PT Diaries

Can anyone become a faster runner? Well after running three half marathons where each race I finished shy of breaking two hours by 90 seconds or less I am starting to believe that I’m not designed  to run any faster! I decided to run the Okanagan Half Marathon Oct 10, 2010 and am about to embark on a three month training program where the bulk of my energy will be focused on increasing my pace.

The last half marathon I ran was the BMO Half in May; my official race time was 2:00:47; pace of 5:40 per km.

I used to think that I had to run more miles to run faster. I’m no longer worried about the distance of the race, as my Saturday leisurely 17 km run is one of my favorite times of the week (besides Friday afternoon cocktail hour on the patio…of course) I attempted some hill training during my last half training but focused mainly on logging miles; unfortunately running those extra miles at my regular pace didn’t turn me into a cheetah After talking to some friends, discussing with some trainers and a little online research it seems the only way to learn how to run faster is to get out there and run faster!  Here are a few steps that I think will help me:

Step 1

Increase your turnover (turnover refers to the number of times your right (or left) foot hits the ground in 1 minute). Obviously the faster your turnover, the more distance you cover in a given period of time. Count your current turnover rate and then aim to increase your turnover by 5 steps per minute until you eventually reach that magical 80. Elite runners usually clock around 90+ strides per minute but for us mere mortals runner a turnover of 80 is considered pretty decent.

*Note – Don’t let your feet get in front of your body.

Step 2

Push off with your big toe. This will also help to take some of the pounding out of your heels and push your body forward more effectively.

Step 3

Swing your arms forward, not across your body. Moving your arms back and forth across your body will pull your body from side to side. Aim your hands in the direction you want to go; directly in front of you.

Step 4

Incorporate speed workouts into your program. Speed workouts are a great way to increase your pace slowly and steadily over time.

In addition to a long run and a shorter fast run per week, here are the new rules I will be living by for the next three months:

Rule # 1 – Set a clear & realistic goal of a time you wish to beat

I want to run a 1:55 half marathon (5:27 per km) Thirteen seconds per kilometers faster

Rule #2 Use hill training to build muscle & endurance

Hill sprints at least once a week

Rule #3 Yoga & strength training to prevent injury and to increase flexibility and range of motion

Strength training twice week with my personal trainer.

2 yoga classes a month and 1 massage therapy session a month.

Rule # 4 Interval training, using sprints to increase speed as well as lung capacity

To be incorporated in each of my personal training session

Rule # 5 Give your body rest so your muscles can recover and avoid injury

I swear to take a rest day (or yoga day) a week

Does anyone have any other suggestions how this turtle can evolve into a cheetah?

PT Girl xo

My long weekend launched off Wednesday with a late lunch at Cactus Club with my friend Shauna. She was there when I arrived and was holding a beautiful burgundy drink.  “The sangria is awesome!” she said as the waitress came up to our table; I pointed at her refreshing looking cocktail “I’ll have one of those please!”

After one glass I was feeling my happy place.“Holly Yum…!”I smiled. “Aren’t they the best!” Shauna said. When the waitress came back and we ordered a second round. I sighed “Yikes… I could really get on roll here but I’m supposed to do the Grouse Grind.” Shauna slightly rolled her eyes “Have fun with that?!” I started to think it may be a bit ambitious of me to hike tipsy especially as I recalled my disappointing first hike of the year a few weeks ago where I didn’t come close to breaking an hour (1:07:44). I don’t know if it was too early in the morning or what but I couldn’t find my pace and just wasn’t able get my breathing in check. It felt as is I had to stop every twenty steps.

