"Even if You're on the Right Track...

you'll get run over if you just sit there". - Will Rogers
5K @ 7'33

All right, for once I am going to say how happy I was with my pace time. So happy, in fact, I teared up a little. With just 2 runs left before race date I was pretty much ecstatic to run it in under 38 minutes. I had decided on a goal for my race which is a time of 38 minutes and 45 seconds. That means a pace of 7'45. If I manage to keep a pretty decent pace on my next 5K I may bump it down a touch. I wasn't expecting such a speedy run today, I must admit.

I have had a bit of a cold this week and an ear ache. My second one this year, as in, during 2012. I'd never really had them before. I just kept my headband firmly in place over my ear and today wasn't too windy so it doesn't seem worse for wear.  The weather was perfect. Gorgeous sunny day, not too warm. Looking ahead to Sunday it's supposed to be warm, but rainy. Of course! Mother nature, you sure know how to mess with me.

In other news, the set up of the blog is gonna change a bit next week as I'm gonna be cutting back on my running because I have to pick up cycling and swimming as well in order to train for a try a tri at the beginning of August. After Sunday I will have completed three 5 K races so it's time to shake it up a bit. I will be swimming 375m, biking (yuck!) 10 k and then running a mere 2.5 k. I say mere now not having swum or biked prior to running. I am kind of excited about this and have no idea how to train for the event the race site is fantastic though, and had tonnes of tips and literally goes through the race form registration to crossing the finish line.

In addition- does anyone use resistance bands to train? I picked up a few and like using them but they only come with 6 exercises.

I Kinda Liked That.

3.02@ 7'14

Today I stayed in bed because I could hear the wind blowing outside and I didn't want to get up and run in the wind. I puttered around dilly dallying hoping that the wind would calm down a bit before I ran. Hey, I'm a recreational runner, I don't like adverse weather conditions. I do make a deal with myself on windy days though, I run into the wind for my first half then let it blow me back. It was very windy. There is an upside to that as I don't sweat as much running into the wind, which was good today because I've misplace my beloved headband.  My ear buds kept getting blown out of my ears and as you can see, my pace time was way below normal; in part because I tend to run 3 K's faster, I love those days, a 3 feels like so much less of a chore and I also credit mother nature for the other part.

I realized that I talk about pace time a lot but for my non-runner readers I'm not sure if you know what I am talking about. When I say that I have done 3.02 K @ 7'14 it means that I have done 3 K at a pace of 7'14 the pace means how long it takes me to do 1k so in this case it took me 7 minutes and 14 seconds on average per K. If you look on the map, 1 k is about the distance that I ran on Mohawk.

"You Have a Choice...

You can throw in the towel, or you can use it to wipe the sweat off of your face." -Gatorade

5 K @ 7'35

Today was ideal for a run. I know I am not looking forward to the summer heat but today was amazing. In part, I'm sure, because I also enjoyed myself on the run. I try to check my pace after the end of every song and today I had forgotten to do that. I was just out there enjoying myself. I felt really good after doing the hill run yesterday.

I have five more runs until race day and my excitement is mounting. This is technically the first run that I've actually properly trained for. The first one I didn't run the entire month beforehand and the second I  trained one week prior. I think I may have also had developed diabetes by that point. Both times I wanted to run it in less than 40 minutes and failed to do so. So I'm trying to choose a reasonable time now. I could set the same one, but I think I could easily do that. There's no way I could do it in under 35 I may just do under 39. That means about a 7'45 pace time, which is what I've been trying to keep it under of late.

Here's a great video that I found kind of amazing and inspired me with regards to determination. It's a Canada-US individual tug of war.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsPIzRsUtlE

A Weather First

4K @ 7'30

My run today was a hill run. My hill runs entail repeatedly running up and down across a highway overpass. I did try running up the escarpment and ended up crying. So maybe I will get to that again one day. The instructions on the running program I'm using says to run hard on the uphills and take it easy on the downhills. I am quite pleased with my 7'30 pace time and it felt really good. As I have written before, I really enjoy uphill runs. I like the fact that there is immediate gratification once you get over the crest of the hill and go flat or, even better, head downhill.

I obviously am a couple days behind in running as I was scheduled to do this on Friday. I woke up to a very very grey day and the sound of rain. Drats! Rain, my natural running enemy. I do not enjoy it. I often find myself uncomfortable. So, I waited until I couldn't hear anymore raindrops. Then, I hustled it out of the house. It rained a bit while I was out there but my unhappiness was neutralized by my enjoyment of running the hill. In my last half kilometre home it began to hail. Which was a first for me.

Exactly one fortnight until race day!
Sponsor me at: https://www.runningroom.com/dashboard/donations/index.php?raceId=7510&eventId=23519&memberId=UzMCPFQzUzQGYgQ1BzE%3D&item=8&guest=1
I'm only 15 dollars away from my goal!

