Friday, February 28, 2014

I Loved Your Post So Much-I Stole It

Posted by Anonymous

Happy Friday friends! Let’s take a moment and do the happy dance now!

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I love a good questionnaire, especially when it has to do with running! I saw this one the other day on this crazy chick's blog. Read and answer as many q’s as you want in the comments below…

1. What weather do you refuse to run in?
Anything below -5 degrees C/ 23 Degrees F, I just hate it and can’t get warm after.  This is as bundled up as I will get.

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2. What distance is your “short” run?
8-11 km/5-7 miles

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3. How do you stay hydrated while running? Water fountain, carry your own etc.
Water fountain is the best way, I don’t like carrying things.

4. Music or no music?
Music fo sure. I didn’t used to for the first 2 years of running but now I know what I was missing!

5. Do you ever run nakid! (without gps)
Not if I don’t have to. I need to know my distance

As you can see, all my post run pics have gps distance recorded.

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6. What is the first thing you do after a run?
I grab some water with nuun and shower immediately

7. What’s your favorite running shoe ever?
Saucony, Kinvara

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8. Do you make deals with yourself to finish a tough run? What are they?
YESSSSS! Usually has to do with food. If it is a BIG goal (like I have right now) then it's a Louis Vuitton purse.

Maybe one of these babies!!

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9. Two things you cannot run without besides kicks?
GPS watch, something for my mop, and lately-music, oops I guess that’s 3.

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10. Running has helped me _____________?
Realize I can accomplish anything if I want to

11. Are you following a training plan? If so, what does your weekly routine look like?
NO! I have given up on them. Every time I try I am derailed and get hugely disappointed :)

12. Be honest, do you regularly stretch & foam roll post run?
Nope! But I should. I do more than I used to but nowhere near as much as I should.

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Have a great weekend everyone!!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

A Swimming Wake Up Call

Posted by CheapRunnerMike

A few weeks back I signed up for the Musselman Triathlon half ironman race and since then my training has kicked into high gear…or not.  Fair enough, I went away on vacation almost right after registering, but since getting back from my beach holiday it has been tough getting up in the morning!

My biggest weakness is the swim, so that is where I see the opportunity for the greatest improvement.We have a family membership at the local YMCA, so I have access to a pool.  So the alarm was set on Monday morning to rouse me at 5:00.  The pool opens at 5:30 and I head into work at 7:00, so there was plenty of time to get a good swim in…except I didn't.  We went out of town after my race on Sunday and weren't home until after 10 and it took me forever to fall asleep…so my bed was just far too inviting when the alarm went off.

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I've had great intentions with early morning runs in the past as well that resulted in throwing the alarm clock against the wall, so this shouldn't come as a huge surprise…but it is a trend I will need to either put a quick stop to or come up with a new swim plan.  There is another Y with a pool a few blocks from my work, but it is the Centre Branch and is a bit older and (as I remember from my childhood) a bit "dank"-er.  I suppose to be fair I should actually give it a shot and not judge it on memories from 25+ years ago.  I get most of my running in at lunchtime, maybe I can try to get in some swimming then too.

Speaking of running, I've been doing pretty good getting my runs in but it feels like I'm slacking.  I'm running 3 or 4 times a week but not really getting long runs in…mostly 10K-ish stuff.  It is still pretty good but I'm just so used to putting in marathon volume that I feel like I'm slacking off.  I need to keep reminding myself that I'm not running a marathon right now!  I do want to mix in some longer runs real soon just to remind my body what it feels like, so hopefully the weather improves a bit and lets me get out there one weekend (the treadmill is just not a long run option for me).

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Ya I hate running in this stuff.  I look like a freaking bank robber.  In fact that may not even be me in that picture, you never know!  I picked up some new sunglasses the other day and got what I thought was a great deal on them.  I've been wearing Michelle's glasses for almost a year now as mine have been in need of replacement.  I have a hard time finding glasses that I like though, so was happy to find a good pair at a good price.  I ended up getting these Oakley Jawbones for $100 (regular price was $260) so I was pleased with that deal.  They also come with two sets of lenses and are great for cycling and running.  They were actually the glasses of choice on the Tour de France a couple years ago, so that's a decent endorsement.  I think the reason these ones were so discounted was because they are the Livestrong edition…fine with me though.  I like the yellow and black colour scheme, I certainly support Cancer research and for all the awful things Lance Armstrong did, he finally came clean (ya I know…when he really had no choice).

