All Downhill From Here

Thursday night, admittedly due to poor planning and discipline, I watched t.v., helped a child with homework, and then somehow thought I could still get in a decent run after that. Silly me. I simultaneously flipped between my favourite show Survivor: Fiji and the Calgary Flames’ first game of the ’07 Stanley Cup playoffs. The hockey game was disappointing, as was the end result of the Survivor episode, but I ended up watching them both anyway.

By the way? I will not be affixing my Calgary Flames flag to my car window until the Flames win a game in this playoff series. Just one win, please…

I did scramble out the door at dusk, but the put-off hill workout was put-off at me. Within 15 minutes of looping up around one hill, my belly gave me an urgent warning signal to return home. Pronto. I never made it back outside. The belly even had me up for a while in the middle of the night, and I was very grateful we’d recently stocked up on the Imodium.

Yes, we runners talk about crap like that in public. We’re annoying that way.

* * *

Saturday morning hope sprang eternal, and I dressed in running togs to tackle a hilly trail route. I dropped off Soccer Boy at his first practice of the season and ran dow-ow-own into Bomont Park. The first km or two involved a hard, paved path under a canopy of big poplars, but after that I climbed up into the park on dirt paths and ran the rest of the time on soft stuff.

The sun shone, and crocuses cheered me with their light purple fuzziness poking through the dead brown grasses. I LOVE these flowers. They remind me of my mom. Every spring in my childhood, Mom would take us out to a prairie hill and we’d marvel at these early bloomers. After a cold hard winter, these harbingers of spring cheer me right up.

I ran deep into the park, following what I remembered of the Silver Springs XC route. When I saw big bunches of the crocuses, I’d stop for a moment to count them. One bunch, right at the foot of the biggest, hardest hill, had 21 blossoms cheering me on.

I didn’t want to turn back – I wanted to keep running there all day! I compromised by finishing the run, taking the boy home, and bringing Little Runner back later for a little hike and flowery photo session.

Quick!

The wild crocuses are blooming!

If you live in or near Calgary, go out to a south-facing hill normally covered in wild grasses, and you’ll find these: Prairie Crocus, a.k.a anemone patens, or Pasque flower.

There’s a lovely trail run report for you in the works too, but first, go see the flowers.

Last night was perfect running weather. It was just above freezing with a fresh breeze and misty precipitation that couldn’t decide whether it was rain or snow.

Not your idea of perfect?

Hey, any run when I don’t have to…

• vaseline around my eyes to prevent the skin from freeze drying
• balance over re-frozen slush
• suffer the ache of extremities slowly losing feeling
• wonder why I didn’t bring my snowshoes
• carry rocks in my pockets so I don’t get blown off course

…is close enough to perfect for me.

I ran with Kelly from Gord’s Store. Kelly normally runs faster than me, but has a very encouraging way of hanging back when I’m the only slowpoke to show up. We had nice little chats when I wasn’t sucking wind and wondering how much fitness I’ve lost over the last couple of months of slacking off.

We ran down the Center Street bridge and along the riverside pathways. The mist softly settled luscious little droplets on my glasses and face. I splashed in a few puddles and didn’t miss my boring old couch at all.

Today is the first day in April that I haven’t had to clean snow off my car. The snow is still this deep on the ground. My unaccepting attitude towards this un-spring has been contributing to too many evenings on the couch with the remote in one hand and a brownie in the other.

I’ve tried visualizing the K-100 race route I’m to race in June. I’ve looked at my starving running log. I’ve reminded myself that the 18 km trail route of Leg 10 is not going to be easy, and I’d better train. I’d better train, because 9 other team mates will be waiting for me to finish their race.

You know what? That didn’t do it. I still didn’t get out running yesterday. I went to the mall in search of spring, instead. I wanted the perfect swishy, printed, floral versatile skirt. I scoured through 900 stores in two malls. You know what I found?

Mitts.

Fuzzy, pink, wonderfully soft, warm mitts. ON SALE, in store #42. I bought two pairs for under $6, and knew that even if I didn’t find Spring? I’d still have new, fuzzy, pink warm mitts in which to go running. I did eventually find my spring skirt, and emptied my savings account on an adorable short-sleeved sweater to match, but the mitts? They got me out the door this morning.

I ran, but not for the K-100. I ran for Right Now. I ran as if this could be the last time I might ever run in snow. I rose to the challenge of it shifting under my feet, I heard the crunch, I relished the taste of the biting cold breeze, I hurtled my beating heart over the white landscape.

