Full Moon?

Two things of consequence happened to me while I was out running this weekend. Highly unusual and somewhat humorous, I thought they were blog-worthy, so here you go...

1. I missed my long run on Friday. I KNOW. Crazy. But I wasn't feeling well. So I got some good rest and decided that I would head out for a lovely 2+ hour jog on Saturday morning. And this is when things went a bit sideways...

I wiped out. BIG TIME. I wish I had some fabulous story about how I was distracted by one of my two crushes (just for review- Tim Riggins and Rafael Nadal) running by, but sadly, I do not. I got lazy and simply didn't pick my foot up high enough to get over the curb which resulted in an arm-flailing, leg-sprawling yard sale right there in the middle of the sidewalk. Water bottles everywhere, IPod smashed on the ground (which, by the way it did survive- nice work, Apple) and blood coming out of my hands, left wrist and elbow. Nice.

For a split second I was RELIEVED when I looked around and saw that there were ZERO...yes, that's right...ZERO witnesses to my not so graceful face plant. After sitting there stunned for several moments and then slowly realizing that I hadn't broken anything, however, I was kind of disappointed that there was NO ONE to ask me if I was OK. But mainly I was relieved. And then I chuckled. Big time. This is something I have had to learn to do after realizing that I seem to embarrass myself on a regular basis. Oh well, there are worse things I'm sure...which leads nicely into item of consequence #2.

2. Let's not beat around the bush. I was running the reservoir on Sunday afternoon and I got stung by a wasp on my ankle. F&*k. Those things HURT. I had to pull the stinger out too. And when it happened I swore and kind of danced around swatting at my leg. Rest assured, Sunday was a beautiful day in Calgary and unlike the anonymity of my free fall on Saturday morning, there were several who witnessed the wasp sting. Except they probably didn't realize that I had been stung and wondered instead who the crazy woman doing a weird dance on the running path was. So, what did I do? I did what any sane individual does at this point...I kept running. I was still a good 30 minutes from home so I figured this was the best way to get there quickly. And I laughed at this one too...

I mean SERIOUSLY...was it a full moon this weekend or what?

FYI- my run this afternoon was standard. Nothing earth-shattering or eventful. Quite lacklustre, fact...and I enjoyed every second!

Tennis Anyone?

Look out Tim Riggins. After last night's US Open fourth round win over Gael Monfils, Rafael Nadal maybe be taking over top spot on my juvenile crush list. Oh. My. God. Did ANYONE watch this match? ANYONE? It was about the finest display of tennis I have ever witnessed in my life. It was super physical, hard-hitting, long points...and it was amazing.

Nadal. That man is fit. F-I-T fit. After rallies with 20-30 shots hitting as hard as they possibly could (this reminds me of how elated arice and I were when we got to 10- hee) Monfils was hunched over looking like he needed oxygen and Nadal...well he was just ready for more. Calm. Cool. Collected. Sigh. I heart him.

Danger...DANGER!

Yesterday I had a bit of bad news. As to not bore you too much with the gory details, that certain someone who was supposed to be back in the country around the 18th of September is a bit uncertain as to when he will be making an appearance in good old Oh Canada. One of the many, many projects he has been working so hard to complete is about to come together, and that means in Africa he must stay, at least for a bit longer than expected. Sadness. Tough for sure. I'll admit it...I threw myself a huge pity party and invited my good friends crying and sobbing and lay on the couch feeling sorry for myself for a bit. And then I decided to do something about it. And what better thing to do then to get out into the September sunshine for a mind-clearing, soul-healing run around the reservoir.

