Tag Archives: runner’s soul

Dec31

2015-Year in Review

Posted on December 31, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

What an amazing year in running for myself! I started January 2015 off strong, as I had just came off a very productive 2014. Injuries weren’t messing with me as of yet, my husband and I had just moved into our new house, work was going well, and I was motivated to train for my spring goal race of the BMO Vancouver Marathon.

January brought a quick trip to Temecula, California, during exam week, where I participated in the Spartan Super & Sprint with my BFF Ali. February came and I decided it was a good idea to run The Hypothermic Half marathon in Calgary during a huge cold snap. Good thing I did, as I ended up running what is now my personal best-1:35:41. That race was crucial as a morale boost and proved to me that training and hard work does pay off. Never did I think I could run in the 1:35s! I also signed up for and participated in a virtual race; The Coaster Run. Why did I choose this as my first virtual race? Well, the actual race was held at Knotts Berry Farm in California and had a Peanuts theme! I needed that Snoopy medal!

In March, I had the local Moonlight Run 10km. I pushed myself to my limits there, running my best Moonlight time ever of a 43:47, earning me 1st in my age group. I was very pleased with my training progress! A local 5 km in Coaldale came in mid-April and I crushed my previous 5km time, running a 20:42, earning me first place female. The following week, on the anniversary of my dad’s death, I ran in the Rattler Run 10km in Medicine Hat. This was the pinnacle race at the peak of my training cycle for Vancouver. I busted out a 41:30, good enough for 1st female overall! So, I had bested my 5km, 10km and half marathon times all before my goal race even came. Had I burned myself out?

I have written about it lots on this site, so I can just briefly mention the importance that the Vancouver Full Marathon was. This was my third dedicated try at qualifying for the Boston Marathon, having failed in 2014 while running the Calgary and Edmonton Full Marathons. This May, it all paid off. The training, pushing, races, tears, and pain were worth it because I not only beat my qualifying standard of 3:35.00, but crushed it with a 3:24.56! I would be going to Boston!

Dan & I headed to Montana for the Montana Spartan Beast, which completed what would be my first trifecta of the year. I had plans on going for a double Trifecta later in September, so this was part of the process. I also did the Calgary 50km Ultra during Marathon weekend at the end of May, which was my first ever 50km. My 4:40.34 earn me 2nd in my category. The first 5 months of 2015 were such a huge success, I felt unstoppable!

But then, my body was starting to feel it. I took a bit of time off before doing the Alberta Summer Games in July, where I ran the 10km. A sloppy 45:55 on a hot afternoon had me frustrated—I am way better than this. It motivated me to push hard the rest of the summer as I trained to try and get a personal best at the Disneyland 10km in September. Before that race, I had the Lethbridge Police Half Marathon at the end of August. Here, I also had plans to shoot for my best time. This was a huge slap in the face, as I went out too fast, started having stomach issues, and almost broke down. I ended 3rd female overall, which is fantastic, but my body was breaking. The 1:40.14 at the end of summer, in the midst of a forest fire smoke warning was respectable—but I was frustrated.

September was all about Disney & Spartan Races. And being stressed with work. But, I had to make it happen somehow. I went to Disneyland over Labour Day weekend where I did complete my goal of placing in my category at the Disneyland 10km. I wasn’t anywhere close to my goal time, but I ran a respectful 43:28. Then the following day, I ran the half marathon with my BFF and helped her crush her personal best! All while dressed as Mary Poppins! It was my second Dumbo Double Dare Challenge, and it was a great one. I had registered until the DDD, however, Ali hadn’t been able to and had to do the 10km and half as two separate race registrations. Having a Dumbo medal from last year was enough for me-I passed my 2015 medal on to her. She earned it by completing both races!

leaping to the finish

Spartan Races….the highs and the very lows. I did the Hurricane Heat, Super and Sprint three days in a row in Red Deer. I felt great during all three and was pumped for my Ultra Beast in Sun Peaks two weeks after. I have a post about that here, and let me tell you….it was humbling. I had my first ever DNF for a race, and I think I was over my head. I could have crawled my way to the finish perhaps, but I was exhausted and fearing injury. This was the time that the “bump” on my foot had been really bothering me. As I ran by myself during the second loop for about an hour I was imaging hurting myself and not being able to do Boston. I pulled myself out of the race, and a lot of tears followed. While I can’t go back and change it, or say register just for the Beast, I don’t regret my decision.

October brought the end of Cross Country season coaching and no races for myself. Our team made us proud, and we sent five talented young women to Provincials in Grand Prairie, Alberta. That is WAY north! I took it easy, and took about 2-3 weeks off from running after the season ended mid October. I started physio for my foot, and found out more about my x-rays. Degenerative Arthritis and a bone spur in my right foot. Surgery is in the works, for a time after Boston. If something isn’t done to this soon, I run the risk of not being able to run down the road. And I don’t want that!

