Beresford 10km road race

Weather on route to the start

 

It was a wet, raining, grey Saturday morning. I woke up, dragged myself out of bed and headed to the kitchen. I was surprised at the amount of sleep I was able to get the night before. 'Am I really running another 10km today?' I think to myself as I weigh out the options for breakfast. I could be brave like my sister and opt for pancakes, or stick with something I am more familiar with. In my normal fashion, I play it safe and end up eating an English muffin with peanut butter.

Unpredictable weather meant lots of consideration on what to wear. Ended up with capris, long sleeve, hat and a headband. I felt good, ready to go. Driving to the start point was filled with fun music and an anticipation for what was ahead. The race started later than most, at 11am. Thankfully the clouds covered the sun and prevented it from getting too hot.

Gathered with the other 280 runners (of the 400 or so that were registered) under a white tent, trying to avoid the rain for as long as possible. Eventually the crowd started moving forward towards the road, it was time. And just like that we were off. I decided to move to the middle of the pack for fear of being the very last person. I was running ahead of my sister Nikki, her friend Miranda and my dad. After about one song, I see a race marker in the distance. Is this 2km? 3km? Wow that flew by!! As I approach the sign I am disappointed. 1 kilometre. How is this possible? I must have gone farther than that by now. Regardless, I push on. 2 kilometres, 3 kilometres, 4...  I feel like my running partners are right behind me but don't want to turn around to check. Must keep going forward. Rain is pounding down on me but I am warm. Rain on my face is actually a relief and I try to catch a few precious drops in my mouth as I saunter along. I jump over and around puddles. I feel like a trooper. 'I'm sure no one else has ever run in the rain like this before! I am a pioneer. A real go getter.' I run out of music around 8km. I sigh and stop as I frantically try to remove my iPod from my makeshift rain proof plastic flyer bag protection. Press play. And then I'm off again. Pick it up with 500 metres left. Turn one corner, turn another. See the finish line. Hear people cheering. Run, run, run. And it's over. Another race is over. I watch others cross the finish line and cheer them on. Back at home, I peel off layers and have a long hot bath, and think about the next one.


Miranda (pushing baby Sahen!) and Nikki finishing
Time: 1:08:11



Dad finishing
Time: 1:09:01

 

Me after the race with my favorite post race drink, chocolate milk
Time: 1:05:03
 

I asked...

and he said yes!! My boyfriend Jamie agreed to go running with my tonight! Miracle! I have asked him to go running with me a lot lately. Most of the time it isn't a serious request as I know the answer will be 'no'. So, I usually ask in a half-joking way, hoping to be surprised. And today I was!

We ended up running 4.5km which went by pretty quickly. I am super happy he decided to come along with me because I was doing the after work running dance... I keep saying to myself how much I want to go for a run, but I know inside I would much rather put on my pj pants and laze around. Without Jamie by my side I definitely would have settled for the latter.

Jamie and I with our post run glow on 

It was pretty chilly out so I wore my winter running capris, long sleeved shirt and tshirt (dry fit), and my race buff from the Valley Harvest Marathon. I often get what I call ear headaches when I run when it's windy so I had to make sure to cover up my ears! I also wore gloves that I ended up taking off half way through. As a side the Valley Harvest Marathon is giving out running jackets inside of shirts this year! Can't wait!! Definitely signing up again this year. It's awesome to run a race the morning before Thanksgiving dinner with your family. 

My post race meal tonight consisted of half a chicken breast and quinoa over baby spinach. I also put a few pieces of harvarti cheese on top. I love spinach but have been thinking that I should expand my greens and maybe try kale. Do you eat kale? How do you prepare it? I usually just eat spinach raw because I'm not a fan of it cooked.

As I mentioned in a post a little while ago I thought I would give coconut water a try due to it's recent popularity. And I just have to say... yuck. I took one sip and honestly thought it had gone bad, which I'm not even sure is possible. So I tried a few more sips and ended up pouring it out. Maybe I chose the wrong kind? Maybe it really had gone bad? Or maybe it's just not for me. Regardless I prefer regular (free) water and won't be spending $2 on coconut water again!

hello again!

I have not disappeared! I promise! I have still been here, thinking about updating. MEANING to update, but then it just didn't happen. Until now!

