First Half 1/2 Marathon Race Report

Finally, a day I can feel not guilty about sitting on the couch and writing a race report.  I have very little motivation to get out in the rain today.  It just seems unbelievable that we had miraculous weather for the First Half 1/2 marathon, bookended by deluges.  So lucky!

After sitting on the couch, watching puddles fill up on Saturday afternoon, glimmers of hope started to peek through the sky around 5pm.  I'm sure I wasn't the only person with an eye on the weather - perhaps the power of positive thinking in about 2000 people can actually make the weather cooperate.

As the alarm went off at 6am the next morning, I always try to put it in perspective by telling myself this really isn't early, remember how early you had to wake up for Ironman....and then that makes me feel better.  I looked out to a dry sky (yes!) and managed to force down the usual rice cereal with bananas.

7am was pick up time, thanks to Sue and her wonderful car with seat heaters, and after picking up Steph we were a full car load of girls ready to run!  We met up with our fellow runners down at the Roundhouse and definitely got an appreciation for how busy this race venue was.  After running some smaller 5 and 8k's, there was a bit more going on down at the Roundhouse.  We did our warm up along the seawall and started to get sun in our eyes - that is just the sweetest thing when you've been hoping for it.

To my surprise, after picking up my race # on Friday, I got an email saying I had a seeded number - and then I worried that someone had made a mistake - I didn't apply as an elite as their standards are sub 1:20, and my previous 1/2 marathon PR was 1:31, although some of my other race times have a more accurate prediction of my 1/2 time.  So I just sort of laughed, and decided to be happy to have a seeded number (with hopes that we'd be able to start at the front of the pack), and tried not to feel like a fraud.

With warm up done and the porta-potty line up contended with, it was line up time, and yes, my little number got me up to the front and I got to take a look around at the other runners I was running with - eek!  I knew some of them by name, some of them by face, some of them were friends, but I didn't actually feel like I belonged there.  Mind you, there were 199 elite numbers from what appeared to be varying ages, so I didn't feel like I was going to get mowed over right away.

So enough pre-amble, here's the real scoop on how this great race went:

In the corral, my first race strategy thought was, "See that woman?  She is the 2010 100km World champion.  Don't ever, ever pass her".  She was also the eventual winner of the race.  I made the right choice.

The gun went off with a deafening bang-bang, and we were off!

I am a runner that relies on feel and lap splits.  I don't own a Garmin.  So when the first mile marker was off (it had to be) it was a little discouraging but I just waited for the next one and would try to do the division (math skills are very sub par when I am running, especially in the latter stages of the race so this is often not a great strategy for me).  Finally after a few miles I started to get some reasonable numbers, although they were faster than planned, I couldn't undo them, so I just continued on and kept my effort in check.  And honestly, don't tell me to get a Garmin because you guys are always checking satellites and telling me your watches are "off" :)

I always end up running part of the race with Shark Fin guy.  If you know who I mean, and you've run with him, you realize he's definitely a fan favourite.  So running the downtown loop and then out to second beach, shark fin guy and untied shoelaces guy were getting a lot of comments (argh! shoelaces - so stressful - I was worried I would have to hurdle over another faller circa Steveston Icebreaker start line....).  And then each and every runner who came up on him had to tell him his shoelaces were untied.  I'm sure he knew.  I didn't bother saying anything but it was getting really annoying so I really had to pass him and get away.  I come from the school of tuck your dangly laces back underneath your criss-crossed laces strategy, and I've never had them come undone after that.  So thanks to Jerry for that, and I encourage other people to do the same.  If you need help with tying your shoes, please read this  :)

This course is truly scenic.  It was really fun to do a loop downtown and then cruise out to Stanley Park. It's hard to see who's up ahead of you, as they wind in and out of the park's curves, you get a glimpse of a shirt colour, a running style, but sometimes it's hard to tell.  Eventually the leaders are just plain out of sight (I guess that's what happens when course records are broken), and eventually, the people are so small it's hard to tell men from women, so it's hard to tell placing.  And there is no turn around, no place where you meet other runners face to face and get to count numbers.  In a way though, I think that's also nice, it makes for a simpler strategy - just RUN.

