If you came over for coffee

If you came over for coffee this afternoon, I would tell you...

...That I'm 2/3 done exams, which is super exciting. 1 exam and 1 short write up separates me from freedom...for a week. Since I'm doing a lot of summer courses. 

...That I'm so happy Alex joined the Y a few weeks a go. It' really fun working out together (especially when I correct his form and he gets embarrassed) and he's getting really healthy. 

...I would mention that I was asked to run a half marathon in October and I'm really not sure if I want to. I've been running a bit, 5km here, 3 km there which makes me miss running but I don't know if I want to commit to all the training involved for a half. 

...That Alex and I are going away to Niagara Falls for the day. Hitting the water park, some shopping and dinner and I CAN NOT wait. 

1:57:43!

That was my time for yesterday's ScotiaBank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon...and beating my goal of finishing under 2 hours. I am so happy....very sore as you can imagine but soooo happy for seeing a "1" in my finishing time. 

I honestly could not have finished in 1:57 without my awesome dad who ran and paced me so we would cross the finish line by 2 hours. He was a pain, especially when he said "17km is up there, no more running every 10 minutes, we have only 30 minutes left" but in the end running the last 4km was crucial and it had to be done. 

It feels so good to see all my hard work pay off, of running hills and doing speed work during the past 4 months. I had doubts of finishing sub-2 hours but hey, I did it and that my friends is my new PB (personal best) 

Next goals? I'm still thinking about that. I'm not giving up running. No, not at all. But I want to start getting muscles and doing bootcamp workouts. What I'm thinking is running with the running group Wednesday's and Sunday's and joining the YMCA for group classes and fitting those classes in during the week. My next half will be the Chilly Half on March 2nd, 2014. 

Hmmm, what should my next goal time be? 1:55? 1:50?! 

Weekly Workouts

How is it Sunday late afternoon?! Seriously, the days fly by. 

This wasn't my best week for running. Sunday was a slow 13k and my knees really started to get achy around 10k. I finished but I was very concerned. 

Tuesday wasn't any better. I missed running with the Beaches Running Group on Sunday so come Tuesday I was pumped to run 6k with my group after work. The traffic was horrible and by the time I got parked and sprinted over, everyone had started their run. So I ran 6k by myself which sucked. 

Wednesday, I missed hill training due to just being so darn tired mid-week. I know, I know. I should have gone. But I didn't. 

Saturday was a really good 6k run around my 'hood. Took 38 minutes. Pretty sure a PB.

This week:

Monday:

Arms and Abs

Tuesday:

7km run

Wednesday: 

4 hills

Thursday:

Arms and Abs

Friday:

Off

Saturday:

Maybe 6k...at cottage.

Sunday:

14k

Running Milestones

This week I hit an amazing (in my mind) milestone in running-over 1000 kilometers since November '11. I remember hitting 500 back late last year and thinking 1000 was so far away and I didn't even know if I would make it. But I did. 

Honestly, it's all thanks to the Beaches Running Room Half Marathon clinic. Boy, do they make you run but safely! 

I decided to not train for my next half by myself and thought since my dad has has amazing success in the RR clinics, I would try. Such a great thing they've got going on. They support and community I have is what I need to run a 2 hour half marathon in October. 

Along with running, I'm doing more weights and abs. The last time few times I've run halfs, all I've done to prepare was run, which ya, I need to do but cross training is so important!

Off for a 6k- 3 hill run tonight :) 

Points

Happy Canada Day! 146 years young. 

Saturday turned out a really nice day which was great since my parents and I went to a wedding at Scarboro Golf and Country Club. The bride's family is close friends of ours and the mother of the bride actually taught me Grade 5. Ashley was a beautiful bride. 

I'm running a half-marathon (this one will be my 4th) in October...which reminds me I need to register! And I  decided to train with the Beaches Running Room store. I run 4x a week with a few days of cross training so it's manageable. Yesterday we ran 11k, really slowly. Slow is good! 

I love having a support system in place. And having friends to talk to during the runs make the kilometres fly by! 

Running Runt

I'm in a running runt. And I need to get out of it...now.

Since my half-marathon which was on the last Sunday of Febraury, I've logged about 21k (13miles) which is not like me. 

I've gotten obsessed with Spin class and slowly getting back into lifting weights because my flabby arms? Need to go. 

But running is a pain and challenge. I always have plans to go, but either I quit before my goal or the entire time I'm focused on how many more minutes until I'll be done and the other things I could be doing then running. 

Like last Thursday. I went to the gym after class to run a nice 5km and 2.6km, I shut off the treadmill dreadmill and left. I don't know why, just hit my "wall" quickly and couldn't get out of it. I was so sad and even more angry at myself. 

How can I go from running a half-marathon in 2 hours and 5 minutes and now I find it so hard to complete 5k! 

The fact that I have another half coming up at the end of May and have only logged 21km, scares me so much. I want to finish this half faster than the pervious ones and right now I'm sure I can. 

As of right now, I know I have to download some brand new music, lace up and get out there. I need to run again. I feel not complete. 

I know I have to face the bad runs and just keep repeating left....right...left...right.  

have any of you gone through a bad time like this? How did you get out of it? 

Insta-Lately....case of the animals

1) Taking a break from the fake nails and painted my own nails last week. Not bad. 

2) Little Iggy waking up from a nap  I mean, after Sarah woke him up. He just looked so cute.

3) Victoria Secret makes pretty decent nail polish. 

4) Princess likes sleeping on the couch. A little ew! 

5) Daily walks.

6) I came home one afternoon ad found her sleeping with a pillow. In the wash it went!

7) After Sunday's Half-Marathon.

8) Carb-o loading pasta Saturday night. 

Peterborough Half-Marathon

Sunday, I (along with my brother, Ryan) ran my second half-marathon. Yes, I ran 13.1 miles or 21km for fun. 

My goal was to finish in under 2:23:00 and beat my time that I ran the ScotiaBank Half-Marathon in October, which I did because I finished in 2:05! I knew around the 14km marker that I would so I got out my phone at sent a video to Alex saying I would. 

It felt so good to finish under my goal and shave off 18 minutes from last race. Hello new PB!

Now I'm deciding which half-marathon to sign up for and start training again for. 

INSTA-LATELY

Howdy, girls. This past week flew by! School seems to be in full swing and yes, I've started to count down till summer begins. 89 days till Punta Cana!

1)It's Karens birthday today and we got shellac mani's together. Pixie Dust

2) My half-marathon training said to run 8k on Thursday, but with it feeling like -24? Not gonna happen. Cross training did.

3) Tim's got a bit crazy on the chocolate. 

4) Taking Alex's cat to the vet

5) Creating monster in Creative Arts 1 class. Education major!

6) Went on a 16k run on Saturday in the valley. So beautiful. 

Go link up with Jenn!

Fitness Friday

I'm so happy to be off school for Christmas holidays until January 14th. Like so so so happy.

So happy because I can get back into running and start training for my 2nd half-marathon that's happening is two months! 

My work outs took a little back seat this semester which made me so sad. Seriously, who knew that working out can make me such a nicer person to around?!

I've been looking around on Pinterest for some new work outs and came across this one. It's awesome! All over workout plus running. Couldn't ask for me!

Source: blondeponytail.com via Sarah on Pinterest