The final countdown

There are 5 days until the marathon. Holy. I haven't run since my disappointing attempt last week, but I'm over it and will try a short jog tomorrow. I saw my chiropractor yesterday and he did some major work on my IT bands. I'm black and blue but that man is a miracle worker and I think I'll be ok for the race. I'm going back tomorrow and then I'll be resting up until Sunday. I've got some super meals planned this week in preparation and I'm so much more jazzed about race day this time than I was when I ran my first marathon in 2005. Or was it 2004??

Here is the course map. I've pasted on my estimated times and corresponding mile and km markers. If you are in the area and feel like checking out the runners please do! It makes such a difference to have someone cheering you on. I'm not only talking about cheering for me, but for all the runners. We've all worked so hard and put in a ton of hours for this one event and it has not been easy. I get chills when I think about crossing the finish line.



You can also access the map from my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jebusthecat/2447793817

The teacher training finished on Sunday and I'm still buzzing from meeting so many cool people and from learning so much. We had some awesome discussions and every single person always had something insightful to add. It was a very cool dynamic and I'm stoked for the 2nd session in Ucluelet in the fall. This summer I'll be assisting in Eoin's classes - not sure which ones precisely but it will likely be once a week for a month or two. It's a bit difficult to put to words everything experienced and learned in 100 hours and I likely won't write much more about the training specifically. All I can really say is that it was a transformative experience with lasting effects (hopefully).

So, marathon on Sunday and then a couple days to rest and then I'm off to the Dhamma Surabhi Vipassana Meditation Centre of BC just west of Merritt for 10 days of silence. The Vipassana experience I had on the beach during the teacher training really has me excited for this next retreat. Although I'm really not sure how I'll cope with intense meditation of this type, I'm definitely ready, or at least as ready as I'll ever be.

I'm headed back to work in early July and between now and then I've got 2 trips to Tofino/Ucluelet (one of which is to run another marathon) and a super camping trip up to Nairn Falls for Canada Day. Go here for more details and to sign up. It's going to be a blast! Come for all or just for a day and some marshmallows and veggie dogs over the fire. :)

I'm hoping to do a few hikes in the Whistler area while we're up there and also thinking about potentially heading east to Chilliwack to camp along the river and then hike Mt Cheam for the summer solstice (June 21-22).

On another note, I'm nearing the end of my holistic nutrition studies. I've got 2 courses left (of 17), my case studies and then the final exam. I've got 15 case studies to write up so if you are interested let me know. All it involves is filling out a detailed form and questionnaire and then I'll do an evaluative write-up that would hopefully set you on the right path to take control of your health. I've enjoyed this program immensely and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in holistic health. The accompanying books have been very informative and I'm happy to lend them out to anyone who is interested.

I'd like to thank you all for following me along the past year and for your support and encouragement. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful network of family and friends. I would like to continue posting about yoga, food, love and wellness, eating and living sustainably and my adventures in the outdoors but I'll no longer be "jen@home" so there will have to be some changes in the next few months. Much love to you all! Shanti and namaste.

2 weeks! OMG!

I ran last night after my teacher training so I was pretty tired. Here's the route:



I couldn't finish the whole thing though and turned back a block or two past Macdonald, so it was probably closer to 8 miles. I suddenly had some major knee pain because my right IT band got super tight. The week before it was the left side that was bothering me... shoot. I sure hope 2 weeks is long enough for them both to loosen up.

The run started out great. I got chills down my spine going over the Burrard bridge and seeing the Vancouver Marathon banners. Not too long until I'll be running over that bridge with only a mile or so to go to the finish line! Very exciting. Running around False Creek was great. This is such a beautiful city. I feel so fortunate to live here and be able to enjoy it as much as I do. There were so many people on the seawall. It was very invigorating to see so many active people enjoying the beautiful evening. The sunset was fantastic and I stopped at Kits beach to watch it dip below the horizon. Very lovely.

I didn't run at all last week. It took nearly all week to recover from the 24-miler and then my teacher training started. I likely won't run this week at all either and hopefully that will be enough time for my IT bands to loosen up. So close!!!

3 more weeks!

We are marathon-ready. We had our last long run yesterday and we made it to the end feeling that if there were people lining the streets cheering and a finish line a couple miles away, we'd be able to make it. We ran about 24 miles and it took 4 hours.

Because of a commitment in the early afternoon, we started early - 6:40am. Met the group at the Y and continued on. Here's a map.



My knees were really sore at the end - tight IT bands. Took 4 gels, 2 advils, 20 oz gatorade and 30 oz of water and although I was very tired at the end, I could have gone farther. My legs are sore today - mostly my quads. Lower back area feels bruised. Not sure if it's from my water belt or what. Nicole as the same thing. Strange.

