I’ve never been a particularly flexible person, both literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, I have never been able to do deep stretches, or the splits, or stick my head down on my knee while stretching.
And in the more figurative sense, I’m also not a very flexible person. I don’t particularly like change (I know I’m not uncommon in that!), and when I get something into my head, I tend to stick with it.
But lately, I’m working hard on becoming more flexible, in both meanings of the word! First, I’ll just say a little bit about the physical flexibility side.
I’m now about five weeks away from my first half-marathon (on March 1), and I find I’m suffering a little. Tight quads, tight glutes… typical running stuff. And, like many runners, I’m not very good at stretching properly after a run. I’ve also been doing a lot of strength training, particularly during a once-a-week Intense Strength class.
To make a long story short, I need to stretch more and become more flexible, so I have decided to take up yoga. There’s a new “hot” yoga studio (where you practice yoga in a hot room) that also offers regular classes. I am definitely looking into that soon! In the meantime, I have taped a few yoga shows on my PVR, and I’m incorporating that into my training. I already feel a little better, and performed decently at the 8K Robbie Burns race I ran this morning. (45:51… about what I expected. I sure didn’t want it to be WORSE than that!)
Now on to the “emotional” flexibility I’m working on. I’ll start by backing up my story a little bit. The Intense Strength class I’m currently taking is part of a new group I’ve joined called Tread Powerfully (www.treadpowerfully.com). Run by a former instructor at my old gym, this new workout is unlike anything I’ve ever tried. It combines power walking with strength training and is a great workout. Sue, the creator/instructor, is also running the Intense Strength classes as part of it, which is an hour of intense training (hence the name!). I am really enjoying it… the muscle definition I’m getting, particularly in my arms, is great, and I’m really enjoying it. In fact, I’m enjoying it so much, I actually joined my mom up to come with me!
As far as the half marathon training was going, though, it was a different story. I had signed up with the half marathon clinic at the Running Room. And I have to confess, it was tough going. I had to keep missing classes because of my crazy schedule, and when I finally did get to go, I hardly knew anyone. The three people I did know were much, much faster runners than I am, and I struggled to keep up. I would end up running by myself, even on the long group runs. Pretty depressing, and I started to struggle with my training. I began to wonder if I’d even make it to the end. (And that’s shocking for me… I generally have a “stick-to-it-iveness” that means I get the job done.)
Right in the middle of this crisis, I received a very strange e-mail from Sue, the TP instructor. The e-mail said Sue was changing the meeting to a bar in Downtown Burlington so we could meet and talk about the training over drinks.
Huh? I was lost. What meeting? What training?
Two minutes later, a second e-mail popped into my inbox from Sue. It said, “I included you on my e-mail because I know you like to run. I’m getting a group together to train for the Chilly half marathon. It’s a plan I’ve used before, and I really like it because it’s not that strenuous and it’s geared toward moms who work, and have kids, and just don’t have time to be following a tough schedule. I thought you might like to train with us.”
I jumped at the chance, and met with the group that Friday night. Sue presented us each with our own personalized plan, and we talked about getting together as a group for our long runs. I asked my all-important question, “How fast does everyone run?”
Three of the women replied that they had done half marathons in about 2:15 – almost exactly what I estimate it will take me. (Assuming I have a good day, mind you. If it’s not a good day… well, that’s anyone’s guess. But given that I have run a 55 minute 10K, I think 2:15 is probably somewhat realistic.)
So I hooked up with the group and started running. At first, I was doing a mix of both Running Room training and Sue’s training, but lately I’ve been doing just Sue’s. It’s quite different… instead of hills and lots of “easy” runs, this plan relies on fewer, more intense runs. During the runs, you’re supposed to do something called “Aerobic Intervals,” (AIs) which is pushing your effort for a certain amount of time. We started with five to seven AIs at one minute a piece, and now are up to six AIs, three at two minutes and three at 2:30.
The plan also calls for “gentle pickups” at the end of some runs, where you gradually increase your speed and try to run a shorter distance at that speed. Then it calls for a “Tread Powerfully Turbo” class once a week, and the usual long slow distance run on Sundays.
The best part? No hills!! I know, I know… many people swear by hill training. But honestly, I haven’t had time to go to the hill training on Wednesday nights (I’ve already been out 2-3 nights a week as it is, and I was hardly seeing my kids!). And the Chilly half marathon is a FLAT course. Why on earth am I practicing by running up hills? (I think, however, if I was doing the very hilly Around the Bay race, I would definitely train on the hills.)
It was the perfect answer for me. And yet, I had a hard time making the decision to abandon the Running Room training and pick up Sue’s training. Why? Well, that’s where my inflexibility came into play. My PLAN had been to do the Running Room training. Why would I deviate from that plan? Could I deviate from that plan?
Well, I can and I did. I’m already happier for it. I have been running with those three women, and today, we crossed the finish line of our 8K race at the same time. I believe that with their help, I will make my half marathon goals and they will help me get to the finish line in one piece. This past week, I have felt stronger and better while running than I have in a long time. For a while there, I really thought I wouldn’t be able to run the half (never mind even THINK about running a full marathon next year). Now I think I can.
Five weeks and counting.
Happy trails…
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Weighty issues
Now that work has (finally) slowed down, I can take a bit of writing time to myself. It’s funny that I write for a living, but never seem to find time to do the kind of writing that is good for my soul. I guess I wouldn’t be a writer if I didn’t find writing to be cathartic – when I’m feeling low, writing out my problems always makes me feel better.
