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.

no more shredding

what a busy week this has been. working, other activities at night, 1/2 marathon training ... life is exhausting. i could go to bed earlier but i just hate going to bed early. once a week i'll crash around 9:30 or so but usually i try to be in bed at 10:30 and sleeping by 11 or 11:30 at the very latest (i read at night) but it's still not enough. anyhoo...

last night i was going to run 4 miles but decided to stop after 3. why? it was so hot outside and my legs felt like lead. running was brutal! i thought about why this might be happening. hmmmmm. deep thinking time. 1. the heat obviously is a factor although i was wearing my fuel belt and i have run in hotter temps before with no problems. 2. lack of sleep - this does affect one's ability to work out. 3. jillian michael's 30 day shred. bingo! i did this on monday after work and my legs (especially my inner thighs and bottom) were still sore. good for working muscles - not good for running. i remembered that earlier this week angela from oh she glowsmentioned she was doing the shred and running at the same time and that is what caused her injury - overtraining!

i decided NO MORE SHREDDING until the 1/2 marathon is over. it's on september 27 so i think i'm going to make october the month of the shred and push it hardcore! maybe i'll take measurements and photographs. actually photographs are unlikely LOL.

here is some more random stuffs:

1) i should go swimming tonight but i'm a lazy bumhoolio. my goggles broke on the weekend and i got a new pair yesterday so i have no excuses. i am also going to THE EX tonight which should be F-U-N. i can walk there in 5 minutes too so it's extra cool.

2) on friday i have the day off from work because i am going to a wedding. in the day. on a friday. i think that's strange but i'm not an expert on wedding days or anything. the wedding is early afternoon and the reception is at dinnertime in different cities. i thought it was all at night because it's on a friday so i was mistaken. i was going to do my "long run" on friday morning but now maybe i should push it to saturday ... i'll make the decision based on what time i naturally wake up on friday.

3) i feel kind of bad because my bf's b-day is in september and he was all set to announce his party unless i did some head-math and realized it would be the day before my 1/2 marathon. i cannot attend a party on that day ... that would be utter madness. and he can't have a party without me ... RIGHT!?

4) i ordered a vegan for "singles" cookbook from amazon. i don't like cooking from cookbooks because i hate having a thousand portions of one dish - i'll let you know what i think of it when it arrives and i start the fun.

5) bread doesn't go stale in the freezer, right? let's say i bought some bread products that were 50% off because they were going to expire in the next few days. and then i put them in my freezer right away - that's fine right? my mom said, "i didn't think you were that poor that you had to purchase stale bread." it's not stale ... right? dammit! i just love getting a deal!

6) today i bought some jelly belly sport beans and clif shots for my over an hour long runs. i think 8 miles and up i'll be taking these. i have one 10 mile run (GULP) and one 8 mile run before the race. does anyone have experience with these?

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!

coocoo for coconuts!

good afternoon friends.

i have been feeling really nervous lately about my half-marathon race because sometimes i can run and sometimes my bum pain makes it impossible. the bum pain isn't here at the moment but could reoccur at anytime!

last week i opted out of my run in favour of the elliptical machine on tuesday, and did a 45-minute treadmill run with varying inclines on thursday. thursday's run took the life out of me - i guess it was all of the varying speeds and inclines. there is this one part where you run at about 5 mph but at 8% incline for 3 minutes. i could do it but after i thought i was having some sort of asthma attack ... really couldn't breathe! i took a 10-minute walk break and then finished up the run. scary! on saturday i went running outside despite the heat and it was great. i wet my hair before going, put on sunscreen, a hat and my fuel belt and hit the road for about 4 miles.

i am worried because i'm behind in my training. i should have completed a 7 and an 8-mile long run by now and i haven't. i am nowhere close to that! actually that's a lie - i have run 6 miles once or twice this season but i'm hardly working up to that. i find that when i have bum pain i have to ease back into running and not push it too hard. does anyone have any advice for getting back up to my training level without risking injury?

on the other hand, if i can't finish the half-marathon, who really cares? i would have a pretty good reason for stopping (quitting ... bah) if i'm in pain. i mean, it's not like i wouldn't finish because i'm a lazy bum! i guess all i can do is keep trying and do my best. and my best is good enough. and people like me. yes!

work has been REALLY busy! busy is good but too busy can be overwhelming. this weekend is the can fit pro conference downtown so i'll be working there. i don't mind working on the weekend when i get to attend what i assume will be an interesting trade and consumer show. maybe i'll learn the latest underground fitness crazes ... and share them all with you of course. ;)

in other news, i have been using coconut oil lately. my boyfriend and i went on an outback safari tour in the dominican. if you click on the link it's the exact tour and you can read about all the neat stuff we did. one of the high selling points for me was a visit to a real dominican home where they grow and process coconuts! i learned all about chopping a coconut, mincing the coconut meat, and pressing it to make oil.

i bought my coconut oil fresh from the coconut oil farm/place in dominican republic. straight from the coconut into a bottle and sold to me for $10 US ... it can't get any fresher than that. coconut oil is used for cooking, added to many drinks like pina coladas, as a relief for constipation and it aids in weight loss (apparently ... maybe because of the last reason lol). our tour guide said taking 3 TBSP of oil relieves constipation, taking 1 TBSP with salt has the opposite effect, and drinking a drop in the morning and at night helps you lose weight. he also said that they put it in some of the blended drinks at the resort so don't drink more than a couple pina coladas at a time. i wish i knew that before i went on safari!

coconut oil is a VERY healthy oil and has a high heating point so it's great for cooking. did you know that coconut oil and coconut butter are the same thing? it's true - just the butter is in solidified form - so should be stored in the fridge. in the new cookbooks at work we are all about the coconut oil so it's definitely something you want to implement in your diet. i think i'll stick to cooking with it for now. the smell is amazing too. mmmmmmm.

here is me on tour, holding a coconut with a big pile of coconuts in the background. it was so hot so they kept feeding us bottled pop ... i love bottles! for some reason holding the glass makes me feel classy.

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!