Run for your Life

Grab a tea bloggies....this post is a wee bit long but hopefully it offers up some ideas & inspiration to those of you looking to kick your health up a notch!

As I'm sure you can tell, I am very passionate about my & my family's health. I've belonged to a gym since I was 18 and have been educating myself on all things nutrition & wellness ever since. I have always been amazed at what the human body can do & endure, and nothing made me more aware of this than the experience of giving birth to Chloe.

My workouts have changed quite a bit over the last few years. I used to do just weights & cardio at the gym, but a few yrs ago I began practicing yoga and it really helped to balance out my training.

Now running, is not something that I ever used to enjoy. In fact, my mom loves to remind me that I had 2 lead feet growing up...but I insist on reminding her that this was because I never wanted to take the time to come inside from playing to go to the bathroom....and therefore, I couldn't move very fast. Duh!

I digress. I started running about 3 years ago and it did not come naturally to me. I would run for 10 minutes, walk for 2 min. Gradually I built up my endurance to be able to run 20 min straight.

One of my goals was to enter a race shortly after having Chloe, so I was really pumped to complete my first 5K race on Sept 2oth (3 months after having her)

I had only completed 2 practice 5K runs before the race so I wasn't sure what to expect. Well, after finishing, I couldn't wait to sign up for a 10K! If you happen to be in Toronto on May 2nd you will find me at the Sporting Life 10K. Training for this has been a great challenge, and so without further babble, here are the steps I've taken to prepare for this and keep the junk out of my trunk the rest of the time!

PLANNING: The first and most important thing I do, is plan in my workouts for the month. When I do this, I first look at what opportunities I will have to myself (where Chloe is with Mr Swell or grandparents). On days when I know I'll be home with her all day - I plan to jump on our spin bike in the basement or I do a P90x or Yoga DVD. With my current focus being on training for a 10K - the majority of my workouts are obviously running. Each week, I do 3-4 runs that include: 1 easy run, 1 long run, 1 interval/sprint run & 1 negative split run (run faster for the 2nd half). The other days I do power yoga or circuit weight training. Here is a copy of what my workouts for April will look like. {Click to enlarge}

GET INSPIRED: I live in a constant state of needing inspiration - hence my deep appreciation for the blog world! Here are a few resources that I go to for my daily fix:
Blogs: The Fitnessista, A Foodie Stays Fit, Nourished Fitness, Oh She Glows
Podcasts: Ben Greenfield Fitness, The Nutrition Diva, The Because Show. These are great for long runs!

CLOTHING & GADGETS:
Nike plus running system. Although it may not be as accuate as higher end Garmin model, I love my Nike sportband. It communicates with the Nike sensor chip I have velcro'd onto my runners to tell me my time, distance and that I'm having a good hair day.

I love my Nike NZ Shox. I may or may not own about 10 pairs so that I can coordinate the colors of my shoes with my shorts. Serious runners mock my choice of shoe, but I find them very comfortable and have no blisters except on the days I forget to pack socks.

Lululemon All Sport Bra: If you are a BF Mama or just really blessed in the upper chest area, this is hands down the most supportive bra out there....and I've tried about 542 different bras that didn't make the cut.

Tunes: I use my Shuffle for most runs, but for longer runs I like to use my Ipod Touch so that I can listen to podcasts. They really help make the run go by fast and it's nice to get 2 birds stoned at once.

And the music doesn't stop when I swim laps...for this, I pop my shuffle into my H20 audio case!

MORE PLANNING: Every night, I take a few minutes to set out my gym clothes for the next day & prep the coffee pot to start brewing at 7am. Some nights I also prepare my oats for the morning so that I just have to reheat them. I find that having these things done, really helps my morning go smoother and ensures I stick to the plan!

NUTRITION: I'll end with this one. What you eat is going to be 80% of your result. It's so important to start your day off properly and so I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning and then I follow my workout with a protein shake to rebuild & refuel. Try this tomorrow for breakfast and then come back here and give me a hug:

RECIPE FOR MORNING OATS:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 tsp agave, maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp slivered almonds
- 1 tsp chia seeds
Method: bring water & milk to a boil and then add oats and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the rest and serve with a little cold almond milk. This makes 2 servings and is very customizable!

Question: What are you challenging yourself with this year to lead a more healthy life?