Melissa’s 10K Road Race–Race Report

Can you believe it – I have a race report for you!  I have run Melissa’s every year since 2007 so it feels like a bit of a tradition.  I signed up way back in February and almost forgot about the race last weekend.  Truth be told, I also contemplated not running it this year.  I was almost ready to bail when my friend Kelly asked if I would run the 10K with her as a fun run.  Who can say no to that?

My friend Pam was swayed by the idea of a fun run and my mom also snagged a bib at the last minute.  It was a gorgeous day in Banff – definitely the warmest I’ve ever seen at the start of the race.  We met all of our friends at the start and grabbed a quick picture between trips to the porta-potties.  Kelly was awesome.  To keep things fun she brought Pam and I baggies of gummy candies as little rewards for each kilometer finished.Soon it was time to line up for the start!  We had agreed to run 3:1 intervals and to walk the big hill.  Gotta keep it fun!  We were on our first walk break when I spied my dad with the camera so we picked it up to run for the photo op.The route was different from previous years with a different climb up Tunnel Mountain.  No matter how you slice it, the hike up Tunnel Mountain is a long one!  We agreed to run the downhill and to keep our minds occupied we started playing a game.  We all went through the alphabet, coming up with different foods we wanted to eat once we crossed the finish line.  Apples…burgers…quesadillas….x-tra crispy fried chicken!

Before I knew it we were down the hill and I spotted my husband and my dad.We had a short out and back section left to go, then it would be on the the finish line.  I was fading here.  How long has it been since I ran 10K??  A long time.The girls were awesome and we stuck together.  We would cross that finish line together!!After we were done we managed to find the rest of our friends, plus we found the beer line too…While I may be a long ways away from my 55:10 10K PR pace it felt great to race again.  In fact, I went home and signed up for a couple more 10Ks in October!

Thanks again for making this race fun Kelly and Pam!  I really appreciated the company and motivation along the way!

Getting back at it…

Wow, is it really October already?  September seemed to just fly by.  I pretty well took the whole month off and just enjoyed doing other things…besides training.  So what have I been up to?

I ran a whopping three times, one of which was the Melissa’s 10K Road Race.  And yeah…that race pretty well sucked since running felt awful.  I honestly felt like I hadn’t run for a year, not just a month.  On the plus side I got to meet Laurel who is just as wonderful as you would imagine!

Anyhow, I’m back on a program now so it is time to get my butt off the couch.  A program for what you might be asking…

I decided that I am going to drop the half marathon part of the Goofy Challenge.  I’m going to run the 5K as a warm up and train for the marathon.  I’m hoping to gain some speed back and make a good attempt at a marathon PR.  Right now I’m not sure how much speed is going to come back because I have slowed down a lot….but that is the goal!  I am dropping swimming for the moment and I signed up for a Friday yoga class to mix things up a bit.  Hopefully I can get some strength training in too.

So there we go….back on a plan!!

Melissa’s 10K Road Race – Race Report

Melissa’s Road Race in Banff is becoming somewhat of a tradition for me as this was my third year running the race.  This isn’t an easy race at all but nothing beats the beauty of the course.  I left Calgary a few minutes later than I wanted to, and since they decided to pave part or Highway 1 in Canmore and direct traffic into one lane that meant that I was cutting things really close.  By the time I parked, made a quick pit stop and got to the race site I had 7 minutes before go time.  I quickly checked my bag, saw a few friends and it was go time.

I didn’t have any thoughts of a PR in my head because my run training has been pretty sporadic.  Sure, I’ve been getting my speed work in, but that is about it.  Just to give you an idea of the course, here is the elevation profile:

The beginning of the race was crowded!  I stuck to the edge of the road and tried to run past some of the slower folks as I didn’t want to get stuck behind them.  Before I knew it we were at Tunnel Mountain.  Time to start climbing!  My goal was to run all the way up the mountain.  What I didn’t realize was that the route had changed slightly and we now had to run farther up the mountain than before.  As we turned a corner and I still couldn’t see where the turn around was I may have said some not nice things about the course, but most of the people around me felt the same way!  I saw my teammate James and he was already on the way down the hill and was looking strong!  Finally I hit the turnaround and it was time to head downhill.

