February 100km Challenge Wrap up

Yesterday I completed the 100kms!

Friday: 4km in 26:35
Saturday: 6km in 40:35

I'm pretty tired. Here's some stats from February:

Total Weight Loss: 2.9kg
Days of running: 18 days
Amount of runs: 22 runs
Calories burnt (according to miCoach): 8951 calories
Time spent running: 11:02:51
Average Pace: 6:32
Average distance of runs: 4.5km
Longest run: 10km (day 20)
Shortest run: 1km (Day 18)
Fastest pace: 5:36mins per km (1km, day 18)
Slowest pace: 6:50mins per km (6km, day 6)
Average Heart Rate: 170bpm

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Originally my reward was going to be a GHD, but I wasn't really that excited about it. I then changed my mind to an Xbox, but once I started researching I decided I didn't really need one.

Instead I just wandered the shops trying to find something I wanted.

I ended up buying these:

A pair of Nike Free "Run". They didn't have any pink so I went with orange.

Pretty keen to get out for a run today in these.

Running Readings

In the last few months I've purchased/been given quite a few running/fitness books.

Yesterday this book was delivered to the office:

I haven't had a chance to start reading it yet, but it looks pretty good.

I found out about it from the million emails that Runner's World sends me daily.

The chapter I'm looking forward to reading is the one on nutrition. It's definitely one of the things I need to work on. The other being core strength/leg strength.

Strength is being addressed by seeing a Personal Trainer, which starts on Tuesday. Hopefully they can help with nutrition, but otherwise I'll just have to try to figure it out.

I recently finished reading '50 Marathons in 50 Days'. I really enjoyed this book. If you're not a runner I can't imagine you'd get anything out of it.

The only problem with this book is that Dean Karnazes makes running a marathon sound so easy. He mentions a bunch of first time marathon runners that are able to run with him the whole way (he adjusts his pace, but he still runs all marathons well under 5 hours).

Somehow, I don't think a marathon is as easy as he makes it out to be. Especially running 50 in 50 days. What a lunatic.

I bought Lance Armstrong's book after reading Born to Run, as it was mentioned a few times in there. But I've yet to read it.

I bought Susie Burrell's 'Losing the Last 5kg' when I was searching for Michelle Bridges' version of it. Turned out it hadn't been released yet when I was looking.

I actually had seen quotes from Burrell's book in Cleo/Cosmo/Madison at one point. So I thought I'd give it a go.

Burrell lists a detox diet at the beginning of the book. At the time of reading her detox diet included more food than I was actually eating. So, I gave it a go. With some modifications. Her detox soup was quite nice, and I enjoyed having turkey and rice for dinner for over a week.

However, as I started to ramp up into February to run 100km I had to stop the silly eating habits. It wasn't working, I needed so much more fuel.

I haven't really read Michelle Bridges' book yet. I skimmed through it, but generally didn't find it containing anything that was motivating/helpful for me. I can see for beginner exercisers it would be okay. But not really for me.

At the moment I'm taking a break from fitness/health books and also from biographies (just finished 127 Hours, also have Portia De Rossi's book to read), and reading 'The Slap' by Christos Tsiolkas.

The Final Countdown

10km to go!

That's totally going to be only 2 runs at the most. Doubt I'd be able to push out a 10km tomorrow.

Today's 6km was quite tough. I was on an unknown treadmill in an unknown environment. The damn treadmill decided to 'cool down' at 30 minutes, so I had to do a quick stop/start again, and had to calculate what 6km minus 4.64km was to figure out what was left. My brain doesn't play nice with maths when running (or recovering from running).

Yay!

Oops

Look what I just did:

Tiring February

There are 5 days left of February. Tiring, exhasting February.

Yesterday I managed to get out a good 6km, my fastest yet. 38:44 I think it was. Before that my best was over 39 minutes.

16km to go!