There are, of course, people around you that you get to run with, and this year being able to start up front, there were more people at my speed and not a lot of people to pass you or for you to pass.  So I happily locked into a comfortably challenging pace with eventual AG winner Teresa, whom I've recognized from lots of previous races, as we seem to run around the same times, and we ran pretty smoothly all around the seawall.  Eventually we had another girl to run with, and I tried my best to not let her gap me too much and kept reeling her in, trading places for lead, and continually trading spots.  I think in races past I've tended to just let people go past me without a challenge, and although I know I don't want to be blowing up on a few surges, I think it helps motivate you to stick on someone and not let them get away (even if they do blow you away after coming out of that Second Beach hill - congrats to her for having strength there and using it!).  I have to say, I have often found myself in no man's land (or no woman's land) without any girls to run with - and I find it's really motivating to have a pack of women to stick with, so this was a nice change from other races where I'm too far behind or ahead to have someone to run with.

So we traded and raced and stuck together as a pack for the majority of the race, with some stringing out around Lost Lagoon.  Now it's a beautiful spot, and then sun was shining and you couldn't ask for anything more, but I was starting to feel a little breakdown in form and mental capacity at this point.  So much of racing is mental - it never fails to surprise me.  But what can you do?  You have to match up your brain to your legs, and in my case, I know my legs can be more consistent and reliable than my brain, so I did my best to just keep turnover going and try to ignore some of those thoughts that make you not believe in yourself.  Try not to waste energy by letting your current thoughts dictate leg speed, placement, letting go of the people you're running with and fooling yourself into believing you're the ONLY person that feels this way.  Not a chance.  But you have to believe in yourself.

Making it out of Lost Lagoon and back to Second Beach, I did finally get dropped after going up the bike bath hill.  Yuck.  I definitely needed a minute to recompose and not let myself fly over the lactate threshold plank of death.  And that girl had gears to go!  It was impressive.  So up the hill and immediately back down to the seawall (really the first hill on the course) and then a jaunt back along the seawall and some gravel patches (which actually really felt great at this point because I felt like it was a nice respite from pounding pavement) and then up the second hill, which really seemed mean - the next bike hill path off the seawall to Pacific.

Man.  I think that was it for me.  Getting up that hill, and then having to continue onto Beach ave, this is where I started to struggle.  I had recovered from hill #1, but this one was tougher.  So, it was the end of strategy and it was put my head down time.  It was my only intention in this race to run a sub 1:25 for a time standard (and if I beat someone along the way, that was icing on the cake).  So when fast girl's teammate came through with a great pace past me, I just had to have confidence in my own pace and make my own way to the finish line.  Legs were starting to feel it, and I wasn't about to start doubting myself, so I just put my brain into a "time-out" (yes, I have time-outs while racing) and told myself my only job is to move forward and don't slow down.

Then hill #3 up underneath the Granville Bridge.  Wicked - and these are the times my brain just repeats, "Everyone has got to do this, nobody is liking this hill right now, everybody hurts"....and even if it sounds cheesy, I believe it (and speaking to people after, it does appear to be true), but taking yourself out of singular pity and turning it into the collective, seems to make things more fair.  Who hasn't gone to bonktown....honestly.

What I wished I had at this point was an ability to pick up my stride and get my legs going downhill as reward for the hill that we had just climbed but I couldn't.  It was odd not to be able to just get that nice lean and feel a bit of quickness come back, but you get what you get on race day and you have to deal with it and make the best out of your situation  The slip n' slide would have been a nice touch here.

 Like the mile markers that I had a difficult time following (especially as I'm used to and associate better with kms), you have to problem solve on your feet - literally.  And that comes with practice and I think that is one of the reasons experienced and masters athletes continue to school younger athletes.  Experience rules.  You have to reassess and adapt.  You can't be a square peg trying to fit in a round hole the entire race.  Although running is quite mechanical and mathematical, there is also quite an art to it, and there are a lot of emotions too.  Managing a race is like conducting a small orchestra - and you're still hoping someone will clap for you at the end.

