Music That's Going to Move Me.

Here it is.  Finally.  After much listening and editing, I've made my race day play list.  This is what made the cut.  Normally I just put my ipod on shuffle and let the songs play.  This time I've actually taken the time to put the songs in a particular order, one that I hope will push me to a sub 1:40 finish.

So here we go:

1.  Revolution- The Beatles
2.  Junior's Farm - Wings
3.  Graveyard Shift - Sam Roberts
4.  The Spirit of Radio - Rush
5.  Stadium Love - Metric
6.  1901 - Phoenix
7.  You Wreck Me - Tom Petty
8.  Howlin' For You - The Black Keys
9.  Animate - Rush
10.  Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes
11.  When the Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys
12.  Leave That Thing Alone - Rush
13.  Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
14.  Native Love - Divine
15.  Out of the Cradle - Rush
16.  YYZ - Rush
17.  Balaclava - Arctic Monkeys
18.  Stick it Out - Rush
19.  Rusty Cage - Soundgarden
20.  Two Swords - English Beat
21.  Heavyweight Champion of the World - Reverend and the Makers
22.  D is for Dangerous - Arctic Monkeys
23.  Wonderlust King - Gogol Bordello
24.  Pump it Up - Elvis Costello
25.  One Little Victory - Rush

Beginnings, Endings and Things I'm Thankful For.

Copyright:  Phaedra Kennedy 2011

Yesterday I went out for my last long run before my big race next weekend.  I couldn't have asked for a nicer day.  It was hot, unusually so for October so I donned a tank top and shorts and headed out.  The fall colours are starting to pepper the wall of green I usually see on my long runs through the Moore Park Ravine.  The light has changed from the blazing sun of summer to the soft golden light of autumn.   There is a magical quality to that light that I love.  It makes me happy and when I'm happy, I often think about what I'm thankful for.  Given that yesterday was Thanksgiving, thoughts of thankfulness permeated my run.  But it was also bittersweet.  Bittersweet because I realized that it was probably going to be the last long run I was going to do down the Moore Park Ravine.  At least Mother Nature blessed me with the perfect day for my last romp in the east end.   In a couple of weeks we will be moving yet again.  This time we are heading back to the West End.  Back to our old stomping grounds in High Park where we'll stay until our house is done.

It seems fitting that I come to the end of my half marathon journey just before we move.  One chapter closes as another one begins.  Once again I look forward to the opportunity to explore new(ish) running grounds.  I'm also looking forward to being closer to all the things we do in the West End.  No more 5:30 am commutes to the pool.  No more 25 minute highway commutes back to mid-town after meeting with my West End run group and most importantly, only a 15 minute commute to "home".  These are some of the things that I am thankful for.

Yesterday's run was 16km and it flew by.  It was once of those days that I actually wanted to run longer but that would defeat the purpose of a taper.  I felt great despite previous days Thanksgiving food extravaganza.  My legs were starting to recover from the excruciating massage I had on Friday and my new cw-x compression shorts turned out to be nothing short of amazing.  I felt strong and for that I was thankful.  A mental boost like that is exactly what I need during my taper.  Taper time is normally when I start to worry and doubt myself and my training.  As I ran up the ravine trail to Moore Park at the end of my run, I thought, "I'm ready for next weekend, I've done the work, bring on the race."  Now all I have to do is get to the start line healthy.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let The Music Move You

With my A-race being a mere 11 days away, it's time for me to start giving some serious thought to my race day playlist.  Running with music is something I've done for almost my entire life as a runner.  When I first started running I would carry my yellow Sony walkman with me and listen to tapes.  That was 13 years ago.  Now I run with an ipod shuffle that clips on to my shorts, is slightly bigger than a toonie and can hold about 1000 songs.  How technology has changed!

I never used to race with music though.  I'm not sure when that changed for me.  I think it might have only been last year now that I think about it.  I took a musical hiatus when training for both my Ironman races as you're not allowed to race with an ipod.  But soon after I went back to running with music.  There is something about listening to a great tune while running that can turn an ok run into something special.  Maybe it's the evocative power of music, I don't know.  Many of the songs I listen to while running have some kind of positive association for me, whether it be fond memories from high school, memories of an amazing concert experience or memories of good times with friends.  These can be very helpful things when you're pushing yourself.  I know I can't possibly be in a bad mood while listening to songs that have this sort of positive association.  That in turn can help me focus on being positive, which is HUGE when things may not be going exactly as planned during a training run or a race.  A great tune can give me that added "push" as well.  For example this past weekend, at the Korean Peace Run 10km, I was listening to Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up" on my finishing sprint to the line.  Hard NOT to push it when you've got that song blasting.