I have been maintaining my gym routine; however have become more relaxed than I have been in the past. I've been attending Zumba, Body Combat and Body Pump on a regular basis. AND I even went running this week... MIRACLE! It has been quite awhile. I was definitely sore the next day but it was a lot easier than I thought it would be, which I was very thankful about. I went at the KC Irving Center in Bathurst, which I have posted about previously. And for extra motivation it was a gorgeous day here in Halifax. Hoping that this continues so I can start to feel comfortable running outside again.

I wanted to update all of you with some food I've been eating lately. I recently did some experimenting with a sweet potato burrito:

I boiled and mashed a large sweet potato, adding to it both cumin and cinnamon. I put it in a tortilla wrap, topped with black beans, salsa and spinach. And it was FANTASTIC!! It was super filling and delicious. You definitely need salsa with this wrap, as the beans and sweet potato can be a little dry together. Sassy salsa is a locally made salsa that I discovered at the local market, and I am in love. Going to pick up more this weekend. It has a spicy sweet flavor that it just perfect.


I will be updating more soon with more recipes, food I've been eating, and upcoming races! And stay tuned, I'm going to try to make my own hummus this weekend. Should be exciting!

gym time!

As I mentioned in my last post I signed up for the GoodLife gym. On Thursday and Friday it was difficult for me to find motivation. But thankfully the last few days I have found motivation with my sister, Nikki!

On Saturday we hit up the Women's only gym. It was quiet and perfect. Hardly anyone there which was surprising given the time of year but I guess not many people want to go to the gym Saturday afternoons!

I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical and then performed the following circuit:

I did each exercise for 30 seconds, took about a 1-2 minute break, and repeated for 3x total. I used a 20lb barbell for the squats and deadlifts, and 7.5lb dumbbells for the rest. I took it a little easy since I hadn't done any weights in about 3 weeks. It was unnecessary! I really should have worked harder (high weight, more time on each exercise) but as they say... shoulda coulda woulda. I finished my sets before Nikki was finished so I went on the treadmill for 10 minutes of running. And I have to say it was BRUTAL!! After running outside for the past 6 months I don't think I can go back to running on the treadmill. It was torture. I was literally watching the seconds go by. So boring!

Due to my displeasure of machine based cardio, Nikki and I hit up Zumba on Sunday and it was much more enjoyable! Zumba always brings a smile to my face and really lifts my spirits. The class we went to was really full, and I was happy to hear lots of WOOO's going on throughout the class.

Today we went to Body Pump. I had gone to this class when I was signed up at this gym prior to moving to Maine. I remember it being pretty intense and tonight was no different! There was a great energy in the class and I'm already feeling it a bit. I'm happy to get the initial class over with as I now have a better idea of what weights I can use for each exercise.  I'll definitely be going back.

The weather tomorrow is supposed to be milder (as opposed to the -20C with the windchill today) so I'm hoping to get outside for a run. Well, as long as my muscles can handle it after tonight's workout! Please wish me luck in hopes that I never have to run on a treadmill ever again!!

holiday runs

So I went on a few runs while I was home over the holidays. It was wonderful to run with my family again, it's been awhile!

I did a 5km run at the KC Irving Centre in Bathurst. It's an indoor track that surrounds a hockey rink:

It's a great place to run. It cost $2 (or you can buy a pass), and since it's beside the rink it stays pretty cool around 14C. And if you're lucky there may be people playing hockey which provides some free entertainment! Another plus is that you go the opposite direction of the walkers, therefore you don't have to be continually passing people. I went to this track and had an awesome run! I ended up running 5km in about 29 minutes.

A few days later I went on an 8km run with my dad, sister Nikki and brother in law Ray. It was super warm out so we decided to run around town. We were faced with some melting snow which lead to some wet feet, but it was warm enough that we didn't mind. Afterwards we took some photos:

MS run!

Phew, long time no see! I would like to use being busy as an excuse for my lack of posting but that isn't really it. I kept meaning to post and then ended up getting sidetracked and not coming back to it.

Regardless, you need to be caught up on my recent runs! As I mentioned before, I ran a 5k on September 29th with some girls (and a husband) from my grad program at school. The run was to support research for Multiple Sclerosis, and was in Brewer, Maine.

