Goodbye old shoes, Hello New shoes!

It was TECT day today, and I learnt to ride my new bike!  I felt like I was learning for the first time all over again!  Well of course I know how to get on and ride a bike, but more learning to use the gears.  Last time I had a mountain bike there was only one thingy to change gears, and even then I wasn’t exactly sure it all worked.  Goh!  I know how to drive a Manual transmission car, and I have issues with bloody bikes!  We will get there, and we will be awesome!  Once we get past the “sore butt”, but I didn’t bail, 100 cool points for me!!

I do have issues with taking instruction from my husband.  In my former line of work it was about me teaching others and managing/telling others what to do, it is odd being told what to do!  Especially by my husband (miss independent) a lot of the time I felt like ripping his head off!  But we wont tell him that…

And next time Jared comes home from work, I want to get amongst this madness!!  Adrenaline Forest!  Right opposite the MTB track and just behind my usual running trail track.  EXCITE!
Bad picture!  But it is obstacles in very high trees!  Lots of climby things, swingy things, flying foxy things, rope, wire and harness!!!

And…
…Today I bought new shoes!

After getting comfy and all used to these bad boys, I have developed two wee holes in the front there and the sole is quite worn.

It was more a decision the hubby made for me buying new.  I went to Podium Podiatry to suss me something appropriate to my feet.  I was very nervous about buying new shoes after getting comfy with the Adidas Marathons.  Then after trying about 3 different pairs of cushy numbers and have a quick run around, I chose these…

Asics GT-2000, if that makes any diff, who knows, but its a new shoe and we have to break these suckers in!
And so that is what I did today!
Hubby drove to pick children up from the Nannys house, and I took a detoured run of 5km’ish to meet him there.  Was supposed to be just a quick 3.4km according to the husband, but I had done enough of “following instruction” for one day and wrangled me an extra couply k’s.  The run was awkward and long, but we got there at 38mins, it just felt as if I was hauling along too big puffy bricks or heavy bubble wrapped socks!  I’m sure once they are properly broken in I will feel a lot better about them.

Saturday tomorrow, I really want to start my couch to 10k app, but I should really start on a fresh week.  I def’s need to get out for at least a 5k, hubby reckons I get shitty if I don’t run, I feel sorry for him! ha!

Getting close to Zombie Run, costume making next week, become one with the crafty me!

Have a happy active weekend my beasts!

Jay 🙂

We will remember them

I didn’t get in my 5k today, ran out of time and light.
Today is ANZAC day.  A day where Australians and New Zealanders remember those who fought at Gallipoli during World War I and those who serve in wars and conflicts since then.  The ANZAC’s Australian and New Zealand Army Corps although not successful in meeting their objective of capturing Constantinople back in 1915 after suffering heavy casualty, we continue to remember the great sacrifice made.

We did not make it down for Dawn Parade early this morning as the children don’t wake till 730am.  But we did get down to Memorial Park today to give the kids a run around and to go visit the Memorial

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

TECT tomorrow, MTB Track!!!
Will make sure Jared snaps up some pics if I bail ha!

Jay 🙂

Slow Down

After having a day off, I laced up again and hit the pavement.  I decided I would just see how my shins go today, paying special attention to my stride and cadence as I went, being sure to keep it short and avoid pushing my Tibialis anterior muscle back into strain!
Last night while catching up on blogs I follow, I decided I would download a Podcast app on my phone so I could listen to Coach Patrick Reeds A Runners Podcast during my run today.  Let me tell you, it couldn’t have come at a better time!  His podcasts include tips to improve your running life, explanation of his ‘run 5k a day’, answering listeners questions, quotes and running news, plenty of super helpful information for a runner of every level, and it’s free!  Why has this come at a good time for me?…
Slow Down!  Reed talks about slowing down in his 2nd podcast.  I slowed down, and for this simple action I ran the entire 5k non-stop with an iffy leg and with minimal to no pain!  It is not easy to slow down though, as mentioned in posts by Coach Reed on Run5kaday.  It takes me a bit to get my pace, cadence and breathing right, but the little time, concentration and effort you put into getting it comfortable helps to enjoy the rest of your run!
I didn’t listen to my Beast Playlist with thumping Ra Ra Ra music that encourages me to push hard and fast, instead I listened to these podcasts which required me to concentrate on what is being said and apply things to my run, helping me to actually Slow Down.
I believe quite firmly that if I hadn’t have listened to this podcast telling me to slow down, I would’ve been back in the same boat I was in with my bung leg/shin splints limping my butt back home!

