People are always talking about making lists of adventurous things they'd like to accomplish during their lifetime. Here's my list, and what follows are notes about what I'm currently up to.
Strawberry jamJune 17, 2007
Meredith and I had the delight of making some strawberry jam this weekend from berries that we picked earlier in the morning at
Herrle's Market. Only 3 more hours before they're set and ready to be eaten! :) mmm!
No run for me
May 26, 2007
On May 12th, two weekends ago, I went out for a jog in the evening after playing a round of golf. My intention was to run north from Woodstock along Highway 59 towards Tavistock. As I got going, it felt as though my left shoe was on a bit funny; perhaps it was loose. So I stopped and re-tied the laces and proceeded onward. As I ran along Vansitart Ave, out of the city, my left foot continued to feel a bit strange, and before long it was achy. Wanting to get my weekly long run in, and not wanting to turn back, I continued on. It wasn't stopping me, but it didn't feel right either.
Some comic relief: I learned a lesson about the challenges of running out in the country. If you've gotta go, and you don't want to get intimate with nature, your options are limited! Thank goodness for the little gas station in Huntingford!
My run ended after about an hour. I made it 9.4 km by the time Hannah picked me up. From there we drove back to Waterloo, and when I got out of the car, it hurt to even stand on my left foot. It has taken about 12 days to get to the point where I can walk at a normal pace without any discomfort, and can only jog about 1 km before I start to feel my foot. At this point, it just wouldn't be smart to push it and do the half marathon. I'd have to limit myself to > 2:30:00, and even then, I'd risk hurting myself. The best case scenario is that I'd be back to limping around for another week or two.
So no run for me.
:(
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21 kmMay 7, 2007
My training for the half marathon has reached its peak as of today, which is when I start tapering for the actual race at the end of May. I used Google Maps to plan out a route which ended up being about 20.9 km, and has been the most enjoyable so far in terms of scenery, variety, etc. I ran north from our place past the Laurel Creek Resevoir, West on Conservation Drive, then South on Wilmot Line. Wilmot Line was a fantastic gravel road just outside of the city. A bit of a roller coaster, but that also made it more interesting. From there, I came in on Erb St., North on Fischer Hallman, and then went East on Columbia, up Hagey Blvd past work, and then home on Bearinger Rd.
I was a bit nervous as usual, but I think my body held up very well. I felt energetic and in good spirits the whole way along, and just loved the weather. It was a blue sky day with lots of sun and slightly cool air, and the mix of country and city felt just right. There were lots of cyclists out on Beaver Creek Road and Conservation Drive. (I admire the look of a well outfitted cyclist: Sleek helmet, cool shades, colourful fitted top, and black biking tights. It's a cool look!)
As I was driving through the city half an hour later, I was on cloud nine with all of the endorphins running through my body. What a great feeling!
My time was 2:04:44, so I'm in good shape to go for 2:00:00 in Ottawa. Here's my heart rate log: (averaged 165 bpm, high of 184)
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