C25K Week 5 Day 3

I have finally accepted that my knee is just not going to be happy if I run. It's not really my knee so much, but my hamstring.


I've iced and rested for two weeks and taken more ibuprofen than I'm comfortable with. If I have to take it every day just to get by, I don't want it.


I made up my mind on Monday to just forget about running for a while and stick to speed walking. I can actually make the same time walking fast for the running portions of the program as I can when running - so speed walking it is. No hamstring pain - no knee pain Bonus. Also - I won't be so concerned about taking rest days because walking doesn't cause any of the impact pain that running does.


There is something about getting out early in the morning that just feels good and sets you up for the rest of the day. My companion Della loves it too. She gets home, eats, and sleeps for the rest of the day.


Last time I was out I met a lovely police officer. He was parked in the shade and Della was off-leash so I thought I'd just stop and have a chat about why he was there in case he was looking for somebody. He was just taking a break and didn't care about Della being loose - there was nobody else around. We talking about running and bad knees. He told me he had surgery on his knee a few years ago because he had a sports-related injury and his knee is better now than it ever was. His advice was to never give up on something I love. Great advice.


I haven't given up the idea of entering races. I'm registered for the colour run in August and I'll do more once I've determined how I manage I a race that is neither for time or glory.


This was the first official day of my streak. My goal is to see how many days I can string together.
Watch this space.


Be careful out there - and most importantly - HAVE FUN!

C25K Week 3 Day 2

It's Saturday. I said I wasn't going to do this on weekends but here I am. I ran out of week before I could finish my assignment! If I want to complete the week within the week I'm going to have to go again tomorrow. Suck it up buttercup.

It rained a couple of mornings this week, and yesterday I volunteered myself to sell pancakes at work at 7 am. What a blast that was! I'm participating in The Relay for Life on a team from my workplace. I've never done it before because I always worked evenings by choice and the relay is 5pm - 11pm. I'm really excited about it.  So wish me luck and donate a dollar to my cause...lol Seriously, if every one of my friends gave just one dollar we would be so much closer to a cure for Cancer.

In truth, you should be giving any of your charitable donations to the people of Fort McMurray who have lost absolutely everything but the clothes on their backs. I can't even begin to image the scope of that fire. I covers an area the size of my entire city plus 50 miles in every outward direction. Absolutely heartbreaking. The incredible thing is - there have been no reports of fatalities which speaks well of the organizers of the evacuation.

West Jet had planes on the runway ready to fly people AND their pets out. Labbatts shut down their beer line to produce canned water for the firefighters and emergency crews. Air Canada tripled their prices and then blamed it on a computer malfunction.  Kick people in the gut when they're already at their lowest. You suck Air Canada.

Feels good to get that out.

C25K Week 3 Day 1

Quite happy to wake up this morning to find that it isn't raining. I didn't waste any time getting my cup of coffee into me and heading out the door by 6am. It still isn't overly warm but it's great weather for raising your body temp because there's no wind.


The running portions were one of 90 seconds and the rest 3 minutes, mixed with the same walk intervals. The total program took 27 minutes and I covered 2.7 km. Last week's distance was further, but the actual time was about 5 minutes longer.


I didn't have any problems with the 3 minute jogs (I prefer to call them runs ;-) ) and I can really feel my fitness level rising. My heart rate isn't getting as elevated and I'm not gasping for breath. By the end I feel exhilarated but not exhausted.


Now...if only we could find the sun.

C25K Week 2 Completed

I finished week 2 yesterday. I left the house just after 6 am and it was SO cold and windy! It's almost May and I still need a sweatshirt on when I run. It feels good to have not crapped out on this already. I know that sounds foolish, but I haven't exactly been the poster child for sticking to anything this past year.

I feel as though I'm making headway. My doctor has assured me that the diabetes is under control and I have made a lot of dietary changes to establish regular blood sugar numbers. I'm no longer obsessively testing 4 times a day because the numbers have been consistent across the board. I might test a couple of times a week. Given that the government only kicks in for enough testing strips to last about 3 months it's a good idea to not use as many if I don't need to. 

Another benefit I've noticed is my resting heart-rate is slowly coming down. I've seen it as low as 59 this week. Back when I was running all the time it was 40ish. I'm not obsessive about testing it, but my Fitbit measures heart-rate so I can't avoid looking can I? LOL. The Fitbit alone speaks to my obsessive nature - but I just see it as a lovely toy to have.

