A Little Layoff

It's been over a week since I last poster, and I do not have much to report. I've been doing a little bit of running, but mostly I've spent my days inside, avoiding the rain. Three days and counting so far, and no end in sight. It almost makes me wish for snow. Almost.

Last weekend I was complaining about the cold. The Creepy Crawl 5K was held on the a very frigid day, and the strong winds made it almost intolerable. I finished second, but I'm pretty sure Batman and Spongebob Squarepants would have given me a run for my money had they opted for shorts instead of costumes. My time was a little slower than expected (19 minutes or so), but still faster than I was at the beginning of the year, so I'll take it.

I'm really trying not to fall off the running wagon, so I've started looking at the 2011 race calendar. I've currently have my eyes on a couple of indoor meets, with the hopes of running a few 3000 meter races between now and spring. It probably won't prepare me for a May marathon, but it should bring my times down for the shorter distances. Fingers crossed.

That's it for now. If you're in the Saint John area November 18 and are looking for something to do, my band Penny Blacks is playing at the Blue Olive. I don't usually plug my bands here, but it should be a really good show. You can find more details here! Expect another running post soon!

Creepy Crawl, Plans for Fall

It's been less than two weeks since the marathon, and I am already back to the roads. My next race is this weekend - the second annual Creepy Crawl 5K - and I fully expect to run my best. What my best is at this point is up for debate, but if I can break twenty minutes, I'll be pleased.

Right now I am planning my course of action for the fall/winter months. I'd don't have any specific goals just yet, but I would like to run some short distance track events in the hopes of increasing my overall speed. I tried this approach ten years ago, and managed to knock 90 seconds from my 10k time in the process. Hopefully I can achieve similar results this time around.

I also plan on training for a spring marathon. I am not sure which one just yet, but I am leaning towards the Fredericton Marathon. It's flat, fast, and only an hour away from my house. That being said, I am also open to suggestions. If anyone has any rave marathons they would like to recommend, I am all years. As long as it doesn't take place the Victoria Day weekend (I'm getting married on May 21), I'm game.

See you at the Creepy Crawl!

Not So Final Thoughts

It's almost 3AM on Saturday night and I am eating some terrible snacks before I get back on the training bandwagon. I took the week off to indulge, and now I am feeling gross. Stupid cookies. Why are you so tasty?

So, I've had a week to fully digest the KV Challenge experience, and I thought it might be a good idea to write a few highlights for those who are considering running the race next year. Consider it an informed review from someone who has experienced the event first hand.

The Great

Value - I picked up my registration as part of a $120 race package. The package included the Fundy Rocks Half Marathon, The KV Challenge, and an $80 dollar gift certificate for Alex Coffin's Fitness Shop. So, KV basically cost me $20. In return, I received a race jacket, a twenty dollar Irving gas card, two meals, a massage, and a finishers medal. Talk about bang for your buck!

Course Support - The water stops were plentiful and well equipped. The volunteers that manned the stops were super helpful - I never had to ask for Gatorade or water - and really encouraging, which meant a lot as the miles increased. The course was also well marked; I never worried about getting lost during the run. Hopefully they can convince a lot of these volunteers to return next year.

The Good

The Course Itself - The KV Challenge is tough, but fair. No one would accuse it of being a flat race, but aside from a long, lonely climb around mile 15, it's pretty standard fare. And the scenery is wonderful; most of the time you have a perfect view of the Kennebecasis River, and you're constantly surrounded by crisp fall colors. One word of warning, though - the traffic on the old Hampton Highway moves relatively quick, so make sure you stay on the shoulder of the road!

The numbers - The race attracted a record crowd this year. Registrations for the half-marathon doubled, and marathon applications increased significantly. The race isn't rivaling Marathon By The Sea just yet, but its growth proves that the region can support two marathons per year.

Things To Work On For Next Year

Punctuality - The race started about 30 minutes late this year. I think the issue was out of the organizing committee's control - the chip timing system crashed before the race - but hopefully they can avoid a repeat. No one wants to stand outside in the cold before a marathon.

The Weather - I don't know the organizers have to call to get a tail wind happening, but I hope they get on it right away.

Overall Impression - I'm going to give the race an Alex Coffin thumbs up. Aside from the delayed start, I had an excellent run, and I plan on making it to the starting line again next year. Hopefully a few more people join me - it's a wonderful event!

Time to start training again. For what, I am not sure, but I expect to hit the roads again at some point tomorrow. Hopefully I can stay motivated over the winter months. I'm also looking for the perfect spring marathon. Currently I'm leaning towards Fredericton, but I am open to suggestions. If you have any ideas, drop me a line!

Race Recap, Part Three - The Big Day (Miles 13-26)

It's 11:30PM, and I just got back to my house after a long photo shoot with my band Penny Blacks. I planned on going on my first run since the marathon today, but I couldn't get my duff off the couch after work. I need to come up with a new goal soon, or I'll end up getting out of shape again.

Tonight, my goal is to finish my marathon recap. Let's get to it, shall we?

Mile 13-19: A Mighty Wind, and a Mighty Good Friend

I hit the halfway mark in 1:36.05, and noticed I was catching up to a couple of marathoners. I passed one gentleman shortly after the half-marathon checkpoint, and caught up to captain Corona around mile fourteen. He was still in good spirits, and offered a few words of encouragement as I ran by. Captain Corona ended up finishing about ten minutes behind me, which made me wonder how fast he would have run without the six pack in his belly. I guess I'll never know.

Mile fifteen offered my a pleasant surprise in the form of Clinton Charlton. He agreed to bike with me for part of the race, but I never followed up for fear that I was driving him crazy with my marathon obsession. However, Clinton is a man of his word, and picked my spirits up before I succumbed to the mid-race doldrums. He informed me that I was in sixth place, but worried about my pace. "Dude, the speed limit here is 50," he said, without a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "You better slow down."

Unfortunately, the conditions forced me to take his advice. The strong cross wind became a strong head wind shortly after we joined forces, and the once easy course became quite hilly. I maintained my effort, passing another runner in the process, but knew the conditions were taking a toll on my time.

Luckily, the worst of the hills ended around mile sixteen, and a change of direction at mile seventeen eliminated the headwind. I was back in business, with less than ten miles to go.

Mile 19 - Finish Line: What Wall?

I was starting to venture into rarely charted territory, and wondered if I had enough gas left in the take to avoid the dreaded wall. My body felt okay, and Clinton was keeping me alert, but I wasn't convinced that I could make it to the finish line without walking. Instead of worrying about it, though, I started picking up the effort at each mile checkpoint, much like I did in my training sessions. Clinton kept me encouraged, as did the water stop teams and the supporters that dotted the course. Marta Kelly and Dean Strowbridge drove by me a half dozen times, honking their horn and cheering me on every time they drove past. I have some great friends, don't I?

I don't know if I ran around it or through it, but the wall was never an issue. Sure, it took a little more effort to climb hills, and I was a little crankier than usual for the last couple of miles, but this was a breeze in comparison to my other marathons. I wasn't going to qualify for Boston, but I couldn't have asked for a better marathon. I was having a wonderful day.

I ran into Alex Coffin with less than a mile to go, and he informed me that my fiancee was at the finish line and waiting for me. I picked up the pace with the hopes of looking strong for my finish line photo, and was greeted by Sarah (my fiancee), her mother, her brother, and five other friends. I crossed the finished line to a healthy round of applause, and then spent the next few minutes grinning like a fool and giving my friends and family sweaty hugs.

The rest of the marathon experience was a bit of a blur. I had a ton of food (they had a full roast pig at the post-race meal), a wonderful leg massage, and several great running chats with friends. Who could ask for anything more?

So, that's my marathon in three posts or less. I have one more post about the KV Challenge yet to come, so visit again soon!

Race Recap, Part Two - The Big Day (Miles 1-13)

It's Wednesday afternoon, and I am just getting in after a great day of work. I spent a lot of time lately beating the streets in search of a job, and now I am at a point where I am almost too busy. It's going to get worse before it gets better, but at least I know I'll have money for Christmas, my wedding, and my mortgage (not necessarily in that order).