Yippee!  Running down the hill was fun and I just let my legs go as fast as they wanted to.  I had expected things to open up by now but the course was still really crowded around me.  I hit the 5K mark in 30:21.

As the course flattened out it also narrowed.  I wound up getting stuck behind some folks that were going just a teeny bit slower than I wanted to go, but because it was so narrow it was too tough to pass them.  One thing about the course change that I did like was that the last half of the course was quite flat.  Previously we’ve run down a very narrow out and back section along Cave and Basin road.  You run down, then on the uphill on the way out it gets really clogged as people stop to walk and there is no way to pass them.  I was really happy about this section being taken out!

There was absolutely no shot of a PR on this day.  My legs were toast near the end.  So much so that I didn’t even have the ability to sprint it in to the finish.  I was blown past by a ton of people as they all sprinted it in and I chugged along.  Final time?  59:16.  That means I did something today that I have never done before in a 10K race.  Negative splits!  And something else that I really like:
Mile 4: 9:37
Mile 5: 9:34
Mile 6: 9:27
Progressively getting faster in the last half of the race.  Not too bad eh?  So while it may not have been a PR I think I executed the race pretty well.

Chip Time: 59:16
Overall 948 out of 2959
433 out of 2002 Females (Wow, there were a lot more women runners out there than men!!)
Women 30-39 179 out of 793

And one other interesting tid bit?  I raced in running shorts for the first time since April 2006!  I think I still like racing in running skirts better though!

Melissa's 10K Road Race - Race Report

Pre-Race

This was a girls' trip out to Banff, and four of us were running the 10K. My friend DGB picked me up in the morning and we all set off to the mountains. The race didn't start until 10:30 and we made good time out there, although it took us a bit of time to negotiate the town and find a parking spot. We arrived at the race start with fifteen minutes to spare - enough time to pick up our race shirts, check our bags and snap a picture before the race started.

The Race

I wanted to try and push myself from the get go and see how well I could hold up along the way. I'm a big fan of running comfortably and I need to push myself into the uncomfortable territory to start seeing some more pace improvements. The race was pretty crowded from the start so there was a lot of dodging people, but I didn't want to get stuck behind someone slightly slower than me and back off the pace. I was in front of DGB and our other two friends, but I knew it wouldn't be long before DGB shot out in front of me. As we crossed the bridge on to Banff Avenue we saw two runners that were late for the start running in the opposite direction. Oops! On Banff Ave a girl tapped me on the shoulder to say hello and ask how I was doing. At first I didn't clue in to who she was, but as she sped away I realized that she's one of my tri teammates! Apparently my brain is not good at recognizing who people are while I'm running... The first mile clicked off in 9:04 (+14 ft).

At the start of the second mile we started climbing up Tunnel Mountain. I knew this was going to be a long climb for almost the whole mile and I didn't want to stop and walk at any point. I saw DGB up ahead and managed to keep her in my sights for most of that uphill slog. My pace slowed down, but I knew I just had to keep going and make it through this uphill section. We gained 214 feet over 0.71 miles and then we were rewarded with some fantastic downhill. Second mile, 10:10 (+71 ft).

My goal for mile three was to just keep the momentum going and not slow down the pace at all. I could still see DGB...unbelievable! Mile three was done in 8:56 (-92 ft).

As I was running along Cave Avenue I heard someone call my name. It took me a moment to register who it was, and it was my coach! She asked me how I was feeling and we chatted for a few seconds before she sped ahead. Mile four done in 9:30 (+40 ft).

From this point we were running along the trail to Sundance Canyon and this is where a lot of people falter on the race. The trail narrows and you run an out and back along it. Heading out is mostly downhill. I really wanted to take advantage of the downhill momentum and people in front of me were just a tad too slow and I really wanted to get past them. There wasn't a lot of room to pass, so for the most part I'd hop off the trail into the mud to keep going. I hit the turnaround just a few seconds after DGB and we high fived. At the turn around there was a guy standing off to the side who looked like he was about to toss his cookies. My stomach wasn't feeling all that swell either so I turned around as quickly as possible and sped out of there. Mile five clicked off just past the turnaround in 9:14 (-39 ft).

