End of an Easy Week

Let the party begin!! No....its not a Super Bowl Party (although I will definately watch at halftime to see Bruce Springsteen!)....its the start of my 120k week.

Day 48 of the 100/100 Challenge Almost at the halfway point and everything is holding up great...http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency

Ran with Bart, Duncan, Darren and the twins from Beancounters today....lots of wind and ice but a pleasant +3C

This weeks run total was 71.8k and I an kicking off my 120k week with a 30k run tomorrow. The rest of the week will be like this:
Monday 12k
Tuesday 15k
Wednesday 2ok
Thursday 13k
Friday 10k
Saturday 20k

Lorna and Lori arrived in Huntington Beach and are running the half marathon in the morning starting at 8:45 our time here in GP...Check out the website at http://www.runsurfcity.com/ and you will be able to follow their progress online......GO GIRLS!!!

Watched a great movie tonite on youtube. Its the story of Steve Prefontaine who was a great middle distance runner from US...The movie Without Limits is in 12 parts on youtube....highly recommended!!!

Day 46

466.84km so far in this 100/100 Challenge! Doing a relatively easy 70k run week this week in prep for my big 120k week starting on Sunday.....A beautiful +7 today in GP but I wimped out and ran at the office on the treadmill.....tight for time as a bunch from work went to the Crown and Anchor after work to celebrate the beginning of the big reno at the Service Center......any excuse for a celebration eh?
I have a 30k run planned for Sunday to kick off the 120k week so if any of my blog fans out there are interested in coming along let me know! Lorna is off to California in the morning with Lori LeDuc for the half marathon so it will be a good week for lots of running.
So I missed my swim with Duncan this morning and bought him lunch today....was lazy at 5:00am and just drank coffee instead!

Day 42 and 425.3km

I actually am a run ahead with 43 official runs in 42 days thanks to a double yesterday. The 6k outsde in -37C just didn't seem to be enough so i ran for 8k on the treadmill at the Leisure Center yesterday also. Did my first serious swim workout with Duncan this morning and ran home from there. Much milder temperatures today at -20C. I relatively easy week run wise with a 70k week planned which will lead into my planned 120k week starting Feb 1st.
If you had not heard yet...Clifbar has a recall on some it their bars so check the site at http://www.clifbar.com/voluntary-recall/ So check what in your stash!
Want to watch an awesome movie? Go to youtube and search "touching the void movie". It is in 12 parts but well worth the effort to see it!

-37C Today!

Its hard to believe that last Saturday Morning Run from Beancounters we had 16 runners and a couple of us were running in shorts....fast forward ahead to this morning. Just Leonard and I got a little over 6km in -37C. It actually was not too bad and the sun coming up was quite a nice site! Me thinks the cold weather kept some people inside to run! The run was shorter than I wanted to go and was a bit pressed for time because I had to go to a meeting about the Olympic Torch Relay that is coming throught GP in November...my part will be approving the route on behalf of the City and some other organizational functions as we get closer....exciting for sure!
Good Luck to Ross and Sonya who are in Hawaii this weekend and both are running the Maui Marathon on Sunday....we will be watching for results on that one.
I am over 400km and on day 40 of the 100/100 Challenge. Almost half way through!

370.85km in 37 Days

Well I finally passed the 10km a day average....at the end of the 100 day challenge I will have at least 1000km under me. Feeling great with no ill effects or weird pain. Had a bit of time at lunch so I did 12.6k on the treadmill at the office. I am on the negotiating team for our union contract so I am very busy with that so I will be running at weird times for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday was 16.2k run home from work in beautiful +4C and sunny....we are having a beautiful streak of weather here but it is coming to an end this week....back to normal temps of -15C! Brick night tomorrow night and the pool at lunch....I am trying to avoid the "all you can eat" part that seems to come along with contract negotiations!! See you later...

Always Phone Ahead!

The only pool we currently have in GP is at the Leisure Center. http://www.cityofgp.com/citygov/dept/leisure/Default.htm

Our plan for today was to get to the pool for the 8am lane swim and run after that. Got to the pool but it was not going to open untill later in the morning due to an "incident"....whatever that is!! Anyway this is not the first time this has happened and the new Aquatic Center can't come soon enough! So always phone ahead!