The previous week had been super rainy, so I was hoping the rain would hold off for the race. It was overcast (yay!) with heavy drizzle (boo). The biggest problem I faced during this race was GLASSES. Ole four eyes over here had to stop and clean her glasses. They were fogging up and just covered in droplets. I have worn contacts in the past, but went back to glasses a few years ago. This is an indication of why running with glasses sucks!

The race had a small participation number of 31! I didn't realize this prior to the race but this was the first year they had runners as it's traditionally a walk for MS research. So that explains the small numbers.

My final time was 32:08 and I placed 18/31. Happy with this considering the weather!

Team Each Step Counts prior to the race

Stay tuned as soon I will update about the 10k I did this weekend!

terrible 10

UGH!!!! That is the only way I can describe today's run.

I took about 10 days off from running following my last race. This was kind of by accident. I meant to take a few days off to recover, but then life got in the way!

So after 10 days off, I thought I should try to run 10k today. PROBABLY not the best idea.


So my terrible run all started last night when I returned home from the gym and couldn't find my iPod touch. I really couldn't imagine it being stolen as it was within view at all times while I was working with my trainer. Also, I remembered it being in my pocket as I walked to my car. Regardless, it was missing. All was not lost though, as I had my older nano which I used for my run today.

So despite the lost Ipod, I tried to pump myself up by dancing around my room a bit before heading out. I was looking forward to the route I had mapped (I use map my run) as it incorporated running in the woods as well as running through campus. 

It was a gorgeous day... clear sunny skies, great temperature with a medium breeze. LOVED IT.

And then, about 2 minutes into my run it hit me:

"this sucks" 

"why is this so hard?"

 "i want to stop" 

"my legs are sore"

"i should probably stop" 

"i have so much farther to go"

etc etc etc

After what felt like a lifetime I did complete the 10k. I estimate that I ran about 7.5k and walked the rest. It really wasn't a terrible run but the constant mental block made it feel insanely difficult! It was a huge reminder that so much of running is mental.

I found this article on runner's world that talks about overcoming those horrible mental blocks. I'm going to try to incorporate some of their suggestions into my next run.

While running I try to say to myself at least once "you're doing it!!" so I can really appreciate the fact that I made it past the first step - getting into my workout gear and onto the road. Other mantras I use are: 'you can do it!' 'you've done it before!' 'not much farther'. I also try to make myself smile when running feels really difficult. It may sound silly but it helps. And if someone sees you smiling and running, then they will know that you are having a great time, and maybe you will motivate them to run too!

How do you get passed your own mental blocks? 

Update: Found my iPod. Wasn't stolen, just misplaced! :)

it's been awhile

I'm still here! Still alive, still running. Last week was a really busy week as I was taking a shorten course from 8-3 every day. And to balance things out this week I have tons of free time! Feels great.

I just finished a re-do of week 10. I ran 11km on Sunday morning and it KILLED my knees. While I was running I felt some discomfort, but I pushed on. I got home, stretched, and went about my day. In the evening it was very painful to bend my knees. I iced my knees which seemed to help. Thankfully the pain was mostly gone yesterday and I went for an easy hike with no problems.

This week is week 11 of my running program:
M - 3km 
T - 6km
W - off
T - 5km
F - 3km
S - 13km

I am going to tweak the program a bit. Overtime I have realized that this isn't the best program for me. I don't like running two days in a row. And as the Maritime Race Weekend is only 10 days away I want to be cautious of my knees so I don't get injured!

So instead I already took Monday off. I'm going to run 6km today, 5km Thursday and 13km on Saturday. On Friday I will do some walking to keep my muscles loose.

Lately I have tried two different oatmeal recipes. Oatmeal is fantastically cheap and reminds me of fall and winter. The last week has been really chilly and oatmeal is a healthy way to warm your belly! That being said, one recipe I tried was www.peanutbutterrunner.com's Overnight Oats, which is actually for cold oatmeal:

It consists of cooking oats overnight in the fridge with Greek yogurt, milk, and fruit. I added some peanut butter on top. I wasn't a big fan! I thought it was a little chalky tasting. It could be my discount oats that did it. Either way I suggest you try it as it's a great alternative option to eat oats! Maybe you will be a fan.

