Minutes keep adding up

Well now, that game was an embarrassment.  8-1 loss for our Canucks.  Still enjoyed watching it, but probably should have spent those wasted 3 hours doing some else.  I do believe they will prevail though.  Last night was just a stinker.

Yesterday I certainly made a big dent in the activity levels for June.

Bike ride to/from work which was about 80 minutes.  Even stopped at a vegetable stand on the way home and carried 5 oranges, 5 apples, 4 grapefruit, and a large zucchini in my backpack for about 5K of the ride.  That was a heavy sucker!!  I've been thinking lately about digging out the old kiddy trailer for my bike and using it to go get groceries.  Using a little less fuel, getting a little more exercise.  Just gotta get the cobwebs and dirt off of it.  All it takes is a little extra planning.

After the game I wanted to get in a little run.  It's been a few days and even though I'm being active, it's really my running I want to bring back up to snuff.  Headed out with the big dog in hopes of doing about 3 miles.  Unfortunately 1 mile into my run I got attacked with stomach pains.  Not enough time to process dinner. :(  Had to cut my route short and walk home.  I was disappointed in that, but still proud that I got out and did a little extra.  Oh well, the dog was happy to get out.  She was really good last night too.

Every day just keeps getting better and better!

Jun 1- 2.5 mile run + walking

Jun 2- 2.6 mile run + walking

Jun 3 - 75 min walk

Jun 4 - 30 min walk

Jun 5 - 75 min biking

Jun 6 - 80 min biking, 10 min running, 15 min walking

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Change in Direction

Another successful day.  I just love having a goal to work towards.  When you'd otherwise just sluff off a workout for the comfort of a couch and warm blanket (yes, we're still wrapping up with blankets and starting the woodstove most nights - grrrr, this is June right?) ... when you have a goal to work towards, you get up and go out anyways.

Another short run last night.  Had it planned to go a little further, however my daughter had a drama event at school and she thought it would run longer than it did.  I was out running when she called to get picked up and had to shorten up my route.  As it was, by the time I got there she was the last one left, so I really couldn't have gone longer.

The weather is supposed to improve this weekend.  It's really trying right now so I have high hopes.  As such, I'd let to get out for a nice long bike ride or even something like a 2 hour walk.  This 30 minute thing is fine, but that's really a minimum and I want to be out there more.  Especially if it's going to involve SUN!

I will say one thing .... last night's run was more enjoyable, so there's hope.  The first 10 minutes is torture, but my body adapted quicker than the day before and the last half of the run felt a bit like it used to (that floaty feeling) and I even managed a not bad pace at the end (8:30ish/mile).

I also found a nice little 5K-ish route near my house that I'd not previously considered.  It even has a grocery store mid-route that I can use as a bathroom break (very important feature).  Quite convenient!  I intend to make good use of this route and add some extensions and/or loops to it.  Funny, in the recent years that I've been running, I never once considered heading in this direction.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!!!

Jun 1- 2.5 mile run + walking

Jun 2- 2.6 mile run + walking

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Food Pusher's Galore

How lovely that our Vancouver Canucks squeaked out a win in the first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!  Scored with less than 19 seconds left on the clock.  Nothing like leaving it to the last minute.  Kind of how I feel about my weight these days.  I've procrastinated, let things slide, and now it's the last minute.

Yesterday went pretty well.  I avoided all my trouble foods.  Nearly had to get in TWO fights at work.

A couple months ago my one boss was going to walk across the street and get a little snack.  He asked if I wanted anything.  I had this crazy hankering for a Nanaimo square (chocolate, icing, tons of butter, sugar - horrible things).  So, he got me one.  To be honest it was just OK.

But, he got it in his head that this was a special treat for me.  He kind of treats me like a daughter/niece and often spoils me.  So ... he proceeded to bring me a damn Nanaimo square over, and over, and over.  Stupidly, I felt too guilty to refuse them, even though I really didn't even like it.  I really should have told him that.  He was just trying to be nice, and honestly these squares were not the sole cause for my recent weight gain - just part of the equation.

Recently I've told him a few times to please not get me one, that I really need to lose weight again.  But, he has continued to bring it anyway.  Often pushing, saying that I can eat it because I rode my bike, or I'm going for a run, or my weight is just fine.  And I've continued to eat it.

Well, whatta-ya-know .... yesterday I see him walking in with a tell-tale little baggy.  I know what he's done.  Before he even gets close to my desk I put up my hand and told him that if he had something in there for me I had to politely, yet firmly, decline.  I told him I am doing a challenge for June and will not be eating that stuff.  Again, he tries to push it on me.  His arguments: "but it's a brownie this time" ..... "they look really good" .... and my favourite "It's only the 1st, you have plenty of days left".  Seriously???? Failing on day 1 is not what I call a good start.  And even after that he actually brought the brownie to my desk and waved it in my face!  GASP!!!!!

But, I stood my ground and refused the brownie.  I sure hope he got the message.  I deeply appreciate his generosity, I really do, but I need to put my foot down on this.

Then, after that, my other boss starts talking about the big game.  Asking me what kind of snacks I was planning.  He's mentioning all the things that are great to eat during a game:  nachos with piles of cheese, chicken wings, pizza, beer, ribs.  Of course he has no idea (nor would he care) that I'm trying to eat better.  But, I REALLY didn't need to hear about all these yummy gross foods.

As it was, the only snack I did have during the game was a delicious fresh pineapple.

After the game I went out for a short run.  It was demoralizing.  I feel so slow, so awkward.  My husband came with me.  He's quite a bit taller than me, and much fitter right now.  He finds it difficult to run very slow and at one point opted to speed walk beside me.  I actually stopped and belted him full throttle.  Jerk!  I was crabby, crabby, crabby and feeling awful about myself, very self concious.  He was trying to make me laugh, but failed miserably.      Knowing that he could walk at my run speed made me feel even worse.

But, by the last 1/2 mile of the run I started to feel better and more positive.  I should know that running leaves me feeling better in the end.

June 1 was successful.

Jun 1- 2.5 mile run + walking

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

June Goals

June is upon us.  I am in desperate need of some goals and some focus.  After looking back over old posts, in the search for motivation and inspiration, I came across something that ironically I did last year in June.

Yep, it's that time again!

Here's the lowdown:

• 30 consecutive days of doing something active, everyday, for the month of June
• minimum 30 minutes per day
• must include a variety of  running, biking, walking, weights, and hopefully some hiking (if weather agrees)
• minimum 50 miles running

In addition to this, I need to make some changes in my diet.  So, for the month of June I'm imposing a ban on the following trouble/trigger foods I've been struggling with:

• pretzels
• chips
• nachos
• cookies
• brownies (or any form of cake/squares)
• candies
• chocolate bars

Normally I would say that such foods are OK in moderation, but moderation has not been a key word for me lately.  I need to change these nasty habits that have evolved!  I made a few minor changes in May, which is leaving me feeling better, but I need to do a lot more to see changes.

