20 miles (!!!) in four parts

Twenty miles is freakin' far.

Not to state the obvious, but I just had to say it. For about the 82nd time today.

And then there's another 10K after this? My legs are still screaming; they have not yet forgiven me. And there's a good chance they won't til Tuesday, maybe Wednesday. But that's my fault because I haven't done all the good things, treat them right, after such an appallingly long run. It's been nine hours since I've completed this near-mythical distance for the first time. It's been about 1 hour since I've finally stopped running.

Okay... let's be clear. It's not that it took me nine hours to run 20 miles. But right after I finished, I had nonstop errands to do in advance of bridal shower I'm hosting for the cousin that's getting married a week after I complete Chicago. So there was no sitting down, extended stretching session, and certainly no ice bath. Of course, this all means I'll continue to pay for it tomorrow.

I have been thinking about this milestone run all week. I asked for running routes from the Running Room, I mapped out several courses across the city, trying to avoid as many hills as possible and making sure I was in for some scenery, and drank lots of water. I eventually decided on this route, with a turnaround at the 12mi mark, and I didn't bother mapping out the last 1-1/2 mile turnoff to home.

And then I broke it down into four parts. Because long distances need some kind of strategy applied, beyond Just Go. So it became Four 5-mile runs. And I asked Yumke to run on Saturday too, so that I'd have some company for part of it. Because, frankly, this was too much alone time. I figure it'd take me at least four hours to do this. Thankfully, he acquiesed to my request (something about liking to get this whole long run thing overwith). I asked Frankie to meet up somewhere along the way too, but he was sticking to his Sunday schedule.

In the end, while the four parts weren't broken up in 5-mile sections exactly, the four parts had their own characteristics and accompanying mood changes.

Part One: Left my house and did my usual head-to-the-beach route. Except for the first mile, I kept to a near-12 minute mile pace. I was feeling pretty good. I was a little cold, but at least there was no wind.

Part Two: Bumped into Yumke just as I was starting the next phase. I was going to follow my route. I was sure he'd catch up. He never did, and I was left to run through quite a depressing part of town, the very deserted port area. It didn't help that I didn't follow the trail, instead cutting across one of the decrepit roads. Which was woefully devoid of life. Eventually wound my way into the nice civilized part of the waterfront. Stopped at Yumke's condo for water.


Part Three: The best part of today's run. Enjoyed running with Yumke so much that I changed my mind about doing the planned route. Which is a good thing because I was right -- the company helped big time. Not that we were constantly talking, but the comfort of just having someone there beside me was more than enough to get me through a good chunk of the second half. Ran about 7mi in his company, slowing in the final stretch of this portion of the course, but hardly stopping the whole time -- except for one phone call I had to make in the middle mile, and twice for a flight of stairs. I woohooed myself at Mile 16.1: I had officially run my furthest distance! Each step after this marker was a new record.
These will be the only (partial) splits I will probably ever post. Enjoy them now. Obviously they're slow for Yumke, but I think they're great for me:
10:35
10:24
10:43
12:41
10:43
11:01
11:22


Part Four: By far the worst 3mi ever logged by this pair of legs. I had no desire left. I was tired, hungry, thirsty, crampy, imagining a blister forming, unfocused, and kind of dreading the afternoon ahead (because I was going to be denied my post-run nap). And insanely jealous that Yumke was done for the day. His taper to begin that moment. This last impromptu part of the route was by far the slowest. With Garmin claiming I did one of those miles in 35 minutes!! I suppose it could be accurate, but I don't remember that much walking. Sure I'd already run 18mi to this point, sure there was a lot of wind now, but to slow me down that much? I guess it's possible, but I don't believe it. I remember frequently checking the Garmin and wondering why the numbers weren't turning faster, and getting increasingly flustered. (Don't be smartass -- Of course I know it's directly related to my own movement.)
But it was the thought of a cheeseburger that got me through the last bit. CMan, on his way to work, found me about 1/2 mile from my goal, his workplace where I was to pick up the car for an afternoon of different running. He said he was going to pick up some burgers. I pushed as best I could a half mile down the road where a truly beautiful burger was awaiting. I think it might have taken me about 2-1/2 minutes to devour it. And then a large diet Coke. And some fries. And onion rings. Maybe not the greatest post-run meal, but wow, was it ever satisfying.

