"Sometimes you just have to take a break from running. Then you can come back and get better at it". - Coach Amar
I've been experiencing feelings of ambivalence, mixed w/ restlessness and overall disatisfaction with running. How this happened is beyond me. So.....I'm taking a break for the summer. This actually works out in my favour because I hate training in the heat! I've losing steam since before the Mississauga 1/2, have been caught up in other life circumstances and realized it's time to hang up the running shoes. Need to take a nice breather, focus on other sports/other things, and hopefully plan to get back in the fall w/ Chilly Half and Around the Bay (sub-3) being my goal races. Have a good summer everybody!
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I'm right smack in the middle of moving so this post took a while and may not be as detailed as my previous recaps. I'm so very glad to have raced the Mississauga Half Marathon just a week before I'm scheduled to move out. I've lived in Mississauga for 18 years now, so it's definitely local and meaningful to me. And to finish it with another personal best was icing on the cake! Let me start with pre-race events. The Back2Sq1 group went to Kinton Ramen on Thursday after a taper 8 km run. Sadly, no pictures were taken except for my actual ramen bowl (in the Gallery). Monika wasn't there to enforce the picture taking! I ordered the Burnt Kohashi Shoyu Ramen. There was nothing "burnt" tasting about it. I enjoyed it and would probably go back for more. The following Saturday, I went to the Mississauga Expo held at the Port Credit Arena. I met Andrew and Lax, shopped for a few things, and picked up my race kit. Usually, the expo gets my hyped up for the upcoming race day. This gorgeous doggo met runners at one of the first booths and it was uplifting. Afterwards, Lax treated us to some Thai lunch and some pre-race pep talk. Woot. The day of the race was off to a rocky start. I mentioned previously that my "pre-race" ritual was downing an everything bagel w/ peanut butter + some Nuun electrolytes. Well, that morning, the Mcdonalds on Burnhamthorpe and Central Pkwy (yes I'm shaming you), didn't have any bagels ready! I mean, how!!!!!? It was 7 am! Prime bagel time! I settled for two English muffins and a black coffee. I forgot my electrolytes at home :( The weather conditions at the start was a cool, crisp, and foggy 2' C. This is probably the most ideal conditions for me. I wore a throwaway poncho knowing I'll be getting rid of it at the starting line. Fun fact - I tend to get hot way faster than my running companions. I will be comfortable in one layer while my friends will sport two or more. Knowing it'll be around 7'C by finish time, I sported shorts and a tank top. ******** Side note, I saved this entry as a draft and now it's May 31st and so much has happened since. I moved to Etobicoke. I inadvertently turned life (somewhat) upside down and inside out and it's really hard to recall details of the race. Oops! ....I'm continuing this entry for the sake of completeness. ********* I remember playing "cat and mouse" with a woman named Jackie. I remember enjoying the familiarity of running across Burnhamthorpe and Mississauga Rd as part of previous training runs. I remember overcoming the "hill" (which was a molehill compared to our Milton training), and I remember the weather getting very hot towards the end. I'm pretty sure I maintained a consistent 5:27 min/km pace throughout, save a few walk and gel breaks. I lost steam around 18 km and ended up taking unpredictable walks at the 19 km and 20 km marker. I just didn't have it in me to keep running. I also recall a 3-men team carrying a cardboard (?) boat box as part of an attempt to break a Guinness World Record. The commentary was hilarious when running alongside them. I remember getting annoyed when the roads narrowed near Port Credit though, which motivated me to just pass them and get the race over with. I crossed the finish line tired, but with a new personal best of 1:55:50 - mere 27-second difference since my previous training. I'm a bit disappointed (The goal was sub-1:55) and somewhat discouraged that after a whole season of training and a 30 km race, the difference seems so miniscule. ^^^ I told you, I finished the race tired. Lol. Ugly running photos for the win! After the race, I took a photo with my cat and mouse partner, congratulated her for finishing, and met up with the rest of the Back 2 Square One team. We waited at the finish line cheering on runners who were finishing the marathon. Nobel and I amused ourselves by cheering on participants by their first name (which is written on the bibs!) and getting a kick out of their surprised reactions. I also took a few more celebratory finishing pictures below. We also cheered Denis on at the end of the finish line. We were waiting for him at the 4 hour mark. At around 4:15 we knew something must've gone awry (Denis is very fast lol). Lax went to find him, and sure enough, he needed a bit of a boost to hit the finish. Lax ran back a portion of the course and brought him back, fist-pumping and all. Congratulations Denis on completing your first marathon! We've ran many kms together and knew you've been itching to hit this milestone for a long time. You killed it! ^^ Just wanted to share above scenery at Port Credit. The weather really did pull through - maybe not for running but it was perfect for enjoying being outside with friends. We took the shuttle back to Square One, where I had celebratory fish tacos at the Food District. It was underwhelming to be perfectly honest, I had dinner at Apache Burgers, near my new 'hood (yes, I ate triple the calories I burned). So overall, race day was successful for the most part. I'm glad to have completed another half marathon and despite not meeting my sub-1:55 goal, I've achieved a new personal best nonetheless. I'm proud of my team, proud of the training, proud of pushing my legs and body to their limits, and proud of progress this month. It's been a difficult few weeks leading to this race and crossing the finish line was really another milestone for me.
