It’s been ages since I last blogged – May 17 to be exact. The day after I ran my marathon. The day I reached a goal I’d been working toward for three long years. And after I reached that goal, I admit… I kind of hit a bit of a slump.
No, no, I didn’t stop running or working out or anything like that. But I did find myself a bit burnt out and exhausted. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. I toyed with the idea of running another marathon in the fall, but I kept waffling. Scotiabank in September? Goodlife in October? Hamilton in November? I couldn’t seem to decide. Nothing excited me, nothing interested me… nothing gave me that drive I had during the past three years.
After the marathon, I got to know a woman from my fitness classes named Andrea who was thinking of power walking her first marathon. She was excited, she was pumped and she was ready to take on this amazing challenge. As we became better friends, it made me realize I wasn’t feeling that way about running at all. Maybe it was the three years of obsessing over the marathon, or maybe it was just post-race letdown, but honestly, I couldn’t feel anything except “meh.”
That’s when the “summer of slump” really took off. I decided that instead of training for a marathon, I’d train for the KW Walking Classic ½ Marathon in Kitchener/Waterloo in September. I figured a race with all my Tread Powerfully friends would be fun and exciting and get me going again. I figured I needed a break –and this was the answer.
Wrong answer. While I enjoyed the experience of the race itself, I really hated the training. I hated how LONG walking took compared to running (a 10K should NOT take more than an hour! And if I’m going to be out for three hours exercising, I want to get in close to 30K – not 18!). My shoes bothered my feet. I felt tired all the time. (Full disclosure: I did keep running two times a week while training. I said I was in a slump, not dead!) I just wanted to get the race over with – I wasn’t feeling the least bit inspired.
And I ate. Boy, did I eat. Chips, chocolate, brownies, chicken wings, ribs, ice cream… treats galore! My diet was worse than it’s been in years. That’s not to mention all the red wine, coolers, Caesars and beer (BEER! I haven't drank that much beer since university!) I drank all summer. Sure, we had fun… then came September.
When September came, it was time to get back into the old routines. The kids went back to school and started at a new daycare. I went back to teaching and back to work. (I had worked ahead in the spring so I could take the summer off.) I opened my closet, reached in, and almost died.
NOTHING fit me anymore. And I mean nothing. Even my “big” jeans were tight. And my work clothes? Forget it – they weren’t coming anywhere near me. I didn’t even step on the scale because I didn’t want to know the answer. I’m going to assume it was at least 10 pounds – maybe more.
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the type of person to take this. Sure, I’d had a bit of a slump this summer, but I refused to let that scale creep up anymore. I refused to buy new clothes. It was a new school year – time for a new me.
I kept on training for the KW ½ marathon, knowing I shouldn’t give up after training all summer. I signed back up for Weight Watchers online to get rid of that excess summer weight. And, most important of all, I started thinking of a new goal for myself.
On September 26, I crossed the finish line of the KW ½ marathon in fourth place overall. Quite a great feeling – to be at the front of a race is entirely different than being in the middle of the pack (my usual spot when running!). I felt good that day – strong, fast and confident. I started to feel like myself again. Then, the weight started slowly starting to come off – I’m almost back into my skinniest jeans, and pretty much everything else fits again. It’s a bit like waking up out of a dream.
So it’s time to start a new dream. A new goal. A new purpose. One that involves running. And I thought to myself, what’s the biggest goal out there? What’s the pinnacle of achievement for every runner?
Boston. There, I said it. I’m putting it down on paper. I am going to run the Boston Marathon.
Why Boston? If you’re asking that, you’re clearly not a runner. The Boston Marathon is the crème-de-la-crème of all marathons. With its elite qualifying times and long history, there probably isn’t a runner out there who hasn’t though, just once, “Gee, it would really be great to run Boston...”
The goal itself is daunting. To make it just a little bit harder, I decided that I need to run Boston the year I turn 40. That means I need to run it in April, 2014. It also means I need to run a marathon in 3:45 or less in order to qualify. (The qualifying times get longer as you get older… if you’re wondering what yours would be, check it out here.)
It’s a scary goal, because in all honesty, unlike my original goal to run a marathon, it’s one I might not achieve no matter how hard I try. It’s more than just having the guts to go out there and finish a marathon – I actually have to RUN FAST. And I have no idea if I can run fast enough to qualify without dying.
I’m giving myself lots of time, though, to achieve this goal. If I want to run in April 2014, I don’t need to qualify until the fall of 2012 or the spring of 2013 – that’s still two years away. I know I need to improve on both my speed and my pacing during the marathon, but if I run two marathons a year, it’s entirely possible I can achieve this goal. I just might need a LOT of help along the way!
I’ve started by signing up for the Mississauga Marathon again next year. I am also planning to run either the Scotiabank Marathon in September 2011 or the Hamilton marathon in November 2011. (The final decision will come after Mississauga when I figure out my schedule, etc.)
But if I’m serious about qualifying, there are some things I need to do. This fall is all about starting it off on the right foot (no pun intended). Here’s what I need to work on:
1. Speed. Yeah, that’s a given. I need to run faster, which means I need to focus on speed work. To train for Mississauga, I’m going to use the training plan in the book Run Less, Run Faster. It’s a very, very specific plan where you do three quality runs a week – one speed, one tempo, one long. Each one has to be done at a particular pace, even your long runs. No exceptions! This fall, I’m going to do some of the speed and tempo workouts from the 5K training plan to make sure I can sustain this schedule come January.
2. Weight. I know, I know, I say this all the time… but if I want to truly be faster, I’ve GOT to lose some weight. It completely stands to reason that the lighter you are, the faster you run. Ideally I would LOVE to shed 20 pounds, but I haven’t weighed THAT since I was in high school. I have no idea if it’s even possible. At the very least, though, I need to shed about 10 pounds. I plan on losing no more than 1 pound a week. Ideally, by February, I should be at a decent weight to improve my speed a bit. (As my doctor always says during my physical, “Gee, you don’t LOOK like you weigh that much.” Thanks doc. Appreciate it.)
3. Get technical. I still time my track repeats on my son’s Han Solo watch. I’m thinking that’s not quite going to cut it if I want to qualify for Boston. It’s time to start using all that fancy-dancy technology out there for runners. I’ve been lusting after a Garmin for at least a year now, and have already told Mike it’s at the top of my birthday list for December. He’s a smart man… I can pretty much count on getting that Garmin! Also, over the course of the next few years, I am going to look into things like V02 max testing, body fat testing and perhaps a few other things to help me truly become a faster runner.
4. Keep strength training. Yes, I strength train a lot, thanks to friend/trainer/all-round fitness guru Sue and the ladies at Tread Powerfully. I train at least 3-5 times a week in a group setting, and also do Pilates with Lisa and recently started yoga. These are all elements that I swear go into making me a faster runner.
I ran my first marathon in 4:16, which means I need to shave a minimum of 31 minutes off my time. Impossible? I hope not… I ran my first ½ marathon in 2:10, then a year later ran it in 1:50, shaving 20 minutes off my time. My first 5K took me 35 minutes, and my most recent (in June) was 24:40. If I can do that, I don’t see how I can’t somehow get down ½ an hour on my marathon time. Not right away, of course, but probably in three or four marathons. I’m aiming to run Mississauga next spring in 4:05. It seems much less daunting this way.
So for the fall, I’m going to work on my goals. Weight Watchers is going along smoothly and my diet has greatly improved. I’m drinking a ton of smoothies filled with healthy greens, hemp protein, yogurt, almond milk, flax seed and all those other super-foods designed to keep me healthy. I’m right back on the healthy eating train (with a few treats, naturally! Just not every day) and working on some speed work and strength training this fall. Here’s what the workout schedule looks like (and yes, most workouts are completed before the rest of the house is awake… that’s how you have a husband, two kids and two jobs and fit in workouts):
Sunday a.m.: Advanced Intense Strength (quite possibly the hardest class in the world – I have never experienced pain like this in my life.)
Monday a.m.: Yoga @ 6:15 a.m.
Tuesday a.m.: Speed run or tempo run
Tuesday p.m.: Intense Strength
Wednesday a.m.: Tread Powerfully Circuits (wonderful class… when it ends in November I’m going to add a tempo run in the morning)
Thursday p.m.: Power Pilates (1/2 hour weights, ½ hour of Pilates)
Friday a.m.: Long run (between 16 and 25K, depending on the week.)
Saturday a.m.: Tread Powerfully for one hour, 25 minutes.
Some classes I’ll be missing for various reasons, but for the most part, I’ll be trying to “move” every day. Monday’s yoga classes are more for stretching rather than vigorous yoga, so that’s really a “rest” day. And there are enough class cancellations throughout the fall that I will get another day in every week or two.
There. It’s all out there. And I’m planning to update this blog far more frequently than I have in the past… especially with research, training tips, training plans, clothing and all the other things I’m learning on this journey. I’m finally excited again.
Giddy-up!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
How I ran a marathon
I am an athlete.
For the past three years, I've imagined being able to write this blog post and say those words out loud. Finally, after all that hard work, I think it's safe to say I am officially an athlete. Yesterday, I crossed the finish line in 4:16:41 and completed a marathon.
There's so much to reflect on now that it's done. Part of me doesn't even believe that I did it (although at 37K, believe me, I realized I actually WAS doing it!). But I've got the pictures and the medal to prove it – in three years, I have gone from decidedly un-athletic to a full-out marathon runner.
When Mike and the kids met up with me after I crossed the finish line, Mike asked me how it went. I replied, "It was hard. Really, really hard." And it was – much harder than any run I'd ever done before, and perhaps the hardest physical thing I've ever done in my life other than giving birth. (As an interesting aside, I was in labour with Chris for four hours and 20 minutes – four minutes more than it took me to run the marathon1)
The day itself was gorgeous. You could not have asked for better weather. Beautiful, sunny, no wind and not too hot. I did get a bit of a sunburn (didn't think to put on sunscreen!), but I had a hat and sunglasses on the whole time, so my face and head were fine.
The race started at 7:30 in the morning, just outside of Square One shopping centre. We ran west down Burnamthorpe, both the half marathoners and the full marathoners. It was extremely crowded. I couldn't wait for the 15K mark, when it would start to thin out a bit.
Most of the run was through the most beautiful neighbourhoods you can imagine. And the path down along the lake? Stunning, especially with that sunshine. I'll never forget turning down the path and seeing the lake sparkling in the sunlight. Then, the path curves and there was an incredible view of the Toronto skyline. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture, although I was a bit busy at the time!
But everyone told me that running the 42K (26 miles) was harder than any training run or any other race. They were right. I felt myself struggling even around the 25K mark or so… I didn't know how I'd make it to 42. I kept refueling and I drank a ton of water, and really just tried to break the race down into smaller chunks. I'd tell myself things like, "Well, at 27K you can have more food. Just make it to 27K and you'll feel better," or, "At 38K there's another water station and you can walk while you drink your water. Just make it to there and you'll feel better."
At least when I hit 40K there were enough spectators cheering that it powered me through until the end. The funny part about the Mississauga race is that your first name is on your bib, so complete strangers kept shouting things like, "Go Alison! You can do it Alison! You look great Alison!"
