4 Weeks to go, Mar 21-27: Last long run lurking (Scheduled total of 52 km or 32+ miles)

Many of those who are reading this and who happen to be long distance runners are likely surprised by the relatively low overall total mileage that I’m putting in for my training. Then there are those who are wondering if “I’ve gone round the twist” by running as much as I am each week! Perhaps they know something I’m avoiding answering?!

The Beautiful Morhdorh as seen through the eyes of a hobbit

It is indeed all relative but for me, when I started out on this particular endeavour, I knew I had limited time to train based on competing priorities, a rather full travel schedule and a number of injuries I didn’t want to exacerbate with excessive mileage, so very early on the ‘less-is-more’ program became entrenched in mind and practicality. For my non-running or even non-exercising friends, less again is a relative term. At the end of this week, I faced the longest single training run I’ve ever completed – 35km lurked in the distance, casting a mental shadow across the end of a frenetic week like the dark forces looming out of Morhdorh. Now very long runs do appeal to some people; many individuals who may have some direct connection to our primordial hunting roots and envision their lengthy excursions as stalking prey across miles of open terrain, or perhaps they are simply borderline sadomasochists? Maybe one of these is a reasonable explanation for my friends who are ultra-marathoners? To me, a run over 2.5 hours has the appeal of cold, raw lima beans served on melba toast.

Another session of chilling out

And so what was the week? Simply, week 13 in the 16 week program was another iteration of the previous 12 weeks with subtle changes to speed and distance to further prepare oneself for the upcoming race. Bring on ‘Groundhog day’!

Monday, Mar 21: Scheduled - Barefoot warm-up and Yoga. Actual – Been there, not quite done that, as in missed another chance for yoga redemption. I was caught up in last minute planning for a major fundraising event we were organizing in Toronto so emails and phone calls ate up the hours and I settled for a rest day, well at least rest for my legs!

Tuesday, Mar 12: Scheduled – 3 repeats of 1500m, with an accompaniment of “easy on the speed” to save legs for Sat so once again, only around 4 minutes per km pace.
Actual – Late start as after 21h00 when started on my easy 15 min warm-up around indoor track. Once again I rallied to the cry of “mount the barricades”....errr, what I really meant was back to the treadmill (contraptions most likely designed by aforementioned sadomasochists) for repeat intervals. Finished 3x1500 at sub 4 min/km pace with regular 2 min jog in between each set and once again, felt decent at the end. That wasn’t to be the case come Sunday!

Wednesday, Mar 23: Scheduled – New body weight program; 30 reps.
Actual – back to my strength in running, that is, running for airplanes. Off to Toronto for a couple of days, specifically for event on Thursday so 05h30 departure from condo that saw me survive Calgary airport overrun with stressed out parents, excited yet exhausted children in tow, as it was start of spring break and families were frantic to escape the clutches of Calgary’s winter. Eventually I arrived in Toronto late afternoon in midst of snowstorm and mused that I could likely maintain the same pace running as I was experiencing driving down the 427 into the city!
Thursday, Mar 24: Scheduled - 8 km run at target marathon pace).
Actual – Did exactly that, 8km at target marathon pace so done after 37 minutes or so. Only disappointing part was ran on treadmill again as although bright and sunny outside, the path along Lake Ontario was covered in snow and ice that was treacherous to navigate. Run was a good warm-up for the event that evening at the Magna Golf Club as it felt intense.

Friday, Mar 25: Scheduled - Yoga.
Actual – After a few morning meetings in Toronto, it was another day of travel as I flew back to Calgary. Let’s call it a day of rest?

Saturday, Mar 26: Scheduled - Can use this day to make up workouts or X-train day.
Actual – It was essentially a repeat of previous week as still moving houses: more “up-and-down stairs and in-and-out of garages” as we moved numerous boxes and ‘stuff’ from Lisa’s place to my house. Told you it was like Groundhog Day!

Sunday: Mar 20 Scheduled – 35km, last long training run before race.
Actual – Starting off at the crack of dark, well perhaps slightly later than that as it was after 7:00am by time I stumbled out into yet once again, a fresh layer of snow in Calgary. The Maple Leafs will be golfing soon so spring in Canada must be on its way?! After 7 straight days of something called “snow grains” and fog, sunshine seemed a distant memory, which is rare in ‘sunny’ Calgary. People were becoming a tad cranky as the novelty of fresh, crisp snow has long lost its appeal in these here parts.

No birds up at his point so settled for Guangzhou bird from Games opening ceremony to brighten the day

I know another long run on icy, snow covered paths didn’t hold a magical appeal with me anymore but I did convince myself to look at the bright side by using solid Canadian logic, “well at least it’s not -25C”. The first hour involved running to the meeting point where the dependable CRR Old Dawgs gathered for yet another long Sunday run; just over an hour in a pack of seven running zealots; a wee ways as a group of three; then the final last hour on my own, shuffling my sorry old ar?@ back to the rendezvous point. It was the longest I’d ever run on my feet – 3 hours, 14 minutes for 35km in the snowy conditions, which is more than 2 minutes longer than my slowest marathon time...to this point. Boston will not be a ‘PB’, and most likely a ‘PW’ (personal worse as opposed to a personal best) as sometimes you simply have to “have the pluck to suck and set your sights low”! I was pleased as punch to see Lisa waiting in the car for me to drive me home as she had also been out for a run – only an hour or so. Back home, at least home for 4 more days, and after a large breakfast, I started to feel human once again which was good as I had to pack for my flight to London, UK.

Cool down run after the 35m not really necessary – walking seemed strenuous at this point

5 Weeks to go, Mar 14-20: Feeling like a runner again, sort of.... (Scheduled total of 48 km or 30 miles)

Even though I was introduced to running for the sake of all its benefits during the 1970’s “jogging craze” by my junior high phys-ed teacher, Mr. Vince Ryan, and running has basically been a part of my life for the last 40 years because of all the great paybacks, there are times when running has been a struggle for me. When I say struggle, I mean everything from finding the motivation to get out the door for a few miles after an extended period away from regular exercise, to modifying expectations of performance based on fitness level and effort, to dealing with nagging pains, assorted ailments and the occasional injury. And that certainly includes even in the midst of training for a marathon.

This week saw both moments of struggle, with various aches and pains and disappointing performance, to those sublime moments when all seems absolutely perfect with running; when it’s a visceral experience of rhythmic motion with graceful foot-falls providing a gentle cadence to accompany the relaxed breathing as one almost glides along effortlessly over the terrain. It’s the latter that has kept me engaged as a runner ever since Pierre Elliot Trudeau was first elected....and that is a long time ago! Perhaps I should add running to my list of things such as horse racing and romance where I’ve always said that no matter how bad it gets, there are always enough of the good moments to keep you coming back for more?!

To switch up the nature of the blog yet once again, this week I’ll still do the high level overview of the week but will expand on a couple of the days and their special offerings plus add a short section at the end on the life lessons that running provides. As I’m typing this, I can’t believe how sore my butt cheeks are parked on this chair – seems the 32km run yesterday discovered some more muscle groups to remind me that it indeed was a long, arduous run around Glenmore reservoir and beyond!



Monday, Mar 14: Scheduled - Barefoot warm-up and Yoga.
Actual – I looked at the yoga video on the web, curious as to how the instructor could actually get up and walk after some of the contortions she performed. Thought about it, deeply and almost zen like, then settled for a gentle 10-12 minutes of stretching on the living room floor. Yoga will be by next regime, after this marathon, so that I can get some flexibility back and hopefully stay active well into my octogenarian years! The barefoot warm-up, intended to get me to regain a “true” running form, would wait until time at the gym on Tuesday.



