Running Wild

Weekend encounters with airplanes, Teal Terror

I raced against a plane this weekend.
Well OK, not really. But kind of.
I ran in the Toronto Pearson Runway 5k race Saturday morning.
It’s the first time it’s been held and we actually got to run on an inactive runway while planes took off all around us.
There was a 5k race and a 2.5k walk.
Not really sure what to expect as this was the first race like this, I was very impressed.
It was very well-organized and all participants even received a finisher’s medal.
I won’t lie.  I love the hardware in every race and I was pleasantly surprised there was some for this one.
It wasn’t cheap either. It was a nice solid medal with the race emblem on it, which was a running shoe with airplane wings.
But there is no way to explain how amazing it was to start running and having a plane taking off right beside you. You could almost lull yourself into thinking you’re going to beat the plane.
I will definitely do this fun race again.  It’s nice and flat and I was able to achieve a personal best of 26:21.
After the race, there were massages available for those wanting one.
It doesn’t get better than that.
Only 400 runners were allowed to sign up and it fills up quick if you’re interested for next year.
On another note, I went for my second bike ride this weekend and discovered two things.
The first is that my seat was two low the first time and I was in too hard a gear as well.
Yesterday I came close to becoming one with my bike.
The bike was affectionately dubbed the Teal Terror last year as it was the first bike my friend , Robin, rode during her first Tri training.
I’m trying to keep the Teal Terror’s legacy alive and I’m finally starting to feel like I belong on it.
My rear end isn’t as sore as it was last week, neither are my leg muscles.
Things are looking up on the bike front.
Until my next post, happy trails.

Great, another potential addiction

I got schooled on the weekend.
It was my first foray into riding a bike for something other than fun.
I won’t lie. I don’t mind biking, but that feeling you get in your rear after being on a bike for awhile isn’t usually my cup of tea.
Bev and Doug, our fearless leaders, took us up to Holland Marsh for a 19 km bike ride.
I’ve never been around the Holland Marsh. It’s beautiful and there’s not much traffic.
All the ferocious dogs were pleasantly chained to their homes, despite wanting to break out of there and take a chunk out of us.
I also noticed it must be a popular place for cyclists because many of them whizzed by me, looking like real cyclists.
I do not look the part. At least not yet.
So, this morning the bones in my butt are sore every time I sit down and my IT bands are a little tight, but I managed to finish the ride unscathed.
Thanks to some help from friends, I bought biking shorts that come with padding that I’m guessing feels similar to wearing Depends.
But I got over it once I hopped on my bike and wasn’t in pain.
I was excited I finished without falling or any other mishaps until my friend turned to me and said ours was a medium ride. I thought it was fast.
As I mentioned before, competing with a bike is a lot more technical than anything I have ever done. There was a lot to learn about gears that is completely foreign to me.
The last time I biked to work, I had it set in the highest gear and, of course, I thought this was normal. It was completely unintentional and, at the end of the 10k ride, I couldn’t understand why my legs were burning the way they were.
For the rest of the week, it’s a regiment of running first and swimming after.
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
If I learned anything this weekend, it’s cycling seems like it’s going to be fun and potentially addictive.

