Here I Am

I have had a whole bunch of people asking me all week long where the blog has gone.  Well, kind of.  Actually one person mentioned it a few minutes ago.

The past week I ran 32kms and have started another half marathon program.  I did this a couple of years ago, then jumped up to the full marathon last year.  I enjoyed the adventure of the full marathon, but when the training got intense, it meant that I was doing 30-34km runs on Saturday and spending the rest of the weekend recovering.  The beauty of the half marathon is that the training never gets that time consuming.  The race is at the end of August and it is really nice to be back on some sort of "schedule."

In other sporting news, the Edmonton Oilers have hired another head coach.  Amazingly, he has no connection to the '84 Oilers, so they may actually win a few games this year.  Good luck.

Fun Run

Today was a Fun Run just down the road in Andrew.  As a school fundraiser, you find at least $50 worth of pledges, then enter a 10k run or a 4k run/walk.  Donna and Reese entered the 4k and I ran in the 10k  I used the Runkeeper app, so even though the event was non-competitive, I wanted to do a decent job anyway. I kept a good pace and my overall pace was slightly less than 6min/km which is very decent for me.

We finished the event with BBQd burgers and chips.  The staff members of Andrew School are all really friendly, and I know them through badminton. It's always nice to see them and tease them.  Good day.

Saturday Morning

I got to the gym this morning at 11:30am. I couldn't even find a mosquito on the way who wanted to come along ... Smoky Lake on a Saturday morning is about as busy as the Edmonton Oiler offices - nothing happening.  I ran a fairly quick 5k at different speeds because I plan on taking a few days off of running.  I'm not sure if "off of running" will get me full marks in the mechanics/grammar rubric, but you get the point.

After a run, I worked on arms and chest then finished with these lunge/arm curl things that my sister taught me.  My back is still a bit tender from my sofa accident a while back, so exercises like this really seem to help.  I just never seem to find the time or energy to actually do them.

I think tomorrow will be a bike ride or a run if the weather cooperates.  It is pretty rainy today, so it also looks like some golf is out of the question.

Perfect Weather

I went for a 10k at 7:30 this morning and when I finished it was +19 outside. Absolutely perfect.

There isn't much more to add to this post, other than to remind myself why I don't blog - the novelty wears off really quickly. My lack of blogging doesn't mean I haven't been exercising; it's been the usual - gym, spin, treadmill etc. I haven't done much outside because of the weather, but things are looking good. It's supposed to be +28 tomorrow.

Spring?

Yesterday was the first day I managed to run in shorts - only a month behind. By the sounds of things, tomorrow will be +20, so if I'm really, really lucky I will be able to run in short sleeves. We take summer for granted. The simplicity of putting on a pair of shoes to go run seems lost after 6 months of snow. I can't wait for some summer running. I'm starting the season with a nice, flat 10k just down the road at Andrew. It's a fundraiser for their school and they finish with a great BBQ - a neat way to counteract the 1000cal burn.

Yesterday I also went for a run with a colleague. Is so nice to run with someone. Tonight I headed to the gym and was the only one there. It was also the first time I have ever walked to the gym without a toque. It kind of feels like summer.

The plans for the weekend are some outdoor running and a trip to Servus Place on the weekend.

I'm back and so is my back.

You may be wondering where I have been. Maybe you haven't been wondering where I have been. If you (and the thousands of others) who follow this thing have noticed a "blip" in time, you are an attentive person. I'm guessing no one has noticed.

A week ago Thursday I came home from the gym, tried to get up off of the couch and as Lennon and McCartney sang, "Twist and Shout" came to life. I instantly felt pain shoot from the back of my knees, halfway up my back. Muscle stuff.

During the next week, things got progressively better; however, exercise was out of the question. In the mornings, I was really stiff and had to kind of swing my hips in order for my legs to move. By noon things were better and by supper time I had a bit of pain, but things weren't bad. I also had a really busy week that required me to be at school until 8 or 9 each night, so that meant a whole bunch of sitting.

Friday I headed into St Albert to see the Cowboy Junkies (really good show) and on Saturday I had meetings at Barnett House. Things were feeling pretty good, so I thought that Servus would be a good option. I headed over Saturday afternoon and did 20 laps on the track. It was a different run, because I was being extra careful, but it felt pretty good.

Today I went back to Servus, but I had no intention of working out - I plunked into the whirlpool after a visit to the steam room. Hopefully I can get back into a bit of a routine this week, but I'm also amazed at how a fairly long break makes you appreciate the times when you can exercise.

Gym Night

After 8 pieces of the neighbour's pizza last night, I thought that today probably shouldn't be a rest day. I head over to the gym at 6:15 or so - straight from school. I find that if I go directly to the gym, from school, my chance of a workout are greater. My morning routine hasn't been that much of a routine because we are still in the middle of winter.

At the gym I did a great 4 mile run, arms, chest and leg extensions to stretch nobody else was there and I didn't listen to any music. I just focused on breathing. It was a good night. Now I'm plunked in front of the TV watching X-Files - sometimes I miss the 90s.