Just finished my last long run - 35km - before the Boston Marathon (on April 21). Feels great, but have a worrying pain in my right achilles tendon/lower calf. Hope it's nothing serious.
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Saturday, March 29, 2008
Victory... or Disaster...?
Just finished my last long run - 35km - before the Boston Marathon (on April 21). Feels great, but have a worrying pain in my right achilles tendon/lower calf. Hope it's nothing serious.
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36k - Bloor-Thornhill Loop
What more is there to say? A rectangular route from downtown Toronto to it's northern border with Thornhill. Occasional hills, including a significant climb late-on.
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TTC Info: This run passes the Davisville, St. Clair, Summerhill, Rosedale, Yonge/Bloor, Bay, Spadina, St. George, Bathurst, Finch, Sheppard, York Mills, Lawrence and Eglinton Stations.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
No Intervals - Just a Solid Run
Tonight's run with the Runners' Shop group used a route we did last October (http://tinyurl.com/2jwg4m) so no map for today (and, yes, I consider the route repetition ok as it was with the group).
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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Slow, Steady Treadmill Run
I hit the treadmill again for tonight's 15km recovery run.
Nothing groundbreaking; for once I was able to stay on the treadmill for the entire run instead of being kicked off after 30 minutes.
I finished the 15km (around 9.4 miles) in 1:09:34 - about 4:37 per km. Very comfortable pace, although because I was on a treadmill with no breeze I felt a lot hotter than usual.
Tomorrow I have my last interval workout - 15km with 8 x 3 minute intervals. I'm not sure how that will go, as I can still feel my calf muscle after last week's intervals. I may find myself just running at a steady pace while the rest of my running group does the intervals.
Fingers crossed - now is not the time to get injured.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Auction!!!
If you've followed this site recently you may know that I have been working towards an auction to raise money to support cancer research.
Well, we did it! Keith Burtis' custom-designed and -made ornament is complete, Tommy Vallier's coding wizardry is done and it's time for the auction.
Bidding will open 9am EDT on March 25 will end 9pm EDT on March 27. All of the proceeds will benefit the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research at the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.
Bid on the ornament, or read on for details of the item itself.
Be sure to keep checking back in to make sure no-one has outbid you!
The Ornament
The ornament itself is approximately 9 inches tall, and the sphere is about 2.25 inches across. The sphere is made from a type of australian burl. The top & bottom finials are made of rock maple, and although they are very delicate and intricate, the tight grain of the maple keeps these strong.
The base, the upright spindle and the smaller cross spindle are all made from American Black Walnut. These pieces were turned one by one on a lathe, and made to fit snugly into one another.
The Bigger Picture
This auction is one piece of a larger fundraiser that I am holding, benefiting the Campbell Family Institute for Breast Cancer Research through the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.
The Institute aims to become a world-leading program in breast cancer research by leveraging basic, translational and clinical research into dramatic breast cancer breakthroughs.
On April 21 I will run this year's Boston Marathon. I aim to raise $3,000 in sponsorship and donations for the institute by the time I cross the finish line.
I'm using social media to raise awareness of my fundraising and chart my progress as I train for the race. You can follow the training on this site, and you can sponsor me here.
Thank you.
(cross-posted from davefleet.com)
19k - Don Valley/East York/Riverdale Loop
An easy loop, much of which is through Toronto's Don Valley. One large hill climb. Can be icy in the winter.
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TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both the College and Wellesley subway stations, and passes by the Broadview and Castle Frank stations.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Long Hill Run & Cancer Research Fundraiser Info
Sites mentioned in this post:
Keith Burtis - http://magicwoodworks.com/blog
Cancer Research Fundraiser - http://davefleet.com/ (see links on the right of the page)
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35k - West-End Long Hill Run
A long run through Toronto's west end, taking in as many hills as possible.
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TTC Info: This run passes the St. Clair, Summerhill, Rosedale, Old Mill, Jane, High Park, Runnymede, Keele, Dundas West, Lansdowne, Dufferin, Ossington, Christie, Bathurst, Spadina and St. George subway stations.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Boston Training - 'Week Fourteen and Fifteen' Write-Up and 'Week Sixteen' Look-Ahead
Peak training is done! The last two weeks have been insane - over 100km both weeks. Just a few big runs left before Boston now.
