Tag: BMO Vancouver

17 Days…….75 days hard challenge …

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I’m trying this…75 Days of HARD CHOICES…….I guess this is a thing.

I’m still going to Vancouver, I’m still going to run the BMO 8K run/race, and I’ve just stepped up to work the Marathon Health and Wellness Expo while I’m there…….

I still have goals for the summer….and 8K on May 1st, a 10K on May 15th…..a half in August (with a lot in-between) and a full in the fall in Victoria….

This 75 is all about a reset…I’m going to think about it for a few days, and then make a hard effort starting this weekend….the actual program involves a gallon of water a day, following a diet, work out twice a day, 45 minutes each, and one workout outside, no alcohol, read 10 pages of a non-fiction book a day, a progress picture everyday…….I’ve added cut out added sugar, and a huge cut back on coffee to just one cup a day (getting rid of that will be for the next 75 days)…..

I’ve actually look yesterday at myself in the mirror and checked out my weight, and really didn’t like what I saw…..I’m not a huge fan of that scale, it doesn’t really measure anything, and that selfie with no shirt on…I thought I was fit, but nope, I’m fat…way too fat……and no, I’m not going to post that pix……..and yes, I am old, older, 63……

I thought this was me

my main goal is to become 10 pounds lighter..will I shrink and get buff, or stronger?…

I may modify the 75 days…..the gallon of water concerns me, but more water wouldn’t hurt, and less coffee would be a good thing too, or maybe better, no coffee…….no sugar for sure….and the working out, I can do 45 minutes a day, sure, twice a day, probably not…….but 75 workouts in 75 days, even better (I like doing lots of stuff) and I’ve decided no skip the dishes for, well, forever, but at least for 75 days to begin…….

Today’s Thursday, let’s begin……Friday?………sure….and I’m going to add 1 cold shower a day, and a walk every day for 75 days too….that’s a lot of stuff……

anyway, yeah, 75 Day Hard Challenge……..let’s do this?

66 Days. Hill repeat day!

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yep its time…..to build up that character?

I actually love hills when they’re part of a training route, but, well, just running up and down the same hill, over and over again I don’t mind, but don’t love….

Today was just a short warm up, and then 4 repeats up a hill that’s about 600 meters…..not hard, I always find the more I do the easier it gets…and immediately after, I feel stronger, quicker……

The tuff right now, is my hill is slippery, and there’s snow, was snow……so another challenge, but as I keep telling myself, the harsher conditions will make me stronger one the snow’s gone, and that BMO Vancouver Marathon begins on May 1st.

As well as the hills, today was a bit about looking after myself.

My MD said I needed to get a couple of shots, one to prevent shingles, one to prevent pneumonia, so that was today. It was quick, painless, apparently I’m supposed to get a sore shoulder, and because two shots, two shoulders, tonight the sleep may be an issue…but at least I’m protected, so staying healthy….but that’s a lot of shots….I’ve got the 3 for COVID, and one for influenza….so I should be bullet proof.

Yes, I wear a Lululemon tuque…..it was warm…….the run was good, felt good, my legs felt a bit heavy at times, not sure if that was the legs or the vaccines doing their thing….the best part….coffee at my favorite place, Good Earth……

I’ve given up on getting rid of sugar, I’ve just cutting back…instead of 3 coffees in the morning, tea constantly before bed…just 1 and 1, and then lots of water…maybe some hot water……

Today was the type of day I loved….not as much time on the couch watching the news…the news is horrible, I know I should watch and stay informed – I am Ukrainian – but between just being out, running, getting the groceries….shoveling snow..

Tomorrow should be good…the only planned thing is fasting over night, then I’ve gotta go get my blood work done and a few other tests – part of that being healthy again –

I’m hoping to get a short run done, maybe a visit to the gym….and to get ready for a busy busy weekend…….

I get to begin leading a run club Sunday which has me kind of excited…..a new group, a new adventure….

I’m two months into my 63rd year, hard to believe I’ve been retired for only 8 years, there’s been so much life between then and now, I have a hard time remembering what came before, but I have to admit, I constantly worry about what comes next……..but I guess, what ever happens, will happen..

w

Week 2 To BMO Vancouver Almost Done

Warren1 Comment

I’ve yet to book a flight, but accommodations booked, so that’s a start.

