Coffee, Tea or Me

The holidays are quickly approaching and the year is coming to a close. 2013 has been a wonderful year for my family and I. We are currently in Hong Kong on a family vacation and will be spending Christmas and New Years here.

I was bitten by the travel bug many years ago when my parents took my brother and I to Hong Kong to visit my family. At the time, most of my relatives were still living in Hong Kong.It was the first time I met my grandparents and many aunts and uncles. I remember being in awe of the stewardesses and of being in an airplane so large. The flight was a dream come true except getting sick during a stop in Narita. When I got home from that trip, I remembered that I wanted to go back and ride an airplane again. My parents have a framed picture that I drew for a cover page for a class with the jobs we wanted when we grew up and the three professions I drew were 1.Nurse 2. Teacher 3. Stewardess. I laughed when my parents showed this to me as I had completely forgotten about this assignment.

I had not intended on joining the airlines, it kind of found me. It has been great and has allowed my family and I to travel the world.

I knew that when I had a family, it wouldn't stop me from traveling. I felt like a hypocrite if I didn't travel with my kids. I work in the travel industry.... how could I leave them at home? I would see people do it all the time and knew that I would do the same. I must say that it is a lot more work with kids but it's worth every bit.

We started traveling with our first child when she was 3 months old and haven't stopped. We have been fortunate to take our kids to many different places. My wish is that they will grow up to appreciate all that they have and appreciate the diversity of the world.

Merry Christmas to you all.

Do you travel with your kids?

What are your tips?

My Running Funk - Off Season

It's been almost 2 months since I ran my marathon and I feel like I've been in running limbo. At first, I had the pain in my foot that I thought may have been a stress fracture, which I still need to get checked out and then I returned back to work after a year off. I'm not sure what has caused this funk. I guess I will just have to run it out.

15 degrees in December = Happy Running Mommy

Going back to work has been fun but it has also put a kink in my running. I had spent the past 5 months running religiously with a plan that my coach had given me and eating quite healthy to fuel me on all my runs. I have a wonderful job as a flight attendant which allows me to travel the world. I try to fly mostly international routes as it allows me to spend more time at home with my kids. But being on the road means that I am in all sorts of different time zones and eating all sorts of junk. I try to pack some healthy meals when I'm flying, but is tough when most hotels do not have fridges or means for me to cook my meals. I have gotten quite creative with the coffee pots and iron. I am a huge foodie and love to try new foods wherever my travels will take me. Being at home while I was training was great because I didn't have the temptations that I have every time I am on a layover.

Needless to say, I have spent the last 2 months getting adjusted to my old life, but with the new addition to our family and the heavier work load at home. I am fortunate that most of the places I go have gyms, if not running routes close to the hotel. I have been thinking about the running year ahead and training plans.

I am currently blogging from Hong Kong at 4 am local time. It is one of my favourite cities. This city is like the Asian New York, there is always something going on and it seems like the city never sleeps. It is bright, loud and jam packed with people. The hotel that I am currently staying at has a 24 hour gym which allows me to run whenever I want... BONUS!!! Did I mention that I have terrible insomnia when I'm flying. I guess you could call it jet lag, but I'm never in a city long enough to adjust, so I try to stay on "home" time. Like I had said earlier, I'm getting back into not sleeping in my bed and living out of a suitcase for days at a time. 

This is what I do at 1am in Hong Kong when I can't sleep

I have been trying to keep up my mileage but seem quite unmotivated. I will consider this my off season and enjoy the time off to let me body rest up before I amp up the training for the 2014 season.

Do you have an off season?

Any suggestions to get out of my running funk?

Waiting game

The month of October seemed to have blown right by. I returned to work after my year off and ran my first marathon. Now what am I supposed to do??

After the race I had some pain on the top of my right foot. After consulting my run buddy/chiropractor, I think I may have a slight stress fracture. I am waiting for my doctor to return from his month long vacation to see if I can get it checked out. 

I have not run much because of this pain as I am terrified of making worse, but not being able to run has also been tough. I had hoped to finish off the race season with a half marathon a few weeks ago, but decided not to just in case it is a stress fracture. It was a tough decision for me as I love to race and was hoping to go for another PB, but I think it was the right decision. 

