Friday, October 30, 2009

This morning was some strength training with JM. I did the "No More Trouble Zones" workout. I'm just going to call it NMTZ from now on because I hate the name, it's so wussy. I've been inspired to get back into using her DVDs now that the Biggest Loser season 8 is on TV. I want her job SO bad!!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

60 minutes running

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Monday: 46km ride (first 23km with Mark which were beautiful and then an exhausting head wind the whole ride back home) @ 26.0km/hr (first half 30km/hr!)

Today: 6km ride (too freaking cold, turned around and went back to Mark's)

Monday, October 26, 2009

Saturday: 1/2 hour yoga

Sunday: 14km run

Finally feeling better after a week of aching muscles and joints.

Friday, October 23, 2009

1 | 5:56
2 | 6:05
3 | 6:26
4 | 6:22
5 | 6:14
5.0km | 31:04 | 6:13min/km

Polar HRM stats:
340kcals burned (25% from fat)
MHR 182 (93% max)
AHR 167 (85% max)

This run was rough and not sure why. I am aching everywhere from doing JM yesterday, that could be it. I hope I'm just not recovered from last weekend and not getting a flu or something!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Jillian Michaels' "No More Trouble Zones"

Fluffy name, solid workout.

Just finished doing this DVD for the first time since May. It kicked my ass! I'm going to throw it into my winter mix 2-3 times a week. This is a good way to start back into strength training (I have not touched a weight since May... oops) since she uses high reps/low weight in a circuit-like fashion. AND it works out your full body but emphasizes core- essential for good running form. Two thumbs up, JM.

PEI Marathon Weekend - ending the season with another PB halfie!

2468 Bria Brown, 247/480 overall, Halifax PE CA, F 24/62 [age group 20-29], 1:59:42 (clock), 1:59:25 (chip), 5:42 (pace per km)

Mission: two half marathons, two weekends in a row accomplished! The weather turned out to be beautiful on Sunday despite another week of miserable rain, wind, and cold. The marathon weekend attracted some 1800 participants this year, a new record, which is fantastic for Charlottetown. Mark and I took the ferry over Friday evening and thankfully the rest of the weekend was smooth sailing relative to that "a la Titanic" fiasco. It was an interesting birthday, to say the least. Mom's curry chicken & carrot cake make up for the traumatizing boat ride.

We took Friday off (got our bikes tuned up in Truro on the way to the ferry) and only did a quick 20 minute run on Saturday. Sunday morning we were able to sleep in a bit (10am race start wha?!), grabbed some lattes at Beanz and headed to the race start. This was my third time running the PEI Half Marathon and unfortunately my sister was not running it this year like she always has in the past. BE trained for the full marathon and developed a stress fracture in her tibia a few weeks ago and therefore could not run the race. She's away for med school so she didn't bother making the flight home, understandably. However Mark (he finished 5th overall! such a speed demon), Mom, Michael, and BE's friend Jenn were running so I had lots of company. It was great to see some familiar faces from my old UPEI running group (we have come a long way!). Uncle Randy & Aunt Donna came to support at the finish line as well.

This was my "A" race (as Mark calls it) for this season. When we sketched out my goals back in April, originally this one was supposed to be a sub 1:50 but I had a lot more work to do on my surgery leg this season than we first anticipated. May was a month of strength & plyometrics, a crappy 10k race, and a lot of frustration. Things started to come around in June when I ran a PB 10k and built up some aerobic base. Finally, through July and August I was seeing some real progress especially with the addition of cycling and swimming to my regime. My runs became longer through Aug/Sept and I decided a realistic goal for PEI would be sub 2 hours. Next year is going to be my year, I needed this season to really get into shape again after my ITB problems last winter.

The race itself was interesting because I left my Garmin in Halifax and had to rely completely on the 2:00 half pace bunny (she did a great job, thanks Pam!). That's exactly what I did. My gait was off after about 16km, as kindly noted by a fellow runner passing by. That's what I get for asking my body to run two half marathons so close together I suppose. I wasn't hurting though, just tired. I wasn't feeling so hot after finishing the three infamous hills all towards the last 5k of the course but Mark ran out to meet me at about 400m remaining and ran with me into the finish. I finished right on goal but naturally I think I could have done better if I hadn't of ran the race the weekend before. Ah well! I was stoked to end the season with a PB and am looking forward to next summer (full marathon? Half Ironman? ;)). I really can't complain about beating last year's time by 12.5 minutes, and I look forward to demolishing that time next year.

Now it's time to plan a winter of strength training and endurance building!
SO far this week, doing well taking a rest...

MON - off
TUES - off
WED - 30k recovery ride w/ Mark

Monday, October 12, 2009

2009 Valley Harvest Half Marathon

New half marathon PR! By 11.5 minutes at that!

1 | 5:37
2 | 5:52
3 | 5:54
4 | 5:52
5 | 5:48
6 | 5:52
7 | 5:56
8 | 5:54
9 | 5:43
10| 5:59
11| 5:43
12| 5:34
13| 5:39
14| 6:00
15| 5:30
16| 5:20
17| 5:30
18| 5:52
19| 5:36
20| 5:35
21| 5:25
21.08km | 2:00:36 | 5:43min/km (a la Garmin)Chip time: 2:00:39 | 5:45min/km | 33/77 females 20-29



I'm running the PEI half marathon next weekend so I wasn't sure how to run this but I decided to go by feel. I could have killed myself to get a 1:50-something but I was happy to PR on a hilly course and save some stamina for next weekend!

Friday, October 09, 2009

Yesterday:

1 | 5:49
2 | 6:11
3 | 6:11
4 | 6:08
5 | 5:12
6 | 6:44
7 | 5:57
8 | 6:28
9 | 5:57
9.0km | 54:37 | 6:04min/km

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Wed: 45 min swim w/ Mark

W/U
150m free
150m w/ pull buoy
200m kick

Main set
150m easy pace (2:05)
100m harder (1:55)
50m "fast" (00:50)

C/D
200m kick

Total: 1000m

Tuesday, October 06, 2009

1 | 6:00
2 | 5:51
3 | 5:51
4 | 6:17
5 | 5:57
6 | 6:11
7 | 6:08
8 | 5:49
8.0km | 48:37 | 6:01min/km

Monday, October 05, 2009

Sunday:

2 hour long run @ 6:10min/km (19.5km)
1163 kcals burned (35% from fat)
MHR 194 (98% max)
AHR 162 (82% max)

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Thursday:
5.0km interval run (10 min w/u, then 200m easy/200m hard for 10 min and 10 min c/d) w/ Mark

Friday:

83.0km bike ride w/ Mark

Today:

Nothing. Recovering!

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Yum!

Low-Fat Blueberry Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups wheat bran
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries (coated in 1 T. flour)

1. Preheat oven to 375C. Grease a muffin tin or use liners. Mix the bran & milk together and let sit while you combine the other ingredients.
2. In a large bowl, mix the applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir into bran mixture until just blended. Fold in the flour-coated blueberries.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 mins [mine took 20] or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

These are a delicious and healthy snack or breakfast on the go! :) ~100 calories/muffin.