Days off and ATB Race Photos

Yesterday I did absolutely nothing exercise wise. I had meetings off site, so no lunch time swimming, and then in the evening I felt totally wiped and couldn't even get the energy up to do my strength routine. Today I was planning on another easy 5k, but after more massage therapy (this time on the quads and ITBs - let's just say OUCH and leave it at that) I've decided to skip that too. Perhaps I will do the strength stuff instead...

But enough about that! I finally received the much anticipated email announcing that my race photos from Around the Bay are ready for purchase (um, yeah...). Here they are for your viewing pleasure, if you can call it that. Two observations I have:

1. I look like I'm in serious pain in every one of these.

2. And what's with the permanent "thumbs up" I seem to be flashing to all bystanders? I had no idea that I ran with my thumbs up in the air like that. Weird...








And lastly, can you spot me in this photo?:



What about in this one?:

Good Ole Rabbit Ears!

I have nothing to report, given that I spent the entire day yesterday at the library working on my paper, and am continuing to work on it today. I did manage to finish a first draft, which was the goal, and I took the day off as far as chin ups go.

However, this is what I found to greet me when I came downstairs this morning: a Bunny playing on the computer!



That's one pace bunny I can still keep up with (for now)!

Sun"Day" Off

Last night I was feeling pretty good from my 7k run, but I was super tight in the muscle(s) on the right/front side of my right leg. I think it's the one that pulls the foot up into dorsiflexion and also acts to absorb shock when you land. I've never experienced shin splints so I don't really know what they feel like, but I must admit that I was somewhat worried that this may be what I was experiencing. I massaged it, I stretched every muscle I could from the hips down, and even got creative with trying to get that particular area to feel a good stretch. I then popped a couple of ibuprofen before bed and hoped for the best in the morning. Luckily today the muscle feels almost back to normal, so maybe I dodged a bullet. The body adapts to everything without me noticing it and I think that's cool, but I sure wish it would just hurry up and adapt to letting me run pain free for a while!

Also yesterday I found my chin up bar that's been packed up in the garage since our move back in May and installed it. I also blew up our yoga ball and am starting to get prepared for home workouts when my gym membership expires in January and I no longer have access to weights in the same way. The gym that I go to is called Frog's Gym, and it totally sucks. The people running it don't care about it at all, the place is always dirty, running out of paper towels and spray for cleaning off machines, and the treadmills are always breaking down and not getting fixed. Last year my wife and I prepaid one year's worth as a way of making a commitment to exercise, but I think the running has us inspired enough to continue without the gym in the picture. In short, they haven't earned my repeat business. I figure that between push ups, sit ups, chin ups, lunges and stuff I will have enough resistance exercises to keep me fit in the upper body and support my running.

Tomorrow calls for another easy 5k, and I am considering getting it done in the morning before work. We'll see if I can drag my ass out of bed in time!

Oh I forgot! I picked up the Tom Jordan book Pre on Friday and finished it that night. Over the weekend I read it again, and it's obvious that I enjoyed it. Although I still can't put my finger on just why Prefontaine continues to garner attention, and he certainly has mine, but I think at least a little of the fascination is a result of his dying at such a young age. No doubt he was a terrific athlete, and his approach to racing, charismatic personality, and dogged fight against the corrupt AAU are part of the complete picture as well. The biggest impression I was left with after reading the book is that Pre was such an energetic person, always doing multiple things as fast as possible, trying somehow to fit more into the day than anyone else - it's almost as if he subconsiously knew that his time on the planet was limited and he had to get as much done as possible before it was too late. Anyway, if you haven't read the book check it out. Though it is mostly an account of his races from high school until his death, included are numerous personal accounts by people who came into contact with Pre that help to paint a picture of the person and not only the runner.

Making a Commitment

Although I am not really ready to start heavy training, and am hesitant about starting back into some easy running, I have made a commitment to a race and distance that just a few weeks ago I would have though was unthinkable. No, I am not planning on any marathon or anything, but I have registered for the Around the Bay race in Hamilton in late March, 2009. 30k here I come!!! I'm going right past the half-marathon distance for some unknown reason! This may be nuts, but I am not willing to miss this opportunity by waiting until the last minute only to be disappointed because this race has an entrance limit. This is the oldest distance race in North Americe and also very popular, so I decided to pull the trigger now. In the same spirit, I almost registered for the Boxing Day 10 miler, also in Hamilton, but because that is a lot sooner I thought I'd better see how the foot feels over the next two weeks and then make that decision. I am still fully committed to running in this race also, but for some reason I don't have the same sense of urgency to register right now.

Tonight I am not running on the treadmill, or doing anything else. I have some schoolwork that I need to finish and submit, and then I will do the whole ice bath thing on the foot. My treatment this morning was positive in that the doctor said I can start running nice and easy since that won't do any more damage to the foot, but also painful as hell when he worked on some muscle stiffiness I've had in my upper hip / lower back area. It was one of those experiences where I couldn't help laughing because the pain was so crazy! Someday this body of mine will adapt.

It HAS to!

And lastly, my lovely wife forced me to hobble up the stairs to check on the boys and here is what I found: my 4 year-old fancies himself to be some sort of Aquaboy! Do we take the goggles off and risk waking him up, or leave them on and risk him having massive circles around his eyes all day tomorrow?

What a Night!

An historic election in the US, and I am very pleased with the result. Being Canadian, and unable to vote, I was still pulling for Obama to win, and I was hoping he would do so handily so that there would be no questions over his legitimacy. It'll be great to see what his leadership can bring over the next four years, and, if worthy, four more after that. Canada could sure use an intelligent and charismatic leader as we haven't had one in a long long time...