Anyway, back to the running. I woke up the day of the KV Challenge freezing cold, and didn't get much warmer as I quietly prepared for the long day ahead of me. My first step outside sent additional chills through my body, which worried my multi layered body to no end. If I was this cold in a jacket, splash pants and winter hat, hold cold would I be when I stripped down to shorts and a long sleeve shirt?

I hitched a ride to the starting line with Billy and the Babes (my mother's marathon relay team), and arrived about half an hour before our scheduled start. Temperatures were still low, and a brisk cross wind made it feel even colder. I tried to stay warm as I stood in line for my chip, my thoughts alternating between the wind, the cold, and the race. I was ready to give it my all, but the conditions were not cooperating. How would it affect my race?

Mile 1 - 6 - Hampton Or Bust

The race started about thirty minutes later than expected - apparently they had issues with the race chips - and I tried to make up for it by blasting out of the gates. I didn't think I was running very fast, but decided to slow down once I realized I clocked 6:30 for my first mile. I then proceeded to run the second mile too slow (around a 7:20), finally settling into my 7:10 goal pace around mile three. There were a lot of runners in front of me, and I was passed by more than a few once I found my groove. One fellow marathoner chatted with me briefly before flying by, noting that he drank six Corona's the night before the run. I laughed in response, but wondered whether I would catch up to him later in the race. That's no way to carbo-load, if you ask me.

I held my pace for the rest of the section, slowing down for the occasional water stop or rough patch of road. I almost sprained my ankle as I ran through a Hampton construction site - I cursed loudly when my foot twisted out from under me - but aside from that, no issues.

Mile 6-13 - Almost Perfect, but not Quite

Hampton was the first transition point for the marathon relay, which meant that I suddenly had a whole new set of runners in front of me. Some of those runners were slower than their first leg counterparts, and I ended up passing several people before I left town. It meant nothing in the standings, but it gave me a little mental boost nonetheless. I felt like I was moving pretty fast.

Sadly, I wasn't moving fast enough. I held a perfect, Boston qualifying pace for six miles, but slowly fell back with each passing mile. My 7:10 per mile pace dropped to 7:15, then 7:20, and pretty soon I was a minute off pace. Luckily, I saw this coming the morning the first cross wind hit me, so I didn't put up a fight. Instead, I resolved to have a great run, and aimed for a new marathon PB. A sub 3:23 was definitely in reach; I just needed to hit the finish line without hitting the wall.

Unfortunately, I just hit a writing wall (I need to make dinner), so I will finish my recap tonight or tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Race Recap, Part One - The Pre Race

So, as many of you already know, I finished the KV Challenge 5th overall, in a time of 3:19.05. While I didn't qualify for Boston, I beat my personal best by four minutes and had a great time in the process. I'm going to spend the next few days recapping the race, starting with the pre-race festivities. I'd do it all in one shot, but there's a lot of ground to cover, and I am working all week. If all goes well, I will finish the recap by mid-week.

The Pre-Race

The race weekend officially started with the pre-race pasta dinner, which took place at the Bill McGuire Centre in Renforth. The place with packed with runners, and I spent much of my time wandering around the room, catching up with people I've run with over the course of the summer. I especially enjoyed catching up with Nick Power, a former baseball teammate who was running his first marathon. He looked like he was in great shape, and based on our conversation I figured he would do quite well in the marathon. So much for winning my age group.

The night was capped with the Saint John Track Club Awards. Alex Coffin and Bill McMackin handed awards out to runners of all-ages, which reinforced the fact that our region is a breeding ground for top notch athletes. I was especially happy to see septuagenarian Frank Kelly take home a trophy; he seemed genuinely touched to take home an award, and I can't think of anyone more deserving. How many seventy-year olds do you know that can run half-marathons in less than two hours?

Filled with pasta and good vibes, I made my way back to my sister's house, where I relaxed, surfed the web, and read. I didn't care that it was Saturday night; I had a big day ahead of me, and I wasn't about to ruin it by staying up late.

That's it for now - check back tomorrow for scenes from the race!

KV Challenge Finished!

I came in fifth overall, in a time of 3:19.05. Not quite Boston, but a really good run considering the conditions. I'll give you a full race breakdown after I recover a bit more (probably tomorrow).

Turkeys, Tempos, and Tapering

It's Tuesday afternoon, and I am sitting at home trying to fight off some sort of illness. My head is stuffy, my stomach is rumbling angrily, and it feels like someone sucked all the liquid out of my brain. My running friends aren't too sympathetic; a few even suggested that a couple days in bed would force me to taper, leaving me fresh as a daisy for Sunday's marathon. We'll see.

My last scheduled workout was a sixteen kilometer run at marathon pace. Finding time to squeeze it in was nearly impossible; the run was scheduled on Thanksgiving, and I had a two hour drive and a huge family function already planned for the day. I also didn't know where I would run, as I was spending my day in Prince William (my fiancee's family is from the area) and had never run in the area before. I considered blowing it off completely, but decided that would be a bad idea. No need to slack off so close to the big day. I just needed to find a window of opportunity and jump through it.

I woke up first thing in the morning and immediately hit the road to Prince William. For those of you that don't know the area, Prince William is within spitting distance (not that I spit) of King's Landing and offers spectacular views of the Saint John River. I initially planned to run from Sarah's grandmother's house to King's Landing and back, but wasn't sure of the distance. I reset the car's odometer at the King's Landing exit, started driving, and hit the driveway right as the odometer hit eight kilometers. Perfect.

Now I had to find time to run. The first item on my itinerary was a walk/truck in the woods, which included a lot of bumpy back roads, beautiful scenery, and a few roasted marshmallows. I found a few stubby beer bottles during the trip, which I decided were antiques and therefore must be kept for posterity. Expect to see them on the mantlepiece next time you visit my house.

We made it back to Sarah's grandmother's house at 2:30PM, and I was informed that dinner would be ready in two hours. This was my opportunity. I quickly changed into shorts and a long sleeve shirt and bolted out the door, hitting my stop watch as I dashed down the driveway.

I wasn't sure exactly how fast I was running, but it was certainly faster than one of my easy runs. I ran strong up every hill (there were a few), supported by a tail wind that noticeably propelled me forward on a few occasions. I hit the turnaround in 33:22 (about 90 seconds faster than planned), but I knew I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to hold that pace.

I was blasted by the wind as soon as I turned around, slowing me to a crawl at times. Luckily, the route now mostly downhill, which almost made up for the loss of speed. I felt great, especially considering how fast I was running. I did slow a little bit on the last five miles, but hit the driveway in 1:08:16, which would be good enough for a sub 3-hour marathon if I could maintain the pace. Pass the turkey, please.

Hopefully I'll have something good to blog about between now and the marathon. If not, I'll see you at the starting line!

Marathon Goals

It's past midnight and I am in Moncton, New Brunswick, typing as quietly as I can in a house full of sleeping people. I just got back from Music New Brunswick showcases (you can find out more about the association here) and should probably go to bed, but I wanted to update the blog because it's in need of an update. I am just that dedicated.

I don't have too much to report in the way of running so far this week. I ran a lively five miles on Tuesday afternoon, and whipped out five repeat miles on Wednesday night (I finally cracked six minutes!), but have otherwise laid low. At least no one can accuse me of over-training.

Since I am lacking in good running stories, I figured it might be a good time to tell you my goals for the marathon.

My Perfect Marathon - sub 3:10
My training tells me that a 3:05 marathon is within reach, but I think it will take a perfect day for this to happen. Yes, I've done a lot of training and yes, I have improved steadily over the last couple of months, but my gut instinct tells me it might be a little ambitious. That being said, if I hit the half in less than 1:35, I'm going to do everything in my power to hold my pace.

My Great Marathon - sub 3:25
My marathon PB is 3:23.38, which was the result of six whole weeks of training. I trained off and on since the beginning of the year for the KV Challenge, and really stepped up my game after I finished school in July. As long as I don't blow up in the second half, a new personal best is definitely within reach.

