Geek Moment as a Runner

Since I started on this running journey one thing I did was surround myself with everything running. I read everything I could get my hands on. I read books, blogs, running magazines and quotes about running. I figure knowledge is power and the more I knew, the better prepared I would be.

I found a lot of comfort in reading other peoples experiences on their running blogs. They were just regular gals like me on a running journey and I found so much inspiration and hope in them.

2 blogs I found that I loved and latched onto were www.slownewfast.com and www.seemeggierun.com. You want to read about strong, funny, inspirational women?? Nikki and Meggie who write these blogs are amazing! I have followed them since the beginning of my journey and they continue to inspire me with their wit, strength, determination and particularly how they give back to the running community and charity. If you are a runner of any skill, give them a read. You won't be disappointed.

So my geek moment is that Nikki from slownewfast.com has recently tweeted a couple of my blog comments and just started following me on Instagram!! Lol! I grinned like a little school girl that just got a follow from Justin Bieber! What a total nerd I am! In all seriousness, it's just pretty cool when someone who has inspired and kept you going without even knowing it gets a smile out of something you said.

That's my cool running blogger moment of the day!

Week 3 Re-Do Recap

I am so happy we got in 5 workouts this week!! We were pretty beat by the time Sunday rolled around but felt very accomplished!

Monday: Rest Day

I wanted to have one more day recovery from my back injury before getting into it again. The last thing I would want to do is re-injure it again and be set back another week. 

Ideally on Monday or Tuesday nights we want to fit in some quick sprints since there is such a big gap from the Sunday long run to the Wednesday run.

Tuesday: Yoga

Our regular teacher was sick so our sub was the new teacher that will be doing Thursday night classes from now on. So we got a chance to try her out early and see if we liked her yoga style. It was Hatha Yoga which is a lot slower moving than the Power Vinyasa that we normally do. However it was still just as challenging because we are holding the poses for so much longer. Pretty much to failure. My legs and shoulders were burning after! We were dying at some points! There was a little bit of chanting which I'm not really into but it was very short. I didn't like it as much as the Tuesday class but I still liked it and will continue. It's challenging in a different way. The teacher is really nice too. And holy smokes, the class was pretty much full!! Talk about New Year's Resolutions time! We are so used to maybe 5 people in the class! There was about 13 or 14!

Wednesday: 5k Tempo Run, Pace- 6:45 min/km

My least favourite day turned out to be a good one! Mikayla had Field Hockey practice at 7:30 so we hit the track next door. I like doing track runs sometimes. I couldn't do them all the time but it is a nice change of pace. So around I went for 12 laps. I was uncomfortable but I didn't stop once. I even had some gas to sprint to the finish. I am still not breaking any speed records by any means but as long as I see improvements over last week I am happy. It was about 15 sec/km faster than my last tempo run and I ran 1 extra km. Plus I felt good and strong the whole time. 

Jeff got a PR of 27:10!! That guy is so much speedier than me! It gives you an idea of how much he holds back for me when we run together! Love him : )

Thursday: Yoga

So this is the regular Thursday night class and it was packed! Probably about 15 people! Crazy! We are not used to it. Besides New Years Resolutions I also think it's because they have such a great Groupon deal right now. $35 for 20 yoga/spinning classes or $20 for 10 I think! If you live in the Richmond Steveston area and are looking for a great gym, look them up - Russel Sean Fitness. It in the warehouse section on 2 Rd, just past Moncton. They do boot camps, core strengthening classes, spinning and the yoga is awesome!

We had a great workout once again and I love the feeling of stretching out my running muscles and building strength, particularly in my arms and core. Plus the relaxation at the end is something that I always look forward to!

