A Long Distance Accomplishment

It has been an exceptionally busy week for our family. After an injury and physiotherapy all last week, Noah's basketball team was in play-offs on the weekend for their division in the Metro Basketball Association. After three great games, the team won the championship game against the St. Margaret's Bay Slam by a score of 39-36. No easy task, the Slam were a strong team all year and our boys had not won against them during the regular season. But with a really tough defence and their offensive talents of outside shooting mixed with great rebounding and inside shots, the boys took the division championship.

Here they are, the Tri-County Tigers MBA Champs:

The win wasn't without disappointment. Both teams were given blue T-shirts to celebrate the tournament. No trophy, no medal, no banner. Nothing to mark the win for the boys. Which was disappointing for them because other divisions were given awesome trophies. So while I give kudos to the MBA for their great work in organizing such a great league for the season, they really need to get some consistency in what they are giving out to winning teams at the end of the season.

The boys are playing this weekend in the Bedford Classic, known as the largest minor basketball tournament in Canada. So far it has been great, and the boys are playing today and tomorrow at the Canada Games Centre so they are pretty excited about that opportunity!

Around the life of a basketball fan, I did a LONG run Sunday night, quite by accident. The dog showed up by my feet at 8:45pm holding his leash. I felt bad for him, no walk or run Sunday, so I got dressed and went out for a run. After I got started I realized it was 400's, which are timed intervals designed for you to push yourself a bit and see what times you can consistently get on that distance. I decided to give it my best effort, and ran my BUTT off for the first 400.

After what seemed like a very long time, I thought to myself, "You know, I MUST have run 400 meters by NOW." Checked my phone and realized, to my utter dismay, that I didn't have the GPS turned on so my phone had not registered that I had run any distance!

Another rule of thumb for my collection.
Don't set off on a timed distance run without GPS turned on.

At this point I had two choices. 1) the one I would usually be inclined to take: walk home and say to hell with it. And 2) turn on the GPS and start the intervals.

I'm not entirely sure why, maybe it was my sympathy for Boomer who clearly wanted to run, but I turned on the GPS and did the SIX intervals. Granted, at the time I decided to do them I thought there would only be FOUR intervals, but Jeff Galloway decided to trick me up and add two more to this weeks workout.

My goal for these intervals was to run the entirety of every 400m interval. Since I have been using Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk method, I haven't been pushing myself to run longer periods. So I thought I would give it a try for the interval training.

I was really excited by the end of the run. I had run all of the intervals (granted, it was slow running), and I made it home without sore shins or a sore lower back. These two areas have really bothered me since the mishap at the Fieldhouse Track, and I wasn't sure how they would hold up.

When I got home, I used Map My Run to figure out my distance (since I didn't have the GPS on the whole way). In the end, I went 6.5 km. I covered the 6.5 km in 1 hour, 1 minute and 33 seconds. Not a remarkably fast time, but don't forget this included my warm up walk, cool down walk, and a mid-run recovery walk since I wasn't used to running this far.

I was VERY excited by this! To complete this distance, run all of the intervals, and come out on the other side with no pain is a very exciting accomplishment!

Next up........let's talk about Magic with Jeff Galloway and it's place in training for distance runs.

Love on the Run 5k!!

So I got out the door today for a break from being stuck inside with my sick boy and working from home. Although I ran 6.5 km in total under the Jeff Galloway program, I used the middle 5km as my Love on the Run 5k. I forgot my bib though!!

It was an interesting outing today. The weather was nice for February, it was really mild. The roads were good through the subdivision, and I walked up to Carriage Lane before starting my run. Keep in mind I wanted to stay close to home, just in case the boy needed me. I followed my current run:walk ratio of 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking and found that this worked well for me. The first kilometer went great and even though Boomer tried to trip me and mess up that sore sciatic area on my left I still managed a time of 7:13 on the first kilometer.

