keep a steady pace

This week was a little different than the others.  On Tuesday we ran for 45 minutes doing most of the Glory Days 5K portion plus the getting there and getting back so somewhere between 6 and 7K.  Knowing I couldn't make Thursday, I decided to go to the track on Wednesday and do speed drills with Ray and Bob.  Tough stuff but I was able to complete the 8 laps (with a 100m walking break between) at a pace faster than normal - in other words "no talking allowed (or for the punsters aloud).

On Friday, I did four laps trying to calibrate my IPod so it is a little more accurate.  And on Saturday, at 7:30 a.m. in gorgeous sunshine, I ran 5K to test the newly calibrated IPod.  It said I ran 5.28K which was much more accurate than usual but still not good enough.  I completed the 5K in 29'55'' which is a couple of minutes better than my first 5K at the Cannery Run.

On Sunday, we ran 13K which is our longest run yet.  I ran the first 6.5 with Ray and for reasons too difficult to explain, Ray checked our pacing.  We were running a 5'40"/km, much faster than the 6 min/km that I seem to find comfortable.  Ray continued on and Gail who was not far behind us caught up to me.  By the time we reached 9K, I had to slow down.  (I had probably been slowing down before that.)  When we reached the beginning of the hill from the SPCA to Sherman, I told Gail to go ahead as I was finding it too difficult to maintain her pace.  In fact, there were a couple of times on that hill where I almost felt like quitting.  I managed to keep going and the rest of the way in was fine.

Unfortunately, when I went to check my IPod to see the time and the accuracy of the calibration, I discovered that I had mistakenly shut it off after 7 minutes.  Brilliant technician I am.  I am pretty sure that I did the first half in 36 minutes and the back half in 39 which is still an ok pace.

Side note: I would love to learn the story behind some of the items found on the side of the road.  As I am chugging along,  I noticed what appeared to be a lady's under garment.  Now, how did that get there?

get up the hill

Week five is now complete.  On the rare nice days we have, it is essential that we run along the waterfront which is what we did on Tuesday.  On Thursday we ran passed the hospital and looped back through Ominica.  Each of those runs was about 5-6K taking 35 or so minutes.  On Friday, I ran Butze.  I almost made it up the hill from the directional sign.  When I stopped I didn't realize that just around the corner was the flat area.  If I had known that I would have pushed myself for another 10 seconds.   Still couldn't make it up the hill to the parking lot, but I did break the 37 minute mark for the run.

On Sunday, we ran 12K.  We figured the 6K marker was around the shoe tree but we ran about 100m past it just to be sure.  When we crossed the highway and headed back, we found the marker about 50m or so on the town side of the tree.  That means we ran closer to 12.5K.  I was a couple of minutes longer than I was for the Skeena relay but I will blame the miserable weather.  I was drenched when we were done.

Next week we advance to 13K.  Still not sure what 21K will feel like but I still had enough in me to run further than 12K today.

is recover

This week was a recovery week so Sunday's run was only 9K.  I love saying ONLY 9K.  We ran from the Lester Centre through the Butze parking lot and then back to the highway and return.  We figured it to be more than 9k maybe 9.5.  Gail and I ran together and finished at about 57 minutes.  We ran out to Butze with Ray but he decided to continue to Oliver Lake.  We will have to do that in a couple of weeks but we won't run from his house on Graham to the Lester Centre as a warm up.

The three of us ran to Butze and running and talking were not a problem.  The distraction made the time go faster.

Earlier in the week, we ran about 5K on Tuesday and on Thursday we drove to Butze and ran the trail.  The Butze trail is a hard 35-40 minutes, so I didn't feel guilty about not running for the recommended 45 minutes.   On Friday, I ran to Butze from the church at Conrad and Prince Rupert Boulevard.  I figured it was slightly more than 7K and I completed it in about 45 minutes.  The program we are following recommends 4-5 runs each week, but I figure four should be enough.  Sunday is the only challenging day.  We have to do 12K next week followed by a 13 and then a 14 before our next recovery week. 

is brag a little

Week Three concluded by running 12.1K as part of the Skeena River Relay.  I was supposed to run 12K on Sunday so when I was asked to run on Saturday, I figured I was just running the distance one day early.

I was very pleased with my time which was about 73 minutes.  I have now completed four races each longer than the last one.

Cannery Run 5K             6'25"/kilometre/
PR Half Marathon 8K     6'32"/kilometre
Glory Days 10K              6'09"/kilometre
Skeena Relay 12.1K        6'02"/kilometre (based on 73 minutes which is not the official time)

Even though I am not working on speed, I am getting (ever so slowly) faster.  This is a pace that definitely gets me through a half marathon in under 2 hours 15 minutes. 

And when I finished yesterday, I had no trouble maintaining a fairly normal conversation (no breathlessness) and my legs felt fine.  Still not sure what 21K will be like but I am not worried about 15K.  I also suggested to Leslie that we should form a Learn2Run graduates team for next year's relay.

Earlier in the week, we ran 7.4K on Tuesday and about 5K on Thursday.  On Wednesday, I went to the Gym for the last time until the fall.  With running outside three+ times a week, I haven't been going often enough to get my money's worth.  I visited the pool for the first time in a bunch of years and they have a decent gym - especially cardio stuff which is really all I care about.  I am thinking of getting a punch card for crossing training during the summer.