http://eatloverun.posterous.com not always in that order posterous.com Sat, 02 Oct 2010 01:13:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/rT9MqX1Wvxg/day-8-running-for-cystic-fibrosis-nz-30daysof http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-8-running-for-cystic-fibrosis-nz-30daysof <p> <p>The challenge for day 8 is to write about short term goals for this month. The major goal I have for October is to turn up my training for the Auckland Half Marathon on October 31. The goal I have running (pun intended) in conjunction is to raise $1000 for the Cystic Fibrosis NZ grant Breath4CF. If you want to know why I got interested in Breath4CF, it all started with a <a target="_blank">book</a>. The long and short of it is that CF is New Zealand's most common life threatening inherited disease. With compromised lung function, people with CF live on average to be 30. The Breath4CF grant helps people with CF access life preserving physical activity. With the high cost of frequent medical treatments, the cost of everyday activities like swim lessons, horseback riding lessons, or even the purchase of a trampoline is sometimes difficult for the parents of CF children. Breath4CF makes sure that no child is without the physical activity they so desperately need. It breaks my heart that not only would a child be deprived of being part of a sports team or club because life can already be financially difficult with the cost of nebulizers, enzymes and other meds, but that a parent is faced with the harsh reality that they will outlive their child, that's not the way its suppose to be.<p /> On October 31 I will be running for those with CF who cannot, and for those who have lost their battle with CF. If one more person learns about this terrible illness, donates one more dollar or volunteers their time to <a href="http://www.cfnz.org.nz" target="_blank">CFNZ</a> then that is something.<p /> I will be running an online auction that will hopefully help me to partly reach my goal. So far I have had donations from Natureshop, bebabo, Floozy, Vodafone NZ and phil &amp; teds. If you are interested in supplying an item for auction, please do not hesitate to get in touch. If you are interested in finding out more on what you can bid on, also feel free to get in touch via email (ghada at realsocialgirl dot com) or friend me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ghadav" target="_blank">Facebook</a> to stay up to date. <p /> The second part to my goal is to run an improved half marathon from my last one in <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/race-report-hanmer-half-marathon-may-1" target="_self">Hanmer on May 1</a> of this year. That of course entails being better prepared than I was for Hanmer. One thing I would like to do is a practice run of the first part of the half on the North Shore. I have already mapped out the <a href="http://runkeeper.com/user/ghadav/route/168253" target="_blank">first 16K of the race on Runkeeper </a>and am hoping to run it sometime over the next 2 weeks on a Saturday or Sunday for my long run. I'm halfway through my 12 week training and feeling pretty good about my progress. I've definitely been really pushing my hill runs and so am not concerned about the rolling hills and ascent over the Harbour Bridge. I've also been working on my running form and doing alot of stretching. I've been a bit more plagued with colds, tummy bugs and bouts of insomnia, so I am still finding it hard to keep up with my strength training. Its my goal to get at least 2 strength training activities a week in until D day. Its been the first thing to go from my regime when I've been a little under the weather, so its time to pick it up again. <p /> I hope that by sharing these goals, you will join in with motivating me (please!) and the biggest help you can be is to make a donation through my <a href="http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/ghadavanderpool/" target="_blank">Fundraise Online page</a>.</p> <p><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pP2klNiqL_8?wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-8-running-for-cystic-fibrosis-nz-30daysof">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-8-running-for-cystic-fibrosis-nz-30daysof#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=rT9MqX1Wvxg:SciXFozTDqs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=rT9MqX1Wvxg:SciXFozTDqs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/rT9MqX1Wvxg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-8-running-for-cystic-fibrosis-nz-30daysof Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:38:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/pyw4pfMInXM/day-7-being-a-mother-and-a-wife-30daysofme http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-7-being-a-mother-and-a-wife-30daysofme <p> <p>The challenge for day 7 is to share a picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you. Below is a photo of my boys. I stalled on the whole challenge at this post, mainly because I find it so hard to put into words everything that they have given me. I hope to write and get through this challenge a bit easier from now on :-D <p /> My husband and my son have changed my life in so many ways. My perspective on enjoying life and how I view the world has definitely changed. Through knowing and loving both of them, I am challenging the meaning of love and compatibility as well as motherhood. <p /> I've discussed with many a girl friend how much compromise is required to maintain a healthy relationship with a partner. Compromise? Yes, compromise. I'm not talking about being in a relationship with the intention of <em>changing</em> a person, I don't believe in that. I'm talking about accepting your partners quirks and ways of doing things, and merging this into your own quirks and funny ways of doing things. In the past, I always measured compatibility by how much baggage my potential life partner was bringing to the party. My rule of thumb is that each person in a relationship should start out with an equal amount. No point in hooking up with someone who is only going to drag you down, you need someone to pull you up and grow with you. That's what I have in Chris. We're both creative individuals, geeks, lovers of travel and goofballs. Its not to say that we are the same people or that we have become one person over time. But we do compliment each other and teach each other new things. I know I have my crazy little ways that he just doesn't get, as he does his. This quote is a good way of explaining it...</p> <blockquote class="posterous_short_quote"> <p><br />You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without.</p> </blockquote> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Img_0811" height="480" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/ZCPyt7ttKsMn4kWCLHUDh2AF3cnaUWdbVE15YXzpHNFbb3lcAqrkHTqcbXeA/IMG_0811.jpg" width="480" /> </div> </p> <p>Now, my son. How do I explain what he has done for me. He is this little person that is always there, soaking in the best (and sometimes not the best!) traits of me and his dad. All the while he brings a smile to my face. The greatest impact he has made on me is to bring me outside myself. Not that I have ever been a self-centered person, but by having Master P, I have made sacrifices and changes to my life that I never would have if not for him. Becoming a mother definitely takes a period of adjustment, but as P is growing, so does my love and the inherent way I live for considering the person I want to be that he can be proud of in the future. The sacrifices don't feel so much of a sacrifice these days...just more of who I am meant to be in this world.