oh ... hello

happy halloween!

i know i haven't posted in a while. i'm not going to lie to you or give you lame excuses as to why. the truth shall be revealed to you below:

1. i couldn't really be bothered to post.

2. i'm setting up a new blog (more publique) in wordpress and damn, gina! that place is confusing. i made a custom header and OF COURSE it only works with one theme. i just don't find the themes very customizable the way they are in blogger. so far it's wasted a lot of my time and mental sanity. my custom header is very cute thought ... worth the wait (yep!).

3. i've been sick. pretty darn sick. i went swimming on friday and was feeling a bit under the weather. i went to a tea party on saturday and came home full blown sick. i took monday off of work. i feel much better now but my coughs would still scare children and old people. i can't even describe the sounds i'm making.

4. i didn't exercise from last friday until last night, so i didn't really have much to talk about.

/end list

last night i went to pick up part of my halloween costume from my mom at her office in my hometown. she asked me to walk over and get her something from starbucks and on the way i passed a running store that was liquidating everything at 50% off ... WHOA!

i got some craft brand running pants regular $100
and a zoom cold weather running jacket regular $200
and a fleece headband regular $24.99

want to know what i paid?

$111 all together!

i love getting a bargain - it really is one of the greatest thrills in life. and running clothes are SO expensive - unfortunately they are necessary for high-quality sweat wicking bla bla bla etc. unfortunately they didn't have my shoes but i still left extremely satisfied.

so satisfied i went for a 3-mile run last night in my new pants that have some reflective strips on them. whee!

happy thanksgiving

this past weekend was canadian thanksgiving. i only had one dinner to attend (my bf's family's dinner) because my own family is visiting relatives in winterpeg, manitoba. so i did have a big dinner one night (with two slices of cake - not pie - for dessert) but it's over and a) i have no leftovers and b) i don't feel like my pants are any tighter than they were on friday, haha. i am actually kind of sad that i don't have leftovers. normally when my mom makes thanksgiving dinner, i am sent home with a giant bag of white turkey meat, green beans, leftover mashed turnip, etc. yummmmmmmm. i usually peel the turnips so i feel like i deserve them! ;) the idea to buy a turkey myself and cook it actually crossed my mind. of course i am not going to do that. i don't even have the proper kitchen equipment to make a turkey (a big pan) and i really don't need all of that meat considering i hardly ever eat meat when i'm alone. (no reason, just cuz.)


i had a couple of good runs on the weekend - one on saturday and one yesterday (monday). both were four miles. i LOVE running on days when i don't have to work. it really is so enjoyable to wake up, eat a little something and hit the pavement. and i LOVE running in this cooler weather. i think this winter i might try running outdoors. i will have to buy a few things to stay warm, but it's probably worth it. does anyone have any tips (layering, brands to buy, how to keep your mp3 player from freezing) for me?

this is also my last week of half-marathon recovery from my online training plan. here is the plan:

monday: 40 minutes running (complete!)
tuesday: 40 minutes cross-training
wednesday: rest
thursday: 40 minutes running
friday: 30 minutes cross-training
saturday: 5 miles running
sunday: rest

do-able? i think so. i might switch tonight's cross-training (probably swimming) and my rest day tomorrow, since tonight i have book club. i also want to start doing weight training but i feel like i have to go into the gym with a plan instead of flopping from machine to machine.

AND finally - i have some very exciting news to share with everyone - but it has to remain under wraps for now. it's more professional than personal, but it's something i've wanted to start doing for a long time. stay tuned!

bing bang bong

i started this post yesterday and never finished ... here is what i wrote on monday:

how is it october 5 already? life is really rushing by.

i had a nice weekend. friday a friend's husband's birthday party SURPRISE! saturday a short run followed by a trip to a l'oreal canada make up sale (i can't believe someone is trying to sell that ticket on craigslist ... my mom gave me mine) with my bff, saturday night another birthday party, sunday a blogger meet-up (organized by angela at oh she glows that you can read about here (more about this later). can you see me in any pictures? i was staying at my bf's and forgot my camera at home. and THEN band practice.

oh yeah i forgot to mention I JOINED A BAND!


obviously i am veronica lodge, hahaha. we don't have a name yet but we do rehearse in a proper studio and we have a gig scheduled for sometime in november. i do some singing, some keyboard playing and lots of tambourining. fun times!

in other news i am going on a business trip this week - i leave tomorrow night and come back thursday. where am i going? peterborough!


and now back to real time, tuesday:

yes, so tonight a business trip. i am accompanying one of my authors for some publicity. we are filming some tv news segments tomorrow morning and in the evening, she is speaking at a women's business meeting. i think it will be fun. i am bringing my laptop and episodes 1 to 4 of veronica mars (never seen it ... but want to!) that i recently got from zip.ca - so i won't be lonely at night. i'm just kidding, i won't be lonely!

this week's training plan is:

monday: run 30 minutes
tuesday: cross-train 30 minutes
wednesday: rest
thursday: run 40 minutes
friday: rest
saturday: run 4 miles
sunday: rest

i ran 30 minutes last night and my right knee is bothering me. this only started after the half-marathon. it's even stiff now after i've been sitting in my office chair all morning. i was supposed to swim this morning but i felt too lazy, so i'll either do it tonight before i leave or make my rest day today and swim/workout tomorrow in my hotel. i want to follow this recovery plan but i want my knee to feel better. i keep telling myself to take some advil before my runs but i never remember.

