see anne run

done 10k training

2012-02-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

Hello!
It has been awhile! We were housesitting at the in-laws for 5 or 6 days and our little schedule got thrown all off track...I did still do my running but the other regular routines of our life were switched about and the poor blog suffered. It was quite nice though, entertaining, doing laundry whenever we pleased, having a yard for our sweet dog Ivy, lots of space, a dishwasher and a whole new seawall to run and play by...On one evening walk we caught the most amazing sunset.

Arlo & Ben

Ambelside sunset

So, I have now completed the "Ease into 10k" plan and am researching what plan to do next to prepare for the half. The one I was intending to use seems alot easier than what I running now and it doesn't seem to make sense to go backwards so in the meantime I am adding a km a week to my longest run until I decide. Yesterday was my longest run ever! 11km. I wasn't happy with my time but that could have something to do with the fact that I ate ALOT of delicious bundt cake over the weekend. The recipe was from the Whitewater Cooks cookbook and it turned out really well.

Hello yummy apple bundt cake

I had such a great day yesterday! The weather played a huge role since Vancouver is so amazing when it is sunny, especially after a month of rain. I did my 11km run in the morning leaving the house in the dark and coming home when it had gotten light which I love. Then we headed to the park to meet our friends and I walked by some Kuerig coffee promo van and got a free coffee. On the way home I got a message on my phone that I had won 40 hours of free daycare at Buddings Children's Garden and Daycare http://buddings.ca/ from the Peak radio station! http://www.thepeak.fm/ So great!! I can't wait to check it out. Then Arlo actually fell asleep for his nap after about 5 minutes which has not happened for the last month....please can this continue! In the afternoon we headed over to check out Matchstick coffee roasters and the cute little strip of shops over by Fraser and 15th. All in all it was a wonderful day.

I ran a 10k!!!!

2012-01-29T09:41:00.001-08:00

I am just heading back home from great weekend away and I can't wait to see my boys!! This is the longest I have ever been away from my little guy and while it was thoroughly enjoyed, I am so excited to give him a big hug and kiss.
My weekend included much laughing, yummy dinners, wine, an amazing yoga class, going to the movies and doing a 10k run! I was surprised that It was actually not very much longer than what I have been doing. We did a loop around a lake and the km's were marked so it was very satisfying to see the numbers count down as we passed. Now we I have week 10 to finish and then I will start the Hal Higdon half marathon training which will be 4 times a week instead of 3.
Besides the endurance I am starting to notice actual changes in my legs and feeling more muscular which is very motivating.
Another week down and it's practically February!

Meal Plan

2012-01-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the rainiest of all the runs I have done yet! It was pouring and super windy so the rain was coming sideways...good times. I was sopping when I got home and was so glad I had worn long underwear and some light rain pants! I have one more run of week 9 which I will do tomorrow, hopefully with Ben since Arlo is going to hang out with his grandparents in the morning.

And the first run of week 10 will be on the weekend in Victoria with my dear friend Jes who is also running the half with us. I am a little excited because I am heading over to visit her BY MYSELF!!! Yup no baby. Wow. It is going to be lovely. I cannot wait to sit on the ferry all alone and read a trashy magazine. Ahhhh....bliss. Also Jes has an awesome run planned for us which is a loop around a lake and we are going to go out for breakfast! Which I love to do, especially in Victoria.

As part of all our goals and ideas of things we would like to change for the new year we have been trying to stick to a budget and part of that is using a weekly meal plan and shopping specifically for it. This week has been working out really well so far. Here is what we have lined up.......

Monday - Veggie Chilli (I made it on Sunday, soaked the beans on Sat)

Tuesday - Spinach Fritatta and Savoy Cabbage Salad (chopped all veg and made mixture during Arlo's nap, which involved absolutely no sleeping)

Wednesday - Coconut Prawn Curry with quinoa (Ben is the curry master in the house so I will chop up the veg for him during naps, sleepy restful naps. fingers crossed.)

