training plan, finally.

I'm dreaming about more races in my future, even though I haven't run one yet. I may be jumping the gun a bit, but.. well, welcome to my life!

I'm eyeing the PEI Marathon (October 17th), not for the marathon but for the Half (21.1 km). It will be 21 weeks after my first 10km, which is a ridiculous amount of time, and I believe I am definitely capable of being ready in 5 months.

That being said, I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to try and work out a training plan for this 10k, but so far I've just been haphazardly running out the door and running whatever I feel like. Which is great, I mean I'm having fun, but I'm not sure I'm prepping my body "correctly" to run a solid 10k in 7.5 weeks. That being said, when started my goal was just to finish, and since I already know I can cover 10k at once without dying, maybe my new goal should be a specific time, instead of racing to finish.

This is my record of the last few weeks:

Like the palm trees? I'm completely in denial that it is raining and c-c-c-cold outside.

It's glaringly obvious that this follows absolutely no pattern, except for that I never run on Fridays and I managed to hit 4/5 Mondays. It's like I start the week with good intentions but I'm burnt out by Friday. Also, the gross three (and, ahem, four) day gaps are very apparent when it is written out like that. I think I needed this month to get into some semblance of a habit. And boy do I notice it! My body loves me more now than ever. I have started to crave the endorphins that exercising is giving me, and I actually look forward to running when I get home. I think I've accepted the fact that I will not get up early to run before work, because running in the evenings is the same exercise anyway, and plus I'm not under any time constraints.

By playing with this training plan, (and converting it roughly to kms), this is what I've come up with:

I only have one rest day; and the short 3km run on Friday is so that I don't have two rest days in a row. I feel like this is rather ambitious, and I'm not sure how running in Toronto is going to go. In any case, it's a plan!

Also, how CUTE is this dress??

Who says you can't look girly when you're running..

four day week!!

Stats
Time: 35 mins
Length: 4.4km
Weather: 1-2 degrees, overcast
Feeling: I shouldn't have had a four day break between runs.. karma sucks!

I decided I was going to skip my run Monday night (after not running all weekend).. and then get up before work this morning to run. Riiiight. Snooze is my best friend in the morning, not running in the dark.

DC is coming to visit this weekend! I am so excited :)

ways to make everyday life glamorous.

First off let me say I am not living a glamorous lifestyle. I work in a lab. I love pizza. I sweat when I work out. I drool when I sleep.

However, sometimes I like to pretend that I am a glamorous Housewife. Here are some ways that I live the dream:

1. If Victoria Beckham has taught us anything, it's that large sunglasses hide a multitude of sins. Wear them frequently. Even on cloudy days.
2. Bubble baths with lots and lots of bubbles.
3. Wear heels to run mundane errands. This only works in the late afternoon or evening, or else people will mistake you for a walk of shame. And that is not glamorous.
4. Wear pretty earrings when you work out.
5. Pink! I bought a pink toothbrush and I think I've brushed my teeth about twelve times. Since last night.
6. Lots of candles. Everywhere.
7. Take ten minutes and speed clean before bed. Early morning, bleary-eyed, fuzzy-headed you will forget you cleaned and it will feel like the maid snuck in after you fell asleep.
8. Dark chocolate.
9. Get your nails done. If nothing else about you is pulled together, at least your nails are!
10. Pretty underwear. Enough said!

halifax is lovely.

Stats
Time: Around 30 mins
Length: 4 km
Weather: 10 degrees, beautiful!
Feeling: Privileged... how lucky am I to be able to live in this gorgeous city?!

I wasn't going to run today, but I got home and before I could really make up my mind my running shorts were on and I was lacing up my sneakers. Sometimes your body just knows what you need, I guess! I was starving when I got home so I gobbled down a plum and some cottage cheese before I headed out. I did a beautiful route down along the waterfront and then up Citadel Hill. There was another girl running up the hill too and we'd stop and start and keep passing each other. It makes it easier knowing I'm not the only one out there!

irony at its best.

This is amazing. Two of my pet peeves came together to cancel out and form something that I actually like?! Click on the photo to read the article.

drizzly run.

