Training Log Archive: Mrs. Tiny

Run at the Hydrocut. Thought I'd do the Glasgow side twice to get about 18 k. As I got to the connection over to the Pines, I decided running different trails would be more interesting than a second loop, but not really knowing the trails all that well on that side, I decided just to aim for about 2 hours and then figure out how far it was from the trail map on the WCC website. Ended up running just over 19 k, which I was happy with. Ran all of the Glasgow side, the connections between the two sections and Scrambler, Sweet Street, Jake's Attack, Jake's Breakaway, Dead Camel Bend, Twister, Jessica, Bootleg Trail, Monkey Boy.

Knees were tender (to be expected since I've never run for 2 hrs in one go), but no real pain, which is good. :) Overall a really good run - felt really good for my first 2 hour run. Nice comfortable pace.

Tiny planned a weekend of training with Mighty Mouse in which I did not get included (cough cough). Having made mention of this wee oversight (and me fully acknowledging that there's no hope in hell I could keep MMs and Tiny's pace running) Tiny made accomodationa for me to do part of their road ride with them. :)

So I tagged along for the first 42 k with them and did 14 on my own. Average pace was 29.6kph which I'm happy with since I was on my own for a good chunk.

After the long weeks of dry weather we've been having we finally are getting some rain! It's warm enough out that running in the rain today was really fun out at the Hydrocut. The trails were still relatively dry, and I only did one slip-slide-recovery for the whole thing.

This morning was a nice easy-pace run with Sherpa just to enjoy a little 'trail time' and get in a run. I had a really good time catching up and just being outside this morning. Between it being a weekday and the weather, the trails were completely empty, so we saw lots of little critters along the way - including oodles of frogs and toads who are finally getting a little wet weather to cover some ground and forage (yes... geek moment, I know).

Had a great time - thanks Sherpa!

Had a massage today to help loosen up the legs and hip joints. Man oh man... I feel like I was beat up! I think the most painful was not my IT bands - which is what I expected, but when she was working on my quads - not that any part felt 'good' or 'relaxing'. New plan - I need to book back to back massages - one to work out the tight muscles from sports and cause me pain, the second to work out the tight spots from cringing during the first one and to help me relax!

Knee is being a bit tricky. It's been kinda sore over the last few weeks. Nothing excruciating, but it was quite sore after day 2 of the MS Bike Tour. Need to incorporate some more stretching / flexibility work. Booking an appointment with physio just in case there's anything more substantial than tight muscles that need to be worked out, but I suspect that's really the problem. I've been getting a bit lazy with my stretching and the hamstrings and IT bands are *maybe* letting me know they're cranky.

TNT - Good run tonight. Great running weather for me. Kept close to the speedy group through the first couple km (hilly, singletrack mostly) but when we hit the doubletrack they pick up the pace and I had no hope of keeping up. Fell in with 4 others about my speed and did the rest of the run. Knee felt pretty good. Couple small twinges, but not exactly painful, so that's good.

MS Bike Tour - day 2.
Rode with Tiny and Ken. Spent most of the time being pulled along, probably only spent 10 minutes pulling (being with fast people means Higher pace which I struggle to maintain for any real distance pulling), but did manage to keep it at a decent pace over those short pulls (I think anyway...?). Average for the ride was around 31. Much of the ride was around 32-33. Tiny thought it would be fun on the last straighaway to push the pace to see what we could do - I made it to 38 kph but no hope I could keep that up for more than a few hundred metres. Fun to push the legs and lungs to their limit though!

Great ride both days. Love having the roadbike. Sooo much nicer and fun. I'm guessing the riding i've been doing already probably helped it be fun rather than gruelling as well. :)

C • Nice riding! 16

MS Bike Tour - day 1.
Spent a good piece of the ride pulling. Rode with two others. Good comfortable ride averaged around 28-29 kph.

Ran at the gym. Too hot to be outside.

5 min warm up
11 intervals - 3 to build to top pace, 5 at top pace, 3 back down
5 minute cool down

Short, intense - rowing machine

Man oh man was it hot on the trail last night! Thanks goodness we were in the forest which did a *little* to moderate the temperature. The legs were feeling really good (perhaps they're so well rested after almost a week of doing nothing?! - oops), and even the lungs weren't too bad considering how humid it was. The first part of the run was going well, but then I noticed I wasn't really sweating anymore - not a good sign. So, I backed it way down to let my body temp drop a bit. Was feeling pretty good, but didn't want to put myself into that kind of danger/risk zone given how hot it is this week.

Sister-in-laws wedding this weekend occupied most of my time (okay, some of that was recovering from the wedding... see Tiny's log...), so no training to report, unless busting it up on the dance floor counts as training? ;)

Ride at the Hydrocut with Funderstorm and Tessa. It was so nice out there! Nice and dry, great weather. Overall I felt like I rode pretty well, had a few silly booboos, but managed to stay ON the bike, so that's always nice.

Longer spin class tonight. Really pushed it since I have been out of training for a few days (week really). Felt good. They say 'breathless', which I turn into 'doubled over bike wheezing'. :) Love the 'climbs'... they're my favourite - twisted but true.

Hopefully picking up Leo from the Ontario College of Vet Medicine today. been a long 4 days (for me, maybe not for Leo since he's been on opiates... that's not your garden variety of catnip that stuff!). Stressing over the cat and being away at a cottage for a weekend of 'pre-wedding' fun with my sister-in-law and her fiancee, training has suffered a little. Might not be able to get to TNT tonight, depending on when I pick Leo up from Guelph (this afternoon or tomorrow). Will get back into the swing of things soon!

C • Leo 8

Short paddle from the cottage. Good head wind on the way back, making it a not-bad session, if a little short.

Casual run with the group Sherpa's organizing. Sherpa is such an inspiring person for people to get to know - encouraging and supportive, not to mention she looks amazing! The women she's getting together are lucky to have her in their neighbourhood!

C • Thanks 1

Haven't done a spin class in a while and I felt it. Good interval training. Have noticed that I've increased the resistance I can carry through speed and climb intervals, and just overall. Really feel like I'm able to push through the intervals since they're short (but boy do they hurt!) :)

C • Spin Class 2

Followed up spin with some upper body weights and core work.

TNT - no Tiny to chase and no Funderstorm to chat with today. :( It was pretty darn hot out and I was feeling every 32 of those humid degrees tonight. Still a pretty good run all in all although a little more of a slog because of the heat. Knees are a bit sore the last few days. Will ice them tonight and do a few extra stretches.

Impromptu ride at Guelph Lake with Funderstorm. Really fun ride just to enjoy the weather. Funderstorm forgot her bike shoes so she had a small extra adventure to buy a pair of shoes at Canadian Tire. Which produced a pair of paddle shoes for biking. She's a trooper and did the whole thing without complaint. :). I was impressed.

C • complaints 2

Ride with Sherpa this morning. Good ride, good route and good weather. Just shouldn't have had that last beer or two last night! Started a little rough, but there's nothing like sweating out beer to make you feel better!

Pretty good headwind for part of the ride, thankfully this also meant a pretty good tail wind in a section or two! Thanks Sherpa for setting the route!

Casual ride with the sis-in-law. Glasgow side of the hydrocut.

Long trail run with Tiny. Beautiful in the woods - then the bugs came out to play. :)

C • Sunday Ride 2