This playlist will have a diverse mix of music but all of it will be music that gets me moving.  Given that my current shuffle playlist is about 2 days worth of music, I think I have some serious editing to do if I want to get it down to 1 hour and 40 minutes.  I already have some favourites picked out and you know that if Elvis Costello can carry me to a women's overall win, he'll make the cut again for my Scotia Bank Half Marathon play list.

Culture Shock: Korean Run for Peace 10km

I hadn't planned on running a 3rd race in October but when my friend and fellow West Toronto Pacer Joseph Park told me about this race and said that they had good prizes and even better draw prizes (TV's and a round trip to Korea), my interested was piqued.  I asked him how much it was to enter and he said $10.  SOLD.  Hands down the best value for a race considering what I walked away with.

I was scheduled to do a 27km run with a 10km race pace segment in the middle third of the run.  My plan was to drive to the park early and head out for my run.  I was hoping to get about 13-14km in before the race and then do a 3km cool down.  That didn't happen.  I got just over a 7km warm up in before I got back in to the park to collect my race bib.  That was not a speedy process as I think they needed a few extra hands.  After I got my bib, I ran back to the car to drop off my fuel belt and change into something a bit warmer.  It was FREEZING.  It might have been 7 degrees but it was windy which made it feel that much colder.  I wished I had brought gloves.  I ran back to the start area and met up with the rest of the West Toronto Pacer crew.  There were 12 of us and we were all on the Red Hot Korean Chilly Pepper Team.  Talk about a stacked team.

The race was supposed to start at 9:00 am but in the spirit of a true community event, the organizers allowed last minute registration to go on well past the original start time.  The announcer, whom I couldn't hear very well, nor could I understand since he was speaking Korean, had told us the race would start at 9:15.  Apparently he also said it would start with a gong and then someone hit the gong and a bunch of us took off.  False start.  Everyone ran back to the start line laughing.  It was quite funny. There was some more announcing in Korean and then they counted down to the start 3-2-1 and we were off.  It was mayhem.  There were a bunch of slower men in front of me that I had to dodge around to get some space but that didn't take long and within the first 500m, I had room to move.  Roger, John, Victor and Joe took off like mad men.  Normally I can stick with Joe but I wasn't about to make the same mistake I made the last time I raced 10km.  I went out hard but mainly due to adrenaline.  I dialed that back pretty quickly and settled into a good rhythm.  I was running anywhere between 4:05's and 4:10's.  Perfect.  The way out was slightly down hill so I figured I'd make some gains there.  It was very windy so my plan was to draft as much as possible.

I passed a few guys early on and then seemed to settle into my groove nicely.  The course was 2 loops and we had to get an elastic band at certain points so the marshals knew that we did 2 loops.  Much like the run in Ironman Switzerland.  I got to the first elastic band pick up and knew that on the way back I'd be able to see where the next woman was.  I was in the lead, I just didn't know by how much.  She must have been relatively close behind me because I couldn't see her after that first turn around.   I pushed it a bit on whatever downhills I could find and then drafted behind people as the way back was ridiculously windy.  The less work I had to do the better.   As I passed one fellow, he said "You know you are the lead woman!"  I said "yup!" and he wished me luck as I pushed on towards turn around number 2.  My pace slowed a fair bit on the way back as I was running into the wind and slightly uphill.  It was tough.  I could feel my legs starting to complain a bit.

