Diakonos 10K St. Patrick's Day Run

It seems like I signed up for this race ages ago and now in a blink, it is over! Since the New Year, I have been running mostly on my treadmill due to the ice. I managed to get outside a few times, but I was a little worried about how I would do running outside.  

The strangest collection of
things in this race package
(chips, rolaids, and a
leather keychain)

My original race plan was to finish around 57 or 58 minutes.  I knew this was a bit of a stretch after a long winter, but I really wanted to run under 60 minutes. However, after this week at school, I wasn't sure if my legs would allow me to do this.  My students have been learning hip hop dance for a big dance performance this Wednesday. I have been trying to learn the dance too. I have also been secretly learning a simplified jive dance during my lunch hour with some of the other teachers as a surprise to the students. Needless to say, I have been using a few muscles that I just don't usually use.  This whole week, my legs felt heavy and tired. So much so that it was a terribly short taper run on Friday.  I reevaluated my goals with this in mind and decided that I would be happy if I was as close to 60 minutes as possible. 

I woke up Saturday morning, opened the curtains and cursed at the light dusting of snow that had fallen over night. Just enough to hide the ice and make the roads slick. (Damn you winter!!) Again, I reevaluated and figured I would be happy with 62 or 63 minutes. 
I followed my normal race day routine of a coffee and oatmeal with plenty of brown sugar.  I was soon  on the road to Sydney's house and then downtown.  We were excessively early getting to the race site so we enjoyed the seat warmers in my car a little longer.
Due to a nervous bladder, we eventually made our way over to Eau Clare where we admired admired the various costumes of the participants and pondered deep questions such as  "How people can run in those hats?!" and "Does that t-shirt need the apostrophe?" 

Who or what do those teachers belong to?

We realized that we were approaching 10:00 and that the rest of racers were heading out.  We scurried out there and just as we got to the start line, the race was beginning. We jumped into the crowd, wished each other a good race and away we went!  
As I half jogged, half walked, half skipped through the start line crowd, I wondered "Does anyone else hate the start of a race?" I tried to be patient for the first km of the race, but I had to do quite a lot of weaving through the large groups and hopping around icy patches to find a spot that I could run in and find my own rhythm.  Finding this rhythm seemed to take much longer than normal.  I kept my eyes peeled for those little red km markers and counted down the kms as I hit them. This is not usually my style.  My first few kms were on on pace to hit 60 minutes so I did what I could to keep it up.  I was struggling though. My legs felt like lead. I carried on and just kept one foot in front of the other and enjoyed the the beautiful scenery along Bow River.  The blue sky, the melting icy river, and the dusting of snow made it a truly magnificent day for a run. 

As I jogged along Parkdale, I squinted my eyes to see that the 5km turn around was coming up.  I rejoiced when I saw this for three reasons: 
1) I hit under the 30 minute mark! (Barely @ 29:36 but still there). 
2) I was halfway done.
3) I would be running into the sun! Oh sun how I have missed you lately! 
I tried to hold my pace steady for the the next little bit and I decided I would pick it up around the 7km marker.  My goal was to run the second half of the race faster than the first half, so I knew I had some work to do.
At the 7km, I added a little juice until my pace hit 5:35/km. Hurray!  Each km I picked it up as much as I thought I could and maintain.  At some point in this process, my jelly legs seemed to disappear. I had a groove and it felt so great! 

Sydney approaching
the finish line

Finally when I saw that 9km spot, I ran as fast as my little legs would take me. The home stretch! I was breathing hard and actually a little self conscious of how hard I was breathing as I ran past some of the other joggers, but it didn't matter for long.  As I turned the last corner, there in front of me was the big, inflatable, finish line and it looked incredible! 
Interestingly enough, my GPS told me I had hit 10km well before I actually finished the race, which was a little strange. I wonder which was off and why one is off by so much! When I crossed, the timer was just about to 59 minutes.  I was so happy!  I was way under my goal and closer to my original goal than I could have hoped for.  Dancing legs and icy pathways, you've got nothin!
The final time on the website was 58:35, which was the perfect time for a season opener.  Just over a year ago, I could struggled to do 10k under 65 minutes.  This race gave me the just the motivation to keep me going and setting new goals for this new race season. 

