It’s now been about 3 weeks since I decided to take a break from running due to aggravating my knee while lifting a heavy box during the move. I thought I would give you guys a bit of an update and let you know how things are going. Of course, running on an already sore knee wasn’t going to improve the situation no matter how badly I wanted to keep up with training for my races. I decided to drop out of my planned 10km races (one last Sunday and one this weekend). It just isn’t worth it to me to go against what my body is telling me. In fact, the more I listen to my body, the better I feel.

My knee is feeling a bit better each day, granted much slower than I’d hoped it would. We all know our bodies the best and it’s pretty easy to feel when something still isn’t 100%. I did a short test run a couple weekends ago (with Eric who is actually getting into running believe it or not) and it felt pretty good during the run, but a bit sore for my liking following the run. I’ve been icing, doing strengthening exercises (as suggested by a PT), and lots of yoga. It’s never fun to get excited for races and then realize that you can’t take part, but I’m just trying to stay positive and focus on what I CAN do with my body.

Like yoga and strength training! If you were reading this blog last May, you may recall that I fell in love with hot yoga. It was one of those moments when I asked myself, what the heck took me so long to try it? This came as a huge surprise to me because I previously tried yoga at home with DVDs for a couple years and I could never get into it. Trying to teach myself at home was like nails on a chalkboard most of the time and I felt like I was forcing myself to get through just 15- 20 minutes.

Many of you told me that my entire perception of yoga would change when I practiced in a class setting. Boy were you ever right. After I stepped out of my first class at Moksha last April, my perception of yoga was forever changed. I felt invigorated, calm, and happy and I already couldn’t wait to go back the next day. Everything finally clicked.

This experience made me realize that sometimes the things we resist the most are the things we actually need the most. As someone who struggles with a ton of anxiety and a mind that never sleeps, I naturally resisted yoga because I was scared. Of slowing down, perhaps? Was I worried about being still? As it turns out, it was the best thing I could have done for myself.

"Be open to everything. Your most valuable lessons may well come from the things you’re resisting the most." ~Melody Beattie

At first, I took about a week and a half off of all exercise until my knee told me it could do a bit more. After my time off, I decided to try out many of the wonderful yoga studios in my new town. So far I’ve tried Some Like It Hot and Clarity yoga studios and I plan to try others eventually. The great thing about trying yoga in a new area (or for the first time) is that you can take advantage of all of the cheap intro offers that many yoga studios offer. I can basically do several months of yoga for $1 per class if I take advantage of all the studios intro offers. I’m going to ride the intro train as long as I can! hah. After that, I plan on finding deals on Wagjag and other daily deal sites.

I’ve also challenged myself to step outside of my “yoga comfort zone” as I used to be quite comfortable with Moksha’s style. So far, I’ve tried Power yoga, Vinyasa, Hatha, and even hot Pilates (which was amazing for the core). Other classes I want to try include spinning yoga, a barre class, and maybe (if I can get over my fears) aerial yoga! Still can’t quite wrap my head around that one. Thankfully the yoga and strength training hasn’t been bothering my knee, so it’s a safe way for me to enjoy moving my body and clearing my head.

When things happen in our lives that take us off our planned course (and they will), it’s a great time to stop and think about what other doors have opened. It can take time to figure out, but that’s ok too. Do a bit more of what feels good to you each day, and a bit less of what doesn’t.

Have you ever found yourself with a sudden closed door, only to discover other open doors in the process? Or have you resisted something for a long time and then discovered that it was something you enjoyed?

After a 1 week break from workouts, I finally felt like I had enough energy to get back into exercise yesterday. My body was literally craving a run! It was also a good excuse to take a much needed break from unpacking.

For some pre-run fuel, I tried out a Vega snack bar that I had in my purse since…well, that would be anyone’s guess.

I really enjoyed the Vega Vibrancy Chocolate Bar (top), but I didn’t care much for the chocolate Whole Food Energy bar. Somehow I managed to polish it off over the past week though. 

This is the Vega Chocolate Vibrancy Bar below. It was quite good with a nice chocolate flavour and sprouted buckwheat groats for crunch. It tasted like dessert which is always a plus in my books.

I headed over to the beautiful Lakeshore for my run. This was my first official training run in Oakville. The only other time I think I’ve run in Oakville was the Oakville Labour Day 10km race that I ran in 2010.

It’s such a gorgeous trail, I felt like I was on vacation.

Do I have any readers who run around Lakeshore? I was thinking about starting up a running group at some point. Let me know if that would interest any of you!

