Am I Scared? or Sensible?

You may have noticed my friend Emma showing up here on and off over the past year. She's run most of the 5Ks that I've done, including the Warrior Dash.



Emma is the muddy one here - 2nd from the right

Emma has a ton of 5K and 10K races under her belt  - you should see how many medals she's earned this year alone! - and has a not-so-secret longing to run longer distances. She recently registered with Team in Training and will use their support to train for the Around the Bay 30K race in March 2012.

I am very, very proud of Emma. I certainly can't let her cross the finish line on something as big as this without being there to cheer her on - so 4 of us (all Warriors!) will make a weekend out of it with her. Might as well do some running ourselves while we wait, right?

(Updated to add - our power-walking friend Lynda has just signed up for the 30K too!!)

Around the Bay has a relay option as well as a 5K. I was considering doing a 10K for the first time as part of a relay, but quite frankly the distance intimidated me. I've signed up for the 5K, and the other 3 Warriors will run the relay.

Hang on a second.

Did I just let fear talk me out of trying something new? Or am I being sensible?

Huh.

I recognize that I have a hard time breaking out of my comfort zone and trying new, bigger things. I also know that I've never let fear keep me away from a start line once I've committed to something.

But here's the thing - I have absolutely no desire to do a 10K. Well, sure, I'd like to be able to brag that I've done a 10 but I don't actually want to DO one. Unless it's on a bike. Put a bike under me and I'll ride to the other side of the continent. But on foot? Um, no. Not interested.

What I DO want to do is concentrate on getting faster and more powerful for 5Ks. I've been using them as a benchmark of my increasing fitness levels, and am very, very proud to see that I've dropped 4min10sec from my time from 10 months ago. I know I can improve on that. I'm currently doing about 75% power walking, 20% slow running, and 5% recovery walking, and am working on changing those ratios.

That may sound like rationalization, and it might be.

But at the same time, I've noticed that since I started running short distances regularly over the past few months, an old knee injury has been whispering nasty things to me now and then. My shins are mildly tender most of the time. And a full week after my last 5K, I noticed that my hips still ached a bit if I sat still for too long. All of that is unnerving me a bit.

I'm sure that a lot of this has to do with the extra 35 pounds that I'm carrying around. Yes, I'm working on that - but at the same time I really don't want to end up sidelined with an injury. 

I have made a point of setting big, scary goals for myself the last couple of years, and 2012 is no different. I am forcing myself to try new things - although it's very much on my own terms, I am trying to break out of my comfort zone on a somewhat regular basis.

So - am I sticking to the 5K because I'm scared of trying a longer course? Or am I being sensible? Or am I genuinely not interested in trying longer distances on foot?

I'm sure it's a mix of all of the above. Not quite sure how I feel about the fear part of this mix. Something to think about.

Here's this week's recap -

Saturday - 2K run a block/walk 2 blocks with the dog, followed by Curves + 25 pushups. Later - took the dog and my daughter 2.7K round trip to a playground. She rode her bike; Stella and I did run-a-block, walk-a-block to keep up with her.

Sunday - 2K dog park walk, followed by Curves + 25 pushups. Later - we hosted a family lunch and ended up taking the kids and dogs to the park - yep, that's Round 2 of the 2K dog park walk. At the end of the day, I took Stella for a 2K stroll around the neighbourhood. I am going to sleep very well tonight.

Monday's sunset. Beautiful.
Depressing though - it's only 6.20pm.

Monday - 2K dog park walk after dinner, 1K run a block/walk a block before bed.

Tuesday - Rest day. 1K dog walk.

Wednesday - Zumba + Curves circuit + 25 pushups + 2K run/walk with the dog.

Thursday - 2K dog park walk, Curves + an abs class.

Friday - Race kit pickup day! My daughter and I are doing a 5K tomorrow morning. Fingers crossed for good weather...there's a rumour of wet weather in the morning :-(

Speaking of races - I found a few pics online from the Scotiabank Waterfront 5K that my son and I did two weeks ago:

Is it possible? Am I ENJOYING myself? :-)

Gotta check the timer - How'd I do? How'd I do??