Stats
Time: 36-37 mins
Length: 5.0km (walked 0.6km)
Weather: 7 degrees, overcast, a little drizzly
Feeling: The "dead time" at the beginning of the run is decreasing! Woo!! Also, fat hungover

The last phrase should read, "fat hungover" and not "fat" and "hungover". Remember that spinach dip? I ate waaaay too much of it and went to bed four hours later still feeling sick. Yuck. And I definitely felt it today.. even though I got a full eight hours of sleep I still felt sluggish during the day and during my run. It's really interesting how I'm starting to connect what I feed my body and how I feel afterward - I drank a lot of water on Sunday and my run on Monday was awesome! I know all of this stuff in my head because I was very healthy in high school (and I read a lot of blogs and healthy living magazines and websites), but it's really cool to see it in real life again. Finally! :)

childhood obesity.

**Disclaimer**

I have strong opinions on a lot of things. Nadya Suleman. PETA. Nickelback. This post is in another area that I feel strongly about. So if reading about what I think pisses you off then stop reading here!
_________________________________________________________________

Child and adolescent obesity.

Whatever statistics I read, the stories I hear, the videos that are out there.. I am never short of dumbfounded.

This is the article that got me. And the quotes:

"I'm a junk food person and because I'm a couch potato I don't like to get off the couch," she said. "It's also kind of just like my genes: Both my parents are heavy and that's just the environment I was raised in."

Maria said people have stared at her all her life because of her weight.

"The first thing that goes through their minds is, 'Why is she so fat?' And, 'Oh my god, she's so fat, why doesn't she just hop onto a treadmill?' And I think people don't really understand that it's not just exercising...it's extremely hard."

Excuse me, what? That was a whole lot of placing the blame on other people. She is fourteen. I understand this. At fourteen I wanted to run away to Australia and marry Ian Thorpe and I was going to be a vet, or something. You don't know who you are when you're an adolescent and even though you are expected to be accountable for your actions, something as big as diet should have been monitored by her parents since she was, I don't know, 3 years old. You know, since she was first overweight. THREE. Also, just because your parents are overweight, does not mean that it's genetic!!

I don't know how I think I can get away with having such strong opinions on parenting, given that I don't actually have a child. My mother just laughs at me and says, "You just wait until you have children. Then we'll see how much you know!" I understand that. I really do. And I take the chastising. But I mean. COME ON. My child sure as hell won't be sitting around eating french fries and Cheetos all day.

"Maria was approved for an experimental procedure known as a "gastrectomy", during which 80 percent of the stomach is removed, including the part of the stomach that controls appetite."

SHE IS FOURTEEN. SHE HAD AN ORGAN REMOVED AND SHE IS FOURTEEN.

You're not even done growing at fourteen! Are you kidding me? This is major surgery! This is not a walk in the park! This alters your way of life for the rest of your life!

"In a letter to the insurance company seeking coverage for this procedure, Maria wrote she needed surgery to make it to her 15th birthday. She said, "Doctors have told me for years that if I keep gaining weight I'm not going to see 18 and that has terrified me. I want to live. I want to do so many things."

Hey Obama. What does that new health care bill say about this? Not even touching on the fact that a 14-year-old is contacting her insurance company (when I was fourteen I didn't even know the name of my health insurance company), she clearly stated that doctors had told her "for years" that she had a problem. What? Why didn't something happen before taking such a drastic approach?

I hope to heaven that I'm wrong. I hope that the 12 different diets she tried, she tried for more than a week, and that she tried more exercise than swinging the Wii remote around (she's not using Wii fit, it has a weight restriction..). I could go on forever. But I will leave you with this:

This makes me want to cry.

P.S. I did some quick calculations:

Let's say she is 5'7".
Weight: 445 lbs
BMI: 69... off the charts! (Obesity is classified as a BMI of 30 or greater)

To get her to a BMI of 24.9, which is right on the border of "healthy weight" and "overweight", she would have to weigh 159 lbs. She would have to lose 286 lbs, and if she lost it at a rate of 2lbs/week (recommended amount to maintain weight loss), it would take her 143 weeks. 2.75 years. THAT IS RIDICULOUS. No wonder she wanted surgery. It's way easier than working that hard.

rainy carbo chick flick.

