The Adventures of Mom

Christmas Crazies

2011-11-24T10:27:00.000-05:00

The kids are coming down with the Christmas Crazies.

Every year they are given the "Wish Book" in which they are asked to choose a select few Toys to ask Santa for. In years past there wasn't much that they were interested in. But now they want EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING.

The Boo seems especially worse this time around. Every page. Every Barbie, Disney Princess, etc. She ask if she can have it. I tell her maybe. She hears YES.

But I think I finally came up with a way to calm her gimmes down:

The Boo: Mama can I have......list off several different items.
Mama: Tell you what Boo, Santa will bring you every toy you ask for, but then there will be none left for all the other girls and boys.
The Boo: Oh. I guess I don't need everything then!

She is a smart cookie.

Dance A Thon

2011-10-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Well this morning was the annual Dance A Thon for Con Man and The Boo! They dressed up in their Halloween Costumes (Belle for the Boo and Iron Man for Con).

They did there own little dances! It was a lot of fun.

I am sure the kids won't want to take their costumes off for the next five days!

Finding the Time

2011-10-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

Is there anyone else out there that seems to never have time for themselves? And I don't mean in a "I need to have an afternoon to myself" kind of way. I mean in a "can I not SHOWER" kind of way.

This morning began like most off school day mornings.

6:00am - Hubby gets up for work
6:45 - Con Man comes into our room and climbs into bed with me
7:00 - Syd Boo climbs into bed with Con Man and I
7:07 - Cam Man wakes up with his usual morning chant "MAMA MAMA MAMA"
7:45 - Eggs and Cheese Toast are served for breakfast
8:00 - Mama tries to take shower. And is joined by three munchkins in the process.

This mornings shower time conversation was all about Halloween and whether or not Syd Boo would be going as a Princess - or as something else - which is news to Mama.

Sigh.

School days are a little better. We walk to school, and then I take Cam Man on a Run with me, come home and put him down for his nap. Then I can shower alone. But I often find myself peeking out of the shower, expecting to find someone standing there smiling a goofy smile at me.

I guess at the end of the day I enjoy that time with the kidlets. And I think they do too!

The Muffin (Wo)Man

2011-09-29T16:26:00.000-04:00

Do you know the Muffin (Wo)Man?

Tomorrow night Mama gets a night off from being a Mama and gets to spend the evening with some amazing ladies. In my time at work I have met some incredibly strong and funny woman that have become very good friends. We are all different yet the same. Even though I spend a lot of time at work with these ladies, I very rarely get to see them in "the real world". So one of them is arranging a "Twilight" night. It should be a blast!

I agreed to bake something to bring, along with the movies. Since I am busy all day tomorrow, I bit the bullet and made the cupcakes today while Con Man and The Boo were in school. While Cam Man was napping I set forth to make "Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing".

If you know me well, you know I LOVE TO BAKE. Christmas is an especially awesome time of the year. So I wasn't really worried when I began. I am not sure I will be making this recipe again though. But there are a few things I will do differently if I decide to try again:

Wear clothing that you would never wear in public. Because Red Food Coloring leaves a nice permanent mark.
Also remember to turn OFF the electric mixer. Do not turn it UP, as that creates a red MESS all over the place
You are not Martha Stewart, so do not attempt to ice the cupcakes like her.

I swear, they will taste better than they look, I PROMISE!

The Boo's Birthday

2011-09-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

Not so long ago, The Hubby and I were never sure we would be able to have kids. Now we look around and see we are blessed with THREE beautiful children. And in less than 5 years! We count our blessings everyday.

The Boo will be turning 4 in October. I can hardly believe it. Seems like just yesterday she was born, out like a champagne cork!

Hubby and I always agreed that we would never be those parents that spend a ton of money on parties and things for our kids when the time came. Just a nice quiet party, maybe a few friends and family.

The Boo began school this fall. And she came to us last week.

The Boo: "Mama?"
Me: "Yes Boo"
The Boo: "Can I have a party for my birthday this year?"
Me: "Of Course Boo, what would you like to do?"
The Boo: "I would like to have all my friends from school come. Please!"
Mama: "GULP"

So Hubby and I are going to be having a party at a local kids gym for The Boo, her siblings, cousins and 19 of her CLOSEST friends. Because we can't leave anyone out.

Wish us luck.

Adventures in Halloween Costumes

2011-09-26T10:56:00.000-04:00

Well Fall is upon us. Thanksgiving here in Canada is right around the corner. And then comes HALLOWEEN!

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Even more than Christmas. We decorate the house up and have even been known to have a Halloween party or two! And with The Boo celebrating her birthday before and I the day after, it makes it even more festive!

This weekend the hunt was on for this year's costumes. We had done a little research online first. Cam Man was easy: Thomas The Tank Engine. He is on a big Thomas kick right now.

