Complete Bluenose Half Marathon – Check!

So, I have officially completed my first Half Marathon! I'm extremely proud that I can finally say that :)

{Me the night before trying on my Bluenose running shirt! The years slogan was "Run Like Your'e 10 Years Old" since they were celebrating 10 years running}

What an amazing experience – the crowds of people, the huge number of volunteers, the people all along the way cheering us all on and my family and friends all made yesterday so incredible. I honestly couldn't have done it without all of your support and am extremely grateful! Interested in a recap of the run yesterday? Here it is :) (Sorry for the lack of pictures, I haven't got pics yet from my family and I didn't have my phone with me but I will add some in later on).

So I got up around 7am and having laid out everything the night before I was well prepared and able to head out at 8:15am to the START line. I was so glad to see that the weather wasn't as bad as I imagined (I was prepared to step outside into freezing weather), but it was actually great running weather – cool but still sunny. Matt and I met up with my Mom, Dad, Katie and Alex and were able to watch the end of the 5k as they ran along the citadel as I was waiting in the start line. Goodlife fitness did a little warm up before we went which was great cause I was so nervous I almost forgot!

{Just before moving to the START line}

The thousands of people were a little intimidating and, as this was my first ever race, it was a bit overwhelming. But once the countdown began and the gun went off it was a lot of fun. I started off with a bunch of people around my goal pace (I started out near the 2h:20m pace bunny) and when we made our way around by Citadel High there was the first water station. It was really neat to see all these people waiting with water and gatorade to hand right to us as we ran by. I thought about stopping at the portapotties there since I had drank a lot of water before the race to stay hydrated but thought it would be better to wait until the next one. Well, I guess that was everyone's idea because at the next water station there was only two portapotties and about 10 of us lined up. I knew it was either wait now or risk feeling uncomfortable and not knowing where the next stop would be. So, I was sad to give up about 5 mins waiting in line but it was definitely worth it. Note for next time though to go RIGHT BEFORE the race starts. (I have a lot of these notes to self for next time lol). After that I was good to go and the next 6 or 7 kilometres were awesome. Around kilometre 10 or 11 things got a bit hard. There were a surprising number of hills in this course (another note to self, run at least part of course before hand to see what it's like) so my legs definitely got a work out.

Kilometers 13 through 18 were through Point Pleasant Park and I have to say those were the hardest. There were a lot of hills and I find the gravel tougher to run on. I could really feel myself slow down at this point too. I still ran most of it but took a lot more very short walking breaks. And as I don't have too much practice running past 14 or 15k my legs were starting to get pretty sore (Note: do more 15k+ long runs before hand). The funny part was it hurt more to walk than to run so I think that was what kept me going for the last couple of kilometres. The last stretch was downhill on Cogswell street to Brunswick which was great and as soon as I could see the finish line I pushed it to the end. I finished very close to my goal time (2 and a half hours) with a finish time of 2h:34m:32s. Since my original goal was basically just to finish, I am pretty happy with this time. The winner only beat me by, oh and hour and a half lol But I know each time I do a run, I can shave off more and more time and yesterdays time was a great start for my very first race.

It was so cool to see all of the people waiting at the finish line to cheer people as they passed the end and I felt such a sense of accomplishment when I was finished. After you were done, volunteers gave everyone a Bluenose 10th Anniversary Medal which was a nice bonus :)

One of the things I loved the most was the whole spirit of the event. All the way through the course people were cheering me on whether I knew them or not and, because many of us had our names on our bibs, I heard many people shout "Go, Shannon, Go!" which was so motivating to hear. It was nice when I did take a walk break people would yell out "keep going!" which helped a lot with keeping the breaks short if I was having a hard time. I must say I ran the majority of the race and kept my walking breaks to max 1 or 2 minutes which I am super proud to say :D

The major downside is the soreness that is running through my whole body lol Right after the race, it was as if I had aged 50 years. I could barely walk and my entire body was stiff. It was like that for the rest of the day with the worst being after sitting down for a while or when I woke up after my much need afternoon nap yesterday. Although I am still a bit sore today, it's actually a lot better than yesterday. I used my foam roller on my legs which seemed to help a lot.

All in all, I had such a great time yesterday and running the half marathon was a fun and rewarding experience. I had trained enough that although it wasn't easy, I didn't feel like dying by the end! :) I can't wait to run another race and hope to find another Half Marathon to run again soon (and by soon, I mean maybe after a couple more months of training so I can get a a better time and have lots of time to recover from this one). 

