The last few runs, have been difficult. Whether the weather, the darkness or just being plain old tired; it hasn't be enjoyable. I have run because I felt I "had" to rather than because I "wanted" to.
This week the tide seems to have turned. The humidity is all but gone and we are having fall-like weather. Perhaps I am the only one; but, I am relishing in the temperature change.
I went to yoga on Wednesday during my lunch hour with my friend Caroline. It was cool enough to be wearing a fleece on the way to and from the Hill, but the weather could not have been MORE perfect for an hour long Vinyasa Flow class. The class seemed to focus a lot on opening the hips and lengthing the calfs. Add to that a bit of shoulder stretching and you have the perfect yoga class for me and my runner's tighness. I LOVED it.
Last night, I went out for a BEAUTIFUL run after putting m. to bed. I mapped out a 5k in our neighbourhood, grabbed the pooch (who, after being left behind as of late due to the humidity or my planned distances, was SO happy to be coming along!) and laced up the shoes. My plan was to stick with 10:1s and to not skip out early on them - no matter how slow that made me.
With surprise, I felt great for the first 10 minutes - surpassing the distance I thought I would get in those 10 minutes. I felt STRONG and FAST. The second ten minutes were just a good and I was THRILLED to see I made it to the "almost" 3k mark when my alarm told me it was time for my second walk break. That means I managed an average pace of 7 minutes / km (faster, likely, since this also includes 1 minute of walking)... for 21 minutes! (Just to give you a baseline, I have been averaging somewhere between 7:20-7:45 on a good run)
At that point I knew I had a "long-ish" incline back up to the main road (about 1.5km) and my mindframe changed back to my plan to stick with those 10:1s. I'm not sure exactly HOW slow the next 1.5 km uphill were, but the imporant thing is I stuck to my plan and pushed through the incline. YES!
I felt great once I turned that corner knowing I only had .5 k to go and I went for it. I even managed to sprint those last 200 meters... and BOY did that feel good!
When my fast dog (who, when I was running a 7 minute kilometer, was just gingerly trotting alongside) has to run flat out to keep up... nothing better than that to boost your confidence. :)
So last night's run was a HUIGE WIN for me - no matter the final result (38.21 minutes for a 5k). It was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate my love of running. I couldn't have asked for better than that.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
Jumping for Joy
After more than a week of doing nothing except trying to cope with the heat and humidity, I had quite an active day yesterday.
The morning started with a running date with my friend Robin. I was really excited to get out for a run with her - it has been quite a while - and we scheduled a 10k along the Ottawa River.
It was a gorgeous, brisk morning - the first in what felt like forever - and as we started out, I felt strong and ready. Robin even asked me if I was doing okay during our first walk break. It would seem we were averaging a 7 minute km, which is pretty fast for me.
But after about 3k, I had an overwhelming feeling of nausea and I had to walk again. Robin and I even discussed how close we were to her house and how we could cut the run short and take refuge at her house.
After a little walk break, I decided I could probably do an out and back with the help of walk breaks whenever the pukie feelings got too strong. If I am being honest, I didn't want to disapoint, Robin OR myself, by cutting our 10k so short on such a beautiful morning.
It was a morning made for running and I was determined to do so.
Although our pace slowed WAY down, we ended the run on a good note with a jog up a hill (slope) and running our way back to our meeting place. We managed 7.37k in 1 hour exactly.
When I got home, I noticed a heat rash on my chest and I wonder whether the nausea and the rash go hand in hand?
Although I was disapointed in cutting the run short, the kids had a birthday party at Skyzone and I had a date with a trampoline.
This place was F.U.N. not only for the kids, but for the adults too!
I felt like a kids again almost immediately. Trying to jump as high as possible, doing sit jumps, split jumps and 360 turns high in the air. SO.MUCH.FUN.
Both Madie and I slept very well during nap time. ;-)
So this week, I have resolved to run twice and do yoga once. That, in addition to my mom's move on Saturday, SHOULD get me back into the swing of this exercise thing again.
