Diez Vistas - Completed and with a special encounter in the woods

This is a bit of a boring post because there is a complete lack of pictures.

Saturday I went up to Buntzen Lake again and hiked the Diez Vistas trail (same as last weekend).  However, there were a few differences.  First, I went with my son this weekend.  Last weekend I went with my daughter, which is a more easy-going hike.  She feels no urgency to complete anything in any hurry - driving me slightly crazy, but I'm thankful to be out and also to be spending time with her.  My son on the other hand is go, go, go .... mo rest for the wicked!

Our mission was to complete the entire trail and see as many viewpoints as we could.  My daughter and I only visited the first two.  Unfortunately this weekend it was MISERABLE!  I knew rain was on it's way in and when we arrived at the trail it was mostly cloudy with just the odd raindrop.  By the end of the trail it was WET!  As such, the view points left an awful lot to the imagination.  But, we saw enough that we would love to do this hike again on a clear day.

My daughter and I took a good hour and a half to get to the first viewpoint.  With my son we got there in an hour, and between the dog and I, we were most definitely holding him back.

Even though we didn't get the best views on this hike because of the weather, we did have some excitement.  About 20 minutes into the hike, the dog suddenly stopped then ran off the trail into the bush a few feet.  She had seen a black bear!  It was maybe 50 feet from us, standing up against a tree, just watching us.  The dog wanted desperately to go after it, but I called her back to us.  I thought if the bear went away peacefully then I didn't want the dog chasing it.  She LOVES to chase bears, and has done so quite successfully on hunting trips with my father in law.  She was known for running away from camp and treeing bears.

As it was, the bear just took a little look at us, then scampered off in the other direction.  The dog wanted to go after it and kept trying to head in it's direction, but I wouldn't let her and eventually she forgot.  To be honest, I was kind of excited and relieved to have encountered my first bear ... and happy that my son was with me. I knew there was a great possibility of encountering one out in our forests, and I'm was very pleased to see my dog's reaction.  One of my big reasons for bringing her is for some added security from animals and humans.  She did her job just right!

Further on the trail we were coming down a hill and heard a VERY loud CRACK!  We were certain it was another bear as there weren't any other humans nearby.  But, after stopping and having a very good look, then, proceeding slowly and cautiously, we never did see anything ... and the dog wasn't even remotely interested.  Perhaps it actually was just a branch breaking on it's own.

The entire hike took us a good 4 1/2 hours, and we rarely ever stopped.  A couple times we tried to take some pictures but they were just all grey.  The viewpoints weren't worth hanging out at for long with the weather, so we plundered on.  I definitely could have used a few rest breaks, but my son likes to plow on.  He was rather bored with my pace - hahhaa.  

The last hour and a half were quite boring.  For a good half hour we had to detour off a closed trail, and had to follow a road.  SNORE!  Eventually we got back to the original trail, but it was a very popular trail that was very well groomed.  It was a beautiful running trail, but not quite what for a hike I enjoy a more challenging terrain.

This hike was TOUGH!  I definitely got whiny as the trail progressed.  You climb up steep, rocky sections for about an hour or so ... then down the same kind of stuff for about 2 hours.  I am rather clumsy so must pick my footing VERY carefully.  By the last hour I was sore, wet, and tired.  My feet were killing me and, well, pretty much every other body part.  My son actually pushed me up some of the hills at the end. :D.  With the detour we had to take, I would estimate this hike was approximately 17 Km.  The main trail is, I think, 14Km, but we had to take quite the extra loop.

If you are interested in a much more picturesque blog report of this particular hike, check out VANCOUVER LIFE - DIEZ VISTAS TRAIL.  I came across this blog while researching local hikes and this blog is very thorough and informative.  I have been combing over it extensively the last week in search of new adventures!

Sunday I had planned to hike with my daughter but it was absolutely POURING out.  A little drizzle is one thing, but this was pelting against my bedroom window.  With my soreness from the day before, plus my daughter fighting a cold, we thought it best to postpone this one for another weekend.  Little trooper said she would go if I wanted to, but I didn't think we needed to subject ourselves to that.  Hopefully next weekend!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

A Little Sleep Deprived

Day 1 of Half Marathon training went well.  At first it felt like it would be a little too easy, but halfway through it was just challenging enough.  Speedwork rocks!

