Small steps – literally and figuratively – have been slowly adding up to running progress. In the past eleven days I have moved bit by bit from a 3k distance to two 13k runs this week. Best of all, the runs, while slow, resulted in no major hip or ITB issues. My careful running is also teaching me to shorten my strides and hopefully improve my cadence. Like I said, small steps.

Today’s run started in a blanket of pre-storm humidity with dark clouds slowly approaching. As I headed out I was feeling disappointed that a thunder storm could end my run prematurely. By the time I was 3 k in I was kind of hoping a few lightning strikes would finish up my run. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to run. It was just one of those days when the humidity made even an easy run seem unusually difficult.

Shortly after 30 minutes of running the temperature dropped in what seemed like seconds. And then came the rain. I don’t even remember the last time I ran in the rain and I forgot how refreshing it could be. For anyone looking out a window, it must have looked miserable. And I am sure anyone who saw me must have thought I was crazy. At one point the drops of rain looked more like hail. But here’s the thing; once you are wet you are wet. When your shirt is plastered to your body, a small waterfall is running off the peak of you cap, and small water spouts are spurting out of your mesh shoes…well let’s face it, you are not going to get any wetter. The funny part was I still spent part of the run skirting deep puddles. Finally it dawned on me that there really wasn’t any point trying to avoid having my shoes in water. From that point on I actually started aiming for the puddles. And with the grin on my face, yep, maybe I did look a little crazy out there 🙂

One of our favourite race days of the year has always been the Fall Colours Run in Cumberland on Thanksgiving weekend. I have a feeling though that if you asked my kids now what their favourite race is, the Run for the Animals race would win hands down. All I can say is if you have kids, take them to this race next year. Once they are done running there are lots of activities to keep them busy and perhaps even tire them out a little. There were several bouncy castle type activities (for a fee), lots of free give-aways, food trucks, vendors, crafts tables and face painting. But don’t just bring your kids, bring your pets too. For the most part it was dogs – hundreds of dogs – but we also saw a pet bunny, a very large cat in a stroller, and a miniature pony who had all come to join in the fun. And there were activities for the animals too; agility obstacles, kiddie pools to lay in, and dog contests. Clearly not the typical race!

Today was the first time this race has been held, though it piggybacked on a longtime event called the Wiggle Waggle Walkathon. The day is used as a fundraising event for the Ottawa Humane Society. When I told Evan about it he instantly wanted to participate since he is always keen to raise funds for animals. He and his brother Luke have for several years forgone birthday gifts from friends and instead have asked for donations to the Gatineau SPCA, the shelter from which we rescued our chocolate lab mix, Charlie who also came along for the fun today. The running events were a 1k kids race, a 3k companion (run with your dog) race, plus the 5 and 10k distances. We signed up Luke, who is 8, for the 1k. Evan has outgrown the 1k races even though at 10 he is still young enough to qualify for them. Since he weighs exactly the same amount as our dog, it didn’t seem very safe to put him in the 3k with Charlie. I am pretty sure Charlie would have towed him all over – and off – the course. So for him it would be the 5k race, his third one but first time running without me to help him control and maintain his pace.

The boys did a fantastic job. Luke ran the 1k in 4:40 which I am pretty sure (actually quite sure) I cannot match. He finished the race with an amazing look of determination, particularly when one runner passed him. He kicked it into high gear, passed a runner and finished in third place. And while 1k racers don’t receive placing medals, I have promised Luke that we will find him some “bronze” ribbon to go with his medal.

Luke celebrating his third place.

Once Luke’s race was done it was time for the 5k. It was almost entirely an adult field so I reminded Evan not to be discouraged if he was at the back of the pack. He had my old Garmin on to help him figure out his pace but it is always questionable whether the watch will be a help or hindrance since he can get a little distracted by it. I have to admit that it crossed my mind that half way through the race he could get frustrated and decide to quit. However, he proved I should have more faith in him as he was nowhere near the back of the pack. In fact, with a time of 29:23 (!!!) he was the 44th out of 125 runners to cross the finish line. And while there was no under 13 age category he still managed to be second in the men under 20 category. What a boost to his confidence that was! For the second race in a row he was called up to receive an award. This time instead of a lanyard, he was given a second medal with engraving.

Evan receiving his second place medal for the men under 20 category.

