Color Me Rad 5K

When I found out Color Me Rad was coming to Toronto, I quickly signed up onto their mailing list and waited for notification. I signed up as soon as I got the email notification and told all my friends to sign up as well, sadly it sold out in a matter of days and only 4 of us were able to get a bib.

Getting our Rad on

At the start line

Equipped with the sunglasses that was in our swag bag and whatever white clothing we could find, wee all headed down to the race on a muggy overcast Saturday. Rain drops started to fall as we pulled into the parking lot. We were all hoping that the rain would hold off until the run was over.

So what is Color me Rad all about. Well, it is a fun run. There is a main stage area with an emcee and great music blasting away. People are cheering while color bombs are being tossed into the crowd. It is not chipped which means that it is not timed. The race is for all ages. I saw parents pushing strollers and babies in carriers. There were lots of families young and old. As I had said, it is not timed, so do not expect people to be "racing". It is a 5 kilometre distance with color stations spread throughout where volunteers will toss/throw/spray colored powder or coloured water at you. Most people slowed down, if not stopped at these stations to get covered in colour and take pictures.

Group shot after.. need I say more

We did end up getting rained on for part of the race which made the colors quite vibrant and definitely stuck to our clothes. If you are looking for a fun day out and willing to get a little dirty, I would highly recommend this run. It's for EVERYONE, especially anyone who is new to running. 

At the end of the race everyone was given one color packet to bring to the main stage area to throw into the crowd at the same time. They also threw out Color Me Rad swag out into the participants. I nicknamed this the color mosh pit as people were crazy. I lasted only a few minutes before I was covered in more colored powder. My friends stayed in the pit, danced, cheered and were able to catch some race swag.

Overall, it was an awesome race. Check them out here for a location near you.

In the color mosh pit

Have you ever done a color race?

Happy Father's Day - Week 4 Recap

Happy Father's Day to my dad, hubby and all the other dads out there. I hope you all had a wonderful day!

What started out to be an uneventful week has turned into a full on busy week. The hubs was let go from his job as his company was bought out by a bigger company and then sold. A day later my youngest started getting sick. I thought it was a growth spurt, but then he stopped eating. We ended up in the ER with my little guy to find out that his mouth was full of sores and quite dehydrated. Now it made sense to why he was not eating. My heart ached to see him in so much pain.

The weather is finally starting to look up. I started the week with a 5.63km run with baby in the jogging stroller as it was too nice to be stuck inside. The last time I took him out, he cried for quite a bit of my run, so I decided to wait and try to figure out when would be a good time to take him out.

Since he got sick, he was very cranky and off his regular schedule. I figured the best thing for him and I was to get outside for some fresh air. I ended up doing all my runs with him in the jogging stroller. He was probably too high on his pain medication to fuss and was quite happy on most of the runs.

Today was my long run and I was not sure how he would do. I timed it so that he had just had some food and was ready for a nap. He lasted the entire 15 km's with a short nap and no fussing.  I'm hoping that he will continue to enjoy my runs with me. I love running outside and pushing the stroller has made me work harder and hopefully I will be faster without the stroller. I look forward to week 5 and possibly some more stroller runs.

Long Run Sunday

Week 4 Recap

Tuesday - 5.63 km

Wednesday - 5k Tempo

Friday - 14.08 km

Saturday - 8.18km

Sunday 15.04 km

Total 48 kms All done with the jogging stroller except  for the Tempo run

Are you training for any races?

Did you race this weekend?

Zola Coconut Water Review

I have always loved coconut products, so when the opportunity came up to review Zola for Fit Approach/Sweat Pink, I jumped at the opportunity.  They sent 3 full size bottles. Two were coconut water and one was their Acai original juice.

I have been using coconut water in my smoothies and have also used them alone to replenish after exercising. Did you know that coconut water is full of electrolytes?? It's funny, but I actually didn't know that until I started running. I just liked coconut products. I like to have my coconut water cold, so I threw them into the fridge and went for a quick run. 