Tonight is an easy 4 miles.  I didn't get enough stretching in last night so that will be a big focus tonight.


I'm am STUPID tired this morning.  My husband does snow removal and we got a decent dump last night.  However, it was to be followed by rain in the morning and alot of the customers were holding out to see if they could get away with the rain washing away the snow.  This meant we were on edge all night, waiting to go - me not going to bed until midnight, my husband finally coming to bed at around 2AM.

Eventually the call to go came at 4:30 AM, which thankfully I was semi-awake to hear as my husband was out cold.  For the next hour I could hear him getting everything ready, then I finally got a short sleep that was disrupted by strange dreams, until I got woken up by a phone call from him at 6:30 with a change of plans and things I had to do.

I'd estimate I got maybe 2 hours of restless sleep, if that.  Gonna be an early night tonight with maybe a nap.  Good thing soccer is cancelled tonight so I don't have anything I have to do. 

My only plans tonight are to make dinner, get in my easy run, stretch, and sleep!

Of course, being this tired my munchies are in overdrive.  I'm going to have to keep reminding myself that food is not the thing that will give me the energy I need.  Chocolate & sugar will NOT help.  I just need to get through the day and then catch up on sleep, that's the only thing that will help.

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Nap Time

Sometimes you just need a nap!

Today was one of those days.  Didn't sleep so great last night (no reason .. just awake).  Then the day was spent packing up my office and ingesting unhealthy amounts of dust.  When my son's soccer coach called to cancel practice for the night I knew right then that I would also cancel my run plans.  We're getting stupid amounts of rain today, and the next few days, so I really wasn't wanting to run outdoors anyway.  It's been dark all day, drizzly, cold and damp.  And I just couldn't face the treadmill tonight.  Besides ...... I needed a nap!

I hate to get behind in my plan already, but I don't need to be getting rundown and getting sick.  There is no time for that! :) 

Almost 2 hours was spent snuggled in a blanket with the dog in front of the woodstove .... ahhhhhh, HEAVEN!  And now I'm going to turn in early too.  Tomorrow will be a crazy day, hopefully ending with a run.

Is it still too early in winter to be dreaming of warm, sunny, spring & summer days?

Keep Active!

Heidi

2-0 of Pure Determination

First off, in case you missed it (wink wink - lol!), Sunday was my birthday.  Being a runner, we do crazy things like challenge a new distance for our birthday.  There must be something wired wrong in our brains - seriously!

But it wasn't to be.  It rained SO hard on Sunday.  Now, it rains ALOT out here, we're quite used to it ... but this was beyond insane.  I think all said and done it was around 60mm (2+ inches) or more of rain.  My husband got up with the dog twice that night.  The first time he came back to bed and questioned my sanity to even consider running in that kind of rain.  The second time he came back he actually forbid me to run in it.  HAHAHA - he's cute!

My running friend called me in the morning to ask if I wanted to delay it an hour or two.  That was all I needed.  I would have done it, but really did not want to.

Instead we opted to do a nice family breakfast where I stuffed myself silly.  My running friend and her husband came over and she brought me Elmo Ice Cream Cupcakes from Dairy Queen.  Dairy Queen does not make ice cream cupcakes ... yet she convinced them that yes, indeed, they do make them, and they're cheap.  She's such a shyster!  They were cute and they tasted great.  It never really did clear up so we scrapped the run idea all together and went out to a Christmas store.  So festive!

In the evening we had some other friends over and had a wonderful dinner of Rouladen (recipe).  Mmmm, one of my favourites!  My friend also gave me a bottle of Kahlua which I've stashed away and will savour for probably a year or more.

The running plans were shot ... except I have this crazy goal of running 156.9 miles this month to meet my goal of running 1000 miles this year.  I really can't afford to miss a long run.  So, we did what any normal human being would do.  We just postponed it to the next day ... which just happens to be a Monday, and I work full time.