Thanks again to everyone that supported me through out my journey training for the run and to everyone that sponsored me to help raise money for HSHC. I'm not sure of the exact total but the ten of us that participated in the Bluenose Marathon for HSHC collectively raised over $3,500 to build the new exam room at the clinic! :D

To all my family and friends – thanks for coming on this journey with me. Keep checking the blog as I plan to still make updates as I continue to run and train for whatever is to come next!

Love,

Shannon

Almost Bluenose Time, Baby

Three more days!!!

Got in an easy 5k/34:03mins this morning before work. I felt really good afterwards and I definitely feel ready for Sunday :D Pick up for shirts/bibs is tomorrow at the WTCC so I'm going to make a trip over there after work tomorrow. I also need to make another visit to The Running Room to stock up on some more GU Chomps Energy Chews (I blog on and on out it here… so good!)

{Super excited for the Bluenose Marathon part – not so much about the 8:45am part. But meh, it could always be earlier!}

I'm actually getting a little nervous, not for the run on Sunday though but for our first Ultimate Frisbee practice which we're having on Saturday afternoon! A group of us are going to get together and throw a frisbee around and hopefully someone will teach us how to actually play. Then I believe another team will be joining us and we might have a little scrimmage. I'm hoping maybe we can just watch the first game and see how it's done. I'm so nervous that I am going to absolutely bomb at playing ultimate, but I guess it would be worse to not even try! So I just need to tell myself to relax. I'm really happy Maxine and I are both in the same boat (experience-wise) so we can be beginners together :)

If you're interested in the Recharge With Milk Half Marathon Route you can find it here! Looks like it will be a good run, scenery wise, starting in the North End then moving downtown towards Point Pleasant then finishing right by my house. Pretty convenient :) My mom, Dad and my sister and her boyfriend Alex will be coming down to cheer me on. Can't wait!

S

And the countdown begins!

So I got up bright and early at 6:30 this morning to… watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! lol I actually got up so I could drive Matt to work since he had to drive the company truck to Liverpool again for the week. I was going to go back to sleep when I got home, but instead put on some Real Housewives (I have the whole last season to catch up on!) and had myself some breakfast. Then I got dressed for the day and headed out to work early. On one hand, I wish I had used the time to get my run in early, but on the other, I actually do enjoy running in the afternoon/evening after work. I feel like my body is more awake and warmed up.

I got in a good 40 minute workout on the treadmill this afternoon. I didn't really pay attention to mileage or pace but more on speed, doing intervals of sprinting mixed with jogging. It was a nice change up from my regular runs and should help with my training, hopefully I can get a bit faster ;). I was really happy to finally try out my new running shoes and, I must say, they were INCREDIBLY COMFORTABLE! They are not as light as my New Balance runners but they felt like they provided a great amount of support and made for a great run. They were also surprisingly breathable. All around great choice of shoe for my clown feet which are in desperate need of love and care!

Only a couple more runs before the big day! I'm about 10% nervous, 90% excited! :D

{Saw this walking to the car the other day and it put a huge smile on my face :D}

S

Sunday Runday

Completed my longest run yet this morning – 15.39k/1:37:37mins (10:13min/mile pace)! I wanted to make sure to get one last big long run in before I start dialling it back a bit before the race. I will do another long run next weekend but more likely closer to 10k. I am super proud of myself for running this morning since I was not in the mood at all, despite the beautiful weather, and had to force myself to put my running shoes on. Once I was outside and starting running though, I always change my mind. I ran a long the usual route I do at home towards Indian Point but made it much farther than usual. There were some gorgeous (not to mention HUGE!) houses out there and the views were incredible. I had my running playlist with me, my favourite running son being Hall & Oates - You Make My Dreams Come True. It seriously amps me up which is hilarious and is a perfect pace to run too :D I'm glad I accomplished this distance today since I can now feel confident I'll be able to complete the Bluenose Half Marathon in two weeks. Not that I thought I wouldn't finish, but I'm not going to lie, I am imagined myself crawling across the finish line! I think it's safe to say I'll be able to finish it still running :)