Con Man was a little more of a challenge. He wanted to be a Superhero. But which one? He finally decided on Iron Man, with a Mask and all. He is going to look pretty cool.

The Boo..............

She was another story entirely.

The Boo wants to be a princess. Ok, no problem. She has A TON of princess dress up clothes that would suit just fine. But of course, she doesn't want to be a PINK princess. No. She wants to be Belle from "Beauty and The Beast". YELLOW Belle. So after two stores we were finally able to find the costume she wanted.

Why do I have feelings of dread when thinking of Prom Dress shopping.............

Once More With Feeling

2011-09-23T11:53:00.000-04:00

I was lying in bed last night thinking to myself:

"Sarah, you haven't updated your blog in so LONG".

There is always so much going on in my brain. What bills to pay when? What will I do at the gym tomorrow? Do I have to pick up anything for the kids for school? It never really stops.

Then I thought about it and decided that this blog would undertake a makeover of sorts. Gone are the days where I can spend hours pouring over what races I am going to be running, how much weight I want to lose or which clinic I am going to be teaching next.

I have somehow managed to become a full time Mom overnight. Con Man and The Boo are both in school now, which brings with it a whole new aspect. And twice a week (and alternate Fridays) its just me and the Cam Man. So yes, I am still running and yes, I still love it. But so much happens outside of that, and I wanted to share it with all of you!

And the adventures we have on a day to day basis! So I decided I would use this blog as a way to help me through the joys and hurdles that I seem to encounter. And to talk out the things that are keeping me up at night.

So I hope you will all continue to follow my adventures. And the adventures of the family!

Wednesday

2011-01-26T11:52:00.003-05:00

So one full week into my half marathon training and I feel ok! I have managed to fit in all my runs, and even did my long run. I really wish we could afford to buy a treadmill for our room, since we managed to clear out a lot of crap in the last few weeks! Sometimes running in the cold is sucky!

And I lost another 3.6 pounds this week and a 5% total so far! So I am aiming for my 10% and hopefully will see it sooner rather than later!

This week has another 3k, 4k, 3k and a 7k long run on Sunday morning. I am also running with my Learn to Run as well. The cold this weekend was brutal, but I think its over for the most part and we can move onto warmers days (if you feel like -5 is warm!)

So Far So Good

2011-01-18T07:50:00.002-05:00

Apparently yesterday was the most DEPRESSING day of the entire year. Being the 1st Monday of the first full week of a new year. I wasn't particularly depressed myself, but I can see how some people would find it to be!

I have had success again at Weight Watchers. Two weeks in and I have already lost a total of 10 pounds! I am very pleased.

My Half Marathon training is about to begin, which is making me a little nervous. I have a goal and I hope to achieve it!

This past weekend was tough in our Running Room Family. A friend and colleague of ours passed away suddenly. It was a reminder to me that life really is a gift that you can't squander away or take advantage of. He lived everyday to the fullest and was an amazing person. RIP Shawn.......

HAPPY 2011

2011-01-11T10:29:00.002-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

So after some requests (Hi Jason! Hi Connie!) I have decided to make a better effort to update my blog again! I didn't mean to stay away for so long on purpose, but last fall was an insane time around here. Colin SMASHED his Marathon PB by almost 54 minutes (!) at the Toronto Marathon! And I became the Assistant Manager at the store. Which pretty much meant I worked ALL. THE. TIME.

So now here we are! 2011. When did this happen. A few things are going on, that I think I should mention:

I started back to Weight Watchers in the new year. You can go back and read all about my past exploits with WW, but for me it was the only thing that EVER worked. And I find with the amount of exercise I am doing right now, I am better able to keep track of what I eat. The new PointsPlus system is marvelous, especially since ALL FRUIT IS 0 POINTS! Woohoo. Now I will definitely reach for that apple or banana! I am keeping my Monday Weight In, since it keeps me on track over the weekend, especially at work (HELLO STARBUCKS and South Street Burger!)

I am also teaching this rounds Learn to Run. I love teaching this clinic, but especially at this time of year. They are all so eager to Learn to Run.

My half marathon training begins January 27th. Its on the fridge, calling to me. I am so excited about this one. Its going to be a blast!

I hope everyone still enjoys reading. I promise to keep it up more often!

Run for the Cure

2010-10-04T10:00:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the official Goal Race for our 5K Clinic. It was the Run for a Cure in Richmond Hill. This is a fantastic run that happens at sites all across the country in Support of Women's Cancers. I ran on behalf of my late Aunt Jacquie, and good friends of my Mom who have died from Breast Cancer, Anne and Gwen.

It was freezing! I love races where its cold, except for before and after. When you aren't moving. We met the group and headed to the start line. We had a ton of support from both our store manager Bev and Newmarket and Thornhill's managers and Assistants: Jayne, Patricia and Ed. Plus our area manager Hayley was there too! It was a great time. I knew early on I wasn't going for a PB, since I raced so hard last weekend and I was very sore still.