In the next few weeks, I'm looking forward to taking it easy. I signed up for Lululemon 10 km in June and will likely be posting updates then :) Hello blogging world! Taking the time to post a bit of life and running updates today. T-7 days before my big race! This month, I will be MOVING!!!!!! So the blog updates might be taking a backseat - next to packing and unpacking, decluttering, and still getting some fitness in. I wasn't lying when I said it's been a crazy few weeks. There is a Running Room near my new neighbourhood, so I plan on meeting new runners and look forward to some new routes. There's also 2 Goodlife Fitness within 2 kms for a perfect warm-up. I'm really trying to enjoy the perks of living closer to the city. Last Sunday's long run was a mentally tough one! I had prepared mentally for 23 km. Unfortunately, I had worked the day before and had a late night, so I was already tired to begin with! On top of this, I didn't sufficiently hydrate beforehand, so I started running out of steam around 15 km. Luckily, this was around the Port Credit area, which has some meaning to me. I was able to harness some positive energy to push me through some kms. I took a water break at the Port Credit arena and spent a few kms pondering how I'll ever be able to afford a house like those on Stavebank Rd. At around 20 km, my quads started to cramp painfully (I've never felt that pain in my life!) forcing me to walk every 10 minutes or so. At 23 km, I realized I was nowhere near Panera and I spent 2 km cursing Justin for that mental anguish. And regretting not stretching/hydrating. I finished the run with so much salt covering my face. Lesson learned! This week, I skipped Wednesday run on account of feeling tired/sluggish. I did make it to beach volleyball on Monday (BB), court volleyball on Tues (Swansea) and court again on Wed (Erin Meadows) so not all's lost :) Thursday was our last speed-work before the big race and I made some pretty sweet sub-5 paces! Woo! Today was our last taper run before the big day - 7 days to go until the big race. I spent part of the run "philosophizing" with Denis, and most of the run chatting with Rosa. I love girlfriends who take the time to ensure I'm doing well during long runs. Honestly! We spent a few kms just appreciating girl friendships in our lives both in and out of our running groups. I also wanted to commemorate a funny incident today. Somehow, around the 12 km mark, Rosa and I got on the topic of religion and spirituality. We talked about the uncertainties of a god/higher power and my "journey" from becoming an overzealous Catholic to an indifferent agnostic at best. In the middle of this, I dropped one of my energy gels and I realized that my car keys had also fallen out of my water bottle pocket. Panic-stricken, we walked back about 600 m in search of my keys on the grass and the sidewalks. I started to come up with alternative solutions and berating myself for being so careless. Anyhow, as we were walking back ready to give up, a man walking towards our direction greets us and asks us if we were looking for something. We said we're looking for a set of keys, and lo and behold, this man pulls out my keys and my health card (yes, I carry this too in case I almost die) telling me he found this about a km back. Phew!!! We laughed, took that as a sign of divine intervention, and I said a silent prayer of thanks to a god/higher being. Thank goodness! And thanks to Rosa for being so patient and taking it all in good stride, despite ruining our rhythm! As you can see above, Lax/Justin/Amar made some Back 2 Square 1 t-shirts for the group. Love the sleek design and the feel of the new balance dry-fits. Love the camaraderie and community signified by sporting the same fun shirt, as above :) So ... here I am. ^^ Having finished the last taper long run of this training season. Admittedly, I have been losing some steam in the past few training sessions - letting emotions, fatigue, and excuses get the best of me. I haven't been motivated and may have possibly lost that "spark", which I felt weeks before my previous half marathon. I recognize that, and I'm working on it.
With that in mind, I'm hoping to rally more positivity and motivation in the next 7 days. I'll be re-reading Deena Kastor, per race day traditions, and really hoping to get my nutrition and sleep in check this week. I also scheduled a massage on Saturday for a tune-up. Mississauga Half Marathon, my home run (before my big move), here I come! I've lost track of any consistency I had with blogging or keeping up with social media over the past two weeks. Oops. Another reason why I shouldn't quit my day job for this right? Ha.