I've been trying out different gels and such to find what I like best for fuel on my long runs. I am not a fan of the gels as I find them way too thick to slurp a whole one back while running. You have to chase it with lots of water and it feels like I'm eating pudding :S So I got a pack of GU Chomps Energy Chews in Blueberry Pomegranate to see if those would work instead. Let's just say, I am definitely a fan! They are absolutely delicious and much easier to eat than the gels. Although they don't make it to your bloodstream as fast as a liquid would, I just ate them about 15 mins before I felt I would need an energy boost and they can be eaten very quickly. One pack also holds two servings (so can fuel an 1 1/2 to 2 hour run with one package) and they fit nicely in the pocket on the top/back of my Lululemon Inspire Crops. I will definitely be stocking up on these for my long runs as well as for the Half. Highly recommend these, especially for those who are fans of gummies :)

I really enjoyed my trip home (although it was way too short, I didn't get everything done I wanted to) and am sad I'll have to drive back to Halifax tonight. We managed to get a game of Rummy in last night – Mom was leading the whole time while Dad snuck in at the last second and creamed us all.

{Dalhousie cards with all the buildings. They're actually kind of distracting lol}

I also took a couple of pics on my run that I thought I would share:

{I have a lot of shots of the churches but the tide was out this morning and the sun was shining so I thought it made a nice picture}

{And a little ways up the road I found the Easter Bunny (or Easter Bear I should say?) – I guess he does exist! :P}

Sadly, I lost my water bottle on today's run. I ran with it about a third of the way and left it by the side of the road so I could pick it up on my way back but had no idea where I left it! I even went back after with the car and still couldn't find it. Won't make that mistake again! I'll be using my hand-held water bottle for the race (which I forgot to bring home) which is nice and small and can be refilled as I go.

Happy Sunday,

S

Is it finally Spring?

What a gorgeous day! I had a great sleep in and enjoyed being woken up by the sun :) I made it out for my run around lunch time and did 10.27km/1:11:53 mins. I've been sick the past couple days so I didn't push myself too hard to add more milage. I got to try out my new hand-held water bottle I got from the Running Room a few days ago. I had to adjust it a bit until I learned the most comfortable way to hold it but it was great having water with me the whole way! I added half a Nuun tablet in Strawberry Lemonade flavour (my favourite). There was even a little pouch to bring a gel, although I didn't need one for today's run.

I started with a couple loops around the citadel (I have a love/hate relationship with that hill) and there was a bit of a commotion at the high school with two cops cars flashing their lights. Wonder what was up?

{Somebody's in trouble!}

Afterwards, I continued my run down Young Street. I love running down there and looking at all the beautiful houses. I ended up coming back down Tower Road, turned onto Inglis, up Robie, then down South Street back onto Inglis. I did the loop around to Barrington, then ran down Hollis to end up back at Barrington before reaching the apartment. I like to finish my run off with this hill to get a nice burn in :)

{This was about half way up, my attempt at taking a picture without stopping running}

All in all it was a nice run! And such a beautiful day :)

Afterwards, I ended up working a couple of hours at the lab then Matt and I headed to Bayers Lake, only to discover Costco closed at 5pm! Should have known, I guess I forgot it was Sunday. Oh well, we went to Super Store instead.

Happy Sunday! You know what this means – Game of Thrones!!!!

S

And her face was as red as an apple

Update from last night: went to the new Moksha studio that opened in Bedford to try hot yoga for the first time. I must say, I really did enjoy it. It was definitely a new atmosphere for me having to "practice silence" in the class room and "leave all my worries at the door", but it was very refreshing. I'm often constantly worrying about this and that so it was nice to focus on relaxing and strengthening my muscles. Concentrating specifically on my breathing will be especially useful for my running as I think breathing too shallow is what is causing me to often get the dreaded runner's stitch. The dripping sweat was a tad distracting as I had to stop multiple times to give my face a wipe and take a swig of water but the temperature difference did help you feel AMAZING when it was over and you stepped into the cool outside air. Ultimately, I think it's something I could definitely get used to and I may take it up as a cross training exercise to help strengthen my core and learn deep breathing. I didn't bring my phone so I wouldn't have any valuables to leave unattended so, to much disappointment I'm sure, there are no pics of me after the class was over looking like I stepped out of hell :) Don't get me wrong, an enjoyable hell!