All done!!!!

February Goals (quite late indeed!)

February Goals 

I know I am quite late with this post. I was even debating doing it, buuuut, my coach Sharon gave me a gentle kick in the butt and now, here I am.  You can thank her.

My goals for February were:

 1. Improve on the bike

2. Swim 2500m.

I am happy to report I am still currently working on number 1. I hate to admit this, but I am enjoying the hard work, the sore muscles, and the extra time watching Netflix while I ride my bike (I have finished a whole season of Call the Midwife!).  I don't think I can quite say I am in love with the bike, but I have developed a better relationship with it.  I feel like I have that on and off again kind of relationship that the Biebs and Selena Gomez have.  But thanks to my Sharon, I have been working at it and sticking to it and now and then kiiiiinda looking forward to it. I plan to make this a long term goal and eventually get comfortable enough that I sign up for an Olympic distance tri. 

My second goal was to swim 2500m.  I knew this was achievable for me, as I have done 2400m many times, but I wanted to be able to say I have swam 100 laps - and NOW I CAN!  I was scheduled to do it last week, but the timing didn't work out, so I got up early on Sunday and headed to the pool. I knew it would be a quiet day with the time change and hoped I could get a lane to myself. I hopped in the pool and quickly started in on my warm up.  As I was swimming, I realized that my warm up was longer than my entire first swim workouts over a year ago. It made me realize how far I had come with my swimming and also how much I love it. There are a few things in life that I really truly look forward to doing and swimming is definitely one of them. I love the absolute quiet, the calming rhythm, and the burning muscles and lungs.  It's a happy place for me and I am constantly trying to make my swimming better.  It's my meditation. After my warm up, I had a good mix of drills (puke!), fast 25s, and longer sets to keep me motivated and engaged! I had a great flow the entire swim and as it neared to an end, I felt like I  I could have swam forever. In hindsight,  I'm sure that was the adrenaline kicking it rather than logic.  It's a little like making those bad decisions after too many tequila shots, so I didn't attempt to push it and I finished the swim as prescribed. I hopped out of the pool and as I walked towards the change room I felt like I was walking with a little extra swing in my step. I felt like I had joined some new exclusive club and I am so proud to be a member!

I will post my new goals soon!  Thanks for reading!

GF Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies!!! Mmmm

Last night I had a craving for something sweet and delicious. Of course this craving came about 8:00 and I had no desire to go out to get something.... so I went to Pinterest and found a recipe that sounded just perfect. It never gets better than peanut butter and chocolate (except maybe caramel)
I have made versions of this cookie, but I have never seen a chocolate one so I decided to give it a go!

These were the easiest cookies and they turned out so delicious, even for you gluten eaters! They took me less than 25 minutes from start to finish( including clean up) and they got a definite "mmmmmmm" from my husband after the first bite and I'm pretty sure he snuck a couple more at the same time. I have copied the recipe from Frost your Life and attached my own photos so you can see the recipe does turn out and look as good as they do on the original blog

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup and 2 tbsp of peanut butter
1 cup of brown sugar( I reduced this to 2/3 cup and it was still delicious)
1 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla
1 cup of cocoa
1 tsp of baking soda

Combine the first four ingredients until the sugar is no longer gritty.
Add in the cocoa and baking soda and combined until it is all mixed together.
Roll dough into balls and place on parchment paper.
Use a fork to gently squish the cookies down.  Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes.

Let cool for 2-3 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.

mmmm! The perfect mix of chocolate and peanut butter...

