Montreal Wind 1:20:49

Sunday, October 29, 2006

My flight was delayed yesterday because of de-icing line-ups in Edmonton (where my plane was coming from) so it made for a looong day. I got to my hotel at about 9:30pm and went immediately to buy some breakfast food (I bring a toaster with me so I can have breakie in) and some fruit and water.

It was incredibly blustery out this morning with rain/snow too boot, but I dragged my butt out and headed to Mont Royale for my long run. My cardio felt sluggish but my legs felt good. I pulled off of the main trail and took some technical trails for parts of the run at the top just to break things up a bit. Malcolm is getting back from the UK tomorrow so we won't hook up until the weekend. I took a little nap before our afternoon rehearsal. The rehearsal went well and it was a blast to see everyone again.

Today I did 58 minutes of easy-moderate running followed by some strides. My cardio felt better but the wind was still against me all the way up the mountain making it a frustrating run. Coming down was great with the wind on my back. I was flying!

We had another rehearsal this afternoon, one tomorrow morning and then we leave for Texas. Apparently there are miles of trails right next to the hotel we are staying at so I'll be able to do a goos WO on Thursday morning.

Gotta split!

Montréal-Bound 1:00:34

Friday, October 27, 2006

What a crazy day it was today. I had three deadlines to meet before I left today…I did it with not a minute to spare. Matty was kind enough to meet me a bit later so I could get some last minute stuff done at work. We did an easy run around the UVic trails including the section that runs through Mystic Vale followed by a few drills and strides. I am still feeling perky and am sad I have to leave and slow down training for the next two weeks. I should be able to get at least five runs in a week. Matty has scheduled some WOs in between rehearsals and concerts balancing them nicely with some time off to recover from traveling so I don’t get too worn out. These tours look like fun on paper but are actually exhausting. Luckily, the energy I get from singing with such an exquisite ensemble makes it all worth it…a lot like a runners high! It’s the traveling that poops you out. I have to be sure to get up and walk around during the longer bus rides and flights so I don’t get stiff. Anyway, a couple of easier training weeks will do me good. I think one of our concerts is being picked up by CBC radio and/or television....stay tuned!

I am taking a break from packing at the moment. I am almost done. My heart is heavy knowing I won’t see Joey for two weeks. Last year he was doing a gig in Montreal at the same time I was, so we got to hang out and spend some time together. I’ll be keeping busy so it will go by fast, I’m sure. My foster Mother may try and meet up with me in Montreal if the weather is good. She would be coming from Stratford and that region is right in the middle of the snow-belt. I hope she can make it!

I may not have loads of internet access so I may not be able to blog that much but I’ll do my best. Last year I had the use of Joey’s laptop so that made it easier.

Frisky Lake Run 1:20:19

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Today’s lesson with Selena was a goodie. I sure love working with her!

There was a small group out tonight at the lakes with just Me, Joey, Patty, Alan, Matty, Tim and Brent. Next week we start up at the Hills so there will be a whole whack of people raring to start the new WO. Mike C and Helena were there tonight too but were doing their own run.

I did a bit of extra running before the WO with Matty. Tonight the group did 5 x 4 minutes with 2 mins break. Matty suggested I do 6 x 4mins. I was feeling very frisky tonight and light on my feet. Matty made sure I stuck to 5-8km pace plan the whole way. When I finished the 6th we decided I could handle one more interval which I eased into. I have to say, that running at dusk is SO FUN!!! You feel like you are going much faster than what you are for some reason. I had a blast! Joey was the star tonight. We couldn’t believe how zippy he was. I think the stress of the opera is now off his shoulders so he is feeling energized again. Tim too was really flying in the first few intervals. I left my gloves near the 9km marker so Matty and I did the cool-down in that direction so I could retrieve them. It was pretty dark by then. Good thing for Matty’s neon white legs lighting up the path so we could see where we were going! Ha!

