The 2012 Great Perth Kilt Run

It has been a very busy summer so far. With work keeping me running, all the training I am trying do for karate, Iaido and running along with just regular life things, sometimes it just all seems to mash together.

But there are always the highlights that really stand out. One of the really big ones for me was the Great Perth Kilt Run. Have a watch of the video I put together and put up on YouTube.

The Perth Kilt Run was a run set the world record for the greatest number of kilted runners in a race. It was also a benefit run for MS. A great idea for a great cause. The record was set and will appear in the Guinness Book of World Records.

I went to this run with just one goal in mind, to have fun. And it was great! I ignored my time and everything else and just went out for the experience. And running with almost 2,000 kilted runner is certainly that.

Before the race I had the opportunity to help out in a very small way by helping participants find out where they had to be to pick up their numbers and answering, where I could, questions about the day's activities. Here I stood, dressed up in my best Scottish gear, pointing things out with my sword. I was told that after a very short time, people were lined up to ask questions of me. I guess I stood out in the crowd a bit. It was GREAT fun.

For the race I was of course in my kilt and carrying my sword and shield as all the Warrior Class participants did. But I was in fairly typical running gear after that. My goal for next year's Kilt Run is to compete with the Duke for best runner's costume. I already have plans in the works, Dave.

The warrior tasks were kept a closely guarded secret up to just before the race. When I found out that the first warrior task was to give a toast and down a shot of scotch, I knew this was just going to be great fun. And it was. My suggestion for next year for the warrior class, make it DIRTIER!

This whole event was just so well put together and run. It was amazing! Way to go!!! I very much hope the tradition of this race in Perth will continue on. If it does, the best advice I could give you is BE THERE! Even if just to watch and cheer on the intrepid runners  who are brave enough to be out there in a KILT.

OTTAWA RACE WEEKEND

On May 26th I participated in my second ever 1/2 Marathon in the Ottawa Race weekend. I thought I would do something different and share this experience through a short movie clip so I carried my small sport camera with me and recorded the event from a participants point of view.

The experience was incredible. First, just to go out there to attempt to run 21.1K is quite a challenge. Then, to be standing there on your own but with 12,000 other runner, I don't know how to put this into words

You'll notice that as the race goes on, and I sweat it out, the lens of the camera gets more and more clouded. The whole thing was quite an experience so I hope you enjoy the show.

Training

When I was considering taking up karate, one of the things I told Sensei Laurie was that I was not looking to train to compete. I did not want to be fighting with someone. I didn't want to train with the intention of hurting someone. I just wanted to be able to feel the ability to protect myself if I had to and to learn the Martial Way.

Before I started karate, training was something I did by myself. When I started out in my fitness program, I trained by working out with my Bowflex and on my treadmill. I never considered anything in the way of group training. For some reason, training was something I kept to myself and did on my own. I think I was hiding from others and to some degree, myself. At that time, weighing almost 300 pounds, I felt embarrassed to go into a fitness store to look at workout gear or equipment. I bought my Bowflex online and our first treadmill from Canadian Tire.

I confess I still don't understand why I felt the way I did back then. Maybe it was like admitting in public to the fact that I was in poor condition. I was demeaning myself by this admission. It was a tough thing for me to get over. Maybe get past is a more accurate way to put it. So I hid in my basement, working out on my Bowflex and walking more than running on my treadmill.

It has been over three years now since I started out on that treadmill and two years since starting karate at Sakura Martial Arts Academy. Training is now such an important part of my life, I just couldn't imagine going without it.

On weekdays, because of work hours, my morning starts very early. I am up at about 4:50 a.m. I head for the basement and start my day with a light 20 minute workout that consists mostly of stretches along with knee, hip and abdominal exercises. By 5:20 I am on the road on my way into work. I have considered doing a bit of running during my lunch break but instead, I have chosen to use this time to lose myself in a good book for a few minutes. A little bit of escapism you could say.

When my working day ends, I am on my way home, or running whatever little errands need to be run before heading home. As soon as I am home, I change into my running gear and I am out on the road, rain or shine. Mondays and Wednesdays are karate nights so on those night my run is a bit shorter.