These days, most of that writing doesn’t take the form of a diary, but rather lengthy e-mails to a few very good friends. One in particular is another writer (who knows exactly who she is). She is the frequent recipient of very long e-mails. I swear, we often write to each other instead of talking because writing comes so naturally to us.
But writing was also the point of starting this blog, and I’m hoping that over my upcoming vacation, I might actually find some time to write blog posts about several of the issues that have come up in my life and in my training. I have plenty of ideas for topics to write about, but never any time to execute them!
For two whole weeks, though, I won’t have to write about the top five key performance indicators in your warehouse (blergh) or about how some company improved its warehouse with voice-directed picking (double-blergh). For two weeks, I am going to spend time with my family and start thinking about the future.
I’ve been dealing with quite a few issues this fall. I won’t go into to too many of them here, partly because it would be really boring to drone on AGAIN about my sucky career (I have one job I love, one job I tolerate and one job I detest) and how my kids are driving me crazy. It’s also partly because this is supposed to be my outlet to write about the running/fitness side of my life. I mean, I deal with work and family issues all the time too, but I want to take some time to reflect on the stuff I do that’s just for me. And that’s the running and fitness activities.
(Coming soon… updates on strength training, a fantastic new walking group I joined this fall and some interesting changes to my half-marathon training!)
Today, however, I’ve got something on my mind that I just can’t shake. It started last weekend, when I went out with three girlfriends to celebrate one’s very special milestone birthday. We had a great idea of having a lunch, then heading to a local spa for pedicures. It was, without a doubt, the most fun “me” day I’ve had in a long time!
As we were waiting for our toenails to dry, one friend was chatting about her weight. This friend, never overweight to begin with, had embarked on a weight loss program in the summer and was incredibly successful. She, like so many of us, had been eager to lose the “last 10 pounds.” (We’re all addicted to that show, by the way! My friend even e-mail Tommy Europe to see if he would come to Ontario, but sadly, they only film in B.C.) Well, on Saturday, she was telling us that she’s kept all the weight off, even during this holiday party season.
Then she did something I have NEVER had the guts to do… she told us how much she weighed! And I had to admit, when I heard the number… I was jealous! Not jealous in a “gee, I think I hate you now” kind of way, but a “gosh, I would do ANYTHING to weigh that amount” kind of way.”
So I replied, “That is amazing! I would give anything to weigh that, but I can’t seem to lose any weight at all.” (This, as an aside, is true. Despite embarking on a very healthy eating plan this fall and all my working out – five to six days a week, which includes four runs and three strength training sessions, some of which are combined – I weigh exactly what I weighed when I finished Weight Watchers after losing my Christopher baby weight.)
Now, our other friend piped up. I should explain that this friend, the birthday girl herself, is perhaps the most overwhelmingly positive person I’ve ever met. She sees good in everything, and has truly learned about the power of positive thinking. I find her an inspiration, and have been trying to be more positive myself under her influence. (Not that it works very often, being the cynical, journalist type that I am, but I am TRYING to have a more positive outlook!)
She said, “That’s why you’re not losing weight! It’s all in your attitude!” And she wouldn’t listen to any of my arguments to the contrary. Not about my reasonably healthy diet, nor my hectic training schedule. And she was so adamant, it got me thinking: was she right?
I’ve had a few days to reflect on it, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, no, she’s not right – but she is right. I realize that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it did open my eyes to certain things.
No, I don’t believe my inability to lose weight is a result of my attitude, but I DO think I need to change my attitude. I think there is one very good reason why I’m not losing weight – I’m at the weight my body thinks I should be at. It’s my MIND that is hung up on the number on the scale.
This is NOT the part where I disclose my weight on the Internet for all and sundry to read! But I will disclose the following details:
1. I am 5’11” tall. No matter how hard I try, or how much I exercise and weight train, I will NOT become a 5’2” size 0. Never going to happen.
2. I just bought a pair of pants from Lululemon in a size four. That is the smallest size I’ve ever worn in my life – even when I was a teenager and was the lightest I’ve ever been.
3. I have a body mass index of 22, which is considered a normal, healthy weight.
4. I weight train 2-3 times a week, including one very intense, one-hour strength training class per week.
And that’s where I think my friend might be right… my problem is my attitude. Maybe I weigh exactly what I am supposed to weigh. Just because, psychologically, I don’t like the number on the scale, it doesn’t mean that I need to lose weight. Instead of worrying about shedding pounds, maybe I should start shedding my own bad attitude and misconceptions about what I “should” weigh and just enjoy being fit and healthy.
Of course, I’m sure I could lose weight… if I starved myself, or denied myself every single pleasure I get out of life. I could refuse to put anything in my mouth that wasn’t 100% healthy… but then, while I might be thin, I would be miserable. I like having a glass of wine on a Friday night. I like nibbling on appetizers at a party. I like having dessert once in a while. And while I do have to be careful not to go overboard, I also work out so that I can “afford” to enjoy my food.
So really, my friend was right. My problem IS my attitude. Why am I so obsessed with the number on the scale? If I can drink wine, eat cheese, grab a Starbucks Chai, or pop a few French fries in my mouth and still buy a size four pant, why let a stupid number – a number that medical authorities tell me is a healthy number – bother me?
