20:11 in the Toronto Marathon 5k this morning. The good part of today's race, it felt manageable throughout. I had a couple of 65 mile weeks this month, which helped with the endurance. A good set of hard hills midweek carried me over. I've never quite gotten the hang of a 5k 'taper', meaning how to spend the day before. Yesterday was completely off for various reasons and I opted the just save the legs for a day. I still end up with 40ish miles for the week so that's about as much of a taper as I'll give a race. I'll probably do the Hamilton half on Nov 2nd, no tapering for that one, I'll just switch the Saturday tempo for easy.
The Toronto Marathon seems like such a cheapskate event to me. There was more than 2000 finishers in the 5k, about 4600 in the half and another couple of thousand in the full. Yet race management gives stingey prizes and a/g awards are minimal depth. They offer Pierre Laurent watches for the top 3 in the full (probably nice watches, but they're not money) and budget $3500 total for masters top 3. Prizes in the half weren't determined by race day, probably gift certificates or maybe memberships to Goodlife? Whoopee! For the 5k, this year you get a lovely...finishers medal. A finishers medal for a 5k? Actually, probably more than I believe happily accept it. I took mine but stuffed it in my pocket rather than wear it. Maybe I'm just peeved for taking 3rd in my a/g in the 5k and getting nothing for it. If I'd taken first, I'd be given the luxury of running it again next year for free.
I know races are pricey to put on, but surely they can offer a little depth in these mega events. The Nightcrawler 5 miler isn't a huge race by any standard (less than 1000) but they give out nice prizing and lots of merchandise and this really makes the race. It also draws considerable talent. I mean, I do 20ish in this big event and it nets me 28th place of 2000 overall, which shows that all the real runners stayed home. Actually the real ones ran the zoo run on Saturday.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sleep would be good
Drawback of summer, everyone else in the house is off. Wife, kids, cat, fish...all on vacation. While some of us (specifically me) need to get to bed early and up early, the rest prattle around and do their thing, some of them till 3 and 4 and in the morning.
I managed a couple of good months, keeping my weekly mileage in the 50s and getting out there every morning and every lunchtime, tossing in a few evenings during kids soccer practice for good measure. Some weeks hit 70 miles, some down in the 40's but I was consistent. This month's a bust so far. Was supposed to do hills this morning, couldn't open my eyes. Last night I was picking up eldest son from a friend's house near midnight and had to drive the other friends to their homes as well. When I got back, everyone else was snoozing.
Not that it's all bad. The down time is good after several months of up mileage (for me, anyway). Another complicating factor, I ripped the skin from the back of my right foot while on vacation and the only pair of shoes I can use are pretty old and beat up. This was last Friday and it's still not healed over, due to re-opening the wound every time I run. My good pair makes it unbearable to run.
I worked through lunch today so I think I'll cash out early and try to get something in this evening, maybe an 8 miler with hills would be good as I'm only getting the one run in today. I'm off the next 5 days with a couple of carry overs to make a good looooong weekend. It's been a month since I did a proper long run, every Sunday has had something going on, be it soccer tourneys or driving to the cottage and back.
Anyway, I'm on my next phase, if I can every get it properly in gear. For the next 6-7 weeks I'll be doing at least 3 good quality sessions a week and pop up the mileage back into the 200's a month. The volume is good but it can make you rusty for speed after a while and you need that quality period to make your legs turn over properly. With the volume, I can hold my speed. Problem is I don't have the speed right now and that's what comes next.
Target race is late October, same as I've done the last 3 years, the Toronto (now Goodlife Fitness) Marathon 5k on October 19th. My times here have been 20:03 (my 5k PR) in '05, 20:19 in '06 and a sucky 20:33 last year. As the Nightcrawler sits as my summer benchmark, this one is my fall staple.
Still a month of summer left. Weekend promises great weather.
I managed a couple of good months, keeping my weekly mileage in the 50s and getting out there every morning and every lunchtime, tossing in a few evenings during kids soccer practice for good measure. Some weeks hit 70 miles, some down in the 40's but I was consistent. This month's a bust so far. Was supposed to do hills this morning, couldn't open my eyes. Last night I was picking up eldest son from a friend's house near midnight and had to drive the other friends to their homes as well. When I got back, everyone else was snoozing.
Not that it's all bad. The down time is good after several months of up mileage (for me, anyway). Another complicating factor, I ripped the skin from the back of my right foot while on vacation and the only pair of shoes I can use are pretty old and beat up. This was last Friday and it's still not healed over, due to re-opening the wound every time I run. My good pair makes it unbearable to run.
