Wow!  Training this long/far sure is different when you have kids because the minute you get home, your spouse hands the kids to you and takes off, even though all I want to do when I get home is shower, stretch, eat, and nap.  HA! I sure miss those good ol’ days….

All in all the run went well.  It was cool out – but not bitterly cold.  Cold enough that it was snowing, but the snow was turning to slush when it hit the ground.  Oh – it was windy too, so the blowing snow was whipping me (and my training partner, Emma) in the face.  OK – truth be told the run sucked, but now that I’m a mom, it totally felt great to be away from home for two hours.

When I got home and took off my shoes I was greeted by this:

And found this beauty when I took my sock off (what shall we name her?):

Have I ever mentioned that my feet don’t do well when my shoes get wet?  Sigh – it’s gonna be quite awhile until that bad boy heals, thank goodness for ReSkin:

These things are seriously AWESOME! I was wearing one on my other foot because last week’s arch blister was still healing – guess I shoulda had one on my other foot as a precaution. Let’s file that under: Lessons Learned.

Ok – so for the running geeks out there, here are my splits:

(I apologize for these being in min/km, but I’m Canadian and that’s just how we roll up here).

My sub-2 hour half marathon attempt is in 5 short weeks! This coming week my training is as follows:

Sunday: BodyPump
Monday: Spinning class
Tuesday: Easy 5k at lunch
Wednesday: BodyPump
Thursday: Speed workout 4 x 1 mile repeats with 0.5 mile recovery jogs
Friday: 5k easy
Saturday: 18k

Have a great week everyone!

Question/sharing:
How do you prevent blisters?  How do you treat your blisters?

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First off I wanna tell you about this year’s running GOALS! I’m currently training for the Chilly Half Marathon – not just to finish it this time – but to PR it! My previous PR from like 8 years ago on that course is 2:01, but I’ve been running faster and stronger these past few months, so this time I’m gonna CRUSH 2 hours. Training is going well despite the cold weather, because I have this KICK ASS pony tail hat from the Running Room:

Other goals for 2012 (OMG! It’s 2012 already! Do you realise I started this blog back in 2004!!):

• Around the Bay 30K
• PR a 5k in April?
• PR a 10K – in May?
• 75 K Ride for Heart in June
• Olympic distance Triathlon in July
• August – just train
• September – Half marathon
• October – another half marathon
• November – just train
• December – just train

FTC – I bought the hat on my own because I LOVE it and no one has paid me to blog about it, so suck it.

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I was hoping to break two hours, as I have quite a race history of FLIRTING with two hours – 2:01, 2:04, 2:06, 2:08 etc… Those results are from almost ten years ago while I was still in my late twenties, so it feels really good to know that this mom of 3, who is closing in on 40, and is still nursing a baby can still run!

I’m off to celebrate with a much deserved Guinness now that the baby is asleep:

Tomorrow I’ll give you my full race report – I promise!

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My spring half marathon “training” (if you can even call it that), consisted of running 5k three times a week, with a 10k longer run on the weekend for three weeks in a row before the “race”.  Yes – I kinda faked that half marathon, but did surprisingly well, all things considered.  (6 mos post-partum, no training, very little sleep the night before because of the baby).  I finished in 2 hrs and 8 mins.  Not too shabby.

Me at the Toronto Women's Half Marathon May 2011

So… my second half marathon is coming up in 7 short weeks from now on October the 16th (which is actually an eternity compared to how long I “trained” for my last half marathon).  Now that I have some time to train, here’s my “plan” (I’m awful at sticking to plans, but I’m hopeful sharing it with you will make me more accountable):

Mon – 8k
Tues – BodyPump class
Wed – 8k
Thurs – rest
Fri – 8k
Sat – BodyPump class
Sun – long run

My long runs will start at 10k, and I’ll add 1k to it each week, until 2 weeks before the race (which means that the Sunday long run 2 weeks before will be 15k).  I’m back down to my racing weight (yay!) so I’m optimistic this “plan” will enable me to run a faster race than I did this spring.

Look out Scotiabank Waterfront Half Marathon… here I come!!

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As the price of healthcare has skyrocketed, all it takes is one expensive accident, injury, or illness that needs treated when you’re uninsured to strip you of most or all of your savings and other assets, and jeopardize your financial stability. It can even push you into bankruptcy, lead to liens being placed on your property, harassment, embarrassment, and ruin your credit which can take many years to repair.

Not having health insurance also often has other negative consequences. For example, those who are uninsured tend to avoid the doctor even when they have serious conditions. They may not receive needed check-ups, screenings, and major medical problems that can be life-threatening may not be found or treated until it is too late.

Some think they are healthy and young and nothing can happen to them, but that is a misconception. No one is immune to accidents and illnesses, and they can occur at any time. Also, a large number of the uninsured don’t realize that affordable insurance options exist, and that having coverage can actually save them much more than the cost of the policy.