The numbers today: 20.1 miles. 2078 calories burned. Avg 13.17 min/mi. 4:26:51 spent on my feet running to achieve all this. One hurting, but accomplished and proud girl.

Doubling down on extra rest

Had a work function tonight. That is, we had a casino night -- all play money -- and while I never got near the craps table, I was on a pretty good run at roulette and blackjack for awhile. All in all, a good time, and a good excuse to take the night off from running. But Frankie and I walked two miles -- that's, ahem, cross-training -- against the wind to get to the party. I think that counts. (And we both stuck to water at the gathering.) With a 20-miler on Saturday morning, I need/want all the rest I can. (So, ya.. probably keeping tomorrow's scheduled day off. Double down! It will pay off! .. I hope)

On the running menu tonight...

For starters, I went with a light jog through the neighborhood. Whetted my appetite with a slight incline for the first mile, then got a nice dose of downhill for the next 2-1/4 miles.

I underestimated how long it would take for the party to arrive at the Running Room Clubhouse for the second course. I thought the reservation was for 6PM. Turns out it was not for another 30 minutes. I thought about leaving, thinking about the time that was being wasted waiting, mentally calculating when I would actually get home. Instead, had a drink of water by the shoe bar, then a Clif shot of espresso love, just to pass the time while making small talk.

As the rest of the guests arrived, we were told that we'd have a buffet tonight -- a 2K warmup run, followed by a side dish of tempo (another 2K, and since Garmin didn't show up for this round, I couldn't even guess what my pace was), and then we'd end off with a 2K recovery.

Well, still hungry when I returned to the clubhouse, which is good because I had another 3 miles to log. Swigged some blue Gatorade, then set out for a second helping of solo running. The sun had long since set, but there was a gentle breeze and no sign of the severe thunderstorms the weatherman had predicted.

Ran much slower in the third leg of this outing. Kind of tired now, but spirits are still somewhat up there. I ran 3.75mi, some of it on the deserted beachside boardwalk. Walked the last 1/2-mile home. Uphill. Sat in some cold water for 10 minutes. Without ice. Almost manageable, and I didn't cry this time.

Seriously famished after what turned out to be a 3-1/2 hour session. I definitely hadn't expected to be out that long. Two hours max -- and that was being over generous. Good thing CMan was on dinner duty -- he made us steak, baked potato and corn. And some onion rings for good measure.



And I had this beauty of a strawberry cupcake for dessert.












Total distance, excluding the walk: 10.7mi.

Distracted by my fuel belt

I passed the stair test today, meaning my legs felt just fine going up and down from the basement to the bedroom. My legs didn't feel dead, and there was no lack of enthusiasm on my part today to get out there and start running again. It took quite a few long blocks before I felt myself kick into a decent enough stride, and I think it was because I was distracted by my fuel belt. After going blissfully belt-free, hands-free, and just free of (negative) thoughts during the race, I had to put one of those things back on today -- the belt.
It bounced with each step and i couldn't get it to sit right during the 5-miler, which I ran at a slower-than-usual average pace of 12:59/mile. At one point I thought about chucking the whole thing. I'm going to study the water station situation on the Chicago course. If I can go without a belt, this will make life a lot easier during race day. Though that means I'll have to reconsider my running bottoms -- need pockets.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but today's run, otherwise, was a piece of cake. Bring on the 10miler tomorrow!

A peek at the peak week

So I did it right today. I called in sick, slept longer, and stayed off my feet. Then proceeded to have a nice lunch with CMan in Little Italy. Then spent three hours at the spa where I got a well-deserved "thank you health plan" massage ("Please concentrate on my legs!"), reading time, and water therapy (whirlpool, float in the pool, steam room).

