tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194584642024-03-23T11:46:00.715-07:00Cruz Control Sports NutritionCruz Control Sports Nutrition will provide you with an individual meal plan which will adapt to your lifestle and eating preferences.
My main focus is sports nutrition and specifically running. However, I have also worked with triathletes, cyclists and bodybuilders and I have helped my clients achieve their personal goals.
For more information please contact me at:
gregdcruz@rogers.comGregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.comBlogger602125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-65327387842108316152010-05-31T15:23:00.000-07:002010-05-31T15:25:19.175-07:00It's Race Week!The following passage is something that I've written before every race, hope you enjoy it.<br /><br /><br />If I forget to smile during the week,......... please forgive me it's race week!<br /><br />If I feel like crying when I see someone run, knowing that I can't......please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If I feel like I've gained 20 pounds after carbo loading for three days....please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If I seem like I have the "deer in the headlights" look all week...........please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If I have a hard time sleeping this week..........please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If I start wondering if I've trained enough for my race........please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If you hear me mumbling to myself about what the hell I was thinking about when I decided to run around in circles for 6 hours.......please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If I run to the bathroom every 5 minutes from all the water I need to drink this week.......please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If you see me eating 6 blueberry bagels in a few hours......please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />If I start going through withdrawl from the fact that I can't run for most of the week..........please forgive me, it's race week!<br /><br />And finally.....If I forget to thank all of you who read my blog and have wished me well with my race this week.............please forgive me, it's race week!GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-75592617238209279972009-08-20T13:48:00.000-07:002009-08-20T14:11:43.864-07:00A funny thing happened on the way to the track....So there I was, sipping on my tea at 4:00 AM and trying to pysche myself up for my track workout. These track workouts are so tough and I need to really get mentally prepared for the challenge. I have been running 800 Meter repeats which is two laps around a 400M track. I have worked my way to do doing 8 sets of this and making sure that I do them in under 3:30. I have been averaging around a 3:14 or so.<br /><br />Today I decided to step it up a notch and do 1 mile repeats or 4 laps at top speed. My goal was to run each mile in 7:19 or better with a rest of 1:40 in between each set. I thought about doing 6 laps but decided not to push it too much today.<br /><br />As I left my house I packed all the things I would need for my track work including my headlamp since I would have to be running the laps in the dark. I had my tunes cranked and set out to run the track at Pine Ridge High School which has a very nice rubber track.<br /><br />As I drove up to the parking lot I noticed the following:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLadSRZLVpno88_LBLISzHoM0hQ8xE6OLE9jmIWnlHNzM_seMUU0H0imxTyvO231W522TJ7iWM4g3ht3oSanKoIv4dv8TdoBhA5PwzXFds8qEGgCieckWz-H1Qy4ISJsgiZ2pmHA/s1600-h/under-construction-sign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLadSRZLVpno88_LBLISzHoM0hQ8xE6OLE9jmIWnlHNzM_seMUU0H0imxTyvO231W522TJ7iWM4g3ht3oSanKoIv4dv8TdoBhA5PwzXFds8qEGgCieckWz-H1Qy4ISJsgiZ2pmHA/s400/under-construction-sign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372152390656661218" /></a><br /><br />Needless to say I wasn't pleased. I had to drive to another track which wasn't nearly as good as this one and then had to psyche myself up all over again. <br /><br />When I got to this track I did a light run to warm-up and then I was off. I decided that 4 sets was going to be enough today even though now I was contemplating doing 6. <br />I managed to do each 1 mile set in an average time of 7:08. At the end of the 4th lap I took a walk around the track to let my heart rate come down and then decided to do one more mile. I managed to do that mile in 7:00. I was glad that I decided to do that extra mile and now I can build on top of that and do a 6th set the next time out. The only question is where will I do it? (LOL)GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-8473109752676437362009-08-18T05:20:00.000-07:002009-08-18T05:51:28.372-07:00Don’t ever use the “Q” word!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1Pl8hf2RoNRhpMdhVLQ5CmXZULk6ILtvQNi_4rmu1ABaNu7_num8RyMHAsc8l_k0DBOZutYwY3ILICDaln_O4PYjGDZ0IlZkpVx-ETeAkIZAXrW13J6dGukJQHY9rQ0HAO5boQ/s1600-h/never-give-up.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 391px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1Pl8hf2RoNRhpMdhVLQ5CmXZULk6ILtvQNi_4rmu1ABaNu7_num8RyMHAsc8l_k0DBOZutYwY3ILICDaln_O4PYjGDZ0IlZkpVx-ETeAkIZAXrW13J6dGukJQHY9rQ0HAO5boQ/s400/never-give-up.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371278731556923810" /></a><br /><br />Wow! In a word that pretty much sums up the last week for me. It was full of positive energy and I’m still riding a pretty strong wave right now. However, it seemed like I would never get the news I got last week.<br /><br />Let me give you some background so you can understand just how truly great last week was for me. For the past 3 years I have been working at Extreme Fitness as a full-time nutritionist. This year I decided to become a Personal Trainer and have also been doing that at Extreme Fitness. In addition I have my own Lifestyle Management Company (Cruz Control Lifestyle Management) and have also been working as a walking instructor for a company called Health Systems Group. <br /><br /> HSG manages many fitness facilities for corporations such as Proctor and Gamble and American Express. Each Wednesday I have met with a group of very dedicated women who are preparing to do the Weekend to End Breast Cancer on September 12th. I have been training them each week and have loved the experience. HSG is a company that I wanted to work for full time as I really embrace their “client first” mentality.<br /><br />While I enjoy working with the clients at Extreme Fitness, I don’t really enjoy the fact that their customer service is so poor. I really believe that you can be profitable while still having a high degree of customer service. It is something that I believe sets me apart from many other people in this field and I take great pride in the fact that I am not only about the money. I think it has plenty to do with the fact that I was extremely overweight as a teenager and I understand how difficult the struggle can be to lose weight.<br /><br />The other aspect of Extreme Fitness that I don’t enjoy is the fact that I only get paid on a per client basis. There have been days where I have gone into work and had client after client not show up for their session and that meant not getting paid. This made it very difficult to budget especially trying to support two young boys on a part-time basis.<br /><br />As much as I love the work that I do and feel that it is what I do best, there were so many times that I contemplated changing careers just to make ends meet. I have had jobs in the past where I made more money but where I was totally unhappy. My passion lies in health promotion and that is something that I always get reminding myself about.