Week of August 5

Monday Today's high was 35C - and I was out doing speed workouts. I waited until evening to head to College Field, which was definitely a mistake. Doing any sort of workout after working and standing all day is short of impossible. My legs were unbearably stiff and painful as I left the apartment. Today's workout was 2 x (800m - 600m - 400m - 200m). I kept the rests between reps at 1min, and between the two sets at 5min. Interestingly, the first set was slower and harder than the second. It wasn't until I started the second that my legs felt looser and I could run more fluidly. I enjoyed having short rests between sets. Next year's workout will have to include shorter sprints.

Tuesday Up for an early morning run today. I took a long bath after last night's workout, as well as some Advil to relieve the pain in my legs. They are doing remarkably well today, but even so I kept this morning's run at a very short but fast 6km. My left ankle is complaining loudly at this.

Wednesday At last, a cool morning. Most of the stiffness seems to have disappeared from my legs, although my ankle is still strangely sore. It is painful only when I walk; running doesn't seem to bother it at all. Still, I think the intense mileage of these past few weeks is catching up to me: some plantar fasciitis creeping back, and twinges in my hip and knee now and then.
This morning's tempo run went fairly well. I seemed to have the usual problem of getting my heartrate up, but I'm now quite certain that it's due to the fact that I haven't had my coffee yet. All three sets of 15min tempos are a little rough.

Thursday Due to a late night, I missed my morning run. The only other time I had available today was just after lunch - ie the hottest part of the day. And boy was it hot. Due to the heat I decided to stay on the flat and avoid hills. Even so, I was stopping every 15min in the shade simply to catch my breath. No stiffness or soreness in my legs today!.

Saturday A fantastic run today. Indeed, I can't believe how well it went. Not running or going to the gym yesterday was one reason why my legs felt quite fresh when I started. I had given myself a start time of 8:30am, and had two waffles about 90min before. Eating less than I would usually eat for breakfast is probably another reason for how good I felt during the run, but hunger became a very serious problem in the last hour. My stategy for Venice will probably be to have a small breakfast and carry a PowerBar with me, chopped up in pieces and in a Ziploc.
The morning was cool and windy and sparkling: in other words, breathtaking. I decided to do hills in the first part of the run so that I wouldn't have an excuse to skip them at the end. Two laps around Odell Park, a jog up and down Golf Club Road (including a subdivision I'd never explored before) - LOTS of long, hard hills. In fact, two hours' worth. My legs have never felt so strong. I then headed northside, but kept to the east bank of the Nashwaak. The trail on that side is much nicer than the other side, and I did more hills and exploration in Marysville. It was about then that my stomach became demanding. The final 45min of the run were a challenge in the purely mental sense: trying to convince myself to keep going, in spite of the hunger.
Factors behind the success of today's run, and what I need to remember for Venice:

1. Staying in the shade as much as possible.
2. Drinking a little bit of water frequently, rather than a lot of water in a few number of stops.
3. Eating a small, high fibre breakfast with lots of sugar.
4. Staying away from high-fat foods, food cooked in oil, and excessive fluid intake in the preceding 24hrs.
5. Looking around during the run and admiring the scenery.
6. Not exercising the day before the run.
7. Dancing to Sting's Desert Rose in my living room before heading out. Still the best warm-up I know. How in the world will I manage that in Venice?
   
   

Week of August 12

Monday Did the equivalent of 5km (30min of running) on the elliptical trainer at the gym. My joints were grateful.

Tuesday As usual, I turned a short 7km run into a longer 12km run on the northside trail. Slightly overcast day with no wind made running pleasant. I was amazed at the pace I could keep, in spite of Saturday's long, hard workout. My right hip is beginning to bother me a little, most likely due to the additional gym workouts.

Wednesday Rather than splitting my gym and running workouts, I decided today that I'd try to combine the two so as to save a little time. I did my tempo workout in the afternoon, starting from the Y, then did weightlifting upon returning. Today was also my last 3x15min workout. I headed up the Valley Trail for a change. The scenery was astounding. Must've been the reason why the workout went so well! I managed to keep my heartrate quite high and steady for each split, and the pace very fast. Again more hip trouble.