Savings are in the form of better health maintenance that reduces future medical visits, protection against loss of assets, and lower costs on competing policies such as auto coverage where medical payments may not be necessary if already included in an existing health insurance policy.

Many insurance plans will directly pay for, or reimburse you for, your prescription medications, mental health care, hospital admissions, doctor visits, and preventive care with the objective of minimizing future health problems that can be far more costly.

Studies have additionally demonstrated the advantages of carrying medical coverage, showing that those who are insured on average live longer and healthier lives, have greater peace of mind, and enjoy a higher quality of life than those who have not been sufficiently covered and have not received the same level of health care.

This is why being adequately protected with affordable insurance coverage is important when it comes to safeguarding not just you and your family’s health, but also your home and financial security.

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Crush it!

Smoking… Yuck! There are SO many reasons why you SHOULDN’T smoke, yet people still do.

For me personally the #1 reason, besides health is cost – at a cost of about $10/pack a half a pack/day habit will run you $150/month or $1800/year – money, that in my not-so-very humble opinion could be better spent on a personal trainer for 6 mos… The lost opportunity cost of smoking is enormous!

Here’s a little known fact about me… I used to smoke.

I smoked for 2.5 yrs – I started when I was 17 and like most people, started as a social smoker.  By 19 I was smoking half a pack a day.  Then I met a great guy (who happens to now be my hubby) and he told me to make a choice: Him or the cigarettes.

BEST.DECISION. EVAH!

So Janice, tell us how did you do it?  How did you kick one of the MOST addictive habits to the curb?

COLD TURKEY

I used good old-fashioned will power – well somewhat.  I also decided to associate smoking with the most disgusting smell ever.  How?  I forced myself to sit in my dorm room and smoke an entire pack of cigarettes as fast as I could.  I also chose a brand that I didn’t normally smoke.  A stale pack of Players.  I then butted out ALL of the cigarettes into a little glass jar with a bit of water in it.  After the whole disgusting smoke fest was over, I made myself take a HUGE sniff of my disgusting water, ash, cigarette butt concoction.  Nastiest.Smell.Ever.  But it worked – I ran to the bathroom and puked my guts out.  I then carried that little jar with me for a few days – taking a big whiff of it whenever I felt the urge to smoke.  The brain and our senses are a VERY valuable tool because I’ve been smoke free now for 16 yrs!

It wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve done – my hands really missed the habit.  At parties and when drinking a coffee, my right hand felt empty – I didn’t know what to do with it.  You know what would have helped?  Something like Electronic Cigarettes would have helped me.  But alas – I don’t think they even had those ‘Way back then”.

I know my technique is a bit extreme – but really, when you compare the alternatives: Cancer, emphysema, rotting teeth, bad breath… Wouldn’t it be worth a try?

QUESTION/SHARING: WERE YOU EVER A SMOKER? HOW DID YOU QUIT?

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Did someone say COOL PRIZES?
(Ryder Sunglasses, RoadID, BondiBand, WildSkins, etc…)

Join me:

It’s FUN and FREE!

(What are you waiting for?)

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Today was the race – with everything going on at home lately (NKOTB concert, solo parenting, Sierra’s birthday and Hubby coming home from LA), I almost forgot about the race, but remembered last night – ooops!  Sierra had gymnastics class, so hubby took her there, while I brought Amber and Brooke to the race.

We arrived there with only a few minutes to spare… Basically long enough for my dad to introduce me to a few people he knew, and to snap this pic:

Amber, Dad, Myself and Brooke

Then it was time to find the start line… It’s been a LONG time since I’ve done a fun run – my bib had a timing chip on it, but I couldn’t find any start mats – that’s because it was DRAWN on the ground with CHALK!  The gun went off just as I reached the start.

Away I went!  My Nike+ was telling me I was running a 4:30/km pace, but I refused to believe it after it lied to me two weeks ago about my pace.  It was cloudy so I thought that was interfering with the GPS. I ran hard, could feel my heart POUNDING and my hammy’s screaming at me, but I kept on pushing.  I finally found a distance marker that said 3k – my GPS said I was at the 3.5k and running 4:45/km – a pace I’ve NEVER ran before so I continued to push on – at this point I realised I could set a new 5k PR, so  I ran and ran – lungs hanging out feeling like I was gonna die. I wanted to do my dad proud and run as hard as I could.

I then saw the finish line, my mom and dad with Brooke and Amber waving to me.  At this point I had a hard time pushing as hard as I had been, but saw the official race clock 24:57… If I kept pushing all the way I really could set a new PR! So that’s what I did - I pushed and crossed the finish line in….

25:12.. A new PR!!

After the race I hung out with my family to find out the official race results.  I knew that I could be close to finishing in the top 10, and in some races a 25 min 5k is good enough for a top 3 finish (I left a race early once only to find out a year later that I had left before gathering my prize).  I stretched and my mom captured this pic:

I LOVE this pic!