Liebster Award

I have been nominated for a Liebster Award. It is an award for new bloggers to help promote their blog. Thank you to Runner Leana for nominating me. 
These are the rules:

• Mention the person who nominated you.
• Answer the 11 questions provided by the person who nominated you. 
• Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers 
• Create a new set of 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

With only a few posts on my blog, I was surprised to read that I was nominated for this, but I am excited to take part and it motivates me to keep blogging.
Let's get on with the questions and answers!

1.Tell me about your first race.

I can't remember my first race as I have been running for awhile on and off, but I do remember the first race that got me hooked all over again. 
I ran with my friends Payal and Kristen in the Starbucks 5k Run for Women. The truth is, we were more motivated by the cute bracelet that came in the race package then the run, but that little piece of bling motivated me to train to run the 5k straight.  
The race was a rainy June morning in Baker Park.  We were welcomed by a fresh cup of Starbucks to help warm us up.  The race took place through the park and up a big hill. We chose to walk up the hill and after the race, I regretted that decision. I had trained to run the whole race and I didn't, so I made up my mind to do another without any walking. 

2. If you could run any race, anywhere in the world, what would it be and why?
Wow... any race. I am not sure I could decide on one, so I have picked three different ones that I thought looked amazing. The first is the Marathon Du Medoc. It combines three things that I love: running, travelling and wine! The second is not a road race. It is Empire State Building Run Up.   It would be so hard, but I think the sense of accomplishment would be worth it! The last is the Athens Classic Marathon.  Greece is tops on my places to see, so I would love to combine a vacation with a great run.  Plus, where better to run than in the birthplace of the marathon!

3.  What is your favourite fuel to use? 
I use a couple different things. In my waterbottle, I usually use VegaSport or Ultima Replenisher. I love the taste of the raspberry Ultima. It reminds me of Koolaid!  For chews, I use the honey Stinger. I especially like the cola ones as they remind me of coke bottle candies.  

4.Do you train solo or with a group? 
I usually run on my own, although every now and then I can organize myself to get together with my friend Sydney. I really look forward to our runs together. I always bike alone as I usually bike on my trainer. Lately, I have been swimming with my friends Jodi, Kristen, and Bob.  

5.Have you ever had a running injury? 
Luckily only minor ones. While training for my half marathon last year, I started to develop a really sore muscle on my lower calf and a bruised foot. By following the advice of my coach Sharon, I was on the mend in no time and back out there. I always try to stretch, roll and take an epsom salt bath after long/hard runs to keep my muscles happy. 

6. What motivates you to keep training? 
There are so many things that keep me motivated. I love the challenge that being active gives me. I love that I can set goals, achieve them and see my improvement.  I also like the downtime it gives me. I find myself in a different state of mind during a long swim or with the right song on a long pathway.  The change I have seen in my body is also a motivator. I love being able to see and feel the change in my muscles and I find that clothes fit so much better. I also like how it calms me down. I have ALOT of energy and running and swimming  allows me to use that energy in a positive way.  I have found that training has been good for my mind, body and spirit. 

7. What is your favourite piece of gear? 
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my lulu lemon jacket. There are so many things I love about it (although the price certainly wasn't one of them). First, I love the colour. It is not a colour I normally wear, but I think that's what is so great about it. It allows me to been seen and the reflective patches ensure this.  I love that it is lined inside with a dry fit type material that is stretchy.  I also love that the material allows me to move easily and not feel restricted. I also love that it easily holds my cell phone in the pocket and has headphone holes and holders so that my headphones stay in place.  I love the thumb holes that help keep my hands warm on a chilly day. I also love that I can wear it year round. In the winter, I can add a wool shirt underneath and a vest on top and I am warm. On a chilly summer day, I can wear it with a tank top without my arms sticking to the arms. Lastly, I love how flattering it is. I still feel cute and feminine in it as it gives me shape in just the right places. (The picture above of me in my first race shows this jacket)

8. I’m stealing a question from Krista…what is your goal race for this year? 
I have been thinking ALOT about this lately. Originally, my plan was to race 14 races in 2014. However, lately, I am thinking I will race once a month and volunteer for at least  2 races this year. I love the crazy, hyper people on the race route and I know I could be one of those people for others. It's important to give back I think.
If I race the Okanagan Half Marathon again this year, I want to break the 2 hour mark. To my surprise, last year I was just over 2:02 and I think I can beat it this year. 

