Here's a news story to check out:
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/05/27/ns-coyote-fears-cabot-race.html
Nothing like a little danger to get runners moving!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Alumni Magazine Tasting
I’ve come to realize that the experience of flipping through the pages of an alumni magazine is something akin to the experience of wine tasting – there’s a complexity to the experience that you can savour – you can even become a connoisseur. In wine, there are layers of flavours that you can spend years distinguishing. Likewise, there are layers and depths of demoralization that I’ve just started to appreciate in my experience of alumni magazines.
The feelings blend so well – a fruity defensive disdain for lists of awards and achievements paired with a subtle but bold feeling of inadequacy. A nutty scoff at the smug smiles and rock-star poses of professors who’ve won scads of research cash or international acclaim paired with the vinegary taste of memory upon memory of disappointment. There’s that especially poignant juxtaposition between youthful feelings of potential and largess – one of the university’s best-loved products –and the cranky cynical feelings of disillusionment. The combinations are endless. And they all lead to a beautifully mellow feeling of vague, self-absorbed despair that can be achieved in no other way. I love to luxuriate in this drunken state, to magnify it as much as I can. Ah, alumni magazine, thank you for sounding out this hollowness and giving it such a wonderful texture – your glossy dreams are my glossy dreams.
On a happier note – I went out for a run today to test out my ankle. I did 8km in 30:15, maxing out with a 3:26 kilometre. There was plenty of pain, but it was manageable – and it didn’t get worse. It was also better than Tuesday night, so things seem to be progressing. As a result, I’ve given a final “yes” to the team, so one way or another I have to drag my butt across the 13k of leg 7. I had leg 8, but another guy is hurt worse than I am, so I got leg 7. There’s 8km of up and 5km of down – should be interesting.
One of our guys has been emailing with one of the Maine-iacs – they are going with only 14 runners as well (3 doublers), so they are going to be tough to beat. It’s going to be very close – very exciting. And who knows if some new team might come out of nowhere and school everybody. Only one way to find out!
The feelings blend so well – a fruity defensive disdain for lists of awards and achievements paired with a subtle but bold feeling of inadequacy. A nutty scoff at the smug smiles and rock-star poses of professors who’ve won scads of research cash or international acclaim paired with the vinegary taste of memory upon memory of disappointment. There’s that especially poignant juxtaposition between youthful feelings of potential and largess – one of the university’s best-loved products –and the cranky cynical feelings of disillusionment. The combinations are endless. And they all lead to a beautifully mellow feeling of vague, self-absorbed despair that can be achieved in no other way. I love to luxuriate in this drunken state, to magnify it as much as I can. Ah, alumni magazine, thank you for sounding out this hollowness and giving it such a wonderful texture – your glossy dreams are my glossy dreams.
On a happier note – I went out for a run today to test out my ankle. I did 8km in 30:15, maxing out with a 3:26 kilometre. There was plenty of pain, but it was manageable – and it didn’t get worse. It was also better than Tuesday night, so things seem to be progressing. As a result, I’ve given a final “yes” to the team, so one way or another I have to drag my butt across the 13k of leg 7. I had leg 8, but another guy is hurt worse than I am, so I got leg 7. There’s 8km of up and 5km of down – should be interesting.
One of our guys has been emailing with one of the Maine-iacs – they are going with only 14 runners as well (3 doublers), so they are going to be tough to beat. It’s going to be very close – very exciting. And who knows if some new team might come out of nowhere and school everybody. Only one way to find out!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
CTR Update
Oh boy.
It’s Wednesday, right? And the Cabot Trail Relay is, let’s see, 3 days away. When do you think would be the perfect time to get hurt? Right about now? Yes, indeed, right about now.
Training has been going great. Last Friday, Alex, Nick, and I did an 800m repeat session at the track, and they were all comfortably between 2:34 and 2:29. For me, that’s crazy fast – and it felt great. For the weekend, JA and I headed to Hubbards to enjoy the amazing Victoria Day weather and to open up the trailer for the season. I took Saturday off – then did a long run on the rail trail on Sunday – 21km, my own BlueNose Half Marathon. I ran comfortably – never pushing – although the pace was a bit quick. I covered the distance in 1:28, but felt good. I did notice my right ankle hurting a bit, but things hurt on long runs – no big deal. It was never a “stop right now, buddy!” pain. On Monday, JA and I went out to run together. My ankle hurt, but I figured it was just stiff from Sunday. So when JA turned back at her halfway point and I continued on my own, I opened it up a bit. That didn’t help – by the end of 10k, I was checking my stride, favouring my ankle.
What the hell?
Last night was supposed to be mile repeats at 10k pace. I did the warmup and no more – it felt like someone was stabbing one of my front ankle tendons with a knife. I have no idea what the issue is – and I don’t have any time (or benefits!) to find out. Maybe it’s tendinitis related to my shin – it seems to be a shin muscle tendon. But the sore spot is also suspiciously right at the level where the tongue of my somewhat new shoes sits. Could it simply be soreness caused by the tongue digging into my ankle? Could so much discomfort come from something so simple? Man, I sure hope so.
The plan is this – stay off my feet for the next few days, ice periodically, chomp on some ibuprofen, stretch, and get JA to take the rolling pin to shin and calf. Will it be enough? It better be – I’ve got 13 other guys counting on me. I may be the slowest guy on the team, but I still have a role to play – everyone does.
Oh boy.
It’s Wednesday, right? And the Cabot Trail Relay is, let’s see, 3 days away. When do you think would be the perfect time to get hurt? Right about now? Yes, indeed, right about now.
Training has been going great. Last Friday, Alex, Nick, and I did an 800m repeat session at the track, and they were all comfortably between 2:34 and 2:29. For me, that’s crazy fast – and it felt great. For the weekend, JA and I headed to Hubbards to enjoy the amazing Victoria Day weather and to open up the trailer for the season. I took Saturday off – then did a long run on the rail trail on Sunday – 21km, my own BlueNose Half Marathon. I ran comfortably – never pushing – although the pace was a bit quick. I covered the distance in 1:28, but felt good. I did notice my right ankle hurting a bit, but things hurt on long runs – no big deal. It was never a “stop right now, buddy!” pain. On Monday, JA and I went out to run together. My ankle hurt, but I figured it was just stiff from Sunday. So when JA turned back at her halfway point and I continued on my own, I opened it up a bit. That didn’t help – by the end of 10k, I was checking my stride, favouring my ankle.
What the hell?
Last night was supposed to be mile repeats at 10k pace. I did the warmup and no more – it felt like someone was stabbing one of my front ankle tendons with a knife. I have no idea what the issue is – and I don’t have any time (or benefits!) to find out. Maybe it’s tendinitis related to my shin – it seems to be a shin muscle tendon. But the sore spot is also suspiciously right at the level where the tongue of my somewhat new shoes sits. Could it simply be soreness caused by the tongue digging into my ankle? Could so much discomfort come from something so simple? Man, I sure hope so.
The plan is this – stay off my feet for the next few days, ice periodically, chomp on some ibuprofen, stretch, and get JA to take the rolling pin to shin and calf. Will it be enough? It better be – I’ve got 13 other guys counting on me. I may be the slowest guy on the team, but I still have a role to play – everyone does.
Oh boy.
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