My body feels much better than it did when I woke up. Masseuse has helped work out most of the tightness in the calves -- and she said my legs were very strong, very healthy. And recommended another epsom salt bath tonight as follow-up.

So now that I'm nearly finished basking in today's big rest day, I am refreshed, reenergized, ready, and actually excited, to tackle Week 15. This is the BIG week. Not only is there a midweek 10-miler, sandwiched between two 5-milers, it is time for the first and only attempt at the 20-mile training run , before doing that and more in 26 days.

I do not fear the distance.

Because although my longest run to date is 16 miles (remember, I skipped the 18miler), I have built the confidence to do progressively longer runs, and finishing with a smile. A funny thing has happened these past 14 weeks -- I learned that I am capable of discipline, that I can do just about anything I set my mind to (except the ice bath), that maybe I do like this whole running thing.

Week 14 tally: 32.1mi/51.7K (includes half-mary race)
Training to date: 339.53mi/546.46K

Two baths

Frankie and others have recently expounded on the virtues of an ice bath. I'm not averse to trying new things -- anything to speed the recovery! So, I filled the tub enough to cover my legs with cold water, then the ice cubes went in. Then my toes. Then a very loud scream.
Retreat.
Breathe.
Try again.
Tentatively, one foot in... then the other. Another very piercing scream.
And then tears.
This was not working.
So then I tried to put just my knees in. I was able to hold it for about a minute.
Another retreat. This wasn't going to happen. I was about to concede defeat in this matter.
Stared at the water for another few minutes, and CMan tried to encourage me to go in. Psyched myself up to take the plunge.
Nope. Didn't happen.

A few hours later, I drew some warm water and stirred in some epsom salts, also reputedly good things for recovery. This was an easier time, but I don't feel that much better. I do ache.

I'm taking a rest day the proper way tomorrow. Calling in sick (Really, it's like my third sick day in seven years)

"Hey yellow hat, kick some ass!"

That was the encouragement from a stranger I heard around the 5K mark of today's half-marathon race. And you know what? I DID. This girl, me in the yellow hat, kicked ass.

I had a fitful night of sleep, which I worried wouldn't bode well for the race. Though in bed by 11:30 (still kind of late), I woke up around 1:30 with an inexplicably itchy shoulder. I kept scratching and scratching. Some aloe helped.

At 5am, after fighting with the snooze button for 30minutes, my cousin phoned to say she was on her way to my house to pick me up. I reluctantly got out of bed, cursing the itchy shoulder some more. Put on my race clothes, which I am glad I laid out the night before. I scarfed down some Vector cereal, one of many mini boxes I grabbed during the expo.

By 6AM, we had arrived downtown, an hour ahead of the start time. Rather than hang out by the start line, we went to my office, which was five minutes away, and hung out there. I must have peed three times before heading out to the starting line.

Which is why I'm curious why I had to go during the race. My race strategy was to not stop for pitstops on my way to a 2:15 half-mary finish. But there was no way around this. Not long after I high-fived the spectating Frankie, I sent my cousin ahead (I mean, why should I ruin her race by making her wait for me) and told her I'd catch up. I didn't take into account how long I'd be in line for. An eternity ... especially when you're trying to play catchup afterwards.

The pitstop put me four minutes behind pace. So to make up for some lost time, I decided to just run continuously and forgo my regular 10:1 run/walk program... I felt I was capable, and partly because I needed to catch up to my cousin, who was holding my one energy gel. I don't know why I didn't pin it on myself, but I just figured we were running the whole thing together so I went without a fuel belt today. My pants do not have pockets. So maybe it's time to consider a different pair of running bottoms for the race. Not having a fuel belt was liberating. I depended on the water stations today, and it was enough.

Well, I felt I was making up some good ground. I was running at what I suppose is my race pace -- around 10min-11min/mile. Around the 7K mark, about 53 minutes into the race -- I saw the elite group of Kenyans (okay, there were probably other nationalities in that pack) and I woohooed them. Then I saw other elites. I saw one of the Jogglers, but not sure which one. I saw Ed "The Master" Whitlock, running hero to many, and the only person on the planet over 70 years of age to have run a marathon in under the magical 3 hour barrier. Today, at 75 years old, he set another world record, running the marathon in 3:08. Astounding.

