Getting my butt in gear...

Ok, so I was kind of bad following the Santa Shuffle and didn't get out running for a few (well, quite a few) days. But I've been getting back into it, which is a good thing, since Miami is less than a month away!

Mel and I ran 18K in Florida on Boxing Day. It was hard, especially since it was so hot, but we managed it (with a fair amount of walking). At least now, having run that distance, I have no concerns whatsoever about being able to finish the Half. We did the 18K in 2 hours and 45 minutes, so even if the last 3.1 km took us 9 minutes a km, we'll be done in less than 3 1/2 hours. And we still have 3 weeks of training to go. Plus, we were going really slow and it was a hilly route which slowed us down.

I'm still aiming for my 2:30 finish in Miami and it looks like it might be doable based on the times I've been getting.

I went out for a 7K run yesterday and it was quite nice. Around -1 degrees and light snow. I'm supposed to do 6 today and 8 tomorrow but doing both is looking pretty unrealistic. Plus, it's -18 with the windchill so that's not encouraging me to get out there. It's supposed to be warmer tomorrow so I might just save my run for then.

Oh! We finally have bib numbers for Miami. I'm the proud owner of #20479!

Happy new year to anyone reading this!

Resolution Run

I did the Resolution Run this morning... I know, December 28th is a stupid day to do the Resolution Run but I didn't have enough pull to change it to a different date...

I finished in 31:26! Yay!! I'm going to break that 30 minute mark yet!

Santa Shuffle Results

I did the 5K Santa Shuffle on Saturday the 6th. I finished in just under 34 minutes so I was pretty content.

Unfortunately, I haven't been running since. I need to get my butt in gear again!

14K is LONG!

My long run today was 14K and my goodness, that's a long distance! I was ready to be done by the time I got home.

It didn't help that it was insanely windy and it seemed like we were always running right into the wind. But it was a good temperature (around 2 degrees) so at least I enjoyed that part of it.

Next Sunday is 16K... I'm a bit scared. (Of course, I should also keep in mind that I have a 21.1K in less than 2 months.)

I love this weather!

I never thought I'd be happy to see the cooler weather but I am so loving this weather. It was 4 degrees yesterday when I ran and 5 degrees today and it was WONDERFUL!

I didn't manage to do my long run on the weekend due to a very late night the night before but I got out and did it yesterday - 10K. Woohoo!! Another 6K (almost today).

Today was hard - it was my first day of hill training and it wasn't so fun. I managed to complete it but it wasn't fun like yesterday.

My clinic starts tomorrow night - yay!! I'm supposed to do 5K tomorrow but I have a concert tomorrow night so I'm only going to go for the talk part of the clinic. I'm hoping to get out of work early enough to get out for a run first though.

Angus Glen 10K

What an amazing race! Everyone who raved to me about this race was totally right! It was probably the most well-organized race I've ever done, the route was gorgeous and the lunch afterward was fantastic!

My goal was to beat my previous best 10K time, which was 1:06:39. I did it by more than 2 minutes!

It was a little chilly... about 2 degrees when we started and there was quite a breeze blowing which made it feel a few degrees colder. I was wearing capris, tank top and long sleeved shirt. The long sleeves came off at about the 5K mark and I was fine from there. The only thing I wished I'd brought with me was gloves/mittens. My hands were freezing for the first half of the race.

I'll definitely be doing this one again next year!

Angus Glen 10K Results

Place: 406/568
Bib#: 1137
Time: 1:04:23.5
Chip: 1:04:05.0
Pace: 6:27
Category: Women 35-39
CategoryPlace: 55/79
GenderPlace: 228/358

Miami

Oh yeah! I forgot! I have, after much agonizing, selected my outfit for the Miami Half Marathon (subject to what the weather might do). I'm keeping it under wraps for now though so you'll all just have to wait with breathless anticipation!

Ok, my butt has been kicked!

I ran 4K yesterday and 6K today (kind of by mistake) and I feel so great! As much as I drag my behind every day and try to make up excuses, I really do feel great when I finally get out for a run. I picked a rather hilly route today so it was a slow one but it felt fantastic!

Thanks to Mel for telling me to just suck it up and get out there!

It was a bit warm today - back to the high teens - and I didn't bother taking my Fuel Belt so I was dying of thirst by the time I got home.

Tomorrow is an off day and then I have the Angus Glen 10K on Sunday. Kind of cool since we got married there!

