Ah, to be Young Again...

Today was the season's first practice for our school Cross-Country team.  With a turnout of 16 students, I was excited.  The students ran a 1km loop four times (some of them were lucky enough to run an extra couple of kms).  I ran the first loop, then watched with the other two coaches.  Some of the students were struggling a little, but many of them had not run over the summer break, so I can understand the fatigue.  I love their enthusiasm for the challenge of it all.

I love that they came out to run.  They chose to be part of this team, some of them because they were encouraged by their teachers, and others, just because they enjoy running in some way.  I truly feel (obviously) that this will build the "lifelong fitness" foundation for them, and that they enjoy this experience.  It is amazing to watch them grow as runners/athletes.  It is amazing to see them finish a race.  The pride is overwhelming sometimes.  Cheering each other on, watching for our team's singlets rounding the bends of the course.  It brings back all of the fond memories I have of running Cross-Country in high school.  The smell of autumn in the air, the feeling of pushing your body to the limits in a race.  It feels like yesterday, but, sadly it was more than 15 years ago.  (yikes, where does the time go?!)

On this "running in high school" note...

This year is the 30th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run.  I am helping to organize my school's efforts for an organized run this year, so that will be exciting.  I don't think I can think about Terry Fox for any length of time without getting tears in my eyes (or full-out crying, especially being pregnant!).  What an extraordinary athlete.

What an inspiration

When I was in University, I worked as a tour guide (best job ever) at a tiny attraction in my small town.  One day an RV pulled in, and an older couple got out, and I took them on a tour.  They were both wearing shirts promoting the Terry Fox run.  When I noticed their shirts, I mentioned having run the Terry Fox run with school for years, and how great it all was.  The woman said, "Well, we're Terry's mom and dad."  I think it is one of my favourite brushes with celebrity.  To raise a young man as dedicated and selfless as Terry Fox, you have to be great people.  I will never forget meeting them.

Imagine running a marathon every single day?  Not to mention a marathon with a prosthetic leg?  It is truly amazing how inspiring that is.  It is small potatoes to run a 5k route to raise money for his cause, don't you think?!

Everything Old is New Again

an oldie but a goodie!

As I posted earlier, my beloved ipod is but a sad memory to me...ruined by the inability to hold excess moisture.  Boo!  On daily runs, I never take my ipod along, and in races I never have a need for it.  But on those long runs...boy do I need music to keep me going!  Solo long runs, that is.  Yesterday as I prepared for my long run, (which would take place when my husband returned from work around 4pm) I realized I didn't have any music to take along with me.  I attempted to load music on to my blackberry, (I know it can't be hard, but I couldn't seem to get it to work) I remembered my old (ancient) ipod shuffle that is taking space in a drawer somewhere.  I dug it out, and plugged it into the computer, hoping for some sort of miracle.  I haven't attempted to use it in years.  I had about 20 minutes to load up some music, and pray for a charge.

Before heading out, I turned on the Garmin and was all set.  The weather was great for a long run.  The sun was out, and it was breezy.  Ok, a little windy in places, but not hard to deal with in general.  I have to admit, I wasn't really in the mood to mentally handle the distance all on my own.  Perhaps having a busy day with the boys made me a little sluggish?  It didn't take long before I felt the rhythm of the run and felt more positive.
My goal for the run was 9/9:30 miles.  I just LOVE the Garmin for this!!  I can't believe how much I love it.  Would it be weird to name our next born "Garmin"? I asked my husband, after returning home.  Kidding, sort of.   I decided I will always run tracking miles instead of kilometers.  There are sooo many less miles, it seems.  I know it's all mental, but 26 is waaaay less than 42, right?!

Fall is a great time for runs in the country...conveniently placed corn fields are perfect for pit-stops.  Hard to admit, yes, but when you have to go, you have to go, right?!

My route was a double-loop with an extra 4 miles added to the end.  I failed to realize, in my planning that I left the really hilly few miles for the end.  My pace was right on target for the entire run, except those 2 miles that were really "hill-intensive".  Woah, I felt like I was running on the spot.  I managed to salvage 10/mile for those two miles, and I am just fine with that!

By the time I returned to my neighbourhood, the sky was starting to darken.  People were out for after-dinner walks with their dogs.  I was starting to feel chilly from the wind (and pure lack of energy, perhaps?) so I was glad to be home.  I did it.  Another one to cross off the calendar.  I ran (ok, hobbled) upstairs to take part in some bath time fun with the boys.  When my oldest got out of the tub, I scooped out the toys, and poured some icy-cold water in the tub for myself.  Elliott was sure to give me some toys  (just in case you want to play!?) while I soaked to recover.

