Times Colonist 10km (36:16) 1:25:05

Sunday, April 29, 2007

It sure was a beautiful day for a race…at least that’s what I thought as I stood at the start line this morning. The sun was out, the birdies were chirping, it wasn’t too hot or too cool…perfect. I went out pretty quick at the start but wanted to see if I could hold the pace if I stayed focused. Matty didn’t want me to worry about a time but to try and hold on to some faster runners. Phil and Paul O cruised by me soon after the first km and I was intent on going with Phil. Phil told me to try and hold on since they were holding a steady pace. After about 500m however, it was clear to me that Paul’s “steady pace” was moving into a two minute PR for me…uh…buh-bye! Ha! He was quickly pulling away from us so I focused on just hanging on to Phil. He slowed up a bit so I passed him just before the turn around and that’s when things got ugly. As soon as we started running the other direction along Dallas Rd the wind hit us like a ton of bricks. I was now alone with a pack of guys far too ahead of me to catch up to. Phil heroically put a surge in and purposely got in front of me to help pull me up the hill to Clover Point. He gave me some encouraging words just at the right time and dropped off again leaving me to fight the wind on my own. I was starting to hurt and the wind was really wearing me down. Once again Phil caught up to me and had me tuck in behind him for another 400m which was a life-saver but he dropped off again. Moments later just before the 6km marker, another set of steps came from behind and I could see in the shadow on the ground that this runner had two small pig-tails…crap! I thought, here we go. KR breezed by me quite easily and momentarily, I gave in and was about to shut down when I remembered what Fatty was drilling into my head all week 'if someone passes you, don't let them go. Focus on their back and think of nothing else, see nothing else and don’t let the gap get bigger no matter what'. So, I surged ahead and got right in behind  her and did just that. Good gawd I wanted to stop about a dozen times. I think we both did! The section along Dallas from Beacon Hill to the breakwater is where I can pick up speed on the downhill but that bloody head-wind made it feel like I was running uphill instead! It was demoralizing! At the 8km we finally got out of the wind and that’s when the real fun began. KR and I played a stubborn game of cat and mouse, each taking turns leading, pushing each other, surging back and forth, hoping the other would crack.  With about 800 meters to go, I made my move and opened up my stride, dug deeper still and managed to pull away. Today’s race wasn’t my best time-wise but mentally it was a great race experience. I learned that at the point (s) I feel like I have to stop that there is actually more in the tank to give. Giuse took nearly 3 minutes off of last year’s TC time…even with the wind factor! Ased who has been fighting a cold these past couple of weeks managed a new sub 35 minute PB…just brilliant!

Matty told me after the race that I won some money. When I looked on-line and saw that I won $1200 I nearly fainted!

Willie's to Willows 43:22

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Finally…a beautiful sunny morning! What a nice day to be out and about. Matty and I did a leisurely loop around the lakes taking the short route around and did a couple of short pickups near the end. My legs were itching to run fast. I did some strides while waiting for Matty to do an extra out and back. Giuse did a 20 minute run at the same time with some strides so I hung around until he got back. He did a few strides too and looked pretty zippy.

We went for brunch at Willie’s bakery downtown and then hung out for an hour at Willow’s to catch some rays and relax on the beach. Squintch joined us and then came over for dinner. He brought the latest DVD collection of Family Guy so we spent the night laughing our heads off! I can't get enough of that show.

Day Off

Friday, April 27, 2007

No running to report today. Giuse and I picked up out race packages for Sunday’s TC 10km this afternoon to try and beat Saturday’s crowds. I had been placed in the yellow section for some reason but luckily Syl was there and once again saved the day and got me a seeded number…thanks Syl!

Sometimes I Can Cook... 44:26

Thursday, April 26, 2007.

This weather is sucking the big one. We got totally wet tonight. Luckily the run was short and sweet. We did a15 minute warm up, 5 x Mount Tolmie hill and a warm down. The section of the hill we ran was steep but short. These hill repeats felt pretty good. My legs felt rested and the hip flexors were recovered.

I made another killer spaghetti sauce tonight. The Chorizo sausage is the key!

Perky Legs! 46:20

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

I had another good lesson this week…consistency is good! Enjoy it Mar!