Here's to June being healthy & active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Race Recap & Halloween pics

Another amazing weekend!

First, there was Fran's Virtual Pink Dress Run. For me it wasn't a long or fast one, but it was a fun one!  I had planned to participate both Saturday and Sunday, but as you will see below, I wasn't able to work in the pink on Sunday.

We went out for another nighttime trail run. This time on a safer trail. It was only 2.5 miles long, but it sure is alot of fun running in the dark. So quiet, a bit mysterious, challenging not being able to see exactly where you are.  We put a flashing LED on the dog and let her rip around. She looked like a little UFO.  Here's me in my cheesy pinkness:

Sunday morning we had a race.  It was the 40th Annual James Cunningham Seawall Race.  If you are ever in Vancouver, take the opportunity to run around the seawall.  It's just gorgeous!  And if you are local, try out this race.  The distance was a bit odd at 9.5K (5.9 miles) but it is the distance of the entire seawall - which the race represents.

As I said the other day, this race was about participation, location & FUN!  It was definitely all of that and more.

When we started out I had no intention to actually "race".  I was going to run at a comfortably fast pace and just enjoy the route.  At the start line I contemplated running with our friends, but quickly decided that I wanted to run a little faster than that.  However, I didn't bother weaving through traffic like I would normally if I were racing it.  If traffic opened up I moved through, but I took in the scenery and enjoyed checking out all the costumes.

I had made a conscious decision to NOT look at my Garmin until at least the 5K mark - just because.  I wanted to run by feel and just see what happened.  I expected to finish between 55 minutes up to an hour, or about a 9:30 pace, give or take.  Around 3K though I was feeling a bit tired and wondered if I even had it in me.  I've been running alot of 10:00 paces lately due to a variety of reasons and had no idea if I was capable of more right now.

At the 5K mark my husband asked me if we were at a 9:30 pace.  I checked and was shocked to see that we were at an 8:35!  Especially since we were running in costumes (which you will see shortly).  This inspired me to put in the effort to hold, or improve, on this pace.

By about 8K I wanted to be done.  This is tyipically where I fade on this distance.  I just wanted it to be over.  I was HOT and parts of my costume were beginning to bother me.  My husband also started to get bothered by chafing from his get-up.  But I wanted to finish strong and do the best I could do on that day.

We crossed the finish line together at 50:02.  My Garmin said 49:59, so I was happy to be under 50 minutes, but I must have missed the first timing mat.  Oh well, close enough.  Our average pace was 8:27, which is faster than the last race I did (without costume and with a faster start). 

I was 10th out of 59 in my age category.  I'm pleased with that!

Every race sure teaches me more and more about my strong & weak points and I'm learning where to make little adjustments.

Now ... for the costumes.  We had decided as a group to go as cats, however my husband couldn't wrap his head around that for himself (and neither could I really).  He likes to go big or stay home.  When we were in high school he dressed as a caveman for Halloween once and spent the whole day grunting instead of talking and he ran around hunched up and sniffing everyone, climbing on lockers.  He considered dragging out this costume again ... which immediately made me think of the Geico commercials "So Easy A Caveman Can Do It".  I told him if he was going to wear the costume, he had to carry a sign with that saying on it.

Here we are pre-race:

As soon as we arrived people starting asking for pictures.  The race photgrapher grabbed us immediately.  I can't find any race photos posted yet, but I'm sure we will be in some.  The entire race people were laughing at his sign and couldn't believe he was running in that outfit.

The sign provided quite a bit of wind resistance and by the last half of the race he said his shoulders were feeling it.  My boa wasn't nearly as annoying as I thought it would be, but certainly added some unnecessary warmth.  I worried that feathers would get stuck all over me, but it wasn't an issue.  The great thing about my feathers was that they fell off constantly, so our friends behind us had a good laugh knowing they were trailing us the whole time.  They kept watching to see if my feathers trailed off to a washroom - which I'm pleased was not an issue this race (yippee!).

After the race we scored WELL!  There were a ton of door prizes to be given out and we stayed for it all.  They started out calling bib numbers, but most of the people weren't there, so they resorted to calling random things - which is my favourite!  I'm very keen when it comes to that game and almost always leave with something.

They called out for the first person who has bunny ears ... first person who is bald ... etc.  Finally they got to the first leopard and I dove to the stage and won myself a $10 Subway card.  Moments later they called out for someone with ears (as part of a costume).  I didn't want to go as I had just won something, so I shoved my friend who was in the same type of costume.  She was a moment late, but she sprinted and then literally flung herself on stage doing a roll into the announcer saying "Me, I have ears!".  It was hilarous.  She won a $50 gift certificate to a swanky restaurant.  I don't remember what the call was for, but my husband then won a visor and key chain.

The announcer was running out of ideas and so she called for the first three people to do 5 push-ups.  My friend and I didn't even consult one another.  We both lunged to the stage and dropped for 5.  Though I literally dropped!  I went down and crashed belly first to the ground with barely the strength to get up.  But I squeaked them out and I won a $25 running room gift certificate and she won a $10 Subway card.  SCORE!  It amazes me how many people don't even bother trying for these things.

Then it was time to announce the costume award for the day.  They chose 3 people to come up to the stage and then the crowd got to cheer individually for each one to choose the winner.  My husband was among the 3 ... and he easily won!  WOOOHOOO.  I have quite the hollering cheer so that helped, but he had tons of crowd support.  Funny thing was he didn't even know there was going to be a contest.  Numerous people came up to him earlier saying they hoped he would win the prize.  He won a Polar Heart Rate Monitor.  I'd say overall we more than got our low entry fees back.

Aside from the prizes, it was a fantastic race and I will definitely enter it again.  The location is gorgeous.  The entry fee is low.   Seeing so many people in costumes is fun.  Just awesome!

This is post race, at home again.  Make-up a little smudged, but still happy.  After this I showered and crashed.

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Bunch of Crazy Kids

Now that we've discussed how to run safe alone.  Let's discuss how NOT to run safe.

Yesterday I wrote a post on how to stay safe while out running, and then last night I ran the scariest route I've ever been on.  My friend has been dying to show me a little 5K route she used to favour. 

Being that it's close to Halloween, we decided to ham it up a bit.  She brought all of us glow sticks to wear.  However, they were ALL duds.  We did however wear some flashing lights and carried a couple flashlights.

When we left it was nearly dark, and very quickly was completely dark.  We started in a not-so-great part of town and went downhill from there.  We ran through trails, passing groups of smoking teens in the pitch black.  We ran through dense bush.  Eeek!  I would NEVER in a million years run these trails alone in the daylight.  However, in the company of my husband and two prison guards, I felt pretty safe.

Date-iversary

22 Years ago today I started dating my husband.  We met two days before, at my high school dance, when I was 15.  He had previously graduated from the school, but his sister had dragged him along.  I still have the costume I wore to the dance that night - it just fits a little different now, but I can get it on!

