Back at the beginning of the month, Justin told me that the key to having a successful blog.... with readers... is to be consistent. That's when I vowed to write regularly. Today is the day I have come to realize the failure of that goal.
To be fair, though.... I'm REALLY busy! I train 5 days a week with running, spinning, swimming, and weights. And then I work, and after that I go to second work. I'm up most days at 5:30 and don't get home until well after dark (most days that's close to 9pm... unless I'm working at Copps, then it's later). So although I had good intentions with the concept of blogging consistency, perhaps I was being a little bit unrealistic.
Anyway, on with my nonsense for this week....
In sport: I've started a masters swim program. Julie and I go on Thursday nights from 8-9:15pm after our 10km tempo run. I have wonderful news to report here: (1) I'M NOT THE SLOWEST! (2) I HAVE YET TO DROWN! (3) I'M NOT A TERRIBLE SWIMMER! I have lots of work to do here, mind you, in preparation for a 750m swim in my triathlon this summer (p.s. I've modified the triathlon plans a bit, changing from the Binbrook Triathlon in June to the Bala Triathlon in late July). I still need to rest a couple seconds at the end of each 25m, but this past week I did very well at going 50m before my rest. Being in the water feels so liberating. I love the feeling of the water rushing between my fingers, and the bubbles I make when I exhale with my face in the water. And I feel so alive when it's all said and done. My cardio is benefiting, too.
Spinning is still a wonderful hour of torture and clock-watching, but I still dig it. I sweat like a pig and I love it (because it means a BIG chocolate milk at the end).
My week of running was spectacular. We did 200m and 400m intervals on Tuesday (200-200-400 x5... ouch!) and they weren't half bad. I need to complete 200m in 46seconds, and 400 in 1min 30 seconds to 1min 40seconds. I was bang on every time. OH! I've also changed my Around the Bay goal time.... I felt confident that this time around I could easily come in at a 2hr 55min 30km race. I know I can do that, and so it doesn't seem so much like a challenge anymore. So I've upped that anti... I'm going to do my best to run a 2hr 50min 30km this time around. This will be hard.... last year I trained to finish in 3hrs, but came in at 3hrs 17mins. A 27 minute PB is nearly unheard of (although, I did shave off 17 minutes from my 2009 ATB to the 3hr 17min finish of last year). I bet this sounds like gibberish to my reader. Trust me, it all makes absolute sense. I just need you to believe in me for that extra 5 minutes.
I set a PB with my 10km tempo route from the Den to Canadian Tire in Dundas, up Osler and back to the store on Thursday. 52 minutes. That deserves a BOO-YEAH!
22km this morning, from the store through Burlington to Shadeland (the prettiest street in Burlington in my opinion!). EFFING ROCKED IT, including 3 OWNED hills!! 2hrs.
Today Steve and I were making our way along the last 2k back to the Runner's Den, when all of a sudden we saw coming towards us a pack of younger male runners. They looked exactly like the opening scene of the movie Chariots of Fire, where the runners swiftly make their way along the beach, a tightly composed group of determined, purposeful faces (maybe this is what I lack in races... a "race face"). Anyway, the sight reminded us of the theme song for the movie, and we decided that if one were to play this on an unending loop on their iPod for the entire duration of the race, it should be enough to motivate you to move along and finish well and strong. Well, neither of us plan on trying this, but it's something for the rest of you to consider.
Chariots of Fire is going to be on CHCH tomorrow (Sunday) at 8pm. I suggest watching it if you like running or sports movies and being inspired. Here's the scene I just described seeing today....
