Crazy Busy Baseball Day

Alright, based on the zero comments left on my last post I'm guessing that I may be the only runner out there shaving just one knee for taping purposes, and perhaps most or all of you find this somewhat objectionable. If so, I apologize, but this is a running blog and, good or bad, what comes from running gets posted on here.

That being said, here is a recap of my weekend:

Saturday: Rain Rain Rain, and so no baseball. No running either, but that's only because I wasn't planning to run anyway!

Sunday: Oh man, where to begin... I think bullets are in order:

• This day started off with me coaching my 5-Pitch Softball team in the league Quarter Final at 8:30am. We'd been rained out on Wednesday night and all day Saturday, so that explains the early start. As the second-last team in the standings we were playing the second best team, one that had only one loss the entire season (and that was to the #1 team, which had no losses at all). First inning we were down 7-4. Second inning the kids played awesome and we ended up tied at 13-13. So, given the tight schedule we were off to extra innings, and therefore setting the whole jammed schedule back even more to the delight of the Convenors. Third inning, we were still tied 21-21! Now the Convenor said, "OK. Play one more inning, but this time it's one-pitch." (This league is 5-Pitch, meaning the kids get five chances to get a hit, and so the kids now had to hit the first offering or go back to the bench.) We ended up scoring 3 runs on a total of 11 pitches (we had 11 kids playing and they all get to bat in each inning), the other team was shut out. We were off to the Semi Finals!
• After this one-hour game that took over two hours to play I jetted off back home to get my long run in. By now it was hot hot hot and I was about to head out at 11am for a 18km run under the full Sun. The notes on this are below.
• The Semi Finals were less dramatic and we romped to another unlikely victory. Owen, my son that is, hit a grand slam home run to power our side right to the Finals!
• The Finals were played right after the Semis and the kids were gassed. We put up a great fight by lost by three runs to the #1 team, which was still undefeated. Congrats to them, and a big congrats to my team of kids. They were amazing to go from second last all the way up to runner up! Lots of great memories for all.
• Then it was off to coach the Rookie Selects team at another park. This league is made up of the best players from the House League and quite competitive. We play 7 innings and the game took us to nearly 8:30pm, finishing my twelve hours of crazy baseball for the day. I finally would get to go home and eat some dinner!

The Run: Like I said, this was a hot run and my body responded accordingly. The beginning was kind of kinky with my legs feeling tight, but after a couple of kilometres I was loose and feeling great. At about 5k I started to drink from the bottle of Gatorade that I'd brought along and would take a few sips every two kilometres. This worked quite well for me and I was cruising along nicely. My heart rate was elevated, up into the 150s and 160s BPM but I was still able to test whether I was running easy by singing the ABCs. Weird how the heart rate was so high and yet I felt easy?! Then, with about 5k to go, I started to really hit the wall. From this point on it was a mental struggle just to keep going. With 4k left I'd taken the last of my Gatorade and stopped off at a washroom for a pee and to fill my bottle with water. As I started back into my run for the last 4k I felt really super gassed. I also kept a keen eye on my watch because the Semi Final game was going to leave me just enough time to shower. I figured I could ice my knees in the car on the way to the game (which I did). By the end of the run I had also finished the entire bottle of water. Like I said, it was HOT out.

In the end I managed 18km in 1:40:42 for an average pace of 5:35/km (8:59/mile). The average heart rate was 159bpm, but this was due more to the heat than the pace, which I kept on the easy side. It was great to get this run in, but I think the heat is something I will have to watch out for. Early morning runs will be the way to go if I can manage them.

Garmin don't lie.

A Busy Busy Thursday

Today was super busy on my end, but I still managed to get some exercise in. This morning was spent with the younger son as he had an appointment that I had to take him to, and we had a lovely time. It's so nice to just hang out a bit sometimes, even if there is some other stuff that gets in the way. I really should just take a half vacation day here and there when there isn't some other pressing reason...

Then, after I dropped him off at daycare, I sped off to the pool for a swim before going into work. I was one of the first out on deck and got to swim through still water for a few hundred metres before others started jumping in. It was awesome! I managed 1500m in 22:31 and headed off to the office.

The afternoon was also quite busy as things at work have really ramped up recently. I am also studying for a professional certification exam at the moment, so time outside of work is tight as well. On top of all that I had my second baseball practice with the team this evening. It went quite well, the kids were happy, the parents were happy, and our first game is this Saturday.

