Kelly's Running Blog

Last Sunday

2011-05-17T17:10:00.000-06:00

Beautiful morning, started out sunny, but the cloud was rolling in. And it was windy too. I wound my way down to the river and ran west as usual. This time, at Crowchild, I ran straight through to Lawrey Gardens instead of crossing the river. The trees are still not filled out but it's such a nice winding path along the river.

Across the tracks after a short wait until a train finished passing, and I found the path below Spruce Cliff completely clear of ice. L n K Maybe it has been clear for awhile, but from across the river the week before it looked like there was still some. Nice to get back into that part of the paths.

I crossed at Edworthy, and headed for downtown. I felt a little stiffening up in the hips nearing the bridge to Prince's Island, but was good until I started running through downtown. Every time I had to stop and wait for a crossing light, I stiffened up considerably, and it was hard to get going again. I stopped the timer at the last crossing light, and walked the last three blocks.
L n K
I think the GPS missed a couple of kilometres...

Sundays's run
Distance: 15.59 Time: 1:38:22
Average speed: 6:18 min/km. (9.51 kph)
Rest distance: 0.98 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 16.57 km. Total time: 1:48:22
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Just Bad

2011-05-11T18:45:00.000-06:00

That was not the night to run. I should have gone straight to bed or something. I had been too long out in the sun earlier in the day, and I think I got a touch of heat stroke. I dragged myself home and L n K attended to some things, before getting out to run, but I was very tired, a little headachey, not feeling at all well.

I ran up the hill on 8th Street, down to Sandy Beach, and then back along Elbow Drive. The last couple of kilometres were especially difficult, but I managed to get home before being nearly sick. I got out of my running clothes and simply lay on the bed for the rest of the night. Bleah.

L n K
Yesterday's run:

Distance: 7.08 Time: 43:07
Average speed: 6:05 min/km. (9.85 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Rainy Sunday

2011-05-08T14:41:00.000-06:00

It was pouring just before I got out the door, but by the time I was on the street, it had eased up to a spitty drizzle. A grey Sunday morning seems to keep people in, so the streets were quiet. It was easy to skip across the streets on the way to the river, and I joined the path at11th Street.

I ran to Crowchild and crossed to the north side. I don't know what the path is like below Spruce Cliff, but it still looks ice covered from across the river. The cliff so named has several natural springs that run all year, and in the winter the ice can build up significantly. L n K Perhaps next week I'll try running that path. The ice is only in a couple of places, but it's tricky to cross when it's melting and wet.

I rounded Angel's cafe as usual and headed back to downtown, again staying on Memorial until the foot bridge to Eau Claire, and from there I zigzagged through downtown and the beltline to home.
L n K
And now my Garmin has lost its mind... It appears to be hung up, so I will have to either charge it up or let it completely run down. Details to follow....

Another Exploratory Run

2011-05-06T21:13:00.001-06:00

Except it wasn't really going over anything new. I used to run down to Sandy Beach when I was training for marathons. L n K I would run toward the zoo from my old place, then follow the path along the Elbow River from where it flows into the Bow. Going that way and all the way down to Sandy Beach, was about 30 km.

Today I just ran up Cliff Street until it ends at 24th Avenue, then over a short block to 5th Street. I crossed to the river side of Elbow Drive and followed it along until the foot bridge at 32 Avenue, and crossed that to Rideau Road on the other side of the river. That dead ends after a couple of blocks, turning into a paved path along the river that goes past Stanley Park and then on to Riverdale, where I run the same route as before.

At the foot bridge to Sifton Avenue and 8th Street, I crossed north, then followed 8th Street until it ran into a bluff, then crossed a field to where it continued on, to the three way intersection at 30th Avenue. From there it was straight up the hill on 8th Street to home.

That hill seemed steep as I approached, but once I was climbing, it felt quite easy, much easier than The Path Under The Stairs. L n K Maybe it was because it was new. Wonder how I'll feel about it after climbing it a dozen times.

I had forgot to charge the battery on my Garmin, so I"m not sure how accurate these numbers are, but they do look good...

Today's run:
Distance: 7.91 Time: 41:42
Average speed: 5:16 min/km. (11.38 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1)

Over The Hill

2011-05-04T18:15:00.001-06:00

I thought it was time to try a new route, so I took 8th Street up and over the hill. It's a long climb, though not steep. L n K It 's not straight, but kinda weaves slightly. On the other side, it drops quick to a round-about. I crossed that, and kept heading south.

My thought was to cross the Elbow River at Elbow Drive and then run through Riverdale to Sandy Beach. I was rather surprised to see the distance mount, but I supposed a novel route makes things go by more quickly. When I reached Sifton Boulevard, I remembered another foot bridge across the Elbow River near a school, so I went west a block instead of east. and found it.

At the end of Riverdale Avenue, I took to the paved path toward Sandy Beach, but I noticed a runner in the trees close to the river. At the foot bridge, instead of crossing, I decided to follow a well worn path back along the river's edge. L n K It reminded me a lot of when I used to run through the trees at Fish Creek Park.

Back on Riverdale, I ran all the way to Elbow Drive, and followed it all the way to 5th Street. Man, I'm glad I can walk to work; traffic wasn't moving too fast in places. After turning off 5th, I slowed to a walk for the final few blocks home.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.01 Time: 42:24
Average speed: 6:02 min/km. (9.91 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2)

A New Starting Point

2011-05-01T17:35:00.002-06:00

This is the fifth run I have done since I last posted. Been busy with stuff, and sometimes too busy to run, or too tired. But it's the first run from my new home.
L n K
I headed straight north toward the river, to get back to my old route. I now get to run through downtown, but I sort of skirted it this morning on the way out, getting over to 11th Street and going past the old Science Centre. Once on the path it was pretty much the same as ever.

A lot of people were out this morning. It started only slightly chilly, but the running warmed me up quickly. I crossed to the north side of the river at Crowchild, ran down to Edworthy to loop around Angel's Cafe, then ran all the way back to the foot bridge to Prince's Island. From there I ran through downtown, crossing to the beltline at 5th Street, and then home.

It turned out that my distance is almost the same as from where I lived before.

So to catch up...
L n K
On April 8th:Distance: 10.30 Time: 1:01:08
Average speed: 5:56 min/km. (10.11 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

On April 10th:
Distance: 15.80 Time: 1:33:02
Average speed: 5:53 min/km. (10.19 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2)

On April 12th:
Distance: 10.24 Time: 1:00:18
Average speed: 5:53 min/km. (10.19 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

On April 24th:
Distance: 16.38 Time: 1:40:56
Average speed: 6:09 min/km. (9.74 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2)

And today:
Distance: 17.25 Time: 1:36:37
Average speed: 5:36 min/km. (10.717 kph)
Rest distance: 0.95 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 18.20 km. Total time: 1:46:37
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

No Mo' Sno'!.

2011-04-05T18:38:00.004-06:00

I hope.... After the dump we got on Saturday, there's an 8 foot high ridge of snow along the end of the parking lot at Eau Claire. However, this morning's layer in the plaza in front of the Y is gone and the paving stones are mostly dry. It's melting fast.

I think finally not running on snow has improved my running. I'm faster and I don't hurt as much. I've also restarted my morning routines, building up some core and upper body strength. I stopped doing those about three years ago, no idea why. But it has helped a lot, especially with some knee pain that has been there the past few months.
L n K
Now I'm hoping I can get back on a schedule now, so I can be in some kind of shape for the BJR.

A little bit of interesting factiod: Today, it's been exactly seven years since I started running.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.33 Time: 42:26
Average speed: 5:47 min/km. (10.36 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Snowy Slog

2011-03-27T15:19:00.000-06:00

It's fresh and white and heavy and deep and bright. It's like running on sand, rolling out from underfoot. It's slow going, but a good workout. We have really been getting the snow the last few days, and fog too. The downtown is invisible from the bluff, with cloud almost sitting on the river.
L n K
I didn't get to a cleared path until the end of the bridge across to Prince's Island. The bridge was all right, but the path along the river on the north side was greasy. There was some packed snow footprints that the plow left behind, that felt a little more stable and I tried to keep to those.

I ran the 10K loop, and near 19th Street I met the two little Jeeps with snowplows that keep the path clear. Behind them the path was icy and slippery. I think slogging through the snow would have been better. The pavement was just warm enough to have melted the bottom layer, and that was now frozen into a greasy, slippery coating.

The foot bridge under Crowchild was uncleared but that was OK. On the other side, it was more of the same, only there had been some melting, so it wasn't quite so slippery. In fact the whole south side path was pretty good for traction.

I'm still slow. Sore and achy. I don't know where my energy has gone. I noticed my left toe tended to drag on the swing forward for another step, like I couldn't lift my leg. In fact my whole left side felt weak.

Anyway, a slow slog through snow, really quite a lovely day with all the new snow and frosty trees.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.20 Time: 1:08:27
Average speed: 6:42 min/km. (8.94 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Indifference

2011-03-20T12:48:00.002-06:00

Good morning for running, even thought it looks not so great. We got a good snowfall overnight, and it covered the ground and the paths completely, but not deeply. I changed, dressing lightly because it didn't seem all that cold when I was out earlier, except I had toque and gloves and an extra layer under my fleece. The first couple of kilometres were chilly.

By the time I started to warm up, I was also starting to hurt. My shins were aching. That lasted about half way through, when I crossed the river at Crowchild.
L n K
At Eau Claire was a small crowd, some in safety vests, standing by orange traffic cones. From there on down the promenade was a constant stream of runners with racing numbers pinned in various places. Near the C-Train bridge, I asked someone in a safety vest what was happening. "It's just a race," she said. OK.

At 14th Street, another volunteer was cheering wildly as the walking contingent came down the ramp off the bridge. So must be a 10K run, 5K walk kind of thing. I continued on, passing runner after runner heading the other way. Beside a small sign announcing 3 km, was another volunteer, in a safety vest, completely absorbed in a book, oblivious to the parade of runners passing in both directions. So I guess it was the Apathetic Volunteers Race.

On the other side of the river, it was much quieter since the race course went farther west from Crowchild. I wasn't fast at all, but by then the soreness was easing in my shins. At 14th Street I could hear the one volunteer still whooping wildly.

Getting close to the foot bridge that would take me back over Memorial to The Path Under The Stairs, I suddenly felt a sharp little stone rattling around in the toe box of my left shoe. Amazing that I didn't feel it work its way down between my foot and the wall of the shoe. Mostly I was able to keep it bouncing around in front of my toes, but occasionally it would dive under my big toe. A couple of limping steps to shake it out of there again, and it would rattling around again. To stop to shake it out, was to risk losing balance and stepping in wet snow with a sock foot, or having my knees seize up from sudden lack of movement. I kept going, thinking I could stand it for the last kilometre.

And that was it. The big puddles were mostly gone, and the snow wasn't that bad. But slow. Just really slow.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.50 Time: 1:09:45
Average speed: 6:34 min/km. (9.03 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

A Lazy Friday

2011-03-19T10:09:00.000-06:00

I love having Friday off. I get to nap and take my time with my morning coffee. And I can go run whenever. It had been a clear sunny day all day, a little breeze with a chill to remind you that winter was still close. I shoulda wore shorts.

The run was just before the commute started, so the cranky cyclists weren't yet out in volume. I still feel achy and sore after a couple of kilometres, still needing to build up from the inactive cold time. The path is much dryer now, gravelly in places from efforts to make the icy parts walkable in the winter. It's amazing how easy it is to get the damn stuff suddenly rattling around in a running shoe. On the 14th Street bridge, I had to stop to shake one out.

By the construction for the new foot bridge, water was pooling, and I caught up to a couple. We picked our way single file past the mini-lakes, and narrowly dodged a couple of waves kicked up by cars on Memorial from the gutter adjacent to the path.

The climb up The Path was uneventful, and the red clay path on the the bluff was nearly dry, though I switched to run along the street at the top of The Stairs. Good run, great day.
L n K
Today's run:
Distance: 7.41 Time: 44:30
Average speed: 6:00 min/km. (9.99 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Getting Back on Track (Again)

2011-03-16T21:12:00.000-06:00

When I left the house, there was a little bit of rain, just a sprinkle. At least it wasn't snow....That started coming down about two minutes later. Seriously, it wasn't a big dump, actually kind of a nice tickley sleet. And once I was hot and sweaty, I didn't even notice.

I am now determined to get out there regularly again, like I used to do, before the cold, dark days of Christmas. It's tough, because even a 7K run feels challenging, and there are aches I don't remember. I think I've let my core strength ebb as well, so the joints are working harder to keep me moving and upright. They let me know how hard they're working.

An added impetus: I have been expecting an email at work, and it finally arrived yesterday. There are efforts to organize a team for the Banff Jasper Relay again, and before I was able to give it much thought, I fired off a two word reply, "I'm in!" So I have not quite three months to get back into some semblance of shape.
L n K
Today's run:
Distance: 7.02 Time: 43:16
Average speed: 6:09 min/km. (9.73 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Slow and Sore

2011-03-13T11:35:00.002-06:00

Oh man, I am paying for all the slacking. Knees hurt, shins hurt, thighs hurt. Feeling old and slow. However, I'm certainly glad the cold appears to be over with for the moment. (Hopefully the weather gods won't be offended by that and throw us all back into the deep freeze....)

I intended to run the 10K loop to Crowchild but by the time I got to 10th Street, my shins were complaining mightily. When I got to 14th, I knew it was time to cut short and do the 7K loop. Even so, I was moving old and slow.

The nice weather the last couple of days is melting great gobs of snow, and of course the paths are covered with shallow pools of water, which in the morning are glassy patches of ice. Mostly there are gaps beside them, where there is clear pavement or grass. Sometimes you get to practice the curling rink run. A little bit of fun sliding, to take my mind off my aching legs.
L n K
Today's run:
Distance: 7.20 Time: 45:30
Average speed: 6:18 min/km. (9.49 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Foggy Run

2011-02-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Actually a sunny day, quite nice. The fog is all inside. Bleah. Sunny, lots of runners, not too icy. Actually had a decent run, finally under 6 min/km again. I did the 10 km run to Crowchild.

L n K
Friday's run:
Distance: 10.93 Time: 1:05:21
Average speed: 5:58 min/km. (10.04 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

A Catch Up Post

2011-02-27T09:51:00.002-07:00

I ran Friday night, later than usual, in the dark, and haven't posted yet. Just as I started out, I was thinking of it as the bunny run, because all along the street leading to the bluff, about a dozen bunnies, scampering up and down the street, and into the park.

Not too cold, not to many people out at all.
L n K
Friday's run:
Distance: 7.16 Time: 44:12
Average speed: 6:10 min/km. (9.72 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

To Wuss Out or Not To Wuss Out

2011-02-20T10:42:00.000-07:00

Not well this morning. I woke up aching all over, with the beginnings of a tension headache. I had hoped coffee and a good breakfast would help. As I dressed for a run, I argued with myself about simply going back to bed.

I got out the door, though, and headed for the bluff. By the time I got there, my head was pounding. I stopped, considered, began to walk toward home, but after 50 metres the headache had subsided a little, so I turned and tried again, taking it slow.
L n K
By the time I got to the foot bridge over Memorial Drive, I was feeling queasy from the headache, and my knees and lower legs were hurting. Usually those aches don't last long when I run, but these persisted. By the time I got to 14th Street, I was better, but just determined to finish.

Another cold day today, but still many runners out. I arrived at 10th Street just as the light changed, so got a little rest. A group caught up to me just then too, all younger, taller and faster. When the light changed I found myself crossing the street in a crowd of runners, feeling a little like that guy in Jurassic Park running across the grass while that herd of fleet footed dinosaurs ran past.

A dull ache from my eyebrows to the middle of my back pretty much kept my attention to a point on the pavement six feet in front of me for the rest of the run.

No Garmin this time. It doesn't seem to hold a charge for much more than a day, and I hadn't plugged it in last time. The distance I'm pretty sure of; I'll guess that my pace was pretty dismal.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.20 Time: 46:48
Average speed: 6:30 min/km. (9.23 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

My Cold, Cold Tummy

2011-02-18T14:38:00.001-07:00

There seems to be a space between my running tights and my several top layers, where the cold seems in. I don't notice it while I'm out there, but once I'm home, the skin on my lower abdomen gets that itch that thawing skin has.

It's good and chilly out, but I think after all this time I finally have figured out how to dress for it, aside from the aforementioned tummy part. I have just the right layers that keep me warm enough, that don't frost up, and that don't get uncomfortably wet in the winter wind.
L n K
The cold kept most people in, but there were still a few of us out there.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.22 Time: 45:04
Average speed: 6:14 min/km. (9.61 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Thermal Stresses

2011-02-16T19:01:00.002-07:00

It's warm; it's cold; it's warm; then cold again... Talk about thermal stresses. I should have ran last night when it was almost 20 degrees warmer.

However, I'm a hardy soul, so I donned my cold weather gear and was out on the paths. The fresh snow had been cleared for most of the way. Some places had a little ice underneath, but it wasn't as slippery as it would have been had it been warmer.

There were several runners out too, including three groups of about six each. Even several walkers, and the usual cyclists. The wind was mostly OK, except every once in a while when I would reach a clear place away from trees. Only on the return leg, mind you, though I couldn't tell you if it was from the east or the north.
L n K
And possibly this run was another milestone. I created a spreadsheet several years ago, to record time and distance for each run, and I've kept it up ever since. I also transferred what I had written in a running log the I kept when I first started, so theoretically, I have a record of every run since April 5, 2004. And if that is so, tonight was my 950th run.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.22 Time: 43:59
Average speed: 6:05 min/km. (9.85 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Late and Lovely

2011-02-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

I ran a little later than usual tonight and it was quite nice. Not much traffic, clear paths, with lots of new snow on both sides, and low overcast to reflect the city light. It was almost bright. The paths were even wet in places so I wonder if they didn't salt them or what ever it is they put on roads these days.

I liked the late run. And as we are on the verge of another week of chinook weather, it was just about right for running.

One lesson learned: if there's a guy standing on the edge of the path, by the banked up snow, consider that he might be holding a nearly invisible retractable leash, attached to an nearly invisible little white dog in the snow on the opposite side of the path. Luckily for both doggie and me, the critter decided to run back to his master just as I was a few steps away. I doubt either of us would have enjoyed getting entangled.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.10 Time: 42:29
Average speed: 5:59 min/km. (10.03 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Winter Again

2011-02-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Seems as though my main focus is weather related lately. I don't think that's unreasonable; it is an important consideration. So today, after a sunny shorts and tee shirt run a couple of days ago, I'm bundled up again. It's not wickedly cold, but cold enough. For once I found the right amount of layering.

After the previous few days melting, the paths are almost clear of ice, with only a few slippery smooth patches. The path along the bluff is an exception, where the packed snow is now a bumpy but polished strip of ice. There is some bare grass along the edge of the path, but uneven and not continuous. I took to the street.

The run, uneventful. Really, much like all the other runs. The ice adds a little fun. I approach the few smooth patches and take to them like anyone who's spent some time curling. It's been a lot of years for me, but some things are like riding the proverbial bicycle. I slide across them, and if they are long enough, I'll do that step-slide you see in curling rinks across the country. It works very well, and it's kinda fun.

