Category Archives: Cooldown/Stretching

Let’s Go Fly a Kite!

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Sunday’s are always great run days. Kind of a bold statement when you throw in the word always. But it’s true! I love to get a feel good kind of playlist going and have that happy go lucky mood that people in the movie’s have when songs like Rescue Me by Fontella Bass or This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) by Natalie Cole comes on. You can make fun of me or secretly agree that when one of these gems comes on- you feel great inside too. This became my inspiration for today’s running jams. And to keep the mix contemporary, I had an M.I.A. feel with their new single XXXO.
As I stepped outside for my run I could feel the heat of the very high UV rays and I LOVED it. I could just imagine myself laying on the beach and reading a good book. So, of course I was lathered up with sunscreen and sporting a blue and white striped running hat with a key compartment. (Stylish yet practical!) After the first 1K I was surprised that I didn’t see any runners out yet and I thought to myself “this feels a little creepy…” but then Shah-BLAMMO! Cyclists, dog walkers, kids in the park, and runners were EVERYWHERE! And my Sunday run came alive, just like I was hoping for. The running community is so great because everyone acknowledges their fellow runners with a smile and a wave. You rarely get that type of appreciation walking down the busy city streets these days. It’s just so sad.
My run pace today was feeling better than ever. I decided to add in two extra hills in my run today. Ambitious? Yes. Did I succeed? Of course I did! I was making a new space mission plan- I was just running. I think it helps to have other runners around you during your because you keep your eye on the prize and keep pushing yourself to run harder than you would on your own.
On my way up the additional hill, I saw a little toddler with her late 20’s mum and a kite. I started to feel bad because there was zero wind and the kite was laying on the ground. I couldn’t help but think, “that poor kid is going to be so disappointed if that kite doesn’t fly.” (Even though she seemed pretty happy playing in the sun on the hill.) 2K later, I was running passed them again and the kite was flying! I had the biggest genuine smile on my face. It was so great. You really appreciate the simple things in life when you see a tiny miracle happen in your morning. I truly believe that if you move your body your heart will follow.

The XXXO Playlist:
Rescue Me- Fontella Bass
This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)- Natalie Cole
Pretty Please (Love Me)- Estelle & Cee-lo
Open Your Heart- Madonna
Burning Love- Elvis Presley
Crazy Little Thing Called Love- Queen
Unwritten- Natasha Beddingfield
XXXO- M.I.A.
Yes (Remastered 2003)- Merry Clayton
Jump (For My Love)- The Pointer Sisters
Suddenly I See- KT Tunstall
When Love Takes Over- David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland
We Got Love- Ryan Shaw
Somethin’ Special- Colbie Caillat
Summer Love- Justin Timberlake

Cooldown/Stretching:
Serious- Duffy
Steer- Missy Higgins

Stats of the Run:
Distance: 10.58 km
Pace: 4:51 min/km
Calories: 457

First Outdoor Run of the Season!

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The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and teens were making out in the park. Everyone was enjoying the Brady Bunch sunshine kind of day!



I have been feeling really congested lately with a deep old man’s cough. But- it was a beauty day and my friend just told me about an amazing run he just had so, I wanted to go for a run too. I decided that the first outdoor run of the season is always going to be a slower paced run. I was about to deal with wind, hills, air quality, and saying “Hi” and giving a genuine smile to my running friends as we pass each other. I was expecting to run a pace of 5:45/km at the absolute slowest. I figured a good playlist for this run should be an easy-going one that is filled with old classics.

The Playlist:
Angel of Harlem- U2
No Rain- Blind Melon
The Boys Are Back In Town- Thin Lizzy
Born to Run- Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Mysterious Ways- U2
Ballroom Blitz- Blue Oyster Cult
Life is a Highway- Tom Petty
Lust For Life- Tom Jones with The Pretenders
American Woman- Lenny Kravitz
Back in the USSR- The Beatles
Are You Gonna Go My Way- Tom Jones with Robbie Williams
Southbound- Thin Lizzy
Life in the Fast Lane- The Eagles

I was really excited to do this run because I bought one of those Amphipod belt water bottle holders and was excited to use it. But- I literally ran for 3 seconds and it kept jumping up and down because I didn’t make it tight enough. It started to really bother me so I ran back to my house, threw it inside, grabbed my klean kanteen and ran out the door again. I will have to adjust the size and let you know how I feel about it another day. But- I felt lighter when I went out for my run again and I was ready to just run. I found myself starting to get to the hills and wondering how far I had gone and what my pace was like instead of just enjoying my run in the sun. Unfortunately, my hacking cough came back 2.5km into my run. I wasn’t going to let that stop me so I looked over and saw teens making out on a hill and that distracted my mind for a while! Especially when they got awkward when they saw me running by. Oh, to be young again!

