5k Training Fun

Running this summer has been different – but the same.

I left you early June. It has been my loss. I missed talking to you. You’re becoming like friend. And this I like.
I wish I could say I’ve been on a “running circuit”; while I have been running, it has been more like a personal search circuit (see yesterday)…. and yesterday I promised I would update you on my running. So here goes.

I will add pics, but want to get the words out first… hope you’re patient, for today I “speak”.

O.K., here is a list of my running events this year. I actually started last fall, right after the 9.5 km run around the breakwall in Stanley Park. I had already collected a half marathon training programme, and gave it a try. Well, I got through the first half of these 13 weeks, and then life happened, I was away, and kept running, but not enough to keep up with this half marathon programme. So, I restarted – a few times. Likely I overtrained, in the end. Not good. I’m not sure which is worse, to overtrain or to undertrain. Anyway, whichever it is, on April 3, I ran my first Half Marathon, the April Fools Run.
The route on the Sunshine Coast is a tough one (at least I found it so). Because my goal was to finish, and I wasn’t really judging myself against time, I opted to start with the early starters, hoping to be at the finish line in time for the post race activities. And so I was, 3 hours and 47 minutes later. 21.5 km covered. For me, I left it all on the line. When they put that participation medallion around my neck, I looked skyward and “said”, in my heart, “this one was for you, son. To mark your first anniversary, April 1st”. And I brought it home and it still sits by Tommy’s picture. Guess it always will.

Two weeks and very sore feet later, I did the Vancouver Sun Run. For the second year in a row, I grouped with colleagues from Tommy’s company, along the race route and for lunch afterwards. Time: my best for this race – 1 hour 10 minutes. Guess there was residual from all my half training. A really great day. And lots of “business talk” about Tommy’s engineering skills and outdoor adventures with these folks.

In June, I ran with the Engineers without borders… this was my third year with these young engineers. Because my son was an engineer, this group has become very near and dear to my heart. I love that they see need in the world, and give of their talents and time, some of them, their best young years, to help folks around the globe secure the necessities of life – like water. They teach people how to do this and how to maintain the project, all the while providing the engineering know-how needed to accomplish the task.

Hats off to EWB. Because these “kids” are so young and quick (like running used to be with my son), I thought about doing the Half marathon with them that day – but only for a few seconds. I knew they’d all be long gone home before I came anywhere near the finish line. I’ll have to have a few other Halfs under my belt, first, and have a much better time. SO, I did the 5K run that day. Stanley Park again. It was an absolute blast. So many people having so much fun and for such a good cause. Social after with a bbq and a chance to catch up with these kids about what they are now up to. We “traded” supports – I support their cause, and some of these great kids are supporting Tommy’s memorial scholarship fund.

And here I am. I haven’t done a race since the end of June. I usually do a race in July… didn’t work, because, well, you know – life. This time the “life” was very special. My daughter just finished over 6 months travel in south east Asia and came to spend some time with family. wow. Maybe I’ll get a link from her for her pics etc.

I will do one or two more this season. I’ll keep you posted.

Since June, to make sure I kept running, I adopted a “summer model” …. ENJOY THE SUMMER! Knowing I HAVE to be out there running if I am to enjoy the summer, this is what I’ve been doing. – 5K morning and 5K evening. Interesting. BEAUTIFUL to watch the change along the wharf from morning to evening. Fun to watch the float planes coming and going as I pound out the distances. AND my feet so battered by all the training for the half marathon, seem to like this, as well.
This is “Mary’s Summer Programme”, and not necessarily based on scientific research about how much training “good” it is doing me. But at least I am still “in there” and can ramp up quickly, to train for anything 10K and under…. (half is not a quick train). And I’m sure lovin’ running like this. And 10K a day is keeping me fit – for now.

I will post race pics and captions …. I’ll try to do this tomorrow, for you.
Following this, I’ll talk about the specifics of some of my training schedules and post some of these for you to see.

Just a note about running on this coast in the summer. I love it. Running early a.m. (as long as it is daylight), and watching all the folks take off in their float planes. I especially love it when the pilot comes looking around the dock for his passengers “time to go”. You gotta feel that! At sunset time, you can’t beat the beauty of my dock and again, the last of the float planes coming in for the day and the sail boats quietly slipping in for the night. The mountains are a backdrop to all this, as you peer at them across the marina at the end of the dock. If I look in the right direction and far enough down the chain of mountains, i know Whistler is there… and my son spent considerable time on those mountains.