I had planned to tie in my afternoon as a tourist in Ottawa with the Ottawa marathonrace route. However we are making a mad dash out to Scarborough this afternoon to check into a hotel, using Aeroplan points, close to the location of a Valentine’s dinner we are attending. The dinner is hosted by the marriage enrichment group that we are a part of. Last year we attended with my parents, as they attended a retreat organized by this same group, a few decades ago. Perhaps “the boys” will have a party in our absence. The boys being our son who is home most weekends, and his friend, Alain who lives with us 24/7.
I have run the Ottawa marathon four times. It is tied with the Boston marathon for repeat outings.My first running of this marathon was in 1982 and I was wearing a t-shirt that read, No Nukes are Good Nukes. Those were the days. Here are my Ottawa marathon times.
# Ottawa Marathon, May 1982 — 3:37
# Ottawa Marathon, May 2002 — 3:07:02 (personal best, age 46)
# Ottawa Marathon, May 2003 — 3:11
# Ottawa Marathon, May 2004 –3:10
Speaking at Ottawa Marathon Race Expo
In 2005 I was a co-presenter at the Ottawa marathon race expo with Steve Boyd. Steve holds umpteen Canadian masters records and also has a doctorate, I think it is in the history of political thought from Queen’s University. Shortly after, I wrote an article on Steve Boyd which is somewhere on the hard drive of an old computer. I hope to retrieve this one day (so many things to do, so little time) and post it on my blog. I’ve added some award-ceremony photos and a bit about Steve Boyd to my post on Dylan Wykes the winner of the California International Marathon, as Steve is Dylan Wyke’s mentor-coach.
I’ve finally gotten round to writing an ABOUT tab for this blog. Here it is.
Detroit, Ford Field Finish
The choice to return to very active life I experienced while growing up, has brought many good things into my life. This journey began with a few runs, while still a smoker, fitness classes at the YMCA which led to quitting smoking, cold turkey. With all the excess energy of being more fit and tobacco-free I began to run regularly, first a mile and then a few months later, a marathon in 4 hours and 11 minutes. Recently, I celebrated 30 years of running for fitness, friendship with my 20th marathon, surpassing the Boston qualifying standard by 33 minutes. One of the good things was meeting my husband over 25 years ago when he introduced himself in a YMCA cafeteria after the 1985 Peterborough Half-Marathon. He remains, my favourite running partner. We have a 23 year old son, 17 nieces and nephews and 4 grandnephews and grandnieces.
Highlights of my racing career came later in life; 1st place finish in the 50-54 category at the Chicago Marathon, 3rd place (50-54) at the Boston marathon and a time of 3 hours & 10 minutes at the Detroit Marathon, run at age 50. I like to refer (or brag) of having qualified for the Boston Marathon in the Open Men’s category at age 50. This time also qualified as an Ontario 50-54 age group record for the marathon. The time I am most proud of from my younger days is having run my 4th half-marathon in 1 hour & 23 minute after less than 3 years of running and with low-mileage training due to chronic ankle injuries.
Over the years I have learned that advising people about how to train is tricky business AND that there is no formula. We are, as George Sheehan put it, “An experiment of one.” I’ve run while pregnant, run good times on low mileage, run great times on high mileage and run purely for fitness for the first 9 years of my son’s life, returning with a vengeance by logging more than 100 miles a week at times, with high-intensity workouts thrown into the mix.
Along the way, I’ve had to learn and abide by the “laws of the body”, George Sheehan again. I hope that providing some insight into how running fits into my daily routine might encourage you to commit to habits that will enhance your quality of life. I find the benefits to be as much (if not a little more) about mental well-being as physical.
There is an abundance of information available on fitness and training for the motivated and curious, and it is not my goal to spend a lot of time on the details of which others have expertly written. I would caution however that discernment is required as there are obvious paralells between “getting fit quick” and “getting rich quick”. I hope my observations about what has worked for me, while running close to 60,000 miles or more in my lifetime, might arouse your curiosity and point you in the direction of finding out what routines work for you, be it running or your heart thumpingactivity of choice.
As for all the non-running chit chat, I think of it as my side of a conversation, were we to share each others company while on a run — that being the most companionable of spaces. Consider this your invitation to comment and question.
Today I lunched with a friend who is helping my husband and I organize a gala for a sponsorship program for AIDS-HIV orphans in Ethiopia. The program is supported mainly by volunteers, here in Canada is run by People to People Aid Organization, Canada Inc. . Thus I thought it would be timely to profile one of Ethiopia’s finest runners, Fatuma Roba who was the mother of five children when she won the Olympic gold medal.
