What constitutes a Hill?

Since the garmin and I are on a break, I have been playing around with a few things the past month (in hopes of keeping myself entertained and sane during these hot summer months). So one thing that I have been focusing on, due to its weakness in my previous training cycles and just training in general, is hills.

In living in the lower mainland of BC, one doesn't have to run far to encounter a 'hill' of some sort. But all hills are different so I suppose my main question, is what kind of elevation gain classifies a hill as being useful for hill training? I know that for me, with starting out, the hill can't be a mile plus of straight incline (yes, Whatcom 'Hill', I'm talking about you). The elevation gain is far too great and too long for  my legs to start out on, and with little to no breathing room to recover I find it mentally and physically overwhelming and defeating.

Thankfully, I have a hill by my house that for right now is a good first step in this hill training process. The roads are set up in such a way that it is a 1.15 mile loop (thanks Map My Run) with a .25 mile flat stretch, and an elevation change of 70 ft. I like this hill because it's short, a loop (which naturally, you don't look as crazy running a loop multiple times in comparison to up and down a hill... right?), and has a flat stretch that allows a small break and recovery stretch to stretch the legs out and find my rhythm again.

Now whether or not this is what a hill work out looks like I have no idea, but right now I do a small warm up and then hit up this hill. Last night I did the hill loop twice, cooled down and then stretched my legs out in hopes of preventing things from getting tight or sore... This morning my butt is definitely reminding me of the hills and lunges I did yesterday (yesterday morning I attempted to go for a run, didn't work so as punishment I made myself do lunges in the catwalk... ever notice how long catwalks are! That thing was never ending). So for the first time, in quite some time, my body is sore, in a good way. Its nice to wake up and be reminded of a previous days workout, it makes me feel like I'm improving again or working towards something, even if I'm not too sure what it is.

July Recap... or lack of anything to report?

Alright, so seeing as I haven't posted anything the entire month of July here is a brief recap of what I have been up to, or not up to...

After the Marathon I was pretty wiped out. In addition to this, work got quite a bit crazy with the office being re arranged and people being on holidays, that I was getting run down/overwhelmed at work and it was definitely following me home each day. I took a week off from running after the marathon, bought a new pair of runners, and went for a run along the Seawall in Vancouver one week after the marathon.

Brooks... anyone surprised? Didn't think so.

 My garmin and I are on a temporary break. (Yepp, this type A girl aint trackin anything!) I don't have any idea of the distance or pace of my running adventures these days, but thats a good thing. I feel like I need to enjoy running for a bit and incorporate some new things into my routine and work on my energy levels. Based on the foods that I eat and my activity level I shouldn't be as tired as I am so I've been experimenting with protein powders and I think I have found one that works (more importantly I can actually drink it almost without gagging! yay me).

I haven't been swimming or biking much this month, but I think part of that is just recovering from the Marathon. Additionally I took an unexpected trip to Calgary for a weekend and have just been enjoying time with friends. That being said, I often do end up doing active things with my friends... or perhaps its more we do active things at the same time at the same start up and end points? (sometimes your doing separate work outs but its the accountability of going together and seeing one another doing it that keeps us honest).

How is it that frozen fruit makes any drink look much cooler then it is?

With August right around the corner I have a few tentative goals floating around but nothing solidified. As it stands, I'm going to try to get swimming and cycling back into my routine in addition to running and we will see where that takes me. For now,

Rock'N'Roll Seattle

Hey All,

Here are a few pictures of the route from this weekend!

Seward Park

A beautiful day for a run, with a beautiful view

I-90 bridge

With cars on either Side we ran and were likely a bit of a distraction ;)

Coming up on the Home Stretch, with views of my 2 favorite places

Safeco Field

CenturyLink :)

Upside down of the Ferris wheel

What a fantastic day, a bit warm but better then torrential downpour like the Run for Water was.
I will do a full race recap later, but for now here are some pics for it and a forewarning, I hit the wall, crazy hard! and for some reason wasn't expecting to and was completely thrown off... yea...

Anyways! Happy Wednesday, Summer is official here but on the Wet West Coast you can't tell.

Last week of training? or a week of avoiding injury?

Anyone who trains for an event will tell you, injuries are a huge set back. They throw off your training, alter your movement and cause you to overcompensate, even when you are not doing the activity you are training for. Typically getting injured isn't something that plagues my mind, I wear my heels to work, race up stairs and walk with a purpose when necessary (aka, when something is wrong and needs to be fixed... they hear me coming, the shoes you hear first, then you know by the look.. or so I've been told). I promise, I am a nice person; however, I do expect things to function at an acceptable rate or pace.

Anyways, with less than one week to go before the marathon, the idea of sprained/rolled ankles and falling down stairs is plaguing my mind. This was fueled on Sunday, when I was out for a 13 mile run I went along a road with no sidewalk or shoulder. It was in farming area and I was waving to a farmer who was out painting his fence... and then my left foot had a little misstep and found itself in between the road and the dirt/grass. After a very unflattering recovering, full with arm swings and stumbling (I'm lucky I didn't throw my back out! and that there was no cars or video camera's to witness this), I pulled myself together and concluded no more waving! Stay with it Melissa!

Now, instead of wearing heels to work, I'm walking around the office in runners, and today I've even gone as far as to match my runners with my dress... Hey, their my Nike Women's Marathon Runners that are Tiffany Blue... they're fancy see:

 

So this week, is minimum running and minimizing the likelihood of injury... no tempting of fate over here. Stairs- one at a time, no need for running. Running- focus on where my legs are going and not pushing it to the point of fatigue. Biking- none this week... Ya, little bit sad about that but my quads are going to have enough to handle with the hills in Seattle. Swimming- same note as biking... although I might hit up the pool solo tomorrow morning to just stretch things out. 

Anyways, Happy Wednesday, I am half way through the work week and on the home stretch now. Happy Running, Cycling, Swimming or whatever else you do and be leery of being too energetic when saying hello to passerby's. (oh and Go Blackhawks!! Please... show up tonight not like Monday night... you do know this is the Stanley Cup Finals right?)

7 more sleeps...

Alright,

So I have not fallen off the face of the earth, more like I have been bombarded with work, school and attempting to train and cross train. Pretty much I need to put myself in a time out, which is what I am planning on doing this weekend because.... 7 more sleeps until I'm driving down to one of my favorite places in the whole world! Seattle... more specifically Centurylink field (where my beloved Seahawks play) to pick up a race day package for my 2nd full marathon. Seriously, is this only my second because mentally I feel like I've done this rodeo before... but maybe it is just because I spend so much time preparing for this thing that once it comes, I'm baffled by the fact that it hasn't taken place yet!

