Week 16/16: The End

Thank freaking God, it's over!
Started the week by eating as much pumpkin pie as my mouth could fit. After all there must be some healing properties to gourds...right? Especially the ones covered in whipped cream.

Tuesday: 1km. I attempted to get a 6km run in, but after the first 4 minutes I got some of the worst cramps in my stomach and had to turn around. This did not bode well. Terror begins to set in.
Wednesday: 10km. Before I headed out the bf said "You better make sure you finish this one!". Thanks alot for the support bf. But I was determined not to psych myself out. I had a lovely route, it was chilly but not too windy and my legs were well rested. And it was great. An amazing run. I give most of the credit to the podcase I was listening to. Phedippidations had this amazing episode where runners called in and gave inspirational stories, told jokes and gave race reports from around the world. The best part (and I realize what a geek this makes me) occurred when each of them one by one said the phrase "I am a runner". I got chills and a little bit teary just listening. It was brilliant. Because I am a runner too. And I was ready to prove it.

RACE DAY!: 21 km. Despite the fact that Royal Cab was 30 minutes late and I nearly made our driver cry - we got there. The morning was beautiful - cold and sunny. My legs felt great and I was keeping up a great pace. My goal was 2:10 and when the 2:15 pace bunny began darting in and out of my path I started to lose my mind. I gave up a few walk breaks, ran hard on the downhills and downed both my gels. I've been told that I'm not allowed to be sad about my time - 2:11. After all, it is 11 minutes faster than last year. All in all it was an amazing morning and I'm never happier than when I'm hearing the thunder of running feet all around me. My friend Erin said that finishing a long run is the closest she'll get to a legal high - she's definitely right, minus the patchouli stank.

Week 15/16: Rounding the bend

Last week before the big event and once again I'm battling a cold and sore legs. I didn't feel so bad about slowing down since technically I was supposed to be tapering, but still it was a pretty limited week.
Sunday: 20km. I didn't get out until midday despite my best efforts to simulate race morning. Took a gel out with me to give it a go before the big day and thank god for that, because I nearly collapsed about half way through. Pretty much had to haul my ass across University Ave just to get home, but I managed to make it alive. The next few days however were killer on my legs.
Wednesday: 4km. Treadmill run. Wanted to stop the entire time.
Thursday: 6km. Last track session. There were high school kids drinking on the bleachers - I was intimidated. Ran three laps, pulled a hamstring muscle on the last round and then came home defeated. Felt like I needed to marinate myself in an epsom bath for approx. 2 weeks.

Forbidden books for children

I found this list today while I was doing some genuine libeery work and found it inappropriately hilarious. Could be the early Christmas shopping that I did for a certain 5 year old today, or the fact that a close member of my urban family is about to squeeze a screaming, slimy head from between her legs...either way, my mind has been on kid lit lately. So here you go:

Index Liberis Prohibitorum - Index of Forbidden Books for Children
The Boy Who Died From Eating All His Vegetables
Curious George and the High-Voltage Fence
Daddy Drinks Because You Cry
Dad's New Wife Robert
Eggs, Toilet Paper, and Your School
Fun Four-letter Words to Know and Share
The Kids' Guide to Hitchhiking
The Little Sissy Who Snitched
The Magic World Inside the Abandoned Refrigerator
The Man in the Moon Is Actually Satan
Places Where Mommy and Daddy Hide Neat Things
Pop! Goes The Hamster...And Other Great Microwave Games
The Pop-Up Book of Human Anatomy
Some Kittens Can Fly
Strangers Have the Best Candy
Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
Whining, Kicking, and Crying to Get Your Way
Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
You Were an Accident
Your Nightmares Are Real
You're Different, and That's Bad

(source: Steven Olderr, Webmaster, Anglican Library Society)

Week 14/16: Dragging my ass out the door

This week was my first week back at after extended illness and then vacation. It was tough, and right now I can barely walk down the stairs without groaning...but dammit I did it.

Sunday: 10km. Didn't dare attempt the 15km that I was scheduled for. Barely made it to 3km before I started getting stitches. Continued for the rest of the run. Felt like crying by the time I got home, but at least I got my ass out the door. That's what mattered.
Monday: 5km. Morning run. Legs still felt heavy and sluggish, but no stitches today. Cold morning air felt really good.
Wednesday: 4km. Ran on treadmill, tried to focus on a quick turnover to wake my legs up. Still feeling a bit heavy but pace was good and breathing steady.
Friday: 3km quick run in the morning + 7km at the track in the evening. Ran 6 quick laps and felt really good. Legs feeling much more responsive and light.
Ended up leaving the track a bit early because a gaggle of teenagers showed up readying themselves for Beer Mile. Aw, these kids today with their drinking and their track & field.

I definitely need to start stretching more as my distances start to add up, but race day is coming up fast. I can hardly believe that it's time to start tapering!

Week 12&13/16: Fartleks in France and Sloth in Spain

Well sloth isn't entirely true. I did spend alot of energy searching for baguettes and cheese. My Sunday run was supposed to be upped to Saturday before our flight to Paris, unfortunately I was being a little generous with my schedule and wasn't able to fit it in. I did manage one run for the week.
Tuesday: 4km on the treadmill in our hotel. I ran while overlooking the Montparnasse cemetary where Simone de Beauvoir and Sartre are buried. Good run. Nothing like an acre of tombstones to get your motor running.
I did give myself permission to slow down on the training while we spent a week in France and a week in Spain. Good thing too, because this was my only run for the whole vacation.

