I tried the first week of C25K. I really did. But after two days of running (and I was really proud of my distance!) it hit me. The shin splints, that is. So it's been a couple of weeks now that I've been hanging around the house playing facebook games and feeling like a big fat blob.
All is not lost though - I may not be heading to Vegas this year (sorry Brandy!) but I do want to go next year - hell, I'll be 40! And I've reacquainted myself with my bike - something that the kids can do with me and it's been saving us some gas this week! Which is good, because all my Vegas money has been finding its way into my basement (figuratively speaking, of course!)
I also tried very consciously to eat better today (she said, as she scarfed down her Kraft Dinner for supper...) I had a chicken wrap and a plate of veggie sticks for lunch. Yum! I'm going to keep trying that for a while. Who knows? Maybe I might even stick with the blog for a while. ;-)
Friday 24 June 2011
Wednesday 8 June 2011
I'm back....I don't know for how long, but I'm back!
So I took a week off. Things were shit, life was too busy - I'd forgotten what it's like to have two kids in two different sports! And the worst part was the weather.
I knew I had to get my ass outside if I wanted to accomplish any kind of real running, so I downloaded the C25K app for my iPhone. It's a version that allows you to make your own playlist (something that we've already established in a previous post - I need my hard rocking tunes!!!) So I did my very first run in ohhhh, a good few years. And guess what? My legs f@#$in' hurt! Tready has spoiled me! In Tready's defense though, I actually kept running and I think I only walked once when I should've been running, and only for about 10 seconds.
Oh yeah, the other cool thing about this particular app - your own music plays, but it goes "ding ding!" every time you switch from walking to running and back, and a voice will say "walk" or "run" so you don't lose track. It also tells you when you're half-way.
So - 5 minute warm up, 5 minute cool down, with alternating 90 second walking and 60 second running for 20 minutes in between. (It actually works out to 31 minutes, to be precise!) Listened to Sixx:A.M. (surprise!) and covered about 2 miles (or 3.2 km). It's about 15 degrees Celsius out there, sunny, with a beautiful light cool breeze. And I don't know when I'm doing day 2!
I knew I had to get my ass outside if I wanted to accomplish any kind of real running, so I downloaded the C25K app for my iPhone. It's a version that allows you to make your own playlist (something that we've already established in a previous post - I need my hard rocking tunes!!!) So I did my very first run in ohhhh, a good few years. And guess what? My legs f@#$in' hurt! Tready has spoiled me! In Tready's defense though, I actually kept running and I think I only walked once when I should've been running, and only for about 10 seconds.
Oh yeah, the other cool thing about this particular app - your own music plays, but it goes "ding ding!" every time you switch from walking to running and back, and a voice will say "walk" or "run" so you don't lose track. It also tells you when you're half-way.
So - 5 minute warm up, 5 minute cool down, with alternating 90 second walking and 60 second running for 20 minutes in between. (It actually works out to 31 minutes, to be precise!) Listened to Sixx:A.M. (surprise!) and covered about 2 miles (or 3.2 km). It's about 15 degrees Celsius out there, sunny, with a beautiful light cool breeze. And I don't know when I'm doing day 2!
Monday 30 May 2011
Saturday 28 May 2011
It's the music.
So I did a mile this morning (lazy, ha ha!) because I didn't get my Tready time yesterday. I thought I'd bang off a quick run as soon as I got up, as it seems that if I don't run R!F!N! once the thought enters my mind, I start coming up with distractions to keep my lazy ass on the couch. And because I was "only" doing a mile, I thought I'd skip the iPhone and just fire it off.
So what I discovered was this: If I don't have something blaring in my ears while I run, I'm not distracted from how stiff my hips feel. I'm not distracted from that burning feeling in my calves at about minute four. I'm not distracted from how winded I feel, and ergo, how OLD I feel on there. I don't feel invincible. Crank something with the perfect beat into my brain though, and I'm unstoppable. Lesson learned. I may be deaf by the time I run anything of consequence, but dammit, I'll make it. :-)
Side story: I was going to go into the local YMCA's spring run to do my first race, until I realized I have yet to run any kind of successful distance outdoors. I ended up compromising and signing up for a half mile instead of the 5K. When I did that, I thought, well, that's a mighty manageable distance even for The Boy. So I asked the kids if they wanted to come with me, and they said why not? (Or is it Y not, har dee har har!) Then I thought, well if the kids are coming with me, suck it up, Hubbs, we're making it a family event! (Heh heh heh!) So that is how my family is participating in its first ever running event. We have real numbers and everything! We go starting from the Y at 10:30 tomorrow morning, so if anyone local is interested in cheering us on, feel free!
So what I discovered was this: If I don't have something blaring in my ears while I run, I'm not distracted from how stiff my hips feel. I'm not distracted from that burning feeling in my calves at about minute four. I'm not distracted from how winded I feel, and ergo, how OLD I feel on there. I don't feel invincible. Crank something with the perfect beat into my brain though, and I'm unstoppable. Lesson learned. I may be deaf by the time I run anything of consequence, but dammit, I'll make it. :-)
Side story: I was going to go into the local YMCA's spring run to do my first race, until I realized I have yet to run any kind of successful distance outdoors. I ended up compromising and signing up for a half mile instead of the 5K. When I did that, I thought, well, that's a mighty manageable distance even for The Boy. So I asked the kids if they wanted to come with me, and they said why not? (Or is it Y not, har dee har har!) Then I thought, well if the kids are coming with me, suck it up, Hubbs, we're making it a family event! (Heh heh heh!) So that is how my family is participating in its first ever running event. We have real numbers and everything! We go starting from the Y at 10:30 tomorrow morning, so if anyone local is interested in cheering us on, feel free!
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Damn you, Dj Ashba and your extensive live guitar solos!!!!
I tinkered with the mix again and I've almost got it! I got 2.5 miles in 46:05. I started with "Lies...", then the whole Sixx:A.M. live album, then "Smile" and back to "Lies". Unfortunately, I ran out of miles before I ran out of music, so I might try adding .2 miles next time.