Thursday I'm not sure if running today was a very good idea. My heartrate suddenly skyrocketed after lunch; my usual hill workout seemed horribly grueling and I had to pause several times going up Golf Club Road, something I haven't had to do since the beginning of spring. More joint pain as well. I think I am once again on the brink of overtraining.

Friday I substituted the elliptical trainer at the gym for today's 7km run. That substitution, which I've increased recently, may be the reason why I've been running so strongly in the past few weeks. It might also be the reason why the hip pain is returning.

Saturday Much the same pattern as last week's long run: waking up early for waffles and coffee, a set start time, dancing to Sting's "Desert Rose" as a warm-up, hills in Odell Park and along Golf Club Road before heading northside. Having only 28km to do was, admittedly, a nice break. And opting for the elliptical trainer yesterday at the gym was another smart move. My legs felt incredibly strong throughout the entire run, although joint pain was terrible. I'll blame that on today's humid condition. Had quite a shock in Odell Park when something seemed to land on my cap and grab it. Turned out to be an angry owl!! He had flown over me and made a solid grab for my cap with his talons, then landed on a branch a few feet away beside a second owl. Oops.

Week of August 19

Monday I remember once reading a column in Runner's World that noted that runners who increase their speed workouts while decreasing their mileage during their taper ran faster marathons than those who didn't change anything. With that in mind I headed out to College Field this morning from the gym to do my 4x1 mile repeats. My warm-up run felt unusually good, although I probably have the cool, overcast weather to thank for that. Even so, I decided to cut my repeats down to three rather than four. The first was the slowest (8:21min), but I didn't keep careful track of my time during the repeat itself. During the last two I concentrated almost exclusively on keeping a very rapid foot turnover and running with quick steps, rather than focussing on running faster. I also timed each half-lap. The last two repeats were 8:15 and 8:17.

Tuesday At last, rain! But there was no way I was going to be out running in it and taking a chance that my legs would cramp up - not when the Quebec City Half-Marathon is only five days away. So I ended up at the gym this afternoon dividing my time between the elliptical trainer and my 8km on the treadmill. Nice fast pace, strong legs. Hope things stay that way. The only potential for injury is tomorrow when I drive to Montreal, not because I'm a terrible driver (well, OK, I am), but because long drives cramp my knee and strain my ankle.

Thursday No run yesterday. Being in the car for nine hours strained my hip and knee. Today's run was quite horrible. First, running in Beloeil, a suburb of Montreal, is nowhere near as nice as Fredericton. I am no fan of Fredericton, but I'll admit it has the most beautiful running trails and paths of anywhere I've travelled (and that's a lot!). Second, I simply felt heavy and tired. Running across a corn field with a thunderstorm at my back inspired me at the end. Begin final preparations for Sunday's Quebec City Half-Marathon.

