Ah, Summer running.
We are so very lucky in Victoria; even our "hot" days are balmy compared to the unbearable heat waves hitting a lot of North America. That being said, the last two Sundays have been pretty darned warm and I definitely appreciate that we run at 8/8:30 in the morning (half-marathon group starts at 8am, 10K group starts at 8:30am)!
Last week, August 5th, we ran one of my favourite runs along West Bay walkway. It was a really good choice, since there was a very pleasant breeze along the water; once we left the walkway, the heat was stifling.
This run was 1:45 for the half-marathon group and 1:15 for the 10K group. It was a successful outing; gorgeous scenery, great conversation, and one more long run under our belts.
This past Sunday, August 12th, we ran at Elk/Beaver lakes; the half-marathon group ran twice (21K), regardless of how long it took and the 10K group ran 1:30, regardless of how far they got in that time.
In the end, some of the half-marathoners ran the 21K in 1:59 (a 6-minute improvement over last time!) and some ran the distance in 2:30 or so. We had two 10K-ers out on the course and they both finished their 1:30 with smiles on their faces.
I'm a proud run leader / mama bear. For sure.
We also had two strollers on the trails (only one loop for the kids) and it was so awesome having them there when we finished our run. Nothing like ending a run with a big dose of cuteness.
Recovery week this week and then we build again for three weeks, ending in running the entire race course. Bring it on!