I reluctantly will admit, I didn't get my run in today :( The weather is still disgraceful, my muscle are quite sore from last night's yoga, and today is going to be hectic as right after work I'll be meeting up with my parents and sister to see Jurassic Park 3D (can't wait, it's my Dad's fav movie and something my sister and I grew up watching repeatedly!) followed by a friends house party and seeing the Town Heroes play at Michael's. I know, I know, I'm full of excuses lately. I'll get back in the groove, feels like it was a weird week or something. Anyways, I had a nice wheat-free lunch of some Campbell's chicken and rice soup and some Pop Chips. Love the crunchiness and light flavour of the chips which don't feel as heavy as regular potato chips. Low in calories too which is always a plus!



I also forgot I took a couple of pics of my friend Adelle's cute-as-buttons (does that work plural? lol) cats, Loki and Luna. Their colouring is so unique and reminds me of a jungle cat! They are also super friendly and all around fun to cuddle :)

{Loki}

{Luna}

Enjoy your weekend, I know I will! (Even though I will probably be working at the lab both Sat and Sun, but oh well!)

S

Wing night? I'll take some nachos...

My blisters were finally healed enough that I was able to get a run in today! I was planning on doing a long run outside (to make up for last weekend) but it was so rainy and cold and foggy I opted for a medium run at the gym. So far, moving my runs outside has been a slow process – thanks Halifax :( After work I ran 9.5k/1:06:47 mins. It wasn't completely without pain as every once and a while my sock would rub my blister the wrong way, resulting in me making whacky facial expressions. If anyone was watched they would probably have thought I was crazy. Oh well, I feel good getting back in the groove. It's funny, if I even go two days without running I feel like such a slacker. As I should I guess if I am training for a half marathon! I still have just over 20 days left during which I plan on getting at least two more long runs. I'm getting excited!

Met up with friends at the Pogue for wings tonight. Unfortunately I can't enjoy wings any more (most of them are breaded) but I got their nachos which were REALLY good, and wheat-free :) I fully stuffed myself tonight though so I'm glad I did get that run in today!

Unfortunately I've been slacking on taking pictures for the blog (nobody likes a blog with no pictures!) so I really don't have any new ones to post :S I need to get better it but I'm not used to documenting my life this much.

G'nIght!

S

{Some food for thought ;)}

THANK YOU!

I wanted to use today's post to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has made a donation to sponsor my run! I've already reached my goal of $200 and there's still just about a month left before the race! Thank you so much for your support and know your donations are going to a great cause. The Halifax Sexual Health Centre (HSHC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing free sexual health services to the community. Local doctors donate their time to provide pap and STI tests, prescriptions for birth control, counciling services, as well as anonymous HIV testing. All you need to make an appointment is a valid canadian health card which is helpful for those who are working or studying in Halifax and don't have access to their family doctor. I started volunteering at the clinic last summer and got to work with the amazing doctors, nurses, support staff and volunteers that help the centre run. During the school year, I've been involved in the Youth Committee for HSHC, helping to put together events for fundraising. We had our second annual Sexy Party at Pacifico that was a HUGE success, raising HSHC almost $7,000 with about 700 guests! Make sure to watch out for our third annual Sexy Party next February, it will be a night full music, games, dancing and all around sexiness!

I am very excited to be running the half marathon on May 19th on behalf of HSHC and am proud to be involved with such a commendable organization. If anyone would like to make a donation and help me surpass my goal, you can follow the link here! The money raised through the Bluenose Marathon is going towards converting an old office at the HSHC clinic to a third examination room, allowing the clinic to increase the number of clients seen by 30% and reduce wait lists for critical services!

Thanks again for your support :)

S

Time to kick some Organic butt

I was actually able to do a medium run yesterday at the gym, 5 miles/55:54 mins. Although it was slow (god, I gotta pick up the pace!) I bandaged up those blisters real good and made it through :) Today's long run started out great. I began by running up and down the citadel a couple of times.

{Nice view!}

It was a good challenge to make myself run all the way up the hill and push through, then repeat. I'm thinking I might move my 5k outside and do the citadel run. The hills should really help my endurance and the view is beautiful.

But alas, the blisters struck again! I continued my run down Young Street and the bandaids lost hold. The pain was almost unbearable so I had to turn around and head home :( Serves me right, I should have just let them heal in the first place. My exam is tomorrow so I will take a rest day then depending on how they are Tuesday I may take one more day. Then I will make it up during the rest of the week! I'll be sure to get my 16k down sometime during the week.

Had to go into work this morning after my run. Good thing I stopped by Starbucks for a pick me up!