</p> <blockquote class="posterous_short_quote"> <p>One woman will brag about her children, while another complains about hers; they could probably swap children without swapping tunes.</p> </blockquote> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-7-being-a-mother-and-a-wife-30daysofme">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-7-being-a-mother-and-a-wife-30daysofme#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=pyw4pfMInXM:IIDIpPY18HU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=pyw4pfMInXM:IIDIpPY18HU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/pyw4pfMInXM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-7-being-a-mother-and-a-wife-30daysofme Mon, 20 Sep 2010 14:09:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/JbLZPju-jwc/day-06-super-robot-martian-girl-30daysofme http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-06-super-robot-martian-girl-30daysofme <p> <p>The challenge for Day 6 is to name your favorite super hero and why <br />Like others on the challenge, I can't say I've ever had a favorite super hero. So, I'm going to twist this a little to mention the superhero that I would most like to be - Super Robot Martian Girl!</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Martian" height="254" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/5w1AdEIMAqFw9SGjsR73IOK8l6unIMKKfDBdoHrZ7xpyMkkVVx5odSnNYXqK/martian.jpg" width="200" /> </div> </p> <p>I've recently had the privilege of being introduced to this spunky girl through children's TV show Yo Gabba Gabba. She's great! The traits I most like about her are: <br />1. She's there for friends in need <br />2. She always has a solution when everyone around her is wingeing and looking for problems <br />3. She rocks the color green - I'd like to have more green in my wardrobe <br />4. Music and/or dancing seems to be at the heart of how she solves alot of the problems around her <p /> Check out a Super Martian Robot Girl vignette below or to see one of my personal faves visit <a href="http://jezebel.com/382362/yo-gabba-gabba-teaches-the-kids-about-indie-comics-and-early+90s-freestyle" target="_blank">Jezebel</a> as they have a clear video embedded into the site. <p /> <object height="344" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cZMSzuexZkU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cZMSzuexZkU?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed> </object> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-06-super-robot-martian-girl-30daysofme">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-06-super-robot-martian-girl-30daysofme#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=JbLZPju-jwc:PUEyj8gI2B4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=JbLZPju-jwc:PUEyj8gI2B4:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/JbLZPju-jwc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-06-super-robot-martian-girl-30daysofme Wed, 15 Sep 2010 22:11:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/ou6-Jr7M4gM/day-5-oistins-fish-fry-30daysofme http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-5-oistins-fish-fry-30daysofme <p> <p>The challenge for day 5 is to post a picture of somewhere you've been. <p /> Once again, I've got loads of beautiful pictures of my travels in Barcelona, San Sebastian and Cinque Terre, but those photos are on discs and servers that I need to look through and organize and even print some. <p /> So as with the last picture challenge, I've headed over to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ghadav" title="Ghada on Facebook" target="_blank">Bookface</a> and had a look through albums and photos I am tagged in. Unfortunately, not much in terms of great landscape photos. This photo is nothing to write home about, with the cheesy French Coca Cola sign and the punters getting drunk in the background, but there is a story behind it.</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/UmyHicmkmD1T1vJygvmysRWZvQ4iaLnfKGuySY617TtPsvLp3Neu3jq4U5u9/oistins.jpg"><img alt="Oistins" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/yMbuQngVM3YfqwPPTsQoaKB34w29DEQ8a4IoljoxyoIO9xsr3m9DvNYspAES/oistins.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>This is my husband Chris and I returning to the scene of the crime of where we got engaged. In 2003, as we were on our way back to New Zealand after living in Canada for 2 years, we decided to pool our Airpoints and visit Barbados. It was Chris' idea, he was keen to see where my parents were from. I hadn't been to Barbados since I was 3 and was myself curious about my motherland. It was a fantastic trip - laid back, sun, beaches and music. It was going so well that Chris thought to himself, I could marry this girl. He wasn't prepared with a ring, so he got me an amethyst token ring from a street vendor and decided he would propose at the weekly ever popular and ever raucous Oistins Fish Fry. Oistins is a beach in the South end of Barbados. Every friday night their is a gigantic outdoor fish fry up with music blaring from speakers, people dancing in the street and on the beach as well as drinking the local Banks Beer. <br />Fast forward to 2005 and we return to Barbados for the wedding. Its the Friday night before the wedding and we of course go to Oistins.</p> <p>And because I want you to understand the magnitutude of this weekly street party, I'm gonna cheat and add a second picture I found on the net. Gotta love the West Indies :D</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-09-15/IBtEEinAsvxleuvBysfyIDwwckHplBJkHzDxbcbaeqarlraiJeDBFzytuzDe/oistins.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Oistins" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-09-15/IBtEEinAsvxleuvBysfyIDwwckHplBJkHzDxbcbaeqarlraiJeDBFzytuzDe/oistins.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-5-oistins-fish-fry-30daysofme">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-5-oistins-fish-fry-30daysofme#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=ou6-Jr7M4gM:ZmW0DeFL2Rs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=ou6-Jr7M4gM:ZmW0DeFL2Rs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/ou6-Jr7M4gM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-5-oistins-fish-fry-30daysofme Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:49:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/J7ajxEXbByA/update-jelly-babies-on-the-run http://eatloverun.posterous.com/update-jelly-babies-on-the-run <p> <p>Please to report that the jelly babies were a complete success. My long run on Monday was a hilly one, with a few steep hills. It helped when I thought I couldn't do it anymore to just pop a jelly baby. I think it may have been somewhat psychological, but what the hey! I'll need all the help I can get when I'm trying to blast through 22Ks in just a little over 2 and a half hours. Their was of course some sugar in those puppies that probably did kick into my bloodstream, but I can't really imagine that they "helped" my run as such. <p /> I'm keen to share more running fuel tips, also keen to hear how you fuel up for your runs.