Three Things Thursday – She’s on the Run!

1. I finally bought some new running shoes! I decided to stick with the Asics Gel Nimbus’ – I’ve been running in them for years and figured why mess with a good thing. They’re super cute too!

2. My sister and I did speed training last night – four 400m sprint repeats with 400m jogging rest between – and I pretty much hated every second of it! I actually thought I was going to puke after the first one…might not have been such a great idea to wolf down a slice of pizza 15 minutes before leaving the house! Lesson learned. The next three weren’t too bad…

3. Only 23 days, 7 hours, and 25 minutes until race day! This weekend will be our last long run before the big race. We are running 20km on Sunday and then we will be starting our taper (apparently we should be doing one more long run – 22km – but with Thanksgiving and then a weekend away, its just not going to work). We will do a couple of more weeks of 400m repeats and a couple of tempo runs, but for the most part, our runs will just be plain old steady running. Which should be ok, since the taper is all about decreasing mileage while maintaining intensity…right?

Three Things Thursday!

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope you are having a great day!

1. Labour Day Monday we packed up the kids and headed to the CNE for the day. We had such a great time! Ryan went on a ton of rides loved every one of them…even the dragon rollercoaster! Tanner, well, he’s just such an easy going happy little guy…he hung out in his stroller all day and watched all the craziness going on around him. Here are some pictures from our little trip to the Canadian National Exhibition:

2. My half marathon training is still going well. Last Sunday, I ran 16km and last night we did hill training – 6 hills – an once again, I can honestly say, neither were bad. Sunday’s long run was a bit lonely, there aren’t may people out on the trails at 6:40 in the morning, but on the bright side, I was out before the humidity sunk in and when I got home, I still had the whole day ahead of me!

Hill training was good. I ran with my sister, which always makes my run more fun and pass by quicker. We did 6 hills – each of which was about 480m long. In the end, we ran up almost 6.5 km. I’m not sure if my times were any better than last week, for some reason my Garmin would not do laps…I still need to figure that thing out!

My husband is home sick today so I might actually get out for a tempo run later tonight…very exciting 🙂 Sunday’s long run is 18km and next week we’ve got 7 hills! WooHoo!

3. I hate to say this, but I am super excited for fall. I love all of the beautiful colours when the leaves change and running in cooler weather is awesome! I am also looking forward to things slowing down a bit (as they usually do when fall arrives) which will give me more time to plan and cook healthy clean meals.

What have you been up to this week?

Are you looking forward to fall or wanting summer to stick around?

What do you Eat Before A Workout? – August Writing Challenge #26

So, I totally missed yesterday’s post, but don’t worry – here it is! Yesterday’s Blogger Challenge Question was what do you eat before a workout?

Well, for me, it depends on the workout.

Before a Sunday morning long run I have a Vanilla Cliff Shot and a glass of water…usually about 15 minutes before heading out the door!

Before a weekday morning BodyAttack class, I usually have an oatmeal pancake. They are super yummy, easy to make, easy on the tummy and provide enough energy to make it through the one hour, high impact, cardio conditioning class.

Evening workouts are a little different – I’m still trying to figure out what works for me. I am definitely someone who needs to eat before a workout, but I have yet to find the balance between eating too early and eating too late, feeling like I’m going to barf, and feeling like I’m going to pass out!

So, what you eat before your morning/afternoon/evening workout?

Toronto Women’s Half Marathon – Race Recap

Training

Sunday’s Half Marathon was my first race since running the Scotiabank Marathon in 2007. After having my second baby in January, I decided I needed a little motivation to get back in shape and though it would be fun? to get back into running. So, I texted my sister and asked her if she wanted to do a half marathon with me. She said yes! That day, we signed up for the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon.

And, on March 5th, I went for my first run in a VERY long time. It felt great, I was so excited to be running again, and was super pumped to have a race planned. Thirteen weeks of training all worked out…3 runs a week, one long, one interval, and one plain ole run. Throw in a few BodyAttack classes each week as cross training and I was all set to go!

