Half Way

Its been a busy month and a bit since my last blog. Lots has been happening on all fronts, but finally a chance to get something written here.

So, lets start with the not so great things of the last month, and work to the good stuff.  First off, mid July had the first of the 'first' dates that I have to get through following Kerry's death- our anniversary. It would have been 26 years. I knew the day would hit me hard, and I prepared by booking the day off work. What I was not prepared for was that it was hard for about a week leading in to it and out of it as well. A definite low period for me, and probably the most depressed I've been since he died. However, with a lot of tissues, and some good people to talk to, I made it through. Next up will be his birthday, then Christmas.

Had a few more aches in the legs during that same period. I actually had to take one running day off, to see if the pain would abate. It did, so that was good. I think it was a combination of running more (now 4 days a week, and farther long runs), doing the repeated oval of track days, and my shoes actually wearing to the point they needed replacing. At any rate, after a sore-ish month, I think with the change of shoes, and muscles adjusting to the added activity, have finally combined to work for me, as the pain has been subsiding.

Worn Shoes

New shoes

 I went on my first solo trip as well, not far, just to Toronto to play tourist and take in a concert. I was supposed to run from the island airport to my hotel, and then back, to get in my weekly runs. However, I found I can not (yet) run with a backpack on. So I walked instead. Did 5.5km each way, so distance was good, but still missed the actual running workouts.

I have also discovered some of the less pleasant aspects of running. One of the track days happened to fall on one of our hottest days this summer, about 31 celcius before humidex. Track days are a harder workout, being as they are not "easy" pace but faster ones, plus we do some strength exercises before hand. Although I had been drinking water, my body decided it did not like the heat, and I must have had the start of a heat exhaustion. All I know is that I had to make a pretty dang fast 100m dash from where I was in my laps to the track bathroom, where I basically spent something like 15 min. After that, I could not run, and was still cramping something awful. I could  not risk driving for another half hour or so, for fear I would not make it my 40min drive home.

I also had my first major cramp while running. I've had a few where I caught them as they began, and I was able to walk them out, but last Sunday (10th)  I was supposed to run for 75 min, and in last 10min, my right calf just completely seized. I almost fell face first on the pavement since it was the leg taking my weight at the time. I stretched it, and had to walk the last bit of my run, hobbling somewhat, and the calf remained sore for pretty much all that week, even with massaging and stretching. One of the TNT alumni runners who still runs from the same coffee shop, met up with us as I was stretching the calf, and he suggested I need to start bringing electrolytes along now that I am going for more than an hour.

That's the bad. However, each was a learning experience, so here are some of the takeaways that I got from each.

1. I likely don't want to have nothing to do over the next "first" or subsequent ones. So I will plan to do something special for me. I did do a movie on our anniversary, but I needed to have a plan for the days around the date as well. So now I will look to maybe get away over Christmas to keep busy.
2. Keep an eye on the wear of my shoes, as perhaps the "estimated" wear distance is not going to be close to actual for me, given that I still weigh a bit more. I have already ordered 2 more pairs of my shoes, to be ready to change them at the first signs of leg pains again.
3. Once I get done my event, I will start running with a backpack more often, empty to start and building up weight. Its useful to run while I am doing the tourist thing. Or errands.
4. Prepare for hot days by being well hydrated PRIOR to the running, and bring electrolyes.
5. Prepare for the longer runs by being well hydrated, and having electrolyes along.

Now onto the things that are going well. My fundraising re-commitment has come and gone, and I am fully committed now for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront half marathon!. I have surpassed my minimum fundraising amount, and am doing very well, being among the top 3 fundraisers in Canada right now. I am very pleased with how everyone has rallied behind me for this cause! If you have not yet contributed, there is still time- just click on the fundraising goal image to go to my secure site where you can make a donation via credit card.

This past month has seen the addition of track training to my schedule. I usually have to do a slightly modified version of the session the coach has planned, because all his athletes come out to track days, not just us TNT folks, and some of his clients are pretty darn fast folk, and some marathoners. So sometimes the track session plan would be as far as I have done on my easy long runs, so would be a real challenge to complete at faster paces LOL.  However, they do seem to help with my speed, and I have had some faster long run paces since starting the track interval training. I have set new PBs for 1km, 1mi, and 5k since starting track training. These are still not fast, but since I have been doing at least 5km for more than just last month, it shows that the speed is improving.

I also added some training buddies to my long runs. Since our TNT group is so small, its often just me, which is lonely and not very motivating. Thankfully, my friend S stepped up to the plate, and a friend of a friend, K, has also been coming out. Both are faster than me, but they go slower for me, although still usually a bit faster than I might do on my own. This is a good thing as it pushes me a bit past my comfort zone! Its nice to have the company along for sure.

Today, I had added another milestone, with the completion of my first 10km run. Training is just chugging right along, and we are just 2 months away now from the race. Its more than half way since I signed up with Team in Training, and almost half way in the training, and also just about half way in the distance I have achieved. I feel pretty confident that so long as I keep with the training per the plan, I will be finishing my first half marathon in two months.Right now, I'd say it will be in just over 3 hours.I won't have run 21.1km prior to race day; I think I will have done 18. So just as it is any time I do a new distance, my goal to to go nice and easy and get it done. If I have anything left in me, the last km or so will be where I give it.  I did use some electrolyte/energy chews for the first time today, and whether it was those, the cool sunny day, or the new shoes, but it was a great run. I felt energized and just good.

Concentration is still slowly improving, but I do think it is getting better. I was able to read my first book since hubby passed away, which for someone who used to go through anywhere from 3-8 books a month, well, taking 5 months to finish one book just had never happened before.

My physical stats have not changed much if at all since last month. Still the same weight, and such. However, I do eat more as well. I am definitely hungrier now that I run :)  Perhaps over the winter as I ease back a bit on the running, I can cut back on the eating too and trim down some more. However, I can't stop running, as I committed myself to a race in May. This one is just for me and my late husband. His favorite Disney character was Tinkerbell, so as soon as I heard of the Tinkerbell Half, I knew I had to run it :) So I signed up for it as soon as registration opened. I will have to step up the training come February latest, but I can ease up a after my race till then. Besides, its a nice excuse for a vacation in May to California heheh.

As to actual running and training stats, 

     Count:                70 Activities
     Distance:           324.86 km
     Calories:            25,624 C
     Time:                54:25:42 h:m:s
     Avg Distance:    4.64 km
     Avg Speed:        6.0 km/h
     Max Avg Spd:    6.6 km/h
     Avg HR:            136 bpm
     Steps:              366,628 s

Tomorrow will be 6 months since Kerry left this world. Its still an oddity of grief that this feels to me like both the longest time ever, and also like it was just yesterday. I still love him and miss him, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him, or talk to him. I hope that where ever he is now, he is pleased that I am hanging in there, coping, and continuing to live.