Back into gear

After my week of recovery, I found that I have finally bounced back!  It was about time since I was really upset with my physical performance for anything!

Yesterday for some reason, I had the motivation to go running with the Running Room.  I was not sure why, but I was up at 7:40am wide eyed, ran downstairs to eat my breakfast and away I went.  I made it to the store just in time to pick up a route and follow the group out the door.  Unfortunately I was overdressed for that morning and short two bottles on my Fuel Belt, that I had to make a pit stop along the route to change, gulp half a bottle of gatorade and attach new bottles to my belt.  I was going at a 6:30min/km pace while the group was at a 5:30min/km pace.  I unfortunately was left behind because I couldn’t keep up nor could I catch up to the group.  It sucked because I ran it alone and I was hoping to meet some people.  Despite all that, it wasn’t too bad.  I enjoyed listening to the cars pass by, the birds chirping and the conversations of the people who passed by.  The group did 13.2km and I just cut it short to 12 since I only did 9km last week.  I also began to realize that near the end I was picking up my pace to 5:45min/km so it won’t be too long until go back to doing 5:30min/km.

I ran 6km today in the blazing heat (28C, feels like 37C) and I felt great afterwards!  Although it was burning like crazy, I felt totally fine.  I have a feeling that drinking a cup or so of Gatorade before heading out helps with that.  I’ve been taking energy supplements (depending on the distance) before any workout and I’ve noticed that I am not as fatigued or tired.  Give it a try this summer, it will probably help replacing those lost eletrolytes!

I did the 600 rep fat burner workout by BodyRock.tv and it was really hard!  My left wrist is currently sprained/injured/whatever the term is from a slight accident a couple weeks back.  I was riding home with my bike with groceries and when I tried to get on my bike after stopping, I tipped over landing on my left wrist and my 40lbs bike on knee.  But anyway, it’s a little difficult to do pushups or anything with weight on it, and it’s going to take possibly months to heal.  Oh well!

I haven’t been riding my bike yet.  My shoe just got repaired recently and I am probably heading back home to pick it up!

Damnit.  I wish there was an automatic save and/or undo button.  This portion of the post got deleted because my hand ‘apparently’ moved over the trackpad and highlighted this entire post!  Argh!  Anyway, no more fuming, I’ll just rewrite.  I’ve been looking at wetsuits lately and I have noticed the Xterra Vortex 3 full wet suit.  I have read great reviews on this wetsuit and I am tempted to buy one right now.  From my height and weight, I thought I was a small, but after asking CS of their opinion due to my broad shoulders, they suggested a Small/Long.  I am not sure what that means, but I will need to do my research!

Vortex 3 full wetsuit

I wish I looked as hot as her…*ahem*  Anyway…if anyone is interested, use the promo code TRIFUEL to get 50% off your wet suit.  With this promo code I feel more excited to make this purchase!

Still Recovering

Hello all!  I have been recovering this past week from the race.  My legs are a little stiff; I attempted a 9km yesterday and my hamstrings would not let me extend my legs as fast or as much, so I was going at a really slow pace (I think 7:30min/km).  It took me almost 1hr and 30 mins to complete.  I never thought I would be that slow!  I have been keeping up with other workouts (BodyRock.tv) and swimming.  I did the Run the World workout from BodyRock.tv and it was really difficult, especially the side crunches that Zuzana does!

I’ve been really down lately…not sure why.  Although I am an introverted person, there are times that suck when you aren’t around people.  I’ve decided to give myself a break today from other workouts and to do more of a mental/emotional workout for myself.  Hopefully I will break from this spell soon.

Race Report: Mississauga 5K and Half-marathon (May 14 & 15th 2011)

This is my first race report even though it’s my 4th and 5th races (yeah I am not good at logging things down).  I had to recover, travel back, and run some errands the last couple of days.

Mississauga Marathon 5K race (May 14th 2011)
This race I signed up for mainly to be Chris’ mental support.  It was his first race and he did not think he was ready (he was aiming to be done in about 45min to an hour).  We only ran once before the race and he felt really down about completing in a reasonable time.  We agreed that I will be his pace bunny with a 6min run and 2min walk break.

