The first year I began running seriously was also the first year I ended up with a knee injury. Just as summer was beginning and everyone was lacing up their shoes and heading out, I was stuck inside my apartment. What kept me inspired and hopeful was another runner, Peter, who posted his journal on the Web. It's no longer around (much to my dismay), but his daily entries of his training highs and lows - as well as his own recovery from a similar injury - got me through summer and to the 1999 Canadian International Marathon. Every evening when I came back from the office I followed his struggle, right up to his first marathon in Quebec City in 1999. I never sent an email to him, much less met him, but he was a great coach. To Peter from Montreal, thank you.
The UK Half-Ironman is over. If you read the journal entries for the trip, you'll know that it was one of the most incredible and uplifting experiences of my athletic life. Though I normally put the journal aside after my major annual event, I think this year will be different. The regular journal will continue while I decide my goals for next year.
- Week of September 15
- Tuesday OK, so I actually went running last Saturday, too. I was tired and achy from a cold, but the beautiful weather was just too much for me. I succumbed. I went out in the heat of the day (29C) and ran for two whole hours. I felt like crap. So of course I went running again today and only felt like crap for the first half of the run. Running in the dark helped, and it was so quiet on Golf Club Road that it was hard notto feel peaceful. My legs were still recovering from Saturday's run (and, uh, Sunday's bike ride) so I wasn't setting any records. However, I was trying really hard to keep my cadence high and I realised that that was probably the single most important and effective running technique I learned all summer. By the end of the run I felt great, even though it was raining.
- Saturday The one rainy day of the week, and it has to be a Saturday. Actually, I the grey weather didn't bother me too much. In fact, I was looking forward to a long run in the rain since such weather usually means that the trails are empty and quiet. It only really started raining toward the end of the run. I did the usual Northside Trail route with a bit of an extension toward Penniac along the Nashwaak River. That section of the trail is simply breathtaking when the leaves start changing colour. The run was nice and steady, though without the cadence that I've been practicing all week.
- Week of September 22
- Friday I've actually been running most of this week; however, since it's the off-season for training I haven't really had much to write about. Wednesday evening was a longer than usual run along the Green before it got too dark, across the pedestrian bridge, around Queen's Park, then up Glf Club Road and back. Keeping a fast cadence wasn't easy in the second half of the run. It was the second run in my new Nike Air Converge Max shoes. They're nice, but nothing like the Kukinis or even the Triax or Bowerman series.
- Sunday Somehow the deluge forecasted for this afternoon never appeared, though it was windy and very gloomy all day. I put on my heart rate monitor for the first time since returning from England and headed out to empty trails and a wonderfully tranquil, reflective run. The heart rate monitor told me that my heart was going nuts (I averaged 160bpm over two hours!) so all I tried to do for the entire run was slow down. The upside to running so slowly is that it can be very refreshing, particularly over long distances. I did the Northside Trail, looped around Fisher Avenue in Marysville, then came back. The grey gloominess made for such a fantastic run. I know, it sounds strange, but sometimes have that sort of background puts me into a very quiet and introspective mood.
- Sunday Somehow the deluge forecasted for this afternoon never appeared, though it was windy and very gloomy all day. I put on my heart rate monitor for the first time since returning from England and headed out to empty trails and a wonderfully tranquil, reflective run. The heart rate monitor told me that my heart was going nuts (I averaged 160bpm over two hours!) so all I tried to do for the entire run was slow down. The upside to running so slowly is that it can be very refreshing, particularly over long distances. I did the Northside Trail, looped around Fisher Avenue in Marysville, then came back. The grey gloominess made for such a fantastic run. I know, it sounds strange, but sometimes have that sort of background puts me into a very quiet and introspective mood.
- Week of September 29
- Tuesday There's a frost warning out for this evening. I don't know why they issue it as a warning: it's not as if frost isn't supposed to be a possibility at this time of the year. Anyways, I put gloves on and a long-sleeve shirt for this evening's run. I almost started for downtown when I decided that I'd go to Golf Club Road first. My shoes felt great (at last) and so did my legs (for a change.) It may have helped that I did a tough workout last night on the bike trainer. The run was fantastic, a fluid stride and steady but not quick tempo that had me feeling so athletic and strong. It was one of those times when you feel as if you could run forever.
- Week of October 5
- Sunday It's the off-season so the running journal hasn't been updated in a very strict manner. Until training resumes in January, I'll probably keep weekly updates rather than daily ones.
