Time to Change up the Blog

Been doing some treadmill running, nothing too exciting, waiting for spring to arrive to do some outdoor running, or at least some milder temperatures.
I have been following up on getting some local runners together to start a little running club here in the village. I am going to open it up to walkers also, because I want to encourage everyone who is interested to participate at their own level. There are a lot of seniors in our village and I don't want to exclude them.
I've e-mailed back the people who have shown interest so far and asked them a few questions i.e. best day to meet, time etc. One of the questions I asked is where would people prefer to meet. It's a pretty small village so anywhere is within walking distance.
One guy answered that we should meet at the local pub, that way we would be supporting a local business at the end of the run by going in for a beer. Other people jokingly said we shouldn't start our run there, because this guy Bill who suggested it, might stay there and forego the run!
Such, good humour and comaraderie amongst runners and we haven't even started yet - that is one thing I like about runners, whether it's here in blog land, at a club or race - there is so much positive energy and humour - one of the benefits of running.

So, I'm going to change the blog up a bit to focus a little more on our fledgling run club. I will be posting about how we get started and how we hopefully grow into a little community of active people, runner, walkers and maybe even some bike rides thrown in. I guess I can't call the blog ' The Manly Runner' someone already took that name...

Happy Running,
Lee

Ice, Ice Baby and some battle wounds

The last 3 weeks or so, I've been kind of hating on winter! Yes, it's true. I love winter, I do, she just seems to out stay her welcome. I've been avoiding having to go out, and tiring of seeing snow. I'm missing seeing something alive and green. Worse of all is driving on  milder days and getting constantly covered in slush, hoping not to run out of windshield washer fluid. Enough is enough!
I've been making friends with my treadmill and had a really nice run on it Monday and this morning.
But yesterday, I decided to reach way down deep into my Canadian heart and see if I could squeeze out one more ounce of love for Winter! After awhile, you either stay inside going stir crazy or you get out there and embrace winter.
Yesterday, before going into work, I checked on this:

Even with the poor ice conditions I decided to carry on. I drove downtown, parked across from the Rideau Canal, strapped on my skates, turned on my iPod, and skated 10k. The ice surface was rough which I new going in, but it had to be done yesterday, it was sunny and cold, and it is supposed to get very mild and I'm afraid that will be the end of the ice. I LOVED IT!! and it can only be done in winter, so I guess I do have a little love left for winter, but please hurry up Spring!

 I started at k3 and skated down to k1 towards downtown, surface kind of rough but I managed to get a nice rhythm going and was sailing along nicely in some sections. I love the sound of skate blades on ice! Throw in the sound of hockey sticks slashing around and you have a beautiful symphony! (No hockey sticks allowed on the Skateway)

 then I turned around and headed toward the man made lake

 art under one of the bridges and school kids having fun

 a pretty stretch of the Skateway, still heading toward the lake. Many races are run along this route, but higher up on street level looking down over the canal, very nice, winter or summer.

At the lake, I turned around at k6 and skated back to k3 where I was parked. I took off my skates and slid on my slip on runners which were still sitting under the bench where I'd left them( yes, you sit outside on a bench and change into your skates!) next to a pair of Asic Cummulus 11's, that person was brave to leave his shoes there! I headed off to work, feeling fantastic, except for the rubbed raw areas on my ankles, forgot to wear taller socks - oops! but I only felt it for the first little bit, then forgot about it, was surprised to see how bad it was on both legs, inner and outer, inner not as bad.

Hope those of you who are living in winter conditions are still managing to find some enjoyment in it!
As for you from warmer climes enjoy a little warmth and greenery for me please!

Blogging Lag and St. Paddy's 5K

I've been cutting back on blogging lately because of lack of time management various responsibilities that are pulling me in different directions, so something had to give.
I have been getting some runs in, indoors, which I'm kind of getting used to. The weather has been the pits, either freezing or on milder days, snowy, slippery, slushy roads, so I've been heading down to the treadmill. I'm freaking tired of winter!! And don't seem to be venturing out as much.
Today I signed up for

I'm doing the 5k and after that, maybe I'll focus on the National Capital 10K and see if I can improve on that. Not a great running year so far, but right now if I can squeeze in 3 runs a week and do this 5k, it's all good. And, I'm still taking the creepy stairs at work and I can feel it!

Getting Down with the Sickness and Up & Down Stairs

Well it's a little milder today, but I just didn't feel like going out, getting tired of putting on all the gear. So I threw on some shorts and a t-shirt and said hello to my treadmill. I finally loaded up my Ipod Shuffle that I got back in December and went for a nice little run. The song that really got me going is this, something about that primal beat and angry voice, those songs always seem to push me. I'm showing the Sponge Bob version here, and I have the clean version on my ipod, not what I'd typically listen to while lounging on the couch, but for a run, I like it! The song is a little long which is great when your running, but listen to a couple of minutes and you'll get the idea.

Do you hate it or does it get your blood pumping?

I've been at my new job for over a month now and it dawned on me - hey, there are stairs in this building! Funny how that works, out of sight, out of mind, and bee lining it to the elevator without a second thought.  It seems I'm going up and down a lot during my 4 hr. shift. My desk is upstairs on the 4th floor, and we meet with clients on the main floor. So I decided to start taking the stairs up, and down, up and down, sketchy as they are. Could they be any more drab?  Dark, dingy, grey,narrow, steep, creepy. But they are my friend, as they are good for my health.Looks can be deceiving! There are 3 flights of 18stairs each, better than taking the elevator.

 and this is pretty creepy looking too,

I was surprised the first time I climbed them,the stairs, not that ladder, that I was as out of breath as I was, not panting out of breath, but still, I thought with the running, it would have been nothing to go up those stairs. Now that I've done them a few times, my breathing is easier when I get to my floor. So, other than specific workouts, do you fit little things into your day to add to your fit lifestyle or do you mindlessly take the path of least resistance?

Blow, Blow, thou winter wind

Another day on the treadmill, some easy and some speed intervals in the middle, followed by more easy. Couldn't run outside today because of this:

snow at my back door,

doesn't look as bad, but the wind is blowing the snow all around,

 this is during a lull, it was coming down heavier before and we're expecting more + freezing rain
Toronto is getting hit harder, up to a foot of snow, and even worse for the maritimes.