I'm keeping up with my HM trail running plan but am failing miserably on crosstraining, stretching, strength training, although I did get out a couple times kayaking this weekend - perhaps I could call it a (short) cross training activity. The first was to get a closer look at a momma bird and her six little babies playing along the waters edge (I thought we maybe had a loon family but alas, it was a cormorant family instead) and the second was a rainy paddle because hubby had to see his dream jet boat take off once they left the marina and of course, it was raining, but it was a very nice soft rain and a lovely little paddle with my hubby.
I have been finding the longer trail runs really challenging lately, but I've lost my trail running partner this year so am doing them solo and have this ridiculous pressure on myself to try and complete this race in a certain time frame instead of just crossing the line. I know that is ridiculous given I haven't run this distance during this race before, but the competitive part of me wants to meet a certain time. I did an 11k trail "run" on Sunday with 450 m of elevation change (according to the race director's gpx file, although Runkeeper only called it 300 m; I'm finding Runkeeper struggles with the lack of cell coverage and roads, it often doesn't match my Garmin very well). It was hot, humid, and hard. Then I realized what was wrong. I wasn't just chugging along enjoying the journey. So I reassessed why I was doing what I was doing and what brought me all the joy in the past. I may not be able to convince my running partner to join me again on these longer runs and hubby has made it very clear that he doesn't want to run for that long, so I must take this time as my time and just enjoy what is given to me. I hiked the hills, laughed at the difficulty of some of them, swore out loud at them, laughed some more, giggled while going through the treed areas calling out to the wildlife that I was coming through, hopped over logs like I was a little kid, tried to stop to take a picture of one of the water crossings before the mosquitos and annoying biting deer flies, said "Yummy, meal time!" So off I took off out of the coulee trying to get away from the water and up where there was some breeze to blow the buggers away. I ran when and where I wanted to run, hiked when I needed to or wanted to. It was the slowest run ever culminating in power walking the final 500 metres along the dusty dirt road back to the parking lot instead of running (I was just so done and at risk of overheating) and felt so amazed that "Whoohoo! I did it". I may've hiked more than I ran (I wish there was some way to track this, although maybe I don't want to actually know), but I ran where I wanted, hiked where I had to, crossed some water crossings, went along some great side hill trails and got it done. I have a 12.5k trail race next weekend that is away and has maybe been playing on my mind a bit, but am looking forward to hitting my hills again the next week while on holidays. The runs may be slow, the hiking may be more hiking than power hiking lately, but the views are stunning and I get to spend a few hours each week taking time for me....and whatever wildlife is around to hear all that I have to say.
