Monthly Review - DECEMBER 2010

18.4 km TOTAL

Lowest monthly total to date since July :(

Homemade Detergent for an Automatic Dishwasher

from Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck

Many dishwasher detergents contain chlorine, phosphorus, and antimicrobials, which are potentially dangerous, completely unnecessary, and very hard on the environment. Whether you are concerned about the health of our waterways, or are merely trying to keep your septic system working properly, it is a good idea to choose a dishwasher detergent that does not contain any of these ingredients.

Look in the health food store for environmentally friendly dishwasher detergents that utilize enzymes, washing soda (sodium carbonate), and borax.

You can make a batch of homemade dish detergent by mixing equal parts pf laundry borax and washing soda:

1 cup washing soda (Arm & Hammer)

1 cup Borax

An efficient dishwasher should only need one tablespoon of detergent. If your dishwasher has a detergent dispenser and a rinse dispenser, fill the rinse dispenser with vinegar to prevent mineral build-up on your dishes and glassware.

Do not wash aluminum or Teflon pans with this homemade detergent.

How to Clean a Washing Machine (chemical-free)

This is for a top-loading machine:

Step 1 - With your machine empty, run it full of hot water to the largest load setting. When the tub is full and begins to agitate, add:

3 to 4 cups distilled white vinegar

½ cup baking soda

Allow the machine to agitate for a few moments, then turn off the machine. Let the water sit for 30 minutes - 1 hour.

Step 2 - After allowing the vinegar/baking soda mixture to penetrate the grime in the washing machine tub, restart the machine, allowing it to complete the wash cycle. At the end of the wash cycle, as the tub begins to drain, advance the washing machine to the spin cycle. On many washing machines, this will cause the washing machine to spin as it drains, which can help to further loosen any residue. If yours doesn't do this, simply allow it to drain. Turn off the machine.

Step 3 - Wipe the inside of the washing machine tub with a wet cloth. If desired, use a cloth soaked in a solution of half hot water and half white vinegar. Be sure to wipe all inside surfaces, including the bottom and blades of the agitator and the top of the tub just under the lid. (It is sometimes helpful to use a wire toilet brush around the top rim and in hard-to-reach places.) If the washing machine has a fabric softener and/or a bleach dispenser, remove these and clean thoroughly before replacing.

Note:

If, after following these steps the odor remains, the washing machine may have build-up in some of the inner parts. If your washing machine is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer for a repairperson to check it out. If not, contact your local appliance repair shop, and they should be able to clean the machine for you.

How to prevent build-up in your washing machine

To keep your washing machine looking and smelling cleaner for longer, follow these simple steps to reduce build-up:

1. Use less detergent.

What detergent manufacturers don't tell you is that you can often get away with using half the recommended amount (or possibly even less), and your clothes will come out just as clean. The amount you need to use depends on your local water - those with hard water may need to use more detergent, while those with soft water may be able to use extremely small amounts. Experiment to find the optimal detergent amount for your washing machine.

2. Rinse clothing thoroughly after washing.

If you find that your rinse cycle produces a lot of suds, your clothes are not being rinsed thoroughly, and therefore neither is your washing machine. Run an extra rinse cycle, and in the future, try to use less detergent.

SALVATION ARMY SANTA SHUFFLE 5K - And Concern About My Achille Tendon!

Not a training run - a fun run

5.36K @ 38:03

Avg. Pace 7:06 min /km

LOL! Where to begin with today's experience ...

Last night, I went to the local Running Room (we have one in London) to pick up my t-shirt and number. I made the mistake of heading downtown London on a Friday afternoon and paid the price by being stuck in traffic for a good hour ... but peanuts compared to Toronto and Vancouver, right? :) I was a little surprised when all I received was the l/s t-shirt that I paid an additional $15 for (it was not included in the entry fee) and my number - 5823. I was then told that when I crossed the finish line, I would be given a goodie bag, and that refreshments would be available after the run at Joe Kool's (a renowned local London restaurant/bar). Fair enough! This is when I learned that the run was also 5X around the park. I was caught off guard by this news. I had expected that the run would be similar to the Forest City Road Race 5K in which runners ran all the way around downtown. Running five times around Victoria Park did not seem too fun to me at this point. :( But hey, it's all about attitude and I signed up for a FUN RUN, not an organized race.

