Test of Endurance

Slow run day! To add to the confusion of my running clinic, there are two different training programs to follow. One told us Sunday would be a 5k....the other a 10k.

As hubby and I were out of town on the weekend, I motivated myself to run solo. I thought it would be a good test of endurance for my knee. I planned a flat route that would loop around near my house so that - if perchance my knee gave out - I wouldn't be too far away.

At 5k I felt good...great, even!

At 7k I started to hurt. Certainly my knee was a bit sore...not in a "I'm injured!" way. More in an "I'm unfit and my body is shutting down in protest with the weakest part going first!" sort of way. I had really wanted to go to 10k.

I settled for a timed event of 60 minutes, which totaled 8.39km. Where my [lack of] fitness really showed was in my split times. I ran the first 3k around a 6:50 pace which was right on my goal...then I slowed to a 7:15 pace for the next 3k...then 7:30 on kilometer 7...you get the idea.

Ah, well! First goal is pain free. Second goal is building my endurance back up. Third goal is PB!!! (Hahaha).

Take...10?

I think I've been running 10 years now. Well, I've been on and off running 10 years. So, "I'm Back!" (Take 10). In truly awful blogger etiquette (but true to the way I am) I've been a bit behind on these entries, so be prepared for an onslaught of running updates over the next little bit...

The last year has seen me married and moved 4 times in 3 different cities. So while I haven't really been running, I can say with confidence  I've been running around like a chicken-with-my-head-cut-off-and-my-life-packed-into-boxes. But now that the boxes are all* unpacked, official running running begins. Boy, was it hard for me to get started!

Some of the boxes from move #3...one of the easier moves!

After moving to Edmonton I had the most excellent intentions of joining a half clinic. I even went out to one of the free Sunday runs...and then realized just how many Sundays of training I'm going to be missing over summer...and how unfit I've become where a 10k was an absolute struggle...

So I joined the 10k clinic instead! My first time taking official training to focus on this distance. Woohoo! Visions of PBs dance in my head!

Well, a month before I started the clinic I started getting a niggle in the back of my right knee.
Less than two weeks before Day 1 of the clinic my right leg wouldn't straighten at all and I could no longer walk without a limp. No acute injury or anything like that. The only thing I can say is that my knee decided to stop working. I had developed runners knee before I even started running! Either my body is psychic - or psychotic - or just plain weird. Whatever the cause, I hobbled my way to physio and bim, bam, boom! Within two days I could walk normally again and guess what? I'm right into the running now with no lingering knee pain.

God Bless my healthy knees! .... and physios.

I took the first night's run - a 3k - nice and easy. I started my way at the back of the pack and as my trusty knee held steady and my confidence grew, I picked up the pace comfortably. No idea how fast I ran, but I was very satisfied nonetheless.




*except for that one box tucked into the back of the basement by the stairs. Yeah, you! You know who you are. Don't think I've forgotten you! I'll be unpacking you for sure in the next 10-20 years. Or, you know, whenever.

Mind Blown

It’s funny how one benign comment from a coach can change your world.

I’ve joined the triathlon club, as I’ve mentioned before. I’m doing the spin class about once a week. I’ve enjoyed it for the fitness and cardio aspect, but that’s about it. Our coach keeps saying we should have our RPM (speed of how fast we rotate the pedals) between 90-110. “90” is a magic number I’ve heard before related to my running cadence. But I’m always at low 80s when I measure my cadence. It’s just my natural pace. I decided to ask the coach about it, and he said:

“It’s easier for a cyclist to become a runner than a runner to become a cyclist.”

Mind.

Blown.

Suddenly, this is not just cardio and fitness. Cycling is about TRAINING. The friendly gal next to me offered me a more concrete example. She used to be a distance runner with a cadence in the high 70s, low 80s as well. “Work on your cadence here [in spin],” she said, “before getting your tension/power up. You’ll run the fastest times you’ve ever run before just from that alone.”

Alright, running world! I’m going to spend these next few months learning to increase my cadence, and then watch out!

