So.Tired.

I am so incredibly tired today. I had great intentions for getting up early and going for a run, because I relized late last night that we have our Pot Luck/Motivation party tonight for Team in Training. I am really excited about this, I received great information from our meeting last year and hope to give the new runners tips on how to run in the Vancouver 1/2 Marathon, and hopefully will be able to pick up some tips myself. The reason behind the tiredness is not because of getting up early to go to the gym yesterday - which energized me all day, it was because of my housemate. I absolutely adore all my housemates and don't have a bad thing to say about any of them - except for last night. I am all for having friends over and partying it up, but I told this housemate that I was extremely tired and to try and keep the noise down after 10:30 - it was fair or so I thought. They stayed up playing video games way past midnight which should not have been a problem except that this person has an overly loud belly laugh and everytime I would be drifting off to sleep he would laugh and there goes my sleep pattern for the next few hours. Anyway - time to stop complaining and get back to it. I don't think that I will get up early for the gym tomorrow - I hope to get a decent sleep tonight so my sleep pattern can get back to normal!

Weekend Update

It's a bit late for the weekend update, but it is better late then never right? I did a 14km run on Sunday and felt good throughout. I was in minimal pain after-wards. I felt good throughout the run and enjoyed have a mental competition with myself - if I make it all the way to the hill without stopping (1km) I can walk up the hill, and if I make it to the Cafe, I can stop for a drink. Another mental competition was that there were other runners from my team behind me, and I tried to maintain my lead (although minimal) during the 14km's and would have came in before them but my legs were tightening up badly and then W caught up with me after doing the 18km run and she was in pain as well, so we walked the remaining 2km's with each other to keep each other motivated.

After the run, I began to analyze how my training is going. I am at the same pace that I was at last year before the event. And with just a little over 4 weeks to the half marathon I have to up my training. I want to beat my time from last year - even if it is only by a few minutes (which will be my personal best). I originally wanted to run around 2:15 but these are just dreams now, and don't anticipate a that time, although I will do everything that I can to achieve that run.

MJ realizing my need to focus on training has been the ever supporting BF and got up early this morning with me to go to the gym - this morning, I did the treadmill and also the bike - i only ran for 5 minutes on the Treadmill - I had a little shin pain (still from the 14km I think) and in that 5 minutes I did a fitness test. I am happy that I have gone from poor to below average and hope that when I do it again in a few weeks time I will graduate to the average level.

Tomorrow I will do light training in the afternoon - most likely a short run around the track and do some speed work. I am excited about the Easter Break coming up and hope to get some decent training in during the weekend (unless I am overcome with laziness, and honestly it wouldn't be me if this didn't happen).  Oh and I read today that the Seattle Rock n Roll marathon has sold out - eek 28,000 runners should be a great race and also a bit overwhelming!!

New Inspiration

It has taken so long to write this post. I think that I definitely got the right heading for my blog! I know that I have to start pushing myself harder if I am to complete my goals of both running in the Vancouver Half Marathon & also the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. I know that I can do it, but I always tell myself that I can train harder and faster closer to the date of the race. The truth is that I only have just over 4 weeks to the Vancouver Half and then the week after I have to Sun Run which is only 10km's but at the same time, a week after running a half it is going to be a big ask! On Sunday I ran 12kms in just over an hour and a half. The thing is I could have pushed harder and I could have run faster. I was about to stop running completely at the 5km mark and walk back. I was cheering on the rest of the team. Then T ran past me. And I thought that if he can do it while undergoing Chemo treatment then I can do it being inspired by the team that are all relatively new to running! I continued running and ran the full 12kms. I am getting excited about the run this Sunday - going in with a new motivation and also a new inspiration.

3 of the TNT mentors got together on Tuesday night for a pedicure and also a catch up and talking about our next adventures once our duties are over for the Summer Season. W & I are going to stay on and do the Lavaman Triathlon next year with team in training, and are talking about signing up for "My First Triathlon" which is a chance for people who have never competed in the sport to get out and have a go. That event is in  August and is held at Harrison Hot Springs just out of Vancouver. The only thing that I am worried about is the bike ride, well since I don't own a bike, that will be my biggest hurdle.