That's it for tonight... will post results Sunday!

Photo from Toronto Marathon

Me finishing the 5K!

The best run I've had in months!

I did almost 10 km on Saturday when we were in Windsor and it was the most fantastic run I've had in ages! The temperature was great and I felt like I could have just kept running all day!

Maybe it was because of the revolting Espresso flavored Gu I ate shortly into the run. It was the most horrible stuff I've ever tasted but maybe I'll give it another shot and see if I have the same kind of run next weekend.

I only have 3 more races before Miami... how scary is that??

Me at the Zoo Run

That's me! Not the cow - the one beside the cow...

Toronto International Marathon 5K

Yay for finishing my second race in 2 days!

Finishing it was about all I did though. It was just one of those runs that started off badly and finished the same way. I got a stitch in my side shortly after I started that lasted for 2 kilometres; my foot was sore because I have a nasty blister and I was tired (up at 6:15am). I had to walk more than usual, which is odd for a 5K. My time ended up being fine (the exact same pace as yesterday!!) but it was just a miserable run.

I got home around 9:00, which was shortly after the marathon started, so we walked out to Yonge Street to cheer on the participants. That was more fun than my own race! It's funny how some people looked like they were having the time of their lives and others looked like they were about to die. I wonder which of the 2 categories I'll fit into in Miami (I have a guess...).

One man stopped as he was going past us and offered to sell us his running bib... I guess he'd had enough after 6.5K!

The other good thing is that I got another medal!

Toronto International Marathon 5K Results

Place: 706/2056
Time: 34:49.0
Chip: 34:29.6
Pace: 6:58
Category: Women 35-39
CategoryPlace: 41/152
GenderPlace: 350/1291

Zoo Run Finish Line

Zoo Run

Today was the Toronto Zoo Run. I was THRILLED with my time. I was really just aiming for under 1:15:00 and I blew it away, despite the hills! It seems that I don't have a very good memory from 2 years ago - I forgot how darn many hills there are in that race (not to mention how steep they are!).

It was nice weather - sunny and about 4 degrees when we started. It was a little chilly waiting around to start but I warmed up quickly once I got going. By the 5K mark, I was ready to start stripping off my clothes (everyone will be happy to know I resisted temptation).

I saw lots of animals - tigers, giraffes, elephants, gorillas, llamas. Adam somehow managed to miss all of them - I guess he was concentrating on his run!

I have another one tomorrow - a 5K this time (as part of the Toronto Marathon). I suspect my legs aren't going to be too happy that I'm going to force them to do another one so soon but they'll forgive me!

Oasis Zoo Run 10K Results

Place: 1565
Time: 1:09:30.4
Chip: 1:08:49.5
Pace: 6:58
Category: Women 35-39
CategoryPlace: 154/224
GenderPlace: 874/1267

Aha!

I've discovered the source of my heel issues... it's my golf shoes. It was feeling almost completely better this morning and then we went golfing this afternoon and by the 9th hole, I was in pain! That sucks because they're almost new shoes, but at least I've identified the problem now. And golfing is probably over anyway, at least for this year.

I didn't run my scheduled 7K yesterday. I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner from the time I got up in the morning so I just didn't have time. And today we went golfing so I didn't run either. Excuses excuses!!! I'm getting my butt back out there tomorrow if it kills me!! (I also feel like I've gained 10 pounds over the weekend so even more reason to force myself to run)

I have 2 races next weekend - the Toronto Zoo Run (10K) on Saturday and the Toronto Marathon 5K on Sunday. I'm not going to really try for any particular time in the 10K - it's a hilly route so I'm just going to treat it as a training run. The 5K though, I'm going to push for under 30 minutes. That'll be shaving 3 minutes off my best official time but I think I can do it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

No running today

I'm taking the day off. My heel is still really sore so I figure I'll give it a day of rest in the hopes that it will feel better tomorrow.

I have an ouchy

My heel is really sore tonight! I checked the "injury" chapter in my Running Room book and the closest thing seems to be plantar facsitis, which I've had in the past, but I've always had problems with the balls of my feet, not the heel.

I'm icing it tonight but it's still hurting. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow.

Ok, I'm back at it

I ran 4.4K yesterday and it felt good. I could tell I hadn't been running for a number of days, as it was a bit hard but I'm glad I did it.