Friday: 6k Moderate Run, Pace 7:10 min/km

I had Friday off and then we were going out to see my mom for her Birthday that night so I couldn't wait for Jeff to come home from work and had to head out on my own during the day. The moderate runs on our training schedule for my goal race time (2:15 -2:30) call for an average pace anywhere between 6:35 and 7:20 min/km. Well since I can't even do 6:35 right now on the Tempo runs that was out of the question! Plus the run sucked! I couldn't zone into it and I had bad post nasal drip that was practically choking me. Since Jeff always carries the water I didn't even think to bring any so I couldn't wash away any of the drip that was going down my throat. Oh well, still completed my 6k by myself! And still had an improvement over the previous 6k by about 30 sec/km despite how crappy I felt.

Saturday: Rest Day

Sunday: 10k Long Slow Run, Pace 7:12 min/km

This was our longest run since doing the 1/2 in August so it's been a good 5 months! The purpose of the Sunday run is to build endurance back up and not be concerned about pace. But of course I like to keep track of progress! The suggested pace time for the long run is between 7:20 and 8 min/km. It is not recommended to try to run faster than that so as to keep you injury free during your training. The last thing you would want to do is get injured for pushing too much during training! That would be such a setback. 

The run was fine. Not amazing and not horrible so nothing wrong with that.

The fact that I am having a hard time with nasal breathing because of the cold and post nasal drip really irks me but there is nothing I can do about it. I try to alternate after I have given my nose a good blow on our walk breaks. I really prefer breathing through my nose than through my mouth. It keeps me so calm. I can't do it for fast runs but for Sunday runs I like to do it the whole time. Damn runny nose! 

We also made the mistake of not fuelling on this run. We were out for 1:12 and we really should be fuelling with something after 45 mins of activity. Like sports beans, electrolytes or Gu. But we totally forgot. That is probably why we felt so crappy and tired after.

We had to run past our house a couple of times to get the distance right. It's funny, we had 3 different GPS devices going and they were ALL different! The Garmin had us at 9.84k with a pace of 7:18 min/km. Jeff's MapMyRun app on his iPhone had us at 10k with a pace of 7:12 min/km and my MapMyRun App was WAY off with us at 10.96k with a pace of 6:36 min/km! Lol! So we went with the one in the middle.

It's funny that the long slow run pace was right on par with the 6k moderate run. So I guess that is progress! I'll take it!

So as a recap - progress, progress, progress makes me happy, happy happy! : ) This schedule should pretty much be what we will be doing for the next 12 weeks. We will be making a few adjustments coming up to make up for the lost week due to my back injury. Plus when we can we will throw in some extra speed/strengthening workouts.

Until next week.....

How Religion Can Help My Running??

I saw this and am going to try to follow it as closely as I can as I continue my running journey

I grew up Catholic and know the 10 Commandments well and feel like they are ingrained in the way I like to live my life. Who knew I would bring a whole new set of commandments into my running life!?

I am really hard on myself. Like REALLY hard on myself. Maybe it's because I still can't believe that I am actually a runner or it's because I have been forever insecure and don't like to fail at things. The first Commandment really resonated with me. It describes me exactly. I am constantly comparing how slow I am to any runner I hear about. I will read a blog, look on Instagram or talk to friends and always feel discouraged because 9 times out of 10, I am slower. I'm not sure why it matters so much to me but I am like this in many things in my life -work, school etc. I have to change this attitude if I really want to move forward, let go and enjoy this journey. WHO CARES what everyone else's running journey is! This  is YOUR journey! No one else's! This should be my new mantra.

As long as I see progress that is all that should matter. I'm here to improve myself. ME! 

I hadn't been posting times because to be honest I was embarrassed at the slow times I have been producing. But this blog started out as a journal for me to keep track of my progress AND then it became a way to inspire others. And what better way to inspire others than to show how I handle my imperfections. 

Since starting this training I have definitely seen progress so I need to celebrate that. Each week I am building more endurance, strength and speed. This goes for my Yoga journey as well. I can't believe some of the poses I can do now that I never thought were possible. I am slowly becoming a better version of me and that's all I can ask for : )

All the other Commandments are pretty easy for me to follow but they are a good reminder.