I've been thinking a lot about the conflicting feelings I've had - with my personal life and with running in general. There have been a lot of surprising dichotomies this week and one that's have been weighing me down lately has been the contrast between recovery (from Around the Bay) and gearing up with training (for Mississauga 1/2). I've been struggling with taking it easy, vs. stepping up my game and pushing the limits of my comfort zone once again. Just a few days after ATB, I found myself hitting at least 1 sub-5:00 min/km pace and seeing these numbers have made my confidence soar and make me want to run faster and train better. Some days, I have to remind myself to slow down, give my muscles and cardiovascular system the rest they need so I don't crash and burn, per se. Within training runs, I've been coping with inherent dichotomies that come with running --- tempo pace vs. long slow distance pace; social runs vs. running in solitude; uphill strides vs. downhill gallops; conscious reflection vs. tuning out my thoughts; conserving energy vs. maxing out at the finish; running away from something vs. running towards something else. Of course, I can draw parallels from these 'dichotomies' or seemingly incompatible contrasts into my personal life. Over the past few weeks or so, I've struggled with running away from something vs. running towards something else. Harming vs. healing. Restraining vs. Indulging. Settling vs. Flourishing. Motivation vs. Resignation. Disparage vs. self-care. Ego vs. conscience. I could go on and on and on. It goes to show that not all contrasts are black-and-white; some disparities clash while some can coexist. And this week, I've been working to accept that. ~~~ What else is new?I took up a new hobby! I joined my work dragon boat team and we started weekly pool practices at a local canoe club. Next month, we increase practice to twice a week - making our way towards lake practice. My first practices so far have been both awkward and exciting (another dichotomy there?). It takes a great deal of pre-positive self-talk for me to go in a crowd full of (professional) strangers and try to conquer a whole new skillset. I've only ever paddled a canoe before, lol! So I've been learning a lot - namely, staying in the A-frame paddling position, working on my back muscles vs. using my arms to compensate, and the importance of staying in tempo with my team. I've also been playing an insane amount of beach and court volleyball. What can I say? The unexpected love/friendship from my teams have been overwhelming (or pleasantly surprising). Selena organized a drop-in on my lieu day from work and me + other beach bums had the best time. Running-wise, I also finished the most challenging run of my entire life - a long-distance 22 km run, filled w/ steep inclines along the escarpment (near Kelso Park/Rattlesnake Point). Not only was the elevation profile extremely difficult to conquer, but the rainy/windy weather was miserable, I was sleep-deprived, I really wasn't mentally nor emotionally prepared for the distance or the climbs. Damn. I felt like I was running through my own personal 7 levels of hell (see Divine Comedy hahaha). Every step after 10 km was made with fury. I'm pretty sure I had an anxiety/sobbing attack as my heart raced through one of the inclines. Poor Amar had to listen to me curse the route and running altogether (sorry and thanks for your patience!!). It was pure mental and emotional anguish, having to run through the many hills and surrounding beautiful homesteads (and farm animals) that day. I can't even say that I'm proud of finishing it because that would mean there was some sort of happy "runner's high" ending. There wasn't. I hated it. Guts and grit? Maybe. Maybe I'll come to appreciate it someday, but it's been two days and I'm still traumatized. :P Thanks/no thanks, Justin! I should also commemorate the spring potluck (see above picture). It was so much fun catching up with local members of the running community, savouring all sorts of homemade dishes, and playing what I deemed the shitshow Jeopardy! Shoutout to 19:27 and D'oh! team. What I learned that day that basically you can win points with "it depends". I'm too lazy to organize the pictures throughout the blog entry, so here's a hodge-podge of pictures and whatnot. I'll caption thoughts underneath. Some of the nicer pics are from Brigida/Monika :) Thanks for the premium blog content, lol! Oh my goodness, this post update took longer than I anticipated. This past week has been a whirlwind for me in terms of commitments and unexpected life events, but better late than never. Here's my reflection :) I mentioned in my last post that simply finishing this course would mean so much to me. This was the first time I've tackled this distance, and as expected, "slow and steady", with minimal expectations about my pace worked the best. We met at Panera bread as always. Part of my race morning "ritual" is downing a peanut butter bagel and a glass of Nuun electrolytes. I drove Amar and Denis (accompanied w/ my usual trashy hiphop pre-race playlist) and we parked near James and King William. I was annoyed that they charged "event" pricing, where a weekend spot cost $20 instead of regularly $6. Ah, well. Didn't sweat the small stuff. The rest of the team met at FirstOntario Centre (previously Copps Coliseum). A Tim Horton's van was