Out for a very short run on Saturday afternoon. It was a run squeezed in between a work-related conference and a fantastic wine-tasting in the evening. Very windy by the time I was out, which kept the trails clear of wandering walkers. Then on Sunday my sweetie and I went out for a long run in the afternoon to check out the fall colours. We ran slowly down the Northside Trail, a bit in Marysville, then back along the Gibson (?) trail. As we ran the skies cleared and the wind stayed calm, making the run a delightful joy. - Tuesday A wonderful long run this evening. It was a bit cooler than usual when I left. I ran up Golf Club Road, keeping a very slow and soft pace that is sometimes a nice break from relentless running. The hills were so easy they were almost an afterthought. As I headed back towards the apartment I felt better than usual, so I continued around Queen's Square and trotted back on Needham, avoiding a big skunk waddling across the road. A clear sky and brilliant near-full moon made it a spectacular evening to be running on the trail.
- Saturday A runner's dream today: warm - even hot - weather, the autumn leaves at their peak, and a holiday weekend to enjoy it. Running in the fall under the spell of the autumn colours is one of my favourite things. My sweetie and I wanted to run out to Penniac where the crushed gravel trail ends. After the second train bridge near Penniac the trail turns into a long straight stretch and provides a stunning view of a steep bluff on the other side of the Nashwaak, filled with brilliant fall colours. There were similar sights along the entire route. Every once in a while we'd catch a glimpse of a far-away ridge shining with all sorts of reds and oranges. Then there was the absolutely incredible burnt orange foliage we saw where the trail resumes its run along the river just past Bridge Street. We were gone over two hours at a slow, steady pace with a wonderful sprint in the last two kilometres.
- Week of October 12
- Monday Yet another spectacular long run today. Yesterday I took advantage of the incredible weather we're experiencing to do one last bike ride along the old highway. The ride was almost three hours long; surprisingly, that didn't seem to influence my run too much today. My legs were a little tired, though nothing like one would expect after a 24km run on Saturday and a three hour bike ride on Sunday. Just as I was leaving the apartment today the sun broke out, the wind came up with a cool, autumnal feel, and everything sparkled with the rain that had been with us last night. Beleive it or not, the colours were even better than they had been on Sunday. I ran on the Northside Trail out to the Penniac train bridge, keeping the pace very slow and even. What an exhilerating run.
- Saturday My sweetie and I are on Grand Manan Island this weekend for an annual get-together with friends. It's not as cold and windy as last year, thank goodness! Saturday afternoon we headed out for a long (2 hour) run along the main highway, following the exact same route we ran last year that took as just past Woodwards Cove and down Shore Road. We kept the pace slow and steady. I was amazed at how much fitter I was this year: what had seemed like mountains a year ago were now easy hills I cruised up. But my sense of pace has gotten stronger. Still managed a hard sprint in the last ten minutes, though!
- Week of October 19
- Wednesday A wet evening and apparently a cool one, too, according to the Weather Network. WN turned out to be wrong, as I found out within the first five minutes of starting the run and overheating with my tuque, neck warmer, and winter Nikes. I did Golf Club Road and some exploring in Kelly's Court, feeling good when when I started and absolutely fantastic by the end when I had picked up the pace and was charging home. Some residual soreness in an ankle I had twisted last week, which bothered me a little (ice it!. A great, great run.
- Saturday A beautiful, warm Saturday! From the looks of the forecast, this will be the last one for a while. I didn't feel like doing a huge two hour run but a nice longish distance was great. Went out to the Northside trail at steady pace (those squats at the gym three times a week are really paying off: my legs feel incredibly solid and strong.) A little loop and a few detours in Marysville, then a nice run back on the path on the other side of the Nashwaak.
- Week of October 26
- Tuesday A break in the wet weather so out I went this evening. It had cooled off quite a bit after the sun set (an hour earlier than usual thanks to the end of Daylight Savings Time on Saturday. A day of mourning.) I left the apartment with a strong feeling in my legs. Another day to be thankful for doing squats at the gym. Around Parkhurst/Inglewood another (older) woman came out from a sidestreet, running, and I realised I could barely keep up with her. It wasn't exactly encouraging. I mean, I know I'm a slow runner, but I hate being reminded of that so vividly. My cadence was also lower than usual, though it picked up toward the end of the run. Did the Golf Club Road route without even noticing the hills!