Sunday The big day today!!! I wake up early in Quebec City to eat breakfast, but I run into my only major logistical obstacle of the day: no restaurants are open at 6am on a Sunday morning!! Argh!! Thank goodness I have a fairly good idea of what I can eat, however. I found a little 24hr depanneur on the drive to downtown, and gulped a coffee, orange juice, oatmeal cookies, and Nutribars. Solution to this situation for next year: bring packets of instant oatmeal and a bowl. My waffles clearly have disadvantages.
Second part of the morning: getting from my car to the bus that will take runners from downtown QC to the start line. I rehearsed this walk yesterday, since it involved some careful manoeuvring around QC's crazy, narrow, winding streets. Unfortunately, my avidness in preparing myself brought on a pretty sore hip. But I made it to the bus, and off we went on the course route. At the start line I decided to forgo lots of warming up, a strategy that worked pretty well. I needed a little more, but nowhere near as much as what I had done in Ottawa.
The start of the race was right on time. My pace was good and I tried to measure my pace per kilometre, but unfortunately the km markings were a little off, having been set up for the marathon, which started elsewhere. In previous events I had never paid attention to my time per km, but I feel more competitive now and it's become very important to me. It also focuses me during the event. The first part of the course was a killer...to everyone else but me! We climbed and climbed and climbed STEEP hills to the Vieux Pont de Quebec (Old Bridge). I was so grateful for all that hill training in Fredericton. Is there nothing that compares to the sweet satisfaction of passing people as if they are standing still? Even better, my legs didn't feel wobbly or weak when I reached the top. Woohoo! Same during the long downhill stretch on the other side of the bridge, although running downhill will definitely be something to work on.
It was after that downhill stretch that I really began to focus on keeping a strong pace and running solidly. I began passing people quite regularly. It was Sting's "Desert Rose" that really motivated me. I really should have taped it and brought it with me to listen to in the car, but...next year. However, just imagining and hearing that song in my head made me feel like a real runner. Thanks Sting!! The kilometres went by steadily until there were only 5km remaining. It was then that an incredibly lean and fit woman about my age zipped my me.

My challenge.

I decided that this woman would be my "race." I caught up with her and we ran alongside, acknoweledging each other and agreeing to run and race to the end. As the km went by, we accelerated and began to attract loud cheers and applause from onlookers. What a great feeling. Our strides got longer and stronger and we were soon flying past other runners. In fact, I don't think anyone passed us in those final 5km. It was also during that time that I became aware of the positive impact all those tempo workouts have had on my stamina. Never in years before would I have been able to maintain such a fast pace over such a long distance. In the last km we REALLY started to fly. That final stretch will probably remain one of my best running memories: feeling competitive, athletic, and empowered - what running is all about. My partner beat me in the last few metres with a dazzling sprint, but in reality we both won. She gave me one of the best runs of my life.
Recovery was surprisingly quick. I stretched moderately and walked a little. I think the fact that I didn't take a shower (there were none available) was one of the reasons why my legs didn't stiffen as they had after Ottawa. Go figure. Overall, I finished a minute slower than Ottawa, but Ottawa is a relatively flat, fast course. QC's hills were imposing and conditions were much hotter. And the memory of that finish has done wonders to how I feel about my running.

Week of August 26

Monday Day off. Feeling some stiffness in my quads, but overall very well.

Tuesday Headed out this evening after supper. I had driven to Fredericton from Montreal this morning and suffered from terrible hip and knee pain. Some hip pain during my run, although the run was quite wonderful. I think that empowering feeling from Sunday is still in me!

Wednesday Heavy rain this morning meant my run was postponed until after supper. Not that I'm complaining: this was one of the most beautiful evenings of the summer. I stayed on the east bank of the northside trail, stopping often along the path just to gaze at the wonder around me. It was one of those evenings that makes you realise just how lucky you are to be alive and able to experience it.
The workout was to have been 2x25min at tempo pace, but I had an extremely elevated heartrate even before setting out. My second tempo was therefore quite a bit shorter. Even so, I was running very strongly. It's as if the QC experience broke some sort of psychological and physical barriers about going faster and learning a new stride. Woohoo!

On September 23, 2001, the Crosswinds server crashed and all my files were lost. I did happen to have some of them saved on my computer, but unfortunately these were not backed up regularly. Consequently, all entries to my running journal between August 29 and September 18 are gone.

Week of September 17

Monday Busy busy busy today. Actually, I ended up going to see a movie with a friend. (Rock Star, highly recommended for something sweet to make you smile!)

Tuesday It's September and still beautiful. So of course my 7km run became an 18km run on the northside trail. Yes, this was most certainly too long, but evenings like these - clear, calm and sunny - are too precious to let go. Although it seemed as if my speed was not quite as good as it has been recently, I actually managed to shave an entire minute off my quarter, half-way, and loop points!
Registered for the Venice Marathon today! Crashed my computer and caught a virus in the process. Auspicious beginnings.