Born in 1973 and raised in the village of Cokeji in Ethiopia’s mountainous southern region—also home to internationally known 10K champion Derartu Tulu—Roba was one of seven children born to a farming couple who raised and herded cattle. Like most children growing up in rural Africa, if she wanted to go somewhere, the quickest way to get there was to run. The daily run to and from her school—much of it going up and down hills—trained the young Roba in the art of sprinting. As a child her hero was 1960 and 1964 Olympic marathon champion Abebe Bikila, a fellow Ethiopian. After completing school, the five-foot-five-inch Roba decided to train to become a police officer after her performance at a national cross-country championship caught the attention of members of the Adis Ababa prison police athletic team.
Fatuma Roba, Fluid Grace
Roba first gained an international profile in 1990 when at age 18 she placed fourth in the 3,000 meter and 10K competition during the African Championships. Three years later she decided to attempt the 26.2-mile marathon distance in her home town of Addis Ababa, and had reached a personal best time of 2 hours 35 minutes 25 seconds by 1995. Roba continued to reduce her marathon time throughout the spring of 1996, helped along by the coaching of Yilma Berta. To train to excel at the 26.2-mile marathon distance, the 22-year-old Roba logged an average of 125 miles a week, most of it at high altitude, thereby forcing her body to use its resources of oxygen efficiently. She ran and won two marathons early in 1996, the first in January at Marakech and the second in Rome, Italy, two months later.
When Roba joined the field of the 1996 Olympic women’s marathon in Atlanta, Georgia, in July of 1996, she was ranked only 29th among the elite women athletes assembled there. Surprising almost all onlookers of that years’ Summer Games, she managed consistent five-minute miles, gained the lead by mile 13, and left behind Japanese runner Yuko Arimori, who had won the silver at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. At mile 19 timers clocked her race pace at 5:21; relaxed and alert, Roba waved as she passed, the crowds cheering on the first woman in the pack. She went on to cross the line in 2:26:05, her lead a remarkable two minutes. “This is not only a special thing for me but also for my country and all African women,” Roba was quoted as commenting by Amanda Mays in the Philadelphia Inquirer. “The Ethiopian women are coming up in the marathon. This was the breakthrough and now we are ready to challenge the others.”
Roba’s success in Atlanta was balanced by an equally notable performance in 1997 at the 101st Boston Marathon. She gained and held an easy lead by mile 20 to win in 2:26:23. The first African woman ever to win the historic Boston race, Roba bested an elite field that included defending champion Uta Pippig, Japan’s Junko Asari, and South African runners Colleen de Reuck and Elana Meyer. “She ran with the same smooth stride and placid, dispassionate look on her face that she carried through the Olympic race,” reported Runnersworld.com. “Race commentator (and fellow Olympic marathon champion) Frank Shorter called her ‘The most relaxed-looking runner I have ever seen.'” Roba’s performance at the World Championship Marathon held in Athens, Greece, the following fall was a disappointment when she was forced to leave the course after being injured.
One for Ethiopia!
In 1999 the 25-year-old Roba took her third straight win at Boston, her time a personal best of 2:23:25 that set a new women’s overall course record. She won the silver at the Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:27:05, but at the World Championships in Seville, Spain she finished a disappointing fourth. Roba’s winning streak at Boston ended in 2000, when she fell to third, barely losing the Boston gold to Kenyan runner Catherine Ndereba in one of the closest finishes in Boston Marathon history. Like Seville, the summer heat in Sydney, Australia proved hot enough to stall Roba, who finished a disappointing ninth at September 2000’s Sydney Olympics with a time of 2:27:38.
Like her hero Abebe Bikila, Roba has become a role model for African runners, women runners in particular. Her own younger sister, Sennaito Tekru, has followed in her path, and has embarked on a course as a competitive marathon runner. With her grace and seemingly effortless performances, Roba has broken the barrier for African women with her triumphs at both the Olympic Games and the Boston Marathon. Despite her disappointment in Sydney, she has continued to rank among elite women marathoners, handily winning the San Diego Marathon in 2001 with a time of 2:27:22.
