Tough but Good 1:11:20

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Things are really picking up at work so the days are just flying by. Tomorrow is Friday already and we have a three-day weekend coming up. Yipee!

I got to the lakes early today before the group arrived. I wanted to do a good bout of Poser drills beforehand so I warmed up to the straight section of trail near the 9km marker and did my drills there. Juice joined me and did some easy strides while I did my thing. I took my time and focused on the quick pull of my hamstring and landing under my hips etc. My hips flexors are getting stiff which could be an sign I am over striding and using my hip flexors too much instead of firing with my hamstrings to pull the foot off the ground. After a good ten minutes of drills, my form improved and I felt light on my feet. I have to do these drills daily. We ran back this time stopping every 100m or so to do a drill and then run again.

The IRR turn-out tonight was fantastic. Everyone was there it seemed. It was pretty hot but luckily there was a strong breeze. We did the warm-up to the rowing club, got some water and then off we went. The group was doing 4 x 6 minutes with 2 minute recoveries while I did 8-7-6-5-4 minutes with 2 minute recoveries so I was basically able to run with the club. Pierre volunteered to run with me and I realized how lucky I was to have him there after about the third interval when it started to really hurt. I was getting tired and without him pacing me and not letting me slack off, it would have been a much tougher WO mentally. It was hard work tonight but very satisfying since I know this is what I have to go through for another month or so and will eventually pay off. The shorter, faster stuff is brutal right now and although I don’t want to push too much too soon, I have to work a bit at it if I want to improve. I only did a 10 minute cool-down but figured with the Pose drills before the run, I actually did at least 80 minutes of running in total.

Alan had the great idea to have a tailgate party after next week’s WO. He will bring his truck with the BBQ in the back and back it up close to the field next to the p-lot. We’ll bring stuff to BBQ and Monica said she would bring a tent she has in case it rains (although we should be fine since it’s a weekday!).

Tomorrow Should Be Fun!! 56:24

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

OK, well summer weather just seems to love popping out during the work week. I see we are up for another rainy weekend this coming weekend. Well, although it was super hot on tonight’s run, I didn’t complain too much because I know we will be wearing long tights and running gloves soon enough. Matty and I did a steady run at UVic. Yesterday’s WO was a good one but I was paying for it a bit tonight. It seems like my recovery after hard runs is still on the slow side. Matty assured me that this would improve and also said I will likely pay for working too hard tonight (I was running a bit too fast for the way I felt today…twit) at tomorrow night’s WO. Yeehaw. Oh well, live and learn. As we were doing our strides, I asked him what the WO will be for me tomorrow and he wouldn’t tell me…oh-oh. This can’t be good. I wasn’t going to do my strength routine tonight but ended up doing a shortened version after supper minus the leg drills. I’ll do these tomorrow after the run…if I can! Ha!

Cedar Hill 1:15:16

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

I met IRR tonight at Cedar Hill. I was really looking forward to the WO Matty gave me, 5 x 5 minutes with 2 minute recoveries. I’m not sure why. Maybe because the run on Saturday was a dud and I wanted to make up for it. I did the warm-up with the group which was fun. Boob gave them two options: 3 x ¾ loop (for the marathoners) or 1 x ¾ loop with 3 x upper loop. I did my 5 minute repeats on the upper loop going counter-clockwise so I got to see the gang run by as we crossed paths encouraging each other. I had a great run. I really worked the hills with a fast turn-over and strong arms but stayed in control. I went for it in the last 2 minutes of the last repeat. Fun! So, my energy is back. Pulling back a bit last week on the volume was a good idea.

Sleepy 55:03

Monday, August 27, 2007

Singing practice went well this morning despite a night of restless sleep. I had every intention of getting up to watch Worlds live on-line but made the decision at one in the morning that had to keep trying to fall asleep instead. I eventually did but got in a measly 4 hours. So today was a bit of a sleep-walk at work. That’s my penance for sleeping away the weekend, I suppose.

The run tonight felt good too, thankfully. We ran a couple of loops of the UVic trails and did a small pick-up towards the end followed by a couple of loops around the field. I stopped at 55 while Matty continued looping around the field at a pretty quick pace. The strides felt frisky tonight so I should be ready to do a solid WO tomorrow night. I got the green light to start up my strength training again so I did a solid circuit of the routine Rol gave me when I got home. I need to get started on doing more Pose drills...forgot!