I hit the second turnaround and it was at this point that I finally saw the woman behind me.  She was decked out in a pair of Boston Marathon capris and a Livestrong jacket.  She was also only about 500-600m behind me.  Still too close for comfort.  I was going to have to push harder.   On the way back out, I caught a guy in a Mississauga Run Club t-shirt.  He was running the perfect pace for me to duck in behind him.  So that's exactly what I did.  He blocked the wind for me for the last 1/3 of the race.  I ran just off his shoulder or right behind him for as long as I could.  He got ahead of me a few times but each time I managed to catch him and sit behind him.  At the 3rd and final turn around, I almost lost him but caught up with him when I booked it on the down hill.  At that point I saw I had opened up a decent gap on the next woman.  She was now closer to 800m behind me. Whew.  I kept pushing, hoping I'd have something left in the tank at the end.  I felt like I had raced smartly this time.  My energy level was good, sure my legs were a bit sore but that's to be expected, given I ran an 8km warm up.  With the help of my Mississauga run club friend, we managed to pick off a few more guys that had gone out too hard.  With about 1km to go we caught John Song and at one point I had the 2 of them in front of me completely blocking the wind.  Sweet.  A few minutes later I my pace bunny started to pull away and John & I were running together.  He said we should try and catch that guy. I wasn't sure I'd be able to but then I saw Gary (he was the bike marshall) so I started to push the pace.  I was getting closer to my pace bunny but there was no way he was going to get chicked.  I started to really push the pace, at one point I looked at my watch and it said 3:51 km's.  Jeezus.  I was cookin'.  I lost John and started to close in on my pace bunny.  I ran out of real estate before I could catch him.  He crossed the finish line just ahead of me and then he turned to me and said "You, wow!" as he gasped for air.  I said "Did I push you to go faster?"  He said "Yes, thank you!".  I smiled back and said "You're welcome".

That has to be one of my favourite things about racing right there.   Totally awesome.

Apparently this race is a big deal in the Korean community.  The amount of photographers and videographers there was insane.  Because of the close finish between me and my pace bunny, the photographers didn't get a good shot of me crossing the finish line.  So, they requested that I go back out and run back in for the cameras.  Ha ha ha ha.  Seriously.  So I did it.  The next thing I know I've got some reporter with a camera and a mic asking if he can interview me.  What?  Oh my.

Pic courtesy of Roger Jonas

Those of you that know me, know how uncomfortable I am in front of the camera.  It's not like I could say no.  So there I am holding a mic and talking about how I heard about the race and how much fun I had and how happy I was to have won.  I was just about to head back to the car when a second camera crew comes up and asks me if I would mind answering a few questions.  Wow.  Ok so I'm asked a few more questions about the race, how often do I run, have I run any marathons before and which ones.  When I mention Boston I got a series of "oohs" from the camera guys.  Too funny.  The interviewer then asked me if I minded giving my age and when I said "40", he said "Oh wow, you don't look 40".  Totally made my day.

pic courtesy of Roger Jonas

The awards ceremony was taking place at the Korean Cultural Centre just up the street on Leslie so the whole WTP crew made our way over there where Joseph wrangled some seats up at the front.  Everyone was teasing me and calling me the Grand Champion.  There was a little program there that outlined the mornings proceedings and sure enough, the overall winners were called The Grand Champions.  Ha.  Wow.  I caught a glimpse of the trophy up on stage and it didn't look as big as what Victor and Joe had said  Boy was I ever wrong.

Given that this was an event that had some political leanings and we are in the midst of an election campaign, I was not surprised to see the stage filled with local MP's & MPP's.  Of course we had to listen to speeches from all of them as well as have them read well wishes from our Premier and Prime Minister.  There were some important Korean figures there as well and they also gave speeches.  The WTP crew sat through it patiently.  Well most of us did.  Joe kept making comments and making us laugh.  Carrie kept me giggling through a lot of it as well.  Finally they were going to announce the winners from the age groups.  At all the other  races I've done, the overall winners get announced first.  Not so at this one.  The age group winners got announced first.  The age groups were in 15 year increments as well.  Bizzare!  And instead of going first, second and third in each category, they announced the 3rd place winner in each age category first, then they announced the 2nd place winner in each age category, then the first place winner in each age category.  Very confusing.   The West Toronto Pacers cleaned up.  Out of the 12 of us that participated, 7 of us got trophies.  We also got an award for being a part of the largest team (we each got a $5 gift card for Tim Hortons!).   There was a lot of teasing leading up to the announcement of the Grand Champion.  Joe said I'd probably have to make a speech and I was mortified.  Good God.  I was also told I'd have to make sure I bowed my head as a sign of respect to the presenter.  Ok, got it.  Joe was trying to give me a crash course in Korean greetings but I was so nervous I figured there was no way I'd remember it, let alone get it right.  They announced the Men's winner and his time (in Korean first) and there were a lot of oohs and aahs (he ran it in 38 minutes and change) and he went up to get his trophy.  Then they announced my full name (shocking!) and my time, again there were a lot of oohs and ahhs.  The WTP crew were cheering a whistling and I was trying so hard not to turn as red as my Running Free shirt.  I got up on stage and walked over to the presenter bowed and shook his hand and he handed me this ginormous trophy that had to weigh about 20lbs.  Holy smokes.  I shook the men's winners hand and then noticed that he had the women's trophy so we made a switch on stage.  The crowd started laughing.  I was given an envelope with a gift card of some sort in it.  I was DYING to get off the stage but we had to pose for pictures.  Oh my god, the amount of people with cameras was ridiculous.  I don't know how Hollywood people do it.  I didn't know where to look, I had this silly nervous smile plastered to my face.   We started to walk off and then the hostess wanted us to give a small acceptance speech.  AHHHHHH.  I wanted to crawl under a chair and hide.  I do NOT like public speaking.  At least not in front of a crowd of people I don't know.   I was handed the mic and echoed the same sentiment that the Men's winner said.  I thanked the volunteers and organizers as well as the other participants.  I explained how I heard about the race, what a great day that I had and how I pushed myself hard and how I ended up with "a trophy that I could barely hold up".  Apparently people found that funny.   I thanked everyone again and made a hasty exit from the stage.  I sat down with my group again and opened the envelope.  I noticed my hands were shaking.  Wow, I must have been SUPER nervous.  I had won a Best Buy gift card.  Didn't know how much it was for.  I found out later it was worth $200.  That will definitely come in handy since we're going to be buying a new stereo system for the new house.

