Just Run!

"Just Run!"

That's the response Ed Whitlock gave after smashing records at the recent Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.  Oh, did I forget to mention:  Ed's 85 years old!  If he and I had run only the Half Marathon he'd have outpaced me by over 15 minutes.  This man can run!

As a runner it's all about Personal Bests...we all say we don't compete with other runners. We all talk a blue streak about how it's important to 'run your own race'.  But buried deep down is that competitive itch:  'I want to beat that guy in front of me'.  We mid-pack runners may not talk about it much but it's there. Watching Ed Whitlock smash world records in his mid-80's is inspiring and motivating:  "I want to run like that when I'm 85!".  Truth be told, I just want to still be moving upright when I'm that age.

So my updated running mantra:  "Just run!".  Or as Sally says, "Run, Christopher, Run!"

Gotta go...the road is calling...

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

Running to death

Running is not normally an extreme sport. But running does put stress and strain on the human body. Experience teaches us to monitor how and what's going on with our bodies as we train and race. Ignoring the warning signs leads to trouble.  I experienced severe system trauma on one training run a few years ago when I was training.

On a long run on a cool day I made the mistake of only taking electrolyte replacement fluid with me. I was OK for the first two hours but during the third and final hour of the run my system became totally overloaded with potassium and other minerals.  I had to slow dow and walk to finish.  Once home though, I experienced massive cramping in my legs along with shivering and shaking.  It's the only time I've ever been scared! Fortunately I recovered completely but it was a wake up call.

The chart below has a pretty scary title.  What's informative and useful though is the information on the right side of the chart that details what goes on during a marathon:

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

2014 Running goal: The Negative Split

Navin, #418 after completing his Negative Split at
Reggae Marathon

I blame it on Navin.  In a nice way of course.

Back in December at Reggae Marathon he not only burned up the full Marathon in a time nearly 20 minutes under his target time (we barely made it back to catch his finish) but he achieved the runner's dream of running a negative split for the second half of the race.

The negative split is when you run the second half of the race faster than the first half.  Yes, this is as hard as it sounds, especially in an event as long as the 26.3 miles of a Marathon and and really challenging in a warm weather run such as Reggae Marathon.  And Navin did it with a smile on his face and with barely a sweat. He even had enough energy to walk the mile along the beach back to our hotel chatting all the way.  A machine!

So that's the target for my first race this year, the Sporting Life 10K on May 11 in Toronto:  run the second half faster than the first. It's something I routinely did back in the peak of my 10K racing days. My trusty Timex Ironman watch tracked the 5 km split quite nicely.  I realize this is 'Old School' what with everyone using Garmin's with heart monitors, but I like the I recently upgraded to a brand new Ironman watch.  Back then it was in the Q 107/Coors Lite 10K running series that ran every summer for years.  The irony of a beer company sponsoring a running series was not lost on us...unfortunately given the liquor laws of Ontario there was no 'Cold One' waiting for us at the finish.  But I digress...

Here's the twist in the Sporting Life 10K when it comes to the Negative Split:  its downhill for the first 6 km's before flattening out for the final 4 km push to the finish.  Do I sandbag it for the first half saving myself for the flat finish?  Do I let gravity do it's work for the first half hoping to have something left in the tank to go faster on the flat?  Is achieving a Negative Split just a crazy pipe-dream for the Sporting Life 10K?  All that will be answered on May 11.

If you're interested in how to run a negative split, check out this article from Runner's World:  The benefits of a Negative Split.  

I'm totally focused on "The Negative" now.  Thanks Navin :)

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

75 Days to Reggae Marathon!

Larry, Chris, Dan ... Post-race, Reggae Marathon

Yikes!  Where did that year go?  It was only yesterday when I was waiting outside Rondel Village in Negril for the shuttle to take me back to the airport in Montego Bay for the trip home.  All my family and friends had left for home the day before and even though I enjoyed an early morning swim and a few hours lolling for the last time on the Negril beach, saying good by to Reggae Marathon 2012 was tough.  Only 364 days to go...

Fast forward...now under 75 days to go to Reggae Marathon 2013, my 5th consecutive Reggae Marathon.  It's the only race event I've done 5 times.  And yes I was born in Jamaica but this race has something special that brings me back year after year.