Anyways, this weeks training hasn't been superb, but on the flip side I have realized how tired my legs are and am trying to rest them for next week. While I did bike to work this week, I didn't go to swim practice and I think this upcoming week will be the opposite. Swim practice but no biking, in hopes of keeping my quads somewhat fresh in order to handle the hills of Seattle. In going into next weekend and evaluating my training, and trying to be realistic with my goals I'm shooting for 4:15 - 4:30. Mentally, I'm hoping that I will be stronger as I know what to expect in having experienced it before. While I may not know the route, I do know that I love Seattle, the pristine views and am looking forward to participating in a Rock'N'Roll Marathon series.

So here's to hoping for a low key weekend, and a hopefully strong longish run on Saturday that can carry me forward to next weekend. Happy Friday and Happy Fathers day Sunday to those who are fathers or are able to celebrate what awesome fathers they do have. :)

Biking to Work

Alright, super lame title for the post, but I couldn't come up with anything catchy... and, lets face it. None of my Post Titles are catchy or insightful. Heck, if they are informative of what the blog is going to be about, I figure that is a win!

Anyways, the weather in the lower mainland is finally begining to resemble Summer. Meaning wake-up = sun is shinning, heading home = sparse wispy clouds blown in by the breeze, blue skies and sunshine. So after discussing riding my bike to and from work with a co-worker, I finally took the plunge and did it. Now, funny story... this was my first ride of the season! And to make this a tad bit more ridiculous, I never took my bike out last summer! So after sitting in my basement collecting dust, this beauty finally got to see the Great Outdoors.

Oh my, I forgot how nice it is to go for a bike ride before most of the world is awake. Although this meant an earlier wake up call, I do not struggle with going to bed when it is light out. So a early bed time on Monday, and an early wake up call Tuesday made my hour plus bike ride to work possible. The feeling of accomplishment, and responses of awe/your nuts from  co-workers made it all the more enjoyable.

Now one thing that I will say, is that I did forget how sore sitting in the saddle for that long can be... Also, my gears weren't quite shifting right, and I only corrected those/verbalized my confusion, on the way home. So those were the few downsides, oh and the ridiculous appetite I had all day resulted in a bag of chips being bought at lunch. Although the weather was in the mid 20's (Celsius), I did not find the bike ride home too hot. I think this is because of the constant breeze one has when they are biking, be it because of an actual breeze or just the feeling you get when you coast for a bit.

Upon arriving home I was still smiles, even though I did walk my bike up one hill and thought my legs were going to fall off on the last uphill before home. 

See, still all smiles and looking oh so cool! Upon prying myself off my bike (practically falling off) I proceeded out back to the pool that isn't heated right now. Yepp, my own personal ice bath...

My weary, tired legs were so happy to be submerged in cold, unheated pool water. And my parents were happy as they figured that if the chemicals were way off, based off the high sensitivity of my skin they would soon know. Win Win! (again, my mom and her eternal optimism). After riding for over 2 1/2 hours, I put myself to bed at 8 pm. That's correct, didn't even make it till 9 pm (an arguably 'reasonable' bed time as far as I'm concerned).

With all these training hours I have been putting in, my appetite has gone through the roof. I've had to be more conscious about how much liquid I'm consuming, the types of liquids I'm consuming and what activity I have planned for the next 24 hours. So that was my Tuesday in a nut shell... but I must say, I liked sandwiching my work day with an activity, and the route that I biked to work makes me think that Friday's before long weekends, when it takes me well over an hour to get home anyways, I'd rather be out on my bike, moving forward, burning calories, enjoying the glorious day.

The Almost 20 miler...

This past weekend I went for a long run with my co-worker who is doing the Rock'n'Roll Seattle Marathon as well. He had found a route for us and we agreed to meet at a mutual location that wasn't too far from where either of us lived, and would set us on a good starting point to run a route without many traffic lights, and minimal traffic.

So Saturday morning, I woke up, filled up my water belt and did a warm-up around my favorite go to place and headed out to meet up with him. I had beat him there but just had to wait for a few minutes before we took of.

By the time we hooked up I had run 4 miles at about a 9:15-9:20 pace, a bit too fast but I was feeling good and it wasn't hurting so I didn't think I was in trouble (insert foreshadowing of what was to come!).

As we started off down the road, headed toward a rolling hill, I had taken my head phones out and was casually talking with my co-worker. Unconsciously we had dropped the pace for miles 5- 8 so they looked a little like this: mile 5- 9:12, mile 6 - 9:04, mile 7 - 9:10, mile 8 - 9:22... now, seeing as I wasn't even half way through my run, and was throwing down miles like it was no big deal I should have known that the worse was yet to come...

Ignorance is truly bliss, those first 8 miles were fantastic, now the rest of the run fell apart in a big way! The hills came, walking took place, I attempted to have my running buddy leave me (he refused, thank goodness otherwise I likely would have sat on the side of the road and called to get picked up... or just laid there spread out waiting for my imminent death, likely the later of those two). So the mileage pace took a beating:

Mile 9- 10:14, Mile 11- 10:04, Mile 12 - 12:03 (pretty sure this was a hill that I walked up!), Mile 13 - 10:46, Mile 14 - 11:10, Mile 15 - 9:38 (probably running downhill), Mile 16 - 10:27, Mile 17 - 12:43, Mile 18 - 10:02, Mile 19 - 13:03 (was walking while on the Phone) and then .24 of a Mile at a 11:52 pace..

Yes a common theme these days, the wheels came off! 19.24 miles in 3:17:23... now in looking back and thinking of how I felt during it, it was awful. However, there are some positive notes, first of all I did manage to do a long run. Yes, I did walk, but I did manage to get myself to run again. Mentally I was getting owned, and that was I think my biggest issue, but the thing is, that I'm glad it happened while I was running with someone, on the back roads and I forced myself to finish (was refused to be abandoned lol).