I have my running gear with me today, I think I'm committed to going to the Anytime Fitness gym again. I'll try to do another 6km, hoping for a bit more than that. However, I'm driving a colleague so she'll be stuck at the gym until I finish.

Then the question is, do I finish up in one or two runs? If I do 6km today, I have 10km left. I can do that in one run, but I'd need to rest tomorrow and try to do it on Saturday. The risk is I won't be able to run 10km on Saturday (I can't always run 10km...I need to be in the right body and head space for it). Then I'll have to run on Sunday. Which is not what I want to do.

So, I could run 6-7km today, attempt to finish tomorrow night. If I don't, then I should have a do-able amount on Saturday.

Looking forward to Sunday, a very big rest day.

March Speed Challenge

March is nearly here, and I need to decide what my challenge for March shall be.

I decided a week or so ago that March would be my month to improve my running speed. Speed is not something I am great on improving. Generally I am a pretty slow runner. People who run much less than me can run 5km nearly 10 minutes faster than I can. Not fair.

I think this is due to the way I trained myself to run 6 years ago. I was always a slow and steady runner. I was always about distance. Based on this I think I am stuck at running a certain speed, unless I push myself to go faster.

Thoughts for some goals for March:

• 2km in under 10 minutes
• 3km in under 18 minutes
• 5km in under 30 minutes

The first two I am slightly confident I can pull off. 3km in 18 minutes is the easiest of them. My best is 18:17. But my best 2km is 11:30. My best 1km is 5:30ish, so I can possibly get closer to 11, but under 10?

5km in under 30 minutes will probably be the hardest, but it's the one I have actually done before. I have to maintain a 10kph+ speed for 5km. Yikes. Apparently I have done 2km in under 10 minutes, according to my old LJ, but I don't remember it.

I feel like my March speed challenge will be harder than my February 100km challenge. This is why I have booked some Personal Training. I need to strengthen my legs, and push myself in ways that I don't think of.

I wish I could live at Camp Biggest Loser.

February 100km Challenge: Day 22

So very close! 22km to go, on day 22!

I ran 3km yesterday at the new Anytime Fitness gym in Fyshwick. The treadmill was pretty neat. I really liked the footage of running around a 400m track.

I'm doing much better running at higher speeds, I ran at over 10.5 for well over 500m yesterday, towards the end of my 3km. Very pleased.

Tried to beat my best 3km, but was too late when I decided to do that. 18:34. Not too bad though.

Last night my legs were very uncomfortable. I think I need a rest from the 10km Sunday and 3km yesterday. I'll then try for a 6km tomorrow.

My abs were looking pretty neat this morning. Think they'll look pretty good after I lose another 5kg!

February 100km Challenge - Day 20

There's just over 1 week remaining for my challenge. It's going to be over very soon.

Yesterday I was supposed to do a 6km run, but I got so addicted to my computer game I didn't even change out of my PJs, let alone leave the house for a run.

Today I wasn't going to let that happen, I went straight to the gym after finally (finishing) watching Inception, before I got the chance to play the computer.

Plan was to do only 6km. This would leave 4km to do tomorrow, and since I'm committed to a gym session tomorrow it was no big deal.

They have moved the treadmills around slightly at the gym, as I mentioned in the last post. There are now only 2 of the treadmills I actually want to use, because one broke (wasn't me!). After I hopped on, a girl who was running on one of the shit treadmills moved over to the other one, so she was next to me. She started running while I started my 2-3 minute warm up walk.

Run was comfortable, the acupressure massage on Friday (and rest yesterday) must've sorted out whatever was causing my ankle stiffness. At the 1km point I knew I could get to 6km. At 4km I was pretty comfortable, the girl next to me was also still running.

Sometimes I make a competition in my head with people who are in the gym when I'm there. The girl next to me seemed like good competition, at 5km she was still going. Usually I have won by now. At about that point I decided a 10km was possible, I should try it. This would get me to where I needed to be to start the week, plus I really needed to do one as I have a 10km fun run in exactly 2 weeks. Plus. there is no way this girl could run for 70 minutes. What are the chances?

