Week 11 is done. In one week at this hour I will have ran my 3rd Half Marathon. I feel good about how I trained but now I am nervous. Was it good enough? Will I be able to last in the heat without hitting the freaking wall? It has been very hot here. Compare to other states right now I know it is nothing to complain about. I do CRAPPY in the heat. My body shuts down even if I drink a lot and take salt tablets, I still loose a lot of salt and get dehydrated. That is what happened yesterday for my long hot run.
I ended up doing 10 miles. It was hard, really hard. Sun was out at 6:05. It was 88 and humid when I left at 6 am. It was really hot 10 miles later...Heck it was hot 2 miles later!!! My running partners did not come with me so this was also a big mental test for me. I guess it was good because, well they are not running the half marathon with me! I wanted to do double digit no matter what, I needed that to be confident for my race. I went slow and I drank a lot. I took salt tablets before I left and at mile 5. I should have taken some earlier and then again during the run. People have said you cannot do well at Disney because of runners who stop to take pics along the way, but I have talked to others who ran it last year and 3 of them got a PR there so I am going for it!!
Friday I will drive to the race Expo to pick up the race packets for me and the boys. Saturday it is their race and Sunday the big day! We will stay there Saturday and Sunday! WITH BILL.
This was week 11
mon: 5 miles
tue: 3 miles tempo
Wed: 3 miles at race pace
Thu: REST
Fri: 5 miles speedwork 8x400
Sat: 10 miles
Sun 3 miles recovery
total: 29 miles
Mon-Tue-Wed-Sat-Sun: All in the heat :(
Tomorrow I start TAPER. I do not like Taper. I feel like I loose my mind and my fitness. I know it is not true but I still feel that way. I also question everything regarding the race and how I train. I drive myself completely MAD.
TAPER WEEK
Mon: 3 miles
Tue: 3 miles at Pace
Wed: 3 miles easy
Thu: 2 miles easy
Fri: Rest
Sat: Rest
Sun: RACE
Because I have to drive to the Expo Friday, I won't be able to help both teachers in the morning...I will have time for just one class. I feel bad about that.
Congrats to everyone who ran HOOD TO COAST! I cannot wait to read all of your posts!
Showing posts with label Disney half marathon training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney half marathon training. Show all posts
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Countdown...to Disney
Less than 2 weeks to go.
I finished week 10 of my training plan with 30 miles.
Week 10
Mon: 3 miles
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 5 miles Speedwork: 6x800 @ 4:30 it was HELL.
Thu: 3 miles in 96 degrees heat..:(...Ready for winter over here!
Fri: Rest
Sat: 11 miles
Sun: 3 miles recovery
Total: 30 miles!
All my runs were in temps over 90 except speedwork (always on TM) and my long run.
I had to wear my compression socks a lot to help with my varicose vein..those are ugly and painful.
My long run went pretty well. I had 3 running buddies with my again this week. I have to say they are the best part of my training. It is so much easier MENTALLY. I don't focus on how many miles I have left. I just talk to them. I do worry about 2 things though.
#1: for the race they will not be there and I will be on my own with my thoughts...it's Disney so I am counting on the distractions a lot. :) I am very good at being my worst enemy.
#2: They are all faster then me. The 2 gals are in their 20s, one is not interested in racing for now and is coming along for exercise, the other one is Rebekah and she will run Long Beach with her dad who is my 3rd running buddy. He can run the half under 2 hours and I am not there. I hope we can do the LR together for a long time but I worry that I slow them down and I will understand if they decide to go faster. When that happens I will try to keep up and see how that goes.
Sunday I went for 3 miles recovery, a dog decided to follow me. It was fine except he wanted to run between my feet so I kept hitting him and I almost fell twice!
Went for 5 miles this morning. Was feeling BLAH. Pace was OK but I have a nasty sore throat and I was not 100%.
It does take me a couple days to recuperate from 10+ miles run. I burn over 1200 calories and I cannot replace them in one day because I don't eat enough. I try but it's just not possible for me to do that. If I replace 1/3 of it, it's pretty good. Anyway, this week is my last full training week. I got less reps on the speedwork and 12 miles this weekend for my last long run. After that: TAPER....I hate taper.
I feel pretty good about this 3rd Half. I have not missed one run so far. I had good long runs. Now all I need is to stay healthy and NO HEAT. I am paranoid about getting sick. I am sure I am driving my kids and Bill nuts.
My kids will run the kids run at Disneyland. That is on Saturday. My race is on Sunday. I can pick up my packet at the Expo on Saturday but I don't know what to do for the boys. Expo opens at 9 am on Saturday and their race is at 10 am. We are staying in Anaheim Saturday night. I don't want to drive there on Friday after school, I would be stuck in traffic on my way back home...no thank you. Expo opens at noon on Friday so I cannot go while they kids are in school because Jonathan gets out at 12:35 and it takes about 45 min to get there. So do I take a chance and go Saturday morning early to be the first one in to get their bibs and run to the starting line? This is when I wish my parents were closer!!!
One last thing non running related....yesterday my younger son read 4 books on his own for the first time. I was jumping like a cheerleader "you can read! you can read!" he was like "Mom, RELAX, those are not Diary of a Wimpy kid books!!!"
I finished week 10 of my training plan with 30 miles.
Week 10
Mon: 3 miles
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 5 miles Speedwork: 6x800 @ 4:30 it was HELL.
Thu: 3 miles in 96 degrees heat..:(...Ready for winter over here!
Fri: Rest
Sat: 11 miles
Sun: 3 miles recovery
Total: 30 miles!
All my runs were in temps over 90 except speedwork (always on TM) and my long run.
I had to wear my compression socks a lot to help with my varicose vein..those are ugly and painful.