Seeing these amazing runners over the next two kilometers was unbelievebly inspiring. I ran through water stations, taking the water on the go, and kept a keen eye out for my cousin. I started to worry about not having my gel, which compelled me to run a little bit faster. Which I think is okay because I don't push myself nearly enough during my training runs. And I was there to race.

As I approached the turnaround point, my cousin spotted me from the other side and ran across the median to hand me the gel -- bless her -- because I had been running for more than an hour now and it was time for a boost. But I had to wait with no water station for a little while longer. So I kept trying to push ahead to catch my cousin. At each kilometer marker, I was still behind pace, but had cut the gap to about 3-1/2 minutes, so that made me feel good.

Then the kilometers just melted away. One by one. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular, I had no music. I concentrated very hard on my breathing, and picked people out ahead of me as targets to pass.

I ran and I ran and I ran. At the 16K mark, I heard a woman comment to her running companion that all they had left was 5K -- the equivalent of their Monday night runs. "Piece of cake," she said to her partner. And that rang true with me. I buckled down and gunned harder to catch my cousin. There was a slight hill just before the 20K mark, and it didn't faze me (yay for hill training, however scant that has been!).

I was on a mission.

With determination building, I saw the 20K flag. I was close, so close to the finish line. I ran through a tunnel, thinking the whole way, "I can see the light at the end of this" ... and then I made the turn for the home stretch.

I briefly looked around for familiar faces -- my parents, Yumke, my aunt and uncle, Greg. I did see Yumke, who was perfectly situated about 300m from the finish line. I waved, and kept going. I was a speed demon. By this time, I had no interest in seeing any more familiar faces -- I could see the finish line, I could visualize myself crossing it. I was now narrowly focused, and started to pick more people off all the way to the finish line. It was a strong finish, and, yes, I was not just smiling when I crossed. I was beaming.

In the end, I didn't catch my cousin, but I nearly did. She finished 1min,17s ahead of me. My chip time: 2:18:40.

With today's finish, I did not have the feeling that I could do the whole distance again right then, but I did think I could run a few more miles. So, three more Sundays before show time. I think I can, I think I can ....

One day before half-mary

I thought briefly about heading back downtown this morning to join John "The Penguin" Bingham and John Stanton, founder of the Running Room, 9am, lead the International Friendship Run (3K), followed by a good dose of last-minute inspiration and refreshments. Then head to the race expo for more cereal or something. But no, bed was a better option for me this morning.
Eventually I went on my own around midmorning. Dressed inappropriately -- I had long sleeved dri-fit, totally misjudging the humidity -- but was too lazy to go back inside and change. Anyways, I didn't suffer too much. Just a big 2-mi circle around my neighborhood.
I'm looking forward to spaghetti for dinner, a great night's sleep before getting up at 5AM tomorrow. There will be no staying up late for UFC 63.

Reason No. 81

.... examples of why people say they run. Number 81 is my favorite. Other notables, but not pictured: "Because in the neighborhood I live in, you gotta know how to" ... "it's orgasmic" ... "to lose the large behind" ... etc etc. Sponsored by adidas, seen at the Scotiabank Waterfront race expo.

Flight booked

One month to go! And finally I've booked a flight. Heading to Chicago on Thursday afternoon, returning on Monday night. Now it feels really real, like everything is lined up. All I need to do now is stick to the training schedule. And pack. Earlier this week I felt my mental game was starting to break down, but I think it's back on the up and up after some good outings this week.
And I guess the race this weekend is also helping the enthusiasm. Even the expected rain isn't messing with my head. I picked up my race packet this afternoon with cousin, then walked around the expo collecting mini boxes of Vector cereal. And pace bands. I'm going to go back later with Frankie and Yumke, before we head out and do Carboload: Phase I.

It's alive!