I worked through lunch today so I think I'll cash out early and try to get something in this evening, maybe an 8 miler with hills would be good as I'm only getting the one run in today. I'm off the next 5 days with a couple of carry overs to make a good looooong weekend. It's been a month since I did a proper long run, every Sunday has had something going on, be it soccer tourneys or driving to the cottage and back.
Anyway, I'm on my next phase, if I can every get it properly in gear. For the next 6-7 weeks I'll be doing at least 3 good quality sessions a week and pop up the mileage back into the 200's a month. The volume is good but it can make you rusty for speed after a while and you need that quality period to make your legs turn over properly. With the volume, I can hold my speed. Problem is I don't have the speed right now and that's what comes next.
Target race is late October, same as I've done the last 3 years, the Toronto (now Goodlife Fitness) Marathon 5k on October 19th. My times here have been 20:03 (my 5k PR) in '05, 20:19 in '06 and a sucky 20:33 last year. As the Nightcrawler sits as my summer benchmark, this one is my fall staple.
Still a month of summer left. Weekend promises great weather.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Survived
Managed to get through the race without killing myself. The course was very difficult, as seen in some of these shots:
Trail shoes were a must, one runner I talked to felt he may have done well taking his 'rock' shoes instead his trails. In the end I was 43rd out of 369, 10th of 73 in my a/g, and escaped without any twists, scrapes or broken bones. I think this style of running suits me well as I have a tendency to watch my footing anyway when I run, so guarding my foot placement in a race seems to be fairly natural for me. That said, I had a few close calls with foot movement that could have gone bad. I'm not sure how many had problems with the rocks but I know a few got caught up in the raised roots. Pace is never something to regard in these races, it's you and the course and the other runners.
Trail shoes were a must, one runner I talked to felt he may have done well taking his 'rock' shoes instead his trails. In the end I was 43rd out of 369, 10th of 73 in my a/g, and escaped without any twists, scrapes or broken bones. I think this style of running suits me well as I have a tendency to watch my footing anyway when I run, so guarding my foot placement in a race seems to be fairly natural for me. That said, I had a few close calls with foot movement that could have gone bad. I'm not sure how many had problems with the rocks but I know a few got caught up in the raised roots. Pace is never something to regard in these races, it's you and the course and the other runners.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Recent PR
33:15 for 5 miles, (gun time of 33:30). I must be doing something right.
Tomorrow I have a 12k trail run, if I can get my butt out of bed early enough. The weatherman promises a nice humid day and a high of 30.
I did the 2nd race of this series last month, well enough to get a few points in my age group.
Hopefully the air tomorrow is breathable.
Tomorrow I have a 12k trail run, if I can get my butt out of bed early enough. The weatherman promises a nice humid day and a high of 30.
I did the 2nd race of this series last month, well enough to get a few points in my age group.
Hopefully the air tomorrow is breathable.
Monday, May 05, 2008
200 mile month
I haven't run a 200 mile month since I was in marathon training 3 years ago. These are generally accompanied by one or more 50 mile weeks. These were hard to hit on single daily runs, but I find them a cinch to hit when doing doubles.
I've tacked on a number of double run days, given that I can now shower here in the office (um, not literally the cubicle I'm in, but you know what I mean). I haven't made any changes to the morning routines, still sticking with a quicker Tuesday run, hills or track on Wednesday and a Thursday midlong. The second runs are at noon and I'm doing them whenever time permits. The usual run so far is about 4 miles but I've got a fairly nice hill climb if I go north instead of south and that might add a little extra sumthin to them.
The extra runs actually make the harder days easier. I get to work out the stiffies with a nice slow recovery run, and doing this closer to the next workout is better than leaving a big 24 hour or more gap. Not many holes in the log either. I've only got 3 blank spots in the last 4 weeks.
Sporting Life 10k went this weekend. Usually I high-tail it to a spot well down Yonge Street and try to time it to arrive just as the leaders hit the turn. Forgot all about it this year. Kenyan's filled in 5 of the top 7 spots, but what really caught my eye in the results list was 17th place finisher Jerry Kooymans taking second masters runner in a blistering 32:53, with only Montreal's Louis-Philippe Garnier sliding in for 13th overall. The difference, Garnier is 44 while Kooymans is 8 years his senior at 52. It's impressive to see him running this kind of speed these days. For comparison, he ran this race in 34 and change 3 years ago...not exactly slowing down any.
I've signed up for a trail race on June 14th. A 12 1/2 k run over some bike paths in Durham Regional Forest. Gotta get my new trail shoes all dirtied up for practice. Should be fun!
