Well, today is the test for this blog. It's due as an assignment this evening, so we'll se how well it keps up afte that's over with.
Hopefully it'll win out and I'll keep it going; it's already proved valuable in keeping me motivated.

Because it's due as an assignment, I'm tossing in a few vaguely related photos (besides those new to the general layout). For that matter, any suggestions on a new header colour are welcome, I'm having trouble finding one that remains visible across the whole row of shoes.

So without further ado, here's a few pictures from a triathlon I covered this spring. It had multiple istances, from sprint to long, and had the benefit of awesome weather, so my point and click managed alright for th action (except in the swimming shots. Bad indoor lighting doesn't help).


This man is leaving the pool after a 300 metre swim


This one is in the midst of the bike portion (34K I think)


And this is my roommate, finishing his 5k run to end the triathlon.

What do these three people have in comon, besides exhaustion? They all finished (I know, I checked their times). One ay, prhaps this spring, perhaps next year, I'll hopefully run a small traithlon.

Over a week down and still zombie-shuffling along

So, I'm sitting here in class, nominally learning how to make tables in HTML documents, and planning out my next run.
It's only been a week and already I'm planning runs in my head; not where I want to go, but how I want to do.

Sunday's long run felt surprisingly good. I say 'long' with a smile, it was only 45 minutes. But I felt great, I did my four intervals with little problem, even up and down the hill. Yes, the hill, not the large one form last Friday, but a hill worthy of back home nonetheless.

Monday was different story. Perhaps I was still recovering from Sunday, perhaps it was just warmer than I'm used to, but I was breathing far too heavily after the first five minutes.
Normally I'd stick to it and it would leave part-way through my next interval; this time it didn't. Eventually I had to cut the run short.

But, it is what it is and tomorrow I hopefully go up the huge hill again and feel better than last Friday.

For those who read this, I got comments! I love getting comments and reading them. I also lie replying to them. As of yet, however, I haven't discovered a way to respond directly to comments through blogger. I'd rather respond to a comment in thread format, as simply adding a new comment won't show up as a response for those who don't read the said comments constantly.

If there is a method, and someone knows, let me know?

Oh, and expect some pictures soon. Not of me, but this is first and foremost homework after all, and three pictures are required.

Day two, and maybe I can do this.

I was attacked by leaves today.
I was at the end of my second run on the schedule, which is another story in itself, when the wind picked up.
Fortunately the run was finished and I was walking the last half block home. It was one of those vicious and unreasonable cold winds that smell damp with the storm they precede.
It also brought with it a swirl of early fall leaves, moving in a direct path for me. It was curious, how the leaves were blown across the street in a bunch before taking to the air and swirling around my face – though I think my perception may have been shaped by my finished run.

The run itself was tough, far harder than I had expected. I’m only running 35 minutes, in a run/walk schedule with six minute runs. Somehow that was more than enough today. Enough to make me glad I hadn’t eaten before setting out.
I almost didn't run, I almost decided to stay home and relax. I've slept little the past week and my only real downtime has been on the bus - when I haven't been reading texts or transcribing notes. But, I made it out and I made it back; and I feel a lot better now that it's done, so I guess that's something.
I took a route suggested by my roommate: Down to Hogsback Park, and up the hill behind Terry Fox Stadium. As hills go it’s not long, but nor is it friendly or gentle.

I made it however, and I think that’s going to be my Friday route. Up the hill to the pole and back home (also following the roomie’s advice, I walked back down the hill backwards to save my knees and my breath).
It can be my hill, anaerobic, and speed training in one shot, so long as I try for greater speed each run.

Going up said hill reminded me of a run I used to do back on the West Coast, when I ran with my mother. Training for a difficult, if short, race we would follow a trail down to Roger Creek, and then back up a beautifully steep hill. Each time was a challenge and each time was an achievement. Sometimes we even through in a long flight of stairs across the creek.

I remember being a lot better at hills.

Day one (sort of)

Well, I'll be starting my training schedule this evening.
To be honest, I started it last Monday, but that's as far as I got as I also started a new job and school that week. It's not the best excuse, but I find motivation scarce while trying to organise my life past work-food-sleep. I think I've got that under control, it simply means expending my running schedule to include the rest of my life, and learning how to write legibly on the bus.

My plan is to train three days a week, modifying a schedule taken from 'The non-runners Marathon Guide for Women' by Dawn Dais, which my roommate has strategically left around the house where I can find it.

This is looking to be a little harder than I expected already. I suppose it's because, lets face it, I'm not a runner. I'm not even a jogger, or a walker.
I don't look forward to getting up in the morning to run (and rarely do). And while I enjoy evening runs more, they don't make or break my day. The endorphin rush of a run is nothing compared to a good sparring session, or a hard workout at the gym.

I remember reading a quote somewhere about the problem with a lot of would-be writers. It esentially said they don't want to do the work, that many people want to have written, but few want to write.
That's what my relationship with running is; I like finishing, I like ending; I like the loose, easy feeling in my legs when I've stopped running and don't have to start again.

If I get through this training, I'll have no trouble finishing a half-marathon; but I may have a little difficulty starting it.

I think my next step will be to post o copy of my tentative schedule up here somewhere. That way people can get on my case for missed days and perhaps give the push I may need when things get touch.
Maybe someone can also help me figure out why I want to do this so badly.