Thursday - Miso Soba Noodle Soup

Friday - I am guessing leftovers? Since I won't be here the boys will fend for themselves!

We have been making big batches of almost everything and eating leftovers for lunches or freezing for those days when you just don't feel like it or have time. I use 3 cup rectangular glass Pyrex containers which I love and stack super easy.

confession

2012-01-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

Hmm...well...err...so here's the thing...
I haven't ran since tuesday. Baaaaa! I know, it's terrible.
I even snuck a post about soup in there and you were all distracted and didn't even notice. But it's true. I don't know why but things all fell apart this week in the way of fitness...I did go to bootcamp on Monday and the gym on Wednesday so it wasn't all bad but I am ready to get back on track for this coming week.

I ran at the seawall on Tuesday, in the snow. I swear. Here's proof.

Also, I saw this super cool tank art sculpture which I think I read was made to purposely decompose as part of the installation.

So there you have it. Next week is going to be a good week. The meal plan is written and shopped for, all workouts will be completed and we are trying a daily cleaning schedule experiment so it is possible that the house may not even be a total disaster! Yay planning ahead. I'll keep you posted.

runners yoga

2012-01-20T10:50:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago I checked out a free 'Yoga for Runners' class at a local community centre. It was really good! And although my fitness budget has reached it's limit with bootcamp right now, I am really glad I went. I picked up some good tips and was reminded at how terrible I am at remembering to stretch when I get home from a run. Normally, I am distracted by Arlo and focused on getting my morning coffee and then later in the day when I feel a little tight, I remember that I skipped that important step. One tip I remember was for that stretch where you grab your foot in your hand behind you and stretch your quads...the instructor suggested pushing your foot into your hand instead of pulling your foot into your butt. Just a little adjustment that really seemed to make a difference.
Maybe I should look for a stretching app! I have gone a little fitness app crazy. The 10k training, Nike Training Club, (has anyone tried it? Great workouts with video instruction and it's free!), 100 push-ups and next the half marathon app.
Well, I am on the ferry headed to Victoria and on the way to my friends apartment we are stopping to do a 10k! It sounds like a a really pretty run and I am going to remember to stretch!

season of soup

2012-01-20T09:40:00.000-08:00

There is a big soup kick going on at our house. Between the weather, meal planning efforts and trying to stick to grocery budget all things are pointing to soup. I made a pretty tasty on the other day - Creamy Vegan Broccoli. I think from years of cooking for a living I sometimes, well most times have a hard time following a recipe or keeping track of what I put in. I have made some tasty soups that I could never make again from adding a pinch of this or that and then having no idea what was in it if I tried to write it down....But this time as soon as I was done and tasted it I sat down and tried my best to remember everything. Of course the measurements are my best guess but it should work out.

Creamy Vegan Broccoli Soup

In a large pot I sauteed:

1/2 cup onion
1 small zucchini
1 and a 1/2 cups chopped carrot
2 stalks celery

Then I added:

6 or 7 cups chopped broccoli
3L water
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 or 2 tbsp miso paste
2 tsp grainy mustard
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
generous sprinkle sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

And cooked until veg is mushy. Then buzz up with the hand blender and there you go. Stick a few jars in the freezer for those days you don't feel like cooking and you still have enough for lunch and leftovers.

I also made a great and easy black bean soup. I had bought a big container of Que Pasa salsa from Costco and I needed to use it up so I cooked up 2 or 3 cups of dried black beans which I had soaked over night and drained them. Then sauteed up what ever random veg I had, some celery, onion, carrot and little peice of zucchini, and added about 1 and a 1/2 cups fresh salsa, 1 tsp or so of cumin, the cooked black beans and veg stock to cover and simmered for about 15 min. Then I gave it a buzz with my trusted hand blender and added a little water to reach the right consistency, some s & p and there you go!
Top with some plain greek yogurt, a spoonful of salsa and some chopped cilantro. Delicious!

running in the snow

2012-01-16T13:56:00.000-08:00

I was a little slacker in the weekend and didn't do my run on Saturday. Well guess what? I didn't really want to do it on Sunday either but it had to be done so off I went...Except once I got out there it was super slip-slidy-icy and since I have already had one ass over tea kettle experience on a run I chose to head to the gym.