In Work: I had a fairly wonderful week of work. Except Thursday. Monday and Tuesday were spent at Churchill Secondary, a school I've come to enjoy a fair bit. The students there crack me up with their quirky personality traits. Wednesday and Friday I spent at Glenwood, my home a way from home (i.e. Parkview!). Thursday, however....borderline nightmareish. I shall leave the school nameless, however I will say that I will not be returning. Here's what I don't get...how does one work with a student EVERY SINGLE DAY, a person who thereby gets to know that student inside and out, a person who knows exactly what strategies are best to help their student have a successful day... HOW DO THEY NOT LEAVE NOTES FOR THE SUPPLY?!?! And if the absent EA doesn't do this, why did the teachers I encountered in this student's life NOT tell me about the student, what to expect, and how to handle certain situations?!?! Long story short: At one point my student stood up, walked away from me, hung his arms and head over the balcony overlooking a foyer in the school, and proceeded to drop all his work over the edge. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO KNOW THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED, but I got NO INFORMATION!! Really? REALLY? REALLY! Just ridiculous, and I'm not talking about the student here. Truly, it's an unwritten rule that kids are to take advantage of the supply, I fully expect that. BUT, I ALSO expect to be filled in on everything I need to know in order to have a successful day with that student, so that they don't hurt themselves or others in the process of said defiance. Who the hell are we working for in the school system? THE KIDS. But I have come to realize that a lot (dare I say most) adults working in the school system are in it for themselves. Summer's off? Sign me up! $80,000 a year? Sign me up! It's despicable, and only the kids suffer.
In Life: This is the part where things get less than spectacular. It started off with my terrible laptop death last Saturday. If it doesn't work even in safe mode.... well what hope is there? So I bought a new one, and it should be arriving at some point this week. $511. I guess that's not a bad price for a laptop, but I'm trying to save as much money as I possibly can in anticipation of not making nearly as much while I am (hopefully) in teachers college next year. Then Monday morning rolls around. Sunday to Monday overnight was the COLDEST night in several years, at a low low low of -20C. I scrape the ice off my windshield and back windows, then hop in to start er up. Start er up. START ER UP! What did not happen was any car starting... my battery was dead. After school that same day my dad called a truck to come give me a boost, and later in the week I had the life of the battery assessed. Great news.... "You have maybe 20% life left in this. You can drive it, but you're risking getting stuck somewhere. And if it gets cold like this again, you've got even worse odds". Super. So Dad and I made our way to Canadian Tire to get a new battery. $180. Not.Impressed. And I still require new tires in the not too distant future. GAH!!
It's money that makes the world go round.
Also doing lots of thinking lately, about A LOT of different things, which is causing lots of anxiety. That's a given with me, though, you must know that by now. I must say though, I have a fantastic support system. I'm lucky to have a few good friends who just understand my anxiety disorder, and they help me TREMENDOUSLY through my challenges. Aaron and Julie.... you are the ROCKINGEST!! Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), or any anxiety disorder for that matter, is hard to understand for anyone who doesn't experience it. And for the most part, the majority of people I know either get fed up with me, ignore me, or walk away from me when I try to talk about things, because it's hard to understand. And I'll be the first one to admit it. At the same time, I can't help it. I have constant anxiety about something or other, and it's never 1 thing at a time.... it's MANY. At any rate, anxiety has been to the max lately, but I'm thankful for the support Aaron and Julie offer me. I am so so grateful for their patience, listening ear, and working with me to find solutions to my worries.
For now, I am going to make some popcorn, watch some Tudors, and go to bed at a grandma's time. Because that is what I want to do.
Some major events and revelations have transpired in just a few days, which I feel I should write about in order to detox my brain of overload and inevitable explosion......
ONE: Event This past Friday, I participated in an interview for the position of Helping Hands Site Director at YMCA Day Camp for this coming summer. I really feel it went well. I have ample experience in working with children, children with exceptional needs, as well as managing teams. I feel I have the passion and motivation the position requires. Furthermore, I am determined to be the oldest person to ever work at summer camp. At 28, I believe I am winning that race.
TWO: Revelation So yesterday I met Julie and Kathi (two of my greatest running friends, in addition to a whole lot of others) at the Les Chater YMCA to run a VERY cold 10k and then do weights afterward. We're right in the middle of something or other that is hurting very much, when Julie plants this seed: TRIATHLON. "You are absolutely strong enough to do that Christine. Binbrook is in June and you should do it, there's no reason why you can't!". So I got to thinking..... Hmmmm... TRIATHLON!! There's no reason why I couldn't! The distances include a 750-meter swim, 30k -bike, 7k-run. Really my only missing piece at the moment is swimming in a straight line, and I have until June to work on that. Yeah, I'm doing this.
