Establishing a Routine

I love planning. I take comfort in knowing how I will be spending my time. The half marathon training has kept me busy and on track. Our fitness schedule has us running 5 days a week with 2 days of cross training. I use one of my cross training days for weight training, and the other for Pilates and an exercise class called Lean Physique. This week I will be trying yoga for the first time!

Monday: Cross Training
Tuesday: Tempo Runs
Wednesday: Hills Training (Running)
Thursday: Steady Run
Friday: Personal Training + Steady Run
Saturday: Cross Training + Weekly Weigh In*
Sunday: Long Slow Distance Run

Hydration Tip: When you divide your weight (in pounds) in half that equates to the the amount of water in ounces you should be consuming when you're training. I'm still trying to consume more water.

February Weigh In: Down 5.8 lbs

Note: I weigh in weekly for Weight Watchers. Be aware of your overall health goals. Consult your doctor to ensure that your weight goals are safe and healthy for you. My personal trainer discouraged me from weighing myself frequently because he did not want me to be discouraged. Muscle weighs twice as much as fat. He said that it sometimes takes up to two months before you can see a change in your body.

Be Patient & Stick with it!

Half Marathon Clinic Begins!

     The day has finally arrived, the first night of our clinic! I was most excited to meet new running buddies,
there are over 40 people registered for our clinic, so there are plenty to choose from! It was nice to see some familiar faces out this evening. What I loved about the first clinic night was hearing the other members goals. Mine is to continue to achieve overall health and wellness, and continue to lose weight. My goal race is to run in the Ottawa Half Marathon on May 29th for my 26th birthday! I will miss my running buddies from the Newmarket store, but I look forward to working with Monick and Jamie.

     In preparation for the half marathon clinic I have been working with a personal trainer to help me strengthen my body so that it will provide me with a good foundation for running. I hope this will also reduce injuries. We have broken my body in to three main areas, and each workout focuses on one area of the body.

Here is what my workout week looks like:

Monday: 1 hour of Person Training: Core/Arms + 65 minutes of walking (fat burning) on the treadmill post-workout.
Tuesday: 4.5 km of Steady running outside with my clinic
Wednesday: Run Club: 3km at Tempo (outside)
Thursday: 3km Steady run
Friday: 1 hour of Personal Training: Legs
Saturday: 3km Steady
Sunday: Run Club: 8km of Long Slow Distance (outside)

What does your fitness routine look like this week?

Note: Due to being sick for 2 weeks I missed 2 personal training sessions, so I added an extra training session this week. There should always be a full day of rest in your training schedule. I might adjust the run scheduled for Saturday depending on how my legs are feeling for the weight training the night before.  

Funny Side Note: Last night I had a dream that after I got home from my workout I ate two large white chocolate macadamia nut cookies right before I went to sleep.

Change is in the Air

I have graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with Honours Geography and Sociology! I have applied to various Bachelor of Education (Teachers College) programs throughout Ontario for next fall. In preparation for my upcoming 1/2 Marathon Clinic (in February) I have recommitted myself to Weight Watchers. As of today I am a member of the Fitness Clubs of Canada!

I would like to thank Indigo and Bexx, two lovely Laurier Alum, who have supported my running goals from the get-go!

Race Confirmation

     I have had a "quieter" online presence then I had anticipated. I have good news to report. I have received confirmation that I am registered for the Tom Taylor Trail Ten Miler it is on Halloween! I'm excited for this race for a few reasons.

     1) This is the inaugural race
     2) Tony, from my running clinic is one of the organizers
     3) It raises money for a Charity, Inn From The Cold
     4) It is the longest race I have ever run (16km's)
     5) I will have a slice or two of my Dairy Queen ice cream birthday cake, which has yet to be purchased.
         My birthday was in May, but I have been working hard since May 4th to lose 20 lbs :)  

     Running has been going really well! It's hard to believe that my 10 Miler clinic is almost over! I've noticed a big difference in my ability to run more comfortably at a faster pace. My lungs feel healthier. I no longer bring my iPod to the Monday clinic nights, or Run Club on Wednesdays (for hills training and tempo runs). Last Wednesday we did a 2km warm up run, then a 12 minute tempo run, and five 90 second hills followed by a 2km run back to the store.

Waiting Pool

     I have decided to join a three month "Full Fitness Membership" with unlimited access to the fitness studios, lane swims, aquafit and aerobics classes within the community centres in town. Tonight I went to the Running Room for Tempo Runs. Tony ran with my tonight, which I was very fortunate for. He runs much faster than me, but he was a great conversationalist. I enjoy getting to know the members of my group better.
     This car is entitled "Waiting Pool" because I was planning on attending a one hour aquafit class in the deep end, to discover that the pool closest to my home will re-open September 25th.

Searching for a Reasonable Gym

     Since I moved home from university I have been in search of a gym that I will enjoy as much as my university facilities. I want to get a good workout, using weights, and attending aerobics classes as cross training for running. I am being cautious to join a gym without doing my research. I looked into the Goodlife, however I didn't like the lack of air circulation (as it was in a basement). I also looked into Extreme Fitness, but have read a lot of negative reviews about it. I thought I would enjoy the fact that they have a pool, so I could do aquafit, but I need to re-evaluate that. I'm trying to find a facility closer to home, as I have been doing 20-30 minute commutes for running and weight watchers. I also explored the option of going to a YMCA fitness facility, but there aren't any near me. I am now exploring different fitness opportunities within the community centres in town. I'm hoping to get a combined aerobics and aquafit pass. I will keep you posted!

Good Word

I have good news to report. Today I ran 11.4km's which is the farthest distance I have run yet. I also attended my first tempo run this past week alone. I look forward to running with the group again this Wednesday. I decided to run with a smile on my face near the end of the run, I might have looked silly, but it helped motivate me. I was feeling some pain in my toe nails near the end of the run.  My aim was to run 9km's but I was feeling good at the end of it and pushed through an extra 2.4km's.  This week I really need to focus on having good workouts as I went out to dinner a lot this long weekend.