Still Kickin'!

No, I haven't disappeared off the face of the planet! Just haven't been into the blogging lately and I really haven't had anything worthwhile blogging about.
With no races on the horizon and lots of work to do, my workouts have been limited to running and some sporadic cycling. Any chance of a fall marathon disappeared as I suffered through some back pain over the last little while. A couple of trips to the chiropractor have helped but I am still having some impact from it. Mostly I have noticed that my hips and hamstrings are sore. Probably from having shifted my gait to compensate for the lower back pain. But enough about that!
Over the last while my son completed his final session of school and passed his provincial and federal exams and is a full qualified journeyman heavy duty mechanic (off road). We are very proud of him and happy that he has found something that he really loves to do.
This new house has taken up a fair bit of time as well and we are still getting ourselves organized. It seems like the work never ends.
Word on the street is that the pool is about a week away from re-opening. I can hardly wait! The swimming part of my training regime is one that I enjoy immensely. It is relaxing and easy on the body. Even though it can be a struggle I must admit it is the discipline that I am most happy with my progress. From a clumsy, splashing, half-drowning creature I have developed into something resembling a swimmer.
So there is a quick up date. I'm hoping that in the next couple of weeks I will have picked my Ironman race for 2010 and then the training will start in earnest.
Have a great day!

Undecided?

I still haven't decided on a race for either this fall (which is just about over) or for next year. I was thinking of doing the Seattle marathon but now my calendar has been booked with an arbitration hearing so that is out. There is an interesting trail run in Castro Valley, California that might be fun. It would definitely be a no pressure race as my training is strictly maintenance right now. I am managing about 50 miles a week plus a couple of bike rides so I have moderate fitness. The pool is still closed and is now not scheduled to open until the middle of November. I am going to have to start with water wings again by the time it re-opens!
Have a great day!

Plugging Away

This relaxed training mode sure has been nice. I have not been following any plan and my runs and rides have been fun again. You kind of forget sometimes how enjoyable it can be to just run without any purpose. It kind of gets you back in touch with the sensations of enjoying the warmth of the sun on your skin, or the wind in your face as opposed to focusing on technique and cadence and everything else. All the while you are still getting the fitness and mental health benefits. That being said, this time of year my running always picks up and I am noticing that I want to run fast all the time. Obviously not a good plan as I know I will inevitably end up hurt so I have to temper that somewhat.
I have been cruising the Runner's World site lately trying to decide on a marathon. It has to be in November at the earliest as I am ready, but with a couple of long runs I could put myself in 3:30 shape. As I have 2 1/2 weeks of vacation yet to use I can expand my range as to where I might want to go.
Today was another nice fall day with temperatures in the mid-teens and sunshine. The leaves have started to change and with a strong Chinook last night there was a covering of them on the trails. I managed to get out at lunch and cruised through a nice 8 1/2 mile run over varied terrain. However, just as I returned the skies opened up and we had just a wicked storm! I still had to walk back to work and I got soaked. Always nice to spend the afternoon in wet jeans!
Things have worked out well at the new house and we are getting used to town living again. As we are the only people in this new sub division we haven't had to get used to neighbours yet. I guess as people start to build and move in we can gradually "re-socialize".
Have a great day!

What a September!

The weather as of late has been nothing short of spectacular. Lots of sunshine and temperatures in the mid to high twenties and even a few thirty degree days has given us a nice extension to summer. It has also made my runs a whole lot more enjoyable. I am also enjoying re-discovering some of the trails I used to run when I lived in Town. Nothing like a change in scenery to give you a boost and reinvigorate your workouts.
Today I started out slow and meandered through the trails and along hydro lines and picked up 9 miles in 1:01:03. Don't know why I feel I have to be so precise, but there are the numbers. Despite the warmer than normal temperatures the leaves have started to turn and in some cases fall. It makes for some beautiful scenery and as I have mentioned before, really brings me back to the roots of my running. My love of running was developed in high school running cross country in the fall. I can still recall running the trail to Penn Lake from the high school and back through the fallen leaves and breathing the crisp air of fall. For most people in my class having to do that run was a chore and most usually just hid in the woods. But me and a couple of others really enjoyed it and would cover the three or so miles with ease. And that is really where I started with running.
The forecast for next week shows that things will be coming to an abrupt halt as the temperatures will return to more seasonal and perhaps worse. But I am going to enjoy this good stuff for as long as I can!
Have a great day!

Quick Post

My workouts as of late are still relatively short and uninspired. I think not having any race plans has left me in a maintenance mode. Plus I am very busy as well.
However I have been running and cycling and while it hasn't been major miles I am definitely maintaining fitness at this point.
Went into the Oiler's pre-season game last night and the team looks promising. Certainly not a Stanley Cup winner but it looks like we are going to play a more offensive and entertaining brand of hockey. It was great to be back at Rexall Place as it has been a few years since I had my tickets.
This weekend I hope to get out for a double digit run and of course, continue to unpack and organize. I also have the headlight hanging out of my truck as I need to change the bulb. Nicholas said it was easy to do but so far I have spent 2 hours on it and still haven't got to the light!
Have a great weekend!

Getting Organized

It's been a little while since I have posted as my time has been totally occupied with making the move to our new house. And now we are finally in and starting to get somewhat organized.
The move was a protracted affair as there was myself, Angela, Nicholas and Nicole participating. Nicholas was a huge help in moving all the big stuff and Angela and Nicole packed things up. It was nice having 9 days between the closing dates so that we had adequate time to get everything done. It was none the less a major challenge trying to fit 3,000 square feet of possessions into 2,000 square feet of house. It did result in a major purge which was great.
My working out over the last week has consisted mostly of lugging, lifting and dragging with no time for anything else. Friday I did manage to run and it was tough. Yesterday I was able to get a quick six miles in as well and it was also tough. We are having a beautiful September and the temperatures on both days were 28 and 29 respectively. I have never been a good hot weather runner so I suffer in the heat. This week things will get back to normal and I can start trying to cobble together a plan for a fall marathon. My sights will be set significantly lower as I just haven't put in the time or miles, but I would still like to go and run a race somewhere.
The swimming pool is closed for another couple weeks and I am really missing the swimming. The plan is that it should be up and running mid-October. Cycling wise I hope to get out for a ride today. It will be much easier from our new location as I can ride right from the house and don't have to pack everything up and head down the highway. I'm going to enjoy that.
Have a great weekend!

49.62

According to my optometrists chart I am 49.62 years old today. I don't know why that registered with me but for some reason it did. Firstly I thought it odd that his computerized system had a need to calculate ages to two decimal points and secondly why it would update it everyday. Is there a huge difference in the eyesight of a 49.62 year old male and a 49.38 year old? Maybe, I don't know.
So with only .38 of a year left before I turn 50 I need to get my fall race plan nailed down. Hopefully this week I will decide what race and distance I am going to tackle. More than likely it will be of the 26.2 mile variety, but I may consider some other distance if it was something unique.
Speaking of running I am slowly starting to get some miles under my belt. On Sunday I finally managed a double digit run, the first in quite some time. And it was just that, exactly 10 miles! The pace was okay as I managed to average just over 7:01 / mile. Since then I have managed a 5 miler, 7.5 miles and 7.0 miles tonight. The air is definitely starting to get some fall "freshness" to it which makes the running so much more enjoyable. I also managed a couple of rides, one on the mountain bike and a quick 40 minutes on the trainer. Overall I would say my legs are still feeling tired and I am a tad sluggish. I am hoping after everyone is moved and things settle down I will start to get some energy back for my workouts.
Have a great day!