Running Round-up: The Countdown Is On! Edition

Okay, friends. Here we are: T minus one month to number five-marathon day! Like, holy shit.

My week
I'm gonna level with you. It has not been a great week for running. 

After my encouraging 32 km run two weekends ago, I think I may have jinxed myself. Writing about how I was feeling all "confident" and wishing I could just "run this marathon tomorrow" and get it over with... man, was I ever asking for it. 

After a bit of socializing with friends... and scotch... and lots of it... last Friday night, I stupidly put myself out of commission for the weekend. So when I went to do my 23 km long run on Monday after work I told myself, "It's fine. Take your time." And I did. But the run was still shit. 

I was sooooo mad at myself! After cutting my long run short (only by a little; I ended up running 22.75 km - so close), I got home, grunted something to my husband and immediately retreated to a cold bath - y'know, for the legs - but mostly so I could be totally alone to stew in my own fury... and even though I was literally soaking in cold water, it did very little to stem the white hot rage I was feeling towards myself and my bad choices.

Truth. By: @kyle_j_kranz (via Twitter).

All I could think was: I'd been working so hard these past three-plus months and here I was, putting my training schedule and performance at risk... for a house party?? Fuck that. Somewhere around the 20 km mark my irritability peaked and, in that cold bath, I resolved right then and there to have a dry month, right up to the marathon. No more bad decisions. No more being so stupid. Not with elusive number five on the line.

But because I was so angry, that frustration with myself hung on like the smell of garlic right through the rest of the week and permeated every workout I did: a short 3 km treadmill run on Wednesday, and a resistance training day yesterday. All rage, all the time. So... not great. Only now is the exasperation I've felt all week finally starting to abate. 

Boo on you, Mother Nature

Indoor running due to inclement weather?
Thumbs down. And ugly face.

To top off a crap week, Mother Nature continues to be a downer on the west coast. After a spot of sunshine on Sunday/Monday, it's been nothing but rain and wind - and therefore complete misery. My current running attire is okay for rain, but I've been seriously considering buying all the rain gear, if for nothing else but to encourage the rain to just stop it already. 

On a high note: fundraising update
I didn't mean for this blog post to be all whiny and complainy, so sorry about all that. 

On a positive note, I've been lucky enough to have a few more very generous people throw their money at my campaign in the last few weeks, so I am now up to $2,701 of my $3,500 fundraising goal, which is extremely good news. Woohoo! And thank you so much, again, to all my donors!

Soooo close! Help a girl hit a fundraising goal??

This means I only have $799 (or as a salesperson would probably put it, "Less than $800") to go in my fundraising efforts and geez... wouldn't it be great if I actually hit that $3,500 target? Especially after getting so close?? 

If you haven't yet donated but would still like to, please do so here (at teamdiabetes.ca/goto/fiveorbust). It would mean the world to me - and would be a really great motivational boost after the week I've had beating myself up. 

Until next time
Have a great weekend, friends. Hopefully more cheerful updates to follow, especially with only four weeks to go until the marathon... gasp!

Even this beautiful reprieve from all the wet didn't help me much last week.
Reminder to self: make good choices.

And Then... There Was Snow

Having grown up on the Canadian prairies, I’m no slouch when it comes to snow. I know how to drive in it, I know how to dress for it. I’ve played in it, shoveled it and scraped it off my car. 

Now that I live on the temperate west coast, I’ve adopted the mindset that snow is 100%, absolutely, completely and without question - overrated.

Today in Vancouver. Some think it's pretty. Me? Not so much. Video cred: Matthew Boulton.

I ran in the cold, prairie winter when I was a teenager and into my early 20s. Dressing to run in real winter is quite involved, as most of you living in places with four seasons will know. Layers, fleece, waterproof clothing, gloves, hats - all essential items when a runner has no choice but to brave the frigid weather.

But - I don’t have to run in this. One: I live on the west coast, where snow is a rarity. And two: I have access to a treadmill. 

Now, I’m not a big fan of the indoor running. Spending too much time on the treadmill has always made me feel a little like a hamster on a wheel. But given that the weather is supposed to stay this way for at least the next week, and my desire to avoid the snow as much as possible? Indoor running, it is! 

For those of you heading outside to run in the winter snow and cold: good on ya. You’re all my heroes. 

Me? I’m tapping out. 

Running Round-Up: Santa Claus is Coming to Town Edition

Christmas is nearly here and, if you're like me, you're probably feeling a little terrorized by the Blerch right about now. Here's what I've been doing lately to try and keep my fat little cherub buddy at bay.

Cycling = Torture
I've had a teensy bit of a cold this past week but wanted to remain active, so I opted for some light indoor cross training. Although I have access to both upright and recumbent bikes in my apartment building, I have to say: I hate them both. 

I've never much enjoyed cycling. There was a time in my teens, when I took up mountain biking for about a year, mostly because my brother was into it and I wanted to give it a try. But I didn't really see the appeal then, and I still feel the same today.

However, I will concede this: cycling is a good workout. Even the stationary bikes kick my butt every time. It's obvious that cycling is not my sport of choice, but for a bit of cross training action it's a good option.

What do you do to cross train?

The Weather Outside is... Quite Nice, Actually
After a week and a half of being plunged into a deep freeze, the west coast settled back into its normal, rainy and temperate self. I went out for an 8 km run this morning to get a bit of fresh air and try and pre-empt the turkey-shaped muffin top that is bound to make an appearance in the next day or so. I also experimented a bit with the panorama settings on my camera phone - check it out.

Along the False Creek seawall

English Bay

My Holiday Running Wardrobe is Sorely Lacking
When getting ready for today's run, I had a sudden urge to adorn myself with a Santa hat. Sadly, I don't own one! Note to self: make sure to get a Santa hat for next year's holiday running.

