Is this the taper?

This past Tuesday marked exactly 2 weeks until the start of the TransRockies Run ~ woo!

 

Team Ando-Dibbs logo, updated from last year for TRR.

I suppose that means I am starting to taper. Putting those feet up and resting until the big day, right? There are no real gains to be made now, just keep the body happy and healthy and away we go. Definitely. Although, you know, the thing with big endurance challenges is that the first bit of taper is still a decent amount of volume. It’s not like you can just suddenly stop moving. So while I suppose I am technically tapering – I don’t necessarily feel like it yet.

Anyway, that said, things over the past couple weeks have been pretty good. I think I am just really ready for the big event to get here, and while there have been a few stinkers on the workout front, **cough cough, Tuesday’s run, cough cough** most of my runs have been fun and I’m definitely feeling stronger and excited to head to Colorado.

One of the things that I think has helped me to finally put the struggle behind me is that since my return from San Francisco I’ve been on a Garmin hiatus. Since I will be “racing” TRR based on effort, all of my training over the final few weeks has been effort based as well. (I should note however, that I have found that throughout this process, while I’m out on the trails, I don't actually pay much attention to my Garmin other than for time, but I think just even having it on and knowing that it is capturing pace and stuff is still different than running totally free from it). So yeah, I’ve ditched it and have actually really been enjoying my freedom from the ol’ wrist computer.

Another fun thing that I’ve been doing over the last week or so in prep for TRR is to focus on finding something to enjoy, something positive, on each run. I know, that should be a no brainer – I run/exercise because I like it and it is fun, not because I have to, right? But during my “struggle”, finding something positive about a run (other than when it was finished), was not always easy. Anyway, I’ve been adding these little highlights to my training log, in an attempt to get in the right head space and really enjoy the last couple weeks of training.

So, in keeping with that theme, here are some of the highlights of my recent runs interspersed with some other, non-run related things that have kept me laughing/smiling in recent weeks.

· Running with my Dad. Enough said.
· TheBloggess. I can get lost in this blog for hours. Some of this is so fantastically messed up. I love it.
· Running an out and back route and negative splitting it without even trying to.
· Getting a bit lost in thought about TransRockies and realizing how excited (not anxious or nervous, just excited) that made me feel.
· Brooke & Jubal In The Morning. From the 'Shock Collar Question of the Day', to 'Phone Taps', to 'Second Date Update', this Seattle morning radio show makes me laugh every day on my drive to work.
· Sympathy Cards for Runners. Especially this one...

· Aside from feeling good and happy and strong on a recent Mt. Finlayson double summit day, the beautiful clear view from the top with the sun just starting to really shine was pretty special.

 

· Not getting eaten/attacked by a cougar.

 

· Giant Mike & Ikes. Why, oh why, didn’t I buy these?!

 

Race Fuel for the year?

And with that, I'm out... Onward to TransRockies!

My Quads are Huge!

Deciding to train for and compete in TransRockies has definitely taken me out of my comfort zone at times and has brought forth a lot of new challenges and learning experiences.

I know the experience isn't over yet, and that I will likely learn a lot more during my actual time in Colorado, but thought it might be fun to put down a few of the things I've learned over the past few months of training.

So, without further ado…

1) Changing up your stimulus (whether it be the places you run or the people you run with – or something completely different, like ditching the ol’ Garmin) can really help pull you out of a slump and keep things exciting.

I spent last week in San Francisco. Running in a new city, with new surroundings, was pretty great. I forgot my Garmin so didn’t think about pace or distance – I just thought about exploring. I spent the Sunday morning before my conference running around the entire city. I made my way through Haight-Ashbury, along the quiet roads of Golden Gate Park, up and down some of the coastal trails that line the area and finally through the throngs of people along the tourist stroll, and while it may not have been fast and may have included a few photo stops along the way, it was probably the best 3.5-4hrs I spent in the City by the Bay.

That little break from the everyday also helped to make some of my usual routes feel a little fresher upon my return to the island. Lacing up Sunday morning to hit the trails with some new faces helped keep the motivation rolling along nicely as well.

Sunday morning gang at Tod Inlet (aka. Partridge Hills).