Todays was by far the best ‘simply for the sake of running’ run that I have ever done, one of my most enjoyable ones yet, not about how fast or how far, more about enjoying being out and simply being able to run!  Some of it ‘road run’ even!
I have definitely got the bug!

Another helpful thing that an FB friend shared with me today

The full version can also be viewed through the above video.

Still taking it easy before Zombie Run (18 days to go!!!), and I may enter an event in June, see how we go…

Tomorrow another casual 5k down on the Estuary boardwalk, lets hope I can get some good weather for it!

Jay 🙂

Running and Growing…

“A run has never returned me exactly the same.  I go, I grow.”

Kristin Armstrong, diamonds, Mile Markers Blog, Runners World.com

Drop and Run!

My newest way of getting in a run… Running home!
Hubby and I dropped the children off at their nanny’s house for the day and rather than riding home in the car, I ran home.  Probably my best idea yet for getting in a run, giving myself no choice but to!
We measured the distance in the car to be 3ish km’s, I planned to go the longer way home hopefully doubling my distance.  Unfortunately after the first 1.5k’s my lower leg tightened up, so much that I had to stop to stretch out.  Stretching out just gave a temporary relief, I knew I was experiencing the dreaded shin splints!  URGH!
I have never had shin splints while running, only ever developed the pain the next day after a hard run, so naturally I somehow thought I was immune to getting them, idiot!
I have seen this video before, and I think I have posted it before too, so I will only chuck up the link to it, The Runners World explanation to Shin splints, causes and prevention…  I am going to get to some foam rolling immediately after posting!

My run was only 3.4km, and in 27mins, yuck!  A very sad run, more like a miserable walk!
I am guessing that the hilly roads threw me through a loop, on top of Road running which you know I kind of loathe, and my lack of consistent running.  I have been my own worst enemy!
I really need to take it easy leading up to Zombie Run, I don’t want to have to be my groups ‘sacrifice’ ha!  My plan is to just stick to not to hit anything over 7km.  I know my last run was of 10km, but I seriously think that one was purely mental, it was for a cause and I had a positive mind set to knock it out and prove something to myself.  The daily grind run purely for my sanity but doesn’t come with the same mind set.  It really should!  Lets Ice up, Roll out, Anti-inflam and get a good nights sleep!

My just in case plan…

AND… I also need to get back into my squatting!  Strong Butt, Strong Legs, Strong Run!
Getting in some cross training too this week, MTB for the win!

This pain will not beat me!

Jay 🙂

If you run…

…you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.”
– John Bingham

This is the affirmation I gave myself this morning.
Today I ran for Boston.  I only just learned of this Event from reading a whole bunch of blogs the night before.  Like I have said in posts before, I am amateur at best, so do not know too much about the running world.  For this simple fact I thought I may not have been worthy of dedicating a run in the name of the 2013 tragedy.  But then I came across the above quote and found my place in the Running World.  I love how this sport is more like a way of life, so non-judgemental, and so beautifully simple!  You get out and run, and if you run that makes you a runner!

I am a runner!

Today I ran with Amy, we covered 10km in total.  My longest and farthest run ever in my life.  We ran the Waikareao Estuary, it was amazing!  What was more amazing, knees don’t hurt as much as they usually do.
My greatest ever feeling, when I surprise myself!  When I know I can do more and give more, and then follow through, its pretty up there with some of the greatest moments in my life!  However I have to come back down to earth and remember that today was for something bigger than myself, for those who have lost their lives or are still recovering their injuries from the Marathon bombings.
When I first heard news of what happened, it was my early morning here in New Zealand, I was glued to the TV waiting for more and more updates.  My first thoughts were of sadness for the competitors and supporters, my second thoughts were again for these people, but more of anger.  Because of these terrible terrible acts, the people were deprived of the race and their achievements being the highlight of their day!  They were robbed of their front page news, the TV news highlights, instead words of bombing and motives and evidence, injury and death and blood steal the limelight.  I have never experienced marathon before, I have never really been into distance running before, but that morning, it felt like running was one of the things that defined me and because of this, my blood boiled!  Tbh I don’t think I ever found out who actually won the marathon, or even where the kiwi’s placed.  I spewed a few colourful words over my FB status’s and Beast Page, I know my entire newsfeed was covered in colourful comments like mine.