giving out free coffee and hot chocolate and I was so nervous, I didn't end up drinking any of it. Our corrale was actually several hundred metres from FirstOntario Centre, so we took that stretch as a walking warmup. Lax made a new friend (see above, I have no idea what her name is). We were running a bit late so by the time we got to the corrals, the roads were already filled up a few hundred metres. We started in the VERY back of the line. I didn't even hear the gun fire. I was just following the runners that I barely noticed stepping on the strip that activated my chip. The first 5 km was slow and enjoyable. James Street bustled with spectators and cheerleaders. I made a conscious effort to smile at the crowd and enjoy the views that downtown Hamilton had to offer. The Hamilton public library reminded me of Robarts' library at U of T (I spent countless hours in that "turkey"-shaped building as a student). I appreciated the knick-knack of shops and cafes, some quaint and some modern. Hamilton doesn't get enough credit for its novelties. I really appreciated the motivational quotes on the signage for each of the km markers. I found it helped to focus on each quote for that kilometre and if it didn't resonate with me, then I would look forward to the next one. Some of my favourites were, "Tough runs don't last, but tough people do" , "The challenge ahead of you doesn't compare to the strength within you", and "The real purpose of running isn't to win a race, it's to test the limits of the human heart". These little km pushes were not only motivational markers for the race, but helped drive some reflections throughout the race. I mean, what else do you do when alone with your thoughts and no media for 3 hours? We crossed an overpass at ~5 km and just as I was thinking it, a neighbouring runner said to his friend "wow this is just like the Confederation bridge!". I suspect this was in reference to the bridge at Confederation and Rathburn Rd. They were just too similar. I had no idea who this runner was. I had never trained with him. There were thousands of runners running this race and somehow I end up beside someone who, presumably, trained in the same route I did. I tried to give him a thumbs up in agreement, but I'm not sure he noticed me. The Burlington St stretch and the Beach Blvd were, for lack of better words, boring as fuck. Lol. I was annoyed that I wore two layers (1 dry fit shirt and my windbreaker) because it got uncomfortably warm. I continued on an easy 6:30 min/km pace-ish reminding myself to slow down. I took my sweet time walking through each Gatorade and water station. I stopped to stretch my after every 5ish km. I must say that for the first half of the race, the biggest inconveniences were my sudden pangs of hunger and overheating with my choice of clothes. Thankfully, the winds picked up around 12 km, and the scariest part of the race came at around 15 km, in the form of metal grates on a bridge at Eastport drive. Suddenly, I looked down and my view looked like this. I'm not usually afraid of heights, but coupled with the strong winds and the raging waves below my feet (not as calm as pictured above), I suddenly got very anxious. My overactive and slightly irrational mind started conjuring images of me slipping off the wet grates and being swallowed up by Hamilton Harbour. The Grim Reaper indeed! I may have said, "oh no" out loud approximately 20 times - so much so, that someone actually noticed! Oops. I pulled through the 50 m stretch and a fellow runner said, "ok, halfway done". Indeed. My hunger and boredom grew and luckily the elevation profiles changed around 18 km to distract me. Thank you, North Shore. The rolling hills finally started. I tucked my arms in, kept short forefoot strides, maintained the same amount of low-medium effort in climbing the hill, and relished the larger downhill strides. At around 19 km, I actually ran into my friend, Francis. I had no idea he was running this race! I nudged him, and I got the sense he was struggling, (his actual words, "I'm dying"). Lol. Sorry Francis :p Wished him good luck and made a mental note to congratulate him at the end. At this point of the race, I felt fucking fantastic. ^Marathon-Photos, capturing my leisurely stroll, for the most part. I picked up the pace(ish) around 20 km. I'll never forget the feeling of passing Bayshore Park, where we trained just two short weeks previous. Suddenly, my confidence surged, because not only had I done this route before, I'd done it twice (out and back). The vision of finishing became more realistic. I knew exactly what to expect. I knew where the remainder of the hills were. I knew where my biggest challenge would be, and where I would find relief. I knew where I would speed up, and where I would take longer strides as needed. I made a mental note to thank Amar at the end of the race for preparing us for this. With this new rush of confidence, I started to pass runners, including the 3:20 pace bunnies. The next paragraph will sound super cheesy, let me warn you. However, I've always been the cheesy "find the metaphor/patterns in life" type of introspective - so here it goes: Encountering the steep hills at Valley Inn (around 26 km) was every bit as challenging and cathartic as I needed them to be. The hills gave me the love that I wished upon them just two weeks previous, when training. At around 