Storm Threatening

It was kind of grey outside when I left the house,and seemed to get greyer, and darker, and colder, and windier as time went on. Bopping along the Eau Claire promenade, there was a rather startling thunderclap, and ya know it's about to get damp when that happens. But it held off until the last couple of blocks before home. Still enought to get thoroughly wet.

Passed Kim, a friend I hadn't seen since the marathon, and we exchanged "how ya doin'" She was ahead of me by about a minute in the marathon, and last year, I believe she ran under four hours. Impressive!

Tonight, I felt really loose and well stretched. Got into my long, loping stride, which I haven't used for ages, and it I felt like I was gliding. I can't be sure, but it feels as if my centre of gravity doesn't bounce so much, and I have more flexing in the knees, and because of that, or in spite of it, there's no stress on them. Just kind of a light, gliding feeling, a nice groove.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.99 km. Time: 45:24. Average speed: 11.9 kph.
Rest distance: 498.3 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.49 km. Total time: 50:24

Weather: Cloudy and 13C, with a rainshower starting as I got close to home.

Early Morning

Another one of those nights: awake and staring into the dark at four in the morning. So what the heck, I'm up and out running. Just a quick one though, cuz today was Mozart on the Mountain and I was volunteering.

So out the door, down 10th, around Cresent Road and back up 4th. No frills route, but I did remember my lenses this time so I could see to enjoy the view of downtown, and that lovely starry sky that we'll get in the evening come Christmas.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.73 km. Time: 24:53. Average speed: 11.4 kph.
Rest distance: 344.8 m. Rest time: 2:00.
Total distance: 5.07 km. Total time: 26:53

Weather: Clear and 12C. Rather nice out, and a great precursor to a georgeous summer day.

Quick Friday Run

I don't think I got a good satellite lock tonight. I'm pretty sure I went farther than the GPS said, and with three one minute walk breaks, there's no way I could have covered almost a kilometre. But anyway.

Today's run:
Distance: 5.38 km. Time: 33:35. Average speed: 7.9 kph.
Rest distance: 952.7 m. Rest time: 3:00.
Total distance: 4.43 km. Total time: 36:35.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 24C. A little warm, but nice. Not a bad run at all.

Slippery Encounter

A cold wet day, but I needed to get out. For some reason it's been really hard lately to haul myself out of the house, get on the road and get running. So I got home from work, hummed and hawwed, changed into my running clothes, grumbled a bit, took a deep breath, and charged out the door. (Wasn't so hard, was it?)

Tonight I went down 10th Street, and straight across the river. Down the promenade, up Centre Street bridge and homeward. But there was a bit of a difference.

When I come up to an intersection, I watch for cars. Drivers in this town can be so focused on watching for that gap in the oncoming traffic that they're oblivious to anything else. So I watch, when I approach an intersection, and try and make eye contact, so I know they're aware of me.

When it's overcast like it is tonight, it's hard to see anyone through a car's windows. The reflection of the sky and surroundings dominates those windows in such flat lighting. You can't see them to see where they are looking.

And on the other hand, it was one of those times that my attention was more inward than it should have been.

As I stepped off the curb at 13th Avenue, I was suddenly backpedaling and sidestepping and trying to get a grip on the wet slippery sheet metal of the hood, to try and climb up on it, and just generally trying to keep from slipping under the front of this car. Then after a few seconds, when he stopped and I finally regained my footing, I kind of blew up at the guy for a minute, but he didn't hang around.

My intention was for a slow easy run, but it ended up being a bit adrenalin fueled.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.01 km. Time: 42.46. Average speed: 11.2 kph.
Rest distance: 507.7 m. Rest time:4:00.
Total distance: 8.52 km. Total time: 46:46.

Weather: Light rain and 9C. Kinda wet, and it felt better that I thought it would considering. I'll see if I develop a bumper shaped bruise or two on my shins.

Moose Mountain

I've moved this post to here.

Early, Early, Early

Most nights I seem to be done sleeping after five hours or so. It's been like that for at least two years, maybe more. Last night was no exception. So instead of laying there and staring into the dark until the alarm goes off, this morning I decided to get up and do something. And why not a run?

Same circuit as on Wednesday, cuz it's quick and scenic, probably more scenic at night with that huge moon close to setting in the west. I say probably since I forgot my glasses. Even so, the world had a blurry beauty, and I'm not so blind that I can't pick out the brighter stars. But next time I gotta take the glasses.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.69 km. Time: 27:00. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 204.5 m. Rest time: 2:03.
Total distance: 4.90 km. Total time: 29:03.

Weather: Mainly clear and 5C. I dressed in the usual tee and shorts, but layered with a light sweat shirt and my wind pants. I suppose we'll soon have to be thinking about dressing warmer for all day. Where did the summer go?

Needed That.

Even on good days, sometimes I need to just get out and go. And it was a good day at work. But I got home feeling a little jumpy, so out I go just to burn it off.

This one was short: down 10th Street and across to Cresent Road at 13th Avenue, then straight up 4th Street. I haven't run along Cresent Road since before I moved to my present location, I think. So it looked totally unfamiliar, since it would have been April or maybe even earlier since I'd been along there last.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.73 km. Time: 25:09. Average speed: 11.3 kph.
Rest distance: 263.1 m. Rest time: 2:00.
Total distance: 5.00 km. Total time: 27:09.

Weather: Coudy and 9C - another cool evening, and just right for a hard run.

Got Energy!

Lots of it, too. My first interval was a little pokey, but after that I was cruisin'. Guess it was speed night.

I did Confederation Park and the golf course tonight, and then around Canmore Park and past the Ecole Banff Trail on 24th Street. Then back home, retracing my steps.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.45 km. Time: 49:35. Average speed: 11.3 kph.
Rest distance: 505.9 m. Rest time: 4:35.
Total distance: 8.96 km. Total time: 51:51.

Weather: Cloudy and 11C. Perfect running weather.

Late Sunday Run

Didn't know if I was going to do a run today, as it's been busy weekend. But I got everything done, and got home at a decent time, so why not?

The usual: to the river, over to 14th Street, back to Prince's Island, and back up 4th Street. It was kinda nice, though, with the rain. The sun was also shining, and the falling rain was magically backlit by it. By the time I got near Kensington, the rain had stopped, and the sun was hidden again.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.49 km. Time: 46:51. Average speed: 10.9 kph.
Rest distance: 503.0 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 8.99 km. Total time: 51:51.

Weather: Light rain and 13C. There's also been smoke, from some B.C. forest fire. Most of the day it's been a far off haze, enough to obscure the mountains, but in the last couple of hours it has thickened.

Busy Day

Just a quick run around Confederation Park cuz I got stuff to do

Today's run:
Distance: 4.39 km. Time: 20.32. Average speed: 12.8 kph.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 13C. Actually a really nice afternoon right now

Wet Wednesday

More damp than soaking. but cool and rainy - just how I like it. Down to the river, over to 14th, back to Prince's Island, then up The Path Under The Stairs and home.

This was a great run. I haven't felt so good running for ages, so what's up with that? And despite the rain, there were a lot of people out running and walking. Great energy and a lot of fun.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.78 km. Time: 47:33. Average speed: 11.1 kph.
Rest distance: 610.1 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.39 km. Total time: 52:33.

Weather: Light rain and 8C. Perfect running weather.

That Kind of Day

Forgot my umbrella so it was a wet walk home. Lot's of little annoyances at work. What's with that? All those niggling little things pile up all in a heap to make for a challenging day.

So I was really looking forward to a quick run to burn off some frustration. Besides, I like running in the rain. But there was just one more little annoyance. As the door closed to my suite, I realized I had the wrong keys in my hand.

So what to do? Well, go for a run, of course. It was a short run, just down 10th Street and then over to my landlady's place, all the while hoping she was home. And she was. So it was just a short run down the hill, and then back up. Then a short drive to take back the key.

I'm hoping the rest of the day is better.

Today's run:
Distance: 3.33 km. Time: 36:13. Average speed: 5.5 kph.

Looks like the GPS lost the satellites while I was chatting with the landlady.

Lovely Sunday Morning

Time to try some distance. Actually it was my usual route along the river bookended by Crowchild on the west and the Centre Street bridge on the east. I took Nony's Awful Little Hill at a slow easy pace.

One thing I rediscovered this morning, is that a long slow stride with a little flexing feels so effortless. This was a pace I'd fall into when I was living in the south of the city and ran in Fish Creek Park, and it always felt like I could go for miles. I didn't quite match the feeling, but it was one of the most comfortable runs I've had in a long time.

Today's run:
Distance: 12.03 km. Time: 1:07:15. Average speed: 10.7 kph.
Rest distance: 678.8 m. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.71 km. Total time: 1:14:15.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 13C, and a little breezy. But that made it kinda nice.

Grotto Canyon

I've moved this post to here.

Hot Friday Night

Signifigantly hotter than what I've run in before, but I don't recollect too many details from last summer's runs.

Just a straight through run, Confederation Park and Golf Course, to 19th Street and back. Lovely sunny evening, but just a tad on the warm side. So I took it slow, and enjoyed the scenery.

Today's run:
Distance: 6.18 km. Time: 41:07. Average speed: 9.0 kph.

Weather: Sunny and 28C. Whooo! All drippy, sweaty - bleah!

Wednesday Night Regular

It does feel good to get back out there and putting some miles on these shoes. It's a great night for it, too, with lots of people out, especially on blades for some reason.

Tonight it was down to the river, bracketed by 14th Street and Prince's Island. Tried to go easy, and I think I succeeded. I'm not going to go hard for awhile.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.84 km. Time: 50:00. Average speed: 11.5 kph.
Rest distance: 526.8 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.36 km. Total time: 55:00.

Weather: Sunny and 21C. Another perfect evening.

About the speed: something is haywire there. One interval measured 15.8 kph, which is way beyond my capabilities. The actual average is probably closer to 10.5 km.

Time to Get Back on the Road

I was planning to start back into running tomorrow night, as it's my usual night to run with Nony. But she calls me tonight, asking if I was up for a run tonight. So sure!

This time she came up my way and we did a short run through Confederation Park and past the golf course. She hasn't been in this area for quite a while, and had forgotten about the hills along the golf course, but we both tackled them quite handily.