Well, after signing up to take my BodyAttack Instructor Course and making that a priority, I soon was down to running only once or twice a week. I also ended up missing a few of the long runs towards the end my my training. Both of which are not so great when your race goal is sub 2 hours.

So, about 3 weeks away from the race, knowing there wasn’t much of a chance of me finishing the half in under 2 hours, I decided I would run this race with my sister Cathy and try to help her reach her goal of a sub 2:30 half. I was super excited to be running with my sister, because, although we have ran many races together, we’ve never actually ran together in a race.

Race Day Preparation

Because it had been forever since I’d last ran a race, my Garmin was dead, super dead, like not even chargeable dead! I had done most of my training runs just using the fitness app on my iPod, but I wanted more info about my running on race day, and figured if I was going to get back into it, I needed a watch. Hehehe! So, after humming and hawing, I decided I would treat myself to a new Garmin.

Four days before the race I picked up a Garmin 410 from Costco. After charging it up, I went for a run and played around with it a little in hopes of figuring it out before race day.

It took my a while, but I finally figured it out and was totally shocked at all the info it gathered during my run! I LOVE my GARMIN 410!

In the spirit of Carb Loading we had my sister and her family over for a pasta dinner the night before the race. I made a delicious recipe – Eat Clean Sausage and Pepper Penne from Clean Eating Classic Comfort Foods 2012.

It was awesome! The recipe made enough to feed 7 of us, and the guys even had seconds. It took a lot of time to make, but was definitely worth it! So good!

After shooing everyone out around 9pm, I was time to get my stuff together for the morning.

Race Day

I set my alarm for 6:00 am since my sister, brother-in-law (Rory) and nephew (Jack) were coming to pick me up at 6:45. I grabbed a quick shower, got dressed, made a yummo oatmeal pancake, and it was time to go! Despite having a great sleep, my brother-in-laws first comment upon seeing me was “wow, she looks tired!” Yikes!

The boys dropped us off at Sunnybrook Park so Cathy and I had a bit of time to visit with some friends, pee, and stretch before the race. An hour and a bit later, and I’m still looking pretty tired!!

There were over 1150 women running this years race. We were divided into three groups according to finishing time. Cathy and I started in coral 2.

The gun went off to start the race at exactly 8:00, and the first group of runner (the fast ones) we’re off!

3 minutes later, our gun sounded and we were off! Our plan was to run a mile then take a one minute rest break for water and eventually cliff energy gels.

I was surprised at how jam packed the first bit of the course was. Off and on for the first kilometer or so we were running on a narrow path, shoulder to shoulder about 8 wide. It was awful! Cathy and I struggled to find our pace and get in our groove, but eventually we started running for the gaps and things got better. It wasn’t until the 3K point where the group started to spread out a bit and we were able to run our pace and not feel like we were going to get trampled on!

The next 5K went pretty well and things looked good for a 2:30 finish!

Rory and Jack were waiting to cheer us on at about the 9km mark, it was great to see them and even better that they snapped a picture of us in action!

Up to this point we had been sticking to the mile and one plan, but the clouds started to disperse and it got hot! From about the 2 hour mark on, ended up walking more often, which resulted in our muscles having a chance to tighten up, which caused more walking, and it sort of became a viscous cycle!

We didn’t really got back into a groove again, but managed to pull it out for the final 400m and run in strong to the finish line!

Woohoo! 21.1km DONE!

And don’t you just LOVE the bling! Yep, that necklace was the finishing ‘medal’! Cool, eh!

We finished in 2:40, which was a bit longer than we had hoped, but all things considered, not a bad run! We’re already trying to decide what our fall half marathon will be!

Here is the breakdown of our run, straight from my Garmin!

I love that thing! Can you believe the detail?

Motivational Monday! 13 Days Til Race Day!

So, with just under two weeks to go, and my last long run out of the way, I’m starting to get excited about RACE DAY!