This morning, Wallace and I walked downtown together to Victoria Park to join the many festive people who had also signed up. This is when I have to make an observation about London runners. When I participated in the London Honda Series and the Runpiker Series (all supported by Runner's Choice), I became accustomed to seeing the same runners. There are always "new-to-me" runners, as in the locals who only come out for that particular race, but similar to me, there are a significant number of runners who are faithful and show up to virtually every race in the series. I am bringing this up because I didn't recognize a soul today! Nadda! I had to wonder if this was a reflection of the two major running stores in town - Runner's Choice and the Running Room. Or is this truly a reflection of the difference between fun runs and organized chip runs? Was it all Running Room people I was seeing today? I would have to say that by the number of people wearing the iconic Running Room jacket in a variety of colours, it was! :)

Anyway, Wallace and I enjoyed running together around the park. It was not easy because the sidewalks were covered with snow and in order to pass other people, runners had to run in the deeper snow on the side. I felt nervous about not having some spikes on the bottom of my shoes, but when I looked around, I noticed that most runners did not have them either. It was a true mix of people; some very serious runners, plenty of novice runners, and quite a few group runners (people who came together to participate in it). I applaud everyone who came out to support the Salvation Army!

However, at approximately the 3K mark, I really started to notice my achilles tendon again. It was feeling sore. And for the first time, I started to run "differently" so that I wasn't putting as much pressure on it. This has me concerned. I still finished the run because it wasn't "bad" enough for me to stop, but it was the worst it has been so far and this makes me very nervous. Apparently, this is an injury that takes a significant amount of time to heal from ... it is not one that a runner wants to mess with ... I am thinking that I need to R.I.C.E. my tendon and give myself a few days off from running. The current forecast for this week is that my area is expecting a winter storm so I may be forced off the roads for a few days anyway. This is probably a "good" thing. If there is bad winter weather heading this way, it probably is a blessing in disguise - TWO significant reasons (not excuses!) forcing me to stay put in order to rest my achilles so that it doesn't become worse. :(

A New PR in 13K, But It Wasn't Fun! :(

Day #3, Week #4 Road Work training

13K @ 1:34:54

Avg. Pace 7:17 min / km

-1 degrees C (wind chill -8)

Did it look like I was MIA for the last few days? In a sense, I have been. :(

Yesterday (Wednesday) was one of those days when, as soon as I got out of bed, I knew it was going to be a day off from running. I have written about this before. There are times when I feel a little tired, but I still go for a run and usually feel good that I did. Then there are the days when I get up and I can feel the bone tiredness, a heaviness from a lack of sleep or from doing too much, and this is when I know that it's best to take the day off, go to bed earlier if possible, and then start fresh again the next day. Well, Wednesday was one of "these" days. Even though I hoped that, over the course of the day, I might snap out of it, I never did. The weather was not really conducive for running, which further cemented my decision to cancel my run. On top of all this, I have changed my schedule for this week so that I can participate in the Santa Shuffle 5K this Saturday, which entailed changing my Wed. 10K into my Saturday LR 13K. I have never run a 13K without stopping to walk and I was determined to run this 13K "well"; therefore, when I woke up feeling bone-tired and cranky, I knew it was not a good running day. :(

I am really glad I listened to my body because, after going to bed at an earlier time and getting a very solid night's rest, I felt much better prepared for my 13K today (the fact that I slept so solidly proved to me that I needed the extra rest!)

It was cold and lightly snowing, and given my paranoia about ice, I decided the safest place to run would be in Springbank Park, and that I would take one dog, the smallest dog with me so that if I encountered ice, I didn't have one of the 70 lb.+ boys pulling me into a dangerous situation (Note: I would rather be safe than sorry; therefore, until I gain more confidence and experience with running the winter, Angus and Kim will likely experience more walk-only days than running. Although I love running with my bigger dogs, and they are well-trained runners, they still have the ability to stop me on a dime when they have a sudden need to stop and pee, to expel, etc. This is what has me concerned).

This run ended up being tough mentally. It started out very well and although I was running with greater care, I was running strong. My first 6K of this run were very good, and I really enjoyed them. I did not look at my Garmin at all during this time. I just enjoyed my run for what it was.

However, when I was running a hillier section of the park behind Storybook Gardens, I decided to check my watch for mileage. For some reason, mentally, I was expecting it to say that I had run between 8-9K. Instead, I learned that I had just run barely 6K. This really shouldn't be a big deal, but for some reason, today, it made me feel very cranky and this funk came over me. How about that choice words, eh? Funk. Various online dictionaries give various meanings for this word, mainly "a state of depression" or a "deep state of depression" so maybe funk is too strong of a word, or perhaps I need to clarify this more by calling it, a cranky funk. I was not happy to see that I had only run 6K by that point, and knowing that I had not even reached the hump mark of this run did not bode well with me.