“One must maintain a little bit of summer, even in the middle of winter.” Henry David Thoreau
HTO The Urban Beach - Thursday, January 6, 2011
A tip to get better prepared to run in the cold is to don your running gear ten minutes or so before you head out so that warm air pockets develop between the layers of your running gear. Those air pockets are one of the reasons why dressing in layers is the warmer way to go. Unless you overdress, a bit of chilliness for the first 4-5 minutes is inevitable when the temperature falls below -5C.
A favourite running jacket is the Cannondale Morphis jacket I’m wearing in this photo from my morning run to the lake. It is made of waterproof Gore-Tex and because of its limited breathability is a warmer choice than most running jackets, in the dead of winter. It is in fact a cycling jacket. I bought this jacket in Boston prior to the 2008 Boston marathon. Boston was hit by a severe nor’easter in the days leading up to the marathon and there was serious and unprecedented talk of canceling the marathon. Thus the marathon chatter was devoted exclusively to what to wear.
I was a very happy camper when I found the perfect solution to the threat of torrential rains in the form of this jacket with its removable sleeves, secured by easy-to-detach zippers and magnetic closures. And the only size left was my my hard-to-find XS.
Cannondale Morphis Gore-Tex Cycling Jacket
On race day, the sun peeped through the clouds not long after the race start and we experienced the tiniest sprinkling of rain. Conditions could be described as “not bad”. I wasn’t long into the race before I removed the sleeves and tied them around my waist and felt comfortable the rest of the way.
Boston Marathon 2008, jacket sleeves tied around my waist & NB lightweight trainers
Before buying this jacket, I had never owned a running vest. Since I already owned a few very serviceable and good looking New Balance jackets, I was relieved to get a lot of wear out of this emergency purchase afterward, the vest in particular. The jacket features a two-way zipper, two side pockets, a back pocket and a small breast pocket. The only drawback is the Gore-Tex material is not very flesh-friendly so it is best worn as a vest, or when the weather is cold enough for a long sleeve-shirt underneath. I think it was $129 at the Harvard Square location of Eastern Mountain Sports.
The other outer-layer piece is the New Balance yoga-style pants which at $59 cost much less than most yoga-specific warm-up pants. I also find the fit more flattering than the upscale brands I’ve tried on
As for the base layer, my favourite sports bra is also by far, the cheapest sports bra I’ve seen, priced at $16.99. It is a Champion brand item available at Target. I also purchased mid-weight Champion tights at Target a few years ago for $17.99.
Kombi Merino Wool and Polyester Blend Base Layer
My long-sleeve base layer is a Kombi merino wool and polyester blend top of double thickness. I think it is regularly $35 but I bought it on sale for $19.99 at a Sportchek type store. I recently purchased a similar top for my husband at Target for $17.99 and it has become his preferred top for really cold days.
Finally, an additional upper, mid-layer piece for the coldest of days is a thermal hoodie from MEC. The hood on this jacket is a highly functional, multi-tasking piece. It looks good enough (without the hood on) to wear about town. I wore this on New Years Eve with a mauve silk-like top underneath and festive scarf. I usually wear this on plane trips as it is as comfortable as a pajama top.
Thermal Hoodie from MEC with Seriously Constructed Hood
The one thing I have not discussed is the most important of all, my shoes, the New Balance 759’s which I wore for my marathon. I love my New Balance lightweight trainers! But, that and my running shoe endorsement tale is a story for another day.
As I work towards deciding which marathon to run this spring, I quickly jotted down, in chronological order a list of the marathons I’ve run and my times. It is the first time I have done this and eventually I’ll add more detail to this record which at this point is a draft, more or less. In bold are the top three highlights.