The Garmin is alive and kicking! I just recharged it, and it is back to its old self. I was so sure that I had charged it up earlier this week. Since I hadn't gone anywhere with it in the last while, there was no reason to think it had lost the juice.
My iPod mini, on the other hand, can't hold a charge longer than an hour... Ah, technology.

A message from God

I did a double-take of this sign. Then I had to stop during this morning's chilly run to take a picture. It wasn't that I was in need of a pick-me-up message from God at this point -- about 3.5 miles in and I was running much faster than usual... must be the 6C temp that's motivating me -- but it sure brought about a huge grin. Because that's how I feel sometimes, like a basketcase, for wanting to do this marathon and all this training that's involved.

Anyways I am not sure how far I ran today, but I'm going to call it about 6mi. I did my run-to-work route and just after I picked up my stuff from CMan, I dropped my Garmin on its face, and poof, it turned off and I haven't been able to turn it back on since. (Personal note to Yumke -- I haven't forgotten that I still owe you money for this now broken toy)

Well, one small run left this week before the half-marathon, then rest. Amen to that.

The case to race

Simply put, it is a race. So race it, seems to be the consensus out there.
To be honest, my race pace and training pace probably aren't that far apart, so the best thing to do is try anyway. This is the dress rehearsal to Chicago, after all, so gots to find that game face. The key is to listen to my body and respect it -- slow down if necessary -- because injury at this point would be pretty devastating.

Quick Three, and a plan

Logged 3mi over lunch today. Feels good to not have to think about running after work. With a half-marathon a couple of days away, I've got to consider some kind of taper (yes, even though I took it to extreme levels last week). Anyways, the plan leading up to race is to do 3mi on Wednesday (completed! yay!), 8mi on Thursday, then 2, maybe 3 if I'm feeling good on Friday. Rest and carboload on Saturday. Run long on Sunday, though still unsure how I will approach it -- as a race? or a training run?

Lost track, off track, but not derailed

Because I haven't been keeping up with the program, so to speak, I somehow lost track of which week I was on, and oops, I just realized that I was supposed to do EIGHTEEN miles for my long run in Week 13 (which ended yesterday). I guess I'm a bit off the target. No matter.

Two episodes of The Simpsons, one of Frasier, half a Cheers, and about 2 minutes of MuchMusic helped me through 8miles on the dreadmill this afternoon after work, and that's about as much as I could stand running towards my reflection. I was too pansy to go outside with rain threatening, and so I ducked underground to the gym. So I didn't do 18 mi. At least I did 8 mi. I could have done none, because let's be honest, that was a real possibility. Small victory.

Why would anyone pay so much?

CMan often asks me why I pay to run in races. It's a good question -- considering I'm there merely to see if I can go the distance. From the outset, I've only ever said that I want to complete the marathon, so I'm not looking to finish under a certain time.
But there are others out there that want to run particular races so much that they'll make fake bibs or pay huge dollars for somebody else's bib. Check out the NYTimes story saying so (special thanks to Frankie who outpointed it to me).

I can't imagine ever wanting to run a race that badly that I can't do it legitimately. Boy, I feel lucky to have signed up for Chicago back in January. Race day is almost here!

Beautiful, wasted day

It was a gorgeous day for a run. Too bad I slept through so much of the prime running hours. I guess the moviewatching finally took its toll on me. I slept 9 hours and by the time I got up, I was already late for the last minute Jays tickets that fell into my lap about 10 hours earlier. Then it was up to the parents. There are not enough hours in the day sometimes.
I haven't missed any long runs til now. But I intend to make up for it tomorrow, which sucks, not just because it's a rest day, but because it'll have to be after work and rain is in the cards. Gak.

I've noticed my mental game has started to break down a little, having lost focus, and probably fitness, all last week. I'm signed up for a half-marathon race next weekend and am just a wee bit nervous about the consequences of a paltry running effort. I'm sure I'll be fine, it's just butterflies, just like I get before any test such as a job interview.

Week 12 tally: 17.14 mi
Week 13 tally: 2.65mi. Yes, that's right. One outing all week. Ouch.