This week was a good week

Monday a rest day. A planned rest day. Which I never always do, or, um, never…but, was worn down, and when that happens, and I feel like doing nothing at all…..well that’s the sign that I should do nothing at all, rest, recover…watch TV.

Tuesday, a nice day, and a good easy just over 4K. It was going to be a timed 4K, so I could figure out my pace for a tempo run (fast, steady, not race steady, but close) … but it was icy, slippery, and I decided to begin up hill…so just a steady 4K-ish, that felt so good……pace ended up not being so bad….which is why I do this stuff right, to feel so good……and yep, this would be the hill…..

Wednesday A very good day. A run in the Edmonton river valley…a pretty sweet 7K, and then a 1,000 meters in the Kinsmen Pool…..it has been a while since I’ve done that…that at one time, used to be my morning, run, the weight room, and then a swim…..I’ve got, and the goal is, to get back to that, soon…more time doing than thinking about doing……but that swim felt so good, and the river valley felt like old times…….

Thursday Another really good day. Wasn’t up to anything…..wasn’t sure what I wanted..the plan called for a whole 3K, something hard to get excited about…so wandered down to our Running Room Store, dropped off the car keys, and went…5K later, done…a nice route, the trails were good, I felt fast at times..and strong….feels so good……..so a good way to move through the week.

okay maybe it was icy, real icy, lots of ice….ice everywhere, after a morning of freezing rain…..it’s Friday that was good……pretty much the same deal, without the ice….I just made up a route as I went along, Friday is supposed to be a rest, recovery, but, I knew Saturday would be tuff, to find time to train, so Saturday became a rest, and a recover whle selling shoes day, and instructing my virtual learn to run clinic..which was a blast as always..

Today was good…..I had a great sleep, as good as you can after that COVID booster shot, maybe that helped me sleep……..the clinic is a blast. today was good…71 are signed up, 38 showed up for the Zoom meet, we talked, how to run …..….form, mid foot strike stuff….breathing, paying attention to that breathing, this group is pretty engaged, I wish it could be in-person, but it is what it is, and I get to work with people from Vancouver Island to PEI, and even one from Peru, so awesome, and clinics always boost my mood

We talked about my form..and what was wrong with it…my arms, my overstride, my heel strike due to that overstride, and where I was….about 5K from the finish line at the Royal Victoria Marathon, I think 2006….so, starting to lose my focus, form falling apart a little…..

That was good……..race day is getting closer, I better book that flight (I’m not sure how badly I wanna get on a plane sitting next to other people)……….but this is starting to get, the runs have been feeling better and better, and right….the concussion has been rearing it’s ugly every morning, but less and less, so mabe by te time May 1st comes around…maybe I’ll be okay..

Sunday, tomorrow, is traditionally long run day, my gentle schedule calls for 7K, I wanna do at least 10K, somewhere….so lets see where this goes.

We get to run!

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Yeah……no training advice today, other than…just get out there and run…

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll already know that climate change has arrived, but not for the best……it seems someone somewhere discovered that 2021 was the warmest this planet has ever been, and they’re trying to correct that by making my corner of the planet the coldest….

This week, um, I turned into a wimp….the cold never used to bother me, but for some reason, the ice I’m fine with, the running in the fridge had me hesitating…..

I grew up in this…..as a kid, we’d be out at the rink playing hockey, or on the street playing ball hockey….in high school we’d be walking 2 blocks to the nearest restaurant for coffee with a jean jacket to keep us warm……but now, even -25C has me turning up the thermostat and thinking about using the bike trainer…

I do this stuff to get outside and run inside…..the fresh air, just being outside….I don’t use this for fitness – well maybe a little – I just like running (maybe Forest Gump was on to something)

Today, I spent most of the morning arguing with myself……was it too cold, was it okay, and what would I have to wear…….and as usual, as soon as I stepped out the door, I was fine

Sure it took a while to warm up…I had to double up the gloves, and had a lot covering my head, and the start was so slow, but yeah, as soon as my legs started moving, I was fine…

I’m not sure if I should have gone further….I’ll try again tomorrow, and on the weekend……

Training for the Vancouver BMO Half Marathon has to kick off Monday, so it’s time to make that commitment…..and hey, Saturday is January 1st…..I’m not going to make a resolution (well maybe) it’s time to get off the couch……..