Mike, Michelle and I headed up around 6 p.m. and my only intention was to find a pace where I didn’t have to stop. I reached the first quarter mark in 15 minutes and knew if I was able to keep my rhythm I’d make it under and hour. I reached the top in 58:14  “Bring it ON!! I shaved ten minutes off my first climb! I said jumping around. Every Wednesday is social night at the top of Grouse Mountain so we decided to stay and have some nachos and of course a few drinks. The elevation really does wonders for your buzz We chatted about Mike and Michelle’s Iron Man experiences and laughed our asses off while “beerstorming” (brain storming) for innovative fitness ideas I could bring to my blog.  (Which I will share with you in future posts)

When I got home I popped a melatonin and slept for six glorious hours. It was heavenly! Thursday morning my girlfriend CC came over for a short run. We ran my usual seven kilometres Cambie to Burrard bridge loop. She’s training for the Okanagan BMO Half Marathon in October and managed to convince me to sign up as well. “Twist my arm!”

Later in the day I meet Hank and Jules at Local in Kits. The vibe there is pretty relaxed and the drinks over the bridge are so cheap! But today’s 20 something fashion trends are seriously disturbing.  All the girls were wearing scarves (it’s not winter) flannel chequered shirts and/or flip flops. I just don’t get it?! A few sangria’s..blah blah blah… a few tequila shots, fast forward….fireworks and “Happy Canada Day!”

Friday morning I had to go into work- blech! I took care of the few necessary tasks and rushed home to grab my fur baby Gucci (Yorkshire Terrier) and went to North Vancouver to meet my friend SM and his dog Reggin for a hike in the trails. We walked about five km then headed back to his house which is absolutely gorgeous; it looks like it’s permanently staged for a photo shoot in Modern Living Magazine. We sat in the backyard basking in the sun drinking Frenz Rose from Naramata,B.C. I was pacing my intake because I planned on running 17 km the next morning, when deWolf sent me a text and told me he had an opening for a session instead.

Saturday I woke up refreshed and got ready for my PT session. I decided to run the 7 km to the gym. I was unsure of how long it would take me because of the elevation on the last few kilometres. I made it in 42:55 and could instantly tell that deWolf had no intention of taking it easy on me; I knew he was actually going to push me harder than normal!  Argh! I know he thinks I can be problematic. I sometimes bring tude’ to our session’s and tend to question why he makes me do certain exercises. He’s stubborn, I’m stubborn and we butt heads from time to time.  But he’s encouraging and supportive in his own unique way, yet never forgets to remind me that I am capable of more. Given that I’m surrounded by friends and family who tell me I’m fantastic all the time his form of motivation typically works. After an hour of arms drills, core exercises, squats and hill sprints I was feeling surprisingly okay. I geared up, grabbed my iPod and headed out for the 7 km trek back home. My legs started to get heavy and forced me to slow down as I headed over the Burrard Bridge.  In total,  I ran 14.10 km in 1:22.

That evening the girls came over for dinner and copious amount of wine.  We all ravaged the low fat turkey lasagna I whipped up earlier that day and shared lots of laughs.

On Sunday I didn’t roll out of bed until ten am. I lazed around and later on hooked up with Alicia for a long overdue chitchat …and yes… more sangria!  But as all good things, the weekend has now come to an end and the reality of my week ahead has set in. I’m staying upbeat by enjoying the wonderful weather and as much running (away from life) as possible.

PT Girl xo

I wasn’t looking to post a personal best but I did have every intention of running the Scotia Half Marathon on Sunday but…. didn’t. My intuition is so good, I just need to listen to it more carefully; I had an feeling my plans were going to fall apart and they did late Saturday night. I lay awake in bed at the crack of dawn on Sunday wishing I had made alternative plans and agreed to commute up to UBC with Hank. I was pissed off at myself; I wanted to run so I should have just done so and figured out the logistics afterwards.

Big congratulations to Hank, he ran the Scotia Half marathon in 1:32:18 Impressive especially if you knew how much (or little) time was actually dedicated to his training. Way to go!!!

After a pot of coffee while watching the soccer match between Argentina and Mexico I was still beating myself up so decided to lace up. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to get angry more often… rage really seems to help my speed.