While I was running this, I had serious doubts about whether or not I want to do the Marathon at the end of the month. Do I do it and risk having it suck and hate my life, or do I switch to the Half and try to own it... these were my thoughts and fears while I was running. Upon getting home though and sharing my time and mileage with my Mom, she was tremendously excited for me claiming that I could do this Marathon in under 4:30... well then. Myself at that moment, oh gosh I need fluid vs Mom- complete optimism... Thankfully positive thinking > negative thinking, so I consumed multiple liquids (oh ya, another problem, I was tremendously thirsty on this run, what is up with my body and over heating these days!) and as the Gatorade, water and carbonated water was consumed, optimism crept in.

4 days later, I'm actaully looking forward to attempting the full. I can't thrown down low 9 min miles, I'm not going to run a sub 4 hour marathon, but I may, just may be able to pull out a time between 4:15- 4:30 and while in the world of bloggers that may not be that good, in my world, that would be awesome!

So here's to optimism and a great training week (that is half over). Happy running, and Happy RUNNING DAY!

Run For Water Abbotsford

Hey,

So it has been quite a while and for that I apologize... I wish I had a better excuse then just being drained, but seriously, this whole working full time, commuting, plus taking a Undergraduate Course and trying to train like a bad*** is exhausting!

Moving on, my training is going pretty well. I fearfully agreed to run with a coworker during lunch last week, and it was exactly what I needed. I get terrified of running with others, as I get concerned that I will hold them back, or get dropped back, but it ended up being really good and a great boost going into my first 10 km run this weekend.

I had signed up for the Run For Water Abbotsford awhile ago, thinking that it would be fun to do a 10 km in between the half and full marathon, with the full marathon being the main focus of my training. Having never ran a 10 km before, but knowing roughly where I would be at, I set my sights on coming in sub 50. I knew it would be a challenge, but I thought that the way the course was outlined, and the fact that it was local may work to my advantage.

The Expo wasn't anything to write home about, quite small which is reflective of the race and a bit confusing in its layout, but my friends and I went, got our bibs and were back in the car within 8 minutes.

The morning of, we woke to the sound of light rain fall, which I was informed would pass but greatly doubted... (I had good cause to doubt this and was unfortunately right)

Fitting, we are running the run for water in the rain

My house is located a block and a half from the start, so other friends of mine parked at my house and we walked down to the start an hour or so early... in hindsight, it was way too wet and cold and we should have only started heading down there 30 minutes before the start. But hey, live and learn. 

The rain started to really come down in heavy, monsoon like style but luckily there was no wind. Ahhh the Pacific Northwest, even in May you can mistake the weather for October... I settled myself in the middle of the coral for 45-60 mins. The start is up a bit of a hill, but seeing as this route is right by my house, I run this little hill all the time. Totally crushed it and started passing people on the inside, attempting to run smart tangents. I knew that wanting to run a sub 50 would be hard but figured if I could stick around 8 - 8:15 min miles for the first 4 I would be able to somewhat hold on until the end to make it happen. 

Getting boxed in by people meant that my exertion for the first mile was more then the time reflected but I did manage to get an 8:20 or so pace, and then I dropped it like it was hot and went sub 8 for the next 2 miles. Mile 4 I managed to hang on to the 8 mile pace and then things got a little bit difficult. I passed people on a downhill stretch but then got passed on the slight uphill portion. The crumby thing about these short distances is that if your calves get tight, all you can do is suck it up and hope you can hold on. Mile 5 was closer to (if not actually) a 9 min mile, but I was passed by one of the guys I knew and he managed to spur on a bit more out of me then I thought I had. 

On the last home stretch, about a half mile or so, I managed to catch up to a guy who had passed me and just held on for dear life. In the end I came in strong and.... 

 That sweater was supposed to come off, but was too heavy to get off...

and the hat was front words... Until it got too heavy and I couldn't see!

While the clock may have said 51:37, the bib time was... 

Melissa Epp

49:25

4:57

Female 20-29

13/198

35/746

Heck yes, that would be a sub 50! I was so happy, and it hurt in such a different way then the half, or my memory of the full marathon does. After I hugged my family who showed up in the pouring rain (my grandparents even skipped out on church to watch me!), I gave them my gnarly sweater and ran out to join my friend Kelly, and help run her in to a huge PR.

After that, we waited for my friend to finish her first ever 5 km, which according to her was cruel and unusual punishment... (she is convinced the 3 km marker was actually at the 4km mark and they didn't measure the course out properly). 

Either way, despite the rain, it was a great day and it was awesome to run a race right close to home. After warming up and eating some delicious food I started to get myself refocused for the full marathon that is 3 1/2 weeks away... 

I hope that if any of you did races this weekend you had an amazing time, perhaps ran in better weather then I did and that your training this week is going well! I am bitterly not allowing the rain to keep me from training, but I am seriously starting to get concerned about what I will look like once I finally dry out... swimming in the rain, running in the rain, I'm getting tired of the rain :(

Happy Tuesday! and Congrats to those who raced this weekend and good luck in your training this week!

Misconceptions and Bad Race Day Signs

Hey, so after the debacle at the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon I hit up the pool last week. Its amazing what staring at the bottom of the pool for an hour does to my concept of self, and strength. Despite the fact that it was my first practice of the Summer session (ya, everyone else was in their second week- thanks awesome cold) I felt strong the next day. Sure all of my shoulder muscles felt like they were going to bust out of my shirt like the incredible Hulk they were so strained (Fly set the first day back = death the next day), but it hurt so GOOOOD.

Anyways, this Sunday I went for a 12 mile run, taking it easy ensuring that I walked when needed and took in plenty of fluids. Despite the slight rain, it is officially to warm out in the Lower Mainland of BC for a coat or long sleeve layers for this kid. So I took off my rain coat, tucked it in real good to my water belt at mile 2 and kept on trucking on. While I was running I thought of a few things pertaining to running and what my opinion was on the matter. Often at Marathons you see people holding signs, thinking that they are funny or will be motivating, such as:
                      'You thought they said RUM didn't you'
                      'Worst parade ever'
                      'Chafing is Sexy'
                      'Last Hill Ahead' (often followed by multiple hills... thanks awesome, cruel spectator)

etc... So on Sunday I thought of some of the signs I see and discussions with people who aren't runners I have pertaining to running so here is me debunking, and sharing some thoughts with you.