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On my to-do list for today, I need to get Michelle and I both signed up for the Forest City Road Race, which takes place April 27.  FCRR is the biggest race in our town and we both ran it last year.  I'm going to do the half marathon again, and Michelle just needs to settle on her distance.  She did the 10K last year, but I'm wondering if she might give the half a shot this year.

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Are you brand-loyal with your sunglasses?
I've only ever worn Oakley for any sport

Do you still despise Lance Armstrong or have you decided to move on?
I hate what he did, but I've moved on.  Seems like everyone on the Tour was cheating back then, but the bullying is what made it so bad.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Harry and Random

Posted by CheapRunnerMichelle

Sorry friends that I am posting so late today...I felt like I have done 2 days worth of work this morning...and it’s not even lunch time for me yet....

Anyhoo...in the spirit of my crazy randomness today...I thought I would answer some ‘ol school blogging Q’s:

Where is your cell phone? Sitting on my desk

Your significant other? Is my best friend, and my favourite person ever…love him

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Your hair? Right now is blonde…but always changing ;)

Your mother? Is who instilled such great morals and values in me

Your favourite thing? My family

Your favourite drink? Dt.Coke

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Your dream/goal? To travel to many places

The room you are in? My office at work a.k.a the hallway (…no really – I am not joking)

Where were you last night? At home on the couch not able to move from my last BodyPump class

What are you not? A pessimist

Muffins? Yes! But very rarely…

The last thing you did? Had a very long meeting a.k.a a debate around here

Your TV? We have one in almost every room…is that bad?!?...and I am a reality junkie…the last series I just finished watching…TLC’s 90 Day FiancĂ©

Your computer? At work…HP…at home – my iPad and iPhone

Your life? Love it – and I am thankful for how truly blessed I am

Your mood? Harry, but good.

Your Car? Jeep Wrangler

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Something you are not wearing? Hhhmmmm….a bracelet I guess

Your summer? Can’t get here fast enough

 

What’s one thing you are up to tonight?

What’s your favourite froyo topping?

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Hittin' the Gym and A Proud Canadian

Posted by Anonymous

Congratulations to Mike on a great race on the weekend! You rocked it!

So, speaking of the weekend….

Saturday, I finally got back to the gym after being back from vacation. It has been super busy at work for me and getting to the gym has not been happening (big sad face :( ).

I did have to work on Saturday but dragged myself to the gym after and got in a decent run. 7.71 miles in an hour for an avg pace of 7:46/mile.

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Saturday night, it was time to try to be social so, I went out for dinner, then to the casino to try some luck….

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No luck….Lost every penny of my 20 bucks! Oh well, it was entertaining to watch people, that was worth my 20 bucks.

Saturday was National Margarita Day! Did y’all know that??!! I had no clue about such a day but picked up on it from all the posts I was seeing on FB and IG so I decided honouring that day was a must…

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Sunday morning was a big morning for Canadians! Because I am a patriotic Canadian, not watching the Olympic hockey game for Gold was not an option.

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Bright and early Sunday morning, I was up watching the game and it was a victorious win for Canada!!

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Congratulations Canada! You did us proud!

I hope everyone’s week is off to a good start and gets better and better!

Did you watch any of the Olympics?

What was your favorite thing to watch?

Monday, February 24, 2014

Really Chilly Road Race Recap

Posted by CheapRunnerMike

After getting back from holidays last week I decided that I felt like doing a race…maybe it was the fact that we were able to get in so many runs while away where I got to wear shorts and short sleeves, but I just had that bug.

Luckily the Really Chilly Road Race was on Sunday, so I jumped online and registered for the 10K (there was a 5K offered as well).  This is the first race in the London Honda Series, which is the local circuit here in town consisting of 6 races throughout the year.  I think that I'll try to do as many as I can as you are eligible for series awards if you run in at least 4 of them.

