{Workout}
Monday, Outside: 4miles = WIND, WIND , WIND. 41:30min
Tuesday, Treadmill: 3 miles = 27:51min.
30seconds elliptical = yes, I'm counting it.
Tuesday, Treadmill: 3 miles = 27:51min.
30seconds elliptical = yes, I'm counting it.
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I've had the champion of excuses for not wanting to work out the last two days. Wait for it - I'm not in the mooood.
uhh, you better GET in the mood.
I mentally treat exercise as a job sometimes - you can't just NOT show up, even if you're not in the mood.
I was just feeling run down with work and not sleeping well.
I don't know about anyone else, but NO run is every "easy" for me. EVER.
Every single time I run, no matter if it's 13 miles or 2, it is always a huge challenge.
I'll never be a natural runner (I'm not sure what that means anyway, but you know). I'm not gifted in that sense, and I'm not gifted in the athletic sense. At all.
I have to seriously focus and push myself and talk to myself to get through every single run. I think this is why, no matter how short a run is, I'm always so proud of myself. I'm always feeling very fortunate for the ability to run, by choice.
Having said that, I LOVE to run. The feeling afterwards is incredible. There is a huge sense of accomplishment that I love. It's a confidence booster for OTHER aspects in my life as well. After I finish a good and long run, I'll feel like I can conquer the stresses in my life. :) A little running therapy, I guess!
How often do you find running/exercise hard for you??
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Today, 30 seconds on the elliptical, and it just wasn't happening:
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I hit the gym for a treadmill run - no wind, no coldness, no snow = amazing.
My new Nike Lunarfly 2's feel soooo good too!
My usual running pace is about 9min/miles. I did my first 1/2 marathon hovering around that pace. The last 3/4 months, I've been barely able to hold on to 10m/miles. It's been rough all around.
Is there a secret trick to get faster?? Get back to what you're used to??
Today, finally, I had a good 3 mile run and held on to finish in 27:51.
And yes, it was hard.
My Monday run was suuuuuper windy. I'm not kidding - it was garbage day in the city and a bag on the side-walk flew up and right into me. Nice. And embarrassing since I was mid-run.
Either way, I got it done, and ran by Nathan Phillips Square to people watch some skaters!
Every run is hard for me right now. Usually I am ok unless it is supposed to be a hard run like hills or speedwork, but I am not back there yet. You are right though about the sense of accomplishment and conquering the world afterwards. PS, you are adorable :)
ReplyDeleteEvery couple of minutes on the treadmill up the speed to about an 8 min/mile pace and keep that for about a minute or so. It is rough, but it will make 10 min miles feel so slow and should help with your speed.
ReplyDeleteOk. I am doing this tomorrow. thank you! I'll hold on for dear life so I don't go flying off the thing hopefully :D
DeleteYeah, intervals are great. You can also do it while running; I like to use fartleks, and I just pick a mailbox to start running faster and another a ways off to slow down.
DeleteIts hard most of the time!!! You just keep going - if it were easy everyone would be at it! I said the other day while cycling on the trails that if this were easier the road riders would be at it - lol. All the best with your slump:)
ReplyDeleteGirl, I need you to come here and get my butt into gear! I need some motivation to work out! If I had those shoes though... I think I might be more motivated! haha
ReplyDeleteGood job making it happen even though you didn't want to! I hit a slump today and yesterday. One of the days I'm borrowing from this upcoming Friday and using as a rest day- but the other one I have no excuse :( haha- tomorrow I'll get back at it! I noticed something that helps me to get faster is when I am consistently doing 4 mile races or 5Ks. Having other people around you running forces you to keep pushing yourself even if you're tired. I'm also reading Kara Goucher's Running for Women right now and she has a lot of good tips for getting faster, like tempo runs and interval runs. If you are looking for a good running book I'm loving this one!
ReplyDeleteoooh Thanks for the book recommendation! I quickly browsed through it at the book store last month but never picked it up!
DeleteI agree with Amy Z on doing some short intervals in your treadmill runs. Sometimes just getting your body used to a faster pace can really help a lot.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes also struggle to get out the door on a run. For me it helps to have someone else to be accountable to-- do you have a friend you could meet for a run or at the gym?
