The Need of Racing

It has already been a month since my last race, and I can tell how much of a difference it makes to my running when I know I am training for a race instead of just running. Racing is what makes the difference between a jogger and a runner. Our runs make more sense when they are gear towards getting ready for a race. We runners like racing, we live for it.

When I am training for a race, I never, ever feel like not running. I simply know it is something it has to be done if I want to do well on race day. When I am off season (like this last month) I skip runs very easily (just because it is raining), and usually I don’t feel like running long distances (why would I if a 10-12k workout is more than enough?). I can say that racing is what makes me a better runner, a more committed one.

On the other hand, it would be hard on the body and the mind, to even pretend, to keep the same level of training throughout every month of the year. They would burn out. So, it is good to have these off season periods to indulge in some laziness (which it does not mean not exercising), to change the routines, and to run less. After a while, we start missing the excitement, the commitment, and the hard work that is part of training for a race.

In one more week my off season time will end. On January 7th I will start a new running clinic. This time I will start training to run my first full marathon. This running season will hopefully take me until the end of October, when I will hit the off season months again.

My Animal Lover Note:

What I Have Learned

Last Friday I was talking to some of my running friends about how running has shaped our lives. We were analyzing how running is so different from others sports or ways of exercising. When you are an endurance runner you know it is impossible to compete against others. The only person you are competing against is yourself and your own fears, and this ends up altering who you are.

Although I have never been a quitter, I can definitely say that since I am a runner I have a stronger will, I don’t whine, and I have more courage and confidence to fight until the end. Running has taught me that when you persevere and work hard you see the results; you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A race is a reflection of what life is. During a race you experience ups and downs; there are moments where you feel high and others where you feel low. You doubt yourself but you also feel confident. There are times that you need others to cheer you up, and times in which you are alone and you have to find the strength to cheer yourself up. It is easier when you are running with someone else but this is not always possible, so you have to learn to run by yourself too. You learn that you need to work hard to see results, otherwise things won’t change. You learn to enjoy the view because if you just think about the finishing line you will miss the journey. You learn that sometimes it is just about enjoying and sometimes it is about pushing the limits.

You learn that the competition is with yourself, no one else. You understand that we are all so different (different bodies, different weaknesses, different injuries, different goals, and different thoughts) that it does not make sense to compete against each other; and here is when you learn to be happy for them. You also learn that, for this competition to make sense, you need to help others to achieve their personal goals. You eventually realize that, there will be so many times, you will need them too to get you through the finishing line.

I used to go to therapy now I run.

My Animal Lover Note:

Running Below Zero

Today I had a very interesting run. For the first time I ran with the temperature below zero. It was -6 degrees Celsius when we started running. Dressing for this kind of weather could be tricky. You want to be warm but at the same time you don’t want to overdress. I know I warm up as soon as I get running, and I hate the feeling of being overdressed as much as I hate to feel cold.

I read once that you need to dress as if the weather is going to be around 8 more degrees than what it is when you start running. So, if it is 10 degrees outside, dress for 18 degrees. This formula always work and has helped me finding the right clothes to reach a comfortable temperature when running.

I am used to running from zero degrees up. I have figure out all those numbers regarding which kind of jacket, top, pants, and gloves combination I need to wear. But today it was a new experience. I think I was able to pull it together by adding an extra layer to my upper body, leg warmers and a tuque.

Just one mistake, next time I need thicker gloves. I can’t run with my hands cold but I can’t also handle them hot, so I have gloves of different thickness to choose from according to the temperature outside. Today I chose some thicker, fluffy ones. They worked for the first half of the run, but later on, since the body heat tends to protect the vital organs when they are exposed to extreme temperatures, your fingers and toes loose heat very fast and it is harder to keep them warm. By the end of my run I could barely move my fingers.

I also had a situation with my running pants. I have a nice pair for very warm running pants. They have a layer of fleece on the inside so they feel really warm and cozy. I hadn’t worn them in a year, because they are the extremely cold weather pants, and when I wore them today and started running they started falling down! I spent all my run pulling my pants up! The good side is that this means I am leaner, and I think there isn’t a woman out there that does not get happy when she finds out she has lost some weight without dieting or putting an extra effort in it.

My Animal Lover Note:

An Easier Month

As the holiday season starts my mind is asking for a bit of a change regarding my training. I will start my marathon clinic on January 7th and from that day on, until May 4th, the training is going to be hard and intense. So I have decided that during this month I will cut back one run per week and add one cross training activity. That means I will just run two times per week instead of three. I am kind of craving for this change since the weather is getting colder, snow and black ice are already in the forecast, and an indoor training sounds more appealing to me. I will probably even go from one resting day per week to two. I am aware I have to let my body recover to get ready for the intense training that is coming.

I read once that it is not good for your body to train at the same intensity every single day, week and month of the year. You need to have breaks and easier months to be able to perform better on the harder months. December is a busy month anyways, full of family and friends gatherings. I will try to do my best to make myself rest (this does not mean stopping at all) and enjoy this time of the year, until I crave the intense, hard training of the running season.

And what are my running goals for next year? Run my first full marathon in May, run two half marathons (Scotia-Bank and Lululemon) and if everything feels good after that first big race, I will try to run another full marathon during the fall.

My Animal Lover Note:

6th Half Marathon Race of the Year, 8th in Total

At the end of January this year I set a goal for myself: I wanted to run 5 half marathon races that ended up becoming 6. When I wrote about it I thought of it as this big goal I had to accomplish, and here I am writing about my 6th and last race of the year. I did it!