I finished the race with quite a big smile on my face, not really because of my time, but because I got absolutely blown away by a gentleman who made a sprint I wouldn't think was possible at the end of a half marathon - but good for him.  He may not have liked my shirt - You just got chicked - but hey, I think you have to have a sense of humour in the sometimes over the top serious world of road racing - Shark Fin guy's got one anyway!  So I laughed, and I really was happy, and in the end, I ended up with a great time for me - 1:23:04 - which is a greater than 8 min PB for me, and almost 1 and a 1/2 min faster than I had planned.

I also ended up 6th for women, and won my age group of F25-29 (my last race as a 29 year old :) - so I was really happy.  Too bad I couldn't come in the top 5, but the girls that beat me to it ran a great race and hats off to them.  I achieved better than my goal so I have no complaints!  The race organizers really put on a remarkably well organized race (however mile markers could be improved....) and beautiful course with a great warm dry place to change and so many goodies to eat (although my stomach said noooo....which is always sad!).

Our group slowly collected themselves and everyone got to check in and see how people did - there is always a mix of happiness and disappointment, and the beauty of the group is that it lends a bigger story, a greater context, so whether you were happy or not, you can't help but be inspired by the people you run with.  We've all been through ups and downs and it's so nice when people are there for you at the end.

And I swear, the only time it seemed to sprinkle was when we were inside trying to win draw prizes (which we did not) and then it broke into sun again on the way home.  And now today it's gross again.  I just can't believe our luck.  So, it's not so hard to chill on the couch today, but I will, eventually get off my butt, get on the bike for a bit, and eventually head to the pool for a swim/run (or float on pool noodle if all else fails).  It's now marathon training season!  Yahoo!  It's very exciting to start thinking about the full distance which I am planning on for May.  Triathlons training continues on, but specific marathon training becomes a focus.  Running speedy 5 and 8 kms was a really new thing to me this year, and turns out I really like them - but I also find a lot of comfort and familiarity in running the full distance - now the job is to do that, but do it quickly - so I am excited!

So that's my novel.  Lengths of blog posts appear to be directly related to weather or injury, so I can assure you it's the weather.  I hope other people that ran the First Half 1/2 Marathon yesterday enjoyed it as much as I did.  I also hope that all the volunteers know how much we appreciate your support, even if we can't tell you that when we're racing (or we can't even look at you when we're having our little 'time-out' underneath the Granville St. Bridge).  But I do.  And I really do also appreciate the opportunity to get to start in the seeded/elite section as this really does make a difference for positioning, comfort, and pacing partners - so thanks to the women I ran with and I'm sure I'll see you again :)

Have a restful and restorative week to build back the energy to work toward your next goal and happy training everyone!

Unbelievable

Really - what happened to plain and simple walking? If they think installing $100,000 worth of gym equipment in a school makes sense, you would think hiring a teacher and making gym class mandatory wouldn't be such a novel idea - this is CRAZY. You wonder why kids are fidgety? Because you cut gym class and don't value exercise.  Hell, you could have two teachers for that price and if you're lucky, they could become coaches too.  Mentors.  It worked for me and I think I've done ok by them.

Now, I'm referring to this article, which I encourage you to read before proceeding:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2011/02/11/nb-moncton-beaverbrook-school-treadmills-641.html

Quote:

"The program, which incorporates exercise into students' daily routine, is based on the premise that physical activity helps students improve their concentration and learning skills"

 Really? The 'premise'? This is a new idea?  I think my brain is exploding.

Don't turn kids into a bunch of monkeys on a treadmill like the overstuffed sausages in the corporate gym, getting onto treadmills like lemmings.  Not only will they not care about what they do, they also won't do it well enough to reach this 'prescribed' (baffling we need to prescribe exercise) 60 min a day of moderate to vigorous activity.  I don't know if you've tried reading a book on a treadmill, but you certainly can't do it at a moderate level of activity (however, what passes for moderate, I have no idea...)

