Running or not, it's all fun :)

Today I ran in a race, it was not a big race, and I was not breaking any personal records, and I had no intention of pushing any limits or beating anyone up. Today was about enjoying the run, being a mobile cheering squad, and cameraman all at once. I took a video camera; a new Kodak HD camera that I bought today, and tried to figure out if I could get any smooth video from holding the camera while I run.

I was running with Alex and Bobby in the Underwear Affair, between the two of them they raised nearly $1500 for cancer below the waist. Alex looked strong through the run until she left me behind at around 4k, and I stayed back so I could make sure Bobby was doing OK. 10k is not a huge distance for me, but Bobby while in decent shape is not a trained runner, he has enough fitness to get him through the run, but it is a challenge. And he did not train for this at all. The next 6 k Bobby held a steady pace, it was not till the hill before the bridge that he was finally forced to stop and walk a spell. But good on him, as soon as he got to the top of the steep hill he started running again, most if the way to the top of the Burrard bridge then again back down to the finish line in Kitsilano.

Overall I ran good, I was wearing Vibram Fivefinger Bikila shoes for the first time, with easy intervals to get ahead and take pictures, then walking at the end with Bobby when he needed a recovery.

We finished in 1:00:08 just over an hour and into a mass of runners all drinking beer, and wine in their underwear. This was a good run to remember that running is fun, and remember that I am in good enough shape to just get out and do it. There was a time that 1:25:00 was my best ever and only 10k, and that was 30lbs and a lot of miles ago.

They say no pain no gain, it's a good thing to remember to enjoy the gain too :)

Sign up for 2012, it was a great event, I will be back next year schedule premitting
http://va11.uncoverthecure.org/  

Run like a Caveman - Vibram Fivefingers - Bikila

WARNING- If you are interested in buying these for training or racing purposes, you must start slow and short. They are different enough that of you try them For the first time coming from traditional running shoes that you may cause injury. I will outline what I did to get used to them...

I have purposely taken a while to write this review because these are strange enough in the shoe world that I wanted to make sure I had some history in them before I formed an opinion.

These are an interesting shoe, if they can be called a shoe at all. I could describe them like toe-socks with Vibram soles. Mechanically they feel like bare feet, with just enough padding so that my forefoot  does not burn too much from running in them.

My first experience with the Vibram Fivefinger was with the KSO, which I started playing with in October 2010 after the Victoria Marathon. Mostly walking, and a bit of running, but the KSO is more minimal,  easy enough to run in for short and medium distances, but the lack of padding left the balls of my feet burning after a long-ish run.

The Bikila is more of a purpose built running variation of the Fivefinger design, it has the same heel profile, overall fit, and is slightly warmer than the KSO. The difference is on the ground feel, there is just a little more rubber between the ground and my foot, which for longer runs does feel better for me right now, less feel of what is under foot, but still a lot better feel than a traditional shoe.

The way they are supposed to work, is with virtually no heel lift, you are forced into a barefoot, forefoot strike in your stride, engaging the arch of the foot, and calves to absorb all of the impact of running in the soft tissue. Rather than beating up my knees and back by accidental Heel strikes from running, all of the wear and tear happens on the muscles. This is why it takes a while to get into them. My first walk with them was 10 blocks to the coffee shop and back, the next day I felt like there were 10 small little muscles in each calf that I diddnt know I had complaining at me. Over the next three weeks I progressed to jogging a few blocks, then one kilometer then two. My first "Run" in these was about 2.5k, and included a significant hill. After that run my calves burned with DOMS, like I had been power lifting, it was worse than my last two Marathons. But my calves did stop burning and my legs have now gotten a lot stronger as a result.

The theory I have read is that traditional shoes with high arch support, and posting to remove impact is similar to putting your foot in a cast. Causing the arch of the foot to drop, because it is not working to stabilize the foot anymore, and all of the muscles associated with that function atrophy as a result causing knee problems, back problems, and all manor of injuries that just did not happen 40 years ago when shoes were so much more simple. I had been very aware since I started running that changing shoes, brands, and types were very uncomfortable. So much that I have 4 pairs of $40 insoles just so I can have a pair in every running shoe and work boot I own.  Now after 8 months of running in these shoes, I don't need the insoles any more, my arches are much stronger, and my legs have gained a lot of strength as well. It is strange to think but after running 6 days a week for 4 years, I'm still learning.

Final Verdict on the Vibram Fivefingers: Two Thumbs Up  and a closet full of these,  with the caveat that they need to be eased into. I could see the potential for injury was high if I tried to jump into a full training plan with them right out of the Box. We were born to run, It would take a team of Engineers a million years to improve on what we were born with.

