Half Marathon

1:43:09

25/132

I was hoping for a sub 1:40 but considering this is my first race coming back from a knee injury, I’m pretty happy.

15km run
20km bike
Moksha Yoga
BodyRock Workout 

After deciding to not go for a BQ on my first marathon just over a month ago I decided to train for a 4:15-4:20 time.

The expo was great, met lots of runners, Katherine Switzer, and just amazing people over all. I walked around Toronto with my mum and had a delicious meal at East Sides. We head back to the Hilton to relax, watch the Rock game on the telly and then get a good nights sleep. My sleep sucked though however.

Race morning, I didn’t get to start with the breakfast I wanted, only downfall of the Hilton was that they didn’t have breakfast set up early for us runners. Mum and I head to the start and I’m feeling a good. A stop in the bush 5 minutes to go with a fellow runner and a kiss from my mum and we were off.

It was surreal, so many people and the weather couldn’t have been any better! I was on pace for my 4:15-4:20 when this old man came up beside me. We had a little chat asking if it was my first marathon and then continued to say that he didn’t run his first until he was 62. I asked him how old he was and.. 83. This old man was 83 years old. He then continued to tell me how he woke up at 1 am to ride his bike for 95k and then get to the start of the race. I asked if he was training for an Ironman and he said you betcha. This man became my inspiration.

So far so good… I hit the 21k mark at 2 hours and continued on. At 26k, disaster struck. A cyclist passing a group of cyclists crashed into me, causing me to go flying with him and the bike landing on top of me. Medical rushed over after a runner had called up ahead and I had so many nice things to say to the cyclist. I don’t think I ever cussed so much in my life. Medical didn’t want me to keep going and I tried to convince them that I was fine and they didn’t believe me, so during a painful 2k, they finally agreed to let me finish… I lost an hour in time due to the collision and the walk but I finished in 5:17. 

I’m just happy I finished with my friends and mum at the finish. I found out my friend came 5th with a new PB!

I decided to take my shoes off because I was ready to put my sandals on and the right foot had a nasty blister forming on it. I didn’t even get my left shoe off when a sudden rush of pain hit me. A 7 layer open blister was on the inner sole of my foot and it was the most excruciatingly painful thing I’ve had in a long while. That pain is still there but it’s getting better and I can walk with my full foot on the ground now. I also received a massive sunburn, but that doesn’t bother me.

Overall it was a great experience and I can’t wait for the next one!

xxJess

Toronto Marathon this weekend. I’ve scrapped my Boston goal as I won’t have time with school so I’ve decided to just go with a sub 3:50 and to just enjoy the experience. I haven’t decided where I want to go with my running yet. I want to go into ultra but at the same time I’d love to stick with the marathons.

Also, as of Monday, I will be doing hot yoga at least 4 times a week. It’s something I’ve wanted to get back into quite a bit.

Since I’ve been back home, my body is going back to normal. 

I have written down some posts for the week and am excited to share with all of you!

xxJess 

If we haven’t chatted, new or old, send me a message so I can get to know you and what your goals are, your inspiration, your problems.
I love being able to chat to those similar minded and enjoy helping others as much as possible!

I am in the midst of an abundance of revising, assignments, etc.. but that is the life of a uni student. I am redoing my theme, as many of you have already noticed and I’m just trying to make it as welcoming, open, and user friendly as possible. I have so many ideas that I’d like to do and everyday I work on them a little bit to see if they’ll work the way I want them to etc.  

What do you like seeing on fitblrs?

xxJess 

Hello Friends!

This is what I did yesterday :) I worked out with my flatmate Bryce, he doesn’t like working out alone and needs to push because he plays college ball.

2 mile run

* are warm up weight

Squats

• 5 x body weight
• 10 x 50kg*
• 10 x 70kg
• 10 x 80kg
• 10 x 90kg
• 10 x 95kg

Deadlifts

• 10 x 20kg*
• 10 x 50kg
• 10 x 60 kg
• 10 x 70kg

Clean and Jerks

• 10 x 20kg*
• 10 x 30kg
• 10 x 35kg

Reverse Pushups

• 10
• 10
• 10
• 10

Chin Ups

• 10
• 10
• 10
• 10

Box Jumps

• 50
• 50
• 50
• 50
• 50

Swim

• 6 laps flutterboard
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps flutterboard
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps back crawl
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps back crawl
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps flutterboard
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps flutterboard
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps back crawl
• 1 lap front crawl sprint
• 6 laps back crawl
• 1 lap front crawl sprint

And then I proceeded to stretch in the steam room for 30mins.