I always seem to struggle with the second kilometer, my legs get tired and I just feel like I'm not going to be able to keep going. I usually take a slightly longer walk break here, give my body time to recover and then start in again. My time here was 8:23. I picked it up in the third kilometer and finished that one in 7:45. Then I struggled again in the fourth but pulled out an 8:39. I would just like to point out that this fourth kilometer consisted of me trying to puddle hop through several flooded areas on the sidewalk. After slowly going through four of those areas but somehow managing to still get wet, Boomer and I stepped out onto Highway 2 and started running there to avoid the last flood zone that was sure to ruin my sneakers. The last kilometer was uphill (yes, I said uphill, the four letter word of my running world) for 500 meters and then I turned around and ran back downhill for the last 500 meters. In spite of the up portion of that kilometer, I still managed to pull off a 7:45.

So I don't do those grand things called negative splits...that's okay. I move in the right direction: forward. I did, however, manage to pull out a PR (personal record) today. My time of 39:50 was my first time breaking 40 minutes for 5k!! That's more than a full minute faster than my time 3 weeks ago for the Movie Madness 5k!

I figure my actual time is at least 15 seconds less than this, because of stopping and switching up with the dog, the puddles and yes, even snowbanks. But that's okay, I will take a sub-40 time today and be extremely excited about it!! I even did a little dance on Bona Crescent when I finished!

Here's the details from my Garmin.
Love on the Run 5k by wandaleese at Garmin Connect - Player

Don't forget my medal:

Thank you Jim Parker at www.muffinstomarathons.com for creating these great virtual races that we can do on our own time, at the location of our choosing, and yet with a great group of people over the internet!

Todd has to do his 5k tonight...did I mention that I have convinced him to join me on this hare-brained goal of running at Disney in November??

My Other January Medal Came Today!!

I was so excited at the mailbox today, my New Year's Rock 'n' Run 5k Medal arrived from Muffins to Marathons. It is awesome!!! I have to run the Love on the Run 5k tomorrow and get my time in to them so I can get my February medal on its way!

My race bib came on Sunday and it is even personalized!

I am still working on my decisions about the races I want to do this summer in Nova Scotia. I can't waste much more time, since some of them are selling out early and I don't want to miss out! I don't plan on doing the Bluenose weekend because that is our long weekend at the trailer and I won't miss that for anything!!  Hold on, let's think about summer for a minute...

Sorry, I got a little distracted there!

I am thinking I will do the Enfield Penguin Run (5k) in June, in our village of Enfield. That is on June 1st and is a chip-timed event if you are interested. http://penguinrun.ca/

Next up will be Johnny Miles weekend in New Glasgow on June 16th. Not sure if I will do the 5k or...maybe even the 10k. http://www.johnnymiles.ca/

Then I think I will take a brief pause because June is generally a busy month. Then in July if the mood is good I may do the Run for the Lobster in Pictou. Again, not sure if I will do the 5k or the 10k at this point. I would like to do a couple of 10k's over the summer/fall to get a time to use for Corral placement at the Wine & Dine.

For those of you who don't know, Disney uses Corrals to group runners before the start line. Those who run fastest are in Corral A, then B, etc. If you don't have a time to use for Corral placement you are placed in the last Corral. I would like to be ahead of the last Corral. Mostly this is because I think that it might gain you a few minutes of grace before those pacer bunnies knock you out of the run if you don't maintain that 16 minute per mile pace.

Next possibility, Not Since Moses at Five Islands on August 11th. This one will be for the kids, not me. Running in mud and getting all dirty. Yuck.

We are going to take the kids to the Runway Run at the airport here in Halifax on Sunday, September 8th too!

My big planned race for the fall is Maritime Race Weekend, September 13th and 14th. We are going to do the Tartan Twosome, which is the Sunset 5k Friday night (with the kids) and then the Sunrise race Saturday morning. Planning on doing the 10k on Saturday. Then I will get three medals!!!  http://www.maritimeraceweekend.com/coastalrace/

After that, I think I will just stick with training for Disney!!!  I'm glad I figured this out - now I have to start registering!!  Anyone want to join me?

Prepping for a Storm

So our forecast is calling for 40+cm of snow over the course of tomorrow evening and Saturday. For you Americans, that's 16 inches. I'm curious how other runners run in snow. I don't have winter runnng shoes,  just have the same ones I always wear. So RUNNERS, how do you run on ice and snow and not break a leg? Or an arm...

I've heard a friend mention grips. Do they work? Or do you wear winter running shoes? Enquiring minds want to know. Preferably before I have to go out and run in snow this weekend. LOL

Last night I ran inside at the fieldhouse on the track.

