Weather

Look at my snazzy new shoes. When every I am tired I look down and get a little burst of energy. Yellow goes with my black running outfit. HA

Michelle. This lady blows me out of the water. Whenever we run doesn't matter the distance she always has this burst of energy and takes off on the last 5K. My goal on the marathon is just to keep up with her. She has been running for more than my life. We might be soul mates.

The weather this last month...a gift from heaven. It snows on Tuesday and by Saturday it's sunny and fairly warm. This photo is from the 29K run last Saturday. (3 hours 34 minutes)

With new shoes comes new blisters. EIK.

Missed the 32K because I was sick all last week. Perogy dinner this Friday followed with another 26K run. Wow. I never thought half marathons would be easy.

Cheers,

Mathew

Let it snow let it snow.

Calgary is really deceiving. It never seems to become actual winter. Cold for 2 days nice for 3 then really nice for 2 more. The photo above was a really nice Monday. Small run out with my cousin. After all this training I would like to investigate what it would take to become a run coach. Just a part time thing. Who knows!!!

Saturday gang. Today was great because we had a running seminar on improving your stride. The best advice i took was to have your arms at 90 degrees and then loosen them. Also while running think with your arms that you are pulling a rope. Instantly made my form feel better.
This is my new mentee Katy. Hello new great running pal. In the group I am always joking...she makes it easier. Even with her joining midway through the season she is right up there with training. only 8 weeks of training left.

Fundraising is getting harder but I am making improvements.

Tomorrow is my 5th Half marathon Race. EIIKK! interested to see how far I can go and fast now that I have the 26K under my belt from last week.

Mathew John

Suck it!!!

I know I know, what a bad title for a blog entry. The truth is that was my mental thought on today's 26K journey. One of the best runs of my life. There are enough in that bank of memory for it to matter. It wasn't amazing since it was easy... It was the joy in the challenge of it. I put 26K under my feet and told the pavement to suck it.

After 16K. Self portrait. When we hit 20K I was ready to go and get home. It was Halloween last night and I just stayed with punch but this morning forgot to eat breakfast. I feel this will get better with time this training for the marathon. Last post shared the gruesome bloody nipple shot. Sorry. Sorry to Kim who read my blog at school and had people staring at her. It's part of the experience. Blisters and blood and sore legs.

This is the torture that I put myself through when running 20K+. Plunging my legs into cold water for 15 minutes. Once settled in, addition of a bucket of ice, to really feel the burn. It helps your muscle repair/recover.

Glad that today was 13 degrees above and not 13 negative,

Mathew

Sore.

Today my body aches. It's all over. My shoulders, lower back, abs, pelvis and my toes. Maybe it is yoga or dance class or just long impact of running.


Hills last night was great just Chrystal and I, 6 Hills. It is going to get harder since very soon daylight saving will be in effect so it will be getting darker sooner. We already finish in the dark but to start in the dark, depressing. Love the challenge of hills.


As I train further been talking with people who have run marathons in the past getting advice.
1. After 90 minutes of running you start to become disoriented. Find peace with that feeling because that is where your body can go the distance.
2. It is very hard after training for not to finish a marathon. The actual race day is lined with supports cheering or along the way. If your mind is slumping someone along the way will boost it up.


It's hard to stare into the whiteness of winter approaching with the same can do attitude of the bloom of spring.


So, CAN DO!!!
Mathew John

Catching up.

Wow. This is the last 14 days of running in photo form.

Nicole and I at our first hill training. Love being back on the hill. By the time we start our climbs up and down, up and down, the sun is setting on the Calgary skyline. Not to hard to find the beauty.

This was at 17K on our 20K run last week. Running with the front pack we held a great pace of 6.25 minutes per Km. The leaves are really speckling the ground.

The tree's are empty but still we chug on.