Our kids now attend that same school, and my daughter attended a dance there last night.  Hmmm, she's 14, hopefully we have at least another year or so before she meets her future husband.  Though I'm told I don't need to worry.  She says she never getting married, never having kids, and never having sex.  She actually said she would promise to never, ever have sex if I would excuse her from the HPV immunizations.

Our early days 

Speaking of my kids .... today they both dressed up for school.  I think this is a first, or at least a first in many years.

My son the redneck .... My husband & daughter .... and my daughter the cat 

I think their true personalities come out here. 

My son's belt says "White Trash".  He got it from a friends brother who wears it regular.  The friend's brother also has another buckle that says "My Other Ride Is Your Mother", with a picture of a truck above it.  Kinda funny, but not sure if the school would find humour in that.

I have a race this weekend - 5.9 miles / 9.5 Km.  It will NOT be a serious race.  It will be about participation, location and FUN.  I will most definitely have to be getting some pics.  The rumour mill also suggests that Ma & Pa will be dropping in for a visit - yippee!

Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC weekend, and a safe & funHalloween!

Keep Active!

(and keep outta the "fun" size bars)

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Staying Safe

Thursdays suck!  Why?  Because the weekend is so close you can almost feel it, yet it's not quite there.

I'm tired.  I can't remember the last time I had a full night's sleep.  Last night it was the dog waking up to puke (nice, huh?).  The night before it was cat's scrapping outside - we have a cat, but there are a few wild cats that try to invade his space once in a while, or it could have been a raccoon too.  I've been having a hard time falling asleep, and once I do something keeps waking me up.  I'm designating Saturday morning as sleep in morning.  Which probably means I'll stay in bed until 8 ... maybe.

I'm also stiff.  I haven't been giving enough attention to stretching lately, plus I've been doing alot.  Which means every day I'm a little tighter.  When the dog woke up last night you should have seen it.  My husband and I both tried to shoot out of bed but he's been doing lots of physical work this week and his back locked up.  Normally he gets up for that kind of stuff but when he couldn't I had to jump into gear.  My calves are so tight I had to run to the door on my tip toes.  We're quite the circus.

Been another active week.  Tuesday was swimming again.  Amazing what a workout that is for the muscles that aren't used to it.  I still don't love it, but I appreciate it.  I also ran Tuesday night and Wednesday night.  Just easy runs.  Wed should have been speed work, but I didn't have it in me and it was choice A) easy run; choice B) no run.  I figured A was the better choice and was glad I did it.

How can you protect yourself out there? 

In the last few months there have been some unsolved and similar attacks on women in neighboring towns, one which resulted in death.  There was also a similar attack in my town.  There isn't a certainty yet that they are linked, but the suspicion is growing.  A few of the attacks have happened while women were out walking, in mostly well lit areas, not super late, good neighborhoods - the types of places most of us have probably walked/run alone lots of times, places you would deem as generally safe.

I rarely ever run alone, which is probably your best protection.  On the odd occassion that I do run alone I often do all of the following:

- bring along my dog
- carry a cell phone
- stick to well lit routes
- try to stay in areas where there are other runners/walkers/traffic/stores
- never wear headphones alone (well I don't wear them anyway, but that's not the point)
- stay aware

Of course I also always carry ID on me in case something were to happen, at least I could be indentified.  And usually at least one other person knows where I will be.

I was told yesterday that maybe I shouldn't run alone - ever.  Hmmmm.......

To me that's a bit extreme.  I don't believe in living in fear of "what if?".  I will not jail myself.  I believe you should take precautions and be sensible.  I must admit, it scares me a bit when I hear of people going out running by themselves in the middle of the night, or very early before anyone is really out on the streets.  For me, that is too risky.

I think staying aware is also a critical point.  One of the women attacked said she heard footsteps approaching and then was attacked.  If I hear someone approaching, or see someone (or hear anything) that makes me feel even slightly uncomfortable I will change locations, or look the person in the eye, maybe pull out my cellphone.  Trust your intuition - better to be wrong than hurt or dead.  If it doesn't feel right, try to change the situation.

This is also one of the reasons why I personally don't think headphones are a wise idea.  Countless times me, or my husband, have scared other people out on a trail.  They don't hear you approaching and next thing you are beside them and they are gasping, or shrieking, because you caught them off guard and scared them. 

Any other suggestions for those who run/walk alone?

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Sunday = Hiking

Yesterday's post got too long so I left Sunday's activity for today's post.

On Friday, when my husband and friend decided we'd run an unplanned 20K, they also decided we would hike the Grouse Grind on Sunday.  You might recall I have tackled this beast a few times, most recently 2 weeks ago with a friend.  My husband had never climbed it before and wanted to see what all the fuss was about as this hike is very well known and popular among locals and tourists.

We were out the door by 6:30 AM Sunday morning (so much for sleeping in at all this weekend).  It was pitch black when we left, and still very dark when we headed up the mountain. 

My husband, having never climbed it before, wanted to see how quickly he could do it - so he headed off ahead of us.  He's the speedster.  Last time I went was a bit of a "courtesy hike" with my friend and the pace did not challenge me.  So I also headed off on my own. 

We were expected to get 50+mm of rain, but were blessed with just cloud cover.  It makes the trail almost spooky with the mist and the water droplets.

I knew I would not PR for this trail (and didn't even plan to attempt that), but still wanted to get my heart rate high and challenge myself.  After running 12 miles the day before I knew my legs would be fatigued.  The third quarter of the trail is steep and this is where I felt the fatigue, but it wasn't horrible - just noticeable.  However, this was also the point I picked up the pace so maybe that's what I was feeling.

My time was 57:44, 7 minutes off my PR of 50:40, but still my second fastest time on record.  I'm VERY happy with that.  My husband's rocket time was around 48 minutes.

The thing I'm most pleased with is the first half of the climb was quite a bit slower than previous climbs.  But the 2nd half was almost identical to my fastest time.  I really picked it up in the 2nd half - compare it to negative splits for running - YAY!!

We knew the other two would be behind us a fair bit, so instead of taking the tram down as planned due to time constraints, we decided to be rebels and walk down the mountain (which is prohibited).  LOTS of people were walking down this day.  In fact, we were asked by a few people if the tram was shut down because they had seen so many people walking down.  Seems we're not the only rebels.

However I'm a clutz and it takes me as long to climb down as it does to climb up.  I'm VERY careful.  My husband held my hand pretty much the whole way down.  Good thing too because at one point, while talking to a passerby, I slipped on a root and banged my knee on a rock - nothing serious, just a scratch and a bruise. 

My husband loved the trail and definitely wants to do it with some frequency.  However, I was met with two e-mail messages from the mountain Monday morning:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Grouse Grind - Time change as of Oct 29
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:38:20 -0700

Effective Oct 29th
The Grouse Grind hours will change Friday, Oct 29 to:

Trail hours:
OPENING TIME: 8:00 am
CLOSING TIME: 4:00 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The last two times we started up just after 7AM.  With both my kids in soccer I usually have to go this early to be back in time.  An 8AM start will just add a bit more of a time crunch.