</p> <p>Here's the Runkeeper map from Mondays' run. I broke all kinds of records - from highest total elevation climbed to most calories burnt in a week (and yes, I did it all in one run - that's why I love hills!)</p> <p><iframe src="http://runkeeper.com/activityMap/9q7jh" height="345" width="425"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/update-jelly-babies-on-the-run">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/update-jelly-babies-on-the-run#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=J7ajxEXbByA:NmvCEqwxL60:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=J7ajxEXbByA:NmvCEqwxL60:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/J7ajxEXbByA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/update-jelly-babies-on-the-run Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:39:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/kmpSZorZIh0/day-4-this-ones-a-nailbiter-30daysofme http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-4-this-ones-a-nailbiter-30daysofme <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="4358194549_63fbfa500f_o" height="635" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/7JIob8jB2dSTHTHhBqsA5KZwbMkTaPMgNhSYElE2Mk3FGYacV9iwa23kDKet/4358194549_63fbfa500f_o.jpg" width="480" /> </div> </p> <p><em><span style="font-size: small;">Photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uluen/4358194549/" target="_blank">Uluen</a> on flickr </span></em><p /> So day 4 is simple, write about a habit I wish I didn't have. I'm pretty good in finding faults in myself (this is a bad habit in itself) but I'll stick to the one....I wish I didn't bite my nails. Its a gross and disgusting habit. Every time I do it, I berate myself for it, but I just can't stop. Every time I see someone (women only) with lovely long nails, I wish I had them. I've probably only had proper long nails once or twice in my entire life. When they do grow out I find it hard to take care of them, so they end up getting chips in them and that's when I'm tempted to chomp. <br />I imagine if I didn't spend endless hours click-clacking away on a computer I would probably be less at risk for chipping them, thus starting the terrible cycle of nail biting. In any case, I ask you to please not judge me for my grossness. Cause I know that when I see others biting their nails I think eeeew!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-4-this-ones-a-nailbiter-30daysofme">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-4-this-ones-a-nailbiter-30daysofme#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=kmpSZorZIh0:X6hacIxCqYs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=kmpSZorZIh0:X6hacIxCqYs:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/kmpSZorZIh0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-4-this-ones-a-nailbiter-30daysofme Mon, 13 Sep 2010 17:27:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/1Su_7HbhMzM/day-3-a-picture-of-me-and-my-friends-30daysof http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-3-a-picture-of-me-and-my-friends-30daysof <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/Wn11q61JZYbCjJSW7spkada2QUpHlUInkN8ppFYpLCFmHsk0tCOjFkUlLHZx/Party.jpg"><img alt="Party" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/VNobrgcDJGoyrrHcEv3QIXAQcz9zPWHwnjYw7dloBBEaaSDJpRh5n8VCJGNi/Party.jpg.scaled.500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p>Today's challenge is exactly what the title says. <p /> I've moved around a bit in the last 10 years and I have photos and albums stashed at my parent's house in Canada from my school and University days. I've also changed laptops a few times, so I have alot of photos on disc. I was dreading having to trawl through the discs, but thanks to Facebook I was able to choose from the bazillion photos others have tagged me in. <p /> This photos is from my birthday last year (July 2009). My husband Chris, Master P and I flew into LA and spent a couple of days there to adjust to the time change. We then flew into Montreal where my parents live. To my complete surprise, my sister organized a surprise birthday party in my honor on the eve of my actual birthday and my second day in Montreal. Thankfully I wasn't jetlagged anymore. <p /> I love this picture because most of my oldest and dearest friends are in it. I have known Leah (holding the little cutie with blue top) since before we even started Kindy, the connection was formed through our older sisters who knew each other first. It was also the first time I met the little cutie in blue. <p /> My cousins that I have not seen in a long time are also in the picture - so that was nice to see them too. Their are also high school friends in the picture that were my bestest buddies through what was probably one of the most akward times in my life. Though we are continents apart, when I do meet up with them its as if time has not passed. We did everything together from getting into clubs with fake ID, lining up for autographs from Bros, losing our minds over NKOTB, dating guys and getting our hearts broken, getting tattoos and belly rings....gawd, the things we got up too. <p /> Behind the lens is my older and only sister Sharon. I think the composition of her photos are fantastic, and this is a perfect example. The only person who was there on the day that is missing is my mother. Typical of her she didn't want to be in the picture. She's a bit ridiculous as mothers can be. I hate pictures, but I'll always pose for one if someone asks, but my mother on the other hand will literately run and hide.</p> <p>The funny thing about my birthday is that it is also my parent's wedding aniversary. They were married in '69 and I was born 7 years later on the same date. Every year they manage to be part of making my birthday special even if it means spending time with my friends doing things that I like. Its pretty awesome that on this day it was their 30 year anniversary and my Dad was more concerned with manning the BBQ while my Mom organized the salads.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-3-a-picture-of-me-and-my-friends-30daysof">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-3-a-picture-of-me-and-my-friends-30daysof#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=1Su_7HbhMzM:gfofSX6Cp8s:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=1Su_7HbhMzM:gfofSX6Cp8s:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/1Su_7HbhMzM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/day-3-a-picture-of-me-and-my-friends-30daysof Sun, 12 Sep 2010 21:50:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/krazyFQq8Qs/whats-in-a-name-30daysofme http://eatloverun.posterous.com/whats-in-a-name-30daysofme <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Picture_6" height="183" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/pv8phTpNfhlBtR1CYJJaQVa7F6C2z7aWHQvJ3SIm6PG2CgYnrEvuqdKRMdNS/Picture_6.png" width="377" /> </div> </p> <p><span style="font-size: small;"><em>This is my current dream running shoe :) </em></span><p /> So today's post is about the meaning of my blog name. <p /> I've blogged in one form or another for the past 7 years. I've written about Flash technology as New Zealand's first Macromedia usergroup manager and conference organizer, I've blogged (<a href="http://realsocialgirl.posterous.com" target="_blank">and still do</a>) about social media and the all important mother group of consumers, I've also blogged about being a mother and have reviewed products for mum and bubs. <br />At the end 2009 