My Good Marathon - sub 3:55
I ran my slowest long runs at a 3:55 marathon pace. I am confident that I could run a full marathon at this pace without any problems whatsoever, and wouldn't complain if it took me this long to complete the course. I'd be a little surprised, mind you, but I wouldn't complain.

I want to have a great marathon or a perfect marathon, but I really I don't want to see 3:11 when I cross the finish line. I need to run a 3:10.59 or less to qualify for Boston; I would be devastated if I missed the cutoff by a few seconds. I'll have to keep an eye on my watch in the closing stages of the race, otherwise I might be in for unpleasant surprise when I reach the final stretch.

P.S. I haven't copy edited this yet, so apologies in advance for the sloppy writing. I'll fix this first thing in the morning.

So Long, Long Runs

It's the start of my taper, and I am celebrating with a massive headache. Every time I move a bolt of pain shoots through my brain, which hasn't put me in an active mood. Hopefully it will subside soon, otherwise I might end up writing a really cranky blog.

I ran my last long run with Chris Fudge Sunday morning in Hampton. I initially planned on running for three hours, but work duties and Fudge family requirements whittled my running time down to two-and-a-half hours. Chris had a spectacular run planned for us, though, so I looked forward to the adventure, even if it was a little shorter than expected.

We started at Chris' house on Main Street and veered left at Kredl's (a popular market on Hampton's main drag) onto the Pickwauket Road. I expressed my concern about running on Pickwauket - the road is filled with blind knolls and corners, and fast driving cars appear out of nowhere - but Chris said that if I could make it to the Norton Shore Road in one piece, the view would be worth it. As long as my view didn't include a car heading straight towards me, I would be fine.

Luckily, the road was sparsely populated with cars, and soon I was running down the beautiful Norton Shore Road. The fall colors were in full display, and there were several walkers and bikers enjoying the wonderful day. Dozens of boats were parked in the Kennebecasis River, in what Chris and I decided was some sort of fishing contest. We looked at the river, and at the local real estate, and daydreamed about owning property in the area. I'm not sure how much a house goes for on the Norton Shore Road, but view of the Kennebecasis River is priceless.

Chris' stomach started bothering him around an hour in, and after about fifteen minutes of complaining he decided to pull over for a, um, pit stop. I decided that it was a good place to turn around, but before I did, I told Chris that I would have to include his trip to the roadside powder room in my blog. "I know," he said with a grimace before heading into the woods. And I wonder why it's hard to find running partners.

I ended up running solo for fifteen minutes, and came to the realization that I missed a lot of scenery during the first part of my adventure. Houses I didn't see the first time around popped out of the woods, and spectacular cliffs rose from the roadside. Chris was right; this was spectacular run.

Chris eventually caught up (what was he doing in the woods all that time, anyway), and we made our way back to his place as quickly as possible. I picked up the pace for the second half of the run in hopes of a negative split, but since I didn't know the route very well, I had no idea if I was on target or not. It wasn't until I saw the cars at Kredl's that I knew that a negative split was in sight. I powered the last kilometer back to Chris' house, and finished my run three minutes faster than anticipated. Mission accomplished. Now let's start to taper.

I am cutting back on my mileage, but my blogging schedule will stay the same. I have a lot of writing ground to cover between now and the marathon, so stay tuned!

The Weak in Review

It's Saturday evening and I am in the spare bedroom, attempting to blog before I fall asleep. I was up until 3am last night hanging out with friends, and have yet to sufficiently recover. Hopefully my lapse in healthy living doesn't affect tomorrow's long run.

I tried to really hammer my workouts this week, but found that I had very little energy when it came time to put the pedal to the floor. I did a 5k tempo run at the Irving Nature Park that almost did me in, and followed that up with four average repeat miles on Friday. Both speed sessions were so uninspiring that I didn't even bother to blog about them, and my easy runs weren't much better. So much for big week before my taper.

Part of the problem was general fatigue. I've tossed and turned every night for the last two weeks, waking up every hour in anticipation for work calls that usually come between 6:30 and 7:30AM. Of course this makes me sluggish all day, and half asleep when it's time to work out. If I don't start sleeping better soon, I'm going to get sick, and that's not going to help my recovery before the marathon. If anyone has any sleeping tips, I'm all ears.

The other problem is my worn out sneakers. I have run my Mizuno Elixir 3's into the ground over the last two months, and my feet are now getting pounded each time I hit the pavement. I plan on getting a new pair as soon as the first pay cheque comes in (fingers crossed for Thursday), but until then I'll have to suffer in silence.

If all goes well I will finish my last long run tomorrow. I have no intentions on running as fast as I did at the Irving Nature Park last weekend, but I do expect to run for at least three hours. Most of my fellow KV Challengers are already cutting back on their mileage (the race is fifteen days away), but I find that I lose focus if I taper for longer than two weeks. Hopefully my body can bounce back before the big day.

I'll be back tomorrow with my last long run report, along with a few words from KV Challenge race committee. Stay tuned!

Nature Park (now with 5 times more park!)

I am running the Kennebecasis Challenge Marathon in less than a month, and I have yet to set foot on the course. I planned on running the route today (well, a portion of it) with Brent Bethune and a handful of local runners, but fell asleep on my couch and missed the alarm clock. By the time I woke up, they were already well into their run. Guess I'll have to wait until race day.

Waking up late threw a major wrench in my running plans. My next move was to call Chris Fudge, but he had family obligations and couldn't join me on a three hour jaunt (I haven't seen him much since our fateful Labour Day run; I hope he's not weary of biking with me). I was going to call Clinton Charlton, but he spends every Sunday with his daughter and I figured he wouldn't have time. This meant I would have to run alone, which left me with one option: five loops of the Irving Nature Park.

I wasn't exactly overjoyed with the notion of running the park five times, and took my sweet time getting ready. By the time I was ready to head out the door it was 4:00PM, which barely gave me enough time to finish before dark. Could I do it?

Loop 1: 32:23

I went through the first kilometer in a little over five minutes, which I thought was a little quick for a long, slow, distance run. However, I hard time slowing down, and ended up averaging a little less than five minutes per kilometer for the entire loop. My finishing time was two minutes faster than my quickest loop during my last long Nature Park Run (see Nature Park Park Park Park and a Bit for details), and I wondered if I could hold the pace.

Loop 2: 32:12

I started out with the intent of going a little slower, and couldn't do it. My body was already locked into the pace, and I was churning the kilometers out with ease. Of course, the idea of walking the last loop crossed my mind, but I pushed the negative thoughts out of my head and continued enjoying the run.

Loop 3: 31:08

Is it just me, or is the fifth kilometer longer than the rest? It is consistently my slowest portion of the Nature Park, and it always seems to drag on forever, no matter how well I am pacing myself. I was running around 4:45 per kilometer until this dreaded kilometer, and lo and behold, I slowed down. That being said, it was still my fastest loop of the day, and I did it with ease. Maybe I would survive the run after all.

Loop 4: 31:32

If you run several loops of a park in a row, you'll inevitably see the same people more than once. I ran by one women three times; the third time she giggled and quipped, "Oh, come on now!" Apparently, running the Nature Park five times is a bit ridiculous to some people. Pain was starting to creep into my legs and hips, but it didn't affect my pace. One more loop to go.

Loop 5: 32:20

I thought I would fall apart at this point, but I managed to average five minute kilometers for the last loop. Of course, it wasn't easy; my legs were starting to tire, and the hills were proving more difficult with each passing kilometer. I had a chance to run a sub 2:40 though, so I started pretending that I was finishing my marathon with a Boston qualifying time in my sights. With one mile remaining I picked up the pace, and finished my 32.5 kilometer run in 2:39.37. I was done, and it was still light out. Sweet.

Now I am home, and feeling great. I'll probably do one more long, slow run before I start my taper (next Sunday if all goes well), but I doubt I will run as fast as I did today. With only three weeks to go, my best bet is to take it easy, and focus on recovery until the big day. Hopefully I don't run myself into ground before then.

Track After Dark

Good news! My work prayers were answered this week, and I spent every day supply teaching at Forest Hills Middle School. I am trained as an elementary teacher, but if someone offers me work, I'll take it. Next step: contract.