Today’s race was a very interesting experience. I had set a finishing goal of two hours. I trained hard and was ready to do it. I felt really good at the beginning of the race. Oddly, I did not feel the usual discomfort that I feel during the first 5k, while my body is warming up. I was ready from the beginning and I ran my first 5k at an amazing time of 5:15 minutes per kilometer. Since I felt good I took advantage of this knowing that latter, on the second half of the race, things get harder. I ran my fastest 10k ever: 56 minutes. I was happy and confident that I was going to hit my goal.

Since I was pushing hard (when I say it felt good it does not mean it was easy), once I hit the 12th kilometer I hit a mental wall. I checked my watch and it was showing a 6 minutes pace. I was supposed to run at 5:30, and I was doing it find, and without knowing it I found myself up in 6. I tried to pick it up but I could not go faster, my legs were heavy, I felt tired and I started to lose hope. This went on for about 3-4 kilometres. I tried pushing, was able to go down to 5:50, but again it felt hard.

Once I saw the 16th k mark I said to myself, “I need to run faster so this is over faster, I can’t imagine holding up this torture for longer.” The need to finish helped me pushing harder and I picked up my 5:30 pace. It was hard to stay in there. Everything started to hurt, IT bands, hip flexors, knees, feet. I was able to pull it together and managed to handle the pain and the pace for 4 more kilometres. I kept checking my time and I saw that I could make it. I had 10 minutes to run 2 kilometres, something feasible. I knew I had to run a bit faster but that was ok, because I always manage to have extra energy to sprint at the end.

So, kilometre 19 came along. I tried running a bit faster and all those pains that I was trying to keep at bay came very strong and hit me hard. Then I hit the wall for the second time. The pain in my right IT band, hip flexor and knee was excruciating. It was so hard that I felt like crying. I could barely bend my right knee so I had to slow down dramatically. I did not want to walk so I tried running with shorter strides. I went from a 5:30 pace to a 9:00 pace (which is almost walking). I saw my watch and I had 6 minutes left to run my last k. I was not going to make it. At this time I tried to keep running and not give up to walking. I had a new goal now; I wanted to get there in less than 2 hours and 4 minutes (which was my last PB on the ScotiaBank race). Almost crying and dizzy because of the pain, I crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 3 minutes. I reached a personal best.

I was not very happy at the beginning because I had not reached my goal. I was very quiet and kept thinking about the race. I ate my banana and drank my soy milk quiet, my brain was processing.

Several hours after the race I conclude the following: after running this race I can tell I am a faster runner. At the beginning of this year’s journey I though it impossible to be able to maintain a 5:30 pace for even 10k. Today I was able to hold it for almost the whole time. I pushed harder than ever. I felt more pain than ever. I found the strength to cheer myself up and pull it together to keep going. But even though it was the hardest race ever, both physically and mentally, I still managed to PB. I am happy, proud and in a lot of pain!

My Animal Lover Note:

This is Why I Post on Social Media

I was caught up by the topic of a TV talk show that was on air the other day: The four hostesses were discussing how people usually find it annoying when runners brag about their accomplishments on social media. I immediately thought of myself, of course, since I have this blog, and also, I usually post on Facebook a comment or two after running a race.

I listened carefully to what they were saying. Their discussion points were the following:
•A real runner does not have the need to tell the world about their accomplishments.
•Only those with a low self-steam have the need to be recognized for what they have accomplished.
•Get a life.
•Other people don’t care about what you do. If you actually do it for yourself, keep it to yourself.

This was basically it. I know it sounds somehow shallow, but what if people really think that of us, runners, who share our experiences on social media?

I thought about it while walking my dogs and here is my response:
•What is a real runner? Is it just an Olympic runner? Well, when you are a runner you know you are as real as any other runner in the world. The fact that some runners win races, get medals and prizes does not make them more real than me. I run, I train, I take it seriously, and I race.
•I follow “real runners” blogs, so guess what? They also post about their experiences and share with the running world lovers their opinions and perspectives.
•We don’t post to get recognized (at least I don’t). I post because I feel proud of myself, the same way someone that just baked a cake posts its picture on Instgram, or when someone feels proud of their son’s soccer game, they put it up there as well. We all want to share with our friends those things that make us happy.
•I have a life, and running is a big part of it.
•I think running is such a big accomplishment, and it requires so much determination and strong will, that those who don’t do it feel intimidated.

When I go out with my no running friends on a Saturday night and I call it an early night they all ask me why. I first say “oh, I have to run tomorrow so I want to get a good sleep.” They usually tend to answer “well you don’t have to run in the morning, you sleep in and then go for a run. What are you running, 5k?” Then I have to say “I have to run in the morning because I train with a group and no, I am not running 5k, I am running 22k. That is why I have to do it early and with my running group, otherwise I won’t be able to do it by myself.” They are usually shocked after I say 22k, or 20k, or 18k and I am not saying this to brag, I am saying this so they get why I actually need to leave early. I actually need to get a good sleep.

Answering with the truth when others ask is not bragging, it is just being honest.

My Animal Lover Note:

And Here it Goes Again

Today, while running our last long run before the race (22k), two thoughts came to my mind:

• During the fall/winter months I always have a hard time before I start my early morning runs. I am very cold and it always takes a while for my body to warm up so I can actually start enjoying the run. At the beginning of the run, when we are walking to warm up, I always question my decision of being there. What was I thinking about? I could be in bed, all warm and cuddle, drinking hot chocolate and watching a movie! Instead, I am here, cold (and some days wet), with a long run in front of me. You really need to be crazy to do this.

