Truth in Pictures

I'm working on getting some pictures from the friends who met me at the finish. Caroline took this one of Byron and I after I got through the finish line. Actually, it was after I got through the food tent. By then, the knees weren't so wobbly.

Here's me at the 42 km marker; just two hundred metres to go. It might be hard to tell, but at this point, I was in a total fog of fatigue and pain.

And what greeted me at the finish line, when that picture was taken:

Byron at the ready at the 19 km marker, his son Mitchell inspecting.

And one more - me running into the distance, about to cross the finish.

Thanks, Caroline.

And from Byron, the picture that started it all:

Uh, thanks, I think...

2007 Calgary Marathon Official Results

I was 380th overall out of 750,
288th out of 471 males
53rd out of 93 in the men's 45-49 category.

My final (gun) time was 4:16:22,
My pace was 6:01/kilometre,
My time at the half was 2:04:42.

My chip time was 4:13:52 - a new PR!

Official results are here.

What Was I Thinking??

That thought occurred to me several times this morning as I plodded along Bow Cresent and Bowness Road. This was a tough one, and I didn't get that second wind like I got in the first and second marathons. I think I was counting on that.

I got to the Mewata Armoury about 6:00 am, ready and pumped, and headed for the Porta-Pottie lineups. Then stretching and a little light jogging to warm up, and back in the line again. Repeat as necessary. The last trip got me out of the little green shack about two minutes to the starting gun, so I ended up way in the back. I was kinda hoping to get more to the middle, so I could get past the traffic.

As usual with these things, the gun goes off, a rousing cheer rises from the crowd, and we stand there for a minute or so. If I was a faster runner, I could cut that wait to less than thirty seconds.

About two and a half minutes later I crossed the starting line, and was into a slow jog as I worked my way through traffic. This was a good crowd, and it seemed to stay thick for ages. The route took us through the Stampede grounds again, and that gets narrow, with all the food and gaming booths. (And by the way, those mini-donuts are transfat free this year. woohoo.)

From there, it's a nice run from the south end of the Stampede grounds, around to Ramsey, then the zoo. I love the zoo. I think a lot of people don't, cuz the paths are narrow, and the traffic really doesn't thin out all that much by the time we get there. But I love winding through the North American exhibits, even if we didn't get to see anything. And if you don't mind pushing through the bush on the edge of the path, you can gain some ground.

After the zoo, we head back west toward Bridgeland. By this time I still felt great. I had a great pace and nothing really hurt yet. Then the jog at Edmonton Trail to Memorial, and the long slog.

By about fifteen kilometres, I was starting to feel things, and I was a little concerned about that, being only a third of the way through this. Anyway, I just kept going, trying not to think about pace or anything, but just keeping going.

At 19 km, there was a most unforgettable moment. My picture, two feet square, on cardboard from the week before, with the Groucho glasses, and three very special people - Byron, Kathy and Caroline - cheering me. That is one moment I don't think I'll ever forget.

Shortly after that, I reached the half, and I don't think I've ever been that glad to reach a milestone. The race official was reading off times, and as I passed, he said, "2:04:42." Not bad. But I didn't think there was a possibility of a negative split, so no breaking the four hour barrier today. And that was OK.

At the 22 km marker, four women began cheering for me, one of them wildly. My neighbour from upstairs, Jocelyn, and her friends were on the sidelines. She's the one who ran Boston this year, qualifying in Kelowna last fall with a time of 3:59:58, if I recall correctly.

I hate the part through Bowness. The street they have us run on is only partially paved, full of potholes and gravel. It can be an ankle buster, if you aren't careful. And by this time, I'm feeling everything, so it wasn't the funnest part of the run.

Near the 26 km marker, my friend Peter-Mark was volunteering, so I got another cheering, which was great. His enthusiasm is amazing and it was a boost I needed.

Bowness Park is another tough slog. You'd think it wouldn't be all that bad, but for some reason it just seems long and slow, with the most unforgiving pavement. Last time I ran this, it was the toughest part of the whole marathon.

But I made it. Actually, I made it through the whole thing, didn't I?

At around 32 km, I decided to try and stretch the calves against the curb during my walk period, and found myself face to face with a pair of beautiful golden eyes in the tall grass. I moved slightly, and the dark grey longhair cat bounded out of the tall grass, across the street and over a fence, startling some of the runners.

Another cheering from Peter-Mark, and the long slog back to downtown. Shouldice Pool. The 35 km marker. Here's where I started to really struggle.

I do run-walks, with a one minute walk out of every ten minutes. At this point it quickly became very hard to start running again, after that one minute walk. Not so much from motivation, but from general stiffening up. It hurt.

Jocelyn and her friends were still there, near 36 km on the return side, and their cheering was a welcome boost. And then it was head down, and go. Just before the 14th Street bridge, the 4:15 pace bunny and his entourage caught up to me, and passed. I just kept plugging.

Just past the 42 km marker I was confronted with that picture of me with the funny nose and glasses again, and cheering friends. I would love to say that gave me that added burst for the end, but in reality, I had nothing left. I just kept plodding, to the mats at the finish line, barely noticing my name being announced as I approached. I did notice the clock at around 4:16, so I figured that was that.

Hugs from my friends, and then to the food tent, where I made an impression. I can't believe how ravenous I get after a run.

Today's run:
Distance: 39.42 km. Time: 3:46:45. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 3.13 km. Rest time: 25:00.
Total distance: 42.55 km. Total time: 4:11:45.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Completely overcast all the way through, going from 13C to 16C.

One Last Easy Run

Got a run in with Beckster this afternoon. She's just started running, and we went with her choice of interval, two minutes running and two walking.

We got to Fish Creek Park and after some initial stretching, we headed down the path. I haven't run along there for at least a year, since Tru and I were there a little over a year ago.

Beckster is a treadmill runner, and has only been outside in the real world a couple of times. She's also pretty new to it, so hasn't built it up a lot of stamina yet. Perfect for me, since I just wanted a little loosening up while the marathon approaches.

We headed east along the path, not quite getting to the two and a half km point before turning around. On the way back, we stretched the last leg and she decided to sprint it. Good run and good finish.

Today's run:
Distance: 3.07 km. Time: 20:36. Average speed: 8.9 kph.
Rest distance: 1.88 km. Rest time: 20:00.
Total distance: 4.95 km. Total time: 40:36.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and 24C.

The Calgary Marathon is in 3 days.

One More Long One

Just a moderately long run to keep things loose and ready for next week. It was a fun and fairly fast one to Edworthy and back. At least it was faster than I thought it would be.

As for next week, I don't know how ready I am, but I'm in for the duration. I don't think I'll have a new PR out of it, but ya never know.

Today was more for getting out and saying hi to everyone. Lots of people out enjoying summer. Otherwise, nothing much to comment on, except maybe the crowds at Prince's Island for the July 1 festivities.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.37 km. Time: 1:31:29. Average speed: 10.7 kph.
Rest distance: 1.04 km. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 17.41 km. Total time: 1:41:29.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and 16C to start, climbing to 18C at the end.

The Calgary Marathon is in 6 days.

Sticky Run

The humidity is up around 70%, and it keeps trying to rain. When it does, there's no relief from the heat, not that it's all that hot.

I ran the 14th Street loop today, just to loosen up a little. Eveything is kinda tight from activities over the last week, and it took awhile to get some flexibility back. Even so, a good run.

Distance: 7.00 km. Time: 40:48. Average speed: 10.3 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light rainshower and 18C, but it was up to 23C an hour later.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 8 days.

One Last Long One

After an intense weekend of crosstraining, I'm back to running. And I'm feeling it.

It's not so much that things hurt or I'm flirting with overuse injuries, but I'm just still a little depleted. And maybe a little stiff from all of that. Stretching never felt so good.

Long zoo to Edworthy again. The river is still high, but all the underpasses are open. The water is just over the edge of the pavement under Edmonton Trail, and both sides under Centre Street are close.

At 12th Street, by the zoo, that bridge is closed, and there's a work crew doing something over the side. The walkway is closed, but there's enough room on the roadway for pedestrians to get past.

On the south side, under the C-Train bridge from the northeast, the addicts are harassing the geese, or maybe it's vice versa. The goslings are getting big, and many are beginning to show the white cheek patch.

After that not much going on other than lots of runners and walkers. There were even a lot west of Crowchild, and below Spruce Cliff. Lots of picnickers at Edworthy. And then quiet all the way back.

Today's run:
Distance: 22.06km. Time: 2:06:55. Average speed: 10.3 kph.
Rest distance: 1.56 km. Rest time: 14:00.
Total distance: 23.62 km. Total time: 2:22:55.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 16C to start, only climbing a degree to 17C at the end.

