Getting Anxious....

The past week I have been struggling with some feelings of anxiety. With the race in less than a month, I am feeling less prepared than I was last year at my first half marathon. Some of my more experienced running friends have shared that they found their second half marathon to almost be harder than their first as they knew what they were getting into.  

I must say I am feeling as though this may be happening to me.  I remember last year at my first half I was nervous and anxious, but it was a different ‘unknown/excited’ type of anxiousness. This year it is more of a ‘oh crap, I know what is coming and I feel as though I am not ready’ kind of anxiousness.

 

This year I have also struggled with injuries and sickness which I had not experienced last year. This has definitely impacted my training and how prepared I feel.  So I am trying not to panic and stick with my plan. I still hope to beat my time from last year (2:05:17), however I am trying to not get hung up on that, and just enjoy the experience while continuing to stay healthy!

Back in the Swing of Things

Where did May go? It seemed to sail by fast--with a few races at the start of the month, giving way to Victoria Day, and the unofficial start of summer the long weekend represents. Somewhere as the sun was popping out (for good?) in Vancouver, I came down with an awful stomach flu. I'll pass on the specifics, but to say, I didn't feel like eating, never mind running!

Still, my routine has gotten to a point that I expect--like it or not--to run 3-5 days a week. Not running for over a week? It felt unnatural and after a week lying about indoors, I pushed myself outside for a light jog. I never expected, even with a few races behind me, that running would become part of my day--not running made my time home sick so stark and reminded me how running has quickly become an important anchor throughout my days. And now that the weather is nice, increasingly, running outside is a chance to get away from the desk and clear my head--if only temporarily.

Running after a stomach flu calls to attention the need to hydrate, though. When you're as sick as I was, you're already really dehydrated to begin with--so I've been drinking more electrolyte drinks, more water, before, during, and after my runs. Hydration is important in the best of cases, so I've had to plan a bit more before my runs to make sure I've had enough to drink, and have water to take with me for longer distances. With less than 4 weeks until the Scotiabank Half Marathon, every kilometre and every litre makes a difference toward a healthy and happy race day.

Hot or Cold, Rain or Shine

The weather is one of those variables runners can't control. Training schedules can't always be put on hold for a blue sky day. I obviously love running on sunny days. However, one thing I have discovered lately with our changeable Spring weather is that my body seems to prefer running on cooler, and dare I say it, even rainy days.

A rainy Sunday run

Selfie attempt

While many Vancouver runners were out doing the half or full marathon a couple of Sundays ago, I was lying in bed trying to convince myself to get out and run in that pouring rain. After walking a lap around my bed I convinced myself that my "long run" couldn't wait for another day.  I made it out the door and was drenched within minutes but I ended up having one of my best 10 km runs to date.

The runs that I did on sunny evenings last week were quite the opposite of my successful rainy run.  Both runs were only about 5-6 km but they felt a lot longer and left me feeling drained.  I'm pretty sure the warm temperatures, in addition to seasonal allergies and the time of day that I ran, were all factors in those less than fantastic runs. 

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Monday night running route

On my "long run" day this week it was sunny so I intentionally headed out early in the morning to try and avoid having to run in the heat. I also recently bought a hydration belt, which I was so thankful for that day!! Having water and Gatorade on hand definitely helped me reach my goal of 15 km!!  I never thought I would be one of those people sporting a water belt. :)

By trial and error I'm learning what works for me so that I can run successfully in all kinds of weather.   I think that if I continue to train in different conditions I'll be well prepared to run the half marathon and the weather, be it rain or shine, will hopefully not be a factor in my performance.

That being said.....for race day I'm visualizing slightly cloudy skies with the sun breaking through just as I'm on the homeward stretch to the finish line. :)

Small Consistent Changes = Long Term Sucess

I have had people ask me how I “got back on track” with my weight. I think this is a topic many people can relate to. I believe people are beautiful in all shapes and sizes, however when you get to the point where your health is at risk due to excessive weight, I believe it is your personal responsibility to make the necessary changes to better your health. 

