Last week, I committed myself to going out for two runs to make up for not going running that week.  I’m happy to say that I made good on that promise, and worked out twice this past week.

On Wednesday, I hit up the gym in my apartment building after our first rehearsal for [THEY FIGHT!] because I was so pumped up from our fantastic rehearsal!  I wanted to run outside but it was rainy and dark and cold a lot of this week.  So I ran on the treadmill, and I made a discovery.

Running on a treadmill sucks.  Big time.

I know tons of people who love it.  But I was bored out of my skull.

I set myself up for success… I cranked up the tunes, picked out a course, and started strong… but I was bored about three minutes in.  The problem for me with treadmills is that you’re not actually going anywhere.  Plus, I found the fact that the stats were being measured right in front of me incredibly distracting.  I tried covering up the display and focusing on my reflection in the window, but I was still incredibly bored.  I managed to run for 15 minutes, then switched to the stationary bike for 25.  My thought was, at least I’ve done SOMETHING, which is better than nothing.

My run on Saturday was much more successful.  Saturday turned out to be absolutely beautiful and sunny and I was excited to get out and run outside.  I ran up one side of Adelaide Street to the bridge and then back down the other side.  I ran/walked 5.15 km in 43:30 minutes.  It’s still not fantastic, but I am slowly improving.  I was able to put on my iPod and crank my music, and I have a great playlist made with up-tempo running music.  (Maybe I’ll share it in a future post!)  My favourite song for working out is “Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO… it came on near the end of my run, when I was starting to feel tired, and it got me right back on track!

The only drawback to running on Adelaide Street was the exhaust from the traffic… it smelled bad.  That is an advantage of running at Springbank Park… no horrible exhaust smell.  You just have to avoid the bird poop!

Oh, before I sign off, I wanted to share a cool product that I picked up for running: it’s called “Hydraform Handheld Hydration,” which is a fancy way of saying “water bottle with a strap.”  It’s from lululemon athletica, and it’s a great little water bottle with a pocket built in that’s perfect for your ID and credit cards and some cash.  I got it in black, and you can also get it in coral and green online.  I’m pretty sure I saw some in blue at the Masonville store as well.  (Note: This isn’t a sponsored post; I just really like the product!)

And here’s another reminder/request to please consider sponsoring me in the 2013 Run for Ovarian Cancer.  I’ve increased my goal to $200 — every dollar helps!