After my 11km yesterday I sat around in my running clothes for awhile (bad idea I know) and was feeling super cold. I thought a great way to warm up and to get some recovery food would be oatmeal (again!):

This time I made hot oats with cinnamon, nutmeg, flaxseed and half a banana. I topped it off with some peanut butter. It was delicious and warmed up me instantly.

I'm also going to make this oatmeal based recipe soon as a replacement for granola bars: Banana Oatmeal Cups

What are your favorite ways to enjoy oatmeal?

Another east coast runner! - The 16km Hurdle

 

 Hello everyone! I am Nikki, Jeannie's older sister, and a fellow east coast runner! I have been running on and off for a few years and have run a few 5ks, and around 5 10k races.

So I am training for a half marathon. I haven’t signed up yet, but I have told myself that I am going to run 21.1 km in October. I am following a training plan by Run Meter, an app for ipod. So far, the training has been going well... that is until I reached week 9.

Each Saturday is a long run day, followed by a day of walking. The Saturday in week 9 is a 16.5 km run. And I don’t know what it is, but I can’t. I just can’t. My husband, and running partner, has told me that I give up even before I leave the door. AND IT’S TRUE! And I am disappointed in myself for not just doing it but I am not there yet.

Physically, I am 99% sure I could do it. Mentally, I’m getting there (3 weeks behind schedule now) but am at about 85%. I haven’t had this kind of mental block in my running before. I think it comes when I map out a route and IT IS FAR. LIKE, REALLY FAR. And it’s been hot and humid. LIKE, REALLY HOT AND HUMID.

Has anyone else had this problem? How do you find the motivation and convince yourself that it is possible?

Things that hold me back:

1.       Myself

2.       90% or higher humidity

3.       Temperatures at 25 celcius or higher

How I’m getting to 16 km:

1.       Reading motivational quotes on Pintrest (works!)

2.       Psyching myself up

3.       Repeating that I can do it!!! (sounds lame-o, I know but it’s helping)

I NEED to get ‘er done this week. Fingers crossed the temps stay low and the light stays longer (the sun now sets at 8:20.. first sign fall is on its way!). I’ll keep ya posted.

Forever trying to beat the heat and race the darkness, Nikki

** I JUST looked at week 10 and it’s 18 km!! WHY DID I DO THAT? Need to get 16 outta the way first.**

moving on

My big news lately... I moved! Only about 10 minutes down the road from my last place. But this is far enough that I have to find ALL new routes! Which is scary but exciting. I am sad that I will no longer have the route over the river... but there is a hill close by which is good news! I haven't done ANY hills in a long time so I think I am going to try to incorporate some soon.

I also purchased some new running gear lately:

and

but in a pinkish color. Both purchased from Dick's Sporting Goods. So excited to try them out!

Have you bought any new gear lately?

times flies when you have no time

I have been so busy with school!  I can't believe I haven't updated in a week. I trust you I have not been slacking on running though.

This past Saturday I ran the farthest yet.. 9km. It was BRUTAL!! SO hot, absolutely no clouds. I took a lot of walking breaks but I got it done, and feel more confident to do it again.

I started week 8 of my training program:

Monday - off (went canoeing  and swimming)
Tuesday - 4km
Wednesday - walk 30 mins
Thursday - 4km
Friday - walk 30 mins
Saturday - 6km
Sunday - walk 30 mins

I might change it up a bit because I don't have a lot of free time tomorrow (Thursday) and I am supposed to move on Saturday. I'm thinking I will walk again on Thursday, run 4km Friday, move Saturday and do 6km on Sunday.

As my schedule says I ran 4km yesterday and it was my fastest time ever!! I ran it in around 20 minutes. I am SO happy with my time and hope I can improve the speed of my longer runs as a result. 

One thing I noticed that is different while running in Maine is that fellow runners don't seem to acknowledge each other (or maybe it's just me?). I want to change this!! On my last few runs I have waved at every other runner I see, and it feels awesome! A huge motivation and confidence boost. It's like saying 'Look I'm doing it!! And so are you!!'. Do you wave or acknowledge other runners? What is the running etiquette like in your town?