This evening, as I watched the Jays win their fifth series in a row to start the 2009 season over the Texan Rangers I managed to do the old strength routine. 3X50 sit ups, 3X35 push ups, and 3X8 chin ups. I also did most of the ankle/foot strengthening routine, which I have to post about sometime. It's pretty involved and takes a long time to complete, which explains why I haven't had the time or energy to write about it. Some of the things I have to do are difficult to describe, so a camera and pictures will have to be involved. It will be time consuming to do this post, I can tell, but I'd still like to manage it.

Now, back to reading up for next week's exam.

15k LSD, then the Jays TCOB

It's been a fun weekend, full of great weather and lots of activities. Yesterday I repaired our BBQ, and then Mon went off on a 2.5 hour search for propane. Since last year, when a big propane facility exploded, a lot of the places that used to refill tanks have been closed down as the City does it's safety thing. Many of the other places that do tank exchanges were totally sold out, so I guess we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the summer like conditions to have our first BBQ of the year. In the end, we managed and everything worked out.

Today was back to business as far as running goes and I headed out early in the morning (well, early for me), hitting the road at about 7:30am. I planned on running pretty easy given the fact that my two previous runs were pretty intense and my quads were tighter than they have been in weeks. The weather could have been a little warmer, but it was sunny and clear, not very windy, so I wasn't about to complain. I ran a figure eight that allowed me to run a good portion in the Don Valley and Taylor Creek Park trail system, which was very nice. No cars or traffic lights to worry about.

I managed the 15km in 1:25:59 for an average pace of 5:43/km, or 9:13/mile. My heart rate averaged out to 149bpm, and it only spiked on a couple of uphills. I also walked the long stairs leading me out of the valley and so my 13th split was quite a bit slower than all the rest at 6:47 (10:56/mile pace). It was a pretty good run, though as I mentioned the quads were super tight. Also, my right foot was quite fatigued by the end of it. I'm not running again until Wednesday and I hope the two full days of rest will be good for recovery on all fronts.

Garmin don't lie.



After the run we headed off to see the Jays play the A's in the rubber match of their three game series. The Jays have been surprising a lot of the so called experts, who predicted a last place finish in the AL East for the team. Coming into this game they were 9-4 and boasted one of the best offenses in the Major Leagues. Today's game was not a hit fest, however. Instead we were treated to a pitching duel. The Jays prevailed 1-0 and have now won all four of their mini series to start the season. Their pitching is mostly young and unproven, but so far so good. They will likely cool off a bit in their hitting, but they showed me something today in winning a close game with a rookie on the mound. The boys had a great time as well, and since we got group discount tickets from Scouts Canada we sat pretty close to the field up the first base line. Here are some pictures from our great day:

The boys before the start of the game:



Malcolm likes popcorn A LOT!:



BJ Ryan (aka. "Cardiac Arrest") delivering a pitch in his save attempt:



After the game Owen bought a new ball with his allowance money, and Malcolm angled for a new hat:



Malcolm's game face, with the new hat (scary, huh?):

Day-Off, Trippin'

We're off to Ottawa for the Thanksgiving weekend, Canadian style, this evening. A 4.5 hour drive after work awaits, with the boys in the back hopefully falling asleep so that I can listen to the baseball game in peace (no idea who I will end up rooting for - Red Sox aren't doormats anymore, Tampa Bay shouldn't be this good yet: I'm so confused!). I'm glad that I've made Friday an off-day for just such occasions, and hope that the foot will be good enough to go for a slow 10k run tomorrow by the canal. I will be running with my wife on this occasion, and that should not only be fun, but will also force me to chill and not push the pace the way I typically do with sometime less than happy results.

The foot is feeling a bit better, but not yet 100%. I am not sure if it is smart to start running until I am completely pain free (though it is worth stating here that I haven't been in that state for the better part of a decade, so it's all relative), but I also need to balance the fact that with each passing day I am losing conditioning. I figure that if I can run between now and the race and manage the pain, then push it during the race itself, I'll be able to take some time off if the foot issue continues to linger. It's just a case of plantar fasciitis, I'm sure of it, but I don't know if I can cause major injury if I continue on my plan for the next two weeks. Anybody have any advice? I don't want to risk too much, but I also don't want to have all my training go to waste.

See y'all on the weekend, and good luck to everyone running races! I am entering Owen in the Turkey Trot on Sunday, a 1k race for kids where they get to wear a chip timer and everything! Thanks to Nat for turning me onto this event - Owen's going to love it!

Baseball Champ, and 6km Run in New Shoes!

So, on the shoe search I went to New Balance Toronto last night and, lo and behold, indeed I am a 12.5 normal width footed homosapien. The NB1062 was definitely the shoe for me, but the store only had a 12.5 in extra wide at the downtown location. I was a swimmer, but I don't have webbed feet! After getting them to get another pair transferred from another location, I left somewhat dissappointed, but looking forward to the Monday arrival of the new treads...

