Timing aka...

....what events will I be running in the next few weeks? Not due to any running issue, but rather some little living creature that is about to enter my/our life. Jules is officially expecting on May 3, but anything can happen and this one is out of our control (driving her nuts).

This world revolves around running (doesn't it???), but the issue of my racing schedule has popped up. So here are the rules of my current game (as explained to me):
1) I can race, but......
2 I must always be near my cell phone (first time I really had one)...and If I go for a run I must immediately check it after my run.
3) I am not allowed to go out of town to race if no little one has yet decided to arrive.
4) I m not allowed going for a run while Julie is in labour.... (What’s the deal with that one.....there are good trails around the hospital!!!!)


...other than that everything is normal as usual....well kind of...

Training this week was solid....I am trying to keep some semblance of my 'track' speed up as I decide to take on this bloody marathon one more time. I find if I don't, I tend to have more hip/back issues.

But this time I am enjoying the process (like my first one). As long as I am having fun (is that possible in running???!!!) than I run well. I sometimes forget that, even when I've been very fit I have run poorly, and been in good (not great) shape and run well. Even in regards training I am trying to keep things both simple and 'fun' (not that it is always fun).

The week as it was:
Mon: tired from Sat ad Sun, but still a nice 67 min run at a good clip
Tues: short track workout at Richmond. Once my Wed session went down the tubes (8 x mile) I decided on what I have come to term a 'Frank Shorter' week. In other words make it as simple as I possibly can. The UBC guys were doing 6 x 800m off 2min, so I ended up doing 6 x 1000m off a 200m (80-90 sec jog) , except for no. 3 where I ran with them and put my spikes on for the last 3. It was pretty (actually very) controlled as one of the UBC guys would go through 300 and would tow him through the next 500 and keep on going. I was probably more concerned about helping him get through the workout and toned down what I might normally do. In the end I managed low 2:50s and felt nice and consistent
Wed: 1 hr 12 min quick....felt easy though
Thurs: afternoon 52 mins at Mundy park trails, but a good clip PM 34mins
Fri: controlled fartlek style run 12 x 3min at just above threshold effort with 2min jogs, but altered easier sections with mid 150s HR and then mid 140s (at halfway I made sure to tone it down to mid/high 130s). On my last 2 I ran 2 'posts' at threshold HR and ran 3:17 and 3:18, so a good sign
Sat: 1 hr 6 mins good pace, but easy PM 30mins
Sunday: met Dick ad Steve in some messy conditions for a planned 22 miles on the POCO/Pitt Lake trails (wasn't it close to 20 degrees a few days go). My stomach was bugging me early on and when I took a gel at just before halfway I really began having issues (By the way I found out what happens to gels that go beyond expiry dates.....bleccchhh). Around halfway we met Norm and Dick hopped on his bike. I think he regretted this decision as he froze his behind off. I had originally planned on structured surging on the way back, but ended up going to the bathroom. I told the boys I would catch up and felt much better after my little break, so threw down 1 min surges every 5 mins. I felt great and made up the distance relatively quickly. I probably should have kept on going once I caught up, as once I slowed down my R hip progressively seized up, and my stomach kept on bugging me.