Of course, that is easier said than done. We all obsess over that number, all the time. But I am really going to try to focus on a few other numbers for a while, including:
-21.1 (kilometers; the distance of a half marathon)
-10 (pounds; the weight I want to be able to lift through my entire strength training class)
-4 (the size of my Lululemon pants)
-5’11” (my height)
-22 (my BMI)
In the new year, I might also investigate getting my body fat tested. I’d like to know, really, what is my percentage of body fat? Everyone swears up and down that muscle weighs more than fat. Is it true? Maybe it does… I certainly work out enough to have quite a bit of muscle. What if the scale says one thing, but I find out I’ve got 20% body fat? Or 15%? Will that make a difference to my attitude?
I’m certainly willing to try. Because the biggest problem isn’t my weight… it’s how it’s weighing on my mind.
Happy trails…
These days, most of that writing doesn’t take the form of a diary, but rather lengthy e-mails to a few very good friends. One in particular is another writer (who knows exactly who she is). She is the frequent recipient of very long e-mails. I swear, we often write to each other instead of talking because writing comes so naturally to us.
But writing was also the point of starting this blog, and I’m hoping that over my upcoming vacation, I might actually find some time to write blog posts about several of the issues that have come up in my life and in my training. I have plenty of ideas for topics to write about, but never any time to execute them!
For two whole weeks, though, I won’t have to write about the top five key performance indicators in your warehouse (blergh) or about how some company improved its warehouse with voice-directed picking (double-blergh). For two weeks, I am going to spend time with my family and start thinking about the future.
I’ve been dealing with quite a few issues this fall. I won’t go into to too many of them here, partly because it would be really boring to drone on AGAIN about my sucky career (I have one job I love, one job I tolerate and one job I detest) and how my kids are driving me crazy. It’s also partly because this is supposed to be my outlet to write about the running/fitness side of my life. I mean, I deal with work and family issues all the time too, but I want to take some time to reflect on the stuff I do that’s just for me. And that’s the running and fitness activities.
(Coming soon… updates on strength training, a fantastic new walking group I joined this fall and some interesting changes to my half-marathon training!)
Today, however, I’ve got something on my mind that I just can’t shake. It started last weekend, when I went out with three girlfriends to celebrate one’s very special milestone birthday. We had a great idea of having a lunch, then heading to a local spa for pedicures. It was, without a doubt, the most fun “me” day I’ve had in a long time!
As we were waiting for our toenails to dry, one friend was chatting about her weight. This friend, never overweight to begin with, had embarked on a weight loss program in the summer and was incredibly successful. She, like so many of us, had been eager to lose the “last 10 pounds.” (We’re all addicted to that show, by the way! My friend even e-mail Tommy Europe to see if he would come to Ontario, but sadly, they only film in B.C.) Well, on Saturday, she was telling us that she’s kept all the weight off, even during this holiday party season.
Then she did something I have NEVER had the guts to do… she told us how much she weighed! And I had to admit, when I heard the number… I was jealous! Not jealous in a “gee, I think I hate you now” kind of way, but a “gosh, I would do ANYTHING to weigh that amount” kind of way.”
So I replied, “That is amazing! I would give anything to weigh that, but I can’t seem to lose any weight at all.” (This, as an aside, is true. Despite embarking on a very healthy eating plan this fall and all my working out – five to six days a week, which includes four runs and three strength training sessions, some of which are combined – I weigh exactly what I weighed when I finished Weight Watchers after losing my Christopher baby weight.)
Now, our other friend piped up. I should explain that this friend, the birthday girl herself, is perhaps the most overwhelmingly positive person I’ve ever met. She sees good in everything, and has truly learned about the power of positive thinking. I find her an inspiration, and have been trying to be more positive myself under her influence. (Not that it works very often, being the cynical, journalist type that I am, but I am TRYING to have a more positive outlook!)
She said, “That’s why you’re not losing weight! It’s all in your attitude!” And she wouldn’t listen to any of my arguments to the contrary. Not about my reasonably healthy diet, nor my hectic training schedule. And she was so adamant, it got me thinking: was she right?
I’ve had a few days to reflect on it, and I’ve come to the conclusion that, no, she’s not right – but she is right. I realize that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it did open my eyes to certain things.
No, I don’t believe my inability to lose weight is a result of my attitude, but I DO think I need to change my attitude. I think there is one very good reason why I’m not losing weight – I’m at the weight my body thinks I should be at. It’s my MIND that is hung up on the number on the scale.
This is NOT the part where I disclose my weight on the Internet for all and sundry to read! But I will disclose the following details:
1. I am 5’11” tall. No matter how hard I try, or how much I exercise and weight train, I will NOT become a 5’2” size 0. Never going to happen.
2. I just bought a pair of pants from Lululemon in a size four. That is the smallest size I’ve ever worn in my life – even when I was a teenager and was the lightest I’ve ever been.
3. I have a body mass index of 22, which is considered a normal, healthy weight.
4. I weight train 2-3 times a week, including one very intense, one-hour strength training class per week.
And that’s where I think my friend might be right… my problem is my attitude. Maybe I weigh exactly what I am supposed to weigh. Just because, psychologically, I don’t like the number on the scale, it doesn’t mean that I need to lose weight. Instead of worrying about shedding pounds, maybe I should start shedding my own bad attitude and misconceptions about what I “should” weigh and just enjoy being fit and healthy.