{Yum!}

Now the rest of the day will be devoted to becoming an expert in Organic Chemistry. Wish me luck!

S

Yumm… Bread & Butter Pickles

FINALLY pushed myself to get up for a morning run. It used to be surprisingly easy to get myself up and out the door but during the past week or two it's been torture. Not only do I not get up when my alarm goes off, but I then continue to press snooze for another 45 minutes! And when I hit snooze I often feel worse when I get up – the extra time in bed is NOT worth it. So needless to say I feel good about starting the day off right. Did a short run, 5k/31:40 mins on the treadmill.

So I got home pretty late last night from volunteering and hadn't had anything for supper. Even though I hate eating that late at night I was STARVING so I made a yummy two egg/egg white omelette with sliced turkey and cheddar cheese. YUMMMMM. I also found the BEST pickles at Superstore the other day. Seriously, the best you'll ever have (if you like sweet pickles, that is).

{It's not as huge as it looks, the plate was just really small :P}

We are seeing Billy Talent tonight! I'm pretty excited :) I don't listen to them as much any more but I loved them in high school/my undergrad so I know the words to most of their songs. And the best concerts are the ones where you can scream out all the lyrics! SUM 41 was supposed to open for them which would have been so much fun to see (super nostalgia since I LOVED them in jr. high/high school). But they dropped out last minute due to one of the band members being injured or something so that was kind of a bummer :( Oh well, it will still be a great show. I'll post some pics from the concert later tonight!

Enjoy the nice weather :)

S

Wheat – the root of all evil?

I've been waiting all week for today! Gotta love Fridays :) I'm taking a rest day so I can get things done (apartment looks like a bomb went off which is very unlike me and I'm currently out of clean dishes…). So I thought it was about time I did a post on the wheat-free diet I've been following for the past couple of weeks.

I found about about it from my parents who have been "wheat-free" for about  the past month or so after reading the book Wheat Belly by William Davis (you can find out more about it by visiting the WheatBellyBlog). It says some pretty interesting stuff. It basically describes the transformation of wheat through genetic modification into the new "modern" wheat we eat today. Davis believes that the current sky high obesity rates are due to over-consumption of this new/modified wheat. He also talks about how many health problems such as fatigue, digestive issues, even skin conditions can be solved by eliminating wheat from your diet. The book is a good read and a lot of his arguments against the grain are well put, although there are a few problems as with any new "miracle cure" (illustrated well in this Globe and Mail article).

Despite the controversies, I do believe a wheat-free diet could be beneficial for many, but not for everyone. It is likely that different people are affected by wheat consumption in different ways (obviously, if wheat is THE cause of modern obesity then why isn't' everyone overweight?!). A lot of people I know eat massive amounts of wheat on a daily basis and don't have any health-realted problems (that I or they know of). But, as described in the book, I definitely used to notice changes, with regards to my appetite, after eating wheat products. If I ate toast or pancakes for breakfast in the morning I was likely to eat a much larger breakfast or be hungry less than an hour later. Even after a HUGE bowl of pasta can you honestly tell me that a little while after you couldn't eat seconds? Wheat has been shown to increase insulin production which leads to increased appetite and storage of fat so it makes sense. It's also a good decision to eliminate GMO food from your diet, as best as you can. Although it's hard to escape GMO food these days, as it is the more efficient and cheaper method and most packaged/processed food is likely to contain GMO ingredients, by cutting out wheat I have somehow also been steered into a total healthier diet altogether!

By cutting out wheat I've had to make sure to purchase alternative flours and grains to make my own breads, cereals, etc. In doing so I've changed the way I eat in general. I've been cooking at home more to have things to take for lunch, snacks, etc. since eating-out is pretty difficult (in such a way that you can't just get whatever you want, you need to check the ingredients first. A LOT of places now a days have gluten-free alternatives so I shouldn't say it's difficult, it's just not as easy?). Thus, I also spend less money and eat less processed food as I love to make things from scratch at home. By making most of the things I eat myself, I also know exactly what's going in them and am paying closer attention to which food groups I'm eating or need to include more of. By paying closer attention to everything I am eating I'm also able to cut down on fatty and sugary foods which you don't think to much about if you're grabbing lunch at a restaurant or buying some pre-packaged foods. Since I'm eating really well, it drives my need for exercise even more (training for the half marathon is a pretty good motivator too!). And to top it all off I don't feel like I'm actually depriving myself of anything in particular as you can continue to eat the treats you love as long (as they don't include wheat of course). Other diets I've tried all tell you to cut calories and sugar and fatty foods (which is obviously healthy) but when this the main driving force of your dieting mantra it can be extremely difficult to maintain in the long run since you feel like you're cutting out a lot of treats you love (especially for me, I would be shaking with withdrawal if I had to go without icecream!)

