Priceless

Stress can be a powerful tool in running! There is an event in my life right now that is highly stressful for me. An event I've chosen to NOT disclose on the privacy of this blog [insert sarcasm font].
I went for a run this morning to clear my head. I planned to do an 80min slow run, with walking breaks. I ran out 40min without stopping. And in that 40min I felt strong, powerful, and fast.
Boo-yeah! I told myself, I am killing it! This whole stress-thing makes running SUPER EASY.
...And then I turned around after 40 min...

...and realized I'd been running slightly downhill the whole way.

Okay, maybe the downhill had more to do with the speed and power and ease than anything else. I turned around and ran back home. I did think about stopping, but didn't. I instead powered home at a slightly slower pace of 44min. I opted to run that 1 extra minute to even things out.

Total time: 85min

Total distance: ?around 13km

Total effort: excellent

Results; much clearer head, much calmer mind. Well worth it!

There will be many more days of stress to come in my life, and the benefits of running are priceless.

Two Days, Two Runs

That’s right, baby! I’ve now done two runs in a row. Granted, neither are anything to brag about, even though I still do.

Today was 20 minutes. I just can’t seem to find more time in my morning. Okay, I could easily find more time in my morning. But back to the point. I did a bit of a step ladder. 5 min easy, 5 min more difficult, 5 min quite difficult, then finishing off with 5 min easy again.

Brizzy does not really like to run beside me. He’ll run ahead, or stay behind and run to catch up, but he’s not quite sure what I expect from him when I run. I’m not quite sure what I expect from him yet either.

I also received confirmation last night that there are no structured running groups here. I keep building up hopes that somewhere, someone will know of such a group in this city! But it has been confirmed by many “in-the-know” sources: the answer is no. There are people who run in groups, but no running groups. I’m a little bit gutted right now. I have been doing some serious research and planning into a marathon next spring. I just don’t have the motivation to do the training alone.

Bonus Poop Lap*

Sprints today. It wasn’t meant to be a running day but I woke up early and had the energy, so why not? I did 10 x 1min running with a 1min walking break between. The pup – at first reluctant to join me – was ecstatic when he realized he was going to be off-leash. There are only two times he likes to run with me: when I’m throwing a ball, or when he’s off-leash. The latter isn’t even a guarantee of enjoyment from him. But there were a couple of cats to chase this morning and he was in his glory.

I admit, when I run with Brizzy I’m not the best poop-picker-upper. I make note of where he goes and then collect it once I’m done. Today, I miscalculated where I was in the park relative to where he’d done his duty. So I added in one extra sprint (totaling 11) to go pick up that poop before returning home.

I worked as hard as I could work when not motivated by other runners running with me or an impending race to worry about. I may not be as fast as Elaine Thompson**, but I can be the fastest woman in the dog park on a Tuesday morning!

*Yes. I did just use the word 'poop' in the title of my blog. I never promised it would be classy writing!

**2016 Olympic Champion in 100m, for those not as Olympic obsessed as myself.

Of Steadiness, Stags, and Sleep

I had a successful 60min steady run today. The fact that I meant to make it a tempo run and didn't have the energy/ fitness/ motivation/ insert-excuse-here doesn't really matter. I ran a solid hour at a decent (read: slow) pace. I had meant to use my fancy GPS watch to help me set a pace, but apparently it's still packed somewhere, so I'll wait on that for a few more weeks.
I ran past a group of young teenage boys doing teenage boy things smashing large rocks into the ground to see if they could break them apart. As young teenage boys do at 8am on a Saturday.
I ran into a lovely park and saw a beautiful stag with a huge velvety rack that was likely making the other stags in the forest envious. He watched me cautiously before resuming his meal, so I paused to enjoy his beauty for a bit. But I was still 20min from home so I didn't linger too long.

Not the most successful run I was aiming for, but anything is an accomplishment these days. I feel that every time I am planning to not run in the morning I wake up before 6am bright eyed and energized and it's like...










I'm awake!

                                                         Time to run and play!

...and every time I plan to go for a morning run I feel a bit more like...

Mmmph. Eh? What? Run? No thanks, I'll sleep. I'm sure it's raining anyways...

