Streaking, put simply, is running at least one mile each and every day. I tried this once because I thought it would make me a better runner or at least feel like a better runner. Nope. My mileage suffered and it became like a chore. My streak lasted 21 days.
Rest days are just that. Days of no running. Cross training is ok but I usually just take a day off. This gives my body the necessary rest it needs and makes me a better runner.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Ojibway Park and it's surrounding areas
I have lived in Windsor for all of my life and have only just recently gotten acquainted with Ojibway Park and it's surrounding areas because of my running. Basically, it is a natural area preserved by the city and province. Whereas Malden is a former landfill converted to parkland, Ojibway is all natural. Here in southwest Ontario not much natural tree coverage remains as SW Ontario has evolved into an agricultural hub. So Ojibway has probably the last Carolinian coverage this far north.
And oh my God is it beautiful. There are deer. There are foxes. Snakes. Birds of all kinds. Not to mention all of the different vegetation that I have zero knowledge about but still find pretty to look at.
I can run from Malden Park onto a trail called Spring Garden Natural Trail and then onto Tall Grass Prairie Trail to get to Ojibway.
It has only been in the last year that I have started to run these trails and parks and am still in the process of exploring them. So far I have stayed on the major paths but look forward to exploring the smaller trails that crisscross these parks. I still run by myself for the most part so I am afraid of getting lost so I will take them little by little until I am more familiar with them. They are BEAUTIFUL.
And oh my God is it beautiful. There are deer. There are foxes. Snakes. Birds of all kinds. Not to mention all of the different vegetation that I have zero knowledge about but still find pretty to look at.
I can run from Malden Park onto a trail called Spring Garden Natural Trail and then onto Tall Grass Prairie Trail to get to Ojibway.
It has only been in the last year that I have started to run these trails and parks and am still in the process of exploring them. So far I have stayed on the major paths but look forward to exploring the smaller trails that crisscross these parks. I still run by myself for the most part so I am afraid of getting lost so I will take them little by little until I am more familiar with them. They are BEAUTIFUL.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Hillbilly Trail Race 6k
I am not sure what to feel with regard to this race. I don't know whether to be encouraged or discouraged.
This race was billed as approximately 6k. By my garmin it measured 3.62 miles so if my math is correct then it was an accurate distance. This is a big deal to me because I have been having trouble determining my true PR times when courses that are not certified have been either too short or too long according to garmin. Garmin is not 100% accurate either but in my experience it is fairly close. So to make a long story short...the race was 6k.
This race was entirely run on trails. There were only about 50 racers. Chris decided last minute to run this race as well despite never having run a trail race since he prefers not to worry about the possibility of tripping over tree roots and such. I wanted to race this because I need experience on trail racing as well as needing to get faster on trails if I am to do next year's Vulture Bait 50k trail race. It has a time limit.
But I digress...
The race directors directed us to head up Big Bertha where we would start the race. Given the small size of the racing field and from experience I knew to start at the back. Down the hill we went. Why do they always want to start these races at the top of a hill? The first mile took us down this hill and then through trails which were narrow and nearly impossible to pass others. This of course did not affect me since I was near the rear. Chris stayed with me until we got back to the hill and had to go up. I waved goodbye to him and wished him luck. He ran up the hill, I walked. I was not the only one. It was steep. Clearly I need to get more hill work in.
We were supposed to follow the flags so as not to get lost so I was concentrating on this as well as following the woman in front of me. We were playing leap frog. I struggled with this course mentally and physically (serves me right since I ran 10.45 miles the day before) and walked far more often than I should have. I passed the lady as well as another and continued on. I was not sure how far behind they were because I make it a rule never to look behind me. It is just one of my little running quirks. Well, soon I hear someone huffing and puffing, not to mention swearing, coming up behind me. It couldn't possibly be that sweet lady I had passed? No, it is Chris. Since we were about a mile from the finish I figured that somehow he had already finished and was coming to run my final mile in with me. Afterall he had passed me over a mile before and I had never seen him since. Nope. He and two other men had somehow gotten lost and had finally found the route and they were just now catching up to me. He was pretty annoyed since he figures he had lost at least 2-3 minutes from his race. So he walked with me until he caught his breath and ran on ahead of me again. The final mile took us back up that stupid hill and around what we call "the bowl" to the finish line.