Apparently I wasn't the only one feeling this way, it was packed! There was a 15 min wait for a machine so I did some stretching and finally got an elliptical and did the first two sets of the run....okay so maybe it wasn't exactly a run but I had to improvise. There was still a wait for a treadmill so I headed home at a jaunty pace and called it day.

Tomorrow is the last day of week 8 and I may head down to the seawall again where hopefully all the runners before me have cleared the trail.

Vancouver sun

2012-01-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

I just finished the first run of week 8. We are now up to 3 sets of run 17 min, walk 1...they only snuck in 2 more minutes per set from last week but I sure felt them today! I decided to drive down to the seawall for my run again and I am so glad I did. It was so beautiful to be by the ocean, see the sun coming up and the beautiful mountains covered in snow.

Look at my beautiful view!

I really can't complain about spending some time on my own by the ocean in the sunshine...so that made it easier to suck it up and keep on going! It's also part of a decision we made to make the most of Vancouver everyday while Ben is working away at applying all over the place since we don't know for sure if we will be moving down the street or out of the province. We want to make the most of the time we have living here and if it turns out we are staying than we will be reminded of all we love about it!

Yesterday my exercise attempts were thwarted. My thighs were so sore from the bootcamp squatfest on Monday and then my run Tuesday so I opted out of bootcamp yesterday morning. I bargained with myself that I would make up for it by going to the free cardioboxing class that I had signed up for at Trout Lake Community Centre as part of their grand opening. So I reluctantly got changed into my workout clothes and drove there only to find the class is NEXT Wednesday! So I have to admit I came home, made some Paleo Brownies (thanks Tansy) and watched a bunch of Sons of Anarchy. Ahh well, I guess I needed a rest day.

week 7 complete!

2012-01-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

With some convincing of the slightly obsessive side of myself I have continued on a weird schedule of running that doesn't match up with the days of the week. Here it is Tuesday and I have just finished week 7! My schedule got a little turned around over the holidays and I did miss one session somewhere in there but we are back on track.

This past week was 3 sets of run 15, walk 1. It was pretty tough but I did have a really nice run on day 2 in West Van down at the sea wall. I got to run with Ben which was great and I beat my fastest mile at 9:49 and my fastest average pace overall at 11:09. Next week is 3 sets of run 17, walk 1.

I also started bootcamp this week after a break for the holidays and was so sore this morning! It was a squat-o-rama. Of course when I woke up I immediately started making excuses about why I should skip my run today but I am really glad I went and got it done.

I just bought the next app for the half marathon training which I will start as soon as this 10 week 10k training is done. The program is Hal Higdon's 1/2 Marathon. This is a 12 week program which will finish giving me one week off before May 6th. It also recommends doing a 10k race which is timed perfectly with the Sun Run on April 15th so I will be signing up for that as well.

change of pace

2012-01-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I woke up to pouring rain and was feeling really unmotivated to head out for my run. Even though I was going to wear my new running toque I got from my sweetie for christmas, and even though it was only the 3rd of Jan and all the good intentions and goals and resolutions are still fresh in my head.

So I decided to get in the car and drive down to the ocean. I sometimes take for granted how nice it is to be able to do that, and it was the best thing for me. It felt really good to run somewhere new and it is always peaceful to be by the water. It was nice to see so many other runners too, it made it easier to keep going in the yucky rain.

I really like that the app I am using tracks your average speed and distance of each run. I have started to pay attention and am trying to work on my speed as an added challenge. So far my fastest mile is 10:15. That is probably a slow jog for some people but I am working on it!