Over the past few months I’ve been cursed with really bad sleeping patterns  and I feel as if I exist on adrenaline; and every so often I crash losing total motivation to do anything at all. Yesterday at work I was worn out and wished for nothing more than ONE good night of sleep; so I decided to go to the Steve Nash Gym and exert myself to the point of exhaustion. I jumped on the treadmill and ran 5 km in 27 minutes and then went straight into an hour spin class. Although I worked my ass off, I must admit this was one of the worst instructor’s that I have ever had. In my personal opinion the spin teacher (personal trainer or aerobic instructor) should not be panting harder than me, especially if they are working less than me. How can I possibly be motivated and take the instructor seriously when I’m being told to push harder from someone who demonstrates no fitness or athletic ability? Am I wrong for thinking this way?

Either way I made it my ride and gave er’ my all! My legs were shaking and I was completely soaked. I was convinced that this 90 workout would absolutely do the trick and induce me into an eight hour coma. Wahhhhh!! Yet another sleepless night!!! I’m about to lose my mind!!! Does anyone have a good insomnia remedy? I’m ready to try anything!!

PT Girl xo

It all a distant dream… my girlfriends and I went to Scottsdale AZ for a spa getaway a few weeks ago. Our flight left Vancouver, BC at 7:30 a.m. We landed in Phoenix, got the car rental, stocked up on snacks and bevies and were at the Princess Fairmont pool by 1 p.m. After a few hours in the blazing sun I headed to my first spa appointments; a sixty minute massage is just want I needed to shift into relaxation mode.

“Beep beep beep…” I pushed the snooze button on my blackberry alarm two mornings in a row. CC and I hiked Camelback Mountain and Pinnacle Peak. We figured it would be best to start before it got to hot. Jules was perplexed by the sound of alarm clocks on vacation. “Have fun girls, I’ll be by the pool when you get back.” she yawned waving from her cloud like bed.  By 9 a.m. it was well over 100 degrees but we persisted and kept going even though I was sweating profusely and CC was showing symptoms of dehydration.

The first hike was followed by coffee, a shower and breakfast. I had about two hours of R&R  then changed in my workout wear and headed out to the hotel gym to meet Charles the Personal Trainer for a session. I was strangely energized and ready to give er’. I was also curious to see what I’d get for a $89 +18% gratuity PT session. Twenty five minutes in Charles asked “How you feeling?” “Greeeeat!” I grinned. “Huh?” He seemed surprised then kept insisting I maneuver the most difficult variation of each exercise he presented me. Charles was really nice and was able to quickly determine how hard he could  push me. “You’ve been taught great form” he complimented. We talked about the hike I’d just done and I explained that overcoming the heat was the most challenging part for me. “Camelback is a small hill compared to the Grouse Grind” I told to him. “I’ll have to come to Vancouver and hike this Grouse Grind you speak about.” Charles said. The Fairmont charges $64 for a 30 minute stretch session so it was nice of Charles to include a 20 minutes stretch at the end of my session. He observed the same as every other trainer and massage therapist does “You need to stretch more!” he said. My review of my Personal Training session at the Princess Fairmont was A+. Charles was friendly, personable, knowledgeable and adaptable. If you live in the Scottsdale area or plan on traveling there and would like a good ass kicking I would recommend calling him for a workout.

The week we got back I was swamped at work and only managed to squeeze in one PT session with de Wolf and one climb up the Grouse Grind. Our first attempt of the year was executed at 6:30 a.m.  The only good thing about going that early is the lack of other ‘crazy people’ in our way.  de Wolf  suggested we go up twice but by the time I got my sorry butt to the top there was no way! “I’m not going again, not happening!!” I shouted.  How quickly I forget how hard this hike is. “How did we do this three times in a row?” I asked de Wolf reminiscing of the day last summer we hiked up the Grouse Grind three times in a row before 11 a.m. where I’d actually I finish each climb under an hour and he’d finished his well under 50 minutes each. To me that seemed impossible right now.