After five kilometers into the run, those feeling are gone and I actually start enjoying myself. It is always the same, and it seems that my brain does not get it. That is why it is important to run with a group of people. If I were running by myself I would definitely come up with excuses to run later, and at the end to not even do it. When you run with someone else, there is no way out. You know they are there counting on you, so you do it.

What takes me through all this painful mental process is the feeling I know I will get once I finish my run. There are no words to describe what you feel when you see that it is 10:30am and you have just finished running 22 kilometres, you have just burned 1400 calories, and you still have ahead the rest of the day for you to eat, nap, work, clean and rest. That is amazing! By the end of the day I know my day did not go wasted. I earned every single meal and treat, I am better trained, my fitness level went up a little bit, and I am more confident of what I can do.

• In two weeks I will be running my 6th half marathon race of the year. I can’t believe it is almost here. For this one I am trying to attempt a 2 hours finishing. We have all been training hard and I know I am ready and well prepared. But no matter how many races I have run I keep going through the same mental process: Now that I am getting closer to race day I keep doubting that I can actually make it in two hours. I know I have the training in but every single run proves my fears that it will be hard and maybe I can’t make it. I know this is a mind trick, but it sure feels real.

My Animal Lover Note:

My Two Personalities

A couple of times, while running, I have seen people from work and when I say hi they do not recognize me immediately. They have to think about where they know me from and after some long seconds they finally make the click. I have to keep running so I can’t help them out with their scanning task.

On the other hand, the few times I have seen my running buddies outside the running world, we are always shocked by how gorgeous we all look.

It seems that I have two personalities: My runner one and my work one. I know for sure that any of my colleagues would have a hard time trying to picture me running. I am such a different person when I am at work and I look different as well. I am always very well groomed, everything matches, I smell good (really good), my hair looks nice and clean, and my jewellery is on place as well as my scarf and my boots. I hate getting wet and I always complain when is raining and have no way to cover my hair and my shoes. If I can, I take the elevator to go up one floor. I hate sweating when I am at work, so I avoid any kind of extra effort that it’s not absolutely necessary. Based on this, I can assure that whoever sees me running can’t believe it is the same person.

Now, when I have my runner hat on, I behave different. First of all I look different, I am always wearing black tights, a black long sleeve top, black gloves and a black hat. Nothing fancy, nothing cute, just comfy. My hair is a mess, my face is red, and by the end of the run, my clothes are dirty and all sweaty. I smell bad, like wet grass (maybe because I am vegan?) and if it is raining I am totally wet, including my shoes and of course my hair. I don’t care about running through mud and puddles and I am always trying to get more distance in; I never stop if my watch has not reached the kilometers I am supposed to run. If this means running around the block a couple more times, I will definitely do it.

I have realized that I get enough dirt, sweat, rain and ugliness when I am running, so at work I don’t have to bear with that. Why would I walk up the stairs if that night I am running 10k? Why would I get wet or be happy about it if that night I am going to have to run in the rain for an hour? Why would I like to smell bad if every single night I get a real taste of it? Why would I like to sweat on my work clothes if my work out ones always end up totally damped?

My Animal Lover Note:
"I am a vegan because after much learning and thought about the issue, I have come to see enslaving, exploiting, or intentionally killing an animal as morally equivalent to enslaving, exploiting, or intentionally killing a child. The only difference is one is socially acceptable and the other is socially unacceptable That may sound shocking or "extreme" to some people, but it is only because we are so acculturated to devalue sentient nonhuman beings to the status of "things". What is truly extreme is the violence of intentionally killing about 56 billion *land* animals annually globally for unnecessary food preferences alone. Unless you consider nonviolence and justice to be "extreme", veganism is not extreme. " ~
(author of www.uvearchives.wordpress.com)

Sisterhood + Ron

Those that like running and have found a group of people to run with, probably feel the same that I feel about my running buddies.

A couple years ago, when I joined my first running clinic, I did not know anyone from the running world. Up to that point I was a solitary runner. I remember when people were introducing themselves we all looked at each other with this curious, head to toe look. Who are these people? Are they nice? Are they experienced runners?

Since you end up seeing them three times a week for 4 month in a row, plus the fact that you have to run next to them, there is no way out of a minimal conversation. After the first couple months you start getting this familiarity feeling that leads to deeper conversations. And one day, after running for a couple of hours, you realize you have opened yourself to this stranger and it actually felt really good. You also realize that this person you have been running with has just told you something very private. You keep running. There is no space for judging, just listening.

My running days are my therapeutic days. I get to vent, to talk about stupid things, to listen to similar stories, to laugh.

We have been running together three days a week for almost 2 years, non-stop. We feel so comfortable with each other, and we know each other so well, that we can’t wait to start talking, listening or just running next to one another.

I can say I belong to a sisterhood of runners + Ron: Laura, Melanie, Andy, Teena and Ron are my people, my therapists and my friends. I feel blessed to know them and to be part of their lives.