All in all it was a great day.  The race was so much different than any other races I've run.  It was Korean Style grass roots,  which is not surprising since the bigger picture is the message (Run for Peace). It was a lot of fun to actually race with the gang I train with.  I suspect that this will become a bit of a fall tradition with the West Toronto Pacers.  I do know one thing, I'm going to have to go back and defend my title next year.

The West Toronto Pacers

I Say Hello, You Say.....Nothing?

As runners in a large city, I'm sure we've all seen it. I'm sure we've all done it at some point as well. The first time it happens you're a little shocked and you wonder "Am I supposed to know that person?" and then it happens again and again and you think "This is pretty cool."

It's called the Runner's Wave. The recognition and understanding that you too are a sole mate, a part of the crazy tribe. The Wave comes in a few different forms, but it's usually a little flick of the wrist with a slight extension of the index and middle finger. Sometimes, usually early in a run, you will get full extension in the fingers. This usually happens before fatigue sets in.

Perfecting my Runner's Wave

I find various areas of the city differ in terms of how often you see the Runner's Wave. For instance our neighbourhood, while a bit off the beaten path for runners, boasts some of the friendliest runners I've seen. I always get a nod or a wave from a passing runner. The same can be said for the High Park neighbourhood where I used to live. That area is a Mecca for Runners. Hills, park, trail and not terribly far from the Lake. That is where I perfected my Runners Wave. The area we are temporarily residing in is another haven for runners with endless trail and park systems to run through yet I am finding that the runners out this way are generally not as friendly (and I am making a large generalization here based on my limited 3 month experience).   Take my run last night for example.  I must have seen at least 12 runners in the 42 minutes I was out.  Not ONE waved.  Each one I passed got my version of the Wave and in return I was greeted with a blank stare.   I also find this to be the case on my long runs.  I will see well over 25-30 runners on any given Sunday and I can count on one hand how many actually wave back.

What's UP with that?

I get that sometimes you're in a zone and you might not notice.  I've been there.  It's not like I'm a crazy stalker that's going to follow you home.  I get that your run is your "me" time but it's not like I'm going to stop and strike up a conversation with you.  I'm out for a run, more than likely for the same reasons you are.   We are, after all part of the same tribe.  I know we're in the "big bad city" but it doesn't hurt to make an effort to make it not seem so big and bad.  So the next time you're out for a run and you see a fellow runner, make the effort to salute your fellow sole mate.  You never know who you'll be welcoming to the club.

Learning the Art of Empty Miling

Over the last few weeks I have really noticed my dependance on "the numbers" when I'm out running.  Especially over my last 2 long runs, both of which have been "crappy" by my standards.  In reality they weren't so bad once I actually mapped out my route and figured out that my shoe pod is way off.  The pissy little athlete in me stopped whining at that point but it got me to thinking about just how tied to technology I've become as a runner.  I never go out for a run without my heart rate monitor or shoe pod.  NEVER.  At least I can't remember the last time I did.  When my current heart rate monitor went in for service, I used an old one and diligently mapped out my routes and entered my workout in my training log. I understand doing that while training for a race but even when I'm not training?  Really?  What's the point?