After the race was done, I felt like my legs were going to fall off. I managed to get halfway to the car before I threw in the towel and told Mike he'd just have to go get the car and bring it to me. I spent most of the afternoon in bed or on the couch (after a soak in Epsom salts!), and honestly, I actually feel a bit better than I thought today. Going up and down stairs is tough (why do I live in a split level???), but I even managed to walk Andrew to the bus stop this morning.
While you try to train and prepare for everything, there are always some race-day mistakes you make. For me, one mistake was definitely neglecting my armpits – the skin is completely chafing and hurts more than my legs! I should have used Body Glide or Vaseline. That has never happened to me before in a run, and I ran in that tank top all the time – but usually with a shirt over top. Yesterday it was too hot for the shirt (I took it off at the 3K mark), so that probably explains it. They started hurting around the 15-16K mark, which didn't bode well for the rest of the race.
Another mistake was how much I slowed down. I'm not sure WHY that happened (well, I mean, I know WHY – I was pooped! – but why my training didn't power me through that). I don't know if I went out too fast or if I simply hadn't done enough long runs, but that is an area I would really like to work on. Not that I had a bad result – not at all! – but I could have done a lot better if I hadn't slowed down so much. I felt like a turtle… and probably looked like one too!
But while it only took me 4:16 to run the race, the truth is it took every minute of those three years of training. Every 5K race, every 10K race, every half marathon, Around the Bay, and every second of my training runs, Tread Powerfully classes, Intense Strength classes, Power Pilates classes… all of those things led to this moment.
I also learned that with outer strength comes a great deal of inner strength. Three years ago, I was really a different person. I was more reactive. I got angry when I did something wrong. I had no patience. Running and exercise gave me all those things. It gave me patience. It showed me how, by taking time for myself, I could give more of myself to others. It has started me on the road to becoming a better person – a better mother, a better wife, a better friend, a better member of the community. I have many more things I want to achieve, both personally and in the world. I have career goals, goals for my family and I want to help others. I truly believe this journey has given me the inner strength to do that.
Of course, my running journey isn't over either – far from it. Mike asked me yesterday if I would do a marathon again. I know I will. It may not be this fall (today, running the Scotiabank Toronto marathon seems like a BAD idea!), but I will do it again. I want to run the New York marathon and the Chicago marathon one day. I'm even harbouring a dream of running Boston, although I'd have to shave ½ an hour of my time to qualify! I don't know where the future will take me, but I know my feet will take me there.
So stay tuned… this blog isn't done and neither am I. For now, I'm going to take a few days rest and spend a bit of time decided on the next step of my journey. See you then!
Happy trails…
For the past three years, I've imagined being able to write this blog post and say those words out loud. Finally, after all that hard work, I think it's safe to say I am officially an athlete. Yesterday, I crossed the finish line in 4:16:41 and completed a marathon.
There's so much to reflect on now that it's done. Part of me doesn't even believe that I did it (although at 37K, believe me, I realized I actually WAS doing it!). But I've got the pictures and the medal to prove it – in three years, I have gone from decidedly un-athletic to a full-out marathon runner.
When Mike and the kids met up with me after I crossed the finish line, Mike asked me how it went. I replied, "It was hard. Really, really hard." And it was – much harder than any run I'd ever done before, and perhaps the hardest physical thing I've ever done in my life other than giving birth. (As an interesting aside, I was in labour with Chris for four hours and 20 minutes – four minutes more than it took me to run the marathon1)
The day itself was gorgeous. You could not have asked for better weather. Beautiful, sunny, no wind and not too hot. I did get a bit of a sunburn (didn't think to put on sunscreen!), but I had a hat and sunglasses on the whole time, so my face and head were fine.
The race started at 7:30 in the morning, just outside of Square One shopping centre. We ran west down Burnamthorpe, both the half marathoners and the full marathoners. It was extremely crowded. I couldn't wait for the 15K mark, when it would start to thin out a bit.
Most of the run was through the most beautiful neighbourhoods you can imagine. And the path down along the lake? Stunning, especially with that sunshine. I'll never forget turning down the path and seeing the lake sparkling in the sunlight. Then, the path curves and there was an incredible view of the Toronto skyline. I wish I'd had a camera to take a picture, although I was a bit busy at the time!
But everyone told me that running the 42K (26 miles) was harder than any training run or any other race. They were right. I felt myself struggling even around the 25K mark or so… I didn't know how I'd make it to 42. I kept refueling and I drank a ton of water, and really just tried to break the race down into smaller chunks. I'd tell myself things like, "Well, at 27K you can have more food. Just make it to 27K and you'll feel better," or, "At 38K there's another water station and you can walk while you drink your water. Just make it to there and you'll feel better."
At least when I hit 40K there were enough spectators cheering that it powered me through until the end. The funny part about the Mississauga race is that your first name is on your bib, so complete strangers kept shouting things like, "Go Alison! You can do it Alison! You look great Alison!"
After the race was done, I felt like my legs were going to fall off. I managed to get halfway to the car before I threw in the towel and told Mike he'd just have to go get the car and bring it to me. I spent most of the afternoon in bed or on the couch (after a soak in Epsom salts!), and honestly, I actually feel a bit better than I thought today. Going up and down stairs is tough (why do I live in a split level???), but I even managed to walk Andrew to the bus stop this morning.
While you try to train and prepare for everything, there are always some race-day mistakes you make. For me, one mistake was definitely neglecting my armpits – the skin is completely chafing and hurts more than my legs! I should have used Body Glide or Vaseline. That has never happened to me before in a run, and I ran in that tank top all the time – but usually with a shirt over top. Yesterday it was too hot for the shirt (I took it off at the 3K mark), so that probably explains it. They started hurting around the 15-16K mark, which didn't bode well for the rest of the race.
Another mistake was how much I slowed down. I'm not sure WHY that happened (well, I mean, I know WHY – I was pooped! – but why my training didn't power me through that). I don't know if I went out too fast or if I simply hadn't done enough long runs, but that is an area I would really like to work on. Not that I had a bad result – not at all! – but I could have done a lot better if I hadn't slowed down so much. I felt like a turtle… and probably looked like one too!
But while it only took me 4:16 to run the race, the truth is it took every minute of those three years of training. Every 5K race, every 10K race, every half marathon, Around the Bay, and every second of my training runs, Tread Powerfully classes, Intense Strength classes, Power Pilates classes… all of those things led to this moment.
I also learned that with outer strength comes a great deal of inner strength. Three years ago, I was really a different person. I was more reactive. I got angry when I did something wrong. I had no patience. Running and exercise gave me all those things. It gave me patience. It showed me how, by taking time for myself, I could give more of myself to others. It has started me on the road to becoming a better person – a better mother, a better wife, a better friend, a better member of the community. I have many more things I want to achieve, both personally and in the world. I have career goals, goals for my family and I want to help others. I truly believe this journey has given me the inner strength to do that.
Of course, my running journey isn't over either – far from it. Mike asked me yesterday if I would do a marathon again. I know I will. It may not be this fall (today, running the Scotiabank Toronto marathon seems like a BAD idea!), but I will do it again. I want to run the New York marathon and the Chicago marathon one day. I'm even harbouring a dream of running Boston, although I'd have to shave ½ an hour of my time to qualify! I don't know where the future will take me, but I know my feet will take me there.
So stay tuned… this blog isn't done and neither am I. For now, I'm going to take a few days rest and spend a bit of time decided on the next step of my journey. See you then!
Happy trails…
Monday, May 10, 2010
The final countdown
I started this blog almost three years ago with one goal in mind: run the Mississauga Marathon in May of 2010. I find it hard to believe that May of 2010 is upon us, and in six days, I am actually going to (attempt to) meet that goal by running the marathon on Sunday. Talk about stick-to-it-iveness! (Yeah, that's not a word…)
I can't say I've been the most successful blogger in all of this, as I seem to have had a bit of trouble updating regularly. Whoops! It's definitely a peril of being a professional writer… by the time my work writing is done, I have no more time for personal writing. Luckily, with my new job, I have a weekly editor's blog I update regularly (at www.primacy.ca), so there have been a few running-related posts over there.
What I can say, though, is that as far as reaching the actual marathon goal goes, I have been far more successful. While there are no guarantees I will actually finish the race, I'm choosing to think positively and that I will finish, even if it takes me six hours.
But I think what I'm really still amazed at is that I actually followed through with this whole thing. It took almost three years and three 5K races, three 10Ks, a 10-miler, three half marathons and one 30K race, but I managed to go from barely being able to run to running for 3+ hours straight. Yeah, that seems crazy, even to me.
Since the "actual" marathon training began in January, I have not missed a single run on my training plan either. There were a few I had to postpone, but I somehow fit in every single run. Not bad for a mother of two with two jobs, a house and a husband! There were a lot of 5:30 a.m. runs and a lot of juggling, but I managed to fit it all in, along with three strength training/pilates classes a week. So you see, there really IS time to exercise… I even found time for those big, long 2+ hour runs. It wasn't always easy, but it was doable.
So how am I going to do on Sunday? Honestly, I have no idea. Realistically, I think 4:30 is a good time for me for my first marathon. While I don't have a time goal per se (my goal is really just to finish), I think that I would be a teensy bit disappointed if I didn't make it in 4:30. I managed to do the 30K Around the Bay in 2:46, so that gives me a lot of time to slow down and bit and make sure I make it another 12 kilometres. If I had to choose a "dream" time, I'd say around 4:15. (Remember that to qualify for Boston in my age category, I'd have to do it in 3:45… so taking into account that 3:45 is kind of the high water mark for us "average" runners, I think these times are pretty realistic.)
But all this thinking about time has got me thinking about a bunch of other numbers that come into play. Here's what I've learned about running a marathon, by the numbers:
Number of:
Pairs of running shoes: 9
Races entered: 10
Water belts: 3
Water bottles: 11
Pounds of weight lifted 3x a week: 20 (10 per dumbbell)
Kms run since January, 2010: 945.5 (with only 14.5 left to go until race day!)
Times I've puked: 3
Times I've cried: 2 (only twice! Once after my first half, once after Around the Bay)
Times I've imagined myself crossing the finish line: infinity
Yes, it's been a long, hard journey, but ultimately, it's one I'm glad I've done. I learned more about myself during this training than I think I have in my whole life. I think it's made me a calmer person – more relaxed, happier and a better mother and wife than I was before I started this journey.
What's next? I've actually decided NOT to decide on anything just yet. I want to wait and see how Sunday goes before making my next move. It could be anything… I might decide to do a half marathon this fall, I might try power walking a race again, I might take a break from running and get back into spinning, Tread Powerfully and try out some yoga… or I might even decide to try another marathon this fall. But whatever I choose, I won't make a decision until after the marathon.
Six more days to go…
Happy trails…
I can't say I've been the most successful blogger in all of this, as I seem to have had a bit of trouble updating regularly. Whoops! It's definitely a peril of being a professional writer… by the time my work writing is done, I have no more time for personal writing. Luckily, with my new job, I have a weekly editor's blog I update regularly (at www.primacy.ca), so there have been a few running-related posts over there.
What I can say, though, is that as far as reaching the actual marathon goal goes, I have been far more successful. While there are no guarantees I will actually finish the race, I'm choosing to think positively and that I will finish, even if it takes me six hours.
But I think what I'm really still amazed at is that I actually followed through with this whole thing. It took almost three years and three 5K races, three 10Ks, a 10-miler, three half marathons and one 30K race, but I managed to go from barely being able to run to running for 3+ hours straight. Yeah, that seems crazy, even to me.
