Niagara Falls Half Marathon!

I realize this is a week late, but here it is!

Last Sunday, I completed my very first half marathon!

I'm so incredibly proud of myself. I never thought I'd be running a half marathon a little over 10 months from the day I started taking running fairly seriously and a little over a year from the time I had Andrew.

I had initially expected to run the 10K at the Niagara Falls International Marathon. I kept reading about how the Niagara Falls course was nice and flat so I decided to change my registration to the half marathon. I honestly flipped and flopped over this decision a whole bunch of times between July and race day.

The Husband and I headed out to Niagara Falls on the Saturday night so that we wouldn't have any big problems on race day getting there and finding where to go. We headed to the Expo, got my number, checked out some of the displays, picked up my t-shirt and headed back to the hotel.



Our hotel room was amazing! We had gotten an upgrade to a junior presidential suite (it didn't face the Falls though). It even had a gas fireplace! We headed out to a restaurant called the "Four Brothers" to eat some pasta and carb up a bit. They gave me so much food.

 

I got into bed early (8:30ish) and watched CNN's Blackfish and then fell asleep around 10. I slept really well until about 3ish, then I kept waking up every 45 minutes or so. I guess I didn't want to sleep through my alarm (although that has never happened).

 

I got up at 7, changed and headed down to the breakfast buffet that cost me $12.95 (next time I'll find a hotel with breakfast included). I had some milk, fruit and two waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. I headed back upstairs, changed into my running outfit, had The Husband take a picture and we headed out to the buses.

 

The line for the buses was long!! I managed to squeeze on one that was ready to leave because I was by myself and they needed three people so I promptly volunteered. The bus ride took forever!! I started to panic about how far we were driving out. The ladies behind me were awesome and very reassuring. They asked what my goal time was and I said there wasn't one, just to finish in an upright position.

We got off the buses and I started pacing back and forth to try to keep warm. I had a throw away jacket that I tossed into a Salvation Army bin just before lining up and the next thing I knew, the gun went off and everyone was running.

I completely amazed myself. I set a plan of running the entire way, except through water stations, where I'd run to the first person, grab a cup and then walk, drink, grab another cup, drink and then start running again. It worked really well, except when I had to stop to use the port-a-potty. I managed to find one without a lock too and had to fight some woman who kept trying to open the door while I was busy!

I managed to keep my time at around 7:45 min/km which was my other goal. I had a couple kms and some were under, which balanced everything out.

I finally managed to find The Husband wandering along side the course right near the end. He took a few pictures of me and then had to run to get ahead to take a few more. I think I actually beat him to the finish line! As I approached the line, I was by myself and I heard the announcer say "Here comes Victoria, all the way from Mississauga!" I threw my hands up and run through!



My official time was 2:39 (that's hours:minutes). I'm so proud of myself!!

Here's my newest medal!

 

Oh and here's the 'pose in front of the Falls'!


 
I had just come from the port-a-potties (again!) and had almost lost the ability to walk!

Up next, the Santa Shuffle 5K at the beginning of December and then back into training mode for the Chilly Half Marathon in March! I've definitely gotten the half marathon bug!
 

Four letters I now hate...I..T..B..S

Yup. Remember the pain I discussed last Monday that I had said was probably from the Midsummer Night Run and too much mileage too soon?

 

Well, it's flared up into some horrible pain. I can't bend my right knee without insane amounts of pain and walking down the stairs properly is impossible.

 

 

OUCH!!!!!

 

Here's my stupidity and over-ambitiousness shining through right here:

 

1. Even after the pain started in my right knee, I kept running.

2. I stupidly did the wrong week of my training and instead of doing 5 miles, I did 6.

3. I signed up for a half-marathon and didn't give myself enough time to train (only 10 weeks)

 

I'm so mad and frustrated with myself.

 

Anyway, here's my training schedule for the week.

 

Monday - 5 miles 6 miles

Tuesday - Rest - so icing, stretching and rolling instead

Wednesday - Going to try to get out for a 2km run without pain. If there's pain TURN AROUND. Then more stretching, icing and rolling.

Thursday - Depending on Wednesday's outcome, either another 2 or 3 km run and stretching, icing and rolling.

Friday - Rest, icing, stretching and rolling

Saturday - Supposed to be 6 miles...we'll see and more of the stretching, icing and rolling

Sunday - Rest day

 

Even with the pain, I felt amazing when I had finished my run. Not really gassed cardio wise which is good, just in pain.

