Present.

So I didn't do too well since my last post. In fact, I failed spectacularly. However, with the start of the new year, there is also the start of new running clinics. I noticed a sign posted for them in December (during my non-run month... apparently) and thought how nice would that be. Sounds like just the motivation I need. Maybe the more social aspect will keep me in it. The end goal for this clinic is running in the 5k St. Pat's run. That sounds fairly decent. Learn-to-run in a few short months. Fantastic! Now for me to decide where to take the clinic. Later, I'm going to post about goals and share with you what little I know about goals-setting.

On a different note, I've had an awesome filled of good food and family this holiday season. I've never eaten so well! Ironically, I've lost 5lbs in the process. No running, big dinners... It shouldn't add up to weight loss, but this time, it does! It's going to be a wonderful, fulfilling year. Thank you, 2010 for all the lessons you blessed me with. Hello, 2011!!

Tell me, what are your goals for this year?

Randomness.... Pink Bunny - by Candy Bird

Pink Bunny

This was taken from the amazing French artist, Candy Bird's website.  It has some really nice illustrations.
I like this one for reasons that are obvious to some... and maybe to you.  :)

Procrastination and that Battle with Pefection

Just saw this video in my YouTube subscription and thought that I must share it with you!  Some great, simple insights that I found resonated with me as soon as I heard it.  They also make a couple of reading recommendations that I will check out.  If you suffer from procrastination, maybe this might resonate with you as well.

Much love.  Mahalo.

Green yourself

I haven't been doing much except studying these past few days.  

I haven't done a run since I last posted.  :(  

But I have been making green smoothies (as if that cancels out!). 

So here was dinner last night.... plus a green smoothie.

This is my own recipe.  Used garlic and onions, reduced sodium soy sauce, curry powder, white pepper and some agave syrup on the chicken leg.  Cooked at low heat so that the onions would caramelise and the skin would soak up the juices.  

This green smoothie I used a lot of stuff.... whatever I had.  I think it was a little too intense.  Next day I woke up with a sore throat and nose bleed -- a sure sign that I had added too much yang to my body.  

What did I use?  Kale, spinach, bananas, coconut, frozen mixed berries, flax seeds, chia seeds, bee pollan, spirulina, aloe vera and coconut water.  If I could do it again, I would skip the chia seeds and pollan and spirulina.  Was definitely an overkill.  : P  I photographed it next to my green pot to compare the colours.  *haha*

This morning's green smoothie is a lot less intense on the "heat" or yang side.  I used collard greens, kale, green apples, kiwi, strawberries, avocado.  Much better.  :)  I'll keep tweaking the recipe and sharing the results.  Meanwhile, I made at least 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies with that one blend.  I've refrigerated the other half in a glass to enjoy later.  

What did you have for breakfast?

Funky slump

I'm in the odd place right now.  I'm still doing my runs, but it's a struggle to stay on track.  I've noticed big gains (or should I say "losses") in the fit department.  My jeans are less awkward on me and my figure is slimmer.  But I'm in such a mental slump.  Difficult to describe.

I wonder if I am pushing too hard, too fast.  Ben Davis just posted a link to the Hal Higdon's running guide that he used to train for his races.  Looks like there is one for beginner-beginners like me!  I'm going to use his 30/30 plan, which is similar to what my life coach suggested.  This will provide a more regimented routine and I'm going to do the 30 consecutive days thing (hard time of year to start but I'm game!).  It's an easy start pace and cranks it up really slowly.  I'm pretty sure I've been cranking it too hard for someone with little aerobic base.  So back to square one.  I'm okay with that.

Hey, stranger!

It's been a whole week since I last posted anything!  Wow.  That was really bad of me.  I think it's because I struggled a lot with this week.  I did my runs on Sunday, then Tuesday and now Today, so I haven't completely fallen off the wagon.  However, I haven't run as much as the previous weeks.  As expressed before, I've been toying with the idea of training according to my heart rate zones to maximise on my time.

Grundle, who posted a comment on this blog pointed me to his website for further info on heart rate training.  A lot of his info is derived from Dr. Phil Maffetone here.  Since I'm so unmotivated to run lately, I'm going to take advantage of the slower pace and try working within the proper heart rate zone.  I think that by changing it up, I won't burn out so easily and give up on the whole thing.  So thanks again to Grundle for sharing this material!  :)

Oh yeah, and today's stats from the run/walk:
1.75mi in 26:25
Avg heartrate was 157 bpm.
Fastest lap happened on the second lap and was 2:53.  Ho-hum.

I finished my take home final exam

... ON TIME!!!!!

This is my happy dance!

EDIT:  I should explain my elation.  I spent 12 hours (9pm - 9am) working non-stop through the night to get it done.  1500 words put together in (hopefully) a meaningful way.  That's why I'm doing the happy dance.  ;)

Weigh-in Day

Today is weigh-in day and a run day.  I was going to blow off my run in exchange for working on my paper.  However, I found myself distracted and constantly thinking about running.  It was a VERY ODD feeling.  I was actually uncomfortable with NOT going for my run.  Funny how momentum works, isn't it?  

Anyway, I decided rather than be distracted about running, I would just go out and do it.  Figured it would be a good way to get my brain juices flowing.  I'm under a tremendous amount of pressure right now and so now is the time to keep my sanity and mental health.... and I concede that running has become a part of that therapy.  

So which one first?  Weigh-in or run?  Okay.  Run.

Took a slower pace today for a few reasons.  In looking at Monday's heartrate, I decided to learn a bit more about heart rate zones and such.  I noticed that I was mostly working in (the Red Line) Zone 5, which, according to my findings,  is not really where I want to be working out in.  It's beyond the anaerobic zone (4) and way above the fat burning zone (2).  Each zone does different things.  One builds endurance; another burns fat, another burns carbs, etc.  So I dialed it back to see if I could bring the heartrate down a touch and go a little longer/further in a jog.  Turns out that I can!

This snapshot shows you everything but my avg heartrate which was 170bpm.  Monday's was 173.  

Today's first lap was 3 seconds slower than Monday's, but I went further for longer.  I'll have to experiment with all that in the coming weeks.  I think Friday will be a walk day.  I like the idea of burning fat instead of just carbohydrates.  ;)

As for the weigh-in results:

179.6 lbs.

Though my weight is sticking stubbornly close to 180, I've noticed an improvement in my shape.  I'll take that over losing weight!

And now, back to papers!!!  Tell me, how is your week going?  

Great run song!!

Because my music collection is so out of date (last bought a CD when A&B Sound were still around), I listen to our local radio station (100.5 The Peak).  One of the songs that I'm almost sure to hear is this one and it always helps me pick up the pace.

Florence and the Machine - "Dog days are over"

Running karma

So I'm suppose to run in the mornings, right?  That didn't happen this morning (while it was still dry).  By the early afternoon, it had started to rain.  But, I promised myself that I would run.  So when I got back from school this evening, I put on my runners and jacket.  Knocked off a pretty good run, actually!  I'm seeing minute improvements on my times!  I improved on my total run time by another full minute!!

This is a graph with my heartrate overlaid with my pace.  I'm working hard!  ...maybe too hard.  Anyone good with heartrate zone stuff?

Total distance:  1.75mi
Best lap:  2:44 (again, my first lap!)
Avg pace:  12:30/mi
Avg heartrate:  173 bpm