Regardless of what festivities or religion you subscribe to, from Five by 35, I wish you all the best this holiday season! Stay happy and healthy out there, my friends. 

It's Days Like This That I Really Miss Crossfit

I spent nearly five hours reviewing macroeconomics problems in preparation for an online assignment which is quickly coming due. When I finally attempted the assignment, I still ended up with a less than stellar test score. All I wanted to do was throw my laptop off the balcony. So frustrating!

It's days like this where I really wish I could just lift something insanely heavy, over and over again, and have a trainer to run my ass into the ground until I can no longer breathe. Seriously. 

Ahh, those were the days.

Sadly, Crossfit is not a budget-conscious endeavour and is certainly not something to undertake when earnings are nil. But I do miss it from time to time ... which may be a bit surprising if you've met me because I'm pretty little and probably not the first person that might come to mind when it comes to weightlifting.

I really was frustrated today though and, in the absence of such an intense workout, I had to do something but had only a limited amount of time. What to do?

Solution: run super fast on the treadmill for five to 10 minutes. And then do, like, a million squats.

Might not be much, but I certainly felt better afterwards. And no laptops were harmed in the process.

Crossfittin' It In

Busy schedules mean trade offs. I normally like to reserve my weekends for running but sometimes this doesn't always work out as planned.

This is the first time I've ever consciously worked to fit cross training into my schedule. As you know, I've been learning a lot from swim class (Lessons Part 1 and Lessons Part 2) and have been loving the time I've spent in the pool.

© Crossfit Westside

In October, I also decided to take up Crossfit. As described by Crossfit Westside in Vancouver, the workouts go something like this:

We take functional movements such as the squat, push up, pullup, deadlift, clean n jerk, running, rowing, skipping, and jumping, mix them up, and execute them in short intense workouts. Each workout has a different combination of exercises with varied repetitions, rounds, and time. 

I'm still relatively new to Crossfit, particularly as I'm only doing it once a week, so by no means do I feel I'm an expert on the subject. I will, however, say this: Crossfit is challenging as hell and in the best way possible. It's pushed me to try things I've never tried before, and motivated me to work harder than I've ever worked.  

But - back to trade offs.

Trying to fit in cross training is like trying to fit extra days into every week. I haven't quite figured it out but I'm determined to make it work because I'm finding it extremely valuable not just physically, but mentally as well. I suppose it's like being well read; if you read nothing but the same author or genre, you can never fully appreciate how interesting other works of writing can be. Taking up swimming and Crossfit has definitely opened me up to new and inspiring fitness challenges.

Sunday is typically the day most runners do their long runs. However, in the last month I've been caught twice leaving my once-a-week Crossfit workout to the weekend and have had to sacrifice either my long run or getting to the gym. If I'd only planned ahead and stuck to my schedule, I could have probably managed to accomplish both fairly easily instead of simply being optimistic that I'd be able to do it all and still have enough downtime to recharge from the work week.

The moral of the story: one plan that works is better than a hundred doubtful ones.  

And if I'd never read Aesop's Fables I wouldn't have known that one, either. More on planning to come.

Life Lessons Learned in Swim Class: Part 2

Yesterday, I wrote about how I've never enjoyed being in water and my desire to be able to swim confidently. I've learned that when a person is relaxed, she floats. When that person panics, she sinks. So ... staying relaxed when swimming? Very important.

Taking up swimming and working to get over my fear of drowning have been incredibly beneficial for me. I've learned that it is possible to do things I've never done before. Before now, I have never taken on the task to just swim as fast as I can for a certain period of time. I would never have thought it possible because before, I wouldn't have been able to stop thinking, "I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown."  

But - now? I'm trying to beat the guy swimming next to me. I'm pushing myself to swim in the deep end. I'm working on improving my front crawl. And I'm not thinking about drowning.  

(Well ... okay, I am still thinking about drowning. But just a little bit. And definitely not as much as before.)

I wanted to run a marathon by the time I turned 30 years old. So I did. I wanted to be able to swim. So I took a few lessons.  

I've set the bar a little higher now, but when I finish two marathons and see myself swimming in the deep end and think about these things that I would have never been able to accomplish 10 years ago, I think to myself, "My God. I can do anything."

The point is, I've proven to myself that I can do things now, at 32 years old, that I couldn't do when I was 20. Which means you can too - if you want to.

We may get older but that doesn't mean we can't improve. It doesn't mean we can't succeed at new things or learn new tricks. We just have to try.  

I'm 32. And I'm kicking ass.

© How I Met Your Mother

Life Lessons Learned in Swim Class: Part 1

I had a breakthrough this weekend. I've always been scared of drowning but I went to the pool yesterday and swam in the deep end for the first time since I was a kid.

I know, I know. As if training to run a marathon wasn't enough, I'm gonna go ahead and conquer my fear of drowning at the same time. Why not? I'm a good multitasker. Plus - it's good cross training. 

As a little girl, I did learn how to swim but was always fearful of being in the water and never got comfortable letting go of the edge in the deep end. A few months ago, I decided to work on this.  I enrolled in a Learn to Swim class and worked my way up from there.

Fast forward to the present and yesterday's private swim lesson in the deep end. At first I freaked out. But then I re-learned how to tread water and then, amazingly, I was swimming and not sinking.  

I still panicked a little bit, especially when I saw that deep end below me; I guess old habits die hard. But I just have to think about what my instructor told me: relax! And remember that I do know how to keep my head above water. 

As with so many challenges in life, we could all use advice like this. Relax and remember to breathe. That's all it takes.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood. These guys are so wise.