Joey just found out that our tenor bailed on us for the concert. Luckily for us, our good friend Ben Butterfield just moved into town. We all went to McGill together. I remember arriving at McGill and Ben who was a few years ahead of me, was already getting noticed. He went on to have have quite a successful International singing career but has now decided he wants to settle back down here in Victoria to spend more time with his family. My best friend from Calgary is singing the mezzo-soprano solos and she too is good friends with Ben so the concert should be a blast!

Easy Run-Pose 53:26

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

I saw Mike Coey this morning before work. I’m getting more range of motion in my back with every visit. He gave me some acupuncture points to press on to get some blood-flow going. He thinks it will help but eventually I will book to see and acupuncturist. He was funny as usual. We usually laugh a lot in the sessions. I felt great walking out of there as usual.

I decided to help Matty out with his WO tonight while I did my easy run. I tried to convince Joey to join us but he was not interested in running at 7:00….he made dinner instead and had it all ready when I got home…I’m spoiled, I know. Matty and I went out to the track at Parkland High in Sidney. He did sets of intervals on the track followed by some timed running on the grass soccer fields adjacent to the track. He had a strong WO and seemed pretty happy. Meanwhile, I ran on the track working on Pose and then moved on to the grass and tried to maintain the same feeling all at an easy pace. I went back and forth like this for about 35 minutes followed by some strides. My groin was a bit cranky towards the end but I stopped before it got worse.

Track WO 1:27:20

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

I met Matty at the track right after work. This week is going to be a harder week since I will be away next week and may not get in as many WOs as I want. Matty has agreed to start coaching me so he will give me some WO’s while I am away on tour. Malcolm will be able to do some of them with me for the days I am in Montreal but I’ll be on my own for the rest. The tricky part is finding places to run in cities I am not familiar with. I am going to do some research on the internet before I leave once I get the information on what hotels we will be staying at.  

We did a good 40 minute warm-up and then met the IRR gang at the track. There was a very large group out and the two new girls have come back! Matty was in charge and passed along Boob’s WO since he is away this week. Nanc showed up too so we got a chance to catch up with each other during the dynamics which was fun.

The WO was 600m (200 rest) 300m x 4 with 500m set breaks. Ken and I ran together with Matty helping us keep a solid pace. I took the first 600 very easy to warm-up my track legs. I haven’t been on the track in a few weeks so I didn’t go out hard. The next three felt really fluid. I timed the 600s at: 2:01, 1:56, 1:52 and 1:50. Matty suggested breaking the 300s down in three sections of moderate-fast-faster without straining and said to put my watch away so I didn’t get any timings on these. We did a good cool-down of just over 20 minutes with the group. My legs feel good and were happy to be back on the track! Everyone seemed to be pleased with their efforts tonight and there was a really good group atmosphere.

UVic Trails 1:00:17

Monday, October 23, 2006

Tonight Matty and I did the usual UVic trail run after work. That will be the last time until the spring. We’re going to have to find another route that’s lit. We ran at a nice relaxed pace up until the last 10 minutes or so. We did a nice bit of tempo running to finish off the run and then a few pose drills/strides on the grass.

Joey and I went to hear John and Christiane sing at a recital at UVic tonight. John dedicated a song from a musical to Joey called “Joey”. It’s a tune he always sings when he sees him. We have never heard the entire song before, just the repeated “Joey, Joey, Joey” chorus. It was hilarious. John sings with such a twinkle in his eye so he just makes you smile when he sings!

Long Run 1:27:56

Sunday, October 22, 2006

It was a bit painful getting up this morning but Joey and I did manage to drag our butts out of bed for our Sunday run. We met Shan and Matty in the p-lot at 9:00. Matty and ran a very comfy first lap in 45:15 and then picked it up just a smidge in the last half of the second loop. My body felt really good and even my energy was up despite the lack of sleep. It was another spectacular morning with a lot of cheery runners and walkers enjoying the sunshine.

Joey and Shan made it back to the fountain after two laps with big smiles on their faces. I chatted with Katie and her Dad, Stephanie and Tiffany for a few minutes while Matty did bit of extra running at a very quick tempo pace. He was flying!