Thank you to everyone that supported me and donated to the cause!

So I finished in 42:51 which is still under my previous PB. So I was really happy with it. Up next is the Run4Rett. I hope that I can race it tough, but time will tell.

Foto Friday

2010-10-01T11:03:00.007-04:00

During my 5K! My first RUNNING PHOTO LOL!

The finish line! Also my first finish with others :)

Close UP Finish!

Some of hubby too! Thanks for the idea M ;P

Run for the Cure is this weekend. My foot has been bothering me all week. So its going to be an intersting race!

Scotiabank 5K Race Report

2010-09-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

(Let me just preface this by saying this was a CRAZY day!)

We got to the race site EARLY so Colin could race his 1/2 Marathon. The Marathon Instructor from our store, Angie, came with us to cheer on her Marathoners. After using the bathroom, finding everyone and taking lots of pictures, they all lined up into their corrals. Angie and I ran down the line to catch the start. And off they went! I managed to spot Marlene at the beginning, but she was running too fast to call out ;)

Once the final racers crossed the start, Angie and I ran a few blocks west to catch a cab and get to The Prince's Gates at Exhibition Place. It is located at the 7 and 17 mark of the race, give or take a few metres. We saw everyone there and back including hubby and Marlene. She looked so STRONG!

Then it was back up to the finish. Once I saw Colin and got a good luck pep talk, and got a good luck hug from a very sweaty Marlene :) I jumped onto a bus and headed BACK down to the Prince's Gates and Exhibition Place.

For whatever reason, everyone had to be at the site an hour before the race even began. It made for a lot of standing around and waiting. And more waiting. At this point, all I could even think is "just let me run already". We ended up lining into our corrals and soon enough, away we went!

1K

The first K of this race is so tough. You loop up and away from the gates, run around the parking lot and to about 500 metres to the Gates. There are always a lot of people and not a lot of room. I was so busy running past people I didn't notice my pace.

2K

From 1 to 2k I started to feel tired and couldn't figure out why. Then I looked down at my pace and saw a 5:59. Um, that's a bit fast for me. I brought it back and took my first walk break.

3K to 4K

This part of the race is entirley under the Gardiner and on Lakeshore. I was getting a whole lot of messed up messages on my Garmin and new I was by myself for the remainder of the race.

4K to 5K

Once you turn off the Lakeshore and up on Bay it is entirely uphill. Training where I do should help me with that, but this is where I lost my Sub 40. I knew I ran out too fast and I had nothing left in the tank. At 600 metres I actually tripped and almost fell! But I caught myself and just kept running. I saw Marlene at the finish along with her hubby and some friend P and U. High fives and I kept going. I finally saw Colin about 200 metres from the finish. He kept saying "Run, you've got this". But I already knew I was going to be about a half minute short. Once I saw the finish I think I managed a smile and went through.

I collected my medal, met hubby and we headed home.

Overall I am happy with my time. But I still have a lot of work to do. If a 2:30 1/2 Marathon time is in my future, I need to speed things up.

Mission Accomplished (B)

2010-09-26T20:39:00.002-04:00

Sarah Macdonald - 41:32.2 Gun Time (40:31.4 CHIP)
Avg. Pace: 8:19
218/446 W 30-34
1261/2868 Overall

I am VERY pleased with meeting my B Goal. A was SO CLOSE. But I now what I need to do to get my sub 40 5K!

And congrats to Hubby who got his new PR by almost 5 MINUTES! He finished his Half Marathon in 1:48:04! WOOHOO! He is primed for his Full in October.

I will post my Race Report tomorrow! But now its time to sleep!

Foto Friday's and A/B/C

2010-09-24T14:36:00.001-04:00

Three years ago I completed my first and ONLY 1/2 Marathon at the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon. I will be completing in the 5K this year, but I plan on tacking the 1/2 again next Fall!

And speaking of my 5K, I do have some goals for this race. And here it is:

A GOAL) Sub 40:00 minutes (a pipe dream, but hey, a goal none the less!)

B Goal) A new PR and a Sub 43:56 (which I have done in training, so I feel good about it)

C Goal) Sub 45:oo minutes.

Anything else will be VERY disappointing. See you all there on Sunday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-16T10:05:00.002-04:00

Last night at Run Club we had our first foray into speed training. It was fun! I think I like speed and hills. This makes Week 7 almost complete. We have our longest distance so far this weekend 6.5K. Next Sunday is one of my first three races in the next month! Wow! Then its onto the 1oK Clinic. FANTASTIC
I said I had some news in my last post. Well, I was recently promoted at work! I am now the Assistant Manager at the Aurora Running Room! This is HUGE for me and could not have come at a better time for me and our family. So sacrifices will be made (working most weekends and a few more shifts a week) but in the long run, it will be so worth it. And I love my job. Its perfect for my lifestyle, our family and my life. I just could not be happier and I hope to make our store the BEST!
Speaking of races, I am seriously considering doing a 16k Trail Run on Halloween. It's the Tom Taylor Trail 10m. Its local, has a ton of great loot and the price is right. So we'll see what I decide. Plus the fact I turn 31 the next day makes it even more exciting!