 

I'm finished my maternity leave now, so it's back to work teaching Kindergarten and off to daycare for the boys. I'm glad I'll get time to run after work as opposed to after dinner because I'm going to be completely exhausted. Especially after this first week.

 

Any tips/tricks/great websites for dealing with ITBS?

Random Thoughts

I love how my mind wanders when I run. Here are some thoughts from my last run:

 

1. Clearly, we need to move. A lot of my longer, out and back runs are downhill on the way out and uphill on the way back. This definitely sucks.

 

2. Why do hills look like this when you're driving in the car:

 

 

And like this when you're running:

 

 

3. Lights change at the most inopportune times...always. When I'm having a great fast time, feeling wonderful and red light. When I'm moving slower than a snail, but stopping would be pain and having to start again, red light. It's brutal.

 

4. The minute you lift your sunglasses up to wipe away sweat, a bug flies right into your face. Really???

5. People drive like nuts, especially during rush hour!!!

What do you think about when you run?


Training this week and an Injury

I'm into week two of my training for the Niagara Falls Half Marathon.

 

Well, I'm supposed to be in Week 2, but instead I had to do my long run of Week 1 today instead of Saturday due to lots of family obligations.

 

Here's this week's training:

 

Monday: 3 miles 4 miles

Tuesday: Rest day (moving furniture at work)

Wednesday: 4 miles (might be 3, see below)

Thursday: 3 miles

Friday: Rest

Saturday: 5 miles

Sunday: Rest

 

Seems doable! On Sunday, rest day will be spent at the beach with great friends, my husband and my boys so I'm quite looking forward to that!

 

Now to the bad part of the title, an injury.

 

I definitely overdid it at the Midsummer Night Run 15K. My knees and pelvis were in a lot of pain by the end of the run. My pelvis seems to have recovered and I thought my knees were in pretty good shape, but apparently not.

 

I'm always aware of pain in my knees. I notice it when I sit down cross-legged with my kids (both at home and my students) and it's starting to crop up while I run. However, the pain when I run is different from the pain when I'm sitting, which is what is causing me concern.

 

 

Sorry for the stock photo, but the green circle is highlighting my area of pain. When I'm walking/sitting, no pain there. When I get up or run, pain. It's on both knees as well, which I'm not pumped about at all. I'm going to ice them, see how training the rest of this week goes and if it's still bad, off to the doctor.

 

What are you training for right now and how is it going?

 

 

My watch said "WHAT!?"

I plugged in my Garmin to upload the recent runs I've done.

 

It's a sad, sad state.

 

Between July 18th and August 17th, I have done a total of 4 runs including my last race, A Midsummer Night Run.

 

Ooops!

 

It could explain what felt like a complete poop of a race.

 

My splits are absolutely nuts compared to what I normally run.

 

 

Clearly, I need to work on my endurance. Speed during a 5km race is nothing for me. I try to stay around a 6:15/km split. Not possible for me during the 15K.

I've definitely learned from this for my half marathon. I need to start working on my pacing now as I begin doing my longer runs. I'm using the Running Room pace band and I'm hoping to get a half marathon time of 2:30. Do-able, I think.

Yesterday's workout was a little light 4km jog around the neighbourhood. It was supposed to be a 3 mile run but my legs definitely couldn't handle it. They needed the slow speed and the lower mileage. I'm hoping that the 5km that is planned for today will not be too taxing.

What did your first long race look like? As ugly as mine??

What was today's workout for you?
 

My new candy store!!

You know that saying

 

"Like a kid in a candy store"?

 

That was me, except the store was the Saucony outlet and the candy...

 

SHOES!!

 

Lots and lots of running shoes!

 

I've become a Saucony fan and I absolutely love my running shoes.

 

The inspiration for the blog name!

 

Granted, they're the only pair that I've ever run in, but why mess with a good thing right?

 

I know they come out with new versions of shoes every year and the salesperson at the store told me what upgrades were made to the Ride 5s to call it Ride 6s. I couldn't bear to part with the Ride 5s so I decided to buy a pair from the outlet.

 

So these are my new shoes.

 

Unfortunately, I couldn't remember if I was size 8 or 8.5 so I went with the 8.5's but need to head back to the store to swap them (they don't quite work with the blog name, but since my pink ones were my first, I'm sticking with it).