I keep waiting to really start loving running...don't get me wrong, I don't hate it. It's okay and some times I really enjoy it. I am always, every single time, without fail, happy that I went...but I can't say I love it. Maybe I still will. It would be a good activity to really love since it is so inexpensive and can be done just about anywhere. I'll keep trying, maybe it will surprise me!

Hello 2012!

2012-01-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

Our new year is off to a lovely start! We had a really nice brunch with friends and an afternoon of visiting and letting the dog run wild chasing our friends adorable white boxer. Last night we sat down and wrote out some ideas and goals for the new year and just let it soak in what an incredible year it will be!
Alot of big things are in store for our little family in the coming months. This year we will be moving, getting married, starting new jobs and thinking about having another baby! I am feeling lucky having so much to look forward to.

I checked out a cookbook I hadn't picked up in awhile the other day and found a few recipes to try out. It's an oldie but a goodie ~ Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favourites (of course they spell favourite without the "u" since that is how they roll in the states, but I just can't)

I chose three dishes to make for dinner and they were quite good and went together very well, as the book suggested they might.

First up was Garlicky Black-Eyed Peas'N'Greens

2 cups dried black-eyed peas
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 lb collard greens (on sale at whole foods sparking this whole menu)
1 tbsp olive oil
2-4 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried thyme
salt and pepper

cooked brown rice
chopped green onions
lemon wedges

Rinse the peas. Place in soup pot with the garlic cloves and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, then lower heat, cover and cook for 45 min, until tender, adding water occasionally as needed. The black-eyed peas should be moist but not soupy, it is ideal when most of the water has been absorbed at the end of cooking. When they are tender, if most of the water has not been absorbed, lightly drain them. Cover and set aside.
Rinse the greens and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the minced garlic and thyme for 1 min, stirring constantly. Add the damp greens and continue to stir until they are wilted but still bright green. Stir the greens into the black-eyed peas and mix. Add s+p. Serve on rice, topped with green onions and lemon wedges.

We had this with Cucumbers Vinaigrette and Baked Sweet Potato Salad with Yogurt Cilantro dressing. Yumm!

I am looking forward to trying a lot more new recipes this year!

oh dear

2011-12-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

Uh oh.
Christmas festivities got me. Lots of family, friends, Bailey's, baking, chocolates, drinks....I could go on and on. I did manage to mostly keep up with my running schedule and had some great ones with my cousin and friends. It was really great to be able to run with Ben so much too and we will miss that now being back home.
We arrived back home on the 26th after a great visit to Ontario. Christmas was wonderful and it was so nice to spend time with my family and friends. We did our Vancouver christmas and slowly unpacked and settled in to being home again and somehow a week went by with no running. Or really any exercise of any kind. I was quite nervous to get back at it today but it was actually really good. I think the break was a good rest for my muscles. I am now on week 6 which is run 10 min, walk 1 min, 4 times.

Back to regular posts!

home sweet home

2011-12-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hello!
So I am in Ontario staying with my family for the holidays and have not missed any runs, but did juggle my schedule around a bit. Also, I am so missing my bootcamp and having a very hard time resisting the PC candy cane ice cream and christmas baking at my parents house.

My cousin, who will be joining us in Vancouver for the marathon, joined us for our run yesterday and that was super fun. Even though it was snowing, and I completely wiped out and landed on right on my ass, it was fun. When we got home we moved the furniture, rolled out the yoga mats, dusted off the weights I made my mom buy a few years ago (which may or may not of had the tags still on them) and I was lead through a workout inspired by her job this year at the gym at her school. She was a great motivator and just what I needed!

I am enjoying being spoiled, relaxing and having some time with my family.

past week happenings....

2011-12-11T16:37:00.001-08:00

Oh no! I was very forgetful about posting this week. I have just been so enjoying all the time with the three of us as a family after things have been so busy in the past.

Yesterday I wrapped up week 3 of the 10k training and we have 7 more to go....it had been 5 min run walk 1, 5 times and it is ramping up next week with run 8, walk 1 but only 4 times so just increasing the interval length but overall pretty much stays the same. It is truly amazing how much better you can get in just 3 weeks!