The sizes of the cans are very generous at 520ml. The first one I tried was the one with pulp as I like pulp in my juices. The coconut water was very refreshing and easy to digest. The taste is not very strong and quite light with no after taste. I liked large size however it would be nice if I was in a resealable bottle instead of a can. I liked the coconut pieces (pulp) that was at the bottom. I used a straw to get out all the pulp.

I tried the natural coconut water a few days later after another run and it was just as good as the one with pulp. This time I only drank half the can and saved the rest for my smoothies. I have tried a number of different brands and I must say this is one of my favourites. I like the portion sizes, not too big and not too small. I usually buy mine in one litre size tetra packs. I can pack the Zola cans into a cooler for summer activities and they fit right in my cup holder in the car.  I gave some to my 4 year old to try and she also gave it a thumbs up.

I tried the Organic Acai juice last with my 4 year old. She liked this the most as it was quite sweet with a bit of tartness. I mixed mine with some of the coconut water. Acai berries are loaded with tons of antioxidants, so its a win win for everyone.  I like that this product is organic, gluten and  GMO free and 100% vegan.

I highly recommend using coconut water to rehydrate and if you're not a fan of coconut water, I say give the Zola Coconut water a try as the taste is very subtle and not overpowering.  Thanks to Sweat Pink and Zola for the yummy Coconut Water and Acai Juice!

*Disclaimer I was given products 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 coconut water or acai juice?

What's your favourite post-exercise drink?

What's your favourite brand?

The O course Recap - Uh Rah!

I convinced a few of my friends that will be participating in Tough Mudder with me to try out  The O Course this past Saturday. It is a military style obstacle course in Toronto designed by former US Marine drill instructor Sgt. Tony A., based on actual U.S. Marine Corps fitness training. It says on the website that all fitness levels welcome.  I figured that since it was not too far from home it would be good for us to test our physical abilities.

Other than running, I have not done much upper body strength training. Does carrying my 20lb baby all day long count?   My cousin works with The O Course and reassured me that I would be fine. However, I was still very nervous.

The weather was perfect on Saturday, a little overcast and the rain clouds were holding back. When we arrived we were each given a "rifle", a 4x4 piece of wood to keep with us for most of the course. After signing all the paper work and waiting for all participants to arrive, Tony A. and his crew bellowed out over the megaphone to line up rows for the warm up to begin.

The 45 minute warm up was INTENSE. We started out by holding out our arms out like a T for what seemed like a lifetime then doing circles and other variations. My head was spinning from the burning in my shoulders. We did burpees, jump squats, lunges, jumping jacks, and push ups. He then had us line up at the end of the soccer field and do sprints, followed by doing the crab crawl and front crawl across the length of the soccer field. My arms were burning and this was just the warm up.

We were then instructed to pick up our "rifles" and head outside to start the course. We ran about 5 km with our "rifles" towards the lake and onto a very nice green path where you stop every couple of kilometres to complete a number of drills. We actually went into the lake for most of the drills such as jump squats, sit ups and push ups all with our "rifles". The lake was nice and cool, but getting out and running with wet clothes and soaked running shoes was not my idea of fun.

When I finally ran back to the dome where we had done our warmup, I dropped off my "rifle" and thought I was done. Ha. Ha. Was I ever wrong. This was where the real military style obstacles would be. I pulled a tire from the lake by chains then and had to lift it over my head, jump over a wall, crawl through mud pit, drag myself up a mud pile then try to do monkey bars. I dragged bags of sand on my back while crawling in sand. The obstacles go on and on. When I got to the rope that I was supposed to pull myself up, all I could think of was G.I Jane. I never made it up the rope. Maybe next time. 

Pulling the cement block

By the end of the event, I was smiling and covered from head to toe in mud and sand. It was tough, but I survived. My body was tired but once again, all I could think about was getting home to nurse my baby. I think it took me 1:50 to complete the entire course. I'm proud that I survived the O course and tried all the tasks put before me even though I was not able to complete all of them. Yes, my body is sore all over and it hurts me to laugh. But, I know the pain is only temporary and in a funny way I would love to do it all over again.

