on the treadmill
5 minute warm up
Run for 7minutes and walk for 2minutes (repeat 5 times/45minutes)
5 minute cool down
5.5km in 55minutes
Todays run was good. For the past two runs I've had some minor knee pain, almost like I feel water in my knee, strange... worth keeping an eye on.
I can't believe I just finished week 9... I know I say this every time I move on to the next week. But seriously, just the fact that I've stuck with something for 9 weeks is amazing and deserves a round of applause!! BUT it's running that I've stuck with!! Astonishing!!
Saturday I start week 10, run 10minutes walk 1min and repeat 4 times.
NOW let's talk about Socks, which I didn't think could make of break a run... but let me tell you it does.
I started running with thin cheap Cotton socks (beginners mistake) which seems to work fine and I'm happy with, but not ideal. Cotton socks hold onto moisture, which is more likely to cause infections like athlete's foot. YUCK!!
I moved on to Adidas Superlite Climacool (3 pairs for $8.99 at Winners) which I didn't like at all, they made my feet really HOT and I hate having HOT feet. Plus they gave me blisters since they were really low at the back, something which the cheap cotton socks never did.
Running socks are almost as important to a runner's performance as the right pair of running shoes. Choosing the wrong pair of socks can lead to an uncomfortable run, blisters, calluses and sweaty feet which leads to a crappy experience.
Running socks are especially designed to meet the physical demands of running. Most will provide stability and moisture wicking ability, which makes running more enjoyable especially for new runners.
Choose running socks that are made out of a synthetic material such as polyester, which will pull moisture away from your skin.
Make sure your socks fit and they cover your foot completely, I hate when my socks are too big and bunch up and slide around.
So 3 weeks ago I finally picked up a pair of Velocity Socks at Lululemon for $14.00
Why they made them:
- Wicking comfort bodymaps your foot, providing ergonomic cushioning, venting and support
- Seamless technology reduces blisters
- Extra cushioning to reduce shoelace pressure
- Mesh panels accelerate air flow
- Built in arch support
- Silverescent anit-stink performance using X-Static yarn technology
- 47% Nylon, 38% Coolmax Polyester, 12% X-Static, 3% Spandex
So far the socks have held up great. I like the cushion at the back and how snug they feel on my foot and I'm glad to report that we have been blister free.
The anti-stink work great and I'm happy with how quickly they dry.
I still find them a bit warm but not as HOT as the Adidas socks and my feet still get sweaty but probably not as bad as before. All in all I'm happy with my purchase.
Do you have a favourite brand of Running Socks?
I've been thinking about Peanut Sauce for the past two day. You know that carving where you can almost taste it? YEAH it's been that bad. So I went in search for the perfect recipe that would hit the spot and I found it!!
My Girlfriend had previously mentioned this recipe which she absolutely loves, so I decided to give it a try.
Sesame Noodles With Chicken (without the Sesame)
adapted from Cooking Light
8 ounces uncooked Whole Wheat Linguine
1 cup matchstick-cut carrots
2/3 cup organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup of natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon of Honey
2 teaspoons of Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
1 cup of thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds (which I didn't have on hand)
Cook Pasta according to package directions, without salt or fat. Add carrots to Pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain well
Saute the Chicken in a pan with a little bit of evoo until the chicken is cooked.
Combine broth, peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, Honey and Sriracha in a blender and process until smooth. Add the broth mixture and green onions to the chicken and bring to a simmer (this is just to warm up the sauce). Combine the Pasta with the Chicken mixture and enjoy!!
This makes 5 servings.
I really LOVED this dish.
The Peanut sauce was prefect, it had just the right amount of piquance, but I've been told that my threshold for heat is LOW so feel free to add a bit more chile sauce depending on how spicy you like it.
For next time I would probably reduce the amount of Peanut butter to 1/3 cup because it does have a real peanut butter taste.
It does make quite a bit of sauce and you could almost use only half of it ... I hate when you make a recipe and don't have enough sauce and that's not the case with this recipe.
I can see myself making this recipe using Shrimp instead of Chicken or just adding more veggies, like broccoli and making this a vegetarian dish.
YUM !! So glad I have leftovers for tomorrows lunch.
on the treadmill
5 minute warm up
Run for 7minutes and walk for 2minutes (repeat 6 times/54minutes)
5 minute cool down
6.5km in 64minutes
Had a fairly good run but towards my 4th repeat I was feeling the effects of the run, feeling drained and my legs were tired. I know exactly why... I forgot to eat again before my run. Rushing home and getting dinner in the oven, it just completely slipped my mind. I had a pear at 2:30pm and then ran at 5:30pm, so not ideal. I really need to remember how important it is to fuel my body for running. I do see a difference from when I have a pre run snack about 1hr before to when I don't eat at all.
I came up with a list of Pre running snack that I can have about 1hr before I go out on my run;
- Banana with a tablespoon of any kind of nut butter
- Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit
- Cliff Bar, Luna Bar, or any other kind of energy/granola bar
- about 1/4 cup nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, etc...) with dried fruit like cranberries or trail mix
- a WW english muffin with about a tablespoon of nut butter and honey
I might set a reminder on my BlackBerry to eat about 1hr before I plan on running, at least until I get the hang of it and it becomes second nature.
After my run I had a nice refreshing Green Smoothie
3 cups of Organic Spinach
1 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk
1 frozen Organic Banana
1 BIG Strawberry 1T of Chia Seeds
1T of Ground Flax Seeds
YUM!! It was just what I needed after running, I felt 100 times better after.
What's your go to Pre Running snack?
