Bay Bewb Burn

Well, I have another Bay under my belt.

I told myself that I'd never do another full (30K) bay after last year, since I hated it so much. What I didn't account for was the fact that one of my running buddies pointed out that I hadn't done the 2 man (15K) relay yet. I've run the Bay and Back 5K 3 times, the three man (10K) relay once, and the full 30k once. So I figure that I can do the two man relay and then refuse all offers to participate again, having completed the 'full house' of Bay options.

The morning dawned chilly and clear, I was up with the birdies since I was full of vim and vigor (and a wee case of pre-race nerves). I picked up two of my running mates and we headed for Copps.

This run for me was not about having a PB, it was about pacing a friend and fellow runner on her first Bay 30K. For the first 15k one of us ran with her and for the second it was me. This was the first time I'd ever been the 'coach' of anyone, the cheerleader and all around 'fresh legs' that kept another runner moving toward her goal.

We chatted as we ran, laughing, distracting, discussing....counting the fun of each KM as we passed the signs marking our distance. We enjoyed the cookies (Which I fondly remember from last year) at LaSalle Park, and didn't enjoy the experiment of 'new GU' flavours. For the record, Espresso Love isn't lovely and Vanilla Orange is horrid.

As we hit the home stretch, and entered Copps for the finish line, my running buddy started to cry. We were a couple yards from the end and I started to slow down, letting her cross the line ahead of me. She'd earned the right to be there first, arms in the air, jubliant and proud. The time on the clock wasn't relevant for me, for once it wasn't all about me, and that was really cool.

Today is a day of rest, before we start training for our next goal races. I'm losing track of what I run when, but I think it's the Chocolate 10 miler. Will I run for chocolate? Hell YES!

BTW, I got a wicked sunburn at the Bay. I call it my Bay Bewb Burn, since the girls were representing for 2 1/2 hours....March in Canada, who'd have thought it would be THAT sunny?

Frost bite on my lady bits

SO, I've made a discovery. Just call me Christopher Columbus (or however you spell that). More important that messing up heading for India, I've discovered that I don't like to run in the winter.

Information that would have been usefull WAYYYY back when I signed up for the half marathon training program that forced me to run through rain, wind, sleety snow, snrain, ice pellets, and drivers bent on forcing me into snow banks to evade them 'Death Race 2000' style.

My goal race for the training program was this little thing called the Chilly Half Marathon. I should have been tipped off by the name, but, silly me, I thought it was 'cause they serve chilli and beer after the race. Yep, that too. There's also a wonderful, face freezing wind blowing off scenic Lake Ontario as you schlep your way on an out-and-back course that has no redeeming features. None, nothing to look at, unless you count the faces of pretty much EVERYONE else as they make the loop and run back toward you.

So there I was, thinking I could PB on this course....nope
I was thinking I could keep up with my running buddy...nope
I was thinking that the chilli and beer would be worth it...nope
I was thinking 'can you get frostbite on your lips'?...pretty close

What I learned is that if a race has 'chilly, frosty, frozen, sub-zero, arctic, hell-frozen-over or hypothermic' in the title it's probably not the race for me.

Did you know you can sweat when it's like minus 15 with the wind chill?

Next run, a couple weeks from now, this jaunt called the Around the Bay....but I'm 'only' doing 15k that day. And people wonder why I want to run in Florida?

the countdown begins

Okay, so I've manned (womaned?) up and started a blog 'cause the book I'm reading (the Non-Runner's Marathon Guide for Women) told me to. Do I listen to everything I read? Mostly yes, which makes me a sucker for advertising and on the constant quest to 'feel fresh'.

Some of you who know the punch line will understand the blog title, but for those of you who don't, ask someone who worked for Disney....they'll tell you the joke.

The book says (not the 'Book' book, the Non-runners' guide book) that I should confess my mission in order to force myself to complete it......feels like 12 steps, although THIS mission will involve way more than 12.

I'm going to run the Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge. What's that, you ask? It's an annual run held at the Happiest Place on Earth, involving a weekend in January 2013 where you run a Half Marathon (21.1km) on Saturday, followed by a Full Marathon (42.2km, natch) on the Sunday.

I consider myself sort of a runner. I've done a few 1/2 marathons, and it's not like I'm starting from the sofa. I figure it's the equivalent of hitting the tanning bed before going to the beach, I've got a base.

The amusing thing is that I'm not even counting down to the RACE itself yet. I'm counting down 'till I can REGISTER for the blasted thing! It's not supposed to open until either March (now-ish) or April (depending on who to talk to). I've been cyber-stalking the Run Disney site, waiting for the other (running) shoe to drop so I can shell out a lot (not telling the DH how much) of money to run in a bigggggggg loop for two days.

So this blog is my training confessional. The way to keep myself honest, or at least to make it harder to hide at Tim Hortons when I'm supposed to be on a LSD run (no, not THAT LSD: Long Slow Distance).

Now I wait, something I'm no good at......

Counting down

Mrs. Mouse