The morning started with a running date with my friend Robin. I was really excited to get out for a run with her - it has been quite a while - and we scheduled a 10k along the Ottawa River.
It was a gorgeous, brisk morning - the first in what felt like forever - and as we started out, I felt strong and ready. Robin even asked me if I was doing okay during our first walk break. It would seem we were averaging a 7 minute km, which is pretty fast for me.
But after about 3k, I had an overwhelming feeling of nausea and I had to walk again. Robin and I even discussed how close we were to her house and how we could cut the run short and take refuge at her house.
After a little walk break, I decided I could probably do an out and back with the help of walk breaks whenever the pukie feelings got too strong. If I am being honest, I didn't want to disapoint, Robin OR myself, by cutting our 10k so short on such a beautiful morning.
It was a morning made for running and I was determined to do so.
Although our pace slowed WAY down, we ended the run on a good note with a jog up a hill (slope) and running our way back to our meeting place. We managed 7.37k in 1 hour exactly.
When I got home, I noticed a heat rash on my chest and I wonder whether the nausea and the rash go hand in hand?
Although I was disapointed in cutting the run short, the kids had a birthday party at Skyzone and I had a date with a trampoline.
This place was F.U.N. not only for the kids, but for the adults too!
I felt like a kids again almost immediately. Trying to jump as high as possible, doing sit jumps, split jumps and 360 turns high in the air. SO.MUCH.FUN.
Both Madie and I slept very well during nap time. ;-)
So this week, I have resolved to run twice and do yoga once. That, in addition to my mom's move on Saturday, SHOULD get me back into the swing of this exercise thing again.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Night Race 2013
Saturday was another stinking hot day in Ottawa. One of those days that is only enjoyable along side a pool with a daiquari in hand. Instead, I spent my day trying to hydrate myself for my first ever 10k race.
I knew with the humidity factor and a forecasted temperature in the mid 20s overnight, I would need as much excess liquid in my body as possible if I was to finish the race in any sort of "acceptable" time.
Given that it was my first official timed 10k race, my only "real" goal was to finish and to not be the last one across the finish line. But if I am being completely honest with myself, I was really, REALLY hoping to get over that finish line under 1:20.
The race consisted of doing two 5k loops around the Nepean Sportsplex, half of which were on the narrow pathways inside the pines behind the building. All the racers were required to wear a headlamp, and by the time we were done the first 4k, I understood why! Those pathways are really dark. Even with the help of my headlamp and the lanterns/ glow sticks that shone our way, I found myself really uncomfortable in those paths.
My race looked a bit like this:
I arrived at the race, hooked up with Kyla and Lori (who was signed up for the 5k) and hit the registration to get out headlamps then off to the porta poties then straight to the start gates to get started.
Kyla and I ran together and for the first 5k (as per Kyla's Nike+) we stuck to about a 7:20/km pace doing 10:1s. I really wish the race had a split time set up for the 5k, becasue if Kyla's stats were correct, I would have been on par for a PB for the 5k!
At around 5.5k, I was feeling a side cramp and decided to take a bit of a breather and walked for about 2-3 minutes. I took that time to drink a bunch of my drink and cross my fingers that the energy tabs would do their jobs and help me through the last half of the race.
The second time around the route, it got a lot darker and a lot more quiet. All the 5k runners had since come and gone and as we approached the entrance to the trails, darkness seemed to hit really fast.
Although I never felt unsafe, I found my pace got super slow the second time through the forrest. The best way I can describe the feeling is clausterphobic. The extreme dark combined with the narrow pathway surrounded by huge pines made me feel like I didn't have enough "space" around me. I was surprised to learn my reaction to that feeling was to slow instead of to speed up.
Somewhere between the 6 and 7k markers, Kyla said she was going to run the rest of the race without stoping. She felt good and wanted to try to push herslef a bit. I waved her by with a plan of my own. I was going to run each coming kilometer by not stoping until I saw the next marker - allowing myself a quick refresher walk at each marker.
