5K Training: Day 16

Today's run was UNREAL!!  I came home from work at 9:00pm and wasn't tired at all so I decided to go for my run even though I ALWAYS do my runs in the morning and it turns out evening runs are fantastic.  The temperature was nice and cool and there was absolutely no traffic.  I even ran faster today and wasn't half as tired as I normally am after a morning run.  I'm still going to do morning runs because after all the 5K is at 9:00am but I'm definitely going to do at least 1-2 evening runs during the week.

To health, happiness, and finally loving the run!
Jordana

5K Training: Day 15

Today was my first run of 9 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking for 3 sets and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I normally try to get my runs in around 9:00am but today I was lazy and didn't head out the door until about 10:45am and I paid for it,  man was it HOT!!  I'm not going to start complaining about the heat because I have been waiting for this weather for the last 9 months now and it's finally summer!  The worst thing about today's run was during the second set when my mind started wandering to thoughts of "is the nine minutes up?", "it's so hot", "I'm so thirsty", "my legs are exhausted!", ect.   Whenever this happens I just turn up my music and try to just focus on my breathing or find a saying that motivates me to keep going.  Today was "You get out of it what you put into it".  I know this sounds super corny but it really works!

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 14

I ran just under 6K today and I felt pretty good after.  And by pretty good I mean I thought I was going to either puke, faint or die.  It was over 28 degrees Celsius today and there wasn't a breath of wind for the middle portion of my run.  That being said, I did the run and felt pretty damn good after.  However, later that day when I went golfing with my mom and forgot to pack a water bottle I did not feel so great.  One hour and 5 water bottles later and I'm off to play some beach volleyball.  What a perfect summer day!

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 13

Ok, so I know I said how much a hated wind, but I may have found another contender for weather that I have a deep seeded hatred for...humidity.  Today was BY FAR my worst run yet.  I could hardly breath and found myself constantly checking my timer to see if it was time to walk yet, something I NEVER do. I'm hoping today's hot and humid weather is the only reason I struggled so much and hopefully when I do my last 6:2 run on Sunday, it'll go much better.

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 12

Today was a 6min run with a 2min rest period for 5 sets.  I found the perfect 5K loop from my house and I actually finished the loop before I started the 5th set so I'm confident that I'll be able to do the 5K in AT LEAST under 35min.  My goal is to run it in 30min or less.  I got a very thoughtful gift from my mom yesterday, the new "It's All Good" cookbook by Gwyneth Paltrow and it is amazing!  I'm excited to try some of the recipes, however, most of them call for ingredients that can only be found at a Whole Foods/ health food stores in large cities.  The next time I go into Brandon I'm going to try to stock up on some of the staple ingredients from Superstore but I'm afraid I'll have to wait until I move back to Winnipeg before I can tackle some of the more advanced recipes.

Not only are the recipes AMAZING but the photos are beautiful!  I can't wait to try the NY Street Vendor Salad with Tahini Dressing. (Bottom Right)

To health, happiness, and delicious dishes!

Jordana

5K Training: Day 11

Wind.  I hate it.
I barely made it to my 2.5K halfway point today because I felt like I was doing sprints with a parachute attached to my back.  However, on the way back to my house my pace was twice as fast and I made it home before my SIT timer ran out. Other than the wind, today's run went well.  Tomorrow I move on to Week 4 and I'm starting to feel less self-conscious when I run.  I got a bunch of new music to add to my running playlist and I LOVE it.  I am not a Skrillex fan but it's great to run to.  Especially Make It Bun Dem.  Check it out, it's definitely worth it!

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 10

Another 4:1 day today but today was the first time I actually covered 5km so I was pumped!  I was a lot more tired today during the run which is probably due to a faster pace as well as skimping on my water consumption (again).  I really have to work on drinking AT LEAST 4-5 water bottles every day to stay hydrated.  I also realized that I'm getting very sick of my workout playlist so today's agenda is going to be finishing my Sport Psychology assignment, looking up a couple hours worth of good running music and then heading to work for an evening shift.  I work days for the next 8 days so I am going to have to stay really motivated in order to keep on track with this running schedule!

To health and happiness!
Jordana

5K Training: Day 9

Well, it was another treadmill day today, blerg!  I hate treadmill runs but when it's pouring rain outside, there isn't really another option, other than not running at all and let's be honest, that is still NOT an option!  Apart from sweating like a dog the run went well and afterwards I treated myself to lunch with my grandparents. Treat yo self!