Next week is a super short 10-12 mile run and the following week is only 7-9. We're tapering now before the race. It's very exciting to think that we've made it all this way. 6 months of training! 6 months of getting up and running ridiculous distances on Sunday mornings when everyone else is sleeping peacefully...

I went to my first yin yoga class on Saturday and I think that style could be very beneficial for sports like running. We only did about a dozen postures, but they were all held for up to 5 minutes so the stretch is very deep.

Signed up for a 200hr yoga teacher training course. It's two 10-day sessions, 10 hours each day. The first session starts at the end of this week and the second session is in October in Ucluelet.

7 weeks to go

We ran to Dundarave in West Vancouver on Sunday. Along the seawall in Coal Harbour, through Stanley Park (trails on the way there, causeway on the way back), over the bridge, down to the West Vancouver seawall to Dundarave and back again. When I mapped it out it was about 14 miles. Took us just under 2hrs 20min. It was a nice day and I felt pretty good, but I didn't really want to run very much further. I took 2 gels, after an hour and again about 45 minutes later. My favourites are definitely vanilla, apple cinnamon and strawberry kiwi by Carboom. So much better than any other brand. They are made with fruit puree whereas many others use brown rice syrup for sugar and I don't like the taste of it. I have a recipe to make my own gels... it's on my to-do list.

I ran last week once in Victoria along the water and through some old familiar neighbourhoods. I did a bunch of lunges after the run and they made my legs so sore!! Maybe I should be doing more of those!

I also found an ashtanga studio in Victoria and went to mysore morning practice while I was staying there. They have a really nice space in an old building right downtown. I used my new Manduka mat and I love it!! No bunching or stretching and it felt really solid.

Next week is a long run - 22-24 miles (a marathon is 26.2 miles). The group is running 12-14 instead and will go longer the following weekend (because of the holiday weekend). I'm away the following weekend and would rather do it here so I've got to figure something out.

I've signed up for the Edge to Edge marathon on June 8th. I'm really excited about it. It's 5 weeks after the Vancouver marathon (12 weeks from now!) which I think (hope) should be long enough to recover. Then hopefully it will be hiking season! Looking forward to the grind opening - I wonder if we'll be any faster after all this running.

Last long run of 2007

Got to the Y this morning and met up with Nicole. There was nobody else from our group so we set out alone (yay us!). We ran towards the convention centre and down onto the seawall. Got to Stanley Park and started around the seawall, clockwise. If left up to me, my routes would always be clockwise loops. Even thinking back to my first regular route when I started running as a teenager, I always ran clockwise. Anyway, we ran around Stanley Park until just past the Lions Gate and just before the water park and left the seawall. We took a trail that went up to the causeway and ran over the bridge. Turned around on the other side and headed back over. The bridge is just under a mile so going over and back gives us a couple extra miles and a good hill workout. Retraced our steps down to the seawall where we finished the loop and headed back to the Y.

2hrs 15min!! That leaves us somewhere between 13 and 14 miles. Nicole broke another personal distance record today! Way to go! It was a beautiful day, sunny and crisp and we had beautiful clear views of Vancouver Island and the local mountains. Can't wait to go snowshoeing again tomorrow!!

Registered!

I just registered for the marathon! Yikes! I'm committed now. The race isn't until May 4th, but the race fees increase after December 31st. I'll post a map closer to the race day showing the race course and what time I expect to be where for those of you who want to come cheer me on! I really appreciate your support! You have no idea what a difference it makes to see familiar faces along the route. :)

12 miles in the cold

We ran to West Van today! From the Y downtown we hit the seawall through Coal Harbour then into the trails in Stanley Park and up to Prospect point. The gradual hill getting up there was tiresome and I felt slow but that soon went away. Ran over the Lions Gate Bridge and that's where the half marathon group turned around. Nicole, Sandy (our run leader), and I were the only ones left. We continued on down to the West Van seawall to Ambleside where we turned around and looped back the way we came.

Total running time was 1hr 50min and our mileage was between 11 and 12 miles. We were a bit faster today than our normal 10 minute/mile pace. It was really cold with a few slippery spots and some teeny snowflakes falling every now and then. I warmed up pretty quickly and wasn't cold while running except for my face and rear end - as if there wasn't enough padding there?? Took a gel at Ambleside and felt pretty strong coming back over the bridge - that's one hell of a hill!! I think I expected it to be worse and so was pleasantly surprised to get to the top without too much of a struggle. Started feeling tired and ready to stop about a mile away from the Y, but I think the last mile will always be the hardest. No knee pain today! Sometimes my IT band is sore but today I only felt it a couple times and it was hardly painful.

I had a light dinner last night and drank a lot of water throughout the day and I think that really makes for an enjoyable run. Much better than feeling weighed down, sluggish and dehydrated, which is easy to let happen. I think the key is early, light meals, but that can sometimes be difficult on Saturday nights. Have to remember to drink a lot of water today too. My initial tiredness while running could just be due to lack of sleep, but sometimes that's just the way it goes.