2) Victoria and the lower island have A LOT of very cool trails that are very accessible. I mean, I guess I already knew this, but when you are only hitting the trails for an easy hike every now and again, you tend to stick with the ones you know. Maybe they are close to home, or offer just enough of a challenge. Maybe the end scenery is better than the hike itself or the convenience of the trail outweighs the setting. Whatever the case, it is easy to stick with the tried and true...

But, by training for TRR I have definitely started to explore more trails in our area. It feels like you could find a different network of trails every weekend if you wanted to. Each offering something pretty unique and challenging.

Which brings me to….

3) I'm learning not to be as afraid as I once was. Fear is limiting. I don’t want to be ruled by my nerves.

Sure, I'm still probably overly cautious a lot of the time, and still stop dead in my tracks when I hear a rustle in the bushes, but I'm learning to step outside my comfort zone and am beginning to realize that lurking behind every tree isn't a bear, or a cougar, or a serial killer.

Although, sometimes the amount of bear poo on the trail says otherwise.

Of course, I’m still pretty cautious and definitely prefer hitting the trails with a group or a buddy (so don't worry too much Mom) but I'm listening to my gut more and trying to be brave. I'm also realizing, sometimes a solo exploration on the trails can be pretty fun.

4) Not really something I’ve learned necessarily, but something I’ve noticed is that my thighs have gotten bigger. My weight through the year is pretty predictable – during triathlon season I’m usually between 5-8lbs lighter than during the winter “off season”. I’ve come to expect this change each summer.

This year, my weight really hasn’t changed much from my post-NZ holiday weight, but the shape of my legs has certainly changed, as all the hilly trails I've been hitting have definitely made them a heck of a lot stronger. Sometimes I feel like this…

Okay, maybe I'm not quite this bad, but I could totally relate when I saw this...
(If you are a runner and haven't read this comic by The Oatmeal yet - you must!)

But you know, it sure is nice to have a little definition in the ol' quads and hammys.

Well, I'm sure there is a lot more that I've learned, but I think this is long enough for now.
Happy Trails!

Two Things

Two pretty big things have happened this week.

1) I had an awesome run on Sunday. Just shy of 3hrs 20minutes of running trails, happily. Feeling strong, feeling steady and feeling like I could just keep going all day. It could not have come at a better time and yeah, I don’t know what to say, other than it was great.

Okay, so maybe I do have more to say, so the long version is this....
Kirsten and I met up, once again, with the Sunday trail running group that we had run with a couple weeks back (previously it was for a Thetis/Stewart Mountain run). This time we met at the Caleb Pike entrance to Gowlland Tod and ran the whole trail to Mount Work and back.

The group had a lot more people this time compared to the last time we ran with them and the weather was quite beautiful – hot, but not too bad when you were under tree cover in the shaded forest.

The big group all started together and eventually fanned out depending on how long you were planning to run, or based on your pace. Kirsten and I stuck pretty solidly with a group of about 5 or 6 guys (mostly the same ones from our last run), with each person sort of naturally taking a turn at the front or back of the pack as we rolled along.

The day was a good confidence boost. My legs felt pretty decent after a tough run at Mt. Finlayson the day before and the different stimulus (new people, new trail) really helped with my struggling mind.

The only small problem with having such a great run though ~ not wanting to run again for fear that the next one isn’t going to be nearly as good, haha.

2) Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2014.

Shane and I bit the bullet and signed up to race IMCdA next June. I’ve had Coeur d’Alene on my radar for a while. The proximity to where we live and the early season race date being two of the reasons why it appealed to me (among others), but I didn’t actually believe there would be any sort of long distance racing happening for me next year. I expected it to be a year of racing sprints and running trails, and I really don’t know what else.

So, when Shane and Dale (IMC alum and tri-friend ~ *waves* Hi Dale!) got talking about CdA and Shane actually seemed pretty gung-ho about it all, well, who am I to say no?

It feels right and I’m pretty darn excited. I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of with this whole Ironman thing.

Now, in fairness to the absolutely huge adventure of TRR that is just around the corner, I don’t plan to give too much thought to IMCdA for the time being. I plan to take a little down time after TRR and probably won’t seriously start training for IMCdA until the fall, but regardless, it’s nice to have the date on the calendar.

