Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Running lessons: Coming to grips with "what is" on a lazy summer weekend


I intended to run this weekend. Really, I did. I have a suitcase half-filled with running gear to prove it. Unfortunately, the weather and my body had other ideas.

It was already hot and muggy by the time we awoke Saturday morning and the beach was calling so we tackled the most pressing chores, then packed our gear and headed for Risser's Beach. The weather was perfect, the water was warm (20C!) and the waves were humongous so we spent a very pleasant 5 or 6 hours lazing, reading, swimming with our nieces, and visiting with family. Here's a pic of Husband and my niece waiting for the next big wave. 


And here's another of my niece and me after an energetic swim. She likes being in the water almost as much as she likes dancing, which is a lot!


Around 4:00 pm, we dashed back to town to cook supper for our good friends, Janet and Ron. Husband made rotisserie chicken on the BBQ with pasta salad and asparagus on the side. I should have thought to take a picture but it smelled (and tasted!) so good we just dived right in

Sunday morning, the weather was hot and sunny once again so we skipped our planned run and headed back to the beach. I rode my pretty red motorcyle (aka"Patty") since condition couldn't have been better for it - 26C with a light breeze, and sunshine. I was in heaven.  Since we didn't have to rush back for supper that night, we made a date with my folks who were camping next to the beach for the weekend, and spent spent another lazy afternoon swimming, reading, and munching snacks before joining them for supper and a campfire. When it came time to head home, I left Patty parked for the night and caught a ride with Husband. 

After all the relaxation Saturday and Sunday, I was determined to tackle a good long run early Monday morning before it got too hot. Unfortunately, I was awakened in the night by the uncomfortable sensation that can signal only one thing - a urinary tract infection. I'd felt it coming on for a couple of days but hoped I'd manage to fend it off by drinking plenty of liquids. By Monday morning, it was clear I hadn't and I could no longer ignore it. Fortunately, I was able to see a doc at the local walk-in clinic to get antibiotics quickly but there was no way I felt up to running.

Once I'd had lunch and a first dose of meds, we made a quick trip back to the beach to pick up Patty, then settled in for a relaxed afternoon at home. I was sorry not to have another day by the waves, but it was mellow hanging out in my favourite deck chair reading and watching the world go by. (In preparation for our trip to Scotland, I started Diana Gabaldon's Outlander - not my usual taste but a good yarn with lots of Scottish history thrown in.)


I also spent an hour or so playing with my camera. A photographer friend's been encouraging me to get more serious about the technical side of photography and start shooting in full manual mode. I quite like how these photos of our cherry tomato plants turned out. 



Hopefully, I'll feel well enough to run later this week. In the meantime, I'll focus on dealing with the tightness I've had in my right hip, quads and hip flexor lately. A trip to my chiro last week finally persuaded me I need to spend a lot more time stretching and foam rollering - much as I dislike it.

I've still not made any plans for an autumn race - but that doesn't mean I've given up on the idea. I've got a week of vacation coming up so I'll have plenty of time to figure out what's possible. If I feel more like myself as the summer comes to an end, I may attempt the Moncton half marathon in late October. However, much will depend on how quickly I bounce back from this UTI. I only get them once in a long while when I'm especially run-down so I think my body might be trying to tell me something. Challenges at work and at home have left me with fewer reserves than usual and I need to come to grips with that.

Needless to say, I'm not happy about feeling under the weather. On the upside, a period of enforced rest means more time to visit with dear friends who are flying in from Ottawa tomorrow night. If the weather cooperates, we'll spend our time together walking on beaches, visiting wineries, and taking in some music at the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. There'll be a certain amount of seafood, wine and laughter involved as well. All in all, not a bad way to spend a long summer weekend in Nova Scotia - though I hope I'll be back to more serious training soon.

In the meantime, happy running and writing friends!

1 comment:

  1. Sigh! I really must live nearer an ocean beach. Sometimes getting sick is your body's way of saying to take a rest and enjoy the flowers. Or beaches. There is a lovely half marathon through Fish Creek Oct 3, and an MEC on Oct 18, and a Kathy's run Oct 25, and the Last Chance Nov 15. Lots of half marathon choices there. Just saying...

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