At Odds With Nature

Nothing went as planned yesterday. I wanted run the reverse hypo half marathon with the West Striders, but decided against it once I realized that I would be lucky to finish in one piece. I don’t mind pushing the limits of my body, but I haven’t run that distance since last August, and the thought of bonking in the freezing cold (-27 with wind chill) didn’t seem too appealing.

Instead, I decided to run at the Irving Nature Park, a little peninsula that's home to hundreds of bird species and other forms of wildlife. I thought it was a good idea because a)it’s only a few kilometers from my house and b)the road is measured, with markers every half kilometer. I knew how fast I wanted to run, so if I was moving too slow (or quick) after the first 500 meters I could simply make adjustment. No problem, right?

Wrong. The park hasn’t been plowed since lord knows when, so the ground was covered in hard, uneven snow. Some spots were relatively runner friendly, but other areas were twisted ankles waiting to happen. I didn’t want to scrap my run, though, so I ran past the gate and hoped for the best.

My best wasn’t too great. I passed the 1K mark about a minute slower than planned, and it took a concerted effort to pick up the pace. Not that it mattered; half of my energy was spent looking for places to run without falling. By 3K I decided that running safe was smarter than running my pace, so I dropped back the effort and finished about 4 minutes off pace. I’ll get a better measurement of my fitness next week.

You might not hear about it right away, though. I have two presentations and an essay due this week, which doesn’t leave much time for personal writing. If you hear from me, I am either procrastinating or figuring out a way to combine melodic contour and running. My vote is on the former.

State of the Training Address

My first month of training is approaching its end, and so far so good. I am running five days a week, and have added some hectic gym classes and Wii Fit in for good measure. I have started eating better – poverty has forced me to avoid restaurants – and am getting used to eating smaller portions. I doubt I’ll ever be a health nut – I love chocolate too much for that to happen – but if I can keep active and relatively healthy, I won’t complain.

My Phys Ed class is certainly keeping me active. We have spent the last few classes practicing creative movement, and the last lesson consisted of the students coming up with their own dance routines. My group came up with some elaborate moves (the gun fight at the end was a highlight), and by the time we were done we were all sweaty and exhausted. I suppose it could be worse – we could be writing midterms.

I thought the excessive amount of dancing and posting would ruin my run, but I found myself boogying down the West Side Streets at a fairly rapid pace. I don’t exactly know how fast I am moving out there, but I know that I am getting faster, and that’s all I need to inspire me thus far.

I’ll have a better idea of my pace tomorrow. I plan on running a measured course, which will give me an idea of where I stand in terms of fitness. I don’t plan on running fast – it’s going to be a long, slow, distance run – but at least it will give me an idea of how fast I should be running on subsequent outings.

I would spend some time explaining that last statement, but I need to get ready to go out. I can’t pass up a good party, even if it’s happening the night before my long run. I’ll try to be on my best behaviour, but no promises.

Studies, Skates, and Stupid Drivers

I know this entry is arriving a day late, but I have a really good excuse: I spent most of last night working on a paper for my Teaching and Learning Theory class. The old me (the one that took almost 13 years to finish a Bachelor of Arts degree) would have passed the paper in weeks late, if at all, but the new me is aiming for straight A’s. Hopefully all this effort results in some steady employment next year. Anyone out there looking for a music teacher?

I was just as productive physically as I was mentally. Instead of spending my lunch break in the computer lab, I strapped on a pair of skates and headed to the Aitken Center with my friends Justin, Kristi, and Bill. I hadn’t skated since I was a teenager, and my first few loops were awkward at best, especially compared to Justin (a hockey player) and Kristi (a former figure skater). I did show signs of improvement though, so I may make the NHL just yet.

I supplemented that activity with a relatively long run. I tacked an extra 10 minutes onto my normal loop last night, and, aside from a little fatigue from the skating, felt relatively good. I am slowly coming out of last week’s rut, and am even showing signs of losing weight. I still need to lose around 15 pounds to be in race shape – most of it’s in my belly – but I have nine months to make that happen, so I won’t force the issue. I might need that insulation for those cold February nights.

One thing I will mention to all of you before I go back to my schoolwork. ALWAYS ensure that drivers see you before stepping in front of their cars. Last night I ran in front of an idling car, only to have the driver hit the gas in hopes of making a sudden left turn. Luckily she missed – I jumped and hollered at the same time, which did the trick – but a moment in either direction and I would have finished my run in an ambulance. Yes, drivers should pay more attention to pedestrians, but all the shouldas and couldas in the world won’t protect you from a broken hip if a car doesn’t see you on the road.

Okay, enough of my ranting. Back to work I go!