I have a sore heel - hopefully it's just something temporary. I'm going to try wearing different shoes today and see if that helps.

I've signed up for a Half Marathon clinic at the Running Room now. It starts November 13. Unfortunately, it goes until February 26, so it's not quite on my schedule for Miami but I've printed out my own schedule that I'm going to follow. I just can't decide which program to do - the "To complete" or the "2:30 Pace". I really don't think finishing in 2:30 is a particularly unrealistic goal, since I seem to finish around the 70 minunte mark in 10K's, but since it's my first one, I kind of think maybe my goal ought to just be to finish it.

Decisions, decisions!

Off to go do my 3K run!

What is WRONG with me???

I haven't been running since Monday and I'm feeling fat and unmotivated. I need a kick in my running butt!

Sports Bras

I have finally found one that I love. It's made by Moving Comfort and it is SOOOO comfortable. Being a "slightly" large-chested woman makes it difficult (to say the least) to be comfortable when running. Not only is it hard to find a sports bra that's large enough, finding enough support seems to be close to impossible. I don't know how many races I've finished with sore boobs because of all the bouncing.

Recently, I did find a couple of them that held me in, but they were so tight around the bottom that I felt bruised when I was finished. It seemed that I was either going to have to suffer with bouncy-bouncy or feel like someone was trying to cut off my air supply. Neither option was especially appealing.

Finally, at the expo yesterday, I tried on this Moving Comfort bra (the style is called Fiona). It's made especially for large-breasted women and it felt fairly comfortable. Well I wore it in my race this morning (disregarding the advise to never try anything new the day of a run) and oh my god!! I'm not in pain anywhere!!

To top it off, it actually looks nice (it's blue and doesn't look as much like a bra as most of them that are made for chesty woman do). I love it. And the best part?? It's only $45. You teeny ladies out there may not be used to paying upwards of $70 for a sports bra, but I am.

They apparently sell these womderful creations at the Running Room, but I've never seen them. Sporting Life also allegedly carries them, but I think to get the full range of sizes and colours, the internet is the way to go. I found a couple of sites that carry them and ship to Canada so I think I'm going to be stocking up.

Yay!!

Waterfront 5K

What a fun race!! I've never before been at a race with that many people (over 14,000) and I couldn't believe the atmosphere - it was incredible!

I showed up early so I could watch the marathoners and half marathoners get started - very cool. The race started at 7:30 and by 7:45 some of the runners had yet to reach the start line!

My race got underway at 8:15. There was a bit of confusion about where the race was supposed to start, which made things a bit difficult. The announcer kept saying the 5K was going to be starting a couple hundred metres south of where the marathon started so I went to the place where the marathon had started and we all started moving. We got past the start line for the marathon, walked for a block or so and then came to a stop. We gradually got moving again but I'm sure I lost a couple of minutes in the confusion, between walking for the first 200 metres and then stopping. From what I could tell, the 5K started in the exact same place as the marathon and if I'd actually started running at that point, I might have been able to come in under the 30 minute mark, which was really my goal for the day.

Oh well - it was still a good run and I'm content with my time. I'm even happier with my gender and category places (it helped that there were a lot of walkers).

My next one is the Zoo Run on October 18th (10K) although I may try and find another one to sign up for in the meantime. Three weeks seems like too long to wait!

Toronto Waterfront Marathon 5K Results

Place 1212
Bib# 14050
Time 35:16.0
Chip 33:39.1
Pace 7.04
Category W 35-39
CategoryPlace 108/268
GenderPlace 671/1949

Longboat Toronto Island Run Results

Place: 390/453
Gender: 166/219
Age Category: 29/31
Time: 1:08:58
Pace: 6:54

Longboat Toronto Island Run

I did another 10K this morning - the Longboat Toronto Island Run. It was a great temperature - somewhere around 13 degrees. It was chilly waiting for the race to start but during the run, it was perfect!

It was interesting because I ended up running on about 4 different terrains. It started on pavement but then we ran on the grass for half a km or so and then on a boardwalk for the last 2K. There was a little bit of running on cement and a few hundred metres on gravel/mud. The grass was nice but I had to slow down a bit to make sure I didn't step on any uneven ground.

The post race picnic was good - BBQ burgers and hot dogs, bagels, cookies, fruit and drinks.

I was pretty happy with my time - 1:08:58. A little off my time from the last one, but not by much.