I was quite delighted to see a bunch of long staircases throughout my run. That sounds so sick and twisted, I know.

Back in 2007-2008 when we lived in a condo in Toronto, I used to walk 28 flights of stairs every day (it took me about 4 minutes if I remember correctly) as a way to sneak in exercise since my job was so sedentary. I’m a big fan of stairs and will walk them whenever I get a chance.

This one just screams run up me!

I’m seeing some interval stair workouts in my future…

This little guy may seem innocent, but he tried to chase me when I got too close.

Some speed training ensued…bahah.

With all the craziness that’s been going on with the move, I completely forgot about all the races I have coming up back to back- and two of which are 10k’s:

• April 15th: Mercedes-Benz Oakville 10K
• April 22nd: Toronto Yonge Street 10k
• April 28th: 5k Ford Race to end Diabetes in Oakville

I guess I’m going to have to start getting back into a consistent training mode. I haven’t run over 6km in a dog’s age.

For my post-run breakfast, I had a rather GREEN bowl of vegan overnight oats. Much like Green Monsters, you don’t taste the greens in vegan overnight oats (when made with a banana or other sweetener).

A couple years ago, a few blog readers told me to try combining a Green Monster and vegan overnight oats. I thought they were crazy (in a good way, obviously) and finally got the nerve to try it…oh, two years later!

All you do is blend a Green Monster before bed and pour it into a bowl of rolled oats and stir it all up. In the morning you will have a Green Monster/vegan overnight oat hybrid waiting for you in the fridge. I’ve made it with spinach and also with kale and both were delicious. I’m telling you, I was kicking myself for waiting so long to try it out!

Just trust me on this one. Did the Green Monster ever steer you wrong?

I rest my case.

Green Monster Vegan Overnight Oats

Now you can get in a serving of greens (without tasting it!) in your morning bowl of vegan overnight oats. Feel free to add any toppings as you wish: fruit, nut butter, granola, coconut, etc.

Inspired by: lovely blog readers. Also, check out Britt’s and Emilia’s versions too.

Print, Email, or Text this recipe

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 large handful fresh spinach or small handful of kale
• 1 large ripe banana
• 1.5 tbsp chia seeds (necessary for thickening)
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/3 cup regular, rolled oats

1. In a blender, blend together the spinach, banana, chia seeds, and almond milk until smooth.

2. In a cereal bowl, add the oats and then pour the smoothie on top. Stir well until combined.

3. Place in fridge (uncovered is fine) overnight. Give it a good stir in the morning and then enjoy it cold, straight from the fridge. Add desired toppings as you wish such as nut butter, granola, coconut, fruit, etc.

It’s official: I’m hooked on 5k races!

My second 5k race is under my belt…err…bib, after yesterday’s Frosty 5k race in Burlington. I had such a blast. There was also a half marathon going down…kudos to the brave souls who ran it yesterday!

Unlike my last 5k race a few weeks ago, the skies were blue and the roads were clear. The temperature seemed innocent enough (-4C), but the wind was bone chilling being so close to the lake. Although, once I started running it wasn’t so bad. The cold isn’t as noticeable when you are breathless and busting some booty on the race course!

One thing I love about winter races? The later start time. The race didn’t start until 10:05am, so that meant that I could sleep in until almost 8am feeling nice and rested when I got up.

For some yummy pre-race fuel, I enjoyed a wrap with a banana and a couple spoonfuls of sunflower seed butter.

and a juicy grapefruit for extra hydration.

We got to the race about 45 minutes early, so I took advantage of the free time to empty my bladder. However, the porta potty line ups were huge and not moving very quickly. I waited in line for 20 minutes, before bailing at the last minute so I’d make it to the start line on time. What a tease! Needless to say, holding my bladder throughout the 5k was not fun. That grapefruit clearly put me over the edge…darn you, grapefruit!

There is something to be said about running a race with hundreds of other people (well, thousands if you count the half marathoners); it’s instant motivation and the excitement is contagious, even in the winter.

After a cold wait, it was finally time to begin!

I got off to a slower than normal start, but it ended up being a blessing because I think I would have gone out too hard. I just wanted to sprint to get warm!

The course itself was a simple “out and back” route on a linear, mostly flat course (along Lakeshore) which is perfect for setting a new PR. I love out and back courses because I get to see the faster people coming back (while I’m still going out) and it’s quite motivating to see them zoom by. The first place finisher had a time of 15:29! Crazy.