Of course, I’m sure I could lose weight… if I starved myself, or denied myself every single pleasure I get out of life. I could refuse to put anything in my mouth that wasn’t 100% healthy… but then, while I might be thin, I would be miserable. I like having a glass of wine on a Friday night. I like nibbling on appetizers at a party. I like having dessert once in a while. And while I do have to be careful not to go overboard, I also work out so that I can “afford” to enjoy my food.
So really, my friend was right. My problem IS my attitude. Why am I so obsessed with the number on the scale? If I can drink wine, eat cheese, grab a Starbucks Chai, or pop a few French fries in my mouth and still buy a size four pant, why let a stupid number – a number that medical authorities tell me is a healthy number – bother me?
Of course, that is easier said than done. We all obsess over that number, all the time. But I am really going to try to focus on a few other numbers for a while, including:
-21.1 (kilometers; the distance of a half marathon)
-10 (pounds; the weight I want to be able to lift through my entire strength training class)
-4 (the size of my Lululemon pants)
-5’11” (my height)
-22 (my BMI)
In the new year, I might also investigate getting my body fat tested. I’d like to know, really, what is my percentage of body fat? Everyone swears up and down that muscle weighs more than fat. Is it true? Maybe it does… I certainly work out enough to have quite a bit of muscle. What if the scale says one thing, but I find out I’ve got 20% body fat? Or 15%? Will that make a difference to my attitude?
I’m certainly willing to try. Because the biggest problem isn’t my weight… it’s how it’s weighing on my mind.
Happy trails…
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Good enough for half?
It’s never a good sign when I don’t have time for blog updates. The good news is that I’m finding time to run. The bad news? I’m not finding MUCH time, and no time to write this blog.
But all that is about to change. After a year of taking on too much work, one of my major contracts is finally over. I have cut my workload almost in half, which is a fantastic relief. If I have learned one thing this past year, it is that too much work is just that – to much work. It was hard striking a balance, and I think a lot of things suffered. Time with the family really suffered (and the kids were in daycare far more than I would have liked), as did the order in my household. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite this messy or disorganized in my life.
Similarly, our eating habits suffered. With no time to cook, we grabbed far to many meals on the go, especially in the months from August to October, when I was on back-to-back-to-back deadlines. I had to complete three issues of the manufacturing magazine and three issues of the warehouse magazine in three months. Plus, I started working part-time again at the college in September, and September is the busiest month for the nursery school. (And THAT hasn’t gotten any easier. Last year, when everyone wanted me to be president again, they said, “It can’t be worse than this past year!” They were wrong… it is!)
But there is good news too. One is that I found out what happened to my favourite instructor at my old gym. (The one I belonged to before we joined the Y as a family.) It turns out, she has started a new fitness program called “Tread Powerfully” (more on that later), and as part of that, offers an “Intense Strength” class, which is an hour-long muscle class. I signed up, and have been faithfully doing the strength class once a week (and the Tread Powerfully classes when I have time… the class times often conflict with my schedule). It’s very exciting, and I’m going to spend more time blogging about the concept soon.
And as for the running? I’m still running, but was so busy, I abandoned my plan of running a 10K race at the end of October. I’d say I get out to run anywhere from three to four times a week. I try to do one “long” run a week (about 10K), and a few 5K, 6K, or 7K in between. Add to that the weight training and the occasional Tread Powerfully class, and I think I’ve managed to maintain my fitness level.
But this level isn’t going to enable me to run a marathon – not even close. It’s time to move on, and take my training to the next level. I start my half-marathon clinic this week (although I can’t go to the classes on Thursday night, I’m still taking advantage of the instructors & training program), and I am signed up to run the Chilly Half Marathon here in Burlington on March 1st. My plan is to run two half-marathons in 2009, and start training for the Mississauga Marathon after completing my second half. So far, this is a good start.
That’s about it for this update, but part of the reason I cut back on my workload is to have more time to write about subjects that actually interest me. That includes this blog. I won’t go this long again without an update.
Happy trails…
But all that is about to change. After a year of taking on too much work, one of my major contracts is finally over. I have cut my workload almost in half, which is a fantastic relief. If I have learned one thing this past year, it is that too much work is just that – to much work. It was hard striking a balance, and I think a lot of things suffered. Time with the family really suffered (and the kids were in daycare far more than I would have liked), as did the order in my household. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite this messy or disorganized in my life.
Similarly, our eating habits suffered. With no time to cook, we grabbed far to many meals on the go, especially in the months from August to October, when I was on back-to-back-to-back deadlines. I had to complete three issues of the manufacturing magazine and three issues of the warehouse magazine in three months. Plus, I started working part-time again at the college in September, and September is the busiest month for the nursery school. (And THAT hasn’t gotten any easier. Last year, when everyone wanted me to be president again, they said, “It can’t be worse than this past year!” They were wrong… it is!)
But there is good news too. One is that I found out what happened to my favourite instructor at my old gym. (The one I belonged to before we joined the Y as a family.) It turns out, she has started a new fitness program called “Tread Powerfully” (more on that later), and as part of that, offers an “Intense Strength” class, which is an hour-long muscle class. I signed up, and have been faithfully doing the strength class once a week (and the Tread Powerfully classes when I have time… the class times often conflict with my schedule). It’s very exciting, and I’m going to spend more time blogging about the concept soon.
