27 posts tagged “running”

After a threat of first 90%, then 30% chance of precipitation, race day morning dawned perfectly cool with a mix of clouds and sun.  Not a drop of rain was in sight.  (Thank you, Vancouver!)

Shane and I left the apartment just before 6 a.m. to head to the race start (on the other side of downtown).  We drove over to park in Shane’s work lot, as it’s located right next to the Skytrain, which we planned to take the rest of the way (my monthly transit pass allows me to travel with an extra passenger on Sundays, woo!).  We arrived at the starting line around 6:20, giving us plenty of time to use the Port-a-Potty and stretch.

The half-marathon group lined up as we got closer to 7 a.m. (the official go time for the race).  We jumped in around the middle of the pack, both of us feeling a lot of nerves at that point.  I was anxious about running my first half-marathon; Shane was feeling the pressure of meeting his ambitious time goal (1:45).  But soon we were flowing with the massive, 6,000-strong crowd toward the start.  We wished each other well and set off on our individual journeys to The Black-Eyed Peas “Pump It” blaring over a pair of gigantic speakers.

I felt good from the beginning.  All the time spent tapering (not to mention the pure adrenaline of finally running this long-planned-for event) gave me an extra bounce in my step as we moved into the Gastown portion of the race.  I thought maybe I was running a bit faster than my anticipated 2:15 pace time, but I didn’t know for sure.  (Nor did it really matter; my primary goal was just to finish.)

Around the 10km (or 6-mile) mark, the route followed the seawall leading into Stanley Park and then hopped up on the road that circles the park (Park Drive).  This was when I started to feel nervous again, as the infamous Park Drive hill to Prospect Point was coming up.  Prospect Point is essentially the highest point in Stanley Park, and veterans of this half-marathon will tell you this long, steep climb to the top is intensely challenging (especially being located in the middle of the race).

Thankfully, since Shane and I had done a training run on this hill, I was able to reach the crest without any issues.  It also helped that some amazing spectators were lining the road, yelling encouragement at the top of their lungs (supportive words can do wonders for tired legs).  And the downhill on the other side?  That was almost worth the pain of ascending (almost).

Soon I hit the 10-mile mark and began running along Beach Avenue.  A large crowd had gathered by English Bay Beach to cheer us on, so that was a nice boost.  I definitely struggled as we entered the last 3km (about 2 miles remaining).  My calves were burning like they’ve never burned before, but I knew we were close, so I pushed through the discomfort.  And sure enough, soon the end was in sight.

If you’ve never experienced the finish line of a race, it is simply incredible.  The enthusiasm from the assembled crowd and the pick-up in pace by just about every runner out there is electrifying.  I flew through the end, crossing the finish with my arms held high and cheering as loudly as my tired lungs could handle.  I recently heard this moment described as empowering, and I couldn’t agree more.  I felt like I could take on absolutely anything.

Shane and I met up within minutes of my finish, both with the AWESOME news that we had done better than we’d hoped.  I managed my first 13.1-miler in 2:05:24, ten minutes faster than I expected to be (holy shit); Shane broke his half-marathon PR by nearly six minutes, completing in 1:43:12 (well under his goal).  Hell yeah!

We then made our way back to Shane’s work to shower up - a logistical decision made because we had reservations in the restaurant just above Canada Place at 11:30.  This particular place - Café Pacifica in the fancy Pan Pacific hotel - is known in Vancouver for its extravagant (and yes, expensive) brunch buffet, which we were eager to partake in.

After logging the longest distance I’ve ever run, that food tasted fucking delicious.  There were freshly-squeezed juices, assorted pastries, salads, fruits, sushi, dim sum, stir fry, salmon and sole, bacon and sausage, (every kind of) meat and potatoes, omelettes and eggs Benedict, and the most beautiful dessert spread you can imagine.  We lingered there for a couple of hours, taking our time through four (yes, four) separate buffet trips.  It was a wonderful way to end what was truly a spectacular morning.

And - as you might expect when everything goes so perfectly according to plan - it wasn’t long before we were discussing when we might want to train for another half to do it all over again.

 

I listen to a variety of music genres when I run, and one of those genres is film scores.  Perhaps the best track (for running) among the film scores I own is the main piece from the movie Mr. Holland's Opus.  I generally listen to the entire 8-minute track (posted at the bottom here), but it's the last 3 minutes (posted at the top) that ALWAYS puts a spring in my step.  It's overflowing with such triumph and joy, I can't help but remember how awesome the experience of running can be.

