going willy-nilly

I'm still doing great with my running routine.  I got my butt out of bed on Monday morning even though the rest of the house was sound asleep.  I also decided to live on the edge and just run randomly without plotting out a route first.  It was really a great experience and a welcomed change of scenery!

It was a tough run.  It's been hot out and my new willy-nilly route seemed to be for the most part on a constant incline.  By the time I got back home I was drenched in sweat, but I felt great!

"I don't know where to look, so I will stare into the distance deep in thought"

I'm still disappointed with my lack of improvement time wise, but I hope to see that improve throughout the next few weeks.

The second half of the Circuit Endurance is starting on Sunday.  St Anne De Bellevue race, here I come!

Humidity here I come

Getting back into a running routine feels great.  I ran with my friend around Centennial Park on Friday night, what a great place! In fact, I spoke about how much I enjoyed running there so much that Jarrod wanted to come along and give it a shot as well.  So, Sunday we went and did a couple of loops around the lake together.

The big running routine test is always on the weekdays though.  This morning I got up and out and did a terribly awful 5k.  Terribly awful because the humidity outside was a killer, I had to stop several times which isn't my usual style. That being said, I'd rather be admitting how terribly awful my 5k morning run was than writing that it was just too damn humid out to go running this morning.  That's what I call progress!

After a tough workout this morning, I dropped the kids off at daycare, drove to work feeling proud of myself and enjoyed a great after workout Kronobar.  Yum!

Round and Round I go

Although I recently blogged about no more excuses, I'm afraid the stomach flu took down my whole family and I haven't had a chance to get out there and start my running routine up again. 

Good news though, tonight I'm meeting up with an old friend and we will be running around Centennial Park:

Centennial Park is a a beautifully scenic loop that runs around a little lake in DDO.  I truly love going there. It is very peaceful, plus it's a trail run so away from cars and concrete.  The loop around the lake is only 2k so you have to go round and round, but it is such a nice break from my typical asphalt pounding, car dodging runs that I always look forward to it.

That being said, tonight marks the beginning of my new training regime.  29:59:59 here I come.

29:59:59

Confession time... Ever since the ever so amazing Ottawa race weekend my running schedule has been less that admirable.  Yes it's been hot and humid out, yes I've been tired, yes I've been on vacation and yes yes yes I am full of excuses. 

The running circuit is starting up in just over three weeks and I am feeling utterly unprepared.  After the last Circuit Endurance race on June 3rd I was very motivated about getting my training schedule back in order.  I was disappointed in seeing little to no improvement when I compared my race times to last years and I wanted it to change.  A lot.  Clearly that motivation fizzled...

At the end of the race season last year I was 57 seconds away from breaking the 30 minute barrier and joining the runners who can finish a 5k in twenty something minutes.  My goal was set then and there, in 2012 I would have a best 5k time of 29:59:59 (or better)... It's hard to sit here, mid way through the 2012 season, and admit that so far I have not even come close to achieving my goal. 

I need to renew the commitment to myself, and I need to get up and run.  That way, even if I don't make my goal of finishing in 29:59:59 or less I will at least be able to look at myself, be proud and know that I tried.