The point is the numbers.  And sometimes, the numbers take the fun out of running.

So once my racing season is over, I'm going to practice the Art of Empty Miling.  I've been following this blog for the last little while and I have to say, I'm completely inspired to lose the technology and just run.  This fellow is an ultra runner who is all about running for the experience, not the results.  He's not a big fan of organized racing.  Our outlooks couldn't be more different but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate what he's all about.  This post is what got me thinking.  Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the year I'm having and I'm certainly not ready to throw in the towel and stop racing but I do believe there is a time and a place for some good old empty miling.  Racing forces you to be "on" and every run is supposed to have a purpose.  While enjoyable, it is also mentally and physically taxing, especially if you're seriously goal oriented like myself.   Sometimes you just need to unplug, give yourself a break from the numbers and enjoy the journey.

Path to the Brickworks
Copyright Phaedra Kennedy, 2011

Pulling the Pin

It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I generally have a really good reason.  I bailed on a race this morning.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've pulled the pin on a race.  I don't like to do it and there is often a big mental dialogue that goes along with it.  I feel like because I've made the commitment, I have to do it, no matter how crappy I may be feeling.  Which is just ridiculous, especially if it's not an A-race.
This week has been particularly busy, there have been a couple of very long, tiring days which have left me feeling really run down.  I feel like I'm toeing that delicate line between succumbing to a cold or being able to fight it off.  Given that the race today was "just a race" I figured it would be wise to pass on it.  The more important goal of this weekend is to get my 26km run in tomorrow and that is even questionable at this point.
I've got 4 more weeks till my A-race and at this point, I have to make sure I listen to my body and give it the rest it needs, if that means bailing on a race then c'est la vie!  It's just one less race shirt I'll be adding to my collection.

Lessons Learned

It had to happen sooner or later.  Every training session I expect at least one and today was the day.  I had the worst run I've had in a very long time.  I knew from the first 5 minutes that it was probably going to be an ugly one.  My pace was slower than normal and my heart rate was higher than it should have been.

Craaaaaaap.

I tried to ignore it and just focus on my form.  My legs weren't feeling too hot either but I figured I just needed to warm up.   So I chugged along my normal route, knowing I was going to have to add on a bit at the bottom end to make up the 24km I had to do today.  I had a 10km race page segment I had to do in the middle of the run so I figured between 45-50 minutes in, I'd start my race pace.  My goal was to run 4:30's for 10km.

I kept checking my watch, noting my ever climbing heart rate and slower than normal pace.  I could feel the annoyance building.  Then I started to get a stitch that I couldn't get rid of.  I was starting to get cranky.  The negative thoughts started.  What if I'm overtrained?  What if I'm getting sick....I don't think I can get through this run....The race pace portion is going to suck.....

STOP.  I had to reframe the situation.  Ok, so I'm not having the best day.   What can I do about it?  Nothing except suck it up and keep moving.  I start having a mental dialogue with myself; "All you can do is do your best.  Yeah the race pace portion is not going to be pleasant, so just do what you can".   So, 50 minutes in I take off and my heart rate almost immediately spikes to 170.  And I'm not even running 4:45's.  Ugh.  Well, it is what it is.  All I can do at this point is keep pushing and see how long I can last.  I figured if I could hold on for 50 minutes, that would be at least 10km maybe more.  I managed 40 minutes and that was enough.  I actually had to stop and walk afterwards.  Something was definitely not right.  I was bonking hard.

I finally started running again and thinking about what the issue could be.  I started going over the last couple of days in my head when it dawned on me.  I spent a large portion of yesterday morning encased in black neoprene, in the sun, then swimming in some seriously rough water and I hardly drank anything.  Well d'uh!  That would explain the fatigue, the achey muscles, the elevated heart rate and the lack of sweat that I was starting to notice.  I was extremely dehydrated.  About 3km from home, I stopped to get some Gatorade.  I drank about half the bottle on the spot and topped up my 2 flasks.  I hobbled my way home and as soon as I walked in the door, I filled up my water bottle with the remainder of the Gatorade, more water & some BCAA's (to help my muscles recover).   I drank that down while stretching.   Post shower I downed another bottle and then took a bottle with me when I was out running errands.  Now I"m having another bottle of electrolyte drink.  Hopefully that will help get me back to normal.  I should know better than this by now.  But once and while, I forget.   Then something like this happens and smacks me back to reality.  Let's hope I've finally learned my lesson.

