....I always knew I was like some big train when I stopped running/training. I just can't get moving easily......
My achilles has actually been very good, but my lack of any running routine and any sort of internal discipline to get with it has led to some nice runs, but also a complete lack of focus and consistency. The 'sense of urgency' as i call it has yet entered my realm of thought.
On the plus side I've been spending more time working with the HS kids. It's fun working with them, but it's also killing my time management as having top pick up Carter, try to sell our house (final stages hopefully) and general life has made it difficult to truly be focuses. If there was any proof of that my constant 8-8:30 fall asleep on the couch times can attest to that. It's simply one of those things that will come, but for me it's never been easy.
Hence why I empathize with the HS kids we've been coaching. They are still learning, but gosh some of them have talent. We have three pretty good junior kids who have never trained for XC before and their results attest to their talent and having done enough work to have some nice results. We have one very talented kid, but we have unearthed four others who could make our school team pretty decent next year and very good the year after that. It's just getting them out. The shocking thing is that two of them gave up soccer to focus on running. Hopefully on my current comeback they can motivate me to get out more consistently.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Yes I am still alive....
...and no running is not going particularly well. If I ever thought there was such a thing as a minor achilles problem...shoot me. Although the achilles is okay to run it's still creaky. I just cannot figure out if it's simply old age creaky, injured creaky or simply just creaky and ok to run on consistently.
My runs are good (mechanics are much better even if they feel awkward), when I do run and it often feels better the next day, but I am also paranoid as hell tnat one step forward will be one step back, and I don't think my brain could take that....oh well for now I may have to take that step forward.....this is more stresssful than any race I have ever done....eeekkkkk....
I hope to post more consistently, in my typical tangent fashion, but things have been busy. Work, coaching the HS kids, and trying to sell a house(^%$*^%*^% chafer beetles) as julie is pregnant again means things are a little unpredictable these days and I more than most need predictability to run well (I find the more of a loose cannon you are the more routine one needs, at least in regards to place and time)
My runs are good (mechanics are much better even if they feel awkward), when I do run and it often feels better the next day, but I am also paranoid as hell tnat one step forward will be one step back, and I don't think my brain could take that....oh well for now I may have to take that step forward.....this is more stresssful than any race I have ever done....eeekkkkk....
I hope to post more consistently, in my typical tangent fashion, but things have been busy. Work, coaching the HS kids, and trying to sell a house(^%$*^%*^% chafer beetles) as julie is pregnant again means things are a little unpredictable these days and I more than most need predictability to run well (I find the more of a loose cannon you are the more routine one needs, at least in regards to place and time)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Wow!! Maybe I showed too much patience
It's been a very interesting last 4-5 weeks. I figured I'd be running full time a long time ago, but this has not been the case. The achilles didn't respond to anything I did too it, so I ended up finally getting into physio (shoulda done that the first week). It's coming along, but still stiff at times (got a night splint) and tender, but my physio seems to think it's better that I think it is...
The good thing has been I purchased a hybrid road bike. it's more road bike than mtn bike and although it's a cheaper model, it's definitely smoother than anything I've been on before. if there's one thing I can actually handle when injured it's bike riding for 2-3 hours. I've only just got the bike, but I've had a couple 90min runs mixed in with some pool workouts at the Glen (where I have lived this summer) as they have two pools there and I was able to find a cheap pool running belt (BIG % is a plethora of cheap sports crap!!!). Mix that in with a few runs and things are coming along. Now, I just have to to get hold of my 'love handles' get in some SFU and Bellingham runs and hope that the Fall is not like last year (October meltdown).
At they very least it looks as though I may have a part time training partner this Fall. A young kid we've been working with at our school ran some great races to win the two distance events (1200 and 2000m) at this yrs BC Summer Games. He's still a work in progress but he shocked the hell out of us in running a very aggressive 1200m (we didn't think he'd win as the other kids have more pure speed and have been running 2:04/05 800m), but he simply bullied his way to the front with 2500-300m to go and then kicked like a mad man to win. Slow time, but he closed in 63.