This week was way more productive.  I had two PT sessions where abs seemed to be the “core” focus; fitting as bikini season is upon us I also laced up for the first time in seven weeks and did two short seven kilometer runs. Yesterday morning after the best uninterrupted 8 hours of sleep in a very long time, I decided to attempt a real run. Out before 8 a.m. the sun was shining, Stanley Park was all mine as I enjoyed my new tunes and the great West Coast scenery. Nowhere near a record time I was still pleased to complete 17 km with ease after such a long running hiatus. So even though I haven’t been training and will probably not run a personal best I’m thinking of signing up for the Scotia half marathon next weekend. “JUST DO IT!” Right?

PT Girl xo

My life was chugging along quite perfectly … unfortunately perfection is an illusion that cannot be sustained. At some point we all stand at a cross road and face difficult times. I couldn’t allow my state of affairs to affect all parts of my life so it’s my training that was negatively impacted this month; unable to run and unwilling to workout I barely managed 25 km. I canceled personal training sessions, had to continually persuade myself to show up and even bolted mid session on one occasion. I was in state of “blah” that seemed unshakable. But I am pleased to announce (for my sake and for the people around me) I’ve regrouped and I’m back in business!

Determined to find my keenness I woke up at the crack of dawn yesterday and went to a  spin class for the first time in about two months. I was unhappy with the stiffness in my legs but felt fantastic afterwards. This morning I had a Personal Training session with deWolf. Near the end of the session the sunshine poked through the clouds; the blinding rays seemed symbolic of my renewed state of mind as I tried to balance a side plank on the bosu ball.

My left hip is still causing me a bit of discomfort so I’m seeing my chiropractor on Monday for what I hope will be my final visit. I‘ve stocked up on more Acid Zapper pills but most importantly I’ve managed to find my enthusiasm and I’m ready to train for the Scotia Half Marathon on June 27^th.

I have lots on my agenda; two spin classes, one hike and one PT session before I leave for my “Girls Spa Getaway” to Scottsdale AZ early next week. Once there I fully intend on shopping, flopping by the pool, drinking too many alcoholic slushy cocktails and being excessively pampered; yet I can’t resist planning some fitness time. Not having to hurry to get to work or rush home makes working out idyllic.

So between frolicking in the pool, catching up on gossip with the gals, hazy poolside tanning, spa appointments and shopping I’ve booked a “cheat on deWolf” session with Charles the Personal Trainer at the Fairmont, a hike up Camelback Mountain and one (maybe two) fitness classes.

Don’t forget to pack the shades, sunblock and ibuprofen!

PT Girl xo

Yesterday I was consumed with worry. Personal troubles aside, I couldn’t stop thinking about my leg and how my injury has negatively impacted my last three weeks of training. I hadn’t had a decent run in forever “Can you forget how to run?” I kept thinking to myself.

My girlfriend Alicia brought me out for a pre-race meal at the KEG. Filet minion, baked potato and spinach salad! Yum… I tried to fall asleep early but I kept tossing and turning. This was not my usual pre-race excitement but more worry that leg may not carry me to the finish line.

I woke to overcast skies… rain was definitely upon me. Most of you know how I loathe running in the rain. “Just hold off for a few hours” I thought to myself as I stood fidgeting with my iPod in the crowd of anxious BMO runners.

The gun went off and instantly I felt a rain drop. “For f** sakes…PMS, a damaged leg and rain… this is not my race…” I cursed crossing the start line.

Amazingly, 27 minutes in I was right on pace at five kilometers. “Ok, I can do this…” I forced myself to think of nothing but my breathing. Thoughts of current events kept popping in my head and I kept pushing them aside. “Nothing else matter right now…” As I entered Stanley Park, I saw Mike and Michelle, I waved. “Hey…” Mike said starting to run alongside me “You’re doing great!! 2 hour pace bunny is way behind you! Keep it up!” Kilometers ten I was at 55 minutes. I started to brace myself as the hilliest part was coming up: seventy five meters of elevation between twelve and fourteen kilometers and half way up the sharp pulling pain in the back of my leg made a furious return. I slowed down but refused to stop (or walk) “This is not even a hill compared to the UBC!! SUCK IT UP!!!” I yelled inside.

