Sorry guys, I've got to bail

After several days of nagging knee pain, I've got to cut my streak short if I want to be able to start my marathon training in January healthy. I really wish I could continue; my mind is in, but sadly, my body says no. Good luck to the rest of the streakers! You can do it!

Streaking Day 5 complete

I did my 1 mile today to keep the streak alive. Knee hurt, nothing else to report. That's it, that's all folks.

Slow and steady doesn't fall on their face (Streaking - Day 4)

Last night and throughout the day, it was freezing rain so I waited until tonight to go for my run. According to the forecast, it was supposed to warm up a bit with some rain, so I figured that would melt some of the ice. Nope. I went out and did the bare minimum to keep the streak alive (well, actually 1.71km/1.07 miles). I finished in 12:59, an excruciatingly slow pace but it was the only way to keep from slipping and falling on my face. I tried to run in the middle of the road where the cars had broken up the ice a little bit (and I can get away with it in the PMQs because of the limited traffic). But I did it. If it hadn't been for the streak, I would have taken three steps into the driveway before going back inside, so thank you fellow streakers for keeping me motivated. My knee was still bothering me a little, so I think the slow pace helped with that.

On another note, now that I'm officially registered for this marathon, I'm reconsidering the plan I'm going to use. Originally, I planned on using Higdon's Novice 2 but now I'm starting to wonder if I should switch to Intermediate 1. My logic is this: with the maintenance program I'm following right now, I'm averaging 34km/week. The Novice 2 plan starts with 31km/week, whereas the Intermediate 1 starts with 38km/week. I also like the idea of running 5 times/week, like I'm doing now. Also, as the mileage increases, my work schedule will decrease as my courses finish up (some as early as February). It's just a thought for now; I've got til January to decide.

Streaking - Day 3 (interrupted by knee pain)

I went out for my run tonight and things were fantastic! There was little wind, I was dressed warm enough for the weather and I was enjoying just cruising along listening to my music. Then my knee started to hurt. I went from feeling like I could run forever to wondering if I would make it home. I pushed through and got in 2 miles (3.2km), but now I'm icing my knee and aggressively applying Voltaren. I hope it feels better tomorrow because I need to get in a long run.

Just registered for my first marathon....

I finally got the courage to click submit. I am now officially registered for the Ottawa Marathon on May 27, 2012. I am also registered for the Hamilton Around the Bay 30k Race in March. This is real....there's no turning back now. Training starts Jan. 16, 51 days from now. Wish me luck!

Streaking Day 2 - 4 Mile Turkey Trot

Yesterday was day 2 of the RW Streak and for my run, I did the Virtual 4 Mile Turkey Trot. Nothing too exciting to report. It was dark (left at 4pm and all the streetlights were on), so I took a picture before leaving instead. This one is with Kona (aka Miss Love), our 85lb husky-Newfoundland cross. She was jealous that Mika got her picture posted last time, so here's one of her giving me kisses before I leave.

Since this run was in honour of the American Thanksigiving, I'll give you my splits in miles instead of kilometres.

mile1 - 9:33

mile2 - 9:52

mile3 - 9:46

mile4 - 9:34

Total time: 38:46

I struggled with some knee pain through the end of mile 2 and into mile 3, so my pace dropped off a bit. Interestingly, I compared my time with my predicted time from Macmillan Running and it was only 15 seconds off their prediction. Pretty amazing!

I'm off to enjoy a nice breakfast now and I'll do day 3's run this afternoon. Happy running!

Streaking - Day 1

So I'm officially part of the Runner's World Holiday Running Streak. The criteria? Run 1 mile every day from the American Thanksgiving (aka today) to New Year's Day. Day 1 is complete with a 3.2km (2 mile) run around the PMQs. Since it wasn't part of my training schedule, I decided to take Mika (also affectionately known as Miss Muffin) on the run with me. Normally, I don't take her because, as a husky, she's not great at pacing. She just wants to go fast all the time and I usually end up getting dragged behind her. Also, she nearly dislocated my shoulder once when she spotted a marmotte (groundhog) and took off in the other direction. And with her peeing stops and sniffing stops, it's hard to keep a consistent pace, as the following splits demonstrate:
km1: 6:55
km2: 6:29
km3: 6:53
km3.2: 6:22/km (1:18 for the 0.2)
Mika had a blast and when we got home, she was pooped. She just flopped with a big husky smile on her face.

