One by one they got out and left.. to go on and start their work day. And so I was left alone one summer morning in a huge 6-lane pool. Sweet. My body was the only ripple in the water. My breath was relaxed and calm as I finished my swim sets.
There is something so satisfyingly peaceful about swimming SOLO in a huge pool during the wee hours of the morning and experiencing the sun rise through the windowed walls.
Life is good.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mississauga Marathon 2007 Race Report
Disclaimer: Please don't read this unless you are REALLY interested in running and love to get your geek on by reading people's race reports.
This was my 5th marathon but my 1st in 3 years so I was very nervous about race day. I also had a lot of self-induced pressure built up but was trying to hide it from everyone..
The night before I spent around 2 hours outside on my bike watching my students finish the 10K. Not the smartest thing to do before a marathon.. But my kids are worth it.. Especially when one of the teams came in 1st with a time of 36 minutes!! They truly inspire me.
I got home, ate pasta, drank some Neocitron b/c I was scared that I'd get the sniffles and chills, went to bed.
Sunday, May 13th. Mother's Day, the perfect day for a marathon. Morning temperature was 6C so I started out in a sweatshirt and shorts. Packed 2 gels, red gatorade, and 2 advil. Good to go.
I couldn't find my running buddies so I started out solo. I decided not to wear my Garmin and simply wear my watch and pace band. I had 2 goals: 1 was a personal best time. 2nd was to qualify for Boston. I knew it would be tough but I knew I could come close..
I started off at a 3:35 pace and felt strong for the 1st 10K. The 2nd 10K was also good because I was running through my neighbourhood and saw some familiar faces and my spirits were lifted. At the half mark, I felt great and I smiled to myself as I completed my personal best half-marathon time. As I was entering the industrial part of the course, I decided to put on my iPod and let music carry me a bit. At the 25K, I was still on course for a 3:35 but I knew I would be slowing down shortly. I drank gatorade with a bit of water the entire time and I felt great. I usually suffer from a bit of stomach trouble (especially with gels) so I was really happy.
30K was when the pain started.. My legs were getting tighter and tighter and everytime I went up a little hill, my calves screamed.. At this point, I swallowed the 2 advil in the hopes that it would dull the pain a bit. 32K - would I hit the wall? Almost.. I was starting to slow but noticed that whenever I took gatorade, I felt some energy so I kept taking in more calories and trying to keep up the pace but it got more and more painful. Every kilometre marker I was slowing down bit by bit. Words I kept repeating to myself were, "Turnover..turnover". I will 'willing' my legs to move forward. Many times I actually closed my eyes and tried to block the pain. At about 35K, I think the advil worked so I was able to speed up a bit and take advantage of some of the declines. This didn't last long because at 36K, I thought to myself, "I can't believe I have 6K left.." I felt like walking because my legs were so stiff. 30 minutes left.. could I do it?
The last 5K was probably the most excrutiating pain I've ever felt in my life. I was grimacing as I heard people shout my name in encouragement. I'm sure I heard some of my kids cheering, but I didn't even acknowledge anyone because I had complete tunnel vision and didn't even have the energy to look their way.
40K was the last time I looked down at my watch, and it said I had around 11 minutes left. I was in agony but I kept thinking to myself that if I didn't push, then I would regret it later.. So I pushed and pushed. My head was tilted backward at an unnatural angle because I hadn't the strength to keep it up.. I saw the 42K mark so there was 200 metres left. I started to sprint, but then I realized that I was already going as fast as I could. My legs were in agony and I just ran for my life. I passed the finish line as I saw the time: 3:43. I stopped my watch and just hurt.. I couldn't even walk straight. Someone caught me, wrapped a mylar blanket around me and made sure I was conscious of myself. My husband and friends were happy that I finished but they were kind of quiet because they didn't know if I qualified or if I missed the mark by 1 minute..
Aching pain, sharp stabs in my shoulders and calves.. Just walk.. just walk.. recover.. drink..
I looked down at my watch: 3:40:55.. FOR REAL???