Then there was this message:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: The Grouse Grind is closed
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:35:06 -0700


The Grouse Grind is temporarily closed due to heavy rainfall. The trail will be reassessed over the next couple of days.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


The 50+ mm of rain they had been calling for on the weeked arrived Monday!  Seems we got that climb done just in time!
 
I was happy that I got another tough workout in, and it too did not wipe me out.  The rest of the day was packed with soccer stuff (meeting/pics/exhibition game/team dinner) and I was running (literally) around all day.  In the evening I also managed to get over 4 hours of bookeeping done too.  Don't ask me how I crammed all that into a day, and still got to bed by 9PM.
 

Keep Active!

 

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Weekends Rule!

The last few weekends have been so wicked!  I'm having such a great time.  This one was insane busy and action packed, but awesome.

Friday = Swimming!!!! 

It wasn't so bad.  I appreciated that it was a completely different cardio workout from running and it left me breathless after just a few laps.  Definitely a great workout for the upper body.  The last few laps I had to use my legs more because my arms were toast, felt them the next morning.

Funny story ... we get in the pool and my friend asks if I want to use a pair of goggles.  I hate goggles, so decline.  She says, "Are you sure?  Don't you wear contacts?  Won't they float off?".  I say, "Nope.  I've swam like this lots and never had a problem."  Then I tell her, "You know, you probably just cursed me.  I'm going to lose one now."

Sure enough, first lap down the pool, I get up and my right contact is GONE!  I wore the goggles after that.  Luckily Costco is not far away and I got a free sample to get me home.

That night we had one of those home decor parties (overpriced crap if you ask me!).  While there, my husband got talking with my running buddy and they decided that we were going to run 20K the next day.  So .....

Saturday = Running

Honestly, I was not mentally prepared for this.  I like to think I'm a spur-of-the-moment kind of gal, but maybe I'm not quite.  As soon as I learned of these plans I immediately stopped eating and started drinking as much water as I could.  Talk about cramming to prep.

I was bagged when I got up.  It was a two loop trail of 6 miles each.  The first loop I was a bit of a whiny baby.  After jumping from 9 miles to 13 miles last week Sunday, and only 6 days later attacking 12 miles again ... I was questioning my sanity.

The stomach attacked at about 3 miles (normal).  Usually after that I feel better and the run gets easier.  But not this day.  At around 5 miles we had to go up a few steps and over a bridge.  I tripped on a step (but caught myself with my hands - no harm), and I felt done.  I almost started to cry.  I didn't want to run.  I didn't feel prepared to run this distance.  It was everyone else's fault.  Honestly I was just feeling wimpy. 

We stopped, stretched and regrouped after the first lap.  For the 2nd lap my husband went ahead and I decided to stay back with our friends and run slower.  I wasn't in this run for time anyway.  Running slower is alot easier on your body, but it does make the miles go by slowly.  Around 9 miles my friend was feeling burned out and she asked me to go ahead.  She had been trying to run a bit faster for me and because we were talking it was draining her.  I was surprised that the last 3 miles were actually the easiest of the whole run for me.  Maybe because I was alone?  Maybe because I was almost done?

At mile 11 I ran into my brother-in-law's cousin.  She doesn't live very near to this trail (nor do I), but had decided to go out there.  She didn't realize I ran those kind of distances and was impressed, which made me smile as she has done Ironman before so I know she understands.

On this long run I carried a full bottle of powder mixed Gatorade.  It went well.  I would have liked to take along some other foods to try, but just wasn't prepared.  Next time.  While I wasn't mentally prepared for the run, afterwards I was glad I did it.  It was good to push through that mental barrier too.

Afterwards we had a couple slices of leftover pizza.  Then as soon as we got home I rushed out to watch my daughter's soccer game (they won!).  In the evening we watched the UFC fight - it was a really good one!  I did NOT spend the day nibbling on crap.  And I didn't spend the day completely exhausted.  I did have a 20 min power nap before UFC, but other than that I was good.  My legs felt good and I didn't feel drained.  I think I'm ready to move on in my training.

Sunday was another crazy, busy, active day - but I'll leave that to another post.

Hope all my fellow bloggers and readers had a fantastic weekend too!

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Light Bulb Moment

HILL REPEATS

Last night we did hill repeats.  1 mile warm-up jog to the base of a hill.  Then 10 repeats of about 250 Meters each.  I forgot to time the first two but the remainder were like this:

Hill 3 - 1:20
Hill 4 - 1:17
Hill 5 - 1:16
Hill 6 - 1:16
Hill 7 - 1:15
Hill 8 - 1:17
Hill 9 - 1:15

then for the final one I decided I would go as hard as I could ...

Hill 10 - 1:10

You wouldn't think a measly 5 seconds would make much of a difference, but let me tell you ... I thought I was going to puke! 

I was pleased to see that I mostly got progressively faster as they went on.  Hills are something I need work on.  They always slow me down alot in a race.

ON THE RUN FUEL

Lately I've begun experimenting with on the run fuel.  My first venture included Cliff Shots Razz Energy Gel (disgusting!) and Luna Moons (not bad).  For last weekends impromtu half marathon training distance I brought along full strength Gatorade instead of water.  This actually went well.  I have used powdered Gatorade before, mixed to be quite watery, but I didn't love it.  The full strength pre-mixed Gatorade seemed to be good.  Although, as I wasn't expecting my husband to run with me, we only had one 500mL bottle between the two of us and had to share.  I think a whole bottle to myself would have been better.  I had one Luna Moon left for each of us.  It was nice to have, but not nearly enough.  When I move up to longer runs I am going to need fuel.

I'm not a huge fan of commercial products (like the Gu's, Sport Beans, etc.) so would rather give more regular foods a shot.  Pretzels and PB&J sandwiches are on my list of things to try.  I read an article in this month's Running World that mentioned Dean Karnazes has ordered pizza enroute ... doesn't that sound enticing!  I might even give it a try.  Not a whole pizza mind you ... just a slice.

I'm struggling a bit with re-fueling after a long run.  I didn't used to have any hunger after runs, but lately I've been a starving, tummy grumbling monster.  Yet, I'm too tired to really put anything decent together and find myself grabbing foods that don't do much for me.  Because I make poor choices, the nibbling continues for the rest of the day.  I need to be more prepared so I don't have to put any effort into it, so I can have it ready to eat as soon as I get home.  After my last two long runs I did enjoy a big serving of cold chocolate milk.  That was all I thought about during the last mile of last weekend's 13.1.

LIGHT BULB MOMENT

Yesterday I was thinking.  My eating has become habit.  I prepack my breakfast and lunch every morning for work.  Typically it's about the same thing, always in the same quantities.  It occurred to me yesterday ... why not reduce the quantity a little. 