My Animal Lover Note: 

Too Responsible

I can’t believe what running has done to me. It has become a staple in my life and it gives me as much (or even more) pleasure as other fun things that I love to do. I rarely go out dancing. Last night I went with a bunch of friends to a Salsa concert. I love dancing and I love Latin music. The event started at 8:00pm with great dancing music. We danced non-stop until midnight. But by midnight, the Salsa singer had not come out yet. At that time I was already getting worried because, according to my math, I should be back home by 1:00am to be able to have some decent hours of sleep before my 18k Sunday morning run. The singer decided to start singing at 1:00am! That was not part of my plan. So we stayed for 3 songs and around 1:20 we left. I was not tired but my conscious kept telling me, “you are running 18k tomorrow, you have to sleep, and you have to rest.”

By the time we got home, ate something and got ready for bed it was 2:30am. Some of my friends stayed there until the end and got home around 4:00am.

What I really wanted to do: stay until the end and then go to The Naam (vegetarian/vegan restaurant, open 24/7) for an early morning breakfast.

What I did: Left the actual concert basically when it started, went straight home and to bed.

How I feel today: I am glad I chose option number two because, even though I was tired, I was able to do my 18k run without any inconveniences, and every time I finish these long runs I feel sooooo good.

So being too responsible is good. Loving running as much, or even more, than staying on a pretty cool Salsa concert is good too.

My Animal Lover Note:

Commitment

This morning, when I arrived to my regular bootcamp class, one of the ladies I train with asked me why I was already all sweaty. I told her I had just finished my speed work out. She was very surprised that I had already been working out for an hour previous to the class, especially on Thanksgiving Day.

This is the kind of things you do when you are committed to something. I know among professional athletes this is part of their daily life, but it is not the case among normal, common people. I have seen that when someone is not committed to a sport, or does not have a specific fitness goal, they just find it a little extravagant when someone is very responsible with their workouts.

I had to double up my training to day because, due to work related activities, I won’t be able to do the speed work out on Wednesday night. I knew I had to, somehow, make up for it. It worked out perfect today because I had the time and Ron was able to run with me and guide me on the workout.

When I finished my bootcamp class I was leg-exhausted but happy and proud. Next Wednesday, when I can’t make it to my regular training, I won’t feel bad because I already did it.

I have learned that every little thing you do towards your goal makes a big difference at the end. I already have a goal for my next half marathon race. I want to run it in 2 hours. I know it is going to be hard, and who knows if I can make it, but one thing I know for sure: I will train as hard as I can to reach my goal, and I will enjoy the journey as much as I will enjoy the race because what proves that I am a good runner is not my time on race day but my level of commitment during my training.

My Animal Lover Note: Yesterday I went to the Langley Herbivores Thanksgiving potluck. This one was the biggest one I have ever been to. 40 people shared their vegan food and warmth with each other. The food was amazing. We had all the regulars but in a vegan, compassionate version. No turkey or any other animal were killed or harmed during the preparation of this dinner.

18K Destination Run

Today Ron, Mel and I headed to Vancouver for our 18K run. We were very lucky with the weather. It was a sunny and warm fall day. I always get very excited when I have ahead a new route to discover. This time we decided to run on the scenic sea wall, from Jericho Beach to Science World and back. For those who don’t know (I was one of them until today), there is a trail that goes by the water all the way from Jericho to Science World. No stop lights, no cars, just a wide and scenic trail that takes you by several marines, and under the three bridges that connect Vancouver (Burrard, Granville and Cambie), until you get to Science World. Once we got there we hit the 9th kilometer so we looped back to the car.

The route was full of runners, walkers and bikers. This, plus the amazing view made our 18k feel like 10k.

Here are some picks. I wanted to take more but I am so bad at remembering to stop and take pictures. I just get myself lost in the beauty and forget that I actually should be recording it.

As every good destination run should finish, we ended up having a great vegan brunch at Bandidas Taqueria.

My Animal Lover Note: Yesterday, while running some errands in Vancouver, I saw a group of people walking with signs. Most of them were wearing t-shirts that said VEGAN on them, so I definitely had to stop and find out what was going on. It was the walk for farmed animals. These people were their voices. They wanted everyone to know how hard and horrible their lives are and all the suffering they have to endure, for the solely reason of satisfying a selfish human whim.

Rest Days

I should not be talking about this after having 5 months of almost non-stop training. I have taken a day off here and there because I was traveling, or because someone was in town for a visit, but besides those odd days I have been training 7 days a week.

I know, and I am super aware of it, that resting is as important as working out. When you work out hard you are ripping off muscle fibers. To be able to improve your performance you have to let them rebuilt before you work on ripping off again those new fibers. Every time they rebuilt they are stronger, leaner, and fitter. But this process only happens as long as you let them rebuilt themselves, and of course, they need time for this!

I have an excuse for my non-stop training during the summer: on my “rest day” I was doing The Grind (which is the hardest work out ever!). I did not have any other day to fit it in and I did not want to give up any of my other trainings (which I actually love). I made sure though I ate tons of vegan protein and carbohydrates (nuts, almond milk, fruit, and tofu) right after each training, to avoid inflammation and enhance the recovery process. I definitely think it worked because during these months I was barely sore and I had lots of energy to keep up my high intensity training.

I also knew I was going to get my rest day back (eventually). I knew once summer was over, and The Grind was out of the picture, I could go back to my more reasonable routine of having one day off, per week, from exercising.

I am not going to lie, by the beginning of September I was already feeling my muscles tired. I felt them heavy when running and it was hard to keep up a decent running pace. Last week I had my first official rest day in a while, and it felt soooooo good! It is crazy how fast muscles can recover. I took a day off, just one, and on Sunday I felt like flying, the same on Wednesday, during our hill training. Yesterday was off as well and today I felt good in my run. I felt light, fast and not tired at all. My body is saying thank you and is paying me back with fast recovery and better performance.