November had me give it my all in the local Claus Cause 5km, only to then laugh at myself and realize how out of shape I was starting to feel. A 22:04 would have been something I dreamed of two years ago, but now I knew I needed to keep recovering, but then get back to work. The month of December brought the Runners Soul 4th Annual Run Streak, which I just completed today. 31 straight days of running at least 1 mile! And this past Sunday I began my 16 week training for the 120th Boston Marathon. My plan for Boston is to go in prepared, do my best, finish, and have fun in the process. This is a once-in-a-lifetime race, something I have been striving towards for so long. So, it is perfect that my 2015 ended with me doing day 5 of my Boston Training plan, as one year ago I had yet to start my Vancouver Marathon training….and Boston was just a distance dream away.

Cheers to everyone as they bring in the New Year! Best wishes, happy thoughts, and enjoy every moment. Je me souviens.

-Andrea

Dec13

Claus Cause 5km, foot issues, and getting back in the swing of things…

Posted on December 13, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

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Long overdue for a post. Long overdue. I have been meaning to do my Claus Cause 5km recap for a few weekends, but never got around to it. Also wanted to touch on some of the other running-related things going on with me.

On Saturday, November 21st, I ran in the Runner’s Soul Claus Cause 5km. This is now the third year in a row doing this event, but the first time doing the 10km. I knew I wouldn’t be in 10km racing form by this time, so I was playing it smart picking the 5km. Thing is, I wasn’t in any distance racing form…and while I knew this in the back of my head, it wouldn’t be clear to me until after this race.

The weather was the nicest for any Claus Cause I’ve been a part of. With a 9 am start, I was able to get a normal amount of sleep and get down to Indian Battle Park with plenty of time. I lined up at the front next to my friend Bob all set to go. To say I was a bit anxious is an understatement-I went out with a ridiculous pace that there was no hope in holding. It had been a long time since doing a road race (Disneyland half marathon was my last traditional race, and that was Labour Day weekend) so I had a lot of pent up energy. When my first mile clocked in at 6:34, I actually think I started laughing, as this was my goal pace I tried training for all summer for the Disneyland 10km. My ass was burning, my legs were already yelling obscenities at me….this was not going to be a pretty two miles to follow.

I won’t even go in to detail, but my second mile slowed to a 7:14, and third even slower to a 7:22. Maybe if I hadn’t been so stubborn I could have gone out with an even 7 minute mile and hold that comfortably for the whole race. But no, I decided to take my out of shape self to the limit and feel like crap. I finished with a time of 22:04; a time I would have been really excited about a year ago. In April, I ran a 20:42 in the Coaldale 5km. But, that was at the peak of my BMO Vancouver a marathon training. I was in the best shape of my life, so for me to go out there at the Claus Cause and expect anything even close to that was asinine.

My 22:04 was good enough for 2nd female overall and 2nd in my age group. I hung around for a bit chatting with people, and when I got home I immediately felt like garbage. My body ached, I was sneezing, sniffling and had the chills. I took a shower and then bundled up in sweats, curled in a ball, and was a complete pile of shit the rest of the day. You would have thought I had just completed a full marathon.

What have I learned from this? That I am out of shape. But…I knew that. I had been taking it really easy since my Spartan Ultra Beast, and been just getting back into daily cardio. My body needed the rest this fall, as I pushed it to the limits earlier this year. I am now dealing with trying to handle my foot issues-a bone spur is prominently taking over my right foot, and surgery is tentatively being looked at for in June. It hurts on a daily basis. I also had a Gait-Analysis completed at FIT Physiotherapy, and had some startling results. The main issue is that my gait is considered a “cross-over gait.” I am working at trying to correct this slowly, also while using my custom orthotics. I have a lot to work on as I start getting ready to begin my Boston Marathon training (which will start the last week in December.)

One very positive thing that has happened since the 5km blunders and foot/gait issues is that I have been streaking since December 1st....Our local store Runner’s Soul has their annual RunStreak going on. You just need to run at least a mile a day, every day in December. If you do, you submit your run each day to their Facebook page to get entered in for a daily prize. I have done that mile a day, and many other days have gone farther. Friday, I went for a solid 4 mile run and felt great. Getting my cardio back up to a basic level has been my goal this whole month, as when I start following my training plan I will need to be set to push. This RunStreak has gotten me excited and motivated to get back at consistent training, with my training ending at the race of my life, The 120th Boston Marathon.

I hope to do one more post before the end of 2015. So keep a watch out for that. I need to do a reflection on the year-what was good, bad and ugly. Thanks for reading!

Apr19

Coaldale Family Fun Run 5km 2015-Recap

Posted on April 19, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

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This past weekend I participated in a local 5km race, the Coaldale Family Fun Run. It is the fifth year of this event being run, and my second year in a row participating. Originally, I was planning on running most of my Saturday workout before e event, and then ending with the 5km. I had a 14 mile long run to do, with the last 6 at my goal pace for my marathon, or faster. As it got closer to the day of the event, I knew I didn’t want to be trying to race a 5km after already doing 11 miles. So, I decided to reorder my workout, still get the 14 miles in, but do it in reverse. I would do a warmup and cool down at marathon race pace in Coaldale, push as much as I could during the race, and then finish the workout when back in Lethbridge.

