Tag: PubRuns

July #PubRuns Recap: Leslie Spit

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I did not take this photo. Margonaut did. I can use it because Creative Commons is amazing.

 

Summer has been busy, busy, busy. So busy that our monthly PubRuns haven’t been well attended. Which is fine — it’s all about coming when you can! Last month, Jill and I ran through High Park, along the waterfront and eventually made our way home. This month, Kendal and Karen joined me for an out-and-back along Leslie Spit, followed by brunch at OK OK Diner. I really like running Leslie Spit for three reasons. One, it’s hard to believe it’s made of garbage. Two, it’s hard to believe this park is at the bottom of our city. And three, the views of Toronto are pretty spectacular. If you’ve never been there, you should. It’s a bizarre wasteland of nature and industrial debris and it’s beautiful.

We met at 9am because it’s been hot. Really hot. I’m not the best at running in the heat and I like getting my runs out of the way early — because if I don’t it means waiting around until like 9pm to get my run in and that’s not fun.

The original plan was to run the whole thing, around the lighthouse and end at the park entrance. We started off strong, but it was tough. I haven’t been running all that much (thanks, hip) and when I was home, I rolled my ankle. It’s nothing to be too worried about, but I need to take it easy in order to prevent things from getting worse. And I should probably see somebody, just in case. But as we hit the bridge, we weren’t feeling it. Pubruns is supposed to be fun! So we stretched out out and headed back, deciding to run all the way back to Queen and Leslie for a solid 8k effort.

Along the way, we discussed strength training. We talked about FitStreets and what a great idea incorporating strength training into runs is. So we decided: PubRuns BootCamp. The idea is that one evening a month, we’ll organize a bootcamp-based run — 5k through the city, stopping every 10 minutes to do dips and lunges and what-not. We’ll still have our regular pubruns, I promise! This is just a bonus add for anyone who is as crazy, er as serious, as Kendal and me. If you want in, let me know. The first PubRuns bootcamp will be in September.

I feel like my body is turning on me. The hip is old, the ankle is temporary, but during this run, my knee was twinging. I’m going to power through until Midsummer’s Night Run, then reassess. The half-marathon this season may be out. I like pushing myself, but not to injury.

I hope I can push myself to get better.

The next PubRuns is in August. If you have a route suggestion, a brunch suggestion or want in on our awesome running group, let me know!

 

 

The run: 8.6k in 51:57

The route:

May Pubruns Recap: Jill’s #pubruns adventure #2

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Last Saturday was my second official pubruns (Erin’s running group of guys and gals who work in publishing, though this is not a requirement to join the group. Clearly, as I was invited. If you like running, socializing, and eating brunch, you should join. As Erin said before, we don’t bite.)

 

So fast the camera can't catch me!

 

It was a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L day and a great way to kick start the long weekend!

This time around it was Erin’s friend Kendal’s turn to pick the route. I was super excited for this day, and still a tad confused as to why exactly, but I do really enjoy running with these ladies. Maybe it’s the feeling of belonging to a real Running Group that kick starts my feet and legs into high gear. I shouldn’t get too cocky I know because it was only my second pubruns after all. Still it’s a leisurely run I was actually looking forward to. This was a first. But you should also know earlier this week I decided to join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s Team In Training to run my first half marathon. A mission run a half marathon is happening whether I like it or not. And our first team training run was on Saturday (recap to come!). I needed to run at least one semi-long run before the 26th. My want to run wasn’t soley because I wanted to run I have to admit.

Still the day came and I was ready. I haven’t run in forever, only the awful lunch time runs with the Bullfrog Ladies Buns of Steel (during the cleanse, these were awful). The plan was to meet at Woodbine Station and run two blocks west to Glebemount, then to a trail entrance, where we’d do an out-and-back on a pretty little trail. I had no idea what this meant. I just knew it was far away. I hadn’t been to Woodbine Station since my volunteering days with the Scarborough Relay for Life (and I hated every second of those treks to Scarborough mostly because I would end up lost at one point or another). But it was fine Erin planned to bike there and so did I. I woke up early (willingly, I may add) to fuel myself with the Erin’s champion running breakfast. Then I was off to meet the group. I biked there in record time. I surprised myself and was the first one there and dressed for not sunny running weather at all.