I have learned to not be so stubborn and just let it go and listen to my body. There are so more races that I would like to run one day. Running injured is not pleasant and you could make your injury worse. 

Have you had to take time off from running due to an injury?

What did you do to keep yourself active while injured?
 

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon - Race Recap

My Garmin was charged, my playlist was set, the outfit had been picked out, hydration and fueling needs were packed and I was ready to go. 

I had spent the last five and a half months training for this day. My first marathon was only a few hours away. The alarm went off at 5 am which would give me plenty of time to pack up, do my 'business' and eat before I headed over to my friends place to head down for an 8:45am start. 

I was going to be meeting my coach and fellow iRun 42.3 runners at 8 am for a photo and then head on out to our corrals. There were many volunteers placed throughout the race area. There were approximately 25,000 people running that day between the 5K, half marathon, and full marathon distances. It was very busy with people when we arrived and thank goodness for the volunteers, we were able to drop our bags and make our way to the LONG potty lines. By the time I got into a potty, the first coral had already gone. I quickly dragged my run buddy and ran towards the start line. With the starting area and finish line in the heart of Toronto, a lot of the roads were barricaded. We had to squeeze our way to the starting area and wiggle out way through the crowds to get to our corrals. We eventually made it to the 4:20 pace bunny when the gun went off and so were we. 

At the start line

I had hoped for a 4:15 finish, but decided to slap a 4:05 pace band on my wrist just to push me a little and give me some leeway in case I had to make any pit stops. I took a quick photo with my running buddy and off we went. I was going to use the first 5 km to warm up the body as it was freezing and kept a 5:45-6:00 pace. I eventually caught up to the 4:10 pace bunny and stuck with his group for the next few kilometres. The sun eventually came up and I started to feel my fingers again. The course started in the heart of Toronto and took you north of the downtown core for a quick loop before we headed back towards to the waterfront. There were a number of spectators out cheering. I peaked down at my pace band every so often and realized that I was on pace with my 4:05 band. I was thrilled but I was only a third into the race.

When we made it down to the waterfront, I saw the elites coming towards me. It was amazing to see the first winner fly right by me. I was also able to see the two top female Canadian runners run right by. It is truly incredible to see how fast they are going. I took my first gel around 10km and happily trudged on. 

I have run the half marathon of this race before, so I was familiar with the first half which seemed to have gone by pretty quickly.

Then the split came, I knew there was no turning back. Most runners went left towards the half and a few of us went right towards the next 22 km's ahead. I hit the 21 km pad at 2:02 which meant I was 5:51 pace. There were a lot less runners at this point which meant there was more space for me run, but being a rookie marathoner, I wasn't quite sure if I was to push or save my legs for the later parts of the race. I decided to keep on with the pace that was comfortable. There were fewer people cheering until I entered the Beaches area where the crowds were awesome. There were people standing outside their homes and shops handing out water and fruit. I was so happy to get a banana from a little boy who was handing them out. This gave me an extra boost, but at this point I also realized I was in need of a potty right after I ran past one at 26km. I will in all future races take notes of where the toilets will be placed. I spent the next 4 kilometres looking for one and ended up using the one I had seen at kilometre 26 when I was looping around. I had not trained with a pit stop in mind, so this threw me for a bit of a loop.  I had been on pace with my 4:05 finish, but after the pit stop at 30km, I couldn't' seem to catch up. 

Around 39 km

I finally saw a friend cheering us on at at 36 km as I was entering a twisty, in and out, loop that looked like squiggly lines on the course map. It took us up and over the Don River and by the Don Valley off ramp where cars were backed up but cheerfully honking us runners. I saw my friend again around the 39 km mark where she was able to snap the picture. At this last loop where, we got to leave that crazy maze of running, I saw my run buddy. I had been looking for her throughout the course and was finally able to give her a high five and run on. I got to 40km at 3:57, I knew I wasn't going to get my 4:05 finish, but knew that my hubby and DD were going to be waiting near the finish line. I dug deep and pushed on.

My baby waiting

Seeing my family

Finish line

I finally saw my husband and daughter 400m from the finish. As you can see from the photo my husband took, I was SO relieved to see them there as well as see the finish line right ahead of me. I stopped for a quick kiss and hug and pushed as hard as I could for a strong finish. I crossed the finish line at 4:10:29. I was thrilled to see a good friend who had come down to see me finish just as I crossed the finish line. She snapped the photo below.

