Dartmouth Natal Day Race

I had originally planned to run the 2 mile race today, just to have fun and not be too serious with it. I thought the run was at 9:00 AM or so, but when my sister Michelle called me at 7:05 AM, asking if I was still going to run, she informed me that the race started at 8:15 AM!!!

I left the house in a rush and forgot my Garmin, so this was going to be an old-school run with no clock to go by. I decided to run with Michelle, again thinking I will just go for a fun run.

With a few hundred metres to go before the finish line, I told Michelle I was going to run the 10K. She gave me her Garmin and I ran with her to the finish line of the 2 mile race. After about another kilometre, my task ahead of me finally sank in. I will have to run three 2-mile loops around downtown Dartmouth, not just one! Did you know Ochterloney Street has a hill near the harbour? It does. Did you know Crichton Avenue has a hill before Hawthorne Street? It does.

Anyway, the run went well and I finished in 62 minutes, which is pretty good for me, after rolling about of bed an hour before the race with no intention of running 10K.

Thanks to everyone for all the cheers and shouts of encouragement along the way!

10 kilometres, 1:00:30!

Father's Day 2011 - I went out for a 10 K run this morning and did it in 60 minutes and 30 seconds! So close to my goal of 60 minutes!

I did the first 5 K in 29:05, then did 10 and 1's for the second 5 K. I ran the last ten minutes by mentally counting my paces, which really improved my pace over that period, I ran the last kilometre in 5:20! I am going to try doing that earlier in the run next time. I completed 9.88 kilometres in 60:00 and finished the last 120metres in 30 seconds.

I felt good afterwards and I feel even better knowing that my 60 minutes 10 K is within reach.

Lunenburg 5 K Muffin Run

I had fun on June 12 when I ran the Lunenburg 5 K "Muffin Run". The route encircled the downtown section of Lunenburg, which is such a historic place the UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site.

This was on my mother's birthday, so for her present I decided to do the 5 K run with my sister. There were other Team Myles members there: Jacki Stevenson, Sheila Doyle and Susan Graham. It was good to see them, as well as the other Heart & Sole members: my brother-in-law Gordon Crooks, as well as Sarah Austin and Paul Wesson.

I really enjoyed running with Michelle, it gave us a chance to catch up and talk for a half-hour, which we haven't done for a while.

True to the name of the run, there were hundreds of homemade muffins available after the run. Heart & Sole's trophy for this run was given to the member who ate the most muffins. Through sheer determination, I won the muffin-eating competition and I have vowed to never again eat so many muffins at one time!

10 km, 1:03:25

Ran 10 kilometres on the Salt Marsh Trail after church today. I needed this run, I was missing it. Isn't that one of the first signs of addiction? Come on, I can quit anytime I want! :-)

I used my Garmin 305 today, and I kept track of my split times per kilometre. It is actually pretty easy to use and to check on stats afterwards.

My first kilometre took only 5:26 and at one point I was running at a 4:13/km pace. I did the first 5 kilometres in 29:21, which is not bad for me. I did the 5 km back to my starting point by doing 10 and 1's, with 3 walking segments. I figure this added about 90 seconds to my time, but it also gave me a bit of a rest to run at a fairly respectable pace for the second half.

My goal is still to break 60 minutes for 10 kilometres. I ran 9.45 kilometres in 60 minutes today, so my goal is definitely achievable.

6.7 km recovery run around Cole Harbour Heritage Park Trails

I felt really good today during and after my run around the trails off Bissett Road in Cole Harbour. The Heritage Park Trails consist of loops that connect so you can make your run as long or as short as you like. They are in green on the attached map. I actually ran all of the trails in green except for the one that extends northwest from the northern parking lot, my route included a few double-backs to the main trail.

I ran the Panorama Trail to re-acquaint myself with it before our hike with the Cubs tomorrow evening. Then I ran the Jersey Jack Trail, The Brook Trail, The Poor Farm Trail (a residence for the destitute of Halifax County in the 1800's and early 1900's), as well as the Costley Farm Trail (named after the family of settlers who lived there). Interesting juxtaposition of the "Poor Farm" and "Costley Farm" being located adjacent to one another. Finally I ran to my starting point via the Salt Marsh Trail, for a total of 6.7 kilometres.

The terrain and views of Cole Harbour made the run very interesting, especially the almost-two-kilometre Costley Farm Trail is a mountain bike trail, versus the rest which are maintained trails with crusher dust and no roots or rocks all over the place. Running on the Costly Farm Trail was kind of like running while playing hopscotch for 2 kilometres. This trail in particular was a really good workout but in retrospect, I am lucky I didn't twist an ankle or slip on a rock since it was raining during my run.

I remember feeling really energetic during the run, like I felt years younger, so maybe I am making progress after all!

2011 Bluenose 10k is done! Now what?

Yesterday was Team Myles's "final exam". I would say that we passed with flying sneakers! While I didn't see all of my teammates after the 5k and 10k runs, I met with most of them and everyone said they felt good and they all looked great!

Lately, we have been discussing how to keep 2011 Team Myles going, post-Bluenose. Some members want to keep running together and we have talked about a Team Myles alumni running group. I would like to participate in organized runs together, like the Lunenburg Muffin Run on Sunday, June 12.

Our 2011 Team Myles members are individuals with different schedules and needs, so I think we should be flexible in what methods we use to keep Team Myles going. Perhaps a couple or a few teammates will continue running together twice a week, maybe others can help with next year's team by running with the 2012 Team Myles during their training.

Participating in some organized runs in the future with Team Myles feels like the best fit for me. We can still get together and enjoy each other's company but it won't be such a strict time commitment. I know I had other responsibilities that kept me from some team runs, as did pretty much every other TM member. I plan to start running with Heart & Sole running club in Dartmouth, it is closer to home for me and I have family and friends in the club.

In my mind, getting together for "reunions" at organized runs -- including, of course, next year's Bluenose! -- will keep the bonds of our experience going while allowing us to grow as runners and make connections with others in the surprisingly large running community in HRM.

Thanks again to everyone involved with 2011 Team Myles: my teammates, our trainers and especially the ladies who organized us and who kept us motivated by training with us, by keeping TM events going, and most importantly by keeping us smiling and laughing with their great personalities!

Everyone worked so hard on 2011 Team Myles, you should all be so proud for your accomplishments. Congratulations and see you again soon!

T minus 22 hours and counting...

I am off to volunteer with Team Myles, handing out race kits this afternoon. Afterwards, my teammates and I will be carb loading (I started early with pizza yesterday!). Tomorrow is the big day! I have not yet run the route, but I think the hill training and distance training will give me the strength to not only complete the 10 kilometres, but hopefully break the 60-minute mark.

Huge thanks to Team Myles: my teammates, the co-ordinators, and of course our trainers Kris and Devon. This has been a great experience and I look forward to continuing my running after tomorrow!