Family affair

I have signed on the dotted line. As has my sister, my brother-in-law, and my cousin. We're among the other 1,643 other souls who have already registered for the Sporting Life 10K in May. It'll be my first race of the season, unless I change my mind and sign up for the Spring Run-Off. It's unlikely I'm going into the 10K with a race mentality since this is my gift to my sister, and therefore I will see her to the finish line. Just ninety-five training days to go. We haven't run together since that first day a couple of weeks ago. But she's joined a gym and so she's on her own until the weather agrees with us.

I also signed up for the Scotiabank half on Sept. 30 because it was packaged with the 10K (save $15!). No I did not sign my sister up for that -- though the look of fear on her face would be kind of funny in a superpricelessMasterCardkindofway). I peeked at the confirmation list -- apparently 54 other souls have signed up for the same race package as I. I ran this race last year as a dress rehearsal to the Chicago marathon. The half mary could very well end up being the dress rehearsal for the MCM in Washington (I have made the declaration that I will run this. But who knows, things may change. At this time last year I was already committed to Chicago, there was no turning back. But this year, I have to leave the door slightly ajar for an escape route ...).

Overenthusiasm leads to rest

Abs, inner thighs, calves are hurting. Even my collarbone, it seems. I feel misaligned. I don't think it's the running itself, but probably exhaustion from combining that with overenthusiasm the last two days in the weight training/core strengthening department. Maybe it was too soon after the Tuesday night class to go into the Wednesday morning class -- not enough rest. And isn't REST my favorite word as far as exercise is concerned? Anyway, I did my pre-work workout yesterday, taking in a core strengthing class and then running a hard 2 mi. I was going to head in again this morning (I am really trying hard to stick to plan) but I was supercranky about these aches when my eyes slowly unglued from slumber. Yes, time to schedule a massage too. Thank you health plan.

Planning of a different sort

I don't think my Afterwork RunClub partner is quitting on me, but we skipped our run together for a second consecutive week today. This is also the second week in a row where I've lugged to work my entire closet of workout clothing -- because I'm still not sure what to wear to run on these frosty days -- thinking we'd go. (Hey, she's the one going on a resort vacation in a couple of weeks. I don't need to be 'bathing suit-ready'). But I'm proud to say the big difference this week from last is that I actually went for a run despite the cancellation. I didn't brave the below-0C temperature and chose to use the treadmill instead, right after that Tuesday strength and toning class I so love but now have to miss because of RunClub. I was seriously overdressed for both occassions. While I had a couple of choices of top layers with varying sleeve lengths for layering, I only had one pair of pants, and they were lined wind pants. Not the greatest choice for a 5-mi effort on the treadmill -- and I wasn't lucky enough to get a mill by a fan tonight. But I got a lot of thinking done, particularly about this wedding that isn't planning itself for myself despite shutting my eyes real tight and wishing it so. This is happening in, oh, about five months. Little girls dream about their wedding days for years, fantasizing about every little detail from dress to venue to flowers to giant diamond rings and the honeymoon. I haven't put a lot of thought into this Big Day. In fact, I'm sure I've spent more time thinking about this year's race calendar than about my wedding day. Strange, but true. That's not to say that I don't care, but CMan and I are of simple tastes, so as long as we both say 'I do' on the appointed time and day, then that's good enough for us. Of course, maybe eloping is the way for us to go. But, in case that option doesn't come into play, I today arranged for an officiant for the afternoon of June 9. One task down. About a million to go.

Recapulet: I put in a second decent morning workout last Thursday, as was my latest pledge, with a 3-mi treadmill run, followed by some weight training. Then followed up that effort on Friday with a quick 2-mi run ahead of the sweat-inducing BOSU class. There was no running on the weekend, even though I asked my sister twice. She assures me she is still committed to the race. I know she is, and I will sign up this week to ensure that I am as well.

Time management

Get ready to roll your eyes. I have new plan -- to go to the gym early in the morning, probably twice a week. This is really a time management thing. First, I can catch a ride downtown with CMan when he has his absurdly early morning shift at least twice a week, and get in a good hour of running and/or weight training before my own shift starts. Second, that leaves me lots of time later in the day to play The Game (CMan and I play together, or try to). And since I'm just under two months away from starting "serious" training for a half-mary (though still not firmly committed to going to Ottawa -- I have not signed on the dotted line yet), I figure I don't have to be so vigilant about running right now. Yes I am so rationalizing everything again.