9.Tell me about your most memorable run. 
My most memorable race was the Okanangan Half Marathon.  

Crossing the finish line!

10. What made it so memorable?

Before the race

My amazing supportive family!

There were so many things that made this day amazing. Of course my time was memorable. I was aiming for 2:15 and was shocked to see 2:02. It was my first half marathon, so the energy I felt, the nerves and the excitement, are feelings that make for a memorable day. Also, my family was all there to cheer me on at the end. I remember getting close to the end and my legs were hurting. I was just lapped by a marathoner and feeling tired. I saw my brother in law with a big smile on my face and I remembered that I had a cheering squad. I gave it a final burst of energy and was welcomed at the end by my family and a fresh Okanagan apple. An apple has never tasted so good. 

11. What is the coldest temperature you’ve run in?
Last year, my friend Sydney and I decided to tackle a run every day challenge.  This started the day after American Thanksgiving and lasted until New Years. The idea behind it was to keep the holiday stress and weight off!  Of course the day we started was also the frist day of a bitter cold streak in Calgary. We persevered.  My friend and neighbour Kristen would run with me on those cold days.    After a blizzard, in the bitter cold, there we were with our ski coats, goggles, and balaclavas we would tackle the bad ass neighbourhood of Sage Hill. I'm sure the neighbours thought we were crazy! We saw the temperature drop to -30C on more than one occasion, but it was surprisingly fun and liberating. I definitely plan to do this again next year!

Share your favourite race photo! 
This is by far my favourite photo. This was after my first Try a Tri. I suffered from a really bad cramp on the run and I came to the finish line wiped. I love the expression on my face!

Now for my nominations. Although I follow quite a few blogs, none are new or have few followers. If you know of any, please let me know :)
1. Hurray for Play
2. Girl Goes Running (Not sure if this qualifies, but I love reading it!)
3. YYC Gluten Free

Now for my questions:
1. Why did you decide to start blogging?
2. Do you preplan your blog entries or are you more of a spur of the moment blogger?
3. When did you discover your passion for what you blog about?
4. What else do you like to do in your spare time?
5. If you could recommend one book to anyone to read, what would it be and why?
6. Cat or dog?
7. What is your favourite food and why?
8. If someone wanted to get started with your passion (running, baking, teaching) what is one piece of advice you would give them?
9. Where in the world would you like to visit?
10. What is your guilty pleasure?
11.Where is your "hidden gem" of Calgary? (What is the one place in Calgary that you love that you're not sure everyone knows about.

First Tri of the Year - TNT Dynamite Sprint

Ready to go!

My coach Sharon shared the information about this Tri with me a couple of months ago. In her words "It's really fun!". I'll admit, I wasn't sure it would be. Part of me wanted to do it, as the money for the race went towards a kids triathlon group, but I didn't know how competitive people would be or how I would feel about riding on my trainer and running on a track for a race. I hummed and hawed and finally when my neighbour Jayme (who has never done a tri before)agreed and signed up, I realized I needed to sign up too.
After a restless night in a mediocre hotel, I woke up early, had a good breakfast and a coffee and we took off to Collicutt Centre. The race set up was extremely well organized with both adults and kids there to help. I set up my trainer and bike, tested it out, checked out the pool and chatted with some other racers (including a fellow Team Tri-Lifer) and before I knew it, the race meeting was starting.
I was in the 9th heat for swimming and with only two lanes, I knew it would be quite a wait. I cheered on Jayme who was in the 1st heat and chatted with my teammate.  Having someone to chat with sure calmed any nerves I had been feeling.

Not alot needed for an indoor tri transition!

