Spicy Thai!

"Spicy Thai" has nothing to do with my workout today... aside from the fact that I'm glad I ran before dinner, because right now I'm eating Tums like they're candy. I ordered a 2 out of 5 for spice, and it was almost inedible. My cohort from South Carolina had a 4/5 and wasn't even breaking a sweat, but one of the other guys who ordered a "2" tried the "4" and said they were about the same. Could just be the buildup, or maybe the cook just spilled the chili flakes.

More to the point though, I found a solution to the rarity of streetlamps... run before sunset! I even saw a few locals out and about (no, I don't say 'out and aboot'--I don't care what the Americans think! It's not 'ahwt and abaowt', either.) The weather down here tonight is great; in the plus teens celcius. Makes me want to get on my bike and ride!

I'd better be losting weight. The pants are baggy, and I'm eating pretty darn healthy down here.

37:42, distance unknown, but I'd guess 6-7 km.

YMCA - Private Club?

Since when is the YMCA a members-only club? What happened to the community focus? I mean, it's a nice facility and all, but come on. It looked like only three or four lanes of eight to ten were actually being used.
Good news, it's not a Calgary YMCA that has taken this approach. More good news, I found another place to swim not far away (I'd done my research on the internet). Bad news, only two lanes open, and for only another half an hour, by the time I got there!! Okay, can't complain too much, not like the lanes were full or anything.
But I thought that general lane etiquette was stay to the right, except to pass? I felt really bad, because I joined a lane with one person who I thought was going about my pace... but he wasn't. I ended up passing him, then I guess he took that as me taking half the land and he'd take the other, so then he'd stay just to that half a lane. Thankfully, no actual collisions, but there was at least one very close call.

Help me out here, what is the etiquette? Maybe I shouldn't have passed him at all?

30 minutes ~1400 m (I wasn't counting) @ average 100 seconds/100m

Ohio Adventure

Time: 1hr 6 minutes
Distance: Somewhere north of 10k
Route: Random

A few thoughts:

• Streetlights aren't that popular here. Porch lights, moreso; but they create just enough "light polution" to prevent one's eyes from adjusting to the dark. Step high!
• I love Calgary's snow-shoveling bylaw. People complain about it, but you sure appreciate it when you go somewhere that doesn't require residents to shovel their sidewalks. And maybe it's the hour that I'm running, but I don't see nearly as many people out on the streets here as I do back home. (This one's from my last trip down. Sidewalks were pretty clear this time, thanks to Mother Nature)
• I love getting lost. Not too lost, mind you. I like to think I have a pretty good sense of direction, and I love exploring neighborhoods. I love to study a map of a place, to get a feel for the landmarks, but once I get out onto the streets, I just weave my way around. Out-and-back if I'm feeling a little less confident, but generally try to make a random loop that will push me a little beyond my comfort zone. It tends to force me to go a little longer, and a little faster once I realize I'm on the home stretch.
• I need a headlamp. Badly.
• I miss my iPod, but not too much. It's missing right now-- I think I might know one or two more places to look but I'm a little worried.

General Update
Again, despite the neglect of the blog, I've been doing pretty well with the training. UCTC is awesome, very challenging-- both the workouts and getting to the workouts.
Haven't weighed myself recently, but I feel much fitter than a few months ago, and can go for longer already. Changed athsma meds, too, and refocused on taking them regularly, which has been a huge help.

I've got more to write about the plans for racing season, but I'll save that for another post.