Tak checked my official time and it was 3:40:52. YES!! I qualified with 8 seconds to spare! I was ecstatically jubilant and hugged my friends. Truthfully, I was simply more relieved that I wouldn't have to run another marathon this year.. YES! I DID IT! Something that I thought was so unattainable became a reality on Sunday, May 13th.
All the training paid off. All those early morning workouts and those -30C windchill winter runs. I was pretty much sick and tired of figuring out my tempo/lactate/threshold/MVO2 pace for a specific workout..
But was it worth all the training and pain? Absolutely.
All I can say is, "SWEET!" I am a happy girl. Boston, here I come.
This was my 5th marathon but my 1st in 3 years so I was very nervous about race day. I also had a lot of self-induced pressure built up but was trying to hide it from everyone..
The night before I spent around 2 hours outside on my bike watching my students finish the 10K. Not the smartest thing to do before a marathon.. But my kids are worth it.. Especially when one of the teams came in 1st with a time of 36 minutes!! They truly inspire me.
I got home, ate pasta, drank some Neocitron b/c I was scared that I'd get the sniffles and chills, went to bed.
Sunday, May 13th. Mother's Day, the perfect day for a marathon. Morning temperature was 6C so I started out in a sweatshirt and shorts. Packed 2 gels, red gatorade, and 2 advil. Good to go.
I couldn't find my running buddies so I started out solo. I decided not to wear my Garmin and simply wear my watch and pace band. I had 2 goals: 1 was a personal best time. 2nd was to qualify for Boston. I knew it would be tough but I knew I could come close..
I started off at a 3:35 pace and felt strong for the 1st 10K. The 2nd 10K was also good because I was running through my neighbourhood and saw some familiar faces and my spirits were lifted. At the half mark, I felt great and I smiled to myself as I completed my personal best half-marathon time. As I was entering the industrial part of the course, I decided to put on my iPod and let music carry me a bit. At the 25K, I was still on course for a 3:35 but I knew I would be slowing down shortly. I drank gatorade with a bit of water the entire time and I felt great. I usually suffer from a bit of stomach trouble (especially with gels) so I was really happy.
30K was when the pain started.. My legs were getting tighter and tighter and everytime I went up a little hill, my calves screamed.. At this point, I swallowed the 2 advil in the hopes that it would dull the pain a bit. 32K - would I hit the wall? Almost.. I was starting to slow but noticed that whenever I took gatorade, I felt some energy so I kept taking in more calories and trying to keep up the pace but it got more and more painful. Every kilometre marker I was slowing down bit by bit. Words I kept repeating to myself were, "Turnover..turnover". I will 'willing' my legs to move forward. Many times I actually closed my eyes and tried to block the pain. At about 35K, I think the advil worked so I was able to speed up a bit and take advantage of some of the declines. This didn't last long because at 36K, I thought to myself, "I can't believe I have 6K left.." I felt like walking because my legs were so stiff. 30 minutes left.. could I do it?
The last 5K was probably the most excrutiating pain I've ever felt in my life. I was grimacing as I heard people shout my name in encouragement. I'm sure I heard some of my kids cheering, but I didn't even acknowledge anyone because I had complete tunnel vision and didn't even have the energy to look their way.
40K was the last time I looked down at my watch, and it said I had around 11 minutes left. I was in agony but I kept thinking to myself that if I didn't push, then I would regret it later.. So I pushed and pushed. My head was tilted backward at an unnatural angle because I hadn't the strength to keep it up.. I saw the 42K mark so there was 200 metres left. I started to sprint, but then I realized that I was already going as fast as I could. My legs were in agony and I just ran for my life. I passed the finish line as I saw the time: 3:43. I stopped my watch and just hurt.. I couldn't even walk straight. Someone caught me, wrapped a mylar blanket around me and made sure I was conscious of myself. My husband and friends were happy that I finished but they were kind of quiet because they didn't know if I qualified or if I missed the mark by 1 minute..
Aching pain, sharp stabs in my shoulders and calves.. Just walk.. just walk.. recover.. drink..
I looked down at my watch: 3:40:55.. FOR REAL???
Tak checked my official time and it was 3:40:52. YES!! I qualified with 8 seconds to spare! I was ecstatically jubilant and hugged my friends. Truthfully, I was simply more relieved that I wouldn't have to run another marathon this year.. YES! I DID IT! Something that I thought was so unattainable became a reality on Sunday, May 13th.