A nice run on a beautiful night, with delightful company, and a great way to ease back into a more serious schedule.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.79 km. Time: 34:35. Average speed: 8.3 kph.
Rest distance: 1.93 km. Rest time: 20:00.
Total distance: 6.72 km. Total time: 54:35.

Weather: Sunny and 20C, and a light breeze. Perfect!

Ptarmigan Cirque

I've moved this post here.

After a Wonderful Hike

Spent Saturday morning climbing to a fire lookout on a peak called Hailstone Butte. Fabulous climb, beautiful scenery, forgot my camera and my GPS. Rats!

But it did wonders for loosening up the legs. When we got to the parking area, my knees were not feeling well at all. But after five minutes of walking up the valley toward the peak, I forgot all about them. Nothing like strenuous hike through great scenery with delightful company.

So tonight's run was a bit of a mystery. I had an awful, sleepless night, and an equally awful, semi-conscious day, which might have contributed. The first couple of intervals just hurt. I was ready to call it a day by the time I got to Memorial. But for some reason, after that, everything started to iron itself out. I pushed fairly hard, keeping the speed up, and I think that softens my stride somehow. I don't strike the pavement quite so hard, while at the same time I'm stretching things a little more.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.76 km. Time: 47:00. Average speed: 11.2 kph.
Rest distance: 541.2 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.30 km. Total time: 52:00.

Weather: Sunny and 18C. Great evening, with lots of people out and about.

Back Into the Swing

Did a full run tonight, with good speed, and it felt great. Even the knees were uncomplaining. I went down to the river all the way down to Crowchild, and back up The Path Under The Stairs. It was a bit crowded on the promenade and through Prince's Island because of the Folk Festival, but it didn't slow me down too much.

Today's run:
Distance: 11.8 km. Time: 1:04:38. Average speed: 11.0 kph.
Rest distance: 682.1 m. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.49 km. Total time: 1:11:38.

Weather: Cloudy and 22C. A bit warm but not slowing me down at all. And just starting to try to rain about the time I got back home.

Short and Tiring

I think I'm a little dehydrated, as I forgot to have water before I went out. It seems hotter than it is, too. But still a pretty good run, kinda fun once I forgot about feeling slow.

I did the Confederation Park and Golf Course circuit, with the shortcut through Canmore Park. I thought about cutting it short coming back, but stuck it out and went to the north end and up 30th Avenue, as usual. Even managed to do a bit of a sprint for the last block and a half.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.03 km. Time: 40:31. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 374.4 m. Rest time: 4:00.
Total distance: 7.41 km. Total time: 44:31.

Weather: Sunny and 23C, with some massive cloud buildup to the north, which is no doubt why there is a severe thunderstorm watch in effect. But mostly a beautiful evening, with a few other runners out too.

Back in the Swing

And boy, does it feel good! A nice relaxed, but not too slow run, and everything feels great. There's a little tightness here and there that comes and goes, especially in the left knee. For the most part the aches work themselves out after a few minutes.

I was thinking of jumping into the usual midweek distance, but I cut it short by crossing the 14th Street bridge instead of going all the way to Crowchild. I thought there would be more people out too, but it was actually rather quiet along the river, probably due to how the weather was turning.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.97 km. Time: 49:33. Average speed: 10.9 kph.
Rest distance: 515.1 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.48 km. Total time: 54:33.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 17C. Actually the last half of the run was in a gentle little thunder storm, full of quiet rumblings and just enough rain to keep the pavement spotted.

Saskatchewan Run

Out visiting my daughter and grandson in Meota, SK. After getting back from a trip to Moose Jaw to visit my sister, I decided to try a run. This would be the first since the Burnco Marathon during the Calgary Stampede.

I did OK. Lots of body parts hurt, but I managed to run 8 km. The legs were certainly tight, and no amount of stretching was helping. I was going to try for 5 km out and back, but I thought that after 4 km, I'd suffered enough. And my speed was way down, too, and I thought I'd try and keep it under an hour.

I headed out to highway 26 and struck out to the northwest, toward Turtleford. It's a busier highway than I expected, and the shoulders were narrower than I liked. But straight and flat, and the once or twice I had to head into the grass wasn't bad, as someone had been cutting the ditch for hay.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.56 km. Time: 46:30. Average speed: 9.8 kph.
Rest distance: 431.6 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 7.99 km. Total time: 51:30.

Weather: Cloudy and about 16C. The rain had stopped by the time I got out there, but the sky remained overcast. A little bit of a breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay, too. Forgot how big they grow 'em out there.

Marathon aftermath: the pictures are ready - find them here (enter bib number 352)

My Burnco Marathon Official Results

Time: 4:15:21
Pace: 9:45
477th overall out of 859
347th out of 535 males
71st out of 107 age 45-49

Find it here. (Coulda swore the clock was past 4:16 when I crossed...)

Calgary Burnco Marathon

I finished! And not only did I finish, I smoked it. Unofficial time is something under 4:17. Right now I'm pooped, and I have blisters on my blisters. I started way back, near the 4:30 pace bunny, but after I got through all the traffic near the beginning, I was on my own.

I loved running down 8th Avenue. Some early risers, and a few partyers still going, cheered us. It seemed like no time at all that we were at the Stampede grounds, and there were tons of early risers cheering us on. At the south end of the grounds was a huge band, one of the many acts that were placed along the route. My favs were the band, the belly dancers at 17 km, and the woodwind group at 28 km.

After we left the Stampede we trundled through Ramsay and Inglewood, then across the river to the zoo. I was looking for animals, but all I saw were a dozen flamingoes and a lone tiger. Then we got directed to some service backroad which took us away from the animals and under Memorial Drive. After that, through Bridgeland, and down to Memorial Drive for the nittygritty.

Most of the run went really well. For some reason the loop around Bowness Park was hard, but after that, it got better again.

It was the last 4 km that were the toughest. Past the 38 km marker was were I was starting to wonder what the heck I'd gotten myself into. Then waiting for the 39 km marker to appear was hard. But I must have missed it, cuz the next one I got to was 40, so that was actually kinda cool.

My last rest walk was at about half a kilometre from the finish, so I didn't take it. And then I was running this gauntlet of all these cheering people. At that point I was pretty much alone on the course, with other runners way ahead or way behind, so they were all cheering for ME! That was kind of emotional.

The last 100 m, I saw that clock sitting at 4:16 and change, so I suddenly put everything I had into it and sprinted to the end. Got a lot of comments about my strong finish.

Once an official took the timing chip off my shoe, that was when my legs stopped cooperating. I hobbled out of the finish area, found some water and banana, and sat on the grass for awhile. Then I hobbled off to my car and drove home. Wish I would have parked a lot closer.

Today's run:
Distance: 40.17 km. Time: 3:51:20. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 2.68 km. Rest time: 25:00.
Total distance: 42.85 km. Total time: 4:14:20.

My time includes wandering around in a daze for a few minutes after crossing the finish line, and doesn't include three or four potty breaks.

Weather: Sunny and 10C to start, climbing to 17C at the end.

This is the 41st running of the Calgary marathon, and it's billed as Canada's longest running marathon.

One Last Bit of Tinkering

Wasn't sure I was going to go out tonight, but I thought, what the heck? And besides, the day was a bit of a bear (one for Nony - Haw!) So I messed with the lacing a bit on my short run shoes, and off I went.

Now the short run shoes are my newest ones, the ones I bought after stuggling to find a better fit, and which was documented right here as it was born out. I would use them for the runs during the week, which never went more than about 12 km. Then I'd use my older ones for the distance runs on the weekends. The idea was to use the new ones for the marathon.

So since I had somehow been overtightening the short run shoes, and causing a little pain in the right foot for it, I changed the lacing a little, to make it harder to overtighten over the arch. And that worked pretty well. But there's something still a little wonky with those shoes. So the plan is to stick with the long run shoes for Sunday.

I don't know, maybe the right foot feels better in those shoes because the right shoe sounds like I'm stomping on a squeaky toy with every step. What ever works...

Today's run:
Distance: 6.24 km. Time: 36:29. Average speed: 10.3 kph.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 26C. Kinda warm, but still a beautiful evening.

2 Days until the Burnco Marathon.
1 Days until the Loganator turns one!

A Quick Pre-Marathon Run

Just wanted to get out and go tonight. It's been a busy week and I've been getting a little tense about it. Plus Nony bailed on me this week (for very good reasons, I might add), so it was a solo run.

I stayed close to home, and ran through Confederation Park to 19th Street and back.

Today's run:
Distance: 6.4 km. Time: 38:15. Average speed: 10.0 kph.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 22C, which is rather down from the 27C that it was a couple of hours earlier. It was pretty windy too.

4 Days until the Burnco Marathon.
3 Days until the Loganator turns one!

Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!

Stupid wildlife. Man, that stings! On the final strectch along 4th Street, about 18th Avenue, this bee or wasp or something comes out of nowhere, and tries to fly down my gullet. But I trapped it between the lips and the little bugger stung me. The left side of my lower lip is almost as big as my nose right now. At least that fierce burning stopped pretty quickly.

Anyway. It was a lovely morning for a run otherwise. Not a cloud in the sky, bright and sunny, and getting a little warm by the end. I didn't go the big distance, since the marathon is a week away, but I was still out there for a couple of hours. Lots of people out too, most running. Both the Kensington and Eau Claire Running Rooms are close to the river and both have large Sunday morning running groups.

My route this morning was down 10th to Memorial, east to the zoo, across the river, west to the C-Train bridge and across the river again, then down to Crowchild, across again, down to Eau Claire and across at Prince's Island. Up The Path Under The Stairs and home along 4th, past the wannabe killer bee. Jeez.

Today's run:
Distance: 20.57 km. Time: 1:57:00. Average speed: 10.5 kph.
Rest distance: 1.19 km. Rest time: 12:54.
Total distance: 21.76 km. Total time: 2:09:54.

Weather: Sunny and 14C to start, climbing to 16C at the end. Beautiful morning.

And the swelling has gone down noticeably while I wrote this.

So that's it for the big runs until I get through next Sunday. For sure, I'll get out with Nony on Wednesday, but it's rest time for the rest of the week.

7 Days until the Burnco Marathon.
6 Days until the Loganator turns one!

An Unintentional Speed Run

I'm not sure what that was all about. I was intending to just have leisurely run around the usual circuit, but somehow, I found a groove and kinda smoked along the paths. I took the usual route, picking Nony's Awful Little Hill over The Path Under The Stairs, because I think I'll just take it easy for this last week before the Burnco.

