Hi everyone! Thank you for all hanging in there with me the last few weeks. Marathon training has been very time consuming for me but I promise I will be back to posting more regularly following my race. Life gets busy with family life and running and something always has to give (in this case it was my blog, eyebrow grooming, and compulsive organizing). I look forward to sharing more about my training and future running plans in the following weeks. Be back soon!
Lynsey
Not posting much because marathon training is occupying all my free time.
Just a quick one today because I’m celebrating a great 20 miler! Left this morning at 5:45 and finished up before the heat.
21 days to go and feeling good!
Time for a little catch up! I’ve been (rather) diligently keeping a video log of my marathon training. I view this as a huge “first” and I hope to be able to look back on this experience. I am truly being challenged by the training involved – a marathon is certainly not a joke. I didn’t realize, and won’t fully grasp until I’ve completed the race, the significant difference between running mid-distance (10km and half marathons) vs. long distance running. At this point it seems like comparing apples and oranges. The marathon distance requires respect and discipline to run.
I’ve never taken training for any distance of race lightly because I won’t show up at a startling undertrained. I’ve DNR’d in the past (many times now) for this reason. Now, There are many approaches and reasons people run races, so please understand that just because this is how I feel doesn’t mean it’s how everyone must feel. For me a race is about celebrating the work I’ve done. I train very systematically and thoughtfully under the guidance of a coach because I’m constantly aiming to improve and move forward with my running. The ability to progress in a measurable way is fun for me (sorry for being a geek). I’m a stickler for following a schedule and completing my workouts and while that might not sound like fun, it really is for me. Each workout, each week of running and each race brings an overwhelming feeling of achievement. This is how I like to run, but that is very much a personal choice. Anyway! Onward to my recaps.
Last week (July 7th – 13th):
M– rest
T– 10 miles 8:50 pace on TM and strength
W– 7 miles easy on TM
T– 13 miles + core H
F– 45 minutes strength
S– 8.5 miles 8:52 pace + core H
S– 15 miles 8:40 pace
This week (July 14th – 21st):
M – rest
T– 10 miles 8:50 pace + core H
W – 13 miles 9:00 pace (feeling slow and unmotivated)
T– 6 miles recovery
F– strength
S– 17.3 miles 8:50 pace
S (tomorrow) – 5 recovery
Currently I’m running 5 days a week, strength training one and resting one. I’ve never run or trained at a volume where I’ve felt as if I required a rest day however now I’ve reached that threshold. My rest day is vital. It replenishes me and gives me the ability to complete another week of running. I take this day as seriously as I would take a workout. I rest, eat, drink (water and juice that I juice) and sleep (which usually includes a nap).
I’ve been juicing like a maniac. I’m very happy with my Breville juicer. I’ve probably consumed more veggies on the last two weeks than I have in my life. I still enjoy smoothies – mostly as a recovery drink. I love this infographic (click here for the whole image).
My lovely husband Paul has lost 30 pounds juicing and eating (almost entirely) vegan. I’m really proud of him.
38 days out from my marathon! Hope everyone had a super week!
Some highs and lows this week. The high: way more miles
The low: strength training took a hit
Now that I’m officially training for my first marathon my miles have come up. Yesterday I ran my longest ever run which I’ll write more about later on.
Here is what my week looked like:
M- 8 recovery miles on the TM
T- 9.8 aerobic paced miles (was supposed to be 10 but nap time ended before I got there) on the TM
W- 5 easy miles on the trail
T – 11.5 miles on the road
F – 30 minutes of strength. I had my intravenous iron that morning and it tapped me out for the rest of the day with aches and pains
S- 5 miles easy on the road
S – 16.1 mile long easy run on the road
=55.4 miles
Yesterday morning I set out early for my long run to beat the heat. This is my longest run to date and I was a little nervous. I used my Camelbak for water, but I ran without fuel (mostly because I left hastily and forgot). I used a handheld water bottle last week but I found it to be unbalanced and overall it threw me off. I do not like fuel belts or carrying my own water and fuel. The Camelbak seems to be the least cumbersome option. I held a steady pace easily for all 16 miles. I felt strong towards the end of my run which is a huge confidence booster with 20+ milers in my near future.
