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.

Tempting Tempo

I'm having a lazy day today. It started off promising; I was interviewed on CBC about the upcoming Music New Brunswick Awards (you can find the interview here for a limited time, so act now!), which meant I was awake much earlier than usual. However, when I got home, I sat on the couch, popped in a DVD, and promptly fell asleep. It happens to best of us, I guess.

Luckily, I woke up in time for a tempo run with Marta Kelly. I met Marta at Alex Coffin's Fitness Shop, added her to Facebook, and started bugging her about training together. Since then, we've worked out together a handful of times, which helped get my training back on track this summer. Most of our workout have included lots of speedwork, which proves that misery loves company.

Today we hit the Irving Nature Park for a quick and dirty 5.5k tempo run. Marta was planning to run at a 4:40/km pace, and I, as usual, had no clue how to pace myself. I decided the best bet was to go out relatively fast, and see how the run unfolded. I pushed through the first kilometer around 4:10 and held that pace for the first 3k, but then the wheels started falling off. To keep from slowing to a crawl, I broke the run into 500 meter intervals and convinced my brain that I would stop after the next marker. Of course, I didn't, and soon I was in the final stretch, running strong. Time for the 5.5k - 23:46. Not exactly setting the world on fire with that time, but faster than I expected.

I'll probably take tomorrow off, but I'm planning to run at least 30k on Sunday. Fudge has tentatively agreed to bike with me, and if all goes well we'll run some of the most scenic roads New Brunswick has to offer. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Stay tuned for more details!

Not So Fast Track

Before I tell you about my workout, I just wanted to take a moment to plug the KV Challenge Marathon. Established in 2004, the KV Challenge is probably the fastest Marathon in New Brunswick, as evidenced by some of the ridiculous times posted on the course. The slowest winning time was 2:46 and change, and Chris Brake came close to landing the New Brunswick Marathon record when he ran 2:32 last year. And let's not forget the countless number of people that use the race as their ticket to the Boston Marathon. Thirty eight runners finished the marathon in 2008; of those finishers, 9 qualified for Boston. Few marathons in this region can boast that sort of success rate.

If the full isn't in your plans, the KV Challenge also offers a half marathon, a two person marathon relay, and a four person marathon relay. Just think about it: running through scenic Hampton, a PB in your sights, the wonderful fall colors distracting you from the growing fatigue in your limbs. Sounds like my kind of race!

Okay, back to training. Today I attempted to do a pyramid of 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 800, 600, 400, 200, but my legs weren't feeling the longer distances today. I started out surprisingly fast - faster than I have run in a long time - but I was hurting by the time I hit the 800 (the short recovery times probably didn't help). Instead of scrapping the run, running less, or running slower than planned, I adjusted the workout accordingly. I still ended up with 5k worth of speed work, but the repeats were shorter. Here's what it looked like:

200: 37 seconds (45 second recovery)

400: 1:22 (60 seconds recovery)

600: 2:10 (75 second recovery)

400: 1:28 (60 second recovery)

400: 1:28 (60 second recovery)

600: 2:14 (75 second recovery)

600: 2:15 (75 second recovery)

600: 2:14 (75 second recovery)

600: 2:14 (75 second recovery)

400: 1:27 (60 second recovery)

200: 37 seconds

I was especially impressed with my last 200. My speed was right where I wanted it, and I felt like a well oiled machine. I'll have to remember what I did right the next time I hit the track. Those times need to drop in a hurry if I want to compete this fall.

Stupid hot Saturdays

I am not a hot weather runner. Every degree past 15 makes me increasingly uncomfortable, and I might as well stay home if it pushes past 25. All of my worst races took place in the heat of summer, including one disastrous marathon that ended with heat stroke, so I usually try to take it easy around July and August.

That being said, I can't turn down a rave run, so when Chris Fudge asked me to join him for part of a 50k bike ride, I couldn't refuse. My portion, approximately 27k total, included 2 ferry rides, and some beautiful views of both the Kennebecasis and Saint John rivers. With that sort of scenery, how hard could it be?