Joey and I spent the day walking around downtown getting back home in the late afternoon only to crash on the couch for a well-deserved nap before heading out to see TPB the movie. We met Jarhead, Syl and Dave there who were already loaded up with popcorn and drinks. The movie was absolutely silly and hilarious!

BC X-Country Championships 1:22:19

Saturday, October 21, 2006

I asked Christiane Riel who is singing the lead role in the opera right now for a singing lesson. The only time she had, was this morning so she came over at 10:45. She was very helpful and teaches with a very similar approach as Selina. We could have kept going but I finally had to stop the lesson at 12:10 in order to make it in time to register for the x-country race. We have made arrangements to have a few lessons while I am in Montreal next week.

We had a gorgeous day for the race today. Joey came out to cheer along with Dave, Matty and Roland. I was really pleased with my run and the energy from the spectators was incredible! I started out relaxed and stuck to the plan of picking it up and trying to pass as many people as I could once I found a good rhythm. I ended up coming in 2nd place after a valiant effort to catch Kirsty in the last lap. This race was much more enjoyable than the last couple of races...The best part was that my back felt really good the entire time.

I did a cool-down with Kate who also had a great race today and her friend Adrienne. We watched the men’s race as we jogged around the course a few times stopping a lot to cheer them on. I saw Mike Coey on the course and we chatted a bit about the race and what he saw as far as body alignment. He said my upper-left side looked a bit locked and that my right side was moving too much so he is going to keep working on trying to free up my lower back. I am also going to have a few sessions with Malcolm while I am in Montreal to try and improve my upper body form. He will likely video-tape me running so I can get a better idea on what I am doing and how to fix it.

Joey dropped me off at Cedar Hill on the way home and I did a loop around the golf course so I could get a proper cool-down in.

I ate a good lunch, had a nap on the couch and then had an ice-bath to help with the recovery.

Tonight was closing night for the opera. Dave, Matty and I had great seats and could see the Maestro really well. It was a beautiful show with some world-class singing. Christiane was incredible as was the tenor. I was so proud of Joey! It wasn’t an easy opera to conduct and I felt he did wonderful things with orchestra.

We all went to the Vista 18 afterwards for the cast party and didn’t get home until 1:30...brutal but well worth it! Congrats Giuse!

Cruisey at the Lakes 1:02:13

Thursday, October 19, 2006

I had another lesson today with Saloon (a new nick-name). The new aria is going well so far.

I loved tonight’s run. I felt much better running on the even terrain at the lakes. Bummer. I really like running X-country too.

Matty and I did about 15 minutes of extra running before meeting the IRR gang. Their WO was 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 mins. Matty, Patty and I just did a cruisey run around the lakes with a slight pick-up in the last 10 minutes. The temperature was perfect and I soaked it all in knowing that was one of our last night runs in the daylight until the spring.

Tonight is Joey’s second last show and he is eager to get back running. We didn’t have anything at home to eat so Matty and I grabbed dinner out-there was loads of eye-candy for Matty to feast on at Earl's tonight. Wow.

I realized after we parked that I had not brought my key to get back into our building so we had to rush over to the theatre minutes before the 8:00 start. Luckily, one of the musicians was late so I was able to sneak in through the artist’s entrance and get down to his dressing room just before he was about to go into the pit! Ha!

Lambrick 1:13:36

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

It was a dark rainy day today. I had a lesson with Selena that went well. Joey told me that I needed to learn a new aria for the concert since he has decided to go with four soloists instead of five. It’s a pretty aria, nothing tricky in it so it shouldn’t be a problem.

I didn’t feel great at tonight’s WO but plugged along and got it done. I felt like my legs just wouldn’t turn over. There were only a few of us there and I had no one to run with so the motivation wasn’t there. The ground was pretty soggy already so by Saturday it will be good and muddy for the race.