I still can't believe I am running and doing yoga on a regular basis. I have never been an athlete. I was always a skinny, weak little girl with no fitness ambition. I am more fit in my 40's than I have ever been in my life. I sure am glad I decided to start. You have to start somewhere.... : )

Outfits of the Week and Lululemon Online Warehouse Sale

Tuesday Yoga

I decided to try out my Old Navy capris and they performed great! They felt good, nice and compressive and stayed in place. Very happy with these $12 babies! I wore a Tender Violet a Free To Be tank and an Aritzia sweatshirt until I warmed up.

Wednesday Tempo Run

It was a chilly night, about 3 or 4 degrees. Nothing special, I pretty much wear a uniform now when it's this temperature and the combination works perfect - Alpine tights, Long Sleeve Swiftly Top, Run Nothing But Run Jacket and my What The Fluff Vest.

Thursday Night Yoga

I wore some Luon crops in a Bordeaux color with a Cool Racerback in a Midnight Iris print. All of these basic items perform really well for yoga.

Friday 6k Run

I checked the weather earlier in the day and it was quite foggy, frosty and cool at only 2 degrees. I thought I would experiment and try out my Old Navy capris for a run and go with a super light top and a warmer jacket. I wore a Swiftly Short Sleeve top and pulled out a jacket I got last year called the Run Bundle Up Jacket. It's quite light and form fitting but is lined with super cozy fleece so it's a lot thicker than anything I've worn recently which is why I only wore a t-shirt under it. Well, by the time I made it out for a run, it warmed up and I was too hot. Not so hot that I couldn't complete the run but enough to feel some discomfort. The capris performed well. They stayed up but they probably didn't breathe as well as Lululemon products which I fully expected but nothing too uncomfortable. I just probably felt the sweat more than I normally would. The outfit was a partial fail. But this is why this outfit journal is a good thing! Our winter has been very mild and my warmer winter running gear is just sitting in the closet because of it. I think I was feeling sorry for my winter jackets which is why I decided to experiment. Won't be doing that again!

Sunday Long Run

It was about 5 degrees out so very mild again. I wore some new items I got from the online Lululemon Warehouse Sale! Everything performed great! I decided to try one of Jeff's toques and feared my head might get too hot but I didn't even notice it. It's a nice alternative to a headband ear warmer.  I definitely have the layering aspect for this type of temperature down pat!

Lululemon Online Warehouse Sale!!

So I usually check the Lululemon web site out on Wednesday nights since that is when they load new sale items in their We Made Too Much section. If I can get their stuff on sale you better believe I am all over it! I have gotten some great deals online.

Well unbeknownst to me, they were having an online warehouse sale that night instead of renting out a large venue! So much better than having to venture out and wait in line!

I scored some goodies!! Here are my purchases:

The Run Nothin But Run Jacket in black is what I wear all the time for layering. I love it so much and was thrilled to find it in red!! 

The Can't Stop Jacket is a steal at only $49!! I think the regular price was around $150. It has gotten great reviews and I love the color. It is basically like a Rulu top with some wind protection. I haven't tested it out yet but love how it looks on. I think it will be good with a tank or tshirt in temps 3 degrees or below.

I can NOT believe I got the crops for $39!! They have the coveted SeaWheeze runner girl logo from the first SeaWheeze! You would think this would be a collectors item!? They are a much longer length crop which I really like since I don't have anything in between a full length tight and a crop. They have mesh behind the knees and down fir venting, nice big side pockets and some silicone dots on the pocket to help keep your shirt in place. I wore them for the long Sunday run and LOVE them. One con is they are a bit sheer when bending over so I won't be wearing them for yoga, just running! Detailed pics are above from my Sunday run.

We got Jeff some shorts for $19 from $70!! Can't beat that! He wore them for a run and loves them. He says they are so lightweight and comfortable!