Unfortunately, I'm not used to balancing work and working out, and I had a hard time getting out of the house this week. I managed to fit in all of my runs, but it wasn't easy. Take tonight, for example. I made it home at a decent time, but I felt like napping after dinner and struggled with the concept of speed work. By the time I made it to the Princess Elizabeth track it was pitch dark, and it took a lot of mental energy to pull my body out of the car and start my warm up.

Because I am still recovering from the Fundy Rocks Half Marathon (thanks, Alex), I decided to take it easy and do three simple repeat miles. My goal on paper was 6:20 per mile, but I wanted to at least match, if not exceed, my 6:18 race pace at the Hampton Five Miler. I thought it would be a struggle - I plodded slowly through my warmup - but after easily running a 6:19 repeat, I decided to pick it up a notch. I started the next mile stronger, held my top pace a little longer, and knocked my time down to 6:14.

My last repeat was even faster. I was aiming for a sub 6:10, but after running my first lap in 1:30, I decided a 6 minute mile was in my sights. I pushed hard for the final three laps, and just missed the mark with a 6:01. If I play my cards right, I'll be in the 5 range before I know it.

I really wish I could have gotten to the track earlier, because the workout really lifted my spirits. Before I went to Princess Elizabeth I was in a foul mood, but now I feel like I can take on the world. I'll have to remember that the next time I procrastinate prior to a run.

Run to the Hills

I haven't blogged much lately, but it's not due to lack of training. A wonky internet connection has limited my online activities, so instead of surfing the net all hours of the day, I spend my time looking for work (hire me, people) and figuring out amazing ways to earn money for new running shoes. Who knew used textbooks were worth so much?

Today I joined seven other runners at the Fundy Rocks Half-Marathon, or, as Alex Coffin calls it, "the toughest half-marathon in New Brunswick." My only experience in the Fundy Trail was a quick walk through three years ago, so I had no clue what to expect. I had my sights on a 1:35 half, but without any idea what I was up against, I could only guess at a finishing time. As long as it felt like a honest effort, I wasn't going to complain.

The half marathon was divided into two out and back sections. The first section followed the roadway from the Fundy Trail Interpretive Centre to a dead end, and then ran in the other direction towards the park entrance. Alex stressed anyone could cut the race in half if they found it too tough, but I felt confident that I could easily handle the course. How hard could it be?

The race started out fast, thanks to a break testing, 14% grade downhill. I let my legs run free, and bolted to the bottom of the hill, only to be greeted by a 16% grade climb about 800 meters in. I slowed to an absolute crawl, my legs not yet warmed up to the task ahead of me. Sweat poured down my brow, and I wondered if I was going to make it through the day in one piece. It was the toughest hill I have ever climbed, and I was less than two miles into the run. I was in for a long morning.

The initial shock to the system eventually wore off, and I focused on the task at hand. The run became somewhat easier (if you call 9% or 10% grade hills easy), and I moved relatively quickly, pulling away from the other runners as I made my way through the first section of the course. Physically, I felt fine, but mentally I questioned whether or not I had enough gas in the tank to keep my current pace. The only thought in my mind was to make it back to the starting point and hope the second half of the run was easier.

I almost didn't make it back. Running up a 16% grade hill was bad, but running down the same hill was brutal. I couldn't go full out for fear of losing control, but holding back pounded my calves into jelly. If that wasn't bad enough, I had to run up a mile long hill immediately afterwards. I pushed as hard as I could, but stalled before I reached the summit. I was gassed.

I continued walking and running, but it was clear that my best efforts were behind me. One of the course cars passed me and warned that the second place runner was catching up, but I didn't have the strength to defend my position. I croaked, "He can have it," and continued my struggle, hoping I would see the final turnaround point before I keeled over. Unfortunately, it was located at the bottom of ANOTHER 16% grade hill. I seriously considered dropping out, but decided against it once Alex offered me some Gatorade. I swigged back as much as I could, hit the hill, and headed home.

By this point I was firmly in second place (I was passed with authority before the turnaround), but I was happy to still be on my feet. In fact, I was pretty impressed with myself for keeping it together for as long as I did. This was easily the toughest course I had ever encountered, and just making it to the finish line was a feat in itself. I ran as hard as my legs allowed for the final few kilometers, and hit the finish line with a smile on my face. I missed my goal time by fifteen minutes, but I was done!

The Fundy Rocks Half Marathon is definitely not a race for anyone who wants a PB, but it's tailor made for those crazy few who like a good challenge. The hills are steep and relentless, and will give your quads and calves a killer workout. I'm still hurting from the run twelve hours later, but I am already looking forward to doing it again. It's definitely one of a kind in New Brunswick, and I'll be hard pressed to top the experience any time soon. Hopefully a few others will have a chance to experience it next year.

Sprinting In The Rain

So the KV Challenge is about a month away, and it looks like I'll be running with a lot of people. One hundred and thirty one people are already registered (including forty two in the marathon), and all signs point towards a record turnout. I guess I'll have to work extra hard now; no need to bonk in front of a large audience.

Today I returned to the Irving Nature Park with the intent of running four repeat kilometers. As per usual, I procrastinated until lack of time forced me outside, and was greeted by cold, hard rain. It was the first time in months that I considered putting on pants for a run, but I decided against it, opting for bare legs instead. I don't care if it's snowing out, if I can handle shorts, I'm wearing 'em.

After a brief warm up - and, let's face it, there was nothing warm about running into a rainy headwind - I started my first repeat. I didn't have a time in mind, but hoped I could break four minutes for each kilometer. The first kilometer contained a lot of hills, but I still managed a 3:55. Not too shabby.

I took a short rest, and started my next repeat. I heard the crunch of tires behind me, indicating a car was approaching, and decided to bump it up a notch, attempting to keep the car behind me for the full kilometer. I pulled it off with ease, and looked to my watch to discover a 3:37 repeat. Sadly, the car drove off before I could rub in my win, and I was left to finish my workout alone.

My next two repeats weren't quite as fast as my second kilometer, but I was still comfortably under my four minute goal time. With the rain really coming down, I decided to try one more repeat. It started off well, but the combination of cold legs, wet clothes, and race fatigue took the wind out of my sails. I struggled to a 4:06, and decided it was time to jog my soggy bottom back to the car.

Before I go, I just have to repeat how much fun I had at the Hampton Five Miler. Not only was it a great course, but the post race food was top notch (lots of fresh fruit and yummy sandwiches), and the awards were fabulous. I didn't even place and I walked away with a sweet technical shirt and a $55 Java Moose Gift Card, all for the low, low price of twenty five dollars. I'm off the coffee for now, but Sarah will enjoy some tasty beverages in my place. I can't wait to go back next year!

Hoofin' It In Hampton

After a week of dreadful runs, my training is finally back on course. I just returned from the Hampton 5 Miler, and I am pleased to report that I finished the race well ahead of my goal pace. I'll break down the run, and give you the highlights. If you're too impatient to read my rant, you can just check the race results here.

Mile 1: 6:07

The first mile was flat/downhill, and deceptively fast. A lot of people bolted out of the starting gate, while I held back a bit, hoping that a few of those runners would fall back once they settled into their pace. I had a goal in mind, and didn't want to ruin my chances because of a fast first mile.

Mile 2: 6:38

This was my slowest mile of the race, by far. I have a bad habit of falling off pace after a fast first mile (the same thing happened at the Chipman 10k last month), and it was happening again. Luckily, Andrew Vail caught up to me at this point, and together we pushed each other, weaving through the crowd of runners that were in front of us.

Mile 3: 6:15

This section was mostly downhill (with a little incline at Cozy Corner to make things interesting), so I made up a little lost time on this section. Andrew and I traded positions, and continued pushing our way though the pack. Everyone was spread out at this point, so our progress was limited to the occasional runner. We were still moving up in the standings, though, so I had no complaints.

Mile 4: 6:20

Another downhill section. I ran down Main Street as fast as I could, hoping I had enough gas left in the tank to meet my goal. My legs gave a little shudder after a particularly long downhill section, and I wondered if it signaled a shift in pace. I gave out a short, breathy sigh, buckled down, and increased my efforts. I wasn't finished yet.