Around kilometer sixteen Mike popped out of nowhere again running with me. “How are you feeling? You want me to run with you?” I gratefully declined knowing I would use him as a crutch. Whenever someone runs with me I automatically start whining “I’m tired, it hurts, omg… blah blah blah…” I was already a bit behind pace “Thanks Mike I’m good… gotta focus!” I pointed ahead. “Ok push it!” he yelled!

Mental battles, trying to ignore my leg pain as I pushed up the last hill under the Granville Bridge. Then my caves started to cramp making me jump out of stride. The finished line was so close. I saw Julie to my left “Go Banana!!!” then Alicia and Chris “CRANK IT!!” and I crossed the finish line…soaking wet, absolutely frozen and wobbling off my left leg.  My Garmin said 1:59:30… I should be happy? But I wasn’t… I knew I didn’t officially make it in less than 2 hours. The damn chip says 2:00:46 (MOFO, Shit… *@%^@ *!&** ….there aren’t enough swear words) Afterward I kept replaying the race in my head …and it came to me…the damn water stations!!  I had pre-picked three stations to hydrate (6km, 11km and 16km) But it tasted so good… I grabbed water five times, coming to a complete stop at the last one…IDIOT! In the end I did shaved off three minutes from last year’s race time,  felt exhilarated from the actual run and was super grateful to be surrounded by great friends.  But  I don’t feel the sense of accomplishment I was hoping for. Luckily I’ve already signed up for the Scotia Half marathon in June to redeem myself!

PS – whoever says the BMO half marathon is flat and fast is full of SHIT!

Regardless of my performance I would still like to give thanks:

Eric of deWolf Training: My personal trainer who has a very unique way of pushing me…wouldn’t have it any other way.

Witch Dr. from 6^th street Chiropractor & Wellness: without him there is no doubt I wouldn’t have been able to run this race. He helped immensely with my ridiculous self inflicted injuries.

Toby from the Sinclair Wellness Center: Female massage therapist who has just the right touch!

Support & self esteem team: Mike and Hank who are always there to listen to my PT and fitness dramas.

Cheering Team: Iron Mike, Michelle, Julie, Alicia and Chris. (Eric the Billy Goat Gruff was under the bridge…but I didn’t see him)

PT Girl xo

Next time I say “I’m tired” “I’m not motivated” or “I don’t feel like it” I promise myself to remember the last 7 days. I was not allowed or able to run/workout for the last week because of a stupid self inflicted injury.  The lack of activity was extremely difficult; I had way too much pent up energy. Anxiety that my race was quickly approaching and the exaggerated thoughts that I was losing precious training time made me absolutely insane; after only two days on hiatus I was going mental.  My boredom and restlessness turned into a girl’s night out which lead to a massive hangover! The hangover was followed by ingesting crap food for 24 hours, which made me feel guilty because I couldn’t go burn off the greasy poutine calories with a long run… SELF SABOTAGE.

Yesterday I had the second visit to my chiropractor since my injury happened. (I refer to my chiro as the “Witch Doctor” because he does wonders. Unlike any other chiropractor he has never cracked a single bone in my body yet strangely with no more than a few prods and pokes he heals me.) I explained that as recommended I took four days off since I last saw him and went for a short run on Sunday. “The pain in the back of my left leg is still there and made my run uncomfortable.” I told him “Of course,  why do you think I told you to come back today?” he asked.

Laying on my back he poked at my leg and butt. “Turn around” he said and dug into the left side of my stomach. Then he asked me to push my left leg with as much force as possible against his hand and said “There you go crazy runner, you’re all fixed!” I smiled,  jumped off the table and slid back into my beige stilettos.  As promised, the constant pulling pain in the back of my leg was GONE! “Come back a few days before your race and I’ll make sure you’re fine tuned” he suggested. “Abso-fucking-lutely!” I thought waving goodbye.

I was excited for today’s personal training session; it may not have been my best performance but my leg didn’t bother me during the workout. After I ran five kilometers (actually 4.2 km) back to my truck. It may not have been my quickest but the pain in my left leg and butt cheek was definitely less prominent than on Sunday. A great sweat after a week off felt fabulous! “Damn right… the bitch is back!” I thought smirking  as I drove away.

