Another sigh. I tend to analyze and over-analyze things, but I really don't think of myself as a paranoid person. However, I just don't trust Napolean (my pedometer). I just seemed to be progressing too quickly and finding the distances I was travelling too easy given how incredibly out of shape I am. So I checked with Gary's uncle to see which lane on a running track measures 400 metres, no matter where you start and finish (its the inside lane, in case you were wondering - the inside lane, I always have to think for a minute when someone says that, it comes with being directionally challenged). So I put Napolean to the test and counted laps, except this time, I counted the metres, because I always get very confused when I count laps (I swear, I'm not dumb, I just have a hard time counting small numbers and knowing where I am at any given moment). Napolean did badly, very, very badly. I am sooo sad. I thought I was doing really well with my pace but once again, I've been bamboozled. I am so slow. Still slow enough to worry about the vans. Oh well, atleast Pedro is letting me run, more and more.
Thank you to those of you who are reading, and Amanda and Helen for commenting last time (I can't seem to comment back - or on anyone else's blog for some reason (???) and neither can my friend Denise who also tried to comment). Amanda and Helen I have found some really great shorts, no more chafing, yay - but thanks for the suggestions. :)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Shut-up Pedro
This morning I went on my longest walk/run and it gave me a lot of time to think...
So the last time I wrote a rant, it was about Napoleon - my pedometer. Well, it turns out that I misjudged poor Napolean. I was upset with Napoleon, because I was pretty sure that he was innacurate, but not so. Napoleon has a new friend, my heart rate monitor, who I call Pedro. Pedro is a great help but he really gets on my nerves too. You see, I started my training a while before I introduced Pedro into the mix. Because of this, I was pushing myself WAY too hard without realizing it. With Pedro keeping track of my heart rate, I have been forced to slow down and I can only run for 24-30 seconds at a time. I get very annoyed when Pedro starts beeping at me to slow down when I am just getting into a groove with running. I wonder if anyone ever sees me shaking my head at him? After much annoyance on my walk/run this morning though, I realized that it isn't Pedro I should be frustrated with - it's the other guys, Ronald, Timmy, Ben, Jerry because if they hadn't spent so much time with me, my poor heart would be able to take a few more steps. And if I am really going to be honest, I can't blame those guys either - I chose to hang out with them when I should have been around guys like Pedro and Napoleon.
A couple of other thoughts also really struck me today. I can now run (even though it's only for a short time) without being in pain. When I first started running, it was very painful - even my gums hurt. Also, when I started, my routine was to walk for 10 minutes, then alternate running for 15 seconds, followed by walking for 45 seconds for the next 10 minutes, then to walk another 10 minutes. I used to absolutely dread that middle 10 minutes and would often cut it shorter because it was SO difficult. Today, I was easily able to keep up my running spurts for 75 minutes - and I even ignored Pedro toward the end and ran for a straight minute - just to see if I could! I know it isn't much but man, sometimes I can't believe how far I have come. Also, I'm not worried about the people in van's anymore, my pace is very slow, but still well under the 16 minute/mile pace I need to keep up for the Disney half-marathon.
Something else I have noticed is the glaring lack of females out there! There are far more men, on the track and especially on the trail. I was about to get really upset about this but then I remembered that there are a lot of ladies when I work out at the Y. So then I felt better. I honestly don't know why anyone would choose to run on a treadmill though, I love being outside at this time of year. I don't know what I will do in the winter - hopefully it won't get icy until January!
I learned a hard lesson today - don't wear new shorts on a long run. Grrr. I haven't seen chaffing like this, hmm, ever. I spent most of my time trying to adjust my shorts - to no avail. Those shorts will never see a run again - they are strictly for cross-training days. I tried Powerade today too, it worked very well, I did get a stitch for a few seconds, but that was it. I've been told by my team mates that it's what is used on the half course so I figured I would experiment with it.
It was very nice to burn just over 800 calories this morning too!!
