Back at it in the Bridge City

I’m so very excited to be back in Saskatoon after work took me to the near-Arctic over the winter. I’m also very happy to be making some adjustments so I won’t have to go far, far away again and will be able to focus more on running.

I’ve arrived back home in the Bridge City just in time for spring — a time for new beginnings — fitting as I embark on this next round of training. I’m fortunate to have Jason Warick coaching me this time around. For those who aren’t familiar, Jason has been one of this country’s top male distance runners, narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2008 Olympics in the marathon. Luckily for us who get to work with him, he now focuses on coaching.

He’s familiar with my training experience over this past summer and my win at the 2014 Mogathon half-marathon here in Saskatoon. This was my first race in a journey back to competitive sport. You can read more about that in my previous posts.

The next couple of months will be about rebuilding a solid base after my time away up in the North. Then we’ll start mapping a plan for what my next races will be.

I had my first session with Jason over this past weekend. It was a combination of balance and core work. Now I’m on a very simple schedule for the next few weeks: easy pace 30-minute runs every other day. This takes some discipline as I want to run fast. The saving grace is I can work as hard as I want on cross-training days. The bike is a fun way to get the blood really pumping.

And the easy runs aren’t all bad. They’re an opportunity to really soak in the beauty of the Bridge City. There’s nothing quite like crossing over the bridges in this city, the South Saskatchewan River flowing beneath and the grand prairie sky above. Being back at it is a beautiful thing.

I look forward to seeing what we can get done in the months ahead!