Lots of people out on the south side of the river for the Canada Day festivities at Millenium Park. Lots of blades and a few bikes, but mostly people strolling along the promenade. The big wading pool by Eau Claire is very busy.

Today's run:
Distance: 12.27 km. Time: 1:04:05. Average speed: 11.5 kph.
Rest distance: 662.4 m. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.93 km. Total time: 1:11:05.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 21C. Perfect weather for Canada Day, and maybe just a little warm for a hard run.

9 Days until the Burnco Marathon.

After Work With Nony

Another run with Nony, who I haven't ran with for a couple of weeks, and who hasn't ran herself for almost as long. Come to think of it, I haven't run for almost a week, either.

We did the usual route, down The Path Under The Stairs to Memorial, across the river at 10th Street, back to and across the Centre Street bridge, to Nony's Awful Little Hill to the top and done. I think we both felt the effects of slacking off. Our time was a little slower than usual, for sure.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.00 km. Time: 30:00. Average speed: 8.0 kph.
Rest distance: 1.95 km. Rest time: 19:59.
Total distance: 5.95 km. Total time: 49:59.

Weather: Sunny and 19C. Surprisingly, not as hot as we assumed. It seemed a lot warmer out than that. But then, being in the sun was such a novel experience, after all the rain this past month.

11 Days until the Burnco Marathon.

Something New

Finally broke down and bought some proper running shorts. Now I'll turn almost as many heads as Nony (it could happen...). Well, maybe after the tan lines migrate a little farther north. The shorts are a little bit shorter than the old ones, but certainly not embarassingly so. Much more comfortable, too.

Tonight I followed the usual route - down 10th, over to Crowchild, back to Prince's Island and home along 4th. I debated whether to tackle The Path Under The Stairs, or to go on to the bridge and up Nony's Awful Little Hill. By the time I got to Prince's I decided on The Path, cuz I felt particularly good. The climb felt great and I even got a little agressive in running up it.

Today's run:
Distance: 11.55 km. Time: 1:01:46. Average speed: 11.2 kph.
Rest distance: 621.3 m. Rest time: 6:00.
Total distance: 12.17 km. Total time: 1:07:46.

Weather: Cloudy and 17C. The sky was actually getting darker and the wind was picking up a little. The forecast is calling for showers this evening, too.

16 Days until the Burnco Marathon.

Staying Loose

Just a quick buzz around Confederation Park to keep the legs moveable. I only went as far as 19th Street and came back. It was a warm evening, not as warm as last night, but still enough to get good and sweaty. And I pushed a little on those rolling hills by the golf course (or at least tried to).

Today's run:
Distance: 6.36 km. Time: 35:40. Average speed: 10.5 kph.
Rest distance: 350.8 m. Rest time: 3:00.
Total distance: 6.71 km. Total time: 38:40.

Weather: Cloudy and 25C, but cooling and cloudy. The wind is picking up and it was looking like a shower was developing.

Wildlife: Bloody bugs. Got one in the eye, and though I think it washed out pretty quickly, it seemed to have left a leg or something behind. Bothered me all the way home.

18 Days until the Burnco Marathon.

Whoo! It's Hot!

Just did a short one tonight (well, relatively short). 10th, Memorial, across 14th, back to Eau Claire, across Prince's Island (what hasn't washed away), up The Path Under The Stairs, and home on 4th. Good speed until that last interval, and then I ran out of steam. I'm glad I took a bottle of water with me.

What a georgeous evening, though! Tons of people out walking, running, biking, blading along the promenade. Lots still checking out the flood damage. All the patios on 10th near Kensington are occupied. But hot.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.69 km. Time: 49:44. Average speed: 10.5 kph.
Rest distance: 490.4 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.18 km. Total time: 54:44.

Weather: Sunny and 27C. Finally, a change from the rain! And the island that disappeared west of 14th Street still isn't back, but there is now an island shaped bunch of bushes sticking out of the water.

19 Days until the Burnco Marathon.

The Sun Is Back!

Absolutely beautiful morning out there. It was a little cloudy to start, but the sun came out after a couple of hours, and it's just glorious.

The river sure is impressive. Half of Prince's Island is under water, and most of the paths under the bridges are as well. Occasionally I had to dodge and weave traffic to get across them. Running along the river, there were places were I'd look at the water level, then at the level of Memorial Drive, and wonder if the berm which I was running on top of would hold. There are parts of Sunnyside where I bet homeowners are a little nervous.

I was planning to run along the river to 17th Avenue, and cross there and come back through Pearce Estate Park and past the fish hatchery, but no go. I had to cross Memorial at the zoo and run through the north parking lot down to Nose Creek. I couldn't go down the path along the creek to the Bow and underthe train bridge because the water was within a half metre of the bridge, so the path under was maybe under two metres of water. So I took the service road to the weir, which runs up over a bit of a hill.

I expected the noise at the weir to be deafening with all that water going over, but the actual drop in the water level was maybe metre, so not much drop and not much noise. And seven or eight hundred metres past the weir was a dead end. The water didn't look deep, but a lot of the path was under it, and there was lot of debris.

So I backtracked to the zoo and crossed to 12th Street on that bridge. The path under it was under almost two metres as well, so I had to stay on the road. And then on the other side, that path was under at least a half metre from the bridge to the confluence of the Elbow, so I just kept going past until I got to 8th Avenue, and took that to the Elbow where I zigged over to 9th and over that bridge by Fort Calgary.

Once past the fort, I turned back toward the river and headed toward the promenade. That lovely stream that separates Prince's Island from downtown, that they spent buckets of cash and almost two years building, is now a raging torrent. The earth damn at the west end is completely washed out, but the two foot bridges by Eau Claire are OK. But like I said, half the island is under water.

Running along toward Crowchild after crossing under the C-Train bridge, I suddenly realized that that big island just west of the 14th Street bridge is gone, though there are a couple of trees still standing out in the middle of the river. There was also an island just west of Crowchild that has disappeared. And looking across the river to Lawrey Gardens, I wondered if the path was still above water.

Once I got farther down, CP Rail had a work crew out dumping chunks of concrete alone the bank beside the tracks below Spruce Cliff, where significant erosion was happening. I was going to cross at Edworthy and run back that side, but there were spots that seemed awful low, so I just turned around at the Edworthy bridge and headed back on the north side.

At Crowchild I crossed, figuring that the path east would be OK, and it was except for one point where the water was lapping at the edge of the path - the edge farthest from the bank. So it was slow down and tiptoe through about two centimetres of water at it's shallowest. After that, it was all the way to Centre Street bridge, up Nony's Awful Little Hill, and to 4th Street and home.

Today's run:
Distance: 31.98 km. Time: 3:18:10. Average speed: 9.7 kph.
Rest distance: 2.02 km. Rest time: 22:00.
Total distance: 34.00 km. Total time: 3:40:10.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 7C to start, mostly sunny and 14C by the end. Wonderful sunny day. And about time too. This rain has been too much.

And let's do a countdown - 21 days to the Burnco Marathon

A Trifle Moist

Firstly, hello and welcome to Nony's mum! Lovely to meet you, and sorry about the weather. Hopefully we can do better the next time you come out.

It's been a wet, wet day, cool and windy, with lots and lots of rain. So of course I had to get out and run. I think I made it two blocks before my shoes were saturated. My waterproof windbreaker is not so waterproof. But what a lovely fun run.

I did the usual route: 10th, Memorial to Crowchild, back to Eau Claire, across the river and home along 4th. Just a little agility training, with most of the goose poo washed away. The only thing to dodge are these great, honkin' fat earthworms that are all over the place. Ick The odd soggy magpie was having a feast.

Today's run:
Distance: 11.56 km. Time: 1:04:23. Average speed: 10.8 kph.
Rest distance: 729.3 m. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.29 km. Total time: 1:11:23.

Weather: A thunderstorm with rain, and 11C. Just about right, temperature-wise, but a little damp. I was soaked through when I got home, but it felt wonderful. A very nice, solid run.

Long Overdue Run With Nony

It's been a long time since Nony and I ran together, so tonight was great. She's been struggling to get out on her own, since her fall, and with all the crappy weather, but tonight was perfect.

We bumped her interval to 6 & 4, cuz she was game, and I thought she was ready for a little more challenge. And she was. She was even pretty aggressive taking on her Awful Little Hill.

We did the usual route - down The Path Under The Stairs to Memorial, across the 10th Street bridge, back along the Eau Claire promenade, then up the Centre Street bridge to the Awful Little Hill and home.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.34 km. Time: 30:00. Average speed: 8.7 kph.
Rest distance: 1.91 km. Rest time: 19:12.
Total distance: 6.25 km. Total time: 49:12.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 16C, but the cloudy part was pretty small, I think. A beautiful evening and a lovely run, all the more so for the company.

30 K Day

That was a long one. I was aiming for 3:20, but fell a little short. With the flooding along the river, I'm kind of improvising as to routes. I ended up following some of the tried and true paths.

From home, over to 10th Street, down to Memorial Drive, only this time I went east. At the zoo, I crossed over to the south side of the river, and trundled along past Inglewood, across a very high Elbow River, past Fort Calgary, Chinatown, and Prince's Island. I crossed back to the north side under the C-Train bridge, and followed Memorial all the way to Crowchild, then down along Parkdale Boulevard to the footbridge across to Edworthy Park. Along the tracks, along Bow Trail, along the promenade to the Centre Street bridge, and up Nony's Evil Little Hill, and home by 4th Street.

Just to get over the 30 km distance though, I went a little ways farther up 4th before cutting across and backtracking to home. I thought about meandering around the neighbourhood a little to make the run the full 3:20 that I had planned on, but naaah...

Lots of people out between Centre Street and 10th Street on both sides of the river, with Walmart's Walk for Miracles, which was cool cuz I like running with the crowds. Was even given a water bottle by one of the volunteers at one of their water stations, even though I protested that I wasn't participating, but they insisted, so that was nice.

One thing I forgot was to set up the GPS for intervals, so I had to be a bit of a clock watcher to take walk breaks when I needed to. So my time stats are a little wonky this week.

Today's run:
Distance: 30.23 km. Time: 3:08:59. Average speed: 9.6 kph.

