Does it count as a hill repeat if you run up a hill once?
That’s what I wondered after I left my pal JP Chasse at the bottom of the hill on Spruce Drive hill on Wednesday evening. JP and his pack were doing hill repeats on the winding hill.
I joined JP for one repeat before continuing on my evening run. Man, I’m so happy to be off the treadmill. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve come to terms running on Bjorn in the winter. Running upwards of 70 kms of week on a machine can get tiresome.
Besides I feel like the treadmill is going to ruin me.
We know running on a treadmill is not the same as running outside. Inside the terrain is consistent while on the trail things are constantly changing – bumps in the road, weather, traffic and animals.
While I enjoy the simplicity of the the treadmill (and the opportunities to marathon a television series such as Longmire), I am concerned that I may not be getting enough solid training for my upcoming race season. Last week I ran 76K on the treadmill. Do they count as junk miles?
I ran around on the mostly ice-free Red Deer streets on Tuesday and Wednesday evening. I was strong. I didn’t feel like I was starting from scratch. My legs still knew how to put one foot in front of another.
The cold, snow and ice kept my mileage low last winter. As I head into spring my conditioning is solid. Until the snow melts, I will continue to build my mileage and find my core strength. Time on feet and staying injury free is my new mantra.
The time for speed and PRs will come.
Hypothermic Half Heroes
Here’s my big shout out to the 100 or so runners that ran the not-so hypothermic half in Red Deer in late February. Kudos to my pal Laura Davis, and new friend Robin Nichols, who smashed her half-marathon time goal. Way to go. It takes a lot of drive and dedication to run these hypothermic races. Back when I started running, I used to run the hypohalfs every year. They are great for motivation throughout the winter months and it gives you a kickstart to the run season.
Woody’s Marathon
Red Deer’s biggest race is only 71 days away on May 20. Did you know it’s the 20th anniversary run? I bet the race organizers have a lot of fun in store for his milestone. Once again I will be volunteering at the aid station near Three Mile Bend. To register or to volunteer head to www.reddeermarathon.ca
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