I do not regret what I did during the summer though; actually I will do it all over again. Summer is meant to be outdoors, so any chance I get to do this I take it, even if it means not resting at all. I know the cold, dark days are already upon us, and this means snow, ice and lots of rain, which translates into more days at home. But I can now say that I do appreciate this already forgotten feeling of having a day off, so does my body.


My Animal Lover Note:
 

It is Time for my New Pair of Runners

A pair of runners should be changed after using them for about 700 kilometers. According to my math this is around 6 months after the date I started using my current runners; which means that I should start using the new pair in October. Lately, I have been feeling that my runners are not doing their work properly, they don’t feel that soft anymore and the cushion has definitely worn out. Today, before leaving my house for my 16k run, I thought I should use my new runners. I kind of felt I needed a good cushion for this long run, but when I picked out the window and saw it was raining, I said to myself, “nope, I don’t want my new runners to get wet. At least not the first time I use them.”

So I wore my old ones, and as I was expecting, by the time we were on the 12th kilometer my knees and IT-band started hurting. It was the kind of pain that, I already know, is a sign of lack of cushioning and time to change your shoes. I was able to finish my run without a lot of pain. When we were stretching Ron complained about his runners. He said it felt like it was time to change them. The funniest thing was when he said, “I was going to wear the new ones today but since it was raining I did not want them to get wet on the first time I wore them.”

How crazy are we? We all have this weird thing that comes inherent to running (we don’t do it because we copy people, we just do it because it feels right), that we never want to wear our new pair of runners, for the first time, on a rainy day. As if they will never get wet, muddy and dirty!

So, Tuesday, when I run again I will use my new pair of runners, and my old ones? Well, they will go straight to charity.

I always find hard to give away my old runners though. I know I can’t run with them anymore. I know I won’t use them for anything else. I know the only thing they will do, if I keep them, is taking space off my closet. But I always find myself attached to those old guys. They have taken me through kilometers and kilometers, through rain, heat, and paved roads; and these ones, specially these ones, have taken me through 4 half marathon races. That is a lot. These shoes helped me getting there and a piece of me is leaving with them: memories, sweat, doubts, pains and personal bests. But at the same time I can’t wait to try on the new guys, and see the new places, kilometers, and personal bests they will take me to.

Let the new cycle begin.

My Animal Lover Note:

Some Forgotten Truths about Healthy Eating (for runners and no runners)

There is a ridiculous trend call the “low carb diet.” Carbs have wrongly become the enemy food and you can hear every one dieting talking about “zero carbs”, or “I am cutting out my carbs.”

“Carbohydrates are vital for providing energy for our bodies and brains. Without them, we would be comatose zombies… Yet all carbs are not created equal... Simple carbs suck and are as nutritional beneficial as toilet paper. They are mostly made up of sugar, which releases too quickly, almost violently, into our bodies, causing sugar highs and then crashes. This tends to leave us feeling hungry, so we eat more…”Complex carbs are made up of starch and fibre and “release gradually, providing a steady source of energy. They make us feel full and satisfied and are easily broken to release new energy.”

White rice, white bread, and regular pasta belong to the category of the bad boys’ carbs. They have been stripped away from all their nutrients, vitamins and minerals. For the sake of being refined, white and soft, they have lost all their nutritional integrity.

On the other hand, complex carbs like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, barley, corn, brown rice, millet, beans, hummus, lentils, quinoa and pasta (made from whole wheat, buckwheat, amaranth, etc.), are rich nutrient foods (they have lots of minerals, vitamins, protein, and natural fiber) that make a great source of steady, healthy energy.

Last week, I overheard a conversation between a fitness instructor and one of his clients (that wants to lose some weight) regarding not eating fruits to avoid the excessive sugars they have. I had to leave the place to stop listening to this high level of ignorance.

“The most irritating thing about the low-carb craze is the resistance to eating fruit. Fruit is the most perfect food in existence. It is unique in that it barely requires any work to be digested. High in enzymes, it effortlessly passes through the body, supplying carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids amino acids, and cancer-fighting tannins and flavonoids. Because it is made up of mostly water, fruit hydrates the body and aids in cleaning, detoxifying, and eliminating….

So shout it from the rooftops until every one of your dumb-ass misinformed friends hears: YOU CAN EAT BREAD AND FRUIT!”

Source: Skinny Bitch by Lori Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

My Animal Lover Note:

Are you Jealous?

We all know jealousy exists almost everywhere we go. There is jealousy at work, at the gym, and between siblings. I am sure jealousy is a common ingredient in the life of professional athletes as well. But I have found a place where, so far, jealousy is not part of it: recreational runners. We all run because we want to, not because we make a living out of it or because we have to impress someone. The only person we want to impress is ourselves. We all know and appreciate the great effort it takes to finish a race. We all know what it takes to break off some seconds from your previous race time. We all know what it feels like training in the rain, snow and wind, at night or early in the morning. We all know what a Sunday afternoon feels like, after running 20 kilometers in the morning, and you still need to clean your house, go grocery shopping, cook, etc. We all know this because we all do it every week. So, when we see someone improving their times, passing us, finishing a race under two hours, we all say fuck, that is great! Wow!!!! There is not jealousy but admiration and respect because we all know what it takes to get there.