This leads quite nicely to the danger part of this post. Those who know me well will attest to the fact that I consider myself a bit invincible. My level of fitness and strength often lull me into a false sense of security with the running alone thing. Of course, I never run at night after dark, but I do run in the morning before sunrise from time to time (only on the streets) and I also love to run a lot of the pathways in Calgary. I love the pathways because they are removed enough from the road ways that they have less pedestrian and bike traffic than some of the more common areas. Yesterday, I ran the reservoir path, and part of that path meanders through the Weaselhead trail area. It was mid-afternoon on a warm and lovely Sunday so the path was far from deserted, but that certainly didn't stop 2 idiots on bikes from harassing me. One of them rode beside me and one of them in front of me, and to my EXTREME annoyance, they wouldn't let me pass. They had several rude comments which I won't get into just right here, and I should also note that this carried on for a good 10 minutes or so. Eventually they did pedal away and left me to run in peace, but it did made me think...do I need to worry about being in the Weaselhead on my own in broad daylight on a weekend day?

I'm relatively certain that these clowns were harmless, but if I were to be attacked, what would I do? I obviously can't out run a dude on a bike (thus the realization that I am not, GASP, invincible) and as the cooler weather draws nearer, there will be less and less people on this part of the pathway. I thought about maybe starting to carry a cell phone, but the thought of carrying a cell phone on a long run is a bit annoying. Also annoying is the fact that these clowns made me feel nervous and vulnerable. And they probably have no clue about that. I'm sure they didn't consider how they were making me feel, and if asked would say that they were having fun or "joking" , but I don't think that men think about things like this very often since they have to worry much less about getting attacked on the running path...and like how their comments, while not intending to cause harm, really did affect me in the long run. It frustrates me that in society today, women do need to consider their safety...even if it is in the middle of the day...on a well travelled path.

Anyhow- I survived. I lived to tell the tale. But I will be more cautious about my surroundings on my runs from now on. Maybe I will carry a cell phone. Maybe I will turn the volume down on my ipod so I have a better chance of hearing someone coming behind me. Maybe I will let someone know where I'm headed on a long run and for about how long I'll be out. After all, you never truly know where danger lurks.

I'm Back...Sort Of

Ah. Back in Calgary, where the running paths are plentiful and the sun is shining! Yes, I am super excited to be back in Calgary and back to the comforting routine of work and running. I know I've been an absent blogger in the past couple of months, but Louisiana time and lake time sapped my desire to blog...and truth be told I wasn't around a computer all that much!

Note that in my post Calgary marathon bliss I signed up for the Harvest Half marathon which will be taking place on the 3rd of October. Note that I partially did this to inspire myself to continue with some running over the summer. Note that this DID NOT happen. Oops.

Life just seemed to get in the way of running this summer. A trip to Louisiana, some fabulous time spent at camp with my man and in between a couple bouts of flus and various other ailments, I just didn't get out there to do the job that I normally do. And that makes me a wee bit nervous. Don't get me wrong, I am relatively certain that I can complete the half distance no problem, but I had visions of a very speedy half in my post marathon bliss! This is why I am super excited to be back into the swing of things...it has less to do with being back in Calgary (I'd rather be at the lake, please and thank-you) and has more to do with the fact that I have thrown myself right back into recommitting to health and fitness!

To all of you going through the same sorts of re-dedications, try to remember that it really is about enjoying yourself out there. And while the sun has decided to shine (at least in Calgary for a few days), we may as well be out there doing something active.

I'm going to try and remember that when I'm out running today. My body hurts.

Goal Reached

I forgot...

Please note...

I reached my goal of doubling my number of followers. Cross that off the to-do list people! Cross. It. Off.

Thanks faithful followers!!! Thanks a million!

Oh the Humanity

Please note to your left the lovely image of Ains, Ty and I completing the Manitoba half on Sunday. Yep, you read right, I ran in the Manitoba half on Sunday. I didn't have any previous plans to run this one at all, but with Ains and Ty planning on running I just couldn't miss out on the fun and had to register. And I was super happy that I did. The weather was fabulous, the course was amazing (flat, flat, flat) and I got to run the entire way with two of my favourite people in the whole world! Although I wasn't sure how this bod was going to hold up pounding the pavement on another long run, I must admit it didn't feel all that bad considering I just left if all out there in the Calgary marathon just 3 short weeks ago.