I've tacked on a number of double run days, given that I can now shower here in the office (um, not literally the cubicle I'm in, but you know what I mean). I haven't made any changes to the morning routines, still sticking with a quicker Tuesday run, hills or track on Wednesday and a Thursday midlong. The second runs are at noon and I'm doing them whenever time permits. The usual run so far is about 4 miles but I've got a fairly nice hill climb if I go north instead of south and that might add a little extra sumthin to them.
The extra runs actually make the harder days easier. I get to work out the stiffies with a nice slow recovery run, and doing this closer to the next workout is better than leaving a big 24 hour or more gap. Not many holes in the log either. I've only got 3 blank spots in the last 4 weeks.
Sporting Life 10k went this weekend. Usually I high-tail it to a spot well down Yonge Street and try to time it to arrive just as the leaders hit the turn. Forgot all about it this year. Kenyan's filled in 5 of the top 7 spots, but what really caught my eye in the results list was 17th place finisher Jerry Kooymans taking second masters runner in a blistering 32:53, with only Montreal's Louis-Philippe Garnier sliding in for 13th overall. The difference, Garnier is 44 while Kooymans is 8 years his senior at 52. It's impressive to see him running this kind of speed these days. For comparison, he ran this race in 34 and change 3 years ago...not exactly slowing down any.
I've signed up for a trail race on June 14th. A 12 1/2 k run over some bike paths in Durham Regional Forest. Gotta get my new trail shoes all dirtied up for practice. Should be fun!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
In the spirit of competition and sportsmanship between nations
As much as we snowy Canadians can up the anti for the Winter Olympiad, with our snazzy Calgary bobsled track and sky high Canadian Rockies, I much prefer the raw athletism of the Summer Games. There's something about sprinting and throwing and rowing that brings me inspiration and keeps me glued to the tele. Maybe it's the warmth that summer brings, as I've never been a big fan of winter and winter play.
I shudder in the fall when I see those temps start to drop, and defiantly keep my shorts on until the chill wins over ignorance. Knowing I'll be trudging along in umpteen layers of clothing at -25C makes me want to block it out with the persistence of a zombie.
I do like it warm. As hard as it is dealing with a 90 degree day and high sun, it still feels better than having my teeth chatter and my lips swollen for lack of blood flow, running face down into a 40kmh headwind and icicles dangling from my hair.
Canada has had some success in track and field, despite the embarrassment of Ben Johnson. Fortunately Donovan Bailey pulled us out of that one and brought us cleanly back into the limelight. Our 4x100m men's team that year was one of the strongest ever fielded, with Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert and Robert Esmie taking the works. Perdita's stumble at the hurdles...tough as it was to take...was at least an honest try and had us that close to gold. She will get her chance at redemption and I guarantee she won't be face to face with the tarmac this time. Our newest hero is Tyler Christopher, who took gold this year already at the World Indoor T&F Championships in Spain last March.
What we lack are good distance runners. It's less of Canada's fault and more of a North American malady. The Yanks are starting to see the light, though, with team Hanson showing that hard work pays off, and Ryan Hall's amazing runs taking the US marathon record, dominating the field at the Olympic marathon trials and prepped to go big in London next week. Up here we just don't have an organization that can make good distance athletes. The ones with potential have to make do of their own accords. Local Charles Bedley (a familiar sight for me as he trains in my area) has run a 2:16 last year, taking third in California Internation Marathon. The link has video of the finish and a good interview with Charlie.
Canada cheaps out on sending distance runners to the Olympics keeping the standards still out of reach and giving athletes little reason to try. If the standards could be lessened we would be able to grant Olympic experience to our distance runners, and having that chance would help push more of them to higher levels. Bruce Deacon of BC was our last entry to the Olympic marathon at the Sydney 2000 games. Jerry Ziak and Matt MacInnis also have the potential to be there. All three of these guys are in their 30's so age will become an issue before long. We need young runners with potential.
The women's side of the things has it's own issues. Tara Quinn-Smith of the Brooks project has run a 1:13:53 half while BC's Kirsty Smith has a sub-1:17 already this year. These girls are young, still in their early 20's. A step up to the full marathon distance must be in their futures. They still have their work cut out for them on the world stage, as their efforts don't even show on the worlds top list for the year (the top list cuts off at 1:13:00 so far for the women).
Hopefully politics won't interfere too much. And the pollution.
I shudder in the fall when I see those temps start to drop, and defiantly keep my shorts on until the chill wins over ignorance. Knowing I'll be trudging along in umpteen layers of clothing at -25C makes me want to block it out with the persistence of a zombie.
I do like it warm. As hard as it is dealing with a 90 degree day and high sun, it still feels better than having my teeth chatter and my lips swollen for lack of blood flow, running face down into a 40kmh headwind and icicles dangling from my hair.