As I kept running through the phlegm I came across some dogs. Now as much as dogs can be fun- I don’t want them to chase me because they think I am playing with them. So, I start to run the pace of the runner in front of me until they pass the dog. This way I can see if the dog is going to bite the runner in front of me and if I will be OK to run past the dog. Yep- that is selfish but also smart for my well being. ha! This could also be a factor to why my running pace isn’t as fast when I do my first outdoor run! But- that’s OK, it means I won’t loose a limb!

The rest of the run was great! I was running against the wind for awhile but it was nice to have fresh air. When I ran in my last kilometer (all uphill) I was still feeling great. Until I stopped, stretched, and coughed it out. Not attractive. haha!

Cool Down/Stretching:
Don’t Stop Believin’- Glee Cast
You Can’t Always Get What You Want- Glee Cast

And then I picked up a golf club and hit a few practice balls in my backyard. Golf is a new sport I decided to take up. I always wanted to learn how to play so I decided, why not make this the year I actually do it! It’s a great cross-trainer and I’m actually having a lot of fun learning the new sport!

Stats of the Run:
Distance: 9 km
Pace: 5:15 min/km
Calories: 389

Have you ever looked fear in the face and just danced the sh!t out of the floor?

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I had an amazing run pace of 4:10 min/km! I really wanted to have a long run but life got in the way. Here’s what happened:

I prepared my dinner before I went to the gym so my food would be ready to be eaten when I got home. I am usually a Jamie Oliver kind of girl but I decided to switch it up and make a meal from Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite Cookbook. I love making new recipes. It makes your creative juices flow and you are opening your mind to try new things. It’s like being on an adventure– just not a life-threatening, dangerous, or an exhausting kind of adventure. (Unless you manage to cut yourself with a large knife and hold your breath during the cooking experience- then feel free to backspace the previous comments.)

Back to the run!

I got to the gym and I had the “I forgot something…” feeling. What did I forget? My shorts. I had 3 options: go home and get them, go home and forget about the gym- maybe it wasn’t meant to happen? Or, I could always run in jeans, which would be the most uncomfortable feeling in the world. Luckily I was meeting someone at the gym and they had an extra pair of lulu capris. The funny thing about this is, I’m not a tall girl and these capris were 2 sizes too big for me. So the tight fitting capris became wide gauchos on me. (Gauchos definition: wide, calf-length trousers for men or women modeled after the trousers worn by South American gauchos) Amazing! haha. Honestly, they were super comfy this way. I felt like I wasn’t even wearing pants! (hmm… that could be awkward). No really, I would seriously consider buying these pants two sizes too big. And- I just might!
So, I step up on the treadmill in my wide leg capris and I have a new feeling. I feel empowered some how as I place my klean kanteen in it’s holder and start to stretch. I get off the treadmill to do some leg stretches and I see a little black circle beside my foot. It would be one of two things: a fluff ball or a spider. And then it starts to move. Yep, that’s a spider! I’m not scared of spiders but I didn’t want it to rain because the temperature was going to drop so much and freezing rain is not fun. But I also didn’t want this spider to grow any bigger and make babies and infest the gym. So, I stepped on it. That spider is no longer with us. Sorry, friends!

There were so many playlists that I felt like listening to. I couldn’t believe it because lately I have just been picking a playlist without even really knowing if I actually want to run to those songs. I chose my “GB On My Mind” Playlist. It’s filled with all of the tunes that we would “dance the sh!t out of the floor!” during a Monday Jam Nite in GB. It was a great choice. I mean if you imagine yourself giving it all you’ve got on a dance floor to these jams- how can you not give your run all you’ve got? The band just keeps the energy up and- it really helped with my sprints that I decided to do during this run.
Here’s the playlist:
Listen to the Music- Doobie Brothers
Semi-Charmed Life- Third Eye Blind
I Want You- Savage Garden
You Make Me Wanna Shout- Little Richard
Girlfriend (Remix)- Avril Lavigne feat. Lil Mama
Making It Work- Doug and the Slugs
Down Under- Men at Work
Banditos- The Refreshments
Let Me Entertain You- Robbie Williams

I had a great cool down and stretching to:
3 am- Matchbox 20
Be With You- Mr. Big

There is nothing like a Mr. Big monster ballad to end a great run! Even though I didn’t run as long as I wanted too, I was running super fast sprints! And! Wait for it… I managed to clear my thoughts as soon as my first step hit the treadmill. I threw my thoughts away and I became in the moment. I didn’t have any mind games going on. I was a blank slate ready to take whatever challenge I was given without a care in the world. Success!
One of my favourite songs right now is Glitter in the Air by P!nk and it has a great line in it where she sings, “Have you ever looked fear in the face and said I just don’t care.” And that’s the mentality you have to have. Whatever problem you are facing, you are going to get through it. Why? Because you have to.

Stats of the Run
Distance: 8.64 km
Pace: 4:10 min/km
Calories: 374