Onward to TransRockies!!


p.s. I've mentioned it before, but want to mention it again... in our journey to TRR this summer, Kirsten and I have decided to support Martin Parnell in his TransRockiesQuest 888 – a fundraising effort for Right to Play. We originally set a goal of $1000 and are now half way there. On top of that, every donation we receive will be matched by Right To Play partners 3 times!

For more information or if you'd like to donate, please check out our fundraising page here.

Friday Happy, Happy Friday

Training is rolling along. Unfortunately, last week’s desire to get up and run hill repeats didn’t last and my funk continues. I still find myself fighting the draw of a warm bed in the early morning hours and battling the demons in my head on each effort I try to push through.

So, since there really haven’t been any changes in that regard, and it is sunny and it is Friday and even though I’m not running with as much motivation as I would like, I am still running ~ so for that I am thankful. And you know, life in general is still pretty darn good…

So, how about a random Friday spattering of happy things?

1) I spent part of last weekend up in Tofino with some of my favourite peeps, just camping on the beach and chilling out. It was a delight. I absolutely love Tuff City. I skipped/modified both of my long runs in order to hang out, wander through the local Saturday market and lounge on the beach, and while I felt guilty about it at the time, I realize now, obviously not guilty enough to make me actually get my butt off the lawn chair and run. It was a great little escape and I’m thankful Shane and I decided to head up.

My Surfer Boy.

Cycling: Tofino-style.

Bliss.

2) Holiday Monday [happy belated Canada Day by the way], Kirsten and I finally got our acts together and took my Mom for her annual birthday pedicure. Only about 2 months late! Ooops. It was a nice way to relax and chill out before heading to my cousin’s wedding in the late afternoon. Also, my feet were in desperate need of some love and are looking much better these days.

Because who doesn't love a good toe shot... (take 2) 

We clean up alright I think.

3) Every summer I get to go to a fun US destination as part of a work conference. This year it is San Francisco, and the go-date is quickly approaching. I’m really looking forward to spending my first day exploring the city with my co-workers, and then the next morning, before the conference gets underway, exploring the urban parks and trails in long run mode. I imagine I will be able to get a lot of hill work in.

4) It’s tour time! Not much to say about that, other than I still j’adore le Tour de France, just as much as always. I am kinda missing the fact that Cav doesn’t get to do his awkward podium kisses at the Tour like he did at the Giro, but I’ll survive. Also, even though he’s riding with a cracked rib, I’m still cheering on Canada’s main man ~ Go Ryder Go!

Oh, and Rusty made the tour convoy.

Yes, this is a photo of our TV...
Sadly, we are not at the actual Tour de France. It is hard to tell, I know.   

5) I bought three tank tops last night for $2.00 each. That is cheaper than what I would have paid for my ridiculously decadent and calorie rich coffee this morning. Thankfully, the coffee was a freebie.

And on that note, I think I’m out.

Gonna climb some mountains this weekend. Gonna roll with some new trail peeps on Sunday and just hopefully, gonna find that motivation, wherever it might be lurking.

Happy Friday ~ Happy Weekend ~ Happy Trails!

Struggle

When my alarm went off this morning, I reset it for an hour later and told myself it was okay, I’d run after work. I laid there for 10 minutes – wide awake – and realized I actually really wanted to get up and do my run.

So I did.

I peeled myself out of bed, got dressed, slammed back some water and OJ, woke up a sleeping Rust-beast, strapped on the ol’ Garmin, and together, the Colonel (aka Rusty) and I happily headed out the door into the grey, rainy morning.

The feeling of wanting to get out of bed and run, of wanting to hit the hill and run 1min repeats over and over, has been a bit of a foreign feeling in recent weeks.

I don’t know why I find it hard to admit sometimes, but I’ve definitely been struggling with training lately. All the running, running, running, has been taking its toll on me.

It’s funny, because by the end of the 3 easy weeks post-marathon I was itching to get back at things. I wanted the structure and the hard workouts. I wanted to start building up for TRR and I couldn’t wait to really get going again.