I went direct from work to my friends house and we were on the road by about 4:20.  I think we got about 10-15 minutes of semi-daylight before it got dark.  The first 2 miles were tough.  After a full day of work, in the dark ... my mind just wasn't into it ... plus my legs were stiff.  But then we hit a bit of a rhythym and it wasn't so bad. 

We passed my house and I was getting too hot so dropped off my jacket in the driveway.  I would come to regret this!  The route was a more or less out and back ... just after we reached the turn around point the skies decided to open up.  UGH!  I had no jacket.  I'd forgotten my hat.  Yuck!  It was disgusting.

Around mile 13 I was done, but there was still a long way to go.  I kept trying to find a way to zone out or magically click my heels and be teletransported (there's no place like home, there's no place like home  ... Oh Toto, we'll never get there).  It didn't work!

This run was SO much harder than last week's 18.5. Yes it was a little longer, after work, in the dark, in the rain ... but still.  Definitely a run of pure determination!

When we got back to her house we did a short walk but our legs just seemed to get stiffer as we walked.  We went into her garage for some stretching and I just started giggling like a school girl.  I went into hysterics, which of course made my friend start laughing.  Her husband came out and asked what was up.  I told him it was either laugh or cry, so I laughed. 

Between stretching at her house and then again when I got home, I probably spent over 40 minutes - and I'm still stiff.  Alot of stretching going on here at work today too!  It seems to be just tightness though, not soreness (ie injury), which is great!

There you have it ... 20 miles on the books ... pure h-e-double 'l', but it's done!  I slept like a log last night.  Hubby got up with the dog again and I didn't notice either of them even move.  There's definitely an option for those who suffer from insomnia.  Run for 3 1/2 hours right before bed.  Knocks you out flat!

NOTES

Consumed prior to run: breakfast & lunch (which included a bacon & cabbage dish - probably not ideal)
Consumed during run: 1water bottle filled with Gatorade, 1 of plain water, 4 Sharkies
Immediately after run:  Hot Chocolate & a Wendy's Spicy Chicken Burger (oh soooo good)
Approx 2 hours later:  Fast asleep!

Stomach issues: Not so great, couple of emergency stops .. probably the cabbage!

Energy level during run:  Medium-low - no doubt due to the circumstances and time of day
Muscles: O-U-C-H! 

Aftermath:  Other than expected stiffness this morning, I feel pretty darn good.  Rather tired, but I'm not certain that's related directly to the run.
Things to try on next long run:  An umbrella????
 

Keep Active!

   

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

WANTED: Shoe Fairy

Thanks for the snow vibes.  We did get some snow, but unfortunately not quite enough for us to go to work clearing it.  GRRRR!!!!  Momma needs a new pair of shoes, bring on the snow!

The only way to describe my run this weekend .... &%#@*&^ cold!!!!!!!!

16 miles in minus 3°C.  Yes, I know it's colder in many parts of the world.  But on the BC Coast this is bitter cold.  The kind of cold that goes deep in your bones and grips them in ice.  You have to be here to understand that -3 here is colder than -8 in say Edmonton.  It's a damp cold.

Now, to be honest, the worst part was the first mile and then any time we stopped.  Of course, at least half the route was running into a strong, cold head wind and that wasn't all that pleasant either.

Certainly not the most enjoyable run I've ever done (by far) but it's done and over with.

It was too cold to drink very much, but I don't think I lost much through sweat anyway.

NOTES

Consumed prior to run: toasted english muffin, 2 sl. ham, 1 boiled egg, 1 c black tea, 1 c. peppermint tea
Consumed during run: 1 water bottle filled with Gatorade
Immediately after run:  copious amounts of tea, 1 sugar cookie, 3 gingerbread cookies
Approx 2 hours later: turkey sausage and pasta & broccoli alfredo.  Not a huge amount of hunger.

Stomach issues: 1 pit stop at the halfway mark.  Stomach was a little "off", but no emergencies.