Now it was time to run uphill along the trail towards the finish. I didn't want to look at my watch to see what my pace was, or what my time was, I just wanted to keep focused on running. A lot of people walk up the hill and there isn't any more room to pass on the uphill than there was on the down. I weaved through a lot of people and ran off into the mud on the side just to keep going. Frayed Laces has this great quote that she uses to help her power through tough workouts - "There will be a day when you can no longer do this...today is NOT that day." I just kept telling myself over and over that today was not the day to walk. Finally I was up and out of the trail and heading back down towards the finish. Mile six done in 9:09 (-1 ft).

After that it was time to kick it in for the finish. I crossed a chip mat so the announcers could call in the finishers as they were crossing the line. My name was called but I was so focused on the sprint for the end that I didn't hear it. According to the gun time we were all just within the window to make it in under an hour so the announcer was encouraging the crowd to really chear for us so we could make it in. I hit the finish and stopped the Garmin. Done in 57:49 - a new PR by 7 seconds!

Post Race

DGB had made it in just ahead of me so we congratulated at the finish line then moved off to wait for our friends to make it in. We were all within a few minutes of each other and everyone was feeling great about their race. I grabbed my stuff from the bag check so I could throw some sweats on since I was cooling off quickly. I ran into coach to let her know how I had done - I had accomplished my mission of running hard. She exclaimed that there were no more 5:11 marathons for me! After making our way through the food line we decided to head on out and grab a real lunch. We settled upon the Elk & Oarsman. My stomach was feeling pretty iffy during and after the race, but somehow or other I managed to scarf down a delicious elk burger with a green salad and sweet potato fries. After lunch we wandered around Banff a bit, then made our way back to town.
Other Thoughts

This race was ultimately a big deal to me. Like I said before, I wanted to see if I tried to run hard would I be able to do it the entire way, or would I blow up or throw up? Well, definitely no blowing up, and although my stomach was not so happy for most of the day I didn't throw up either. I know that I need to work on my anaerobic capacity (more details on this later) so this race was a chance to see what happened if I pushed myself into that zone and tried to stay there the entire time. I always qualified my previous PR at the Ryka Iron Girl in Seattle by saying that it was very flat and at sea level. I hadn't been able to break an hour in a 10K since then. Melissa's is one tough course in the Rockies and to PR it feels great! It was also a fantastic trip out to Banff with good friends! So the final details:

Overall Time: 57:49
Overall Place: 848 out of 2707
Females Overall: 343 out of 1760
Females 30 - 39: 130 out of 673

Race Results Quickie

No time for a race report on Melissa's quite yet, but I just wanted to let you all know that I PR'ed today! 57:49!!!

Last race of the year?

It is hard to believe, but my last scheduled race for the year is this weekend, the Melissa's 10K race in Banff. Not having anything booked between now and the Disney Marathon feels a bit weird, but we'll see if that changes at all. It is definitely a change from last year when I turned in to a racing fiend in October. My legs are ridiculously sore, in a good way, from the biking and hill work this week. I was looking forward to a nice swim yesterday morning so that they could have a bit of a breather, but we wound up doing a lot of kicking in the warm up. Ouch! I'm heading for a massage after work, so hopefully my legs will be well rested in time to run hard at Melissa's tomorrow. Tomorrow is a bit of a test to see how well I can push myself through the hilly course and through the inevitable pain. Stay tuned to see if I push through, blow up, or throw up once I cross the finish line!

Hotels Galore

It seems as if I am not on vacation I'm thinking about the next vacation and this week was one for hotel bookings. I've made reservations for all of my out of town races with the exception of January's marathon:

• For the Sun Run in Vancouver Neil and I will be staying at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Luxury!
• I booked the Saratoga Springs Resort for the Minnie Marathon in May - the same place we have stayed at for the last couple of Disney races.
• I am super excited for the trip to Quebec City to run the Marathon Des Deaux Rives. This one will be spent at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac - a famous Quebec landmark. It isn't one of the official race hotels but I couldn't pass up the chance to stay there.
• I love an opportunity to spend a night in Banff - it is my favourite destination for when you want to get out of town but it doesn't take long to get there. The Fox Hotel and Suites will be the place to unwind after the Melissa's race in September.