My last timed 5km race had been in November, and I wanted to see if I could beat that personal best. I ran the Mustache Dache in a 21:07 back in Milwaukee, which broke my 5km personal best that I had held since I was 18. Now, I don’t train for racing in 5km races,but I know that I have been doing more speed work than ever this winter and spring as I train for the Vancouver Marathon. So it would have to count for something?

The race was slated to start at 10am. I arrived at around 9:20, which gave me more than enough time to pick up my race bib, do a 1.75 mile warmup, and meet up with four of my Waterton to Glacier buddies-Julia, Emma, Danny and Ryan. I even snapped this photo of Julia, Emma and Ryan doing their warmup down the rural road we would be heading down during the last mile of the race. This shows the terrain and road conditions we would face for about 85% of the course.

I got lined up with a few minutes to spare. My race plan-push hard the first mile and hold on. I really had no other strategy. The temperature was ideal, so I knew I would be comfortable. I was a bit worried about the muddy mix of gravel and sand and dirt we would be running on, as I remembered from last year that my feet feeling like sandbags. The race began and a bunch of us plowed over the kids who were lined up in front. Ok, I know it is a Family Fun Run, but I mean, I was out to make a statement….so I didn’t feel bad dodging through children.

I found myself in a comfortable position right away, and I knew I was the lead female. I wasn’t going to look over my shoulder at all during the race, and just wait until the turnaround point near mile two. At that point I’d be able to see how close any other women were and tackle the last mile. My first mile was a fast 6:13. I was feeling good though, and it wasn’t too muddy. I needed to weave a bit on the rural Range Road to find the least mucky spots, but it helped with my shoes not getting full of junk. Mile two was slower (I knew it would be because I wasn’t trying to necessarily get even splits) with a 6:36. This was past the turnaround and up a slight hill. It was also straight into the wind. I started feeling sluggish here, and I saw the second female probably 30-45 seconds behind me. If I bonked on the last mile she would catch me. The last mile was a solid straightaway to Coaldale Christian School. It was wet on this portion and I made a mistake of stepping in a pile of mud and gravel, so for a few seconds I had rocks and mud flying from under my shoes. I was able to hold my position and finish as the first female! I finished my last mile in 6:57, and finished the race in a 20:42! I beat my previous personal best by 25 seconds!

I did a cool down and milled around until awards, which were held in the gym. The race organizers did a great job at having lots of post race refreshments—-more than I would expect for a 5km! They do a great job at recognizing the kids who participated, as each kid gets a finisher ribbon, and they do 5 year age group awards for under 19. So lots of kids get recognized this way. They even gave a prize to the youngest runner—I think it was a Toys R Us gift card. I know I would have been stoked about that if I was a kid! They got to the adult awards and each of us in our Waterton to Glacier group medalled! Ryan got 3rd overall and 2nd in his age group, Danny got 1st in his age group, and Julia & Emma earned 3rd and 1st in theirs, respectively. Along with my gold medal for 1st in the 30-39 female category, I was also awarded a $50 gift certificate to Runners Soul!

I was really excited to be able to run this race at the pace that I did. I even was able to do the rest of my workout later that day all within my training pace required, so I did total 14 miles! While 5km races aren’t my focus, they are still fun to do every once in a while! I know the next one I do I will be aiming for a 20:30 or faster. I know my training has helped lots, as this was not only a personal best, but I beat my time from last years’ event by over two minutes. Last year, I ran a 22:59. Seeing that improvement is what is most important to me. Up next is a 10km in Medicine Hat (Saturday) and then the big one….Vancouver Marathon is now just two weeks away….

Apr12

Milwaukee Recap and Training Countdown

Posted on April 12, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

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Three weeks to go until the BMO Vancouver Marathon! My last few weeks have gone well, but I knew I had some crucial training runs coming up that needed to go well, as to boost my confidence. Also, take into account I went home last week to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and this has historically led to me sluffing off on training. I only skipled (whoops) one day on my plan, so I am pretty proud. I had slept in too late before a friend picked me up for the morning, afternoon and evening of activities, and by the time I got back home I was wiped. What crazy activities did we do? Well, went and got my bridesmaid dress for her wedding fit, and then we went to Potawatomi Casino downtown to play bingo for three hours. We used to do this back when we weren’t yet 21, as 18 year olds can access the bingo hall at the casino, just not the casino floor. I think the best part of it was just laughing at all the crazies around. Best person we saw was a lady on the smoking side (glass wall separation) walking around with a surgical mask covering her face.