Getting closer to 10k, the girl next to me wasn't letting up. She was doing faster intervals than I could do, she was putting up the incline, and she was also reading a newspaper. What a machine. For the last 2km I felt she was matching my pace, we were almost running in sync with each other. It was pretty good actually. I thought she might stop when I stopped.

Last 300m I did a sprint to the end. When I say sprint, I only got it up to 12kph speed at the end, but after 9.9km that's not an easy effort. Luckily I had my current favourite running song making that easier (Killing in the Name by RATM).

Total time for 10km was 66:42. Not bad. Second 5km definitely significantly slower than the first, I had the treadmill down to 8kph at one point, around 7km, just to give myself some recovery time so I could do the full distance.

The girl next to me was STILL RUNNING when I finished. She was also still running 10 minutes later when I cleaned the treadmill. I didn't get a chance to look at her distance, but it had to be close to 15km with the pace she was going. So impressed.

I wonder if she wants a new friend.

When I got home after my shower I did a weigh in, I was under 7kg loss. 7.2kg loss to be exact. That's a huge milestone. It gets me under a weight I haven't been at for close to 2 years.

Only 2.8kg to go. (But then I want to lose another 2kg at least).

Whitsunday's is now looking like it's going to happen. But I don't know if I want to go in winter or not. I think I might wait until spring, close to my birthday. Hopefully I can be more than 5kg lighter than I am now. That would be awesome.

Computer game time now. I think I've deserved it.

Change of plans, change of pace

I didn't run last night. I got home, started playing Test Drive Unlimited 2, and kept on playing until after 8pm. By this point I knew there was no chance I could change, drive to the gym, and run a decent amount before they closed.

So it was a rest day. No big deal right? Considering I ran the two days before. I felt pretty guilty thought, I was sitting on my arse playing computer games for nearly 3 hours. Wrong!

Instead I ran today at lunch time, I wasn't originally planning too, but I figured TDU2 was too big of a risk to my running. So today lunch time it was.

When I got to the gym, there were two guys running on my treadmills. OH NO I thought. It was bound to happen one day, I'll just deal with using one of the small ones. As I walk over I notice the new one, that previously was facing the wrong way, which made it oh-so unappealing to use, was moved and facing the right way.

So I try the new one. It's been moved to face the right way, but it's still right next to the door and reception. High traffic area! The little holders for water/etc were on a weird angle and very annoying for my iPod and miCoach.

Anyways, so I run, and less than 1km in my left ankle decides to be a big fat jerk again. I feel deflated, I start thinking there is no way I can finish my 100km in this state. I think I am close to injury, I MAY HAVE TO GIVE UP.

I pushed through to 1.5km. Decided to do some upper body weights. That was fun, it was hard. I managed to get to a point where I physically could not move the bars. Very pleased.

After the weights, I notice my treadmills are free. Woohoo, I think. I'll give it another go.

I jump on, but my mood is so bad that I only manage to get through 1.5km to round the run up to 3km. I walk it off, I feel angry, I feel annoyed. MY STUPID ANKLE IS CAUSING ME SO MUCH STRESS.

The anger was helpful, I decide to use this anger to get back at my STUPID ANKLE. How about a fast km? I think to myself. So, I start the treadmill at 10 speed, and start running again. at 0.3km I push it up to 10.6, planning to only catch up from the slow time that the treadmill speeds up. After 0.5km, when I am a few seconds under my target, I decide 10.6 is staying. So, I stay at 10.6. I'm pretty sure at 0.7km I pushed it up to 11, then at 0.8km up to 11.5, 0.9km 12 and 0.95 up to 12.5.

5:39! Best km (solo km) yet!

I stop, I feel proud, I have a sense of 'TAKE THAT STUPID ANKLE' (which meanwhile, is not causing me any grief).

That took me to 4km. Not bad. But I wasn't satisfied.

