Today, instead of dressing up and parading through bars... or dressing like a Zombarista with my starbucks friends behind the bar - I will be celebrating a belated Oktoberfest with the boys and a 30L Keg tonight whilst clad in leiderhosen.
Don't even pretend like you're not jealous.
Needless to say, I will be resting up this weekend to prepare my body to up the anti next week as I hit the 10 hour mark.
What have I learned so far?
- Eating the right foods makes a difference. But eating the wrong foods makes for motivation.
- I have a really great support system!
- I will probably need better shoes that are built for running long distance
- Running with loose hands is awesome compared to running with fists... you can run faster!
- I don't need an ipod to run... although i want one
- Running with Chuck Norris is a challenge... not an impossible one
- Breathing is good
- PACE
- Focus really makes you run further - it's a mind game
- Running outside is more or a challenge than running inside
- Taking Green Tea pills is awesome... just don't take more than one in one sitting or else you get sick!!
And Finally...
- I'm pretty sure i can do this!
I don't want to sound cocky. But I think this a an obtainable goal! It's definitely a challenge. Sometimes I would rather sit around and do nothing (we all have those moments) than bound out the door to the boardwalk or the gym. It's the feeling afterwards that makes all the difference.
I want to work towards 4 runs a week (currently I'm at 3 long runs). I want to do a progressive build up throughout the week. 3 runs in the gym 5, 8, then 10 km. Then ending the week with a run outside.. long.. with Chuck. It can be my weekly check in to how it's all going. I'd love to be able to run his pace and feel like it's a workout for both of us and not just me. So let's see how that goes over this next month.
ON THAT NOTE.... Even though today is a day off from running - I will be popping in a pilates Dvd!
Happy Halloween to all!
8 hours. 60 km. No injuries.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Taking it Outside
Today I learned about pace.
I've been training at the gym - logging all of my 'official' minutes and miles (my m 'n m's!!) on the treadmillian wonder. Today was a gorgeous day in Toronto, and with the leaves showing all of their beautiful colours and the sun shining... i really wanted to be outside instead of on my treadmill.
SO I joined Chuck Norris for his usual run. I figured I've been doing pretty well - so maybe I stand a chance of actually running his whole route instead of pussying out 3/4s through.
It started out great. I was going nice and slow and taking my time making sure I settled into a pace in which I could hold for an hour or so. I don't know what it is about running with my love... but I get so self conscious. I have previously mentioned... he's a runner. A good runner. Currently a slightly injured runner... and when I run with him I feel I need to keep up with him and prove myself. This proving myself typically ends up in getting overheated due to lack of breathing and getting over-emotional and over-all pretty frustrated with myself and sometimes him! So I stay away from those runs. They don't accomplish anything for me. But I've logged over 6 hours... so... I gave it a go today.
It was HARD. It was windy as all get out and I felt the nerves creeping in multiple times as I know he majorly slowed down his pace to stay with me. (Chuck Norris and his gazelle legs... pffffttt.....) But I kept telling myself I could do it! And I had the best run I have ever had with him today. My hip flexors are doing so much better than they have in the past... I only got outwardly frustrated once (when it was super super stupid windy and he slowed to a walk waiting for me to trot up to his).. and my feet only started to hurt at the end.
I think going forward I may need to invest in some better cushioney shoes. The shoes I have are more geared towards shorter distance running (5K) and now that I am running more than that everytime I'm out.... it's time to get something more suited to me.
I'm pretty proud of myself... today was a day I really didn't feel like doing anything at all!
STATS
7 hours 37 minutes. 52 km. Sore feeties.
I'm getting excited to hit the big 10 hours soon!!!!!!!
A
I've been training at the gym - logging all of my 'official' minutes and miles (my m 'n m's!!) on the treadmillian wonder. Today was a gorgeous day in Toronto, and with the leaves showing all of their beautiful colours and the sun shining... i really wanted to be outside instead of on my treadmill.
SO I joined Chuck Norris for his usual run. I figured I've been doing pretty well - so maybe I stand a chance of actually running his whole route instead of pussying out 3/4s through.