I have been doing the Grind every week of the summer as part of my cross training. I usually finish it under an hour, and in my way up I am usually passing people, just a few male grinders pass me. Today, this young lady passed me with this amazing pace; she was going up two stairs at a time and she was going fast. I was very impress because I know I am fit and there is no way I could keep up with her. When I got to the top, she was already there of course, I told her “great pace! I saw you and I was like shit look at her.” She was so happy that I said that to her. She smiled, said thanks and put her fist up. She was proud of herself and was happy that someone saw and acknowledged what she did.

We all compete against ourselves, no one else. We are all different, we have different bodies, weakness, health issues, and we are all aware of it. That is why when we tell a no runner about a race that we just ran and they ask us if we won, we always say “of course I won. I always win. I race against myself not against the other ten thousand people that were running, and just by racing I am winning.”

My Animal Lover Note: Yesterday we had our September Langley Herbivores potluck. There were lots of new people that want to try the vegan diet and some old vegans that just heard about us. Two high lights of the potluck:
•I saw the most beautiful vegan family: mom, dad and three girls all vegans, beautiful and healthy.
•A 13 year old girl came with her mom. The girl became vegan a year ago after watching Forks over Knifes and Earthlings (I highly recommend both). She told her mom she was not going to eat any animal products and despite the mom’s efforts to change her mind, she stuck to it. Wow! That is the kind of will and commitment people need. Now mom fully supports her and even though she is not vegan, she cooks for her daughter and understands her points of view.

How Running Shapes your Body

If you really want to see your body being shaped by the exercise you practice, you have to give it time, dedication, and hours of training. A while ago, for one of the boot camp classes I go to, we had to be in groups of four. I got my group and we all introduced each other, and when I finished saying my name a lady said to me right away, “Are you a runner? You run long distances don’t you?” I was kind of shocked by this comment and wondered how she knew (maybe she is a witch, I thought). So I asked her, “Yes I am. I run half marathons, but how do you know?” “By your legs” she said “you have runner’s legs.” And yes, I definitely do. I then started looking at runners’ legs. They are all well shaped, muscular but lean and I have to say, damn pretty. I realized that my legs were already like that (and I felt hot!), and I looked at my running buddies’ legs (those that have been running for a while like me), and they look the same.

I have seen lots of people that quit running, or stop doing it for a while, after joining a running clinic to train for a single race and this one is over. Even though they ran the race most of them are disappointed by the lack of results they see in their bodies. They definitely don’t have runner’s legs yet, and they don’t know why, after all, they have just run a half marathon race! You don’t get those legs by training for one race; you get those nice, lean, muscular legs when running is part of your life. At this point, running starts shaping your body (and of course your mind) in its unique way.

Being this said, I can assure you that the same process applies when following a plant-based diet. Some people try the vegan diet for a week, or even a month, and after going back to their old eating habits, they can’t tell the benefits of being vegan. This is such a short time for your body to fully assimilate the changes and let itself start being affected by them. What they get to experience during this time is nothing compare to what you experience when you have been vegan for years. After being vegan for so many years I can tell that not just my body but my mind and soul have changed because of this powerful life style.

Vegan Athletes

This weekend I was helping out at the Langley Herbivore’s booth in the Langley International Festival. We were providing information about plant-based diets to those that looked somehow interested. I found that, generally, people have this stereotype about vegans, and I say this because some of them made comments like “I will starve” or “I won’t have enough energy to exercise” or “I need to build muscle and meat is the best way to help your body build muscle.” Every time someone made a comment like this I was kind of shocked about how misinformed people are about the vegan diet.

I am far from being an elite athlete but nonetheless I am an athlete. I train hard, I train every day and I demand a lot from my body. Because I am vegan my body can perform at its best, and the healing process after training is way faster than that one of a meat eater. Lack of energy is not a problem; actually we have more energy than the usual meat eater because our bodies don’t have to exhaust themselves trying to digest heavy, acidic foods. Our digestion is fast and efficient so our bodies are always ready for more. And last but not least, I wonder if people have actually seen pictures or videos of the strongest animals in nature: gorillas, buffalos, elephants, horses, zebras, hippopotamus and the biggest dinosaurs were all vegan. Something that I also find amazing is that none of these animals are naturally aggressive. They are strong and they are also nice fellows (yes, like me!).

A month ago I was reading about a group of 15 vegan body builders that won the Naturally Fit Supershow Bodybuilding competition in Austin, TX. They competed against hundreds of bodybuilders with traditional omnivorous, heavy meat, dairy, and egg based diets. The strong and nice vegans won 5 out of 7 categories, and in those that they did not win, they ended up in 2nd and 3rd place!

So, we vegans are proving that we can also be strong (sometimes stronger). We are proving that we can be fast (check out vegan marathon runner, holder of three world records, Fiona Oaks). We are proving that we can be healthy (not anemic like some people think! actually far from that). We are proving that we can eat amazing food but at the same time we can be compassionate with our fellow earthlings. We are proving that there is a better way (like it or not, there is).

Some (just a few) vegan athletes:

Vicki Cosio – Winner of the Washington State Open National Senior tennis title.

Fiona Oaks – Vegan marathon runner. She holds five marathon course records.

Jim Morries -- Known for possessing an outstanding physique in his later years. At 75 he still trains hard and releases
bodybuilding photos.

Mac Danzig -- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitor. In 2005 he won the King Of The Cage Lightweight Championship which he successfully defended four times, and has also won the Ultimate Fighter 6 competition.