I'm slow these days. Having not been out as much as I should be over the last couple of months, I'm slower. I'm slower when it's cold. I'm slower when I have to navigate snow and ice. However, I tell myself I am burning off all those excess calories that appear to be settling just a little north of my belt line. I'm out there to run, not to race, enjoying the journey and all that.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.63 Time: 1:04:09
Average speed: 6:02 min/km. (9.94 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Might as Well Be Spring

2011-02-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

I know, we'll be back to the regularly scheduled February in a couple of days. For now enjoy they nice May weather. I suppose we'll pay for this later?

It was a lovely sloppy run today, perfect for shorts and a tee. Sunny and warm, about 9C, but windy as heck. It was a little cool feeling right when I first turned to the west, but I quickly warmed up. After that it was skipping over puddles, and jockeying for who would go first past the big ones. Often there's just a narrow strip of wet pavement between calf-deep snow and a pond. With the number of runners out, at times there could be a lineup to pick along between.

I love it. Now by Sunday, it'll be back to nasty cold and I'll be layered up again. Time to pack away the summer clothes already!

Today's run:
Distance: 6.95 Time: 42:29
Average speed: 6:06 min/km. (9.82 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Spring-Like Evening

2011-02-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

It was warm, no wind, not wet and sloppy either. We were just coming out of that nasty cold weather, in fact that morning it was viciously cold with a cutting wind. Also kind of nice was the sun was still up when I started the run, and lots of light left when I ended. I can feel my mood changing too.

The paths were clear, not much wet with just a few small puddles to dodge.

Distance: 7.13 Time: 43:20
Average speed: 6:04 min/km. (9.87 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Eight Hundred

2011-01-26T22:08:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? While I haven't been here posting, I did get a couple of runs in, over the past couple of weeks. The last two Sundays, I managed to run a measly 7 km each time, one of those in some nasty cold weather.

And both times, my Garmin was dead as heck. I think I simply forgot to plug it in to charge up, though I wondered if perhaps after six years the battery had finally stopped being able to hold a charge. So I recorded those two runs as being 7.3 km run at a pace of 6:00/km.

Tonight, despite only a technical tee and a wind breaker, I was definitely over dressed. I should have chosen shorts.

I didn't get out until later than usual. It was nice not to have cyclists playing chicken with you, but there were still enough of them out there. Lots of running groups out there too, so that made them more surly than usual.

Oh right! The eight hundred! This is my eight hundredth post to this blog. A milestone of sorts, but not sure of what...

Tonights run:
Distance: 7.29 Time: 43:56
Average speed: 6:01 min/km. (9.97 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1)

A Cold Dark Run

2011-01-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Just the usual for Calgary for January. At least there is no wind to speak of. The paths are covered in packed snow, and in some places it's a little bumpy and uncomfortable to run on. But not slippery at all, unless you use a really aggressive stride. Me, I'm pretty easy going and slow-ish.

The cold always bites a little during the first ten minutes or so. Once I build up a little heat, it comes up to my face, so I don't even notice the cold.

Given that I've only been running once a week or less for the last month, I'm keeping the distance down to about 7 km a run to get back into the groove. That could be laziness too, or resenting the time it takes to be out there.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.16 Time: 41:32
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (10.34 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1)

New Year's Blizzard

2011-01-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

My first run of the new year, and it's blowing pretty nasty out. There were reports on the radio of major stretches of highway being closed. But I figured I better get out there.

Seems like the only day of the week I run is Sundays; I need to get back into my schedule of at least three times a week. I don't know why it's so hard, but I readily lay the blame on the cold and the darkness.

Anyway, it's blowing hard from the west, but I had that at my back heading down to the Centre Street bridge. The paths and the top of the bluff are layered in semi-packed snow, and it's slow going. In contrast, the bridge was scoured clean by the snow. I could feel it too, a whippy cross wind slowed only a little by the bridge railing.

Coming off the bridge, I was fully exposed, now wishing I'd worn a scarf, but a hundred paces on I had some shelter from the trees growing along the edge of the river. A little better. Past Eau Claire it was much more sheltered, and I started to warm up a little, and that was all I needed. After that, even though I was in and out of the wind, it never really bothered me too much.

I crossed at the 14th Street bridge, reasoning that I wasn't up to much more since I've been slacking for the past month. On the other side, with the wind at my back, it was much more civilized. I passed the two little jeeps with plows on them, that keep the path clear from Edworthy to the zoo, they were backing down the path, maybe to take a wider bite from the ridge along the path's edge.

The trudge up The Path Under The Stairs went well. By then I was head down, all business, just get 'er done. The path at the top of the bluff was mostly polished now by the blowing snow. There were a couple of low spots where it was accumulating, just for variety.

I don't set any speed records in these conditions, but I think I did not too bad.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.62 Time: 47:02
Average speed: 6:10 min/km. (9.72 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

A Cold Clear Morning

2010-12-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

A perfect day for running, as long as you layer up and make sure you can stay warm. Actually it's easy to over dress, and I was sort of, which means I was probably dressed about right, a little cold running into the wind, and a little warm running with it. A lot of runners were out too, dressed in various layers. No shorts, like I saw a couple of days ago, but definitely the other extreme, including big honkin' leather mitts and thick scarves.

It's been a week since I've been out, and I felt it. Achy in a few places, thought probably not like I could be given how I haven't been out much the last couple of weeks.

It was icy all over, but most of the trails have clear paths along the edge or down the middle. It's rare to have to actually run on the ice, but there is a fair amount of dancing left and right to go around the ice patches. Even The Path Under The Stairs had a nice clean lane down the side.

I thought I'd stay with a 10K run, which felt about right for now. I'm not breaking any speed or distance records under the current conditions.

Two weeks ago, I ran the Last Chance Half Marathon, before much of the cold and snow hit. Or was it three...? Talk about middle of the pack; I came in 221st in a field of 468, 143rd out of 211 male runners, 24th out of 44 in my age division. My chip time was 1:54:32 for a pace of 5:28, and ya know, that's pretty darn good!

Last Chance Half Marathon (by my Garmin):
Distance: 20.90 Time: 1:54:43
Average speed: 5:29 min/km. (10.93 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2)

Last Sunday's run:
Distance: 10.17 Time: 1:04:29
Average speed: 6:20 min/km. (9.46 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1)

Today's run:
Distance: 10.24 Time: 1:01:15
Average speed: 5:58 min/km. (10.03 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue)

Strange morning

2010-11-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

Another gorgeous fall day. We seem to be getting all the nice weather we were denied over the summer, and no crazy hot temperatures.

The sun was just kinda peeking out from the lone cloud in the sky as I started. By the time I got downtown it was cleared off, and just being a clear sparkling day. Not too busy, and I wonder if the time change messed some people up. Sort of messed my morning, but nothing serious.

Just past Crowchild, two police cars, and a TV news vehicle. That yellow police tape was across the path. A guy carrying a big TV camera and tripod back to the news car said a body was found. It must have been all over by then, cuz at that point, the police were untying the tape and clearing the path. Kinda freaky.

The rest of the run was pretty regular. One thing I did notice was the path below Spruce Cliff is now in shadow at that time of day. With the time change, the sun is higher now instead of shining directly down the path as it usually is when I run there.

On the way back, at 10th Street, a noisy siren was coming up behind me, and as I crossed the turn lane to the island to wait for the walk signal, another police car pulled into that lane to bypass the traffic that had stopped. I was kinda caught in the middle of crossing the lane, and though I had lots of time to get out of the way, it's a little disconcerting to discover a racing police car with all lights flashing, bearing down on you.

Entirely too much excitement for a quiet Sunday morning.

Today's run:
Distance: 17.03 Time: 1:37:18
Average speed: 5:42 min/km. (10.57 kph)
Rest distance: 0.98 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 18.01 km. Total time: 1:47:18
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

A Brief Look at Spring

2010-11-06T09:04:00.001-06:00

This town is so weird, weather-wise. The last two days have been clear and warm, up to 20C and warmer. Patios were open yesterday afternoon. Yesterday I did an early November run in shorts and tee. Back to a more normal looking day today though, everything frosty and the mountains are white again.

My last run before yesterday was almost two weeks ago, a Sunday long run. That one was in thick fog. No visibility on the bluff and while it was better down by the river, the downtown skyline was lost in the mists above 12 or 15 stories or so. Love running in those conditions cuz the fog seems to absorb sound and makes things look magical and mysterious. Apparently lots of others feel that way too, as the river paths were busy.

The run way back on Oct 24th:
Distance: 16.95 Time: 1:36:11
Average speed: 5:40 min/km. (10.57 kph)
Rest distance: 0.94 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.89 km. Total time: 1:46:11
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
L n K
Yesterday's run:
Distance: 10.10.2 Time: 58:47
Average speed: 5:45 min/km. (10.41 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

The Sun Sets on Tonight's Run

2010-10-19T19:06:00.000-06:00

I didn't get home until a little later than usual, so it was also later than usual for getting out to run. About this time of year, the days are short, and the sun sets early. I noticed it was gone from the sky on the last couple of kilometres. Kind of sad somehow, summer is definitely over and soon another snow will come that won't go away the next day.

I ran to 14th Street, then back to Edmonton Trail again. There seemed to be lots of runners out, and that might be due to the time. I've found that the 5:00 to 6:00 seems to be devoid of runners, but the start to come out during the supper hour.

Today's run
Distance: 10.49 Time: 1:00:40
Average speed: 5:47 min/km. (10.06 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).
L n K

Squishy Shoe

2010-10-17T20:44:00.000-06:00

Not from being wet, mind you, well yes wet, but only a little bit, and just from where my toe was bleeding. A toenail had developed an edge and was digging in a little deep.

That's how exciting the run was, pretty straight forward, run of the mill. It was about average busy as far as running traffic. There was something going on at Eau Claire, and I had to thread my way through a crowd. There were even mats down for timing chips, and several people running toward me with racing bibs pinned on. No idea what it was, but I was out of that crowd after passing the Louise Bridge.

All in all, though it was simply a gorgeous day. The snow that fell a couple of days ago was gone, and the leaves were crunchy again. Sunny and clear, not a cloud to be seen all day.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.54 Time: 1:35:51
Average speed: 5:47 min/km. (10.59 kph)
Rest distance: 1.00 km. Rest time: 10:02.
Total distance: 17.54 km. Total time: 1:45:53
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
L n K

First Snow

2010-10-15T11:19:00.000-06:00

It's gorgeous out this morning. Big fat fluffy snowflakes, coming down thick enough to obscure the downtown skyline from across the river. It's piling up on the grass, but still melting as it hits the pavement. Lots of puddles to dodge on the paths, and I wasn't entirely successful.

Not too much of a breeze either, just enough for it to take a little time to warm up running westward into it. I was the only one out there on the north side, and I saw only two others coming back toward home, near Eau Claire.

One shoe refused to stay tied. I've never had a problem before, and can only vaguely remember a couple of other times when I had to stop and re-tie a shoe. Today it was twice, even with the funky string-of-beads style of lace that New Balance uses.

Quite a change from last Sunday's run, when it was warm, and sunny, and the paths were full of runners. Two entirely different climates, two lovely, fun runs.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 17.06 Time: 1:36:24
Average speed: 5:39 min/km. (10.59 kph)
Rest distance: 0.99 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.97 km. Total time: 1:46:24
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
L n K
Today's Run:
Distance: 10.21 Time: 59:51
Average speed: 5:51 min/km. (10.06 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

Among the Naked Trees

2010-10-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

It's fall, no doubt about it. More sun gets through to the ground when you run through the trees, and there's that rustly crunching sound. There's more wind too, and darn but it can be chilly in the morning.

I've changed up things so that my Tuesday run goes east and west. I've been crossing to Eau Claire and heading east to Edmonton Trail, then across to the north side where I go west to 14th Street, and back to Eau Claire again. Amazingly, it's pretty much the same distance as my loop to Crowchild and back.

Running along Riverfront Avenue, for the most part you can stay on the sidewalk, but occasionally you have to drop off the curb when the construction fence crowds you. For all the construction going on, it should look pretty good. But I don't think it'll be done until next spring.

The Friday night run was back on my usual Crowchild loop. It's still warm for running, and I'm glad I can still wear shorts. It was nice and a little less crowded. I think the usual commuters might be thinned out from people making an extra long weekend out of it.

The Path. I'm starting to look forward to getting to that. Not because it means I'm almost at the end of a run, well, I do look forward to that. But I'm having fun pushing hard on the climb. Don't know where that energy is coming from. Love the feeling when I get to the top

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 9.91 Time: 1:01:04
Average speed: 6:09 min/km. (9.74 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).

Friday's run:
Distance: 10.12 Time: 59:02
Average speed: 5:50 min/km. (10.29 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

Summer is Finally Here?

2010-10-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

Actually, it's not all that summery out. The trees are now nearly naked, and the path is particularly crunchy with leaves. Still, it's reasonably warm, enough for shorts and tee shirt. And for a lot of runners too. Not crowded out there, but busy. And I had a great run. I think I'm finally past the laziness that took over last spring.

I also signed up for a motivator just now. L n K I had thought about doing the Harvest Half Marathon this year, and never got to looking into it. And now it's gone by having been run yesterday. There is one last big run of the year coming up, so I jumped into that. I run the Last Chance Half Marathon on November 14.

Today's run:
Distance: 17.04 Time: 1:38:04
Average speed: 5:45 min/km. (10.43 kph)
Rest distance: 0.94 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.98 km. Total time: 1:48:04
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Indian Summer Hangs On

2010-10-01T18:19:00.000-06:00

Another beautiful day, and just lovely for running. The trees have shed a lot of bulk today, with a stiff breeze stirring the leaf piles. I ran the usual route, down to Crowchild and back. The paths were surprisingly busy, and at times the congestion was a little close. Everyone wants to get outside before the real cold weather comes, I guess.

Tonight's run:
Distance: 10.16 Time: 57:37
Average speed: 5:40 min/km. (10.58 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).

A Small Change

2010-09-29T22:04:00.000-06:00

I made a little change to my route, about the third time I've gone that way in the last couple of weeks. I cross Prince's Island, but then I head east to the Langevin Bridge at Edmonton Trail. On the north side of the river I go west again, as far as 14th Street, then back along the south side to Prince's Island again. Just a tiny bit longer than the run straight out to Crowchild and back.
L n K
Tonight's run:
Distance: 10.53 Time: 1:01:31
Average speed: 5:50 min/km. (10.26 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

Technicolor Run

2010-09-26T13:55:00.000-06:00

Wow, is it ever some kind of colourful out there! This time of year is when the view from the bluff can be breathtaking, and so too along the river. There is so much red, which I never expect to see on the prairie. I grew up with poplar yellow and maple brown, nothing red anywhere that I remember. But the river valley is lined with red. Saskatoons? Dogwood? I don't know what bush is what.

I ran the route in reverse of what I've been running it for the past ... how many months? It's so different looking, surprisingly so, going the other way. But all the colour, it's dazzling.

On top of all that, I had a good strong run. The last couple of runs, I think I've been running as good as I was in early spring, before I started slacking for the summer.

Still slacking at the write ups, though....
L n K
The run on the 12th:
Distance: 16.66 Time: 1:34:23
Average speed: 5:39 min/km. (10.59 kph)
Rest distance: 1.24 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.90 km. Total time: 1:44:23
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
L n K
The run on the 15th:
Distance: 9.79 Time: 58:22
Average speed: 5:57 min/km. (10.06 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

And then I didn't run for about a week...

The run on Tuesday:
Distance: 10.71 Time: 1:02:26
Average speed: 5:49 min/km. (10.29 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
L n K
The run on Friday:
Distance: 10.20 Time: 58:17
Average speed: 5:43 min/km. (10.49 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).
L n K
Today's run:
Distance: 17.41 Time: 1:39:53
Average speed: 5:44 min/km. (10.46 kph)
Rest distance: 1.05 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 18.45 km. Total time: 1:50:53
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

On a New Schedule

2010-09-10T17:57:00.000-06:00

Friday night runs aren't bad. I think there are more cyclists on the path. It was a nice run though. It's been a grey day, and not that cool. I was hoping for some rain to chill a little.

Mostly just a run like any other.
L n k
Tuesday's RunDistance: 10.25 Time: 58:56
Average speed: 5:45 min/km. (10.44 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

Changing My Schedule

2010-09-08T18:48:00.002-06:00

At least I'm going to give it a whirl. My Thursday nights are filled up this fall, so my usual Tuesday, Thursday running schedule it going to get heavily interfered with. So I am going to try switching to a Wednesday, Friday schedule. I notice it's not much different - go figure.

It's a nice cool evening, a nice running evening, after all the rain we got earlier in the day. A few big puddles to dodge along the top of the bluff, and a little muddy in places.

I've noticed the starts have been a little stiffer and slower the past couple of times out. It doesn't take long to loosen up, but I'd rather be loose from the start. Maybe a little more intensity is needed in the pre-run stretch.

But mostly, just another run: went out, got sweaty, came home.
L n k
Tuesday's RunDistance: 10.09 Time: 59:27
Average speed: 5:53 min/km. (10.18 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).

Drippy Drizzle Day Run

2010-09-05T20:20:00.001-06:00

It was a little drizzly when I first went out this morning, and for awhile it really came down, but once I changed and got out on the paths, it was back to drizzly. There's a definite chill in the air these days, but with hardly any wind (at least at the start) conditions were excellent for running.

I didn't set any speed record again today, except maybe that last three km before Edworthy Park and the public washrooms. For the last ten minutes of the run, the rain again began to come down, so I was drenched when I finished. The wind came up for a minute or two, too, and like I said, there's a definite chill.

I haven't wrote about runs for a week or so, sorry about that. Last week's long run was kinda nice, sunny and lots of runners out. The mid week runs were non-descript, but it was warmer too. Almost summery. All the details are below.
L n k
Last Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.77 Time: 1:38:52
Average speed: 5:54 min/km. (10.18 kph)
Rest distance: 1.32 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 18.09 km. Total time: 1:48:52
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
L n k
Tuesday's RunDistance: 10.00 Time: 58:37
Average speed: 5:51 min/km. (10.24 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).
L n k
Thursday's RunDistance: 10.13 Time: 59:14
Average speed: 5:50 min/km. (10.26 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
L n k
Today's Run:Distance: 16.70 Time: 1:38:02
Average speed: 5:52 min/km. (10.22 kph)
Rest distance: 0.82 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.52 km. Total time: 1:48:02
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Was That Summer That Just Wizzed By?

2010-08-28T07:54:00.002-06:00

A couple of days ago, we hit 30 degrees. First time this year, we're told. I got to run in it. Got hot and sweaty, so it must have happened. Too bad if you were in the bathroom and missed it when it went by.

It wasn't one to write home about (so I'm writing about it here??), but a decent run by any measure, with the usual aches and pains. My body appears to be outpacing my level of maturity more and more each day.

Thursday's run:
Distance: 10.30 Time: 1:01:14
Average speed: 5:56 min/km. (10.09 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).
L n K

Crazy Time

2010-08-24T19:48:00.002-06:00

I just noticed my time on my run tonight. One Hour. Sixty minutes. Exactly. Well, if you ignore the few hundredths of a second past the sixty minute mark.

