Well... another running week down, one more week closer to the goal. Woa, its coming quickly! This wee wasn't as easy as the last. My steady run on Wednesday felt like a ton of bricks. I started too quickly or was following someone who was too fast, plus it was really warm and humid - breathing was a challenge for me. Wednesday was also 20 mins challenge... so I got a fancy new blue hat (its actually not a bad hat) and a coupon! So yeah, it was the usual route on Wednesday down Saskatchewan drive, down Emily across to Hawrelek park, one loop around, up Groat Road, across the traffice cirle to 87 Ave, left on 120 Street, take that all the way back to Saskatchewan Drive and then back to the RR... I ran with Petra... again too quickly off the top, but she is a sweetheart - she definitely waited for me and slowed down with me in the last 2 km... she also talked me through the last 1 km. That's what its all about! Group support!
Thursday was the first hill night... on the "Murph" as Murray called it... I think I have other choice words for that hill... but the "Murph" works kind of well... I have done a hill training with several different people, leading it many different ways. I'm sure all the ways I've done it before were great, but I really liked what Murray said... we are going to start at the top, its going to be hard, but you don't have to run your usual speed on the hill... its a hill, slow down (again, smart man!)... so we took it out nice and easy to the top of the "Murph", I especially enjoyed that about 500 m from the hill, Murray started chanting EMIL-Y, EMIL-Y.... I think he was trying to get us physched up, but I thought it was harlious! Anyway,weherer everyone survived the first hill training night... 4 hill repeats. Done. Next week we do five... and so on and so on until we do 10... when you think about it that way... that's not many weeks of hills and apparently they are supposed to get easier! We'll see!
Also at the end of the Thursday night run, I decided I would give Murray's suggestion of compression socks and mesh shoes a shot. So I bought a new pair of compression socks... they are bright pink!
So that brings us to Sunday's run. This July Chris and I are attending weddings every Saturday evening for the month of the July. This weekend's wedding was in Calgary - it was a beautiful wedding. As a result of its location, I had a choice in how to complete this long run in Calgary or alone in Edmonton... so this morning Chris and I decided to drive back to Edmonton early and I'd run when we got home. I've never run 23 km before, but the route Murray picked for the group was easy and straight forward (it was very similar to last week with an added loop). So, alone I was... packed up with 2 L of water, 0.5 L of gatorade, two gels, several fig newtons and we can't forget my new bright pink compression socks. Anyway... I'd have to say it went fairly well. It did take me a long long time to warm up (the three hour car ride before hand probably didn't help) and I think its time for a massage. ButI finally got there about 45 mins in. It is Sunday and warm today. I'm also not used to running at 1 pm in the afternoon. There are tons and tons of people out and about. Cars on the roads - this is probably why I enjoy the general quiet of the Sunday morning runs... But, sometimes it got to do what you got to do!
I made it across 102 Ave, through the ritz neighbourhood to 142 Street and down MacKinnon Ravine until the heat really started to get to me (only 6 km in!)... also running in the afternoon provides hardly any shade! Boo! But I was feeling good and starting to hit my stride. Plus in my head, I had subdivided the run into four main segments. So, I got to Hawrelek - segment 1 done. Hawrelek was swamped with people! And a guy with ice cream, selling it... It totally felt like he followed me around the park, at one point I seriously considered creating a distraction and stealing some of his ice cold water (as he was trying to sell it to people in the park). But I kept on, got myself up Groat Road hill (didn't even stop- I was very proud and headed down 87 Ave (segment 2 down)... at this point I was feeling really great about myself. The problem with runnign alone, is there is no one to share these distance achievements with - so I may have high fived myself (I'm pretty sure no one saw... except all those cars at the intersection of 109 Street and Saskatchewan Drive (I'm sure no one was watching the sweaty girl anyways). I also noted at this time I was a little over way half done!
I head east on Saskatchewan Drive to the old timers cabin and headed into the trail... I thought I'd find some coolness in the shade - a little wrong about that one... the sun was still reaching me. I think at this point I was at about 17 km, I was starting to feel really tired and really missing having someone there to help keep me moving! But through a little self talk and an extra couple of minutes of walk breaks (yes, I took a few extra minutes), I kept at it and crossed the low level bridge over to the north side of the river and back towards home! Yes!
That section between the low level bridge and EPCOR wasn't too horrible... although I was really starting to wonder why more people in Edmonton don't water their lawns on Sunday afternoons with sprinklers, or why that new play ground wasn't equipped with a splash pad!
I slowly made my way along river valley road and hit 20 km! Yes... at this point I was really tired and ran out of water. Argh... this 2 L camel back may not be enough! So, through another extended walk break (at this point I was going to walk the last 3 km if I couldn't run them to say at least I'd covered the distance!) I groaned quite a bit (yes, people were looking at me) and I started talking (out loud) to myself... 3 km, that's only going to take another 20 mins or so, you got this one... so I made my way (speaking under my breath) to Victoria hill... truthfully in my mind I charged up that hill, but being so tired (from an awesome wedding the night before and out of water) I just walked up it at a quick pace. I then finished off my run jogging back to home - where I crashed onto the floor.
Total distance covered 24.56 km... total time 2 hrs and 56 mins... it wasn't pretty and the last few km felt horrible, but I made it. And surprisingly! So did my feet (although super tired) not blistered! Maybe Murray has a method behind his maddness! Total weekly distance 38.56 km... here's hoping it gets a little less humid! One more weekend of weddings and missing the Sunday run - I'm a little nervous about it, but its all good! Race day here we come!
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