A full race recap will come later but for now, these are the numbers for my first ever “double” race day:

5k Solo Run:
Gun Time: 27:47
Garmin Time: 27:42 (average pace 5:29 min/km)
Age Category: First place out of 12
Gender: 14th out of 100!!! (I’m kind of pleased with that one, and I am not ashamed to admit I looked at the age categories of the women ahead of me and all but two were younger!)

One Lap of Marathon Relay (5.27km)
Garmin Time: 29:47 (average pace 5:40 min/km)

…and worth noting, this was not a flat course and there was a good winter wind, putting the “feels like” temperature into the -20’s.

In short, I am a happy runner today and I will most likely be doing this race again next year – and I would definitely make it a double again if the opportunity arises.

Tomorrow I will be running race number 2 in my 14 in 2014 challenge. In a way, I guess I am actually doing race number 2 and race number 3. This is because I am for the first time ever running two races at one event. Last spring I did 2 races during one weekend, completing the Saturday 5k and the Sunday Half Marathon at Ottawa Race Weekend. But tomorrow I have two runs to complete over the course of one morning.

I registered a little while back for the 5k race, deciding that since it had been a year and a half since I had seriously raced my least favourite distance, I should probably get out there and try one again. I am really not a 5k runner, in fact I usually only enjoy running sometime after I pass the 5k marker. But last year’s marathon training slowed my running down so much that I figured a little race pressure wouldn’t hurt my attempt to pick up a bit of speed again, relatively speaking of course.

After registering, a friend contacted me to see if I wanted to take her place in the 8 Person Marathon Relay. Once I figured out that the logistics could work I thought why not? So tomorrow at 8:30 I will run my 5k, then take a break for a while before running another 5.3km as part of a team. I doubt if I will match, much less beat my time in my previous, and only, Winterman run. Two years ago I did the 5k distance at this race in 27:11. It was my third time running in a race, ignoring the times I had run with my kids and the times I entered races as a Nordic Walker. At the time it was my personal best for the distance, though one more attempt gave me a time of 26:12. Any subsequent races at this distance have been done with my kids, so it has been a year and a half since I have put in an honest attempt to run the 5k. Realistically my time will probably start with a 28 tomorrow; a 27 would definitely surprise me. Ultimately I know this distance is really not my thing, but I definitely see the value in working on it after not bothering for such a long time.

What does strike me right now is how far I have come. I am, and will always be an average runner. But two years ago on this weekend I was heading into my third race. I think if I count only the races I have run for me (no kids in tow), tomorrow will be number 23, or I guess 23 and 24.

Two years ago I was only beginning to contemplate running a 10k race. A quick check shows that I have now done one 8k, five 10k’s, one 18k, 8 half marathons and a full marathon.

Two years ago I really did not yet have a sense of how just much running was going to take over my life. I am quite sure at that time I did not even consider myself to be a runner. I just knew I was kind of enjoying a new challenge, but I was also quite sure I wouldn’t be one of those crazy people who liked hitting distances in double digits beyond the 10k mark. My, times have changed 🙂

After such a disappointing attempt at a run on Thursday I approached my long run today with more than a little trepidation. I didn’t even bother to run yesterday in the hopes that a day off would help me get through 16km today. Thankfully today was a good day and while it wasn’t fast (nor should it be I guess when it is called a “long slow run” on the training schedule), it was comfortable and for the most part enjoyable. It was in fact what I just like to call a really nice run.

I know everyone has had enough of this winter but I have to say that without a doubt I prefer a day like this over the heat of July and August. At -9C (16F) with bright sun and limited wind it was quite simply gorgeous outside. Today also marked the first day in months that I ran on sidewalks rather than roads. What a treat to not have to think about cars or have to be constantly moving into the slushy sides of the roads. That isn’t to say the sidewalks were perfect. For the first 3k I was running on an ice/slush/snow mixture and since I was running out and back, I had to finish on that as well. In the middle of the run I was also on similar footing. But some City of Ottawa employee has performed miracles on a big section of one of my favourite paths, leaving it as dry as on a summer day. Summer footing combined with comfortable winter temperatures? It doesn’t get any better than that in my book.

