Guess Who's Getting Older?

My birthday is in about 12 days, and you better believe I succumbed to making a wishlist.

I used to go out and celebrate with friends in pubs, restaurants, bars, yet now all I crave is a stress-free day with a sweet long run (running with my partner [we'll call him "A"] would be even better! Although he got an injury last year while running, I hope he gets better soon enough to run with me!) a latte, and perhaps a bath.

While you're busy thinking "Kat, are you really that humble? Is a latte and a bath all you really want?! You are so simplistic!", yes there are a few gift indulgences that I do crave and would love to have. Like really badly. Really really badly. And so I've decided to put the top 3 things that I would love to have on my birthday (whether I get them or not is another story, but a girl can dream!)

#1: Garmin Forerunner 301/305/405

There's just something about a Garmin Forerunner that says you've 'arrived' as a runner. At least in my opinion. It screams that you're serious about the sport that you call yours; that it's not just a slow, brisk run that you're doing, but a fully calculated and meticulous plan that you're following with every step you take. Sure, I may not run that many miles a week right now, but I definitely look forward to picking up the mileage especially when I start training for my half-marathon in May, and I think the Garmin will help me get out there more often as well. I will definitely need a Garmin to help record all my stats, paces, and routes, as well as keep track of my heart rate. The Garmin comes handy and helps calculate all the work for you (and I'm aaaaall about that! lol).

Amazon's Garmin Forerunner 405

Price Tag: Between $130-$350, with newer models priced considerably higher.

#2: Bosch Tassimo Coffee Machine (Pink ofcourse!)

Seriously, I don't even know how to respond to "How do you not have a coffee maker if you're an avid coffee drinker?". Seriously, I'm ashamed. I looooooove coffee. I could marry coffee if I could (in fact, I just might). However, as a broke student (I love using that excuse lol) I just always use instant coffee. Well, I am raising my standards! When I had breakfast my good friend Vanessa this week after our weekly run, I noticed she had a sweet coffee machine (Tassimo) and the shock hit me that I don't have a coffee machine. Alas, I decided to put this on my wishlist!

Now the only drawbacks with the Tassimo coffee machine, is the fact that you have to buy individual packets for every cup of coffee you make. I'm all about value and saving, so I don't know if this will sit well with my 2 cup quota per day (see broke student example above), however it is a beauty of all proportions! And get this, IT COMES IN PINK! I think I may just have to compromise with the whole quota thing, because a pink coffee machine = good in my books!

Pink Tassimo Coffee Machine

Price Tag: Between $130-$180



#3: Coach Kristin Leather Hobo/Op Art Hobo Handbag

Aside from being athletic, I'm also quite the feminine (I truly don't want to use the term 'girly girl' lol) woman who loves clothes, shopping, and yes you said it: handbags! I just can't help myself! So it seems appropriate that I've wanted this bag since November. It's just a beauty (you men won't understand) that can carry me through my personal life and professional life. To help land me a great job after I finish university (like I said, a girl can dream right?!). It's a beautifully crafted leather handbag from Coach, and it's just beautiful. That's it. That's all there is to know. I've swayed my mother into getting this for me (along with my step-dad) and can't wait to have this baby in my hands!

Coach Kristin Hobo Bag

Price Tag: I don't even want to divulge the info, it's quite pricey for a bag and my partner already thinks I'm crazy lol.

Now before you think I'm superficial and crazy, the first and only thing I want in life and on my birthday is health. Staying healthy for myself, my family staying healthy (including my fantastic grandparents that are entering their 70's) and my loving partner (who quit smoking almost a year ago!) and my friends. Without health, we have nothing. As someone who had health problems back in 2007 until 2009, I don't take my health for granted. It's the only thing we have, and that we should all cherish every single day.

I'm excited to celebrate my birthday, and hope everyone this year has a fantastic and healthy birthday as well!

Happy Running!
- K

Training Burnout

Well, I officially had my first burnout week. Am I initiated yet? :D

Ever since last Thursday, my running efforts have been lack luster to say the least. I ran a sweet and short tempo run last Thursday and attended a hot yoga class on Friday and JUST got back to running yesterday (Thursday). A whole week without running, you ask? Why yes, and it was filled with social outings, beautiful weather, and a chance to enjoy sinful food instead of my usual regime.

I read about training burnout before, but I never thought I'd get it. Besides going out for a few days, my body has been feeling exhausted and tired. I feel like the only thing I want to do is sleep and relax. Burnout is categorized when a runner experiences periods of mental and physical exhaustion from running. Now before you criticize and tell me "But Kat, you don't even run 20-30 miles a week, how can you be burnt out?", I will remind you that I was a couch potato until the end of January. Then BAM I picked up running 3 times a week (11-15 miles a week), so my body (I'm assuming) went into a tailspin, accompanied by stress mode, and asked me what the hell I think I'm doing.