My long run went pretty well. I had 3 running buddies with my again this week. I have to say they are the best part of my training. It is so much easier MENTALLY. I don't focus on how many miles I have left. I just talk to them. I do worry about 2 things though.
#1: for the race they will not be there and I will be on my own with my thoughts...it's Disney so I am counting on the distractions a lot. :) I am very good at being my worst enemy.
#2: They are all faster then me. The 2 gals are in their 20s, one is not interested in racing for now and is coming along for exercise, the other one is Rebekah and she will run Long Beach with her dad who is my 3rd running buddy. He can run the half under 2 hours and I am not there. I hope we can do the LR together for a long time but I worry that I slow them down and I will understand if they decide to go faster. When that happens I will try to keep up and see how that goes.
Sunday I went for 3 miles recovery, a dog decided to follow me. It was fine except he wanted to run between my feet so I kept hitting him and I almost fell twice!
Went for 5 miles this morning. Was feeling BLAH. Pace was OK but I have a nasty sore throat and I was not 100%.
It does take me a couple days to recuperate from 10+ miles run. I burn over 1200 calories and I cannot replace them in one day because I don't eat enough. I try but it's just not possible for me to do that. If I replace 1/3 of it, it's pretty good. Anyway, this week is my last full training week. I got less reps on the speedwork and 12 miles this weekend for my last long run. After that: TAPER....I hate taper.
I feel pretty good about this 3rd Half. I have not missed one run so far. I had good long runs. Now all I need is to stay healthy and NO HEAT. I am paranoid about getting sick. I am sure I am driving my kids and Bill nuts.
My kids will run the kids run at Disneyland. That is on Saturday. My race is on Sunday. I can pick up my packet at the Expo on Saturday but I don't know what to do for the boys. Expo opens at 9 am on Saturday and their race is at 10 am. We are staying in Anaheim Saturday night. I don't want to drive there on Friday after school, I would be stuck in traffic on my way back home...no thank you. Expo opens at noon on Friday so I cannot go while they kids are in school because Jonathan gets out at 12:35 and it takes about 45 min to get there. So do I take a chance and go Saturday morning early to be the first one in to get their bibs and run to the starting line? This is when I wish my parents were closer!!!
One last thing non running related....yesterday my younger son read 4 books on his own for the first time. I was jumping like a cheerleader "you can read! you can read!" he was like "Mom, RELAX, those are not Diary of a Wimpy kid books!!!"
Monday, August 15, 2011
Week 9 and Sea World
Today I started week 10 of my half marathon training plan. Week 1o! In 3 weeks today I will have ran my 3rd half marathon. My first one was in January 2011 and my 2nd in May. I had a 10 miles run yesterday. I had 3 running partners for 6 out of the 10 miles. It was really nice. It was pretty hot and I did get dehydrated at mile 8. I started having the chills even though it was close to 90 before 8 am. I also had swollen fingers. Lost A LOT of salt again and sweated a lot more than usual. I took an ice bath and I drank 3 bottles of Nuun when I got back home. I tried new shoes yesterday. I decided to try a bigger size to see if that would help my toe problems (bloddy blisters on top of middle toes, blisters on big toes) and also help with swollen feet. It got Mizunos Inspire 7. I LOVE them. I had no pain. No swelling and no blisters.
Week 9
Mon: 3 miles recovery
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 5 miles : Speedwork 11x400 @2:10
Fri: Rest
Sat: Sea World.
Sun: 10 miles
total: 26.5
After my 10 miler I went to see THE HELP at the movies. If you read the book and you loved it, go see the movie. I LOVED it. It was great. The actresses are ALL fantastic in it.
Saturday we finally made it to Sea World! This was supposed to be the activity for Will's birthday back in June but because of Bill's INSANE work schedule we had to postpone. Finally he was able to take 1 day off. On a freaking Saturday you would think it is a given...but not these days. First day he was at home since June 8.
This was my first time going to Sea World. WOW. It was amazing.
I LOVE animals. The ones that are part of the shows there are unbelievable! I was so impressed with how intelligent they are and by what they can do!
I took over 400 pics...I know I am crazy...here are a few.
The Dolphins show
The Sea Lions
These guys were my favorites! They are hilarious!
They did a Survivors challenge and Dancing with the Stars also!
SHAMU!!!
Week 9
Mon: 3 miles recovery
Tue: 5 miles
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 5 miles : Speedwork 11x400 @2:10
Fri: Rest
Sat: Sea World.
Sun: 10 miles
total: 26.5
After my 10 miler I went to see THE HELP at the movies. If you read the book and you loved it, go see the movie. I LOVED it. It was great. The actresses are ALL fantastic in it.
Saturday we finally made it to Sea World! This was supposed to be the activity for Will's birthday back in June but because of Bill's INSANE work schedule we had to postpone. Finally he was able to take 1 day off. On a freaking Saturday you would think it is a given...but not these days. First day he was at home since June 8.
This was my first time going to Sea World. WOW. It was amazing.
I LOVE animals. The ones that are part of the shows there are unbelievable! I was so impressed with how intelligent they are and by what they can do!
I took over 400 pics...I know I am crazy...here are a few.
The Dolphins show
The Sea Lions
These guys were my favorites! They are hilarious!
They did a Survivors challenge and Dancing with the Stars also!
 |
| This was on the 2nd floor of their stage, he came out alone as "Superman" |
 |
| Jonathan stole my sunglasses |
 |
| Dancing the TANGO he has a rose in his mouth! |
 |
| This guy was funny..look how he wanted to be in the picture!!! |
 |
| See the fish? |
 |
| A Kiss!! |
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Back to School
Jonathan was so happy to go to the big school with his brother!