 

I still have a whole bunch of miles to put on the pair that I'm currently using so they won't be retiring for awhile (until at least after the half marathon). I'm only at 124 miles so I've got lots of wear left. I just wanted to make sure I was covered in case something happened.

 

Here's the big question though. The Ride 5s will eventually no longer exist and I'll need to get a new pair of shoes (hopefully in a couple years but not soon!!).

 

How do you choose your shoes??

 

I ask because there was a very mad man at the Saucony store today who didn't like the Hurricanes, wore them for 10 days outside and wasn't able to return them. I don't want to end up like this angry man (although I wouldn't have worn them outside like that man).

I chose the first pair by heading to The Running Room, getting analyzed by the salesperson and being told which shoes would work for me according to what he saw and what I told him. He showed me the recommended section for me to pick from and I went with style from there!!

I'm so pleased with my decision.

Half Marathon training begins (kind of)!

So there are approximately 11 weeks until my first half marathon in Niagara Falls on October 27th.

 

I found a 10 week training plan that I'm going to follow and have that one extra week for laziness/illness/life. It's supposed to start today.

 

However, I'm still quite sore from my 15km that I did on Saturday. My legs are tired, my knees are achy and a good chunk of the pain has actually moved up into my shoulders and neck. I'm assuming that means that I'm tense up in that area when I'm running so it's something I need to work on for sure. Therefore, I'm skipping today's training and I'll run on Wednesday. I figure I won't be losing any fitness.

 

Here's my schedule:

 

10-Week Half Marathon Training Schedule

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Total
1	3	Rest	3	3	Rest	4	Rest	13
2	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	5	Rest	15
3	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	6	Rest	16
4	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	8	Rest	19
5	3	Rest	5	3	Rest	10	Rest	21
6	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	11	Rest	24
7	4	Rest	6	4	Rest	12	Rest	26
8	4	Rest	5	4	Rest	9	Rest	22
9	3	Rest	4	3	Rest	8	Rest	18
10	3	Rest	3	Walk 2	Rest	13.1	Rest	21.1

 

 It only lays out the miles I need to run and it'll be up to me to add in the cross-training and types of workouts I feel like doing. I figure that's the easiest way for me to do this and it's fairly easy to get back on track if something goes awry.

 

I also have two more races before the half. I'm doing a 5K at the Zoo and the CIBC Run for the Cure at the beginning of October.

 

I'm going to be aiming for a 2:30 half marathon. My friend, Lisa, told me about the pacing bands on the Running Room website and I'm so excited about being able to use it.

 

I've also added a countdown to my sidebar so that I can see the days go by!

 

I'm getting excited!!

A Midsummer Night Run 15K Recap

Yesterday I ran my first 15km race.

 

 

A friend of mine encouraged me to sign up for this 15km way back in May and I figured I had time to train for it. In stepped life and while I wasn't completely prepared, I wasn't completely unprepared either.

The day started out with a drive down to Toronto, where I met my friend Lisa (the encourager!) and my sister (who had picked up my race kit for me but she wasn't running). We hoped on the shuttle to get to the island ferry. The drive was horrible due to traffic, but we got on the first ferry and made it over to the islands quickly.


Pulling into the Islands

We walked to the starting line area and waited for about 2 hours before the 15km race was supposed to start. Of course, it gives me time for my nerves to build up and think about wanting to quit before even beginning but I didn't. We also waited in some ridiculously long washroom and bag check lines.

 The race began and I stayed up with Lisa for the first 6km. She had set a goal time of 1:52:00 - 1:58:00 whereas I set a goal to run as much as I could and get across the finish line.

At 6km, Lisa began pulling away from and I lost sight of her but secretly kept pushing her along in my mind. She ran 10:1s and I needed to stretch them out to 1:30 of walking. She actually ran it in 1:47 and managed to beat the goal time she'd set out for herself.

The course was nice. It went all over the Toronto Islands. The only bad part was the large number of people that were on the Islands since it was still open to the public. There were lots of walkers, bike riders and picnickers. It was pretty crazy. We ran on sand, grass, asphalt and even a wooden boardwalk. I hated the boardwalk. It was too uneven and when other people ran on the planks beside me they would lift up under my feet.