Toronto Marathon, October 1981 — 4:11
Ottawa Marathon, May 1982 — 3:37
Toronto Marathon, October 1985 — 3:15
Shamrock Marathon (Virginia Beach), March 1987 — 3:07(gave birth to son Steven on December 19th, 1987)
Toronto Marathon, October 1996 — 3:30(9 1/2 years since last marathon)
Boston Marathon, April 1997 — 3:28
Columbus Marathon, October 1998 — 3:14
Boston Marathon, April 2000 — 3:14
Columbus Marathon, October 2000 — 3:15
Ottawa Marathon, May 2002 — 3:07:02 (personal best, age 46)
Ottawa Marathon, May 2003 — 3:11
Ottawa Marathon, May 2004 —3:10
Detroit Marathon, October 2004 — 3:11
Mississauga Marathon, May 2005 — 3:14
Detroit Marathon, October 2005 — 3:10:09 (Ontario age-group record, 50-54)
Mississauga Marathon, May 2006 — 3:12
Chicago Marathon, October 2006 — 3:13 (1st in 50-54 age-category)
Boston Marathon, April 2007 — 3:17:54 (3rd in 50-54 age-category)
Boston Marathon, April 2008 — 3:22 (7th in 50-54 age-category)
California International Marathon, December 2010 — 3:42 (1st in 55-59 age-category) (2 1/2 years since last marathon)
Perhaps thebiggest marathon newsof the year was the eight hours it took for registration for the 2011 Boston Marathon to close. In one of my first posts I stated that I wanted to run in the 2011 Boston Marathon and that to qualify I would run the Sacramento marathon. The historic Boston marathon sell-out took place on October 18th, 2010 about 6 weeks prior to the date of the California International marathon, where I had planned to qualify. So while I did run under the qualifying time for my age group by 33 minutes in Sacramento, I missed the boat a few times over in terms of registration.
In 2007 I placed 3rd in my age-group, 271 out of 8000 women and 3061 out of over 20,000 finishers. My goal had been to try and make it into the top five for my age group for 2011, a goal, which was probably not realistic for 2011 but with more time to prepare a possibility in 2012.
The most disappointing aspect of this development is that I had planned to use my Boston marathon goal as a way of raising funds for a sponsorship program for AIDS-HIV orphaned children in Ethiopia. Which brings me to MY BIGGEST GOAL FOR 2011 WHICH IS TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE ORPHAN SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM run by P2P Aid Organization Canada. Our family sponsors an 8 year old girl named Tigist and my husband and I are organizing a gala event to raise funds for this program.
Tigist, 8 years old
In November we attended a dinner held by P2P Canada. A good friend, originally from Ethiopia is one of many highly committed volunteers and donors for the sponsorship program. And, no, he does not run. Hopefully, the challenges of the over 1,000,000 AIDS-HIV orphans in Ethiopia will be as well known as Haile Gebrselassie and the incredibly talented Ethiopian distance runners who have dominated the Boston marathon for years.
I am training for a spring marathon but have yet to decide which marathon. Entry to the London marathon in April is already closed so I will have to do some research and come up with a new goal race. Meanwhile, training continues to go well with 42.5 miles this week and a very comfortable 11 mile run with good company today. Remember that keeping fit should and can be FUN!
By the time you get to mile 23 the prospect of the final .2 miles of the 26.2 mile marathon distance seems magnified. Why 26.2 and not an even 26 miles?
It is helpful therefore when the race course has a one-mile-to-go sign at the 25.2 mile mark, as on this course. During that final mile I think of myself as running a mile on known terrain such as two laps of Winston Churchill Park or the final mile of various routes out and back from my home to make the remaining distance seem less onerous.
The day before the marathon, a trip to the finish line to visualize race finish
I began to push harder on the homestretch and there were a lot of people along the course to cheer us on. As familiar as I am with the event when I am a spectator I feel a world away from connecting with the unique mind-body experience of running a marathon and feel at a loss for an appropriate cheer.
There are a couple of mantras that I repeat to myself, “rhythm, relax, focus” and the other which I feel a bit embarrassed about revealing, “strong as a bull, smooth as silk”. I particularly remember repeating this last one in the 2007 Boston marathon when I placed 3rd in my age-category.
I once read that the difference between your average fitness runner and those running for optimal performance is that the first group disassociates while racing and the second group does the complete opposite. My experience has been that two elements that have made a difference for me are; belief in the remarkable capacity of the human body and the ability to experience your body in the moment and react accordingly for the task at hand.
For me a part of achieving this balance and fluid mental state involves what you could call prayer. I recognize that while there are factors under my control that allow me to run and race, there is so much that is out of my control and that is a gift so I give thanks for this state of grace. So, part of being in the moment is a mind-track, if you will of bits of traditional prayer as well as the self-composed.
With around 700 meters to go, my husband spotted me but too late to get a photo. He was trying to pick out the red singlet that I been wearing in the morning and I had stripped down to my base layer. He shouted encouragement in very emotional and endearing terms and I increased my pace through to the finish, my 20th marathon completed, the 25th anniversary of our first date celebrated — in the final mile. I crossed the finish line and felt a surge of emotion — as joy, fulfillment, satisfaction and relief converged.
Hallelujah!