All-in-all I've been feeling great lately, eating healthy and exercising more all by cutting wheat from my diet. No, it's not as easy as I'm making it sounds as you need to have a some self control (especially when you co-workers are having birthing cake and you can't have any!) and be willing to put in a little extra work if you'd like to have some wheat-free alternatives of staple foods such as bread, pasta, etc. in order to still have a balanced diet (bacon and chips are wheat-free to but they can't be all you eat!) I will say brown rice pasta is identical in taste and texture to whole wheat pasta, in my personal opinion!



So basically, I don't believe wheat itself is the demon behind people's weight issues these days and that cutting it out is all you need to lose weight and feel great. I think once you're ready to make the decision to go wheat-free, you're also finally in the mind-set to living a health life style. Only took me 25 years!

S

Update:

I got myself some new shoes this week! I am absolutely in love with them :)

{I think the crochet pattern adds a nice touch for the summer}

As I have unfortunately been cursed with clown-size feet, my shoes seem to barely make through each season. So although I love Toms and Keds, it's hardly worth me spending $50 - $60 on shoes that will fall apart after a couple of months. So I was ecstatic when I found these at Walmart of all places! And since they were only $12 a pair...


I got them in black as well!

Happy Friday :)

Work it out

Another delayed post, my bad! It's beginning to be a hectic time of year. I don't know how I did it for so long with a full course load as I'm only taking one class right now and I'm stressing out! I guess I have more things going on than usual: working full-time, starting another online class (that I have to finish ASAP), training/running, and fitting in time with friends. Oh and blogging too of course! There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day!

I'm still somehow managing to get everything done (often by dragging myself around lately). I got in a short (but good) run yesterday. I thought I would see how fast I could run 5k and I managed to do it in 32:09 mins! No record by any means (10:22 pace) but faster than I thought it would be. I'm thinking I will throw in the occasional faster-paced 5k along with my medium and longer runs so I can work on cutting down the time and getting faster. Although I try and run as many hills as possible during my long runs so I get used to them, I think I will need to do a couple of hill training sessions too. Both of these things, plus my long runs for distance, will help me finish the race in May just a little bit faster than I would without them. I know that it's my first race and I'm pretty much just going to focus on finishing, but it would be nice if I didn't take like 4 hours to cross the finish line :P

One of my BFFs just got back from a trip down south so a bunch of us got together for wings at the Alehouse last night (I got nachos haha). It was great seeing them all, I didn't realize how much I missed them! My sister came too which was great as she is practically a hermit during school since she's so busy. She's done for the next couple of weeks (until her summer semester starts – ew!) so I'm going to try and see her as much as possible :)

{My sister's delicious looking wings}

I saw this on #howdoiputthisgently I thought it was pretty funny. I literally laugh out loud when I see the gifs on sites like this, in public, all the time. I laugh almost as much as when I watch AFV. Almost.

WHEN I START RUNNING AGAIN

 

I'm heading to the gym for another run after work tonight so I will try and load another post afterwards.

S

Update:

Great run at the gym today. Did 4.73 miles/52:36 mins. A bit slower than my usual pace, got a little tired at the end. Saw this ad though and it made me pretty happy!

{LOVE Awkward, so excited!}

Very (Point) Pleasant Park Run

What a beautiful day it was today! Slept in a bit this morning and it felt great. Managed to get myself up by 10 to get ready for today's run. I thought I would change up my running route and go through Point Pleasant Park. I didn't even really know it existed until our lab had a picnic there last summer. It was way bigger than I thought with lots of cool things to see. There were also tons of people walking their dogs, other runners, and parents playing with their kids, such a great atmosphere to run in! Got some cool shots of some of the sites on the way. The time goes by much faster when I run outside. Although I do love running on the treadmill since I can have my water with my all the way and can catch up on my fav shows, the time does seem to trudge by sometimes. I like mixing up my runs inside/outside. Since we haven't had too much of the Spring weather yet, sometimes I just don't feel like facing the cold and love the warm comfort of the Y :D

