Tomorrow sees the running of the next race in the Calgary RoadRunners’ winter cross-country circuit, the Twelve Mile Coulee XC. Here’s a video from their race at Nose Creek two weeks ago. What’s interesting is that two guys, one up with the leaders and one in the middle of the pack, wore helmetcams for the race and the video presents their footage side-by-side. (Apologies in advance for the Bon Jovi.)
Enjoy!
Nose_Creek_XC_2010_Dual from Nerd Williams on Vimeo.
Weird confession time: I don’t like walking places. Don’t get me wrong, I still like going for walks as an activity, but when it comes walking in order to get to a destination, I’d really rather not.
You would think that as a runner, I would be keen to take the stairs, park away from the door and walk through the lot, or walk to work on a regular basis. But no. I don’t think it is because I am being lazy – it’s that walking to get somewhere feels so darned slow and tedious!
Take this morning for example: I ran for an hour, and then walked to work. Trudging along the sidewalk just seemed to take forever! Between forcing the pace and wearing wildly inappropriate footwear (okay, so that part is totally avoidable) I actually made my shins ache.
Even reading back through what I have just written, it looks crazy, but I know I am not the only one! I have had discussions with other runners who feel the same way.
What about you?
I started a new workout class this week: Runner’s Boot Camp.
If, like me, you have never done a “boot camp” class before, this particular one is an interval workout of 60 seconds of stress, 30 seconds of rest, about a billion times. Each of the drills was chosen because it targets a particular running motion or muscle, the idea being to build strength and improve form.
When I arrived, I got a lovely warm welcome from two ladies who had been to camp before, Sharon and Wendy. Their tip to me was this: David, the instructor, is really fit, so don’t be intimidated by his pace, just go your own pace and you’ll be okay. I listened to them, but found myself trying to keep up with his wild “onetwonetwoonetwo” in spite of myself, with the result of not being able to complete the full 60 seconds a few times. Oh, and I don’t know if I will ever be able to jump that high.
I’m not 100% sure how I feel about it yet. I mean, it’s a workout, and I don’t expect a workout to be easy. Having said that, this workout was really hard. In the middle, I heard myself think “I don’t think this is for me!” But then, the end seemed to come very suddenly, and I found myself very surprised that I survived. The fact that I made it through was encouraging!
Now, a few days later, I have to say that I didn’t experience as much delayed-onset muscle soreness as I expected, but I did hurt in a few places I didn’t really know I had. Seriously, this one spot I thought was a fatty deposit must have a muscle in it that I have never once in my life used, because it hurts now. Who knew?
Ultimately, I am sure this will be good for me, so I plan to give it a fair shot. I can’t say I enjoyed the first night, but hey, not every workout can be running!
My husband read my blog yesterday and asked me, “how come there’s only one topic that is running related on that list, and indirectly, at that?”
“There are two!” I insisted. “Number 4 and number 3, and they’re directly related to running.” That was followed by his remark that they’re two of the same topics that seem to come up at the dinner table when we entertain other runners. I know that he’s right. When we’re running, we talk about everything but running. When we’re not running, we talk about running. Go figure.
So to balance out yesterday’s post, here are some typical topics of dinner conversation for runners:
10. Split times and pacing.
9. Race strategy.
8. Your newest blister.
7. The colour of your toenails.
6. Parts you forgot to BodyGlide.
5. Running shoes.
4. Races you’d like to do.
3. Gels vs. sports drink vs. water.
2. Parts that hurt.
1. Bodily dysfunctions.
10. Food.
9. The week’s television.
8. Bad drivers.
7. Beer and wine.
6. Coffee and chocolate.
5. The weather.
4. Bodily dysfunctions.
3. Parts you forgot to BodyGlide.
2. The ex.
1. Food.
By 8:30 this morning, I was already having my picture taken with Mickey Mouse at an all-you-can-eat buffet, with a half-marathon behind me.
My friend Bob and I rose at 3:30 a.m. at Disney’s Polynesian Resort (Now with extra pineapple!), dressed in the dark, put on our extra layer of discardable Target clothing (gray hoodies and pajama pants — mine red with a snowflake motif, his blue with white wolves). We took the Monorail (Is there a chance the track will bend? Not on your life, my Hindu friend…) to Epcot, and for the next hour and 15 minutes hid from the wind and rain in a small tent where the Disney folks were cleverly selling gloves and hats.
At 5:25, 15 minutes before the start of Wave 1, we figured it was a comfortable time to find Corral A and wait for the race. We walked out of the tent and immediately heard an announcement saying it would take 20 minutes to reach the start line. Oops. A few minutes later we heard the national anthem (I think) and a few minutes after that, as Corral G came into view, we heard the start of the race.
The benefit of chip timing is you can start anytime up until they remove the mats from the start line and not really lose any time (I know someone who slept in and started the Ottawa Marathon 10 minutes late but still qualified for Boston after dodging a few dozen walkers), so we weren’t worried. But we wanted to get going before the next wave. So we ran to the corral, discarding our extra layers along the way, and crossed the start line with the last few runners from A.
Over the next 3k we passed a lot of runners who would have been behind us if not for our tardiness. We ran on the grass and on medians to get around congestion. My biggest surprise about the Disney race was that it was so dark. I guess they run the races super-early to minimize conflicts with theme-park hours and to avoid heat (not an issue this year), but the result is that instead of running in the Florida sunshine (not an issue this year), you’re running on pitch-black roads between theme parks, then briefly darting through Magic Kingdom and turning back toward Epcot.
Despite all the warnings, the weather wasn’t a factor. It was cold and rainy but there was only one stretch, at about 10.5 miles, where I felt the wind head on.