If there is no heart to the exercise or sport, there is no purpose and there is no perseverance.  If there are no difficulties or obstacles, there is no satisfaction in overcoming adversity.  Let kids run and chase, be chased, kick a ball, hit something (even another kid if it's in fair play), practice a skill, score a goal, solve problems - be happy.  Get on a treadmill and have this suffice for the alternative?  You're a nutbar if you think that's ok.  

Dodgeball.  At least let them play dodgeball.  Let them experience that wonderfully satisfying 'swanck' of rubbery pain when they hit someone or get hit.  At least in dodgeball there is the humanity of the 'doctor' to come and rescue you - remember, you wanted to be rescued from peril post 'swanck' - you wanted to get back in the game.  Kids wanted to get back in there and fight.  Emotions will lead kids back to activity.  Even if this game is eerily war-simulated (at least to me, getting hit in the field and having a medic save you...).  The only emotions I ever felt on a treadmill were "Please god let me get off this thing as soon as possible".  And I LOVE exercise - more than most people!

It's depressing.  It's maddening.  So many insults on so many levels.  To children, to teachers, to our environment, to our sense of community and the wealth of sport.  Did you not hear the Queen's speech this year?  Even she addressed the benefit of sport!

Even the section of the article where spending some time on a treadmill makes learning "easier" for this child in the interview.  So if things are easier, that's better?  If you have things handed to you, do you really appreciate them?  In reviews of some of the most successful, intelligent and humanitarian people in our world, they often, maybe even always, come from adverse and difficult times.  Why are we always trying to make everything easier?  The most important things in my life were things I didn't think I could achieve because it was too hard - but I tried anyway.

I think I've made my point.  I don't like to rant and I like to see the positive side of things.  I do fear, however, that with complacency that we will accept ideas like this as great and wonderful.  We know what to do, there is no re-inventing the wheel here.  Get kids moving - but not on a treadmill.  Please.

I feel like Rick Mercer, and this is my rant.

Team Effort - Icebreaker 8km

I can't believe I'm inside writing a post on such a sunny day - but I can't be outside all day and did need to come inside to warm up after an easy run this morning.

Yesterday was the Steveston Icebreaker 8km.  I had never done this race before, and woke up (early - yikes) to a totally clear sky - so I was very excited! (there has been a lot of training in the rain lately...)

I really like the 8km distance (with my total of 8k's now at 2), and was happy to be running along the water.  So after a fairly early up-and-at-em with rice cereal (aka adult pablum) with bananas and agave, we loaded up the car with VanRunners and teed up the Garmin (I can't get away from them) to lead us to Steveston.

It was so fun to meet up with so many people from our training group at the community centre and head out to the start line.  I've done quite a few races on my own, showing up at the start line to do a warm up by myself, looking around at other people running in their groups, not necessarily feeling jealous, but wishing I could be more relaxed like 'those people'.  What I realize now is that the group provides a great environment of fun energy, because everyone brings a mix of feelings, hopes, predictions and goals.  It's so nice to have people around, on the start line, seeing them out on the course, and knowing they'll be there at the end to celebrate (or commiserate).

So race start - quite exciting!  This was a gun-time only race (no chips) so there was a lot of vying for the start line spots on a narrow start line.  On one side was intermittent knee bashing benches, and on the other side, some very chilly Steveston ocean - so you definitely needed to stay midline.  Almost immediately after the gun, some guy must have mis-stepped and took a tumble to the floor - which was tough with 200 people behind him.  I had to almost piggy back the guy in front of me as we both had to hurdle over this poor soul (along with many others).  So, had to quickly recollect my thoughts and get back to being reasonably calm and in control of my pace after so much excitement off the line.