This Week to Vancouver

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So the plan this week….and even though it’s Tuesday, well, I’ll may do this Tuesday to Tuesday….

the whole goal for the next two weeks?…Keep training, and building towards January 1st and Half Marathon specific training…so

MondayOFFThe head said take a rest day
TuesdayAn easy 4KJust getting fit building that base
Wednesday3 K Zone 1After work, looking for a trail
ThursdayA challenge, find a hill – swimTo the Kinsmen/River Valley for some fun
FridayOFFChristmas eve, and I need a day of rest
Saturday (Christmas)3K steady…before Christmas dinnerI’ll just have to get outside
Sunday7KMaybe in Edmonton, but probably in St. Albert a little longer, and little slow?
MondayCross Train after work so SpinWill get on the bike

That’s sort of going to be my weekly template…..Thursdays will become more hills and speed training….

Sundays; long and slow..and the rest of the week, may transition to more cross training (bike, swim, XC ski) to take the feet off of pavement, away from the constant high impact…..and as I can, more off road trails…….

Right now, it’s CHRISTMAS!!!! so just doing anything for a few weeks will be the goal….some focus, work on the strength and base, and get ready for January, and being 63!…..working on the base, indurance anything……with the snow and ice, looking for speed is not going to work, so consistant, and work on that plan…..I do want to start adding weights, and swimming to help build strength…..it’s been a while

Vancouver’s Booked, time to train!

WarrenLeave a comment

So May 1st is 131 days away……

Can I run a Half Marathon, and train for it….and fly to Vancouver to do that half…

I’ve done it often………and Vancouver is my favorite place on the planet…

My head has been, well funny…..is this concussion ever going to be done?…..I’m into my 3rd year, and it at times seems to be getting better, the toughest part of my day is the first start of the day, the head just hurts and right now for some reason…..it’s kind of more the upper back of the head today, rather than just behind the eyes.

The rest of me feels kind of good……running feels good, no issues, nothing hurts…I’m nowhere near where I want to be speed wise – at one time in my life, it doesn’t seem that long ago, 5:30 per kilometer, now I’m lucky if I break 7 minutes….I know it’s age, and I know it’s the conditions…lots of ice……so maybe once everything melts I’ll be fine……there are a few other, okay, one other health issue that I can’t figure…..I’ve mentioned this before, more snot and phlegm then any man should have…..I feel like a camel, I blow snot rocks and spit almost continuously, and if I don’t, I end up gaging and having to do all that anyway…

Last week was good, the week before better, this week is beginning okay……..today was effortless even, I thought I was quicker, and the ice was a challenge, but, felt good, during

I don’t look happy do I?…..but I was smiling at some points, and maybe inside….I ran on a short off road section which was good and sweet, and took a few turns on the paved trails that I hadn’t been for a while, and – surprise suprise – I managed to get lost at one point for a few minutes….

I’m still having to use my DueNorth Everyday traction aids again, and now that I know how to put them on properly, they seem to work great..I love the feel of those pins digging into ice, it just feels so comfortable and secure……no chance, nit a chance on falling…and with my Brooks Adrenalines’ I still get the support/guidence I need for my pronation issues, and my gait doesn’t change….so good, and hopefully once I get to run on bare tarmac, the speed will pick up.

I’m tempted to try a few of my other shoe options in the days to come this week…it’s still too slippery to go without traction, so my Saucony Peregrines will have to wait, but maybe I’ll test out the Brooks Levitates tomorrow with YakTrax and see what happens……they don’t have the support of the Adrenaline, but, with the traction, and mostly running on snow and ice and some trails, I think I’ll be fine….

In May 2022, I wanna see this view for 3 days..and I wanna run something……so the training begins, now to commit!

w