Wow - tomorrow's the last day of my Learn to Run clinic! Hard to believe. I feel like I can take on so much more now than I could when I started. I feel so much stronger.

Now that I'm starting to work on increasing my distances, though, I really need to pay even closer attention to my running form. I went for a run on Wednesday with the group, and when I got tired my form got all sloppy - I was landing almost flat instead of on the balls of my feet, and my knees got sore to the point where I almost had to walk the last kilometre or so. I didn't - I kept running, but only barely.

But on the plus side, it was the furthest distance yet for me - about 6.5 km!!  :)

But yes, I really need to focus on proper alignment and proper foot placement so I can keep running injury-free.

I've also decided to opt for the 5k clinic. I want to build up my strength and endurance, and I also want to consistently have good running form before I start increasing my mileage (see above).

I can't wait for the next clinic! And luckily I won't have to, since it starts this week - yay!!

Tons of running (but not too much) is in the forecast for this week.

I can't wait to go for a run tomorrow.

That is all.

Ok, here comes the self-doubt. I've been planning on signing up for the 10k clinic, and I'm still leaning towards doing that, but now I'm starting to wonder if I'm getting ahead of myself.

I'm sure this is a normal part of moving up in running distances, but I'm still a pretty new runner. Do I have a solid enough foundation to move on to the 10k level? In about two and a half months, I've moved from 0k to 5k. That's a pretty good start, but I've read that a lot of overuse injuries happen because of moving too far, too quickly.

So yeah, I'm trying to figure out whether I have a solid enough foundation to go for the 10k clinic, or whether I should sign up for the 5k clinic to really get myself ready.

Hmm...

Well, I have another week or two to decide, so I guess that's a good thing.

I'm still leaning towards the 10k clinic, but I want to be sure that it's the right decision.

We had a great run yesterday - we did about 3.6k in less than 30 minutes, and this was including some hills. I'm signing up for the 10k clinic which starts in early October. I've heard that there's hill work in the 10k clinic, so this bodes well.

I also figured I should use my coupon before it expires, so I bought some running-related gear. I've done without a water bottle during the Learn to Run clinic. This of course is not the best idea in the world, but I always made sure I'd had plenty of water before and after every run.

Now that I'm moving up to the next level, I can't really get away with that anymore. There are a few options. I could go with the holder designed for one large water bottle, or with the multiple-bottle holder. Since I plan to keep going to the longer endurance runs (to the half-marathon and marathon levels), I'll eventually have to get the more fancy multiple-bottle holders, or whatever the proper technical term is.

So, rather than get a cheaper one now, and have to spend more money to upgrade a few months later, I figured I'd splurge and get the fancy one now.

So that's what I did - I got one of those belts that have four small water bottles. They're designed to not get in the way of my arm movement, so they won't feel like they're in the way. When I got home, I still had my running clothes on; I tried on the belt and once again practiced proper form running back and forth (barefoot, since I was at home). I may still be a beginner, but I'm starting to feel like I can call myself a runner.

And yes, you read that right - I spent part of my Friday night trying on my new-and-fancy-running-gear and practicing proper running technique.

Hi, my name is Sarah, and I am a nerd.

Happy running  :)

We had a guest speaker at Monday night's clinic - a chiropractor who specializes in helping runners. He gave a great talk on running technique, and had us all try taking a few steps with proper alignment (and with proper foot placement).

This will really help my technique, and will help me in my goal of keeping injury-free.

When I got home, I practiced running back and forth, barefoot. It's remarkable what a few little adjustments can make.

The Learn to Run clinic is nearly over, and as of Monday we'll be up to 10 minutes running to 1 minute walking. It's pretty cool to think that eight weeks ago, we started off doing 1 minute running to 2 minutes walking, and now I can say "5k? Sure - let's go!"

I feel good. I feel strong.

Made it!

I did it! I ran my first-ever 5k race!!!  :D

And it even went much better than the practice run earlier this week. When Islay, Fil, and I ran the route on Tuesday, it felt really long. And it was really long, for me - it was the longest distance that I had run yet. I'd felt pretty good at the beginning, but I really needed the walk breaks around halfway through, and my legs had started to hurt a bit towards the end.

But this morning, I felt great. Maybe it was the energy of so many other runners. Maybe it was my nervous excitement about my first race. Maybe it was even the delicious cream of broccoli soup I had eaten the night before. But I felt great.

Even before we'd gotten to the site of the run, I was starting to feel the excitement. As we approached Avenue Road, I saw the pylons were already set up for that corner of the race, and I felt like a kid in a candy shop. Then we turned onto Cumberland and I saw the huge start/finish line - I was so excited.  All of this was for us! The roads were closed, there was music playing, there were hundreds of runners getting ready.

The organizers setting up.

The race was chip timed, which meant I wore a stylish ankle-bracelet-type-thing that started timing as soon as I ran across the starting line, and stopped when I'd finished the race. It's pretty cool to know exactly how fast I run.

The three of us just before the race started. Note the stylish ankle bracelets.

The closer we got to 9:30, the more I just wanted to get started. I still wasn't sure what kind of time I would make, but I couldn't wait to find out. A few words from the organizers and sponsors, then the air horn sounded and we were off! Well, it took a few moments to get out of the starting gate, but then we were off!

The plan was to run the race doing a pace of 7:1 (7 mins running to 1 minute walking). I was good and stuck to that plan when the first minute of walking came around, but I felt so full of energy that I only did another minute, maybe minute and a half of walking over the course of the race, so I ended up running most of the course.

I was annoyingly peppy and cheerful.