I am still LOVING my bootcamp and was sad to hear that our instructor is going to be replaced in the new year....hopefully the new guy is just as great. I am starting to notice a difference with overall fitness (hallelujah), speed and strength...push ups are getting better...core still needs work.

I am really getting into the working out, now I just need to find the motivation to watch my food a little better...especially with the holidays coming and all the yummy deliciousness that goes with them.

Doing the next 2 weeks of runs and workouts while home in Ontario will be a challenge but also exciting since my parents will be happy to hang out with Arlo and Ben and I can actually run together. Normally one of us goes and then we basically tag off and the other goes. Also my cousin who will be running the big race with us will be there and it will be great to get a few runs in with her. She will be a great motivator and keep me on track since she already asked me if there are any weights at my parents or do I need her to get me some for when I am there! Love it!

i forgot how to party

2011-12-06T14:05:00.001-08:00

Well it has been a few days since my last post. I did my last run of week 2 on Sat morning, still without music on my ipod since I am the biggest procrastinator I know. I really will have to fix that this week. Any playlist suggestions?

Sunday was a nice day off of working out and we dropped Arlo off for his first sleepover away at his grandparents. I had lots of fun getting ready for our big night out...straightened my hair, bought some new make up, wore a sequin dress like Vanna White and we really did have a lovely time.
So lovely.
So, so lovely that I spent the entire day in bed yesterday. I paid for my lovely time all day and sadly I missed a nice sunny one too.
It was so nice to meet all of Ben's classmates and celebrate all his hard work. We ate a really delicious dinner, drank lots of wine, laughed alot and danced the night away to some interesting musical selections.
We got home at the late hour of 1:30 and considering I normally would have been sleeping for 3 or 4 hours by then I was quite proud of myself! Also, Arlo did great at his sleepover and had a wonderful time being spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa.

Needless to say I took the day off yesterday and was right back at it this morning with the first run of week 3. We are up to run 5 min, walk 1 min 5 times. It is a very gradual program and it is feeling good. Tomorrow morning I am heading to bootcamp...and I am actually looking forward to it!

last night of homework!

2011-12-02T18:28:00.001-08:00

Well, I made it to bootcamp all 3 times this week and I am really glad that I did. I'm not sure that it is in the budget to do it 3 days every week but it really makes a difference. And the getting up isn't so bad since Arlo is such an early riser I am well conditioned to be up and at 'em in the mornings.
I am looking forward to regaining some strength and getting better at the plank and push ups, both of which are currently cruel and painful.

I have one more run of week 2 which I will do in the morning. This week went pretty well and I would like to get in the habit of going down to the water or somewhere new for my weekend run to keep it interesting and fun. Because believe me, with having both a dog and a baby and having lived in the same apartment for the last 6 years there is no direction or route out my back door I haven't gone a bazillion times.

I am pretty excited tonight because Ben is going to submitting his final paper of his MBA and I can hardly believe this day has come. I am SO excited to spend the weekend with him and Arlo without knowing he has to go study and be up late writing a paper at the coffee shop all night. What an amazing accomplishment for him! I am so proud of him. And us, for making through this last year and a half.

And of course the gala on Sunday! I went shopping yesterday and bought an amazing sequin dress and I am so excited to wear it! It is pretty great that even from working out for the last 2 weeks I feel like I am in such better shape and more confident even though it is doubtful any change could have taken place already.

Okay, have to go pour myself a glass of wine and make some dinner...I can hear Peter Pan being read for bedtime stories.

half way through the week

2011-11-30T19:02:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had to do my run in the evening. I prefer to get it done in the morning...when I am half asleep and I don't really know what is happening. Also it was raining. Not a big surprise in Vancouver in November. (today was so gorgeous so I can't really complain) I ran past a coffee shop and was looking in at the people all warm and dry and drinking tea, and eating cake. It looked nice. I also saw some people look at me like "are you crazy? running in the rain, in the dark?" But it made me smile because I was one of those people not so long ago. But now I am a person who is going to follow this plan for the next 5 or 6 months so I can run this race and not have to duck out somewhere and collapse along the way.