I decided that I wanted to get back to how I used to blog. That is to say, a blog for me - not for any brand, but more to share my thoughts and ideas on whatever came to mind and what I feel passionate about. I basically sat down with a piece of paper and started scribbling what was important to me. I ended up with 3 words that rock my world - eating, loving and running, which I of course shortened to EatLoveRun. I know the premise of the book Eat Pray Love, but I haven't read it. I suppose subconsciously I may have been thinking about the book, consciously I just wanted potential readers to know exactly what I would be writing about. <p /> I like to think of myself as a giving person. In fact, I know I am a giving person. Sometimes, I give til I have no more to give for anyone, including myself. That is something that I am working on - ultimately I want to live a fulfilling and loving life without compromising who I am or being a try hard. At the end of the day, if I am being pulled in too many directions, its no good to anyone. By chronicling my running and other personal stuff about myself I hope that I can grow up to be the person I think I can be. <p /> Phew, anyways, back to it. I'm a simple person who loves to eat and I am not willing to count calories nor most definitely cut out chocolate (though I'm working on eating less of it) for the sake of staying thin. I am a tall woman with a strong build by nature. I keep sane and my weight down by running, which I rediscovered this time last year. After not liking myself much for making up excuses as to why I was pilling on the pounds - post baby fat is not an excuse when said baby is 2, <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/couch-to-5k-week-1" target="_self">I decided to start the Couch to 5K program</a>. I went from running in 2 minute intervals to now training for my second ever half marathon in one year. On the looooove side of things, I love cuddles, hugs and especially laughing with people. Spreading love is so much more fun that hate or any other stinky emotion. <p /> There you have it.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/whats-in-a-name-30daysofme">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/whats-in-a-name-30daysofme#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=krazyFQq8Qs:dsumk7Rey7s:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=krazyFQq8Qs:dsumk7Rey7s:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/krazyFQq8Qs" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/whats-in-a-name-30daysofme Sun, 12 Sep 2010 02:25:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/BHLiE6ezJ0w/jelly-babies-on-the-run http://eatloverun.posterous.com/jelly-babies-on-the-run <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-09-12/jibaJxCobdImAChmEGjHBkeItuFykeorffIEGvhmaeolnwlarxvEgcfrxAnm/Jelly_Babies.jpg.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Jelly_babies" height="329" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-09-12/jibaJxCobdImAChmEGjHBkeItuFykeorffIEGvhmaeolnwlarxvEgcfrxAnm/Jelly_Babies.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> </p> <p><em><span style="font-size: small;">Photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fishyfish/187975634/sizes/l/in/photostream/" target="_blank">fishyfish_arcade</a> on Flickr</span></em></p> <p>Its been a heck of a week with THE earthquake that blew through Christchurch last Sunday morning just after 4:30 AM. I am not even in Christchurch anymore, newly replanted into Auckland (and loving it!) but I was still deeply emotional about the country's second biggest city, the architecture, the people and the continuing aftershocks that put so many of my friends and family on edge. <p /> I had a very slooooow week of training. I think I had post traumatic disorder from association. A by product of consuming too much information about the quake - reading tweets, watching the news, talking to people via Facebook, on the phone and via email. I heard alot of hurt, suffering and anxiety during the week and it was draining feeling like I was not able to help. I felt very tired all week. One morning I heard my alarm go off and I just couldn't get out of bed, so I rolled over and dozed back to sleep instead of getting up for what would have been an easy 8K run. On another day my alarm never went off. Yes, that's right I was down 2 runs last week, that on top of the fact that I'd already decided to cut back on my strength training to give my body a rest. So all in all not a hot shot week of training. <p /> Tomorrow is Monday and after such a fabulous day of resting, unpacking (still) and hanging out with my boys I feel much better about the coming week. I am hearing good reports from friends and family in Christchurch. Yes, of course its not as if someone snapped their fingers and the city is back to "normal" but at least people's spirits seem to be lightening and friends who were having trouble sleeping through the night and the tremors are starting to settle. So, yeah Christchurch - hang in there. <p /> Tomorrow I am doing last week's long run (14km) and I am going to try out something different for my mid run nutrition...Jelly Babies! I was having a hard time finding Leppin at all my local supermarkets, so I decided I needed something easy that I could find on the shelf of any shop. I've heard plenty of people sing the praises of Gummy Bears when running, so I thought why not give it a go. Funnily enough I found some Leppin today without even venturing into a running shop, so I am going to bring 2 Leppins and a handful of Jelly Babies on the run. I'm likely to be out there just under 2 hours, so I'll definitely benefit from 2 Leppins, the Jelly Babies will just be an extra kick. <p /> The one thing I have been doing well this week is keeping hydrated. So with an early night I'm hoping the 5AM wake up followed by the 14K run won't be too much of a challenge even though I've just had a mini fitness hiatus. I'll keep you posted. <p /> In the meantime, please check out my Fundraising page on FundraiseOnline to <a href="http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/GhadaVanderpool/" target="_blank">make a donation to Breath4CF</a> which is the charity I am running the Auckland Half Marathon on behalf of.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/jelly-babies-on-the-run">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/jelly-babies-on-the-run#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=BHLiE6ezJ0w:iqyL21S1Kiw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=BHLiE6ezJ0w:iqyL21S1Kiw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/BHLiE6ezJ0w" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/jelly-babies-on-the-run Sat, 11 Sep 2010 21:53:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/bkZmTdbWvvo/15-interesting-facts-about-me-30daysofme http://eatloverun.posterous.com/15-interesting-facts-about-me-30daysofme <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <a href="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-09-11/vsvvEIIrHouvDjeCaxDevEFwlecbFhsmgFuFBajpyomEkfzdpjHiAqhImhee/IMG_1682.JPG.scaled1000.jpg"><img alt="Img_1682" height="375" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-09-11/vsvvEIIrHouvDjeCaxDevEFwlecbFhsmgFuFBajpyomEkfzdpjHiAqhImhee/IMG_1682.JPG.scaled500.