Today I gave myself permission to run something comfortable and to not push myself for anything other than completing 16km. I had hoped to run it without stopping but when I had a few I.T band twinges at the 9k mark I stopped my watch and gave myself a “one song break” while having a few raisins and almonds. The break was perfect; as soon as the song was done I felt like running again and the twinges were gone. The route I took involves doing several gradual hills and even those felt good. My final pace was around 6:17min/km, not exactly fast but reasonable for a slow run, particularly since I know in the snowy areas I was probably doing closer to a 6:30 pace.

One of the tricks I used today was to just enjoy the moment. Every time I caught myself thinking about how hard the upcoming 30k race is going to be, or how I was running faster at this time last year, I quickly shut those thoughts down. Instead I focused on how good I was feeling and how beautiful it was outside. At the top of each hill I thought about how amazing it felt to have made it up without too much of a struggle. Going down the hills I thought about how relaxing it is to just let gravity pull you forward. I often spend ridiculous amounts of my running time thinking about pace and distance and whether the run is preparing me for my next challenge. It is very difficult to simply run “in the now”. But when you manage to pull it off, even for short times, it is well worth the effort.

Finally, thank you to everyone who gave me words of encouragement after that last disappointing run. All of your kind words were appreciated!

…if you are listening to your body or just giving up?

I think of all the difficult things in running, the hardest to figure out is when to push yourself and when to say it is ok to take a break. Let’s face it, there is a big difference between your body needing a break and your brain deciding it’s just not worth the effort. The problem is they both sort of feel the same. Obviously if your body is screaming in pain you know where the message is coming from and what your reaction should be. But what about when you just feel tired? How do you know if that is a mental thing or a physical thing?

Unfortunately today was one of those days when I lost the battle with the voice that said I was too tired. I got myself out the door, I guess that can count as an accomplishment. Everything was in place to have a good run; sunny skies, no wind, a temperature well into the negatives but comfortable nonetheless. The only thing not up for a perfect run – ME. When you feel the need to walk at the 2k mark you know it is not going to be an epic run. In fact, after a mere 3.5 km, my run dwindled to a walk. All kinds of negative talk went through my head. If you have had bad runs you know that dialogue all too well. Everything from “I’m too old for this $&@!” to “I have no natural athletic skills whatsoever and I should just be sitting on a couch eating potato chips,” went through my mind.

When I stopped running and went for a 3k walk instead, was I quitting or was I respecting what my body was able to do on a particular day at a particular moment? I wish I had the answer. Unfortunately I can’t shake the feeling that today I simply stopped trying.

Cue more internal dialogue in an attempt to convince myself that all is well, an off day is nothing to worry about, tomorrow is another day, there will be better runs, blah, blah, blah, blah. 🙁

This felt like a good week.  My mileage may not have been quite as high as I was aiming for, but every single run felt like a quality run.  From that snowy, gusty cold run (see previous post) to Friday’s run – my first run in months with only one layer of clothing on when the temperature worked its way up to a balmy 0C!!!  This was also the first week in this session of training where I consistently managed to run at a pace of less than 6 min/km.  And to top it all off, I have received a Running Room store credit because of those mismatched Aisics I unknowingly bought last fall.  All in all, a good running week and I am looking at the Around the Bay 30k race a little more positively (as in I now think I will be able to finish it without offering myself up to the Grim Reaper who stands at the top of the last hill).

Last week’s runs:

Sunday: rest

Monday: 7km  6:30 min/km

Tuesday: 5km  5:35 min/km

Wednesday: yoga

Thursday: 5km  5:39 min/km

Friday: 6km  5:54 min/km

Saturday: 14km  6:17 min/km

Total: 37km

…do your best to make lemonade.