<br /><br />Then, two weeks ago I got the call I was waiting for from HSG. An opening came for a full time account manager for Franklin Templeton Financial Institute. The job would be to run the fitness studio and be an integral part of the wellness program there. I went for the interview and felt like I had done a great job. I waited for a full week anxiously awaiting a 2nd interview. That phone call came and I went for the interview last Friday morning.<br /><br />Later that day I received the news that I got the job! To say that I was thrilled would be a huge understatement. I am so glad that I didn’t give up and remained mentally tough throughout this whole process. In many ways it resembled many of my toughest runs I’ve had.<br /><br />Today I did a 10 mile run in very humid conditions. There were times when I wanted to stop or slow down as my breathing was getting more and more difficult. However, much like my career, I pushed on and picked up steam towards the end of the run and finished ahead of what I was hoping for.<br /><br />I remember what my football coach told me many years ago. He said, “It’s ok to get knocked down but it’s not ok to stay down!” I think I have resembled those words!GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-56683156770275414592009-08-09T04:37:00.000-07:002009-08-09T07:14:09.960-07:00Dirty Girl Race report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvpsoVRNMyOXgcQmxlq2H0qvFUdLZAQ5TS5Liia8lz04gwp7QxSSP5AuhzDevUi_n-jpAHtcGd2mmWP9PNvOPVRwKhhw_zvpBI0T0VdDBR6DbuGFwT9lxig5VY88KCz8UQI6h2w/s1600-h/cramping.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 372px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitvpsoVRNMyOXgcQmxlq2H0qvFUdLZAQ5TS5Liia8lz04gwp7QxSSP5AuhzDevUi_n-jpAHtcGd2mmWP9PNvOPVRwKhhw_zvpBI0T0VdDBR6DbuGFwT9lxig5VY88KCz8UQI6h2w/s400/cramping.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367928573245634482" /></a><br /><br />Last weekend while doing my 20 mile trail run I decided to run the 6 hour dirty girl race the following weekend. I knew I was going to run that race but hadn’t decided on what distance/time to run. Because my marathon training has been doing mostly speed work, hill training and tempo runs, I didn’t see the need to do Ultra trail races. However, after talking it over with some very knowledgeable runners, I decided to do the 6 hour race.<br /><br />Last year I managed to do 52.5 KM’s in 5:45 minutes but my goals for this race were to stay healthy and do a minimum of 40 KM’s. Anything above and beyond that was going to be gravy.<br /><br />The course is one of my favourite in the Ontario Ultra Series. It is a 10KM loop with just enough hills to challenge but also some great stretches where I can really just run.<br /><br />When I got to the race site just shortly after 7 AM I knew I had made the right decision to run. I was greeted by so many familiar faces and it felt so good to be surrounded by such amazing energy. Some of my friends were doing the 6 hour run like me while others were doing the 12 hour or 24 hour run.<br /><br />I decided to run with my heart rate monitor for the first time ever in a race just to gauge where my heart rate was in the trails versus on the roads. <br /><br />As the countdown started I kept telling myself to just go easy and keep checking my heart rate periodically to ensure that I wasn’t going too fast too soon.<br /><br />I was disciplined enough to complete the first lap in under 1 hour (55 minutes) so the pace was good and I felt strong. I decided to listen to my music every other lap so that way it would really motivate me. Instead of my music, I just focused on running consistent and enjoying the feeling of being in the trails. I was even able to catch up to a few of my running idols and we all ran in together for the first lap.<br /><br />The 2nd lap was much of the same and I finished in roughly the same time as my 1st lap. My music really helped to keep me going so I was glad that I made the decision to use it every other lap. Towards the end of the 10 KM loop there is a large hill that keeps getting longer and longer as the day goes (LOL). I decided to pop a few Alleve just before going up the hill to avoid any possible pain in my legs. This, as I soon found out, was a huge mistake. I felt nauseas almost immediately and really thought I was going to be sick. It didn’t help that my heart rate monitor, which was strapped to my chest, felt like it was restricting my breathing. I managed to fight through this feeling but when I stopped after the 2nd loop I decided to ditch the heart rate monitor for the remainder of the race.<br /><br />My 3rd lap started out pretty well and though my pace slowed a little, I was still pretty happy with how I was feeling. Unfortunately about ¾ of the way through the 3rd loop I started to get cramps in my quads. They were so painful at times and it felt like my muscle was being torn away from the bone. I found it hard to stop though so I kept walking and doing some light running at the same time. The cramps would come and go so I just had to fight through it. I haven’t had this problem since I did my last “regular” marathon in 2007. So many thoughts went through my mind and it took me back to that dreadful experience. I made a conscious effort not to think about it because I know how the mind works so I kept going.<br /><br />Amazingly enough, I finished the 4th lap pretty strong and had now run 40 KM’s. It was now 4:15 so I knew that even if I walked the next 10 KM I would get to 50 KM as I had 1:45 minutes to get there.<br /><br />I knew that I was going to surpass my goal so I started to walk a little more and run when I felt like I wanted to. My cramps were still coming on from time to time but for the most part I was still able to run. I met up with a friend who was clearly struggling and he was going to walk the rest of the 6 hours. I made the decision to walk with him. Just then, a good friend (Jeff Cooper) passed me and that really motivated me so I decided to start running. He wasn’t running very fast but I decided to run with him and get some more advice for my marathon. At this point we both knew that we were going to reach 50 KM’s no matter how slow we ran. We actually joked that we didn’t want to run too fast because if we got to the start/finish line with too much time left we would have to go out for another loop.<br /><br />The race is marked every 2.5 KM’s so if you head out for another loop after the 5 hour mark, you must reach either 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10 KM or you would not get credit for running that distance. Not only that, but once you head out you will have to make it back to the start/finish line somehow (run/walk). Remember, this is AFTER running for 6 hours.<br /><br />I picked up my pace during the latter part of that last lap and came across the finish line at 5:30. I told a friend who was watching that I was done and wasn’t going out again. Then Jeff came running through the finish line and said, “c’mon let’s go out again.” Of course my competitiveness got the better of me so I decided that I would go out and see what I could do. I managed to get to the 2.5 KM mark at 5:50 which made my total for the day 52.5 KM’s. I was really happy that I decided to run until the end and also happy that I didn’t walk the majority of that 4th loop. I also beat myself up a little because I knew that I could have pushed myself a little more during that 4th loop and that would have given me more of an opportunity to get to 55 KM’s.<br /><br />In the end, though, I learned quite a bit about myself and I need to figure this cramping issue before my marathon in September.