Till We Meet Again

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."  - Henry Ford

Best Buds; March 2011

Last Thursday I said goodbye to my closest friend & confidante; my partner in crime and my fellow Ironman training partner; Sue Cadman.  I had been dreading this day for months, ever since she told me about "The Move" back in February.  Her husband Rick had been offered a great opportunity to work in the U.S so they would be re-locating to San Francisco for 2 years.  Very sad news for both of us. 

Some people come into your life in the darndest ways and Sue was no exception.  We first met in 2001 on a rather nightmarish shoot at my studio.  She was the account executive and I remember sitting at the big table in the studio chatting away with her.  I had just run my first marathon and she was telling me about her boyfriend Rick who was training to run either New York or Chicago (memory is fuzzy here!).  The shoot wrapped up and we went our separate ways.

Fast forward to 2003.  Gary and I had been dating for a year and had just moved in together.  I had been introduced to the world of multi-sport racing, having done my first duathlon the previous September and I was now focused on working on my swimming so I could do my first triathlon.  Gary convinced me to join the St. Lawrence Masters Swim group that he trained with.  So in early 2003, I showed up at the pool and got put in the slow lane.  Slowly but surely I got to know the group.  I quickly moved up a lane into the lane beside Gary.  I remember being introduced to Sue and thinking that she looked really familiar but I couldn't figure out where I knew her from.  The group did a fair amount of socializing so we got got know each other a bit better.  I remember saying to Sue "You look so familiar, I'm positive we've met before."  She said the same of me.  We started going over places we might have met when I asked her where she worked.  As soon as she said Carlson Marketing, I remembered exactly where we met.  When I told her she laughed and we reminisced about what a nightmare that shoot was.  What a small world. 

We continued to swim at St. Lawrence for a bit until we bought our house out at Lakeshore and Islington.  St. Lawrence wasn't so convenient anymore but we still hung out with the group on a regular basis.  We joined the Bally's at 427 & Dundas on the recommendation of some of our swim group that had moved out to the West End.  There was a pool there so that's where we started swimming.  The west end members of the group socialized a lot and we got to know Rick and Sue quite well, especially at the annual Thompson Birthday Pasta Parties where the wine flowed and the pasta was plenty.  There was an awesome New Year's Bash at the Thompson's as well that involved more wine, lots of great conversation and the loss of our camera in the short cab ride home.  Those were some good times.

Despite all the social interaction, the real bonding didn't start to happen until just after Sue's 30th Birthday in 2005.  It was a birthday extravaganza of Epic Proportions that involved drinks and cake at the Madison, followed by a chartered street car ride to the Gladstone for some drunken karaoke.  That was followed by another ride on the chartered streetcar to some bar off King Street.  I don't remember the name but I remember it was tiny and packed.  Rick figured that all the triathletes would bail after the Madison, which was pretty much the case, with the exception of Gary and I.  And John Hahn.  We stuck around to the bitter end.   I remember there was a lot of beer, tequila shots and some shirtless dancing by John.  I'm pretty sure Rick kept his shirt on, which would have been a first. 

After that evening, the true seeds of our friendship were planted.  There were many nights on the town with the Cadmans and company.  Sandwiched between their Ironman training of course.  Those two know how to work hard and play hard.  They had been bitten by the Ironman bug and were training to do Ironman Lake Placid in July of 2005.  We had spent a couple of training weekends with them in Lake Placid and it was logging those long miles on the bike with Sue that our friendship truly blossomed.  Gary and I weren't able to go down and cheer them on on race day as we were racing in Bala that day but they had a big group of the tri-gang  there to cheer them on.  Gary and I signed up for Lake Placid  the very next day.  Our A-race that year was the Canadian Half Ironman in Ottawa on the September long weekend.  In true Cadman fashion, Sue & Rick came out to cheer us on while they were up visiting Sue's parents.  That's the kind of people they are.  Always ready to support their friends, no matter what.

2006 saw us spending even more time together.  We had signed up for Lake Placid and Sue & Rick had decided to tackle Ironman again, this time in Coeur D'alene, Idaho.  We were invited up to Cabana Cadman in Dorset with bikes in tow, to spend the weekends swimming, biking, running, drinking and helping out around the cottage.  Just weeks after their race in Idaho, Sue & Rick were there in Lake Placid to cheer us on.  We have a ton of great photographs from that day courtesy of Rick.