The other cool thing tonight was that I only had to stop once in that time. My legs kept wanting to give out every time I heard "You can lead him to the ambulance" during Dead Man's Ballet. Think that's a hint? Surprisingly, somehow I broke through that song and made it through the rest without a hitch.
I realize I haven't been blogging much about fitting in running with, well, running! As in running The Girl to soccer every Tuesday and Thursday, and whaddaya know? The Boy's golf lessons are Wednesdays! How the hell (or maybe more accurately, WHY the hell) would I subject myself to that? I'm still asking myself that question. See, I did the kids' sports registration day thingy at the mall back in March, and the PLAN was that The Boy was going to be in soccer. I managed to time my pregnancies to fully maximize the benefits of two kids whose birth years play soccer at almost the same time on the same night. Hell, they were even going to be playing at the same park (that is until the Assiniboine effed that plan up for EVERYONE!) But The Boy got this brilliant idea that he wanted to play football. And then he got there and insisted, no, he never said he wanted to play football. He didn't want to play soccer (though he was so good at getting girls' phone numbers last year), and I insisted that dammit, he was going to do something if it killed me. It might yet. Anyway, he's whacked a ball with a club a few times the last couple of summers, so I convinced him to sign up. Then it turned out his lessons would be at a course on the north side of the city. On the other side of the river. Fortunately for me and a few thousand other people, the only two streets that'll get you there are now open, so maybe there's hope for us yet.
Now I just have to wait for the running track to open.... :-)
The other cool thing tonight was that I only had to stop once in that time. My legs kept wanting to give out every time I heard "You can lead him to the ambulance" during Dead Man's Ballet. Think that's a hint? Surprisingly, somehow I broke through that song and made it through the rest without a hitch.
I realize I haven't been blogging much about fitting in running with, well, running! As in running The Girl to soccer every Tuesday and Thursday, and whaddaya know? The Boy's golf lessons are Wednesdays! How the hell (or maybe more accurately, WHY the hell) would I subject myself to that? I'm still asking myself that question. See, I did the kids' sports registration day thingy at the mall back in March, and the PLAN was that The Boy was going to be in soccer. I managed to time my pregnancies to fully maximize the benefits of two kids whose birth years play soccer at almost the same time on the same night. Hell, they were even going to be playing at the same park (that is until the Assiniboine effed that plan up for EVERYONE!) But The Boy got this brilliant idea that he wanted to play football. And then he got there and insisted, no, he never said he wanted to play football. He didn't want to play soccer (though he was so good at getting girls' phone numbers last year), and I insisted that dammit, he was going to do something if it killed me. It might yet. Anyway, he's whacked a ball with a club a few times the last couple of summers, so I convinced him to sign up. Then it turned out his lessons would be at a course on the north side of the city. On the other side of the river. Fortunately for me and a few thousand other people, the only two streets that'll get you there are now open, so maybe there's hope for us yet.
Now I just have to wait for the running track to open.... :-)
Monday 23 May 2011
May 23, 2011 - Twitchy butt muscles!
Now there's an attention-grabbing headline, eh? ;-) I just did 2.5 miles in 45:08 doing yet another Sixx:A.M. interval batch. I had a little trouble with the second-last song (or the last running song, as it were). I warm up with Lies of the Beautiful People at 2.4 mph, then go through the whole Sixx:A.M. Live album at appropriate speeds for whatever song is on, but I needed one more song to wrap up the running portion, so I tried This is Gonna Hurt (and it did!) but it was too slow. I'll have to give 'er another listen. I wrapped up my cool-down with a trip back to Lies. Hey, if it works... <drooldrooldrool!>
Monday 16 May 2011
May 16, 2011 - Life IS beautiful!
Two miles. 35 minutes and 30 seconds. The sun is shining. The birds are singing....okay, now I'm just getting stupid (it could be the lack of blood flow to my brain because I went so far lol!) I did my Sixx:A.M. intervals again. Seriously, man, you gotta try it! Let's face it - I've (literally!) come a long way. Two months ago, a mile just about killed me. Thank you Nikki Sixx, Dj Ashba, and James Michael. (Okay, I'd find an excuse to thank them for anything. Have you SEEN them?) >:-)
Saturday 14 May 2011
Runnin' with the Devil....
I ran Thursday, but didn't get a chance to post about it. I did a mile in 15 minutes again, but holy lord, it was hard! You'd think I'd be used to it by now, but apparently my butt muscles had other ideas. Maybe it's because I went without music. But I hopped on anyways with 15 minutes to spare before American Idol came on.
I can't decide whether to run today or if I should save it for tomorrow. I'll tell you right now that anything involving Tuesday/Thursday isn't going to work. Not only is The Girl playing soccer, but now she keeps getting calls to play hockey! (That's another story - she's so dedicated to both sports that when they conflicted, she was so torn, she was crying. That's dedication! Or craziness. She can't be my kid, I would've said "screw it" to both - ha!) At any rate, I have to stick to three days a week, and I have to keep adding length to the run. I'm kind of wondering if I should go back to intervals.
Again folks - a prayer if you will for flood-affected people in Manitoba - the area south-west of Portage is being deliberately flooded today in an effort to affect the fewest number of homes. The hometown's still okay. And we're thinking of those in Quebec, Saskatchewan, and particularly the Mississippi flood plains - seems like nobody's safe this year. Take care all.
I can't decide whether to run today or if I should save it for tomorrow. I'll tell you right now that anything involving Tuesday/Thursday isn't going to work. Not only is The Girl playing soccer, but now she keeps getting calls to play hockey! (That's another story - she's so dedicated to both sports that when they conflicted, she was so torn, she was crying. That's dedication! Or craziness. She can't be my kid, I would've said "screw it" to both - ha!) At any rate, I have to stick to three days a week, and I have to keep adding length to the run. I'm kind of wondering if I should go back to intervals.