The Calgary Marathon is in 11 days.

Tough Run

Dunno what happened here. Maybe some mouldy strawberries for breakfast, or an off egg in last night's omelette.

Everyone was ready to run. Except Mr. Tummy. For some reason, he wasn't feeling his best. But what could he do? Everyone else wanted to run. After awhile he started to feel better, and everyone was able to enjoy the sunny weather, and being around all the others out running.

About three quarters of the way around the Crowchild loop, Mr. Tummy wasn't feeling at all well. He put on a brave face, and everyone was still running fine, but those around him were concerned. By the time they reached the Jaipur Bridge, Mr. Tummy was in some distress, and everyone around him was feeling the effects.

By the top of The Path Under The Stairs, Mr. Bowel had decided he wasn't feeling all that great either. This put some pressure on those downstream, so to speak. It took a heroic effort for everyone to hold it together until they could get home. Once there, everyone could, um, relax...

*whew*

Distance: 9.95 km. Time: 56:22. Average speed: 10.6 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 25C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 16 days.

Another Lovely Evening Run

Just a beautiful day out. I've been feeling a little weak and tired lately, but I still couldn't wait to get out. The sun and clear air was so inviting.

There were lots of people out, too. No traffic jams, but the paths were busy. I ran to Crowchild, for some distance, and a change of pace, since seems like I haven't done the 10 km distance for ages.

Ran into Byron on his way home, just west of 14th Street. Busy guy these days. He's gone over to cycling, and hasn't run for awhile. Miss those noon hour runs.

Distance: 10.01 km. Time: 57:52. Average speed: 10.4 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 22C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 17 days.

Evening Run

Just a beautiful run tonight. It's sunny and warm, a lovely evening. Rush hour traffic is going nowhere, and I can cross between the cars without waiting. I love being within walking distance of everything.

Down to the river, and the 14th Street loop. Nothing special; just a loosening up after the long wet run on Sunday. Lots of people out on the paths, and of course, those grumpy cyclists on a tear.

I love this town.

Distance: 6.86 km. Time: 39:23. Average speed: 10.5 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 22C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 18 days.

The Deluge

You'd think it was Vancouver, the way it's coming down. There's been a rainfall warning in effect for over twenty four hours, and it finally started coming down late last night. I hesitated over getting out, but only for a few moments.

Well, actually, it took an hour to get going. I got a delightful call from my oldest to wish Happy Father's Day with a long call, so I got a late start.

It's not so much the rain as the wind. Very blustery from the north, and what ever side was exposed to it was cold. My left arm ached a little as I ran east toward the zoo. I was on a walk break, just passing the foot bridge to the zoo island (the bridge on the short zoo loop) when someone came up from behind telling me to get running.

Gigi (I'm guessing at the spelling, but it's pronounced "jee-jee", with a soft G sound) was just finishing up a run and on her way home to Inglewood. Turns out she was just getting a run in before her last day on her job as the veterinarian at Stampede Park. They are shutting down the horse racing facility because the track is too short and there's no room for expansion. Anyway, we had a nice run and chat until she peeled off toward home.

After that, it was cold, wet slogging. Running in the trees was a mixed blessing. The wind wasn't so biting, but it shook the rain out of the canopy, so my waterlogged state was maintained.

It wasn't raining so hard that my feet were totally soaked. Occasionally, I'd get a bit of a splash over one foot or the other, which felt really good - ice water on hot feet - aaahhhhhhhh.... But after a few steps the cold would be gone, and then I'd worry about a wet sock sliding down and bunching up under my arch, like they did when I ran the Vancouver Marathon. Never got quite that wet, thank goodness.

There were surprisingly several other runners out. I think the Running Room groups are mostly die-hards, who are out no matter what. Even a few walkers out. Of course the dog owners are stuck with that duty, but there were others too.

Once I was home, it was one long hot shower.

Today's run:
Distance: 23.82km. Time: 2:17:11. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 1.56 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 25.38 km. Total time: 2:32:11.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light rain and 9 throughout, with a blustery wind from the north.

The Calgary Marathon is in 20 days.

Speed Run

I intentionally pushed it today, cuz I want to get a little faster, and cuz I have to get to other things this afternoon.

I ran the 14th Street loop, and I figure I ran pretty hard. I managed to keep a high turnover rate all the way, and the nice thing is that my breathing stayed with me. Even on The Path Under The Stairs, I was breathing evenly while pushing hard. Hopefully, that says something about my stamina.

The sky is nasty dark in the west, so I wondered if the rain would come again. But I think all that stuff is moving northward. That and the cool wind kept the crowds down.

Distance: 6.90 km. Time: 35:45. Average speed: 11.69 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Cloudy and 11C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 23 days.

Braided Loop

I call it that because I did the loop from the zoo to Edworthy, and crossed each bridge as I came to it. I think the bridges add about a quarter kilometre each, so it lengthens the run a little, without my getting away from civilization, or doubling up on part of the route.

The river is still very high, and the water is dirty, debris-filled, and flowing fast. I started by going down Nony's Awful Little Hill, and across the Centre Street bridge. I began to circle around to go underneath the bridge and head east, when I encountered the gate. The path under Centre Street was "closed due to unsafe conditions," like about thirty or forty centimetres of water.

I crossed the other way, across the roadway on the lower level of the bridge along Riverfront Avenue. At mid-morning there aren't too many of the corporate types out, especially in this stretch of the path system. But it gets crowded from Centre Street to the zoo. Many are homeless, dependent on the nearby drop-in centre for meals and other essentials. Most are just hanging out, some are already working their crack pipes, oblivious to everything else. It's uncomfortable sometimes, but where else are they going to go?

At Edmonton Trail, I crossed back to the north on the old iron bridge, and discovered that I couldn't loop around and under it at the north end, as that part of the path was under water too. So a quick jaywalk across the road to the other side. The path under the northbound part of Edmonton Trail was fine, though.

The path from there to the zoo runs along the top of a berm. There are benches every hundred metres or so, and all were occupied today. The bush on the river side of the berm is under water, so those that usually camp out down there were now keeping high and dry.

Throughout all this, the sky was very dark and foreboding, the air quite cool. There was a huge storm cell just south of downtown, and by the time I got past the zoo and across the bridge at 12th Street, it was just about gone by. The sun was out by the time I reached the Elbow confluence.

Nothing un-routine until Edmonton Trail, where I crossed north again, then ran along Memorial. The path under Centre Street at the north end was under water, too, so I had to cross at the lower level crossing. For some reason it was blocked off, so no problem.

At Prince's Island, I was up the stairs and onto the foot bridge, across the island to the promenade. It was still early so not too many were out. At the C-Train bridge, I crossed again. The path under 10th Street had been partially under water for the last four or five days. Today the pavement was dry, but the water was lapping at the edge, only five centimetres or so below the edge. So water levels are subsiding.

At 14th, back to the south side, and along Bow Trail and past The Pumphouse to Crowchild. And across again. The run along Parkdale was uneventful. At Edworthy, of course, I crossed again, and it was into the forest below Wildwood and Spruce Cliff.

After crossing the railroad tracks the second time, I was pummeled by the most marvelous fragrance. The wild rose is beginning to bloom and should be with us for another month. Combine that with all the lilacs and honeysuckle, and river runs are rife with a rich redolence.

By the time I reached and crossed Crowchild, I was near the two hour point. Amazingly, I felt quite good, still strong and energetic. The hip flexor was just beginning to make itself felt, so I've had some good healing there, I think.

Cross at 14th Street, cross again at the C-Train bridge, then straight up to The Stairs. I climbed The Path Under The Stairs rather agressively for me, for having already run some 25 km. Then a hard push to home. A very good run.

Today's run:
Distance: 24.25km. Time: 2:20:23. Average speed: 10.4 kph.
Rest distance: 1.85 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 26.10 km. Total time: 2:35:23.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 12C to start, up to 14C at the end.

The Calgary Marathon is in 25 days.

A Big Dirty Cloud

To use the terminology of my grandmother. The skies look threatening, but the sun still shines through. I think between the cloud, and the fact that it's Friday, the less dedicated to walking and running are elsewhere. But still lots of people out.

The river is so high right now. The path under 10th Street is still partly under water, but it seems to be about the same as yesterday. The river is grey-brown and full of debris.

I did the 14th Street loop again. My hip is still sore, but it didn't seem so bad today. There's more of a stiffness to it, and that probably contributed to the feeling that my core strength had disolved. I felt like I was swinging my shoulders more than usual; it may have been due to that stiffness.