I felt so happy during the entire race and I think it was probably one of the strongest races that I’ve run, mentally and physically.

Soon enough I was rounding the last bend to the finish line.

See that YELLOW Powerbar “finish line”? When I rounded the last corner, I thought that was the finish line, so I gunned it as hard as I could only to discover that the finish line was actually a couple hundred metres further!

#epicfail

I was now out of breath and really struggling not to stop and walk to the actual finish line. The spectators really gave me my last bit of motivation to keep running.

There wasn’t any smiling for cameras or even looking for Eric. Just me and the finish line, baby!

The real finish line:

…and then I bolted to the nearest bathroom.

My official stats:

Chip time: 22:37

Ranking: 4th in my division (25-29 yr old women), 13th out of 390 women, and 52nd out of 577 runners

Avg pace per km: 4:32 min/km

Avg pace per mile: 7:16 min/mile

I beat my previous 5k race time by just over 30 seconds, so that was a nice bonus. I think the speed work has been helping!

I came home and made a recovery smoothie and then had a hot shower. Hot shower = Best feeling ever after a winter race.

I used this Vega Performance protein powder and added in a big frozen banana and lots of almond milk. Yum.

The nutritional info (click to enlarge)

Sketchie was overjoyed to hear about my race. Not.

So as you can tell, I’m loving the 5k distance. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised because I used to run short distances in track and field and always loved them.

Here are some things that I love about 5k races…

• Shorter recovery time: I’m not too sore after my 5k races (just stiff muscles). After my last 5k race I took a couple days off exercise and then I felt fine to get back into my normal routine. After my half marathons however, I had to take 2 weeks off exercise to recover and occasionally sustained mild injuries. The reduced down time with the 5k is a major plus in my books! Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t get injured running a 5k because you obviously can with any distance.
• Less training time: My 5k training runs are between 3-5 miles, about 4 times per week. I don’t have to spend more than about 25-45 minutes out of my day to train. This is a huge plus when busy.
• Less Prep: I don’t need to bring water, energy gels, or anything else like I do with longer distances. It’s quite effortless to prepare for.

Have you ever run a 5k race or are you thinking about running one some day? For all of you runners: what is your favourite race distance?

If you are looking to start running, I’ve heard great things about the Couch to 5k 9-week running program. If you start now, you can run your first 5k race at the beginning of May! Maybe if some of you have done the C25k before, leave a comment below telling us about your experience. It may help others who are thinking about starting.

When I hear the word treadmill, a few words come to mind:

Boring.

Repetitive.

Dull.

Auto-repeat.

Nooooooooooooooooooo.

You too?

My reaction is mostly because I tend to fall into major treadmill ruts. I’ve recently discovered if I don’t consciously make an effort to create interesting treadmill workouts, then I really only have myself to blame when I cringe at the mere thought of them.

Sometimes a little pre-planning in life can really make a huge difference in outcome…and outlook, right?

Plus, it doesn’t hurt to dream of summer runs either…

Lately when nature forces me indoors, I now create my own workout plans to jazz things up a little. I’ve been inspired by all the workouts on Pinterest lately and decided it was about time that I start creating my own personalized workouts!

Workout #1

Here is one such workout that I created last week. I call it the Boredom Blaster because the time flies by. With a workout like this, there isn’t much time to feel bored before you’re changing speeds and inclines once again.

I also pause the workout and take a 30-60 second water break every 20 minutes (or as needed) to let my heart rate come down a little. After the workout I often bust out 3 sets of 10 push-ups and 2 sets of 50 ab exercises. Sometimes I stop the workout after 30 minutes depending on how much time I have available.

This workout leaves me a sweaty mess, feeling super accomplished, and ready to take on the day. Best of all, it breaks up the monotony that treadmill workouts can be known for.

Workout #2

Here is a SPEED workout I’m loving lately. My next 5km race is only 16 days away (on March 4th), so I’ve been working in speed workouts into my routine to get ready for it. I absolutely love this workout because it is super quick (under 25 minutes) and it changes every 2 minutes so boredom doesn’t have a chance to creep up!

I finish that workout a sweaty mess feeling like I just busted out a 45 min workout, but in half the time.

A challenge to try

If you’re stuck inside feeling the cardio equipment blahs, try making your own workout plan on paper before you begin, or even the night before your morning workout! Motivation is majorly boosted because it’s right there in front of you telling you what to do next and it’s also fun to mentally tick off each accomplished interval as you go. I don’t believe these workouts are a “one size fits all” deal, so feel free to tailor them to your specific needs.