No one I know is into running at all (I'm trying to force it on a couple of them, haha!)If I meet a friend, we'll always go hit a pilates or yoga class!
DeleteI feel the same way- I will never be a natural runner it is always hard work!
ReplyDeleteWhen I can't push myself to run ill do sprints. It gets me really excited but then I get some down time, and if I am hating the sprint I push myself just to get those moments of down time. I don't know if that's anything you are into or enjoy but I thought I'd throw it out there. It's so beautiful in the winter there, at least you'll never run out of good scenery (: ps thank you so so much for all your kindness you are seriously, the sweetest.
ReplyDeletei always have a harder time when running on treadmils or alone on outside runs. when i'm on the trails or with my running group the miles fly by! that's so great that you make yourself go even when you're not in the mood :) it's hard to do sometimes! windy runs... miserable! i'll take rain over wind anyday!
ReplyDeleteglad to see your being nice and active =) we've been planning to join the gym for ages now , thanks for reminding us to get our act together =)
ReplyDeletelove from the NANA girls xoxo
I'm with you...even the 'easy' runs aren't easy. I'm definitely not a natural, but I still love it most of the time! Secret to getting faster...sadly the answer is, run faster! Speed work etc...painful but effective. Make sure you have good rest days too so you can recover :)
ReplyDeletethose are great photos of nathan phillips square! love the lights.
ReplyDeletei think to get better at running you just need to keep running. and you may find that it gets easier as time goes on...like, seriously, it could take a couple of years!! i remember running was really hard for me when i started, too. i ran with my dad and he would have to really encourage me! but like you say, there is nothing like the feeling of accomplishment. i also love my running "thinking time."
have a great day and happy bday to your brother!!
My best advice to get faster is hill training - something I need to get back to myself. Choose a hilly route and hit it hard. I recommend pretending like you are Rocky and celebrate with a fist pump every time you get to the top.
ReplyDeleteI can't avoid those hills forever eh...ahhhh, fine, fine! :)
DeleteI'm gonna run in a big sweater just so I can re-create the Rocky scene!
I don't care what anyone says. 30 seconds is a workout!!!
ReplyDeleteYou've made my day. :D
DeleteHere it is also cold and I trying to mix indoor and outdoor runs!
ReplyDeleteI love your new Nikes! " Happy Feet " :)
I feel the same way, Running is hard. When people say, "oh I did and EASY 10 miles" ARE YOU KIDDING ME? .. boggles my mind.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way lately! I typically love running but it has been SO hard lately! I blame it on the fact it hasn't been higher then 25 degrees for the past 3 weeks. I HATE cold.
ReplyDeleteI love this post. As someone who is overweight but exercises a lot... I read a lot of blogs of thinner, and more fit people (such as your beautiful self!) and although I try not to, I can't help but think everything is easier for them. "Look how far they run, it must be easy. Look at that crossfit workout, they breeze right through it!"
ReplyDeleteAnd the truth is, I don't think it's easy for them either, but some bloggers portray it that way... probably on purpose. But for me, I like when you say "hey, this was hard for me, but I did it!"
It makes you seem more human, and more of someone I can inspire to be like! :-)
You are so sweet!
DeleteI can honestly and genuinely say that every single workout is just HARD for me. I've had Jillian Michael's 6 week/6pack dvd for about 2 years now and have yet to finish Level 2 because it knocks the life out of me.
Hey, it gives us a goal to head towards right..where's the fun if it's all easy ;)
You're rocking your sweaty13 cllenge btw!!
I totally agree with SweatyGirl! Your blog is real-life. I was on the treadmill the other day and I was watching everyone working out at their own pace. Some people were heavy, some were very slim. Some people were running like Olympians on the treadmill, some were barely keeping up with their slow elliptical. I was proud of and happy for all of us for being there at that moment. It is hard to decide to go, it is hard to find the time to go, it is hard work when you do go. For all of us. But I think we all feel better about ourselves for having done it!
DeleteThe only way to get comfortable running faster is to run faster! Remember this: "It's gotta suck A little not so it sucks less on race day.". AmyZ has the best advice, in my opinion. Good luck! You can totally do it, and I'm not buying this junk about you not being gifted as an athlete. You've got the body and heart of an athlete. Just own it!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry it's now working out right now :(. you could try running every other day, just to give your body a break. or just think of how much you love it, on the days i don't give a rat's ass and don't want to run, i think about that, and about how i feel afterward. i hope it gets better for you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm the same, I have to really make myself go and do exercise, I wish I wanted to do it all the time! Well done you though for doing it! Haha I hate when stuff like a bag hitting you happens, but at least you got to do some people watching =) always great!
