Tag: Long Run

2020 week nine

Book Read
4. Exquisite Mariposa – Fiona Alison Duncan

Kilometres Ran
week nine – 77.4

2020 to date: 517 KM

As you might have noticed if you read last week’s post on here (it’s not necessary, don’t worry) I was reading the current issue of The Believer and early in the issue there was an article called “Flight Risk” that’s a pretty great review of Fiona Alison Duncan’s debut novel Exquisite Mariposa so I picked up a copy. Better than anything I’m going to write here anyway, so go read it over there. A Canadian expat living in Los Angeles, Duncan’s novel tells the totally fictional story of Fiona, a Canadian expat living in Los Angeles, who sublets a room at La Mariposa. Fiona signs a deal to produce a reality TV show focusing on the cast of characters living at La Mariposa. The show never happens, and Fiona spends the rest of the book questioning everything about life, relationships, and how-did-I-end-up-here. Is it creative non-fiction? Who cares. It’s a pretty great insight into a creative millennial mind. I liked this book, in spite of not really caring much about the characters. It feels like an L.A. Sally Rooney. I think that’s a compliment.

Finish line shot from the First Half half marathon back on February 9. RunVan skipped the no-good-very-bad Marathon Photos cartel and hired local professionals (as you can see here) and then sold the photos for $5 each with all proceeds to Variety charity – a great move! I hope it’s the start of a trend.

One week out from WestVanRun 5K and 10K and I had a great Mile2Marathon workout on Wednesday that completely kicked my ass. The workout called the Virgin after some dude named Craig Virgin is 4x 400 with 200 breaks in between and then finishes with an 800, followed by a 400 break then do it all again. I did three. Strava was not impressed. For a 15.4 km workout Strava gave me an effort score of 125. For comparison, the 16 km hills workout that I wrote about here last week Strava scored 209. I felt way more beat up by Craig than by the Chapultepec hills. Anyway, with the suffer fest that I have lined up for next weekend in mind I opted to do more speed work this weekend. But no, instead I set out on a solo 30 KM death march with a bit of half marathon pace to get some lead into my legs and then finish with 10 KM at marathon pace because Berlin is just 30 short weeks away. Truth is, I was a bit intimidated by the prospect of today’s workout. I’ve mostly hung around 22 KM for my long runs, and only put in a 25 KM last week – my longest run since CIM back at the beginning of December. Today went very well and was a big confidence boost, and Strava agreed, giving me an effort score of Chapultepec hills +1 = 210. So, yeah, I do not understand some Strava stats at all. I am looking forward to throwing down at WestVanRun next weekend. I think I can go under 19:00 in the 5K (current PB is a 19:40 en route) and then I get to see how well I can recover in 24 hours and hammer the 10K. I believe a new PB is achievable (currently it’s 39:20) but I have a rather ridiculously lofty goal to run a Vancouver Sun Run seeded qualifying time, which is sub 38:00. I think on an exceptional day that’s just barely within reach, so I’m curious to find out what Sunday has in store for me. I feel ready to go hard.

2019 week forty six

Book Stuff Read
The Capilano Review 3.39 (Fall 2019)

Kilometres Ran
week forty six – 83.8

2019 to date: 2,405 KM

Help me raise money for the Movember Foundation!

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I didn’t read any books again but the new fall 2019 issue of The Capilano Review arrived in the mail and as usual it is beaut AF and as usual has a bunch of work by people I love and a bunch of work by people I’ve never heard of and that is just the best. I’d be lying if I implied that I’ve gotten all the way through it yet so I will probably keep picking away throughout this week but maybe I’ll also pick up a book. Who knows. Inside the issue, a tribute to Kevin Killian and the wave of regret returns that I didn’t see him when I brought Poets Theatre back to Vancouver this spring and I suddenly remember that buried deep in my phone is a video clip of Clint Burnham paying tribute to Kevin at the launch of Some lit journal back on June 23. I remember the date because it was the evening after I’d ran the Scotiabank Half Marathon and in the process helped raise a few dollars for The Capilano Review. I really need to dig out that video file.

Moustache Miler 2018 – Photo by Jeannine Avelino

My first foray into fundraising and running (fundrunning? Rundraising?) was the Moustache Miler last November and it was a lot of fun. Well, as I sit here I recall that it was a lot of fun. Fundraising really isn’t very much fun most of the time. My experience with both giving and soliciting (from long before the Moustache Miler) is that the cause is often secondary to how much you like the person who is doing the fundraising. It can be a humbling experience. And yet, here I am taking another stab at it because why not? I’m running anyway.

Warning signs are up at Second Beach. Gross face coming along grossly.

Last year I somehow raised $614.53 so I though that this year I would aim higher and go for $614.54. If you’re reading this and maybe think that I’m alright then perhaps you’ll feel inclined to help get me there. All donations $25 or more receive a tax receipt. You can donate here or paste this URL into your browser if the link isn’t working: https://raceroster.com/events/2019/26302/2019-moustache-miler/pledge/participant/6930111

Yesterday I ran my last looong run before CIM – 35 km out to Confederation Park in Burnaby and then back under the Iron Workers’ Memorial Bridge, through Hastings/Sunrise, Strathcona, Coal Harbour, and finishing up with a loop around Stanley Park. It was a killer route with some hearty incline up Adanac just east of Commercial, and then some rolling hills before a long climb from Boundary to Willingdon.

And it went really great. It was a nice confidence boost for a last long run, something that I haven’t had in my past two marathon builds. With three weeks to go I’m not saying the work is done but this was the big week and I came out the other end of it with a solid week’s load and feeling pretty great. It’s made me reconsider my goals going into the home stretch (I need to have a conversation with coach Kevin…different Kevin, ahem…). I am feeling pretty excited to see what happens in three week’s time.