hill leading out of the park was gratifying, especially since my heart rate only went up to a reasonable 163bpm. In the past this hill put me in the mid to high 170s!

The last 3k was pretty flat and I was holding back a bit, wanting to keep that heart rate low, and I finished with a pace of 5:26/km and a total time of 16:18.

The totals for the whole 8k are: 43:17, average pace of 5:25/km.

Garmin don't lie.

The Garmin watch messed up or something and combined my run with Monica's from the day before. As a result I am not bothering to link to the google image of my run. I guess Garmin does f'up sometimes afterall! Perhaps it is also not so trustworthy, and I really am faster than it says? ...or slower.

Rethinking the Plan

Today was spent doing homework, buying a new bike for Monica, setting it up, and rethinking the training plan. On the school front, all I can say is motivation continues to be lacking in this last course of the program. .......and enough about that.

On the bike front, I had bought Monica a bike three and a half years ago to replace an ancient ten speed she had been using for probably twenty years. That old Raleigh was so undesirable that she had left it outside of her apartment in Montreal for a full winter, with the lock through the spokes of the front wheel only, and nobody took it. Montreal, for those that may not be aware, is a major bike theft capital. Anyway, I remember also that when she tried to unlock it in the Spring the lock was seized, so we just took the rest of the bike and left the wheel. I think within two days someone stole the wheel!

To make a long story short, the bike I purchased for her birthday did not really work out. It kept having problems, and finally, after about five flats in the space of two weeks, we decided to replace it. I found her a nice bike, but had to venture pretty far to pick it up. I did so today, and managed to get everything set up except the basket at the back. That's a minor thing... If anyone wants a really shitty bike, let me know! As far as the new one goes, it is inexpensive and rides real nice - perfect for Toronto, where bikes get stolen all the time. Since we both ride year- round to work and back, and pretty much everywhere else, it's imperative that our bikes work well, but are not too nice to be targets for theives. Mine is a total Frankenbike, but Mon needs something more conventional:On the running front, I have been reworking the training plan to take into account the mileage I've missed as a result of my ankle setback. Originally, this week I was supposed to run 11k on Monday, the usual 5k on Wednesday, and then another 10k on Saturday for a weekly total of 26 kilometres. Now, since I missed a week of running my mileage for the last two weeks went down considerably, 14k and 16k respectively. I think it would be unwise to jump straight up to 26k and so I am wondering what to do. I'd like a balance between decent mileage and low risk of aggravating the ankle. For now I plan on 8k tomorrow, 5k on Wednesday, and 10k on Saturday. However, that adds up to 23k, a jump of 7k from this past week's total. What would you do?

In positive news, I procrastinated a bit today looking back at the last month of training and notice that I've progressed quite a bit. No longer does a 5:30ish pace per kilometre spike my heart rate into the mid 90% range! It's getting pretty close to the point where my training runs will be going over the 1 hour mark, and given that when I started 10 minutes was a workout in and of itself I am simply amazed. Of course, I realize that the marathon runners out there do a heck of a lot more, but still it is gratifying. I've never been able to run for that long a period of time before, both due to physical limitations and, for the better part of my life, mental blocks. I used to hate running! So weird to think that now...

My First 10K!

I've been looking forward to this day for a long time now, and finally I reached the point where I felt confident venturing out on a 10k training run. The fact that I mistakenly set my alarm for 6am, and not the intended 7am, did not trip me up. I lay in bed for about a half hour, then got up and slowly woke up with some stretching. This was a good idea as I felt much better about the prospect of having a good run once I headed out the door at 7am.

I walked, as usual, for ten minutes to get the blood moving a bit. I also decided to do a counterclockwise version of my now familiar loop, thereby avoiding a steep downhill portion near the beginning of the run which I was afraid would hurt my body in various places. After walking east for the prescribed ten minutes I started into my first ever 10k.