PT Girl xo

Most people buy shoes to go with their clothes but I will seek out an entire outfit base around a fabulous pair of shoes. Last week I decided to do a massive purge in my shoe closet because so many don’t fit, are out dated or are just plain ugly and are taking up precious space. During my cleanse I found an old pair of black patent Calvin Klein stilettos. “Ahhhhhh” I sighed. “My good friends! You carried me painlessly through many nights of drunk dancing….” I reminisced.  The good memories made me feel all warm in fuzzy and I knew I had to wear them one more time before they hit the trash can. So, last Thursday before leaving for work I slipped them on. “Still as comfortable as ever.” I thought to myself. “So what if the left heel is worn down about an eighth of an inch….right?!”

I arrived at my personal training session at six p.m. and could feel a slight twinge in my lower back. “Probably nothing…” I thought to myself. The session went fast as de Wolf worked me hard. During stretch I felt tighter than normal but didn’t think much of it. By the time I got home there was definitely a pain in my back. I popped a Robaxacet^® and went to bed. On Friday morning I could still feel the ache which seemed to worsen as the day went on.   But like with many other things in life, I ignored it and  swallowed two more Robaxacet^®. Tunnel vision “Nothing is going to stop me from doing my 25 km run.”

I woke after a great sleep “Yeah! This is going to be a great run” bouncing out of bed! “Ouch ouch…wtf my back!” I limped out of the bedroom. “Lala lala” ignoring that there was anything wrong I went into the kitchen and prepared my ritual pre-run meal; oatmeal and green tea. I turned the tunes up loud and started to put my running gear on. “Runner’s water belt or no?” I contemplated testing the belt around my waist. “Nah! Screw that! It’s so uncomfortable” I tossed the belt aside, put a pack of Cliff Bloks in the back of my Lululemon shirt pocket and crossed my fingers that the water fountains along Kits beach would be turned on.

Every single time my left foot hit the ground a sharp pain ran up my leg into my lower back which put me behind pace by about three minutes at 5 kilometers. “Suck it up!” I told myself pushing to pick up the pace. I zoned out ignoring everything around me and managed to get back on track at 10 kilometers at the foot of my nemesis: UBC Hill. The two kilometer, 75 meters of elevation was painful. Relieved to have made it to the top I realize I was behind pace again. I turned around and headed down the hill picking up as much speed as possible. I actually felt great from twelve to sixteen kilometers and the pain in my leg and back seemed to disappear only to return furiously. I was panting and needed to hydrate. The water fountain was insight; I washed two Cliff Bloks down with some cold water and off I went. I wanted to get this done. I was behind again but managed to hit 21.1 kilometers in 2:01. (5:44 per km) I was tuckered out and my legs were strained. I walked for a half block and then decided to run the last two kilometers to home. I felt great… for the time being.

A few hours later… agony and immobility!! The pain moved from my lower back deep into my left butt cheek making it difficult for me to maneuver in any direction. I figured I needed a good stretch, so I went to West Coast Yoga in Yaletown where my friend Leo teaches a hot yoga class. He was quick to point out that my friend Julie and I were newbie’s and gave us tons of “special’ attention. I enjoyed the class, but it did nothing for my injury. I hurt even when I sat on soft furniture, so I thought it wise to take Monday off completely. Not knowing what to do with myself I went to my personal training session yesterday. “How am I supposed to fill and entire hour with just arms?” deWolf asked me. He spent a great deal of the session stretching me out and using that odd stick to roll out some knots. When I stood up I was actually felt pain free; for about 45 seconds.

This morning I went and saw my chiropractor. He performs miracles and has never failed me before. I’m usually in and out and fixed under five minutes!  “WOW! You are really messed up!” he said lightly feeling my back. With my face down “Don’t say that! This is not what I want to hear!” I exclaimed. He laughed “Well you did quite the number on yourself!” He continued, poking, pulling and prodding at my back and legs; with my face still down on the table I said:  “Can I go to hot yoga tonight?”