Official results to be posted soon!

Burlington Waterfront Trail Results

My Results
Stryker Waterfront Trail - Double Crown
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Rank: 77
Clock Time: 1:27:17
Pace: 6:43 /km
Distance: 13 km
Bib: 1613
Gender Rank: 77/86
Division: BF35-39
Division Rank: 10/13
5 km Split: 31:30
8 km Split: 55:47

My poor legs

... are still killing me! I think I'll take one more day off. It's actually supposed to be cooler tomorrow anyway so I'm just going to skip today and get back out there tomorrow. On a positive note, my running shoes appear to have dried out from Saturday (finally!).

Burlington Waterfront Trail Race

Yay!! I had a new personal best in the 5K - 31:30 - nearly 2 minutes faster than my previous PB.

It was a strange race... there was a 5K and an 8K. You could do either or, or do both and get a medal for the "Double Crown." The 5K started at 8:30 so I finished by 9:00 and then the 8K didn't start till 9:30. That was kind of a good thing because the lineup for the ladies room was a bit long...

Anyway, I finished the 5K in record time (for me) and then headed out on the 8K. I wasn't even trying for e good time in that one and I think I finished at around 55 minutes or something.

The weather was miserable. The temperature was great - probably around 14 degrees or so - but the rain was unpleasant. I was cold and covered in mud by the time I finished. But it was still better that running in humidity.

Then this morning was the Ovarian Cancer walk. I had considered running it, just to get in a run but considering the fact that my legs felt like jello this morning, I decided that was a bad idea. So I did the walk and it it actually made my legs feel a bit better.

Now I just have to hope my running shoes have dried off by tomorrow...

Team Diabetes

I am now a proud member of Team Diabetes! (Thanks Tammy for introducing me to TD!!)

Team Diabetes is organized by the Canadian Diabetes Association. The organizers choose a number of races each year (both in Canada and internationally) in which members can participate and raise money for the Association. My race for 2009 is the Blue Nose Half Marathon in Halifax on May 17. It will be my second half marathon and will no doubt be a challenge, as anyone who knows Halifax can imagine!

Both my family and the families of many of my friends have been affected by diabetes so this is an incredibly worthy cause.

If you would like to donate to my race, please go to:

https://ocp.diabetes.ca/Pledge/csSearch.asp?prId=td

Thank you in advance for any support you can give me. I promise to come back and post pictures of myself finishing the race so you can all see how miserable and pathetic I look!

Olympics

I never thought I'd enjoy watching things like the marathon or triathlon in the Olympics but I'm finding myself staying up later and later every night to see what's happening!

I've been doing well with my training... supposed to be running 5 days a week, probably actually getting in 4 days, which seems to be working for me. I'll try and pick it up to where I'm supposed to be in September, when it's actually cool enough to run.

Today was freakin' hot! Over 30 degrees, so there was no way I was going out today. The high tomorrow is supposed to be 23 so hopefully it'll be nice and cool in the morning and I can get a good run in.

Durham 1/4 Marathon

I've enjoyed every race I've been in. Until now.

I've heard from other runners about how every so often they just have a bad run but I hadn't experienced that in an actual race. Now I have.

To start with, it was hot. The race didn't start till 9:00am so I think it was already about 24 degrees when we started. And humid.

I managed to get a cramp about half a kilometre into the race that started in my right side then gradually progressed to my left side and then all the way around my back. Fun. That lasted till about the 3K mark.

Then there was the water situation. Who would ever have thought that in a race with 300 people, the organizers would somehow manage to run out of water? At the 2.5K mark, there was water. At the 5K mark, there was a water station that had water after we waited for 30 seconds. Of course, it tasted like it came from someone's swimming pool so I ended up using the last of my own water to rinse the awful taste out of my mouth. Then at the 7.5K mark, they were actually out of water and just had warm Gatorade. Yuck!

I finished it, but only because there were no taxis passing along the route. I swear that if there had been, I would have been flagging one!

Not my best run ever, but I guess we all have bad ones once in a while. On to the next!

Durham 1/4 Marathon results

Place: 298/330
Time: 1:20:15
Category: SF30-39
Category Place: 47/50
Gender Place: 138/165
Pace: 7:37

1/4 Marathon

My next race is this Saturday - a 1/4 marathon. It sounds really impressive until you realize it's only 1/2 a km more than I've done before!!