I have totally changed my race goal…from running a sub-two hour half…to helping my sister reach her goal of a sub 2:30 half.

Why?

Well, I really don’t feel as though I have run enough to meet my goal, and since my sister has improved so much in her running, but still lacks a bit of the mental strength necessary to meet her goal, i’m going to run with her and keep her moving…around every turn, past every mile, up every hill…she is going to finish this half marathon RUNNING!

So, with that in mind, here is this weeks Motivational Monday….

Doesn’t that just crack you up…OMG too funny – maybe cause it’s so true!

It’s time to start believing…

…believing in yourself

…your training

…your hard work

…your ability to succeed

You CAN, and WILL do this!

WooHoo! It’s the Weekend!

I am super excited that the weekend is finally here! Other than heading out for a long run tomorrow morning, and to an Attack class Sunday morning it’s going to be a weekend full of family fun!

I totally missed out on family time last weekend since I was away doing my BodyAttack Instructor Training, so I am really looking forward to it this weekend. My husband works a lot…I mean A LOT! He rarely makes it home before the kids go to bed during the week, so the time we have together on the weekends is very special.

So the weekend line-up looks a little like this…

Tonight – Dylan has some kind of date night planned, at least I think he does anyways. He has also hinted that I should try to sneak in a nap today, which makes me think I might be a bit of a late one! I hope he has lined up babysitting!

Saturday – I will be up and out the door by about 8am so my sister Cathy and I can go for an 18K run. It will only be my third time running outside, and really, only about the third long run I’ve done in all of my half marathon training. Our race is two weeks from this coming Sunday, so this will also be my last long run before race day! Yikes! Totally not feeling prepared! Oh well, we’ll see how it goes!

After my run I will probably only have time for a shower and some lunch before the kids go down for a nap. I’m thinking family nap time is looking like a pretty good way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday afternoon!

Also on the schedule for Saturday is a trip to the park. Daddy bought Ryan a kite yesterday and she I super excited to try it out. I’m hoping the rain holds off so we can at least get out for a little while and have some fun!

No idea what saturday night looks like… maybe a beer or two with my sister and her family (obviously no beer for the kids!)…thats if I’m not in bed by 6pm!

Sunday – Mother’s Day! I was totally hoping for a bit of a sleep in, until I remembered that I need to go to the 8:15am BodyAttack class! So, in lou of a sleep in, maybe I will arrive home to a yummy breakfast instead???

As far as I know, there have been no real plans made for Sunday. I’m hoping for great weather and more family time! Maybe another nap, and a yummy dinner to top it off!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! I hope you have a fun and relaxing weekend!

What does your weekend look like?

Any special Mother’s Day plans?

8 Week Progress Report

It has now been just over 8 weeks since I started my journey (and this blog)! Here is an update as to where things stand in terms of reaching the 11 goals I set for myself and the progress I have made since my last update.

Goal #1 – My Pre-pregnancy Body Back – So, I’ve pretty much reached this goal. I am back to my pre pregnancy weight, and fit into my ‘goal jeans’, although not quite the way I want. The muffin top HAS GOT TO GO!!

This week marked the mid-point of the Skinny Jeans Challenge which meant measurement time!

I am actually really pleased with my progress so far…I’ve lost a total of 10.4 inches! CRAZY!! I still want to improve on my percent body fat – I’m down almost 5%, but would like to bring it down by about another 2.5%.

Goal #2 – Run a Two Hour Half Marathon – Well, the Half Marathon is only 19 days away and I’m definitely NOT PREPARED!

I’ve still only ran outside 2 times – one fast 5K (which went surprisingly well), and a 16K run a couple of weeks ago with my sister.

Here’s how my training schedule looked over the past 5 or so weeks.

BodyAttack has taken over my life! I have missed so many runs to get to Attack classes, it’s crazy! I’ve missed a total of 10 runs in the last 5 weeks – 1 hill workout, 3 fartlek workouts, 2 regular runs, and 3 long runs! BRUTAL!