My Altra Torin’s have been wonderful! Making the switch to a more heavily cushioned shoe, as opposed to my usual minimalist Skora’s, for my recovery and long runs has noticeably helped me with recovery. I still enjoy and crave the feel and feedback of my minimalist shoes but it has been nice to swap in something more comfy a couple of times a week. I am adding a pair of the new Altra Paradigms to my running wish list. I like the idea of a max-cushioned zero drop shoe and they feel soooo nice.
I don’t have much else to report aside from that we ordered a Breville Ikon juicer today. I’m pretty excited about this. Lately Paul and I have been juice fasting until lunch in an attempt to maximize our fruit and vegetable intake, or more so our micronutrients. Juicing at home as opposed to buying juice from a store is nutritionally superior because of the lack of additives and processing which are required to make store-bought juice shelf stable. Even “healthy” juice like Bolthouse and Happy Plant are sneakily labeled as “flash pasteurized” and are void of essential enzymes. They also contain a high amount of fruit juice as opposed to vegetable juice which is what the focus should be on. The Breville doesn’t require much preparation in terms of chopping – you can basically toss in whole fruits and vegetables. It’s quick and convenient too. It makes 8oz’s of juice in 5 seconds and is dishwasher safe. We are planning to bring the juicer and Vitamix on vacation with us so that we can continue to easily prepare vegan meals and take advantage of the fresh local produce to juice as well as eat. I’m sure you can imagine how much fun we are…
I’ve taken a big interest in sleeping lately and have been getting anywhere between 9-12 hours a night. I find that I need the recovery that sleep provides and I’m basically ready for bed as soon as the kids are down. I feel like making sleep a big priority has helped me in all areas of my life. I have a much more enjoyable and productive day and all around my mood is better. I find it interesting how the easy and seemingly small adjustments we make in our lives (sleeping and eating better for example) yield the biggest changes.
I hope everyone has a great week and thinks about busting out the old juicer for a boost of energy.
I find this so cool!
Alysia Montano, 34 Weeks Pregnant, Competes At National Championships
I ran my entire second pregnancy up until the day I went into labour. I am encouraged to see that the stigma that follows around exercising while pregnant is being lifted. It’s important to remember that your level of fitness pre-pregnancy is fairly indicative of what will be safe for you to do during your pregnancy. In other words, if you’ve never run before pregnancy is not the right time to train for a marathon, but if you’re a marathon runner there is no need to stop running. Intensity and duration of workouts during pregnancy will change. More than ever this is when you need to read the cues your body gives you and take stock of how you are feeling. The old heart rate guidelines that cautioned against going over 130-140 BPM have been disproven. The BORG scale which uses perceived exertion as opposed to heart rate is an effective method of monitoring intensity.
It is generally accepted that a level of 12-14 is safe for a pregnant woman. This scale allows for a more personal interpretation of how you are feeling and responding to the workout you are doing.
Looks like Alysia’s phenomenal performance at the USTAF championships started me on a little bit of a tangent.
Anyway, my week in running:
M- 7.5 miles and 30 minutes upper body strength
T- 10 miles and 40 minutes strength
W- 60 minutes lower body and a short track session (8×100’s)
T- 7.15 miles and 40 minutes strength
F- 60 minutes endurance work and a few miles with the stroller
S- 13.72 miles at 8:48 pace
S- I have an optional rest day or 6 mile easy run. Not too sure what I am going to do with this one. I haven’t run any decent distance in a while so I’m going to wait and see how I feel in the morning.
=41.38 miles
I was really pleased to get in a long run and I was lucky enough to be able to run with a friend. There was a bright yellow “cougar in area” sign at the trail head so no way I would have been running back there solo.
I just ordered PIYO off of a friend of mine that is a Beachbody rep. I am in need of a good, low impact crosstraining workout and this one came highly recommended. I’m looking forward to adding something fresh and new into my rotation. From my oh-so-reliable google research I’m thinking this type of workout will compliment my running. My focus is always on long, lean muscle and low impact exercises as running obviously provides my legs with more than enough impact. I will post more about PIYO as soon as I get started.
Last piece of news: I entered a marathon! I’m not really going to bore you with too many details because my marathon plans have been derailed a few times now. Here’s hoping this is the one!
Have a great weekend!
Summer is awesome! All this extra vitamin D from hanging out in the sun all day has got the kids and I feeling wonderful. Yesterday we took a trip to the track (which suitably is my next door neighbor). I had strength on my schedule but I broke the rules and ran 8 x 100m while the kids were busy blowing bubbles. I also did my Core H routine. Rylie was a super track star and ran her heart out. We practice our running a lot and her endurance is really progressing. Most importantly she has a lot of fun. I think she likes wearing her “runner girl” outfits the most.
Today I was listening to this song while I was running:
Anyone else instantly think Clueless (the movie with Alicia Silverstone circa 1995) when they hear this?
This is what it looks like when I drive my husbands truck. “My bad”!
I barely squeezed in 7.15 miles during Rocco’s nap today. No idea what caused him to only sleep for 55 minutes, but hey! That’s how it goes. I also did 40 minutes of endurance exercises early this morning.
You can’t deny that runners have some good looking feet. I live in these Birkenstocks.
My kids convinced me to walk to the coffee shop with the double BOB. I was desperate for a soy latte so I obliged. About 5 minutes in I was sweating BUCKETS – I am clearly not acclimatized to this heat. Round trip = 3.5 miles which include a monster hill that I kind of despise. I had to tell myself that every step up that darn hill makes me stronger.
Another day, another afternoon at the splash pad.
This little bathing suit makes my day a little brighter.
Canada Day is July first and I’m hoping there will be fireworks this weekend!
It also looks like I will finally be able to get in some good mileage this weekend. That makes me very happy!
One more Clueless inspired thought: Alicia Silverstone is a vegan 🙂
Oh, and this! I will be doing everything I can to make my hubby come with me to this!
I’ve been wanting to run a Rock n’ Roll event for a while now!
Not a running streak, but a splash pad streak. My kids and I have been coming here each afternoon all week.
We all love this place. It burns off a lot of the kids excess energy right before dinner and we all soak in the vitamin D. I usually get in a good break and drink a green tea.
Here’s a quick running/workout summary for the week:
M – 7.5 miles (outside) + 30 min strength
T -9 miles (TM)
W – 60 min strength
T- 10 miles (TM) – 8:50 pace
F – 5 miles (TM)
s – 5 miles (with stroller) + 70 strength
S – 8 miles (with stroller) + 60 min strength
= 44.5 miles
I was scheduled for 15 miles today but my babysitter was unavailable. I did the next best thing and ran the trails with the double stroller. I ran after 60 minutes of strength so at least my legs were tired. Not at all the same workout, but it did challenge my endurance.
Currently I am playing with how my training schedule looks. I have been running on the TM during naps (which typically allow for 1:30 run) as opposed to in the evening. Here’s my rationale:
– I sleep much better when I’m not all hopped up on adrenaline and endorphins.
– the quality of my workout is significantly better. I may end up logging fewer miles running in the morning but the miles will count for more.
– I strength train first thing in the morning now because I’m energized after 8 – 9 hours of sleep.
– 5am is really lovely when you go to bed at 9pm
– Rylie and I hang out just the two of us from 7-9pm. Having two whole hours of time for just her each evening is wonderful. We are going to start doing projects during this time so we have something to work on instead of watching movies.
Overall I net more minutes of training per week, just slightly fewer miles.
I will keep my long run on Sundays of course. That needs to exist in my running schedule to keep me in proper shape and maintain my endurance. I also need those miles for my own personal sanity. The long run is my favourite because it is so relaxing and mentally rejuvenating.
As you can see I’ve been able to take advantage of the sunny days and log stroller miles. My kids love the stroller (they usually both fall asleep). We have snacks and sing song and play games. I will never make them come on a run with me unless they want too. With the stroller my focus is always endurance not speed. Running with a stroller is a great workout but also a great way to get myself injured. I take my miles between a 9-10 minute mile. I will make myself slow down if I begin to run in the 8’s. I constantly focus on my core, glutes and quads. As soon as I begin to get lazy,my lower legs take over and that causes me to worry about my knees (which was an issue I’ve had in the past).
I’m hoping I’ll be cleared for speed work after my final iron infusion on July 4th. I’m eager to begin some fast running and start to think about races again.
Wishing everyone a great week!
Oy! So building back mileage is tougher than I thought it would be. My motivation is wavering from extremely high to oh so low. I’m usually extremely diligent and consistent at completing my schedule but this week it just didn’t seem to come together. Here is what I ran:
Tues: 6 miles easy – outside; 30 minutes strength.
Wed: Strength (1:20 minutes)
Thurs: 10 miles easy – 9:00 pace. A few faster pickups but nothing too intense.
fri: 55 minutes endurance workout and 7 miles easy
Sat: Off
Sun: Off (had a 14 miler scheduled)
Mon: 7.5 miles – will do core tonight
= 30.5 miles and a whole lot of strength stuff.
Not the week I was hoping for by any stretch, but it’s a start.
Highlights:
– I’m running strong. My body is strong and feeling great.
– I’m sticking with the strength stuff and kind of liking it
– I’m resting more. I’m still recovering from my anemia and I’m making sure I am sleeping and eating well. I’ve had more naps than ever!
I’m trying to create some goals for my running. I’m a little weary right now about entering races and committing to training because I feel like I’ve been unable to follow through to the level that I expect from myself. I’d rather “wait and see” than DNR and feel like I’m missing out. I’m still waiting to be given a clean bill of health before I resume tempo runs and intervals. I’m toying with the idea of focusing on breaking a 40 minute 10km (my current PR is a 42) because that seems manageable and attainable right now. Breaking my goals down into smaller parts seems much less daunting.
Just some cute photos:
Wishing everyone a great week!
I read this on Facebook yesterday and it got me thinking:
Via Kris Carr:
Hi Sweet FB Friends,
Do you shy away from celebrating your victories because you’re afraid people will think you’re full of yourself? You’re not alone. It’s easy to feel awkward when you stand out and shine. “Will they accept me? Make fun of me? Think I’m a pompous jerk?” Those questions would make anyone draw inside the lines (carefully).
To fit in, we believe that it’s safer to bond over pain rather than triumph. Heck, we even outdo each other’s misery. “Oh, you think that’s bad, listen to THIS.” The more we dwell on the negative, the more negative energy we create. And the smaller we behave the smaller our world becomes.
Today I want to encourage you/us to bond over breakthroughs. Embody yourself fully. Full is fabulous. Big. Round. Ripe. Complete. Unique. Full is what the world needs. Not half empty.
Celebrate Your Success
A few months ago one of my girlfriends had a major win. She self-published a powerful book that took off overnight. Within a few days it was climbing the charts on Amazon and by the end of the week, she had landed herself a traditional book deal. That’s no small accomplishment. And it all happened because she was willing to do the work and put her courageous (and wise) self out there. The book: Jump and Your life Will Appear by Nancy Levin. When I heard the good news, I wanted to pop bubbly and take her dancing. But since Nancy lives on the west coast, and I’m a Woodstock gal, that wasn’t possible. So we did the next best thing–Skype!
Here’s the message I sent her: Do you have 5 minutes for us to brag about you?
Here’s her response: LOL! YES! THANK YOU!
We squealed, laughed, and even got teary. Most importantly, we paused and acknowledged her wonderful victory. And guess what? In that moment, I felt as special as she did. When we authentically celebrate someone else’s achievement, we win with them.
After that call, I thought long and hard about how to elevate my own energy more consistently. Giving my girlfriend the opportunity to have a good healthy brag session helped me realized that I don’t give it to myself enough. So in the spirit of walking my talk, allow me to brag (it’s not headline worthy, but it means something to me)… A couple months ago I learned how to use a wood chipper in order to help my husband clear our field. That’s huge for me, especially because I have a very active imagination. All I kept thinking about was that scene in the movie Fargo. If you saw the flick, you know exactly what I’m saying. Not pretty. Thankfully my limbs stayed attached to my body and at the end of the day, I felt like a badass, capable, sexy beast. I took pride in the sweat and dirt and I also got a terrific workout.
And that’s my brag. Wanna join me? Here’s how…
5 tips for building self-confidence with healthy bragging:
1. If you’ve been taught to put a lid on your victories, rip that sucker off. Do your own personal, invigorating end-zone dance. Bragging is just a way of showing your pride for hard work well done. If you win your personal super bowl (this can be a huge goal like launching your own business or something as simple as knitting a scarf), that’s damn exciting and share-worthy.
2. Align yourself with people who lift you up, not tear you down or want to bond through wallowing. It’s easy to get caught up in all that’s not working. But remember, manifesting our deepest desires is about having gratitude for what we have, the bravery to admit what we want, and the ability to hold optimistic space for all possibilities–even the ones we don’t have in focus. The next time your pals, co-workers or mastermind groups want to gather for a bitch fest, opt-out. You’ve got better things to do. Leave the drama to the reality TV shows and tune-in to a healthier channel.