After about 40 minutes, it was my turn. I let my lanemate go first as I had a very sore throat (turned out to be strep!)and I thought this would hold me back today. I started with a good pace and before I knew it, I was close behind him. I miscounted my laps (thought I had 12 laps to do, not 24) and believed I was almost done so I gave it the gas and passed him. It was quickly after that I realized I had 15 laps to go, not 3, so I pulled back a bit but still gave it a strong, consistent effort.  The pool was HOT, so it was hard to keep motivated to swim at a race pace. All I could think about was turning grabbing a floatie, laying on my back and snapping my fingers at Jose who would bring me an extra strong pina colada. Maybe it was this daydreaming that got me through, but I finally saw the dip of the pool noodle, indicating I had one more to lap go, so I gave it my all and then jumped out of the pool.
My next stop was the dry station. There were some boys with towels and a timer. I had to stay for 10 seconds to dry off. When they gave me the go ahead, I jogged to the gym, put my socks, shoes, and helmet on and hopped on the bike.

Done!

Almost finished...

The bike was a really strange experience. Before the tri, I was asked for my quickest bike time in a previous race and this was used as my time for this race.  They had the kids timing us and they would tell us how much time left and when to get off.  It turns out that people manipulated their bikes and computers last year, so they tried it this way.  I liked it. It sure made it a more relaxed race and took the pressure off! I rode at a good pace, but knowing I wasn't racing or aiming to beat a time, I didn't feel the need to give it my all. I drank water, chatted with my bike neighbour and enjoyed the music. When my time was up, I slipped on my running shoes, half ass jogged up to the track and started my run.
I felt slow... my legs felt heavy and after just a lap, my throat was aching and was extremely dry. I felt I couldn't find a good pace until midway through the run. I felt frustrated that I couldn't catch up to anyone and I felt like I was being lapped by everyone! At the end, I thought I had a lap and a half, when all that was actually left was half a lap. I sprinted it, crossed the silver ribbon finish line and was greeted by my husband's smiling face and a young boy bringing me a much needed cup of water.

Crossing the finish line!

We waited for the results and my swim averaged :56min/100m and my run was a 5min/km.  The run was better than I expected. After some thought about my run, I realized that I was running with the fastest of the group, so it is no wonder I felt so slow! Seeing my results made me feel a lot better about my race.

All in all it was a good day. It was amazing to be able to race in February and in such a friendly environment. I was disappointed there weren't more people as I thought it was a worth while cause and would be such a great experience for someone who wanted to try a Triathlon. I hope they keep this triathlon going and I hope more people will give it a try. I know I will be back! 

Thanks for joining me Jayme! Great job on your first Tri!

February Goals

Reflecting, wanting, and wishing are things that I regularly do during my workouts. I think, Oh I want to do this. or this... however by the time I finish my run, swim or workout, I have forgotten.  
I am not usually one to write down my goals and I am not really sure why. Isn't that how you achieve them and improve? At least this is what I teach my students during our health lessons. Practice what you preach right?  Well ... TODAY is the day I will start to do just that! I will set one or two goals for my health, fitness, and training each month that I'll work towards. I think recording them here will make me much more accountable. Here it goes:

February Goals!!!!

1. To swim 100 laps... I want to work towards this goal for no other reason than to say I have done it. I know I CAN do it... in fact I have been so close several times - like 4 away, but because my program says 2300m, I stop. Why do I do this? Coach Sharon, I may just need you to tell me to do this. I do as I am told :)

2. To get faster on the bike. I hate it. It's the truth and I am sorry for all you bike fanatics out there... but I do. There is a time or two I could stretch to call it "fun" but this usually takes place it in the comfort of my home on my trainer,with my ipad and a good episode on Netflix. I know I am killing you right?   I hate the burn in the my legs, the wobbly feeling when I get off and more than that, the thought of doing it. Don't get me wrong, I do it, I do what I need to do, but that's it. Coach Sharon, I am calling on your expertise yet again. I need to be pushed because I want to be faster and more powerful. I am realizing how slow I actually am.