Energy level during run: Pretty low. I could have been talked out of going on this run quite easily and could have bailed at any time with just a slight push.  I'm proud that I didn't actually bail and that I went.  But honestly it was cold, I was sore, and it was tough to push through.  Definitely a mentally challenging run.

Muscles: VERY tight.  Had to stop for a stretch in the first mile because my shins felt so tight.  I don't know if the cold made it worse, but my legs felt like bricks for most of the run.  My dear husband gave them a good rubdown last night and it really seemed to help. 

Aftermath:  No headache again or complete energy drain.  Other than my tight muscles and tenderness I feel good.

Things to try on next long run:  In a perfect world I'd get some massage therapy and a new pair of runners.  I desperately need both.  I think I'm going to have to find a way to make that happen, somehow. 

Ideally I'd have a few pairs of runners and then I could switch them for each run, making them last longer and have more recovery time.  What I wouldn't give to have a few different styles (and colors).  It's no fun trying to pick out shoes when you are on such a limited budget that you can barely afford the one pair of shoes and you know that it's do or die.  Whatever shoes you get HAVE to work, there are no options to just get another pair.

These are the one's I have my eye on:

Mizuno Wave Rider 13 (Dark Shadow/Pansy Blazing Orange)

this is last year's model which is still available ... love the colors:

Mizuno Wave Rider 12

I also would be interested in trying these:

Mizuno Wave Creation 10

I know the Wave Rider 13's are $154.99 at my local running room.  That's just insane!  Unfortunately ebay isn't offering them as low as the last time I bought shoes off of there.  Prices seem to be higher now, though still well under the Running Room. 

I bought my current shoes a year ago (bought two pairs at that time, so no, I'm not still running on those shoes) and they were $55 shipped (about $150 in the local stores).  I need another deal like that!  ... or a shoe fairy.

 

Keep Active!

   

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Weekly Goal Review - Nov 19th

In light of my longest run to date, I missed posting this edition last week.  Here it is for the past week.

WEEKLY GOAL REVIEW

NOVEMBER GOALS

Swimming

Swam 2000M in the pool this week.  1 set x 500M, 1 set x 1000M, and 1 more set x 500M.  This takes about 60 minutes including rests between sets.  The 1000M was definitely a challenge and it zapped my energy.  However, that morning I was feeling a little more run down that usual.  I am seeing some improvement.

Basic Exercises

Minimum 10 push-ups and 50 sit-ups per day  - I am terribly, terribly behind on this.  I don't think I could catch up at this point.  But I am going to make a real effort to do these from today on.

Hill/Interval Training

Wed was supposed to be hill or interval training and honestly I did not feel like it.  Plus, my running partner's ankle was bothering her so I thought we'd be better off with just a simple run.  I did do one run this week that was quite hilly.  Not quite the same as hill training, but I'll have to take it this week.  Sometimes I love the interval training, but lately I can talk myself out of it very easily.

Tempo Run

I did get one tempo run in this week.  It wasn't quite as fast as I would have liked, but I got the cardio up there and it was challening.

Mileage Build-up

This week would have included a LSD, but we backed it up a few days and did it early.  I'm still on target though.  I've just had a slightly longer week which is good for recovery too.

I feel like I'm not quite reaching for my goals like I normally would.  I'm not far off of them, but I'm not quite there yet.  I'd like to light that fire inside me and accomplish them.  But then again, maybe I'm just at a place where I should just be enjoying myself and not too worried about the "schedule".

Thank you everyone for the snow vibes.  We did get a little snow last night.  First of the season - YAY!!  About a 1/2" at my place.  Nothing at my work though as it is at a lower elevation.

The prediction calls for about 2"+ tonight.  Keep sending those vibes.  I know some were coming from many, many miles away and may take a bit to get here.  I'm still happily accepting them. :)

Have a Great Weekend

Keep Active!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

Case of the Lazies

I kinda feel like a slug.  A busy slug, but a slug. 

I have not ran since my 14 mile run on Saturday.  I had anticipated Sunday to be a rest day, but things kind of got away from me.