Nike says "Just do It", Vibram says "You Were Born for This.."

08/14/11-Update - I have recently added to my collection The KomodoSport, Similar feel to the Bikila but with an added adjustable Heel Strap for a snugger fit. I am liking these as well.

Cleaning Tip: (Unconfirmed) I was told that these clean best if you soak your fivefingers in water with a Denture Tablet then hang to dry - Im going to try it out next time and will update with the result.

The Point-Reflections on the news

It's been an interesting couple days, Arnold and Maria getting divorced, new Royals visiting Canada, Hugo Chavez  has Cancer, and Gas prices always seem to tease that they are going to dip. Seems like there is a lot going on. 

I wonder why we follow the trivial news or what we get out of it. Once it's past, there is rarely time reflection and the narrative never closes. For today we hear about strikes and protests, but I'm betting  We'll never hear that Canada Post and the union actually do come to an agreement, and they sign a contract that keeps the mail flowing, and the workers working. We don't hear about the upcoming elections in Egypt to replace the current temporary military leadership that replaced Mugabe, or that Tunisia is still a mess...at least for now; we won't hear any more about that missing 16 year old girl who was found on a bus in Chilliwack; who by now should be back home on Vancouver Island figuring out why she felt she had to leave, and maybe, just maybe learns something from the experience. We won't get that unless we look for it or watch for it...and we won't. 

I think we follow the trivial stories because they give us what we want to see, Prince and Duchess are happy newlyweds, Arnold gets what's coming to him (until his next movie) and Venizuaila may need a new president if Hugo Chavez falls ill, possibly bringing South and Central America into a new period of instability. Ok, maybe Venizuaila is not such a trivial story. 

I'm taking a moment today to think about the news, what it means, and how much of it has passed me by this year. It does not need to consume or fill my life, but there is humanity, and history there. Rome may not have been built in a day, but when the first brick was laid, I bet is was called Home, and it took a lot of those before it became Rome. 

ScotiaBank MS Walk - post event :-)

The First of the ScotiaBank MS Walks happened on Sunday at Ambleside in North Vancouver. We had 270 people come out and walk on a beautiful sunny saturday morning. This was a great way to get out an be involved in the community and is a great cause that is of course very near and dear to my heart.

I Volunteered on the Organizing Comittee for the first time as the Prizing and TeamMS coordinator. I also gave a talk before the start and I want to share what I said, because it is a really clear thought about the message I feel needs to be out in the MS Community, we so often focus on the research, and science of what we have, that I think in my case anyway, it can be hard to get past that.

It was said after the event, This is how I live with MS,

_________________________________________________________________________


I remember when I was first diagnosed with MS, it was on November 5th 2003, and even though it had been 6 months of uncertainty before that I remember being crushed by that realization and still completely unaware and unprepared for what it meant to be a person with MS.

I was scared, and my neurologist didn't do much to make me feel better about the situation. I felt utterly alone. He handed me a flyer or the MS society, through the haze of my mind I can remember him telling about the prognosis, and progression. After that he sent me on my way. I know this is not unusual at the beginning, and I know now that I share this story with a lot of people.

Which brings me to what I want to touch on today. The importance of stories, as a tool to keep pushing harder in my own training, and as a way to stay positive which can be a challenge.

The Ironman is often referred to as the toughest event a person can put their body through. It is not a feat of strength, but more of endurance, patience and planning. The 3800m swim, followed by 180km bike with a 42.2k run at the end is becoming more popular every year, and Ironman Canada is considered one of the hardest of these events. I was inspired to race Ironman Canada after my third Marathon in Vancouver. I felt like my legs could do it, and I thought with more training I could do it. With a post on Facebook I began my Race4MS journey telling anyone who would listen that I was planning to run Ironman Canada. In the process I trained up to 15 hours a week, to run another 9 races, and raised $3400.00 through the endMS campaign, and met a lot o people who were touched by MS, I would like to tell you about two.

There have been three people to finish an Ironman with MS that I know of so far.

The first person was a Woman named Jenny Hopkins from Ottawa Who 10 months after her diagnosis raced in Lake Placid in July of 2009. She made headlines all over Ottawa and in the process fundraised over $10,000 for the MS society. She was important to me because for the first time after I started training for this event, I knew it had been done, and I did not feel so alone anymore.