Again folks - a prayer if you will for flood-affected people in Manitoba - the area south-west of Portage is being deliberately flooded today in an effort to affect the fewest number of homes. The hometown's still okay. And we're thinking of those in Quebec, Saskatchewan, and particularly the Mississippi flood plains - seems like nobody's safe this year. Take care all.
Tuesday 10 May 2011
May 10 - one mile in fifteen minutes!!!
I didn't get on Tready until quarter to eight tonight, so I got lazy. And that makes me laugh. Because only, what, two months ago, do you remember what my standard for lazy was? I'll tell you this - it sure the hell wasn't "only a mile"! Does anyone from my online gf's remember the time I was laying on the couch, typing that I wished I had telekinesis so I could will the chocolate from the fridge to my hand? THAT was lazy! Now if I don't do better, go farther, go faster (wait - what am I, the bionic frickin' woman?) I think I'm being lazy. What an improvement!
Tonight, since I was pressed for time before ushering The Boy off to bed, I figured I'd just set the timer. No intervals, no four minute warm-up. One minutes at about 2.5 mph, followed by thirteen solid minutes of 4.3 or 4.4. Well, okay, I cheated once. I grabbed the handrails and hopped on the side for about 20 seconds when I hit the wall. At the start of "Heart Failure". Why do my legs want to give up as soon as I hear a song about Nikki Sixx OD'ing? (Maybe it's his voice....ha ha! Drool drool drool! Oh wait, am I digressing again? Shit.) And the whole works was followed up by one minute at 2.5 again, which took me right to the end of said song. I was even good about stretching afterward. Go me! :-)
Totally not running-related thought: Flood fighting is going well in the old hometown. The dikes are holding. (What are they holding? BWAHHHH HA HA HA oh, so not funny. Because not that there's anything wrong with that. As they say. Digressing again, focus! Snicker...) Hang on Lisa - it'll hold it'll hold it'll hold it'll hold!
Not directly running-related-but-sort-of thought: Brandy has landed in Botswana. Congratulations Brandy! Keep us posted (I'm sure you will!) And you'll have to let me know what running in Gabs is like! ;-)
Seriously, do I have amazing friends or what? :-)
Tonight, since I was pressed for time before ushering The Boy off to bed, I figured I'd just set the timer. No intervals, no four minute warm-up. One minutes at about 2.5 mph, followed by thirteen solid minutes of 4.3 or 4.4. Well, okay, I cheated once. I grabbed the handrails and hopped on the side for about 20 seconds when I hit the wall. At the start of "Heart Failure". Why do my legs want to give up as soon as I hear a song about Nikki Sixx OD'ing? (Maybe it's his voice....ha ha! Drool drool drool! Oh wait, am I digressing again? Shit.) And the whole works was followed up by one minute at 2.5 again, which took me right to the end of said song. I was even good about stretching afterward. Go me! :-)
Totally not running-related thought: Flood fighting is going well in the old hometown. The dikes are holding. (What are they holding? BWAHHHH HA HA HA oh, so not funny. Because not that there's anything wrong with that. As they say. Digressing again, focus! Snicker...) Hang on Lisa - it'll hold it'll hold it'll hold it'll hold!
Not directly running-related-but-sort-of thought: Brandy has landed in Botswana. Congratulations Brandy! Keep us posted (I'm sure you will!) And you'll have to let me know what running in Gabs is like! ;-)
Seriously, do I have amazing friends or what? :-)
Sunday 8 May 2011
I'm BAAAAACK! I'm back on the Tready agaaaaain!
Woot! Woot! TWO-POINT-OH-ONE MILES TODAY, BABY! I did "Lies of the Beautiful People" followed by the ENTIRE Sixx:A.M. live album (okay, almost - I finished cooldown about half-way through Life is Beautiful, but it's their fault for dragging it out live!) ;-P Which worked out to about 36 minutes. Not too shabby, if you ask me! But could I do that in four hours? Good question....
I may start to google some 5K's around Manitoba and give myself an increment to train for before Vegas.
An aside: Happy Mother's Day to everyone, not least of all, my own Mom. (Hi Mom!) Yeah, we're crazy, we make our fair share of mistakes with our kids, but if anyone taught me that you might as well laugh at yourself, if for no other reason than to beat everyone else to it - well, it was her. :-)
Aside #2: Please send all your prayers, positive vibes, whatever you believe in, to the people who are being threatened and/or flooded by the Assiniboine River right now. Some people are stuck with a really shitty Mother's Day. :-(
I may start to google some 5K's around Manitoba and give myself an increment to train for before Vegas.
An aside: Happy Mother's Day to everyone, not least of all, my own Mom. (Hi Mom!) Yeah, we're crazy, we make our fair share of mistakes with our kids, but if anyone taught me that you might as well laugh at yourself, if for no other reason than to beat everyone else to it - well, it was her. :-)
Aside #2: Please send all your prayers, positive vibes, whatever you believe in, to the people who are being threatened and/or flooded by the Assiniboine River right now. Some people are stuck with a really shitty Mother's Day. :-(
Saturday 7 May 2011
Enough is enough!
Yep. I was sick that entire time - but I think I finally feel a lot better and I'll be ready to get back in the swing of things! I think I'm actually going to give'er tonight. I was thinking about a Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday routine, but then I realized that The Girl has soccer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Shit. So maybe I'll try for Saturday-Monday-Wednesday. That gives me Fridays and the weekends off (yay!) and maybe, just maybe, I can get back on track!
Tuesday 3 May 2011
What do I have in common with a bicycle? I'm two-tired....(Booooo!)
So it is May 3rd and I am completely exhausted! I'm finally getting over my cold, but I had to bring work home, and I stayed up past 10:30 last night to watch election coverage. Add to that the fact that The Hubbs has worked a full day and has to go back to work at 9:00 tonight, leaving me to clean up after supper and get the kids to bed (not that I have a problem with that), and I don't think I'm running tonight again. :-( On the bright side, I did go for a bit of a walk today with the kids. We went to a nearby bridge that is overtop of our extremely flooded river to take some photos of where The Girl was supposed to be playing soccer this year. If I can ever get the pictures off my damn phone, I'll post them for you. ;-)
Sunday 1 May 2011
May 1, 2011 (Finally!!!!)
