Goal for Hypothermic Half

So i have been meaning to check out for weeks what my time was for last year's hypothermic half. It was a PB (personal best) but i for some reason couldn't remember what it was! So it was 1:56:38. I hit the wall for the last 5k it sucked. I pushed myself way to hard for the first 5k and then slowed down from there and then once i was at 15k i was done but i dug in and pushed as hard as i could manage with the energy i had left. I was disappointed in myself but at the same time proud of my PB. So i need to start upping the ante on my training and start working harder on my speed.

Now to think of a reasonable new PB. I am thinking i want to be semi modest with this and feel like 1:53 would be a good goal. Definitely achievable. I never have brought any food or gels on any training runs or any of the past 3 half marathon's i have done. I always thought gels were way too processed and not for me. But i have recently learned about Clif bars version of gels so i plan on giving that a try for probably my 15 k run and then continue using is up to and including race day. Clif bars strives on making their products as natural and organic as possible. I think that will help prevent me from hitting that wall! I will keep you all posted on the taste and how well they work for me! Fingers crossed i can find something that works for me. I think this is the key to me hitting another PB.

Have any of you tried the clif shot gel's? If so what did you think and what is your favorite flavor?

Hot yoga'ing it up

Well i have finally tried hot yoga! And let me tell you i loved it! There is nothing like dripping of sweat and having it bead on your skin to know you are having a kick ass workout. Dynamic Fitness, Moncton's newest yoga studio, which also carries a TON of Lululemon gear had a promo weekend where all hot yoga classes were FREE and everything Lulu was tax free. Now i am kicking myself for not buying anything but i was so hungry after i had to get out of there to get some food in me. I need at least an hour to pick out what Lulu gear i want with my birthday gift certificates. $178 won't go far in that store. BUT it's so worth it because it lasts. I am going to Hali in a few weeks where they have a full blown Lulu store. So i will wait until then!

If you haven't tried hot yoga yet i recommend that you do! It is intensely hard and detoxifying. You feel amazing after! I think there is a hot yoga high much like a runner's high, but not completely the same. While it is hard don't let that scare you away. You can come out of any of the poses at any point and take a break and have some much needed water (i did lot's). I drank a liter of water in the hr and 15 min class, whew.

Now here are some of my tips before venturing to a class...make sure you drink 2 liters of water before class (i only drank a liter) and EAT. I did it on an empty stomach and that's why i was so desperate to get out of there to get home and eat. My body needed fuel after that intense workout. I was beat. They say to eat 2 hrs before class and i only woke up an hour before class. So next time i happen to go on a Saturday i will ensure i wake up at least 2 hours before class. It has to be 2 hours before class because when you practice hot yoga it should be on a fairly empty stomach, don't want to puke in the middle of class now do ya?

So what are you waiting for get out and try it! I plan on attending about once a month. That's all my current budget will allow! At $15 a pop it is pricey but so worth the dripping sweat!

Pumpkin Chocolate chunk granola bars

I got this recipe off the Eat Clean Diet website under community, then Kitchen table section. It's where eat clean fanatics like me can post their recipes. Great and free place to get ideas to bring into your weekly meal planning. I find the easiest way to eat healthy and clean is to plan your meals and snacks for the week on either Saturday or Sunday whenever you get your groceries. I try to get all my groceries at my local market but didn't make it there this Saturday. I then hit up the Bulk bar for the rest. Although i do still have to make a stop at my local grocery too at times.

I love Sundays...so relaxing and it's the day that i make my main snack for the week and my granola for the week...after this it's time to hit the books. I don't know if i have mentioned yet that i am taking Grade 12 Biology. I need it to apply for the Bachelor of Nursing at UNB Moncton. I have all my application stuff in and done for next year, just have to finalize my life sketch, essentially an entrance essay and send that off some time this week. I will keep you all posted on whether or not i get in this year. I am a little worried since i won't be finished my biology until February as that is when i have to write my provincial exam. The program fills up very fast too, and biology is a prerequisite. So i need it to get in! Ekkk!!!

Ok now for the recipe:

3 1/4 cup of rolled whole oats
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup of canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup dark chocolate in pieces (i hammer mine with a rolling pin in the package until it's in pieces)
1/2 cup slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8 x 8 baking pan.
2. Combine oats, spices and salt, set aside. Combine in another bowl pumpkin, apple sauce, honey and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well until all oats are moist. Stir in chocolate pieces and almonds.
3. Evenly press mixture into pan. Bake 25-35 min until golden brown.
4. Let cool for 5 min on a rack and then use a sharp knife to cut into bars.

Makes 10-12 granola bars.

My infamous granola

I have been making my own granola for months now and i LOVE it. I am a big time cereal/granola monster so i make big patches of it weekly...the great thing about granola is that you don't have to use the same nut/seed or dried fruit/raisin combo. You can basically put anything in granola (of the aforementioned add-ins).

Mix in a large bowl

4 cups of rolled oats (i usually do 6 cups at one time)

3 cups of nuts and seeds (i used slivered almonds, crushed walnuts, sunflower seeds, ground flax and wheat germ)

Mix in a pot on the stove

2/3 cup canola oil (i used about 1 tbsp and 4 tbsp of coconut butter (or can be olive oil)

1/4 cup honey

1/4 agave nectar (you can also use all honey or a combo of honey and pure maple syrup)

2 tbsp cinnamon (i also add cardamom and nutmeg to make it Tosca Reno's apple pie spice)

2 tsp of real vanilla

Directions:

1. Stir to combine the "sauce" with the dry ingredients.

2. Bake at 300 for 15 min, take out and stir, then cook another 10-12 min. It will seem soft when you take it out but it will crunch up.

3. Continue stirring as it cools so it won't stick to the pan.

4. Then stir in craisins, raisins or other dried fruit.

Enjoy!

I store mine in a large plastic container that seals well.

Hypothermic Half training program

For those of you interested here is my training plan until Feb 13, 2010! I plan on either doing Body pump (a goodlife endurance weight class) or one of my own full body workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have decided to switch it up and surprise my body I have been doing Monday, Wednesday, Friday weights forever. So now i am moving it to Tuesday and Thursday the days i used to do cardio and abs. I am curious to see what this will do for my body. I do yoga on Fridays as it's something i need mentally and it's a great physical workout too, the class i take anyways. So yoga also strengthens me in a different way though without the weights.

Here is a link to my schedule:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0Akn5XDjoNX-cdDF1clJKSmtBNWpUMVNuOUhEajd3T2c&output=html

Sundays are my days off unless i don't run on Saturday for some reason. I am replacing my Nov 20th 9km run with a 10km race "Clear the Trails". Also please note above where it says the days. Mondays is 8km of speed training, Wednesdays are 10km tempo or hills. For hills i run 3 km for a warm up, do the hills and then a 3 km cool down. Saturdays are long slow runs where i run 10 min and walk 1 min.