I learned something today… I learned that the BodyPump classes I’m taking are really helping me to develop the STRENGTH I need to be a FAST runner – something I’ve never really considered myself to be. I’m curious now to find out how fast I can run if I trained instead of just running – I’m seriously considering putting some more effort into my training for the ScotiaBank 1/2 marathon I’ve registered for that’s in October.

Question/Sharing:
Have you ever accomplished something that you never thought was possible that completely surprised you?  What was it?

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Sierra: We walked at school for money today.
Me: Was it a fundraiser. (She heard “fun” raiser)
Sierra: No – it wasn’t. It wasn’t fun.
Me: Why wasn’t it fun?
Sierra: They wouldn’t let us run at all.

Ha ha – I think I would have said the same thing if I was her age… Who am I kidding, walk-a-thons aren’t fun at my age – I’d much rather run too.

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Some of you may remember that on January 1st, 2011 I woke up with a very bad case of resolutionitis – I resolved that THIS would be THE year that I returned to running.  Not just the casual “I feel like going for a jog”, kind of running – but the all out, put one foot out in front of the other as often as I can kind of running.  The kind of running I did back in 2003. I needed some extra motivation to get my post-baby self active to help prevent the post-partum depression that plagued me with my last two maternity leaves, so I dug out my credit card and registered for 4 races: an 8k, 10k, and TWO half marathons.  Yesterday I ran the first of the two half marathons….

The Toronto Womens Half Marathon

TO Womens 1/2 Marathon

On Sunday I woke up at 5:15 am to nurse Amber – 30 min before I had set my alarm.  I was very happy to feed her because I was REALLY worried about leaving her with my husband.  While he’s an extremely capable and loving father, Amber doesn’t take a bottle, and is only minimally interested in drinking from a cup.  She is thankfully very interested in baby food.  This worry that she’d be sad, and he’d have a hard time caring for her remained in my head throughout the whole race, but I was somewhat comforted knowing I had given her a really good feed before I left the house.  After feeding Amber I laid in bed slowly waking up.  At 5:45 I got up and began to get dressed – thankfully I had laid out all of my gear before I went to bed because I was not the least bit coherent at that time.

At 6:15 I left the house and drove myself straight to Tim Horton’s so I could purchase my traditional pre-race meal: An extra large coffee, a cream cheese bagel and a Boston Cream donut.  Ok – not exactly the breakfast of champions, but it works for me

At 7:15 I arrived at Sunnybrook Park – early enough to get a decent parking spot, take care of nature and to get some nervous tweeting taken care of.  It was lonely arriving and racing by myself, but less so knowing that all of you were cheering for me virtually. Thank you so much!!

I then lined up in my corral and began talking to a nice fellow runner whose awesome Vibrams and amazing outfit (a green kilt and matching shirt) caught my attention – I later learned that she’s Vanessa of the blog: Vanessa Runs and she runs barefoot!  I would LOVE to try barefoot running.  Chatting with her really helped to ease my nervousness.

Then the inevitable happened… The gun went off!  Time to race!

The start wasn’t as bunched up and as competitive as I’ve experienced in past races – perhaps this was because this was my first women only race?  It didn’t take me long to get settled into a comfortable pace: 6:28/km.  I ran along at that race until about the 4k mark – then I sped up to a 6:15/km pace.

I then came upon the first water stop:

Firefighter Water Stop

Oh My Goodness!!! It was so hard not to stop running and just hang out with those guys  But I knew that the race passed this stop THREE TIMES!!!!  So I continued on.   I carried along steadily at the 6:15/km pace for the rest of the race, only stopping to walk and drink some e-Load at the aid stations.  I felt good and strong.  I could also hear the “trill” of the support tweets from you on my phone – I didn’t stop to read any of them because I was determined to keep a steady pace, but know that I counted all of the “trills” as I went along (15).

And then it finally happened… I saw the FINISH LINE!!!  I was so excited!  I ran as hard as my tired legs could carry me.  I crossed it and received the COOLEST finisher’s medal I’ve ever gotten:

Finisher's Necklace - Back

Finisher's Necklace - Front

I DID IT!

I DID IT!!! Even though my training wasn’t as focussed as I had originally wanted it to be, and the longest run I did before it was 10k, I FINISHED!!!  You see somewhere over the past 5 months I decided that being HAPPY was more important to me than training religiously.  So I’ve been exercising consistently – Mommy/baby Bootcamp, BodyPump Classes, lifting weights, doing the Nike Training Club iPhone app, and of course, doing a little running, so I’m extremely happy with my race results considering the effort I put into my running training…. Only 6 mos post-partum, I finished a half marathon upright and smiling in 2 hrs and 8 mins (2:08:05) – With consistent training YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!

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