So for the next 7K, it was probably a good thing that I was running with just a dog because I likely would have been bitching up a storm if someone had been with me!! This turned into such a looooong run, one that seemed without end, but I just kept plugging along, doing my best to ignore the mileage on my watch and setting landmarks as short-term goals for when to check my watch since I knew I would be bitter regardless! I even started advising myself that 10K was good enough for today (the original mileage scheduled), and that I could wait until next week to run 13K.

Thankfully, by 10K, the funk-fueled snipers in my head were somewhat trampled by my dormant type-A voices, when I decided that darn it, I am running 13K today and getting this LR bloody well over with! After running past my previous PR of 11.5 km, I noticed that my pace did pick up slightly. In a very rare instance, I enjoyed the last 1.5K of this long run the most because it was similar to seeing a finish line ... I see a light at the end of a super long, dark tunnel so let's go faster so we can get there quicker!!!!!

Unfortunately, the time period after my run miserable, too! :( Wow, I can't win for trying today, can I? :( I always give myself time to walk after my runs as a cool-down. Within a short period of time, the top of my head became very cold, which was not covered because I was wearing a headband. I wore my headband during my warm-up walk and for the first few K for warmth, but once my run was well underway, I pocketed it, and was fine running without it. I always put the headband back on after my run for my cool-down walk to keep my ears warm, and usually this works well for me. However, today, the top of my head was wet from both sweat and falling snow. Within minutes of ending my running, the top of my head felt cold, and soon I was experiencing an "ice cream headache" on that part of my head. A few times I had to put my hand on top of my head just to protect it from the wind and to pass on some warmth. A good lesson for me: clearly I need to carry a hat with me to put on immediately after a run in this type of weather. I also started to cough very hard as the temperature of the air into my lungs changed once I was back inside. Truthfully, I just felt miserable until my hot shower when my body finally settled back into normalcy.

So here is my cranky funk post for the day! Not all runs can be great runs, and in the greater scheme of things, I tend to have many more good runs than cranky funk runs so I really have little to complain about. I am very proud of my new PR of 13K without walking and I am very very pleased with this training program so far. This is is what I am focusing on rather than the lack of enjoyment I derived from today! I also felt much better after Benny took me out for dinner, and I enjoyed an excellent spinach salad with grilled shrimp. :) A much-needed distraction with my sweetie to celebrate another milestone for me. :)

On a last side note, I wore my running pants and yellow jacket with running undershirt & underpants underneath. It was just a little too warm of a combination today. Instead, I could have worn spandex shorts and a l/s tech shirt underneath and felt more comfortable. I'm learning! :)

Running Shoe Update

www.runningahead.com keeps a log of my shoe mileage for me. :) GREAT feature!

May-November 2010

Saucony ProGrid Triumph 5 Silver (Green) = 506 km ( = 20 cents per km)

Saucony ProGrid Triumph 5 Silver (Purple) = 425 km ( = 28 cents per km)

Monthly Review - NOVEMBER 2010

172.7 km TOTAL

Highest monthly total to date :)

My Last Run in Shorts & a S/S Shirt for the Year, I Think!

Day #3, Week #4 Road Work training

8K @ 57:03

Avg. Pave 7:08 min /km

+ 4 striders

10 degrees C

Today's picture is of the Wharncliffe St. bridge. Yesterday, I crossed it at the beginning of my run to access this running path under it to head downtown. Today, I came from the other direction and crossed it the opposite way at the end of my run (except imagine it being wet with rain because it was raining today when I ended my run!)

I really did not feel like running today. It rained and rained all morning, and I was feeling a little tired. However, there was a significant period of time when the rain stopped, and I knew I would feel very guilty if I did run before the snow flurries start tonight ...

Angus and Kim were happy to head towards Springbank Park with me today. The sun was missing, but the temperature was just great. And as it turns out, my run was great, too! :) It took me a little while to warm up and get into the groove, but by the 3K mark, I was ready to try my first strider. Not fun. I did not like it. :( By the end of it, I was thinking, do I really want to run faster? Is this really worth it to me?

But these thoughts were really half joking, and as I started into my second strider, I was better prepared for it, and to my surprise, during my recovery, a runner's high kicked in, which was a nice little bonus! :) :) Striders #3 and #4 were a success, too, and I admit, I finally had the "aha" as to why striders are so good for increasing one's speed.

The dogs loved it, too. Angus in particular enjoyed the faster speed and just wanted to keep on going at that pace. We had a cyclist pass us with his loose Doberman Pinscer while I was running my 4th strider, and this motivated my dogs to run much faster, resulting in my significantly fastest split! :)

And as luck would have it, the rain held off until my last 1/2 km, and it was a warm gentle rain. It continued unabated until we arrived home ... all three of us wet, but happy. :) :)

Official First Day of Week #4 Training - My 10K

Day #1 - Week #4 Road Work training

10K @ 1:15:00

Avg. Pace 7:29 min / km

6 degrees C

3 weeks done, 14 more to go!