Canada has had some success in track and field, despite the embarrassment of Ben Johnson. Fortunately Donovan Bailey pulled us out of that one and brought us cleanly back into the limelight. Our 4x100m men's team that year was one of the strongest ever fielded, with Bailey, Bruny Surin, Glenroy Gilbert and Robert Esmie taking the works. Perdita's stumble at the hurdles...tough as it was to take...was at least an honest try and had us that close to gold. She will get her chance at redemption and I guarantee she won't be face to face with the tarmac this time. Our newest hero is Tyler Christopher, who took gold this year already at the World Indoor T&F Championships in Spain last March.
What we lack are good distance runners. It's less of Canada's fault and more of a North American malady. The Yanks are starting to see the light, though, with team Hanson showing that hard work pays off, and Ryan Hall's amazing runs taking the US marathon record, dominating the field at the Olympic marathon trials and prepped to go big in London next week. Up here we just don't have an organization that can make good distance athletes. The ones with potential have to make do of their own accords. Local Charles Bedley (a familiar sight for me as he trains in my area) has run a 2:16 last year, taking third in California Internation Marathon. The link has video of the finish and a good interview with Charlie.
Canada cheaps out on sending distance runners to the Olympics keeping the standards still out of reach and giving athletes little reason to try. If the standards could be lessened we would be able to grant Olympic experience to our distance runners, and having that chance would help push more of them to higher levels. Bruce Deacon of BC was our last entry to the Olympic marathon at the Sydney 2000 games. Jerry Ziak and Matt MacInnis also have the potential to be there. All three of these guys are in their 30's so age will become an issue before long. We need young runners with potential.
The women's side of the things has it's own issues. Tara Quinn-Smith of the Brooks project has run a 1:13:53 half while BC's Kirsty Smith has a sub-1:17 already this year. These girls are young, still in their early 20's. A step up to the full marathon distance must be in their futures. They still have their work cut out for them on the world stage, as their efforts don't even show on the worlds top list for the year (the top list cuts off at 1:13:00 so far for the women).
Hopefully politics won't interfere too much. And the pollution.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
178 pages and counting
From time to time I like to poke into Letsrun for kicks and giggles. It's a free-for-all running forum that anybody who knows anything and anyone in running is familiar with. It's not uncommon for elites and sub-elites and coaches to chime into the mix, it gives some insight into the goings-on of the high-end running world...although Runner's World it's certainly not (thankfully).
Among the more popular threads is Henry Rono's quest for the 50+ mile record. Henry was an elite athlete in the 70's who set several world records but never made it to the Olympics due to the Kenyan boycott of the 1976 Montreal games and 1980 in Moscow. In subsequent years Rono fell into alcoholism and his career halted.
After following this thread for the last couple of years I'm convinced Rono could give a shit about the record and is more inclined to seek out appearance and related fees. Gebresellase he ain't, at least not anymore. Runner's World did a lengthy article on Rono last year. The author ran into walls trying to get Rono to contribute directly, but Rono wouldn't offer squat without some dollars in the mix. Instead the article was built around the content of the thread on Letsrun, a sort of Cole's notes compression of 2 years of ramblings.
If you follow the latter portions of the thread, you may find the tone of many to be changing from supportive to doubt to frustration to ambivalence. Henry's last 5k time trial was 20:34. Geez, my last race (last Saturday) was 20:51. If Rono thinks he can get the master mile record off that performance, maybe I should pull my own socks up and get my own. Of course I've got about 100,000 more capable masters runners in my way...which is my way of saying Rono hasn't got a hope in hell of getting that record.
Among the more popular threads is Henry Rono's quest for the 50+ mile record. Henry was an elite athlete in the 70's who set several world records but never made it to the Olympics due to the Kenyan boycott of the 1976 Montreal games and 1980 in Moscow. In subsequent years Rono fell into alcoholism and his career halted.
After following this thread for the last couple of years I'm convinced Rono could give a shit about the record and is more inclined to seek out appearance and related fees. Gebresellase he ain't, at least not anymore. Runner's World did a lengthy article on Rono last year. The author ran into walls trying to get Rono to contribute directly, but Rono wouldn't offer squat without some dollars in the mix. Instead the article was built around the content of the thread on Letsrun, a sort of Cole's notes compression of 2 years of ramblings.
If you follow the latter portions of the thread, you may find the tone of many to be changing from supportive to doubt to frustration to ambivalence. Henry's last 5k time trial was 20:34. Geez, my last race (last Saturday) was 20:51. If Rono thinks he can get the master mile record off that performance, maybe I should pull my own socks up and get my own. Of course I've got about 100,000 more capable masters runners in my way...which is my way of saying Rono hasn't got a hope in hell of getting that record.
