gwennefarrell

I am so happy!!! Today was my 8k and the temperature was beautiful and mild. I only got a little bit of rain during the run and I am noticing it is getting lighter so much earlier. What a difference this made compared to the freezing cold of last week especially when I got to see several eagles. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed that run.

Today starts yet another round of volunteering for me. While I belong to Boards for various organizations, it is the community volunteer work that means so much to me. For a local seniors’ organization I currently call isolated seniors once a week, lead a group of seniors for a walk every Wednesday and today I started my 2nd year doing the Community Volunteer Income Tax Clinic. This one is easy for me, complete and file income tax for low income seniors.

But why would doing income tax be make me feel good? Simple, because just as I do during my calls or my walks I find the time to check in on my seniors to make sure they are doing ok. Often times when doing the taxes I learn a lot about the senior I am talking to. Sometimes they are just happy to have someone new to chat with. Other times they are lonely and need to hear a friendly voice. The hard ones are when they are dealing with a recent loss and having to admit they need to change their status to widowed brings up a lot of emotions for them. That is all ok, I just make sure I am there to listen to them as that is likely what they really need. The vast majority of them thank me profusely at the end of the call and I know I have done a good thing.

You know how I talk about I don’t get that runner’s ‘high’ but I do get a sense of accomplishment? Well, knowing I have made a difference does give me a ‘high’. It makes me feel really great about myself knowing I might have made even a small bit of difference to someone’s life. That just really makes me feel better on my worst day.

Trust me, helping others helps me feel I am doing the right thing.

My husband is home for the weekend so I suggested he join me in walking the dog this morning. Off we go and I try to get my husband to understand what we need to do to keep our dog from going crazy when she sees other dogs. The walk went pretty well except it was SLOW. A walk that normally takes me 45 minutes took us an hour. According to my Fitbit not once during that walk was I in a training zone. I told my husband he is going to need to pick up the pace and he laughed and said maybe I should slow mine down a bit. Hmm, apparently I have some work to do with him.

But big changes are coming to our lives. Since 1998 my husband has worked in the States. Sometimes he would have projects that would take him away from home for a couple months at a time with a 2 week break before he was back at it again. Since 2007 he has worked out of the Seattle area which has meant (until COVID) he would be home every weekend. You combine this with my travels when I was working and it resulted in us spending a awful lot of time apart but we always knew we were making sacrifices for our future together. Well, that future has finally arrived.

March 11th will be Tom’s last day of work as he starts his retirement. We’ve known it was coming for a long time but all of a sudden it is right on our doorstep. After barely seeing each other during the past 2 years we are about to go to being together pretty much 24/7. Wow, is that ever going to be a change.

We have already started talking about what we will do when Tom retires. There is a lot of things that we have said we wanted to do but they had to be put off. Seriously, we are talking of going fishing, something we haven’t done together for about 25 years. There are all sorts of projects that we kept saying we were going to do and now we will have the chance to tackle them. I think one of the first ones will be refinishing a cedar chest that belonged to my Mom. Regardless, we are finally at the point in our lives that it can just be about us.

I have to admit, we have kind of already started reconnecting. At Christmas we did a scaled down open house but Tom’s best friend from high school as always came by with his lovely wife. We committed at that point that after 2 years of not seeing each other we were going to get together more often this year. And so, every 2 weeks since we got back from Mexico in January we have met for lunch on a Saturday. Today we agreed that to celebrate the official retirement that in 2 weeks they will come by for dinner and we can toast the new adventure we are embarking on. Moreover, we are planning a trip for the 4 of us to our condo in Mexico come the fall and we all can’t wait.

Big changes are coming and seriously I have never been more excited.

Ok, weather Karma, time to give us a break. I woke up this morning to find it had snowed last night and once again it was freezing cold. Despite the fact that it was less than 2 millimeters and it likely will melt this afternoon I still went out and shoveled the walkway, sidewalk and around my brother’s vehicle. This is all because with his prosthetic he is at a high risk of slipping and falling so if I don’t clear the walk to his vehicle for him he is stuck in the house. I then proceeded to spread some melting salt everywhere. This was not what I had in mind when I planned my strength exercises for this morning.