I crossed the finish line in 44:02 for what converts into a 12:11 mm pace. This is probably a trail race PR pace for me but I am not quite content with it. I feel that I should have finished at least 2 minutes faster given my trail training runs but like I said I made some really big mistakes. I ran a long run the day before (just felt like it, I guess) and don't practice hill and trail running nearly as much I should. Also, the past few months I have been having mental issues with regard to my racing. I am walking far too often during the races whereas during normal training runs it is far far less.
Anyway it was a beautiful day and a beautiful route and I guess in the end I am happy with the race. But let it be known here and now that I am stepping up the hillwork and increasing my trail runs.
This race was billed as approximately 6k. By my garmin it measured 3.62 miles so if my math is correct then it was an accurate distance. This is a big deal to me because I have been having trouble determining my true PR times when courses that are not certified have been either too short or too long according to garmin. Garmin is not 100% accurate either but in my experience it is fairly close. So to make a long story short...the race was 6k.
This race was entirely run on trails. There were only about 50 racers. Chris decided last minute to run this race as well despite never having run a trail race since he prefers not to worry about the possibility of tripping over tree roots and such. I wanted to race this because I need experience on trail racing as well as needing to get faster on trails if I am to do next year's Vulture Bait 50k trail race. It has a time limit.
But I digress...
The race directors directed us to head up Big Bertha where we would start the race. Given the small size of the racing field and from experience I knew to start at the back. Down the hill we went. Why do they always want to start these races at the top of a hill? The first mile took us down this hill and then through trails which were narrow and nearly impossible to pass others. This of course did not affect me since I was near the rear. Chris stayed with me until we got back to the hill and had to go up. I waved goodbye to him and wished him luck. He ran up the hill, I walked. I was not the only one. It was steep. Clearly I need to get more hill work in.
We were supposed to follow the flags so as not to get lost so I was concentrating on this as well as following the woman in front of me. We were playing leap frog. I struggled with this course mentally and physically (serves me right since I ran 10.45 miles the day before) and walked far more often than I should have. I passed the lady as well as another and continued on. I was not sure how far behind they were because I make it a rule never to look behind me. It is just one of my little running quirks. Well, soon I hear someone huffing and puffing, not to mention swearing, coming up behind me. It couldn't possibly be that sweet lady I had passed? No, it is Chris. Since we were about a mile from the finish I figured that somehow he had already finished and was coming to run my final mile in with me. Afterall he had passed me over a mile before and I had never seen him since. Nope. He and two other men had somehow gotten lost and had finally found the route and they were just now catching up to me. He was pretty annoyed since he figures he had lost at least 2-3 minutes from his race. So he walked with me until he caught his breath and ran on ahead of me again. The final mile took us back up that stupid hill and around what we call "the bowl" to the finish line.
I crossed the finish line in 44:02 for what converts into a 12:11 mm pace. This is probably a trail race PR pace for me but I am not quite content with it. I feel that I should have finished at least 2 minutes faster given my trail training runs but like I said I made some really big mistakes. I ran a long run the day before (just felt like it, I guess) and don't practice hill and trail running nearly as much I should. Also, the past few months I have been having mental issues with regard to my racing. I am walking far too often during the races whereas during normal training runs it is far far less.
Anyway it was a beautiful day and a beautiful route and I guess in the end I am happy with the race. But let it be known here and now that I am stepping up the hillwork and increasing my trail runs.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Jingle Bell 10k Race
This was the race that I ran with Chris last year for his inaugural 10k race. A race that inadvertantly turned into a 12-14k race. To atone for their mistake last year, this year they ran a different course. A fairly straight out-and-back that measured 6.19 miles on my garmin. Pretty darned accurate.
This year I ran it solo and was hoping for a PR.
I got there way too early. The first one in fact. I thought the race started at 9am and so showed up at 8. The race started at 10 am and started late due to the larger crowd. The weather was overcast but unseasonably warm. I wore shorts this year. Last year we bundled up and still froze.
I lined up in a decent spot but ran out way too fast as usual and sidestitched badly at mile 3. I walked it out and continued on with my usual run-a-mile-walk-a-minute routine. Got to the 5 mile marker and basically fell apart. I started walking just wayyyyyy too much. I really need to work on this.