I made it to bootcamp this morning and it was really good. I really like being pushed like that and knowing it is only an hour and I can make it through. We did some punching today and I think I better take some boxing classes. I think I would love it! I need to do some serious stretching. I think a good yoga DVD is needed. Maybe the library has one.

Just finished a tasty dinner of roasted veggies and baked sole on spinach with pesto. It has been so nice the past week or so that Arlo has been eating everything again! We were on a toast, yogurt, banana diet there for awhile. Hopefully I didn't jinx it!

Lastly, I am addicted to some delicious pumpkin spice rooibos tea. It was a birthday treat from a friend and I have one cup's worth left. I have to get some more, it is the perfect thing in the evenings lately.

I can make it to sunday

2011-11-28T19:24:00.001-08:00

I enjoyed a day off from working out yesterday and was back at it this morning with my 6:30 bootcamp class. I really like the instructor and most the other women in the class are 10-20 years older than I am and can kick my ass. It is an inspiration and I hope I am like them at their age!

My plan this week is to do bootcamp Mon, Wed, Fri and my running training Tues, Thurs, Sat. We will see if I can still walk at the end of week. I need the challenge and the outlet this week!

Sunday will be a much anticipated day of rest and a day of celebration as well. My husband-to-be has been working on his MBA for the last 18 months and before that all the preparation that goes along with it. Pretty much since before I got pregnant, this has been a huge part of our lives and now here we are with the end in sight.
There was a lot of tough, exhausting and crazy times many of which would have come with having a new baby and many that were a combination of the intense MBA schedule, learning to be parents and sleep depravation. It is so hard to believe that we have almost made it through this and that we have an amazing one and a half year old son as well! Ben has been working so hard and I am so proud of him.
Sunday he will be completely finished and we are going to the end of program gala, complete with dinner and dancing. I am so excited to get all dressed up and go out and celebrate this huge accomplishment!

Yay Ben! And Yay Us!

it's raining, it's pouring...

2011-11-26T13:07:00.001-08:00

oh man. so this morning i got up started making Arlo's breakfast and put on the coffee and then suddenly remembered...this isn't a snuggly, rainy, stay in my jammies kind of a morning. i had to go run. day 3 of week 1. good thing my coffee pot is insulated.

so off i went in the cold and rain and completed the last run of week 1. i learned that my running jacket, although i appears to be, is not waterproof. i spent most of the time trying different places to put my iphone so it wouldn't get soaked since holding it tucked up my jacket sleeve was not working.

i came home, peeled off my soaked clothes and happily drank my coffee. next i ate breakfast, headed to the farmers market to drop off my compost and went to 11:00 storytime at the library.

now i am back home and made some yummy muffins to get ready for a very busy week ahead.
whole wheat blueberry and whole wheat pumpkin raisin muffins. the blueberry ones are right from Oh She Glows http://ohsheglows.com/2011/03/24/mini-whole-wheat-blueberry-breakfast-muffins/ a really delicious vegan blog that i have tried a lot of great recipes from and for the pumpkin ones i adapted her blueberry recipe and came up with this.

Delightful Vegan Whole Wheat Pumpkin Raisin Muffins

makes 12 large muffins

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 14 oz can organic pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 375. Line muffin tin with muffin papers. (I use parchment paper ones that I love) In a small bowl add apple cider vinegar to almond milk. Measure all dry and raisins into a medium bowl. Add the rest of the wet ingredients, including pumpkin to the almond milk/vinegar mixture and whisk it up. Combine wet with dry until just combined. Bake for 20-25 minutes. A delicious quick breakfast or snack for the stroller.