Imperfect Timing

Fitting a run into my daily routine is becoming increasingly difficult. Some of it is due to my busy schedule, but most of it is due to procrastination. This is not a new phenomenon. If you don’t believe me, check out this excerpt from my previous blog:

“I am a terrible procrastinator, so it’s easy to find things to do when I don’t want to run. Usually it starts out with something constructive, like doing the dishes. Then, I check the messages on the phone. The phone is next to the computer, so then I check my email. From there, it’s a slippery slope to the television, which is one step away from a nap. If sleep takes over, and it has on occasion, it’s game over.” – Chuck Teed, October 11, 2006

Lately, I find myself pushing back the start time until it’s almost too late. Yesterday I didn’t get outside until well after dark (those of you who read the blog daily will note that I planned on running in the daylight), thus maintaining my streak of night time runs. Today I had a six hour running window, but didn’t manage to leave the house until I had less than an hour to spare. Guess what happened to the length of my run? If I don’t start focusing a short term goal (a race, for example), I am never going to make it to the starting line of the marathon.

Yes, I know I that I should be focusing on building a base, but I also don’t want to get into a rut, and these short runs are starting to get to me. I need to switch up the routine, so if anyone in the blogosphere has any suggestions, I am all eyes (I would say ears, but I imagine I’ll be reading your response). Drop me a line at kvchallenger@gmail.com, or post a reply below.

Dog Days of Winter

It’s been a busy few days, and the blog has suffered as a result. I had 20 centimeters of snow to shovel Wednesday, a social studies project due Thursday, and a gig last night, so writing has fallen by the wayside. I also missed my run two days in a row due to all the hectic activity. Not a good training week, that’s for sure.

That being said, I have been physically active all week. I am currently taking a physical education class as part of my Education degree, and at least half of each class consists of the students running around the gymnasium. We spent most of Thursday afternoon dancing, and I was soaked with sweat by the end of class. If you see me busting out some new moves on the dance floor, you’ll know why.

And let’s not forget the shoveling. It seems that my driveway is a snowdrift zone, so each snowfall requires at least two trips outside to finish the job properly. I had to include a third trek on Wednesday to shovel out the mouth of the driveway, which was filled with heavy, thick snow from helpful Mr. Plow. I should really consider investing in a snow blower.

I did manage to make it outside yesterday. It was the polar opposite of my run on Tuesday. I started out slow, and got progressively slower as the run progressed. The sidewalks were snow covered and slippery, and each step forward was weak and tenuous. I felt like I was starting from scratch, and it was discouraging at best. At least it was a short run.

I am hoping today’s trek is better. If I hurry, I can get outside before it is dark outside. Hopefully that will lift my spirits and give me the energy I need to complete the run successfully. Fingers crossed.

Need For Speed

Man, what a great run! I didn’t expect much when I stepped outside – it was 11:30PM and I was starving – but for some reason I had a lot of pickup on my step when I started running. Usually it takes me a few minutes to massage the kinks out of my legs, but today I was a well oiled machine, and I took advantage of the situation to push myself a little harder than usual.

I attacked the hills with ease. I dodged potholes and pedestrians with confidence. My form felt tight, and my leg turnover was faster than normal. I floored the gas pedal on the homestretch, running at race pace for the last time minutes of the run. I was panting when I finally stopped, but it was a good burn, the type when get when you know you’ve left it all on the track (or in this case, street). I’m pumped.

I can’t get too pumped, though. It’s well past midnight, and I have 8:30 classes in Fredericton tomorrow. If I have any luck we’ll get snowed in, but something tells me I’ll be going to class. Let’s see how fast I am moving on less than six hours sleep.

Wii Are Getting Fit

Yesterday’s run was not much to blog about. Basically, I jogged to Home Hardware to return an ill fitting toilet flange, then meandered my way back to the house. Aside from navigating through some heavy West Side traffic (why does the city only plow half the sidewalks in this city?), the jaunt went without incident. Absolutely nothing interesting to report.

Instead, I talk about my Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus. I’ve owned the Wii Fit and balance board for almost a year, and received the Fit Plus expansion as a Christmas gift from my fiancé Sarah. Both games sat unused for weeks following Christmas – moving into a house will do that – until yesterday, when I finally decided to dust of the balance board and give it a whirl.

In the past, video games have attempted to promote a healthy lifestyle (anyone remember the ill-fated Power Pad for the original Nintendo?) but it wasn’t until Wii Fit came along that the general public bought into the concept. Now the second best-selling game of all time, Wii Fit has coerced millions of people of all ages off the couch and into a fitness routine.

Yesterday’s Wii Fit routine included 10 minutes of Yoga and about 20 minutes of games. Most of the activities are relatively tame – one of the Yoga poses basically consists of breathing while standing still – but you can build up a sweat if you really push yourself. The game registers the ten highest scores in each activity, which enhances the replay factor for competitive people like me.

The Wii Fit Plus expansion includes some new Yoga Poses, strength exercises, and 15 new games to try out. I am only about half way through the various activities, but those I have attempted thus far are at least as fun as those on the original game, if not more. I’ve also yet to try out the multiplayer mode, but as soon as Sarah issues a challenge, I’ll be giving it a whirl.

Would I choose the Wii Fit over a personal fitness trainer? Probably not. But, if don’t have a gym membership and a have an urge to get active, I would suggest picking it up. It’s a lot of fun to play with, and if you burn a few calories, well, that’s a bonus.

If you want to learn more about Wii Fit, click here. I will continue to update you on my Wii Fit progress as my training progresses.