So I ran home from the Leisure Center (11k) and Lorna and I did a 70 min Aerobic Basebuilder Spinerval. 342.05km in 35 days of the 100/100 Run Challenge...I want to average 10k per day so I am very close.

The weather continues to be spectacular...we were actually sitting out on the deck today and the thermometer read +16 in the sun....and it is mid January!

101.34km!!

Its Mid January in Northern Alberta and I ran 18.62km with shorts on!! I got my 100km week in also...We had the biggest group ever turn out for our Saturday morning Beancounters Run. 16 runners and I think the unseasonally warm weather got everybody out. It got up to +7 today and i feel sorry for friends and family in NS that seem to be getting GP weather. Next week will be an 80km week and build up to a big 120km week after that. Big swim and a 10k run for tomorrow....and the nice weather is sticking around for a few more days! Check out the route we ran as recorded on Lorna's Garmin 305!

http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/7466541

A Beautiful +5 in GP Today!!

OK...the temperature here in Grande Prairie went from -17C this morning at 5:00am to +5C during my run after work! It was actually warm running through Muskoseepi Trails...and the crews are doing an EXCELLENT job of keeping the trails and sidewalks in top notch condition for us runners this year! I got to thank that guy who takes care of that stuff for the City!
Today was an early swim of 1600m with Duncan...he has been great to put together our workouts and we made the deal before Xmas that whoever misses the Tuesday or Thursday early morning workout (6:00am) buys lunch that day....and it motivates both of us to get there cause were both friggen cheap!
16.2km run from work today in springlike conditions while the rest of Canada is suffering through a deep freeze...gotta love that jetstream! Used Lorna's Garmin 305....the more I use this the more I want one....Costco and MEC sell them for $235....which is by far the best price in Canada....costco USA is $159!! So Lorna your going to California in a couple of weeks eh? Anyways there is no cheatin with the Garmin....16.2km in 1hr20mins....so my total for this week is 76.2 km.....23.8 more for 100k week in the next 2 days.....gotta say I am feeling a bit sluggish but tomorrow will be a relatively easy 8k and finish it up with the Beancounter Gang on Saturday morning....calling for + temps for thw next few days so lots of vitimin D runs coming!

First Brick of the Year!

Wednesday night is Brick Night....that means you hammer hard on the bike and run immediately after. As you can see in the photo, the bike part is on the trainer in our basement. Just Lorna and I tonite but this catches on as people get back into the groove. Got a 45 min Spinerval The Uphill Grind and a 10k outside run....Nice evening around -15C and no wind!
This is day 31 of the 100/100 Challenge....60k this week and heading for 100k week!

100K Week

Ran 15K on the Treadmill.....Day 30 of the 100/100 challenge. I am at 279K for the 30 days....aiming for 100K this week. Obvisously a run focused 100 Days but I am increasing my core with the 100 Pushup and 100 Situp Challenges. We will be spinning tomorrow night amd on the weekend. I may have a "slight" problem the first week of March with my Challenge because I have to go for some work related training to Ontario......not that Ontario.......Ontario California that is....swimmin pools and movie stars!

I am doing what seems like all of my weekday runs on the Treadmill....It seems to work best for me from a time perspective because we have a fitness center at my office that make it easier to get the run in....and its been cold and snowy recently and super busy at work also....whimpy eh !

My office complex has just started a $13M extreme makeover and we had to temporarily relocate our fitness center...how is this for tight!! (see above because that is the only place i could manage to post the pics!) We do have the best equipment and a LCD Flat Screen with built in DVD so were doing alright....I have a new spot picked out on the top floor of our new 3 story office "tower" that will be more on the roomy side with a view of our Cover All Salt Storage Structure! Enough I'm off to bed....Good Night Erin!

HTFU Day!