It looks like this outside.


Perfect night for carbs, fat, and a chick flick! Hel-lo. Those girls at Booty Camp Fitness are going to have fun with me.

Yeah, that's not a typo.

I start April 7. Hoo boy.

run and fooood

Josh was making fun of the slow running times that I post on this blog. So this run was for you Josh!

Stats
Time: 35 mins
Length: 5.6km
Weather: 9 degrees, overcast
Feeling: Like this running is paying off.. and hungry!

AND I ran up TWO hills!

Also, I slept for 12 hours on Saturday night after that run. I was still energized this morning when I got up, so I made crock-pot stew to simmer while I was at work. When I got home from work, I made some tea biscuits and stuck them in the fridge. I'll throw them in the oven while I shower and then I will have homemade soup and biscuits, with lots of leftovers! Yumm :)

janice.

This woman is absolutely bonkers. I am obsessed!

10 km+ trail run.

Well, I know I can cover 10km without dying, because my friend Josh and I ran on trails and around a lake today, and we definitely covered 10km. Also, I can't really move my legs. I definitely didn't drink enough water before I ran, nor did I have enough fuel in my poor body. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day (18C!!!!) and I ran in SHORTS for the first time in forever!! It is amazing to be able to run with bare legs again. So much fun!

Stats
Time: You don't want to know
Length: somewhere between 10-11 km
Weather: 18 degrees and sunny!!!
Feeling: Phenomenal .. but dizzy from being improperly fueled. Also, my sneakers suck

I am exhausted. To bed!!

Fox.

I forgot to include:
1.all of the fist pumping. Jersey Shore has nothing on this guy. Michael Bolton INVENTED the fist pump.
2. when he name dropped Pavarotti, right before he sang thundering version of Nessun Dorma
3. Two or three times when he went to start a song, he'd gesture to the saxophone player and say, "Maestro." and he'd roll his rrrrs like he was Italian.
4. all of the Sinatra covers.

In one word: INCREDIBLE.

we're a stubborn people

Um, this is AWESOME.

Gold medal game delay: Air Canada flight idled for Olympic hockey fans

I am so proud to be Canadian :)

st. patty's day

*This post is from Wednesday night.*

Stats
Time: ~35 minutes
Length: 4.5 km
Weather: 5 degrees C, clear, still light (7:15-7:50pm! I love spring!)
Feeling: Pretty energetic, a little pissed at having to run through ignorant groups of green-clad students who wouldn't move out of the way

St. Patrick's Day is the best. I ducked out of work early (having spent a late night on Tuesday), and at 3:30pm there were emerald crowds of students crawling the streets already. Later in the evening, I jogged by an obviously drunk dude stumbling towards the QEII Emergency room.. he managed to find the only snowbank left in HRM and fell head over teakettle right over it. He then proceeded to brush his hands off with rocks, and attempted to stand up straight. I stopped running and took out my earbud, and asked, "You alright bud?" He was like, "Yeaah, I'm jusht goin' to th'emergencsy rooom." Smashed at 7:23pm, no friends, and heading for the emergency room to pass out. Props for being responsible buddy! Also, if there are drunk wanderers in your group, make sure you always know where they are!! He easily could have tripped in front of a car.. then he REALLY would have needed the emergency room.

Also, Textsfromlastnight are HILARIOUS today. It makes me think that our generation is full of alcoholics though.. don't get me wrong, it's really funny, but it also makes me a leeetle worried for the next generation! Hopefully they're not all surprise FAS babies :S

reminiscing..

I was reminiscing about that sprint triathlon after I wrote my earlier post, and managed to track down some photos and a little clip. Mom was learning how to use the video feature on my camera, and so it flips in the middle when she flipped the camera to get me in the frame, and I don't know how to flip the video.. so apologies. Also, my arm is far from buff. HA.

BIG NEWS.

I'm officially registered for the Chronicle Herald 10k on May 23rd!!!

May 22-23 is the Bluenose Marathon weekend here in Halifax, and it's huge. There are over 1,000 volunteers, an "Active Living Expo" involving 60 exhibitors focused on health and wellness, race bibs (I get a race bib!!!), computer timing chips to record your time, and for people not racing they can watch the finish line action from inside the Metro Centre!!

The only other organized race I've ever run was a sprint triathlon in the summer of 2007. A sprint is a 750m swim, a 20km bike, and a 5km run. I had never done an open water swim, I was wildy unprepared for the bike, and didn't really train any bricks, so my legs almost gave out when I stepped off the bike. Nevertheless, I LOVED it, I almost passed out from excitement when the race organizers wrote my number on my arm in permanent marker and strapped the timer to my ankle. I loved the mayhem of all the splashing legs and arms in the water and loved (okay, well, I didn't LOVE this) having to dodge flailing feet and zoom between jellyfish all at once. The adrenaline was pumping, it was a beautiful day, my mom was busy taking photos and cheering, and everyone was so supportive!! When I got to the run, everyone that passed me (yeah that's right) was super encouraging and urged me to keep going. I gunned it when I saw the finish line, and combination of sunshine, the heady endorphin rush, and the joy of a new experience was incredible.

Reflecting on it now, it's surprising I haven't registered for more races since...

I have about 9.5 weeks until this 10k. I haven't really been training in a specific pattern for the last two weeks (I've been more concerned about seeing if I could still run without dying), but I'm thinking I should start. Stay tuned for some sort of training plan..

Today I ran for those that can't.

Stats
Time: 45ish minutes
Length: 6.1 km
Weather: 7 degrees C, clear, LIGHT (at 7pm!)
Feeling: Girly emo; but pounded that pavement solid

How to make the best pizza ever:

1. Open ready-made pizza dough mix.
2. Add too much water.
3. Cry for your boyfriend to come clean off your fingers because the dough is too sticky (oops).
4. Let dough rise 15 mins.
5. Throw a chicken breast in the toaster oven and sausages on the grill to cook.
6. Chop up garlic, onion, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes.
7. Preheat oven to 375C.
8. Grate cheese. Lots of cheese.
9. Assure hungry boyfriend that he will, in fact, receive a meal today.
10. Assemble a random medley of spices (oregano, basil, pepper, etc.).
11. Add lots of flour to dough and attempt to mold into a circle on a cookie sheet. After several frustrating attempts, announce that you are either going back to preschool to learn how to make a circle, or going to Italy to learn how to make real pizza.
12. Transfer dough to clean, greased cookie sheet. Shape into a pathetic, doughy circle.
13. Give pathetic doughy circle a facelift by slathering with pizza sauce. Looks better already!
14. Cover glossy new pizza dough with chopped sausage, chopped chicken, broccoli, tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, and cheese. Announce that you may be the best pizza chef EVER. Buddy's father-in-law included.
15. Put in preheated oven. Wait 18 minutes.
16. Drool while looking through the oven door.
17. Check pizza. Put back in for 2 minutes.
18. Check pizza again. Put back in for 5 minutes.
19. Take pizza out of oven, finally.
20. Forget to take picture of brilliant pizza.
21. Cut pizza.
22. Let pizza cool so you don't send your boyfriend home with a burnt mouth, again.
23. ENJOY!!


Also, I ran. Pre-pizza.

Stats
Time: 20 mins
Length: 2.8 km
Weather: I forget. But spring-like
Feeling: Just trying to put one foot in front of the other

a hate letter.

WHHHYYY are the HRM traffic cops not enjoying the sunny weather like everyone else is and spending it chatting and drinking coffee, instead of getting gleefully drunk on a heady mixture of spring time and power, and throwing out parking tickets like beads at Mardi Gras.. I HATE YOU

Also, who remembers (FROM WHEN THEY TOOK DRIVER'S ED) that you're not supposed to park 7.5 m from a corner? SOME OF US grew up in the country, where my biggest concern was getting around a tractor before getting squashed by oncoming traffic. COME ON.

If you had taken a few deep breaths, basked in the sunlight, and gone to Tim's for a double double, it would have been all cool and good because I wasn't even there for 30 mins. HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU TOO

Thought.

It's going to be 7 degrees C today (and sunny!), we're going out for Greek food at work today, I'm taking the afternoon off, my apartment is clean and my boyfriend is coming to visit! I love Fridays!

Second Letter to My AGNT:

..so that looks like "agent", or "a gunt" .. neither of which are actually related to you. I promise.

I ditched you in favor of a less experienced, more expensive nail tech at a salon. FAIL. She took 90 mins to do something that you take 30 mins to do.. and it cost me $15 more.

I promise to come to you next time, no matter where you are staying. And I will bring my club card with me.

To My Anonymous Gel Nail Technician:

I am NOT chasing you throughout the HRM everytime your boy drama requires you to move. Even though you have really good rates and a club card. Sigh.

a medley of thoughts.

Avatar was sooo good! 800 calories of M&Ms later.. aahh!

Today's run was a little longer.

Stats
Time: 35 mins
Length: 4.4 km
Weather: 5-6 degrees C, clear
Feeling: Insufficiently fueled.. (that's what happens when I go to Tim's for lunch.. not a whole lot of veggies there!)

I came home and made shake and bake chicken nuggets, sweet potato fries, and filled the other half of the plate with veggies. Yum!

In other news, the winter parking ban is over two days early!! Woohoo! My apartment doesn't have parking with it, so since mid-December I've been paying to park in a parking lot down the road. Now I can park right outside my door again! It's funny how you don't realize what a treat that is until you don't have it..

I watch a lot of TLC.. and they show an ad for the new show, "Addicted", quite frequently. There's one scene where a father leans down to his son and says, ".. it's Dad." That scene KILLS me. I tear up just thinking about it. It makes me thankful that I really have no idea what drug addiction is like.

DC is coming to Halifax on Friday for a conference!! I haven't seen him in a month and I'm so excited :) You'd think after almost seven months we'd have adjusted to this long distance thing, and I think to a certain extent we have. I never stop missing him though.. (awwwww). Thank goodness for Facebook!

another movie.

Stats
Time: 20 mins
Length: 2.8 km
Weather: 5-6 degrees C, clear
Feeling: Energized

A quick run tonight, because I am off to see Avatar! It's only in theatres for a few more days and I really want to see it in 3D. Even though it didn't win as many Oscars as it was supposed to, it's been getting great reviews, and watching it on my little tv in 2D just wouldn't seem the same.

law-abiding citizen.

I started watching "Law Abiding Citizen" last night, and after turning on all the lights partway through I still had to turn it off and finish it today, in the day light. Perks of living alone.

The movie is one of the best I've seen in a really long time. And Gerard Butler is soo good in this role! I don't really like Jamie Foxx but he's pretty good too.

I'm not really sure what I was expecting for an ending, but I don't think that was it. This movie makes you want to hug everyone you love and never let them go. Also, always do the right thing, always. In any case, GO SEE IT if you haven't yet. So worth it!

excellent find!

I wore my running gear to Canadian Tire today, so that while I was waiting for my car oil to be changed, I could take off on a run.

I ran for about half of the time, and had to take my hat off because the sun was so warm!! LOVE it!

Stats
Time: 50 mins
Length: 5.3 km
Weather: 1-2 degrees C, SUNNY!!
Feeling: Loving the sun, legs were a little stiff

On the way out I passed Planet Organic Market on Quinpool. AN ORGANIC MARKET!! Awesome! Awesome, you know, if I made $100,000 a year. That stuff is expensive! I picked up some ginger root, a fair trade espresso dark chocolate bar (yumm) and some coconut oil for cooking. There was a woman with a little booth set up selling some sort of high antioxidant juice. Life lesson: Always ask before you put it in your mouth. That's what she said. I felt so gross after I tried it (that'swhatshesaid) that I actually thought for a second that I found something I was allergic to. I was self-assessing for symptoms of anaphylactic shock. I'm such a hypochondriac.

I raced home and cleaned my apartment, and then my mom came to visit after her shift. She's helping me (well, more like doing it for me.. ha) file my taxes and needed to pick up some paperwork. We had freshly baked banana bread (did you know you could make banana bread in a toaster oven?! who knew!) and tea and chatted. I like when she comes to visit because I feel like I have to clean, and then when she's gone my apartment is clean! After she left I made hummus and watched lots of Housewives. I love weekends.

Also, I saw an ad for Old Navy and it said you could build your own Supermodelquin online.. so I did!

The options for body types were, "athletic", "curvy", and "bootylicious". I laughed, and then chose "bootylicious". Gooood.

What do you think, does it look like me? :)

stalking my prey.

I couldn't help it any longer, I had to go shopping!! It's been a while and I needed a challenge.. shopping should be a sport, I don't care what anyone says. I was good though and only brought a small amount of cash and left my debit card at home. That works really well because I can't spend more than what I bring.


I found three tops.. apparently I like blue..

..and a pair of earrings. 100% cubic zirconia. This way, I can wear them everywhere (and by everywhere I mean running) and still feel glamorous.. without crying (too much!) if I lose them.

Aaahh. This is what Fridays are for!

5.5km!!!

Woohooo!! I did 5.5km! I have no idea how long it took, and I walked some of it because my stupid pants kept falling down. I have this pair of Lululemon pants that I bought in a size 8 because I looked like a lumpy sausage in the size 6, but they appear to be a bit too big. I'm sorry for mooning you, Halifax.

Stats
Time: No clue
Length: 5.5 km
Weather: 0 degrees C, overcast, a few snowflakes
Feeling: Frustrated, but energetic

Once I got running and pushed through the "I'm GOING to DIE" phase, it was AWESOME!! Feeling the endorphin rush literally felt like coming home (no offense Mom! love you!). It was a familiar place, one where I was on top of the world and nothing could stop me (except for my slipping Lulus.. argh). I was actually smiling during the last block. I love liifeee

Lounging on the couch post-run!

P.S. The flowers I bought last Saturday still look great!! What a steal :)

monday!

Sunday was a relaxed day, except for that terribly exciting hockey game.. I was crunched up in a little ball holding my breath with 1 minute left, and yelled when USA tied it up with 24 seconds to go. I'm not a big hockey fan, but when the weight of an entire country rests on the shoulders of these young men (..old in some cases I guess), I feel I have to tune in to see how it goes. Plus, these are our boys!! I have never felt more patriotic than I did last night. [Thanks Steve and Geoff for the beer!]

I definitely didn't run yesterday, I could say it was because I wanted to see how my body felt after running for the first time in forever, but it's actually just because I was lazy. I was going to get up this morning, but my bed was too cozy and I hit snooze about four too many times. I was thinking all day at work about going for a run, and oddly enough actually looking forward to it.. weird what those endorphins can do isn't it??

Stats
Time: ~30 mins
Length: 3.9km (from Gmaps Pedometer)
Weather: 5 degrees C!! I wore capris!! Bare ankles!!
Feeling: Good, energized (I had 1/2 cup veggie juice and 1 tbsp pb because I was starving after work!)

For the first 3-4 minutes, I literally feel like I am going to die. I seem to remember this feeling, and that it goes away once my cardiovascular endurance gets back up to speed. Once I push through it, the endorphins take over and I love life! There's nothing like broadway tunes and a clear sidewalk right around dusk to take care of a day.

Before I stepped out for my run, I chopped up veggies and defrosted some chicken and threw together a marinade, and let it sit in the fridge while I ran. I also soaked some skewers in water.. because I made shish kabobs! Yummm.


Then I went to run some errands and spent a Superstore gift card from my dear parents <3



I don't really eat a lot of pasta, but Blue Menu pasta was on sale, and I'd already picked up the tortellini, so I thought I'd stock up (it's not like it expires). Also, I don't collect many things.. but I LOVE mugs. So I had to add this cute flowery one to the collection!