So the last time I wrote a rant, it was about Napoleon - my pedometer. Well, it turns out that I misjudged poor Napolean. I was upset with Napoleon, because I was pretty sure that he was innacurate, but not so. Napoleon has a new friend, my heart rate monitor, who I call Pedro. Pedro is a great help but he really gets on my nerves too. You see, I started my training a while before I introduced Pedro into the mix. Because of this, I was pushing myself WAY too hard without realizing it. With Pedro keeping track of my heart rate, I have been forced to slow down and I can only run for 24-30 seconds at a time. I get very annoyed when Pedro starts beeping at me to slow down when I am just getting into a groove with running. I wonder if anyone ever sees me shaking my head at him? After much annoyance on my walk/run this morning though, I realized that it isn't Pedro I should be frustrated with - it's the other guys, Ronald, Timmy, Ben, Jerry because if they hadn't spent so much time with me, my poor heart would be able to take a few more steps. And if I am really going to be honest, I can't blame those guys either - I chose to hang out with them when I should have been around guys like Pedro and Napoleon.
A couple of other thoughts also really struck me today. I can now run (even though it's only for a short time) without being in pain. When I first started running, it was very painful - even my gums hurt. Also, when I started, my routine was to walk for 10 minutes, then alternate running for 15 seconds, followed by walking for 45 seconds for the next 10 minutes, then to walk another 10 minutes. I used to absolutely dread that middle 10 minutes and would often cut it shorter because it was SO difficult. Today, I was easily able to keep up my running spurts for 75 minutes - and I even ignored Pedro toward the end and ran for a straight minute - just to see if I could! I know it isn't much but man, sometimes I can't believe how far I have come. Also, I'm not worried about the people in van's anymore, my pace is very slow, but still well under the 16 minute/mile pace I need to keep up for the Disney half-marathon.
Something else I have noticed is the glaring lack of females out there! There are far more men, on the track and especially on the trail. I was about to get really upset about this but then I remembered that there are a lot of ladies when I work out at the Y. So then I felt better. I honestly don't know why anyone would choose to run on a treadmill though, I love being outside at this time of year. I don't know what I will do in the winter - hopefully it won't get icy until January!
I learned a hard lesson today - don't wear new shorts on a long run. Grrr. I haven't seen chaffing like this, hmm, ever. I spent most of my time trying to adjust my shorts - to no avail. Those shorts will never see a run again - they are strictly for cross-training days. I tried Powerade today too, it worked very well, I did get a stitch for a few seconds, but that was it. I've been told by my team mates that it's what is used on the half course so I figured I would experiment with it.
It was very nice to burn just over 800 calories this morning too!!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
On second thought...
Hmm, it looks like I will NOT be starting my detox tomorrow (at this point, today) after all. One of the ingredients in one of the formulations is dandelion, which I am pretty allergic to. Ya, I'll have to check on that...
Scary
I was reading over my old posts, and noticed my elation with iron in my first post. Well, dear followers, that elation was short-lived. It was not the iron that was giving me a boost - it was one of 2 (maybe both) things - either eliminating dairy or being obsessive about my carb intake. I have slowly let dairy and carbs back into my life and it has not been pretty. It is time for drastic measures. Tomorrow (yikes, tomorrow!!) I will be starting a detox. Because I have, over the past 3.5 years particularly, failed miserably with every diet I have tried, I am really worried about this. This is worse than a diet. This is no sugar, wheat, dairy, peanuts, red meat, spelt (like that's a real sacrifice!!), citrus and probably other things I am forgetting for 2 weeks, while I take supplements that will make me feel really bad for a few days. Sigh. But, let's get to the bright side. I've recently developed allergies (to what, I don't actually know) so severe that I have to carry an epi-pen. I have acne rosacea. I have food allergies that bloat me to the point I look about 6 months pregnant. If I eat certain foods, I feel like my stomach is on fire and I get so sleepy that no matter what is going on, I must sleep. Oh wait, here is the bright side: the detox and subsequent eating and supplement plan should help with all that. It will make a very big difference to my training if that can happen, because I will feel better, lose weight (still just as circular as I was when I started this blog) and my cardio fitness will improve immensely.
I had considered putting this off for a few days until after Alyssa's birthday party, but I think the party (and a couple other social commitments) will be a good distraction for me. Of Alyssa's six birthdays, this will be the third one where I won't be able to eat any cake! I hope that for Alyssa's 7th birthday, and every one after that, I can eat a reasonable portion of cake because all of this health and diet nonsense will be a thing of the past!