Monday, April 07, 2008
20:51
Saturday morning 5k. 20:51.
I'm glad I was under 21. It wasn't a super stressful effort. I didn't feel like a super stressful effort anyway. It was hard and it showed me I'm fine to run under 21 and that was my basic goal here. No markers on the course, no times called out, it was strictly by feel.
This follows a heavy week of training, beginning with last Sunday's Around the Bay 30k which I ran horribly. I'm hoping to start adding lunchtime runs as well to augment the overall volume. This should actually let me increase the amount of quality I'm putting into my week. I want two more heavy weeks, then one moderate week towards another 5k on April 27th.
I'm glad I was under 21. It wasn't a super stressful effort. I didn't feel like a super stressful effort anyway. It was hard and it showed me I'm fine to run under 21 and that was my basic goal here. No markers on the course, no times called out, it was strictly by feel.
This follows a heavy week of training, beginning with last Sunday's Around the Bay 30k which I ran horribly. I'm hoping to start adding lunchtime runs as well to augment the overall volume. This should actually let me increase the amount of quality I'm putting into my week. I want two more heavy weeks, then one moderate week towards another 5k on April 27th.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Exploiting the luxury
This morning I directed myself southbound for a jaunt along the boardwalk by the beach. The air was dead still, clear and chilly with the sun just peeking over the horizon. Frost covered the timber of the boardwalk, the sharp angle of light cast by the rising run revealed every bump, warp, knot and any other feature you would never see in the midst of the day.
A good run for Thursday, 9ish miles in under 1:20 which granted a reasonable pace when you account for the warmup, the hill climb back and the occasional detour as I waited on changing lights. It's always neat to watch the city wake up and progress through the morning from the light traffic of dawn to the congestion of rush hour. The beach itself is always a welcome target and not something often seen by our local populace at that time of day. For me, it's just somewhere to go, since I'm out there anyway. If I'm going to be covering a bunch of miles it may as well be a nice bunch of miles.
A good run for Thursday, 9ish miles in under 1:20 which granted a reasonable pace when you account for the warmup, the hill climb back and the occasional detour as I waited on changing lights. It's always neat to watch the city wake up and progress through the morning from the light traffic of dawn to the congestion of rush hour. The beach itself is always a welcome target and not something often seen by our local populace at that time of day. For me, it's just somewhere to go, since I'm out there anyway. If I'm going to be covering a bunch of miles it may as well be a nice bunch of miles.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
*Yawn* 2
The bed seemed awfully nice this morning. The alarm clock was an evil demon. Trying hard to stick to my routine, which should be easier to do with warmer mornings upon us. If you can call -3 warmer. At least the winds died down overnight, as they were howling at 80 kliks yesterday. I got in a 5 mile light tempo run yesterday morning in tropical 8C conditions before the winds started.
This morning was a followup of some early season speedwork, running park laps alternating hard and easy. Pace wasn't outstanding, about 6:47/mile for the hard laps average, which is about 10k pace for me (or was, maybe I should say). Having run a 30k on Sunday and tempo yesterday might have had something to do with it, or maybe it made it easier...who knows?
I know if I stay disciplined to my schedule I can regain my fitness. It's far too easy to stay up too late on those midweek nights, especially when I'm pitching in on homework help and tidying up after the day. We tend to eat late and it cuts into the evening.
On the plus side, the snowbank on the lawn is down to only 4 feet tall!
This morning was a followup of some early season speedwork, running park laps alternating hard and easy. Pace wasn't outstanding, about 6:47/mile for the hard laps average, which is about 10k pace for me (or was, maybe I should say). Having run a 30k on Sunday and tempo yesterday might have had something to do with it, or maybe it made it easier...who knows?
I know if I stay disciplined to my schedule I can regain my fitness. It's far too easy to stay up too late on those midweek nights, especially when I'm pitching in on homework help and tidying up after the day. We tend to eat late and it cuts into the evening.
On the plus side, the snowbank on the lawn is down to only 4 feet tall!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
That sucked
My training really wasn't where it should have been. In the past I've executed a normal training week the week of the race and continued right through, doing little more than taking the day before off. This year I lightened up the week and only did maybe half the mileage I usually would hoping the taper would make up for the inadequacy in training. Didn't work.
Less than 10k in to this thing my left hamstring was getting very tight. This has been an ongoing problem for me this season on long runs where my left hamstring gets tired too early. I'm going to have to augment the running with some strengthening and see if that helps. It will also help to get the local HS track back into use as it's still buried in snow. The speed sessions will build up those muscles and hopefully that will alleviate the stiffness.
