Setting the Stage

After racing Ottawa in late May I proceeded to thoroughly enjoy my summer with relaxing vacations in Maui, Mexico and a return trip to Ontario. Maui hadn't been a top ten destination but with the clear tropical water, warming sunshine and vacant beaches I was hooked. And Toronto, okay it wasn’t a holiday but while there I attended my first Major League game complete with hot dogs, beer and cantankerous fans (they lost).

Coincidentally training for Sacramento and summer vacation began in the same place, Maui, although four months adrift. While there in September, I snuck out of bed early each morning and enjoyed the cool(er) air before the events of the day were set in motion that once started were not to be interrupted with running. That said, while there I participated in the Maui Half Marathon and loved every minute of it (I'll save that one for another day).

The subsequent nine weeks weren’t as tropical but filled instead with an increasing volume of running that at times has left my shattered. The last two weeks have been no exception:

• October 30 to November 5 – peak overall volume, 10h07 running, approx. 89 miles
• November 6 to 12 – peak quality volume, 8h40 running, approx. 75 miles

This week, November 13 to 19 continued where the previous two ended:

Monday – Day off. Felt okay, didn’t stretch… I really need to though; I should begin tomorrow.

Tuesday – 62’ easy run with Seamus, kept him company on his way to UVic to coach his run group. Left him near Ring Rd., ah, my old stomping grounds. Picked up the pace a tad on the return journey via Foul Bay. Legs felt okay but the body was tired, when do I start to taper? AHR 134, pre run HR 41

Wednesday – 1h23 with 1600, 5’ E, 2x (5x300, 100 float), 3’ between sets, 800 hard. It was a blustery evening, but I felt solid, better then I expected: 5:14, (:53, :57, :56, :55, :57), (:55, :56, :56, :57, :57), 2:27. What impressed me most on the evening was Sylvan, I'll let him tell his tale.

Thursday – TIRED. I need more time in the day so that I can nap. Dragged the body up Rockland, then Richmond up toward UVic, up and over Tolmie and then back once again via Foul Bay (a creature of habit). It was my first time in what seemed like years that I’d run up Tolmie and the views didn’t disappoint. Upset stomach, some things never change.

Friday – 31’ easy. Legs felt f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c unfortunately I wasn’t mentally in the game. Was supposed to run 40’ easy but I had a date with a hot girl and mouth watering Guinness, both waiting for me at the Penny. “You sit back in the darkness, nursing your beer, breathing in that ineffable aroma of the old-time pub: dark wood, spilled beer and ancient whiskey”.

Okay, a rather abbreviated tale but the stage is set… tomorrow I run.