Longest Training Run

35k - 21.75 miles to be exact (because I'm American, ha!) Done!

My longest training run of the Chicago Marathon training season has been looming on the calendar for today for 22 weeks.

Last Saturday for my 29k run it was the most perfect running weather! 50 degrees, clear skies, no wind - really perfect!

This morning, not-so-much. . . Rain for the entire run - it was 60 degrees, but I still got a bit chilled with being really wet the entire run. I struggled to know what to wear so again I went to the Runner's World "What to Wear" Tool. 

Here's a mental picture of the 35k's this morning:

Start - Ugh, it's raining and a bit chilly, what do I wear? I had shorts and a long sleeve shirt on when I arrived to meet my group and after seeing what others were wearing I changed into a t-shirt and a vest.

First 5 to 7k - Fine, I'm just going to be wet, but it's cool and makes for decent running temperature. This is going to be a long run though if we keep running around and over puddles.

7 to 14k - Ok, I'm in a rhythm with the run. I've decided to stop hopping over puddles and just go through them (at least the "little" ones). My partner Jim mentioned that we only have a half marathon left to run today - great! :-)

15 to 20k - Why on earth did I sign up for a marathon again? This is ridiculous! I'm soaking wet, I feel blisters forming on my toes and I'm cold every time I stop for water. I can't imagine going 15+ more kilometers for this training run and more for the actual race. Race day better be good weather because I've trained for this race in snow, extreme heat, & rain. 

20 to 30k - Alright, this isn't so bad. I'm doing pretty good. We are keeping our 6/6:15 per kilometer pace and we actually feel pretty good when we accidentally increase to 5:40/5:50 pace. I just want to keep moving to get this finished. I have decided that my reward for after the run should be a Bloody Mary and a big plate of Nachos!

30 to 32k - What? I have to pass by my car to finish this 35k? I'm sopping wet, I want dry clothes, there is a coffee shop right there with warm coffee. If I was by myself I would say - that's it, this is far enough. My legs are getting to the "please don't make us move any farther!" stage.

32.5k - 34.66k - Turn around for finally the last push to the end. I'm feeling better again - it's amazing what your mental status does to your body. I pick up the pace a bit because I'm feeling like I can and I just really, really want to finish.

34.66k - I'm done. High fiving one of my running partners Deanna. We did it! 

34.66k again - Jim comes up and say "I have that we need to go 200 more meters to get to 35k, let's keep going we can't stop now!" Ugh, ok! We run to the end of the block and turn around and pretty much run around the parking lot. 

34.93k - Close! Frickin'! Enough!

Woo! Hoo!

Chicago here I come!

Taper time is going to feel fantastic!

I didn't get my Bloody Mary and Nachos, but I'm writing this with a margarita in hand and the hubby grilling steaks for dinner!

{ 9 Year Wedding Anniversary }

Today is our 9 Year Wedding Anniversary. Hubby planned a day and night in Toronto for us on Saturday. We have an overnight babysitter so we are going to relax and enjoy our evening in the city and sleep in the next morning (is it sad that's the part I'm most looking forward to?!?!)

I saw this idea for gifts on the hour as birthday or anniversary gifts from Thirtyhandmadedays.com and thought I would do that for Josh.

I decided to put together 9 gifts - one for each year of our marriage and put a little recap note with each gift of that year of marriage. It was really fun - and actually challenging - to look back at the last 9 years. I thought I would easily remember everything that happened during each year, but I need to pull out scrapbooks and look through the date stamps on my iPhoto to get it all organized. If I can keep this up it would be a great way to look back on 15, 25, 30+ years of marriage together.

My Notes on what happened each year

Since today is a work day I centered most of my gifts around what he might be doing at that time of the day: breakfast, post workout food, coffee, afternoon snack, etc. But then I threw in a few things that were more of Anniversary type gifts: funky socks he's been asking for, wallet, movie tickets, Toronto Soccer tickets.

Here's a glimpse at the notes from our years of marriage and the gifts I sent with him.

Pre-workout Banana Muffin

                                    

Post workout smoothie & granola bar

I gave the funky socks with year three, but I forgot to take a picture

Just a nice note!

Movie Date Night!

Toronto Soccer Tickets!

New Wallet with picture already inside!

Afternoon Snack!

Afternoon Coffee Pick Up!

I packaged them all up and wrote the times of when (or approximately when) he should open them throughout the day. Before I went to bed I left them with a note in a bag by his workout stuff for him to see in the morning. 

This was the text I received this morning. I would say he was excited about the bag of gifts and I was glad I got him excited for every hour to see what the next "year" brought! Isn't that what marriage should be about? Being excited about al the years together?!?!