Great run, all the same.

Distance: 7.12 km. Time: 39:21. Average speed: 10.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 16C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 29 days.

An Old Problem

I kept it short today. For some reason, I've been feeling the hip flexors again. After that last long run, I was pretty sore, and I think because of that, I've been a little off kilter in my running. Hence the soreness in my knees (which, I'll concede, could be from that long descent from Heart Mountain last Saturday.)

So, just down to the 14th Street bridge, and back along the promenade. After heavy run-off from the mountains, and the wicked rain storm we had a couple of days ago, the river is awfully high, and running fast. I found that debris was floating by me even as I was running in the same direction as the current.

The path under 10th Street is half under water on the north side. I'm surprised they haven't closed it off. The north side of Prince's Island, which is not sheltered by the berm, is underwater as well. Shades of the floods of '05 but without the rain.

Distance: 7.06 km. Time: 38:10. Average speed: 11.1 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 14C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 30 days.

One Tough Run

I did the distance today, since I didn't get to it on the weekend. It showed. I was fine for the first hour and a half, but then it started to get difficult. Aches and pains started to get hard to ignore, and I found myself slowing some.

I headed straight up the north side of the river to Edworthy, at a nice easy pace. Not a lot of traffic at that time of day, so I was missing the people aspect of the run. Crossing to the south side, and heading back east was lovely, running along below Spruce Cliff.

By the time I got back to downtown, I was starting to slow down. My speed was still up, but I could feel it. At 12th Street, I crossed to the zoo, and that's about when I was wishing it was over.

I started thinking about trying to avoid the new stairway up to the footbridge at Prince's Island. I could run past it and take the ramp up on the other side, and this was probably the most sensible route. I was also thinking of crossing back to the south side at Edmonton Trail, then taking the Centre Street Bridge. But in the end I tackled the stairs. I don't know what the worry was, as I took it two at a time with no effort. Obviously the running muscles are completely different from the stair climbing muscles.

On The Path Under The Stairs was where I met the real traffic. Lots of people doing hill training, I think. Shortly after I passed under The Stairs, it was walk time. So I got to walk the steepest part of the path. And after that, I was able to get a little agressive on the rest of the climb. But there was nothing left at the top.

The last kilometre was little more than a shuffle. I have lots of stretching to do, cuz stuff hurts.

Today's run:
Distance: 22.84km. Time: 2:10:55. Average speed: 10.5 kph.
Rest distance: 1.51 km. Rest time: 14:00.
Total distance: 24.35 km. Total time: 2:24:55.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 21C at the start, and only 22C at the end.

The Calgary Marathon is in 32 days.

Wussed Out on a Long One

I really did think about getting out for 25 km or so this morning, but after yesterday's adventure, I didn't feel like I would have enough gas. I even considered not going out at all, but not too much into the morning, I felt the need.

I was out the door and down the street, then wondered what The Path Under The Stairs would be like after yesterday's long descent. Not bad at all, as it turned out. Of course, the longer I ran, the better things felt, but I never know if that's a good thing or not.

I kept to the north side of the river, and ran to Crowchild. Along Memorial was a station set up for the MS Super Cities Walk, lots of snacks and water bottles. Some of the first walkers were just arriving as I passed.

The paths weren't busy, but lots of runners were out, as well as the odd blade and bicycle. One thing I noticed was how most people were in a good mood. Most returned my good-mornings with more than a startled mumble.

As I got to the promenade under the C-Train bridge at 10th Street, traffic suddenly jumped, due to the walkers. Something was going on on Prince's Island, too, so lots of people out there. Climbing The Path was a little challenging (glad I kept it to a shorter run), and then I was headed home.

Distance: 10.05 km. Time: 58:08. Average speed: 10.4 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 18C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 34 days.

Great Crowds, Great Run

Wow, but the traffic was thick in places. Right around Eau Claire, at the end of the Jaipur Bridge, it's almost impossible to run because of the people. Even the walkers have to dodge and weave. I love it.

I really like the loop from Edmonton Trail (actually called the Langevin Bridge) to 14th Street (actually called the Metawa Bridge.) It's a great distance, and a fun and scenic run. With the trees leafed out and the sun shining, it's just lovely.

Distance: 10.57 km. Time: 55:48. Average speed: 11.4 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 20C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 37 days.

Getting Outside Should Be Mandatory

It is too beautiful a day to be indoors for long. The sky is cloudless, and the air is spectacularly clear. The western horizon from McHugh's Bluff is breathtaking.

So much traffic on the paths today. I love it. It seemed like an substantial fraction of the downtown population was out walking and running. No blades, and only one or two cyclists that I could see.

I wanted to stay short today, so I ran the 14th Street loop. Nice run, felt good, although The Path Under The Stairs was a little challenging lung-wise. Maybe I was more agressive on it than I thought.

Distance: 6.91 km. Time: 37:13. Average speed: 11.1 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 17C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 38 days.

Woohoo! It's Summer!

Well, not yet, and it's not hot, but definitely warm enough. I love running in sunshine, with lots of people around. I love the energy on the paths along the river on days like this. I think I've raved about that before.

Edmonton Trail to 14th Street again. It's almost exactly the same distance as the Crowchild loop, but it stays closer to the crowds. It's thick enough along the promenade that I was weaving in and around clumps of people. Crossing Prince's Island, I was forced to slow to a walk until an opening showed up. (I know, I know - I crab about cyclists using people as racing pylons).

Everything is so green, and all the people and sunshine - it's just great running.

Distance: 10.08 km. Time: 54:55. Average speed: 11.0 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 13C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 39 days.

The Rain Waits

It's supposed to dump on us tonight. Yesterday they were saying it would start earlier, but it's holding off.

I ran the long zoo to Edworthy loop again. I really like the distance and the duration. It takes about two and a half hours and I always see lots of people. They've opened the gate to the path below Spruce Cliff now, too, so no more cutting through the bush or through the hole in the fence.

Kind of a cool moment just as I was coming up to the 9th Avenue bridge over the Elbow, right where it joins the Bow. Four pairs of adult Canada geese, with 51 little ones. I think. They're hard to count when they're running all over the place. They ranged from small and fluffy yellow, to not so small and not so fluffy browny-grey. Of course, it's back to agility training, too. (And people complain about the dog poo...)

Today's run:
Distance: 22.58km. Time: 2:05:18. Average speed: 10.8 kph.
Rest distance: 1.36 km. Rest time: 13:00.
Total distance: 23.95 km. Total time: 2:18:18.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 14C at the start, cloudy and 17C at the end.

The Calgary Marathon is in 41 days.

Friday Again

Out with the lunch time crowd again. I rather liked the Edmonton Trail to 14th Street loop, so I thought I'd try it again. I started out with lots of energy, so my speed was up there. I was out just before noon, and going east, you don't see the crowds that you get to the west of Eau Claire. Add to that the fact that it's Friday, and the cool weather, and I expected to see way fewer people out. But the sun was trying, and I suppose that was lure enough for most of us.

I really had a good pace going, I think. I had good breath, and a good stride, with quick turn-over. Two days without a run makes a big difference. I thought briefly about getting out yesterday. The paths were clear, as the snow melted on contact with the pavement. But still, ten or more centimetres of snow, and cold and windy, and broken trees everywhere - it seemed a bit much, so I wimped out. And besides, I did two 10 km runs on Tuesday.

Just at the C-Train bridge, I ran into Carla going the other way, so I turned around, and we made our way to Eau Claire. We stretched and caught up with each other, and then I headed home.

Distance: 9.12 km. Time: 50:47. Average speed: 10.8 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Cloudy and 9C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 43 days.

Double the Fun

I completely forgot I had planned to do this. Gord's Running Store hosts a group run every Tuesday, and I've been thinking of checking it out. So I planned to do so tonight.

I met a small group at the store, and at 7:00 sharp, we headed out and eastward down 8th Avenue. Some of the faster runners disappeared in a hurry, but there were a few of us who ran together for the first couple of kilometres.

Down 8th Avenue, and then south along Nose Creek. The path splits and we took the one that went west, toward Tom Campbell Hill. By now the group had completely spread out and we were pretty much each on our own. I circled the hill, then headed through the gate at 13th Street, down Thomson Avenue, zigged to Abbot Avenue, zagged to 12A Street, then finally on to 12th Avenue.

At 11A Street, I headed uphill, to a path that rises steeply, then in the last five metres, rises really, really steeply, to Jamison Avenue. This cul-de-sac turns into 5th Avenue, which I followed downhill again, to 6A Street. It's all kinda convuluted, since these streets and avenues have to follow around the bluff.