Best episode yet: "fragrances, massages, mimosas, treat yo self!"

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 8

Today was my first 4:1 run and surprisingly enough I found it much easier than the previous week.  It was great to run for more than just a couple of minutes and I felt so good after.  I'm excited that I no longer dread my runs and look forward to them each day.  Can't wait for the next one!

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 7

Today was the first day I used the treadmill for my training and I must say, I hated it.  It was twice as hot as it is outside and I didn't like that I couldn't set my own pace.  I elevated the treadmill so that it would mimic running outside but I don't think it was very effective.  That being said, I had a very busy day (6 hours of driving) and wasn't going to squeeze a run at all but when I was sitting watching hockey I was gripped with a horrible feeling of guilt so dragged my gear on and hopped on the treadmill and finished watching the game while running.  After all, a crappy run is better than no run at all!

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5k Training: Day 6

Today's run was AWESOME!!!  I think I've finally found my pace and I had a great run.  In my previous runs I was trying to faster because I was only running for 1-2 minutes at a time but today I slowed my pace down to how I would run if I was going for a long distance and I ended up having a much better run.  Also, my iPhone shuffle selection was unreal which always helps.  Pursuit of Happiness and Can't Hold Us are two personal favourites.  It's another beautiful day here today so I'm going to do another round of Ab Ripper X outside on the lawn.  I think I'm (finally) starting to see some results in my core which is extremely motivating.

To health, happiness, and finding your own pace!
Jordana

5K Training: Day 5

Week 2 is here and my run was BRUTAL! I worked two 12 hour shifts Tuesday and Wednesday so I didn't have the energy to run when I got home so I'm starting week 2 on Thursday...ugh.  This week I am supposed to run for 2:00 minutes and walk for 1:00 minute.  This isn't necessarily difficult but today I got a wicked side cramp on my fifth set.  I haven't got a cramp while running since I was in high school and thought that cramps were just from pushing yourself when you haven't exercised in awhile. (I used to get them during our mile run fitness tests because those were the only times I'd run for the year).  When I got the cramp I stopped my interval timer and stretched on the side of the road until the cramp was mostly gone, however it lingered for the remainder of my run and slowed me down significantly.  When I got home I looked up causes and ways to prevent cramping.  Most of the sites (Fitsugar, Runner's World, Military Fitness) said the same things.
1)  Wait at least two hours after a meal to go for a run
2) Drink plenty of water (64 ounces) to stay well hydrated
3) Perform stretches before you go running (torso twists, calf stretch, hamstring stretch)
4) Breathe deeply while running to better oxygenate your muscles

I didn't eat before my run and I've been focusing on my breathing while running so I knew those weren't the causes of my cramping but I quickly realized that I haven't been toting around my water bottle the last few days like I normally do.  I have a bad habit of forgetting to drink water while I'm at work and normally end the day pretty dehydrated.  I also didn't drink my usual full bottle of water before my run this morning....LESSON LEARNED!

H2O! H2O! H2O!

To health and happiness!
Jordana

5K Training: Day 4

Week 1 is over and I'm starting to get very nervous for the weeks ahead.  My run was pretty embarrassing today... I didn't have any music to listen to or someone to run with so that really threw me off.  I just couldn't seem to get my breathing right and of course, the more you think about something the harder it is to just let it come naturally.  I'm hoping to get some good running headphones tomorrow and hopefully that will help distract me from my breathing.  Today is the first day in about two weeks I woke up to sunshine so I think I'm going to make use of this rarity and do Ab Ripper X on my lawn (thank god I don't have any neighbours)!

Not a bad view from the dining room!

To health and happiness,
Jordana

5K Training: Day 3

Today I convinced my dad to brave the cold (and wind) and come for a run with me!  This is the perfect week to run with a buddy because you're walking so much and you can each go your own pace without feeling like you're being left behind, or leaving your pal in the dust.  I'm trying to force myself to run in all sorts of weather (today was overcast with strong winds) but yesterday was a torrential downpour all day so I decided to run today instead.  I'll squeeze my last Week 1 run in tomorrow before work and then start Week 2 on Monday.  I'm enjoying the slow pace, low key Week 1 but I'm ready to step things up a little bit because I don't feel prepared for the 5K at all yet!

To health and happiness,
Jordana