Blowin' some stink off...

For very obvious reasons, I've been a slug all week. No runs, no boot camp, heck, I've barely even walked. So today, I really did jump out of bed when the alarm went off at 7am, looking forward (seriously...who the heck have I become?!) today's 29km LSD run. Toronto is in 5 short weeks, and I want to be in the best form I can be in for it. I WILL see a finish number that starts with a 4.

Breakfast was my good old standby for quick, easy and filling before a long run: multigrain bagel, toasted, PB and a banana. 1 glass of milk with chocolate syrup (caffeine substitute) and mixed up my run fuel of water (3.5c), OJ (2.5c) and sea salt (about a tsp). Checked the weather on TV to see how to dress...we had a frost warning here in Calgary last night, and the temperature this morning verified that. It was +2C at 8am...that is a mere 36F (I rounded up). However, as a very warm runner who sweats watching others run, I have to be careful as to what I choose, lest I overheat. Heatstroke and running do not mix...trust me, I have tried. I failed. Lesson learned. I settled on a pair of capris, a long-sleeved technical t, with a short-sleeved technical T over top. That worked just fine...it did surprise me to see all the people out running today with their ear muffs, toques, mitts, gloves, scarves and coats. Full on pants, double socks...honestly, it wasn't THAT cold!

Our loop today had us going the same route as a few weeks back, only this time in reverse. So, instead of running west into the neighbourhood of Bowness, and the up Blood & Guts hill, into Bowfort Park and back east to Eau Claire, we went up 53rd Ave (or was that Street?), through the park, down Blood & Guts and back through Bowness to Eau Claire. I have to say, I prefer coming at B&G (let's shorten it, shall we?) from the west. Yes, it is a big, steep, long hill, but once you are at the top, you are basically done hills, with just a few rolling to follow to 53rd. And the good news about them, is that while they are rolling, they are generally in a downward direction. However, come at them from the east, and you are faced with a long series of rolling hills that continue to climb until you think your heart is going to burst out of your chest. You reach a crest, and oh, look, there's another hill!! It's rather maddening, actually. But for those that dread running downhill (which I love, love, love), B&G can be hard on the knees. After all, it's just as steep going down as it is going up.

I basically ran alone today, as the faster of my group was away. One is having IT issues, and since her race is only 4 weeks away, she thought she should rest and deal with it. The other two, also running Chicago, decided they wanted to switch from 10:1's to distance and walking, to get used to running the marathon and only walking at water stations. I left them to it, and just went out, aiming for my usual 8/km Sunday pace.

I started nice and strong, and even managed to keep the 4:20 and 4:40 groups in my sight for most of the run, until a) one group took a different route (why, I don't know) and the other stopped for pee breaks. I am a camel on Sundays and literally do not stop unless someone I'm running with begs me to. So, plow ahead I go. The first 10km go very smoothly, and I'm actually clipping along at a rather decent pace, considering I haven't been moving for a week now. Then I reach the first hill, which I proudly run the entire way up! Yay me!! I did have a brief issue with hyper-ventilating at the top, so I walked a bit to get the breathing back under control and into a good rhythm. At this point, you get to run down a bit and into a valley of sorts, which is a lovely area to run through. Although, man, fall is here...there were leaves all over the path and yellow trees...kind of sad, considering Calgary really didn't get a summer this year. But I also prefer Fall (everything I'm allergic to is dying, hibernating or flying south!) over summer, and am looking forward to winter's chill. Okay...I really am Canadian! I decided to tackle the hills as best I could, and not get upset if I had to walk a few. I will say I managed to run probably 85% of them, and when I did walk, it was for no more than 30 seconds or a few meters, as I gave myself markers to reach. B&G down was a breeze, and I managed to resume a good, steady pace on the return.

Overall, it took me 3:54:41 to run 29.03km, at an average pace of 8:05/km and 2307 calories eliminated. That includes walk breaks and all those hills, so I am pleased with the end result. Got back to Eau Claire (it's Calgary's Aids Walk today, so it was busy and crowded and chaotic), did some stretching, got some hugs (a few of the runners know about Dad) and then time for lunch. The name of the game after a good long run like that is protein, so I went for my usual breakfast wrap. Two eggs, some bacon, cheese and green peppers (although today I think it was tomatoes instead) cooked and rolled in a wrap. Outstanding! Add a small chocolate milk, a much needed cup of coffee and some fruit salad, and my tummy is happy and full.

We were sitting around visiting, before someone mentioned it was 2pm already! Wow, the day flies when you do long runs. So now I am home and trying to get ready to return to work tomorrow. Sorry for rambling on, but it really was a good run, and I just feel better for having gone out there and getting 'er done.

Later,