Thursday was a sad day. Our Run Clinic is officially over, so we didn't have a run clinic on Thursday but we decided to go for dinner to celebrate. It was great to sit around the table and talk about how everyone did at the Run for Water on the weekend. We had some great laughs, told our stories and by the time we left we had decided to meet up for runs on Thursday nights and Saturday mornings still.
I was really happy about that as I've enjoyed enjoyed the company as I've learned how to run. Our first group run will be a week from now. In the mean time, I'm just going to keep running :)
Friday, July 18, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Run for Water 10K - Recap
Wow!! I can pretty much sum up the whole experience with the word WOW!!!
I had some serious doubts earlier this week as to whether or not I'd actually be able to do the Run. I came down with a nasty head cold last weekend, I was sick most of the week. Worked a 16 hour day on Thursday and was feeling pretty out of it still on Friday when my husband and I went to the expo to pick up my race kit.
However, I was determined. I was doing this! They were originally calling for the day to be warm and dry, and that changed on Friday to cloudy with a chance of showers. I was a little relieved as I didn't really want to run in the heat. However getting soaken wet seems to be the norm for me these days.
It was great having a major race at home. We left the house at 8:15, and my husband dropped me off at 8:25. I had an hour to wait before my race, but that just meant that I got to see the start of the half marathon. I cheered them on as they went by and I was actually able to spot Kenny in the crowd and then I saw Marie who was one of the pacers for the half. After they left I headed over to the festival area where I saw several people that I know, one of the directors from work and several of the run clinic people who were all out in force.
It wasn't too long before it was time for the 10K's to warm up and head to the start line. That's where I saw Kobie, who was one of the leaders in my learn to run clinic back in January and Rick, who was our leader at the start of the Run 101 Clinic.
I was feeling really nervous as the count down started, I was coughing and I just didn't want to have to bale out of the race. I knew that my mom, brother, sister and brother in law were going to be waiting for me around the 3.5K mark, it's the first race they were able to come to and I wanted to actually be running not walking when I saw them.
The first wave of 10K runners left the start and the second wave(which I was in) moved up to the start line. I put myself towards the middle of the pack and kept over to the right so that hopefully people wouldn't have to dodge around me. I have to admit, my confidence wasn't really stellar at that point and I was wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into but off I went with everyone else. My attitude quickly changed once I got going and I saw a couple of the ladies from Run Clinic cheering me on as I went past. It was a great atmosphere.
The first section of the course was uphill, no way around it, not a fun way to start a race but there you have it. What are you going to do? So I ran ! I was feeling pretty good at the top of the hill, when the rain started. I headed up along Emerson to Gladwin, then we veered back into the park. We went down a steep hill to the lake and then out onto the road. I texted my brother when I hit the 3K mark to let them know I was almost to them. I was feeling pretty good when I came around the corner and saw my sister with her camera and my mom, brother and brother in law standing in front of their place cheering me on. It really gave me a boost. I knew I was trailing way behind the bulk of the 10K runners, and on the opposite side of the road, some of the marathoners and half marathoners were coming towards me but I kept going. I was excited as I passed the 5K mark and headed down towards the Keg where I knew we would wind around the roads to the turn around point.
I was focused on my breathing when I heard someone yell my name and wave at me. It was a bunch of the 201 Runners whose clinic was on the same night as mine. I also saw my friend Penny(doing the 10K) as she headed back towards the finish line. I started down the hill and saw my friend Jill running towards me. I was so glad to see her and Kristine there! (They had done the Ultra Marathon 52K the day before.) When I turned onto the road by the Keg, I saw Kenny again, he yelled out encouragement to me (Yes Kenny I did make the 10K my B**ch!).
Before I knew it I was at the turn around point and heading back. I heard my name again and two of the marathon runners whose mother is in my clinic blew past me. They were running their hearts out! Oh to be that fast! I made my way back onto the main road and Jill and Kristine were there to cheer me on. I was struggling with the hill a little and Jill ran beside me for a minute, telling me to focus on my feet, don't look up at the hill, just look at where I was going. (Thanks Jill!!!)
A few minutes later I passed the 8K mark and I was happy as a lark. I knew then that I was going to make my time of 1:45. I turned back onto Bevan, the street that would take me past my family and to the finish line and I texted my brother and husband to let them know where I was.
I waved to my family as I ran past them and headed for the finish line. I wanted to run it in and I was feeling it, but heck I wasn't slowing down for nothing. As I crossed over the intersection leading to the finish line, I saw Jill again, this time she ran out to give me a big high five! A moment that the Marathon photographers captured. I love that picture as I look so happy! A few more high fives from total strangers and then I saw my awesome husband who gave me a big high five just before I crossed the finish line!
It was great to see the Peninsula Runner's staff at the finish line. They were all there to be catchers, and I got high fives from all of them. Kobie, Janet, Jason and Spencer. My husband caught up to me and managed to grab a great picture. My official chip time was 1:41, my garmin time was 1:39:43. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/507140347
I'm really happy with that! I'm proud of myself and how far I've come in a year, and I've got the bling to prove it!
I had some serious doubts earlier this week as to whether or not I'd actually be able to do the Run. I came down with a nasty head cold last weekend, I was sick most of the week. Worked a 16 hour day on Thursday and was feeling pretty out of it still on Friday when my husband and I went to the expo to pick up my race kit.
However, I was determined. I was doing this! They were originally calling for the day to be warm and dry, and that changed on Friday to cloudy with a chance of showers. I was a little relieved as I didn't really want to run in the heat. However getting soaken wet seems to be the norm for me these days.
It was great having a major race at home. We left the house at 8:15, and my husband dropped me off at 8:25. I had an hour to wait before my race, but that just meant that I got to see the start of the half marathon. I cheered them on as they went by and I was actually able to spot Kenny in the crowd and then I saw Marie who was one of the pacers for the half. After they left I headed over to the festival area where I saw several people that I know, one of the directors from work and several of the run clinic people who were all out in force.
It wasn't too long before it was time for the 10K's to warm up and head to the start line. That's where I saw Kobie, who was one of the leaders in my learn to run clinic back in January and Rick, who was our leader at the start of the Run 101 Clinic.
I was feeling really nervous as the count down started, I was coughing and I just didn't want to have to bale out of the race. I knew that my mom, brother, sister and brother in law were going to be waiting for me around the 3.5K mark, it's the first race they were able to come to and I wanted to actually be running not walking when I saw them.
The first wave of 10K runners left the start and the second wave(which I was in) moved up to the start line. I put myself towards the middle of the pack and kept over to the right so that hopefully people wouldn't have to dodge around me. I have to admit, my confidence wasn't really stellar at that point and I was wondering what on earth I had gotten myself into but off I went with everyone else. My attitude quickly changed once I got going and I saw a couple of the ladies from Run Clinic cheering me on as I went past. It was a great atmosphere.
The first section of the course was uphill, no way around it, not a fun way to start a race but there you have it. What are you going to do? So I ran ! I was feeling pretty good at the top of the hill, when the rain started. I headed up along Emerson to Gladwin, then we veered back into the park. We went down a steep hill to the lake and then out onto the road. I texted my brother when I hit the 3K mark to let them know I was almost to them. I was feeling pretty good when I came around the corner and saw my sister with her camera and my mom, brother and brother in law standing in front of their place cheering me on. It really gave me a boost. I knew I was trailing way behind the bulk of the 10K runners, and on the opposite side of the road, some of the marathoners and half marathoners were coming towards me but I kept going. I was excited as I passed the 5K mark and headed down towards the Keg where I knew we would wind around the roads to the turn around point.
I was focused on my breathing when I heard someone yell my name and wave at me. It was a bunch of the 201 Runners whose clinic was on the same night as mine. I also saw my friend Penny(doing the 10K) as she headed back towards the finish line. I started down the hill and saw my friend Jill running towards me. I was so glad to see her and Kristine there! (They had done the Ultra Marathon 52K the day before.) When I turned onto the road by the Keg, I saw Kenny again, he yelled out encouragement to me (Yes Kenny I did make the 10K my B**ch!).
Before I knew it I was at the turn around point and heading back. I heard my name again and two of the marathon runners whose mother is in my clinic blew past me. They were running their hearts out! Oh to be that fast! I made my way back onto the main road and Jill and Kristine were there to cheer me on. I was struggling with the hill a little and Jill ran beside me for a minute, telling me to focus on my feet, don't look up at the hill, just look at where I was going. (Thanks Jill!!!)
A few minutes later I passed the 8K mark and I was happy as a lark. I knew then that I was going to make my time of 1:45. I turned back onto Bevan, the street that would take me past my family and to the finish line and I texted my brother and husband to let them know where I was.
I waved to my family as I ran past them and headed for the finish line. I wanted to run it in and I was feeling it, but heck I wasn't slowing down for nothing. As I crossed over the intersection leading to the finish line, I saw Jill again, this time she ran out to give me a big high five! A moment that the Marathon photographers captured. I love that picture as I look so happy! A few more high fives from total strangers and then I saw my awesome husband who gave me a big high five just before I crossed the finish line!
 | |||
| All smiles at the finish line |
It was great to see the Peninsula Runner's staff at the finish line. They were all there to be catchers, and I got high fives from all of them. Kobie, Janet, Jason and Spencer. My husband caught up to me and managed to grab a great picture. My official chip time was 1:41, my garmin time was 1:39:43. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/507140347
I'm really happy with that! I'm proud of myself and how far I've come in a year, and I've got the bling to prove it!
Upgrading to bigger distances.
I've been feeling really good about my running since I completed my 8K race on May 4th. I was previously registered for the Run for Water 5K, and the Abbotsford Police Challenge 10K in June. It was going to be my first 10K race, sort of a celebration as it was my first race ever. I decided this week to upgrade my Run for Water to the 10K. I don't want to go backwards in my distances if that makes any sense at all? I enjoyed the 8K and I was pretty confidant that I could have kept on going if I had to. So I bit the bullet and called Run for Water to change my race to a 10K.
I'm quite excited, although a little nervous about it but I've done it now! I was excited to go to Run Clinic and let the ladies know that I had upgraded my race. I also had some other pretty exciting news for them as well. I've signed up for next year's BMO already, and not the 8K. I've signed up for the half marathon! Who is this crazy person?!?!?! I'm a little terrified of the half marathon at this point, but I know that with training for it properly, it will all be good.
It was hot for Run Clinic tonight. I wasn't really looking forward to it as we had 18:2's x2 on the schedule and it was feeling really warm. I made sure to bring lots of water with me and I wore my water belt to hold my water bottle. I told Jason not to turn back for me, if we're doing the same route as last week, I'll turn around when we get to the 2minute walk and I know that eventually they will all catch up with me. http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=32849932
I struggled a little bit with the heat, and I was finished all of my water before we got back to the store but I'm happy with how my run went. I was able to run for 18 minutes at a time!!!! I remember being so happy a few months back when I was able to run for 17 minutes in total on a run and that wasn't consecutive. I can't believe how far I've come since January!
As it turned out I was almost back to the store before the first group of ladies caught up with me. I circled back and met up with Jason and two other ladies and walked back to the store with them. I have so enjoyed run clinic and these ladies, that I'm really going to miss them when we finish up. The Run for Water is only 10 days away!
I won't be at Run Clinic next week as I'm working late but I'll be excited to hopefully see everyone at the Run for water!
I'm quite excited, although a little nervous about it but I've done it now! I was excited to go to Run Clinic and let the ladies know that I had upgraded my race. I also had some other pretty exciting news for them as well. I've signed up for next year's BMO already, and not the 8K. I've signed up for the half marathon! Who is this crazy person?!?!?! I'm a little terrified of the half marathon at this point, but I know that with training for it properly, it will all be good.
It was hot for Run Clinic tonight. I wasn't really looking forward to it as we had 18:2's x2 on the schedule and it was feeling really warm. I made sure to bring lots of water with me and I wore my water belt to hold my water bottle. I told Jason not to turn back for me, if we're doing the same route as last week, I'll turn around when we get to the 2minute walk and I know that eventually they will all catch up with me. http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=32849932
I struggled a little bit with the heat, and I was finished all of my water before we got back to the store but I'm happy with how my run went. I was able to run for 18 minutes at a time!!!! I remember being so happy a few months back when I was able to run for 17 minutes in total on a run and that wasn't consecutive. I can't believe how far I've come since January!
As it turned out I was almost back to the store before the first group of ladies caught up with me. I circled back and met up with Jason and two other ladies and walked back to the store with them. I have so enjoyed run clinic and these ladies, that I'm really going to miss them when we finish up. The Run for Water is only 10 days away!
I won't be at Run Clinic next week as I'm working late but I'll be excited to hopefully see everyone at the Run for water!
Great Week
It was a great week this week. I didn't run on Tuesday as I probably should have. I was busy at work and when I got home I was just too tired. I know it's probably just an excuse but there it is. At run clinic on Thursday we did 2 fifteen minute intervals with a 2 minute walk in between. I was a little nervous about doing the 15minutes. I didn't do the 10 and 2's last week as it was a race week and I needed to taper for the race. That meant that this week I was literally doubling my run time.
On the upside it was cool and drizzling, after the fiasco of a run in last week's heat I was grateful for the cool rain. When we started out I told the others not to worry about circling back for me as we usually do on our shorter durations. I figured they would be so far ahead of me that them walking back towards me for 2 minutes wouldn't make that much of a difference. Turns out I was right :D
By about minute 8 of running the others were quite a distance ahead of me and by the time I came to the end of the road to turn right along with them, they were completely out of sight. I kept plodding along like I do and after the 2 minute walk interval I started running again, only to see the group headed back towards me.
I do love my running group. they decided to turn around at the 15 minute mark and head back so that they could see where I was, and also ensure that we ended up back at the start all at the same time. These ladies rock!
Weigh in on Saturday didn't go as well as I had hoped. I thought with my 8 K race and my run clinic that I would be down substantially but alas, I stayed the same. I don't know what I'm doing wrong that I'm not losing any significant weight right now but I'm going to keep plodding along.
On the upside, my run homework today was 10:2x3 with a warm up and cool down. Well, I'm very happy to report that I ran a total of 5.2Km in 51:54. Not bad for walking a warm up and cool down and stopping for the lights :D http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=32849932
On the upside it was cool and drizzling, after the fiasco of a run in last week's heat I was grateful for the cool rain. When we started out I told the others not to worry about circling back for me as we usually do on our shorter durations. I figured they would be so far ahead of me that them walking back towards me for 2 minutes wouldn't make that much of a difference. Turns out I was right :D
By about minute 8 of running the others were quite a distance ahead of me and by the time I came to the end of the road to turn right along with them, they were completely out of sight. I kept plodding along like I do and after the 2 minute walk interval I started running again, only to see the group headed back towards me.
I do love my running group. they decided to turn around at the 15 minute mark and head back so that they could see where I was, and also ensure that we ended up back at the start all at the same time. These ladies rock!
Weigh in on Saturday didn't go as well as I had hoped. I thought with my 8 K race and my run clinic that I would be down substantially but alas, I stayed the same. I don't know what I'm doing wrong that I'm not losing any significant weight right now but I'm going to keep plodding along.
On the upside, my run homework today was 10:2x3 with a warm up and cool down. Well, I'm very happy to report that I ran a total of 5.2Km in 51:54. Not bad for walking a warm up and cool down and stopping for the lights :D http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=32849932
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
BMO 8K Race Completed!
I've just completed my longest race yet. The Vancouver BMO 8K. I've been looking forward to it since November when I signed up to do it. Back then, I was just hoping not to get swept off of the course. That was still my biggest fear. Not finishing, or not being allowed to finish but I did it.
Friday after work, my friend Jill(who was running the full marathon) and I headed down to the race expo to pick up our race kits and take a look around. I had a great time and I was so excited to get my bib and race kit. When you first arrived they had the route maps done up so you could see the route.
Sunday morning, I was awake long before the alarm, the alarm was set for 6am. Awesome husband and I wanted to leave the house no later than 630. The shuttles from the finish line to the start line were only going to be running from 730-830 and since this was my biggest race to date, both distance and the number of participants. I didn't want to leave anything to chance, especially with the rain that we were having. It was pouring rain all night and it was still raining hard when we left the house.
It takes around an hour for us to drive from home to Vancouver, and we were blessed with very little traffic on the way in. We made our way downtown and parked at the convention centre, then made our way up the few blocks to the gear drop and shuttle pick up. I had packed a dry bag on Saturday night so that I would have dry clothes to change into after the race. Drop off of the gear went smoothly, I said goodbye to my husband and jumped on the shuttle that was about to leave. The shuttle is greatly appreciated as the course is a point to point and there is no parking at the start line. The only draw back to the shuttle, was that our particular driver dropped us off quite a distance from the start line, and couldn't even tell us what direction to go to get to the start line.
So envision, 30 people standing on a street corner in downtown Vancouver with no idea of where we were supposed to go. Fortunately I had my cell phone with me and we were able to get directions off of it to get us to the right general area, 1.8km's from where we were dropped off. Quite a few of the people were more than a little cheesed off, but what can you do?
I arrived at the start line area and headed up to street level to cheer on the half marathoners who were passing by, our start line merged onto the full and half marathon course. Cheering everyone on and clapping for them was the only way to keep yourself warm. It was raining so hard that even my "Rain" proof jacket was soaked through by the start of the race. While cheering on the half marathoners I was fortunate enough to see a couple of friends and cheer them on by name as they ran past.
It was soon time for us to start, I made my way over to my corral and did some warm up stretches, before I knew it the countdown was on. It was really crowded at the start, there were over 2000 people doing the 8K so it took a couple of minutes to be able to get going. I decided to just walk the first little bit, as you couldn't really run, but a few minutes in the crowd spread out a little bit, and by the time we reached the underpass into the actual park, there was enough space to actually run quite easily.
The course through the park is beautiful, even in the bucketing rain, by the end of the 2nd kilometer my jacket was off and tied around my waist and I was really enjoying my run. I stuck with my 3:1's as it was quite hilly in spots, and I knew that the finish line is an incline and I knew that I wanted to run it in.
There were a lot of volunteers and people cheering throughout Stanley park, but I didn't really get the enormity of the race until we came out of the park, headed up towards West Georgia and took the turn onto Pender. There were hundreds of people lining the route cheering and ringing cowbells. Although I was tired by this point the energy from the crowd when I came around the corner gave me. The boost I needed.
I heard the police motorcycles coming up behind us and volunteers were telling us to stay to the right as the first marathoner was coming through. He ran past me as if he was just starting his race and wasn't at the end of it. It was amazing to see!
I was also lucky enough to see my husband along the fencing and managed to get a high five before I made the last dash up towards the finish line. I was so proud of myself when I stopped my watch after crossing the finish line and saw that I did my 8K in 1:23:14. http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=9638406 After checking Sports Stats who did the timing I was thrilled to see that I came in about 3/4 of the way through the pack, I finished 1406 out of 1868. I wasn't the caboose!
The finisher's chute was very well organized. After I crossed the finish line there were dozens of volunteers giving out the medals, you walked a few feet and stood where there were a bunch of photographer's to take your picture, after that was the water table where you were handed your bottle of water, a few more feet down and the volunteers were handing out the nutrition boxes, then for us 8ker's we headed out of the finishers chute to go down to the festival area where our gear was waiting for us. My only complaint about the gear being where it was, is the fact that they didn't provide a change room for the 8K people to get changed in, and once you had left the finisher's chute you weren't allowed back in. It was great to have the dry bag, but not so great that there wasn't anywhere to actually go and get changed other than a port a potty. I opted to walk back to our car and get changed in the back seat where the windows are tinted with my husband standing in the door holding up my towel.
After I got changed and we stopped at Starbucks to get a nice warm drink, we headed back to the course so we could cheer on the marathoner's as they came through, I wanted to cheer for my friend Jill as she came through. She figured she would be around the 4-4:30 time frame as she was using the marathon as a training run for her Ultra Marathon that is at the end of May. Once we cheered Jill to the finish line we headed back to the car to warm up and head home.
All in all, it was a great day. I had a lot of fun, and I really think I could have gone further if I had signed up for a further distance. The 10K race I had signed up for in June has been cancelled so I need to figure out where I can fit a 10K race in before I tackle a 7 miler in October, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be back at the BMO next year to do the half marathon.
Friday after work, my friend Jill(who was running the full marathon) and I headed down to the race expo to pick up our race kits and take a look around. I had a great time and I was so excited to get my bib and race kit. When you first arrived they had the route maps done up so you could see the route.
Sunday morning, I was awake long before the alarm, the alarm was set for 6am. Awesome husband and I wanted to leave the house no later than 630. The shuttles from the finish line to the start line were only going to be running from 730-830 and since this was my biggest race to date, both distance and the number of participants. I didn't want to leave anything to chance, especially with the rain that we were having. It was pouring rain all night and it was still raining hard when we left the house.
It takes around an hour for us to drive from home to Vancouver, and we were blessed with very little traffic on the way in. We made our way downtown and parked at the convention centre, then made our way up the few blocks to the gear drop and shuttle pick up. I had packed a dry bag on Saturday night so that I would have dry clothes to change into after the race. Drop off of the gear went smoothly, I said goodbye to my husband and jumped on the shuttle that was about to leave. The shuttle is greatly appreciated as the course is a point to point and there is no parking at the start line. The only draw back to the shuttle, was that our particular driver dropped us off quite a distance from the start line, and couldn't even tell us what direction to go to get to the start line.
So envision, 30 people standing on a street corner in downtown Vancouver with no idea of where we were supposed to go. Fortunately I had my cell phone with me and we were able to get directions off of it to get us to the right general area, 1.8km's from where we were dropped off. Quite a few of the people were more than a little cheesed off, but what can you do?
I arrived at the start line area and headed up to street level to cheer on the half marathoners who were passing by, our start line merged onto the full and half marathon course. Cheering everyone on and clapping for them was the only way to keep yourself warm. It was raining so hard that even my "Rain" proof jacket was soaked through by the start of the race. While cheering on the half marathoners I was fortunate enough to see a couple of friends and cheer them on by name as they ran past.
It was soon time for us to start, I made my way over to my corral and did some warm up stretches, before I knew it the countdown was on. It was really crowded at the start, there were over 2000 people doing the 8K so it took a couple of minutes to be able to get going. I decided to just walk the first little bit, as you couldn't really run, but a few minutes in the crowd spread out a little bit, and by the time we reached the underpass into the actual park, there was enough space to actually run quite easily.
The course through the park is beautiful, even in the bucketing rain, by the end of the 2nd kilometer my jacket was off and tied around my waist and I was really enjoying my run. I stuck with my 3:1's as it was quite hilly in spots, and I knew that the finish line is an incline and I knew that I wanted to run it in.
There were a lot of volunteers and people cheering throughout Stanley park, but I didn't really get the enormity of the race until we came out of the park, headed up towards West Georgia and took the turn onto Pender. There were hundreds of people lining the route cheering and ringing cowbells. Although I was tired by this point the energy from the crowd when I came around the corner gave me. The boost I needed.
I heard the police motorcycles coming up behind us and volunteers were telling us to stay to the right as the first marathoner was coming through. He ran past me as if he was just starting his race and wasn't at the end of it. It was amazing to see!
I was also lucky enough to see my husband along the fencing and managed to get a high five before I made the last dash up towards the finish line. I was so proud of myself when I stopped my watch after crossing the finish line and saw that I did my 8K in 1:23:14. http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=9638406 After checking Sports Stats who did the timing I was thrilled to see that I came in about 3/4 of the way through the pack, I finished 1406 out of 1868. I wasn't the caboose!
The finisher's chute was very well organized. After I crossed the finish line there were dozens of volunteers giving out the medals, you walked a few feet and stood where there were a bunch of photographer's to take your picture, after that was the water table where you were handed your bottle of water, a few more feet down and the volunteers were handing out the nutrition boxes, then for us 8ker's we headed out of the finishers chute to go down to the festival area where our gear was waiting for us. My only complaint about the gear being where it was, is the fact that they didn't provide a change room for the 8K people to get changed in, and once you had left the finisher's chute you weren't allowed back in. It was great to have the dry bag, but not so great that there wasn't anywhere to actually go and get changed other than a port a potty. I opted to walk back to our car and get changed in the back seat where the windows are tinted with my husband standing in the door holding up my towel.
After I got changed and we stopped at Starbucks to get a nice warm drink, we headed back to the course so we could cheer on the marathoner's as they came through, I wanted to cheer for my friend Jill as she came through. She figured she would be around the 4-4:30 time frame as she was using the marathon as a training run for her Ultra Marathon that is at the end of May. Once we cheered Jill to the finish line we headed back to the car to warm up and head home.
 | |
| Starting Line, we're off, finished and taking shelter from the rain, my finisher's medal. |
All in all, it was a great day. I had a lot of fun, and I really think I could have gone further if I had signed up for a further distance. The 10K race I had signed up for in June has been cancelled so I need to figure out where I can fit a 10K race in before I tackle a 7 miler in October, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be back at the BMO next year to do the half marathon.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Run Clinic, 28 (83) degrees and no water = Not good!
I had my last run clinic before my big 8K race on Sunday. I'm super excited as this is what I've been training for since November. I started the Run Clinic on January 7th and 5 months later it is finally time to race.
I was a little nervous about what to do for tonight's run clinic. The schedule had us doing 10:2x3 and I just wasn't sure about that. I did the 8:2's last week, had a good run on Thursday night and then had a horrible run on Saturday and Tuesday. I went to clinic a little early so I could speak to Janet the head leader for us and she advised me to go on my own and do the 5:1's, but to do it on a route that I would at least see everyone else. I headed out with my usual group and stayed pretty close to them until my first walking interval, and then they were gone.
It was extremely warm out tonight a gorgeous 28(84) degrees. I haven't run in anything close to that warm yet and I have to be honest. I wasn't ready for it. I didn't have water with me, and I know that I didn't drink enough water during the day, just because of how busy I was, out of the office and in meetings when I was there. So that was not a good combination.
When I passed the other group of runners heading the other way, Kobie gave me a high five as I went by and Janet asked me if I was all right. I was doing pretty good at that point but I was flipping hot. My own stupidity. When I caught up with Janet a little while later, I don't think I was looking so good, she looked at me and asked me how many more intervals I had to do. I told her I had two more and I kept motoring on. The sun was beating down and it was hot. When I got around to the university, I decided to cut through to the path where it was shaded. I was barely running at that point, in fact I'm pretty sure I could probably have walked faster than I was running but oh well. My head was pounding and I could hear the blood pumping in my head. Not a good thing. I ducked into the university and found the women's washroom where I dumped water on my head and on the back of my neck. I felt a little better after that but decided to just walk the rest of the way back to the store.
Once I was there I texted my friend J (who was out with another group) to ask her to let Janet know I was all right and was heading home as no one was back at the store yet. Just after I did that Janet pulled in and wished me luck on my race on Sunday. I felt a little sick as I got in my car, so I headed to my parents house(only 3 blocks away).
I went in the front door and was awash in cool air, thank goodness for air conditioning! I felt a little sick to my stomach so I got some water from the fridge and guzzled it down, refilled it and then went to talk to my dad for a few minutes. I felt better after cooling down so headed home where I showered, ate some dinner and drank two more bottles of water. Thank goodness for Brita water filters and my trusty water bottle that is never far from my side.
Needless to say, this was not my best run. In fact I'm fairly certain I can say it was my worst. I feel a little disappointed in myself, for being so dumb and not taking water with me, but it was a harsh lesson learned.
Tonight's run by the numbers. http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=23160255
Thankfully the temperature is only supposed to be in the mid to high teens for the BMO 8K on Sunday. If all goes to plan, I'll be good to go.
I was a little nervous about what to do for tonight's run clinic. The schedule had us doing 10:2x3 and I just wasn't sure about that. I did the 8:2's last week, had a good run on Thursday night and then had a horrible run on Saturday and Tuesday. I went to clinic a little early so I could speak to Janet the head leader for us and she advised me to go on my own and do the 5:1's, but to do it on a route that I would at least see everyone else. I headed out with my usual group and stayed pretty close to them until my first walking interval, and then they were gone.
It was extremely warm out tonight a gorgeous 28(84) degrees. I haven't run in anything close to that warm yet and I have to be honest. I wasn't ready for it. I didn't have water with me, and I know that I didn't drink enough water during the day, just because of how busy I was, out of the office and in meetings when I was there. So that was not a good combination.
When I passed the other group of runners heading the other way, Kobie gave me a high five as I went by and Janet asked me if I was all right. I was doing pretty good at that point but I was flipping hot. My own stupidity. When I caught up with Janet a little while later, I don't think I was looking so good, she looked at me and asked me how many more intervals I had to do. I told her I had two more and I kept motoring on. The sun was beating down and it was hot. When I got around to the university, I decided to cut through to the path where it was shaded. I was barely running at that point, in fact I'm pretty sure I could probably have walked faster than I was running but oh well. My head was pounding and I could hear the blood pumping in my head. Not a good thing. I ducked into the university and found the women's washroom where I dumped water on my head and on the back of my neck. I felt a little better after that but decided to just walk the rest of the way back to the store.
Once I was there I texted my friend J (who was out with another group) to ask her to let Janet know I was all right and was heading home as no one was back at the store yet. Just after I did that Janet pulled in and wished me luck on my race on Sunday. I felt a little sick as I got in my car, so I headed to my parents house(only 3 blocks away).
I went in the front door and was awash in cool air, thank goodness for air conditioning! I felt a little sick to my stomach so I got some water from the fridge and guzzled it down, refilled it and then went to talk to my dad for a few minutes. I felt better after cooling down so headed home where I showered, ate some dinner and drank two more bottles of water. Thank goodness for Brita water filters and my trusty water bottle that is never far from my side.
Needless to say, this was not my best run. In fact I'm fairly certain I can say it was my worst. I feel a little disappointed in myself, for being so dumb and not taking water with me, but it was a harsh lesson learned.
Tonight's run by the numbers. http://connect.garmin.com/dashboard?cid=23160255
Thankfully the temperature is only supposed to be in the mid to high teens for the BMO 8K on Sunday. If all goes to plan, I'll be good to go.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Confused!!
It's taken me a couple of days to write this post I'm just really confused right now and I don't know what my body is doing. I had a great week last week, my points were good, I didn't go over, I stayed completely on plan. I was really expecting a pretty good loss. Instead I got blindsided!
I headed to Weight Watchers on Saturday morning. I wasn't wearing my regular weigh in clothes as I was going to be running from Weight Watchers to the Air Care Centre where my awesome husband was taking my car so I can renew my insurance.
I thought because of the different clothes, heavier pants and long sleeved shirt, that I may be the same as last week or down just a little bit. I knew it was not going well when the receptionist looked at me surprised. Had me step off the scale, she turned it off and then back on. The result was the same. She even said to me, that she didn't want to write that number down. That had me really worried. I leaned over the counter so I could see what she was writing and I was stunned.
I had a gain....not a little gain...not a "these aren't my usual clothes gain" I had a major gain. I gained 3.9 pounds! I gained almost 4 pounds in a week. I don't understand how that happened. You need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound so in theory I would have had to eat my usual calories plus another 11,000 calories to account for that gain! I know I didn't do that. I'm very strict on my accountablility, I account for all of my points before I eat them so there isn't even any "oops, I shouldn't have had that" things happening.
I am so confused. I really thought that with my running I would be losing weight a little bit quicker, that it would help speed up my metabolism a little bit but it's just not happening. I am so frustrated!!!
I honestly didn't even feel like doing my run, but my husband's cell phone battery was dead so I had no choice. I had to run to the Air Care centre 4.5km's from where I was. I didn't even enjoy my run. It was a really bad run. I haven't had many of them but Saturday's run was not good. I felt sluggish, my legs weighed a tonne and I had a horrible pace going. It was all I could do to keep going. I spoke to my friend "J" about my run, and she said that simply sometime you have a bad run. Although she did agree that my sucky weigh in probably affected my mindset from the get go. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/489977067
I now have less than a week to go before the BMO 8K. It's the race I've been training for and a week ago I was sure I would do so well with it. Now....I'm just not sure. I know that I'll do it. I know that I'll complete it. I won't let myself get swept off the course. That's my biggest fear and I just have to keep moving to avoid that from happening. Two more training runs before the big day. Hopefully they will be better.
I headed to Weight Watchers on Saturday morning. I wasn't wearing my regular weigh in clothes as I was going to be running from Weight Watchers to the Air Care Centre where my awesome husband was taking my car so I can renew my insurance.
I thought because of the different clothes, heavier pants and long sleeved shirt, that I may be the same as last week or down just a little bit. I knew it was not going well when the receptionist looked at me surprised. Had me step off the scale, she turned it off and then back on. The result was the same. She even said to me, that she didn't want to write that number down. That had me really worried. I leaned over the counter so I could see what she was writing and I was stunned.
I had a gain....not a little gain...not a "these aren't my usual clothes gain" I had a major gain. I gained 3.9 pounds! I gained almost 4 pounds in a week. I don't understand how that happened. You need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound so in theory I would have had to eat my usual calories plus another 11,000 calories to account for that gain! I know I didn't do that. I'm very strict on my accountablility, I account for all of my points before I eat them so there isn't even any "oops, I shouldn't have had that" things happening.
I am so confused. I really thought that with my running I would be losing weight a little bit quicker, that it would help speed up my metabolism a little bit but it's just not happening. I am so frustrated!!!
I honestly didn't even feel like doing my run, but my husband's cell phone battery was dead so I had no choice. I had to run to the Air Care centre 4.5km's from where I was. I didn't even enjoy my run. It was a really bad run. I haven't had many of them but Saturday's run was not good. I felt sluggish, my legs weighed a tonne and I had a horrible pace going. It was all I could do to keep going. I spoke to my friend "J" about my run, and she said that simply sometime you have a bad run. Although she did agree that my sucky weigh in probably affected my mindset from the get go. http://connect.garmin.com/activity/489977067
I now have less than a week to go before the BMO 8K. It's the race I've been training for and a week ago I was sure I would do so well with it. Now....I'm just not sure. I know that I'll do it. I know that I'll complete it. I won't let myself get swept off the course. That's my biggest fear and I just have to keep moving to avoid that from happening. Two more training runs before the big day. Hopefully they will be better.
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