After a month of on-and-off running post-marathon, Colin and I decided that we should probably start training for our 23km trail race that’s in August.  We live fairly close to some great hilly trails and felt (unknowingly, foolishly) that Diez Vistas, at about 13km – I think, would be a good starting point.  Colin had hiked it many years ago – sometime around when we started dating in 1999 and even further back when he was 12 and in Scouts.  Apparently hiking is like giving birth… one romanticizes it and doesn’t really remember how bad it was.

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s a beautiful route.  It was a beautiful, warm day.  We actually ran together as apparently trail running is the great equalizer (at this point anyways).  However, I’m a baby when it comes to hills and Colin hasn’t trained for them since April.  We’re both a bit out of our element with trail running as we’re new to it this year – and we both were breaking in new shoes.

Sorry it’s blurry. There were people coming on the trail and I didn’t want to look like the weirdo taking a picture of her shoes…

We did the loop around Buntzen Lake counter-clockwise, which seems to be opposite of the vast majority.  We decided to do it this way so we had a decent rolling ~4km warm up before the hills.  It was kind of nice, though, because after we got past the North Beach we didn’t see too many people for a while.  And they didn’t see me cursing the rocks and roots.

Here are some pictures of our adventure:

Heading away from the lake – one day I will run all the way up that stupidly short, but steep, connecting path without walking…

Headed the right way!

Butt rot – hehe!

It’s steep looking back down, even though it doesn’t translate well.

Roots on the way up.

Orange dots of doom.

Mushroom

A view!!!

Mt. Seymour

Vancouver, way in the distance.

Nothing captures the glamour of trail running like snot falling out of your nose unnoticed.

The top!

Totally posed because he moved right before I took the picture so I made him do it again.

All in all it was a great day.  Took us longer than we planned (thanks Mum and Dad [who babysat Spud] for understanding!!); we took a left at the end when we should have turned right so did a bit of flagged bush-whacking back to the road/parking lot.  I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus – it’s way worse than after the marathon – but I know it’ll get better the longer I do it.  Who knows, I might actually do this trail again too.

Hopefully I’ll have more pictures of trees and trail runners soon.

The shortest race report ever:

I ran BMO Vancouver Marathon on 5 May 2013.

I finished said marathon with a personal worst of 5:59:29 when my original goal was 4:45. I blame wanting to toss my cookies with each step and the stupidly hot day.

I finished.

My feelings/opinion of the day? Meh. It was what it was and I’ve moved on… At least the course was pretty and I had a spectacular meal afterwards.

I have other, (hopefully) not so strenuous, things on the horizon which I shall write about soon.

With a grand total of 16 entries (15 online and one offline) I can now announce the winner of the Endorphin Warrior training bracelet.

Lucky number 6 is PENNY who wrote, “I would go with the Believe bracelet. Reminds me to Believe in myself.”

Congratulations!

Penny, please email me at alanna @ lovemyrunners.com to claim your bracelet.

Let me be honest about the lack of posts since 28 September 2012.  Last year, I decidedly did NOT love my runners.  Don’t get me wrong, I ran races – had fun at most of them – but the way I wanted to train was taking all the joy out of running.

I thought that heart rate training would make me a more efficient, faster, and better runner.  And it probably would have.  But to buy into the theory I had to start at zero.  I don’t often discuss speed and pace (mostly so I don’t fall into the comparison trap).  However, I went from comfortably running a 7min/km long run to being told I needed to slow down to be in zone one.  And that meant a 13min/km.  Discouraging much?  Considering that’s slow walking pace?  Yeah.

Having seen other runners I know benefit from testing and training this way meant that I was willing to try.  I rented a treadmill so I didn’t have excuses not to run.  I knew that my planned marathon wasn’t going to be a goal race.  I actually had a very good time just completing the course.  It was kind of nice to have no expectations.  Of course, I got a PW of almost 6hrs, but I was fine with it.

Colin and I ran a fun wine-tasting almost-half just after the full.  Again, no expectations, but the hard part about running with a faster person is feeling like you’re holding them up.

The next race I did was Ragnar with Nuun.  This is where my blogging started becoming more sporadic.  I never did a race report – started it, but only got about half a day in.  Although I feel bad about not doing it, as I am a Nuun ambassador, I don’t regret it.  Ragnar was special and, quite frankly, I don’t really want to share.  I had conflicting feelings because I loved it so much more than Hood to Coast – I knew what to expect, I felt like I connected with teammates better prior to the event, blah blah blah…  It’s one of those things that I want to explain with Las Vegas’ slogan: “What happens at Ragnar, stays at Ragnar.”

After Ragnar I had a half lined up in September.  I was an online ambassador for them as well and fell down a little in that respect too.  Active on Twitter, but not really on my blog.  Again, no race report.  This time because I felt slow and pathetic.  I was partially burned out and so sick of having running feel like something I had to work at.  After that race I barely ran.  Who wants to do something they don’t really like anymore?

Anyways, that’s what last year looked like.  This year is quite a bit better already.

First off, I’ve dropped heart rate training.  I’m sure it would have worked eventually.  But that was the problem.  I have no desire to take another year or two trying.

We registered for the BMO Vancouver Marathon when it went on sale (expensive, but was only going to get pricier).  I decided that the only way I was going to be able to commit to training was to find a way to run indoors.  Colin’s busy at work until March and I have no desire to push Spud in the stroller anymore, so that meant a treadmill.  I pooled my Christmas money and bought one off of Craigslist just before the holidays for $300.

Due to scheduling I decided to forgo training with the clinic I’ve done in the past.  I chose the Train like a mother Marathon: Finish It plan.  It’s quite a bit different than I’m used to, but I am really enjoying it.  I do most of my long runs on Saturdays (Colin runs Sundays), usually by myself .  I ran 25km/15.5mi on Sunday; it was purposely a very hilly route and I loved it.  While not fast (except when I was bombing down hills) it was well within where I need to be running for my race.  I would not have said the same a year ago.

I’m looking forward to (almost) all of my training runs.  I’m trying to build back the speed I’ve lost and be smart about my increases so I don’t hurt myself.  I’m not sure if I’ll finally break 5hours, but the most I can do is stick to the plan and try my best.

I’ve promised too many times that a post will be the turnaround for my sporadic, at best, blogging.  I won’t do that right now, but I will make an attempt to blog more often now that I really am liking running again.  In the meantime, if you don’t see anything recent here you can find me on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @lovemyrunners (or just click the linked words).

Here’s why:

1. Started full time work today (M-F) and didn’t stab my eye out with a fork; I did complain about stuff to Colin on the way home though.

2. I’m actually posting something!!

3. I ran today.

3a. It was a tempo.

3b. In my Vibrams.

3c. 6.8km out and back.

3d. Finished on the fast end of my Z3 for pace.

3e. I ran negative splits!!!

Considering out Monday started with a forgotten driver’s license and work entry card (Colin) and a forgotten lunch (me) things ended well.

How was your Monday?