Other Milwaukee-Related activities I partook in was watching the Badgers NCAA Final basketball game at the bar I used to work at. They lost. Then my mom, cousin and her husband went to Miller Park to watch the Brewers second game of the season. They lost too. But all was a lot of fun! One of my last nights my mom and I spent a day and night in Milwaukee doing the Lakefront Brewery Tour, eating at some awesome local places, shopping, and then painting at Splash Studio.

Now, I didn’t just eat, drink and watch sports. I did run. I really did! I even found one trail in the Franklin Woods that I honestly had never ran on before in my life. It was super pretty!

It was also actually a lot of fun to do my runs back on the bike trail near my moms house. It is really an awesome trail. For the training runs that I did it worked quite well. My best run was on Thursday morning when I did 5 miles at my Tempo Run pace. I needed to be between 6:54-7:10 minutes per mile. I was thinking “how the hell am I going to do this solo?” I was going to get up real early to do this run but there had been thunder lightning, hail, rain, downpours, everything all night. It was still raining pretty heavy. I checked the radar and ther was going to be about an hour or so window at around 8:45 with no thunderstorms so I waited and headed out then.While it started thundering in the distance at mile 4, there was no lightning (just a steady rain), but this caused the trail to be empty! You never see this trail empty. Anyway, I head out unsure what I would be able to do, but I made it back home doing better than I could have ever hoped for! I did my 5 miles in 35:18, with each mile being 6:52, 7:03, 7:19 (you can see this as the out and back point on the map where I had to do a turnaround), 7:03 and 7:01. I felt like a million bucks when I got home!

So the running in Milwaukee went well, but I wasn’t home free yet, what I was nervously awaiting in my Lethbridge home was my 20 miler run to do on Sunday. After a week of making poor food and drink choices not conducive to a good training plans, and after a day of traveling….I needed to muster out 20 miles at a pace between 7:48-9:04 per mile. The weather was quite windy, but the temperature was ideal. I headed out optimistic and knew I wanted to push myself. The route Runners Soul had planned for our club run today was awesome. Only one big hill and the wind was fortunately at our back heading up it, Running down the hill into softball valley first was more challenging, as it was the slowest downhill I have ever run! Wind was pushing your body backward almost, and the water treatment plant sewage was wafting right in your face. I managed to complete my 20 miles in 2:42:42 with an average pace of 8:08 an mile! I am training for an 8:00 minute mile, so I am right where I need to be! My fastest two miles were actually mile 3 and mile 20, each at a 7:48 and 7:49, respectively. My slowest were mile 8 and 11, where I had an 8:29 (wind!) and 8:30 (hill!). Being able to hold it together strong the latter half of this training run was my big concern, so the fact that I could makes me so excited for Vancouver….just three short weeks away!

Mar9

Moonlight Run 2015 – 10km Race Recap

Posted on March 9, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

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The Moonlight Run in Lethbridge, Alberta, is the largest running event of the year. They offer a 6km and a 10km event-the 6 km had 1739 participants and the 10km had 526. The unique factor about the race is in its name—it starts at 8 pm at night and you run down in the river bottom with the light of the moon marking your path. This year would be my fourth time running the Moonlight Run, and I had set some high expectations for myself. Ultimately, I wanted to beat my previous Moonlight Run time from last year (47:27) but I also wanted to place well. While I wasn’t training specifically for a 10km, as I am now right in the middle of my Vancouver Marathon training, I had been getting in lots of speed work and was feeling strong. Only time would tell.

I was nervous and anxious all day. That’s part of the trouble with a night race—-you have all day to think about it and get worked up! I had my clothes picked out even the night before, and I was getting antsy by 6 pm. I even attempted a nap earlier, but I just laid in bed and played on my phone. My husband was also going to participate in the run (he said this was to show his support for my craziness) and I somehow managed to get him to leave the house around 7 pm. We live a whopping five minutes from the race start by car, so we got there real early (but at least had a great parking spot!). I wanted time to calm my nerves—I would find some of my running friends from marathon club and chat, and I would also find students and teachers from my school who were at the event. Our music department volunteers every year at Moonlight Run and the kids do a great job at the tasks they are given! I also needed to find the kids who had signed up to run, as while I was nervous and anxious, I knew they would be even more so!

I eventually did my warmup and got settled into the starting corral. It was self-seeded so I wormed my way up to the second row of people…right near the front. I knew I wanted to head out strong and by being at the front this would help out. Plus, your gun time would be used for placings, so I wanted to be near the starting mat.

After the national anthems, the horn went off, and the 10km had begun. The first 1/4 of a mile was a blur, as I just had my focus finding my pace and finding a space in the pack. I knew I was going out pretty fast, plus this first mile stretch was all downhill. Hopefully this wouldn’t come back to bite me.

As we headed down Wendy’s hill, the firefighter pipe and drum band was playing. This is an awesome thing to witness as you are running down into the dark river bottom! At the bottom of Wendy’s hill, after a loss of 203 feet in elevation (according to my Nike app) I hit mile one. I ran my first mile in 5:32….what the F$&K?!? Ok, granted, this was downhill….but this is the FASTEST I have EVER ran a mile in my entire damn life. My high school best in the 1600 m (mile run) was a 5:47. Yes, that was on a flat track….but still. Holy crap. I was screwed. At what point in this race would I fall apart?

