This weekend I practiced my Baywatch beach running. Continue reading
My Running Shorts
My Running Shorts: short stories about my life on the run.
Tag Archives: weather
The weather is hot and girls are dressin’ less
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
This is not my beautiful house
Not pictured: me.
Time to spring clean. Actually that time was about 4 weeks ago, but I’m a procrastinator. And if I’m being really honest spring cleaning is procrastination for a task I want to do even less. Continue reading
It’s a cruel, cruel summer
Signs I run like The Fonz:
The severe sunburn along my thumb and the subsequent snake-like shedding.
Or perhaps my leather running jacket. Ehhh.
Title: Bananarama – Cruel Summer. 1983.
Like this:
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
Tagged Boston Marathon, exercise, fitness, health, running, weather
It’s been a long cold lonely winter
Ahh, Spring. In the deep of winter the word reminds me that eventually I will be fast(er) again. That my feet will be dry again. That my fingers will have feeling again. That my laundry pile of running gear will be more of a molehill than a mountain.
Spring has sprung.
The grass, as they say, really is greener.
With Spring comes joggers. In winter the few other hearty souls braving the windchill always wave, smile, or nod in acknowledgement of our shared pain, toughness, committment. In spring the joggers return and suddenly the running community seems less friendly. No knowing nods. Just blank stares as the passing runners attempting to lose ten pounds of winter weight pretend that avoiding eye contact means they can’t see anyone else on the trail.
With Spring comes allergies. The kind that makes your eyes itch, your chest tighten and your nose run like a powerful waterfall until it becomes bright red and chapped from over-wiping and your co-workers start to wonder about your extra-curricular activities.
With Spring comes strollers. Not the baby kind. The slow walking mob kind. The kind that will watch you run towards them but will remain eight abreast in a human force field giving you no option but to leave the path into the swampy mud because they are too busy smoking, talking on their cell phone, and/or making-out to be bothered to share the trail. The kind that would be unable to walk in a straight line if Ed McMahon was waiting twenty metres away with a giant cheque just for them if they managed move forward for 20 seconds without swerving randomly in an impossible to pass way.
With Spring comes dogs. Cooped up indoors all winter the owners let Precious run free because don’t worry he’s super-friendly and would never bite you as he uses your expensive tights as a climbing post and drools all over your expensive sneakers.
I think I have spring fever. The cranky kind of fever. Is it Autumn yet?
Title: The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun. 1969.
Don’t let your feet get cold in the winter
In an effort to coax my reluctant body into running faster than a snail’s pace I signed up for a couple of pre-Boston race-runs. This weekend was the Chilly 1/2 marathon. Although it was not so much chilly as it was snowy and slushy (and windy). The 35-40km/hr winds were not as bothersome as expected, just a little tough on the few short northbound portions. It could have been much worse. ATB, coming up in three weeks, is always much worse.
Now that I’m in Monster Month 21.1k isn’t enough mileage, so I also ran an easy 10k before the race, ran the 1/2, then finished with a 3k cool-down. A little choppy, but I got in the distance. The aim was to run the 21.1k at marathon race pace or a bit faster and Mission Accomplished. The road this year was a slushy foot-soaking mess (near record rainfall followed by an overnight blast of snow), so I think my miles are worth an extra 10% in effort.
This popular event is worthy of a few words. It’s the only local (local = within 90 minutes) 1/2 marathon in the early spring, but given the location (the ‘burbs) I’ve never run this race. I would definitely go back to run it again. It wasn’t the stereotypical suburbs of identical houses and expensive sounding street names, but a quaint waterfront village. The organizers are lovely (the same group puts on the Santa Shuffle – you may recall my one and only foray into costumed running) and have a reputation for well-run races. The start line corrals were a bit broad (e.g. 1.30 to 2.00 hours) but for the most part people did an okay job of self-sorting and there were lots of pace bunnies around for folks looking for company (including this guy). I wasn’t blockaded before kilometre three, as is the case when there is rampant over-optimisim in the starting corrals. The aid stations were reliably spaced every 3K and the volunteers eager and at the ready. They even had a gel station and an orange/banana station, which is rare for this distance. The course is scenic, running almost entirely along the shores of Lake Ontario, and traffic free. It’s also relatively flat, which I know is appealing to some. There were some slight elevation changes to relieve the repetitive stress of flat running. So all in all, a decent event/course and well worth the drive out of the city. My one recommendation is same day kit pick-up for out-of-towners … it is a long drive to get the kit and then return the next day to run. If it helps my cause, same day pick-up would be better for the environment and not just my lazy ways.