As the weather has been so cold other than walking the dog (and trust me I make her move pretty quickly during those walks) I have not been venturing outside. Instead I have been doing runs on the dreaded treadmill (seriously I hate that thing and find running on it extremely boring) as I don’t want to lose momentum. But yesterday was a Fartleks day and it just isn’t possible for me to do those on the treadmill. So, up I got and hit the treadmill by 6am to do a 6k run. Then it was walk the dog for a few k followed by leading a walk with my seniors group. After lunch I decided the temperature was decent enough so got in the training I really wanted to accomplish for the day. Yep, I still managed to pull everything off.

Today was my long run and the thought of 18k on the treadmill was nearly killing me however I was resigned to it. This was simply reinforced by the snow from last night. I picked out a movie on my iPad that would last 2hrs 45mins (including credits) and thought that should get me to 18k (normally I count blocks to plan my long run). I started out at a comfortable pace and tried everything I could to focus on the movie. I willed myself to avoid at all costs checking the time on my Fitbit and just focus on taking one step at a time. My husband Facetimed me at one point and noted I was ‘glistening’ (read, really sweaty). I replied of course I am, I’ve been running for 2 hours! You bet I made it through that run and when I finished I had already reached all my Fitbit training goals for the day.

I should note, I did realize on today’s run when I was trying to find things to distract myself that I no longer have to think about things like keeping my back straight or my abs tight, it is all just 2nd nature to me now.

Overall, my training is going great. I have actually kicked things up a notch and am ensuring I do at least 2.5 hours of walking/running each day and that I get in a minimum of 20,000 steps. No, I don’t feel I am pushing myself too far, before I started running I was doing even more time and steps, this is just to help get me to the level I want to be within the next few months.

Bottom line, I am just going to keep carefully doing what I am doing so that I improve. That reminds me, time to do a 30 minute stroll on the treadmill.

Holy crap, -11 C (12 F) here today. The biggest problem is the strong wind that is blowing. I didn’t even stick my head out the door this morning, I just headed to the garage to do my 8k run on the dreaded treadmill. Now I was supposed to do some Fartleks intervals during this run but quite frankly really hard to adjust the speed on the treadmill while setting the stopwatch on my iPad. I decided instead to just run hard which worked because in what I thought would be the right time to run 8k I actually ran 10k. Then, after my cooldown it was time to walk the dog. I put a pair of sweats over my running pants, donned a long sleeve t-shirt, put on a hoodie under my winter coat then topped it off with 2 scarves and a very thick toque. Still, it was freezing cold so my poor stubby legged dog was practically running to keep up with me as I just wanted that walk to be over. I’m having to re-think what training is going to look like for the next few days as the cold settles in.

Today was my annual physical with my doctor. She asked how I was feeling and if I had any questions (why she opens the door for me to do this is beyond me). I first asked her if I should retake my urine test. It had come back as too diluted to measure so I explained about my tiny veins and how I have to drink a ton of water before having blood tests done which allows them to get the blood but then can mess up the urine concentration. She looked at all my other test results and said absolutely no need as everything is perfectly normal. We then moved on to the bone scan I had done back in November. She had wanted this done because I have lost so much weight and sometimes that can lead to significant bone density loss. Apparently, not for me as the results came back normal.

We then got into a discussion about my diabetes. For the past year I have not had a single A1C test (the one that is done quarterly to measure average glucose levels) that has come back outside the normal range despite the fact I don’t take any medications. I explained I’m not asking so that I can make changes in my lifestyle, rather it is an important mentally for me to know where I am on the diabetes spectrum. Well, turns out I am basically in remission and if I continue to watch my weight and exercise regularly there is a good chance that the diabetes may not rear its ugly head again. You have no idea what a relief this is to me especially after watching all the complications from diabetes attack my siblings. I am now even reduced to a semi-annual A1C test which may eventually be reduced to annual.

So, I am perfectly healthy and ready to run my 18k this week!

