4.30.2011

8:45.34

My first outdoor race of the 2011 season is officially in the books, and I am looking forward to what the rest of the year has in store for me.  I ran the Nike Invitational 3k in 8:45 today, and I have to say that I am pleased with the time, without being ecstatic.  I'm sure it was a great race to watch, as there was a pack of 8 or so, running right around 8:32-8:36.  Through 2k, it was more like a pack of 15 with myself included, but I wasn't able to respond when they decided to ramp things up.  I believe my last km was 2:56 or so, while they ran around 2:44-2:48 leaving me in their dust.  However, there were some upsides to my run today, as I ran 15 seconds quicker than I did in the same race 1 year ago and came within 4 seconds of a new Personal Best.  Also, being able to comfortably stick with the leaders through 2k gave me a little more confidence in my strength, and has already got me thinking about how I'm going to close that gap in the last kilometer, in order to truly compete with some of the fastest high school runners in Canada.  It's only about 4 more weeks until OFSAA which will be one of my big focus races this year, so the plan is basically to run one race each week until the beginning of June. This will give me a few more opportunities to race well and work on changing gears in the later parts of the race, as well as running a few more quick times.  I will be running next on May 11th-12th, and hopefully I come home with something worth blogging about.

4.24.2011

The Runner's Playlist

Alright, so this post is just going to be a compilation of some of my favourite songs that get me pumped up for a big workout or race.  I don't run with an iPod, as I find that time seems to pass so much slower, and hauling my iPod on runs can easily become a chore fiddling around with wires and settings.  This being said, I know quite a few people who swear by iPods - at least on their easy runs, so for some of you who enjoy some music on the run, or maybe even before a big workout, you should definitely check out this playlist.

Number Ten:  Bruce Sprinsteen's Thunder Road
I really enjoy the piano in this song, and for some reason, I always end up picturing myself flying down an old dirt road in the country whenever this song comes on my iPod.



Number Nine:  Run This Town By Jay-Z and Rihanna
This is a great one for the tough workouts that just seem way too difficult to finish.  It pumps me up for tempo runs all the time, which more often than not gets me going out way too fast in the first few kilometers.



Number Eight:  POWER By Kanye West
This song gives me a similar feeling as the one above, and really gets the adrenaline going!
I can't say any more about this song, it's just one of those songs you need to listen to.



Number Seven:  Red Hot Chili Peppers with Can't Stop
This one is sort of a mish-mash of genres, with a fast beat that would make anybody run like an animal, and I "Can't Stop" listening to it! (I should really have kept that joke to myself)



Number Six:  Baba O'Riley by The Who
Straight from Without Limits, this song just gives me chills and visions of Prefontaine and his Super Stache every time.  A great song for anyone who needs a little extra motivation to get outside on a snowy day. (Also, Without Limits is a great Movie)



Number Five:  Gonna Fly Now By Bill Conti (From The Rocky Soundtrack)
It's another famous theme song that makes you want to chug a glass of raw eggs before you head out to the streets for your early morning run.



Number Four:  Beverly Hills By Weezer
Initially, it may not seem like the best song to run to, but I really like to listen to this song during the Canadian winters that never end, when I can't wait for the snow to melt, leaving it up to my imagination to pretend that I'm actually running through the warm breeze and palm trees of sunny Southern California.



Number Three:  Here I go Again By Whitesnake
It's the lyrics in this song that really get me going and considering I do almost all of my runs on my own, I can almost sing to myself every morning "Here I go again on my own".



Number Two:  Eminem's Lose Yourself
I don't even need to say anything about this one.  Just turn it on full blast, close your eyes, and you'll know what I mean when I say it gets you fired up for just about anything.



...And my favourite running song is another one from Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen - Born to Run.
Baby, we were born to run!



Happy Easter Everyone!

4.17.2011

It doesn't get any better than this!

