How is everyone doing this fine holiday Monday (in most of Canada)? I am doing fine, just busy as usual. Finally have a chance to sit down on the lappy and actually write a blog post. I do owe a 52 things post, but that will probably get done tomorrow. I think I will be moving towards checking things off the master list until the summer as some of the things I have listed for May/June just will not get down during Track Season. There are only so many hours in the day and there is no way I’m going caffeine free during the height of the season.

LOOOOL

So busy-ness is defined as a heavy track schedule, usual work stuff, trying to get running practice in and preparing to be a water station captain for the upcoming Ottawa Race Weekend. I’ve been going from work to the track to meetings for the past 10 tens. Oh – and I’m taking another grad school course. So, when the long weekend had no concrete plans, we had a whole pile of cleaning to do. There are only so many hours in a day, and in the end, writing a blog post isn’t a priority.

I had plans to go on an actual long run (aka more than 5K) and it didn’t happen. I just got back from a 5k run which is all I could manage tonight. But, it is probably a good thing as certain parts of my legs (right knee, left ankle) are starting to hurt a bit. Not sure about the knee, but I do believe the left ankle is a result of too much traffic in a manual transmission car when I already have ankle issues. That and I wore my running shoes without the inserts all this week during track. I think I’m going to have to wear my newer shoes and inserts this week. I will be running the 10K during the race weekend and I’m not at all prepared for it. I literally haven’t run more than 5K at a time at all this season. Opps. It will be fine as I’m sure that if I stay in the 6:30 zone I can get to 10K without a problem. I just won’t be running as fast we I did last weekend for 10K. But, saying all of that, I am getting faster. I ran 6:30′s this evening and it felt really really easy. Last year 7:40 was easy.

Today I went on an adventure to Hull/Gatineau to stop by my assigned water station and get the lay of the land with the water station coordinator. After that, I had to drive up a tiny hill right at the end of the street and I *almost* burnt out my clutch. One day I will get the hang of it! Anyways, I drove back to Ontario with a car filled with water bottles, hats and t-shirts to hand out to my CW water station team (CW = my school).

our water station location! (hey that rhymes)

So that is it for now.

How are all of you?

Did you have a race this weekend? Next Weekend?

Are you running the Ottawa Race Weekend?

]]> http://runningfoodbaby.com/2013/05/where-have-i-been/feed/ 5 http://runningfoodbaby.com/2013/05/three-things-thursday-running-news-edition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=three-things-thursday-running-news-edition http://runningfoodbaby.com/2013/05/three-things-thursday-running-news-edition/#comments Thu, 16 May 2013 14:53:15 +0000 Rebecca http://runningfoodbaby.com/?p=3051 Hi All!

Happy Thursday!  I am back “at the office” today, and pretty busy with things. But – there is always time for a little Three Things Thursday action. Today’s edition will focus on running news.

Thing #1 – CW at the track

We had our first elimination meet yesterday with the East Ottawa Conference. CW performed well with almost all athletes moving on to next week’s National Capital competition. CW will send 13 athletes, competing in 20 events and 1 relay. Well done team!

Yesterday’s weather was not ideal – with cooler temps, rain and even a couple cracks of thunder. One lightning strike was a bit close (I actually thought it was a camera flash), but after that one flash that was it and the meet proceeded on schedule.

CW working the triple jump

Thing #2 – Ottawa Race Weekend Water Station

After spending the day at the track, I went to a station captains meeting for those involved with the water stations for the Ottawa Race Weekend. Let me say that things are more complex than one thinks in terms of how to run a station!  I have to assemble my team for an information meeting tomorrow to go over what needs to be done at a station. There are procedures for everything from how the elites water is to be organized, to a flag system for weather conditions, to how to find “your kit” when you arrive at your station. Fun fact – the drivers who stock up the stations start loading stations at 3am in the morning the day of the marathon and hope that no one steals 1000+ cups!

Thing #3 – Chaos at the Toronto Sporting Life 10K

The Sporting Life 10K was held last weekend in Toronto and apparently it was pure chaos. Problems included large lines for the bag check, water stations not being stocked properly, pedestrians walking through a race (there is an interesting youtube video out there), to the most serious congestion at the finish line. I’ve never seen those types of problems at any of the Ottawa Races that I’ve ran over the years. Biggest problem I’ve ever encountered was long toilet lines….

You can read an in depth post by Kenny on his blog 

Have a great Thursday everyone!

What is everyone up to these days????

I got home not too long ago from the big day at the track (our first round of eliminations) and an information meeting about how to run a water station for the Ottawa Marathon (waaaah, so much info!).