        -Chafing is sexy: Clearly the people who hold these signs have never experienced it... Chafing is not sexy, it hurts like nothing else, tends to go unnoticed until after or worse is noticed and gets progressively worse causing one to curse the fact that they didn't factor in the humidity or light rain fall while skipping out on the body glide
        - I could never run, I don't enjoy it: While, want to get in on a little secret, I enjoy what running brings to my life (healthy heart, endurance etc) but I often do not enjoy it either. I run because I like the idea of who I can be as a runner. I run because it helps my sanity and allows me to get lost for a moment in time and day dream about what my life may be. I'm not artistic, and although I'd rather grab a bowl of ice cream and reflect on these thoughts, I don't think I would appreciate the long term effects of being that type of person.
         - I could never be that motivated or disciplined: while runners appear to be motivated and disciplined, we also go out for runs for other reasons, such as to be social, hang out with others, or be with people without having to talk with people (seriously, go out running on a Saturday or Sunday morning, odds are you will be with other people)... also, it is always an added bonus when you cross paths with some eye candy ;) Hey whatever gets you out the door :)
         - I'm not in good enough shape to be a runner: Umm... thats why you should start running or walking? So that you can then become a person who happens to run for a certain period of time, and once your ready, you can identify yourself a runner. In my experience the running community is not one to judge, we come in all shapes, sizes, economic status and backgrounds. Anyone who is out there and giving it a shot we applaud and embrace as one of us. My friends viewed me as a runner long before I ever came to accept this term.
        -I don't have the time: We all have the time, it is if you are willing to make the time or adjust your schedule to fit it in. Being a healthy or healthier person starts with small changes, so I do find it difficult when people compliment or admire me but cling to this idea that they themselves could never be an active person it is rather annoying. Despite how busy and chaotic life may be, opportunities to hold the butter, or take the stairs do still exist.

Anyways, moving on to this week up ahead:
Monday - Swimming 1 hour (it was a free set)
Tuesday - potential work out dvd, and swimming 1 hour
Wednesday - Running (no time or distance determined)
Thursday - Swimming
Friday - Running
Saturday - Long Run (2 plus hours)

Happy Tuesday, and Provincial Election day :)

How to NOT Run a Half Marathon

Alright, so based off of the fact that this past weekends Half Marathon was ridiculous (not in a good way) and the fact that I had to back out of the original first one of the season, I figured I'd write a post of how NOT to run a half marathon, or perhaps how to not succeed in a half marathon is a more accurate title?

Either way, here it goes: (in no particular order)
           1- do not get sick two weeks prior to and refuse to go to the doctor until the week of
           2- fit time in for running if you go on holidays 3-2 weeks prior to your run (make time for your training, it is important)
           3- drink lots of fluids the day and week leading up (e.g. don't get dehydrated the day before... it will effect you the morning of, and may prevent you from eating dinner the night before. Your body needs fuel in order to function!)
           4- if its unusually hot, ensure that you drink plenty of fluids the morning of, with the exception of nerves you likely won't need to pee excessively as you will be sweating it out
           5- nothing new the morning of! one of the biggest mistakes you can make is doing something differently, a new gel, a new breakfast that unknowingly upsets your stomach, don't risk it! It aint worth it
           6- make time for your long runs! At the end of the day it is your long runs that teach you how to run on tired legs. Sprints, hill and tempo runs are good things if you have time. But if you only have time for one run, it is true what they say, make it be your long run.
           7-do not run with gadgets that aren't fully charged, if you train with them you are going to need them in the run. Even if you are planning on using pacers, you never know what is going to happen and it is best to be over prepared then under prepared.
           8- look at the course map before hand (this way you know what hills lie before you or gradual inclines)
         
And lastly, if you are completely struggling and you realize that your goal is not going to be achieved, do NOT give up! Seriously, you will regret. And what is the worse that can happen? You have to walk? Then walk :)  if you have to crawl, well... then maybe consider stopping by a medical tent because something is likely seriously wrong.

From my experience at the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon all I can do is shake my head and chuckle, I really hope that I do not fall flat on my face in the Rock'N'Roll Marathon Seattle... I have a lot of work to do up till then, but through all of this I have been reminded that at the end of the day, if you are not getting some sort of enjoyment out of it, it may not be worth it. Now I'm not saying it is all going to be fun, it isn't. We all run with self doubts at some point throughout a race, but you need to take a step back and appreciate, admire and acknowledge how great running and the running community is.

So happy running, training, and walking to you! I hope that you don't experience these do not's but if so, remember, it isn't the end of the world and running isn't the enemy.

*Disclaimer, these thoughts are mine, and what works or does not work for me. Each person is different*

BMO Vancouver Half Marathon Recap

The BMO Vancouver Marathon was this Sunday, and I did the half so here is the recap of how it all went down:

Now although I have been sick and not logging in the training miles needed my plan going in was to try from the start for a PR and if it didn't feel right, I'd adjust my goal as need be...

I set myself up with the 2 hour pace group and at the start I dropped it like its hot, naturally ;), and hit the ground with low 8 mins miles, on par for what I wanted to do at the beginning, as it was downhill, and then hoped to hold onto 8:30/9 min miles for the remainder....

Well, low and behold my Garmin died... I have no idea why as I only went on one run with it since charging it! Clearly I need to charge it every time I'm going to go for a run (and this is also why I wore two watches a month or so ago when I went running). So at mile 2.5 I was watchless and to make the scenario even more unfortunate... I had brought my iPod shuffle with me, which left me with no way of timing myself (maybe these people who run with iPhones are onto something).

Hey Mom! Can you take my Garmin as it is no longer of purpose and will just cause a tan line?

 

 

 

But I saw my mom and friend, waived, said hi, gave a hug and told her how my Garmin had died but I was feeling good. I gave her my watch as I didn't see the point in pretending that I had any way of pacing myself and tried to find someone to try and stick with. Unfortunately I just could not get myself into the groove. I put my headphones in and tried to hit the pavement but it just wasn't happening. When the 2 hour pace group caught up to me I tried to stick with them but I was so hot it all just seemed so unbearable. At that point I then tried to find some of the people I knew running the race to join in with them but despite my attempts we missed one another and the will to keep going just wasn't there. 

So, after hitting the 10 km mark way off pace (1:05) and hoarking like the champ I am (thanks awesome nasal/chest/cold yuckness I have) I figured whats the worse that can happen? So I walked, with small intervals of running (I do not think I even ran for a whole song worth), and the heat got to me like crazy. Normally, mid 20 C- 30 C is my kind of running temp, but because I haven't been feeling that well my core body temperature seems to be a lot higher, or at least thats my theory and I'm sticking to it. 

