Run for the Cure -- the end of my LTR clinic... fall is upon us.

So before I launch into my running-related happenings, I want to talk of cycling.

I love my road bike. It cost me $50, is rediculously heavy, the brakes aren't very tight and there are spots of rust all over it (which I have dutifully scrubbed with steel wool to keep them from spreading further). That said, it makes riding SO much better!

It's October now and I've committed to shunning the TTC in favour of riding my bike to and from work. Today was my first day. YIKES! It went relatively well, I didn't get door'd or anything. But the feeling of sweatiness in my (new - ladies specific, purple) helmet is just GROSS! Soon enough it'll get cold and it won't be such an issue, but I have a feeling I'm in for some serious bad hair days in the coming month.

Okay -- Learn-To-Run --- this week is my last clinic session. My group has been fantastic, and has become a tight little core of about 4-5 people --- which is great. Most of them are going on to do the 10k clinic starting mid-month, I think I'm going to join them in that as a way to force myself to become a better steady runner... then it will be on to Around-the-Bay in the Spring - can I entice someone into a 15k relay team perhaps? (SONIA?????? You should be okay for 15k by then right?)

Anyways -- Run for the Cure was my LTR group's official "goal race" --- they all rocked it of course... The fact that my group ran HARD and Long throughout this clinic totally made it happen for them. We ran a decent hill with EVERY run, and we ran extra every time --- so when it came to doing 40 minutes, they were set.

About Run for the Cure ---- was it a huge event, YES. Was it well organized, YES. Would I do it again? That's a definate NO. As a running event it's too crowded to really run decently. It's not chip-timed - which means it's looked at as a "fun" event anyways. There were a CRAZY amount of walkers who started with the runners (even though walkers were to start with a 10 minute delay) -- which made trying to spread out a little rediculous. Soooooo many strollers.

Meh - whatever. I spent my run running with one of the women in my clinic. She's positively inspirational in how gung-ho she's been throughout the clinic -- when she started she thought she was going to die, and now she just does it! :) So I ran with her, and met her kids (she has FOUR!) at the end of the run. Then we met up with all the others. I declined the photo op with John Stanton at the end.

So here we are at the end of LTR. It's got me back into shape in terms of being able to run a few steady kilometres anyways -- which is good. I'm hoping the 10k clinic will kick my butt into being able to run steady for at least 5k at a decent pace -- because that will make all the difference when it comes to next season's training. After fighting my way back all Summer I think I've come to the realization I can't take the winter off again this year -- so cross your fingers for a warm, dry winter!

That's all:

Summary of this week's exercise/plan:
Sunday: Run for the Cure (5k), 4 hours walking at the book festival

Monday: 2x 10km biking (to-from work), possibly 15km ride to the bike shop tonight to have my bike tuned.

Tuesday (planned): 2x 10km biking (to-from work --- hopefully on the road bike, but probably the town bike)

Wednesday (planned): 2x 10km biking, 5k with the LTR group through rolling hills.

Thursday (planned): 2x 10km biking, 1 hour Yoga

Friday (planned): 2x 10km biking, 3k with LTR group --> dinner out with them

Saturday: REST! (more likely I'll end up doing a 30k ride or something)