I didn't have a problem with breathing. That was pretty consistent and easy throughout the race, even when things were difficult. At 20k I started some short firm walks to help loosen the legs up. The right leg had to pick up the slack for the left and started it's own complaints late in the race. What I didn't do was walk any part of Valley Inn Road which is a long lofty hill that marks the beginning of the end. The hill felt good to run since it was all quads.
I don't like this race much anymore. It used to be fun when the Hamilton Convention Centre was the host location and finishers were granted a slice of pizza and a tall frosty brew. Running Room now fully organizes the race. At the finish you're given a white plastic bag that volunteers fill with the usual cold race fare, and you're hustled out of the area. The feeling is no longer friendly, it's just 'here's your medal, here's your food, see you next year". It was a party atmosphere and live band in the past, how it's just bland and rushed. I think this is the last year for me. Unless I get a good strong winter in and get the hankering to beat my 2:22 PR for this course, it will be off my list.
I'll consider Mississauga's half next. It's a great race, well done despite being only a few years old, on a great course. You can hammer the lengthy downhill of this and it's a blast to do the half. The full is a bit less flashy and somewhat ugly when you're doing the extension off the half, but worth running if you think you're close to BQ condition.
After that, I'll try to be back in the 33's for the 5 mile Nightcrawler in June. I've got my work cut out for me in that one. After gaining a minute a year for 4 years in a row, last year was a minute slower than previous. Don't suppose now being 48 has any impact on this, ya think?
Less than 10k in to this thing my left hamstring was getting very tight. This has been an ongoing problem for me this season on long runs where my left hamstring gets tired too early. I'm going to have to augment the running with some strengthening and see if that helps. It will also help to get the local HS track back into use as it's still buried in snow. The speed sessions will build up those muscles and hopefully that will alleviate the stiffness.
I didn't have a problem with breathing. That was pretty consistent and easy throughout the race, even when things were difficult. At 20k I started some short firm walks to help loosen the legs up. The right leg had to pick up the slack for the left and started it's own complaints late in the race. What I didn't do was walk any part of Valley Inn Road which is a long lofty hill that marks the beginning of the end. The hill felt good to run since it was all quads.
I don't like this race much anymore. It used to be fun when the Hamilton Convention Centre was the host location and finishers were granted a slice of pizza and a tall frosty brew. Running Room now fully organizes the race. At the finish you're given a white plastic bag that volunteers fill with the usual cold race fare, and you're hustled out of the area. The feeling is no longer friendly, it's just 'here's your medal, here's your food, see you next year". It was a party atmosphere and live band in the past, how it's just bland and rushed. I think this is the last year for me. Unless I get a good strong winter in and get the hankering to beat my 2:22 PR for this course, it will be off my list.
I'll consider Mississauga's half next. It's a great race, well done despite being only a few years old, on a great course. You can hammer the lengthy downhill of this and it's a blast to do the half. The full is a bit less flashy and somewhat ugly when you're doing the extension off the half, but worth running if you think you're close to BQ condition.
After that, I'll try to be back in the 33's for the 5 mile Nightcrawler in June. I've got my work cut out for me in that one. After gaining a minute a year for 4 years in a row, last year was a minute slower than previous. Don't suppose now being 48 has any impact on this, ya think?
*yawn*
I'm eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, washing it down with tea.
The sun is just peeking over the horizon, I can see the glow on the buildings to the north. A clear and cold night, there's a beautiful half moon hanging in the sky out the back door.
It's race morning. An hour's drive to Hamilton awaits me next. Race starts at 9:30. Parking will become an affair of it's own so it's best to arrive at least an hour early and hang out in Copp's until the time comes. I'll take along the bare essentials in terms of ID, my driver's license and insurance card, a CC and whatever cash I'll need for parking.
The challenges this morning are purging (getting to the bathroom enough times) and fueling (getting to the cupboard enough times). Most of my fueling takes place over the last few days. This morning is just a top up to prevent my body from extracting the goodies that are stored, it contributes nothing to the race itself.
We dodge the rain bullet, which is much appreciated. Sun and a few clouds, light winds and right about the freezing mark. I'll likely wear two tee's (one s/s, one l/s) and my light jacket, regular running hat. I'll take the toque and dry clothes to change into once I'm done. If I'm lucky I'll find the crew from kick and ch there, but it won't be easy amongst 8000 people.
Sandwich is gone. One more potty stop and I'm out. My bib number this year is 1950. 10 more and I would have had my birth year.