Training to date: 307.43mi/494.76K

Jamming

To celebrate the last day of the film festival, I'm going to try to jam as many movies as I can, tickets and time permitting. If I can get to all that I want to, that will be five for the day. I got up this morning and hurried downtown to catch a movie called Quelques jours en Septembre.

In many ways I'm glad to see the festival wrap up. It's not normal to watch so many movies, from start to finish, in such a short period of time. Nobody should be eating popcorn at 9am.

So instead of going to another movie immediately, I came home for an early break, and some proper food. (This festival, while fun, has been nutritionally horrible. Too much coffee substituting as meals. And bad, expensive sandwiches.) With a little bit of time on my hands, no deadlines to meet, I reintroduced myself to my running shoes and jammed in a short jog before the next screening.

I am pleased to report that I haven't forgotten how to run. The 2.65mi test run wasn't the swiftest outing, but I hardly ever find my groove before mile 3.

Toast

Anonymous left a one-word comment on my last post.

Toast.

To me, it feels like an attack. It feels like Anonymous is making a prediction. Looking into the future and seeing that my personal choice to skip a week of training now will result in total and utter failure come race day in 36 days? Will one week off completely undo the the last 12 serious weeks of training? I don't think so. I'll be fine. I expected to not be religious about the schedule. Running is not my whole life, my whole being, just part of it. If other things in life get in the way, well, I'm not going to ignore it. I am not any less committed to my 26.2 mile goal because of that.

Is it the guilt that is interpreting one word this way? Perhaps. But I highly doubt the comment was in the context of either bread or raising of a glass to offer congratulations.

Movies are winning

As plans go, they've changed since my declared plan from a week ago. Because I want them to. So far, the movies are winning out. They've taken precendence over everything. I have not run since Sunday, which means my feet have not seen a running shoe in days. I have eaten poorly, at times subsisting entirely on granola bars. I've had more to drink in the past week than probably what I had all summer (which, in truth, isn't a lot). I have forgone sleep (Why am I up now? This is not helping the bags that seem to be permanent under my eyes the last few days.) And, frankly, my ears are still ringing a bit from seeing Flipper, one of the original punk bands from the early 80s, at a party related to the TIFF flick "American Hardcore".
I'm taking half the day off. I should use that time to run a little bit. Or perhaps sleep. But it's most likely that I'll be hanging out at the theatres. Movie count is up to 18 now. That sentence should read "distance this week is at 18mi", but then, that would be a lie.

Well, at this point, the week feels pretty unsalvageable. Do I feel guilty? Of course. Will I do anything to fix it? Nope, not this week. I'm basically saying screw the training this week. I'll pick it up next week, gladly, and I'll attempt that long run on Sunday knowing that my laziness this week will pretty much hurt me. Hard.

Good enough

Last night, I was definintely on the cusp of self-cancelling the long run. I'd seen a couple of movies, was aiming to see more, had a beer, was freaking out about deadlines, and preparing for more interviews. The last thing I wanted to do was get up at 6AM and run 12 miles before getting the rest of the fest underway.
I managed to get out of bed at 745. And it was one of those days when I needed the structure of a group to ensure that I got the miles in. Because I could already feel a lazy spell coming on. I jogged to the meeting spot. The group was doing 11K today -- which was good for half my scheduled mileage. I kept a fairly good pace, with the five-member middle of the pack group. About a third of the way in, we crossed paths (though is it really crossing paths if you're not on the same side of the street?) with Frankie's group. I yelled a hello and he waved back.
Got back to the store, with just a bit more than 8 miles now recorded. I had 4mi more to do, but time was getting really tight. I had an interview scheduled for 1130, and so I called CMan to rescue me. Total mileage today was 9.4mi. Good enough for a cramped sked.

No running=no movies

I opened my eyes at 5:17am. I instantly thought 'No way. Snooze button.' But just one fight with the snooze button because there will be no extra movies if I don't get the training in. This kind of reward motivation works for me. So I rolled out of bed, found some running clothes, and headed out. It was a dark and humid morning. But the moon was full and it was a lovely sight. Got 3.42 miles in -- not particularly great, a little bit slower than anticipated, but it's done. The sun was up when I reached home, and then I had to rush to get ready for work, which consists of watching movies all day. It is going to be a good day.