Steady Run at the Lakes 1:01:37

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Today’s run felt much better. Matty and I did a steady run at the lakes making a detour out the back way along Oldfield Rd and Old West Saanich Rd before getting back on the trails. It was just a 60 minute run for me today so I will be good and rested for a harder training week this week. CBC did air the women’s 10,000m so I was pretty happy about that!

Flat Tempo Run 1:02:06

Saturday, August 25, 2007

I woke up this morning earlier than I wanted to and couldn’t get back to sleep so I got up to see Juice head off to meet IRR at 8am (in his snappy new running shirt!). I contemplated going with him but thought I could use some more rest and would be able to sleep a bit more. No such luck. So, I putzed around the condo and while I was having a leisurely breakfast, LeRoo called and was into meeting me at the lakes for a run. I still feel pooped and as I waited for Leroo in the p-lot, I could tell today’s run was going to be a bit of a struggle. I think the training from the other week (that ended with the run on salty) caught up to me. Matty already cut today’s tempo run from 25 minutes to 20 since I complained of feeling tired this week. He thought I might need to back off a bit. The warm-up felt ok and the tempo part felt fine for about 10 minutes but the second half was a bit of a slog. LeRoo was encouraging me so it was great having her there. Thanks Leroo! You are such a fab friend! I tried not to feel too discouraged and chalked it up to my body trying to adjust to meeting the demands of running again. I just finished my 7th week of running this week and the first 2 to 3 weeks of that were short runs that were separated by 1-3 days of rest so it’s still early days in terms of getting my fitness back and my body being able to recover quickly. I’m bound to feel cruddy along the way while adapting. Matty planned a “harder” week for me next week which I was looking forward to but we’ll see how tomorrow goes. Hopefully I’ll be back to my perky self by tomorrow.

Juice and I had a big brunch at Demi-tasse and then I spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping on and off while watching the World T & F championships that I had taped in the early afternoon (it was mostly focused on the marathon so there wasn’t a lot of action). Tomorrow’s events should be good. They better cover the women’s 10,000m or I will throw something at the tv (the women’s events are often overlooked)!

So I made a decision about tomorrow’s run and although it kills me to turn down a run on Saltspring, I think I would be pushing my luck doing a more challenging hilly run even if I am feeling better.  Hopefully Boob will be going there again next weekend.

Drills & Strides 55:11

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Work is starting to get crazy-busy. The students will be arriving in a week and I have a few deadlines to hit by the end of the month. What a change from the summer!

My voice lesson was good today. I always leave Selena’s studio feeling like I’ve been handed an armful of gifts. She is one of those rare, brilliant teachers.

I flew solo tonight. I have to say, I don’t usually love doing WOs on my own but since I was feeling a bit wiped, I was glad to be alone. I did basically the same thing as Tuesday: a 30 minute warm-up, 15 minutes of Matty’s drill and stride circuit and a 10 minute easy warm-down. I felt stronger doing the circuit today and despite being on my own I put all my effort into every drill and stride. The strides felt strong and smooth tonight. Things are still moving forward. I just have to make sure I get enough rest.

Easy Run with Strides 50:51

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

After a restless night I hit the alarm this morning but fell back to sleep. Luckily, I woke up an hour later but it meant I didn’t have enough time to sing. I should have practiced when I got home tonight but I am just too tired at the end of the day especially after a run. Oh well, one day missed isn’t the end of the world. I have a lesson tomorrow though and it would have been nice to run through everything before I saw Selena.

My legs felt loads better tonight. Half-way around the lakes I was getting carried away so Matty reminded me that it was to be an easy run…oh yeah. I never learn. Matty is fighting a bug right now which is a drag. Hopefully it won’t hang around too long. I did a loop and then a short out and back. I did my strides and Matty gave me some tips on improving my form. It’s time for me to do some more sessions of Poser drills. I lost some of the perception of what I should be doing Pose-wise which is not at all surprising…time to get the bungee chords out! If I spend some quality time doing the drills before and after my easy runs over the next few weeks, it should come back pretty quickly. I just have to be consistent about it and get my mind focused on it for a while. I would like to do a Pose workshop with Dr. Romanov (the person who developed the Pose method) sometime this year if I can fit it in somehow. According to the schedule on the Pose web site though, he’s not holding many sessions in the US like he used to but rather in the UK. It also looks like he’s now got his students teaching most of the workshops. They’re probably good teachers too but ideally, I’d like to learn from the person who developed the technique if I can. Anyways, I’ll have to keep my eyes open. He used to do weekend sessions in Miami in the winter months. That would be perfect.