The weather was rainy but that didn’t matter too much.  It lightened up before the start.  As soon as the gun went off I set the pace at 6:30min/km and dodged in and out of people while Chris followed me.  He followed me really well and until the final 300m, he told me he wanted to sprint at the end.  He went off at about 4:30min/km and I struggled to sprint at 4:45min/km.  Once we reached the first mat, he realized that he left me behind and went back to get me.  We crossed the finish line together.  He finished in 35:01!  I was very proud of him!  He really enjoyed his first experience and I am hoping that he will soon join me on my long distance races.  He is already pumped for his next race :)

Once we got back, I forgot to eat a proper carb loading dinner.  I had a hard time getting a little bit of food down that night.  I also had to make a late night run to the grocery store to pick up breakfast items.    I got to bed really later than I hoped because I was trying to get everything setup for the next morning.  I went to bed while Chris prepared last few things for me.

Mississauga Marathon Half Marathon race (May 15th 2011)
I got up the next morning to the sound of rain, went to Square One for 7ish and met up with familiar faces.  I went to the start line and got to my appropriate spot.  I was hoping to get 1:50 and wanted to follow a pace bunny, but there was none…especially for 10 and 1s.  I was a little upset.  15 minutes before the gun went off I took a GU gel and choked on the darn thing.  The gun went off twice and scared me a little…I hit the Start Timer button on my Garmin and away I went.

0-10km
I was doing pretty well this entire stretch.  I kept a 5:05min/km pace and made a PB at the 10min mark at 52min!  I was feeling great this entire stretch.  However, I didn’t stick to game plan and did 40sec break instead of a full minute.  I was taking my gels (and choking on them) a bit early to give myself time to pick up on the energy.

10-16km
I started going at a 5:20-5:30 pace and my energy levels were starting to drop a little.  I took another gel at 12km to try getting it up there again.  I figured I was ok and if I made the rest of the run at this pace that I would still meet 1:52 which was close enough.  A familiar face from the Running Room passed me at around the 15-16km mark (helloHong!).  I was still keeping it together, until I hit the wall hard at around 16km.

16-21.1km
THE. HARDEST. PART.  I began struggling a lot during the last bit of the race.  My legs and arms were feeling heavy.  I started going at a 6:30-7min/km pace.  No matter how hard I was getting my legs to move, I just couldn’t.  At about 19km, I took my Jelly Belly Sport Beans.  They did nothing.  At this point I was getting so pissed with myself for starting out too strong.  I was struggling to keep going and watched as other runners passed me.  I think a lot of spectators who passed by me saw the pain in my face as I was trying to push the last couple of km or m.  As I made my way around the bend towards that ugly puddle, I heard a ‘HI LISA!’ and looking up it was Chris and my mom.  They gave me the motivation to keep going.  The last 200m was so hard for me to keep going.  I kept thinking, ‘WHERE IS THE FINISH LINE!?!?’  I crossed the finish at a time of 1:56:50, 3 seconds longer than my PB.  After crossing the finish line I was dazed and felt like collapsing and wandering.  I picked up my foil blanket and treats and out to the waiting area where Chris and my mom were waiting on me.

Reflections of the race
To be honest, when I found out that I was 3 seconds longer than my last time I was so upset and kept thinking about the things that I have done wrong.  In reality, it was a different race and I had very little training due to school.  In a different light, I did way better than I have in the past.  Achieving the same time with little training and able to run 5:05min/km pace (I couldn’t get close during the last race).  It made me feel better and lessons learned for my next race.  Hopefully next time a 1:50!

My legs are still stiff.  I went for a dip in the pool yesterday and did about 500-600m and I could really tell my energy levels were low.  I took it easy and did a little bit of pool running for 20 minutes.  They are getting better, but I still wobble as I walk.  It looks really funny.

Thoughts

After the crazyness of travelling back home and making my way to pick up race kits, I can relax.  Feels great.

