Vacation time!

“Happiness consists of living each day as if it were the first day of your honeymoon and the last day of your vacation” Author Unknown

We're off in our 1978 Westfalia for a week of camping by the Lake - Lac St-Jean

It'll be nice to get away and spend all day reading by the lake...and running of course. 

Frida is coming along, so there may also be some biking :)

Running continues to go well and next week is another half-marathon test. We'll once again be running as a family...followed by a sumptuous breakfast!

Have a great week everyone!

Cheers!

Decision made...

"Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.”

David Joseph Schwartz 

I sure hope that's true :)

Every run I've done since Québec has been with a 5/1 ratio and that has proved to be the solution for me. No knee problems and my relative speed has not been affected at all. I'd like to thank Kerrie for indirectly motivating me and helping me accept that using a 5/1 ratio could actually lead to a successful sub-5 hour marathon. She did great, running a sub 4:45 first marathon using a 5/1 ratio! I was inspired and impressed...and this has played a big role in the success of my recent long runs I'm sure. 

Today, I had 130 minutes at LSD pace on my training schedule, but I decided that it was time for another test and so I opted for a 23Km run. The last time I ran 23Km, which is my longest distance to date, I had a cold and I ended up injuring my ankle. Today, I felt great, no injuries, and I finished 23 minutes faster. It was a sign and I listened...so this is my decision:

Anne L. is now Registered for Marathon OASIS de Montréal in the MARATHON!!!!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cheers!

Québec, an update and a new runner!

"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden"

Author Unknown

Uber H and I decided to get away for a couple of days and so we went to Québec City! Québec City is absolutely beautiful, but extremely hilly...which was an excellent workout!

Old Québec

Down on the Promenade by the St. Lawrence river.

Part or our lunch brought from home...berries are amazing at this time of year in Québec.

Uber H took some amazing running pics on the Plaines d'Abraham, but somehow they got deleted before we could upload them...these three, as we head towards the Plaines, are all that remained.

Climbing up

Still climbing

Almost there...before we climb again :)

Check out that cool archway, which is the entrance to Old Québec...there is one of those at every entrance into Old Québec from Downtown.

Post-run...ready to go to dinner!

A little sightseeing on the way to the restaurant.

This building is absolutely amazing!

Delicious...

Time for a short break...we must have walked about 15km that day (remember the hills).

Here we are on the Promenade Champlain, which is gorgeous and relatively flat :)

Still on Promenade Champlain, where we took a real break.

Running: While in Québec City, I had a 65 minute run on the program. However, we ended up having to do a lot of climbing and downhills, which was fine at first, but then started irritating the knee. I toughed it out for a bit and took a few walk break...but, then after 42 minutes I decided to stop. I did not want to push it. The good thing, is that the pain did not linger after the run and as we walked a couple of kms back to our room. Yes, I was tempted to try again, but I played it smart and kept walking then iced the knee. I was then able to enjoy the rest of our stay in Québec city, without pain, despite the fact that we walked A LOT and that there were tons of hills. 

While we were walking back to our B & B after the above run, I told Uber H that I thought I should forget about the marathon once again. I'm actually still pretty sure I'll be doing the half as it stands. However, I want to try one more long run, without major hills, and see how it goes before I make my final decision. I have felt no pain at all since that run and my sister, who does acupuncture, did a treatment on my knee yesterday evening and that should also help. So, we'll see. However, I'm not married to this marathon and I refuse to push myself and then have to stop running again for a few weeks. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but I really doubt it, because I know that pain, I've had it before (it was my very first injury and I had run through it then)...I know better now.

Speaking of my sister who does acupuncture...I am super proud to announce that my sister Iz started the Couch to 5K program last week. Yesterday, we ran together and she did great! I'm super proud of her and so excited for her :) The coolest part is that we registered to run her first 5K together on September 11th!

Here we are after our run...

Iz was wearing the ice necklace :)

I'm sure there's more, but that's it for now.

Cheers!

Update!

"Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash."

George S. Patton

As mentioned in my last post, I felt some pain in my right knee after my long run on Saturday. So...I iced a lot and...

Sunday, I had a 35 minute run planned and I decided to do it in the water. So I did some aqua-jogging for about 30-35 minutes. By Sunday evening, my knee was feeling much better. Then Monday was a rest day and my knee felt better and better. Actually, I felt no pain at all by yesterday afternoon.

