Turnaround

Currently in recovery from a couple of mad weekends and anticipating a couple of more mad ones.  Plus, it's been busy at the shop and that takes it out of you.

A couple of weeks ago I did a one-two race gig over the weekend.  Not racing mind you, but all the other stuff. 

After a year's absence I was back to lead bike at the Lung Run, a wickedly fast, flat 5K down on the waterfront.  It was good fun to work at a running race again.  Sure, I timed the Moose Run 25K a month ago, but that was a cold, windy day and I had to scarper pretty much as the last runner finished so I could make the symphony.  Not conducive to hanging out with the runners and having a chat.  

At the Lung Run I was able to catch up with a bunch of people I hadn't seen all winter, which is always nice.  The sun was shining and afterwards they had beer, free beer at that, which made the hanging out even more fun.

I did 25 kms on the bike at the Lung Run, circling endlessly, leading the front-runners in (and trying not to let them run me down at the same time) then going back encourage the mid-pack and safely shepherd the back-markers home.

The next day, Sunday, I was at the Halifax Citadel for the first running of the MEC Citadel Run, a 5 or 10 km run up, down and around the Halifax Citadel, including a loop of the moat, sorry ditch.   It was  a unique experience being in the moat, sorry ditch, something usually denied (I think) to regular visitors.  Plus, access to the moat, sorry ditch, was more than the French ever managed.  

Oh yes, we may all be friends in one happy Europe now but still, don't mention the war! Any of them.

The races were started by a kilted Highlander firing a Brown Bess and the kids' run breifing was done by a senior NCO, both from the 78th.  Honestly, with the bagpipes, kilts, muskets, walls, ravelins ad moats (sorry ditch), I could have been in a Sharpe novel.  

As well as time the adult run I led out the kids run; a 1km sprint around the moat, sorry, ditch. The kids all had on kilts from the Citadel's interpretative centre.  I even put one of those kilts on, just to get in the spirit.  When RNS asked for voluntolds to time the Citadel Run I jumped at the opportunity; I mean how often do you get to hang around and, in part, take over an historic monument for the morning? How could I say no?

This weekend I got to go up to Pictou with La Belle for a work retreat of hers.  As well as the retreat-y stuff she had we managed to squeeze in a 2 hr ride and a little run.  I took the new Kona fixie.  I may be a bit of a saddle freak as I only have 100 kms on a brand-new Brooks Swallow and I'm finding it pretty comfortable, easily as comfy as the Fi'z:k Arione on the Chinese crabon frame.

I was at the retreat as Dr Mrs La Belle, a role I have danced a couple of times before.  Rather than go shopping with the other WAGS, I was able to read and read and read.  Not even on a computer screen, but proper, paper, bound books.  I did some damage to the stack of books I got at the book-sale two weeks ago between the really well catered and apportioned meal breaks, all of which were buffet style (clearly they didn't know I was coming).  In many ways, this was a little vacation for me, all 36 hours of it, and my GP and cholesterol be damned, 

I'm calling this weekend a speed-taper; 5 mile run, 35 mile bike-ride, tons of sandwiches and litres of coffee.  Somehow I haven't really been looking at a calendar and it just occurred to me that Bluenose is two weeks today, and I just knocked off a 100 km running week.  It scares me that  technically I should be in marathon shape; I don't feel it but then again I don't think I ever do.

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