And as for the running? I’m still running, but was so busy, I abandoned my plan of running a 10K race at the end of October. I’d say I get out to run anywhere from three to four times a week. I try to do one “long” run a week (about 10K), and a few 5K, 6K, or 7K in between. Add to that the weight training and the occasional Tread Powerfully class, and I think I’ve managed to maintain my fitness level.
But this level isn’t going to enable me to run a marathon – not even close. It’s time to move on, and take my training to the next level. I start my half-marathon clinic this week (although I can’t go to the classes on Thursday night, I’m still taking advantage of the instructors & training program), and I am signed up to run the Chilly Half Marathon here in Burlington on March 1st. My plan is to run two half-marathons in 2009, and start training for the Mississauga Marathon after completing my second half. So far, this is a good start.
That’s about it for this update, but part of the reason I cut back on my workload is to have more time to write about subjects that actually interest me. That includes this blog. I won’t go this long again without an update.
Happy trails…
Friday, August 1, 2008
Just like starting over...
I’ve been back on the running/training bandwagon for about three weeks now. It’s been six weeks since my surgery, and I’ve recovered nicely. But taking three weeks off running? That was harder than I expected.
I haven’t had much of a chance to get outside, so I’ve mostly been running on the treadmill at the Y (where the kids can go to activities.) But my cardio suffered from three weeks off. It’s only just beginning to improve. I used to warm up between 6.0 and 6.5 miles per hour on the treadmill – my first week back, I could barely make it up to 6.0 without feeling like death warmed over.
Huffing and puffing, I’ve been trying to keep up with my training schedule of running (or some other form of cardio), five times a week. A trip to Las Vegas this weekend will derail that a bit, but basically I am getting back to normal. I ran as high as 7.2 yesterday on the treadmill, and even went to a spinning class on Tuesday morning.
So now I really need to find a goal race for all this training. I’m aiming for a 10K, sometime in October, just to make sure I’m right back to where I was before embarking on half marathon training. (The half marathon clinic starts at the beginning of November, and I am so there!) The goal is to run the 10K between 55 and 59 minutes. We’ll see how it goes.
I am also allowed to start weight training again soon. I am really going to try to do more strength and weight training. I know that’s my weakest area (no pun intended), and I know that to run faster, I need to be stronger. Next week, after Vegas, it will all start again.
In the meantime, I’m heading into vacation mode. I tend not to take a lot of time off (self-employment does that to you – you either work and get paid, or you don’t), so it’s pretty exciting that I am going to be gone from Saturday to Wednesday with NO e-mail or Internet access. (I’m sure the hotel will have some, but I am not bringing my laptop!!) I’m also not fooling myself into bringing my running shoes, thinking I’ll go for a run. I know I won’t. We are going to celebrate Mike’s birthday (and his friends’ birthdays) and have a good time. We’ll be walking a lot, and that will have to suffice. I’m going to do a 6K run tomorrow before we leave (our flight doesn’t leave until 9 p.m.), and a 6K run on Thursday after we get home. The rest of the time, I’m going to enjoy myself.
So that’s the update for now. I may be starting over – a bit – but at least I didn’t give up.
Happy trails…
I haven’t had much of a chance to get outside, so I’ve mostly been running on the treadmill at the Y (where the kids can go to activities.) But my cardio suffered from three weeks off. It’s only just beginning to improve. I used to warm up between 6.0 and 6.5 miles per hour on the treadmill – my first week back, I could barely make it up to 6.0 without feeling like death warmed over.
Huffing and puffing, I’ve been trying to keep up with my training schedule of running (or some other form of cardio), five times a week. A trip to Las Vegas this weekend will derail that a bit, but basically I am getting back to normal. I ran as high as 7.2 yesterday on the treadmill, and even went to a spinning class on Tuesday morning.
So now I really need to find a goal race for all this training. I’m aiming for a 10K, sometime in October, just to make sure I’m right back to where I was before embarking on half marathon training. (The half marathon clinic starts at the beginning of November, and I am so there!) The goal is to run the 10K between 55 and 59 minutes. We’ll see how it goes.
I am also allowed to start weight training again soon. I am really going to try to do more strength and weight training. I know that’s my weakest area (no pun intended), and I know that to run faster, I need to be stronger. Next week, after Vegas, it will all start again.
In the meantime, I’m heading into vacation mode. I tend not to take a lot of time off (self-employment does that to you – you either work and get paid, or you don’t), so it’s pretty exciting that I am going to be gone from Saturday to Wednesday with NO e-mail or Internet access. (I’m sure the hotel will have some, but I am not bringing my laptop!!) I’m also not fooling myself into bringing my running shoes, thinking I’ll go for a run. I know I won’t. We are going to celebrate Mike’s birthday (and his friends’ birthdays) and have a good time. We’ll be walking a lot, and that will have to suffice. I’m going to do a 6K run tomorrow before we leave (our flight doesn’t leave until 9 p.m.), and a 6K run on Thursday after we get home. The rest of the time, I’m going to enjoy myself.
So that’s the update for now. I may be starting over – a bit – but at least I didn’t give up.
Happy trails…
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Chop, chop
There’s a pretty decent explanation as to why I haven’t updated my running blog in almost two months – I haven’t been running! Okay, that’s not entirely true. I haven’t taken two months off running. But I have been sidelined for almost three weeks now, and in the weeks leading up that, I was so busy preparing for being sidelined, I didn’t have time to update my blog.