I met up with another runner who offered to run with me. She was struggling to keep any sort of pace and found it helpful to run along side someone else. I feel bad I couldn't be more support for her. She seemed to need a "push" to keep going and I didn't feel I could give it to her. I wanted to finish and I wanted to finish feeling STRONG.
The 3:1s she was sticking with just weren't cutting it for me. Does that make me a bad runner????? I am a bit conflicted - because I left her behind. And when I looked at the finish, she was about 3 minutes behind me, which likely means she walked a good part of the finish. Would she have run better if I would had stayed with her?
I ended up finishing my race at 1:23.01.
I was a pool of sweat as I crossed and I downed the water bottle I was handed in no time flat. I briefly stopped by the "food" tent where they had chocolate mint cliff bars and apples before heading on to the "beer" tent to meet up with Kyla, Lori and get my complimentary beer. Yeah - that tasted good...
...ALMOST as good as finishing my first 10k race. :)
I knew with the humidity factor and a forecasted temperature in the mid 20s overnight, I would need as much excess liquid in my body as possible if I was to finish the race in any sort of "acceptable" time.
Given that it was my first official timed 10k race, my only "real" goal was to finish and to not be the last one across the finish line. But if I am being completely honest with myself, I was really, REALLY hoping to get over that finish line under 1:20.
The race consisted of doing two 5k loops around the Nepean Sportsplex, half of which were on the narrow pathways inside the pines behind the building. All the racers were required to wear a headlamp, and by the time we were done the first 4k, I understood why! Those pathways are really dark. Even with the help of my headlamp and the lanterns/ glow sticks that shone our way, I found myself really uncomfortable in those paths.
My race looked a bit like this:
I arrived at the race, hooked up with Kyla and Lori (who was signed up for the 5k) and hit the registration to get out headlamps then off to the porta poties then straight to the start gates to get started.
Kyla and I ran together and for the first 5k (as per Kyla's Nike+) we stuck to about a 7:20/km pace doing 10:1s. I really wish the race had a split time set up for the 5k, becasue if Kyla's stats were correct, I would have been on par for a PB for the 5k!
At around 5.5k, I was feeling a side cramp and decided to take a bit of a breather and walked for about 2-3 minutes. I took that time to drink a bunch of my drink and cross my fingers that the energy tabs would do their jobs and help me through the last half of the race.
The second time around the route, it got a lot darker and a lot more quiet. All the 5k runners had since come and gone and as we approached the entrance to the trails, darkness seemed to hit really fast.
Although I never felt unsafe, I found my pace got super slow the second time through the forrest. The best way I can describe the feeling is clausterphobic. The extreme dark combined with the narrow pathway surrounded by huge pines made me feel like I didn't have enough "space" around me. I was surprised to learn my reaction to that feeling was to slow instead of to speed up.
Somewhere between the 6 and 7k markers, Kyla said she was going to run the rest of the race without stoping. She felt good and wanted to try to push herslef a bit. I waved her by with a plan of my own. I was going to run each coming kilometer by not stoping until I saw the next marker - allowing myself a quick refresher walk at each marker.
I met up with another runner who offered to run with me. She was struggling to keep any sort of pace and found it helpful to run along side someone else. I feel bad I couldn't be more support for her. She seemed to need a "push" to keep going and I didn't feel I could give it to her. I wanted to finish and I wanted to finish feeling STRONG.
The 3:1s she was sticking with just weren't cutting it for me. Does that make me a bad runner????? I am a bit conflicted - because I left her behind. And when I looked at the finish, she was about 3 minutes behind me, which likely means she walked a good part of the finish. Would she have run better if I would had stayed with her?
I ended up finishing my race at 1:23.01.
