Paulene Leyte's marathon training blog

Paulene Leyte is one of three Canning-area runners (Jill Keddy and Emma Crowson-Mooy are the others) currently in training for this fall’s Valley Harvest Half-Marathon. Here is Paulene’s blog account of her training schedule to date:

Weeks 1-3

Getting started with the running schedule seemed a bit overwhelming. I felt excited, nervous and a bit anxious at first. I struggled during the first three weeks due to illness. During these runs we’ve really gotten to know each other and we’ve had great conversation and lots of laughs.

One of our first long runs took place at Lumsden’s Dam early on a hot Sunday morning. There was an abundance of wildlife; deer, rabbits, loons and an eastern painted turtle made our morning all that more enjoyable. A close encounter with the equine kind terrified us, as we heard a loud crashing in the bushes seconds before we could see the horses at the fence line. It was very frightening until we realized what it was. The terrain was quite hilly and we ended that run with a dip in Lumsden’s dam.

Running has made me really appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us here in the valley. Often it feels like the local cows, horses, llamas, goats and sheep are cheering us on. One of our favourite animals is Otis the pot –bellied pig who lives with a family of eight German Shepherds.

Week 4

By the time the fourth week rolled around I was feeling much better, more like my usual self. Shannon is so supportive and motivating as a trainer. She is excellent and we are so lucky to have her in our community.

Our long run at the end of week four began and ended at Kingsport. It was pouring rain for most of the run. There is much to be said for the kindness of strangers as one person stopped to ask if we needed a ride. We must have been a sorry sight but it was much better than running in the hot sun. The tide was too far out for a swim at the beach, but we collected a skate that had washed ashore near the wharf.

I didn’t think I would make the last kilometre. It was hard but I was determined to do it. What a great feeling it is to finish these long runs. It takes several kilometres of running to really feel good about the long runs.

Week 5

We began the week with an eight km run from the top of Canning mountain toward Scott’s Bay. We had a couple of other runners join us and it’s always a pleasure to have other runners come along. This was an awesome run, we did it at an easy pace. Thursday nights are our track runs. These consist of alternating faster and slower laps to build up speed and endurance. This was the hottest night ever. We managed to do it and it felt great afterwards!

The long run at Blomidon was very tiring. This is a very hilly stretch of countryside. The fog kept the heat down and I couldn’t see what hill or slope was coming up. Psychologically the hills can be really daunting, sometimes it’s best not to know what’s coming . The hill running has been a challenge but it is getting easier with practice.

Week 6

Tuesday night was the 10 km run on Canning mountain. This was a really good run. The weather was great and so was the company. The Thursday night track run felt sluggish. The air was still, heavy and humid. We were kept moving by the unrelenting mosquitoes.

I can’t wait for the cooler mornings and nights again. We’ve noticed how it’s getting darker earlier, too. Only a few weeks until the half marathon, time is flying.