Basically that needs to be the mantra of many runners this winter.  Throughout North America many places are experiencing some challenging weather thanks to Old Man Winter.  Certainly here in Ottawa we have been having some pretty cold days and somehow, each time the thermometer creeps up a little we get hit with crazy winds.  As hard as it may be though, I suggest you still get out there and run.  Sure you might be a little envious of people in warmer climates.  But then ask yourself, do they get to run in gale force winds, in -20 or -30C temperatures, wearing several pounds of clothing, while running on snow swept streets where the snow causes your feet to slip with every step?  O.K. that is not a really pretty picture I have painted, but it is the reality this year so why not go with it?  Yesterday I ran in those conditions and threw in some small hill work to boot,  I am not ashamed to say I worked my butt off to maintain a 6:30 min/km pace.  In my head, I decided it was simply speed work in disguise and that one fine day in spring, when the layers came off and the roads were clear I would find myself to be a faster runner.

It ends up I didn’t have to wait until spring to feel a difference in my pace.  Today I headed out on clear roads with slightly less wind – and hey, it even warmed up a little – and found myself running my fastest 5k in months.  Still not as fast as I would like, but faster than even a couple of weeks ago.  If you give it a chance, winter running offers some great training opportunities, even when you feel like it is slowing you down.

Back in the fall I bought my favourite shoes ever:

My happy shoes 🙂

I loved the colour and more importantly I loved the fit of these Aisics.  i bought them on a Saturday and I ran 32km in them on the Sunday.  Knowing I had bought my dream shoes I figured I may as well pick up a second pair since the price had been lowered.  The next chance I had, I picked up another pair, different colour, but exactly the same shoes.

I spent the fall running in my first pair and they never failed me, including during my first marathon.  Once in a while I grabbed the second pair to use for a short run.  Somehow the left shoe never felt quite right but I just kept putting it down to it being a little stiff and needing to be broken in.  A week ago I did my first long run in the second pair and completely destroyed my big toenail.  Now, we all know black and missing toenails are a badge of honour in running.  While the rest of the world may think it is disgusting, for runners it almost a rite of passage.  But this one just pissed me off.  I knew it was because of the shoe and not because of any great running accomplishments that I had sustained this injury.  But for the life of me I could not figure out why I was having such a problem when my other pair was so perfect.

Finally I thought to compare my right shoe (which was fitting fine) and the left shoe that was causing the problem.  When I put them together for comparison I discovered that the left shoe, while labelled as the correct size, is in fact a half size smaller.  That half size combined with winter socks and going down hills, makes quite a difference in how a running shoe fits.  Needless to say, I am more than a little irritated.  I am long past the 30 day return policy, nor do I have a receipt.  Regardless, I have emailed the manager of the store and am hoping to hear back this week as to what to do next.  Right now all I know is I have learned a new lesson; don’t just check the size printed in the shoe, compare both shoes to make sure the sizes match.  Who knew???

A few weeks back I was surprised to find out that a couple of runs in Somersault’s extensive race series had been cancelled.  One was their Day Before Mother’s Day Race, which had distances of 1k, 3k, 5k, 10k and half marathon.  I had planned on doing either the half or the 10 so was a little disappointed that the event would not be held.

I was happy to learn, however, that Somersault has now added a women’s half marathon to their very popular “Emilie’s Run 5k” in June.  The race is memory of Emilie Mondor, who was killed in a car accident in 2006.  Emilie was the first Canadian woman to run sub 15:00 for 5K and was also an Athens’ Olympian.  In past years this event had only the women’s 5k race and a kids’ 1k event.  I think it is a great idea to add the half marathon, a distance that the organizers note is the fastest growing distance of choice for female runners.  As far as I know this is the only “women only” half marathon in Ottawa.  I just might have to pencil  June 21 into my race calendar!

photo credit: Wikimedia

Yep, apparently you can.  According to Environment Canada, when I headed out for a run today it was -22C ( -7F ), with a wind chill of -30C ( -22F ).  That polar vortex thing was at work again.  Though can I just say that it seems to me “polar vortex” is just a fancy media term for a typical January cold spell?  It is not like it is unusual for Ottawa to have these temperatures, or colder, at this time of year.  I think we just banish the memory from our minds while we enjoy the warmer months and then suddenly find ourselves surprised yet again that yes, it gets pretty damn cold in this city!