This was my first experience with the Manitoba marathon, and I must say that I was impressed. Very impressed. Nice work, Winnipeg...you sure know how to put on an event! The Manitoba marathon is the second biggest in Canada with 15 000 people competing in the full, half, and relay distances. I enjoyed it so much that I just might consider the full for next year. I am always in awe at the amount of volunteers and man hours that must go into putting on an event of this magnitude, so hi-5's to all who donate their time to ensuring that crazies like us get our endorphin fix whilst running the course on race day.

A quick comment about the heat...wow. It was H-O-T. And humid. We saw a couple of people go down in the half. My parents saw someone collapse in the stadium just meters from the finish. And I would not be surprised if they pulled a lot of runners off the marathon course simply due to the heat. Running in the heat brings a whole other dimension to race day. Not only is it physically taxing, it plays with your mind too. Personally, I enjoy running in the heat and humidity, which will come as no surprise to those who know me well, but its definitely not for everyone and can be dangerous if you aren't careful to replace your fluids and electrolytes when need be.

Anyhow, I was glad to have done a half since I haven't done one for a couple of years. It got me excited for the half that I've signed up for in October. Very excited, in fact. Now if only I can hold back on the training for a few days. In my immune-suppressed state I seem to have contracted a bit of flu. So its rest for me for a few days until I'm 100%...or at least 90 or 85...and then I will be off and running once again!

And one more quick thing...please note this lovely tidbit of info highlighting the importance of REST. An old dear friend of mine forwarded me this link and I think its worth a read. As a matter of fact, I'm going to read it again for the first time just to remind myself how important rest is to the training. And then I will sleep. Good night. https://secure.cbe.ab.ca/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/for-a-better-workout-try-sleep/

Support

Please note that I now have 2 followers. 2 WHOLE FOLLOWERS! It's official. I've made it! Maybe I should make it a goal to double the amount of followers by this time next week. That would mean I would have 4 followers for those of you who don't have a calculator close at hand. Can this really count as a goal? Let's see...it is Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. That SMART goal (yes, smart, not DUMB, chaney) is for those of you working extra hard this week to polish off the last of those IPP's. Go Get 'Em!

I was thinking earlier this week about just how wonderful it was to have a contingent of people waiting for me at the finish line at the Calgary marathon. I wanted each and every one of those people to know just how much I appreciated their attendance! It really, really means a lot that you came to see the finish or stayed after your own race when all you really wanted to do was eat a massive breakfast and get off your feet. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about it!

One smiling face that I really missed at the end of this one was my dear sis. She has been one of my most faithful supporters and I always appreciate so much when she is able to see me finish a run...or at least has the intention of seeing me finish and arrives just in time to see me finish in the porta john! I am really excited to be at the line for her on Sunday in Winnipeg- I just know she is going to be amazing!

It was amazing for me as well that that certain someone was able to see me finish the marathon this year as his return trip to the Sahara was pushed back and he was able to make it to the race. Not only did the man come on the day of the race, he had to put up with me the whole week before the run which, if you know me well, is no small feat. If you recall, to run a great race requires full on rest the week before which translates into no running at all. My mood is not always the best in this week as my body is CRAVING those lovely running induced endorphins. And by not always the best I really mean unpredictable and crazy. I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for not just surviving the craziness, but for truly being there for me even when I wasn't at my best. And for being my massage therapist, personal chef, biggest (and tallest- hee) fan, and voice of reason...like when I really wanted to go running and you talked me out of it! How much this means to me words cannot express!

T-5 to the Manitoba Marathon people. T-5. Please. Positive thoughts and energy everyone!

And before I forget, I came across this article on the Runner's World website. Its short but sweet and definitley woth 5 minutes of your valuable time for a read!
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-380-381--13143-0,00.html?cm_mmc=beginners-_-2009_06_17-_-beginners-_-TRAINING%3a%20Get%20Stronger,%20Go%20Longer