Time Flies

2010-09-14T15:27:00.002-04:00

Connor started school today. I cannot believe it. It seems like yesterday he was just a baby and now he's going to school? He had an amazing time, but Mommy still isn't so sure she likes this!

And my training is flying as well! Completed 6K on Sunday and then headed out to do 4K last night. Both runs went great, but I am still having a hard time finishing on the bI&*h of all hills! No race will ever finish on a hill like this, but it still pi$$es me off to see my pace drop so badly! At least I know I am going to be able to kick it once race day comes!

I also have some news.......BUT........I cannot share it right now. Soon, but not now. And no, I am not pregnant again.....that seems to be the guess that everyone has. So far from it! I should be able to let you all know by the end of the week!

Three Things Thursday

2010-09-09T11:09:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow we are taking the kids to the Jays Game! Connor is SO EXCITED. It took some explaining that he wouldn't be playing, but he is still very happy. Although, he keeps asking if Thomas the Tank Engine is going to be there (!)
I ran 3 hills with the clinic last night. The distance wasn't that far (3.65k) but it felt good to get my running legs back. Both Colin and I have been sick, so he will also be testing his sea legs tonight. With a 35K run for Sunday, he needs to get back out there! I will "just" be running 6K, but its the farthest distance so far in the clinic. Here's hoping it goes well!
There has been a lot of stress here in the past few weeks, so I am hoping that running helps me to alleviate some of it. I am also working quite a bit in the next few months, which should also help. Here's hoping the fall turns out better than this summer has been............

September

2010-09-08T10:49:00.002-04:00

So here we are: September! Wow, time flies when you're having fun.

Only four more weeks until the end of the clinic. Two races coming up and I have to say, I am not at all ready! We were on vacation last week, and between looking after three toddlers and a nasty head cold (which I still have eight days later) I managed to run ONCE. The entire time I was gone. So needless to say, tonight's hills (3) and Sunday's 6K(!) are going to be VERY tough.

But we got a nice surprise in the form of FREE baseball tickets this week, and let me tell you, the kids are going to have a blast at the Jays Game this Friday night! Thanks C!

Connor also starts school next week. Staggered starts means he doesn't have a full day until next Thursday. But he went to meet his teachers yesterday and he was SO EXCITED. And it made it all too real for Mom as well............

Three Things Thursday

2010-08-19T07:50:00.003-04:00

We ran 4K last night in our 5K clinic for 34 minutes. I am faster than I used to be, but not as fast as I would like to be. My dreams of a sub 40 5K this year are slipping I think. But I am going to try my darnedest to do it. Still 4 1/2 months to go! Plus, if you look at the finish of all of these run........no race ends on hills like THESE!
I've been drinking a Protein Shake before every run and it really seems to be giving me the energy that I need to kick it up a notch during my runs. Its really easy to throw together and it's delicious. When it comes to running under 5K, nutrition can sometimes be a real struggle, because you really aren't sure what to eat. You can't eat too much, because you aren't burning too many calories. But if you eat too little, you aren't properly fueled and your run ends up being pretty much a giant fail!
I was looking at my schedule and saw that the weekend of Road2Hope (which hubby is running the Half Marathon) I will be running 13K. Well Road2Hope has a 5/10K challenge. Its only 2K more.............

And onto 5K Training

2010-08-17T12:45:00.002-04:00

Hello Bloggy Friends!

Where has this past month gone! It turns out that Sydney's little sickness was much more serious and put me out onto my butt for a whole week! It was not pretty! But I got back to it and finished the Women's Only Clinic!

We have now moved into a new clinic: THE 5K! This is the second clinic I am teaching, and its a lot different from the Learn to Run. We started week one at 5 & 1's and 3K and by this week, we are already at our 10 & 1's. The distance we cover week to week is much greater (10k is the smallest distance we cover on a weekly basis). But, I have to tell you......I LOVE IT! Starting in week 6, we also add a 4th run to our clinic night, as well as our Run Club runs! So I will be running 4 times a week.

As for races I have two coming up: The Scotiabank 5K on September 26th and The CIBC Run for the Cure on October 3rd. I will be going for a Personal best at both, but I think I have my best shot at Scotia. I just need to be closer to the front of the pack than I was last year!

Then.....its onto the 10K Clinic. I cannot believe this is all happening.......Because after the 10K clinic it the GULP HALF MARATHON?

Yep.