My baby is in Kindergarten! Will in 2nd grade.
When they came home they had lots of stories to tell me.
I asked Jonathan how was Kindergarten and this is what I got:
 |
| Nice tan right? |
 |
| Yes, I do feed him. He is a tall stick. |
The night before we did this to celebrate the last day of summer vacation and look who was there for 10 minutes on a weekend...yes I recognize him it is Bill...who is still working insane hours...last week his shortest day was 16 hours and his longest 21.
I completed week 8 of Disney Half Marathon training
Week 8:
Mon: 5 miles: speedwork: 5x800
Tue: 4.5 miles
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 3 miles tempo
Fri: OFF
Sat: 5k race: report here
Sun: 10 miles.
total: 28.5 miles
Yesterday went for 3 miles recovery...it was not great...my legs were super tight from my 10 miles run the day before. Today went for 5 miles and it was better. It is still very hot here. Now I run outside after I drop the kids and it is almost 9 when I start so the sun is out and it is over 90. There's no shade on the trail by my house. I do the distance and I slow down if I have to. Yesterday I got dehydrated and that brought a lovely migraine..not just a headache. Boo hooo.
Tomorrow it is my 6 mos screening for my kidney tumor, then I get to wait one long week for the results. I usually don't think about it too much but during the days between the screening and getting the results I do think about it. And I worry. And it sucks. Hopefully the Doc will say that it did not grow and we screen in another 6 mos.
__________________
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Sunday fight
I finished week 7 of my Disney Half Marathon training.
I am not sure about how to run this thing yet. For fun and take pictures along the way with the Disney characters or run it like a regular race. I have the Long Beach Half just a month after and this one could have been the race to chase a PR but I know I will be really tired come race day. We will have a really busy Saturday that weekend. We have to get to LB for the kids race and then hit the Expo to get my race packet and hopefully meet a few of you. In the evening, we have to head to LA to go see this guy play at Staples Center (I know poor me).
After the concert, we will drive back to LB and spend the night there. All this with the boys of course, cannot go see Keith without the boys, I don't think my 5 yrs old son would ever speak to my again if I went without them. So Disneyland may be the race to pick to chase the PR for me and do my best in LB and if there is 2 PR than even better!
Week 7
Mon: 4.5 miles tempo
Tue: 3 miles easy
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 5 miles. Speedwork: 11x400 @ 2:10
Fri: Rest
Sat: LR: 9 miles
Sun: 3 miles recovery
Total: 27.5
Sunday we had crazy rain here and thunderstorms. I had to wait to go for my run. Finally around noon it stopped and I was able to go. I had looked at the weather...90 degrees and 90% humidity...yeah! That was fun. Not really. Good thing I only had 3 miles to do and that I brought water even for this short run. I feel for you guys who have been running in humidity. It is HARD. On my way back I saw that there was a guy with 2 dogs ahead of me on the trail. I knew I would catch up with him. As I got closer I could see that his 2 Rottweilers were NOT on leash. Now before I continue with this I want to say: I love dogs. I have a dog and I adore her. There she is, the queen of my house:
Ok so I was not too happy to see that they were not on leash. On that trail ALL dogs are supposed to be on a leash. There's 2 sections on the trail: dirt and pavement. I was on the pavement and same for this guy and his dogs. As I got closer I realized that unless I completely stopped I would have to pass him. He had no clue I was coming behind him.
Then one of his dog decides to stop! Crap. The guy does not see his dog is not following and me well I froze. I have to say that when I was about 8 I was attacked by a Rottweiler and so I do not like them very much. I am sure most of them are great.
So I yell "Hey!" to get this guy's attention and he turned around. He did not say anything. I don't know like "Sorry, he will not hurt you". Did not put the dogs on the leash that he had in his freaking hand either! So I said in my normal voice, not my angry voice "You know they should be on a leash here" and he said " You are a F#$%ing Bitch!" Wow thanks... (clearly he was not Canadian cuz that was not very NICE). I cannot have someone call me that and not say anything back... That's just not me. I said: "Well aren't you a nice guy. You also do not own this public path." And again he showed what a gentleman he was "Run away F%$#ing Bitch!" And I did because well I was alone and even though I was WAY taller than him, he was a lot heavier than me plus he had the dogs, but I showed him how tall my middle finger is before I left him.
I know, I know. Very stupid.
I just cannot stand people like that.
I confessed my crime when I got home. I started like this "Now I have something to tell you but before I do you need to remember that I could have easily decided not to say anything...." Bill knew it would not be good right then.
To continue with real nice folks..what is up with anonymous people email bloggers just to be mean? Do you get those sometimes? I got an email yesterday about this post here. Some nice person emailing me to say
"At 5"11" you must look like an moron at the start of a race. Real runners are not that tall."
Lovely right? This had to come from a world class runner because clearly they know their running facts.
I know I need to ignore this BS. Poor little sad sad anonymous man or woman.
I am having a great week so far as you can see...or read.
Did speedwork yesterday 5x800 at 4:30 and 4.5 miles today in 95 degrees that was harder I think than the 800s.