<br /><br />Today I went out for a nice recovery run of 6 miles and will take tomorrow off to rest and then it’s back to my marathon training schedule.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-10581432023207360842009-08-06T04:04:00.000-07:002009-08-06T04:20:23.726-07:00A change in plans<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFB5jPb3LSQd9Okpngcz1hz_jLKhkY5zVIeZZLXYb2IeUR1yo2WzMUEM6jVpIDUS_ASXHW31dhCOPBOmKO527ciocVEeLm6cMyzmRsSLpmoqX8PYqXtaxHYJ8pua5iXD9jSFC1gQ/s1600-h/running+in+the+dark.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFB5jPb3LSQd9Okpngcz1hz_jLKhkY5zVIeZZLXYb2IeUR1yo2WzMUEM6jVpIDUS_ASXHW31dhCOPBOmKO527ciocVEeLm6cMyzmRsSLpmoqX8PYqXtaxHYJ8pua5iXD9jSFC1gQ/s400/running+in+the+dark.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366806136571540162" /></a><br />My plan today was to head to Pickering High School to do my 8 X 800M track work. When I got there I realized just how truly dark it was so I decided to drive a little further to Pinedridge HS. I was hoping that it would have been a little lighter there but of course it was not to be.<br /><br />It was 5:15 when I did my warm-up lap and because it was so dark, I also used this opportunity to make sure that there was no obstructions on the lane where I was running. I decided to use lane 2 and stayed on that lane for the whole time I was there.<br /><br />For my training I need to be able to run each 800M (2 laps around the track) in 3:30 or better. I did the first lap in 3:36. I wasn't happy about that so I picked it up quite a bit. Here is my final stats:<br />Lap 1: 3:36<br />Lap 2: 3:19<br />Lap 3: 3:21<br />Lap 4: 3:19<br />Lap 5: 3:16<br />Lap 6: 3:19<br />Lap 7: 3:16<br />Lap 8: 3:19<br /><br />I walked/caught my breath for 1:40 seconds and this allowed my breathing and heart rate to slow down. During each lap my heart rate was about 164 bpm and my average pace was under a 7 minute mile.<br /><br />Next up the Dirty Girl 6 hour race on Saturday. My goal is just to do 40KM so my body can get a feel for being out there for that distance. My main focus will be seeing how my heart rate is affected running on the trails versus running on the road.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-85368319194412223432009-08-05T04:12:00.000-07:002009-08-05T04:31:57.772-07:00Another great run<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hcz4s8OMTkR1htzIa7KRdI8H2MEV7IyNxS92nBL1v23V0yJenFRK14dgNp6UVSKdZy8cUpNkN8GynTKJHqYLlzEx3RKdnrwCNpKH8SucehH07obmC1KK2rHym0u0dBYls0kMrQ/s1600-h/hooked.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Hcz4s8OMTkR1htzIa7KRdI8H2MEV7IyNxS92nBL1v23V0yJenFRK14dgNp6UVSKdZy8cUpNkN8GynTKJHqYLlzEx3RKdnrwCNpKH8SucehH07obmC1KK2rHym0u0dBYls0kMrQ/s400/hooked.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366440931343091570" /></a><br /><br />Knowing that I have a very addictive personality, is it any wonder that I am now hooked on running with a heart rate monitor strapped around my chest? Today I wanted to do an easy pace but my legs felt good so I decided to try and do as close to an exact race pace (8 min/mile) as possible for 6 miles. I also wanted to get a better gauge as to what my heart rate should be when I run at race pace.<br /><br />During my marathon there will be times when my pace will speed up or slow down (hopefully not too much though). During my run today I wanted to stay at roughly the same pace and I managed to do that very well. My average pace was 7:59 and I finished the run in 47:53 (my goal was 48 minutes). I found that my heart rate hovered around the 154 bpm range. My maximum heart rate based on my age is 179 so 154 is 86% of my maximum heart rate.<br /><br />Using the heart rate reserve method is an even better way to gauge fitness as it uses your resting heart rate in the equation. This is mine:<br />220-41= 179 - resting heart rate (50)= 129 X 86%= 110 + resting heart rate (50)=160 <br />Therefore, 160 beats per minute represents 86% of my maximum heart rate which corresponds remarkably well to where I was yesterday and today.<br /><br />Tomorrow will be an even greater test as I will have to run close to 90% or higher of my maximum heart rate as I do my track work. Can you tell that I am hooked?GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-36826325108806963222009-08-04T06:05:00.001-07:002009-08-04T06:14:04.351-07:00164!That was my heart rate for the majority of my run today. That corresponded to an average pace of 7:54 min/mile for 10 miles. I noticed that if I ran too fast, my heart rate elevated to 170 and I felt uncomfortable so I actually slowed down my pace until my heart rate returned to 160-164. If my heart dropped below 160 my pace was too slow so I had to speed up. It really was an interesting game to see where my heart rate needs to be in order to keep my pace.<br /><br />Mile 5 and mile 8 were the only miles where my average pace was slightly higher than what I needed for my race (8:01 and 8:02 respectively). My fastest average mile was 7:45.<br /><br />Tomorrow will be a slightly slower pace and less distance as well, probably 5 miles. With a 6 hour race coming up on Saturday, I have to be careful not too push myself too hard.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-86515579520088611472009-08-02T06:35:00.000-07:002009-08-02T06:53:46.680-07:00The Good, the Bad and the Ugly....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pUcs6DTArSNfY2BSdW5o-q4dpz2z2EEu5LETUdPG7h8LBF9f9oyeBac2KVFRXzID9p0cRNG78Fa89gFemQChPE_K2jynSqiQrMMdHMoiKc1hIqKUxtZ2zLd4nBd5ZEig2ME1Ow/s1600-h/Acumen_Target_Heart_Rate_Zone.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 385px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pUcs6DTArSNfY2BSdW5o-q4dpz2z2EEu5LETUdPG7h8LBF9f9oyeBac2KVFRXzID9p0cRNG78Fa89gFemQChPE_K2jynSqiQrMMdHMoiKc1hIqKUxtZ2zLd4nBd5ZEig2ME1Ow/s400/Acumen_Target_Heart_Rate_Zone.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365359635856805330" /></a><br /><br />Today was my first time ever using a heart rate monitor and I felt like a kid with a new toy. For years many of my friends who know I start out too fast, have begged me to start using one of these but I always found them cumbersome.<br /><br />I was coming off doing a 20 mile road/trail run yesterday so I was a little tired but I really wanted to see what this heart rate training was all about. I strapped the monitor to my chest and off I went.<br /><br />About ½ miles into the run, the strap, which apparently I didn’t tighten enough, came loose and dropped from above my chest to below my waist. Amazingly enough it continued to record my heart rate though so instead of stopping my run and adjusting it, I decided to just keep running.<br /><br />I would periodically check my heart rate and my average pace to gauge where my heart rate was. I noticed that when I ran a 7:30 to 7:45 minute mile, my heart rate would climb above 200 bpm. The closer I got to my actual race pace of 8:00 minutes per mile, I noticed that my heart rate was 190 to 195 bpm. This is where I tried to keep my heart rate for the majority of the run. Again, it’s difficult to know how accurate the reading was because the strap had fallen down but I will have to use that as a starting point and the next time I go out I will check again, this time with the strap tighter.<br /><br />My goal was to finish the run in 1:20 which is an 8 minute mile. I once again started out fast and this gave a nice cushion of 44 seconds at the 7 mile mark. I needed every bit of those seconds because after the 8 mile mark I was 52 seconds ahead but this fell to only 35 seconds by the time the 9th mile was finished. I lost some time as I had to stop at a traffic light. I also had to do 2 hills which didn’t help. I finished the run in 1:19:20 seconds so I was able to make up an additional 5 seconds during that final mile, most of which was again uphill.