Weather: Cloudy and 11C to start, climbing to 14C by the time I got home. Really nice morning for a run.

By the way, thanks for the big pasta dinner, Dad.

Not That Into It

I don't know if it's because of the recent weather, or work, or what, but my head and my heart were just not into it tonight. So I cut it a little short. I did the Confederation Park run again, but I took a short cut across Canmore Park and just headed back home.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.23 km. Time: 43:59. Average speed: 9.9 kph.
Rest distance: 453.6 m. Rest time: 4:00.
Total distance: 7.68 km. Total time: 47:59.

Weather: Cloudy and 17C. Not too bad for a run, and no wind. We did have a heck of a downpour earlier this afternoon downtown, with some hail. And according to the forecast, we may get more. Bleah.

Kinda Pokey Tonight

At least a full ten minutes slower on this route than usual. I felt good all the way through the run, and I seemed to be getting some decent speed, but when I got home, I'd put in a whole interval more than usual. No worries, though, cuz it felt right, and the aches and pains weren't any worse than usual. I do have to watch the downhill stretches though. If my stride is too long on those, I immediately feel it in the knees. Gotta keep it short and quick, and it works out fine.

The river is really high right now. The path under the 10th Street bridge on the north end is closed. It doesn't look like it's quite underwater, but it's very close. I think the water level is about a foot or so below what it was last night at this time, and it was higher than that this morning. It will likely be a couple of weeks before I can run along the Elbow river, given that there were several homeowners along there told to be ready to evacuate yesterday.

Anyway, today it was the 10th Street, Memorial Drive, across at Crowchild, back to Prince's Island and home on 4th Street route.

Today's run:
Distance: 11:40 km. Time: 1:04:58. Average speed: 10.5 kph.
Rest distance: 723.6 m. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.13 km. Total time: 1:11:58.

Weather: Cloudy and 15C. Not much breeze, but not much people out either, it seemed like. Everyone must be staying home to make sure it stays dry.

Post Monsoon Run

After all the rain, I'm surprised I'm not flooded out. Nony has some wet carpet to contend with, and a co-worker has three feet of water in her cellar, with her water heater and furnace. I feel pretty lucky to be high and dry.

It was nice to finally get out again, after all that rain. Tonight I did the Confederation Park circuit that I did last week, reversing the part around Canmore Park in order to tackle the hill on Charlebois Drive, a nice, long and fairly steep climb.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.67 km. Time: 47:35. Average speed: 10.9 kph.
Rest distance: 475.3 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.15 km. Total time: 52:35.

Weather: Cloudy and 12C. Barely a breeze, so very nice. Lots of runners out too.

A Wet, Sort-Of-Distance Run

I wasn't up to doing the full run I had planned this morning. I was going to try for 3:20, but I was up too late last night. A friend called at the last minute, who had a spare ticket to ¡Bulla!, so I figured why not? Then after, there was a friend of a friend whose son's band was having a CD release party next door, then dancing at the Conga Room until the band shut down. Umm, got a little carried away, I guess.

So I was late getting up and slow getting moving, but I eventually did. This time down 4th Street, to the The Path Under The Stairs (might as well capitalize the whole thing). Down Memorial to Crowchild, across to the other side of the river and back to Eau Claire. At that point I was going to decide whether to go more or head home, and the knee felt so good I kept going. This time to the zoo, where I crossed the river, then back along Memorial again to The Path, and home.

I think it wasn't the descent down The Path so much as the climb back up that was the danger to the knee. Last Thursday when I ran Confederation Park, there was a lot of up and down, and I tackled the climbs pretty aggressively. I think I may have stretched something. So I took today's climb pretty easy. Felt way better.

About the fourth interval, near Eau Claire, the skys opened up, so I ran for almost an hour and a half in a continual downpour. It was actually quite nice, and I like running in the rain anyway. But I definitely needed a hot shower before writing this. My fingers were a bit stiff.

Lots going on down there today. The Ride for Heart was going in Cresent Heights Park, and the MS Super Cities Walk happening just across the river on Prince's Island, so lots of people out, even with the rain, and that made it fun.

I almost took a swim by the zoo. I had just come around a corner screened by a big bush, and found a huge puddle that I was too close to stop for. I tried to go around by staying to the side, but ended up off the path in ankle deep water, and a good ten yards before I could get out of it, so so much for dry feet. And it was a great day for agility training, between the goose poo and the earthworms that come out to drown on the sidewalks when it rains like this. Yecch.

Today's run:
Distance: 17.08 km. Time: 1:40:20. Average speed: 10.2 kph.
Rest distance: 1.57 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 18.65 km. Total time: 1:51:20.

Weather: Light rain and 11C. Just nice.

Dryer Run Tonight

It was raining a little as I was walking home from work, but by the time I got back out in my running gear, it had stopped, and it was even looking a little like it would clear for awhile. Not even a decent puddle to jump in

Just a quick run to stay loose. Down 10th to Memorial, over to 14th and across the river, then back along to promenade to Eau Claire, across the river, up the path under The Stairs, and down 4th Street to home.

Today's run:
Distance: 8:92 km. Time: 47:28. Average speed: 11.3 kph.
Rest distance: 552.9 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.472 km. Total time: 52.27.

Weather: "Distant precipitation" and 13C. Environment Canada is getting poetic...

Soggy Rainy Run

I *love* running in the rain for some reason. Splashing in the puddles and stuff. I dunno, it just energizes me. Ain't I a goof?

Tonight I thought I'd case the new neighbourhood, and headed to Confederation Park. Lovely place, with a surprising number of people actually out running in the downpour. I went all the way past the Confederation Park Golf Course, and looped around Canmore Park, getting as far west as 24th Street. Beautiful area.

Once I came all the way around Canmore Park to where the path crossed 19th Street back to the golf course, I headed east and retraced my steps back home.

Today's run:
Distance: 8:32 km. Time: 46:21. Average speed: 10.8 kph.
Rest distance: 522.2 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 8.84 km. Total time: 51:21.

Weather: A light rainshower and 12C, according to the Environment Canada web site. Actually it varied from raging downpour to just cloudy, several times. Soggy, wet, and lots of fun.

Switching Distance to Sundays

I'm switching to Sundays for my distance run because I'm starting tap again Monday night, so I need to adjust my schedule for the whole week. Likely Tuesday, Thursday, Friday or something.

Today was a great running day, though I think I still feel the effects from Friday's food meltdown. I had good speed and things felt good, but energy-wise it was occasionally a slog.

I took the same route as last week: down 4th Street to Cresent Road, over to the Centre Street bridge, then along the river to the fort. Then along the Elbow River, past the Stampede grounds, past Lindsay Park, along 26th Avenue and Elbow Drive, across the swingy suspension bridge to Rideau Road, and along the east side of the Elbow to Stanley Park. Under Elbow Drive and along Riverdale Avenue, and today, across the Elbow again to Sandy Beach, and even partway up the hill to 50th Avenue. Then I turned around and came all the way back.

Not so much wildlife today, just a delusional squirrel that sat in the middle of the path and refused to budge until I almost stepped on him. And on the way back by the 25th Avenue bridge over the Elbow, two rather cranky geese were refusing to let a fellow runner get by. Between the two of us, we managed to shoo them back to the edge of the river so she could pass.

But otherwise, a beautiful morning, and a great run

Today's run:
Distance: 25.90 km. Time: 2:37:54. Average speed: 9.8 kph.
Rest distance: 2.77 km. Rest time: 17:00.
Total distance: 28.67 km. Total time: 2:54:54.

Weather: A beautiful, cloudless blue sky, sunny and 7C to start, climbing to 12C by the time I got back home. Just a magnificent morning.

Bad Food Day

That's what Nony would call it. The worst part of when someone leaves the firm, is they bring in a whole bunch of donuts, and pile them in the lunch room across the hall from my office. There are always a few dozen left over after everyone comes down to say goodbye to the one who is leaving, and they call to me for the rest of the day. And this was the second donut day this week!

On top of that, lunch was rather decadent. Or rather, dessert was ... chocolate cheese cake - what was I thinking?!? Well, why not? The firm was paying, after all.

Anyway, I kinda paid for it tonight, with seemingly more effort needed to get going and keep going.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.83 km. Time: 1:01:26. Average speed: 11.3 kph.
Rest distance: 895.7 m. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 11.72km. Total time: 1:08:26.

Weather: Sunny and 21C. Really nice out, and those on blades almost were as numerous as those on bikes. And a big crowd out enjoying the evening around Eau Claire and Prince's Island.

Running Room Run

A friend suggested I join him at the Eau Claire Running Room tonight. So I figured why not? Except I didn't get there until just before everyone went out to start, and I had no idea where to go or what to do. After I asked someone what all the groups were, I joined one doing a hill run.

Nice slow lope around Prince's Island, then across the foot bridge, looping around the curling club to the bottom of the path that runs up under The Stairs. Just coming across the foot bridge, I passed my friend, who was going the other way. Kinda wondered if he'd made it.

There were about ten of us at the bottom of the hill, and the lead talked a little about what we were going to do. Starting there, we were to run to the first lion on the Centre Street Bridge, then back to where we started. Then repeat. Some who only wanted three runs would continue back to the store after getting to the lion the second time, while those of us wanting four hills would come back to the start again.

I think I was a little agressive on the hill. I've run them both ways a few times in the last few weeks, and I'm getting able to take them at a pretty good pace.

Once those of us doing four hills got back to that start point, we did a slow run back toward the store, where we all went our separate ways.

Today's run:
Distance: 6.56 km. Time: 44:52. Average speed: 8.8 kph.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 18C. Beautiful evening.

Holiday Monday

And looking stormy, too. I was hoping for a little rain during tonight's run, but only got a little at the very end. Oh, well...

What is becoming my standard route: Down 10th Street to Memorial Drive, west and cross the river at Crowchild, then back to Eau Claire, across at Prince's Island, and up the path under The Stairs. Then home along 4th Street.

Here's a neat thing: There seems to be a cricket tournament going on in the park below ACAD, along 10th Street. Two games underway when I went by, and I saw them out there Saturday, as well. Neat.

Today's run:
Distance: 11.44 km. Time: 1:00:57. Average speed: 11.3 kph.
Rest distance: 661.5 m. Rest time: 6:00.
Total distance: 12.10 km. Total time: 1:06:57.

Weather: Cloudy and 12C, and even threatening to rain, but never happened.