Here are some pictures form the day:

Make Nanaimo Bars

Nanaimo Bars are probably one of my favorite desserts. They are a cookie/dessert bar made with chocolate, graham crackers, coconut, custard powder and lots of sugar. The bars are a “Canadian Dessert” (Nanaimo is a town in British Columbia) and require no baking. They look hard to make, but it is pretty easy if you have a good recipe.

I used a number of recipes from my All Recipes App on my iPad to develop my own Nanaimo Bar recipe, but I’m not 100% satisfied with the ratios, so I think I will make another batch to perfect the recipe before I post it. I actually had to throw out the first bottom layer I made because the egg in the mix wasn’t cooperating.  I’m not the best baker in the world, so this kind of dessert is a bit hard for me at first. But – I tried and the end result was pretty good.

Essentially what you do is make the dessert layer by layer. The bottom layer is butter, graham crackers, cocoa powder, egg, and coconut. The middle layer is custard and way too much icing sugar (I will be adjusting this layer too – way too sweet!). The top chocolate layer is semi-sweet chocolate melted with a bit of butter. You assemble the bars layer by layer and then place in the fridge to chill. Again, with a more solid recipe this dessert would be fairly easy to make!

All in all, I think it is a bit easier to actually walk to the store and purchase a package of Nanaimo Bars, but it was worth it to try!

This is all I can manage to write tonight – big track meet tomorrow and I also have work to do for my grad school course!

There were many races this weekend according to my twitter feed – one of the big races occurring in Ottawa this weekend was the (Day Before) Mother’s Day Run and Duathlons run by Somersault Events. This is a race I’ve run for the past three years, so I am quite familiar with the set-up. However, the location has changed every year! The first year the race was in its original location at Place d’Orleans (the local mall) with the start/finish conveniently in my backyard (well right behind my condo corp. – but I could hear the announcers!). Last year the race was moved to the Aviation Museum as we had outgrown the mall location. The plan was to return to the museum, but unfortunately a big Star Wars exhibit was happening this weekend, so the event organizers were told to go somewhere else. So, the eventually location happened to be a bit further down the aviation parkway. This race is still in my area as the race route is actually on my long run route and my school’s running routes. It is really nice to have a race only a few minutes from home!

The race features a 1K kids run, and a 3K/5K/10K and half marathon distance race. The duathlons are also occurring  but they start early in the morning and were pretty much finishing up when the runners started to appear. The race location was not ideal – as it was just at the entrance of the aviation parkway and the Ottawa River recreational paths, so there was not much room. Adding to this was the fact that there was quite a bit of rain the night before and it was muddy everywhere. Essentially there was one way in and out of the race area and all the assorted tents were squished together. There were only 5 or so portapotties as well, which created a giant line. Therefore I did not “use the facilities” before the race. This race isn’t too big, so it did work, but if more people were there it would have been quite congested for sure!

Adding to the excitement was the fact that my school’s Girls Running group was joining in for the running fun. The CW Girls Running group is being let by two teachers and the goal is to get some of the girls out running and enjoying the running life. They did really well today! They will be joining in with Emilie’s Run in June, along with the Girls on the Run group – it will be very nice to have all these young runners running beside the usual running crowd! I met up with them when I got there, and saw my other friend from school as well. One of my co-workers also came to help watch Max as P is off at a conference. Big thank you to him as I really didn’t want to run with the chariot!

Ok – the race!

The start line was very congested, but I wanted to be up as close as possible. This particular race does not do a gun/chip time, so if you want to place, you best be up at the front. I told my friend (who was gunning for a 25 minute 5K) to get herself to the front. I started off in the middle of the crowd near the front and waited for the horn to go off. Once the horn went, off we went and I pretty much started running right away. I saw my friend and her friend running up ahead so I made it my goal to not lose sight of them. I took a quick looksie at my garmin and saw the number 4:21 flash at me. In my head I said “whooooaaaa” and slowed the truck down as there was no way I could keep up with that pace. The funny thing was, that I felt that I wasn’t going that fast. I finished the first KM at 5:10 and felt very very comfortable.

The weather was ok – cloudy with a bit of drizzle and a temp of about 10 degrees. Although I was cold at first, after the first KM’s, the temperature felt great: not too hot, not too cold. Ideal conditions. The 2nd KM came in at 5:18, a bit slower, but still a great pace to attempt to PB. The course was pretty flat with only a couple of rises here and there. Just before the 2.5 mark there was a slight incline, but it wasn’t that noticeable  As I approached the halfway mark I saw Mary from Running in Transit and gave a quick wave. I also so my friend and one student run past and gave them a thumbs up too. I approached the halfway mark and the water station, took a cup of water and kept going. I didn’t feel the need to take a break at all, even at this pace – so I kept at it.