The ankle felt OK, as much as I expected it to, and the normal creaking and groaning of my lower extremities were evident as always in the first 1-2 kilometres. I kept the pace in the 5:30/km range for this section as I eased into the run. In fact I tried something new: given the fact that it was very drizzly and chilly I wanted to get my heart rate up faster than usual, and also I wanted to be as light on my feet as I could on account of the ankle, so I started of with a higher cadence than normal and smaller stride length. This worked quite nicely as within the first kilometre my heart rate reached 160. I will have to remember this technique prior to the race, or perhaps in the first portion of the race...

Anyway, after about 2k I was starting to feel good and began to lengthen my stride a bit until I was running in a form that is now familiar and comfortable for me. Not too long in the stride, not too much pounding of the pavement, and concentrating on keeping my shoulders level and relaxed. Slowly my average pace began to drop one second at a time until, at the 5k mark when I pressed my lap button, it read 5:25/km with a total time of 27:08 for the distance.

I definitely felt strong at this point and cardio was not an issue. My heart rate was in the low 150s, right on target. For the second 5k I decided to push a little harder and wanted to negative split as much as I could without spiking my heart rate past 160bpm all that much. I had entered Taylor Creek Park by now and it was quite peaceful, a great atmosphere. There was almost nobody else around, just a couple of walkers, quite a few squirrels, and no other runners! I thought this was strange, but perhaps everyone is going to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon or something...

Anyway, at about the 6k mark I was heating up and pulled off my long-sleeved t-shirt, which would remain bunched up in my right hand for the rest of the run. There's got to be a better way, but I have no experience to guide me as far as attire goes. I was concentrating more on my form and my pace, and was maintaining a 5:12/km pace at this point. As I continued to run through the park I was still feeling strong and thought it might be fun to get the average pace for the second half of my run under 5:10/km, so I attempted to lengthen my stride rather than actually push harder. This worked and I steadily took seconds off my average pace for the rest of the run. The second 5k was completed in 25:35, at 5:07/km average pace. Mission accomplished! I had finished my first ever non-stop 10k run, and it felt good - no injury problems as far as I could tell.

The total for the 10k looks like this: 52:43, 5:16/km avg pace.

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my run.

After icing and showering, then scarfing down some food, we headed out the door to Ashbridges Bay Park so that Owen could practice running through the 1km cross-country course with his school team. Of course, I ended up jogging with the kids against my better judgement, coffee in hand for the first portion! I had taken a couple of Ibuprofen after showering and my ankle was feeling awesome as a result, but of course I was concerned to not hurt it. I don't think I did any damage, but I will ice again now that I am home. Owen ran another lap with his friend Aiden for a total of 2k: way to go guys! Here are the proud kids, a little bushed, with Malcolm taking part in the picture:


Have a great weekend everybody, and All the best!

Back in the Saddle

After another sleepless night, and this time I really don't know the cause since there was no wine or any alcohol with dinner, I missed the planned morning return to running. Instead I squeezed in a tester of sorts after work. The ankle is up and down, sometimes I feel a twinge when I walk and it makes me worry a bit, and then for a couple of hours here and there it seems perfectly fine. Well, as fine as my ankle is ever likely to get... The increased swelling as the day progresses has gotten better, but it's not yet back to normal.

I had to get out quick after picking Owen up from school since Malcolm's school was hosting Curriculum Night, and we had to make an appearance. Once M&M showed up at about 6pm I said "see ya" and headed out. This left me about an hour to run, then shower, and still make it to the school on time. Dinner and icing would have to wait until later...

I walked for five minutes to warm up, a little concerned that the full 10 minutes I've been used to was really the way to go. But since I biked quite fast to get Owen and then biked back home with him I figured my warm up could be shortened a bit.

The run itself started off a little bit on the hesitant side, the first couple of kilometres I was "working out the kinks". I wonder if the other 30 and over runners out there also find that it takes a little bit to get going, joints creaking and grinding a bit. For me this is the least enjoyable part of the run. After about 2k I started to loosen up, though I was pretty cautious with the ankle, constantly testing out my stride and how my foot was landing on the pavement. By the time I dropped down into Taylor Creek Park I was starting to really enjoy running for the first time in a week and saw that my pace was quite a bit faster than I had anticipated it would be. Also, the hill leading out of the Park was less of a challenge than in the past, which means my cardio maintenance in the pool and on rollerblades has been paying off.