I'd appreciate any encouragement any of you can throw my way! Again, I have not been able to lose any signficant amount of weight for quite a long time. Researching food allergies, and knowing that I have issues with glucose tolerance has made it a little easier, to be a little easier on myself. Just going on a diet doesn't work for me any more since certain foods, like I said, make me feel really bad and make me want to eat more (I know that doesn't make sense, it is very hard to explain - and I'm still not completely clear about which foods do it, which is why I need to do an elimination diet - I'll be reintroducing foods starting on day 10).
In other news, the world's greatest husband (no, not Mr. Jolie), bought me a gift card to buy a heart rate monitor. I think it is pretty awesome!!! I got to walk really slow yesterday, and Denise couldn't try to kill me or my beautiful HRM would start beeping at her!! Now, my team mate Jorge has burst my bubble that I can walk slow forever by saying the HRM won't accept that kind of nonsense for long, darn. One perk of my detox is that I can take it easy on the exercise for the next week or so. But, you know, I am actually getting to that point where I feel weird if I don't exercise. I just thought people said that to be cool, but it's actually true. I am so not cool, so you can all totally believe me!! This is one wacky journey I signed up for!
I had considered putting this off for a few days until after Alyssa's birthday party, but I think the party (and a couple other social commitments) will be a good distraction for me. Of Alyssa's six birthdays, this will be the third one where I won't be able to eat any cake! I hope that for Alyssa's 7th birthday, and every one after that, I can eat a reasonable portion of cake because all of this health and diet nonsense will be a thing of the past!
I'd appreciate any encouragement any of you can throw my way! Again, I have not been able to lose any signficant amount of weight for quite a long time. Researching food allergies, and knowing that I have issues with glucose tolerance has made it a little easier, to be a little easier on myself. Just going on a diet doesn't work for me any more since certain foods, like I said, make me feel really bad and make me want to eat more (I know that doesn't make sense, it is very hard to explain - and I'm still not completely clear about which foods do it, which is why I need to do an elimination diet - I'll be reintroducing foods starting on day 10).
In other news, the world's greatest husband (no, not Mr. Jolie), bought me a gift card to buy a heart rate monitor. I think it is pretty awesome!!! I got to walk really slow yesterday, and Denise couldn't try to kill me or my beautiful HRM would start beeping at her!! Now, my team mate Jorge has burst my bubble that I can walk slow forever by saying the HRM won't accept that kind of nonsense for long, darn. One perk of my detox is that I can take it easy on the exercise for the next week or so. But, you know, I am actually getting to that point where I feel weird if I don't exercise. I just thought people said that to be cool, but it's actually true. I am so not cool, so you can all totally believe me!! This is one wacky journey I signed up for!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Ain't nobody gonna breaka my stride
This one will be short and sweet, like me.
I had to train at the Y due to the damp weather today. I really, really do not like using the treadmill so I headed up to the track. Luckily there was a sign posted at the beginning of the track that said "21.5 laps equals 1 mile" - you KNOW you are close to the border when something is measured in miles!!! Anyway, it was a good way to check my pace. I managed to finish the first mile in 16 minutes - thank goodness, there is hope. However, there is NO WAY I could maintain that pace for more than that first mile! In fact, I stopped counting laps after that first mile too, because the counting was really aggravating. I have no idea how far I went. I did notice that today's workout was soooo much easier than a couple of months ago when I tried the track there (and I did a lot more running today - not a lot of running, but more than the last time I was there). I also noticed that it is very hard for me to step heel to toe on my left foot when I run AND I need new shoes. Those shoes did not last very long but I guess with the massive force coming down on them, I can't blame the poor dears.
