October 5, 2008 - so much for a light sunday!

yah, if you actually believed it would be light.. lol

the day started with me waking up barely on time to get my butt down town for the cibc run. i had a 4.5k "warm up" run to get there. i ran into 3 other runners who were out for a stroll. they all recognized me and said hello. it's amazing how word has spread around the city about my double marathon last week in Akron and Toronto. i also had someone at the hockey game last night comment on it.

anyway, the CIBC run for the cure started with some pregame festivities. a lady told her story about overcoming breast cancer, and then a group of stretchers warmed people up to AC/DC's 1990 smash hit, Thunderstruck! then our premier welcomed everyone and wished us all the best.

although it was not a "race", i treated it as such and lined up at the front of the pack, where i ran into 2 familiar faces from our running community. two of our best mid-distance runners in the province in fact, including the best female runner. the three of us flew down the road and chatted away, mostly about my marathons.. after 2.5k, a hill slowed me down and they went on ahead. (i was surprised i could even keep up with them for that long!) by 4k, two others had passed me, but i got a second wind and finished strong.. crossing unofficially at 19.55, the 2nd fasted 5k i have ever run in my life! not bad for an exhausted transwoman who ran 98k in the past 60 hours..

i am just now starting to realize just how fit i have become. all those long runs in august, and the double marathon last weekend, and the 98k this weekend, and i can still go out there with relatively fresh legs and run an elite 5k time.

after i crossed the finish line, i grabbed some water and watched as 3000 others sauntered in one by one. this was easily the most-attended sporting event in newfoundland this year, even more people than our infamous Tely 10 race.

after a cool down, i jogged home, and then after a little food and some football, ran over to the pool for a late afternoon swim. (it was 12 days since my last swim so i was really anxious to get over there). i also didn't want to spend the rest of the day in the house.. i've really come to enjoy the outdoors and the sunlight. i don't know what i am gonna do come winter here.

the swim did not go very well. 1.6k and i was on the verge of collapsing.. so i decided to pack it in. i grabbed a coffee and donuts to get some sugar in my system and had a nice slow walk home, where i watched some more football.

so, not a bad little weekend of running 19k on thursday, 44.1k friday, 30k saturday, and 22.5k sunday.. the week ahead will likely be much ligher on the running but heavier on the swiming.

there is a very small chance that i will travel somewhere to run another official marathon for thanksgiving, (depending on air fares) so i want to try to get my legs rested, just in case. if i don't go away this weekend, i might try for a Quadzilla similated training weekend - 4 marathon runs in 4 days, in which all runs are done under simulated marathon conditions - i.e. all run early in the morning and all done without any significant breaks during each run.

the week past was also a time for further reflection on my life. the trip away last weekend gave me a chance to regroup my thoughts and try to come to a decision on some issues that have been outstanding for a while.. trying to find happiness has been a challenge lately.. my life has been in chaos for a while with several uncertainties regarding my transition and my employment. my socail life has essentially been non existant too. so i am going to be trying some new things to see if i can get all of these matters resolved.. uncertaintly and turbulance seems to be the norm for me, and that is not good. running seems to be the one constant i can always fall back on to keep my sanity.. i hope the month ahead is a good one..

Jennifer