Going Long

Beautiful, sunny, COLD Ottawa morning. -25C windchill.

Everything felt calm on the south and east legs of my run.

But turning back toward the North and West gave the cheeks and nose a rosy sheen.

Too bad I left my balaclava back in Toronto! :(

Moved my long run up one day, to Saturday this week.

Cold again this afternoon, but somehow a bit more bearable with the sun out.  Once the sun went down around 4:30 pm, it seemed much less inviting out there.

Ran all the way across Ottawa, through the downtown, then lower town and out through New Edinborough to CFB Rockliffe.

Last (really last!) long run of this schedule.  Race in two weekends.  Woo Hooo!
 

Up at (ahem!) 3:30 am this morning.  Watched the "Spirit of the Marathon" DVD that I got for Christmas.  Shoveled snow.  Cleaned off the car.  Washed and folded clothes.  Got out for a short run.

Seeing the elite and recreational runners prepare for the Chicago Marathon on the DVD was interesting.  Everyone has the same issues - whether you run a 2 hour pace or a 5 hour pace.  Just getting up and out the door every morning is a triumph.  Avoiding injury.  Watching the weather. The training miles. Running friends. Picking up your race packet. Getting gear together on race-day morning.  Personal cheering sections along the route.  The Finish Line.

I'm really looking forward to my race day on the 18th.  It is a milestone to run my first marathon distance, and to share it with my peeps will make it even more special. 

As I taper, I realize that this is a well deserved rest.  A break from the 5 days per week grind that I have been going through since mid-October.  Time to savour the feeling that I'm ready.  And to hope that my race-day goes well.

Great run tonight with the biggest group I've been out with in months!

Side streets were suprisingly slippy, considering that the last significant snowfall was a couple of days ago. 

Lots of enthusiasm for the RSR race on the 18th!  Thanks to all of you who have volunteered to pace me on my first 42.2k.

Only a week and a bit to go . . .

Quick 10k along the Lakeshore.

Martin Goodman Trail has been plowed, and was dry all the way down to Ontario Place.  Nice surface to run on.

A bit chilly to start, but dressed well for the duration of the run.  Wearing my windbreaker instead of my rain shell when the weather is ok, and it keeps me much more comfortable.

What a difference 24-hours makes. 

Yesterday, roads/paths dry.  No Wind. Fairly mild.

Today, roads a mess.  Windy.  Cold.  Ugh.

Did 12.75k this morning, my last Sunday run before race day.  Took it really easy all the way, as the slipping and sliding is a recipe for pulled muscles, joint hyper extension, or other stupid little injuries.

I seem to have come through it unscathed, which is the same thing I can say of my training program that I started in earnest after the election on October 14.

A couple of short, easy runs this week for my tapering and then my first 42k on Jan 18!   

Last run before race day!  I have 3k on the schedule for Saturday, but with the girls' swimming lessons in the morning, and getting prepped for Sunday brunch in Brampton, I doubt I will get out for it. 

It was a lovely, clear, cold, winter night for a run tonight.  We did the Baby Point loop, and I felt pretty good even getting up the small hills at the midpoint and end of the run. 

It sounds like the temperature will moderate a bit for race day.  And the 10cm of snow they were calling for in the 5-day forecast doesn't look like it will materialize.  Just a dusting on Saturday, so the roads should be pretty good for the run.

Counting down now . . . tic-toc, tic-toc . . .

Got out for 5k late this evening, after 9 pm.

Crisp but comfortable.  Felt great having the new shoes on. 

Looking forward to the start of the new schedule.

Feeling no ill-effects of the marathon last Sunday

Cccc-cold morning for the Robbie Burns Roadrace in Burlington, ON.

Temp around -15C (according to a pixel sign on the route), light winds from the west which didn't help as we turned into it for the last 3k.

I had a fast run (for me!), completing the course in 40:56.  Went out waaaaay too fast, trying to weave and dodge into open real estate in the first three kilometres.  I was close to 15 minutes for that interval, but was decidedly slower in the second half of the race.

I'll need to think more clearly about strategy and timing in a race pack as the spring moves along.  I set my watch for 5:24 pace per kilometre, but found myself running much faster than that once the field thinned out.  I couldn't maintain that pace, and found that I'd dropped about a minute per kilometer by the time I was within sight of the finish line.

Lots of folks passing me at the end, and although I relaxed, breathed more deeply and tried to "grin and bear it", I was hurting a little bit.

Glad when I got across the line.  And inside for hot chocolate and hot oatmeal!  Yum.