In the 2000m he ran somewhat similar, but we also expected he had a good shot to win. The final times made his dominance in the race look close. The way he handled himself in the race (controlling the tactics and strategy and being patient and smart) shows he has come a long way. He simply took off with 100m to go, much like the change of pace work we had given him over the last few weeks of training (good 100m with 300 to go and then another hard surge with 100m to go), worked wonders. It was one of those things where we know he needs to get in good position with 200m to go, as he doesn't have the pure leg speed so we felt that he needed the mental routine of practice surging to run better races tactically.
Considering eh has done all his training on his own, doesn't belong to a club and is in hist first year of the sport shows the potential we felt he had...
The good thing has been I purchased a hybrid road bike. it's more road bike than mtn bike and although it's a cheaper model, it's definitely smoother than anything I've been on before. if there's one thing I can actually handle when injured it's bike riding for 2-3 hours. I've only just got the bike, but I've had a couple 90min runs mixed in with some pool workouts at the Glen (where I have lived this summer) as they have two pools there and I was able to find a cheap pool running belt (BIG % is a plethora of cheap sports crap!!!). Mix that in with a few runs and things are coming along. Now, I just have to to get hold of my 'love handles' get in some SFU and Bellingham runs and hope that the Fall is not like last year (October meltdown).
At they very least it looks as though I may have a part time training partner this Fall. A young kid we've been working with at our school ran some great races to win the two distance events (1200 and 2000m) at this yrs BC Summer Games. He's still a work in progress but he shocked the hell out of us in running a very aggressive 1200m (we didn't think he'd win as the other kids have more pure speed and have been running 2:04/05 800m), but he simply bullied his way to the front with 2500-300m to go and then kicked like a mad man to win. Slow time, but he closed in 63.
In the 2000m he ran somewhat similar, but we also expected he had a good shot to win. The final times made his dominance in the race look close. The way he handled himself in the race (controlling the tactics and strategy and being patient and smart) shows he has come a long way. He simply took off with 100m to go, much like the change of pace work we had given him over the last few weeks of training (good 100m with 300 to go and then another hard surge with 100m to go), worked wonders. It was one of those things where we know he needs to get in good position with 200m to go, as he doesn't have the pure leg speed so we felt that he needed the mental routine of practice surging to run better races tactically.
Considering eh has done all his training on his own, doesn't belong to a club and is in hist first year of the sport shows the potential we felt he had...
Monday, June 21, 2010
The patience train...
(some pics of tank)
...is beginning to leave the train station. My supposed minor achilles (it has never really been bad) simply won't go away. Having said that it's been no help from me. I figured it responded so well to initial ice, rest, etc...that I'd be completely rolling in 2-3 weeks.
Well it hasn't gotten bad, but it has also been stubborn. I tried running earlier this week (3 weeks off) and it flared up. Now this could simply be tightness and the buildup of scar tissue making things feel painful, but I am not willing to take that chance.
I figured this would simply be my down time, but that time is now getting antsy. I had originally figured I'd be rolling on the track by now, but alas I sit here and....and well sit here some more.
Once again I get to live vicariously through the high school kid we are coaching. Good story as he qualified for the BC Summer Games in the 1200 and 2000m, but his 2000m trails race was one for the ages. I should preface that this kid kinda drives us nuts becuase he can be scatterbrained (don't know anyone like that).
So at the trials he is running a great race (I wasn't there but heard all about it) and he is sitting on this kid on lap 4 when with he hits the 200m mark and takes off. Oh oh....he thought he was on lap 5. Apparently, he has this huge lead and hit the line and then realizes he has another lap to go. Right then and there the kid showed us what he is really made of as he retook the lead until 200m to go and then puts down another kick. He hangs on til the last few meters when he gets passed to place 2nd and confirm his spot on the team.