-----------------------
I am not sure about how to run this thing yet. For fun and take pictures along the way with the Disney characters or run it like a regular race. I have the Long Beach Half just a month after and this one could have been the race to chase a PR but I know I will be really tired come race day. We will have a really busy Saturday that weekend. We have to get to LB for the kids race and then hit the Expo to get my race packet and hopefully meet a few of you. In the evening, we have to head to LA to go see this guy play at Staples Center (I know poor me).
 |
| Paso Robles, June 2010 |
Week 7
Mon: 4.5 miles tempo
Tue: 3 miles easy
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 5 miles. Speedwork: 11x400 @ 2:10
Fri: Rest
Sat: LR: 9 miles
Sun: 3 miles recovery
Total: 27.5
Sunday we had crazy rain here and thunderstorms. I had to wait to go for my run. Finally around noon it stopped and I was able to go. I had looked at the weather...90 degrees and 90% humidity...yeah! That was fun. Not really. Good thing I only had 3 miles to do and that I brought water even for this short run. I feel for you guys who have been running in humidity. It is HARD. On my way back I saw that there was a guy with 2 dogs ahead of me on the trail. I knew I would catch up with him. As I got closer I could see that his 2 Rottweilers were NOT on leash. Now before I continue with this I want to say: I love dogs. I have a dog and I adore her. There she is, the queen of my house:
Ok so I was not too happy to see that they were not on leash. On that trail ALL dogs are supposed to be on a leash. There's 2 sections on the trail: dirt and pavement. I was on the pavement and same for this guy and his dogs. As I got closer I realized that unless I completely stopped I would have to pass him. He had no clue I was coming behind him.
Then one of his dog decides to stop! Crap. The guy does not see his dog is not following and me well I froze. I have to say that when I was about 8 I was attacked by a Rottweiler and so I do not like them very much. I am sure most of them are great.
So I yell "Hey!" to get this guy's attention and he turned around. He did not say anything. I don't know like "Sorry, he will not hurt you". Did not put the dogs on the leash that he had in his freaking hand either! So I said in my normal voice, not my angry voice "You know they should be on a leash here" and he said " You are a F#$%ing Bitch!" Wow thanks... (clearly he was not Canadian cuz that was not very NICE). I cannot have someone call me that and not say anything back... That's just not me. I said: "Well aren't you a nice guy. You also do not own this public path." And again he showed what a gentleman he was "Run away F%$#ing Bitch!" And I did because well I was alone and even though I was WAY taller than him, he was a lot heavier than me plus he had the dogs, but I showed him how tall my middle finger is before I left him.
I know, I know. Very stupid.
I just cannot stand people like that.
I confessed my crime when I got home. I started like this "Now I have something to tell you but before I do you need to remember that I could have easily decided not to say anything...." Bill knew it would not be good right then.
To continue with real nice folks..what is up with anonymous people email bloggers just to be mean? Do you get those sometimes? I got an email yesterday about this post here. Some nice person emailing me to say
"At 5"11" you must look like an moron at the start of a race. Real runners are not that tall."
Lovely right? This had to come from a world class runner because clearly they know their running facts.
I know I need to ignore this BS. Poor little sad sad anonymous man or woman.
I am having a great week so far as you can see...or read.
Did speedwork yesterday 5x800 at 4:30 and 4.5 miles today in 95 degrees that was harder I think than the 800s.
-----------------------
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Q&A part 4
Thank you to all of you who left comments on my last post. Made me feel better about being so mad at that cop!!! :)
Week 6 of my half marathon training plan is in the past. This means I am half way done. This is the 3rd time I use this plan and this time it is going by really fast. This was another week on the TM for the week days.
Week 6
Mon: 4 miles
Tue: nothing: My son was sick :(
Wed: 5 miles
Thu: 5 miles: Speedwork: 5x800s. This was my first time doing 800s, those are hard.
Fri: Rest
Sat: 10k race report is here
Sun: 4 miles recovery run
TOTAL: 24 Miles.
-----------------------
Ok now more answers to your questions!
A lot of you have participated in this Q&A thing and I have enjoyed reading all of your posts. This is an interesting way to get to know the bloggers!
This is part 4 for me.
Part 1 here
Part 2 here
Part 3 with video of me talking if you are curious about my New York accent go here.
- Big Daddy Diesel asked...
With Gordie Howe being the best player of all time, followed by Wayne then Yzerman, make your dream team, 2 forwards, center, 2 dmen, and a goalie minus the above players.
All right mister. First this was one of my favorite question. For those of you who don't care about hockey or don't know anything about hockey: first I feel sorry for you, you are missing out, second BDD is so wrong, Wayne Gretzky IS the best player of all time.
So I thought a lot about this one, so many great ones to pick from, right?
Here are my choices
1. Goalie: EASY I pick a guy from my hometown: Patrick Roy. 4 Stanley Cups, 3 Conn Smythe Trophy and
remember this?
Stanley Cup Final against LA Kings 1993. I still remember screaming at the TV :"He winked at him!!!!!!" It was just awesome!
2. Center: That is hard...Béliveau..Crosby..Sakic..but I pick "The Magnificent" Mario Lemieux.
3. Right Wing: Lafleur..Bossy...no...I pick Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.
4. Left Wing: Mark Messier..my kind of player..team player, intense, talented.
5 and 6: Defensemen: Raymond Bourque and Paul Coffey
Do you like poutine? Love Poutine! Sadly I cannot eat poutine anymore because of my health problems. It sucks!
You've lived in Cali for a while now...huh or eh? Neither. French Canadians don't say Eh. We say "la" a lot or "en" at the end of sentences " Ben la c'est vrai ca, "en" Anne?". I do say it when I speak English also and I get a lot of bizarre looks!
What would you do w/$10k ? My dad is from Hungary. He never got the chance to go back with his kids because he could not enter the country because of the communist regime. When politics changed in Hungary and he was allowed to go back we were already in College so we never went with him. So all this to say that I would take my dad and my family to Hungary and make his dream come true while there is still time.
How long was your engagement to Bill? 3 weeks
Describe your perfect day. Christmas Day. Nobody sick. Kids not fighting every 10 minutes. No family drama.
Jim ... 50after40 asked
Okay, I have a serious question and something I have never understood. As a French-Canadien, do you feel more of an allegiance to France or Canada? For example, there are a ton of Irish families in the Boston area, but I think most of them would have an allegiance to the United States first, but with a fondness of thier Irish heritage. Is that similar to how French-Canadiens view Canada? I've just always been curious about that.