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div> My husband took this picture while we were out on our deck enjoying the spot of sun we had today <p /> 1. I had a bit role on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kydyJUST0k" title="Who is Gurkhan, Xena" target="_blank">Xena</a> while I was in New Zealand on my one year OE after finishing a Bachelor of Education at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I was offered a bonus to massage Xena in one of the scenes, but when I showed up that day to film the "massage" scene, the director figured out I was too tall to fit into the scene the way they had imagined it. They still paid me the bonus and I appeared in one scene. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kydyJUST0k" target="_blank">Look for me</a> just after the 3:30 mark.<p /> 2. I danced and sang on a table with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ncjryCCss " target="_blank">Max-a-Million</a> at Annie&rsquo;s (McGills&rsquo; local University pub). I believe lots of shots and beer were involved.<p /> 3. I won a Ms Coquito &ldquo;pageant&rdquo; in Cuba. Prizes included a glass bottom boat with an all you can drink and eat, snorkeling and a boat party <p /> 4. I got my PADI diving license when my son was 5 months&hellip;quite difficult to zip up a wetsuit with engorged boobies.<p /> 5. I am originally from Montreal, Canada. Yes, I speak French but I don't get the opportunity to speak it much these days in New Zealand. <p /> 6. Both of my parents are from Barbados but met in Montreal where I was born. <p /> 7. I met my Kiwi husband in a Kebab shop in Auckland and married him in Barbados. <p /> 8. I escaped being named &ldquo;Nadia&rdquo; after Nadia Comaneci was splashed all over the Montreal Gazette for being the first ever gymnast to score a perfect 10 at the Montreal Olympics the day before I was born. <p /> 9. I was named Ghada after a young girl who was shot in a sniper attack in Lebanon. My mother read the story in the Montreal Gazette. <p /> 10. I am not a real girly girl, but love to feel girly when I run, so I run in running skirts. <p /> 11. I would love to shave all my hair off but I am scared of how naked it will make me feel...I think about doing it at least once a week at the moment. <p /> 12. My middle name is Veronica and for about a week in high school I tried to get people to call me Ronnie, it never took as a nickname. I hoped it would as I hated the cruel (or so I thought at the time, but more silly now looking back) nicknames like "Gandhi" "Gotta Go" and "Gotta have it".<p /> 13. I used to sleep walk when I was a child. One night I sleep walked right to the front door of my family house and tried to unlock the door. My Dad pulled a baseball bat on me, he was ready to take me out thinking I was a burglar. I woke up to my Dad holding a bat and my mom looking very scared.<p /> 14. I used to play rugby, I was a lock. The most inspiring game I played was on the historic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Plains_of_Abraham" target="_blank">Plains of Abraham</a> in Quebec City.<p /> 15. They say everybody has 4-5 careers in a lifetime. I've been a teacher, I've been a public servant and worked in marketing. I'd like to think that one day I might be able to be a singer, even if its just as a weekend part-time gig.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/15-interesting-facts-about-me-30daysofme">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/15-interesting-facts-about-me-30daysofme#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=bkZmTdbWvvo:gmZJG8x6R2I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=bkZmTdbWvvo:gmZJG8x6R2I:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/bkZmTdbWvvo" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/15-interesting-facts-about-me-30daysofme Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:39:19 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/c8AsXg5ButI/30-days-of-me-challenge http://eatloverun.posterous.com/30-days-of-me-challenge <p> <p>Here it is...a blog challenge that should take 30 days if one challenge a day is completed. I saw people tweeting about it and clicked through to see what they were writing about. Each day is different and interesting - I decided not to look ahead much further than the first 5 days. I knew the further I looked ahead, the more daunting it would seem. <p /> There are close to 80 or so bloggers taking part in New Zealand last time I looked. It makes for an interesting way to get to know my fellow tweets as well as a good exercise in writing. I'm also enjoying reconnecting with people I use to tweet with frequently but have somehow lost touch with. I love writing and by integrating it in here to this blog, it is making me write more about my running - which was the intention of eat love run. <p /> Thanks to Pebblesy for finding this challenge and sharing it around. A list of others taking part can be found <a href="http://pebblesy.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/30-days-of-me-meet-my-fellow-challengies/ " target="_blank">here</a>.<p /> Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself <br />Day 02- The meaning behind your Blog name <br />Day 03- A picture of you and your friends <br />Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn&rsquo;t have <br />Day 05- A picture of somewhere you&rsquo;ve been to <br />Day 06- Favorite super hero and why <br />Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you <br />Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why <br />Day 09- Something you&rsquo;re proud of in the past few days <br />Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad <br />Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends <br />Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one <br />Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently <br />Day 14- A picture of you and your family <br />Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play <br />Day 16- Another picture of yourself <br />Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why <br />Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have <br />Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them <br />Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future <br />Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy <br />Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else <br />Day 23- Something you crave for a lot <br />Day 24- A letter to your parents <br />Day 25- What I would find in your bag <br />Day 26- What you think about your friends <br />Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge <br />Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then? <br />Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned <br />Day 30- Your favorite song.