Really, would I notice it that much if I had a Tablespoon less of my morning oatmeal?  If I had 4 crackers instead of 5?  A little less than a cup of pasta? 

Those are little changes.  I probably wouldn't even notice them ... but maybe my body would.

Part of me has given up fighting to get this last bit of fat off me.  I can't stand the thought of journalling anymore - I have years and years of journals.  I haven't weighed myself in probably over a month.  Not even the measuring tape.  I'm not interested in being obsessive with it anymore.  But yet, I still would like to feel better.  I'd still like to be trimmer and lighter, which would no doubt help me improve my running (which is the most important to me these days).

Such a simple concept ... now let's see how it plays out.

What's your favourite post-workout food?

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

If Johnny jumped off a bridge, would you too?

WOW, a girl goes away for a few days and it takes me nearly a full day to half-ass catch up in blog land.  There's been a lot going on out there.  Thanks to those who missed me and sent me messages. :)

Congrats to everyone who ran races this weekend.  So many great race reports out there!

What another beautiful weekend.  The weather was perfect.  I love these fall days when there is no rain and the temperature is crisp. 

On Saturday I went out for an "easy" 5 mile run.  My plan was to keep the pace between about 9:30 to 10:00 miles/min.  The first mile was about 9:20 and I figured I would probably slow down a bit after that.  But by mile 2, I had picked it up and had an average pace of 9:10.  I kept trying to slow it down, but apparently my legs were having none of it.  I ended up with an average pace of 9:06 ... 45:36.  At least it felt easy so I won't complain.

Sunday I had planned to run at least 10 miles.  As I said in my last post, I haven't run double digits since April.  I say I planned at least 10 miles because in the back of my mind I kind of wanted to up that to 11. 

We were in Penticton, home of Ironman Canada, and I had planned to run part of the Ironman run course along the east side of Skaha Lake.  I have never been down that road before and I've heard it's quite scenic.  However, with me and my issues I knew I needed access to a washroom at some point within the first 3 miles so I had to take a slightly different route.  Really, no matter where you run in Penticton it's beautiful.

On the drive up there my friend called and said that since I was going to run 11 miles this weekend, she was going to sign up for a half marathon at home.  Keep in mind this is my friend who is just back to running and ran her first 5K back 3 weeks ago, and her first 10K back last week.  She's a crazy woman!  However, she has the mental side of running nailed down and knows to take it easy so she doesn't end up hurt.  She finished in 2:23, pretty impressive if you ask me.

Well, I'm not one to leave that on the plate ... so I too decided to run the half marathon distance!  I'm horribly competitive - hahaha.

It was done carefully, and I didn't "race" it.  After the first mile I stopped and had a 2 minute stretch break to loosen things up.  My legs felt horribly heavy and I needed it.  Then at mile 3 was a potty break for me and at mile 4 was a potty break for the hubs.

Mile 8-10 were the hardest.  Thankfully it was also the most scenic.  We were running right along the lake on a winding road.  Pretty!  At 8.5 miles we turned around and did take a 30 sec break.  We were feeling DONE.  However, after that break I started to feel a bit better.

Mile 11-13.1 was run along the main road in town.  Boring, boring, boring.  For a regular run it might be OK, but at that distance my mind needed something interesting.  My parents drove by at Mile 12 and I had to dig a bit deep to not jump into their car and call it a day.

In the end our running time was 2:02:41 (9:21 pace), this was not including stretch & potty breaks.  Hubby says this is not a fair way to calculate time, but for training runs I have always done it that way.  I know during a race the clock does not stop, but in a race I don't typically stop either.  It works for me.

That evening my whole legs were pretty achy.  Not sore in any particular spot, but achy - like you feel when you have the flu.  Twice during the night my husband actually massaged and stretched my legs.  Awww!  He's really quite sweet for that.  However, I did get up around 4AM and took a tylenol.  After that the ache resided and I felt comfortable for the rest of the day.

I'm actually REALLY happy that I challenged this 13.1 miles now.  I'm one who likes to run a full distance before a race.  And with my half coming up mid November, this is good for me mentally.  I now know I can do it, and unless something goes wrong, I should be able to finish under 2 hours.

18 miles in 2 days ... yup, I like it.

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Thanksgiving Day Race Report

I seem to have found a formula that agrees with me for nutrition leading up to a race.  In the day or two before a race, I limit my starchy carbs dramatically.  Breakfast the day before was a couple of eggs - not my typical oatmeal, no toast, no cereal.  Even Thanksgiving dinner for me consisted of just turkey, broccoli & carrots with my one indulgence of cheese sauce.  Also, as much water as I can remember to drink.

I have done this twice now, and both times felt fantastic the day of the race.  I think for my upcoming half marathon I will extend this to maybe 3 days prior.  It seems to agree with me.

Another thing that seems to bring me success is a good pre-race warm-up.  For Monday's race I did a good 2 mile slow warm-up.  By the start of the race I was all ready to go - systems cleared (wink), muscles warmed-up, core temperature warmed up.

I had no intention of going for a PR in this race.  It was a last minute decision to do it and was mostly about going out there with my friends and enjoying the course.

The Start

We started at the VERY back of the pack.  This was a new thing for me.  I've never started at the very back.  It wasn't a huge race, but decent ... about 1200 people.  We actually walked across the starting line.  Though right away I knew I had to break through the pack or I would feel frustrated - I don't like to shuffle.  I said goodbye to my friends and began the weaving game.

Mile 1 - 8:30

The first 1/2 mile I was weaving the entire time.  People were leaving room, but you did have to find it.  I only really got walled a few times.  It wasn't until after the first mile before I could run freely without having to dodge the whole time.  I think I could have picked up 45 seconds or so in this mile had I started closer to the front, but I don't regret starting at the back.  It was almost fun dodging everyone this time.

Mile 2 - 8:49

The only slightly challenging hill was a bridge.  It's a long one though and seems to go on for a while.  I've run it before and knew to pace myself.  Because I'd reserved a little there, as I crested the bridge I picked up speed and started passing people who had flown past me going up it.  I checked my time and was pleasantly surprised with how I was doing ... so, I decided to hold her steady and finish with a decent time.

Mile 3 & 4 - 8:26 and 8:29

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS route, the sun was shining and reflecting off the water.  I really forced myself to look around and enjoy the scenery instead of just focusing on my finish time.  I wanted to experience this run.

There was pretty decent support throughout the run.  For a small run there were quite a few people out there with bells and pom poms.  The people at the 5K water station were great.

Mile 5 & 6 - both 8:21

I was starting to tire here.  This is typically when I peeter out in a 10K and start to lose steam.  I wanted to push a bit harder, but my legs were feeling the after effects of my mountain climbing. 