- Friday I haven't run on a Friday evening in a while. Lots of people out for Hallowe'en, actually, making it an interesting run. I did Golf Club Road, feeling a bit slower than usual. My ankle is still bothering me.
- Saturday First day of November - and it's 17C and sunny! I almost dread to think of how much winter will extend into the spring months, though. This past spring was brutal enough. Well, I'll just relish every day like this one all the more. Today feels like a gift because I had so completely assumed that cold miserable weather would be here by now and I wouldn't see the Northside trail until May. Started out with a slow pace but I seem to have moved away from my habit of taking short strides. For that reason I'm a bit slower than usual. We've had a record-setting amount of rain in the past week and the fields and rivers are flooded at springtime levels. The field near Marysville is now a small lake full of ducks, actually a very pretty sight. I lengthen my usual route by running along the Green before heading back for the apartment.
- Sunday The third day in a row of running! I feel so spoiled! It is yet another beautiful day, though not as warm as yesterday. The cool temperature suits me fine, actually. It can make one feel so wholesome and alive. I do the usual route, and though my legs feel a bit tired from all the running lately they are also back into the short stride technique so I'm going a bit faster than usual. I've also got new running tights from Radical Edge. I pad down to Marysville along the Northside trail, loop around the cotton mill, then head back. What beautiful peace.
- Week of November 2
- Wednesday Luck is on my side this evening: the ankle I sprained (again) on Sunday's long run has healed miraculously, and the rain stops just in time for me to go running after supper. It also warms up while I'm out. Gotta love those runs. I went out to Golf Club Road as usual. The speed was great but I seemed to be having a harder than usual time getting up the first big hill. As I ran fog closed in on the hill. It makes for a great effect when running.
- Friday There's a HUGE and brilliantly clear full moon out this evening. Not only did it make running something special, it obviously had an effect on everyone else in town. There was more traffic on the roads, more people out on the sidewalks, and a buzz of activity anywhere. Even my usual Golf Club Road route was buys and I dodged cars that whizzed by incredibly fast. The hills felt great, but best of all was running on the moonlit trails.
- Saturday Wow! What wind! A clear day with a deep, howling wind from the north. Nonetheless, I managed to get myself out the door in late afternoon and do the Northside Trail. That I managed to convince myself to run under these circumstances is a measure of how much I live that trail and how soon it'll be covered by snow. Running across Wilmot Park was one of the toughest parts of the run (straight into a wind that felt more like a wall). Things were absolutely wonderful on the way to Marysville. Then I had to turn around and run into the wind for over an hour. On the long straight stretch before Greenwood Avenue I surprised two white-tailed deer standing in the sun on the trail. Actually, I was as surprised as them since I didn't seen them until one bounded off the trail. The sun was shining straight down the path and I was blinded for most of the way. Then the pedestrian bridge (which I had to walk because of the wind) and then on home.
- Week of November 9
- Tuesday Finally, good weather and a day off coincide. After attending this morning's Remembrance Day ceremonies, my sweetie and I set off on for a lovely run along the Northside Trail. The weather was perfect, though things cooled off quite quickly in late afternoon. We started off with an easy pace but there were lots of people on the trail, and my sweetie has an annoying habit of speeding up every time we run by someone, even if they're walking in the opposite direction. The pace picked up dramatically in the second half of the run as we met more and more people on the trail, including the runners doing the Metric Marathon who berated us for not joining them!
- Thursday What a strange run this evening. I did Golf Club Road, as usual. Even though I took yesterday off my legs don't seem to have recovered. I was a bit tired as left this evening and short of breath, but still running quickly and lightly (or at least it felt that way.) Something about my sense of perception was off: cars seemed to be passing me unusually close tonight, and distances seemed longer than before. I got the fright of my life when I almost collided with an oncoming cyclist on the path. He was dressed in black and neither of us saw the other until the very last minute.
- Saturday Another windy day and I really dreaded going out for a run, but at the same time I really, really wanted to go for a long run. When I finally got myself out the door I realised that the wind wasn't as bad as I thought it had been (at least, not as bad as it had been last week.) But I still wanted a long run and going across the pedestrian bridge was out of the question because of the phenomenal power of the wind when you're on that bridge. So I tried Odell Park for a change. Running in the woods was a wonderful break from the regular trail running I've been doing. It was a bit discouraging to see that it was harder than usual to climb the hills, and some of the smaller dirt paths were far too muddy to run on. Then out of the park, down to Hanwell, across to Rookwood Avenue, and back on the Green. I was trying to run faster than usual and keep a strong, steady pace, but I didn't seem to have the strength for it. Hopefully this is temporary.
