Hoodlums Can’t Stop Me.

I’ve been itching for a long run for days. My long runs kept getting delayed by weather so, I took the opportunity and headed out last night. I loaded up on food (as per usual) and liquids (I’m getting better at this one) all day. I put my cardio playlist on shuffle and headed out.  It was a nice sunny day so I put some sunscreen on my nose scar for the first time this year, put on my sunglasses and was eager to get out there.

At the 5K mark, my legs started to feel the extra hills that I threw into my run. But I was feeling good. At 7K I ran into the rudest people. Seriously. I was running the path in the park and three high school boys were walking towards me and decided to take up the entire pathway with their one bike and themselves. I figured they would be polite and move to the side of the path so that I could run past but instead, as I get two feet away from the hoodlums, they stopped walking. They left me with hardly any room to run by thinking that I would stop. Too bad for them I am tiny and just kept running past them. Seriously, where did they get their manners from? I’m pretty sure they thought I was also in high school but no, I graduated from there almost a decade ago. So, I didn’t let them stop me and I just kept going. I did have 16 kilometers to do after all. I wasn’t going to hang out behind a 7-11.

About a kilometer later I completely shook it off and I had that feeling where you didn’t think about how far you just ran or how much farther you have to go. Just running to run. It was awesome. And I passed by  runner friends and gave them a smile and a wave. Is it weird that I automatically think that if you are a runner, you are my best friend?

One of my favourite tracks during this run was Sandcastle Disco by Solange.

The Cardio Playlist
*On jukebox shuffle

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough- Michael Jackson
Dirty Dancer- Enrique Iglesias feat. Usher
Fire Burning- Sean Kingston
Laces Out- USS
When I Grow Up- Garbage
Black or White- Michael Jackson
Beep- The Pussycat Dolls
Everytime (Hi-Bias Radio Remix)- Britney Spears
Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)- Micahel Jackson & The Jacksons
Viva La Vida- Coldplay
Me Against The Music- Britney Spears feat. Madonna
Anybody Listening-Classified
Beautiful- Akon, Colby O’Donis & Kardinal
Dynamite- Taio Cruz
When Did Your Heart Go Missing?- Rooney
Alive- Black Eyed Peas
Combat Baby- Metric
Girls and Boys In Love- The Rumble Strips
Paper Planes- MIA
Best Love Song- T-Pain feat. Chris Brown
Crazy In Love- Beyonce
Sandcastle Disco- Solange
Break Your Heart- Taio Cruz & Ludacris
We R Who We R- Ke$ha
Help!- The Beatles

Stats of the Run
Distance: 16 km
Pace: 5:32 min/km

Harry’s Spring Run Off Recap!

It was such a perfect day for a run! The sun was shining, it was 8 degrees, and the wind came at all the right times during the race. Not so strong to blow me over and just enough to cool me down. Perfect.

I got to my sister’s flat with my race kit waiting for me:

After digging inside to find all of my snacks, I attached my race bibb to myself and got all suited up. Just like Barney Stinson. After a cup of coffee we took our warm up walk over to High Park:
Julia, Ken, Mumsy, and Dad

I’ve never actually introduced you to my dad and now he is going to be like the neighbour on Home Improvement where you never see his face because it is always blocked by something. It’s ok, you’ll meet him someday. In the meantime, here he is walking behind Ken! This was going to be my dad’s first race too but he popped his knee playing soccer last week and now he is kind of gimpy. But- my dad made excellent photographers!

On the way to our corrals we took a group shot before the race started. Don’t worry we all took our cell phones so that we wouldn’t get lost like the Wine and Dine race in Disney. Lesson Learned.

Julia, me, and mumsy

Along the way to the corrals, I ended up running into two of my old cheerleading coaches who are also crazy runners. They were there cheering on another cheer coach/runnermama at the gym. I love that! I also ended up seeing them at the 4K mark and then again at the last 200m. It was hearing them yell to me that there were only 200m left that made that killer hill worth sprinting the rest of the way for. Have I told you how much I love the cheer section along the sidelines at races? They are ahh-may-zing! The high fives and the encouragement is just so contagious!