Yesterday was my 2nd day this week that I did my Fartleks (excluding the 2 sets I did on my run Thursday) and I realized they are getting easier. Now don’t get me wrong, these short sprints are still really tough and even though it is my shortest workout of the week, by time I am done I am soaked in sweat and panting away. But, they aren’t as hard as they were last week. Hmm, maybe they are worth doing.

This morning I went out with the plan to do a 5k run (with some high intensity intervals). I was about 1/4 of the way into the run and thought, my legs feel a bit sore and tired. I’m at the point now where I just want to do everything I can to get the most out of my workouts so knocked the run back to 3k and then did a 5k walk including up the dreaded Oxford hill. Quite frankly when I was done my legs felt much better and mentally I felt good because I didn’t give up, I just changed direction a bit.

This led me to thinking, something has really changed in me. I have never thought of myself as a lazy person, ask anyone who has worked with me and they will tell you I have always given it my all. But I realize that for a long time I have been physically lazy. Seriously, I had no qualms about driving around a parking lot looking for a spot closer to the store. I’ve talked before about the excuses I would use to enable that laziness, bad knee, bad back, etc but really, I was just lazy and didn’t want to do things that might involve difficult activity.

When I first started walking, which led to my weight loss journey, even that did not in push me physically. Yes, I walked a lot but it was never at a really fast pace. Even when I started running my focus was always on keeping a steady even gait and yes that was probably the best thing for me to do to build up my strength. Now though, I am different, I want the challenge. I want to feel at the end of every day (ok, except Sunday because that is my recovery day) that I have pushed myself in some way. When I was doing my big run Thursday my husband called me (as he does each morning) and when I told him I was at the 11k mark but still had to get another set of sprints in he said you’ve got this. I was a bit surprised by my response which was, I know I do, because now I want to prove to myself that I can do the hard stuff.

I realized I have changed. I want the physical challenge of making myself even more fit. I look back at the walks I used to do even last fall where it would take me an hour, now it is 45 minutes for the same distance because even what I now consider a ‘gentle’ stroll is done at a good pace (note, not sure my dog is really happy with this when we do our daily walk). I find it interesting that I didn’t even see this change creeping up on me, it was just as I was finishing off my workout today that I realized that I want to feel that sense of accomplishment every time I train no matter what that training is.

I guess it is now time to say I like training and challenging myself. That acknowledgement is likely going to keep me pushing myself to run that 1/2 marathon.

Today was my long run, 16k however, my coach decided to kick it up a notch. I did about 1/2 the run and then added 5 high intensity intervals – 1 minute of hard running followed by a 1 minute jog. I then had to do the same thing during the last 20 minutes of my run. Ok, the 1st set was hard, the 2nd set I thought would kill me but obviously it hasn’t. I can’t believe how hard I am starting to train but I admit, all I can think of while I do it is that I am soon going to run a 1/2 marathon.

Before I started on this journey I usually only ate once a day, at lunch. Little did I know what a disservice I was doing to my body. By skipping meals all you are doing is making your body get used to using less fuel so that it can protect itself. It also tries to store ‘reserves’ of fuel (aka fat) because it thinks it will need it for later. 3 healthy meals a day is so much better for you and I can say I haven’t skipped a meal in years now.

But why is breakfast so important? Well think about it, when you eat breakfast you haven’t eaten in hours, the body needs fuel to do things like energize and bring up glucose levels. It also helps boost your immune system which fights illness. Studies have shown eating breakfast boosts your level of serotonin in your blood which can help balance your mood, appetite and sleep thus making you happier. Other studies have shown that those who eat a healthy, balanced breakfast have a longer life span. For me, the number one reason is those who have lost weight and continue to eat a healthy breakfast each day are more likely to maintain their weight loss as compared to those who skip breakfast (this is a big motivator for me).