<br /><br />After running 30 miles (48KM’s) in 2 days it’s time for a day of rest tomorrow.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-74158552338780868532009-08-01T09:41:00.000-07:002009-08-01T10:03:28.698-07:00How do you turn a 26KM trail into a 32K run?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEi7j3ieBNbM1AoNzmBP0ejm_kMlppLHz1wK-Njt5Ch8kAiV4GmvxDgnntxWxKtfWQlPpVbqr04id7VYQiKKPKgL6zW26ByN_-2opIOkxWJM7YdYbdmfAzxTLCJRBiiCzsNQSpg/s1600-h/MAS-DeerrunningthroughWoods-BillSatterfield.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEi7j3ieBNbM1AoNzmBP0ejm_kMlppLHz1wK-Njt5Ch8kAiV4GmvxDgnntxWxKtfWQlPpVbqr04id7VYQiKKPKgL6zW26ByN_-2opIOkxWJM7YdYbdmfAzxTLCJRBiiCzsNQSpg/s400/MAS-DeerrunningthroughWoods-BillSatterfield.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365036821090867746" /></a><br /><br /><br />The answer? It aint easy. I met up with a group of friends at 7 AM at the Forestream Parking Lot. I had hoped that some of them were going to run 20 miles with me but I soon found out that I had no takers. Most are training for a race next weekend so it didn’t make sense for them to go too far today. While I totally understood, it left me with a tough decision. They were going to do 26KM which was about 6KM short of what I wanted to do today. How was I going to squeeze another 6 KM out of this trail? Many thoughts went through my head, including doing the 2nd 10KM of the trail twice. Instead of that, I did some creative running and amazingly it turned out very well.<br /><br />I ran with the group to the turnaround point of the first loop. This was Hwy7 and the total miles were just under 5. The black flies on that part of the route were really biting and it was at that point that I made my decision to go it alone. I decided that I would go West on Hwy 7 to the Durham/York border and then run South to Taunton Road. This added another few miles that I would not have gotten in had I went back to the same way I started. When I reached Taunton Road I looked at my Garmin and realized that I still needed to get a few more miles in so I went South to Concession 3. From Concession 3 I travelled East to Whites Road and then North to the Forestream where I had started at 7 AM.<br /><br />When I got there I refuelled and then saw a few of the runners that I had left behind. I took an electrolyte supplement, ½ banana and filled up my water bottle and then went out for the next part of the run. At this point I was at 12.5 miles and again my head was spinning. I knew that even if I did the route to the Dump and back it would only be 6 miles and being as competitive as I am, I knew that this was not going to sit well with me. I took all the long routes I could find during this second half and when I got to the dump I ran another mile on the road and then headed back for the final stretch. I was at 16 miles and it was going to be a tight fit to get those 4 miles in. I again took the long way back and just as I was starting to get a little tired I heard some rustling in the trees. There was a little clearing about 5 feet in front of me and the next thing I knew there was a deer running right by me. For whatever reason this seemed to inspire me to go faster and harder and the rest of the run was a breeze.<br /><br />As I finished my run I saw all my friends sitting in their lawn chairs having a beverage and food and was glad that I could join them. I managed to get in 19.6 miles (I decided to cut myself some slack) in 3:41 minutes. After the run I was talking to my friends about my training and they all offered some great advice. One even loaned me his heart rate monitor and tomorrow I will start using it. I’ve never run with one before but so many people have recommended that I do that I’m glad that I will finally be using one.<br /><br />All in all it was a great day and a picture perfect weather day to be out in the trails!GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-13279926658933642112009-07-30T03:25:00.000-07:002009-07-30T03:50:21.954-07:00Love/Hate relationship with the Rossland Hill<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2tofLNZzUXm2jpm7C_KjcGc5jTyrNAekOmENhaBNs0XKUtHhR-cp0aFP-Dam42lh5-4efgS-AdaeyIbE4NFq9mVa4L8mwojbB_FjS3W6Z_cKUPLibEi4XUGdbAJDvRP667FuKg/s1600-h/ist2_201704-mind-over-matter.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 380px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2tofLNZzUXm2jpm7C_KjcGc5jTyrNAekOmENhaBNs0XKUtHhR-cp0aFP-Dam42lh5-4efgS-AdaeyIbE4NFq9mVa4L8mwojbB_FjS3W6Z_cKUPLibEi4XUGdbAJDvRP667FuKg/s400/ist2_201704-mind-over-matter.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364198425708738594" /></a><br /><br />Thursdays mean one of 3 thing. Track work, tempo run or doing hill repeats up and down the Rossland hill. Today was hill repeat day. The hill itself starts at the corner of Westney Road and Rossland and heads West on Rossland to Harwood. I run the last 200M or 1/4 mile up then cross the road, jog down slowly then start up again. Today I had to do 7 of these. Hill training has really improved not only my oxygen uptake but it has strengthened my quadricep muscles as well.<br /><br />I have tried to run most, if not all, of my runs at better than my expected race pace but when it comes to the Thursday workouts I have to turn it up another notch. I'm always challenged on Thursdays because not only am I coming off of my Wednesday morning run, I also teach a walking clinic on Wednesday nights and we are walking 7KM. I really have to dig down deep on Thursday as my alarm goes off at 4 AM. Once I'm up I let my mental game take over.<br /><br />I have been working through a slight pain on the top of my left foot and recently have felt a little pull on the inner part of my thigh. Once I start my run, though, nothing gets in the way of finishing what I have to do. <br /><br />I was able to do each 200M in an average time of 1:27 so I was pleased with that effort.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-40719336071640184682009-07-29T03:49:00.000-07:002009-07-29T04:02:02.539-07:00What a difference one day makes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYulPtj2JyCOTtI4ZwlylSRnPHMrukVpBkIgzEBYuDremCTrMuHEMjAo_XOHmDCdhe772gFrPCAkZak0WFrDAQCLhv6yumFS0KPenAjeJp6HQbETBa449eLvFji0pk2BwFsPuJkg/s1600-h/15secentlogo_sized.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYulPtj2JyCOTtI4ZwlylSRnPHMrukVpBkIgzEBYuDremCTrMuHEMjAo_XOHmDCdhe772gFrPCAkZak0WFrDAQCLhv6yumFS0KPenAjeJp6HQbETBa449eLvFji0pk2BwFsPuJkg/s400/15secentlogo_sized.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363833177779707522" /></a><br /><br />Yesterday my first mile took 8:43 to complete, today I was able to do it in 8:28 and those 15 seconds proved to be very important because unlike yesterday, I was able to overcome those 28 seconds and finished my 6 mile run in average time of 7:49. That means I completed the next 5 miles in an average time of 7:44. I really tried to focus on just relaxing today and letting the run come to me instead of the other way around.<br /><br />I knew that I was going to do better than yesterday and that seemed to make me relax more as well. Tomorrow I was going to do my track work but I may do my hill training tomorrow and then do my track work next week. On the weekend I will be doing a long run in the Seaton Trail. The last time I was there it took me 4 hours and 15 minutes to complete the 36 KM's so I'm hoping for the same this weekend.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-43847639300276860332009-07-28T04:26:00.000-07:002009-07-28T04:47:41.700-07:00Learning while I run<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheytvNSGYDx5y-dHJaQOehSqEIgNjc_oNDuLv7ahagBcC3BW3D8CvehG4E2L6MI6gsZhChc8eeuNgx6_5KKcKFQ_FrmZgN1KFmsRLQzp1vpxJHRDjOqXWJWXz0uSzcc1buZ0IBPg/s1600-h/Math.