Thursday, April 29, 2010

Speed Play – Session 1

Distance : 5.0 mi
Time 50

I started the summer session for the interval workout workshops with Kory (again).  This set goes for 10 weeks and finishes in early June.  So with my legs still very heavy from the half marathon effort we headed to the outdoor track at the Glenmore Athletic Park to do workouts outside.  (Ah summer).

There was another group working on the track so our group laid out an ad hoc track on a vacant soccer field.  What could be better doing speed work outside on grass – but not barefoot.   Running on grass should do a lot for foot confidence and ankle strength.  I can feel the difference in required effort, it is about halfway between beach running and track running.

We did the usual warm-up 4 min @50%, 3 min @ 60% and 2 Min @70%,  then did dynamic stretching and finally the speed workout.  It was a random fartlek like workout.  We would jog for a minute and then at a whistle pickup the pace for a random interval between 30 seconds and two minutes.  The tough parts are that you never know what effort to put out as the time is random and you never know when the intervals are going to end.

The reasoning behind the workout is to teach pace for sustainability.  I find it to be one of the harder workouts.   It was a good thing that the session was on Tuesday night as it started to snow on Wednesday afternoon and was downright unpleasant by this morning.

 

Plod On.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Calgary Police Half Marathon

Distance : 21.1 km (approx) 
Time 1:49:00 (approx)

This is my first half marathon so I guess I set both my best time and my worst time at this distance.  Times are approximate until they post the official results.

Tough race – the first half was fast and seemed to be all downhill.  The second half seemed to be all uphill and into the wind.

The long trek up the 90 avenue hill and the weasel head hill just about did in my hamstring and had to slow to an almost walk to avoid doing damage.

Alexandra at Making Waves has some great graphics showing the route, race profile, and the white stuff that we woke up to this morning.

This is a great race with great volunteers and is very well organized, the course is scenic and a little challenging.  I give it 2 thumbs up. 

Kudos to the Westhills running room group I thought we were well represented.

 

Plod on

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Let the Taper Begin


30th Annual Calgary Police Half Marathon 8 A.M.
5th Annual Calgary Police 5km Run & Walk 8:30 A.M
Sunday, April 25, 2010,
Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW

Number: 423

I have been silently running a little but not really training for this event.  I just might set a personal worst in the half marathon.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Weekly Weigh-In #2

Well Maybe not so Weekly.

Before we look at the chart I want to say that I Blame it on Team Canada and Olympic Hockey.  See how the line rises the more important the hockey games become.

weekly2

There seems to be a direct correlation with the increased stress levels caused by the lack of performance late in the game by our “super stars” and the proliferation of available snacks and beverages.

That coupled with the fact that I am more less stuck with dreadmill workouts for the next week (causing a lack of exercise) seem to be the big contributors.

Better luck next week. I read this post on Clean Eating on  RuntotheFinish blog and have picked up the book Clean Eating for Men and am going to give it a shot.  The plan seems more common sense than diet, only eat things that are good for you and do not come in a package.

Plod On.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

I’m In …

 

logo

Melissa's Road Race 2010, 22K

Sept 25, 2010

Just signed up for Melissa’s Road Race 1/2 Marathon. 

I know what I am going to be doing on September 25, do you?

Plod On

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Speed Play – Week 6

Distance : 5.0 mi (approx) 
Time 50 Min (approx)

The lay me out on my back work out because after the workout I could barely make it to the car.  Thank god there were no ABS just pace groups.

The warm up was a little more intense.

  • 3 Min @ 65%
  • 3 Min @ 75%
  • 3 Min @ 90%

Then dynamic stretching and six sets of strides.  The workout was really simple and tough.

  • 3 x  500 meters @ 85% with a 2 minute recovery (1:45 min)
  • 5 x 300 m (1:12, 1:11, 1:09, 1:05, 1:00) with a 1 minute recovery

After the first few sets I was paired with a young lad and we challenged each other to set faster times. Based on the times from this week we were placed in pace groups for the next sessions.  Gotta run us into the ground.