DNS

2010-07-09T21:11:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow I will be getting a DNS at the Rebecca Run for SMA. It isn't my first DNS, but it still doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

Our middle child, the littlest Sydboo is sick. So very sick. So Mommy will be staying home to make sure she is well looked after.

Its par for the course when you have kids. There will be other races, and my littlest baby girl needs my shoulder to rest on this weekend. So its her that I will be supporting.

Good luck to everyone that IS racing tomorrow! I hope that all that hard work pays off!

I'm here I Swear!

2010-07-02T19:39:00.002-04:00

Things have been just so busy these past few weeks. Either I am running or working. Or running AND working!

My Women's Only clinic is in week 6 with our GOAL RACE a week away! Where does the time go? I don't know. But we are at 6 & 1's and everyone is doing good!

I had a extremely long day today and I am working again tomorrow! But I am going to post again with some more thoughts about the race and MAYBE even a goal or two. So stay tuned!

Change of Tempo

2010-06-15T13:40:00.002-04:00

I decided early on that to maintain my base, I would continue to run two 5k runs ON TOP of the one clinic night and two run clubs I would be doing with my Women's Only Clinic. I made up my schedule, stuck it on the fridge and marked off each run as it came. Week One, check! Week Two....uh, check! Week Three....not so much.

Looking back at my runs from March/April and comparing them to my pace now, I am currently running about a minute and a half FASTER than I was ten weeks ago. So while I am not as sore, and certainly not as tired, I am running faster and harder. So I have decided that just because I can, doesn't mean I SHOULD. I have taken those two runs off my calendar for the remainder of the clinic and I will be only running with the clinic from now on. It works for me!

And since I will be teaching the next 5K CLINIC (!) I don't want to risk injury either.

Last night hubby received an email announcing that registration was open for the 2011 Mississauga Marathon and Half Marathon. I have been back and forth as to whether or not I was going to run a half in the next twelve months. I decided to go for it! So I registered for the Mississauga 1/2 Marathon for May 2011! I am so PUMPED. I will be taking the 10k clinic this fall and then falling right into the 1/2 Marathon clinic in January. I am very excited, I am very nervous and I am very happy.

Hope everyone else is having a great week!

Friday Round Up

2010-06-04T08:48:00.002-04:00

This week seemed so slow, yet here we are at Friday again!

Week 2 has come in the Women's Only Clinic. 7 sets of 2 & 1's and the girls are doing great! There going FAST. We finish just under 2.33 in 20 minutes last night. So I have decided to create "group leaders" that will receive 30% off clinic coupons AND a pair of socks! It will help me with the front of the pack.....while I can keep an eye at the back of the pack.

I am also trying to maintain my own base by running at least twice a week on my own, but so far, that hasn't been going so well! The weather hasn't been all that cooperative (thunder on Monday and Tuesday) so I plan on going out today for a few k's with the little man! It is going to rain again today though. We need the rain, so who am I to complain!

And since the Learn to Run clinic began on March 15th, I managed to lose about 20 pounds! Yay me. Time to go shopping for some clothes for summer, because since my operation I am in DIRE need of some shorts and tops! Especially tops!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Monday Bullets

2010-05-31T09:52:00.002-04:00

My Women's Only Clinic started on Thursday night and I have a small, but lovely group of speedy ladies :) So I suppose that's good for me right? I feel bad for them though, that they are sweeping me lol! But seriously, my slowest runner's pace is just under an 8 minute k, so I am going to have my work cut out for me!
On top of my clinic, I decided to incorporate two more 5k runs a week just to keep my current base steady, at least at the beginning of the clinic. Once we start covering further distances in the coming weeks, I will probably drop one of those, if not both. So right now, I don't run on Tuesdays or Saturdays.
It looks like we might be finally getting a break from this heat beginning on Wednesday. That would be nice. I am all for summer, but in SUMMER would be nice!
Lots of friends ran this weekend in various races! Congrats to you all! Especially in the heat!

Three Things Thursday

2010-05-27T08:56:00.002-04:00

Okay, okay. I know that, as Canadians, complaining about the weather is sport. We aren't happy if it's cold, hot, raining, snowing etc. So I do apologize if my bitching about the heat on here or on Facebook is making people hot! But, it's May. Not July. And since it is cold out west, I can only hope that means a cool down is imminent for us too! But in the meantime, I walked out the door last night to do my run, turned around and walked right back in! Brutal. I have a 'fro :)
I may have failed to mention, but beginning tonight, I will be teaching the Women's Only Clinic at the store for the next 10 weeks! EEK! This is traditionally a smaller clinic, so I am looking forward to it. It will be interesting to see how everyone does with their 10 sets of 1 & 1's. We all know as the instructor, I am going to smoke them LOL! Just hope I have no fast kids..........
If you are a regular reader, you know how busy we can get in the summer. Well, I was looking at our calendar and we are booked solid every weekend in July and August already. How did that happen? And I haven't even gotten my work schedule yet. Killer. I wish I could say once the fall hits it will let up, but you know that is a lie. Plus, Connor starts school in September. Uh, what? When did THAT happen?