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheytvNSGYDx5y-dHJaQOehSqEIgNjc_oNDuLv7ahagBcC3BW3D8CvehG4E2L6MI6gsZhChc8eeuNgx6_5KKcKFQ_FrmZgN1KFmsRLQzp1vpxJHRDjOqXWJWXz0uSzcc1buZ0IBPg/s400/Math.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363471186860602450" /></a><br /><br />As I was sipping on my tea this morning and going over my training week I realized that this was a “down” week for training. It’s amazing how these down weeks come at just the right time for me. Down weeks don’t mean that I stop running it just means that my mileage is reduced slightly. This weekend I will be doing a 21+ mile trail run and then follow that up with a 10+ mile road run so it probably won’t feel much like a down week (LOL).<br /><br />First up today was a 6+ mile run and the training plan said to do it at whatever pace I wanted. I decided that I was going to just run for “feel” today and decide as I went what pace I wanted to do.<br /><br />After taking yesterday off, my legs felt strong and refreshed but the start of my run is an uphill climb so I didn’t want to push myself at the beginning. In fact, by the time my first mile was finished I had run a rather slow 8:42. Once I saw that, my competitive juices took over and I wanted to see if I could shave those 42 seconds off by the time I finished my run.<br /><br />I kept doing mathematical equations in my head and soon realized that I had to run at least another 6 miles and that I would have to run an average of 7:52 just to shave those 43 seconds off from that slow first mile. That would put me at an 8 minute mile average or what I need for my race.<br /><br />It was quite the game of cat and mouse as I tried shave off those precious seconds. I used plenty of mental imagery to get me through. I knew that after 7 miles I needed to be at 56 minutes. <br /><br />Mile 2 I averaged only 8:09, then mile 3 was slightly better at 8:01. That put me at 24:51 but still 51 seconds left to try and shave with only 4 miles to do it. After mile 4 I was at 32:49 so 2 of those seconds were gone. After mile 5 my time was 40:44 and time was running out. It didn’t help that I still had a huge hill in front of me. I was only able to shave off 3 seconds from mile 5 to 6 and was 41 seconds away from what I needed with only 1 mile left. Mile 7 was my fastest mile (7:40) and my finishing time was 56:21 or 21 seconds off from what I needed if I was going to race.<br /><br />My average pace was 8:03 so I was able to shave off most of that slow start and if I had gone longer I know I would have accomplished that. It was really interesting to see this game today and it taught me not to start out too slow but it also showed me that eventually I would have caught up to the pace that I needed. Today was an important day for me and I will bank this memory and use it to help me when it comes to my race.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-34854189189950097902009-07-25T03:50:00.000-07:002009-07-25T03:54:41.973-07:00Coming full circle<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsptVcJ-ga7GxP1xVu89NSLIbT6DRu-YoFn8ha-6q1opZp3hRzSRaSwBKGhQKAAOZYyTk7l6kfsrxHHYSBR2YnkU1JDQwfNDW-U5LNZtFj_1FWIeakxQPIsfG1NkRcRKW3MQImjA/s1600-h/fingersinfinityComingFullCircle~Crystalinks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsptVcJ-ga7GxP1xVu89NSLIbT6DRu-YoFn8ha-6q1opZp3hRzSRaSwBKGhQKAAOZYyTk7l6kfsrxHHYSBR2YnkU1JDQwfNDW-U5LNZtFj_1FWIeakxQPIsfG1NkRcRKW3MQImjA/s400/fingersinfinityComingFullCircle~Crystalinks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362349410009067362" /></a><br /><br /><br />My running life really has come full circle in so many ways.<br /><br />2005 is a year that I will never forget. Not only was it the year when my marriage ended but it was also the year that I discovered what my passion truly was. At the time of my separation, I was knee deep in a job which was physically and emotionally draining. That made sense because my marriage mirrored that too.<br /><br />Once I had made the decision to separate, the weight seemed to be lifted from my shoulders along with the stress that came along with being in an unhappy relationship. I also made the decision to leave my job as a drug and alcohol counsellor. It was really an easy decision because it was a job which wasn’t very uplifting and I realized that I needed to be in an environment which was more positive than negative.<br /><br />All of this happened within a span of a few months but the single most important thing that happened that year came in May. I met Angie Hawley at my gym and I later found out that she was an Ultra Trail Runner. At that point I had no idea why people ran, let alone ran long distances. I was working out regularly at the gym but running never even crossed into my consciousness. I still remember the first time I even ran on the treadmill beside her as I wanted to get to know her. I kept hitting the emergency stop button as I was running because it was all so foreign to me. It really was a funny sight and it’s a wonder that I managed to get up the nerve to actually ask her out.<br /><br />Well, I did ask her out and got her number and when we started talking that’s when I really got a sense of her passion for running. She asked me if I would like to go for a run with her one day. Because I wanted to impress her I said sure, let’s go. I’ll never forget that first run we did together. I didn’t even have proper shoes on but I managed to run 10K with her. <br /><br />After surviving that, she asked me a few weeks later if I wanted to run in the trails with her, again I said sure. That feeling I had as I ran in the trails is something that I will also remember forever. I felt so alive that day and I remember the steam coming off my body after the run.<br /><br />Fast forward to July 2009 and I am running the same routes that I started running in 2005. It hit me the other day how ironic that is to be running in the exact same area that started it all for me. It also made me think about what would have happened had I not met Angie in 2005? Who knows where my life would have turned. I cannot say with any confidence that I would have discovered my passion for running because she was the person who introduced me to it. <br /><br />I have met some incredible people and have accomplished some amazing people because of that decision to ask Angie out on that day in May so I will forever be thankful to her for giving me that gift. Now I am able to pass along my passion to others in much the same way that she did for me. I take that responsibility very seriously because I know how much running has helped me and I know that others feel the same way.<br /><br />TRAINING UPDATE<br /><br /><br />Yesterday I ran ½ marathon through the streets of Ajax and it was a nice easy run. I have to remember to not push the speed on these runs too much but that is becoming more difficult as my conditioning increases. I also have noticed that my weight is finally starting to come down under the 160 mark and with 2 months until the race I want to see if I can hit the 150-155 pound mark before the race. I have decided to put my weight training on hold in order to try and get to that weight by race day.<br /><br />I have had to juggle some of my runs this week so today I will be doing a race pace run of 6-7 miles and then a recovery run tomorrow.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-31103878672538057072009-07-23T04:32:00.000-07:002009-07-23T04:52:00.775-07:00Now THAT was a tempo run!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzTGONnQNa871e8Cx1991MNZ5NWmT7kZEAfLrC8qJYOuYDk-yCi1ObIE5pYJ8It-EEZwLeGkXWU3r7dggkIChlCxeqlF6i7qSWQloGA83DnkoHN0IafkYx253PgCPs9sysBakRQ/s1600-h/temp.