Now we just have to get him to the start line in a month of so and see what happens.... should be interesting.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
I am still here....
...but it's been a busy last few weeks (school yr ending and the high school track season being in full swing), and a tweaky achilles has put me in limbo mode. Initially I was get in the gym and hammer myself into the ground, but getting my rear to the gym has been...well...a challenge. Instead, I've taken the take a week off, get the achilles dealt with (it's not bad and I don't want it to get that way) and move on....
In the mean time it's living vicariously thru some of the HS athletes we've been working with and see if they can achieve some good results. And this is where this post begins....
We have a grade 12 student who had never gone out for a school team in her life. Over the past 18mths she began doing the school's Sun Run clinics and in the fall came out for XC. Now this is the sort of kid you root for because she has the guts, resiliency, attitude and determination to show up and train. She was our team leader in XC even though she was at best our 7th runner. Unfortunately, she lacks the 3rd main ingredient to being a successful distance runner and that is plain simple pure talent.
As this student began coming out for track we decided we would do everything possible to get her to meets (she never misses a practice and even took up the javelin). Early in the season we went to a meet in the states. We had a free entry in all events and the only way to get her into an event was the 400m. She ran as hard as she could and afterwards still had a smile on her face (once she recovered).
But alas just when one thinks that luck in life never comes into play things happen to those who have that sort of attitude that deserves recognition. We had one of our local HS teachers, and former national team walkers, agree to hold walking clinics.
Now I know what you are thinking...WALKS!!!!.....but I've had a great degree of respect for walkers since I was in grade 11 and had a walks guy show exactly how fast they are (I could barely keep up with him when running).
I realized then and there that this kids lack of pure talent was no factor (if she could learn walking technique, which is more relevant). The result has been a kid who qualified for the BCHS champs and will probably be our highest open individual placing.
Life can often be full of terrible things, but every once in a while ol lady luck smiles on you. I'd be lying to you if the lady luck was only for her because in watching her succeed (with more tangible results) I've been able to remember that often things do work out for those who deserve it.
In the mean time it's living vicariously thru some of the HS athletes we've been working with and see if they can achieve some good results. And this is where this post begins....
We have a grade 12 student who had never gone out for a school team in her life. Over the past 18mths she began doing the school's Sun Run clinics and in the fall came out for XC. Now this is the sort of kid you root for because she has the guts, resiliency, attitude and determination to show up and train. She was our team leader in XC even though she was at best our 7th runner. Unfortunately, she lacks the 3rd main ingredient to being a successful distance runner and that is plain simple pure talent.
As this student began coming out for track we decided we would do everything possible to get her to meets (she never misses a practice and even took up the javelin). Early in the season we went to a meet in the states. We had a free entry in all events and the only way to get her into an event was the 400m. She ran as hard as she could and afterwards still had a smile on her face (once she recovered).
But alas just when one thinks that luck in life never comes into play things happen to those who have that sort of attitude that deserves recognition. We had one of our local HS teachers, and former national team walkers, agree to hold walking clinics.
Now I know what you are thinking...WALKS!!!!.....but I've had a great degree of respect for walkers since I was in grade 11 and had a walks guy show exactly how fast they are (I could barely keep up with him when running).
I realized then and there that this kids lack of pure talent was no factor (if she could learn walking technique, which is more relevant). The result has been a kid who qualified for the BCHS champs and will probably be our highest open individual placing.
Life can often be full of terrible things, but every once in a while ol lady luck smiles on you. I'd be lying to you if the lady luck was only for her because in watching her succeed (with more tangible results) I've been able to remember that often things do work out for those who deserve it.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
I actually made to the start line, nevermidn the finish line...
I am now officially mesmerized I actually made it to the Sun Run starting line. Because as of Sunday evening I had contracted Carter’s flu like symptoms, which apparently have turned out to be Norwalk (sp??). I originally thought I just felt kind of fatigued from the race, but as the day wore on I could feel there was something more to this uggghhh feeling.