Since the "actual" marathon training began in January, I have not missed a single run on my training plan either. There were a few I had to postpone, but I somehow fit in every single run. Not bad for a mother of two with two jobs, a house and a husband! There were a lot of 5:30 a.m. runs and a lot of juggling, but I managed to fit it all in, along with three strength training/pilates classes a week. So you see, there really IS time to exercise… I even found time for those big, long 2+ hour runs. It wasn't always easy, but it was doable.
So how am I going to do on Sunday? Honestly, I have no idea. Realistically, I think 4:30 is a good time for me for my first marathon. While I don't have a time goal per se (my goal is really just to finish), I think that I would be a teensy bit disappointed if I didn't make it in 4:30. I managed to do the 30K Around the Bay in 2:46, so that gives me a lot of time to slow down and bit and make sure I make it another 12 kilometres. If I had to choose a "dream" time, I'd say around 4:15. (Remember that to qualify for Boston in my age category, I'd have to do it in 3:45… so taking into account that 3:45 is kind of the high water mark for us "average" runners, I think these times are pretty realistic.)
But all this thinking about time has got me thinking about a bunch of other numbers that come into play. Here's what I've learned about running a marathon, by the numbers:
Number of:
Pairs of running shoes: 9
Races entered: 10
Water belts: 3
Water bottles: 11
Pounds of weight lifted 3x a week: 20 (10 per dumbbell)
Kms run since January, 2010: 945.5 (with only 14.5 left to go until race day!)
Times I've puked: 3
Times I've cried: 2 (only twice! Once after my first half, once after Around the Bay)
Times I've imagined myself crossing the finish line: infinity
Yes, it's been a long, hard journey, but ultimately, it's one I'm glad I've done. I learned more about myself during this training than I think I have in my whole life. I think it's made me a calmer person – more relaxed, happier and a better mother and wife than I was before I started this journey.
What's next? I've actually decided NOT to decide on anything just yet. I want to wait and see how Sunday goes before making my next move. It could be anything… I might decide to do a half marathon this fall, I might try power walking a race again, I might take a break from running and get back into spinning, Tread Powerfully and try out some yoga… or I might even decide to try another marathon this fall. But whatever I choose, I won't make a decision until after the marathon.
Six more days to go…
Happy trails…
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Around the bay in two hours (and 46 minutes)
It's less than five weeks until the marathon, and I'm almost through the worst of my training. One more 32K run and it's time to taper! I'm really looking forward to tapering.
It's not even the long runs that are getting to me; it's the early morning runs, particularly the days I have to run 13K. I get up at 5:30 a.m. on those days to run and, as you can imagine, I'm really tired.
But otherwise, training is going very well. A few weeks ago, I did the "famed" Around the Bay race in Hamilton. It sounds exactly like what it is – a 30K race that literally takes you around the bay through Hamilton and Burlington. Most of the course is fairly flat, but the last 10K take you along Northshore Blvd. and up Valley Inn Road – and those who know the area know that there are many hills, especially the "big one" on Valley Inn.
The Bay race is known for those killer hills, as well as being known as the oldest road race in North America. It actually pre-dates the Boston Marathon by a year or two, but since it's not a real marathon, it doesn't quite have the same cachet! (And you don't have to qualify to run the Bay… anyone who wants to run it can sign up and do so.)
Still, around here, the Bay is "the" race to run. If you don't want to do the full 30K, you can do 5K, or you can do the relay (in teams of either two or three). All in all, it's a great race. Very fun, very challenging and a great warm-up race to a full marathon. (In fact, many people who are running Boston use the Bay as a training run.) I had always planned to use it as my warm-up race as well.
All in all, the 30K race was a success for me. I ran it in 2:46 on the nose, which was almost 15 minutes faster than my three-hour "amazing" goal. I honestly figured it would take me at least three hours, if not longer than that to finish. Sure, I ran two sub-two-hour half marathons, but they weren't much under two hours. And this was the first time I was running 30K – I was sure to slow down.
I didn't – and honestly, I didn't even realize how fast I was going until I rounded the corner into Copps Coliseum and saw the time on the jumbotron (another amazing reason to run this race – it ends IN the stadium!)
Was I happy? You bet. But it wasn't all perfect. While my speed was good, I did have some terrible cramps between 10K and 17K – bad enough to make me have to walk a bit. I wasn't sure what caused them – something I ate the night before, a too-tight water belt, dehydration – but it made for a slightly unpleasant experience.
The other problem was that I was so fast, Mike and the kids hadn't even made it into the stadium to see me finish. He got a text message from me saying I was done while he was still outside. He had trouble finding parking – definitely something to keep in mind before the marathon.
So what did I learn from Around the Bay? Here's what it taught me for my marathon:
1. Watch what you eat the night before. I experienced some of the same cramps on my 32K run, and the only connection I can find is that I had ground beef the night before. I suspect that may be the culprit for my cramps. And even if it's not, I'm still going to avoid it in my pre-marathon meal. I think I will have what I ate before the Chilly – a vegetarian pasta dish on brown rice pasta.
2. Get there early. That goes for the start line AND for the family heading to the finish line. You never know when you'll be done – or how bad parking will be. I really don't want my family to miss me finishing the marathon.
3. I'm stronger than I think. I KNOW the 30K is easier than the marathon, but I once thought it was impossible too. It's not – and I need to remember that around the 37 kilometer mark of the marathon when I want to give up.
4. I really need to eat. I gobbled Sharkies energy chews on the Bay race, but I'm experimenting with other chews (the gels make me sick) before the marathon. So far, I've settled on the GU energy blocks. They taste amazing, and they have electrolytes, carbohydrates and sodium to get me through the 4+ hours of the race.
Take those lessons as well-learned. I'm applying them in my long runs now, and hopefully it will help come race day!
Happy trails…
It's not even the long runs that are getting to me; it's the early morning runs, particularly the days I have to run 13K. I get up at 5:30 a.m. on those days to run and, as you can imagine, I'm really tired.
But otherwise, training is going very well. A few weeks ago, I did the "famed" Around the Bay race in Hamilton. It sounds exactly like what it is – a 30K race that literally takes you around the bay through Hamilton and Burlington. Most of the course is fairly flat, but the last 10K take you along Northshore Blvd. and up Valley Inn Road – and those who know the area know that there are many hills, especially the "big one" on Valley Inn.
The Bay race is known for those killer hills, as well as being known as the oldest road race in North America. It actually pre-dates the Boston Marathon by a year or two, but since it's not a real marathon, it doesn't quite have the same cachet! (And you don't have to qualify to run the Bay… anyone who wants to run it can sign up and do so.)
Still, around here, the Bay is "the" race to run. If you don't want to do the full 30K, you can do 5K, or you can do the relay (in teams of either two or three). All in all, it's a great race. Very fun, very challenging and a great warm-up race to a full marathon. (In fact, many people who are running Boston use the Bay as a training run.) I had always planned to use it as my warm-up race as well.
All in all, the 30K race was a success for me. I ran it in 2:46 on the nose, which was almost 15 minutes faster than my three-hour "amazing" goal. I honestly figured it would take me at least three hours, if not longer than that to finish. Sure, I ran two sub-two-hour half marathons, but they weren't much under two hours. And this was the first time I was running 30K – I was sure to slow down.
I didn't – and honestly, I didn't even realize how fast I was going until I rounded the corner into Copps Coliseum and saw the time on the jumbotron (another amazing reason to run this race – it ends IN the stadium!)
Was I happy? You bet. But it wasn't all perfect. While my speed was good, I did have some terrible cramps between 10K and 17K – bad enough to make me have to walk a bit. I wasn't sure what caused them – something I ate the night before, a too-tight water belt, dehydration – but it made for a slightly unpleasant experience.
The other problem was that I was so fast, Mike and the kids hadn't even made it into the stadium to see me finish. He got a text message from me saying I was done while he was still outside. He had trouble finding parking – definitely something to keep in mind before the marathon.
So what did I learn from Around the Bay? Here's what it taught me for my marathon:
1. Watch what you eat the night before. I experienced some of the same cramps on my 32K run, and the only connection I can find is that I had ground beef the night before. I suspect that may be the culprit for my cramps. And even if it's not, I'm still going to avoid it in my pre-marathon meal. I think I will have what I ate before the Chilly – a vegetarian pasta dish on brown rice pasta.
2. Get there early. That goes for the start line AND for the family heading to the finish line. You never know when you'll be done – or how bad parking will be. I really don't want my family to miss me finishing the marathon.
3. I'm stronger than I think. I KNOW the 30K is easier than the marathon, but I once thought it was impossible too. It's not – and I need to remember that around the 37 kilometer mark of the marathon when I want to give up.
4. I really need to eat. I gobbled Sharkies energy chews on the Bay race, but I'm experimenting with other chews (the gels make me sick) before the marathon. So far, I've settled on the GU energy blocks. They taste amazing, and they have electrolytes, carbohydrates and sodium to get me through the 4+ hours of the race.
Take those lessons as well-learned. I'm applying them in my long runs now, and hopefully it will help come race day!
Happy trails…
Friday, March 19, 2010
The final countdown
There are a few things I didn’t anticipate about trying to write a blog, have a career, raise a family AND run a marathon. One was that I wouldn’t really have time to update the blog!
The other is that marathon training is TOUGH. Quite possibly even tougher than the marathon itself (although somehow I doubt that…). Training is going well, but crazy. I have run 63 km since Sunday, and am off to do another 27 tomorrow. I now have two pairs of running shoes (soon to start rotating through them), and am still working on improving my eating habits. I have a new protein power with amino acids designed to help recovery.
I also completed the Chilly Half Marathon a few weeks ago with a record-breaking time of 1:50:45. That’s faster than I ran the Scotia Half last fall, and that’s also without any speed work. I think the sheer amount of mileage I’m putting in right now is making a difference.
Around the Bay (30K) is next weekend, and I hope I’m ready. I haven’t run 30K yet… the most I’ve done to date is 25K, although the 27 is looming tomorrow. I’m strength training 3 x a week now as well, and I admit, that’s about it. I’ve even given up the outdoor Tread Powerfully classes right now, because I just don’t have the time to get to them. I’m sure I will pick it back up again soon, but I need to incorporate one rest day a week right now, as my muscles are fatigued and I really want to avoid injury.
I’ve started seeing a new chiropractor and a new massage therapist, as well as continuing to get professional advice on my shoes from the folks at the Burlington Orthotic Centre. And of course, Sue Abell, TP instructor and trainer extraordinaire, is always answering my endless questions!
Career-wise, everything is going great these days. I’m enjoying my new teaching gig – it’s tough and it’s challenging, but rewarding too. And the new website (www.primacy.ca) is up and running, and I am loving writing about things like health, fitness, nutrition, etc.
So for the moment, it’s time to put my head down and focus on my training. It’s tough fitting it all in, but I’m pretty determined I’m going to do this.
Eight weeks, two days and counting…
The other is that marathon training is TOUGH. Quite possibly even tougher than the marathon itself (although somehow I doubt that…). Training is going well, but crazy. I have run 63 km since Sunday, and am off to do another 27 tomorrow. I now have two pairs of running shoes (soon to start rotating through them), and am still working on improving my eating habits. I have a new protein power with amino acids designed to help recovery.