My body is thrashed after tonight’s run. My back/groin is super achy...brutal! I think the XC terrain may be aggravating my injury. What a drag, man!

Easy...Again! 41:10

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I walked Johanna over to the track tonight to meet the IRR gang for the first time. She is going to give training a go. I warned her that she would feel like crap for at least a month until the training sets in. What a nice thing to say! I didn’t run the track WO tonight but will do a XC WO tomorrow at Lambrick with Ron’s group. I ran Johanna’s warm-up with her, about 15 minutes at a very easy pace. I stayed while Boob made some introductions since we had a few new runners then Matty and I did 30 minutes on the trails around the University, nice and easy. We did a few strides on the grass and then met up with the group just as they were finishing up. Everyone seemed really happy with the WO and there was a great energy…yay!

My ankle is still sore but it’s not getting any worse. I spent the night icing it and taking it easy with the exception of my core routine and weights.

Easy 53:23

Monday, October 16, 2006

Work is finally slowing up a bit. It was pretty hectic there for a while but now that the students are in their routine I am far less busy.

Matty and I did an easy-paced run around the Uvic trails followed by a few strides on the grass. Last week Matty and I accidentally wore the same colored shorts and t-shirts and were also wearing the exact same running shoes. It was really funny…I couldn’t stop laughing. I thought Matty was going to bail on the run altogether! This week we managed not to make the same mistake.

My right ankle is a bit tender so I think I need to switch to new shoes. Joey made a new crock-pot recipe and invited Matty over for dinner. He also made a pear and endive salad. Delish!

Thetis 1:13:21

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Matty picked me up to go do our long run at Thetis. It was raining quite bit as we were driving there but it turned to a light drizzle soon after we started running. We bumped into Meghan, Cheryl and Mike as they were finishing off their run. We started out with a nice easy pace. I felt a bit more tired than usual but I think it was the glass of wine I had with dinner last night that was making me feel blah. We picked it up a bit in the last 30 minutes and ended the run with a soak in the lake. We stood thigh deep and watched and laughed as dogs hurled themselves into the lake water to chase after balls and sticks that their owners threw out for them to retrieve. One dog had stolen another dog’s ball so the owner had to go over and force the ball out of his mouth only to find a second ball shoved further back into his throat. We were laughing because he had such a guilty look on his face!

I got home to find that Joey had left to go on his own long run at the lakes. He took his ipod and said it wasn’t raining at all when he left so it wasn’t too bad. I gave the place a good cleaning and then we went downtown to hang out and do some shopping. The opera had a reception that night so I needed to buy something to wear. I managed to find something just in time. Dave came with us to the do and I think he had a good time. They had the reception right on stage with the opera sets still in place. There were hor’doeurves and free booze, so what’s not to like!?

Lambrick Park 1:18:51

Saturday, October 14, 2006

We had a WO this morning at Lambrick Park. We did two sets of 4 x 3 minutes with 2 mins rest. I started cautiously, making sure I didn’t “race’ or go out too hard and really focused on keeping my upper body from twisting. The grass at Lambrick is so much more cushy compared to Beacon Hill so I was able to let go a bit more. I felt good today and finished feeling like I had another one in me…a good sign that the intensity was right. Kirsten and I were the only girls out there so we trailed behind the guys keeping our own rhythm.

Joey and I had lunch together and then we headed over to see Mike Coey for my appointment. I felt great walking out of there so I think my body is getting used to the treatments.

We spent the rest of the day shopping and then hanging out at home. Joey had a show tonight so he took his usual late afternoon nap. I was bagged too so I joined him but couldn’t fall asleep. It was still nice just to veg out.

Lisa picked me up and we headed to Brasserie L’école to meet Shan there for dinner. Jennie was supposed to come but her plans changed. We did think of her and said we would just have to come back and eat there again when she can come! We had a super chatty night while eating the best steak and frites in town!

Sushi Num-Nums!

Friday, October 12, 2006

No running today. Joey and I hung out together all night. We went to Zen Sushi and had the best meal! MMMMMM Sushi!!