I ended up calling in sick to work later Sunday, was being bed ridden for Mon and was only beginning to feel ‘human’ later Tues. By later in the day on Wed I was back to normal (a relative term I know), but of course with Julie being a nurse I also learned that Norwalk sticks around much longer (and is still catchy) up to two days after symptoms. So I finally went back to work on Thurs.
The worst part was Carter’s b-day party on Sat meant the sickie hit parade was on. By today’s count 16 of the 21 people at the party have also come down with said virus. Oh the fun that sick little kids create.
It might help to explain my hurting legs so early on in the Sun Run (maybe????) and my lack of energy over the latter parts of the race. It just felt hard from the get go. Oh well, maybe this is a needed rest.
I ended up calling in sick to work later Sunday, was being bed ridden for Mon and was only beginning to feel ‘human’ later Tues. By later in the day on Wed I was back to normal (a relative term I know), but of course with Julie being a nurse I also learned that Norwalk sticks around much longer (and is still catchy) up to two days after symptoms. So I finally went back to work on Thurs.
The worst part was Carter’s b-day party on Sat meant the sickie hit parade was on. By today’s count 16 of the 21 people at the party have also come down with said virus. Oh the fun that sick little kids create.
It might help to explain my hurting legs so early on in the Sun Run (maybe????) and my lack of energy over the latter parts of the race. It just felt hard from the get go. Oh well, maybe this is a needed rest.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
What a week....
It was exactly one year and one day ago that I found out what really matters. I have led an interesting life (a natural results of your father being in the RCMP and living in many different places), but last year changed everything. Why……simple…the birth of our first child. His birth (being as stressful as it was) caused both great hardship and great joy. The joy being how he has responded to his birth (we both believe he wouldn’t have made it through the weekend of his birth if my wife hadn’t had the feeling that something was wrong and had gone to the hospital), and turned into a tank of a child, who is eternally happy (even when he pukes you can still get a smile out of him).
It is when things go awry that I find myself with the simple concept that his life almost never began and that always bring me back into the real world. Today is such a day (being mothers day and all) when I can take a look back and realize that I cannot imagine much worse things than the birth of my child (I am still traumatized), but also how his resilient personality (yeah he has one) puts a constant smile on my face.
I've mentioned this before and if there's anything I've learned about myself (more so in recent times) is the requirement to become 'emotional' when I run. The past week has been a mess in regards to actually being able to focus on the Sun Run this week, and my performance showed as much. I cannot say it was terrible, but I also know it wasn't great. It was simply...'there'.
Back in high school when I played hockey I played my best when in an absolute emotional frenzy. I was one of those obnoxious (yeah imagine that!!!) player s that played on the edge and chirped away. Over the years I found that some people were able to get themselves up for any race. I was not one of those people. I could train at a high level, but I needed that extra little bit to race well.
What I also found was that getting ready to race for me was a buildup of events. I knew when and where I was going to run my best months in advance. But where problems sometimes arose (especially over the last two years has been in life getting in the way (not an entirely bad thing, but sometimes bad timing). Such was this past week.
Things began with our school track city championships on Monday. I enjoy the coaching, but the length of some of these days is exhausting. I got home around 8:30, never ran and went to sleep at 9:15. Not seeing Carter brings a great deal of stress and impatience on my part, so it was like a double whammy. Unfortunately, Tues was not much better. Because I hadn’t read any emails On Mon I messed up practice time and showed up at 5:30 (the time we had been showing up at). In turn I also had to cover our track practice as my coaching partner wasn’t there that day. Wed was another long day as I had to go to White Rock for another HS track race and didn’t get home til 6:30. Thurs was going fine til Carter was about to go to sleep and then proceeded to vomit all over Julie. That meant another late night as I was able to get in a short hill workout just it got dark around 9ish, go home and then had to go find a 24 hour drugstore to get fluids and Gravol for carter (who apparently had been puking non-stop since I had left). So another late night led to another early and long day as our final day of city championships took place. Now it was a beautiful day, but the sun and walking around are the last things I want to do before a bigger race. But wait…it gets better. I end up in bad traffic going home, get there late and can only put in a short run before I head downtown for a VIP shindig for the Sun Run. It was fine, but I would much rather have been relaxing at home. The adventures of this week don’t end there. Carter’s birthday was on Sat, s once again no down time and the to top it off I go out for a short run, come home and Julie now has what Carter had.
