A Snowy Fall :-)

After Iron Legs I had a few easy days to recover but I'm now back into the flow of things with my training as I start to build up again for Javelina Jundred in just 6 weeks time.

I've never really been a high mileage runner when it comes to ultra running. I remember doing a 100 mile week once - it was several years ago when I had a difference coach and I ended up feeling extremely tired with niggles starting here and there. We agreed to reign things back so I was averaging no more than around 60 miles a week - this worked perfectly, and it's the most mileage I'll do in a week even now, unless it's a race week and the race is 100k or more!

Whilst my mileage may be low compared to others that are training for 100 milers or 24 hour races, I have always included a good balance of quality in my sessions. My current coach Adam is of the same mindset and he always includes tempos, negative split runs and progression runs in my schedule to get my body used to running a decent pace even when it's tired. Of course recovery is also important, particularly now I'm older, and nowadays I will have a couple of rest days each week with some easy paced runs thrown in the mix too.

The session I find most difficult is the tempo run. I really struggle to keep a hard pace going for very long, and I always look for excuses to either slow down or even stop for a few seconds just to catch my breath. This past couple of weeks, I've had a couple of tempo runs in my schedule and I've been extremely grateful to Julie who has joined me for some of these sessions - we may run at different paces but we both push each other which helps to ensure we both have a good session and put in the effort.

Last weekend I had a 6 mile tempo run to do but rather than run around the streets of Leduc, I registered for the MEC 10k road race at Terwillegar in Edmonton. I hadn't really looked at the course description and having ran an average 6.42-mile paced tempo a few days earlier, I was hopeful that in .race conditions, I could maybe get close to 40 minutes again - this would be nowhere near my PR of 37.06, but it would be the fastest 10k I had ran for a while.

Julie had also registered for the 10k and was hopeful of a PR, so we travelled up together and were both determined to give it everything we had.

Unfortunately neither of us hit our target times. The weather had turned much cooler and the brisk wind literally took our breath away which made running at a faster pace even more difficult. In addition, the course was extremely hilly as we dropped down to the river only to climb up the other side, then turning around and doing it all again in the opposite direction - 600 ft of climbing doesn't sound a lot but over 6 miles it was tough. I managed to hold onto 3rd placed lady in 46 minutes and something, whilst Julie was less than a minute behind in 4th place. We both felt like we had ran as best we could, but for me personally, I did feel a little frustrated - sometimes we runners can be extremely harsh on ourselves!

Road Running Fun - I really don't enjoy 10k races these days!

The good news is that the race wasn't really a target race so the disappointment didn't last long and I was raring to go as a new week started.

The weather this summer has been beautiful and for a while, we had temperatures hitting the 30 degree celsius mark and higher. I really enjoyed those days - yes they were hot, but not Phoenix hot, so I was coping pretty well and having some good runs. But last weekend, things started to cool off and by Wednesday afternoon and into the evening, the snow had started to fall and temperatures overnight were falling below zero. Thankfully the Leduc Runners were still happy to meet up and we had a great run around Telford Lake, whilst the dogs got frisky and had lots of fun digging and diving in the snow at the dog park.

Small group of Leduc Runners this week in the snow :-)

I love the cooler temperatures and I have had some really good runs this past few days despite the weather. Fortunately the snow didn't stick on the pavements so I was still able to run outdoors, but it was definitely wet, definitely chilly and on some days the wind was a pain. Julie and I did a 5 mile tempo run and the cool air made breathing difficult, and yet we both managed a really good pace, but this weekend, the snow really came down and it certainly felt like winter had arrived early. I still ran outdoors and enjoyed every minute and I have to say that I was feeling fit and strong, and even the faster pace was starting to feel easier - I can honestly say that I haven't felt this good since last year in the build up to ATY 24 hour race, and that ended up being a fantastic race with just over 129 miles covered which earned me selection to the GB 24 hour team.

A snowy run in Leduc this weekend :-)

Autumn in Alberta = Snow!

My next major race is Javelina Jundred and I am hoping that I have a great run there, but I also have Desert Solstice 24 Hour Race in December. With just 6 weeks between the two, it's going to be tough recovering from one but still being in peak condition for the other as I try to improve on that 129 miles to once again put myself in a good position for selection to the British 24 hour team.

I've actually had another good year of racing so far but with the big move and one thing and another, I sometimes forget what I've already done. I'm one of those people that always looks forward to my next goal but sometimes I have to stop and look back to fully appreciate what I've already achieved so that I don't put too much pressure on myself.

Of course, the weather in Phoenix in October is going to be somewhat different than what we've been having here in Alberta this past week and I do need to brace myself for the heat and blazing sun. I'm sure I'll be fine but over the next few weeks I need to somehow get my body used to running in the heat again - with my preference for running outdoors no matter what the weather, and with a broken treadmill, I'm not entirely sure how I'll do this but I'm sure I'll find a way.

Next week I'll be running the Rivers Edge Ultra 50k as a long training run in preparation for October. I'm excited about racing again and looking forward to another race in a different location. I won't be going there with any expectations of times or positions - I just want to get out there, enjoy the fall colours and have some fun :-)