I also completed the Chilly Half Marathon a few weeks ago with a record-breaking time of 1:50:45. That’s faster than I ran the Scotia Half last fall, and that’s also without any speed work. I think the sheer amount of mileage I’m putting in right now is making a difference.
Around the Bay (30K) is next weekend, and I hope I’m ready. I haven’t run 30K yet… the most I’ve done to date is 25K, although the 27 is looming tomorrow. I’m strength training 3 x a week now as well, and I admit, that’s about it. I’ve even given up the outdoor Tread Powerfully classes right now, because I just don’t have the time to get to them. I’m sure I will pick it back up again soon, but I need to incorporate one rest day a week right now, as my muscles are fatigued and I really want to avoid injury.
I’ve started seeing a new chiropractor and a new massage therapist, as well as continuing to get professional advice on my shoes from the folks at the Burlington Orthotic Centre. And of course, Sue Abell, TP instructor and trainer extraordinaire, is always answering my endless questions!
Career-wise, everything is going great these days. I’m enjoying my new teaching gig – it’s tough and it’s challenging, but rewarding too. And the new website (www.primacy.ca) is up and running, and I am loving writing about things like health, fitness, nutrition, etc.
So for the moment, it’s time to put my head down and focus on my training. It’s tough fitting it all in, but I’m pretty determined I’m going to do this.
Eight weeks, two days and counting…
Friday, November 20, 2009
Gearing up for the big one
It’s been three months since I wrote anything for this blog, and I’m hanging my head in shame. It’s not because I haven’t been running – it’s just that I took on a new job and life is going at a breakneck pace.
First, the good news. In September, I signed a contract with a medical company to become editor of their soon-to-be-launched health, nutrition and fitness website. Yeah, it’s pretty exciting! The content is amazing and it is exactly the type of writing I want to do. Articles on proper nutrition, working out, and all those other topics I really want to explore. It’s fun and exciting, and I can’t wait until the site launched! (A glitch with the technical team has delayed it, but it should be up by January.)
Then, there’s the even better news. I completed the Scotia Half Marathon in Toronto, beating my goal of 2 hours. I actually finished it in 1:56:51, shaving 14 minutes off my time from the Chilly Half Marathon. That’s crazy, right? How does one even do that?
I credit it to three things. One is that I finally lost those nagging 10 pounds. (Okay, truth be told, I’d really like to lose another 10 or so… but I could see this happening forever.) Being lighter really does make a difference when it comes to running.
The second is speed work. I did speed work training for the Chilly as well, but this time, I would go to the track and really focus on my speed intervals. (While training for the Chilly, I simply timed my intervals while running on the road.) Being on the track was a good gauge of distance and speed, and I think it helped me increase my cardio capacity and leg turnover speed.
Finally, I started doing more strength training/weights. I had previously been doing one Intense Strength class per week through Tread Powerfully (this is done inside, with 10lb. weights and is a very intense workout) and I ramped up to 2-3 Tread Powerfully classes per week (power walking with 3lb. weights.) The more muscle I put on, the stronger I got, which improved my speed. In September, I ramped it up even more with the Intense Strength class, a combined strength training/Pilates class, and an “Advanced Intense Strength” class that even has homework assignments every week! That class is truly a killer, and only for the fittest and/or most determined of all the Tread Powerfully members. (I like to believe that I’m both!)
So what’s next? I have actually signed up for a number of races, culminating in the Mississauga Marathon. Here’s what I’m working on:
-The Boxing Day 10 miler (16 km.) on Dec. 26 (which just happens to be my 35th birthday)
-The Chilly Half Marathon on March 7, 2010
-Around the Bay (30K) road race on March 28, 2010
-The Mississauga Marathon on May 16, 2010
I’m also keeping up with my strength training workouts. A lot of people ask me what my workout schedule looks like. I’m not sure they want to know! It’s a bit intensive, but so far, so good. My weight is holding steady, but I find my clothes are getting bigger and I’m looking a lot more muscular. But, for the curious, here’s a typical week for me:
* Sunday: Advanced Intense Strength, 7 a.m. (this combines weights with sports drills, plyometric exercises and even skipping… it changes every week and is incredibly intense.)
* Monday during the kids’ swimming lessons: I was spinning at the YMCA every Monday evening, but I kind of loathe the instructor. (As an instructor, not as a person.) Now I have changed to 3 miles of speedwork on the treadmill, aiming to have it finished in 25 minutes.
* Monday after swimming lessons: The week’s Advanced IS “homework” (which varies every 2 weeks) and a core strengthening routine. (Think planks, pushups, crunches, etc.)
* Tuesday morning: An “easy” run, ranging from 6 to 10K, depending on my training schedule. And yeah, I get up at 6 a.m. to do this before the kids go to school and I go to work.
* Tuesday evening: Intense Strength, 6:30 p.m.
* Wednesday: An interval routine consisting of skipping and body-weighted exercises, followed by the week’s Advanced IS “homework” and another core strengthening routine. I usually try to get up at 6 a.m. for this, but if I can’t, I do it in the evening when the kids have gone to bed.
* Thursday morning: Either speedwork at the track or a tempo run. The distance is slowly building before the 10 mile race. (Again, I get up at 6 a.m. to do this one…)
* Thursday evening: Power Pilates at 6:30 p.m., which is a half-hour of weights (I use 10lbs) followed by a half-hour of Pilates.
* Friday morning: The week’s long run. Today’s, for example, was 12K. That will keep increasing until the marathon. (I try to get up at 6, but thanks to a flexible schedule, I don’t always have to… today, for example, I wasn’t that busy with work so I did it after I dropped the kids off.)
* Saturday morning: Tread Powerfully “4.5 mph” class at 7 a.m. This is a very intense TP class for people who can consistently walk at least 4.5 miles per hour or faster. (And yes, I can!)
Ouch! I just realized that this means I work out TEN times a week. It might be a bit excessive, but honestly, I’ve never felt better.
Now if I could just get my nutrition under control! It’s not bad… but with winter coming, I’m craving sweets and bad carbs. I have a plan… now I just need to do it! More on that later.
Happy trails…
First, the good news. In September, I signed a contract with a medical company to become editor of their soon-to-be-launched health, nutrition and fitness website. Yeah, it’s pretty exciting! The content is amazing and it is exactly the type of writing I want to do. Articles on proper nutrition, working out, and all those other topics I really want to explore. It’s fun and exciting, and I can’t wait until the site launched! (A glitch with the technical team has delayed it, but it should be up by January.)
Then, there’s the even better news. I completed the Scotia Half Marathon in Toronto, beating my goal of 2 hours. I actually finished it in 1:56:51, shaving 14 minutes off my time from the Chilly Half Marathon. That’s crazy, right? How does one even do that?
I credit it to three things. One is that I finally lost those nagging 10 pounds. (Okay, truth be told, I’d really like to lose another 10 or so… but I could see this happening forever.) Being lighter really does make a difference when it comes to running.
The second is speed work. I did speed work training for the Chilly as well, but this time, I would go to the track and really focus on my speed intervals. (While training for the Chilly, I simply timed my intervals while running on the road.) Being on the track was a good gauge of distance and speed, and I think it helped me increase my cardio capacity and leg turnover speed.
Finally, I started doing more strength training/weights. I had previously been doing one Intense Strength class per week through Tread Powerfully (this is done inside, with 10lb. weights and is a very intense workout) and I ramped up to 2-3 Tread Powerfully classes per week (power walking with 3lb. weights.) The more muscle I put on, the stronger I got, which improved my speed. In September, I ramped it up even more with the Intense Strength class, a combined strength training/Pilates class, and an “Advanced Intense Strength” class that even has homework assignments every week! That class is truly a killer, and only for the fittest and/or most determined of all the Tread Powerfully members. (I like to believe that I’m both!)
So what’s next? I have actually signed up for a number of races, culminating in the Mississauga Marathon. Here’s what I’m working on:
-The Boxing Day 10 miler (16 km.) on Dec. 26 (which just happens to be my 35th birthday)
-The Chilly Half Marathon on March 7, 2010
-Around the Bay (30K) road race on March 28, 2010
-The Mississauga Marathon on May 16, 2010
I’m also keeping up with my strength training workouts. A lot of people ask me what my workout schedule looks like. I’m not sure they want to know! It’s a bit intensive, but so far, so good. My weight is holding steady, but I find my clothes are getting bigger and I’m looking a lot more muscular. But, for the curious, here’s a typical week for me:
* Sunday: Advanced Intense Strength, 7 a.m. (this combines weights with sports drills, plyometric exercises and even skipping… it changes every week and is incredibly intense.)
* Monday during the kids’ swimming lessons: I was spinning at the YMCA every Monday evening, but I kind of loathe the instructor. (As an instructor, not as a person.) Now I have changed to 3 miles of speedwork on the treadmill, aiming to have it finished in 25 minutes.
* Monday after swimming lessons: The week’s Advanced IS “homework” (which varies every 2 weeks) and a core strengthening routine. (Think planks, pushups, crunches, etc.)
* Tuesday morning: An “easy” run, ranging from 6 to 10K, depending on my training schedule. And yeah, I get up at 6 a.m. to do this before the kids go to school and I go to work.
* Tuesday evening: Intense Strength, 6:30 p.m.
* Wednesday: An interval routine consisting of skipping and body-weighted exercises, followed by the week’s Advanced IS “homework” and another core strengthening routine. I usually try to get up at 6 a.m. for this, but if I can’t, I do it in the evening when the kids have gone to bed.
* Thursday morning: Either speedwork at the track or a tempo run. The distance is slowly building before the 10 mile race. (Again, I get up at 6 a.m. to do this one…)
* Thursday evening: Power Pilates at 6:30 p.m., which is a half-hour of weights (I use 10lbs) followed by a half-hour of Pilates.
* Friday morning: The week’s long run. Today’s, for example, was 12K. That will keep increasing until the marathon. (I try to get up at 6, but thanks to a flexible schedule, I don’t always have to… today, for example, I wasn’t that busy with work so I did it after I dropped the kids off.)
* Saturday morning: Tread Powerfully “4.5 mph” class at 7 a.m. This is a very intense TP class for people who can consistently walk at least 4.5 miles per hour or faster. (And yes, I can!)
Ouch! I just realized that this means I work out TEN times a week. It might be a bit excessive, but honestly, I’ve never felt better.
Now if I could just get my nutrition under control! It’s not bad… but with winter coming, I’m craving sweets and bad carbs. I have a plan… now I just need to do it! More on that later.
Happy trails…
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
If the shoe fits
You always hear how inexpensive running is as a form of exercise, and to a certain extent that’s true. You don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership, just a pair of shoes and the great outdoors. But there’s the rub… you need shoes. And, particularly when you are doing a lot of running, you need really good shoes.
Good shoes don’t come cheap. The minimum amount you can expect to pay is $100 – more for a really good pair. Now, when it comes to shoes, I have to confess I’m pretty cheap. I haven’t paid more than about $120 for a pair of shoes yet. It’s really starting to show.
I’ve always had a bit of problem with running shoes. I wear a size 9 shoe, and when I first started running, I really wanted the Nike+ running shoes so I could use my iPod to track mileage, etc. I went through three pairs of Air Max Moto shoes before realizing that they really weren’t the best shoes. They didn’t have enough cushioning, and all-in-all, I wasn’t happy with them.
