The Hiatus Is Over

It’s been a week or more since we last updated the blog.  We took a hiatus for a week as Twin 2 took a road trip to see BSB and Twin 1 took a road trip to NH (that’s New Harbour, not New Hampshire).

 It's been a week and I still can't sleep! I'm even more obsessed.  Never thought that possible. 

We started off this week with our Long Run, 10k.  It was the hottest longest 10k we have had to date.  Summer is here.  We weren’t worried about time as we just had a week off and it was very HOT.  We ran at Twin 1’s place and went out 5k and back 5k.  We went out at 6pm after work.  This was our usual Sunday Long Run but as we were both travelling on Sunday we moved our running schedule around from Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday to Monday/Wednesday/Friday this week.  We are glad we did because today is Thursday and as this is being written it is pouring out.  The weird part that night was that as two cars drove by us the passengers were hanging out the window yelling in bullhorns encouraging us.  Is this a new trend?  Do we need to get a bullhorn?

 

We thought we would have to run in the rain last night but it sprinkled as Twin 1 was driving to Twin 2’s but stopped when we stepped outside. Last night was our 6k tempo run.  This did not go as planned because #1 – we still aren't experts in the execution of a tempo run, and #2 it was so humid last night that we just ran the 6k without doing tempo.  Our tempo was more like a slow love ballad as opposed to an upbeat dance mix.  We were also getting irritated with each other and starting to argue while running (the only downfall of running with family).  We chalked this up to humidity / hunger / sleep deprivation.  The highlight of the run was wearing our new workout gear that Twin 2 treated us to while getting cheap deals in the good ol’ U.S of A.

 Twin 2 has her 'hunter' orange on for the trail. 

When we got back to Twin 2’s we mapped our run to make sure we did 6k as our watches keep going out of sync.  One always reaches a km before the other and we aren’t sure why this happens.  They are the same watches but different colour and Twin 1’s was $10 cheaper so that might be it.  Ya get what ya pay for.  Still the best purchases ever. 

 

The Running Tip a Day Calendar had this to say (too bad we didn’t read it before we went because of the humidity):

  

Before going for a hot run, have a slushy made with crushed ice and your favourite sports drink.  To keep drinks chilled while you run, fill a bottle halfway, freeze it, and top it off with fluid before starting.

We also reviewed our schedule for the next few months and realised we only have 12 weeks to go before Ottawa.  YIKES!

The schedule showed a few more tempo runs and then onto hill training once a week for two months.  Our week night runs are longer as well.  Are we ready???  We have to be.  We have a schedule and we have to stick to it (for realizies this time).  Its crunch time….figuratively and literally. We have to keep up on our cross training schedule as well because every bit counts.  We made a bet with each other that the Twin who doesn’t do her “workout” scheduled each day has to pay the other $5 for every day she misses.    It is pouring out and it’s a go home, get in jammies kinda day…Tonight will be the test. 

Also Twin 1 has made a bet with her husband since last Thursday that she has to stop gorging on junk/chocolate and has to pay him $5 per day when she eats the forbidden fruit and $1 per day she does not do her daily workout.  She is now poor and realises that she should have made the junk/chocolate bet AFTER her trip to NH where Mom loves to bake.  To date she has paid him $16 and it hasn’t even been a week yet.  As Twin 1 is writing this there are chocolate covered almonds and caramel bars in the work lunch room calling her name.  Someone is “fund raising” …..that is why she is writing to take her mind off the temptations…..it is not working yet as the only thing that is working is she does not want to fork over any more money to her husband.  We had set certain days aside as “treat” days (i.e. every birthday day in July – which is pretty much every day of the month) from now until Sept 21 but this does not mean we can gorge on all treats all day long on that particular day. It’s ONE treat! 

Yesterday should have been good but when work started Twin 1 received an email that cupcakes will be served in the afternoon for celebration of a fellow employee's 30 years of service.  You have to have a cupcake for that!! Shoot me if I’m still here in 21 more years.  So means a cupcake was devoured at work that meant chips after work before the run and coconut flavoured M&M’s brought back from the USA after the run.  Go Big or Go Home.  Today is day 1 of withdrawal and chewing a pack a day.

Moral of this post, we like to gamble.

Until Next Time….

Long runs are the days that runners are made from

I read a quote somewhere that said “Long runs are the days that runners are made from”. This is so true. 

We had our first ever over 10k run on Monday.  It was scheduled for Sunday but we were recovering from the Sole Sisters and all the junk we ate afterwards.  That being the case, we decided to run it Monday evening after work….and due to the fact that Twin 1 fell up her stairs and hurt both shins on Sunday….

The day was a little cool but by 6pm when we stepped out and turned the Garmins on the wind had died down and the sun was blazing. We assumed the trail would be cooler and provide us with a little shade once we got off the road route.  Between Twin 1’s and Twin 2’s house the direct route on the road is 5 or 6k.  We took the ‘long’ way through the trials which was 11k.

Twin 2 started out with shin splints again but they subsided after 5k. Twin 1 was hurting a little too but she figured if Twin 2 can run through them then so can she.  No complaints were made.  Twin 1 had to take a few walking breaks because she was not used to the heat/humidity and was almost ready to give up at 8.5k.  She pushed on. Monday night was a water belt night.  It was the first night we tried some Gatorade.  One bottle of Gatorade and one bottle of water.  We really didn’t feel like 11k would be that hard as it was only 1k past 10k and we’ve run that numerous times.  We were wrong.  It goes to show you that the weather can play a factor.  The ½ marathon is 11k return! Someday 11k will seem like a short run just like the 5/6k’s do now. 

As we ran on Monday instead of Sunday we were supposed to run again on Tuesday – our first Tempo Run.  Neither of us really knows what this consists of but it sounds like we have to run ‘fast’.  We did some research and think we have it figured out. 

Tuesday around 2pm Twin 1 got a call from the husband saying that someone was in their home when they were gone and took some cash.  Needless to say the run was cancelled but sitting here writing after the fact, maybe a run would have been a better option after it was all over as it would have been some form of stress release and may have made Twin 1 feel better.  I’m not sure you can ever feel “better” after you know someone has been in your house going through your things when you’re not home.   Anyone can take away my possessions as long as they do not hurt my pup.  She was a bit scared all curled up in the back corner of her crate when dad got home but she is back to normal now.  I hope she never has to go through that again and I hope she forgets what happened.  

When things like this come up it seems like it’s an excuse to EAT and EAT anything you want.  The beginning of the week I put my calendar up and looked at the schedule and said “today is the day I’m doing great - no treats, workout per schedule etc….and then life happens.  Day #2 in and already I’m off schedule.  

But with failure comes success. This little incident made me realize that it’s up to me and how I am going to overcome obstacles with training and in life.  Do I just give in and say “oh well maybe next time” or do I push onward and keep my commitments to myself and my goals that I have before me?  I was reading another runners blog and he said “Success comes in the effort made.  It comes in never giving up”.  I gave up for a day but then tomorrow is a new day.  When life gets in the way we have to MAKE the time rather then find the time and that’s true in everything, whether it be in training, a passion, family etc.