Sunday both my kids had soccer games in away locations.  I probably spent over 3 hours of driving that day.  And kind of all for not.  There was a mix up with my daughter's team and even though they won the game, and played great (she's improving so much!) ... they likely will record a loss on the scoreboard on a technicality because they didn't have a required item with them (sub coach who isn't experienced in this stuff - not his fault).  It sucks, but it is what it is.  The other team's behaviour was disgusting though.  After the game, which score-wise our team won, the other team started jumping up and down screeching "We Won! We Won! hahaha You lost!".  I would smack my child to the heavens if she acted like that. 

Afterwards, in another location, my son had his game.  It was another very physical game, very intense.  One of our players got kicked out for foul language ... he's had it coming for a while.  We were a man down and playing hard, but loosing.  Right near the end, my son, who is defense, attempted a bicycle kick and landed wrong - flat on his back.  After a good 5 minutes down, he was able to walk off the field and we left the game.  He was in a lot of pain.

Monday was spent at doctors and x-rays, followed by filling a prescription for pain.  Luckily nothing is broken or misaligned, but he is still very, very sore.  This zapped any energy I had for exercising on Monday.

Tuesday I just plain didn't have it in me.  This coming home in the dark SUCKS!  And it was raining and cold (4°C/39°F).  Normally my son makes a fire in the woodstove when he gets home, which he can't do right now, the house was cold when I got home.  I had plans to meet with a friend for a run, but one of her cat's died and she wasn't into it.

Know what these are?  All excuses!  I got a case of the lazies.  Unfortunately, I also have a case of eating crap. 

I don't know if it's just the mental idea of running more miles - you know, the excuse that if you run that much you can eat what you want.  But it doesn't work that way.  Especially when you take 3 days off.

This morning I somewhat rectified it.  I got my weekly swim done.  2000 Meters today.  However, I followed it up with breakfast from McDonald's (which my body apparently did not like and let me know it!).  I gotta turn this bus around.  My schedule is all mixed up this week, which is throwing off my runs, but there's no reason I can't at least keep my eating in order. 

I have big plans for tomorrow ... kinda scared, kinda excited, kinda ready.

Keep 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

♥♥♥♥♥

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

♥♥♥♥♥

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

♥♥♥♥♥

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

♥♥♥♥♥

Get Back You Nasty Bug

Ugh ... I finally caught the cold going around our house.  For a while now I've been pretty lucky (healthy???) and haven't caught a cold.  Some of the family has been sick this winter and it's bypassed me.  But this time I've got a titch, a bit of a sore throat and super tired.  I'm hoping it stays to just that.  I'm trying to get a bit of extra rest and take things easy. 

So ... no exercise for me last night.  I came home from work, made dinner (if you can call it that) and just crashed on the couch.  I felt pretty guilty and almost went downstairs for a weight workout, but just couldn't bring myself to do it.  Hopefully I have some energy back tonight so I can get a little something in.

****************

Got us all signed up for the Vancouver Sun Run this May too (yay for early entry fees).  My husband is going to run it with me and my mother-in-law is going to walk it.  It's such a scenic route (or so I hear, I didn't notice last year - heehee) and I think she'll enjoy going along with her camera.  What's not to enjoy about getting out for a nice walk with 50,000 plus people on Mother's Day???

It takes about an hour for everyone to just cross the START line!  Thank goodness for chip timing.

Speaking of dinner (ya I did, way up there ^), I have been so unorganized with my meals lately.  Totally slacking on making my lunches.  We haven't had a proper dinner in a while.  It's all been helter skelter!  I'm sure the kids are loving it, but it's really not healthy long term.  I really, REALLY need to buckle down and get this area of my life back in order before it snowballs.  Sure I have excuses, but they're just that and I can overcome them with a little more effort.

I don't think I've been blowing the calorie budget (though I'm not 100% certain because I haven't been tracking) but we all know how this works.  One day you're not counting calories, the next you're eating more processed foods, and the next you've gained back every pound you lost.  That's NOT going to be me!