I was a pool of sweat as I crossed and I downed the water bottle I was handed in no time flat. I briefly stopped by the "food" tent where they had chocolate mint cliff bars and apples before heading on to the "beer" tent to meet up with Kyla, Lori and get my complimentary beer. Yeah - that tasted good...
...ALMOST as good as finishing my first 10k race. :)
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Almost
I had a 10k planned out for the weekend.
Initially, I was supposed to run it on Saturday. When that didn't happen, I made a plan to run Sunday morning, with a friend, but then she couldn't make it either. That was my "next" reason not to run. But I told Mark about the run and made myself accountable. I was going to run no mater what.
I've been offered to run in a collegue's place during a 10k night race in 2 weekends. If I do that (and I have officially told her I would like to), I NEED to be able to run a 10k on my own. I knew I needed to run a solo 10k before the race to boost my confidence and to prove to myself that I am able to do it without someone pushing me along for the last few kilometers.
So, once we got the kids into their p.j.s, I changed into my running gear, not letting myself cop out at the last minute.
I refreshed my route so that it was a "safer" route - knowing full well that if I was only leaving at 7:30pm, I may not get back before sometime closer to 9pm, when I would be much more comfortable running out in the open and a bit closer to some higher traffic areas.
I started off in my usual way, losening the kinks and getting a feel for how my run would be during the next 10k.
By the end of the 2nd km, I was feeling good. The weather was nice - cooler than it had been and a beautiful evening for a run. I felt strong and my pace was good while I estimated my distances by following the map I had made in my head.
I had deliberately made the route somewhat rectangular - knowing that if I found myself struggling, not only was there a lot of ways to shorten the run, if need be, but I could (and did) use the incentive of "the next turn" as a finish line and break my run into 4 smaller ones if need be.
By the time I arrived at my 2nd big turn, I had a kink in my waist that disapeared (magically) as quickly as it had appeared and I started on the self-talk. I would tell myself, "if you can only get to (fill in the next major intersection), then you can reivaluate and see if you need to walk" and repeat that to myself every time I arrived to the previous intersection.
My friend April had given me a couple of different energy tablets made by Arbornne which are supposed to be used as a way to give your body an extra boost of energy for when you are running longer distances. I decided to try one of them out on Sunday to see if it made any difference.
I can't say for sure whether or not it was only the placebo effect, but I did feel a difference. I mixed my tab with my regular water and it made it taste like a really strong crystal light. The only downfall was that I found myself drinking more often than I would it I were only drinking water so I needed to pace my drinking so that I wouldn't run out at, say, km #8 or something. I will say, my legs felt a lot more "fresh" than they have in the past when running longer distances. And although the run was still difficult, it was more mentally draining than physically.
And then, for some reason, I gave myself an out.
When I turned into my neighbourhood, I knew that I had mapped the run to continue on to end at the other end of my road. My road forms a bit of an L shape and if I were to have gone to the other end, it would have made my run completed at 10.22k. But instead, I let my mentality get the worst of me and accepted the excuses.
It was getting late and I didn't want to be up all night.
My phone battery was only at 5% and I didn't want to run without the emergency tool of a phone, or, more importantly, my music during that oh-so-pivotal last kilometer.
I had done a darned good job getting to where I was anyways so that was good enough for that night.
Whichever excuse I decided to use, I stopped short of my goal and went home.
I asked Mark to bring me a beer (oh my GOD that beer was good!) and headed to the bath for a cool soak.
And then I mapped out what I had run.
And I was all of the sudden hit with a wave of negative talk. Things like: "you dork... why in the world did you give up there? You ONLY had 800 meters to go!!! - Even at your slowest, that is something around 7 minutes at the very most... Like you didn't have it in you to get that done! You failed. AGAIN"
But you know what the best achievement is?
I ignored my inner critic and said, "screw that! I'm proud of this - I went out and ran ALONE for 9.2km. GOOD FOR YOU. YEAH you coulda done that extra 800 meters, but it is COMPLETELY OK that you didn't. You still went out and ran for 1:15, which, btw, is more than 3 minutes faster than the last time you ran 9k... AND you did it ALL ON YOUR OWN."