My legs felt surprisingly perky tonight. I thought I would be stiff and sore from yesterday’s 200s but instead I was rarin’ to go. Matty pulled the reigns in though and I kept the pace easy running along the UVic trails. I did five good strides on the grass field next to the track. These felt good too. Sure enough, my hip flexors felt a bit stiff that night. I was working on the computer and got up to get a glass of water and ya…delayed reaction.

Speedy Night 1:03:21

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

The UVic track was busy tonight. Brent had the UVic runners out doing some speed work. We had a pretty big IRR group show up too. I did 8 x 200m with 90 second rests while Matty mixed in a few 300m reps. I worked on turn-over. The reps felt pretty good, not as smooth as I would like but better than two weeks ago. I know things will get better when we start doing more track WOs over the next few weeks. My times were pretty consistent though so I was pleased with that. (31-33-33-33-33-33-32-32) Craig O joined us in the last one. We finished off with a couple of 150s switching gears every 50m. My legs felt so wobbly and weak doing these! Ha! Giuse had a very good WO too. It seems his new light-weight trainers are working for him.

Easy Run 47:42

Monday April 23, 2007

I had a good singing practice this morning. It’s nice to be back on track!

Matty and I did a relaxed run on the UVic trails after work followed by  5 strides on the in-field of the track. It was such a beautiful day but it looks like we’re in for a rainy week. When I got home, Giuse announced that a parcel arrived from the organizers of the Carlsbad race. Inside was a plaque, a pair of beach sandals and a really spiffy Mizuno knapsack. I guess these were the prizes for coming in 2nd in my age category. I didn’t even know I had won anything so that was a nice surprise.

Sunday at the Lakes 59:33

Sunday, April 22, 2007

We did our usual Sunday morning at the lakes running just one loop plus a quicker paced out and back. Giuse ran with Lise and Squintch while Matty and I ran in the opposite direction. We crossed paths a couple of times and Matty and I laughed at the sight of Squintch towering over Lise and Giuse as they ran beside him. I spent the rest of the day doing some errands downtown with Giuse and then taking some quiet time sitting on our balcony with a book and enjoying the warmth of the sun. Squintch came over after supper to watch the latest TPB episode. I can’t believe that show can get any sillier but it does!

Tempo WO 55:56

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Last night was a night out with four great gals, Shan, Lise, Jennie and Jen. We met at Sauce had a great meal and got caught up on each others lives…a super night!

This morning’s WO was at Juan de Fuca. Matty and I ran a solid twenty minute tempo run. I had a sore throat the day before but it was gone by this morning (whew!). I really tried to hold back a bit and stay in the threshold zone. I felt pretty good but I think I still went a bit too quick.

Giuse and I went for brunch afterwards and then we met up with LeRoo and had a peek at her new bathroom…beautiful. She and I and spent the rest of the day doing some serious shopping while Giuse did some work on some scores for an upcoming concert.

Lovely Night at the Lakes 1:21:34

It was a gorgeous night for a WO. It was sunny and cool with no wind. The only drag was that the bugs were out in full force. I ate quite a few tonight, blah! I forgot my shorts so I was overdressed in ¾ tights tonight…ugh! At least I had a t-shirt with me. As Matty and I started our warm-up we saw Shan playing with Lola interrupting her doggie training session…sorry there Shan! We did an easy 15 minutes and then met up with a very large IRR group. We had two new women out tonight plus all the regulars showed up. The new women were terrified at first but ran the WO really well, had a good time announcing at the end that they would be back for more runs. Yay! Boob gave us 5 x 4 minutes with 2 minutes. Matty had already decided we would do 6 or 7 reps of 4 minutes. I had a really good WO tonight. My legs felt frisky yet relaxed and my breathing was low and controlled…nice. Matty was flying despite having some stomach issues. John joined me in the last interval with which helped me hold the pace. The whole group ran well tonight. We should have some good results at the TC next weekend.

Easy Wednesday

I had a really terrific Lesson today with Selena. I thought I was on the right track these past couple of weeks. It's certainly getting back on track...whew!

The run today was short and easy around the UVic trails. We'll be doing a WO tomorrow so the legs will be really ready to go by then.