I tucked my thumbs into the fingers portion of my mitts to keep them warm with the rest. As I did so, I thought of friends who are grieving and facing hard times. I prayed and cried as I careened down hills. At the bottom I wiped my tears with my fuzzy (oh gloriously soft) mitts and silently told my sad friends “Don’t be afraid of the bottom, for it’s only looking up from there.” Then I took them with me, one by one, one step at a time, back up the hill and home.

Spring is coming, friends. Hang in there.

My local Linda and I wogged for about 45 minutes last night. A couple of my left-hand fingers nearly froze off, it was so nasty-cold out, but I’m glad we got out. Yes, I wore my mitts – the wind was just that frigid. I’m glad I brought my earmuffs, too.

I mainly went because I had told others I would. I also told myself that even if I just got my running gear on, and just showed up, I could then trot around one block and head into the Starbucks. Of course, conversation with Linda was plenty enough to keep me going. I’ve really missed her since she broke her ankles last year – it was very, very nice to have my running-Linda back again.

We went down the curling club stairs, across the river under the 10th St. C-Train bridge, and came back through Prince’s Island Park. I’m pretty sure we gently ran more than we briskly walked.

 

I even made it all the way up all of the 165 cc stairs twice. I actually didn’t intend to climb the whole set of stairs more than once on the way back, but I made it to the top a few flights ahead of Linda, and rather than wait in the nasty wind, I headed back down to do “a couple more flights”. As I headed back down, a funny thing happened; the rest of the skinny-fast runners were coming up the stairs on their umpteenth repeat of them, and at least three of them grunted encouragement that I should be tackling the stairs more than once.

This is my car this morning, right now. No kidding. We are NOT amused.

If you do want some amusement, however, go over and visit one of England’s finest. He’s a very busy celebrity, so don’t expect him to answer in person, or comment back on your blog, unless you’re flirty and wear lots of pink…

I’m in my spring slump – that part of every spring when the X-C series is over and I no longer have a good reason to live run. The snow outside is intolerable and I have not run for over a week.

I’ve been planning a very cool blog post on a tortoise and the hare theme, but, um, it’s coming along verrrrry slowwwly.

My ears also feel totally plugged from a head cold that I’m getting fighting off with a hot lemon brandy rum. Usually there’s no rum involved, but there’s barely enough brandy left, so I’ve had to supplement it. Be thankful I’m not supplementing with tequila, my sentences would ramble on even more then.

I do have inspiring thoughts of my commitment to anchor Leg 10 in the the K-100 relay shining through gloomy spring snow clouds between me and the Kananaskis mountains in 10 weeks. (are you sure there’s no tequila in this?)

Maybe that will get me out in my spandex tomorrow, head cold or not.

I’m enjoying the comment discussion about Dennis’s post over at Complete Running, about how slower runners who stick it out on tough race days deserve the term “elite” more than potential race-winners who quit.

I don’t think elite is an accurate term for the mid to back of the pack runners. Elite to me means chosen ones, those who have distinguished themselves by using their talents to achieve what few of us can. Being one of those who cruises the bottom of the results charts, however, I do have an understanding of the guts it takes to stick it out on a race course way after the best food is gone and the massage tables are put away.

We back here are not elite in that we are chosen, but our glory shines through because WE choose IT, no matter how long it takes to achieve it.

This week we’ve had a few snow squalls, and more than once I’ve had to brush snow and even chip ice off my car in order to use it in the mornings. Yet every afternoon when I’ve headed home from work, the snow and ice has melted.

Hurray for spring!

It is so nice to be running outside in the sunshine, with dry ground welcoming my every step. This week I ran from Gord’s with Kelly and Vickie on Tuesday, and it was nice to see Penguins Krista, Linda, and Dawn again. There was a nasty cold wind and I wished I’d brought my earmuffs. We ran about 6 km down by the river and saw great big chunks of ice breaking up and melting.

Yay spring!

Thursday I ran on my own in my little hilly neighbourhood. My legs were whiny and my pace varied all over the place, but I did manage about 5.5 km before heading in. I ran slalom-style on the grass in between the boulevard trees. That’s more fun than running straight on the concrete sidewalk, and keeps my “trail legs” conditioned. There was some gushy mud between some trees on the boulevard, which was good – it wasn’t frozen into hard bumps.

Spring is winning!

Today I’m whipping up something wonderful to take to the CRR X-C Grand Prix series wrap up banquet. I’m excited about tonight, because I’m to receive TWO awards.

*I* am winning!

I’ll tell you more about the awards tomorrow.