Happy Birthday Juice! 55:21

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Singing has been going pretty well lately. Tania Miller emailed and she has agreed to hear me sing on Sept. 21st. The orchestra is rehearsing in the UVic auditorium which is just across the way from where I work so she said I could do my audition on the stage right after the rehearsal. I just have to see if Robert is free to accompany me that day. The rep is ready to go. I am singing a couple of the arias I sang for the POV audition and a couple of oratorio arias. I love all the music so it should be fun.

The WO for me tonight consisted of a 30 minute warm-up through the UVic trails, 15 minutes of Matty’s drills and strides on the inner field of the track and a 10 minute cool-down, running around on the upper grassy field. Matty’s drill routine is just as I remembered from when we did them in the winter…tough but good. I knew what to expect this time so it wasn’t such a shock when half-way through I was gasping. It will get easier with every session and the power and strength I got from doing these in the early part of the year was quite noticeable. A big, big thank you to Matty for doing these with me!

It was Juice’s B-day today so a few of us met at Spinnaker’s pub after our WOs to celebrate. We had a really rude waitress…so rude that the people at the next table who we didn’t even know asked us if we were getting the same cranky treatment. It was that obvious. Otherwise, the evening was a lot of fun.

Brutal Run with Boob 47:34

Monday, August 20, 2007

Juice and I drove to the lakes after work. He wanted to do an hour of easy running since he didn’t run on the weekend and I was meeting Boob to do an easy loop. Oh boy, were my legs flat. It was one of the dreariest runs I have ever done. I thought Boob would be in the same boat as me since he said he found yesterday’s run tough but instead, he was frisky and was pushing the pace the entire way around. I hope he is a wreck at Cedar Hell tomorrow...hehehe... We started the run on the trail through the woods and I thought my legs would warm up once we got back on the main trail. No such luck. I knew right away that I was going to pay for yesterday’s hilly run. I dragged my butt the entire run. I sort of felt like laughing a few times for some reason…just delirious, I guess. Good thing this coming week is an easy week for me. I did some Poser drills and strides afterwards.

The night was spent in a coma. I got an email from Matty with the week’s schedule and tomorrow is a drill day. Oh, this should be fun. I actually like doing the Matty drills once I have done a few sets of them. The first few times are pretty funny. I curse and gasp a lot while Matty ignores my complaints and tells me to lift my legs more and not cheat. A fight may break out tomorrow night.

Long Run on Salty! 1:23:00

Sunday, August 19, 2007

It was another early morning, this time to pick up The Fat One to meet Boob on Saltspring Island for a long run. I remember doing these Sunday long runs last summer. You cannot avoid running hills and the first couple of times out you feel like you are going to go into cardiac arrest, 45 minutes into the run. However, within a month of these weekly runs, my fitness improved so much. The strength you gain is so worth the agony on those first couple of outings and sets you up well for cross-country season. Matty and I walked on to the ferry and Boob picked us up on the other end to drive us to his cottage. It was raining, pouring actually in Victoria but it was just drizzling by the time we got off the ferry. I didn’t care one bit! I love coming to Salty and Boob's cottage is in such a beautiful spot. Juice on the other hand finds the cottage too "rustic"...Once a city boy...He was still sound asleep in bed when I left this morning.

After a quick viewing of Boob’s new shed, we started our run which began on some overgrown trails…overgrown with scads of Stinging Nettles, a weed I knew nothing about until today. ‘Try to avoid them!’ said Boob. ‘You brush up against them and they burn like hell.’ Try to avoid them?! They were everywhere! Within minutes of the run I was screeching in pain, ‘Ow! Ow-uh! Owww-uh!’ Matty was beside himself in hysterics. Always a brat. They hurt!