Tomorrow, if the weather is as beautiful as they're predicting, I'll be participating in a Virtual 4 Mile Turkey Trot. That'll be 2 laps of the PMQs (since it'll be dark by the time I get home from work, with the sun setting at 3:56m and all). I'm planning to count it as this week's tempo run and it'll be my first race since the QC City Half-Marathon back in August.

Running sick...

Still feeling like crap today. I stayed home all day and after a few hours of sitting on the couch, I motivated myself to go out for a run using the logic "Well, how much worse could it make you feel?" It was just 5km around the neighbourhood; I didn't keep track of the pace or anything - I just ran however I felt like it. It was cold, but not impossible, and I remembered my neck gaiter so my face didn't freeze too much. I finished in 33:52, which is an average pace of 6:46/km (over 15 seconds faster than my program has been calling for). I don't feel any better, but I don't feel worse either. I think I'm just a bit burnt-out from my heavy work schedule. How many weeks til Christmas???

Down and out....:(

Today, I got hit with a massive headache that felt like someone hit me in the head with a baseball bat. It wasn't a migraine, but it was rooted in the tension in my shoulders and neck. I spent most of the day in bed, rising only when absolutely necessary. I ended up cancelling my evening class as well - not ideal, but necessary under the circumstances. I'm feeling a fair bit better at the moment, but it looks like a run is out of the question. (It's also -14*C outside...) Here are my theories about the cause of my headache:
1. Crappy pillow. I've been saying that I need to replace my pillow for a while and I haven't gotten around to it yet.
2. Dehydration.
3. Muscle soreness and tension caused by all the push-ups I've been doing recently. I asked Chris for a massage earlier today to help with some of the discomfort and while he was able to break up some of the tension, it may have contributed to the headache.
Hopefully, I'll be back out on the roads tomorrow.

It's official.....I'm a wimp :(

I was supposed to go on a 10km speedwork run today. But......I was lazy. After meeting a friend at the gym for a lower-body workout in the morning, I stayed on the couch all day watching football and periodically napping.

By the time I finally decided to get my butt moving, it was dark. And cold. I convinced myself it wasn't that bad: -2*, 30km/h winds, -9* windchill. Not so bad, right? WRONG!!! I probably should have worn my neck gaiter to pull up over my face because I was freezing!!! Even in the middle of my interval, where I was running my heart out, I was still freezing. And because I had to run in the Qs because of the darkness, it meant I had to do ~3 laps. Which means I pass by my house. And of course, the gusts were particularly strong as I approached the house and I had a moment of weakness - I gave up. I went inside and cuddled with my puppies to warm up. I still managed to get in 3.16km - my 2km warm-up plus 1.16/1.6km of my interval (at pace, no less). I guess it's better than nothing. I'll try again tomorrow....

First snowy run + shoe review

Okay, I just have one word to describe my new shoes: awesome!!! I went for an 8km run tonight and it was my first run with snow on the ground. I wore my new waterproof Razors and I really put them to the test. Even though the roads were plowed pretty bare, I purposely ran in the snow, slush and puddles on the side of the road. The shoes felt great - no chafing plus my feet were super warm. And when I got home, my feet were completely dry. These are definitely going to be my go-to shoes this winter. It was a fantastic run tonight and I'm getting really good at layering for the weather. My only complaint: butter chicken burps - remnants from tonight's delicious dinner.

New shoes!

Tonight I went to the gym for a quick run and a workout in the weight room. I haven't run on the treadmill since April or so, and today I was reminded why I hate it. I had to test out my new Saucony Progrid Razors and they will only accept them for a return if they are in new-like condition, hence the need for the treadmill. I only had 4km to do and thank goodness for that. Things were going very well - the shoes fit great and they were very warm (too warm for inside, but they're outdoor shoes so that's ok). However, after about 3.5km, I started to have sharp pains in my right knee so I decided to stop. I think it was caused by running on the treadmill and it hasn't bothered me since I stopped so we'll see how it feels during tomorrow's run. They are beautiful shoes, if I do say so myself. Waterproof with a built-in ankle gaiter and insulated:

After my run, I met up with my friend and we went to the weight room. We did an upper-body and core workout (I didn't want to risk doing any lower-body exercises because of my knee). She's new to strength-training so I introduced her to some exercises. It was lots of fun and I expect to be quite sore tomorrow.

Post #100

A couple things to report. Yesterday I went a Power Yoga class (in English, yay!) and it was awesome. A couple weeks ago, I was lamenting on Facebook that there were no English yoga classes in the region when out of nowhere, a lady posted to let us know that she happens to offer yoga classes in English. Score! After a FB poll, we discovered that there were a lot of interested people so she decided to start offering classes in her home. It was difficult to squeeze it into my schedule yesterday, but I'm glad I did. It was a nice change of pace and I was actually sore this morning! (Side-note: as masochistic as this sounds, I actually enjoy being sore after a workout - it reminds of the hard work I did the day before!)

My back has been acting up for the past couple days, so I haven't gone running since Tuesday. Hopefully, I'll be able to get out tomorrow afternoon to get my speed workout in before going to the weight room with a friend of mine. I also signed up to do a Thankgiving-New Year's Day streak challenge - at least one mile of running every day from (American) Thanksgiving to Jan. 1. Is it sad that I had to look up when the American Thanksgiving is so I would know when the challenge started?

Winter running = lots of laundry (+marathon training plan!)

One thing I've noticed about running in the winter is that it generates a lot of laundry because of all the layers and accessories (hats, gloves, etc). I'm doing a load of running stuff every two days it seems. Maybe for Christmas, I'll ask for some more gear so I don't have to do laundry as often....
Yesterday, I did an 8km run in the afternoon. When I left the house around 3:45, it was 12*C. By the time I got home around 4:45, it was dark and I was freezing! I couldn't believe how quickly things changed after the sun went down (4:08 was sunset, I believe).
Tonight was my usual spinning class, but sadly I couldn't go - I got called at the last minute to replace a sick teacher, who was supposed to do placement tests over the phone. Unfortunately, the tests were scheduled for the exact time of my spinning class and work takes priority over fun. I did, however, go out for a 5km afterwards, just a nice easy run. My average heart rate was only 171, with the max at 187. Now I know this might sound intense for some people, but for me, that's an easy effort. According to my Garmin, the whole run was in zones 1 and 2 - a first, I believe.
This morning, while I was waiting for the technicians to do their work in the basement (stage 6 million in the epic furnace replacement saga), I finally settled on a marathon training plan. It's the Hal Higdon Novice 2 plan, with paces taken from McMillian Running. It looks much cooler in OneNote, where I have check-boxes for each of my workouts, but here it is:

Week	of	Easy	Speed	Easy	Long	Cross-Training (min. 1hr)	Weights
1	Jan. 23	5km @7:07-7:26	8km  @6:12-6:28	5km @7:07-7:26	13km  @7:07-7:45
2	Jan. 30	5km @7:07-7:26	8km  @7:07-7:26	5km @7:07-7:26	15km  @7:07-7:45
3	Feb. 6	5km @7:07-7:26	8km  @6:12-6:28	5km @7:07-7:26	10km  @7:07-7:45
4	Feb. 13	5km @7:07-7:26	10km @6:12-6:28	5km  @7:07-7:26	18km  @7:07-7:45
5	Feb. 20	5km @7:07-7:26	10km @7:07-7:26	5km @7:07-7:26	20km  @7:07-7:45
6	Feb. 27	5km @7:07-7:26	10km @6:12-6:28	5km @7:07-7:26	15km  @7:07-7:45
7	March 5	7km @7:07-7:26	11km @6:12-6:28	7km @7:07-7:26	23km  @7:07-7:45
8	March 12	7km @7:07-7:26	7km  @7:07-7:26	7km @7:07-7:26	24km  @7:07-7:45
9	March 19	7km @7:07-7:26	11km @6:12-6:28	7km @7:07-7:26	Half Marathon
10	March 26	7km @7:07-7:26	13km @6:12-6:28	7km @7:07-7:26	27km  @7:07-7:45
11	April 2	8km @7:07-7:26	13km @7:07-7:26	8km @7:07-7:26	29km  @7:07-7:45
12	April 9	8km @7:07-7:26	13km @6:12-6:28	8km @7:07-7:26	21km  @7:07-7:45
13	April 16	8km @7:07-7:26	8km  @6:12-6:28	8km @7:07-7:26	31km  @7:07-7:45
14	April 23	8km @7:07-7:26	13km @7:07-7:26	8km @7:07-7:26	20km  @7:07-7:45
15	April 30	8km @7:07-7:26	8km @6:12-6:28	8km @7:07-7:26	32km  @7:07-7:45
16	May 7	8km @7:07-7:26	7km  @6:12-6:28	8km @7:07-7:26	20km  @7:07-7:45
17	May 14	7km @7:07-7:26	5km  @7:07-7:26	7km @7:07-7:26	8km  @7:07-7:45
18	May 21	5km @7:07-7:26	3km  @7:07-7:26	3km @7:07-7:26	Ottawa Marathon

I plan on doing at least 1 cross-training workout/week as well as a strength workout. I was also looking at the Intermediate 1 plan, which adds a 5th day of running, but I wasn't sure if that'd be too much. Any thoughts?

Back home.....9km tempo run

After a 5-hour drive, we're home and it's back to the grind....sigh. As soon as I got home, I did my weekly lesson planning so I could get the copies done before Staples closed. On the way home, I picked up Mika and Kona from the pet hotel and as always, they were thrilled and excited to see me. Kona did her usual "smarling" - it's like snarling in that she shows you her teeth but she only does it when she's really happy and it looks like she's trying to smile at you. It's hard to explain, but it's really cute.
After a short nap, we went and saw Dolphin Tale at the theatre. It was lame and cheesy but I enjoyed the story. Chris has decided that dolphins are "puppies of the sea" and I think I agree with him. When we got home, I decided it was time for my 9km tempo run (after postponing it all week). My pre-run meal was not exactly the best - Coke and Smarties - and sure enough, I paid for it. My stomach cramped up something fierce throughout the first 2/3 of the run but I'm pleased with the way I pushed through the discomfort. I did a 2km warm-up, then 6km at a target pace of 6:25/km, followed by a 1km cool-down. I'm super impressed with how I nailed the splits:
km1 - 6:24
km2 - 6:22
km3 - 6:25
km4 - 6:25
km5 - 6:25
km6 - 6:23
In total, it took me 1:00:11, which is 2 seconds faster than the last time I did this run a few week ago. I'm also only 18km away from my 2011 mileage goal of 1000km. I think I can manage that by the end of the year!

Hilly 8km run

After an insanely busy workday Thursday (started at 8:30am, finished at 8:30pm), I ended up collapsing into bed without doing a run. (It also didn't help that it was freezing rain outside). Instead, my plan was to go to the gym early Friday morning (~7:30), do my 9k tempo run with my new Razors (to test them out on the treadmill so they're returnable in case of a bad fit), then go do my class from 9:30-11:30, then be on the road by 12. Did that happen? Of course not. I woke up feeling like crap after a terrible night's sleep, so when my alarm went off at 6:30, I ignored it. When it went off at 8:30 (for my class), I still felt like le crap and ended up cancelling my class with my student. When the alarm went off again at 10:30, I finally dragged myself out of bed and got packing in preparation to leave. All in all, it was not a good morning.
The reason we made the trip to visit Chris' aunt and uncle was to use the $500 gift certificate I won at the Magog triathlon back in the summer. Unfortunately, it was specifically for Specialized products and as we discovered when we got to the shop today, they only make bike products and being November, they didn't have too much available. I ended up getting new bike shoes (I still need to transfer the cleats from my old ones) as well as a jacket. I still had $150 left and it was supposed to expire at the end of 2011 but I explained my situation to the extremely helpful salesguy (ie. I live 5 hours away from the shop) and he issued me a new certificate ($150) but with no expiry date. So I'll probably come back in the spring when all the bike stuff is out.
After our shopping trip, I went on an 8km run. It was supposed to be an easy, 7:03/km run but I forgot how hilly the street is where Chris' aunt lives. It ended up being a lot more challenging than I anticipated, but I managed the following splits:
km1 - 6:55
km2 - 7:02
km3 - 6:53
km4 - 7:03
km5 - 6:52
km6 - 7:08
km7 - 7:03
km8 - 7:07
It was an out and back route, so it's pretty clear which kms had the uphills and which ones had the downhills. According to my Garmin, I covered 271m total ascent (272m total descent).
I've almost 100% made my decision to do the Ottawa marathon in May - I just need to find a training plan I'm happy with and that'll seal the deal!

The week so far...

Despite the ever-worsening weather here, I've been out running every day this week. Not a lot of kms, but I squeezed in as much as I could.
Monday
5km - target pace 7:04/km; actual pace 7:01
Tuesday
Spinning class! After two weeks of missed class, I finally had the energy to go to spinning and as usual, it was awesome. When I got home, I did a quick 4km to loosen up.
Wednesday (aka today)
I almost didn't go running tonight. I was going to go after my afternoon classes, but I decided to take a nap instead. Then after my evening class (9pm), it was cold and windy, but I managed to convince myself to get off the comfy couch and brave the elements. With all the gear I've purchased in the last few weeks, I really have no excuse not to get out there. And despite the fact that it was close to freezing with 25km/h winds, I barely even noticed. The only part of me that was cold were my hands, as usual. I put in 7km tonight, averaging 7:00/km, slightly off my target of 7:03.

Of all my new gear, I think I love my lululemon Dog Runner Pants the best. They were expensive (as always, unfortunately) but so far, they've been worth it. The pants are double-layered, a wind/water-resistant shell over top of a running tight. They are extremely comfy and quite warm so far. Even though the pants are too long (or maybe it's my being too short?), there are drawstrings at the bottom of each leg so you can tighten them around your ankle and you don't have to worry about them dragging on the ground while you run.


On another note, my new Saucony shoes arrived yesterday. After reading a recommendation online, I decided to get the Progrid Razors; they are waterproof, have a Gore-tex liner and they have a built-in zip-up ankle gaiter. (I'd post a picture, but I don't have my iPhone with me tonight.) Now all we need is some snow! Not that I actually want it to arrive, but I know it's just around the corner so it's better to be prepared.

I'm still considering doing the Ottawa marathon in the spring. My only hesitation is the time commitment the training would require, in addition to my already busy schedule. I'm still leaning more towards yes than no, but I'll keep you posted. With that in mind, how many weeks in advance should I start training? I've been perusing plans online and they vary in length from 16-26 weeks. Since this is my first one, should I opt for a longer plan? Are there any plans you would recommend? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

A crow crapped on my head....

After three days of feeling like crap, I finally got fed up of staying on the couch and I went out for a 6km run in the beautiful 10*C weather. About a kilometre and a half into my run, a crow crapped on my head. As in, a crow was sitting on a lightpost, waited for the precise second when I passed underneath and decided at that moment to defecate. ON MY HEAD. And no, I wasn't wearing a hat. Thankfully, my friend's house was only a short jog away and I was able to use some paper towels to get most of it off.
The rest of the run was extremely enjoyable and I was having a real hard time keeping to my 7:03 target pace. I think my body really missed running the last couple days and I ended up with a 6:46/km average. I still don't understand why the Smart Coach program has the training paces so slow, but then the race paces so fast. I'm trying to follow the program but I'm worried that I'm losing some of the speed I gained this year.
And finally, I watched some of the NYC marathon this morning (part of the reason for my getting off the couch to go run). And I've been thinking - do I want to do a marathon? I've done 3 half-marathons plus a 20km race, so the challenge of completing the distance isn't really a challenge anymore. I'm not a speedster by any means, so cutting my times doesn't really interest me. I'm more of an endurance person anyways. I checked out the Ottawa Marathon at the end of May as a potential candidate. Any thoughts?

Sick...

So no runs the last couple days. Hopefully I'll be feeling well enough tomorrow to squeeze in a quick run in the afternoon.

I think I'm getting sick :(

It's been another whirlwind week....I won't bore you with work details, but let me tell you, I'm looking forward to the weekend. Here are my runs for the past few days:
Monday (Halloween)
- 8km (target pace 7:04/km; actual pace 7:01/km)
Tuesday
- 7km (target pace 7:03/km; actual pace 6:59/km)
Wednesday (in the rain)
- 6km (target pace 7:03/km; actual pace 7:00/km)

Monday night was Halloween and I had to teach at the community centre in the evening, but I did get to see some of the trick-or-treating before I left. Kona loved all the attention she got from the kids. Every time someone knocked, she ran to the door and of course the kids thought she was so cute and gave her lots of love. She did steal a chocolate bar out of the bowl and when confronted, she hung her head and pretended not to have it. It was pretty funny but she finally dropped it (she got a biscuit instead).
Tuesday night I was supposed to go to spinning but I made the mistake of taking a nap after my run. Of course, when the alarm went off, I had absolutely no motivation to get up, hence the skipped class. I'm going to have to make an effort to go next week because this is the second class in a row I have missed.
After dealing with our stupid furnace replacement Wednesday, I was desperate to go on my run. This whole furnace situation left me so frustrated that I needed to go blow off some steam. To summarize the situation, the housing agency is replacing our (working) furnace and it's going to take approximately 2 weeks to complete the project (or so they say). They delivered the new furnace in August (yes, August) but only arrived yesterday to do anything about it. They removed the old one and dug up the concrete in our basement, in addition to disconnecting our dryer and moving it halfway across the basement. Now, folks, it's early November in northern Quebec and we have no working furnace (the new one is just sitting in the basement, not installed yet).  Whose genius idea was this??? Not only that, but they expect you to be home for the arrivals of all the various contractors (6, I think), spread out over a couple weeks. I'm not pleased.