Today I fell for all the hype and layered up more than any other day so far this winter.  Out I went with two hats (one with a face mask), ear muffs, two long sleeve layers, a running coat, a running shell, long johns, winter running pants, winter socks and two pairs of mitts.  Within the first 5 minutes I knew it was too much.  In fact, I had to slow down my pace to avoid completely overheating.  The irony of the fact that I was having the same problem as I do in the summer when the temperatures are 50 degrees higher was not lost on me.  The only real issue I had with the cold was the fact that I had to make an effort not to blink too slowly in order to keep my eyelashes from sticking together.

Because of all the warnings, I planned on only running 2k.  Instead I kept going for 7, stopping only because I was out of time (and hot!).  The best thing about running on a ridiculously cold day?  You can’t help but feel awesome at the end of it all.  And I admit it, I love the look of awe on people’s faces when they realize you have run in sub -20 degree temperatures.  When I complete my weekday runs I have to return to my workplace which is a school.  The parents are outside shivering waiting for their kids to come out.  They often just shake their heads at me.  I like to imagine that they think I am amazing.  I admit, however, that it is more likely they are just questioning my sanity, possibly even wondering if this crazy winter runner should be teaching their children.  But it doesn’t matter because either way winter runs – even polar vortex runs – are awesome and worthy of some bragging rights!!!

Yep, 43.7km completed this past week.  I knew it had been a long time since I put that mileage in, and I was more than a little shocked when I looked back in my running logs to find out just how long it has been.  Let’s just say the last time I did that was a long time before the snow fell and if memory serves correctly, the snow started falling early this winter.  A few other numbers; I ran 6 of the last 7 days, 10 of the last 14 days.  While none of the runs felt fantastic, I definitely feel better for the outdoor time and exercise.

A driving force in my increased mileage is the fact that I am starting to run with others.  While I have done a few Running Room clinics in the past two years, I have for the most part remained a solitary runner.  Even in a couple of the clinics I ended up running alone, my pace somehow putting me between all of the fast runners at the front and the slower runners who stuck to the back.  I do like running by myself though, I love the down time and I have so many great songs on my playlist that I never get tired of any of them.  But I went into this year feeling the need to run with others and enjoy the social aspect as well as the little push you automatically get when surrounded by other runners.

Since running in a group was one of my goals, I had a choice; either sign up for a “local” clinic (any clinics near me are at least a half hour drive) or start my own group.  It occurred to me that I knew enough people with whom I talk about running that I might actually be able to get a group going.  So a Saturday morning run club has been started.  With about 10 people interested – all with busy schedules and most with kids – the goal is to at least have a small group out each week.

Yesterday four of us hit the road on a perfect winter morning and had a fantastic run.  Each one of us was at a completely different stage in our running but it all worked and great things happened.  One runner got her first run done in three months, one did her first ever 10k and the most experienced in our bunch got me past the 10k mark, in fact all the way to 14 and then after a long walk while she continued on, another run back for a finish of 15.7k.  For whatever reason this was just not something I was managing on my own.  When by myself I was just giving up too easily.  At 5k I would tell myself, hey I got a run in, it’s ok if I finish now.  But when running with a group, I barely looked at my watch and just enjoyed the run and the company.  I will still look forward to my solitary runs, but I am definitely looking forward to future group runs on Saturday mornings!

I have decided to start posting my weekly mileage in the hopes a little accountability will keep me going and perhaps I will be somewhat prepared for Around the Bay in 10 weeks.  As can be seen below, I have a long way to go…

• Sunday: 5k race
• Monday: 9.5k
• Tuesday: 3.5k
• Wednesday: rest
• Thursday: 4k
• Friday: 6k
• Saturday: 15.7k