Physio Followed by a Run

I had a physio session today - the first in about 5 weeks - therapist said that things are looking much better.  There is still a bit of tightness in my calf but overall the leg appears to be much stronger.  It feels much stronger too.

A few hours after the physio session I went for a 7.3 KM trail run with my running partner - it felt great.  In fact it was so great I had to hop on my blog as soon as I got home and post this.  The overall pace was pretty good but the return leg was near the training pace for our short runs from last year - and all seemed good during and after the run.

So ... thumbs up - things seems great.  Now just need to ensure I keep my ind about me and remember my words from earlier in this blog - patience, patience, patience.  No need to rush anything - keep the passion of running at the forefront and don't get caught up with performance so much.

I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me through the past four months - during my lows and highs.  Without you my recovery would have been much more challenging - and much more lonely.  I am grateful to have such good friends and companions.

Purposeful, Proud Passion of a Parent

Yesterday morning (26 Apr 2013) I was fortunate enough to experience emotions and feelings that are incredibly challenging to express.  I ran 4.5 km with my older son - something I never thought I would do - not because I didn't think he could do it - but running never seemed to be of interest to him.  Music has been his life - and he is really good at it - outdoor activity (in the form of exercising) never seemd to be something that would grab his interest.  Well ... has that changed.  He has joined a running clinic and has been doing incredibly awesome.

I digress (a bit) ... back to the core theme for this post.  The 35 minutes we spent running together was so very motivational to me - it drove my passion through the roof.  My boy was so full of energy and pride - it made me so very proud to have him as a son.  He has established an approach to running that is foundational to success - positive & fun-loving.  It was contagious!!  I look forward to more runs with him as he pursues his goals - maybe I will be able to provide some influence as his desire for running experiences grows - I know his passion has certainly influenced me.

Keep up the positive attitude my son - the drive, enjoyment, pride and passion I saw in you yesterday morning will take you far - keep it alive!!  You will encounter challenging moments (as we discussed) but these are simply tests of your strength and passion.  I have seen how deep passion runs in you over the years - it is deep!!  Keep true to yourself and follow your targets - never give up no matter how challenging things get.  Youu were "built for success" - let your passion power you!!  You are great!

Chin up ... smile ... life is great ... run ...

Cheers.

John

Don't Let the Weather Get You Down!

So ... it snowed AGAIN here in Ottawa yesterday - a rather nasty few hours actually considering the time of year.  It left a few inches of snow on the ground, especially off the beaten path.  But I wasn't going to let that get in the way of my running. 

So I "suited up" this morning and hit the trail around 7:45 am.  It was quite nice out - a grey sky, no wind and just above freezing temperature.  The snow and slop on the trail made for slower going than normal, but it was still nice.  Once I got a bit deeper into the woods it was very peaceful.  I would have preferred to have gone even deeper, but there is still a fair amount of melt and run-off kicking around the deepest trails - as can be seen in the pictures below.



Up the Trail



Down the Trail



Into the Woods





Glad I had my SpeedCross3 with ClimaShield - they're awesome!!



Tomorrow will bring a street run with my running partners - looking forward to that after the slog this morning - but still am excited about the onset of spring/summer so I can explore some new deeper trails on the north end of Kanata/Ottawa and further up into Quebec - the Gatineaus.

Smile ... and keep putting one foot in front of the other ... :-)

Running for Coffee - Passion Revived!!

What an awesome run this morning with my running partners.  We set out on a route that started from home and intentionally ended at Starbucks as a reward.  It felt just like the "old Sunday runs" from last year - I am nearly fully recovered from my December injury - and it feels great!!

The weather wasn't the best - a little cold and grey - but at least it wasn't snowing and windy - things are looking up.  No matter ... just getting out felt excellent and having a warm coffee with friends after the run was fantastic!!

Enjoy the day ... smile ... and keep moving forward ...

Trail Try Out

I headed out on the Trans Canada Trail this morning to see how it was for running.  I'm very fortunate in that I can be on the trail 350 m from my front door.  There was still a fair amount of hard packed icy snow on some long sections but it was certainly "runnable" as long as you're careful about your footing.

I ran into Bell's Corners and back, covering 7.53 KM in just under 56 minutes.  I had my four-legged pal with me this morning - he had a blast - any time he gets to spend outside is heaven for him.  The pictures below show him resting up in the warm sun on the back deck post-run.

Hopefully in a couple more weeks the deeper trails in Stoney Swamp and Kanata Lakes will open up enough for some spring time running.

That's all for today ... keep smiling ...

Turning Up The Heat!

I'm in Orlando on business for the week so this morning's run was in much warmer weather than yesterday's run back in Ottawa (about 20 degrees warmer!!). It was a very nice run along a not-very-busy street in a high tech business area near University of Central Florida.  I hope to get two or three more runs in before heading home at the end of the week - maybe take some video to post with my Contour Roam camera.

For all my running friends back home - chin up and keep smiling - the forecast looks not too bad for this week - I can almost hear the trails calling.

Stay happy ... stay well ... smile ...

John