I haven't had much to brag about lately in the food department, but I thought I would share a meal from this past weekend. This was an 'I need to get groceries' lunch, which consisted of eggs, almost bad spinach, frozen vegetables and turkey in a wrap. It was delicious but a little salty:

My new obsession lately has been flavored seltzer water. Specifically Polar Seltzer Water. I love the bubbles but it doesn't make me feel disgusting like pop does!

And a picture of me canoeing with my friend Sarah:

Last thing is that I'd like to give a shout out to my readers in Russia! I don't know who you are but thanks for reading!

feeling good

Last Wednesday I tripped while running in the woods. This morning I fell down the stairs. WHAT WILL NEXT WEDNESDAY BRING?!?! I'm scared.

That being said I had a great run tonight! Well, I say that now that it's over. Every run I do is difficult and tonight was no different. HOWEVER I am really happy with my pace!

Yesterday I ran 3km and my pace was 10:38/mile which is a little slow. Prior to trying to up my mileage I was running closer to 10:10/mile pace.

Tonight I ran 6km and my pace was 10:17/mile!! I am really happy! Now I'm off to take a COLD shower and have some supper!

Note: I include my walking breaks when determining my pace.

do over!

I went home this weekend to Halifax for a wedding (which was actually in PEI). My weekend was filled with spending time with family (both mine and my boyfriend Jamie's)!

Lots of laughing, eating, and sleeping. And of course lots of driving (21 hours in 4 days, ugh).

AND absolutely no running. So this week I am going to re-do week 7 of my running plan. My eating has also fallen towards the not so healthy side recently, with this weekend being the worst! To counteract my weekend I am planning on monitoring portion size more closely this week and increasing my water intake.

Six and a half weeks until my dual-run (5k Friday evening, 10k Saturday morning) and I want to be in my best condition!

Here are the songs I chose to download for my new running music. I got some ideas from this Women's Health Magazine article, and thought of some on my own:

The Prodigy - Firestarter
Refused - New Noise
Outkast - B.O.B
Fatboy Slim - Rockafellar Skank
Daft Punk - Around the World/Harder Better Faster Stronger (remix from their live album)
Franz Ferdinand - Do you want to?
MGMT - Kids
MSTRKRFT - Bounce (All I do is Party)

get up and try again

One great thing about Portland was that I finally got to check out Whole Foods. It was pretty amazing! Their fresh food looked delicious and they had so many options. I wasn't able to get a full grocery load so I picked up a few treats for myself:

I bought a re-useable sandwich bag from Built and two Justin's single serving Almond butter. One original and one maple! 

Yesterday I ran 3km. It was incredibly difficult. My legs felt like lead. I just could NOT move them any faster. I ended up finishing, but it was a struggle.

I am usually a morning runner. I think I perform better in the evening, but usually by the time I get home I am feeling too wiped out from my day that I can't force myself to run. This morning I woke up and felt like I really needed an extra hour of sleep, so I gave that to myself. When I came home this evening this is how I felt about running 6km:

Do I have to?

Today was the first time since I started my running program that I have really felt like calling it quits. 100%, not doing it. So, I told myself not to think about it and just get dressed and go. So that's what I did!

After my last trail debacle I decided to try out another trail nearby. This trail is one straight path that goes along the river. I'm glad I gave trail running a second try! Beautiful wide paths, and I actually saw real live people!!

The trail goes directly beside the river which is gorgeous and if I decide to run on a hot day, I can just jump right in!

During my run, I am feeling great and I am SO happy that I forced myself to come out. And then...

BOOM! I took a huge nose dive (probably over a root)! I scraped up my knee and jammed my finger a little. More than anything I was SO embarrassed, and thank that there was no one around to see. I kept running (a bit more cautiously) and made it home in one peice.

And on that note, I am going to bed.

lost & found

I've had a few very interesting runs recently. On Friday, I decided to finally try out the UMaine campus trails. I have gone on the trails once or twice before, for very short walks. I set out with a little map, my iPod and my sense of adventure to complete a 4km run. Ten minutes into the jog and I'm feeling fantastic. Why have I not used the trails until now?! It was sunny out but the tree cover provided wonderful shade. The trails were wide and even, with a fairly flat route. I'm loving every minute!