So I went to the Running Room and bought my infamous pair of Mizunos and a sleeve to hold my Nike+ sensor. The Mizunos gave me terrible blisters, so the leader of my 10K clinic advised me to wear two pairs of socks. That eliminated the blister problem, but when I ran my last 10K race, I also lost my toenail as a result of my shoes being too tight. (As an aside, my Nike sensor then wore out, and I never bothered replacing it. I started using MapMyRun.com to plan out my routes.)
I went back to the Running Room and they told me the size 9s were just far too tight, and that was my problem. So they gave me a pair of the Asics (the cheaper ones) in a size 10 – the only size they had in stock. Those are the shoes I used to run the half marathon last March. And they weren’t too bad – in the winter, I wore thick socks and it didn’t bother me too much that they were too big.
Spring rolled around, and the Asics were on their last legs. Plus, with the warmer weather, I stopped wearing thick socks – and I noticed how badly my feet were slipping. My knee started to hurt again, as did my hips; a sure sign I needed new shoes.
To “get me through,” I bought another pair of Nikes at the outlet, and they were super-cheap. I honestly wasn’t even sure they were the right type for my gait (I roll my feet outwards), but I figured it would get me through training for the 5K, then this summer I could invest in a pair of good shoes.
Well, those Nikes barely lasted a month. They got so bad, my friends could see my feet rolling outward. They looked like crap, felt like crap, and all the aches and pains started coming back. I started running in the old Asics again, because at least they didn’t completely kill my feet.
But they weren’t going to last, and my long runs (up to 14K at this point) have been torture. So I finally bit the bullet and went to the Burlington Orthotic Center to get my gait analyzed and to get PROPERLY fitted for shoes.
The results weren’t too surprising. Yes, my feet indeed roll outward, and the left one actually rolls out, then rolls in. I tried on several different pairs, and we settled on the Asics (but the level up from what I had.) However the biggest change is that I should be wearing a 9 ½. The 10, they said, was just way too big for me and it was no wonder I was having problems. The 9 ½ I tried on felt great, but they were a D width, and that’s too wide for my foot. They offered to order in the B width, and from then on it’s been a waiting game.
I finally get to pick up my new shoes tomorrow, and I have to say I’m excited. I have to run 16K on Sunday evening, and I was dreading the thought of doing it in my beat-up old Asics. The new shoes will seem like heaven.
The best part is that because I got them from the orthotic center, I can get my doctor to sign a prescription and claim the shoes under our benefits. We get up to $200 a year for shoes, so if one pair of these criminally expensive (approx. $180) shoes can be covered, that is fantastic. Because at the rate I’m running, I’ll need new shoes again before Christmas. Ouch!
Happy trails…
Good shoes don’t come cheap. The minimum amount you can expect to pay is $100 – more for a really good pair. Now, when it comes to shoes, I have to confess I’m pretty cheap. I haven’t paid more than about $120 for a pair of shoes yet. It’s really starting to show.
I’ve always had a bit of problem with running shoes. I wear a size 9 shoe, and when I first started running, I really wanted the Nike+ running shoes so I could use my iPod to track mileage, etc. I went through three pairs of Air Max Moto shoes before realizing that they really weren’t the best shoes. They didn’t have enough cushioning, and all-in-all, I wasn’t happy with them.
So I went to the Running Room and bought my infamous pair of Mizunos and a sleeve to hold my Nike+ sensor. The Mizunos gave me terrible blisters, so the leader of my 10K clinic advised me to wear two pairs of socks. That eliminated the blister problem, but when I ran my last 10K race, I also lost my toenail as a result of my shoes being too tight. (As an aside, my Nike sensor then wore out, and I never bothered replacing it. I started using MapMyRun.com to plan out my routes.)
I went back to the Running Room and they told me the size 9s were just far too tight, and that was my problem. So they gave me a pair of the Asics (the cheaper ones) in a size 10 – the only size they had in stock. Those are the shoes I used to run the half marathon last March. And they weren’t too bad – in the winter, I wore thick socks and it didn’t bother me too much that they were too big.
Spring rolled around, and the Asics were on their last legs. Plus, with the warmer weather, I stopped wearing thick socks – and I noticed how badly my feet were slipping. My knee started to hurt again, as did my hips; a sure sign I needed new shoes.
To “get me through,” I bought another pair of Nikes at the outlet, and they were super-cheap. I honestly wasn’t even sure they were the right type for my gait (I roll my feet outwards), but I figured it would get me through training for the 5K, then this summer I could invest in a pair of good shoes.
Well, those Nikes barely lasted a month. They got so bad, my friends could see my feet rolling outward. They looked like crap, felt like crap, and all the aches and pains started coming back. I started running in the old Asics again, because at least they didn’t completely kill my feet.
But they weren’t going to last, and my long runs (up to 14K at this point) have been torture. So I finally bit the bullet and went to the Burlington Orthotic Center to get my gait analyzed and to get PROPERLY fitted for shoes.
The results weren’t too surprising. Yes, my feet indeed roll outward, and the left one actually rolls out, then rolls in. I tried on several different pairs, and we settled on the Asics (but the level up from what I had.) However the biggest change is that I should be wearing a 9 ½. The 10, they said, was just way too big for me and it was no wonder I was having problems. The 9 ½ I tried on felt great, but they were a D width, and that’s too wide for my foot. They offered to order in the B width, and from then on it’s been a waiting game.
I finally get to pick up my new shoes tomorrow, and I have to say I’m excited. I have to run 16K on Sunday evening, and I was dreading the thought of doing it in my beat-up old Asics. The new shoes will seem like heaven.
The best part is that because I got them from the orthotic center, I can get my doctor to sign a prescription and claim the shoes under our benefits. We get up to $200 a year for shoes, so if one pair of these criminally expensive (approx. $180) shoes can be covered, that is fantastic. Because at the rate I’m running, I’ll need new shoes again before Christmas. Ouch!
Happy trails…
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The journey
And here I thought taking the summer off would mean I had MORE time to write! Instead, it’s been even longer between posts. Although, I did spend most of June trying to cram in the rest of the summer’s work ahead of time, so hopefully I can forgive myself for not finding the time to update my blog. Then the beginning of July was devoted to vacation, and now we are finally settling into a good summer routine. I finally have time to pull together some random running thoughts that have been circulating in my head for a while. (Running through my head? Pardon the pun!)
First, let’s start with the Moon in June 5K race. My goal was to beat my 5K PB (personal best) of 27:10. I managed to shave more than two minutes off that time, coming in at 25:06 and placing 5th out of 71 in my age group. (And, because my birthday is not until December, I’m still in the 30-34 age group!) It was certainly a great night for all of us who ran, including Mike, who ran his first 5K in 30:31. We also ran with our friends, who did well, seeing as how it was his first 5K and her first in more than 8 or 9 years. We ended the evening on an incredible high, and now all three of them are training for the Harvest Moon 5K in October. I’ve decided to sit that one out, however, and look after all the kids. (It’s only two weeks after my next half marathon!)
Achieving that goal I had of beating my 5K PB certainly got me thinking over the last few weeks about this whole running journey. It’s not just about the physical changes or how fast I run, but how it’s also changing me on the inside. Sure, I’m lighter, stronger and faster than I’ve ever been, but I’m also less tired, less anxious and more centered than before. It’s like my training program isn’t just reshaping my body, it’s also reshaping my mind and soul at the same time.
I’ll give you an example. Last year, I never would have dreamed of taking two months off of work. Or even taking a weekend off, for that matter. No, because I am self-employed, I felt like the burden fell completely on me. Even taking a week off was a huge undertaking, and I would never have quit one job and informed the other that I was taking an extended amount of time off.
But something has changed in me, and changed for the better. I did choose to quit a job that required me to work weekends and odd hours, taking time away from my family and causing an inordinate amount of stress. I called the other client and informed them that I was going to do four months of work in two months, then take two months off. And they were 100 percent on board. “If anyone can do it, you can,” the publisher informed me. “I say go for it.”
And I’m even trying to ensure my workouts don’t get in the way of my kids this summer. I’ve been getting up at 5:30 a.m. to run, a few mornings a week. I’m trying to minimize the number of days they go to the YMCA. I’m doing evening and early morning Tread Powerfully classes so I can fit my workouts in when Mike gets home. And I’ve even started swimming, so I can do laps while the kids have fun in the pool.
I’m also using this time to accomplish some of the never-ending things on my to-do list. I’ve started to get ready to (finally!) paint the living room, a much-needed update, since the previous owners used the cheapest possible paint to “fluff” the house before we bought it two years ago. I’m cleaning and organizing my bathroom, kitchen and the boys’ rooms, hopefully before school starts. Not to mention spending a bit of time on my own personal writing projects, long abandoned in the hustle and bustle of daily life.
And although I’m worried about what will happen in September, I’m trying not to let it bother me too much. Yes, by then, I will need to find something to replace the job I quit, or possibly even go back to a “regular” office job. (The woes of being self-employed are many, especially when you don’t get paid in a timely fashion. Our finances take a hit whenever that happens… and it may be time to throw in the towel.) I’m taking some time to think about it over the summer and try to find the right answer. Opportunity knocks when you least expect it, right? At least, that’s what I hope.
For now, I’m going to enjoy my summer. The kids and I have been swimming (even though the pool heater is broken… brrr!!), and today we’re going to start a special project of painting canvases to adorn my front hall as art. I told Mike that I don’t even care if the art ends up being a giant picture of Optimus Prime (Andrew’s favourite thing to draw) and an endless loop of “678” (Christopher’s favourite thing to draw). I just want some original art done by the boys to forever remember this summer.
And of course, I will keep running! (And going to Tread Powerfully… so far, I’m running three times a week, going to Tread three times a week, doing one intense strength class a week and swimming a few times a week.) It’s going very well, and I feel very strong when running. I’m getting a bit faster, and hopefully that will show when I run the half in September.
Happy trails…
First, let’s start with the Moon in June 5K race. My goal was to beat my 5K PB (personal best) of 27:10. I managed to shave more than two minutes off that time, coming in at 25:06 and placing 5th out of 71 in my age group. (And, because my birthday is not until December, I’m still in the 30-34 age group!) It was certainly a great night for all of us who ran, including Mike, who ran his first 5K in 30:31. We also ran with our friends, who did well, seeing as how it was his first 5K and her first in more than 8 or 9 years. We ended the evening on an incredible high, and now all three of them are training for the Harvest Moon 5K in October. I’ve decided to sit that one out, however, and look after all the kids. (It’s only two weeks after my next half marathon!)
Achieving that goal I had of beating my 5K PB certainly got me thinking over the last few weeks about this whole running journey. It’s not just about the physical changes or how fast I run, but how it’s also changing me on the inside. Sure, I’m lighter, stronger and faster than I’ve ever been, but I’m also less tired, less anxious and more centered than before. It’s like my training program isn’t just reshaping my body, it’s also reshaping my mind and soul at the same time.
I’ll give you an example. Last year, I never would have dreamed of taking two months off of work. Or even taking a weekend off, for that matter. No, because I am self-employed, I felt like the burden fell completely on me. Even taking a week off was a huge undertaking, and I would never have quit one job and informed the other that I was taking an extended amount of time off.