To Canada not to France. For me, it is all about where people were born. I always find it amusing when people say things like "I am half Irish and half Italian" and when I asked where were their parents born they say "USA"! That makes them 100% American in my book. I understand that they have family that came from other countries and that is a part of their heritage. In Quebec we have French heritage and influence and the city has a Europeen vibe for sure but I have been to France several times and we are very different nations. Our language is the same but with differences kind of like the Americans and the British. If you ask an English speaking Canadian where he is from, chances are he will say CANADA. If you ask a French Canadian, he will most likely say QUEBEC. There is a lot of political issues between Canada and Quebec and I won't get into that but me personnaly I am proud to be a Quebecer AND a Canadian.
Thank you all for reading and for the great questions!
This was fun for me!
---------------
Week 6 of my half marathon training plan is in the past. This means I am half way done. This is the 3rd time I use this plan and this time it is going by really fast. This was another week on the TM for the week days.
Week 6
Mon: 4 miles
Tue: nothing: My son was sick :(
Wed: 5 miles
Thu: 5 miles: Speedwork: 5x800s. This was my first time doing 800s, those are hard.
Fri: Rest
Sat: 10k race report is here
Sun: 4 miles recovery run
TOTAL: 24 Miles.
-----------------------
Ok now more answers to your questions!
A lot of you have participated in this Q&A thing and I have enjoyed reading all of your posts. This is an interesting way to get to know the bloggers!
This is part 4 for me.
Part 1 here
Part 2 here
Part 3 with video of me talking if you are curious about my New York accent go here.
- Big Daddy Diesel asked...
With Gordie Howe being the best player of all time, followed by Wayne then Yzerman, make your dream team, 2 forwards, center, 2 dmen, and a goalie minus the above players.
All right mister. First this was one of my favorite question. For those of you who don't care about hockey or don't know anything about hockey: first I feel sorry for you, you are missing out, second BDD is so wrong, Wayne Gretzky IS the best player of all time.
So I thought a lot about this one, so many great ones to pick from, right?
Here are my choices
1. Goalie: EASY I pick a guy from my hometown: Patrick Roy. 4 Stanley Cups, 3 Conn Smythe Trophy and
remember this?
2. Center: That is hard...Béliveau..Crosby..Sakic..but I pick "The Magnificent" Mario Lemieux.
3. Right Wing: Lafleur..Bossy...no...I pick Maurice "The Rocket" Richard.
4. Left Wing: Mark Messier..my kind of player..team player, intense, talented.
5 and 6: Defensemen: Raymond Bourque and Paul Coffey
That's my team! All from Canada with 4 French Canadians (Coffey and Messier were not born in Quebec). Did you know P. Roy and M. Lemieux were born on the same day?
Who did you cheer for in the Gold medal hockey game? Please..I will always cheer for the best team in the world!!!! What a great game this was and a great day for Canada. Crosby was an instant national hero!!!
Do you like poutine? Love Poutine! Sadly I cannot eat poutine anymore because of my health problems. It sucks!
You've lived in Cali for a while now...huh or eh? Neither. French Canadians don't say Eh. We say "la" a lot or "en" at the end of sentences " Ben la c'est vrai ca, "en" Anne?". I do say it when I speak English also and I get a lot of bizarre looks!
Terzah asked
Is your son Will named after someone? (My son's name is Will too. He's named after my husband's dad, who goes by Bill. But I like Will better.) I always wanted a son and I always said I would name him William, this was way before meeting my husband. Then I met my husband and his name is Bill. I don't get why people named William go by Bill. It makes no sense to me, ruins a beautiful name. Anyway we decided that we would name our son William and that he would go by Will and or William but never Bill. They have different middle name. My son is William Patrick. He is the 4th William in the family.
What's the best part about blogging? That is easy. The people. I get great support and advices because of my blog. I learned a lot from the ones who are more experienced, from others I get motivation. I like reading stories about people who ran their first marathon, they make me believe that I could do it too.
What's the best part about blogging? That is easy. The people. I get great support and advices because of my blog. I learned a lot from the ones who are more experienced, from others I get motivation. I like reading stories about people who ran their first marathon, they make me believe that I could do it too.
Emz asked
What do you really say to Chris in French?
CK: " You know I am really scared of doing that abs contest with Emz, she will woop my butt" Me: "I know, what were you thinking?" CK: "I wasn't, that's the problem" Me: "So how bad is it?" CK "Well there is no 6 packs, it's more like a 2 packs and even that is pushing it a bit"
and
CK: "I am on team Edward but don't tell anyone I really did read the ALL Twilight books OK, it is TOP Secret" Me "Who is Edward?"
CK: "Do you think Brad and Angie will ever get married?" Me: "CK stop reading US Weekly"
That's about it.
What was your first job? Basketball Coach.
What would you do w/$10k ? My dad is from Hungary. He never got the chance to go back with his kids because he could not enter the country because of the communist regime. When politics changed in Hungary and he was allowed to go back we were already in College so we never went with him. So all this to say that I would take my dad and my family to Hungary and make his dream come true while there is still time.
How long was your engagement to Bill? 3 weeks
Describe your perfect day. Christmas Day. Nobody sick. Kids not fighting every 10 minutes. No family drama.
Jim ... 50after40 asked
Okay, I have a serious question and something I have never understood. As a French-Canadien, do you feel more of an allegiance to France or Canada? For example, there are a ton of Irish families in the Boston area, but I think most of them would have an allegiance to the United States first, but with a fondness of thier Irish heritage. Is that similar to how French-Canadiens view Canada? I've just always been curious about that.