My own run was uneventful. It usually is. I ran like a metronome, without varying from my pace even when briefly chatting with friends on the course. I’ve never been one for k by k breakdowns, mostly because I forget things almost as they are happening. A few notable exceptions: I kept my record intact and finished ahead of the costumed runner (a red hot chilly pepper, of course), I narrowly missed a direct hit by a giant spit ball (the man apologized multiple times as his phlegm grazed my eyelashes), I felt sorry for one poor lady who never learned the ‘do not wear yoga pants in soggy weather because they will grow to three times their length’ lesson and by 2K she was already struggling to keep her pants up, a hyper-competitive woman with no control over her flailing arms and legs raced passed me then slowed three times -tripped me once- before falling behind never to be seen again around the 10K mark, and I sped ate a powdered doughnut at the finish line before my cooldown and ran the next 3K with bright white lips.
Title: the Eagles – Desperado. 1973.
Posted in My Amazing Races, Running Tids & Bits
Tagged Around the Bay, exercise, fitness, health, marathon, race, race report, race results, running, weather, winter
In fact it was a little bit frightening
Drivers spotted. Road runners beware.
Sometimes things happen on a run that leave me wordless.
Like when a raging jerk in a motorized weapon truck intentionally tries to run down my friends. Intentionally as in swerves at them and –in case you still were not convinced of his intentions– u-turns to blockade the area, tries to jump out of the truck to escalate the violence, and yells to the one person in the group writing down the license plate number “I’ll run you down bitch”. True story.
All this unfolded before I met up with the group en route. I’m not sure what I would have done. Probablystood there helplessly, stunned into paralysis. Later during the same run a woman’s car hit an icy patch, got caught in the slush and nearly sideswiped the lead duo. She stopped her car, visibly shaken, got out and asked if everyone was okay. And then she asked again, to be sure. Fortunately, everyone was okay. True story.
One run, two cars, two near misses, and a study in contrasts.
Title: Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting. 1974.
Bird on a wire
Those southband geese may be on to something.
Or maybe not.
Title: Leonard Cohen – Bird on a Wire. 1969.
Everybody wishing they could go to the south of France
To those who ran in the bone-chilling conditions blanketing much of the northern hemisphere, a tribute to winter (video credit to YYZChap72). After a summer of moaning about the weather I solemnly promised not to complain about the cold. I’ve commented, but haven’t complained. I will note that I’m running in the midst of an extreme cold weather alert with temps around -20C and windchill estimates ranging from -25 to -30C (about -13 to -22F). At some point those few degrees no longer matter. We’ve reached that point. A simple damn cold is descriptive enough. And yes, I still prefer this weather over +35C. I just need better mittens. My frozen thumbs are no longer opposable.
Title: Bruce Cockburn – Coldest Night of the Year. 1981.
Made of snow, I don’t know, how I fit in
In my pilates class on Sunday* my instructor said to me, and I quote, “most people are a mix of body types; you are definitely a true ectomorph”. She said this as she tried to find my missing shoulder muscles.
*One hour of reformer pilates before my 29K run. Not advised under the Two Runs a Week Five-Week Marathon Training Program.
Title: Barenaked Ladies – Snowman. 2004.
The coldest night of the year
It’s official. Winter has arrived. Actually winter arrived about three weeks ago. I’ve never been a fan of guests who arrive early.
In honour of the return of winter, after about three years of absenteeism, I bought a pair of YakTrax* so I can run in snow-covered circles. I’ve also purchased a gaggle’s worth of down-filled products. Please do not throw paint at me and my over-priced winter wear.
*January Update: In keeping with tradition, as soon as I purchased the Trax the snow disappeared and spring returned. I would call this new season Sprinter (Spring + Winter + it’s a running word), but this year I resolved to never again combine two perfectly good words into a one lame word. I’m not that busy that I don’t have time to say them both. Anyway, the same thing happened last year after I purchased snowshoes. Lesson: As long as I keep wasting money on winter gear Murphy will keep tripping me up with his laws.
Title: Bruce Cockburn – Coldest Night of the Year. 1981.
The earth says hello
Lately the morning has been winning. And I’ve procrastinated going on my run until 10 or 11 pm. Dirt tracks by moonlight. 30K runs along dark and spooky waterfront trails that end at 1 am. It’s just a matter of time before I’m eaten by a coyote.
But this morning I won. And the universe rewarded me with 18K (of a planned 31K, oops) of freezing rainy misery.
Title: Hair - Good Morning Starshine. 1966.
Join in any reindeer games
I grew up in snow country. Yesterday almost three-feet of snow came down and snowed-in my parents. Now I live a bit more south and although we don’t have three-foot deep snowbanks I’m pretty sure it has already snowed more here this year than it did all last winter. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas (or whatever December holiday you do or do not celebrate).
