10K Race Report

Sunday was our most recent trail run on the roster.  It was supposed to be sunny and warm-ish (10C / 50F), but instead it was drizzling and damp.  Here on the coast when it rains it's a very damp cold, it can be above freezing but feel well below freezing.

Normally when we arrive there is a long line-up for unregistered participants, and little to no line for pre-registered.  This time however it was reversed and we had to wait quite a while to get our numbers.  This didn't leave us a whole lot of time for warm-up and stretching, but we got in enough.

Thankfully though they started the 5K runners in a different area and waited until they'd all gotten out onto the trail to start the 10K group.  Plus we started on a much wider trail.  It was nice to get off to a faster start!

And a fast start it was .... my first mile was under the 8 minute mark, that's really good for me.  I look forward to the day I can sustain that kind of pace over a longer distance.

The next 3 1/2 miles were SUPER hilly.  There is a hill on this trail that is referred to the locals as "Heart Attack Hill".  At the top is a bench where people often stop to catch their breath.  It's long AND steep.  My "running" speed on this hill dropped to 3 mph, maybe even a bit less.  We had to do a loop and run this hill TWICE!  I knew it would be on this course so I expected it, but it was still super tough.  Plus, the entire loop itself had a number of respectable hills.

The second time going up that long, steep hill I wasn't sure I could hold my cookies.  I actually had to stop for about 10 seconds at the top and get everything back in order.  But I knew once that was done that there would be a slight downhill and the rest of the course was flat.  Course knowledge is a wonderful thing!

After all those hills my average pace had dropped to 9:04, which was slower than I wanted to be.  For a moment I mentally checked out thinking I couldn't reach my goal, but I worked hard to push through that and then I knew that I could make up time.  So I really pushed to pick it up in the last part of the course. 

Running in a series is neat because you see familiar faces, you tend to run with the same people.  I knew from previous races who is typically just in front of me, who typically goes out faster than me and that I can pass later on, who runs faster uphill but then levels out ....  I used this to my advantage.  There is this one guy who always passes me at about 4K, then finishes about a minute in front of me.  This time when he passed me I pushed HARD!  I stayed on his tail and when I found I had just a bit more energy I passed him and wasn't going to let him by me again.  It wasn't about beating him for the sake of beating him, it was about knowing that if I beat him then I'd have beaten myself.  I'm nowhere near the point of competing within the field, so it's all about competition with myself.

With about 1/2 mile to go I could hear someone coming up behind me.  I really wanted to finish strong.  So I picked up my pace AGAIN and saw that my average pace had gone from 9:04 min miles to 8:57.  By now my stomach was beginning to churn again but I kept up my pace.  At about 6.15 miles the guy behind me passed me and I couldn't catch him - though I also could not see the finish line which should have been in sight by then.

The distance ended up being 6.35 miles (aka 10.25 Km) and I finished in 56:28.  My average pace was 8:53 min/mile - 5:32 min/Km.

Afterwards, the guy who passed me at the end came up to me and said "WOW, good pace!".  Apparently he'd been pushing hard to pass me too.  Glad I at least offered him a challenge.

My goal for this race was 55 minutes, and if you convert the distance to an actual 10K then I finished in 55:08.  Pretty darn close! 

I think that with all these hills, I should be able to break 53-54 minutes on this distance.  Though my goal for this year is to break 52.  I definitely need to do some hill & speed training to improve my game.

Tomorrow I'll recap a few things I thought about this race (and the series) as well as how the remainder of my day went after the race.  Race recovery is tough!

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Heidi

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They WON!

Thanks for the well wishes everyone.  My son’s soccer team won their game today (3-1) which means they are guaranteed top spot in the cup final!!!  WOOO HOOOOO! 

Here’s a few action shots of my son:

Today is a rest day for me before the race tomorrow.

Eats:

Breakfast:  Oatmeal, Nutracleanse, Unsweetened Peanut Butter, Kashi Go Lean Crunch (I love this breakfast, it really sticks with me and lasts)

Lunch:  Wendy’s Mandarin Chicken Salad with 1/4 pkg dressing, 1/3 pkg almonds, 1/2 pkg crispy noodles.

Dinner: (not very hungry) – 3 oz steak & cucumber salad

Snack:  3 Tim Horton’s Timbits

 

Thanks everyone for your comments on my gym.  I absolutely love it, and my husband for building it.  Our house may be behind the times for now, but my gym is awesome.

I’ll be back with my race report either tomorrow or Monday.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

Heidi

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Hoping for a Good Weekend

I'm getting so excited for my race this weekend.  My foot is feeling fantastic, my hip is feeling quite good and the weather is expected to be sunny.  And ... to top it all off it's on my absolute FAVOURITE running trail!  The footing is fantastic and it's so serene.  This is by far my favourite place to run.  I will try to remember my camera so I can take some pics to share.  Here's a few from last years series, which was VERY cold.

Eating was OK today.  I had a frozen meal left in the freezer at work so decided to have that instead of something made at home. 