Other than that I find myself wondering what to write about these days. I am in r'n'r mode, waiting for things to heal up, and am unable to report any running activity on what is a running blog. That being said, I am thinking that perhaps my foot issue can be attributed to footwear and am wondering if perhaps my New Balance shoes, nice as they are, may be doing more harm than good. More conscious than ever of my running "style", if you can call it that, I notice that these shoes force my foot to pronate more than the Asics I was wearing before. This can be attributed to the super shock absorbing material that is on the outer edge of the sole of the shoe, which does not compress very much. I guess it is normal to go through different models of shoes before finding the right one, or is it? I am considering ordering the current version of my Asics shoes and seeing if they make a difference. I say ordering, of course, because I am in the minority with my 12.5 size feet and must "special order" with a "down payment" anything that is not in stock. I have to find a store that carries all the major brands in 12.5 so I can actually try them on rather than working blind.

No activity today, but I am back into doing the ice water - warm water routine for the foot, which is good. In fact, I have to go do that now!

Sick in bed

Yes, I've been off the blog for a few days, having caught a nasty cold. I managed a half-day at work on Friday, tied up some loose ends, cancelled some afternoon meetings, then spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. Saturday, ditto. Now it is Sunday afternoon and I've been in bed all day yet again, though I seem to finally be coming out of it. Whatever this bug was, it was strong, that's for sure.

At least the foot got some more rest, not that I planned on running this weekend anyway, wanting to give it at least a full week after the race to recover. I have another treatment with the doctor tomorrow morning, and I am sort of planning to go for a 5k or so jog tomorrow evening if the foot feels up to it. At the moment I think it should be OK.

Given the fact that I've gotten nothing accomplished in the last couple of days, that's all I have for now.

R'n'R, and it's not cool kind...

I don't mean rock'n'roll, but rather the much more geriatric rest'n'recuperation, and that's what I am continuing to do as I await the healing of the foot to run its course. It's actually quite pathetic the pain that this seemingly simple 10k has left me with, and I can't even begin to imagine what it feels like after running a marathon. I am not yet bouncing off the walls, but I sure am starting to itch to start running again. I am not interested in speed or anything, but rather the slow buildup of mileage that I am looking forward to.

I figure that the winter will be taken up with adding one kilometre per week starting at something fairly short and manageable. This strategy, coupled with maintaining strict heart rate and pacing in the nice'n'easy range (we really should use 'n' more often, don't you think?), promises to keep me on my feet while minimizing the chance of any overuse injuries.

So, I will try and relax and keep this foot on the healing path. I did manage another swim this afternoon, and that is helping to keep me sane. 2000m in 29 minutes. No weights tonight, though, partly because I am writing this week off, and mostly because it is Owen's

7th BIRTHDAY!

... and that kept me busy for the evening, as you can imagine. Now it is late, and I am still to do some stretching and some foot maintenance stuff, so it's time to sign off. I've been so busy this week that I haven't really had a chance to catch up on all of the blogs out there, but things should get back to normal after this week at work, or at least I really really hope that they do!

Is this normal?

It's been a few days now since my first ever race, and I am still more sore than I thought I would be. I suppose that's what happens when you spend three quarters of an hour with your heart rate up in the 90-100% of max zone, essentially turning your body into a lactic acid factory!

On the foot front, I am not too worried. Yes, it is sore, but I have another treatment tomorrow morning and I am not planning on running until I am totally pain free. The quads are just starting to feel better, and I no longer have to clutch at the railing when walking down stairs, which is a relief. It's still a slow way down, and I can't really attempt to carry anything heavy while doing this, but at least I am moving in the right direction.

However, the subject of this post is something completely different: the post race blues. I am itching to get back out there and run, but as mentioned above I am not going to until I am OK foot wise. It's the feelings of "can I do this again, and if so will I be able to push myself as hard?" that have me a little confused. The longer races I am planning on entering (Boxing Day 10 miler and the Around the Bay 30K) are so long that I am NOT going to actually race them, choosing rather to simply complete them at a decent pace that will allow me to keep training and won't leave me hobbling for a week afterward. How do you prepare mentally for another race (I'm referring to another event where you push yourself to the limit) when you now understand the pain that will be involved? Do the memories of pain fade with time to allow you to go hard again, only to be left with the same things to contemplate?

Anyway, it's heavy emotional stuff, and perhaps too deep for one of my shallow mental capabilities. Or maybe I am just having a tough time verbalizing the post race blues, but I've read about this phenomenon and I guess that's what's happening here. Some people take a long time off after a race (I know, I only did a 10k and not a marathon, but it still hurts!) and others like to get right back into training. If it wasn't for the foot I'd be running again already to work the kinks out for sure. Whatever the case, is there an inevitable letdown after every race, or only after those that you enter with a specific time goal? I can't imagine being too down after an event that you ran easy just to finish, but I'll find out soon enough.

And lastly, official race photos have just been posted from the Niagara Falls race. Here's a decent one - all the others make me look like I'm malnurished below the waist...


And oh yeah, an interesting article in todays NYT about what partners of marathoners have to deal with. I especially like one guy who purchased electrode therapy thingamajigs for $900, and justified the expense to his wife after they both agreed on fiscal restraint! Marathoners are a strange breed to be sure...

And as I write this - THE PHILLIES HAVE JUST WON!!!

Contemplating the Future

Well, I couldn't get onto blogger.com yesterday for some reason, which I guess is just as well since I had a tonne of schoolwork to catch up on and didn't need to report on my "general body soreness", a favorite term in the NHL when the team doesn't want to let anyone know what the actual injury to a player is...

It seems that Blogger has been giving me issues when publishing posts for over a month, and I'm beginning to wonder how reliable this thing is. Perhaps I should switch to publishing straight to a blogspot.com account? If anyone has experience with publishing using ftp and a similar history of problems please let me know if switching is the right move, or if publishing to blogspot.com is also ripe with problems.

And yes, I am sore! My foot is definitely plantar fasciitising, and my quads are so stiff it is excruciating going up, and especially down, stairs. But it was definitely worth it, and in fact I'd probably be a little upset with myself if I wasn't sore.