When I reached the planned 5k mark I pressed the lap button and saw I had completed the distance in 26:49, a 5:21/km pace. I also decided to run another kilometre just because I knew I did not have time to walk the entire 2k back home and still have time to shower. This sixth kilometre was completed in 5:13 for a total of 32:02 for 6k (a 5:20/km, or 8:35/m pace overall). Not bad for a return to running, and it remains to be seen how the ankle responds.

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my run.

Hurtin', Hurtin', Hurtin' 5k

What a bummer - I went out this morning for my usual Wednesday 5k and it was not good. The stomach issues are now a memory, but much more worrisome is the ankle pain that has returned with a vengeance. It's like I am reliving the same crap that happened two and a half years ago! I didn't go over on the ankle or anything, but it just started hurting and continually got worse and worse until I was seeing a surgeon and contemplating going under the knife. Now, I'm not ready to say that what I am feeling is the same as before since it is in a slightly different location on the ankle, but I can't help but feel very depressed about this whole situation. I brought an ice pack to work and will ice a few times today... Of course, I will have to rethink the whole running/training plan over the next few days.

As far as the run went, let's just call it "slow and painful" and leave it at that...

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my route.

To perk me up a bit I made the mistake of searching google images with the keywords "ankle" and "injury"... I came up with the following on the first page of results and am NOT going further. Although I feel good that it wasn't me (the poor bastard! I expecially like that camera guy with the, "...That's a shame..." look on his face), I am now completely nauseous. There is not enough Pepto in this world to shock me back into coherence...

Also, if you want to watch Dean Karnazes run on a treadmill live (until 9am, Thursday, September 18th on Live with Regis and Kelly) go here. Can you spot the poo breaks?

Sugar Sweet Weekend, and 9k LSD

So, this weekend was definitely not of the nutritionally sound variety. Malcolm's birthday brought many treats, not the least of which was his Geo Dude cake, and then on Sunday my Mom brought us a huge slab of my favorite cheesecake from a Polish bakery across town. It's a good thing this place is across town or I'd be partaking of the cheesy goodness much too often! In short, Monday was much more sluggish than usual, and with my 9k run set to go in the evening I was wondering what the after-effects would be. Of course, there is still a decent piece of cheesecake left in the fridge with which to drown my sorrows...


Mid-day training thoughts:

I am still not sure how to proceed with this week's training. The plan calls for the 9k tonight to be LSD-ish (6:00/k pace, or about 9:39/mile). Tomorrow I'll be swimming, but may miss my usual weight workout on account of a conference call that is scheduled (in)conveniently at 8pm. Wednesday I will do another 5k "maintenance" run, but may back off a little and keep the pace slowish, somewhere in the 5:30/k (8:51/m) range. Thursday is another swim day, and weights. Friday is off. Then Saturday... Saturday calls for a 10k at a fast pace, and that is what I am considering modifying. I may do this as an easier run just to get the distance in, but I am afraid of pushing myself again. Cardio-wise the gains from these tempo type runs can't be discounted, but my leg muscles are feeling the effects. I may have to decide day-of rather than plan to slow it down in advance. I'd love to be able to do this 10k under 50:00, though!


Tonight's 9k:

Back to the business at hand - what would be the consequences of my sugar intake over the past two days? I thought that I would most likely feel sluggish, especially as the run progressed. However, and I have no experience to draw from when making this conclusion, the result was something else and totally unexpected. Instead of feeling sluggish I felt fine, except for the bowel pains I began to feel at about the 2.5k mark and only got worse. Yes, I've finally got something of this variety to post about. I've read more than a few things in the blogosphere on gastrointestinal issues as they pertain to running, but have never experienced anything negative until tonight. As I ran I wished a toilet had been strapped to my ass and it became harder and harder to keep going and maintain my pace. Although walking would have likely relieved some of the "discomfort", this was not an option since running meant I was getting closer to home and the bathroom contained therein. What the hell did I eat? I don't remember anything funky, but it sure feels like I drank a quart of curdled milk or something. I really hope this is a very temporary thing, but sitting here I am not exactly totally recovered, and this is now two hours after my run!