do any of you take painkillers before your run? does it help? for some reason i feel like that's cheating - i hate popping pills if i don't have to ... but, maybe i do!

a week of firsts

i think i've finally recovered from my race on sunday. except for the extreme laziness that is lingering over me! i have a training plan (part of the online plan i got when i registered for the race) and it continues for three weeks post race, to help your body get back to a regular work out schedule.

here is what this week looks like:

monday: rest
tuesday: 20 minute cross-training (i swam)
wednesday: rest
thursday: 30 minutes running
friday: rest
saturday: 3 miles running
sunday: rest

i think i can handle it. on monday i was SO STIFF i could hardly move. i wasn't in pain when i was sitting, but getting up after an extended period of sitting, or going up and down stairs (why am i on the second floor of my office, dammit!?) was brutal. i bought some epson salts and took a bath. i felt a bit better.

yesterday (on tuesday) i was feeling less stiff, but i went for a massage after work. my benefits have massage coverage (my boss reminded me) so i thought why the hell not?! i have never had a massage before because i don't like strangers touching me but it was quite heavenly and my masseuse was really nice. i booked it at the same place i went for chiropractic treatments in the summer of 2008 when i had extreme bum pain. very professional and nice smelling too. when i left my contacts were stuck to my eyeballs like i just had a nap, haha!

tonight is date night and i am taking my bf on a surprise date. he doesn't read my blog so i can tell you. we are going to see jerry springer the opera. it's supposed to be hilarious - this review told me. it's being put on by the university of toronto so i bought student tickets for $10 each instead of the regular $25 adult ones. i still look young and my student card doesn't have a date ... mwa ha ha. hey, i'm on a budge here! i hate watching jerry springer on tv (what a waste of time!) but i love musicals and parodies too.

in other news, work is still crazy busy. insane! but good insane. i am going on a business trip next week. for one night. to peterborough, ha! are you jealous?

and finally, i am on a mission to declutter my apartment. i have so much crap - there isn't enough space for everything. i am going through it room by room and deciding what must go! well, first i'm cleaning room by room, then decluttering. i can't declutter a mess ... that's gross. so on monday i did the kitchen and last night the bathroom and vacuuming. the bedroom will be the biggest project because i hoard clothes like they were precious jewels. stuff that's ugly and doesn't even fit. i don't even want to sell this stuff - i will give some to my sister and the rest can go to goodwill. the end. have a nice day.

look at this cat hoarding his toys! hahaha mine all mine. stop looking at me!

scotiabank toronto waterfront half-marathon recap

first of all - I DID IT! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!


next up - i beat my goal time! WOOOOOOOHOOOOO!


official stats:

start time: 7:34:22 am
10k time: 58:30
gun time: 2:10:02
chip time: 2:05:41 (my goal was to make it under 2:15)
category place: 252 of 823 (women 25 to 29)
gender place: 1320 out of 4529 total women

i went to bed at 11 pm last night and fell asleep pretty quickly. i put out my running clothes and made sure that my zune and garmin were charged. i also made an awesome 90s-inspired running mix. my boyfriend had a 90s-themed birthday party last week so we bought so many second-hand "big shiny tunes" and "now" compilation CDs to play at the party.

here is my playlist (i put in on shuffle while i ran):


you might need to click on the playlist to actually read what the songs are - ha! it was a good mix. i wanted to put a lot of songs i haven't heard in a while. that way each one would be new and interesting to run to.

i set my alarm for 5:45 am. i made coffee (even though i shouldn't have because i got my teeth professionally whitened yesterday ... but coffee is part of my pre-long run routine hehe), an English muffin with peanut butter and a banana. i stuffed half a package of clif blocks and a package of sharkies into the tiny pouch of my fuel belt.

i went to the race alone (let my bf sleep in). i called a cab around 6:30 am and it came within 10 minutes. speedy! i wore a giant yellow poncho because it was raining ... thankfully the rain stopped as soon as i got out of the cab! there were runners everywhere! i was feeling a bit nervous so i tried to go to the bathroom ... tried being the operative word. i put on my fuel belt, garmin, zune (i wear these on the belt - i HATE wearing the giant wristwatch!) and running hat and headed for the colour corrals.

it was a madhouse. there were so many runners trying to get to the corrals and it was hard to move. i made it to my corral (green) in time and spent a few minutes jumping around, looking for people i knew, looking for the pace bunnies, etc.

the gun went off and it was a few minutes before i crossed the start line (i think it was at minute 7:30 when i finally crossed). i was feeling pretty good. it was very strange for me to be running with all of those other people! i was running pretty fast and knew i should slow down but everyone was passing me and i felt like i should be keeping up. my brain took over and i began running about a 9-minute/mile pace.

i ran for the first 4 miles without stopping and then took a one-minute walking break. i would run for 10 minutes (exactly) then walk for one minute. i did this until the end of the race and it worked really well for me. it's really comforting to know that you only have to go less than ten minutes until it's "break time."

at the beginning of mile six i ate three clif shot blocks. they had water and gatorade stations every 2.5 kms, so i alternated water and gatorade at each one. so many cups on the ground! i tried to throw my cups into the garbage cans. i feel sorry for whoever had to clean up that slop!

the race went by really fast for me. it began to get difficult around the 11th mile - my knees were hurting and it was hard to psyche myself up for running 10 minutes at a time. but i did it. i was telling myself motivating things the whole time like, "you are a machine" and "you can beat your goal time - you are better than the goal dammit!". it worked. i also told myself a little pain never hurt anyone - and it's not like i was going to be running forever and ever. as soon as i finished i could stop!

they had signs for the last 500m, 400m, 300m, 200m and 100m. i looked around for my boyfriend but couldn't see him anywhere. luckily he saw me!


after the race i got a medal and a shiny metal thing. i wasn't cold so i didn't wear it. they removed our race chips and i passed on through to the food station. i ate a banana and a pumpernickel bagel. they also had apples and cookies. mmmmm cookies - my mouth wanted one but my body was not in the mood. here i am taking off my gadgets while holding on to giant shiny. everyone looks so pooped!


we took a cab home and i had the most wonderful hot shower of my life. we ate a big more and then walked over to the clothing show. my legs were so tired so i didn't want to stay long. i won free tickets so i felt like i really should take advantage of it. i did buy a cute sweater so it was worth it, hehe.

i am really proud of myself. i set a goal for myself, worked really hard for months and completed that goal. and i have an awesome medal to show for it!


it's funny - i found myself getting very emo throughout the race. everything made me cry - from seeing little kids holding a "go mom!" sign, to experiencing the community support coming from people who came to cheer everyone on, to getting a better understanding about what being a runner really means. there were runners of all shapes, sizes and ages. i saw a blind runner being led by another who could see. i saw a female runner with no arms! i saw a woman wearing a wedding veil. i saw runners stopping to help those with injuries. i saw runners from kenya ZOOMING along at the speed of light with the longest strides i've ever seen.

when i was about 500m away from the finish line, i knew that as soon as i crossed the tears would start to flow. when my boyfriend called my name (and i knew he was there for my finish) i started to blubber like a whale! (i know whales don't blubber.) he asked me what was wrong and i could only whisper, "emo." hahaha! what a wonderful experience - i am so proud of myself.



now, more food!

my 10-mile run

so last friday (i can't believe it's already wednesday) i ran 10 miles. yes, it's true. i did it.

it took me a bit less than two hours, but i did walk a little, work out some knee pain, stop in a starbucks to get more water, ring my boyfriend's doorbell (he wasn't home), etc.

oh, and i am ashamed to say this but i had a bit too much to drink the night before (self-sabotage anyone?) and was running on 5-6 hours of sleep. not the best way to go about things but now at least i know that if i can run 10 miles under these conditions, i certainly can run 13.1 miles under optimal ones. also, i can't say no to sangria. it's just that wonderful! mmmm sangria ...

but i digress. here we go.

mile 1: things are going well. i started listening to my favorite running CD: black eyed peas - the end. it's awesome - every tune is a catchy dance tune. it's very easy to run to.

mile 2: i decided to run in the city instead of down by the water. the water is pretty but it can be boring when you are just running and running and not doing anything else. i am a city girl. i like to look at people and at things in window shop! i drink some water. 4 oz from my fuel belt.

mile 3: i decided to run from king street (bottom of city) up yonge street to bloor (top of city) which was a mistake because it's on an incline. i am not too out of shape for this but i have concluded that running up inclines or hills is what makes my knees hurt.

mile 4: my knees start to hurt. i tell them to shut up. i drink some G2 grape gatorade. 4 oz from my fuel belt.

mile 5: i run the loop around queen's park twice. it's pretty nice. my knees are really hurting here but i tell them to shut up. they surprisingly listen. i'm starting to feel pooped.

mile 6: i eat 3 clif shots. yum yum yum. it feels very strange to be eating this weird candy-like stuff during a run but i go with it. i pretend that everyone looking at me must think i'm really hardcore to need to refuel during my run. yah! i also drink another 4 oz. of water from my fuel belt. now the water is gone! i do feel like i have more energy.

mile 7: i run over to my boyfriend's apartment but he is not home. when you run 10 miles downtown you really can go everywhere. it felt like i went all over the city and that's because ... i did.

mile 8: i stop in starbucks to refill my water. i drink the remaining 4 oz of gatorade in my fuel belt and filled both bottles up with water.

mile 9: this mile was relatively painless - i think because i was heading in the direction of my own home which is always a nice feeling. better than 5 miles away by foot, that's for sure.

mile 10: the final mile was difficult. my knees were really hurting. i think not drinking the night before a run may also help with this problem. i am also going to take some pain killers before the race. i thought about buying knee sleeves or something but chances are i will never run this far again so that would be a waste of moolah. i had to walk a few times during mile 10 and take an extra loop around my neighbourhood to finish up the mile which was extra torturous. i was thrilled when it was over but happy with a calm sense of completion and accomplishment.

after my run i had a shower and proceeded to sleep all afternoon. for some reason the power went off in my building (scheduled) from noon to 5 pm so i couldn't really do anything anyway! the air show at the ex was also going on, luckily the noise did not keep me from zoning out like a zzzombie!

so that's my longest practice race. i ran 5 miles on monday, i have to do 4 miles tomorrow on thursday and then 8 miles on saturday. it's all tapering down nicely. :)

am i boring you?

thank you for your comments and encouragement on my last post. i have been stretching after each run but it looks like i need to do MORE STRETCHING. stretching is my favorite part of any workout so i welcome it. anything that involves relaxing moves that feel good instead of sweating profusely and being out of breath works for me!

here are some stretches i think will work for me.

numero uno: the IT band standing stretch.



numero dos: the IT band stretch for flexibility and knee pain. i actually already do this one. dammit! just kidding - it means i know a little something something and should do it more often.

number three (my spanish is basic): the lying piriformis stretch. i already do this one too. my bum pain is a direct result of my piriformis aka big butt muscle.

it seems like i already have a good idea of how to stretch - maybe i need to do it for longer or more often. every day seems like a daunting task!

on friday (i have the day off) i have a 10 mile run planned. i know a lot of people like racing and training for races, but so far, i don't. i have made a point of living as laid-back and stress-free as possible about most things in my life, and training is just creating a lot of worry and stress for me. can i finish this run? will i hurt myself? will my knees hurt? do i time to fit in all of my training runs? yada yada yada! i think i will like the feeling of accomplishing a race and proudly displaying a medal, but i'll be happy to go back to running for enjoyment. right now it feels like a chore and that is not a good thing! i just want to do three or four runs a week and only three to five (or maybe six if i'm feeling crrrazy that day) miles a run. also, all i write about lately is running which may be boring for readers. is it? boring? am i boring you?

anyway i have bought a bottle of G2 grape flavored gatorade, and jelly belly sports beans AND clif shots. "they" say you have to try everything you may have on race day before the race, so i am going to try the clif shots on friday and the beans next week on my 8-mile run.

one final question for runners: my longest training run is 10 miles and the race is 13 point something miles. how does that work!?!?!?! how can i spontaneously run three more miles than my longest training run? HUH?

RUNNING HELP!

runners ... i need you.

sometimes when i run more than 5 miles my knees start hurting. sometimes not - but i don't want to take any more chances since this saturday is my 10-mile long run. i have never run double digits before and i'm scurrrrrreddd.

should i get those knee things? like rubber with the hole for the knee? any suggestions?

i tried googling this issue but came up kind of short. HELP ME.

thank you.

active weekend

i had a really active weekend! on friday morning i ran 8 miles (as i mentioned before) and then rode my bike to the convention centre. WOW did my legs and butt hurt ALL DAY and not from bum pain - just from random, pushing-yourself hard, muscle soreness. i made the mistake of wearing flat sandals with no support. my feet were killing me AND they were freezing. i have a tendency to get *too cold* anywhere that there is air conditioning - like work, the movies, the dairy section in the supermarket. and my feet turn in to giant blocks of ice. there is no other way to describe it. i was at the show until about 7, then rode home.

the next day (and yes, i did go out on friday night ... maybe not the best idea but a fun idea) i went swimming before riding back to the show for 12. i was there until 7pm and it was a MADHOUSE of crazy fitness people. our main author was there talking and signing books which contributed to the madness. it was nice to see people relating to her - she really is an inspirational person. i did wear better shoes so it wasn't as bad as friday but it was twice as busy and i didn't stop moving or talking to people the whole time.

the next day ... i convinced my bf to go running with me. he wants to get in shape (he is already thin but wants to be healthier) too and last week he went running twice on this high-school track by his apartment. he did 5 laps each time (1.25 miles) which i think is out of control for a beginner. when i started i could barely run for a minute! anyHOO, he did 6 laps (1.5 miles) then went home and i went off track (i think the track is BORING) to complete 4 miles. my legs were pretty stiff but they felt a bit loser than before so i think running was smart.

i am supposed to run today but since i don't run two days in a row anymore AND since i did activity on thursday, friday, saturday and sunday (phew!) i am going to take a rest day and by rest i mean do the jillian michaels 30-day shred video. i actually just ordered it today off amazon (along with book 8 and 9 (pre-order) of the sookie stackhouse books) hehe. i think it's a great workout (in general) and especially when you are short on time but want to do something.

that's all i have to say today. peace to the out.

hip hip

my legs are pretty sore? want to know why? because i ran 8 miles this morning! with eminem! could you imagine? stop rapping and let me run in piece! woooohooooo go me. i have this morning off from work because i am working all afternoon and into the evening at the can-fit-pro trade and consumer show. and tomorrow. luckily only in the afternoon. sleep in = happy. wake up earlier than i have/want to on the weekend = very disturbed. luckily it's at the convention centre and i can bike there from my apartment. JOY! what a great day.


usually i run on thursdays, but yesterday i was SO TIRED. wednesday night was date night (as usual) and my boyfriend surprised me with tickets to the blue jays game. it was a hoot but we were out late and drinking giant overpriced beers. needless to say, i was tired on thursday and was sleeping by 9:30 pm. just like a little baby, LOL.

i decided to swim yesterday and run today, because i would get enough sleep and feel really rested and ready to go. so yesterday i swam - and did level 1 of jillian michael's 30-day shred that i took out from the library (it finally came in, i was waiting for over six months ... gee whiz). it's only 20 minutes but by the end of it i was spent. my hair was soaked with sweat and beads of sweat were dripping off my face. attractive and good for my floors. i wanted to see if it was a worthwhile video to purchase and i think it is. in the US it's only $9.99 or something and in canada almost $20 on amazon which does rub me the wrong way but it's not much so i'll get over it.

so my run today was good. it felt like i was running FOREVER. i ran from my apartment to high park (at the bottom) , ran all the way to the top (at bloor street), then all the way back down, then down to the waterfront and passed the dragonboaters and the chichi boulevard club members and ontario pace and the ex and finally back home. my legs are pretty stiff but at least i finished. i didn't run the whole way, i took some walking breaks but that's normal (i think).

i also noticed that after an hour of running (the whole thing took 1.5 hours) i started to get really hungry even though i ate a kashi pumpkin pie granola bar and 1/2 pita with real peanut butter before i left. i think i could have used some sort of re-energizing drink or food at that point. now i'm pretty much caught up to where i should be in my training schedule. i still think running 13 miles seems ridiculous at this point but i'll just keep moving forward and do the best i can.

i'm happy you all liked my attitude about not finishing the race if i can't. i'm going to try my hardest and walk the end if i have to of course, but if i have bum pain it will be impossible (even to walk) and i'll just stop. seriously, who cares? me a little but no one else. no one is going to be disappointed in me or scoff - everyone i know is already pretty impressed with my dedication to fitness as it is.

happy weekend!

i'm baaaaaaaack!

oh, hello. i'm back! actually i was back last week but i needed some time to recover and get over the idea that i wasn't on vacation anymore and probably wouldn't be for a long time and had to go to work and every day it was raining like crazy. what's up, summer?

my vacation was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! i had the best time ever and did not want to leave. i could have stayed another week, easily! i will post more about it another day.

now i'm back and since i gained a little weight on vacation (obviously ... buffet style eating and pounding back sangrias) i'm counting points for a little while until my clothes fit the way they used to. if you can believe it i actually did not weigh myself when i got home. what's the point? i'm already sad because my vaycay is over and it rains every day and i have to go back to work at 7:30 am on monday (yes, i am working this week), i don't want to feel any worse! anyway i didn't weigh myself before my vacation so i wouldn't know how much i gained anyway!

my new theory is that if you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, the scale is a good tool for you. but if you are working to maintain your weight, you can go by how your clothes fit and how you feel. what do you think of this theory? my clothes still fit, but my jeans are a little tighter than normal.

and now, a running update! guess how many times i ran on vacation? if you guessed ZERO you would be correct. why? 1) bum pain 2) so hot outside - not gonna happen! 3) could have used the resort gym but i am NOT staying inside when i could be enjoying myself outside. that being said, every morning on vacation i did two sets of the following exercises:

20 lunges (10 on each side)
15 squats
15 plie squats
10 pushups
20 regular sit ups
20 bicycle sit ups
20 reverse sit ups
20 ab twists
and repeat.

so that's better than nothing. i did some swimming too of course but only recreationally. last weekend on saturday after i got back i planned on doing a 3-mile run but had to go home after 2 miles due to bum pain. i think traveling stresses my body out and makes the pain worse. this is just my experience from this year and last summer. maybe it's something to do with plane sitting and air pressure? i am not bill nye so i'll never know what's what.

i am a bit worried about my 1/2 marathon training. i decided this week that i have to wait until my bum is totally healed before i begin training again, otherwise my chances of completing this race aren't very good. last saturday i was supposed to run 7 miles and this week is 4. maybe if i'm better i can crank out six or so. here is my week so far:

monday: 35 minutes swimming
tuesday: 30 minute elliptical, one set of the routine above
wednesday: 35 minutes swimming
thursday: today ...

today i am feeling pretty normal bum-wise, so i am going to attempt a 45-minute treadmill workout. i have a plan i downloaded a few years ago and it varies the speeds and inclines for 45 minutes. i remember doing this and really enjoying the variety. not getting bored is important on the treadmill. i am not going outside yet because i always run on concrete and it's pretty demanding on the body.

tomorrow i have the day off (yippee!) so i am going to go for a swim in the morning and then finally tackle my closet. it's overflowing with clothes that i never wear. and i have a walk-in closet. i have a problem giving up clothes because a) i bought them and b) what if i want to wear them someday? well no more! i need to cut out the clutter! if i have not worn you in one year you are going in a bag and being donated somewhere!

shoot

two words for you today:



if you guessed BUM PAIN you would be correct. i had a little yesterday as well, so obviously it was my tuesday night incline treadmill walk that did this to me. maybe my problem is not so much running, but walking fast on an incline. i probably won't be running tonight. it's raining anyway ... maybe i'll try the treadmill and see how i feel but i am definitely not going to push it. i'll do nothing if i have to! hear that? NOTHING!

i really never imagined the day when i'd be pissed about not being able to fit in my workout. ha! i have to put my health before my training though.

i really can't push it because there is NO WAY i'm going to be a gimping gus on vacation like i was last year at this exact time in california. no way hose!

a letter to my shoes

dear mizuno wave inspire 4's,

you were good to me. we ran a lot of miles together. and you waited for me and put up with my long walks while i had bum pain.


but i'm afraid you are old news. i'll still hold on to you, in case i have to run in the mud or something (sorry, but it's true), but i've found someone new ... a very very pretty someone.


mizuno wave inspire 4's ... meet mizuno wave inspire 5.



love,




ps. this means i'm throwing out my backup mizuno wave inspire 3'a.
pps. i got a great deal at the running warehouse, even though they came from the states and i had to pay shipping AND duty - they were still significantly cheaper than the canadian running room store price.

forget about the weekend

that story is over.

first, sheryl asked me to share some motivating tips to stay focused and i will do that ... in tomorrow's post. oh boy, something to look forward to.

so, if you recall my birthday was in june. my boyfriend got me a special something that i didn't want to share until it was confirmed. now it is so i can spill the beans. at the end of july, we are going here:


i am so excited, words cannot even describe it. in terms of tropical getaways i've only been to cuba once, with my girlfriends. it was fun but the food was lackluster, there were cockaroaches in the bathroom and ants invaded my suitcase and everything in it and i spent SIX HOURS picking them all off everything i owned (including inside my umbrella) while they tried to bite me. they wouldn't just fall off either because they were pinchy pinchy. i shudder to remember it.

last night i tried on my sports swimming bikini, and a bikini i've never worn, that my bf bought for me last summer in laguna beach. then i took photos of myself. at first i was blinded by my white skin and then, after my eyesight came back, i decided i need to try a little harder in the food and exercise departments. it's time to really step it up in the gym and cut out processed or junky foods as much as i can.

we are also going for a cottage weekend with TONS of friends not this weekend but the next. one of my friends recently said that she didn't care who saw her in a bathing suit at a resort because it was just a bunch of strangers, but in front of friends it's a different story because they are all judging her more. i sort of see her point, but for me, i kind of group the resort and the cottage weekend in the same way. people (friends or strangers) can judge me all i want, but really it's not their opinions that make any difference. if i think that i don't look my best, i'm not going to feel my best. if i do feel like i look my best, then i am going to have confidence, and really, people who judge other people are intimidated by people with confidence, because they just don't care what they think, taking away all of the judger's power. deep thoughts with yours truly.

there are things about my body i really like and things i don't (obviously).

like: toned arms, slim legs, general appearance (face, smile, etc.), i actually like my pale skin too
dislike: small breasts, cellulite butt, thick waist (compared to my hips), flabby tummy (side handles and back handles) - no handling allowed!

there really was no point whining about it so i went right down to the gym for a double workout.

i walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes, speed of 3.5, for 15 minutes (not all at once) i walked with an incline of 10%. i was sweating SO MUCH i couldn't believe it. it was so intense - way more intense than running for 5-miles (sweat-wise). i also did some sit-ups and push ups before hitting the pool for a 35 minute swim. refreshing.

today i have a run planned after work. i have enough time to tone up before my vacation so i am going to make use of that time! there is no point not to other than laziness and that's a pretty dumb reason!

working hard, not hardly working

i love summer but it's a bit crazy!

last week i followed my half-marathon training plan to a T.

this week we have:

monday: swimming 35 minutes (i'm switching this with running - i just can't run on mondays ... too tired!)
tuesday: running 4 to 5 miles
wednesday: rest
thursday: running 4 to 5 miles
friday: swimming 35 minutes
saturday: running 4 to 5 miles
sunday: rest

my weekend was good. i had friday off in lieu of working wednesday, canada day. on thursday night i met one of my girlfriends at fresh, and it was absolutely phenomenal. i ordered the "energy" bowl which was marinated tofu cubes, rich coconut curry sauce, chick pea & vegetable stew, cucumber, tomato, red onion, sunflower sprouts & tahini sauce on brown basmati rice. i asked for no cucumbers and got beets or carrot instead - the bowl was a bit messy so i couldn't tell.

i also ordered the hot lung lover drink which was made from pineapple, apple, ginger, lemon, cayenne and a respiratonic. i have been on the brink of having a lung/cough/sore throat for about a week now. i am killing it with tons of vitamin C and cold fx. i think i may have beaten it because now i just have a dry cough and that's it.

anyway, it was one of the greatest meals i've ever had. everything is vegetarian and healthy - perhaps not low in calories but that's ok. i wish i was there right now.

friday i went swimming in the morning, worked (at home - i am very busy with work) all day, then went to the dentist in the afternoon. DAMMIT they sure did probe my gums! my whole mouth killed for hours afterward. i have no cavities but the chip fell out of a previously chipped tooth so i have to go back and get that fixed. on friday night i went to a bbq - our host made sweet potato fries, bbq'd asparagus, chicken kabobs and burgers. i had everything but no bun with the burger - delish. i also enjoyed samuel adams summer wheat ale which had a hint of lemon. enjoyed it.

saturday, worked all day again, went for a 4-mile run in the early afternoon. i am finding the 5-milers to be too much for me right now. i think it's the throat cough wearing me down. in the evening i went to see poison and def leppard with some friends. no i'm not joking haha. it was a lot of fun. this post is getting too long! more tomorrow :)

lunchtime

i scheduled yesterday's post to come out of the blog vault at 1:40 pm, and it didn't work. i wondered why no one was commenting! dammit! and now this one didn't post either.

yesterday i went swimming. it was pretty good. my bf came over for date night and he brought some food his mom had given to him so we had a mishmash for dinner. some lasagna and some sausages with peas and potatoes. i added beans to the mix. it was all right. i really appreciated it more when i realized i only had our dinner plates as dishes to wash. and by wash i mean put in the dishwasher. and by that i mean i'll do that tonight.

today i am scheduled for a run, but it's supposed to rain. options: a) go running in the rain - hardcore! b) run on the treadmill inside. i think i'd rather go outside and get soaked. i LOATHE running on the treadmill. it makes me so hot and bothered and i mean sweaty and actually bothered as in "this is the worst" - not to mention it's boring and there is nothing to look at except once in a while the condo maintenance guy comes and throws something in the outdoor trash. boring! sorry condo man, but you are a dullard.

i am excited because tomorrow i am meeting a friend for lunch - guess where?


wow, i'm jealous of myself. did you know they have these in ontario now? well, two or three of them - but one is close enough to my work. i have seen lots of US bloggers visiting panera bread and receiving gift cards and enjoying sandwiches and soups and i longed for that to be me. alas, my dreams are finally coming true! what shall i order? i will have to peruse the online menu tomorrow morning. ooooh i can't wait.

no post yesterday

yesterday was sort of productive. it was my three month workaversary so i now i have benefits - good ones too! at lunch i went to "no frills" to purchase food for my birthday party on saturday ... $105 later! what did i get?

pop bottles (diet coke, club soda, diet grapefruit, diet ginger ale)
water bottles (for drunkards)
chips (regular ruffles, ketchup, roasted chicken, smoky bbq, honey mustard party mix)
crackers (three different kinds)
cheese (cheddar and marble)
hummus dip
roasted red pepper dip
asiago cheese and artichoke dip
carrots
celery (bleh)
baby tomatoes
cucumber
cauliflower
white bread for sandwiches
summer sausage meat
lean deli chicken
marble cheese sandwich slices
miracle whip light
eggs
green onions (for egg salad sandwiches)
pc memories of kobe meatballs
reisen chocolate caramels

that is a lot of party food, considering i already have a lot of candy at home. i also bought:

strawberries for me
blueberries for me
chipotle chicken burgers (only 120 calories - pc blue menu) for me
toilet paper (i guess that's for everyone)

it certainly adds up! when i got home from work i brought all that food upstairs and set out on a run. i was feeling kind of porky and i had lots of energy so i ran for 6 miles, all around the town. it's so easy to run downtown because there are so many people and stores to look at. the first part of my run is a little ghetto, then it's all good. i ran past the citytv building where workers were busy setting up the stages for the muchmusic awards this sunday. i'm glad i don't live in that area - it would be a madhouse of screaming jonas brothers fans.

after my run, i boiled fifteen eggs and eighteen mini potatoes. the potatoes and nine of the eggs are for the potato salad i'm bringing to my boyfriend's staff party tonight (i am remaking the clean eating potato salad from the upcoming cookbook that i made a few weeks ago for the work potluck) and the rest of the eggs are for egg salad sandwiches for the party. last year they were the first sandwiches to get eaten which surprised me. i put a bit of curry in the mix so they are special. actually my sister has mentioned them to me about fifty times over the last year so i think she ate them all. this year i am making more so there is enough for all.

after cooking, i cleaned my den. it's kind of a den/storage room, but that doesn't work for party time. i have giant items from costco in there just hanging around - like twenty rolls of bounty paper towels and a value pack of feminine products. yah ... let's hide those items!

today is also busy. at lunch i am going to my mom's office to pick up her famous chocolate chip cookies for the party. isn't she nice to make them for me. she thinks i tell everyone i made them and take all the credit but i swear i don't. i don't want people begging me to make cookies! that happens to my mom ... the neighbours come over and ask. really people! i also have to hit up the LCBO - i don't want to look at that receipt! i'll just read the brail on the interac pinpad and shut my eyes.

after work i have to rush home, quickly put together the potato salad, and jump on the bus to my bf's house. the party starts "right after school." tomorrow will be a day of baking cake, mad cleaning, chopping, assembling, distributing, blowing (balloons people!) decorating, etc. my actual birthday was pretty awesome. my boyfriend gave me roses, wine, made me pad thai (my favorite), gave me ice cream cone cake that his mom made, and gave me a beautiful shirt and an awesome necklace. (see photo below.) he also got me one more awesome gift but i'll tell you about it next week because it deserves it's own post. suspense! anyway, time for work. i am writing this post in advance and the clock is tick tocking! thanks for your birthday wishes everyone. the birthday week continues bwa ha ha.

thursday

i love thursdays because it's a day when i get everything ready for the weekend. i think tonight i will go running, even though i did it yesterday. i feel like i didn't because i did it so early in the morning it might as well have been the day before.

last night before my bf came over i did some vacuuming and cleaning. i washed the kitchen floor because it was getting out of control ... one too many spills that were hastily wiped up. and then of course last night making dinner i was dropping everything in sight. we had one of those lean cuisine pasta dishes for two, some garlic bread made on whole wheat mini ciabatta buns (drool) and salads. i taped canada's next top model and i thought i taped so you want to be a supermodel but really i taped that show about that horrible new york woman finding love ... again. i fast forwarded in hopes that my mistake was an illusion and pushed play right at a part where new york's mother was interviewing a "little person" who wanted to date her daughter. come on people. i had to look up the term "little person" to make sure it was the politically correct way of saying it. anyway ... who in their right mind watches this show? i would rather lick a toilet. my bf thought it was so funny and kept saying i taped in on purpose to watch later. not true!

this post is losing focus. running tonight ... i think.

tomorrow is game 7 of hockey and i'm watching it ... oh yes. sidney crosby don't let me down. we are having chicken wings and bud light lime beer. i need some things to serve with the wings. i am thinking carrots, zucchini and baby tomatoes, and little whole wheat pita wedges, both served with hummus and fat-free sour cream dip. that should be enough ... there are only two of us.

i'm also looking forward to saturday because i am meeting all of the toronto-bound blog girls for dinner. FUN TIMES oh yah!

toronto, running, swimming, i found money

wow i'm losing followers. i felt a little pang of sadness but it's over now.

another quick list:

1) my potato salad recipe for the potluck turned out pretty well. everyone enjoyed it thoroughly! it was more work than i thought because i had to boil eggs and potatoes first and cool them before even starting. it's fun to separate the yolk from the white in cooled hard boiled eggs. the yolks look so funny. like little shiny orange fun balls. there was so much yummy food at the potluck ... it can all be yours in the fall for the low low price of ... um ... i don't know yet!

2) this morning i woke up super early (5:20 am) and ran four miles. i have to be at work at 8 am and i commute so i have to leave at 7:20 am and i have to shower after a run (obviously ... don't want to stink) and realistically i need 20 minutes or so after waking up to get dressed and ready to run. it was hard to wake up and i really thought about going back to sleep but once i got moving it was fine AND the city was cool and empty! AND i found a loonie and a tcc token (toronto transit $2.75) my lucky day. i went to bed last night at 10 pm to prepare for this big event.

3) last night i went swimming. at first i didn't want to, even when i got into the pool. but then i thought to myself - remember when you loved swimming? where did the love go? and i realized my problem was (and is) that i'm always trying to squish a workout in, instead of enjoying myself. so i said NO RUSH, slowed it down, and really had a great swim. i hate feeling like i have to do this, got to do it right now, right now before my next pressing activity! i need to calm down. after my swim i showered and had a steam in the change room - very luxurious. i am pretty luck to have a pool and a steam room in my building!

4) tonight is date night. we are watching canada's next top model and make me a supermodel which i taped last night. i am also lucky my "main squeeze" likes watching model shows with me.

5) good places to shop in toronto:

number one: queen street west (if you start at yonge and queen - the bay at eaton centre) go west past bay and it's awesome store heaven. and you'll get to see city tv/muchmusic building which could be cool if you've never seen it. speaker's corner is also there. good shopping goes a bit past spadina road - there is an urban outfitters and american apparel and then it dies out before bathurst street.

number two: yorkville (yonge and bloor) go up yonge to bloor and walk west on bloor - the shopping here is amazing! there is holt renfrew which carries top designers, on bloor street there is a tiffanys, a louie vuitton, a chanel... etc. obviously i don't shop there but it's nice to look. go all the way to avenue (where the royal ontario museum is) and turn north because one block up on your right is ... whole foods market! yippee! there is an awesome cheap but nice restaurant called hemingways here.

number three: kensington market, this place is a world in it's own. i love it.

not in the mood - 10 randoms

i'm just not in the mood for blogging ... yesterday OR today!


so here is a quick list of what's going DOWN:

1) blog meet up girls - i posted this question on FB but no one is responding - do you have any sort of itinerary for drinks/dinner on friday or saturday. i want to join you for dinner one night (probably saturday) but i need to plan ahead, if possible. no stress if you don't have a plan yet.

2) I REGISTERED FOR THE MARATHON! no backing out now. training begins the week of the 22nd. i know i can do it even though i've never run that far before - it will be my greatest physical achievement ... SO FAR!

3) i am full time back on the oats. no green monsters this week. sorry greenies but i missed oatmeal in the morning - so filling and delicious.

4) tomorrow at work we are having a potluck to test recipes for an upcoming cookbook. i am making a potato salad. i have to shop at lunch for potatoes, eggs, cucumber and avocado oil. i have never tried this avocado oil before - it better not be expensive!

5) speaking of expensive, i am now very poor due to my car repairs. but i put it on my amex with air miles so just think about how many air miles i'll be getting. silver lining on a cloud? not really.

6) last night i did an old workout in my condo gym. i used to do this all the time. it goes like this:

5 minutes walking (speed 4.0, incline 1%)
10 minutes running (speed 6.0 to 6.2 mph)
break for 5 minutes of arm weights
10 minutes running
break for 5 minutes of arm weights
10 minutes of running
5 minutes walking (speed 4.0)
a few more minutes of walking (reducing speed) until i reach a total of 4 miles
100 sit ups (different kinds)
stretches
20 push ups (girl ones)

it's a fast workout, just over an hour but effective. and since you only run for 10 minutes at a time, it's not too boring and your heart rate stays elevated for longer than just running alone.

7) if there is a sobey's supermarche near you - go there right now. go to the frozen food section and buy the sobey's brand lean chicken and cheese meatballs. they are 100 calories for 4 and the tastiest meatballs i have ever had. last night i made dinner with sauteed broccoli, baby tomatoes and roasted red peppers from a jar, and six meatballs cooked in the oven, all drizzled with garlic salt and chili lime hot sauce. yum yum. i was hungry later though, so be warned if you try it at home.

8) last night i watched benjamin button and it was good.

9) in exactly one week and let's say 7 hours i'll be watching no doubt live WOOHOO!

10) in exactly one week and ten or eleven hours i'll be 28 instead of 27. noooooooooooooo! can't i stay young 4eva? will it help if i type like a youngster? 4eva? i think step one would be not to say "youngster." ;)

and one bonus - tonight i am planning on a swim, i think. i am going to try to attempt a morning run tomorrow. i'll have to get up VERY early but i want to get in the habit of running before work since i'm going to be training in the hot summer and want to run while it's still mildly cool outside.