So, off I go again, another fast km. I really don't think I could do as well as the first. I just hope to be under 6 minutes. I do the same as last time, 10.6 at the 0.3km point. However, before 0.7 I start to increase the speed. I don't really know what speeds I did when, it was a bit more random button pushing. But my final speed was 12.7km

5:36! Woohoo!

That took me to 5km. I really need to do 6km to be back on target. So, I did an easy 1km on about 9 speed to round that up to 6km.

Very pleased with my gym workout today. I am incredibly fatigued, was forced to play table tennis this afternoon anyway... tiring (and I lost, again).

35km to go!

Ideally I want to be at 25km by end of Monday. That's only 10km in 3 days, totally doable.

Getting Chinese acupressure massage tonight, hoping this sorts out my ankle issue. I suspect the cause of my ankle issue is actually my knee/calf. I'm slightly worried that I'll be sore from the massage tomorrow, but I have the space to be able to skip a run tomorrow if need be.

Crikey, I might actually be able to do this 100km.

February 100km Challenge - Day 17

I've done two runs since my last post.

Tuesday, I wanted to do a minimum of 4km, but was hoping for 6km. Early on my left ankle was causing me some grief, and at the 1.5km point I had to stop and risk injury. I loosened it out, got back on, and did another 1.5km. This meant I was only 0.6km off target... not too bad.

Wednesday, I also wanted to do 6km, at least 5km so that I would be back on target. Early on again I had the same ankle problem. 2km in I stopped, loosened my shoe right up, stretched it, etc. Got back on, and about 1km in I was feeling heaps better. Managed to stick at it for 4km all up for that run, plus the 2km before I stopped made 6km. Hooray.

Today I went to a new gym that has opened up near work with a colleague. It's one of those Anytime gyms, open 24 hours. They had some spiffy looking treadmills - Foxtel, iPod dock, USB upload thingy, personal trainers IN the treadmill. Very spiffy.

My colleague signed up, I wasn't so sure as it's not as close to home as my other gym (which is half way between work and home). They do have one practically across the road from home, but it would be 30 days before I would be able to use any of their gyms. Hmmn.

I decided to get one of their 7 day passes to try it out. I'll see how it goes. If the treadmills are that amazing, well, I'll sign up. I'm tempted to even have 2 gym memberships. I'll see how I feel. Could be silly.

So now I'm kind of tempted to try out the new gym tonight, but the fact that it won't be staffed is a little weird. Not sure that I like it.

One thing I really like about the gym, the treadmills look OUT THE WINDOW. Not at the testosterone filled weights section.

One thing I don't like about the gym, it smells like paint. Gross. That can't be good for my lungs.

I think tonight I'll go to my usual gym, and wait until Monday.

If I can pull of 6km tonight, I'll be ahead for tomorrow, so I will be able to rest tomorrow. Here's hoping. Please be nice to me ankle. (I skipped wearing heels today to try to help it out).

Rest days galore

Yesterday I had my second rest day in four days! Amazing.

I was able to rest again so soon because I hit the half way mark a day early, after I did a 6km at the gym on Sunday afternoon. Was a pretty good run, time was 39:19, which is just short of my best time.

During my run, during one of my speed up intervals my iPod cracked it and was stuck going to max volume. This was way too loud and while running I had to change my iPod settings to lower the max volume. While doing this I totally forgot what speed I was doing and just continued to run while fixing my iPod. I ended up doing double my faster interval than what I would've done. Argh. Was buggered. It sure did help my time, but I think it stopped any chance that I was going to try to do an extra km to get under half way.

Silly.

Sunday night and last night have not been the healthiest in terms of eating. This has taken 0.8kg off my weight loss. That's not too bad really. I think I got over excited with my 7kg weight loss anyway, using a weight in straight after a 6km run.

I am confident I can get over 7kg loss by the end of the week with a few long runs. That will be exciting.