Tuesday, Mar 15: Scheduled – 3 repeats of 1000m, easy on the speed to save legs for Sat so around 4 minutes per km pace.
Actual – Easy 15 min warm-up around indoor track with a couple of strides barefoot that did draw a few looks, I think mainly from those concerned about the laundry aspect of cleaning white socks after exposure to the track. On to the treadmill for 3x1000 at sub 4 min/km pace (3:57,3:57, and 3:52) with 2 min jog in between each set and was feeling good, like a “real runner” so did a bonus of 1x500m at 3:45 pace (6 minute mile). On Sunday, that phrase about ‘saving the legs for long run’ came back to haunt me – the 500m likely not necessary.

Wednesday: Mar 16 Scheduled – New body weight program; 30 reps but only one set, light and fast.
Actual – time a bit tight with trip in evening to airport so rather than gym, this one easy enough to do at home so a light body workout at condo for 25 minutes, basically using own body weight for resistance doing step-ups, squats, and push-ups. Although with right shoulder too sore / damaged to do push-ups, basically became a leg workout routine.

Thursday: Mar 17 St. Patrick’s Day! Scheduled - 10 km aerobic run after barefoot, heart rate zone 1 (easy pace).
Actual – Incredible how ones’ day can get sucked into the vortex of working on the laptop while balancing off other things! And Thursday was a very special day being St. Patrick’s so just had to schedule in a late lunch with a few of the guys at a local Irish pub; in my case, a bit due to genetics and a lot due to namesake, so it just wouldn’t be right for me to ignore the celebration. Can you consider one pint of ‘Genius’, errrr, Guiness, carb loading? And yes my friends, it was just one pleasant pint. Of course, a good friend of mine said that’s why he doesn’t run: running makes his beer foam! The extra hour of socializing mid-day did shift the schedule back so after yet another quick trip to airport in early evening, the run was going to be later than planned, or hoped. It was nearly 10h30pm when I threw on the toque and headed off into the suburban hills of south-west Calgary under a bright, waning gibbous moon. At least the streets were well lit and very quiet on this particular winter night.

Heading north I made my way to my “old friend”, the Elkton Road hill which provided a good kick start to the run. As I often do, I made the run dual-purpose, not only for training and the associated health benefits (great mental rejuvenation) but also making it utilitarian as I used the time on my feet to scout out the neighbourhood for houses. We’ve been looking at places to live and nothing like a late night run through a neighbourhood to get a feel for noise levels and activity. Seems the only place that was reasonably lively was a pub in the local shopping plaza where everyone was celebrating being Irish, knowing someone Irish or more likely, simply celebrating having a reason to celebrate. I thought that it made for an interesting juxtaposition; revellers staggering out of the pub as I ran past in full stride, they looking as if walking was a significant challenge and the lone runner, eating up the parking lot with sure strides across the frozen asphalt.

Rounding the corner off 34th Ave to head south along 69th St, my pace unconsciously picked up slightly for I was about to hit a long, gentle downhill and it was also the case of the proverbial ‘horse heading to the barn’ syndrome. Then, quite more dramatically, I slowed then stopped abruptly, as I was about to cross paths with a critter that should cause anyone or anything to beat a hasty retreat: there in the middle of the sidewalk was no common black and white house cat, but rather a nocturnal skunk and one apparently none too pleased with my sudden appearance. Now this was slightly new, although I’ve encountered lots of wildlife during the course of my runs in and around Calgary over the years, it was my first encounter with a skunk in the middle of a sidewalk. No, not a “dead skunk in the middle of the road”…. Fortunately I was looking well ahead along my path, allowing enough time for instinct and knowledge to come to the fore. I quickly backed up a few paces and abandoned ‘Peppy la Phew’ to his own piece of real estate, crossing the street to an olfactory safe zone. Hey, this old farm boy knows when he’s ‘outgunned’!

I must say that an appearance of one of the ubiquitous neighbourhood jack rabbits bounding out from a backyard near the end of my 11km run caught my attention but fortunately, he had no large tail raised in defiance. Another safe run under the belt!

Friday: Mar 18 Scheduled - Yoga.
Actual – Ooooops, how about a day of rest?

Saturday: Mar 19 Scheduled - Can use this day to make up workouts or X-train day.
Actual – Not really formal cross-training but several hours of up-and-down stairs and in-and-out of garages as I started moving stuff from Lisa’s place to my house. We have to be out of the condo by the 31st and as I’m pretty scarce the next week or two, it was a rare chance to move a few things. The big items will be for the movers as no sense dropping a couch on my foot at this point.

Sunday: Mar 20 Scheduled – 32km with first 10km in heart rate zone 1-2, then remainder at Zone 2-3 (4.8-4.9 min/km).
Actual – Starting off at 7:15am in the dark, with 2-3cm of fresh snow, it struck me that even though Sundays are the most popular day for long runs, there were very few out and about and nary a dog walker. I was also thinking that ‘making fresh tracks’ has a whole different emotive appeal when skiing in the mountains rather than running on city sidewalks.

After an hour by myself, I circled back to the coffee shop in Glenmore landing and met up with the “Old Dawgs”, pleased to have a couple of the old boys company for the next hour and a half. The run felt very long and slow, finishing the 32km (20 miles) in 2h51min which was about 20 min slower than this same length training run back in 2009. Seemed to be one of those performance disappointments I mentioned although it didn’t put a damper on the breakfast after; funny, it never really does!

Back home I’ve never been a fan of the ice cold baths to soothe the legs so settled for a hot shower followed by couch time with my two old friends -- the two tubs of water, smoking hot and ice cold – to treat my sore right heel. My legs seemed heavy yet gelatinous the rest of the day, like walking on elephant legs made from jello; so perhaps the ice cold bath after the long run is the answer? Then again, lowering the legs into the ice cold bath doesn’t seem to be nearly as daunting as getting the rest of the attached bits lowered into the freezing water?! Colonoscopies are one thing, physicals another, but easing one’s lower body into a tub of ice water...brrrr, jello legs it is!

(If you’re a fan of Dave Barry’s hilarious writing, check out his take on colonoscopies at http://slowasiceberg.blogspot.com/2008/11/colonoscopy-humour.html)

Running’s Life Lessons:
Just a couple to start, as final ‘take-aways’ this week and I don’t mean ‘take-aways’ as in greasy fish’n’chips’ or equivalent from a fry shop in the UK. Even though I’ve been known to sample fares from a fair few fast food joints during the course of my years of travel, a steady diet of them is not good unless one is looking to achieve the first three letters of diet a little more quickly…if you get my drift.

1) Change it up: Doing the same thing over-and-over makes you very good at that particular thing as physically and mentally, you adapt specifically to that activity. So if you always run 5km at lunch or always cycle for an hour in the evening, you’ll be good at those but likely poor at other distances or other activities. Change it up; variety broadens your base fitness and ability to do other things. Go ahead, try something new, perhaps train for a half-marathon….


2) Eat a healthy breakfast: Too obvious? Mum was right; it is the most important meal of the day. A bit of protein, few carbs and you help your body recover from its overnight fast and fire it up for the day ahead. And sorry, the double-double with two doughnuts doesn’t count as a healthy breakfast, unless you’re talking double poached eggs with doughnut shaped porridge as a chaser.