How do you keep things interesting while working out on cardio equipment? Any fav workouts or mental tricks?

Leave it to Old Man Winter to arrive promptly before my first race in almost 16 months.

Impeccable timing, Old Man.

I swear, it was mild and there was no snow on the ground when I booked the race. As soon as I booked, a storm moved in on the weekend and the temperature plummeted. Go figure. I guess that is the thrill of racing during the winter. You never know what the conditions will be like.

After waking up to the blowing snow and a nasty –14C windchill, I was clearly overjoyed to be racing… 

bahaha. Where is that runner’s high when you need one? I swear to you, if I hadn’t blogged about running this race, I probably would’ve bailed on it. Nothing like online accountability.

For warmth, I wore 4 layers on top (tank, long sleeved shirt, pullover, and zip up jacket), one layer on bottom, two pairs of socks, gloves, hat, headband. For “entertainment”, I brought my ipod shuffle and Garmin. For breakfast, I had a smoothie with frozen berries. I figured I could acclimatize myself with a cold drink! No such luck. I also had a ginger tea for the car ride as my stomach was feeling a bit jittery.

One good thing about this race was that it didn’t start until 10am, so I got to sleep in a bit longer than most races.

Thankfully, Eric still wanted to come despite the weather. And he drove us as well. I was already nervous enough about racing on snow-covered roads, so it was nice not to have to drive on them too!

On our way, the snow was coming down quite hard. I started to get really nervous as I’ve never run in these conditions before!

After getting my chip and bib and killing a 1/2 hour before the start, it was finally time to line up. I was freezing my tail off, but decided not to warm up because the rest of the roads were all slushy and I didn’t want to soak my feet before starting. Nothing like starting a 5km race with frozen blood!

This was a special Valentine’s Day race, so they had all the couple’s wrists tied together with a piece of red ribbon! Very cute idea. I debated hand-cuffing Eric to my arm so he’d have to run with me, but with his ball and chain it would probably slow me down. No one needs that.

I was really just jealous that he got to go inside (in the warmth) to wait for me!

As you can see, it wasn’t a huge race! I would guess around 175-200 runners.

No shot gun, no horn, no bell. Just an old-fashioned count down and we were off!

In all of my races, I’ve always tried to start off slower and build speed, but with the 5km most runners seem to just sprint the entire distance, so that’s what I ended up doing too!

I didn’t have a time or pace goal for this race, but I settled into a pace around 7:15-7:45 minute/mile for most of the course. And by settled, I mean I struggled and fought my absolute hardest to stay there. I noticed some runners were slowing down after the 3km mark, so I used that opportunity to pass about 6 or 7 runners throughout the second half of the course. It was a great way to boost my mental stamina, especially when I started to get really tired.

Thankfully, Old Man Winter relented and the snow stopped during the race. I just had to deal with the cold, which was quickly freezing my toes, nose, and fingers, even with all my layers. My nose was also running like crazy. About 3 km into the course, my feet and hands finally warmed up.

The course was a basic flat loop with a couple small inclines. Finally, I turned the last corner and saw the finish line. It was hard to believe that I had been running just over 20 minutes at this point because I felt exhausted!

I couldn’t really find the energy in me to sprint near the end, but I realized that was probably because I was already sprinting! I just maintained my speed and picked it up right before the finish line.

As always, I was so happy to be across that finish line!

Catching my breath!

My official chip time is 23:07!

I was also given a beautiful finisher’s medal!

I’m not sure what it’s made out of, but I’m going to pretend it’s 14 carat gold.

And boy is it HEAVY. It’s easily the biggest/heaviest medal I own.

Who needs jewelry on Valentine’s Day when you have this bad boy?

Shortly after arriving home, Sketchie peeked his head out of his favourite box and said, “I don’t run for anything!”, before curling up for the rest of his afternoon nap.

And just like that, I ended my 16-month racing hiatus. Somehow, it feels like I was never gone.

Next up, the Chilly Half Marathon and Frosty 5k on March 4th. I’m already looking forward to it!

Have you ever had a hobby or activity that you love and let it get away for a while?

And a lot of time goes by and you start to wonder if you’ll ever get back into it?

That’s sort of what happened to me with running races.