Jump to this morning... I woke up too late to go for my planned 6km run before Owen's Championship Baseball game, so that's what was on the menu for the first half of the day. As a proud Dad I must report that my son's team won in a classic "come back" type game - they entered the bottom of the fourth inning (the last) four runs down, and managed to score 5 to win 11-10! Here are some pics of the memorable occasion for all to ogle:

Owen getting ready to play in the big game, Dad forces him to stop for a picture:

Mom and Malcolm: the tension is palpable!

In the on-deck "circle":

Loin-Fruit #1 with his trophy, happy endorphins coursing through his veins!

The triumphant "Green Giants" with their trophies, coaches, etc.:

Naturally I took a couple of videos of the Loin-Fruit's at-bats, and may attempt to load them up later... Let's just say they were spectacular for now!

After the game, the boys got hot-dogs, the parents reminisced. Once we got home I started getting antsy and decided to check the availability of my prospective sneakers at the other locations around Toronto. The first place I called had a pair and I made the decision to drive up there and pick them up. I even got a free running shirt out of it since that location was running a promo. I should have taken a picture of it, but didn't... Here are the shoes just before my run:

So, I strapped them on, put on the Garmin accoutrements, and off I went on my "easy" 6km run. I walked ten minutes, then started up on what I thought was a slow pace. The first kilometre was feeling good, the knee was cooperating, and I was yet to get blasted by the heat. Tears were streaming from my eyes on account of the friggin' ragweed, but I didn't care because the 1062's felt awesome! Not too plush, not too firm. Definitely a good first impression. By the time I dropped into the Park I was feeling great and didn't care that I was running well below the prescribed 6:00/km pace. I paid for this by about kilometre three, first with a stitch that would be my running parter for the duration, and then by the hill that would take me out of the Park back onto the roads. I ran the first 5km in 28:34 and was definitely pushing to hold the pace for the last km. The Garmin don't lie, and my HR was way higher than intended. I guess all I know how to do is "tempo" runs, but I have no idea what that actually means, just want to sound cool...

In the end, a great day! Hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday as well. Oh yeah, the cherry on the top: Red Soxs 0 - Jays 11!!! Oh yeah!!!

Details:

The google image of the run!

Jays Win! Final score 6-4

It was great to take the little guy to a Jays game and have them actually win! Over the last three years I have a miserable record when attending games. Prior to last night the Jays obliged just once, losing every other time I took Owen on my own. When my wife attends, on the other hand, they almost always win. Needless to say, when the A's jumped out to a quick 3-run lead in the second inning I was thinking, "Here we go again..." But the enthusiasm of a six-year old knows no bounds as Owen was positive the Jays would get the four-game sweep over the struggling Oakland team. Having other little guys from Owen's baseball team there was also cool as they all had a great time. By the time we left (after watching the "World's Fastest Grounds Crew", a bunch of guys that run out from behind the left field wall, sweep the dirt of the turf around the bases, change the bases, and rake, then run like hell back from whence they came) at the conclusion of the 5th inning, the game was tied and one of our favorite players, shortstop Johnny Mac, was the key to the comeback and eventual victory. On the way home we listened on the radio as the Jays took a lead on a bases loaded HBP (how thrilling!...), and then watched BJ Ryan close it out. It was particularly sweet to see Frank Thomas (who I don't dislike, but his grumbling earlier this season as a Jay was hard to take given the money he was being paid) hit into the game ending double play, turned by who else but Johnny Mac of course!.

I forgot to take my camera, and am still deciding whether this blog will be a picture-rich or picture-poor endeavor... Hmmmmmmmmmm.

In other news, I watched the documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" while icing last night. If you haven't seen it I recommend it as a good diversion. Corporate America is completely insane in this case. I'll never figure out why GM did what they did.

Rest, and the Jays

With the knee pain (patella femoral, IT band, gettin' old) lingering like a bad dream, it's probably a good thing that I won't be home tonight working on my paper and tempted to go for a run. Instead, I am taking my older son to the A's vs. Jays game! We normally go to one or two games a month, but this year we haven't gotten out since April. He loves baseball, plays on two teams, and is riveted when watching the game even though he's only 6. I remember his first game three years ago when a friend of mine, on the spurr of the moment, suggested we go see a game. I figured Owen would last an inning or two and then we'd be heading home. He was on the edge of his seat the entire game, and within days had all the player names memorized, knew which side of the plate they batted from, and could recite their uniform numbers! Needless to say he corrected me a lot when we played in our backyard pretending to be various Jays players as I would invariably make a mistake in batting from the right side while pretending to be a lefty. Anyway, we're off to the game and my running is on hold for the day.