The first snowfall of the season

Only in Halifax would 10 centimeters of snow be enough to cancel hill training. I have been looking forward to hill training for a month, and the first session was postponed. This isn’t shocking: In Halifax, snow shuts down the city. Yesterday I started work at 7 am. They sky was dark, but clear. When I was off at 2, rumor had it the buses weren’t running, the schools were closing and people were advised to leave work early. It was the first snowfall of the year and people did not know what to do. But I am from Ottawa, where 10 centimeters of snow is nothing more than an excuse to have an extra hot beverage. So I did what any normal Ottawan would do: I walked to the Mumford Mall’s (where I work) Second Cup, ordered a Medium vanilla bean latte, put my jacket hood up, my knitted mitts on and started my 5 kilometer walk home. Often, I bus home, but with the buses barely running (they were actually still running, just behind schedule) I took the opportunity to plug in my IPod and enjoy a leisure walk home. It was on this walk home that I learned my hill training planned for later in the night had been cancelled.

“I'm cancelling hills on account of the weather,” the e-mail read. “The snow is no longer supposed to change over to rain until much later tonight so we'd be slipping back down the hill after every step we ran up.”

Kayla, my training partner, did not share my genuine disappointment. But, I have been looking forward to hill training since I started the clinic. So far, the farthest we have run is 10 kilometers and it hasn’t been a challenge. The first month of the clinic focuses on endurance but I have natural endurance from my marathon running mother.  However, my struggle is with strength- ten pound dumbbells are too heavy for me.  Strength is developed through hill training. And yesterday was going to be first day of the strong Kendra. But… beautiful white powder fell from the sky and hill training was cancelled. My heart racing, leg shaking training would have to wait until tonight. 

Hills are tough- the owner of the Halifax Running Room says it is the most rewarding training. But, I wouldn’t know. When I trained for my first half marathon I had night class every Wednesday, which meant I missed hill training every week. This year, I don’t have class and I took Wednesday nights off work so I could experience it.

I guess I could have run hills by myself yesterday. But come on, I’m only human. When I got home from work, I saw five friendly faces outside my house competing in a full-fledged snowball fight. Naturally, I joined. An hour later, I had to go to class. And after class, it was minutes before I was back home in comfy flannel pajamas, nestled up on my couch with a cup of tea looking at what Halifax considers a winter wonderland. After all, I signed up for the clinic for a reason: I need motivation to challenge myself.

Anyways, for the sake of the hypothermic half training clinic, I hope we have a snowless winter.

Stay tuned for stories from my first session of strength.

Until next run,

Running Romance

xx