Finally, if there's one type of top I can recommend for running, it's the Swiftly tops! They are so light and breathable and wick away all your sweat! Can't have enough running t-shirts so I got 2! Love the colors! They were $34 from $58.

From the sounds of it I totally lucked out. Everything was pretty much sold out by the next morning!! Happy, happy!!

Update on my second order of the swiftly t-shirts - they were delivered today and what a frickin fiasco! The FedEx driver normally just leaves the package at the door. Well when I went to check after work, the package was NOT THERE!! I assumed it was stolen. I almost wanted to cry! I knew I couldn't get them replaced since they were sold out. Luckily Hubby had his thinking cap on and went to our neighbouring townhouse complex and sure enough there it was on the doorstep of our same unit number - just the wrong complex! I was so relieved!  I quickly tore into the package and I couldn't believe it but the security tag was still attached to one of them! ARGH! Could you imagine if I wasn't near a store!? Hubby came to the rescue again and has a store on his run so can take it in tomorrow for me to get the stupid thing removed. Frustrating experience to say the least! 

By the way, WHO AM I!??! This is totally me now:

What have I become!?... A runner I guess : )

Branching out from Lululemon

I used to be the person that swore I would never be caught dead spending the ridiculous amounts of money that Lululemon asks for. For workout clothes?! I used to buy the cheaper knock off versions and found myself always having to pull my pants up. So when I started running, I decided to try on some real technical gear. I bought my first pair of Lululemon running tights and it was like the heavens opened up. I now understood the hype.

I buy Lululemon because it performs well, is durable, wicks sweat, doesn't chafe, has pockets for my running gear, doesn't hold the sweaty smell, fits like a glove, is flattering and cute. When I am working out or running the last thing I want to worry about is if my pants are falling down. I don't buy into some Lululemon cult or drink their lemonade. It just works for me and fits into my lifestyle. I work from home so I am either in running/yoga gear or pajamas the majority of the time. I love dressing up and clothes and fashion but I don't need to spend money on a "work" wardrobe so it goes to my "workout" wardrobe.

However.... it is damn expensive stuff! And I get it, you get what you pay for. BUT, money doesn't grow on trees so if I can look into branching out to less expensive brands then I certainly have an open mind. I have done so for sports bras and socks but not actual clothing.

So I put it to the test on a couple of shopping outings. Winners carries a lot of cheaper active wear brands like Marika Sport, Kyodan and Mondetta sport, as well as Adidas and Nike. I tried on 3 different pairs of tights. First was a pair of purple Adidas running tights -awful! They sagged at the crotch, had a terrible cut and the material felt scratchy and cheap. I then tried on 2 tights from Kyodan -awful x 2! Same thing - terrible fit, terrible crotch area, stitching was coming apart, seams were off. Total fail! I was wearing a pair of Lululemon Wunder Under pants that day and when I slipped them on after my try-ons it was like night and day! THAT is what well made tights are supposed to feel like! 

I proceeded to the mall and checked out Nike. I really like their colors and styles as well as the feel of the material. But the prices weren't at all cheaper. Maybe even more expensive. I didn't try anything on because of the prices but would consider them in the future.

Old Navy was having a huge sale and I knew they had an active wear line. I didn't really like any of their tops but looked at a pair of their compressive Capri tights. The material was super thick and it had this really cool pattern with alternating shiny/matte stripes. I tried them on and it was a total WIN! They were really compressive, opaque and fit like a second skin. No camel toe! Hubby loved them on me. Best part, they were only $12 (on sale from $30)!!!!!! Yes, please! Total score! Now that I know I like these brand of tights I will definitely keep my eye out for other colors. I don't know how they perform yet but if they fall apart at least they were only $12!

Here they are up close:

I LOVE them!

Week 3 Recap is Gonna Need a Re-Do!

So Week 3 started off great with a wicked Yoga class on Tues night! It was the first class back since the holidays and our teacher put us to work! We did a lot of planking and core! It was awesome but ouch I was sore the next day!