And what better way to end a race day than entering the dog competitions. The boys entered Charlie in the largest dog contest, however his 80 lbs was no match for the winner who weighed

Evan and Charlie in the dog/owner look-alike contest.

in at 180lbs. Evan then entered in the dog/owner look-alike contest. We thought they looked pretty great together but the gentleman who won did actually look like his dog.

Evan and Luke with Charlie in the largest dog competition (note the size of the dog behind them!

As for the race itself, there was some confusion regarding the bibs and timing chips. Somehow a lot of bibs were handed out with the same number. In the kids race most of the kids had bib #1. Both my kids had to change their timing chips because other runners had the same bib numbers. All the changes led to having to go to Sportstats twice after the race when Luke’s results didn’t show up at all and Evan was missing his age category. But to the credit of the Sportstats crew they seemed very calm under pressure, timing chips were changed quickly and results were adjusted within minutes. This was a first time race and was organized by two groups, the Humane Society and Somersault, so some confusion could be expected. I am sure as they work things out next year things will go a little more smoothly. The course itself seemed well laid out and was a beautiful route starting a Dow’s Lake and heading up the canal. Needless to say I have already promised the boys that we will be returning next year and I will definitely be planning to run the 10k.

One final picture – check out Charlie meeting the winner of the smallest dog award:

Running is a mental sport. And yes I do mean that in more ways than one. In my never ending quest to maintain a positive attitude about my upcoming first marathon, I have convinced myself a silver lining can be found in injury. After taking 7 days off following that 25k run and 5k limp back to the car, I felt there was enough improvement in my ITB and hip to start very short runs. Feeling much like a beginner again, I have completed a 3k, a 5k and a 7k in the last four days. For each of these runs I stopped regularly and stretched. Obviously these distances are not going to prepare me well for the marathon. So what is the silver lining? Well, I have struggled throughout training to run at a slower pace. This makes me sound like I am some kind of super fast runner but I can assure you that I am not. I am, and probably will always remain, the average runner like my blog title suggests. I do though have a certain pace I like to run, no faster, no slower. But right now I am paranoid that I will injure myself more, so suddenly running a slow pace seems like a necessity and as a result is easier. It is also not frustrating me to stop and stretch throughout the run. Normally that would drive me crazy. So a little patience is working its way into my psyche. As that patience becomes a part of my runs, I am finding it possible to go back to my original goal; simply finish a marathon. No time expectations, no worrying about having to walk parts of it. It has become too easy to fall into a slightly bizarre marathon mentality where a 25k run is a huge disappointment because it wasn’t far enough. Seriously…25k, that is in itself an accomplishment and yet I spent a week upset by that run.

As I enter the last 6 weeks of training, still not having run farther than 26k, perhaps my new mantra should simply be “Patience, patience, patience.”

I have to take a moment to thank friends and people I only know through blogs for so much support and encouragement after my frustrating attempt to run 30k last week. I have had so many positive thoughts passed on to me both in person and by email for which I am very grateful. So many words of wisdom, so many perspectives and so many pieces of solid advice, thank you, thank you, thank you!

I have now taken 6 days off from running, my longest stretch since last spring. I am still stretching, icing and foam rolling my ITB and it certainly feels better than a few days ago. The big test of course will be when I actually go out and run again which will hopefully be tomorrow.

In my attempt to be positive, I have tried to think about why having a week off at this particular time might be good for me. Here is the list I have come up with:

1. It really was hot and humid this week, not ideal running weather. That said, I couldn’t actually tell you the temperatures of the past few days because I have discovered that when I don’t need to schedule runs I never bother to check the forecast.

2. I have just enough of a cold to feel a little under the weather. Having some time to rest can’t be a bad thing.

3. On Tuesday I go back to work teaching. This past week I needed to start easing out of summer mode and into working mode. Not having to run let me focus on other things. And since running does not result in a paycheque and teaching does, well the latter does have to take priority sometimes.

4. Normally after 2 or 3 days off I get antsy to run again. That didn’t happen this week. Maybe it was just because of my change in focus, but I can’t help but wonder if maybe it wasn’t only my body that needed a break. Maybe a mental break was needed as well.

5. Best part of my break – I got to be a spectator at a race instead of a participant. My son Evan ran the 3k race at the Canadian this weekend. We also took one of my friends for the 8k and her daughter who was also doing the 3k. I got to be chauffeur, gear-holder and head cheerleader. I don’t always get to cheer on my kids at races as I am quite often out on my own course when they are crossing the finish line. This day was particularly exciting since for the first time Evan made it into the top 3 of his age group :)!!! He received a “bronze champion” lanyard and even had the opportunity to stand up on a podium. Needless to say I was one proud mommy and he was a happy boy.