I'm easing back into it. Instead of doing a mile though, I set the timer for 20 minutes and did intervals. I made it about 3/4 of a mile though and didn't hack up a lung. Not bad!!! :-)
Schemers & dreamers.....
Just got off facebook with Brandy. We have an idea. Stay tuned in about June or July for deets..... >:-)
You have GOT to be kidding me!
So I'm still debating whether I'm well enough for Tready. I may just walk a mile (in my shoes - HAAA HAAA oh, that wasn't even funny!) But I have a new excuse for not moving the Show outside yet:
Yep. This is seriously what we are dealing with in my neck of the woods on May 1st. (Photo courtesy of my mom. Thanks Mom!)
I am not kidding - there is seriously enough snow out there to send The Boy and The Girl out to make snowmen!!!
On another note, I have filled out registration forms for the whole family for the Y's Spring Run. We're going to do the half-mile fun walk/run together. I'm actually really happy that they're going to join me! I was thinking about the 5K, but then I realized I haven't even run a successful mile outside - not even in intervals - so I thought I'd forgo this year and maybe keep my eyes peeled for some other local 5K options, maybe in the fall. (If anyone local knows of any, let me know!)
So that's the scoop today - hopefully I will find some energy to kick Tready's ass today! :-)
I am not kidding - there is seriously enough snow out there to send The Boy and The Girl out to make snowmen!!!
On another note, I have filled out registration forms for the whole family for the Y's Spring Run. We're going to do the half-mile fun walk/run together. I'm actually really happy that they're going to join me! I was thinking about the 5K, but then I realized I haven't even run a successful mile outside - not even in intervals - so I thought I'd forgo this year and maybe keep my eyes peeled for some other local 5K options, maybe in the fall. (If anyone local knows of any, let me know!)
So that's the scoop today - hopefully I will find some energy to kick Tready's ass today! :-)
Saturday 30 April 2011
I'm not ready to go.....I'm not ready to gooooooo!
Well, I'm still sick as a dog. I may try to do a mile tomorrow. But then I said I was going to go into work today and ended up sleeping for two hours on the couch! My ears have been plugged all week (that's why I have the stereo cranked - yeahhhh, that's iiiiit!) I'm thinking I'll do just the pre-programmed intervals. Then I'll probably collapse into a wheezing heap on the couch. Well, I might as well start somewhere! :-)
ETA: I just checked out the site for the YMCA Spring Run. I am going to start slow and do the half-mile with the kids. And Brandy's out. She's got a good excuse though - she'll be halfway around the world doing good things in Botswana! <3
ETA: I just checked out the site for the YMCA Spring Run. I am going to start slow and do the half-mile with the kids. And Brandy's out. She's got a good excuse though - she'll be halfway around the world doing good things in Botswana! <3
Wednesday 27 April 2011
In honour of my love of fast food (yet another reason I run!) "You deserve a break today!"
Holy lord! Now that I've caught my breath again (both literally AND figuratively!) I can go back to thinking about a real routine. I'm probably going to wait until Saturday, but I'd better start planning, because the craziness starts again right this weekend. The Girl got the call from her soccer coach. The Boy's golf lessons will be starting soon. And it occurred to me this week that the local Y's spring run should be right around the corner. You read right. I'm actually thinking of running. In less than a month.
Bwohhhh?
(Surprised Brandy? Heh heh heh....!)
You see, December is, like, FOREVER from now (or at least, that what The Hubbs is hoping, <insert evil laugh here>) and so every week that I fart around seems like a week of infinity. Sadly, I'm a firm believer in the old adage "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow." But if I HAVE to run, and I mean R! F! N!, then I will get my arse in gear, my friends.
So now that I have another follower or two, anyone in with me? (Heh heh heh......!)
Bwohhhh?
(Surprised Brandy? Heh heh heh....!)
You see, December is, like, FOREVER from now (or at least, that what The Hubbs is hoping, <insert evil laugh here>) and so every week that I fart around seems like a week of infinity. Sadly, I'm a firm believer in the old adage "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow." But if I HAVE to run, and I mean R! F! N!, then I will get my arse in gear, my friends.
So now that I have another follower or two, anyone in with me? (Heh heh heh......!)
Monday 25 April 2011
Reasons I don't run...
Holy Dinah, I am absolutely bagged. I've caught an absolute beyotch of a cold, and I didn't go to work today. I didn't take the kids to school. I'm not picking them up (thanks, Dad!) I could barely open the laptop.
So although I only have two followers, and a few friends who read, I'll leave today up to your wit, since mine is just GONE. You're sick. Not barfy, but sick. Run? Or no run?
So although I only have two followers, and a few friends who read, I'll leave today up to your wit, since mine is just GONE. You're sick. Not barfy, but sick. Run? Or no run?
Sunday 24 April 2011
April 24, 2011 - Happy Easter! (Bonus "Reasons I Run" - the Random Version!)
So I thought I'd try the Sixx:A.M. run again. I really like it! It's perfect for intervals - warm up song, run song, fast walk song, run song, etc. I cooled down to "Tomorrow", and a mile and a half took 26 minutes (although I almost died halfway through...well..."Dead Man's Ballet" lol!) I bumped the incline down to 1.0 (after almost forgetting to do it!)
Some things I've discovered:
1. Go pee before you run. No, I didn't have an accident, but it's really distracting, and not in a good way!
2. I still don't like sweating.
3. If you turn the iPod up loud enough, you can't even hear your feet pounding!
4. I'm too chicken to try running outside again.
'Kay, something else I might try, too. I'm going to spend my "off" days doing Pilates or something to try and strengthen my core. I have a really bad swayback from when I threw my back out two years ago (I know, I'm a wreck, aren't I?) and one of the reasons I run is to try and lose weight. Plus it really does loosen up my back! So I thought I'd throw that in there and see if there's any hope in hell of finding my abs again. I know they're in there somewhere!