For most of May and June, I simply ran (either outside or at the Y) four or five times a week. I really didn’t follow much of a training plan – just got out whenever I could. One thing I discovered is that if I don’t have a goal race to work toward, I’m not that great at being strict! Oh, I ran, did some speed work and hills once or twice, but nothing hardcore. I never ran longer than 8K either.
But I was pretty busy. I was booked to have surgery on June 20th, and knew that I would have to take three weeks off running, and at least a week off work. When you’re a self-employed freelance writer, taking time off is not quite as easy as it looks. Sure, I work from home – but that means I WORK from home, and there’s no one else to do my job. No one is going to step in and write those articles, or edit those magazines, or write those newsletters while I’m gone. So basically, I had to extra work to get myself ahead to be able to take a week off.
The surgery itself went well, but the surgeon is pretty strict on his no exercise rule. Three weeks minimum. I don’t want to open any incisions. (I’m too embarrassed to talk about it here, but suffice it to say it was NOT life-threatening surgery. But it will help improve my overall health and my running, and I can already say it was worth it.)
This Friday is the three week mark. I’m going to walk for a few days, and go for my first post-surgery run next Tuesday. I have already set myself a training schedule for the next three months. I’m basically going to re-do my 10K training, starting from scratch. That means short runs (3 to 6 K), working my way back up to hill training and speed work. I’m currently looking for a goal race in September (either a 5 or 10K) to keep me good.
Because in the fall, the real work starts. It’s time to move on and for me that means the half-marathon. I now have less than two years before my marathon goal, and I want to run at least two half-marathons before training for the full. I’m going to join the half-marathon clinic in the fall, with the goal of running the Chilly Half here in early March. (It fills up fast, so I will actually have to register before Christmas.) I think I can do it. Okay, I KNOW I can do it. I just need some determination.
Of course, throwing a wrench into the plans is that I have done something very necessary, but perhaps a bit foolish. Despite knowing that I work, on average, 40 to 60 hours a week, I somehow decided that it would be best to keep the boys home for the summer! Andrew’s in a lot of camps, I’ve done a lot of work ahead of time… but it’s still going to be crazy fitting it all in. How the big experiment will work remains to be seen. But I’m happy the boys are home. And they’re pretty good… I’ve been able to do some work while they play.
We will see how it goes. I admit to being pretty grouchy since I haven’t been able to run. Here’s looking forward to getting back to it next week!
Happy trails…
For most of May and June, I simply ran (either outside or at the Y) four or five times a week. I really didn’t follow much of a training plan – just got out whenever I could. One thing I discovered is that if I don’t have a goal race to work toward, I’m not that great at being strict! Oh, I ran, did some speed work and hills once or twice, but nothing hardcore. I never ran longer than 8K either.
But I was pretty busy. I was booked to have surgery on June 20th, and knew that I would have to take three weeks off running, and at least a week off work. When you’re a self-employed freelance writer, taking time off is not quite as easy as it looks. Sure, I work from home – but that means I WORK from home, and there’s no one else to do my job. No one is going to step in and write those articles, or edit those magazines, or write those newsletters while I’m gone. So basically, I had to extra work to get myself ahead to be able to take a week off.
The surgery itself went well, but the surgeon is pretty strict on his no exercise rule. Three weeks minimum. I don’t want to open any incisions. (I’m too embarrassed to talk about it here, but suffice it to say it was NOT life-threatening surgery. But it will help improve my overall health and my running, and I can already say it was worth it.)
This Friday is the three week mark. I’m going to walk for a few days, and go for my first post-surgery run next Tuesday. I have already set myself a training schedule for the next three months. I’m basically going to re-do my 10K training, starting from scratch. That means short runs (3 to 6 K), working my way back up to hill training and speed work. I’m currently looking for a goal race in September (either a 5 or 10K) to keep me good.
Because in the fall, the real work starts. It’s time to move on and for me that means the half-marathon. I now have less than two years before my marathon goal, and I want to run at least two half-marathons before training for the full. I’m going to join the half-marathon clinic in the fall, with the goal of running the Chilly Half here in early March. (It fills up fast, so I will actually have to register before Christmas.) I think I can do it. Okay, I KNOW I can do it. I just need some determination.
Of course, throwing a wrench into the plans is that I have done something very necessary, but perhaps a bit foolish. Despite knowing that I work, on average, 40 to 60 hours a week, I somehow decided that it would be best to keep the boys home for the summer! Andrew’s in a lot of camps, I’ve done a lot of work ahead of time… but it’s still going to be crazy fitting it all in. How the big experiment will work remains to be seen. But I’m happy the boys are home. And they’re pretty good… I’ve been able to do some work while they play.
We will see how it goes. I admit to being pretty grouchy since I haven’t been able to run. Here’s looking forward to getting back to it next week!
Happy trails…
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The 10K redux
I do believe I have kicked my own ass.
On Saturday, I ran a 10K race in Mississauga. It’s the big race I’ve been training for since I started taking 10K clinics last fall. My first chance to run a real, timed, 10K race – not just a race done for us at the Running Room.
Originally, I had hoped to run 10K in 55 minutes. As I worked out and ran our two previous “races,” I kind of figured that was never going to happen. The last race we did, I clocked in at 59:20, working as hard as I possibly could. My instructor kept telling me that speed work would make me faster, even if I did it on a treadmill. I dutifully worked out, but even on our practice runs, it just didn’t seem possible that I could run that fast. (And, yes, I do realize that for many people, a 55 minute 10K is not fast… I’m basing this on my own running skills, not someone else’s!)
