Category Archives: Sports

Time to tackle a half

Posted on June 6, 2012 | 41 comments

Those fabulous folks who have been following me on my running adventure will likely have noted two things: I am extremely slack when it comes to training; and I heart Lululemon (in my defense, I was a very early adopter: Toronto, 1999).

Though I’d probably be content to just run 5Ks and 10Ks for the rest of my life, I figured if I’m going to really challenge myself, I have to at least try a half-marathon. (Although, even as I type this, it sounds completely absurd.)

What better race for me to attempt, then, than the SeaWheeze Lululemon Half-Marathon in Vancouver (August 11). It’s hosted by my favorite ubiquitous sportswear company and it has wheeze in the title. Appropriate, no? I get the feeling that the half-marathon part of this half-marathon may come second to the general Lululemon-ness of the event. But that’s completely fine with me.

SeaWheeze Lululemon Half

Click if you fancy reading the words.

Yes, there will be training

I’m not foolish enough to attempt to “run” a half without putting in the miles beforehand, so I am going to try to follow the Tackle Box program Lulu designed. I am already a few weeks behind, but I hope when I cobble together the bits and pieces I do throughout the week, I can almost arrive at a full week of training.

To help runners with their motivation, Lululemon sent out shorts to everyone who registered early.

SeaWheeze Lululemon Half shorts

Spotty!

I guess there has been some Twitter-verse moaning about these spotty duds, but I think they’re cute as hell, even if they leave little to the imagination (hence the moaning, I suppose).

Anyway, I’m inspired to at least obtain a body that would rock a pair of shorts like this. And the polka dots make me happy.

Here’s a PDF of the Tackle Box Training Program. I’m going to try to report back every once in a while on my progress. This plan is heavy on the yoga, which I don’t do. I’ve substituted with a weekly ballet class, and weights/strength training. My days won’t match up to the schedule, but I’m hoping my activities will get me to an appropriate level of preparedness. (I’ll be happy if I can run three-quarters of the race.) Wish me luck!

June 4-10 (week 3)

Monday: Power yoga

Tuesday: Tempo Run: 1 mile warm up/ 2 miles tempo/ 1 mile cool down

Wednesday: Rest or flow yoga

Thursday: Easy run 2.5 miles

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Long run 5 miles

Sunday: Yin Yoga or optional run (40 minutes)

41 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Humor, Running, Sports

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Shirts so good: part two

Posted on May 29, 2012 | 19 comments

I shouldn’t be surprised that my running-shirts collection is getting out of control (a race a week will do that). But every time I open my dresser drawer to add the latest testament to my lack of skills, I am still genuinely amazed at just how many I have accumulated over the past 12 months.

Back in March, I put together this gallery, but I have been lax in updating it, so here are a few more tees. I love how much they vary in size. I tip my hat to the race organizers who have figured out that “unisex” shirts, i.e., men’s, don’t really work for petite women, or any women, really.

I am in the midst of collecting the ones I can’t really use for donation to a local charity. But they will endure here …

19 Comments

Posted in Fitness, Running, Sports, The shirt collection

Once upon a timer: My first race as a volunteer

Posted on May 14, 2012 | 13 comments

I’m not up to running 13.1 miles yet (or maybe ever, but that’s another story), so when Hubby signed up for this weekend’s Twin Lights Half Marathon at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, MA, he suggested I volunteer. My immediate response? “Errrrrrr, ummmm, ahhhhh ……. sure.”

OK, so perhaps I am not the world’s most enthusiastic unpaid laborer, especially when it involves getting up at 6am on a Saturday. But I guess I was a teeny bit keen to take a glimpse behind the race curtain. I said teeny.  

Twin Lights Half Marathon

Runners gather for the Twin Lights Half. The beach is just beyond the grassy dunes.

So I sent off my volunteer email and asked to be assigned to an intersection directing runners. I thought that would be fun, and I would be out there on a course looking dignified for a change (albeit in a bright orange vest). I also chose “timers,” but I secretly hoped the volunteer co-ordinator wouldn’t notice that.