An 11 km walk well everyone else ran and passed me :) always good to have that big serving of humble pie, but honestly, all I could do was laugh and enjoy the scenery and try to encourage those around me. When the wheels have fallen off and you know they have there is no sense in getting annoyed, it just happens. Oh the cold slap of reality, how brisk you can be but heck, it was still a lot of fun. 

Almost done, gotta at least run the last 1/4 km! 

My Mom and friend had a leopard print balloon so that I would be able to easily spot them at the view points we had previously discussed. (Lessons learned from the NWM 26.2 in San Fran). So as I came to the end and saw them, I bee lined it over, once again hugged, and thanked them for coming out and spending a Sunday morning chasing my friends and I around the BMO Vancouver running course. I then proceeded to sprint to the finish and likely confuse many people around me in the process (i.e. how does she have so much energy!?). 

Honestly, my body's inability to perform was an indicator of just how poorly I have been training and treating it (or how sick it has been?). I have 4 weeks to get myself back on track, and if I do not feel confident I will switch from the Rock'N'Roll Seattle full to the half. Running (or attempting) 13.1 miles at mediocre health is achievable for me, but 26.2 miles is not. I often say, 'I know my limits and I play within them', and this is an example of that. 

My final time for the BMO Half Marathon was 2:23:41, the slowest I have ever 'ran' 13.1 miles, and although it wasn't reflective of me as a runner, I still had a great time and my only regret is that I didn't pace my friend who was running her first ever half marathon... I got greedy and thought maybe my body would be able to pull one out (competitive streak). Although it may not have happened this time, I was reminded of how much work needs to go into being the runner that I want to be.

Happy Monday, and for anyone who did a race this weekend, I hope yours was a success!

Race Week!!

So what does race week look like for me? Typically I would go for a nice, relaxed shake out run, and maybe a little sprint/interval one; however, with this delightful chest cold/nasal issues I have (oh ya, went to the doctor, he said it was probably the same one since October and it just kept going underground and popping up anytime my immune system gets weak... Awesome!) K anyways, this week is more of a walk and try to get better. So not much physical activity.

Food wise, I make an even greater effort to stay away from wheat and dairy (hello lunch organization and fruits and veggies), as well as being more conscious of my protein and whole grain intake... Ya I'm a bit of a nut bar.

But on to the exciting parts of race week:
                      Outfit Layout : difficulty of early May races, it is still quite cool in the morning, but you know its going to get warm once the sun is out… shorts or capris? Tees or Tanks? Bahhhh these are the questions that will haunt me for the next few days.                                  
                      Playlist: To be Determined
                      Expo/Package pick up

and the most exciting of all.... Post race celebration! I know of two people who are running their first half marathons this weekend so it will definitely be cause for celebration.

I have no idea what time I’m going to come out with after this weekend, but I am going to do my best with what I have and attempt to give it my all (whatever that may be). So to anyone who is racing this weekend, best of luck and I hope you have fantastic, predictable weather!

Who Puts Away a Dead Garmin?!

Alright, so remember that Monday of the Boston Marathon... When I went for a run and thought it was extremely fitting that my Garmin died at the end of it... Ya, funny story, since I was leaving the next day for Florida I never charged it. Seriously? And I'm going into a Master's program?

My oh my. Anyways, yesterday I attempted to go for a run, was initially annoyed when I realized I had no Garmin. But then figured I would use my good ol IronMan watch which lets face it, same dif just no pace time really. And honestly, with this delightful chest cold I have it is probably for the best that I couldn't see my pace time.

I did an old and faithful route, that I used to do last year and the year before when I first started to really run outside. I am fortunate enough to live near by a park that has a lake with a walk/running path that goes around it. It was comforting to run a route that I used to do, to know that the one hill I may have to walk up but try not to get discouraged and just keep on keeping on. Sometimes, during these runs, the ones when you head out thinking you have come so far but mentally feeling discouraged like you haven't. It is during these runs, when you run old routes that you can feel reassured in yourself, in your strength and in how far you have come as a runner.

 It was a beautiful sunshiny day out, and the park was full of people running, walking and playing which is always nice. Since I had  no Garmin I used MapMyRun to see how far I went and was surprised as to the distance, yeaaa 5.13 miles... Oh, right, but I'm doing at least 13.1 next weekend (and should be doing 17 or something according to my training plan... awesome).

Anyways, I can't even remember what my time was, but heck, 5 miles is better then none at all, and the feeling of heat, exhaustion, and sweat running down my face was pure satisfaction.

This weekend I am going to attempt to go on a nice slow run on Sunday, and Saturday I'm not doing anything as I am working from 8:30 to a undecided time due to a work even that is taking place.

So Happy Friday to anyone who happens to see this and I hope it is a sunny Friday for you like we are having in the lower mainland right now. 

Back from Florida... but a unwanted guest came back with me

Lesson of the trip... Do not have a lay over in Denver, even if it is April, as they will have a snow storm.

Second lesson, do not try to sleep on the airplane with your mouth open, as you will get sick and take home all those unwanted germs with you (ya that happened as well).

But what an amazing trip we had. It was my Mom, Sister and I who went for 5 days and managed to pack in Universal and the wonderful Disney World Parks. A fun, goofy time was had by all, and by the end of it I think I walked more then I have ran in this whole training cycle. So here are a few pics to showcase what went down:

 Entering Harry Potter at Universal

 If you don't know what this is... I don't even know what to say

 Fantastic late lunch/early dinner at the Animal Kingdom

 

 Magic Kingdom... Ya I know all the 5 year olds

 are jealous of my fashion ;)

Gaston's Tavern in Fantasy Land

Unless 15 hours spent at Magic Kingdom counts towards Marathon training... it didn't happen in this trip. But hey, I got the BMO half next weekend (perhaps need to lower those expectations a bit),  and am going for a run tonight (cold is almost gone) and a run with a co-worker who is doing the full with me in June on Sunday. 

So all is not lost, and this 'holiday' was more of a work out then anything I have done in recent memory I'd say. Only regret, is that I didn't bring my Garmin to track how much walking we did (I have a feeling that number may have been scary).

Runners Unite

April 15, 2013

It isn't the worst event that has happened, it isn't the most violent thing we have seen.

But it was shocking.
It was heart breaking.
It brought to the fore front of my mind how much I love my loved ones, and how much I love running.