Anyway, I finished the race in 1:07:17 which by my garmin is a PR. However, the John Smith 10k which I ran in September was a 1:06:24 which is considered my PR. But that course measured only 6.06 miles by my garmin which isn't as fast.
So I PR'd but I didn't.
I will be running a couple of winter trail races and will be concentrating on some speedwork as well as my mileage so you can be assured that I am aiming to break the hour barrier for the 10k as well as the 30 minute barrier for the 5k (not to mention the ever elusive 5 hour marathon) for 2010.
TM here I come.
This year I ran it solo and was hoping for a PR.
I got there way too early. The first one in fact. I thought the race started at 9am and so showed up at 8. The race started at 10 am and started late due to the larger crowd. The weather was overcast but unseasonably warm. I wore shorts this year. Last year we bundled up and still froze.
I lined up in a decent spot but ran out way too fast as usual and sidestitched badly at mile 3. I walked it out and continued on with my usual run-a-mile-walk-a-minute routine. Got to the 5 mile marker and basically fell apart. I started walking just wayyyyyy too much. I really need to work on this.
Anyway, I finished the race in 1:07:17 which by my garmin is a PR. However, the John Smith 10k which I ran in September was a 1:06:24 which is considered my PR. But that course measured only 6.06 miles by my garmin which isn't as fast.
So I PR'd but I didn't.
I will be running a couple of winter trail races and will be concentrating on some speedwork as well as my mileage so you can be assured that I am aiming to break the hour barrier for the 10k as well as the 30 minute barrier for the 5k (not to mention the ever elusive 5 hour marathon) for 2010.
TM here I come.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Malden Park
Malden Park is a former landfill site that has been converted into a beautiful woodland park and is located near glorious Ojibway Park here in Windsor. Today I praise Malden Park.
Malden Park has some killer hills...Big Bertha, Toboggan Run, and Soapbox Hill. I like to run Big Bertha for hill workouts. Toboggan Run is just plain evil but I vow to conquer that some day. Soapbox hill is paved and is used for soapbox derbys. It is short but very steep.
There is a paved path of about 1.5 miles circling these three hills which I usually stick to prior to heading out to the path that leads to Ojibway Park. There are various mountain bike paths and mowed paths (probably used by cross country runners and mountain bikers) throughout that I have not had the courage to explore because my pace is slow enough as it is without it slowing down even more on woodchip and dirt paths.
Today I checked out a few of these trails. It was very hard. But it was very fun. Like I said, most of these paths are used by mountain bikers so they are not flat and have many tree roots to contend with. Much what I imagine the Vulture Bait race will have. Anyway my pace did slow. I had to walk more often than I would have liked. The most interesting thing to happen though was when I took one of these paths that I had never been on before up one of the hills. The path was precariously close to the edge. I thought for sure I might fall over the "cliff". It wasn't terribly high but there were oodles of trees that would have hurt had I fallen over. It just served to show me that I will have to be extra diligent when running these trails especially on foggy, damp days like today. And bringing a cellphone just in case won't hurt either.
Anyway, I ran 6.3 miles in 1:16:28. This is equivalent of a 12:09 mm pace. I will be happy with it for now since it is a run that included trails and hills but I vow to get it down prior to next October.
Malden Park has some killer hills...Big Bertha, Toboggan Run, and Soapbox Hill. I like to run Big Bertha for hill workouts. Toboggan Run is just plain evil but I vow to conquer that some day. Soapbox hill is paved and is used for soapbox derbys. It is short but very steep.
There is a paved path of about 1.5 miles circling these three hills which I usually stick to prior to heading out to the path that leads to Ojibway Park. There are various mountain bike paths and mowed paths (probably used by cross country runners and mountain bikers) throughout that I have not had the courage to explore because my pace is slow enough as it is without it slowing down even more on woodchip and dirt paths.