Long Run and Meet the New Neighbour

Up a little early this morning, so I got an early start. Today, it was down 4th Street to Cresent Road, across the Centre Street bridge, then east toward the Fort. From there it was follow the Elbow River.

Going by Lindsay Park, I heard this weird hissing noise, like a truck's air brakes lightly applied. I finally identified it as a cranky Canada goose in the bushes with a rather large brood heading toward the river. Actually, once I started to look around, there are hundreds of goslings around, being herded by crabby adult geese.

Across the river at 25th Avenue, then along Elbow Drive until 32nd Avenue, where a creaky suspension bridge crosses the Elbow to Rideau Road. A couple of blocks south is a dead end and the path takes up again along the river to Stanley Park. Finally under Elbow Drive and along Riverdale Avenue to 8th Street, where I turned around and headed back.

About a hundred metres before I was back on Rideau Road, I encountered a coyote, which was watching something intently through a gap in the bush toward the river. It totally ignored me, and had run down to the river by the time I got to that point, but looking in that direction, across the river was a fluffy little white dog romping in the yard across the way. Hmmmmm.

Today's run:
Distance: 23.39 km. Time: 2:21:24. Average speed: 9.9 kph.
Rest distance: 1.61 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 25.00 km. Total time: 2:36:24.

Weather: Sunny and 9C, warming up to 12C at the end. Windy, too, coming from the west at 30 kph. I can feel that on my face after being in it for two and a half hours.

When I got home, my new neighbour Ryan and his dog Sabotage were in the back yard, and we chatted a little. Seems like a decent guy, and for him, I suppose today is moving day.

Another Quick Run

I could get used to this. Another run with a high average speed. And it seems quite natural to run at that pace.

Ran alone tonight. Nony, my Friday night running partner, is still hurting from a bad fall she had last week, so wasn't able to join me. I miss her reminders to keep my shoulders loose.

Tonight I didn't worry too much about distance. I went straight south on 4th Street to Cresent Road, then followed the route Nony and I usually take. Once back on Cresent Road, I retraced my path back up 4th Street towards home.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.51 km. Time: 44:38. Average speed: 11.4 kph.
Rest distance: 416.4 m. Rest time: 4:00.
Total distance: 8.92 km. Total time: 48:38.

Weather: Cloudy and 15C, but I had mostly sun to run in. The city is surrounded by rain squalls, and it's expected to be a wet night. But it was just luverly for a run.

Quick Wednesday Run

Well, not that quick. But it was fast. I covered the same route as on Monday, but I think I shaved a minute or two off. We'll see when my GPS finishes downloading.

It was a bit nicer today, and I was out a little earlier. Temperature under 20C, so that helped. Lots of people out on blades, today, for some reason, and at least a half dozen people running with heavy looking packs.

Today's run:
Distance: 11.56 km. Time: 1:00:30. Average speed: 11.5 kph.
Rest distance: 761.3 km. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.32 km. Total time: 1:07:30.

Weather: 16C with no wind. Beautiful day.

How about that? I took off almost two and a half minutes from Monday's run.

A Fast Run for Monday

This was a fast run, basically following the same route I took on Saturday, but only as far as Crowchild, where I crossed the river and headed back. Actually, it's a modified version of the same route I took before I moved, only I'm starting from Mount Pleasant instead of Bridgeland.

Warmer day today, so I took a water bottle. The sky was a bit threatening, too, and we are supposed to get some rain tonight. It wouldn't have bothered me in the least if it had started while I was out there.

All in all a rather uneventful run, but it felt good after the distance run on Saturday. And I wore my new shoes for the first time. Same ones as I bought before - Nike Air Perseus. Strange thing about them is they are a D width, and they feel fine. When I was trying the New Balance and Reeboks, I was into the 4E widths. Crazy. But these feel good,

Today's run:
Distance: 11.68 km. Time: 1:03:02. Average speed: 11.1 kph.
Rest distance: 692.9 km. Rest time: 7:00.
Total distance: 12.37 km. Total time: 1:10:02.

Weather: Cloudy and 23C. Actually kind of nice, though a little warm for my tastes. I suppose I should get used to it, cuz it'll get a lot warmer.

Some bad news: Nony ran yesterday, and had a rather bad fall. Nothing broken, thank goodness, but she's pretty scraped and bruised, and she's a little stiff and sore. She's not optimistic about being able to run any time soon, so we may not get together Friday. Mend soon, Nony, and take care.

An Inspired Run

I think I'm still carrying the joy and inspiration from running with Nony yesterday. Today wasn't an effortless run, especially toward the end, but I felt I had so much to draw on to get to the end.

Moving to a new home is such a pain, especially when it's half way done. I really didn't eat last night, which was bad because I usually go for a big pasta feed to prep for the Saturday distance run. And this morning I discovered I hadn't brought my hot cereal from the old place yet. But I had made sure to bring the microwave so I could make it. Sheesh. The upshot is I didn't get any really good energy foods. Still had a good breakfast with what I had.

My new place is about a mile and a half farther north of the river, so it takes a while to get back down to that area.

From home (the new one), I went west to 10th street, down past SAIT all the way to the river. Then I followed the river west all the way past Shouldice Park, and even up to the footbridge across to Bowness. Which surprised me, because last time I got that far, I was on the 80 minutes out run time, and this time I was there in less than 70 minutes.

I turned around there and headed back the way I came. When I got to Crowchild, I crossed to the south side of the river and headed toward the Eau Claire promenade.

About that time a lovely lady caught up to me and began asking about the path system along the river. She was visiting from Vernon for a couple of weeks. It was a nice interlude but after a couple of minutes it was time for a very welcome walk break, so I wished her a good day. I had been pushing pretty hard, and it was startling how effortlessly she had caught up to me. She talked like she was taking a leisurely stroll, while I was huffing and puffing pretty hard. The ego was only slightly bruised, though.

At Prince's Island, I crossed the river, headed up the path under The Stairs, and down to 4th street, which took me all the way home.

Today's run:
Distance: 23.53 km. Time: 2:09:11. Average speed: 11.0 kph.
Rest distance: 1.58 km. Rest time: 14:00.
Total distance: 25.21km. Total time: 2:23:11.

Weather: Sunny and a little cool to begin with, but warming up quickly.

A Run With Nony

It's been a long time since I've been able to get together with Nony for a run, and frankly I needed to. It's been a difficult week and I have simply been unable to get motivated to get out and run until tonight. I'm glad she was able to join me.

We headed out on the usual route over to Cresent Road, down the path under The Stairs, and then west along Memorial Drive. Across the river at 10th Street, and back along the Eau Claire promenade, then up the Centre Street bridge.

The path at the top of the bridge takes us back to Cresent Road again, and it starts rather steeply. Nony sighs when we get there while in the running part of an interval. Actually, I don't think we've ever walked it.

But then she charged it! Tonight, she took it at speed and managed to keep the pace all the way to the top. I was almost laughing out loud for the sheer joy of watching her tenacity and determination. I love how her ability to take on this climb has improved.

Even at the top, she kept to her speed, and stayed with it through the entire running part of the interval. It was a wonderful moment, but I think she was glad to get to the walking part.

Then back to our start point. Perfect run and beautiful weather, and I so needed to get out tonight. Thank you, Nony!

Today's run:
Distance: 3.63 km. Time: 25:00. Speed: 8.7 kph.
Rest distance: 2.52 km. Rest time: 24:58.
Total distance: 6.14 km. Total time: 49:58.

Weather: Sunny and about 20C.

Hard Monday Run

Just working off some frustration tonight. Usual route - along the river to Crowchild, across and back toward Eau Claire, across Prince's Island and back up the hill under The Stairs. It was a cool and cloudy evening, so not so many people out, but still a few. A heck of a lot of cyclists out there, though.

Legs feel pretty good after the weekend. Just a little stiffness, but that went away after about thirty minutes.

Today's run:
Distance: 10.09 km. Time: 54:39. Speed: 11.1 km.
Rest distance: 550.9 m. Rest time: 6:00.
Total Distance: 10.64 km. Total Time: 60:39.

Weather: Cloudy and 11C, and a stiff northerly breeze at 33 kph.

Official Results

Officially, I finished in 105th place on my leg, at 2:03:52, and 9:04 per mile. Check out here and here.

The Banff Calgary Road Race

I arrived in Banff the night before for this one. A couple of the hotels had special rates for race participants, which made it nice. But I didn't sleep at all, it seemed like. What kept me up, I don't know.

A personal best, I think - 22 km in 2:04. And what a great run! Weatherwise, it was about perfect for my leg. I showed up at the start line with 119 other runners bright and early, at 7:00 am at the Banff Recreation Centre.

I rather liked the small crowd at the start, because I got over the start line and on my way, right away.

By the time I got to the highway, the crowd had already thinned out, and I had only four runners behind me. This crowd was all serious runners! Still, I was on pace, a little over 10 kph.

So I just kept at it, with the few runners still in sight in front of me not really gaining, and the ones behind me dropping farther back.

Now, something happened at about the 50 minute mark. My speed jumped to over 11 kph, and stayed there for almost the rest of the run. I have no idea why, but things just became easier for some reason. And I managed to catch up to and pass four runners in the next 30 minutes or so. The sun even came out occasionally, and it was just a beautiful morning to be running.

It was a huge surprise to find myself at the park gate at 1:40. I didn't expect to be there by that time at all. But it was also a huge surprise to have to run another 20 minutes to get to Canmore proper, and the finish line.

But even then, I found a little more energy to make a strong finish, running at 13 kph over the last 800 metres or so.

The cheering section was loud and racuous.

And I made it!


Seriously, it was a fabulous run, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Today's run:
Distance: 20.23 km. Time: 1:52:01. Speed: 10.8 km.
Rest distance: 1.36 km. Rest time: 12:00.
Total Distance: 21.59 km. Total Time: 2:04:01.

Weather: Cloudy and 3C at the start, warming to 5C at the end, with hardly a breath of wind.

At the hand off, there was no team mate waiting. I had estimated it would take me about 2:15, so I was a little early. But the next runner was on her way within five minutes or so of my arrival. Then I caught a ride back to Banff and the hotel, had a quick shower (loved that part) and checked out. I met a couple of our team at the start of the sixth segment, and generally hung out for awhile.