I had watched the elite women finish, I was tracking the bloggers who I follow and were at Boston via twitter, and when the first tweets went out about an explosion I wasn't sure what to believe. I attempted to go to reputable news sources and there was nothing, why? Well lets face it, Canadian Running, Boston Marathon and Runners World, these are the commentators and news reporters who are at events like this. These are the Running Communities reputable sources.

Today, I wore one of my race shirts to work, to show that I am a part of the Running Community.

I went for a run last night, and it was fitting that my iPod died, as it gave me time to think of the events that unfolded, how much I value the spectators who have been at races I have participated in and hope that this will not deter them from being a part of race day magic.

Yesterday I ran for Boston. Yesterday I prayed for Boston. And today, I look forward to the future of Boston.

Getting it done... even though I don't wanna!

Hey, Okay so most sporadic blogger? Yepp seems about right. So recap of my goals from the last week after my long(ish) 8 miler on Monday:

Tuesday- Workout DVD Check, Jillian Michaels Shed and Shred Level 1
Wed- Gym- Kind of Check? Home ab circuit... It sucked, I was sweating, It was intense so Check
Thurs- Track session or negative split run -Check- 8:30 for 15 then dropped it like its hot to 8/mle Fri- Swimming - Did not happen :( too tired (lazy? I dunno)
Sat- 13 miler (may modify that to 11) - 13.1 miles (split up) in 2:02
Sun- Swimming with coach - Check, but legs were to sore to do anything with flippers

Alright, so all in all, my goals were pretty much met, I was happy!

On Saturday, I went to the Running Room on Cambie street in Vancouver for a vamp up to the BMO type shindig in the morning. John Stanton was there (founder of the Running Room), and gave us a little talk with advice (super helpful, lesson learned... HILL WORK OUTS, GET ON IT!) followed by a 3.5 mile run with the peeps who were there. It was nice to go out and run in Vancouver with a large group of other runners (something I don't do).

After this my friend Kelly and I went to the sea wall in Vancouver (which owned me last year during the BMO half) and I wrapped up with 13.1 miles total for the day... Yes I was super pumped (and incredibly sore the next day). Splitting up the 13 miler definitely helped, mentally my head plays games with me sometimes and the small break was a huge mental relief.

So I had similar goals for this week: 

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Workout DVD Check Jillian Michaels Shed and Shred Level 2 (did not realize it was longer then Level 1... may have spent half of it staring at the tv trying to figure out what the heck it was she wanted me to do).
Wednesday - Tempo Run Check, 5 miles in 43 mins (getting closer to my sub 50 10 km goal)
Thursday - Ab work out
Friday - Hill Training on the TM before work
Saturday - 15 mile run

All in all I'm pretty satisfied with where I am in my training. However, I am struggling with my mid week runs, so last night I did a shout out to my friends on facebook who inspire me to run and be active. I used them as motivation to get me out the door, and ended up having an amazing run, holding 8:15s for all but mile 3 when I had to take a walking break (aka where the heck is a washroom, and please do not be closed!).

I'm hoping to do at least 3 solid hill sessions before hitting the track for some 800 m sprint sets, and I am not too sure what I am going to do next week with me being at Disneyworld and Universal Studios... but I'm sure I will come up with something...

Amusement park exploration counts toward my long run goals for the day? No? hmmmmm.....

Back into Training Mode

Well, vacation was fun... and my leg/knee isn't bothering me anymore... which means...

TRAINING IS BACK ON!! No more excuses... I've been back home for three days and gone on 2 x 3 mile runs and finally busted out a big one (which shouldn't be big if I were following my training plan) 8 miles... woohooo...

Ya, so anyways Vacation is over for now and it is time to get focused on training. Since Monday is a holiday in Canada, and my attempt at getting my long run in on Saturday didn't come about, today (Monday) was my long run day, and this is how it played out:


 

Split	Time	Moving Time	Distance	Avg Pace	Best Pace	Avg HR	Max HR	Calories
1	08:50.7	8:39	1	8:51	6:28	161	175	82
2	08:43.6	8:38	1	8:44	6:47	170	174	92
3	10:08.6	10:02	1	10:09	7:06	170	177	107
4	09:23.5	9:09	1	9:24	7:54	172	175	101
5	08:54.9	8:51	1	8:55	7:45	175	177	97
6	10:00.0	9:42	1	10:00	7:21	174	178	109
7	09:06.2	9:00	1	9:06	7:25	175	177	100
8	09:10.7	9:07	1	9:11	7:16	175	179	101
9	:02.0	--	0	7:08	7:56	178	178	0
Summary	1:14:20.0	1:13:08.0	8	9:14	6:30	172	179	789

All in all, a 9:14 pace, and I came in under 1:15 (my goal I decided on part way through the run). YAY! It was nice to get my legs back, to have them do a long distance and force myself to finish. As of late, the mental part of running is what has been hard for me so this was a nice confidence boost. Also, it was nice that the weather cooperated, as I was out running in shorts and a t-shirt :).    As the work week is about to start tomorrow, here is the plan for the week: 
Tuesday- Workout DVD Wed- Gym Thurs- Track session or negative split run  Fri- Swimming Sat- 13 miler (may modify that to 11)  Sun- Swimming with coach   Well, I hope that you have enjoyed the Easter holiday, celebrating the true reason for this season, and that your training has been more stable then my own. :) 

Running in Paradise

While, I've been in Hawaii over a week, and island hoped yesterday. The whole reason why I had taken so much time off from running when my knee started hurting was so that I could run while I was here.

And it was sooo worth it.

Running in March with just a running skirt, sports bra and vest :)

 

I ran 3 miles Monday (day 1) 4 miles Tuesday, took a break wednesday and Thursday and then 4 on Friday and Saturday.

 

Some people have a hard time running while on vacation, and I will admit there are some challenges.

 

For example:

             Eating Habbits- are completely different (you are on holidays, thats why you work hard all year round), oh and don't forget all the specialty beverages your drinking!

             Climate Change- the temperature change can be hard for your body to adjust to

             The Group- when you run, whoever you are traveling with may be waiting for you to get back so that they can make plans for the day which can put pressure on you to cut your run short.

 

But heres the thing, to me, exercising while on vacation is what I look forward to the most! I finally have no schedule to keep me tied down. I can run when I want, hit up the gym when I want and go take a swim in the ocean whenever I'd like. Plus, all of the walking around I've done is so much better then sitting in an Office Chair for 8 hours a day!

 

Now the quality of my runs while here may not have been the best, but really, just because you are in paradise doens't mean your runs are going to be paradise (see the above reasons for challenges... I'm sure some of those were contributing factors).