Mile 5: 6:06

At this point Andrew had pulled away from me, intent on passing one more person before finishing (he finished six seconds ahead of me). Meanwhile, I had gotten passed by John Acheson (I don't know him, but I saw his name in the race results and figured I would include him in my blog). The late race pass was the motivation I needed to finish strong. I pulled in behind John as we neared Hampton High School, and bolted by him as we neared the finish line in an attempt to knock a few more seconds off my finish time. Final time: 31:26, placing 21st out of 334 runners.

Hopefully this is a indication of good races to come. According to the Mercier Score Calculator, my five mile time is the equivalent of a 3:05 marathon. I seriously doubt I'll run that fast at the KV Challenge, but at least, on paper, I have a chance to qualify for Boston. Fingers Crossed.

Training Pains

It's 11:02PM and I am sitting on my couch, mindlessly watching television. I'm not sure if I can top the last three blogs (thanks Clinton and Chris!) but I'll least try to keep it consistent. No more three month layoffs between updates.

My training focus took a bit of a hit after Monday's run, and I've had a hard time meeting my daily goals. I planned on running seven 800 meter repeats Wednesday night, but ended up doing three mile repeats instead. I ran well, but the workout felt incomplete. Hopefully running the Hampton Five Miler on Sunday will make up for it.

Today I decided to run from my house to my mothers house. It's a bit of a hike - thirteen miles, to be precise - but I thought it shouldn't be a problem. For some reason, it was. Maybe it was a lack of sleep, or poor food choices during the day, but I fell apart with about five kilometers left. Luckily, a roadside apple tree provided me enough nourishment to finish the run. Guess it was the diet after all.

On a bright note, I am looking forward to the Hampton Five Miler. It's been over a month since my last race, and I've made a lot of progress since then. I am not sure if my time will reflect my progress, but I'll worry about that after I cross the finish line. Wish me luck!

Labour Pains, Part Three w/special guest Chris Fudge

A Laborious Weekend Run by Chris Fudge (with additional commentary by Chuck)

Right out of the gate I should known our 30 k was going to be rough one when Chuck said he was a little worried. It didn't occur to me that this time it might be rough on me! We packed up on 6 liters of water, 3 rice crisp squares, 2 granola bars and a backup fruit snack. Plenty for this run.

This was my 3rd long bike-run with chuck this season and, as always, was more than happy to be the pack mule. It gives me a little extra work on the bike while he grunts through on foot. Most times this is never really an issue and I barely notice. Until today...

Our good friend Clinton jumped on board to join us while we take in the scenery and and looked forward to the long distance challenge (it may not seem like much when you consider we are on bikes and chuck is on foot, but with little long distance experience and a pack on back, it can be).

Generally we have an action plan that is talked about earlier (see previous blogs) but on this run I think Chuck was exited to see what I thought of the off trail paths he had planned out. I was excited as well. Most of the runs we do have far more road action and I'm keen on honing my dirt skills with my Mountain Bike. Maybe a few hills, rocks to navigate and near miss trees to get my heart beating.

We headed East on the familiar Golden Grove on a very promising first day of fall. A few kilometers in Chuck took us off road and into the tress and hills. At first I could see this was a generic ATV trail that had a few 'private road' signs and nice summer cabins around some small dead lakes. Pretty typical for New Brunswick and perfect for a few fellas on bikes and a jogger.

Chuck can get a good pace when running and generally always takes the lead when I am trying to huff up a hill. This was no different today and adding dirt to play in he took off with a good start on this trail.

Our first hitch on this trail came when Clinton and I had to navigate a few small puddles. Nothing big and certainly nothing I wouldn't normally bomb through on any normal biking day, but my better judgment kicks in when I need to consider I still have 25 kilometers to bike. Wet feet can wait for the latter half.

The trail otherwise was nice. plenty of up and down with ATV tread to ride. It didn't take long to see why Chuck dediced on this path. Uphill was immenent, and as always, I spew to myself the classic 'what goes up,must come down' to motivate myself. I can always look forward to this to catch up on Chuck and ask if he wants a little hydration.

This first 'real' uphill had way too much loose rock to sweat on and Clinton and I deiced to walk our bikes up. The real problem was, this hill didn't want to stop! Clinton and I had to remind ourselves that it had to end soon, this isn't the Rockies!

Halfway up, I see Chuck. Coming down! "@#$%," he said.
"What's wrong?"
"Wrong way, there's a bus."
"Ok."

This was when I pulled out my phone. I have a GPS built in and being the geography geek I am, decided to get my bearings for the first time (a habit I plan on using at the start of ALL our future runs). It appears there was another path heading to 1st Lake.

Onward Forward! Clinton and I followed Chuck through another path, thinking there must be a path that follows the diameter of the lake. Sweet! Nothing better than a bike ride around the edge of a lake.

When Clinton and I made it down (what ended up a very fun downhill trail) we ran into Chuck again.

"!@#$"
"Wrong way?"
"Yup, shoulda kept going."

This is where things start to feel bad. Neverming that the loose rock trails were slowing us down from Chuck, but now we had to back track. And there is nothing worse than back tracking on a 30K run.

So up the path we came, losing Chuck and making our way back up the original mess we had started on.
We finally crossed path with the bus (It's pretty typical to see a VW rusting away in the deep woods of NB, but not normally a full sized school bus!) which makes me want to pose a question with Chuck: why would this upside down school bus deter you originally? You didn't see this the last time you ran this trail? (I thought the bus was on a different trail. You couldn't see it on your GPS?) It was at the point of the bus the monstrous hill we were climbing started to level off. Our best hope of catching up with Chuck was the decent that I prayed was going to happen.

And it did. Loose rock, tires splitting, head over handle bars downhill. Sound like fun? Yes and no. Yes, because it's fun to try and make our way down without killing ourselves. No, because in the back of my head, I knew we needed to catch up with Chuck to give him some of the 4 1/2 liters of water we had left. This is not easy on this kind of terrain. No bombing, just finess and careful eyes.

At the bottom we came to another fork. Well now, here's a predicament. Chuck, any chance you told us this earlier and we both forgot? Or did you miss it? (Missed it. Didn't even see it. My bad.) Out came the GPS. (Let me know when the wedding is.)

It appears that we made it to the other side of 1st Lake. There was a path leading directly to Baxter's Corner and another leading around 2nd Lake, out further into the sticks and then back to Baxter's Corner. I assumed since we had already trudged through this much wilderness that Chuck would have wanted to start making our way back through to the Airport, down to Churchland Road, and finally back to our starting point. Apparently, I was wrong.

Clinton and I hit a small a small channel that fed from 1st Lake into 2nd Lake on our way towards Baxter's Corner. We ran into a few fisherman coming the other way who answered Clinton's, "Hey Guys, know how to cross this thing?" with, "We were curious to see what you would do!" One of the fishermen just waded through upto the thigh in what appeared to be the shallow part. Clinton and I followed suit, bikes over our shoulder and over to the other side. I can't believe Chuck took us through this!! (I didn't.)

Clinton and I decided to take a small rest and head foward. My mind was still at unease, knowing that Chuck had run so far without a drop of our 3 1/2 litres of water, a fruit snack, or a nibble of the 2 granola bars.

Things got easier at this point. No more back country loose rock from hell, just pavement. Not a sight I would normally embrace,but considering the terrain we just huffed though, a happy sight.

We put our bikes in top gear to catch up to Chuck. I know this road and there is no real uphill so we I know we can make it to him. Off we go.

We were somewhere near the St . Martin's fork when I got a phone call. Chuck. (we had joked earlier about whether he had the gumption to just ask anyone if they had a phone he could use) (I have no shame.). Apparently he was BEHIND us! How? Right, the fork. Chuck's plan was to take the other lake and go around it and back track.

Clinton and I huddled around my speakerphone trying to figure out where he was when Chuck (who must have decided he had worn out his welcome on this strangers phone) said "Ok, well, I gotta go."