Getting Better! 1:17:15

Thursday, October 12, 2006

I had a wonderful lesson today…at last! I knew things were coming along and Selena heard a difference this week. The patient, nit-picky work paid off!

Matty and I did an extra 20 minutes with Ken at the lakes before we hooked up with the IRR group. They did a 4 x 5 minute WO while we just continued to run at an easy pace around the lakes. I felt fine when we got back so I did a five minute out and back while Matty and Patty did their own racey out and back running waaay ahead of me. I took the alone time to work on my form, stopping to do some pose drills and then thinking about the Alexander Technique stuff Malcolm taught me…soft neck, head forward and up, lengthening the spine while widening through the back, shoulder blades are heavy and relaxed low, arms swing low and in a forward direction…I started feeling better towards the end.

Tonight was opening night of Manon Lescaut. Joey said it went well and was pretty happy. I can’t wait to see it! Matty and I are going closing night. That’s the best night to go since there is a party up in the Vista afterwards at the Chateau Victoria. Last year I took Syl and I think he really enjoyed it. I hope Matty isn’t bored to death…opera isn’t for everyone!

Singing Yay, Running Yuk 1:18:11

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Singing has been going well this week. I am trying not to jinx it but I feel I am getting back on track.

Joey picked me up from work and we went to the lakes together. We met Eric and Shawn there. Ron’s WO for us was 15 easy running, 5 moderate and then 15-20 picking it up to a brisk tempo. Everything felt fine for me until the brisk tempo part. Once again my pelvis was achy and I felt stuck. The harder I tried to run fast the slower I went so I finally gave in and just cruised the last 10 minutes. Eric K joined us for the second part of the WO. We were to do 6-8 hill repeats on the hill near the 1km marker. The first hill felt great for me and then the others were yukky. I must have strained my groin last week, possibly at the Beacon Hill race. The surface there was as hard as cement and I stupidly wore spikes. Oh well, I am sure this will pass. Joey did an easy run with Arturo for a part of the way around the lakes and then plugged himself into his ipod when Arturo turned around to head back on his own.

Easy at UVic 1:00:06

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Matty and I did about 60 minutes of running tonight through the UVic trails chatting most of the way. Mt pelvis is still feeling a bit awry but it’s getting better. We did a few easy strides on the grass and felt more fluid with each one. I concentrated on keeping my back from twisting and arms low, swinging forward and was careful not to strain.

Tonight was Joey’s dress rehearsal for the opera. Shan and Syl were supposed to go but both had to bail. I gave the tickets to Laurel and her daughter instead.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Friday Zilch

I popped into Island Runner after work to pick up Boob’s gift from the club. Phil had a really nice running jacket put aside for Boob so I bought it and left for the IRR dinner. Once again, Phil sent me off with a pile of running gear for me to wear. I am spoiled!

There was a pretty big turn-out at Il Greco for the pre-race IRR dinner. Pan’s Mom was there and made sure we were all happy and helped us keep the secret that we had a gift for Boob at the front desk with a card for everyone to sign. Thanks Joyce! It was a fun night and everyone was pumped for the race.

Saturday 30:09

I got to sleep in a bit this morning which was a treat. I did my warm-up run after breakfast along the Goose. My legs felt rested but I felt pretty sluggish. I ran easily and did a few short pick-ups but my energy was pretty low and basically felt like a bag o’ crap the rest of the day (likely, thanks to a brutal period…charming, I know). I called Ron but we couldn’t seem to connect but realized there was not much I could do about it.

