A day in my life: Wednesday January 26, 2011

Thoughts:
Thank you all so much for your advice and tips for what you eat during your long runs. I’m going to start Saturday by eating more for breakfast and see how that helps me. I will take something to eat with me just in case I might need it.

Well I got 15 years older yesterday. I was walking Bella and I turned 5 years older when a piece of wood got stuck in her throat. She couldn’t get it out herself so I had to help her which gave me some fresh wounds on my hand.

Later that walk her leash slipped off by accident added 10 more years. And Bella listens most of the times except when she’s off the leash, she won’t come back to you. That’s why we never let her walk without it.

We were walking along a very busy road and I was so scared she would run across the street and would get hit by a car. I tried everything to get her to come to me but she just wouldn’t come. I asked a little boy if he could call her because she loves attention from other people but that didn’t help either: she smelled freedom. And finally it happened: she crossed the road. I was so lucky the drivers from both sides saw her and stopped. She was scared too by the cars and stopped in front of a car and lay down flat on the street and that’s where I could catch her. My heart rate was up as if I just worked out hard, but gladly it all ended well.

Exercise:
Yesterday I went to Pilates. A great class as usual, we worked on the legs, abs and back this time.

Today I had to run 8K with 4.8 at almost half marathon pace. But I haven’t been feeling that well the past few days and I didn’t want to go at all. I decided to go and do 4.8K at the dreadmill (please remind me next time that I really don’t like it). Afterwards I was glad I did go and tried. It wasn’t 8K but for today 4.8K was enough.

Stats:
Weather: inside
Distance: 4.8 K / 3 miles
Time: 00:34:03
Average time: 7:06 /km
Average speed: 8.5 km/hour
Last song on Ipod before finish: Black Eyed Peas – I got a feeling.

Top 5 list of the week: Authors

5. Stieg Larsson
The Millennium triology was above my expectations. I loved all three books and once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on the internet recently that his girlfriend thinks she can finish the 4^th book which he was working on when he died. His family got copywright of the books and have to approve that she finish it. But to be honest, I’m not sure if that would be as good as when he wrote it himself completely.

4. Stephenie Meyer
One day I saw some premiere photos on people.com of New Moon. I’ve read about Team Edward and Team Jacob and had no idea what they were talking about. So I asked K. if she knew what this consternation was about and that’s when she told me about the Twilight Saga and lend me the first book. I was hooked from page 1. Of the four books Breaking Dawn is by far my favourite and New Moon my less favourite (not enough Edward in it). I did buy her book The Host too but I didn’t like it and never finished it.

3. J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter, need I say more?
R. doesn’t read books but he has read 4 Harry Potter books and likes them too. He still has to read the last 3 weeks but usually does that when we are on vacation.

2. Karin Slaughter
Again another friend of mine told me about her and that her books were great. Before I started reading the first one, I hadn’t read thrillers for a few years but these books brought my interest in this genre back. I have no preference for the Grant County or the Will Trent series, I love them all. I found out yesterday her new book about Sarah Linton and Will Trent will be published this Summer. Can’t wait.

1. Jilly Cooper
Jilly Cooper is an English writer who has written a lot of books but I’ve only read the Rutshire Chronicles which exists of 9 books. Every book has a different theme like show jumping, polo, an English television station or classical music. But in every book a few characters return. I still have to read the last three books from this series. I bought them in English because they aren’t translated in Dutch.

What is/are your favourite author(s). Maybe you give me new ideas.

A day in my life: Wednesday January 19, 2011

Thoughts:
Well … I’ve spiced up my half marathon schedule a bit. The only thing I changed is that I changed the average miles I ran before starting the schedule. I made a schedule based on 17-24 km/week, my “new” schedule is based on 25-32 km/week.

Basically this changes not much, the average km’s a week are a bit more (about 5K a week more). The “short” runs of the week are a bit longer (for example 3.2K becomes 4.8K). There are a few more runs now but all “short” distances. But what I liked about it the most is that the building up in long runs changed. In my old schedule the longest run before my half was 17.6 K, in this schedule it’s 19.2K.

I have to do a lot of running the next 3 months and I do look forward to it. My Pilates class is always on Tuesday evening and I will go to that class as much as possible. I also will try to do one strength training a week but will skip this if my week is very busy with other appointments. My running always comes first because that’s what I love doing the most.

Syl hosts a new challenge for February: 5 workouts a week of a minimum of 40 minutes. That’s a total of 3 hours and 30 minutes a week. I don’t want to mess with my half marathon schedule and there will be days when I don’t reach 40 minutes but on other days I will do more than 40 minutes. I’ve decided to take the challenge but instead of 5 workouts of 40 minutes I will go for 3 hours and 30 minutes a week. I believe I can do that.

I’m glad the lovely miss Syl allowed this and I can participate in it. Thanks Syl!

Exercise:
I didn’t go to Pilates yesterday because I got a phone call from the gym that my teacher was ill and there was no class. I could have gone to the gym to do my own workout but I had to do some things at home too so took the day of from exercise. I did walk with Bella for 30 minutes.

Today I had to do 8 K including 2 x 1600 metres speedwork. This was a tough one because I had to run a lot faster than I even did before I started this schedule. I did make it but had to stop a few times to catch my breath. I don’t want to walk anymore during runs and prefer to stop for a minute. My Garmin is on auto pause so the time stops too then.

Stats:
Weather: dry, not much wind, 4C/39 degrees.
Distance: 8 K / 5 miles
Time: 00:55:51
Average time: 6:59 /km
Average speed: 8.6 km/hour
Last song on Ipod before finish: The Rejects – Gives you hell.

Top 5 list of the week
As promised in my Saturday post I will post a top 5 list of the week every Wednesday on my blog. The list can be about everything (you will see in the next weeks) and are all about me: what I like, what I want to do, what I have done. This way you will get to know me a little bit better every week.

Sometimes it’s more than 5 things, depends on the subject. I’ll start with my hobbies, it’s a top 7 list:

Top 7 hobbies

7. Cross-stitching
I haven’t done this in a while, somehow I just don’t seem to find the time for it.

6. Cooking
I love to try new recipes, I’ve got about 70 cookbooks, I love reading them and try them.

5. Visit concerts or musicals or the theatre
I’ll get back to this in other top 5 lists.

4. Make Japanese puzzles

3. Watch my favourite tv shows or movies
I’ll get back on this too in other lists.

2. Reading
Same as number 3 and 5.

1. Blogging/reading blogs/write on the Dutch woman’s forum I’m a member of.
I love reading your blogs, I get advice if I ask and I love to read how things are done in other countries than mine. I also love getting comments on my own blog. And at the forum I found some very dear friends.