And on Sunday, THIS will be the song playing in my heart when I cross that half-marathon finish line.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever mentioned on this blog what got me started running.  The story is simple: my brother randomly decided to go for a run his freshmen year in high school.  I figured if he (of all people! ha!) could find the motivation to try running, so could I.  And out the door in a pair of old Reeboks I went.

Running stuck with me from the start, but not with Ian.  He lasted 2 or 3 weeks back then, and aside from some sporadic attempts to take up the sport in college, he never laced his shoes up again.  But late last year, he started expressing interest in developing a regular running routine.

Anyone who knows me can probably guess how excited I was to hear Ian was maybe feeling the bite of the running bug again.  I LOVE finding new runners to share my enthusiasm and knowledge with; training for the TC 10-Miler with Jon, Shannon and Carrie was a huge highlight of my running life (and Shane’s).  The idea of being able to run with my own sibling sounded like so much fun!  So once his mileage started going up, I suggested that Ian think about running a 5K with us in Vancouver.

Thus, on the last Saturday in March, Shane, Ian and I lined up for the Dave Reed Spring Classic 5K in Stanley Park.  Ian did really well – he struggled through the last mile (his lungs are not quite used to outdoor running yet), but pushed through the discomfort to run the whole race.  And he completed it in 29:06, which is an awesome time for a first 5K!  I was so proud and pleased to have the chance to run next to him – my initial running inspiration, really – as we made our way around the seawall.

We celebrated the milestone that evening with a delicious Thai dinner and a liberal number of drinks.  (Shane downed three martinis; Ian went through 40 oz. of beer.)  And then, as all post-running parties normally conclude, we sat down to assemble Legos into the wee hours of the morning.

Yesterday marked the halfway point in our training for the Vancouver Half-Marathon.  So far, things have been going smoothly.  We’ve been injury-free (aside from a few minor aches and pains) and have adjusted to the weekly long runs, hill work and speed work relatively well.  In fact, I would say our training has largely been unremarkable – that is, unremarkable except for the fact that we are training IN VANCOUVER.

I’ve mentioned how awesome running here is before, but doing more of it now emphasizes that point.  This city makes it almost easy to be logging 20-mile weeks.  We did hills on one clinic night over by the Vancouver Aquarium, with a stunning view of Lions’ Gate Bridge all aglow.  We did intervals along the Coal Harbour seawall another night, with an amazing backdrop of the North Shore lit up (from the lights up on the mountaintops down to the buildings along the waterfront).  Hell, Shane and I even mapped out long runs that ended at the Granville Island Public Market, so we could partake in some of the best post-running brunches ever.

Does training get better than this?  (With the exception of being able to fly our running friends out here to share in the experience?)  I think not.

(Plus, I was recently able to find an excellent new sports bra to replace my far too outdated ones.  Ladies, if you’re interested, check out the Sugoi Bridget Bra – it’s got tons of support, feels incredibly comfortable on and uses a combination of a racerback design and (adjustable) hook-eye closure so you can get in and out of it easily.  Love it.)

Although I don't know much about it (other than that Matt Darey kicks ass), I love trance music.  I especially love running to trance music.  Since our half-marathon training is in full swing, I recently downloaded a big album of "classic" trance songs that I've been working my way through this week.  I think this song is one of the best off the first CD (of three - woo!).  Enjoy.

This week marks the official start of half-marathon training in our household!  Shane and I are planning to run the Vancouver Half-Marathon in May, and we have joined the Denman Running Room’s half-marathon clinic (held every Thursday night) to aid in our preparation.  (Thankfully, the 16-week training plan will only overlap my return to school for two weeks.)

You may recall that the last time I tried to run this particular race, I was forced to withdraw due to knee problems.  And that this did not exactly make me a happy camper.  I am very much hoping that nothing gets in the way of my goal this time, so I can finally add a half-marathon to my running accomplishments.

Why does running a half-marathon mean so much to me?  Well, when I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I was both relived and bummed out; knowing this is a non-life-threatening condition was good, but learning that it is also chronic and incurable was pretty shitty.  But I vowed that I wouldn’t let my pain stop me from doing the things I loved most, and this meant not giving up my desire to complete a half-marathon.  So if I am able to finish this 13.1-mile course, it will be a very meaningful milestone for me in terms of proving that I can manage my pain, even if I can’t ever make it go away.

Here’s hoping...

(In case that previous post was too sunny for you.)

Dear Future Tourist,

Hey, you’re on vacation!  Good for you!  And you’re in Vancouver - even better!  As a resident of this fine city, I commend your destination choice.  Now, let me offer you some quick tips with the following quiz, to help you better manoeuvre around the area.