The sun is just peeking over the horizon, I can see the glow on the buildings to the north. A clear and cold night, there's a beautiful half moon hanging in the sky out the back door.
It's race morning. An hour's drive to Hamilton awaits me next. Race starts at 9:30. Parking will become an affair of it's own so it's best to arrive at least an hour early and hang out in Copp's until the time comes. I'll take along the bare essentials in terms of ID, my driver's license and insurance card, a CC and whatever cash I'll need for parking.
The challenges this morning are purging (getting to the bathroom enough times) and fueling (getting to the cupboard enough times). Most of my fueling takes place over the last few days. This morning is just a top up to prevent my body from extracting the goodies that are stored, it contributes nothing to the race itself.
We dodge the rain bullet, which is much appreciated. Sun and a few clouds, light winds and right about the freezing mark. I'll likely wear two tee's (one s/s, one l/s) and my light jacket, regular running hat. I'll take the toque and dry clothes to change into once I'm done. If I'm lucky I'll find the crew from kick and ch there, but it won't be easy amongst 8000 people.
Sandwich is gone. One more potty stop and I'm out. My bib number this year is 1950. 10 more and I would have had my birth year.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Whether the weather will wither or not
Slushy messy light snow down yesterday, just enough to make a mess. Temps dropped overnight with dry cold air pushing through, evaporating most of what fell and firming what was left into patchy ice.
My venture to the end of the driveway and lack of suredness under my feet, and still some time until the sun poked it's way over the horizon, had me second guessing the run this morning. I salted the sidewalk and driveway and watched a morning runner navigating the bicycle lane down the street and figured I'll check if conditions on the mains were better than my sidestreet. Not bad, once I got down there, but my plan to warm up in the park and do my usual long hill routine was out. So it was 10 minutes out and 10 back to warm up, hit the toidy and head back out to run up and down Haldon Avenue a few times.
The hill itself was a bit tricky, but passable. The occasional car heading towards the park lot caused a brief pause as the remaining snow banks along with some parked cars meant we both couldn't occupy the lane together and one had to give. 1 ton of car beats 130 pounds of skinny runner. 5 passes on the hill in just over 4 minutes each was it. Can't overdo it as I'm 4 days way from the bay and that requires some semblence of taper.
An hour total, timing the return from the cooldown loop and meet precisely at my front door when the watch clicked over to 1:00:00. I know the routes so well now I can get within seconds of planned mark every run out. Somebody opted to spice up the visual scenery on O'Connor by placing an apple into the mouth of some raccoon roadkill and literally sticking a fork in the furry unfortunate's side. Nice. I was glad to only have passed it twice. I think a call to the city cleanup crew is in order.
Weather roulette is the game now. You don't win anything, you just have your expectations flutter up and down as the forecast adjusts each time. What's of consideration is the wind direction. The ATB runs around Hamilton's inner harbour at the most western point of the lake. East winds cross the lake in full and will dictate the conditions in Hamilton regardless of the forecast. Right now, it calls for 25 klik easterlies and temps just about freezing. That means wet snow in the face for the second 5k leg of the race and along the side for 9 k of waterfront. Two years ago I ran this race in shorts and a T. Whenever I attend this race I bring a bag full of clothes of all types, light and thick, water resistent and not, long and short, making the final call within minutes of the gun going off.
This race isn't what it was before. Running Room now pretty well runs it and that means the obligatory bag of cold food and you're ushered on your way once you're finished. It used to be, up to 2 years ago, beer and pizza and a big room to sit and chat afterwards. I guess the pizza folk got tired of staying up the night before making enough for 3-4 thousand runners. This year it's nearly 9000 in total, about 6000 of them doing the 30k.
Maybe I'll byob. Beer takes on it's own unique characterstic after 18.6 miles of racing.
My venture to the end of the driveway and lack of suredness under my feet, and still some time until the sun poked it's way over the horizon, had me second guessing the run this morning. I salted the sidewalk and driveway and watched a morning runner navigating the bicycle lane down the street and figured I'll check if conditions on the mains were better than my sidestreet. Not bad, once I got down there, but my plan to warm up in the park and do my usual long hill routine was out. So it was 10 minutes out and 10 back to warm up, hit the toidy and head back out to run up and down Haldon Avenue a few times.
The hill itself was a bit tricky, but passable. The occasional car heading towards the park lot caused a brief pause as the remaining snow banks along with some parked cars meant we both couldn't occupy the lane together and one had to give. 1 ton of car beats 130 pounds of skinny runner. 5 passes on the hill in just over 4 minutes each was it. Can't overdo it as I'm 4 days way from the bay and that requires some semblence of taper.
