The motivation's connected to the KNEE BONE !

Still here !
It's been 4 days since my last run and my knees are still pretty painful.
Doesn't seem to get better. I HATE this, there are no words. First 2 days I did the ice and the heat... no use.
So I'm keeping a low profile, waiting for the pain to subside.

Well we did have a fun Easter. Ate a lot of chocolate and I can't even run the calories off . *sigh*

Motivation : very low
I remember 2 years ago I had started running too intensely and my knees had hurt pretty bad for 1 month.

Oh well, I can't do much about this.
Wait it off I guess.

Week 2 / Day 4 : Crappy weather, crappy run

Since my last run 2 days ago I have sensitive knees.  At work I wear high heels so that didn't help of course.
I decided to get my workout done anyways...
Wow. Sometimes I come up with the smartest ideas. pffff.
So I ran so slowly and weird that I looked like I was constipated.  You know butt sticking out a bit, thighs close together, very small steps.
Half way through the session I decided to walk for the rest.  What good is it gonna do me if I really injure my knees ?
It was humid, cold and raining.

Oh and when I got home and took off the runners, I saw blood. My left foot's blister is obviously not healed. Ah well. Just one more crappy thing to finish off this crappy run.

Motivation : Huh ? What does that mean ?

Week 2 / Day 2 : The Sedated Jogger

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day off. It did a whooole lot of good to my leg muscles, as this evening's run went SO SO well.

So after work I had a dentist appointment... Came out of there with half of my skull numbed.

Here's my smile in the car right after. I'm not forcing it !
Reminds me of Kramer in "The Jimmy" episode of Seinfeld when he's mistaken for an "Able Mentally Challenged Adult".

Well anyways. Cooked a light supper, lots of veggies, waited 30 min and then hit the road.  It went so well.... I can't believe it. After Saturday's shin pain I thought it would be difficult, but not at all !! Some minor discomfort in the first half hour, but no more no less.,

Plus my cardio has already improved !!! After one week !!!
This week's interval run : 2,5 min run, 2,5 min walk.  Today I did 10x of that, for a total of 9km !!!

I feel grrreeeat ! (like Tony the Tiger)
Motivation level : wayyy high !

Week 1 / Last day - One down, nine to go !

Yesterday was supposed to be a training day but I worked and then picked up Ian and his friend came over, so no time to myself and Ian is too young to be left alone for an hour. 

So I took a day off yesterday...

Must not take 2 days off in a row !!

Wow this morning was verrry heavy duty.

I drove to my sister's place so she could watch over Ian while I ran.

My feet felt super heavy and I had a hard time getting really into it. 30 min in, I was feeling better though.

Only thing : my shins were really burning like crazy!! Wow... I. do. not.  want. shin splits !!! Gonna do my research on that. Any tips from other runners ? Even 1,5 hours after running, the area is still very warm to the touch.

I did manage a smile for all my fans out there. ;-)

Week 1 / Day 5 : Day off

Day off today. It will give the blisters on my achilles tendons time to heal.
Motivation level : Feeling easy going today.

Week 1 / Day 4 - Rain or shine !

6,5 km in 50 min. Intervals of 2 min. running and 3 min. walking. It went pretty well. I love my shoes ! I had to wear bandaids to cover my blisters but I made sure I padded it all nice with 3-thick.

I am loving this interval training.  I really feel like I'm gonna reach this goal.

It was pouring when I left, then it stopped after about 30 min.

My son was at his friend's house, and I called the mom to say that I would leave the house for a bit to go jogging, so she could reach me on my cell phone. She said "Jogging ? Are you kidding ? It's raining !". I said "Yep I know" and felt so proud of myself.

No excuses !

Tomorrow is a day off from training. Friday, same route/intervals but for 1 hour instead of 50 min. Next week, we kick it up a notch, intervals of 2:30/2:30. Woo hoo
Motivation level : high !

Week 1 / Day 3

So I gave it a try. The early morning run.

Kind of expected to see the sun rise, to hear the birds singing. To have an out of body experience. You know, "I'm Alive" by Celine Dion ?

Hell NO

What a pain in the ass it was !

The city is dirty, my neighbourhoor is not nice to look at ... and what's up with all this traffic ? Plus the wind !! What's with the damn wind ? I had to wear my hoodie. 

I think I'm gonna have blisters on my achilles tendons. From the new shoes.

Motivation level : mwaaah.

