Two runs in two days

Posted on 110512 by Lizz

This whole working from home thing (while I write my thesis) has been fabulous for my running routine.  I won’t talk too much about how it’s been going for my thesis though.  Run down: lots of back and forward with my PI about what my outline is supposed to be, and me making figures – cause I know that certain things will have to go in no matter what.

Running on the other hand has been going fabulously.  Yesterday I met up with Becca, and we ran in High Park.  Yes, Spring Road Hill kicked my ass.  I had to walk for two light posts, but I was able to start back up (on the uphill) after that.  We also decided to walk when we hit Cherry Blossom Hill.  It really is so pretty there, and even in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, we COULDN’T have run, even if we’d wanted to.  It was packed to the gills with people just wandering up and down, taking pictures.  It’s one of those times when the city remembers that we have green spaces, and actually uses them.

All told, we probably walked for about 5 minutes and 500m.

Distance: 5.50km

Time: 37:25

Pace: 6:48/km

After our run, we raided my parents’ house for water, and also found some coffee, and so sat there and chatted for a bit.  As I was going home, I realized that I’d left my water bottle at my parents’, so today, I had to run to their house and back to pick that up. Overall, it was a nice run.  I walked Dave to the bus stop, and then started heading south.  Other than the bus he got on, I wasn’t passed by any other buses, which sorta surprised me, cause it took me a good… 15 min? to get to the subway station, and it was morning rush-hour.

When I got to my parents’, I chatted with my dad for a bit about bathroom renovations, and then headed out of their valley.  I made it most of the way up the hill.  This is one of those hills that gets steeper the closer you get to the top, and it got to the point where I could walk it faster than I could run/jog it.  So I walked the last bit, and then started running again.

It wasn’t a fast run, but I got it done (and ran almost 13km in 2 days).

Distance: 7.14km

Time: 46:39

Pace: 6:32/km.

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It’s been too long

Posted on 110508 by Lizz

So, yes, I’ve been quite remiss in writing here, but life happens.  I’ve been half decent at getting in my runs, with 77km since the last time I wrote about running.  That includes 2 races:

Harry’s Spring Run Off (8km) – 51 min, 6:20 pace

Sporting Life 10K – 58 min, 5:44 pace

Today, I started my running plan for the summer.  I’m planning on cycling through 10, 12, 14, and 16km long runs, with one hill run, and one flat run each week – I’m going to TRY to make one of them in the morning, but we’ll see whether or not that actually works.  I was a little over dressed for the temperature today, and pushed too hard at the start of my run.  This lead to me breaking down about 200m from my house (yes, I’m serious, I quit with 200m to go…)  What makes it even more frustrating is that if I’d just kept going for 5s more, I’d have been on a walk break, taken it, and then been able to finish that last little bit.  So frustrating.

Distance – 8.04km

Time: 53:55

Pace: 6:43/km

I’ve also been spending much time working on my friend’s wedding shawl. It’s bigger along the top edge than the needles, so more than 90cm.  I’m still not sure how big I’m going to make it, but I sorta want it to be wing-span, which for me is at least 150cm, so I’m getting there.

So I did the little flowers until there were 8 across, and then I started putting in a solid piece.  It’s still possible that I might put another image there, but I really haven’t decided yet (but probably should REALLY soon).

Her wedding invites (that she drew herself) are calla lilies and butterflies, so I think that I’ll try to find something that will work and still fit in that theme.

I’ve also been reading, and it’s so true, although I love certain parts of it, Wheel of Time gets really slow during the middle books.  I miss seeing all my characters interact.  I’ve been keeping my reading list up to date on my Reading List page.

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Domo-Kun!

Posted on 110419 by Lizz

Ok, so it’s not reading, running or knitting, but it IS crocheting, and it’s also done.  This little toy is for my husband’s birthday – I finished it a couple days late for his birthday, but he’s happy to have it nonetheless.

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A day of physical activity

Posted on 110320 by Lizz

This morning, I was getting ready to go for my run, and wanted to do 10 and 1s, but everytime I tried to set the interval, the thing reset itself, so I had to do a hard reboot, which only took me three times to get right. I tried to estimate how long it would take – 6:20 pace, 8km – 51:20, plus a bit cause it’s a long run – 55 min. The run itself was good. I got a little lost at one point, and took an extra hill, and even so, I did make it!!

Distance: 8.37km
Time: 54:29
Pace: 6:30/km

After my lovely run, Dave and I did a bit of gardening – we removed about a cubic yard of lime screening, and Dave turned over way too much soil. We also tried to dig a hole to move a tree – but the ground was still too frozen to actually dig. So, we’ll try to dig it out next week – or try to, if it’s another warm one.