I sent in my registration for the colour run in August. I've paid so I'll do it. I think I will wear a tutu as well, so please do come out to cheer me on and take pictures. I think there will be some very snazzy snapchats flying around.  I really wanted to order an LED lit hoodie from CR - it was $40 and a good price for a hoodie of any kind, but I would have to pay $30 Customs fee plus shipping. Now we're getting a bit crazy for a fun jacket.

I don't continue with the program until Monday. I've decided that it's best for me if I do it without Della and since she's not a morning dog she doesn't mind me putting on shoes and leaving the house without her. She'll get her long run the other 4 days in the week.

Until next time!

C25K - Week 2 Day 1


I wasn't going to do this on a weekend, but because the weather in my area looks like very wet for next week, I decided to get out today and get Day 1 in. I may take the next 2 days off and return on Wednesday for Day 2.


I felt really good on this run. My new shoes are definitely making a difference, and I completed the task with more distance than my previous week in the same amount of time. I'm not paying much attention to how much time is walk and how much is run - I just listen to the lovely lady tell me when to transition. I haven't added a music track either. I might do that later.


The best result that I could wish for in this process is that my blood sugar levels have dropped a full point from pre-run tests and that's a big deal to me. I'm no longer in the diabetic range, but I will always have to test blood sugar.


I really wanted to invest in a pair of Hoka One Ones - they will be my next shoe purchase as a reward for sticking with it, but for now I'm happy with the less expensive Sauconys.

C25K - Week 1 Day 2

I woke up at about 3:30 this morning feeling awful. My head was stuffy, my eyes were itchy, and I had a headache. No way could I go back to sleep. My immediate thought was that I was getting sick and I would be calling in sick and would not be doing my run this morning. See how easily I can convince myself not to do something?

I turned on the tv and got comfy in my chair and immediately fell asleep. At least I don't remember any of the cooking show I put on to keep me company. When I woke up at 6:30 I felt better but still debated about calling in sick. I have a running dialogue with myself that drives me nuts. "I'll call in sick and go back to bed. No, I won't. I don't feel sick enough to stay home. Yes but I'll have to shower and get dressed and all of that stuff. Yes, but that takes a total of 15 minutes. OK. I'll go to work, but I'm not going running today. It's day 2 of week 1 and I don't exactly HAVE to do it every other day. The program suggests 3 times a week minimum. I'll shoot for that. Ok - get your ass in gear and get to work. No calling in sick." That dialogue plays on a continual loop until I'm actually out the door.

Once I got to work I was perfectly fine. I came home after my 4 hour shift, got changed, got Della hooked to her leash and headed for the Psych Hospital grounds where she chased groundhogs and I completed day 2 of week 1 and I feel fantastic.

I set myself up for failure. I know that. I also know that if it isn't a full moon yet, it's very close. (I'm certifiably crazy and we know these things...lol)

I'll be back pounding the pavement on Friday. I need new shoes - all of mine are flat.

Until Friday...

Couch to 5k

I started the couch to 5k program for the umpteenth time today. I will not give up on being a runner because that is the one thing that brings me joy on a daily basis. I give up for a while, and I make excuses for giving up, and I convince myself that it doesn't matter, that walking is good enough - but it isn't what I really WANT. I want to call myself a runner and mean it.


Whenever I've done couch to 5k in the past I've used the CoolRunning app. This time I was in a hurry to get going and I downloaded something else. There's nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't appear to work with gps, so I'm not able to capture correct stats. I like to be able to see progress. Next time I'll use the app from CoolRunning.


I had a tough time making Della understand that she couldn't go with me. I'll walk her after work. She wasn't impressed. She's too much of a distraction for me, and she is too easily distracted checking p-mail etc.


My end goal is to do the Colour Run in August. I may do other races as I progress but I'm not making any plans right now.


Last time I posted I talked about type 2 diabetes. I have it totally under control with diet and exercise. I'm cutting down my screen time at night so I can sleep better, and I'm working on stress and anxiety.


Depression is a nasty thing. You think you're fine until you're not and you let the wheels fall off until you can pull it together again. I can put on such a happy face when I'm about to explode inside. I know that exercise really helps me so that's another good reason to be doing some regimented training. I've spoken to my doctor about how I feel and she thinks it would be best for me to start pushing myself again because more meds are not the answer. I know she's right.


So...on we go.