All Downhill From Here

In this week’s chaos I neglected to post about Little Runner’s last 8 miles. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings I walked her down the big hill to the Y to her day camp – at least a mile and a half one way. That took care of 3 miles. I asked her daycamp supervisors to time her when they went out on hikes or walks and they reported that she did at least 2 miles a day with them (using a 20 minute mile as a guesstimate). So technically, she’s already finished her marathon. I won’t tell her, though – we need to keep that last mile for her RACE.

On the moving front, I’ve been up late at the old house, throwing out junk, junk, and more junk. Where did it all come from?!! Tomorrow I clean it top to bottom, hopefully before I have to go volunteer at the Roadrunners booth at the race expo at 4 pm.

Next year I’m going to do the Full M. It sounds waaayyy easier than moving!

When I got home from running on Tuesday night Hubby had dismantled my computer, as the movers were coming Wednesday, so I couldn’t tell you about the hot, sunny, sweaty run Krista and I put in. Krista had donated blood the day before and was tired, and I was quite happy for the excuse to keep the run short and light. We’ve had a gorgeously hot week, and now I’m starting to obsess about being too HOT on the race. All through May and June we trained in the rain, with the premise of “What if it rains on race day?”, and now I’m trying to remind myself how to run in warmer stuff.

I’m finding lots of other stuff to obsess about besides the race, too. Like all that stuff still over at my old house that has to be moved here. And where am I going to put all the stuff that’s here? I think I got 4 hours of sleep last night. I couldn’t get my heart rate to slow down. I’d post some pics of the chaos surrounding me, but my computer and the camera aren’t on great terms at the moment.

A bright moment last night: Running Buddy Linda jogged by last night and was tickled pink she’d managed to find my new home, just as we were returning from dinner. Monday night she’d gone hunting for a four leaf clover (even though she’d never found one before), and she FOUND ONE. Not only that, but she pressed it, taped it to a note, and wrote some encouraging words to me for luck in my race and my new house. She was just going to drop it in the mail box, but serendipitously arrived to give it to me in person. I will remember her encouragement, and that of everyone who’s been cheering me on. Thoughts of my friends will be like cool breezes on a hot day.

I think I will sleep better tonight. I put some things away in the cupboards, there’s food in the fridge and the dishes are done.

Five more sleeps until we race! I don’t know what’s more nerve wracking, moving or waiting to race. Nah, moving is definitely harder on the nerves. I’m already using Hubby’s computer to post here, because he’s trying to install a wireless connection in mine and it’s not working (no hardwired network in the new house). Tomorrow the movers come, and we are not all packed yet. Stuff everywhere. I need a Clean Sweep team to come to my house and tell me I don’t need all this STUFF.

I really, really want to race fast enough to meet my daughter at her finish line. At the same time I want to savour every km of MY race, and live it step by step. I keep envisioning approaching me finishing my race, with tears of joy. Then in a perfect world I’ll put my foot up on the straw bale to have the chip removed from my shoe. I’ll walk a few steps and receive my medal, and then I’ll turn around and walk back out the finishing chute the way I came in (I hope the volunteers let me do this). I’ll walk back along the Kid’s Mile Route until I see Little Runner. We’ll high five, hug, and finish her race together. We’ll have her chip removed, get her medal, and find her brother and grandparents for hugs all round.

I don’t know if timing or my conditioning will allow this, but it’s something I’ve been dreaming about.

I got so distracted last night I didn’t get Little Runner out for her mile, so I’m going to walk her to her daycamp this morning instead of driving, which will give her 1.5. That means I’ll get to walk 1.5 back UP a big hill before heading off to work, but I’ll have time. If it works well, we’ll do it again tomorrow.

I don’t know how much computer time I’ll have in the next few days – things are going to be hairy around here!

Happy Independence Day to my American Friends! Yeah, we Canadians make fun of you sometimes, but we know you have a sense of humour – you keep luring our comedians south. We have lots of Americans here in Calgary so chances are I’ll see some stars and stripes sometime today.

Yesterday running buddy Linda L. came over and helped me pack boxes. It really helped that she used to work for Royal Doulton, and is very comfortable with packing fragile things. She packed away all of my china and crystal and most of my kitchen. I am blessed to have good friends.

After packing all day I had Hubby grill some steaks and we had a good dinner. I ate lightly, as I planned on going for an evening run. Sis-in-Law popped over after supper and Hubby took her over to see the new house, leaving me with the kiddos, so I got to fold some laundry and digest my steak a little longer before my run. Laundry needed doing anyway. It is nice to be able to add a little bit of order to my life when the rest is so strewn haphazardly about.