The second part of the plan was to stick together until we got to the trail entrance (because once you’re on the trail you can’t get lost there were no offshoots and it finishes at a dead end, then you just turn around and come back the way you came). Excellent. I am prone to getting lost. We ran as a group for the majority of the run, although there was a period where I broke from the group and breezed into the trails with Katniss-like fashion. Yes, I was proud of myself at this moment, I think it may have been the fuel beyond my burst of speed.

I waited for the group at the top of the stairs out of the trail, debating for a moment to climb a tree, however decided against it. As much as I’d like to be Katniss I can’t climb trees. The group saved me from making a disastrous decision and we instead headed back down to the Danforth to Melanie’s Bistro for brunch, which Kendal promised is both cute and delicious.

Brunch is always cute and delicious. And our waiter knew exactly how to please 5 female runners – by bringing us pitchers and pitchers of water!

January PubRuns Recap: 8k through Rosedale Valley

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Warning: I was a moron and forgot to charge my phone from the night before. Booo! This means no pictures of PubRuns! This is sad because brunch was especially gorgeous (as well as delicious). But it is happy because I used my art app on my iPad to recreate key moments for you! Picasso quality, I tell you.

 

Last summer, a few friends and I started a running group that masqueraded as a networking group for publishing people. It is fun. If you like books and running, this is the group for you. (You are welcome to join, just email me!) About once a month, someone in the group “takes the lead” and picks a route in a new part of the city. We run it, then (the most important part!) we eat. A lot! Hurrah!

On Sunday, January 9, we decided to meet up at Broadview and Danforth to run an 8k loop through Rosedale. It had been cold and snowy all week, which meant our run wasn’t going to be pleasant, but at least we’d suffer through it together. I had a long run on my schedule, so I decided to run 6k beforehand, do the 8k loop with the girls (yes, this group is primarily female), then run 4k home. I survived this, barely.

 

Me, running alone. I didn't wear a lot of pink that day. That's an anomaly.

 

The day before I had done some Joga (and we all know how that went), ran 7k and then went out to a concert. (At the concert, I was hit on by a baseball scout and asked him a lot of questions about Moneyball. It was awesome.) This meant I wasn’t in the best shape for a long run. Thank god for PubRuns. After a painful and exhausting 6k, we took it easy through Rosedale. Well, Karen. Sarah and I took it easy. Kendal and Kate blazed a trail waaaaaaaay up ahead. But that’s the beauty of PubRuns. There will always be someone  who will run your pace. And that day, our pace was slow.

 

My artistic representations of Kate (left) and Kendal (right). A+ work, I say. For a primary student.

 

Rosedale is beautiful and low-traffic: a perfect place for a run. Karen, Sarah and I chose our future houses, contemplated how expensive having every meal delivered to your door would be (we saw a delivery on our route) and got lost twice. This, actually, worked to our advantage. The first wrong turn made our route shorter than planned. The second one made it longer, putting us exactly on track for the 8k we thought we were doing. Little did we know that Kendal had a trick up her sleeve…

The 8k loop ended at Broadview and Danforth, right where we began. But it was 0.9k to our destination: Three’s Company. While I bitched mercilessly about this (sorry, Kendal!) I was secretly glad, because it meant the final trek of my long run could be a full km shorter than planned.

Then, we brunched.

 

 

I had the tomato soup and grilled cheese. It was delicious. I have tried to replicate this tomato soup in the two weeks since. I have failed. It is sad.

 

Delicious.

 

The final 3k home was slow. I was stiff, cold, sore and full of food. But I ran them. Then went home and died a little.

I can’t wait for the next PubRuns.

 

The run: 18k in 2:21:30

The route: