2 down, 10 to go...

Nathaniel and I had our race day yesterday, and as per our usual luck it was a rainy cold day.  Hopefully this is not a trend that will continue throughout the rest of the season.

Both of us did well.  I completed the 5k race in 33:12, and Nathaniel completed his 1.5k in 14:17.

My goal this year is to finish my 5k in under 30 minutes. That being said, 33:12 isn't a bad starting point to head towards that goal.  Besides, it's already an improvement from the first race which was finished in 36:04...

Rx Epsom

By the time afternoon rolled around yesterday my leg muscle was feeling super tight again.  I think perhaps I will have to force myself to do more stretching at the end of my longer runs in order to avoid this discomfort. 

In the meantime, I opted for a good old fashioned soak with my Epsom salts.

This morning was supposed to be gym day, but due to the unfortunate night terrors of my beloved Abigail I was too exhausted to get up and out at 5:30 (considering I was up from 2 to 4 with her).

5k Race day in LaSalle on Sunday.  Nathaniel will be taking part in the 1.5k race portion of the day. 

so close!

The goal was to complete my morning 6k in under 40 minutes.  Anything under 40 minutes. 39:59:59 would have been cause for celebration, but no. I just missed it!

So frustrating because as I hit kilometer number four I was feeling tired so I slowed to a walk.  Not for long, less than a minute really.. perhaps even 44 seconds.  Damn it, had I just pushed through I would have probably achieved my goal.

Gym day tomorrow then the Circuit Endurance LaSalle 5k race on Sunday... Let's hope for good weather and an even better time!

Katniss and I

The alarm went off at 5:35am this morning and I got my exhausted butt out of bed and made it to the gym.  I feel good about the workout this morning, but I can tell that I had not been in a couple of weeks.  Usually my transition from one exercise to another is smooth and natural, it felt a little more lost. But nevertheless, a good workout and a good sweat and a well earned protein shake when all was said and done.



One of the highlights of getting up and out to the gym is that I get an opportunity to listen to my iPod. I had been getting tired of listing to the same play lists over and over at the gym and while out on my runs.  I tried out a couple of podcasts, and they were a nice change - I particularly enjoy Aisha Tyler's "Girl on Guy".

Recently, however, I have started listening to "The Hunger Games" and I am in love. It's a great source of entertainment while I am out for a run or working out.  It's almost like having a friend talking to you and telling you a story.  A great distraction from actually counting down kilometers as they go by, or counting down the minutes to the end of the workout.  Actually, now that I have been sucked into The Hunger Games, I find myself wanting to stay at the gym a little bit longer, or extend the run just far enough so that I can find out what happens next.

And lucky for me... tomorrow I have 6 more kilometers to spend with Katniss Everdeen.

va·ca·tion / vāˈkāSHən/

Actual Noun:   An extended period of recreation, esp. one spent away from home or in traveling.
My version:    Being away from home and eating far too much crap food

Why is it that every single time I go on vacation I use it as an excuse to overindulge? On the day of departure I leave with the best intentions... "I will not eat like crap this time, I will make healthy choices..." However, it seems like as the distance grows between myself and home, the more carefree I become with my food choices.

Today I am back.  I feel guilty about the choices I made, but I will not let that hold me back.  My leg feels great now... thankfully the rest and rub A535 did the trick which means I am back on the training plan!

And what better way to start a new chapter in my training than with awesomely fun running socks! That's right... they have arrived:

I will be getting up early tomorrow morning and knocking out 6k... The goal is to complete in under 40 minutes.

I can't believe the 10k is 9 weeks. Yikes!!!

start...stop...start

It seems as though every time I start something, I get stopped just as I'm getting into my groove.


I started my training program to prepare for my first 10k race that is fast approaching.  May 26th to be exact.  The plan called for me to run on Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.  I woke up Wednesday morning with a what I can only describe as a pulled muscle that ran up my inner thigh into my groin. Sigh.  I'm giving myself a few days of rest, which combined with the overuse of the delicious smelling rub A535 will hopefully alleviate the discomfort and allow me to get back on track.


I have lost some speed and endurance over the winter months and look forward to getting back to where I left off in October of last year.

Although I still have some time to work on my endurance for the 10k race in May, I am participating in the "Circuit Endurance" again this year.  The Circuit Endurance is a circuit of 12 races through 2012.  The first race took place on a cold day in February (pictured below)

The Ile Bizzard race was disappointing time wise (36:04), but will hopefully be a good starting point to mark what will hopefully be a record breaking year for me. 

Perhaps I should clarify, I am by no means a super star runner.  My best time so far is 5k in 30:57... Something I am very proud of, but I am also very aware that in general that is not really a brag-worthy time.  The goal this year is to get a 5k in under 30 minutes. Ultimate goal is 5k in 25 minutes.  My pulled muscle better heal ASAP so that I can get on with my training!