The 3K mark came in 5:25. At this point I started to feel a bit sluggish, but my breathing was fun and nothing was pulling or pinching. After the turn around there was a nice little headwind giving the runners a bit of grief. It was manageable but still, a bit annoying. I approached the 4K mark at 5:37, which was my original “goal pace” so I was pretty happy about that. Another student ran past and we exchanged racing pleasantries. The last KM was the most tiring as most of my training this month has been in the 3-4K range. But looking at my Garmin, I noticed I had an insane amount of time to get to the finish and still PB – so I though, hey, let’s take it easy.

Until I looked behind me.

With about 400M to go I saw my two teaching friends right behind me and thought “oh no, you don’t!”. That gave me the drive to finish as fast as I could and try to keep up with them (my own friend is a Boston Marathoner). For the last little bit, I was in the 4:00 range again and that didn’t feel good at all. To my right I saw Max, my friend, and our Athletics Coordinator (who I thought wasn’t coming) cheering all of us on. My two friends just edged past me at the end, along with a younger boy (who I didn’t know was behind me and I may have high fived his Dad who was trying to high 5 his son – whoopsie doodle) – but it didn’t matter because I was concentrating on what the timer was saying.

27:18!!!

This is a massive PB. My previous 5K PB was 28:55 and I had not seen the 28:00 time in almost three years.

The strange thing – I didn’t feel that tired afterwards. I did feel like crap for the initial 30 seconds, but after that I felt great. Makes me think about what time I may be capable of for Emilies Run!  When I looked at the placings, I came in 61st overall, the 17th female to cross and 2nd in my category (Mary from Running in Transit came in 1st!!), which means I have placing for the third year in a row. My friend who was ahead of me came in just over 25:00 which was her goal. Want to know the crazy thing – she JUST had a baby in February! Way to go!!!

I had quite a bit of fun at this race despite the logistical difficulties. It was fun to run with people I knew and (obviously) a PB time is something to be proud of. Next up in the Ottawa Run Weekend 10K, followed by Emilies Run 5K race.

I hope you enjoyed my race recap!

Today is another Track Thursday – busy day at the track with our last invitational meet of the year before the big meets that start next week

Thing 1: Mother’s Day Run this Saturday

I’m pretty excited for this Saturday’s race! There are quite a few friends running this race and a few students! There is a Girls Running group at my school being organized by one of the phys ed teachers (the one that ran Boston), so a number of girls will be running the 5K. P is away at a conference this week, so a very kind friend has offered to come to the run with his nephew and have a little run around time. So, that means I will be attempted a run for a PB this weekend. It is possible!

Thing 2: Water Station!

Things are gearing up for the Ottawa Race Weekend – which means plans are well underway for our school’s water station. We are running one of the aid stations along the marathon route. I’m pretty excited about it. So far I have about 22 students signed up, a few staff and a few random community volunteers. It should be good times, but there is quite a bit of behind the scenes work. Not only do I have to go to a meeting on Wednesday, but I also have to scout out the area with the head organizer, talk to head of supplies and get everything ready/keep all the volunteers informed. The day should be a lot of fun! Except the part about being at the school for 5:30. Ew.

Thing 3: Track Today

The track meet today went very well – a few PB’s, lots of top 5 finishes and the weather held out! I am exhausted now thought as I was at the track from 10am-7:30pm. I helped out with the hurdle crew today, which involved the steeple chase. I totally put the steeples on too soon, but what do I know, I usually just watch the water element

Gift 1: Reflective Jacket

We are getting close to that time of year that runs tend to happen in the early morning or in the evening. It is crucial that if you go out for a run at dusk that you wear proper reflective clothing so that cars and other moving objects (bikes, skateboarders) can see you. Why not surprise Mom with a new reflective jacket in her favorite colour? Running Room has a great selection of running reflective jackets in a variety of hues.

2. A sparkle running skirt

Why not?  Everyone needs a good running skirt in a fun pattern. Check out this selection at Etsy. This skirt is from RockCitySkirts, but there are other varieties including tutus and costume ideas for running the Disney Princess Half (or any women’s race)

3. Athletic Sweater

Usually the running type like good quality athletic sweaters – LuLuLemon is always a sure bet. One brand that I am a fan of is Albion Fit. I have a Albion Fit Signature Hoodie and love it. It is comfy, lightweight and looks great.

