Here's What I Have Been Wondering...

Does every run have to have a goal?  If I just lace up my running shoes and head out the door with no set goals, am I just wasting my time? 

I normally do have a goal in mind when I go for a run.  These include such things as:

1. Running for distance

Sometimes I have distance goals, such as 6 miles, or 10 km or 8 miles.  I know this will become more important as I get into my half marathon training program.  There will be a long run every weekend where I will want to cover a specified distance.

2.  Running for duration

Occasionally I want to just stay out there for a certain length of time.  For an hour or for an hour and a half. This was more important before I began keeping track of my mileage. I think it is particularly important for beginners or runners recovering from injury or layoffs.

3.  Practicing hill running

I did more of this when I was learning the Chi Running hill technique.  The neighborhood where we have been doing lots of house-sitting the past couple of years is very hilly so there is lots of opportunity for hill running, so it is not often my goal.

4.  Working on speed intervals

This goal has become more important to me.  I am a prettty slow runner and I do like to put faster intervals into my runs, hoping it will help me become faster overall.  I often go out on a run, planning to do some speedwork.

5.  Covering a specific distance within a certain amount of time

When I set out on one of the virtual 5 km races that I have taken part in, I usually have a finish time in mind.  I have done this with a few runs, but I don't do it regularly.  Again, as I begin half marthon training, this may become more important.

6. Having fun!

Sometimes I just want to get out there and go!  And just for the pure enjoyment of it.  I think this is important for me and do it fairly often, but in all honesty, I usually end up setting a goal on the fly.

What kinds of goals do you set for your runs?

Do you usually set goals?  Do you think running without goals is a waste of time?

My Wednesday Run and A Request for Advice...

Are you loving these Ruby Red Rio grapefruit that are coming from Texas as much as we are?  The past couple of days, The Captain has been peeling us each one to munch on with our coffee in the morning, before we have breakfast.... they are SO sweet and juicy.



The weather has been pretty wild here the past couple of days.  We have had rain and wind in amounts and speeds to equal past records, and even though it was supposed to be a bit brighter today, I knew The Captain would not want to go for a walk or a run.  One of the young guys from the marina maintenance crew came by this  morning to let us know that he would be changing the cleats on the dock finger between us and our neighbor boat. 

They  just put new metal cleats on 2 years ago, but have had lots of complaints about them so they are removing them, and installing new wooden ones, the full length of the dock...  which is great, but The Captain would never leave the boat while someone is working so close to it with power tools! 

So, we whiled away the morning, and then we had lunch... and I started to get antsy.    The better the weather got, the edgier I got. The sky was a gorgeous blue, with barely a cloud, and I knew I had to get outside for a run... so I told The Captain I was going to go, and quickly dressed and headed out, making sure to wear my Road ID, which I always do when I go alone.

I wanted to try to get in a few faster intervals today.  So, I did a 9/1 run/walk routine, and during the 9th minute of each run interval, I turned it up a notch and ran just fast enough so that I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it up for more than a couple of minutes.... not all out, but fast enough to notice.  That made me feel like I had really earned the one-minute walk, and allowed me to catch my breath for the next run interval.

I completed my 5.8 km route in 44 minutes using that routine and that is a decent time for me. 

I also did a bit of experimenting with my breathing.   I am learning to breathe deeper into my belly, hoping that will give me more oxygen per breath. 

And I am also experimenting with my stride length.  When I start to feel like I am getting a bit winded, instead of slowing down, I am working on keeping the same cadence but taking shorter steps.  I am hoping that will have the same effect. 

Any thoughts you care to share about that?  I am so open to all your advice!

I did my stretches on shore today near the marina laundry room so that I didn't get in the way of production on our dock.

W3 R44 @10/1 W 4
stretch 5 minutes

When I came inside I ate a banana slathered with Nutella.  Mmmm... I think that was a great recovery snack!

I haven't picked up my dumbbells this week yet, but plan to do some work with them while I am watching the 2-hour Biggest Loser special about past contestants later tonight.

Are you taking part in the Pile on the Miles Challenge or the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge?

Are they motivating you to keep moving?
I did sign up for both of them and I know they are in the back of my mind when I am having a 'feeling lazy' moment!