ReplyDeletecatrionamacleod.blogspot.co.uk
Girl you have such a positive outlook it kills me! Everytime I read your posts I think that I need to be more positive when it comes to hitting the gym. You're killing it :-) Keep up the amazing work - you're inspiring others to do the same!
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely not a "natural runner" either! But you are doing so great, you should be proud :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the follow! I'm excited to follow you as well!
ReplyDeleteRebeccawithanR
Sometimes when I am not feeling a run but know I want to run (weird, but I think you might get that feeling haha) I just remind myself about how epic I feel afterwards! Then I usually get my butt out the door :)
ReplyDeleteYES, I know what you mean about that feeling! and yes, I do that too - I'll sit quietly and just imagine myself finishing a run and that great feeling afterwards!
DeleteAlso, I hope you get this msg - is there a way to post comments on your blog if I don't have FB/Twitter or wordpress?? (because I don't have any of the 3!!) :(
DeleteLOVE this line "I mentally treat exercise as a job sometimes - you can't just NOT show up, even if you're not in the mood."--> totally going to remind myself the next time I'm feeling lazy! I find running to be such a humbling sport- there are some runs which I just breeze through whereas others are mentally and physically excruciating- and remind me what an achievement it is to be able to run at all!
ReplyDeleteIf i cud be half as good as u--I will die with excitement. :))
ReplyDeleteHave not worked out in last 10 days.
Lets see how I get back in the "mood";)
hahaah at least you look cute posing on the elliptical!
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you in not feeling like it! I think the weather plays a big part in that. I love how you counted 30 seconds on the elliptical! I would count it too!
ReplyDeleteWow! Amazing! Good for you! Love your blog! Hugs from Cali! xx The Golden Girls
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the great run!
ReplyDeleteAt the moment running is way too hard... haha. But I think you need those hard runs to make the good runs feel really good! My fave book with great tips and advice for improving speed and training is called 'Run Less Run Faster' and it's a gem, I totally recommend taking a look. Good luck with the training, you are doing well getting out there in that weather!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the recommendation! I'm always browsing new running books :D
DeleteGood for you for getting through it, even if it feels like work. Every mile is a victory! If running wasn't difficult sometimes, then everybody would be doing it :)
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you, every run is hard, but i do it for the feeling I get when I am done. Or for the hope that I hit my runner's high on a run, that is the best feeling!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I'm a natural runner or anything. I went to try out for xcountry running in grade 12. My couch told me to run 4km... I ran it non stop. Loved it ever since.
ReplyDeleteFor me it really is the motivation that gets me before each run, however after I finish the run I'm glad that I did it. I'm sure marathon training will give you tonnes of inspiration ;)
I tried running a few times and did the Couch to 5k program once, and no run was ever easy for me. I don't think I could ever get to the point where it will be. I'm not a natural runner either, but I intend to try again soon :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on pushing through even when it isn't the easiest! People keep talking about this "runner's high" but I think I've only truly felt great on one run ever.
ReplyDeleteA few people have already suggested it, but sprint intervals, tempo runs (holding faster speeds for longer distances in between a warm-up and cool-down), and hill sprints are all great ways to make things interesting and increase speed. Good luck!
Good job on pushing through the tough runs. I feel your pain! Some days I am just not feeling it but once I'm done, I never regret it.
ReplyDeletei'm sorry running has been tough for u lately, but great job on pushing thru it and still doing them. there's not a short answer, BUT sometimes we all go thru stretches where runs just suck for awhile. first tho, think if there are outside factors: did u just increase ur running (more miles can have the lag-time effect and tire u out a couple weeks after the increase), were u running too hard too many days in a row for awhile? or u could be getting sick or just life stress/extra life work/ etc. could be making u more tired. try to make sure u're sleeping and eating habits are good and from there don't stress urself out MORE by getting frustrated that u feel so tired/crappy. just get the run done, don't stress over the pace, and work on feeling better! hang in there!