In Love With Zensah

Yesterday was my real first hit out in a few weeks with the team. I had invested in Zensah compression calf sleeves and arm sleeves and felt that I should take them for a try.(http://www.zensah.com/) They worked so well that I thought that I could have kept on going, and I had to tell myself to stop at the last moment, before I did myself another injury. (And no muscle soreness today) I ran a comfortable pace with W (whom I absolutely had a ball with, it was so great to be running with someone and keep me motivated) we discussed what further races we were going to do, and we have both committed to join Team in Training next year in the Lavaman Triathlon, which will both be our first triathlon, so now its time to start saving for a bike. I have to confess that going to the gym with the BF is also helping my motivation, and am so glad that I am cross training as I feel that it has certainly given a positive impact on my body. Other then that, no real exciting news, I have brought my first triathlon magazine so that I can start to prepare my body for the challenge for the next year!!

Perhaps Some Monthly Goals Are in Order

In preparation of the Half Marathon coming up, I thought that it might be a good idea to make monthly goals with what I want to achieve both training wise and health wise. Training will have to go slowly but surely. I was lucky enough to have a slow training session this afternoon after work. I ran a few laps of the oval and then did some stretches on the sideline. Anyone who might have seen me do these would have got a little bit of entertainment - I am not the most co-oridnated person. My knee again was a little tender after these exercises and I know that I won't be able to push myself to hard, for a little bit longer.

To run well, I know that I also have to fuel my body right. At the moment I know that I am not doing this. I like to blame most of this on my work environment, and I definitely know that I have to change those habits. I will be starting a healthy eating schedule and see if I can maintain it for more then 2 days. It is just too easy to eat bad things, when they are so readily available.

In the meantime, I am busily organizing accommodation for when I tackle the Seattle Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. I know that it is early planning, but I want to make sure that we have a room when we arrive and we don't miss out. On a mentoring note, I am so excited that most of my mentees have surpassed their original fundraising goals, I am so incredibly happy for them, and I know that they will rock when the race comes up in June.

I will be back very shortly with an outline of my goals that I want to achieve during the month....eek only just a little over 50 days to go until the next Half Marathon.......

Long Time

It has been so long since I have written in this blog - I guess that I don't think that there is really much going on at the moment. I have been temporarily injured which I hope doesn't last too much longer as I really want to compete in the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon. I have hurt my IT Band and Knee again after a bad run last weekend, and it has also caused my foot to hurt - which I am getting quiet concerned about. This week I had a rest week and only yesterday went back to the gym with the BF, and did the bike and a speed walk on the treadmill. Surprising today I woke up with no pain in my foot or knee, but did not run today with the team, as I was worried that I might aggravate the injury and cause it to become inflamed again. I am currently training under a new coach and am finding it very hard to adapt to his training method.

When I previously trained with the team our coach was very understanding and was always there for our every run and approached all the team to make sure that we were going ok. Our current coach likes running ahead of the team, and I sort of feel that he gets impatient with me because I take so long to complete the runs that he sets out - the rate of increase in distance is incredible and it makes me feel very pressured to run such a great distance in a short span of time since starting training again. Another thing that I have been having trouble is that I don't have anyone that I can run with this time round. I like have someone run with me, so that we can keep each other motivated and distracted from the training that we are doing.

I think that this is part of the reason that I stopped running last week. Yes I did injure myself but I have never quit before, I usually speed walk my way back to base. Last week I just stopped running and didn't even make it back to the team. I ended up catching a bus home, which I am now disgusted with. So hopefully next week I can get back to training - even though I am not happy with running 15kms so early in the season. In reality it will help me prepare for the Vancouver 1/2 Marathon which is in May and then I can take a step back and run the 10km Sun Run the week after (very excited about), which I am very proud to say my BF has agreed to run in it, which is his first official running race.

So this week I am going to have a very positive week. I will start training again slowly at the gym with the BF and might run the 15kms next Sunday with the team. I will also start eating healthy - my current job makes it hard for me to take the proper measures to ensure that I am looking after my body and fueling it for the days work.

Cheers.