It was a good run, but mostly taken up by a battle of the inward and outward. I seem to be in a contemplative mood tonight, and tended to look inward, brooding over stuff. I'd rather not do that, cuz I probably look a little spacey and not all there. I'd rather look outward.

In fact, I like being a bit of a tourist when I run, checking things out: the cyclists, other runners, the osprey nest by Crowchild, the rafters on the river. So every time I noticed I was head down and plodding into my messy mind, I would look up and look around.

Some runs are like that.

Tonight's run:
Distance: 10.34 Time: 60:00
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (10.34 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
L n K

Smokin'!

2010-08-22T15:03:00.003-06:00

Well something is, and I think it's British Columbia. The haze settled over us on Thursday, and my lack of motivation jumped all over that for a ready made excuse. Too smokey to run. All that particulate matter just ain't no good for the lungs.

But it didn't smell smokey this morning. Not like the damp campfire smell that was there a couple of days ago, evoking memories of soggy camping trips of long ago. Does that make it healthier?

This morning, I took a deep breath (koff, koff...) and headed out. It's been cool today, not much good for those longing for real summer, but kind of good for running. I think a lot of people were fed up with waiting for the air to clear. There are loads of people out running this morning.

I wasn't setting any speed records. I guess not getting out there has caught up to me. I was slow. At least a full ten minutes longer than usual to run this distance. I don't think too much about it, I was just happy to finally get off my duff and get out there.

The smoke wasn't noticeable at all, though I did worry about my lungs filtering all that particulate matter from my exhalations. I think we're good, but please, B.C., the bylaw clearly states, no smoking within 5 metres of the entrance, so if you could just take it down the street a little....? Thanks!
L n K
Today's run:
Distance: 16.45 Time: 1:39:22
Average speed: 6:02 min/km. (9.93 kph)
Rest distance: 1.08 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 17.53 km. Total time: 1:50:22
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Another One

2010-08-17T19:54:00.002-06:00

Finally got a chance to get out and run. Last week was too busy, with workshops and other things going on. Isn't summer supposed to be the slow time? Actually, it mostly is for me. Just last week was taken up by things.

So this was the first run for quite awhile. I felt quite good for not running for almost two weeks. Reasonably fast, and nothing hurt too much. I notice some stiffness that lingers after, but hey, could be age (ya think?)

Nice run on a lingering warm evening, kind of a nice meander along the river. Lots of cyclists, many taking themselves way too seriously, but that's their stress. I had a great run, even pushing hard on The Path. I swear, the lower half of that stretch must be a grade of 20% or more.
L n K
Tonight's run:
Distance: 10.44 Time: 59:20
Average speed: 5:40 min/km. (10.56 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

How to Ruin a Massage

2010-08-08T13:02:00.000-06:00

Actually, I'd already done the deed the night before, getting out on the Glenmore Reservoir with a rented kayak. I started out aching across the shoulders from hoisting the kayak onto my car roof, even with the help of a helpful passer-by. However I met a couple of the locals while out on the water:

And this guy too:

The three herons were too quick for me, diminishing to flecks in the sky before I could get a camera out. And the jackfish lurking two feet below me in the weeds was spooked by the movement of my reaching.

The aches disappeared rather quickly after I started running, I think because I was out and moving. It was cloudy and a little cool, and toward the end, there was the beginnings of a shower. I did the mid-interval sprints again, for some of them. After five of those, my right hamstring was twanging. I hoped I would be able to run it off, but the tightness persisted all the way home.
L n K
On The Path, I got aggressive, thinking that it's only 300 metres at a grade of about 25% or more, like, come on wuss, go hard! So I did. Actually, it averages about 15% if I understand the calculation. Steep enough to wake up the calves, for sure.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.46 Time: 1:36:01
Average speed: 5:50 min/km. (10.29 kph)
Rest distance: 1.28 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.74 km. Total time: 1:46:01
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Double Your Fun

2010-08-05T18:32:00.002-06:00

Or I'll just write up two runs....

Last Monday I was out for the long one, since I had other things going on Sunday morning, and Monday was a holiday. So it was a different crowd, and not as many. I think that may have been due to people being out of town too.

It was a pretty standard run. On the third interval, I tried a mid interval sprint, like I was doing about 15 months ago, running hard and really stretching for the middle minute. It always feels good to do that, especially after the minute is up and I slow down again. It does make the run go faster, although the way I've been running, it sort of put me close to my usual time.

Something I've noticed for ages, is how the path is slumping toward the river. It's like that in several places, but the worst is the half km or so west of Crowchild Trail on the south side of the river. I find I crowd the centre line to avoid feeling like I have one leg shorter than the other. The steep camber is kinda hard on the ankles sometimes too.

Tonight was also a pretty standard run, felt pretty normal and all. Lots of traffic out, cuz it's so nice. There was a lot of music blaring from Millennium Park; no idea what that was about. Maybe it's like when they're building a house and the framers or roofers have a loud radio. With the West LRT construction concentrated there, maybe the construction people have a radio turned up, like to 140 decibels.

Or it could be a party of some kind at the park.

Monday's run:
Distance: 17.10 Time: 1:36:34
Average speed: 5:38 min/km. (10.62 kph)
Rest distance: 0.94 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 18.04 km. Total time: 1:46:34
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
L n K
Tonight's run:
Distance: 10.17 Time: 59:33
Average speed: 5:51 min/km. (10.25 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).

Draggin' Behind

2010-08-01T16:33:00.004-06:00

Still dragging my backside when it comes to getting out there. This time I have a little bit of an excuse, as I was spending time with my grandsons. Then woke up feeling not well at all, so no run today. I will try tomorrow, if I feel better, and take advantage of the holiday Monday to get some distance in.

There was a nice note left on my on my last entry from Melissa (read her blog!). Gracious, 5:48/mile?!?! That's a seriously fast pace, probably way out of reach of most of us mortals. Glad you didn't hang up your shoes. Keep running and have fun!

My last run on Tuesday was OK, kinda hot, but well now, ain't it summer? We haven't had that typical prairie dryness this year either, so it's a little close at times, too. But I got out, and ran a respectable time for a slacker, only a little bit off my usual pace.
L n K
My run:
Distance: 10.17 Time: 1:02:15
Average speed: 6:07 min/km. (9.80 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).

More Ketchup

2010-07-25T16:24:00.002-06:00

Or Catch Up. I've been bad again about posting, having gone through a week without saying anything. It's been a good week for runs, although maybe the heat has been a little brain and body addling. Last Tuesday I was feeling a little light headed after running, maybe from dehydration? Anyway, catching my breath after, and getting some hydration helped a lot.

Friday was also warmish, and left me a little achy. I felt slow, but the GPS was rather flattering, telling me I'd completed a 12.25 km run. Funny, that route has always measured out at about 10.2 km or so. I'm going to assume it was fibbing, or maybe that was its turn to be heat addled. I'll use Tuesday's distance below as it's more realistic.

Today, well, I did beat some of the heat. Maybe I should alter my Sunday morning routine on days like this, and run first thing while it's still cool. It wasn't all that bad though. One thing about the warm days is the traffic. There are so many runners and walkers and bikers on the paths. It's not crowded, but it's busy. I kinda like that.
L n K
Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.22 Time: 59:12
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (10.36 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Friday's run:
Distance: 10.22 Time: 1:01:56
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (9.90 kph)
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 1).

Today's run
Distance: 17.12 Time: 1:39:44
Average speed: 5:56 min/km. (10.30 kph)
Rest distance: 1.11 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 18.23 km. Total time: 1:50:44
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).

Spitty, Spotty

2010-07-06T17:52:00.003-06:00

It looked like rain, a big dark cloud in the west. It isn't really hot out, but I like running in the rain, and it would have felt quite nice even for the heating up I was doing while running. Nuh-uh.

After crossing the river at Crowchild, it was dark and brooding, and there was a tiny bit of drippy spitty rain. But within minutes the sun burst forth, and that was that.

Good run though, and just what I needed.
L n K
Distance: 10.26 Time: 59:59
Average speed: 5:50 min/km. (10.26 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Weather: Distant precipitation and 19C.

Old and Slow

2010-07-04T14:54:00.004-06:00

Well, it's how I feel anyway. But actually I felt pretty good too. Such a beautiful morning to be out running.

There wasn't a lot to note about it, other than all the running groups appeared to be starting just as I went by, so there was lots of traffic on the promenade. And the bottle picker who was having trouble with his bike, expressing frustration with a loud carpet f-bombing.

Anyway, I was a little slower than a couple of months ago. But I'm not out to set speed records.
L n K
Distance: 16.68 Time: 1:39:00
Average speed: 5:56 min/km. (10.11 kph)
Rest distance: 1.25 km. Rest time: 10:54.
Total distance: 17.94 km. Total time: 1:49:54

A Brief Note

2010-07-01T06:20:00.002-06:00

That was a bloody hot day for running. I think I was a little too hot, but I ran the usual route.

Distance: 9.93 Time: 1:00:46
Average speed: 6:072 min/km. (9.35 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
Weather: Sunny and 21C.

Getting Off My Backside

2010-06-27T16:30:00.002-06:00

Man, I've got no motivation at all. I've been lazy and not even thinking of running. Perhaps because all the races I signed up for are done. And I'm supposed to be hiking now, getting out in the mountains on the weekends instead of staying in the city, running early to dodge the summer heat.

As I stepped out the front door, my neighbour walked around the corner. Another runner, and much more serious about it than I. We had passed each other often in the last five years, one of us heading out while the other was just back, or passing on the river paths.

So we ran together for awhile and chatted a bit. It was warm, a typical summer day, and we were out in the late morning. At Crowchild, she continued on, while I turned back. Given how often I've been out in the past few weeks, a 10 K was about all I was up to, and I was moving kinda slow, too.

Distance: 10.36 Time: 1:05:59
Average speed: 6:22 min/km. (9.35 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Weather: Sunny and 21C.

Missed the Rain

2010-06-22T19:15:00.002-06:00

It's been an odd day over all. Accidents, and several lightning induced fires. Thunderstorms and rainshowers, and sunny moments.

I just missed a shower when I left work, and it cleared quite nicely as I walked home. Of course my rain jacket just soaked up the heat form the sun.

I was out of the door in running gear shortly after I got home, and trundled down toward the bluff. It's busy down there lately, with all those bootcamp groups running, stretching, lifting, climbing, jumping and whatever else they do. It's a little bit of a traffic jam at times.

I tried going westward on the south side tonight. The promenade was sort of busy, but there was lots of room. It was warm enough, and there was a small chance of another shower, but that never materialized.

All in all, it was a pretty unremarkable run, except for the fact that it's the first time I've been out in a week. The Path was a little challenging, but ain't it always so.

Anyway, I had a nice, sweaty, huffy, puffy hour.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.04 Time: 59:31
Average speed: 5:55 min/km. (10.12 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Weather: Fog and 4C.

Summer Schedule

2010-06-15T19:05:00.003-06:00

I'd like to get out and do some hiking on the weekends so the weekend runs might take a hiatus for awhile. But tonight was just getting back into the groove.

I took a week off after the Banff Jasper run, a little recovery time. And it felt good to take it. I'm still marvelling at how freakishly good I ran that. I place 31st out of 33 runners on that leg, in other words, not last. So I'm quite happy with that. Given that stellar performance, our team placed 11th over all, and 3rd in the corporate division, which meant medals!! Suh-wheet!!

So anyway, I'm over that, mostly, physically. Back to my natural stiffness. Tonight was good, though. I got a chance to loosen up some. But what a grey day. The rain held off all the while I was out there, but it just kept getting darker and darker.

Nothing special, just a solid run.
L n K
Distance: 10.19 Time: 58:24
Average speed: 5.43 min/km. (10.47 kph)

Banff Jasper Relay

2010-06-06T11:49:00.008-06:00

The dreaded Big Bend! This is what happens when you volunteer to do whichever leg they need a runner. No one wants to do this one, cuz you climb 400 metres in the first 5.5 kilometres. It's a pretty relentless climb, and I wasn't sure I was up to it.

I wasn't sure I was even ready to try that morning. I barely slept at all. I got to my hotel at Lake Louise late, and grabbed a late dinner that kept me tossing and turning. Getting up at 4:30 in the morning, all I had for breakfast was a banana and some grapes before I drove the hour and a half to the starting point of the north half of the relay, at Saskatchewan Crossing. I got another banana and coffee, thinking that was about all I could handle about then.

I managed to find some of my other team members, and we susssed out a plan for supporting runners and ferrying vehicles along the route. At 7:00 the first set of runners were off.

Once they had disappeared around the bend, people dispersed to get some breakfast or where ever. I talked a little more with my team mates, and then drove to the first hand off. The first leg was about sixteen and a half kilometres, and our runner was only thirteen minutes past the forced start. Actually a really good run for someone who just started running less than a year ago.

We sorted out some changes about who was driving what and drove to the next hand off point - my start.

Once there, we had about an hour before we thought our runner would arrive. I dithered a bit about how to dress, and decided to go with shorts and tee, with a vest. Over that I wore the required high visibility vest and pinned on my number. I did some stretching and ran up the highway a couple of times, trying to loosen up and settle down.

From the curve in the highway that gives the Big Bend leg its name, the highway slithers up the side of the mountain at what looks deceptively like a gentle slope. From our starting point you can see about a kilometre of it before it curves around the mountain side.

Our runner made great time, showing up well before the forced start time and accompanied by lots of excited loud cheering from all of us waiting at the hand off. In fact he was 19 minutes ahead of the forced start for my leg, so I got a great start ahead of many of the teams. After he handed off to me, I got a loud cheering start from everyone and started down the highway.

The shoulder is terrifically narrow all the way up the first couple of kilometres or so. I tried hard to keep my pace even, pushing enough to make some headway, but paying attention to my breathing, two steps to inhale, two steps to exhale. If I couldn't maintain that rhythm, I would know it meant I was pushing too hard. Just to maintain a good pace it seemed more important to focus on that than on what the GPS was telling me about pace.

I had set up my GPS as usual for a long run, intending to take a one minute walk break for every nine minutes of running. When the alarm went for the first walk break I kept running. This run required a full commitment, so every ten minutes when the walk break alarm went off, I ignored it.

Around the first corner, the road steepened even more. Two hundred metres of that and my calves were aching. I had a knot forming in my hip too, but none of these aches were enough to slow me down. I think my body was telling me that what I was doing was harder than usual.

I pulled back my pace a little to maintain my breathing rate, and runners began to pass me. I fully expected that. On this leg, I think many teams put their strongest runners. Also the slight drizzle that had accompanied me up the long stretch from the start, had turned into a bit of a downpour, then a blizzard. A wind had come up to drive the sleet some, and it stung my bare arms and legs, and my face, and the sound of it hitting my racing number rattled like sand in the wind.

It didn't last. About the time the slope eased considerably the sun came out, and the temperature climbed. The wind died as well. This kind of thing continued throughout the entire run. We were subjected to every kind of weather possible, through several cycles.

This easy slope, though still going upward, was a great relief for the calves. And by the time I reached it, my hip had stopped bothering me as well. About this time the GPS finally locked on the satellites again. It had lost connection near the first curve, so had lost about three kilometres of distance in its register.

The support crew was great, and the first few times they were out with cameras, so I hammed it up as much as I could. I was feeling really good, maybe even a little cocky, so it wasn't too hard. I had them stopping every kilometre and a half so I could get some water, and it gave me another kind of measure of my progress too.

The road steepened once more, enough to get my calves complaining again. It felt like I'd been climbing forever, but I also felt like time was going by pretty swiftly. I tried to remember to look around once in awhile. It's a beautiful place to run. The cloud stayed high, so I could see the mountains. There was lots of snow, and the creeks and waterfalls were full and flowing noisily. Sometimes I could hear the roar of water from somewhere close by.

I finally reached the summit, although I wasn't sure. I didn't see a marker, and I don't know if there is one. But the highway started a downward slope, and I could feel the relief of the pressure in my calves . Runners continued to pass me every once in awhile, and the weather cycled through the hot sun/pouring rain/driving blizzard cycle what seemed like every ten minutes. I met the support team and had a drink every mile or so.

About three kilometres to go, I felt the downward slope more strongly. It wasn't steep, but it was definitely downward now. I lengthened my stride. At the last stop of the support team, I waved off the water, and said I'd see them at the end. I could see the building that holds the restaurants and souvenir shops of the icefields; the highway curving to the left. The big glacier came into view about the same time I resolved the hand off point. I glanced over every once in awhile; it's a pretty commanding sight.

As I got close to the hand off lane, I saw someone waiting for me - I had beat the forced start! That was totally unexpected. I hadn't thought I'd be anywhere near fast enough on that climb to get to the end before they started the remaining runners at the designated time. As it turned out I was twelve minutes ahead of it. Just unbelieveable!

I slapped the next runner's hand and he took off. I ran out through the lane and a couple of team mates were there with cameras and water bottles. I was elated at how well I'd done, and at how good I felt.

I think this was my strongest, most solid run ever. I had tackled the toughest leg on one long relay through some very challenging terrain, and I'd done pretty darn good.

Here's the elevation profile for the leg I ran from the runner's manual Dig that first six kilometres:

Because the GPS lost satellite contact, I'll use my time with the stated distance of the run.:
Distance: 15.78 Time: 1:37:21
Average speed: 6:10 min/km. (9.73 kph)
L n K!
Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
Weather: just about everything possible in the mountains.

An Attempt to Keep Going

2010-06-03T18:06:00.001-06:00

I should have taken the week off, I think. I was still a little depleted from the half marathon, and I think I needed the recovery time. It wasn't a half bad run though.

I went east toward the zoo again, and crossed Memorial at St. George's Avenue to run up Tom Campbell's Hill. And from there I did the usual threading up and down the bluff.

But when I crossed Edmonton Trail, I realized I was going to be late to meet a friend, so I instead of the last two hills, I ran straight home.

It was good, but I didn't feel the solidness in my legs that's usually there. The half marathon seemed to use up any looseness that I normally have.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 9.08 Time: 56:33
Average speed: 6.13 min/km. (9.63 kph)

2010 Calgary Half Marathon

2010-06-01T15:05:00.007-06:00

I dressed for running, attaching the timing chip to my shoelace, and pinning my bib to my windbreaker. It was chilly and wet when I walked out the door just before 6:00 am. At least there was no wind, but I wore my rain jacket over a fleece on the walk down to the start line for the Calgary Marathon and Half Marathon. The web site said there was no parking near the area, and suggested taking the train. I think the nearest train station to me is about the same distance as to the start line, so walking seemed the best choice.

The walk warmed me up some, too, and got my legs loosened up a little bit. I got to Bridgeland and the park where all the tents and activities were set up, and walked across to the bag check. I stuffed my jackets into the bag that came with the race kit, and stuck on the sticker with my bib number. Then queued up at the porta-potties.

Once through that, I walked and stretched and did some light running to warm up some more, then queued up again. Then some more warming up. I probably should have queued up a third time.

Alexandra appeared out of the crowd as I stopped to stretch my calves at the curb. She took a couple of pictures to send me, my "before" picture, though there would not be an after pic. She was not running but would be handing out medals at the finish line.

About then it was time to queue up for the start. I pushed through the crowd to and got as far up as the 2:30 sign (the expected time to complete the half marathon) before the crowd got too thick to push through. And then it was waiting for the start.