Home after that, caught a bit of a nap, then down to the finish line (but forgot the camera!) Our last runner crossed the line at 10:29:10, plus or minus a couple of seconds, which I thought was pretty respectable.

I'll post a link to the official times when they are available.

Hill Run Before the Relay

One more hill run before the Banff Calgary Relay tonight, without intervals. East to Nose Creek, then back past the zoo, and up and down through Bridgeland. Felt good mostly, but the first fifteen or twenty minutes were a bit of a slog. Just needed to loosen up, maybe, and get warmed up.

Today's run:
Distance: 9.11 km. Time: 53:56. Speed: 10.1 km.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 19C, and not much of a breeze at all. It's a beautiful night, even with the cloud, and the forecast if for possible rain showers tonight, thundershowers tomorrow, and rain on race day. Wouldn't have minded a bit of rain while I was out there, and I certainly will welcome it if it comes on Saturday (well, after I've been running for awhile - being wet and cold while waiting for the start wouldn't be fun).

Lovely Monday Run

Beautiful evening for a run. Just a little on the cool side, and lots of sunshine. I just might even be tanning a little bit.

Did the usual: 8th Avenue to Cresent Drive, down the path under The Stairs, then on to the path along Memorial. All the way down to Crowchild, across the river, and back along Bow Trail, then to the promenade to Eau Claire.

At the 8 km point, just coming up to the helicopter pad, I caught up to Nony, who was also out for her run. So I ran a couple of her intervals with her, and we chatted some. Up the Centre Street bridge and the somewhat stiff climb to Cresent Drive. I was a little surprised at how strongly she ran that incline. In fact, she caught me a little off guard, and I scrambled a bit for a minute to keep up. She's becoming a pretty strong runner.

As we crossed 8th Avenue, I bid good evening and headed home. All in all, a very satisfying run.

Today's run:
Distance: 9.71 km. Time: 54:35. Speed: 10.7 km.
Rest distance: 734.2 m. Rest time: 6:00.
Total Distance: 10.45 km. Total Time: 60:35.

Weather: Sunny and 13C, with just a light breeze coming from somewhere.

Oh, yeah, shoe update: Don't think I mentioned, but I tried wearing the Reeboks around the house for a half hour after I brought them home, and they hurt. So I took them back Friday night. I've pretty much tried everything they have, so now they are ordering me another pair of my Nikes. Now that I have a handle on how to lace them, they've become quite comfortable. They're also a cheaper shoe that these other ones I've tried.

I picked up the lacing method from Gord at his store when he was trying to get a pair of Sauconys to work for me. It keeps the pressure off the arch, but still is firm across the top. I tried that lacing in Canmore on Saturday, and it worked wonders. Very comfortable. I'm glad I discovered it before the long one next weekend.

Canmore Spring Thaw Results

Posted up on their web site already - Check the link under 2005 Results

My official time is 46:18, which gives me a speed of about 10.4 kph. I placed 23 in the men's 40-49 category; they don't have an overall listing, so I don't know how I did in the whole bunch.

Check out the pictures, too. That'll give you an idea of what the setting was like to run in.

Canmore Spring Thaw

Charging down the TransCanada highway to Canmore at 8:30 in the morning, wondering what kind of weather hell is up ahead. The mountains are cloaked in a grey amorphous mass, looking very ominous. But no need to worry. By the time I passed the Exshaw exit, much of the cloud had cleared out of the valley and just a few great gobs of grey were clinging to the surrounding peaks.

It was chilly this morning at the Nordic Centre in Canmore. At 9:30 it was a mere -2C, but the sun was out and things were looking pretty good. After getting my racing kit, and hanging out in the Day Lodge watching the construction, it began to warm up nicely, although by race time it was still only 2C. But no breeze, which makes a big difference.

This is a smaller race, with only about 500 runners. There was talk after about setting the limit at 450, just because of space considerations - narrow trails and parking, and a place for the post run festivities.

I started well back in the pack, reasoning that having every one in front of me would keep me from going too fast out of the start. Even so, it was hard not to be impatient.

There was nice little climb from the start, past the parking lot. Then a nice drop from there to the Spray Lakes Road. Then a long climb of about 40 metres over about 1.2 km or so. That was interesting, as I could feel it in the calves and started to worry about stamina.

Over the top at the two km marker, a quick drop of about 40 metres, and a nice long level run to the three km marker, just before crossing the south end of the reservoir by the power station. But then a steep climb on a muddy goat trail through the bush, with lots of up and down spots on pretty uneven gravel and mud. Could have been a real ankle breaker. One guy in front of me almost did what I feared most doing in that stretch, and that was tripping over a rock or tree root, and falling flat on my face. Lucky for him, he recovered. It wasn't the nicest surface on which to do a face plant.

This part of the trail paralleled an overflow dike, and at about 4.4 km, we had to cross it and head back to the south end of the reservoir. The crossing was a bit perilous. The sides of the dike were steep and muddy, and it was a scramble to get through. Best thing to do was to just charge down and up, and avoid the lineup taking the slow climb down.

Here was something really cool: there were little signs along this part of the trail, pointing to the various peaks surrounding the valley. Nice touch, especially with all the spectacular scenery.

Back at the reservoir, we turned a hairpin and headed north again. The 5 km marker was right there as was a water station. For me that was a turning point of sorts. Cup of water and I found my speed. I started passing a fair number of runners who I had up to then been pacing. Only one charged past me near the finish line.

The climb up from the Spray Lakes Road to the parking lot was not nearly as challenging as it looked, and from the top I turned it on a bit all the way to the end. I think the timer at the line was about 46:20 or so. I forgot to stop the timer on my GPS for about three minutes after crossing. Enough time to find a cup of Gatorade to chug.

This was a really fun race, and it turned out to be a beautiful day for it, too. Next time I gotta take a camera.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.06 km. Time: 49:16. Speed: 9.8 kph. (from my GPS. I'll double check against my official time when they get it posted. I'm pretty sure I was over 10 kph)

Weather: Partly cloudy and 2C, with just a slight breeze.

For sure wanna do this one again next year.

Winter's Back - Again!

Must be spring in Calgary. Cold and windy, with the odd snowflake. Of course, I forgot how to dress for this weather. One layer too many, so I was a little overheated out there. And kinda tired or something, too. Parts of tonight's run just felt hard, and a bit of a slog.

I did contemplate doing my hill run, but because I felt a little tired, I opted for a straight interval run. Over to Cresent Drive and down the path under The Stairs. Just across Memorial and along the river to Crowchild Trail, where I crossed and came back along Bow Trail on the south side. Then on to the promenade toward Eau Claire. I was originally planning to go all the way east and up the Centre Street bridge, but instead, I crossed Prince's Island and took The Stairs back to Cresent Drive again. Even climbed them at a pace that left me enough energy to pick up the run at the top. And then down 8th Avenue home.

Today's run:
Distance: 9.98 km. Time: 58:00. Speed: 10.3 km.
Rest distance: 589.2 m. Rest time: 6:00.
Total Distance: 10.57 km. Total Time: 64:00.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 1C, with a stiff 35 kph breeze out of the north west. For some reason there weren't the crowds out enjoying the spring weather tonight. Go figure.

Shoe update: Took the New Balance shoes back to Gord's Tuesday night, and we went through a whole bunch more pairs. We found a pair of Reeboks that were perfect for my stride, but have a problem with fit. There's a band across the arch that digs into the side of my right foot. Gord suggested I take them home and wear them for half an hour, with the old compressed insole from my old shoes in them, to see if the pressure point was still there. And it was.

Since Nony's away to the coast and we won't be running tomorrow night, I might be able to take them back then, and we'll try again. If not tomorrow, then likely Saturday afternoon, after the Canmore run.

First Run With the New Shoes

I'm not sure what to think about the shoes. I felt a little worked over in the calves after a couple of intervals, but not overly so. Still, I crossed at 14th Street, instead of going all the way down to Crowchild to cross the river. But a good run, great weather, and lots of people out doing things along the river paths. Wonderful evening.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.58 km. Time: 48:52. Speed: 10.6 km.
Rest distance: 409.2 m. Rest time: 4:00.
Total Distance: 7.99 km. Total Time: 52:52.

Weather: Sunny and 21C. Very nice.

Elbow River Run

Decided to try a new path today, and to pull back a bit on distance. The new path was along the Elbow River, the time was two hours.

I followed the same route east and down past the zoo and across the river, but instead of heading downtown, I followed the Elbow River as it curved around the Stampede grounds. Not that I ever had much experience around them as a kid, but I rather like the smell of the horse barns below Scotsman Hill. There must be a dozen of those merry-go-round things they tie horses to, to excersize them, and they were all full this morning. It's quite a busy place.

After that, it curves west, past the Indian Village, and under McLeod Trail. And there, tragically, laying face down in the river, was....Santa. One of those three foot high plastic statues you find at Canadian Tire every November.

Past that grisly scene, and around Lindsay Park and the Talisman Centre, then across the river at 25th Avenue. It's really a beautiful stretch down their, with some really nice condos lining both sides. Then down 26th Avenue and a little ways along Elbow Drive. But not too far, before it was time to turn around and head back.

The horses were all getting out on the track at the Stampede grounds by the time I went past again, and the wind was starting to pick up too. The return trip was a retracing of the outbound route, except I finished coming down 7th Avenue instead of 8th.

Today's run:
Distance: 18.47 km. Time: 1:48:00. Speed: 10.3 km.
Rest distance: 1.07 km. Rest time: 11:15.
Total Distance: 19.55 km. Total Time: 1:59:15.

Weather: Sunny and 8C. Going to be another lovely day.

OK, so I went to Gord's Running Store and sat down with the lady there, and she looked at how my feet oriented themselves and how I walked. Then she started bringing out the shoes. My biggest problem is that everything she brought out was tight across the arch on the right foot. And some of these shoes were 4E. She finally brought a pair of New Balance 880s, which were SL2 and 4E, which made them equivalent to 6E. (SL2 is a New Balance type, I think, that is a little wider across the arch and the toe box)

Anyway, they still felt a little snug just behind the toes, but I'll give them a shot and see how they work out.

The reason I wanted a new pair at this point, was that my Nikes will be near end of life about the time of the Calgary marathon. This way, I can alternate between both pair, and push that end of life date out a bit. And I have a choice of shoe when I get to these long races.

We'll see...