The good thing is that I took my much needed rest and realized that the sinful eating (pizza, beer, and nachos, OH MY!) isn't for me. While it's great to relax and eat junk food with friends, I know where to draw the line now and not continue this pattern every day or every weekend. I enjoy sticking to my nutritional runner's diet and I enjoy eating healthy instead of filling my body with toxins and preservatives. Now don't get me wrong, I love my chocolate brownies and hazelnut lattes, but like they say: everything in moderation!

So to all who are suffering from a burnout week, I suggest you listen to your body and take the week off. Learn to rest, and truly rest! Relax and enjoy the comfort of your home. Eat well, but treat yourself if you really want to. No one will punish you, don't worry! That way you recover faster, and prevent and injury that'll take you out for a few months of running.

Happy Running!

- K

iFitness Running Belt Giveaway!

Running Through Life: iFitness Ultimate Running Belt Review and Giveaway...: "Recently, I was given the chance to try and review the Ultimate Running Belt from iFitness. I have a belt already (won't tell which) and a ..."

Setbacks & Progress

After completing my first week of training, I slipped up a bit.

Only a bit, I promise! After Friday's incident (almost getting hit by a car, I'm definitely fine and dandy now, but was quite angry and shaken up), I took a few days off running and just didn't feel like getting out there, even though the weather was finally starting to come alive! After 4 days of NO running at all, I finally got back on the treadmill (it's still wet outside due to all the puddles) and it was one of the hardest tasks ever!

Seriously, there's a reason why people tell you that you shouldn't take a too long of a break with working out/running/exercising/anything active. It's ridiculous trying to get back into the swing of things! My LSD (long, slow distance run) was just not happening! I couldn't get into the right mindset and was too distracted. I find that for LSD your head really needs to be in the game, otherwise you're doomed. Case in point, on Wednesday's run. So I decided to switch it up and turn it into a short tempo run; just a 2 miler (3K). Picked up the pace and in the end had a 7 min pace/per mile which was fantastic but extremely fast! :)

Thursday's easy run was outside in the morning with Vanessa! It was an easy run and good to get outside and enjoy the beautiful morning. Did I mention I got a new jacket?! After noticing that most of my apparel is black (hey it's slimming!) I decided to switch things up and get a bright, fluorescent, in-yo-face running jacket from the Runner's Shop. It was on sale which is even better! Low and behold, the Saucony Vizi Pro Jacket! Here is a photo of it, yet it is NOTHING like this orange colour they show here. It's more of a "Hey I'm a construction worker part-time, hence why I'm wearing something so bright" kind of colour, compared to the photo below which is more of a mellow orange. Mellow tangerine, let's say.

Oh and the cool thing about the jacket is that on the right lower sleeve, there's a small light that turns on and flashes an intense ray of awesome towards oncoming cars/traffic/anything. BEWARE of my awesome light!

Saturday will consist of another LSD (hopefully my mind will be in it this time) but I also really want to go to Zumba class which I haven't gone to in a while.

Remember that no matter how long you take off from any given activity, it's easy to get back into it if your mind is in the right place. Focus, draw from within, and the results will speak for themselves.

Happy Running!

- K

5K Training Has Officially Commenced!

Very exciting news my friends, my 5K training has officially begun!

I realized I never showed you guys my plush puppies! These are my runners that guide me through every run, one mile at a time. They fit like a dream, and I'm glad to call myself a Mizuno Girl ;-) The red really brings out my fiery, fierce, competitive side I think ;-)

I had recently downloaded the Runner's World Smart Coach App for my iPhone that sets your training plan for 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon, or marathon depending on your individual exercise, pace, etc. I believe the app is now $1 but I got it a few weeks ago when it was free (sorry!). I am REALLY pleased with this app as it contains a glossary (tempo vs. speedwork), an 8 or 16 week program, and even an individual training plan for the week. I've stumbled upon various training programs online, but this one is perfect because it lets me add my own pace, when I want to log LSD (long slow distances) and how long I need to train til race day. Check it out, it might help you :)

Onto the training! My first day training was Tuesday with a LSD (long slow distance). I plugged in my pace at about 10:00/mile into the app, and it then calculated the remainder of my paces for the future training days. The LSD said to go incredibly slow (at 13:27 per mile) and NOT to speed up no matter what. Currently the training is set at 3 days a week, and then increasing to 4 days after 3 weeks. My first LSD was 6 miles. Easy, that's just a 10K! I thought. Not so much, once I got on the treadmill. Originally, I would have hoped to start doing all my runs outside, but with Toronto's weather (slush, hail, rain, snow, repeat) being neurotic, I had to stick with the gym.