I had to train at the Y due to the damp weather today. I really, really do not like using the treadmill so I headed up to the track. Luckily there was a sign posted at the beginning of the track that said "21.5 laps equals 1 mile" - you KNOW you are close to the border when something is measured in miles!!! Anyway, it was a good way to check my pace. I managed to finish the first mile in 16 minutes - thank goodness, there is hope. However, there is NO WAY I could maintain that pace for more than that first mile! In fact, I stopped counting laps after that first mile too, because the counting was really aggravating. I have no idea how far I went. I did notice that today's workout was soooo much easier than a couple of months ago when I tried the track there (and I did a lot more running today - not a lot of running, but more than the last time I was there). I also noticed that it is very hard for me to step heel to toe on my left foot when I run AND I need new shoes. Those shoes did not last very long but I guess with the massive force coming down on them, I can't blame the poor dears.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
You're such an IDIOT! Gawd.
Don't worry you are not an idiot. My pedometer is, atleast I am pretty darn sure that it is, in fact, from now on, I will refer to it as Napolean.
Napolean (the IDIOT) told me that I was a fast walker. Napolean is (prepare yourselves, because according to my children AND my students - so this is coming on good authority - I am about to use a swear word) stupid. I rue the day of your birth Napolean!!! Go to h-e double hockey sticks Napolean!!!
Ah, now that that is out of my system, let me tell you all about my new problem. It turns out that I am actually a very slow walker - maybe the slowest person who ever decided to enter a half-marathon (which apparently I was not clear about, the half-marathon is taking place in January at Disney World). I don't actually care about this little glitch, I think it is actually incredibly hilarious. I miscalculated my pace (thanks to Napolean) so badly that, really, I can't stop laughing (well, yes, ofcourse it could be hysteria - cause it sure as h-e double hockey sticks isn't a runners high!!!). But now, I have to start worrying about the people in vans, or not. I have 6 months to train.
One of my "followers" my very kind friend, Denise (who looks WAY better in bike shorts - I'm sure much to the relief of the good people of Ridgeway) came out to the track with me this evening. She was very patient with me, even though at times, I was sure she was going to turn me into one, a patient I mean. She's speedy. It got me thinking about my pace, and led me to the conclusion (I won't torture you with ALL my mental rambling) that Napolean was really off the mark. I didn't take Napolean with me, since my son dismantled him earlier today - thanks buddy, you really did do me a favour, hopefully you even threw his battery down the vent.
I have a long way to go dear followers. But, it's going to be totally sweet in the end!
Napolean (the IDIOT) told me that I was a fast walker. Napolean is (prepare yourselves, because according to my children AND my students - so this is coming on good authority - I am about to use a swear word) stupid. I rue the day of your birth Napolean!!! Go to h-e double hockey sticks Napolean!!!
Ah, now that that is out of my system, let me tell you all about my new problem. It turns out that I am actually a very slow walker - maybe the slowest person who ever decided to enter a half-marathon (which apparently I was not clear about, the half-marathon is taking place in January at Disney World). I don't actually care about this little glitch, I think it is actually incredibly hilarious. I miscalculated my pace (thanks to Napolean) so badly that, really, I can't stop laughing (well, yes, ofcourse it could be hysteria - cause it sure as h-e double hockey sticks isn't a runners high!!!). But now, I have to start worrying about the people in vans, or not. I have 6 months to train.
One of my "followers" my very kind friend, Denise (who looks WAY better in bike shorts - I'm sure much to the relief of the good people of Ridgeway) came out to the track with me this evening. She was very patient with me, even though at times, I was sure she was going to turn me into one, a patient I mean. She's speedy. It got me thinking about my pace, and led me to the conclusion (I won't torture you with ALL my mental rambling) that Napolean was really off the mark. I didn't take Napolean with me, since my son dismantled him earlier today - thanks buddy, you really did do me a favour, hopefully you even threw his battery down the vent.
I have a long way to go dear followers. But, it's going to be totally sweet in the end!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The problem
Thank you again to anyone who is kind enough to read this - and especially to those of you who have been encouraging me - that's huge! Speaking of huge, my most sincere apologies to the good people of Ridgeway who had to bear witness to me in bike shorts today. I'm sorry, but a girl has to wear the right clothes for this kind of training!