This is when I remember a technique that some runners do.  I started picking off runners.  I'd look ahead and say to myself, "the women in the green, catch her".  Then when I did I'd pick another person.  This completely carried me these last two miles.  What a great way to occupy your brain.  Every time you catch someone you feel a sense of accomplishment.  Of course, there is a strategy to who you pick to pass.  It has to be attainable.

The Finish - 7:41 pace for 0.2

With 0.2 to go, I gave it my all.  I LOVE to finish strong.  Although this almost got me in trouble because I was weaving through some people and missed seeing a park bench until the last moment and had to hop the corner of it.  Whoops! 

Finish Time - 52:18

Just over a minute slower than my PR, but I'm totally happy with it.  I never intended to PR, wasn't prepared to PR, and given the course differences this will probably never be a PR type race.

What a fantastic race though!  Great support, the most incredible food at the finish (yes, I ate myself silly!  No regrets on that), probably the prettiest course I've ever run.  Awesome!

Sadly my husband couldn't run it as he is still nursing an injury, plus he had a job to finish that morning. :(  I know he'd love it and I really hope we both get to do it next year ... of course with our friends who took me there.

My friend has a great picture of me from after the race.  I'm waiting for her to send it to me and then I will share.

Race's are so much fun!  I wish I could do them all the time.

Speaking of upcoming races ....

My blog buddy Fran is hosting a virtual run on either October 30th or 31st (you pick) - the Virtual Pink Dress Run.  Conditions are that you must wear pink and post of picture of you wearing it.  Check out her blog HERE and join us if you can.  It's an international affair. ;)

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Grinding

Ahhh, another fantastic weekend.  Given that this was the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend ... I am definitely thankful for some pretty awesome weekends lately.

Saturday I climbed the Grouse Grind, a local mountain (2.9 Km/1.8 miles long, but with a 900M / 2800 ft. elevation gain) with a friend.  I swore I wasn't going to climb it this year because they DOUBLED the cost of the tram ride down.  It's still cheap, but on principal alone it makes me mad. 

There is a tram you can take up to the top of Grouse Mountain which is $40 return.  Of course there is also the option to hike the Grind (as it is known) and then take the tram down only.  It's become quite the attraction for tourists, as well as locals, to hike this trail.  The mountain claims that too many tourists are climbing it ill-prepared just so that they can pay less to view the attractions up top.  Therefore they raised the return only tram price from $5, to $10.  Yes - it's still relatively cheap ... but it's a rip and a farce!  They have claimed that the main reason for doubling the price is to discourage tourists who may be out of shape and not wear proper hiking gear.

First, it's difficult to even find a price listed anywhere for how much it costs to ride the tram down.  Second, for a tourist who is probably going to do this once in their life - $5 or $10 is irrelevant - they will still hike it at either cost.  But for locals who don't quite do it enough to justify the cost of annual membership, but might do it multiple times in the year - it's a major rip off!  Annual membership is $100, so I'd have to go at least 10 times to break even.  Which is fine if you live very close and can go often enough.  But for someone like me, who it's just a little too far away to do too often, 10+ times a year is tough to pull off.

I was quite angry about the price increase.  They also increased the parking fee.  I was determined that I would not hike the mountain again because I wanted to rebel against their price increase.

To top it off ... they have prohibited downhill travel, so you are forced to pay for their tram.  The trail is NOT owned by this mountain, it is owned by the parks board.  There is also another (not as popular, not as well marked, and not as travelled) trail nearby that you can hike - but I've heard that if you request at the mountain for information on this trail they will tell you it is unavailable and that downhill travel on that is also not allowed ... which I understand is complete bull!

So, we were rebels and we hiked down the trail.  I'm bad!!!  I'm normally very against breaking rules like that, but I was just mad enough (and perhaps broke enough).  The trail was not very busy that day anyway, and we made sure to give complete right of way to anyone hiking up and were respectful. 

I took along my daughter's camera to capture a few pictures.  It's not the greatest quality so the pictures are quite blurry, though it does have the advantage of being waterproof and shatter-resistant.  Good thing as it rained pretty good on the way up. 

Check out the rain splatters...

Though we did go early (left home at 6:30 ... started climbing around 7:30), it wasn't nearly as dark as it appears in this picture.  The trail is quite tree covered, and we were in alot of fog.  My Garmin couldn't even work properly.  It calculated the elevation gain fine, but told me I only travelled .12 miles ... just a little out hahaha.  A few times the skies just opened up and drenched us.  It wasn't so bad.  My jacket kept me mostly dry and it was nice not to get hot.  Quite refreshing really!

I said before I went up that I was not aiming to break any speed records on this climb.  I decided I was just going to hike with my friend and whatever pace she was comfortable with.  Though I was absolutely thrilled with how easy the climb was for me. 

Last year my best time was around 50 minutes and that was pushing hard the entire time.  My worst time was 1 hour and 32 minutes, which honestly felt about as difficult as my fastest because I was in such horrid shape then.  This weekend, going at my friends pace, we did it in 1 hour and 13 minutes and to be honest I got VERY little cardio workout.  I could easily talk the entire time and never felt winded.  Yes, I could have had a better workout ... but it felt awesome to be in that good of shape that this felt easy.

I think the hardest part was the climb down.  That sure uses completely different muscles and I definitely felt that.  It was OK coming down, and even the next 24 hours I felt pretty good.  But starting yesterday and still today, my calves are screaming at me and my quads are a little tender too.  Wearing heeled boots today probably wasn't a wise decision. ;)

Don't mind the blob, my friend wasn't

comfortable with her face showing.

We were soaked, but it was fantastic!  This was just part 1 of a VERY enjoyable weekend.

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Another Weekend of Great Plans

Kinda the same ol' thing going on around here these days. 

Wed - 4 miles at the track including running stairs.  Wasn't really feeling it and couldn't face speedwork.  Had good company though and enjoyed myself which is always #1 mission.

Thu - 5 miles through a subdivision.  Got to see another cool filming set.  No idea what they're filming.  That kills me because I'm super nosey (it's a genetic disorder).  Whatever it was it's Halloween themed based upon the overkill decorations.  OK, really I'm jealous.  I want them to come decorate my house like that!

The rain is definitely coming in this weekend (BOO!).  Starting pretty heavy tonight and expecting 50 mm (almost 2 inches!!!) tomorrow.  Oh well, I still plan to be out in it.  My plans this weekend include:

• Possibly swimming tonight!  REALLY?  I'm not a swimming kind of girl, but I'm being talked into trying it as a workout.  Grrr, hahaha, we'll see how it goes.  I know it's a good, effective workout, I just don't think it's my thing.  I'll give it an honest shot anyway.
• Tackling this beast - the Grouse Grind.  I'm not aiming for any time goals this time.  After doing it in 50 minutes last year, I'm satisfied with that for now.  The people I'm going with aren't quite as fit as me and I'll probably just hang with them and enjoy it.  I REALLY hope we don't get the rain they are calling for.  That would be nasty.  Maybe it will hold of just half a day longer - puh-lease!!!
• Hopefully finally getting those fall decorations up.  It's been all work & play lately, which I'm not complaining about, but a few decorations would make me happy.  Here's a few from my MIL, who lives next door.  Her display is way nicer than mine will be, but at least I can enjoy it whenever I want.