I finished the race in 2:03:01 (although I'm not sure because my chip and gun time are the same and I definitely wasn't at the front of the line). I came in 1209 and was 251 out of 279 females ages 30-39. Honestly, I'm just glad to finish and to not be on the last page of the results, even though I was cutting it close.

My finisher medal

 

Then came the bad part of waiting to get back home. We had to wait for 3 ferries and in a mass of people. It was quite nuts and after running for 2 hours, the last thing I wanted to do was stand in line.

Toronto on the way home!

I finally made it home at about 11:00 pm (after leaving at 2:00). It was a long day. The race was very well organized and I'd do it again, if it wasn't on the Island or they figured out some better way for the ferries on the way home. That was the only downside I saw the whole day.

Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of the ridiculous pain! I can barely walk down the stairs!

Up next is the start to my half marathon training!! I'm looking forward to it!

What were you up to this weekend?

Hydration, Hydration, Hydration!

During the day, I'm really good about drinking the water I need too. I constantly have a water bottle filled up and once I go back to work any break I get will be spent filling it back up again.

 

During my last long run (8k) I was constantly thinking about water and how I would have killed someone for a small drink.

 

When I started thinking about the longer runs I'm going to need to do for the half marathon, I started to get worried. I'm going to need something to help me out because I know if I stop at home to get water I'm going to stop and not go back out (more than likely one of the boys will be crying).

 

I've also thought about gels and chews and how to carry them if I'm running.

 

I've decided that I need to look a hydration belts or water bottles if I'm going to survive my half marathon training.

 

The issue is there are so many!!

 

2 bottles, 4 bottles, colours, hand held, etc!

 

 

 

 

Do you use a hydration belt or hand held one??

 

Which one do you use?

 

Any tips?

 

 



I'm back and ready to run!

So this past week has been a little nuts.

 

We went to my aunt's cottage for a few days (Thurs to Mon.), came home, did laundry, did an 8k run, bathed/showered and then headed back for another trip to another cottage (Tues - Sat).

 

My eldest son looking like a turtle stuck on his back!

 

I'm exhausted and miss running. There wasn't much of an opportunity to run and I thought I was going to lose some fitness but honestly, I never stopped moving. Taking two little boys to a cottage where there is fire pits, beaches and lakes I was always heading somewhere.

 

Eating wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either. There were lots of choices which was fantastic but a lot focused around meat and booze. Water was a little scarce because we couldn't drink the tap water so we relied on bottled water, but that was needed more for the baby bottles than my consumption.

 

Anyway, we're back and I'm ready to get training into high gear!

 

I have a 15K on Saturday that might require some walking but that's ok. I've accepted it at this point.

 

After that race, half marathon training will completely begin and starting tomorrow eating will be amazing. I'm quite excited actually!

 

Here's my training for the week:

 

Monday - 11k run

Tuesday - rest

Wednesday - softball

Thursday - 5k run

Friday - rest

Saturday - 15 k Midsummer Run

Sunday - rest

 

What's your week looking like?



iPod woes!

I love listening to music and definitely rocking out in the car (even though my 2.5 year old tells me to stop).

 

When I used to workout at a gym, I'd have my iPod on during cardio all the time. I wouldn't rock out, but I found that it would help distract me from looking at the time ticking by on the treadmill, ellipitcal or bike.

 

When I started running I didn't use my old school iPod Nano because I ran with my buddy and we chatted to pass the time instead.

 

Once I stopped running with her, I used the Nano once or twice but ran into issues with headphones. They kept falling out. Then at some point the set that came with my phone broke and stopped working (I don't use them with my phone at all).

 

I headed out and got myself a new pair of YurBuds,

 

 

brought them home to my fully charged iPod and was ready to go.

 

Lo and behold, the iPod wasn't charged. Hmmm. I was pretty sure I'd plugged it in, charged it and hadn't used it.

 

So I plugged it back into the computer, charged it up again so it was ready to take out on my next run (I went music-less again for that current run).

 

The next time I went to grab the iPod (knowing it was charged), nothing happened. It didn't turn on and wouldn't respond to the reset.

 

I accepted the truth. It was time for my iPod to rest in peace.

 

Luckily, I had points on my credit card. I used some points to get myself a little iPod shuffle.

It came this weekend, so I spent some time setting up iTunes again and adjusting my playlist.

 

Yesterday, I came across jog.fm and have myself set for 6:15/km. I can't wait to get out for another run tonight.