Striking a pose before another burpee

I think The O Course is a great event. It runs every Saturday. It pushed me physically and mentally. I had a good time and would definitely do it again. We had great weather. Tony A. and his crew were fantastic.  Even with them barking at us, I felt that it helped push me to try harder.  If you are in the Toronto area, I highly recommend you check them out here. They also have photographers that take great photos of you during the entire course and are posted on their Facebook Page. Now back to marathon training :)

Ready for the next round

Have you ever done an obstacle course style race?


Have a great week

Our Beloved Vitamix

I had heard so many wonderful things about juicing and about smoothies. We are a family always on the go and always looking for new and creative ways to eat healthy. Since I started my running adventures, I've also tried to make sure that I have proper nutrition to fuel me through whatever training plan I may be on.

I asked many of my juicing friends for their opinions and read many reviews and we decided on the Vitamix. Since getting it in the spring, we have not stopped using it. My hubby will make us a breakfast smoothie every morning and I've used it to make many post run smoothies as well as soups and baby food for the little one. It is definitely one of the best purchases I have ever made and I highly recommend it. It blends everything so quickly and everything is blended. No more chunks. Ice is crushed in seconds. 

I find that I am always looking for new recipes as I am in marathon training to help me perform my best. 

Here's my current favourite post run smoothie recipe

Do you blend/juice/mix?

Do you have any favourite recipes? Care to share?

Have a great week :)

Marathon Training Week 2

I must say that this year has been pretty good to me so far. I celebrated my birthday last week with friends and family. My belly was full for days from all the feasting and I was also able to get in a quick run that day. Unfortunately, no races on a Thursday.

My good friend who also runs made me my own medal rack for my birthday.  Isn't it pretty? She told me that it holds 31 medals, which means I will have to run a lot more races to fill up all the hooks.  

I had been in recovery mode after running 2 half marathons and a 10K race back to back. My legs were tired and they needed the break, but at the same time, I was going to start training for my first full marathon. The plan I decided on was a 22 week plan which meant I was to start right away.

I have one friend who is going to train with me and hopefully run the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon with me October 20. We just have to register :) Yes, I have some commitment issues. I am going to register after I do a few other events.... mainly Tough Mudder as I am afraid I will get severely injured and will not be able to train properly.

I am now into week 2 of my training plan which will have me run a total of 35 kms this week. I'm feeling pretty good after a few runs. I am looking forward to the next few weeks and checking off each run as I go.

I am going to be participating in the O Course this weekend. It is a military obstacle training course with 15+ unique obstacles. I signed up with a few friends that are doing Tough Mudder with me as this is probably an easier version of it. When I first signed up, June 1 seemed so far away but now it's 3 days away. I have done no training for this event, so it will be interesting to see how I do.

Are you training for any races at this time?

Any advice for me as I partake on this marathon training journey?

Sporting Life 10K Race Recap

The Sporting Life 10K was the first race that hubby and I would be running together. I had always talked about this race to my running friends as it is billed as the one of the fastest 10K races around and is also Canada's Second Largest run. This race runs down Toronto's Yonge Street which was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at 1,896 km (1,178mi). The section we run is almost all downhill. This year it sold out at 27,000.

We had a group of  9 running this year. I had run this race 3 years ago right after I had sprained my ankle and then had a severe cramp at kilometre 7. I was hoping that I would do better this time, however it was going to be my third weekend in a row of racing. I had just run two half marathons the weekends leading up to this race. I spent most of the week resting, but wanting to go out and run. I listened to my body and took it easy with some yoga and weights.

Group shot before and after

We all got up bright and early on a cold Mother's day morning. It had been nice and warm all week leading up to the weekend, but a COLD front decided to move in the night before. It was around 4 degrees Celsius which is 39 F for my American friends. We were FROZEN. We were dropped off at the start line and hubby and friend drove down to the finish line to take the shuttle back up to the START to meet us. Luckily we were able to stay warm at a Tim Hortons and get some pre race food.