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Sunday morning came around and despite the beautiful sunshine we had, it was still pretty cold.  It was a few degrees below freezing and the wind was really howling from the West.  I bundled up, but know that the last thing you want in a cold-weather race like this is to wear too much clothing.  I opted for a great fleece-lined Nike pullover I have that has a nice mock neck to keep you warm at the start, but it also has lots of venting and a half-zip to cool you down once you're going.  No jacket for me today.

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We started at 10:10 (for the 10K…clever) and since the race was located at the Fairgrounds, what better way to start than with a complete lap of the half-mile horse track before heading out the tunnel and onto the surrounding streets.

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Once out on the road, we did two laps before heading back through the tunnel to finish on the track in front of the Grandstand.

Michelle and the kids came out to cheer me on, so I gave them kisses and went to the start line to get ready.  My last 10K race I finished in a little over 38 minutes, and I had decided that my goal for today was just to try and break 40.  I haven't been running anywhere near as much as I was the last little while as I've taken it down a notch since the Disney Marathon.  I really just wanted to run this race to see where my fitness was and a 10K is a pretty decent test.

The horn sounded and we were off.  I went with my new (probably severely-flawed) strategy in 5K/10K races of just going fast from the start and I was just behind the leaders as we completed our lap of the half-mile track.

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Then it was down (and up) through the tunnel and out onto the roads.  I was through my first mile in 5'54" (3'40"/km) which I knew was a pretty unsustainable pace for me.  I dialed it back a little and "let" some people pass me.  I settled into a 6'30"-ish mile pace (4'00"/km) and by the time the second mile was complete, nobody else passed me the rest of the day.

Every time we turned to head West, there was a nasty, cold headwind blasting in our faces…it was the worst wind I've had to deal with in a race.  My body was warm, but the fingers on my left hand were completely numb -- no feeling there at all.  That was one of the tough parts of this race, the other being all of the bloody turns.  On the map I count 10 turns out on the streets, and we did two laps, so double that.  It seemed that you would get up to speed and then have to slow for a turn (most of which featured ice and/or slush), and then start back up again.  I know that the course had been certified just days before the race, and the guy that does it is a real pro and doesn't mess them up EVER…but with all those corners and my best efforts at running the tangents, I still logged 10.25km on my GPS for the 10K, a 2.5% increase.

Almost all of the intersections were Police-controlled as well, but that didn't stop me from having to slam on the brakes to avoid an old man in a giant Cadillac blowing through the Cop's stop sign.  I stopped in time, but I had to come to a complete stop from full speed, and do it FAST.  There was a crowd of onlookers there too and they were all in disbelief, raising there arms and saying things to the guy.  I just shrugged my shoulders and set off again (unlike my reaction to almost being run over at the Bluewater Duathlon last summer).

I managed to keep my pace nice and steady the rest of the race and was also able to shed layers as we went, losing my hat (wrapped it around my numb hand to warm it up) and unzipping my top all the way to expose my manly chest.  I reeled in the one runner I could see in front of me around the 9K mark and then came up through the tunnel and gave a big kick to finish strong.  Michelle snapped a few picks from the Grandstand and I've gotta say, I looked fast!  That's some Usain Bolt-like form there at the end!

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I ended up finishing with a time of 40:49, which was good enough for me to take 17th place overall and 2nd in my Age Group.  I went inside for some water, bagels and bananas before grabbing a coffee and heading back outside to cheer on the other runners.

We stuck around for the awards so that I could experience getting my picture taken on the podium.  Unfortunately, the Age Groupers were too cool for that and we just went up to collect our awards and shake some hands.  I still think I should have posed on my own standing on the number 2 spot!

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I ended up getting a New Balance backpack as my prize along with 22 points in the London Honda Series.  Just prior to the awards, I also won a door prize…a black and pink New Balance gym bag.  I ended up giving that one to Kennedy.

All in all I had a good time and ran a strong race.  My split at 5K was under 20 minutes and I can remember that there used to be a time when all I wanted to do was run a sub-20 5K.  Now I can do that when I'm not even feeling fit…I have come a long way the last two years (this weekend was actually my two-year runiversary, with my first run being on the beach in Mexico) and I really feel blessed to have discovered the ability that I had for this great sport.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I fuelled for this race on Saturday night with a great pre-race combination of homemade pizza and margaritas…had to celebrate National Margarita Day!  Fins Up!