It started out great. I was going nice and slow and taking my time making sure I settled into a pace in which I could hold for an hour or so. I don't know what it is about running with my love... but I get so self conscious. I have previously mentioned... he's a runner. A good runner. Currently a slightly injured runner... and when I run with him I feel I need to keep up with him and prove myself. This proving myself typically ends up in getting overheated due to lack of breathing and getting over-emotional and over-all pretty frustrated with myself and sometimes him! So I stay away from those runs. They don't accomplish anything for me. But I've logged over 6 hours... so... I gave it a go today.
It was HARD. It was windy as all get out and I felt the nerves creeping in multiple times as I know he majorly slowed down his pace to stay with me. (Chuck Norris and his gazelle legs... pffffttt.....) But I kept telling myself I could do it! And I had the best run I have ever had with him today. My hip flexors are doing so much better than they have in the past... I only got outwardly frustrated once (when it was super super stupid windy and he slowed to a walk waiting for me to trot up to his).. and my feet only started to hurt at the end.
I think going forward I may need to invest in some better cushioney shoes. The shoes I have are more geared towards shorter distance running (5K) and now that I am running more than that everytime I'm out.... it's time to get something more suited to me.
I'm pretty proud of myself... today was a day I really didn't feel like doing anything at all!
STATS
7 hours 37 minutes. 52 km. Sore feeties.
I'm getting excited to hit the big 10 hours soon!!!!!!!
A
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
This Made me Feel Skinny
...... No explanation needed. This is want I don't want to ever ever be. On the flip side.. good for her for getting moving!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z-UxEZ6yA0&feature=grec_index
A
.. I think I may add a little pace to my run tomorrow after watching this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z-UxEZ6yA0&feature=grec_index
A
.. I think I may add a little pace to my run tomorrow after watching this.
Runlates and Stink.
I took the weekend off running and was back at it last night! It was really interesting to see that my body was wanting to push already... go faster... generally a quicker pace. So I ran at a little bit of a higher pace overall and sweated my FACE off at the gym. I got the treadmill right beside the water fountain at my gym... so I had a pretty constant stream of visitors taking a wee sip of water. Can I just say... I thought I was reeking. Seriously. I thought my BO was so bad because i kept smelling something. Then... the gym kind of cleared out while I was still running (not because of my stench) and I realized that it wasn't me. It was the burly men who kept getting water.
Dear burly men - it's not cool to stink like that! Go get some prescription deodorant! You made me run with my arms pressed down at my sides. Which was probably pretty amusing to look at but I was worrying about stinking up your space the whole time... and it was allll yooou burly burly stinky men. I feel better now.
So I ran for about 67 minutes only slowing the pace down to get water (not at the fountain beside me but from the water bottle i had with me.) I finished my gym night off with a pilates class! SO all in all a pretty awesome body loving day for this (not stinky) girly.
Today......... i have the day off with a meeting for work tonight. SO I am baking my tushy off. Lots and lots of baking goodness for my starbuckers tonight. Maybe laundry. We'll see how it goes. Based on the discussions of this blog... i should probably do my laundry as I am anti stink.
Side unrelated note - I LOVE 'The Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp' and 'Bulging Brides'. I want Tommy Europe to be my trainer. What a good background to my bake fest.
TIMES
6 hours 37 minutes. 44 km. Two healing blisters.... Calluses if you may.
-A
Friday, October 22, 2010
Date day
Today was date day. That is as exciting as it sounds as Chuck Norris and I generally don't have coinciding days off, so today we went out for brunch to this delicious place called Insomnia. If you haven't been - I highly recommend that you go. It is located in The Annex district of Toronto - on Bloor Street just East of Bathurst. This place has a great atmosphere - yummy food and to top it all off it has probably the best coffee that I have tasted in a long time. So go. You hopefully will not be disappointed.
Middle of date day involved me hitting the gym. This does not go without an Andrea having a moronic moment story. Ready?
