Week 8 - Never too cold to Run

This week has been a pretty good week for me. I've been able to log in some much needed miles.  Most of which was done on the treadmill. I was able to get out for my long run on Sunday which happened to be the coldest day of the week. I haven't run in this kind of weather since training for a half 2 years ago. Since this was going to be my only opportunity to get out, I didn't even think twice. The weather forecast was -20 with the windchill. I quickly suited up after putting baby down for nap and ran out the door.

When the wind first hit my face, I teared up right away. My eyes burned from the cold and I wanted to turn around and run back home. This week's long run was 12km. My sister in law had saw me suiting up and said that I should warm up after a little while. It took 2 kms of running before I felt my face again. I could see many drivers on the road staring at me wondering what kind of crazy person was out running.... ME of course.

I was able to better my time from last week's long run by 4 minutes. I think this is because the sidewalks were now clean and every time I got to a traffic light, it would turn green, so I didn't have many stops. I carried 2 bottles of water in my fuel belt that were starting to freeze as I was running. I had to conserve some to drink with my chews that I had brought to fuel me after about 45 minutes of running. I couldn't wait to eat my chews when the time came. My fuel of choice for this run was the PowerBar Energy Blast gel filled chews. They are like gummy bear candies, but full of the right stuff to give energy to my muscles. I really like them because I have a candy weakness and these taste just like candies. The only issue I have with them is that I need to eat them every 10-15 minutes and I have to carry them in a pocket and dig them out every time.  For this reason, I like to eat them on the runs between 12-18 kms.

I am starting to try the gels since I will be training for the full marathon distance after the half. I would also have to carry less when running which is key when racing. Up to now, I've been training lightly and the thought of running a race has been so far away.  But I am now into week 8 of my 16 week training for the half marathon.... yeah!!  I'm halfway there.

How were you long runs this week?

What are your favourite choices for fuel during your runs? 

Have a great week... Alice

Happy Valentines :)

Happy Valentines day to you all. Hope you all get spoiled today. I was able to get in a 3.20 miles while the baby was napping. I've been having a hard time getting in the mileage this week because of his lack of naps and by the time I've got him to bed, I'm SO wiped out. All I had was an hour, so I raced down to my beloved mothership and ran as much as I could fit in. I'm so happy I did because my dear hubby got me a sweet treats that I devoured after the run.

I had started this post on Sunday after my long run but it was Chinese New Year and I was off to another feast. The weekend started with a HUMONGOUS snow storm. It was the most amount of snow we had seen in a long time. I think when it was all said and done, we had 30 cm of snow. I am so glad that I am on maternity leave because I heard from my colleagues about the long delays at the airport and being stuck on the air plane for hours. I am a bit of a tiger mom because I did send my daughter to school. The school buses were cancelled but the school was not closed and we are a few minutes away, I figured she would have much more fun playing with her friends at school than hanging out at home with me and baby.... the truth was that I just wanted some quiet time. It was definitely a snow day. My poor hubby ended up being one of the lucky parents that was able to pick up their kid without getting stuck in the snow and digging the car out. Do you want to know why? He picked her up with a sled.

We started the weekend with my grandmother's 86th birthday on Saturday with a 12 course over the top dinner. All I could think about when I was eating was the long run that I was going to run the next day. I love Sunday's because it's Church day and long run day. My in laws usually visit on Sundays which means I can dump the kids and go out and run. As you can see from the photo above, I was praying that the sidewalks would be shovelled. The last thing I wanted was another treadmill run. So, how did I do? 

I had an AMAZING run. It was sunny only -4 and most of the sidewalks were shovelled. I had to change up my route because of some of the sidewalks were not shovelled, but overall it was a fantastic run. 

Some things to keep in mind when running after a snow storm.

- don't expect all the sidewalks in your route will be clean

- be prepared to change your route as you go 

- plan to run in some snow, which is kind of like running in sand

- hydrate, hydrate. Bring water, if not you can eat snow :)

- bring some Kleenex for the runny nose

How was your Valentine's day? Any tips for winter running? 

No more bounce - Thanks Shock Absorber

This is week six of my half marathon training program and I'd like to say that it's been coming along nicely until I fell going up the stairs yesterday with my baby in my arms. No need to worry, the baby is fine. I on the other hand am an little banged up. I had just finished a nice 2.3 mile run on the treadmill too. I will take a few days off to nurse my bruises and sore muscles from straining to not squish the baby :)

I have been on the search for the perfect running bra. It's probably one of the most important items next to the running shoe, well at least for the ladies. I wouldn't consider myself a big busty lady, but I definitely have bounce when I run. Now that I'm nursing I've gone up a cup and have been looking for a bra with full support for my girls and also be comfortable enough to wear for the long distances that I will be running. I've read up on other blogs and tried to get some advice, but there doesn't seem to be much information out there.

I stumbled upon a sports bra called Shock Absorber in one of my late night searches online.

"Shock Absorber is the UK's leading sports bra brand and was launched in 1995 as a result of research conducted by Edinburgh University. The research showed that wearing a sports bra whilst you exercise can reduce breast movement by up to 79% and is twice as effective as a normal bra"

I was thrilled that they were available in Canada. They also have a Facebook page where I entered a contest and won :)  I received the Ultimate Run Bra in the mail the other day and was super excited to give it a try. 

The bra is sized like regulars bras not S,M,L. So you will get the right fit for your body. The bra has an "infinity-8 design" like a racerback, which gives and extra support and helps reduce the bounce. The moisture wicking material is super soft and with the padded straps makes it super comfortable. Even the material on the clasps is super soft.  I put it on and did a quick 2.3 mile run on the treadmill with it at all different speeds to test the "bounce" or lack of and then decided to do a few jumping jacks. I am pleased to say that there was almost no bounce and the bra is very comfortable. It is a nice snug fit, like a bear hug.  It didn't feel like so many of my other sports bras that "squish" my boobs into what many of us ladies call the "uniboob". This is probably because it's designed like a bra with proper cup fittings. I felt very well supported and had no issues with the bounce. I think this will now be my go to running bra. I am very happy that I finally found "the bra" for me. 

You can check them out on their website or on their Facebook page

http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/ShockAbsorberCanada

* Note - I received the bra as prize. All opinions on this blog post are my own and I was not paid or required to give a particular opinion.

What sports bra do you like to run in? Any suggestions or recommendations?