I missed out on my big run on the weekend, because my 8km turned into a horrible 5k, instead. I just couldn't continue.

I'll be doing the 8km tonight instead!

Do you listen to music when running?

What's your favourite running song?

If you're having a crappy run do you cut it short or complete what you planned?

 



Noo! Stay away injuries!

Friday I was supposed to do a 5 km run with some strength training.

 

Instead, I sat on the couch with an ice pack.

Thursday, I took my oldest son to the circus. Between sitting on the bleachers and having him hoisted up on my legs so that he could see over top of the giant man in front of us (he wasn't giant, just felt like it), I ended up with a very sore knee when I woke up on Friday morning.

 

I have history with knee pain.

 

I used to play fast pitch softball (now I'm in the beer leagues, much nicer). I used to play catcher. This has wreaked havoc on my knee. I can't sit crossed-legged on the floor (tough for a Kindergarten teacher or mom to avoid) without some pain on my left knee. However, the pain from the circus was more of an overuse pain instead of a sharp pain.

 

Surprisingly, it feel fine when I run. There's no pain at all. Sometimes, after I run it's a little sore, but nothing like it was on Friday.

 

Happily, the pain went away on Saturday and my knee feels like it normally does. Slightly pain when it's tightly bent, but other than that. Nothing!!
 

I'm paranoid of getting injured. I refuse to go to the doctor to get my knee checked because I'm afraid that she's going to tell me more needs to be done and that I might even require surgery in the future. I've already dealt with a bad case of shin splints, but luckily they've stayed away.

 

I'm not sure if it had anything to do with stretching/icing or not, but, I don't want to run into anything in the future so from now on, stretching everyday!

 

Anyone have an awesome stretching routine they want to share??

Running Community

Despite losing weight and getting healthier, one of the other big benefits is the running community both online and in person.

 

Last night, I went for my run, a nice easy 5K (love how 5K is 'nice and easy' now). On the way, I passed a few other runners. I always worry, "are they going to laugh at my pace" or "do they think I'm just an imitation runner" (whatever that is). Or are they analyzing my posture/gait, etc.

 

These things go through my head, but as we're getting closer and closer, all they do is wave, say hello or give me a little smile.

No chuckling, laughing, staring, gawking, etc.

Races are awesome.



Everyone cheers for each other. I cheer for those people that pass me and try to encourage those I pass (few and far between) and congratulate each other at the end of the race! It's so much fun.

I've also found an amazing online group called Running Bloggers where I picked up tips, read reviews of races and products and just cheer or commiserate with other runners who blog.




I haven't branched out to running groups yet because with the two boys, getting out at a scheduled time is tricky and once I go back to work, once I get them from daycare, that's my time with them. I'll hit the gym or run outside after work and then pick them up. A running group is great, but at this point, not really feasible.

All in all, it's great to feel a part of something that used to seem so scary to me.

Thanks to those of you that read my blog and comment! I love it!



Motivation? What's that?

Today, I feel like this:

 



 

I have 5km on the plan tonight, which isn't much (a little over 30 minutes) but I know getting out the door is going to be the hardest part. My littlest was up at 5:30 this morning so I'm pretty tired.

 

I need to start pushing myself a little harder right now. In a couple weeks we're going to two different cottages and I know that running workouts aren't going to happen much.

 

I'm hoping that I'm just going through a little blah time and that I'll be able to get out of this funk soon!

 

Ever been in a funk?? What gets you out of it?

Slightly off course!

So with everything that happened last week, I was just in no mood for training. I couldn't bring myself to get out and run. Plus the heat didn't help at all.

 

I did get out for my race, which I did really well with, but other than that I haven't run.

 

That means my training plan for the 15K, has been off (ok, more like slightly ignored). I've done the rest days (yay!) and some cross training (mostly walking) but other than that I haven't done anything.

 

Thomas, a favourite in our house!

 

Tomorrow, back on track!

 

Tomorrow is a strength and stretch day. I'm also going to take the boys to the park so there'll be some walking in there as well.

 

Here's how the rest of the week's training plays out:

 

Monday: Strength and Stretch

Tuesday: 5km Run

Wednesday: 45 min cross (possibly softball)

Thursday: Rest

Friday: 5km run and strength

Saturday: 50 minutes cross training (walk or 30 Day Shred)

Sunday: 6.5 km run

 

I'm hoping to post my training schedule each Monday to keep me more motivated. Because once it's on the Internet it's true and has to stay true, right?