This afternoon I went for a short and easy lunchtime swim and managed 1200m in about 18 minutes. I am not going to the gym tonight, instead choosing to rest my legs. I have another treatment scheduled for Thursday and I hope that the pain subsides by then since the treatment I received on Monday morning was super painful! (In a good kind of way, but pretty close to unbearable...)

However, the racing bug has got a good hold of me and I am already contemplating my next race. The one that seems like it will be a lot of fun, and far enough off in the future to allow for good recovery and a resumption of training, is the Hamilton Boxing Day 10 miler. This year will mark the 88th straight year for this event, put on exclusively by volunteers from the Hamilton Harriers Running Club. Apparently the route for the race has been the same since day one! Although I am not ready to run 16 kilometres, I think I will have enough time to prepare for the distance and I will not be running this as a race, but rather for fun and to finish. Also, one can register with the option to get some pretty good gear such as running tights and a jacket, two things I need anyway so this seems to be a perfect marriage of swag and racing fun!

The other one that also seems great, though a bit farther off in the future, is the Around the Bay race, also in Hamilton, at the end of March. That one is a 30km race, and is the oldest long distance race in North America. Yes, even older than the Boston Marathon!

In the spring I will be once again trying to go under 45 minutes in the 10k, most likely during the Ottawa Race Weekend events in May, but I figure getting some longer races under my belt, and running them to finish rather than to exhaustion, will be great motivation and training for a fast 10k. Sound good? It does to me, but I am tired and sore so who knows what this will feel like in the morning.

The Wife says: How do you stop it?

I thought she meant, "How do you stop him?", referring to me of course, and my impending conquest of the 10k, now a mere 11 or so hours away. What precipitated this unusual, though simplistic, query? Was there a rodent in the hotel room of whose presence I was unaware? Nothing against the fine folks at Motel 6, but sometimes one just never knows what the "6" refers to now that it no longer refers to dollars-a-night. Was it the possibility of a cramp that she was readying for and needed my assistance and nutritional know how to curb should it come to pass?

No, none of the above. Instead, as I sit in a hot tub placed right beside the queen bed (strange? perhaps, but it is Niagara Falls. Oh why didn't we honeymoon at a Motel 6 dear???) my sweet bride was laughing at me as I turned the jets on and then proceeded to wonder how on earth to end the bubbles from attacking my legs.

Oh yeah, ... press the same button again.

Anyway, we made it, a little later than planned, and now we are getting psyched for the morning! A mere 2.5k from the start-finish area, we are planning to use that distance as our warm up jog. It kills me to admit that prior to this one of us will have to drive down to the same general area to pick up bibs and chips and such - racing accoutrement and swag - for I don't think running too much before the race will be too smart.

Now my legs are hot (in temperature only I'm certain) and my brow is sweat-infested. The wife is reading, and the Leafs just beat the Senators. All's good in the world, except the Series. Damn weather! Although the "fine" folks at Fox are now saying the boys of summer are about to take the field, so a game is in the offing!

And now the fine Phiily folks are playing some kids fish song in a derogatory fashion as they announce the Rays players - you gotta love Philly!!! No brotherly love on this night apparently.

And now look at the size of that flag they're unfurling during the anthem! Me thinks they're compensating for something...

Cheers y'all! Catch you on the other side of racing participaction, for tomorrow, no matter what, I will finally join the ranks of those that can lay claim to the all important "PR"!

Friday Night Carbs

Yes, tonight we are ordering pizza and it's all good! It's movie night for the boys, and pizza just seems like a good treat for them and us as well. I unfortunately will not be able to watch the movie since I absolutely must start on a paper that I have due next Tuesday, but I will definitely have my share of za! It's a good thing that this is a slow sports night, an off day for the World Series as well as for me, or I'd have real trouble with the whole schoolwork thing. Did anyone else do a "what the f$%k" on the home plate Umpire last night or what? Talk about stage fright-induced incompetence!

Today I saw the chiropractor again and my foot is feeling better. I am not pain free yet, but if bodies heal in spurts I seem to have spurted in the right direction. If things stay like this for Sunday, it's all systems go, and if they improve, even better. Whatever happens it's going to be so much fun running with all these other people around! I find it hard to hold back when someone passes me on a training run, so I can't imagine what it will feel like to have hundreds of runners all focused and jacked for a fast pace taking off and racing!

We are prepped (is that a word?) for the cold wet weather that is expected on Sunday morning too. My wife went to the local Thrift store and picked out for me just a lovely sweatshirt that I can wear prior to the race, and discard at the last minute. I don't have the energy to find the camera to take a picture of it now, but no doubt one with me wearing it prior to race time will find its way onto this blog at some point in the next few days...

Lastly, good luck to all who are racing this weekend! In particular I want to wish my fellow GTA runner Marci a terrific marathon at Niagara Falls!

I'll try and blog tomorrow night after we arrive in Niagara Falls, but I don't know how reliable the free "high speed Internet" is at this motel we're going to be staying at, and I don't think I'll have anything to post about during the day that can't be summarized with the words "school" and "work" and "crap".

Until then, let's just hope it's not THIS cold on Sunday:



Oh yeah, one last thing: yesterday's post marked the century mark for me, so that's something I guess. Who knew I'd still be running and blogging!

Considering a Pacing Strategy

Although I haven't left much time for comments on my last post, I have consulted some more with other runners I know and with various Internet articles on 10K strategies (thanks Marcy!), and will strap on the good ship Garmin for the race. I think this will be the only way that I will be able to gauge my effort and speed given that I am a total novice and don't have the years and miles in the bag to guide me.

That being said, at this point in time I am shooting for the moon: 45:00 or less! What the hell, it's my first race, I might as well try my best to set a benchmark. If I die and finish slower than this I will have metrics for training toward my next 10k. And if I do manage to reach my 2009 goal now, then I can re-evaluate and come up with another goal for next year.

As such, I have come up with the following race strategy and am open to all feedback from everyone, good, bad, ugly, ... whatever! "Hit me with your best shot", as the song goes.