So here is the problem. I suck at running. I'm OK with that, and I say that with no hint of self-deprication. As my loving husband so aptly pointed out, I look funny when I run. When he told me that, it got me thinking. Is it very bad that I look funny when I run? Will it make me more prone to injury? Maybe I should not bother trying to run since I actually walk very fast? I had to take these concerns to my team and they helped me out (so that is why people play on teams, oooohhh!!). You see, I have to maintain a 16minute/mile pace in order to not be "swept" - aka, taken away in a van, during the race. I am currently walking at a 12:30minute/mile pace - so I'm not too worried about the people in vans. However, remember, there is that whole circle-I- need-to-get-out-of issue, and walking, as much as I love it, is not much of a challenge. So, ridiculous as I might look, people, get used to seeing me run (in bike shorts no less).
I have also decided that a relationship that has been very important to me, needs to end. Dairy (yes Dairy, not Gary - no matter what he thinks of my running form), it's time for you to see other people. In the beginning, you were good for me, you made my bones strong, my teeth strong. But now, our love has soured, it's not you, it's me. There are others that you are so good for but I just can't tolerate you anymore. I know that has nothing to do with running, but this is the only blog I have. My diet is still not under control, that is a work in progress, for sure. I love cookies.
So here is the problem. I suck at running. I'm OK with that, and I say that with no hint of self-deprication. As my loving husband so aptly pointed out, I look funny when I run. When he told me that, it got me thinking. Is it very bad that I look funny when I run? Will it make me more prone to injury? Maybe I should not bother trying to run since I actually walk very fast? I had to take these concerns to my team and they helped me out (so that is why people play on teams, oooohhh!!). You see, I have to maintain a 16minute/mile pace in order to not be "swept" - aka, taken away in a van, during the race. I am currently walking at a 12:30minute/mile pace - so I'm not too worried about the people in vans. However, remember, there is that whole circle-I- need-to-get-out-of issue, and walking, as much as I love it, is not much of a challenge. So, ridiculous as I might look, people, get used to seeing me run (in bike shorts no less).
I have also decided that a relationship that has been very important to me, needs to end. Dairy (yes Dairy, not Gary - no matter what he thinks of my running form), it's time for you to see other people. In the beginning, you were good for me, you made my bones strong, my teeth strong. But now, our love has soured, it's not you, it's me. There are others that you are so good for but I just can't tolerate you anymore. I know that has nothing to do with running, but this is the only blog I have. My diet is still not under control, that is a work in progress, for sure. I love cookies.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Getting started!
Well, here is a blog I never thought I would be writing! Me and running, hmmm. We have not been friends over the years. In fact, I can remember many moments of irritation over the act of running. Remember Canada Fitness? Irritating to the nth degree - particularly, the 400 meter. I did however, manage to qualify for a track and field meet running the 400m. I finished dead last.
I remember the precise moment I found running completely exhausting. I was 12. I was in my front yard. I was playing soccer. I got tired, really tired, and I stayed tired. But, for some reason, I decided a couple of months ago to sign up for a half-marathon. Even though, I was still tired. Fortunately, about 2 weeks ago, I stopped being tired. Thanks to a prescription for iron, my physical determination can now match my "iron will". Because I just happen to be a little bit bull-headed and a good dose of crazy!
I kind of lied about the "for some reason I signed up for a half-marathon" statement. The half-marathon just happens to be in my favourite place on earth, at Walt Disney World. So, that helps. I'm also running on a team - me, on a team - whaaa??? another first. I'm part of Team All Ears. We are a team of people, some like me, just getting started and some veterans to running, all inspired by a wonderful lady named Deb Wills. Deb created the website allears.net - which is the absolute BEST web site for learning about Disney World and planning a trip there. There is no way that we would have planned our first trip without her web site, and a trip to Disney is just not a good idea without fairly precise planning. So for that reason alone, I feel very indebted to her - she, unknowingly, brought a whole heap of magic into my life, when I very much needed it!
But wait, there's more.
This wonderful lady is also a breast cancer survivor and every year, she participates in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Part of being on the AllEars Team means that I have the opportunity to raise money for Deb's walk. If you are reading this, please consider sponsoring me by either donating directly to Deb's walk at http://www.avonwalk.org/goto/debwills2010 (but please be sure to put Farnan TeamAllEars in there somewhere, so that your donation will be credited toward my fundraising), or you can direct your donation to me and I will forward it.
