Monday 24 March 2008

Mouse in a Maze

Yesterday was our Five Hour Group 26K run. Most of the other Marathon runner’s took the 19K route. They had run the 26K last week. As previously mentioned we are one week behind in our training due to the weather.

So, the three marathon newbies started out with our route in hand, Garmin’s set and off we went.

Temperature and wind played a huge factor in our run route. Again it was really cold, when I left the house.

My thermometer was registering 11 degrees F with 30mph winds and a wind chill of FREEKING BLOODY COLD!!

Yes, the temperatures are in Fahrenheit just so our American friends can see how hardy or block headed we Canuks are.

We started off in one of the subdivision just so we would not have to spend so much time down the road with the open fields on either side of us. However, we had to end up on that road just to get us back into the main subdivision where we were going to do the majority of our distance.

I felt like a mouse in a maze after awhile. Up and down streets where the houses all look the same, passing the same stores and same recreation centres loop after loop....but it beats running out on the main streets where it is so icy and windy.

Have you ever had one of those runs where things happen in three’s? Well I did...early into the run I wasn’t concentrating and ended up tripping over a chunk of ice, what a klutz, I almost did a complete swan dive to the pavement but luckily I managed to right myself.

This seems to be a habit when I run in the winter. Maybe my legs are just too cold, or as admitted, I'm not concentrating.....then after a pit stop, I was having a sip of my sports drink when the container slipped from my mitts, hitting the pavement and shattering the top. Another sports moment as drivers are shaking theirs heads, probably thinking to themselves, what the heck are they doing out in this cold???

No biggy, I’ll just get another drink on my next loop back and chuck my broken container that I got when I was in Arizona. So I pick up a new sports drink after one of our many loops and proceed to drop the lid of the new drink onto the slush and crap that was accumulating on the street. Oh well you have to eat a peck of dirt before you die!

Small stuff, but when you are really cold and running in the wind for 26K, it can start to grind on you.

We got most of our run done and had to head back to the store where we had parked our cars.

Being Easter Sunday the store was kind enough to open up for the regular runners so we could have a warm place to congregate, stay warm and have a pit stop before we all headed off on our respective run. Thanks so much!!

By the time we returned they had closed early so they could enjoy a family day.

We in turn just headed for our car's, with a quick hug, a high five and a Happy Easter, we headed home to warm up with a hot Epsom salt bath, well that's at least what I did.

Now I have to fess up here a little, the photo's of the penguin's and the runner's at the turn around are not mine....I, in fact, stole them from K.C. Stine's blog Running on Empty. The photo's are from a friend of K.C.'s who ran the Antarctic Marathon...check it out on K.C.'s blog.

Can you believe that the temperatures were warmer there than what we've been running in all winter, granted, it was their summer!!! K. C. is relatively new to blogging and has expressed a keen interest in training for the Tinman Triathlon. I'm sure he'd appreciate any pearls of wisdom you could toss his way!

Anyway, when I got home and checked my Garmin, we were running for just over 3 hours and 38 minutes not including our pits stops and having to walk on sheer ice of quite a distance.

Next Sunday is our 30K Around the Bay . I'll let you know how all that goes down...but I'll be "talking" with you before we leave on Saturday!

Enjoy your journey one step at a time!

Lily

17 comments:

jahowie said...

I don't know how you can run in those cold temps. You are a lot more hardcore than I am. :-) Nice job!!

Unknown said...

I admit that I am a chicken. I cannot even run in that kind of temperature. Thanks for thinking of us by using Fahrenheit. Appreciate it! I cannot understand why people are using Celcius. I would think 11 C would be kind of warmer than 11F. Great report!

Rudy said...

Hey Lily,
back home in AK. As I rolled into my neighborhood at the lovely hour of 2:30 a.m. the thermometer in the sign by the highway said it was 34F in the dead of the night.

I might start growing oranges if this keeps up LOL

Good luck on your trip around the Bay

Marcy said...

LMAO! I saw that pic and thought "OMFG she's crazy" even if it's not an actual pic of the run, STILL 11 degrees plus 30mph winds is nuts! You are DEFINITELY hardcore my dear! I think around 20 degrees is my limit LOL

Anonymous said...

Wow Girl. You have got some dedication going on there. That is just too cold for this desert rat. GAH! I was shivering just reading.

Much luck on your Trip around the Bay, girlfriend. I will be thinking good thoughts and sending up prayers for you.

love and hugs,
~ Blondie

Wes said...

Yea, you Canuks are hard core, and crazy :-) but I love love love it! Way to go!!! I hope the temps are at least near freezing for your 30K!

Bill Carter said...

Hi Lily

Well, you just did something that I am absolutely NOT capable of. I am a bit (OK a lot) of a freeze baby and I would have died on that run.. and I am not kidding. It probably would have taken until the spring thaw (if there is one), but my frozen body would have eventually been found.

All joking aside, great job on your run. We runner sure are stubborn aren't we?? Unstoppable some might even say.

Anonymous said...

I am so totally and completely depressed with this weather. Completely and totally. I gave in and ran 3 miles today. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarg.

You are going to love Around the Bay. (OH and check out Saint Ralph before you go... It's a cute little movie about Hamilton.)

Anonymous said...

well I hope the weather in Hamilton is better than by Lily's Bay....
True grit is what I have to say....I know you'll do well... and indeed... penguin weather is about how it feels eh?
good goin' girlfriend! (-:
Ter

P.O.M. said...

That is Completely Insane Running! You win the "hardcore award" for sure!

Jane Hards Photography said...

when it's cold here we use Clesius, but when it's hot we use Fahrenheit.
Crazy Brits eh, no just idiots.

I bet that mouse's maze is bigger than my island.

Far too much running,reading your post is wearing me out.

Anonymous said...

hey Rudy... there's gotta be something wrong when that far up you';re feeling the spring time... and we're not even close to seeing anything... though I have noticed that the bulbs right next to the house are peeping out of the ground... surrounded by a TON of snow...
keep on runnin Lil... keep on runnin.... ( not much ELSE to do in Hamilton anyway! )

me again,
Ter

Unknown said...

Penguins, indeed!

It only hit 91F here today.

KC Stine said...

Hi Lily - getting tired of all the cold, eh? Can't say I blame ya. I got one run last week in shorts and a T-shirt and then it started snowing on Saturday. Lots of wild swings this time of year in the heartland. Hey, it was nice that you convert the temps to farenheit for us, but how 'bout the distance. I spent way too much time trying to figure out how far 26K is....lol

I appreciate you giving my blog some press, so to speak. Hope your training continues to go well, your marathon appears to be not too far away, is this going to be your first?

Take care......

Mendy said...

OMG! Seriously I've said this before but I don't know how you do it! You're HARDCORE - that's how. I was complaining cause it was warm the other day, then cold yesterday (and it was in the 40's). I won't complain anymore - instead I'll come here and see what you ran in.

Wow- way to be setting the example and dedicated!!

David said...

Hardy or block headed...hardy or block headed...

I'm sure one begets the other! ;-)

Way to brave the temp (or lack of temp) and get the long run in. That's some serious dedication!

BTW, I don't think Peeps can survive in those conditions, which is why you aren't familiar with them. LOL

triguyjt said...

you are a very hardy woman, lily... nice run and I kinda figured you didn't shoot the photos. props to k.c. on the nice stuff...

i bet easter was real nice after the run, right???

have a good one.