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzTGONnQNa871e8Cx1991MNZ5NWmT7kZEAfLrC8qJYOuYDk-yCi1ObIE5pYJ8It-EEZwLeGkXWU3r7dggkIChlCxeqlF6i7qSWQloGA83DnkoHN0IafkYx253PgCPs9sysBakRQ/s400/temp.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361620284480445682" /></a><br /><br />If yesterday was considered a “fast” run then today I have to redefine the word fast. I just finished a really good tempo run. How do I know that it was good? Well let’s just say that I thought my stomach was going to come up my throat.<br /><br />I did the first mile at an average pace of 8:01 and then did the next 3 miles at an average pace of 7:26. By the time I was finished I was really feeling like I had pushed myself to the limit. The main thing I wanted to accomplish today was not just to build up to a fast speed but to “hold” that speed for a good length of time. I was pleased with what I was able to do today and now I have another benchmark with which to work with. That was my fastest 5 KM time ever and I know that I really pushed myself hard today. It is very satisfying to see just what can be accomplished with each workout. Although this training is harder than anything I’ve done in recent memory, I am embracing the challenge of it.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-21036476191868931632009-07-22T03:30:00.000-07:002009-07-22T03:53:26.324-07:00So much has happened in the past 10 days!Has it really been 10 days since I last posted? <br /><br />I moved out of my house on July 12th and have been feverishly trying to settle myself into my new digs. I am very happy about the move and I know it will be the best thing for me in the long run. Moving can be stressful and that was surely the case. In fact it took me 12 hours to move on that day. Even though I knew that moving was going to take plenty out of me, it didn’t stop me from running 12 miles before the move started. I had such great support from my family and from an amazing friend. Thanks Kelly for being there throughout the whole weekend!<br /><br />After taking the 13th off from running I set out on my first run out of my new house on the 14th. I am such a creature of habit and you have to remember that I have been running the same routes from my old house since 2005. That day I had an amazing 10 mile run and discovered that it really didn’t matter where I was, I was going to adapt to wherever I was. That took so much pressure off of me. In fact, that 10 mile run was probably one of the better runs I have had in a long time.<br /><br />The rest of that week as I settled into my new surroundings I found more running routes and that seemed to rejuvenate me. I also rediscovered my love for trails last weekend. I met up with some amazing friends and we did 36 KM in 4:15 and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. It wasn’t just because I was running in the trails it was because of who I was running with. The Seaton Mud Puppies are a group of amazing runners and I am fortunate that they have “adopted” me into their “pound.” They have accomplished so many things with regards to running and whenever I am with them I cannot help but hang onto every word as they offered up advice for my marathon training program.<br /><br />Unfortunately I found out that one of my running idols has prostrate cancer. He is someone who I really look up to so this was a huge shock to me. He is a man of great character and strength and I know he will overcome this because this. <br /><br />After the 36K trail run on Saturday I had a relaxing soak in my jacuzzi tub! On Sunay I came back to the trails to run another 10K. After the run I noticed that my big toe was black on the sides. It was painful to the touch but didn't compromise my running. After talking with one of my friends who is a nurse, it was determined that I had an ingrown toenail. I have treated it with some ointment so it seems much better. I will wait until after the race to have it looked at.<br /><br /><br />I hit the roads for a 10 mile run on Monday and took yesterday off to rest. I just finished running 5+ miles today at a fast pace and will continue with my training as my marathon is now only 9 weeks away!GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-21693071109833076222009-07-11T06:11:00.000-07:002009-07-11T06:43:44.376-07:00Must be the new shoesI just completed my fastest 9 mile run so far during my training. I ran in 1:10:15 seconds which was a full 15 seconds faster than I ran on Tuesday. I actually thought I was not going to reach my goal of 1:12:00 (8 minute/mile) because I had to stop twice to take a gel. As I started off today I realized I had forgotten to take my usual 1/2 banana. That started to play mind games with me as I knew that I had only brought along 2 gu chomps:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dXxZz7QHApkxpxqsMOwruoVRbxcYBxcLhrUkQzCR21C136Xh9-NaIIUJLSkd4zPQTaFUSe9RB9pxlmiprq7x5ZmQsV-LoYqMUYHktl0raNFNVdQ2vf7355bkyci7FRrqL2h2LQ/s1600-h/_0030_products_chomps_flavors.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357192778251850322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dXxZz7QHApkxpxqsMOwruoVRbxcYBxcLhrUkQzCR21C136Xh9-NaIIUJLSkd4zPQTaFUSe9RB9pxlmiprq7x5ZmQsV-LoYqMUYHktl0raNFNVdQ2vf7355bkyci7FRrqL2h2LQ/s400/_0030_products_chomps_flavors.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I tried these several weeks ago during a long run and found them very effective. I have tried so many different gels/bars etc. during running but this one seems to do the trick for now anyway. (LOL)<br /><br /> figured that I would take one of these at 3 miles and then another one at the 6 mile mark. The walk break took an average of 56 seconds. I used it to bring my heart rate down slightly and to make sure that I chewed the GU chomp completely. There is nothing worse than having these things stuck to my teeth while I'm trying to run a sub 5:00/KM (LOL).<br /><br />At the 7 mile mark I was at 55:03 and I needed to be at 56:00. This meant that I had built up a 57 second "cushion" for the remaining 2 miles. I kept going through the math in my head. I needed to do 9 miles in 1:12:00 which meant that I had just under 17 minutes to do 2 miles (8:30 minute mile). This is where I really had to dig down deep and not settle for just doing that. I wanted to average at least an 8 minute mile for the final 2 miles. That would still have put me at 1:11 or so and I would have been happy with that. It was amazing to see how I just relaxed at decided to just "run" and not think. I did the last two miles in 15:12 or an average pace of 7:56. I was very happy when I finished but also very light headed. Now it's time to get to work with this moving business...<br /><br />This will be a stressful weekend with moving but I know that without my running, my peace of mind will be disturbed. Here is one of my favorite songs, enjoy:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfknhyBd8Dci3-wgXzgy5rb7zUO22LfN_hJdCjoUwKv0pBk0EoPt1BPEh5Pg67dBtUvKJ0IVpxnlAmEzO2aAT8qzIkQ2zRr23Jjg80eV6WTTyB0Y5R3Y0O9tqVEt9Q0o_JVszlDA/s1600-h/Mizzuno.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357190735440245602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfknhyBd8Dci3-wgXzgy5rb7zUO22LfN_hJdCjoUwKv0pBk0EoPt1BPEh5Pg67dBtUvKJ0IVpxnlAmEzO2aAT8qzIkQ2zRr23Jjg80eV6WTTyB0Y5R3Y0O9tqVEt9Q0o_JVszlDA/s400/Mizzuno.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Paulo Nutini (New Shoes)<br /><br />"Woke up cold one tuesday,<br />I'm looking tired and feeling quite sick,<br />I felt like there was something missing in my day to day life,<br />So I quickly opened the wardrobe,<br />Pulled out some jeans and a T-Shirt that seemed clean,<br />Topped it off with a pair of old shoes,<br />That were ripped around the seams,<br />And I thought these shoes just don't suit me.