My running life is mostly over here, eh?
If you're really looking for something else to do, check out my photos on Flickr while you're at it.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Cross Country Season
I always get excited this time of year, because it leads up to my very favourite series of races, the Calgary Roadrunners Cross Country Grand Prix.
I ran my first of these races in October 2000 and have run 51 more of them since then. I've even branched out into other XC races, and enjoy the sport so much that I recently ran my 60th cross country race last weekend (Stats here).
When I was doing my flat, pavement-ridden marathon training last spring I craved dirt trails and grassy hills. I actually longed for roots and rocks through shady groves of trees. Even mud puddles and creeks became attractive. Funny, what marathon training will do to the psyche...
Providing I can heal up nicely before and between this winter's races, I'm thinking I might need to try a trail race longer than 16 km next summer. Any suggestions?
I ran my first of these races in October 2000 and have run 51 more of them since then. I've even branched out into other XC races, and enjoy the sport so much that I recently ran my 60th cross country race last weekend (Stats here).
When I was doing my flat, pavement-ridden marathon training last spring I craved dirt trails and grassy hills. I actually longed for roots and rocks through shady groves of trees. Even mud puddles and creeks became attractive. Funny, what marathon training will do to the psyche...
Providing I can heal up nicely before and between this winter's races, I'm thinking I might need to try a trail race longer than 16 km next summer. Any suggestions?
Friday, July 21, 2006
Calgary Marathon & Penguin Stampede
My Race Report here, and a few silly pictures here.
We Calgary Penguins didn't just race, we hosted guests from Alberta, the U.S. and Toronto. Lots of pictures and reports here, with links to more pictures and reports. There will be more coming, too.
In the meantime, Check out Linda's pictures and her report with more pictures.
*jeanne* has some great pictures of her experiences with us in Calgary at the weiner roast, at the race, and around town.
Dawn has a zillion pictures collaged together of our meals together Thursday and Saturday night, as well as her race report.
We Calgary Penguins didn't just race, we hosted guests from Alberta, the U.S. and Toronto. Lots of pictures and reports here, with links to more pictures and reports. There will be more coming, too.
In the meantime, Check out Linda's pictures and her report with more pictures.
*jeanne* has some great pictures of her experiences with us in Calgary at the weiner roast, at the race, and around town.
Dawn has a zillion pictures collaged together of our meals together Thursday and Saturday night, as well as her race report.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Saturday, July 08, 2006
One More Sleep
My very first (and maybe my last) marathon is tomorrow. Mmmmaaaarrrraaaththththto-o-o-onnnnn. I can say it. I can do it!
My friends, Dawn and Dianne and I, who went to Tampa a year and a half ago, invited a bunch of Penguin runners back up to Calgary with us. If you're interested in who else is here enjoying the Stampede and planning to run and cheer tomorrow, check out our Penguin Stampede blog to follow along.
After all our guests go home, I'll be back to posting on at my usual place, here.
My friends, Dawn and Dianne and I, who went to Tampa a year and a half ago, invited a bunch of Penguin runners back up to Calgary with us. If you're interested in who else is here enjoying the Stampede and planning to run and cheer tomorrow, check out our Penguin Stampede blog to follow along.
After all our guests go home, I'll be back to posting on at my usual place, here.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Taper Time
I got all of my long runs on the training program done, and now I have a head cold. I'm off work (and the kids are even off school) until after the marathon, so hopefully I can rest up in between my tapering jogs and show up healthy and ready to race on July 9th.
It's pretty hot here for Calgary this week, with highs in the 30s Celsius (high 80s F). Good for sweating out some germs. I think I might need to do a lot of work in my nice, cool basement today.
It's pretty hot here for Calgary this week, with highs in the 30s Celsius (high 80s F). Good for sweating out some germs. I think I might need to do a lot of work in my nice, cool basement today.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Counting Down
Only 36 days 23h 01m 56s until the 2006 HSBC Calgary Marathon! Actually less than that now, but I'm too tech-challenged and busy to figure out how to insert a proper countdown here. Head over to the site if you want to know how much time is really left.
My other blog at CompleteRunning is down for a couple of days (growing pains), but I'll still be out there training. I'm aiming for a 28-30 km long run this weekend. Wow! I rarely run that in a WEEK (when I'm not marathon training), much less all at once.
This week has actually been rather light, due to family schedule stuff in the evenings, when I usually run, and my laziness in getting out of bed early to run in the morning. Gotta fight off that "getting out of the house monster".
My other blog at CompleteRunning is down for a couple of days (growing pains), but I'll still be out there training. I'm aiming for a 28-30 km long run this weekend. Wow! I rarely run that in a WEEK (when I'm not marathon training), much less all at once.
This week has actually been rather light, due to family schedule stuff in the evenings, when I usually run, and my laziness in getting out of bed early to run in the morning. Gotta fight off that "getting out of the house monster".
Monday, April 24, 2006
Marathon!
Mmmmm. Mmmaarrraththth... Mmmaaarathththo-o-o-onnnnnn! Yes, I am registered to run my first marathon in July this year in Calgary. I've been running for 6 years now - 10ks, cross-countries, 10 milers, even a half marathon last summer, and it's about time to become a Marathoner.
Training has already started, and this weekend, to mark 10 weeks to go to the Big One, I'm running the Police Half as part of my training. It will be my second Half Marathon, and I'm excited.
My race report and more training reports will be posted over here.
Training has already started, and this weekend, to mark 10 weeks to go to the Big One, I'm running the Police Half as part of my training. It will be my second Half Marathon, and I'm excited.