I will check back at the end of the month to see how things went! Any advice is appreciated!

New Year, New Goals, New Races

Race 1: Calgary Road Runners Tuscany Coulee

Jan. 25, 2014

Although I am not usually one to set New Year's Resolutions, this year, I was inspired by many of the running and fitness blogs that I follow.  I decided to start one of my own.  I thought this would be a great way for me to record and share my thoughts, challenges, and joys of training and racing.

Mid way through 2013, I discovered the idea of 13 races in 2013. I really liked this idea, but wondered how I could fit so many in and afford so many.  Over the last few months, I have discovered some fun and affordable races that I thought would help solve both of these problems. For 2014, my goal is to run 14 races!

 
Today I tried something completely new to me, a short 4k trail run with the Calgary Road Runners. I have friends who rave about trail running, but getting out to the mountains to do these, is a big committment. Luckily, Calgary Road Runners does races all around town through the ravines, parks, hills, and coulees.  

This run was in Tuscany in the Coulee. To be honest, I didn't really even know this beautiful space existed until I saw this race.  I was intrigued, so after talking with a few friends, we decided to give it a go.  I really had no expectations.

It started with us meeting in the Tuscany Hall to register, pay our $10 (Yes... that's right, only $10!!) and get some information.  It turns out the actual race start was about a 15 minute walk, which was a perfect warm up before the run.  

There were more people than I expected, but with our beautiful 13 degree January weather, I can see why so many people came out.  The weather couldn't have been better. The warm sun and clear blue sky gave everyone that extra energy. We gathered around, listened to a few instructions and with a simple "Go" from the man in the Hawaiian shirt, we were off. I felt great, so I let myself start at a decent pace. After going down a slippery hill, we had to go back up it. It was here that I discovered that my Costco "Snowtracks" did not meet my high expectations. They were already sliding off my toes and up my heel.  I pulled over to fix them, but in no time, they were sliding off.  They seemed to stay in that spot and left me with some traction on my toe, so I tried to ignore them and keep going. 

Trying to capture the views

behind me

The course was a good mix of small hills and flat trails, which allowed me to catch my breath. I tried to run up the hills as much as I could, but found myself walking up the ends of a couple.  Due to the thin trails, I found myself on other's heels quite often with no place to pass. This is the big difference I see to road running, where you have all the space you need to pass. Some people were more aware of this than others and tried to move over on the wider spots, where others seemed to pretend you didn't exist.  I wonder if the summer trails are the same or if it's just the snow trails that make it difficult to pass. I didn't really mind though as it gave me a chance to catch my breath and slow down.

The scenery was beautiful.  Along the top of the coulee I could see the snow covered mountains against the blue sky. As we went down, the trail through the trees was relaxing and serene.  I enjoyed having so much to look at during the run and I enjoyed the quietness of the trails. During my regular runs, I NEEEED music, but the thought didn't even cross my mind once.  

The popsicle placing system - Genius!

 I used Map My Run and I liked hearing her voice along to the way to tell me how far I had gone. I ignored the pacing today and just tried to trust my body and my lungs on this one.  I heard it tell me I was at 3km so I picked up as much as I could and passed a couple people along the way.  I knew I was nearing the end as I came to the huge hill. I walked up most of it, but near the end picked up my feet and forced myself to run to the finish line. 

I was happy to be given a popsicle stick with the number 10. I am not sure how many people did the 4km, as it seemed majority did 8km, but a 10 in my eyes looked good. I was also happy to look up and see a time of 28:13.  

I have to admit, I was TIRED!  It was hard work today.  I had to think about what I was doing, where I was running, and about how to pace for a type of running that I had never done. BUT, I enjoyed it and I am planning to run another. I enjoyed the challenge and the change.  All in all, it was a day with great weather, a great run, but best of all, great friends!