But something has changed in me, and changed for the better. I did choose to quit a job that required me to work weekends and odd hours, taking time away from my family and causing an inordinate amount of stress. I called the other client and informed them that I was going to do four months of work in two months, then take two months off. And they were 100 percent on board. “If anyone can do it, you can,” the publisher informed me. “I say go for it.”
And I’m even trying to ensure my workouts don’t get in the way of my kids this summer. I’ve been getting up at 5:30 a.m. to run, a few mornings a week. I’m trying to minimize the number of days they go to the YMCA. I’m doing evening and early morning Tread Powerfully classes so I can fit my workouts in when Mike gets home. And I’ve even started swimming, so I can do laps while the kids have fun in the pool.
I’m also using this time to accomplish some of the never-ending things on my to-do list. I’ve started to get ready to (finally!) paint the living room, a much-needed update, since the previous owners used the cheapest possible paint to “fluff” the house before we bought it two years ago. I’m cleaning and organizing my bathroom, kitchen and the boys’ rooms, hopefully before school starts. Not to mention spending a bit of time on my own personal writing projects, long abandoned in the hustle and bustle of daily life.
And although I’m worried about what will happen in September, I’m trying not to let it bother me too much. Yes, by then, I will need to find something to replace the job I quit, or possibly even go back to a “regular” office job. (The woes of being self-employed are many, especially when you don’t get paid in a timely fashion. Our finances take a hit whenever that happens… and it may be time to throw in the towel.) I’m taking some time to think about it over the summer and try to find the right answer. Opportunity knocks when you least expect it, right? At least, that’s what I hope.
For now, I’m going to enjoy my summer. The kids and I have been swimming (even though the pool heater is broken… brrr!!), and today we’re going to start a special project of painting canvases to adorn my front hall as art. I told Mike that I don’t even care if the art ends up being a giant picture of Optimus Prime (Andrew’s favourite thing to draw) and an endless loop of “678” (Christopher’s favourite thing to draw). I just want some original art done by the boys to forever remember this summer.
And of course, I will keep running! (And going to Tread Powerfully… so far, I’m running three times a week, going to Tread three times a week, doing one intense strength class a week and swimming a few times a week.) It’s going very well, and I feel very strong when running. I’m getting a bit faster, and hopefully that will show when I run the half in September.
Happy trails…
Monday, June 1, 2009
The lie
I remember when I was pregnant with my first baby, my husband and I told ourselves the same lie all new parents tell themselves: our baby will be different. (He wasn’t.) When I was pregnant with number two, we told ourselves the next lie: this time, it will be different because we know what we’re doing. (It wasn’t. We didn’t.)
The truth is that we do lie to ourselves all the time. The problem is we don’t always realize we’re lying.
I’ve had a chance to think about that recently. I realized I have been lying to myself for a long time. Almost three years, to be exact.
It started when I lost *all* the baby weight after having the aforementioned baby number two. It took a year, but I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. That is the telling statement there: pre-pregnancy weight.
That doesn’t mean it was my ideal weight. But I had convinced myself that was the best I could do. “I’m just a bigger person,” I’d tell myself. Or, “I’ve tried really hard to lose more weight and it’s IMPOSSIBLE. I must be meant to be this size.” Or, “I’d have to STARVE myself in order to lose weight.”
So I continued running. I continued working out. I started working out more. I trained for a half marathon. Still, my weight stayed the same. It must be true, then, right? I really was at my ideal weight.
And yet, there was that little voice inside me that knew I was lying to myself. I knew my eating habits weren’t as good as they could be. In fact, they were becoming downright awful.
Instead of eating my usual salad for lunch, I’d started buying focaccia buns and cheese from the deli every once in a while. Then it was every week. Or I’d sit down with a bag of “exotic” veggie chips after dinner. Once a week. Or eat an entire container of wasabi peas.
By the time April rolled around, I’d actually put five extra pounds on top of my pre-pregnancy weight. I felt chubby, and chunky, like all that working out wasn’t making one bit of difference. Yes, I was still running/power walking/weight training and just generally exercising six to seven days a week. But it wasn’t enough. I was lying to myself.
After talking to my fitness buddies and Sue, my Tread Powerfully instructor, I knew it was time to stop telling myself that lie. I knew how to eat properly. I just wasn’t doing it.
I re-joined Weight Watchers and started really keeping track of what I was eating. I went back to eating salads, chicken breast, salmon, sweet potatoes and all those good foods I knew I should eat. I (mostly) cut out the junk, and when I did eat the junk, I didn’t overindulge. And even then, I kept my overindulgence to within my allotted WW points values for the day and week.
It’s a sensible system for people who already know the basics of good nutrition. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, but if you know how to eat properly and just don’t (and I’m a perfect example), it can really help keep that calorie in/calorie out equation in the right balance.
I also started ordering my produce from an organic farm. Once a week, I pick up my order of organic fruits and veggies from a house nearby, where it gets dropped off. It actually works out to be cheaper than buying the stuff from the grocery store and it’s different every week. It’s fun to see what veggies and fruit we get each week, and trying to figure out new and exciting meals to make with our fresh produce.
So I stopped lying to myself, and I feel better for it. I have to admit, since I started paying attention to what I’m eating, I feel more alert, I have more energy, and I’m in a better mood. (At least some of the time! But there’s another lie to start working on…) I even get up at 5:45 a few mornings a week to go for my run. Now there’s energy for you!
And I’m happy to report I’ve dropped 13 pounds! It turns out I could lose some weight without starving myself. I just had to start paying attention to what I was eating. Now let’s see if the new, lighter me can kick my own ass at the 5K race on Saturday.
My best 5K time is 27:10. Can I beat it? We’ll find out on Saturday for sure… those insecurities are best left to another time! (Let’s just say I hope I’m not lying to myself again!)
Happy trails…
The truth is that we do lie to ourselves all the time. The problem is we don’t always realize we’re lying.
I’ve had a chance to think about that recently. I realized I have been lying to myself for a long time. Almost three years, to be exact.
It started when I lost *all* the baby weight after having the aforementioned baby number two. It took a year, but I got back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. That is the telling statement there: pre-pregnancy weight.
That doesn’t mean it was my ideal weight. But I had convinced myself that was the best I could do. “I’m just a bigger person,” I’d tell myself. Or, “I’ve tried really hard to lose more weight and it’s IMPOSSIBLE. I must be meant to be this size.” Or, “I’d have to STARVE myself in order to lose weight.”
So I continued running. I continued working out. I started working out more. I trained for a half marathon. Still, my weight stayed the same. It must be true, then, right? I really was at my ideal weight.
And yet, there was that little voice inside me that knew I was lying to myself. I knew my eating habits weren’t as good as they could be. In fact, they were becoming downright awful.
Instead of eating my usual salad for lunch, I’d started buying focaccia buns and cheese from the deli every once in a while. Then it was every week. Or I’d sit down with a bag of “exotic” veggie chips after dinner. Once a week. Or eat an entire container of wasabi peas.
By the time April rolled around, I’d actually put five extra pounds on top of my pre-pregnancy weight. I felt chubby, and chunky, like all that working out wasn’t making one bit of difference. Yes, I was still running/power walking/weight training and just generally exercising six to seven days a week. But it wasn’t enough. I was lying to myself.
After talking to my fitness buddies and Sue, my Tread Powerfully instructor, I knew it was time to stop telling myself that lie. I knew how to eat properly. I just wasn’t doing it.
I re-joined Weight Watchers and started really keeping track of what I was eating. I went back to eating salads, chicken breast, salmon, sweet potatoes and all those good foods I knew I should eat. I (mostly) cut out the junk, and when I did eat the junk, I didn’t overindulge. And even then, I kept my overindulgence to within my allotted WW points values for the day and week.
It’s a sensible system for people who already know the basics of good nutrition. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, but if you know how to eat properly and just don’t (and I’m a perfect example), it can really help keep that calorie in/calorie out equation in the right balance.
I also started ordering my produce from an organic farm. Once a week, I pick up my order of organic fruits and veggies from a house nearby, where it gets dropped off. It actually works out to be cheaper than buying the stuff from the grocery store and it’s different every week. It’s fun to see what veggies and fruit we get each week, and trying to figure out new and exciting meals to make with our fresh produce.
So I stopped lying to myself, and I feel better for it. I have to admit, since I started paying attention to what I’m eating, I feel more alert, I have more energy, and I’m in a better mood. (At least some of the time! But there’s another lie to start working on…) I even get up at 5:45 a few mornings a week to go for my run. Now there’s energy for you!
And I’m happy to report I’ve dropped 13 pounds! It turns out I could lose some weight without starving myself. I just had to start paying attention to what I was eating. Now let’s see if the new, lighter me can kick my own ass at the 5K race on Saturday.
My best 5K time is 27:10. Can I beat it? We’ll find out on Saturday for sure… those insecurities are best left to another time! (Let’s just say I hope I’m not lying to myself again!)
Happy trails…
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Walk this way
Wow, has it really been almost two months since I updated my blog? I guess so! Things have been hectic, but I feel there is so much to write about.
First, let’s start with walking. As in the 10K power walking race I did at the end of April. I diligently followed the training schedule and made it through the walk with flying colours, clocking in at 1:09:26 and placing third in my age category (women under 40). Not bad for my first attempt!
But I can’t really say I loved the power walking. Sure, I love my Tread Powerfully classes (which, yes, involves power walking), but those classes are different. They incorporate a lot more muscle and strength training, and it’s not straight walking for an hour. We stop a lot and do muscle training segments, so it’s a completely different experience.
Power walking? It’s HARD. Physically, it’s almost as demanding as running. But the hardest part is mental, because no matter what, you cannot run. If you run, you will get disqualified from your race. One foot must be on the ground at all times or else! And that’s what I found hard. I don’t like being constantly worried about my gait. Part of why I like running is that it gives me time to set my mind free and work through any problems or issues I am having. If I have to concentrate too much on walking, I lose some of that “me” time I get with running.
So no matter how “good” I am at power walking (and good is, naturally, a relative term), I’m now back to running. I know I’ll never come in third place in a running race, but that’s okay by me. I’m doing this strictly for me, and as long as I continue to meet my own goals, I’m happy.
Now I’ve started training for the Moon in June 5K. I’m trying for a PR (hopefully under 27 minutes!), so my training plan involves a lot of speed intervals. I’m also sticking with the Tread Powerfully and strength training, because I find the more I do, the leaner my muscles.
And in even better news, my handsome hubby has agreed to run the 5K race as well! I’m excited that this is an experience we can share, and I really hope he enjoys race night as much as I do. He’s been following a training plan I devised for him, and hopefully he’ll do really well himself on race day. (Or, rather, race evening, since it starts at 9 p.m.!)
Finally, in the most exciting news of all, I just finished up my first feature for Canadian Running magazine! It’s coming out in the July issue, and it’s about how to lose weight while training. (Hmmm… wonder where that topic came from? I don’t obsess over that constantly, do I?) I’m very excited to be finally writing about running and I’m already thinking of new articles to pitch them.
So that’s about it for this short update, as I’m racing to go pick up my weekly order of organic vegetables (more on that later…), then pick up Andrew from a birthday party, come home and head to a meeting for Chris’ nursery school. There is much going on in my life these days, and I want to try and write about all of these changes. I’ve revamped my fitness routine (with Tread), changed my diet (finally cutting out most of the junk!) and I am really starting to feel like I am moving forward. How appropriate for a runner!