Happy 9th Anniversary Honey! 

A New Trend in Races

Saturday morning after our 20k run we headed out for breakfast – sometimes the thought of some runny eggs with toast & bacon is the only thing that gets me through those last miles! Our waitress asked us what group we were apart of and when we said a running group she got all excited to tell us that she was thinking of signing up for a mud run with one of her girlfriends. She asked if we did runs like that. No one at our table had ever done any of the Tough Mudder (which is what we assumed she was talking about) races.

After she left we got to talking about this new trend in races/competitions. There seems to be so many popping up such as, The Tough Mudder, Color Me Rad, Zombie Survivor, and Prison Break. A little about these races:

Tough Mudder - Montreal

Tough Mudder takes you through an obstacle course of mud, 10,000 volts of electricity, ice water, & fire. It’s a 10-12 mile course that you only “finish” when you have encouraged/helped your entire team over the finish line. On the Tough Mudder website it states that “marathon running is boring” – Hey I’ll take a “boring marathon” (which I HIGHLY disagree with) to getting electrocuted any day! I was happy to read that part of the fee for the race goes to support the Wounded Warrior Project which Tough Mudder races have raised over $5 million for. The project supports injured veterans.

Color Me Rad

Color Me Rad is a non timed 5k run that has become quite popular around the U.S. and Canada. You start out with a “shirt as pure and white as your granddaddy’s dentures” as the website puts it and the race blasts colored cornstarch at you along the way. The friends that I’ve seen participate in this seem to have a VERY fun time. It’s seems to be a great opportunity to get your girlfriends together and get dirty in a colorful, girly kind of way! This is a run that I MAY be able to get talked into one day. As of late I have not signed up for any 5k runs. Racing as gotten to be so expensive and I find 5k runs to be really crowded especially with new runners. If I’m going to pay an entrance fee for a 5k race I’d like some of the money to go to a cause like cancer research, the homeless, a food bank, or humane society – the Color Me Rad website mentions that this run will “brighten your day. . .and liven up your Facebook page”

Zombie Survivor

I’m not sure if the origin of this run comes from the AMC show The Walking Dead or not, but the thoughts of both the show and run creeps me out. Zombie Survivor run is held in Calgary, Canada and is a 5k run and obstacle course while being chased by – yep! Zombies! This is a timed 5k run, but the ultimate goal is to get to the finish line with at least one “life” (flag) left.  Not only will Zombies be chasing you, but you will also have to get through 10-12 obstacles along the way. This is not something that interests me at all! This is some straight out of one of my nightmares – I hate the idea of being chased by something as gruesome as a Zombie.

Prison Break Race

“You have been convicted of a crime you did not commit.” Prison Break is a 5k run held in 3 different areas around Ontario (Ottawa, Montreal, & Dumaine De Radar in Montreal). This run sounds similar to the Zombie run. You are given a belt with 3 flags, you run a 5k course with 15 obstacles and prison guards looking to take your flags along the way. If you cross the finish line with at least one of your flags left “you are free and a handsome man or beautiful women will being waiting for you with a cold beer.” If you have lost all your flags “you will be punished and sent to the mud hole.” The only part of this race that I can get my head wrapped around is getting a cold beer at the end from a handsome man – but I will have that at Chicago and that handsome man will be my hubby!

Chicago Marathon

I get why some people might think running long distances is boring and not enough adventure for them. My answer to them is run with a group! I really don’t care to run by myself, but running with the group is fun. We share stories, laugh at ourselves and support each other through those last miles. At the end of most every half marathon and marathon I’ve ran there as been a beer garden and a drink ticket for the racers in our kit. Spectating marathons can be a bit tricky depending upon the course, but whether we have known someone running or not, my husband and I have always gone out to cheer on the runners of the Twin Cities Marathon that runs right through our neighborhood in Minneapolis. Hearing the cheers from anyone while you are running a race makes it fun and motivating.

Twin Cities Marathon

So while these ultimate/adventure runs are just not for me, they are obviously popular and more and more are being created. Maybe I'll get talked into one some day! Never say never, right?!?!? 

July = Hot & Humid Running

I'm a Minnesota gal, period. There's a lot about Minnesota in me and one of those things is my toleration for cold weather. It's summer days like the ones we have been having that remind me that I really prefer to train for spring races so that I can train during the cold winter months. I would MUCH rather warm my body up by running than stepping outside and start sweating without having put one foot in front of the other.

Minnesota had a terribly long winter this year. There was recordable snowfall up until May 3rd!! I'm happy to have not gone through that - but the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) didn't have an "April Showers, Bring May Flowers" kind of spring either. We went from cold & dreary to hot and humid! No nice spring in-between.