That said, I got off to a good start this morning. I ran 4.25 miles while watching the morning news.

Hello. My name is Jelly. And I am a WarCrackoholic.

Actually, I'm not so close to addiction, but I recognize that this game is taking up an awful lot of my time since just before Christmas when I joined some 8 million others online. It has certainly cut into my running time sometimes, as the choice to go running in the frosty air in the real world is easily shunted in favor of running in the virtual world of Azeroth in a battle of Alliance v. Horde. But I have run dozens of virtual marathon distances on two different continents since signing up for this MMORPG, as the lingo goes or otherwise known as a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Most recently I have been running around Stonetalon Mountains as a night elf, member of the Alliance, trying to kill off several varieties of harpies and collect some crystallized scales from basilisks to complete a couple of quests. And now that the expansion pack is out, and installed on my computer, I know I will put hours more into developing my new character, a blood elf from the other faction, the Horde. (But as it was the first day of the expansion pack, I had trouble getting into the realm because everyone was trying to get in to either start new characters or advance their presently elite ones. Anyways, at the risk of nerding out more than I already have, I shall stop at that. No matter since I wanted to watch Rome. Have the entire season on PVR.)

Anyways, I am making this confession because it's really a two-tiered one. I registered my new elf after work today, after my Afterwork RunClub partner decided to cancel the session citing icy conditions. Winter has finally arrived. There are extreme cold weather alerts out there. And seeing that both of us have clutzy inclinations, we figured we should let the first week of winter go by, let everyone readjust to new weather conditions around the city (we're mostly thinking of cars here). I could have gone to the gym by myself to get a run in since I'd done nothing since Saturday's outing with my sister. Or I could have run around Azeroth.

The gym never had a chance.

Baby steps

My baby sister -- okay, she's 26 years old -- started her 10K training today, in preparation to cash in on my Christmas present to her. Rather, the pre-training training began. I don't think she's run a kilometer in her adult life, not since Grade 9 gym when it was mandatory warmup before the sport of the week. Since Hal is my hero, I have suggested his plans for her too, and so we started with his gentle 30/30 plan this morning.
I was going to run to her apartment this morning, which is about 3K away (this is me thinking I'd be able to get an overall 10K in today), but everything sort of hurt this morning from yesterday's BOSU class. Maybe I'll go with the Sunday group tomorrow instead for something longer.
We started slowly, as the program dictated, with walking. After 2-minutes, my sister decided she just wanted to run. And so for the next 25 minutes or so, we'd run for 30-seconds, then walk for 30seconds. She did very well, smiling for nearly all of it. Near the end, she was starting to fatigue, but we stepped it up just a tiny bit. She pushed through a full 1-minute effort!
Total time: 37:28
Distance: 4K

I'm so proud of her!

Sure thing

Sure it would have been easier to ignore the heavy eyelids in favor of going home for a nap. Sure it would have been easier to go home and spend the night catching up on TV I missed all week. Sure it would have been easier to just forgo the plan of working out after work. Sure I could have said I didn't want to run in the rain.

Sure, stupid guilt gets me all the time.

So, I went to the gym. I ran for time instead of miles on the treadmill, reading the scrolling news headlines the entire time. Found out that Justin and Cameron have confirmed their breakup, and that the Maple Leafs beat Buffalo last night. Eventually logged 3 miles in 37 minutes, with about 5 minutes to rest before BOSU class -- which has some cardio, balance, core strengthening exercises using this half-ball contraption. Such a great overall workout. I used to go every Friday for awhile, but that was before training for Chicago had begun. And then Fridays became "rest days" and I didn't do anything except eat spaghetti and go to bed early in preparation for the big long run on Saturday mornings. But since it's winter and I have a "casual training" schedule going on, I'm trying to incorporate strength training back into my life.

That way I'll be stronger for my next marathon.

Now that's a sure thing.