It's May 27th everyone. Only 4 more days till June. Yep.

Its Gettin' Hot in Here

2010-05-26T14:55:00.003-04:00

So take off all your clothes!

I kid, sort of!

It's hot today. Like my fellow bloggy friend and BFF says, there is an EXTREME HEAT ALERT. I say, WHAAAAAAA!

In an effort to not die when I run, I managed to sneak out and do a 5k yesterday after spending my long weekend working and SICK. Yes, sick. Apparently, I had a random temperature, but it really made me feel awful. And we had house guests so i was just no fun and really anti social. Hopefully the next long weekend won't be such a bomb!

Back to the run: the early morning departure made no matter. It was hot, and I could feel it. May first K was almost 11 minutes, but I did manage to pick it up and finish the five at JUST under 50 minutes, which felt good. I wanted to go out tonight, but, it is so hot. I might die. I probably will..........because I am a running addict now. Who knew?

High Five Friday

2010-05-21T09:09:00.003-04:00

Marlene tagged me today on "High Five Friday". I now have to spout off SEVEN random facts about myself. So here we go:

I have an irrational fear of being in enclosed places over and around water. So driving over bridges or through tunnels while I am in a car, being on boats etc. If you believe in past lives, maybe I died in a submarine accident!
I wanted to be a journalist when I was in high school and I even went to college to do so. But alas, a journalist I am not.
I am not a huge fan of Peanut Butter. Unlike some of my friends and family, I have actually had my peanut and other nut butters EXPIRE before I could eat them.....and yes, they do expire lol ;)
My husband and I are high school sweethearts. So, as of August 25th of this year, we will have been together for 15 years!
As of now, I only plan on running one marathon before my 35th birthday. I have three in mind: San Francisco, Chicago and New York. And I am hoping a certain someone will run it with me!
I love hockey and I am a huge Toronto Maple Leafs Fan! Go Leafs Go! I do, on occasion cheer for other Canadian teams (Go Habs Go).
I do not know what my true hair color is (but really, what woman really does?).

Have a GREAT LONG WEEKEND EVERYONE!

Three Things Thursday

2010-05-20T11:23:00.002-04:00

I have managed to get out two more times since my race this week. Both 5k! I feel pretty good too. With the month coming to an end and work ramping up, I will be running home from work a few times, otherwise I won't be fitting running in at all in the next 18 days! This is also sort of a grey area when it comes to running. It is in between plans, so hopefully I can keep it up before my next training schedule kicks in next Thursday
I think I may have failed to mention that in the next round of clinics I will be teaching! YES, I will be teaching the Women's Only Clinic starting next Thursday. It is the Learn to Run program, but it id taught by a female instructor (me) and only has female participants. I will also be training using the 5k program as well. So lots of running will be had in the next few months! Phew!
Our celebration dinner is tonight! Yay Carbs :)

Hazel 5k Race Report

2010-05-17T13:16:00.005-04:00

Saturday morning started out very badly. We got some bad news about someone and I spent most of the day in emergency. I was back and forth about whether or not I would even race on Saturday. But at the very last minute and with no time to spare, we managed to pull it together and get me to the start line of the Hazel 5k.

As I lined up to the start, I hoped that maybe the sun would peak out. But it did not, and we began under cloudy skies. Because it had been such an emotionally exhausting day for me, my only goal was to complete my sets of 10 & 1's, run my own race, and cross the finish line. Upright and smiling.

1k- The 1k sign came up fast. It is a flat course, but I seemed to be moving along pretty well. This wasn't the largest 5k race I have participated in (Scotia blew that out of the water) but it seemed the hardest to get out of that back pack. I tried to make sure I didn't go too far in front, not wanting to make the faster runners dodge around me! I had a woman that had obviously signed up on a whim (she was wearing jeans) who kept running past me and then stopping in front of me and walking. I knew I wouldn't be able to race the whole race like that, so when I saw the 2k Sign coming up, I picked up my pace and left her in my dust!

2k to 4k - nothing spectacular. I held on to my 10 & 1's, managed to keep my pace and I felt pretty good. It was cold, but it was humid. I had managed to not drink enough water during the day, and it was starting to show. But as I saw the 4k marker, I knew we were almost there.

4k to Finish - you could HEAR the finish line at about 3.5k because of the wind carrying the sound which was torture. But I picked up the pace and came into the shoot. Near the end, I managed to see Colin and the kids and gave them a high five. Then through to the finish.

Gun Time: 45:50.7
Chip Time: 44:29.9
Pace: 8:53
Category: F30-34
Category Place: 110/116
Gender Place: 753-834

I hit my B Goal! I was so pleased!