Today I brought along the camera, as you can see. :) I ran my Monday 10K downtown, through the university, and out to the turnaround at Ross Park/Richmond. This picture is of the newly paved trail - downtown London is to the right and the Thames River is to the right. It was a glorious sunny day and the conditions could not have been more perfect for a run! :) :) I wore pants and a l/s under a s/s shirt. Just a little on the warm side, and I think I may have been okay in shorts, although everyone out there running that I saw was essentially wearing similar clothing to me.

Wallace and Kim ran with me and they were happy to be out and running as always.

I wish my run was as glorious as the day, but alas, it actually was one of those days where I felt strong and energetic one minute and rather sluggish and slow the next. When I checked my Garmin, my splits were actually very consistent so once again, it is a reflection of how I was feeling rather than what my pace was like. It took quite a few kms for me to get into the run, and it felt at several points like this was going to be a loooong run.

There were quite a few other joggers out today as well. The terrific weather must have brought them out because there normally is not this many people on the path at this time of year. I had one jogger run up alongside me and ask me from which kennel did I buy Kim from - she quite liked the look of him! I told her that I had adopted him so I didn't know who his breeder was (he has no papers). My elderly neighbour, Frank, used to walk by our place when he would take his dog, Kim, to the schoolyard to exercise, every day, twice a day. Ben and I became friends with Frank and Kim as a result. When Frank and his wife went away for three weeks, he asked me to look after Kim for him, and this is my close bond with Kim began. After Kim returned home after his stay with us, both Kim and I were depressed for several days. I think Frank was both pleased and a little miffed that Kim reacted this way! When Frank became ill for a period of time, I would walk Kim for him and take him to the dog park with my dogs every day. It was then that Frank told me that he wasn't going to be around much longer, and that he wanted Kim to come live with Ben and I. It was only a few months later when Kim came to stay with us after Frank was hospitalized, and then he never left ...

I also chatted with another jogger who told me about running for 20K regularly with his Jack Russell. He said that dog could outrun anybody! I believe him, too. When I see how much energy my dogs still have in the backyard after a long run, I realize that training for a half marathon is not a problem for them. :)

Today was also an important ego day. I tried on a pair of jeans that have long been too small on me, and this morning, in an impromptu moment, I tried them on. I was shocked to find out that they fit ... I was just trying them on to see how much further I had to go! It was a terrific feeling and was a huge motivator to get out the door to run my Monday 10K! :) :)

New Record :) Weekly Mileage

I surpassed my previous record for weekly mileage of 44km. :)

This past week, November 22-28, I ran 47.6 km. :)

How to Clean a Dishwasher (chemical-free)

from Organic Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck

This author recommends the same method for removing hard water spots from dishes and glassware:

Pour 2 cups of white vinegar into a bowl and set the bowl face up on the bottom rack of the dishwasher. Run the machine through a wash cycle to clean the inside of the appliance. The vinegar will deodorize the dishwasher as well as dissolve hard water deposits. There will be no residual vinegar smell once it dries.

A Great 11.5K - I Really Enjoyed It! :) :)

Day #5, Week #3 Road Work training

11.5K @ 1:23:31

Avg. Pace 7:15 min/km

2 degrees C

I checked my time/post from last Saturday and I am slower this week by less than a minute - LOL!

This week's post may turn into a bit of a repeat of last Saturday's post. I am sitting down now with a celebratory red glass of wine, and I am still a "happy camper" about my distance and time. I was a little surprised to learn that my time was slower (not a big deal at all, really!), but only because my run felt so much better today than last week. If anything, I was more into my run, paying attention to my breathing and how I was feeling throughout the run itself, rather than zoning out into my own thoughts, as I have written about before. Maybe I should point out that I ran the other way around Storybook Gardens, as in running up the long hill behind the park today rather than down it, like I did last week, which might account for a slower time - LOL! But really, who cares, right? What matters is that I was able to get out there, and do my thing, as scheduled, and I now have 3 weeks out of 14 officially behind me. 11 more to go !!!?!! :)

I was pleased with what I wore today, too. My apologies to anyone who finds this boring, but I am using this blog as a running diary, and tracking my clothing choices during certain temperatures demonstrates my learning curve as I try to better understand what will work best for me. This will be my first winter for running. As I noted in a previous post, I stopped running regularly last year as of December 23rd, just before the first big snow fell. I only ran once in January and once in February because I was too paranoid about running in the snow. This coming winter is when I am trying to put that behind me and embrace the snow season as my new running environment ... today I wore a blue windbreaker over a l/s winter running shirt (both were given to me by my MIL), and opted to start with a headband and thin gloves. I ended up eventually taking the mitts and headband off, but the rest was perfect.