The next mile heads out towards the bridge and to Tollestrup construction. As I headed out north before the turnaround, it was very easy to find your spacing in the pack. No one was next to me, you had room to move your elbows, and the darkness didn’t really take a toll, as there was lots of open space and the sky was clear. Mile 2 was hit partway down this path and I ran it in a still ridiculously fast 6:35. The fact I was able to keep up a faster than normal pace after barreling down a deep incline was a shocker to me. There had been a small elevation loss of 66 feet during this stretch, so negligible compared to the first mile. At the turnaround, it got to be a little tougher as now you aren’t running alone on the path. All the other runners in the 10km who are behind you are heading north as you head back south towards the bridge. Many have headlamps that are shining bright in your eyes, so you must look down at the ground. And some people aren’t aware of the runners already heading back so they take up 3 people across the path. I was sure my time would slow greatly at this point, expecting somewhere in the 7:30s. I managed to get to mile 3 in 7:01. I was nearly halfway done and already had a personal record breaking 5km time. I needed to keep it together.

Since mile 1 I had been placed as the 5th female. I knew this for sure as I counted the women ahead of me at the turnaround. During mile 4 I had wanted to gain some ground on runner 4. This proved to be tricky, as while I am knowledgable of this part of the course, it happens to get quite darker in this section. The tree coverage is greater, it is harder to see the sky, and the path has many “gentle” rolls in it. I made some ground on about three or four men, passing them while no one passed me, so that felt good. We were heading toward Whoop Up Drive basically blind, and I was trying to move as quick as I could without freaking out in the dark. By getting to Whoop Up there would be lights on the bridge to illuminate the sky above. I ran mile 4 in 7:16.

Mile 5 was when I knew I had to keep it together. While the hill would be my last battle, this would be where I could either keep it up, or lose it all. My body was feeling great, so I knew this would be a mental battle. I moved on to the next turn around, near the water treatment plant, where then the runners looped back on a gravel/paved road section. This is relatively well lit and would take us to Fort Whoop Up, and the path we needed to take back to the finish. My feet start to feel heavy as I am on this gravel/paved/stone road. I needed to keep it moving but was starting to get worried. I knew I was on pace to get a personal best, and I was scared to lose that. I was running with no one immediately in front of me or beside me…but then I heard a familiar trot behind me. It was my friend Glenn from run club. Glenn has a very distinctive cadence in his run, and Glenn, I mean this kindly, I think it is because you are so short that it is so obvious. I mean, I am short too so I am sure my plodding is distinctive. But I knew it was Glenn coming up behind me as we neared mile 5, and this gave me a huge push. Glenn is a seasoned runner, a veteran, who qualified and ran in the Boston Marathon last year. He works hard and trains hard. We mumbled a couple things to each other as we approached mile 5 (which I ran in 7:27). I knew I needed to “race” Glenn up this mother of a hill for the last mile in order to achieve my goal of a personal best.

Having someone who you know is faster than you at a 10km race run next to you is some motivation, let me tell you. This last hill is adjacent to the steady main road we headed down during mile 1. The 10km runners got to run up this wonky, almost-too-cruel bike path that has so many pitches and switch backs that if you saw it in daylight you would laugh. Every time we hit an incline, I powered my short-ass legs up, passing Glenn each time. I think I pissed him off each time, because then he would pass me when it would level out. This cat and mouse game went on for about three or four cycles as we climbed up this beast. Eventually, Glenn surpassed me once we got to the top and away from the steep inclines, and off he went. I powered all the way up and made it to mile 6, which was right next to Galt Gardens, in 8:36. Not too shabby for doing a 268 feet climb in elevation. The 10km runners were now side by side with 6km runners as we headed to the finish. I again got into a runners’ haze and didn’t pay attention to any faces around me. I rounded that last corner and finish in my personal record smashing time of 43:47.45…beating my Moonlight personal best by nearly 4 minutes 30 seconds, and beating my regular 10km best by 1 minute 50 seconds!

I had never been able to catch any of the women ahead of me. I closed in on number 4, but 1-3 were way too far ahead. While my time this year would have gotten me 1st for women in this same event last year, that was not the case. I placed 5th out of 292 women and 34th out of 526 overall participants in the Moonlight Run 10km 2015. And while I could have been upset about that, I was nothing but ecstatic. I was mainly in a state of shock when I finished, as I couldn’t believe how I ran that time. I then found out shortly thereafter I placed 1st out of 55 in the 30-34 female age category! An age category first place in this big of a race is a huge accomplishment for myself!