Feeling Good! 52:15

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Matty said we would stay off the track tonight and instead do 6 x 2 minutes with 90 second breaks on the UVic trails, a short quality WO just to work on turn-over and still get some recovery. My legs felt pretty good. No soreness, surprisingly. I didn’t push hard tonight, just kept a quick rhythm going. We’ll get back to regular WO effort on Thursday.

I did my cool-down on the infield at the UVic track while the IRR gang was doing their drills before their WO. I have never seen the track so busy. Pacific Athletics had a huge group out along with the Vikes and team Gobi.

So our plan for me this summer is to run the TC and then start training for track season. Boob said that there are a number of other IRR members who also want to run track so we are going to start a Saturday morning track session after the TC. I’ll take a break after track and then start half-marathon training. We wanted to run the National Half-marathon Championships in August but this event got canceled (argh!!) so we may have to wait and run the RVM in October…not ideal since this conflicts with x-country season…

Recovery Run 43:37

Monday, April 16, 2007

Another weekend slipped by and where I didn’t get a chance to sing. I had a good session this morning though so I feel less guilty. I will be seeing Selena for a lesson on Wednesday. I’ve been asked to sing again at the church I sang at last year. I have to try and find a couple of pieces that correspond with his sermon theme. It won’t be easy.

Tonight’s run was an easy run around the UVic trails. My legs feel pretty good, cardio feels good. It was tempting to pick up the pace since my legs felt pretty perky but I was a good girl and kept it cruisey.

Vancouver Sun Run 35:08 (1:21:03)

Sunday, April 15, 2007

I met Cheryl and Nancy in the lobby to do a warm-up before the race. We did an easy 20 minute run down Georgia to the park and back. I went back to the hotel and met Matty in the lobby and still had a good half-hour to wait before the start of the race. He suggested I run a bit more and do a pick up or two to stay warm. I was feeling very tired which was a bit worrisome. Our hotel window faced on to the street below, a block from the actual race start. At about 2:30am we heard trucks backing up, port-o-potties being delivered etc. We should have asked for a room higher up. I did a few strides and a few minutes before 9am we were herded backwards to make sure everyone was behind the line. I felt like I was drowning wedged in beside all these tall runners. We were so crammed in, my nose was actually touching someone’s back in front of me and a guy behind me tugged at my pony-tail because it was apparently hitting his chin…get me out of here! The start was fast…holy. It’s a downhill start and it seemed everyone was just going for it. I kept telling myself to stay relaxed and let the hill spin you down. I tucked in behind buddy Cheryl and even managed to move in front for a bit but just before the 3km marker she started to pull away. I was starting to hurt already and couldn’t seem to focus so trying to stick with her was just too risky. By 5km I was getting my focus back. I saw KS up a little ways and could see I was gaining on her. I caught her on the small hill just before the Burrard St. Bridge. Matty was there yelling…keep goin’! I was in a pocket with no one around but feeling good for the next couple of kms until a couple of guys thankfully pulled up from behind to give me another push. I hung on to them as we pulled each other up and over the Cambie St. Bridge and feeling pretty strong. I had no clue what time I was at until I could see the clock. When I saw 34:56..57…I couldn’t believe my eyes! I finished in 35:08. I was thrilled! What a speedy course. A bunch of us did an easy 20 minute cool-down including Matty who did his own WO today running from the start to the 5km marker and then back to the finish in time to watch me run. He was pretty happy with today’s result too. The hard work has paid off…thanks Fatty! We snuck up behind the back of the truck Syl was in. We saw him through the window doing his timing thing. He slid a copy of the top ten male and female finishers through a crack in the window all the while still typing away on his computer…Way to go Syl!

I called Giuse when we got back to the hotel but he was in rehearsal so I left a message. I think he too was surprised that I had run under 36 mins!

Some splits: 3km 9:58, 5km 17:17?, 8km 28:03

Easy run 46:10

Saturday April 14, 2007

Matty and I did a pre-race run around the lakes at a very comfy pace with a few quick pick-ups at the end followed by a few strides. My pick-ups and strides felt really smooth and relaxed. We headed to Vancouver in the early afternoon so we would have time to pick up my race package. Cheryl hooked up with us on the ferry and needed a lift so we all went together. It was crazy busy at BC Place. As Cheryl and I were waiting to get our race number, Syl popped out from behind some curtain (who knows what he was doing back there!) to say hi.