 So, with the Boston Marathon set to run tomorrow, everyone is getting excited, hoping to see a new Boston record.  It seems rather likely that either the men or women will break a record, with another stellar field including the guy who set the record last year.  However, a major factor in what happens on race day is due to the weather, which almost always finds a way to spoil an exciting race with winds, rain, or even snow.  But not this year!  Below, are 2 photos of the Boston weather forecast and the course map.  If you didn't notice, the clear skies will be accompanied by a tailwind of 18mph.  Can you say lucky?  This is going to give 20,000 runners peace of mind tonight thinking about how fast they're going to run tomorrow.  To any non-runners reading this post, something like this is an equivalent level of lucky to the clips in the video below...



4.13.2011

The racing season has finally arrived!

It seems as if a few weeks ago, the running world was in relative silence after the conclusion of the World Cross Country Championships, the NCAA Indoor Championships, and the New York Half Marathon, and it felt like I would be waiting forever for the first wave of big outdoor races.  Next thing I know, and we're less than 24 hours away from some serious track racing in California, along with the Boston and London Marathons this weekend, and less than 2 weeks until an outdoor debut for me.
In California, some of the world's top talent will be coming from far and wide to compete at the Mt. Sac relays.  With guys like Chris Solinsky, Matt Tegenkamp, German Fernandez, and Miles Batty, it's almost a given that there will be something big to talk about the next morning. But let's be honest, it wouldn't be much of an event unless us Canadians got in on the action.  Among the bunches of Canadian athletes heading down south for a fast race, are a couple of my training partners who will both be racing the 10,000m tomorrow.  It should be an exciting race, but I'm afraid I will have to wait for the flotrack video the following morning, as the race is scheduled for 10:40pm PST which is almost 2:00am in Toronto.
Then we have 2 of the most anticipated marathons of the year both in one weekend!  London is always one of the best shots a marathoner will get at a world record, and with 6 guys in this year's field under 2:06, you can expect a quick race.  While the North American contenders may be lacking in London, the Boston marathon is quite the opposite.
Most notably, Ryan Hall will be making his coach-less marathon debut in Boston, and the running world is waiting in anticipation to see what he has up his sleeve.  He didn't fare too well in his first half marathon in New York, finishing well back of the main pack, but he insists that the marathon is a whole different ball game, and that he is ready to rumble this year.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
And finally, I am slowly approaching my outdoor season opener, which is scheduled for the 24th of April.  I have only run one race this year, which was a sub-par 3k run indoors.  I did spend most of this winter visiting schools for next year, but now that I have got that out of my way, it's time to rip up the outdoor track!

4.10.2011

A few more cool videos

Ok, this is going to be a dual-purpose blog post.  So, with a little less than 4 months until I depart to the big AK, I am getting pretty pumped!  I couldn't resist posting a few more videos that reveal more of what this great land has to offer.  If anyone reading this is considering ever visiting Alaska, these are definitely going to get you excited as well.

Additionally, I have to give a shout out to my friends over at UAA.  The Seawolves have been tearing it up on the track so far, with some huge PB's and records set in a bunch of races in the lower 48.  Keep it up Seawolves, and I can't wait to run with you guys next year!




4.03.2011

Spring is here! And you know what that means...

This past week has shown what living in Toronto is all about! After a flash snowstorm ten days ago, we've been consistently at a balmy 10 degrees for most of this week.  Spring has finally arrived in T-Dot, and I couldn't be happier!
After a winter of slipping on icy roads and heaps of snow (precipitation falling from the sky in the form of ice crystals - for all my american readers), I am practically salivating at the opportunity to run in a t-shirt without suffering from frostbite.  
Additionally, my days on the indoor track are done! It was a great way to get in a solid workout on a snowy day, but I've had enough of the sharp turns and stuffy air.  And the lack of places to spit after a workout really was a deal-breaker.  On the outdoor track, the rain washes it all away, and you don't have anyone yelling at you about it!
And I know all the ladies are going to like this one.  As the warmer weather approaches, the days of shirt-on workouts are numbered.  Soon enough, shirts will only serve to wipe sweat off my face, as I prance around the outdoor track wearing nothing more than a pair of way-too-short-to-be-shorts shorts.

But on a more serious note, the outdoor track season will also be my last of high school, as I will be going off to University this fall.  I am in great shape now, and I really think that if things go my way, I will be poised to challenge for the podium in a few big races this year.