 

All, in all, for me, running is a part of my vacation that I look forward to, so I make time for it by waking up before the people that I'm traveling with. Its nice to start off your mornings by yourself, pounding the pavement or the plastic wood path. Passing fellow runners, saying good morning, and noticing how much straighter everyone runs here, with no pressure or burdens on their shoulders.

 

So when your on vacation, don't allow your routine or training to take a slide. Enjoy the freedom of a no work schedule, and if you are feeling the pressures of your group to be ready early, then wake up earlier. You aren't going to be the only one out there running, and it is nice to know that althouh you may be far away from your home running community, there is a running community that exists while on Holidays.  



    Cooling off in the Ocean after my Run... Not something I get to do back home

When the Snooze Button Wins... Kind of

Happy Wednesday! I do not know about you, but I am soooo happy that it is Wednesday, the only thing that would make this day better is if it were Thursday, or Friday oh Heck who am I kidding, really what I'm looking forward to is Sunday! (When I leave for Hawaii)... anyways, back to the reality of Wednesday.

As mentioned previously, I have been having some issues with my right leg, which turned Monday into a rest day (no tempo run), Tuesday into a rest day (no workout dvd), which brings us to Wednesday.

So, this morning I had every intention of waking up at 5:45 am, out the door by 6:30, at the gym at 7 (when the work gym opens) and go on the bike for 40-45 minutes...

5:45 rolled around, snooze was pressed, 6 am rolled around and the thoughts going through my head were not very nice. With the time change, we have reverted back to dark, dark mornings, where you peer out of your sleep filled eyes to find only darkness out there... That is not inviting... Anyways, 6:05 I mustered the energy to kick my blankets off and at 6:10 (yes, I was moving at a tortoise pace*) I finally made it upstairs to make coffee. Quickly* getting my lunch gathered for the day while the coffee was being made, and finally at 6:45 I was out the door.

I made it to the gym for 7:10, but upon getting there any thought of going on the bike was gone, as I looked at the 3 free treadmills waiting for me... I could hear them calling me from across the way, the comfort of the treadmill just drew me towards it. So I decided I'd give running a try, make sure I was looking at my form in the reflection of the window in front of me and the mirror beside me and the most amazing thing happened... Nothing hurt! So I ran 2.5 miles at an 9.05/mile pace and .5 miles at an 8:34 pace.... It was great!

This morning went nothing like I had planned, but even though that was the case, it was still great. I'm happy that even though I woke up late I didn't throw in the towel and sacrifice going to the gym. 3 miles is 3 miles, and 35 minutes on the always comforting Treadmill is 35 minutes of activity that I would not have gotten. So although the snooze button may have won the early battle, I came out victorious. I got my workout in before work, and it turned out to be better then I could have anticipated. (take that time change!) Anyone else experiencing the effects of this time change interfering with their pre work workouts?

Oh and quick side note, this morning at the gym, the people were actually working out! Granted it was predominately girls who were there right at 7 am... hmmm maybe its just the Thursday gym goers who are weird... The one girl was doing a circuit that scared the heebeegeebees out of me and made me happy I had a 'valid' excuse to be taking it easy!

An Unexpected Cause to Pause

Happy Monday, for those of you enduring the effects of Time Change, my one suggestion-Coffee... and lots of it. Now if you are confused as to where to find your coffee maker or filter, then you are in BIG trouble and I suggest treating yourself to coffee out this morning.

Last week was my first official week of marathon training and it looked a little something like this:

Mon-rest
Tues- 4 mile tempo run, Workout DVD (Shed and Shred by Jillian Michaels)
Wed- Ab and arm circuit with 5 min skipping warm up (30 min total time0
Thurs- Hill Training (aka DEATH)
Fri- 30 min swimming
Sat- rest
Sunday- 60 min swim with coach

Okay, so that little word following Sat is the cause for pause... what, Rest, isn't that supposed to be the long run day? Yes, yes it is... However, I have encountered a small little problem, that was a tweak a few weeks ago, but is not going away and I now have just accepted that it is a problem. At first, my right knee felt off. No big deal, take it easy, it'll go away... But then, I started compensating for it with my left leg... yes, now we are headed for troubled waters. Fast forward a week and last week Thursday evening my whole leg was almost in a semi flex, and my hip is telling me that something is definitely out of line.

So now, I shall be headed to physio sometime this week (hopefully sooner rather then later) as I have a suspicion as to what it is, and am desperately hoping it will be a quick fix. Unless I can do enough home stretching and exercises to correct it. But either way, I need to go get it checked out by a professional before I do any real damage. I hope that your training is going better then mine!! and remember, if your body is telling you something is off, take a break before you do greater damage, even if it means detouring from your 'plan'.

Neon On, Pride Off

Alright, so day numero 1 of hill training... umm OUCH! First of all, what masochist invented hill training (this better pay off!!) and Secondly, what other crazy people actually do this!

1.5 mile warm up 9.05
1 min incline 2.0, 2 min 3.0, 1 min 4.0, 2 min 3.0, 2 min 2.5, 1 min 3.0, 1 min 4.0
1 minute rest in between and on the back half I slowed the pace to 9.34/mile
cooldown
Total mileage done - 3.41

Okay, so I worked up the courage and went to the gym at work (I work at a University so it is the same gym that students, staff and faculty use...). I dressed quite modest (for me) to the gym,  capri's, running T-shirt... Mistake number 1 right there... Now remember, I am used to running on the treadmill in the privacy of my own home... meaning short shorts and sports bra/racerback. So I was dying of heat .12 miles in.

Mistake number 2- expecting no one to be there, sheesh I pulled up right when it opened and two guys were already on the treadmills. No worries though, 4 were available and I think I got the prime one, not super close to the mirrors, centred with a tv, Yes things were good. Except, I ended up being the only person in the whole freaking place who looked like they were in discomfort. Seriously! I think I had 2 or 3 waves of people come on the treadmills beside me and leave. Oh ya, because they were doing 'circuit' training... when I do a circuit I still break a sweat but hey, who am I to judge... I'm just saying 1 rep a minute aint going to get you anywhere fast... Oh ya, and the girl who came on the treadmill beside me, had a Tim Hortons coffee cup in her hand as she leisurely walked.... And people wonder why even though they go to the gym they aren't losing weight? (I mean if all you can do is 1 rep a minute then good for you! Do that, but if that is all that you could do you would probably be breaking a sweat because it is uncomfortable! I don't mean to be judgey, but I do think I rolled my eyes at the girl drinking her coffee while on the treadmill....)