Race day came. I carpooled with a few people from our 10K clinic. Two were our clinic’s fastest runners. They were aiming for 50 to 51 minutes. Myself and another girl were aiming for under 59 minutes – we just wanted to beat our best times. We met up with the rest of our class in a parking lot close to the start line.
There was a crowd of about 1,000 people running the race. We did a small warm-up as a group, and shoved our way into the crowd at the start. (I should take a moment to comment on race “etiquette.” If you’re a slow runner, or you’re walking the race, you should MOVE TO THE BACK. Let those people who are trying to race up near the front. My clock time – when the gun went off – and my chip time – when my feet actually crossed the start line – were more than 30 seconds off, because of the crowd gathered near the start line. Others had discrepancies of more than a minute.)
The trail started with a massive hill. Okay, it didn’t seem that big at first, but by the time I got to the top of it, it seemed a lot bigger. Then we had to go up a few more good-sized hills. (“Why didn’t they tell us it would be this hilly?” another girl from my running clinic gasped on our way up one of them.) We hit the first kilometer mark in slightly over five minutes. So far, so good.
Instead of doing 10 and 1s, I decided to take a 60 sec. walk break every 2K. It’s not much of a difference, but it helped push me forward. (I also didn’t walk for the first 4K.) I know a lot of people don’t believe in 10 and 1s, but I swear it helps me run faster. By giving myself one minute of active recovery, it helps me pick my speed back up when I start running again. I know when I move to the half marathon and marathon, I’m going to continue doing 10 and 1s.
Around the 7K mark, I surged ahead of my friend. We had mutually agreed that we wouldn’t stick together if one of us felt good enough to go. I then rounded the 8K mark, and headed into a big “loop.” I saw my other clinic buddies on the loop (totally on track to make their 50 minute goals) and waved. Then I kept pumping.
Once I passed the 9km mark, there were people standing on the sidelines cheering. If you register early enough for the race, your name is on your bib. It was slightly disconcerting to hear people shouting “Go Alison! You’re almost there!” But it also helped fuel my legs toward the finish.
And cross the finish line I did… 55 minutes and 7 seconds after I crossed the start line. I had achieved my goal! I could barely breathe and I wanted to cry – I had done what I thought was impossible for me to achieve.
I grabbed the tin-foil type blanket offered and found my running clinic. It turns out, I wasn’t the only one who had a great race. Every single one of my running buddies, beat their best times. Whether it was to run it in 50 minute, 55 minutes, or 1:10, we had all achieved our goals.
It’s definitely an accomplishment to celebrate. I had set a goal, and achieved it. If I can run a 10K in 55 minutes (and seven seconds!), I can run a marathon.
I guess it also means it’s time to move on to the half. While I’d like to say I’m going to be starting that training soon, it looks more likely that I won’t start training for a half marathon until the fall. Why? Well, I think that’s a blog posting for another day. For now, I just want to enjoy my own personal victory.
Happy trails…
On Saturday, I ran a 10K race in Mississauga. It’s the big race I’ve been training for since I started taking 10K clinics last fall. My first chance to run a real, timed, 10K race – not just a race done for us at the Running Room.
Originally, I had hoped to run 10K in 55 minutes. As I worked out and ran our two previous “races,” I kind of figured that was never going to happen. The last race we did, I clocked in at 59:20, working as hard as I possibly could. My instructor kept telling me that speed work would make me faster, even if I did it on a treadmill. I dutifully worked out, but even on our practice runs, it just didn’t seem possible that I could run that fast. (And, yes, I do realize that for many people, a 55 minute 10K is not fast… I’m basing this on my own running skills, not someone else’s!)
Race day came. I carpooled with a few people from our 10K clinic. Two were our clinic’s fastest runners. They were aiming for 50 to 51 minutes. Myself and another girl were aiming for under 59 minutes – we just wanted to beat our best times. We met up with the rest of our class in a parking lot close to the start line.
There was a crowd of about 1,000 people running the race. We did a small warm-up as a group, and shoved our way into the crowd at the start. (I should take a moment to comment on race “etiquette.” If you’re a slow runner, or you’re walking the race, you should MOVE TO THE BACK. Let those people who are trying to race up near the front. My clock time – when the gun went off – and my chip time – when my feet actually crossed the start line – were more than 30 seconds off, because of the crowd gathered near the start line. Others had discrepancies of more than a minute.)
The trail started with a massive hill. Okay, it didn’t seem that big at first, but by the time I got to the top of it, it seemed a lot bigger. Then we had to go up a few more good-sized hills. (“Why didn’t they tell us it would be this hilly?” another girl from my running clinic gasped on our way up one of them.) We hit the first kilometer mark in slightly over five minutes. So far, so good.
Instead of doing 10 and 1s, I decided to take a 60 sec. walk break every 2K. It’s not much of a difference, but it helped push me forward. (I also didn’t walk for the first 4K.) I know a lot of people don’t believe in 10 and 1s, but I swear it helps me run faster. By giving myself one minute of active recovery, it helps me pick my speed back up when I start running again. I know when I move to the half marathon and marathon, I’m going to continue doing 10 and 1s.