I found some of my runner friends after finishing and we were are able to congratulate each other on our accomplishments. I wasn’t the only one who hit a personal best, as Bob and Jeremy also achieved ones of their own. Of the 8 of us who are part of our Waterton to Glacier Relay Team (100 mile relay from Cardston, Alberta, to East Glacier, Montana) 7 of us were at the race that evening. Julia did not run but was an awesome volunteer yelling support as we reached the top of the hill. The other six of us ran the 10km and 5 of us placed in our age categories. Also placing in their age groupings were two of my students, who medaled in the 6km event! They placed 4th and 5th in the 16-19 female group!

Moonlight Run was everything I had hoped it would be and more. Will I run an epic personal best every year at Moonlight? Probably not. But will the race itself keep being as memorable of an evening? I definitely think so. Moonlight Run is a top-notch running event in my “new” hometown, and I look forward to it every year. This was the 28th running of the Moonlight Run and I can only hope that I am able to run in the next 28 Moonlight Runs!

Feb1

…and Winter is Here

Posted on February 1, 2015 by mscurlgurl78

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We had a really random weather-week here in Lethbridge. It was 67 degrees outside last week Monday. 67! On January 26th! In Lethbridge, Alberta, CANADA! Well, of course this wasn’t going to last. This Saturday blizzard-like conditions hit and I looked outside at 7:15 am saying “What the……” It was time for me to head to my first Runners Soul Marathon Club run of the year and I needed to get in 90-105 minutes at a pace between 8:02-9:23 for each mile. As much as I wanted to head back into bed, I knew I couldn’t.

Club run was 8 miles in length for those training for marathon distance, but I knew I would need more than 8 to reach 90 minutes. I ran from our house to Runners Soul (which is exactly a mile!) and got there in 8:58. The snow had started in the middle of the night, so nothing was shoveled yet, and visibility was tough. I knew this 8 mile route would feel a whole longer today.

The route brought us around the southside to the trail behind Home Depot near the coulees, past the College, and back down Scenic Drive. I won’t lie-it was rough going. I had wanted to be hitting around 8:20s for my pace, but I knew with the snow and ice I would have to lessen up, but still stay within pace parameters. I managed to do so for 7/8 of the miles in the club run, and the one I didn’t hit was only off by seconds! My miles were done in 8:57, 8:42, 8:43, 8:50, 8:41, 8:47, 9:03, and 9:26. So it wasn’t until the last mile that I fade and missed my pace by 3 seconds. I warmed up a bit in the store (which was a mistake) because then when I went outside to do my last mile home I got SO COLD SO FAST. I ran as hard as my body would let me and got home in 9:10. My feet were soaked, my fingers were numb, and my husband greeted me at the door with “I can’t believe you ran in that shit.”

While still snowy outside today, the weather had warmed up to just at freezing. My options for today were either to take an off day, run 30-45 minutes easy, or cross train. My calves were sore from all the resistance running in the snow, so I opted for cross training. My husband and I took our nearly 8-year old beagle out to the off-leash dog park for a little hike. 3.2 miles later, we had taken Snoopy through the coulees, down stairs, through bushes, off the path….he acted like a puppy and was having so much fun. He even did some sprints with us up some hills and held his own. It wasn’t a traditional “workout” but it was a perfect way to spend the Sunday. Winter may be back, but that doesn’t mean it has to slow anyone down.

Nov23

Claus Cause 2014 Recap

Posted on November 23, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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Hi everyone! Only behind by one race recap, phew…so that’s what I’m going to talk about tonight! On Saturday, November 15th, I participated in the annual Claus Cause 10km. I did this event last year, and you can read about the wacky weather that occurred in my post from last year. Claus Cause 2013This year, was just as crazy….but unlike last year where the snow came in after the race, the ice and cold was already evident that morning.

I bundled up quite a bit for this race, though I knew I would end up warming up rather quickly. Midway through I would end up ditching my outer layer of mittens to just be left with stretchy mitts, but all my layering was necessary for the beginning. Maybe I spent too much time over analyzing what I was going to wear because I made my seemingly consistent mistake of leaving my house too late, thus arriving and parking at the last minute. While I am always very early and relaxed for races outside of Lethbridge, I am just apparently terrible at getting to local races early. I jogged up to the start area, dropped off my food donation for the Lethbridge Food Bank, and weasels my way into the start corral near the front…all with about four minutes to spare.

It was cold. How cold was it?!?….I think it was around 6 degrees Fahrenheit at race start (9:00 am) which is a very, very, very cold -15 Celsius. The course was quite a bit different that last years, as we were starting and finishing at Helen Schuler Nature Centre. While we would run on the same trails as last year, there would be some different looping to make up the distance.

I started off with a vengeance, maybe because I was so damn cold and wanted to warm up, running a 7:01 mile. The 10km and 5km started at the same time, and since I had positioned myself near the front I had good spacing around me right away, which allowed me to run such a fast first mile. Mile two and three slowed, with a 7:28 and 7:19. After mile three, I was wishing I had signed up for the 5km, because breathing in the cold air just hurt.

