RUNNING UPDATE

It's been a long time since I updated my running timeline. Last November I was dreaming of running a marathon today. I didn't make it. Strangely, no one ran a marathon today. It's been unseasonably hot, and they cancelled it, substituting the half marathon as the longest race, and starting an hour early, and giving the maximum time at 3 hours after, to avoid heat exhaustion.

I didn't run any of the events I had planned, but I did run a 5 k with my daughter in the spring, and I am up to running the 6.5 km three times a week. This has allowed me to run a 3 k today with my daughter to add to her mileage to earn her rainbow feet, and run a 10 k in St Bruno with a friend on a whim, and another 10 k along the Lachine canal.

I have learned a lot this year. How to run on snow with traction devices. How to run in rain with a hat. How to run trails with small steps. How hard it is to run in heat! How running at 9:30 at night feels great in the heat, but without a hat, the sweat really burns the eyes, and it's hard to sleep after. How stiff you are when you go straight to bed! Like water and tea, running too close to bedtime has a price to pay, sometimes for a couple of days!

Post run legs and my new compression stockings

I always thought of myself as a runner, but I am really just learning. I need to put on more mileage and be more consistent, to be more confident to run with others, which I have really loved. I need to be more careful about nutrition. Leave less gaps that seem to come up on vacation and workweeks. And hit more trails. Running in the forest is exercise and therapy!

My legs are stronger, but I am feeling weak in the arms, what with the pool closed and climbing out with a finger injury. I'll have to work in some swimming soon. But until then, I'll just go out and run!