In 2009, I got hooked on races running two 10k’s, a 10-miler, 3 half-marathons, and a beginner’s triathlon, all within about a year and a half. To say I was hooked on racing was an understatement. I loved the thrill of pushing my body, overcoming mental hurdles, and seeing my time improve. My last race was the Oakville Labour Day 10k and I managed to finish 3rd place in my division with a time of 49:50. It was a great race to end the season.

Despite my love for racing, I shifted gears in 2011 in favour of other activities. I fell in love with hot yoga and rekindled my love for Body Pump and spinning, after Ange gave me a discounted gym membership for the year. I used to be a gym rat back in university, so it was fun to get back into some of my favourite classes.

In 2012, I decided not to renew my gym membership, so I’ve been alternating at-home Booty Camp Fitness strength workouts with running outdoors. Because our winter has been so mild and free of much snow, I’ve been able to enjoy running outdoors several times a week. At first, adjusting to running during winter was difficult for me (it’s harder to breathe!), but now I find that I crave getting outside as much as I can, as long as I bundle up properly. I just don’t leave the house without the most crucial piece of winter running equipment- a few tissues! Having to blow your nose is a great excuse to take a walking break, right?

As you can see, my activities have been all over the place over the past couple years! I used to think that I had to juggle everything I love to do all at once, but I’ve since realized that it’s totally normal for passions and interests to change over time and for our focus to shift. I don’t need to do it all at once and it’s ok if I don’t have the “perfect” balance, whatever that means.

After discovering a love for climbing in Arizona, I found myself playing around with the idea of getting back into running races. It took getting to the top and bottom of a steep, rocky mountain for me to realize how much I’ve missed the feeling of accomplishment when it’s all over. It also made me realize how much I thrive on challenges, physical and mental. As an added bonus, these accomplishments also have a positive impact on my anxiety.

I caught myself thinking, I don’t think I can race this year. I just have too much on my plate…. How am I going to race if I can’t even find the time to _____ right now?

That’s when I realized that being busy is exactly the reason to get back into a long lost activity. We’re all busy. We all have obligations. Life just gets busier and busier with each passing year. Whether it’s racing, volleyball, dance, biking, the gym, or yoga, so many of us (and I think women, especially) let our passions fall to the wayside in favour of work and home obligations. Obviously, life happens and exercise gets put on the back burner at times (I’ve skipped many workouts over the past few months!), but that doesn’t mean I have to give up on a passion all together.

This isn’t to say that I’m going to bite off more than I can chew. I’m going to try to be realistic with the time I will have to race. I’m going to start with shorter 5k or 10k races, that require little training other than the running I’ve already been doing. I’m not trying to achieve a certain time goal right now or win the race (ok maybe I am, bahah). I just want to allow myself the opportunity to get back into something I love. That is definitely attainable.

On that note, I’m excited to let you know that I’ve signed up for three races over the next few months:

1) Sunday Feb 12 (in 2 days!): The Valentine’s Day Couples & Singles 5k, Burlington, ON (I’m going as a SINGLE, anyone want to be my hot date?)

2) Sunday March 4th: Chilly Half Marathon and Frosty 5k, Burlington, ON (I’m doing the 5k)