Some Days Are Like That

Some days things just work. You wake up alert and energized. You feel fit and fantastic your whole run. You finish strong and proud.

Other days are not meant to be.

This morning I went out for a run. I wandered a new path near the burnt forest. It was a nice wide [unused] dirt road. I didn’t have a lot of time planned for the run…just an easy 20min before I had to get home to get ready for work.

15min into the run I was distracted by something moving in the bush beside me. A cat? Something cool? I scanned the bush to see what it was, which was my mistake. My toe hit a rock and suddenly I was stumbling in slow motion to the  ground. I slid along the hard-packed dirt, then rolled on my back to assess the damage.

None. I can’t even say there was damage to my pride, since I was out there with just the dog as witness (who was, I shall say, very confused but happy to see me at face-level with him). Still, I decided it was time to head back.

On the way back I saw another dog owner in the park, so I leashed up Brizzy so we could run past him. Unfortunately, only two of his dogs were on leash. The “friendly” one was off-leash and approached us in a very stiff-legged, less than friendly way. Being a much larger dog than mine, Brizzy and I stopped running and waited for the “friendly” dog to approach while the owner frantically tried calling her back, to no avail. The dog came up to us and cautiously sniffed Brizzy, at which point she seemed to relax enough for us to continue on our way, so we did.

I was feeling better at that point and decided I could loop around to make the full 20min I’d initially planned. Just as I was about to U-turn I saw another dog owner with two little dogs on a leash approaching us. Brizzy also saw them, and went bonkers trying to go say hello to the two little mites. This resulted in me having to drag him on his leash as I tried to run the last couple minutes home. In the effort of turning and tugging on his leash, I stepped on another rock and – don’t ask me how – I pinched a nerve in my big toe. This has never happened to me before, but suddenly I found myself limping as my poor toe went into unhappy spasms. Such a small body part to feel so debilitating!

I gave up. I walked home and called the run finished. I’m happy to report no lingering damage from either my fall or my weird pinched nerve on the toe. I just had to laugh. Because some days…some days are like that.

Reunion

Sunday was a big running reunion for me. I went back to the Eau Claire Running Room for the Sunday long run. Fortunately, two of my good friends were there and we got to run together. Sooo much fun! 12k was not nearly long enough to catch up on all that had happened the last while. But it was more than long enough for my poor, unfit body. At around 7 or 8k my legs started to really twinge around the knee. We were near the starting point and I was tempted to turn around then and there and walk back. But no way could I leave that conversation!

Love these girls! Talking to them, it felt like I'd never left!

So on I ran.

This is why I love running groups…or just running with fit friends! Had I been on my own I would have given up at the first twinge near my knee. I would have run slower. I would have likely walked up the big hill we climbed.

But when you’re surrounded by awesome runners and having a great conversation, the joy just carries you along. So along I was carried. 12k is such a nice distance. It’s long enough you feel it (especially when you’re like me and lost your distance fitness!) but short enough that it doesn’t feel like you’re morning has disappeared when you’re finished.

Everyone kept encouraging me to start a running group up here. There are people who run in groups…but I haven’t found a dedicated running group. I’m too lazy and uncommitted to start one…I just want to join one!

Reluctant but Running

I did not want to run when I got up yesterday morning. And Brizzy made it very clear to me that neither did he! It started at the front door, when he dug in his heels upon getting outside and glared at me as if to say, “don’t you dare make me run, Mom!”

We went to the park across the street. Off went the leash and I started my run. Since I really didn’t want to run, I did 1:1min of ‘sprints’ and recovery 10 times each, for a total of 20 minutes. Not much, but something, at least.

Every time I ran past the park entrance Brizzy bolted ahead and stood at the entrance, giving me his most pathetic/mournful doggy stare he could manage. As I ran past the entrance he waited for a good 30 seconds before reluctantly loping alongside me once again. I could sympathize! I didn’t want to be there either. But forcing us both to do some exercise is a good thing. I remember back to the day when I was running 4 hours a week! Now I’m getting in 20 minutes…still, I guess it’s something.

On a side note, I’ve joined the local triathlon club! The running clubs are in short supply up in Fort Mac, so I’m starting with the next best thing. My first swim was on Tuesday. Here’s hoping for some group runs with people (and not just a woebegone pup) in my near future!