Awesome ATB Training, Running in China, TAPERING!!

Okay, it has been awhile since my last post, but I swear I have not been sitting around doing nothing and considering Around The Bay is less than 2 weeks away I better be ready.

Before the training stories, I am so excited and lucky (from what I have discovered) to say that I am in the Chicago Marathon in October. My first full marathon will be a big one, with 45,000 other runners taking a great sightseeing tour through the Windy City. The crazy part is that 30,000 people registered within the first couple of hours and then the registration website crashed. It took me at least 15 times (on my lunch break of course) before I got in. I am very excited and a little nervous, but have a few months and a few kilometres to put in before the race.

So to recap my ATB training from last year the longest run I did was just under 26km and the most hills I did was on the Northshore (one way). I have completely shattered that this year. To say the training has been challenging is a complete understatement - but it has been an amazing experience. It has taking my to routes have never seen, it has me climbed hills I never thought I could climb (hello Sydenham Road in Dundas at the 21 km mark of our run), and pushed me on runs where I never thought I could complete (a 31km long run including 28 hills, in the snow and slush). We are running sprints now on a track because apparently the only way to run faster is to train faster. Who knew???While I am still nervous about ATB as I know anything can happen in a 30km race with hills, I feel pretty good with my preparation to say the least. Thank you Dr. Stevil!!


I also had the opportunity to go to China for work. I thought no issues, I will do every run I was supposed to do once I am there. I was able to run in Shanghai on the "bund" - along the river and it was really cool - lots of other runners, people out flying kites, it was stunning. Then I got to Beijing and once I saw the air pollution there was no way to run outside. It has been awhile since I ran on a treadmill, but I had no choice. It brought me back to a couple of years ago when I was afraid to run outside so I ran on the treadmill at the gym early in the morning so nobody would see me. Wow have I changed. Treadmills really suck.

Tapering you say???? Yes!! Around the Bay is in less than 2 weeks and as crazy as it sounds the tapering program is in full effect as I only had an 18km run last Sunday (full of hills) and this week is only 12km. It has been a long cold winter that has worn on me - I am getting tired of the really cold Sunday mornings, running in the snow and slush, and the rush to warm up so you don't get the chills after the runs. Now I am sure that I will be complaining about the summer heat this August, but I don't care. I am done with winter, let's get Around the Bay going, on on to my next goal!!!

We will talk after ATB 2013.....while I am eating a bacon cheeseburger, fries (with gravy), wings and a really tall cold beer.