Oh No. The aftermath of my foolishness. If your ever at the end of a race you see this happen...many men crossing the finish line with two red dots. The worst part is I know better. This has happened before. Now I keep band aid as a preventative measure in my glove box. Just another part of training.

Hills a week ago. 5 Hills. One of Calgary's finest sunsets. So lucky to have as much sunshine as we have.

Here's my mentees. This was on our 23K run on Saturday. The first time for me to break that regular 21.1K boundary. The run was great. Michelle informed me of her running spirit running bear and let me borrow him. (Running Bear you helped me alot) Our pace was exactly where is should be at 7.5 minute KM. This run also broke the longest time I have been out running, 2Hours 40Minutes. So Proud of my team and of my running friends.

Even with two evening class on Monday night up and out the door at 7AM to meet Erin for a nice easy jog. 7.5K in Inglewood with the ever cute cuddly perfect man in dog form Felix. Yesterday was an off day. Today Hot yoga at lunch and hill training after class. It's weird how well my body is responding to so much physical activity. Guess I'm getting into that grove.

As Erin said during our run, "I think you are a runner now" Guess I am.

Mathew John

Training Training Training.

After returning back to life and Canada got in the stride of marathon training.
The difference with half training and that of the full is that cross activities push without the stress to already worked legs.

Monday: 14K make up run with Care. I ended up getting really tight in the muscle on the front of my legs. After some yoga instructed by my guru loosened and relaxed but felt it would be best to return home. It ended up only being 5K. Important to listen to the body.

Tuesday: 500M Swim with Kevin. Really surprised that he called me to get into the pool. Thought that after the triathlon Kevin would go back to smoking and drinking. The only problem was the murky disgusting water. Both of us felt sick and dizzy.

Wednesday: Hill training begins. The hill next to curling club on memorial. 4 TIMES. timing each time I went up. 2 minutes 20S then 2M 4S then 1M58S and my last hill at 1M 50S. Oh yeah. I love hills because of the challenge they bring. It's not easy but it not very long either. Wait till I start doing the stairs.

Today: After a really intense dance class. My prof described my movements as high energy, big, and sporadic. This went on for 10 minutes and I was breathing heavily after a minute. Back to the pool I went. Met Alex my fellow pooligan at SAIT. Holy it was great; Clean Water whole lanes to myself, Hot Tub. 200M Front crawl 200 Arms 200 legs. Wanted to go out and do another 100 but after the first stretch of the lap I knew I was done.

Massage tomorrow for my body,

Mathew John

Running in Europe.

Taking off on this adventure I never thought it would lead me to all the places it has.
The hills of Sardinia:

The bridge over the canals of Venice. Past the 1600 homes in Wetzlar.

Getting up early to run while the band (and tanya) slept. A great way to see a city.
The time came for my 4th Half Marathon. Cologne was the spot. Above me is at 7:30 AM before starting. A little haggard beard going on. The night before was crazy. Trying to find the marathon expo didn`t work. I ended up walking around the entire convention center without finding a door to get in. A friend of Sophie`s took me out for dinner. I had potato pasta covered in butter. Perfect pre-race food. Then back to the hostel with my full tummy. Needed to try and get my bib again. This time at seven in the morning.
My first large city marathon. 10000 people were running the half alone. They also were putting on a inline skate event of 64Km. Crazy to watch people go. This photo up top is in rudolph platz. The streets were lined with people out to watch.

Off I went. The first 10K was a challenge my body would not take form. Shocked at the 10K when I looked at my watch going at a 6min pace. As per usual my calves got tight at 20K. slowed my pace as passing through the city.

After crossing the finish line a man almost brought me to tears. All he said was Good Job and patted me on the shoulder.


It ended up being a personal best of 2H 03M 25S. The best part was the food and then BEER.
Hello it`s not even 11AM and the germans celebrate with free beer for everyone. I drank my beer and returned to the hostel to shower and repack. Now off on a train to joing my friends in Berlin.

Another 20K next week for full marathon training,
Mathew John