Plod On

Monday, February 22, 2010

Sunday Scavenger Hunt

Distance : 8.75 mi (approx) 
Time 1:35:00 (approx)

I went to my Speed Play session on Tuesday and was informed that it was cancelled due to reading week at the university.  That was an excellent idea so I took a recovery week and did NOTHING, really no abs, no push ups, no weights, no running.  A complete couch week of Olympic watching. I did head to Bowness for a little bit of skating on Friday.

Having completed the recovery week I headed to Westhills Running room on Saturday and treated myself to new shoes.  I tried on my usual shoe and did not like it so I ended up switching brands.  IMG_4010

Sunday I headed back to the Westhills Running Room for the 3rd anniversary Scavenger hunt. 

Scavcrop We completed the Scavenger hunt in about 4 km, then tacked on a run for another 10 km through Griffith Woods and back to the store.  It was a very pretty run through the woods in the Elbow River valley.

memount IMG_4015

This is me with the mountains in the background on the way up to the top of the ridge, in the distance you (just beyond all the houses) can see the Elbow River Valley where we finished the run.

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It was a fun run although a little cool to start and a little slow because of the stops.  Perfect for breaking in a brand new pair of shoes.

Plod On.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Jurassic Jog

Distance : 10.75 mi (approx) 
Time 1:35:00 (approx)

An away run, we went to Drumheller, Alberta to visit the Royal Tyrell Museum and stand in awe of the era of dinosaurs.  The town has 2 claims to fame;

  1. it is built on a bunch of dinosaur fossils
  2. it houses Alberta's only federal penitentiary

We were there for the dinosaurs.

IMG_0228

The run was pure, no watch, no GPS, no clear sense of the distance.  It was running by feel, running the way running was meant to be.  My Garmin was sitting on the kitchen counter at home where I left it when I neglected to pack it. It is amazing how used to the Garmin and how dependent on it you get.  Every once in a while everyone should ditch the techno gadgets and run by the seat of your pants. 

The run itself was COLD, the temp was –16 C (3 F) with the wind chill was –28 C (-19 F).  I started this cold lonely run at 7:00 AM (just before the sunrise) and ran an out and back route with the wind at my back on the way out.  This meant I was running into a strong head wind all the way back.  It means I was sweating like crazy on the way out and freezing my sensitive parts on the way back.  This resulted in a gentle warming regimen and a commitment to purchase wind proof undergarments.

IMG_0232

The good news was that I was running away from the sunrise on the way out and into some gentle warming from the sun on the way back. 

It is a very cool route, the road winds through the outskirts of the town, some abandoned coal mines through the badlands and sort of parallels the river.  A very scenic run.  And then to top it off there are dino replicas along the run.  Kind of hoaky but makes for an interesting run.

IMG_0229

One of the cool things that I saw was the giant T-Rex wearing those famous red Olympic mittens. I thought that was a great display of support for our Canadian athletes.

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All in all, despite my griping and frozen parts, a good run.

Plod On

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Running in Shorts (Spring?)

Distance : 6.5 mi
Time 57:41

It was 0 degrees C, the snow was melting, the sun was shining. It was a perfect day to cut out of work early and squeeze in a run. It felt like spring outside, maybe the ground hog was wrong. So I squeezed into my shorts and long sleeved T and headed for the River Pathways.

Spring Legs

These are my spring legs, note it it hard to get a picture of yourself on an iPhone.  Ran west along the river towards Canada Olympic park and through the old community of Bowness looped around through the business district and headed back.

IMG_0227

Pictured above is Bow Cycle with the 1988 Winter Olympics Ski Jump Tower in the background (that little spiky thing).  I took this picture as a homage to the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics tomorrow.  The Ski jump tower is on the top of the river escarpment at the west end of town and is visible from most places west of downtown.

The run was OK but it started out rough, I was feeling the hamstring as a result of Tuesdays intervals so backed off from a tempo to a easy run pace.  My back ached , my other hip was sore, arms were tight, abs were feeling the workout on Tuesday and it all was saying DON’T run.  But I did and feel good about the last 5 km which I turned over at around an 8 min mile pace which is just a little slower than my tempo target.