We couldn't do much but keep going. We didn't know where he was so I couldn't backtrack to give him water. Our only alternative was to keep going, get the car and hope we can find him. On a whim (and I would never have done this if I didn't already know I was coming back to pick it up) I set up a 500ml bottleof water in a Gatorade bottle on the side of the road. (Thank God that was you!) To many, this would look like litter. But to Chuck,it might as well have had a bow tie and flashing lights with an arrow. I could only hope he might realise this was the same old plastic bottle I've been toting on my bike the last few runs.

In light of our events, Clinton and I decided trudge through the Airport road and straight down to the Golden Grove, which apparently must was our 2nd short cutof the day. We made it back in roughly half an hour and jumped into the car. I couldn't wait to hit Chuck with the 2 1/2 liters of water and 1 granola bar. He must have been melting away.

I sped up the through way without caring that the A/C was eating up the gas. We needed to get to Chuck! He was probably a withered salty mess!

We neared the same spot we spoke with him on the phone when we saw that white clad red head bobbing up and down the road. There he is! We pulled over unsure if he would only want the water, or get in!

He got in. It was in fact enough for him too.

"Dude, you want some water?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, please ...oh, I want...to..ask you something."

I hadnt realized before he had a plastic water bottle in his hands.

"PLEASE tell me that was YOUR water bottleon the side of the road."

Yup.

I don't have an easy way to end this...uh....novel of a day, but I can tell that the next time head out, I'm charting our course. I don't want to get Chucked on the next run.

Labour Pains, Part Two w/special guest Clinton Charlton

Three Hours My Foot: My Adventure with Chuck and Chris
- by Clinton Charlton (with additional commentary by Chuck Teed)

Labour Day was a fitting metaphor for my inaugural long distance ride with my buddy Chuck Teed. Inspired by my good friend Chris Fudge, I recently purchased myself a decent bike to tackle some trails and get back into shape... somewhat (anything but a pear would be an imrpovement at this point). I was pretty excited at the idea of doing my first 30k and I spent the night before imagining what my new bike, a KHS Alite 1000, would look like covered in mud. I had visions of drinking Gatorade while summer sweat rolled down my rippling bicep (hey it's my vision alright!). The morning of, however, my excitement turned to nerves as I wondered if I would even be able to stay on my bike long enough to see the completion of the ride, let alone keep up with my friends. I have done a few rides as of late without too much effort, but certainly nothing more than 15k at the most. Oh well, no turning back now. When Chuck arrived at my house at 10am, my nerves gave way to excitement again, and I could not wait to meet up with Chris and start this journey. This was until Chuck piped up and said "I'm a little nervous about today".

PARDON ME!?!

At this point, I pounded Chuck with what was surely an unreasonable barrage of questions about what I could expect from today's trails. Chuck assured me it would be fine and that we were trekking through a series of roads and trails through the woods that would amount to about 34k altogether. Three hours from now my nerves would be replaced with that glowing sense of accomplishment and perhaps even a plate of guilt free french fries (more on that later). Alright, we're at Chuck's mom's house eating granola bars and waiting for Chris to arrive. What was I even nervous about? Chris arrives and we tune up the bikes while Chuck putters about his mom's garage. Some small talk and a few questions later, we're on the road.

"This ain't so bad" I thought. We hit a few hills right away but I knew to expect that. The weather was perfect and after the initial grunt and heavy breath, I started to catch my stride. Chris and I made small talk while Chuck ran off ahead. I knew we'd catch him on the downhills anyway, so I was not concerned. When we finally made the crest of the final hill, Chris and I stopped for a sip of Powerade while I checked out my bicep (sigh...not a single ripple). We made our way downhill to Chuck and then turned onto a dirt path that led us into the woods. The trail was great and had just enough tree trunks and small rocks to make it feel like my new bike was worth every penny. Soon the trail turned uphill and was riddled with loose rocks that resembled those you might find on a river bed. It made for a difficult climb but nonetheless, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. Again, Chuck took off ahead, with Chris and I confident we would catch him on the downhill.

Then it began...

Moments later Chuck came stammering down the trail in our direction murmuring something about a school bus and the words "wrong way". Chris and I gave a chuckle (PUN!) and turned around to follow Chuck. We proceeded down a trail that most bikers would only dream of. It was the perfect combination of trunks, stones and brush and it was mostly downhill. We made it about fifteen minutes down this trail when Chuck came back in our direction yet again. Ugh!

"Sorry boys" Chuck said "the first trail was the right way". Chris confirmed this with the GPS on his new state of the art cell phone. (Where was that state of the art contraption when I made the mistake in the first place?)

Chuck ran off ahead while Chris and I made our way back up the hill and back onto the first trail. Now confident that we were on the right track, Chris and I climbed up a series of loose rocks that seem to increase in size with each mile of what seemed like an endless hill. Positive that Chuck was quite far ahead, Chris and I assured each other that we would catch him on the downhill. Our concern was that Chris was carrying a backpack that had all of the day's supply of food and water. "Oh well, we'll catch him" we thought. The hill continued for what seemed like forever and each time we'd make a crest, it only led to another section of more incline. The rocks were quite difficult to navigate and to top it off, our feet were soaked from the multiple bogs and puddles that riddled the flat areas (which were few and far between). Finally we crested the final incline. Before Chris and I began the descent, we inspected my caliper and tried to isolate a noise that my bike had been making (turns out it was just caked on mud). At this pont I started to feel tired and I powered up with some water and the joy of knowing that the downhill would be a blast.

Wrong!

The downhill was way worse than the climb (sorry about that). The rocks got bigger and it was impossible to navigate our way through it with any speed. It dawned at me at this point that Chuck would be much faster on foot and I worried that he may need water soon. Chris and I trekked on through the rocks and finally made our way to flat land. Chris and I decided to pick up as much speed as we could in an effort to find our friend and get him some water. This was until we got to a fork in the trail. It was a total crap shoot at this point as to which way Chuck could have gone but Chris and I made a decision to take the trail that veered to the right after we conferred again with his GPS. Apprently this was not the way Chuck went, but how were we to know?

Chris and I made our way to First Lake and ended up travelling along the beach until we came to an inlet where some fishermen were waiting to see how we would pass. The fishermen rolled up their pant legs and waded through and Chris and I followed suit. At this point it should be noted that Chris and I were geeking out and feeling pretty cool about having just portaged our bikes across water in the woods (yet still not a ripple in the bicep). We dried ourselves out and got back to it, finding a road only moments later that led us around First Lake. At this point, we knew where we were and Chris and I figured we'd have about an hour left of biking. We made our way around First Lake and onto the main road. We put our bikes into our highest gear and started to push ourselves to see if we could find Chuck. Then Chris' cell phone rang.

No Way! It's Chuck! Knowing that our friend was safe, Chris and I decided to hurry back to the cars and then grab Chris's truck to go get Chuck. We pushed our legs as hard as we could and made our way back to Chuck's mom's house. We found Chuck, weathered but still in one piece, and made our way home.

Oh and before we went home, we got a plate of guilt free french fries and had ourselves a good laugh.

I can't wait to go out with my friends again! (keep working on the bicep, my friend!)

Labour Pains, Part One

Sometimes the best stories come from the worst experiences. That was the case on Monday’s long run. I didn’t run nearly as far as I planned, but it was quite the noteworthy adventure. So noteworthy, in fact, that story will be told from three different perspectives. Clinton Charlton and Chris Fudge joined me on my run, and will offer their take on what ended up being a very trying day.

I mapped out an adventurous 22 mile run around the East Side that included sections of Golden Grove Road, Churchland Road, Loch Lomond Road, Barnsville Road, and Second Lake Road. The highlight of the run, I thought, was a seven kilometer stretch through the Sands Road, an old trail that connects Upper Golden Grove to Second Lake. The course was challenging (hill after hill for the first seven miles) but manageable, and despite some initial hesitations, I thought I was in for a great day.

The run began slowly as I pushed my way up the hills that give Upper Golden Grove its name. The boys struggled behind me, and I barely said a word to them for the first six kilometers. I didn’t mind; I was sorting through my thoughts and working out my mental kinks in the hopes of maintaining a positive focus. They caught up to me as we approached Sands Road, and together we entered the trail, or, as I called it at the time, “God’s country.”

