Relentless Forward Motion!!

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian 

 I survived another 21.1k yesterday.  It was nothing short of a small miracle that I even made it to the start.  I spent all last week completely unable to keep food inside of me.  I was hoping to add an extra 200kcal to my diet for five days leading up to my race, and I didn't even hit my minimum calorie count on any of those days.  I think over the course of the week I managed to keep down about 1300kcal, which is the amount of fuel my body needs in one day.  Pretty brutal.

On the bright side, I felt nice and light for my race!  All the other runners were complaining about bloating from carb-loading, and I've never felt more trim.

The tendons on my foot are a little sore today.  Thankfully my race kit came with a pretty cool wrap thing.  It has a nice, cooling effect.  It is also reusable!

I'm actually much less sore than I was after my 10k.  I didn't get any blisters and I kept great form.

Let's move on to a proper race report now.

GoodLife Fitness Half-Marathon

I let myself sleep in until 4:30 and then had to pack.  I stupidly did not pack the night before, and because of this I forgot to pack my watch.

Getting to my shuttle bus was fairly hassle-free, as was the shuttle up to the starting line.  I ran into someone I knew at the start which was really nice.  My plan was to pee as often as I could before the race started, as I executed this flawlessly.  The trick is to get to the start really early and get into the washrooms before anyone else does.  This way you can avoid lines.

The weather was miserable.  It was drizzly and cold  .  I decided to take my old running sweatshirt  with me, since I wouldn't be upset if I had to ditch it.  I was also rocking a recycling bag to keep dry.

I waited inside until about 5 minutes before 8:00, the official start time.  It can take awhile just to cross the starting mats.  In fact, it took me over 4 minutes this time.  I think everyone was taking it easy because of the weather.

Now, because I didn't have my watch, I was worried about pace.  I decided to find the 2:30 pace group, and stay in front of them. 

I knew I was running on empty, so I made sure to drink as much Gatorade as possible.  This time there was a variety of flavours, and they were all properly watered down.  No horrible stomach cramps this time!

There is a monster of a hill between the 4k and 5k flags.  "Hogg's Hollow".  It seemed longer this time, but I just kept running.  A lot of other runners decided to walk it, but hills are something I'm decent at, plus it's a nice boost to make it to the top of a hill.

Running past Mount Pleasant I paid my respects to Danny Kassap.  I need to go for a run there sometime.

The next 10k was a bit of a blur.  I really hit my stride around the 8k flag.

In Rosedale Valley, I was running near these two girls who were just having a blast.  They were skipping, running around pretending to fly, and singing.  It was hilarious, and a great way to break up the loneliness of running in such a secluded area.

Turning onto front I saw a runner up ahead in VFFs.  I had to catch him, so I took off and had a small chat about them before he peeled away.

At the 17k flag a race volunteer wiped out on his bike.  I ran over and helped him, and ended up breaking my flow and losing some time, but race volunteers are the most amazing people ever so I wanted to help.  He was thankfully only clipped in to his one pedal, and he wasn't hurt too bad, just shakey and embarrased.  Helping him was the best decision I made in that whole race.  There have been so many times during races where I was starting to feel worn down, and a race volunteer biked by and cheered me on.

This when the lead Marathoner passed me.  I was confused a bit, since last time they passed me around the 15k flag, so either I was running faster or they were running slower.

Turning the corner onto University filled me with dread.  You don't think this is a hill, but it is.  Especially after 19k.  I was clammy and hot up until that point.  University has this horrible wind tunnel that just rapes you with ice-cold wind coming off the lake.  I have seriously never felt colder in my life.  My feet were soaked through and freezing.  I was sweaty, clammy, my hair was dripping.  I have never been more thankful for my running sweatshirt.  I still had it tied around my hips.  For some reason I never thought to ditch it.  I pulled it on at the 19k flag.

I looked up and saw a digital clock on the side of a building.  It looked like it said "10:10".  I was beside myself at this point.  What was going on?  Did I really run 19k in less than 2:10?  I didn't have my watch so I had no idea.  I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

Started picking up the pace coming around the parliament building.  This time I knew exactly where the finish was, so I timed my kick just right.  As I cross the finish line I look up at the race clock.