To Canada not to France. For me, it is all about where people were born. I always find it amusing when people say things like "I am half Irish and half Italian" and when I asked where were their parents born they say "USA"! That makes them 100% American in my book. I understand that they have family that came from other countries and that is a part of their heritage. In Quebec we have French heritage and influence and the city has a Europeen vibe for sure but I have been to France several times and we are very different nations. Our language is the same but with differences kind of like the Americans and the British. If you ask an English speaking Canadian where he is from, chances are he will say CANADA. If you ask a French Canadian, he will most likely say QUEBEC. There is a lot of political issues between Canada and Quebec and I won't get into that but me personnaly I am proud to be a Quebecer AND a Canadian.
Thank you all for reading and for the great questions!
This was fun for me!
---------------
Thursday, July 21, 2011
More answers. Part 3..with VIDEO of me talking
Good news...on day 5, Will's fever finally went away. What a looooong week so far. I love him to death but he is the worst patient. "I don't know" is the answer to ALL my questions. I am just about to install a fine for each time my sons say "I don't know" or "Because".
I ended up skipping just one run this week, a 3 miles on Tuesday so yesterday instead of doing an easy 3 I went for 4 miles tempo and today 5 miles speedwork.
I did 800s intervals for the first time. Those are HARD.
5x800. I used the McMillan chart to see what should be my target pace. It shows 4:25 to 4:37. I did 4:29, 4:29, 4:28, 4:28 and 4:30. I am happy with that. I think I will alternate 400s and 800s on my plan. There's no 800s on my plan but it will be good for me to add that.
Tomorrow, I have decided to rest as planned. I have a 10k race on Saturday. I expect it to be hard. My allergies are really bad, I still have severe congestion according to my Dr. It is very hard to breath. It will be hot. Not as hot as it is where I live though. Supposed to be 96 here and where the race is it shows 80 and some clouds. I love clouds! Bring on the clouds!!! My babysitter is going to run this with me. I expect her to go faster then me so I will try to stick by her as long as I can!
-------------------
Q&A Part 3.
Answers to part 1 are here
Answers to part 2 are here
So I got a few of you asking for a video so you can hear what I sound like. I must have lost my mind and I did make one. Clearly I have no ego. OK be kind It is even bilingual. Are you impressed?
I answered Anne 's questions:
Kate asked
What about your husband's job requires such insanely long hours? He is a Plant Manager for a company that makes plastic containers for places like Costco. They run 24/7 all year long. They recently added new lines and increased the volume of production and in the manufacturing world it usually means lots of problems. The company head quarters are in New Jersey and that is where all the engineers are also so the support for the California plant is limited.
Is your husband a big supporter of your running or does he just tolerate it? He is a big supporter of my running. He comes to all my races and he brings the kids with him. After I got sick in 2009, he got very worried about my health because I had lost so much weight and had 2 surgeries. The focus was all on my diet and how frustrating it is to live like that. When I started running the focus changed and that was a good thing for me and he is happy I have something that is just for ME. Did not make me gain a pound though...:)
Something that surprised you about being a parent? How HARD it really is to be a decent one. That I don't have all the answers. That my mom sacrificed A LOT for me and my brother.
Jill asked
Don't you wish Chris K would go on probation? Who is that again?? Just kidding, just kidding. Hmm some days yes like when he puts ME on probation... but most no because he does amuse me..I mean the guy refers to himself as swell and manly..Swell that is a funny word...no? Who says that "I am swell!"?
Why did you leave Canada and move to California? I left because I met my husband and he was from California. To have a life together, one of us had to move. He did not speak French, he had a better job and he was not willing to move to a place where the winters are over 6 mos long!
Chris @ Heavy Steps asked
I ended up skipping just one run this week, a 3 miles on Tuesday so yesterday instead of doing an easy 3 I went for 4 miles tempo and today 5 miles speedwork.
I did 800s intervals for the first time. Those are HARD.
5x800. I used the McMillan chart to see what should be my target pace. It shows 4:25 to 4:37. I did 4:29, 4:29, 4:28, 4:28 and 4:30. I am happy with that. I think I will alternate 400s and 800s on my plan. There's no 800s on my plan but it will be good for me to add that.
Tomorrow, I have decided to rest as planned. I have a 10k race on Saturday. I expect it to be hard. My allergies are really bad, I still have severe congestion according to my Dr. It is very hard to breath. It will be hot. Not as hot as it is where I live though. Supposed to be 96 here and where the race is it shows 80 and some clouds. I love clouds! Bring on the clouds!!! My babysitter is going to run this with me. I expect her to go faster then me so I will try to stick by her as long as I can!
-------------------
Q&A Part 3.
Answers to part 1 are here
Answers to part 2 are here
So I got a few of you asking for a video so you can hear what I sound like. I must have lost my mind and I did make one. Clearly I have no ego. OK be kind It is even bilingual. Are you impressed?
I answered Anne 's questions:
Kate asked
What about your husband's job requires such insanely long hours? He is a Plant Manager for a company that makes plastic containers for places like Costco. They run 24/7 all year long. They recently added new lines and increased the volume of production and in the manufacturing world it usually means lots of problems. The company head quarters are in New Jersey and that is where all the engineers are also so the support for the California plant is limited.
Is your husband a big supporter of your running or does he just tolerate it? He is a big supporter of my running. He comes to all my races and he brings the kids with him. After I got sick in 2009, he got very worried about my health because I had lost so much weight and had 2 surgeries. The focus was all on my diet and how frustrating it is to live like that. When I started running the focus changed and that was a good thing for me and he is happy I have something that is just for ME. Did not make me gain a pound though...:)
Something that surprised you about being a parent? How HARD it really is to be a decent one. That I don't have all the answers. That my mom sacrificed A LOT for me and my brother.