All the training paid off. All those early morning workouts and those -30C windchill winter runs. I was pretty much sick and tired of figuring out my tempo/lactate/threshold/MVO2 pace for a specific workout..
But was it worth all the training and pain? Absolutely.
All I can say is, "SWEET!" I am a happy girl. Boston, here I come.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
42.2
In 11 days I will run the Mississauga Marathon. This isn't my 1st but it will be my 1st one in 3 years. I'm scared shitless. Not because I don't think I will finish but because I have set some huge goals for myself. I do believe I can achieve them but the day has to be perfect.
Here are some reasons why I'm scared:
1. It will be painful beyond belief.
2. I have achilles tendinitis which will intensify the pain.
3. My longest run has only been 30K
4. I won't achieve my goal.
People sometimes ask me, "If it's so painful, then why do you do it?"
I often ask myself that exact question during a race. But I've learned that it's not about the achievement of finishing a race. It's about the training and the ability to push yourself forward when you want to quit. It's about commitment, discipline, tenacity, and guts. All these things transcend into my every day; it has helped me form my sense of self and deal with the daily battles of life.
So in the midst of race purgatory, it doesn't really matter if I'm having a bad day. There are moments when I will fail, this is guaranteed. But it's about picking myself up, blocking out the pain, and becoming stronger.
In 11 days, I will complete my 5th marathon. Regardless of the result, I know it won't be my last. Because all in all, it's about the journey.
Here are some reasons why I'm scared:
1. It will be painful beyond belief.
2. I have achilles tendinitis which will intensify the pain.
3. My longest run has only been 30K
4. I won't achieve my goal.
People sometimes ask me, "If it's so painful, then why do you do it?"
I often ask myself that exact question during a race. But I've learned that it's not about the achievement of finishing a race. It's about the training and the ability to push yourself forward when you want to quit. It's about commitment, discipline, tenacity, and guts. All these things transcend into my every day; it has helped me form my sense of self and deal with the daily battles of life.
So in the midst of race purgatory, it doesn't really matter if I'm having a bad day. There are moments when I will fail, this is guaranteed. But it's about picking myself up, blocking out the pain, and becoming stronger.
In 11 days, I will complete my 5th marathon. Regardless of the result, I know it won't be my last. Because all in all, it's about the journey.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Booking My Face
Every couple of weeks I get a new email: "You have been tagged by _____!" Or, "You have been invited to Facebook by _______!"
I have been resisting and rebelling the Internet and networking phenomenon known as Facebook. Why, you say? Because EVERYBODY is using it and I can't stand to follow everybody else. Apparently, Facebook is better than 'Myspace' and 'Friendster' combined b/c the networking tools are ingenious and the memory capability is limitless. In any case, I have no interest in "tagging" others or seeing how popular I am. Also, I don't have enough hours in the day to even 'blog' on a regular basis, therefore entering the world of Facebook would undoubtedly consume hours of my life that I could be doing something more useful then increasing my friend count. Many people call it Crackbook for obvious reasons...
Please don't think I'm knocking others that are on Facebook, I just know that IF I started using.. the using wouldn't stop. I have a fairly addictive personality so I know that I would need my daily Crackbook and it would get bad..
Sigh.. but the ONLY thing that is still drawing my curiousity is the fact that I've lost touch with people that I grew up with in Vancouver from my childhood. You see, back then, there was no email or household Internet use. I hear stories of friends that have reconnected with people from their past and it kind of gives me a warm fuzzy inside.
In any case, I am still rebelling for rebellion's sake, but who knows? My Face just may get Booked and I may become another victim of one of technology's best inventions yet biggest downfalls: the Internet (but that's for another post..).
I have been resisting and rebelling the Internet and networking phenomenon known as Facebook. Why, you say? Because EVERYBODY is using it and I can't stand to follow everybody else. Apparently, Facebook is better than 'Myspace' and 'Friendster' combined b/c the networking tools are ingenious and the memory capability is limitless. In any case, I have no interest in "tagging" others or seeing how popular I am. Also, I don't have enough hours in the day to even 'blog' on a regular basis, therefore entering the world of Facebook would undoubtedly consume hours of my life that I could be doing something more useful then increasing my friend count. Many people call it Crackbook for obvious reasons...