Today I checked out a few of these trails. It was very hard. But it was very fun. Like I said, most of these paths are used by mountain bikers so they are not flat and have many tree roots to contend with. Much what I imagine the Vulture Bait race will have. Anyway my pace did slow. I had to walk more often than I would have liked. The most interesting thing to happen though was when I took one of these paths that I had never been on before up one of the hills. The path was precariously close to the edge. I thought for sure I might fall over the "cliff". It wasn't terribly high but there were oodles of trees that would have hurt had I fallen over. It just served to show me that I will have to be extra diligent when running these trails especially on foggy, damp days like today. And bringing a cellphone just in case won't hurt either.
Anyway, I ran 6.3 miles in 1:16:28. This is equivalent of a 12:09 mm pace. I will be happy with it for now since it is a run that included trails and hills but I vow to get it down prior to next October.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Halloween Hoot 5k
Oh my. I am soooo excited. Today is my baby sister Jo-Ann's 40th birthday and so I thought I would honour her and run a 5k race. OK OK, I was going to run the race regardless! But she needn't know that.
I had been debating on whether or not to race today and if so which distance to run. There was a 5k or a 10k to choose from. I typically feel more confident in the longer races because I am so slow. And I like the longer distances better. But I just raced the Detroit half last weekend, I have been sick all week with a head cold and not to mention that all of my long runs (races included unfortunately) have not been up to my expectations. So I chose the 5k. I figured I would pour it all into it and see how I would do.
But like I said, I have been sick all week and yesterday, despite knowing better, I hopped on the TM and ran over 8 miles at too fast a speed considering that I had a race today.
I got to the start and registered. Silly me was wearing shorts and I was freezing. But after a warmup I felt ok. It was a small race. They RD just said "Ready, Set, Go" and we were off. There was no chip timing. I ran too fast at the beginning. I always do. My first mile was an obscenely fast (for me anyway) 9:39. I knew I would pay for this later. I had to walk for 3 minutes throughout the race as a result. But with the finish line in sight I poured it out. I passed another runner and crossed the finish in 30:53. This is more than a three minute PR and I am positively ecstatic. The only thing that could have made it sweeter was to be 54 seconds faster and break the 30 minute mark. But I will take it. I definitely know that the 30 minute mark is within reach but it will have to wait until spring because next month I am racing the 10k race in honour of my own birthday and intend to smash that PR too.
I had been debating on whether or not to race today and if so which distance to run. There was a 5k or a 10k to choose from. I typically feel more confident in the longer races because I am so slow. And I like the longer distances better. But I just raced the Detroit half last weekend, I have been sick all week with a head cold and not to mention that all of my long runs (races included unfortunately) have not been up to my expectations. So I chose the 5k. I figured I would pour it all into it and see how I would do.
But like I said, I have been sick all week and yesterday, despite knowing better, I hopped on the TM and ran over 8 miles at too fast a speed considering that I had a race today.
I got to the start and registered. Silly me was wearing shorts and I was freezing. But after a warmup I felt ok. It was a small race. They RD just said "Ready, Set, Go" and we were off. There was no chip timing. I ran too fast at the beginning. I always do. My first mile was an obscenely fast (for me anyway) 9:39. I knew I would pay for this later. I had to walk for 3 minutes throughout the race as a result. But with the finish line in sight I poured it out. I passed another runner and crossed the finish in 30:53. This is more than a three minute PR and I am positively ecstatic. The only thing that could have made it sweeter was to be 54 seconds faster and break the 30 minute mark. But I will take it. I definitely know that the 30 minute mark is within reach but it will have to wait until spring because next month I am racing the 10k race in honour of my own birthday and intend to smash that PR too.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
My Detroit Half Marathon
This report is a week late.
I got our gear together on Saturday and laid it out on the floor. Dumb me forgot to close the door and when I went back in to check I could not find my bib. I looked everywhere for it. That bib MUST be worn while crossing the border or they WILL pull you over. Damn dog got it and was using it as a chew toy. But I saved it and shut the door.
We woke up at 5 am and were out of the house by 5:30 am. It was COLD. I wore my capris and a long sleeve shirt and wind jacket. Chris wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt and his new Detroit jacket.