Here are some shots from my run this morning:

{I love running by the tracks, really neat view}

{It was cool being able to chose the terrain I wanted to run on, mixed it up between the gravel paths and the trails}

{Saw this little guy literally jump from a different tree onto this branch, pretty cool!}

MapMyRun.com had a hard time mapping my run through Point Pleasant since there were some main trails it just didn't want to go down. It was also crazy difficult to know exactly what paths I followed since I'm not very familiar with the park. So I'm not quite sure how much milage I accomplished today, I was aiming for 13k but I think it may have been closer to 11 or 12k (1h:22mins). Still a good run but next time I may do most of run outside of the park and just run the main stretch mid-way through, then I can know for sure how much distance I covered.

Last day of classes (in my case class) is tomorrow! I'm excited to not have to work late three days a week to make up for the lost time spent walking across campus. I'm thinking I will take advantage of the extra time and add another running day during the week :) May 19th is creeping up fast and I'm going to be ready for it!

Night.

S

A nice surprise

So I guess I have a lot of catching up to do! It has been such a busy week I haven't had any time to write up a decent post. So I'll try and make up for that today.
Took a rest day on Wednesday, the day was very hectic with class and a tutorial on top of an 8 hour work day so I didn't make it home until late. I experimented making wheat-free tortillas which turned out not to bad, not too good either though. Still tasted good but much thicker than the usual tortilla which made them a little hard to eat.

Great run yesterday evening after work. Another 6.5k/46:12 mins. It was ridiculously hot in the Y cardio room though, probably due to the sun streaming in through the windows that line the back of the gym directly behind the treadmills. Needless to say I was mopping sweat off my face left and right yesterday! Felt really good after though and shaved off a couple of seconds from my normal run.
My parents also came up the city yesterday to take Katie and I out for lunch. We were celebrating me getting my official acceptance into the Masters program in Anatomy & Neurobiology at Dal (woohoo!) and also to give Katie a break from her ridiculous Architecture school schedule. I think we will all be glad when she is done for the semester – she'll be glad to be done her work and we'll be glad to have our Katie back!

As a nice surprise my Mom took me to Lululemon after lunch for some treats! Spoiled much am I? :P I was thrilled to get another pair of Run: Inspire Crops II in Wee are from space indigo/ink well (what an awesome name), a Run: Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve in pop orange (one of my fav colours) and another Cool Racerback in fresh teal. Beautiful! Thanks mom :) I've been wearing the crops around the house tonight and they are so comfortable. Can't wait to take them running.





I'm working on teaching myself Dreamweaver at the moment so I can make my own website for my blog. I love doing design work so I though creating and designing my own website would be a great hobby. I'm just finding it hard to find the time. When I'm not at work, I'm at class, studying, running, cooking, doing laundry or hanging out with friends. There is not enough time in the day to do everything I want to do! It's frustrating but at least I'm keeping myself occupied. Things should settle down in the next week or two once work is less hectic, classes will be over and the nice weather (which hopefully will join us soon!) actually happens. Anyways, I will let you know once I have the website up and running. Hopefully it will turn out pretty cool :)

I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow, going to attempt 13k! And now I've got some new running gear which makes me even more excited :) Found this very cool article in the Chronicle Herald (thanks Dad) about a 75 year old man from Bedford who'll be making the trip to run the Boston Marathon on April 15. Very cool and inspiring.

Have a great weekend, I know I will.

S

Update:

Tried out the brown rice pasta I bought tonight. Tastes exactly like regular whole wheat pasta, same texture. I did it really basic tonight (it's already 8:30pm so I was looking for something quick). I added black beans, corn, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce which I mixed greek yogurt into for some protein :) With a little cheese on top (the photo makes it look way cheesier than it, sadly, actually was) and a glass of wine it was perfect! I also added some fennel which was a surprisingly nice touch.

Mellow Monday, Trendy Tuesday

No run on Monday, I took a day to rest my legs from Sunday's run. It was also a crappy day because of all the rain outside. I thought we were heading for some nice weather finally! Today seems to be a lot nicer with the sun shining this morning so hopefully it truly is Spring time!

