Tag: Achilles

2020 week twenty three

Book Read
23. White Fragility – Robin DiAngelo

Kilometres Ran
week twenty three – 50.4

2020 to date: 1,441

I had to start somewhere so I went with the book that every white person seems to be reading right now thinking that it must be written by a BIPOC but no and it almost made me stop before I really got started plus a few voices online saying don’t read White Fragility read this instead (but I read it anyway). And it was good (and you should read it too if you haven’t already read it) but then maybe I should read something else *too* (and you should too probably). A friend suggest White Rage by Carol Anderson; another suggested How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. I’ve added both to my list.

Birthday Stanley Park loop.

I passed a semi-milestone birthday this week, which means that I’m in a new age group if we ever get to race again (for those races that have five-year age groups) and also means that my Boston Marathon qualifying time is now slower than my current personal best. In case we ever get to race again. Boston was cancelled this week. I think it was this week. Who can keep track anymore? One race series that still going on is the Mile2Marathon Virtual Race Series. Results from May were (rather quietly, ahem) posted online and I was right where I expected to be after my 5 KM performance – in the middle somewhere (but not the middle as in the middle prize winner, of course). Next up is the mile at the end of June and I’d like to see how close I can get to 5:20 so coach and I have been working on speed quite a bit and my body has said no. Specifically my right achilles and calf have said no. It’s not dire but it’s enough to make me pick up Chris Napier’s Science of Running from the coffee table and flip though and self diagnose and not be happy with the diagnosis so I’ll be contacting my physiotherapist this week and dialling back on the running (at least on the speed work) for a few days. Injury free since February 2019. I guess the streak had to end sometime.

2019 week six

Book Read
6. Circe – Madeline Miller

Kilometres Ran
week six – 54.1

2019 to Date: 252 KM

So I decided to read the fantasy/mythology book that was on just about every single best of 2018 list that I came across just to see what all of the fuss was about and for the first few chapters I was not convinced and then Circe finds out that she is a witch and I was hooked. I admit that I don’t know Greek mythology very well. Sure I have the two-volume Greek Mythology set from the Folio Society that I think probably every English Lit major got suckered into ordering *For Free* because while we’re book-smart we sure didn’t learn our lesson from Columbia House. But I didn’t ever get around to actually reading it, and maybe my cursory knowledge of mythology is also why I enjoyed the book as much as I did. It’s just not my bag, so I probably won’t be picking up Miller’s earlier, and equally lauded, Song of Achilles.

Pre-race shake out in the chute through the construction zone under Granville Bridge. On race day this section descends to the 3 KM marker. Coming back it’s the last incline, followed by a 600 metre sprint to the finish.

And speaking of achilles, on Wednesday I did a 10 km load test to see how it would hold up at something farther than the five or six I’ve been running the past few weeks. It was okay enough that my physiotherapist gave me the green light to run the First Half Half Marathon this morning on the promise that if it turned badly I would walk off. My race day plan was to test my achilles tolerance and test my current fitness level so I divided the race into thirds – 7 KM easy, 7 KM at goal marathon pace, and 7 KM at whatever was left in the tank.

This morning was cold, hovering around -6 plus a breeze that put the wind chill at -13. I lined up with the 1:45 pace group and we set out. Garmin got lost going under B.C. Place so at 3 KM in I was guessing pace, trying to stay at 5:00/KM. Achilles started acting up and I was concerned I’d have to quit, but it plateaued and then diminished a bit through 7 KM and I pushed the pace up to 4:30/KM. At 14 KM I caught the 1:40 pace pack and I felt great so I stayed at goal marathon pace through to the finish, crossing the line at 1:37:43. While that’s over five minutes off my personal best, it’s also over five minutes faster than my First Half 2018. I’m still elated with how today went, from expecting to gas out, and mentally preparing to have my first DNF, instead I ran my fourth fastest half marathon race and have a huge confidence boost in my current fitness with 12 weeks until the BMO Marathon. My achilles is still a bit of a concern. While it was just okay through the race and the walk home afterward, it’s less happy with me right now. So we’ll see how it feels in the morning. For now I’m too runner’s high to worry.

Disaster Averted.