Running chicks FOUND!!!

So. What have I been doing lately?

Well. Not a whole heck of a lot of running… until this week that is. More on that shortly.

Since starting back at school 2.5 months ago, my life has pretty much been a non-stop study hole. I study before classes, between classes, after classes, when the boy drops off for his evening snore fest, and sometimes in the early morning hours when the rest of the loft is pitch black and sleeping. And holy crap, let me just say, this studying thing, it kind of works, who knew (oh right, every teacher in high school and every prof who had me my first go at college that told me so). Seriously, I’m like a friggin’ genius. My test scores are in the high 90s! Oh, and I’m a keener too, sitting front row, arm perma stuck in the air, repeatedly answering questions. I’m like the student that used to annoy the heck out of me … and I don’t even care 😉

But with that, as already hinted, my running has fallen completely off the map. Now, granted, I did not have a good season at all, and the weeks leading up to school starting, I had pretty much already lost all motivation. Sure, I had a few bursts of running greatness this season, but the majority, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, it sucked. I had fallen out of love with my love for running. And wow, that was a major depressant.

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Far too many of these looks this season 🙁

My first DNF at Scotiabank; my ongoing blood sugar dramas every single run; losing sensation in my arms for months due to run-induced hypothermia; the screaming battles in my head every time I laced up; my first DNS at the inaugural Rock ‘N Roll Vancouver for no reason other than I didn’t want to; colds, flus, and, oh yeah, there was that time I had Norwalk too. Plain and simple, this was not my season.

I pretty much haven’t run more than 5 or so kilometres since my triumphant Vancouver Eastside 10k in mid-September. And believe me, I riddled myself with guilt; I tried to push through it; I even tried reverse psychology. Nothing worked. It was like you know how magnets repel each other, that’s how it’s been with me and my sneakers.

I needed a break.

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Last run of the season; good riddance!

But then there was a tweet, a tweet I had forgotten about, a tweet I saw weeks, or months ago. Something about a run study out of UBC, something about studying the effects of running biomechanics on injury rates, something that was being held fairly locally. Hmm, I thought. Interesting. I filled out the form and forgot about it.

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A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the director. Not to participate in the study – but to lead the runners! Turns out, I didn’t qualify under the study’s group specifications: examining the biomechanics on injury rates in novice, recreational, female runners between the ages of 18 and 60. Apparently I’m not novice enough; damn those repeated half marathons and marathons under my belt!

At first, I was kinda blown away. Me? Lead a group? Hmm… Well, I am beyond directionally challenged; I do tend to run faster than I probably should right off the hop; I always sometimes complain about speed intervals (but get er done). Why yes, I would be perfect for the job 😀

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Anything to be running with running chicks again 🙂 🙂 🙂

So there you have it. The next 15 weeks I will be spending my Thursdays and Sundays leading a group of new running chicks (soon to become favourites, I am sure) training for the Vancouver First Half or Langley Historic Half. There will be none of the racing pressure I’ve put on myself the last few seasons; none of this solo running business I’ve been experiencing the last couple years; but there will be accountability to myself AND others.

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Thursday was our first run. Yesterday was our second run. I am still smiling.

SUNDAY’S ‘EASY PACE’ RUN:
8:45 a.m. BG before: 12.8 (yikes!)
Carbs: banana 20 minutes earlier no bolus (see above BG)
Temp. basal: none (See above BG)
Time: 60 minutes, easy pace
Average pace: 6:47 min/km
10:15 a.m. BG after: 6.9 (phew!)
Temp basal: +50% 1.5 hours

4 thoughts on “Running chicks FOUND!!!”

  1. Woohoo….the blog is back, you are getting fantastic grades and you have found some new running chicks who I hope don’t become your new favs 🙂

  2. Hey that’s fantastic! I tried to sign up for the study too but was rejected. 🙁 Where do your runs run out of? Burnaby? And you’ll be great at it too!

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