Finally got out for my run by 9:30 pm. The sun set at 9:38 according to the weatherman, so I had a nice twilight run. The first 5k took me eastward and down a hill. There was just enough westerly breeze to keep the mosquitoes off me, and my legs really needed to GO. First km took me 6:30. I knew that was too fast for an “easy” 10k for me, so tried to slow down the rest of the first mile and still did it in 9:35. Um. Sure felt GOOD to be out and running, eh!

I continued on along the plateau and then down the loooooong hill, about 1.3ish km, to finish my first 5k in under 32 minutes. I knew the way back would be slower and wouldn’t feel as good, but I had needed that strong, fast, fun feeling.

I made it back up the hill by walking 2 lamposts, running 3, walking 2, running 4, walking some more. I wasn’t in a huge hurry to get back, I’d spent my stress energy and heck, I’m supposed to be taking it easy before next week’s Half. I was done with being focused and diligent, and I let myself walk for several minutes at a time on the way back. I finished the total 10km in 1:13, including a 2 minute walk before I got home.

I’ve been neglecting Little Runner’s training plan, in trying to get housework and packing done. Okay, and in reading blogs and watching t.v. and obsessing about not getting stuff done…

Anyhoo, we got some boxes packed and moved yesterday and after supper she claimed her mile time. The evening was cool and the sun’s still up late, so we walked for about an hour and 25 minutes. We blew kisses at the X fence, a cute little ritual we have. We noticed TONS of purple, yellow and pink wildflowers. Most of the pink ones were wild roses. We only stopped at one playground for about 5 minutes, even though she lobbied really hard for the second one on the way home. We stopped by her Godparents’ place and rang the doorbell, but they weren’t home, so we left a daisy in their mailbox. We stuck mostly to paved paths and dirt trails and the mosquitoes weren’t so bad. Forgot the repellent, but didn’t suffer any bites and only swatted one.

We did more running on the way home, even though she was getting tired. Maybe especially because she was getting tired. Most of the time I can walk fairly briskly and she takes occasional running steps to keep up. When she got tired towards the end she’d lag behind, and then have to run further to catch up. She devised a fun running game, where she’d pick a rock or a curb and sit down, oh so tired, and then she’d run up behind me and catch me. “Gotcha!” The more we played this the more we ran, because sometimes I wouldn’t be so easy to catch, eh?

I conservatively guesstimate our pace at about 20 minutes per mile or faster, so I’m giving her 4 miles for last night. That brings her total to 17 miles. Still need 8 more in the next week. This is still very possible.

Whew, why is 4 miles of picking flowers and playing “Gotcha” so tiring? Well, it certainly is way more fun than packing boxes.

Little Runner and I went to Soccer Boy’s game last night armed with the strongest DEET formula I could find. After spraying all the players and anyone else who hadn’t been DEETed already Little Runner and I set off to do our mile before the game. I had contemplated two, but we didn’t get that far. She ran on the down slopes, and occasionally to different sign posts I pointed out.

(Disclaimer, for anyone contemplating coming to Calgary next year – the mosqitoes have NEVER been this bad. This is highly unusual, and I’m banning them from next year’s festivities)

In the end, the playground called her name and she was lured in by the siren of the BIG puddle there. She had on her NEW SHOES and I had neglected to bring her rubber boots along. I had meant to, but forgot. Before going to get the lawn chair and assorted blankets I gave her STRICT instructions: these New Pink Flashing Lights Barbie Shoes will NOT GO IN ANY PUDDLES. She repeated it back to me. I let her go to the playground with some apprehension.

Soccer Boy’s grandparents pulled up, and I chatted with them for a minute. Soccer Boy trooped past with his team and pointed out that Little Runner was in the puddle (I forsee a great career for him in law enforcement).
NO!
I JUST TOLD HER!
Och!
I stomped over to the playground, gesturing and shouting her name like a curse word.

“WHAT are you doing in the PUDDLE!” (and then, noticing one bare foot after the other splashing along) “and… um… where are your shoes?” New Pink Flashing Lights Barbie Shoes were tidily sitting on the steps to the slide, with her socks neatly tucked into them.

“Well, I’ll just take these shoes over to my chair and you can have them when you’re done, eh?” She had found the loophole – I knew when it was time to back off. She played happily for the first half of the game, and then had a Nutrigrain bar and damply cuddled up in two blankets on my lap for the second half. I love snuggly children.