Here are my planned splits by kilometre and the total time:

1k 4:40
2k 4:40 (9:20)
3k 4:35 (13:55)
4k 4:35 (18:30)
5k 4:30 (23:00) I managed a 22:28 in a 5k training run, so I think this is doable.
6k 4:30 (27:30)
7k 4:25 (31:55)
8k 4:25 (36:20)
9k 4:25 (40:45)
10k 4:15 (45:00!) I figure that I can shave another ten seconds if I just giv'r, eh?

So, that's where my head's at right now. It may change as the race gets closer, and I will continue to tell myself that I will be satisfied with any time as long as I cross the finish line completely spent. I think the above is reasonable, with the caveat that I don't have past race experience to draw upon to come up with that conclusion, nor have I trained long enough to be confident of my predictions that I will be able to stay in the 85%-90% range of Max HR for the first half to two-thirds of the race while maintaining these pace goals.

Anyway, there she is - out in the vast open space of the Interweblogosphere, for all to ignore, dissect, digest, piss on, or revel in, whatever the case may be. I've exposed my brain to you, now it's your turn to tear me down or build me up. No pressure or anything!

I should also mention that my Dad thinks I will go under 45:00 (he's just being fatherly, but it's nice to hear), and my doctor, who's known me for all of five days, predicts a finish in the 42:00 range (which makes me question his qualifications somewhat, but it's also nice to hear). Based on the fact that HE doesn't know me at all, and neither do any of you other than in electronic text form, feel free to make your own predictions! Maybe I will come up with a prize or something for the one who comes closest? Hmmmmmmm...

What to do? What to do?

Sunday finds me resting from all exercise, and doing the whole ice water - hot water thing for my foot. I hate to admit it, but will do it anyway: the foot feels worse today than I'd hoped it would, and now it's just a matter of making it to the race, running hard and preparing mentally for the pain that will likely set in afterward. My mantra will be "ignore the pain" for this first ever race.

As far as what I SHOULD be doing today, schoolwork schoolwork and more schoolwork. If procrastination was a sport I'd definitely compete, but alas it is not. I suspect many out there could give me a run for my money in that department, but I am still proud of my abilities in this area, which I've been cultivating for many many years.

So far today I've folded four loads of laundry, have a fifth in the dryer and a sixth in the wash (don't ask why so many if you don't have two kids, and if you do you know what I'm talking about), driven the boys across town to my Dad's place for the afternoon, dodged the Toronto marathon on the way there and back, picked up some awesome food in the Polish part of town, iced/heated the foot, listened (and continue to listen to) the Bills game, played some guitar, and am now blogging... I have to go back to my Dad's for dinner and to get the boys in an hour and I guess I should TRY and do some work now... blah!

Hope the weekend finds you all well, and have a great start to the new week tomorrow!

UPDATE: My wife just got back from her training run, and I am proud to report that her goal for next weekend's 10k (sub 60 minutes) has been attained today! She managed a 59:56, and I wasn't even there to push her or anything. She did admit to the value of Garmin as a motivational feature in training though. Get your own now that you too are addicted!

Her Garmin stats are here.

TGIF

What a week... Other than the computer issues, the loooooong trip back from Ottawa, feeling under the weather, and seeing a doctor about the foot it was pretty normal actually!

Today was a relatively quiet day at work, and I did have another treatment at the clinic. Let's just say that if one grades the value of physio or chiropractor treatments based on the amount of pain (in this case "good" pain) then I am getting my money's worth. He was working out some stuff in my quad today that was excruciating. The foot he did do some stuff on, but after the quad and hip treatment that was mild by comparison. I think it is helping in that I can localize the parts of my foot that are inflamed and no longer feel this overall pain whose origin I can't figure.

As far as running goes, today was an off day. I am planning a 10k tomorrow, hopefully in the morning although that depends on how early I can drag myself out of the house, and the outdoor temperature is sure to be icy. Biking with Owen on the way to school this morning I saw some people scraping ice off of their windshields, a sure sign of things to come. The forecast says tomorrow morning will be just above the freezing point. I guess I'd better get used to it, and Toronto is one of the warmest places to live in Canada. I love Vancouver, where it is pretty warm (relatively speaking) year round, but I'm not sure if I could handle all the rain. Toronto is usually pretty dry in the winter, with all the snow bypassing us just to the north, and temperatures jump around the freezing point sometimes to the point of frustration - like winter can't make up it's frggin' mind or something...

By hey, it's Canada and I love it!

Good luck to all running races this weekend. I apologize for not having the energy to list you here, but I am sure looking forward to reading all the race reports!

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!

Crazy Busy Off-Day

It's been a day off from running only. I spent the day putting out fires at work, though not dealing with children in the same way that Maggs had to recently, but lots of people looking for answers that I could only provide if IT could provide me with the answers to my questions, which of course they could not, and I was stuck covering for them, and you can imagine the rest...

Afterwards, I had the kids to myself tonight, and that was great, though it does make it more challenging in terms of picking them up, cooking dinner, keeping them happy, getting them to bed and all the other stuff that goes with two over-energetic boys. I can't imagine how single parents do it 24/7!

Friday night is movie night, though not too strict and we don't always get a DVD, but tonight the boys and I watched Ratatouile and it was a good choice to be sure. Not too scary, not too cheesy, and lots of laughs. I really hope they don't want a rat pet now.

Now it's late and I've had it. I'm glad the day has come and gone. It's time for sleep and tomorrow morning I am up early for a slow'n'steady 10k in what will likely be just above freezing temperatures. Yikes! I did manage to pick up a pair of running pants and a long-sleeved top designed "outdoor activity" today at MEC, one of my favorite stores for all things outdoors. I saw a few other great things there, like an awesome jacket for winter running, and I'm sure they will see part of my paycheque in the not too distant future for this and other things.

And lastly, ankle's still cooperating.