Please don't think I'm knocking others that are on Facebook, I just know that IF I started using.. the using wouldn't stop. I have a fairly addictive personality so I know that I would need my daily Crackbook and it would get bad..
Sigh.. but the ONLY thing that is still drawing my curiousity is the fact that I've lost touch with people that I grew up with in Vancouver from my childhood. You see, back then, there was no email or household Internet use. I hear stories of friends that have reconnected with people from their past and it kind of gives me a warm fuzzy inside.
In any case, I am still rebelling for rebellion's sake, but who knows? My Face just may get Booked and I may become another victim of one of technology's best inventions yet biggest downfalls: the Internet (but that's for another post..).
Saturday, February 03, 2007
-20 and dropping
In my last post about "Wierd Things", I mentioned the fact that my lips turn blue whenever I'm cold. Is that normal? Has that ever happened to you? Well, I don't know what's wrong with my body but I think I counted my lips turning blue at least 3 times this week...
WTF? Let's see... hmmmm, it might be the -20C windchill I've been experiencing on my runs.. I dunno.. I truly LOVE Canada and living in this city, but I truly detest the cold. Canadian winters are not the ideal conditions for somebody that loves to train outdoors. I even bought a balaclava last week and my husband took a shot of me about to go for a run. He took some liberation with his photoshop skills and named it "Ninja of the Night". Note, that I don't usually go running in my pink slippers...
Saturday, January 13, 2007
6 Weird Things About Me
Ok, so apparently I've been 'tagged'. I'm new to this game and in the blogosphere world, that means I have to agree to the terms and continue the game. I'm just glad that it didn't say I would receive 'bad luck' if I didn't pass it on b/c those are SO annoying.
THE RULES
Each player of this game starts with the 'six weird things about me' blog post. People who get tagged need to write their own six weird things post and state the rules clearly. At the end of the post, tag six more people and don’t forget to leave a comment on their blog to tell them they have been tagged and tell them to read your blog.
Ok, here goes:
1. Threshold, VDot, Fartlek, and Cadence have now become a part of my daily vocabulary.
2. One of my embarrassing subconscious habits include me folding a piece of fabric or paper and rubbing the edge between my thumb and forefinger. I guess it soothes me? I dunno, it began during childhood and I notice myself doing this action when I'm lost in thought. I know, weird.
3. I am totally attracted to Jocks and Geeks.
4. My lips turn purplish-blue when I'm cold and this happens on average once a week.
5. Sometimes I dance with my eyes closed to 'feel' the music and I think I become a better dancer.
6. My childhood goal was to get a Gold medal at the Olympics for gymnastics. To this day, I still think that would have been possible had I not quit the sport.
Tag, you're it:
1. Melissa
2. Maylynn
3. Tats
4. Jessica
5. HAMCOW
6. Paul
THE RULES
Each player of this game starts with the 'six weird things about me' blog post. People who get tagged need to write their own six weird things post and state the rules clearly. At the end of the post, tag six more people and don’t forget to leave a comment on their blog to tell them they have been tagged and tell them to read your blog.
Ok, here goes:
1. Threshold, VDot, Fartlek, and Cadence have now become a part of my daily vocabulary.
2. One of my embarrassing subconscious habits include me folding a piece of fabric or paper and rubbing the edge between my thumb and forefinger. I guess it soothes me? I dunno, it began during childhood and I notice myself doing this action when I'm lost in thought. I know, weird.
3. I am totally attracted to Jocks and Geeks.
4. My lips turn purplish-blue when I'm cold and this happens on average once a week.
5. Sometimes I dance with my eyes closed to 'feel' the music and I think I become a better dancer.
6. My childhood goal was to get a Gold medal at the Olympics for gymnastics. To this day, I still think that would have been possible had I not quit the sport.
Tag, you're it:
1. Melissa
2. Maylynn
3. Tats
4. Jessica
5. HAMCOW
6. Paul
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