6 Weeks to go, Mar 7-13: “No man is an island...” (Scheduled total of 35 km or 22 miles)

Perhaps my sub-titles are occasionally a bit too obtuse, especially when I don’t connect the title or elaborate on it later in the text of the blog? For instance, last week, probably only a few connected “Strange things done in the midnight sun”, part of a line from the Robert W. Service poem ‘The Cremation of Sam McGee’, to the bone-chilling runs endured during the first week of March in Calgary where “If our eyes we'd close, then the lashes froze till sometimes we couldn't see....” Not quite as cold as the midnight cross-country ski outing a couple of us undertook under the northern lights in the north-west corner of Alberta in ’82, but dang, last week it was rather chilly running!

And this week, the title refers to lines from John Donne’s work from 1624 that speaks of how others’ death, and for me it extends to others’ sufferings, “diminishes” us all. My runs were poignant reflections on the tragedies that have recently unfolded; my thoughts heavy with concerns for friends and strangers alike in New Zealand still dealing with their earthquake tragedy and of course, profoundly troubled by the horrific events that have occurred in Japan, a combination of multiple disasters difficult to even comprehend let alone watch, actually being stupefied by the images beamed live into ones’ living room.

I have such fond memories of both countries, indeed New Zealand which has always felt like my second home after several long trips going back as far as 1978-79 when I spent 6 months there; while Japan is a place I’ve visited at least six times and where I was always treated so graciously, experiencing hospitality difficult to describe with its complex simplicity and subtleties. Add to this mix the troubles in North Africa, including the protests in Egypt earlier in the year, which was again personal for I lived in Cairo in 1996 and still have friends there; and I felt besieged by the difficulties of others, people I felt connected to for having spent part of my life in their countries. I know that it means everyone must get on with life and that for so many, to get through their living hell they simply need to keep going, but it is sad to bear witness to so much tragedy around the world. It also causes pause to reflect on blessings, providing an undeniable perspective of just how amazing and good life is on a regular basis for so many of us! My heart goes out to all of those suffering for certainly no man, no person, is an island unto themselves if they have a soul.



One of my favourite personal running stories from Japan took place when I was in Nagano as the Canadian team Chef de Mission at the 1998 Paralympic Winter Games. As part of my routine to maintain somewhat of an even keel during an extraordinarily exciting yet frenetic schedule, I tried to get out for a short run on a daily basis. One early morning my route took me out to the fringes of the city and there I soon was, navigating between rice paddies and fields of vegetables on the outskirts of Nagano. Hopping on to one of the paths that criss-crossed the patch-work of tiny fields, more like garden plots in size, I noticed a shoe had become untied so I stopped to tie-up the offending lace. Next thing I know, a woman who was working in the field was racing towards me yelling something in Japanese, so I quickly stood up leaving the laces dangling on to the muddy path. Afraid I was trespassing or in some other way causing a personal affront, I awaited for what I was sure to be a serious scolding. To my surprise, she dropped down on one knee and started typing up my shoe. Now this exact type of thing had happened to me previously in Japan, although it was a very distinguished business man on a commuter train, so I was only momentarily surprised before I launched into my protestations regarding my capability to tie my own shoes despite having only my right hand. She was having none of it! How silly a scene it must have been, me gently pulling this elderly women to her feet, only to then bump heads with her as we both dropped on bended knee to tie-up my shoe. After a few repeats of this Laurel and Hardy routine, I was wise enough to relent to her assistance, an offer of kindness that I simply needed to accept. After lots of bowing, several ‘domo aragatos’ on my part and numerous waves, I was back on my way, my steps lightened by this simple interaction that brought a huge smile to my face, just as it does now thinking about it again.

And what about my marathon training, you ask? For a bit of a change-up, this weeks’ blog provides a simple overview of my week of training, a short description of what the training plan called for and what was actually accomplished. In my case for this year, they are certainly not exactly the same which is typical for those who have competing priorities, nursing ailments, are not full-time athletes or perhaps have adjusted their goals for undertaking a marathon? Many people avoid tackling a formal training plan for they think that to not follow it exactly means failure rather than recognizing it is all about best efforts and flexibility.

Monday, Mar 7: Scheduled - barefoot warm-up and Yoga for flexibility. Actual – took day off although some stretching at home and even tried a bit of yoga that friend sent me a link for and found “downward dog” more fun to say than to actually do!

Tuesday, Mar 8: Scheduled - 7 x 1000m speed, sub 4'/km. Actual – Rt. leg very sore, from hip to heel. Took extra day rest, rescheduled speed workout for Wednesday.

Wednesday: Scheduled - Suppose to be the rescheduled 7x 1000m. Actual – Time squeeze at club as treadmills full when I arrived so easy 3km on very curvy track then 4x1000m at sub 4'/km before having to leave to get to Joel’s hockey final (they won city championships for tier 3 midget hockey.)

Thursday: Scheduled - 10 km aerobic run after barefoot. Actual – Did x-training at gym - 35 min on bike, 15 min light run on track as was registered in a race on Saturday.

Friday: Scheduled - Yoga. Actual – Never have made effort to get to a yoga class for this program and typically do some light stretching, more like a day of rest.

Saturday: Scheduled - Can use this day to make up workouts or X-train day. Actual – Switched with aerobic run scheduled on Thursday. Did a St. Patrick’s day 10km race instead of tempo. Front ran the first 8km but no response when three surged ahead, settled for 4th place. Toughest 44 min 10km I've ever run, likely due to “detour” near start where we were sent wrong way and had t back track?!!

Sunday: Scheduled – Being a rest week, easy 14km with target heart rate zone of 1-2. Actual – Springbank Hill “hood” in SW Calgary overlooking the Elbow River Valley. Completed 15.0 km (9.4 mi) in 1h18:30,. A tad slow on the slush and dodging puddles as a Chinook had moved in so nice and warm at +8C...actually ran in shorts, woo-hooh!!


And just so you don’t have to search for John Donne’s poem, here is a copy. And perhaps do stop to say thank you for all that you have in yor life and to send thoughts and prayers to those who have such heavy burdens.....

“No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.” John Donne, 1624

7 Weeks to go, Feb 28-Mar 6: “Strange things done in the midnight sun....” (Scheduled total of 50 km or 31 miles)

Rather than attempt to wax on eloquently with running musings for this week, the highlights of the marathon training plan for these seven days will be relatively short. I have settled into the pattern of the “less is more” training plan so the “ground hog week” of a speed day, a tempo run and a long run inter-dispersed with a couple of cross-training sessions have become familiar, if not quite comfortable. As one might expect, weather becomes a dominant element when training for a marathon in the midst of a Canadian winter. On that front, this week was rather notable!

As much as the cold weather this year in Calgary has become far too routine, my trips to the Calgary airport have become even more regular. Between my travel and Lisa’s job as a flight attendant, I made 4 return trips across the city to the airport away in the north-east. Perhaps all I really do need is a storage place and access to a shower at Calgary International! So what did the week hold in store...?


Monday and Tuesday ended up becoming quasi-rest days, the Monday planned that way, the Tuesday a case of circumstances and adjusting to other demands on time. I’m not going to admit that the -29C on Tuesday morning affected my decision in any way but did think that although I’d been lucky not to contract the cold everyone in the house and around me seemed to have, I had the start of a sore throat so felt a day of rest was better than pushing the old body. Pushed the speed-work back to Wednesday and stayed inside the condo. Seemed to work as by end of week, was feeling 100% healthy, other than the sore legs!