Soccer Boy’s team played very well, but their goalie was amazing and ours fumbled a couple of easy ones he normally would have gotten. A couple of times our boys were injured and I had a long moment of anxiety when Soccer Boy was one of them, but he and the other injured player were up and playing again before long. Most of the time the boys looked like devout Catholics, their hands waving in cross patterns as they swatted at bugs. Even though the skeeters wouldn’t land on them, they still hovered in swarms. We lost 4-2, but Grandpa noticed a marked improvement in our team’s skills from the game he’d attended a few weeks ago.

Little Runner and I went to Soccer Boy’s game last night armed with the strongest DEET formula I could find. After spraying all the players and anyone else who hadn’t been DEETed already Little Runner and I set off to do our mile before the game. I had contemplated two, but we didn’t get that far. She ran on the down slopes, and occasionally to different sign posts I pointed out.

(Disclaimer, for anyone contemplating coming to Calgary next year – the mosqitoes have NEVER been this bad. This is highly unusual, and I’m banning them from next year’s festivities)

In the end, the playground called her name and she was lured in by the siren of the BIG puddle there. She had on her NEW SHOES and I had neglected to bring her rubber boots along. I had meant to, but forgot. Before going to get the lawn chair and assorted blankets I gave her STRICT instructions: these New Pink Flashing Lights Barbie Shoes will NOT GO IN ANY PUDDLES. She repeated it back to me. I let her go to the playground with some apprehension.

Soccer Boy’s grandparents pulled up, and I chatted with them for a minute. Soccer Boy trooped past with his team and pointed out that Little Runner was in the puddle (I forsee a great career for him in law enforcement).
NO!
I JUST TOLD HER!
Och!
I stomped over to the playground, gesturing and shouting her name like a curse word.

“WHAT are you doing in the PUDDLE!” (and then, noticing one bare foot after the other splashing along) “and… um… where are your shoes?” New Pink Flashing Lights Barbie Shoes were tidily sitting on the steps to the slide, with her socks neatly tucked into them.

“Well, I’ll just take these shoes over to my chair and you can have them when you’re done, eh?” She had found the loophole – I knew when it was time to back off. She played happily for the first half of the game, and then had a Nutrigrain bar and damply cuddled up in two blankets on my lap for the second half. I love snuggly children.

Soccer Boy’s team played very well, but their goalie was amazing and ours fumbled a couple of easy ones he normally would have gotten. A couple of times our boys were injured and I had a long moment of anxiety when Soccer Boy was one of them, but he and the other injured player were up and playing again before long. Most of the time the boys looked like devout Catholics, their hands waving in cross patterns as they swatted at bugs. Even though the skeeters wouldn’t land on them, they still hovered in swarms. We lost 4-2, but Grandpa noticed a marked improvement in our team’s skills from the game he’d attended a few weeks ago.

It has been pouring out for the last few days, but the weatherman suggested that the gloom might lift yesterday evening, and I kept this in mind while I drove to running group last night. I packed dry sweats for the ride home all the same, and it was still raining when I picked up Dawn. It rained all the way there. It was still raining lightly when we headed out, but by the time we were out 5 minutes it had stopped altogether. It held off until we had finished our run, had a nice chat outside the store for 15 minutes, and got back in the van. Then it poured all the way home again.

Not only did Dawn have some newbies show up, some faster ones showed up too, and ran along together just ahead of Krista and me. Krista glowered at them and muttered that it wasn’t fair that they could just take off 5 years of running and then start back “nice and easy” on their first runs ahead of us! Yeah, well, I run the pace I run. I’m slow, I know, get over it 🙂

We ran the medium route that took us about 50 minutes, and my feet were good and tired by the second half. I did stretch out my stride and sped it up a little at one point for a few minutes. It felt good to do something other than the long run pace I’d done on Sunday. Lungs and heart were happy, left foot had a hard time meeting the ground gently.

Now, if I’d stayed at home because of the rain, I would have missed a great run.

Little Runner reminded me at dinner last night that she needed to get out for her mile. She’s right, and we’ll need to get out pretty much every night from now until race day if we want to get her whole marathon done. So we headed out after supper and I managed to keep up with her. She flitted about doing sprints here and there, in between picking flowers and finding very small puddles. We went up a couple of small hills on a dirt trail and stretched out the backs of my tired legs.