The NHL playoffs and the death of my schedule

Yes I am a huge hockey fan and yes, I have been consumed by the playoffs.

With eight fairly close and entertaining series, the running shoes have spent more time than usual on lying by the front door as I have been glued to couch watching games.

Aside from a short, leisurely rollerblade along the Rideau Canal last Wednesday and another painful run Sunday evening, my exercise schedule had seemingly been tossed out the window.

That was until this morning.

I survived another run with my roommate egging my on, but quickly realized that the week off did more harm than I thought. While my shins continued to nag, I wasn't in the best shape during or afterwards. Although we finished the usual route in approximately 30 minutes -- a slight improvement for me, but not for him -- I hadn't been breathing that heavily in a while.

We finished off the morning routine with an hour session at the gym, before I had to head to the office.

With just over two weeks until my first run, I know I have to kick things into overdrive.

The weekend warrior

After a few days off, I'm back to the blogosphere with an update on my weekend progress.

I'll be the first to admit, I probably spent a little too much time lounging around and watching the NHL playoff than I should have, but even so, I still made some headway exercising.

Saturday, I ran the same six-kilometre route that I did before. And note, the word "ran." I actually managed to finish the whole route without stopping. Even though the shins and feet were pretty sore by the end, keeping a more upright possure and shortening my stride -- as a friend suggested -- seemed to help. (Thanks buddy.)

Sunday, 18-kilometres from Sandy Hill to Hog's Back Falls and back in about an hour was enough for me.

The off day -- from the pavement anyway

Wednesday's pains meant that the running was out of the question yesterday. But that still meant a trip to the gym was in order.

(Not that this is a bad thing, as I was once told by someone who had participated in running clinics that you should not be running more than three times a week.)

I only spent 20 minutes doing hills on an upright stationary bike (travelling nearly nine kilometres), followed by 40 minutes of ab and chest workouts, curls, and squats under the supervision of my roommate. I tried to make this exercise session about quality as opposed to quantity, since I usually spend more time at the gym when I go.

I was hoping to continue cross-training today by whipping around on the rollerblades for awhile, but persistent rains will probably prevent me from doing so.

Nevertheless, my weekend schedule will include another run and a trip to the gym.

Stay tuned next week as I begin consulting experts to help get me on the right track.

The disastrous first attempt

So last night after work was take one. And let's just say that, thankfully, I have some time to improve before my first race.

Unfortunately, what needs to be improved upon could be out of my control.

According to www.mapmyrun.com, I completed a six-kilometre run, taking approximately 35 minutes to do so. Even though I clocked a respectable time, it didn't exactly go according to plan.

I had to stop halfway through the run, not because of any kind of exhaustion, but for reasons of extreme physical pain.

Before switching orthotics last year, I began battling both nagging shin splints and a blood circulation issue that cause my feet to go numb part way through a run. These problems seem to happen in occasional quick spurts, but yesterday both returned with a vengeance.

I had to walk for at least five minutes on two separate occasions because I simply could no longer run anymore. As a result, I barely broke a sweat during the run.

Some post-run stretching and ice for the rest of the night has helped today, but at medical consultation may need to happen earlier than expected.

On the plus side, injuries aside, at least my timing wasn't too bad... right?

The skinny to make me skinnier

Throughout my life, I have always been active.

Whether playing in hockey or baseball leagues, golfing with friends, hitting the gym, or enjoying pathways on rollerblades or by foot, I seemed to at least get in the minimum recommended amount of physical activity on a daily basis.

But since I started working full time, I've noticed I've been a bit more stationary that I have been in the past.

Long hours, the lack of a consistent schedule, and my love of a good night's rest were all excuses as to why I was only exercising twice a week. But they were not good excuses.

Last year, I ran my first two 10k races to moderate success -- finishing the Ottawa race in 57:04 and Muskoka one in 54:56 -- and figured entering more of them would push me to get in better shape for the summer.

Dan On The Run (named based on the classic tune by Paul McCartney & Wings) will not only document my own personal training experiences as I prepare for my first run in Mississauga on May 15, but will feature advice from a variety of sources about a host of issues.

Advice from medical experts, running clubs, physical trainers, nutritionists, and psychologists will all be sought as I try to combat typical running injuries, learn proper form and training schedules, maximize my performance via cross-training, eat right, and pick my ideal music playlist for my runs.

In addition to my Mississauga race, I will be competing in Ottawa on May 29 and in the Barrhaven Run for Roger's House on June 12. The grand finale is likely to include photos and video of my exploits for http://www.yourottawaregion.com/.

Well since there's no backing out now, I might as well set some goals. My aim is to crack the following times:

Mississauga: 55:00
Ottawa: 52:30
Barrhaven: 50:00

With exactly one month until my first race, I know I have my work cut out for me. At the very least, I'm hopefully runners both, new and experienced, can learn something from this blog that will help them master the roads and trails.

So enjoy my adventure and happy running!