Once our drivers made it back up to the Start line we headed out to try to check out bags. With 27,000 people running the corals went up the road for almost a kilometre. When we finally found the bag check trucks the line up was beyond crazy. I don't think they were prepared for so many people. At one point people started throwing their bags into the trucks and almost taking out the volunteers. It was utter chaos. I hope they rectify this issue next year. By the time we checked out bags and started walking back to the corals, the race had already started. We are so far up the road that we couldn't even hear the emcee announce the start, that's how far the bag check was :(

We quickly moved up to find our corals and away we went. Our group had runners of all different levels. We had 2 runners that were running their first ever 10K and others that were seasoned runners and 2 of us were husband and wife teams.  It was my first race with hubby, but I had told him that I was going to try for a personal best this race and he was o.k with it. We ran the first 4 kilometres together and then I took off. I warmed up after the first few kilometres but every so often the wind would pick up and just knock you down. I kept up with my pace and as I approached kilometre 7, I had flashbacks of my cramp which left me walking the last time. I stopped for water and kept on going, thank goodness no cramp. There were drummers and some music along the way which made it quite entertaining. I picked it up as I saw the finish line nearing and gave it all I could. Unfortunately, the finish line was a bottle neck and I had to push my way over the timing pad as people had decided to stop when they finished to wait for friends.... ARGH!!!  Another issue I hope they fix next year as there were not many volunteers helping clear the finish line and it was the runners yelling for people to keep on moving.

I'm still happy that I ran this race. Our group had a blast, the course was fantastic and I got my PB :)

With the Hubs 

Results :      Age/Gender Place411/1546

                   1st 5K -  28:25

                   2nd 5K - 27:42

                   Finish   - 56:06 * Personal Best

                   Pace:  - 5:54

Goodlife Toronto Half Marathon - A PB for me!

I had not planned on running this half marathon especially since I had just gotten back from running the Nike Womens Half Marathon the week before. When I ran the NWM I had hoped for a better time, but got stuck behind the large crowds of runners and was never really able to break free from the crowds. It just so happened that the Toronto marathon was scheduled for this weekend and I decided to try to better my time.

My hubby and friends had already registered to run the 5K as this was their anniversary run. I double checked with hubby that we would be able to work it out logistically as we would need to meet up for me to take the kids from him and for me to nurse baby. All distances finished at the same place and their 5K started in the same area as the finish. This race was PERFECT for us.

We headed down to the expo on Saturday to pick up all the bibs. The expo had a good number of vendors. We didn't have much time to shop around as the kiddies were getting restless. But, I was happy to get my knees taped at the KT Tape booth.

Beautiful Toronto/Expo/Bibs all picked up

The half marathon is listed as a "downhill, fast and scenic" course. It runs through the heart of Toronto. This was my first time running this race and I was definitely not disappointed. The race started at a reasonable 8:30 which gave me time to nurse baby before I left the house. Hubby's 5k was starting at 12:00 pm which gave me plenty of to finish. It was a beautiful morning with picture perfect weather.

I ran this race with my run buddy Karen, who also ran Nike with me the week before. We started out with a pretty good pace. She has been nursing some injuries and was battling a cold.. she's a trooper. I had told her that I wanted to better my time from the week before and she was pretty understanding. We placed ourselves between the 2:05 and 2:10 pace bunnies. I was hoping for at least a 2:10 finish.

The first few km's were great and then we headed towards the big hill at around 4km. I had meet up with another running friend at the expo who had told me to walk to hill as I would be able to catch up on the downhill afterwards and I'm glad for his advice. We tried to run up most of it but halfway up I was starting to lose steam. We ended up slowing down to a walk and fuelled as we walked. It was around this point that the 2:10 walk/run pace bunny came up behind me and I decided to stick with him for as much as I could. I was reminded by my friend that I would have to finish ahead of him if I wanted my 2:10 finish as we had started before him. I have run my last few races continuous, so having the walk breaks were nice.