Unfortunately, it seemed that as soon as the structure and hard work reappeared, my body wasn’t having it. I felt constantly tired and super heavy on every single run. Couple that with a lot of solo running and the doubts (and a bit of negative self-talk) started to creep in.

Thankfully, this past weekend (when I probably needed it most) I had two pretty great days of running and I could definitely start to feel a little spark of excitement reigniting in me.

So, you want to hear about the weekend? Well, okay...

Saturday morning Kirsten and I met up bright and early at Mt. Finlayson. We parked in Goldstream and headed up and over the mountain and into Gowlland Tod. We weren’t moving fast, but the conversation was flowing and the time and kms were ticking by. Before I knew it, we were back at the car and making plans for Sunday morning’s run.

Sunday we met up with a trail running group at Thetis. It was a small turnout for the group as a lot of their people were up doing the Kusam Klimb, but I think that actually made for a great (and less overwhelming) introduction. Not to mention, it was kind of nice to be able to actually chat with and meet the guys who were there.

Anyway, the plan was to run Stewart Mountain. Since Kirsten and I usually get lost when we are trying to run the Stewart Mountain loop, I think we were both kind of excited for this. We headed out with the group, and the leader promptly took a wrong turn and got us lost, haha. It was kind of hilariously awesome and definitely made Kirsten and I feel better about our constant wrong turns. Once back on track, we headed up Scafe Hill and Stewart Mountain and I made lots of mental notes about which turns to take and which turns to avoid. The time absolutely flew by and once again, before I knew it, we were back at the car.

The group was incredibly welcoming and a lot of fun and I look forward to running with them on many more Sundays in the future.

So, with that solid (and fun) weekend of running behind me and my desire to actually get out of bed and do my workout this morning, I’m hopeful that the heaviness and the struggle I’ve been feeling lately is on the way out.

I know there will still be plenty of days where my legs feel like lead and the warm bed seems more appealing than the early morning miles, but I think I’m on the right track.

Running. Running. Running.

Running. Running. Running...
Yep, that’s what I’ve been up to lately. Running. Up and down hills. On trails. Very. Hilly. Trails. I’m not going to lie, my body is tired.

I think I had this mindset of “I’ve done Ironman, I can do anything” when I agreed to do TRR with Kirsten, and while I still totally believe that, recently I’ve also definitely been realizing how hard a certain 6 days in the Colorado Rockies this August are really going to be. I’m slightly scared. Excited and still optimistic about the adventure that awaits, but yeah, pretty freakin’ scared none-the-less.

I ran just shy of 60k up and down hills in about 6.5hrs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday combined and my legs pretty much felt like they were going to fall off by Sunday night. Actually, that’s a bit of a lie ~ while Friday and Saturday’s runs were on hilly terrain, I did cheat and ran on nice flat trails on Sunday (even though I should have been hitting the hills).

My defiance of my training calendar was worth it though and while my Sunday run was flat and still uber-slow, it turned out to be a pretty fun one and a nice mental break.

Why was that you ask? Well, let me tell you…
Kirsten and Shane were racing the Victoria Triathlon at Elk Lake. I once again waffled about signing up for the sprint distance, but decided I didn’t feel like paying the big bucks to go out and give a half-assed effort (as I knew I would still have to be running long through the weekend) and really, I was being a big wuss and didn’t want to race on a super tired body. So, I spectated instead!

Shane did the sprint, and Kirsten was racing the half. I happily watched all the action with my Mom & Dad and once Shane was finished his race, I headed out on my run around the lakes (heading in the opposite direction of the racers).

The first few kms were pretty lonely, but soon enough the leader of the Olympic distance passed me, then the half leader, and then more and more athletes started to stream by. I think I cheered or clapped for every person (and some cheered and clapped back at me, which was awesome) and it was simply just a wonderful, happy distraction from my own running.

One other random non-running related note:
Last Wednesday the weather gods smiled on us, and Shane and I finally got to take part in the Learn to Ride clinic we had signed up for at the Velodrome.

It was great fun and once I got over my fear of the fixed gear bikes (whatever you do, don’t stop pedaling!), it was a blast. Who knew riding in circles could be so much fun? Okay, well maybe I did already know that - but it was definitely reaffirmed.