Around the 7K mark, I surged ahead of my friend. We had mutually agreed that we wouldn’t stick together if one of us felt good enough to go. I then rounded the 8K mark, and headed into a big “loop.” I saw my other clinic buddies on the loop (totally on track to make their 50 minute goals) and waved. Then I kept pumping.
Once I passed the 9km mark, there were people standing on the sidelines cheering. If you register early enough for the race, your name is on your bib. It was slightly disconcerting to hear people shouting “Go Alison! You’re almost there!” But it also helped fuel my legs toward the finish.
And cross the finish line I did… 55 minutes and 7 seconds after I crossed the start line. I had achieved my goal! I could barely breathe and I wanted to cry – I had done what I thought was impossible for me to achieve.
I grabbed the tin-foil type blanket offered and found my running clinic. It turns out, I wasn’t the only one who had a great race. Every single one of my running buddies, beat their best times. Whether it was to run it in 50 minute, 55 minutes, or 1:10, we had all achieved our goals.
It’s definitely an accomplishment to celebrate. I had set a goal, and achieved it. If I can run a 10K in 55 minutes (and seven seconds!), I can run a marathon.
I guess it also means it’s time to move on to the half. While I’d like to say I’m going to be starting that training soon, it looks more likely that I won’t start training for a half marathon until the fall. Why? Well, I think that’s a blog posting for another day. For now, I just want to enjoy my own personal victory.
Happy trails…
Monday, April 28, 2008
A question of time
If I’m supposed to start updating this blog on Sundays after my long run, I’m either doing very well or very poorly – seeing as how it’s Monday! But since it had been months since I updated, I figure being a day late isn’t too bad. Even now, though, I’m whipping this post off before heading to a doctor’s appointment, picking up Andrew from school, getting groceries, picking up Chris from daycare… and I do still have tons of work!
After yesterday’s 10K group run, I’ve figured out one very important thing. I am becoming obsessed with time, and not in a good way. I know that, when running, you’re really only running to beat yourself. But I’m starting to really panic about my 10K time (much like I did with the 5K), and I’m worried it’s taking the enjoyment out of running for me.
I originally planned to train hard enough to take my 10K time down to 55 minutes. But the more I run, the more unlikely it seems that I will meet that goal. That’s a whole four minutes I have to shave off my time (four minutes and 20 seconds, to be precise), and I think I might be putting too much pressure on myself.
Part of the problem is the running clinic I’m in. Before, we had very few people in our clinic, and I was one of the fastest runners. Now, we have 37 people – and while I’m not the slowest, I’m also nowhere near the fastest! But who cares, right? I do, only not for the reasons you’d think.
See, the problem is that I’d made some running buddies in the “fast” crowd – and now my buddies are outpacing me. I want to keep up with them because we’ve had some great conversations on our runs, and they make the runs a lot more fun for me. But I can’t. I simply can’t run that fast. Some will end up breaking 50 minutes on the 10K, and it’s never going to happen for me.
I guess the point would be to make new running buddies. But I really LIKE the people I run with now. So I either get faster – or let it kill me.
To try and get a little faster, I’ve been upping my speed workouts. Will it pay off on race day? I think it’s unlikely. I think I’m running about as fast as I can go. So what should I do?
I don’t have the answer, but I do know I plan to take a bit of the pressure off myself. Next Sunday, when I run with the group, if I can’t keep up, well, I guess I’ll talk to my buddies after. And if I run the 10K race in an hour, then I do. It’s not the Olympics, after all. Running is supposed to be FUN. If I keep worrying about my time, I’ll drive myself crazy. So fun it is.
Less than two weeks until race day… we’ll see what happens then.
Happy trails…
After yesterday’s 10K group run, I’ve figured out one very important thing. I am becoming obsessed with time, and not in a good way. I know that, when running, you’re really only running to beat yourself. But I’m starting to really panic about my 10K time (much like I did with the 5K), and I’m worried it’s taking the enjoyment out of running for me.
I originally planned to train hard enough to take my 10K time down to 55 minutes. But the more I run, the more unlikely it seems that I will meet that goal. That’s a whole four minutes I have to shave off my time (four minutes and 20 seconds, to be precise), and I think I might be putting too much pressure on myself.
Part of the problem is the running clinic I’m in. Before, we had very few people in our clinic, and I was one of the fastest runners. Now, we have 37 people – and while I’m not the slowest, I’m also nowhere near the fastest! But who cares, right? I do, only not for the reasons you’d think.
See, the problem is that I’d made some running buddies in the “fast” crowd – and now my buddies are outpacing me. I want to keep up with them because we’ve had some great conversations on our runs, and they make the runs a lot more fun for me. But I can’t. I simply can’t run that fast. Some will end up breaking 50 minutes on the 10K, and it’s never going to happen for me.
I guess the point would be to make new running buddies. But I really LIKE the people I run with now. So I either get faster – or let it kill me.
To try and get a little faster, I’ve been upping my speed workouts. Will it pay off on race day? I think it’s unlikely. I think I’m running about as fast as I can go. So what should I do?
I don’t have the answer, but I do know I plan to take a bit of the pressure off myself. Next Sunday, when I run with the group, if I can’t keep up, well, I guess I’ll talk to my buddies after. And if I run the 10K race in an hour, then I do. It’s not the Olympics, after all. Running is supposed to be FUN. If I keep worrying about my time, I’ll drive myself crazy. So fun it is.
Less than two weeks until race day… we’ll see what happens then.
Happy trails…
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