Akeelah and the Bee

So just go with me here for a second

Thursday evening after dinner I was cruising the TV and came across the Scripts National Spelling Bee Championship. I have always enjoyed watching these young kids, ever since I saw the movie Akeelah and the Bee. So of course this meant a re-watch of the movie. So where is this going and how does it relate to running and Rock and Ice? There is a scene where Dr Larabee (Laurence Fishburne) asks Akeelah (Keke Palmer) to read a poem on his wall. I immediately got chills, and wanted to post and share it. There is excellence in all of us, we just have to embrace it and not waste it or be ashamed of it, and that by embracing it we encourage and inspire others to do the same.

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness,
that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?
Actually who are we not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine as children do.
We were born to make manifest
the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And when we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

Weekly Summary - May 18 - 24

5/18/2009 - 5/24/2009: 89.2 km 7:55:59 (150 days)

Of course the highlight to the week was Kimber's awesome performance at the NCM 1/2.

Her RR can be read here

My account from a pacer's perspective here

The week was good overall. Recover from 5-Peaks, Train for Green Lakes and Taper for NCM-Half. All accomplished. FF's runs increased with runs of 6km, and a 6.6km on trails.

Monday - AM 2:16 in the Gats - PM 20' FF's
Tuesday - PM 33' FF's
Wednesday - AM 55' Road - Noon - 26' FF's
Thursday - PM 23' FF
Friday - Noon 35' FF
Saturday - 24' Road
Sunday - AM - NCM-Half - 1:43:39 - PM - 24' FF's

Weekly Summary - May 11 - 17

5/11/2009 — 5/17/2009: 84.5 km 7:29:34 (143 Days)

Well a surprisingly good week. Started back doing my hip and core work at the gym and added a few double days to the mix. FF's runs are becoming a regular event, and the body seems to be recovering well off the workouts. No hard workouts, just running smart and bringing the body back in line

Monday - am 50' road, Gym@lunch, pm 18' FF's
Tuesday - pm - 20' FF's - 23' (wu/cd Beaverchase) , 28:25 Beaverchase race (#1)
Wednesday - am - 30' FF's (5.5km Longest TD), Gym@lunch
Thursday - noon 50' Pine Grove Trails, pm 12' FF's
Friday - 32' road, Gym@lunch
Saturday - am 5-Peaks K-town 14' wu/cd, 51:46 Enduro race, pm 20' FF's
Sunday - am 1:20 Beaverpond/Morgan's Grant with Kimber, 20' FF's

This week will be taking it easy again prepping for the half on Sunday.

5-Peaks Kingston

Sitting here enjoying a cup of Kicking Horse coffee, I would like to start by saying thanks to Derrick, Sara, 5-Peaks and all the volunteers, it was a great race.

This was my first trail race of the year and I was really looking forward to it. First to get back to the trails, and second to run a shorter faster paced race for a change. The race was held at J&J Cycling trails just north of Kingston, a perfect venue for the race.

The weather was calling for wet; rain was the forecast and I was hoping they were right, I was looking forward to playing in the mud. Just this week I had been starting to feel like I was recovering from my Fall/Winter/Spring, the body both physically and mentally was starting to come around.

Race day dawned overcast but dry, however as we headed toward Kingston the clouds opened up and it rained, hard. Arriving at J&J, everyone was huddled in the Big green barn keeping dry. The rain was off and on, but eventually let up long enough for the Kids race and the adults to get-a-going.

Plan for the race was to have fun, stay injury free (I have a date with Kimber for a little half-marathon next Sunday), but to push it a little too. Off the start, I let the fast kids and the over zealous lead us out as I found my legs. The first 500m was a fast and slippery downhill on grass/mud trails, slight up hill, downhill again, into the woods for a bit, out onto a jeep trail and then onto the 1st aid station at 2kms. By this time I had found my stride, passed a few people and settled into racing. Time so far 8:30, for 2km on trails, silly fast.

Here we split off from the Sport group, running another 200m before a sharp right and into the woods. We then climbed up the escarpment, a very slippery muddy climb that on a good day would have been runnable, but with the mud and spinning feet it was a short hard hike. Passed a few people on the climb and then settled in for the fun. Here the course quickly snaked back and forth, here there and everywhere, until around 5.8km where we slid back down the escarpment back to the jeep road to return and follow the sport course home. I hit the 6km marker at 30:30.

