The Little Man

Since the arrival of our “little man”, life continues... as it always does:
· Our dearest daughter still get’s up at 6:00 a.m. (5:40 this morning) regardless of the time I go to bed, apparently my schedule is of little concern;
· Ally continues to surprise me with her adaptability and calm demeanour; and
· When I stumble down to the shed in a tired stupor only to remember that my bike is at work, i.e. I ran home the day before, crying is okay but I still need to run to work.

In all seriousness, the routine in our household has changed little since Corbin’s birth. I’m not minimizing the arrival of a new child, but I still tend to make dinner, Isla continues to thoroughly enjoy either 8, 10 or 2 books before bed and my lovely wife picks up all the slack.

As for the running, well, although the volume has dropped off I’m thankful for being able to maintain some frequency particularly when it means throwing in a double to help a friend lesson the load on his shoulders.

Earlier this week I booked off work in order to spend a day (our wedding anniversary) with the family. Whilst everyone was sleeping I snuck out the back door and jogged down to the Lochside Track for an impromptu workout. I wanted to squeeze in some faster intervals after warming up with a couple miles of tempo:
· 2xmile: 5:57, 5:55
· 2x400: 1:19, 1:15
· 4x200: 0:35, 0:34, 0:33, 0:33

Although I’d hoped to run the 200’s faster, the difference may lie in the subjective distance (which I need to measure out). Still, not all that bad and with some luck I hope to use this to break the 5’ barrier at the Victoria track Series Race #6 this weekend.

Wish me luck!

Training:
Jul 26: A.M. 1:01:30 with 2x(3’ (1’) + 30”(1’) + 30”) (3’), P.M. hilly 47:02

Jul 27: sluggish 24:09

Jul 28: 57:32 w/ 2xmile (1') + 2x400 (2’) + 4x200 (1’)

Jul 29: day off (scheduled)
Jul 30: easy 25:54 w/ 4xstrides

New Arrival

Friday was all about family, and more importantly Ally. She was the star of the day in a very short (I don't know that I'd ever describe childbirth as sweet) performance. Shortly after 2 p.m. Corbin Thomas arrived weighing in a 8 lbs 1 oz... and is loved by his parents and ever so affectionate big sister.

Groundhog Day

The last ten days have become a bit of a blur, certainly not made any easier with my increased training. The mileage bump wasn’t in the plan but with imminent arrival of our newest family member, I can only surmise it is due to my own quirky coping mechanism. That or stupidity.

Always a glutton for punishment coupled with much need/appreciated distraction, last week I decided to squeeze in three workouts. I thought I was playing it safe by descending the intensity, but with the larger volume I may have been treading an awfully thin line. Either that or confused with marathon training.

Still I survived, barely. Although that’s possibly a little untrue because as I sit here I’m aware of nothing but heavy legs and unwanted overall fatigue. Even my lucky mauve shirt does little to lift my mood. Did I mention my sore neck? apparently sleeping on a single bed with my daughter, while resting my weary head on Dora the Explorer isn’t as romantic as once believed... at least not nearly as comfortable.

Ally’s due date ‘was’ supposed to be July 7th, but that came and went without much excitement. We did experience a false alarm on the 5th but after several hours at the hospital we were sent packing.

Since then, we’ve gone to bed every evening with the expectation that this would be it, only to repeat the cycle again. And again. As I explained it to a co-worker, it’s like coming home from work on a sunny Friday afternoon with nothing but a relaxing weekend ahead of you. Then, instead of waking to a glorious Saturday morning, I’m instead greeted with the cold harsh reality that only Monday can bring. Did I mention I’m impatient?

Training:
Jul 05: A.M. easy 26:49, P.M. 1:07:39 6x4’ hard (4’)
Jul 06: A.M. easy 48:15, P.M. easy 30:47
Jul 07: A.M. easy 24:00, P.M. 1:07:12 3x6’ T (1’) + 4x1’ (1’) + 6’ T
Jul 08: easy 50:42
Jul 09: 1:16:08 5x5’ T
Jul 10: day off (scheduled)
Jul 12: undulating 1:24:11

Weekly mileage: 7h55’43”, +/- 112km or 70 miles

Heat Wave

“The temperature in Victoria peaked at 31.6 degrees Wednesday, breaking the previous record for July 7, which was 28.9 in 1952. It’s also the highest since July 29 of last year, when the mercury reached a sweaty 35 degrees.”

I don’t know that I’d call two balmy days a heat wave, but given the average temperature over the last 10 months has fluctuated around 12C, I’ll take what I can get. Hello sunshine.

Following my recent 5,000m race, I found myself inspired but also left... wanting. And so, always the sucker for punishment, I decided to leave the qualitative measurement of “feel” behind and instead stepped up to the plate prepared for a more quantitative approach to training.

Despite not having access to track, or at least not having one conveniently located on my route home, I took advantage of two local footpaths that have been measured out by (I assume) the National Triathlon Center.

On Wednesday I ran 12x400 along the Blenkinsopp Connector, a paved route that runs across the valley, and only seconds from my doorstep. Notwithstanding the shorter intervals I’ve run on my various routes home, having a measured route to keep me honest was humbling: 1:14, 1:15, 1:16, 1:14, 1:16, 1:16, 1:17, 1:13, 1:16, 1:16, 1:15, 1:12.

