Its a long road

Wow, what a tough couple of weeks. No time to blog. I did my long run on July 18 but struggled at the end. The 2 little water bottles that fit in my belt just aren't enough for a 20k run. I've come up with a plan for refilling the bottles along the way so hopefully that will help. The week following, I was training for the Keats Swim. Just over a mile from Keats Island to Amours Beach in Gibsons. I was getting up early (slightly earlier than usual) to go to the pool for 6:30 am. Sweet that it is right beside my house. Anyway, I swam 90 laps on Monday (1800 m), paddled Monday night with a swim at our rest break, ran a tempo run Tuesday night followed by circuit training. Wednesday morning when I went to swim I was a little worn out. I only did 45 laps thinking that I probably should save something for the actual swim.

So Sea Cavalcade came along and I entered the mile race right before the parade. Looking at how I have run so far I was thinking I might be able to do it in 8 1/2 minutes, 8 if I'm really on. I am very pleased to say that I ran it in 7:25. I was third from last but I surpassed my expectations so I'm really happy about the results. Something to beat next year.:)

I was hoping for a spectacular time at the swim but I don't think I did much better that the last time I swam it when I wasn't fit at all. I guess I'm just a slow swimmer. Go figure. But I did it. I finished second to last on that one. I guess someone has to bring up the rear.

After the Keats Swim of just over an hour, I needed to do a long run. Just 15km this time, as per Denise. I wan't sure I would make it the full distance as the swim was quite taxing. I actually finished the run with energy to spare and I did it at about the same pace as my tempo runs. I kept thinking my GPS wasn't working but my pace gets slower when it isn't working, not faster. Don't know what that was all about but I hope to repeat. When I did the tempo run on Tuesday I struggled to do the 6:30 pace. Maybe because it was much later in the day than usual or the stress of the long hours at work or not getting enough sleep. I really hope next week goes better.

I would have liked to have gone back to the pool this week but I was so busy at work getting GST's done for the end of the month that I was getting up even earlier than I did to go swimming! I even missed my circuit training this week and am down a run. I am so looking forward to this weekend. Hopefully the long weekend will energize me and I can get back into the routine of training.

I have been thinking a lot about core training. I would really like to start as I think it would really help my overall posture and running. Plus I really would like to get rid of this pot belly. I'm not sure how I am going to go about it or when I will start. I will have to do some research into the best exercises. I would like to start doing Denise's DVD's but again, as with everything else, I'd have to try to fit it in.

Next weekend I am doing a half marathon in Ladner. I still haven't decided how to approach it. I would like to do it like a tempo run. If I could do it at the pace I did last weekend, I wouldn't get a PR but I'd be happy with the results.

Wahoo, 92 days and counting!!