All in All a good run.

Plod On

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Speed Play – Week 5

Distance : 5.0 mi
Time 50

I got to Mount Royal University a little early so was able to squeeze in a few minutes of hamstring strengthening before the work out.

The warm up changed this week, from 4,3,2 to 3,3,3.

  • 3 Min @ 65%
  • 3 Min @ 75%
  • 3 Min @ 85%

Then dynamic stretching and five sets of strides.  The workout was really simple and tough.

  • 5 x 2 minutes @ 85% with a 1 minute recovery
  • 5 x 200 m (0:35) @ 85% with a 1 minute recovery

Then foam rollers and 3 sets of abs work. Damn that is tough doing abs work after speed is just painful. Hopefully there is a benefit to it.

Plod On

Monday, February 8, 2010

Weekly Weigh-in #1

I don’t know if all runners are as compulsive about their weight as I am.  I weigh myself every day first thing in the morning right after I get out of bed.   I have gained a few pounds over the months that I had to reduce mileage due to the hamstring injury and over the Holiday season (why is it so easy to gain weight on vacation).

When I am feeling a little chubby like I am right now I have a tendency to chart what is going on.

Week1

Over the next few months I intend to drop the extra pounds and get into a good running weight again. My plan is simple, watch portion size and reduce snacks (like the 6 or so cookies I had with lunch). 

Simple does not mean easy.

Plod On

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Ice Fog & Distance

Distance : 9.5 mi
Time 1:33: 20  

It was a frosty winter morning, the ice fog had rolled in last night and was still very thick. The thermometer on the house read –12 C (10 F) but when we started to run it felt colder.  The benefit of the fog is that the hoar frost was still on the trees for the run making it a very beautiful and tranquil environment for the run.

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I ran with three others from the Westhills Running Room store.  We crossed Sarcee trail then ran to the end of 37 street to get on the Glenmore Reservoir Trail. We followed the trail to Crowchild Trail then Looped back to the store.

The trees along the Reservoir Trail were covered in frost and the mist muted the view of the reservoir. IMG_0218

It was a very Zen like easy run that everyone felt good about.

Plod On

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Pain Management

Distance : 5.2 mi
Time 44: 24

The goal was an easy 8 km (5 miler) on a cool crisp sunny morning –12C (5F). When the sky’s are clear at night here it means a cold frosty morning. Although very pretty with the frost clinging to the trees.  I got into a good rhythm in that nice stride that feels good and you know that you can go forever.  It occurred to me that running for me right now is no longer about time management it is more about pain management. I have to find that stride and that pace that keeps the pain in my hamstring at a level that I can feel (3 / 10) but that I know is not damaging it more.

Running West

I ran along the river upstream from Edworthy park into Bowness then turned around and did the out and back thing. As I was plodding through the residential streets of Bowness I saw this really cool snow fort and had to capture it.

Ice Fort

The back part was mainly running into the sun and was fairly bright all the way back.  Ran over this interesting old bridge that has been converted for pedestrian use. 

IMG_0215

Unfortunately the deck is wood and with the frost on the deck the footing was not great.  All in All a very good run.

Plod On

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Sunset River Run

Distance : 7.0 mi
Time 57:45

The day started early.  I woke up about an hour before I needed to and took advantage of the extra time to fit in a core and upper body strength workout.  This is not usually part of my morning routine.

After work I decided to rush out and get in a good run before dark.  I ended up leaving the parking lot at Edworthy park just as the sun was starting to set.

IMG_0208

I headed towards downtown and ended up crossing the river at the 14th street bridge and turning around. I was hoping to catch the view of the setting sun off the buildings downtown but was a little late.IMG_0211

My intention was to get out and run, probably about 8 or 9 km and work out some of the residual lactic acid from the speed session on Tuesday.  Somewhere in the first km the easy run turned into a slowish tempo run.  I made the stupid mistake of running on the snow covered icy path right by the river instead of on the cleared path. Just after the turn around point I was starting to lag and was passed by black clad brunette with a pony tail and was inspired to keep the pace.  (No I was not being too macho and yes she still left me in the dust).