Today is a full-on rest day.  I am running with my school cross-country team tomorrow after school, so I want to demonstrate good form for the team :)

Happy Sunday.  I have no idea what's for dinner at my house...

Running for Two

Well...my first week back to school is complete (thank goodness!) and against all odds (the couch screaming my name as I drove home) I managed to get an 8km run in with the boys after school.  The week has been a busy one, with the boys starting new daycare, back-to-school mayhem, and a double ear infection for Milo thrown in for good measure (yeesh!).  It was so important to get out there and just run for the normalcy of it!

While I was running up a particularly hilly part of the route, I really started to feel the weight of the double buggy.  I know that a Friday afternoon isn't my most energetic time, but I just felt wiped!
I decided it is time to talk about the extra cargo I will be carrying around as I run over the next 6 months or so.  This mama is adding another little runner to the mix!  I am feeling good, and thrilled to be running, so I will continue to do so until the potty breaks start to take over, and I look silly shuffling along the streets. With my last pregnancy, I lasted until about 3 weeks before he was born.  Here's hoping I am that lucky this time :)  It is very interesting, running (especially in races) while pregnant.  I am not concerned about PBs, but I still want to do my best.  I may just have to break out some sort of "Baby on Board" sign to wear during the marathon ;)

I receive mixed reactions about running while expecting.  "Oh...are you still going to run?" or, "what are you going to do about that running thing?" are common questions.  I try to think of myself as rational, and I also try to stay aware of my limits.  My biggest challenge right now is keeping my calories up, but I am quite sure that is why dark chocolate was invented...

Happy weekend running...the cooler weather is still a novelty to me while I am out on the run :)

Oakville Half Marathon Race Report

Just as I was hoping, the weather this morning was perfect for a race.  Cool but calm.  Such a nice break after the heat we have had all summer.  I am glad that I chose to spend my last day of summer at the race.  It was a great way to wrap up all of the fun we had this summer before heading in to school tomorrow.  I haven't really accepted the fact that school is starting, but I know that seeing all of those bright young teenagers in the morning will make it all very real!

I woke up this morning (not to the alarm I set incorrectly--oops, 5:30pm won't work, will it? Can you tell I am out of practice?) and slowly got moving.  With my brother Scott here, I had granola on-hand.  I think he has had granola for breakfast every day since the beginning of time, so I wanted to be sure his pre-race breakfast was just right.  I decided to go ahead and have some too, which is perhaps not a good idea on race day, but sometimes I just like to live on the edge!  It was tasty, and it worked out just fine.

My garmin (read all about my surprise Garmin here) had charged nicely overnight, so I was excited to try it out!  It was a bonus, as I assumed Scott would run faster than me, so I didn't have to forfeit the Garmin info when I lost him after the first water station :)  My husband arrived home, gave us some quick directions to the race (no minute like the last minute for details!) and we headed out the door.
It was still dark out, so my Garmin tutorial in the car on the way ate up some battery power because I had to keep the back light on.  It was fully charged, so no problems!  I wish I had more time to program splits into it, as I didn't get a break down per mile, but I am just so psyched at seeing totals in general of my race pace, etc!

We got to the starting area with just the right amount of time to wait.  We cheered the 10k racers on as they zoomed past, then it was our turn.  I just love smallish races.  No real crowding, lots of friendly faces, a starting line that doesn't take 10 minutes to cross. ahhhhh, so relaxing.

Before long, the race began and we were on our way!  I pushed my start button, and plugged along (faster than my target pace, of course).  I was just so excited.  A beautiful day, a new gadget, people cheering!  It was so easy to look down at my current pace.  I don't think the Garmin made me a better runner today (no, I didn't PB) but it certainly made me more aware of my running/pace, especially near the end of the race, when I have a tendency to slow down.  I also love love loved being able to see the distance travelled at any given time.  I know most races have km markers, but I liked sneaking a peek whenever I felt like it!