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Writing and running

Posted on 110317 by Lizz

Today is my weekly day “off” from the lab, where I’m supposed to sit at home and get some writing done. This is self imposed, but has been working out very well for me. This is my 4th consecutive week at it, and I’m at just over 4200 words, so I’m feeling good about maintaining a good pace.

Today, I was working primarily on my materials and methods section, and everyone is told “if you don’t know where to start, go do your materials and methods.” They (who ever they are) are RIGHT. I blew through my 1000 words by 2pm. That’s the fastest I’ve written so far, and I think I still have more in me. To celebrate meeting my goal, I got out of my pajamas, into my running clothes.

Since January, I’ve been running in basically the same gear.

  • Long black thermal underware (they’re opaque).
  • Running bra/crop top (sits just below my bust line).
  • Long sleeved running shirt with thumb holes.
  • Waterproof jacket.
  • Running cap from Harry’s 8K two years ago

When it was really cold I also wore a green head warmer I knit earlier this year, and thin gloves – they currently reside in the pockets of the waterproof jacket.

I also decided to up Mina’s running pace (she’s the garmin running buddy) to 6:20/km, since I beat that the last 2 runs.  So I got out to start my run, and it was beautiful. It’s cloudy out today, but I was nice and warm, and the birds were chirping. I whizzed through that first km in 5:46, and I felt fabulous – a little warm, but I normally get warm by the end of my run. I kept going, and got stopped at the stupid light crossing Jane, and then, as I waited for the light to tick down, it dawned on me.

I started out feeling warm.

I was dressed completely inappropriately for the weather.

What I was wearing was fine for -3C, even for 5C, but for 13C? HAHAHAHA.

I decided that I could tough it out.  I’d slow down a bit, but keep on going.  I had to play mind games with myself into not stopping before I got back to Jane. It’s not unusual to play mind games when running, but it is odd for me to have to start playing them on such a short run.

By the end, I was boiling.  I was almost to my house, and looked at my HR monitor – 185.  On a flat.  Not even 200m from my house, I decided to walk.  So maybe I wasn’t entirely successful with my running goal today, but I still have time to keep going on my writing.  Too bad this post won’t count toward my word count for the day…

Distance: 4.2km
Time: 25:43
Pace: 6:21/km

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Running pains

Posted on 110316 by Lizz

I gave myself a silent goal of getting out and running during the week this week. I didn’t say anything about it anywhere, because recently I’ve had such bad luck every time I set myself a running goal. I had mentally prepared myself to get up with the first alarm (we have three), get into my running gear and go. But it was still dark out. I’d forgotten about the clocks shifting forward, and I was not mentally prepared to do an early morning run in the dark. So I decided to run home from Keele station instead.

I didn’t want my poor Dave to have to carry my lap top home (in addition to my purse and my during the day clothes), so left it at home. I got so much done at work yesterday – I took 2 sets of slide pictures (more than 150 total), and I ran 2 QPCRs. And I know that part of the reason so much got done was that I had no computer to distract me.

Anyhow, on the way home, I got off at Keele, had to wait a bit for my garmin to catch the satellites, and away I went. I felt that I got really tired about 2km in, and looking at the splits, my first km was sub 6min, and had an uphill. This is the first sub 6 split I’ve had that isn’t downhill, so I was happy about that, but I think it was a bit more than I should have. I got stopped at one light, and even so, made it home before Dave did. But only because he was in the grocery store picking up potatoes for dinner.

So I felt fabulous all evening yesterday, but when I got out of bed today, I noticed a pain deep in my left hip. I’m not sure if I slept on it funny, or if it’s from the run, but just sitting here, I can feel it. I really hope I didn’t over do anything yesterday, cause that was NOT the point. I’ll talk to some people and see what’s up. Hopefully I can just stretch it out.

Distance: 4.0km
Time: 25:12
Pace: 6:18/km

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Back to running

Posted on 110313 by Lizz

Despite the time change, and it meaning that I get even less sleep than I thought I was going to get, I made it out this morning. Ok, so I wasn’t FAST getting out of bed:
9am – alarm off, out of bed, drink some water, back into bed.
9:09 – alarm off again, actually awake this time. Stay in bed.
9:32 – wake up and decide that getting (and staying) out of bed is the best way to go.
9:35 – make and eat toast
9:45 – check weather, spend 5 minutes looking at it, and realize I’m going to wear the same thing I’ve been wearing for the past month and a half
9:58 – dressed and ready to go
10:07 – out the door

I hadn’t run for 10 days, and given the weather, I feel very little guilt about that, except that I’ve signed up for the Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8km. I haven’t run 8km in a while. As in months – about 6 of them. I’ve done 7 three times in the past 6 weeks, but… still sorta different. I also know that the 8K ends with Spring Road Hill. Which has been my nemesis since I did my Half, and last time I did this race (I was sick, and couldn’t breath, and had to walk with less than 50m to the finish line.)