Wednesday Today's tempo was a little too long - I really should be tapering now. Itwas also chilly. My first 6min rep went decently well, but again I was surprised to find myself running faster and more easily on the second and reps. Lack of warm-up is not to blame: I did LOTS of dancing to Afro-Celt's new tune before leaving. After the third rep I seemed to settle into a nice, long stride that did me very well for the remaining hour. It was running rather than jogging.

Thursday Busy again, and this time I really did need a break after two long runs in a row.

Friday Did the usual elliptical trainer/treadmill routine. The trainer does wonders to my hamstrings and therefore my ability to sprint up hills.

Saturday My pre-long run routine is now in the fine-tuning stages. I'm onto the oatmeal breakfast, but added a little (no, a LOT) of corn syrup for that sugar boost. Taste-tested two Powerbars: banana and peanut butter. Peanut butter won. Finally, I danced to Desert Rose as well as When You're Falling before leaving, which means I was more than just a little warmed up. Quite the routine, isn't it?
Once again, I made my way to Odell Park for two loops in the trails. They were much easier than last week's. Then to Golf Club Road, where I don't think I even noticed the hills. Progress! On my way to the northside trail I started taking a bite out of my Powerbar, rationalizing that a bite every now and then is much easier to do while running than trying to have the entire bar at once. My pace was steady, but I didn't find my kick in the final hour. I think this is due to the fact that I had decided to forego the sports drink at the halfway point rather than my being tired.
Fall is hinting strongly at its impending arrival. Trees are a touch of yellow here,a vibrant red there. Saw blue jays everywhere today.

Oh yeah, that picture that makes me laugh:

Week of September 24

Monday A speed workout tonight: 3 x (800m - 600m -400m - 200m). I took out the 600m since 12 sprints seem unbearable, and also because I really need to emphasize short sprints right now. Headed out to College Field from the YMCA. College Field no longer has the green fence surrounding it, something I miss. The fence was wonderful simply because it made it easier to concentrate on running. It also made the workout seem more peaceful and sheltered. Hopefully they'll build a new fence next year. The sprints went well, the second rep being the fastest of the three. My stamina is certainly astounding, but I may not have been pushing myself as hard as I could have been, gauging by my relatively low heartrate.

Tuesday In an intense effort to respect the fact that I should be tapering, I decided to go out for only 10km this evening. This reduction in distance is difficult: I LOVE long runs. Such distance seems to be the only way to achieve that feeling of euphoria and accomplishment.
Well, almost. Tonight's run was just over 10km, but it was a very fast run. I concentrated on keeping a light, rapid foot turnover as I headed out towards Lincoln Road on the path. The fall colours are almost at their peak, and even in the grey evening they were breathtaking. I was impressed that I could keep up the pace so easily and feel so good! The fall colours and a good song in my head (something new on the radio called The Simple Things)were probably the factors behind this great run. Some hip and knee problems, which could be due to the heat and humidity.

Wednesday I ran as if possessed tonight. I think it's all due to Monday's speed workout: I simply got back into the groove of going fast, just like I had been after Quebec City. It was almost dark by the time I left my apartment, but even so I made my way to the northside trail and started the first of my three 6min reps of today's tempo workout. Because of the dark, hwever, trying to keep an eye on my heartrate and my time was incredibly distracting and I gave up after the second rep. Instead I focussed on keeping up a very fast, hard pace. It's difficult to describe how euphoric this sort of run can be: I feel like a goddess when I'm out there running hard for a long period of time. Unfortunately, my left hip, knee, and foot don't hold out very well with this kind of speed. In fact, now that I think about it, most of my injuries come not from distance, as they do with the majority of runners, but with speed. What to do?

Thursday No delusions of grandeur today. My legs were tired and stiff when I started my run. I cut down the distance to 10km because of the fatigue and the increasing joint pain, although running along Golf Club Road probably negated whatever positive effects the shorter distance had. Made good time to the foot of GCR - one of my best times, in fact, but the climb up afterwards slowed me.

