Jan 4th - 13K in the Cold Winter Air

Today is my first long-ish run of the year. 13K doesn't seem long compared to the 42.2 I'll eventually run on race day, but when it's cold outside, the lungs will burn and the muscles will cramp, making it seem harder than on a nice, mild day. As a great man once told me though, what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger. I don't imagine Boston will be tropical in April, so it's all good.

I started out heading West along Hastings Street, rolling along the long hills between Boundary Road and Nanaimo St, hanging a left and working my way up to Broadway. I've brought my portable radio along for the ride today, keeping it tuned to CBC, the only radio station that matters, as far as I'm concerned. Good tunes today.

As I approach Van Tech, the local vocational school, I get a flashback to my own highschool days. I dreaded the idea of running any sort of distance back then, and was around 40 pounds heavier. As another great man once sang, "The times, they are a-changin'". Down another hill and back up I go, catching the smell of stale beer as I pass the bottle depot. Part of my training is to cut out the booze, and running past this place every day will help - who needs booze when you've got running shoes?

Up and at them! As I summit another hill (there are plenty of hills in the Heights), I hang a right and continue East down Broadway. Passing a dim sum restaurant, I catch a whiff of the intoxicatingly delicious aroma coming from within. What is dim-sum anyway? Like adding numbers with the lights off? (ba-dum-chish)

Left on Boundary I go, past the not-so-delicious aroma of fast food, and then a left on East 1st. It's quite a climb up to Renfrew, where I touch my lucky lamp post and pull a Uey. Back down the hill, I let myself go and allow gravity to take over, just like I was told. Left on Boundary, up the hill, and I'm home free! It feels good to be finished, and now a nice thorough stretch and a snack are in order. I'm thinking it's a banana and yogurt kind of moment; a nice reward for a hard 55 minutes' work.

Tomorrow: a fast 5K followed by some weights. Stay tuned!