Northfield, MN - May 2, 2013
photo credit: Emily Spoden

I've been running this month despite the heat & humidity. I have to. . . Chicago is less than 3 months away. I run outside in this heat because I really can't stand the treadmill! I just run shorter distances, stop to walk and take on liquids more, and try to stick to shaded trails. 

Tonight my group cancelled the organized group run because of the heat index being in a dangerous zone. I wasn't planning on joining the group any way - I'll be waking two toddlers up at 5:30 in the morning to catch a flight to Minnesota! I needed the night to pack and prepare for our trip!

Here are some great tips for running in the heat. I would add trying to run in the early morning or late evening when the sun isn't so high in the sky.

www.ericadhouse.com

I'm following the Haus of Girls monthly miles challenge again and so far I'm at 26 miles for #50milesinjuly! Not too bad for a hot and humid July so far! 

26 miles for #50milesinjuly

I'm off to Minnesota tomorrow for a little over 2 week vacation. I will be missing 3 Saturday long runs with my group. Since my Mom is training for Chicago as well I don't see too much troubles in getting my long runs in.

Stay cool!

Stair Climbing

For something different a met two of my running group buddies on Canada Day morning for a stair climbing workout. I have never done one before but have heard of other people incorporating it into their training.

We met at the Chedoke Golf Course in Hamilton, ON. We did a short warm up and then headed up the stairs! The first set we did had approximately 325 steps! Whew! At first you think, "this isn't so bad" and then you climb higher and higher and just getting one foot in front of the other feels like a feat! We walked up the stairs - I can't even imagine running up them.

After a nice light jog down the first step of stairs we ran a bit to the next set to go up and down those twice. This set of stairs had accurate numbering every 5 steps so I know we went 289 steps each time!

Chedoke Stairs

According to the Hamilton Public Library local history site there are currently 5 city built stairs up the escarpment. Might be a fun challenge for me before we move to have done them all! 

I did a quick search for stairs around the Toronto area and the Baldwin Steps appear to be another popular spot for fitness stair climbing.

Baldwin Steps Toronto, ON

There are also 5 sets of stairs in my home state of Minnesota that I have heard friends talk about in Stillwater. 

Stillwater, MN stairs

What stairs have you climbed for fitness? Do you do it regularly?

Where have I been?

I have been gone from the blogging world for a while for pretty much one single reason. . .find a new preschool for the twins! It has consumed my thoughts, laptop, free time & conversations with most people. 3 weeks ago I was handed a letter at pick up stating that the preschool the boys attended this year (one that we love for so many reasons) was closing it's doors after 28 years! 2 weeks left of school and I had to scramble to find the boys a new place to in the Fall. There are so many things to consider when picking a preschool for your children and it's time consuming to check out the different options. 

This last Tuesday I finally made my decision on a school for the boys. It was really sad to say goodbye to the school they were at this year and to their teachers, but kids are resilient and it hardly phased the boys that they were leaving even with their Mommy & teachers wiping tears away. 

I hadn't planned to have their teachers do this project quite so soon, but I wanted these current teachers that they loved so much to be a part of this gift for them.

This is not my own idea, there are many references to this gift floating around Pinterest and other blogs. I just only hope I can remember to keep it for their next 14 years of school! 

I purchased a copy of Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss for each boy. The plan is to have each of their teachers sign a message to them at the end of the school year and then present it to them at their high school graduation. 

It's very likely that we will be moving 2-3 more times before they graduate from high school so I really hope I can find a safe place for these books to not get lost (I have a tendency to loose things unfortunately). 

I have been keeping up with my training for the Chicago Marathon. It's been a great stress relief for me to get out and run and create mental pro and con lists on the preschool choices. 

I promise to get back into blogging again! 

Moon in June 10K Race Recap

On Saturday June 8th we ran the Moon and June 10K road race. It raises money for the Halton Trauma Centre for the prevention of all forms of child maltreatment and neglect.

Most Saturday nights we get babysitters. It's our date night and has been for quite a while. I mentioned in this post how I really don't like going out on Friday nights because of being tired from the long week, having to get up for a long run the next morning, etc. It was quite rare that a couple of weeks ago when someone mentioned running a race on a Saturday night that I knew we were free. We usually have something planned with someone - I know we sound like we are the "it" thing with our social life - but I will refer back to the "me only wanting to go out on Saturday nights" and it limits how often we get together with people. 