Jill asked
Don't you wish Chris K would go on probation? Who is that again?? Just kidding, just kidding. Hmm some days yes like when he puts ME on probation... but most no because he does amuse me..I mean the guy refers to himself as swell and manly..Swell that is a funny word...no? Who says that "I am swell!"?
Why did you leave Canada and move to California? I left because I met my husband and he was from California. To have a life together, one of us had to move. He did not speak French, he had a better job and he was not willing to move to a place where the winters are over 6 mos long!
Chris @ Heavy Steps asked
How do you juggle family, training, and life? Ahh the million dollars question. Family is first. My job is to be a full time parent. That comes before anything else including training. When I have my kids with me, I go to the gym and I run on the TM. At my gym, they have a kids gym and that is where the boys go while I do my run. On the weekend, I run outside. I get up very early to be back for breakfast. This year, both my sons will be in school. My youngest will go for the morning in Kindergarten and it will allow me to run outside a lot more. The life part...if you mean socializing with friends or going out... I don't do much of that. My boys are in sports so I have to take them to practices 4 times a week plus games on Saturday and I volunteer at their school 2 days a week. So no time left for social activities for me for now.
Colleen asked
Do your boys speak french and will you raise them to speak it? Answer in my video blogging debut!!
What's your favorite way to unwind after a long day? A cup of herbal tea and TV.
Jim ... 50after40 asked
Do you miss the Montreal Expos? Do you have any idea who that is? Yes of course I know who they are! PLEASE! I have seen them play many times. I even had a friend who was a player on the team. He is now a sportscaster for the ESPN of Quebec. Do I miss them? Not really.
Why does my wife think she's always right? She does not think she is always right. She KNOWS she is. There's a big difference and your problem is you think she thinks she is. Here is the thing Jim...she is a woman. You have no chance in this debate. When you went to husband school didn't they teach you the classic :" Yes dear"???
What's your favorite Keith Urban song? So many good ones. OK I have to say Better Life because that is the one that started our family "Urban Story" and You'll think of me because it is the one that my son Will was singing when he was a mini part of Keith's tour. My boys they love Days go by.
I thought part 3 would be the last intallement but I have more questions to answer and I don't want this post to be too long and to bore you...so more to come in part 4!
Thank you for the great questions and for reading the answers!!!
-------------
Colleen asked
Do your boys speak french and will you raise them to speak it? Answer in my video blogging debut!!
What's your favorite way to unwind after a long day? A cup of herbal tea and TV.
Jim ... 50after40 asked
Do you miss the Montreal Expos? Do you have any idea who that is? Yes of course I know who they are! PLEASE! I have seen them play many times. I even had a friend who was a player on the team. He is now a sportscaster for the ESPN of Quebec. Do I miss them? Not really.
Why does my wife think she's always right? She does not think she is always right. She KNOWS she is. There's a big difference and your problem is you think she thinks she is. Here is the thing Jim...she is a woman. You have no chance in this debate. When you went to husband school didn't they teach you the classic :" Yes dear"???
What's your favorite Keith Urban song? So many good ones. OK I have to say Better Life because that is the one that started our family "Urban Story" and You'll think of me because it is the one that my son Will was singing when he was a mini part of Keith's tour. My boys they love Days go by.
I thought part 3 would be the last intallement but I have more questions to answer and I don't want this post to be too long and to bore you...so more to come in part 4!
Thank you for the great questions and for reading the answers!!!
-------------
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Low Battery
This is me these days.
The battery is at low and needs to be recharged.
I feel like I am 42. Yes I know I am but usually I don't feel like it.
My husband has been working CRAZY hours lately. By crazy I mean INSANE.
Here is an example:
Leaves the house at 6 pm on a SATURDAY and comes back home at 3 pm on the SUNDAY.
I'll give you a sec to do the math......
OK time's up: 21 hours.
That is WRONG and on the WEEKEND well even worst.
This week he left the house at 1 am every day and comes home at 6 pm.
This is obviously hard on him but also on me and for the kids well it is confusing and frustrating for them because he is not available for the few hours that he spends at home.
So they act out. I get why. Does not mean I like it though.
I am a super light sleeper so the alarm at 1 am well I hear it...and it takes a long time to go back to sleep...
And all this crap is 7 days a week. Oh Yeah the complete package.
So that is why the battery is at low.
OK I am done venting and complaining if you read that, well thanks.
The good news is even though I am exhausted, I did not skip one single run this week and we had lessons every day!
Mon 3 miles hills
Tue 4 miles at 10k pace
Wed 3 miles tempo
Today: 5 miles : 10x400 at 2:10
tomorrow rest for me
So I have been looking at pacing charts. I looked at the McMillan and also the VDOT tables (Jack Daniels formula)
They both give similar numbers when I plug my times. I used my 10k time of 1 hour flat.
For the 400 intervals
My training plan says 5k pace. That would be too slow.
McMillan says 2:06 to 2:14 I am at 2:10 so good.
VDOT says 2:14, that is slow for me now.
McMillan numbers make more sense.
For the long runs:
Training plan does not give pace, just to go slow.
McMillan says 11:15 to 12:15.
11:15 is slower then what I do now for LR over 8 miles.
VDOT: 12:22: even slower.
Both tables give the same projected time of 2:13 for Half Marathon. That would be a PR for me.
Now I am confused (yes the hair on my head is blond and it is natural). If I run at that slower pace for my LR how will I run a 10:12 pace on race day and for longer?
Shouldn't I train at faster pace (I can do it) to be faster on race day?
Do you use these tables?
This made me happy: GO USA!
Last night I watched this:
Have you seen it?