- Week of November 16
- Wednesday The usual Golf Club Road route after supper on an unusually mild evening. There's something about unexpected warm (not hot, though) weather that makes people a little wild. Cars go by faster and are driven more aggressively, people talk louder. It seems as if the world is just slightly more turbulent and frothy than usual. This evening I was followed by a van or an SUV with someone screaming out the strangest stuff. Too bad, because it was otherwise a very strong run and I felt great.
- Saturday Wow! Sunny, 8C, and it's the weekend! Plenty of time for a long run on my favourite trail. I had done a tough workout on the elliptical trainer at the gym last night, followed by squats, so my legs were having a tough time today. I took off for the Sheraton and mosied down to the pedestrian bridge, then along the Northside Trail to Marysville and back. Lots of people on the trail. You might find it strange that this usually bothers me, but there's a lot to be said for having a part of your day spent outside and completely devoid of human contact. The run back home was tough.
- Sunday Another gorgeous day. Days like this are so special because they're the very last of the snow-free running days that I have to make the most of them, even if it means doing a second two-hour run in two days. Oddly enough, I was feeling better today than yesterday. However, I had also just read an article in Inside Triathlon magazine about proper posture and efficient running, so I was making a singular effort to shorten my stride, have my foot strike beneath my centre of gravity (rather than in front of it, as most runners do), and visualising spinning in low gear on my bike. I guess it made all the difference because the run was absolutely fabulous. Great steady pace without stopping for a solid two hours.
- Week of November 23
- Thursday It's been a whirlwind week, no less so today. However, I just had to get my priorities straight, so I went out for a run in late afternoon before the sun set. I wanted to run the Northside Trail and enjoy some quiet, even if it meant running at what is usually the worst time of the day for me. It was warm and quiet and the trails were blissfully empty of everyone but me. Unfortunately, I was way too hungry to be running, and quite tired as well. When the going got tough I tried the visualisation mentioned earlier (spinning in low gear on the bike). It worked well enough to keep me running at a steady, light pace without stopping in spite of low blood sugar.
- Week of November 30
- Tuesday Couldn't run this weekend because of wild winds. Today I'm in Montreal, and what better way to start the day than with a run in my favourite city! The temperature has dropped dramatically in the past day, so I had to bundle up with the whole winter kit at 5:30am, but it was worth it. I ran along de la Montagne down to St-Antoine in downtown Montreal, and worked my way to Old Montreal. The wind occasionally blasted out of a sidestreet. I got to de la Commune, the oldest street in Montreal along the port, and ran right to the end, before turning back and making my way up - it was a tough hill! - to Dorchester. What a great run!
- Week of December 7
- Wednesday As anyone remotely tuned in to Atlantic caost news will know, the region got whacked by a huge snowstorm this past weekend, to the dismay of all runners out there. Winter is really here, and with the -23C temperatures when I walked to the gym, it's here with a vengeance. Thank goodness the last run in Montreal was under such great circumstances!
This evening was something that I had been meaning to do for years: joining the Capital City Road Runners for their weekly Wednesday evening run. I've heard such wonderful things about this group and how much fun they have on their runs that I finally decided to go. The only worry was the pace. I'm a (much) slower than average runner and didn't want to get lost trying to follow the group around Fredericton.
We left the Beaverbrook Gym at 5:30pm sharp and headed down Alexandra Street to the river and across the pedestrian bridge. So far so good. The pace was quick and light but comfortable. Going along Union/Main Street to the Westmorland Street Bridge was a little tougher, and by the time we were going down Charlotte Street back to the gym my legs were getting mad. I should have known better and paced myself a little more wisely at the beginning of the run; however, this is a great way to do some tempo runs every week and hopefully learn to run faster. And yes, the people were awesome. - Sunday On the news of yet another big snowstorm coming up the East Coast, I went out for a run this evening before the pavement would be buried under snow and traction would disappear for six months. Lots of traffic in the early evening, so I sought out some peace and quiet on Golf Club Road. The first 15 to 20 minutes were a bit rough. I wondered how in the world I had kept up with the Club on Wednesday. I did fine in the hills and sped up a little on the way back. A good tailwind helped!