SO I drove to the gym and did an absolutely gorgeous, smooth parallel park. This doesn't happen very often (if at all.. I usually end up in Austin Powers like situations). So rare does this beautiful park job happen in fact that I almost picked up my Blackberry and called CN to tell him how awesome i am. However... I ended up having to call anyway because of this...
You know how when you park you have an automatic put car into park turn car off take keys out routine? Well I did this routine pretty slick and maybe too quickly because my ignition thinger got jammed between the off section and the ACC section, meaning my car wouldn't turn on OR off. I freaked out. Called CN... he didn't know what to do. So I whipped out my AMA card (after trying to muscle the key onto the off position and probably looking quite manic whilst doing so..) and called AMA to tow/figure it out. The man shows up about 20 minutes later and hops into my drivers seat. He fiddles around with the ignition and... nothing happens. THEN he looks at me and he goes...
"Well... next time ma'am you should probably put your car into park before taking out the key."
................. insert Andrea feeling like a HUGE moron............
SO in my slick getting out of the carness I didn't fully put my car into park and it jammed up the ignition. Meaning nothing is wrong at all with my car.. I'm just borderline useless.
A little red in the face from embarrassment and the cold spell that is going on outside - I booted it to my destination - the gym.
I proudly beat my distance once again! So chalk up another hour for me!!!! Bringing my totals tooooo....
5 hours. 37km. Still 2 blisters, however popped blisters- they're pretty nasty actually... I should get moleskin. And a band-aid. Perhaps both.
Taking the weekend off running! Will be back at 'er Monday.
Andrea
Thursday, October 21, 2010
One Week. One Blog. Two Blisters.
I am a girl who generally doesn't tip toe into things. My style is more of a jump-as-gracefully-as-possible-off-cliff-eyes-closed-no-other-option-announce-to-the-world-cannonball-break-limb.... etc... To get a wee basis of my track record, let's make a list of my past 'little goals' shall we?
Quit Chocolate. Well I am a 24 year old girl. A chocoholic. Why I made this goal? To shed a few pounds (the basis behind too many of my goals I must admit). Why this goal failed? Two immediate reasons. 1. I am a girl. 2. The moment something becomes forbidden it becomes that much more desirable. Shocking really that this failed. I'll probably make this goal many more times in my future years. I think I now make this goal knowing that it will probably last a day or two then gradually come to a crash and burn once I sip on a tall non-fat hot chocolate at Starbucks. Tragic.
........... Well now this is embarrassing because now I really can't think of any silly little goals. I guess the freshest one is my little chocolate goal. The only other ones coming to mind involve the latest attempt to live up to my agencies wishes to shed a few... trim up.. and all that jazz. Regardless - I have set a goal. A thought out, seemingly big - yet obtainable goal.
I, Andrea O'Brien, will be running a half-marathon. This half marathon is set for either May or June of 2011.
... and I'm completely excited about it!!!!
How this came about? My lovely boyfriend and roommate Chuck Norris challenged me to push myself and stray from my usual 10 and 1 running method. I want to stop bulking up at the gym - my muscles are loud and proud and I want to tone them into beautiful long and lean muscles. Chuck Norris - being the Kinesiology Degree holder and avid runner that he is, suggested that I try running and sustaining a run that brought me to about 65% of my maximum heart rate and then run at that pace for 45 minutes or more. This doesn't sound that great - but it is because apparently you have two types of ways that your muscles work... slow ticking and fast ticking. This really makes minimal sense to me - but basically for short spurts and heavy living you use your fast ticking muscles - which in turn build bigger muscles. Your body uses fast ticking muscles (i almost typed musicals there.. oops) while running shorter distances. That distance barrier between long and short bridges somewhere in the 30-45 minute range. In that range - your body starts to get into a pace and your slow ticking muscles turn on. This muscles help you to maintain your pace and blah diddy technical blah blah resulting in LEAN MUSCLE MASS.
Basically I thought I could never run more than a half hour max. But being the stubborn butt that I am - I went to the gym that evening and hopped on a treadmill. I have never run longer than 25 minutes on a treadmill in my LIFE due to boredom and general wanting to get offness.