Reel fun, real problem

The Toronto International Film Festival started today, as did what is going to be a tough 10 days of keeping up with training. The last two days have been miserable, low-quality outings, fraught with self-defeat. I figured it'd be more of the same today, so I never even began the 5miler I was scheduled to do. Perhaps that's the wrong attitude to have begun with, but it's too late now.
Yumke and I had a good chat about it though. I will be working a lot through the film fest -- watching films (my personal record is something like 32 over the course of the festival, and most of them non job-related), writing about them, stalking the celebrities, and maybe get in a party or two. I'm worried that I'm going to lose fitness -- not only because I am bound to skip some runs, but also because this whole movie mania is the perfect environment to not eat properly. I feel I've been doing very well in the month, and hope that the filmfest won't jeopardize all the work to date. I guess, ultimately, it won't if I don't let it.
So Yumke devised me a plan, so I think my concerns are a little bit alleviated. I am to keep my 12miler this weekend, and perhaps go for a really short jog tomorrow. Instead of doing a rest/4mi/9/5/15 week for Week 13, I could pare it to 3/9/extra rest/15 and not stress about it.
"Then pick up the mileage a bit the week after. I think at this point, it's important you stick to your long runs (midweeek and weekend) while trying to maintain your fitness with those short weekday runs," Yumke said in an email.

So here's the plan the rest of Week 12:
9/7: rest
Confetti

9/8: 3miles
Shot in the Dark
Stranger than Fiction
Cages

9/9: 12miles
choice between Never Say Goodbye or The Postmodern Life of my Aunt
and potentially: Time, All the King's Men, and 7 Ans
... but things get a bit tricky because I actually have to go to some press conferences

9/10: crosstrain
again, I have to work today, and some interviews need to be confirmed, but if I have it my way...
A Grave-keeper's Tale
Shame
For Your Consideration.

Somewhere in there, I need to do a Midnight Madness too, but I'm undecided on which night. Far and away my favorite programme at the filmfest.

I am still planning next week's slate... so far I think I'm going to ask for a day off. That way I can get a serious stress-free 9-miler in, then a good chunk of guilt-free movie-watching.

Letdown-part2

I'm well short of the 8mi goal distance today too. After 2.32mi, I just sort of gave up. I was too pressed for time to make it to the group. Maybe I am just not into the midweek running thing. Before I left work today, I was already yammering to Frankie how I just didn't wanna. Maybe I shouldn't have made a pitstop at my sister's. I overstayed, sampled the Japanese curry she concocted, and by the time I was ready to leave again, it was pouring. Phoned CMan to come pick me up, the ultimate sign of defeat. This is shaping up to be a bad week so far. Boo.

Letdown

Went to a strength/toning class and then ran a very uninspired 2mi on the treadmill, only half the distance I was scheduled to go. My legs don't feel fully recovered yet. What a letdown.
But a worst letdown? Watching the The Toronto Blue Jays's bullpen, who squandered a 2-1 lead -- giving up a grand slam, no less -- for Cy Young candidate Doc Halladay, who could've won No.17 tonight under the open dome. At least the company was good.

Hopefully tomorrow's longish run goes better. I'll try to make it to the group, maybe that'll help.

Body hurts, but mentally I'm okay

Okay, so I'm feeling like I was someone's punching bag yesterday. Today I hurt everywhere. I guess this is a preview of how I'll feel on Oct. 22.
But I'm in good spirits. I reanalysed my time from yesterday and, either Garmin is messing with me, or I ran 16mi -- one mile more than the week before -- 3 minutes faster. Yay for me. I'm also feeling good because looking ahead into Week 12 of this program, we're in another stepback week, which dovetails nicely with the Toronto International Film Festival. Less mileage this weekend=more moviewatching time! (The weekend after is going to be much harder. Eeek, 18mi!)
And lastly, Emily is arriving to Toronto today. She's the girl I blame for planting the idea of the Chicago Marathon. Blame in a good way.