Friday No running today, in spite of the sunny, crisp autumn day. My joints need a break. Long run will be Sunday morning.

Sunday Talk about luck. I had set my start time for today's long run (24km) at 8:00am. When my alarm rang, I was too exhausted to move. The world outside was one great big fog bank. "11:00am," I told myselft, "I'll start at 11." Lo and behold, at 10:30am the fog lifted, the sun burst forth, and Fredericton got its most beautiful day of September. Ever. This is Indian summer as I've never experienced it: perfect, warm days; not a cloud in the sky; no wind; the smell of autumn in the air.
The usual pre-run routine: oatmeal breakfast, lots of strong coffee, and dancing to Afro-Celt's tune and Sting's Desert Rose. I needed no inspiration to dance on a morning like this. Opted not to take a PowerBar with me since the run was under three hours, although I made sure I had enough money for a drink. Dehydration had been a serious problem last week. At 11:00am it was warm enough for me to head out in a T-shirt and shorts! What a great start!
Of course, I couldn't resist a few loops around Odell Park in this incredible sunshine and calm. I concentrated on a slower pace than I've been running in the past few weeks. I've found that pace that will carry me through a marathon, and I need to practice it so that I don't run too fast out of sheer excitement when I'm in Venice. Odell Park was breathtaking: absolute stillness, bright autumn sunlight wafting through multi-coloured trees. I thought I had died and gone to running heaven.
No Golf Club Road on this run. I am slowly phasing hills out of the remaining portion of my training program. Hills are excellent for power; the price one pays is in sore hips and stiff legs. Instead, I made my way over to the northside trail where there was not a soul. Again, I focussed on my pace and...on not thinking. Running is my form of meditation, and I often feel that if I'm thinking about everyday life during a run (particularly on a beautiful day such as this one), then I'm wasting or ignoring the beauty that surrounds me. Over the summer I've developed this little mantra to clear my mind and hear only the quiet, my breathing, and my feet on the trail. I alternate between using that mantra and my two dancing songs to put me in a particular mood at certain distances. All of this falls under mental training: when I run in Venice, there will be points where I'll want to quit or where I'll falter. Having these three "tools" (mantra and two songs) will get me going again, but only if they're automatic.
I could have run forever today. I think that was partly the pace, partly the mental workout. It's exhilerating to know that I am now so fit that I can run for 2hrs30min and return home feeling not tired but refreshed!

Week of October 1

Monday Day off after yesterday's long run.

Tuesday I was planning on doing the speed workout normally set for Mondays today, but my legs were very stiff and sore. I think I'll blame my chair at school for this, since Sunday's run was relatively short as far as training runs go, and I actually did rest yesterday. Anyway, having sore legs was a wonderful excuse to pass the track in favour of...yep, my northside loop! And on a day like today, almost summerlike, that's exactly what I wanted. The pace was a little slower, but very efficient. In fact, I felt stronger at the end of the run than at the beginning, enough so that I added a 3km stretch up the Saint John River at the end, for a total of 18km. Halfway back I collided with an idiot owner's idiot dog, which put me in a funk for a while.

Wednesday Stuck to the treadmill at the gym tonight. My right knee, which has not bothered me all summer, is now hurting slightly, as well as my right hip. All of this is most likely due to distance and increased speed. I don't want to cut back on the distance (even though I should, according to research on tapering), but....I love running for miles and miles. On the other hand, it's less than a month until Venice.
Today's tempo run was only 1x15min. I warmed up on the elliptical trainer (yet another possible source for the sore knee and hip), and then moved to the treadmill. For the entire hour (both machines together) I hardly ever felt winded, no matter how fast I ran or how hard I set the resistance. This may be due to the fact that I've been eating an inordinate amount of apples lately, thanks to a friend who dropped off 20lbs of them at home. According to research, apples significantly increase a person's oxygen intake and consumption efficiency. What if I kept eating 20lbs of apples per week between now and the marathon?