So, it wasn’t a bad week off and hopefully I will be able to ease back into my training this week. A few days ago I was looking at taking time off as something of a disaster. Now I am thinking, who’s to say a holiday in the middle of marathon training is a bad thing? Maybe I am the type of person who will in fact thrive from the break. And if not, well it is not like I was trying to break a world record or qualify for Boston. I just need to get myself across that finish line on October 20th. Seven more weeks to go…

When I started this journey to a full marathon I had a secret hope. I hoped that training for the full would follow the same pattern as my training for the half. By that I mean I headed into my first half marathon wanting to just try one. Training for the most part went well and I discovered I actually liked distances over 10k. Even better, I ran my first half marathon under the time I predicted and felt great at the end. So, as daunting as the marathon is, there has always been a little part of me that has thought I might find I like this crazy distance and perhaps do better than any goals I might set.

Reality has set in. The fact is I have discovered I don’t like running farther than 23 or 24 km. To be blunt, anything after that is just too long. Too long physically, too long mentally (it gives me too much time to wallow in self doubt), and too long to schedule into a busy week. Honestly, I am starting to think that marathons are just not for me.

Today I went out excited to try a 30k run. I really wanted to get this distance in. Mentally I needed to get this distance in. The first 16k were fine, though I noticed I was tightening up in my left hip and down through the IT band. I took a break, did some stretches, had some water and told myself I could do it. By 21k everything in my hip area was starting to hurt. I decided walk breaks would be a good idea and since I really wasn’t concerned about time, slowing down did not bother me. I decided my priority was simply to get to 30k so that my brain would know I could do it. Unfortunately by 25k I knew I was done. The pain just kept increasing, even as I walked a very slow and very uncomfortable (translate to painful) final 5k.

I can’t lie, it is the closest I have come to wanting to quit this whole thing. I already felt like I couldn’t be ready in 8 weeks, now with an injury I can feel any small amount of confidence I had dwindle away. I thought I would be so much further now in my distance running, but instead I feel like so little progress has been made.

I won’t quit, but I want to. I hate feeling like that. And now there is the added fear of what if I have to quit because of injury? I am doing all the right things, icing, resting (although as a teacher this is the week that things start to get busy), even booking a sports massage. If I have to I will go to physio as well to try to get back on track. But I have no idea if I will lose days or weeks. I am sure I will be able to do short runs, but at what point do I risk a long run? Too soon and nothing will heal, too long and I will have lost so many km of training.

One of the main things I thought about while out there today was that I can’t wait to get back to half marathon training and trying to finish under 2 hours. When you are training for one distance but longing for another, that kind of says something doesn’t it?

…run hills with your 10 year old!

Evan hill training

I am actually saying that with a great deal of pride. My son Evan is preparing for the 5k Army Run. The past two weeks I have brought him along for my hill training. Hills are the perfect time to have your child join you because you can each run your own pace but not “lose” each other. This week I thought we would go to the toboggan hill in Kanata. Having never done it before I wasn’t sure how steep it would be (maybe the fact that it is used as a toboggan run – and apparently a fast one – should have given it away). I figured though it was the perfect place for the two of us to run. If Evan grew tired there would be plenty of space for him to relax and hang out while I finished up my run.

We did a relaxed 2k warm up and then started up the hill, or should I say mini mountain? It is not long, less than 250 metres I think, but I felt more like I was climbing rather than running. Ten times up and down was good enough for me. Apparently not for Evan. He continued to run the hill, completing 16 trips in all. I ended up being the one hanging out and relaxing while waiting for him!

The best part was the half hour after the run when he had such an adrenaline rush and such a sense of pride that he would periodically just giggle out loud. At one point he said to me that he didn’t know how to describe the feeling he was experiencing but it was like all the good words he knows mixed all together. Couldn’t have summed up that kind of feeling better myself.

So, what is better than experiencing a high from running? Seeing your child experience a runner’s high. Priceless.

Parliament Hill in the distance.

Last week I ran the Ottawa River Pathway, running 26k as an out and back. The whole time I was running I was tempted a little to stop and just take in some views. It really is a beautiful route and I can see why so many people choose it for running, walking, blading and biking. But last week I had something to prove. I needed to prove to myself that I could run that distance with minimal stops and at a reasonable pace. So I kept myself moving and avoided the temptation to enjoy the journey at the expense of the final goal.