When the start gun went off, it was the usual pushing forward two steps, then standing for a minute while the three or four thousand runners ahead of me funneled through the start gate. I shifted from shuffling to running about five paces from the start mats.

The crowd was pretty thick, and Centre Avenue is a little narrow, so it was slow going for awhile. Turning onto 12th Street didn't make a lot of difference even though that street is wider. It stayed a little congested down to St. George's Avenue, across Memorial and around the zoo. By the time we got to Inglewood, we were spreading out a little.

I was just following the crowd, trying to keep to my own pace and playing tourist a little bit. Turning down 21st Avenue at the Shamrock, I missed seeing those pillows they put on the street to add a punishing bounce to any car that drives over them over 30 kph, and nearly fell. I watched for them all the rest of the way through Ramsay.

After crossing the Elbow River, and getting onto 12th Avenue, it was pretty calm. No standout events, other than the comments while we passed Berard Callebaut Chocolates on 1st Street. that they would have made for a popular aid station.

On 17th Avenue, I was swept along. We made the volunteers for the Lilac Festival on 4th Street wait to cross while we ran through. 17th Avenue went by quite fast.

At 14th Street, the underpass seemed steep both going down and climbing back out, especially as we kept climbing to the top of the bridge over the Bow. The loop around to go underneath and on to Memorial was memorable, as we joined up with the 10K runners who came straight down Memorial from the start line.

From there it was a long slog. I don't know why it feels like such a long slow stretch. It seemed to take just a little time to cross Crowchild, but from there, it felt like miles and miles to the turn around point. It came up fast too, after looking for it for so long.

Flowing eastward, the crowd had thinned considerably, but we were a steady stream along the river. There were a surprising number of people on both sides of Memorial and on the overpasses cheering us on. I remember approaching 10th Street, but not crossing it. I don't really have much recollection of that stretch until we crossed under Centre Street.

I was glad to finally turn up Edmonton Trail just after passing the 20 km marker. Turning onto 1st Avenue, the long hill ahead seemed invisible, and I really didn't notice it much as I climbed it. I guess it's not all that steep.

From there we crossed over to Centre Avenue again, and I kept steady all the way across the line. Nothing left for a sprint to the finish, I was just glad to be done.

Alexandra was there handing out medals with several other volunteers, and she was quite excited that I finished in under two hours. The hug was a nice greeting along with the medal - thanks Alexandra.

I got a Mylar "blanket" but the thin sheet of silvered plastic didn't keep the cold away for too long. I gulped my bananas and cookies, got my jackets from the bag check, and called it a day. I had a good run.

My GPS results:
Distance: 19.71 Time: 1:46:32
Average speed: 5:24 min/km. (11.31 kph)
Rest distance: 1.59 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 21.30 km. Total time: 1:57:32.

The official results are here.
My official time is 1:57:02 for a pace of 5:33.
I was 957th out of 2787, 618th out of 1119 males, 48th out of 111 in my age group.
L n K

Still Winter...?

2010-05-28T13:10:00.002-06:00

It's not that bad, but there was still snow on the ground earlier this morning after yesterday's snowfall.

I redid the route that I ran on Wednesday, except this time I cut off the loop around the zoo. That seemed to extend the run without adding much too the hill work. Running from Nose Creek through the zoo parking lot is a pretty gentle slope, and not much of a climb.

Only a couple of pairs of geese were on the path this time, although they were pretty aggressive about protecting the little ones. It's the only time they hiss at me. It's also that time of year when they leave a mess all over the trail in some places, so that a run becomes a bit of a dance.

I did all right on the hills. They aren't all that long, but they're a little steep, which I'm hoping is enough preparation for the next weekend. I'm pretty sure I won't be running on anything nearly as steep.

I over dressed again too. It's a little cool, but not cold enough to sustain snow, which is what I dressed for.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.83 Time: 1:07:42
Average speed: 6.15 min/km. (9.60 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Yellow 2).
Weather: Fog and 4C.

I'm Back!

2010-05-26T11:53:00.002-06:00

Been gone for a couple of weeks, but now I'm back, and I need to start getting into shape for the next big race, which is, um... 4 days away? Sheesh.

Anyway, I did do hills again. This time I stayed on the north side of the river instead of crossing over and running through the East Village. In doing so and trying to cut down my running distance by maybe half a kilometre, I almost got taken out by a goose.

They're back, though they never really left. However they've been messing up the sidewalks and trails in places, so running suddenly becomes an ankle strengthening exercise. Past Centre Street, a pair on the side of the path started hissing at me before I even got close. I ignored them, but as I ran past I was startled byt the goslings hiding in the grass as they suddenly started down the slope to the river.

At the Langevin bridge, a group of school kids were stopped underneath, watching a goose standing on the pier holding the north end of the bridge up. Of course the thing was spooked, being only a couple of feet above the heads of the kids, and decided to make a dash for the river. And of course, just as I was running past. I'm sure that it would have taken me out if I hadn't ducked.

After that, the run was pretty dull. The dinosaurs at the zoo were roaring again, and at the far end a small herd of mule deer lounged in an enclosure. What I thought were bison the last time I went by turned out to be musk ox. This time they were close to the fence and looking my way.

Under Memorial along Nose Creek, then up through the zoo parking lots, the first hill. Down St.George's Drive, then up the path to the top of Tom Campbell's Hill, the second hill. Down Thompson Street, and winding around to 2nd Avenue, 11A Street and climbing a narrow steep path to Drury Avenue, the third hill.

Drury Avenue down to 4th Avenue, then up 4th Street to 7th Avenue, the fourth hill. 7th to Edmonton Trail then 3rd Street, then up 2nd Avenue, the fifth hill. 2nd Avenue, to Samis Road, then across Centre Street and up Nony's Awful Little Hill, the sixth hill.

Down The Path Under The Stairs, then along the path behind Sunnyside, and up one of the new paths slashed across the bluff to the end of 4th Street (West), the seventh hill. then down the path from there to almost the trail behind Sunnyside, and up the next new path to near the end of 7A Street, the eighth hill.

I hope a couple more times of that is enough preparation to survive BJR.

Anyway, not a bad run given I've been slacking for two weeks.
L n K

Today's run:
Distance: 12.76 Time: 1:21:01
Average speed: 6.21 min/km. (9.45 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Weather: Cloudy and 13C.

Change Up

2010-05-12T08:48:00.002-06:00

So, looking ahead to what I've got myself into for the Banff Jasper Relay, I thought maybe it's time to change things around a little. It's a little late to be training for hills, but better late than never.

Back in 2005, when I first moved into the area north of downtown, I was training for the Calgary Marathon, and had figured up a route that would take me up and down the bluff in Bridgeland, on the east side of Centre Street. So I thought I'd try and retrace that route.

A gorgeous day, and I should have been out in the morning, but I've had a lot of little tasks to take care of lately. Anyway, midafternoon was a fine time to run. I did waffle on whether to go that route as I ran down The Path and across the bridge to Prince's Island. I probably should have stayed to the north side of the river, but part of the waffling was that I could head west as usual.

But I went east.

Not far past the Centre Street bridge, I ran into the ongoing construction. They have the river path blocked and most of that area is a parking lot for construction materials and equipment, but there is a sidewalk along Riverfront Avenue now.

At the Langevin bridge, the connection to 4th Street is gone, moved farther east. All the East Village development is changing the arrangement and look of the area. It's still empty, but now it looks like it's being built instead of being abandoned to the drug users and homeless.

The river side is all fenced off, so I followed the edge of it along Riverfront Avenue, on new paving stone sidewalks, past the Simmons mattress building, one of the few buildings left in the area. Looks like it's being used as a project office for the redevelopment.

I found a path between fencing into the park behind Fort Calgary, where a new water feature has been built, and then was able to get to the old suspension bridge to St. Patricks Island. The east end of the island is the zoo, of course, but the west end was once a picnic area, left to become overgrown and unused in the time I've lived here. Even there, though, there's been some cleaning up, with the wild bush removed and new benches installed.

At the zoo parking lot, where Zoo Road skirts the zoo from Memorial Drive and crosses the river to Inglewood, I sprinted across the street. City workers had the access gate into the zoo open, and I could see one of the tigers lounging in his cage just on the other side. Big stripey orange on green spring grass.

At the other end of the short bridge across the part of the river that makes St. Patrick's Island an island, I got on the river path again. Between the path and Memorial Drive, is the dinosaur park part of the zoo, and they've installed some Animatronic versions of the old standbys. The tail of ankylosaur was slowly thrashing in the air just across the fence as I first approached, and near the bridge from the main gate to the island part of the zoo, there was a carnivore of some kind roaring at something. Probably a tyrannosaur.

On the other side of that bridge, is the North American exhibits, though the fence and trees and bush screened that from the river path. I did see some bison lounging at the very end though, as the path turned northward to follow Nose Creek, along the Deerfoot Trail.

More construction; the zoo is building something there, so lots of dust being raised. Crossing under Memorial Drive, I was going to run up the road through the Zoo parking lot but all of that has been rebuilt, so the road actually goes farther north. I just ran over a berm and found myself in the huge new bus stop. It was deserted, too late in the day for school tours, I guess.

The hill climb through the zoo parking lot isn't particularly steep, and it's rather long. Not much challenge. At the top, I came out along side St. George's Drive and follewed it down the hill. I crossed there and began the steep climb up to Tom Campbells Hill Park.

This is the start of the winding through Bridgeland. Tom Campbells Hill marks the east end of the bluff, so as I come out the park gate and on the street, I'm immediately running downhill on Thomson Avenue, which switchbacks onto another street, which switchbacks again onto yet another street that ends up curving into 2nd Avenue. Fairly steep but not too bad.

A block down 2nd Avenue past a school, 11A Avenue runs uphill a block, ending in a steep path that climbs up to a cul-de-sac, on which I again descend. I could have gone further uphill here, to another street just above, and I'll keep that in mind for next time.

At 10th Street I climbed upward a block, then followed the long descending curve of Drury Avenue as it follows the face of the bluff. It joins up with 5th Avenue and 8th Street, then another three blocks east, then south a block to 4th Avenue. Whew!

At 4th Street, I charged up the hill again. 4th Street is ridiculously steep. The sidewalk becomes a stairway for a bit, then a sidewalk again before disappearing all together. It's also a ridiculously narrow street, with barely room for one car after all the parking on either side. Must be tricky parking on such a slope.

At the top of this, at 7th Avenue, it's a couple of blocks to Edmonton Trail, and past my favourite diner. I started the descent down Edmonton Trail, then kept to the right and followed 3rd Street rather than Edmonton Trail's curve eastward. Over the hump in the middle of all the hill side condos and down hill again, to 2nd Avenue.

2nd Avenue is insanely steep, one of those streets where you wonder what the heck somebody was thinking when they built it. The sidewalks are stairways, and at some point long before I moved here, both ends of the block between 3rd Street and 2nd Street were blocked off. I even wonder how they managed to pave such a slope. But it's a great climb.

At the top, it's another block to Samis road, which descends steeply to the top of the Centre Street bridge. And after sprinting across Centre Street, I was chugging up Nony's Awful Little Hill.

Next time I'll continue down The Path again, and up and down the new trails slashed across the face of the bluff above Sunnyside, but for this run I needed to get home and showered as I was meeting friends in a short while.

In all I climbed the bluff six times along this route, after rounding the east end of the zoo. Judging by the burn in my legs, I got a bit of a workout.
L n K

Yesterday's run:
Distance: 12.07 Time: 1:13:37
Average speed: 6.05 min/km. (9.84 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Weather: Cloudy and 13C.

Mothers Day Run

2010-05-09T13:16:00.003-06:00

My big decision was how to get there. I mean, it's close enough to walk, about 2 km to the start and finish lines. Would I be up to walking home after? And if the weather were to be icky, would I have to deal with a coat, or could I manage without?

I hopped in the car about an hour before. I figured if I got there early enough, I could get into one of the big parkades along 10th Avenue. But of course, the route went down 10th Avenue, and it also was on 1st Street SE and 5th Street SW, so all access to those parkades was blocked by the time I got downtown. Probably had been since the wee hours.

I drove away from the area, and every parking spot was taken. I still had plenty of time before the start, so I went home. And then I did what I should have done from the start, and treated it like a usual Sunday run.

So I went home, pinned my number to my vest, and strapped the timing chip on my shoe. Then out the door and down to the bluff, along the bluff to Centre Street. I ran along Centre all the way to the Calgary Tower, where the start line was. And still had fifteen minutes to wait before the start. It took about 12 minutes to cover the 2 km.

By the time I got down there, it had started to rain, just a light drizzle. There was a bit of a breeze, but it was screened by all the people around. I paced a little around the crowd, stretching calves at the curb.

About five minutes to start, I got into a place between the 5 min/km and 6 min/km pace signs and bounced a little to the music while an aerobics instructor type tried to lead the crowd through some warm up moves. By then the rain had turned to snow, and I think people just wanted to get going.

The wheelchair racers left first, and five minutes later the rest of us got the starting gun. Of course there was the usual surge forward a few paces, and wait, until those in front were able to funnel through the start, and then I covered the 15 metres or so to the start line, and off we went.

Down 9th Avenue, it was pretty crowded. This is a big race and there are a lot of people around. Traffic wasn't too constrictive though, and I was making pretty good time.

I noticed about then that with all the highrise buildings around, I'd lost contact with the GPS system. The darn thing said my pace was over twenty minutes.

At 5th Street we turned south, and the crowd filled the four lanes, even were up on the sidewalks in places. It was a bit of a blur.

I had intended to hold back some, not be so fast, and just enjoy the run, but I guess I'm naturally competitive, cuz I found I was pushing hard, and dodging around slower runners. For the most part there was room to maneuver but occasionally I would get boxed in by runners.

I remember crossing 17th Avenue, and then we were into a narrower stretch of street. I don't think it's narrower, but it always feels so when I drive that way. Most of my attention was on moving forward, and passing and going around others. They had split the road with 10 km runners on the right and 5 km runners on the left. At 25th Street, the 5 km runners went east and the crowd thinned a little.

On Elbow drive we crossed to the far side of the road, letting traffic have the western side. I tried to stay to the middle of the street as much as possible. The chambre of the curb lane was pretty sloped and I find that if I run on such sideways slopes for any length of time, my knees and ankles begin to complain.

It's a lovely part of the city, very nice to run through, but my attention was still on traffic. This is one busy and crowded race.

Just across the Elbow, we turned left onto Landsdowne Avenue, then Centre Boulevard, and on to 42 Avenue through Stanley Park. A total blur. I'm getting the street names from my map book cuz I don't know that part of town at all. At one point there was a walkway from 42nd Avenue onto 1A Street, with one of those posts in the middle that is supposed to prevent people from shortcutting by driving down the sidewalk. Wonder if anyone hit it?

This stretch was all up and down. Not big hills, but they pulled at the calves going up. At first they slowed me down a lot. At 34th Avenue, we went left, a long gentle climb. I felt much stronger on the uphill side and pushed quite hard up the three blocks or so to the top. We were on the left, and those ahead of us were coming back on the right.

Somewhere up near end of the street we reversed directions, and headed down the hill again, this time all the way to Mission Road, where we turned a hairpin corner to continue down hill toward 4th Street. More blur and surrounded by people. On the bridge over the Elbow, just before 26th Avenue, and older couple were walking against the runners, along the edge. Taking the chance to walk on the street instead of the narrow walkway on the bridge.

At 25th Street, we met the tide of humanity coming from 5th Street on the 5 km route. By now most of the 5 km runners were long past, but there are a huge number of people who walk the route. They were kept to the left side of 4th street, while us runners were on the right again.

About now I was having fun cruizing along near the pylons in the center of the street. 4th has that steep chambre toward the gutters too, and I needed the flatter terrain toward the centre of the street. Others were doing the same, so there was some dodging around each other.

Turned right at 11th Avenue and went for a block. Unexpectedly for me, we turned left at 2nd Street, and then right onto 10th Avenue, and then we were running past all those parkades that I thought I'd be able to get into.

We ran a few blocks to McLeod Trail northbound, around the corner and then under the tracks toward Olympic Plaza. Halfway out of the underpass on the far side were the mats that are placed at the finish line, so I started my final sprint. I crossed that line quite decisively. Except it was the finish line for the 5 km, I think. Nobody was slowing down.

I kept going with the rest, and then right in front of City Hall was the real finish line. The track narrowed quite a bit, so with dodging the suddenly crowded field, my crossing of the line wasn't quite so definitive.

I walked with the crowd down the street, past tables full of fruit and drinks. I grabbed a banana and wolfed it down, chugged a chocolate milk, and then looped back for another banana and chocolate milk. I wandered a while, looking for the volunteers who snip the zip strap holding the timer chip on my shoe laces, but finally asked someone where they were. Apparently we get to keep the chip.

At that point, I was cooling down and feeling a bit of a chill. So I shuffled through the crowd to its edge, crossed the C-Train track and ran through the downtown to the Centre Street bridge. Going uphill on it, I could feel the wind. I wasn't warming up much form my exertion, and even Nony's Awful Little Hill didn't warm me up much.

The Garmin said I'd run over 13 km, but given that it was 2 km to the start, that the race was 10 km, and the finish line was a couple of blocks farther from home than the start, I don't believe it. It was probably more like 15 km.

I don't know exactly when I crossed the start after the gun went off, but when I crossed the finish line, the clock was at 52:23. So my race time is probably around 50 minutes.

It was fun though, even with the rain and snow.

Ah. The official results are already posted:
My official time is 51:23 for a pace of 5:09.
I was 503rd out of 2284, 375th out of 1008 males, 39th out of 151 in my age group.

Pretty darn good finish!
L n K

As for the whole run, I'll post the bogus results:
Today's run:
Distance: 13.71 Time: 1:23:59
Average speed: 6.07 min/km. (9.79 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Wish you were here.
Weather: Light snow and 1C.

Dodging the Weather

2010-05-07T13:41:00.003-06:00

It wasn't all that nice out last night, still occasionally snowing or raining, and windy. Plus tired and not feeling well. So I wimped out. Hate when I do that.

So this morning, I was determined to make up for that and get out first thing. I'm glad I waited, cuz it's a gorgeous morning. It was still a tad chilly, but no wind and the clouds were just starting to move in.

I remember looking up at a few indistinct puffy blobs floating in from the south as I descended The Path, and then noticing how the sky was full of them by the time I finished. I'm still tired I guess. It was one of those runs were my attention was pulled inward and I run on autopilot.

I did vow to tackle The Path as aggressively as possible. It's fairly steep and a good 250 metres long. Some belated hill training...

I've signed up for the Banff Jasper Relay through the company I work with, and a couple of days ago, they emailed everyone on the team to send in our top three preferences as to which leg we wanted to run. I've always been game to give any position a shot, and I said so after listing the three legs that I thought I'd enjoy most.

Yesterday I learned I have been assigned the the section called Big Bend. The route descriptions rate each leg as easy, moderate or hard, and this one is the only one rated very hard.

Starting at an altitude of 5500 feet above sea level, I will climb up to about 6700 feet over the first six kilometres. The next three kilometres are virtually flat, another couple of hundred feet upward on the next kilometre, and then a steady drop to about 6400 feet by the end at 15.7 kilometres. Ain't gonna be setting any speed records, but I will finish.