Unfortunately, I hadn’t run the course in eight years, and in that time God had sold the trail to some terrible landowners. The rugged trails I once remembered were shredded to bits in some places, leaving mounds of rocks that were nearly impossible to navigate. The trail was so scarred from the elements that I was sure I was going in the wrong way. After a brief mental battle I turned around, apologized to the boys, and headed in a different direction.

The trail I picked was better groomed, and soon I was back in the rhythm and enjoying the scenery. Fall was already visiting the forest, and I was greeted by fallen leaves and rich colors. I ran down a long, winding hill, turned a corner, and ended up on a rocky beach with no trail to be found. Now I was lost, and at least fifteen minutes off course. I turned around (again), gave Clinton and Chris the bad news (again), headed back up the long, winding hill that I just ran down.

I eventually found my way back on course, but navigating the trail was a battle. The rocks were large and begging for a broken ankle, and in many places it was washed out, slowing my pace to a crawl as I danced around every hazard imaginable. My favorite sections were covered with giant puddles that filled every inch of flat ground. At first I tiptoed around them, but eventually I gave up and splashed through them, cursing with every step.

My dream trail was turning into a nightmare. My legs were fatigued from the relentless hills, and my ankles were sore from the countless twists and turns of the trail. The extra thirty minutes I tacked on the run didn’t help matters either. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, I emerged from the woods and back into civilization. The nightmare was over.

Sweaty, sore, and painfully chafed, I sat on the side of the road and waited for Chris and Clinton to emerge from the woods so I could change my shirt and get a drink of much needed water. I waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, I gave up on waiting and jogged to the nearest house, hoping that whoever answered the door wouldn’t be startled by my sweaty appearance. Luckily, the woman who owned the house was quite friendly, and soon I was dialing Chris’ number, hoping he would answer.

Chris picked up the phone, and proceeds to tell me he is on the Loch Lomond Road and heading towards the airport. Apparently, there was a fork in the trail that I didn’t see. Chris and Clinton took a right where I went straight, and instead of meeting me, they ended up ten kilometers closer to home. We tried to figure out how to rectify the problem, but I was too frustrated to be of any help. I hung up the phone and continued on my way, cursing the day I planned this ‘fun’ run.

So now I am sore, sweaty, annoyed, and without any water. My mouth was dry, my lips were cracked, and I could feel a sunburn creeping into my face and shoulders. I stopped at a corner store, but had no cash for water, so I slurped greedily from the bathroom tap (don’t judge me). That sufficed for about ten minutes, but soon I was dry again, and desperate for water. I had no clue where Chris and Clinton were, but hoped they had left me something to drink somewhere on the route, because I was hurting.

And then it appeared like an oasis in the desert; a full bottle of water standing upright on the side of the road. I had encountered a few random bottles in my travels, but this was the first one that looked obviously placed. At least, that’s how I justified it when I unscrewed the cap and downed the bottle in one sitting. I made a mental note to chat with Chris and Clinton about the water when I finished my run, but I really didn’t care where the bottle came from. I was thirsty, so I drank.

Chris and Clinton ended my adventure about ten minutes later, showing up in Chris’ SUV just as I was closing in on the airport turnoff. I could have crawled home on foot, but at that point I had been running for two hours and forty five minutes and didn’t have much left in the tank. I climbed clumsily into the backseat and sucked back Gatorade as the boys had a good laugh at my expense. Not exactly the heroic ending I had in mind, but at least I was finished.

That’s it from me. Stay tuned for part two and three, starring Chris and Clinton!

Good Times, Bad Times

It's 2AM and I am listening to the Galaxie Classic Rock Station on my television. It's more miss than hit, but I am too lazy to search for an appropriate CD. Hopefully some brilliant rock masterpiece will hit the airwaves and coax an amazing blog out of me.

The last two days have tested my resolve as a runner. I planned an easy trail run yesterday, but found my legs completely unwilling to cooperate. I tramped heavily through the woods, the heat beating down mercilessly, praying for a quick end to the torture. The end nearly came via a twisted ankle, which snapped angrily back into place after I stumble over an exposed tree root. I shouted an obscenity, limped a few steps, and then crawled out of the woods to complete my journey on a relatively safe dirt road. It was easily my worst run in weeks; I hope to avoid a repeat on race day.

I fared much better today. I planned to run four repeat miles at marathon race pace (7:10), but instead decided to run each repeat 30 seconds faster. I easily breezed through the first mile (6:40), and had absolutely no problem completing the workout. In fact, I ran the final mile in 6:29, which I thought was pretty decent in 30 degree weather. Feeling satisfied but not completely spent, I figured I would celebrate with a casual 5k later in the day.

That five 5k turned into three fast miles. I visited Alex Coffin at Rockwood Park, and he somehow coerced me into running with his group. The next thing I know, I am running repeats around Lily Lake, huffing and puffing alongside the Saint John High School cross country team. I finished the first mile in 6:17 and got steadily faster, peaking at 6:07 for my last lap. Not bad for an easy cool down run.

Well that's it for now. I have a twenty miler planned for weekend, and provided I don't blow away, I expect to run the twenty miles at the Irving Nature Park. If anyone wants to convince me otherwise, I am all ears; I would love to mix it up a bit between now and October!

Hot Hot Heat

It's 1:00AM and I am sitting in my house, sweating profusely. Everyone told me to expect cold summers on the West Side, but thus far it's been nothing but fun and sun. Guess I'll have to add air conditioning to my list of purchases for the house.

I encountered a who's who of musicians on my warmup run today. Former Coffin Birth guitarist Shane Storey honked at me as I was running down Dunn Avenue, and I passed Hospital Grade bassist Andrew Earle on Lancaster Avenue (nice shirt, Andrew!). I also encountered Clinton Charlton while he was sitting patiently amidst a pile of cars on Douglas Avenue. It was like I had my own cheering section as I struggled in the heat.

I arrive at the PES track soaked with sweat, and unsure of my ability to run fast. I had six 800 meter repeats planned, but the combination of sun and fatigue from Sunday made me wonder if I could get through the workout in one piece. Luckily, Brent Bethune was joining me for the workout, which meant I had someone to push me through all six repeats. I blasted through the first 800 in 2:48 (22 seconds faster than needed), and only rested for a little over two minutes before starting again. The shorter rest times resulted in a slower repeat (2:54), making me realize I had my work cut out for me.

I felt the sun sapping my strength on the next two repeats, but I still managed to keep the times under three minutes (2:54 and 2:56, respectively). That was the last time I saw a 2 on my watch for the rest of the workout. I was seven seconds slower on my fifth 800 (3:03), and thought I would have a hard time keeping Brent off my tail (he was running about 10 seconds behind me) for my last repeat. However, Brent shouted words of encouragement to me as we started our last lap, which gave me the motivation I needed to finish strong. My time (3:00) wasn't impressive, but considering how I felt, it wasn't bad. Thanks Brent!

I've got a couple of races coming up in the next two weeks, but before that I need to get another couple of speed sessions and a long run under my belt. Drop me a line if you want to join the fun!

P.S. My mother and uncle are looking for a fourth person to join their marathon relay team at the KV Challenge Marathon. If you are interested, please drop me a line at kvchallenger@gmail.com. They would love to participate in the event, and would love if someone could join them on the road! Remember, early bird registration ends tonight, so sign up now!

Nature Park Park Park Park (and a bit)

It's 1am and I am sitting on the couch, listening to music and wishing my legs would stop burning. I would go to bed, but I have to listen to a few CDs for a project I am working on and it's already past due. Hopefully I can get through every disc before sleep takes over.

Today was the first time in weeks where I had to do a long run without the benefit of my partner in crime Chris Fudge, and wasn't exactly thrilled with the prospect. Without Fudge, I had no way to carry the water and food I needed to successfully finish a 30 kilometer run, and I hate the thought of running into stores soaking with sweat in order to grab a Gatorade or a granola bar. I'll save that look for my photo shoots, thank you.