I am still having trouble finding my stride with the ham string injury.  I am finding that it limits my pace both in speed work and tempo runs. I am trying to up my mileage to see if that helps with the healing.

All in all a good run and a lot of fun.

Plod on.

This is my first post using windows live writer.

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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Speed Play - Session 4

Distance : 4.0 mi
Time 40

Speed Play - another fun session that makes me wonder why I am doing this. After each session I feel that I am too old to be doing this stuff and wonder why I am even attempting to keep up to the 20 somethings or even the 30 somethings. But yet I keep going back. When I tore my hamstring my doctor told me to quit trying to keep up with the kids.

Tonight's session began with the instructor saying that this was session four of twelve and that next week we are going to start ramping it up a bit.

The session was:
- Warm ups 4 min @ 50%, 3 min @ 60% 2 min @ 75%
- Dynamic Stretching
- 5 Strides
- 1.5 min recovery pace
- 1 Min @ 85%
- 1.5 min recovery pace
- 2 Min @ 85%
- 1.5 min recovery pace
- 3 Min @ 85%
- 1.5 min recovery pace
- 4 Min @ 85%
- 1.5 min recovery pace
- 5 Min @ 85%
- 1.5 min recovery pace
- Foam Roller work
- 3 sets of ABS

Ramp up from that - now I am really afraid.

Plod On

Sunday, January 31, 2010

The Never Ending Run

Distance : 8.0 mi
Time 1:16:09

Sunday is LSD day so I headed to the Westhills Running Room with the hopes of completing a 16K (10 Miler). I Like running with the Westhills gang because they do not follow the 10 & 1 Philosophy that is the creed of most stores. In discussions with the other runners we decided that we would only do about 8 K.

So we planned a route mainly street running that would give us a nice flat 8 K run on good surfaces. After running about five we started to talk about adding on a couple. When we got to seven (time to turn for the store) we decided to add on about 2 to give us ten. When we got to nine and it was time to turn back to the store two of us decided to do a quick out and back to add more.

It is hard to plan pace when you don't know when you are going to stop.


Tried taking pictures with the iPhone again but it was a drab day fresh snow falling throughout the run and the pictures did not seem to focus. It might have worked better if I actually stopped and and held the camera steady.


Plod On

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Procrastination Run

Distance : 4.25 mi
Time 41:39

I was planning on running on Thursday but did not, then was going to run on Friday but found a reason not to. Dinner with friends or something. So Saturday came and if I was going to get another run in before my long run it had to be today.



I got up early and attempted to time my run to catch sunrise as I ran back towards the city. It turned out that the skies were overcast and the sunrise did not materialize and when i looked back towards downtown all you could see was the brown haze obscuring the core. Another reason not to run from work - just look at the brown haze.


I continued along the ridge on the way home and came to one of my favorite spots on this run. The ridge drops off sharply and the trail either winds through scrub poplars or has a death defying drop to the ravine below. Notice the trails are kind of snow covered and icy.

As part of My 2010 program I am trying to take pictures on every run and post them. These were taken on my iPhone and seem blurry. I hope it was the low light conditions and not something else.

Plod On.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Speed Play - Session 3

I am taking a workshop through the Mount Royal College er University recreation department. The weekly workshop is called "Speed Play" . I don't know why they call it play, play involves fun and interval work is never fun. I guess the feeling that comes after the workout is complete is worth it but it is not fun.

Tonight after the warm up and dynamic stretching and five sets of strides we started the workout.

4 x 800 with 2 min recovery (3:20)
4 x 200 with 1 min recovery (0:40)

then just foam roller massage - no ab work.

Plod on

Place Holder for Maui

I may want to add some stuff here. Maui is such a cool place to run albeit a little on the warm side.