3/4 of the uphill climb, I slowed down, eventually coming to a full stop. I took a few deep breaths, and took a mental snapshot of the hills and waters before me. Believe me, I didn't anticipate to do this. But my body and mind were sending me a message - loud and clear. Give yourself the break that you need. Give yourself the permission to stop. Reflect. And change your course/game plan as you need. At that moment, as cheesy and lame as it sounds, I started to become more at peace with completing the race... (and...life?), in good spirits. Ha. I am slightly cringing reading the above paragraph, but it's true. Recently, a friend teased me about, "running away from my problems" and "the bigger the race, the more stress it symbolizes". Admittedly, there was some truth to that. In recent weeks, I'd felt like I was on the same trajectory as the rolling hills and roads I had overcome. There were some really hard days, where I felt stressed, annoyed, conflicted, and overall generally pissed off with all the curveballs that life was throwing at me. Some days were flat, indifferent, and I felt resigned and disengaged with my family, friends, (ex)partner, work, and so on. Other days were actually great, where I would find joy in the smallest, unexpected things and I felt like I was making real strides in self-improvement and fulfillment. Among these feelings, I just kept on going. Kept pushing through. I hesitated to stop, reflect, figure out my priorities and take a breather. I just kept going to my training/gym, kept running, kept playing volleyball, kept overworking, kept my appointments without taking the time to pause, let "my heart (rate) settle" and face the facts and values that I needed to face. At the top of the hill, I finally felt "at peace" with where life is taking me so far. I finished the race with a fast 3 km, with a sub-6:00 min/km pace. I ran into the stadium with arms, heart, and legs pumping. I sprinted with all my tired mind. I hit a personal best (regardless), 3:12:18. ^^^The face of someone determined to finish strong. Or a hungry hippo, waiting for post-race food. The rest of the finish was a blur. I was blown away by the feeling of strength, excitement, and again, catharsis of finishing in that stadium. I'm far from being an Olympian, and I'm not even that fast of a runner to begin with, but at that moment, finishing in that track with the crowds cheering will count as one of my most memorable moments this year. Or ever. Thank you, Around the Bay (125), for giving me this. Thank heavens. Thanking all my coaches, friends, training partners, and all the runners that day. #OlderthanBoston. There was free beer somewhere, but I was drunk off of excitement and self-love for achieving something so personal; something that goes beyond just finishing this race. I said goodbye to my friends, thanked Amar for coaching, didn't get a chance to see Francis finish (congrats friend), and headed over to Keri's house for some much-needed girl time. She showered me with love, praise, and freshly baked snacks and tea. My love languages. Keri, I love you and our friendship is one of the best things grad school ever gave me (in addition to...y'know, a career, I guess, hahaha). The rest of the day was spent with my feet up, a warm shower, and resting in bed. I'm about 5 days out since the race as I write this, and recovery has surprisingly been amazing. I didn't feel sore at all!
If you've finished reading this, thanks for following along :) I started this little space because my Strava rants have been getting lengthy and so far, the general feedback has been positive from my runner and non-runner friends. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Eeek! Tomorrow's the big day!!!! This week has been uneventful (in terms of fitness, at least!). Took Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday off to nap in the afternoon, for the sake of 'tapering'. On Wednesday, some unexpected "life" circumstances led me to do a quick run somewhere new. The plan was to do a quick 5 km. I mapped a route on Google Maps and expected to take it easy. What I failed to account for was the elevation profile. I quickly realized I should've ran counter clockwise to avoid an uphill finish! This week, I also joined the Back2SQ1 group for a fun "carbloading" dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant. I've been having plenty of Vietnamese food lately and the hearty, filling, pho never fails to hit the spot :) Yesterday after work I trekked to Hamilton to pick up my race kit. Of course, they make you walk almost 30 km (exaggerating) past the expo to pick up your bib and shirt. I met Denis, Lax, Drew, and Brigida. We bought matching gear, and I took a photo with the infamous Grim Reaper. I treated him as nicely as I could, hoping he'll return the favour tomorrow ha! I also got a glimpse of the stadium where the finish line sits. I got the chills, knowing that in about 2 days, I will be running (? limping) in there, at the brink of my mental and physical limits, hoping for adrenaline and the cheer of the crowds to push me through. Side note: I'm amused at the palindromic number 3003 of my race bib. It's almost as if the universe is pushing me to do 30 and reminding me personally (twice) that I can do it! My Chilly half bib was also a palindrome "101" and somehow this trivial coincidence means something to me.