Chiro: “No.” he laughed

PT Girl:  “F**K! Can I see my personal trainer tomorrow?”

Chiro: Still laughing and still working on me he said “NO!”

PT Girl: “F**K!!” as I visualized the shoes that had betrayed me!

Chiro: “You need to rest and heal if you want to run your half marathon. You can walk, that’s it! Try a light run on Sunday and come back to see me on Monday.” he said now laughing out loud.

I couldn’t believe my ears! One week left of training before my tapering starts and I’m being told to completely STOP all physical activities for  four full days!  Sheer panic!! For two reasons:

1. What if I don’t heel in time for the race?
2. What will I do for four days with no workouts scheduled?

PT Girl xo

The BMO Half Marathon’s gun goes off in 25 days, 16 hours, 41 minutes and 30 seconds and I have officially started to freak out!!!  How many more long runs, hill intervals and speed workouts can I squeeze in before race day?  I figure I still have three full weeks of training ahead of me; giving myself a full week to taper. But will anything seriously make a difference in my performance at this point? Or am I at my full race potential already?

Last Saturday I ran my fastest fifteen kilometers ever. Finishing in 1h22mins (5:28 per km) but during the entire run I kept thinking about what I could have done better during my training. What if I’d run on the rainy Saturdays rather than stayed in bed?  I could have definitely done more hill training and logged more miles! I thought of all the lazy runs I took where I didn’t push myself.  I remembered the countless drinks I consumed in February during the Olympic celebrations which hindered my training for ten long days; and I replayed the training session with de Wolf where I could have honestly given a better effort.

I know I’m stronger this year and there is no doubt I am faster yet I’ve been having anxiety that on the day of the race I’m going to blow up.

I started training for BMO Half Marathon mid January and since then I’ve ran about 300 km and been to over 25 hours of training sessions. But will it be enough? Have I trained to my full potential? Will I conquer my goal finish time?

PT Girl xo

With only 32 days before my race I decided to up my training for the next few weeks. On Monday I followed-up my spin class with a five kilometer run on the treadmill. On Tuesday I was pumped and ready to add a five kilometer run after my personal training session with deWolf. I thought this was pretty ambitious. But I was quickly told differently.  Seemingly I should be putting in a ten kilometer run rather than a measly five. I quote, straight from the “Fitness Lord’s” mouth “Lazy! God forbid if you actually put real effort into your training, imagine what you could accomplish.” I laughed because I knew he was somewhat teasing. This is our rapport, this is how we communicate; we banter back and forth, we mock each other and we argue about everything! Amused I said “Oh pleeeze… stop poking the bear already?!” to which he replied “Haha a bear? You’re no bear! You’re as threatening as a kitten!” Alight, I was ready to rumble; in five minutes he’d called me lazy and unintimidating.

As the training session went on he continued the abuse me, poor PT Girl, calling me untrustworthy with no substantial reasoning. Is the “Personal Training Domain” not a place where the client can share stories, concerns and woes?  This is definitely the case on the Biggest Loser. Where is my compassionate Bob? I know Personal Trainers don’t actual take a PT-Client oath but I assumed it went without saying.  What am I supposed to talk about? The character development of the TV series Lost? Movies reviews? Or the weather perhaps? BORING!!

The session wrapped up and during a stretch deWolf started to snicker. “What?” I asked. “Nothing.” he said. I looked up at him unconvinced and he followed with “PT Girl, it’s not all about you, you know!”Absolutely perplexed I said “WHAT?? …It’s not?” Can someone please tell me what this man is talking about?

I changed into my outdoor running shoes and got ready for my run. Listening to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance my mind drifted and I started replaying the events of today’s session in my head “lazy…kitten… can’t keep a secret… lazy, kitten …it’s not all about you…” As the words ran through my mind I started to laugh and my legs went faster and faster. “Ahhaha, another great workout!” I giggled. I’m looking forward to getting ribbed some more at my next session… Meow!

PT Girl xo