Back in March, nearly 300km ago, I wrote that my goal of running a thousand kilometres this calendar was going more smoothly than expected. I also admitted that I’d probably just doomed myself to suffer some serious physical ailment — which turned out to be completely true. Just as the weather started to warm up this spring, I stepped awkwardly in a divot while walking to work, and gave myself a grade three ankle sprain.
It meant nearly 10 weeks of a somewhat sedentary lifestyle. Crutches and a plaster cast, then a walking boot, then a tensor bandage. Very little motion for the left foot. Loads of elevation, icing and compression translated into loads of television, reading and — well, I can’t in all honesty say ‘depression’, but ask my wife, I was mopey and difficult more days than I care to admit.
My frustration was matched only by my weight gain. Three months after torquing my ankle to the sound of new Velcro being ripped apart for the first time, I was almost back to my pre-workout weight of a year ago.
I was determined to get back in the sneakers as quickly as possible, but was given a very careful, painfully slow reintroduction to weight-bearing exercise by the good folks at Total Therapy.
With a high-priced German soft brace around my ankle and several stern looks from my physiotherapist, I’ve started running longer distances again.
This weekend, I moved past the halfway mark on the 1,000-km challenge. With 130 days left in 2014, I have 485km to go. For those who’d like some help with the math, that works out to an average of 3.73km per day, or just under 30km per week. Totally doable, assuming no further injuries.
To wit, I’ve signed up for two half marathons for late in the year: the New Balance Fall Classic at UBC and the inaugural Vancouver Rock N Roll Half,
The RnR Half does a loop through Gastown, around Chinatown, then takes a good portion of the False Creek/English Bay Seawall before cutting across Stanley Park. But let’s face it, it ain’t the racemap people are signing up for here. Most of them (like me) are doing it for the bling.
The majestic lions from the Stanley Park entrance to the Lions Gate Bridge are featured on these outstanding finisher medals — Where many of the RnR medals from American cities are gaudy, glittery odes to a wannabe famous lifestyle espoused by the Hard Rock Cafe, these stately leones actually honour an historic side of Vancouver you wouldn’t expect American cash-grab event companies to recognize. Running along Prior Street at 8am on a Sunday isn’t my idea of fun, but I’ll sure as shootin’ be putting Simba here on display in the home office.
As for the UBC Fall Classic on November 16, its route hasn’t substantially changed in years. It’s two loops-plus of a 10km course in the Endowment Lands, and it’s a pretty cool way to spend the morning. No, really, it’s cool, bordering on cold. This race last year was the first time I wore running tights in public — and while I’m not wearing them right now, let’s just say it wasn’t the last. Probably the most enjoyable thing about this race is the post-event food. Chili, baby!
Ha! Three months out, and I’m drooling over a few mouthfuls of chili. But seriously, people, it was my favourite moment of all my running last year. At UBC, delirious after finishing my first 10km run since Gandalf the Grey took down the Balrog, I was texting everyone I knew about the delicious, soul-warming, meatatarian and vegetarian chili.
Mmmmmm. Chili. Bring on those half marathons.
RnR-2014-course-map
UBC Fall Classic Route