 

What are your training plans for the week??

Eaton Downtown Dash - 5K

To start off the recap, this was supposed to be a 10K, but I switched it to the 5K a couple days before the race. It was just going to be too much. I'm seriously glad I did or I might still be running it now!

The temperature was 29 degrees Celsius and with the humidity it felt like 40 degrees Celsius.

 

Bib and medal!

 

The race takes place a couple cities over from the one I live in so I had some idea of where it was however (and this is one of the flaws) there was no route map provided, therefore, I had no clue where the start line was and just happened to drive upon it as we were looking for somewhere to park.

 

We were promised lots of parking and there was sufficient but it was in local businesses that were either closed for the day or allowed the racers to park there. We ended up having to walk about 7 or 8 minutes to the start line. The boys got distracted by a park so I walked up alone.

 

What goes on while I run

 

Of course, I was drinking water all day long, considering the heat and not wanting to pass out while running, which meant a trip to the port-a-potties. There were 6 port-a-potties and at least 4 times that amount of people waiting in line for them. Kinda sucked, but at least I went early enough before start time that I had enough time to make it back to the start line.

 

We all lined up, the gun went off and before we even turned the first corner, I felt something hit my foot and almost take me out. Turns out a lovely stroller jogger hit my feet and I almost went right down onto my face. Lovely. I was so pissed, but caught myself and continued on.

 

My splits weren't fantastic. I flew out again at 5:56 for the first kilometer and they continued to go downhill from there. My goal was to stay below 6:30 each kilometer but it didn't happen. I slowly started to creep up and I capped it with a 7:04.

 

My littlest supporter!

 

There was only one water station at a little before 2.5 km and they had water, Gatorade and wet sponges. I took some water, had a sip and dumped the rest on my head. I grabbed a sponge too, but should have held onto it until later in the race. I could have used a second water station a little further in but there were also a few residents who were stuck in their houses while we ran who had taken out the garden hoses and spray bottles. I'm forever grateful for these people!

 

I had to walk a couple times, but it was short amounts and it was just to get my breathe back. If I tried to take a deep breath while running, it hurt and pretty much felt like my lungs were blocked off.

 

The crappiest part was when the 10K runners started passing us. I knew it was inevitable but it still sucked. I was over half way at least, which was my goal. If some of them passed me before I would have cried.

 

My chip time (which I use as my time) was 32:07, which gives me a new 5K PR down from 33:20.

 

At the end of the race, there was a spray tent, water, ice cream, pizza, massages, etc. We hung around until the first few 10K people came in and then decided to head home.

 

Mmmm...definitely needed after the race!

 

Overall, it was a great race and I'll probably do it again next year. Hopefully it won't be as hot, but you never know!


Clearly, the free Shreddies were more important than smiling for the picture!

I'm a featured blogger!

Yesterday, I posted about my crazy idea to switch my 10k at the Niagara Falls International Marathon to the Half.

 

Well, about a little bit ago, they sent out an email asking for bloggers that are running any distance at the race to send in their blog addresses which are added onto their site to share their journey.

I jumped at the chance and emailed my in.

 

I was checking out my Facebook feed and seeing what was happening while both boys were napping (yay!) and it turns out my blog was chosen and is now on their site here!

 

There are some other blogs listed and I haven't gotten a full chance to read through them yet, but who knows! Maybe I'll get to meet my first running-blogger-friend while we're there! Wouldn't that be neat!? (I'm coming off to strong...slow it down!).

 

In other news, I've just won two fantastic giveaways! I won Lunatik Athletic Compression Socks from Running Happily Ever After and some FrogFuel from Cerissa B. Fit

 

 

I'm on a roll and loving it!

 

I'm hoping to use the compression socks at the Half Marathon (and after) to match a new lightweight running jacket I just got (it'll be October, in Canada, bound to be chilly).

 

 

Lastly, I made my friend, Lisa's, blog roll on her blog whiskybaker. She's is one of those fantastic people that I constantly ask about running and she even talked me into running my 15K I'm training for in August, the Midsummer Night Run!

 

Well, that's all for now! Have a great day and a great run!

What have I done!?

Yesterday, I made the decision to change my entry in the Niagara Falls International Marathon from a 10K to a Half Marathon!

 

Hold me!

