Great weekend in Ottawa!!!

The Tamarack Homes Ottawa 10km run was held this past Saturday. It was a great opportunity to test how the training was going, get some speed in to my legs, and hopefully give me some confidence. Also my body needed a drop in the volume from the heavy training for the world marathon champs.  I really enjoyed going back to Ottawa. Even though we are enjoying Houston I really miss the Canadian running community. It is very close and everyone knows each other so well. I hope to run in Canada more often in the future. It was great to catch up with some old friends and to meet some new ones. I had a lovely time rooming with with another marathon mum Krista Duchene. She is such a lovely lady and good friend. We are always emailing each other about problems we are having or questions relating to running which is very helpful as marathon running can be a pretty lonely sport sometimes. I also enjoyed running with Lanni Marchant Sunday morning after the race. We have both lived in Ottawa so it was nice to re visit the Ottawa river and the lovely pathways that Ottawa has to offer. Definitely something else I miss about Ottawa.

Now to the race: The women's race started at 6.26 pm and the men would start at 6.30 pm. We had 4 minutes to get a head start on the guys and try not to get passed.  We were off and at a very quick pace. I missed the first kilometre mark but apparently we went through the first kilometre in just over 3 minutes!! Too quick considering there was still 9km to go. I was with the front pack for just over 1km until they put on another surge. I decided not to go with them as the pace was too quick and I was pretty sure some of the ladies would drop off near the end. I tried to stay as close as I could and felt as though I got in a good rhythm even though I was running by myself. It was encouraging to see that every kilometre I was not losing any ground on the front pack and maybe even catching a little.

I went through 5km in 15.53!! A new pb in the 5km even though it doesn't count as one. I was a little worried when I saw my 5km split and hoped I had not pushed too soon. However I felt so strong and I could feel I was making ground on the lead group. I knew once we hit 6 km there would be some head wind so I really tried to mentally prepare for this and push through it. By 7 km the front pack was falling apart and I started to pass some ladies. Always very motivating and gives you a little extra energy. The crowds were great and really behind the runners. At 8.5km I passed the lady who was in third and was really starting to feel the pace. I was not sure if I would be able to hold on to third place. In other races this is the point I normally lose focus and seem to almost give in. However in this race I found I could really push my body and mind to keep going and pick up the pace. By 9km I had made a bit of a lead on the lady behind and was just wanting the finish line to be closer. Then I heard some heavy breathing and very fast foot steps and vrooom the leading mens pack went flying past and made me feel as though i was standing still. I even managed to laugh at how fast they went by. They were really moving. This gave me an extra kick and I really tried to sprint. I could see the two female leaders up ahead and was making ground on them but I was too late to catch them. I crossed the finish line in 3rd place with a time of 32.08 (average 3.13min/km or 5.10min/mile).  A 45 second personal best which I am thrilled about. I was also really happy to hear of the great performance by Lanni Marchant and Krista Duchene (first and second placed Canadian runners) who ran huge personal bests :-) Good sings for Moscow girls!!!

There is a replay of the Ottawa 10km that can be found at the following link. You can see shots of me in the background.
https://marathon.isiglobal.ca/index.html

There are 71 days to go until the world marathon championships in Moscow!!! The time is flying by but I still have a lot of work to put in before that. My next race will be the Grandmas half marathon in Duluth, Minnesota on June 22 as a tune up race.

My next post I will focus on water running. How to perform it effectively and why it so beneficial.

Happy running everyone.  I will finish with a few photos from the race and of course little Lucas :-)

Start of the Ottawa 10km - Elite women start 4 minutes ahead of elite men :-)

Just after the start of the elite women's 10km

During the 10km 

Lanni Marchant and Erin Burrett - Lanni and I went for a nice run along the Ottawa River the morning after the race :-)

I LOVE WATERMELON :-)

Training Update and Active Release Therapy

Hi all

I am endeavouring to make my blog more interesting. Once a month I will post a blog and will focus on one subject that I feel is important for successful running. I will try to ask an expert in each field to provide information also. Of course I will still provide updates on my training and upcoming races but I want this blog to be of some help to others not just about my training and my racing. I will start each week with a short update on how my running is going or any races or race recaps. Then I will focus on one important topic. Let me know if there is any topic that you would like me to higlight.