Sunday 1:39:25

Joey and I got up and had breakfast together. It was still dark outside and it was raining but we figured it would likely just drizzle during the race. We got downtown, parked and started to run the 8km route as the warm-up. My energy was a bit better with the adrenaline starting to kick in. I did a few pick-ups and then headed to the start-line. It was so great to see everyone all pumped up, doing their strides and there was even some razzing going on all in good fun! The race was not the best, energy-wise for me. I was struggling to keep my cadence and form right from the get-go. I tried everything to get that perky feeling going but it just didn’t happen. Even so, I managed to run a decent time (28:41) so it’s nice to know that on a bad day I can still survive and do ok. It felt like I was running much slower than a sub- 29 minute pace so that was a nice surprise at least. Anyway, the thrill of the day for me came a few minutes later seeing Joey sprinting to the finish in under 34 minutes. He looked awesome!

Matty joined Joey and me on the cool-down run. We watched the early part of the marathon near Beacon Hill. We saw Alan, Deby and Brent go by at about the 7km marker. We then went to the Beacon Hill Drive-In and had a nice relaxing breakfast. Joey had rehearsal so he had to leave after the meal. Matty and I went back to Dallas and waited at the 39km mark. Not long afterwards we saw Steve rounding the bend and he looked like he was completely in control and as smooth as butter! We checked our watches and estimated he was on track for a great time. Karen drove by on her bike and said that indeed he was on track. As soon as Steve cruised by us, we ran over to the finish line and witnessed his incredible finish as he broke the course record, a moment he has been training hard for, for a long time. The crowd went wild and I had huge goose-bumps and got teary-eyed knowing Steve had accomplished a major feat. We were all so proud of him.

We headed back up close to the last km marker and got to watch the rest of the marathoners come in. We cheered Deby, Alan and Brent as they went by…way to go guys! I went home shortly after that, took a shower and headed for the couch. I was bagged.

Monday 1:00:06

Joey and I slept in and had a relaxing morning, drinking coffee and chatting. I practiced (it went better today!) and then met Matty, LeRoo and her friend Paul for an easy run around the lakes. It was a gorgeous day. After a soak in the lake, I headed home, cleaned up the place a bit and made dinner! I did a chicken curry dish. I thought I burned it (that would have been just brilliant) but it turned out just fine. Joey teased that it was the only dish I ever make...it's sort of true. Matty came over and brought some fresh veggies from hs folks' garden and a loaf of his Mom's home-made bread! MMMM-Mmmmmm!!!

Easy at the Lakes 1:06:22

Thursday, October 5, 2006

I had a so-so lesson with Selena today. I got a bit off track over the summer while she was away. I am sure I will be back on a roll soon….didn’t I say that last week?

It was a really small group tonight at the lakes which is usually the norm the week before RVM. Everyone is doing their own taper routine. Matty and I did some easy warm-up running along with some Pose drills before the rest of the group arrived. Syl showed up for the first time in ages. Boob, Alan, Deby and Patrick were there too. We did a loop of the lakes with a few short pick-ups to get some turn-over going. Syl agreed to accompany me to the RVM reception so I did a really quick change in the washroom at the lakes (ew!) and jumped in the car and following cowboy Sylvan to the Oak Bay Hotel. It was a really nice evening with loads of finger foods but I was starving so I left after about an hour. Joey came home after his rehearsal and I was on my way to bed…like two ships passing…

Relax, Dude! 51:22

Wednesday, October 4, 2006

Singing lately hasn’t been going too hot. Darn! I think I am trying too hard. I hate that. This can happen before concerts. You want to do it right so badly you trip yourself up. I have to try not to care so much. I hate my ego!!

I met Boob at his office today for an easy run. We bumped into Pierre who joined us part of the way. We ran a small section of the lakes talking about race tactics and what race distances we liked running. It was a gorgeous night to be out and I soaked it all in knowing it will be one of the last after work runs in day light. Boob and I went down to the weight room. I didn’t do much, just a few core exercises since the big 8k race is on Sunday. I did a big seven chin-ups…will I ever reach eight?!

Round 'n' Round 1:12:07

Tuesday, October 3, 2006

I had another session with Mike today. He said my pelvis got locked up again likely due to the track run last week back–to-back with my long run. He said he wasn’t too worried about it and that he still thinks he can get my pelvis loosened up. Maybe I need to take belly-dancing lessons or something to loosen me up!

