The Week In Review

I signed up for dailymile.com, as a way to track my running. I also like that other runners comment on my runs and give me encouragement. This past week has been a good running week. I've run five times this week, and wanted to share my daily mile running stats with you!

Total Distance (mi)
24.51

Total Calories
3193

Total Time
04:07

Workouts
5

Pretty awesome if you ask me! This week I plan to go to the gym, do hill training, bootcamp, yoga and of course a couple of runs!

As always thanks for your support and donations, I can't do this without you!

Stephanie

Personal Best & Amazing Family

My bootcamp trainer sent us all out an e-mail telling us that we needed to have a goal for each week. He told us we needed to e-mail him our goal before our first class of the week. If we didn't have a goal, don't come to class, it's that simple. My goal for this week was something that I've wanted to do for a while, run 5km in 25 minutes or better. I decided Friday night would be the time to complete this goal.

I went down to the gym about 9pm, cause I'm cool like that, warmed up and got ready to tackle this goal! I'm not going to lie, I thought I was going to die, and was really worried I was going to vomit, but I did it! The treadmill works in miles so it was 3.12 miles in 24.55 minutes. I'm super proud and am going to add in some speed work into my running training so I can keep getting faster! I've come a LONG way in less than two years of running!!

This week I got a tweet from my wonderful cousin telling me that next week she's going on a fundraising mission for me! She's going to try and get some loose change and donations to help me with my fundraising. I'm soo excited and it means a lot to me. My mother in law also told me that her brother is asking people at work for donations. That got me thinking. I can't fund raise at work, it's against my code of ethics, but some of you can!

Inspired by my cousin Alex, I'm going to hold a fundraising contest. I would like people who can to take a jar or container to work, or ask friends and family for change. Loose change can really add up and kicking cancer is an amazing cause!

So anyone who hosts a loose change or any other fundraiser on my behalf in the month of August will be entered to win a prize. I don't know what the prize will be yet but rest assured it will rock! If you need jars, stickers or anything from me let me know. Alex already has a head start so get going!

Thanks as always for your support!

Stephanie

Hill Training

So tonight was the first night of hill training with team in training. After work I headed to High Park to meet the group. Now I don't go to High Park often aka never so naturally I got lost. Luckily I was wearing my team in training shirt and ran into Mark, also wearing his team in training shirt. Judy one of the coaches had flagged him down and told him which way to go. By the time I got to the meeting location I felt like I had already done my workout. Also I wore pants.. what was I thinking? Now last night I went to the gym and did lower body weights. This isn't something I usually do as I run, I normally just do upper body at the gym. This resulted in me being very sore this morning.

Sore + Hot + Hills = UGH!

But it can only get better right? We did a warm up, about 2km, and then went to the hill. We were supposed to do three hill repeats, I ended up doing four. I dread what my body will feel like tomorrow. I have boot camp tomorrow so I hope I'm not too sore.

I'm getting close to recommitment so if you were thinking about sponsoring me but haven't yet, please do!

As always thanks for your support!

Stephanie

Cross Training

I am training for a half marathon but it's important to have variety in your workouts, and to cross train. For almost two years now I'm been doing a bootcamp class one day a week. It's a hard work out, but I show up and don't have to think about anything other than completing the exercises. Sometimes when I go to the gym I hate thinking about what exercise I'm going to do next. It's nice to show up and know you're going to get your butt kicked. Here's a video that gives you an idea about the bootcamp I go to.



I also like doing weight training as well and try to do weights at least once a week. Either at the gym in condo or the gym I have a membership to. Having lean muscle can help with running and staying strong.

Yoga is also important. It helps improve your immune system, your flexibility and breathing. So important when you're marathon training. Yoga is something I need to get back into. I'm hoping to add in yoga once a week to my very busy schedule. It would be well worth it!

Do you cross train? What do you do? I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks for your continued support.

Stephanie

Saturday Run

I was supposed to go to the group training session on Saturday morning. I was having trouble getting to sleep Friday night and slept through my alarm Saturday morning. I'm really not a morning person. So I went off to do my Saturday run on my own. My training plan had me running 9km, and the marathon group running 13km. I decided I could do the 13km, and mapped out the massive route.

Here's me before the run:

The run was hard it was hot and humid. I run 10 and 1's but had to take an extra walk around the 6.5km mark. I also find it hard to run with the fuel belt, the extra weight bothered me. I guess it takes getting use to. The water also heated up very quickly!

Here's me after the run:

Just a little red, and sweaty! My arms are still sore from boot camp on Thursday, I blame the 21 chin ups I did!! My body needs a rest day, so I'm off to my parents for a pool day!

I hope all is well, and as always thanks for the support!

Stephanie

Friday Update

I thought that I'd update everyone on my progress thus far on my fundraising mountain. I'd have to say that I'm doing pretty well. I'm up to $2,236.22 please someone sponsor me $3.78 I don't like these uneven numbers!!

Recommitment is 17 days away on August 8th. It's a scary thought for me because it means I'm committing to raising these funds and will have to pay the difference if I don't. That's a scary scary thought, but with these numbers I starting to believe in myself and know it's actually possible!

My goal is to get to $2500 by recomittment and then up to $3000 before minimum fundraising date which is September 9th. That's the scary date, when the rest of the funds get charged to my credit card.

If you've already sponsored thank you! If you were thinking about it, I'd encourage you to go for it! No donation is too small, and no donation too large. Every donation brings us closer to finding a cure, so no one has to suffer through medication and chemotherapy.

Thanks for your support!

Stephanie

Motivation and Accountability

The reason most people fail with exercise or diets is the lack of motivation and accountability. With my running I have no problem with motivation. I'm completing my half marathon for my mother in law. I'm running and raising funds to help cure blood cancers, something my mother in law has been battling for the past ten years. I run with a purpose which always helps keep me on track.

As for accountability I really lucked out finding two wonderful ladies who are also training for races. We tweet each other after we work out to make sure we've done the work outs we set out to complete that week. It's motivation and accountability. I love getting their tweets to know what they've been up to, and I love sending them back good job tweets!

I have found to be successful with fitness I need motivation and accountability. What works for you?

I want to leave you with a video of a real hero. This is why I run, children shouldn't have to battle cancers, they should enjoy being kids! It doesn't let me add the video here, but please click the link below!

Little girl wages a big fight against childhood cancer - CityNews

As always thanks for your support!

Stephanie