 

I've been reading about half marathons and how it's becoming a popular distance and how people that haven't really run much are able to complete a half after following training plans.

 

I figure, I run at least 3 times a week and have been working at it since January.

 

I can do it!

 

I emailed the organizer yesterday and changed my registration to a half marathon.

 

I figured this would be the one to do for a couple reasons.

 

1. It's kind of the culmination of the racing season for me and the last big race nearby. What better way to end my first 'running' year.

 

2. The boys aren't coming with us therefore my husband can find something to keep himself occupied for however long it will take me without having to worry about keeping the boys busy as well.

 

3. It just feels right after I'll have done the gradual build up of distances. Plus it's a flat course with a downhill at the end.

 

The funniest part is that once I go back to work in September, I'll have more time to train. I think that's the opposite for most people. For many other people, work gets in the way but for me, the boys will be in daycare and I finish school at 3:30 so I have plenty of time to run before I need to pick them up. I'll hopefully join a gym too so I can get some indoor running in if necessary due to cold weather and rain as well as some strength training.

 

So now, it's time to get focused on better nutrition and get all these things figured out before I bust my butt into my half in October!

 



When other things are more important

Last week, I was worrying about not being ready for my 10K on Thursday.

 

On Friday, I didn't get out to do my 8K run that I had planned, nor did I get out Sunday to do my 6.5K.

 

Something much more important happened.

 

On Friday morning, I got a phone call from my Dad letting me know that my 92 year old Granny had passed away peacefully in her sleep. She'd lived a full, happy life, and left behind her 4 kids, 7 grandkids and 3 great-grandchildren (which she managed to see at the beginning of June). She fell asleep with her pearls on being ever the classy lady she was.  

Granny with Andrew back in October

 

Friday night was spent with my family at my parents' house. Although I don't have a role in the decision making, I thought just being around family and helping out wherever needed was best. In this case, it was getting dinner. Simple, but necessary.

 

We didn't get home until 9ish, which meant there was no 8K for me (another day I wished I had a treadmill).

 

Sunday, we spent the day at home and then went to my parents again to let my nephew spend the afternoon with my boys and collect pictures so my husband can put together a slide show of Granny's life for her memorial service on Wednesday.

 

I, honestly, feel more unprepared for the race, but I'm going to stick with the 10K I originally registered for.

 

My Granny was a lovely lady.

 

I know she'd be telling me to do what I had planned to do and do it the best I can.

 

For me, as much as I love running and training, there are more important things sometimes and clearly, for me, I made the better decision this weekend.

 



The Panic begins to set in!

A week today, I run my next race.

 

It's a 10K.

 

I'm panicking.

 

Definitely pushing the panic button!

 

 Like, constantly thinking about it, doubting myself, wondering what I got myself into, reassuring myself, then wondering if I can switch my registration, then saying 'no, that's silly', I can do this and then the whole process starts all over again.

 

I have to admit, I didn't really have these feelings with my first 5K but I think it's because I had a buddy with me. I knew I was prepared, that I would finish it and that I'd have a great friend helping me through if I needed it.

 

Even my second 5K. I was nervous because of the giant hill, but I knew I could run the 5K and that I would be alright.

 

This one is completely different.

 

Since the weekend, I've been panicking and the number 10 has been staring me in the face!

 

It's everywhere!

 

I ran 6.5 km on Saturday evening. I barely made it through them. Granted, the first part was downhill and the second was uphill almost the entire way, it definitely didn't help my confidence even though the race is a completely flat course.

 

I haven't run an entire 10K before. The most I've gotten is 7K (to this point). Tomorrow I have 8 km on my training plan so we'll see how that goes.

 

My biggest fear?

 

Coming last.

 

I know someone has to be last, but I don't want it to be me.

 

I honestly think I'd cry if I was last.

 

I could always pull a Tonya Harding and ensure I'm not last I guess (just joking!)

 

Any ideas on how to stop me from panicking??

 

 

 



I think in kilometers not miles

I hate numbers and measurements. I'm not a numbers person.

 

For example, we've been house hunting for about a year and a half now and when we look at houses online my husband can instantly picture the house in his mind and where everything is and how big the rooms are. I, on the other hand, cannot.

 

I'm a very visual person. If I need to compare the length of something, I use an 'in-my-head' ruler or meter stick. It's horrible and it takes forever to compare measurements of items let alone get the right measurement (i.e. centimetres or inches).