THREE: Event Today I came home to an e-mail from York University with an invitation for an interview for consideration for admission for teachers college in the fall. This is sort of an amazing thing... York gets 47,000 applications every year to fill just a couple hundred spots. This is also remarkable to me because I did a really good job convincing myself the package I submitted with my personal statement, experience profile, and other documentation was nothing short of crap.The interview will be sometime in February, and the specific date I will know soon. This is a very good thing. I think I'm going to barf my guts out.(My first choice remains Brock, though)
Ok, it's out. Hopefully sleep is had tonight.... I HAVE SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT!
I don't get many days off. Most weeks, I am working 5 days at school, a couple at night after school either at Copps or the YMCA, and then both Saturday and Sunday at Copps. I guess this classifies me as a "workaholic". It's better than alcoholic, I guess.
Today is a PD day for the elementary schools, so my only work options were to come from the secondary panel. I wasn't expecting anything to pop up, considering how many supply's would be looking for work, and how few high school's there are with EA's being away today. I had a staff meeting at the Y last night, and seemed to have missed one call from SFX (smart find express.... the pain of my existence). I jumped on to the online version once I got home around 9pm, but nothing was there. Still, I stayed up to my usual 11pm before shutting it off and going to bed so I could get up at 5:45am to see what was available in the morning. Nothing there for a good hour, then one came up.
Now, normally I'd jump all over that. 6:45 is usually my limit to accepting jobs because most start at 8am. If I start at 8am, I have to leave my house by 7:30. If I have to leave at 7:30, I have to be up and out of bed no later than 6:30. Today I had nothing to really do to my hair, and really only had to make my lunch (it's normally made the day before), and the usual brush teeth and put on make up before leaving. But I didn't take anything that came up.
I admit, I absolutely hold out for schools I love. Number one: Parkview. Number two: Glenwood. Numbers to follow: Westdale, Saltfleet, Sherwood. None of these were coming up (Glenwood is an elementary school, so that was immediately impossible). Normally, at this point, I would go into panic mode.... that whole stomach in my throat, foot-tapping, yelling at the computer for something that suits me to appear on the screen. Today I didn't do that. I decided today that I would not work at all! People reading this who know me well are probably calling a psychiatric hospital to come pick me up right now, because I have never chosen to not work... ever. I have this idea that that if I don't work a day, I am a bum. Of course it isn't true, when I've just worked two weeks straight. Anyway, for whatever reason, today I decided it was ok to not find work.
Instead, I plan to do some banking, and later meet Kathi for a 10k and weights at Les Chater. It's such a beautiful winter day today. I'm a little glad I'm not stuck in a building, unable to enjoy this rare winter sunshine, even if it feels like -24C. So what, I'll wear an extra sweater and a hat.
My weekend consisted of work and working out. Friday night saw me bartending at Copps for the Bulldogs game, which I didn't get home from until 11:30 (and it takes a while for me to come down off a busy night and settle myself into sleep. It was probably closer to 12:30ish before I actually fell asleep). Then I was up at 6:45 Saturday to have my whole wheat English muffin and yogurt before scooting off to run my 18k from the Runner's Den. Now, about this 18k run...... IT WAS HARD!! But also awesome. I love to run in the snow! But Saturday posed a bunch of different challenges: the snow was falling fairly quickly and piling up just as fast, and footing was difficult (it was a good move on my part to wear my new Brooks Cascadia trail shoes!). You couldn't really run with your head up, unless you were wearing ski goggles to prevent snowflakes from blinding you square in the pupil mid stride (it happened to me 3 times!). People had not yet come out to shovel their sidewalks off, and so at times we were trudging through some pretty deep passages. This fact became particularly clear and annoying as we made our way up the Osler Dr. hill in Dundas...... I don't think I've ever moved that slowly, ever. Even the long-time veterans complained of the conditions this week! But at the same time, it was a brilliant sight to see.