I do admit Sundays may be the only day of the week that breakfast might not be quite as healthy but its not like I eat a bunch of donuts that day though there may be bacon involved. Most days I balance my breakfast with the amount of training I will do that day. Take today for instance, I knew it would be a tough workout so a large bowl of oatmeal, not the instant flavored stuff that tends to be full of sugar but rather home cooked with lots of cinnamon and some raisins. The other day when I ran the 8k it was a home made whole wheat cinnamon waffle (you may notice that I like cinnamon). On days where I do lighter training it might be a healthy grain cereal with blueberries or perhaps some fruit with plain Greek yogurt. I’m always cognizant of the amount of fuel that I am going to need to get through the morning and if a snack is required after a hard workout then a handful of almonds will do.

I know that mornings are often rushed and it is hard to find time to prepare a healthy breakfast. But let me assure you, finding a few minutes each day to get a healthy start for the hours ahead is so worth it. So, eat a healthy breakfast everyday and trust me you will notice the differenct.

It was my 8k this morning. The weather was pretty good, a little on the chilly side but at least dry. The past couple weeks I have put a lot of effort into running my 8k at the best pace that I can. Much to my surprise, today was the slowest I have done in a month. I don’t know what happened as I felt I was running pretty hard. Well I guess I just have to work harder next time.

I noticed this morning that there were more people out running than normal for a Tuesday morning. Then I realized something very disconcerting. The first runner I saw had on all black, pants, jacket, hat, shoes. On top of this she was running on the less lit side of the street. The next runner I saw was a man who was running while dressed in all black. As I ran along the promenade I realized most of the runners were dressed in dark clothing. I get that some of them just run along the promenade where there are no vehicles but I also know some of them like me run on the streets as well. It worries me that when it is before dawn these people cannot be seen by drivers.

So here is how I look when out running in the dark, this time of year it is always a very bright running jacket that has reflective stripes. As the weather gets warmer, instead of the jacket I will wear a light weight reflective vest. If I am running along the west promenade early in the morning I now also wear a head lamp (that side of the promenade is not well lit). And, when I lead my seniors’ walking group on Wednesdays I always wear my reflective vest to ensure I can be easily seen

Everyone needs to take a minute when they are walking/running outdoors and ask yourself, if I was driving would I be able to easily see a pedestrian if they were dressed as I am? If not, change the way you are dressed and keep yourself safe.

Yesterday I went for coffee with a group of retirees that I used to work with. Pre-pandemic we would meet monthly but of course over the past 2 years it has been sporadic so some of the people that were there yesterday I haven’t seen for a long time. One of the attendees commented on how he follows my blog (yes, my followers are few but mighty and come from across the globe) and wanted to know how I had made the changes to my lifestyle. He also told me how I am almost unrecognizable compared to how I looked when we worked together. It sure made me feel good.

My husband asked what I did to track my recovery time. Specifically, he wanted to know if I was getting enough sleep and if my body was getting some down time. Yes I told him, my Fitbit tells me everyday what level of activity to do and how long I should be working out.

My Fitbit tracks 3 things to determine the day’s required activity. First, recent activity. This component looks at my heart rate activity over the week and determines the level of activity I should do each day. My activity level for most days is moderate (though I think when I run 16k it should be at the intense level) so the amount of ‘zone minutes’ (heart rate in fatburn/cardio/peak) that it suggests is pretty much the same each day. Second is recent sleep which, for those of you who haven’t read my previous posts, is a struggle for me. However, sleep is important as that is when the body is getting its maximum recovery. While my Fitbit tells me I get enough sleep it also tells me I need to prioritize my sleep more (short of going back on sleeping pills I don’t know how I can do this). Finally is heart rate variability (HRV) which is the variation in the time between heart beats. A drop in HRV can indicate the body is experiencing stress, strain or illness and that you need a break. My HRV is pretty consistent so no worries there.

Overall my Fitbit usually tells me on Sundays that it is time for a break. That works for me as I usually do take Sundays off from working out as it is my day just for myself. According to my Fitbit my body is happy with what I am making it do in terms of exercise and since I know I am pretty healthy I guess it is right.

As for my husband, he jokingly asked if my Fitbit’s name is Kelly (my coach) though he is happy that I do take recovery and sleep into consideration.