• Greeting a friend and her daughters from Germany who are coming to stay with us for a couple weeks.  Last time she was here was just after my daughter was born and I hadn't lost an ounce of baby weight.  In the often typical German way, she commented on my weight increase (and to be fair hers too as she had recently had a baby as well).  I shouldn't be, but I admit that I'm a little anxious of what she might say this time.  There are a few people in my life who ALWAYS comment on my weight - up or down.  Even when I'm feeling good about myself I get a bit anxious wondering what they will come up with.  Usually it's not in a rude way, it's just they are very observant and open. They're just always the first to notice change. 
• Having a massive Turkey dinner - YUM!  We're cooking two birds - a 15 lb and a 20 lb. for about 14-18 people.  I ♥ a roast turkey and would enjoy one at least once a month, or more.  My family however isn't in to it so much.  Boo!  I always skip things like potatoes because there are so many other, healthier choices to choose from.  My one big indulgence is cheese sauce, which I make with 1% milk and no more than 1 tsp of butter.  I spice it up with cayenne & black pepper, paprika and a bit of lemon juice.  MmmMmmmMmmmmmmm!!!!!!
• Running a race!  My friend had an extra entry and is taking me along.  YIPPEE!  It's a 10K and I don't expect to PR.  This is probably the first race that I don't have any goals set for.  I just want to have fun.

What's something exciting you are looking forward to this weekend? 

Have a great one!

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥



Sunday's Run

I eluded yesterday that Sunday's run was pretty rockin' ... and that it was.

My original plan was to run 9 miles.  My normal running group didn't come out (I think one girl has an injury, not sure about the others), but my husband came along, as well as my new running friend and her husband (who despises running, but runs with her occassionally just so they do things together - cute huh?).  My husband is nursing a nagging injury this week and wasn't sure how much he was going to run.  He said he would try, but also brought along his bike just in case. 

We all started out together, walking & yakking too long - but it was fun.  Eventually we started to run.  The new running friend is just getting back into shape so her pace is a bit slow for me (for now, she'll catch up quick), but I decided to run the first mile along with them because I was enjoying the company.  After that, hubby and I ventured ahead on our own.

We kept the pace a little slower than usual and we're feeling pretty good.  But my hubby said that he didn't think he had 9 miles in his leg today.  I was feeling a little bummed out that I wouldn't get in what I had planned.

When we got to the turn around point I said to him "Why don't you stretch for a bit and I'm going to do a little extra loop".  That worked out well.  I had more than enough energy and was feeling really good.  As it was, someone in the parking lot was lost and as he helped the guy find his way, I got in another extra loop. YAYYY!


Around mile 6 I decided to try something new.  My friend had given me a couple of sample packs she had laying around.  First out came the Clif Shot Energy Gel in RAZZ.  Hubby and I were going to split it.

REVIEW:  Ummmmmm, ICK!  I seriously don't know how some people enjoy these things.  Nasty stuff!  I had a little then gave it to my hubby.  He had a tiny bit and nearly threw it at me.  I did chuck back the rest because I wanted to see how it affected me.  But really, I can't see myself trying this again.  Maybe another flavour or brand - but this one was gross.  My friend said if she never has to swallow another energy gel product in her life again, it will be a good life.  After years of having them she developed a gag reflex to them.  Nice!

 

Thankfully she had also given me a pack of Clif Luna Moons in Blueberry to try.

REVIEW:  Ahhhhhh, so much better!  We only had two moons each, to get rid of the nasty aftertaste from the gel.  I've had a product like this before and didn't enjoy the chewing and gummy bits all stuck in my teeth while running.  This time I chewed a little then basically just swallowed.  It gave me a little taste which my mouth needed, then just got it into my body as needed without sticking all over my teeth.  I'd be apt to use these again.

Did I notice a difference in energy after having these products?  No ... but I also didn't fade out at all.  It was also almost perfect running weather, so who knows.  I'll keep trying things and see how it goes.

The extra loops at the turn around gave me enough that I would finish the trail at about 8 miles.  Still less than I'd planned but not bad.  When I got to the end my husband was just ahead of me, as were my friends as they had run less distance.  They were all stretching out.  I was at 7.8 miles and just couldn't leave it at that, so kept going onto the road.  I don't like finishing a run on an odd number ... is that weird?

I got to the 8 miles and noticed the rest of the group had just started walking back to the coffee shop.  I figured I could get another 1/2 mile in before they wandered back there.  When I finally got to the coffee shop I was at 8.6 miles, and my husband was just ordering, so I barked out my order to him and went off to finish up the whole 9 miles.

So the 9 miles that wasn't to be, became the 9 miles that was.

And afterwards, other than feeling a bit tired from a very full weekend ... I felt great.  Not an ounce of muscle soreness, no pain.  I feel great!

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Fun, Oh Fun!

Oh what a WONDERFUL weekend!

I had so much fun this weekend, and am utterly exhausted.  Friday was a pretty relaxing evening as I met up with a friend for tea and chit-chat.  Always love our time together, and a relaxing evening was just what I needed.  Will have to do more of this ... soon.

Saturday was a bit of a thriller!  My new running friend has done a couple of Ironman competitions before and she just happens to have an extra road bike ... and is about my height.  My husband and I went out riding with her and her husband on Saturday.  I have NEVER ridden a road bike before.  A mountain bike, yes, plenty of times ... but never a road bike.  And this one had the clip in pedals (which I swore I would never use).

We get there and first thing I get told is that my red tank on her completely color-coordinated yellow bike just will not do.  I'm given a yellow bike jersey to wear.  And my baby blue Walmart special helmet is also a no-no.  I even had to be given a yellow ponytail holder for my hair.  Too funny!  Luckily I was just able to squeeze into her biking shoes.

Next comes the lesson about how to clip into and out of the pedals.  I felt like such a tool.  For the first 5-10 minutes I could NOT get into those things and had to be helped in.  But eventually I got in a couple times and she said it was time for a trial run.  We wheeled around her neighborhood a few times learning how to clip and unclip, changing gears, how to drink from the fancy water bottle (yes, it's a skill) and a few other things.

No this isn't me.  No, the bike wasn't quite this fancy. 

But see that straw thingy there in the handlebars?  That's the water bottle.  Nifty, eh?

Then we were off!  There was the three of us on these tri bikes and my poor husband on a regular mountain bike.  We're all in color coordinated gear and at least look professional and he's wearing just basic shorts, t-shirt and his Walmart special helmet.  But he was a trooper.  Had I just gone with the other two on their road bikes I probably would not have realized how different it was in speed from my mountain bike.  I can ride pretty decent, but do struggle to keep up with my husband.  But with him on his mountain bike, riding as hard as he can, nearly busting a gut ... I was just cruising along like a casual Sunday stroll with minimal effort.  He estimates we rode 30-40 Km.  I would have guessed about 15 by the effort, though we did cover a lot of area.