So we started off. Probably too fast but it felt good. The route was similar to last year but different. We went over the bridge and I took a photo of Chris on the bridge. Too cool. We went through the tunnel and I took another photo of Chris. I am not sure what happened but it was here that the wheels fell off. I could no longer run up the incline of the tunnel and had to walk. This was about mile 8.I nearly lost Chris but caught up to him about a mile later. He was kind of irked with me. I was losing pace bad. He had wanted to beat both his PR and my PR but what with my pace slipping so bad it looked like only his PR could be reached. I urged him to run ahead. He was feeling strong but he insisted that he was going to finish alongside me. So he kept me going. Trust me...if it weren't for him I would have finished even slower. But we finished together. With him literally dragging me across the finish line. I finished in 2:27:40 and he finished one second before me. Chris says that next time, though, I am on my own. He fully intends to smash both of our PRs. I don't doubt that he will. In fact, he is even considering training for a full marathon.
My PR is from the local Running From Cancer half marathon in Tecumseh Ontario. That course is an out and back that is flatter than a pancake. We finished the Detroit half only about one minute slower than this. You cannot compare the two courses. Detroit has the bridge incline as well as the tunnel incline and some overpasses so I am pleased with this result. However...I know that I should have been able to finish faster. Anyway, like I have previously written...I do have some work to do. Hill repeats at Malden, speed work on the TM, and trail running (again at Malden and Ojibway) to get myself stronger and hopefully faster. Losing about 10-15 pounds won't hurt either.
I still have my sights set on a spring marathon. I would really like to do the Ottawa but I think that it might be too pricey to travel that far so I may just run the Martian in Dearborn Michigan. My goal of course is a sub-5 hour marathon. I fully intend to get it. Also, I really really really am intrigued by the Vulture Bait 50k on October 16, 2010. Trails are hard and it has a time limit of 7 hours so I would be cutting it close but if I train properly then I think I can do it. No...I know I can do it. I just have to work real hard. I have what it takes. It is "all psychological", just like Chris says.
I got our gear together on Saturday and laid it out on the floor. Dumb me forgot to close the door and when I went back in to check I could not find my bib. I looked everywhere for it. That bib MUST be worn while crossing the border or they WILL pull you over. Damn dog got it and was using it as a chew toy. But I saved it and shut the door.
We woke up at 5 am and were out of the house by 5:30 am. It was COLD. I wore my capris and a long sleeve shirt and wind jacket. Chris wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt and his new Detroit jacket.
So we started off. Probably too fast but it felt good. The route was similar to last year but different. We went over the bridge and I took a photo of Chris on the bridge. Too cool. We went through the tunnel and I took another photo of Chris. I am not sure what happened but it was here that the wheels fell off. I could no longer run up the incline of the tunnel and had to walk. This was about mile 8.I nearly lost Chris but caught up to him about a mile later. He was kind of irked with me. I was losing pace bad. He had wanted to beat both his PR and my PR but what with my pace slipping so bad it looked like only his PR could be reached. I urged him to run ahead. He was feeling strong but he insisted that he was going to finish alongside me. So he kept me going. Trust me...if it weren't for him I would have finished even slower. But we finished together. With him literally dragging me across the finish line. I finished in 2:27:40 and he finished one second before me. Chris says that next time, though, I am on my own. He fully intends to smash both of our PRs. I don't doubt that he will. In fact, he is even considering training for a full marathon.
My PR is from the local Running From Cancer half marathon in Tecumseh Ontario. That course is an out and back that is flatter than a pancake. We finished the Detroit half only about one minute slower than this. You cannot compare the two courses. Detroit has the bridge incline as well as the tunnel incline and some overpasses so I am pleased with this result. However...I know that I should have been able to finish faster. Anyway, like I have previously written...I do have some work to do. Hill repeats at Malden, speed work on the TM, and trail running (again at Malden and Ojibway) to get myself stronger and hopefully faster. Losing about 10-15 pounds won't hurt either.
I still have my sights set on a spring marathon. I would really like to do the Ottawa but I think that it might be too pricey to travel that far so I may just run the Martian in Dearborn Michigan. My goal of course is a sub-5 hour marathon. I fully intend to get it. Also, I really really really am intrigued by the Vulture Bait 50k on October 16, 2010. Trails are hard and it has a time limit of 7 hours so I would be cutting it close but if I train properly then I think I can do it. No...I know I can do it. I just have to work real hard. I have what it takes. It is "all psychological", just like Chris says.
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