Deciding to come clean to yourself about your bad habits is not easy. It actually sucks. Admitting that you somehow got off track and are not as healthy as you think you are is a hard thing to do. It takes courage, honesty, and vulnerability to do this. I still remember the day I admitted to myself that I had let myself go and was not living a healthy lifestyle. I was a bridesmaid in one of my best friend’s wedding. So naturally she tagged me in tons of photos from her big day. Looking at those photos were painful. I had been in denial about my weight gain, only posting photos where I looked smaller than I was, rarely looking in the mirror, and not admitting to myself that I had packed on more than a few pounds over the years. Not getting to filter these facebook pictures and really looking at them prompted me to take a step back and really re-assess my lifestyle.

So I turned on the lights, stripped to my undies, stood in front of a full length mirror, and really looked at myself. It was brutal. It was painful. It was emotional. It sucked. I felt like crap. I cried. But it was pivotal to the start of a new beginning for me. I admitted to myself that it was no one else’s fault but my own that I had gained 50 lbs; my decisions lead me to where I was, and in that moment I decided my future decisions would lead me where I wanted to go.

How did I take back my life?  I started walking. I felt embarrassed at first, but continued to remind myself that I was doing something to better myself and it does not matter what others think. So I kept walking. Eventually I progressed to “wogging” (walk/jogging). Then I’d fall off the exercise train for a few weeks and have to get back on track and start all over. So I’d try another technique by adding motivational quotes and affirmations to my routine and start again. Slowly my walking would once again progress to wogging which eventually turned into jogging.

Staying Motivated.

After I was in a fairly good routine, to stay motivated, I reserved some of my mindless internet browsing time to research running pages, motivational weight loss pages, and healthy eating tips. I educated myself on calories in versus calories out. You hear it all the time, that in order to lose one pound you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories from your diet. I started to really understand the consequences of bingeing on 7 cookies in one sitting. I was honest with myself about my eating habits by tracking them and I started attempting to be accountable to myself. Which again was tough on the ego.  Often we think we are being accountable to ourselves, but we actually are not and have a tendency to sugar coat it to make ourselves feel better. I know I would sooth my ego by not being completely honest with myself…. I only had 3 cookies, it’s not soo bad…. No, I actually had 4 cookies, 3 pieces of cheese, 2 pickles, 12 crackers,  half a chocolate bar and two glasses of wine (and yes I have eaten like this, please don’t judge me.) Being honest about it, and understanding the mass amount of calories I was consuming helped me put into perspective why my weight was not budging. Again this sucked.

before 2010 after 2014

Long story short, I slowly lost the 50 lbs and I reiterate I did it slowly. I refused to fall into the dieting propaganda and promised myself I was going to do it healthy, not through sickness or fad diets. And guess what, I did. It took time, but that time passes anyways and the slow transition helped me to maintain it. I still struggle some days, but I keep the bigger picture in mind. I know that small consistent changes are the key to success. I try not to beat myself up when I have a binge and I just get back on track the next day.  Signing up for a half marathon like Scotiabank Half Marathon helps to keep me accountable to my goals and progress.  I highly recommend taking up running if you are looking to maintain a healthier lifestyle!  J

Sunshine...some of the best medicine!



After work jog in New West



What a gorgeous week!! I love how the beautiful weather brings out happiness in people! Weather like this makes being a runner easy…all those cold, rainy runs are long forgotten, as sunshine warms our souls. :)

The past few weeks have been a struggle for me, dealing with a Tensor Fasciae Latae injury, however this past week I am feeling stronger and the pain has lessened quite a bit. I have been doing targeted stretching for my TFL and exercises to help strengthen my gluteus medius. My Mom, a retired Physiotherapist, explained to me this helps to unload the TFL. If you are having hip pain and think it may be your TFL this is a good article. 

This morning I was able to run 6km without too much pain; which is awesome considering 3 weeks ago I could not run at all and experienced a constant nagging pain in my hip. So needless to say, things are looking up and I am so happy and grateful to be running consistently again. I hope you are all enjoying this awesome weather!

Happy Running!  

Early Morning Jog in New West