Wednesday I was in Vancouver for late afternoon meetings so after checking in to the hotel and prior to board meeting, I fit in the speed workout along part of the magnificent seawall. Stepping back outside, the +8C was a most welcome change from the -35C wind chill I left behind in Calgary although Mother Nature had a small surprise in store during the run. After a 15 minute warm-up, I started in on the 6 x 1000m repeats with a 2 minute jog recovery in between, heading towards the Stanley Park beaches for the first three 1km repeats then turning around to finish the last three coming back along English Bay. The first four I hit my target time of sub-4 minute /km pace but the last two, the surprise was delivered in the form of gale force winds and rain. Head down, pushing hard into the wind, my last 1000m took an exhausting 4min50sec. Not sure who dislikes the wind more, runners or cyclists? In either case, there may have been just one or two expletives escaping my lips as I made my way back to the Burrard Bridge!

Thursday was originally to be a 9km run but had modified plan so day was taken up with meetings and traveling back to still very chilly “Cowtown”. Friday was now the 9km aerobic run so Friday afternoon I headed off at 16h30 in the -16C temperature, minding my footfall as snow now covered patches of ice. As I slipped into the Canadian winter running mode -- the unconscious drop of your backside to lower centre of gravity and a quasi-bow legged stance -- it struck me that it was a long ways from the west coast, let alone Hawaii! 53 minutes and 10.25km (6.4 mi) later, I was back in the warm confines of the house, pulling the frost off my eyelashes and muttering thanks for central heating.



Sunday heralded in another day of LSD; and it ended up being Long, Slow and involving some Distance. Thankfully I met up with the “Old Dawgs” long standing Sunday morning running group at 08h30 as setting out for a 29km run on a -17C morning (-25C wind chill), I definitely needed the psychological warmth of a group. Six hearty souls started out with one dropping off after only 2 km or so due to nagging injury and another, being simply wiser or less stubborn than rest, after 10km. The four of us ambled along over the fresh powder covering the running paths, noting how quite it was along those paths for usually on any given Sunday, the paths are busy thoroughfares with runners, walkers and cyclists, even in the winter. The wind chill and fresh snow obviously a deterrent to many on this particular morning.

During the run, guys being guys, I took my share of well meaning “abuse” from the veterans about my pace as, by far, I had the slowest PB in a marathon with a “pedestrian” 3hr4min time back in 2000. The other guys had all run several sub-three hour marathons and now a couple consider 42km simply not a long enough test so have turned to ultra-marathons of 50, 80 and 100km in length. Lord please protect me from any such foolish thought! After 15km we were back at the meeting spot in Inglewood and there we parted ways as I still had 14km to complete so undertook the last half of run solo. I had brought a couple running gels, sticky energy in a foil pack, to help me for second half of run although had no water to wash them down, not because I had forgot but because it had frozen solid in the water bottles in my running belt. The solution was running with one bottle at a time tucked in my waist band, where the heat from my lower back melted the ice enough so I could actually open the bottle and then get a sip of water. You should have heard the hoots of derision from the boys over that ‘rookie’ mistake; bottles too small and no electrolytes to act as anti-freeze....tut-tut! Before I parted from the group, I’m not sure I gained much running credibility when I said that I had borrowed my girlfriend’s running belt?! Good buddies, always good for a laugh or two!

8 Weeks to go, Feb 21-Feb 27: Running around the world (Scheduled total of 34 km or 21 miles)

Monday, Feb 21: Up in the air...Calgary to Lausanne via London Heathrow
Exactly eight weeks to go to race day; half way through my 16 week training plan and the days are racing by faster than my tempo runs. In midst of the endurance-lactate threshold phase, this is a “recovery week” in that the long weekend run coming up is only 14km and I’m actually enjoying the anticipation of a shorter sojourn on the running path, where ever that may be, come the weekend. Funny how quickly things become relative as not too long ago, a 14km run sounded like a long ways to haul ones’ body over hill and dale!

Taking stock, the “old body” is hanging in there although lots of familiar aches have re-introduced themselves after a few weeks of increasing mileage and effort. All good, although the niggly-wiggly right Achilles and heel remind me to take care of the legs with more stretching, and alternating ice cold – hot foot baths after the long runs. Ah yes, stretching, never has been one of my strong points through my athletic life and it has become my personal Achilles heel. Mentally I remind myself to take care of the details, focus on the daily things to accomplish and the results will take care of themselves on April 18 in Boston. A detail I need to add is a stretching routine.



Certainly didn’t spend any time stretching on AC850, the 8+ hour flight from Calgary to London, other than stretching the legs in the “pod” up in business class while taking in a movie. Did pause to reflect on how “everything is amazing yet no one is happy” lounging in my seat with 35000 feet of empty space between my backside and the deep blue sea. Of course, it was even easier to enjoy a moment of reflection while sipping a glass of wine that accompanied my dinner of black cod, as I was fortunate enough to get an upgrade and enjoyed the spoils of sitting up front. And trust me, I truly appreciate the “spoiled” factor as I’ve spent a lot of time travelling by some rather dubious means including on airlines flying aircraft apparently held together by duct tape with flight attendants possessing commando like personalities. “Ask for water and I’ll slap you sideways...now let me get back to polishing my nails...!” Ahhh, yes, the days of working in the former Soviet Union where planes on the Department of Foreign Affairs ‘Do Not Fly list’ are in abundant supply. Business class on Air Canada is rather sweet!

It seems that the most difficult part of my enterprise activities for the last thirty years, either paid or volunteer, has been simply getting there. Whether a ten hour drive across the frozen prairies of Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, or thirty hours in transit to get to the distant steppes of Kazakhstan, significant travel times have always been an integral part of my life journey. The years of experience has allowed me to develop reasonable coping skills for travel and once on the ground in London, I simply flipped my mind to neutral and navigated the maze of London Heathrow airport, from the tired and dishevelled Terminal 3 to the gleaming expanse of Terminal 5, the latest addition to the sprawling airport complex west of London.


So, eight weeks, give or take a few hours based on time zone difference, and here I sit in Terminal 5 at London Heathrow airport tapping away on my laptop keyboard. Check my training schedule and make mental note as to when I will fit in the next training run amidst the meetings with the IOC at their headquarters in Lausanne, specifically at Le château de Vidy. It’s all about making the best use of time available.

Tuesday, Feb 22: Lady of the Lake in Lausanne?
The day started off poignantly with the news from Christchurch, NZ and the devastating earthquake. I was riveted to the TV before breakfast as I have a couple of very close friends who live there and a number of great Kiwi friends. It’s always an attention getter in life when these things happen as you realize how fragile and unpredictable life can be. Best make the most of it -- daily! (Later did hear from friends that although their house sustained some major damage, they were all right and generally fared much better than so many. Still, it was a powerfully emotional, harrowing experience for thousands and an event that will take years for NZ to recover from in a number of ways.)

The training no longer about simple endurance but now about pushing my lactate threshold, that is, the ability to run faster longer or more practically, stretching the time and distance you can run before you feel like throwing up. Therefore, speed intervals are on the schedule. Staying in a hotel across from Le Port d’Ouchy on the lake front of Lausanne, I exited lobby, turned left and followed the lake front towards Quai d’Ouchy. It felt rather warm at 9C and the bit of drizzle didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for a run involving fewer layers of clothing. The picture below is what the Quai d’Ouchy looks like on a nice sunny day, not quite the case for my run.