There’s a blaze of light In every word It doesn’t matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Leonard Cohen
Finishing my 20th marathon in 3:42 at age 55
A few minutes after the finish with finisher's medal, teary-eyed, elated and exhausted
At best, the marathon expo is draining. At worst, it is a bit of a circus with sideshows of minimal interest to the long-time runner, catering as it may to the novice runner or the flavour-of-the-day in training methods. The CIM distinguished itself by having Jack Daniels, one of the most respected coaches in distance running, as its headliner.
We arrived in town a couple of hours before the expo opened and all seemed quiet in the vicinity of the expo, located a block from our hotel. It was a surprise to find the convention center packed a mere thirty minutes after opening time. And, I mean near-gridlock type of “packed”. I do not like crowds. A manifestation of this is that after a total 27 years as a Toronto resident I have never attended the Canadian National Exhibition, the CNE, the EX.
The days before a marathon are not the time to be fighting crowds, rifling through boxes of running gear in search of bargains or sampling new sports drinks, bars or supplements. As for shopping, as when on vacation, context is everything and souvenir doodads and apparel entice but may lose luster upon returning to the regular grind. For example I briefly considered buying this t-shirt.
Yours for $19.99 or two for $35.99
A nice aspect of blogging is that the act of posting a picture of something that catches your eye gives you a bit of the thrill of acquisition, and diminishes your desire to possess that object. It is unlikely that I would ever wear this t-shirt, had I purchased it.
The most tiring expos of all is the Boston Marathon expo. I’ve run Boston four times and the last three times have ducked into the long corridor where the race kits are given out and avoided the expo altogether. My alternative to the expo is a trip to the Harvard Bookstore, located a couple of blocks from the Harvard Square subway station and a block from an Italian restaurant with great lobster ravioli. You don’t want to start pumping adrenalin at the marathon expo, wait till race day, you want to reduce physical and running related-mental stimulation the day before the race.
To be fair there are items at expos that are not readily available elsewhere. My purchases this day included; arm warmers, mid-weight gloves, fluorescent gloves, powder for Ultima, the official sports drink of the CIM and Mocha Clif Shotswith caffeine. As mentioned in another post, the Mocha Clif Shots are not available in Canada. Picking up my race number, t-shirt and timing chip took little time, however there was a bottleneck at the goody bag pick-up. My husband stood in the long line to get the goody bag while I made my purchases and looked around for sports watches as he needs a new one. Have you ever noticed how the life of a sports watch seems dependent on the life of the wristband?
Arm warmers, Utima powder, gloves, flourescent gloves and mocha Clif shots
No sports watch bargains were to be had so my husband returned to the hotel to do a work out at the fitness centre and I stayed for the presentation on how to run the CIM. This session was hosted by three runners, each having run the CIM all of it’s 27 years. The main takeaway points were; getting to the race start by bus is the ideal as the buses stay put once there and you can choose hang out in the bus for as long as you need, stay to the left at the relay exchange points as there is a lot of activity and confusion, the location of the major uphills on this net downhill course.
I returned to the expo recharged after the hour of sitting and bought a bus ticket. Then came upon the biggest bonus, pace tattoos. I normally create a waterproof pace chart that I pin to my jersey however no need this time round as I picked up, free-of-charge tattoos with splits for a 3:40 and a 3:45 marathon.
Pace tattoos, what will they think of next!?
Very cool. I returned to the hotel feeling that the net return on attending the expo was positive. I felt that I had for the most part done as Jack Daniels advised in his seminar the following day which was to concentrate on the task-at-hand.
I’m not sure if sipping a glass of red wine is the best preparation for the 75-80 mile week ahead however here I am in recovery mode from a weekend of shopping. Shopping is something I try to avoid while in heavy marathon training as running becomes top priority for expending leg energy. It was however a nice diversion for my easy week of running.
Waiting to be filled with Christmas cookies
The main source of fun is often, a trip to Target. A lot of the purchases made at Target were in preparation for the holidays, wrapping paper, festive cookie containers, stocking stuffers and paper party products. I am an avid baker and I’m looking forward to posting photos of my holiday baking as well as the recipes. I love the holiday season and in our household it officially kicks off with the Advent Vespersat St. Basil’s church. I’m finding it hard to hold off on the temptation to start listening to my playlist of Christmas Carols on my IPod. And, I’m looking forward to seeing the festive tree in Union square, San Francisco on our post-marathon days there.