 

Running is a whole different ball game!

 

 

Being in Canada, I use kilometers on a daily basis, just like I use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit.

 

All the plans that I find online are based in miles. Run 2 miles, 4 miles, etc. I head to trusty Google, type in 4 miles and it gives me the measurement in kilometres and I know how long to run.

 

What really gets me is the races that are measured in kilometres anyway?

 

Why weren't they created in miles?

 

I even converted my Garmin.

 

 

With my first run out with my Garmin I couldn't understand why it was taking so long to get one kilometer down. My running buddy and I had come home after one of our C25K runs and logged onto MapMyRun and determined that we had surely surpassed more than one kilometer. Well, it turns out my watch was set for miles. I quickly changed that one over.

 

The races definitely get me. I'm constantly on the lookout for the kilometer markers because what I think should be a kilometer is apparently a lot shorter than what a kilometer really is.

 

Want to know the scariest part of this whole thing?

 

I'm a teacher!

 

Thankfully, I teach Kindergarten and not high school! My poor students would be totally lost, just like me!

So many races, so little time!

How do you decide which races to participate in?

 

I've found that there are so many races on any given weekend that it's almost like a sensory overload for me!!

 

I've chosen all my races for this year and it is roughly once a month.

 

I've chosen them based on distance I'd be running, distance from home and timing of the run.

 

I wanted to choose runs that I figured would still be fun but weren't too much work for my husband considering he has the two boys to look after and I do like having them at my races. Knowing I get to see them at the end of the race is very motivating!

 

However, as they get older I'll be able to get to races that are further away. Especially when they become teenagers (*gasp*) and can stay home alone.

 

I also have my bucket list to consider. I want to run a race in every province/territory in Canada which ties nicely into our goal of taking the boys on trips during the summer to see the different provinces/territories. If I could time these perfectly I could reach both goals!

I've spent lots of time reading other blogs and reading race recaps. It's definitely opening my eyes as to what I should look for when I register and participate in a race. So far, two out of the three races have been really good so I must have picked some good ones!!

How do you pick your races?
 Do you plan other trips around races?
Do you stay close to home or adventure out?
Do you stick to the tried and true ones or do you branch out? How many races do you run a year?

Training plans are HARD!!

Last week, I mentioned how I was starting my official training plan for my 15 K.

 

I'm using the Hal Hidgon training plan but man is it hard!!

 

He even states that it's alright to move days around in order to accommodate life, which is definitely something I've needed to do.

 

I've had to adjust according to softball on Wednesday, Thursday's are rest days because my legs are a mess after the short 'sprints' and I need to figure out what I can count as cross training because I need to do it during nap time!

 

I literally printed out two calendars (July & August), sat down with a pencil (and a big eraser!) and Hal's plan and put it all on the calendar.

 

 

I think this is how I'm going to do all my training plans from now on.

 

Pencil, coloured pens, calendar and ERASER!

 

I've thought about using a white board calendar and marker as well but I have nowhere to put it right now.

 

Is there anyone else who is still a fan of paper and pencil (or coloured pens?) as opposed to everything digital?

 

How do you keep track of your training plans? How well do you stick to them?

Operation Nutrition

This is my biggest issue.

 

I've lost 35 lbs since I started running, but I'm stuck at 157lbs.

I know it's my eating, but I just can't get my mindset to switch.

 

However, I've determined that in order to get past this plateau at 157lbs, I need to change my eating.

I'm going to start with dinners. There's no more eating out unless we're going with friends or having dinner with family, which is often take-out. Even if we do go out or to BBQs, my choices are going to be a whole lot different.

I'm going to try to focus on clean eating and avoiding processed, boxed and frozen foods and get more wholesome foods that are better for me.

I'm hoping that if I do well with the dinners, everything else will fall into place. At least, my boys will be eating healthier dinners.

After the summer, I know that I will easily fall back into great eating. Once I get back to work, there's a whole lot less snacking, lunches are better because instead of just picking something out of the fridge, I have to plan it.

This year is different too, because I'd rather spend my lunch getting work done so that I can get to the gym or run, get it done with and go pick the boys up from daycare and then have the rest of the night with them.

I'm hoping that this will help with the remainder of my weight-loss and help with my running goals! I need my mind to switch over to using food as fuel as opposed to worrying about everything tasting good even though it's horrible for me.

Cross your fingers for me!!