Speaking of Vancouver....it has been awhile since I was there last and the restaurant scene is always changing. Any Vancouverites out there have any suggestions for must do restaurants in town?

Reconciling the old self and the new self

So I realized that I haven't really run in two weeks. My mileage for February stood at a whopping three miles as of this morning and any activity has been in the form of making promises to be active later. I signed up for the spring session of BBC which will run 8 weeks starting in the end of April and I registered for the Melissa's 10K Road Race in September this morning. So it is time to nip this hiatus thing in the bud, not because I have a colorful spreadsheet telling me that my 15K training starts this week, but because I've realized that it has become far to easy to be lazy. I think this bronchitis thing is on the way out and truthfully I'm sure that the hiatus really helped me out. The weather at lunch today was an amazing 7 deg C (45 deg F) and I donned some capri pants and my Donald Duck half marathon shirt and was out the door. It wasn't the best run but it felt good to be outside. Anyhow, my mileage total now stands at 6.1 miles for February. Pretty exciting, eh? This change in temperature makes for interesting sights on the pathways. You see people still wearing tights, long sleeves, jackets, hats and gloves, then you see guys just wearing shorts and t-shirts.

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I had lunch with an old friend of mine on Friday. We both started working for the same company out of university down in Texas. We now work for different companies up here in Calgary and we were talking about the big differences in life before and after our first job. He asked me if I was happy with my move to Calgary and if I felt that I had a better personal life now that I made the change. Out of university I was working in the oilfield where I had 2 am wake ups, 3 am yard times then I'd drive at least an hour to an hour and a half to location, be onsite for a job, drive back to the yard and if all went well I may roll out of the office by 6 at night, but that was being optimistic. Repeat every day for the 11 days I was on call, then attempt to relax, have fun and have a life for my 3 days off. I was eating out every night because I was too exhausted to cook so it was no wonder that my running quickly dropped off. Before I moved to south Texas I saw the city I was living in had an annual marathon that started on the US side and finished in Mexico. I thought it was a neat idea and started thinking that one day I'd love to run a half but I never pursued the race because I didn't have the time or desire to train. I definitely feel grateful that I am now at a point in my career where I don't have to work those kinds of hours anymore and I have the time to train and run races. I definitely don't want to be that inactive person again so it is definitely time to end the hiatus!

Goals and goal races for 2008 and beyond...

In an attempt to avoid the post-marathon slump I'm determined to keep looking forward. I have a few goals I would like to aim for over the next 12 months:

1. Run a sub-60:00 10K in Alberta. I managed one near sea level in Seattle, now I want to know that I can do it at altitude.
2. Run a sub-30:00 5K. First I have to find a 5K to race though. Most of them around here seem to conflict with other races I want to do.
3. Keep my fitness level at the point where I could run a half marathon at the drop of a hat. It might not be easy, or it might not be a PR, but this is what I'm hoping for. I figure if I aim to average 20 miles/week unless I'm specifically training for something, then this should be doable. Don't worry, I'm giving myself some time off before I start in on this 20 miles/week plan though.
4. Keep some variety in my workouts. I'm sticking with Fit Ball over the winter, then it is back to Bikini Boot Camp in the spring. I'll be looking out for the unlimited pass to the yoga studio this summer again too.

As for goal races, here is what I have on my radar:

1. St. Patrick's Day 10K Road Race in Calgary on March 16th. This race marks the full circle of my racing year, plus the post race stew is terrific.
2. Vancouver Sun Run on April 20th (10K). This was my first ever race and I love running Vancouver, plus it is the second largest 10K in all of North America.
3. Minnie Marathon Weekend May 3-4 at Walt Disney World. I'll be running the 5K and the 15K again this year. This is rumoured to be the final ever Minnie Marathon, so this is your last chance for a Minnie medal. I need mine to go with my Donald, Mickey and Goofy medals from this year.
4. Footstock Half Marathon in Cochrane on June 14th. I ran the 10K there last year, but this time I'm going back for the half. You get a nice tech shirt and a nifty medal at this one, plus I love the post race pancake breakfast.
5. If I find a great airfare deal I may want to run the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon on June 22. But we'll see about that...
6. Marathon Des Deux Rives in Quebec City on August 24th. I really want to see more of eastern Canada and Quebec is top of my list. I hear this is an amazingly well organized race that is very scenic. I'm leaning towards the option of running a full here. Apparently the kilometer markers count down, not up!
7. Melissa's 10K Road Race in Banff on September 27th. This is providing I'm able to register as the entries for this go like hot cakes in this town. There is a half marathon option here too, but number one choice is the 10K.
8. Walt Disney World Marathon on January 11, 2009. I have to admit that I am enviously watching Maddy, Ovens2Betsy, Angry and Claire sign up to run the Goofy next year. I would really like to *run* this marathon and run it well so I think I'm going to stick with the option to run the full on its own. One day I want to go back and run the Goofy again, but 2009 won't be the year.

Years of racing in review

My racing career started way back in April 2000 at the 10K Vancouver Sun Run. I was between third and fourth year at The University of British Columbia. I signed up for the race, didn't train because I hated running, and ran my heart out on the day all the time wondering what I was doing. And I'm pretty sure I committed the newbie mistake of wearing my cotton race shirt too. But as the race shirt had my team name on it I thought this was what I was supposed to do. I'll admit, I got into running, particularly races, not because of my own conviction, but because my friend Nikki was interested in racing. Together we signed up for a 5K just a couple of weeks later with our boyfriends (who both kicked our rear ends on the course). That 5K is still my PR - 30:28. Maybe if I ran more 5Ks I could beat it now, but I find it amusing that my first 5K race is still my best ever. By the end of the year the boyfriends were gone and I had four races under my belt - two 10Ks and two 5Ks.

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In 2001 I ran the Sun Run again, along with one more 10K and another 5K. After that I moved down to Laredo, TX which resulted in a major hiatus from running. Initially I wanted to find races to sign up for, but there were barely any nearby, and any ones I could travel for didn't seem to mesh with my days off schedule as I was working 11 days on, 3 days off at the time. I stopped running for several years, and it wasn't until I moved to San Antonio in 2005 that I slowly got into it again. Tally up a 5K and a 10K in 2005 for a total race count of eight.

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In 2006 my cousin's wedding in Vancouver happened to be on the same weekend as the Sun Run. Despite not running seriously at all I really wanted to get out there and do this race again. I had fun in the beginning, but ran pretty poorly in the last half and clocked my worst 10K run time ever - 1:18:12. Despite the horribleness of that race I somehow or other came up with the brilliant idea to train for a marathon. I think maybe it was because my quads didn't hurt the day after the race, and when I got home I found a post card from TNT in my mail advertising the Nike Women's race. I was keen on that Tiffany's necklace. I found my training program, stuck to it, and came out with an injury that sidelined me for a couple of months and nixed my marathon dreams. I wrapped up 2006 with another 10K and two more 5Ks. Total race tally is at twelve by the end of the year.

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2007 was the crazy racing year...thirteen races total.

1. March 17 - St. Patrick's Day 10K in Calgary - 1:07:03 :: This is a great race put on by the Calgary Roadrunners where you run two laps through the University of Calgary. The post race spread is one of the best I have seen - beef stew and Big Rock beer (beer for a fee) at the end.
2. May 5 - Go Red for Women 5K in Orlando - 35:23 :: This past year the race wound through Downtown Disney, Saratoga Springs Resort, and one of the nearby golf courses. Pretty good bling for a 5K.
3. May 6 - Minnie Marathon 15K in Orlando - 1:45:06 :: This race follows the last 15K of the Walt Disney World Marathon course. You start in the parking lot of Animal Kingdom, run along the highway past the Wide World of Sports, through MGM Studios, along the Boardwalk and through EPCOT. Training for a race longer than 10K, and completing it, felt like a great accomplishment.
4. May 27 - Calgary Women's Run 5.5K - 32:12
5. June 9 - Footstock 10K in Cochrane - 1:05:38 :: Another race with a terrific post race spread - pancakes!
6. June 17 - Banff Citizen's Race - 1:00:05 (5.8 miles) :: I remember the weather the most about this one - wow it was wet and cold! My trail sneaks still look terrible. It was a fun race, but transportation between the parking and the race start/finish was a bit unorganized.
7. July 8 - HSBC Calgary Half Marathon - 2:21:32
8. September 9 - Ryka Iron Girl 10K in Seattle - 57:56 (PR)
9. September 22 - Melissa's Road Race in Banff - 1:02:40 :: This is definitely one of the prettiest race courses around here. A good spur of the moment decision to race!
10. October 21 - Nike Women's Half Marathon in San Francisco - 2:14:56 :: I absolutely loved this race - the scenery, the hills, the Tiffany's bling, you name it. I definitely want to run this one again.
11. October 27 - Tower of Terror 13K - 1:29:07
12. November 5 - Banff Winterstart 5 Miler - 51:30
13. December 9 - Catch the Elves 10K - 1:00:44