A Great Run on Our Very Special Day

I wanted to make French toast for breakfast this morning but we didn't have any milk in the fridge, and I didn't want to root around in a salon locker for a tetrapak of Almond Breeze so I got creative... I used some vanilla yogurt, mixed it with an egg and some cinnamon and then dipped the bread in that before frying it.  It was delicious!  And we are really enjoying some Ruby Red Texax grapefruit right now... we alveays get a big bag of them this time of  year when they arrive in our grocery stores.

It was a bit frosty again this morning but melting somewhat by the time we set off for our run at 10:45 a.m.  The promised sunshine was just beginning to poke through some cloud cover, and I let The Captain have his choice between two routes.

One was 8 km and the other was 8.75 km and I really expected him to pick the shorter one, but he opted for the longer as it would have more direct sunlight... I was delighted as this is my favorite route along the town waterfront.

I dressed a bit warmer today.  I wore tights and a tank with a built in bra, a long sleeved tee with a cowl neck over it, and then a tee shirt over that, under my light running jacket.  Then a headband, light gloves... and my waterbelt over the jacket.  Sheesh!  I would so much rather run in warm weather.... but off we went.

It was great!  The sun came out and did manage to warm us a bit and I removed my jacket for about a half hour stretch in the middle of the run.  We did a 10/1 run/walk routine today and finished in 71 minutes.  I was happy with that... 3 minutes faster than the last time out... it seemed odd to be drinking cold water, but I was glad to have taken it along.  I was kinda wishing I had packed a few of the CLIF SHOT BLOKS that I got last week, too.  Next time for sure.

Back at the marina we did our stetches on the dock 'finger' between our boat and the Catalina in the next slip.

W2 R71 @ 10/1 W3
stretch 5

Once inside I made us smoothies with chocolate  milk and bananas.  That got us through shower time easily and we ended up having a late lunch.

Today is a special day for us... it marks the anniversary of the day we met.  We do celebrate our wedding anniversary too, but this date has always been 'our' day.  Here are few happy memories...

Top Right and clockwise:

• Our wedding at the Grand Floridian Hotel in Walt Disney World, Florida
• Me on the beach at Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
• The Captain with Penny on the top of The Bear's Hump at Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta
• Me skiing at Panorama Resort, B.C.
• Me and Penny at Christmas at the Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta



Top Right and clockwise:

• Me at the helm during our sea trial in Vancouver, B.C.
• Scout with her puppy, asleep in the cockpit
• The Captain catching our first ever crab feed
• Sailing on the Sidney Channel
• Me on South Pender Island
• Sunset at Montague Harbour, Galliano Island
• The Captain and Scout at Sidney Spit Marine Park

We have done a lot of travelling over the years... a couple of trips to Europe and all over Canada and the U.S. and Mexico.  We have become nomads and are always up for an adventure.

We are never sure what is around the next corner and that is just fine with us... as long as we are together, it doesn't really matter!

My Weekly Workout Recap and Saturday Stuff

We slept in till after 9 a.m. this morning... such an usual luxury!  I could see that the sky was bright blue as soon as I opened my eyes and I was delighted, although somewhat surprised because I really was expecting that there would be snow on the docks this morning..... dodged a bullet there cause it did not happen!

There was a bit of frost though, but it was gone by the time we started our Saturday pancake feed so the danger was past by the time we headed out for our walk to town centre today.  It was a glorious day on the waterfront...  lots of doggies out walking and we met a new black and white English Springer today... that is always a highlight for me.   I need a little doggy love every day. 

Late this afternoon, back on board, I cooked some rice and baked some potatoes to store away in the fridge... I like to have a few things made up ahead when there is forecast for a few rainy days in a row... and it looks like it's going to be wet Monday through Wednesday... very wet! 

I am planning a Sunday run in the promised sunshine.

So, my workout recap!  All, in all, a pretty good week I think. I got in some exercise every day and so am happy about that.

In light of beginning the HBBC Challenge today, I am posting more details about the length of the workouts, and not so much about what each one involved.