TRAINING UPDATE:
After recovering from bronchitis and the flu my training has gradually gotten better and I am back to the same shape I was in before getting sick :-) I have been preparing for the Houston heat and so far it has not been too bad. A little humid some days but overall manageable. I know in weeks to come this will change and my body will have to adapt. My next race is the Ottawa 10k on the 25th of May. This will be my first race since the New York half. I am very excited to race again and to be going back up to Ottawa. Race weekend is always a lot of fun. I am especially looking forward to catching with fellow runners Krista Duchene and Lanni Marchant. The elite list released a few weeks ago looks very competitive and I am already getting a little nervous. I will provide another update on the 10k closer to the time. Now to switch gears and focus on Active Release Therapy:

ACTIVE RELEASE THERAPY:
I will start this week with Active Release Therapy (ART). When I mention to other runners that I am getting active release some people have not heard of it before. I would like as many people to know about ART as it is so beneficial not only for running but for everyday activities. Before finding this technique I found that I was always stiff and more prone to injury. I had no flexibility, decreased range of motion, and my stride was very limited. I have been regularly getting active release for the past two years and have seen great improvements in these areas. First I was getting treatment from Arthur Cuenco in Ottawa and now with Dr. Lance McClintock in Houston at Greenway Chiropractic. I go to see Dr McClintock every week sometimes twice if I feel something is tight. I firmly believe this is a key aspect of running injury free. I wanted to provide you with some helpful information about ART and how it may help you. What it is and why it is so beneficial. I decided to call in an expert to do this and Dr McClinctock gladly obliged. Below is his piece on ART. If you are in the Houston area I highly recommend booking an appointment with Dr. McClintock.

Pain?
Decreased Mobility?
Chronic Tightness?

While some injuries are caused by a traumatic injury, such as a fall or tear, a large majority of injuries result from repetitive motion and improper biomechanics. These injuries are known as overuse injuries or accumulative trauma injuries.

These injuries lead to the formation of scar tissue and adhesions, which hinder the proper movement and function of soft tissues (muscles, ligament, tendons, and nerves). This can result in symptoms of pain, decreased range of motion, stiffness, numbness, tingling, and weakness.

Active Release Techniques or ART®, is considered the gold standard in treating these soft tissue injuries. We evaluate the tightness, texture and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Then treat the abnormal tissues by combining precisely directed tension with specific patient movements. The goal of ART® is to return tissue to its correct tension, texture, movement, and function; thus eliminating pain and increasing performance.

Common Conditions treated with ART®:
• Plantar Fasciitis
• Shin Splints
• Ankle Sprains
• Achilles Tendonitis
• Posterior Tibial Tendonitis
• IT Band Syndrome
• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• Groin Strains
• Iliopsoas Syndrome
• Hamstring Strains
• Piriformis Syndrome
• Sciatica
• Lumbar Radiculopathy
• Lumbar Strains
• Rotator Cuff Injuries
• Rotator Cuff Impingement Syndrome
• Adhesive Capsulitis (Frozen Shoulder)
• Subacromial Bursitis
• Bicepital Tendonitis
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
• Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Tension Headaches/Migraines

Dr. Lance McClintock, DC
713-355-5343
www.drlancemcclintock.com

Thanks for your input Dr McClintock and valuable information. I hope you all find it helpful. Give ART a try and see if it works for you. Let me know how it goes. I will finish this blog with a few photos.

Happy Running everyone!!!!

Mothers Day dinner

Mothers day dinner with my mother-in-law Eurides. 

Off swimming :-)