My first turn approaches and the trail isn't marked as clearly as I had hoped. No worries! I find it on the map and keep going. Fast forward to about 15 minutes later. I have NO idea if I'm on the right trail or not! Have not seen a sign in awhile. Almost trip twice. Have to resort to walking. Go through a very swampy area leading to TWO soaked and muddy feet. Roots everywhere and the trail has somehow become about a foot wide. I end up crossing paths with a man on a bike (first person I have seen by the way) who tells me where I am going. I end up back on the right path, feeling very discouraged! [I would like to note that I wasn't really lost... I always knew the direction of the road and the woods really aren't that thick. It would have just been very annoying to have to go to the road and walk around, would have made my run 3x as long!]

I am happy that I got out and tried something new. However I think it made me realize that I am definitely a city runner! One good thing was that I finally tried out my new hand held water bottle:

 

It was amazing! It was a little sloshy but I definitely appreciated the water and the small pouch to hold my keys. Will be using this again for sure. I purchased it at the Running Room for $15.99 Canadian.

This past weekend I went to Portland, ME with my friend Sarah. Sarah ran the Old Port Half Marathon and did amazing! So proud of her. Especially since there was a mix up with the cab and she almost missed the start!

While Sarah was off being amazing I decided to stick to my running plan and run 7km. I decided to run around Back Cove. There is a beautiful trail that is very flat and right next to the water. There are water fountains along the trail which I have never experienced before. I was SO grateful for them as I did not bring my trusty water bottle. 

 

I was unaware that my planned run was along the race route! Fortunately they still had the trail open, but I did have to be aware of those doing the race. I was going in the opposite direction of the runners but it was wonderful motivation to keep going and I hope my cheers helped some of them stay motivated too!

Portland is a beautiful city with lots of trails and parks! I would love to visit again.

Sarah and I in Portland!

Ashlee and I in Portland!

This week I will be starting week 7 of my 12 week training program. Over half way! I want to celebrate this milestone with some new running music. Any suggestions?! I prefer to run to upbeat dance music.

This week:

Monday - off (did some leisurely swimming)

Tuesday - 3km

Wednesday - 6km

Thursday - off

Friday - 9km

Saturday - 5km

busy bee

What a busy week! Back in Maine, getting settled back into the school routine. Managing to keep on top of my running which I'm happy about.

Just completed week 5 of my training which included:
M - off
T - 3k
W - 4k
T - off
F - 3k and I did kickboxing at the UMaine Rec Center! (Beautiful new gym, check out their facilities!)
S - 6k
S - walk 30 mins

I actually ended up doing the 6k today (time 39:39, pace 10:35, 3 - 1 minute walking breaks). I ended up waking up too late on the weekend and so by the time I got up it was WAY too hot! Today was beautiful though. It was a tough run which I attribute to me not sticking to my schedule. So I want to make a point of trying to stay on track.

Some photos from my run today:

Two photos while I'm crossing a bridge.

View of the bridge from another part of my run.

The route I've been doing lately has allowed me to check out my current neighbourhood a little bit which is nice. I go over that bridge twice (there and back), which allows for gorgeous views and a nice breeze. Today I ran through the University of Maine campus which has great tree cover. My only complaint is that in a lot of areas the sidewalks are TERRIBLE but there is usually a wide shoulder, so I run there instead.

My running schedule (week 6) for this week is:

M - off (but I ran the 6k)
T - 3k
W - 5k
T - off
F - 4k
S - 7k
S - walk 30 mins

I am trying to increase my strength, and so I am trying to incorporate more strength workouts in my routine. I find this difficult to do on my own, as usually by the time I get home from a run (even just 3k!) I am WIPED out. I think the heat has a lot to do with it. This is why I attended kickboxing last week. 
I want to do kettlebell on Wednesday, but I'm not sure if I'm up for a 5k AND kettlebell. Looking for some opinions here... should I keep my current schedule and try to do a 5k and kettlebell? I could also switch my T/W run and do 5k tomorrow and 3K & kettlebell Wednesday, but then I would be doing a 6k and a 5k back to back. Let me know if you have any insight! Thanks

source: http://umaine.edu/wp-content/rotator/222/Rec%20Ctr%20At%20Night.jpg

The beautiful UMaine Rec Center lit up at night!

a day in the life

I started out today with a 5k run. It was amazing! Perfect weather... sunny and hot but not humid, with a bit of a breeze. It was fantastic. And I came home with a healthy glow, aka sweat:

I haven't posted much in terms of food so I thought I would take a few pictures of what I ate today. Sorry the quality of the photos isn't great.

