Category: Health

Well, this was not the best week for running. I only got three of five runs done. And none of the “other” stuff – no swimming, no weights no spinning. Sigh. BUT I’m not going to let it get me down – my plan actually repeats the first two weeks so I can put this week behind me and try again!

Monday – intervals – I did these. The plan was to go a little faster than last week. Last week I aimed for 7:30 min/km so this week it was 7:15 min/km. The fastest interval was at 6:49 min/km and the slowest was 7:11 min/km. The recovery interval went down too from 3 min to 2 min. Overall it felt pretty good. BUT I have to add more of a warm up before I get started I think.

Tuesday – rest day. Next week I’ll start spinning on Tuesdays as my class will be on Thursdays

Wednesday – moderate tempo run. The goal was 1.5km to warm up, 20 minutes at 7:45 min/km and then a 1.5km cool down. Warm up and cool down were great. The 20 minutes in the middle? Went a little fast: 6:51 min/km! At the end of the 10 minutes, when I was about to turn around to go back, there was a hill. I was about half way up and considering just turning around when a guy on a bike coming the other way cheered and said something like “you’re almost there go get it.” Well hell, of course I did then.

Thursday – weights and spinning. Nope. My spinning partner was working late and Toby had his work’s summer social event so I just came home after work.

Friday – short run (60 min). Nope. Slept through my alarm and then I won tickets to see the Blue Jays play from a private box so I didn’t get it in during the evening either.

Saturday – 15km – 9.5 easy 5.5 the next speed up – the Ryan Hall plan I used to base my training plan on has “race sim” days – this was gonna be the first one but I didn’t do it. We had friends come over on Saturday night and there was just so many errands to do during the day there wasn’t time!

Sunday – short run (60 min). Ha this one I did. I was hoping to do the 15k from Saturday but by the time I got out the heat and humidity were crazy. We’re actually on an alert for it!

So kinda miserable this week. 17.5 km or 182 km total from Toronto. And pretty much in downtown Belleville. Neil R. Ellis is the major of about 50,000 in the city and 92,540 if you include the local region: the Bay of Quinte Region. There’s a Waterfront & Ethnic Festival in July.

Lee Aaron is from Belleville. And Avril Lavigne. So are Marc Crawford, Bobby, Brett and Dennis Hull. And Farley Mowat was born there.

Skipped my long run this week (today) thanks to the pouring rain and feeling a bit lazy. So only 21km total over three runs, which included my first interval run and my first tempo run. I’m grateful for the advice and encouragement from some folks over in the half-marathon training group over on Running Ahead.

Monday – intervals. First ever intervals at a local track. I figured out that I should do each running lap in about 3 minutes. So I’d run 2 laps then walk for three minutes then repeat for a total of 5 times. By the end of the second lap I was usually looking forward to the recovery portion; by the end of the first minute of the 3 minute recovery I was looking forward to the run. It was a drizzly day after a long night and the running was actually pretty good 🙂

Tuesday – rest

Wednesday – short run (60 min)

Thursday – weights at lunch; spinning; short run (45 min) Wednesday’s 60 minute run became Thursday’s 45 minute run. Oh well, at least it was something!

Friday – tempo run – So the idea was a bit of a warm up (1.6km easy) 6.5km at 1/2 marathon pace, and then a bit of a cool down (1.6km easy). Ended up doing the 6.5km at 7:36 minutes per km. That’s a bit fast for me for 1/2 marathon pace (my PR is 7:57 minutes per km). There’s no way I can run a 1/2 at 7:36….not yet anyway 🙂

Saturday – swimming – went out to Monarch Park – this is a local outdoor pool. The picture below doesn’t do it justice. It was nice and bright and the water was cool and it wasn’t at all crowded (although there was a group of guys in their early 20s being idiots). Next week the pool across the street opens. Much nicer to walk there then have to drive.

Sunday – long run

And I am in Trenton ON (164.5km east Toronto). The “playground of southern Ontario” and the walleye fishing capital of Ontario – mmm fresh fish. July 19 – 21 is the Festival on the Bay and it sounds pretty cool. A sidewalk sale, music, and dragon boat races!

Trenton is on the Bay of Quinte and the beginning of the Trent-Severn Waterway. First settled in the 1780s it became incorporated as a Village in 1853. One of the major industries in Trenton was films back before there were talking pictures. Amazing! Graydon Carter, the editor of Vanity Fair, was born in Trenton. So was Elizabeth Manley.

15 weeks till the September 28 half marathon. Definitely not skipping any more long runs!