Some inspiration

Winter. The dark mornings and dark, rainy nights... it's cold, it's rainy, windy... it sucks. Some days I really need inspiration. This video does it.

I'm going to go out and run...


and be extraordinary.

Rainy day spicy pumpkin coconut soup

This long weekend was pretty cold and wet out, I was sick and had lots of spare time so I puttered around the kitchen, opened and closed the fridge door a few times, hoping to see something I didn't before each time. I did the same thing to the cupboards. I found a tin of organic pumpkin and coconut milk. SOUP. Soup is what I'll make with my spare time. A spicy, pumpking coconut soup.

14oz can organic pumpkin
13oz can coconut milk

1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves, garlic minced
some fennel
some cinammon
some coriander
some cumin
some galengal
lots of ginger
some chilli pepper flakes
1 cube veggie bouillon
2 tsp sugar
2 cups of black tea - I happen to be drinking tea so I used my tea... you can use water
oil

Sorry about the measurements for the dry ingredients. I don't really measure when I cook.

In the pot you want to cook the soup in, drizzle pot with oil, heat. Throw in the onions and cook for a few minutes and then the garlic.

Cook for about 5 minutes and then toss in the dry (minus the sugar and veggie bouillon cube) of the ingredients. Add more oil if it becomes too dry. I like to heat all the dry ingredients with the oil to bring out the fragrance. Cook on low for another 5 minutes, making sure not to burn the spices.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Let simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Altogether this took about 20 minutes to make! Yummy!

Abstract Sunday LIVE-sketches NYC Marathon

I don't have much to post about but I did find this! Awesome.
Christoph Niemann (Abstract Sunday, New York Times Magazine) ran, lived-sketched AND tweeted his NYC Marathon journey. The post made me laugh and smile and forget I was wallowing in self-pity... (I'm still sick).

 Enjoy!

First Half Half Marathon 2012!!

Thanks to my crazy cat, I woke up at 5 a.m., registered and got into the 23rd "First Half" Half Marathon!!!
but...
Bah! or more like, waaaaah! Again! I'm sick! Again! I JUST got better from a cold... ugh. So I'm going back to bed.

I'm hope to have more positive and fun postings on my marathon training progress.

Music Monday

I run most times without music. Too often when a really good song comes on my iPod, I gotta stop running and dance. Sometimes you'll catch shake my shoulders a bit while run or slow down to shuffle my feet a bit. Here are a few songs that do that to me.



I had to put this in here - the guys are too cute!


OR even better... when this song comes on. I just want to jump around and play air guitar! ... so what running style are you?

Sunday Long Run - Week 1

Sunday long run - 10 miles

I forgot to set my alarm clock. Texts from friends woke me up. One was a photo of cat graphiti my friend found somewhere and another was about Hawaii... nice... just in time to get up for my Sunday long-run... in the brrrr-cold.

Anyway, I woke up feeling foggy. Maybe I'm getting sick again. I usually get sick after being around big crowds. I was at the Vancouver Yoga Show yesterday, it was fun and it was busy!

Rolled out of bed, put some gluten-free bread in the toaster and got ready. Radio newscast says it's 1 degree celsius out. I chose my favourite running tights - the black ones with a strip of hot pink from the back zipper, an old race tech t-shirt, a long-sleeve shirt on top, and my toque. Almond butter and jam on my toast, drink some water and putter around some more. A bit of procastinating...I don't feel like running, it's cold, I'm cold... Maybe I'm over-dressed, or maybe I should take this yellow run jacket. Oh yah, maybe I want my heavier run jacket, the green Luluelemon one my husband gave to me the year we spent Christmas on Maui. He had placed a Tiffany's necklace in the pocket. I wondered why he was telling me to do so much with the jacket... Put it on! Zip it up! Does it fit well? Go look in the mirror. Walk around in it. How are the sleeves? Feel the jacket! Do you like it? Put your hands in the pockets... the first time he said that I just unzipped the pockets and didn't really put my hands in the pockets. "Put your hands IN the pockets" and Ooooooh! There was the necklace in the Tiffany blue satchel... :-)

I kicked myself out the door before I changed my mind and crawled back into bed. I met my neighbour in the elevator and he asked, "Oh you going out to run again?!" (He saw me go for a run yesterday too.) I replied, "Yah, I really don't feel like it but I gotta get a long run in" "Well, sometimes you have the best workouts when you don't want to... and you come back and feel amazing!" We talked some more, he pondered going back to yoga and maybe giving YYoga a try since it's so close by.

Route: Pretty flat route. I ran out to Granville Island and back over to Yaletown and out to English Bay and back to Yaletown.

It's been a long time since I've done a long run. Today's long run felt like it was never-ending. the miles took forever to pass.