On weekends, or at least normal weekends (I sometimes find myself spending my Saturday at work) I don't get up so early. Sometimes, depending on how the week has gone (and whether or not I stayed up late to watch a movie) I will sleep in to 10:00. This is followed by my long run, 15K minimum, depending on what I am training for at the time.

These days I just can't imagine not training for something even though training doesn't always go as planned. Recently I had to miss participating in a Gasshuku (a gathering of Karateka for a tournament and seminars) because of obligations at work and most recently, I was quite sure I was going to be put out of my half marathon race at the Ottawa race weekend because I re-injured my knee again, but I believe I am going to be ready anyway. I just have to accept these little challenges and setbacks and move on. Sometimes it can be very frustrating and sometimes even a bit scary, but what real choice is there? You can just stop and hide or choose the best path you can and progress as best as you can.

Participating in karate tournaments and races is not what I train for. I have done both and enjoyed the experience. When participating in a karate tournament, I know no I am not there to participate in a fight, I am there to learn. At the dojo when we practice sparring, we sometimes go at it pretty hard. But I know my opponent isn't there to knock me to the floor, he or she is there to teach me. It is safe, and under these circumstances, it is quite a bit of fun. I participated in a practice sparring bout with Senpai Julie recently. Julie is a second degree black belt. We went at it for about 3 minutes. At the end of those 3 minutes I was ready to drop to the floor. If points were being counted, I am sure it would have been something like 20 to 1 for Julie. If the match had been real, I would have been on the floor to stay in a couple of seconds. As it was, I learned and I really enjoyed the experience. I have the opportunity to train with some very skilled people who know how to train, who know how to make you work for it. It's a great experience and an incredible workout.

This type of training with my karate has shown me how much a person can learn when training with others. There is just no substitute for having someone share their knowledge and experience with you. Not to mention the camaraderie of working really hard with a group of people who are doing the same thing. When I finish a karate class, I always go away feeling like I have accomplished something, feeling like I just shared part of myself with a group of like-minded people who are interested. It keeps me coming back for more as often as I can.

When I am in a race, I am not there to beat the guy next to me, I'm not there to walk away with a big trophy (not that this will happen). I'm there for the experience. At the Army Run last year there were over 10,000 people lined up at the starting line. People of all different levels of ability. People in specially designed wheel chairs. People of all different ages. The feeling of standing there among this throng of humanity and surging across the starting line was a real rush. Running through the streets of Ottawa, past the Parliament Buildings, down the Parkway with all of these people around you. WOW!

As I work on this post, I am one week away from the Ottawa race weekend. I am nervous, a bit apprehensive but also looking forward to the challenge. I have trained hard for this. I have had to do quite a few of my training runs at night after getting home from a long day at work. I have completely missed a few training runs along with a few karate classes because of other commitments. I have had to deal with injury again and again. But I have learned from it. Sometimes not right away. Sometimes it takes going through the emotional reaction before I can see the lesson to be learned, but once I can calm myself down, I can usually see the lesson.

At this point my main focus is to be healthy and ready for this next big race. If I can cross the finish line in reasonable condition - as in not in pain - I will start upping my training and target a full marathon for this year. Right now I am looking at the Prince Edward County marathon in October. Of course there is the Iaido seminar in June I hope to attend and I am working hard at my kata practice for my karate.

So it never ends. Training has become a way of life for me. I may be very late coming to it, but nevertheless, here I am. All I need is a little more time (there's that word again) to get it all in and to spend some quiet nights looking through my telescope at worlds far away in time and distance. I wonder how they deal with training issues?

Tunnel of Stars

For the last few months I have been very involved in big project at work. As things get closer and closer to our deadline for the project, I find myself working some very long days. This has caused me to miss a few karate classes and it makes it very hard to get my runs in. The job is very interesting and I am working with a great team of people but

I need to do what I can for myself as well.