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Nutracleanse (see review below), Kraft unsweetened unsalted peanut butter and Kashi Go Lean Crunch

Lunch - President's Choice Spinach & Cannelloni, pear & 1/2 banana **

Dinner - Vegetable soup & grilled cheese

Dessert - 1% milk and 3 Peak Freans Lifestyle Vanilla Bean Latte cookies.

** Random thoughts here .... today I had 1/2 banana at lunch.  For most of you this may not be significant, but for me it was.  I see people eat half a banana all the time and I often wonder "What do you do with the other half?".  Seriously, doesn't it go mushy?  or brown??  I either eat the whole banana or throw the other half away (as I did today because half of it was bruised and I do NOT eat bruised bananas).  Yeah, random .. whatever!

A while ago I received some sample packs of this product called Nutracleanse.  I've been using it off and on for a while and thought I'd write up a little review.  This is made by a locally owned company so if you don't live in BC you may never have encountered it.  But if you ever do see it (locations)... you should try it!

It seems to be touted as a product for the relief of constipation, and even a bit for weight loss.  Neither of those reasons are why I personally use it.  It's got ground flax and ground psyllium in it, which we all know is good for us.  But really ... it tastes good and adds a little texture!

I love to have it sprinkled on yogurt and lately I've been mixing it with my morning oatmeal.

And ... while it is recommended for constipation I can assure you that it does help things get moving, but it doesn't keep it moving beyond what is necessary (unlike alot of more commonly known laxatives).  It does it's job and life goes on as normal. 

If everyone could keep their fingers crossed for me this weekend that would be great.  This is a race I'm hoping to do really well in and my son has an important game this weekend too.

Hope everyone is having a great day - and have a great weekend too!!!!!

Heidi

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Visit my gym

This post is brought to you by a fast 2 mile run (16 minutes) on the treadmill and a little bit of weights.

 

My, oh my ... where has my head been? Yesterday I:

1) Drove past my road and had to go around the block to get home.

2) Took my daughter to McD's and paid at the first window, then just drove off.  I had to back up to get her order.  You should have seen the look she gave me.  Of course, being 13 it's all about her and how mortified she was by my actions.  The guy in the window just laughed and said it happens all the time. and the big kicker ....

3) I realized I would have gone to the WRONG RACE this weekend!!! ACCCKKKKK - now that's a problem!

I've been sort of nagging my sister in law to join me in the race this weekend.  She is so not a runner, but she does like to exercise, especially outdoors, so I thought maybe she'd join.  It's a no-go, but she was asking me details about it.  And just to make sure I got the time right (Yeah, so not my problem here!) I double checked the website.  Only to discover I've been planning to go to the wrong race.

I have a race scheduled for this weekend (Feb 7th)  and two weeks after that (Feb 28th).  I thought this weekend was the 8K and the following was the 10K, but nooooo, I'd reversed them!  Having the distance wrong is a minor problem .. but the wrong location would have been disasterous as I never would have made it from one location to the other in time.

Phewf!  Thank goodness for finding this out in time! 

Last night I had another session with the Dr.  My ankle feels 99% and my hip is up to about 75%.  If I sit still too long the hip gets tight, but it is improving.  He said 1, maybe 2, more sessions and I should be done.  I don't really know exactly what he's doing but it seems to be working.

After that I had to go into town to drop off my daughter, so I decided to hit up the track.  I ran 4 miles in 33:45 (8:26/mile).  I'm pretty happy with that.  Hopefully I can be around this range for my race this weekend - though I expect a bit slower due to hills and terrain.

Also got my fruits & veggies so today has been a much better day nutritionally. 

Breakfast - Oatmeal with flax seed, peanut butter and Kashi Go Lean Crunch (this was an awesome addition for a little crunchy texture)

Lunch - Hummus Sandwich on whole wheat thin bread & a large container of mixed veggies with Sabra Chipotle Hummus.  YUM YUM YUM.  I have a large container of hummus I need to use up shortly, which is just fine because I love it.

Dinner - 1 c. Smart Penne Pasta, 1/4 cup jarred Alfredo sauce, 2 oz. grilled chicken, 2 cups broccoli, carrots & red pepper

Dessert - 1 square Lindt Chili Chocolate

I had planned to have a cup of milk tonight but I'm feeling quite full and really just wanted water.

Now to just keep this up.....

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

Heidi

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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.

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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

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January Recap

APPT FOLLOW-UP

Was back at the Dr this afternoon for a follow up.  Things are looking good.  He massaged my foot and calf and there was very little discomfort which he said is very good.  The hip was quite uncomfortable but he said it's doing what it should to heal.  He said just a couple more sessions and I should be fine.  Plus he gave me some good stretching tips, including to hold stretches for quite a long time, until you feel the muscle release.  He said 30 seconds is a bare, BARE minimum and 2+ minutes could easily be necessary - especially in a trouble area.