As always a moral…….Yeah!!!! I was totally ready to race on Sunday morning (insert sarcasm here)…. So after all this whining my Sun Run result is put in perspective (BTW I was top master and ran 30:57, but had a poor last km and was hoping for a much better time). …and that is some of our HS kids look as though they may be on their way to being successful in this sport, my wife had her first even Mothers day and most importantly Carter had his first ever birthday (or as I say to my wife, every day he is alive is a good day for me). I might be exhausted right now (not from the race), but I cannot complain.
It is when things go awry that I find myself with the simple concept that his life almost never began and that always bring me back into the real world. Today is such a day (being mothers day and all) when I can take a look back and realize that I cannot imagine much worse things than the birth of my child (I am still traumatized), but also how his resilient personality (yeah he has one) puts a constant smile on my face.
I've mentioned this before and if there's anything I've learned about myself (more so in recent times) is the requirement to become 'emotional' when I run. The past week has been a mess in regards to actually being able to focus on the Sun Run this week, and my performance showed as much. I cannot say it was terrible, but I also know it wasn't great. It was simply...'there'.
Back in high school when I played hockey I played my best when in an absolute emotional frenzy. I was one of those obnoxious (yeah imagine that!!!) player s that played on the edge and chirped away. Over the years I found that some people were able to get themselves up for any race. I was not one of those people. I could train at a high level, but I needed that extra little bit to race well.
What I also found was that getting ready to race for me was a buildup of events. I knew when and where I was going to run my best months in advance. But where problems sometimes arose (especially over the last two years has been in life getting in the way (not an entirely bad thing, but sometimes bad timing). Such was this past week.
Things began with our school track city championships on Monday. I enjoy the coaching, but the length of some of these days is exhausting. I got home around 8:30, never ran and went to sleep at 9:15. Not seeing Carter brings a great deal of stress and impatience on my part, so it was like a double whammy. Unfortunately, Tues was not much better. Because I hadn’t read any emails On Mon I messed up practice time and showed up at 5:30 (the time we had been showing up at). In turn I also had to cover our track practice as my coaching partner wasn’t there that day. Wed was another long day as I had to go to White Rock for another HS track race and didn’t get home til 6:30. Thurs was going fine til Carter was about to go to sleep and then proceeded to vomit all over Julie. That meant another late night as I was able to get in a short hill workout just it got dark around 9ish, go home and then had to go find a 24 hour drugstore to get fluids and Gravol for carter (who apparently had been puking non-stop since I had left). So another late night led to another early and long day as our final day of city championships took place. Now it was a beautiful day, but the sun and walking around are the last things I want to do before a bigger race. But wait…it gets better. I end up in bad traffic going home, get there late and can only put in a short run before I head downtown for a VIP shindig for the Sun Run. It was fine, but I would much rather have been relaxing at home. The adventures of this week don’t end there. Carter’s birthday was on Sat, s once again no down time and the to top it off I go out for a short run, come home and Julie now has what Carter had.
As always a moral…….Yeah!!!! I was totally ready to race on Sunday morning (insert sarcasm here)…. So after all this whining my Sun Run result is put in perspective (BTW I was top master and ran 30:57, but had a poor last km and was hoping for a much better time). …and that is some of our HS kids look as though they may be on their way to being successful in this sport, my wife had her first even Mothers day and most importantly Carter had his first ever birthday (or as I say to my wife, every day he is alive is a good day for me). I might be exhausted right now (not from the race), but I cannot complain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