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/30-days-of-me-challenge">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/30-days-of-me-challenge#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=c8AsXg5ButI:4TngIclQHiY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=c8AsXg5ButI:4TngIclQHiY:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/c8AsXg5ButI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/30-days-of-me-challenge Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:20:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/PYUEWODzY5Y/run-on-caffeine-and-water-private http://eatloverun.posterous.com/run-on-caffeine-and-water-private <p> <p>Ok, so I had another 12K this morning. It was actually meant to be 13K, but that's another story... <p /> It was great, even better than my monsoon rain run last weekend that I thought was the best run I'd had in awhile. I figure, on top of all the stretching I am doing I think that I may just have got onto a nutrition combo that suits me and includes water and...caffeine. Yeppers, I've lowered my daily intake down to 1 cup a day. At one point I'd got down to zero, but the actual benefits of caffeine before and during a run are actually worth noting - so that is where 1 cup is still ok. I think when I got up to 2 or 3 a day I was drinking less water, and the coffee was also dehydrating. <p /> I've been drinking alot of water, I mean ALOT. I've been reading about how most people need to drink more water than they think, so that's what I am doing. I feel good, my skin feels nice and I actually feel clean on the inside - does that make sense. <p /> One of the highlights of today's run was that I only dropped back about 20 seconds as I headed uphill. Up until now, my pace has dropped up to 2 minutes per km on the hills. The main factor that changed over the past week and in the last 2 days since my 7K run was my hydration levels. Man, I drank a lot of water!!!</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Caffeine" height="1000" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/qJ8F4uNyZAX0wJVS8orlzesCORdGJH7ND22gGt1B8vLyM3ZylrfKNpup2LOn/caffeine.jpg.scaled.1000.jpg" width="233" /> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/run-on-caffeine-and-water-private">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/run-on-caffeine-and-water-private#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=PYUEWODzY5Y:hJT9tGn5Ark:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=PYUEWODzY5Y:hJT9tGn5Ark:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/PYUEWODzY5Y" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/run-on-caffeine-and-water-private Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:42:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/0aXWFD1sA6U/week-5-road-to-auckland-half http://eatloverun.posterous.com/week-5-road-to-auckland-half <p> <p>Can't believe that I am already on week 5 of my 12 week intermediate plan to the Auckland Half Marathon at the end of October. If you'd like to see the plan that I am following (in theory, I've chopped and changed it quite a bit) from Hal Higdon, <a href="http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/inter.htm" target="_blank">go here</a>. <p /> If you would like to donate to my chosen charity of <a href="http://www.breath4cf.org.nz" target="_blank">Breath4CF</a>, a grant run by Cystic Fibrosis New Zealand, please go here. I've yet to really solicit for donations, but that starts now! Check back to the page often and <a href="http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/ghadavanderpool/" target="_blank">please please make a donation</a>. Any amount will help. <p /> Back to the running....I had my absolute best run over the weekend on my long run on Saturday morning. The funny thing is, it wasn't like I had the perfect conditions, but everything fell into place and at the end of the 11K I felt great! Energized, not at all achey, and I reckon I could've gone for another 3-4K. <p /> I was all set to wake at 5:30, but hubby's restlessness woke me, and with getting dressed and stretching I was out the door by 5:30. The first thing that went well, with the extra time up my sleeves I really took my time with my pre-run stretch instead of rushing it. <p /> When I headed out it was only slightly drizzling (or spitting as I like to call it). Without a breath of wind it was actually nice to have the on and off slight rain to keep me cool. At around the 6K mark though the skies opened up and it started pelting down. A cyclist riding in the opposite direction screamed out f*ck! as she sped past me. The rain was falling horizontally and she didn't seem to steady on her wheels. It was amazing for me! It probably only rained that hard for about a K but it spurred me on to go a bit faster and I really really enjoyed it. It also broke the monotony a bit, as the horrible drainage along Tamaki Drive meant that big deep puddles quickly formed on the sidewalk. I ran straight through some (reminiscent of Hanmer) and long jumped over others, it made me feel light and fancy-free! <p /> I'm hoping this week's 12K will go just as well. I think the added stretching that I have been doing in between runs has been a real help. Check out my best run in awhile on Runkeeper below. If you are on Runkeeper, let's connect - my username is "ghadav" <p /> </p> <p><iframe src="http://runkeeper.com/activityMap/95itg" height="345" width="425"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/week-5-road-to-auckland-half">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/week-5-road-to-auckland-half#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=0aXWFD1sA6U:CD3PBm0Yp34:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=0aXWFD1sA6U:CD3PBm0Yp34:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/0aXWFD1sA6U" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/week-5-road-to-auckland-half Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:55:20 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/TKSx8f7kz3c/maybe-i-could-make-my-own-shoes http://eatloverun.posterous.com/maybe-i-could-make-my-own-shoes <p> So if your shoes start to wear out, is it really bad for your feet or is it just a ghetto version of minimalist running styles? Maybe I could make my own running shoes a la huaraches and save a few dollars....thought of the day <p /> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fF6aGK5AhpA?wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/maybe-i-could-make-my-own-shoes">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/maybe-i-could-make-my-own-shoes#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=TKSx8f7kz3c:0DHZhwQrOtA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=TKSx8f7kz3c:0DHZhwQrOtA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/TKSx8f7kz3c" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/maybe-i-could-make-my-own-shoes Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:23:25 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/8ebY9_AWiAA/how-to-pick-a-carrot http://eatloverun.posterous.com/how-to-pick-a-carrot <p> Carrots are up there as one of my fave snackie vegetables. But, then again their is nothing worse than a dry and bitter carrot. I was just nibbling away on a carrot while I prepared a lasagna and thought I would share this video with you...it seems to have all the bases covered on how to pick the perfect carrot, which in my opinion is sweet! <br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vUI3ryznuHI?wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/how-to-pick-a-carrot">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/how-to-pick-a-carrot#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=8ebY9_AWiAA:ZJkTVNE-bdE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=8ebY9_AWiAA:ZJkTVNE-bdE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/8ebY9_AWiAA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/how-to-pick-a-carrot Mon, 09 Aug 2010 03:57:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/LY89DBrlCYk/my-running-buddy http://eatloverun.posterous.com/my-running-buddy <p> <p><strong>Auckland Half Marathon Training, Week 