My route this week took me from the Runner's Den in Westdale, through the Mac campus, down Cootes Dr., around the Canadian Tire to Hatt Street, down some other street that eventually led us back to Cootes. Cross Cootes to get to another street that led us to Osler. UP! UP! UP! Osler and yet another snowy, sludgey hill, and down a side street leading back to McMaster. Through Mac and down Stirling, hanging a left at Haddon. Haddon leads back to the store, BUT we're not done there.... that was just 15k, and I needed to do 18 this week. So I kept going, past the store to Macklin. I followed Macklin all the way past Coronation arena, past Shalom Village Retirement Home, all the way to the Bayfront trail. THEN I pushed my way up the Longwood hill, to finish the tough part, and sailed down Longwood back to the Den. It was the toughest run I've had to do in quite a while, but it was SO satisfying once it was over. I was pretty proud to have pushed through it... a lot of people turned in early, or didn't even come out at all. This is probably a sure sign that I am crazy.
I am starting to train with gels for this Around the Bay and Mississauga Marathon. Last year, I used Cliff Bars throughout all of my training and during the actual race. Good fuel, but not a great idea. They're great because they're organic and hearty enough to keep you sustained for quite a while. One bar contains 250 calories, and they come in really great flavours. The problem rests in the fact that you have to actually stop and chew it so that you do not choke while eating it on the run. I think this slowed me down at last year's ATB and this year I decided to give the gels a try. Gels, plain and simple, are GROSS! But they work. On Saturday I bought a GU gel, vanilla flavour. The consistency is the worst part... it's actually like gel in a little package which you tear the top off of, squeeze into your mouth, try not to gag and take a swig of water to make it go down. Each gel contains 100 calories, and provides a significant boost in energy when you find yourself running low. Gels (or fuel in general) are recommended to be taken every 45 minutes on a long run. At week only week two of a very long training haul, I predict I am going to need a mad detox once Mississauga is over.
Spin class yesterday was ridiculous. Or I could have still been recovering from Saturday's run. Either way, I slept like a baby last night.
Maybe it's because Monday's at 4pm are not my usual gym visits. Maybe if we set to meet at 5pm it would have been better. Maybe this was the regular time and day for the people who were present at the gym while I was there. No... no... NO! THEY WERE RESOLUTIONERS! Part of the cult I call "Resolution Rush", and they were taking up my space, stealing my equipment, and being Resolutioners!
Don't get me wrong... I am all for people getting into better shape and creating a healthier, stronger self. I'm fairly happy when my health care system allocated tax dollars aren't spent on weight loss-related surgeries, type 2 diabetes treatments, or anything else resulting from over-consumption of food and an inactive lifestyle. But truly, some people there today were literally just WATCHING!
I understand how the gym can be an intimidating place.... I was once terrified myself. All the strong, buff, grunting people.... working those machines like a pro.... it's scary! But let me tell you the last thing I would have done: Taken another person's weights (2x's). Socialized in the middle of the weight area. Just sat on a mat and stared at another person working out. Not asked for instructions on how to work the machines (REALLY PEOPLE! YOU GET A DEMO AND TOUR WHEN YOU SIGN UP!)
And there was also NO parking!
Ok, ok.. maybe I'm going overboard (I've done that once or twice....). It's just annoying when I have a routine I need to complete and it's getting all screwed up by Resolutioners! I'm training for a marathon people, I'm not toning my legs so they look good in my clubbing clothes (although... it is a welcomed added bonus).
If you're not serious about getting fit, save yourself some money on the gym, buy some good shoes, and walk around the block a couple times.