Running Log: Week Fourteen
| Day | Scheduled Run | Actual Run |
| Sunday | 30km steady | 23km |
| Monday | 12km recovery | 14km |
| Tuesday | 22km hilly | 24km |
| Wednesday | 12km recovery | 12km |
| Thursday | 15km with intervals | 19km |
| Friday | Rest | Rest |
| Saturday | 12km recovery | 12km |
| Total | 103km week | 105km week |
Running Log: Week Fifteen
With the snow storm hindering my running two weeks ago, this turned out to be my biggest week. I found it surprisingly easy - I guess my legs are used to this kind of mileage at this point. Thursday's run was tough as I felt I was on the edge of an injury, but having run since then I don't think it did any real damage.
| Day | Scheduled Run | Actual Run |
| Sunday | 35km steady | 36km |
| Monday | 12km recovery | 12km |
| Tuesday | 22km hilly | 27km |
| Wednesday | 10km recovery | 10km |
| Thursday | 15km with intervals | 16km |
| Friday | Rest | Rest |
| Saturday | 12km recovery | 14km |
| Total | 103km week | 114km week |
Training Program: Week Sixteen
Here it comes - the taper is on its way. I can't really count an 80km week as taper, but it gives me three rest days compared to one, which is all I've had for the last few weeks.
The runs are still intense though - the real taper isn't here yet - but it's close. I can almost taste it!
| Day | Scheduled Run |
| Sunday | 30km comfortable |
| Monday | Rest |
| Tuesday | 18km comfortable/tempo |
| Wednesday | 15km recovery |
| Thursday | 15km with 8x3min intervals |
| Friday | Rest |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Total | 78km week |
14k - Heidelberg North Loop
Square loop north of Heidleberg, near Waterloo, Ontario. One large hill about 9km through the loop, followed by a steep downhill.
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TTC Info: Yeah, right.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Intense intervals and an almost-injury
Very similar route to last week (see http://tinyurl.com/2rxghh).
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Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
27k - High Park Hill Repeats
Long run with seven significant hill climbs in the middle. Total of about 5.6km of hill climbs.
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TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both the College and Wellesley subway stations, and passes the Queen's Park station.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Satisfying Long Run - and Cancer Fundraiser News
In really high spirits after today's long run. Feels like the training is paying off. Also discuss my cancer research fundraiser - over $1000 raised so far (see http://tinyurl.com/2ga3xs for details of the project) .
New: A friend is donating a unique wooden handmade ornament that he is designing and creating himself. We're auctioning it off later in the month - check out http://tinyurl.com/2slewe for details and go to http://magicwoodworks.com/blog/ to see Keith's blog of the process as he creates the piece that we're auctioning.
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36k - Davisville Village/Forest Hill/North Toronto/Rosedale Loop
A long route which can easily be portioned-up into several smaller runs. Fairly hilly.
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TTC Info: This run passes the St. Clair West, St. George, Bay, Eglinton West, Eglinton, Rosedale and Yonge/Bloor subway stations.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
12k - Moore Park/Forest Hill/North Toronto Loop
A short 12km loop with rolling hills through some of Toronto's nicest neighbourhoods (IMHO).
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TTC Info: This run passes by the St. Clair subway station.
Friday, March 14, 2008
19k - Yorkville/Rosedale Interval Loop Plus Forest Hill Extension
Very similar to this interval run, but with an additional hill climb and a couple of extra kilometres. The distance reflects doing six three-minute intervals around Governor's Road and Douglas Crescent, with three-minute jogs between each interval.
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TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both Bay and St. George subway stations. It also passes by the Rosedale and St. Clair stations.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
24k - Downtown/Cabbagetown/Riverdale/East York/Danforth Village Hill Run
An intense hill workout combined with a mid-distance route. Four laps (up and down) each of Pottery Road and Beechwood Road on the side of the Don Valley.
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TTC Info: This run starts and finishes near both Wellesley and College subway stations, and passes the Broadview, Pape, Chester, Castle Frank, Sherbourne, Yonge/Bloor, Bay, St. George, Spadina and Queen's Park stations.
Monday, March 10, 2008
14k - Downtown/Cabbagetown/Riverdale/Danforth Village Loop
A simple and generally flat loop in Toronto's central/east region. One significant climb half-way through the run.
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TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both Wellesley and College subway stations, and passes by the Coxwell, Broadview and Castle Frank stations.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
A Snow-Covered Run
I ventured outside today after this weekend's storm and did a 23km run. Felt pretty good.
On the downside, I lost my audio recorder so there won't be any mid-run thoughts for a while. If you know of a *very* small audio recorder with decent sound quality, let me know!
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23k - Leaside/Rosedale/Davenport/Forest Hill Loop
A reasonably easy loop heading north from mid-Toronto before looping down towards downtown and back up through the affluent Forest Hill neighbourhood.
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TTC Info: This run passes by the Yonge/Bloor, Eglinton West and Davisville subway stations
Why Didn't I Think Of This?
Courtesy of Vanilla, here's a great video for those of you plotting out your race strategy...
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Boston Training - 'Week Thirteen' Write-Up and 'Week Fourteen' Look-Ahead
This week was tough. Really tough. I spent most of the week limping around the office, stiff as a plank, then heading out to run again.
A big snowstorm stopped me from doing my last run today; that's probably a good thing - I needed another rest day. Frustrating though - 4km short of a 100km week.