Ready for holiday wrapping
Yesterday morning, I was quite tired, mentally, from the late night at work but I did get out for 3 miles before leaving town. This morning I ran another 3 miles on the treadmill. With all this rest, and the missed speedwork on Friday, I should be feeling pretty peppy tomorrow.
The plan for the week is something like this.
Monday – a.m. 5 miles / p.m. 8 miles with tempo work or speedwork
Tuesday – 7-8 miles
Wednesday – a.m. 3 miles / p.m. 8 miles with tempo work or speedwork
Thursday – a.m. 3-4 miles / p.m. 8 miles easy pace
Friday – a.m. 7-8 miles easy pace
Saturday – 18-20 miles
Sunday – 7-8 miles very easy
Total for the week 75-80 miles
What will it take to pull off this week successfully? Number one, it means carefully monitoring hours of sleep and getting to bed at a decent hour. Eating a good breakfast and making sure to have some protein, no longer than 20 minutes after each workout. Limiting alcohol consumption. Alcohol interferes with REM sleep, among other things.
I enjoyed hearing about the fitness routines of my sister and sister-in-law. Both, do most of their running in the evening as their mornings are very busy. As mentioned earlier, my sister has four kids and my sister-in-law has three kids. My sister’s PRECOR treadmill has held up very well. She has had it for six years and it has survived an episode of an exercise ball getting pulled complete under the belt. I guess these things happen when you have four kids. They both took it easy this morning but were planning to run later this evening.
The elusive Petite, Size 0, on sale
The border crossing was not as bad as earlier trips with 30 minutes to clear customs and no waiting at all to pay duty. We always declare what we have purchased, a family tradition, instilled in us by our mom.
We had a wonderful time together and talked about our next outing, hoping to include our mom and another sister-in-law who gave birth to a son in August. My parents have 14 grandchildren, with an even split between the sexes.
Well, better tuck into dinner and get prepared for the week.
Last night, I woke 90 minutes after going to sleep with quite a stomach ache. I immediately suspected my dinner of tempura shrimp, as it did not seem all that fresh and the supposed-to-be-light tempura batter was a shadow of what it should be. Within 15 minutes I was “tossing my cookies” but after one bout, was much better for it. I woke this morning feeling almost 100% and did a 2 mile run with a plan to run home from work.
There’s something about working 8 miles from home that makes a run home more satisfying than the 6 miles or 4 miles of my previous workplaces. I’ve migrated in the last 4 years from Yonge & St. Clair to Yonge & Eglinton and now, York Mills and Yonge. The average travel time is about 45 minutes. I guess it is the super-time-saver me, that rejoices in saving 45 minutes! Especially when the 45 minutes in question are spent in a subway, on a subway platform or transferring at Yonge station.
8 miles home
As I started out, rain began to fall but thankfully let up. There are two major hills in the first two miles, heading south on Yonge. The infamous Hogg’s Hollow hill and a hill that starts at Lawrence. After those climbs, there is great satisfaction in knowing it is downhill most all the way, wheeeeee!
I have to confess that I broke my moratorium on shopping when I went by Foot Locker. I have had my eye on a pair of boots manufactured by an athletic company. I asked if I could pay for the boots and pick them up tomorrow but they said it would be better if had them put aside and paid for them upon pick up. Some sort of technicality about absolving themselves of responsibility for property that is no longer theirs.
A couple of years ago I bought a pair of very sturdy, sensible looking Geoxx boots but they were a disappointment in that the soles had no grip in spite of being rubber with the appearance of heavy treads. I sprained my ankle that winter, while wearing those boots. I’m putting my faith in a athletic shoe company to have a real tread, not a fashion tread.
When I left the store it had begun to rain again but lucky me, in 10 minutes it let up once again. It was truly invigorating to escape the sardine-like conditions of the subway and I felt as though I was flying, in the dark, running downhill. I started my speedwork when I hit St. Clair, and turned west. My total fast running was roughly 15 minutes. With sections of 2 1/2 minutes running quite hard. It is a lot easier to run fast in the evening, than early morning. Particularly after sitting at a desk for 7 hours.
It struck me that this 8 mile route is very similar to the last 8 miles of the Boston marathon with the two major hills and then the very fast, final 10K. What a great simulation route.
The run was entirely satisfying and when I got home I cooked up some pasta and had my dinner while soaking in the tub.
Life is good . . . very good!
Red wing blackbird in the Music Garden, October 17th
Blackbird fly
Blackbird fly, into the light of a dark black night
Mind, Motion & Matter 