fitness goals

Let the PEI Half Marathon Weekend Begin!

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 27 Comments

It’s here!!!! PEI Marathon weekend is upon us Maritimers and I’m one of those lucky ones running the half! After an adventurous year of injuries, multiple treatments, 4 missed races and lots of tears, I’m excited to run this race.

Yesterday (my only day in the office) I managed to squeeze in a quick 5k at lunch and I’m so glad I did. I needed the fresh air and sun on my face. It’s nice to have a few last runs before the big day. I’m hoping that after my 4.5/5 hour drive today, Saï and I can go for out for a short run…a run date if you must 😉 {Sai…get your running gear ready}.

Oct 15th PR Run

Goals

I’d love to say I have some lofty goals like a new PB (2:05:10) but for this race my main goal is to run the 21.1 pain free and feel good the whole time. Don’t get me wrong, if a PB happens, I won’t turn it away but I can honestly say I’m not in that kind of shape….and THAT’S okay. If I’m having a really good race I might be able to pull off 2:10 but I’m feeling like I’ll be around the 2:15-2:20 and again, I’m okay with that. No A, B or C goals for this race.

Emotions

I have butterflies floating around my stomach as I write this and a few tears forming….gosh, it was such a shitty running year for me for so long. I’ve cried periodically on my runs for no reason at all. At the beginning, in the middle and sometimes when they are over. Maybe it’s the fact that I can vision myself running the distance, maybe it’s just because I want to run the distance so bad and seem to have fought hard to get here. I dunno. When you want to do something and you physically are held back it can become such a mental game. It can also become something you work hard for…..really hard for.

Runner’s Life

You jump out of bed at 5:45 am to make sure you are up and ready to meet your running buddy for a long run. You follow your training plan or mix it up depending on what life decided to throw you that day. You take a rest day when you really shouldn’t but your body and sometimes your mind just needs it. And you do way more laundry then you’d ever expect! Oh, and you struggle to get up at 6:30 am on your work day….yeah, that’s real. I strongly dislike getting up on a work day but leap out of bed on an early morning run day.

{Random Finish Race Photo from last week’s Valley Harvest Marathon 10k}

Finish photo at Valley Harvest marathon Pace Bunny

Sorry, that was too good not to share. I’m unsure of the photographer who took the photo but Thank you!.

For my 3rd half marathon, I’m just going to run. Run for me. Run for my girls and husband. Run for my friends. Run for the various running groups and communities I belong to. Run for the races I’ve missed. Run for the many races I volunteered at this year and run for the love of sport. That’s what it really comes down to, I do love to run.

Race Updates

I can’t promise a race recap on Monday as I’ll be spending most of the day in the car and the remainder of my day/evening with my girls. Plus Canadians will be VOTING Monday {Don’t forget to vote!}. I will keep my Instagram and my Facebook page updated so you can check out how the race went that way….if you want a sneak peak 🙂

Good luck to all those running the PEI Marathon (#peimarathon); all distances – Charlotte, Andrew, April. Good luck to those running the Toronto Waterfront Marathon (#STWM). 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Cheers, Piper. 

Upper Body Workout: Arms

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 18 Comments

Lately the only upper body workout I am doing is picking up my 30 lbs 2.5 year-old and carrying multiple grocery bags/backpacks at the same time! So really, I am lacking in my upper body workouts big time, whomp, whomp 😦

I’m not very good at monthly challenges even though I start out pretty solid so I’m hoping in June I’ll sick to it a little more. My plans are to do these along with my running plan and PT exercises for my hamstring and glutes.

Plank Challenge:

plank 30 Day challenge

I would love to be able to hold a plank for 3 minutes plus! So…bring it on June!

Arm workouts:

Tone arms in 7 days

Pretty basic – works for me!

And I’m sharing this last one because it made me laugh 🙂

arm workout

Do you do much upper body work outs?

What’s your favourite arm workout?

Do you plank? How often?

Don’t forget about my Cordskinz giveaway here!

Images/workouts found on Pinterest. I’m not a fitness training, personal trainer or Doctor. Please consult the professionals before starting any new workouts.

A Little Confidence Booster

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 22 Comments

March was an okay running month for me. Though I am no where close to where I was last year, I am perfectly fine with that.

I did managed to ski a few times with Lilly 🙂

20150308_111859

I’ve learned that having a cheering squad when you chop wood for kindling is the best thing ever! Yes, my girls say “Good job Mama” and “Way to go” after I successful chop a piece of wood.

I volunteered at the Hypothermic Half. I’ve had some good runs and ONE terrible run that set me back again however, I’m moving forward.

Yesterday, I took advantage of the sunshine and being off work a little early since I started my day that much earlier.

I jumped on the treadmill and ran 3k and then took off outside once my Green Garmin caught the satellite. It was like my poor Garmin forgot how to catch the satellite…hummm, maybe that’s a sign I need to get out more! Slowly but surely I will.

I took off running down my road which was clear of snow for the most part.

march 31st run

I was running fast and my legs were happy about it. I decided I wanted to see what kind of pace I could do so I kept that pace up. Really, it felt like I was testing my lung capacity!

First kilometer: 5:47 Second kilometer: 5:44 (after dodging one small section of snow/ice that I walked through). Ahhhhhh…….just what I needed. A little confidence booster to realise I am where I want to be.

The plan is to run on the treadmill and then run outside 1-2 km, then bump that up to 3-4 km, then 5-6 km outside. In time I’ll get there but for now I’m just going to enjoy yesterday’s little confidence booster.

Oh and so far my hamstring today is good. I’m bouncing sitting on my exercise ball at my desk and am feeling pretty good.

Have you had any confidence boosters lately?

Runners – how’s your pace after this winter? (Okay, for all us Nova Scotians – how’s your pace after THIS winter?)

Ever have your own personal cheering squad ?

Finally Had a Fantastic Run

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 23 Comments

It seems like it’s been months since I’ve had really great run! To be honest, probably sometime back in November, maybe even October 😦

With this nasty hamstring injury, I’ve been taking it one day at a time. Frustrating with running 2k for a whole week, then 3k, 4k etc. They have been slow runs; the kind of slow run you do when you are warming up for a soccer game – at least that’s what I was told I could only do.

Each week, I’ve increased my distance by 1 kilometer and shoveled a lot of snow – too much for my liking. Some of my “running days” I would take the day off as my whole leg, not just my hamstring was feeling terrible. The thought of running was just a thought….

HOWEVER……. I finally had an amazing run! It was my first 5k in over a month!

No pain.

Running at my normal slow speed, not my warm up soccer speed.

On THE BEAST.

The BEAST!

The BEAST!

In some of my favourite running gear…..

Some of my favourites

Some of my favourites

It felt so great, I may have been on cloud 9 for a while after 🙂

I did A LOT of stretching and foam rolling which I am learning are KEY for my recovery not to mention my physio and massage treatments.

running skirt fav

Look Ma, no taped hammy!

 

Slowly…I am getting there 🙂

Marathon training was put on the back burner until the fall but I’m ready to start looking at Half Marathon Training again. Don’t worry, I won’t rush into it. My plan for my next half marathon is to JUST get through training easy, with no pain and finish the distance. No focus on a PB but just successfully train and be healthy the whole time.

When was the last time you had a FANTASTIC run (or workout) ?

Ever have a FANTASTIC treadmill run?

What are some of your favourite running gear these days?

Winter storm update – we are getting another 10-15 cm on Thursday – I’ve already started crying.