One of my favourite action shots is of Julia. I mean look at this beauty:

Why can’t I get pictures like that?! Instead I get the ones where I am attempting to drink water:

It looks normal, right? Well, this is where I didn’t smush my cup in half to easily drink water and I ended up splashing my entire face with water. Look at the guy holding the cup of water at the far right- he’s laughing at me. And just so you know I’m not lying, here I am wiping the water off my face and hoping my make-up didn’t melt and give me raccoon eyes:

And yes, that guy on the far right is still laughing at me. Awesome! I’ll show him with this action shot of me with my eyes closed:

After crossing the hilly hilly finish line– I mean seriously, who puts a huge incline at the last 400m mark? That was just mean! I got my medal and hat; took out my cell to figure out where my fam jam was happening.
We even had enough time to escort mumsy to her first start line to begin her 5K!
Her ipod was loaded with some awesome tunes and she was ready to rock it. Lucky for her, it was warm enough for her to loose her jacket!
After the first km we caught this beauty of a picture. Look how happy she is:

And then on the last 400m we got an action shot of her going up the dreaded incline:

I was so proud to cheer her on crossing the finish line.

It was an awesome day for a run and we got the finishers picture that we were all excited for- Me and Julia with our 8K medals, and Nancy Love with her 5K:

On our walk leaving High Park, we decided that we had our Harry hats on and should take a picture with those as well:

Post race we went back to Julia’s and made a big pancake breakfast with eggs, bacon, chocolate milk, and coffee. It was deeelicious!

And the something sparkly I said I would wear for Tin? Well, I made a sequin tie but it was hard to see in the pictures:

After going back to Julia’s and seeing her Garmin 405CX in full action– I knew I needed one. I tried it on and it even fit my tiny wrist. A Cinderella Story?! I would say, yes.

I may have gone to Costco after the race to buy one:

More on that story later!



Stats of the Run
Distance: 8K
Time: 41:02
Age Category Place: 16 15/261
Gender Place: 84/1129

A personal best! Well, I knew that going in because it was my first 8K race ever. I think I will be making the Harry Race a yearly event. I literally loved everything about it!

I’m doing a 30K?!

My sister Julia is running 30K Around the Bay today and yesterday she called me on her way to the expo to pick up her bib and I obviously wanted to go. I told her to swing by and get me on her way. And I decided to document our adventure. 
Meet my sister Julia:  
Julia on the way to her package pick-up!

How crazy is it that she is running 30K?! I mean seriously– 21K is enough for me!

I LOVE RUNNING EXPO’S!




Can we please talk about how lopsided my sunglasses are? First I thought it was the arms of my glasses but more and more I am thinking my ears are just uneven. My regular glasses for distance do the same thing but I know those arms are bent because I fell asleep with them on annnd you can tell. But these bad boys do not have that problem. Ahh well. 

So I started getting hungry before we even got there. (Typical). But lucky for me there was a farmer’s market right beside the expo! How perfect! I was going to get an apple but then I passed by the British booth and saw Empire Cookies and I was sold on them.
So, we became those unhealthy girls who walked into the expo with cookie crumbs ALL down our jackets as we shoved the rest of the cookies in our faces. 
As we walked around I found my favourite store at the Disney Expo One More Mile. I love all of their hilarious products. Julia found this funny: 

“I’m only doing this so I can post a picture on Facebook.”

And then I found the sentence that I was saying after I ran the Disney half and said I would never run another one again. And then I signed up for the Goodlife Toronto half.

“I know, I know- I said I’d never do this again.”