Ok negativity and colourful speak over, I must tell you about something wonderful that has happened in New Zealand.  Most have probably already heard, I am late with my post – Parliament has passed the Same-sex marriage law!  How excite is that!  Now all my fabulous gay friends can get married and it be recognised legally!  I am grateful to be alive in this day and in this country!

I hope you are all planning on running tomorrow, and I hope you too will surprise yourself!

Jay 🙂

Chucking it in!

I am giving up on road running!  I hate it, and I don’t even know why!  Well I do know why, because every road run I have done in the last week or so has left me in pain!  My knees, hips and back!  Also I get the craziest stitch!  In amongst my road run’s were my off-road runs, where there was no pain at all, and seemed so effortless in comparison.  I say I am giving up on road running, I probably wont, but I will limit them.  I have got to the point where I run more for enjoyment than for my original reason of losing weight.  Quite frankly I would rather be fat and running, than to be thin and not be able to run!  I stress so much about losing the weight, and keeping to my objectives and goals.  I stress about meeting my 1kg mark and counting the calories of each meal.  The feeling of losing that 1kg, is nothing compared to the achievement I feel of covering an extra unplanned kilometre!
I need to re-think my thought processes and what I actually want out of this whole thing!

Anyway I am going to be straight up and include todays weigh-in…dun dun duuuuuuun….

08.04.2013 – 77.4kg
15.04.2013 – 78.1kg

I fucking hate it but I know exactly how I got there!  Too much the drink!  But it was all in the name of one of my GC’s!  Brad, it was his birthday and I swear I polished off almost a box of beer, I was on fire, I was witty…I was so hung the next day!
I also had made a decision that after his birthday I would go dry, tbh, I have finally grown up and realised drinking isn’t for me, well not drinking to get drunk anyway.   A few here and there is all good, but to sink a whole box on your own, that is just asking for trouble!  My husband has little faith in me being able to hang up my drinking hands, quite frankly he needs a punch in the head for saying so!  Usually if someone tells me it can’t be done, they better fuck right off and just watch me…

I don’t mean to be a dick about it, I do know though, that you can’t rely on someone else believing in you, sometimes you just have to put on your big girl/boy panties and believe in yourself, whether it be running, quitting the drink or just getting through your day.  Not trying to get all philosophical and shit, but you know what I mean.

Weather is expected to be a bit shithouse this week, plus the twins are scheduled for 15month immunisations, fun times in my household this week, it will be madness!  I am going to attempt a few more runs down the Estuary.  I hope I figure out this pain issue because running around the estuary is the most cost effective and boredom-less way I can get in my 7k’s.  I defs wont be giving up my Trail runs, but at the end of the day it is time and money to get out to the TECT, or any off-road trail.

3 and a half weeks till we Run for our Freak’n lives!  I am not phased about this, it will be physical and it will be challenging, but I know I will not (literally) die from competing, so I am not getting too hung up about it.  Jared (hubby) won’t be competing in our team anymore, some wrong calculations meant that he misses out and will be back at work at that time, so instead a friend of Brads is entering in Jareds place.  This guy (Marc)  is a little insane, totally competitive and very tactical.  He is exactly what we need.  He has completed a few Tough Mudders and has once competed in a Worlds Toughest Mudder, where you have 24hours to try knock out as many entire runs of the course as you can.  We sat conversing about TM for a good half hour to an hour about how to complete one, his teams experience with hypothermia and methods of how to get myself ready for one.  This guy was intense, but that’s cool with me!

I had mentioned in one of my last posts about the events I will be completing this year.  I have had second thoughts about whether to continue with the road runs, or to change my events to Trail/Off-road.  I don’t know, I’ll mull it over, I don’t want to end up hating it and chucking it all in for the sake of completing an event!

Need to sort my shit out, need to go for a run!

Jay 🙂

97.5km to go!