Here is my OOTD since I only had one outfit this week:

Hubby is patiently waiting in the background here

And here he is mocking me with my cat Maks wanting to get in on the shot

And finally Kit Kat snuck in. She matches my crops!

I busted out my new parallel striped Wunder Under Crops. They are so soft and so fun! I feel like Beetlejuice in them! I wore a black Free to Be bra and a Cool Racerback tank in Currant. I used to buy a 6 in Cool Racerbacks but I am definitely a 4 now so the 6's aren't as form fitting but still great for bloating days or for more bum coverage.

So on Wednesday after work I was feeling sore but ready to do our 5k tempo run. I went to get ready and did a yawn/stretch combo and immediately knew I f*#ked up my back. I felt everything seize up and I yelled out in pain. Hubby was in the room and helped me lie on the floor. To make a long story short I totally put my back out, not from yoga, not from weights, not from running but from yawning and stretching at the same time!! ARGH! All I could think about was that I messed up the training schedule and was so frustrated!

I couldn't move at all for the first 24 hours without crying out in pain. It hurt to breathe! I literally was in a lot of tears. After lots of lying around, robax, icy hot pads and massages from Jeff I would say that I am 80% healed today. I am still really stiff but I'm not in pain and am mobile.

So there goes Week 3 out the window. It's okay, sometimes you just have to say " shit happens!"

I will reconvene next week with a Week 3 Re-do!

This doesn't really apply to my situation but it made me laugh and I love cats

Basic Gear From Head To Toe

I thought I would talk about some basic running gear that me and my Hubby can't do without starting from the top down.

Head Gear

In the summer I like to go with the Lululemon Fly Away Tamer Headband or a baseball hat. The headband perfectly holds my hair back and out of my face but more importantly it collects all my head sweat so I don't have any sweat trickling down my face or neck. I'm not a huge sweater but anything I do sweat collects nicely in the headband. My sunglasses don't fit as nicely under a hat so I don't wear one too often. In the winter I wear a bigger, thicker ear warmer headband. If I don't cover my ears in the cold I get a really bad earache.

Jeff has found the perfect running hat from Lulu. I posted about it awhile back. It's called the Precsion Run Hat and it's his saviour. He is a huge sweater and this wicks away all his head sweat and keeps it out of his eyes. It's super lightweight as well so he barely notices it. In the really cold weather he might wear a running toque also from Lulu which keeps his head warm but helps wick sweat.

Eyewear

Proper running sunglasses are really important. I can't believe I used to wear regular sunglasses! I would spend the whole run adjusting them to stay on my face! Both Jeff and I got ours as Sportchek. They weren't crazy expensive or anything but they are proper sports sunglasses. The bottoms are rimless and I don't even notice mine when running. I never have to adjust them.

Earbuds

I can't run without music. Well I guess I could but I enjoy running with music. I used to run with the standard Apple earphones that come with the iPhone but they tend to fall out of my ear. We got some SkullCandy earbuds for completing the SeaWheeze 1/2 marathon that I use now. They are really good quality but they really keep outside noise out so I am pretty deaf with them in. Luckily I always run with Jeff so he keeps an eye out for me. I actually think my husband is my best running accessory : ) Love him.

Under Garments

The more comfortable the sports bra the better. Luckily I don't need anything with a lot of support so I don't have to worry about strapping the girls in! Lol! My favourite Lulu sports bra is the Free To Be Bra. It can be worn on its own as well so if you don't like a lot of clothing on during the heat you can take off your tank and just wear the bra. I also have some really inexpensive sports bras that I have picked up from Marshall's in the US. They are super comfortable but can't be worn on their own.

I have tried a lot of running underwear and have been on the hunt for the perfect pair that stays in place, doesn't ride up, doesn't show under running tights and wicks sweat. It took me along time but I think I finally found them. The Lululemon Light As Air Hipster underwear meets all my requirements! Finally! But they will cost you $18 a pop. Ouch! I have tried other seamless underwear from Lulu before but they always gave me wedgies. I still wear them but prefer these new ones. They just hurt my wallet.