And then I found myself saying this sentence again when we passed the A Midsummer Night’s Run booth. Why? Well, they were having a special and if you registered that day for either the 15K run, 15K walk, or 30K run that is happening on August 20th, 2011 you get an awesome New Balance running jacket that day. As we were leaving the booth I was pretty much begging Julia to run the 30K. I know, 30K! Am I insane?! I think I was in the hype and jealous that I wasn’t doing the 30K Around the Bay. Julia insisted that the bay was going to be her first and last 30K but she would go over and look at the running route. As we got over and looked at the map I said, “it’s around the beaches of Toronto, it’s easy peasy! Let’s do the 30K!” So, I told the guy if he had a small enough jacket to fit this 4’9″ girl, I would register. I tried the small on, took a picture to see if it fit:

And- it did. I immediately said, “SIGN ME UP!!” And Julia followed. Muahahahhaha! 30K in August– hellls yes! I’m SO excited! It brings my two worlds together theatre and running. AHHH-MAAAAY-ZIIIING! 
We continued to walk the booths and came across the finish line. I made Julia take a picture in front of it. 
Julia casually at the finish line

How amazing is it that it ends in a stadium and she will be on a big screen running through the finish line?! Mainly more exciting for me and my bro in law Ken because we won’t have to freeze our butts off waiting outside for her to finish. I’ve never been a spectator at a running event before but I’m SO excited to cheer my sister on today! Wahooooo! 

After the expo I was so pumped for my 14K run that I had on tap for the day. I suited up and ran High Park which is where my Harry run will be next week. I put some U2 on my ipod and hit jukebox shuffle and off I went. I ended up going through the park and detoured into the High Park Zoo. It’s so small that it only lasts about 1K. But I saw some animals along my way and took a photo for you:
High Park Zoo Run!

After running High Park I’m so confident for next weeks race. My only concern is picking what my happy pace will be. I only know how to pace for long runs and I’m a wee bit concerned for how hard I should go next week. But, I’ll figure it out. 

Stats of the Run
Distance: 14.53 km
Pace: 4:31 min/km
I’m off to the 30K Around the Bay! Let’s Go Julia!! Wahooo! 

Call Me Vein.

Thank you for clicking “follow” friends!! You guys are ahhh-maaay-ziing! I know this because I stalk your blogs whenever I have a free moment.

I decided to document just how hot and sweaty I get after a run by documenting some before and after pictures for you. Yes, I do kind of feel like a Jenny Craig ad model. But wait until you see the after shot!

Let’s start with the before:


Before

 Not too bad, right? I had to tame my bangs with a hair band and I look pretty ready for a run. I went for a 7K and had to slow my pace down because my food was not digested in my stomach. Ugh, I hate that feeling. So, I went with it and yet again it was so hot running the t-mill. When I got to the locker I saw this beauty looking at me:


After



Yes, that is quite the attractive face. Seriously, do you see it?! I have two veins that decided to come out and play after my run. And, they are in the shape of a “V”. I felt just like my fav, Kristin Chenoweth. Apparently we both get blood rushing to our head sometimes.

Kritin Chenoweth

I’d like to think of it as my body telling me that I had a great workout but really it’s just because I have a veiny forehead. You really do learn something new everyday!

For this run I didn’t pick a playlist. I just put my ipod on a jukebox shuffle starting with Dolly’s 9 to 5 and off I went.

The Playlist
9 to 5- Dolly Parton
Magahlena- Sergio Mendes
Your House- Jimmy Eat World
Basket Case- Green Day
Learn To Fly- Foo Fighters
Driving Me Crazy- Sam Adams
I’m Real- Jennofer Lopez

Cool Down/Stretching
You’ve Got You- Eric Hutchinson
Dancing With Myself- Glee Cast

Stats of the Run
Distance: 7.01 km
Pace: 4:30 min/km
Incline: 1%

CHALLENGE ALERT!
Nike+ is having a mileage contest over 30 days! For every km clocked, different companies will donate $10 to $100 to Japan! Join me in the challenge HERE!