Some words about running.
Well, that time has come. After 20 weeks of training that saw me run over 925km, I am finally Boston Bound. Over the past few weeks I've been tapering, scaling back my effort and fine tuning a few particular things before the big day. I've slowly shifted my eating to ensure that I am both lean and well-fuelled for race day. More calories, clean food, lean proteins and complex carbs - and lots of water. I've continued to work on my speed and, in particular, my target race pace.
It's that time of training again. Tapering. Admittedly one of the weirdest parts of marathon training, I've learn to love tapering over the years. In a nutshell, tapering means that you run fewer kilometres and you rest more. When you've been training you ass off for months through the gruelling winter, running harder and further every week, focussed in on your goal, scaling things back 3 weeks before the race just feels wrong. You're heading for that goal. You can see it. Why am I slowing down now? This makes no sense. The answer? Science. And I don't argue with science.
Marathon training is a lot like a roller coaster ride. There are ups and downs. It's fun and scary. You're both nervous and excited. Sometimes you can see what's coming next, and other times you get pulled in a totally unexpected direction. Sometimes during the ride, you just want it to end. But once it's done, you want to do it again.
We're raising money to send kids to summer camp. By giving these kids the opportunity to attend summer camp, we're changing their lives for the better. Camp provides them with the opportunity to experience new things, develop skills, learn about trust, leadership, and teamwork, build strong friendships, foster self confidence, and most importantly, we will be giving them the opportunity to realize their full potential.
I'm pretty lucky in that I get to travel a decent amount for work. Earlier this week I was in Victoria, British Columbia for a work event. While work travel can throw a wrench into your workout routine, I completely take advantage of it. I see it as an opportunity to explore. Read more about my weekend on vancouver Island in which I ran over 50km, including an 8km Trail Race.
This is something that I’m really excited about. Let me begin by introducing you to my buddy Craig. Craig is an insanely talented dude. He’s the kind of guy who can get you excited about anything. Craig could call me up and say “Hey dude, you wanna go watch paint dry?” and I’d probably do it. He’s creative, energetic, and always positive. He’s an ideas guy - but the kind of ideas guy that has a plan, and knows how to execute it. Craig always pulls through and gives 110%. That’s what I love about Craig. He gets shit done.
It was nice while it lasted. After an uncharacteristically mild December, we finally got hit with with a classic Canadian storm. Snow, wind, ice. The first four weeks of my training have been fantastic. Not only do I feel great physically and mentally, but the weather has been very accommodating. Running in shorts with no toque in December is a real treat. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