However, it is a rather scenic stretch, as I will end just past the Columbia Ice Fields.
L n K

Today's run:
Distance: 10.17 Time: 59:47
Average speed: 5:52 min/km. (10.21 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Always.
Weather: Sunny and 1C.

Another Brush with a Lingering Winter

2010-05-04T19:23:00.002-06:00

Man, snow comes and it goes. At least all the snow we got in the last 24 hours melted pretty much on contact. I didn't hear of any problems outside of the city either. It was just a cold windy grey day.

But not so cold I couldn't run. In fact it was quite decent for running.

I got home later than usual from work, but managed to get changed and out the door again before 6:00. The wind wasn't too bad in the neighbourhood, but as I approached the bluff it got stronger in the more open terrain.

Down The Path, across Memorial and on to the path. Quiet out there tonight. There weren't a lot of people out on the north side at least. The detour around the bridge construction is all fences now, and the temporary bridge they're building is almost all the way across.

The path under the Louise Bridge is also blocked, with all the work they're doing there. And I have no idea what it's all for, but I suppose it'll reveal itself eventually.

Straight run all the way to Crowchild, and just across that, on the south side of the river is when I started to run into some traffic. Not the usual herd of cyclists, though there were enough of those. There were lots of runners out, and it may be because of the time. By then, I suppose everyone has had a chance out for their runs.

Because of the construction, the promenade is blocked with temporary fences, and foot traffic is detoured out to 1st Avenue. There are more fences now, plus newly planted hedges and a strip of sidewalk, to direct people to the street and not trample the lawn.

More unremarkable running until The Stairs. I bounded up the two flights to the landing that meets The Path, and found myself in a big crowd of runners. They had set a pace slightly faster than I usually run it, and I enjoyed pushing to stay with them. At the top, the crowd thinned and then stopped at the top of The Stairs, so I had to thread may way through.

After that, just a push to the end.
L n K

Today's run:
Distance: 10.11 Time: 59:01
Average speed: 5:50 min/km. (10.28 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Longing.
Weather: Light snow and 1C.

Motivation Vacation

2010-05-02T11:10:00.002-06:00

It's been hard to get my backside out there and running this past week. The weather has been pretty ugly, but I've run in worse weather. I think I used that as an excuse to dodge doing the real work of getting out there and running.

Today was quite nice, just a little bit cool, perfect to run in. I got a bit of an early start too, early enough to get just ahead of all the running groups starting out from Eau Claire. Aside from those crowds, there were lots out taking advantage of the weather.

Running through the Lawrey Gardens was pretty quiet. There were a few people but not like the other side of the river. The gates are still across the path beside the Douglas fir forest, and the little trails around the ends are getting pretty well pounded down.

The ice has been removed at the natural springs, so it's all bare wet pavement. It's still pretty thick on the side, so it's a bit like running down a shallow trench. Even so, things are greening up nicely along the river bank.

I feel the tightness in the hips. It wasn't too bad on the outbound part of the run. After crossing the river at Edworthy, as usual I picked up the pace a little, and then I started to feel it. It didn't seem to slow me down much, or mess up my pace, but there was a definite ache, which lingers as I write this.

There's lots of construction now. There's the Peace Bridge, which has all the redirection in place and a temporary path that runs right against the curb of Memorial Drive. Before that is all the construction at the old Parks office, and even further west, probably about where 12th Street would be, if it was allowed to join Memorial. No indication as to what they are doing there, just lots of temporary fencing around much manly digging and dirt moving.

I got to the bottom of The Stairs and considered changing the routine. Instead of pushing up The Path Under The Stairs, I decided to forge west on the path that circles around Sunnyside along the bottom of the bluff.

They built some nice paths that slash across the face of the bluff, so I took the first one that climbs diagonally toward the top of the bluff between 4th and 5th Streets. And where it joins another path that slashes the other way to meet the end of 4th Street, I followed it downward again. Near the bottom another path slashed upward again to meet the top near 7A Street.

Then I followed the top of the bluff back to 4th Street where I usually head northward and homeward. These trails are for the most part not as steep as The Path, but it added at least a kilometre to my run. A kinder, gentler bit of hill work to finish off.
(L n K)

Today's run:
Distance: 17.39 Time: 1:38:29
Average speed: 5:39 min/km. (10.59 kph)
Rest distance: 1.00 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 18.39 km. Total time: 1:48:29.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Weather: Partly cloudy and 5C, rising to 9C.

The 2010 Police Half Marathon Official Results

2010-04-26T18:33:00.002-06:00

My official time is 1:53:59, for a pace of 5:25.
I placed 600th out of a field of 1829.
86th out of 193 in my age division.

Compare it with last year:
Official time was 1:53:34, for a pace of 5:24.
Placed 609th out of a field of 1833.
84th out of 194 in my age division.

Am I consistent or what???
(L n K )

The 2010 Police Half Marathon

2010-04-25T12:23:00.002-06:00

Okay, this wasn't looking too great last night, when snow was coming down in great, fat, wet blobs, so thick at times I couldn't see more than a block. When I got up this morning, the snow had stopped, but it was pretty white on lawns and stuff. The street looked wet, and I hoped it wasn't icy.

I was up early, had a good breakfast, and took my time getting dressed. Definitely a day for the thermal tights. I resisted the urge to put on an extra tee, but brought one just in case. I headed out, first to Starbucks, then to Mount Royal University campus. I was early enough that I got a parking spot quite close to the starting line.

I wandered a bit, ran around the parking lot lightly, warming up. Then I went inside and walked into the big room where everything was being set up. It's a broad space, with a running track around a huge pit. Bleachers on one side with spaces between allows you to walk down into it, where volunteers were picking up safety vests and instructions. There was a stage in the middle, and people were already lounging in the seats.

I stretched a little, suddenly feeling some tightness in my hip, and at that moment realized I had forgot my Garmin. I stood for a moment, considering what to do. For a 10K, I wouldn't have bothered, just go run, but for longer distances I rely on it to time my run walks and keep me on pace. Yeah, I know, it's a great big crutch.

It was still over an hour until start time, so I ran to the car, then drove home to get the darn thing. I was back within half an hour, but by then the people were pouring onto the campus, so instead of drifting along with a line up searching for parking, I just pulled into an overflow lot across the street on the old army base.

I got the bib pinned to my windbreaker, and threaded the strip of plastic with the timing chip through my shoe lace. Then joined the crowd crossing the street heading to the race start. One visit to the bathroom, and it was fifteen minutes to go. One more visit and by the time I got out the door and into a spot in the starting crowd, it began to surge forward.

There's always a bit of adrenalin in waiting for the start, and then when we start moving forward, we aren't quite sure it's started, but the people in front of us start running, though sometimes it's more like running in place. And then as people spread out and can take bigger steps, there's the sound at the starting mats. When a chip crosses a sensor, there's a beep, but at the start, it's a million beeps all run together making one long continuous beee-e-e-e-e-e-eep.

The run was pretty nicely paced for the first ten minutes. With width of the lane and the number of people, it kind of throttles you back a little. It's kind of nice since you don't have to worry about keeping a lid on the adrenalin and over doing it at the start, cuz it's too crowded to go fast.

I made some headway along 50th Avenue, and down 19th Street. At the tennis place, we turned onto a narrower road to the water treatment plant. Then onto the narrow path, well, narrow for a few hundred runners, down to the dam holding back the Glenmore Reservoir. On the other side, it stayed narrow, all around behind the Rockyview Hospital.

Just past the hospital we wound through the small neighbourhood of Eagle Ridge. And then onto a narrow path again to the Heritage Park parking area. The trail crosses several driveways in and out of the parking lot, and at every one, on either side of the roadway, there was a post in the middle of the path, to keep cars from trying to drive down the walking paths. I managed to stay aware of most, but one almost caught me, and I managed to sidestep it just in time. I wonder how many people run into those things.

Along the rest of the path to 90th Avenue, lots of people were hooting and rattling cowbells and other noise makers. That part went by fast. On 90th, I immediately faced a long gentle hill. Last year it seemed to go forever, but today I was over it quick and down the other side, to the entrance to the marina.

Last year they routed us through a playground which had a weird zigzag entrance on each side, impossible to run through, and only wide enough for one person at a time. This year we stayed well away from that weirdness, and were on the main path on the south side of the reservoir.

I knew that long descent was coming, steep and winding into the Weaselhead Flats area, where the Elbow River comes into the reservoir. It seems to take forever to get to it, and once there it was long and winding and steep. At the bottom, it's a straight flat stretch to a foot bridge over the river, and then a long climb up the hill again on the north side.

Where the energy came from, I don't know. I powered up that long hill, barely slowing down from my usual running pace, which of course was not the pace I was running today. Maybe it was adrenalin or something, but I was pushing pretty hard out there. The couple of times I checked my pace it was around 5 min/km, and while I couldn't maintain that on this hill, I probably managed to keep it under 6 min/km.

At the top, I took a walk break, then it was the long stretch, running along 66th Avenue. I had no idea how far I had come. On the other side, before windy hill down I saw a marker for 13 km. Near the end of 66th, I spotted one for 16 km.

I was starting to feel it. My pace was becoming challenging to keep up to, but I found that any grade I was on didn't seem to affect it much. I powered up the walkway over Glenmore Trail, and down into the neighbourhood on the other side.

We zigzagged back onto 19th Street, and about the tennis place, I took my last walk break. I didn't notice the place there at all, just houses on the left, park on the right.

That last bit of rest helped and I felt good as I turned onto 50th Avenue. I didn't see any more markers, so had no idea how much farther I had to go, but I just put my head down and ran. I pushed hard, hoping I could keep it up, and I passed a lot of people on that last kilometre or so.

Coming up to the last curve, the crowd was loud; that was kinda nice. About 150 metres from the finish line, I stretched, lots, and did a full sprint. I passed one girl, who was pushing pretty hard, but she really kicked it down after I passed her, and she passed me. She never got more than a couple of metres ahead of me, but we crossed the line flat out.

After that I got my medal, and was trying to stop vibrating, chugging water and gasping through a coughing fit. After a few minutes, I went inside to scarf down a couple of bananas and cookies, and call it a day.

Today's run:
Distance: 20.07 Time: 1:43:45
Average speed: 5:10 min/km. (11.61 kph)
Rest distance: 1.32 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 21.39 km. Total time: 1:54:45.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Pure L n K
Weather: Cloudy and 2C, and a little breezy.

Fast Turn

2010-04-22T21:06:00.003-06:00

In the weather, that is. It wasn't quite as nasty as a week ago, but it still got cold and windy. Again I started with shorts and a tee, but this time it was about right.

Funny how the path gets so much quieter when the weather turns. Even the cyclists had thinned out.

And I seem to be preoccupied with weather when I write here; what's up with that?

Anyway, the rain didn't start until near the end when I was running the top of the bluff. And it didn't really start to come down with any conviction until I was doing my post-run stretching in the shelter of my front step.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.05 Time: 57:21
Average speed: 5:42 min/km. (10.51 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Endless Longing.
Weather: Cloudy and 13C.

Deceptive One

2010-04-20T18:02:00.002-06:00

I felt totally slow out there, dragging and heavy. Dunno what goes on; maybe I should have had a lighter lunch. But my stats are pretty good.

Boy, is it busy out! There were dozens of runners and walkers tonight. It's so nice so I imagine everyone is getting out and enjoying the fabulous weather. It messes up the cyclists though. They actually have to slow down once in awhile. Only a matter of time before they hit someone.

The Stairs were jammed when I went by. I don't imagine anyone is running them for all the people on them, except for the rude ones who push their way through. Several places were jammed with people: the north end of the C-Train bridge, a crowd at the south end of the Crowchild bridge, just before going under the Metawa Bridge and in the big space at Eau Claire at the Jaipur Bridge to Prince's Island.

The Stairs were still jammed on the return trip, but I had The Path almost all to myself. At the top I was right back in the crowds along the edge of the bluff.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.17 Time: 57:36
Average speed: 5:39 min/km. (10.59 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Missing You.
Weather: Sunny and 20C.

Getting Better

2010-04-19T21:29:00.003-06:00

That's what it feels like at least. That I'm running better and faster and smoother. It's spring and it's beautiful out, much too nice for indoor anything. Early Sunday mornings when it's sunny and clear are wonderful running times.

Except it wasn't all that clear. It was just slightly cool, bright and sunny. Still, it took me awhile to get moving. There was a slight breeze that had me thinking briefly of wearing the vest, but naah.

Foot traffic along the bluff was already busy, and the boot campers were tearing up and down The Stairs or running up The Path or laying on mats on the grass down below, crunching and planking and stuff. I ambled past all of that to the top of The Path and kept going down to the Centre Street bridge.

The Bow dominates the east end of downtown now, and it's only three quarters of the way up. There are no walls yet in the lower floors so you can see daylight through the glass. It's just massive.

At the bottome of the bridge, I took the pedestrian ramp down to the promenade and made off toward Eau Claire. Orange cones on the pavement again, so what could be happening today? I must have missed the start by a good twenty minutes or so. The first of a very few runners came toward me once I got past the Peace Bridge construction. And once past the Metawa Bridge there was the occasional kilometer marker.

At Crowchild I kept going toward the Lawrey Gardens. Quite busy down there, though not exactly a steady stream of people. I think people are glad to be able to walk that side of the river now, even if there is still a bit of an ice cap just past the avalanche warning signs.

The ice still covers the path for a good hundred metres or so. But there is a trail of sand making a path along the high side, and with the melting the old sand underneath is coming out so it's pretty easy to walk along. The gate at the far end is locked again, though I don't know why they would bother. It's probably been open for most of the winter. But I like that to get around it, I can dodge into the trees and take the short path that winds through there and around the gate.

Picnickers were setting up in Edworthy Park near where I approached the bridge. It was that kind of day. The parking lot on that side was looking to be filling up, and the north side was busy too. And just past Angel's Cafe, more orange cones and a few runners with racing bibs. I asked someone who said it was the Spring Trio run.

The public washroom is a welcome stop most times that I run this loop. It seems like once I stop there, I get a substantial second wind. As much as I describe the things I go by, I think I kind of zoned out for most of this run, just kind of set the autopilot and went inside of myself. From the washroom to well past the Louise bridge, I occasionally woke up to the fact that I was travelling.

I had a driven quick pace and I was stretching a little. When I came out of my reverie at times, I seemed to be flying. But I felt not there for some of it. Head gone off on some daydream or reverie.

By the time I got near the ramp up to the foot bridge at the curling club, I had to wake up. I was feeling the exertion by then. I consciously backed off a little. I got to The Stairs, didn't exactly bound up them, but I didn't slow too much.

On The Path, I knew I had had a good run because I pretty much had nothing left. Near the top I did push a little to finish it off, but I was breathing awfully heavy.

I ran through almost crowds of people along the top of the bluff, and it struck me again that I was still in the sunshine. At the beginning the western sky had been dark, and the middle part of the run it was mostly overcast. Now the sun was back, the west was clear. A beautiful finish, but I was definitely done.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 17.03 Time: 1:32:32
Average speed: 5:25 min/km. (11.04 kph)
Rest distance: .87 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.91 km. Total time: 1:42:32.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Yes Ma'am! I'm On It!
Weather: Partly cloudy, 11C at the start, 14C at the finish.

Feeling Off Track

2010-04-16T08:06:00.003-06:00

For some reason, I've been feeling out of sync. I'm still getting to the runs when I usually do, and getting back to regularly doing the 10 km loop rather than the 7 km loop has made a big difference. I suppose I tie myself to routine too much, but writing these notes after every run, while not exactly enlightening prose, is part of my running habit, and I've been neglecting it.

It's all part of motivation. Getting back to being motivated to run, through running the longer loop and signing up for a few races, helped. Now I want to get motivated to write more.

Yesterday's run was good. It felt fast for me, and it was. Everything was working reasonably well. The weather, well, it's reasonable. It is early spring still, so there's some chill, and that wind is still pushing at us as we navigate the paths and rails.

Sometimes I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut, running the same loop time after time. What I think it is, though, is that there's people out there running the same loop. I think that's what draws me again and again to running the river. Changing the path I run might take me away from that.

Anyway, it was a pretty typical run, I'm running strong and that's about all there is to say.

The Banff Jasper Relay is coming up, and the company I'm working with is putting together a team. Stay tuned.

Yesterday's run:
Distance: 10.16 Time: 55:16
Average speed: 5:26 min/km. (11.03 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Always and Forever.
Weather: Sunny and 11C.

A Run

2010-04-13T21:31:00.002-06:00

Actually, I didn't write about Sunday's run yet. I did the loop again, running the path along the bottom of Spruce Cliff. There's still a goodly gob of ice covering the pavement at one point, probably half a metre deep still. The nasty snowfall we got Thursday had stuck to it, and it wasn't quite as greasy as the week before. Otherwise a good, nondescript run.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.88 Time: 1:33:10
Average speed: 5:31 min/km. (10.87 kph)
Rest distance: .93 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.82 km. Total time: 1:43:10.

Tonight was like that too. I seem to be in a rut.

It was cool, a little breezy. I over dressed as I couldn't warm up on the walk home from work, so I was a little sweaty. The run felt slower tonight, and maybe a little more relaxed. I dunno. But as I often do when running, there were a couple of times when I wanted it to be done.

A surprise as I passed under the Louise Bridge - the stairway up to the patio around the parks office is gone. There has been a lot of construction activity around that building lately, and the parking lot has been fenced off and filled with equipment and materials since last summer.

I don't know what they're doing there, but they have some kind of drilling rig and a small crane sitting there for a few weeks. Goes well with the crane pounding piles for the Peace Bridge. And I notice three more cranes near the Millennium Park. I suppose they are part of the work on the LRT extension.

I noticed that too. Those are all mobile cranes, but the skyline still holds a few of the big ones on top of buildings. Only eight are visible now from the bluff. A little over a year ago, I counted twenty. Guess the building boom is over.

Yesterday's run:
Distance: 10.18 Time: 59:07
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (10.33 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Near My Heart, Always.
Weather: Cloudy and 2C.

Ambush!

2010-04-09T08:02:00.005-06:00

By the weather, that is. Man did that turn nasty! When I left work, it was windy, but not too bad. I got home, changed to shorts and a tee, double checked the weather and temp and decided to wear a vest, because of the wind.

It had been pretty grey all afternoon, so wasn't expecting it to be all that nice out. I ran along the bluff and turned the hairpin onto the top of The Path. That's when I noticed a squall coming down the river valley. It was slightly obscuring Spruce Cliff, but I wasn't too concerned. It was still quite decent out.

About halfway down The Path, the snow started, the kind that would probably be called snow grains. And the wind too. It was coming from the northwest, and The Path is well sheltered from that direction.

After crossing to the trail along Memorial Drive, I was in the full brunt of the wind. Still it wasn't too bad, and the snow seemed to peter out. The pavement wasn't even wet. But that wind had a chill to it. It seemed to get colder as I ran and my hands were cold, enough that my fingers and wrists ached a little. I was hoping they would warm up from the exertion, but the wind was slowing that.