As far as the run went, I was quite pleased. I kept my heart rate under 150 for the most part and on the perceived effort front I'd say this was pretty easy, perhaps a 5 out of 10. My pace surprised me a bit since I was aiming from something in the 6:00/km (9:39/m) range, or maybe a tad faster. Instead, I managed to hold 5:30/km (8:51/m) pace for the entire run and it felt really easy. I'll have to re-evaluate my training since this type of pace was supposed to be more difficult... It was a bit chilly out, and I'm thinking that had something to do with it.

Garmin don't lie.

The google image of my route.

9km Tempo Run, Malcolm's Birthday Party

I was able to get up at 6:30am for my run, with a certain level of apprehension for I was still feeling the effects of the week. My shoulders were super sore and I was wondering why: was it the swimming, the golf, the baseball, the bike accident, or a combination of all? The bruised knees had me a little worried, but I figured those were only surface type injuries and I'd be OK. I started off on a long warm up walk that would take me into the Don Valley Trail network since I wanted to avoid running down the steep hill at the beginning of my 9k on account of the lingering knee issue. It's definitely getting better, but I am still not 100%. The air was heavy and really humid, but at least the temperature was nice. I could tell this run would be a struggle near the end and the route I mapped out would also include one long hill at about the 6k mark. Once my walk was finished I set off...

My goal was to maintain faster than 5:05 pace for the entire 9k. As such, I also wanted to push it for the first 5k partly to see if I could break last week's time (24:36) and partly to bank some time for that long hill that would likely send me over the edge and slow me down. My legs are definitely feeling the effects of the past week of training and they felt tight as I started my run. I managed to hold a pace in the 4:50's at the beginning through sheer will and definitely had thoughts of bailing on the entire run. After about 2k I was starting to get into the run and things were starting to feel better. My breathing became rhythmic and I was enjoying the feeling of maintaining a fast pace. By about the 2.5k mark I had brought the average pace down to 4:50 and was determined to stay as close to this as possible for the 5k as this would definitely give me a best time. I did manage this pace exactly and completed the 5k in 24:14 (7:47/mile pace)!

Of course, now I had 4k left and that hill looming. As I continued to run through Taylor Creek Park I was faced with a couple of spots where the asphalt path was totally washed out and I had to run way around these spots through grass and mud. I almost fell over at one point when the ground slid out from under me, but managed to stay up. The pace was becoming difficult to maintain and I hovered around 4:55/km (7:55/m) at this point as I approached the hill. As expected I was definitely struggling up that incline and my pace started to slip as my heart rate raced into the high 170's. The entire hill is about 3/4 of a kilometre long and not super steep, but it never flattens out. At one point I was almost ready to start walking and could barely take in enough oxygen to keep going, but didn't let myself do this because I was afraid this would spell the end of the run. When I got to the top my average for these last 4 kilometres read 5:12 (8:22/m). I knew I'd have to recover and pick up the pace to finish strong.

Luckily I was able to recover enough after about a kilometre more to start picking up the pace. This was not easy but I really wanted to see if I could hold a faster pace for these 4 kilometres than I did for the last 3k that ended my last tempo 8k run. Last week my pace was 5:09 for the last 3k of my 8k run, and I really thought this was a good target for today. As I continued to run I steadily made progress and with 2k left in the run my pace was back to 5:05. Now I decided to really push towards the end even though my body was screaming for relief. The last kilometre was difficult, but by now I had my average pace down to 5:03 (8:08/m). As I glanced down at my Garmin at the end and pressed the lap button I was more than happy with the 5:03 pace for the final 4k.

In all I ran the 9k in 44:26, which translated to a 4:56/k pace! In mile pace that is under 8:00, and for me that is a great accomplishment. I won't make any time goals for the 10k Zoorun