3. Do it with class and share the stage. Granted, some people are buttholes about it. Don’t be that. This isn’t a one way conversation and you’re not the center of the universe. Let others shine as much as you do. Pass the mic, the talking stick, the unicorn saddle. Be present, hold space for the other person, and for the love of God, stop checking your cell phone and listen.
4. Stop comparing. It’s hard to honor your special brag if you’re constantly measuring against others. They’ve got their thing, you’ve got yours. There’s room for all kinds of crazy kink in the world. Rather than getting jealous, or feeling inferior, allow others’ success to remind you that everything is possible. If you feel icky, examine where it’s coming from. An old wound that needs mending? Desires that aren’t big enough? Perhaps you want what they got and you realize that you’re just not aiming high enough. Fantastic! Stretch your dreams.
5. Like attracts like—focus on the good! In her book, Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts, my friend Regena Thomashauer, (the Queen of teaching women how to have a healthy brag) says that “Bragging about the goodness in your life, especially your pleasurable accomplishments, unearths your desires and fans the flames of desire in other women. In talking about the good, more good can come your way.” PS. She also teaches us that women don’t brag nearly enough.
Kris Carr
Food for thought, right? I find myself getting caught in this trap – more comfortable sharing the negative components of my life than the great parts. I’m curious as to why this is? I would personally like to hear about the highlights of a friends week rather than the bad parts (don’t get me wrong, being able to vent is important too!). I enjoy hearing about other people being successful, well, happy and fulfilled (now I’m not talking 6 gym selfies a day, but things you are genuinely proud of) . We all need the opportunity to get the not-so-great stuff life throws our way off our chest, but why not focus more on all that good stuff? These are the conversations that fill both people up with positive energy. They motivate and empower. Being able to share and celebrate is good – it’s not selfish or rude or self indulgent as long as the purpose is to share not compare. I’d like to make it a priority to celebrate what my friends have achieved and enjoy their successes as well as share my own successes. I hope I have friendships in which my friends want to brag to me about the great things that are happening all around them because that’s what friends are for.
Happy Friday 🙂
My brain (aka my running coach) and I have come to the decision that running back to back races is not a great idea for me. Coming off of low and slow mileage into two races is probably not the brightest idea. I was very caught up in the moment when I initially decided to run the Edson half right on the heels of the Banff Jasper Relay. Had I been more conservative in my pacing for the relay it may have been okay, but I ran hard and now it’s time for me do rest and recover. I’m naturally disappointed, but I feel confident in my decision. Being injured really sucks and I’m not willing to compromise the rest of my season. I’m going for a nice and slow 14 miler instead. Also, my blood levels are still lingering under where they should be to run hard. Alas, I shall keep slogging along until I get a clean bill of health.
I’m currently hanging out in emergency waiting for my iron infusion. IV’s are so incredibly cringe worthy. I’ve been getting needles and/or IV’s weekly but I don’t think I will ever feel less yucky about them. The process is lengthy – about 3 hours from start to finish. I suppose it’s kind of nice to sit and relax and based in how much better I feel the week or so following the infusion it’s definitely worth it.
I made sure I got in a workout this morning before the infusion; just strength stuff today. I’m feeling more successful with strength training. I’ve mentioned this before, but I am not very strong. My upper body in particular is lacking. I can hold a 20 pound baby for days, but ask me to benchpress or bicep curl and I’m a goner. I’m making progress and I’ve noticed physically that I am able to execute the more basic movements like push-ups and burpees much cleaner.
Last night I took a nice long and easy run on the trails. It was a lovely warm evening. I made a point of running some good size hills although you’d be hard pressed to not run hills around these parts. It feels good to be building my mileage back up again. I notice I fall asleep easier and have a more sound sleep after a good run. I’m thankful to be running again.
I had to include this picture because the smile on R’s face as he is sleeping is so cute. He decided to stay up late and fell asleep in my arms.
We are hoping to get a bunch of work done on the house this week. We finally finished updating the hardware on our kitchen cabinets. I’ve been slowly changing out the handles for two weeks now – it was taking me forever as I’m not too skilled with a screw driver. Our next undertaking is framing and hanging new closet doors. When we moved in the existing doors were the unsightly faux-wood accordion style doors. We took those down immediately but never got around to putting up new ones. We had a new fence built, which is a big improvement from the a green fence, and now we have to plant some new grass. I also have some dandelions to attack. Truly some exciting stuff 😉
Wishing everyone a happy Thursday!
My Mommy is Fast 