Just past the Louise Bridge, the snow squall intensified and so did the wind, like, a lot! But again, it let up by the time I reached the Metawa Bridge at 14th Street. I briefly thought of ending the outbound leg there and settling for a 7 km run, but my hands felt better. My bare arms and legs were fine.

The next kilometre was just plowing into the wind until I reached Crowchild. The snow was barely enough to dampen the pavement on the path, while the wind continued to coldly bite.

I crossed a bouncing footbridge under Crowchild, the wind strong enough to set up some resonance. It was a relief to get to the south side of the river and be running with the wind, and also to be in the lee of the trees and bush along the edge of the river.

Just past the Pumphouse, the snow began in earnest. No more snow grains, this was big fluffy stuff, and wet and heavy too. It was actually kinda nice, and would have been delightful if not for the wind. I noticed then that my bare legs and arms were cold at the skin. My hands were fine though, with the wind behind.

And then the wind wasn't behind. The snow began to thicken. Along Bow Trail, nearly a parking lot at that point, probably from some accident or maybe all the construction for the new C-Train leg, the wind really started to drive the snow hard. There is little shelter along that stretch, all the way to 14th Street.

It was better after than with more trees, but the snow continued to intensify and so did the wind. By the time I reached the C-Train bridge, I was feeling soaked through, and the wind started to suck the heat out of my body. I took the detour around the Peace Bridge construction, at the far side turning fully into the wind, and I got the full brunt of the driving wet snow.

The rest of the promenade, I don't know what it was. I was thinking of the suspension bridge from Prince's Island to the curling club, how exposed it was, and how I'd be running straight into the wind, and how wet and cold my shirt and vest were. It wasn't all that bad, though.

On The Path Under The Stairs I had the wind behind me. I pushed hard all the way up, not so much to be fast or because I felt strong, but just to try and generate some body heat. I ran the top of the bluff head down and into the wind, and finished strong.

At home, I skipped most of the post-run stretching, took a couple of pictures out the front window including this one, and went straight to a long and very hot shower.

Yesterday's run:
Distance: 10.10 Time: 57:27
Average speed: 5:35 min/km. (10.41 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Get me home L n K!
Weather: Cloudy and 10C with winds about 30 kph gusting to 45 kph at the start; an hour later it was snow and -1 with winds 45 kph gusting to 60 kph. Yikes!

March is Being March

2010-04-06T20:42:00.002-06:00

The usual. Big wind, a little cool, cloud, sun, cloud, more cloud. Good running weather if you aren't fighting the wind too much, though

It was pretty usual, home from work and right back out. Boy, it was sure busy on The Stairs. I think there were at least three fitness groups running up and down, plus a large group in the park at the top, and another group at the bottom by the parking lot.

But past that, well it was busy on the foot bridge to Prince's Island, but the path along Memorial was rather quiet. I guess that wind was carrying enough of a chill to keep people on treadmills, or whatever they do when they don't run out side.

At times the wind was really brisk. In fact the foot bridge under Crowchild was bouncing a little, some resonance with the air movement. I usually feel that on the bridge to Prince's Island as it's a suspension bridge, and tends to bounce a little at times. Give a run an odd feel, sometimes squishy as the deck moves downward when your foot strikes, sometimes slappy hard when it's moving upward.

On the south side of the river, there were a few more runners, and a lot more cyclists. It gets a little crazy, and I think some cyclists tend to let safe practices slide a little in their hurry to get where ever they're going.

After the construction site for the Peace Bridge, the promenade was almost deserted. I think most people going east just take 2nd Avenue until it intersects with the promenade at the cul de sac just west of the construction site.

The crossing from Prince's Island to the curling club was still busy, lots of people walking home from work. I managed to get to The Stairs in a break between running groups so no waiting, and the two flights to The Path were unimpeded.

I made a conscious effort to run The Path as hard as I could without collapsing half way up. I think I did pretty good, outrunning a cyclist crawling up the slope.

There was still lots of traffic though, running The Path, The Stairs and the trail along the bluff. And lots of dogs, too. All kinds, from a passive aggressive border collie who fought against the leash by lying down in the middle of the path, to almost colliding with a Great Dane ambling back and forth along the path. Then some stretching paces to my finish line and short cool down walk home.

Still fighting the cough. It came out every once in awhile, not severe enough to slow me down, but annoying. Hope the darn thing goes away soon.

Yesterday's run:
Distance: 10.29 Time: 57:37
Average speed: 5:35 min/km. (10.72 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Just L n K.
Weather: Cloudy and 9C.

A Complete Loop

2010-04-04T12:11:00.003-06:00

It's still early spring, and temperature-wise, that was very evident. Although not so bad...

I took a chance on shorts and tee, and as a concession to the time of year I wore my running vest too. The first couple of blocks walking were chilly, I thought about my clothing choices, but was pretty sure I'd be warm after fifteen or twenty minutes. I was right.

This cold is a pain. I'm still a little stuffed up, and after a few minutes of huffing and puffing, I began a bit of a hacking cough, that accompanied me throughout the whole run.

On the promenade, I passed a few orange cones, and a glance down toward the Y revealed the finish gate of some run. I saw no one around, so either it was already over or hadn't started yet.

Lots of walkers and runners near downtown. At the west end of Prince's Island, the promenade is blocked off and detour signs direct the foot traffic out to 6th Street and then 1st Avenue to get around the fencing and construction. Construction of the Peace Bridge is underway.

Once I was back on the promenade, I met the first bibbed runner. I met a few more before the C-Train bridge, and a few people standing there cheering them on. Once past the Louise Bridge and along Bow Trail, I began to met dozens of runners, most with bibs. At the Metawa Bridge at 14th Street, I asked volunteers at a water table what was up, and was told it was the Hustle for Hunger run, a 5K and 10K fund raiser.

All along the path toward Crowchild, traffic was heavy with racers, and more volunteers cheering at the bridge there. They were running straight along the river, and thinking it might be clear that way, I decided to head that way too, through the Lawrey Garden Natural Area.

It wasn't too long until I reached the turn around point for the racers, and continued along the trail, hoping it wasn't too iced up. The weather has been pretty nice but maybe not warm enough to eradicate all the ice that builds up below Spruce Cliff from the natural springs.

I crossed the tracks at the west end of Lawrey, and the gate was still across the path just a ways up. A well worn path went around it, and there were a couple of runners up ahead. This stretch, about 100 metres long, has signs warning to not stop because it's an avalanche area. There is no snow at all up on the slope, but the retaining wall they built at the top last year looks formidable from below.

It wasn't too far past that, that I caught up to the couple ahead of me as they picked their way across the big ice sheet that was still across the path. We gingerly picked our way across. Mostly it was a little crusty and graveled, but the ice was wet, and sloped, so it took awhile to get across.

I passed the couple after that, and crossed a couple of much smaller ice sheets. It was nice to get back along that trail, into the trees. The gate at the west end was opened slightly. I wonder if someone cut the chain so they wouldn't have to take the small detour through the trees to get around it.

I passed the parking lot at the south side of Edworthy, crossed the tracks again into the picnic area. Lots of people walking the path, but the foot bridge across to Angels Cafe was quiet.

A quick bathroom break, and continued toward downtown. Being cooler and a little windy, there weren't that many out running once I was out of the racing crowd. The wind was brisk and had a bit of a bite, but I was in shorts and light tee, and it wasn't all that bad.

As usual, my return trip seems to be when I stretch a little more and pick up the pace some. The occasional glance at the GPS told me my pace was pretty good. The traffic was a trickle and I ran head down and hard, well, hard for me.

At the foot bridge to Prince's Island I took the ramp agressively and crossed Memorial to the The Stairs. On The Path I pushed a little bit and was almost past the steepest part when a walk break started. I got to dodge running that part. But it was a nice rest, because I took the last 100 metres of The Path hard.

I'd picked up a rock just before the ramp and it was rattling around in my left shoe. Occasionally it was jab under my arch, or the ball of my foot. It didn't bother me much running up The Path, but was annoying once I was on the trail along the bluff. By the time I reached the top end of The Stairs, I'd managed to shake it into the toe of my shoe, so that it nestled somewhere between a couple of toes.

Which reminds me, I must dump that rock out...excuse me a moment...

...how such a tiny little thing can be so aggravating.

Anyway, I'm all runned out, the cough threatened but never really developed, and it was a good fun morning.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.9 Time: 1:34:56
Average speed: 5:37 min/km. (10.68 kph)
Rest distance: .89 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.79 km. Total time: 1:44:56.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: Easy L n K
Weather: Sunny and 3C at the start, 6C at the finish.

Cold Run

2010-04-02T20:35:00.003-06:00

As in head cold. Almost completely stuffed up. Major sniffles and contributing to deforestation through tissue overuse.

I'm getting better though. After a week and a half, I'm just stuffy. Someone said a run would be a good way to burn off the last of it, so I dubiously set out.

The problem was the hint of a cough that began almost as soon as I walked out the door in my running duds. I did okay up to and along the bluff, and down The Path. After ten minutes I still hadn't collapsed in a hacking fit.

Around 10th Street was when it started. I would cough at every second step so it wasn't debilitating. I did slow a little, because I found that when I coughed it would twist the abdominal muscles a little so it felt like I was running sideways.

Anyway, about halfway to 14th Street, I got it under control. and by the time I passed the CBC studios, I was good. A tickle never left, and a couple of times I felt like it might start up again.

At the end, once I'd left the bluff and began walking the last block I started hacking in earnest, but it felt more like the runner's cough that I've finish almost every run with through the winter.

Didn't feel great at the end or during any part of it, but I still ran a pretty good run.

Yesterday's run:
Distance: 10.24 Time: 58:54
Average speed: 5:45 min/km. (10.43 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Just L n K.
Weather: Mostly cloudy and 7C.

Spring Went Sproing

2010-03-23T18:22:00.002-06:00

It's gorgeous out, very spring like and lovely for running. Another late meeting at work, so I was out a little later that usual. I was still in the middle of the crowd, sort of. The Stairs were crowded by the various boot campers, and the crossing to Prince's Island was busy. I dodged down the ramp to the path along Memorial.

All the paths are dry now, and there's very little snow left. Still lots of ice on the river, but it's piled on islands, great metre thick chunks lodged among buses, or caught up in low water.

Good run! I pushed hard all the way, stretching a bit with each step. It makes a huge difference in how fast I cover the distance. And it still feels great.

Cyclists are thick on the south side of the river, and some aren't too careful when passing. Some of the narrower stretches are a little too crowded for that. And there are lots of people out on the promenade when it's nice like this.

I stretched a little all the way around, and on The Path, I launched myself up the slope. Not quite so fast, but I pushed it. My average pace didn't come down much at all for that.

Along the top of the bluff, it got crowded, and I slowed down behind a foursome for a hundred metres or so before the break in the guard rail at 4th Street. Made it up in the last 300 metres though.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.11 Time: 55:09
Average speed: 5:27 min/km. (11.00 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Something by Sinatra that slips my mind now, L n K.
Weather: Partly cloudy and 10C.

Windy in the Hat

2010-03-21T21:19:00.003-06:00

Not really, not where I was. I think I was on the lee side of the neighbourhood, and I ran through a lot of sheltered area.

I was in Medicine Hat, visiting my parents. I'd always thought that running the path along the valley that borders their neighbourhood would be an interesting run. The paved path twists along the prairie dipping into draws and coulees, sometimes edging a bluff that overlooks the rail line that goes to Saskatchewan. In some places the path is very steep so it's a little challenging going up or going down.

I left my parents place and walked a block or so before beginning the run. I ran down Cameron Road to the end, taking a little jog southward along Ross Glen Drive to where the trail came up to the street. The first stretch down into the valley was long and gradual. The slope slowed me down, as I don't have the flexibility that I used to have for downhill running.

The trail joined the one that continues in both directions along the edge of the valley, and for awhile, I was, elevation wise, halfway between street level and the valley floor. Then this wicked steep stretch, that looked and felt like nearly straight up maybe 15 metres. A little ways after that, and it dropped again, just as far and just as steep.

I was feeling it. Those cramps in the shins were persistent. On my mostly flat usual path here in Calgary, the cramps come for a bit, not too forcefully, and then go away after thirty or forty minutes. But after the first steep climb and descent this morning, they were undeniably there, and they were not going to go away.

That part was the steepest up and down, I think, of the whole run. There were several more, but not as dramatic. I ran across dry prairie, occasionally dipping into coulees, and across wooden bridges. There are several places where they cross the outflow of natural springs. Lots of flowing water, and last years weeds and cattails are thick in places.

I passed three intersections where spur paths lead back into the neighbourhood, but kept to the open prairie, the path quickly moved back from the edge of the valley, and finally made a last turn back to the streets and sidewalks. I followed, and turned to run northward along Carry Drive.

The sidewalks lasted for two blocks. Then I crossed Carry Drive at the top of the long hill to South Railway Street. It's not very steep, but it seemed to go forever, in reality at least half a kilometre.

At the bottom a trail lead along the bottom of the bluff. It was almost wide enough to be a street, a rather narrow one. And it turns out that it was, sort of. After another half kilometre, it veered across the small creek it had been following, as it came on what looked like a small farm yard. When things turn green, I can imagine the place to be a peaceful and private spot for whoever lives there, even with all the pedestrian and bicycle traffic that must travel along there.

Once across the creek, there was a large flat field, well trimmed, brown as everything else. I came up along side one of the commercial grain elevators that were built years ago on the flood plain in the valley. This one had a well faded logo painted on the side. Near as I could make out, Oglevie's Royal Household, registered trade mark. By the looks of it, it may actually be a flour mill.

A little way past that, and I was at Dunmore Road, just where it reaches the bottom of the hill. I ran under Dunmore and past a few metres, before deciding to turn and retrace my steps. I'd been running for about fifty minutes at that point.

Running beside the flour mill, I noticed the shin cramps were mostly gone. And it was warming up. I stripped of my wind breaker and tied the sleeves around my waist. At Carry Drive, the bottom of that long hill, I looked up with resignation. Climb I must. But you know, it wasn't half bad. The hill is long but not all that steep. If felt kinda good to run up that grade.

I crossed Carry at the top and then took the path into the prairie again. I don't thing there are many runners on that path. I met several walkers with dogs, and almost all reigned the dogs in as I passed, as if the dogs might be tempted to chase. I wasn't concerned; they were all friendly breeds, and just seemed to want to say hi.

I finished on that last steep up and down, then up to street level on Ross Glen Drive, then Cameron Road back to my parents place. No speed record today with all that up and down, but it was fun once I loosened up those cramps.

Today's run:
Distance: 13.93 Time: 1:26:33
Average speed: 6:12 min/km. (9.66 kph)
Rest distance: .76 km. Rest time: 9:00.
Total distance: 14.69 km. Total time: 1:35:33.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: The Looney Tunes opening theme of all things! What's up, L n K?
Weather: Cloudy and 3C at the start, 8C at the finish, and breezy.

March is Roaring

2010-03-18T21:07:00.002-06:00

Not really loud, but it's definitely a typical March day, all wind and cloud with the occasional bit of sun. The wind still carries a winter chill, too.

I resisted the urge to over dress again, and as usual started out getting good and chilled. People running The Stairs were bundled up as were many walkers. It's not all that cold, but the wind was nasty.

A couple of years ago, when I ran down The Path Under The Stairs, I could take quick short steps and make some pretty good speed. It seems that since my last marathon, I've stiffened up, and I just don't have the flexibility for that anymore. Except tonight, I felt like I was getting close to that again.

I still feel it. My speed is way up, and I'm paying for it in the hips. I'm stretching a bit more in my stride and working things a bit harder. Knees complain sometimes, but those pangs are still transient, popping up in the middle of a run to last for a few paces before subsiding again.

I also believe that getting back to regular 10 km runs during the week is helping a lot too. That extra distance helps. I crossed the river at Crowchild and I consider the south end of that bridge to be the halfway point. So if I get there in 28 minutes or so, I'm doing good. Tonight I was two minutes ahead of that.

I counted steps a couple of times tonight. 180 steps a minute is supposed to be optimum, and both times I checked I was 174, so within range. But it's not the pace so much that's making me fast, it's how I'm stretching a little more than usual with each step. My hips are telling me so.

Coming off the promenade and over Prince's Island was when I slowed a little. I think. On the foot bridge I pushed pretty hard. I still felt strong toward the end, and my breathing was still steady. I'm amazed at that. Usually I'm puffing pretty hard when I push, but lately breathing has been steady even when I'm pushing it.

I bounded up the bottom two flights of The Stairs, sort of. Not much traffic today; I think that cold wind kept most of the booty campers indoors. On The Path, I decided to push hard all the way up, and for the last 50 yards I tried to run it like I would a level stretch.

Breathing was hard, but didn't fail me. I still had reserves. At the top, running along the edge of the bluff, I slowed for a minute or so, but my recovery to steady breathing was quick. So for the last 700 m or so, I stretched with each step, all the way home.

Forgot to write up Tuesday's run so here's the stats:
Distance: 10.97 Time: 56:39
Average speed: 5:09 min/km. (11.62 kph)

Today's run:
Distance: 10.09 Time: 54:41
Average speed: 5:25 min/km. (11.07 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Lili Marleen, of all things, and L n K.
Weather: Mostly cloudy and 1C, and darn windy, from the north at 40 kph, gusting to 50-ish.

Wow, Good Run!

2010-03-14T11:43:00.003-06:00

That was some run. Felt really fast, and I think it actually was. It also felt really good. I do feel it in the hips though.

It's one of those early spring mornings (being still winter after all) where it clear and bright and sunny...and cold. How to dress? I opted for a long sleeve tee and my vest, along with the running tights. The first twenty minutes were darn chilly.

But what a busy day. Lots of people out running, big groups and small, and lots of singles. It felt great to be out in the middle of it.

Along Memorial both paths were busy. I tried the sprints in the middle of the running intervals again. Breathing was good, the sprint was good, everything was good. Felt the usual aches in the knees, the hips, the shins (darn those shins), but those ones don't last past the post-run stretch.

The run to Edworthy was nice, and the temperature had gone up considerably by then. I had a light pair of gloves that came off about then, and I rounded Angel's Cafe a few minutes ahead of my usual time.

The wind was from the west as usual, so for the return trip I had the wind at my back the sun at my front. I warmed up considerably. My sunglasses tended to fog up a little at times.

The whole run back was just as nice as the run out. To do the sprint, I run normally for about four minutes, run hard for one minute, and run normally for another four minutes. I noticed my pace after the one minute hard run was faster than my pace before it. The interval distances I was seeing on the Garmin showed I was moving faster too.

I don't know if it all matters that much. It would be nice to gain a new PR this year for the half marathon. The way I feel right now I think I can beat my old one of 1:50:03. It would be kinda cool to have a one hour and forty-something on my wall.

Not the goal though. I like running fast, but fast for me isn't all that fast. I like doing the races, and I like that I finish them, however long I take. I like that it keeps me in decent shape, too. As long as I'm moving, I think I'm doing good.

Man, the numbers almost look rounded!

Today's run:
Distance: 16.50 Time: 1:30:00
Average speed: 5:27 min/km. (11.00 kph)
Rest distance: .99 km. Rest time: 9:30.
Total distance: 17.49 km. Total time: 1:39:30.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: Heart and L n K Soul .
Weather: Sunny and -7C at the start, -2C at the finish.

