Goals and Goal Setting

“Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor, upon which one walks as a matter of course and prescriptive right” - Aldous Huxley

This is one of my favourite quotes and never fails to offer insight and motivation.

I’ve all but completed my autumn schedule; unfortunately the finishing touches won’t be done until I decide where to rest up. I want to allow myself a few weeks recovery between this build (focused on 5k-10k speed and intensity) and Boston. The other wrinkle in the plan is the limited number of (local) quality races in November/December. Back to the drawing board…

As for the last week, I’ve really enjoyed my running. Not for a second is this to be confused with being fast, but there wasn’t a day that didn’t leave me feeling exuberant and playful. Tuesday had me out for my first visit with the “Tuesday Night Late Workout” squad, which coincidently left my knackered. Whether it was a) the continuous hills, b) the duration, c) the timing, or d) nought for recovery, I awoke the next morning feeling like my favourite bag of smashed assholes. Regardless, the route was interesting and the company pleasant.

Saturday was the inaugural training run for some friends hoping to complete the 56-k Great Lake Walk later this fall. I hadn’t seen a few of them in months and it was great fun trading stories. I’m not sure that they fully comprehend what they’re signing themselves up for, but the same might have been said for me when I registered for my first marathon almost fourteen years ago. The poor girls.

After suffering through a prolonged winter/spring, the last few days have been nothing short of epic with temperatures hovering around 30C. So it was that yesterday morning I began a favourite route of mine under clear blue skies and awfully enjoyable warm conditions. I’m not certain what triggered it and I wasn’t one to object, but I couldn’t help but notice the pacing rising and me hanging on for dear life as I traced my way along favourite trails and epic climbs; around Mount Doug, through Broadmead, up Cordova Ridge (twice) and back along Lochside Trail. I loved every minute of it. I’ll have to remember to bring a camera next time out.

Training:
Monday: day off (scheduled)
Tuesday: TLNW very hilly 1:50:56
Wednesday: easy 21:47
Thursday: undulating 55:14
Friday: day off (scheduled)
Saturday: EZ 1:14:38
Sunday: up-tempo 1:18:14