Sounds great right??? Not so much. There is an explicit danger in running on that track. Many, many parents cross the track to take their kids onto the field for soccer practice. And wee little brothers and sisters run out on the track from time to time. And lazy parents sit on the benches and stretch their legs out ACROSS THE TRACK. All while you are attempting to run your run around the track.

I thnk they can't read. There are signs there. All in capital letters. They say:

KEEP THE WALKING TRACK

CLEAR

AT ALL TIMES!

Or perhaps as is typical, they think they are special and the rules don't apply to them. So for the bargain price of $2 each visit, I can pay to use the track for those five times a year I deem the roads and sidewalks to be unsuitable (even though my property taxes have a Sportsplex surcharge and this is the ONLY use of the Sportsplex that anyone in my family has). And in return I can attempt to run and avoid the adults, children, feet and shoes that try to trip me up each lap. Last night I pulled a muscle in my leg and did something to my sciatic nerve as I tried to avoid a collision with a Mom and her son. Thank you.

Anyway, I felt the need to vent about that. Glad I got it off my chest.

On to brighter things. Do you Zumba? Apparently Zumba at the Sportsplex is great on Tuesday nights! Not that you will ever see me there....I am not graceful enough for that shit. I did Zumba in the basement once. Todd laughs every time I mention it. But just thought I should let you know in case you are looking for something new and exciting.

Did I give you the link to Muffins to Marathons yet? This weekend I am going to do the Love on the Run 5k for my February medal. I managed two medals in January, so I am well on my way to accomplishing my 13 in 2013. @ramblingchick is doing 13 in 2013.1 and I have to say I kind of like that slogan. And it most definitely applies to me since my first 12 are the leadup to race number 13: the 13.1 miles I am going to cover at Disney in November!

Anyway, if you are looking for some virtual races to get you started and carry you through the winter, check out the link at:

http://www.muffinstomarathons.com/virtual-races.php

I had really wanted to do the Frosty 10k but it sold out before I registered. Same for the Sole Sisters 5k in Dartmouth in June. I guess I just have to start registering as soon as I find these races!!

Tell me what you use on your feet for winter running please!!!

Road to runDisney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon

So the last time I posted I told you I had big plans. Well, here is my official announcement! I have started training for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon to be held at Walt Disney World, Florida, November 9th, 2013.

Here - have a glimpse at the 2012 event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xou-qiN_rWM

So, let's be clear. I'm doing this for two reasons.

#1. The bling. Yup, that medal is super-cool and I can't wait to have one of those.
#2. The party. True to form, I can't wait to hobble from the finish line to the beer table, grab me a cold one and begin the coolest post-race party ever: at Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival, until the wee hours of the morning.

What's the breakdown? Race time is 10pm Orlando time. I hope to finish in the upright position before 2am. And then party until 4!

We've got our accomodations all booked for this magical weekend of pain and bling:

Disney's Boardwalk Villas! I love this place, have wanted to stay here for years but it's quite expensive. I got a lead on a deal though and our long weekend accommodations at this Disney Deluxe Resort are really reasonably priced. And the best part about the Boardwalk is that it is a short walk from Epcot so when we run out of steam at the after-party we can just hobble back to the hotel.

Did I mention the bling?

So I've been training since November, after I found those heel lifts and solved my sore leg issues. Made it back to 5k distance pretty quickly. But I wasn't happy with my time...or, to be more specific, at that speed the pace car would definitely be picking me up before the end of the race....SOOOO I have begun training to improve my 5k time using the Jeff Galloway Easy 5k app.

So far I am liking this app. It uses my music, let's me set the run/walk ratio that I want to use, and tells me when to run and when to walk. It changes up the speed of the music to match the pace I should be moving at, and I like to run to the beat so I find it keeps my feet moving longer than they might otherwise move.

I started the program last week and finished week 1 on Saturday with a 45 minute outing that nearly killed me. Everything seemed very hard on Saturday. Today I did the first day of week 2, and because of a program malfunction (that's fancy talk for "Wanda screwed up and restarted the program about 9 minutes in") I ended up doing 42 minutes. And today it seemed much easier. No muscle fatigue. Not nearly so much difficulty breathing. Of course, I was inside on the track today and not outside in minus 10 degree Celsius weather, so that may have helped too.

