Gingerbread man

The rhyme goes: Run, run as fast as you can.
You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man.


So how come I don't get faster when I eat the gingerbread man?

Sometimes it's not a great run

Despite some excellent company, tonights run was a slog.  I'm sore and achy.
But I did finish up 4 sets of 5&1 minute.

Things I have learned and can share:

1. Diet matters
2. Drinking water helps
3. Stretching is important
4. Pain killers are a very good friend.

Off to bed.

Logging a walk

Was sitting at my desk being inappropriately annoyed at something or someone when I remembered I'd dragged my sneakers to work.  So 10 minutes later my iPod, my sneakers and a t-shirt were off for an energetic walk in the hot-hot-heat.

Felt great!  Wonderful pace.  Nice music.  A little shade.  A little sun.  Almost had my smile back when I returned to work.

It's all about time

When to run...

Joined the Running Room Sunday morning Run Club for a lovely little jaunt.  The group did 3 & 1 x 5.  So glad to be out in the morning, because it's getting hot by 9am.  So an 8:30am start is way better than the 6:00pm start on Wednesdays.

The run was good. Helped to loosen up stiff muscles from my Saturday morning treadmill run.  The boot camp left me pleasantly tired and sore.  My muscles are feeling like I had a nice workout.

Was hoping to get out for another run on Monday morning, but it's almost 11:30pm and I'm still awake.  My guess is that I'll be running out the door feeling rushed to work with no run done.

Ran

Made it to the gym for a run today. Managed to get a full 10 min set in. A small 1 minute recovery. A final 8 minute run to finish it off.

Solid pace, but was a bit too much before boot camp.

What are you doing this weekend?

Recipe: Homemade Fudgesicle

My girls have been eating too much junk.  The end result is they're begging for more.  To beat the requests for freezies, I decided to try making my own fudgie ice cream snacks.  

Banana Fudgesicle

Ingredients

• 3 VERY ripe bananas
• 1/4 c chocolate chips
• 2 T low fat peanut butter

Instructions

1. Barely melt chocolate chips
2. Stir peanut butter into melted chocolate
3. Use food processor, Magic Bullet or blender to mix all 3 ingredients.
4. Use cooking spray on popsicle forms
5. Pour mix into popsicle forms
6. Freeze for 4+ hours
7. Eat!

This treat was very rich.  Next time I'll make it with less peanut butter and chocolate.  Might try replacing chocolate with cocoa.  I'm sure you could make it without the peanut butter for those who need to avoid nuts.

Really enjoyed the one I tried tonight.  Way more than this guy enjoyed his Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali) (Adds A Trivial Amount Of Fat), Modified Food Starch, Soy Protein Isolate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mono and Diglycerides (Adds A Trivial Amount Of Fat), Cellulose Gum, Guar Gum, Polysorbate 65 & Polysorbate 80, Carrageenan, Salt, Natural Flavor and Artificial Flavor treat.

But it's worth noting that it was probably a shortage of water that has me craving the sweets. These seem like a much better choice then the chocolate chip cookies I wanted to make!

Photo courtesy of Ian Hoar

Run, run, as fast as you can

I don't run very fast. So it was an easy decision to offer to be a 'sweeper' for the Learn to Run clinic. My role as one of the group leaders is to make sure:

• No one gets left behind.
  
• No one is lost.
  
• No one gets left on the road.

After my clinic, I wasn't expecting this to be a very challenging job. My speed will keep me close to the back middle, so I would slow a little and have some company. The Running Room's clinic is Thursday nights this term and I assumed a small group (20?).

Well, what my parents told me regularly as a teen - assume makes an ASS out of U and ME. This group is pushing 35. Being 1 of 3 group leaders is hard. No one is running the pace they want. It's like the beginning of a race - but for the whole run.

People don't want to slow down. And really? Who am I to tell them they should?

But if you're doing 1 & 2s for 7 sets, and you're in the front of the pack for the first 3 and walking the last 3? You're going out too fast.

When the group moves to 1 & 1s for 10 sets and you're still in the front for the first 3 and walking the last 3? You're going out too fast.

If you're trying to learn to run and you can't breath at the end of a minute? You're going out too fast.

It's not about being fast. It's about getting it done.

It's Legs and Lungs

It's true to say that my first attempt at learn to run was a failure. My second was difficult, but successful.

Throughout my second Learn to Run clinic I experienced difficulty at every level. Every week we increased the consecutive minutes running was harder. My legs were sore. My lungs hurt from the effort. My trip home was just thinking about the stretching, the waffle, the shower and the nap. Really? Once I'd done my run for a day I was done for the day.

This time around was a little different. Running came back slowly post-baby #3. But effort was made to get in shape with classes, gym routine, walking, ellipticals, etc. It's worked. Getting my run in for the day is just part of the day. Unless I got up at the crack-of-stupid for my run, I can get through a run day without a nap.

Maybe it's thrown my balance off a little, too.

My legs are ready for more - longer strides, further distance, faster pace. My lungs? Are dying. I feel like a smoker struggling for my last breath.

Any advice on how to get back in sync? (Besides not working out and letting my legs weaken to my lungs pace.)