You Are What You Eat

A new week, a new look for my blog!!!   While this week wasn't exactly a win in the exercise department
(-20s with windchill is not my ideal running weather), I did take some very positive steps forward in an effort to clean up my eating habits.   I was fortunate that my 6 week "Food Free-For-All" didn't have a significant impact on the number on the scale, but it really gave me a kick in the ass energy-wise.  

 

 

So, with the exception of a couple of drinks at Friday Night Wine Book Club, I did pretty well with my eating this week.   (The food journaling habit seems to be taking a while to kick in though).   I am also working really hard at kicking my "on-again, off-again" love affair with diet coke, which had returned to a passionate "on-again" relationship of late. 

 

Even though I didn't get out for my planned runs this week (I'm still blaming the weather...), I did manage to sneak in some workouts in my basement thanks to some old favourite workout DVDs video tapes.  (How retro!!)  I promised myself that, no matter the weather, I was going to get out for a run this weekend.   I am trying to re-establish a solid 5K base so that I can start working the "Bridge to 10K" program. 

 

I had trouble choosing an outfit that would solve the old "Not too hot, hot too cold" conundrum, (I had thought that -3 would feel like BIKINI weather after what we had to endure last week.  Not so), but eventually I settled on something.   Makenna decided to join me as well for her first run since the December 1st Santa Shuffle. (Yay!) We planned on a 4K+ route in our neighbourhood and headed out around 1pm with the sun blazing.  

 

It felt REALLY good to get back out there.  Everything seemed to come together and it was as if I hadn't taken 6 weeks off to Eat, Drink and be Merry.   After the first 2K I overheated and had to take off my jacket, but overall this run felt totally fantastic.   No cramps, no side stitches, no knee pain. I am also FINALLY closing in on a 7 mins/km pace.   I couldn't help but think that this may have had something a lot to do with how well I ate during the week and how well hydrated I was.   I have heard it, I have read it, I have even preached it to my Weight Watchers members, but I definitely experienced it today - you are what you eat.    Everything you put into your body is fuel and your engine runs so much better on premium fuel than the crappy, over-processed, low-grade fuel that we so often find in fast food restaurants and the frozen food aisle. 

 

I've noticed that a lot of my Facebook friends are embracing the "Paleo" style of eating.  In short, you eat only foods that would have been available during the "Paleolithic Era".  If a caveman ate it, you're good to go.  If not, steer clear.    Really, this style of eating makes a lot of sense to me - good, clean, wholesome eating. Nothing packaged, nothing processed.   I'm not quite sure if I could adopt this diet for the long haul (No Grains!  No Dairy!  No Chocolate!), but I'm contemplating adding in a week of Paleo-style eating maybe once every month or so just to see how it affects my training. 

 

Looking ahead to this week, I have 3 quick 4K runs scheduled during the week as well as my "long run" on Sunday.   (My long run is currently only 6K, but we all have to start somewhere).  Add in a yoga class and a couple of my vintage home workouts and I should start seeing my energy levels returning to their former glory sooner rather than later. 

 

Until we eat again,

 

J :)

No day like TODAY!

After taking pretty much the entire month of December off from any activity that didn't involve eating, drinking or spending money, immediately followed by a week long vacation in Mexico that involved more of the same, I decided that TODAY was the day to get back on the proverbial healthy living bandwagon.  And let me tell you, even though my brain was ready for this transition, my body had to be dragged kicking and screaming out for a "pre-training" run.   The weather forecast couldn't have been more co-operative so even though I am still battling some kind of head cold, I knew I had to lace up my shoes and get out there.

I had been doing so well with maintaining my healthy eating habits for the first 11 months of the year, but everything really fell apart in December.   It's amazing how one bad month can really throw you for a loop.  I've noticed that my energy levels for the past 6 weeks have been somewhat comparable to those of a hibernating bear, which I am certain has a great deal to do with my diet.   Today, I was determined to make better choices and recreate the habit of "food journaling". 

I've been giving a lot of thought to the goals that I have set for myself for the upcoming year and I have to say, I'm definitely nervous scared s*%$less.  I almost don't know where to start.  I do have a "training plan" of sorts, but looking at it after not running for over a month is rather intimidating.    I figured today I would just go out and do a quick 4K, see how it feels and go from there.  

So how did it feel, you ask?    It sucked.   A lot.   So much so that I only ended up doing 2 of the planned 4K.   My chest burned and my head was pounding which, in all fairness, is probably due more to the cold I am battling than the lack of exercise recently, but still.   It did feel good to get past my "fear" of lacing up my shoes though and I gave myself permission to quit after 2K.  I figure it's a start and every journey has to have one even if it's not pretty.  