The remainder of the course here was similar to the section we had just run, lots of single track tight cornering. Achilles, ankles, hips and core was getting a good workout. With all the back and forth you could see who was ahead and who was behind. I was closing in on a couple of guys and had no one behind me. Once out of the woods back into the meadow, there was another 500m left which included the final climb up the original downhill. I passed one guy in the meadow and then pumped with all my might up the hill to the finish, very muddy and very happy.

Finishing results: 10km - 51:45, 9th looser overall and 1st looser in AG.

Got cleaned up thanks to a handy rain spout and stuck around for a very entertaining awards ceremony before saying our good-byes to Derrick and Sara and heading home to the Hot Tub.

I hope this becomes a regular race on the 5-peaks circuit. The course is fast and technical, but offers a great challenge and experience for all levels of participant.

Pictures on our Zenfolio site here

Thanks again.

Weekly Summary May 4 - May 10

5/4/2009 - 5/10/2009: 79.6 km 7:15:27 (136 Days)

Well last recovery week from Boston. Better, but not the best. Time and Mileage creeping back up, hips are still giving me grief so I have decided to go back to my old hip strength routines. No real speed in the legs, but I am fine with that. I am really taking to grass running both as a warm-up and cool-down, but also recovery. Managed over 30 minutes in the Vibrams yesterday, and I am noticing them helping with my achilles - all good

This week will be prepping for 5Peaks, which is also tapering for Ottawa 1/2 Marathon, and starting 16 week training for Green Lakes. A mix mash, so really it means be smart. If I wonder if I should do something the answer is no.

Next training cycle plan

Boston is over, recovery is underway and of course the eyes turn toward what is next. There are some short races planned (5-Peaks, Beaver Chase), but the next Big one is the Green Lakes Endurance run in Fayetteville, New York. (just the 50km).

So training for this will begin the week of May 11th. Friend Heather discovered, what we think, is a pretty good 50km training program, Old Mutual Om Die Dam . Good Hill and speed sessions, but not too aggressive, with some nice long, easy runs.

I have posted the plan in Goggle Docs, tweaked it a bit with trying to work in summer holidays (running in Florida for two weeks will be fun) , and created 2 tabs, 1 for time and 1 for distance. My plan for this cycle is to get off the distance band wagon and focus on time based training. When running trails I think this is more appropriate and it takes the pressure off trying to run harder just to make a certain distance. This is the base plan, there will be double days and FF/barefoot runs thrown in. This is just the "guide". Link to document/plan here

Weekly Summary April 27-May 3

4/27/2009 - 5/3/2009: 73.6km 6:34:46

Still recovering, but the legs are coming back. Started the week with a painful left hip and right hip flexor, and finished the week the same. I have a chiro appointment this pm so we'll see if anything is out of place.

On a positive note, did get in 4 FF or barefoot runs - increasing distance, a good solid 24km with Kimber on Sunday (she is looking real strong), and a couple of small doubles, so I can't really fret. Once I get this hip sorted out I'll be gold, till the next issue :)

I have added rowing (wind rower) at the gym a couple of times. I find it is a good total body workout and I am looking for something to shake things up.

Thanks for all the support and suggestions from Friday's whiny post, the grass runs on Friday and Saturday sure helped the legs.

Streak Rant

I'm tired. I have no bounce in my legs. I hurt. I am not happy.

Driving home from work last night I was done. Ready to put my feet up and relax for a couple of days, hide the running shoes and pretend that chips, chocolate, a little rum, and the couch were my favourite past time. I get up from my desk and it takes me a few minutes to get moving. My body is hating me. But no, I drag my butt to speed group and after a 2km warm-up, manage to crank out 9x400 at sub-5km pace, and aside from my hip/glute, which I am still healing, did okay. Then I was beat and tired again. This was almost the same as my Boston experience.

So what is going on? Best I can figure is that even though the body is stressed, when called upon it can perform, almost as well as when it is rested, when inactive it almost goes into hibernation mode to recover. My body is adapting, changing, and getting stronger. This is important heading into R&I, which is why I am doing this in the first place. But it is hard and it hurts and I don't like it.

I have to stop comparing myself to what other people do and what I did last year. I am my own experiment, and if there are things I can't do now, so be it. When I start on day 3 of the K-Rock next year it will all be worth it. There just better be chips, chocolate, a little rum and a couch at the finish.

So I will go for my run when I get home tonight, I will shuffle to the coffee machine and I will suck it up, but this doesn't mean I can't whine.

Have a Great weekend. Go Bruins