I think I am going to make 2013 the year of the medal. I've already got two:

New Year's Rock and Run 2013

Movie Madness 5k 2013

And I have a few more targeted in my hunt for thirteen medals in 2013. There's the Love on the Run Virtual 5k, Run Rock Shamrock Virtual 5k, Too Hop to Trot Virtual 5k, Mother Knows Best Virtual 5k, and Wait Till Your Father Gets Home Virtual 5k. These are all through Muffins to Marathons at http://www.muffinstomarathons.com/virtual-races.php and will see me through until running season gets underway here in Nova Scotia.

I've got a couple of races targeted here in Nova Scotia too! More to come on that next time. Have a great week and don't forget, February is Heart Month and that means it is a great time to start YOUR exercise program!

Moving forward...one foot in front of the other

I am moving forward - running even! - and although I got off to a rocky start I think I may have turned the corner.

I spent the long weekend in November reading (with envy) all about a running event that I really wanted to do, but couldn't, because of this issue that seems to occur every time I try to run (aka shin splints, plantar fasciitis, etc.). I decided that come hell or high water I was going to get past this, and figure out a way to run this event in November 2013.

So...I did what every wannabe runner does in the event of an emergency......I googled 'running coach Nova Scotia'. And I came up with a lady who is the former Executive Director of Run Nova Scotia. So I jumped on to her LinkedIn profile and tried adding her as a contact. When she graciously accepted me, I promptly messaged her and told her what all this was about.....I need a running coach!

At our first meeting, Nancy told me that I definitely have excessive pronation issues. She referred me to Freeman Churchill at Orthotics East, but I was going to have to wait a week to meet with him. In the meantime Nancy put together a training plan for me for eight weeks, and we dove into it. Of course, I encoutered shin splints in my left leg every time I attempted the "R" word. But I was patient and took it easy, and met with Freeman last Friday. After assessing my gait and  scrutinizing my stance and my feet, he did a cast for custom orthotics, put heel lifts in my shoes, gave me a tip on improving my run so as to reduce the chance of shin splints, and sent me on my way.

I ran Saturday with Nancy and after a LOT of running (for someone who hasn't really run in say, nine months) I finished up with some minor leg soreness that was gone by Sunday. I ran again Wednesday evening this week, and am pleased to report that I only experienced a little bit of a twinge in me left leg and had no problems the next day (other than general muscle soreness from not having run in awhile - but that's okay, different from the shin splints issue).  So I am slated to get back out tomorrow and run, hopefully with success again.

And today is the day I should be booking accomodations for this big event in November...I forgot about the date until I just noticed it, but I think I will see what I can do. I have been having no luck with tickets through aeroplan, but I will keep trying. And if all goes well I will let you in on the destination run I plan to do!!

Hit the Reset Button Please!

It has been a long time my friends.

After finishing the C25k program last fall and running the Island Girl 5k, I had to give my legs a serious break due to the pain I was having. After a few weeks, I started running again, and for two months ran two times a week using intervals of running/walking and generally going easy on my legs. I also ran a lot at the Field House in East Hants, and I think the track was gentler on my legs than the asphalt. This didn't stop the pain from returning, and by early February I went back to Aerobics First and got fitted for a new pair of running shoes. It took two weeks for them to come in because I have big feet, but when they did I loved them. I continued to run twice a week until we went to Jamaica for March Break. Then I stopped to give my legs a rest. I was still having pain and figured time would heal my issues.

I have given it a LOT of time! LOL. It was a great rest. 

I have found all of the weight I lost.

But I have come to realize that I likely need to do some work at strengthening the muscles in my ankles, legs and knees. They still ache at times even though I haven't been using them for any significant reason. And I have made a decision to start running again. Somehow.

I am meeting with a lady on Tuesday who is a certified running coach. I am hoping she can help me get my legs in shape so that I can hit the restart button on this process. I have a dream, ladies and gentlemen, and as long as I get a green light on Tuesday that I can make this work, I will share this dream with you. Heck, you may even want to join me in this challenge.

51 weeks from today, at 1:00, I will be pre-loading my body to prepare for an incredible event. Stay tuned!!!!