Time sure flies when you are running!
I can’t believe it’s been nearly a month since I last posted. In that time I have shared a lot of kilometres with friends and covered nearly every corner of the West Bragg Creek trail system. I’ve been getting out every weekend for a long run or two.
It’s been awesome. But I’m also a wee bit tired. So I was thrilled when I received an email late last week announcing the date change for the Powderface Marathon. Alberta Parks has a new policy of not allowing events on long weekends. So the date was changed to July 9, which happens to be the same date as Sinister 7. Thankfully I was able to defer to next year.
Whew! I am tired now so I know I would be even more tired by the time Sinister 7 kicks around. (Yes I don’t know what I was thinking scheduling three races in July.) That’s why I am taking a fall back week again. I have been going strong for seven weeks so it’s time to give my body some rest. Sometimes it’s hard to slow down especially when the weather has been so good after a long cold winter. But I know it is soooo important to give your body the time to rest and recover.
I won’t be completely immobile. I am still commuting into work three days/week on foot. If the weather is good, I will also get out on my bike.
I haven’t had any major issues, which I definitely owe to the consistent strength training this year. What a difference! In addition to my upper body stuff, once a week I have been doing a combination of steps up, squats, back lunges and single-leg RDL.
I can’t remember the last time I ran so many high mileage (for me) weeks without being injured. My goal race is Lost Soul in September so I have lots of time to train. Burn out is real so I am being cautious in my training. A missed run here and there won’t make a difference in my overall training. But the mental break will do a heck of a lot.
Mainly I have been sticking to the West Bragg Trail system. After living in Calgary for three years, I feel like I finally have a grasp on the massive system. I am so lucky to live so close to the trails. What a gem! If gas wasn’t so high, I would go more often. There’s also lots of great places to run in Calgary so I am never without options.
I admit I am getting a little FOMO when I see the photos on pages from peaks in the mountains. It won’t last long as I see several mountain peaks in my immediate future.
This weekend I am on tap to run the Cactus Coulee 30K in Lethbridge. A few years ago I ran it on a two-person team with Ben. Boy it was hot! I won’t be setting any speed records. Quite frankly I just want to get in the distance. It will be fun to be around the running community again too.
Remember last year when I was dealing with the soft tissue on my left foot? After Saturday’s effort, I noticed the “bump” was swollen and sensitive. I switched out shoes last weekend so I suspect the sneakers were the culprit. The rest this week will do my foot good!
How’s your training going? Have you raced yet this year? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.