I eventually decided to run five loops of the Nature Park. I didn't love the idea, but it would give me an opportunity to refuel every 6.5 kilometers, and would also allow me to measure my progress per loop. Here are some highlights of the run:

Loop 1 - 36:02

I decided to run the course backwards. I did this for two reasons: I wanted to mix the run up a bit, and my friend Clinton Charlton (buy his latest single, 'A Place To Play A Song,' here) was meeting me on his bike and traveling in the other direction. The run didn't start out out too great - I began by climbing a brutal hill, and almost got creamed by an inattentive driver (20 kilometer an hour speed limit, people!) - but I had most of the kinks worked out by the time I met Clinton. Overall, a little slower than I planned, but not too bad.

Loop 2 - 35:27

This time I decided against the nasty climb, which tacked an extra 30 seconds onto my run, and ran with traffic. Clinton and I chatted about our weekends - Clinton was surprised I could talk while running, but I held my own in the conversation department - and made some tentative plans for fall. Overall, a productive and enjoyable loop.

Loop 3 - 34:41

Clinton made his way home (we made plans for a 15k jaunt later in the week, so expect to read more about him in the blog) so I settled back into my own thoughts and tried to hold my pace. I think I was a little paranoid about slowing down, because I actually ran this loop faster than the first two. It probably helped that I didn't have to dodge any cars, as they were starting to close the park as I began the loop. A few people shouted words of encouragement as I ran by, apparently impressed that I was running multiple laps around the park. I'll take that over "Run, Forrest, run!" any day.

Loop 4 - 36:06

I thought I would start falling apart at this point, but I actually held it together for the entire loop. That being said, the effort to keep it together increased quite a bit, and I had to push on hills (both up and down) to hold my pace. My legs were screaming for the last kilometer, and I didn't know if I could finish another loop. It didn't help that nightfall made it nearly impossible to see in some sections.

Still, I wanted to get at least 30k under my belt before I called it quits. I had to come up with a plan, and fast.

4.5k - 28:44

My solution was to run as far into the Nature Park as I could before it became too difficult to see. I was most certainly the last person in the park - I passed two people as I made my way in and they looked at me like I was crazy - which meant that if anything happened to me, I would be up the creek without a paddle. I managed to run 1.5 painful kilometers in the darkness before common sense told me to turn around. It's a good thing too; I almost bailed a few times on unseen potholes.

Exiting the park with 30k in my sights, I decided to run length of the driveway and back, effectively tacking an extra 1.5k onto my run. It was tough slogging, and it felt like it took forever to make it to the rocks. I forced myself to pick it up for the last stretch, and finished without hitting the dreaded wall. That being said, I did slow down, and had I completed the fifth loop, it probably would have taken me 40 minutes. Definitely something to work on in the future.

Well, that's it for tonight. Not sure what is in store for the upcoming week, but when I figure it out, I will post it for all to read. Have a good night!

P.S. I will apologize in advance for spelling mistakes and copy editing problems. It's 2AM, and I am too tired to correct things right now. Any wonky wording will be corrected in the next 24 hours or so.

Back to Nature Park

I am up much too late, but I figure I should post before heading to bed. Haven't felt like pushing myself too hard this week, which is inconvenient because I don't plan on decreasing my mileage until the first week of October. Hopefully the wheels don't fall off my training plan.

I had a speed session planned today, so I headed to the Nature Park and hoped to bang out a 5.5k tempo run. I finished the distance in 23:46 the last time I tried it, but didn't expect to hit that target because I was flying solo and didn't have anyone chasing me. My goal was to run as hard as possible for as long as possible, without completely falling apart.

I passed through the first kilometer around 4:00, and hit 2k at 8:10. At this point I was slightly ahead of my pace from last weeks run, so I buckled down and really focused on keeping it together. The next two kilometers were a little slower, but ahead of pace, so I pushed hard for the final 1500 meters with the hopes of establishing and new speed record for the course. My final time for the 5.5k was 23:08, almost 40 seconds faster that last week's time. I guess I underestimated my ability to push myself.

I plan on taking tomorrow off (I will be paddling in the Dragon Boat races, so my day isn't completely lazy), but I hope to run at least three hours on Sunday. I have nothing planned yet, so I am open to suggestions. Anyone want to invite me along for a long run?

Yasso 800s, Part 1

So I feel like my training is starting to yield some tangible results. I'm at least 10 pounds lighter than I was at the start of this journey (all lost in the last month, surprisingly), and my times are lowering quickly. Last week I thought I was flying during my tempo run around the Irving Nature Park. On Monday, I went to the Nature Park for a fun run and easily knocked 30 seconds off my tempo run time. Considering I was running at least three minutes slower a month ago, I can't complain.

But, as Joe Walsh says, sometimes I still do. Today was a speed day, but I didn't feel like running. I didn't bother taking the car in the morning, effectively eliminating going a track workout, yet I didn't travel to any of my local haunts because they were unmeasured. Eventually, after several false starts, I ended up about a kilometer away from my house, attempting a workout called Yasso 800s.

What are Yasso 800s, you ask? Well, it's a workout designed by Runner's World employee Bart Yasso that is designed with the marathoner in mind (for full details, click here). Basically, the runner starts out with four 800 meter repeats, with a 400 meter recovery jog in between each repeat. Each week the number of repeats increases until the runner can complete ten. The runner completes each repeat with their marathon time in mind; for example, if they are aiming for a four hour marathon, they would run reach repeat in four minutes. I would ideally like to qualify for Boston (3:10 qualifying time), so I aimed to run four sub 3:10 repeats.

Without any distance markers to guide my speed, I ran on instinct and hoped I was close to my goal. I completed the first 800 in 3:03, and thought I could hold that pace for the rest of the workout without much trouble. I exceeded my expectations, running 2:57, 2:59, and 2:56 on the final three repeats. I'm not sure if a 3:10 marathon is in reach, but if I keep running this fast I might have a chance. Hopefully I can maintain my speed as I increase the number of repeats.

Before I go, I would again like to urge you to sign up for the KV Challenge as soon as possible. Registration is currently $45.00, but jumps to $60.00 September 2. Get signed up before they bump up the price! Also, if anyone is looking for 4 person marathon relay members, drop me a line. I have a few people interested in joining a team!

Sunday Is Run Day

So I guess the Spruce Lake trail isn't as tranquil as I thought; my friends Marta Kelly and Brent Bethune used the trail as part of their Sunday long run and ran straight into a bear. No one was hurt, but the bear stood on its hind legs, giving me the impression that it wasn't too fond of strangers. I might have to check that run off my list until hibernation season.

My Sunday run, a 30K from my mother's house to Chris Fudge's house in Hampton, was bear free, but Chris and I encountered a fair share of unleashed dogs during our travels. Most dogs were intent on following us to the edge of their driveway, but one aggressive mutt ran out into the road with the intention of nibbling some ankles. Luckily, a very apologetic pet owner stopped the dog before he made a meal of me. It's probably good that the dog didn't get a taste; the salt content alone would have sent his blood pressure through the roof.

Why the salt, you ask? Well, it was another sweaty scorcher, hovering around 30 degrees when I left my mothers house at 3:30PM. Luckily a cool wind provided some relief, as did a steadily falling thermometer throughout the run. That being said, it was still mighty hot, so I adjusted my pace accordingly.

It took about 10k to kick the run into full gear. I stayed up late the previous two nights (back to back gigs with Penny Blacks), and hadn't eaten as well as I usually do, which I think made a difference. However, the scenery was enough to keep me distracted, and I floated easily for most of the run. Knowing the area helped, as it allowed me to break the distance into short, manageable sections. In less than two hours, I was just outside of Hampton, and feeling great.

That feeling didn't last long. As soon as I hit Main Street my quads started seizing up, and my pace faltered. However, I was able to maintain my focus for the last 8 kilometers, and chugged steadily away, even taking a detour to ensure a 30K+ run. I hit Chris' driveway in 2:52 flat, and celebrated the day's activities with a frosty beverage and a couple of well deserved burgers. Pass the ketchup, please.

Next up is some more speed work. Not sure what I have planned, but I intend on moving relatively quick. I'll add some photos for your enjoyment shortly.