Deux Crazy Anglophones - The lighter side of running

While Jessica and I were trotting out our 32Km last weekend we started chatting about some of the  things we've done and seen in our time on the roads together and it started a chain reaction of laughter.  As most runners can tell you,  in running you have to be slightly self-depricating and have a good sense of humour because sometimes running. is just not graceful or sexy.  And sometimes it's just a wicked good time!

Here's a few for a giggle:

There's nothing quite like walking into a women's washroom after a rainy-day race and hearing "I don't think I've ever been this wet"  and a chorus of laughter to follow.

Watching a dainty looking petite woman pull a nutrition gel out of her sweaty sports bra, rip the top off with her teeth -spitooning it to the side -  scarfing down said gel and burping.

Farting on the run:  needs no description but if you've done it  you know what I mean and you are probably giggling a little.   Heck it was almost 10 years into our relationship before I "tooted" in front of my husband but it took less than 3 years to rip one out in front of Jessica.

Dropping trow in the bush because the nearing porta-potty is at least 2Km away. 

The guy who does the farmer's nose blow without checking who's on his right......you get the idea.

Having full on conversations about your bowels/bowel movements with the recurring sentiment of  "maybe I shouldn't have eaten that before a long run"

The woman walking her dog who had given the dog a package of cigarettes to carry in it's mouth while they walked.


But remember,  along with the gross and the crazy, there's also to be had some great moments and great memories like these ones:




Pumping up before the Sudbury Rocks!

Volunteering at the Hypo Half

Our Cheer Squad for Team in Training

Meeting Dayna Pidhoreski at the Toronto Women's Half

Runner and Supporters of the first Chase Down Classic!




Long may we run,

D



A Midsummer Night's Run

This was it. The race that was SUPPOSED to be my goal race for the season.
In May, when Denise and I attended the Expo at Mississauga Marathon, we saw the booth for the Midsummer Night's Run, and both exclaimed that we had ALWAYS wanted to do that run.

The next thing you know, we were both signed up to run the 30km ( a new distance for me), and my Mom was signed up to walk the 15km.

We're very spur of the moment, we three. We hadn't even run the 10km race Denise and I were there to run!

That quickly led to us realizing that we would be running the 30km race at the exact weekend we would need to in training for the Montreal Marathon.  Clearly, the only sane thing to do at that point was to sign up for that race too!

August came quickly, and found us all assembled in McCleary Park in Toronto, Ontario, ready to race.  As always there are the pre-run jitters, but the weather was great, and spirits were high.

Midsummer Night Run has Pace Fairies, which really, is awesome.  A whole bunch of runners wearing fairy wings, holding signs displaying the time that they will get you into the finish at. Denise and I were "only running it as a training run", so we looked for the 3:30 continuous Pace Fairy. I looked to my right and saw the 3:15 continuous Pace Fairy and said to Denise "I think that's Ed Mark".

Ed is the events guy for our Running Room district and attends most of our Sudbury races to help out.

Sure enough, it was Ed, who was hands down the most spectacularly dressed Pace Fairy.  Kudos to him for running 30km in that outfit!

Midsummer Night's Run really is a nice race. The terrain changes a few times throughout and at times I found that difficult, particularly the many speed bumps. After those, my hips and groin were pretty unhappy.

To be honest, I struggled throught the last 7km.  Thankfully, Denise kept me going, albeit much slower.  It was definitely challenging running in the dark, from a psychological perspective.  At least when you are running on your home turf, even in the dark, you have a good sense of where you are.

I just found it so hard to not be able to see.  I definitley see the value of taking a look at the course before you run it, especially in that situation.

At any rate, reach the finish we did, in 3:23:22, still well under our hard goal of under 3:30, but short of our soft goal of 3:15.

If I were to the analyze the factors that didnèt go my way in the race, I would say I definitley wore the wrong shoes, and that I might have better prepared myself mentally for the dark part of the course. Additionally, I did not properly fuel myself with the right nutrition throughout the day, so I am going to work on that before the big race for sure.

My Mom finished the 15km walk in 2:33:32, and I am insanely proud of her.  This was only her second event, and it was three times as long as the first event she walked.  Circumstances meant that she had not trained much in the final weeks leading up to it, but she still rocked an average pace of 10:14 per km! That's AWESOME!

A nice touch was the prefilled stainless steel water bottles at the race finish.  Eco Friendly, reusable, and full of cool water! All in all, we had a great time.  Also, we must not forget the Steamwhistle beer garden and the fab BBQ food.  I'd definitley recommend this race!

Jes

Toronto Women's Half

Less than 36 hours until we run another half marathon!  YAY!
This one is in Toronto, the TO Women's Half, at Sunnybrook Park.  Please wish us luck!

Denise is picking me up at 6:30 or so, which means that I will be up by 5:30am.  That's cruel and unusual punishment, if you ask me.

Look here on Monday evening for an update with our finishing times.  Hopefully there will be pictures too! However, if you just can't wait that long, you can certainly search us out on www.sportstats.ca!

Have a great weekend, and if you are the praying kind, please pray for rain in the Timmins area. That fire is terrible and they need all the help they can get!

Jessica