My Buddy Ross is running a marathon in Hawaii in a couple of weeks and needed someone to run one of his last long runs before the race and of course I was game to go!! Also with us were his GF Sonya who is running the same marathon and Lori who is running the half with Lorna in California....I started out with my first swim of the NY and a 10k run before I met up with them and ended up with a 2hr 28min run for 28k. The weather was cold at -20 or so and a bitter headwind accompanied us back from Weyerhauser Hill. We all met back at Loris for coffee and brunch.
Day 28 of the 100/100 Challenge and I logged over 80k last week and with a 28k start for this week my goal is 100K for this week. My body is holding up just fine and I know this running base will payback this season.....Its amazing how much your body can endure when you push it. The weather is supposed to be above zero so I am aiming for some good outdoor runs!

The Best Song Ever!!

By Jonathan Carroll

Lance Armstrong Returns

Lance is on the Big Island this weekend cycling the Ironman course

Cold and Snow

Well what do you expect living in Northern Alberta! Its Thursday already and getting some good runs in this week so far and 61.7 km...I should get an 80km week with a longer run this Saturday with the Bean Counters Gang. The weather is warming and will be on the + side of zero for the weekend. Next week I start a block of swim training so I am looking forward to that...yep for sure! Swimming is what I really want to improve on this year...well its one of the 3 sports I want to get better at and this is the time of year to work on it so 4 times a week for the next 4 weeks is my program and we will see if I improve.....I am thinking of a few swim coaching sessions this month because i need it!
Work is very busy and we are just beginning a 15 million dollar renovation....great news but it will disrupt our fitness center for a period of time....which is not so good news and my office is also being relocated....but I will find somwhere to keep our fitness center usable during the project....because that's damn important!

Here is a pic from last summer at IMC of Lorna and Garrett MacFadyen of Halifax....2002 Ironman Canada Champion....he still looks like he could hammer!

100 Runs in 100 Days Challenge

I am right on track for completing this challenge.....check out my progress at this site http://training.slowtwitch.com/viewchallenge?challengeId=2&challengeType=frequency&sort=frequency&sortDir=desc
My username is robcar

2008 Summary and My Goals for 2009

2008 was a somewhat frustrating year racewise. An early season half Ironman in California after a winter of training in GP is not a formula for a fast race.....but it was part the road trip epic adventure with Lorna and Jonathan and Erin from GP to the Grande Canyon, Arizona, California etc! Had a couple of decent half marathons, a crappy and crampy Half Ironman at Chinook where I realized I need to take salt tabs, and my worst Ironman at Penticton that includes a bike crash at kilometer 18.

2008 Results
5:30:50 at Ironman 70.3 California
1:32:50 at Woody's Half Marathon
1:31:22 at the Press Run Half Marathon
5:58:31 at Chinook Half Ironman
12:29:59 at Ironman Canada

2009 will of course be a more successful year! My "A" race will be IMC in August.

2009 Goals
1:25:00 at Woody's Half Marathon
5:00:00 at Calgary 70.3, Chinook Half or Sylvan Lake Half
10:40:00 at Ironman Canada and
Qualify for Ironman Hawaii

Lofty goals but achiveable with proper training, nutrition and experience and getting to my 160 lb race weight!

Back Home in Grande Prairie

After a great holiday season in Nova Scotia, it is good to be back home. Had a great visit with everyone and spent lots of time with J and E. My trip back yesterday was not without some Christmas Travelling Drama as my plane could not land in Winnipeg due to a plane that was broken down on the runway. We circled Winnipeg Airport for a half and hour and then the flight was diverted to Dryden to fuel and we were heading back to TO! So we landed in Dryden (I can now scratch that off my life list!) to fuel up....4 hours we were still sitting there due to fueling problems....but when they finally got gassed up, Winnipeg was open again! So back to Winnipeg we go! I finally got back to GP at 11:30 pm after travelling for 23 1/2 hours! Lorna picked me up and when we got home, needless to say I plopped into bed and slept great.
My training during the holidays was so so. I kept up with the 100 run in 100 day Challenge but had to double up a few days to make up missed workouts but it was a very busy couple of weeks!
Ran twice today with a 19km this morning in a beautiful and calm -20 and again the afternoon on the dreadmill for 6.5km.....21 for 21 on the 100 Day Challenge! Tomorrow I will list my tri and run related goals for this year so stay tuned!