Well, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. The first 11k, the distance from my house to the Romeo and Juliet ferry, was fine, but I was panting for water about 4 miles in. I made a quick stop at the Millidgeville for some Gatorade, and had it finished off before I made my trip across the river. Chris and I had a scheduled out rendez vous for about an hour into my run, and I was hoping he would show up with more water and nourishment before I overheated.

It almost happened. I showed up at our destination point with only a mouthful of water left (many thanks to Tom and Brenda for the bottle of water on the ferry!) and the sun beating down on me. Fudge was nowhere in sight, so I sat on a lawn, stretched my weary limbs, and waited. He arrived fifteen minutes later, late on account of unexpected hills. Since Fudge planned the route, I wondered how many more hidden hills we would encounter.

I should have known the answer the moment I stepped off the ferry and was met with a terrible, steep hill. The roads leveled off for a bit, but after a few kilometers the hills returned with a vengeance, slowing me to a crawl on several occasions. At one point, after we were met with yet another brutal climb, I turned to Chris, gave him a dirty look, and yelled, "This is WEAK." I ran away before he could respond, but I bet he was pleased with himself for torturing me.

Luckily, the run came to a finish before Chris and I killed each other. I started picking up speed on the last downhill, and finished as strong as I could considering the circumstances. It took about 15 minutes longer than planned, but I made it through in one piece. Legs beaten to a pulp from the hills, yes, but in one piece.

My next long run with Chris takes place on Thursday. I think I'll approve the route prior to running it.

Long, slow nights, short, fast days

It's 1:00PM and I should be outside. Instead, I am sitting on my living room floor, trying to find the energy to shower. I just finished a tempo workout of 2 x 2.5k at goal 10k race pace (plus warmup and cool down, of course), and I am wiped. I ran faster than expected though, so I can't really complain. I would love to break 40 minutes sometime this year, but I don't have a 10k on my calendar and I doubt I will be able to squeeze one in between now and the marathon. I guess going fast will have to wait for another year.

Tuesday night I ran for an hour and forty-five minutes on the trails beside Spruce Lake, a water reserve on Saint John's West Side. I didn't know how far into the woods they ventured, so my friend Chris Fudge (you can check out his band Edge on Spiral here) drove his bike along with me and kept me company. I didn't know what to expect; I had never run the entire trail, I was running 30 minutes longer than my longest run, and I expected my run to end at 9PM sharp. If fatigue kicked in or the trail became impassable, I either end up running short of my goal, or in the dark.

Luckily, neither event happened. The trail was well groomed, and aside from a few rocky sections, easy to navigate. Better yet, it was a perfect distance for my run; the trail ended just as I was thinking it was time to turn around. Chris provided excellent technical support, handing water and food when needed, and keeping me distracted from my ever fatiguing limbs. We timed the run perfectly too; the sun was disappearing from the sky as we pulled back up to the car. Overall, great night.

Next up: running for two hours straight. Stay tuned for details.

Back on the Blog

I still do not have a functioning computer, but I've borrowed one long enough to update my blog. Here's what you've missed in the last four months.

Music: I've recorded and played a handful of shows with Clinton Charlton (you can purchase 'A Place to Play A Song' here), and have also spent some time recording with Penny Blacks. Hopefully we'll have an album out within the next year, but at this point I am not sure. Fingers crossed

School: I finished my Bachelor of Education July 16 (4.0 GPA!), and will have my diploma in October. Hopefully I will also have a teaching position by that point, but no one has knocked down my door just yet. Hopefully I'll be permanently employed before I retire.

Training: I almost fell off the wagon a few times, but I can safely say I am back on course. My times aren't as fast as they need to be, so Boston might be out of the question for October. That being said, I have noticed a few problems in my training that I have corrected in the last few weeks, and I hope those changes will bring me close to race shape for the fall. The next race on my schedule is the Hampton Five Miler; if I can average around 4 minutes per kilometer, I know I will have a fighting chance to run well at the KV Challenge. Wish me luck.

I will attempt to get everyone up to speed over the next few weeks. If anyone has a little computer they're willing to part with, let me know!