An hour total, timing the return from the cooldown loop and meet precisely at my front door when the watch clicked over to 1:00:00. I know the routes so well now I can get within seconds of planned mark every run out. Somebody opted to spice up the visual scenery on O'Connor by placing an apple into the mouth of some raccoon roadkill and literally sticking a fork in the furry unfortunate's side. Nice. I was glad to only have passed it twice. I think a call to the city cleanup crew is in order.
Weather roulette is the game now. You don't win anything, you just have your expectations flutter up and down as the forecast adjusts each time. What's of consideration is the wind direction. The ATB runs around Hamilton's inner harbour at the most western point of the lake. East winds cross the lake in full and will dictate the conditions in Hamilton regardless of the forecast. Right now, it calls for 25 klik easterlies and temps just about freezing. That means wet snow in the face for the second 5k leg of the race and along the side for 9 k of waterfront. Two years ago I ran this race in shorts and a T. Whenever I attend this race I bring a bag full of clothes of all types, light and thick, water resistent and not, long and short, making the final call within minutes of the gun going off.
This race isn't what it was before. Running Room now pretty well runs it and that means the obligatory bag of cold food and you're ushered on your way once you're finished. It used to be, up to 2 years ago, beer and pizza and a big room to sit and chat afterwards. I guess the pizza folk got tired of staying up the night before making enough for 3-4 thousand runners. This year it's nearly 9000 in total, about 6000 of them doing the 30k.
Maybe I'll byob. Beer takes on it's own unique characterstic after 18.6 miles of racing.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
I think it's time for
my yearly post.
A bit of the last while has me poking around sites like classmates and facebook finding names of those from years gone by. Given the nature of those sites, there's a lot of folk from schooldays in there, a few pictures, some new content. Over a 30 year gap there's a lot of changes that take place.
It's no doubt the nature of the sites themselves, biasing introduced by design, but I'm surprised at the number of people that retain contact with their school mates. Quite frankly, I haven't given a lot of them much thought, and I wasn't one of those 'central' figures in school. Some people would remember me, most wouldn't, no standout here. I had my friends and have kept some level of contact with a couple, but very few. Even when I go back to Sydney and visit I generally just stay with family and not socialize too much. I wouldn't know where anyone was anyway and I really wasn't (isn't) that type that makes the extra effort to retain those bonds.
Still, a part of me does look back and kind of wants some of those old friendships to be there in some form or another.
In this body I've gone day to day, bed at night and wake up in the morning, and the time just ticks on by with those tiny bits of erosion that cumulate to form the face that looks back at me from the mirror. I've spent my time with work and family and lately I've realized that I haven't made much time for my own relationships and contacts. Part of it is my personality, part of it is finding the time in the big city to really make those things happen. Places I've worked at in the past had quite a social atmosphere to them and made it easier to make that one night a week to just hang out and yakkity-yak. That hasn't been the case here and I've found it's quite wearing when you lack that outlet.
It's interesting to see how others have fared. There are a few from way back when that I'd really like to know where they've gone to and what they're doing.
I've got a 30k coming up this week. Weather's supposed to be wet snow. Blech!
A bit of the last while has me poking around sites like classmates and facebook finding names of those from years gone by. Given the nature of those sites, there's a lot of folk from schooldays in there, a few pictures, some new content. Over a 30 year gap there's a lot of changes that take place.
It's no doubt the nature of the sites themselves, biasing introduced by design, but I'm surprised at the number of people that retain contact with their school mates. Quite frankly, I haven't given a lot of them much thought, and I wasn't one of those 'central' figures in school. Some people would remember me, most wouldn't, no standout here. I had my friends and have kept some level of contact with a couple, but very few. Even when I go back to Sydney and visit I generally just stay with family and not socialize too much. I wouldn't know where anyone was anyway and I really wasn't (isn't) that type that makes the extra effort to retain those bonds.
Still, a part of me does look back and kind of wants some of those old friendships to be there in some form or another.
In this body I've gone day to day, bed at night and wake up in the morning, and the time just ticks on by with those tiny bits of erosion that cumulate to form the face that looks back at me from the mirror. I've spent my time with work and family and lately I've realized that I haven't made much time for my own relationships and contacts. Part of it is my personality, part of it is finding the time in the big city to really make those things happen. Places I've worked at in the past had quite a social atmosphere to them and made it easier to make that one night a week to just hang out and yakkity-yak. That hasn't been the case here and I've found it's quite wearing when you lack that outlet.
It's interesting to see how others have fared. There are a few from way back when that I'd really like to know where they've gone to and what they're doing.
I've got a 30k coming up this week. Weather's supposed to be wet snow. Blech!
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