3:00:00

What. The. Fuck.

I was utterly confused at this point.  Did it take me 50 minutes to run 2k?  That didn't even seem possible.  Plus the 5k was still in full swing, and that started at 10.  I got my medal, watched a 5k Elite runner puke his guts out while his buddy laughed, grabbed some food, found my bag, and was off home!

Somewhere along the race course I lost one of my housekeys.  The one that opens the door I keep locked.  I had to break into my own apartment.  If I hadn't have lost 30lbs this winter, I would have been very fucked.

Once inside I got online and checked out my official chip time.

2:26:40

That's a 12-minute improvement over last time!  Not too shabby at all!  Sure, I started out my training hoping for a sub 2:00 half-marathon, but after a concussion and the stomach flu, I'm pretty impressed with myself.

I'll take some pictures of my bib/medal later tonight.  Now I have to decide if I want to eat, sleep, or terrorize small children. 

7662

"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable." -
-Sir Roger Bannister 


Four days until the GoodLife Fitness Half-Marathon.  I can't decide if I'm excited or scared.  I've had a good week, running and not running.  I've only taken two days off since my 10k (both Mondays) and I'm starting to like this "run all the time" thing.  For No-Transit June I have to rely on my feet, bike, and blades, so being able to run places for errands will be very useful. 

Yes, I have been tapering down for the big day, so my daily runs aren't any longer than 5k at this point.  Just trying to keep everything springy without wearing myself out.

I am totally going to wear my fancy SportingLife 10k t-shirt!  It looks like it is going to rain (*cry*) so I need to remember to pack some clear garbage bags so I don't get drenched.  Running in the rain is one thing, standing around in the rain waiting for my eventual doom is something else.  Something not acceptable.

Doomsday Approaches

"Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow."
- Henry David Thoreau 

Some sad news to start off this post.  Runner Danny Kassap passed away on Monday.  He was a true fighter, and never let obstacles get in the way of his dreams.

On to lighter news.  I had the most epic salad for dinner.

I got halfway through eating it when I decided it was worth to share on the internets.  I'm still trying to finish it.

In the mix:
Spinach
Carrots
Mushrooms
Bean Sprouts
Pumpkin Seeds
House Dressing (just a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, balsalmic vinegar, some spices, salt and pepper, etc)

I also found a fancy way to display my bragging rights!

So there are 9 days until my Half-Marathon.  I haven't spoken much about it since I basically decided to write the distance off, and focus on my 10k.  Anyway, despite all this, I actually stuck to my original training plan pretty closely.  I got all my long runs in, including two 18k days, one week apart. 

So now what do I do?  My body is technically ready to be pushed to run maybe something sub 2:10, or maybe even sub 2:00, but my mind was planning to just relax and run slow.  I'll see how I feel race day.

This week has been recovery from my 10k.  I had a wicked blister on my right big toe.  Thankfully I have extensive first-aid/survival training, since I was able to fix that shit up with some moleskin.  I'm badass like that.  The blister is now (almost) a nice callous, and I look forward to abusing it for 21.1k next Sunday.  Also got a strange sore spot on the back of my left heel.  I think I bruised it somehow, it's healed up now as well.

I've been running every day now for about two weeks, save for a holiday I took on Monday.  I've been doing little 2k "speed bursts" as I call them.  I just run 2k as fast as I can.  It's crazy fun!  I doubt it's helping my physical training at all, but it helps to remind me why I love running to begin with.

Run Free!

Sporting Life 10k Toronto

"I had as many doubts as anyone else. Standing on the starting line, we're all cowards."
-Alberto Salazar, three-time winner of the NYC marathon 

I've officially survived another race.  This one somehow seems like a bigger deal to me.  I guess training for one race in one season is one thing, but having the gumption/insanity to run a second race is something much bigger I think!

My morning started at about 4:00am as usual.  One of the joys of waking up so early naturally is that I'm not tired on race day.  For breakfast I managed to choke down a piece of toast with peanut butter.  Bananas are still unripe due to poor planning on my part, so I took along an apple for the road.

All the busses were packed with other runners, it was all very exciting.  I also was proud to be wearing my bib with a blue stripe on it.  The blue corral is the fastest non-elite corral. 

I arrived at the start by about 7:20am, and decided I had time to either find a washroom, or check out the elites.  I made the right choice and found a washroom.  Running is really just a matter of simple yes/no decisions.  Do I need to pee?  Should I stop and remove that small pebble from my shoe? Is my pace too slow?

We were hearded into our corrals at 7:45am, and then I had to wait for what was quite possibly the coldest 20 minutes of my life.  When I ran my half-marathon back in October the corrals were not as strict, so I was able to freely run around to stay warm.  No such luck this morning.

More waiting.

8:00am the elites take off in what I assume is a very exciting start.  I'm surrounded by giants as usual and can't see anything. 

8:05 my corral gets to leave!  Everyone plays it smart and walks to the starting line.  I turned on my stopwatch a little before the mats, to avoid tripping.

8:11ish~ I hit the 1k mark.  I think I ran it in about 5:25, which is 25 seconds slower than I was aiming for.  Did I go out too slow?!?!  I was running at the same pace as everyone else so I assumed I would be going too fast.  I decided to stick with my pace since it felt right at that moment.  I think this was a good decision, although I always regret not pushing myself a little harder at the start.

I ran the next bit at a nice even pace.  I was really astonished at how smooth I felt.  Everything was going well until I hit the 4k aid station.  I knew that I could not stop to walk, as that did not bode well for me during my last race, so I chugged down some orange gatorade.  This was my first mistake.  I loathe orange gatorade.  the course description said the gatorade would be lemon-lime  Why do races always lie about gatorade flavours?  Lemon-lime is the best, and everything else is disgusting.  So, my stomach was not impressed and decided to ball itself up in a nice tight knot for the next 2k.  I thought I was going to die.  I kept pushing on, not letting myself walk but easing up on the pace a little.  This was really frustrating.  All I could focus on was moving forward.


I hit the 4k mark in around 20:45 and then it took me almost seven minutes to reach the 5k flag.  Then it took me another seven minutes to hit the 6k flag.  That mistake cost me four minutes!  Gah!

After this I decided it was time to kick it up a notch, and show this race who was boss.  I hit the 7k flag around 40 minutes in, which was kind of a bummer mentally for me.  The course was really flat now so making up any more time was going to be tough, and I had hoped to do 8k in this time. 

Running along Richmond there was a great band playing some Steve Miller.  Lets just say that was exactly the pick-me-up I needed!  I turned onto Peter street and I was singing along with the band.  Well, by 'singing' I mean 'mouthing the words and trying to make sound'.  it was still glorious.  I know I had the stupidest grin on my face this whole time.

I missed the 8k flag entirely, and I got kind of confused.  I thought I was a little closer to the finish line than I was, so I started to kick.  If there's one thing I can do well, it's kick.  I was hoping to kick for the last 1200m or so, but since I didn't know how far along I was, I had to guess.  I guessed wrong.

I'm chugging along and I still have no idea where the 9k flag is.  I eventually see it waaay off in the distance.  Looks to be maybe 500m or so.  Great.  My second mistake.  I had already started speeding up.  How was I supposed to maintain this pace for another 1500m?  Well, it turns out I can't!

The crowds were also starting to get really dense here, as the road was pretty narrow.  I was starting to have to decide if it was worth it to dodge around people.  I have a half-marathon in a fortnight, and I could feel a hotspot on my right big toe, so I decided to just run with the pack.  A little underwhelming of a finish, but it's all good. 


My gun time was 1:04:XX, I think I crossed the start line around 8:02, so my chip time will be around 58:00, give or take 90 seconds maybe.

After the raceI got my medal and had to wait in an impossibly long line to get my t-shirt.  The shipment was delayed so they weren't able to hand them out with the race kits.

I then gorged myself on free post-race food.  Apples, bananas, bagels, cookies, and starburst candies.

The hotspot on my toe is almost a blister, but it's a small price to pay for a pretty good race!

Oh, and by the way?  6 months ago I couldn't run a sub 30:00 5k to save my life, and I just ran a sub 1:00:00 10k.  Suck it!

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."
-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder 

It's been awhile!  I just felt like I had nothing to blog about.  Anyway, all that has changed and now I have lots to blog about!

Tomorrow I am running my first race of my Spring season.  It's a 10k, and I'm really gunning for a PR.  This time I've studied the course really well.  It's mostly downhill, but there is a small and steep hill right around the 7k mark I believe, and I think it's going to surprise a lot of people.  There is also a bit of a long slow climb around the 2k point.  I'm hoping to use these as a way to gain some time.  Running uphill is the one thing in running that I'm actually slightly good at.  I love hills. 

All packed for tomorrow!  When I go on trips, I pack light, when it comes to racing, I pack heavy.  This is only a small sample of the crap I am lugging with me tomorrow.  I'm also taking real clothes, a sweater, a jacket, two types of hat (one for rain, one for cold), food, a back up pair of shoes (in case someone robs me for my shoes on the way to the race), and sunglasses.  Okay maybe that isn't too bad after all.  I should take gloves as well.

Other than running I have also been gardening.  Despite the fact that I get next to no sun in my small section of yard, I am determined to turn it into a wicked veg garden/chill spot.  Think two large muskoka chairs surrounded by plants.  It's gonna be epic.  If I can grow anything.

Right now my bathroom is acting as a nursery for the seeds and sprouts.  In the green plastic containers you can see my lettuce going insane.  I might keep them inside.  I am also growing three types of pepper, catnip, chamomile, thyme, parsley, basil, chives, and I am hoping to plant a redcurrant bush as well.  If you look closely in the lower left you can see my aloe plant.  He's an evil bastard, but he's growing like nuts, so I can't complain.

Fuck, I need to go grocery shopping.  I promise I will have a full race recap up tomorrow.  I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of some elites!

Food!

"Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn't be done."
-Amelia Earhart

A year ago today I fit perfectly into my favourite pair of size 10 shorts.  Yesterday morning I tried to put them on and they fell right off.  Right down to the floor.  I put on my belt and they still fell down.  Sigh.  This means I need to buy new shorts.  A quick trip downtown yielded great results.  I bought three pairs of shorts and looked at some dresses.  The best news is that I am now a size 4.  Now I know size doesn't matter and blah blah blah but I don't care!  I've never been this size before.  I owe it all to running and eating the right diet for my body.

Yes, I know my handwriting is hideous.  My typing is even worse, somehow.  But as you can see, my grocery list has a focus on produce.  Food passes through my system very quickly, so I prefer to eat foods that my body breaks down quickly.  That's mostly veggies and fruit.  Plus simple grains and seeds.  I'm going to experiment adding greek yoghurt back into my diet.  It's sooo delicious, but my body hates digesting dairy.  It also hates digesting meat, hence my mostly vegan shopping list. 

I don't stick to anything strict when it comes to portions or calorie counting, but I stop eating when I still feel a little hungry.  I function better on small meal throughout the day.  It's fun since it gives the illusion that I'm always eating, yet magically shrinking.

A few rules I try to live by:

1. Eat 3-4 types of fruits and vegetables a day.  Variety is key here.  So is volume.  At least 60% of what I aim to eat is fruits and vegetables.

2. 2 tablespoons of flax and chia every morning.  Omega-3's are important!

3. Oatz!  I only eat rolled oats raw, but I like to eat cooked steel-cut oats when I have the time in the morning.  Oats have more fibre than any other grain, and I think due to my family's heritage we're just made to consume oats. 


I actually spend only around $20-$30 a week on groceries.  The list you see is part of an extended 2-week list aimed to take advantage of sales.  I also try to spread out buying staple items, since they are heavy and can be an investment.  I'm not quite out of potatoes but the store has a 10-lb nag on sale for $2.  I'm debating if I want to buy it or not.  I do have a fixed-up buggie.  But I have at least a week's worth of potatoes still. 

My other internal debate is my run for today.  I really really really want to run this fun, hilly 15k route I mapped out.  The issue is that I realise that I am very strong at running long, slow, hilly routes, and I need to work on speed.  So really I should be going down by the lake and running km repeats or something like that.  Maybe I can somehow combine the two, and run a 15k fartlek with 1-minute sprints every 5 minutes?  That could be crazy fun.  Might be hard to pull off on my route.  Sigh, I think I might go down by the lake.  I really want to work on my speed.

Party and Bullshit

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."
-Doug Larson

I hit another stumbling block in my training plan.  This time I was knocked out with a chest cold, hurray!  I have no problems running while sick, but this close to race day I need to make sure I stay as healthy as possible.  I may even skip my planned long run for today.  I will suppliment with a lot of walking as I have a million things to do today.

Speaking of errands, one thing I dislike about my sleep schedule is how I spend a lot of time waiting around for stores to open/people to wake up.  It's great on days when I have things to accomplish at home, but not so great on days when I need to leave the house.

Here is a picture of my baritone sax, Brimstone.  I don't play nearly as much as I'd like, but I hate practising when others are nearby, so I can only play when my landlord is not home. 

Also, it's been almost a year since the Most Epic Road Trip Ever.  Here is a giant shuttlecock to commemorate the occasion! 

One can never have to many giant shuttlecocks.

Bloggers' Block!

"I don't think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging. If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups."
- Rita Rudner 

I dedicate this post to hilarity!  Why?  Because I can, bitches!

Ran some blah km's yesterday.  So blah that I actually had to look up how far I had run so I could tell you all that I ran 5k.  Now there is snow everywhere and I was hoping to run maybe 11 or 12k today.  I'm feeling like a huge slacker, though.  Maybe I'll work on my core or something. 

Here is a picture of my old bike.  He's massive.  I think I've found a new home for him, so I just have to change the tubes and send him off.  *sniffle* We had some good times together tearing up the mean streets of Scarborough.  Nothing quite like rolling through Thompson Park at night, high on E and carrying an 8-ball in my pocket.  Gangstaaaaa!



I've been working in deciding a pace to run my 10k at.  Originally this was just supposed to be a warm-up for my half-marathon, so I was planning on running it closer to my half-marathon pace.  Now that I've decided to focus on the 10k, I figure I can push it a little with my pace.  My fastest 10k sits around 53 or 54 minutes, and that's on a hilly course.  I think I may be able to pull off a steady 5:00/km or faster pace for this run, aiming to finish in under 50 minutes.  Ideally, I figure, if I can run this in under 50:00, I can maybe run my half-marathon under 2:00:00.  That would be pretty sweet.  I'm not even ready to think about pace for my marathon this fall.  I just don't want to throw up on my shoes. 

Supermoon!

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'."
-Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner 

 Really feeling the energy in the air today! 

Yesterday I ran twice.  I did 4.5k on my lunch break, and 5k after work.  I was worried I would feel like shit today, but I don't!  I was even up/out pretty late last night. 

I want to send out a special thank you to everyone who came out last night to support Japan!  $1 500 raised in one pubnight!  Magic was in the air...

I really smoked my 4.5k yesterday, running it in 22 minutes.  I tried to race a streetcar with a co worker on it back to work, but the streetcar won.  Next time, streetcar, next time.  *shakes fist*



Today I ended up wasting alot of energy trying to get through crowds of people on Bloor.  Next time I will run on the south side, or save this route for weekday runs.  I'm really enjoying this new route, since it has lots of hills (yes, I see that as a plus!) and I feel like I'm reall travelling. 

"Anybody can be a runner. We were meant to move. We were meant to run. It's the easiest sport."
-Bill Rodgers


It was such a nice day I decided to do some junk miles through the park.  I did 3 hills and ran about 5k total.  Not bad for a rest day!  Tomorrow I am going to try running twice in one day and see how my body responds.

Back to my run.  My whole body was sore when I got home from work and I was tired.  I wanted to run.  The sun was calling me.  I felt really strong on each interval, keeping my steps light and springy.  I've adjusted my breathing down to a 2-2 pattern on uphills.  I do a 3-3 downhill and on flat ground.  I like odd numbers because I've heard that breathing in and always stepping with the same foot can lead to side stitches.  I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I seem to have a system that works.

This was also my first true run in my Bikilas.  No socks or anything!  Sizing down made such a huge difference.  I don't have any hotspots or soreness on my soles, and feeling the wind on my ankles was refreshing.  I overdressed a little, going out in shorts, a t-shirt, a sweater, and gloves, when really I should have just been in a long sleeved shirt and no gloves. 

I was feeling some tightness in my left calf this time, and I think it may be due to my left toe being hurt.  My form may have been off yesterday, which put too much stress on the muscle.  Live and learn.  I paid close attention to my form today.  Only once (at the top of my third hill) did I really start to feel my heart pound.  I was worried my cardio-vascular system would be out of shape, but it seems to be right where I left it last October. 

I've figured out that I can run on my lunch break by just taking my running gear to work and changing.  In this weather I won't get sweaty, plus I wouldn't be running more than 3k or so.

"Run Free!~"
-Caballo Blanco 

Concerning Hobbits

"You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don't run and never will... those who run but don't race...those who started training for a race but didn't carry through...those who got to the starting line but didn't in the finish line...those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You're still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you've outlasted."
- Joe Henderson 

I fell asleep on my couch last night and woke up at 3am.  I must have fallen asleep at 20:00.  That means I got 7 hours of sleep.  That's about 2 hours more than I usually get, so my body must be really worn out.

Breakfast this morning:

I know it looks like crap, but it was delicious.  I cubed up two potatoes and boiled them in salted water for about 15 minutes.  Then I sauteed them in a pan with an onion and some pumpkin seeds.  Once that started to brown (due to carmelization in the onions and the Maillard Reaction in the potatoes) I tossed in one red bell pepper.  Cooked that shit for 5 more minutes addings herbs and spices.  In the background I have an earl grey tea with vanilla almond milk.  Gangstaaaa

I'll hopefully find a way to post my training schedule up here later today.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire...

"It hurts up to a point and then it doesn't get any worse"
-Ann Trason

Truer words have never been spoken!  That's my mantra when I really start to hurt, which is pretty much all the time.  Between my leg and my shoulders I'm pretty much experiencing some degree of pain or discomfort.  You know what I find works?  Running!  It just loosens everything up.  Plus running makes you sore, but in a good way. 

So today I ran 6.11k in 38:42.  Not the greatest time, but considering the last half was uphill and I'm still running out the cobwebs, I'm pleased with myself.  I felt like utter shit when I started.  Sore and tired!  I somehow pushed through it and even conquered the Hater.  You'll remember him from my last post.

I did this run in my Flows, since I can wear socks with them.  The bottoms of my feet are soft and girly after a long winter, so my skin would protest if I wore VFFs without socks.  Yes, I have to buy expensive toe socks to wear with my crazy shoes.  Anyway, my Flows are nice and warm, but it was damp and my feet just felt clammy the whole time. 

My calves were feeling a little tight after having my feet in coffins all winter, but nothing cramped up or got too uncomfortable.  I did a round of stretches at the halfway point.  I marked my split at the usual halfway point (2.5k) and I think it was 15:00 something.  I made good time. 

Now, I want to address cross-training a little bit here.  When I trained for my half-marathon I didn't cross-train at all.  Unless you count volleyball once a week and the occasional rollerblade.  Now, I know you're supposed to cross-train and blah blah blah but I've just never felt like I had time.  "Those are hours I could be running!" I would tell myself.

This year I wanted to be different.  I bought a bike and have added cycling into my workouts.  The problem is I haven't cycled since college (two years ago) and am super rusty.  Here comes the issue.  Because of soreness from cross-training yesterday, I feel as though my running performance today suffered.  Is this just an inevitable double-edged sword?

Journey in the Dark

"Running is not, as it so often seems, only about what you did in your last race or about how many miles you ran last week. It is, in a much more important way, about community, about appreciating all the miles run by other runners, too."
--Richard O'Brien


My new bike is finally home!  She's soooo tiny.  I still need to make a few adjustments.  The dorky reflectors are coming off and being replaced with lights, and I need to push the seat back.  I'm also removing the toe clips.  They just don't work well with my VFF's.  One day I will invest in proper cycling shoes and clipless pedals.  Right now I'm still getting used to the drop handle bars.

I may have fallen off my bike after getting caught in the toe clips.  This may or may not have caused me to injure my left big toe.  That poor thing just can't get a break.  I blackened the toe nail (sexy, eh?) setting a 5k PR back in the fall (stupid streetcar tracks).

Dinner Monday night was a spinach salad with half a yellow bell pepper and some whole wheat pasta and organic tomato sauce from work.  It was uninspiring, but yummy.  I should be making a vegan curry today, or maybe a pizza. 

I locked myself in my laundry room yesterday by mistake.  It was terrifying.  I didn't have my phone on my or anything.  Thankfully I grew up in Scarlem, and have opened a few locked doors in my time.

This is my favourite hill in the whole world.  This picture cannot do it justice.  It starts off steady and then gets steeper and steeper if you stay on the sidewalk.  We used to not get along, this hill and I, but last fall I made him my bitch, and now we get along just fine.

Monday is my planned hill day, where I run intervals up and down him.  It's really fun when other runners are around as well!  Cyclists always look like they are in pain when climbing him, but runners look sort of happy, in a crazied, maniacal way.

My toe now has me even more worried about the Goodlife Fitness Half-Marathon.  I keep reminding myself that it's still two months away.  My 10k is less than 6 weeks away, so maybe that's what I'm secretly afraid of.  Distance doesn't scare me as much as speed.

 I'm thinking of switching my blog over to wordpress...

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. "

-Winston Churchill

NEW BIKE!!!!!

Holy crap, am I ever excited.  I get to pick her up on Tuesday!

Yeah, she's kinda pink.  I wanted the red one but it was just too big.  I would have had to have the seat all the way down, and that's not ideal.  This bike is made specifically for women, so not only is the frame shorter, but the distance from the seat to the handle bars is shorter.  I actually think I may even raise the seat up a little more, but I'll see once the handlebars are rotated properly.  Right now they're tilted 'back' too far for me to comfortable reach the brakes.  Brakes are kinda important in the city.

 

I just realised the people at the store forgot to take the safety clip thingy off my gloves.  I think I can pry it off by Tuesday.

No matter how cool the helmet looks on the shelf, I will always look like a dork while wearing one.  My head is just not meant to look good in a helmet.  

This is my last large planned expense for awhile, which feels awesome.  My next big expense will be this fall, when I buy a roller to train indoors in the cold weather. 

This morning I was very confused as to what time it was.  I set half the clocks in my house forward last night, and then forgot that I had done so when I woke up.  Thankfully I realised what was going on before I showed up to work on hour early.  Then I went to go pick up a co worker and was an hour early.  Sigh, stupid DST!

I felt like I had no time to eat breakfast this morning so I made myself a delicious mug of mocha.

What a complete breakfast!

This was when I realised my clock confusion.  I then found the time to prepare 7 servings of what I suppose is muesli mix.  Raw oats, chia, flax, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and cinnamon.  I can just grab one and add some almond milk and be all set now.

With the almond milk it comes out to around 250 calories, so pretty close to what I aim to eat before work.  I would generally add blueberries to the mix, or maybe a banana.

 

Three more days until I can start running.  I am going to cheat and ride my bike on Tuesday if the weather is decent.  I won't go far, I promise!  All this inactivity is really bugging me.  

 

I've increased my daily meditation from two 45-minute sessions up to three.  That's given me a decent energy outlet, as well as a few side projects I've been working on.  I think I may be burning myself out a little, energetically.  With the equinox next week and Beltaine just around the corner my system is in overdrive.  

Still trying to remove this stupid security tag.  Any advice?

Paying it forward

"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."
-Sir Roger Bannister, first runner to run a sub-4 minute mile 

My delicious dinner!

Spinach

Bean Sprouts

1/2 Yellow Pepper

1/8 cup Chick Peas

Olive Oil + Balsalmic

I've been sidelined with a head injury for almost two weeks now, and it's given me a lot of time to think about why I run, why others run, and why some people don't run.  Sometimes all it takes is one bad run to ruin the experience.  But I don't think it has to be this way!  I'm currently working on my own running "comeback".  I've struggled to find motivation since the fall, but I've finally pulled myself out of that hole.  It really just comes back to being fully in control of everything.  When I run, I feel extremely tuned-in to my body and my surroundings.  I'm not limited by bus stops and paved roads.  It's a very nice feeling.  Exploring my neighborhood has also been pretty fun, too.  I found a relaxing meditation spot down by the lake, and nothing is more rewarding halfway through a long run than taking a minute to watch the boats at the marina.

 

Once upon a time...

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
-John Bingham, running speaker and writer

When I was a child I loved being active.  I was on every team at school, including the spots that my school only had a boys' team for (soccer, floor hockey).  I was on the track team, and represented my school for almost half the events.  By the time I was 12 I could run 2.5k in 9 minutes.  That may not seem impressive (and trust me, it isn't) but for me, that was pretty awesome.  By high school I had to make a choice: sports, or music.  I picked music.  I barely moved my body for 5 years while I was in high school.  I couldn't have run next door without sucking wind.  Eventually it all caught up to me.  I had spent so many years abusing my body that something finally clicked.  All of a sudden I gave a crap about what I ate, and how active I was.

It was October 2009.  My main excuse was I couldn't run because of my heart murmur.  "My doctor says I don't have the endurance that others do, so why would I even try?".  Bullshit!  Someone finally called me on my bullshit.  For years I had been coming up with reasons NOT to run.  Then one day a friend went for a run, and stopped by to visit at work.  He looked really good, he had a huge smile and that "glow" that you get after a good hard run.  I told him that I always wanted to run but couldn't.  It turns out he had a heart murmur as well, and could run just fine.  Did he have to work harder at it?  Maybe.  But who cares?  The harder you work, the more fun you have.  Anyway, I was now out of excuses.  On October 31st I decided to become a runner.  I put on some huge sneakers, and tried to assemble what I thought my "sportiest" outfit was (cargo pants, a cotton t-shirt, and a hoodie).  I must have looked ridiculous.  I couldn't even get to the end of my block.  But I kept going.  I would run until I thought I was going to die, and then I would walk it off, and then I would run until I thought I was going to die...you get the picture.  Eventually I could run for 6 minutes at a time.  That was a big deal for me.  That was ANY song on my iPod.  I could run and listen to a WHOLE song.

I don't remember what made decide I wanted to run a half-marathon.  Insanity, most likely.  I couldn't even run 4k at this point.  It was the middle of January, 2010.  This is when I made the switch to proper (sort of) running gear.  I bought some running pants (I was not yet ready for tights) and a running sweater, and an olympic hat to make me feel like a champ.  I ran 6k that month.  I thought my ass was going to freeze off.  I had to stop due to ass coldness.  It was the first time something gave out before my lungs.  That was very empowering.  My lungs were now more powerful than my ass.

  That's my leg on the right, in April of 2010.  We were comparing leg whiteness, but you can see how much my calves have developed.  I would later learn that that was due to my running form, but more on that for another post.

In early May I bought my first pair of Vibram FiveFingers.  Those are the KSO's with white Injinji toe socks.  My toe socks were vital since the skin on my feet was soft, so running more than 1k was torture.  I also now realise I am a size smaller than I thought, so I may not need the socks anymore.

Spring turned to summer, where I hurt my achilles on a hot day.  I've learned to listen to my body now.  Summer turned to fall.  Joined a beach volleyball league.  Cue 1 month before my half-marathon.  My right foot gets STOMPED on up at the net.  This is right at the peak of my training.  I was out for a very long time.  I missed my longest run of 18k (I had only run 16k at this point) and ended up not running for about 3 weeks.  I was completely panicked about my race at this point.  I had to trust my training.

My foot healed up just in time for me to get a cold.  I maybe did a 5k the week before my race.  On the plus side, race day morning everything went better than expected.  I even felt better than expected while running.  I'll put up a full race report some other time.

I lost my spark for running after this.  It just wasn't the same without the crowds and the bands and the free gatorade.  I had a few shit runs on my own, and a shit run with a friend.  It was over at this point.  Too icy, too cold, too tired, too lazy.  I even had a new pair of VFFs, the Flows.

 

More on how I feel about the Flows later!  I think we're pretty much up to date now, except I have the Bikilas and the Classics, and I love them both dearly.

Hopefully there will be more to come in the near future!