New Running Shoes

My second pair of running shoes has had it so I decided to buy new ones so I have time to break them before my next race just in case I need them (like if my other ones are at the shop for maintenance). Last week I tried the Nike Pegasus Clima and really liked them, so I went to the Running Room all set to buy a pair. After extensive gait analysis, the lady convinced me that I needed more stability than the Pegasus provides. My regular shoes are "stability" shoes, so it kind of made sense.

So I'm the new owner of a brand new pair of New Balance 1223. They feel real comfortable.


I also bought some winter socks and a fuel belt. As I increase the length of my long run passed 10km, I will need to hydrate. Later on, I also want to experiment with goo, gels, etc... so the belt is a must. The lady at the store had very specific ideas about hydration. She believed one should drink over 8 ounces (222 ml) every 15 minutes, while I read in "The Lore of Running" that the absortion rate of liquids is 700 ml per hour. I wasn't going to argue with her. Anyway, SOME drinking is required on longer runs so now I have a fuel belt.

Nike Running Lounge

I had an excellent week of training last week. I increased my mileage a bit more than I should have I thank, but no harm done.

Yesterday I released a new episode of my french podcast. I actually see a few downloads of the show, although I haven't heard from anyone. Good or bad?

On Sunday, I trained with a couple of friends and we met at the Nike Runner's Lounge. It was the first time I tried it. It's pretty cool. You get access to a locker. You can try Nike gear. For example, I got to run my long run in the Nike Pegasus Clima. Better than running 25 feet in the store! After the run, we got free gatorade and waffles. If you have one in your city, recommended.

Why, JD, why???

Today during my quality training, a thought poped in my head, similar to the one that popped in the president's head in "The Fifth Element":

"I have a doubt."

Didn't last long. But for a short while sometimes, our puzzler skips a beat and we lose our focus. Tim Noakes would probably say that our "Director" is trying to make us stop. The kind of doubts I refer to are not necessariliy "why do I run" but rather "why train so friggin' hard". Some will look at my training lo on Buckeye Outdoors and laugh. Well, its hard for me!

The thing is, I don't really have an answer. I just know that at this point in my life, I need to push myself physically further than I've ever done before. I've pushed mentally at work all my working life. Now I want to do this for myself.

I ran my best race ever about 10 days ago. I'm not just talking about my time, I'm talking about how the race felt. I pushed as hard as I could, but smartly. I ran negative splits. And at the end, I had nothing left.

It felt so great that when I play my race in my head, I want to BE there, live it again. Feel my breath move air in and out my chest. Feel the energy run through me like fire burning in my veins. Feel my heart beating as fast as I dare demand of it. To feel my body and mind, as one, accomplish even more than what I had hoped.

People ask me why I race. I can't really explain it to them. They will read the previous paragraph and feel nothing. We runners know better. You, my fellow runners, understand. You felt it as you read it. The feelings that come to us are so strong as to overcome our sense of now and transport us back in that race.

So why train hard?

Because I want more of it. This year

I want to complete my 3 training programs this year.
I want to run a 10k so fast that I won't believe my time.
I want to run the World Wide half this fall.
I want to run a marathon in Sedona in February 2009.
I want to keep on runnin'

See you on the road.

Long run

I went out with the "Running Room" group again today. They didn't really have a 10K group so I went out with the half-marathon group for a 14Km run. They stop every 10 minutes for a short walk so I figured it wouldn't stress my legs too much.

It went pretty good. The pace was fine at about 6:20. Next week they are going for 16km. I'll have to think about this. Apparently, the Nike store has a 10km group going, plus you get pancakes at the end of the run.

My wife now wants a heart rate monitor to go with her Nike+ chip, so I'm thinking of going with the Garmin 50. I think Polar has good ones too.

Cold Runner

There was an article in the local paper titled "Cold Runner" about running in Yellowknife where temperatures hover between -20 and -30C.

I won't complain anymore. Well, maybe I'll complain a bit less.

I did my first quality run using my new t-pace. It was the hardest workbout I've ever done. I didn't reach 5:06/km in all the laps because of the ice and snow, but I gave it my best. T-pace is supposed to elicit 88-92% of maxHR. My last interval had an average of 89% and that's interval where I actually ran at 5:07 to I'm pretty impressed by this whole VDOT thing.

First cold run of the winter

Today was my first run in the negative double digits. The temperature was -10C (10F) with an annoying wind that I didn't notice on the way out but got to me on the way back. I had vaselined some of my face but forgot the tip of my nose because I had planned on wearing my scarf over it, which I didn't do because I was recording my French podcast.

It was still a nice run at E-Pace, but I didn't do my strides because there was just too much ice. I tried the first one and slipped and just gave up. I can do it tomorrow.

I signed up for the "April Fools Run" in Whitby with at least one of the paddlers. Challenge extended!

Hair of the Dog Run/Walk

Today I ran the annual "Hair of the Dog" 9k run/walk at the Balmy Beach Club. Met lot's of friends from paddling.

My pictures are available in my Picasa album.

When I looked outside this morning, this is what I saw:

Street behind my house

It damped my enthusiasm a bit but then I thought I'd have to go for a training run anyway, so might as well have some fun.

There were few walkers, maybe a dozen, but well over a hundred runners. Here's a picture of the walkers assembling before the start:

Walkers getting ready

I started running fairly slow, 5:30ish/km with some friends but then I picked up and did the rest in the 4:50 to 5:10 range. At mid-point, there was a drink table where you could pick a cup of water, orange juice or schnapps. I had a cup of the latter and had to chase it down with some water. I'm pretty sure the schnapps did not help. But it was tradition.

I finished in 46:34, which I'm happy with considering my 5k two days ago and the fact that I started slow. Also the path was slippery and rolled under your feet. It would have been a good time to wear crampons.

Race course

I taped the run in English and might make a podcast out of it.

A couple of paddlers and me decided to race a 10k together in March. No excuses. Should be fun although I might get my ass kicked.

That's it for today. Happy new year!