As I came around the corner, I ran into a unique statue of a nude young lady; not sure who she represents but a tourist from Belgium thought that a picture with her was absolutely necessary. As I was in the middle of a lerisurely 15-20 minute warm-up, the tourist stops were fun to accomodate. After the photo-op, I continued east along Quai d’Ouchy towards the Olympic Museum which I made my turn-around spot, finishing my warm up back at the port.


From there it was westward doing 1km interval repeats: a km at or just under 4 minute pace with 2 minutes walk / jog recovery, repeating 4 more times for a total of 5 km at cruise pace. Rough calculations told me that this was about 25% slower than the 1km repeats I was doing training back in the 90’s but I was also 40% older, 10% heavier and at least 50% busier. Reminded myself with my inside voice to keep perspective always and try to focus on the moment, constantly. The cool down run back to hotel was a nice way to end the afternoon, a run generally a great antidote to the effects of jet lag....what ever that is?! And called both Lac Léman and Lake Geneva, I’m left wondering what the preferred name is, thinking that may depend upon your nationality.


Thursday, Feb 24: “Home” in London
Used Wednesday as a rest day and a catch up day with friends: breakfast at the “Swiss Chalet” (not like the chain restaurant in Canada) at the Geneva airport and fish’n’chips with ubiquitous English pint at the Sawyer’s Arms’s in Paddington, London. Thursday meant back to the training, so off on an out-and-back circular 9.5km through Kensington Garden, Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James Park in front of Buckingham Palace. I had booked the day off from work so it was a leisurely 09h15 start from my hotel in the Bayswater area for the approximate 55minutes of running including short warm-up and cool-down segments.


When you pay attention to your surroundings, there are constant reminders just how fortunate one is and how many we owe so much to over the years for our way of life. Crossing into Green Park, I paused for a moment of reflection in front of a monument to 49076 Royal Artillery Regiment members killed in WWI! The staggering loss of life in so many horrific wars across the millennium is incomprehensible, both morally and mathematically. It struck me, not for the first time, that we have so much to learn as a species, hopefully the lessons learned before we exterminate ourselves. I appreciated the opportunity to complete a tempo run even that much more as I continued on my way.


Later in the afternoon, after a brunch on Queensway in Bayswater, I took the “Tube” to Victoria Station, a place I’m rather familiar with having first journeyed through there in July, 1976 and have made countless trips transiting via Victoria station in the heart of London. Followed my routine of buying a baguette for the 1h45min train trip south to Bognor Regis, to be accompanied by a cup of tea on board, and a read of a good book (far better than reading a bad book!) to enhance the rail experience.


Saturday, Feb 26: “Another second home”, the seaside “resort” of Bognor Regis
This weekend was certainly a contrast in activities and excitement. Friday saw my butt parked in a chair for over 7 hours catching up on email, while on Sunday my butt was parked on an Air Canada flight back to Calgary. On Saturday, my butt was hardly parked at all for it was the day for a scheduled long run, this one an easy recovery run of only 14km (9 miles) that took me back along the English Channel coast for a few miles, followed by a late afternoon rugby match at Twickenham Stadium in London watching England defeat France 17-9 in a Six Nations rugby match. A rather stellar weekend all round!


Familiar to me in so many ways, I headed west from Felpham along the Bognor seafront and out through the villages of Aldwick and Bersted. Typically, English towns and cities certainly aren’t laid out in a grid fashion as in North America but rather follow creeks, coasts, hills and fences, collective boundaries set so long ago which is my explanation (excuse?) for a couple of wrong turns that morning. Turned out rather well though as my unplanned route took me past the church my parents were married in back in 1946, when Canadian soldiers were making a habit of bringing back English “war-brides”, and from the view of the steeple I knew it was past the thatched roof, a left turn at the pink pub and I was good for the return stretch. The soft sands exposed by low tide made for a very pleasant finish, just me and the seagulls enjoying the soft light of the sunny morning, my biggest worry was to not tear a groin hurdling the groins or what one might call an erosion preventing sea wall.

And to finish off the Saturday morning run in Bognor, well of course a full English fry-up breakfast at Rick’s Cafe. Not what’d you consider ‘health food’; definitely high-calorie comfort food which was a satisfying change from the numerous porridge breakfasts I’ve ‘chowed down’ before or after a long run. It was perfect!

9 Weeks to go, Feb 14-Feb 20: “Blue Bird” Alpine skies (Scheduled total of 45 km or 28 miles)

Monday, Feb 14: Valentine’s Day, Toronto to Calgary
The traditional day of love so thought I’d show my legs a bit of love and give them the day off. They certainly seemed to appreciate the rest, especially my right Achilles / heel which always let me know their displeasure with the extra running I’m logging these days. They’ll get over it; only 9 more weeks before some serious recovery time. Today the 4.5 hour flight back west made for some “forced time” off the feet.

Tuesday, Feb 15: Bonding time and the occasional harshness of life
I opted for a social night of basketball with the old gang as my cross-training session. Still a physically demanding couple of hours yet re-energizing, as sharing time with old friends always is. During the après-basketball, one of the guys shared horrific ‘news’ that an old friend, one who I had been very close to but who I’d lost touch with a few years ago, had been killed last year in an accident. Poignant, sad...the ice fog that descended over Calgary as I drove home suited my temperament.Wednesday, Feb 16: Even the best plans....
Speed-work scheduled but over-run with email, phone calls and admin during the day and then family hockey night at local arena as playoffs begin took precedence over appointment with a treadmill. Signals my shoulder is sending me basically means the end of basketball for this year; take a hint Pat and stop pushing the strain on the old wing. I make plans to try for a double work-out tomorrow, a speed session in morning and a 9km run. Use to be quite common in my “days gone by” but days of two-a-day may have gone by me?!

Thursday, Feb 17: What was I thinking?!
Didn’t quite achieve what I’d hoped for as wanted to do the 4x1000m speed workout in am on the treadmill then a 9 km aerobic run in the evening but “trying to make up missed sessions” a silly game. Managed to complete 2x1km at 3'50 pace with a decent warm-up and cool-down including ‘body weight’ routine (no free weights) at Rec centre early in the a.m. Mini-vacation for Family Day weekend so up to the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis for a few days. After late afternoon arrival, completed 3x2.25km on treadmill at 4'15 to 4'20/km pace. Not sure what was more challenging, the high humidity and extremely warm exercise room next to the hot pool or watching everyone sip their cool drinks lounging around the pools?!

Friday, Feb 18: Protecting the ego on the ski slopes
Up to Nakiska on Mt. Allan for a few hours of skiing from 12h00 on; the -18C detracting from too early a start or was it the wisdom of middle age over the energy of youth? The sunshine certainly beckoned but the cold temps did keep one’s attention while cruising down the hill. Of course, being I was skiing with Lisa, the boys (15 and 10) and their cousin (19), I was making sure to keep up and every now and then, push things just a little in an effort to demonstrate that the “old guy” could still turn the boards. At the end of the day, it was Lisa, Keaton (10) and I who took the final run on the hill, chilling the face to point of numbness but at least it was big smiles frozen on our faces. What a great day on the hill!