Day Off, and a New Coffee Maker

Yes, yet again I find myself with a day off, and it feels good. The ankle is a little bit sore today (more than yesterday, which puzzles the brain), but I am still optimistic for my 10k tomorrow.

While waiting for this network migration thing to really hit the fan at 5pm, I decided to walk to the local Sears and pick up a little coffee maker for my desk. I've stopped buying coffee at various places around in an effort to reduce this expense (man, this addiction can really add up over the year!), and have been drinking (yeah it's pretty bad) INSTANT COFFEE!!! Blaaaaahhhhh!!!

Well, those days are behind me now that I have one of these sitting beside me, complete with percolating sounds that sooth my jangled nerves:


It's small, comes with a mug, and a reusable filter! I am enjoying my first cup from this little machine right now, and the results are good.

Now I should also mention that, although this $20 purchase is the highlight of my day, we also blew almost a grand on a new dishwasher since our current one sucks major ass. We end up rinsing, then putting the dishes in the dishwasher, and then washing them again upon completion. Ummm, yeah... I cannot revel in the glory that will be a new dish washing slave right now since delivery and installation is not for another couple of weeks to accommodate our work schedules - damn it! Work getting in the way again! I'm sure y'all can identify with this, especially in the context of appliance delivery. Who the hell is willing to wait while the delivery people show up sometime in an 8 friggin' hour window!!! We arranged for evening delivery and weekend install, so it's all good, but we have to wait.

All the best to those running marathon and half-marathon races this weekend! Stay loose, and have fun above all! I look forward to a flurry of reports come Monday.

A Little Sore

Well, rollerblading definitely works out different muscles than running. I am sore in so many places today I can't even believe it! (And No, that is not a picture of me over on the left. I'm not that muscular, and I don't do jeans with no belt.) It's a good kind of sore, and definitely highlights where my weaknesses are. Hips and butt we already know about, but I also feel it in the small of my back, the obliques, the groin, hamstrings, quads, and even the outsides of my lower legs. I definitely recommend this to anyone as a good cross-training activity. Of course, I've only been once but plan on doing this again and definitely doing some ice skating in the winter.

Last night I just couldn't sleep. Not sure if it was the muscle soreness, or the wine, port and a little scotch I had when we had a couple of friends over for dinner, but I woke up at 2:00am and could not get back to sleep. I decided to catch up on some schoolwork, thinking that this would make me drowsy in no time, but ended up working until 4:00am! I'll probably crash tonight, and may even have to squeeze in a nap this afternoon (unlikely to happen given family and stuff). In any case, it was tough waking up this morning, but the kids made sure I didn't sleep in and waste away the morning. Thanks guys!

NOT!!!

Tomorrow I will contemplate running again, but the chances of this happening are slim. The ankle issue is still lingering and I don't want to push it. I will likely rollerblade again and hopefully work out some of these tight spots.

Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday of running or a well deserved off day!

Day off, Ankle Stuff, and Calorie Burning

Today is an off day for me: no swimming, no weights, and definitely no running. The ankle is perplexing me a little. Sometimes I think it's starting to feel better, and then I do something standing up for a bit, like washing dishes, and it swells right up again. I think that I'll go buy one of those support sleeve things for it just to keep the swelling to a minimum, not expecting anything else from the contraption in the "support" category. I have a proper ankle brace, but I actually think it did more damage than good when I was using it in my Ultimate Frisbee playing days. The more I used it the more my stabilizing muscles atrophied and eventually I was way worse off.

Tomorrow is supposed to be my first 10k run, but this is not to be. Instead I will strap on the old rollerblades and go for a bit of exercise that way. I remember reading in a cross-training for runners type book (the book is Runner's World Guide to Cross-Training) that rollerblading or skating is the best cross-training activity for running because it uses the mirror image muscles to running, those that tend to cause knee and IT band problems when you ignore them. My knee has been feeling better as I've been improving my hip flexor and glute strength, so this activity should not hurt. And yes, I will head home if I feel a twinge in the patella!

I also was checking on the calorie burning front with a calculator I found on the web how rollerblading compares to running, and it seems they are very similar (based on time spent doing the activity and not distance). Also, it looks like my 20k or so of biking each day from home to work and back again burns more than I expected (500-600 calories), which perhaps explains why I always seem to be hungry. (Isn't it lunchtime yet? I am starving right now!!!)

On that note, I am going to find some food. Have a great weekend everyone, in particular those taking part in races!

Day Off, Making Plans

So, today is an off day, and my legs are in serious need of this. The last week was quite intense, in retrospect, and it will definitely pay off down the road, but I need to recover. Still haven't decided what to do for the coming week - stay with the routine of increased distance and intensity or back off a little bit? Also, I have to get to work today on my grad course or risk falling behind early, creating much unnecessary stress down the road. It's the last one in my program and I am finding motivation hard to come by...

As I sit here typing this, having turned the computer on so that I could upload my wife's morning run stats from the Garmin, I am wondering what to do with the kids this afternoon? The forecast says rain, lots of rain, but right now the sky looks pretty clear. It was an indoor day yesterday on account of rain and I'd like to avoid another one - we're all bouncing off the walls a little bit and getting stir crazy. Perhaps another trip to the zoo is in order... Scope out the Zoorun route... We'll see.

Anyway, hope y'all are having a great weekend, running and otherwise. For any racers out there all the best and here's hoping you meet your goals!

Day Off, and My Little Guys

Recovering from my bike accident and, happy to say, I don't feel as sore today as I thought I would. Tonight will be spent preparing for my son's Birthday party (Malcolm's turning 4 tomorrow) and I hope to have enough done to fit my 9k run into the morning before kids start arriving. The weather is looking clear up until mid-morning or so, and I'd like to continue getting myself used to the morning run on Saturdays. If this doesn't work I'll just have to go in the afternoon and run through the rain, not a bad option really.