Thoughts today while I ran: My nose is dripping. My big toe is starting to feel bruised. Huh, this is new... I hope I don't get a black toe. I just grew last ski-season't black toenail out! Why is this taking soooo loooong. My nose is dripping. Ugh... gotta change this music, why do I have such slow music right now? I'm getting passed... Oh when did I start walking? Run! Go! Hi little doggy, hey! these are my ankles, not yours! My nose is dripping. My tissue is falling apart. I wonder how much tissue dust I breath... no one's around, do a snot rocket quick! Ok, that was embarassing, thank goodness no one is around...

Finished with a soy latte treat at JJ Bean and picked up some groceries at Choices.

Pre-run meal: 2 pieces Udi gluten-free toast, almond butter & black current jam, water
During run: 6 oz water - didn't finish
Post-run meal: water, 12 oz soy latte, Glutenfreeda Vegetarian & Dairy Free Burrito, 2 glasses of orange juice and San Pellegrino

New training schedule

I'm going to try VERY HARD to stick to this marathon training schedule. This is just my run schedule, doesn’t include climbing, yoga, weight training, and all the other activities I try to squeeze in.

WEEK 1: 26 Mi

Tue Nov 1 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @10:01 Thu Nov 3 Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 8:32; Cool Fri Nov 4 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @10:01 Sun Nov 6 Long Run Dist: 10 Mi @10:01

WEEK 2: 27 Mi

Tue Nov 8 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:58 Thu Nov 10 Speedwork Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 7:57 w/800 jogs; Cool Fri Nov 11 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:58 Sun Nov 13 Long Run Dist: 12 Mi @9:58

WEEK 3: 29 Mi

Tue Nov 15 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:56 Thu Nov 17 Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 8:28; Cool Fri Nov 18 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:56 Sun Nov 20 Long Run Dist: 14 Mi @9:56

WEEK 4: 23 Mi

Tue Nov 22 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:53 Thu Nov 24 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:53 Fri Nov 25 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:53 Sun Nov 27 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:53

WEEK 5: 31 Mi

Tue Nov 29 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:53 Thu Dec 1 Tempo Run Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 4 Mi @ 8:25; Cool Fri Dec 2 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:53 Sun Dec 4 Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @9:53

WEEK 6: 32 Mi

Tue Dec 6 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:51 Thu Dec 8 Speedwork Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 7:50 w/800 jogs; Cool Fri Dec 9 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:51 Sun Dec 11 Long Run Dist: 18 Mi @9:51

WEEK 7: 34 Mi

Tue Dec 13 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:49 Thu Dec 15 Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 8:26; Cool Fri Dec 16 Easy Run Dist: 3 Mi @9:49 Sun Dec 18 Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @9:49

WEEK 8: 27 Mi

Tue Dec 20 Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @9:46 Thu Dec 22 Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @9:46 Fri Dec 23 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:46 Sun Dec 25 Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @9:46

WEEK 9: 35 Mi

Tue Dec 27 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:46 Thu Dec 29 Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 8:23; Cool Fri Dec 30 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:46 Sun Jan 1 Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @9:46

WEEK 10: 37 Mi

Tue Jan 3 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:44 Thu Jan 5 Speedwork Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 4x1600 in 7:44 w/800 jogs; Cool Fri Jan 6 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:44 Sun Jan 8 Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @9:44

WEEK 11: 39 Mi

Tue Jan 10 Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @9:42 Thu Jan 12 Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 8:19; Cool Fri Jan 13 Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @9:42 Sun Jan 15 Long Run Dist: 16 Mi @9:42

WEEK 12: 31 Mi

Tue Jan 17 Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @9:40 Thu Jan 19 Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @9:40 Fri Jan 20 Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @9:40 Sun Jan 22 Easy Run Dist: 8 Mi @9:40

WEEK 13: 40 Mi

Tue Jan 24 Easy Run Dist: 7 Mi @9:40 Thu Jan 26 Tempo Run Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 5 Mi @ 8:17; Cool Fri Jan 27 Easy Run Dist: 6 Mi @9:40 Sun Jan 29 Long Run Dist: 20 Mi @9:40

WEEK 14: 23 Mi

Tue Jan 31 Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @9:37 Thu Feb 2 Speedwork Dist: 7 Mi, inc Warm; 4x1600 in 7:39 w/800 jogs; Cool Fri Feb 3 Easy Run Dist: 2 Mi @9:37 Sun Feb 5 Long Run Dist: 12 Mi @9:37

WEEK 15: 22 Mi

Tue Feb 7 Easy Run Dist: 5 Mi @9:36 Thu Feb 9 Tempo Run Dist: 5 Mi, inc Warm; 3 Mi @ 8:05; Cool Fri Feb 10 Easy Run Dist: 4 Mi @9:36 Sun Feb 12 Long Run Dist: 8 Mi @9:36

WEEK 16: 36 Mi

Tue Feb 14 Easy Run Dist: 3 Mi @9:36 Wed Feb 15 Speedwork Dist: 4 Mi, inc Warm; 2x1600 in 7:37 w/800 jogs; Cool Fri Feb 17 Easy Run Dist: 3 Mi @9:36 Sun Feb 19 Marathon Race Day 26.2 Mi @8:37 Time: 3:45:47