I seriously doubt I will meet my goal of a sub-two hour half. I’m disappointed, but still hoping for a good run.

I guess we will see how things look after my 18K this weekend!

Goal #3 – Improve my Upper Body Strength – I was actually doing well with is goal since starting The 100 Push-Up Challenge last month – that was until I got sick. Since then, I have done NOTHING, and as a result, I am STILL struggling through the Upper Body Conditioning track in Attack 😦 My plan is to start the challenge again…tonight! Anyone want to do it with me and help me stay on track? Please?

Goal #4 – Try Hot Yoga – Still haven’t made it to a hot yoga class, and its not looking like I will be heading there any time soon. Until I get my Attack Certification Video done, I need to go to another Attack class Thursday evenings.

I hope to get my video in by mid-June, so hopefully I will be able to get to a class soon after that.

Goal #5 – Eat Clean – this is yet another goal that has been shoved aside since becoming sick and getting super busy.

I definitely need to get back in track, and fast!

My plan is to check out the latest issue of Clean Eating Magazine over the next few days, and set out next weeks meal plan. After that, I will hit the grocery store and get at it! I still want to aim for at least 2, but hopefully 3 clean meals a week.

Goal #6 – Limit the Amount of Junk Food I Eat – I’m actually not doing too bad at this one, considering I really haven’t been eating clean, I’m not exactly sure what I’ve been eating! My plan of not bringing it into the house is working, and I’m going to continue to keep it that way.

Goal #7 – Limit my Chai Lattes to one a Week – FAIL! HUGE! I’ve actually already had 2 this week! Chai latte is what seems gets me through the day! Although I did choose a Chocolate Banana Smoothie over the latte today:) Might have to stick with it, it’s higher in protein and fibre…sugar too, but I still think it’s the better choice. Agree?

Goal #8 – De-Clutter – Again, this one has been neglected since getting so busy. I did paint my sons room immediately after my last progress report, but unfortunately, it’s not quit finished 😦 I know, I’m brutal!

So, I still need to:

1. Finish painting my son’s room.
2. Clean out the kids toys.
3. Sort through my clothes.
4. Go through our deep freeze and actually see what we have in there!

Goal #9 – Read More – since my last update, I have finished The Help and The Lucky One.

Up next…the Shades of Grey Trilogy… Apparently everybody I know is or has read it. Not sure what to expect…besides turning 50 shades of red!!! Have you read the trilogy?

Goal #10 – Save Money – I am actually doing quite well with this one! Sticking to a bit of a budget has been easier than I thought it would be!

Goal # 11 – Make time for Scrapbooking – Unfortunately this too has been put on the back burner since becoming so busy. Now that the warm weather is coming, I have no idea when I will get back at it. Hopefully I will make it to a Friday night crop sometime soon!

Overall, I am not quite where I was hoping to be at this point. I need to get back into my running and start eating clean again! Really, I need to manage my time better and make healthy living a priority.

How is your journey going?
Do you have any super easy Clean Eating recipes you can share to help me get back on track?

Three Things Thursday

1. I’m Sick! After my crazy weekend away, I came down with a horrible cold. I’ve had a fever and chills since Monday and pretty much no appetite at all. Things are finally starting to loosen up in my chest, so hopefully I am on the mend – although it doesn’t feel like it 😦 If I’m going to kick is thing, I definitely need to be going to bed earlier and drinking more liquids.

What’s your secret to quickly overcoming a cold?

2. I Skipped the Gym Today! Since I’m feeling so crappy, and yesterday’s BodyAttack almost killed me, I though I’d skip my run today and try and get some rest. I did get bit of a nap this afternoon, which was awesome, but I’m not sure one days rest is enough. I have a Skinny Jeans Workout tomorrow and a long run to do on Saturday. Maybe I can sweat this cold away!