Gotta Cut Me Some Slack

5.24 @ 7'51

I did a timed run today. I've noticed that I often run slower on them. I do them to build up my endurance. I was really disappointed in myself when I was looking at my pace times, they were at or above 8. I thought I was done with that pace time. I hadn't seen it in a few runs. Being my own coach I decided as a result of my slowness I was gonna take a route where I knew I'd have to do an uphill because I was disappointed with myself.

I finished the uphill, then headed down an unlit path and hit another uphill and I decide to really go for it on the hill. Suddenly I felt looser and my run a bit better. This is when I realized how stressed out and tight I'd been feeling. My best pace time was when I was sick and on cold meds. I was so loose on that run and it felt fantastic.

I also noticed that I was tighter in the upper body. I think that's because I was carrying my phone and my iPod. I may need to invest in a fanny pack so I don't have to carry them or clothes with pockets to carry my electronics.

When I was running uphill  and getting down on myself I was thinking about my friend's mom who posted yesterday that she had run 2K and how impressed I was with her. by this point I was on Kilometre 3 of my own jaunt. I had to remind myself that what I am doing impresses people to, that it's ok to celebrate successes. I need to remind myself that the standards I set for myself far exceed the expectations of those in my life and that I need to just take it easy and loosen up. It's difficult but sometimes I can do it, like tonight. I also need to remember that my 3rd K is always my slowest. During that time, I should remember my new favourite picture and maybe it will help me loosen up.



Makes me smile, every time.

"The Great Thing About Athletics is That it's Like Poker...

 sometimes you know what's in your hand and it may be a load of rubbish, but you've got to keep up the front".
--Sebastian Coe

3K @ 7'44
Today's run was adequate. I am not overly impressed with my pace time for that distance. Today's weather was absolutely gorgeous and I was expecting a really quick run. I guess I couldn't really expect much running the day after St Patrick's day. I was pretty tight and didn't loosen up and was having one of those days where I feel so slow and plodding and I was reminding myself that I AM a runner.

I am a runner...I was really getting down on myself , everything just felt off. Then in an odd coincidence, I bumped into a co-worker and she said "Oh, do you run around here?" I AM A RUNNER HUZZAH! This happened a mere 400 metres until the end of my run. Hope everyone enjoyed their St Patty's day.

"Any Day I Am Too Busy to Run is a Day That I Am Too Busy- John Bryant

4 K @ 7'30

Today's run was pretty decent. It was the first time in a long time I was concerned with my pace time. My first and 4th K had the same pace time. I am always glad for consistency in my pace time. I'm not sure why, I think it relates to my aforementioned fear of running fast and to far and getting tired a distance away from my end point and having to stop. Realistically, if I could run when Dank was at his worst in BC and I was malnourished then I could keep running. So, this concern is somewhat irrational. What's a girl to do though eh?

I have to credit my ending pace time with the rain that began to fall. As much as I hate the rain it may be my greatest motivator. Those drops started to fall and I sped right up. I knew I would be a little farther from where I started when I finished cuz I took a little detour. I often will get slightly lost in unknown neighbourhoods where streets head north instead of south like I am hoping.

I still have my cold. It got worse today. Sleep and fluids.

"Through Running I Found Athleticism...

but I've realized that, more important, I found strength." Claire Kowalchik

4.82 K @ 7'24

With that 7'24 pace time closes my first week since I started running again that I ran under 8 for the entire week.  I had an amazing run tonight. With my crazy busy schedule this week I didn't have time to run yesterday and I really REALLY waffled over going tonight after a long, busy day but after a nap I decided that I may as well go for it. This blog and you, dear reader, have really made me accountable.

It was a chilly -4 but felt like -10. Apparently that's what my body likes. I felt SO GOOD out there. I didn't even want to look at my pace time. I just felt amazing. I didn't even care if I WAS going over 8 it was all so right. I managed to get my layers just right and wasn't at all chilled. As a result of my perceived speed I decided for the first time to focus a bit on form.

With my new job being at a call centre I am sitting on a computer for 8 hours. I carry a lot of tension in my shoulders to begin with so , sitting staring at a monitor with my arms at a keyboard doesn't help the situation. When I run I find that my shoulders migrate up to my earlobes. Having read a bit about running this week (my new job affords a lot of time for reading as well, as I often finish "reads" and tests quickly...I HAVE been in school for 23 years), I read that, similar to yoga you're supposed to do that whole head attached to a string pulling up thing. So that's what I did, plus ensured that my upper body stayed relaxed. I have no idea what I looked like but it felt all right. Especially my relaxed arms, they felt better than my usual clenched fists and tightly bent arms.

I tend to take a do what my body tells me approach to running, again. No idea if that's what one's supposed to do, or what the heck I look like when I'm out there. I hope people notice the smile on my face rather then the shuffling that I feel my feet do.