Jeff goes commando if his running shorts have a built in liner. If not he wears boxer briefs but something light that doesn't trap the heat.

Hands

Most of my cold weather running tops have hand cuffins so I don't normally need to wear gloves. If it is 0 or below I will grab a pair of gloves until I warm up. I don't have any technical gloves since I don't leave them on for too long. Jeff does have a pair from Lulu that he wears in extreme cold.

An item on my must buy list is something called a Handana. When I run I tend to get a runny nose. It is very distracting and I hate it. I have to always remember to bring a tissue but hate having that soggy tissue that breaks and the little pieces of tissue all over my nose. Biggest pet peeve! The Handana is a sports wristband that fits around your hand and is made of technical fabric. It's used to wipe away sweat or nasal drip. I need one! It's washable too so it's better than using a tissue or your sleeve!

Jeff is my water boy : ) He carries our water since I don't like to carry anything in my hands and he doesn't mind. He carries a handheld amphipod from Lululemon we got super cheap from the outlet. It was around $10. For longer runs he wears a fuelbelt that hold 4 bottles. We fill 2 with water and 2 with an electrolyte drink which works just right for the 2 of us. Best thing is we got it for around $15 at Marshall's in the US! Our friend Zyta has the same one from here that was around $50!!! Sorry Zyta : (

Feet

The best running socks both Jeff and I own are the Lululemon ones. There is nothing I hate more than socks that fall down or slide around in your shoes! Pet Peeve # 2 for sure! The Lulu ones are durable, keep our feet cool and stay put. I have tried other cheap sports socks and they don't even compare. But, again they are expensive at $14 a pair. Since we go through a lot of socks in a week I've been looking for a cheaper alternative. I think I've found them. Well for Jeff anyways. I found a 3 pack of New Balance technical socks at Winners for only $12.99 and so far he really loves them. I am hoping to find some for me to save some $ on those crazy expensive Lulu socks. For the extreme cold, nothing beats Smartwool socks. They are great for warmth without holding in the sweat.

I think I would like to try compression socks in the future. I hear they are great for recovery after a long run or for circulation during a run. I will add it to my maybe list.

That's it for now! Proper running gear is so important so might as well share the knowledge!

OOTW - Outfits of the Week

Yoga at home -  I got this Lulu Power Y tank after Christmas and love the black and white floral print (Brisk Bloom). My crops are some Will Crops from the summer that I got on markdown. Love the color and fit but they are a bit sheer. Luckily our yoga class is done in very dim lighting!

Run 1 - The weather was a pretty mild 7 degrees and it was still light out. I wore some old Lulu Run Inpire crops which are made of luon. I normally like to run in luxtreme crops which are a more compressive lighter material but I was pretty comfortable in these. Luxtreme is cool to the touch and fits like a second skin. I normally do yoga in luon bottoms which are thicker.  I wore my Swiftly long sleeve top in Surge (love this color!) and my vest. I don't know what I'd do without my vest!

Run 2 - It was a really cold night! But it was sunny that whole day so I didn't really think it would be colder than the last run and stupidly didn't check the temp. It was probably about 3 or 4 degrees cooler. I wore my new Lulu black Run Inspire II crops that hubby got me for Christmas. The back leg part behind the knee and down is all mesh for venting so probably not the best choice for such a cold night. Other than that I love the fit and length. They will transition nicely into the summer. I fear though that they are a little sheer but after a bend over test Hubby said they were fine. Let's hope so! I wore a Power Y tank under a Swiftly Zip up Pullover in Power Purple and my vest. It took a long time to warm up so next time I would wear a warmer top. I also wore a smaller Lulu headband which didn't quite fully cover my ears. So that was a mistake too as my ears got a little sore.