A Few Hill Repeats 49:20

Thursday, April 13, 2007

There was a pretty big turnout tonight at the lakes. Matty and I did a warm-up before the group arrived and then ran part of their warm-up as far as the small hill near the 1km marker. Ased, Ian and Dave ran by us just as we were about to start the hill repeats…great to see you Ased! We did 5 x 30 second repeats on the far side of the hill…short and fast. Legs felt good. After the warm-down I waited around for the IRR group to come back. We had a Sooke race meeting at a pub near by right after the run. It was great to catch up with everyone although it took forever for us to get our meals. The draw prizes for the race are set to go. Thanks to everyone who helped out!

Easy Run 50:51

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

We ran around the UVic trails tonight after work. My legs felt better tonight than last night so it was a very pleasant run. We ran last few minutes at a quicker pace and finished off with some strides on the track.

Fatty taught me how to juggle in California so I’ve been practicing with tennis balls that I bought on the weekend. When I got home tonight I started practicing a bit with Joey watching and laughing at each of my klutzy attempts. I handed the balls over to him so he could give it a try and to my absolute amazement he did it like a pro…on the very first try! He swears he has never tried to juggle before but I still can’t believe him. It blew my mind…what a bugger! Everything comes so easily to him! Good thing I can run faster than him…for now! Ha!

Squintchy came over (tried a few lame attempts at juggling) and we went to the Penny Farthing for a bite. Always fun to spend some time with the Squintch!

Track WO 1:03:10

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

I was a bit lazy this weekend in the singing department so I made sure I got in a good session this morning before work. Selena is away this week teaching for the young artists program with the Calgary Opera so that gives me some time to get back at it. I didn’t sleep too well last night but I managed to get a good practice in.

Classes are over at UVic so things have quieted right down giving me some time to get a few back-burner things done at work.

Matty had a stomach bug so he didn't run but he did meet me at the track for support and to make sure I didn’t slack off….good thing too because tonight during the warm-up my legs felt heavy and I really didn’t feel up to any fast running. I told myself I would just start out easy and see how it went. I was to do 3 sets of 3 x 300m with 60 second breaks and 3:30 set breaks. The first 300s of each set felt easy, but other two felt like a real chore. I was working harder than I would have liked and was muscling a bit so Matty cut the last set to 3 x 200m with 90 seconds so I could just work on getting some faster turn-over going. Here are tonight’s times: (51-53-54) (51-53-54) (31-32 then a 2:00 break-32). The 200s felt smoother. I ran a 5km race, ran three quality WOs and did a solid long run all within seven days so I think I was just a bit tired tonight. This was the last WO until the Sun Run on Sunday so now I have the rest of the week to recover.

Easy Monday 54:55

Monday, April 9, 2007

Today’s run with Fatty was an easy-paced lap around the lakes with an extra little loop at the end followed by some strides. I was feeling a bit tired today so I was sure I kept the pace very relaxed.

We are experiencing temporary problems with posting pictures on trainharder so I haven't been able to post pictures from the Carlsbad trip until today. Don-Don was kind enough to upload the files for me…thanks Don-Don!

Me & The Fat One

My Stubbed Toe

Waiting at the Startline

Off We Go!

Happy!

Long Run 1:24:26

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Giuse and I picked up Matty this morning to run the lakes. Lise and Shan (and Lola!) ran with Giuse clockwise while Matty and I ran counter-clockwise so we got to say a quick hello as we crossed paths. Lola tried to run with me as we went by. I was thrilled that she remembered me (that was it, right?)!! Half-way around the first loop we hooked up with Rui, Paul and Andrew. We all ran together for a good 3-4km catching up on each others’ news until they pulled away finishing their run just after the 9km marker. Matty and I picked it up a bit keeping it steady and strong for the second loop. We saw Eric K and his other fast running buddies running easily up ahead. We we cruised by them then realized they might not let us go and would try and catch us so we kept the pace as long as we could.Sure enough, we were passed by two of them about 2kms later. We did the 1st loop in about 44 mins and the 2nd just over 40. When Giuse, Shan and Lise finished their two loops, I got to play with Lola for a good 15 minutes! I think she likes me a little bit!