If I'm really lucky I might be able to coincide my 10kg with my 100km. It's a bit of an ask, 3-4kg in 2 weeks is too much. I wouldn't be able to sustain that.

Lunch time run today, going to go for 6km. As long as I do 4km, I'm on track.

February 100km Challenge: Day 12

Today I did a 6km run at the lake. I did a lap, turned around for another 500m then turned back for the last 500m. It was my most comfortable outside run I've had. Was fantastic. I was definitely experiencing my running trance, I have little memory for most of the run. Excellent. Time was nothing special, spot on 40 minutes.

This takes my February total to 44km, 56km to go!

32km of those km have been in the last 7 days! Insane!

I also discovered that miCoach is accurate in terms of both distance and time. This means the treadmill is wrong, and I've been running further and faster than I've been thinking. My 10km according to miCoach was done in less than 65 minutes. That's super.

Big news on the weight side also. I have reached 7kg loss. This is fantastic. This means I can officially go shopping for new clothes, even though I did some on Thursday and this morning. Oh well, I didn't jump the gun by too far.

3kg to go! However I know after those 3kg ideally I'll be looking at losing another 5kg to get back to the weight I was when I first moved to Canberra. I suspect because I had little muscle on me back then this will be unlikely. Hopefully the goal of fitting into my size 9 jeans I bought back in January 2008 should do it.

Finally, a Rest Day

I've been considering a rest day for a couple of days now. Last night I attempted a 6km run, but struggled and only got to 4km. I then hoped to rest, do another 2km, but just could not do it.

I think my body is starting to struggle with this excessive running!

I was telling myself to have a break today, but then part of me was thinking noo I have to stay on track, if I do 2km tonight then I'll still be right on target.

I had a few people tell me I really needed to rest, I wasn't listening. It was only when I started googling how bad running 7 days a week is that I decided, hey, maybe I should rest. My muscles clearly need to recover!

Weight was down again today. Official weight loss is now at 6kg. 4kg to go.

Naughty

I was supposed to wait until I lost 7kg before I let myself go clothes shopping. But I already was getting frustrated with the lack of clothes fitting me, so I did some today.

I managed to fit into some size 10 clothes! Totally unexpected!

Yesterday I did a 4km run at lunch time, today I am not running until tonight. This is the longest break between runs all week. My legs felt quite sore while walking around the shops, I think I should wear heels less.

More weight loss! At 5.7kg loss this morning. Excellent.

February 100km Challenge - Day 9

I've been terrible at updating this blog. Here is what I've been up to since my last post:

Friday 4th Feb: 7km
Sunday 6th Feb: 6km with the Canberra Running Club - this was TOUGH. My time still hasn't been posted on the website, but I think it was about 41-42 minutes.
Monday 7th Feb: 3km
Tuesday 8th Feb: 6km at lunch time, 3km after work

This brings my total km for February to 30km! Which is exactly where I hoped to be according to my diary at this point.

70km to go! That's an average of 3.5km per day now.

I've noticed on miCoach that my average heartrate has been slowly decreasing. Very pleased about this.

Weight loss hasn't changed much. I've decided to not focus on eating as much this month, I was burning out too quickly with all the running and low calorie intake. Although I still am down a little bit at the moment. Weight loss is at 5.4kg. 1.7kg until I can go shopping.

Challenge Set Back

Something I hadn't even considered happened - I got sick on Day 2!

Luckily, I seem to be recovering fast and am a lot better today. But today I am 5.8km off target. Oh no!

If I don't feel any worse throughout the day I will go for a run tonight, I probably shouldn't go too hard, but I will at least do 3km, 5km if I feel good.

I can't get too far behind!

I think I need to reconsider my diet to try to get more nutrients than I currently am. My diet of Salmon/Turkey, Rice and Zuccini for most meals is probably not the greatest. More fruit and vegies please!

EDIT: Don't think I should run tonight, feels like I'm coming down with a fever. Crap it.