Finished!!

My "gold" medal

I had done it, I had just finished my first marathon. I was over the moon excited. We were give heat sheets and our medals, then entered a large exit area where we were given water, bagels, and yogurt. It was a bit difficult to get out of the finishing chute as you and to follow the crowd that filtered in Nathan's Phillips Square, where they had a large meeting area, bands and a few vendors. I quickly went to retrieve my bags and find my family. It was an amazing experience. I had a blast running this distance. This was a wonderful race and the course was beautiful. I highly recommend this race to anyone who is looking for a fun and flat course through Toronto.  

Celebrating with my family

Have you run a marathon ?

What gets you through the entire distance?

What are you post race rituals?

I am a Marathoner

I did it!!! I made it!! I am over the moon and full of all sorts of emotions after crossing the finish line of my first marathon. I had dreamed about it and trained for it over the last year. My journey started many years ago when I started running and toying with the idea of running a marathon. I remember meeting up with my 10K run clinic and always admiring all the people in the marathon clinic. When they would call out the high distances they were running on their long runs, I would laugh at how crazy and impossible it seemed, no I am one of those crazy people.

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is one of the city's major races. The course is flat and takes you along the Toronto waterfront and into some beautiful pockets in Toronto. There are great bands and entertainment and awesome spectators. I chose the I headed down to the expo with my daughter in miserable overcast and rainy weather. Rain on race day is probably one of my biggest concerns.

Leaving our mark on the signing wall

Being one of the major races in Toronto, the expo was well organized with lots of exhibits and great speakers on the main stage. I was able to pick up my gels for the race and get taped by KT tape, however the guy that taped me did an awful job. I'm not sure if it was him or the tape. I have used the product before and it worked fine under the same circumstances. He even used a spray that he sells to help the adhesive of the tape and it still fell off. I must admit that I was pretty disappointed, having the owner of the booth/distributing company in Ontario tape me and the KT Tape falling right off.

Being taped at KT tape booth, tape falling off before I exited expo

I did my best to try to get a good nights rest as I prepared for the race. The weather had changed from what I had planned, so I had to rethink a new race outfit as well has pack up my essentials.

My Gear for the race

Have a great week 

Are there any other brands of kinesiotape that you swear by or use?

What are you pre race rituals?

What do you bring or use for your races?

"Twas the night before Race day

It's finally come down to the big day. I am 2 sleeps away from running my first marathon. I spent most of this week working, which meant I was flying. I was lucky enough to be able to stay within Canada and only had 2 different time zones to deal with. I was able to get all the runs in that the coach had laid out for me. I am a ball of nerves at this moment. I am terrified, yet excited to have finally made it to this point. In some ways, I can't wait to get this run over with. I feel like I have been training for what seems like a lifetime.

My run in St. John's, Newfoundland

I ran my last run tonight, a quick 30 minutes easy run on the treadmill and will now start to lay out my gear and mentally try to prepare myself for the race ahead. I have spent the last few weeks trying to keep a clean diet and load up on carbs. I have put in the miles and now I will see if all the training has paid off. This race will definitely be very mental as much as physical. I have spent most of this week thinking about the race. I am happy to be running my first marathon in my hometown, where my friends and family will be waiting for me at the finish line.  If anyone would like to follow the race on race day, Sunday October 20th, here's the link

What are your pre race rituals?

Back to Work - Tips for Running while Travelling

My maternity leave has finally come to and end and I am officially back at work. It has been an amazing year off for me. I had an awesome time this year with both kids at home and having the chance to train for my first marathon. I'm not sure if I would have been able to train properly if I was working. It was a tough in the beginning trying to juggle nursing my baby and fitting all the running required, but I had a supportive family backing me up which made it a bit easier. I returned to work in the beginning of October and started flying right away. I made sure to try to fit in my runs while away.

First stop was London to visit my cousin. London is a great running city. There are always plenty of runners out and about. It's easy to get distracted with all the beautiful architecture and the surroundings. My first run here was through one of the many Royal Parks of London.

