I did it

I ran the Ottawa ING half marathon. Its the first half marathon I've ever run, so I'm pleased that I made it to the finish line. I was a bit disappointed by my time 2 hours 14 minutes. I had hoped that I would make it in under 2 hours. In a training run a couple of weeks previously I'd run 18km in 1 hour 42 minutes (according to HG). However, I was jet lagged and had suffered a bout of food poisoning a few days previously. Also, I really wasn't prepared for the heat. It must have been at least 24C, and although in the height of summer that doesn't feel too hot, at this time of year it was baking. After 10K I was feeling dizzy and had to walk for a bit. I was feeling cross with myself, but finally decided that my primary goal was to finish, and so I should just relax and enjoy the experience. After that I started giving all the kids in the crowd high fives, and made sure that I kept taking on water at every station. It was probably wise as I saw at least 3 people collapsed along the way. It was an unbelievable experience to be running with so many people. From the starting line on Elgin street where 9,000 runners sang Oh Canada together, until the finish line along the Rideau canal at the back of Confederation park, the crowd never thinned.

So now I know I can run 21K

Running with 9000

On Sunday I'm running the Ottawa half marathon, with 8,999 other people, if they all show up. Yesterday, I went out for a final training run around the Norwegian countyside. The airport hotel even gave me a map. They have a strong health policy, which includes encouraging their guests to get out and run along the narrow roads. However, the map left a lot to be desired. It was printed from a google satellite map, so although it gave a good indication of buidlings etc, it was very grey and murky and the details (including roads) were hard to make out. I tried to orientate myself from the hotel, and ran in what I thought was the right direction, but never found the old airport buidlings marked on the map and ended up after about two and a half kilometres facing the hotel again. So I set off in another possible direction, but again never found the buidlings marked on the map. This time I kept going, and tried to run in a big loop that I figured should be about 5K. The last leg of this loop took me up a dirt track, and eventually a realsied that it was a farm road and there was no way out. So even though by that time a had run a further 4K or so, I had to retrace my steps and run back the way I came.

Running around the Norwegian countryside by myself, I realised that there is a benefit to running with 8,999 other people. With any luck, none of us will get lost.

That's what friends are for...

Monday night I was still in Dundee. Invited by my colleague to his house for dinner, I didn't want to disappoint. After the afternoon meetings, I went back to my hotel, dumped my bag and rushed to Tesco to buy some suitable plonk. I think it was on the walk back that I started to feel queasy, but I put it down to tiredness caused by jet lag. I got back to my room again and answered emails and worked on some reports, still feeling a bit off, stomach cramping a bit, that sort of thing. Didn't really think much of it, in fact I made myself tea and ate several ginger cookies while I surfed the net.



David picked me up around 7:30pm. I decided that his car had a distinctly funny smell -- nonedescript animal, something between pig and hen, definitely enough to turn ones stomach. he took me the long way to show me the coast and the sand dunes. By the time he reached the house I was feeling a bit green. I was greatful for the offer of a pre-dinner G&T, which I thought might settle my stomach. Instead I found myself unable to pay attention to the subject of discussion -- whether the regulations for human-animal hybridization were the same in Canada as the UK. There was a bill under debate in the House of Commons that evening. My palms were sweating and my stomach was doing hurdles. Finally, I had to admit there was something wrong, and with a hasty -- "where's the bathroom, I feel weird" -- I threw myself at the toilet.



Of course, David's wife would happen to be a microbiologist. She was totally embarrased by the thought that I had been food poisoned by the local fare -- although as David said, it was lucky I threw up before dinner, otherwise she would have been mortified in case it was her cooking. he blamed the pub lunch, and I tend to agree. I don't eat meat, so why I thought that liver and onions was a good idea is beyond me. The nice thing from all that was I realised that over the years working with colleagues, some of them become good friends. Such good friends that it really doesn't matter if you choose to throw up at their house.



This week was supposed to be eating carbohydrates to boost my glycogen levels. I think that was why I ate liver and onions -- for the iron, not the carbs. Instead I threw up until my knees were shaky standing and climbing a flight of stairs at Edinburgh airport was near impossible. Not a great start to pre-half marathon week.

Dundee

Suddenly I find myself in Dundee. That's the nature of my job. I'm not complaining, I neither particularly like to travel, or don't like to travel, its just what happens in my life. So here I am in
Dundee right in the docklands area. I'm staying at the APEX hotel. Turns out that its a spa hotel. David, my colleague who collected me from the airport was telling me that its been built to resemble an old dockside building, complete with weathered wooden siding -- looks just like home. Before last weekend I wouldn't have had a clue what to do with a hotel like this, but thanks to our Saturday at the Nordic, I had no hestitation in donning my bathing suit and submitting to an hour of steam, cold pool, sauna, cold pool, steam, cold pool -- just like an old pro.

It was a great way to unwind after a long weekend with family. Tomorrow I have to be sharp and ready to work with my UK buddies, but for now its another Sunday evening, far from home.