Saturday, Feb 19: “Blue Bird” day in the Kananaskis Valley
As I was travelling to Lausanne, Switzerland on Sunday, I needed to get the LSD run in on Saturday which meant giving up another day on the ski slopes, based on time required to finish the run and fact the legs probably would not likely have appreciated the skis after the long run. It was just a hunch! I’ve run in a lot of places across the country and around the world but few can much the scenery of the Rocky Mountains along Hwy 40 in the Kananaskis valley, especially on a day like Feb 19th with the cerulean blue skies framing the snow covered peaks. It was a big sky day with the blue color so vivid that it was almost mesmerizing.

Blue Bird day in the Kananaskis valley

I headed down the hill (ooops, doesn’t make for a good finish), feeling bulky with the number of clothing layers I had on to protect against the -18C chill, then out to the highway, turning north to put in 12.5 km to the mid-point of run. Mt. Kidd behind me was stunning in the bright sunshine while Mt. Lorette was a beacon guiding me down the road. This section of the road is very familiar to me as I’ve run it a couple of times during various editions of the Kananaskis relay race held every June, today was just a lot quieter and certainly lonelier. As much as I find long runs calming, there comes a point where company is a huge asset mentally.

Along Highway 40

Just before the mid-point, Lisa’s brother-in-law dropped her off to join me for the return journey, bringing an energy bar for nutrition and her enthusiasm for mental sustenance. We were constantly taken aback by the post-card scenery that witnessed our barely perceptible progress through the grand landscape. Can’t say that it made the run any easier, just more visually enjoyable and by the time we crossed the bridge over the river and hit the long hill at the end, I was pretty much done. Just over two hours running seemed enough on this day. It was a beautiful place to run 25 km (15.6mi) but it was still 25km of running. Dinner seemed particularly good that evening; not to mention the cold beer.

10 Weeks to go, Feb 7-13: ‘Cowtown’ to ‘Hogtown’ (Scheduled total of 38 km or ~24 miles)

Monday, Feb 7: Winter in Calgary; Canada Games kick-off in Halifax
I had really hoped to get down to Halifax for the Canada Winter Games for several reasons, including the number of great sport friends that would be there but it was not to be. I’ve been part of 11 Olympic or Paralympic Games but the Canada Games are something very special; it’s Canadian with a generous helping of youthful exuberance; similar to the fun of a Briar in that all of Canada is represented but less beer and a lot more hair! As I thought, I heard and read nothing else than what a great event it was and how much fun was had by all who were a part of it. I knew that Chris, Lindsay and their team would deliver a stellar event but I was pulled in other directions for the two weeks of the Games.



Speaking of being pulled, my Monday cross-training was different than planned. The 30 minutes on a stationary bike was routine, other than it was one with a video simulating a race where I took great delight in riding “through” virtual riders to detract me from my burning legs, it was the free weight session after that was curtailed. My shoulder, unfortunately the right one, which is my “good one”, requires surgery after years of over-use, pitching baseball and too many tackles in rugby and football...or more likely, chronic overuse on a pc keyboard. Regardless of the source(s), the weight lifting came to an end that day for even the exercises selected for not causing undue strain were giving me some grief. Guess the strengthening of arms and shoulders and pursuit of a svelte physique will have to wait post-surgery.

Tuesday, Feb 8: Back to the treadmill
As much as I loathe treadmills for runs of any distance, they are a great training aid when trying to hit a constant pace (speed) and the footing is far more predictable than on Calgary paths, streets and sidewalks after Chinooks followed by sub-zero temperatures. A week closer to the marathon and according to plan, increases in mileage were on order. After the usual 15 minute warm-up, it was back in place on the belt for 400m intervals but for this session, it was 12 of them. Not pretty, the sweat was flying, possibly causing a few in the gym to pause and reconsider running on the treadmill next to the one I was using. It’s not supposed to be about looking good at the gym, is it? Don’t fret, I do follow hygiene rules and basic etiquette, and most times, my socks are actually a matching pair.

Thursday, Feb 10: running for planes, my specialty
Wednesday, the day after the speed workout and day before the Thursday tempo, involved a couple of nice long walks out in the winter sunshine; a chance to stretch the legs and get some fresh air without too much concern about footing. It was a relaxed affair compared to packing up and heading out the door on Thursday which was another day of travel, flying from YYC (Calgary) to YYZ (Toronto). I’ve been known to cut my departures close and many know me for saying that “if you’ve never missed a flight, then you’re spending too much time at the airport”, but it was the arrival that cramped the schedule more than the departure. Traffic was very heavy on the Gardiner “expressway”, so it was after 6pm when I got settled in downtown, rather than the planned 5h00pm. As I had a dinner meeting at 7h30pm, it became a 'fast ' 7km on treadmill in 24m25s, only 1km less than the scheduled 8km. It was a quality run so wasn’t worried about it being slightly shorter than planned; the 7km tempo suited purpose nicely.

Sunday, Feb 13: Toronto lakeshore breeze
Our planned leisurely Sunday morning after a late night at the annual Great Valentine Gala at the Royal York didn’t materialize although we did manage a relaxed, albeit fast-food, breakfast. Naturally while away from home, Lisa received an offer on her condo so there we were faxing real estate offers back and forth from a local retail office supply store. (Just to add to the marathon training, we’re selling Lisa’s condo; looking to rent out my house; searching for a new place to live; finishing up my term-contract position with the Canadian Paralympic Foundation; looking for a new job back out in Calgary; and planning a September wedding and overseas honeymoon. As they say, bring it on....) There were also several calls to make on other matters including a rather important overseas conference call. For the training schedule, it meant rather than an early Sunday run, it was going to be a late afternoon run, the idea hanging heavy on the day.

With most major tasks, whether physically daunting, mentally challenging or both, it’s always best to tackle them early for the anticipation of the task becomes a burden distinct and unto itself. Typically, the thought of what needs to be done is fare worse than the actual undertaking itself; reality rarely ever meeting or exceeding the expectations that one creates and builds upon in their mind. The same goes for long training runs, so I always prefer to get them done early in the day. Once out I quite enjoy the run itself, especially when with company: it’s the thinking about it that I’m not so keen on.

The sun was already low in the sky -- not that it ever gets that far above the horizon in the great white north in February – when we headed west along Queens Quay to pick up the lakeshore path. It was +2C so reasonably warm but the wind was howling from the west and as it came in off the lake, it carried a very chilly edge, pretty much like an icicle knife that cut through the best intentioned running apparel! One of the safety precautions for winter running is to always start out into the wind and then return with it at your back, not because you can use the injection of energy towards the end but rather to prevent hypothermia as the difference in heat loss is staggering. So west it was, into the teeth of what they were calling a ‘breeze’, a rather formidable impediment to speedy progress but good for endurance training.

As we turned the corner in the park, we caught the spectacle of Lake Ontario angrily churning in the wind, the waters whipped into an eerie greeny-grey with white crested waves battering any and all obstacles. Further along, the waves were crashing over the breakwaters near the rowing club, coating the cement barriers with frigid spray that quickly froze in place creating the most fanciful ice formations. The resulting ice “carvings”, natural ones created by the wind, were as striking as any I’d seen made by the hands of an artisan with a chisel. The work of art in progress provided an inspiring backdrop as we chugged our way along the path.