In case you missed any of them I have provided links to all my fascinating and riveting race reports where applicable. I've really seen improvements in my race times - especially my 10K. Over the years I've gone from someone who absolutely, without a doubt, hated running to someone who can't imagine not having that next race to train for. Besides going Goofy in 2008 we'll see what the rest of the year brings for me racing-wise. I'm always keen to travel for a good event, so if there are any races I should put on my radar, let me know!

Official Melissa's 10K Photos

One of the perks of the Melissa's 10K race was the ability to download free high resolution images from the official race photographer. The photos were posted today, so here are a couple:

Melissa's 10K Road Race in Banff

Chip time: 1:02:40

Overall 1126 of 2467
Females 20 - 29: 132/305

What this race was: an amazing training race for San Francisco.
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Yesterday I made it up to Banff in plenty of time for the 10:30 am start of Melissa's Road Race. This race was huge in comparison to the Banff Citizen's Race back in June, and downtown Banff and the start area were all teeming with people with their race numbers on. Thankfully the weather was cooperative - it was cool but sunny. I hit the bathrooms, then picked up my race t-shirt and hung around for a bit until it was time to start. I did decide to go without a watch or my Garmin at all. Finally after some waiting around they started the 10K folks off first (the half marathoners started 10 min later and ran a different route). The first 2K or so was all fairly flat, but then all of a sudden you knew you were racing in the Rockies because it was time to climb. I think the local runners have nicknamed this Heartbreak Hill. I wanted to only walk the water stops, but I had to give in for about 30 sec or so because we just kept going up and up. I kept thinking that this was great preparation for the Nike Half and all of its hills in San Francisco next month. The scenery was absolutely amazing. There was a slight dusting of snow on the peaks and it definitely qualifies as one of the most beautiful races I have run. Finally what goes up must come down and we had a nice long stretch of downhill, and it flattened out until about 6 or 7K in. At that point we were running an out and back down a narrow pathway through Sundance Canyon. It was interesting because there really was no room for passing or walking at this point because you had runners in both directions. Going into Sundance Canyon was pretty nice, but it was all downhill.... We hit the turnaround and it was time to run uphill for a nice long ways out of the canyon. With there being so little room it was easy to get caught up in the momentum of the runners and I had no desire to stop. Two ladies started walking right in front of me, side by side, at one point and I had to keep yelling "on your right" a couple of times before they clued in that no one could pass them if they weren't walking single file. Finally it was the last bit to the finish and this one was a bit of a teaser. The start line also said finish on it, except that wasn't it, so I sprinted for nothing for that. Then all of a sudden I see a chip timing mat so I sprint for that....but then hear..."keep going, you're almost there!" What? That wasn't the finish? I think that was for the announcer so he knew which runners were coming in and he could read their names off. Apparently my name was called, but I was so focused I didn't even hear it. OK, time for a third and final sprint and this was it.... I was barely paying attention to the clock but I know it read 1:03:something. I have to say that this is definitely one of the toughest 10K courses I ever ran thanks to all of the hills, and that being said I am really happy with my time - 1:02:40. That's better than Footstock and if you calculate out what I would have finished the Banff Citizen's Race in if the course wasn't short, this time trumps that as well. I grabbed some food (lemonade, chocolate milk, orange juice, yogurt, bananas, apples, oranges, donuts, Rice Crispy treats and Nutrigrain bars), chowed down a bit (I still have more than half of that food at home now), exchanged my t-shirt size (the lady I had gotten the registration from had ordered a L, but I was hoping for a S which worked out), and grabbed my free beer. After that we hit Starbucks for a coffee to attempt to warm up, and after wandering around town it was time to head back home with a stop in at Grizzly Paw for a celebratory late lunch in Canmore. All in all it was a terrific day, and I will definitely be signing up for this race next year. Thanks N for being my official race photographer for the day.