Running Log: Week Thirteen
| Day | Scheduled Run | Actual Run |
| Sunday | 32km comfortable | 32km |
| Monday | 12km recovery | 11.7km |
| Tuesday | 22km c/t | 23km |
| Wednesday | 12km recovery | 12.5km |
| Thursday | 15km with intervals | 17km |
| Friday | Rest | Rest |
| Saturday | 15km recovery | Snow Day! |
| Total | 108km week | 96km week |
Training Program: Week Fourteen
This is another big week, although I'm not sure that I'll be able to do Sunday's big run given all the snow that is still falling right now. We must have at least 30cm on the ground at the moment, so a long run is unlikely.
| Day | Scheduled Run |
| Sunday | 30km comfortable |
| Monday | 12km recovery |
| Tuesday | 22km hilly |
| Wednesday | 12km recovery |
| Thursday | 15km with 6x3min intervals |
| Friday | Rest |
| Saturday | 12km recovery |
| Total | 103km week |
Snow Day
Another major snowstorm hit Toronto today. It started snowing on Friday night and right now it's still going strong. I figure there's about 30cm of snow out there right now. There was no way I was running in that, so I missed today's run.
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Thursday, March 6, 2008
Intervals!
My schedule for today had me doing 15km with 5*3min intervals. I ended up doing 17km with the same speed work. Felt surprisingly good - legs were tight and tired, but all things considered the run went well. Rest day tomorrow - I can't wait! It's been a long week.
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17k - Rosedale Intervals
Pretty much an out-and-back route, with a small diversion on the return route. Short laps for intervals near Bayview Avenue.
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TTC Info: This run starts and ends near both Bay and St. George subway stations. It also passes by the Rosedale station.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Today's Treadmill Run
Toronto is blanketed in snow, so today's run was another treadmill trudge. Got through it, though. One more run and then I get a rest day.
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Mid-Run Thoughts: Stiff Legs and a Long Run
Very sore legs today, and the first few kilometres of the run weren't a lot of fun. I recorded this before I loosened up.
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23k - Queen's Park/Entertainment District/Junction/St. Clair West Loop
A relatively easy loop through Toronto's west end. Few significant hills, although there are a couple of long gradual climbs.
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TTC Info: This route starts near both Wellesley and College subway stations, and passes the Queen's Park, St. Patrick, Osgoode, St. Andrew, Ossington and St. Clair West stations.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Thoughts on a painful "recovery" run
Looking back on today's 12km recovery run. Very sore from yesterday's 32km, so this wasn't a lot of fun.
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Sunday, March 2, 2008
Boston Training - 'Week Eleven and Twelve' Write-Up and 'Week Thirteen' Look-Ahead
Running Log: Week Eleven
This week was very busy - with PodCamp Toronto over the weekend, I didn't get in a lot of mileage.
| Day | Scheduled Run | Actual Run |
| Sunday | Rest | |
| Monday | 10km recovery | 10km recovery |
| Tuesday | 15km c/t | 19km c/t |
| Wednesday | Rest | Rest |
| Thursday | 12km hilly | 15km hilly |
| Friday | Rest | Rest |
| Saturday | Rest | Rest |
| Total | 44km week |
Running Log: Week Twelve
Complete disaster this week - I was sick all week and didn't run once.
| Day | Scheduled Run | Actual Run |
| Sunday | 21km race | Rest |
| Monday | Rest | Sick |
| Tuesday | 10km comfortable | Sick |
| Wednesday | 15km recovery | Sick |
| Thursday | 15km with intervals | Sick |
| Friday | Rest | Sick |
| Saturday | 15km recovery | Sick |
| Total | 76km week | 0km week |
Training Program: Week Thirteen
This is my peak week on the road to Boston - the first of three back-to-back 100km+ weeks.
| Day | Scheduled Run |
| Sunday | 32km comfortable |
| Monday | 12km recovery |
| Tuesday | 22km c/t |
| Wednesday | 12km recovery |
| Thursday | 15km with 5x3min intervals |
| Friday | Rest |
| Saturday | 15km recovery |
| Total | 108km week |
Mid-Run Thoughts
Recorded in-motion during today's long run. Pretty poor audio, thanks to a combination of (a) recording while running, and (b) having already run 17km!
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32k - Davisville Village/Pape/Danforth/Forest Hill/Mount Pleasant Loop
A long run starting in Davisville Village and heading east out to Pape, down the Danforth and along to the Runners' Shop before heading up through Forest Hill and North Toronto before heading down through Mount Pleasant Cemetary and Yonge Street, ending back at the Runners' Shop.
The run is divided into two parts: a 10km run from Davisville Village to the Runners' Shop and a 22km loop starting and ending at the Runners' Shop.
This run is similar to a 27km route from early February.
TTC Info: This run passes close by the Pape, Chester, Broadview, Castle Frank, Sherbourne, Yonge/Bloor, Bay, St. George, Eglinton West, St. Clair, Summerhill, and Rosedale stations.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
A Quick Update: Sick
A quick video explaining where I've been recently, and why I haven't posted anything this week.
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