<br /><br />Hey, I put some new shoes on,<br />And suddenly everything is right,<br />I said, hey, I put some new shoes on and everybody's smiling,<br />It so inviting,<br />Oh, short on money,<br />But long on time,<br />Slowly strolling in the sweet sunshine,<br />And I'm running late,<br />And I dont need an excuse,<br />'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes.<br /><br />Woke up late one thursday,<br />And I'm seeing stars as I'm rubbing my eyes,<br />And I felt like there were two days missing,<br />As I focused all the time,<br />And I made my way to the kitchen,<br />But I had to stop from the shock of what I found,<br />A room full of all my friends dancing round and round,<br />And I thought hello new shoes,<br />Byebye them blues.<br /><br />Take me wondering through these streets,<br />Where bright lights and angels meet,<br />Stone to stone they take me on,<br />I'm walking to the break of dawn.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-62208003660519893132009-07-10T04:04:00.000-07:002009-07-10T04:09:07.747-07:00Another week almost in the books<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91MQpUoPueo3i5dEj24lqewiuEloTIFB4DH5aeeyz3hj2Eqlcg6uog2zjsWkTV9G94E8MrIU2US5gLPUARnf0oFH8i_gIszVqgSXzIunLzSwNoJzXv9eM5kqnijzG6JHP6Q649Q/s1600-h/evalLevels.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 307px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91MQpUoPueo3i5dEj24lqewiuEloTIFB4DH5aeeyz3hj2Eqlcg6uog2zjsWkTV9G94E8MrIU2US5gLPUARnf0oFH8i_gIszVqgSXzIunLzSwNoJzXv9eM5kqnijzG6JHP6Q649Q/s400/evalLevels.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356786149523296466" /></a><br /><br />Friday is always a day for me to look at what I have accomplished and what I have to do. I can honestly say that this was one of my better training weeks because I met all my training objectives. In fact I'm still on a high from yesterdays track workout.<br /><br />Tomorrow is race pace run of 9 miles and that is followed by an easy (thank goodness) run of 12 miles on Sunday.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-37442741127747735752009-07-09T05:10:00.000-07:002009-07-09T05:17:53.055-07:00Mission accomplished!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t39g4sV-wv97vy-Oe22YFkAHORcC467lRpoRp9SKdlAQ1H8Od5zq7lsJDQz1RYfcckR4nimCC0jHPsJfMzdI40LrJuBaSXVgALSesiC4NerlirBMCmEZ1C4ABq1VGtb6_WFaCA/s1600-h/Track___Field.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6t39g4sV-wv97vy-Oe22YFkAHORcC467lRpoRp9SKdlAQ1H8Od5zq7lsJDQz1RYfcckR4nimCC0jHPsJfMzdI40LrJuBaSXVgALSesiC4NerlirBMCmEZ1C4ABq1VGtb6_WFaCA/s400/Track___Field.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356431986931446562" /></a><br /><br />1188 seconds! That was the time it took me to run 6 sets of 800 Meters (2 complete laps) this morning at the Pickering High School track. That works out to an average time of 3:18 per 800 Meters. My goal today was to run each 800 Meters at 3:30 or better so I am very pumped after today.<br /><br />I was actually feeling very light headed after the 4th lap but was proud of myself for sticking with it. I kept breaking the workout down into "mini" workouts and that seemed to help. I purposely put some very inspirational, to me anyway, running songs on my mp3 player and when I hear songs like "Running on Empty" or "Running Down a Dream" it's very hard for me not to give it my all.<br /><br />Who knew that 1188 seconds would be so tough but that is what it was today!GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-69966529549693769472009-07-08T18:18:00.001-07:002009-07-08T18:27:26.819-07:00Time for some new shoes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlZJiNSOoNpYeO9fHQ25TfSTeie-vGM8ayfEHwb5i1JPVEp5EZGn4FsE6DQOlk0CrG4eBxDwZtYOiP1xF5XzdLUe-MPfP-Q8ZQ9ppzHtnOSYfT8B9hq3kst1Sm0UzEg4idwzMkQ/s1600-h/mizuno-wave-alchemy-7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlZJiNSOoNpYeO9fHQ25TfSTeie-vGM8ayfEHwb5i1JPVEp5EZGn4FsE6DQOlk0CrG4eBxDwZtYOiP1xF5XzdLUe-MPfP-Q8ZQ9ppzHtnOSYfT8B9hq3kst1Sm0UzEg4idwzMkQ/s400/mizuno-wave-alchemy-7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356263820347639122" /></a><br /><br />I can always tell when it's time for me to purchase a new pair of shoes. My feet hurt more than usual, especially the arches and at times it feels like there is no cushioning between my feet and the pavement.<br /><br />Unfortunately I always have to order my shoes because I have very flat feet and the Mizuno Wave Alchemy are my shoes of choice. I remember wearing a much heavier shoe when I first started running (Brooks I believe) but have been using the Alchemy's for at least 2.5 years. They provide me with great support and I would not trust my feet with any other shoe.<br /><br />Today I did a 4 mile run in 30:45. I was supposed to take it easy today but I felt the need for speed. I may come to regret that decision as tomorrow I will need that speed as I do my 6X800 repeats at the local track. I would like to complete each 800Metre run in 3:30 seconds.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-91022764827363999702009-07-07T03:59:00.000-07:002009-07-07T04:15:49.682-07:00Back at it today<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPjX8iSq71OqxQJI6W5nLBOyv1WUPqunS2zTk1TdfTFXvD9HI32fpW-uZqKD7OfPfP5HPNL40bDQm6ijMFKjkit7X1sUcjnQLNxdv83vLAKK3Al4-b-C3RtYZrhOc58HhAU0Z5A/s1600-h/mental_imagery-200x300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPjX8iSq71OqxQJI6W5nLBOyv1WUPqunS2zTk1TdfTFXvD9HI32fpW-uZqKD7OfPfP5HPNL40bDQm6ijMFKjkit7X1sUcjnQLNxdv83vLAKK3Al4-b-C3RtYZrhOc58HhAU0Z5A/s400/mental_imagery-200x300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355675271807951058" /></a><br /><br /><br />With 12 weeks left to go and having taken yesterday off from running (I did some core and stability work) I was back at it today. First up was a 9 mile run through the streets of Ajax at 5:30 this morning. My goal was to finish in better than 72 minutes. Well despite feeling tired this morning, I was able to complete the run in 70 minutes and 30 seconds.<br /><br />I felt sluggish this morning and wondered if I had any juice in my tank. Once I got started, though, I was able to relax and just let the run come to me. I utilized lots of mental visualization techniques and I pretended like I was at the race. I purposely did not look at my Garmin too much but would glance at it just to make sure that I was on pace. I was always about 1 minute or more ahead at each mile and that cushion allowed me to relax as well. I stopped for about 20 seconds to eat 1/2 a banana and then headed back for the last 7+ KM's. I actually picked up even more time during that last stretch as I kept my pace under 5 minutes for all but 35 seconds of the last 25 minutes of the run. There was even a few runners who I saw and who I know so that made the run even more special. At one point I was chasing down of them and again I used that as an example of what I will be doing on race day.<br /><br />Tomorrow will be an easy 4 mile run but knowing me it will probably turn out to be an all out sprint.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-45925600944789705612009-07-05T06:15:00.000-07:002009-07-05T06:33:13.067-07:0012 weeks to greatness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUnA8NCXlhireV4VxYhqNP2IxHSkSqxgFVElZo90t8Ju54HhoWw1HfjYPv1Vu7pdk6NVll0kolXnxP9E1XNYEBuQFGPf8BHAVyeJt4zsa430F47nyO-WGU1VXNSMCPoG_0CtzLw/s1600-h/rest.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 302px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUnA8NCXlhireV4VxYhqNP2IxHSkSqxgFVElZo90t8Ju54HhoWw1HfjYPv1Vu7pdk6NVll0kolXnxP9E1XNYEBuQFGPf8BHAVyeJt4zsa430F47nyO-WGU1VXNSMCPoG_0CtzLw/s400/rest.