This week is the last week IRR is at Beacon Hill Park. Mostly everyone is doing the full or half-marathon so Rob gave a WO specific for them. I was to do 1 (1) - 2 (2) - 3(3) x 3 or 4 sets. Matty and Sean did the WO with me. We ran the intervals around the mile loop while the others did a couple of mile repeats. The workout felt good. I tried to keep a fast turn-over without muscling or trying too hard...fast, light feet…That’s the ticket! Matt wants to get back into Pose drills and so we’re going to back on that routine.

Easy 44:58

Monday, October 2, 2006

My legs felt pretty frisky tonight for some bizarre reason. Perky days like this seem random at times. Weird. Matty and I did one loop at the lakes chatting the whole way at a comfy pace. Marathoners are tapering this week so it was incredibly serene there today for a change. We bumped into Pierre running home from work and stopped to chat for a few minutes. When we got back to the fountain, Matty did a small out and back while I opted to stretch and do a few drills and strides. My groin is definitely better this week…just a bit achy but at least I am not getting any sharp pains.

Bazett Farm 1:16:51

Sunday, March 1, 2006

I went up to Duncan with Matty to run the Bazett Farm X-country race…well, we just ran at our usual long-run pace, but Boob was there and ran it in race mode. It was nice to see Gar there. I was amazed at how fast those guys covered that tricky course. It was really bumpy and the footing was very precarious but what an awesome little race. I loved the atmosphere and the fact that there were so many kids running. Great fun! After the race, Matty and I continued along the roads nearby and did another 45-50 minutes of running adventure running. It was pretty hilly no matter what direction we went so we called it a day after about 75 minutes. My legs felt good today. My groin was achy at the start but warmed up after about ten minutes and was fine the rest of the run. We both had to scoot back to Victoria, but stopped at Subway for a bite and indulging in a DQ treat for dessert….it was right next door so how could we resist!

Beacon Hill X-C 59:36

Saturday, September 30, 2006

I had a nice relaxed singing practice this morning. It’s so nice to have the luxury of not having to rush out the door to work when things are going well. Not that it was going that well but at least I could take my time and work through things slowly.

I didn’t have wheels again this morning so Matty was kind enough to pick me up and drive me to the race at Beacon Hill. After I registered we hung out a bit and then I hooked up with Kate for a warm-up run. My back and groin felt good much to my relief. Even the strides felt excellent so I was feeling good and confident at the start line. The start of the race was super fast as is usual it seems at x-country races. The plan was to see if I could keep Lucy in my sights. I gave it a shot feeling smooth and quick but after about a km into the race she pulled easily away leaving me and Natasha to battle it out. I tried! I knew I was in trouble though coming into the end of the first lap. I felt much like I did for the 3km road race a couple of weeks ago when I started out too hard. My breath was high and my legs were not turning-over. Natasha pulled away shortly after we crested the first hill. I thought I would get a second wind along the Dallas Road stretch but the rest of the race was spent struggling just to keep moving forward and with 2km still to go, I was not thrilled. I managed to stay in third position but it wasn’t a stellar race for me. I am guessing/hoping it was just the fast start that got me in a hole and can chalk it up to a good lesson at the beginning of x-country season.

After the race I hung out with Jennie, Deby, Boob, Jarhead and Matty all of whom came out to watch and cheer us all on! Thanks you guys! Thanks again Matty for carting my bag around! I then did a cool-down with Kate and some of the UVic girls. Kate and I got caught up a bit. I know she is going to have a brilliant race season and look forward to her results in Arizona!

Boob had to go Island Runner to buy some shoes and offered me a lift. Phil said he would have some gear there for me but it turned out the stuff hadn’t come back from the screeners. I got a lift home, took a shower and then headed to Ferris’ with Pan-Pan and Lin. We met Squintch and Jarhead there and had a really entertaining dinner with Pan and Squintch razzing each other…just like old times! Joey joined us later on and had a late dinner.