Yesterday I went back to the same route with a plan to run more than the scheduled 19k. But this time I decided to let myself enjoy the journey. I did run 25k at a reasonable pace, but I also made enough stops that I kind of lost track of how many. I believe it was as many as 9 or 10. My stops included:

– not one but two bathroom breaks (does not bode well for marathon day)
– two beach stops, including one where a yoga on the beach class was about to start, if I had access to a mat I would have joined
– a stop around 20k for an ice tea
– a stop to try change the radio station on my iphone, I had had enough of political news on CBC
– a stop to enjoy the amazing rock statues in the shallows of the river

Rock sculptures seen from the Ottawa River Pathway.

I stopped my watch every time, so I have no idea how long the actual run took to complete. My worry was if I kept my watch on and then saw my ever increasing average pace, I would want to run faster than I should to try to bring it down. So in the end my pace, based purely on running, was 6:05. I’m guessing with my breaks it would be at least a minute and half slower per km if I had kept my watch going the whole time.

The view at the finish.

So it was a very different run from last week. I think though it also served a purpose. I need to constantly remind myself that there is more to training than just the numbers. It was pretty great to run AND enjoy my surroundings in an area that I do not generally visit (though I certainly will be now as it is my current favourite running route). As well, I continue to find “stop and go” running difficult. I run so much better if I just keep going. But my body is going to have to deal with the fact that if I stop, it does not necessarily mean I am finished. So having to go back at it after a break is probably as important in my training as being able to keep going without a break.

These past two long runs have caused such mixed reactions in me. On the one hand I am so proud of myself for being able to run such distances. Not long ago running for 2 and a half hours was just not something I even considered possible. My thought was only real athletes could do it and I while I have never been really unfit, I never considered myself to be an athlete. Now that I have accomplished so much in my running I am finally comfortable calling myself both a runner and an athlete.

Unfortunately though, these runs have also stressed me somewhat. Once the initial excitement wore off, I have to admit fear and self doubt has tried to settle in. While the runs were great, the fact is I was completely and totally done at the end of them. I am sure some of this is because I am running them faster than I should be for a long slow run. But honestly, even yesterday with all the breaks, I really did not have anything left. The thought that I would still have 16 or 17km to go is nothing short of overwhelming and well, terrifying. It is a bizarre feeling to on the one hand feel like you have accomplished the impossible and on the other hand feel like you might fail at what you have set out to do. All I can do is hope that the next 9 weeks are enough to prepare me for success.

I received my regular email update from the Toronto Waterfront Marathon today. Included was information about the STWM Dream Team. At first I made the assumption that this was a running team raising funds for a specific cause. But I discovered it is in fact a group of volunteers who will be there to support runners and walkers in the final 10km of the run. Specifically they will be there to help anyone struggling and who may be feeling as if they can’t complete the race. How brilliant is that? I am so nervous about those final 10 km, but the thought that some complete stranger will take the time to be there for me and encourage, cajole, laugh, chat or just simply supply a “You can do this” makes me feel just a little more confident that I can complete 42.2k. Yet another example of the supportive people who make up the running community!

For more information about the Dream Team check out
STMW Dream Team

That’s right, today I ran 26km. Not only did I do my longest distance ever, I ran it at a good pace. My final average pace was 5:56 min/km. For a very large chunk of the run I was averaging 5:51. When I hit the 21.1 mark I was only a little more than two minutes slower than my race times for the half marathons I did in spring. I did stop for a quick bathroom break at that point, my only break (for which I did not keep my watch turned on so the break is not counted in the final time) then started again albeit at a slower pace for the last 5k.

So basically today I threw all the training suggestions out the window. No planned walk breaks, no really slow pace. I ran the way I felt I wanted to run, not what the book is telling me. I kept an eye on my pace, mostly to ensure I didn’t go too fast since I can’t seem to gauge it myself, but I didn’t even look at the distance until after 12k. I figured there was no point in knowing how far I had gone since there was so much ground to cover.