I'm looking forward to it though. Hopefully it won't be too hot that morning.

I went for an almost 6K run today. It was actually quite nice - only about 20 degrees, which is about 8 degrees cooler than it has been lately. It's supposed to be pretty nice tomorrow too, so I should manage to get out again.

I lost one of my bottles from my water belt... that sucked. I think I somehow put it in the belt wrong and it fell out while I was running. Guess I'll be buying some extras!

20 Minute Challenge

I participated in the Running Room's 20 Minute Challenge on July 17, for my first time. Unfortunately, it was almost unbearably hot so 20 minutes was about all I could manage!!

Yet another complaint about the heat

I just can't get myself motivated to get out there and run in the heat! It's 28 degrees today and the thought of running makes me feel ill.

I need to make myself get up in the morning early, when it's still relatively cool. But my bed always feels so nice.

Waiting for fall...

Nissan 5K

Silly silly me. Going to a Great Big Sea concert the night before a run probably wasn't the best idea I've ever had.

I got to bed around 1:15am, after having consumed a bit too much beer. When that alarm went off at 6:30, I just about smashed it. Then I looked out the windy and it was gloomy and gray and not the kind of weather that inspires you to get out of bed.

But I forced myself to get dressed and get out there. I've never bailed on a run and I wasn't going to start this morning.

It was a little chilly when I first got to the race site and it was drizzling so it wasn't exactly fun standing around waiting for the race to start. But once it did start, I was glad for the rain. It was pretty humid so the sprinkles kind of cooled things off.

I finished in 33:54.6, which was 2 seconds faster than my last 5K, so I guess that's a good thing! I had set myself a goal of doing it in under 30 but considering how I felt, that went out the window pretty quickly.

My next race is a 1/4 marathon, on July 26. Can't wait!

Nissan 5K Results

Place 279/406
Bib# 3085
Time 34:53.9
Chip 33:54.6
Pace 6:59
Category Women 35 - 39
CategoryPlace 17/36
GenderPlace 132/237

City Chase

So, I sort of forgot to post anything about the City Chase, because it wasn't exactly your typical running event but it certainly felt like it! I'm sure we ran 20K that day!

We finished with less than 3 minutes to spare, but WE FINISHED!! We ended up Team #201 out of over 500 teams. Only about 240 teams actually finished within the 6 hours with their 10 Chase Points so we were thrilled with our results.

Canada Day Run

My second 10K run is now behind me! I was aiming for 75 minutes and came in 7 minutes under that so I was happy. It was hot and not as flat as the Sporting Life race, so I wasn't even trying to beat that time.

Adam did it in 58 minutes so he was pretty thrilled with his time as well.

I have a 5K race next weekend (the 13th) and then I've signed up for a 1/4 marathon on the 26th.

I'm starting to think that a 1/2 marathon might actually be do-able!

HBC Run for Canada Results

Place 1333
Bib# 8012
Time 1:11:39.9
Chip 1:09:25.6
Pace 7:10
Category Women 30-39
CategoryPlace 223/272
GenderPlace 626/843

I love this weather!

What wonderful weather we're having! Everyone else is complaining about how cold it is but I'm LOVING it! It was 9 degrees when I got up yesterday and 11 degrees this morning. Perfect running weather! I actually managed 9 km bewteen the 2 days without feeling like I was about to drop dead.

Only 2 days till the City Chase! Woohoo!!

More importantly, only 1 day till SHOPPING!!!! Mel's arriving tomorrow around noon and we have a full day of running-related shopping planned. First stop is Robena in Hamilton where they have the cutest skirts and jerseys. They also have yarms, which we're both planning to buy.

Then it's off to the Runner's Shop for Fuel Belts. The Running Room doesn;t have 6- or 8- botttle belts but this place does. yay.

Then to Endurosport to look at running skirts and dresses.

I think I'm going to be spending lots of money tomorrow!

I never thought I'd say this but...

... I wish it was winter again.

It's just too hot to run! Yesterday, I ran 3K when it was 22 degrees and I thought I was going to die. All winter, I could easily do up to 5K without even bothering to take water with me. Now, I'm finished my 2 pathertically teeny bottles of water before I get 2K into a run.

The good news is that they make water belts that hold more than 2 bottles so that's going to be my next investment.

Melanie (my sister) and I have the City Chase coming up next weekend, which should be a lot of fun. It's not so much a running race as a scavenger hunt, but we figure being able to run can't hurt us!!