Nony's New Shoes

Nony invested in a good pair of runners this past week. She had a little trouble with the first pair she had, from New Balance, but she took them back and ended up with a pair of Adidas. Tonight was the first run in them, and she says they're definitely keepers.

I pushed her to 5 & 5 tonight for intervals. We were going to check on what it felt like for her at the four minute mark in the first interval, but I wasn't paying attention, and we went the full five. She forgave me (I think) cuz the shoes were performing just fine.

I took her down the path under The Stairs, and then across the foot bridge to Prince's Island, only we got off on the path along Memorial Drive. We followed that all the way to 10th Street, and across the river to the promenade, through Eau Claire back to Centre Street, and back home. A very nice, very fun run.

Today's run:
Distance: 3.72 km. Time: 26:07. Speed: 8.5 kph.
Rest distance: 2.51 km. Rest time: 25:00.
Total distance: 6.22 km. Total time: 51:07.

Weather: Sunny and 20C. Actually a nearly cloudless blue sky, and just an incredible evening. Probably the nicest day we've had yet this year.

And this may be the last run for Nony and I for a couple of weeks. Next week she's off to the west coast for a few days. But that's OK, because that weekend is the 8 km Canmore Spring Thaw.

And the week after that, I'll be in Banff for the Montclair Banff Calgary Road Race, a relay race that the firm I work for has entered a team. I'll be running the first leg, so I'll be up bright and early, running from downtown Banff to the park gate - about 22 km.

Another Hill Run

Did my hill run again tonight, which I haven't done since the first time a couple of weeks ago. Actually was a lot of fun tonight, and I had lots of energy once I got going.

The toughest climb has to be 5th Street from 4th Avenue to 7th Avenue, with the path up the hill from Bridgeland School being the second toughest. The hardest descent: Samis Road. Those are at least the most memorable parts of the run.

I would have thought the blocked off part of 2nd Avenue would have been hard, too, but for some reason I hit it with lots of energy, and was up and over quite quickly. Very cool!

Today's run: 9.61 km. Time: 55:47. Speed: 10.3 kph.

Weather: Sunny and 19C, a great day for running. Even a little on the warm side.

Something a Little Shorter, Just to Stay Loose

Wanted to get out and go, after a bit of a longish day. I took a route similar to yesterday, but instead of Cresent Drive and 10th Street, I headed down the path under The Stairs, on to the foot bridge across Memorial Drive and straight west until 14th. Across the 14th Street bridge and back along the river to Centre Street and home. And this was a straight run - no intervals.

Gotta say, I'm getting to love this route. There's a fun energy along the river paths when it's full of people like that. And lots of people, doing everything - biking, blading walking, running, sitting and just generally hanging out.

A bit of an annoyance - the GPS took a long time to find itself, and then by the look of the data I downloaded, it got lost just before I got to the Centre Street bridge, so I don't know how accurate the data is. It kept losing the GPS signal all along the south side of the river, too. Don't know what's up with that, as the trees are only along one side of the path, and they don't really overhang. They don't even have leaves on them yet, so I wouldn't think that would screen the thing that much.

On that note, and for what it's worth...

Today's run:
Distance: 7.40 km. Time: 42:37. Speed: 10.4 kph.

Weather: Sunny and 14C. Just beautiful out, not a cloud in the sky, and clear all the way to that mountain encrusted horizon.

Fast One For Monday

This one was a fast one. Guess moving the Sunday run to Monday made a big difference. I had lots of energy and everything felt really good. Something I noticed was the backward stretch of my stride and the push off seemed really strong. That seemed to make all the difference.

I headed west to Cresent Drive, followed it around to 13th Avenue, around that point and down 10th Street. Then across Memorial Drive and west along the river to the 14th Street bridge. Crossing the river there, I headed back along the river to the promenade past Eau Claire, to the Centre Street bridge. Across the bridge to 7th Avenue, and then toward home.

Today's run:
Distance: 8.83 km. Time: 46:31. Speed: 11.4 kph.
Rest distance: 497.0 m. Rest time: 5:00.
Total distance: 9.33 km. Total time: 51:31.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 10C, but sun is shining, and there's a light breeze and it's a beautiful evening.

Some exciting news: Nony bought herself running shoes! Go, Nony, go!

A Three Hour Tour

Woohoo! What a morning! Just a fantastic run for some reason, and I loved every minute of it. It went by so fast, too. I got into some incredible terrain, otherwise I would have had an unbelievable distance this morning.

I started going east, over to Tom Campbell hill and down toward the zoo. Then across the river there, and along it past Fort Calgary toward downtown. It seemed like hundreds of homeless camped out everywhere. Piles of blankets here and there under bushes and trees, a lot of them just getting up for the day. Rough life.

Then past Chinatown, where the elderly residents were out in full force on the promenade for the morning walk. After I passed the 10th Street bridge, foot traffic pretty much disappeared. At Crowchild, I crossed to the other side of the river.

From there to the foot bridge to Edworthy Park is goose country. And there seems to be a wide range of gastrointestinal distress among these birds. Lots of sidestepping and dodging. Nony calls it agility training. (ewwww!)

Now, I was planning to keep on the trail and maybe get as far as Shouldice Park, but for some reason I crossed to Edworthy with the idea that I'd take the path back east along the tracks toward Crowchild, but for some reason, I took the right branch of the path, and suddenly I'm deep in the spruce forest and climbing stairs and paths like crazy.

This was an amazing trail. Beautiful forest on a steep slope, and the path has been reinforced to keep it from sliding down the slope. There are railings all along, and stairways everywhere, and the trail twists and turns constantly. After a few minutes of this, you get glimpes through the trees of the other side of the river, and you are high up - according to my GPS, I climbed about 70 metres over a distance of about 120 metres. After almost a kilometre, you drop that much again. And another half kilometre you climb that much again. And another kilometre, you drop the 70 metres for the last time, and you're at Crowchild again. It was an absolutely incredible discovery.

From there back to 14th where I crossed the river again, and went all the way to the zoo, where I retraced my path up Tom Campbell hill and back home.

And the whole time, I felt wonderful. The pain in my knee and feet was there as usual, but for some reason it never got very troubling. Everything felt fabulous, the weather was perfect and just a wonderful morning.

Today's run:
Distance: 26.6 km. Time: 2:42:01. Speed: 9.9 kph.
Rest distance: 1.63 km. Rest time: 18:00.
Total distance: 28.26 km. Total time: 3:00:01.

Weather: Cloudy and 4C when I started, and climbing to 7C by the time I got home again. Shorts and tee, with my old Marvin the Martian tee as a second layer. Perhaps a bit too cold to dress so light, but only my hands really felt cold, and only for the first half hour or so.

Oh, yeah, forgot to mention last week, on the way back toward downtown, I met Mayor Bronco Dave on the paths. For what that's worth...

Another Wonderful Run with Nony

A beautiful day for a run: sunny, warm, and lots of people out doing the same thing. As I've planned, we added another minute of running to the intervals, and Nony faced the challenge beautifully, (with only a little complaint).

Nony has been staying dedicated to getting out at least three times a week, and has had a great week of running, and I'm proud of her for that. I think she's doing marvellously.

We did the same route as last time, except when we crossed from Prince's Island to the promenade, we went west as far as the C-Train bridge, then back toward the Centre Street bridge and back home. This added over a kilometre of distance, and got us past the 5 km mark, my main goal for the evening.

We had a remarkably consistent night too, with all intervals very close to 9 kph. Where we slowed a little was the run up the Centre Street bridge, where we dropped to 8 kph.

Today's run:
Distance: 2.92 km. Time: 20:00. Speed: 8.7 kph.
Rest distance: 2.52 km. Rest time: 26:25.
Total distance: 5.44 km. Total time: 46:25.

Weather: A fantastic evening, sunny and 12C. Perfect shorts and tee weather for running.

Oh, yeah, Nony found a web site with the results of the St. Patrick's Day run that I participated in back on March 13. I had totally forgotten about results being posted anywhere so this was a bit of a thrill. According to the site, I placed 291st overall out of 471, with a time of 57:22. And I placed 59th out of 71 in my age division. Way too cool!

Orange Loop With an Extension

I had a little internal debate tonight about whether to do just a loop, or the hill run again. The ache in the left knee decided it for me. Basically I followed the same route as last Wednesday, but instead of going straight across the river at 10th Street and Memorial Drive, I followed the river to 14th Street before crossing over and heading back. That added another one and a half kilometres.

Not sure what is going on, but my speed is way up. Maybe a rest after the long run on the weekend, maybe the other thing just got me energized. In all, it was a great run, feeling really good.

Even met Brenda T. and Shane S. from work, out for an evening run, which was kinda cool.

Today's run:
Distance: 9.61 km. Time: 52:34. Speed: 11.0 kph.

Weather: Cloudy and 7C, and a bit of a breeze out of the south, which made it cool at the start until I got warmed up a bit. Nice fun run, and I covered quite a bit of distance.

Balky GPS Day

Darn GPS unit didn't get satellite lock until well into the run, so I never started the timer until the turn-around point. Don't know what's up with that.

Just a quick run around Cresent Drive and back. It's such a beautiful morning, I thought I'd take some pictures.

This is the horizon from Cresent Drive - clear all the way to the edge:



The obligatory downtown skyline shot:



And the lovely community of Sunnyside, at the bottom of the bluff:




I only had the Timer running from my turn-around point back, so these numbers are half the run doubled.
Today's run:
Distance: 6.04 km. Time: 34:10. Speed: 10.65 kph.

Weather: Sunny and 0C. Remarkable day for doing anything outdoors, I think.

Early Start on Distance

Wasn't sleeping all that great early this morning, so I finally got up about 4:45, had a big breakfast, and headed out.

I had a vague idea of running Cresent Drive and down 10th Street, but instead I headed down The Stairs and across to Prince's Island. Then west on the promenade, and along Bow Trail all the way to Crowchild, were I crossed the river to the north side. Then it was basically follow the Bow River until my turn-around point, which was on Bowness Road, half a block north of 33rd Avenue.

Then all the way back along the river until The Stairs again, which I climbed, and back to 8th Avenue and home.

Today's run:
Distance: 22.8 km. Time: 2:23:14. Speed: 9.5 kph.
Rest distance: 1.31 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 24.11 km. Total time: 2:38:14.

Weather: Clear and 2C to start, sunny and 3C at the end.