Did you see the other movie "Prefontaine"? Is it better?
I did like this one. Donald Sutherland is fantastic in it. Billy Crudup also very good.
I knew the story of course but it still made me sad to watch it.
What a waste of a life and of talent.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
A must do Race
This week is week 4 of my training for Disney Half Marathon.
This is what I did on week 3:
Week 3
Mon: 3miles Hills on TM
Tue: 4 miles tempo on TM
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 5 miles: speedwork: 10x400 (2:12 first 5 and 2:08 for the rest) on TM
Fri: 3 miles
Sat: 8 miles, was VERY hot, difficult run.
Sun: Rest
------------
So I thought running against the wind was the hardest thing well I think I was wrong. The heat is worst. It is brutal now. In the winter I can go for 6 miles with no belt and I have no problem. Now I need my belt for 3 miles! It has been over 100 every single day. I struggled on the last 2 long runs I did. It was a battle: me against the heat and I lost big time. It was a struggle at my last race on the 4th of July also. Race Report is here.
The latest issue of RW has a really interesting article about running in the heat on page 61. They have advices on how to adjust workouts based on the weather. I am in a High Heat-Low humidity (usually!) zone. For that they recommend reducing run by 20%. I don't see how I can do that while training for a half marathon that I will likely (90% sure) run in the heat. On race day they won't reduce the 13.1 by 20% !! They also say that coaches recommend adding 10 to 15% to our time when racing in the heat. That makes more sense to me.
Someone very wise posted this comment on my race report post: "I think races in July and August just have to automatically be considered "fun" - way too hot to be doing much PRing. 2-minutes off of last year is fantastic, congrats!!" Want to know who it is? You all know her I am sure: click here and find out.
I am not after any records here. I race because I love it and also because that keeps me in training mode and that makes me happy and gives me a little balance (ah I don't like that word but cannot think of a better one). Of course I want to be better and improve. For the summer season though I am OK with racing for fun and not worry too much about the time. Same thing for my training. I can accept that 8 miles in July when it is 106 will be slower than 8 miles in March at 60 degrees.
Hydration is important and water is not enough. I loose a lot of salt. I can see it on my skin. I cannot drink any Gatorade or Powerade. I tried VEMMA thirst (thank you Emz) and it works for me, no heartburn, no reflux! I tried NUUN fruit punch this weekend and it also works. This is encouraging for me. I plan on bringing that on my next LR this weekend and I will also leave one hour earlier so around 6 am. My husband is not happy with this plan, says it is not safe enough to get out that early. I am sure I will not be alone on the trail. I am not the only runner in my town.
-------------------
MUST DO RACE:
![]()
Do you have one of those in your town? Go here to find out.
This is a National Run. Always on the weekend around 9-11.
This year, on the 10th anniversary, the race is actually on 9-11.
This will be a week after the Disney Half but how can I not do it..
Of course I signed up for it.
--------------------
How was your 4th? Ours was nice, we took the kids to a concert with fireworks!
They loved it!
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This is what I did on week 3:
Week 3
Mon: 3miles Hills on TM
Tue: 4 miles tempo on TM
Wed: 3 miles
Thu: 5 miles: speedwork: 10x400 (2:12 first 5 and 2:08 for the rest) on TM
Fri: 3 miles
Sat: 8 miles, was VERY hot, difficult run.
Sun: Rest
------------
So I thought running against the wind was the hardest thing well I think I was wrong. The heat is worst. It is brutal now. In the winter I can go for 6 miles with no belt and I have no problem. Now I need my belt for 3 miles! It has been over 100 every single day. I struggled on the last 2 long runs I did. It was a battle: me against the heat and I lost big time. It was a struggle at my last race on the 4th of July also. Race Report is here.
The latest issue of RW has a really interesting article about running in the heat on page 61. They have advices on how to adjust workouts based on the weather. I am in a High Heat-Low humidity (usually!) zone. For that they recommend reducing run by 20%. I don't see how I can do that while training for a half marathon that I will likely (90% sure) run in the heat. On race day they won't reduce the 13.1 by 20% !! They also say that coaches recommend adding 10 to 15% to our time when racing in the heat. That makes more sense to me.
Someone very wise posted this comment on my race report post: "I think races in July and August just have to automatically be considered "fun" - way too hot to be doing much PRing. 2-minutes off of last year is fantastic, congrats!!" Want to know who it is? You all know her I am sure: click here and find out.
I am not after any records here. I race because I love it and also because that keeps me in training mode and that makes me happy and gives me a little balance (ah I don't like that word but cannot think of a better one). Of course I want to be better and improve. For the summer season though I am OK with racing for fun and not worry too much about the time. Same thing for my training. I can accept that 8 miles in July when it is 106 will be slower than 8 miles in March at 60 degrees.
Hydration is important and water is not enough. I loose a lot of salt. I can see it on my skin. I cannot drink any Gatorade or Powerade. I tried VEMMA thirst (thank you Emz) and it works for me, no heartburn, no reflux! I tried NUUN fruit punch this weekend and it also works. This is encouraging for me. I plan on bringing that on my next LR this weekend and I will also leave one hour earlier so around 6 am. My husband is not happy with this plan, says it is not safe enough to get out that early. I am sure I will not be alone on the trail. I am not the only runner in my town.
-------------------
MUST DO RACE:
This is a National Run. Always on the weekend around 9-11.
This year, on the 10th anniversary, the race is actually on 9-11.
This will be a week after the Disney Half but how can I not do it..
Of course I signed up for it.
--------------------
How was your 4th? Ours was nice, we took the kids to a concert with fireworks!
They loved it!
 |
| Of course Mini Urban made a guitar out of his glowing stick and he gave his own concert!!! |
 |
| National Anthem |
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