The course I ran also helped I think. I took the Ottawa River Pathway from Andrew Hayden Park to the War Museum and back. While I am always content to run on my own, it was fun to see so many other runners, not to mention bikers enjoying the beautiful morning. There were no huge hills, though plenty of small rolling grade changes. While it was a very sunny morning my early start and the breeze off the river helped keep me cool. I think the straight out and back run made it an easier run mentally compared to my last few runs in the small towns of Fitzroy and Maniwaki. I didn’t have to constantly find loops to run to try to gain mileage. When I recently mentioned to a friend that I had run 19k in Fitzroy, she looked at me and asked, “What did you do, run around it 19 times???” Small towns and long runs are not the best combination.

I know my break from the training manual will mean more recovery time needed. But the thing is, when I try to follow the suggested times and walk breaks I have crappy runs. Then I have to recover not only physically but mentally. Right now I may be tired and sore but I also feel happy with my run. I will admit that at the end of the run I wasn’t sure if I would laugh or cry. I really didn’t have anything left at the end of the run and again I suppose you are not supposed to be at that point at the end of your long slow run. But the fact is I had the first long run that I felt good about in a while. It wasn’t just a “well I got through it” run. It was an “I am a runner and I can do this, not matter how hard” run.

Final stats: 26.03km 2:34:32

Running while on vacation presents its own challenges, not the least of which is motivation. We are finishing up a week at our cabin that my husband and dad have been building since last fall. I am currently sitting on our dock on a beautiful lake on a perfect day. Later, I’ll go find the magic spot in the cabin where I can get online (sometimes) and see if I can post this to the blog. But for now I am pretty comfortable writing my thoughts and enjoying the stunning view.

I have managed to get in two runs while here. It is not an easy place to run though for a few reasons. The obvious reason is of course I have to get off the dock or our covered porch, in other words I have to quite literally get off my butt. Then there are the hills. In this rural/cottage area of Quebec there seems to be no such thing as a flat road. Running hills just can’t be avoided here. There are few stretches of straight roads either, so you are either watching for cars coming over a hill or from around a bend. I wouldn’t even think of listening to music on a run here for fear of missing the sound of a car I have not yet seen. To top it off, I get the sense that drivers here aren’t really expecting to see a runner in their space. I have never once seen another runner in the area and the cars that have passed me seem quite comfortable maintaining their speed and pressing me into the poison ivy that lines the roads like carpet.

Despite all this I did go do hills earlier in the week. I chose a steep but short hill and did 10 repeats. My marathon training schedule said to do five, but I figured I needed to make up for the fact that the hill was only half the length it should have been.

Yesterday I went for another run, but this time decided to head to the nearest town, Maniwaki. Like the rural area, the town is also all hills, some quite steep. I decided to approach the run as a vacation run. I have been feeling like this marathon training thing is too serious, not to mention a little too time consuming! The race last Saturday reminded me that running can be fun and doesn’t have to be all about numbers. I knew there was no way I was going to do my 26k LSD in Maniwaki. Too many hills, too small of a town, too little knowledge of the area. So it became an “I’m on vacation, I’ll do whatever I want” run. I know I ran fast for a while and I know the last half was a slow “tourist” run. I know I did about 14.5k, any other details I’ll have to check on my Garmin later.

Being on vacation, I decided to have treat at the end of my run. I figured a McDonald’s smoothie and some fries would be just the thing. Maniwaki is of course very French. I am, well, very much not French. I wish I was bilingual, but I grew up in Southern Ontario where even if you took French every year, you really only picked up the basics. So I know my French is bad but…

I proudly ordered my medium strawberry banana smoothie and small fries in my best French, even remembering a please. The girl behind the cash looked at me like I had two heads. She apparently was not able to decipher a word I said. I assured myself that I probably had not been loud enough and she simply couldn’t hear me in the busy store. So I tried again, with what I thought was even clearer pronunciation. Apparently not. Now, can I just note here that the word “smoothie” is the same in English and French, so I am feeling pretty confident I did not screw that word up. Finally another worker seemed to understand me and repeated it for the girl taking the order. The smoothie and fries were great but the experience of getting them did nothing to build my confidence in speaking in another language!

By the time I returned to the cabin I figured I was already in sweaty clothes, why not another run? So I took my 10 year old, Evan, for a 3 k training run to help him prepare for his upcoming 5k Army Run in September. Upon returning to the cabin we picked up my 8 year old, Luke, and one of our dogs and went for a 1.5k run. So in the end, I covered 19k, not all of it at once, not all of it quickly, but it felt like a vacation run.

There will be lots of time to get serious about training again next week. Actually, I really have no choice but to get serious, only ten weeks to go!