Run Less Run Faster…

Sounds perfect to me!

Im pretty exited to read this book…a 3x per week training program that will make me run faster…sounds to good to be true!

Anyone used this program? What did you think?

I’m off to get reading…stay tuned for an update….

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?

Highs and Lows From This Past Year – August Writing Challenge #6

Today’s Blogger Challenge Question is: What are your highs and lows from this past year?

THE HIGHS:

Welcoming Tanner into our lives back in January.

Deciding to become a Certified BodyAttack Instructor – I’m about 3 weeks away from submitting my video and completing my certification! Woohoo! So excited to get teaching!

Running again! After about a 5 year hiatus, I completed the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon back in May and I will be running The Niagara Falls International Half Marathon in October.

THE LOWS:

Breaking my foot – 3 stress fractures and 7 weeks in a boot cast totally sucked!

What are your highs and lows from this past year?

This Weeks Favourites – Reblogged #5

The Freezer Club by Looking For The Sweet Spot. Why not start your own Freezer Club? Gather a group of friends, plan a menu, each prepare one meal and walk away with freezer full of delicious and nutritious meals… Sounds awesome to me!

Cashew Chip Cookies by Ingredients of a Fit Chick. These cookies look amazing…will be baking them this week for sure!

12 Salads Worse Than A Big Mac by Slimming Down. Thinking of ordering a salad next time you are out for lunch or dinner? You might want to reconsider when you find out just how unhealthy they can be!

10 Tips for a Healthier, Happier You by The Dietitian Dishes. Here are 10 pretty simple things you can do to better your health and improve your diet lifestyle.

31 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy by The Magic Herb. If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for an energy boost. Why not give one or two (or more) of these 31 suggestions a try!

12 Ideas to Keep You Motivated to go Running by FitnessNOW for Dummies. As I get back into running and start training for The Niagara Falls International Half Marathon, staying motivated and committing to the training program will be much easier if I remember these 12 tips. Happy running!

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?

A Few Last Words Before Race Day!

So, tomorrow is THE BIG DAY! My first race since running my first (and only) marathon in September of 2007! I’m super excited…and a little nervous!

Originally I was training to run this race is under 2 hours – which would have been a PB for me…but, things got in the way and I did not get in as much running as I had hoped. That being said, the training I did do has more than prepared me for tomorrow’s run….but, a few weeks ago I decide to to change my whole race perspective and run with my sister to help her reach her goal of a sub 2:30 half. You see, my sister Cathy has trained really hard for this race (you can read all about it on her blog) and has SERIOUSLY improved in her running, but she still lacks a bit of the mental toughness required to compete a 21.1km race. She, (like pretty much everyone else) always runs better with someone…she just needs a little push sometimes, someone to get her running again after her one minute drink break towards the end of the race, someone to make her run up every hill, someone to distract her with mindless chatter…enter ME! I am super excited to run with my sister, we have done many races together, but have never actually run together. It’s going to be awesome!

So, here’s a little something to keep us both going as my sister I run the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon tomorrow…

So, that’s it. Everything we have worked so hard for comes down to tomorrow. We’re ready! We can do this! We will reach our goal of a sub 2:30 half marathon!

What’s Next?

With the Toronto Women’s Half Marathon just less than week away, I am starting to wonder what’s next in terms of my running.

I’m thinking of lining up a few 5K and 10K races over the summer with the ultimate plan of maintaining my level of running fitness so I can do another Half Marathon this fall – AND train enough to reach my goal of a sub 2 hour half!

So, with that in mind, I started poking around the Internet looking for some races in my area. Here’s what I came up with…

June 3 – Mud Run Canada’s Dirtiest 5/10K – I’ve done this run in the past, it’s super fun and non-competitive. Not exactly sure I will be up for running a week after running the half, but if I am, this is definitely the one to get me back at it!

Here is a picture of my friends and I after doing the Mud Run a few years ago.

June 23 – Toronto Pearson Runway Run – looks pretty cool…it’s a 5K run down the airport runway…neat!

August 25 – Toronto Women’s 5K/10K – the second of three races in the Toronto Women’s Runs Series.

September 8 – Energizer Night Race Toronto – a 5K or 10K race through Sunnybrook Park as the sun is setting! I’ve never done a night race before, this might be pretty cool!

September 22 – Oasis Zoo Run – a 5K/10K race through the Toronto Zoo – I’ve wanted to do this run for a while, but something has always come up…hopefully this year is my year!

October 27 – Toronto Women’s 5K/8K – the final run in the Toronto Women’s Runs series…do all 3 and you get a special something!

Half Marathon options for this fall are:

October 7 – Ottawa Fall Colours (Half) Marathon – I’ve only ever done spring runs in Ottawa, and every year it just kept getting hotter and hotter! A fall run along the canal would probably be quite pretty! Unfortunately, I think this is Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, so we’ll have to see!

October 14 – Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront (Half) Marathon – I actually did this full marathon in 2007 – the first half of the race was awesome…maybe I should try it again, this time only doing the half!

October 22 – The Niagara Falls International (Half) Marathon – This run starts in Niagara Falls, NY and finishes in Niagara Falls, Ontario which is pretty cool! I’ve also heard this is a flat and fast course…sounds good to me!

Ultimately, I want to keep up with my running. I’d like to continue to run three times a week, with my long runs being about 10K. I want to keep it fun and easy so that I’m still wanting to run when the late summer training schedule starts up in preparation for the fall marathon season. I would like to do 1, maybe 2, races a month to keep me on track and motivated.

I am also considering joining a running clinic at my local running room – hopefully my sister will join too! My friend Kathy has really enjoyed the clinics she has taken and met a great group of people. I think it would be awesome to have a group to run with and something to hold me accountable…The problem will be finding a sitter to guarantee I can make the clinic nights and group runs…maybe my nephew would be interested in earning a few bucks…hint, hint!

What are your race plans over the summer?

Any great races you would suggest doing?

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?