Another great week has passed by, and running is still going well. I'm still getting a little tightness in the old hamstrings and the glutes, but I am getting better at stretching on a regular basis as well as adhering to the weekly strength sessions that my coach schedules in for me.
As per the usual routine, Tuesdays are once again my day for speedwork or faster paced running, and given that we are currently in a melt/freeze/melt/freeze cycle with the lying snow, the pavements are a skating rink when it comes to completing my evening runs. I've mentioned numerous times my reluctance to run "fast" when conditions outside are less than ideal, so on Tuesday evening, I once again found myself doing my session at the local rec centre.
This week it was a 10km progression run. I was going to use the indoor track, but sometimes the track can be far too busy for the pace I need to do, and I'm not too keen on swerving around people on a 200m track with very little space for overtaking. I ummed and arhed about whether to just do an easy run outside instead, but as the guilt started to set in about not sticking to the plan, I opted to thrash things out on the treadmill instead.
I usually find treadmill running extremely boring, but I put in my headphones, turned up the volume, and just went for it. I started off at a slow 7 mph, (8.30 miling or there abouts), and finished the last 400m at 10 mph or 6 minute miling, completing the run in a little over 46 minutes.
For me personally, I much prefer a progression or negative split run to tempo runs. Tempo runs are hard for me and I never feel motivated to do them, and yet starting at a slower pace and gradually picking things up until I'm running my 5k pace - sometimes even faster - makes me feel more accomplished, and I'm sure it brings far more benefits to my running.
Wednesday of course was run group again, and yet this week I wasn't sure if I really wanted the company or not on my evening run. I desperately wanted to run with the dogs, but I knew it was still extremely icy outside, and knowing how fast Wilson runs, I didn't want to end up on the floor again. In the end I went to the running group with both Wilson and April in tow, and I had a lovely, relaxed, easy evening run with the lovely Jessica and her pup Nanook. It wasn't as cold as anticipated and the local pathways weren't too bad at all. We had a good chat, we had a good laugh, and I was so glad that I had decided on company rather than another solo run.
Come Thursday, i was back to feeling like a hermit again, not wanting company and just feeling like I needed a bit of me time. I had the usual 10 miler to complete, so I grabbed my headtorch and headed out onto the local range roads where I knew there would be no people and no traffic, and I could have a good 90 minutes of peace and quiet. Running on those range roads was perfect and I thoroughly enjoyed running through the darkness of the night, the path being lit by the lying snow and the brightness of my headtorch - it felt like I had the world to myself! The legs felt good, the breathing felt good, and I finished my run feeling much happier and more content with the day.
I was really looking forward to the weekend this week - the local Santa parade was due to take place on Saturday evening, I was meeting a friend for trail run on the Sunday, and it was also this weekend that the virtual event Runukkha was due to start.
We spent most of Saturday filming the remaining scenes for the parkrun video that is currently on the go - it took up a lot of time, and the pups didn't get the usual dog park walk at Terwillegar or Buena Vista like they normally do. They didn't mind as they still had fun at the local parks, but I always feel guilty when they don't have a good couple of hours roaming free and doing dog things.
the filming also meant I didn't get out for my run until late afternoon. I had a 25km run to do, and the Santa Parade was due to start at 7pm. It was a race against the clock to make sure I didn't miss the parade for a fourth year, and I was slipping and sliding on some quite nasty ice for a good two or three miles before I was able to run properly and pick up the pace. The good news is that the legs and lungs were once again willing to work properly, and I got to the main street in town with 10 minutes to spare. Andy met me in town with a hot coffee, and we stood alongside the road watching the parade and feeling all festive, along with thousands of others that live in this wonderful little city.
Today - Sunday - marked the start of the my run streak which is due to last until the new year, and it began with a 3km run which kickstarted Runukkah. This is the virtual event organised by Sinister Sports, where you have to run an extra 3km each day for the next 8 days. On this day last year, I did Turkeys on the Trail with all three pups, and we did it in memory of our beautiful girl Brandy, who suddenly left us three years ago. i wanted to run with all three pups again today in memory of our girl, so I took them with me for the 3km run, finishing at the dog park where they were able to go off-leash and have a play with all the other dogs there. I love running with the pups so much although Tillie isn't always that keen on joining us, but today I had the pleasure of Wilson, Tillie and April, and it made me feel very happy.
Today's real session though was a 10 mile easy run which I try to do on the trails each week, to make sure I get those climbs in and don't lose my trail legs. Today I met a good friend in Edmonton, and we ended up hitting predominantly single track snowy trails in the Whitemud Ravine area. It was beautiful running around there, it was nice to get some good climbs in and have a natter, and I am happy to say that whilst I am still far from being the best on the hills, I am definitely starting to feel less intimidated by the long, steep climbs that I sometimes encounter. We ended up with a shade over 10 miles in around 1 hour 47 minutes, and I was feeling good. I'm probably going to regret saying this, but I did successfully avoid another fall despite the icy stretches, and I'm looking forward to next week's wintry adventures :)
Outside of my running, things are ticking along quite nicely. We are still working on videos which will be shared soon, the daily dog park visits are still tons of fun, and we will hopefully be doing some winter camping trips again in the not too distant future. Andy will be heading off to Newfoundland for a few days soon which will put a delay on a few things, but with Christmas fast approaching, those few days off from work will be so valuable and I am counting down the days until I finally get some time off work after all these weeks.
Until next week, happy trails and happy running my friends!
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