I woke up at 7am and had some crystal light and a medium sized blueberry muffin. Run time was 90 minutes away, so I needed to start thinking about what I was going to wear: which shoes, which technical shirt and so forth.
I've broken my habit of not stretching prior to running and stretched my hamstrings. The SI joint pain I've been having, and the complementary problems have gradually made my runs more and more painful.
Today's long was was supposed to be a quick and painless 12k. I even joked to my girlfriend (the night before) that it was basically a rest day.
As usual the meet-up place is Brainsport on Broadway Avenue.
The blueberry muffin was a big mistake. I learn this painful lesson (again) around the 4th kilometer. A moment later my left lateral ligament in my left knee is starting to feel like hell. Hmmm, I wonder, how am I going to complete today's run?
Sure enough, it gets worse as we descend on the dirt trails off the river at a fairly fast pace. Despite a general lack of ice anywhere, I actually manage to stumble on a rock, but that was as close as I came to falling down.
We pass the Mendel Art Galley and I do a hit and run check in on Four Square and unlock the "Warhol Badge".
The wind is brisk (at 40kph in some places), and this fact is killing our pace.
After six kilometers we come to a stop and turn around, but not before some of us refuel. In an instant, cliff bars, gels and assorted consumables are in the hands of the other runners. I generally don't refuel during runs under 16k, but if I were going to refuel, I'd eat a banana or have a GU (or other power gel).
Rather than heading to Saskatchewan Crescent, we stay on Spadina Crescent and complete out run "out and back" style. My knee responded well to the Tylenol tablets I had taken on the run. I'm certainly not pain free, but I'm not on the verge of dropping out of the run either (as I was two weeks prior).
After we reach Rotary Park (roughly 11k into our run), we do a hill. To my own embarrassment, my breathing is becoming more and more labored. Soon I'm wondering what the hell is happening to me that I'd be winded from a simple hill (and given how many times I aced the Williamsburg Bridge in New York, my concern is legit).
Then comes a gentle wave of stomach discomfort. Could it be that swallowing Tylenol and gulping water on the run was a bad idea? I've never been sick on a run before, but I'm getting close. My god, I thought when it was all happening, am I actually getting my ass kicked by a 12k run?!
I'm relieved when we finally arrive at Broadway Avenue.
When my girlfriend and I drove to a late breakfast later, we both noted the strong winds and swirling dust of snow, as well as the fact that it was a chilly -3C outside. I asked myself: I actually ran in this?!
Sunday's race in Saskatoon (which I didn't register for) is a 5k fun run by the Saskatoon Zoo Society. Although I love the idea of the race, I want my first race in Saskatoon to be a timed event. That said, the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon on April 27th is coming very soon... and I am registered.
I've broken my habit of not stretching prior to running and stretched my hamstrings. The SI joint pain I've been having, and the complementary problems have gradually made my runs more and more painful.
Today's long was was supposed to be a quick and painless 12k. I even joked to my girlfriend (the night before) that it was basically a rest day.
As usual the meet-up place is Brainsport on Broadway Avenue.
The blueberry muffin was a big mistake. I learn this painful lesson (again) around the 4th kilometer. A moment later my left lateral ligament in my left knee is starting to feel like hell. Hmmm, I wonder, how am I going to complete today's run?
Sure enough, it gets worse as we descend on the dirt trails off the river at a fairly fast pace. Despite a general lack of ice anywhere, I actually manage to stumble on a rock, but that was as close as I came to falling down.
We pass the Mendel Art Galley and I do a hit and run check in on Four Square and unlock the "Warhol Badge".
The wind is brisk (at 40kph in some places), and this fact is killing our pace.
After six kilometers we come to a stop and turn around, but not before some of us refuel. In an instant, cliff bars, gels and assorted consumables are in the hands of the other runners. I generally don't refuel during runs under 16k, but if I were going to refuel, I'd eat a banana or have a GU (or other power gel).
Rather than heading to Saskatchewan Crescent, we stay on Spadina Crescent and complete out run "out and back" style. My knee responded well to the Tylenol tablets I had taken on the run. I'm certainly not pain free, but I'm not on the verge of dropping out of the run either (as I was two weeks prior).
After we reach Rotary Park (roughly 11k into our run), we do a hill. To my own embarrassment, my breathing is becoming more and more labored. Soon I'm wondering what the hell is happening to me that I'd be winded from a simple hill (and given how many times I aced the Williamsburg Bridge in New York, my concern is legit).
Then comes a gentle wave of stomach discomfort. Could it be that swallowing Tylenol and gulping water on the run was a bad idea? I've never been sick on a run before, but I'm getting close. My god, I thought when it was all happening, am I actually getting my ass kicked by a 12k run?!
I'm relieved when we finally arrive at Broadway Avenue.
When my girlfriend and I drove to a late breakfast later, we both noted the strong winds and swirling dust of snow, as well as the fact that it was a chilly -3C outside. I asked myself: I actually ran in this?!
Sunday's race in Saskatoon (which I didn't register for) is a 5k fun run by the Saskatoon Zoo Society. Although I love the idea of the race, I want my first race in Saskatoon to be a timed event. That said, the Saskatoon Police Half Marathon on April 27th is coming very soon... and I am registered.
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