I have been practising riding with clipless pedals.  It’s such a huge difference compared to regular everyday pedals and I do need to be much more cautious of things around me.  I’m so scared of getting clipped in the back or something >.<!  Speaking of accidents, I went to pick up groceries with my mountain bike and had the grocery bags hanging from the handle bars.  When I tried to get back on my bike after stopping, the weight of the bags tipped me over and I SMASHED into the ground, left hand first, injuring it and having a 40lb mountain bike (all steel…I know) fall on top of my knee.   I’m ok except that I have a bit of a pain in my left hand and a huge bruise on my knee. Oh well haha!  I guess I shouldn’t ride my bike with grocery bags hanging off of them!

Anyway, I dropped off my tri bike yesterday for a tune up and to get an issue resolved regarding the saddle post.  I was actually really sad to drop it off since we have not parted since I first got it.  I am too much in love with it!  In addition, I have an issue with my anti slip pads on my cleats..they came off on the second ride!  I’ll be taking it in for repair/replacement.  I am not very pleased with the news I am getting regarding the riding portion of my training, but in time, hopefully things will sort itself out!

I am not entirely sure how I feel about this race.  I am not as excited as I used to be.  I have a feeling it’s because I am aiming this to be more of a fun run than trying to achieve a PB.  I had a bit of rough time during my last term at school with personal, academic and physical that I couldn’t train properly.  I had to skip a lot of my runs and only do the long runs on Sundays by myself and one other in the middle.  Maybe it’s because I know that I can’t do well that my brain just decided to not have any motivation.  Oh well.  I thought I could train for it, but I guess I bit off a little bit more than I could chew…which is all right.  I’ll learn.

I went to the Runner’s Expo expecting a lively atmosphere, but seriously.  It wasn’t so great.  I was really disappointed with the tech shirt given this year…black!?  Oh well.

So my plan for this weekend is to run the 5km with the bf then half marathon the next morning.  I signed him up for the 5km and the only way he would do it is if I was alongside with him.  *cue awwwws*  I’m very proud of him for trying it despite his crazy schedule and sleepless nights.  He is planning to do a 10km run in the future at most, unfortunately.  I hope to run with him when he does his first :)!

I am planning to take my fuel belt with me.  3 filled with water and the last one with gatorade.  I am planning to take 3x GU gels Lemon Sublime, taking one gel 15 mins before a race and the other 2 during (at 7km and 14km).  I will have to check the weather forecast day of, but I have a feeling shorts and a shirt is good enough.  My plan was to try to aim for a 1:50.  My last one was 1:56:48, so let’s see if we can get a PB!

Race Weekend!

Sorry nothing new to post because I have been tapering off this week.  Race weekend!  Whee!  Wish me luck!

Review: Carb-BOOM Energy Gels

WEBSITE:  http://carbboom.com

So recently I got the chance to try Carb BOOM energy gels during my long runs.  The Carb BOOM company had a stand at the Scotiabank Marathon Expo and they did a great job luring me in.  What caught my eye was the fact that this is an energy gel containing only natural ingredients.  I thought to myself that it was not an opportunity to pass up, especially if it is a gel.  I snagged a few samples to try for the long runs.  I picked up Apple Cinnamon and Raspberry flavours since they were the only ones being handed out.

I’ll show a picture of the raspberry gel from the website.  I can’t find my camera since the move, so no pictures until I find it.  Boo.

Carb BOOM Raspberry gel (image from carb BOOM website)

These are currently the available flavours:  Apple Cinnamon, Raspberry, Grape Pomegranate, Banana Peach, Strawberry Kiwi and Vanilla Orange.  It seems like a great variety to suit many tastebuds.  I am really wanting to try Strawberry Kiwi and Grape Pomegranate flavours.  Hopefully I can pick them up and give them a review too!

This is what the company claims (from their website):

• CARBOHYDRATES:  Carb BOOM!’s carbohydrate composition consists of a special blend of 22-25g of complex carbohydrates and just 2-4g of simple sugars to maximize energy delivery to working muscles.
• ELECTROLYTES: Two essential electrolytes (sodium and potassium) are present in Carb BOOM! to effectively assist rehydration, aid in key metabolic reactions and help replenish electrolytes lost in sweat.
• REAL FOOD, REAL GOOD:  Carb BOOM! is a great tasting energy gel made from super concentrated complex carbohydrates and flavored with real fruit.
• NOTHING ARTIFICIAL:  No artificial flavor, colour or sweetener.