Nothing else to say really, except to proudly report that my older boy has now finished his first week of cross-country running and is enjoying it. Not only that, but he seems to be running through the optional walking portions as well! The coaches hold up a green card when the kids are supposed to run and a red one to indicate that they can walk. Owen told me that he has only had to walk once, while I am repeatedly telling him to pace himself. Anyway, I'm very impressed with the little guy. Wish I could claim that my recent running has been his inspiration, but he was talking about this since the first week of last year when he was in grade 1 and could not participate. Go Owen Go!

A Soggy Sunday Over Par

Today I was part of a golf tournament that a friend of mine puts on each year for a charitable cause. Up until this morning the forecast was for sun, sun, and more sun. However, by the time I left the house it was clouding over and things were not going to improve. In fact, they only got worse. Much worse...

Mercifully (or tauntingly, depending on your perspective) the rain held off until all four of us had hit our first tee shots. We were near the end of all the groups, so it meant we'd spend the most time under water possible. At first the rain was a steady kind of light thing, but constant. Then, at about the third hole it just started to piss on us and did not let up until about the 14th hole. I was not ready for this (stupid me!) and had nothing on me but a long-sleeved t-shirt. Needless to say I was soaked through, freezing, and could not grip my clubs. This led to more than a few being flung around, but luckily nobody got hurt. I was surprised that play was not suspended on account of all the standing water. It was crazy to see the stream of water pouring off the ball as it rolled around on the greens! I guess my 102 (par was 72) was not bad given the conditions. I even had a par on one! My worst hole was the first, where I scored a terrible 9, but given that I did not get to swing any clubs at a driving range prior to the round, and this was my second time golfing in years (ankle, thanks again!) I wasn't that displeased with it. I thought 9 would be a GOOD score on each hole, and luckily 7 was the worst I'd do from that point on... Definitely the coldest and wettest round of golf I've EVER played. Still beats a kick in the head I suppose, though I didn't have the same kind of day as the old guy from Caddyshack (but am still alive, and for this I should be thankful):


I did not bring my camera (good thing since it's not water proof), but a few pics may get posted here in the next little while. The videos of me swinging may never see the light of day, at least on this space.

Anyway, after coming home and slowly warming up I am feeling my knee more than I was anticipating. Ice strapped to both the knee and ankle I am sitting waiting for the 8pm NFL game to start, and wondering how I'll manage the planned slow 8k tomorrow...

Day Off, Drilling In More Than One Way

This morning I was due to see the dentist for a cleaning and another checkup of a tooth that's been a little bothersome for the entire summer. The way I had made the appointment I was only supposed to get the cleaning and then have the dentist look at my tooth, expecting to have to come back in a couple of weeks for any fixing that needed doing. Instead, after the cleaning the dentist said he could fix me up right away - take out an old filling and put in a new one. Great... An hour later half my face was uber frozen (having to get two injections because the drilling was excruciating after only one), and then a major headache set in from some nerve that was hit as part of the drilling process. In all, this was still perhaps the best experience I've ever had at a dentist's office for a variety or reasons, but having to call in sick for the day was not fun.

After a couple of Tylenol and a few hours of rest the frozen face was no more and I was feeling a little better. Not wanting to waste the entire day I decided to venture out for a haircut. I hate getting my haircut almost as much as visiting the dentist, so you can imagine that it was time to go. Also, if I'm to start swimming then having shorter hair will be a must.

Anyway, I arrived at the hair place and was informed that it would be an hour and a half before my turn, so I sat there thinking what to do with myself. Go back and watch Jankovic vs. Dementieva? ie. sit on my ass again? um... No! Instead, I was off to get a coffee and the Home Depot to get going on the calf stretching machine. A piece of plywood, some screws, four hinges, and some non slip tape and I was out of there. Wow, in a Home Depot for less than four hours! A record for me.

So, after the haircut (nothing interesting to tell) I dug out the jigsaw and drill and went to work in the garage. Although the Home Depot did not have 3/4" ply in a small enough piece (I hate waste), I decided to get the 1/2" and make do. In the end I had to double up on the part where one has to stand so that the thing wouldn't bend under my weight. Here's the result:

I can't claim the patent on this thing or anything since I got the idea from a similar contraption at the physios, but she wouldn't sell me the thing even if I'd asked since she only has the one and it was built for her by some guy by special request. (Hmmm, perhaps other physios could use these things? Do I have the entrepreneurial spirit??? Hmmmmmm...)

Anyway, I set it up to go up on four different angles so it should be good to go for a while. I am supposed to stand on this thing for at least ten minutes every night. Having already done so to test the thing I can report that it definitely works! Soon I'll be as flexible in the lower extremities as a synchro swimmer... NOT!

Tomorrow morning I'll be off for an 8km run to test the knee again. Tonight, it's more ass exercises for me and prickly boobs.

Peace!

Day Off

A nice hot day to take off. The weather for Labour Day weekend has been amazing, definitely summer like. As I listen to the Jays beating up on the Yankees (4-0 in the 3rd, though it is early in the game and the Evil Empire is always capable of mounting a comeback), I am contemplating the 7km run I have to do tomorrow. Will it be a morning adventure, while the temperature is still not too hot, or the usual evening run? In any case, I will once more endeavor to keep the run at a relaxed pace, somewhere in the 6:00 - 6:30/km pace range. Stay tuned...

Now, back outside!

Day "Off" - Cleaning

This was not planned, but today turned into a major cleaning binge on the house. It all started with a seemingly harmless sweep of the kitchen, and before I knew it I was doing the whole house and had the entire family involved. I guess they felt guilty seeing me work or something, but in the end the place needed a cleaning and I choose to believe it was THAT and not my efforts that provided the motivation. The Garmin went for a ride on the good ship Spouse for the first time, and I think she enjoyed the experience. I wish there was a way to set up two profiles on the watch, but based on some basing research this is not possible. Of all the great ideas that Half-Fast has for Garmin, this would make a valuable addition from my perspective. I don't think we'll be spending another $300 for a new watch, but I'd gladly pay a token amount for a firmware upgrade.