Some things I've discovered:
1. Go pee before you run. No, I didn't have an accident, but it's really distracting, and not in a good way!
2. I still don't like sweating.
3. If you turn the iPod up loud enough, you can't even hear your feet pounding!
4. I'm too chicken to try running outside again.
'Kay, something else I might try, too. I'm going to spend my "off" days doing Pilates or something to try and strengthen my core. I have a really bad swayback from when I threw my back out two years ago (I know, I'm a wreck, aren't I?) and one of the reasons I run is to try and lose weight. Plus it really does loosen up my back! So I thought I'd throw that in there and see if there's any hope in hell of finding my abs again. I know they're in there somewhere!
Friday 22 April 2011
April 22, 2011 - Sixx:A.M- themed run
Lies of the Beautiful People: 2.5 mph, 3:58 minutes
X-mas in Hell (Live): 4.5 mph, 2:03 minutes
Pray for Me (Live): 3.0 mph, 4:39 minutes
Heart Failure (Live): 4.3 mph, 5:09 minutes
Intermission (Live): 2.8 mph, 1:51 minutes
Works out to about a mile in about 18 minutes. :-)
ETA: I used an incline of 1.5 too!
X-mas in Hell (Live): 4.5 mph, 2:03 minutes
Pray for Me (Live): 3.0 mph, 4:39 minutes
Heart Failure (Live): 4.3 mph, 5:09 minutes
Intermission (Live): 2.8 mph, 1:51 minutes
Works out to about a mile in about 18 minutes. :-)
ETA: I used an incline of 1.5 too!
Thursday 21 April 2011
The best laid plans....
Okay, so my wonderful partner-in-running-crime Brandy and I were going to go for our first run together tonight, and it ended up raining cats and dogs. Which is just what our waterlogged corner of the province frickin' needs right now. So unfortunately, I was rather easily convinced to ditch my run today for a supper of movie popcorn with The Girl, but we went to see Rio. Very cute movie, the 3-D rocked, and we had a nice girls' night out. I promise, I will hit up Tready in the morning! I swear! (I'm also going to take Lisa's - hi Lisa! - advice and put Tready on an incline.)
Here's to a good night's sleep. :-)
Here's to a good night's sleep. :-)
Tuesday 19 April 2011
What the F@#$ was I thinking? Or, how not to try running outside for the first time. Like, EVER.
So I had to go into work to get some stuff done on a project, so I thought, hey - I'll google the distance from the house to work! As it turns out, I live exactly 2.1 kilometres from the office. Which is 1.3 miles. Which I thought would be pretty easy pickin's since I've already done 1.5 on Tready in 23 minutes. Right? Riiiiight?
Cue the Three Stooges soundtrack. Or something else that sounds goofy. I get outside, throw on Run! The Rock Version and start walking. Gotta warm up, right? Well, I got a few blocks away, into the second song, and figured what the hell - I'll start running. Did I mention it was only about 2 degrees Celcius out there? For my American friends, that's about 34 degreesFarenheight Farenheit American. And I've never exerted myself under those conditions. Even tobogganing. That's what kids are for. ("Pull mommy up the hill, c'mon, you need to build your muscles for hockey! Mush! Mush!") But I'll tell you, I was running come hell or high water (wait, maybe I shouldn't say that around here) past KFC, because it was frickin' break time and the staff were ALL out front having their cigarettes. (Now there's an ad for why fried chicken and smoking are bad for you: "You will never escape from your crappy minimum wage job if you don't stop now!")
Where was I? Oh yes. I got a block past said poultry-pushers, and slowed to a stroll. Because I was panting like a sheepdog in July. And ready to black out. In downtown. Boy, did I think this through or what?
Well, at any rate, I made it to work in less than half an hour. And I didn't pass out. And I actually made some headway on that project. I guess we'll stick to Tready until it warms up at bit more.
Cue the Three Stooges soundtrack. Or something else that sounds goofy. I get outside, throw on Run! The Rock Version and start walking. Gotta warm up, right? Well, I got a few blocks away, into the second song, and figured what the hell - I'll start running. Did I mention it was only about 2 degrees Celcius out there? For my American friends, that's about 34 degrees
Where was I? Oh yes. I got a block past said poultry-pushers, and slowed to a stroll. Because I was panting like a sheepdog in July. And ready to black out. In downtown. Boy, did I think this through or what?
Well, at any rate, I made it to work in less than half an hour. And I didn't pass out. And I actually made some headway on that project. I guess we'll stick to Tready until it warms up at bit more.
Sunday 17 April 2011
April 17, 2011
.98 miles in 15 minutes.
Minute 1: 2.5 mph warm-up
Minute 2: 4.0 mph warm-up (I think - I forgot to do this right after the run, and it was 10 hours ago now!)
Minutes 3-13: 4.5 mph
Minute 14: 4.0 cool-down
Minute 15: 2.5 cool-down.
I could probably do the math and figure out what my speeds were, but I'm too lazy!
Minute 1: 2.5 mph warm-up
Minute 2: 4.0 mph warm-up (I think - I forgot to do this right after the run, and it was 10 hours ago now!)
Minutes 3-13: 4.5 mph
Minute 14: 4.0 cool-down
Minute 15: 2.5 cool-down.
I could probably do the math and figure out what my speeds were, but I'm too lazy!
The reasons I run: Part II
January 18, 2002. My first baby was due in 2 days, and for some reason, I felt like watching Shrek on pay-per-view. I remember we missed it in the theater, and I like Mike Myers - he's a comedic genius. So we rented the movie, and we watched it. I felt like shit the whole time, and I was SO tired at that point and felt like a whale. After the movie, I went to bed. I think it might have been around 9:00.
Wes stayed up to watch hockey, so at about 11:00 p.m., I woke up still feeling like shit. I thought a shower would make me feel better, as it sometimes does. I told Wes that's what I was doing, and once I got in, that's when I figured out I was in labour.