I also had skating for an hour.

It was an amazing work out and my legs definitely feel it today!
xxJess 

Well Good Morning, Afternoon, and Evening my wonderful friends!

How has your weekend been?
Friday was absolutely beautiful, +18 and just a little bit of wind, I walked to and from school. I worked from 2-6 and when I got home, I had all intentions of having a quick nap and then studying for my Biology midterm next week. Well what was suppose to have been a quick nap shortly turned into a 13hour sleep. I felt so good this morning when I woke up though! Once again it was a beautiful morning, the birds were singing, I could hear the neighbours going out for their morning walk and I couldn’t wait to start my day.
I grabbed a quick smoothie, made from the mini packs I had made, some greek yogurt and some natural protein powder. Grabbed my bike and headed for campus to work from 9-3. After work I biked home (in total biked 8km) and decided that it was too nice of weather to pass up for an enjoyable run. 
Washed my dishes, started laundry, threw on my shorts and a tank and headed out. 5 miles later, I arrived back home just feeling fantastic. It was nice just to run for the sake of it. Not having to worry about my marathon, not my pace, distance, etc.
Now it’s on to some assignments and studying, but like I said in my last written post, I have been working on some new things!

Hope you’re all well,
xxJess 

ps. yes that is a GU packaged on my messy counter. Espresso to be exact and I do believe it is my new favourite.
pps. Nivea moisturiser is the best!

(Source: slim-gym)

I hope you don’t mind the sweaty, feel good vibe this picture brings you. (Feel good? She’s not even smiling!) Yes, I know. I just finished my half marathon and ate a delicious finishers brunch and headed to the gym so I could go for a steam. It felt amazing.

Today went well. I got up at 6:30 and ate my peanut butter and banana on Big 16 toast, half an apple, and a big glass of milk. Then I went to the race site to warm up and get ready. It started off nicely and there was no wind (omg no wind in Lethbridge?!?!) and then I got hot, like every race. I went from my North Face jacket to it being unzipped, to it being taken right off and just running in my sports bra in -5. I wasn’t planning on running at race pace as I knew this was only a training run for my marathon in May. I wanted to finish in 1:45-1:50.  It turns out that we ran 26km instead of 21.1km. My time being 2:02:12, not bad, but with the pace adjustment on the distance, turns out that if we had raced the proper distance I would have been at 1:48:56. I felt so good when I finished knowing I was at the training pace I wanted.

Afterwards, the married couple I met at the race who graciously let me keep my bag in their vehicle and drive me to the finishers brunch, had an amazing conversation about racing and life and I honestly can’t wait to meet them again. Ken and Allison, you two are my new favourite people from this craphole of a city.

All in all, it was a good day. 
I hope everyone else’s day went as well!

xxJess 

Food from Monday :)

I also had a turkey wrap for dinner. 

Got up at 6am to go for a run, and I did.
5miles.
Got back home and slept through my first class.

Whoopsie daisies. 

Yoga, everyday for 45 minutes to an hour before bed (except Thursday)

Monday

• 3 mi run
• Synchro practice for an hour
• 5000m row
• 25 x 10 pushups
• 10 x 5 chin ups
• various ab workouts

Tuesday

• 15 hill sprints
• 2000m row
• 20 x 2 @ 40lb skull crushers
• 25 x 2 @ 25lb skater and lift single deadlifts (each leg)
• 20 @ 45kg clean and jerks
• 50 @ 75kg squats
• 1 hour of ball hockey

Wednesday

• 3 mi run
• 2 hours of dodgeball
• variety of HIIT workouts

 Thursday

• 35 min tempo run
• 2 hour skating practice

Friday

• rest day

Saturday

• 10 mi run
• vigorous weight training

Breakfast: Banana & peanut butter on Silver Hills Bakery: The Big 16 bread, toasted. Served with an apple and a glass of milk.

Snack: Grapefruit and a post workout Stinger Strawberry Honey Waffle. 

Lunch: 12 grain tortilla with oven roasted chicken and oven roasted sundried tomato & oregano turkey, tomato, cheddar cheese, red bell pepper, romaine, and a little bit of sour cream. Served with a side of red grapes and cranberry juice.

Snack: Cherry tomatoes and greek yogurt.

Dinner: Cajun and cracked black pepper covered chicken breast and baked potatoes (drizzled with a little bit of olive oil and covered with aluminium foil and baked in the oven for 20mins at 425o. Served with a mixed green salad (spinach, red arugula, radish leaves), cucumber, tomato, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette. 

Snack: Raisin bread and green tea