Also, highlight of the night: when the instructor told Shane I pedaled like a roadie and not like a triathlete. This made me oddly happy, haha.

That is all for now... Happy Trails!

GutBuster Duncan, Mt. Tzouhalem

I did my first official trail race this weekend. GutBuster Duncan at Mt. Tzouhalem.

The plan was for Kirsten and me to run it together and get a sense of what it will be like to run together at TRR later in the summer. That may sound strange, as we do run together fairly often, but I guess what I’m getting at is that it was a chance to run together in a race setting. That said, I had absolutely no expectation and didn’t really go into it with a “racing” mindset (oops, sorry Kirsten).

I’ve been doing a lot of running on hilly trails lately, with lots of big back to back days on the weekend. This is still somewhat new for me and while I am having fun with it and enjoying the newness of it all, I’m also quickly realizing that I kind of suck at trail running. I'm not super agile at this point in my trail running career, and well, I definitely spend a lot of time hiking up very steep hills cursing my cramping calves and wondering if it will get easier (which I know it will, I just want it to be easier NOW).

Anyway, the race. I knew I had to follow up Saturday’s GutBuster with a VERY hilly long run on Sunday, so perhaps that is why my mindset going into the race was more “have fun and just survive” than it was “race!!”

So yeah, was it fun? You bet – especially once we got to the top of the mountain and got to start our descent, haha.

We did a nice 30min warm up and although my calves were a bit tweaky and crampy during the warm up, I thought I had done enough that maybe they would be happy once we really got going.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. Things started okay, but at the first big climb, my calves felt like they were going to explode and so I had to start hiking (along with a lot of other people thankfully). Kirsten finds it easier to run, so she would trot on ahead and then wait for me.

I felt really bad and like I was holding her up, so did find myself getting slightly frustrated (not with Kirsten, but with myself and my body), but we eventually got into a nice rhythm and made it up to the summit together. The views were pretty amazing.

The back half of the race and the downhills were awesome – definitely my favourite part! I tucked in right behind Kirsten and I felt like we just flowed down the trails – even passing a few people on the way. We were moving quickly and pretty fluidly and it was a nice positive mental break from the frustrations I was feeling with my body on the climb up.

As we came out from the trails and raced toward the finish line Kirsten kept picking up the pace, telling me to go faster. I was feeling pretty maxed out but tried to surge to get beside her (or well, I’ll admit it – maybe I was trying to get in front of her), but she had my number and got the last step on me. Turned out our finishing time was exactly the same though and it resulted in a pretty good finish line photo. I was smiling, but I’m pretty sure I was also calling her a jerk as the photo was snapped.

Photo by Esrah Boulton: www.esrahboulton.com

Kirsten and I post-race with Torben.
Photo by Mom :) 

After a much needed sleep in on Sunday morning, Kirsten and I met up at Mt. Work and did a little hike/run-sploration around Gowlland Tod Park to round out the weekend. We made our way down to McKenzie Bight, up and around part of the Jocelyn loop (I think) and then up and down Mount Work.

I'll admit, at the start of the run, I was feeling really stiff in my joints and the uphills were feeling really tough (stupid calves, again). In short, I was struggling! I definitely had a few moments of thinking "I don't think I can do this” (the “this” in that statement being both that day’s run and TRR depending on the moment) but as the run wore on, I loosened up a bit and it slowly got better. By the end, I wasn't feeling too too bad. Don’t get me wrong, I was still fighting heavy tired legs, but was definitely in a better headspace.

Pretty views somehow make a tough run worth it.

So that was the weekend… and what I’m sure many weekends this summer will look like. I’ll keep plugging away on the trails and will hopefully start to see some gains. Perhaps I’ll get a little more nimble and quick, and perhaps my calves will stop hating me.



Off topic (kinda), in our journey to TRR this summer, Kirsten and I have decided to support Martin Parnell in his TransRockiesQuest 888 – a fundraising effort for Right to Play. Knowing how much our lives have been enriched with sport, it was an easy choice to try and raise some money for Right to Play. On top of that, every donation we receive will be matched by Right To Play partners 3 times!

For more information or if you'd like to donate, please check out our fundraising page here.