3) Sunday April 22:  Toronto Yonge Street 10k, Toronto, ON

I’m looking for buddies…so let me know if you want to join me!

~~~

Is there an activity or hobby that you are thinking of starting up again? Or a totally new-to-you activity that you’ve been thinking of trying out?

Aside from the relentless cloud cover and rain we’ve been hit with lately, the temperatures have been fairly warm for November! I’ve been getting outside for runs this week, trying to soak up every last degree of warmth.

Yesterday, I had a great run that I like to call the “5-mile pick-up run”. With each mile, I pick up the pace and haul major booty! It’s great for warming up when it’s a bit chilly outside too. I start off slower than I usually would and then gradually increase the pace.

5 Mile Pick-Up Run

Note: Can be done outside with a running watch or on the treadmill at any pace, distance, or incline.

Mile 1: 9:30 min/mile

Mile 2: 9:00 min/mile

Mile 3: 8:30 min/mile

Mile 4: 8:00 min/mile

Mile 5: 7:30 min/mile (sprint last 100-200 metres)

I love, love, love this run. You can use this pick-up method with any distance and pace to suit your own ability level. It’s a bit more challenging to control my pace while running outside (vs. a treadmill), but as long as I stay fairly close to my target it’s no biggie. On a treadmill, you can control your pace much more accurately and you can also change up the hills if you’re feeling…so inclined.

Here’s my current workout playlist that I’ve been rocking to lately.

Sweat It Out Playlist:

1. “Good Feelin’” Flo Rida

2. “Mr. Saxobeat” Alexandra Sran

3. “Dog Days are Over” Florence & The Machine

4. “We Found Love” Rihanna

5. “Firework” Katy Perry

6. “On The Floor” JLo feat Pitbull

7. “Memories” David Guetta

8. “You & I” Lady Gaga

9. “Love You Like A Love Song” Selena Gomez

10. “Headlines” Drake

11. “The Cave” Mumford & Sons

12. “Last Friday Night” Katy Perry

13. “Where Them Girls At” David Guetta

14. “Fly” Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna

15. “Cheers (Drink to that)” Rihanna

16. “5′ O’clock” T Pain

I’m pretty sure I’ll be sick of this list by the end of the week, but knowing me I’ll probably listen to it until March slowly driving myself insane a bit more each day. That’s how playlists work, right?

ps- I hope you like delicious biscotti because biscotti season is coming soon…

This past Spring, I challenged myself to include more variety in my workouts. After a long Winter, I found myself in a workout rut and I knew I needed to mix things up.

In May, I fell in love with Hot Yoga and it renewed my enthusiasm for trying new forms of exercise. Since then, I’ve been mixing things up almost everyday and my body is the happiest its been in a while! I thought I would share the workouts that I’m excited about this summer and maybe you can share what you’re loving too!

1) Spinning

[source]

If running gives me the ultimate workout high, spinning is a very close second. In university, I signed up for a couple 3 month spinning classes and I fell in love with spinning almost instantly.

One of my June Goals was to incorporate spinning back into my life and I’m so happy that I got back on the bike! I’ve been going about once a week and I look forward to the spinning high every time.

My only complaint about spinning is that I tend to get groin/crotch pain from the seat. However, this time around, I’ve been wearing my padded Pearl Izumi bike shorts (that I wore during our triathlon training) and they help a lot.

2) Short Distance Speed Running

Instead of focusing on long distance training runs and races like I did the past two summers, I decided I would focus on shorter speed runs this summer. I’m running a couple 5k races in the near future to celebrate my training!

Not only does speed training challenge my lungs, muscles, and mental stamina, but it also gives my joints a break from long-mileage runs. So far this summer, I haven’t had any aches or pains, which is a first for me when training. I must be on the right track…

3) High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) via hill walking

[source]

Some days it’s just too hot to workout outdoors, so I like to hit the treadmill and sweat it out inside. When I first started blogging, I was in love with treadmill hill walking and it also got my body in shape for my wedding (along with resistance exercises). When I crank up the incline between 10-15%, it’s one of the most intense workouts that I do. When a walk is harder than a run, you know you are pushing yourself!

High Intensity Interval Training is exercise that involves intense bursts of exercise (e.g., sprinting) followed by moderate intensity exercise (e.g., jogging) repeated in an interval format. It’s great because you can squeeze a powerful workout into a short amount of time and it’s also said to increase your resting metabolic rate for 24 hours post-exercise. I like to do hill walking intervals alternating with slow jogs (with decreased incline) for about 30 minutes. For more info, see this post.

4) Body Pump & 30 Day Shred

[source]

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not in love with weight lifting, but I love how it makes me feel (confident! strong!) and of course how it tones my muscles. I first started doing Body Pump back in university and I’ve gone through spurts with it over the years. I like going once a week and I also enjoy the Booty Camp Fitness and 30-Day Shred workout DVDs for a quick home strength workout.

5) At-home Yoga

In May, I went to over 22 hot yoga classes in 1 month and I was completely hooked. I debated buying a class pass for a while, but as soon as the hot weather hit I found that I didn’t crave the hot yoga classes like I did during our chilly Spring. For me, Hot Yoga is more desirable during cooler months. Lately, I’ve been doing at-home yoga once a week or if I’m sore after a workout.