Mile four and five was where we had split off from the pack of 5km runners to head down past the water treatment plant and to the turnaround. I wasn’t really sure where the turnaround was, but when I got to it (past Lynx Trail and before the bridge) I almost came to a complete stop going around the pylons. Ooof…it would be hard to pick the pace back up again. I ran mile four and five in 7:30 and 7:26.

The last stretch was hard. My legs weren’t really giving out on me, but I thought I had something stuck in my shoes. Turns out, when I finished, I realized I had nothing stuck in the tread but it was just that my feet were so cold they were tingling. Probably on the edge of hypothermia, who knows, but at least I had worn two layers of socks. As we headed back towards the nature centre, my one complaint about the course came up—the 90 degree turn which led to a 50foot straightaway, three pylons to turn around, and then back. I slowed so much here, because the ice was just ridiculous. I had to stutter step and it really threw off my stride. But at least I knew the finish was ahead. I pushed towards the High Level Bridge and made my way to the finish line—1st place female in the 10km was mine! I finished in a 45:50!

I was very happy with my finish time, which was my second-best 10km time! (My 10km personal best was set last year at the same event!). I really like the 10km distance, but don’t get to do enough of them. I was feeling very positive after this race, and I already decided that after my quest for Boston and training for the BMO Vancouver Full passes, I will focus a lot more on 10km events. I would really like to break 45 minutes!

Runners Soul presented age group awards inside (thankfully!) and raffle prizes pretty quickly after the events. They had the cute gingerbread “medals” again this year, and lots of snacks to partake in. I look forward to this event every year, as it really is the last chip-timed event of the year in town. I know the weather can always be a crap-shoot at this time of the year, but that’s fine-registering for this race gets me out the doors and running…no excuses!

Oct24

The Best Medicine….

Posted on October 24, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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News Flash—-I have been ridiculously busy since the start of this school year. Yeah, I realize most people in the work force are, but this school year has really been a busy one. Our school day runs 8-3 each day, however, I am usually there by 7:40 AM, and have been staying until 6:00 PM or later each night. Planning for my new classes and staying ahead has been a priority. As for running. I have been able to do three runs a week after school with the Cross Country kids, but other than that, I haven’t been doing anywhere near what I was doing last year. My long runs tend to now just be when I have an event (Lethbridge Police Half, Bare Bones Half) and I am not really sure I am liking this. While the rest on my body is much needed, the consistency I was used to and valued the last year and a half is not there currently.

Yesterday, we had parent teacher interviews from 6:00-9:00 PM. This was after a morning of teaching, and an afternoon of professional development. A few of us went to dinner beforehand, and a friend of ours (who is not teaching this year) met us. We made a comment on how tan she looked. She hadn’t been tanning, but made a comment on how she has been going on walks mid day while the sun is out. What a rare concept for us locked in a building all day-outside…..fresh air…the sun! Today, during round 2 of Parent Teacher Interviews, a colleague came and sat down by me to ask how my running has been going. I lamented on how I am not going “as crazy” as last year but have some good events coming up, and that cross country with the kiddos was awesome. We chatted about my upcoming half marathon back in Milwaukee and my Spartan Races in January. I even mentioned how I am contemplating some crazy winter races in February. My best friend Ali, who is now a glorified runner in her own right, sent me a text from the Rock n Roll 5km expo in Los Angeles—she found a head band to buy me and wanted to share it. And later today when I went to the wine & scotch tasting at Andrew Hilton, Max (the owner) randomly started talking to me about my running, asking me what distance it is I usually compete in. He had been well aware of my RunDisney events, but he wanted to know more about what I do in the local area.

All this talk of running made me feel guilty of not having a plan at the moment, calendar wise. All during my RunDisney, Calgary and Edmonton training, I had a meticulous calendar with my runs planned out, whether they were long or short, speed work or easy. I have been sort of half-ass been going forward through the motions. I have been so worn out from work that after my short runs with the cross country kids, all I want to do when I get home is shower and collapse on the couch. That was my plan for today too, as I was beat from the full day of work and interviews all night and morning. However, I decided that perhaps the best medicine for this case of the blues was to just go out there and do what everyone knows I do-Run.

I changed into my running gear, threw on my Fitletic belt, and went out with the mindset of running more than 4 miles. I knew I needed to go someplace different, to get me motivated. I decided to run out of our neighborhood over to Whoop-Up Drive, where I took a paved walking path to Bull Park Trail. I have been on this red shale path before, but not in the recent future. I did my first mile in a powerful 8:20, flying with the wind pushing my forward. I headed onto the shale path with the plan to head down to the river bottom and come back up. However, when I made it to the bottom, I decided to go off the beaten path.

I was adjacent to the Oldman River, but on the opposite side of where I usually would run. Fort Whoop-Up and the paved trails were East, while all I had in front of my was a grey shale path. I followed this path for some time until I got to a fork in the road—stairs up, or a foot path towards the bridge.