At 4th Street, I headed uphill (yikes, what a hill!) and westward at the top on 7th Avenue. Across Edmonton Trail, down 3rd Street, up 2nd Avenue (another hill, this one so steep, they've blocked it off to traffic). Down Samis Road, and up Centre Street to the store.

Nice run. I also ran part way there, and part way home after.

Distance: 9.85 km. Time: 56:21 Average speed: 10.5 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 13C.

The Calgary Marathon is still in 46 days.

Change-Up

I was hoping to get a good distance run in over the weekend in Saskatoon, but weather conspired against me. That, and I was having too much fun spoiling my grandson. So today was my first run in about five days.

Just to keep it interesting, I crossed the river at Prince's Island right off, and headed east. I thought about running the short zoo loop, but for what I was planning, it probably would have been too long. So I crossed back at Edmonton Trail.

From there, it was past the cranky parents of a single fuzzy Canada gosling. Wings spread and hissing, they don't back down. There was a girl ahead of me that walked gingerly by them, and I don't blame her.

From there I headed all the way west to 14th Street, crossed to the south side of the river again, ran back along the promenade to Prince's Island, then homeward.

My right calf was awfully tight for most of the run, but at about the 8 km point, I realized I wasn't noticing it any more. Since I got home, I've been stretching it. I hope the tightness doesn't linger.

Distance: 10.12 km. Time: 55:15 Average speed: 11.0 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 10C.

The Calgary Marathon is in 46 days.

Early in the Day

I decided to get out earlier than I usually do. I was out the door shortly after 10:00. Not too many out at that time of day, and I ran the big loop, to Crowchild.

This morning, there was a news story about issues pedestrians and runners have with rude cyclists. I agree it is a problem, with many cyclists seeming to be totally absorbed in themselves, using the rest of us as racing pylons, or obstacles to their hell-bent progress. Whether it was that story that raised some awareness, or just that the only cyclists out at that time of day are the courteous ones, I can't say. But almost every one that passed from behind either used a bell or gave a verbal warning. Thank you to all.

And another note: I just recently realized that the emal notifications that someone has left a comment have been lately intercepted by the spam filter. There have been a few that I've missed. (Sorry, Nony!)

Distance: 10.04 km. Time: 57:38 Average speed: 10.5kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 18C.

The Calgary Marathon is in 51 days.

Well, darn...

I got the email this morning:
"Thank you for applying for the
ING New York City Marathon 2007.
Unfortunately, you were not selected in
the random international lottery drawing."
So I'll be doing my alternate self-inflicted birthday present, Middle Beach.

It's a bit of a downer, but also a little bit of a relief, since what Middle Beach will cost in total, might just cover one night at a New York hotel.

Today's run was fun and fast. Just to 14th Street, but it's such a beautiful day, and so many people are out.

Distance: 6.90 km. Time: 37:26 Average speed: 11.1kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 19C.

The Calgary Marathon is in 52 days.

All Over The Map

Emotionally, that is. Wonder what's up with that? I miss Nony. I miss Tru. I haven't seen Roxanne on the path for ages. Nevertheless, I do feel better after getting out and running off some of what ever weird karma is following me around today.

I was only going to run the 14th Street loop, but once I was out there, I felt more than good enough for Crowchild. It's becoming my standard daily run, that. I even passed a couple of bladers. Obvious beginners wobbling across the river on the Crowchild footbridge, but I'm happy to pass anyone.

I've been considering trying one of the running groups again. I also have an idea for bit of a challenge run. These are some things that I may try in the next couple of days. Stay tuned.

Distance: 10.07 km. Time: 55:30 Average speed: 10.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 19C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 30 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 172 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 53 days.

Mom's Day Run

And it wasn't part of the Forzani Mother's Day Run. But I was out there in the rain.

I tried the Zoo to Edworthy Park loop again. This time I threw a bit of a variation into it, by braiding the route. That is, on the way from the Zoo to Edworthy, I crossed the river at Prince's Island, then back at 10th Street, then over at 14th Street and back again at Crowchild. On the way back I did the same. It probably added over 4 km to the run.

The rain wasn't too heavy when I got out the door, and it stopped before I was half an hour into it. Even so, it thinned the crowd. It was pretty quiet out there, although there were quite a few out running. There was a small group of protesters at Eau Claire, but I didn't catch what they were protesting. They were just getting the banner unfurled and the placards out as I passed.

Otherwise, a nice quiet run.

Today's run:
Distance: 24.18 km. Time: 2:18:17. Average speed: 10.1 kph.
Rest distance: 1.52 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 25.70 km. Total time: 2:33:17.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light rain and 5C at the start, cloudy and 7C at the end.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 32 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 174 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 55 days.

Time for Lunch!

It feels like ages since I ran at noon, and today I had the opportunity. Fabulous! Great weather and lots of runners, and walkers too. And I'm tanning!

I was only going to go as far as 14th Street, but I felt so good being out in the sun among people, that I pushed on to Crowchild. One thing I like about noon is that everyone is on foot. There are very few bikes, so the pedestrian path/bike path splits don't matter much. You can choose which to run on if you run into congestion.

Great run!

Distance: 10.30 km. Time: 53:39 Average speed: 11.5 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and 18C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 34 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 176 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 57 days.

Up and Down

That's the kind of day it's been. Running is sometimes the only thing that helps to even things out.

I'm feeling things today. Mind you, I've been downtown twice today, and I can feel the descent of the bluff in the knees a little. My calves are making themselves known right now, too. Maybe I need to do more stretching?

Anyway, I kept it short tonight. I did the 14th Street loop, and it was good. Nothing special, just the usual plugging along.

I have found The Path Under The Stairs to be fun lately. I seem to have lots of leg to power my way to the top, and when I get there, I feel quite good.

Distance: 7.38 km. Time: 40:10 Average speed: 11.0 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and 15C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 35 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 177 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 58 days.

Burning Off Some Vibes

It's been a frustrating week. And just because. So it was good to get out and burn off some of that energy.

After such a depleting weekend, I managed to recover enough to have a pretty decent run. Actually I should be in good enough shape to handle that kind of energy expenditure.

I was originally planning to just run to the 14th Street loop, but ended up going all the way to Crowchild again. It's a little cool and a little cloudy; good running weather.

Distance: 10.02 km. Time: 56:01 Average speed: 10.7 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 11C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 36 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 178 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 59 days.

I'm Feeling That

I tried something different today, in trying to get back on track with running. Instead of heading out in the morning (which I couldn't do today), I headed out early in the afternoon. And in another departure from the usual, I headed east at the river, toward the zoo.

I thought that since the loop from the zoo to Crowchild is about 17 km or so, if I extended that to Edworthy, it would be a pretty decent distance run. And I wouldn't lose the crowds like I do when I venture into Bowness.

I wondered how it would go after my impulsive little adventure yesterday, especially at the knees. The first hour was great, with none of the twinges and aches I expected. Even the second hour was great. It was only at about two hours that I started to feel the fatigue. No hurts, just no energy left. The last half hour was a slog. But outside of that, it was a great run.

Today's run:
Distance: 22.27 km. Time: 2:06:25. Average speed: 10.6 kph.
Rest distance: 1.41 km. Rest time: 14:00.
Total distance: 23.68 km. Total time: 2:20:25.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 15C to start, sunny and 19C at the end.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 39 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 181 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 62 days.

Off the Rails

My running schedule is kinda messed up, still. I didn't get a distance run this weekend, and I don't know if I'll be able to make up for it. It may not be too important at this point, so I'm not worrying about it.

Weather is a little on the cool side, and breezy again, but quite nice for running. I ran the 14th Street loop again, taking it easy, but more because I'm so late getting out there. Now I rush this to publish, gulp a bite and I'm gone again.

Busy, busy, busy. But in a way, I like that.

Distance: 7.17 km. Time: 38:41 Average speed: 11.1 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 12C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 45 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 187 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 68 days.

The Weekend is Here

Tonight was more fun than it's been for awhile. I guess I just needed to change things a little. And there were lots of runners out too. A few dog walkers, and a couple of bird walkers.

There was a couple out taking their birds for a walk. One was an African Grey, which I believe is the same breed that Nony used to have. The other was a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, according to the results of a Google Images search. That last was a little cranky, I think. It was sure making a lot of noise.

The beginnings of leaves are popping out all over, and there's green grass everywhere. Even a few flowers.

Distance: 7.68 km. Time: 38:52 Average speed: 11.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 18C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 48 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 190 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 71 days.