Today, I had a 60 minute run on the program with two intervals. It started out great, but I still took walk breaks after 10 minutes of running. I did the intervals and on the way back, I felt some "tugging" at the injury site and so I took more walk breaks. This is something that I would not have done last year. I tended to always push through...not anymore. If I feel pain, I take walk breaks and I take it easy. If it actually hurts, I just plain will stop running. However, I made it through my whole run today, at a pretty good pace, considering I kept taking walk breaks (9Km at 6.49min/km) and my knee felt okay when I was done. No pain, just some minor "tugging" (not sure how else to call it) :) ...so I iced and now we'll see how it goes on Thursday!

BTW, today was super humid and I did a trick that I got from a DailyMile friend (Claire - from Montreal)...who read about it in Runner's World. It seems that ultra runners do this. It really works to keep me cool when I am running in the humidity. The trick is to put ice cubes into a scarf that you wrap around your neck. They melt as you run and keep you cool...I love it!

Post-run...I was soaking wet. 

Note the scarf around my neck...it had 6 ice cubes in it, they were pretty much all melted when I got home. But it really helped keep me comfortable.

Happy running everyone!

Cheers!

And the verdict is...

"Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else."

Brian Tracy 

Today was a half-marathon training run at marathon race pace on the program. Do you remember how I told you that today was the test? Today's run would allow me to decide whether I should register for the Montreal Marathon, which is on September 25th. 

As you all know, running has been going great over the past few weeks. No lingering pain and lots of smiles and joy during my runs. However, I was a little worried about today, because the only time I've run 21.1K at the pace I was meant to run today, was during a race...and I'm always faster on race day, than when I'm training. 

So how did it go? Well, if you looked at my DailyMile widget, you know that it actually went great. I was able to complete my half-marathon training run at 6:42 min/Km (goal was 6:45)...excellent!

Here we are post-run :)

Uber H, me, my bro and my Super SIL

However, by the end of today's run, I was feeling pain in my right knee...the same knee that was my very first running injury two years ago. I've been icing regularly today, but I don't like how it feels. Tomorrow, I have a 35 minute run on the program...if I can do it, then all is good. However, I have a feeling I may have to skip that one and give myself a couple of days before getting back to the program. 

SIGH...so the verdict is - I don't know yet! I can't register for now, because I need to be sure that I haven't injured my knee. I sometimes felt pain in my knee before, but it always went away completely, so I guess that's still a possibility...but, it usually doesn't linger like it is today. 

Here's the thing though. I've come to terms with the fact that I may not be able to run this marathon (or maybe even A marathon)...although I don't plan on giving up trying (ever). But, I'm okay with the possibility that Montreal could once again be a half-marathon. Don't get me wrong, I still think it's doable for now...but, I'm not in a panic over this knee pain. I want to do this, but I may not be able to just yet. However, giving up completely is not an option...

Am I disappointed? With the pain, yes...with the run, hell no!! I'm really proud of myself, because this is the fastest long run I've ever done in training and apart from the knee, I felt really good :) 

Have a great weekend everyone! 

I'll definitely keep you posted.

Cheers!

I love summer...and I love you Uber H!

“Summer is kind of like the ultimate one-night stand: hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it.” Cosmopolitan

Québec IS winter...so we learn to love it :)

But we DO summer with passion :) 

Here are only a few of the things I did this week...

Spent one whole day on my bike...(as did many others).

Short stop at the falls

We're all waiting to let the boats through at the canal

A stop to pick up fresh veggies at the market

A short break at the Fort

We went for a family run...13K

Me, my bro P, and my Super SIL 

Here we are surrounding my Uber H

A wonderful post-run snack

Running continues to rock and I am really excited! 

On the program next Saturday is a half-marathon (training run) and we plan on doing it as a family...I love that :)

Last, but far from least...I spent today at the spa with Uber H to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Yes, we got married on July 4th...I thought that Independence Day seemed like the perfect day to tie the knot! :)

We had an amazing day!

1981

I was 22 and you were 24 

<3

You and I, we grew up together, we raised three wonderful children, who are now amazing adults, and I love you to death...you are my rock and my soft place to fall!

   

Enjoying every moment!

Happy 4th of July!

Cheers!