At 3.5miles, Lisa reached her target and turned back for the condo while I continued on west, heading for the shelter of High Park where I was hoping the woods would provide a respite from the arctic inspired ‘breeze’. As soon as I entered the winter wonderland of the park, the wind seemed to abate and I was left to enjoy a much more relaxed run through the park. Being that it was relatively warm with the paths being sheltered from the wind, it was a busy day in the park with lots of people out enjoying the end of the day, walking dogs, skating or wandering around Grenadier Pond. As I completed my loop around the park and turned to retrace my steps back through the park, out to the lakeshore and east along the path, the sun was disappearing below the horizon.



One hour, 45 minutes and I had completed the scheduled run: 21.1km (13.2 miles) was in the books. Felt quite tired at the end, the legs not easily coaxed into repeating additional steps but another goal was accomplished and I was one step closer to a fun marathon race in April. An evening of dining in front of the TV, watching the 2010 Vancouver Games anniversary special, awaited the post-run stretch and shower. Were the 2010 Games really over a year ago? Nearly nine years being involved with this particular version of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and just like the long-run, it was fast becoming a distant memory.

11 Weeks to go, Jan 31-Feb 6: Winter rules; tropics call once again (Scheduled total of 32 km or 20 miles)

Wednesday, Feb 2: Dial-up some speed
The “less is more” training program is great in that there is less pounding of the body and it doesn’t take up quite as much time as a program like ‘over distance, over time’, where one spends a lot of time in the runners putting in the mileage and time. Of course, the compromise on less time and distance is an increase in intensity. The other aspect of training for a marathon is again, flexibility in the schedule because sometimes it just makes sense to adjust your schedule for any one of a number of reasons such as injury, sickness, urgent matters that arise including work.

Monday was a day off with just a bit of light stretching and Tuesday involved several lengthy meetings so not home until well after 8pm and nothing to eat since lunch. Life has a way of throwing things at you so rather than complaining, explaining or moaning, do something, be it adjust or take care of it. On an empty stomach, thought that the scheduled workout would suffer in quality with my ‘guts’ rumbling and the energy reserves depleted so I adjusted and moved things back a day.

Then Wednesday rolled around and that meant some speed, or in my case, perhaps not so much “speed” as picking up the pace so that it feels fast, that the legs are being tested and the lungs are working harder. So, a few warm-up laps on the all too curvy track then back on that indefatigable machine, the treadmill and dialled in a 6:00min/mi (3min45 sec/km) and ran off a 400m interval on the belt. After a 60 sec or so rest, I repeated that; then for the last eight 400m intervals, I completed 2 each at a mile/min pace of 5:56; 5:52; 5:49; and 5:45. The best part of the workout, other than finishing and hitting the shower, was the reward of slowing down the treadmill for the recovery pace at the end of each 400m interval. Small things; it’s all about the small things!

Thursday, Feb 3: Choosing play over a workout
Another cross-training day arrived on the schedule and the family was keen on heading up to the Rec Centre for a couple hours to workout. I balked for a moment: work-out, why not simply go have some fun? It seemed strange to me that the 10 and 15 year old boys were talking about a work-out rather than just going up and doing a few activities, something that would be fun and still be great exercise. There was only minimal resistance to my concept of the four of us doing something fun together as a group -- as a family -- and once we were up there at the sport complex; it was indeed, a whole lot of fun. Between badminton and basketball, we paired up and simply “played” and after nearly 2 hours on the gym floor, it seemed that my cross-training needs were more than adequately addressed and more importantly, got to spend some of that elusive quality time with the family.

The change from a structured work-out or training session was a refreshing change, as it’s not so much about what the exercise is, it’s whether one’s choice of exercise is actually fun! It was a simple night out with no real structure or set plans, yet it seemed everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, perhaps I most of all. I’m completely new to the ‘family’ thing in the sense of being a dad like figure, and although I have years and years in as a brother, uncle, and cousin, being a “step-dad” is a whole different facet of family dynamics. And I must admit, one I’m thoroughly enjoying!

Friday, Feb 4: “Slip-sliding away, slip-sliding away”...think Paul Simon
For those who have never experienced Calgary’s whacky winter weather, the first week of February provided an example of its fickle weather patterns. Over the course of the week, the average daily temperature climbed from a numbing -29C on Monday to a balmy +10C on Friday. Oh, how us southern Albertans cherish our Chinooks for their wonderful reprieve from an otherwise harsh winter. Feb 4 was one of those days, the Chinook having delivered a few days of warmth, clearing up the skies and allowing bright sunshine to combat the winter ‘blahs’. Living up to its reputation as a “snow-eater”, a mini-meltdown was in full swing with snow-banks seemingly disappearing one night. Water was running in the street, conspiratorially concealing its frozen cousin lying underneath. After a teleconference working session most of the morning, lunchtime was the opportunity to get out and enjoy the blue skies so off I took for a borderline tempo run for 8km. Borderline in that there was a lot of trepid footfalls on icy surfaces, countered by exuberant hops over small rivulets of water making their way to the Elbow River. Spring like, Mother Nature was taunting us as there was plenty of winter yet to come. But I also had another mini-escape planned....

Late afternoon saw me winging my way south and west back to Hawaii, this time to the idyllic island of Maui. To me, the only thing better than working in the airline industry is to have a significant other that works in the industry as inexpensive flights make for a lot of spontaneous trips. All one needs is time, and a plane going somewhere desirable with an empty seat or two.

Saturday, Feb 5: They paved part of paradise
All alone, the hotel lobby at the Westin Resort made the 6 hours of flying (one-way) almost worthwhile. The waterfall and lagoon that the lobby opened up to provided an incredible tropical ambience although I wrestled whether the live flamingos were a bit over-the-top, or the perfect touch?! Sipping a glass of cold IPA while sitting outside at 11pm in February has a definite appeal, flamingos or not.

Great View from the Hotel Lobby

I modified the schedule again to accommodate a long run in the warmth of Ka’anapali, moving the Sunday long run up a day. It was a gorgeous day, but man, it sure seemed a lot hotter than +27C! To get in the 18km run without repeating the few kms along the sea too many times, I started out on the highway which certainly added to my sense of wilting under the sun with the heat rising off the black pavement. The traffic was also distracting in more ways than one, the noise rather annoying, but I was more on the edge over driving habits as thought that at any moment, I’d have to dive behind a palm tree to prevent becoming a hood ornament for a local preoccupied with his cell phone while driving.

Ka’anapali Beach

After a few km, reason set back in and I made my way back down to the beach, following the boardwalk back to the hotel where Lisa was waiting to join me for the last 9km of the run. We managed to get most of our distance in on the boardwalk, apparently only upsetting a few strollers who seemed disturbed by our running in paradise. Obviously not conditioned for the warmth at this time of year, our faces resembled pomegranates by the time we had returned to our hotel, the exertion in the tropical heat perhaps just a tad too much. A cold shower and breakfast over-looking the ocean soon set things right. After serious re-hydrating, a long walk along the beach watching humpback whales playing off-shore a couple of hundred yards put a nice exclamation mark on this weekend run!

Stretching or holding on for dear life?!

12 Weeks to go: Hawaii 5-0 (Scheduled is a total of 28-30 km or ~17-18 miles)

Monday, Jan 24: Warm run in Hawaii beckons – why not?
Ever stop to think, no; stop to pause and simply appreciate just how good life is? All too often we get caught up in the mundane minutiae of life that we attribute great importance to when in the great scheme of things the things that drive us to distraction are relatively meaningless? I try to stop regularly, just a small pause in the routine of daily activities to say “thank you”, because when you really think about it, things really are rather amazing! Sure, every now and then we get crapped upon by life and we typically all too easily descend into the spiral of “poor me”, but when you stop to put it in to perspective, life -- all ‘n ‘ all -- is rather amazing. Regular runs allow me that perspective; it’s while I’m out putting in the mileage on my pegs that I get the chance to put it all together...this was another splendiferous week!