(Now that I know I have at least one consistent reader (THANKS JUSTIN! www.justinbaisden.com), I just may have found some motivation to write more often. Provided I am able to find an hour or so a week to do this ;)
Christmas is over and the new year has arrived, which can only mean on thing.... AROUND THE BAY TRAINING IS HERE!! Time to put down the bonbons, cap the suds, and run my guts out! Last year the goal was sub-3hrs, but I didn't quite achieve that on race day. IN TRAINING, however, I did... thereby making race day slightly heartbreaking. Considering how much stronger I am running this year (thanks to a spring, summer, and fall of dedicated trail running, and the addition of weights (done properly thanks to Kathi's help!) and spin classes), I feel this goal is absolutely within reach this year. BUT! I (claim to) like a challenge (not that this entire race isn't a challenge for any one at any level going for any time!), so I've decided to do my best to complete my speed work (intervals and tempo runs) as if I was training for a 2:52 Bay. My actual goal is going to be 2:55:00-3:00:00. And to finish feeling good! This is going to be my THIRD Around the Bay 30k race.
Check out the YouTube panel on the right hand side of this blog. I have little doubt the videos I've posted of Around the Bay's past will inspire you (I may or may not have got misty-eyed watching them. If you're inspired watching them, consider running some portion of the races! It's A-M-A-Z-I-N-G to be a part of them! OR, you can come and shake a cowbell for those of us crazy enough to run them ourselves ;).
(EXTRA: Following the training schedule for this finish at ATB would bring me in for a 4:00:00-4:05:00 marathon in either Mississauga or Cleveland in May (still can't decide which one to do! ). A 4hr 5min marathon is 25 minutes off my Boston qualifying time (3:40:00)and, as some of you may (or not) know, I have hopes of qualifying within the next 5 years... Lord willing!).
The only reason I race is because in order to do so, you have to train. TRAINING IS THE BEST PART OF RUNNING!! Race day is what it is and, as I have learned on multiple occasions, any goals you have held for yourself for finishing time can quickly become discarded depending on any number of race day factors. But in training... that's where you see all the gains! ATB training is 16 weeks long, and in that time you can see just how far you've come. The first time I ran ATB, I had never run further than 10k. By the end of 16 weeks, I was doing 30k, running faster, and loving the sport more and more and more and......
And running in this cold winter weather..... nothing beats it! I'm not going to say I don't struggle to get out of bed at 6:45 every Saturday morning, or that I don't drag myself to my car to make the trek from the east end to the west every week, or that sometimes I just don't have the energy to do intervals or hills work after a long, tiring day at work. I ABSOLUTELY STRUGGLE WITH THESE BARRIERS! But I have never once regretted pushing past them, getting through the workout, and feeling good about myself for doing so.
This morning was our first long run on the schedule. A comfortable 16k, from the Den in Westdale to Daryl Rd in Burlington and then back. Only two challenging hills on this one: up a long, winding, somewhat gradual and often painful section of Valley Inn (around the cemetry), and then the infamous "Heart Attack Hill" on the section of Valley Inn leading back up to York/Plains Rd. We got it off to a strong start, never stopping on either of them! I do plan on owning Heart Attack Hill this year! It was a wicked run, and a fun time with the breakfast club afterward.
2011 Races.... so far: 1. Grimsby Half-Marathon - Feb. 27 2. Around the Bay 30k - March 27 3. Mississauga or Cleveland Marathon - May 15
Next Week in Fitness: Spin Class (Sunday), Weights (Monday) Intervals (Tuesday), Tempo (Thursday). Swimming (Thursday after tempo), and 18k from the Den to LaSalle in Burlington and back (Saturday). One extra hill on the LaSalle route, and a bit of a doosey. I welcome the challenge!
In between all this I will buy snow tires due to my almost crashing multiple times in a 15 minute drive from home to the Den, and then from the Den home again :S.
Thanks for reading!
Christeeny!
(P.S. - Even though today's run was fab, I am currently icing my ankle! I have this "problem" that when I run, I can tend to kick the insides of my ankles, most often my left foot kicking my right ankle [note to self: see about bodily realignment surgery!]. Well, today I kicked my right ankle so many times, and with a frozen left shoe, and one time REALLY hard, it is now a swollen, purple disaster. It doesn't affect my running at all, but ouch anyway!)