6) Whittle My MIddle

In June, one of my goals was to rock out 2 Whittle My Middle sessions per week and I achieved this goal for the most part (except 1 week that I bailed on it). My core feels and looks stronger than it has in a while. Now that I’ve built up my ‘base’, I’ve been doing weekly core exercises to maintain the work I did in June. I do about 5 minutes of core work per week (of these core exercises). It’s just enough to keep my core strong without having to devote too much time to it.

7) Hiking

Don’t mind those two weirdos…you never know who you are going to bump into on a hike!

And don’t forget to rest…

My workouts would not be possible without 1-2 rest days per week. Rest days should be part of the weekly plan, just like any other workout!

And blizzards, lots and lots of blizzards.

What workouts are you enjoying this Summer?

I received some exciting news that I’ve been nominated in Chatelaine’s Women of the Year Contest, in the Hot 20 under 30 category! I’m honoured to be nominated among so many amazing Canadian women.

I remember reading about this contest in Chatelaine each year and thinking to myself how much I would love to make a difference. And you know what? I told myself that I would never be able to. I guess it goes to show that our negative thoughts are not always right and we can prove them wrong.

Please check out the nominees and VOTE for your favs!

“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” ~D.W.

Back in the day, I used to be into all that crazy track and field stuff. High jump, shot put, long jump, relay, and sprints. Short distance sprints were always my favourite event. I loved the intense, breathless pace and the thrill of not knowing who would cross the finish line first. Sometimes I won, sometimes I got left in the dust. It was always anyone’s race! I still remember the nerves I felt before the gun went off. I had to be so careful not to go too soon and have a false start!

I know, it’s a bit strange to enjoy breathless agony. But the breathless agony leads to this high euphoric feeling when it’s over.

Another example of two extremes is hot yoga. I get hot and sweaty during class but then feel cool as a cucumber (mentally and physically) after class. This contrast of feeling, intensity, and mood is what really makes me fall in love with a certain activity over another.

Over the past month, I’ve been running 3-4 mile distances about 2-3 times per week. While I do enjoy long distance races like half-marathons, I have to admit that they take a toll on my body! I’m injury prone and when I get up to the 10, 11, 12, and 13 mile training runs, I often have to deal with pesky aches and pains. After my three half marathons, I had to take 1-3 weeks off running to recover. Not ideal. I go stir crazy when I can’t move my body. Of course, that isn’t to say that you can’t get injured training for or running a 5k- you certainly can- but, I think it’s cool to switch it up.

I’ve run 7 races (including one triathlon) since I started racing in June 2009 (read about my running journey here), but I still haven’t run a 5k race! I decided to do something about that.

5ks also require less time to train, which is good for me this summer as I’m working on a couple new writing projects and spending a lot of time working on our yard and gardens.

Yesterday, I ran 3 miles and pretended like I was running a race. I set a goal of running 3 miles in 24 minutes. I totally didn’t think I could do it. I had to really boot it hard, especially in the last couple minutes.

When I finished, I realized I hadn’t even lost my breath or broke a sweat.

Not.

Here are the strategies I use for running speedy short distances:

1. Set challenging, but realistic goals: Before starting your run, set a time and distance goal. I base my goals on previous runs for the most accurate prediction. I recently ran 3 miles in 25 minutes, so I thought 24 minutes would be a tough challenge!

2. Bring a stop watch. if you don’t have a Garmin or other distance tracking watch, you can figure out where your mile splits are along your route and then time each mile with a basic stop watch.

3. Set mile split goals if you wish. For each of the 3 miles, I set a time goal for each. If my overall average goal pace is an 8 min/mile and my first mile was 8:34, I know that I need to step up the pace in my second mile. I might set a goal for the second mile to be 7:45 pace to make up for lost time. I’m not very specific, but it keeps me on target.

4. Don’t underestimate hydration needs. I often catch myself thinking that I don’t need to hydrate properly for shorter runs, but this is a mistake! The body needs water every 10-15 minutes, especially in hot weather. I made this mistake today by not bringing my Camelbak and my throat was dry the entire run. Not cool!

5. Boot it: Expect to haul majah booty during the last few minutes! No matter how fast I try to run during the first 90% of the run, I always have to make up for lost time during the last few minutes. And anyways, it’s fun to sprint hard the last bit! I often have negative splits when running short distances with tough goals…it literally forces you to run faster at the end.

6. Blast some fast beats. Fast music = faster running. For me, anyways! Oh and I totally need a new music mix…I’m still rocking the same mix from last summer! It’s driving me INSANE.

7. Have Confidence! Believe that you can achieve your time goal. I can’t tell you how many times I catch myself saying that I cant do it. When you believe you can, you start to run with confidence and power. I strongly believe in the mind-body connection!