I didn't spend the entire race staring at my watch, though.  The Oakville Half route wanders through some very fancy neighbourhoods, which is an awesome distraction for those first few miles.  The landscaping alone is something to stare at!  There were the usual cheering sections on each corner, but my favourite cheering squad was a woman and with her two little girls, who were in matching jammies and rubber boots.  Too cute!!  I wish I had a camera to snap photos of all of these things along the way, but I am not really into carrying lots with me in races, especially after the ipod incident of last week :((

I did lose my brother very early in the race, so the whole time I was hoping he was smashing a PB way up ahead of me.  He was, so yay!  By the 17km mark, I was pumped to get to that finish line.  I tried to speed it up a bit, but I feel like that energy surge (and Garmin will concur) was just a boost to keep me *on* pace, rather than ahead.  Fine by me.

Near the end, with less than a km to go, a woman on the sideline shouted, "your number 10 female!"  Wow, that was cool.  I felt like it was a good race, but only 9 other woman were ahead of me, so that makes for an even better race!!  I felt like I finished strong, and it started to rain lightly as I came across the mats.  Scott was there to meet me, and tell me about his PB.  Way to go, Scotty!

The numbers...
time:  1:40:30
dist.:   13.1 miles
avg. pace: 7:35/m

overall place: 95/535
gender place: 10/241
age group:   3/32

I will post some official race photos when they are available, but for now, I will include a photo of my littlest boy and myself, post-race.  He was in the mood for some serious cuddles, and I didn't want to argue with sitting on the couch relaxing!!

who doesn't enjoy a tim's after a run?

Happy "Back to School" tomorrow, for those that have to return!

Christmas came early!!

I arrived home late last night with my brother and the boys, so we could attempt to get some rest before this morning's race (which will get it's own posting later).  My loving and wonderful husband (who had to stay home this weekend due to work) had picked up both race kits in Oakville yesterday.  They were waiting for us on the kitchen table when we walked in the door.

He had written each of our names on our bags (how sweet!).  I assumed that this was because of a bib/chip mix-up from a race last year that was all my fault (long story).  We immediately started to look through our bags, (the shirts were way nicer this year, but unfortunately, they were all out of my size.  Oh, well.  Another size large for the pile!)  I love that the Oakville Half Marathon people put your name on the bib.  What a nice touch!
As I got to the bottom of my bag, I realized there was a little something extra at the bottom of my bag (I recognized the wrapping paper as our own).  It was a box, complete with a bow.  Could it be?  Is it what I think it is??!  Yes!!  It was a GARMIN!!!  Obviously, I was (am) ecstatic!  I really was surprised...thanks honey.

The extra added super-bonus was that my brother was here to help me figure out how to work it.  He has almost the same model, so he knew all of the ins and outs, and I plugged it in right away, and I went to bed even more excited about the race!

Aww. so pretty.

I now am the proud owner of a Garmin 405.  My husband deserves major kudos for researching all of the different models, and figuring out which one would suit me best.  It is obvious that I hinted around for a while, but I hadn't actually looked into which one I would want.  I didn't want a heart-rate monitor, but I wanted some of the cool functions/programs that my brother's has.  Voila! the Garmin 405 was the model for me :)  It does look quite big on my girlie wrist, but so, so worth it!!  I have only used it one time, and have only a small clue how to use some of the functions, but I really don't know how I have survived without it.  Listen to me, all in love with a watch.  But it's more than a watch!  Ok, enough already.

To recap...My husband rocks.  He is so supportive of me and this running thing.  He worked a night shift last night, only to rush home for 6am so my brother and I could head out the race.  He even looked chipper when we arrived home around 10:30am.  How does he do it?!  He deserves a medal!

Full race report to follow...

Autumn?!

I cannot believe how much the weather can change within one week.  I started the week with a long run that was sooo hot that I ruined my ipod due to excess-moisture (that's right, I sweat so much on my ipod that now it is completely useless).  The darn thing just starts up with a picture of "water" bubbles.  It is both disgusting and sad to me, but I will consider it a lesson learned.  Today, we woke to the sounds of a blustery wind against the house, and drizzle as we opened the garage door.  I dug out the boy's winter hats, as we were running early, and I wanted them to stay nice and toasty.  I know it wasn't "winter" cold out there, but it certainly was not warm.  It was about 12 C or 55 F, which does not include the drizzle and relentless wind!  I love the BOB, but when I push it into the wind, I might as well be pushing a parachute!

My bundled boys, ready to go!