Two days later, I found myself on the other side of the valley running 800s along the Lochside Trail. Last year I would’ve cruised through this workout with time to spare, but with my fitness building coupled with an undulating route I was again pleased with the results: 2:42, 2:41, 2:43, 2:41, 2:45, 2:42, 2:44, 2:46.

Happy trails.

Training:

Jun 28: comfortable 58:59
Jun 29: easy 43:31
Jun 30: 1:09:56 with 12x400 (2’)

Jul 01: easy 49:38
Jul 02: 1:03:59 with 8x800 (2’)
Jul 03: easy 32:28
Jul 04: rolling 1:21:58

Weekly mileage: 6h49’29”, +/- 94km or 59 miles

Bend It Like Beckham

At two years old, I think she has more skill than most of the English squad... certainly not any less. Hup Holland!

My training continues to roll along but with the wife expecting on Wednesday, coupled with last night’s false alarm, finding time to sit in front of the computer is difficult.

That said, I’m thoroughly enjoying what has quickly become a culinary tradition. For the third year running, for the duration of the Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy), Tour de France, and Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) I cook Italian, French and Spanish food respectively. Last night was no different as we sat down to a massive Salad Nicoise courtesy of Ally.

More later.

VTS Race #4: 5,000m (Track is Back)

It had been eight laps since I’d run comfortably in the slipstream of the runner in front. Now, almost in jest I felt nothing but the imaginary slap as their wake dangled painfully out of reach.

The bell rang loud in my ear as I began my last lap. I round the corner and ran hard onto backstretch for the last time. I remembered the advice painfully gained from my last race, and tried in vain to hold my form. I had started my kick 500m out, and now with 300m remaining I had made minimal progress. Rather than gaining on my nearest competitor I enjoyed the lukewarm comfort of a dead heat. Once again there was nothing left in the tank. And much like last time I was left gasping, hands on knees after crossing the finish line.

A colleague and I were swapping weekend war stories this morning. He asked me what it felt like during one of those races, and my answer, “a long drawn-out paper cut”.

On the weekend I participated in Victoria Track Series Race #4, the 5,000m. It would be my second 5,000m of the summer, my first eight week earlier a disappointing (personal worst) 17:40. Despite having lost two weeks to an injured ligament, I was looking forward to making gains in my quest for a new PB.

Unlike last time where they held separate heats, on Saturday the organizers combined the elite and open races and I toed the line with 20 other nervous athletes eventually finishing in 17:24, 16” faster than my previous race. More importantly (and despite a fast opening lap) I was pleased with my pacing.

May 01: 3:35, 3:25, 3:36, 3:37, 3:25

Jun 26: 3:23, 3:30, 3:31, 3:30, 3:30

Obtaining a new PB (16:51) in the next two months will be a push, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. Last summer I ran three 5k races over the similar 8-week period and lowered my time from 17:27 to 17:07 (a 20” improvement). So far, I’ve managed to knock 16” off, in a little over 6-weeks. And with 8-weeks remaining until the August 21 final race, I have the road clearly laid out in front of me. With wildcard this summer will be the arrival of our newest family member.

Training:
Jun 21: day off
Jun 22: A.M. 1:15:07 with 4x2' (1') + 6x1' (30") + 8x30" (30"), P.M. easy 1:02:26
Jun 23: easy 54:16
Jun 24: easy 43:14
Jun 25: day off
Jun 26: 1:00:17 with 5,000m 17:24, 7th OA, 4th AG
Jun 27: rolling 1:22:21


Weekly mileage: 6h17’41”, +/- 89km or 56 miles

Training, Tales, Lies and Legends

Before twitter, before the internet, and even before cheap running magazines, there was the story, the tale of life’s lessons. Morals and information of all sorts were passed down from generation to generation – not through the electronic media, but by spoken word. And when told with conviction and enthusiasm, the themes became real, the legends believable. People pondering worldly decisions (what race shoe to wear) could refer for guidance to the memory of a particular tale told over a treasured pint.

I love a good story. Reading it, hearing it, and butchering it afterwards when I pass it forward. It doesn’t always have to be true, although often the good ones are, regardless I file them away in my scrapbook of memories. Legends and heroes are gifts.

Sadly though, I believe it’s too easy to miss an opportunity to learn from the experience of others. Luckily, running is simply one more vehicle for experience. And last night, a good friend and I traversed around a favourite part of Victoria all the while creating stories, embellishing... and at the appropriate time speaking the truth. Last night we were heroes, if only our own.

My training has been going well, nothing spectacular, but I’ve managed to string together several consistent weeks of +/- 70 miles. More importantly I’ve managed to stay injury free. It seems the “Mile” I raced a few weeks back, really sparked a desire to run. My next test will be a week Saturday when I run the second 5,000m of the Victoria Track Series and hope to build upon my sluggish 17:40.

Enjoy whichever road you’re travelling!

Training:
Jun 07: easy 1:08:12
Jun 08: A.M. easy 47:44, P.M. hilly 56:17
Jun 09: 1:09:46 8x3’ hard (3’)
Jun 10: easy 48:37
Jun 11: 1:10:27 with 30’ tempo
Jun 12: day off (scheduled)
Jun 13: undulating 1:38:24

Weekly mileage: 7h39’27”, +/- 108km or 68 miles