The second person to Finish Ironman was Steve. I met Steve at the Oliver Half Ironman in June last year. He had been diagnosed 4 years before, and when i met him he was doing his first Half Ironman, he went on to finish 20 minutes faster than me in that day, and in Ironman Canada he went on to finish in 11 hours and 36 minutes in at the end of August in some of the hardest conditions, beating me by over 50 minutes. Steve is an athlete without any qualification on that word.

These people are important because they add to our community in a way that is still so rarely seen. They can show us another view to what it can mean to be a person with MS, I feel proud to be counted in their ranks. My training, and drive for Ironman taught me a lot of things about myself, how to stay positive, and how to keep hope, the biggest lessons were to just keep moving in whatever capacity I can, and take inspiration from the people who came before, who proved that the impossible could be done.

This is an important part of what it means to live with MS, we have to remember to live.
_________________________________________________________________________

If anyone is still considering doing some fundraising this year for the MS Society, there is still a lot of events happening, come out and enjoy the atmosphere. Here is a list of them, I encourage everyone to come out and Join the Party.

RONA MS Bike Tour
June 4th & 5th for the Fraiser Valley Grape Escape (Wine Touring on two wheels)
August 7th  for the Vancouver Scenic City Tour

ScotiaBank Vancouver Half Marathon
I am on TeamMS for the Half Marathon Charity Challenge
Come join me, I will post a lot more in the months ahead while I get ready for this one, and I will talk to anyone who will listen.

Till Then,
Run Hard, Rest Well,

Ray

April Fools Half Marathon - April 3rd 2011

This is the second time running this race, I was sick the previous week, and not planning to race. Great way to start a race.

The April Fools Half Marathon had a record for entries, it was profiled in Canadian Running as one of the "Must Do" races of 2011.

I did not have a typical warmup, which may be important later.

I ran with a hand bottle, and GU Gels.  Shoes: New Balance Minimus Road. I set my Garmen to run 13.1 miles in 1:49:00 to set my virtual partner pace. (Virtual Partner or VP in Garmen 305 review post to follow)

15 minutes from race start I had a gel and sip of water, then it was time to start.

GUN!
600 people quickly cross the start line, I was in the middle of the pack, and the pace always starts slow for a few hundred meters.

1k-running hard, the VP was 74 yards ahead, and I was finally free of the pack, according to the Garmen Data my heart rate was also spiking, hard. Looking at the data between 5 and 10 minutes my heart rate spiked as high as 207...twice. I don't remember having a coronary, but it is possible I was running too hard. Might have also been a side effect of going from cold muscles to running with no warm up, or a weird Garmen interaction with another Heart Rate Band.

3k -This is a relatively flat part of the course, at 3k the course climbs gently up to the highway via veterans rd, and down the highway to Roberts creek. VP is approximately 18 yards behind me at this point.

10k - on lower road in Roberts Creek, this is hills followed by drops followed more short climbs. it went this way until the last longish climb up to Marlene rd to the highway.

15k - this is the worst climb in the race, by North Vancouver standards it is a little tame, but if you feel pain by now, you will feel more. This hill went by easy for the distance up to 16k and back on to the Highway for the last push to the finish.

Home Stretch - from 16k to the finish there are two shallow climbs and one hard decent down Rat Portage hill. By this point I am 54 yards ahead of the VP with a steady pace and passing a lot of runners.

Final 400 m and I was still feeling good, the Shoes felt great the whole time, and I was surprised with the finish time of 1:44:30 on the clock, 5 minutes faster than any half Marathon I have ever run.

I took Gel and water at 5k, 11k & 16k while running and the legs stayed under me for the whole race.
Shoulders feel like they want to fall out of their sockets, and calves feel worked, really hard. We shall see what I feel like for the next couple days.

Verdict, do this one again, great Run

Statistically Speaking...

....you are in a room, there are 500 people with you.. You look to the front, to the sides, around you are your friends, team mates, training partners, their friends, their family...

One person in this room will be diagnosed with MS, it can start small, almost insignificant like a finger losing feeling for one or two weeks.. It may be very obvious like the loss of sight in one eye, or violent muscle spasms rocking one side of their body. It will happen between the age of 20 and 40, though it can happen as early as 6 months old, and as late as 60 years old... And older.  MS is unpredictable and often unstable, the worst thing it does to those that have it is it stops people from moving.

Statistically speaking one person in this room will be diagnosed with MS, in our case it was me. I was 24 years old, living in Victoria working the night shift. I had finished for the night, and as I was walking out of work, I felt a strong cramp in my left bicep. It traveled down my arm, then down the side of my body leaving me curled up, in agony in the hallway of my work for what felt like minutes..