I really did spend the first 1/2 of the race mostly looking at the ground to make sure I didn't slip on any ice (plus the sun was shining straight into our eyes - not that I'm complaining about sun!).  The race travels along the water, firstly along the gravel side outbound, and road side inbound.  I found the gravel path pretty narrow and not easy to pass people, so you had to do a little bit of skipping around side to side.  Overall, though, I was feeling pretty good to the 1/2 way point and decided to pick it up from there.

The road back was quicker than the gravel and we had a bit of a tailwind, so that was nice - and you got to enjoy the view a little more because the sun wasn't in your eyes (not complaining!)  After a lot of twists and turns at the end, it was a straight 250m shot to the finish line, with all types of sprints to the finish.  I ran behind the same guy for at least 2.5 kilometres and despite one challenge off his shoulder, he had more gears and managed to finish 1 second ahead of me at the finish.  So, new goal for 2011 now includes beating him at a race, somewhere, somehow.  Because I know him, I just wish he wasn't such an experienced runner - it is going to take a special sneak attack off the shoulder when he's looking the other way, Tour de France style.  So it's my new resolve.  People who run in our group will know who I'm talking about but I am not making public declarations because I'd really rather he didn't know I am gunning for a win - because it isn't going to be easy!

Overall, I finished 7th, 5th in my AG, and set a PB of 29:50, which wasn't quite as fast as I would have liked, but it wasn't the fastest course in the world (despite being the flattest course I have ever run - I don't even think there was 1m elevation).  Still, 30 seconds faster than 2 weeks ago.  So, goals for next time!  I am quite excited to be getting back to the longer distance of the 1/2 marathon - more in my comfort zone of endurance racing - so very excited to see what I can do.  The First Half half marathon is next - only 2 weeks away!

In the end, we all regrouped and (some of us) did some strength work and (again) did a pretty crap job of the cool-down (we walked to breakfast though - for about 10 min - does that count?).  I knew I was getting back on the bike for a spin in the afternoon so wasn't too worried.  We went to "Cinnamon Bar" - also properly known as "Cimona" (but interestingly enough that lady knew where we wanted to go? ) and chowed some food and do what runners do best - talk about running.   All said and done it was still not even 11am - that would be the benefit of early race starts.

I named this blog post "Team Effort" because I would really truly encourage anyone who has been running on their own to find a group of people to run with.  It doesn't have to be a competitive team, it doesn't have to be professionally organized, it could just be you and a couple of your friends - but make a resolve to go to a race or event together.  There are so many people that run, so many groups, that it really is accessible to anyone who wants it.

 I ran on my own for 4 years and was really hesitant to join a group - which seems to surprise people when I tell them that.  But it's true.  It was like pulling teeth to get me to join Forerunners running clinic.  Even though (I think) I'm a pretty shy person, and it took me a few runs to get to know some people in my group, by the end of the clinic I couldn't believe I had been doing so much running on my own - and how much easier it was for me to get the speedwork done when I was doing it with a group.

 I joke about it, but I really did try, maybe once, maybe twice a year, to actually commit to doing speedwork and made up some random (and much too difficult) track workout, feel totally defeated by it, and have nothing to compare it to.  And I really do think, now getting to look back on my year of training and my improvements in running, that finally doing some speedwork is what made all the difference to my times.  Every year, I managed to take ~2-3 minutes off my marathon time, and the difference for me this year between Oct 2009 and Oct 2010 was 13 minutes - that's a lot!  And I'd be pretty happy if I could do 13 minutes again - which isn't an impossible goal at this point.  So trust me - groups are good - and speedwork is even better!

 So thanks to Sue, Steph, Paul, Jerry, Jeremy, Art, Sarah & Jeremy (aka Saramy), Kelsey, Rachel, Brendan, Andrew & Amy, and everyone else that keeps coming out to cold nights on the track, dark nights on the hills, and early mornings at the races.  Your efforts don't go unnoticed and I hope that it helps you as much as it helps me!

fun in the rain!

I had the opportunity yesterday to do a new product notification photo shoot with Lululemon yesterday!