First of all Weigh-in…
01.04.2013 – 77.7kg
08.04.2013 – 77.4kg
URGH this is not getting toward my 4kg for this month, not enough running, too much eating/eating the wrong things!  Moving on…

Hit up another 7.42km today.  We have an Estuary/inlet that pools right in the middle of my town (Tauranga).  The entire Waikareao Estuary Loop is unofficially 9km.  Because it is situated right in the middle of Tauranga City, there a numerous ways from which to access the track.  It is very popular with runners, walkers, mountain bikers and dog owners taking around just 2 hours to complete the entire loop (walking).

Today I ran about half the Estuary, I live about 1km out from the track, so considering that I would be dying if I dared try anymore than half.  Though it wont be long until I will be running the entire loop seeing as have plans to kick it up to 9km runs sometime in June.
I completed my run in under an hour at 56.07mins with an average speed of 7’34″/km.  I am happy with this, but not so much in the effort it took my body to achieve this.  I swear running this track is harder than running up at the TECT which is mixed terrain.  I felt like on the estuary I was having to be very careful on how I place my feet otherwise I feel close to assing over!  Not a cool look!  I really dislike the pebbley/stoney type path which is mixed in with springy boardwalk.  I prefer the trail runs more, it feels more … grippy … like I can propel myself better, if you know what I mean.  Maybe I am just not a good runner, but I feel a difference, so much that my lower back aches tonight.  I am thinking the run was the cause, and on top of that I got a fat stitch about halfway in that took about 2k for me to run comfortably enough again.  One good thing about todays is that I managed to sing an entire song whilst running haha, I thought that was pretty cool, I can’t hold a conversation but I can sing…weird!

I plan on running tomorrow morning, another road run, another 7km, hopefully it is not mega freezing like this morning was, if it is I may leave it for the icky hot afternoon again, fingers crossed I have enough balls to run in the cold freezing dark *thinks ‘man up Janine’*!!!

Well in Totes, I am 22.5km out of 120km, 97.5km to go!  At this point, I am not entirely confident that I will hit my 120, but I have been known to surprise myself ha!

Beast On tomorrow,

Jay 🙂

The sweet 5 mile! ~ In Retrospect

05.04.2013

Run Day was totes amaze balls!!  And I am quite confident that I just hit my 5 miles!
I have been using Nike + Running App during my runs, which has been cool up till now.  According to my tracked run, I only ran 7.92km *super sadface*  But I know for a fact that the route my friend Amy and I chose would have had us hitting up 8.5km.  But then when Amy ran the same App on her phone, she got 9.5km *wtf face*!
Oh well, according to maps and sign posting, I have officially hit my 5 mile mark, and it felt good!!  It actually felt so good, I could’ve run another k!
For the first 5k, Amy and I ran the trail that will be used for the 10k trail run in November, or what I think will be the route.  A part of it runs along side the MTB track that I look forward to test riding with my new bike, excite!  If I remember correctly, Amy and I ran the first 5 k loop in 41 mins.  Most of the first k is uphill, so I defs felt very novice at this point!  Km 2 and 3 were pretty flat and downhill, Km 4 was half uphill, and the last Km was pretty flat.  I feel confident that by November I will be able to get my 41mins down to 30mins or less, running the flats and downs hills quicker allowing a bit of lee-way for the ups.  Got my game plan sussed!  Providing it is the same track…fingers crossed!  (This isn’t cheating though right?!? Preparation I think)
The last 3.2km of the run was the normal TeRerenga Trail, I love running this one, its quite short but I know it so well now that it has become a very enjoyable run.

I didn’t get in my 30DS, I am really guttered about this, but the 8.5km took its toll, I didn’t need to do it, but I felt obligated to because I said I would.  Oh well pick up where I left off tomorrow.

I am 15km shy of my First weeks goal, I am going to pick this up over the next 3 weeks.  My whole plan got stuffed with the anticipation of the arrival home of my husband and the changes with Daylight savings.  At the end of the day I am putting this week behind me and getting my road on the show again tomorrow.  (Yes I do realise I had that round the wrong way).

With the changes in Daylight and slowly creeping into the cooler darker months, I will have to run an hour in the Dark.  DUMB!  A grown woman of 29years and I am still afraid of the dark! haha I will have to keep to the main streets that are lamp posted.  Again hitting up 30km a week, but with my extra 15 shared over the next 3 or so weeks.  Sticking to the plan!