Friday evening was spent playing 4s volleyball. Not sure if that was the best idea but I just can't help it! Loved going out, putting in the hours to get better, with good company. Yes, my legs are a bit sore as a result, but this morning, I scheduled another RMT visit and asked for a 30-minute tune up to make sure there are minimal knots tomorrow :) Hmm, so final thoughts? I take the most comfort knowing that I'm only running, and not racing per se. This will be the first time I'll be doing this distance, so the plan is to start slow, and finish strong. I watched the Around the Bay race preview (link here), and read Dayna Pidhoresky's 30 Tips for Race Day for some prep. I decided my strategy is to treat the race like a long run, rather than a race. It seems counterintuitive for me to not push my pace limits on race day, but tomorrow will be a proverbial, testing out the waters. I plan to crest the hills with short strides, take walk and gel breaks as necessary, and dedicate a kilometre or two to my amazing friends and fellow runners who encouraged me to sign up in the first place. As an aside, I'm also using the race to reflect on other life circumstances that have shaken my life recently. I don't want to "air out" too much here, but tomorrow will be as much a test of my physical resilience after a challenging week of mental and emotional stressors -- Finishing strong will be extra special for me. Good luck to my fellow ATB runners!!!! Whether you're pushing for a PB or running for the first time, I hope tomorrow goes well for you! Friendly reminders to those who needed it this week :) This week was certainly rough for me both training-wise and outside of it, but during tough times, this quote and imagery helps me: "When you think you've been buried, perhaps you've just been planted. Bloom. " Happy first week of Spring! This was technically the last 'training week' before Around the Bay, so on Tuesday, I wanted to get some strength training in. It's so awkward trying to take pictures in a gym, so I'm sorry for the poor quality. Lol. Some days I wonder whether I want to be pursue "professional blogging" (you know, with lucrative sponsored posts and ongoing promotion of my social media presence as an "influencer"); and then I take pictures like the above and realize that's probably never going to happen. I do love me some Les Mills BodyPump. The instructor chose release 89, which, unfortunately doesn't have any powercleans (trading them in for more squats and rows + squats and "push" ..No idea what that move is called). Nothing special otherwise. I hate the biceps track but that's with any other release. Otherwise, the track mix was enjoyable, especially ending with Imagine Dragons for cool down. Wednesday evening was an 8 km tempo, and Thursday evening was spent doing some speed work again. A few friends came out of hibernation (ahem Rosa) and memorably, Monika treated us to some homemade chocolate chip banana bread. I actually decided to cut the workout early Thursday night. Instead of doing 4x 1km speed routes, (2 km, break, 1 km, break, 1 km), I opted to stop after 3rd km. I really wasn't feeling it. Despite having hit a sub-5:00 pace for one of the loops, I thought it was best for my body to just call it a night and welcome taper week a few days early. It actually ended up working out for myself and my friend Drew who was plagued with some awful cough - I think we both needed to walk a few hundred metres back to our finish line! I'm so glad Monika takes pictures on all our runs so I can have some content to post here :) On Friday, my friend Navin so graciously offered to work out together at Goodlife. Nav has extensive dragonboat experience (more on this at a later post I suppose), so he showed me the basics of DB including form, back + chest focused exercises, and corresponding stretches. Nav, thank you for your time and expertise! It's very much appreciated and you sure put me through the ringer with the workout. After our workout, we headed to beach volleyball to play some 4s. I don't often take pictures when playing beach volleyball - partly because I don't like to take candids and mostly because my phone already has some sand damage from previous (& careless) picture-taking. I celebrated spring weather (3'C and sunny) this morning with our last taper run - a solid 16 km distance. I kept telling myself it's a TAPER run, opting for a 6:30-6:00 min/km pace to get mileage in without tiring the muscles needed to perform best in a week's time. For me, it helped making a conscious effort to take my surroundings in and making a mental note of restaurants I want to explore in the future. I must say the Central Pkway stretch (Erindale Stn-Mavis) was just soooooo boring. How many tire stores can one look at without feeling guilty about not swapping out winter tires yet??!? I decided to push the last 4 km to a 1/2 marathon race pace (~5:25 min/km) which may or may not be a rookie mistake. Guess we'll see in a week's time. Thanks again team for a memorable Sunday run. Thanks Justin for sharing your horror story for ATB - if you can finish the race, I can too! ;) After the run, I indulged in some coffee, had a quick lunch, and headed straight to beach volleyball (1-5 pm). Since I arrived earlier, I played some 2's and teamed up with Alex - one of the best and most patient players out there. I don't have enough volleyball experience to play 2's comfortably but he was there to compensate and give me some pointers to break some bad habits I've been forming. Sadly, we rotated players and Sebastian and I got creamed with a dreadful 3-21 score. We tripled our score in the next challenge, but alas, it looks like my 2's "skills" have yet to bloom (see above picture). Sorry Seb, and many thanks for being such a good sport :D