Rich Roll -- He is a regular ultraman competitior which involves a 10km swim, cycling over 200 miles and running a double marathon.

Carl Lewis -- Voted World Athlete of the decade (1980s) and Olympic Athlete of the Century (1900s), and winner of nine Olympic gold medals. Carl also excelled in long jump and achieved one of athletics' longest unbeaten runs.

Seba Johnson -- Slalom skier who has represented her country at the Winter Olympics. She has been vegan since birth and has been ground-breaking in her sport as one of the youngest ever to compete in her sport at the highest levels.

Laura Kline – Cyclist. She has achieved world titles at tough endurance events.

Brendan Brazier -- Has achieved national titles in triathlons and ultra-marathons and has set course records.

And it goes on……

Half Marathons

As I said before, with the race package you get your bib number and a t-shirt with the race logo. When you finish the race you also get a finisher medal.

My first half marathon race was last year, before that I was running up to 13k and did three 10k races. My total number of half marathon races so far is 7: two races ran last year and five this year (plus the one I will be running by the end of November).

Here are my medals, bib numbers and t-shirts from last year (2012). My very first half marathon race was Scotia Bank Half, then in November I ran Vancouver Historic Half.

Medals, bib numbers and t-shirts from this year’s races.

By running these four races I got the HALF FANATIC status. For this I needed to have run three races in 90 days, so I can count either the first three of the last three races. They will soon send me a half fanatic running tank-top that I will proudly wear.

I have found that running the same race several times gives you a better chance of working on your personal best. Once you face a route that you are familiar with your mind knows what is coming, therefore there aren’t any surprises. By knowing the route you can also strategize your race, decide your walk breaks, as well as your pace for the first and second half of it. Personally, the way I see PB’s (personal bests) is comparing one race with itself. I ran my first Scottia Half in 2 hours and 10 minutes. This year, when I ran it again, I did it in 2 hours and 4 minutes. I know I was able to accomplish this major PB because I knew what to expect. Based on that I decided to skip the first two walk breaks, and run as fast as I could during the first half (I knew it was flatter and had more downhill), so I could slow down a little bit in the second half of the race, when it was more hilly.

In November I will be able to compare times again when I run Vancouver Historic Half, and of course next year, I will run Scotia again, as well as See Wheeze (plus hopefully two full marathons). That way I can start working on doing PB’s for each different race I run.

My Animal Lover Note:

Lululemon See Wheeze Half Marathon. August 10th, 2013

Yesterday I ran my 5th half marathon of this year. I have one more left to complete my goal of 6 half marathon races with in a year. I can’t believe I have already ran 5 races this year, plus two half races from last year, makes a total of 7 half marathon races!!!!

Lululemon See Wheeze Half Marathon is so far my favourite one. Everything started in March, when Melanie told me that the registrations for this race were opened. I usually register 2 to 3 weeks before the actual race so I did not pay that much of attention to her at the time because, since the race was in August, I still had plenty of time to register. 3 weeks after they were opened, Melanie told me that she got an email saying that the race was already 80% sold. At this point I freaked out because that 20% left was not going to last until July! So that night, I after my run, I got home and registered for the race. I ended up being the person number 8364 to register. Two weeks after, the race was sold out!

When you register for a race you get a race package that has the bib number/time chip, a t-shirt with the race logo and some other goodies added by the sponsors. With See Wheeze, instead of the regular t-shirt, we got a pair of Lululemon running shorts that were mailed to us in May.

Last Friday Melanie and I went to pick up the rest of the race package, and, by the end, this is what we got: canvas bag, head phones, a pouch with some natural oils, time chip (no bib number for this one), and a bracelet with my number and name.

Once we got our stuff we went to check out the special edition collection that Lululemon had designed for See Wheeze. Of course, as everything with Lululemon, the things they were selling were amazing! (I bought the shirt that you see in the picture with the running shorts). At noon they were offering a yoga class outside the convention center for all the runners that wanted to join them.

Race day: 10014 runners running in the most amazing course ever. I felt so blessed to be able to be part of this beautiful experience. Here are some pics of the race.

I find that Lululemon always tries to be original with what they do, and maybe that is why people like them, because they do things different. The finishing medal was made out of wood, and you could open it and stick inside a picture from the photo booths they had by the finish line.

So, how did I do? Great! I finished the race in 2 hours and 8 minutes. This is amazing because running under 2 hours and 10 minutes (which was almost impossible by the beginning of the year) has become a constant in my last three races. This means that I am a faster runner, and something that I used to find totally impossible is becoming fairly easy (it does not feel easy when I am running though!).

Next race: November 2013, Stanley Park.

My Animal Lover Note: As you all know, after I finish running a race the only thing I want to do is eat, eat, eat, and eat a lot of delicious vegan food. This time we went to BANDIDAS TAQUERIA, a vegetarian/vegan restaurant on 2781 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. It was my first time there and OMG! what an amazing place and food. Who said we vegans don't eat well and delicious?

Long Distance Runs and Race Day Mind Journey

Long distance is usually 18 kilometers or more. Most of the runners I have talked to go through similar mental stages while running these distances. I used to feel this more at the beginning, but there are still some days that the mind game comes back to you with all its strength. Training runs are easier because they are slower, so these feelings have virtually disappeared, but they are the main demon you have to fight every time you race.