{View from my window at work, wasn't looking forward to going outside at the end of the day}

Plus I had to be up at 5:30am Monday morning to drive Matt into Bedford. They are working on a foundation in Liverpool again this week so if I drive him in I can keep the car while he's away in case I need it. It was HORRIBLE getting up that early but worth it I guess. Got to go back to sleep for an hour or two when I got home but I made it an early night, after watching Game of Thrones of course! What a fantastic show. It's times like this I wish I had splurged for cable so I can watch it with everyone else. Oh well, I didn't run into any spoilers before watching it so that was lucky :) Great first episode, can't wait for the rest of the season (literally, I can't wait, I need it now!)

Made myself I yummy meal last night of quinoa with shrimp, edamame and mushrooms with cilantro and a touch of sesame oil. Delicous :)

I've been really into quinoa lately and looking for different ways to cook with it. For this, I first toasted it in a dry pan then cooked it by simmering it in vegetable stock. It was much more flavourful this way than just cooking it in water.

Yet again made it to the gym this morning, I honestly don't know how I'm doing it! I'm literally the worst morning person. It's just so nice to have it done and not have to worry about fitting a run in later in the day and the gym is much less busy in the mornings (although the YMCA is generally not too hectic which I love). Did 6.5k/46:16mins which is an average 11:34/mile pace, a bit faster than usual. I was a little stiff this morning so my run did feel a bit strained but my muscles seemed to loosen up by the end. Tried out my new Run: Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve shirt that I just bought (@fledgelingx I'm slowly adding to my collection!). Super comfy and light and dries very quickly. It's the short sleeve version of my Run: Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve which is great for running outside during cold mornings. I'm slowly expanding my running gear collection and loving it :)

Easter Sunday

I feel very accomplished this morning! Dragged myself out of bed at 8:30am, not to hunt for Easter eggs like the usual Easter Sunday morning (yes, my parents still love the look on our faces while we search for little presents of chocolate-y goodness around the house, even at 25 years old), but for my weekend long run!

Did the same route as last time I was home but pushed it a little further as I was aiming for 11k. It was absolutely BEATUIFUL this morning, the sun was shining, the birds were out and it was warm enough to just wear my long sleeve running shirt. I returned with a larger collection of freckles on my face as I was running straight into the sun for the first half of the run, lucky me!

There were lots of ducks out this morning, by the road as well as in the Bay. This next picture is either Whynachts or Andrews Cove, not sure which, but it was absolutely stunning this morning.

Shout out to Ali for giving me this headband! :) If you love Lululemon you should check out her blog here!

Since I started running I've been mapping my route using WalkJogRun.com. Although a great website and very useful to map out runs before hand or see how far you ran afterwards, measuring out distances was brutal as you had to trace the route very slowly along the path you wanted to make sure it was accurate and not cutting through houses/woods. A new website I am using, MapMyRun.com doesn't seem to have this problem.

It's incredibly easy to use and you can click on your start spot and then your finish spot and it will fill in your route according to the road (if that's where you're running) in just two clicks. Very user friendly. It also tracks and saves your running recording distance, calories burned, elevation, etc., so you can look back and see previous runs. WalkJogRun also seems to have this feature but I found the format to be confusing and not as sleek and easy to use as MapMyRun. It also has an easy to use iPhone App version. 

Hope everyone had a great Easter weekend! I had a delicious Easter lunch today at Matt's mom's place topped off with coconut cream pie for dessert (yum!). I made some homemade gluten-free red velvet cupcakes (my parents are on a wheat-free kick, I'll do a post on this later). They turned out much better than expected. I used a combination of different wheat-free flours such as coconut and sorghum flour and you can't tell the difference at all, they are still super moist and fluffy. You can find the recipe here!

Happy Easter!!

S

 

Look good, feel good

Afternoon! Having a rest day today, I have a lot of things at home/school work I've been neglecting so I thought I could be productive on my day off training and get some studying and housework done after work. It's amazing how things can pile up! I also need to raid the Dollar Store for stuff to celebrate St. Patty's Day on Saturday (Wooo!). I plan on getting my long run out of the way Saturday morning so I have the rest of the day to clean/prepare.

The weather was kind of crappy today so I kind of don't mind not running this morning but I think unfortunately this is going to carry on for the next couple of days. Oh well, morning run in the rain tomorrow! Might be refreshing :P

I'm thinking I might squeeze a little work out in tonight – maybe try some Pilates moves?

Can't wait to try out my new Lululemon gear on my run tomorrow :) Look good, feel good!

S