Thursday Not warm today: hot! Still some fatigue when I started down Charlotte Street to the bridge. I felt a touch of a cold, but stuck to my long run plans. Had to stop several times due to a racing pulse and some lightheadedness. Today's run was especially long since I wanted to go further up the Nashwaak River, on the other side of Bridge Street in Marysville, in order to have a look at the fall colours. Everything is a bright yellow and orange now, yet leaves haven't really started falling.

Friday I took today off in preparation for tomorrow's long run. My training schedule calls for 20km tomorrow, but that's assuming that the marathon takes place on October 14th. Since Venice is in fact on the 28th, I think I need one more 33km run in the meantime.

Saturday OK, I don't need to go over my usual pre-long run routine. Get up early, have oatmeal breakfast and strong coffee, dance, and head out. I skipped Odell Park and ran first to the Sheraton, then along the Saint John River up to the train bridge. My focus during the entire run was maintaining a slow, steady pace, particularly at the beginning when I'm tempted to start strong. My best runs have almost always occurred when I started slower than I was feeling.
An overcast sky didn't keep the fall foliage from being anything less than dazzling. I have never seen autumn colours like this year's. The northside trail was so vivid I frequently stopped just to look at the trees. Rather than doubling back at Bridge Street as I normally do, I kept to the trail and ran all the way out to its end. By then the wind was picking up and even gusting violently; running out was easy enough, but running back required more concentration on pace and breathing.

Week of October 8

Monday Day off after yesterday's long run.

Tuesday To the track this afternoon to do 3x1 mile repeats I realize the training schedule calls for 4 repeats, but in my defence I'll say that four repeats is regarded even by competitive runners as one of the most grueling speed workouts out there. My legs felt incredibly heavy, but not stiff or sore. The first repeat was the slowest; each lap (400m) about 1min2sec. My heartrate jumped up to over 173 in the second and third repeats when I was managing exactly 1min laps. Based on that, I think a sub-four hour marathon in Venice will most certainly be a challenge.

Wednesday Took the workout to the treadmill today. My motivation is being challenged by the early dark evenings and late dark mornings. In fact, trying to find a time to schedule longer runs on the paths is becoming quite difficult, since the run has two be during daylight hours while not interfering with grad courses, a thesis, two part-time jobs, and two volunteering responsibilities. I almost hate to admit it, but I'm looking forward to having Venice over with.
I did a fairly long and intense warm-up on the elliptical trainer getting on the treadmill. There haven't been injuries or problems lately, likely due to additional stretching, shorter runs, and more emphasis on the treadmill. I read in a health magazine that evening runners tend to suffer fewer injuries than morning runners. My legs were heavy again during the run and I could barely finish out the 15minute tempo. Then again, this was one of the fastest ones I've ever run!

Friday No running today due to work and time constraints. Instead, today's 7km run is bumped to tomorrow evening, and the long run to Sunday morning.

Saturday A little bit of time available this evening at the gym, so all I could squeeze in was 30min on the elliptical trainer. Running, even on the treadmill, after standing for 8 hours at work is absolutely impossible. My legs feel like they'll shatter on impact with the ground.