Regents Park and my new favourite drink

I am very fortunate with my job to be able to travel the world and run in many different cities. Here are some tips for running while travelling. If travelling into different time zones, I suggest switching over to the time zone of the city you are in as soon as possible, this will help with the jet lag.

- Do some research on the city/place you are visiting. You can use sites like Map My Run 
and Run the Planet
- Always pack your running gear, I highly recommend compression socks for the flight.
- Check the local weather 
- Ask the hotel concierge for running routes around the hotel, many hotels have planned running routes
- Check to see if the hotel has a gym and the equipment available. I also check the hours of the gym to help me plan my workouts accordingly. 24 hours are my favourite especially when I'm on the other side of the planet.
- Get lots of rest

Have a GREAT day !

Do you have any tips to add?

How to you stay on course when travelling?

Oral I.V Review

Since starting marathon training, I've been looking for products that would benefit me for the longer distances. As an ambassador for Fit Approach/Sweat Pink, I was given the opportunity to review Oral I.V. 

So, What is Oral I.V?

"ORAL I.V. is a revolutionary hydration aid product based on a proprietary formula of crystalloid electrolytes and purified water. ORAL I.V. does not contain any sugars, caffeine or stimulants, additives, preservatives or artificial ingredients. It can be consumed directly or added to water. Individuals can use ORAL I.V. as an addition to their existing hydration methods and to support dehydration prevention." 

According to their website it "can be used in any environment, condition, or situation where physical exertion or possibility of exertion or the possibility of dehydration exists". It is not a water substitute, but a hydration aid.  I decided to give it a try on my long run.  The package says that you can take the vial as is or add it with water. I put two into my water bottles with water and carried 2 vials with me for my 35km run.

I drank a few sips as I started my run and continued to drink throughout my run. My strategy was to drink the 2 that I had diluted first than drink the vials for the last portion of my run. There was no funky taste. It is tasteless just like water and looks just like water.  I like that the vials were small and fit in my running belt. I felt pretty good after the long distance think that these vials would work great for race day.

You can purchase them off their website. But at $12 for a package and shipping costs to Canada are pretty high, I think I may stick with other hydration methods .  For all my American friends, the shipping is much more reasonable. 

*Disclaimer : I was given this product to sample and all opinions on this blog post are my own and I was not paid or required to give a particular opinion

Have you tried Oral I.V?

What do you use for hydration?

Have a Great Day 

Where was I a year ago today?

A year ago today, I gave birth to our second child. It was a very quick and painful delivery and I did it all naturally. Yup, NO DRUGS. I was thrilled to have had a pretty easy pregnancy and survived childbirth a second time. I was also thinking about getting back into my runners and hitting the pavement. Yes, I'll admit it, I have a bit of a problem.

Happy Birthday !!

I am lucky enough to live in Canada where I was able to have a full year of maternity leave. I've spent the past year enjoying every moment as I know that this will probably be my last baby. So what I have learnt this year.

Take everything in stride. Things will happen whether you like it or not. My life went from a fairly routine life with one child to a crazy gong show overnight. I was thrown back into the world of sleepless nights and dirty diapers. I was now stuck at home with a pre-schooler and a newborn. I learned to relax a lot more with the second one, maybe because I learned from the mistakes I made the first time round. I laughed a lot more and didn't sweat the small stuff.

Take a moment each day to count your blessings. Amongst the chaos of daily life we often forget how lucky we are. We are bombarded daily with all the "noise". I am always amazed when my daughter says her prayers at night and thanks God for all the things that she is grateful for.  I am always humbled by her innocence. Be thankful for all that you have because there is always someone out there is is worse off than you.

Set goals for yourself whether it be fitness related or not. I had decided that I would spend part of my maternity leave training for my first marathon. It has been quite the journey. I was able to train as soon as my doctor gave me to o.k. I have learnt to juggle my time around training and being mommy and wife. It takes some work, but it's possible.  There have been some setbacks along the way but, I am fortunate to have a supportive hubby and family. I feel great and I am so excited to be running my first marathon in 23 days.

After one of our many runs together

Have a GREAT weekend.

Are you racing this weekend? 

Are you training for any races?

Rest is not a bad thing

I just got back from a lovely week away with my family in hot and sunny Florida. I was concerned at first about how I would be able to accommodate my training with the vacation, but I decided to use the week as a "rest" week.