Run 3 - It was beautiful sunny day but very chilly.  It was probably only about 3 degrees. I learned my lesson from the other night so I wore my warmer weather full length running tights from Lulu called the Alpine tight. They are nice and toasty warm with a soft brushed lining. I wore my black long sleeve Swiftly and my Lulu Stash and Dash pullover. It is really lightweight with wind protection and good venting and a nice front pocket. I love the color! It was nice and bright to match the sunny day. I feel like a highlighter in it. Lol!

Week 2 Recap

Week 2 is done. Got one good run in and the other 2 were just meh. But done.

Monday - we did some yoga at home since our yoga class is still closed for the holidays until next week. It felt really good to stretch out our sore running muscles. 

Tuesday - I was really anxious about Tuesday's run because a 5k tempo run was on the schedule. I have never been a fan of tempo runs because you have to run at an uncomfortable pace for the whole run. It shouldn't be so hard that you can't talk at all  but it should be hard to talk. I hate feeling like I can't breathe so these are not my favourite thing to do. I thought about it all day so decided I would do it by myself and not wait for Jeff since he would be running so much faster than me. I ended up getting off work early so I laced up and headed out before I could obsess about it anymore. It wasn't fun and I was breathing hard but it's the first one I have done in about 7 months so I wasn't expecting much for speed. I just knew I had to feel uncomfortable. And that I did. I did a 1k slow warm up and then did 4k at about 6:45 min/km. So slow but at least it tells me where I'm at with my speed and I have to kick my butt into gear with speed training. It was my last run of 2013 and I was happy to get it done!!

Hubby came home as soon as I was done, shocked to find out I ran without him! So he was forced to run since he couldn't let me one up him! I knew he would be speedy and he went out and killed it doing a 5:44 min/km for the full 5k!! Argh! Why can't I be that fast! He came back with a purple face and looked like he took a shower from all the sweat so I had to laugh!

Wednesday - rest day. Happy new Year!!

Thursday - we did some free weights and leg strengthening exercises at home in the quest to get me some guns!

Friday - a 5k moderate run was on the schedule and it was a really good run!! We took 3 mins off our time since the first 5k from week 1 so I was happy. I felt strong the whole time. It was really cold though!

Sunday - an 8k long slow run was on the schedule. It was a beautiful sunny day but the temps were a lot cooler. It was nice to be in the sun though. This run kinda sucked for me. I couldn't get my breathing settled the whole time and my legs felt like lead pipes. It was slow going but we got it done. Oh well, with running you win some and you lose some! Running isn't always going to give you a high and sometimes it's just plain work and you just have to get through it. I think the tough ones help build character and a stronger will. 

Summary - So what I learned this week is I can take a few months off and still surprise myself with how far I have come in running. BUT, I will lose endurance and speed that's for sure. I have nobody to blame but myself if I'm not happy with where I am with my pace after taking an extended break. Running is about consistency and it really takes so much discipline which is why I need to be on a training program. 

The first couple of weeks for me will have been about assessing where I am and then figuring out where I can improve. I know the endurance will come so I am not too worried about that. I did the distance once, I can do it again! What I do know is that I won't get faster unless I do speed training. I'm not suddenly going to get faster. I have to work for it. I just don't naturally have speed in my little old legs so I have to put in the work. I did put in the work before we left for France last year and I did see some great improvements in my speed. So I am ready to kick it up a notch again!

For the first 2 weeks of training the pace has been between 7 and 8 mins/km and I would much rather be between 6 and 7. Speed training doesn't start until Week 11 of the program but we are going to try to fit in some sessions before then. I know I will never be the fastest runner or impress anyone with my pace but this is all about improvement. As long as I improve then I'm happy. 

OOTD - I will still be doing Outfit of the Day posts but just on a separate post so as not to bore people that don't care!

Yoga - good news! We found out that a second yoga class will now be offered at our gym on Thursday nights! It will be a different teacher so hopefully she is as good as our current one. But we are really looking forward to having a twice a week option!