So, what is it that I am talking about? My body needs about 4 kilometers to warm up and feel good running. Those first 4 kilometers are hard because everything hurts (legs, hips, quads, etc.). Of course, my body is just warming up (and I know it because it is always the same) but my mind starts having crazy thoughts like, “OMG, if everything hurts this much right now, I don’t want to even thing when I get to the 18th kilometer. I know I will finish but it won’t be fast. I don’t think I can run faster today, everything hurts already and I still have 18 kilometers left!” These thoughts go on for a while until I magically warm up and feel great. Usually I hit the 10th kilometer under the hour and I feel in heaven. I start making my mental math, which means that if I can keep up with the same pace I can finish the race with a very good time. (For most people the second half of the race is slower because you are tired, dah!)

This feeling of greatness and enjoyment basically disappears around kilometer 15th. By this point I (and everyone else!) are exhausted, the pain becomes real and acute and you know there are 6 more kilometers to go. Usually 6 kilometers are nothing for us but at this point of the race they are hell. These are very dry kilometers and you have to hold onto any piece of motivation that is left. What takes you through them is literally your mind. This is what goes through mine “Shit, I am dying. I am super tired. I don’t know how I am going to make it. How can that bitch run faster than I do? My hips hurt so much. I can barely keep up with my pace. (I look at my Garmin) Shit, I should be running at 5:45 minutes per kilometer and I am running at 6:20. I won’t hit my goal and I can’t literally run any faster. I can do this, I can do this. (An older person just passes me) If she can do it I can do it too, come on, pick it up princess, you have trained so hard to be whining right now. It is just 6 kilometers. I run 6 kilometers like nothing. 6 kilometers is nothing, is nothing. I can do it, just 6 kilometers left. Shit, my hip keeps hurting. I don’t care if I can’t walk after the race. Don’t think about it. Think about something else, I know, brunch. What am I going to eat when I finish running? Oh yeah, I want to go to this restaurant and order vegan sausage, potatoes, bread, vegan muffins, vegan chocolate cake (I can just think of carbs! I wonder why!). Yes, shopping, I need to go shopping. I want the top that that lady has. I need a skirt…….”

So, all of a sudden you see the sign for kilometer 19th. There are just 2 kilometers left, just 2. At this point you are (and everyone else!) literally dying. Here is when I look at my Garmin, check my pace, check the time I have left to hit my goal, and start focusing on breathing to overcome the real pain and to get energies from somewhere in the universe (I am certain those don’t come from within my body because I have nothing left!). These 2 last kilometers are the point where you take yourself beyond your own limits. These 2 last kilometers are the ones that prove you are the best because when you thought you did not have anything left in you, you actually had more than what you had imagined. I, magically, always pick up the pace at this point, run faster than my expectations (like 5:30 minutes per kilometer), and the only think I say to myself is, “I can do it, I can do it, I can do it, come on, I can do it.” I will repeat this to myself for the time left. Seeing the finish line in the distance, and all the people cheering at you, gives me more energy. I focus on the finish line and how close it is, “I can do it, I can do it. I am almost there.” And then, I make it. I cross it and check my time, and I see that I actually did a better time that what I was expecting! This is where I feel so freaking proud of myself. I smile, keep walking (or lumping because everything hurts), get my finishing medal, get a bottle of water, and look for my friends (or wait for them) to take a picture of all of us together.

Running is not just about training your body to run certain distances, it is also about training your mind to work for you, it is about training your spirit to lift you up, and finally, it is about training your will to take you further.

My Animal Lover Note:

The Runner's High

When you are a runner you become familiar with the well-known feeling of “the runner’s high”, a feeling of empowerment you feel when you finish a long run or a race. Every time I cross a finish line I feel on the top of the world, the top of my world. At that moment I know for sure that I am the master of my life and, if I have lost control over something, I gain it back. I also know that if I was able to accomplish that, I can do whatever I put my mind into. Since I am a runner I have a stronger will, I whine less and I don’t make excuses. This is a feeling that I share with all my fellow runners. Running gives you that and it is something that you can just feel and understand when you become a runner, this is the runner’s high.

What makes all of this incredible is that not a long time ago, 1972, running was considered a male exclusive sport. Women were not allowed to run half marathon or full marathon races because we were, supposedly, not fit for that kind of physical activity. I feel lucky that I belong to a generation where, as a woman, I can be part of this mind freeing and character building sport.

The following video showcases the first woman that dared to run the Boston Marathon back in 1967. Thanks to her I am here, writing to day about how much I love running and how much I have grown as a person because of it.


Kathrine Switzer, Pioneering Boston Marathon Runner


My Animal Lover’s note: Last Saturday, after doing the Grouse Grind, I went to the “Veg Fest Vancouver” with my husband and some friends. This is a vegan festival that takes place in Vancouver, on Granville Street. There were lots of vegan vendors, amazing food and great people. We were all starving after doing the crazy Grind (which is climbing a freaking wall, literally!), so we headed straight to The Loving Hut for lunch. As always the food was delicious, but the best part was seeing the faces of my non-vegan friends, enjoying their vegan meal. They said they really liked it. I got to buy some of my favourite vegan cupcakes, candies, cookies and desserts to take home and indulge in the sweet, guilt free vegan life. As always, I was happy to see how this healthy, cruelty-free lifestyle is growing and more people are embracing it.

Ron, our running trainer and friend, Melanie (the Rock)and I

Ron, My husband and I

Me at the entrance of the Veg Fest Vancouver

Melanie and Ron buying their food at The Loving Hut