1 </strong></p> <p><br />I don't remember week 1 training for the <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/race-report-hanmer-half-marathon-may-1" target="_self">Hanmer Half Marathon</a> being this hard. <br />I remember being so gung ho, and so excited to get started that I breezed through the week and did everything I was suppose to. <br />But this time around... <p /> <div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Picture_21" height="331" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-08-09/CytkddhBsxcvzstvCiqEDCuevvfqdFwxcHIsvCdrssaszAedumupJEIhnsfh/Picture_21.png.scaled500.png" width="394" /> </div> Its not that it was hard physically as such, but it was a lot harder to make time to fit my runs in. With having just moved up to Auckland, their have been alot of changes in my life. I am closing up the last few freelance projects I have and am actively looking for a full-time job that will allow me to balance life as a mum while doing something I love. Around that I am spending more time with Master P than I have been able to in the last few months - I LOVE that part of the past few weeks. Within a few weeks of arriving in Auckers I stumbled across an Original Baby Jogger on Trade Me. It was cheaper than chips, so I grabbed it, not at all sure that P would enjoy the ride. Thankfully, he does. So I've been able to clock up mostly shorter runs pushing him on the flat as well as uphill. I don't think I would manage very well on a long run. I always underestimated how much more of a strength workout you get pushing bubs as you go. He's great encouragement telling me to "run faster, mummy!" as I am dripping with sweat on our last hill homeward bound. The only issue with my new running buddy is that I can't run with him in the rain (no rain cover...yet!) and we've been having ALOT of rain lately. Oh well, that means my butt is going to have to drag itself out of bed around 5:30ish AM like I did all through summer...its just a bit harder in winter :( If you are an early morning jogger, what's your tip for actually sticking with it? I usually lay my clothes out the night before with a banana and my water bottle. When my alarm goes off, the guilt of seeing them there waiting gets me out of bed. <p /> Ok, on to the actual week in review. I got 3 runs in. My long run on Sunday was fantastic. It rained all day and as if someone was smiling down on me it stopped just as I was getting laced up and started again about 5 minutes after I got home - weird. Strength training wise I started the hundred pushup challenge, pretty jazzed about that as well as doing 3 x 20 minute ab routines from exercise TV. I can't rave enough about that website, awesome 10, 15, 20 minute and much longer workouts to target specific needs (abs, yoga, cardio, etc...). I used them last time and I can tell I will be using them even more this time around. Some of the workouts are free, some need a subscription to the site. <p /> So all in all, not that bad of a week. It just felt more like a struggle to actually get to each day's run or strength training and I didn't do everything on the exact days that I had planned to. Also, Runkeeper gave me issues for one of my runs, and there is almost nothing worst than spending 10 minutes fiddling with your iPhone before you even take off. In order to increase my speed I am going to have to do the interval speedwork the Hal Higdon program calls for at the beginning of the week, that's the one thing I missed out on that I really need to get into this week. <p /> Real keen to hear from others preparing for the Auckland Marathon or Half Marathon. How's training going? Or maybe you are preparing for some other race. I have no room for injury with only 11 weeks left before game day (I am following a 12 week plan and have just completed one week - you do the math). <p /> Onwards and upwards for this coming week <p /> Ghada</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/my-running-buddy">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/my-running-buddy#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=LY89DBrlCYk:haFbU-9V3fo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=LY89DBrlCYk:haFbU-9V3fo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/LY89DBrlCYk" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/my-running-buddy Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:37:52 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/zXY47Pf4GQ4/are-you-up-to-the-challenge http://eatloverun.posterous.com/are-you-up-to-the-challenge <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Pushup" height="190" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-07-31/dFFwwztCyrmIIByslBFxqsbekzhdFEFylbHmkdEnqsoIAbaburcxyjGmdoCn/pushup.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="129" /> </div> Come tomorrow, I am starting my training for the <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/auckland-marathon-2008" target="_self">Auckland Half Marathon</a> at the end of October. With <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/race-report-hanmer-half-marathon-may-1" target="_self">the first one done and dusted</a>, I now have a fair idea of what I'd like to improve on. One area for improvement is strength. I love squats (feel the burn!) Enjoy crunches even more (feel the quivery abs!) but have never been good with push ups (boo, hiss). <p /> Enter the 100 Push Up Challenge. I''ve seen it on the net before and have always said, "now that's a challenge I could do" but I never do it. It's easy, do a <a href="http://www.hundredpushups.com/test.html" target="_blank">simple test</a> that helps you decide what your starting level is. Then follow the 6 week program which will take about 10 minutes a day, 3 times a week. Each week you will increase the amount of push ups you do and by week 6 you *should* be able to do 100.</p> <p>I figure even if I don't get to 100 in 6 weeks, at least I will have built strength along the way and will definitely do better than 11 by the end. Core strength makes you walk tall. When you walk tall, you run strong. When you feel strong, you feel confident. Confidence all from a push up? Yes! <p /> I just did the test and I am at a rank 2 doing "knee" push ups. I opted not to do the "good-form" pushups as I can barely do 2 of these. Doesn't matter if you do a alternative push up, as long as you do it well - straight back, yadda yadda.<p /> Are you in? If so let me know in the comments. Would love to see how you progress.