A couple of days ago I got home just after 9:00 p.m. It had been a very long and very busy day. I was taking my breaks out on the production line, lunch was get-a-bite-when-you-can and dinner was going to be just before bedtime. Not that healthy, I know. That night I just had to go out and run. Why not? I had run in the dark a number of times during the winter, including being out on the road New Years Eve at midnight to bring in the new year. But this would be different.

The night was warm and humid. There was a strong southerly breeze blowing, the moon had still not risen but the sky was clear. So as soon as I came in the door, I changed into my running gear which included my reflective vest, my hat light and a red flashing light I wear on the back of my vest. In 15 minutes, I was geared up and heading for the door.

As soon as I was outside, I did my usual thing, I started up my Garmin watch and turned on my iPod. I thought I would listen to some old-time jazz for this run. I walked down to the end of my driveway, turned on my lights and headed down the road.

It didn't take long for me to realize just how dark it was. To compound this, the stiff breeze that was blowing was kicking up dust along the dirt road. My vision was not only limited by this little LED light on my cap, it was confounded by all the dust in the air. My eyes kept trying to focus on the dust particles that were right it front of me, glowing from the light on my cap. I could hardly even see my feet, never mind the road. But that wasn't going to stop me that night. I needed that run. Just 5K. It would feel good.

As I progressed, my eyes started to adjust to the conditions. After about 1.5 kilometres, I turned onto the paved road. The dust seemed to dissipate. My vision was getting clearer. At least I could see my feet and see the road under them reasonably well.

At 2 kilometres I began to feel a bit like I was running in a tunnel. The bush on both sides of the road was fairly thick but now it seemed like the walls of a tunnel. I looked up and saw that the tunnel had a beautiful starlit ceiling.

At this point, I thought there was no point in listening to my iPod. It was beginning to seem like a distraction, so I turned it off. I was just coming up to a spot along the road where there is small marsh. I could hardly believe my ears. The din from who-knows-how-many frogs filled the air. It seemed almost deafening. I was tempted to hold my hands over my ears. It was amazing. How many frogs could there possibly be in that little patch of wetland?

As I continued on and went around a turn, just about all of the meager light in the sky was gone. There are very few streetlights out here; during this run I would pass only two. To compound this, at this time of year there is no snow to reflect and spread any of what little light there was. Now, no snow and no moon, no streetlight, no light. The ground around me just seemed to absorb even the light from my LED cap light. I turned off my cap light for just a couple of steps to see what it would look like. Total darkness.

I pictured this section of road in the daytime. Yes, no wonder it seemed so dark now. The road was almost completely canopied by trees. The only light left in the world was coming from that little LED light on my hat. Nothing else. But then I heard something moving towards me from behind. It was moving fast, very fast. It was the sound of the wind coming up to catch me. It rushed around me in waves. What an amazing sound. No doubt I have heard it many times before, probably in this very spot. It just had never been amplified like that by my diminished sense of sight.

I continued around the curve and the tree-tops separated. There at the top of hill I could see the stars again. And about half way up in the sky was Mars, a beautiful little red-orange pinprick in the sky. I am an amateur astronomer so this scene just kind of jumped out at me. As I approached the top of hill, the sky just unfolded in all its beauty right there in front of me. It made me wish I could have run with binoculars. Wouldn't that have looked silly? Not that there is anyone out and about to see me.

It was about this time I noticed my Garmin vibrating. I looked down at my watch and had to shake myself a bit. I looked around at where I was and realized I was now just over 4K out on my 5K run. What the heck, I was enjoying the run and the next K would be open to the sky as well. So I looked up at Mars and kept going for another kilometre before starting back.

As soon as I turned around, there in the sky to my left was the constellation Orion and just off to the right was the brightest star in the sky. Not really a star though, it was Venus. Quite beautiful. The skies up where we live are very dark and on clear nights like this, it can be breathtaking.

As I continued back, I went back down into the area that was heavily treed. The stars began to disappear as the walls of the tunnel came back up. The other senses seemed to take over. Again, I could hear the onrush of the wind coming toword me in waves like giant waves of an ocean. The sound of frogs and insects was everywhere. It was so different from when I had run at night in the winter. There was so much life all around me, not just the sound of crunching snow and ice. At this point I was very aware of the fact that all my senses had turned on and were working. I felt like I could almost feel my surroundings because I could see very little of them.