Race Day Thoughts - I want to run a sub 40 5k this year. I may even tweek my training to include a 5k at the end of the year instead of a 10k. We'll see.

My hip also held up. It felt pretty sore yesterday, but not sore enough to keep me off the road for tonight! Look out!

Expo Friday

2010-05-14T07:18:00.003-04:00

Today I will be going to Mississauga to get my race kit, which will be a lot of fun. I received an email this morning with my bib number:

SARAH MACDONALD: 15347
EVENT: 5K

Someday maybe the Marathon!

So now it's time for my goals!

C Goal - 50:00 minutes: this would put me behind the rolling clear, which would mean that I would be at the mercy of the rules of the road. Plus it is a full 7 minutes slower than my personal best. If I walked the race, I would probably still be faster than this by a few minutes!

B Goal - <45:00 minutes: my training to this point has me running just under a 45 minute walk adjusted pace. I think I can do this. If my hip doesn't act up.

A Goal - <43:00 This would be under my current Personal Best, but I did run it on a local course that was measured a few hundred metres short, so while I would love to get a PB, I am not holding my breath!

Speaking of my hip, it feels ok. I have been stretching like crazy, hoping it works itself out in the next couple of days. I wish I could figure out what it is without making an expensive visit to the chiropractor or MT.

Next up: The Hazel 5K!

Three Things Thursday

2010-05-13T07:22:00.003-04:00

I want to send a huge "Congratulations" out to my sister Meghan and her husband Dan and our niece Casey! Our new niece Hailey was born yesterday at 3:29 weighing in at 8 pounds 6 ounces! Mommy and Baby are doing fine! Love you Megs!
I was supposed to run 4.5k last night, but at about 2.5k, my right hip really started to bother me. So a took a walk break and then threw in the towel at 4k. Better to use caution at this point then to risk injury before race day. I wish I could explain what the pain is, but I can't. It's a pain in my ass is what it is!
Speaking of race day, trying to come up with the logistics has been a bit of a challenge, to say the least! It is a one way race, and taking the kids down is going to be a challenge as well. Plus, we want to snag a good finish line spot to get good picture of the clinic members finishing!

Tomorrow I will be publishing my A B & C goals so stay tuned!

Monday Round Up

2010-05-10T08:59:00.004-04:00

So this weekend we decided to drive to Mount Forest so Colin could race in a local race called the Trillium 10k.
Me and the kiddies, waiting inside before the race begins out of the rain (it was about 6 degrees, winds from the north at about 25k/h and it was raining. Hard.) Notice the abundance of "stuff" the stroller has. Man, three kids and two adults leave a huge carbon footprint!

Anyways, it was a great day. Colin is preparing to run his second marathon this fall and has some big plans in the next few months. So he is fitting in as many "local" races as he can and is running as often as he can!

And here he comes, in the pouring rain and a new Personal Best of 50:54! Great job baby!

*********************************************************************

When we arrived home, I was so inspired by my hubby's performance, I decided to head out for a run of my own. Turns out I was more inspired than I thought, because I ended up running 6k instead of my planned 4.5! But I felt good with my 10 & 1's and actually stopped running because I ran out of road and, well, it was really raining and cold out. Oh, and it started to snow. Yeah. Snow.

I have another set of 10 & 1's for 4.5k on tap for tonight and Wednesday and then 3k of 10 & 1's on Thursday. I am picking up my race kit on Friday and working on Saturday before the race. Not too smart, but I can't help that! Like I said, I will be post my goals later in the week! So stay tuned!

Foto(s) Friday

2010-05-07T09:15:00.006-04:00

Sydney and Connor getting ready to run in their "first" race!

Sydney the blur on the left hand side. I had to run my butt off (Garmin said 4:46!) to catch her!
Hey Mama, where'd you come from?
Connor and Daddy displaying their medals! Sydney was not so interested!

****************************************************************

Last nights run was a success! Ran 4k in 36 minutes/9k pace! So I feel good going into next week. I think I am going to TRY and go out tonight to run my 10 & 1's for 4.5k. We are VERY busy this weekend with lots of housework and Mother's Day stuff, so I would like to be able to enjoy it and not have to worry about going out to run!

Next week a will be posting my ABC goals ala Marlene so stay tuned!