3.My Secret to Drinking More Water. When I’m sick I have a hard time drinking water…it just doesn’t taste good. So, on the recommendation of my personal trainer, I picked up some MiO Liquid Water Enhancer from my local grocery store. I have to say, it did the trick. It’s easy to use (you just squirt it into your water bottle) tasty, and has no calories. I tried the Strawberry Watermelon flavour, but my store also carried Berry Pomegranate (which I think I will try next), Mango Peach and Fruit Punch. I also just noticed that there is MiO Energy which has some B Vitamins and Caffeine in it…might have to give that one a try on my next long run!

Have you tried MiO? What about MiO Energy? What did you think?

The Bad. The Better. The Best.

The Bad.

Monday is weigh-in day for the Skinny Jeans Challenge. YIKES! This weekend I consumed WAY TOO CALORIES! Although I didn’t actually eat too bad, I pretty much drank a whole case of Corona…maybe even a bit more!

The Better.

Although nowhere near caloric balance, I at least did a bit of exercise this weekend a burned a few calories.

Friday morning before my personal training session, I hopped on the treadmill and did this weeks ‘long run’ – a race pace 5k – and to my surprise, I did it in only 28 minutes 🙂

Right after that I had my training session where we did another new workout. This weeks focus was supersets. After a quick warm-up, we did 3 sets of each superset: Belgian split squats and push-ups, bent over rows and deadlifts, and double crunches and plank pull-ins. We finished up with a cardio blast and called it a day!

I also played a game of hockey Friday night and two on Saturday, which, again, didn’t burn many calories, it was at least exercise!

And lastly, in keeping with my 100 push-up challenge, I did workout 3 of week 1 (a total of 42 push ups) on Saturday afternoon. The best part was that my roomies did the workout with me 🙂 – which is kinda funny because I totally thought these girls would have been more likely to make fun of me, rather than join in! It’s a good thing no one else came by, they would have for sure made fun of us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A total calorie burn of only 903 calories all weekend. I guess it’s better than nothing!

The Best.

This weekend was awesome! I had so much fun hanging with my best girlfriends and playing some hockey, that the extra 2.2 pounds and lack of sleep was totally worth it! All I can say is, thank God we only do this once a year!!!

Thanks for the great weekend Crushers!

Three Things Thursday!

1. This week I signed up for The Jelly Bean Run with Run With Jess, my first (and second) ever virtual race 🙂

What’s a virtual race, you ask? Well, It’s running a specified distance (timed) without being present in the actual race location. Runs were to be done anytime during the week if April 1 to 8. There were 4 distance options: 5k (3.1 miles), 10k (6.2 miles), half marathon (13.1 miles) or a 21k (13 mile) bike.

Since you could do more than one event, I chose to do both the 5k and 10k races. I did the 10k on Sunday (as part of mile 8 mile long run) in 1:05, and ran the 5k this morning as part of my hill training in 31:20.

Now, I just have to submit my times, and my race season has begun!

Have you ever done a virtual race?

I’m interested in hearing about others!

2. It’s time to start thinking about Race Day fuel. With only 6 or 7 long runs left before race day, I need to start figuring out how I’m going to keep my energy up throughout the half marathon. In the past I’ve tried Sport Beans and a few gels, neither of which sat very well in my stomach. I’m hoping to hit the The Running Room before this weeks long run and check out a few options.

What do you use to fuel your long runs and races?

3. This weeks Dinner Sharesies was another huge success! I ended up making Eat Clean Mediterranean Vegetable Bean and Feta Penne and in return I got super yummy Eat Clean Rosemary Chicken and Potato Salad, click here for the recipe.

Eat Clean Mediterranean Vegetable, Bean and Feta Penne

Eat Clean Rosemary Chicken Potato Salad

Not only does Dinner Sharesies mean I’m not eating the same thing for leftovers day after day, but it gives me a break from cooking dinner one night a week and has given my the chance try to things I haven’t had before. I will definitely be making the stuffed peppers and rosemary chicken and potato salad, they we’re both delicious! Thanks Kim!

Have you found a friend to do Dinner Sharesies with?

If not, you really should, it’s awesome!