Sunday, June 06, 2010

A break

I'm in rainy Montreal this weekend taking a well deserved running break in the next while, looking to find a way to recover from the spring and get into the 18-week program ahead of me. In fact, I have another seven days to go until I'm embarking on the training for the Toronto Marathon in October.

The first week of the training, like any, calls for you to actually be running going into it. I'm choosing the Pfitzinger 55 mile a week peak, which starts off at 33 miles. This is a relatively easy approach to training compared with other cycles where I had a goal marathon at the end. I'll probably adapt it as I get into July and August to add more quality and a few extra miles.

When I say break from running, I'm not actually stopping running. In fact, of the past week, I've run five days. The mileage has dropped. I managed 5K yesterday before we flew out to Montreal for a weekend (R. is here for work) and I did another four miles in the cold pouring rain this morning along the canal.

This is actually what a non-training week looks like for me:
Monday: off
Tuesday: 12K, part of it with my buddy Lee
Wednesday: 5K in the morning
Thursday: 8K (5 miles) after work
Friday: off
Saturday: 5K before flying to Montreal
Sunday: 6.2K (about four miles) in the rain
35K or about 22 miles

Running on mornings like the one I did today always is fun. In a new city, you wonder if you'll see other runners in bad weather. Undoubtedly, you do, and each one of them and I traded the runner's wave and a 'bonjour'. Funny no matter where you are, if the weather is crap, and you're running with gear, any other runner crazy enough to be out there acknowledges you. It's a nice thing about being part of that community. Call it the code.

We're just in the hotel lobby chilling, taking shelter from the rain, thinking about grabbing dinner. I'm starting to cast my eye at the rest of this month and the 18 weeks ahead. It'll be nice to get going again, just hoping all the nagging little aches get worked out by the rest I'm giving my legs.

Now if we can only find a good place for dinner

9 comments:

Marky Mark said...

You can't find a good dinner place in Montreal!?!?! What part of town are you in and what type of food do you want? (Mind you a lot of the great French places may be closed on Sunday.)

Marky Mark said...

I really like le Mas des Oliviers on Bishop (one west of Crescent) on the west side. The frites are a must as are the profiteroles!

Marky Mark said...

http://www.lemasdesoliviers.ca/html/histoire_an.html

Marky Mark said...

I'm not as current as I used to be, but:

Ste Catherine further west has Mr. Steer which has great burgers and curly fries. Very basic decor though.

St. Laurent has Schwartz's smoked meat and Moishe's for steak-both are still institutions. Cafe Shed on St. Laurent is trendier and at this point it too has been around many years.

St. Denis is meant to have a lot of cool places but I don't know a specific one to recommend--ditto re: Old Montreal which is worth walking around if it isn't pouring-Gibby's there is very good for stead.

FYI the hourly forecast for Montral on theweathernetwork has the rain stopping any minute!

Marky Mark said...

P.S. le Saint Urbain Bistro is a hot new bistro according to some surfing and it is on Fleury at the corner of St. Urbain--not sure how close that is but I'm guessing that the hotel desk would know. I think it might be a way's north of where you are.

Marlene said...

Enjoy the much-deserved down-time from training and hopefully some good eats in Montreal! (poutine??)

Tricia said...

enjoy your break!

Mohammad Yousuf Mulaifi said...

Thank you so much for this beautiful Article

Marky Mark said...

Inquiring minds want to know....where did you end up going for dinner?