I am hoping that somehow the weather of this week balances out before the race on Monday.  A nice sunny morning that is coolish would be lovely.  I have to admit, I liked wearing a bit more clothing today...I just like to ease into it gradually :)

I had to add the "bubble" (plastic screen) as the drizzle started :(

After our run, the boys and I packed up for Grandma's house.  We met uncle Scott and my sweet niece to go for a trip to the running shoe store.  Yay!  Unfortunately for me, the trip was a bit of a bust, as they didn't have my shoe in stock (ugh!!).  I had myself convinced that I really needed to get a new pair, but it will just have to wait.  I have been running in the Asics Nimbus for about 10 years now, and I think they are just part of me.  The Nimbus has changed over the years (some versions have been awesome, some have been duds, but they seem to be predictable, and quite cushy and cozy for my little feet).  I have only swayed from my beloved Nimbus two times, and both times, I ended up with injuries.  Coincidence?  Probably.  Will I be attempting a third time? No Way!!  My brother did manage to pick up a new pair (of Nimbus--yes, he is just as loyal as me!) so it wasn't a complete waste of time.  I also bought some jelly bellies, and two new water bottles (yahoo!).

While we were driving, we saw a car with a little bumper sticker that said "26.2".  "Oh, look!  Another runner!" I said.  I see people with personalized plates sometimes, bumper stickers, or even tattoos.  I think it is cool that people are showing off their passion.  I realized that I don't have anything like that.  I don't really even wear race shirts very often (yes, mostly because they can be very ill-fitting or awful colours).  As I sit here and blog away about this thing I do and love, I wonder how many people would guess that I am a runner if they didn't know that tidbit about me.  Sure, I guzzle water all day long, I rarely drink at parties because it isn't worth the pain on the run in the morning, I sometimes cringe in pain when I struggle down large sets of stairs after a long race, but those aren't tell-tale signs that I am a runner.  Most of my days are spent as an art teacher in a high school classroom.  My students are always shocked when I tell them I am a runner.
No, I am not planning a tattoo, or even a bumper sticker (both ideas freak me out equally).  I am happy just the way I am...somewhat anonymously living and working everyday with this little thing I do.

Happy weekend running!

Just going "Jogging"

Since I don't have much to say about today's run (as I did not run today--the pouring rain really discouraged me, and it was my first official day back at school, so I was exhausted as well).  I know, excuses are for wimps.  Today I will take the wimp card shamelessly, and see tomorrow as a new running day.
I have a race on Monday (yay!) morning, and as I will be using the last real day of summer getting up early for that race. I can balance out the wimp card at that point.  The race is the Oakville Half-Marathon.  It is a lovely race.  I ran it last year and really enjoyed it.  Not too big, great scenery, and good cheering sections.  My brother is coming up to run it as well, so it will be nice to have someone to run with, or someone to cheer me on at the finish if (and when) he finishes ahead of me :)


So...I thought I would take a moment to reflect on a conversation said brother and I had the other night.  At the end of the conversation I did say, "I need to write about that in my blog!" We were talking about the culture of running and runners, and just how serious we take ourselves sometimes.  I do feel like I dedicate a great deal of time and effort to running, and I am proud of that.  I work very hard at what I do.  Most people think I am crazy, and perhaps I am.  I do, however, try not to hold people hostage by talking about my dedication to running at length, because it may make me sound more crazy, and if they really want to know all of the details, they can read it here!!
There is a small exception to this sharing of details thing.  I have been asked this question many, many times over the years, "so, are you still into jogging?" or, "so you like going out for jogs?"  hmph.  Ok, I know that jog is a word that describes running, (sort of) i.e. "to run at a leisurely, slow pace" but I would hardly describe what I do as 'leisurely', or 'slow'.  Some days, yes, but never on purpose!  
When I worked at the Running Room many moons ago, where runners of every ability met for runs, never, once, did anyone that entered that store refer to what they were doing as 'jogging'.  It is just a word, I know.  But I am just saying, that I don't head out to the news stand to pick up a copy of "Jogger's World" or "Jogging Times".  
When people ask me about my jogging, I feel the need to step it up a notch and tell them a little about my "running".  


I don't think there are many people in this world that are joggers.  I have yet to see them, if they do exist. Whenever I see someone on the street, in a park, or at the track with running shoes on their feet, they are "runners".  They are out there dedicating themselves to something physical and mentally rewarding.  They aren't out for a 'little jaunt.'  They are working hard.  I commend anyone that laces up their running shoes and hits that pavement (or treadmill?).  


Happy Running.  Or leisurely jogging.  Whatever it is you want to call it, keep it up!

Elliott and Milo--"cool dudes"

p.s.  I am leaving you with a recent kiddie photo--I haven't added a photo in a bit, and photos just make the blog look so much prettier!