More later!

Being sick and running don't go well together...

Yeah, so I went almost a week and a half last week without getting out for a single run. I had this yucky cold that made me cough all the time and I just had absolutely no energy whatsoever to get out and run. I finally forced myself to go last Thursday and Friday and then have been so busy at work this week that I didn't get out again till today.

I did 5K today though, and it wasn't bad, considering how infrequently I've been getting out there!!!

My next race is next Saturday (the 7th). I'm doing the Campaign for Hope 5K in High Park. I think I need to sign up for more races - I tend to get bored if I don't always have one coming up!

Sporting Life 10K

Yay! I made it through my first ever 10K race this morning, and did it with a great time as well!

The Sporting Life 10K is supposedly the easiest 10K to run because it's almost all downhill (straight down Yonge Street) so I chose it as my first one. It was great! Over 10,000 people registered and it was so amazing to run down Yonge Street and just see a sea of people ahead of me! (yes, there were many more ahead of me than behind me...).

My goal was to finish in under an hour and 15 minutes and I did it in and hour and 6 minutes! Yay me!! And it honestly wasn't that bad. I wouldn't have wanted to turn around and run back or anything but it really wasn't all that hard.

Sporting Life 10K Results

Here are my results from this morning's 10K (my first ever 10K race)!!!


Place 6429
Bib# 596
Time 1:08:52.5
Chip 1:06:39.1
Pace 6:54
Category Women 35 - 39
CategoryPlace 512/739
GenderPlace 3059/4695

Ok, so I don't need a Garmin...

I found something just as good... my Nike+ iPod!! I bought it Saturday and it works great! It's not quite as accurate as a Garmin would be because it doesn't go by GPS (it uses stride length etc) but it seems to be pretty darn close (like .1 km off)!

My 10K run is coming up in 5 days and I'm very excited! I'm hoping to do it in under 75 minutes and since it's all downhill that might be possible, except that would be the second fastest pace I've ever had. But I'm going to try!

Ok... I officially NEED a Garmin!

I discovered today that not being able to keep track of distance during a run is a bad thing. The only thing worse that running a shorter distance than you’re supposed do, is running a longer distance than you’re supposed to! Today was 10K, the longest so far, and it didn’t seem like such a daunting number, since we did 9K last Sunday. Well, we did 12K today.

We decided to go run along the trail along the waterfront for a change, so I mapped it all out on RunningMap.com and figured out what 5K would be for our turnaround point. The problem with that is that RunningMap.com only shows roads and didn’t account for all the twists and turns along the trail.

We ran for an hour and 40 minutes and it felt like we were doing a fairly decent pace, so I knew it had to be more than 10K. When we got home, I found a satellite map and figured out that once you took all the twists and turns into account, our halfway point was just over 6K.

My legs are feeling like jelly and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to walk in the morning!!!

I need a Garmin!!! As soon as the Running Room has the Forerunner 405, I’m buying it!

I got lost today

It was quite frightening. I decided to drive to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery to run instead of running on the sidewalk like I usually do. Well, it's a large confusing place! I parked near a big building, thinking it would be easy to find when I was heading back but no! I was about 30 seconds away from having to ask one of the groundkeepers to help me out but then I spotted my car. Thank goodness... that would have been embarassing.

This Sunday is 10K... we're going to try the Waterfront Trail for a change. And then it's only 2 weeks till the Sporting Life 10k!!! Yay!!

9K

Yay, we did 9K yesterday and managed to survive. And it was after a really late night, so I'm impressed that we even tried it.

My hip started hurting at about the 8K mark, which it did last Sunday too, so I'm a little concerned about that but I'm going to try some stretching over the next few days and hope that helps things. Otherwise, it wasn't too bad.

Rest Day

Today is a rest day. And I'm feeling guilty for not getting out and running. Not that I especially want to go run - it's rainy and cold and being indoors is much nicer.

I was finally back down below my goal weight today, for the first time in a few weeks. I've had a few bad weekends and not enough time to make up for them during the week. Hopefully now that I'm running more, I'll be able to manage it better.

Nothing more to say today...

Much better today

I had a much better run today than yesterday. Today was just a run/walk, no hills or anything, thank heavens! I did just over 5K and it took me about 39 minutes. I think at least 2 or 3 of that was spent waiting at stop lights, so my actual time was probably a bit better. That's one thing I like about races... none of this waiting for lights crap!!