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/are-you-up-to-the-challenge">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/are-you-up-to-the-challenge#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=zXY47Pf4GQ4:5Q_IUKOZF84:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=zXY47Pf4GQ4:5Q_IUKOZF84:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/zXY47Pf4GQ4" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/are-you-up-to-the-challenge Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:21:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/rpav18gTLzQ/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run http://eatloverun.posterous.com/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run <p> <p>I have been VERY slack with updating Eat Love Run over the past couple of weeks. Some of you will know that I recently transplanted with my husband and son from Christchurch to Auckland - hence, the deafening quiet around here. I was aiming to start my 12 week half marathon training this week and I would update you more about it here as well. But since I have a couple of weeks up my sleeves, I have opted to start next week in an effort to continue to get acclimatised to the humidity in Auckland (oomph!) <p /> Looking forward to updating you on my new running haunts as well as on my efforts to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis NZ at the same time. In the meantime, I read this very touching story today on one of my fave womens/mothers running blogs and just had to share. Reading it made me cry and I'm sure it will move you too. <p /> Excerpt from Run Like a Mother: <br /><a href="http://runlikeamotherbook.com/2010/07/26/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run/">http://runlikeamotherbook.com/2010/07/26/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run/</a></p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=rpav18gTLzQ:yzQGqBo_EBQ:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=rpav18gTLzQ:yzQGqBo_EBQ:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/rpav18gTLzQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/the-power-of-a-20-minute-run Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:01:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/T9XO5TKoIno/glammimg-up-winter-running-with-icebreaker http://eatloverun.posterous.com/glammimg-up-winter-running-with-icebreaker <p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Img_1429" height="640" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/eatloverun/gqLFPd0GMS9LwdgUzyvD7X0H8QX23d6bDsW4DM3awCKKZ2it8MnlYT5cTR5u/IMG_1429.jpg" width="480" /> </div> </p> <p>Running in winter is serious business. Originally from Canada, I didn't even think about pounding the pavement in Montreal, but here in New Zealand though the Christchurch winters cannot compare to Canada's we do get some very very frosty mornings. <br />The top tip I can give for winter running is to just go! Do your stretching and limbering indoors and then once you are outside, just go! The quickest way to warm up is to just run! <p /> The second tip I can give is layers, layers layers! Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error to really figure out how many layers you need to wear on a brisk run, but once you've got it sussed you'll be able to run from A to B warm and toasty. It might not look glamorous, but I've found the right layers keep you warm and comfortable and you may not even need a bulky jacket. <p /> The key to layering is a baselayer that will keep the heat in and wick the sweat away - my top choice is an <a href="http://www.natureshop.co.nz">Icebreaker Baselayer</a> as it ticks all the boxes and actually looks good. I wear <a href="http://www.natureshop.co.nz">Icebreaker clothing</a> year round as my base layer (except for the hottest part of summer). The Bodyfit 200 range is like a soft breathable second skin and in winter I switch from my sleeveless tops to the longsleeve versions. Because my core is warm, the rest of me warms up pretty quickly. <p /> I recently was given an Oasis Crewe to trial (see below) and thought I'd take the opportunity to do the stink test. <a href="http://www.natureshop.co.nz">Icebreaker clothing</a> is famous for its "no stink" property, which I put to the test by running three days in a row without washing the top in between runs. To my surprise, their was no stink. Another box tick for adding glamour to the winter running experience :) <p /> If you are looking for a baselayer for running, cycling, climbing or any other outdoor pursuit I give Icebreaker the thumbs up. The Bodyfit range comes in different numbers of warmth, guaranteed to keep you warm while not overheating. <p /> Happy Running!</p> <p><div class='p_embed p_image_embed'> <img alt="Picture_8" height="409" src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/temp-2010-06-30/dqzDmxzFwkCsdnvkgjxxznsxbjzarfGycvGojtEvGpojdgrGDEdruFJEkwHe/Picture_8.png.scaled500.png" width="211" /> </div> </p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/glammimg-up-winter-running-with-icebreaker">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/glammimg-up-winter-running-with-icebreaker#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=T9XO5TKoIno:zaf1Amca-K0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=T9XO5TKoIno:zaf1Amca-K0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/T9XO5TKoIno" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/glammimg-up-winter-running-with-icebreaker Tue, 22 Jun 2010 20:16:00 -0700 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~3/dZHhGiIiFtI/running-form-comparison-vibrams-vs-newton-vs http://eatloverun.posterous.com/running-form-comparison-vibrams-vs-newton-vs <p> <p>As we head into July, I'm getting ready to start my 12 week plan to be prepared for<a href="http://aucklandmarathon.co.nz" target="_blank"> Auckland at the end of October</a>. So, I'm building back up my base after weeks of a mystery wintery illness that saw me take a 3 week break from running. <p /> My run yesterday felt the best so far. My legs weren't wooden and I was actually able to keep a decent pace - I also would have loved to go longer, time permitting. <p /> I really want to make sure that I spend a bit more time concentrating on my form. Its something you have to think about often, drop the shoulders, relax the arms, stay light, look straight ahead and into the horizon...those are the kinds of things I repeat in my head every once in awhile. If I feel my head hanging, I take it as a cue to reevaluate everything. When I do, I automatically feel taller and faster. <p /> I'm in the market for a new pair of shoes and I'm really intrigued about the whole forefoot running movement. Its a whole blog post, and for some people a whole blog of its own so I won't get into it just now. That being said, I love my Saucony, but I've been starting to think the minimalist/forefoot technique might go a long way to improving my form overall. No matter how I align my body, if the shoes aren't right, I still stand to injure myself. <p /> Dimity over at <a href="http://runlikeamotherbook.com/">Run Like a Mother</a> created a video comparing 3 of the big running names. Its an interesting video. Which shoe do you think she looks more natural in? Its not a long video, so worth a watch. Some great tips on keeping your legs pumping quick and how your arm movements will affect your feet. <p /> <iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jbd2FHu2QMI" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="417" width="500"></iframe></p> </p> <p><a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/running-form-comparison-vibrams-vs-newton-vs">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://eatloverun.posterous.com/running-form-comparison-vibrams-vs-newton-vs#comment">Leave a comment&nbsp;&nbsp;&raquo;</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=dZHhGiIiFtI:CIOE5Sfwqdw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?a=dZHhGiIiFtI:CIOE5Sfwqdw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/EatLoveRun?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EatLoveRun/~4/dZHhGiIiFtI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/83531/laughingGood.jpg http://posterous.com/users/eEShMEVh1n Ghada Vanderpool realsocialgirl Ghada Vanderpool http://eatloverun.posterous.com/running-form-comparison-vibrams-vs-newton-vs