My view at the night time start

There were lots of first with this date-night-race. The very first is that I have never ran a race at 9:00 at night before. I'm pretty sure I have never started a run after 7:00 at night so I knew this was going to be interesting. The day was pretty clear, but as the night went on there was a dark cloud that started hanging over us. I think a night race like this would have been really neat if there was a pretty sunset as we started. Unfortunately there was a dark rain cloud instead.

The cutest thing was a 1k race for the kids. They were all wearing matching blue shirts and were so excited to get started! 

Future Marathoners!

Have I mentioned I run and train with an amazing group of people? I have? Well I've said it again. Here's our group of runners from Canada Get Fit at the start of the race. Most of us ran the 10k but there was a 5k as well. 

Here's a shot of the Hubby and me at the start of the race. I say we "ran a race together" but that really isn't true. What I should say is we kiss at the starting line, both run a race, and he waits for me to finish. He's stinkin' fast! He ran this 10k in 43:39, placed 20th overall and was 14th in his age group! I ran it in 57:22. 

That's where my other first comes in. I realized when I finished the race that I have never "raced" a 10k before. Which really astonishes me! Really? I've ran a marathon and many half marathons but never a 10k. Strange. . . but I'll take another Personal Best time! It may be my first recorded 10k race time, but that still makes it a personal best!

Here's my training and running partner. He was good and got up on Saturday morning instead of sleeping in like I did (really when will I be able to sleep in on a Saturday again before the marathon in October?!?!) and ran 8k. 

He said to me at the beginning of the race "Since I ran this morning I'm just doing this for fun." 

Part way through the race he said "Feel free to go ahead at any time, I'm not pushing it." 

At the pub when we were enjoying a pint of beer and looking up our results he said "I beat you by 2 seconds!" 

Gee, Thanks Jim! Ha! :-) He said he was feeling really good and pushed us to the finish line in a great time! 

Not that this is a requirement for a race you run at night, but it really is an added perk: We were given beverage tickets to use once we finish the race! There was a lovely tent offering us beer & wine for our accomplishment! Yes please! 

Notice how the hubs has much more gone than I do? That's because he is super fast and was drinking while the rest of us finished! :-)

If we are still living here at this time next year we will do the race again for sure! The boys will be a bit over 4 so we may think about having them participate in the kids run - but as my hubby said when we got home that night "That was a really fun date night" we may keep it a kid free event! 

Have you ever ran a night race? Do you integrate physical fitness with your date nights with your partner?

Summary Saturday

Ugh! This week was not a good one for me for training. I really dropped the ball. It goes to show that my training is really a 2 person job. I need my hubby around to help keep me on track - not that he has to be my cheerleader to get me out the door - he is just so great about being available to help with the boys so I can stay on my schedule. He left on Sunday for a work conference until Friday. That was 5 naps & 5 betimes I did myself this week. The getting ready for school, preparing meals, taking walks to the park, etc. are the easy part with toddlers - getting them ready for naps & bed is a whole other ball game - an utterly exhausting one!

Enough complaining! Here was my pitiful week in training:

Training

Sunday -  started to rearrange the bedrooms to get ready for the big boy beds to arrive. Although not an official workout, after about the 8th set of stairs I did carrying bed parts down to the basement storage I started to feel it so I'm calling this a stair workout day!

Monday - Nothing :-(

Tuesday - Nothing :-(

Wednesday - National Running Day (See my post here about NRD) - run 4.2k of hill repeats strength training - upper body & core, I'm pretty sure I did close to 200 push ups. I need to work on my plank. I can barely hold it for longer than a minute!

Thursday - Nothing :-(

Friday - Nothing :-( I was going to go on a run when the hubby came home, but I was exhausted from going on a pre-school field trip with the twins that morning.

Saturday - I got to sleep in on a Saturday for probably the only time in the next 4+ months. The hubby and I signed up with some other people from our running group for The Moon in June 10k in Burlington, Ontario. I'll do a race recap in another post. It was fun! I have never ran that late at night before and I realized I had never raced a 10k so I have a new personal best time of 57:20!

At the Starting Line!

Web Find

I was on the search for something for the twins to make for Father's Day. Last year we made these cute hand cards and picture frame. I think I may do the pictures again (if I can find my letters - they are some place) as it would be cute to see them as they grow through the years. 

We made these little cards as well last year. 

Searching Pinterest for ideas for this year I came across this car shirt. Daddy wears it and the boys can play cars on his back giving him a nice "massage"! There is a printable template here at The Blue Basket

The Blue Basket: Car Shirt

Goals for this week

• Get completely back on track with training now that the hubby is back in town
• Schedule my gait analysis with the certificate I have from a silent auction
• Plan a fun Father's Day for the hubby!

What plans do you have for Father's Day? Do you do homemade gifts or store bought?

Have a great week!