So I decided that although getting a run in at 8km is important, I wanted to get in some hills. Which is easy enough to do in my area. I only put in 2 in my 5k, but they were pretty close to each other, and both were in the second half. I also told myself I wasn’t allowed to stop. No walk breaks, just keep moving.

I didn’t quite make the no walk breaks thing – I got stuck at a light crossing Jane, and had to wait for a break, after doing the first hill, my stomach went crazy for a bit, so I took a short walk, and on stupid Rockcliffe hill, I walked at the stop sign (this is my new hill nemesis – has been since I started running in this area. I just can’t convince myself that the hill is only 2/3 done at the stop sign!!). Each break was less that 10s, which was good; I got myself moving again, and that’s all that matters.

Distance – 5.17km
Time – 32:46
Pace – 6:20/km

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Book 7 Review – The Shadow Rising

Posted on 110312 by Lizz

I don’t know if this is my favourite of these books, but I’m certain that it has my favourite chapters. When Rand goes into Rhuidean and sees the history of how the Aiel became the Aiel, it shows so much about the history of their world. In this world the present is hugely effected by events that took place three thousand years ago – so far back that our culture barely has myths about that time. The understanding of who people were and what they were doing has been so lost by not only time, but massive amounts of lost information.

This two chapter section consists of about 10 vignettes starting with the most recent, and going back in time – starting with the first people who saw this story, and continuing through their fathers and grandfathers. You see the first women who fought; and how only about 30 years before, a few of their people defended their sisters, and split from the main (peaceful) group. How these people had tried to protect the valuable items that the Aes Sedai were “coming back for”; how some wanted to give up on the Aes Sedai, and find the songs that they used to sing, forming the Tinkers. Then we are far enough back that there is still technology, and horses had to be found to be found for the Aiel – who served Aes Sedai – because the Aes Sedai realize that it was more reliable; finally we see how the whole problem started, an Aes Sedai named Meirin, who wanted to channel not with the separate powers of men and women but using the same power.

With these glimpses into the past, there are mentions of where Warder’s cloaks come from, Seachan helmet design, how the last Nym was sent to guard for thousands of years, why the Ogier love trees… It was a fabulous way for Jordan to explain all these things that he must have had in his head. If he were still alive, I’d want him to cover the story – any story, actually – set in the Age of Legends, when the Power was at its peak. Were the people regarded as Kings and Queens in this series that, or were they politicians? How do you govern those who can do magic, how do you control them?

This is my favourite part of the series, because I know that the answers aren’t available, and it makes me wonder and dream.

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For today is a day to celebrate

Posted on 110305 by Lizz

Why? Simply because it is my birthday. I was going to run 8km this morning, but when I woke up, it was barely morning anymore, and it was pouring. Clearly, it was a sign to stay cozy in my bed – though I really do hope to get that run in tomorrow. I read for a little – I’m now on Shadow Rising. I was in a big comfy chair in the basement. My husband was working on his Hackintosh (we just got it yesterday). I had a blanket to keep me warm, and I was just pleased as I could be.

On Thursday, we went out to dinner at Lalibela (warning – website has music!!) with my parents, my sister (who was in from Halifax), and my Opa and his wife. If you’ve never had Ethiopian – you should have it. It’s delicious and tasty and oh so filling. So filling, in fact that almost half of the platter for seven was left uneaten after everyone was full. Dave and I had it for lunch today. Well, we had some of it for lunch. I’m so full. Again. How am I going to eat dinner??

Anyhow, it’s just been a wonderful feeling today, I’m just happy and doing my thing. It may be grey and miserable looking outside, but here in my house, it’s my birthday, so it’s sunny and warm.

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Another book, another project

Posted on 110223 by Lizz

I finished reading The Truth Teller’s Tale on Monday night, it was simple and to the point, and very easy to predict. In short, it was an excellent break from the Wheel of Time series. I had a lot of fun with it, clear themes, a nice little bit of romance and teenaged angst, but that’s it.

Now back to my regularly scheduled reading: The Dragon Reborn.

I also did something very odd (for me) yesterday. I cast on a second project. I normally am quite monogamous with my projects, however, because the yarn is on cones, the shawl I’m working on is, shall we say, less than portable. I looked through my last of things to do, and NEARLY cast on socks for a friend’s birthday (due in July). Instead, I’ve started on a crochet project for my husband’s birthday (April). Specifically, this project. I’m already almost half way done the body, but will have to hunt a bit to find some felt and pipe cleaners for the mouth and to make the arms pose-able.

Pictures to follow (once there’s something to see…)

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