The run started out pretty sore and had me distracted (can I really run the 6 miles? How can I do this for 6?): side stitches, other people's B.O, and the 7 TV's in front of me really distracted me. My calves felt sore, but I realized that if I stopped, I would be missing out on the whole point of the training. The good thing is, my knees felt great during the run and after about the 3rd mile, I picked it up and just focused on finishing, one step at a time (as they always say!). Although the pace was not challenging at all, it really becomes a mental game towards the end. On a great note, I never once walked during the whole run, and had about 5-8 pauses of about 15-30 seconds (I'm estimating here) of water breaks or to wipe the fat-cell sweat haha.

Overall, I pushed through and finished the full 6 miles, and felt FANTASTIC! I felt amazing once I finished. Amazing because I did it all on my own, without my inner gremlin telling me to stop and walk. Amazing because that's halfway to a half-marathon distance. Amazing because I have never ran that distance by myself, on a treadmill, and pushed my boundaries.

It was a great run, and next week's LSD is 7 miles. I'm excited, and knowing that I can do it on my own is easy-peasy since I'll only be adding 1 more mile.

Stats:

6 miles (9.6K) = 78 minutes (13:00 per mile)

Calories burned: 577

Next run: Easy 2 miles, Thursday afternoon.

Happy Running!

- K

Group Vs. Individual Running

When I started running, it was a lone sport for me. I would run alone (or on those rare occasions with my partner) on the treadmill at my college gym. I never believed that running was a team sport, or had the support as other team sports often have. In February, I had the Daily Mile Meet Up, which put my running abilities to the test as I began to run with the group. The differences between individual and group running truly shocked me and my abilities.

When you're running by yourself, you're the boss. You decide when you want to stop, when you want to walk, or when you simply don't want to run that day at all. There is no one holding you accountable, and you're rarely pushing yourself (unless ofcourse you're highly motivated and dedicated).

On the other hand, running with a partner or a group of people holds you responsible and accountable. You can't just snooze and not show up; people are waiting and depending on you. You don't want to ask for a walk break or pause to drink from your water bottle because a) you don't want to seem like the turtle in the group, b) you don't want others to wait for you, and c) you want to prove to the people you're running with that you ARE capable of running with them and that you are a true runner. There's simply no room for excuses when running with other individuals.

But besides the excuses and water breaks aside, a group pushes you to run past your limits. A group or running partner encourages you to push past your exhaustion, your fatigue, and even through the  weight of your tired calves. You realize where your potential and capability lies within you. You dig deep and realize that your body can go longer, farther, and faster than your mind ever thought possible. You realize that without your inner "gremlin" telling you to stop or forcing you to have walk breaks, you are more than capable of running that 10, 15, or 20 miler. You start to rely on your body instead of your mind, and you realize that NOTHING is holding you back. 

So go ahead and find a running group or buddy and schedule that 6 am run tomorrow with them! They will hound you if you wake up late, and they will be there waiting for you. They will be your support, your gym trainer, and your companion. But most of all they will be there for you to encourage you to reach your potential.

Happy Running!

- K

The Running Community & Support

As I began running and reading more about the sport, I decided to join a site that tracks your runs and workouts called Daily Mile. You create a profile, and just log in all your runs. The great (and unexpected) part about DM is the fact that you can add other runners as friends (like Facebook). As I started adding more inspirational runners that were friendly and motivating, I was shocked at the community and support that came along with meeting other runners.

A lot of people believe running to be an individual sport. And yes, I thought so too. But my new and fellow friends on DM helped me realize that it's more of a collaborative sport. I thought all I was going to do was log on, track my mileage, and go on with my day. Well, I was wrong!

What I got was far more than I would have ever thought. My running friends have supported, motivated, and inspired me with all their kind words and advice. They have lifted me up when I had my bad runs, and encouraged me to reach my PB's (personal bests). They have given me unlimited amount of advice to avoid injuries, and above all, they are there for me when I need them. Seeing them transform into running machines from sedentary lifestyles gave me hope and courage.

It becomes quite hard if your family and friends don't understand why you're running, or why you have this passion, but these fellow runners do. Although I'm incredibly lucky in having a partner that encourages me to run, and my family that looks after my need to run, I can't imagine someone not supporting that passion; which unfortunately happens to many runners worldwide. DM is there when you need someone, and they are there to learn from YOU too. If you don't have the support and motivation from others, it's incredibly hard to stay with this hobby/career/sport. We all have our ups and downs, and we all need someone to pick us up.

Back when I had the DM Meet Up, the friends I ran with were the ones I met on DM and they were even kinder and more amazing in person. Needless to say, I am so grateful to have each and every one of them on my journey of running, and hope that you readers (from beginners to advanced runners) stumble upon Daily Mile and sign up, because it's one of the best things that I ever did as a runner.

And thank you to each and every one of you who actually reads my blog and those who send me encouraging words and support :) 

Happy Running!

- K

P.S Can you guys believe it's already March?! Sweet deal, time for spring!