A new race and some photos

Hi everyone,


Enjoying our holiday here in Norway, the WGG and I had a bit of time to go through some of the photos we have taken and since several of them were related to running, decided to post them here.


First an announcement. My youngest son and I have decided to run the Santa Shuffle in Newmarket Ontario on December 3rd and Andrew is using it as a qualifying event in the Duke of Edinburg Bronze Award program. He will also engage in some fund raising which will help the Salvation Army provide Christmas Meals to community families in need, this fundraising will also help him qualify for the Community Service requirements of the DoE award

Now to the pictures Starting off with me running in Ottawa during the Army Half Marathon:


























Here are Barbara and I at the Cardiff 1/2 Marathon Expo with the 2012 Olympic Torch




















Here I am setting my watch before the Cardiff race - advertising Canada to my fellow Welsh Men and Women.


























Finally, here I am coming on strong around the midway point of the Cardiff 1/2 Marathon - just a couple of km before my legs started acting up.




















And so with that I return to our previously scheduled holiday. Training for the Chilly 1/2 begins November 1st.

Paul

Cardiff half - mixed feelings

Hi everyone,

I ran the Cardiff half, my home town, and I started off with tears in my eyes with how overwhelming the experience was. I ran 14 and 1's and was probably doing some of the best pace work I have ever done: 9 km at 55 minutes, 15 km at 1:38 - wow! On track for a personal best - but, around 16 km I suddenly felt a serious cramp in my left leg and the right was feeling a bit funny as well.

Suffice to say, I finished, and I finished acceptably at just over 2:30. Not bad for me but a good 11: 38 slower than a personal best.

Oh well, I guess I move that personal best target over to my next race, the Chily 1/2 Marathon in Burlington next February.

Song of the run - Girls Talk by the might Welshman and Cardiff native, Dave Edmunds. I am now on two weeks vacation and start training for the Chily on November1st. Update you again soon.

Paul

Two weeks to go...

I write this from the Delta Calgary Airport Hotel Lounge. This has been a long couple of days.

I started off in St. John's Newfoundland yesterday morning, flew home mid-day and managed to spend a nice evening with the WGG and "The Doctor" - it was the season 6 finale of BBC Wales wonderful continuing Doctor Who.

This morning it was up and at 'em. Conference call with a Saudi Oil company at 7:00 AM, 22 km run with my group at 8:30. Back home, shower, pack, visit Barbara's booth at the Bayview Art Tour, off to our office for a couple of hours and then the airport.

Now I am in Calgary. Tomorrow, one meeting here and then up to Yellowknife to work with the Department of Education on some telecommunication issues and spread the word about eSCRIBE. Further, one of my very best friends, Duff Spence is running for MLA in the Territorial election there tomorrow and I want to be there to buy him a beer, no matter how it goes.

Thursday home and next Wednesday the WGG and I head to Europe for the Cardiff 1/2 Marathon on the 16th. Whew!

So, to make sure I can run the Cardiff Half, today I completed a 22 km LSD in about 2:29 minutes which is pretty good given that I want to actually run it on race day under 2:18:22. My race plan is developed and tested (in Ottawa 2 weeks ago) and I feel really ready to do this.

Song of the run - fellow Cardiff lad, Dave Edmunds' Creature of the Black Lagoon.

Back with you soon!

Paul