week 1 day 2

2011-11-24T19:21:00.001-08:00

ugh. babe's molars coming in did not make for a super restful sleep last night and 6:00 felt very early this morning. of course the fact that it is dark and wet out doesn't help. but day 2 is done and i felt way better for having done it.

i have been trying not to let myself think past the distance i am doing now...it is too daunting! of course it is months away and i will be working my way up slowly but imagining running for 2 and 1/2 hours* is a little crazy when currently i am quite glad when my 20 minutes are up!

another runner waved at me today as he passed by. maybe it's like the boat wave at the cottage, a mandatory gesture. "hello i am up very early too, dodging branches and puddles on the sidewalk in my tight pants".

i like how to be a runner, you just have to go out your front door and.....run! there. now you are a runner. old pros are giving you the head nod and wave as if you have been doing this for years.

*i completely guessed at that time...i have absolutely no idea how long it will take me!

my sweet little darling teething boy is a year and a half today! how that is possible i do not know, but i can certainly not imagine a day in my life without him. love, love, love.

day one down...only 165 to go

2011-11-22T19:02:00.001-08:00

today was my first day of official running training. I really like the app...a mans voice tells you to start your warm up and then it dings and says "run" and "walk" at the appropriate times. it reminds me of my disney record books from when i was i little and the chime told you when to turn the page. it also shows you where you went on a map, how fast your running and walking were and has a spot to record your mood. i think that will be neat to look back at.

it went pretty well and i kept reminding myself that even though it was dark, and wet, and i was tired this was not punishment. it was a half hour to myself and the first session to cross out, getting me in shape and closer to being able to run 21k. i'm a big crosser-outer...i have been known to add an item that i already completed to my to do list just so i could cross it out.

i really need to put some music on my phone since the only album on there is elizabeth mitchell which was our go to fussy babe tunes for m-a-n-y long walks with the ergo...but ya, not really running music.
time to put some energy into some playlists! and really into my music in general...my itunes are a gigantic mess in desperate need of organization...a nap project maybe.

and now off to a much needed girl's night! yay!

mondays

2011-11-21T08:45:00.001-08:00

i have been trying to lose the way of thinking that holds mondays to be a fresh start so it doesn't become an excuse to slack off by the weekend and then *ba-bing* fresh start for monday. but it really does have some strong new beginning connotations and it is kinda nice to have a clean slate and the hope of a great week ahead.

this morning i was off to bootcamp for 6:30. it was dark out when i left and it was hail/snow/raining when i left. eww. i really love bootcamp though, especially when i am done and it's 7:30am and i have done my workout for the day. i think i will stick with it on mondays as a cross training day for part of my training.

i'm pretty happy that my husband-to-be finally signed up for the marathon as well. it's nice to have a little team together...my dear friend in victoria and my amazing, inspiring cousin in ontario have signed up too. because we are spread all over the place and our running stroller shakes uncontrollably at so much as a jog i think i will be doing alot of the runs alone but it is nice to know they will all be working hard too!

now i am back home enjoying a quiet hour or so with my coffee while my boys are at swimming lessons. better go throw something together for lunch and grab something out of the freezer for dinner before chaos begins again!

holy f*ck!!?! i signed up for a half marathon

2011-11-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

so with some encouragement and not a lot of thought i have signed up for a half marathon in vancouver on may 6th.

what the ? what was i thinking?

quick i need a plan. after my credit card info was entered and my confirmation had been received, it began to sink in...i will be running 21.1km in 168 days.

after some questioning people and poking around i decided on the "ease into a 10k" training program and bought the app. http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/ease-into-10k/id358536821?mt=8
it is a 3 day a week, 10 week program and i will start on tuesday. once i finish it i'll move on the half marathon training program from runner's world. it is 12 weeks so i will have a few weeks to spare before the big day.

oh? my current running schedule? umm...ya...that would be...oh...none. aside from chasing my 1 and a half year old cyclone around little mountain..nothing.

i have running shoes. and i have run before...a 10k a few years ago. so we will see. i am excited though, for the challenge and to do something for myself and to see if i can do it!