Week 11/16: the week that wasn't.

This week I didn't run.
My immune system went on strike and I was banished to the couch.
The end.

Week 10/15: When my food baby went to heaven

Hallelujah my stomach woes have finally kicked the curb and I've been able to run without the fear of shit trailing behind me. Savor that image for a moment, won't you?
After the rather hilly and taxing long run on Sunday I had a good day of recovery on Monday. Lots of lying around watching Gossip Girl always does the trick.

Tuesday: 5km on the treadmill. Joints all felt fine but I had some strange pains in my lower back, this happens sometimes on the treadmill, throws my stance off I think. I was also running sprints that day, so there's that.
Thursday: 7 hills + 6km. Really, really good run. Hills felt good, practiced my downhill sprints using a technique I just read about in Runners World. Seemed to help with my knees. Only one week left of hills!
Friday: 5km. This was supposed to be a 6km morning run. Woke up to humidex of 30 degrees at 7am. This should be illegal. My British genes recoil from these temperatures and long for the fog and wind. Needless to say, it was not a good run. This was one of those days where I feared for my bowels. Lots of walking.
Sunday: 17 km. Ran a flat route across the Danforth this time, felt much better. The fact that it was approximately 20 degrees cooler than last week also helped. Felt really great. The bf caught up to me at the end of his 32 km run (show off) and forced my ass to pick up the pace and practically sprint home. Good times. I love those rare opportunities when we get to be one of those smug couples that runs together.

Week 9/15: Where the rhinestones come off

Upset tummy continued this week - and no, I do not blame Maple Leaf products for that upset.
I'm not sure what to blame. Allz I know is that there was a whole lot of pepto, ginger ale and gravol going on this week.

Aside from that loveliness, I also bought my first pair of running glasses! You may have noticed in my pic from the Midsummer Nights Run that I was sporting my pair of Nine West big, round, rhinestone-rimmed style. This has been my go-to pair for the better part of my running habit. Saddzies, I know.

Anyhoo, I got myself hooked up with a sweet little tortoise shell pair that I found at MEC. And I heart them real hard. No more pinching at the temples, no sweat pooling up on the bridge of my nose, no fellow runners laughing at my rhinestones.....

So here's how the week went:
Tuesday: 5km. Morning run. Felt good. Tried to add 10km in the evening, instead curled up with a bottle of Canada Dry on the couch. Thanks BF!
Thursday: 6 hills + 6km. Was feeling a little sick when I left the house and after 3 hills felt alot like rolfing. But I kept at it, 'cause that's what you do. Last 3 went great and really good run back.
Friday: 5km. HOT outside. Muggy as all get out. Was a suck = ran on treadmill.
Saturday: 6km. Hot again but a nice breeze. Made a game out of dodging students and crying mothers at UofT.
Sunday: 16km. Longest long run so far. Up to Eglinton, across and back. Loaded up on the sunscreen, grabbed a midrun Gatorade and felt really, really good...until I got to Bloor Street and then my stomach had something really important to say. Something that it just couldn't keep to itself. Something that needed to come up real fast. Managed to ignore it until I got back, but forced me to slow way down and practically walk the last 10 mins.

Here's hoping for a smoother week...

Week 8/16: The one with an upset tummy

I think I ate some bad feta somewhere along the way this week and I've been down and out ever since with fatigue and waves of nausea, no good for running. So aside from the belly aches here's how the week went:
Sunday and Monday were spent recovering from the race on Saturday. Legs felt really good though so I did some cross-training on the elliptical and climbing machines at the gym.
Tuesday: 4km. Good evening run.
Wednesday: 5 hills + 6km. Hills felt really great this week and I was up and down in no time. The cool weather that morning really helped with keeping me up and alert I think. I scheduled a massage for later that day as well, which was an excellent idea on my part.
Thursday: Cross-trained on bike.
Friday: Headed out to do a 6km but only managed 5.2. High humidity in the morning and a poopy stomach didn't help the situation. Ended up taking a sick day and lying on the bathroom floor for awhile.
Saturday: 4km. Good run. Effing hot. Got to see all the students unloading their parents vans, always enjoyable to see university students with Hello Kitty stuffed animals.
Sunday: Scheduled to run 15km but didn't wake up early enough to beat the heat. Ended up swapping for a shorter run of 4km, will have to make that up tomorrow when the heat goes away. Ran on the treadmill, 'cause I'm a baby la la.

I also went back to the Running Room yesterday because of some pains in the arch of my right foot. I just got new shoes in May so I figured maybe I needed an insert. The manager (who also sold me those shoes, tsk tsk) watched me run and shook his head like I was the sorriest runner he'd ever seen. Then he brought me out two other pairs of shoes, which I tried and he was much more pleased. He did a straight exchange for the new pair which are Brooks Adrenaline GTS8 - apparently very good for girls with high arches and rubber ankles. Three cheers for the Running Room, I love that place.
We'll see how the Brooks make it through the week.