Sorry for the boring post, but it is late, I am tired, and I must off...

The Quest for Footwear Begins!

Having convinced myself that new footwear is crucial to my running, I am planning on heading over to the New Balance Toronto store this evening to see if I can find something with tonnes of cushioning for my 12.5 sized canoes. No idea if they stock them, can't bring myself to call and be disappointed, plus I've never seriously tried New Balance shoes before so maybe a 12 or 13 will be right for me... Here's the model I'm really keen on for its shock absorption and high-arch accommodation, the NB 1062:

The other model that they recommended, in a response to an email I sent to their "ask the expert" thingy, is the NB 862:
Anyone out there wearing either one of these? Thoughts & comments are always welcome. I suspect my quest is unlikely to end tonight, and I will be faced with the prospect of "shopping around", a task worse that having my teeth drilled as far as I'm concerned. I suppose going to a brand specific store is giving me the hope that they stock more that the normal sizes of other retailers, but I have no way of knowing if this is actually the case (can't bring myself to call comment above). After reading Running Injury-Free a bit last night I at least have a semblance of explanation for why my feet grew by half a size in the last year or so: my rigid high arches may actually be loosening up from the activity! This is good news in an otherwise disappointing shoe-finding endeavor, and I'll take it! Hopefully tomorrow I can report on how my Saturday morning run went in my new treads!

Update: I forgot to wish Lifestrides good luck on his 1 Mile Challenge tomorrow! All the best in your quest to break 5:00 - that time is unbelievably fast, but you are so close and I bet you'll do it!

Travel Day

Drove home from Ottawa today. Took our time and went the small highway route most of the way, stopping a couple of times for the little ones to run around, etc. Great drive, not much traffic, and we're safe. I hate driving and avoid it as much as possible, and the big highways are such a pain in the ass for too many reasons to list. The sitting for 5 hours didn't do my knee too much good either, and I'll have to stretch and ice tonight (not that this is unusual) and hope that it's ready to go for another 5km run tomorrow night. I have to hold myself back and ease into running again, though I feel like a total loser running so little...

What's more to say when spending the entire day in a car? Not much. Nice to see Canada get a few medals on the board finally. Awesome swim for Ryan Cochrane in the 1500m, picking up a bronze medal and the only one of the entire meet for Canada. Not only is he the first Canuck to go under 15:00, he's destroyed that barrier and brought it down to 14:40. The 15:00 barrier in the swimming mile was akin to the 4:00 mile in running, just for reference, so to go that far under is unbelievable. He'll be someone to watch in London 2012 given that he's really young, especially for a miler.

Also of note was the sweep of the medals by the Jamaican women in the 100m. That country's 4x100 relays, both men and women, will be a must-see event for sure!

Happy running everyone!

Short Post before a Short Trip

Leaving in a couple of hours for Ottawa to meet up with the smallest of the clan (who's with his grandparents on his first adventure away from us!), so I'll keep this short. First, I am so entertained by the blogs I've been perusing for all sorts of reasons (too many to list here, but they are on my "Blogs I Read" section). In no particular order here's why: learning about running, getting through injuries, fighting through setbacks, great pictures, living vicariously through those in exotic places, and of course the timezone-spanning trash talk! I thought trash talking was perfected on the basketball court, but this blog version is perhaps superior because it leaves behind a record for all to see. Awesome stuff...

On my way to pick up the older of my two boys, heading out of town in my efforts to avoid cottage traffic, I will be picking up The Perfect Mile from my local library. Thanks to LifeStrides (by way of Nitmos) for turning me onto this book. Now that my course is over, and the paper is handed in, I look forward to reading for fun and not for school, and this sounds like a perfect entry into the literary world of running. I also have a bunch of books on order at the library dealing with training for 10ks and injury treatement, etc... I'm so wonky I'd better prevent as many kinks as possible or risk feeling like one big mega cramp. If anybody out there has fave books they would like to recommend please do so! It seems like Ultramarathon Man has come up a few times in blog posts and comments, so maybe that's where I'll go next, in words if not in miles...

Today I drive, tomorrow I run! Patella don't fail me now...

Gettin' Antsy... Ain't Gettin' Old.

As I prepare to attend the last lecture of my summer course, and putting the finishing touches on my paper (I am projecting that this will actually happen tonight, Olympics and all), I am feeling like I haven't been running in far too long. Last Friday was the last time I managed to get out, but since then the combination of knee pain and paper writing has forced me to lay low. Tomorrow I will be driving to Ottawa, thereby preventing me from jumping back in for another day. Saturday is THE day, though. I am going to start slow - just planning a 5k along the canal, nice and slow, nice and flat, lots of other runners (usually), lots of ducks... Can't wait! I'll wonder how many of the runners I pass along the way are into blogging...

Name the artist and song:

"Ain't gettin' old. Ain't gettin' younger though.

Just gettin' used to the lay of the land."*

* just how I'm feeling these days...

Update: A hearty "Good Work!" for michelle j. who correctly guessed that the above lyric comes from Neil Young's "Hawkes and Doves". Good stuff and thanks!

Day Off, "Going to Zoo, Zoo, Zoo. How about You, You, You?"

Back at the computer to work on the paper (why do I care so little when so close to the end!?!?!). The younger of my two boys is off on an adventure with his grandparents, so we are one down for the rest of the week. This weekend we're off to Ottawa to catch up, and I am definitely getting a run in along the canal! But until then, it's back to civil society organizations, WSIS, digital divide, net neutrality, information rights, and blah blah blah blah blah... and blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The knee is feeling better and better, though my hip flexors are so sore! I cannot believe how much these little muscles get worked out just by moving the legs around in a controlled fashion in a variety of ways. No weights or anything! I guess my coaches were right - I do have lead feet!!! The kick was NOT the best part of my swimming ability.