I decided to go for the foot path. And it rejuvenated me. If I had been walking this path I would have been having a mild case of vertigo, as this was narrow and dropped off to the river. But, I was feeling alive, running in the cool 50 Fahrenheit wind, with the fall leaves crunching at my feet. For a bit of time while on this path, I felt like a crazy-ass Ultra runner…one of the 50km participants in the yearly Lost Soul Ultra. And I was loving it. I was snapping photos every chance I could with my phone—the scenery was uplifting.

I stopped right next to Lethbridge’s icon-The High Level Bridge. I have taken photos of the bridge before, but not from this spot. I didn’t even remember to stop my watch as I snapped photos and took in my surroundings. This was what I needed.

At this point I was already over 4 miles into my run. I needed to turn back. Instead of doing the same route back, I opted to run through the tunnel under Whoop Up drive to the path that heads up to the University. I ran up to the university, weaved through the parking lot, and headed through Nicolas Sheran Park. By the time I reached home, I had clocked in 7.3 miles.

I hadn’t planned on running 7 miles today. All I had planned was to shower and collapse on the couch. But, I opted to head out there and muscle through to see what was possible. This run woke me up, made me realize I was in fact alive. While I have been running the past 11 years, and while I have been going crazy with races and training the last year and a half, this simple solo run was an morale and confidence booster that I very much needed. It reminded me why I love to run.

May17

Thoughts Before Woody’s RV World 1/2 Marathon…Not Going for a PR, but….

Posted on May 17, 2014 by mscurlgurl78

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Tomorrow is the 16th annual Red Deer Marathon; Woody’s RV World 1/2 and Full Marathon. I have done this race three times before (2010, 2012, 2013) and ran times of 1:54:19, 1:56:06, and 1:47:22, respectively. My race last year smashed my half marathon PR, and I have now broken that a few more times, working down to a 1:38:40.

This year, I am not going for a personal record. I am not going for placing in my age group. I am treating this run as a practice for the Calgary Full Marathon, which is in two short weeks. This is the race that stands between me and Boston.

My goal in Calgary is to run an 8:00 min/mi, which would put me at a 3:30:00 full marathon. In order to qualify for the Boston Marathon, I need to be under a 3:35:00. But, as you know from my post earlier this year, just under your maximum qualifying time doesn’t cut it. My Beef with Boston

By shooting for the 3:30, I am giving myself some qualifying cushion, so to speak. So tomorrow, I am attempting to run even splits, something I used to have a huge struggle with. I am still not perfect when it comes to my splits, but I have gotten them a lot more consistent. I am aiming for a time tomorrow of 1:45:00.

If I can tackle my race tomorrow with consistent splits and finish at 1:45, my mission will be accomplished. I will feel more confident going into Calgary and attempting my BQ. But, in two weeks, a lot can change that I have no control over. Weather is the big thing—there could very well be snow on June 1st in Calgary, but there could also be a heat advisory. While that course is also relatively flat with no major changes in elevation, the starting elevation is close to 3,428 feet above sea level. Now that my body has adjusted to “Rocky Mountain Levels” I am a lot better than I once was when I first moved from Milwaukee, but I still get nervous about racing a full marathon in Calgary. Proof is in past experience—-I ran the Calgary Full Marathon in 2009 with an astounding time of 5:03:37—a personal worst.

I have ran this course and these trails in Red Deer before, so the familiarity is on my side. The whole course is relatively flat, with one bitch of an incline right at the end. This then turns into a rolling hill down to the finish line, so there is a reward. The elevation in Red Deer is 2,805 feet above sea level, which is very comparable to my home base of Lethbridge (2,990 feet). The climate is more humid here in Red Deer, but nothing compared to my hometown of Milwaukee, so race day temps are nothing crazy.

For now, I am going to enjoy this gorgeous May afternoon and go on a 2 mile shakeout run along the river, to keep those joints moving. I’ll head out to our in-laws cabin later to spend time with my nieces, have supper wit the family, then come back to relax. That 6:00 am alarm will be coming soon!

Click here for more information on the Red Deer Marathon

I already went and picked up my race packet yesterday, and while there I was happy to run into the folks from Racepro.ca. Randy and company facilitate all the Runners Soul events back in Lethbridge, and when I checked in for my bib he overheard my name and commented “…I know that name! It’s nice to see a familiar face!” Right back at you Randy!

Je Me Souviens-To Infinity & Beyond!

Running, Disney & Dad–My Journey Continues…

Tag Archives: runner’s soul

2015-Year in Review

Claus Cause 5km, foot issues, and getting back in the swing of things…

Coaldale Family Fun Run 5km 2015-Recap

Milwaukee Recap and Training Countdown

Moonlight Run 2015 – 10km Race Recap

…and Winter is Here

Claus Cause 2014 Recap

The Best Medicine….

Thoughts Before Woody’s RV World 1/2 Marathon…Not Going for a PR, but….

Lethbridge 10 Mile Road Race-Race Recap!

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