Post run snack consisted of cottage cheese, 1/2 banana with a little bit of honey bunches of oats on the top. I've been trying to incorporate cottage cheese into my diet because it's high in protein, and relatively low in calories and fat.

Next was lunch. I opted for one of my favorites: eggs! I fried two eggs and toasted two pieces of sourdough bread. I put avocado and a slice of deli turkey on the bread with some spinach. Cherry tomatoes on the side!

For supper I grilled with my friend Sarah. I had shrimp skewers and corn on the cob. So delicious!

I hope this gives you some ideas for healthy meals. If you have any favorite healthy recipes (especially those including cottage cheese!) please send them my way.

maine living

I'm back in Maine now to complete a 6 week practicum for school. I'm sad and a little nervous to leave my running buddies behind. That being said, I have some new inspiration as I recently signed up for not one, but TWO runs! The two runs are a part of a running weekend called Maritime Race Weekend. I will be running a 5k on Friday evening, and the next morning I will be running at 10k. To top it off this will be my first ever 10k! I'm really excited to do this and also scared, so I'm hoping these two feelings will meld together to boost my motivation.

The race takes place around Eastern Passage and Cow Bay in Nova Scotia. It's going to be along the coast which will be beautiful. The two races have a pirate theme which I LOVE! They are calling the two races together the Tartan Twosome.

source: http://www.maritimeraceweekend.com/coastalrace/?page_id=550

You can check them out on facebook here.

I recently bought some new products I tried out today. One was Body Glide which is an anti-chafing and anti-irritation balm. I used it this morning on a 3k run. I thought it was fantastic! It was not greasy, as opposed to the Vaseline I was using previously. It held up despite the fact that it was really warm out. I am looking forward to trying it out on a longer run soon. 

 And finally...

Nikki [left] and I prior to a VERY hot 6k that we did last Sunday morning.

Self Motivation

We've all heard the saying 'running is 90% mental'. I want to challenge that and say that running is 95% mental. No wait, 99.99999% mental.There are so many times throughout a run where I want to quit. Quitting is SO easy. It takes much more determination and focus to continue, but it really pays off in the end.

One way I have found to ease my mental strain is to run with others. Having someone else there pushing you along helps me tremendously. And, if you look over at your partner, and you're BOTH dying, then I think it's safe to say that you can take a break without beating yourself up about it.

While running, I recite multiple positive phrases to myself in order to push myself farther and faster. Some of my common ones are "you can do it!", "don't give up now!", and "think about how good you'll feel after!". Also, I have begun to tell myself that I am not finished running until I'm done. Meaning, I haven't reached my end point, so there is no option to stop. So, since I can't stop running, I might as well stop thinking about it and let go and enjoy it!

NOTE: I do not think walking or taking a break is giving up!! I take multiple breaks and walk. I believe that a person knows deep down when they have given up and could have tried harder, and it really comes down with how you feel you performed. 

And, if all else fails, watch this video and this kid should get you pumped up and ready to achieve your goals:

rain rain go away

I am now on week 3 of my 10k training plan:

Monday: rest
Tuesday: 4k
Wednesday: rest
Thursday: 4k
Friday: rest
Saturday: 6k
Sunday: 30 min walk

This means that today would be a 4k run. I look outside when I get home from work and:

downpour, including high wind gusts. Even a rainfall warning! So I decided to keep my workout indoors and repeat this circuit I did on Friday. It was still brutal, however I managed to increase on all my reps and take shorter breaks. I really like circuit training as a way to cross train. If anyone has a favorite circuit that requires minimal or no equipment please share!

I recently bought some new workout clothing that I can't wait to try out!

First off, I bought this adidas running skirt:

Photo credit: http://runsweatsparkle.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/awsprps-wh-1.jpg

 

 

 

I've never owned a running skirt before so I'm pretty excited! The polka dots are black and red.

I also recently purchased this top:

I love how the back is mesh. I have a tendency to get overheated while exercising, so I'm hoping this feature will keep me cool.

Now let's all hope for good weather tomorrow so I can get my 4k completed!