We spent much of the summer of 2007 hanging out at Cabana Cadman and it was after a few cocktails on one of those hazy summer afternoons, that I got roped into doing another Ironman.  The selling points were many:  Sue as going to do it so we could train together and, the really big deal, it was going to be a European race so we'd get to travel together.  IM Austria had just sold out so we opted for IM Switzerland a couple of weeks later.  That summer was a fun one.  There was the crazy August Long Weekend bash that garnered me my nickname (Lady G) along with many other good times up at Cabana Cadman.  Rick and Sue also bought a house in the West end that summer and joined the rest of the club that had moved out that way.   The party that they hosted on New Year's is legendary and is hands down the best New Year's party I've ever been to.  That was the night that ILYM was born (ILYM=I Love You Man, said many a times that night while dancing drunkenly in the basement) .  A nickname that still stands to this day.

A whole new Ironman adventure awaited us in 2008.  We bought matching bikes, the first of many matching things; most of which were bought completely separately of each other, without either of us knowing the other had it.  This was typical of Sue and I.  Two peas in a pod when it came to picking out matching workout gear.   They started swimming with us at Bally's so we pretty much took over the pool when we were training.  We also did some of our weight workouts together.  When the warm weather came, we started riding together up at Cabana Cadman.  No topic was taboo on our long rides.  We talked about everything.  Sometimes we didn't talk, we just rode and sat in the comfortable silence that comes with friendship.  We invented silly songs to get us through the miles.  I'll never forget singing a rather crude song about Emes Hill and some woman named Pitter who I always said was in the shitter whenever we rode by that sign. 

Switzerland arrived and I think all 9 of us that were racing were on the same flight.  We did all our workouts together (including a great swim workout in which I perfected the "taper time" dance in my wetsuit), met for dinner with our coach who was also racing.  Race day came and we scrambled to find each other race morning.  We couldn't start the day without wishing each other luck.  We ended up making our way over to the water together  as the women had to start on one side of the pier and the men on the other.  We stood side by side, and gave each other a hug and wished each other the best of luck.  It was an emotional moment.  Sue totally kicked my ass that day.  She put together a great race.  I saw her once on the run and I remember saying "As much as I love you, I am NEVER doing this again, no matter how many cocktails you give me!".    She laughed.  That was easily one of  the hardest races of my life.  I had a tough time all day and I was so happy to see Gary, Sue and Rick waiting for me at the finish line.  I hugged them all and broke down, vowing never to do another Ironman again.

3 years later, I still feel that way.  Although I suppose if Sue decided that down the road, she wanted to do another one, I'd probably join her.  That's what friends are for, after all. 

I know that this move is only temporary but it's still not easy.  Despite the fact that our lives have taken different paths since that Ironman and the training miles are no longer shared (at least at this point), we have remained close friends.  There is no reason that should change.  That's what Skype and Face Time are for!  The positive side to this is that we have a place to stay in San Francisco and I know my partner in crime would jump at the chance to join me in running the Bay to Breakers so, I won't say goodbye, I'll just say, 'till we meet again.

Change In The Weather

As much as I hate to say it, it's getting to be that time of year again.   The air is noticeably different.  The humidity less frequent.  Yes folks, fall is on it's way.  The temperature tides are shifting. I witnessed it first hand up north this weekend.  The trees have started to change.  Never mind that it's only the beginning of September and "they" say we're supposed to have an Indian Summer.  Fall will be here before we know it.

I, for one, look forward the return of fall.  Don't get me wrong, I love summer - the long lazy days, the sunshine and blue skies - all of it is wonderful.  But there is something about the fall that I just love.  Fall is definitely my favourite running season.  The air is so much easier to breathe and I'm generally not covered in a layer of sweat and grime when I'm done a long run.   I love going out for an early morning run in the cool, crisp air.  Especially when the sun is shining and the leaves have started to turn.  Absolute heaven. 

For me, fall brings the end of triathlon season but ushers in a whole new running season.  There are multiple fall marathons to participate in along with a myriad of other shorter distance races.   It's nice to be able to take the fitness earned over the summer while gearing up for a longer A-race and test it out at a shorter late season race before the snow falls. 

The end of fall is usually when I take stock of my racing year.  Did I reach my goals?  What would I do differently?  Is there something else I want to try?  Fall is a time of reflection and re-evaluation.  It's time to relax, put my feet up and hope that my toenails grow back in time for another beating come January.