Happy but oh so tired and FREEZING cold!

Keeping the Jitters in Perspective

It's the weirdest thing - about 2 weeks before an event, I develop a sore joint. Usually a knee or an elbow, but sometimes a shoulder. Anything like this happen to you?

Right on schedule, my knee started acting up last week - exactly two weeks before the Becel Ride.

It's not a strain from overtraining. I'd have to overtrain for it to be that ;-)

It's Phase 1 of the pre-race jitters, and it's all in my head.

I think it's my body offering me an out in case I want to chicken out. Can't do a ride with a bum knee, right?

Fortunately this kind of thing always passes with time, and ultimately gets replaced by the helpful jitters that show up a day or two before the event - the ones that get the adrenaline flowing, make sure that I get my race kit organized on time and don't oversleep on race day. Those I don't mind.

Do I need more self-confidence? Probably.

Have I ever backed out of a race because of it? Nah. I'm careful to tell lots of people about my upcoming events, which means there'd be too many people to answer to if I bailed on one!

I think this case of the jitters is pretty easy to figure out - it's been a wet, rainy spring and I've barely been on my bike at all. Actually - until this week, I HAVEN'T been on my bike at all - I've been riding my husband's for the past year while mine waited patiently for a repair. His bike fits me reasonably well so I've been making due.

So - in the back of my mind, I've been anxious about finding the time to get my own bike repaired in time for the Ride, and about being ready seeing as how the longest ride I've taken this season is 8K...and that was on the level track at the park.

Solved both of those problems this week!

1 - Husband got my bike over to the shop in time for us to pick it up a full week before the ride. So great to have my shiny red bike back. It rides like a dream!

2 - The owners of the shop wished me well on the upcoming Ride and told me to think about doing the 50K course. "If you can do 25K, you can do 50. If you can do 50, you can do ANYTHING."

Understand that these are not buff, athletic people trying to convince me that something crazily challenging is as easy as pie. They are just average folks who have a lot of encouragement to offer.

With their morale-boosting words in mind, I headed out for a training run on Sunday. Did almost 14K and it was awesome!

Huh...look at that...my knee doesn't hurt any more.

And they've got me thinking about the 50K for next year. Bring it on!

Here's this week's recap -

At the playground of the first drive-in of the season

Saturday - Spent half the day at the spring carnival at the kids' school - it's my 6th year running the loot bag table - then picked up my bike and went home for a family nap before heading out to the drive in! Love, love, love the time before the show - playing on the retro playground, being out in the evening air, so many kids running around in their PJs, no rushing involved. Also love the great prices on the big tub o' popcorn and carton o' Junior Mints. Love those a little too much, actually.

Check out the historic trail marker. And yes, that's my shiny red bike.
Added a handle-bar mounted pouch this weekend - perfect size for keys, blackberry, snack and a raincoat.

Sunday - 13.9K ride on my bike. So happy to be back in the saddle! I live in the heart of the city and am reasonably comfortable dodging traffic, potholes and sewer grates when I ride on the streets, but I'm lucky to have nearby both a cemetery that can take me fairly far north and a trail that can take me a ways east-west. It's an interesting trail that follows the path of a defunct railway line. I really like the markers that indicate where the stations used to be. Played catch and wiffle ball with the kids for a long time after dinner. Love spring evenings.

Monday - Short walk at lunch, Curves after dinner.

Tuesday - Rest day.

Wednesday - This was some good toning for my arms: the  front gardens needed watering and I was too lazy to drag the hose to the front yard, so I made 12 trips back and forth to the kitchen to fill my big watering can and haul it outside.

Took the kids for a 2K training run after dinner - big mistake. We were all too full from dinner to do more than stroll, and all got upset stomachs from trying to move quickly. Lesson learned - and how! 33 pushups later in the evening.

Thursday - 1K fast walk at lunch, Zumba + 30 pushups after dinner.

As happy as a kid in a candy store. Wait - he IS a kid in a candy store!

Friday - Race kit pickup day! Treated the kids to a trip to Sugar Mountain afterwards. Hey - life can't be ALL about fruit and veg, right? 

What I'm reading this week - When we were strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt.