Well I should start off by saying that although I didn't lose a toenail today at my BMO Vancouver Half Marathon, I did gain what looks like an extra toe but actually it's just a massive blister on my pinky toe. Other then that my race was pretty darn smooth and enjoyable save for the last mile where I gunned it despite badly, badly wanting to stop and walk it. The weather was gorgeous today and the scenery was magnificent. I definitely want to do this again next year. I'll do the Half Marathon again but not so sure about the full one for next year. I looked at the BMO Vancouver Marathon Course today and those runners are badass. That distance is just sick. But I wont say never because this time last year I thought a 10km race was ambitious for me and here I am with Half Marathon Medal hanging around my neck.
My time was under 3 hours and I'm pretty happy with that considering my goal was just to finish it and I didn't really have a specific time goal. I ran the entire Prospect Point hill without stopping and did some 10/1 intervals but also had to stop at one point to line up for a pit stop which put me a bit behind. When I reached for my GU Chomps at the last half of the race for that extra push of energy I discovered they were missing from my pouch from when I last opened it up to switch my playlist so I had to make due without it for those last painful 3 miles. I always say the first 3 miles of my runs are the hardest but in this case I must say it was most definitely that last mile. That last mile I was pushing myself to keep a running pace despite having leg cramps, fatigue and the feeling of lactic acid burn creeping into my outer thighs and the only thing that kept me going was the desire to cross the finish line running, and also the spectators that were cheering so enthusiastically letting me know I was almost home and that the finish was just ahead. I was slightly dubious of anyones estimations of 'Your almost there' though because at the beginning of the race at around Princess Avenue (mile 2) there was a sign held up that said "You're almost there (well..sort of)" bahaha, thanks!!! And there were a few more like that throughout the race.
When I rounded the corner at Spanish Banks around mile 10, my phone rang. It was my dad asking me
"Are you finished yet? where are you??". Leave it to good ol' dad. When I did my 10 mile long run a few weeks ago my dad reminded me that the race was still 30% more then what I just did. Ha!! I was sure proud to show him my new medal today. I think he was pretty proud of me too. I crossed the finish line and saw my husband and kids cheering for me as well as my mother in law, father in law and sister in law and dad. It was so awesome to see family after such a long run and I was so glad they came out to cheer me on and catch some pictures for me (although I look like death in every one of them). It was pretty special for me to have my daughters watch me run today after having to put up with all of my training runs.
Someone posted this great video on Youtube a few minutes ago. So glad they posted this.
Lined up at the Corral at 6:30am counting all the lulu in the crowd and freezing my hands and ass off. I wore a cheap and pilly cotton long sleeve from the gap and threw it off and into a garbage bin after the first mile.
It started to warm up right before the start.
Two lulu outfits in this picture. I felt bad taking sneaky pictures on my iphone but this one I had to catch because she was wearing the Mind Over Matter Pullover. I wonder what she did with it when it warmed up. I was keeping a lookout throughout my run for abandoned Lululemon Pullovers on the side of the road.
I tried to stick close to this gentleman in the scrubs in case I should need his help later but the bugger was too fast and he lost me pretty quickly.
20 Kilometre mark for the marathoners intercepted the half marathon around 6-7 miles. This sign confused me momentarily. Did I lose my GU around here? Did I take a wrong turn? no. I wont lie, at this point I wondered how easy it would be to just deek thru the park instead of going all the way around. Who would notice? um...all the other runners would notice dummy.
Hubs remembered to bring my Flip-Flops which I was in dire need of and my Rubber Ducky Scuba Hoodie. I got my large Starbucks drink while I waited outside and took a breather from walking to the car. It was such cruel and unusual punishment to have to walk to the car. I was so grateful to have an entire ice cold Brita pitcher to myself in the fridge waiting for me when I got home.
I had to crop my face out of this photo because I looked horrible and had salt dust all over my face which I noticed after taking the picture. Grossness! Also, my lips are the most chapped they have ever been. Next time, remember chapstick. I wore my Surge Blue Cool Racerback Tank which was good because the red ribbon looks great with it. But like my husband said (after I tried to explain to him last night why it mattered what I was wearing) it was so hard to find me in the crowd because so many women were wearing blue tops and all the BMO Vancouver Marathon Volunteers were wearing blue. And he's shade blind so he really can't tell the difference between greens purples and blues when there all jumbled together.
Coquitlam Lulu Educators
These are the Coquitlam Lulu Educators cheering on one of their own that was running the Full Marathon today. Carolyn has been kind enough to offer me great tips and encouragement throughout my training on my stop ins at lulu since I haven't been able to join their running group. I hope she had a great run today!
Mariah on the far right completed her Half Marathon today and went over to support the Marathoners.
Lululemon educators cheering at Burarrd and Cornwall
Chip and his sons at Cornwall Avenue by the Burrard Bridge.
Inspirational signs for the Marathoners courtesy of Lulu at Burrard and Cornwall.
Post a Comment
17 hours to go!!!
My old friend, runners (New Balance 1060) (worn but not dead yet!), hand held water bottle with Brita filtered water, Holy Crap Cereal (Chia seed cereal), Cool Racerback Tank Surge Blue, BMO Vancouver Marathon Race Day Bib and timing chip, Mind Over Matter Crops, Smartwool Socks, Energy Bra, Spi Belt, GU Chomps, Headphones (to go with my iphone), Light Grey Pique Headband (my favourite!).
And for after the race my husband is holding my black Havainas Flip-Flops and Rubber Ducky Scuba Hoodie and possibly a great big Starbucks latte and a donut.
Light Grey Pique Luon headband, Run: Energy SL Passion Varsity, Energy Bra and Mind Over Matter Crops
Playing dressup for race day (BMO Vancouver Half Marathon ) and I'm still not 100% sold on my selection for a top. I really like the Energy Tank and like the color and slogan but I'm also hoping to snag a last minute Solid Tango Red Cool Racerback Tank or a Surge Blue Cool Racerback Tank. Cool Racerbacks are my go to tanks for running and although they are a bit warmer I really like the soft cottony feel of them so I was hoping to get a high energy color in a Cool Racerback to wear on Sunday but the colors are a slim pickins in my store. Perhaps I can hope for an upload of them tomorrow with a Friday delivery??? The Run: Mind Over Matter Crops are my favourite run crops but sadly my iphone/ipod doesn't fit perfectly in the gel pocket and half of the phone sticks out so I need to make sure that it doesn't fall out when I run and that the touch screen is facing away from my skin so it doesn't get soaked in sweat. I ran my 7 miles on Sunday with my phone this way and it pretty much stayed put but I was still paranoid and constantly checking it. My energy chews will be kept in my other gel pocket as well as in my Hand Held Water Bottle pouch which has a small zippered pocket and room for 3 chews. I also have an old Nike pocket that velcros into the laces of my shoes and I think that's where I'll keep a $20 and ID in case I need to cab it the half block from the finish line to where the car will be parked. I think other then my Garmin that's all I need to take with me. I wont be gear checking, I think I'm going to wear a throw away long sleeve cotton shirt over top and then have my husband bring me a Scuba Hoodie and some flip flops to wear immediately after. Maybe I need some chapstick too.
What items do you take with you to your races?
Since I posted a few weeks ago about my new Ultimate Direction Fast Draw Extreme Held Water Bottle that I've been using on my runs I thought I'd also share with you my new Pacifica Pitcher I received from Brita who is sponsoring the 2011 BMO Vancouver Marathon (this Sunday, May 1st!!!) I really like to use only water on my runs and not use sports drinks since I'm already using energy chews which have carbohydrates in them and I don't need to add to the calorie and sugar consumption. I find water much more refreshing when I'm running than I find sports drink, especially on my long runs. Sometimes when I'm really thirsty on my long runs I just want something that's refreshing and doesn't have a sugary syrupy texture and water really cools me down as well as quenches my thirst.
I have to admit I really used to poo-poo running with water since I prefer to be as unencumbered as possible but I started noticing when I would get thirsty on runs it would lead to headaches later and it would take me much longer to rehydrate after a run then when I drink water before, during and after. On my longer runs if I didn't get enough water to drink it would sometimes take me up to 3 days to get back to my normal thirst level. I noticed having dry mouth and lips and also the amount of fluid I consumed in the following days was much more then my regular amount. Since I started really taking care to drink the right amount of water before during and after I've noticed those symptoms of dehydration disappeared but also my recovery from my runs is much better. The Lululemon Manifesto states 'Drink fresh water and as much as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp'. The last part is so true. My husband is currently recovering from a violent bout of the stomach flu in which he became so dehydrated that he started having a very altered mental state and was acting confused and disoriented and ended up fainting on me so we rushed him to the hospital where he received an IV drip. He's now almost totally better but he's still quite thirsty and so he's been hogging all of my Brita filtered water from my pitcher and I've been relying on my Brita Faucet Mount System that Brita also sent to me to test out on my preparation for my big run.
I really like filling up my handheld water bottle and ice cube trays with my Brita Faucet Mount Filtration System and keeping my 10 cup water pitcher (Pacifica) nice and full in the fridge for my pre and post run drinks. It's really great coming home from a long run and having my water already refridgerator chilled instead of having to run the tap water for a few minutes. As a mom runner my running time is quite limited so I have to work my shower into my 'run time' and standing at the sink waists valuable 'me' time. You would be appalled to know how brief my stretching time is after my run but I haven't had an injury so far so I count myself lucky on that one.
An interesting thing I learned was that Brita is coming back to the 2011 BMO Vancouver Marathon and is filtering 30,000 litres of water along the rout for us thirsty runners. By doing this Brita is keeping 60,000 water bottles (typically whats used at water stations) from potentially entering the landfills. Brita is also using paper-based biodegradable cups too so that there is practically zero waste - talk about a great idea!
As a thank you to my readers that have provided me with excellent tips in your comments in my How It's Going: Half Marathon Training Posts Brita and I would like to offer one reader a chance to win a Brita Grand Pitcher (pink in color). All you are required to enter is to be a participant of the BMO Vancouver Marathon and to leave me a comment in this post with your email address telling me how you hydrate for your runs. The winner will be notified on Thursday, April 28th by email.
- Brita®
I have to admit I really used to poo-poo running with water since I prefer to be as unencumbered as possible but I started noticing when I would get thirsty on runs it would lead to headaches later and it would take me much longer to rehydrate after a run then when I drink water before, during and after. On my longer runs if I didn't get enough water to drink it would sometimes take me up to 3 days to get back to my normal thirst level. I noticed having dry mouth and lips and also the amount of fluid I consumed in the following days was much more then my regular amount. Since I started really taking care to drink the right amount of water before during and after I've noticed those symptoms of dehydration disappeared but also my recovery from my runs is much better. The Lululemon Manifesto states 'Drink fresh water and as much as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp'. The last part is so true. My husband is currently recovering from a violent bout of the stomach flu in which he became so dehydrated that he started having a very altered mental state and was acting confused and disoriented and ended up fainting on me so we rushed him to the hospital where he received an IV drip. He's now almost totally better but he's still quite thirsty and so he's been hogging all of my Brita filtered water from my pitcher and I've been relying on my Brita Faucet Mount System that Brita also sent to me to test out on my preparation for my big run.
I really like filling up my handheld water bottle and ice cube trays with my Brita Faucet Mount Filtration System and keeping my 10 cup water pitcher (Pacifica) nice and full in the fridge for my pre and post run drinks. It's really great coming home from a long run and having my water already refridgerator chilled instead of having to run the tap water for a few minutes. As a mom runner my running time is quite limited so I have to work my shower into my 'run time' and standing at the sink waists valuable 'me' time. You would be appalled to know how brief my stretching time is after my run but I haven't had an injury so far so I count myself lucky on that one.
An interesting thing I learned was that Brita is coming back to the 2011 BMO Vancouver Marathon and is filtering 30,000 litres of water along the rout for us thirsty runners. By doing this Brita is keeping 60,000 water bottles (typically whats used at water stations) from potentially entering the landfills. Brita is also using paper-based biodegradable cups too so that there is practically zero waste - talk about a great idea!
As a thank you to my readers that have provided me with excellent tips in your comments in my How It's Going: Half Marathon Training Posts Brita and I would like to offer one reader a chance to win a Brita Grand Pitcher (pink in color). All you are required to enter is to be a participant of the BMO Vancouver Marathon and to leave me a comment in this post with your email address telling me how you hydrate for your runs. The winner will be notified on Thursday, April 28th by email.
- Brita®
5 days and 22 hours to go for the BMO Vancouver Marathon. Taper week is messing with my head. Big time. I had a most splendidly horrible run on Saturday where I set out to do a final long run of 8 miles. My longest run to date was a 12 mile run last week and it went very well and made me feel like this half marathon is no sweat.
Well my run on Saturday was a struggle to do 4 miles and at just under 5 miles I had to stop and I walked home for 3 miles. I chose to walk 3 miles and take much longer to get home then if I'd just run it. I had a few things working against me that day. 1. the temperature jumped 3* and it was the warmest day of the year so I was overheated wearing my tank top and I had not adjusted to running in that temp. I had hydrated before and during but I still think I was a bit dehydrated considering I was sweating a lot more then usual. 2. I was wearing brand new runners. I got them for my birthday and I figured they were the same shoes I already own so it would be a seamless transition. Apparently my feet like my very worn out sneakers better so I will be running my marathon in the shoes I trained in. 3. Taper week was playing tricks with my confidence. I kept thinking 'what the hell am I doing running a half marathon???? who told you you could do this??? I can't run a half marathon!!! that was my mantra the entire time. I was literally entertaining the thought 'what if I can't do this' and I was hoping I would get minorly hit by a car on my run so I would have an excuse not to go and embarrass myself with my Rain Man shuffle. I was just hoping a car would slowly back into me enough to slightly injure me but not cause me to have to go to the hospital. when I got home I had a long bath and I cried in the tub over my all of a sudden lost super powers of running.
The next day I had new resolve to try again for a distance longer then 4 miles. The goal was 8 miles but I figured since it was my taper week anything over 4 would be fine. I set out again in my old runners, my Hustle Jacket and my music and I ran in my favourite weather which is cool and rainy. I like that when it's rainy I have the streets to myself but yesterday the streets were especially empty due to the Canucks game. When I felt like quitting I just sang along to my music instead and there was nobody there to witness that insanity. Also, it helped that at mile 4 I ran past an idling car which was being Hotboxed just in time for the driver to open the window. That totally mellowed me out so I switched my ipod over to Snoop Dogg and I managed to do 7 miles and get home in time to watch the epic fail of the Canucks game. Drop it like it's hot, yo. I'm pretty happy with those 7 miles though, they rebuilt my confidence and now I can take the rest of the week really easy with maybe a 3 mile run on Tuesday or Wednesday and then rest until race day. I plan on hydrating this week more then I usually do and also eating some extra complex carbohydrates as well as my Whey Protein Smoothies to help in muscle repair. I have no idea if these things will make a difference come race day but I feel the need to have a ritual this week and take extra good care of my body which I plan on taxing the hell out of come Sunday.
I'll have a few more BMO Half Marathon posts this week as I prepare for the big day and then I'll be sure to post after the race and tell you all about it.
Well my run on Saturday was a struggle to do 4 miles and at just under 5 miles I had to stop and I walked home for 3 miles. I chose to walk 3 miles and take much longer to get home then if I'd just run it. I had a few things working against me that day. 1. the temperature jumped 3* and it was the warmest day of the year so I was overheated wearing my tank top and I had not adjusted to running in that temp. I had hydrated before and during but I still think I was a bit dehydrated considering I was sweating a lot more then usual. 2. I was wearing brand new runners. I got them for my birthday and I figured they were the same shoes I already own so it would be a seamless transition. Apparently my feet like my very worn out sneakers better so I will be running my marathon in the shoes I trained in. 3. Taper week was playing tricks with my confidence. I kept thinking 'what the hell am I doing running a half marathon???? who told you you could do this??? I can't run a half marathon!!! that was my mantra the entire time. I was literally entertaining the thought 'what if I can't do this' and I was hoping I would get minorly hit by a car on my run so I would have an excuse not to go and embarrass myself with my Rain Man shuffle. I was just hoping a car would slowly back into me enough to slightly injure me but not cause me to have to go to the hospital. when I got home I had a long bath and I cried in the tub over my all of a sudden lost super powers of running.
The next day I had new resolve to try again for a distance longer then 4 miles. The goal was 8 miles but I figured since it was my taper week anything over 4 would be fine. I set out again in my old runners, my Hustle Jacket and my music and I ran in my favourite weather which is cool and rainy. I like that when it's rainy I have the streets to myself but yesterday the streets were especially empty due to the Canucks game. When I felt like quitting I just sang along to my music instead and there was nobody there to witness that insanity. Also, it helped that at mile 4 I ran past an idling car which was being Hotboxed just in time for the driver to open the window. That totally mellowed me out so I switched my ipod over to Snoop Dogg and I managed to do 7 miles and get home in time to watch the epic fail of the Canucks game. Drop it like it's hot, yo. I'm pretty happy with those 7 miles though, they rebuilt my confidence and now I can take the rest of the week really easy with maybe a 3 mile run on Tuesday or Wednesday and then rest until race day. I plan on hydrating this week more then I usually do and also eating some extra complex carbohydrates as well as my Whey Protein Smoothies to help in muscle repair. I have no idea if these things will make a difference come race day but I feel the need to have a ritual this week and take extra good care of my body which I plan on taxing the hell out of come Sunday.
I'll have a few more BMO Half Marathon posts this week as I prepare for the big day and then I'll be sure to post after the race and tell you all about it.
What does your week before the race look like??
driven on Friday with my husband to scope out all the hills
Last night I did my longest training run until my half marathon at the BMO Vancouver Marathon (13 days, 15 hours away). I decided to do a 12 miler even though I've been assured 10 miles is enough of a distance in training for a 13 mile race, but I really wanted to know how 12 miles felt (mile 11-12 was painful). Last weekend I ran to my parents house which was 10 miles on the dot and I was so proud when I got there only to be crushed by my dads cynicism in letting me know the race distance was 30% more then what I had just done. Thanks dad! 3 miles sounds doable, 30% more sounds like almost 50% more. He was honestly just trying to be helpful (I tell myself) but it made me wonder if those extra 3 miles would be a huge stretch. I'm reassured to know that although my upper thighs will be extremely tired and sore, I can still manage to keep myself moving until the end and maybe even be able to manage a last mile sprint. Also, all of my training runs have been very, very hilly throughout so I'm hoping that because my race has one hill i'll actually be less tired and run at a faster pace. Do those of you that run races notice you run your races faster then your training runs?
I wore my Mind over Matter Crops, or MOM crops if you will, on last nights run and I think these are my favourite crops of all time. The fit is not as snug as my Dash crops which have the same higher rise so I had to tie the waist to keep them from sliding down. Not an issue at all once I tied them, they stayed perfectly in place and didn't budge. Mine are a size 8 but I think sizing down to a 6 may make them a bit sheer stretched over my bum. What I love the most in these crops is the short length and the amount of circle mesh on the lower leg. The area behind my knees and the backs of my upper calves seems to get very hot so the circle mesh was nice for keeping me cool. The ruffles on the calf are placed perfectly to give you a very slimming effect. Seriously, my legs were looking gooooood in these crops yesterday. I'm no less a serious runner for appreciating the fashion forward details (of course fit and function are primary concerns) , it just helps when you need to wear your gear to and from your activity. I mentally motivated myself for my run yesterday by wearing my MOM crops around doing errands earlier in the day so it was nice to be wearing a cute pair of crops with feminine detailing instead of plain old frumpy run gear.
Last week I purchased the Run Energy SL (circa Spring 2010) off the Lululemon Exchange Page and if it arrives in time I will be wearing that to my Half. I really like the silverescent material (I had the I Just Wanna Run Tank in the same material) It's super lightweight and feels like your not wearing anything at all. I missed out on this shirt last year since I wasn't sure how I felt about the varsity writing for every day neighborhood runs. Now that I'm running a race that will require as much motivation as I can find I think the slogan is perfect. The passion colored top will look great with my red medal around my neck :) and will make it easier for my family to spot me coming across the finish line.
I wore my Mind over Matter Crops, or MOM crops if you will, on last nights run and I think these are my favourite crops of all time. The fit is not as snug as my Dash crops which have the same higher rise so I had to tie the waist to keep them from sliding down. Not an issue at all once I tied them, they stayed perfectly in place and didn't budge. Mine are a size 8 but I think sizing down to a 6 may make them a bit sheer stretched over my bum. What I love the most in these crops is the short length and the amount of circle mesh on the lower leg. The area behind my knees and the backs of my upper calves seems to get very hot so the circle mesh was nice for keeping me cool. The ruffles on the calf are placed perfectly to give you a very slimming effect. Seriously, my legs were looking gooooood in these crops yesterday. I'm no less a serious runner for appreciating the fashion forward details (of course fit and function are primary concerns) , it just helps when you need to wear your gear to and from your activity. I mentally motivated myself for my run yesterday by wearing my MOM crops around doing errands earlier in the day so it was nice to be wearing a cute pair of crops with feminine detailing instead of plain old frumpy run gear.
Last week I purchased the Run Energy SL (circa Spring 2010) off the Lululemon Exchange Page and if it arrives in time I will be wearing that to my Half. I really like the silverescent material (I had the I Just Wanna Run Tank in the same material) It's super lightweight and feels like your not wearing anything at all. I missed out on this shirt last year since I wasn't sure how I felt about the varsity writing for every day neighborhood runs. Now that I'm running a race that will require as much motivation as I can find I think the slogan is perfect. The passion colored top will look great with my red medal around my neck :) and will make it easier for my family to spot me coming across the finish line.
I'll have a few more half marathon posts between now and May 1st so keep checking back. I have a product review coming soon for you and some updates on the training taper/fine tuning and race prep.
These past two weeks of training have been a bit of a slack off hence my lack of updates. I've been doing my long runs and I'm finding I can knock off my 10 miles quite easily now but going out for my midweek 4 and 5 mile runs are a bit of a drag and I've neglected them. Last night I had a really excellent long run and branched out on my rout and decided to run to my parents house which is about 10 miles away and have my dad drive me back home. It was nice to get a change of scenery but also really fun to run the 10 miles out instead of running out 5 miles and then looping back for the remaining 5 miles. These next few weeks though I'm going to get back on track with my plan and do my mid week runs as well as my long runs and then do a short tapper at the end before my half.
My runners are now in dire need of replacement so I've picked out my birthday runners (New Balance 1080) but I don't get to start using them until my birthday which is right before the race. Poor planning. Oh well, at least I'm getting the same pair I already have so I don't need to get used to a different shoe and I don't need to break them in. My long run two weeks ago was one of my worst runs in a long time. It took me 5 miles to warm up from shin splints which was the first time I've had them in all of my training. the next day I took my runners into the Running Den to be assessed and to try on a few different models and the salesperson told me my shoes were very worn in the centre and the soles were spreading out. I tried on the New Balance Minimus trail shoe and I absolutely love them but I wont be getting those until after my race. She suggested using the Minimus as a walking, everyday shoe at first and then if I have no problems with my feet I can slowly introduce them in my shorter runs. I really liked the look of the trail shoe but the salesperson recommended against those for non trail use as they rubber soles have carbon mixed into them to make them sticker and grippier which would cause them to wear out faster on non trail surfaces. I wish the road shoe wasn't so ugly.
Last week I picked up a bunch of different energy chews to try out as well and I liked them all a lot better then I liked my Shot Blocks that I'd been using and a lot more then gels which make me gag. I really liked the flavour of the GU Chomps in Blueberry Pomegranate and found I got a pretty big jolt out of them. I used about 3 Chomps in my 10 mile run last night but last week I was requiring a chew per mile. I don't feel so bad about that because Lance Armstrong did that in his New York Marathon and he's an endurance athlete, so there. The Honey Stinger brand is my top favourite, the chews are all natural and are flavoured with honey and are much smaller and softer then any other chews I've tried so easier to consume during my run and that is the winning factor. I really liked the cherry flavoured ones and I have a bag of orange blossom to try next. The jolt I got from them was only slightly less then the GU Chomps but I like that if the kids get into these they're safe for them to consume and I'm not sure that the other energy chews I've tried are safe for children. The Honey Stinger waffle is an awesome pre-run snack. I plan on taking one with me to eat before my BMO Vancouver Half Marathon in 20 days, 21 hours and 13 minutes. since I'm not used to early morning runs and a little bit worried about eating breakfast or not eating breakfast before my run but my plan is to have the waffle along with maybe a banana and a coffee on the drive over. The roads will close at 3am the night before so I think I'm going to get dropped off on the south end of the Cambie St. Bridge (where the Lulu Lab is!) and walk across. This is my first ever race so the logistics on how to get there and what happens before the race are a bit of a mystery to me.
My runners are now in dire need of replacement so I've picked out my birthday runners (New Balance 1080) but I don't get to start using them until my birthday which is right before the race. Poor planning. Oh well, at least I'm getting the same pair I already have so I don't need to get used to a different shoe and I don't need to break them in. My long run two weeks ago was one of my worst runs in a long time. It took me 5 miles to warm up from shin splints which was the first time I've had them in all of my training. the next day I took my runners into the Running Den to be assessed and to try on a few different models and the salesperson told me my shoes were very worn in the centre and the soles were spreading out. I tried on the New Balance Minimus trail shoe and I absolutely love them but I wont be getting those until after my race. She suggested using the Minimus as a walking, everyday shoe at first and then if I have no problems with my feet I can slowly introduce them in my shorter runs. I really liked the look of the trail shoe but the salesperson recommended against those for non trail use as they rubber soles have carbon mixed into them to make them sticker and grippier which would cause them to wear out faster on non trail surfaces. I wish the road shoe wasn't so ugly.
Last week I picked up a bunch of different energy chews to try out as well and I liked them all a lot better then I liked my Shot Blocks that I'd been using and a lot more then gels which make me gag. I really liked the flavour of the GU Chomps in Blueberry Pomegranate and found I got a pretty big jolt out of them. I used about 3 Chomps in my 10 mile run last night but last week I was requiring a chew per mile. I don't feel so bad about that because Lance Armstrong did that in his New York Marathon and he's an endurance athlete, so there. The Honey Stinger brand is my top favourite, the chews are all natural and are flavoured with honey and are much smaller and softer then any other chews I've tried so easier to consume during my run and that is the winning factor. I really liked the cherry flavoured ones and I have a bag of orange blossom to try next. The jolt I got from them was only slightly less then the GU Chomps but I like that if the kids get into these they're safe for them to consume and I'm not sure that the other energy chews I've tried are safe for children. The Honey Stinger waffle is an awesome pre-run snack. I plan on taking one with me to eat before my BMO Vancouver Half Marathon in 20 days, 21 hours and 13 minutes. since I'm not used to early morning runs and a little bit worried about eating breakfast or not eating breakfast before my run but my plan is to have the waffle along with maybe a banana and a coffee on the drive over. The roads will close at 3am the night before so I think I'm going to get dropped off on the south end of the Cambie St. Bridge (where the Lulu Lab is!) and walk across. This is my first ever race so the logistics on how to get there and what happens before the race are a bit of a mystery to me.
 |
| Honey Stingers Energy Chews |
 |
| Honey Stinger Waffle |
 |
| GU Energy Chomps Blueberry Pomegranate |
Today I purchased this necklace for $106. I get to pick it up on May 1st!!
I'm doing quite well on the Half Marathon training so far except for how hard it is to get that 4th run of the week in due to both motivation and lack of opportunity. I've had two weeks with just 3 runs and I don't think it's really hindered my long runs at all so I'm going with it. If I can get a 4th run in great, if not, it's not the end. I try to make sure that my 4th run that I miss is one of my smaller ones though so that my net miles at the end of the week is not too far off the mark.
Last weekend was my 9 miler and I thought that If I could push it to 10 miles I would attempt it. The entire run I felt great and thought it would really be possible but by miles 8-9 my legs were totally dead. I was dragging by then. Also, I got a phone call from my sister which I skipped, and then a text message saying "CALL ME". I usually don't answer the phone on my run unless it's a total emergency and my husband knows that so if it were an emergency he would cut to the chase and text me "emerg". So anyways, after mile 7.5 I took a 1 minute walk break where I texted my sister back and asked "is this emrgncyahlhdlsahf?' and I got no response so then I called her and she said "oh nothing, just wanted to chat about.." Grrrrr, so although it was a mini emergency, it was not something that I would have stopped my run over but my legs were dead anyways so at 9 miles I circled back home and called it a day. It ruined my mojo, but I think I wouldn't have stretched it to 10 anyways since my legs were so tired.
Last night was my 10 miler which I was supposed to do on Saturday but Thursday and Friday night, our 1 year old had us up all night, and Friday it was a stretch from 3am to 5am. I'm usually operating on very little sleep and do just fine but on Saturday it had caught up to me and I was over tired and I knew the moment I opened my eyes in the morning that it was not going to happen. I like my long runs to be at around 4pm so most of it is in daylight and then the last part of my run is at dusk (well now it's all daylight), also this gives me the day to hydrate and prepare and get the family things done first. By 3:00 I decided I would take a nap at a last ditch effort to prepare for my run. I woke up at 4:30 to my toddler throwing up exorcist style so I bargained with my husband to change his plans on Sunday to allow for my long run and like the wonderful supportive husband that he is, he complied.
And so a Sunday long run. It was gruelling for the first 5 miles. It took me 5 miles to warm up to my 10 mile run and right from the beginning my mind was telling me that I wouldn't get past 3 miles. For some reason my right shin was hurting and I suspect it may have been due to my using flip flops for the first time since Fall earlier in the day. At mile 5 the pain was gone and happily continued on, my last mile being hard once again but not harder then my first 5, go figure. I started off my run with a gu and I think it's the most vile thing ever made so I will not be having any more of those. Usually I use Shot Bloks but have found them big and annoying to chew on my one minute breaks so I decided to give a gu a shot and I totally hate the texture so I'll go back to chewing half a Shot Blok per 1 minute walk break. Having a bad long run was probably a good thing in the end because I learned that even if a long run sucks right from the start, I can keep myself going and end up finishing it no worse for wear. But I tell yah, I was struggling with some major mental battles that first half. I think I had a bad long run coming to me since all of my prior long runs have been really great.
This morning I woke up to swollen feet. I noticed that my socks were itching my ankles (featherweight running socks to bed -yes I'm a strange person that must sleep with socks on at all times) and when I checked what was causing the itch I noticed my feet were a bit swollen and I had a red mark where my socks were digging in. I never have had that happen before but I think it's just due to the recovery phase and I probably should do an ice bath next time after my long run. I made the mistake of having a warm bath after my run last night and although it felt really nice and relaxing I think it kept the blood pooling in my legs.
Next run: 10 miles again on Saturday or Sunday.
Last weekend was my 9 miler and I thought that If I could push it to 10 miles I would attempt it. The entire run I felt great and thought it would really be possible but by miles 8-9 my legs were totally dead. I was dragging by then. Also, I got a phone call from my sister which I skipped, and then a text message saying "CALL ME". I usually don't answer the phone on my run unless it's a total emergency and my husband knows that so if it were an emergency he would cut to the chase and text me "emerg". So anyways, after mile 7.5 I took a 1 minute walk break where I texted my sister back and asked "is this emrgncyahlhdlsahf?' and I got no response so then I called her and she said "oh nothing, just wanted to chat about.." Grrrrr, so although it was a mini emergency, it was not something that I would have stopped my run over but my legs were dead anyways so at 9 miles I circled back home and called it a day. It ruined my mojo, but I think I wouldn't have stretched it to 10 anyways since my legs were so tired.
Last night was my 10 miler which I was supposed to do on Saturday but Thursday and Friday night, our 1 year old had us up all night, and Friday it was a stretch from 3am to 5am. I'm usually operating on very little sleep and do just fine but on Saturday it had caught up to me and I was over tired and I knew the moment I opened my eyes in the morning that it was not going to happen. I like my long runs to be at around 4pm so most of it is in daylight and then the last part of my run is at dusk (well now it's all daylight), also this gives me the day to hydrate and prepare and get the family things done first. By 3:00 I decided I would take a nap at a last ditch effort to prepare for my run. I woke up at 4:30 to my toddler throwing up exorcist style so I bargained with my husband to change his plans on Sunday to allow for my long run and like the wonderful supportive husband that he is, he complied.
And so a Sunday long run. It was gruelling for the first 5 miles. It took me 5 miles to warm up to my 10 mile run and right from the beginning my mind was telling me that I wouldn't get past 3 miles. For some reason my right shin was hurting and I suspect it may have been due to my using flip flops for the first time since Fall earlier in the day. At mile 5 the pain was gone and happily continued on, my last mile being hard once again but not harder then my first 5, go figure. I started off my run with a gu and I think it's the most vile thing ever made so I will not be having any more of those. Usually I use Shot Bloks but have found them big and annoying to chew on my one minute breaks so I decided to give a gu a shot and I totally hate the texture so I'll go back to chewing half a Shot Blok per 1 minute walk break. Having a bad long run was probably a good thing in the end because I learned that even if a long run sucks right from the start, I can keep myself going and end up finishing it no worse for wear. But I tell yah, I was struggling with some major mental battles that first half. I think I had a bad long run coming to me since all of my prior long runs have been really great.
This morning I woke up to swollen feet. I noticed that my socks were itching my ankles (featherweight running socks to bed -yes I'm a strange person that must sleep with socks on at all times) and when I checked what was causing the itch I noticed my feet were a bit swollen and I had a red mark where my socks were digging in. I never have had that happen before but I think it's just due to the recovery phase and I probably should do an ice bath next time after my long run. I made the mistake of having a warm bath after my run last night and although it felt really nice and relaxing I think it kept the blood pooling in my legs.
Next run: 10 miles again on Saturday or Sunday.
This past week I took off from running since I was feeling both a lack of motivation as well as I was fighting the nasty bug my kids have had and we've had record breaking cold temperatures at the last half of the week. It all started with the choice last Sunday to have a nap with my free time instead of going on a measly 3 mile run. And then I just kept putting off my runs because of a persistent headache and lack of convenient options for times to get out and then finally we got very cold on Wednesday/Thursday/Friday with windchill at -18* at one point and for us West Coasters we're just pansies when it comes to 'windchill'.
Yesterday and today we got a huge dumping of snow which I've up till now been able to avoid running in such conditions, but because I took last week off I had no choice today. I had to run. My relief parent/grandparent babysitting options are even fewer this week since my mom has had to fly to Spain on an emergency trip to see my grandmother who has had 3 strokes in the past week. It's been very tense and stressful worrying about my grandmother so besides having to run today for practical reason, I really, really needed the stress relief and time away to process. Running is so cathartic that it's just necessary to get out there and run when I'm feeling stressed and worried and I'm so glad I braved the snow today and got out there.
This weather can't stop me if I plan on getting out there consistently this next month and sticking with my training plan while my mom is away, so this afternoon I went out and purchased these Yaktrax Pro MD cleats I've pictured below. I also wore my Smart Wool Running Socks I posted about the other day. Initially I was a bit afraid that my feet would get soaked and freeze before I was finished my run but I'm very impressed that the socks kept my feet comfortable. They did get wet but the wool socks seemed to suck the water away from my foot and also kept them warm. I wore my Dash Crops, Switly Tech Long Sleeve and my Hustle Jacket and really, the long sleeve probably made me too warm. When I got home and showered my thighs were very pink but I was pretty comfortable during my run if not a touch too warm. This Saturday I'm up to 8 miles on my training plan but I may jump to 9 depending on how I feel that day since I took the week off. I did two weeks at 7 miles because I have a bit of time buffer between the end of my training plan and the race day so I can modify my training plan as I feel the need. It makes me feel a little less tied down to be able to switch things around as life happens.
I'm also in the market for new running shoes in the next month or so and I've been considering either getting the same New Balance 1064 runners I'm currently using which are a neutral gate but heavily cushioned shoe or getting New Balance NB Minimus 'barefoot technology' running shoe with very little to no cushioning. I'm happy with my 1064's but I'm also really intrigued by barefoot running , especially after this Ted.com talk by Christopher McDougal on Natural Running. Do any of you runners out there have advice on transitioning to these types of runners? Or opinions on wether or not it's a good idea to do this half way in my training?
The half marathon I'm running in May, BMO Vancouver Marathon posted a really cool video clip of the full marathon course as well as the half. When I need to motivate myself or psych myself up to get out there I'll turn to this video because it's getting me so excited . Do all marathons post videos like these? Such an ingenious thing to do. Anyways, this week I'm getting out there for my 4 runs -rain, sleet or snow or pitch dark night I'm getting out there because it makes me feel good. And hopefully I don't end up with this horrible cold that everyone around me seems to be getting.
 |
| Blerg!! The snow! |
 |
| NB Minimus |
I'm also in the market for new running shoes in the next month or so and I've been considering either getting the same New Balance 1064 runners I'm currently using which are a neutral gate but heavily cushioned shoe or getting New Balance NB Minimus 'barefoot technology' running shoe with very little to no cushioning. I'm happy with my 1064's but I'm also really intrigued by barefoot running , especially after this Ted.com talk by Christopher McDougal on Natural Running. Do any of you runners out there have advice on transitioning to these types of runners? Or opinions on wether or not it's a good idea to do this half way in my training?
The half marathon I'm running in May, BMO Vancouver Marathon posted a really cool video clip of the full marathon course as well as the half. When I need to motivate myself or psych myself up to get out there I'll turn to this video because it's getting me so excited . Do all marathons post videos like these? Such an ingenious thing to do. Anyways, this week I'm getting out there for my 4 runs -rain, sleet or snow or pitch dark night I'm getting out there because it makes me feel good. And hopefully I don't end up with this horrible cold that everyone around me seems to be getting.
This weeks training had some highs and lows for me. I started week 2 of the Runners World Program that a friend gave me. She gave me both the Runners World version and one that a physio adapted for her sister who was running with a persnickety knee issue. So I have the option of floating between the two depending on how I'm doing since both programs seem to progress the same amount from week to week, one is just less intense then the other. I also took the suggestions of helpful readers on my last 'How It's Going' post and printed off the McMillan Pace Calculator to guide me with my pace. We discovered from my last long run that my calorie burn was super high on my long run (800 cals) and after a bit of digging realized that it was because I was running at max pace the entire run. So by the end of 4 miles I was spent.
This weeks long run was 5 miles run at my 'LSD' pace (thanks to the pace calucator) and I burned a more reasonable 536 calories with an elevation gain of 308. I found with the slower pace I was able to run farther but also enjoy my run much more. I also stole my husbands ipod for this run and think I may start using my own for my long runs. He has much better taste in music then I do though (Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits) so I may just keep taking his or alternating ipods to keep it fresh. Usually I'm anti ipod for running outdoors since I find I really become dependent on the device to keep me distracted from the running and then after a while I can't go without it. I'm also always afraid of getting hit by a car. Since I'm doing half marathon training and will be going on 2 hour + long runs I may find it too hard to keep myself entertained with stream of consciousness thinking alone so I think I just need to relax my rules about ipod free running.
My low this week was last nights run. My legs have been feeling like lead since my long run and also I had been up almost all night the night before (teething cranky baby, what else is new) and probably also slightly dehydrated so when I hopped on to the treadmill to do my short 3 mile run I had to jump off after just before 2 miles. I was so tired and thirsty that I could not continue for even a minute more. It was so discouraging because every time that happens I feel like I'll not be able to complete my next long run either and i'll just regress and go back to zero and be a total failure. So now I'm dreading Saturdays 4 mile run and almost feel like I should do a 1 mile run tonight to make up for my missed mile yesterday. Yes, I am OCD about the numbers. I am taking tonight off though because I'd rather have fresher legs tomorrow and do a 4 mile run then to finish the week off with a 1 mile run. That just figures though, I complete my longest run the other day and also have one bad run and at the end of the week the one I'm left thinking about was last nights crap run.
This weeks long run was 5 miles run at my 'LSD' pace (thanks to the pace calucator) and I burned a more reasonable 536 calories with an elevation gain of 308. I found with the slower pace I was able to run farther but also enjoy my run much more. I also stole my husbands ipod for this run and think I may start using my own for my long runs. He has much better taste in music then I do though (Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits) so I may just keep taking his or alternating ipods to keep it fresh. Usually I'm anti ipod for running outdoors since I find I really become dependent on the device to keep me distracted from the running and then after a while I can't go without it. I'm also always afraid of getting hit by a car. Since I'm doing half marathon training and will be going on 2 hour + long runs I may find it too hard to keep myself entertained with stream of consciousness thinking alone so I think I just need to relax my rules about ipod free running.
My low this week was last nights run. My legs have been feeling like lead since my long run and also I had been up almost all night the night before (teething cranky baby, what else is new) and probably also slightly dehydrated so when I hopped on to the treadmill to do my short 3 mile run I had to jump off after just before 2 miles. I was so tired and thirsty that I could not continue for even a minute more. It was so discouraging because every time that happens I feel like I'll not be able to complete my next long run either and i'll just regress and go back to zero and be a total failure. So now I'm dreading Saturdays 4 mile run and almost feel like I should do a 1 mile run tonight to make up for my missed mile yesterday. Yes, I am OCD about the numbers. I am taking tonight off though because I'd rather have fresher legs tomorrow and do a 4 mile run then to finish the week off with a 1 mile run. That just figures though, I complete my longest run the other day and also have one bad run and at the end of the week the one I'm left thinking about was last nights crap run.
 |
| wish these were my wheels |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)