Revamp Canadian Olympic standards

So, I was sitting on my masseuse’s table last week and the topic of the Olympics came up.
I love the Olympics and, naturally, I most love the running and track events.
During the Ottawa marathon, our Canadian marathon hopefuls ran, trying to qualify for Beijing.
Now, given I was running the marathon myself (mind you a lot slower, of course), I didn’t know what happened on the elite and Olympic front until the marathon was broadcast on CBC June 1.
I was instantly annoyed for these athletes when I watched the marathon unfold.
It turns out the top female and male Canadian finishers won’t head to Beijing, despite meeting International Olympic Standards.
That is because Canada’s standards are higher than international qualifying standards.
Gitah Macharia, who finished in Ottawa 2:16:55, and Tara Quinn-Smith, who finished in 2:33:58, would be in Beijing if they lived somewhere else.
Matt McInnes, a radiologist from Ottawa, also would have qualified with his finishing time of 2:16:59.
International standards are as follows: For women the A standard  is 2:37 and the B standard is 2:42. For men the A standard is 2:15 and the B Standard is 2:18.
The Canadian Standards are as follows: For women: A standard is 2:29:08 and B is 2:31. For men it is an A standard 2:12:38.
Quinn-Smith was well above the women’s A standard, almost eight minutes in fact.
I’m scratching my head at this because Japanese runner Mizuki Noguchi won the gold medal in Athens in a time of two hours, 26 minutes and 20 seconds. Stefano Baldini of Italy won the men’s gold medal in Athens in 2:10:55.
It’s not like our runners were 30 minutes behind those times.
Essentially if you don’t finish in the top 10, it seems you don’t get to go.
We will sadly not have any Canadian marathoners in Beijing, but it’s not because we don’t have anyone to choose from.
I should mention this is not only in marathoning.
Athetics Canada has set higher standards for other events too.
But from a runner’s perspective, after all their hard work and training, why shouldn’t we send our best out there to represent us?
I was thrilled to watch the Canadians finish in Ottawa. Quinn-Smith is a spectacular athlete as she proved by finishing so well in her first marathon.
Maybe it’s a little idealistic, but why not let her, Macharia and McInnes get a chance to live a dream that isn’t even on the radar for us?
It shouldn’t be a situation where we only send athletes who can finish fourth over athletes who can finish 18th.
Anybody who knows anything about the Olympics and the calibre of athlete you need to be just to qualify understands being there and competing is a magnificent accomplishment.
My masseuse, for the record, thinks it’s correct to put the money into those who are more competitive.
What do you guys think?

Beat the heat by timing your run

I’ve been missing in action for the past week or so, while I was pretending to rest.
After big races, I like to take a couple of weeks off. I stayed true to not running for a couple of weeks, but was unable to sit still, so I swam instead.
I have spent the past week getting myself ready for my latest challenge — doing a starter triathlon, known as a Try-A-Tri.
As I posted earlier this year, it will entail a 375-metre swim, 10 km bike ride and 2.5 km run.
My clinic starts Saturday morning in Aurora and while I’m enthusiastic, there are some nerves there.
I have spent the past week buying a bike rack, fixing a flat tire on my bike and purchasing my first bike helmet.
I haven’t even started the physical part of training and I’m already pooped.
I already realize combining three sports is a lot less simple than just strapping on your running shoes.
Speaking of which, it has been toasty out there, even though the humidity is down.
So, if you are going to run during the next few months, keep these tips in mind.
They were posted by American running coach Mindy Solkin. Take them seriously and you will save yourself a lot of grief.

PRECAUTIONS FOR RUNNING IN THE HEAT
• It takes about two weeks of consistent running in the heat and humidity to acclimate to warmer conditions.
• Remember, thirst is not an indicator of dehydration. Once you are thirsty, you are already low on fluids. Indications of dehydration are an elevated heart rate during and after your run and dark, gold-coloured urine. After your run, keep drinking fluids until your urine is clear.
• During your run, drink about four to eight ounces of water and/or sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Weigh yourself before and after your run. Drink 16 ounces of fluid for every pound of weight lost. *Important note here ... do not use this as a method of weight loss!
•Apply a sunscreen of at least SPF 15. Make sure it is a non-drip formula that won’t drip into your eyes.
• Wear sunglasses that filter UVA and UVB rays and/or wear a cap with a visor.
• Wear light-colored micro-fibre clothing.
• Run when your shadow is taller than you are and when the sun is not high in the sky. If you run in the morning, you’ll avoid the heat, but may encounter a higher humidity. The air quality is also better in the morning, since ozone levels increase soon after dawn, peak at midday and then again in the early evening. Times to avoid running are from noon to 3 p.m.
• Consume salty foods and drinks such as pretzels and tomato juice.