Even though my ultimate goal for the year is the Island Girl Half Marathon in September, there is another rather large and daunting challenge I must face on the way - the Mississauga Marathon 10K race in May - which will be my focus for the first 4 months of the year.  Even though I have already completed an 8K race, I will be going back to basics to prepare for the 10K.   I do know that a good portion of the course is hilly, so I will need to add some hill work as well as some interval speed training, which will be new to me.   

I'm going to follow a plan that is similar to the one that I used to prepare for the 5K last year called "Bridge to 10K".   It is quite short, only 6 weeks, so I will use a program that I found on www.runforlife.ca to take me to race day once I've completed the 6 week "Bridge" plan.   (I will also be following their "Half Marathon" training plan after the 10k is complete).  I'm going to spend the afternoon scheduling the runs, cross training sessions and yoga classes into my calendar so I have a clear picture of where I'm going for at least the next 4 months. 

I'm hoping that as my body gets re-accustomed to exercise and proper eating everything will start to fall back into place and the fear and doubt that have found their way into my mind will be remembered only in this blog post.

J :)

13(.1) for 2013??

Wow, I can't believe I haven't written a post since the post race wrap up blog back in May.   Not sure why, really.   One of the best things about my running journey was that it forced me to blog often, ensuring that I had a record of my journey from couch potato to 5K runner.  I enjoyed sharing those posts with you, perhaps even more than I enjoyed the running itself and I'm not sure why I stopped writing.  Perhaps life just got in the way.

A lot has happened since then.   This morning I wrapped up my 2012 race season with the 5K Santa Shuffle in Mississauga.  A nice, informal "fun run" for charity, that also happened to be a friend's very first race.   I remembered so well what it felt like to be in her running shoes and it was nice to have a chance to be there to experience her first race with her. 

It got me thinking back to how far I've come and how much I've enjoyed this year.  One of the highlights was being able to experience 4 races with Makenna - I'm so glad we can do this together.  (Well, mostly together - generally after the gun goes off I don't see her again until the finish line....but I digress).  I was a little sad knowing that this was my last race for the year (for my 2012 race highlights, click HERE), but I also started thinking ahead to 2013!  What goals should I set?  What races should I run?  

So, after some thought, and without further ado, here are my 2013 Running Goals:

1. To complete 13 races in 2013 (and ideally NOT repeats of any races from 2012, unless racing a different distance). A few I have in mind are the famous "Around the Bay" (not the full 30k), "Harry's 8K Spring Run off", "A Mid-summer Night's Run 15k (you should SEE the medal for this one!) and perhaps even a road trip race.

2. To run 13.1 miles....in one race....I believe they have a name for that.....A HALF MARATHON! Yes, I'm going to go out on a limb and put this goal out there on the net for all to see - I will run a half marathon in 2013.

I had been hovering on the fence for quite some time about this, knowing that I really wanted to do it, but not quite sure if I could. I went back and re-read some of my blogs from when I was starting out back in February. Realizing that there was a time, not so long ago, when running for 60 seconds was a challenge and the thought of running a 5K race was nearly an impossible dream, somehow put it all into perspective. Damn right, I can do this!!!!! I can and I will!

I haven't quite decided yet which one I will do, but I am aiming for September/October. If you have a suggestion, by all means send it my way! The Island Girl Half Marathon in September is the front runner at the moment. I like the fact that it is totally flat and is a smaller event for women only.  I'll give it some thought over the next few weeks and come up with a race that will work!

In honour of goal setting for 2013, here are the top 13 things I learned during my rookie running season:

13.  Someone will always be faster (and slower!) than you.  Comparing yourself to other runners is foolish - the only runner you should try to beat is yourself.  (but don't become a slave to the stopwatch).

12. There will be days when the last thing in the world you want to do is run - just put on your shoes and go.  I guarantee you will not come home and regret it. 

11.  Being a medal wh*re bling junkie is perfectly acceptable.  Signing up for a race solely because of the awesome finisher's medal - also OK. 

10. Cute running clothes are a powerful motivator so go ahead and spend some money.  (Side note:  buying shoes is NOT the time to be frugal)

9. Smile as you cross the finish line - you won't want to buy a grumpy looking race photo. 

8.  Running is NOT a licence to eat whatever you want, whenever you want to.   Eventually your pants will get tighter.  

7.  HYDRATE - before, during and after. 

6.  Aches and pains are your body's way of telling you to slow down - LISTEN TO IT!

5.  Not every run/race will be awesome.   Some will suck.  A lot.   You still did better than everyone sitting on the couch. 