The afternoon was spent at Pan-Pan’s folks place for a big Greek Easter gathering. We ate, laughed, danced, ate ALOT more. The food was incredible and reminded us so much of Easters at Giuse’s Mom’s. Don-Don was there and got me good a few times with some burn-pinches...PUNK! Squintchy was there too and I got to witness first-hand him hogging the couch...wow, he does manage to spread his girth around! I did some Greek dancing with Pan’s Dad (I did not look like a pro). Lin and Pano however were oustanding! Lin was almost as good as Pan! We all had the best time! My belly is tight.

Juan de Fuca 1:01:03

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Yesterday was a day off from running and more importantly, work! Yay! Too bad it rained today but at least it was warm out. Fatty and I did our WO at Juan de Fuca this morning. We did a 20 minute tempo. It was a pretty solid effort. Again, I think I started a bit too fast. Threshold pace is a difficult one for me to pin down. It just doesn’t feel hard enough so I end up running too fast. I don’t trust I will actually get more benefit from a slightly easier pace. Anyway, it was still a good WO. My turnover was there and I felt pretty relaxed. Matty ran with me and he said we did both loops in 9:40.

Giuse and I spent the afternoon running some errands downtown and begging for draw prizes for IRR’s Sooke 10km which is next weekend. We also stopped in to see Phil at Island Runner to get Giuse hooked up with a pair of training flats so he can start running in a lighter shoe on the track. He now owns a pair of bright orange Adidas Supernova 6s! He’s going to be flyin’ around the track next week! Thanks again Phil for everything!

I'm signed up for the Sun Run next weekend. I have never raced this one before so I am really looking forward to it!

At the Lakes! 1:29:26

Thursday, April 5, 2007

It was finally a gloveless run today. Birthday boy Fatty and I went to the lakes a bit early to add a few minutes of running before the WO. Syl showed up early too and joined in making us laugh as usual with his quirky humor. He really should be a writer for Family Guy. Today’s WO with IRR was 5 x 5 minutes with 2 minutes rest. The Fat One said we would probabbly do 6. There was a really great group out including Lise...always great to see her and a new woman Jess from Montreal (who looks like a fastee)! We're still waiting for an appearance from Shan...

I felt pretty good tonight although Matty thinks I may have done the first couple of intervals a bit too fast. I eased up a bit on the 4th and 5th and then did a 6th starting with a moderate pace for the first half and then picking it up in the last half. Giusey looked strong again tonight. He is pretty sure he is going to run the TC 10k.  I did a good 20 minute warm-down with Deby while Matty and Giuse waited for us in the p-lot with Syl (who is also looking pretty quick these days!).

Squintch's Northern Adventures 56:08

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

The forecast has been calling for rain all weekend but it looks like we are going to get some decent weather after all!

Matty and I did an easy run around the UVic trails today after work. We bumped into EF as he was doing an interval WO and chatted with him during his short break.

Squintchy came over tonight for supper (we ordered pizza). I haven’t seen him in almost a month! He brought over the photos he took of his trip to Clyde River, a VERY small village on Baffin Island in the Nunavut Region. These photos were unreal. I cannot imagine living in such a desolate place...beautiful at the same time though. Dave got a mild case of frost-bite on his nose while snowmobiling in -50C temperatures.

Tomorrow night the documentary Ode to a Requiem will be aired on CBC Television at 9:00pm for anyone interested in hearing the ensemble I sing with perform. The show features the concert we did last fall of the Mozart Reqiuem.

Good WO 1:13:03

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

I sang for the first time in a week this morning. My voice needed the rest after the previous week’s marathon of singing. It went better than I thought it would go after such a long break.

Matty didn’t think it would be a great idea to do a track WO so soon after the race so we did instead, 10 x 2 minutes with 90 seconds rest around the UVic trails. Matty is still sick so he ran along side me and helped me with my form. My feet are crossing over a lot on the landing so we need to address that problem and we are going to try and open up my stride just a bit without compromising the Pose stuff . I felt pretty strong and frisky tonight. We jogged back to the track to say hi to the IRR gang. I ended up running around the in-field so I could get in a good cool-down while the group did their WO. Giuse got the WO from Boob and did it earlier in the day…Well done!! His times are getting faster every week it seems!