4. Basket full of Running Goodies

Grab a nice basket, or even a new sports bag and fill it with everything a runner needs: headbands, athletic socks, GU gels, Compression socks, tech shirts – whatever! You can easily fill a nice bag/basket with items found at Running Room, MEC, or any other sports store.

Some suggestions:

- Sweaty Bands Headband

- Pro Compression Socks

- Nuun Hydration Tablets

- Gu Gels

- Running Room Socks

5. Time for a long run

A simple, affordable solution to a Mother’s Day for your running Mom – a chance to go on a long run at any location nearby, uninterrupted at any time of the day. Allow Mom to go whenever she feels like it essentially, no questions asked. When Mom returns, have her favorite post-run meal on hand with a cool, crisp glass of water.

Do you have any suggestions to add?

I will be running the Day Before Mother’s Day race in Ottawa on Saturday – let me know if you will be racing as well. So far I know a number of Moms who will be running the 5K race!

This week’s edition of 52 New Things

Eating Gluten Free for a Week

This week’s challenge was to eat gluten free for an entire week (Monday-Sunday). Gluten free is just like it sounds. You don’t eat anything with gluten in it. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. I rarely eat/drink anything with barley or rye in it (except beer), so the big no-no was wheat. I chose this challenge as I know a number of people who have celiac disease. I also know a number of people who choose not to include too much gluten in their everyday diets. For me – I love cake, cupcakes, donuts, bread, beer, pizza, etc. so diet that excludes gluten would be a challenge.

Which is was.

I will have to pull a mulligan (ask for a mulligan?) on this one as I lasted until Thursday when I in a tired, absentminded state ordered a hot dog at the track on Thursday…whoops! Then, in my exhausted state when I got home, I ate a burger with a bun. I also had a pre-determined pizza/beer date with a friend scheduled on Friday, so since I had already had some gluten, I figured I would go all out and eat all the pizza and beer. and cupcakes…

Fail-town all around.

I will try this again, as it was interesting trying all the gluten-free foods and trying to determine if the taste was any different. I also bought some gluten-free pasta that I still want to try.

So a little bit of a recap on what I ate. Eating a gluten-free dinner was quite easy. I am generally quite happy with a protein and veggie dinner, so adjusting my meals to not include any items with gluten in it were easy. I had quite a bit of BBQ’d foods with salad this week. One just has to be careful with salad dressings or pre-made stir-fry sauces as they could include wheat products or have been contaminated. As mentioned, I still have to try the gluten free pasta!

Breakfast was a whole other story. I am a carb-queen when it comes to breakfast, so basically I had fruit and yoghurt every single day. I did not try any breakfast gluten-free cereals, but might want to give them a whirl. I missed oatmeal! Oatmeal is one of those “is it or isn’t it” products, but my package of oatmeal said that it may contain wheat, so the oatmeal stayed in the pantry

Lunch was kind of easy – as I usually eat leftovers anyways. I bought some gluten free cookies and crackers. The gluten free cookies were made by a company called Patsy Pie and absolutely yummy! If it were not for the price tag ($6 for a package), I would eat these cookies all the time. The cookies did have a different taste to them, but the chocolate chunks made the cookie. So good!

All in all – I would have to say that I still like my gluten-filled foods and would not really last on any type of gluten-free diet unless it was medically necessary. I did not really notice any physical different in a week, except for eating Gabriel’s pizza on Friday, but that pizza is known to make me sick.

Next week, I have to switch up as it is supposed to be the sugar/caffeine/alcohol free week, but P is away for the entire week and I do have some plans to eat some junk food. Therefore, I shall do the opposite and make Nanaimo Bars instead! YAY!

The weather was sunny and hot that day. Sunscreen went on right away and numerous bottles of water were consumed. As I drove up I realized that it would have been a smart idea to bring one of our school canopy tents as Terry Fox does not have the best shaded areas. But hiding underneath the seats would do. Or, in my case, just sitting down right beside the stands. After a while the heat became more intense. I am glad I brought 4 different shirts with me, because I changed shirts three times (cotton, to a tech shirt, to a clean tech shirt for track practice that night).

In the afternoon, we had the hurdle events which meant I was “voluntold” to help out on the hurdle crew. Sprint hurdles went fine, but once the 300m/400m hurdles started, I had to head “up the hill” to run the club practice, so I had to “voluntell” my two remaining students to take over.

The team did well. We had a handful of first place finishes, a few PB’s and lots of effort from some newer members of the team. We still have lots to work on though in the remaining week and a bit before the season really starts.

Some pictures:

Whose spikes are these?!?!

Shorts!!!!