I got assigned to “set-up” and “timers.”

Crap.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Fitness, Humor, Running, Sports

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Running in Boston. But not running Boston

Posted on April 14, 2012 | 6 comments

At the risk of the Boston tourism folks hunting me down and beating me with giant Red Sox foam fingers, I think the city can sometimes be a little … sleepy. So it was great to see it spring to life today. Granted, the weather was stunning, but there was also running in the air (I was going to say sweat, but that makes me feel gross).

I thought I’d make a quick swing by the finish line for Monday’s Boston Marathon. I’m going to be running across it tomorrow, at the B.A.A. 5K. When I do, I’ll at least feel as though I ran a marathon, so that will have to do for now.

It was inspiring watching excited runners taking snaps. (I was going to do one of those shots where I pretend to be running across the finish, but thought that would be a bit odd seeing as I was alone.)

This time last year, I wouldn’t have cared too much about the marathon, but all of a sudden I do. Funny how that happened …

Boston Marathon

It's a fine line.

Boston Marathon

Don't look up. OK, look up.

Boston Marathon

We like to watch.

Happy running to all the speedy folk! Stay cool.

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A lowly 5Ker among a sea of Boston marathoners

Posted on April 13, 2012 | 3 comments

I’ve decided I have to run the Boston Marathon. Have to.

What inspired this new-found proclamation? Next time I go to the John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo on marathon weekend to pick up my bib, I would like not to be told, “Sorry, you can’t get your number here at this big table that says, ‘Welcome runners. Number pickup.’ Rather, you have to proceed to the far right, down three flights of stairs, into a basement, through two steel doors with secret codes, down a dark-as-night corridor, and across a bridge under which lives a troll who requires answers to three riddles.

OK, it may not have gone down exactly like that. But for those of us doing the B.A.A 5K on Sunday instead of Monday’s fancy-schmancy marathon, our number pickup was in a teeny, nondescript room off the back of the giant expo that you had no hope of finding unless you experienced the above exchange at the pickup desk for the real runners.

And that is why I have to run the Boston Marathon.

John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo

A sea of orange Adidas gear (the company is the official marathon sponsor). The screen above says "Boston is all in." Will the runners be playing poker?

Don’t get me wrong. The expo was fun and all. And I certainly don’t want to diminish the achievements of those folks doing the 26.2; it’s an astounding feat. But I felt highly conspicuous as I walked among the stalls without the telltale bright orange swag bag given to the marathoners (no swag for the 5Kers).

The fact that I feel as though I’ve run a marathon at the end of every 5K clearly doesn’t count.

John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo

Coveted shirt.

I was surrounded by shirts with various Boston-y things on them, like “Boston Runnah,” “Haaahtbreak Hill” (or something along those lines) and “Boston 26.2.” Mizuno had an amazing shirt that just said “RunBos 2012.” And Nike had the one pictured on the left. Sure, I guess I could have purchased either of the latter two, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Not until I run the real thing. I don’t want someone coming up to me on the street to ask how I did.

My favorite display was by Brooks, who brought “Pure running heaven” to the expo and were showing off their wares behind golden pearly gates. Inside was plush carpet and cherubs hanging from the ceiling wearing Brooks trainers. Angels beckoned you in with “Welcome to running heaven.” Genius.

John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo

Pure running heaven by Brooks.

But, as much as I appreciated Brooks’ heavenly commitment, and was thrilled by the presence of Dick from the inspiring Team Hoyt (he and his son are about to run their 30th Boston Marathon), and a candy-red Lululemon truck, I felt out of place among all the energy gels and compression socks (fear!) and bright orange official threads.

John Hancock Sports and Fitness Expo

Portable Lululemon.

So I took my bagless 5K bib and T-shirt and slunk towards the exit. Who knows if I’ll ever be able to wear one of those marathon jackets for real. But it’s a cool thought. And and least then I’ll know which table to go to.

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Posted in Fitness, Humor, Running, Sports

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