Ahhhh yes, the marathon training? Things are progressing well even though there are times that the real reason for doing this seems elusive if not obtuse. Then I focus on the fact that it is something that appeals to me personally, that running and physical challenge has been a part of me ever since I can remember and the feeling I get from completing a strenuous run is non-replicable, that it fills me with a sense of accomplishment and general positive feelings. A positive spin on things is important when you’re out freezing your ‘keester’ off and that during the training session, you’re sure that your lungs are going to leak out your nose and it seems so much easier to just quit; it’s then that you want to appreciate all that is good about basic physical exertion.

Monday was a day off except that I was to be doing yoga as part of my flexibility conditioning. Flexibility?! Ahhhh, yes, do need to work on that one, at least physically; perhaps yoga is the answer? To my friends in western Canada I’m seen as a left leaning ‘red-neck’ so guess that makes me some-what politically flexible even though my hamstrings are as lithe as railway tracks in a Canadian January?

Here we are and another week beckons of three running workouts; cross-pollinated with a couple of other cross-training sessions to keep the physical stamina progressing rather than regressing, so it all seems good. And with a potential trip to the tropical island of Oahu, this promises to be a good week of training.



Tuesday, Jan 25: Speed or cruising pace?
Completing eight 400m repeats on snow covered streets seems challenging on paper but as most things in life, the thought is far more intimidation g than reality. Once I’ve had the 15 minute warm-up, things are feeling good and the sun settling over the Rocky Mountains provides a powerful backdrop to a bit of physical exertion. Drawing on the inspirational view to the west, I end up running nine rather than just eight 400m repeats. It could have been the +9C temp in the chinook city that had me lose count or was it because I forgot to confirm the exact number of repeats before I headed out the door?! In any case, they felt alright at sub-90 second pace for the distance and the strange looks of sub-urbanites dropping by the mail box to pick up their bills and junk-mail, added a sense of levity to the reasonably strenuous work-put. Although, not sure that sub-90 second repeat intervals constituted a speed work-out, actually more of a “cruise” pace. Then again, the much faster quarter mile repeats of my pre-Barcelona ’92 training days are a distant memory so the new standards are what they are, a reflection of time and place!

Wednesday, Jan 26: Spartacus intent.
If you’ve never heard of the ‘Spartacus’ routine, Google this work-out courtesy of ‘Men’s Health’. I first attempted this full-body workout in November, 2009 in an Ottawa hotel exercise room and have never actually finished the prescribed three sets. I have managed two sets but whether for mental or physical reasons, I have never completed an entire set which perhaps explains my absence of a news-stand worthy mid-section. Perhaps my sub-conscious fear is that I’ll end up with a hackneyed Scottish accent while pretending to be a Greek Spartan?!
For anyone that has seen the movie, I suppose the work-put is indeed named in honour of the rather impressive physiques (prosthetic abdominals?!), so prominent in the movie “300”. It’s one of the few films that I’ve seen where the ‘ooohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the female gender of the audience proved extremely distracting; it’s usually guys that lack any sense of discretion when it comes to objectifying physical stature. When I saw the movie in Halifax with a friend, I actually had to ask her (repeatedly) to minimize the vocalizations as the noises, and her incessant drooling was detracting from my overall enjoyment of the movie, obviously not hers. Silly me; I chose this routine as an option for my cross-training! Once again I discovered my limit, that is regardless of locale, Westside Rec centre in Calgary or any given fitness room, two sets seems more than adequate.



Thursday, Jan 27: West Coast Sojourn
In my opinion, the concept of life balance is over-used and misunderstood; it’s far more about defining priorities than it is striving to achieve some form of mythical “life-balance”. Name me anyone who has achieved a significant accomplishment in life who has simply focused on balance rather than dedication to a priority; or even a great parent or partner who strived for balance rather than making others their priority? I think it’s far more about paying attention to priorities in your life than trying to balance the myriad of draws on your attention. Right now, training for an April marathon is a priority; one of several competing priorities mind you, but ahead of many others, so an early morning flight to the west coast and a late afternoon board meeting did not rule out a running engagement with the sea wall in Vancouver.

Vancouver Seawall

‘Eazy-peazy’: unpack in hotel room; strap on runners; a brisk 8km tempo run along sea wall in 36 minutes; cool-down walk; shower; 20 minute walk to board meeting. Don’t make excuses; just take care of the details. Another day in a 112 day training plan addressed....

Friday, Jan 28: Detour through Hawaii, why not?
After the early morning meeting, it was either straight home to Calgary or take-a-chance and fly stand-by to Honolulu. There were four seats open on the afternoon flight to Honolulu so I took a flyer and put my name on stand-by: no work out was scheduled other than a bit of stretching so a 7 hour flight to sand, sun and palm trees seemed like a great option. At the airport, luck prevailed and after a frantic search on the web for a hotel, I was on my way west to Honolulu for a reprieve from a prairie winter. Life is grand!

Sunday, Jan 30: Now that’s warm!
At the quarter mark, that is 4 weeks into the 16 week marathon program, the mileage is starting to climb more than imperceptibly! The weekend means LSD -- no, not what many of my delinquent friends and others may think as in a passé narcotic (it is, isn’t it?) – but LSD as in a Long-Slow-Distance run to build up endurance. What could be better after a night at ‘Duke’s’ on the beach than a 16km run in 23C heat?!

Heading out of the hotel on Kalakaua Avenue, I took a right turn and headed up to the canal to find a quieter path for the Sunday morning running adventure. It didn’t take long to open up the sweat taps and get into that rhythm of a distance run: take in the sights; sip some water; wipe the sweat off the brow; fantasize about breakfast; put one foot in front of the other, repeat and keep repeating until done. I basked in the warmth of the sunshine and focused on the moment rather than on the nagging doubt drifting in and out of my consciousness, “this is only 16km, what’s the 42km marathon going to feel like”!

Re-hydrating during my Sunday Run

At the half way point, 8km or 5 miles in old school language, I swung back past the hotel to meet Lisa and she joined me for the second half of run. Running with others is such a huge help energy wise and I was more than grateful to have the company and support. We headed up towards Diamond Head for a circular route around the base and back to the hotel archipelago of Waikiki. We were energized by the views of the surfers below the cliffs as we gradually climbed the ascent; and even though a mild grade, a mile or two of it seemed plentiful at this stage. The highlight of the day for me occurred just as I was decidedly wilting in the tropical sun – as we rounded a corner the feint sounds of distant taiko drums drifted down the hill and among the palm trees, the carefully cadenced drumming seemed to match the pounding in my chest and energizing our steps as we made our way along the road. A few minutes later, the sound of the drums was loud, powerful and rhythmic, more than warranting a short stop to step inside the Kapi’olani Community College Chapel where a large group of drummers were in the midst of a rehearsal. Only a few short moments to enjoy the Sunday morning spectacle then we were back on our way, the promise of a cool shower and big breakfast pulling us along. When you really get down to it, the magic of experience lies within the small things in life, like the feeling of activity, the joy of music and the comfort of a shower!