That night I ran for an hour straight without stopping... and when I finished... I wanted to go further.
I got off the treadmill filled with this giddyness that I can only describe as pride and hope all mixed together in this bubble of 'omg I did it'-ness.
That night was a week ago. I have since logged 4 and a half hours on the treadmill. I do plan to increase that time gradually as I start to run further in my current hour duration.
This is a picture of me basking in my feel good hour long glory. I will probably post a few more pics along the way. I really don't know what this journey will bring... and how I will change throughout it. I know that I am open to change - and ready for a lifestyle alteration. This is not only a challenge for my body - but for my heart (in all of it's flesh beating emotional glory).
I invite whoever would like to join me on this journey into my blog world. Your words - advice.. recipes.. running routes... anything - is a welcome suggestion.
4 1/2 hours. 30 Km. Two Blisters. Hope.
-Andrea
Quit Chocolate. Well I am a 24 year old girl. A chocoholic. Why I made this goal? To shed a few pounds (the basis behind too many of my goals I must admit). Why this goal failed? Two immediate reasons. 1. I am a girl. 2. The moment something becomes forbidden it becomes that much more desirable. Shocking really that this failed. I'll probably make this goal many more times in my future years. I think I now make this goal knowing that it will probably last a day or two then gradually come to a crash and burn once I sip on a tall non-fat hot chocolate at Starbucks. Tragic.
........... Well now this is embarrassing because now I really can't think of any silly little goals. I guess the freshest one is my little chocolate goal. The only other ones coming to mind involve the latest attempt to live up to my agencies wishes to shed a few... trim up.. and all that jazz. Regardless - I have set a goal. A thought out, seemingly big - yet obtainable goal.
I, Andrea O'Brien, will be running a half-marathon. This half marathon is set for either May or June of 2011.
... and I'm completely excited about it!!!!
How this came about? My lovely boyfriend and roommate Chuck Norris challenged me to push myself and stray from my usual 10 and 1 running method. I want to stop bulking up at the gym - my muscles are loud and proud and I want to tone them into beautiful long and lean muscles. Chuck Norris - being the Kinesiology Degree holder and avid runner that he is, suggested that I try running and sustaining a run that brought me to about 65% of my maximum heart rate and then run at that pace for 45 minutes or more. This doesn't sound that great - but it is because apparently you have two types of ways that your muscles work... slow ticking and fast ticking. This really makes minimal sense to me - but basically for short spurts and heavy living you use your fast ticking muscles - which in turn build bigger muscles. Your body uses fast ticking muscles (i almost typed musicals there.. oops) while running shorter distances. That distance barrier between long and short bridges somewhere in the 30-45 minute range. In that range - your body starts to get into a pace and your slow ticking muscles turn on. This muscles help you to maintain your pace and blah diddy technical blah blah resulting in LEAN MUSCLE MASS.
Basically I thought I could never run more than a half hour max. But being the stubborn butt that I am - I went to the gym that evening and hopped on a treadmill. I have never run longer than 25 minutes on a treadmill in my LIFE due to boredom and general wanting to get offness.
That night I ran for an hour straight without stopping... and when I finished... I wanted to go further.
I got off the treadmill filled with this giddyness that I can only describe as pride and hope all mixed together in this bubble of 'omg I did it'-ness.
That night was a week ago. I have since logged 4 and a half hours on the treadmill. I do plan to increase that time gradually as I start to run further in my current hour duration.
This is a picture of me basking in my feel good hour long glory. I will probably post a few more pics along the way. I really don't know what this journey will bring... and how I will change throughout it. I know that I am open to change - and ready for a lifestyle alteration. This is not only a challenge for my body - but for my heart (in all of it's flesh beating emotional glory).
I invite whoever would like to join me on this journey into my blog world. Your words - advice.. recipes.. running routes... anything - is a welcome suggestion.
4 1/2 hours. 30 Km. Two Blisters. Hope.
-Andrea
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