Do you know when your Runiversary is?

Ever been (almost) run over by a car during a race?

Sunday, February 23, 2014

3 Cheap Runners' Weekend Wrap

Posted by CheapRunnerMike

While the 3 Cheap Runners enjoy their day off, here are a few of the happenings that caught their eyes during the past week...

 

Links we Liked

  • Here's what happens to low-life bike thieves in Sacramento
  • Need a tech time-out?
  • New training fuel...raisins?
  • Meeting his Highschool Sweetheart again over 20 years later prompts a man to lose 275 pounds
  • The Seven Traits of a mentally tough runner
  • One of my favourite running songs as performed by a dot matrix printer (kids, this is what printers used to sound like!)

 

In case you missed a day...

 

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Snapshot Saturday

Posted by CheapRunnerMike
Enjoy some photos snapped by the 3CheapRunners this week as seen on Instagram.
 
 



Follow MichelleInstagram Follow RhodaInstagramFollow MikeInstagram

 

 

Friday, February 21, 2014

Rainbows and Haters

Posted by CheapRunnerMichelle

Good Friday morning friends – and yeah to the short work week for me and my fellow CheapRunners!

This morning Jackson had an appointment for his final brace fitting and pick-up…so off we went to officially turn him into an old man and get his orthotics

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The other week when I was out of town on business – Mike had taken Jackson for a mould of his foot to be done

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and at the time he also got to pick the colour – rainbow it was. After a little more measuring, some shaving and re-shaping today, it was time for him to try them out

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…crazy to think that this “hunk” of plastic was over $1,000

Ah well….c’est la vie…tonight we are off for homework assignment – we have to buy little man some new shoes – and then we go back for a follow-up in another 2 weeks to see how he’s making out.

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So my last day of work before I went on holidays – the morning of; we got a really nasty “comment” on my work’s Facebook page…the girl that is in charge of the FB here at work asked me what to do about it – and after a little investigation on my part (looking into the customer etc.) I had discovered that this was not a “real” person at all, and I told our FB girl to remove it…well didn’t that just open the flood gates, and within minutes “friends” of this “fake” girl came out of the woodwork with their choice words and comment posts….needless to say a few hours later I received an email from this girl who’s comment we had removed…finally she had a name.

…but think about this…she went to the trouble of creating a new Facebook page – not under her name, all so that she should sit behind her computer and spew her lies and judgment about us…I mean…who does she think she is?!?!?!

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Which really got me thinking about social media these days and all the haters out there in webville…it really irritates me that people think it is there right to sit back and judge others…most of the time people they don’t even know – or will never meet in their life. What gives them the right to put others down and cause self esteem issues, or to tell others how to live their life or to be mean just for the sake of being mean. I realize that haters are gonna hate…but then why do they “follow” you?

I know a few blogger friends have been experiencing this same sort of thing lately and although you want to ignore it – it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t get under your skin a little…well to all those haters I say

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End of rant.

So do you ever experience any haters?...what do you do about it?

What are your plans for the weekend?

Tell me one thing I missed while I was away on vacation, and on a social media break?

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Vacation Time is Over

Posted by Anonymous

Good morning everyone! The 3CheapRunners are back! We had a very nice and relaxing get-away and thoroughly enjoyed soaking up some rays! It seems they will need to last us awhile as it is still very much winter at home.

So what did we do while we were away??

We managed to get a run in 5 out of 6 mornings we were there. We had a beautiful stretch of beach to run along for the first and last mile of our run.

Ate 3 square meals a day, and then some…

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Lounged at the beach…Yes, this is the beach. Lots of grassed area which took some getting used to.

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Lounged at the pool…

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Had a couple photo shoots…

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Made sure we didn’t go thirsty…

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Took some selfies….

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Played some card games…

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Watched the nightly entertainment…. Well at least the nights that we stayed up past 9.

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And on the last night we were there we got invited to a “Private Party” dinner on the beach.

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We never did get any pictures of the 3 of us together. This is the closest to it!

It was a great time and I came back feeling very relaxed! Thanks Mike and Michelle for another great trip!

Anybody else going away before the winter is over?

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Do you run on vacation, or take a break?