8. Stay Loose. I tend to tighten up and raise my shoulders and arms when I run fast. Be mindful of your body as much as you can and shake your arms out when necessary. I often do this several times during a race because I get SUPER tight during races!

9. Visualize you’re running a RACE before, during, and even crossing an imaginary finish line. This will help increase motivation and hopefully, energy. My imaginary finish line is my mailbox. Occasionally, I like to shoot my arms up in the air and cheer. It sounds a bit embarrassing when I type it out like that. Just forget that last part. I would never do such a thing.

10. Streeeeetch. I used to be horrible for stretching after runs, but now I try to stretch, even if it’s just for a minute! It really does help with recovery. When I don’t stretch after a tough run, I pay for it the next day.

11. Dump everything you can find into a blender and slam a Green Monster. Much better.

Keep in mind that everyone’s definition of a ‘speedy run’ will be different. The same is true for how you define a ‘short distance’. When I first started running, 3 miles was very, very long for me to run (still is some days!) and I could barely run a 12 minute mile. It’s important to do what is right for you at your current ability level and not get discouraged. Running isn’t easy and you should pat yourself on the back for any run that you accomplish whether it be 1/4 mile or 10 miles.

By the way, I’ve heard so many great things about the Couch to 5k program for new runners, so if you are thinking about trying out a 5k race, be sure to check it out!

I’m currently scoping out a 5k race in Oakville this weekend or a later race in June. I’m already shaking in my sneakers!

Have you ever run a 5k race before? Are you training for one now or have any tips to share?

Do you have any summer races planned?

I finally got around to ordering a new pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10’s!

Stank-free and blinding white.

I discovered Brooks Adrenaline last Spring when I had a special fitting done at Fit 2 Run in Sarasota, Florida. I suffered from chronic blisters for a couple years and it caused me a lot of frustration not knowing why I kept getting bad blisters with every pair that I tried.

My fitting told me two important things:

1) Contrary to what I thought, I am not a severe over-pronator. My feet are actually fairly neutral (with slight over-pronation only), so the sneakers for over-pronation that I was buying were incorrect for my feet.

2) I have a very narrow foot. My heels swim in normal width sneakers. Hence: bad heel blisters!

The beauty of the Brooks Adrenaline? They come in a special narrow width and they hug my heels like a glove! I’ve had many fittings, but the one I had at Fit 2 Run was the only one that solved my problem. I highly recommend them if you are in Florida. This week is my Fall Back Week in my half marathon training, so it is the perfect time to gradually break them in.

And there really is no gracious way to go from talking about feet to food, so I will just get right to it before I put my foot in my mouth. Today’s recipe is courtesy of Elizabeth who is the first winner in the Valentine’s Day Recipe Contest! Eric said he picked this recipe because no one would expect him to pick a non-chocolate dish. I love the mental games he plays. He will be selecting two more (or possibly 17) recipe entries by tomorrow, so stay tuned.

This dish is packed with nutritious ingredients!

I started out by using red quinoa because I thought it would be festive for Valentine’s Day.

Unfortunately, my red quinoa never got fluffy…even after 30 minutes of cooking! I have no idea why it remained crunchy and would not cook. Has this ever happened to anyone else before?

Because of my wonky red quinoa, I had to start over from scratch. It was a bit soul-crushing!

Sauté the onion, carrot, and garlic:

After the onion is translucent, add in the broth, quinoa, salt, and cinnamon:

Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to check it often and stir so it doesn’t burn.

Meanwhile, toast your almonds in the oven and cook the apple on the stovetop:

After the quinoa is cooked, stir in the cranberries, almonds, and apple…

Bright & Beautiful!

Luckily, this quinoa got really fluffy like it should.

When I first tried it, I decided it needed a bit of sweetness to offset the vegetable broth flavour, so I stirred in 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup. It really brought together all of the flavours nicely.

This dish is very light and it would make a great lunch dish. It reminds me a lot of the Mandarin and Maple Quinoa Salad that I made a while back. You can enjoy it warm, at room temperature, or even cold. It is quite versatile.

Eric and I served it as a side dish and then we had a hunk of the Ultimate Lentil Loaf leftover from our party on the weekend. It was a great meal! Thanks Elizabeth, please email me to claim your Glo bakery loot!

Update: Just tried the leftovers and they were fantastic straight out of the fridge!

I’ll be back Friday with a flourless double chocolate cookie recipe that changed my life and rocked my world. I actually made it in December 2010, but I didn’t get a chance to post about it before Christmas and it fell off my radar. I figure Valentine’s Day is a great time to whip it out. muhuhaua.

If you want to prepare in advance you will need the following ingredients: ground flax, shredded coconut, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, almond butter, almond milk, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips.

One thing is for sure: It is always best to be prepared when chocolate cravings strike!