So we ran hills today…and lot’s of them. My ‘Puffy’ nickname was resurrected as I was sucking air on a couple of the longer hills (we’re talkin’ ones that had us climbing for a solid 5 minutes!) Matty pranced up all of them while Boob and I hung back marveling (and admittedly cursing) his fitness level. He just looks scarily strong and quick right now. I have to say though, that I fared not too badly considering everything and especially since I did a strong WO the evening before.

When we got back to the cabin, the skies cleared a little so we got in a quick swim to the other side of the lake and back (after scorffing down an Oh Henry! bar) and had just enough time to eat a cheeseburger at the best truck-stop diner on the island before catching the 1:50 ferry back to Victoria. What a healthy diet I have! Boob decided to pack it up too since the weather was still not fantastic and we all went back to Victoria together. I think we’re going to try and rendez-vous there again next Sunday for a long run. I can hardly wait!

I did a grocery shop for the week (healthier foods were bought...no cheese burgers!) and the rest of the night will be devoted to R & R.

Solid Tempo 1:08:37

Saturday, August 18, 2007

We did some quick shopping downtown this morning and then made another quick stop at IKEA on our way to the ferry…what a mob scene it is there on a Saturday! Once again, we missed the reservation we had for the 3pm by 2 freaking minutes (grrrr) and had to wait for the next one. This meant we were an hour behind schedule when we got back to the island. Juice dropped me off at the lakes at about 6pm so I could squeeze my WO in before we met the gang at Il Greco. I was feeling really bagged but couldn’t tell if it was because I was actually fried or just lethargic from all the sitting and waiting. I decided that if on the warm-up, I felt really flat, I would keep the tempo part of the WO very tame. The P-lot was virtually empty when I got to the lakes. I have only seen it that quiet once before and that during the snow storm we had last winter when Matty, Juice and I did that wicked run and the trees were falling around us. I did a 25 minute warm-up running the first bit through the wooded area. I got back on the main trail and still didn’t see a soul. I was to do a tempo run of 20 minutes, keeping things in control. I felt frisky right from the start so it was going to be a strong pace for the tempo. I was curious to see what pace I was holding so I timed myself for 4kms of the tempo part and I was averaging 3:50/km. I wasn’t pushing so this is hopeful. Cool-down felt good too. No niggles to report anywhere!

The bon voyage dinner for Pan-Pan and Lin was excellent! There was plenty of teasing and joking around and wait until Squintch hears the latest Pano-ism!!  Squintch, it’s a doozey!

Early Hell Run 51:22

Friday, August 17, 2007

Wakey, wakey! 6:25 am rising time for me this morning. Good thing Patty was meeting me at Cedar Hell. The first 5 minutes of running were brutal. My legs felt like lead but slowly they woke up…and I mean slowly. I think it took close to 30 minutes into the run! Patty and I yakked about this and that. I really envy his up-coming big traveling adventure. It sounds like something right up my alley. I must try and put him in touch with Em when he gets to Melbourne so she can show him all the best running trails they have there. After three loops, we did some Poser drills and did 2 remarkably stiff strides and 3 more that felt good. We got to chat with Gwyn who was doing an early morning WO with a friend. What a nice, nice person she is and what an athlete!

I went to work and made sure there were no loose ends before heading off to the ferry to Vancouver. It was a shaky start to the weekend as we missed the 1pm and had TWO waits to sit through. Good thing I brought Paula with me and was able to kill some time reading! Dinner with my family was brilliant! My nieces are adorable I have to say and my brothers never change. I was razzed and teased and was even given a couple of cuffs to the back of my head…I reciprocated of course!

IRR WO 1:12:12

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Well, I was wrong. I was an idiot for not running…oh well. Matty said I should have run yesterday because now I will be doing more runs in a row next week (Fri – Thurs). Had I run though, I am positive he would have still said I was an idiot so I was screwed either way. Ha. He's not a big fan of physiotherapy.

Juice and I met with IRR tonight at the lakes. It was windy and cool…felt like a fall evening! As we started our warm-up it began to drizzle and then it poured and did so just long enough to get us all really soaked…then it stopped just as we started our intervals. Nice timing. IRR was doing 5-4-3-2 min x 2 with 2 mins rest. I was able to hover around with them while I did the WO Matty gave me of  6 x 3 minutes by jogging forward or backward during my 2 minute rests. A couple of guys who were quietly fishing in the lake just meters from shore got a good look at my butt as I took a pee break in the bushes between the 7km and 8km marker. I looked up and down the trail to see if the coast was clear but didn’t think of looking out into the lake. Next thing I know I hear whoops of laughter. Charming. My intervals felt good. The turn-over was better tonight so I was really happy with that.