At around the 9km mark I must have turned off my Garmin as my strap had broken and I was holding onto it while running and trying to grab water from my fuel belt. I didn't realize this until 3 km's later as I was checking my time with the 12K marker and was thinking how AWESOME I was doing (watch said 50 mins). I was enjoying the scenery as the route went into a lovely tree lined road. This was probably my favourite part of the course. Luckily I ran with my phone so I could keep in touch with hubby and also I had turned on my Nike+ app. I got messages as I was coming up to the end of the race around the 16K mark to tell me that they were parking and would be waiting. All I could think about was running faster to get to my son because I could just picture him screaming for milk. I guess it's good incentive to run faster.

The last few kilometres were flat and through the downtown core of Toronto. The sun was shining and I was feeling pretty good. The crowds were fantastic and I was ready to see my family. So, I pushed it for the end and got my PB!!! WOHOO... Overall it was a great race and I look forward to running it again.

Results : Division Place 157/321

               5K -   30:11

               10K - 1:00:02

               15K - 1:29:56

               20K - 2:05:29

           FINISH - 2:08:58

             Pace 6:07

Family shot. Hubby after his 5K

Nike Women Half Marathon DC Weekend and Recap

What can I say? I am still over the moon happy from my weekend. I had been looking forward to it for SO LONG!!!

We left Friday morning and made it down to DCA in pretty good time. Baby behaved for most of the flight and only screamed in the beginning. I'm sure the other passengers were getting worried when they first saw me get on the flight with him. We got there in time to meet up with our friend who was flying in from Rochester. 

After a quick ride to our hotel and settling down quickly, we headed straight out to the Expotique to pick up our bibs and race package. The package pickup was very quick as it was Friday afternoon. When we went back on Saturday, the lineup was super long. After we picked up our bibs, we went into the expo tent where we were able to try out some samples and get mini makeovers from their sponsors. I had the baby, so I only tried some Nuun and Luna bars. The line up for Bare Minerals and Paul Mitchell were way too long for me to stand around with the stroller.

On the flight and at the expo and Nike store

We headed up to the Nike Store in Georgetown as they were not selling anything at the expo. The store was packed with runners buying up all the NWM gear and the special edition Tiffany blue shoes Nike had designed just for the race. With the price tag of $125, I did not pick up a pair as I do not run in Nike shoes. Nike had posted all the names of the runners on their side wall and we all found our names. It was a nice touch.

As we headed out of the Nike store and started walking down the street, I saw Michael J. Fox. I told my girlfriends who turned around and chased him down. Luckily, one of my friends was able to snap a photo on him and his wife as she was crossing the street. They were in town for the White House Correspondents' Dinner that Saturday evening. We continued walking in search of other stars, but didn't see anymore.

My friend flew in Saturday morning to hang out with us and to watch baby for me while I raced on Sunday. She was a total life saver. I would not have been able to run this race without her. After a delicious early dinner we hit the sack early since I had to wake up baby to nurse him before the race.

Race Day

We were very fortunate to have our hotel a few blocks from the start line, so we did not have to get up super early. The race start time was 7am. We left out hotel at 615 and still had time to spare. I was able to nurse baby and he came down to watch the start although there were SO MANY people that they missed us when we actually took off. The corals were jam packed and the entrances into them were so full that people started hoping the barricades to get in. The emcee was wonderful at keeping our energy up and the music was very uplifting.  

When the gun finally went off,  we went.... slowly. There were so many people that I felt that we were not moving. We had placed ourselves in the 10 minute mile group, which is where we wanted to be. It was probably good because we were forced to start slow and not burn out too quickly. I did find it a bit frustrating at certain points because there were just walls and walls of women and it was very difficult to pass. I couldn't really break free from the crowd until mile 9.