That, is something I am proud of.
Initially, I was supposed to run it on Saturday. When that didn't happen, I made a plan to run Sunday morning, with a friend, but then she couldn't make it either. That was my "next" reason not to run. But I told Mark about the run and made myself accountable. I was going to run no mater what.
I've been offered to run in a collegue's place during a 10k night race in 2 weekends. If I do that (and I have officially told her I would like to), I NEED to be able to run a 10k on my own. I knew I needed to run a solo 10k before the race to boost my confidence and to prove to myself that I am able to do it without someone pushing me along for the last few kilometers.
So, once we got the kids into their p.j.s, I changed into my running gear, not letting myself cop out at the last minute.
I refreshed my route so that it was a "safer" route - knowing full well that if I was only leaving at 7:30pm, I may not get back before sometime closer to 9pm, when I would be much more comfortable running out in the open and a bit closer to some higher traffic areas.
I started off in my usual way, losening the kinks and getting a feel for how my run would be during the next 10k.
By the end of the 2nd km, I was feeling good. The weather was nice - cooler than it had been and a beautiful evening for a run. I felt strong and my pace was good while I estimated my distances by following the map I had made in my head.
I had deliberately made the route somewhat rectangular - knowing that if I found myself struggling, not only was there a lot of ways to shorten the run, if need be, but I could (and did) use the incentive of "the next turn" as a finish line and break my run into 4 smaller ones if need be.
By the time I arrived at my 2nd big turn, I had a kink in my waist that disapeared (magically) as quickly as it had appeared and I started on the self-talk. I would tell myself, "if you can only get to (fill in the next major intersection), then you can reivaluate and see if you need to walk" and repeat that to myself every time I arrived to the previous intersection.
My friend April had given me a couple of different energy tablets made by Arbornne which are supposed to be used as a way to give your body an extra boost of energy for when you are running longer distances. I decided to try one of them out on Sunday to see if it made any difference.
I can't say for sure whether or not it was only the placebo effect, but I did feel a difference. I mixed my tab with my regular water and it made it taste like a really strong crystal light. The only downfall was that I found myself drinking more often than I would it I were only drinking water so I needed to pace my drinking so that I wouldn't run out at, say, km #8 or something. I will say, my legs felt a lot more "fresh" than they have in the past when running longer distances. And although the run was still difficult, it was more mentally draining than physically.
And then, for some reason, I gave myself an out.
When I turned into my neighbourhood, I knew that I had mapped the run to continue on to end at the other end of my road. My road forms a bit of an L shape and if I were to have gone to the other end, it would have made my run completed at 10.22k. But instead, I let my mentality get the worst of me and accepted the excuses.
It was getting late and I didn't want to be up all night.
My phone battery was only at 5% and I didn't want to run without the emergency tool of a phone, or, more importantly, my music during that oh-so-pivotal last kilometer.
I had done a darned good job getting to where I was anyways so that was good enough for that night.
Whichever excuse I decided to use, I stopped short of my goal and went home.
I asked Mark to bring me a beer (oh my GOD that beer was good!) and headed to the bath for a cool soak.
And then I mapped out what I had run.
And I was all of the sudden hit with a wave of negative talk. Things like: "you dork... why in the world did you give up there? You ONLY had 800 meters to go!!! - Even at your slowest, that is something around 7 minutes at the very most... Like you didn't have it in you to get that done! You failed. AGAIN"
But you know what the best achievement is?
I ignored my inner critic and said, "screw that! I'm proud of this - I went out and ran ALONE for 9.2km. GOOD FOR YOU. YEAH you coulda done that extra 800 meters, but it is COMPLETELY OK that you didn't. You still went out and ran for 1:15, which, btw, is more than 3 minutes faster than the last time you ran 9k... AND you did it ALL ON YOUR OWN."
That, is something I am proud of.
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