Turning It Around

I tried something different today, just to mix things up a little. Today I ran the Crowchild loop the other way around.

woohoo.

Still, it was something different, and it felt different, and certainly better.

I think I need to get back into the noon hour runs. Those seemed to break up the day a lot better. I'll have to ponder that for a little.

Distance: 9.81 km. Time: 53:56 Average speed: 10.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 13C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 49 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 191 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 72 days.

Cloudy Again

Just another run. It's getting that way. But I like being out there and among the crowds. Lots of runners out, among the cyclists. I went all the way to Glenmore tonight.

Maybe it's time for a new route.

Distance: 10.15 km. Time: 55:02 Average speed: 11.1 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 12C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 50 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 192 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 73 days.

Summery Spring Run

Gosh, but it's wonderful out. No snow in sight, so maybe it's actually going to stay on the warm side of 0C.

I was going to run the Crowchild loop, but I've got to meet someone tonight, so I did the 14th Street loop instead. A really nice run, and so many bicycles, some of them none too aware of where they're going. Sheesh!

Distance: 7.28 km. Time: 38:01 Average speed: 11.5 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and 18C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 51 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 193 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 74 days.

Too Cold?

Man, I can hardly type. My hands are a little stiff after today's run. It was probably a little too cold to go without gloves. It was a little on the chilly side this morning, but I went with shorts and a t-shirt, and my running vest. It took a couple of miles to warm up, and my hands were awfully cold until then. The rest of the first half was OK.

But it got chilly again after turning around, which, by the way was about three hundred metres down Bow Cresent. Once I got back to the river, I noticed the wind from the east more as I ran into it. And it was chilly. Some parts weren't bad, along stretches sheltered by trees. Toward the end, after I crested the bluff, even my forearms were cramping from being cold. Gotta watch that.

But a good run. And lots of people out too.

Today's run:
Distance: 22.42 km. Time: 2:03:20. Average speed: 10.9 kph.
Rest distance: 1.42 km. Rest time: 13:00.
Total distance: 23.84 km. Total time: 2:16:20.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Fog and 1C at the start, and only gaining another degree by the end.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 53 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 195 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 76 days.

This Weather is Ridiculous

Still waiting for signs of spring in terms of weather. Other symbols of spring time abound - robins, road construction, that kind of thing. But even with the driving snow, it was quite nice for running.

I haven't been out in ages, just my run last Sunday, so I really needed to get out there and go. I'm finally settling into my work and figuring a few things out, and maybe next week I can get back into the noon hour runs.

Tonight I thought I'd just do the 14th Street loop, since I haven't been out for awhile, and it's also kinda late in the day.

Just got an email from my brother. He has software for his GPS that will map out his runs on Google Earth. He sent me the data from his last run - a 10 km jaunt through Central Park. I'm jealous...

Distance: 6.15 km. Time: 37:55 Average speed: 9.7 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light snow and 0C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 55 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 197 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 78 days.

I Really Love Sunday Runs

When it's this nice out, and there are that many people out, it's wonderful. And toward the end, I ended up with the front runners in the Chinook Half Marathon, which was interesting. They were a pretty focused bunch.

I ran the south side of the river to Edworthy again. The ice below Spruce Cliff has melted considerably, but there's still lots. The channels that have been cut through it to funnel the spring water across the path haven't seemed to have changed much. I would have thought the running water would have cut them to the pavement by now. The sanded path is pretty much all gravel as the ice layers melt, so running across the ice was no problem at all. I imagine it'll be at least a couple of weeks before it's all gone.

After crossing to the north side at Edworthy, I continued west until turn-around time, at which point I was just off the path and about two hundred metres down 13th Avenue, in the middle of the Shouldice Athletic Park. From there it was straight along the north side of the river to downtown, and the The Path Under The Stairs.

Running was such a rush this morning, and I felt very good. With only a couple of strange moments, the last few weeks have been amazing, what with all the change that's been happening for my friends and I, include a new career for me. That last has been pretty exciting, but it has cut into my running time this past week. I'll have to figure this out soon.

Today's run:
Distance: 19.94 km. Time: 1:45:33. Average speed: 11.3 kph.
Rest distance: 1.09 km. Rest time: 11:00.
Total distance: 21.04 km. Total time: 1:56:33.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Cloudy and 5C to start, warming slightly to 7C by the end.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 60 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 202 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 83 days.

Rain, Snow, Dry, Wet...Pick One, Already!

This weather is just weird. Not bad for running, as the snow stopped just before I got out, but sheesh!

I wondered if I should go all the way to Crowchild, or just cut it off at 14th, but it felt great out there. So I did the long loop. My runs have been great for months, always feeling great. At least after I finish. The sense of accomplishment, maybe? What ever it is, I love it.

Even The Path Under The Stairs was no problem. I had lots of energy to attack it, and kept up a great pace all the way up. Just as I turned off Cresent Road to head home, I passed my neighbour. Dressed for running but not running. I remembered that she's going to Boston very soon. Probably tapering, and just taking it easy. I can't wait to hear how it went.

Distance: 9.94 km. Time: 55:51 Average speed: 10.7 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 2C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 65 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 207 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 88 days.

Spring is Back!

Well, it's back for the day, at least. But what a lovely day!

I ran westward again, this time crossing to the north side of the river at Crowchild, instead of trying to cross all that treacherous ice below Spruce Cliff. There were lots of runners out, likely because of the sunshine, which made it fun. They thinned out after Edworthy, and almost disappeared once I got on Bow Cresent.

At the end of Bow Cresent, a paved path continues to the river and under the train bridge. I followed it along the river to a foot bridge I had no idea was there. Just across the river, my last walk interval started at the end of the bridge, by a sign announcing that I was entering the Bowmont Natural Environment Park. Who knew?

Turning around, I retraced my steps. At two hours, I found that I was within twenty metres of where I was at one hour, meaning I was being incredibly consistent as far as speed. The gap was a little larger at two and a half hours, but still within a hundred metres of where I was at the thirty minute mark - almost right under the Crowchild bridge.

At two hours and forty-some minutes, things were beginning to hurt a little. But I still felt really good. I climbed The Path Under The Stairs with a pretty decent energy, considering, and had a nice strong finish. I have to compare this run to one I had a couple of years ago, before I had ever run a marathon. I'd done a compareable run, and I remember the emotional realization that a four hour marathon was within reach. Today, I'm a little more blasé about that kind of thing, but still impressed with myself.

Today's run:
Distance: 28.62 km. Time: 2:42:01. Average speed: 10.6 kph.
Rest distance: 2.03 km. Rest time: 17:02.
Total distance: 30.65 km. Total time: 2:59:03.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Sunny and 0C to start, but some high cloud began to roll in after a couple of hours, and the temperature climbed to 6C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 67 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 209 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 90 days.

What Happened to Spring?

It was happening a few days ago. I'm sure it was. I distinctly remember wearing shorts and a t-shirt and being quite comfortable. And sun...there was sunshine...and blue sky....

I think it has snowed continously for the last three and a half days. Somehow it isn't piling up, and the paths are being kept clear. Running isn't a problem, if you're ready for a little icy spot here and there.

Still doing the Crowchild loop, cuz it's such a nice distance. It leaves me feeling like I've burned a few calories, and it's a nice way to spend an hour.

I think lately my writing has been more of a dashed-off note than anything deep. Perhaps that's what it always was here. But anyway, in a conversation with Nony the other evening, she said she still keeps up with these ramblings. I have to say that pleases me very much.

Distance: 9.99 km. Time: 58:08 Average speed: 10.3 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light snow and -4C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 70 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 212 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 93 days.

Snow Again??

Sheesh, but the weather in this town is fickle! We've been getting heavily snowed on for the past couple of days. It makes the place pretty until it starts to melt, and it's not fun slogging through it. But the paths are clear, mostly, so out I go.

It was so cold starting off, that I figured maybe 14th Street would be far enough. But by the time I got there, I was nicely warmed up. A slight worry at that point was that I was moving with the wind, and the return leg might get a little challenging. But it wasn't too bad at all.

No crowd out running, just a few stragglers, so that energy wasn't there, but a nice run, nonetheless. Interesting that it felt faster than it was.

Distance: 9.50 km. Time: 56:47 Average speed: 10.0 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light snow and -7C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 72 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 214 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 95 days.

Wotta Run!

It seems to happen a lot, that I get out there and lose myself in the act of running. The miles go by and I don't even notice. I get to the turn around point before I know it, and it seems so effortless. Even the little aches that start up around the two hour point seem to belong where they are.