Deb has also joined our team for the half-marathon, and I can't even tell you how exciting that is!
But wait, there's more.
I also plan on directing some of the money that I raise toward another very worthy cause. My cousin has a little girl who is also waging her own war on cancer. Being across the Atlantic has been a tough place for me to be while this has been going on. One organization that has really helped my cousin and her family out is Puttinu Cares. If you would like to learn more about Puttinu Cares, please see my Facebook profile page. Again, your generosity toward this cause is most appreciated.
But wait, there's more.
I could raise money for causes without doing something as nuts as a half-marathon. Ofcourse, I could, if I weren't so inspired by my team coaches, Michelle Scribner-Maclean and Mike Scopa!They are both feature writers for AllEars and reading their blogs and experiences with the Disney half-marathon got me all pumped up. I don't know about you but the thought of running through the Magic Kingdom. Oooh, wowie, wowie wow.
But wait, there's more.
Some of you, may have noticed my ongoing battle with roundness. A circle is a perfectly lovely shape, until you've been living in it for the better of 34 years. I thought that maybe exercising with some great purpose could help me get out of the circle.
So, there you have, my first ever blog about my first ever desire to run. Well, except that in my next blog, I will explain the whole problem with running. Stay tuned.
I remember the precise moment I found running completely exhausting. I was 12. I was in my front yard. I was playing soccer. I got tired, really tired, and I stayed tired. But, for some reason, I decided a couple of months ago to sign up for a half-marathon. Even though, I was still tired. Fortunately, about 2 weeks ago, I stopped being tired. Thanks to a prescription for iron, my physical determination can now match my "iron will". Because I just happen to be a little bit bull-headed and a good dose of crazy!
I kind of lied about the "for some reason I signed up for a half-marathon" statement. The half-marathon just happens to be in my favourite place on earth, at Walt Disney World. So, that helps. I'm also running on a team - me, on a team - whaaa??? another first. I'm part of Team All Ears. We are a team of people, some like me, just getting started and some veterans to running, all inspired by a wonderful lady named Deb Wills. Deb created the website allears.net - which is the absolute BEST web site for learning about Disney World and planning a trip there. There is no way that we would have planned our first trip without her web site, and a trip to Disney is just not a good idea without fairly precise planning. So for that reason alone, I feel very indebted to her - she, unknowingly, brought a whole heap of magic into my life, when I very much needed it!
But wait, there's more.
This wonderful lady is also a breast cancer survivor and every year, she participates in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Part of being on the AllEars Team means that I have the opportunity to raise money for Deb's walk. If you are reading this, please consider sponsoring me by either donating directly to Deb's walk at http://www.avonwalk.org/goto/debwills2010 (but please be sure to put Farnan TeamAllEars in there somewhere, so that your donation will be credited toward my fundraising), or you can direct your donation to me and I will forward it.
Deb has also joined our team for the half-marathon, and I can't even tell you how exciting that is!
But wait, there's more.
I also plan on directing some of the money that I raise toward another very worthy cause. My cousin has a little girl who is also waging her own war on cancer. Being across the Atlantic has been a tough place for me to be while this has been going on. One organization that has really helped my cousin and her family out is Puttinu Cares. If you would like to learn more about Puttinu Cares, please see my Facebook profile page. Again, your generosity toward this cause is most appreciated.
But wait, there's more.
I could raise money for causes without doing something as nuts as a half-marathon. Ofcourse, I could, if I weren't so inspired by my team coaches, Michelle Scribner-Maclean and Mike Scopa!They are both feature writers for AllEars and reading their blogs and experiences with the Disney half-marathon got me all pumped up. I don't know about you but the thought of running through the Magic Kingdom. Oooh, wowie, wowie wow.
But wait, there's more.
Some of you, may have noticed my ongoing battle with roundness. A circle is a perfectly lovely shape, until you've been living in it for the better of 34 years. I thought that maybe exercising with some great purpose could help me get out of the circle.
So, there you have, my first ever blog about my first ever desire to run. Well, except that in my next blog, I will explain the whole problem with running. Stay tuned.
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