I am DEFINITELY interested in one day getting a nice road bike.  Sadly it will have to wait a while, but before I kind of thought I might one day want one ... now I KNOW I want one.  So much fun.

And I was deeply honoured to find out afterwards that she has NEVER let anyone ride that bike before and she is extremely protective of it.  I am so thankful that she did though.  I was just told that if I was going to tip over for any reason to put myself between the bike and the road - hahahhaa. :)

Tomorrow I'll share about how today's run went.  Here's a clue ...

Keep Active!

Heidi

Welcome October!

I always love the beginning of a new month.  There's just this "renewed" feeling.  It's also a good time to look back on what was accomplished the previous month.

September was my first full month following my mileage build-up plan.  I started it late August.  And, other than one week where I got a really bad cold where breathing was beyond difficult, I am very happy to say I followed it.

Even with the one week off, I ran 71 miles (114Km) in just under 11 hours.  I'm quite pleased with that and look forward to doing more this month.

October's plan has me running over 100 miles.  As well, I'm taking part in Syl's Challenge to do 20 minutes (or more) of exercise per day.  Most days I do this, but there is the odd day where I laze out.  I think as part of this I will also be taking on the challenge that Marcelle followed last month to do 200 sit-ups, 4 sets x 10 push-ups and 4 sets x 12 tricep dips every day.  Those are muscles that surely need some work.  Just completed day 1 of that ... at work, on my office floor - hahaha.
Last night I did 5.3 miles at a very easy pace.  Ran by a movie crew filming which was kinda cool - lots of old cars and all set up to be very fall-like.  After speed work the day before my legs were feeling heavy.  But I like the challenge of running on very tired legs, they always feel better at the end.  Today is supposed to be a running rest day, although I am considering running to a friends house for tea after work and leave Saturday as a rest day from running before I tackle 9 miles this weekend!

This weekend I will also tackle putting up the fall/Halloween decorations.  We used to have a big Halloween party every year.  I sure miss that. :(  But I still enjoy the decorations anyway.

{source}

Have a great weekend!

KEEP ACTIVE!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Gone to the Beach

Bye folks ....... I've gone to the beach ......

OK, maybe not THAT beach (I wish!) .... but rather, this beach:

As I mentioned in yesterdays post, recently I've been struggling with sugar ... and coincidentally (or not)STILL struggling to get off this last bulge.  On the long drive home I made the decision to once and for all TRULY give this diet a shot.

I've thought about it before ... alot.  I've even attempted it years ago, though admittedly half-assed, and not while I was truly in a mental position to pull it off.

Last Friday (the day after we got back) I kicked the plan into action.

Essentially phase 1 (2 weeks) is lean protein & vegetables at each meal, a little healthy fat, low/no-fat dairy is allowed, and a serving of nuts per day.  Absolutely ZERO sugar, no starchy carbs (bread, pasta, rice, oatmeal, grains, cereals, potatoes, corn, etc.), and no fruits.  Though I don't completely agree with the no fruits and have had approx. 1 serving per day.  Sugar substitutes are allowed, but I try to avoid those at all costs so have been going completely cold turkey on that.  No sweet tasting treats for me!

Day 1 I was pretty much afraid to eat and to be honest, I avoided it as much as possible.  It was actually easier to just not eat, than to face the decision on what to eat.

Day 2 a slight headache began and I felt very discombobulated.  I was a bit dizzy, very fuzzy-headed and extremely lethargic (though I can't say for 100% certainty that this wasn't associated with the long travel and alte nights).  Day 3 was pretty much the same.  I questioned my safety behind the wheel and thus did not drive those days.

My kids got called a few names as I saw them eating granola bars, cereal ... and when my daughter asked if I'd make her my most recent favourite recipe of Oatmeal Pancakes I thought I would explode.  But I forged on and have stuck to it. 

I did do a few long walks and runs during the first few days and let me say that they were HARD!  I could definitely feel when I hit a wall part way through, and sometimes the entire run was difficult.  I would NEVER take something like this on if I were in the middle of some serious training.  It's even recommended that you don't.

The first few days I was also a bit (ahem) "backed-up", but a bit more fluids and more veggies and things got sorted out again.

Since Day 4 things have gotten much easier.  I don't feel like strangling people who I see eating carbs.  And I no longer have to switch channels as the 45 zillion candy/chocolate commercials come on.  My energy is definitely coming back and I feel pretty good.

I noticed almost immediately that the bloaty feeling in my stomach went away and it seemed flatter.

My husband joined in on this plan to support me ... and also because he realized that the thought of going off of sugar made him react like a crack addict entering detox.  He doesn't need to lose an ounce so I was a bit concerned about him.  He lasted 2 days following the diet as I have been, then he reintroduced a few carbs and fruit to his diet - which is what I thought he should do anyway.  He is still trying to keep with the no sugar aspect which is what he needs to focus on anyway.  I think his headaches were worse than mine.

After 1 full week following this program I'm feeling pretty good.  My cravings have definitely subsided and I have good energy.  My clothes look better, my stomach is definitely slimmer (main objective here), I'm down in my measurements and I've lost 3 lbs this week for my lowest weight in 2010 of 145.8.  My lowest in the last few years is 143.6 (very briefly) from last November.

I plan to follow this phase for another week, then in Phase 2 you slowly reintroduce fruit & healthy starchy carbs.  Can I say that I'll NEVER eat sugar again?  No, I definitely can not say that, I know I will.  But, I do want to eat ALOT less sugar than I was and eliminate it from things that I'm learning to enjoy without (plain yoghurt, tea, hopefully eventually cereal and oatmeal).  I don't believe that sugar & starchy carbs are evil, but I know that I easily overindulge in these items and my goal is to reduce from the amount I had been eating.

 June 1 - 5 mile/8K run

June 2 - 30 Day Shred Level 1
June 3 - 4 x 1 mile treadmill intervals and core
June 4 - 30 Day Shred Level 1
June 5 - 2.5 mile walk and 1.5 mile run
June 6 - 3 Hours heavy clean-up

June 7 - 5 x 10 minute treadmill intervals and some core

June 8 - Shred Level 1

June 9 - 45 min run/walk

June 10 - lifting & walking

June 11 - lifting & walking

June 12 - 30 min run & dancing

June 13 - 30 min hike

June 14 - run & walk

June 15 - 2+ hours walking

June 16 - swimming & stair climbing

June 17 - 7 mile treadmill run

June 18 - walking

June 19 - stairs & walking

June 20 - 8 mile run (pretty fast)

June 21 - 6.2 mile steady run

June 22 - 6 mile run

June 23 - 7 mile run

June 24 - 7 mile run

 Keep Active!

Heidi

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