Snow almost all the way today. It started about fifteen or twenty minutes into it, and on the outbound leg, there were moments when you had to look at a dark background to see the flakes. But after I turned around on Bow Cresent, just past 65th Street, it socked right in, with the visibility dropping to about a kilometre. And it was off and on like that for the rest of the run.

The ice below Spruce Cliff is still pretty treacherous in places, but the sand they put along the side is thickening up as it melts into the lower layers, so that gives me a path to run through it. And someone has cut channels through the ice, straight across the path, so the spring water can drain without resurfacing the existing ice.

Not a busy morning, as the greyness and the snow probably kept some people inside, but still busy enough. Those that were out there were obviously happy to be there, and happy that spring is finally here. Great energy.

Today's run:
Distance: 25.39 km. Time: 2:21:19. Average speed: 10.8 kph.
Rest distance: 1.58 km. Rest time: 15:00.
Total distance: 26.97 km. Total time: 2:36:19.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Light snow and -3C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 74 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 216 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 97 days.

I'm Getting a Tan!

I've been able to get out a couple of times in shorts and a tee, and did so tonight. I find that I'm tanning a little, even with that exposure.

I ran Crowchild again, and for some reason, it was really fun. Maybe with all the people out, and the nice weather, maybe the karma was just there. What ever it was, it was one of the most enjoyable runs I've had. I'm left feeling really good right now.

Distance: 10.03 km. Time: 54:29 Average speed: 11.0 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 13C, though the CBC sign said 16C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 77 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 219 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 100 days.

Low Flying Aircraft

Tonight's run was a little slower than my usual pace, but that's about where I needed to be, motion-wise. I did the Crowchild loop again. It's a great route, and almost spot on 10 km.

The snow we were warned about last night was late. We were supposed to wake up to knee deep drifts and the city at a standstill. But it held off until about 8:00 this morning. Most of it melts on contact with pavement, but it's piling nicely on lawns and gardens. The paths were wet, but not at all icy. Even the puddles weren't all that large.

Just as I was starting out, turning on to Cresent Road, the STARS ambulance went by. It was snowing pretty heavily at the time, and I suppose they needed to keep visual contact with the ground, but goodness they were low. I would estimate 200 feet above the river, as they weren't quite at eye level with me, and Cresent Road is about 150 feet above the river. Kind of a cool sight.

Distance: 10.06 km. Time: 58:33 Average speed: 10.3 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light snow and 1C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 79 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 221 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 102 days.

Cool Spring Run

Not as warm as yesterday, but still very much spring weather. I tried the south side of the river until Edworthy, and it's still a mess. Much of the path below Spruce Cliff is covered in ice, still, although the graveled trail through it is no longer being buried by new ice. In some places, it's wet and slippery, and occasional ankle deep puddles add to the challenge. Nothing like having cold wet feet. Or wet socks that ride around inside your shoe.

But for all of that, it was a good run. I found myself at the turnaround time within about three metres of where I ended up last week. So I'm a little slower today, since it took me ten minutes longer to get there. But hey, I'm running for distance, not speed.

I felt almost used up at the end, suggesting I'm about right on. The last half hour was a bit challenging, but I've definitely faced worse.

Today's run:
Distance: 22.02 km. Time: 2:01:54. Average speed: 10.8 kph.
Rest distance: 1.33 km. Rest time: 13:00.
Total distance: 23.35 km. Total time: 2:14:54.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Cloudy and 4C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 81 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 223 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 104 days.

Fabulous Friday Run

Well, why not? It felt really good out there, and it really feels like spring. And the weekend is here, and it's been a bleah week (or two.)

I've got so much energy, it seems like, that the Crowchild loop is just a nice way to spend an hour. Lots of people out, and that gives everything such a positive feel.

Yup, going good! It's shorts and t-shirt weather, too.

Did some checking into the NYC Marathon, and found that the May 1 deadline is for non-U.S. residents. The deadline for U.S. residents is June 1, which leads me to believe that the draw may not happen until then. So I've modified the countdowns below.

Distance: 10.09 km. Time: 53:57 Average speed: 11.2 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 15C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 83 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 225 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 106 days.

And Another run

Wow, am I ever making up for lost time. The runs are feeling really good.

Today was another loop around the Crowchild route, and the paths are pretty much dry, even after all the snow that came down this morning. Bit of a shock, that.

Lots of people out running and spring is upon us.

Distance: 10.02 km. Time: 56:07 Average speed: 10.7 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 4C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 54 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 227 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 108 days.

Finding the Groove Again

Today it felt like I was running again. Not too easy, but not at all hard. Feeling really good. And the conditions were lovely, even with the wind.

I did the Crowchild loop and set a nice easy pace. I didn't bother checking the GPS for speed or elapsed time or distance, and just let myself find whatever pace felt right. It turned out a little slower than the last few runs, but I'm just out there burning calories, not trying to adhere to a strict running regimen.

As it should be.

Almost got forced off the path by a cyclist, who was looking over his shoulder for some reason. Sheesh. Way too busy out there for that kind of inattention, especially at the speeds they travel.

Distance: 9.80 km. Time: 56:41 Average speed: 10.4 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 7C, but the CBC sign said 1C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 55 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 228 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 109 days.

Start It Up

I start today. Training for the big ones, that is. Today was an hour out and an hour back. It felt good mostly, though the last twenty minutes were a bit slow. But that's as it should be. And it tells me I have work to do.

I headed west on the north side of the river. It was a sort of no frills Edworthy loop, except I went all the way to the John Hextall bridge before turning around, near the Shouldice pool. I don't remember much about the run. It was pretty straight forward.

I do remember the people though. Lots of runners out, even with the grey skys and threat of snow. And lots of enthusiasm - everyone seemed so up beat. It made it a lot of fun, and the time just flew.

Today's run:
Distance: 20.59 km. Time: 1:52:05. Average speed: 11.0 kph.
Rest distance: 1.27 km. Rest time: 12:00.
Total distance: 21.86 km. Total time: 2:04:05.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Light snow and -1C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 57 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 230 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 111 days.

Trying to Get Back On Track

It's been a long recovery from illness, and most of the last couple of weeks have been runless due to a persistent cough. I've done a round of antibiotics, and that seems to have made a difference, but it's still there.

Today was the first run in a long time. Beautiful weather out, and even with the snow from the past couple of days, the paths are pretty much dry. I just ran the 14th Street loop, just to see how it went, and kept the 10th Street bridge in mind in case this cough started up. It went fine, and 14th was probably just right.

Minor glitch: the GPS went dead near the end of the run, so I'll just use the same numbers from the last run in the Saucony B's.

Distance: 7.23 km. Time: 38:02 Average speed: 11.4 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and -3C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 60 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 233 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 114 days.

It's Like Summer!

Very nice day out. Definitely not the kind of weather you want to be stuck inside somewhere.

I did the 14th Street loop again. Some puddles have shrunk and even dried up, others are turning into lakes. And there are stretches where it's just a thin layer of water on the path, so it gets a little splashy. Some are a bit muddy. I love it.

Lots of people out running tonight, and almost everyone is getting back to the summer running clothes. It would be nice if the cloud would go away for the afternoon. But next week, the sun will be even higher once we get into daylight savings. Time to work on the tan.

Distance: 7.25 km. Time: 37:26 Average speed: 11.6 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 11C. It was up to 14C an hour before.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 68 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 241 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 122 days.

Is It Really Spring??

Or is it just this Calgary weather that messes with us every year at this time? It really is lovely out, definitely shorts and t-shirt weather. And regardless of the weather, I've been waiting for today just to be able to get out there and run.

The cough still dogs me a bit, so I might have to give it some attention. A minor issue, as is the wet and mud that spreads here and there across the paths. With shorts, come muddy legs - it does get a bit splattery.

I ran the 14th Street loop tonight, and I have to say that late afternoon is my second favourite time to be out, after the noon hour. Lots of people are out around 5:00 and it's the same energy as the noon hour crowd.

Distance: 7.23 km. Time: 38:02 Average speed: 11.4 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Mainly sunny and 7C, which was the conditions at the airport. At Calgary Olympic Park it was closer to 10C. The downtown river bank is probably somewhere in the middle.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 69 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 242 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 123 days.

Finally Back Into Distance Runs

Man, did it ever feel good out there this morning! I have missed getting out, having been ill for the past couple of weeks. The cough was a little annoying at times, but mostly it stayed away.