With less than 2K to go before I reached my driveway, another sense was trying to show me somthing. There was an odour that came at me with such force. It was strong and foul like something rotting. What was it? It was so strong that it was alarming. Why hadn't I noticed this on my way out? I couldn't figure it out, I just knew I would be glad to outrun that smell. On my daytime run the following day I looked for the source of it and easily found it. There in a ditch was a dead porcupine. It looked like it was killed some time ago and certainly smelled like it.

I don't too often run without all the little bells and whistles I like to have with me and I doubt I will become a minimalist runner. I like my toys too much for that. But it was quite an enjoyable experience to be out there in the dark surrounded by the life - and death - of the area I call home. It totally cleared my mind and let me focus on the here and now and enjoy the simplicity of it. I will do this night running thing again.

Running Scared

It has been eight months now since my first (and so far, my only) half marathon. At the end of that race, I did cross the finish line running, I even beat my projected time by 12 minutes. But because of the extreme pain I was in, it took everything I had to actually be running when I crossed that finish line. My knees felt like they were ready to give out any second.

Right after I crossed the finish line I found myself caught up in the crush of people who had crossed just before me. I had to walk around the outside of this little park carried forward by the crush of people making their way out of the area.  I felt like I was going to fall to the ground any second. When I finally got to a spot where I could sit down, I collapsed. After lying there for about 20 minutes, it was all I could do to get back to my feet and hobble out of the rest area.

My injured knees affected my running and my karate for at least six months after this race. It was extremely frustrating. Part of the frustration came from the fact that I felt I was well-prepared and ready for that race. I had actually run 20K three times that summer before the race. I felt quite sure I could do it. My main challenge was going to be achieving a time that I would be happy with.

Now here I am again, only a few weeks away from my next official half marathon race, the Ottawa Race Weekend, and I am running scared. My preparation has been carefully thought out. My training program has been going well; I am actually a bit ahead of my plan. I have been seeing a sports medicine specialist and she tells me that I am ready. My knee x-rays show some arthritis but nothing else. So everything physical looks good. Now I need to deal with the mental aspect of it.

As the race gets closer, I find myself almost looking for something to wrong. At karate class, standing in shikodachi, I find myself examining every little muscle twitch. During any of my runs I am hyper alert about how my knees and hips feel. Every time I feel anything I find myself almost holding my breath for a heartbeat or two thinking, am I about to drop to the ground? So far, not yet.

I guess my biggest fear is doing something to myself that will stop or even end all of my training. I work very hard at my karate training and I am now slowly getting back into Iaido, and of course my running - I love the simplicity of it. A long run is like an out of body experience. There are days that I just can't get home fast enough to jump into my running gear and get out on the road, to just leave everything else behind, hit the road and let it clear my mind. On my short runs I usually listen to music. Lately, on my long runs, I listen to audio books. But sometimes I don't even hear them, I just run and unwind.

This past Saturday, I went into the dojo early, donned my new training gear for Iaido, spent time swinging a sword, changed into my karate gi and spent an hour training and practicing my kata, then went home, changed into my running gear, downloaded a new book on my iPod and spent two hours on the road. It was a GREAT day. I don't want to lose this by injuring myself. But, I also don't want to give up on the challenge of the race.

Yes, I am scared by it. Am I going to do it? Yes. I have signed up for two half marathons this year and I even have dreams of running a full marathon. Crazy, I know but I have to do this.

First, I wanted to be able to call myself a runner and now I am. Next, I want to be able to call myself a marathon runner. Eventually, I want to be able to look at myself as a black belt marathon runner. What is wrong with that? When I lay it all out, it seems both a bit crazy and at the same time achievable.

I am 56 years old this year. I know I started late into this kind of thing. I am not sure in my own mind if I am pushing harder than I should to try and make up for lost and wasted time (there's that word again, TIME) or if I am just looking for the next challenge. At any rate, the result right now is that I am running scared.

I need to make it through this next race, healthy. I need this badly. So, scared or not, here I go, once more into the breech!