Looking at the nutritional info, it appears as though the carbohydrate content is about the same across the board for most energy gels.  I looked at GU energy gels and found it was very similar in nutritional content to Carb BOOM.  However, if you look at the amount of Carb BOOM gel you have in each packet (41g) and compare that to GU (32g), there is a difference.  Though, in reality we consume the entire packet while on the go, so in the end you get the same amount of carbs and electrolytes.  The 9g doesn’t make a huge difference anyway.

My Opinion
I got to taste the flavours at the expo and I was surprised at how nice they tasted.  The raspberry for example, tasted exactly like…raspberries!  Same goes for the apple cinnamon, it tastes like an apple pie.  I am excited to try the other flavours I mentioned above if I can get my hands on them.  The texture was better than I had hoped; I found that it was easy going down–and staying down, compared to the GU gels that I had in the past.  Performance wise, I felt as though this gel has done its job–however I felt I was very sluggish towards the end of each 7km (my plan is 21.1km, take a gel every 7km: 7km and 14km), but that could be that I needed to take it with water.  The packet was very easy to open and very easy to dispense (?) into my mouth.

The verdict
I would rate this product a 4/5!  I think what I am looking for is an energy gel that could help me last the full 7km (at a 6:00min/km pace) and I felt that it did not do that for me when I took it out for long runs in the past 3-4 weeks.  Overall I think it is a great product for training purposes, but maybe not for racing.

Disclaimer:  I was not endorsed by Carb BOOM to review their product.  This is my 100% honest opinion of their product.

Update!

Ack, been a while since I have posted.  I will definitely try to be a lot better this term since I am more free!  The reason for my absence was because I was looking for jobs, slotting in appointments, moving into my new place, TRAINING, and meeting up with old friends.

My second half marathon race is on May 15 and I am excited and disappointed at the same time.  I had my heart set out to get a 1:50 time, shaving 6min and 48 seconds from my first half marathon.  However, it may not happen this time around mainly because of exams.  I don’t think I have enough mileage in for a good time:  I have been doing all my long runs and one shorter one here and there, but nothing comparable to what I did last summer.  I think I will try to enjoy this race, I haven’t done it before.  As long as I am sub 2:00, I’ll be happy.

I have been swimming as well.  Who knew that a community pool could be really dirty?  I saw a garbage bag at the bottom of the deep end and sand at both ends of the pool.  Gross.  Another thing, the community centre I went to had a co-ed changeroom and open co-ed shower.  That’s right you heard me.  Ok, it’s not like a line of lockers and people are naked everywhere, it’s just a bunch of stalls like the changerooms at a clothing store.  The shower was the awkward bit:  it’s really weird to try and shower when you have older men looking at you.  Ick.  I really don’t know what is up with my shoulder, but it is killing my longer continuous swims!  I’ll need to see a doctor :(

I finally picked up my bike gear at EnduroSport in Toronto.  I am so glad I went to pick up stuff at discount because paying full price for shoes and clipless pedals would cost me a fortune!  I tried riding my bike for the first time on clipless pedals and I felt totally scared and paranoid that I will fall or hit a car.  It takes some getting used to.  Since I have moved into my new place, it has been non stop rain, so I have to wait a while until the weather clears up to go out again.  Unrelated but, I was cleaning my mountain bike and if you need something to clean rust off your bike, use coke and aluminum foil.  It totally works!  Just make sure to rinse afterwards or it will be a crazy mess and sticky.

My Forerunner is acting up.  It must be a software issue because the battery indicator would say it was 85% when I start and 1.5km in, the battery would die.  It was working fine the previous week.  I emailed Garmin Support and they gave me a list of to dos to see if it works.  I hope my Garmin will be ok in time for race day…I know I don’t need to rely on it too much, but it’s driving me kinda nuts when I don’t know my stats!

I’ll probably take pictures and update this post.  I have a bunch of reviews coming up of energy bars and gels so look out for that.