Lots of big puddles on the paths, especially around the Crowchild bridge. There were places where I had a choice between going hand over hand along the guardrail to keep from slipping in the water, or balancing on a ridge of ice that used to be a ridge of snow pushed up along side the path by a plow. And of course, slide one way into the puddle, or slide the other way down the bank and into the river, or at least a snow bank on top of the ice on the river. But I got around those okay, and stayed upright. I even kept my feet dry.

A great beautiful run, and gorgeous chinook weather. The sky was clear to the horizon, too, so the western view was stupendous. And a whole lot of people out enjoying it.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.05 km. Time: 1:24:41. Average speed: 11.4 kph.
Rest distance: 901.3m. Rest time: 9:00.
Total distance: 16.95 km. Total time: 1:33:41.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Cloudy and 6C to start, warming up to 8C. A little bit of a breeze, and the chinook arch kept the western sky clear.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 71 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 244 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 125 days.

Slow Recovery

It's been a tough couple of weeks. Last week, I was totally laid up with the flu. I had an awful fever, and was pretty weak. It finally broke last weekend, but it's been slow getting better. I have this cough that doesn't want to go away.

I thought I'd try it today, and see how I did. I didn't know if the cough would stop while I ran or what. It did, mostly. I did the 14th Street loop, but with the thought that I'd see how I felt once I got to 10th Street. At 10th, things were good. After crossing the river at 14th, I was wishing I'd crossed at 10th. But by the time I passed the helicopter pad, I was more or less OK again. It wasn't a great run, with all that going on. But it was a lot better than I expected.

Distance: 7.02 km. Time: 40:01 Average speed: 10.5 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 3C.

I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 73 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 246 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 127 days.

Getting Back In the Game

Another good run on the Crowchild loop, with the added bonus of a short chat with Pedals, whom I met at 10th Street. It's been a fabulous weekend for getting out for anything, let alone running.

In other news: if nothing else, I'm not afraid of commitment. I put my name in for the New York City Marathon, running November 4 (which happens to be my Dad's birthday, by the way.) Entry is by lottery and they're only taking 38,000 runners (only!) I should know by mid-May if I'm in.

And I've signed up for the Calgary Marathon, kind of as a training run for the above. So I have to start getting out there and actually running. And being serious about it. Should be fun.

Distance: 10.07 km. Time: 53:24 Average speed: 11.3 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Cloudy and 3C.

And for fun, I present the following:
I'll find out if I'm in the New York City Marathon in about 84 days.
The New York City Marathon is in 257 days.
The Calgary Marathon is in 138 days.

About Time!

I've been so busy the last couple of weeks. Between work and school and career and cold weather, I haven't been able to get out at all. Any free time seemed to be taken up by sleeping. So it's nice to have a three day weekend to just kick back and catch up.

I didn't do the usual Sunday distance run, cuz even on my weekend off, I still have stuff to do. So it was a long short run. Actually it was the usual Crowchild loop. With the warm weather, a lot of the snow is gone from the paths, but since I was out a little late in the afternoon, and since the clouds had moved in, much of the water on the paths was beginning to freeze. Very few places were there was water, but what there was, was treacherous.

It's also really breezy out, a typical chinook. A couple of the wind chimes over by the Pumphouse were actually making some noise.

It wasn't my fastest run, but it wasn't bad considering how long it's been since I've been out. And I feel quite good after.

Distance: 10.00 km. Time: 56:49 Average speed: 10.6 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Mostly cloudy and 3C, with winds around 30 kph from the west, gusting to 45.

Snowy Day

It's a little cool, but a very pretty day out. Everything is blanketed with fresh, fluffy snow, and it's still coming down. Not much of a breeze, either, though what there is, is chilly.

I had planned to run Crowchild today, but by 10th Street, I was feeling it. Nothing serious, but the legs just weren't there today. Strange, cuz I always worry about running out of lungs.

Anyway, I cut it short at 14th Street, and crossed there. On the way back, it wasn't exactly a struggle, but I felt slow. And The Path Under The Stairs was particularly challenging, relatively speaking.

Distance: 7.06 km. Time: 42:40 Average speed: 9.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Light snow and -12C.

Shoelace Issues

After almost three years of running, I've had maybe half a dozen incidents of shoelaces coming untied. Today, I had three. What's up with that??

And a guy on a bike found the icy patch coming down under the 10th Street bridge, and just about lost it. Significant for me was that he was headed straight for me at the time. I danced out of the way as best I could when I say his back wheel slipping out from under him, but he managed to recover before going all the way down, and we continued on our separate ways.

And then there was the urgency of needing to get to the washroom at Edworthy. That probably cut about twenty seconds per km from my time for the first half of the run. Except, just as I was coming up to the Edworthy parking lot, a train crept across the path. And I mean crept. It was also proabably the longest freight train ever to pass through the city. My physiology was well challenged.

Otherwise, it was a quiet run. Fun, fast, and a beautiful morning.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.29 km. Time: 1:27:39. Average speed: 11.2 kph.
Rest distance: 966.7 m. Rest time: 9:00.
Total distance: 17.26 km. Total time: 1:36:26.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Partly cloudy and -6C to start, climbing to -3C at the finish. And hardly any wind.

Back to Lunch Hours

It seems like ages since I've been able to get out for a lunch time run. But today, I went out as soon as I was home from some business downtown. I felt that I needed to get out as early as possible today, or I wouldn't get out at all.

With all the new snow, and the drop in temperatures, it wasn't all that bad. The Path Under The Stairs hadn't gotten any attention from the snow clearing crews, but the paths along the river were mostly cleared. Another nice thing was the wind wasn't quite as nasty as it had been yesterday. There certainly wasn't any blowing snow, and occasional white-out conditions that we were experiencing yesterday, either.

Today was a shorter run, to 14th Street. I wasn't as energetic as I have been in the last year, either, but I didn't have any trouble finishing the run. It was just a feeling of being slower than usual. The interesting thing about that feeling, is that I don't really know if I really am slower; but it feels like it.

Distance: 7.05 km. Time: 39:59 Average speed: 10.6 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A

Weather: Mainly sunny and -16C, although wx.ca suggests -12C. The winds are about 20 kph from the north, which puts the windchill around -24C - quite tolerable.

Bicycle Count

I ran to Crowchild and back, late in the afternoon yesterday, and when I hit the south bank of the Bow, coming off of the Crowchild bridge, I started counting bicycles. There are a lot of them. People who work downtown, and who live to the west.

By the time I got to 14th Street, I had counted forty. At 10th Street, I had met sixty two, and by the time I got to the Jaipur bridge to Prince's Island, I had counted eighty three. Heavy traffic.

Anyway, it was a nice run, even though it was a little breezy.

Distance: 10.03 km. Time: 54:42 Average speed: 11.0 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Partly cloudy and 2C, with a northePublishrly wind at 65 kph, gusting to 74 kph, according to Environment Canada's stats.

Finally!

Man, but it has been a busy week. I finally got some time to run tonight, and not the usual Sunday distance run.

I did the usual Crowchild loop, but in the dark. No people out, really, except a few couples walking when I got close to home again. Not much to see in the dark, either. The river is pretty iced up, with multitudes of pressure ridges and very little open water. That might disappear later in the week, as the temperature is supposed to drop. Ah, well.

Distance: 9.98 km. Time: 55:30 Average speed: 10.8 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.


Weather: Clear and -6C. It's actually a beautiful starry night.

Out at Sundown

It's a gorgeous day out, so nice that I was able to run in just shorts and a couple of t-shirts. And since I was out a little later in the afternoon, there were lots of other runners out as well. And lots of bicycles.

And helicopters. What is up with that? There were at least three up there at one point. One of them was a traffic helicopter from one of the radio stations, and another might have been. The third one passed overhead fairly low at one point and it didn't look like any pleasure craft. I would guess it was the HAWC 2 police helicopter.

Distance: 9.88 km. Time: 54:18 Average speed: 10.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Sunny and 6C to start, but it probably dropped a few degrees when the sun went down.

Long Evening Run

I met some friends for breakfast this morning, then worked a short shift, so I wasn't able to get out to run until late in the afternoon. By the time I got out, the sun was about to go down. Most of the run was in decent light, but it was getting dark about the eighty minute mark.

It was the usual long run, down to Edworthy and back. I started out a little slow, but by the time I was on the return leg, I was pushing pretty hard. Because my work schedule is not quite nailed down, I wasn't able to get out much this past week, either. I suppose that was why it was a slow start on tonight's run.

Tonight is probably the last night on the blue Saucony's. I've put almost a thousand klicks on them, and I could feel some weakness in the cushioning.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.39 km. Time: 1:29:26. Average speed: 11.0 kph.
Rest distance: 887.3 m. Rest time: 9:00.
Total distance: 17.28 km. Total time: 1:38:26.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Blue).