Despite being soaked to the bone, a good group showed up to the Knockan Back pub after the run. It’s a great little pub. It was nice to catch up with Patty! He is going to run with me at Cedar Hill tomorrow morning before work….what a nice guy!

Day Off

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

I didn’t run today. I had an appointment with MC right after work today. Cedar Hill Clinic is moving to a new location so I had my physio treatment at MC’s house. The plan was to do my easy run right after my appt and then head to the Westshore to watch the Gobi presentation. MC though said not to run since the treatment needed time to settle. I had to force myself to do as he said and thought, ‘What would Matty want me to do?’ and decided he would say I was an idiot for running right after MC said not to, so I went straight home, picked up Juice and we went to the Gobi March presentation. There was a really nice turn-out and Don-Don did a great job and was even funny a couple of times J

Cedar Hill! 1:08:38

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Ahhhh…Cedar Hell. You are just as I remember you. Hot, dusty, hilly…I had cedar chips stabbing my ankles and dust in my eyes within minutes. How I have missed you! Seriously, I did miss Cedar Hill. Those are the hardest frigging WOs ever and the best thing for you in terms of strength and mental toughness. We had a nice IRR group out tonight. Sly showed up with Cherry who was grinning and panting like a maniac. Boob is back from vacation so he relieved Juice from his coaching duties. The group’s WO was 2 x ¾ loop and 3-5 hill repeats up the gravel hill near the rec centre. I did the warm-up with them and then continued on to get a good 20 minutes in before I started the WO Matty gave me. I did 8 x 2 minutes with 90” recovery. It was a perfect WO for tonight. I had instructions to go counter-clockwise on the upper loop (to avoid the steep downhill sections), to run fast but to not kill myself, to not go anaerobic (same thing) and to not  go bombing down the hills like an idiot (my words, not his) which would put a lot of stress on my foot. It was a great WO for me for this stage of the game. I stayed in control, worked the up-hills with a fast turn-over and some spring in my step. I felt surprisingly strong on the hills. I think the cross-training and core work did a lot for my overall strength. We’ll be doing more hill WOs soon and these will do me good. I may feel differently about it tomorrow morning. Ha! I did a 20 minute cool-down and then watched the group do their hill repeats. The group looked amazing! Everyone is so strong! The WOs over the summer have obviously paid off. Boob was pretty pleased. I am excited to see how Alan does in the marathon this year. Juice is a different runner now altogether. Jessalyn and Melina will have a great cross-country season if that’s what they decide to do. It will be fun to see how everyone does coming off the summer training.

Solid Trail Run 51:00

Monday, August 13, 2007

Tonight’s run felt quite good. Matty and I ran along the trails at UVic at a steady pace while we talked about Reid Coolsaet missing out on going to IAAF World Championships this summer. He is currently our top 5000m runner but he didn’t make the Worlds team because he didn’t make (the ridiculous) 5000m standard set by Athletics Canada (he missed it by just over one second for “A” standard). Coolsaet’s situation has once again placed focus on AC’s standards for distance running. They are inarguably too high. The other issue with Coolsaet’s case is that although he recorded two, “B+” standard times (which would normally qualify him under combined events) within the time-limit specified, they were different event distances (10,000m and 5,000m) so according to AC these aren’t considered “repeat performances”.  Well aren't we being persnickety! I wonder if AC has given any thought to how this will affect the development of distance running, something they claim to cultivate and support. Wow.

We did 5 strides in the centre field of the track when we got back. These are feeling better and better. No grief from my groin tonight which is good. Matty said I can run at Cedar Hell tomorrow where I’ll do a few intervals just to work on turn-over. Should be fun!

Long Run 1:14:36

Sunday, August 12, 2007

This morning Giuse and I met Matty at the lakes at the blissfully late time of 10:30. (I slept in until 9:30!) Matty and I did the loop in 44:20 and continued on to Hamsterly Beach where I had to turn around while Matty continued on. I feel like I’m missing out not doing two loops…I’m like a child being sent back home because I’m not big enough to go with the grown-ups! Ha! I’ll be there soon. I ran into some engine troubles on the way back and had to stop to stretch out my lower back. My groin was acting up but I managed to stretch it out enough to get back on the road and still finish off feeling strong. The rest of the day was basically spent sleeping and reading. I was a lazy slob and loved it!

