Weekend recap

This was probably one of the better weekends I've had in a long time.

After taking Friday off from running, I decided to do a 10K run on Saturday morning. I told myself to just wake up on Saturday and decide then what I wanted to do. In the end, though, it was a "no brainer" and as soon as I started to run I knew that I had made the right decision. It was a little cool early Saturday morning and I was a little stiff but when I finished I felt so refreshed.

When my run was finished I decided to volunteer at a race that was being held at the Ajax waterfront. It was nice seeing so many familiar faces and volunteering allowed me to be right amongst my friends. My job was to clock in the finishers as they crossed the finished line. There were some truly remarkable times for both the 5K and 10K races. A big part of me kept thinking that I should have raced it to see where I stack up amongst these runners. With my race only days away though, I made the right decision to volunteer instead.

After working an overnight shift on Saturday (11-7AM), I met some friends for a 10K run at 7:30. Most people would have been opted for something else to do, but for me, it was once again a "no brainer." I was able to run with my closest friends, share some great conversation and talk strategy about our race at the same time. It seemed like a long time since we were able to run together but like true friends, once you get talking, it's amazing you quickly you can pick up where you left off with no effort whatsoever.

I took my kids for a run later in the afternoon and they seemed to enjoy themselves. If you have a couple of kids with lots of energy, try taking them out for a run and then see how their energy levels are afterwards. Both my kids were exhausted after their run but after refueling and re hydrating their energy levels quickly returned. It would be nice to have the recuperating powers that kids have wouldn't it?

Today I rode my bike for just over 45 minutes and tomorrow I'll be running in the morning followed by another run on Wednesday and then that's it for the week. I made one of many pit stops at the Running Room today to pick up some gels for the race. Before tomorrow's run, I'm going to try a new gel that has more sodium in it than the one I usually take. If it produces no stomach discomfort, then I'll make the switch for Saturday's race. Trying to avoid cramps will be one of the many goals I have for Saturday and if I can avoid them then the other goals I have should follow suit.