Over the next three months I would have more of these sometimes one at a time, sometimes back to back to back. At one point I was strapped to a gurney in the emergency room being poked by doctors for hours, they had no idea of what was going on, and in the end all they could do was to wait till they calmed, and send me home. 

It took many more doctors visits, and tests before they started to figure out what we were looking at. It was November 5th, almost 6 months later when they had a diagnosis. "your MRI is positive for lesions, and your spinal tap shows positive for..." in laymen's terms, 2 out of 3 tests is a positive diagnosis. I was 25 years old, and I had been given a life sentence. 

Now I am off topic, the point here is statistics, (if I am where I plan to be for this talk) we are runners...runners live on statistics, minutes per mile, miles per week, calories and cardio. I needed to break out, after 3 years 40 lbs and a second period of attacks, I decided that I needed to move, I wanted to be fit.. I took control... And went for a run. with the goal of running a 10k I asked for the help of a coach, and was quickly losing weight and adding milage. Today as I speak I have run 3 Half Ironmans, countless Half Marathons, 5 Marathons, and one Ironman. My symptoms have improved immeasurably, and I continue to get faster 4 years later. I do it because it makes me feel free, and I do it because I still can. I also do it because it can help..

2010 was Race4MS, I ran 9 races in 12 months starting with the Montreal Marathon, and finishing with Ironman Canada. I raised $3500.00 and connected with hundreds of people who have a connection to MS. 

I do this because of what I see, MS stops people from moving, I hope to prove that it will not stop me.

Statistically speaking, one person can have an impact...can make a difference even if only a small one. 

Help me this year, I am running the Scotia Half Marathon on June 26th for TeamMS, how many people will run it with me? 

Can you help me make a difference?

Ray

Historic Half 2011 - 10k Race Report

Much respect to the 10k, while it it daunting to many at first it becomes less so when you move on to the longer races, Half Marathon/Marathon/Ironman...

With that said, there is something that I have always found hard to do and that is push to the limit, and I think taking it back to the shorter distance is the key for getting past that. This year is a little different, this is the early season, and I have only just started my official training plan. This year the goal is speed, and I am re-learning how to run with that goal in mind. My only thought when it comes to race day is to leave nothing on the course except sweat, and dust. Push to the limit, because that is the only way I can find it.

On to the race report.

Sunday February 9th 2011.

The morning started early enough, the race start time was at 8:30 am in the Historic Fort Langley site. This year they staggered the start times, a sure sign that this event is still continuing to grow after 7 years.

I watched my friend Sean and his group of Half Marathoners from the running Roon start the race, with only a little regret. I have run this race for three years in a row, and while I know I can run the distance, I want to focus on the shorter faster 10k.

I popped a Clif shot 15 minutes before the start, and lined up for the warm up. and set my Garmen for a 53 minute 10k with the virtual Training Partner. My plan was to run an easy pace for the first 5k, and hammer it for the last 5 k and see what happens. 10k is not a long time to go through a lot on a run, when it comes to Half Marathon, or Marathon, there are a lot of things that you can look at that will make you feel better, or worse over the course of your run. The 10k it is simple, 10,000 meters, going as hard as you can, I should not need water for that distance, or gels, just pace, and conditioning.

The Virtual Partner display on the Garmen shows only two screens Top... two little people, showing one ahead, and one behind. Mostly useless for me but kinda cute...Bottom numbers, all the numbers mean is how far ahead, or behind your Virtual Partner you are. In my case at 2k, I was 250m ahead of the virtual Partner, Jocelynn had just passed me, and while I was not feeling bad, I decided to let the pace slack off a little. My goal pace for the first 5k being 5:18 per/km. For the next 3 k I watched the numbers drop until at 5k I was exactly at the pace that I had planned, 26:30 for the first 5k, and felt none the worse for wear. At this point I turned it on, pushed the pace by feel to the point of discomfort. I did the easy math in my head....200m = 1 minute faster than goal pace...or there abouts. I stopped worrying about it so much and focussed on the people in front of me, the numbers would take care of themselves.

One by one I passed the people ahead, at 7k I cought up with Jocelynn again, and pushed on for the last 3k to the finish line. I crossed the finish in 48:57 by official time, not too shabby.

After the race, I went for a leisurly 6k jog, to catch the Half Marathoners on their way in, knowing that I was done for the day and feeling fresh again. Good race overall, but I did not leave it all on the course I know I could have gone harder but "There is no need to be a hero in February" as my friend Jordan says, Good advice, but hard to follow sometimes.

Final Stats
Time: 48:57
Overall Place: 32/299
AG Place: 9/23
Shoes: Brookes Green Silence


Thanks for reading,
Ray