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354966590099990162" /></a><br /><br />September 27th, 2009. I have that date implanted in my brain. With 12 weeks to go in my training program, this week is a "step down" week which I am very much looking forward to it. The intensity remains but the mileage will be reduced for my long run next weekend. <br /><br />This week I will be doing a 9 mile run on Tuesday, 4 miles on Wednesday, track work on Thursday then a race pace run of 9 miles on Saturday and a LSD of 12 miles on Sunday. I may flip those two days around as I'm moving next weekend.<br /><br />With all the stress that goes along with moving, one constant in my life continues to be running and that will continue no matter where I live. In fact, one of the first things I did was scout out the area for running routes so that will be an easy adjustment for me.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-19523423204016430092009-07-04T07:12:00.000-07:002009-07-04T09:22:54.767-07:00LSD..........Another type of drug<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4EhWrlZXcp0XFuJ2unGsN_4FRQt4FzF25KAl3UXQIrkpcgxnpvW9tXodVUutqCI4o8lVv6tP7KI0YkqCfwxIFWstaZBNqOYfBwRiieFNLnhty34Y0y70vODwhc38V0p830l5iQ/s1600-h/slow+run.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5354608752704987394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje4EhWrlZXcp0XFuJ2unGsN_4FRQt4FzF25KAl3UXQIrkpcgxnpvW9tXodVUutqCI4o8lVv6tP7KI0YkqCfwxIFWstaZBNqOYfBwRiieFNLnhty34Y0y70vODwhc38V0p830l5iQ/s400/slow+run.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Today I did my Long Slow Distance run of 17 miles. While my training during the week is primarily built around speed, the LSD runs are all about bringing the pace down quite a bit. The main reason for doing this is so that the body can get adapted to running for long periods of time. The combination of speed work and LSD is critical to marathon training. My run today took 2 hours and 30 minute and my pace was 8:50/mile. That is 50 seconds slower than what I need for my marathon. I ran from my house (Church and Delaney)to the waterfront at the end of Liverpool Road and to the Rotary Park pavilion in Ajax, stopped for some water and then headed back home. I had to contend with some nice hills and a strong wind gusts but I felt very strong all the way through.<br /><br />I had thought about running with 3 different groups today, all of whom asked me to join them. Unfortunately they wanted to go at different times so I decided to just run alone.<br /><br />I am glad that I made that decision because sometimes, most times actually, I need to be alone wih my thoughts. When I'm training during the week, my runs are so fast that I don't really get a chance to process things in my head. Today, though, I was able to really look within myself and do some reflecting. I know that this is an important thing for me to do on a regular basis. To me, running is more than just a recreational activity; it is a therapeutic tool that I must tap into on a regular basis.<br /><br />I am still on a high, hours later and I do not want to come down from it. I always know when I have had a successful LSD run because nothing hurts on me. Had I pushed the speed more I know that most of my body will be in pain. I also feel like I could easily have gone for much longer today or even go for a run later. Both are signs that my pace was a good one.<br /><br />Yesterday I was telling my friend about how lucky I am that I have never suffered an injury that has prevented me from running. I honestly do not want to think about what my life would be like without running. I could probably go longer without eating than I could without running. I NEED running to help me clear the junk that is in my head. All those negative thoughts and demons must be exorcised on a daily basis.<br /><br />These LSD runs really reinforce why running is so important to me. I never want to take this for granted and every time I finish a run I tap my heart and look up to the sky to say thanks for getting me through yet another run injury free. I know that I have a special angel looking down on me from above.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-57295817528440921952009-07-02T03:20:00.000-07:002009-07-02T03:24:58.850-07:00Floating Fartleks todayIt was back to basics for the workout today and that meant doing some floating fartleks covering a total of 5.5 miles. After warming up for 1.5 miles I alternated running fast (4:00 to 4:30 min/KM) for 1.5 minutes and then running slow for 2.5 minutes. I did 8 sets of this and by the end I felt amazing. Tomorrow will be a day of rest from my training. This weekend my long run jumps to 17 miles so I need to be rested for that one.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-22413585405487407852009-07-01T03:33:00.000-07:002009-07-01T03:35:46.841-07:00A nice testimonial<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj227jOTEtw1-4sb59H58X8WbXywvyPh4sQL_kAhCDd-raeTDfzLNdf6Kq8bbq7KezX5g3eVRCDyqc91BBizZvzdJyYbmRmOwzob_nB714Ofr1NA95TgqnwX0JOSZsyPbG4JS3JOA/s1600-h/BostonMarathon-415ht.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj227jOTEtw1-4sb59H58X8WbXywvyPh4sQL_kAhCDd-raeTDfzLNdf6Kq8bbq7KezX5g3eVRCDyqc91BBizZvzdJyYbmRmOwzob_nB714Ofr1NA95TgqnwX0JOSZsyPbG4JS3JOA/s400/BostonMarathon-415ht.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353438537960892146" /></a><br /><br /><br />Greg played an integral part in my preparation for the Chicago, Hamilton and ultimately, the Boston Marathon in April, 2009. Without his experience and nutritional expertise, I am convinced that I would not have achieved the success I enjoyed in all three marathons. Greg’s knowledge about food, when and how to fuel, and his approach to guiding his clients is excellent. I would encourage anyone who is thinking about adopting a more healthy lifestyle or perhaps thinking about how to prepare for a marathon, contact Greg and develop a proper nutritional program. You won’t regret it!<br /><br /> <br /><br />Kathy De CarloGregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19458464.post-10452448677518592832009-07-01T03:02:00.001-07:002009-07-01T03:10:18.147-07:00Back to the laboratory<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7BhPAx6hTaPRawbKe5WHr7nA_pImvluhZe835BMZWACAkQ6ujgcyffYtBKU0E3w_7Klsak4IRRqJz6VJL3hgHWRJJ4_ThXb89mPKHlpWSGoiTD8ufHLxlmCGSZie8hFRNPdPXg/s1600-h/mad+scientist.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 342px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ7BhPAx6hTaPRawbKe5WHr7nA_pImvluhZe835BMZWACAkQ6ujgcyffYtBKU0E3w_7Klsak4IRRqJz6VJL3hgHWRJJ4_ThXb89mPKHlpWSGoiTD8ufHLxlmCGSZie8hFRNPdPXg/s400/mad+scientist.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353430040394327026" /></a><br /><br />I swear that sometimes I feel like a mad scientist as I constantly try to find the right running "mix." Today I redeemed myself a little bit and in the process MAY have discovered a good starting pace.<br /><br />I really just wanted to have a nice easy run today, honest. After yesterdays 8 mile run, I did another 7 KM walk with the walking group that I teach. Those combined 20 KM's on my feet do take it's toll after awhile. I did my first mile in 8:37 and felt good about that. I seemed to pick up speed during the next mile because I noticed that I had run Mile 2 in exactly 8 minutes. Mile 3 and 4 was run in 7:43 and 7:33 repectively. Unlike Tuesday, I seemed to get faster as the run progressed. My average time was exactly an 8 minute mile, the same as Tuesday but I felt much better about the effort today.<br /><br />Tomorrow I am either going to a quick track workout or a tempo run.GregD'Cruzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14521408076346922313noreply@blogger.com0