Our goal was to get in under 1:40 so Bob would qualify for New York. He was running strong and at about 8 miles, I told him to go ahead if I fell behind. At that point, I was having some stomach issues and if you had asked me my chances of making my goal, I would have said 5 per cent. We stayed together until Mile 9 and then Bob started getting a little bit ahead.
I was a bit discouraged, but I started to focus on getting to the each subsequent mile without losing my pace. I got to Mile 10 and then Mile 11 and I started to feel better, well enough that it seemed possible to hit my goal. At the final turn around the Christmas tree in Epcot, I shouted to Bob and followed him in about 40 seconds later. He had a great race and finished in 1:39:11, I came in at 1:39:53.
Considering how I felt at 8 miles, I was pretty happy with that, almost as happy as I was to receive a foil blanket to warm me for the walk back to the Monorail. Oh, and to get my Donald Duck medal. And then, after a quick shower, it was off to the buffet for Mickey-Mouse-shaped waffles.
Even though the forecast for race day tomorrow is for 2 degrees and ice pellets, I am:
-driving two hours tonight, from my vacation in Sarasota to Orlando
-crashing on the sofabed in my buddy Bob’s Disney hotel room
-getting up at 3:00 a.m. to get ready
-boarding a monorail (It glides as softly as a cloud) from the Disney hotel at no later than 4:00
-arriving at the start line at no later than 4:15 for a 5:40 race
-standing in the cold in a sweatshirt and fleece pajama bottoms (with wolf design) I purchased yesterday at Target
-running a half-marathon when it’s 2 degrees and ice pellets, as mentioned above
-driving two hours back to Sarasota after the race to briefly resume my vacation
I don’t know about you lot, but the winter weather isn’t doing it for me and I’m taking it to the treadmill for the next while. And that means my long lost friend – television – is coming back into my life.
Durham runner Garrett Oortwyn passed along these classic running clips from TV sitcoms…
If I ever consider running a marathon in Spain, remind me that 12 miles apparently translates to 26km:And of course The Office’s Rabies Charity Fun Run:I particularly like this Seinfeld clip, as it supports my current campaign to bring back sweatpants and sweatshirts to replace today’s sissy running tights:Of course that’s only the second greatest Seinfeld running scene:Homer Simpson laces ’em up for the Springfield Marathon:And finally, the Cosby Show episode where Heathcliff “Combustible” Huxtable and Sanford “Tailwind” Turner team up at the Penn Relays:
Bill Cosby at 1988 Penn Relays from Ken Stone on Vimeo.
Have you seen the commercials for the Lotto Max game?
I don’t normally watch commercials, but I caught this one out of the corner of my eye the other day. I have searched high and low and can’t seem to find it online to show you, so I will just have to tell you about it.
Set to Bob Sinclair’s Love Generation, it shows a woman leaving her house for a run. Each time she runs across the screen, she is in another part of the world – the Taj Mahal, Great Wall of China, somewhere in Africa….
Maybe I am thinking too much, but I find it very interesting that in order to get people dreaming about how nice it would be to be rich, and thus buy tickets, they went with a runner. Obviously this catches my attention because I am a runner. But I am sure that runners are not their target audience, at least not exclusively, so they must have thought that something about that ad would resonate with the population in general.
I guess I find it a little funny that they chose running to represent a lifestyle of ultimate freedom because to me, running is freedom. At the very least, when I am running, I feel free.
I am not gonna lie though, it’s not like I have never imagined how my running would change if I won the lottery! Oh I’d have a coach, maybe a chef, a pair of tights for every day of the week. Like the woman in the commercial, I would run everywhere. The list goes on.
Dream with me a little! How would your running change if you won the lottery?
Yesterday as one very small chapter in my running life closed, an exciting new one began. Registration for the 2010 5 Peaks Trail Racing season opened, marking my official debut as a professional race director.
I’m in an incredibly enviable position in that the national 5 Peaks brand is entering its 11 season, and my predecessor in southern Ontario, John Klich, built a very loyal racer following during his tenure. If I just follow his template, which has made people happy in the past, I’ll do fine. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel or right any terrible wrongs. My job is to learn a lot in my first year, tweak a few elements here and there, and (as with any endeavour) make sure the basic dollars work out so there’s a Year 12. Unless you’re running one of the 10,000+ megaraces, you aren’t paying your mortgage directing races… but the ink still needs to be black.
The other great thing I have going for me is that 5 Peaks organizes 27 races across four provinces, of which I am responsible for five. Not only do I have a team of other race directors across the country to call upon for advice, but many of the details related to insurance and other contract issues are handled by the owners of the company. This frees up my time to focus on the details of the races themselves. I’m a little more able to look at things from the racers’ perspective because someone else is looking at things from the lawyers’ and accountants’ perspectives.
On the other hand, adopting a very popular trail racing series has presented a couple of interesting challenges as well. For various reasons I was compelled to look for two new venues for the 2010 season. Fortunately – and contrary to popular belief across the country – we have an incredible array or gorgeous conservation areas within a very short drive of Toronto. The tough part is that since these are mostly very rural locations without any public transit options, I need locations that provide the number of parking spaces required by 500-600 racers. That whittles the field of options down considerably. Obviously as a race director having too many racers is a very nice problem to have, and I think I’ve found two fantastic locations to introduce to my runners. However, I do consider it part of my mandate to expose urban runners to their area’s beautiful natural environment and it makes me a little bit sad to know that I might never hold a race in some of my favourite places. Luckily I’ve got five great locations for now, with three or four more for when my chewability affords a little more bitability.
Trail running is absolutely exploding across North America right now, and it is very exciting to be a part of it all.
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