Something totally uncharacteristic for Runner Gal

Last night was Discover Yoga class, and it was fabulous. I really like this whole yoga thing, and you know, if you do it properly it is actually an amazing workout. My arms and shoulders were sore after last week's class...

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I think I may do something rash on Saturday at my race. I'm not trying for a PR and I would like to go out and run, and not look at my watch every 30 seconds. I have joked around about being tied to my Garmin, and it is true... So I think on Saturday I will run sans Garmin or watch of any kind and will just enjoy the scenery (and I'll smile at the cameras). This is a big step for me...a big step. A few of the ladies from the San Francisco running group will be participating in the race as well, so it will be great to meet up with them and cheer everyone on.
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On a non-running related note, today is a sad day for me. A bit of background -- when you complete your engineering degree in Canada your achievement - and your grave responsibility to society - is marked with a private ceremony where you get ringed. When you get ringed a small stainless steel band is put on the little finger of your working hand. With this ring on your little finger you always notice it whenever you write or are working - hence you are always reminded of this great responsibility. Only those getting ringed, or engineers who already have their ring can attend the ceremony, and I would say it is a pretty big deal. My ring was particularly special to me because since my Dad is an engineer he was able to give me my ring. The only time I didn't wear my ring was when I was working in the field and I feel incomplete without it. I lost it somewhere yesterday and I keep feeling my little finger and noticing the bareness and the indentation where my ring used to be. I can get a replacement ring (and I'm currently working on that), but this still makes me really sad. The ring itself might not cost that much, but I still consider it the most expensive piece of jewelry I ever owned because it represents five years of blood, sweat and tears and all of the effort that went into earning that ring. I will feel less whole until I have a new ring on my little finger.

A spur of the moment decision

Yesterday I posted about the possibility of snow in this crazy town that I live in, and now it has come to fruition. I went out over lunch and a few tiny flakes were flying around the air, and looking out the window now it is definitely snowing. Thanks Angry - I fully realize that this is what I get for living in Canada. I shall think about stocking up on Under Armour, although my UA ColdGear running tights are quite possibly my least favourite pair (next to some Adidas ones I own that are not for any type of cold weather running). Seriously....no drawstring waist? Who wants to run around hiking those bad boys up every five minutes? Anyhow...I digress. I keep anxiously watching the weather pages hoping that the rain predictions go away for this weekend so I can attempt to hang out with bears and get a hike in up in Banff. The weather for Saturday in Banff? High of 46F/8C and low of 37F/3C with rain. This morning I am perusing the Calgary Roadrunners site and I see multiple ads for people selling bibs for this weekend's very popular (and small) Melissa's Road Race in Banff. There is a 10K and half marathon, and when registration opened up for it earlier this year the race sold out the same day. I honestly never really thought about doing this race, but seeing all those ads made me think....hmmm, that should be fun. Of course I totally chose to not focus on the weather forecast when I thought that. Anyhow, I e-mailed one of the ads and she still had a 10K entry to sell since she injured herself. If all goes well I'll take her spot...BUT...at bib number pick up you can pay $5 to transfer your registration to someone else, so I will actually be running as me. So there we go...I think I'm racing this weekend. In Banff...in the rain...kind of like the Banff Citizen's Race. I will not be racing for any PR though. And I'm still hoping to hike this weekend, hopefully without the bears.

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As a side note to my whole bear tangent, a bear walked into Rockyview Hospital here in town on Sunday. I run past Rockyview Hospital every time I run around Glenmore Reservoir. Next time I'll keep an eye out for the fuzzy guys when I'm running that pathway...