Right now my upper body work is pretty consistent... a routine of 6 exercises of 10 reps each, done one after another.... then once or twice more.  The lower body routine is standing leg lifts, squats and rear lunges. I think I will stick pretty consistently to these workouts until we move off the boat in mid-December, when I will start doing more varied and longer strength workouts.

Sunday

• run 8 km/5 miles - 59 minutes
• walk .33 mile - 5 minutes
• stretch 5 minutes

Monday

• walk 5 miles - 80 minutes

Tuesday

• run 8.72 km/5.45 miles - 74 minutes
• walk .33 mile - 5 minutes
• stretch 7 minutes
• upper body workout w/8lb dumbbells - 10 minutes

Wednesday

• Pilates - 10 minutes
• lower body resistance work - 10 minutes

Thursday

• walk 5 miles - 75 minutes

Friday

• walk 2 miles - 30 minutes

Saturday

• walk 5 miles - 75 minutes

Pilates for Runners, Short Strength Routines, and Giveaway

I am determined to get in some strength and core workouts while we are still on the boat.... as you can imagine, my space is somewhat limited.  But, I just don't like packing up a gear bag and driving to the gym. 

So, I have put together a shortish routine that I can do for my upper body with my 8 lb. dumbbells.  It consists of 6 different exercises for my upper body and I think it hits the muscles I want to work, fairly evenly.

The exercises are:

• bicep curls
• tricep kickbacks
• overhead presses
• lateral raises
• upright rows
• delt raises

I do 10 reps of each, and then I repeat it another time, sometimes twice.

I wish I had room for pushups but it is a tight squeeze so I am leaving them out for now.  I actually love pushups.  They make me feel like I am really working hard!

For my lower body the routine is quicker and doesn't involve weights.  I am running and walking so don't want to overdo the leg work.  But I know I can help my hips and quads by doing some work so I have devised this:

• standing abductors, 20 per leg
• standing adductors, 10 per leg
• 25 squats
• rear lunges, 10 per leg

Along with the lower body work, I am doing some Pilates moves. I was going to get out my Pilates for Dummies DVD and do it a couple of times a week, but we seem to have a tv conflict!  And I don't like to play DVDs on my laptop. 



This DVD comes with 2 workouts... a beginner and an intermediate.

I created a list of the Pilates mat moves, and then went through them and checked off the ones I have ample space to do... there are 17 of them:

• The Hundred
• The Roll-Up
• Single Leg Circles
• Single Leg Stretch
• Double Leg Stretch
• Single Straight Leg Stretch
• Double Straight Leg Stretch
• Spine Stretch Forward
• The Corkscrew
• Single Leg Kicks
• Double Leg Kicks
• Side Kicks
• Up/Down
• Small Circles
• Inner-Thigh Lifts
• Swimming
• The Leg Pull-Down
• Leg Pull-Up

It gives me a pretty good core workout.  I do like doing Pilates and love the way it makes me feel like I have stretched myself an inch or two taller, after I am done.

I also think that Pilates is beneficial because I am a runner. Once we are moved into the house for the rest of the Winter and Spring, I will definitely be doing the full mat a couple of times a week.

Lynda Lippin, certified Pilates Teacher Trainer, Personal Trainer, and Reiki Master has this to say about it....

"Running is a high impact activity that puts great stress on the lower back and lower joints. Any imbalance in the muscular usage of the legs and hips can cause pain and injury to a runner, especially the knee and hip. Runners tend to be quite strong in their calf muscles, quadriceps and hip flexors, with tight IT Bands as a result of the impact. Pilates helps to balance things out in the legs by strengthening the hamstrings, inner thighs, and glutes to take pressure off the front and side of the leg, leading to better alignment and less chance of injury. Plus the pelvic, ab, and back strengthening help to maintain better stability and alignment through the entire body while running."

Have you ever done Pilates?  Are you a fan?

Do you think a short strength routine is better than none at all?  Do you strength train regularly? What does your routine look like?

I am currently hosting a Wasa Crispbread/Flatbread giveaway on my food blog

We can begin to feed...

Wasa will send 5 packages of their Crispbreads and Flatbreads to one lucky winner.  If you like healthy snacks, please go have a look.  I would love it!