Angus and Wallace ran with me. I always feel guilty about leaving the third one (this time, Kim) at home, but I only have two hands/arms in case anything happens out on the public trail. I am not willing to try taking all three at this time, even though I do it when I go for a short run at the cemetery and they are great. We'll see.

No camera today - Benny used it for his hobby so I have no pics. Maybe this is just as well since I was doing my long run today? Now that "10Ks" are becoming my "average" run, :) :) :) perhaps I will take the camera with me Monday. I honestly do want to make my blog appear less "wordy" with some pics ... :), but I digress ...

Another thing I did today was to ingest a Vega Sport packet as pre-run drink. I found it on sale for less than $2 at Loblaws in the organic section/protein powders. I am not sure if I should attribute my energy level during my run to it, but I think I will head back to Loblaws, scoop up a few more packets, and try them out on various runs to measure my results. I may try this in my water bottles for my 13K later this week, too.

Another item I want to record ... I am feeling so good these days!! The day I started the training program, I also started paying much closer attention to what I was eating. I am conscious of everything I am putting in my mouth. It has not been perfect, per se, but it has been 80% of the time (guess-timate). After three weeks, I see and feel a physical difference. I have a runner's high every day after my run (whereas I did not necessarily before), I am sleeping more deeply and better, and I am not having cravings for certain foods. I think I might be addicted to my after run shake (I am substituting kale for spinach these days), and whenever we have gone out for dinner, I am ordering a salad (and thankfully, enjoying it, too!). I am very jazzed by this and hope to continue with it as a lifestyle change ...

One last thing ... I posted this on my dailymile.com. i.d. to solicit advice so why not here ...? I have a fun 5K run this Saturday - the Salvation Army Santa Shuffle. Week #4 of my training schedule for next week is as follows:

Today (Sat) 11.5K

SUN rest

MON 10K

TU 8K + 4 striders

W 10K

TH 5K or OFF

F 8K + 4 striders

SAT 13K

SUN rest

Repeat Week #5

What would you change/switch if you were me? Keep in mind that this will be my first week for striders and my first week for a long run 13K. If you have an opinion, please advise via comments and thank you! :)

A Solo 8K - VERY Pleased with Myself! :)

Day #4, Week #3 Road Work training

8K @ 1:00:03

Avg. Pace 7:29 min./km

- 2 degrees C

Did you notice the addition of temperature above? And the weather forecast widgets in the right column in both celsius and fahrenheit? The weather is going to play a much more significant role in the next 3-4 months!

Last night it rained and rained, and we could hear the rain on the roof when we went to bed. With colder temperatures expected, the warnings were out that it was going to be an icy morning. As it turns out, it wasn't as bad as predicted so I decided that I would try to run my scheduled 8K, but opted to leave my running partners at home in case of black ice.

It was very windy when I headed out. Thank goodness for running underwear, my jacket, thin mitts, a hat, and a headband. It was just a bit challenging for the first 2K because I was running into the wind - I actually felt like I had just finished a mini workout by the time I running my 3K. When I looked at my splits, this one was the slowest split, reflecting my recovery time from running against the wind. All of this running was done on sidewalks along some main roads and a bridge ... by the time I reached the footpath, which is mostly protected by trees, the wind was no longer an issue. I was able to take my hat and mitts off to cool down a little, but I needed the headband on the whole time to protect my ears from the wind. I am still learning what works and what doesn't work while running in colder weather, and so far, I am erring slightly on the warm side, but I'm okay with that. :)

At no point did I encounter black ice so I do feel a tad bit guilty about not taking one or two of the boys with me after all. :( My leaving them at home is a reflection of my paranoia about running and slipping on ice - my worst fear about running in the winter. However, on the flip side, I enjoyed running without a water belt and dog leashes around my waist. :)

And to add to my guilt, I also felt a twinge of regret for forgetting my camera as it would have been a good time to take some pictures of my running path for this blog just to jazz it up a bit more. I have 11.5K scheduled as a long run tomorrow so hopefully I won't forget to do this. :)

I have to say that I was very pleased with myself for getting my run in today because it was very cold and I honestly just wanted to stay inside! I am happy to report that woo hoo! I did it! and now that the weather forecast is warmer for tomorrow, I am looking forward to my long run and claiming Week#3 - 3 out of 3 so far - as accomplished!