I'm learning more and more about what goes on at Lululemon and I think it's really cool that they are working with so many people that are local to their area - all sorts of different types of people!  I did the shoot yesterday with Mitch the pro baseball player - I felt bad he didn't get a jacket - because it was chilly!
I also have to say, if you are looking for a new pair of running tights, the tights I wore yesterday (and today.....and likely tomorrow) are awesome - definitely the most comfortable tights I've ever worn!
(And I've worn lots....)

Anyways, here's the link:
Lululemon Product Notification for January 25, 2011


Enjoy the rain while it lasts....spring is around the corner!

garmins are for cool kids....let's go run

A quick link to my Sunday afternoon project while procrastinating going to the pool...

It may not all make sense to you, as it was made in the spirit of the ongoings of our running group.

Click on this link:
Garmins are for cool kids....let's go run.

As I said, this is the first of the series.  Look for more to come, especially on Sundays when it rains a lot.

A race, a crash, and a nap

That about sums up my last couple of weeks.

After running around in winter wonderland for 2 weeks, we made a detour through Victoria to do the Pioneer 8km in Saanich.  This was the last of my 'firsts' - my first 8km!  Having already tackled my first 5km, I was a bit more prepared for a race faster than 10km - which is the shortest distance I had ever done prior to the 5km this past fall.  I'd have to say I now like the 8km more than the 5 or 10km.

Race reports get quite short when the race only takes 30 min!  Well, 30 min and 22 sec to be exact.  Our wonderful running team of 3 (Sue, Steph and I) set out to do our warm up on a cold morning.  A little bit of ice here and there but we all managed to stay upright.

The Pioneer 8km was also the BC 8km Championship - which definitely makes it competitive.  There were some serious singlets & compression socks out there.  At a very comfortable 11am start, the gun went off, and we all went flying down the hill.  The course was a very rural route through fields & homes, with the ever cruel run past the finish line at about 5km.

Besides a chilly start, the race had a great course and this was a (mostly) enjoyable 8km race!  I stayed with the same woman for the last 3km, but could never convince myself to pass her - lessons learned for next time.  Racing takes practice - which is the nice thing about shorter races - you get to practice more.  Having mostly only doing marathons in the past, you learn valuable lessons during racing but you can't practice them for another 4-6 months!  These lessons and feelings stay a little more current and hopefully I can work on them during these shorter races in these series.  In the end, I finished 7th in the race and 6th for the BC Championships - so for my first 8km - I'm pretty happy with that.

In the end, our team was decorated with ribbons, medals and gloves - sweet!  Too bad we didn't win that Dairyland picnic basket - reason to go back and do another Island Series race!

Then it was back to training - my new 'job' - full time (with mandatory non-running projects so I don't go nutso).  I made it a whole 5 days until I managed to crash my bike while cycling downtown.  No broken bones, thank goodness, but I did wonder that as I felt myself catapulting towards the ground.  On a wet day, without doing anything stupid, I just managed to get caught in what I think is an old cable car track - about a 2-3 inch deep vertical line - and automatically knew I was going to bail.  So, taking the low side, not even bothering to brake (to avoid end-o's into the intersection) I just went down to the road and curb.  Road rash - check.  Bumps & bruises - check.  Hit my head - check .  Whiplash - check (although I would find that out on Saturday).  Sucky mcSuckerson - check.  One passerby stopped to ask if I was ok - a better question would have been, "Are you stunned" - to which I could definitely answer yes.

My bike still in one piece, I finished my errand downtown and headed off to the pool, which I had pre-planned into the schedule for the day.  When I got to the pool I sat down for a bit, just to let some of the adrenaline/shock wear off.  I had a couple sore wrists, as they braced my slide for at least a few metres along the pavement (thank you gloves), but I seemed to be able to bear weight on them so thought swimming was ok.  I realize now, that swimming after an accident is probably not a good idea, but it's tough to know not to do things when you're a bit stunned.  However, I really don't see that the swim workout made anything worse, other than the fact I was getting a bit emotional when the swim sets were getting tough (I did not, cry, in my goggles).  Then I hopped back on my crash proof steed and biked home.  I was then promptly banned from running Friday night's session.  And I really didn't fight it.