Tempo Run 54:55

Saturday August 11, 2007

I had a good weekend of training, socializing and resting. Saturday morning I headed over to Gyro beach with Matty so we could watch Rol’s stunning victory in the Cadboro Bay Triathlon. The run and Bike portion looked like a lot of fun but the swim looked painful. Everyone complained that their feet stayed numb event through the ride and didn’t get feeling back until they started running. LeRoo was the first woman in the duathlon and Paul O was the first male. Way to go guys!

I did a solo WO at the lakes in the early afternoon. There was hardly a soul out on the trails so I had a very Zen-like run. I was to do a 20 minute warm-up, a 15 minute tempo and a 20 minute cool-down. I felt pretty pokey in the warm-up but the tempo went really well and got around the loop in 43 minutes right on the nose.

 I had a snooze before going to Paul and Lis’ BBQ.  I got to hold Pippa for a stint! It was a great night with a lot of laughter. Thanks guys!

Much Like Tuesday 50:04

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Singing practice went well again this morning, even though it wasn’t as long as I wanted. Wow, I hate what I wrote in yesterday’s entry. Made me squirm. I write a lot of dumb crap. Oh well.

Matty took me through another fartlek WO today. Thanks Matty! We ran through the UVic trails again. Half-way through the run, we startled a deer as we rounded a corner. It stopped and stood right next to the trail just a few feet away from us as we jogged by. GC and his wife had already stopped to have a look.

My gut was acting up in the warm-up (I ate lunch too close to the run) so when we hit Ring Rd and just minutes from finishing up I had to stop and walk a couple of steps to keep myself together, if you know what I mean. Other than that I felt slightly better than on Tuesday. I think some of the intervals were a bit shorter though so who knows. I also wore my lighter Saucony shoes which helped a ton...felt lighter and smoother.

Giuse said there was a big group out tongiht with IRR. Even Syl showed up for some intervals!

Easy at the Lakes 46:27

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

I was in bed at 9:30 last night which meant I got up a bit earlier than usual which meant I got some extra time to sing this morning! So the thing I am working on now is something Selena said I have to start doing every time I practice. I have to imagine I am singing to an audience and in a larger room. In other words sing out (my neighbors are going to love this) and communicate otherwise the sound doesn't carry and is pretty boring. It makes sense that if you practice in a small room all the time as I do, you end up not sending your voice out enough and if you're in a large hall the sound won't carry over an orchestra or to the back of the audience. It's neat 'cause by just imagining a bigger space you involuntarily change how you project your voice. Kewl.

I was such a good girl and kept the easy run tonight EASY. Giuse and I ran together until just after the 5km marker. He was breathing a little harder than he should have been for an easy run so he slowed up while I went ahead a bit keeping the same pace. The run felt very comfortable. The urge to go faster was there most of the way but I kept the same easy effort right to the end. Giuse actually didn’t finish too far behind me. I did Pose drills leading into five strides. These felt very good.

I made another Magic Bullet smoothie when I got home: Almond Breeze milk, a dollop of Island Farms french vanilla frozen yogurt, Rol's protein powder (he gave it to me in an unmarked zip-loc bag so it could be cocaine...or chalk), ground flax seed, some plain yogurt, half a banana and frozen blueberries. Mmmmm-Mmmmm!

We were planning a trip to Vancouver this weekend but just found out from brother Kev that brother Al is actually here on the island camping up near Tofino and may need a place to stay this weekend on his way back! Ha! So it looks like we’re going to postpone it to next weekend instead. Ikea has their new 2008 stock in and we are low on tea-lights...must have tea-lights.

I Asked For It! 50:04

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Matty took me on a fun-filled magical fartlek ride today. After a 20 minute warm-up he led the way through the trails at UVic controlling when we started and ended each interval and how “relaxed” the breaks were in between (they weren’t exactly a jog). I got two shots at going up that hill from Mystic Vale (not the end with the stairs, the other end) and neither ascents were pretty. I was about as smooth as extra-crunchy peanut butter and every minute of it hurt. I wanted to stop many, many times but you know I was honestly happy as hell. Truly there is something the matter with me that I enjoyed this run. It’s a good thing I’m stubborn too ‘cause I was begging for mercy as we hit Ring Road. That’s when I thought we were done but The Evil One cranked it up again and off we went. As we looped around the field and neared the track, Matty said, “You’re finished!” as he continued on with the rest of his run and yep, I was finished. It was tough but I have to go through this hurtin' stage.