Where Was I...?

2010-03-12T18:06:00.002-07:00

Ever have one of those moments, where you seem to be running on auto? I was out there running, and I remember some moments. The wind, the ice on the river, bits and pieces of it. Mostly I was zoned out, don't know where I was.

It was a good run, I think. Never felt much in the way of aches, seemed to have a good pace. I ran along the river, lots of ice still out there, crossed the footbridge under Crowchild. There was a little bit of congestion at Eau Claire and on the foot bridge near the curling club.

wow.

I was fully aware of The Path. I stretched and pushed hard once I got on it, pushed hard all the way up. I think that's the fastest I've climbed The Path in a couple of years.

It was on the trail along the top of the bluff that I sort of woke up. Very strange, but I know I sometimes focus inward pretty strongly.

It was still good. At the end I felt like I'd been working at it.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.10 Time: 58:25
Average speed: 5:47 min/km. (10.37 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Just L n K.
Weather: Sunny and 12C.

Nope, It's Still Winter...

2010-03-09T17:40:00.002-07:00

Not really. It has cooled off, and gotten windy, and we got a little bit of snow. I dressed for it, and it was all right to run in. It'll be back to spring in a couple of days.

It was a pretty good run though. I started off running into an east wind along the top of the bluff and was relieved to turn the hairpin to head down The Path. By the time I got to the bottom, I'd forgot about it.

On surprise was that the underpass under the Louise Bridge at the north end was open. Last time I looked it was still burried under a few feet of ice, but it's been cleared out and the water level on the river is actually a couple of feet below the walkway.

The rest of the run along the north side of the river was quite uneventful. I crossed at Crowchild, as usual, and ran back toward downtown, as usual. Trundled along the promenade, as usual, and crossed Prince's Island, as usual.

Actually I was looking inward a little, pushing a little bit. It would have been easy to turn off the brain and plod along, but I thought about where my feet were falling, and trying to stretch a little more with each stride. I don't think I made a huge difference, but it felt marvelously different.

At the traffic jam on The Stairs, I bounced up to The Path, and then did the same. Instead of plodding up with little short steps in a grumbling shuffle, I stretched a little. My breathing has really stretched, so to speak, and I noticed. I was puffing hard, but still had lots by the time I got to the top. I hit the trail on the top of the bluff without slowing down, and after a block, I was breathing quite normally for regular running.

I wonder if getting back to the 10 km runs has helped. Lately I've had lots of gas in the later stages of a run. I really notice it on Sunday mornings. Pushing harder so I can push harder, so to speak.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.07 Time: 56:43
Average speed: 5:37 min/km. (10.65 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Heart and Soul L n K.
Weather: Cloudy and -1C.

I Do Believe It's Spring!

2010-03-07T11:30:00.002-07:00

Gorgeous day! Sunny and clear, warm, stunningly lovely outside. A severe danger to today's plans for clean bathrooms and freshly folded laundry.

What a chilly start though. It was still frosty, but the wind was light and the sun is up reasonably early now, so inviting for light clothing. I put my shorts on and a tee, with my running vest.

It was brisk. By the time I got to the bluff, I felt the cold on my legs, and the sun wasn't quite up to being warming yet. I ran along the guardrail on the street side, and cut over onto the shale path at the top of The Stairs. The shale and underlying clay was still firm, very uneven as the footprints of the day before were frozen.

I headed down to the Centre Street bridge, and all the way was chilly. On the bridge itself, I was screened somewhat from the sun by the concrete barrier separating me from the traffic, and could feel the chill in the shaded areas.

Down on the promenade, it was doubly cool, being shaded in many spots, and there being a light westerly wind, to keep the coolness in those shadows.

But busy out there. It was fun. Lots of goodmornings and walkers and runners with dogs. Running under the Louise Bridge, it seemed strange to still see the wall of ice from when the underpass flooded a couple of months ago. Ice is still heavy on the river, and there is little open water yet going west from Prince's Island.

All along the promenade and almost to The Pumphouse, I felt cramping in my shins again. It wasn't to bad, and I knew that once I passed Crowchild the cramps would be gone. It seems to take forever to warm up all over, my hands were crampy and stiff form the cold until at least the Pumphouse, almost thirty minutes of running.

After I passed 14th Street, I decided to try something that I used to do up until I ran the Banff to Jasper relay. In the middle of my interval, I'd kicked up to a sprint, reaching more with my stride while keeping the same cadence, for about a minute. That actually helped with the shin cramps.

I continued to throw in the sprints as I worked my way to Edworthy. Before when I'd done this, I found I would be breathing hard at the end of the fast minute. This time, my breathing held steady: inhale, exhale, every four strides. That was very surprising as I expected to be more winded from pushing harder, but it seemed to not be making much difference.

I wonder how long I could sustain that pace? Perhaps I'm a faster runner than I thought. However, I also feel my hips right now, a bit more than I usually do. It could all be due to the wicked awesome massage I had yesterday too.

Around Angel's Cafe, quick bathroom stop, and heading homeward. The wind was behind me, the sun in front. I was getting warm and my sunglasses were fogging a little. I continued with the one minute sprints every ten minutes or so.

Approaching 10th Street, I held off on it until I crossed the street and was back on the path, and then pushed hard for the minute. One more walk break, then run, up the ramp to the footbridge and to the bottom of the stairs. Up two flights to The Path Under The Stairs, at which time it was time to sprint again.

I suppose the option was there to take it easy on The Path, but what the heck. On the steepest part of the path is where I did the sprint. This time my breathing was definitely affected. I slowed down just past the halfway point (it really takes over two minutes to climb that thing??) but kept pushing all the way to the top. Probably my best climb of The Path in a couple of years.

The temperature had really climbed while I was running. All that frozen clay on the trail along the bluff was now pretty mushy. I ran along the edge, but ventured on to the red shale when it looked drier. Of course, I kicked up a lot of the fine red gravel which made it's way into the back of my shoe, and which I occassionally limped with as I tried to shake it out from under my foot.

My last walk break ended just before I turned up 4th Street, and from there I sprinted the last 150 metres toward home.

Oh right, I forgot to write up Thursday's run, so here's my stats from that one:

Thursday's run:
Distance: 10.07 Time: 58:26
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (10.34 kph)

Today's run:
Distance: 16.54 Time: 1:31:10
Average speed: 5:34 min/km. (10.89 kph)
Rest distance: 1.00 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.36 km. Total time: 1:41:10.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: An L n K smile.
Weather: Sunny and -2C at the start, 6C at the finish.

That's Much Better

2010-03-02T18:46:00.005-07:00

I had none of the cramping that I felt on Sunday morning. I don't know what that was about. I don't think I did anything different as far as stretching beforehand. Maybe the brisk walk home from work warmed things up.

It's still being gorgeously spring-like out there. The sun is still up even though it's after work, and most of the paths are dry pavement. There are a few wet spots here and there, and a couple of notably large ponds along Memorial Drive.

I may have been all right muscle-wise this evening, but breathing was different. It felt a little laboured. I dunno, am I complaining too much? Not a concern, but there always seems to be something lately. Couldn't be age, of course - heck no!

I ran up The Stairs instead of taking The Path Under Them. I haven't done that for awhile, and I've been thinking I should do that once a week or so, to use some different muscles, and challenge myself in a different way. Definitely laboured breathing after that, whoo!

The top of the bluff is nearly slush free, but is now a continuous set of ponds. The grass along the sides is soft and it's easy to pick up mud. I ran the street for a bit, then the sidewalk.

It didn't feel like all that fast a run, but it was good.

Oh hey, check out the countdown thingers on the side. Always wanted to put those silly things in there...

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 9.70 Time: 56:57
Average speed: 5:52 min/km. (10.22 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: A happier L n K.
Weather: Cloudy and 0C.

Vitamin D Run

2010-02-28T12:28:00.002-07:00

First run in shorts this year! It's wonderful out there. Wish the run was better, but it was still pretty good.

I started to stiffen up again in the lower legs, and felt that heaviness too. It felt like each foot strike was a lot harder than it should be. It was very much like the runs in early December. I was stiff and sore for the first thirty minutes, but was sure I'd eventually loosen up a little.

Just after crossing the river at Crowchild, I finally did start to loosen up. There was a breeze that I hadn't noticed earlier on my naked pasty white legs, and shortly after I noticed that they didn't hurt much any more.

With the temperature climbing and the sun in a clear sky, the paths were full of runners, and a lot of walkers. Not crowded, but busy. The occasional patches of ice were already turning into slush, and skirting the couple of really big ponds meant picking my way across near mud rather than frozen ground.

At the fifty minute mark, I noticed I was pretty much where I usually am, which meant I wasn't being slow. My pace was quite respectable. I rounded Angel's Cafe as usual, and started back home. As usual, the next couple of intervals were my fastest. For all the achy start, it was a very normal run.

Ran along Memorial, climbed The Path, ran the edge of the bluff and then home.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.54 Time: 1:34:11
Average speed: 5:41 min/km. (10.54 kph)
Rest distance: 0.95 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.49 km. Total time: 1:44:11.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: Sunny L n K tunes.
Weather: Sunny and 3C at the start, 5C at the finish.

Grumpy Run

2010-02-25T21:05:00.003-07:00

Dunno what that was about. I felt kind of down and crabby for the whole run. Maybe I needed to be out there, burning off whatever negative vibes I was carrying.

There's a lot of dry pavement out there now, also lots of puddles and small ponds here and there. I ran on the street almost all the way to the top of The Path, just to avoid the slush and water. It was still interesting to pick a path across the snow at one point. It was very wet underneath, and soft and easy to sink into.

I felt heavy and slow too, perhaps that was a physical manifestation of the grumpiness. Along Memorial, I found I was running head down, pulling inward. My focus was not at all where it usually is.

I have the Olympic skating going. Edvard Greig, I think. Love that piece.

Anyway, the run passed uneventfully, my head down, focused on the path five feet in front of me, oblivious of the rest of the terrain. I managed to climb The Path, but felt used up almost before I started. It was grumpy crabby shuffle up the hill, and then on the street along the bluff.

The last couple of blocks I started to wake up a little, but was glad to be done.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.16 Time: 59:07
Average speed: 5:49 min/km. (10.31 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Grump, grump, grump.
Weather: Sunny and 7C.

Running In the Late Afternoon

2010-02-23T20:11:00.002-07:00

It's so nice to have sunset getting later now. I got home from work a bit later than I wanted to, and went right back out again. I dressed lighter this time, actually about right for the temperature and the wind. I was actually debating whether or not to wear shorts.

The street to the bluff is almost clear down the middle, and the sidewalk along Cresent Road has only a couple of big puddles to skirt around. The trail on the bluff wasn't quite slushy, but it was soft.

The Path Under The Stairs was clear, but the big puddle that forms at the bottom of the stairs was big as ever. I tiptoed around that OK too. Even on the trail along Memorial there were a few big ponds, and I had to skip along the edges to get around them.

Mostly though, it was just good running. I didn't feel wonderful great, but good. A comfortable run, not too many aches and pains, none memorable. Good speed, good feeling.

I was pretty focused though, mostly head down all the way. It's OK running like that, but I like to be more awake. Runners can be so inward focused sometimes. I sometimes think I'm like a tourist, and gotta look around and take stuff in.

I'm typing this as the Ladies Short Program runs in another window. My internet connection is too choppy to enjoy something like figure skating. Great music though; I love Prokofiev. German girl is skating, I think.

The run was pretty standard for me all the way back to The Stairs. I climbed the two flights as usual, but instead of taking the landing to The Path, I just kept going. I managed to run all but the last three flights, about three quarters of the way up. I thought that was pretty good considering I've not been on The Stairs for a couple of weeks.

At the top, I scruntched along the top of the bluff, then crossed to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. Lots of wet ice in places so I was seeking some clear pavement. More puddles to skip past too.

A good night, and a good run.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.12 Time: 55:55
Average speed: 5:31 min/km. (10.86 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: L n K in La La Land.
Weather: Mainly sunny and 2C.

Seems Like Spring

2010-02-21T12:01:00.003-07:00

In fact there isn't even that much ice out there. The top of the bluff is still all packed snow, of course, and later in the day it'll get slippery with a little melting in the sun.

Approaching the bluff was to be greeted with a magnificent view of the western horizon. The sky was a washed out blue close to the edge, but not a trace of haze to obscure mountains. I turned my back to them and plodded toward the Centre Street bridge.

I was wondering if I'd be over dressed for this run. It felt wickedly chilly when I was out earlier, and I dressed in an extra layer or two. Crossing the Centre STreet bridge, was to feel the cold wind from the west, and it was biting all along the promenade. However, by the time I reached the Louise Bridge I wasn't noticing the cold.

I didn't feel this was all that great a run for the first while. I was back to feeling heavy and plodding and slow, although the GPS was mostly saying otherwise. Passing the Pumphouse, I decided it was going to be a slow run and that was OK.

Actually, after I crossed to the north side of the river at Crowchild, I felt I was moving a little easier. Meanwhile, the Sunday crowd was moving with me or coming at me. Such a sunny day, it had brought a lot of people out. There was a couple of big groups by the Extreme Bean, one of which had a member kneeling in the middle of a circle of runners doing their preparatory stretches with a Canadian flag tied on like a cape. Olympics enthusiasm, I guessed.

The rest of the run outbound was good. I rounded Angel's Cafe and made a quick stop at the public washroom. And as usual the return trip seemed to be when I was warmed up. My pace picked up and I pushed hard all the way to 10th Street.

It wasn't an easy push though, I felt it and started to develop a little ache just below my waist, just a little left of my spine. Meanwhile my left leg was feeling heavier and felt like I was hitting the ground harder. Still I persisted, not sure if it was something developing or just one of those little aches that come and go as I run.

Nearing the ramp up to the footbridge at the curling club, I was feeling pretty used up. Fading a little and having to push it to keep moving. At The Stairs, I did not bound, or skip up the stairs. It was more a slow laborious climb, only two flights to get off on The Path. On The Path, I was merely shuffling, head down, not really paying attention to where I was, until I passed the transition to young pavement, the fifty metre stretch at the top that was replaced last year.

At the top, I switchbacked on to the trail along the top, still feeling like I was shuffling. I managed to pick it up a little as my breathing settled, but I was glad when I approached my finish line. Hopefully this one will get easier as I get back into long runs and it gets closer to spring.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.52 Time: 1:35:05
Average speed: 5:45 min/km. (10.42 kph)
Rest distance: 0.95 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.47 km. Total time: 1:45:05.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: Sleepy bunny tunes.
Weather: (Been forgetting this part lately) Sunny and -11C at the start, but up to -3C at the finish.

Crisp Friday Morning

2010-02-19T10:15:00.004-07:00

I was out for dinner last night, but unlike what I usually do, which is skip the Thursday night run, I decided to get it in this morning. Yet I'm still fighting off the lethargy that's been dogging me since November.

I felt slow and wheezy, but still did a pretty respectable job. It's icy as heck, but as I started, it hadn't warmed up enough to make things slick. Lots of crunching. It had started out as a clear sunny day at sunrise, (now happening before 8:00 am - spring is a-comin'!) it had clouded over with that high altitude haze that just obscures the sun.

The run outbound was quiet, a couple of people out. I seemed to catch up to a relative crowd just before the Crowchild bridge of about five or six runners and walkers. Across the bridge is was about the same, only more spread out.

I like the ice patches on the trails when it's leaning toward spring. They are flat and smooth, and in the morning when they are cold and still dry, they just the right slipperiness for a bit of a slide. Usually they are about two paces long, so they fit perfectly into the rhythm of my running.

I wasn't fast on this run, but I was still under 6 min/km, which has been my goal to stay under this past month. Even with the long plod up The Path Under The Stairs, I managed to keep my average pace below that line.

The run finished crunching along the top of the bluff and then picking my way along the crusty ruts of 4th Street.

A belated thanks to RevRunner, Alexandra and ChrisC for their comments. It's good to hear from other runners when motivation and illness slow ya down. Cheers! I finally cracked 100 km cumulative distance for the year so far, too.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.17 Time: 1:00:31
Average speed: 5:56 min/km. (10.08 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: La-la-la, la-Lo-la, L n K.

Trying to Get Serious

2010-02-16T17:48:00.003-07:00

I'm back out there, and will be trying to stay to a schedule again, and also to get back into some serious distances. I ran a lot of 7 km runs last year, which seems like a bare minimum for bothering to get out and run. So I'm going to try and get more 10 km runs in this year. No more slackin'!

Right after getting home from work, I was changed and heading toward the bluff. It's been melting a lot, being way too warm for February. A few puddles and lots of slushy spots to dodge. The path along the top of the bluff was soft, but not so much as to be slushy.

The Path Under The Stairs was mostly dry and there was the usual monster puddle at the bottom of the stairs to skirt. I trotted up on the bridge toward Prince's Island, but took the ramp down to the path along the berm once I crossed Memorial Drive.

There were a few puddles along the way. At the City Parks office at the north end of Louise Bridge, the detour around all the construction mess was a little muddy, but I managed to skip across most of it. After that, it was straight through running.

I almost hesitated at the Metawa Bridge, but I'm determined to get distance in now, so I continued past it, crossing at Crowchild less than ten minutes later. Running felt good.

Nothing eventful happened after that, just straight running along Bow Trail and then to the promenade. I crossed Prince's Island and the foot bridge, and then bounced up the two flights of The Stairs to The Path.

And the sun came out. Just for a bit, it was sunny on the slog up The Path. At the top, I turned into the sun and ran along the bluff to 4th Street, picked my way through the slush to cross the street and tip toe along the sidewalk to my finish.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.15 Time: 59:28
Average speed: 5:51 min/km. (10.24 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ.

Recovery Mode

2010-02-14T11:49:00.002-07:00

Man! It's been a crummy couple of weeks. I'm still not one hundred percent, but much better than I was a week ago.

Back on January 30, online registration opened for the Police Half Marathon at 8:00 am, and by 8:20 I was signed up. And while I was at it, I signed up for the Calgary Half Marathon, and oh what the heck, signed up for the Mother's Day Run too.

Within an hour of all that my throat got scratchy and my chest got heavy, and by evening I was completely stuffed up. Now, two weeks later, I still feel a little heavy in the chest, but it was still good running.

The fog we've had here for the past week is still hanging around, the trees are all frosty and the upper reaches of the downtown skyline is lost in the clouds. As I crossed the Centre Street bridge, there was a spirited crowd of runners crossing below me, running along Memorial.

The promenade wasn't too exciting, but at the C-Train bridge there was a car parked in the middle of the promenade and someone standing beside it, waving a stream of runners crossing the bridge to turn west. I caught up to one runner for a few minutes and discovered it was the Hypothermic Half Marathon. I had tried to sign up for that a few weeks ago, but it was full up, and considering how my running has been stymied by this cold the last couple of weeks, that's probably not a bad thing.

The crowd was directed up and over the Metawa Bridge at 14th Street, while I continued along the river. I was hoping I could manage a 10K run today, but was prepared to cut it short if I felt I was pushing it. Passing the Metawa committed me to ten kilometres unless I turned around and retraced my steps. There were moments when my chest felt a little heavy but mostly I was feeling good.