When we got to the hospital, (in the days before the big remodel and the fancy birthing rooms), I was put into an observation room, given a shot of demerol (I don't remember your name, nice nurse lady, but THANK YOU!) and had a nap. As it turned out, I was lucky with my timing, and got to get into the only nice birthing room in the hospital. I remember toughing it out (which was actually pretty easy), using the brand-new birthing ball (which we all now know as an ordinary exercise ball, but boy, does that work!) and when my water broke at about 6:00 a.m., that's when I knew the easy part was over - I was going to take the advice of so many people: one epidural, please!
That sucker made the rest of my 17-ish hour labour a breeze. I'd watch the chart spitting out of the monitor and go "Oh, I'll bet that one must've hurt!" and laugh. The nurse (a new day-shift one) would come and use a popsicle-like thing and roll it up my chest to see how effective the epidural was. She'd go pretty high and turn down the dosage - apparently, not only do I look lighter than I really am, but my body acts that way with anesthetics too. When I got my wisdom teeth out, I was out like a light, even though I supposedly wasn't supposed to go under for it.
So anyways, Jillian Leigh Szabo, this perfect little baby girl, was born at 3:00 p.m. on the nose on January 19th. She slept, which was heaven for me, and because I had to wait for the epi to wear off, the nurses did a lovely job of taking care of her. So I slept for some time.
I think it was around 6:00 p.m. the nurses informed me I'd have to be moved to a regular hospital room so someone else could have the privilege of not giving birth in what looked like a closet. I happily obliged, but the epi still hadn't worn off, so they had to haul me into a wheelchair and chauffeur me to my room. Now, that wasn't so bad. But the side-effects were a bitch. Ever had a catheter? Eff. Ing. JOY.
By January 20th, I still wasn't able to get out of bed. I had no idea how long an epidural was supposed to last, but I suspected something wasn't adding up here. Jillian was feeding like a champ, so things were okay there. I won't tell you about infections and stitches (TMI? My dad might read this someday, y'know.) but I think the nurses were sick of my little diva "act". I mean, I was able to sit up in my bed. But my legs were not doing what my brain was telling them to do. And I was scared shitless.
The anesthesiologist - a tall, skinny dude in his mid-forties (early fifties?) with a thick eastern-European accent - was called in by my doctor to figure out the problem. I still tell friends to this day, it's a damn good thing I couldn't move my legs worth shit, because the guy was using pins, feathers, his fingers to determine how much feeling I had in my extremely ticklish feet. I could FEEL, I just couldn't MOVE (lucky for him and his nose!) Well, let me be more specific - if I had my legs dangling over the edge of the bed, I could move my left foot about 3 inches, and my right foot would twitch. He declared that my spinal cord was probably bruised (and figured out a way to blame me: "You probably moved when the nurse took it out. You're not supposed to move." Thanks for the newsflash asshole, but in case you didn't know - that part kind of fucking hurts.) Anyways, because of the feeling and the motion - limited as it was - he declared it not his fault, and left me to my own devices. Asshole.
By January 21, I could stand up if I locked my knees, but I still felt like I was going to fall at any minute. And I did, courtesy of the nurse who INSISTED I could go have a shower, and I would be FIIIIIINE! (Yes, I still remember you, bitch. You're one of the reasons I stand up for myself much better than I used to.) When I collapsed trying to sit down on the bench outside the shower, the other nurse (a lady who used to babysit me as a kid, and apparently was still willing to do it!) declared me NOT FINE and got me and my now severely bruised ass back to my bed. (I still remember you, and you were and are my hero.) After a visit from someone in the geriatric ward to loan me a walker (she was so happy to be around a cute baby instead of death for a change), I was mobile, out of bed, peeing in a toilet, and so grateful to at least be able to walk. I really didn't know if that was going to happen.
January 22nd. My doctor, God love him, regretfully informed me that because my legs were improving, I'd have to leave to make room. I was getting better pretty quickly, but being on my feet tired the hell out of me. But I understood where he was coming from. So we packed up my stuff, that cute little baby I mentioned earlier, and headed down the elevator. I remember sitting looking at Jillian in her carseat while we waited for Wes (Daddy!) to get the car. I remember the short drive home. And I remember my legs giving out again, while I carried Jillian in her carseat, attempting to get up my stairs to go into the house, and yelling for Wes and his brother because he'd gone in before me carrying all the other stuff.
This was way longer than I intended already (it's the first time I've relived the whole ordeal in any form), so I'll just tell you that I lived on the first floor of my two-storey house for the first few days home, only crawling up the stairs to use the bathroom. For about two weeks after that, I would still crawl up the stairs or slide down on my butt like a big kid, baby in my arms. Going to the mall for about a month, I HAD to have a shopping cart to feel like I wasn't going to fall down. For about six months, if I was tired, my knees felt it first. And I'll bet it was about 5 years before I stopped feeling it if I was swimming in water that juuuuust wasn't quite warm enough.
So, long story made short (too late!), that is reason #2 that I run. Because I can. Because I almost COULDN'T. And I will never forget what it was like to be paralyzed.
Wes stayed up to watch hockey, so at about 11:00 p.m., I woke up still feeling like shit. I thought a shower would make me feel better, as it sometimes does. I told Wes that's what I was doing, and once I got in, that's when I figured out I was in labour.
When we got to the hospital, (in the days before the big remodel and the fancy birthing rooms), I was put into an observation room, given a shot of demerol (I don't remember your name, nice nurse lady, but THANK YOU!) and had a nap. As it turned out, I was lucky with my timing, and got to get into the only nice birthing room in the hospital. I remember toughing it out (which was actually pretty easy), using the brand-new birthing ball (which we all now know as an ordinary exercise ball, but boy, does that work!) and when my water broke at about 6:00 a.m., that's when I knew the easy part was over - I was going to take the advice of so many people: one epidural, please!