So yes, I ended up being a hot sweaty mess, sweat dropping into my eye balls and falling on the treadmill, hair all over the place despite my head band. Ugh, this is why I enjoyed running in the privacy of my own home... all of these self conscious issues were avoided, but here's the thing, the purpose of a gym is to work out. So I learned a good lesson this morning. When the workout gear goes on, the pride comes off.

My workouts are not going to be perfect, my tempo pace wont always be met, and there may even be days when I have to walk. But at the end of the day, the point is that I make the best of the situation and don't let myself off the hook too easily, but extend grace when necessary. Its a balance that I will likely always be working at, but one that needs to be kept in check in order to ensure the longevity of my running life. Anyways, thanks for reading the random thoughts/rant about my gym experience... I have a feeling this may become a common trend: Random gym sightings!

Marathon Training... Its begun

Sorry for my delayed absence from this little blogging corner of mine. My sister was home for a week and a bit so I was busy visiting with her, then my parents got back from a 3 week holiday so my schedule has been a bit out of wack after work hours. 

So, Marathon training has officially begun, as of Yesterday when I fit in my 'tempo' run...and for those wondering the plan that I am following, it can be found here: http://abbotsford.runforwater.ca/run/training , this is what my copy looks like:

Page 1, converted to miles and dates altered for Rock'n'Roll Seattle

Although I am Canadian, I 'run' in miles. I can't do the km thing, because mentally, that is just too many!!! My mental strength can be rather weak at times, so I do not need a looming number surrounding my run to psych me out.

 Why I liked this training option?

                     a- its simple (although I roughly followed a trianing plan last time, I didn't stick to it, and my marathon was a disaster, sooo lets try and stick to a plan!!) 

                     b- 3 runs a week, I cannot run 5-6 times a week and if I can squeeze in a 4th junk mile run I will, but if my body feels like its going to break I'm going to swim it out

                     c- it easily allows me to fit in the BMO half as the week prior to it is a recovery week! :D 

I have realized that marathon training is hard, mentally, physically, financially even (just because of how much your eating and the quality of foods your eating) so this time around, I would like to give it the respect it deserves. 

My plan is the following:

                      Monday - Tempo Runs

                      Tuesday- DVD workout 

                      Wednesday- Intervals/Hills (or circuit training)

                      Thursday -junk mile or I will do the Interval/Hills if I can only run 3 days a week

                      Friday- swim before work

                      Saturday-  Long Run Saturdays 

                      Sunday - Swimming 

Now I realize that to the outsider, it appears that I have no rest day, but  I should clarify. Because I am not too sure how my muscles will respond, Wednesdays may become a rest day and Thursday will be the Intervals/hills as noted above. Also, Swimming on Fridays would be by myself, and for me, swimming is extremely relaxing and it stretches out my back and hips in ways that yoga does for other people... I just do not have the patience for yoga, just like most people think swimming laps is crazy and boring, I have the same feelings about yoga.

As nothing is set in stone I will try and update every Monday my week plan, and do Recap Sundays to digress about how things are going. 

Happy Wednesday! Hope wherever you are you are using the start of March as a reset and have started a journey towards a new goal or an old goal you have been putting off.

Calorie's Counting - to track or not to track?

Hey all, So Monday evening was my first 'properly done' tempo run... Ya it definitely hurt, but I definitely did not help it by my pre run fueling... which sparked the conversation the next day with my friend about our diet (composition of what we eat, not a diet that we are doing), so I figured I'd share some of my thoughts on this matter.

First of all - stuffing my face post work day with mini eggs, followed by dinner, followed by a cupcake, followed by a tempo run... NOT A GOOD IDEA! Seriously, when will I learn and grow up... you do these things after!! (For improper usage of fuel/recovery, I mean, come on, I love me a cupcake and mini eggs but there is no way that helps in my muscle recovery... especially since my body doesn't digest wheat at the best of times). The thing to remember, is that just because you exercise, that does not give you free reign to eat straight out of the ice cream carton, or stuff your face with cupcakes until you are about to burst (despite how tasty and bright this idea may seem at the time).

For the past 3 years or so I've been experimenting with what foods work for my body, and which ones don't (which one's can my body process and feel good after I eat, and which one's make me what to vomit or feel bloated... seriously, when this journey first started I did not realize most people did not feel like vomiting after they ate). And, I'm not there yet. I definitely do not have everything figured out with regards to my body, but one thing that I have learned through this process is that Calorie counting is not for me. I know for plenty of people this is a really good way of making sure that they are eating enough or not over eating throughout the day, but for me, it is more important that I focus on what types of foods I am putting into my body. Am I getting enough protein, dairy, vitamin D, carbs (that big bad word to many)? Am I fueling my body with food that is going to give me energy to get through my work day, as well as my work out after work? If this is not happening, I'm going to be: exhausted, cranky, irritable, and binge on something that my body isn't needing (like chocolate Cadbury mini eggs... 4 hand fulls of them).

It is important to remember though, that while I may be working on lowering my BMI, or body % fat, it is my body composition that I am concerned about, not my weight. And at the end of the day, I'm really not that stringent or fixated on this, I just want to make sure that throughout this next training stretch I am maintaining these numbers. I have realized that I need to shake this idea that at 5 ft 4 I should weigh 120 lbs like the celebrities in the magazines, or follow the 1200 calorie a day model given to people who want to lose weight but aren't active. My body is strong, it has gotten me through a marathon, it biked to Fort Langley and back from my house, it runs in the rain, swims in the rain, it is strong and I need to respect it by properly fueling. For me, calorie counting or tracking at this point in time isn't conducive to what I am trying to do, now that may change, but as of now, I am not a calorie counter and I do not think I need to be.

Workout so far this week:
Monday - Tempo Run: 5 min walk warm up, 3 miles at 9:04 min/mile, 3.67 miles at 8:48/mile, 5 min walk cool down, followed by stretching and foam rolling.
Tuesday - Workout DVD Tuesday: Shed and Shred by Jillian Michaels... it was all good until after the warm-up and we started to do plank hops... ya, that sucked.
 
Today I'm taking a rest day,but tomorrow will be my first sprint set... unless I get too scared or intimidated... I will keep you posted.
Happy Wednesday! Any workouts for you or are you on a rest day too?