Anyway, I'm considering entering the Zoorun 10K on October 18th for my first running race ever! I think that will give me enough time to get through this knee issue and work my way up to the race. Being a complete running rookie I have no idea what to expect as far as racing goes. What is the etiquette, if any? Do people chat to you while running? Are they all just focused and talking to them is a big no-no? What is the start of the race likely to entail? (I'm thinking elbows and knees colliding. Lucky for me I am very sharp and pointy on both counts!)

I am not committing to this race, and will scout others that may be cool to do. But I must admit that the idea of having exotic animals cheering for you while you run by is very enticing... Oh yeah, and the kids will have something to do while their dad chugulugs around the Zoo. Here's what I expect to here at the finish:

Owen (6 year old): "Great job Dad... Can I have an ice cream?"

Malcolm (almost 4): "Yeah! Can I have an ice cream too? Dad? Dad? Dad? Daddy? You know whaaaaat? Uuuummmmm. Tigers, you know - tigers, they like to eat ice cream. Yeah, they do..."

Me (13 year old equivalent): "Help... Me... Up... Please... Must... Upload... Garmin... Data... Bones... Spock... Help... Me to get... Up... Must... Fight the urge to... Go... After the Green... Hot... Martian Woman... Stardate 2008-10... 1...8... Kirk... Over and... Out... Eat Bran Flakes... Stay Regular..."

Day of Rest, and Caffeinating

With the knee on the mend, but definitely not all the way healed, I have taken to heart some advice from a fellow runner (thanks Lily on the Road!) who has more experience than I and will approach my recovery more conservatively than I would otherwise. Also, my paper is still in the drivel stage and I fully intend to get it to first draft stage by the end of today. As such I will be partaking of more coffee than I should while my lovely wife is entertaining the boys for the day. She's the best!

I wonder what other runners out there think about coffee? Is it ok or a total no go? My love of coffee started when I was a bike courier and the winter months were cold and long. Getting on the bike at 7am when it was still dark, the cafes looked very inviting and I was hooked. Also, downtime, a good book and coffee just fit so well together. I've cut down recently, but having no coffee while holding down an office job seems nearly impossible. I particularly enjoy the social aspects of the "coffee break" and would likely miss that most of all.

Anyway, back to the paper, and of course the coffee!

Procrastinating, Icing, and Writing

It's probably the most perfect day (rainy, chilly) for me to stay indoors and work on my final paper for my second last grad course (yay!), and yet I continue to amaze myself with my penchant for procrastination (as evidenced by this post that I should NOT be writing). My knee is not so good, but not as bad as I thought it would be. After following a couple of the links left by Beachrunner411 on Lil Runner's blog, I realize that my left quad is WAY weaker than my right. This is very surprising to me given that my wonky ankle (perhaps to be explained in detail in a future post) is the left one, meaning that the right leg should have been the one taking most of the workload, thereby making it stronger. So, I figure my patella is being pulled out of its groove as a result of a weak muscle, and I have to wait for the pain to subside, then start strengthening it. My physio is in Beijing (go Canada Rowing!!!) so this is more self-diagnosis, but I think I'm on the right track.

So I should go back to the paper and get this thing done so that I can enjoy a two-week break prior to embarking on my last course, for which my care factor will be at an all-time low, if it's possible to care any less for this 30 page lit review on civil society participation in the digital divide debate!!! (I jest a little since this stuff is interesting, but I'd rather be doing something else...)

On a personal note, a special thanks to those who have left comments on my blog! For a running rookie, and a blogging virgin, this gesture is surprisingly rewarding and inspiring. I love it! And am amazed at this community on the web. Someday I will run my first race like the rest of you have already done!!!

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.

Day Off

No running yesterday, and unlikely that I will go for a run tonight. The knee pain is lingering and I think resting it is the right move. On top of that, as I near the end of my UofT summer course I have to devote some time to completing the final assignment, which I am behind on but still planning on finishing by August 14th. As much as I want to go out there and run again, it's probably more prudent to be satisfied with biking to work and back home, though this provides little in the way of exercise and can at best be called "activity".

Still no luck with MotionBased to get that long "lost" run up on their website, but I will continue to hold out hope. I really want to see the route I took and where I got lost - should at least be entertaining for the kids!

No Running on Saturday

Nothing yesterday. My legs felt super tight, especially the hamstrings. I spent the day with the kids at the Zoo, and that was more than enough walking. Lots of stretching and icing in the evening. Tonight I plan on another run, but hope NOT to get lost this time.

Lessons Learned - Knee Pain

Well, I woke up this morning with disappointment because I was feeling pain in my left knee just below the kneecap. This sure feels like patela-femoral syndrome, and I have a suspicion that it was my (in retrospect) poor warmup that brought this on. Normally I have walked for a minimum of 5 minutes prior to starting my run, but yesterday I was trying to get a 30+ minute run in before O's baseball game, and thought that my bike ride home from work would be enough of a warmup. I guess I was wrong and will not make the same mistake again.

Of course, there is the possibility that this issue came on for other reasons, but sticking to a warmup regimen can't hurt. For now, it's time off for a bit until the pain subsides. What a pain in the...

In other news, I have taken the plunge and have ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS watch to help me in my quest toward running a sub 45 minute 10k. Being a fan of electronic gadgets, and having seen what this watch can do as far as tracking training information both on the web and through a friend who uses the device extensively, I am very much looking forward to taking this thing for a spin. I just hope my knee is ok to go as soon as it arrives, which should be in a couple of business days.

Sunday at the Beach

No run yesterday since I spent the day at the beach with the family. This was very fun, and well worth it. I am not sure if I will get a chance to run tonight given O's baseball game, but will try. I also have to juggle around M's workout schedule and don't want to impact that at all since she is doing so well and really making great progress.

No Dice Tonight

No chance to go for a run tonight. Taking the kids to the outdoor pool, coupled with a flat for M. meant that we did not get dinner started until late. I plan on running tomorrow, perhaps first thing in the morning if I can manage, though I don't know if weights will be on the menu this weekend.