That sucker made the rest of my 17-ish hour labour a breeze. I'd watch the chart spitting out of the monitor and go "Oh, I'll bet that one must've hurt!" and laugh. The nurse (a new day-shift one) would come and use a popsicle-like thing and roll it up my chest to see how effective the epidural was. She'd go pretty high and turn down the dosage - apparently, not only do I look lighter than I really am, but my body acts that way with anesthetics too. When I got my wisdom teeth out, I was out like a light, even though I supposedly wasn't supposed to go under for it.
So anyways, Jillian Leigh Szabo, this perfect little baby girl, was born at 3:00 p.m. on the nose on January 19th. She slept, which was heaven for me, and because I had to wait for the epi to wear off, the nurses did a lovely job of taking care of her. So I slept for some time.
I think it was around 6:00 p.m. the nurses informed me I'd have to be moved to a regular hospital room so someone else could have the privilege of not giving birth in what looked like a closet. I happily obliged, but the epi still hadn't worn off, so they had to haul me into a wheelchair and chauffeur me to my room. Now, that wasn't so bad. But the side-effects were a bitch. Ever had a catheter? Eff. Ing. JOY.
By January 20th, I still wasn't able to get out of bed. I had no idea how long an epidural was supposed to last, but I suspected something wasn't adding up here. Jillian was feeding like a champ, so things were okay there. I won't tell you about infections and stitches (TMI? My dad might read this someday, y'know.) but I think the nurses were sick of my little diva "act". I mean, I was able to sit up in my bed. But my legs were not doing what my brain was telling them to do. And I was scared shitless.
The anesthesiologist - a tall, skinny dude in his mid-forties (early fifties?) with a thick eastern-European accent - was called in by my doctor to figure out the problem. I still tell friends to this day, it's a damn good thing I couldn't move my legs worth shit, because the guy was using pins, feathers, his fingers to determine how much feeling I had in my extremely ticklish feet. I could FEEL, I just couldn't MOVE (lucky for him and his nose!) Well, let me be more specific - if I had my legs dangling over the edge of the bed, I could move my left foot about 3 inches, and my right foot would twitch. He declared that my spinal cord was probably bruised (and figured out a way to blame me: "You probably moved when the nurse took it out. You're not supposed to move." Thanks for the newsflash asshole, but in case you didn't know - that part kind of fucking hurts.) Anyways, because of the feeling and the motion - limited as it was - he declared it not his fault, and left me to my own devices. Asshole.
By January 21, I could stand up if I locked my knees, but I still felt like I was going to fall at any minute. And I did, courtesy of the nurse who INSISTED I could go have a shower, and I would be FIIIIIINE! (Yes, I still remember you, bitch. You're one of the reasons I stand up for myself much better than I used to.) When I collapsed trying to sit down on the bench outside the shower, the other nurse (a lady who used to babysit me as a kid, and apparently was still willing to do it!) declared me NOT FINE and got me and my now severely bruised ass back to my bed. (I still remember you, and you were and are my hero.) After a visit from someone in the geriatric ward to loan me a walker (she was so happy to be around a cute baby instead of death for a change), I was mobile, out of bed, peeing in a toilet, and so grateful to at least be able to walk. I really didn't know if that was going to happen.
January 22nd. My doctor, God love him, regretfully informed me that because my legs were improving, I'd have to leave to make room. I was getting better pretty quickly, but being on my feet tired the hell out of me. But I understood where he was coming from. So we packed up my stuff, that cute little baby I mentioned earlier, and headed down the elevator. I remember sitting looking at Jillian in her carseat while we waited for Wes (Daddy!) to get the car. I remember the short drive home. And I remember my legs giving out again, while I carried Jillian in her carseat, attempting to get up my stairs to go into the house, and yelling for Wes and his brother because he'd gone in before me carrying all the other stuff.
This was way longer than I intended already (it's the first time I've relived the whole ordeal in any form), so I'll just tell you that I lived on the first floor of my two-storey house for the first few days home, only crawling up the stairs to use the bathroom. For about two weeks after that, I would still crawl up the stairs or slide down on my butt like a big kid, baby in my arms. Going to the mall for about a month, I HAD to have a shopping cart to feel like I wasn't going to fall down. For about six months, if I was tired, my knees felt it first. And I'll bet it was about 5 years before I stopped feeling it if I was swimming in water that juuuuust wasn't quite warm enough.
So, long story made short (too late!), that is reason #2 that I run. Because I can. Because I almost COULDN'T. And I will never forget what it was like to be paralyzed.
Saturday 16 April 2011
April 16, 2011
1.49 miles in 23 minutes
Warm-up: Walked "Intermission" at 2.5 mph
Highest Speed: 4.7 mph during Sick Puppies "Going Down"
Discovery of the Day: That "Too Fast For Love" is yet another good 4.3 mph song!
Warm-up: Walked "Intermission" at 2.5 mph
Highest Speed: 4.7 mph during Sick Puppies "Going Down"
Discovery of the Day: That "Too Fast For Love" is yet another good 4.3 mph song!
The reasons I run: Part I
I should probably tell you why run. There's a whole slew of them. There's the obviously whole "exercise is good for you thing," but let's face it, that could mean anything that gets your ass off the couch, no? So why running?
For a lazy non-athlete who really, really, REALLY enjoys my couch time, I've actually been surprisingly athletic over the years. I suck at sports, but I've done weightlifting. I took Pilates classes. I even spent one spring going to exercise bootcamp and lost some weight. But I never stick with them. These are all things that would require me to be organized - to be somewhere at a specific time, and keep going even if it bores me. I don't do bored well, so inevitably I end up failing. But running, now that's easy. Even if you don't have a plan, you can hop on a treadmill and run. If you can't afford a treadmill, you can throw on some running shoes and hit the road. Weather sucks? Run on the spot in your living room! Hell, let's face it, the video game industry has been getting people to do tons of that lately.