I'm hoping that this week will be easy. I'm stopping all sorts of strength training, going for 1 short taper run, making sure I get plenty of sleep (which was a real struggle this previous week), and indulging in a carb-heavy meal with my team. I imagine myself "filling up" during taper week and feeling less guilty if opting for an extra serving of rice or starches during mealtimes. Thank goodness for whoever invented carbloading, you're part of the reason why I run in the first place! Today I finished my longest distance personal best. Just over 25km! The road does not, in fact, stop after 21.1 km (and neither do I!). Side note: There are two separate pictures because my Garmin battery started to die at the 22.5 km. Panic-stricken, I saved the run, because everyone knows you didn't really run unless you put it on Strava ;) Added another 2.6 km afterwards. Our group met at Panera as per usual. Amar gifted me a festive green buff for Saint Patrick's Day (Many thanks!!). We then headed off to Bayshore Park in Burlington where we parked and started our run. Today, we tackled the rolling hills on the Around the Bay route, including the notorious "Grim Reaper". I started with a slow pace (~6:20 min/km) and just hoped for the best. I ran alone for the most part, as I tend to fall in the middle of the group in terms of overall speed/pace. However, there were much appreciated moments when a few runners took the time to slow down and/or speed up to run with me. Memorably, Drew ran with me to "take me to the hills" and paced/coached me throughout. I joked that he's like a leprechaun, giving all us lucky charms since he was all decked out in green. Yes, the Grim Reaper hills were so hard, but the views were just so beautiful that I actually semi-yelled "I love you hills!" hoping they will reflect the love back to me when I encounter them again in two weeks. Yes. 2 weeks. I've signed up for the 30 km Around the Bay road race. Today's run was the deciding factor, and I think mentally I'm prepared. I'm not hoping to finish within a specific time. I'm really just hoping to conquer the distance. The group stopped the run at about 20 km but I decided I needed to hit the 25 km mark (at least) so I can feel confident about signing up for Around the Bay. When I got back, I saw Amit who we lost during the run and he was suffering from a leg cramp on the sideway. I helped him get on his way and armed him with electrolytes (Thank goodness for Nuun tablets) and water. Lesson learned: We gotta figure out a buddy system during "destination runs"!!! Hmm, I wish I can say something more interesting and insightful about the run today. The houses were beautiful and the scenery of the Hamilton Harbour backdrop was absolutely incredible. However, truth be told, I came into the run coping with a lot of external/personal issues and I struggled to be a bit more "present" and introspective. I was tired, probably had an extra chip on my shoulder (I'm truly sorry friends), and just wanted to finish the mileage and get outta there. I'm hoping to be as candid and honest as I can during this "blogging" process. Not every run is a "success story". Some hills are hard. Some runs are hard. Sometimes you go into a run with some unwanted external "baggage" and use the run to let off steam, reset your focus, socialize with friends (or sometimes not at all). Sometimes a run is just a run and there's really nothing more to it. I posted the above pictures because I wanted to point out that while most pictures are "all smiles", the training process isn't all "hunky dory". Being a runner doesn't make you immune to some real-life struggles, but it certainly alleviates ways of coping with them :) Today, I decided to skip out on group lunch and I do thank my friends for being understanding. Lol, the pictures above make us look so silly :)
After the run, I was still feeling "off" and not quite ready to go home. I've recently discovered that my best way to mentally destress is to completely exhaust myself physically. I went home, wolfed down a quick takeout lunch and headed straight to beach volleyball. I played pretty much non-stop for 4 hours and today, I noticed that my passes are more accurate and my hits (slightly) more powerful. I don't even know how that was possible given the distance my legs went through this morning. I can't get enough despite playing for several hours Friday night. I invited a few friends to grab dinner afterwards but it ended up just being me and a good friend (thanks Seb for a "decompressing" dinner!). Finally, I felt drained enough to go home, relax, and draft this. This upcoming week will be a long one with 6 consecutive shifts scheduled, more evening mileage planned to prepare for ATB, and trying to get some strength training in before tapering. If you've made it this far, I commend and thank you for following along :) Out with the old... in with the new. Yesterday, I finally bit the bullet and bought my new racing kicks - Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35. I've been eyeing these shoes since the Running Room displayed them earlier this year. The Pegasus series get a lot of praise from all the fast runners in my group, and they've also been endorsed by some of my favourite elites. I actually ran the Chilly Half in the 2017 Nike Free Runs. While these were definitely lightweight and comfortable, I found they didn't have the support I needed especially in the forefoot/arch area. They were fantastic for short and fast runs but found they didn't quite hold up for longer distances. I always had my eye on the coral pink-ish colour scheme but as soon as I saw these, I totally fell in love. According to Amazon/Nike website, the colour is Gridiron Carbon Pink". I adore the deep shades of violet and grey, with the intricate 'ombre' effect that the pink mesh scatters along the sides of the shoe. The light pink rubber lining the toe-edge and bottom also make them look so badass while maintaining a tailored and feminine look. Aesthetic-wise, the design is a solid 10/10 for me. I was reviewing the descriptions online and didn't quite understand the "Heel collar tapers away from the foot for comfort around the Achilles tendon." When I put them on, I realized this just meant the tendon area "flares slightly outward. Nevertheless, I was surprised by how comfortably they hugged both the heel/tendon area and the top of my feet (where the 'tongue' sits). As you can see with my previous Vomero's, the tendon area was already peeling. I also had similar issues with my previous ASICS where the heel support never felt quite right, so I'm hoping this design will work well for me. I took them this week for 2 runs - a 7 km loop around the Mississauga Valley when the weather was overcast (hurdling over puddles), and this evening, the usual speed loops (2 km warmup, 2 km speed, break, 1 km speed, 2 km cool down). This evening, it actually started pouring in the last 10 minutes. When I first started jogging, I definitely noticed the difference in support and cushioning. Admittedly, I'd gotten used to the light Free Runs and initially thought the cushioning was too cumbersome. However, after actually RUNNING a few kilometres, I started appreciating the extra "spring in my step". I imagined them launching me forward and absorbing the impact of the ground with each stride. I found the upper area hugged my inner arches comfortably without being TOO tight, especially after the run when doing calf raises on the sidewalk. (side note: where was I during feet anatomy lessons in first year biology?) While the upper mesh design increased "breathability", it compromised shielding against the water/moisture. Much to my dismay, I thought I felt each drop and splash despite avoiding larger puddles. I'm glad I bought these for the summer season where I won't be encountering the harsh winter elements. Let's hope I don't encounter many rainy long runs this season. On the pro side, the traction pattern proved useful when encountering the last remaining patches of ice on the sidewalk. Overall, I am quite pleased and I'm looking forward to getting to know these kicks over the next few months. What else is new this week? I actually never made it to Goodlife yesterday (as I had originally planned). Instead, I agreed to sub for my friend Nav's beach volleyball league (4's). So at 9 pm, after yesterday's evening run, I found myself here. I love beach volleyball more than I love running. Yes, I said it. My borderline 'obsession' just brings out so much joy + enthusiasm and last night was no different. Thanks Nav for having me!!! :) The downside was that it ended at around 10:45 pm. The games just had me so wired that I barely slept by the time my alarm rang this morning. Consequently, the quality of my work day was compromised, and by the time this evening's run came, I was completely exhausted. It didn't help that I didn't eat anything since lunch before tonight's speed work, so I think my performance dwindled. Not to mention I added extra mileage this week to makeup for missing activities because of March Break programs.
So lesson learned - maybe learn how to sleep after volleyball? Decline subbing? Maybe take a rest day from a run if sleep deprived??? I don't know, but I sure am looking forward to this weekend. Back to 'Back 2 Square One'. After a restful week, the congested coughing finally subsided and I felt ready for a quick run tonight. The weather was gorgeous! Thanks to Daylight Savings Time, the sun was still shining when we started. Plus, Drew was wearing shorts and everyone knows there's no other better indicator of good running temperatures. I opted to only wear one layer and of course, it's the race sweater from last Sunday :)
I know I only took 9 days off but the initial km still felt awkward and unwelcoming. I had to do more stretches and squats on the sidewalk during the streetlight breaks. Once my legs finally accepted that they weren't going to stop anytime soon,, they locked into a pretty steady pace, with ~60% effort. Lax continues to push Caryn and I to take intervals where I saw some sub-5, and 100m of sub-4:00 speed. We finished with "The Final Push" (the City Centre stretch) and I felt great :) I decided to skip any strength training tonight and "ease" back into a sustainable routine. Plus, tomorrow I have a day off and I intend on paying Goodlife a visit... |