One weekend, Two Race Reports: 5 Peaks Trail Half Marathon and Heartbeat Run

Well...my weekend is over...(well not really over but I'm done)...I have just finished a numbing ice bath and am now watching a movie in front of the TV with my legs elevated while my compression (aka. magic) pants are being washed. Can't wait to put on the magic pants...Anyways, race reports:

5 Peaks Trail Half Marathon: 21.something km
Well...what can I say about a trail half marathon other than it is difficult, grueling, hard, painful, (every other word that describes hard). Three laps of a up, up, up, up, down, down, up, up...you get the picture. There were probably some ridiculous 25%+ grades in there...well it seemed like they were that steep. The first lap of the course set the stage for pain--there were these 2 bridges that were bouncy and would start to double bounce you by the end. When I was passing for the second loop I heard the announcer guy talking over the intercom thingy about how this was the hardest marathon most people would have ever done. Great...I only have 2 laps left...finished the second lap...its starting to hurt now...my legs are kind of wanting to give out on some of the climbs and some of the double bounce bridges...but I finished...gave it for the last 2km and was pretty done at the end. I finished in 2:40ish (results not available yet) and went immediately to my car to lie down. Then had some awesome BBQ food and called it a day.

Edmonton Heartbeat Run: 10km

Well I woke up this morning and was in pain...just pain...quads, hamstrings, ITB, gluts, calves, ankles, etc. Thank you trail half marathon. Walking was tolerable after walking for awhile but stairs...nu uh...Had some cereal for bfast and drove to the race start and hung out with my Bonesaw friends Justin and Anna! I was debating what was going to happen during the run/if I was going to be able to run...but the race started and after 500m of pain the adrenaline kicked in and the pain was minimal. The race started off slow and eventually I got into a rhythm. It was fairly flat with a few rolling sections and short, steep hills...but after yesterday's hills they wern't really all that impressive...haha. Finished strong somewhere between 50-54 min...which I am super happy with given my impaired mobility and tired legs! Woohoo! :) Went for post race bfast and now I am chilling out!

3 more weeks until the Nike Women's Marathon!

Pain is transient...Lesson learned from a 34km run...

So I completed a 34km run today...I decided on this run...at about 29-30km (when I almost phoned home and got someone to come and pick me up) that pain is transient...It has only been about 1.5hrs since I finished and I can honestly say I don't really remember the pain/discomfort...well I remember the discomfort but not the actual level of it...I guess this is a good thing? I must just have a really short memory which makes it possible for me to repeatedly inflict pain on myself?

Anyways...I FINISHED 34KM TODAY...OF RUNNING!!! No big deal...haha.

This is how my day more or less went:

Wake up..."Damn it, its shitty outside...oh well...I'll go eat bfast and see how it goes"...Eat bfast (mmmmm cream of wheat....)...slowly get ready for 34km run...."delay of the inevitable"...go out and place waterbottles in strategic positions at about 20km and 29km...make amazing 4hr running music playlist..."ok,its time to get out there"...

3.5km--"man, maybe the long shirt was a bad idea...its kind of getting hot"...

7km--"this is one long friggin hill"...

11km--"almost at Bon Accord...woooooo...I feel no pain"...

20km--"time to refill waterbottle...ok...this is sorta painful now...oh look? ITS STARTING TO RAIN TOO...man...the long shirt was a good plan"...

25km--"I hate this gravel road...stupid gravel road...ow...knees starting to get angry...when do I hit the paved part...frick...It's up by those trees...all the way up there...ughhhhh"...

26km--"ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"....

27km--"ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...okay I need to walk down this sucker...."....

28km--"I'm really glad I have some awesome music right now...its getting cold...HTFU HTFU HTFU....what was that? HTFU?..."...

29km--"ok...almost there...ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh its raining HARDER and the WIND HAS PICKED UP MORE....BRRRRRRR"....

30km--"should I phone for someone to pick me up...this hurts..."....

31km--"HTFU HTFU HTFU HTFU HTFU HTFU"...

32km--"ya...need to walk down this sucker...those people that just drove by must be wondering what the hell I am doing..."...

33km--"ow ow ow ow ow...HTFU HTFU...ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...just make it up the hill...house on other side of hill...I just want to lie down"...

5pm--1.5hrs post run--"hahaha...I did a 34km run...I don't even hurt sitting here anymore...I can totally do 36km in 2 more weeks...and the marathon? Gonna be wicked awesome...no pain, no pain...lalaldidada..."


Yaaaa...So...I MIGHT be deluded...Its possible.

Now I just really want to eat more food....

Swimmmmmiiinnnngggg!!

I think this season is going to go really well! Maybe I will even be able to sprint by the end??? Hahaha!

Cheers to HEALTH!

So obviously as a medical student I am slightly inclined towards living a healthy lifestyle, etc, etc.

Well what many of you do not know is after I stopped swimming in 2006...I definately went on a 2.5 yr binge of unhealthiness. Gained quite a significant amount of weight (which I was in denial about for about 75% of the duration of that period) and was just not mentally, emotionally or physically healthy. It was a bit of a circular mix where I wouldn't feel well enough physically to go and work out (due to fatigue or whatever)...so I wouldn't and I would be sedentary and eat...which would make me feel guilty...which would make me not impressed with myself...circle back to not feeling well...and so on.

Well in Jan 2008, I had had enough. I decided to start triathlon. It was always a bit of an interest and I decided since I had experience in one of the disciplines that it would be easy...WRONG. Nothing is ever easy is my new motto. I wish...(well maybe I don't wish because how worth it would it be then?) So here I am now...almost 3 years later...I've returned to swimming because tri season for me is over...I'm happier...healthier...lighter...etc...etc...Sure this was a choice I made for myself...but I cannot say how happy I am to be healthy. Today in lecture we were informed that we will be living a week as a "diabetic"--full out glucose monitoring, "insulin" injection and diet modification. I was kind of whiny about it at the beginning of being told this...but I was reading up on diabetic management in athletes and I am so grateful that I do not have diabetes (or other chronic disease with difficult management). I just had a Clif bar...and have been sitting here trying to figure out how much insulin I would need and how much compensation I would have to make due to the fact that I am about to go for a 90min swim practice right away...wow.

I realise this is a bit of a random ramble...but what else is blogging for than to have random rambles...I imagine you all can get the gist. Diabetic week-->starts next Thursday!

So...anyways: Cheers to Health!!

Subaru Banff Olympic

So I have neglected my blog for the past few weeks. In general: went to Vegas for a few days and started school again=crazy, crazy times and trying to get everything organized has been relatively difficult. I have been getting my long distance runs though and am now only 5 weeks out of the Nike Women's Marathon. Have a 28km and a 30km in the books. Need to get a 32-33km in this upcoming week. Have a half marathon trail run and then my final long run before taper time for the marathon.

Anyways: Tri season is over :'( Competed in the final race of the Subaru West Coast tri series yesterday in Banff. Olympic distance tri but the conditions were absolutely BRUTAL!! The water temp was about 10C, so they had to shorten the swim to 750m. SO it was a 750m swim, 38-39km bike and a 10km run. Once we started the bike it started to rain and the wind picked up. So cold. My T1 time was ridiculous. 6min or something! hAHA. Trying to put on pants in T1 when wet is sort of difficult. Yaaa...anyways finished and was 3rd in my age group!!! Woohoo! I got a medal! First non-finisher's medal I have received since starting tri! Time wasn't particularly impressive...but no one's time was particular impressive given the elements. Haha.