ReplyDeleteYou always have great advice... and not just "stick with it" rah-rah advice. Thoughtful!
DeleteShe is AMAZING. Always! Thank YOU Cait!
DeleteEvery week since December 1st I have treated exercise like my job.I always made time and it always got done! lol Love that mojo!
ReplyDeleteThose shoes are so cute!! Running I just can't do no matter how hard I try! I'm a sprinter and walker!
ReplyDeleteRunning is and will always be the hardest thing I ever do. At the same time, it's the absolute best thing in my life!!
ReplyDeleteI've had the same funky speed issue.....I started dropping down into sub 9 minute miles in November, but now I'm lucky if I keep it under 9:30.......hmmmm.......I will get faster in 2013- I just don't know how!!
I feel your pain on the speed issue. I have gotten slower over the years, and run around a 10 min. mile these days. I just think I'm getting old and rickety though. Ha! I have heard of people using Fartlek running method to increase speed. Good luck! :)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I am laughing right now at the thought of you running along and WOOSH! the bag in your face. Not laughing AT you. Laughing WITH you. Quite honestly it sounds like a movie moment. If that happened to me I would be mortified and then later I'd tell the story and everyone would laugh.
ReplyDeleteThe philosophy of treating exercise like a job that you go to even when you don't waant to go seems like a great plan. It's something I will try when I'm in a funk. Thanks!
The garbage bag situation was SO embarrassing!! hahahah I was MID run and the black bag just flew right at my face. There was 2 walkers coming towards me that saw. Just laugh it off, right?? :D ha!
DeleteI love a treadmill!! I think running intervals is the key to improving speed!!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like me this week! Zero motivation to get runs done but you know what, once I'm done, I'm uber glad to have gone out.
ReplyDeleteI typically hate running, until I'm actually doing it. Once I get myself out the door I'm fine, but getting out the door is usually the hardest part. You know that saying "I LOVE RUNNING...when I'm done!"
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the natural runners, but some make it look easy than others.
ReplyDeleteYou get your head right and you'll be surprised how you'll fly. You need to train your brain to say, "I've got this!" You are aces at all your workouts - you can do it!!
As for getting faster - try interval or tempo training. The only way I ever cut time off a race, plus it's a fun workout - you're not just running at a steady pace.
Thank you! I do admit that mentally, I *need* to toughen up. My head gives up WAY before my body!
Deleteahhhh Toronto looks frigid!!
ReplyDeleteyour new Nikes are so cute, I LOVE the color combo!
I hope you're staying warm and loving your runs!
xoxo!
You go girl! Awesome post and I really do love those shoes! So cute. I just bought new shoes too and they make working out so much more fun! Clearly, I'm easily excited :P
ReplyDeleteGreat pics. Toronto looks cool with the ice rink. Did you skate?
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to skate!! :( haha SAD! I used to..but it's been about 15 years since I've tried...so..people-watching it is :D
DeleteI'm with you, running is almost never easy for me. Some days the runs feel better, but they are always work for me. I appreciate my runs more this way too. I don't think I will ever be fast, but I am ok with that. I average out at a 10min mile and I am just glad to be moving!! Plus when I do get those faster miles I appreciate those more too ha! I try to switch up my workouts from running a couple times a week just so I don't burn out.
ReplyDeleteI love your purple shoes!
ReplyDeleteI would say that, from my experiences, the best way to get fast is to rest and do weights on your legs.
ReplyDeleteWhen I broke my foot and couldn't do any cardio I was confined to taking my air cast off, laying on my back, and straping on ankle weights. I did this about 4x a week. When I came back to running 3 months later my average mile pace had increased by 60-90 seconds!! I now hover around an 8 minute mile for my comfortable pace (more like 7:30 for races...)
In fact, this has happened every time I get injured. As hard as it is, sometimes your body needs rest and strength.
oh wow, that is absolutely fantastic! (I'd have probably went mad with no cardio for a while, yikes, glad it's all better now)Great advice, thank you!
DeleteI am also not a natural born runner so every run is also super hard for me. I have to tell myself all the time just to the next tree, just to that park bench, ok just over that hill and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. Since I have been here I have been terrible week 1 I ran twice! Not a great thing. But it takes times...keep pushing you are doing great!
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