Nicole and I had expected to run 13 miles today (half-marathon distance), but Sandy kept it a bit shorter because of the fact that your body is working hard to keep you warm and that makes the run more intense. I much prefer running in the cold than the heat!!

For the month of December our mileage stays pretty constant around 11-14 miles. We're working on building a strong base and getting comfortable there. In January we'll start to ramp up and get into serious distances. 21 weeks to go until the marathon!

Ran last night after nearly a week off

A cold last week and the snow this weekend has interrupted my running schedule. I suppose I could have run on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday but I didn't. No excuses aside from heavy rain and a general lack of motivation. Finally went out last night. Ran down 7th and met Nicole and Beth at Cambie. We did a loop around False Creek (Burrard bridge and around to Science World). I left them at Cambie and ran back up 7th to a nice hot bath. Ran for about 1hr 25min total, so between 8 and 9 miles. Probably will go out again tomorrow for a shorter run. It works really well to meet up in the evening like that. We're hoping to do that weekly and either do the seawall or some other route closer to Burnaby/New West.

I was looking at the marathon webpage the other day. There is an early bird discount for registering before December 31st. After that the fee goes up about $15, then another $15 a month or so later. I'm going to have to commit soon! Yikes!

26.2 long miles

After watching Beth run her marathon last year, Nicole and I decided to train for the Vancouver Marathon. We've joined the YMCA marathon clinic and we meet every Sunday at 8:30am at the YWCA (while the other Y is being rebuilt) on Hornby and Dunsmuir.

I ran a marathon in 2004 and was a bit disappointed with my time - 5hrs 23min. I've run 4 half marathons with times ranging from 2:03 to 2:12. Running the marathon kind of killed my running spirit and since then I've only run bi-annually in spring and fall 10k races. I've been happy that despite my lack of training I've kept up pretty consistent 60-70 minute 10k times. Nicole has run a few 10k races and each week of our training is breaking new distance records - it's pretty exciting and I'm glad to be running with her. :)

The clinic started the Thanksgiving weekend but instead of the 6 mile run scheduled, I ran the Turkey Trot 10k race. The following weekend was a 7 mile run and then I was away for 2 weeks in Mexico. I really did plan on running, but the altitude combined with a general sense of uneasiness at the thought of running alone kept my running shoes in the closet of our hotel room. I did make it out once to run in the Oaxacan version of the "Run for the Cure", but it ended up being only a 3km loop in the city. Oh well. The day after I got home I set out and put in 9 miles going around the seawall until where it was closed then up on the trail through the devastated forest. I hadn't been through there since the storms last year and it was amazing to see the destruction. It was a beautiful blue sky day and I was so thankful to be home and to be living in such a wonderful city. A perfect day for running.

The Y was closed for the Remembrance Day weekend so we met at the False Creek Community Centre and ran practically the exact same route I had done earlier in the week. This past weekend we were back at the Y and following a short talk on how to choose the correct running shoe we were off. Just like everyone else that day, we headed for the seawall - it's finally open all the way around again! Just in time for more storms? We'll see. It was a very nice morning and by 11:30 we had run 10 miles and I was back home having a hot shower.

A few things to point out:
- the clinic schedule counts our distances in miles. It takes a little getting used to, but it kind of ends up being a mental thing for me... I'd rather run 10 miles than 16km, or 26.2 miles (marathon distance) than 42.2km.

- I'm really happy to be doing the training this time around with a friend. I think it will make such a difference and so far that has been true! A partner will get you out running when you don't want to go and will keep you distracted on the long runs with good conversation.

- the weekday runs killed me last time. I was finishing my degree at UBC and not really enjoying being there and coming home and running in the evening was the last thing on my mind. I didn't run enough and it hurt me in the long run - it literally hurt me... I got stress fractures in both shins. This time around things have been good so far. I've been running 5km at least twice a week and trying to do some sort of cross-training once a week. A couple weeks ago Nicole and I rode bikes from her house on Capitol Hill to Deep Cove. It was great! (Except for the sore bum parts) Luke has been trying to get more exercise and so we are trying to get out together - I run and he rides his big unicycle. It's really nice and works really well.

- I'm doing way more yoga now than I was when I was training before and I think this will really help me. Running so many miles is hard on the body and yoga can be very restorative. I'm trying to keep up my 4-6 days per week of Ashtanga and looking to incorporate some Yin yoga as well which is supposed to be great for deep tissue opening and relaxation.

Anyway, I didn't mean for this to be such a long post, but I'd like to keep this blog as something of a training log for the marathon and I should have started a month ago so I had a bit of catching up to do. The marathon is May 4th, 2008 - 24 weeks away! :)

I didn't run today. The Mondays after the long runs are rest days. I did go for a long walk with the little guy I babysit in the stroller and was pleased that my legs felt pretty good. No stiffness, just a bit tired.