My race report and more training reports will be posted over here.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
That Other Place
It looks like my Complete Running blog is working just fine again, so if you need me, I'll be over there. Come visit :)
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Got It Figured Out, I Think
Somehow this weekend I had time to spare. Maybe I should have cleaned the bathroom or something, but instead I sat down with some marathon plans and figured out my long run schedule for the next 16 weeks. I think I will use this Furman plan, with a few modifications. Like maybe skipping all those nasty long runs over 20 km.
Hah. Just kidding!
I wrote the run details on my calendar, along with how many weeks to go, so I'll need to plan my life (and my family's) around them. I probably won't be able to accomplish all of the Tuesday speedwork recommended, but I will attempt as much as my Tuesday night runs allow. It doesn't mention anything about hills on Thursdays, but I consider a few hills the same as a tempo run. Any comments there?
I'll also need to figure out some feasible cross training, as although this program is easy on the distance per week, it does strongly recommend that the athlete (that's me) take the cross training seriously. I can see me riding my bike to and from work on non-run days once the snow quits coming down, but until for the next month or so I think I'm going to be taking some brisk evening or morning walks.
Hah. Just kidding!
I wrote the run details on my calendar, along with how many weeks to go, so I'll need to plan my life (and my family's) around them. I probably won't be able to accomplish all of the Tuesday speedwork recommended, but I will attempt as much as my Tuesday night runs allow. It doesn't mention anything about hills on Thursdays, but I consider a few hills the same as a tempo run. Any comments there?
I'll also need to figure out some feasible cross training, as although this program is easy on the distance per week, it does strongly recommend that the athlete (that's me) take the cross training seriously. I can see me riding my bike to and from work on non-run days once the snow quits coming down, but until for the next month or so I think I'm going to be taking some brisk evening or morning walks.
About 17 km
My other blog at Complete Running is having some temporary difficulties while we change over hosts, so I'll just keep you up to date over here, if you can find me.
Earlier this week Coach Dianne kindly agreed to have her boys amuse my Little Runner while I got in a long run. She lives near beautiful Fish Creek Park, in which Dawn and I raced last weekend. Last weekend was a XC race, so we were not on the paved paths and didn't run much flat at all. Today I was looking for a long stretch of flat, paved, non-challenging footing and found
just what I needed along the Fish Creek valley.
As I was getting ready, Derek, another of my coaches and Dianne's husband, kindly offered to lend me one of his new pairs of tights for my run. I laughed and joshed back "Why, so if I get knocked unconscious the search party will be able to spot me easily from the HELICOPTER?!!"
Once I got into the valley I went west, thinking I would go that direction about 50-55 minutes, then double back. Due to the massive flooding of the valley last June, however, one of the bridges I needed was washed out, and the area was closed to the public, so I only made it 45 minutes west before doubling back. I was feeling strangely good by the time I got back to the
climb up to Dianne's, so tacked on another 16 minutes out east (due to how my walk/run timers were set to beep) before doubling back again. A cold wind picked up on the last 10 minutes of easterly running and my knees didn't like that at all. Good thing I was close to the start. After all that flat I actually enjoyed the climb out of the valley back to Dianne's house. Derek
said later "See? You could have used those extra leggings!"
Dianne generously fed me gobs of peanut butter melting on a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel and a glass of milk. I chatted with her and Derek about kids and spinning drills, and headed back home.
I'm pretty sure this is the route I took today.
The "plan" I'm very loosely following to build up to the Police Half at the end of April called for 16 km today and I was going to be really happy if I got 14 or 15. If this truly was about 17 km in 2:05 hours then I was going nicely under my randomly-chosen goal pace of max. 8 min/km, at 7.35 min/km. Good enough for my first real long run in a few months.
Earlier this week Coach Dianne kindly agreed to have her boys amuse my Little Runner while I got in a long run. She lives near beautiful Fish Creek Park, in which Dawn and I raced last weekend. Last weekend was a XC race, so we were not on the paved paths and didn't run much flat at all. Today I was looking for a long stretch of flat, paved, non-challenging footing and found
just what I needed along the Fish Creek valley.
As I was getting ready, Derek, another of my coaches and Dianne's husband, kindly offered to lend me one of his new pairs of tights for my run. I laughed and joshed back "Why, so if I get knocked unconscious the search party will be able to spot me easily from the HELICOPTER?!!"
Once I got into the valley I went west, thinking I would go that direction about 50-55 minutes, then double back. Due to the massive flooding of the valley last June, however, one of the bridges I needed was washed out, and the area was closed to the public, so I only made it 45 minutes west before doubling back. I was feeling strangely good by the time I got back to the
climb up to Dianne's, so tacked on another 16 minutes out east (due to how my walk/run timers were set to beep) before doubling back again. A cold wind picked up on the last 10 minutes of easterly running and my knees didn't like that at all. Good thing I was close to the start. After all that flat I actually enjoyed the climb out of the valley back to Dianne's house. Derek
said later "See? You could have used those extra leggings!"
Dianne generously fed me gobs of peanut butter melting on a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel and a glass of milk. I chatted with her and Derek about kids and spinning drills, and headed back home.
I'm pretty sure this is the route I took today.
The "plan" I'm very loosely following to build up to the Police Half at the end of April called for 16 km today and I was going to be really happy if I got 14 or 15. If this truly was about 17 km in 2:05 hours then I was going nicely under my randomly-chosen goal pace of max. 8 min/km, at 7.35 min/km. Good enough for my first real long run in a few months.
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