Friday Night Buddy Run

I love running with a friend. It makes the time go by and is so motivating. Nony and I had a great run, venturing a little farther afield. I had tried to map out a 5 km run for us, but by the GPS, it looks like I fell a little short. Still, it was perfectly within the forty minutes we've alloted to start with. A little more challenging than last week, and I changed the intervals to three minutes running, seven walking.

We headed to Cresent Drive like last week, but then we headed down the monster stairway, then across the foot bridge to Prince's Island. Then toward the west end of the island before crossing over to the promenade, and heading back east to Centre Street bridge. Once we crossed that, it was back up to Cresent Drive and the finish line.

Nony had been staying dedicated, getting out a couple of more times since last Friday. And tonight she handled the increase in running time just fine. The first interval we kind of went at a little too hard, so we hung back a little more for the rest of the running intervals, and found a pace that seemed just right for her. Still doing better than I expected, and I'm proud of her.

Today's run:
Distance: 1.81 km. Time: 12:00. Speed: 9.1 kph.
Rest distance: 2.35 km. Rest time: 24:41.
Total distance: 4.16 km. Total time: 36:41.

Weather: Cloudy and 8C, and a brisk breeze out of the north.

My Hill Run

Did a hill run by threading my way up and down the bluff that's just south of my place. I stretches from Tom Campbell Hill near the zoo, all the way past SAIT and the Jubilee Auditorium. Of course, I didn't go quite that far.

But what I did do was go down 8th Avenue to Nose Creek again, then circle around to the zoo. There's a decent hill to climb going past the zoo entrance, after which the route drops to 12th Street. Then up Tom Campbell Hill, to 13th Street, to Thomson Avenue, and down to 11A Street. That's two hills.

Up 11A to a path that goes up the bluff just past the Bridgeland School, and it's an evil steep thing, with the last twenty metres getting sharply steeper, so much so that you wonder what the heck is going on. At the top, along a relatively flat Danloe Street to Child Avenue, which crosses over to 12th Street, and back down the hill. That's three.

I was planning on taking 4th Avenue across but turned too early and ended up on 5th Avenue instead, which was nice because I've run on 4th a few times now. I still had to cross over to 4th anyway, and then another nasty steep one, up 5th Street to 7th. That's four.

At this point, I could have just trundled home and that would be that, but I wanted two more hills. So down 7th to Edmonton Trail, across and down to where 3rd Street branches off. 3rd to 2nd Avenue. Now here is a hill. This thing is so steep, they've blocked it off. You look at this thing and wonder what the heck they were thinking when they laid the pavement. That's five.

Straight across 2nd Avenue to Samis Road, a steep little trail that goes right down to the top of the Centre Street Bridge. And at this point, I was planning to go right back up to Rotary Park by the 91 steps. But instead, I trundled up Centre Street to 7th Avenue and back to home.

*whew*

Today's run:
Distance: 9.45 km. Time: 58:41. Speed: 9.7 kph. Straight run, no intervals

Weather: Cloudy and 17C, a little cooler that our high of 22. Spring is definitely here.

Orange Takes My Breath Away

After having to not run last night, I really wanted to get one in tonight. It's such a beautiful day here too, sunny and quite warm. Definitely shorts and tee-shirt weather.

I went west this time, across Centre Street and around Cresent Drive, as I haven't done that route for almost a week. Managed to catch Nony about midway into her second interval, so I walked with her and talked some. Then continued on after we ran her interval. I'm really happy to see her out there.

Instead of doubling back on Cresent Drive, this time I crossed to 10th Street at 13th Avenue, then southward. I stuck close to the C-Train tracks, which meant sneaking through the alleys for a couple of blocks. All the way down to Memorial Drive, over it via the pedestrian bridge, then across the river under the C-Train bridge. The promenade along the south side of the river was fun. Lots of people out walking, biking, blading, running, and boarding. Great energy.

Then under, around and onto the Centre Street bridge, all the way up to 7th Avenue, then toward home. I had good speed all the way, and after a bit of an ache in the right shin right off the start that went away quickly, it all felt great.

Today's run:
Distance: 7.03 km. Time: 38:53. Speed: 10.9 kph.
Rest distance: 424.7 m. Rest time: 4:00.
Total distance: 7.46 km. Total time: 42:53.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 17C, but really, it was quite sunny. Nice to have a couple of warm days; tomorrow is promised to be just as nice.

One Amazing Year Later

I didn't get to run tonight. I was at a blood donor clinic, and they strongly recommend not doing anything strenuous for at least six hours afterward.

But I still felt I should write something up for today, though. On April 5, 2004, I put on the old New Balance runners I had bought several years before, went to Fish Creek Park, and ran for the first time. I started with a ten minute interval, running one minute, and walking nine, using an old stopwatch for timing. Looking at how far I got, I think I managed just over two kilometres.

And it hurt. My calves complained mightily for the first month and a half or so. I'd stretch them out as much as I could, but still it would be a challenge to stop at a light on the drive home, having to stand on a clutch or brake pedal. My legs had absolutely no strength or stamina.

Carting around two hundred pounds probably didn't help much either. And I didn't know about recovery times, so I was out every day. Mostly I went daily, because I feared losing my motivation. I felt that if I took a day off, I might never restart. So I was out daily for the first few months.

After a month, I went to the Running Room to get a new pair of shoes, reasoning that the old ones were the cause of my calf pain. They evaluated my walk, and recommended Nike's New Perseus shoes, which I bought, and started using the very next day. It took several more weeks for the calf pain to go away, and for a while it was very discouraging to discover that it wasn't due to the shoes after all.

By the end of the second month, the legs hurt a lot less. A couple of more months, and I was running eight minutes and walking two in a ten minute interval, and running almost six kilometres. And I started to notice my clothes were becoming looser, more roomy. I had bought a belt with plenty of room for expansion, thinking the trend was going that way. Instead I found I was cinching it down to the last hole, and still not feeling confident it would do it's job.

Now, here I am 12 months later. I'm not sure what my weight is exactly, but it for sure is no more than 165 pounds. I'm eating better and smarter. I look better. I feel better. I have stamina for doing things that I could never do before, especially physical activities. I really need to get new clothes because almost nothing I have fits any more. Last Saturday, I ran twenty two kilometres, and I'm going to run farther next Saturday, and even farther that Saturday after that.

I've run in races with a thousand other runners, and I've held my own. I have more races coming up, including the Banff to Calgary relay, and the Burnco Marathon coming up during Stampede. I'm even mentoring a friend who has decided to try running as a way to expand her exploration of personal fitness, something I'm very proud and honoured to be doing.

It really has been an amazing year. Here's hoping then next one is just as amazing.

A Fast Quick One

Just out and around really quick this morning. I did the distance yesterday, and the Sunday runs are always about just staying loose.

But I felt a heck of a lot better this morning. My feet didn't bother me, and I had lots of energy. Just east to Nose Creek, then back past the zoo and through Bridgeland, to climb Edmonton Trail and across to home.

Today's run:
Distance: 5.96 km. Time: 32:38. Speed: 11.0 kph.
Rest distance: 334.4 m. Rest time: 3:00.
Total distance: 6.29 km. Total time: 35:38.

Weather: Mainly sunny and -2C, and not a breath of wind. Very lovely morning

Canal Run

This morning was brutal. I must be depleted or something, because I had no speed or stamina. Kind of ran out of steam about half way through, which unfortunately left me with over an hour of running to get back home.

Went straight east to Nose Creek, then south along that to the Bow. Downstream to the weir, then I took the pedestrian overpass across Deerfoot Trail and followed the canal below the Max Bell Centre and the past the Canoe Club. Crossed over to the other side at 17th Avenue, and continued south, past the Inglewood Golf Course and the Alyth rail yards. Actually got close to 61st Avenue by turn-around.

On the way back, I caught up with a crowd training for the Police Half and for marathon, so it was kinda nice to run and chat with a couple of them. Then up Tom Campbell Hill, to 13th Street, to Child Avenue. Cut through an alley to 7th Avenue and home.

Today's run:
Distance: 20.8 km. Time: 2:09:26. Speed: 9.7 kph.
Rest distance: 1.38 km. Rest time: 14:00.
Total distance: 22.2 km. Total time: 2:23:26.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 2C.

I can't believe I did 20K. My interval times were awful, but there ya go.

Nony's First Run

Nony has asked that I help get her into running. That is so cool, especially cuz I have a friend I can run with now. It will likely be no more than once a week, mostly, but still, it's so motivating to share that time out on the running trails, so I'm thrilled.

Nony has an amazing fitness regimen that she follows, and she's been pretty dedicated. But running is a lot different than what she usually does, so we decided to start her slow. I've suggested that she do intervals, as that was what worked for me all those many months ago. So we have her doing ten minute intervals: two minutes running and eight walking to start.

Today's run:
Distance: 4.49 km. Time: 39:28. Speed: 6.8 kph. I forgot to set up the intervals on the GPS, so the data's all kinda screwy.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 11C, with brisk winds from the west south west at 55 kph, gusting to 67. Bleah - good old dusty, dirty Calgary.

In eyeballing the data, it looks like we easily were running at 9.5 kph, so it was a very respectable first effort. Way to go, Nony!

West Coast Debriefing

I'm home now, back in brown and dusty Calgary. Had a lovely drive home, in spite of that. And now I've got my GPS data and pictures downloaded, so here's the definitive numbers on this week's runs:

Monday's run:
Distance: 10.36 km. Time: 1:01:53. Speed: 10.0 kph.

Monday's elevation profile:

Notice the maximum elevation. We started at about 23 metres above sea level.

Wednesday's run:
Distance: 9.84 km. Time: 59:43. Speed: 9.9 kph.

Wednesday's elevation profile:

Again, notice the maximum elevation. There was a stretch where we lost the GPS satellite lock for awhile, hence the weird step in the graph.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the numbers. I managed to hold my own, mostly, and turned in quite respectable times, considering that I never run that kind of terrain out here in flat Calgary.

And a few pictures from the Monday run. This is pretty typical of where we were running. Forest on the right and farms/acreages on the left:

Or forest on the left and farms/acreages on the right:



This is the road past a series of quarries:

The one to the immediate left in the picture is being developed for housing. The one where they filmed Stargate is just around the corner at the end of the road, to the left.

And finally, my bro', Shane, before he left me in the dust.