There have been both highlights and low times at Reggae Marathon.  Each experience...even the not so good ones...have been positive once enough time passed.  Here are some of the experiences that have stayed with me over the years:

• My first Reggae Marathon in 2009 was my second full marathon and my first and only complete marathon.  It wasn't pretty but I 'got it dun!'.  With my slow pace I spent a considerable amount of time under the mid-morning sun.  I was prepared and had trained for it yet nothing could prepare me for the long, long stretches of running with no one else in sight.  "The loneliness of the long distance runner?"  I got it!  The hardest part:  knowing that Sally was waiting for me at the finish line wondering when I would ever get to the finish.  Thanks for waiting Sally.
• My second Reggae Marathon event in 2010 was actually harder.  I entered the Half Marathon event and cockily predicted a sub-2 hour time.  It was not to be.  Even with my son Courtney running with me, I struggled.  I ran with a bad case of Plantar Fasciitis, in the wrong shoes and with the wrong T Shirt.  I overheated, destroyed my feet and crossed the finish line a mess.  Not my finest hour.
• Reggae Marathon #3 in 2011 was much better.  I had two of my sons, Andrew and Courtney in Negril along with one of their friends, Mike.  We all stayed at Rondel Village and had a blast playing on the beach before and after the race.  I entered the 10K and upon finishing could proudly claim I had 'Medalled' in each of the Reggae Marathon distances:  Full Marathon, Half and 10K.  Plus the highlight of this race was that I ran topless!  Don't worry, I didn't scare anyone...it was dark the entire race.
• My 2012 Reggae Marathon could have been a disaster.  Barely 2 months before race day I broke some bones in my right foot.  I missed a planned half marathon that fall but expected to be fully recovered for the 10K event in Negril.  Never happened.  I was still in my walking cast when I traveled to Negril and I promised Sally I wouldn't run.  I kept my word and walked the entire 10K in my walking cast.  For the first time I got the opportunity to take pictures along the route...some of them priceless to me.

For 2013 I'm back for the event December 7.  I'll be running the 10K event once again.  Truth be told, it's my favourite distance...it's how I got into running in the first place.  I'm totally looking forward to it.  Beach, sun, run...Reggae Marathon 2013 here I come!

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

Sunday morning and my thoughts are on running

Stylin recently in
Usain Bolt Pumas

It's Sunday morning June 2, 2013.  I was up early this morning...what's new.  This morning was special for a couple of reasons.  First, I didn't go for a run.  I decided to do my version of strength and ab training instead (pushups and situps).  Second, it's my 6th Wedding Anniversary to my lovely wife, Sally. I know 6 years doesn't have a super special gift item (Whew!) but this one just seems so very special. So here I am sitting on the deck, rain gently falling, listing to Jazz streaming from my Tablet and tapping out this blog post and thinking about life...and running of course:

• Sally sat in the hot, humid, muddy field at Long Bay Beach Park in December 2009 when I took on and conquered my first full marathon at Reggae Marathon.  I had given her a target time of just over 4 hours.  Wow, did I ever blow that!  I crossed the finish line in 5 hours and 25 minutes.  For over an hour while I was battling the heat and my own mental demons, I also thought about her sitting their worrying!  The tears I shed at the finish were for lots of reasons that day not the least being for her support!
• Sally puts up with stinky running gear!  There I said it! I sweat.  A lot.  It's common for me to loose 5 lbs of body weight on a normal run. We live in an apartment.  It's a good size but... where do we put the stinky running gear.  Again, a saint.
• Sally put up with 3 years of my foot injuries.  Mostly caused by me of course not respecting my age and trying too many new things too fast.  The break from running last September when I broke the bones in my right foot was a much needed break (Whew...I think I ran that word into the ground).  It gave me time to re-calibrate.  

So I'm back running comfortably.  I do track workouts once a week to improve my speed.  I run varied loops around home most early mornings. And I mix it up with some strength training.  Wow!  Can this really be me?  Who is this new RunninGuy?

Until next time...

ThatRunninGuy

++++++++++

I'm raising funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in 2013.  My goal is to raise $2,000 by December 31.  My other planned races in 2013 include:

1. The Toronto Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 20
2. The Reggae Marathon, December 7.  

Please join me on Facebook at Run for Heart.

Random Running Ruminations

"Ruminations".  There...I got to use a 'Three Dollar Word'.  Sally will be so proud.  Now I just have to use it correctly. Borrowing a page from her book, here is the dictionary definition:

ru·mi·na·tion  (rm-nshn) n.

1. The act of pondering; meditation.
2. The act or process of chewing cud.

Hmmm...Sally has noted that sometimes while watching TV I absentmindedly 'Chew my cud'.  I am definitely on to something here.  And the best part:  while running I both chew my cud and ponder.  Here are some of my recent ruminations:

• From Dan Cumming, Seasoned Runner, Running Guru, Marathoner, Ultra Runner, this gem about setting a new running goal:  "In your next 10K, run your age".  He suggested this after seeing my chip time from the recent Sporting Life 10K in Toronto.  So for me this means running a 55 minute 10K.  To do it I'll need to shave 4 minutes or so off my time.  Summer training here we come!
• "I gotta loose some weight, I gotta loose some weight...".
• "When the H did I put on this weight?".  Darn salty snacks...and beer!
• Time to buy new shoes.  Do I go minimalist again or find a happy medium.  I like the mid-foot running style...comfortable and I feel like I can run all day.  Suggestions?
• Breathe! From the stomach...I think they call it 'Diaphramatic Breathing'...there, that's my other $3 word for today!
• Left, Right...repeat.  This isn't so hard.