Sunday Talk about silver lining on a dark cloud! I wasn't supposed to work today, but had to go in at the last minute. Consequently, my long run took place in late afternoon rather than early morning. And what do you know: early morning was grey and foggy, but by the time I left work, the day had turned into one of the most beautiful autumn days ever. Cloudless skies and bright colours and hot temperatures! It was one of those days when you revel in the simple miracle that you can experience all of this.
To top it all off, CBC Radio played a fantastic live recording of the final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Ode to Joy!! I cranked up the volume and listened to powerful music that stayed with me for the rest of the day. I skipped Odell Park again at the beginning of my run, opting for the northside trail. At first I didn't pay attention to pace, partly because I told myself that I "only" had 20 km to run today. Still, pacing is a mental skill that can't ever be overlooked.
I got to the far end of the trail at the edge of the field above the Marysville Heritage Centre and stopped to look for a while. The river was sparkling, crickets singing everywhere, a light warm breeze,and so much sun. I was reminded of one of my favourite songs by Rush, off their Force 10 album: "Freeze this moment a little bit longer/Make each sensation a little bit stronger." I was trying to memorize each sensation of that afternoon so that in the dark days of December I wouldn't just be able to recall them, I would be able to relive them.
< I continued on the trail past Bridge Street and eventually turned around and ran back. Hunger was a problem after 1hr30min, which means I will probably have to bring more PowerBars with me in Venice than I had originally planned. I've discovered two things to do for optimal recovery immediately after a long run or hard workout: take a bath (NOT a shower - this is very important) so as not to have sore muscles; and eat a PowerBar as soon (ie within 15min) of finishing the workout. By doing so I don't get tired later on. In fact, I seem to have quite an unusual amount of energy.

Week of October 15

Monday I bought my plane ticket for Italy tonight!!! I'm so excited! There are a few modifications in the itinerary, but all in the name of adventure! First Rome, then Venice, then Zurich. I feel so sophisticated just typing that.
The excitement spilled over into today's speed workout. I whipped out my four fastest 800m intervals ever on the treadmill at the YMCA! The first interval was a little rough, but I was actually able to do the remaining three consecutively faster. Woohoo! Maybe a four hour marathon is possible after all!

Tuesday I'm suffering a typical case of PMS: Pre-Marathon Syndrome. Every ache, every twitch, has the potential to become a full-fledged injury that could hinder me in Venice. A slightly achy hip meant I didn't run today.

Wednesday Another day off, this time due to scheduling conflicts. I'm feel guilty about now running two days in a row this close to Venice.

Thursday I opted for a 10km run on the gym's treadmill today. Just playing it safe! Warmed up first on the elliptical trainer. I started the run fairly fast and was quite surprised at how loose and long my stride felt. Maybe taking two days off wasn't such a bad idea after all. I picked my speed up considerably and after about ten minutes decided to play with hill pyramids. Run two minutes at 1% grade and one minute at 2% grade, then go back down to 1% for another two minutes. Rest for two minutes by running on the flat, then pick up the speed, then do another pyramid. I normally quite enjoy these workouts. Today was a blast simply because I couldn't believe how fast I was going!

Friday I really wanted to do at least an hour of cardio at the gym today, but I had to stop after only 20min on the treadmill. My right hip has been in excrutiating pain since yesterday's workout. In fact, this is the worst the hip's ever been. I nearly collapsed when I took my first running step on the treadmill. After 20min the pain was getting worse and I stopped. Took Advil this evening.
On a brighter note, I went to the airport last night to pick up my plane ticket!! I've been glowing ever since! The new itinerary: to Rome Wednesday night and arrive Thursday morning. A day or to in the Eternal City to visit the Colosseum, the Vatican City, and the Sistine Chapel. Off to Venice on Saturday by train. Run on Sunday. Off to Zurich on Thursday, and return home late Friday night!! I feel so sophisticated.

Saturday Last night's Advil seems to have significantly eased my hip pain. Still, I was a little apprehensive when I first stepped out this morning for my 16km run. Surprisingly, the pain was minor and didn't worsen.
It was a quiet, overcast morning, the sort that makes you want to run forever. I was planning on a 16km run, but I felt really, really good as I was leaving the apartment: nice long, loose stride; no heaviness or fatigue in my legs. I made it from my apartment to the Sheraton then the end of the train bridge in 26min25s - a very fast time, although it didn't seem like a fast pace at all.
The northside trail was completely deserted. I love times like these: it's peaceful, and all I do is focus on the sounds of my breathing and my feet hitting the ground. I stopped at an Irving Station in Marysville for Powerade, then quietly padded down the trail to the third train bridge. Overall - 2hrs30min of running.
Baked Mediterranean Olive Parmesan bread tonight. Getting into the Italian mood!

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Last updated November 1, 2001 by Helen Rooney