It actually felt good today... I didn't have to stop and walk other than my designated stops (every 10 minutes). I think I'm going to have to start taking water though... if I do under 5K, I don't seem to need it, but once I hit the 5K mark, I'm dying for a drink.

I'm discovering a good side effect of running... apparently it's great for the ab muscles. I didn't notice it at first but now that I'm consistently running longer distances, my ab muscles are starting to feel sore every time I run, which can only be a good thing!

I hate hills

I started my hill training today and picked a hill that I thought was probably about the % of grade that I'm supposed to be using. I'm pretty sure it was a far higher grade than I estimated because I thought I was going to die by the time I was halfway up it. I ended up turning my run into a regular run and forgetting about the stupid hill but by then I was so exhausted that I only did 2.5K.

I'm going to go to the Running Room tomorrow and find out what hill(s) they use to do their training and try that next time.

It was also warmer today than it has been lately (18 degrees) so that probably contributed to my getting tired. It's going to take a bit of getting used to this warmer weather!

Another 8.5K

Adam and I ran 8.5K yesterday! Yay! I'm actually starting to think that I might not die during my 10K. I'm still not quite so optimistic about the 13.1K though...

I'm taking today as a rest day but plan on doing 3K tomorrow morning before work. I keep talking about how I'd like to start being a morning runner but I just hate getting up early enough. I'm going to try it tomorrow though and see how it goes.

My before and after photos

Alright, so since I started running as a way to help me lose weight, I thought I'd post a couple of "before and after" photos. As much as I hate the "before" photo and don't want anyone to see it, I'm proud of the progress I made so I wanted to show off the difference.

How can 3.4K seem so hard?

That's all I ran today and I thought it was going to kill me. During my second 10 minutes of running, I didn't think I was going to make it. Not sure what was wrong with me!!! Maybe I need to find a flatter running route.

8.5K!!

Yep, that's what I ran today.

I have a 10K in exactly 34 days yet I'm apparently supposed to train for it for 11 weeks. Silly me picking a race that's too soon. So I'm "stepping up" my training and starting at week 6, which means I was supposed to run 8K for my long run last weekend. Anyway, long story short, I managed to do it but my goodness my legs feel like jello!!! Thank heavens I only have to do 3K and 4K the next 2 runs. Those will seem like a piece of cake!

I bought a new running cap today - one of those meshy ones. The best thing about it is that it has a sweatband in it that goes around my forehead. It feels much nicer than my old hat. I also bought a new pair of running pants/tights. They're the ones that end just below the knee. I figured maybe it would feel more like spring if I bought something that showed off some skin. Not so much - it just felt like I had cold legs.

On a more positive note, I saw 7 robins on my run, which must mean that spring's just around the corner, right???

Why did I start blogging?

Ok, so why did I decide to start a blog? Firstly because my sister started one and made me want to steal her idea. But secondly and more importantly, because I DIDN’T start one when I started on the path to losing 75 pounds 2 years ago and really wish I had, so I’ve decided to do it now.

I (the girl who couldn’t run a block 2 years ago) have taken up running. Not only have I taken up running, I’ve signed up for a half marathon next January with Mel. Yep, I’m nuts.

The next question…. Why did I start running? The short answer is “Because I’m lazy.” I hate exercise. All forms of it. So I wanted to find some type of exercise that would let me burn a crapload of calories in the shortest time possible. Running is that exercise. I don’t even like running. I hate every minute of it… except for the races and the last 10 feet when I’m about to cross the finish line. But I do like the sense of accomplishment I get from having completed yet another goal. Thus the half marathon next year.

Anyway, I’ve now done 3 5K’s and am doing my first 10K in a month (and, oddly enough, looking forward to it).

St. Paddy's Day Run March 16, 2008

Here are my results from my second ever 5K run:


Place 720 / 1293
Bib# 705
Time 33:01.8
Chip 32:51.8
Pace 6.37
Category Woman 30-39
CategoryPlace 97/242
GenderPlace 303/735

Around the Bay 5K March 30, 2008

Results from my 5K run today (my third 5K):


Place 814 / 1419
Bib# 9165
Time 35:00.4
Chip 33:56.6
Pace 7.01
Category Women 35-39
CategoryPlace 50/101
GenderPlace 467/948