-48C

Another day, another cycle. To assist me in getting a good workout I wore two pairs of bike shorts and regular exercise shorts over top (for vanity…have you seen what bike shorts look like?) I felt like I was walking around on a saddle, but at least my poor bottom wasn’t nearly as sore during and after the spin class.

I should mention that wind chill is making this week hit temperatures of -48C. 48 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. The kind of day where the tears froze in my eyes as I walked the dog around the block and I refused to pick up the mail in case my fumbling with the mailbox key resulted in me losing my fingers to frostbite. All I wanted to do was curl up inside with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. It hasn’t exactly been a motivating week to trudge out to exercise. Yet there I am, as keen as keeners can be.  But not keen enough to risk an outdoor run just yet.

Breaking Barriers

The Sunday morning swim has become a favourite of my husband and I.
First, it's morning! Finally a workout at a reasonable time of day!
Second, the pool is 50m (not the usual 25m). Bring on the endurance!
Third, it's usually pretty quiet, meaning we get the lane to ourselves.

I don't know what it was, but this morning I could not get my rhythm. Every breath I took had me swallowing lots of water along with it. My legs kept sinking and dragging my butt down and I felt more like a flopping fish than a swimmer.

650m in I decided maybe I was going too slow to keep my form. I picked up the pace which helped raise my legs up and finally found my rhythm. More or less. I was doing 300m/10min, meaning I was looking at doing a new PB of 1800m distance.l by the end of the hour.

But in the last 10min, that no longer felt good enough. It felt like I would fall short of 2k, rather than swim longer than 1700m (my previous PB).

So I pushed myself up a gear and started swimming a bit faster to get the distance done  before the clock ran out. At 9am I was at my final lap. The lifeguards at the other end of the pool warned me they were moving the bulkhead to shorten the pool length down to 25m.

"I just have 50m to go!" I pleaded and they waved me on. Success!

2000m, done and dusted. I've broken the 2k barrier and did it in 60min. Well, okay. More like 63 minutes. But still, won't be long until I've done it in sub-60!

Footage

I’m starting to like the swim. Pool swim, that is. I’ve been going consistently twice a week in my mind. In reality I’ve probably gone less than 20 times since I started up the swim part of the triathlon club in August. But one thing I have become consistent at is swimming 1500m (minimum) in every 1-hour practice. I even got as far as 1700m once. Woohoo!

The other night when I went to swim practice I got videoed. Ulp! I’m apprehensive about seeing that footage. I know it will be good for me to see how I actually look when I swim, but ulp!

I haven’t reviewed the final product yet so I’m not sure how I will receive it, but hopefully my technique isn’t too shocking.

Tri-ing a New Challenge

I set myself the lofty goal to train for a full triathlon this year. I would have liked to change the word “triathlon” to “marathon” but given the lack of running groups up here and my lack of motivation to train solo, triathlon seems more likely. I say “train” not “race” because I have no idea if the race is a realistic goal. I have picked a race out to work towards: Chinook Race. It’s in Calgary on June 17^th. So I can put that in my calendar and decide if it’s feasible. And as for the marathon, who knows…Maybe I’ll find a poor sucker friend who is willing to run 30k+ with me on the long run days and actually do a marathon this year. Hahahaha!

Day 1: I went back to spin class.

If there is one thing that worries me about the triathlon it’s the bike portion. And the swim portion. Okay, that’s 2/3 of the triathlon sport, but at least I’m confident I can run 10k!

The bike portion is 40k. I figure that will take me two hours to complete at most if I’m conditioned. And if it’s not hilly or bad weather conditions. But what better way to get started on the bike then in spin class! It’s much harder to fall off a spin bike than an actual bike*.

I lasted a grand total of 50 minutes before I threw in the towel and called it a night. My back hurt, my butt hurt, and for whatever reason my right knee hurt. I did a lot of stretches and hobbled home. Not defeated…just taking my time and easing into the training. T-165 days to go.

*Harder, but not impossible. Yes, I have fallen off a spin bike before! And not a graceful fall. I’m talking “lurching-forward-over-the-handlebars-and-knocking-my-water-bottle-into-the-instructor-while-sitting-at-the-front-of-the-class” falling off. I now prefer to sit at the back and away from other people.