Week 1 / Day 2 : Achy Breaky Legs

My leg muscles are sore today. I like feeling all my muscles.
And when I walk I also feel my BUTTOCK muscles !!! Woo-hoo ! Could it be that I am gonna finish this challenge with a nice ass ?

For now it's a flat-pancake-butt with a dash of cellulite. Lovely ! (I'll spare you the picture)

Couch to 10K app on Blackberry

So I'd heard about this cool iPhone app "Couch to 10K". 
Googled it, and saw that it was available on Blackberry. Of course the graphics suck in comparison to Apple's, but the idea is the same. Plus, who cares about graphics when you're running, right.
So I get to run with my BB on my belt and the vibrations tell me when to run or jog. Pretty cool app for $2.99.
Check it out.
The program is made for a 3-days-a-week training, but I will do it 4 times a week. This girl needs all the training she can get !!
Motivation level : High !

Week 1 / Day 1

I've officially begun this journey.

Here I am. With the wrong runners, but I have to start. I'll deal with the runners later. No more excuses. Husband and son making fun of me. hahaha. I'll show them !!

Did my first run.

5 min walking

Then 8 times : 1 min running, 2 min walking.

It went well !

Motivation level : Waaay high !!!

This afternoon I went to buy some runners, at Le Coureur.  They had me run on a treadmill, filmed my feet while running to see what type of shoes/support I needed. I love the service there !!!

So I went back home with my own pair of Asics GT-2160.

Can't wait to try them out.

How it all began

I went to eat lunch with a colleague on Friday.  We were discussing physical activity... Read :  SHE was discusssing her own physical activities, as I have NONE. Nada, zilch. I have never been the sporty type, I don't like to watch sports on tv, the mere thought of sporting makes me want to faint.  You know the type.
So after listening to her talk about badminton, bicycling, running, I think to myself "Please insert interesting bit here".  After swallowing my bite :
"Of all the sports out there, running has always attracted me and it's something I would like to try one day ." (Notice the bolded out words. Would/One Day.  Yep ! Procrastination Queen)

Colleague : "Oh ? Well lots of us at the Bank have signed up for the Tour du Lac Brome ! Why don't you sign up with us !"
Me : Well... I've never ran before ! Mumbling : Well save for 2 years ago when I decided to run... a career that lasted 2 weeks because I started too strong with a 5k run every day the first week, and ruined my knees for 2 months
Colleague : (laughter) But Karine, you have to train for this, and start with a smaller goal ! I signed up for the 10k, you could even sign up for the 5K !! It would be so fun !
Me : Sounds like fun indeed... When is it ?
Colleague : June 19th. Father's Day weekend !
Me : Wow, that gives me roughly 2 months to train... is this realistic you think ?
Colleague : Of course !!
Me : (half-brave, half-chicken-shit). Well I might just sign up.

So we finish our lunch.
A seed had been planted.

Fast forward to last night, cocktail party for our clients. I run into another colleague from the Bank.
- Sooo, Karine, I hear you are signing up for the Tour du Lac Brome ?
- eeehhh... well... (interruption)
- It's gonna be SO fun ! You're going for the 10k right ? I signed up for the 20k, ah man i think I overdid it, and  blah blah blah
My thoughts as I am listening to her : "Wow. This girl is just ordinary. Not your typical sporty type. She is a mom to young kids, she is my age (late 30s), and she's doing this ? And the 20k for that matter !!"
The fact that she got me laughing (read : nearly pissing myself), that I saw myself in her, just this akward unsporty person who is just out for a personal challenge - made me take the leap right then and there.
- Yeah I am going for the 10k

Peer pressure ? hmm. Yes maybe some. Not the main reason though.
Wanting to prove that I can do this ? Yes definitely. To myself mostly. I am stubborn in that way.
But let's be honest, also to my friends and family. This time I want to show them that the Karine who starts things too intensely and never finishes them (I won't even start with the clothes rack exercise bike story !) is really minded this time.
The main reason ? Feeling that I've procrastinated long enough, that I've lead an unbalanced life long enough. I've reached lots of goals, most of them academic-related. So I do know that I have the capacity to reach a goal.
The abuse that I've given my body by not training it, by feeding it unealthy foods, has been shadowed out all these years by youth.
But now I'm 36.  These past few years I've definitely felt the lack of energy big time. Stronger mood swings, and that general feeling that I'm missing out on something. You know ?
Youth is not on my side anymore. It's starting to become a memory. 

So what now ? I think it's a no-brainer !

Let's do it