Actual Stuff About Marathon Training and Running

Since January I guess it has not been that surprising that my Father and his health, ill-health and eventual death on February 16 for all intents and purposes, pretty much took over my Blog.

My training for the Vancouver Marathon with my friend Paul, who is flying in all the way from Paris for the event, has been spotty at best.

But as I have advised hundreds of runners over the years in various clinics, I have tried to treat the Sunday Long Slow Distance runs as sacrosanct.  I have only missed one Sunday run since the start of the clinic, and that was when I was in the Bahamas.  But even there, I made a point of walking for at least sixty or ninety minutes per day at as brisk a pace as I could manage - when we were ashore that is.

I did the Pacific Road Runners "20th" Annual First Half Marathon three weeks ago in a time of 2:21:12 at an average heart rate of 118 beats per minute.

I have been the five hour pace group leader during this particular Marathon Clinic and that may well be my saving grace.

Our 26 K run took over three and a half hours, but my average heart rate was 114.

There have been a bunch of weeks where I have only found time to run once or twice during the week.  Last week, I didn't get in any runs at all, but have been able to walk my dogs at least a couple of times per day for thirty minutes.  That's if I have been in town at all...

I think I have only been to two Tuesday night clinic sessions.  One Wednesday night run.  It is now March 1!

Trying to juggle work, being Executor of my Father's estate (which makes it sound way more organized than it really is), my friends and relationships, plan a Memorial Service on March 9, and the daily routine of life has almost been more than I can handle.

And truthfully, it has.  Ain't no house-keeping or laundry being done at Vince's house lately...

I went well over a month without a day off, not enough sleep,  and I have tried to find solace and comfort in too much food accompanied by too many glasses of wine.

At two hundred and twelve pounds, I am the heaviest I can remember being in at least three, maybe even four years.  Maybe even before the start of this Blog!

This morning we dropped back to 19 K - two hours and forty minutes - and at least my average heart rate was 114.

Back in December, my blood pressure and resting heart rate during a medical check up were 108/65 and 54 (after two cups of coffee and climbing several flights of stairs I might add).  Usually, first thing in the morning lying in bed, I am 44-48 bpm.

In February, after visiting my Dad in the Palliative Care Ward, a similar medical examination produced a blood pressure reading of 135/95 and a resting heart rate of 74.   I thought I might have a heart attack right there.

Hopefully by the middle of March, and once my Father's Memorial Service - Wake has been taken care of, I can go back to taking care of myself.

Run a little more, sleep a little easier, and pay much closer attention to a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Come the Vancouver Marathon, anything close to a five hour finishing time will seem like a huge victory.