My weekly mileage has been quickly adding up and long runs are getting longer. I am running distances that I have never run before. I never thought that I would be running a half marathon distance for a regular training run, but I am.

It has been a somewhat lonely journey. I have had a lot of support from my family and friends, but in the end it's really just me and the pavement. I was starting to get some aches and pains, so the last minute vacation was just what I needed, mentally and physically.

I squeezed in my long run before we left as I knew there was no way I would be able to run 28 kilometres in the Florida heat and the treadmill was NOT an option. But since I am in training mode, I did follow my coach's Tuesday tempo workout and squeezed in a quick 5km run. The average daily temperature in Orlando was in the 40's which is about 100 Fahrenheit. I don't know how runners who live in these awesome places train for races. It was SO hot ! The best part was jumping into the pool after each run.

After an awesome week relaxing with the family, we returned home to what felt like FREEZING temperatures. It took some time to adjust, but it's actually gorgeous fall weather. Autumn is my favourite season. It's not too hot and not too cold, perfect for running. I got back just in time for my long run. The week off was nice, but it is now crunch time. I have 25 more days until the marathon. 

My last long run was 30 kilometres (18.6miles). I can't say it flew by, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was hoping that I would be able to pick up my speed, but alas my legs just wouldn't do it. I also developed some painful side stitches during the run and made me stop dead in my tracks. I'm hoping to figure out why this happened and how to prevent it.

Cool long run

I am excited to be starting week 19 of my 22 week training plan. Today's tempo run was nice and easy, I'm hoping I can say the same thing after the 32 kilometre run planned for this Sunday's long run.

Have a Great Week

Please feel free to leave a comment and say hello.

Have you ever experienced and cramps of side stitches, if so, how did you remedy them?

Do you like to run alone or with someone?

Summer Wrap Up

It is the Labour Day weekend, which traditionally marks the end of the summer holiday season and back to school for many kids. It is bittersweet for me as I am thrilled to have my daughter back in school, but will also miss her being at home with me. With her back in school, I'll be able to head out for some stroller runs instead of running late at night after hubs gets home.

It has been a crazy summer. It has been 15 weeks since I started marathon training. Looking back over my training log, I realised that I started my marathon training the week of my birthday. I started training with my coach Rick from Zone3Sports 7 weeks ago after being chosen by iRun and I think it has helped me with all aspects of my running.

I come back to this often

I have spent most of my summer enjoying the remainder of maternity leave and doing a lot of running. I didn't think that I would be logging this many miles/kilometres when I decided to run a marathon. I don't think I put much thought into it at all except that I wanted to run a marathon.  I have learned that I am not a morning running as  I have spent many nights pounding the pavement.

For the month of August, I logged 196.26 km/121.95 miles. I think this is totally crazy!!! I have learned to stick to a training plan and do my best not to deviate. Training for a marathon is almost like a part time job. I am very fortunate to have been able to train while on maternity leave.  I have learned to juggle and balance my duties as mom, wife, daughter and friend. I can't say that it's been easy, but I have gotten used to very little sleep. I will see how training goes as I return to work in a month. I think having a coach has helped me tremendously. Being the Type A person that I am, I needed to follow a strict plan and this is what coach Rick has done for me. He has designed a plan just for me.

This summer I was able to complete two obstacle type events,  The O Course and Tough Mudder. I ran two races in August and PR'd in one of them and raced a distance that I had never run before for the other. I am very pleased with both the results and I think this is due to my training. I have incorporated tempo runs and strength work into my training as well as taking rest seriously. Running a half marathon distance for the long runs has become a norm for me now, but I still have to psyche myself up for it the day before. I have learned to respect the distance, whether it be 5 kilometres or 42, I will never take any distance for granted.

One of my sunset Long runs

I was fortunate to be able to spend the entire summer with my kids. My daughter has been an amazing help with a newborn at home with me.  She has been a blessing in every way. I am truly lucky to be her mommy.

I look forward to the next 7 weeks of training. My distances are getting longer for my long runs and the days are getting shorter. I am sad to see summer coming to and end, but ready for some gorgeous fall weather.

How was your summer?

Are you a day or night runner?

Have you learned anything about yourself from running?