It’s now 7:30pm, I am in my PJs (have been since 6:30) and will spend the next hour or so on the couch (I am not tidying the place…screw it!) then in a complete fog I will crawl into my bed at about 9:30. This makes me happy.

Easy Trail Run 47:37

Monday, August 6, 2007

It was already pretty warm out at 9:30 this morning. Matty and I met at UVic to run the trails there so we would be under the cover of the shade. We ran at a steady pace, chatting most of the way taking it pretty easy. Matty continued on his own after I finished up so I stretched while I waited for him. We did 5 strides on the field when he got back. The strides are feeling tons better although the shoes I am currently wearing have a lot cushioning and are heavier than what I am used to running in. It’s ok for now while I am getting back into shape and not doing much speed work.

I did a whirlwind cleaning of our place when I got home. I have been a bit lazy in the cleaning and tidying department lately and the condo was starting to have that “wild” look to it, you know, when there are clothes draped on every piece of furniture, receipts and other paper and debris on every flat surface…I was going bonkers. I gave the floors a good go but will have to do another attack of tidying tomorrow night.

I met Selena for coffee in the early afternoon and then Giuse and I spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach reading. Frankly, I was pooped out and actually had a small snooze. I have to make sure start going to bed early again and get enough sleep otherwise I’m going to be fried.

Long Run 1:03:21

Sunday, August 5, 2007

I am pretty happy with how my running is coming along. I mean I am not going to be setting any PBs any time soon, but I am feeling good and I am happy to be on a regular schedule since starting back the first week of July. My loop around the lakes is feeling easier every time and I am getting around a smidge faster every week. I think today we got around in just under 45 minutes. I was to do about an hour but I really wanted to do a second loop. I threw out a hint about this but Matty didn't even acknowledge the comment. Now that I have my running legs back I have to be careful not to push too hard too soon. So I did an out and back and finished feeling really good.

The Self-Transcendence triathlon was going on while we were doing our loop so we spent had to do a bit of dodging but otherwise it was fun to cheer the competitors on as we ran in the opposite direction towards them. After I finished up, Giuse and I met Squintch at Hamsterly where he was volunteering for the race to give him a lift home. I said a quick hello to Sylvan who was doing the timing and tried to find Leroo who I knew had raced the Du. Crap there were a ton of people milling around so no luck.

The afternoon was spent lounging outside in the sunshine (what a day!) behind a café in the Cook St Village with Jennie, Simon, Pippa and Jen Mac. It was great fun hanging out with these guys. Simon is a lot of fun and the two Jen’s are sweet as can be. Can I also just say that Pippa is such a good baby! She didn’t fuss at all and in fact slept most of the time we were there. She is just the prettiest thing I have ever seen! I can see why having a baby is so incredible. It was a nice, relaxed afternoon. The evening was spent at a BBQ at Binder and Chris’ place. They treated us to fabulous BBQ’d chicken and salmon…thanks guys! There was a nice group of people there, mostly runners and Iron people. The discussions about training for an ironman wore me out. I don't know how they do it!

Run/Bike about 2:00:00

Saturday, August, 4, 2007

The long weekend made for a very small WO group this morning. It was just me, Giuse and Nancy F and she and I weren’t doing the WO…so it was actually just Giuse…poor thing. Nanc and I did an easy 20 minutes and then I did a 12 minute tempo run. I did the loop in 44:45. This felt really good today. The “flat” feeling in my legs is gone now. I'm getting some spring in my step again. No problems with my mets since Wednesday either so it's all good. I made a deelish smoothie when I got back home, grabbed Paula and took her out to the balcony for a read. So far I’m right into the book. She’s so honest describing her feelings about her disappointment in Athens. The rest of it should be good.