Tip #1: 

Let’s say you’re walking along a paved path and find yourself being passed by a number of bicycles, with some riders swerving, shouting and/or ringing a bell to avoid running into you.

Do you:

a)    remark to your travel companion(s) that gee whiz, Vancouverites sure seem to love their bicycles;

b)    comment in a loud voice about how rudely these crazy, big city cyclists are behaving; or

c)    take note of the big, white BICYCLE painted beneath your feet (showing the path you are on is a  designated BIKE lane) and move to the adjacent pedestrian path?

Tip #2:

Let’s say you and your travel companion(s) are walking along a nice, wide, clearly marked pedestrian path to your next tourist spot, with plenty of other walkers/runners nearby.

Do you:

a)    celebrate the lack of those pesky bicyclists by spreading out as much as possible on all that sweet, sweet asphalt;

b)    randomly move from one side of the path to the other, looking only for the best possible view of your totally awesome vacation; or

c)    recognize that this is still a SHARED pathway and stay to ONE side in a courteous, compact group (or pair)?

Tip #3:

Let’s say that, while out walking on any type of path, you are suddenly overcome with the desire to snap a picture of something scenic or unique.

Do you:

a)    come to an abrupt halt right exactly where you are, rummaging for your camera in the middle of the path;

b)    get your camera out and adjust to the optimal position using only the viewfinder to gauge where you should stand; or

c)    suppress your photo-taking urge for the TEN seconds it takes to pull over to the side, AWAY from the main foot and bike traffic, and proceed from there?

The correct answer to 1, 2 and 3 was c.  How did you do?  Count up all your incorrect guesses, then use the chart below to assess.

If you got 3 wrong: FAIL.

If you got 2 wrong: FAIL.

If you got 1 wrong: FAIL.

If you received a FAIL, no worries!  I would be happy to send you my official pamphlet on this subject, entitled “Get Out Of The Fucking Way, Dumbass.”  Also available are the complementary pamphlets “Did You Not Hear Me Yell ‘On Your Left’ Because Your Hawaiian Shirt Is Just That Loud?” and “Ways To Act Like A Vacationing Nutsack.”

Happy travels,

Letitia

I can’t believe it’s been nearly nine months and I’ve barely said anything about how totally kick-ass the running is here.  So, let me tell you.  The running here?  It’s totally kick-ass.

In MN, if we wanted to go somewhere scenic or somewhere with trails or somewhere with amenities (water, restrooms), we would have to jump in the car and drive for a good 15-45 minutes.  Here, these options are literally right outside our door.  We’ve mapped out routes that incorporate the seawall (around Stanley Park, along Coal Harbour, beside False Creek), the forest trails (around Lost Lagoon, within Stanley Park) and the city streets.  So we have yet to drive anywhere to run, which is awesome.

The relatively mild weather here has also been a big plus.  We never experienced a summer day that was too hot for running, and so far the cold-weather season has not dropped from the double-digits (Fahrenheit, of course) – a vast improvement from the below-zero temps of the last two Decembers!  Of course, we have been forced to deal with the rain, and we’ve both come home soaked more with precipitation than perspiration.  But the dampness seems a small price to pay for the overall improvements in our running environment.

Perhaps my favourite thing about running in Vancouver, though, is the regular reminder it provides me of how fortunate we are to be here.  Whether it’s the breath-taking views of mountains and ocean, the interactions with lots of friendly runners and dogs, or even just the powerful, fresh smell of pine trees and salt water, I come back from every run – good or bad – with a renewed appreciation for the opportunities we have right at our fingertips toetips these days.

My running has been going smoothly this winter (aside from the usual “it’s too dark/cold/icy/brown out for running” cop-outs that are an inevitable part of the season).  It’s a marked drastic improvement over LAST winter, when I spent the better part of these gloomy months complaining about runner’s knee, not running, and blah blah whiny blah blah pity party.

 

What’s funny, though, is that my return to the sport can be largely attributed to a $20 strip of synthetic rubber.

I’ve seen a lot of runners wearing these bands over the years, but never had a reason to try one out until last spring.  And let me tell you, this little device has become indispensable for me.  Its simple concept (apply pressure to the surrounding tendon to hold the kneecap in place) is fabulously effective – more so than any of the PT stretches I did or even the custom inserts I purchased.  Hell, I made it through an 11-mile long run with this baby strapped to my leg; I’m pretty sure world domination would be possible, if only I didn’t have all that packing to take care of.

 
Anyway, I just wanted to pass along this info for any runners/athletically-inclined folks out there.  (Hopefully the rest of you can simply enjoy knowing my sanity can be bought for a mere $20.)