In addition to the plans for the 2nd quarter of the year, I have chosen the events I want to run this year…

May – Zombie 5k Run
August – Whangamata 10k

September – City to Surf 12k

November – TECT Trail Run 10k, maybe 15k depending on how confident I am after the 12k in Sept

Next year I want to get a bit more ambitious!  Most probs a Half Marathon in there, and a Triathlon – most probably shared depending on how fit I am by that stage…Urgh Hate swimming!

Anywho, glad I got the 5mi in, looking forward to hitting my next milestone of 10km

Jay 🙂

Happy 50th Follower to me :) and a secret Obsession!

“…and if you guys want those results, you gotta hang with us and fight for it…”

In the middle of Day 4 Level 1 Circuit 2 Strength of Jillian’s 30 Day Shred and I hear my phone go crazy!  ‘xxx’ liked your post…., ‘xxxx’ is now following On a Jamhunt…, ‘xxx’ liked your post…

It was nuts, but this obviously means my content is mildly entertaining, and if not helpful then must be a ‘for shits and gigs’ read!  I am happy with either, the fact that people even read it is pretty alright in my books!  I am not one to be all fanatical about how many followers I can get, or how many likes I can get on any one post, is more about sharing an experience and most importantly about me reading others material to help me find some insights to this crazy game of weight loss, fitness and a new found fav… off-road/trail running!
I made sure to come back and Edit this post, to actually say thank you to my readers! Completely forgot, but then I guess that is what happens when you are constantly daydreaming about running… Thanks heaps my Fifty!!

On another note, my husband is a day late coming home.  His flight from Nigeria to Dubai was delayed like 3 something hours, so he spent the day and a night in Dubai.  He is on his way from Dubai to Melbourne (13hours’ish) as I write, then from Melbourne to Auckland (NZ) (4hours’ish), then Auckland to Tauranga(40mins’ish).  He does 6 plane flights and a helicopter ride, just to get to work/come home!  And him being a day late does nothing for me getting laid!  Yup I said it, 5 weeks, is a long time, to not get any!  I do feel sorry for those women/men who do the ‘apart’ thing for months on end!  Big up’s to them!

Tomorrow is “run” day, it has been raining in the mornings here, so I haven’t been able to cruise out with the twins for a quick 5k.  It is meant to be fine tomorrow, my friend Amy is keen to hit up the TECT with me.  I am keen to check out the 10-15km trails, Although I have no idea where those are, but I have a map, and can surely figure it out.  Important that I find out, so I can train to not die during the TECT trail run later in November.

My secret obsession, obviously wont be a secret anymore, but I don’t care lol I already know I’m easily influenced and at times an obsessive freak!  In this case, I think it is somewhat healthy!
My children have 2 day naps a day, during this time, I didn’t clean or tidy or complete anything remotely close to what is deemed ‘house-work’.  No, instead I read Race reports, of New Zealanders completing events around the country, mostly Ultramarathon’s and trail races.  Just the thought of completing one of these gets me excited to start training for them!  Unfortunately while the children are still small and hubby is out of the country half the year, time to train is scarce.  I am limited to either running with them, which tends to tire me out quicker considering their weight, and/or running 2 times a week on my own.  I like to get a little more extreme while he is home, making sure to take advantage of any child-free time I may get.  I would usually spend this time watching TV, movies, trying to clean my house, trying to find excuses not to clean my house, anything that was not physical, that’s what I’d be doing.
Anyway back to these race reports…  The things these people experience sound like the most physically demanding and mentally challenging things in the world, I want to experience these things!  And the fact that each had the common theme of “Would you ever do it again”, most times the answer would be ‘no’ post race, then days later that same ‘no’ would change to a ‘yes/hell yes’…sounds to me like giving birth to a child, and I can handle that, I’ve done it twice and one of those times was with twins! ha!  I know the two are in no way comparable, but I have a jist of that same feeling!

Anywho, watch this space for some trail action, I am an amateur at best, but that’s how they all start out right?!?
Do what you love, and Say what you feel…blah blah blah Dr Suess, you get where I am going with this…

Jay 🙂