Here's the math from the last week:
Weekly tally: 28.67mi (excluding the day at the EX)/46.14K
Training-to-date: 287.64mi/462.91

Homerun

On Friday, Yumke and I talked about running through Scarborough on Saturday morning, the suburb where we both grew up and where our parents still live. I planned a route to a softball diamond where CMan was participating in the annual company tournament, and it happened to pass by Yumke's parents' house, somewhere he wanted to visit this weekend. But it was still a hard sell -- rain, night-before activities, and departure times were considered -- and we didn't go. In fact, I was very happy that Yumke didn't phone me on Saturday morning because I slept til noon. And it was raining. All day.

Today it was still raining when I woke up. That didn't spur me into faster action. I didn't even want to meet the Sunday group to motivate me, and besides, it was already past meeting time.

By 9am, it looked like the rain was letting up, or at least to a gentle misty drizzle. I convinced myself to do the planned Scarborough route because I wanted to go see some softball.

And so I left. I packed the car with a change of clothes and a granola bar and wished CMan good luck on his second day of the tournament. I'd miss the first game, but hoped that his team would win so that there would be a second game for me to watch.

What occured over the next few hours was a trip down memory lane. The first 2mi were familiar territory, a stretch of road that I've been using since I moved into the neighborhood. And maybe it was that familiarity, or maybe it was because I was well-rested, but I did this stretch with much ease. Which was nice, because the next 10 were just as easy (Ya, that's right. I said easy). Then I crossed into Scarborough.

Mile 3: Sent some silent hellos to my best friend since Gr.3, my real estate broker, and CMan's manager, all who live within five minutes of each other. And briefly stopped at the park where from Gr. 1-6, I competed in annual track meets, representing my school with pride in standing long jump and relay (I'd usually be the third relay runner, but I think I started one year. What I don't remember is if we ever placed. I'd like to think so, but my memory won't go back that far).


Mile 4: Hey, the Tara Inn Irish pub. Oh, nevermind.

Mile 5: Scarborough Bluffs! Sight of some late night bonfires during high school. And underage drinking. Time for a gel.

Mile 6: Passed CMan's dad's house. Thought about stopping in for a bathroom break, but didn't.

Mile 7: Wow, this Kingston Rd. doesn't really offer a whole lot of scenery. Motels and strip malls. Ick. Hey, Yumke's street.

Mile 8: Turned into Guildwood, one of the nicer neighborhoods of Scarberia. The scenery has turned into lush trees, tended gardens, and much less road traffic. But I'm not completely sure where I am ... I lived in the northwest part of Scarborough. Best to stick to following the bus stops to get me out of here.

Mile 9: Hmmm.. the Guild Inn. Should I hold my wedding reception here?

Mile 10: Where am I?

Mile 11: Oh the park is close. I recognize that ghastly garden from last year. Yay!

Mile 12: Arrived at park. Took a much needed water/pee break. Said hello to CMan, who said they had two more games for the day, having won the first one. Awesome! Stretched a little bit. Listened to his teammates call me insane for running there, and then them calculating how many times they'd have to run around the bases to equal the distance. (That would be about 264 times, if the math is right. Or a lot of homeruns!)

I had 4 more miles to do. We found out there was going to be an hour before the playoffs began, so I guess this was the window of opportunity to get the lead out and finish off. Time for another gel. It was an uninspired out-and-back jog from the park.

When I returned to the park, I was still short a quarter mile.

This is the first year in a long while that I hadn't played organized softball. I am a little sad about it because it feels like summer is a little bit incomplete. Last year, I played with CMan's team -- which, by the way, repeated a bronze medal effort -- but this year they decided that it would be employees-only, which is fair enough. Since the whole run today was through many of the neighborhoods of my youth, I relived one more memory. I ran the whole softball field, around the warning track, and then a smaller homerun trot around the bases. Touched homeplate. 16.02mi completed.