Second consecutive day of running. Small success. Trail running in fall is awesome. The goal for the next 28 days is to run every single day to complete a 30 consecutive running day plan. So what has worked so far: something that I have been very reluctant to ever do: prioritize my running and get it out of the way first thing in the morning rather than plan for a run at the end of day which never happens!

Yes. I believe I can kick my running procrastination habit!

Fighting running procrastination this week. I am never going to finish that 50 miles race if I don’t start training. Today is going to be a 20 km run day. 5 km this morning while dodging Queen street traffic. Next 15 km trail run in Limberlost – looking forward to the rain and forest. The 2.5 hour ride to get there is going to be the killer on top of a full day of work!

Mal: “We’re not gonna die. We can’t die, Bendis.

You know why? Because we are so…very…pretty

We are just too pretty for God to let us die.”

Creemore Vertical is going to be my first race of the summer. And zero preparation! 25 km at the pace of a snail is going to be super exciting if the weather predictions hold up: rain, rain, rain. In the hope of avoiding last year’s fiasco with the last minute dash to get gear ready I am going to leave the office at a decent time today (hey it is Canada Day!) and get all my gear ready and make sure I don’t forget all the items I forgot last year. And this year: we are getting to Creemore via motorcycle. I am not really sure this is a great idea, because of the rain partially but also because the last thing I really want to be doing at the end of my race is change into my motorcycle gear just to get back home! But for now, let’s focus on the gear list that I will need to get ready and carry to the race (in addition to the obvious running pants and top!):

• mosquito repellent (last year I got eaten alive and I was the only one the mosquitos found to be tasty!)
• baseball cap
• water bottle
• eload
• double layer socks (2 sets, can’t remember if there is a river crossing on this race)
• podcasts – I have been thinking about that and I will do without.
• snacks: mini cliff bar, jelly beans, gu

This time around I will actually have a breakfast: chia + yogurt and perhaps even a bagel with cream cheese!

We got: a water bottle, repellent, Glide, Hydrogel, endurolytes (apparently it is going to be 30C in the shade tomorrow!), sunscreen, clif bars, eload, gums and candy.

It is on! I can’t believe I signed up for the race. Only 25 km this time around and I hope I finish it since my training has been abysmal this past months. The last Creemore Vertical was painful! I am looking forward to soaking in the river at the finish line.

2011 Races

- Chabot Trail Run: 30 KM – Sunday February 20, 2011

- Seaton Trail: 26 KM – Saturday April 16, 2011

- Sulphur Springs: 50 KM – Saturday May 28, 2010

- Creemore Vertical Challenge: 25 KM – Saturday July 2, 2011

- The Limberlost Challenge: 28 km – Saturday July 16, 2011

- Iroquoia Trail Test: 32 Km – Saturday August 20, 2011

- Haliburton Forest: 50 KM – Saturday September 10, 2011 – or 50 miles if training goes well!

- Vulture Bait: 25 km – Saturday October 15, 2011

• 5 AM wake up time: check! But even I have to admit that waking up at such ungodly hour in the winter hurts.
• at my desk at 6 AM: check!
• breakfast of champions (oatmeal + fruit): check
• scheduled one hour training at the gym: check
• early bed time for early rise: well, we will see about that one.

The reality of distance training in the winter time is setting in. I mean who wants to be out there in these temperatures (-20C). I keep repeating “I love winter, I love winter” but it is not doing it. Can’t wait for the trail races to start. In the meantime I am going to need to find a 25 km or 50 km trail race somewhere. The goals for the next 30 days is to work on my schedule. Early wake time, early bed time, training daily 5 days a week. Needs to become a habit in 30 days. Will I succeed? hmmm…Time for some Haile inspiration!

Haile Gebrselassie used to run 10 km each way to go to school for 10 years. He is – hands down – the greatest runner the world has known.

yes, I can!

I have been dreaming of a 50 mile race for years now and I think it is high time that I just got out there and completed a 50 mile race. What do you say? In 2010, I completed a combination of 50 KM and 25 KM races. I had a lot of fun.  I am looking forward to more running this year with perhaps a bit more training. I am the slowest runner in the world and it would be awesome I am sure to finish my races without utter and complete exhaustion. So I am going to approach things differently this year and actually train. Yes, train, like in actually exercise and maintain a decent weekly mileage. I have no clue how I am actually going to make sure I get the exercise I need, and no idea how to make sure that I leave my desk daily for this exercising thing. I will figure things as I go along, but one thing is for sure: I will schedule exercise time and simply stick to it. Come rain or shine. As Tara is my witness!

My favourite races in 2010 where of course the Haliburton Forest, Creemore and Sulphur Springs trail races. If all goes well in training, my Haliburton Forest sign up will be for the 50 mile race in September 2011.

2011 Races

- Seaton Trail: 26 KM – Saturday April 16, 2011

- Sulphur Springs: 50 KM – Saturday May 28, 2010

- Creemore Vertical Challenge: 25 KM – Saturday July 2, 2011

- The Limberlost Challenge: 28 km – Saturday July 16, 2011

- Iroquoia Trail Test: 32 Km – Saturday August 20, 2011

- Haliburton Forest: 50 KM – Saturday September 10, 2011 – or 50 miles if training goes well!

- Vulture Bait: 25 km – Saturday October 15, 2011

I can’t wait until April for a trail race, so I am looking at a January and February trail race in California or somewhere warm. What’s your race schedule?

I am too stupid to learn the first time around: I am back for another Iroquoia race on August 21. A 32 km race. This race is known as the ITT and when I think about ITT I remember that was the race where I learned what a technical trail race was! When I hear technical (I am in the software industry) I don’t think river crossings, switchbacks, slippery rocks, uneven rocks and tree roots that are just out to get you. In my world technical is a nice, soft, humming word. Like servers. Like software.

The official trail description: Rugged trail running test that offers 7 major climbs over varied surfaces of trail, road, gravel, rocks and double creek crossing.

Amen.

This morning’s wimpy 5 km run in the park was awesome because I spent a bit of time staring at a beaver, he must have been young as he just hang around staring back at me. We had a great time. I am looking forward to a long run this weekend and better mileage keeping.

Next races on the calendar:

August 21, 2010: Iroquoia Trail Test: 32 km of rugged hell. This is my most hated race and I don’t really know why I keep returning. Rugged terrain, gravel, double river crossing which means that I will be running with wet feet the entire race. I guess I must really like the pain and suffering. Whatever does not kill you…

- Haliburton Forest: 50 KM – September 11, 2010

- Vulture Bait: 25 KM – October 16, 2010

and I would like another 50 km fix in November, probably a California race.