After crossing the river under Crowchild Trail, I found myself swimming upstream against the half-marathoners. I think I was catching the last of them, as the crowd petered out by the time I was along side the CBC studios.

This wasn't my fastest run, but it was much better that I had any reason to expect. The Path Under The Stairs slowed me down lots and at the top of that long hill, I decided to shortcut home by 2nd Street. I was done.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 10.33 Time: 1:02:49
Average speed: 6:04 min/km. (9.87 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Wistful sad songs.

Some Sort-of-New Snow

2010-01-24T18:33:00.004-07:00

There wasn't too much of it, but where it hadn't been brushed off the paths, it was like running on a layer of wet sand. An occasionally, where the path had been salted, a layer of wet sugar. Both kinds tended to stick to my shoes so I felt at times like I was running with lumps under my feet.

It felt a lot colder this morning, too, when I was first out. So I added a layer in getting ready to run. It was too extreme a case of over-dressing, but I was a little warm for most of the run.

It was still kinda cold, though. And yet there were a lot of people out. Lots of large groups and pairs. I like when there are lots out, because it gives the paths a good energy.

I had a slow start, with that weird wet-sugar snow on the Centre Street bridge. But even along the promenade, I wasn't setting records. I felt good, and my pace seemed right on, but the GPS said otherwise. Anyway, after thirty minutes I was doing much better.

The underpass under the Louise bridge near 10th Street is still clear. The ice was scraped out and piled up along the river bank. It feels like you're running in an ice trench. It looks very dramatic and is quite lovely.

Not much else was striking about the run. I knew I was a little slow as it wasn't too long before the one hour mark that I circled Angel's Cage. I usually get there about 53 or 54 minutes, but today it was more like 58 minutes. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it's very noticeable.

On the homeward leg, I was a little faster to start, but slowed down a lot after 10th Street. The climb up The Path wasn't hard, but I was almost out of gas, and the run along the bluff was more of a shuffle.

Still, I finished, and as always, I'm glad I got out.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.34 Time: 1:39:34
Average speed: 6:05 min/km. (9.85 kph)
Rest distance: 1.11 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 17.45 km. Total time: 1:50:34.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: fun L n K.

Still Still Here

2010-01-20T18:55:00.003-07:00

Despite the best of intentions, I am again late in writing up my run. I was out Sunday morning, and endured a cold start as I recall. No cramping like a couple of weeks ago, just a little bit of an ache which disappeared after thirty minutes or so.

Even though it was cold, there were a lot of people out running, and even quite a few walking too. Of course I was running against the usual west wind, and about half way through, I thought about my cold tummy from a couple of weeks before. But this time all was staying warm.

I think that whatever was slowing me down in December is completely past. This run felt so typical, with a slow warm up, and middling speed in the second quarter, to fast in the third quarter, to spent and all done in the last quarter.

I was tempted to follow the previous two long runs, in cutting through Sunnyside and taking the easier slopes of the groomed paths that were slashed across the face of the bluff last year. But I went back to the usual course, and stayed on the berm along Memorial, to The Stairs and The Path Under.

The top of the bluff by then was a little slippery, but I stayed on the path as usual, and had a slippery finish along unshovelled sidewalks.

Sunday's run:
Distance: 16.69 Time: 1:36:15
Average speed: 5:46 min/km. (10.40 kph)
Rest distance: 0.92 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.60 km. Total time: 1:46:15.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: endless L n K.

A Short One

2010-01-15T16:39:00.002-07:00

I did run a few days ago. This was not much of a run. I was a little short on time, but wanted to get something in. My mid week runs have been hard to get in lately.

I started out as usual, heading down to the river and running along Memorial, but I cut it short at the C-Train bridge.

It was a long enough run to get warmed up though, and it was enough to burn off some of those holiday calories that seem to have settled right around my belt line.

Tuesday's run:
Distance: 5.76 Time: 34:14
Average speed: 5:56 min/km. (10.10 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Wistful L n K.

Becoming the Occasional Runner

2010-01-10T17:55:00.004-07:00

That seems to be what I'm doing. I do want to get back into a routine of getting out at least three times a week, but it seems lately that my motivation has flown the coop. And I have excuses: too cold, too late, too early, too tired, blah, blah.

I got out this morning, a little later than usual. The streets now have that brown mush that has the consistency of wet sugar, and it's hard to run on. Meanwhile the sidewalks are either packed snow, which is not bad to run on, or wet ice, which is treacherous as heck. But the paths are really pretty good.

I trekked down Nony's Awful Little Hill to the Centre Street bridge, and across it. The first interval was pretty slow, but that's because the hill had some icy spots to pick my way through.

Along the promenade, it was clear. The Sunday morning running groups were just finishing up by the big brass propeller. Farther along, it was a little quieter. At the Louise Bridge, the ice jam was still huge, and the path underpasses were still under tons of ice. I stayed topside and jay-walked across 9th Street.

The path was clear all the way after that. Lots of runners out along that stretch of the river. In fact, for the entire run there were lots of people out running and a few walking.

The rest of the run was pretty uneventful. At the C-Train bridge on the return leg, I took the pedestrian overpass across Memorial and ran down that side to 7th Street, where I cut northward and ran through Sunnyside to the path that follows along the bottom of the bluff.

I took one of the new trails that they slashed across the bluff face last year. This one lead up to where 4th Street met Crescent Road, and from there I headed home.

It was a pretty good run. I still felt a little slow, but I wasn't too far off where I was a couple of months ago, performance wise, and I didn't get any of the leg cramps. It was better than last week's run, for which I'll include the stats here too.

Last week's run:
Distance: 16.10 Time: 1:35:56
Average speed: 5:57 min/km. (10.07 kph)
Rest distance: 0..96 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.06 km. Total time: 1:45:56.

Today's run:
Distance: 15.98 Time: 1:32:48
Average speed: 5:48 min/km. (10.33 kph)
Rest distance: 0.92 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 16.90 km. Total time: 1:42:52.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: all L n K.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 6C.

Getting Back Into the Swing

2009-12-29T18:04:00.002-07:00

I felt a lot better out there today. The cramping didn't recur, thank goodness, but I still felt a little stiff in the calves, and legs in general. I still felt heavy, too, and it seemed like my feet were slapping the pavement pretty hard.

The Path Under The Stairs is a little dicey but if I stay on the south side of the path, in the shadow of the ridge of snow piled up from plowing, I'm on packed snow all the way down, and up when I come back. After that, it's pretty clear.

I took the ramp from the foot bridge down to the path along Memorial Drive. It felt like I was doing better this time too. I felt faster, and when I glanced at the GPS when I reached the walk like at 7th Street, the time was about where it usually is when I get to that point.

At 10th Street, the underpass is still under water and a lot of ice. I imagine they'll have to replace the guard rails again in the spring, as the metre and a half of ice will likely bend the existing one pretty bad before it melts away. There is also construction that's been going on since the spring.

The parking lot by the Parks office is still fenced off and full of odd piles of materials and equipment. They've routed the path along the curb beside Memorial Drive, until just past the parking lot it dodges away from the street toward the existing trail.

All reasonably clear, a little packed snow. I climbed up onto the Metawa Bridge at 14th Street as usuual. There was a little bit of a breeze from the west, but by then I was warmed up and not noticing it.

On the other side, it was quiet, and I met the few runners that I'd already met on the other side. At the Metawa Bridge, I crossed quickly when there was a lull in the traffic. The crosswalks aren't in the right place: I'd have to cross 4th Avenue, then 9th Street (which the bridge connects to on the south side of the river) then back across 4th Avenue again. There's no crosswalk on the north side of 4th.

Running down between the Metawa Bridge and the C-Train bridge to go under it, I looked over my shoulder at the mass of ice that had piled up in the underpass. A runner was picking his way through the jagged mess to the other side. I had no confidence that there were no thin spots. It had to be a metre over the lowest point of the path down there.

The rest of the run was no big deal. I still felt heavy but the leg cramps were mostly a memory. The run up The Path was the usual huff and puff, and the steepest part seemed to be unusually demanding. But it seemed to take no time to get to the top.

From there, it was the usual six hundred metres or so to my finish line, a short block to walk, and then some serious stretching on my front step.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.06 Time: 43:10
Average speed: 6:07 min/km. (9.81 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769 (Blue).
Today's earworm: Sad L n K with happy notes.

Weather: Sunny and -9C .

An Improvement

2009-12-27T11:51:00.003-07:00

It's still going slow this season. I've really fallen off the rails here. I didn't get the leg cramps as bad as the last couple of times out, but they were still there. And after almost an hour they were down to a dull ache.

I headed out shortly after sunrise, running toward and along the bluff, and then down Nony's Awful Little Hill to the Centre Street bridge. I worried about being under-dressed. I was feeling the cold, but hoped that I would warm up enough from running.

At the first interval, I was slower than the last time I was out. I let go of any thoughts of having a reasonably fast run, and just concentrated on getting in the distance I wanted and getting it done.

I ran along the promenade, not the hobble that it felt like last time, but the heaviness was still there. I felt like I had gained forty pounds somewhere, the way my foot impact was hammering the pavement. I feel heavy and entirely graceless.

At the C-Train bridge I crossed to the north side of the river. The underpass under the Louise Bridge was still under ice and water, and I imagine the path on the other side might be neglected by the sidewalk plows because of that.

The run along Memorial was a heavy plodding affair. I wasn't improving my time much, and sometimes when I was on a walk break, I missed the chime to start running again.

By the time I got to the pedestrian overpass near the Boy Scouts building, the leg cramps were a distant ache, but I still couldn't get it in gear. I think I was running slower and slower as time went on.

I had another walk break just past Crowchild, and decided to call it a day. I'm usually there after about 30 minutes, but this was at the 40 minute mark, so was way off my usual pace. I turned around.

Something interesting to notice is that with the sun so low in the sky, almost all of Memorial drive from the C-Train bridge to Centre Street is in shadow from all the downtown skyscrapers across the river. Those towers cast long shadows.

When I got to The Path Under The Stairs, I actually managed to feel a bit more energetic and be a little aggressive. Climbing a slope seems to ease the kind of cramps I've been getting. But at the top, I was pretty much used up.

A sunny, beautiful day for running today, and in general I felt better than the last couple of weeks.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.39 Time: 1:08:52
Average speed: 6:37 min/km. (9.05 kph)
Rest distance: 0.68 km. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 11.07 km. Total time: 1:15:52.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: wistful L n K.

Weather: Sunny and -11C.

Feeling Old and Slow

2009-12-20T10:17:00.003-07:00

It was a tough run this morning. I was looking forward to it, too. It's not too cold, and the snow started just nicely. It's the kind of day that's fun to run through.

I'd also found some shoes yesterday, too, and they were feeling very good this morning. I actually found the same shoe as last time, not realizing it until just now, because they are blue trim instead of the yellow of the last pair. I expected the shin splints, and they came back, not too bad in the beginning. I crossed Centre Street bridge, and was surprised how soon my first rest period came.

I welcomed the walk break, but felt the wicked tightness in the shins. By the second break that hurt lots. I got to the Louise Bridge, and of course with the ice jam that's been on the river for a couple of weeks, the path is under water. So I took the C-Train bridge across to the north side of the river.

At the end of the bridge, I turned briefly to the west, but things hurt. So I turned east to head home. I did start to loosen up a tiny bit, so by the time I got to the ramp up to the foot bridge, I felt I could continue. The plan developed to continue at least to Edmonton Trail, then cross south again and back track to Prince's Island and head home.

After crossing under Centre Street, I thought a little about continuing to maybe Bridgeland Station and crossing north there, running through Bridgeland and up the hill there to head back home. That might have given me a dozen kilometres, at least. But things were no better by the time I reach Edmonton Trail, so I stuck to the original plan.

Interestingly, every interval seemed to be slower and slower. My pace was dismal. It seemed to take forever to get to Prince's Island, and crossing that, to climb The Path Under The Stairs. I stuck it out to my usual finish, but it felt like it took all morning.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.45 Time: 58:51
Average speed: 6:57 min/km. (9.36 kph)
Rest distance: 0..50 km. Rest time: 6:00.
Total distance: 8.95 km. Total time: 1:04:51.

Shoes: New Balance 769 (blue).
Today's earworm: Permanent L n K.

Weather: Light snow at -9C.

Hurtin' in Alberta

2009-12-16T18:02:00.003-07:00

Jeez, what the heck? I was out - finally - for a run after the cold snap. Just too wussy to get out in that -45C wind chill, I guess. But man this was a hard run.

It was all packed snow, and not so bad for slipperiness. The Path Under The Stairs had a couple of spots at it's steepest that were a little dicey on the way down but for the most part it was pretty good running conditions.

But oh, so slow! No speed, and major pain in the shins. I was locking up, almost. I thought about stopping but figured I might just lock up permanently if I did. And heavy and slow. That's what it felt like. Every step was jarring and I just had no flow with it at all.

Is this what happened when you don't run for two weeks? It was tough!

Today's (actually yesterday's) run:
Distance: 5.56 Time: 37:10
Average speed: 6:41 min/km. (8.98 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769.
Today's earworm: Sad and blue L n K.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and -8C

Late Afternoon Run

2009-12-01T22:29:00.002-07:00

When I work at home on a running day, I usually take a break at noon, and run then, but today I felt I was on a roll and kept working right through noon and most of the afternoon.

A half hour before sunset, I was done, though. I changed and stepped out the door. Jeez, it was cold! I mean not crazy cold, but it has cooled off considerably in the last couple of days. The snow we got yesterday wasn't too bad though, and I found that what was icy on Sunday was now packed snow and quite good to run on.

I headed down The Path, taking it easy though. There were still icy spots and I did a bit of a dance at one point when I found one with the heel of my shoe. A little arm waving for balance and I was good.

Across Prince's Island and down the promenade. It was pretty packed and icy, but not bad and I made good time.

I still felt the shin splints but had none of the fatigue that I had on Sunday. It felt much like I was back to my old self, if I ignored the sore legs and heavy wooden feeling in them. Still, my time was off.

It didn't take long to warm up either. Running is funny that way for me, hard to get out and get going. Cold and stiff at the start, but I know if I stick it out, I'm going to feel pretty darn good about getting through one more run.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.09 Time: 42:46
Average speed: 6:01 min/km. (9.95 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769.
Today's earworm: Sad and blue L n K.

Weather: Clear and -5C

After the Blizzard

2009-11-30T18:13:00.004-07:00

Such as it was. It snowed Friday night after it rained and then it froze and driving was apparently not fun. There was some melting the next day, but it was mostly overcast, and not all that warm. So by Sunday morning there was still lots of ice and packed snow.

I started down the street toward the bluff and it was treacherous, with a good coat of ice and the temperatures warming up to well above freezing. I stayed on the sidewalk rather than run on Crescent Road, much better but still slippery.

Nony's Awful Little Hill wasn't bad, with just one short stretch where I opted to pick my way through the weeds on the side, and the Centre Street bridge was also a littel icy. But once I got off the bridge and on to the promenade, there was no ice at all.

My big problem was just keeping going. I felt shin splints, not debilitating, but hurting. And I had no energy. My pace was way off. I usually try to at least stay to less than 6 minutes per kilometre, but that was a far off goal.

I kept plodding. I felt I had the stamina, just not the strength for my usual speed. The shin splints stayed with me, against my hope that they would disappear if I just kept moving.

By the time I crossed under Crowchild, the legs felt better, and I was feeling a little bit looser. But still my speed was staying down. I stayed on the bike path on the way to Edworthy, as it had been cleared some and there was lots of packed snow where it wasn't bare pavement. By the time I passed the Extreme Bean the shin splints were history.

I think it's partly the shoes. They have just under 700 km on them and they feel heavy and have no bounce, so I think the cushioning in the insole is pretty much gone. On top of that was a night of celebration, though it was low key, and I certainly wasn't hung over, just very tired.

I rounded Angel's Cafe at least five minutes slower than usual. I switched to the pedestrian path, which isn't cleared in the winter. The snow was packed and there was a little more of it, but just fine for running. Further evidence that my shoes had reached their end was how jarring each step felt. I wasn't hurting by this time, but just felt the fatigue.

The rest of the run went by. I just wanted to get to the end. The Path Under The Stairs wasn't any more onerous than usual, but I was already done before I got there. Running along the top of the bluff, I just wanted to get to the end, and never thought to check out the mountains.

About 15 minutes longer than I usually run this one. I was very glad to be done this run.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.51 Time: 1:45:47
Average speed: 6:28 min/km. (9.36 kph)
Rest distance: 0.89 km. Rest time: 11:30.
Total distance: 17.34 km. Total time: 1:57:17.

Shoes: New Balance 769.
Today's earworm: All the Hits on L n K.

It's Still Being Nice Out!

2009-11-24T15:15:00.002-07:00

Can't beat this weather. It's almost the end of November, and we really haven't had any major snowfalls, except for a couple that didn't stick around. Also no real cold snaps, except for a couple of days in October when I dropped to -15 or so. Leave's ya with a feeling that something is just around the corner, waiting to pounce.

I took a break from work, actually getting out a little earlier. Down to the path along the river and it was pretty quiet, as the lunch time crowd wouldn't be coming out until I was almost done.

The chill kinda followed me until I got part way down Cresent Road to the top of The Path. By the time I was at the bottom, I wasn't feeling cold at all. The light breeze that had been biting a little was unnoticeable.

The run was a run. Nothing notable about it, and I plodded down to 14th Street and the Metawa bridge. On the other side, a few lunch time runners were beginning to show, though it was still pretty quiet. I think the fair weather runners were staying in, even though it was a calm, clear, sunny day.

By the time I was on the south side of the river, my shins were burning. I did do some stretching before starting out, but those hurt. It didn't slow me down, just hurt. By the time I got to crossing Prince's Island, I was fine.

I was up The Path not fast, but steady, and not breathless. At the top, as I turned the hairpin to head west, I noticed the western horizon. Wow, clear all the way, with just a few grey blobs behind them. They were mostly dark because of the angle of the sun, but had a few gleaming white parts that were still in the sun.

I took that in until I got to the break in the guard rail where I head north and homeward.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.09 Time: 41:57
Average speed: 5:55 min/km. (10.14 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769.
Today's earworm: Easy L n K.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 4C

Beat the Sunset

2009-11-19T18:11:00.002-07:00

Rushed home so I could get a run in before dinner, and perhaps even before sunset. Man but it gets dark so early.

The weather is still holding out this fall, and I probably could have run in shorts, but opted for the running tights. Seems like a lot of people walk to work downtown, too. The bridge was busy, though not crowded.

On the promenade, lots of leaves blowing around and the ducks in that little bit of river that flows between the promenade and Prince's Island were making a quite a racket. The trees are naked, of course, but there's squirrels out and they're busy.

Along Bow Trail, nothing exciting. Same as when crossing the Metawa Bridge, and even along Memorial. The Path was the usual challenge, but at the top I had lots left and my breathing was quite even. That's never happened before, so was kinda cool. No slowing up a little to let my breath catch up with me.

Anyway, a good finish, and I was home before dark.

Distance: 7.17 Time: 40:31
Average speed: 5:38 min/km. (10.62 kph)

Shoes: New Balance 769.
Today's earworm: Lovin' L n K.

Weather: Sunny and 7C