4.   Some runs/races WILL be SO awesome that you will think you are a super hero and will consider wearing a cape on all future runs.

3.  Those big bursts of motivaion?   They don't last.  Make sure you have a plan (and a goal race) to keep you motivated when the going gets tough. 

2.  Having a training blog (or training buddy) to be accountable to works like a charm!

and the #1 thing I learned in my rookie running season.......

1.  I CAN DO IT!

Happy Running! 

J :)

Running Commentary Part Deux (Post Race Wrap Up)

Well, as most of you know that have been following me on Facebook, my 3 months of hard work and training finally paid off.  On Saturday, May 5th at approximately 6:41 pm, I crossed the finish line of the Mississauga Marathon "Hazel" 5K!  I'd love to say that it was easy and that all my efforts thus far paved the way for an easy jaunt to the finish line, but in fact this run was one of the hardest I had completed so far.  Definitely tougher than the two "warm-up" 5K's  I had run in the week leading up to the race.   Here's a rundown of what went through my head from beginning to end:

Pre-Race:   A (very crowded) shuttle bus dropped my running buddy and I off at the start line, near Port Credit Arena.  Holy cow there are a lot of people here.  We were pretty early so we had nearly an hour to kill.  Now what do we do?   Learning from a previous training run that needed to be aborted for a bathroom break, lining up for the porta potties sounded like an excellent plan.  Can't say I don't learn from my mistakes.  The race "Emcee" announced that there were around 1300 registered participants in the race.  Dear God, please don't let me be last!  A quick pre-race stop at the "hydration table", and it was time to find a place in the mass of people, preferably not too close to the front.  Would really rather not get trampled.  Kid sings the national anthem (cute!) and we count down to the start.  Here we go!   The race horn sounds and we're off!  There are so many people that we kind of do a strange "saunter" to the starting mats (this is weird), but about a minute after the horn we reach the front of the pack and the race officially begins for us!

Kilometre 1:  It's kind of disconcerting for the first 100 metres or so, with all of the faster runners dodging around you in the crowd. Not sure I like this.  I lose my much faster running buddy around this point, so I try to settle down into what feels like a normal pace for me.  Slow. The first kilometre is still pretty crowded, so establishing any sort of a steady pace is pretty difficult (at least for a rookie), but eventually I think I find it.  Holy crap a lot of people are passing me.  The first kilometre passes in a blink (OMG, the 1K sign! ), and I begin to think the race is going to be a piece of cake.  I am super runner!  Hear me roar!

Kilometre 2:  Another lady that I know that started way behind me, zips past me in a blur.  You go girl!  But I notice that I am passing my share of people too. So what if most of them are walking?  I see a woman a the side of the road holding out a bowl of orange wedges,  (Mmmmm, I could go for an orange wedge right now), but I suspect that might be a little distracting so I keep going.  For some reason this kilometre seems much longer than the first.   Surely the finish line must be just around the corner? I start to reflect on how far I've come since I began this journey, and get a little misty eyed in the process.  You softie!  You call yourself a runner???!!!   It seems to be ages before I see the 2K sign and the aid/hydration station.  Yay, Water!

Kilometre 3:   I grab a paper cup from one of the volunteers, but because I don't want to slow down to drink it, I end up spilling it down the front of my shirt.  This really adds to my gracefulness!  I notice that most people just crumple their cup and toss it on the ground, but I can't bring myself to do it so I keep my eyes out for the trash can ahead.  "And the Green Citizen of the Year Award goes to......"   At about the 2.5k mark, I somehow manage to swallow a bug (protein!!), and I really wish I still had that cup of water with me.  Around this point, we encounter our first "mini-incline" in the form of a curved bridge.  Why does this feel so much harder than it did last week?  One runner in particular is driving me nuts by zooming past me on one side, and then stopping dead in front of me, only to zoom past me again once I pass her.  If we were driving, I would so give her the finger!  Finally, up ahead, I see the 3K sign. Hallelujah! 

Kilometre 4:    I can feel myself slowing down considerably at this point.  Is this race not over YET?  The race organizers cleverly tease us early on in this phase by showing you the finish line, but then diverting you in another direction to do a loop around a park trail.  Damn you, race organizers!  This was, by far, the longest leg of the race.   For a portion of the trail you are passing faster runners going in the opposite direction, and I keep my eyes peeled for my long lost running buddy.  You lucky buggers are almost done!   After what seems like forever....the 4K sign!  Wait, do I hear angels singing??

Final Kilometre:  I can see the finish line up ahead, but it seems like a really long way away.  You've got this, you're almost there.  I notice my inner voice has gotten considerably nicer in the final K. I think I prefer this side of you, inner voice!   As I run along a section of the waterfront trail (this is really pretty), I hear music and cheering up ahead. Almost party time!!   Around this point my headphone cords are driving me absolutely crazy, so I take them off and hang them around my neck.  Goodbye, P!nk!  And yes,  I am a Rock Star.   What's that I see up ahead???  Please tell me it's not a hill.   That's right.   A HILL!  Damn you race organizers!!   I wonder what happened to my nicer inner voice?  I'm sorry, you've got this.  Kick that hill's A$$!!    A cheery person at the bottom of the hill says the finish line is only 100m away.  Hill, you're going DOWN!!!   I make it up the hill, around a bend and see the finish line ahead. A strange voice announces my name, (Hey, how does he know it's me?  I MUST be rock star),  and I realize it's because I've crossed a pre-finish timing mat.  I look up at this point and see the kids and Marc cheering me on.  I must not cry.  I must not cry.     A few more steps and....YAHOOOOOOO!!!!

I DID IT!  I'm in a daze and slightly weepy.   A person comes up to me and gives me a hug.  I really hope this is Aynsley.   I realize it IS my long lost running buddy (whew!) who waited for me at the finish line before going around to meet her family even though she finished about 6 minutes before I did.   Awwww, that was nice.  More tears.   Man, we're going to have to toughen you up before the next race!  She shows me where to go to claim my medal (YESS!!) and I notice that it matches my shirt perfectly.  My inner fashionista is pleased.    Nicely done!    We make our way through the crowd and find our kids waiting with their "GO MOM" signs.   Geez, Im crying again.   I have to say, this feels pretty darn good!! Yay, Me!

 All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how my first race went down.  My official "Chip Time" was 41:51, which was about a minute slower than I had been running, but I'm still pretty proud of myself. My goal was to run the entire 5K without stopping and, while I may not have been the fastest, I did it.  And I wasn't last.   I wasn't going to write this final blog since, by now, everyone already knows that I completed the race, but I decided that my adventure needed a proper wrap-up.   This morning I received an email from the official race photographers with my race photos, and I thought that it would be nice to compile these blogs, along with my own photos and some of the professional ones, into a scrapbook of my journey.   I figure it will be a nice reminder of my strength on days when I'm not feeling so strong!

So, once again, thank you to all who supported me.  It has meant a great deal and I couldn't have gotten here without you! 

I promise not to bore you with my running saga any more! 

J :)

Running Commentary (Pre-Race musings)

Well, it has been a while since I've written a new post so I figured that since I have 4 hours to kill until race time...well, there's no time like the present! In a weird way, today kind of reminds me a little of my wedding day (minus the fancy dress, hair appointment and 100 guests). Today, like on my wedding day, I'm not nervous or anxious - just excited. I'm just dying to get there, get it done and party afterwards! The wait is killing me! (Advantage of early morning races duly noted.....)

For most of the morning I've been thinking back on the last 3 months and how far I've come. On this date, 3 months ago, I started the Couch to 5K running program, barely able to run for 60 seconds at a time. To be honest, I had no real expectations that I would be able to make it through the entire 9 weeks, which is why I didn't register for the race until March 27th - the beginning of week 8. If this program has taught me anything, it is to never doubt what you are capable of. Our biggest limitations are those that we impose on ourselves in our own minds and once we change our way of thinking, anything is possible.

I know that, to a lot of people, running a 5K race might seem like a very small thing. I'm not exactly changing the world here, am I? This is right, of course. In the grand scheme of things I am just another faceless runner doing the same thing that millions of runners before me have done...both farther and faster than I will. For me, however, this is a pretty big freakin' deal! Something I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember but never thought I could. As a result of this journey, I've learned that if I want it badly enough I can make it happen. A pretty big lesson, I think. All of the sore knees, hips and backs along the way have been more than worth it!

I am really touched by the outpouring of support I have received during my journey - all those likes, comments, private messages and tweets along the way have meant the world to me and I thank you for them! More than you know, you made it possible to get here today! I'm in the home stretch now!

Can't wait to cross the finish line....which we all know is really just the beginning.

J :)

Back on Track (Couch to 5K: Week 8 Day 2)

For the first time since I started this program, I've been really DREADING a run. I was somewhat discouraged after Monday's failed effort, and I think, more than anything, I was afraid that maybe I wouldn't be able to finish the program I had been working so hard at for the past 8+ weeks.

Since Monday, I've been paying really close attention to my diet and my water intake. I thought that perhaps I wasn't giving my muscles the proper fuel to carry me through my runs, possibly explaining my recent aches and pains. (I know that, as a rule, I don't drink enough water) I also bought myself a bottle of G20 Gatorade (which tastes like crap, but is only 20 calories as compared to 180 for the other kinds) and drank half of it in the morning, and the other half about an hour before my planned run - hoping for a little energy boost.

I plotted out my route in advance, throwing caution to the wind and deciding on a new 4K route I hadn't run before. One of the biggest dilemmas lately has been deciding on what to wear - just enough so I don't freeze to death, but not so much that I'm suffocating halfway through. Today I somehow managed to get it exactly right and I felt pretty comfortable throughout. The wind was wicked though, and I seemed to be running directly into it most of the time, almost as if it was following me. I think this slowed me down a little, but slowing down was probably not a bad idea at this point.

I have to say, I felt pretty good out there today. There was some residual stiffness in my back, for sure, but no pain! YAY! When I was coming into the home stretch, I ran into the kids walking home from school. I was sort of a "bad mom" here, and didn't stop to talk to them. I waved and kept on going. (Hey, I was finally in the ZONE! I didn't want to mess it up! There goes my "Mother of the Year" award. Again.) Erin insisted on following me on the rest of my route and she did pretty good trying to keep up while carrying her backpack.

I ran exactly 4KM in 32:26 (8:06 mins/km). Slow, yes, but at this point I'm thinking slow and steady will win the race. Or at least get me to the finish line!! I need to get my butt into a yoga class and stretch out some sore muscles, but hopefully Friday will go just as smoothly as today did. I'm not sure if it was the diet, the gatorade or just a better overall attitude, but I'm hoping to replicate it for W8D3!!!

J :)

Book Review: Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson

Let me start off this book review by saying that, prior to reading this book, I really didn't know much about Steve Jobs (other than he was the "Big Cheese" at Apple) and I am not a drinker of the "Apple Kool-Aid", so to speak. Nevertheless, I have been on the waiting list for this book at the library for more than 4 months and I was really looking forward to reading it.

Walter Isaacson is a well known biographer that is responsible for the best selling biographies of several iconic figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and Henry Kissinger. When Steve Jobs became painfully aware that his time on earth was drawing to a close, he contacted Mr. Isaacson himself and requested to be the subject of his next book. Steve gave Mr. Isaacson "exclusive and unprecedented" access to all aspects of his life, and requested no control over what was written, nor the right to read it prior to publishing. In true "Steve Jobs" fashion (the packaging is just as important as the content) his only request was to be able to select the image to be used on the cover.

The book is based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs himself as well as countless interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, colleagues and adversaries. The result of more than 2 years of hard work is an engaging, well-crafted story of a man so complex that, despite being a prominent public figure for over 30 years, very few people truly knew him. It could be argued that after completing this book, Mr. Isaacson himself might know him better than most others that were main characters in the story of his life.

Beautifully and sensitively written, Mr. Isaacson pulls no punches and paints a picture of Jobs' life that includes the good, the bad and the ugly. Jobs could go from Tyrant to Teddy Bear and from Tree-Hugger to Tech-Wizard in the blink of an eye, and Isaacson captured it all with just the right tone.

You come to realize that Jobs, while brilliant, was a complex and flawed individual with many layers. The book was written in such a way that I grew intensely attached to a man I barely know, and I cried my way through many of the final chapters (since we already know Jobs' story doesn't exactly have the happiest of endings). Surprisingly, one of the most poignant and complex relationships portrayed is the one between Jobs and Bill Gates. Often depicted as bitter enemies, I was shocked to discover the mutual admiration, respect and near-friendship these 2 men shared. For me, their final "meeting" was one of the most emotional stories in the book.

Jobs is not painted as a hero by any means, but by the end you are left with very little doubt that he completely revolutionized the world as we know it. Personal computing is just the tip of the iceberg here. From animated movies to music, digital publishing, phones and tablet computing, these industries will forever bear the thumbprint of Jobs and the iconic brand he created.

I highly recommend this book. Not only does it offer a glimpse into the rarely seen "human" side of a man everyone recognizes but few truly know, but it takes the reader on a "Technology Journey", allowing us to witness the birth of some of the amazing products (and a few not-so-amazing ones) that we now often take for granted.

Happy iReading!

J :)