Easy Around the Lakes 47:19

Monday, April 2, 2007

Giuse and I stayed up way too late last night yakking away, catching up. He saw the results yesterday afternoon before we got back and was pretty happy for me. He has been filling in last minute for Don Giovanni rehearsals with POV for Timothy who is on antibiotics and fighting a nasty virus. So, getting up this morning was nasty. I felt like I was in a time-warp sitting at my desk at work. My desk was covered with mail and files I had over 300 emails waiting for me. Whahhhh!

Tonight, I ran a loop around the lakes at an easy pace with Matty. His cold is now in full swing …what a drag.

Carlsbad 17:16

Sunday, April 1, 2007

Matty dropped me off close to the race start so I could warm up leisurely while he tried to find parking. It was crazy busy so I was a bit worried he was going to have troubles. I ran part of the race route along the sidewalks for my warm-up. The Master’s race was still going on so there were just too many people to dodge. I ran off the course to some quieter streets so I could get focused. Matty met me at the start with 15 minutes to spare. I did a good 5 strides along a side street. My toe was still bloody sore but was starting to numb up but otherwise I felt ready to go.

I made my way to the start-line trying to see if I knew anyone at all. It was an all-woman’s race , 39 & under.  As I was waiting I got chatting with the woman next to me. It turned out she was from Alberta! Cool! The atmosphere at the start was electric. The announcers were really good at getting people hyped up. The tape was cut allowing us to move up just behind the timing mats. The race started and after about a minute, I found myself leading the race. I kept expecting women to pass me at any second but instead, I remained in the lead. There was a guy on a motorcycle with a TV camera driving just a few feet in front of me…talk about intimidating. I have never led a race before so at first I thought “what the heck are you doing Mar-you went out too fast!’. I felt relaxed though so I told myself to go for it and enjoy it while it lasted. Just before the first turn-around a woman pulled up beside me. We took turns leading until she pulled away. I wanted to go with her but she was moving way too quickly for me to hold on. I remained in second place with no one around me but I was very aware that there was a group of chicks not far behind who could pick it up at anytime and try and pass. There’s nothing like the feeling of running scared. The course wasn’t as flat as I thought it was going to be. There were a few inclines and declines and about 2 miles into it, the pain set in on an incline towards the second turn-around. With less than a mile to go, I heard some footsteps coming up from behind. I did a 10-15 second surge and got some distance back. I was now in major oxygen debt. The footsteps came back and with just 300 meters to go, a woman passed me. I tried with all my might to hold on but I had no sprint left. I crossed the finish in third place in 17:16. I was a bit miffed at myself for letting her take me but thrilled I had placed at all and that I had PB’d by 30 seconds!

Matty had to warm-up for his race so he missed the little awards ceremony. We got to stand on a podium…pretty cool! Unfortunately, the Fat One had to drop out part-way through his race. He was feeling crappy and weak all over. It was really too bad. At least he got to see me run a good race. Thanks Matty for all your help!!!

We stuck around just long enough to watch the Elites’ races. Now that was exciting!! We walked back to the car and drove straight to San Diego. We had enough time to drop off the rented car and get to our gate with no problems. It was a long day. We got into Victoria just after midnight. It was such a great experience running that race. I hope to do it again next year and we are also thinking of doing a couple more races in the States later this year.

The Day Before the Big Race 46:03

Saturday, March 31, 2007

This morning we started our run along the beach heading towards the village. My toe hurt quite a bit until it eventually just went numb after about 15 minutes so I figured I would be ok for tomorrow’s race. It was another bright, sunny day with near-perfect temperatures. We eventually moved up on to the road that runs along the length of the coast and turned back after about 20 minutes. The pace was relaxed but quick. I was happy I was feeling good. We finished off with a couple of 30 to 60 second pick-ups followed by a couple of strides and a good soak in the ocean.

The rest of the day was spent sightseeing in Carlsbad. What a charming resort town it is! Located right on the ocean it has stretches of gorgeous beach going miles out in either direction from the town. There are surfer-dudes walking around carrying their surf-boards and surf shops on every other corner.