And just like that I'm back home.  Nice run.  Now what were those great ideas that ran through my mind again?

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

++++++++++

I'm raising funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in 2013.  My goal is to raise $2,000 by December 31.  My other planned races in 2013 include:

1. The Toronto Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 20
2. The Reggae Marathon, December 7.  

Please join me on Facebook at Run for Heart.

The Runner's Prayer

My sister Ginette sent me this on my 55th birthday last Friday and I was moved to share it.  A prayer for runners and a mention in the Bible!

O Lord, may I never just look as if I’m in the race – the race you have set before me.Instead, let me be running with all my heart. And may I never allow myself to be detoured by the difficulties of life. Amen 

“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”   Hebrews 12:1

The photo above features me with Larry Savitch on the left and Dan Cumming on the right.  It was taken after we completed our various Reggae Marathon events last December in Jamaica.  Runners...Friends...Uncomplicated.  I pray for more friends like that.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

++++++++++

I'm raising funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in 2013.  My goal is to raise $2,000 by December 31.  My planned races in 2013 include:

1. The Sporting Life 10K, May 12
2. The Toronto Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 20
3. The Reggae Marathon, December 7.  

Please join me on Facebook at Run for Heart.

Reggae Marathon 2012 was Special!

I almost cracked open a bottle of champagne last Sunday.  The occasion?  Four consecutive days of running since breaking my foot last September.  And in really bad running conditions as well:  super cold one day, sloppy conditions the next;  clear sidewalk one morning, watch out for the black ice the next!  One thing that has kept me motivated are the memories from last December's Reggae Marathon:

Don't let the gray hair fool you...I am still a 12 year old at heart.  Just ask Sally!  I still love running straight into the Caribbean fully dressed right after finishing.  This year I remembered to take off my running shoes.

If there was ever a shot of a master at work this would be it.  Sully, no one has ever consumed a fresh cut coconut with as much skill as you demonstrated in this photo from Reggae Marathon last December.  

I have seen sunsets from Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles, Biarritz in the South of France and in Sydney, Australia.  They are all fantastic in their own way and I know I have missed a number of others but the sunset from the Cliffs in Negril's West End is my favourite!

The 'After' shot.  We're only missing Mark in this shot.  He was still working on finishing his first half marathon.  Brave sole...I hear he is training hard for the Mississauga Marathon this spring.  Oh, and did you notice Andrew's shoes?  He had a special 'Jamaica Colours' made just for Reggae Marathon.  This year I'll get him to try Pumas.

Yes I'm back running.  Taking it slowly for the rest of the winter with the goal of the Sporting Life 10K on May 12 as my first event.  If all goes well, planning on the ending the year back at Reggae Marathon December 7 for my 5th consecutive race event!  Where did those 5 years go?

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

++++++++++

I'm raising funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in 2013.  My goal is to raise $2,000 by December 31.  My planned races in 2013 include:

1. The Sporting Life 10K, May 12
2. The Toronto Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 20
3. The Reggae Marathon, December 7.  

Please join me on Facebook at Run for Heart.

1st run of 2013 and since the Foot Injury!

Early morning Winter running in Toronto

I had my first run this past Sunday morning.  It felt great!  True confession:  I had been out running before Christmas but that was more walking and shuffling than real running.  This past Sunday I went out for a full 30 minutes of ... running!

I am of course an early morning runner.  I am up before dawn and generally run entirely in the dark.  If I see another person, it's usually a runner.  For sure the 5:15 am start of Reggae Marathon every December suits me.

One of the benefits of running so early in the morning is the quiet and serenity.  Few people are up and it feels like I own the neighbourhood.  The picture above is of one of the quiet residential streets I run along on one of my routes.

A serious downside though are early morning drivers. Most are not fully awake or are on their first coffee and are totally unprepared for a runner that early in the morning.   I've usually run in entirely black running gear.  Lots of reflective strips and patches of course but not the most visible in the dark.  I had a scare last Sunday that motivated me to buy some new gear and I know that motivated me to get through that first run comfortably.  I picked up the new top and tights from the Running Room Outlet Store on North Queen Street in Etobicoke.  They don't carry everything from their regular stores, and not all sizes are available but it's worth the trip:  top and tights for under $80 tax in! Retail for the two pieces is over $140 + tax!

On that first full run last Sunday I was taken back to my first runs 30 years ago. I wasn't running fast and it didn't look pretty but I was running!  Mind free while my arms were swinging.  I may even have broken out in a song...I don't remember...I was too busy enjoying the run.

Until next time...
ThatRunninGuy

++++++++++

I'm raising funds for the Heart & Stroke Foundation in 2013.  My goal is to raise $2,000 by December.  My planned races are the Toronto Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon, October 20 and the Reggae Marathon, December 7.  Please join me on Facebook at Run for Heart.