Happy trails…
First, let’s start with walking. As in the 10K power walking race I did at the end of April. I diligently followed the training schedule and made it through the walk with flying colours, clocking in at 1:09:26 and placing third in my age category (women under 40). Not bad for my first attempt!
But I can’t really say I loved the power walking. Sure, I love my Tread Powerfully classes (which, yes, involves power walking), but those classes are different. They incorporate a lot more muscle and strength training, and it’s not straight walking for an hour. We stop a lot and do muscle training segments, so it’s a completely different experience.
Power walking? It’s HARD. Physically, it’s almost as demanding as running. But the hardest part is mental, because no matter what, you cannot run. If you run, you will get disqualified from your race. One foot must be on the ground at all times or else! And that’s what I found hard. I don’t like being constantly worried about my gait. Part of why I like running is that it gives me time to set my mind free and work through any problems or issues I am having. If I have to concentrate too much on walking, I lose some of that “me” time I get with running.
So no matter how “good” I am at power walking (and good is, naturally, a relative term), I’m now back to running. I know I’ll never come in third place in a running race, but that’s okay by me. I’m doing this strictly for me, and as long as I continue to meet my own goals, I’m happy.
Now I’ve started training for the Moon in June 5K. I’m trying for a PR (hopefully under 27 minutes!), so my training plan involves a lot of speed intervals. I’m also sticking with the Tread Powerfully and strength training, because I find the more I do, the leaner my muscles.
And in even better news, my handsome hubby has agreed to run the 5K race as well! I’m excited that this is an experience we can share, and I really hope he enjoys race night as much as I do. He’s been following a training plan I devised for him, and hopefully he’ll do really well himself on race day. (Or, rather, race evening, since it starts at 9 p.m.!)
Finally, in the most exciting news of all, I just finished up my first feature for Canadian Running magazine! It’s coming out in the July issue, and it’s about how to lose weight while training. (Hmmm… wonder where that topic came from? I don’t obsess over that constantly, do I?) I’m very excited to be finally writing about running and I’m already thinking of new articles to pitch them.
So that’s about it for this short update, as I’m racing to go pick up my weekly order of organic vegetables (more on that later…), then pick up Andrew from a birthday party, come home and head to a meeting for Chris’ nursery school. There is much going on in my life these days, and I want to try and write about all of these changes. I’ve revamped my fitness routine (with Tread), changed my diet (finally cutting out most of the junk!) and I am really starting to feel like I am moving forward. How appropriate for a runner!
Happy trails…
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The half marathon
It’s taken me just over a week to even be able to write about the half marathon last week. I don’t know if it’s simply post-race letdown, post-race exhaustion, or just a general feeling of malaise, but I found myself unable to write about the race experience last week. There’s no other way to put it – I was bummed out.
Why? Well, I can’t exactly say why I was bummed, but I can rule out a few things. Was I disappointed with my results? Not on your life! When the chip times came in, I had run it in 2:10:50, which was faster than even my “excellent” goal. Quite honestly, I had no idea we could do it that fast. (Yes, when I say “we,” I mean the “fearsome foursome” who trained together since January.) And Mike and the boys came down to the route around the 10K mark, then were waiting for me at the finish line. That night, we all went out for a big dinner at the Mandarin to celebrate, which was also great. (Although poor Mike spent the night chasing a very wild Chris, who kept insisting he had to use the washroom.)
So why so unhappy? I think it’s a combination of quite a few things. One is simply let down after it was over. For weeks, we had a purpose. Every workout, every run, was geared toward this end goal. Suddenly, that was gone. And even though it was gone because I had accomplished that goal, it was still gone.
Another reason was the end of the race. We were running at a fantastic pace, keeping steady on the route. But around the 19K mark, my legs started to get tired. Really tired. I mean, tired to the point I felt like I wouldn’t be able to move them anymore. (And my right glute had been bothering me in the weeks leading up to the race. I had been stretching it and had gotten a good massage, but at 19K, it was making itself know.)
I still kept running, but when two of my running buddies surged at the end of the race, I couldn’t do it. I desperately wanted to keep up. I knew I SHOULD pour whatever I had left into keeping up with them so we could cross the line together. But I couldn’t. Something in me just couldn’t do it. At the time, I didn’t care. I said to myself, “if I come in 10 or 15 seconds behind them, so be it. I don’t want to run anymore.” But afterward, I was mad at myself. (I still am, a bit.) Why didn’t I push myself that little bit harder? Why did I completely crap out at the end? (Okay, not completely… I still ran and cross the finish line, 11 seconds behind my friends.) But I should have pushed that little bit harder. It’s like I know I didn’t quite do my best, and it’s haunting me a bit. I’m used to giving 100 percent, and I don’t think it was my best effort.
And the final reason for my bad mood? (I mean, my final running-related reason – like everyone, I have plenty of reason to be a bad mood with this economy and all the stresses of everyday life! But that stuff is par for the course… those stresses are ALWAYS around.) Well, as much as I have resolved not to worry about my weight/appearance – yeah, I’m still obsessing over it as much as ever.
Sigh. I still feel like I need to lose that last 10-20 pounds. (Ten pounds would be a big difference; 20 would be even better!) And I still see all the things I hate about my body when I look in the mirror. Yeah, I know that’s not right, but that’s the way I feel. And I’ve had a few weeks of feeling big, tall, fat and ungainly. I went shopping for new jeans after the race, and came away more depressed than ever. So that has certainly not helped my mood.
The real question is, what am I going to do about it? Am I going to give up and accept it, or am I going to make changes? Those who know me well know there’s really only one option. It’s time for a change.
First comes purpose. Being a member of Tread Powerfully has its benefits, not the least of which is a weekly e-mail from Sue, who is quickly becoming my guru of all things health, nutrition and fitness related. (We all need inspiration, and she is the perfect one for me. An extremely fit mother of two who believes in the benefit of regular exercise and runs her own successful business… hmm, wonder why I would look up to that?!) After the race, she sent out one about finding purpose in what we do. It reminded me that although one goal is accomplished, there are more waiting in the wings, and I need to use that purpose to move forward. (Like my all-important goal of running the Mississauga Marathon in 2010. Oh yeah, that goal!)
So I have tried to map out my purpose between now and May, 2010. (Of course, the letdown in May 2010 could be worse, so I will have to find a new purpose by then! But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.) Here goes…
1. A 10K power walking race on April 26. Yeah, that’s right, power walking. I’ve run three 10K races since I started on this journey, but power walking is new to me. But the gang from Tread is gearing up to this race, and Sue has made a comprehensive training schedule for us, so I’m going to give this a shot. It’s totally different than running (ouch on the shins!), and it’s going to be weird not running for two months, but I’m up for the challenge.
2. The 5K Moon in June Race. Once the 10K is out of the way, I’m going to return to running. This time, though, I’m going for speed. Let’s see if I can come close to running a 25 minute 10K. I think my goal will be to break my best time of 27:10 for the 5K. If I don’t do 25, that’s okay, but something in the 26 minute range would be perfect.
3. The Scotiabank Half Marathon at the end of September. Yep, that’s half number two. The training at the Running Room starts in June, but the “Fearsome Foursome” might also be up for training together over the summer. I hope so, because I’d rather run with the Foursome!
4. The Boxing Day 10 miler in Hamilton on Dec. 26. Okay, this one is crazy… a 10 mile run (that’s 16 kilometers… not quite a half marathon) the day after Christmas. And did I mention that is also my 35th birthday? That’s exactly why I want to do it. I can’t think of a more inspiring way to kick off my 35th year than with this run.
5. The Mississauga Marathon in May, 2010. Enough said.
That means it’s off to the races again. No rest for the weary!
Oh, and what am I doing about the weight stuff? Well, I haven’t quite decided, but once the dust settles after income tax this year, I’m going to look into hiring Sue as a personal trainer. I need to build more muscle and I need to be held accountable for what I eat. I know WHAT to do, but I need someone to hold me accountable for doing it. I’m sure I will write more about that in blog posts to come.
In the meantime, I did my first speed interval power walk today, and I’m off to strength training class tonight.
Happy trails…
Why? Well, I can’t exactly say why I was bummed, but I can rule out a few things. Was I disappointed with my results? Not on your life! When the chip times came in, I had run it in 2:10:50, which was faster than even my “excellent” goal. Quite honestly, I had no idea we could do it that fast. (Yes, when I say “we,” I mean the “fearsome foursome” who trained together since January.) And Mike and the boys came down to the route around the 10K mark, then were waiting for me at the finish line. That night, we all went out for a big dinner at the Mandarin to celebrate, which was also great. (Although poor Mike spent the night chasing a very wild Chris, who kept insisting he had to use the washroom.)
So why so unhappy? I think it’s a combination of quite a few things. One is simply let down after it was over. For weeks, we had a purpose. Every workout, every run, was geared toward this end goal. Suddenly, that was gone. And even though it was gone because I had accomplished that goal, it was still gone.
Another reason was the end of the race. We were running at a fantastic pace, keeping steady on the route. But around the 19K mark, my legs started to get tired. Really tired. I mean, tired to the point I felt like I wouldn’t be able to move them anymore. (And my right glute had been bothering me in the weeks leading up to the race. I had been stretching it and had gotten a good massage, but at 19K, it was making itself know.)
I still kept running, but when two of my running buddies surged at the end of the race, I couldn’t do it. I desperately wanted to keep up. I knew I SHOULD pour whatever I had left into keeping up with them so we could cross the line together. But I couldn’t. Something in me just couldn’t do it. At the time, I didn’t care. I said to myself, “if I come in 10 or 15 seconds behind them, so be it. I don’t want to run anymore.” But afterward, I was mad at myself. (I still am, a bit.) Why didn’t I push myself that little bit harder? Why did I completely crap out at the end? (Okay, not completely… I still ran and cross the finish line, 11 seconds behind my friends.) But I should have pushed that little bit harder. It’s like I know I didn’t quite do my best, and it’s haunting me a bit. I’m used to giving 100 percent, and I don’t think it was my best effort.
And the final reason for my bad mood? (I mean, my final running-related reason – like everyone, I have plenty of reason to be a bad mood with this economy and all the stresses of everyday life! But that stuff is par for the course… those stresses are ALWAYS around.) Well, as much as I have resolved not to worry about my weight/appearance – yeah, I’m still obsessing over it as much as ever.
Sigh. I still feel like I need to lose that last 10-20 pounds. (Ten pounds would be a big difference; 20 would be even better!) And I still see all the things I hate about my body when I look in the mirror. Yeah, I know that’s not right, but that’s the way I feel. And I’ve had a few weeks of feeling big, tall, fat and ungainly. I went shopping for new jeans after the race, and came away more depressed than ever. So that has certainly not helped my mood.
The real question is, what am I going to do about it? Am I going to give up and accept it, or am I going to make changes? Those who know me well know there’s really only one option. It’s time for a change.
First comes purpose. Being a member of Tread Powerfully has its benefits, not the least of which is a weekly e-mail from Sue, who is quickly becoming my guru of all things health, nutrition and fitness related. (We all need inspiration, and she is the perfect one for me. An extremely fit mother of two who believes in the benefit of regular exercise and runs her own successful business… hmm, wonder why I would look up to that?!) After the race, she sent out one about finding purpose in what we do. It reminded me that although one goal is accomplished, there are more waiting in the wings, and I need to use that purpose to move forward. (Like my all-important goal of running the Mississauga Marathon in 2010. Oh yeah, that goal!)