Weather: Partly cloudy and 3C at the start, clearing off by the end. A light westerly breeze made it a very nice evening.

Where'd the Snow Come From?

It kinda dumped on us early yesterday. I had a fair amount to shovel first thing in the morning, and then it snowed some more. The paths were clear for the most part, but there was still some packing from foot traffic before the city got out there with its equipment. So some sort of icy spots, but not all that bad.

I just ran another 14th Street circuit. It wasn't very busy out in the middle of the afternoon. I just just missed a minor blizzard, though, when a helicopter landed at the downtown helipad by the promenade. They were just throttling down as I passed. Kinda neat.

Distance: 7.02 km. Time: 39:24 Average speed: 10.7 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Mainly sunny and -1C.

Late Night With a Runner

Well, not at all that late. But it was well past sundown before I got out there. It was interesting because I'm usually out an hour earlier in the day, and running traffic has been pretty sparse. But tonight, there were lots of people out, and of course, the usual swarm of cyclists.

I got a new pair of shoes a while ago, and finally tried them out. They are the same as the last pair - Saucony Air Phoenix, with yellow highlights, so they'll be labeled as the B pair. I wonder why the first pair had blue highlights? They seem to be the same shoe.

Down The Path, and there's a little ice here and there, which I needed to watch for. Down the new ramp from the foot bridge, to the path along Memorial, and all the way to 14th Street. Across that bridge, and back along the south side, dodging bikes all the way. Along the promenade and across Prince's Island to the bridge. Then up The Path and home.

Something neat tonight. On the way out, there was a horse on the path along the top of the bluff, standing in the midst of three or four light stands. I assume there was a photo shoot of some kind either underway, or just finishing up. They were gone when I got back.

Distance: 7.00 km. Time: 37:57 Average speed: 11.1 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) B.

Weather: Mainly clear and 2C.

Not Quite So Br-r-r-r-r-r Today

But still chilly. It took a couple of intervals before my face stopped feeling like it was freezing. There was a little bit of snow, too, from yesterday, that coated parts of the path where the plows and brushes hadn't been yet. The wind was out of the west and it was brisk.

But it was a fun run, and there were lots of people out. Lots of groups, which I think were Running Room groups. It was really nice to get out, after being kept indoors by the cold of the past week.

I ran the usual loop to Edworthy and back, but changed the ending a little. Instead of heading straight up The Path Under The Stairs, I crossed back to the promenade at the C-Train bridge, and ran to Centre Street to cross the river, climbing hard up Nony's Awful Little Hill to the top of the bluff.

Oh, yeah - the air was clear from horizon to horizon, and the view to the west from the top of the bluff was spectacular.

Today's run:
Distance: 17.11 km. Time: 1:32:37. Average speed: 11.1 kph.
Rest distance: 962.4 m. Rest time: 10:00.
Total distance: 18.07 km. Total time: 1:42:37.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Blue).

Weather: To start, a beautiful sunny day, and -18C at the airport, -14C on Signal Hill. At the end, the temperature was up to -10C at the airport, and -9C up on the hill.

Br-r-r-r-r-r!

Ok, the worst of the cold is over with, having moved east into Saskatchewan and Manitoba. But it's still pretty cold out there. I sort of bundled up and headed out for the first run in four days. Man, I needed it.

This was a quick run down to 14th Street, since I wasn't sure about the cold and whether I could stand it. I was prepared to quit at the C-Train bridge if need be. But by the time I got there, I was reasonably warm, except for the spot just below my lower lip.

We didn't get a lot of snow, and I think most of the new stuff on the paths blew there rather than fell. That was one wicked wind yesterday. The nice thing is, it sticks to the ice that was there before, what little there was of that. That gives it some nice traction, which was especially appreciated on The Path Under The Stairs.

As for the crowd, well, there was maybe three other runners, and a dozen cyclists. A quiet night on the paths. I didn't get out until just after sunset, but the air was clear all the way to the western horizon, and the mountains gave it a crisply toothy look.

Distance: 7.02 km. Time: 38:47 Average speed: 10.9 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow) A.

Weather: Clear and -17C, with the wind chill pushing it to -26C.

Running on the Ice Pack Again

Woohoo, what a great morning! Cloudy and cool, and lots of runners out. I did the usual Sunday run, staying on the low path along the tracks this time, below Spruce Cliff.

The ice must be a couple of feet thick at the one place, and it's wet and mostly sticky. It looks like someone is out there once a day, sprinkling gravel along the edge of the path through the ice. So there is this gravel path that's mostly there, and you can walk on it, and it's not too bad. But in spots, the water has run over top and froze, so it's a little slick.

Worse is that it layers over top, so there is a slope to the ice on one side, too big to step across with stepping on. I just kind of braced myself to slide and went with it. But mostly it's just cold enough that it's not quite slush, so it's more sticky that slick, but you can't trust it to be like that for the whole hundred and fifty metres or so that it covers the path.

Across the other side, and homeward. Nothing special about it, or anything memorable about the run. Just steady and fun and feeling good all the way.

Today's run:
Distance: 16.39 km. Time: 1:29:20. Average speed: 11.0 kph.
Rest distance: 925.3 m. Rest time: 9:00.
Total distance: 17.31 km. Total time: 1:38:20.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Blue).

Weather: Cloudy and stead at -2C.

A Bad Day

Not me, though, my day has been pretty good. Mike called a couple of days ago, and we agreed to meet up at the usual place. He's been working at getting back into running after taking it easy last fall.

We're both into the Crowchild loop as it's a good distance for getting a calories burned off. A run goes quick with company, and we had fun trying to outdo each other with stories about how my Christmas was a worse hell than his (kidding!!). Good run, and nice to catch up.

About the bad day: On the way home, after cresting The Path Under The Stairs, and running along Cresent Road, another runner was walking toward me looking rather troubled. Turns out she'd lost her keys to her car somewhere out along the paths. I sprinted home, got my cell and drove back while she backtracked a little to see if she could spot them, but no luck. I gave her a lift back to her work, and she was going to have someone get her a spare key from home. Worst part is that she'd just started her job a couple of days ago, and was to meet the big boss for the first time this afternoon. It would be interesting to hear how that story plays out.

Distance: 11.08 km. Time: 1:01:43 Average speed: 10.8 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow).

Weather: Mainly sunny and 4C, with a gusty wind, not the kind of conditions to be locked out a car with just light weight running clothes on.

Lovin' This Weather!

I finally managed to get out at noon, when everyone else is out. Last week, it was pretty dead, being the holiday week. Today, it's almost like the downtown is pretty much back to work. I think I've mentioned how much I like running when there are lots of people around.

I ran to Crowchild and back again. I'm really beginning to enjoy that loop. It's a great distance, and it takes a decent amount of time. I like that The Path Under The Stairs is at the end of it, for that final calorie burn. It's a pretty comfortable run.

Distance: 9.66 km. Time: 55:11 Average speed: 10.5 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow).

Weather: Sunny and 6C.

Stats for 2006

I ran 1830.18 km (1137.22 miles) in 172.99 hours, or 7.21 days. That gives me an average speed of 10.6 kph (6.6 mph) , or 5:40 per kilometre (9:13 per mile).

I had a better finish this year. I finished last year without running at all for the last two or three weeks, due to a nasty cold. I don't think illness has affected me much this year. I think I was running better this year, more relaxed and faster, certainly since the half marathon during the Stampede.

It's been a great year. Here's to an even better one!

Shorts and a T-Shirt

Unbelieveably warm out for the second of January. I didn't get out until about sundown again, but it was very nice out. The wind was up a little, but not nearly as much as it is about two hundred kilometres to the south where they're facing 11o kph gusts. Yikes!

I went directly across to the south side of the river at the start, just to mix it up. Usually, I start on the north side. There is lots of melting happening, and I found myself dodging puddles, and when I couldn't, kicking up water on my legs.

It felt good again, not like a few days ago. I found that I was dropping into that loping stride I developed early on, when I ran in Fish Creek Park. I think it's not exactly an efficient stride, but I find I can get into a groove with it, and the legs disappear and the world slides by. I didn't quite get there tonight, but that's where it was going.

A milestone of sorts today: 9:04 this morning marked exactly fifteen years since I stubbed out my last cigarette.

Distance: 10.25 km. Time: 55:06 Average speed: 11.2 kph.

Shoes: Saucony Grid Phoenix (Yellow).

Weather: Cloudy and 11C.