Today was my long run which was 16k. As I had a busy morning planned I was up at 4am and hit the road before 5am. My husband called me when I was at the 10k mark and told me I sounded pretty strong as my breathing was good. I told him that was great but my legs felt like rubber. There is one thing I like about the day I do my long run, I get to have a big breakfast. Today it was a homemade whole wheat waffle (I make them ahead and freeze them so you just pop them in the toaster to reheat) with an egg. I know I need both the protein and carbs to get me through the long run as it helps give me fuel. That meant I was able to run at a pretty consistent pace for 2 1/2 hours.

My coach advised me we were going to start some new training this week, Fartleks. Fartleks is a Swedish word that means speed play (trust me, play should not be included as part of the definition of this training). The goal of Fartleks is to improve both speed and endurance. While I am less concerned about my endurance (I only need to add 5.1k to my long run and I have over 4 months to do that) I do worry about my speed. Worst case scenario is I have to be able to run the 1/2 marathon in under 3 hours because the streets are only closed for that period. My goal is to do it in 2 1/2 hours so still a ways to go (I should note my 8k this week was run at 7.8 kph so I am getting there in the shorter runs).

Fartleks is a high intensity interval training method. Basically you sprint for a short length of time and then pull back to a normal run for a length of time. The info I read said it is getting your body ready to really move when you need it to.

The training coach gave me for this week was the ‘Mona’ intervals. This Fartleks involves 90 seconds of sprinting then 90 seconds of easy running for 2 intervals, 60 seconds of sprinting then 60 seconds of easy running for 4 intervals, 30 seconds sprinting 60 seconds running for 4 intervals then finally 15 seconds of each for 4 intervals. Doesn’t this all sound easy? The best part is even after easy warm up and cool down jogs the whole thing takes only about 30 minutes.

I thought this training would be a nice break, I was wrong. For each of those sprinting intervals I ran as hard as I could. I admit the toughest intervals were the 60/60 ones because I thought my lungs were going to explode by time I got to the 3rd interval (really, your heart rate is still up there each time you start a sprint). When I got home I was soaked with sweat and I told my sister I thought I might be starting to hate my coach, this was the hardest workout I had done since I started training.

Am I going to do this again? Hell yeah! I figure if it was that hard to do this short workout then I am going to reap a lot of benefits from it. I figure a few weeks and I’ll have my 16k pace to an even better level.

today in our daily paper there was a great article about the pros and cons of weighing yourself daily. In a post last year i wrote about this as well and I was pleased to see they identified several of the issues I had discussed. The one I hadn’t seen before was it can conflate health and weight in that your weight is not necessarily indicative of your health. I also like the alternatives such as tracking by measuring your hips and waist.

I mentioned last week that I had my annual blood work done and pretty much everything came back normal but there is one test I have kept avoiding. A few years ago, because of my age, my doctor recommended I have a colonoscopy. Oh, did my breaks go on at that suggestion. For me the big issue is the gunk you have to ingest to do your ’cleanse’ as I can be a really sensitive eater when it comes to food taste and texture. Just the thought of drinking that horrible mixture made me gag so my doctor agreed to doing a FIT which she had requested for me 3 years in a row (I ignored the past 2).

The fecal immunochemical test (FIT) detects blood in your stool which can be an early sign of colon cancer. It may also find pre-cancerous and cancerous cells which obviously helps catch cancer sooner.

All of this sounds good, right? So, what then was my problem? I admit, the concept of digging around in my toilet with a little brush to collect a very small amount of stool made me squeamish. Even typing that fact makes me shake my head because everyday I have to pick up warm dog poop with nothing between my hand and the poop but a very thin plastic bag.

When I saw the results of all my other tests I decided I wasn’t even going to think about it, when the next opportunity arrived I was just going to get the required stool sample and be done with it. That is exactly what I did and I checked my results yesterday and everything is good.

I don’t know why I let myself get so bent out of shape when it comes to these tests (I was the same way with my first mammogram). The end result is I am heathy overall and I don’t have to do another FIT for 2 years.