The weather was perfect about 10 degrees and the course was stunning. It was a pretty flat course and we ran by a lot of the major monuments. This was the first race that I actually carried my iPhone to take pictures. It was a new experience to have to carry something while running. You can see a few of my photos that I took while running and trying to not trip. The atmosphere was incredible. 15,000 women all running together. The crowds were great, there were a few bands along the race route and some really cool drummers in the tunnel that we had to run through. I wish that had a few more volunteers at the water stations as I had to pour my own water at one of the stations. The water stations were plenty and having Nuun electrolyte stations was bonus. The Cliff shot block station was a bonus. They had already been cut open so I didn't have to struggle with opening the packages. They also had a Luna bar station that I skipped over as there were SO MANY people, I almost didn't see it.

I tried to pick up my pace after mile 9 as I knew that I had to get back to nurse my son. When the crowd opened up, I broke free and tried to pick up the pace. I didn't manage to PB, but crossed the finish line with a smile and got my Tiffany "medal" necklace. After four years of trying, I'm so HAPPY I got my necklace. It was a wonderful weekend away with my girlfriends and the race will go down as one of the best races I've ever ran. 

Results -  Division place 671/1789

               5K -    0:35:21

               10K -  1:07:43

               15K -  1:39:28

               20K -  2:10:03

           FINISH - 2:16:11

Pace 10:10

What's your dream race? 

What is your favourite race you've run?

Taper Time

It's been a pretty crazy week as I have been back in the sleep training trenches with baby #2 since we got back from Mexico. I has taken a number of sleepless nights and lots of crying, but I think we've worked it out. It is also time to taper.

I just finished reading my old posts that I have logged on my quest to run after having baby. I can't believe how fast the months have flown by. My son will be 7 months this week and I will be leaving to run one of my dream races, the Nike Women Half Marathon in Washington. I have been training diligently since my doctor gave me the all clear and I am now into the last week of my training plan.


                        Sunday          Mon          Tues           Wednesday         Thurs       Friday        Saturday

I will spend this week relaxing and packing as I will be taking my son with me on this trip as I am still nursing him and he has not quite taken the bottle yet. I am nervous yet excited. I have spent the last 16 weeks following my training plan and have been pretty good with minimal injuries. I am happy with my progress and only hope to get better. I'm not sure how I will do with this race as I will be running with two friends who are injured. I am hoping that they will rest up this week and be able to run a good race with me on Sunday.

Here's a photo from one of my runs last week. It was the first time running with a jogging stroller. I had bought this stroller the day I got home from the hospital with my son and finally after 6. 5 months I was able to take him out for a run. It's definitely different running with the stroller. It will take some getting used to. I'm hoping to get out for more runs as the weather gets nicer.

Hope you all have a great week !

4:09 #RunforBoston

My heart is in Boston today. It aches every time I think about running. All my thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this senseless act. 

I spent yesterday glued to my computer and iPhone  checking for updates on the Boston Marathon. a runner's 'Holy Grail'. The moment I heard/read about the explosions in Boston, I was in shock. I was in disbelief at first thinking that maybe it was a prank. When it finally sunk in, I was angry and was deeply saddened, I felt violated.

My good friend called me as we are both runners and consoled each other as we were both quite devastated by the news. I continued to get a number of friends messaging me to let me know what had happened.

Social media and the news agencies were a buzz and all I could do was relive the video clips that were circulating and think about was my family. I have run many races with family waiting for me at the finish line. I'm don't know "why" anyone would want to harm innocent people. All I know is that I will not let this event deter me from what I love. I will continue to lace up my runners and get outside. I will not let my anger or fear get the best of me. I will run for all those who cannot. I will hold my kids and husband closer. 

I am not surprised by all the outpouring of tweets on Twitter, updates on Facebook and stories of the people who have stepped up and helped. The heartwarming stories of everyday people who were first responders, heroes that helped the runners that were unable to finish, spectators and anyone who needed help.  I will continue to train hard in hopes that I will qualify one day for Boston. It is amazing how the running community has bonded together. I am proud that say that I am a runner and am apart of this family.

In honour of Boston, the running community suggested wearing a race shirt and run 4.09 miles to represent the time into the marathon at which the first explosion went off or run for 26.2 minutes. I will continue to run for a long as I can.