The other thing about running is although there are classes, training programs, videos, you name it, running is a basic function of the body. You put one foot in front of the other. Then you do it again. Then you keep doing it really really fast! Okay, I'm simplifying things, I realize, but it really can be that easy. And I noticed throughout day to day living, that if I had to be somewhere really fast, and I run, I love it. It made me feel good. So, I convinced Hubbs to let me blow money on a treadmill, and I've actually stuck with it. I "get" the concept of runner's high.
I've actually got other reasons too, but there's way too many to cover in one post. More to come later ;-)
(P.S. - I write my final exam in Auditing this afternoon. Then I get a five-month break from classes!)
For a lazy non-athlete who really, really, REALLY enjoys my couch time, I've actually been surprisingly athletic over the years. I suck at sports, but I've done weightlifting. I took Pilates classes. I even spent one spring going to exercise bootcamp and lost some weight. But I never stick with them. These are all things that would require me to be organized - to be somewhere at a specific time, and keep going even if it bores me. I don't do bored well, so inevitably I end up failing. But running, now that's easy. Even if you don't have a plan, you can hop on a treadmill and run. If you can't afford a treadmill, you can throw on some running shoes and hit the road. Weather sucks? Run on the spot in your living room! Hell, let's face it, the video game industry has been getting people to do tons of that lately.
The other thing about running is although there are classes, training programs, videos, you name it, running is a basic function of the body. You put one foot in front of the other. Then you do it again. Then you keep doing it really really fast! Okay, I'm simplifying things, I realize, but it really can be that easy. And I noticed throughout day to day living, that if I had to be somewhere really fast, and I run, I love it. It made me feel good. So, I convinced Hubbs to let me blow money on a treadmill, and I've actually stuck with it. I "get" the concept of runner's high.
I've actually got other reasons too, but there's way too many to cover in one post. More to come later ;-)
(P.S. - I write my final exam in Auditing this afternoon. Then I get a five-month break from classes!)
Thursday 14 April 2011
And heeeeeeeeeeere we go!
So last night I spent the entire night avoiding the treadmill and working on my playlists. I now have two that I've just published to iTunes:
Run! The Rock Version
Run! The Pop Version
Look them up and tell me what you think!
I just finished letting supper settle - I think I'll test out the Rock Version :-)
ETA: Did 1.5 miles in 25 minutes. Mostly at 4.5 mph. Love the playlist! :-D
Run! The Rock Version
Run! The Pop Version
Look them up and tell me what you think!
I just finished letting supper settle - I think I'll test out the Rock Version :-)
ETA: Did 1.5 miles in 25 minutes. Mostly at 4.5 mph. Love the playlist! :-D
Monday 11 April 2011
Welcome to my blog. Or, like I need something else on my to-do list!
Well, if you've found me, thank you! I've been chewing on the idea of writing a blog for some time. The problem's always been what to write about! I'll tell you a bit about myself: I have two kids. The Boy is 6 years old. He's a freakin' genius (no, I don't say that as his mom - he's scary smart, and he KNOWS it!) The Girl is 9, and she's good at ev-er-y-thing. Seriously. Especially hockey. Which basically means I already have no life.
Speaking of no life, I'm learning to be a CGA while also working full time. Oh, and I was treasurer for The Girl's hockey team last season. And I was the Publications person for the Parent Council at the kids' school. Because really, I'm not approaching my nervous breakdown fast enough, you see.
Which leads me to The Hubbs. Seriously, he's a good man. He cooks. He cleans (if I bitch at him enough). He even takes damn good care of the kids. But most importantly, he humours me whenever I come up with some cockamamie idea, such as spending a weekend in Winnipeg with BFF at a rock festival. ("Hubbs and Kids? What Hubbs and Kids?")
So this leads me to the cockamamie idea that has spawned this crazy blog. A couple of months ago, I talked Hubbs into letting me buy a treadmill. And I've actually done pretty good on it. I'm slacking a bit lately - finals and work - but I can run a mile in about 15 minutes if I push my luck. So a friend of mine from work sent me a message the other day saying "I have a proposition for you." Like and idiot, I asked her what it was, and she brought up this half-marathon that is run in Vegas down the strip each year. At first, I thought no way, no how. It's the day after Hubb's 40th birthday, and I was planning to throw him a party. Then it occurred to me - y'know, I really haven't planned a damn thing yet, now have I?
So I threw the idea at him of spending his birthday in Vegas this year. I even suggested his parents could come, my parents could come, we could take the kids (well why the hell not? We're inviting the babysitters!) Last I checked, he was shaking his head. In the Headshake of Defeat. So I will keep you posted..... ;-)
Speaking of no life, I'm learning to be a CGA while also working full time. Oh, and I was treasurer for The Girl's hockey team last season. And I was the Publications person for the Parent Council at the kids' school. Because really, I'm not approaching my nervous breakdown fast enough, you see.
Which leads me to The Hubbs. Seriously, he's a good man. He cooks. He cleans (if I bitch at him enough). He even takes damn good care of the kids. But most importantly, he humours me whenever I come up with some cockamamie idea, such as spending a weekend in Winnipeg with BFF at a rock festival. ("Hubbs and Kids? What Hubbs and Kids?")
So this leads me to the cockamamie idea that has spawned this crazy blog. A couple of months ago, I talked Hubbs into letting me buy a treadmill. And I've actually done pretty good on it. I'm slacking a bit lately - finals and work - but I can run a mile in about 15 minutes if I push my luck. So a friend of mine from work sent me a message the other day saying "I have a proposition for you." Like and idiot, I asked her what it was, and she brought up this half-marathon that is run in Vegas down the strip each year. At first, I thought no way, no how. It's the day after Hubb's 40th birthday, and I was planning to throw him a party. Then it occurred to me - y'know, I really haven't planned a damn thing yet, now have I?
So I threw the idea at him of spending his birthday in Vegas this year. I even suggested his parents could come, my parents could come, we could take the kids (well why the hell not? We're inviting the babysitters!) Last I checked, he was shaking his head. In the Headshake of Defeat. So I will keep you posted..... ;-)
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