Every holiday season I watch 12 festive movies. I call it my 12 Movie Nights of Christmas. Bask in my originality. This year I am looking for festive movies that fit in to my training program, which largely consists of watching other people running in my TV set.
On the First Movie Night of Christmas my true love gave to me … Robbie the Reindeer in Hooves of Fire. Songs don’t need to rhyme. Enjoy these two sneak peaks.
p.s. Who do you think gets DQed for doping?
Training:
Racing:
Title: Gene Autry – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. 1949.
Posted in Reviews on the Run
Tagged exercise, fitness, health, movie review, movies, Olympics, running, TV, TV show review, weather, winter
Everybody’s working for the weekend
Ahh, suspense. I run my first contest and then go on vacation before announcing the winner. Of course I didn’t mention I was going on vacation because you would figure out who I am and where I live and you would come and steal my Garmin. Not that I don’t trust my trustworthy readers. But this is The Internet and danger lurks everywhere. Like around the pervy googlers trying to find all sorts of seedy things related to running shorts. For the record (and so I don’t give you any ideas) your attempt to steal my Garmin would be futile. I have an elaborate security system that may or may not involve a series of tin-can booby traps. Also, it always travels with me. Not that it saw even ten seconds of action during my non-Labour Day holiday.
After the fires of hell summer I have suffered (and during which laid to rest all hopes of a fall marathon) I finally take a few days to head to the beach and … I’m sure you can see where this is headed … find but a single day with a few scant hours of sun sandwiched between long dreary days of rain and gale force winds. Mother Nature: UNCLE! On the upside, I watched approximately 200 hours of movies featuring giant animals killing people (my first favourite kind of lame movie) and end of the world natural disaster movies (my second favourite kind of lame movie). The latter of which I’m sure is unrelated to the end of the world signs I witnessed all summer on my thermometer.
As for the contest, I’ll announce a winner tomorrow.
Title Reference: Loverboy – Working for the Weekend.
Posted in Running Tids & Bits
I like my sugar with coffee and cream
After a long run I’m often found lounging about with my running mates, an over-priced Italian-sized cup of hot chocolate, extra hot, skim milk and light whip in my hand. My mates lean towards coffee, a substance I do not drink. As the only person in North America to have never consumed a cup of coffee, let alone an over-priced Italian cup of Americano beans, I am unfamiliar with its effects on the body. Discussing, as we are apt to do, the humidity-induced PB dream-crushing fatigue someone mentioned that despite being tired, the caffeine left him wired.
Not one to let an opportunity to rhyme pass me by, I proclaimed him tired and wired, and a new catch phrase was born. How do you feel after a 30K training run and an infusion of caffeine?
Tired and wired.
Title Reference: Beastie Boys – Intergalactic. 1998.
Your shoes get so hot you wish your tired feet were fireproof
Ahh, the August civic holiday long weekend. Seems like so long ago. Sun, sand, great lakes and the always smoking hot 58th running of the Shore to Shore Road Race. I don’t need to remind my faithful readers that I do not like warm weather running. And by “do not like” I mean “passionately hate and want to hibernate with my running shoes until September”. But this is a nice race. Only $25, the earnings go to family literacy programs, and for a small race the aid stations are numerous and bus shuttle service impressive (I don’t use it, but I’m impressed they have one) and a generous post-race fruit feast … so even though a few years ago I vowed ‘never again will I pay money to run in August’, how could I resist?
The race runs from the shores of Lake Huron across the peninsula to the shores of Georgian Bay, a scenic 13Kish route across escarpment territory. As the more clever among you have deduced, that’s why it’s called the Shore to Shore. Escarpment, noun, a steep slope or long cliff that results from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations. So the route is a little up and down with a final downhill quadbuster in the last half kilometre. With little shade we were lucky to run under overcast skies, although the oppressive humidity ensured there was enough torture to toughen us up. Although the race attracts a solid field, it is collegial and supportive in that 200 personsized race kind of way. To wit, as I passed a very nice woman from the Saugeen Track & Field Club gave me a hearty well done and offered me some of the Gatorade her on the course support crew provided. So nice.
Husband and I ran this as leg one of a 27K long run, so we didn’t race (and I couldn’t anyway, at 95% humidity) as we needed to save our energy for 14K on the Bruce Trail that we never really found. Instead we finished our run on lonesome country roads beside mountainous piles of bear poop and an invasion of flying insects and I had a complete run-down, but that’s a story for another day. Or a story to repress.
Title Reference: The Drifters – Under the Boardwalk. 1964.
Posted in My Amazing Races, Running Tids & Bits
Tagged exercise, fitness, race, race report, race results, running, summer, weather