I cheered at the starting line, I cheered at the surly police officers who were keeping the course clear of drivers, I cheered at the volunteers, I cheered at the water we were given around the halfway mark, and I cheered at all the distance markers.

Woot! We're at the 3k mark! Woohoo - we've made it to 4k! We're almost at the finish already - yeah!!

I'd kept a pretty steady pace, but started to pick up speed around the last 1/2 km, running south on Bay Street. Since I'd already run the course on Tuesday, I knew how close I was to the end. 

And then I turned the corner from Bay onto Cumberland, and could see the finish line. What an incredible feeling. I ran, picking up speed until I was sprinting towards the gate. They announced my name on the loudspeakers as I approached the line, and the crowd cheered. I had no idea that they do that for races - I wasn't expecting it at all, and it felt so incredible. I felt almost like a minor celebrity for those few brief moments as I gave it my all and crossed the finish line.

Me holding up my finisher's medal.

When I first started the Learn to Run course, I thought there was no way I'd be able to run a 5k race in 35 minutes or less. I would get winded just running half a block, and this was only about 8 weeks ago. And today, not only did I do my first 5k race before the end of the running clinic, but I finished in 33:33!

I've joked about it before, but it's true that no matter what my time was, it would automatically be a personal best (since, you know, this was my first race). And I couldn't be happier with it.

And that was with those couple of brief walk breaks thrown in. And I could still carry on a conversation if I'd wanted to, which means that I can definitely beat my personal best if I push myself.

Of course, I was ecstatic when I finished the race (and at 33:33!!) But the feeling wasn't limited to just this morning - I have been on a high all day.

I can't wait for my next race!

Yup. I'm addicted.

Tonight I will sleep very well.

Taking it easy today, since I ran 5k yesterday. I have one more run to squeeze in before the race on Sunday. It'll either be tomorrow or Friday.

I haven't quite decided where it'll be, but I'm looking around to find somewhere picturesque and/or historic - and I'll be relying on Google Maps to figure out the approximate distance.

Pics and commentary to follow.

Countdown to my first race!

I ran 5k tonight in preparation for this Sunday's race!!!!!   :D
Can you tell I'm excited?

Many many thanks to Islay and Fil (whose company made tonight's run easier and much more fun).

I've also learned that it's considered bad luck to run a race while wearing that event's shirt. I'm a theatre-type, and am well-versed in superstitions of the stage, so I'm pretty excited to start learning about superstitions for running. And I will make sure that I wear something other than the snazzy new Yorkville Run t-shirt (I'll save that for when I sign up for the 10k clinic and need more running clothes).

It feels pretty amazing to know - not just to guess, but to actually know, that I can handle running 5k. I'm now looking forward even more to this Sunday's race.

So yeah, I'm feeling pretty fantastic tonight. Tomorrow I will be sore.

Labour Day Weekend

Despite the lack of a practice run this weekend, it has still been a pretty active few days. I managed to get a dive in, despite the really crappy weather - my friends and I lucked out and the rain let up for long enough to get in the water (a little over an hour north of Toronto). Oh yeah - for anyone who doesn't know, I scuba dive; and diving seems to have a way of creeping into conversations of mine all the time, even when there's no logical connection. Yes, I've even brought up the subject during job interviews.

So be forewarned: I'll be throwing in scuba diving references here and there. That's just the way it is ;)

Anyway, I didn't run this weekend. So I'm behind in my training. But tomorrow I'll be running the actual course of the race, to get a feel for what it will be like.

Speaking of which, I can't believe how soon the race is - it's this upcoming Sunday (September 12). I'm a little nervous, but mostly I'm just excited.

I'm already planning on signing up for the 10k clinic as soon as I've finished the Learn to Run clinic. Am I getting ahead of myself?  ;)

At the rate I'm going, I'm going to have to work extra hard to earn some extra $ to get myself another pair of running shoes. Well, ok, I'm exaggerating a little - I only got myself my nice new pair of running shoes back in June, so I should be ok for at least a little while. And my knees and hips aren't bothering me, which would be a telltale sign. Still, I might pop into the store sometime soon to ask about when I should get myself a new pair.

And not to sound like a broken record, but I'm feeling pretty great.

Yes! I managed to squeeze in a run tonight! Woot woot!

Once again I missed the group run today - I didn't get home in time to get ready and then head out to the Running Room. It was also so incredibly hot today, and I hadn't been drinking enough water throughout the day, so it probably wouldn't have been a good thing to head out for a run right after work.

But I really wanted to keep up with my training, so I made sure I had some pasta for dinner (yay carbs for energy!) and I made sure I drank enough water.

I decided to try to run to a Starbucks before they closed for the evening (time-based motivation!) I picked a Starbucks that's about 2.3 km away, so I'd be heading back before I got to the end of my run.

The Starbucks was closed by the time I got there, but that's ok - I'd been looking forward to an over-priced yet tasty iced mocha, but it's just as well that I saved my money. It's a great thing that I don't smoke, and I rarely drink, since I spend far too much of my limited budget on fancy espresso-based drinks. Mmmm....iced mochas.....

Anyway, I've discovered that the first few minutes of a run are the hardest. When I first set out, it seemed onerous and I wondered whether I truly felt like going for a run tonight. But then I kind of hit a stride and - strange as this might sound - it started to feel easier as I kept going. I'd finished 3 sets of 5:1 by the time I got to the Starbucks, and I did one final 5:1 on the way back. I felt like I could have kept going, but I figured I shouldn't push it too far - my goal is to get fit, and to do so injury-free. I did, however, walk the rest of the way home, so I was on my feet and moving for nearly 5 k. I'm hoping this bodes well for my upcoming race on September 12!