Purple Toe

Friday, March 30, 2007

No running for us today. We basically lazed on the beach. I managed to stub my second toe on my right foot on the beach. Way to go. It’s pretty swollen and is turning various shades of blue and purple. It hurts like hell…I hope it’s not broken. Matty now has a sore throat and we were both looking a bit pink. I think we reached our sun quota for the trip.

Hockey Night in LA 50:00

Thursday March 29, 2007

Today we ran an easy 50 minutes along the beach in the morning. It was once again a gorgeous, sunny day and we had a cool breeze coming off the ocean.

The big adventure of the day was driving to Los Angeles to watch a hockey game at the Staples Centre. I have never seen a live NHL game before and since the Canucks were playing the Kings we thought it would be appropriate that we go. I had a great time! I loved how the crowds were encouraged to yell and scream and really get into it. They should have announcers doing that before operas. Matty did an impressive job driving in and out of the city on the crazy 8-lane freeways. I’m glad I wasn’t driving!

Track 1:01:29

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Today we wanted to do a track WO but we needed to a find a track. We dropped into a local running store and got talking to the guys who worked there who suggested a couple of local tracks. We were given a scare when we were told we had missed the registration deadline for the race. The two of us looked at each other nervously as the guys made a couple of phone calls to race organizers. He said we were screwed until he realized that we were talking about two different races. There was a half-ironman scheduled for Saturday…whew!

After doing a bit of scouting around in the village area of Carlsbad we decided to check out the high school track that we were given directions to. This track was pristine. It was the most beautiful track I have ever seen. The surface was even, the lane lines were clearly painted. It looked like a brand new track. Even the port-o-potty was nice! I actually got excited about running on it…weirdo. We started the WO in the late afternoon so the temperature was perfect. We did 200m x 3 with 30 seconds (2 min rest) then 2 x 400m with 1 minute rests (2 min rest) then 1 x 600m, 2 min rest then 4 x 150m. My 200s were 33-34-34, the 400s were 73 and 74 and my 600 was 1:54. The 150m were done at various combos of easy-moderate-fast. The WO for me felt just ok. I wasn’t feeling particularly smooth. I think I went a bit too quick on the 200s which stiffened me up a bit for the rest. As we did our cool-down, my right calf was twinging a lot. By the time we got back to our room, it was really tight and sore. I iced and massaged it while we watched TV.

California Bound 51:23

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

I was not a happy chicky this morning. WHY did I book such an early flight?! Although my leg to Denver had been cancelled due to bad weather, I managed to get another flight going to Chicago that got me to a connecting flight to San Diego. I left a voice message on Matty’s cell phone at 4:30am his time letting him know that I had switched flights and would be a bit late so we could still meet. We managed to find each other near the baggage pick-up (he got my message, thank goodness) and we rented a car and headed to Carlsbad along the I-5.

We got to our hotel (which wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be) in the late afternoon. The first thing we did was get our running gear on and to do an easy 50 minute run. Matty printed out a trail map but we got lost anyway after we detoured on some residential roads but somehow found ourselves back on the trail close to where we started (it was sheer luck Matt and you know it!). It was warm and sunny…we were thrilled to be running on a dry surface with dry shoes on! We both felt pretty bagged from the traveling and the early morning departures but otherwise not a bad run. Matty’s chest felt pretty tight so we figured he was reacting to something in the air.

When we got back we unpacked and Matty had a good laugh as I pulled my toaster out of my suitcase. Funnily enough, Mister used my toaster every morning all week for his breakfast meals…

Last Concert 48:24

Monday, March 26, 2007

Today was a wet one in Montreal. I met Er and Pete at their hotel. Pete wanted to run on Mont Royal so we did an easy-paced climb to the top from downtown in the pouring rain. I took a quick shower and then Er and I headed off to do a bit of shopping before the concert. We actually ended up spending most of the time chatting over a coffee which was fine by me. I did buy a couple of gifties for the girls in the office to thank them for covering me while I’m away.

Tonight’s show was at the St. Jean Baptist church. This is a huge church so the acoustics were very different. We were all a lot more rested for tonight’s performance after having a day off yesterday. I got back to my room just before midnight. I packed my stuff up and called reception asking for a 5:00am wake-up call…groan.