I made a date with Syl for a bike ride and this time he didn’t bail! We met on the Goose in the early afternoon and headed up-island, went along Island Hwy, past the JdeD rec centre, down some insanely steep hill with a 90 degree curve on Ocean Blvd, past the Lagoon to Lagoon Rd which I found out quickly has an equally steep hill going back up (I hate you Sylvan) and back home taking a few detours along the way. We cycled for about 80 minutes. Sylvan is an extremely strong cyclist and frankly, a maniac. Miss Prissy here on the other hand, braked all the way down the hills and cycled safely in the bike lane. I admit I was a nerd and I thank Sylvan for his patience. I love cycling and going fast but I am very aware of how dangerous it can be and one injury in a year is plenty for me…right Squintch?

When we got back into town we did a quick ride up to Syl’s cousin’s place to meet his Auntie Pat. Cherry was there and I also got to meet a couple of Cherry’s friends, Lady and puppy Tucker. It was very fun to watch the dogs goof around. Actually, Tucker and Cherry were gong nuts, tearing around the yard while Lady just ignored them and insisted she be petted.

I got home with just enough time to eat a bar, shower, and throw on a dress to wear to a gay wedding that we had to be at within the hour. The wedding was outside on the grounds of this incredible home in the Uplands. The gardens at this place were mind-blowing…no really, it was absurd how perfect everything was. The wedding was beautiful and the Davids (both the bride and groom are named David) looked extremely happy. I was dizzy as hell from the glass of champagne we were given for the toast after the actual ceremony. Nice recovery Mar. After getting some food down me, I felt loads better.

Day Off

Friday, August 3, 2007

No running today but had my last lesson with Selena before she heads out east for a week. She’s giving a couple of Master classes at a vocal academy in Ontario. She seemed pretty excited to go especially since her star pupil Richard Margison is heading the program. We went through most of my pieces for the next audition. It turns out though that Robert my accompanist is out of the country until September 2nd so it will have to wait until he gets back.

I got Paula Radcliffe’s autobiography today. I can’t wait to start it.

Loop at the Lakes 45:54

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Another stunning summer day! Let’s hope it stays for the weekend. We have an outdoor wedding to go to on Saturday and a BBQ on Sunday.

I did a loop at the lakes tonight with Matty. We started the run on the section of trail that winds through the woods before getting back on to the main trail. I had no problems at all with the mets tonight…go figure. I have two pairs of Adidas Adistar 6s…exact same shoe, one that has maybe 70km more than the other which is brand new so I doubt it’s the shoe. I just don’t understand how there can be such a difference from one day to the next. Anyhoo, we ran a steady, increasing the pace a bit shortly after we hit the fire road and then went a bit harder in the last 5 minutes or so to the fountain where I finished (matty did an extra 10-15 mins). The last 5 minutes for me were so sad. I could barely keep up with Matty. He’s gotten fitter and I am a slug so it was shameful. I used to be able to hold on to him for at least for a few minutes but now I am a bit of a disaster. Ha! He better enjoy his supremacy while it lasts! I’ll be back.

Giuse was the hero of the day. He had a meeting to go to so he had to do Boob’s WO early and on his own. We crossed paths with him as he flew by near Hamsterly on his last repeat and Matty said “Wow, he’s fliyin’!”  He was! We also passed the IRR gang as they were doing their WO.

Easy Breezy 40:00

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Ooops! I slept in today so I didn’t sing a note before I left for work. I hit the alarm and then sank right back into blissful dreamland…twit. Good thing I woke up and was still able make into work on time...it was close though. I didn't bring a lunch. UVic food is lousy. I survived.

Tonight’s run was just a 20 minute out and back with Giusey. We drove to the lakes and went clockwise so we could stay in the shade. It took all my might to hold myself back from picking it up on the way back once we turned around…I did it! We got back to the fountain with only 15 seconds to spare so that was pretty good! I told myself that I get to run a little harder tomorrow (and that I better run easy today or tomorrow I will pay!). The run felt excellent again tonight. I was hardly breathing! Giuse said he was depressed that I am already fitter than him...thanks Giuse for trying to make me feel good! lol But we both know you could kick my butt right now! OK so, now I really have to get the metatarsal issue dealt with. It wasn’t any better with the extra padding tonight and it annoyed me the whole run. I will try the pads in another pair of shoes tomorrow and see if that helps. If not, I will have to go and see SG again because it's really making me grumpy.