I've been keeping portion control in mind but the food has NOT been healthy (frozen pizza, chicken nuggets, cereal, canned soup....).  No doubt this doesn't help me to fight this cold.  Yet, I sit here racking my brain on what I can make tonight that is SUPER quick and healthy.  We have a total time crunch in our house tonight.  Maybe I can duck out of work a little early to at least hit up the veggie stand.

Hope everyone is having a great day!!!!!

Heidi

♥♥♥♥♥

I'm Giving Up!

I'm feeling like a bit of a failure. :(  I've been trying to follow this Clean Eating Diet for almost 2 weeks now and have come to the conclusion that it's not for me.  Two weeks isn't long and maybe I'm a failure for giving up already, but it just doesn't feel right.  I still very much agree with the principles of this plan (eating frequently, eating fresh, unprocessed foods, eating protein with meals, but I think I have to scrap it.

I'm feeling way too constricted with what I'm supposed to eat and what I'm not supposed to eat.  I was getting to the point where I was getting ZERO enjoyment out of eating and there was a day when I wanted to throw out all my food because the thought of eating it was making me gag.  Plus, I found myself constantly thinking of foods not on my plan, unhealthy foods - which is strange because normally I eat pretty well.  I ended up reaching often for things that normally I'd rarely have.  And when I did eat outside of my plan I had this feeling of guilt.  Personally I don't think you should feel guilty for eating something, even if it is horribly unhealthy. 

As I mentioned before, in the first few days I had horrible bloat, which mostly went away - but not completely.  I had a couple days of high energy, but I noticed that I also had periods of extreme tiredness.  Sometimes this would come on suddenly and hit me like a freight train - other times I could barely pull myself out of bed.  Though generally my energy would pick up later in the day.

I think the real kicker is that 2 weeks in my weight is still up a little and I'm still feeling bloated.  I think the time has come to kick this one out the door.

So I'm going back to what has worked in the past - counting calories with a focus on eating healthy, clean foods.  I had gotten bored with recording every bite, but it does work.

Wouldn't this be wicked? 

Also, I have my next race (10K) coming up this weekend.  As soon as that is over I'm going to dedicate more time to weight training.  I'm going to have lots of races throughout the year and while I want to do well at them, if I really want to change the look of my body I know that weights is where it's at.  I'm just often worried that I'll be sore from a weights workout before a long run (you'd be amazed how hard it is to run with sore biceps).  But what I really need is to work those muscles more often so I don't get as sore.  Make it part of my routine again.

Last night I did 40 minutes of weights (full body workout) and then 2 fairly fast miles on the treadmill.  Tonight I'm going to dedicate to some speed intervals on the track.  The workouts are always the easy part for me.

I leave you with a very important lesson ....

Attack of the 'Cereal' Killer

Ahhh, yesterday we had a serious problem in our house.  Very serious!  We had a serial killer there ... or, ummmm .... should I say "cereal" killer!

I worked a little longer than expected and just didn't plan out my meals throughout the day like I should have.  No protein in the morning, ate lunch too early...  The result was by the time I got home from work I was hungry - like NOW hungry.  I was also tired (partly the result of lack of sleep, partly due to an overly hot office that I can't adjust the temperature at).  I almost fell asleep at my desk in the afternoon.

When I came in the door the first thing I saw was a big ol' open box of this....

So in the hand went .. a few times. 



My plans for dinner was a Chicken Spinach Salad - pretty healthy right???  But after a bit of that sweet cereal I threw it all out the door and chose to have cereal instead.

To make it a little healthier I had it with non-fat milk and this...

That SOOO makes it better, doesn't it ☺(Not!)

And to make a bad choice even worse ... I had TWO bowls of this!  UGH!  Can you say binge?!  Half an hour later I felt just gross.  Too full!

After that the plan was to take my daughter to her dance class, then come home and run for an hour on the treadmill.  But when I came home I found Garry laying on living room floor, so I layed down beside him and fell asleep just around 8:30.  Apparently my body needed sleep, which I think is partially the reason for my indulgence.

Boy does this look comfy!

Today I have things much better planned out, and am not feeling nearly as tired.  Got a free evening and am definitely feeling the need to RUN!