- Week of December 14
- Wednesday Only one week until Christmas Eve! How many more times can you stand having someone ask you "Got all your Christmas shopping done?" This evening the running club went on its traditional pre-Christmas route: across the pedestrian bridge and over to St. Mary's Reserve to see the Christmas decorations and sing Christmas carols, all while running with bells on. The snow from Monday's storm was turning into slush so the footing was good (except on the pedestrian bridge). The tough part was climbing the hill on the reserve. By the time we stopped, I could barely sing! Lots of lights - and dogs barking at us - made for a great distraction. Back down the hill, across the Westmorland Street Bridge, down Queen Street, and back to UNB. I'll be back next year to do this!
- Friday Decent weather today, so I left the Christmas party early to head out on a run. I like to think that I've got my priorities straight! Yearning for a little peace and quiet during the Christmas season, I did the Golf Club Road route. The road surface was a little slick in some places and I seemed to have a harder than usual time getting up the first hill. My legs were still tired from Wednesday's run with the Club. How nice to be able to get out and let my mind hear nothing but quiet.
- Week of December 21
- Sunday Just a short run, but sometimes that's all you need! I stuck to the Parkhurst/Inglewood Drive loop and ran up and down each court. Interesting psychological effects of doing that. I immediately run more slowly, since in my mind I'm not running "ahead" or "to" any place, merely up and down streets. My pace is steadier and I'm much more relaxed. I've noticed that my cadence has slowly been decreasing as the weather has gotten colder. I don't know if this is a good thing or not.
- Monday Hey, I get to run for two days in a row! In winter, this is really saying something. Mind you, I can be a pretty fussy runner when it comes to evaluating terrain and wind chill in the winter months. Today's run was almost an hour and it was absolutely fantastic. I ran around Parkhurst/Inglewood then across the city on Aberdeen to Queen Square, around the park, and back to the apartment along Charlotte Street. My legs felt tight and springy when I left the apartment. Relaxed, upright posture, steady legs and pace. Yippee!
- Wednesday Home for Christmas! Lots of snow around here - even more than in Fredericton - but it's disappearing quickly under the pouring rain and warm temperatures. It wasn't until late afternoon that I finally got myself out of the door and into the unbelievably wet, floodlike conditions. Most minor roads were simply too flooded to be worth running on, so I stuck to the main road down to the river, then went out to the Trans-Canada Bridge and back. I couldn't believe how quickly time went by: I looked at my watch and saw that 24 minutes had already passed and I was feeling great. I had had the foresight to wear my heavy and warm North Face tights, so my legs didn't get cold, wet or cramped. Great run.
- Thursday Merry Christmas everyone! After a late night/early morning of opening presents, eating lots of food, and having a glass of champagne, I thought the perfect present to myself would be a nice run. Of course, that was after a nap. Santa Claus helped by providing almost perfect running weather - at least, for the end of December. It was overcast, with a bit of wind and temperatures just above zero. I ran down to the river following the same route as yesterday, but instead of heading downriver toward the Trans-Canada bridge I went upriver so that I would have the wind in my back on the return journey. I kept the pace very easy, with a short stride and an upright posture. Ran all the way to the CIL factory, then turned around and did some exploring in the older part of town behind the new train station. On the way back I ran under the train bridge as a train was crossing. What a sound! Legs started feeling a little stiff in the last 15 minutes.
- Sunday An abaolutely beautiful day, the kind where the sky is fantastically blue, the air is clear, there's not a cloud in the sky, and the sun is warm in spite of it being the middle of winter. My sweetie and I were in the mood for a long, easy run, which was probably the best way to spend such a great day. We did much the same route as my last run in Fredericton: the courts around Parkhurst/Inglewood, across town on Aberdeen, around Queen Court, then on to University to Waterloo Drive, and back home along Queen Street, with the usual pause in front of Radical Edge to drool at the bikes. Trotting along at a slow, easy pace and a short stride felt great.
- Week of December 28
- Monday Unusually warm, sunny weather made today a tough one to spend in the office. So I was raring to go this evening, though it had cooled off substantially. I did much the same route as Sunday, only without the courts and with an extra loop around University Avenue and Alexandra Street. It was one of those days when I felt great as soon as I started running, mostly because I was keeping the pace slow and the cadence very regular. I felt like running and running and running. And that's exactly what I did for over an hour. Wish all my runs were like this!
The 2003 Trip to England and France
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Last updated December 29, 2003 by Helen Rooney