I should mention that this is a Chripractor/Massage Therapist in an office that has a high volume of sports related clientele.  So they really get wanting to work through issues without complete bed rest if possible.  A standard doctor would just give you a prescription and tell you to stop running.  Which is fine if that's what is necessary, but if there's a problem that needs fixing, drugs & rest alone aren't going to do it.

OUTDOOR LIVING

About a week ago my husband decided to start the renovation on our ensuite.  End of January and he takes the ceiling, walls and insulation out of the room adjoining our bedroom.  Who does that??? Let me tell ya ... that's a cold sleep!  The wind was blowing right through.  I thought my nose would fall off at times. 

So Friday I had to finish filing a tax report and when I was done I figured on mostly relaxing for the weekend. Saturday morning I went out for a couple hours and came home to everything being removed from my bedroom. 

Turns out there was a problem that lead him to have to do some framing work in the bedroom.  So EVERYTHING had to be removed from the room.  Then they tore down all the drywall and insulation - what a mess! 

The first night we slept at my in-laws next door.  But last night we set up our mattress in the front living room.  It's going to be at least a few weeks.

Today I came home and the exterior wall is gone, as is the interior wall. 

And my husband and son had framed up my walk-in closet (that'll be nice!!). 

It was SO cold when I got home from work.  But thankfully my son put up a layer of plastic to keep the cold out.  Much better now.

It's going to be an interesting time around here for a while as we have lots of renovations to do.  We've been living with this very outdated walls & carpet for a LONG time.  It'll still be a while yet til that's gone, but the progress has begun.

  JANUARY 2010
RUNNING RECAP

# of runs:  14

Distance:   ......66.3 Miles / 106.6 Kms 
Monthly Goals:  55 Miles / 88.5 Kms

Longest Distance:  10.2 Miles / 16.3 Kms  (1:32:10)
Fastest Pace:  .....7:54 min/Mile / 4:55 min/Km / 7.6 mph - on a 3.1 Mile/5K run
Average Pace: .....8:52 min/Mile / 5:31 min/Km / 6.8 mph

Summary:  I'm super happy with what I achieved in January.  I was hoping to run more often, but with the injury I took some extra rest days.  I exceeded my distance goal by 20% (which I was sort of aiming for) and I'm pretty happy with my pace.

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

Heidi

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The Dr says .... RUN!

It's been a busy weekend and other than posting a few comments, I haven't had much time online. 

Friday I went to see the Dr about my foot/hip issues.  He definitely thinks they are related, but time will tell.  He thinks the issues I'm having are due to VERY tight calf muscles.  And, because my left foot slightly overpronates, the more miles I put on, the more stress I put on it. 

There is a muscle that runs along the inside of your calf, then around the back and underneath of your ankle bone and then attaches at the bottom of your foot.  This is the muscle that he says is extremely tight. 

He said if it weren't for the unbalance issue with my left foot, that I easily could have had this problem with either, or both feet.  As the muscles tighten, they pull on the bottom of my foot - and as it gets tighter, the pain continues up the inside of my leg.  If ignored, the pain will keep going higher and higher, and eventually could lead to major problems.

He did a pretty thorough massage of my foot & calf and when he pressed in the area that he said was the biggest problem it really hurt.  That night it was quite achy, felt like a bruise.

And while massaging my hip he noted that my IT Band was also VERY tight.  He was surprised that I hadn't had issues with it and said I need to pay alot more attention to that area.

He told me to definitely run this weekend and I have another appt with him today to see the affects.  And I'm to do lots of stretching after my runs and for the next while ice for a good 20 minutes afterwards if possible. 

So ... run I did!!!  And it felt great.  After a stressful, busy week and no running I couldn't wait to get out (and play with my Garmin).

Saturday I took the dog and we ran downtown.  First off ... I don't enjoy running in the city.  Sidewalks, street posts that the stupid dog runs around and gets caught, stop lights - very disruptive!  But it still felt good to get out.  I ran a very casual 4 miles/6.3 Km.  Afterwards my foot felt a bit sore but not as bas as it's been, but my hip was fairly achy.

Sunday I had grand plans of going into town early and meeting up with the running room group .. but I'd had a busy night and a so-so sleep and when the alarm went off I thought no way.  However, late in the afternoon I went out and had a great run - 3.1 miles/5K at an average pace of 8:34/mi - 5:20/km - 7 mph.  It felt awesome!  My foot is still feeling really good, but I think the hip is worse.  Guess we'll see what the Dr. says today.

I've got some pictures to post of what we were up to this weekend, and a recap of January, but I'll leave that for tomorrow - as well as an update from the Dr.

But before I leave ya ..... there is an awesome giveaway in blogland right now:

Running Skirt Giveaway at Endurance Isn't Only Physical

Unfortunately one of the conditions of this giveaway is to mention it on my blog - heeheeee.  I wish I didn't have to because I SOOOO want to win one of these skirts.  I drool over this skirt site once in a while when I'm bored at work.  So I'm really hoping to win!

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

Heidi

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