So I have tried to map out my purpose between now and May, 2010. (Of course, the letdown in May 2010 could be worse, so I will have to find a new purpose by then! But I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.) Here goes…
1. A 10K power walking race on April 26. Yeah, that’s right, power walking. I’ve run three 10K races since I started on this journey, but power walking is new to me. But the gang from Tread is gearing up to this race, and Sue has made a comprehensive training schedule for us, so I’m going to give this a shot. It’s totally different than running (ouch on the shins!), and it’s going to be weird not running for two months, but I’m up for the challenge.
2. The 5K Moon in June Race. Once the 10K is out of the way, I’m going to return to running. This time, though, I’m going for speed. Let’s see if I can come close to running a 25 minute 10K. I think my goal will be to break my best time of 27:10 for the 5K. If I don’t do 25, that’s okay, but something in the 26 minute range would be perfect.
3. The Scotiabank Half Marathon at the end of September. Yep, that’s half number two. The training at the Running Room starts in June, but the “Fearsome Foursome” might also be up for training together over the summer. I hope so, because I’d rather run with the Foursome!
4. The Boxing Day 10 miler in Hamilton on Dec. 26. Okay, this one is crazy… a 10 mile run (that’s 16 kilometers… not quite a half marathon) the day after Christmas. And did I mention that is also my 35th birthday? That’s exactly why I want to do it. I can’t think of a more inspiring way to kick off my 35th year than with this run.
5. The Mississauga Marathon in May, 2010. Enough said.
That means it’s off to the races again. No rest for the weary!
Oh, and what am I doing about the weight stuff? Well, I haven’t quite decided, but once the dust settles after income tax this year, I’m going to look into hiring Sue as a personal trainer. I need to build more muscle and I need to be held accountable for what I eat. I know WHAT to do, but I need someone to hold me accountable for doing it. I’m sure I will write more about that in blog posts to come.
In the meantime, I did my first speed interval power walk today, and I’m off to strength training class tonight.
Happy trails…
Sunday, February 22, 2009
One week
It’s now one week away. My first half marathon, that is. Yes, it’s really only half the distance of my ultimate goal, but 21.1 km (13 miles) is nothing to sneeze at. It’s not exactly a walk in the park.
I have been fairly stressed out about how my training is going. I’ve been following Sue’s plan exclusively, and doing my long runs with the three women I met through Sue and Tread Powerfully. (We’re getting to be known as the “Fearsome Foursome,” which is a great name!) So far, we’ve been having a great time running together. We’re all moms, we all love to run and we all believe very strongly in the benefits of regular exercise. It’s nice to have a group to run with that I also have a lot in common with.
Still, I’ve been worried about the distance. Sue’s plan is short (9 weeks), and is, according to her, based on trying to run a half marathon while still working, having small children and having a life in general. There’s no hill training, just what feels like endless aerobic intervals (AIs) that I am really beginning to hate. Last Wednesday, for example, I had to do two 2-minute AIs, two 3-minute AIs and two 4-minute AIs. It’s tough… crazy tough. The idea is that by pushing the pace on your practice runs, your normal pace becomes more comfortable. I feel like it just tires me out! (Well, that and every run lately is over 10K, which isn’t always fun!)
Last weekend, we ran 18K, and yesterday I ran 13, and both felt pretty good. I’m having a bit of an issue with my glute muscle, but I have a massage booked on Wednesday and I’ve been stretching and taking Epsom salt baths. As long as it holds out, I think I’ll be okay.
Is that enough? That’s the real question. I have decided not to worry too much about my time. I know I will never run a two-hour half marathon, so what’s the point of even thinking about it? The point is to run the best I can run. Sure, those elite runners will finish it in an hour, and there are even plenty of men and women my age (and a lot older too), who will run it between 1:40 and 1:50. Are they in better shape than I am? Probably. But some people just naturally run faster than others. I’m in very good shape, and will do the best that I can do.
So what is that, realistically? I once read somewhere that you should have three goals: an “excellent” goal (what you can run if conditions are perfect), a “good” goal (something that will make you happy but takes into account race-day conditions) and a “if I do this I will be happy” goal (i.e. finishing the race.) So here are mine:
Excellent goal: 2:15 – 2:20
Good goal: 2:20 – 2:30
If I do this I will be happy: 2:30 – 2:40.
Anything more than 2:40 and I will be disappointed in my performance. As it stands after our 18K, I think I will come in somewhere around the 2:20 mark… maybe 2:23. I’ll make that my official guess.
This week, training takes a bit of a backseat as we start to rest before the race. I have two more runs, one AI run (but much shorter than usual), a Tread Powerfully class, an Intense Strength class and maybe I’ll find time to do one more short, easy run. On Saturday night, the plan is to have a nice spaghetti dinner, but no wine! Sunday morning breakfast will be a big bowl of oatmeal, then it’s off to the race for 10:05 a.m.
I’m nervous already!
Happy trails…
I have been fairly stressed out about how my training is going. I’ve been following Sue’s plan exclusively, and doing my long runs with the three women I met through Sue and Tread Powerfully. (We’re getting to be known as the “Fearsome Foursome,” which is a great name!) So far, we’ve been having a great time running together. We’re all moms, we all love to run and we all believe very strongly in the benefits of regular exercise. It’s nice to have a group to run with that I also have a lot in common with.
Still, I’ve been worried about the distance. Sue’s plan is short (9 weeks), and is, according to her, based on trying to run a half marathon while still working, having small children and having a life in general. There’s no hill training, just what feels like endless aerobic intervals (AIs) that I am really beginning to hate. Last Wednesday, for example, I had to do two 2-minute AIs, two 3-minute AIs and two 4-minute AIs. It’s tough… crazy tough. The idea is that by pushing the pace on your practice runs, your normal pace becomes more comfortable. I feel like it just tires me out! (Well, that and every run lately is over 10K, which isn’t always fun!)
Last weekend, we ran 18K, and yesterday I ran 13, and both felt pretty good. I’m having a bit of an issue with my glute muscle, but I have a massage booked on Wednesday and I’ve been stretching and taking Epsom salt baths. As long as it holds out, I think I’ll be okay.
Is that enough? That’s the real question. I have decided not to worry too much about my time. I know I will never run a two-hour half marathon, so what’s the point of even thinking about it? The point is to run the best I can run. Sure, those elite runners will finish it in an hour, and there are even plenty of men and women my age (and a lot older too), who will run it between 1:40 and 1:50. Are they in better shape than I am? Probably. But some people just naturally run faster than others. I’m in very good shape, and will do the best that I can do.
So what is that, realistically? I once read somewhere that you should have three goals: an “excellent” goal (what you can run if conditions are perfect), a “good” goal (something that will make you happy but takes into account race-day conditions) and a “if I do this I will be happy” goal (i.e. finishing the race.) So here are mine:
Excellent goal: 2:15 – 2:20
Good goal: 2:20 – 2:30
If I do this I will be happy: 2:30 – 2:40.
Anything more than 2:40 and I will be disappointed in my performance. As it stands after our 18K, I think I will come in somewhere around the 2:20 mark… maybe 2:23. I’ll make that my official guess.
This week, training takes a bit of a backseat as we start to rest before the race. I have two more runs, one AI run (but much shorter than usual), a Tread Powerfully class, an Intense Strength class and maybe I’ll find time to do one more short, easy run. On Saturday night, the plan is to have a nice spaghetti dinner, but no wine! Sunday morning breakfast will be a big bowl of oatmeal, then it’s off to the race for 10:05 a.m.
I’m nervous already!
Happy trails…
Sunday, January 25, 2009
An exercise in flexibility
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…
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…
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…
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Ouch!
My new Mizuno running shoes are great. I started using them on Friday, and have not had one problem with shin splints. (Considering I was in agony on Wednesday night after running in my Nikes, that’s a big deal.) There’s just one little problem… ouch!
See, the new Mizunos aren’t broken in, and they’ve given me two rather massive blisters on my heels. We’re talking big-time blisters, and are they painful! I ran an easy 5K on Friday, which is when the blisters first started. On Saturday, I did some speed work on the treadmill (four minute, intense speed intervals – yuck!) and didn’t even bother doing weights because my feet hurt so much. Somehow I got through today’s easy 10K run, but I have to admit, my feet are in pretty bad shape now. I’m going to soak them in Epsom salts tonight, but I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring. I have to be at a trade show all day, and I think the blisters might kill me!
Ultimately, I think I’ll be very happy with the shoe choices. The aches and pains/shin splints are already gone, proving to me that it was indeed my shoes that caused the problem. These shoes have great support, and if I can get the blisters under control, it will be great.
Until then, though, I think I’m in for some painful times ahead!
Today also marked another milestone for me with my running. Today I started my experiment with different types of energy drinks and gels. I know they’re not to important for me right now, considering I’m only running distances of up to 13K right now, but as I move to half marathon training in the fall, it will become much more important. Any time you’re out running for longer than 90 minutes, you need to put both carbohydrates and electrolytes back in your body. And while you could try munching on an apple while running, energy drinks and gels are really the best way to get those nutrients back into your body. (We had a sports nutritionist come in and talk to our clinic… can you tell?)
So today I tried a gel before my run. Disgusting! I didn’t notice it gave me more energy (although the run was easier – I think that’s because we slowed down our pace a bit), but it certainly didn’t upset my stomach either. Next week, I’m going to try an energy drink instead of water on my run. We’ll see if that makes any difference.
Happy trails…
See, the new Mizunos aren’t broken in, and they’ve given me two rather massive blisters on my heels. We’re talking big-time blisters, and are they painful! I ran an easy 5K on Friday, which is when the blisters first started. On Saturday, I did some speed work on the treadmill (four minute, intense speed intervals – yuck!) and didn’t even bother doing weights because my feet hurt so much. Somehow I got through today’s easy 10K run, but I have to admit, my feet are in pretty bad shape now. I’m going to soak them in Epsom salts tonight, but I’m afraid of what tomorrow will bring. I have to be at a trade show all day, and I think the blisters might kill me!
Ultimately, I think I’ll be very happy with the shoe choices. The aches and pains/shin splints are already gone, proving to me that it was indeed my shoes that caused the problem. These shoes have great support, and if I can get the blisters under control, it will be great.
Until then, though, I think I’m in for some painful times ahead!
Today also marked another milestone for me with my running. Today I started my experiment with different types of energy drinks and gels. I know they’re not to important for me right now, considering I’m only running distances of up to 13K right now, but as I move to half marathon training in the fall, it will become much more important. Any time you’re out running for longer than 90 minutes, you need to put both carbohydrates and electrolytes back in your body. And while you could try munching on an apple while running, energy drinks and gels are really the best way to get those nutrients back into your body. (We had a sports nutritionist come in and talk to our clinic… can you tell?)
So today I tried a gel before my run. Disgusting! I didn’t notice it gave me more energy (although the run was easier – I think that’s because we slowed down our pace a bit), but it certainly didn’t upset my stomach either. Next week, I’m going to try an energy drink instead of water on my run. We’ll see if that makes any difference.
Happy trails…
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