Vancouver Sun Run – The Daily EO

The Daily EO: January 14th, 2014

It’s a miracle.

Yesterday when I sat up in bed, I lost my lunch. Well, I guess that would be the previous night’s dinner. But nonetheless, you get the picture. I felt bad lying down, but it got much worse when I was not prone.

I had the flu, and in moments like this I think my stark refusal to have a flu shot may not be a well founded as I think it is. But this was much much worse.

You see, I signed up for 3 race that are pending imminently – the 8k Spring Run Off, the 10K Vancouver Sun Run and the 10K Eastside run. (well, that’s not until September). Anyways, I then decided to start at the beginning of a training regimen because I have been lazy and focused on other things. So, I downloaded a free app – because why pay – and started a 10K training plan. Saturday was Week 1, Run 2. Sunday was Week 1, Run 3. At this point, you are running a little and walking a lot. So much walking that I thought doing some extra ab work and some squats were warranted. Sunday I was a bit stiff, but hey, not too bad.

But then the dreaded day 2 hit. You know – when you can’t move 2 days after working out. And this was in conjunction with the flu – an aching body flu. I managed to stand up and shuffle off to the bathroom with a mind to get into the bathtub to soothe my combined flu aches and day 2 stiffness. As I managed to get the water running, I stood in the tub and realized that I could not sit down.

I could not sit down in the tub. What am I going to do?

I managed to awkwardly get myself on to one knee by hanging weakly on the edge of the tub, and trusting that I couldn’t hurt myself more than I already did. At that point, when I put one knee on the bottom of the tub, I found that my feet hadn’t appropriately warned my knees about the temperature of the water. But there was no going back.

I hoped for the best and threw myself into the tub with the hope the water would break my fall – and it did. It broke it. And splashed the whole bathroom.

And here I am unable to even pick up a towel. I thought these baths were supposed to be relaxing! Now I don’t even know how I am going to get out of this tub. I’ll just laid there a long while.

Fortunately, the hot water soothed my muscles enough that I could bend, and I dragged myself to bed with 3 Advil and went to sleep.

And my day was a repeat of that (just sometimes it was Nyquil instead of Advil).

January 14th, 2014 Extra-Ordinary: Today, it’s like I wasn’t even sick. And I can walk again. Maybe it is really Monday today and it was just a bad dream.

The Daily EO: April 21st, 2013

Today was the 2013 Vancouver Sun Run – a 10k run through Vancouver’s downtown and Kitsilano areas. I signed up about 30 days ago, certain that it would motivate me to get running and exercising. It didn’t. And since all I have been doing during the last week is blowing my nose or coughing, I was uncertain of my ability to join the run and actually make it through without stiffened sleeves due to . . . well, wiping my nose the whole time. (sorry about the graphic image)

I was still toying with skipping when I awoke this morning, but cheapness and knowledge that I would regret not making it spurred me out of bed to the longest and hottest shower I could stand. I took a Drixoral, ate some oatmeal and greek yogurt, had a sport drink (with caffeine), blew my nose for the 15th time that day, stuffed my pockets full of kleenex and hit the road.

I am glad I did. I can’t explain what it feels like to walk from your house and see almost everyone around you sporting numbers indicating they are doing the same thing you are. It’s like this weird sense of community that makes you say “Hey! Me too!” to everyone.

I’ve only run a 10K once before and logged in about 1:22. But I was determined that I was not going to break the rules of my colour which was runners between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes. Could I run that fast with my snotty nose slowing my pace? My strategy was to make up a lot of time in the early part where most was downhill, then I could slow up and walk during the other portions.

I use an ap to track my pace and generally it is fairly accurate – it lets me know every 2 minutes and every 1/2 kilometer what my pace and time are. So, as I bolted out of the starting gate – well, it felt like a bolt – I was blown away to hear after two minutes that I had a pace of 3 mins 40 seconds. What?! That’s crazy town. Maybe I did bolt! Look at me go! Then as I passed the 2 km mark, my ap announced that I had moved 2.5 kms. Sigh – little GPS problems somewhere I think.

The sport drink I had consumed earlier now wanted out, but I would be damned if I was going to wait in a line and hurt my time, so I held it for 8 kms.

False information, kleenex stops and full bladder aside, I pushed through and did feel a twinge – well, wave – of sadness passing the 5K mark where I usually would be finished. Oh, god, I have to do the same distance again!

My left ankle hurts, my right shoulder hurts, my shins hurt, I have a headache, and I am starving (yes, weirdly I get hungry during and directly after exercise). Surely, I can’t be too far now. Oh, good, here’s the last bridge.

I have a rule in all races or runs I undertake – I have to run across the finish line or the end regardless of how I feel. So, as I came down off Cambie Street bridge and could see the finish line in sight, I spurred my aching body on. For the first time in my life, I felt nauseated due to exercise and I thought I was running on a sprained ankle. I think I had a bit of a bladder accident too, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to cross the finish line running.

April 21st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:

The Vancouver Sun Run: Vancouver, British Columbia, April 21st, 2013 (10K)

Emile Results:
Time: 1:01:24 (current personal best)
Gender Overall Finish: 9089th
Category Finish: 822th

Susan Results:
Time: 1:14:53 (current personal best)
Gender Overall Finish: 11535th
Category Finish: 1122th

And now for some sweet cream and rhubarb ice cream.

The Daily EO: March 18th, 2013

For a couple of weeks now I was pretty certain I was going to enter the Vancouver Sun Run this year. That was until I found out it is 10K not 5K. I’ve never run 10K, I’ve moved 10K certainly. I’ve run 5K, and I have run/walked 7K. I have walked 17 km continuously and I’ve worked several 12 hour shifts serving that included only one 15 minute break.

So, can I enter the Vancouver Sun Run? And run/walk 10K? I have not got enough running in for the last month for a variety of reasons, so I am nervous. The race is only 30+ days away. Can I be physically prepared for such a race?

Even as I type this, it for some reason seems to be a bad idea. I asked Emile if he would do it with me, and he said – unfortunately – that he would.

I just checked the balance of our bank account – we can afford it.

March 18th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary: Running out of excuses, we are now registered.