I did the long run Saturday, and it went ok - I just warned my running mates that I couldn't shoulder check and needed a left-hand man in that department.  18km went by pretty fast and after getting home and eating lunch, I decided to call it a day.  That is when things started to stiffen up and hurt.  My neck, my shoulders, my back - blah.  It was a day of rotating ice packs, and by the evening I gave up and knew I had to buy some Ibuprofen.  So, about 24 hours after crashing, things will hurt.  About 24 hours after that, things weren't so bad, and I managed to eek out an indoor ride and an old man swim that afternoon.  But not the way I wanted to start my first week back - although now, it's done - my first bike crash.  Irony being this is the week I also bought an indoor trainer.  I was, however, commuting, not riding.  So things are looking up.  Some massage appointments, some weird clicks and pops, and a bit babying things along and I'll be fine.  Added bonus, I get to chuck the old helmet and wear my pretty new one :)  Things were much worse after the running fail/fall so I'm not too upset by this episode.  Although I did learn that unless you're bleeding quite a bit (ie my running fail) no one will stop to help you.

Then the naps.  And the sleep.  I hate to be that person who talks about how much they get to sleep, but really, it has been very interesting to see just how much my body will sleep if I will let it.  Now I'm not talking crazy sloth amounts, but I am pretty consistently smashing 10-10.5 hour sleeps with a 45min-1hr nap in between.  I think before when I was working full-time and doing as much training as I could handle, I was sleeping about ~8-8.5 hours most days (which I know is still more than most) and maybe only 7 hrs if I was getting up early to swim.  And I'm not really sleeping in just because it's fun, but I really am interested in how much sleep my body will take if I will let it.  And a 25% sleep increase is quite a lot for someone who already gets a 'recommended' level of sleep.  They say that sleep helps you release human growth hormone, although I do not yet have Hulk-ian pipes to prove this.....yet.

So that is a recap of the last couple of weeks.  I am still trying to settle into a routine.  Believe it or not, it wasn't very easy (or fun) to transition into this new routine.  I love what I'm doing but when your body is used to a certain pace and routine, it goes a little snaky when you flip it all on it's head.  I always had to rush everything and stack everything on top of each other to get all the work and life and training done.  Now it's a bit weird (although I'm getting used to it) to have that time to sit and relax and let my body just rest.  My system was so charged up on adrenaline getting everything done and definitely not sitting down and relaxing into the couch for too long, that I'm sure my system will appreciate the more balanced approach.  Time will tell what that means to my training and racing, but I'm sure for my overall health it's a good thing.


Hope the New Year is being kind to everyone and that you're finding some fun in this winter training somehow (my advice - bike inside).  Spring will be here before you know it - so enjoy the crisp air now!

winter training camp

I've been up training at Mt. Washington, BC for the past 2 weeks.  We've had a truckload of snow (2 metres in 24 hours at one point), about 5 metres in fact, and a wicked streak of sunshine between Christmas and New Years.  It was hard to decide what to do up here - run with yak trax, snowshoe run, xc ski, classic or skate, downhill ski....and when to take a rest from it all with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in hand and lose continuously in Monopoly.

Running and training on a mountain is fun - but it is also hard.  There are no flats, no pavement, no stopping in case you get too chilled, wishing you didn't forget your clear lenses as snow darts into your eyes, effort that totally outweighs pace...but in the end, it is beautiful and it more than makes up for it all.

 I've had days up here where I've felt invincible and crazy strong, and other days where I just felt beaten down by this snowy terrain.  I've been gasping for breath at the top of totally silent and abandoned hills, and I've gone flying downhill kicking snow over and in front of me with my snowshoes.  It's so different from the usual routine.  I even hit the back of my head yesterday with a self-created snowshoe snowball.
 You need balance and respect for this world up here.

 I feel very lucky to have had a great holiday break with family and friends.  I'm also happy to be moving on to a new routine and new goals, but I'm certainly going to miss the mountain when I leave.