SIGNS OF HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
Heat cramps
Causes: Loss of electrolytes and accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles.
Conditions: Muscle cramps and/or spasms, heavy sweating, normal body temperature.
Treatment: Drink water and sports drink, slow down, massage affected area.
Heat exhaustion
Causes: Intense exercise in a hot, humid condition and loss of electrolytes.
Conditions: Profuse sweating, possible drop in blood pressure (less than 90 systolic, the top number), normal or slightly elevated body temperature, light-headedness, nausea, vomiting, decreased co-ordination, possible fainting.
Treatment: Rest in a cool place, drink water and sports drink, if BP drops below 90 systolic, call EMS, avoid activity for at least 24 hours, refrain from running or exercising in the heat for at least one week.

Mileage is overrated

I had an enlightening conversation with my friend, Adam this past weekend.
He was a marathon runner before I even knew what running was and I’ve always asked his advice, especially before my first marathon.
I respect his opinion not only because he has been a runner for a long time, but because he has amazing times to boot. His personal best for a marathon is 2:48, which some might argue is not normal.
This weekend, while having brunch, he said something to me, that I’ve been thinking since last summer.
“Mileage is overrated.”
I agree.
A lot of running programs have you run as many as four to five times a week, which for many is a road to injury.
I spent the first few years of my running career nursing injuries. It got me the nickname “The Datsuns” for legs.
Since I took a couple of runs off my weekly schedule and replaced them with other activities, I have been completely injury-free.
My two year anniversary of being injury-free will be in December.
I am running farther, faster and loving it more.
Adam has done the same thing, inserting activities such as spinning into his weekly routine.
He is running faster and in good health.
So, sometimes more mileage isn’t the best thing. I ran way fewer training kilometres for my 30K Around the Bay road race this year, and ran faster.
Sometimes a swim can replace a good hard run. Just work as hard at your other activity as you would at a run.

Successful run lessens aches, pains

I’m back!
My sunburn is healing, the abrasions on my back are getting better and my baby toe is on the way to recovery.
I’m back from a successful, if not hot, marathon in Ottawa.
First off, thank you Ottawaonians.
You did not disappoint.
Best crowd support I’ve seen at a Canadian race.
They wer e in Gatineau, they were along the canal and, most importantly, they were at the finish line, loud fierce and full encouragement for every runner struggling to finish.
I had a good race. I finished in 4 hours and 30 minutes, 21 minutes faster than my Niagara Marathon, so I was happy.
The course started to heat up in the last hour, at which point I kept repeating in my head over and over again- “This isn’t Chicago, this isn’t Chicago”.
The words of legendary runner Frank Shorter rang in my ears through the race. Before the gun went off, he said, remember the race is six miles.
He was of course referring to the last six miles or last 10k, which I learned don’t get easier the more marathons you do.
You still ask yourself, “Why did I do this again?” You still feel like you are trapped in quicksand for the last two kilometres and you still usually hurt coming across that finish line.
But I also learned the finish line is still sweet, no matter how many marathons you do.
It’s still special.
Anyone considering running a half marathon or a marathon should definitely run Ottawa at least once. It’s a beautiful scenic route.
We passed the Prime Minister’s house at the 12k mark and the scent of lilacs was present along the course.
A large part of the race is run along the Rideau Canal, which is glorious.
My running mates and I helped each other along the way, each finishing within 10 minutes of each other.
For my buddy. Elizabeth, who was with me in the cancelled 2007 Chicago Marathon, it was a sweet end and a monkey off her back.
Unable to fit another marathon in last fall, this was her first “real uninterrupted” marathon run.
I watched her slog through bad weather, injuries and times where it didn’t look so good, just to make sure she got to the finish line.
Congrats kiddo, you did us proud.
To our marathon instructor, John Lang, who is the winter marathon instructor at the Richmond Hill Running Room, thank you.
He inspired, motivated and cheered on every single one of us the whole way through. Always positive and always full of information, I’m a better marathoner now.
Now comes the tough part, which can sometimes be referred to as post race blues, when everything is over and you wonder what to do next. I already know what I will do next.
I will nurse my bumps and bruises, enjoy a few martinis and relax for a couple of weeks.
I will be writing about the trials and tribulations of my first foray into triathlons come June 14.
But don’t worry racing die hards, I’ve already signed up for the Midsummer Night’s Run in August and the Toronto half marathon in October.
I won’t venture far from my blog or from the road.
Until then happy trails.