Three Things Thursday

2010-05-06T09:19:00.002-04:00

Best Laid Plans. I was going to try and squeeze my run in last night before Colin had to go to run club (our weekly babysitter is in Las Vegas "HI MOM") but in true Southern Ontario Fashion at 5pm, the skies opened up into a nice thunder and lightening storm. And while some of my friends (HI MARK) inform me they LIKE running in this weather, I am not one of them. So the plan is: tonight I do my set of 8 & 1's for 4k, Saturday afternoon I will do my 10 & 1's for 4.5 and Monday I will also do my 10 & 1's for 4.5. Then I will be caught up for Run Club next Wednesday! Then it's taper on Thursday, cause my race is on SATURDAY! OMG!
While I am loving my Adrenaline's, my left foot is still bothering me. So I ordered a pair of New Balance 760's that I am going to give a try. Meh, they may or may not work. But since my mileage has started to climb (12k a week haha) my foot has been bothering me more that just those first few minutes of each run. In fact, since my run on Sunday, it has been sore. But I did run a pretty strange route which included four different surface types (Pavement, Concrete, Gravel and Boardwalk) so that may have something to do with it.
I will be working an INSANE amount this month, which I could not be happier about! Our store is going to be having the travelling sidewalk sale, which generally means another whole store is opened up OUTSIDE in the parking lot. It also means that we will be having a lot of deals coming into the store. So if you are in the area you should head on over. From May 19th to the 30th at the Aurora Running Room. And while you're there, look into some of our upcoming clinics (Triathlon anyone ;) )

Have a great day everyone!

Tuesday Afternoon

2010-05-04T14:12:00.002-04:00

........I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way
It doesn't matter to me, chasing the clouds away

(Gotta love the Moody Blues!)

To say I was sore after my run on Sunday might be an understatement. And working a 5 hour shift before AND a 7 hour shift yesterday probably didn't help! Buy my legs feel good today and I am anxious to get out tomorrow and get my last set done before we move on to 10 & 1's! EEK! Where does the time go? I mean, really?

After this clinic, I will be doing training for another 5k race this July: The Rebecca Run for SMA 5k. It is a nice local race that has become very popular. It is also the goal race for the next round of local clinics, so it is going to sell out very fast.

After that, who knows what might happen ;)

Almost Here

2010-05-03T09:32:00.003-04:00

Good Monday morning everyone! Just wanted to say congrats to all my friends who ran a very humid Sporting Life 10k yesterday! Good Job Guys!

We moved on to 8 & 1's on Thursday and I am actually really liking it. My speed is SLOOOOW but that doesn't matter right? I just have to finish the race! Speaking of which, just under two weeks from now is the Hazel 5k in Mississauga! I am really looking forward to this! A 5k with a medal is a rarity, although now it is becoming a bit more common.

Yesterday after work, I decided to run my 8 & 1's. Instead of before. Not the smartest idea. And the route I chose was not ideal, although around here, many aren't! But I finished in just under 37 minutes, so I am hoping on a flatter course I can kick it's butt!

Happy Monday Everyone :)

Three Things Thursday

2010-04-29T08:51:00.002-04:00

I finished up my last set of 6 & 1's for 3.5k last night and it was awesome! Despite some SERIOUS winds, I ran my best yet. It felt really good to have another good run under my belt. Tonight we move up to 8 & 1's! YIKES! But seriously, I am actually not at all nervous about it. I am feeling good and I think it's going to be great! Plus our talk is about cross training, which mean one of my fav people D I will be talking! YAY!
My schedule in May is INSANE! Which means I am working a ton. And running even more. I have been trying to come up with a plan to run one the days that I work, and I think running home from work is going to be what I end up doing. It is just under 5k door to door, and the run is nice this time of year. Just hope the nights I want to run home the weather is good
I am already considering my late summer/fall game plan as well. I wanted to try and see about training for Chilly in March, but I think I am going to aim for a spring 1/2 instead. Maybe. We'll see ;)

What a Weekend

2010-04-26T11:40:00.002-04:00

Saturday morning we celebrated hubby's birthday with a few small gifts and his favorite breakfast: Oven Stuffed Overnight French Toast! It was divine! We then headed to our nieces 4th birthday party and then out to dinner and dessert with friends. By the time Sunday, our real busy day came around, we were already tired.

Hubby ran his half marathon in under two hours, which on this hilly local course, was all he really wanted. He managed to get back in time to watch both Connor AND Sydney run in the Mini Mile (about 250 metres around some trees!). They got their own bibs and medals. And asked if they could do it again!

I ran with our run club while Colin ran his race. 3.2 in 31 minutes. The headwinds on the way back were BRUTAL. I was kicking it but up until that point too. Ugh. I hope that my goal race weather is cool, with no rain or wind lol!

I can't wait to read how everyone else's weekends were!

FOTO Friday

2010-04-23T11:35:00.003-04:00

My boys :)

**************************************************

So last night we moved on to 6 & 1's. I DID IT. It was HARD, but I did it.

An oppourtunity to do the Hartwell 5k Race has come up and I have to decide tonight if I should. It starts at 8:40am, so I can be back in plenty of time to see Connor run his first race! But then there is all the logistics of getting all the kids there, looking after them. I need to decide soon!

It is my hubby's birthday tomorrow. He is the light of our lives and I have been lucky enough to know him for over HALF of mine. I LOVE YOU XO

Three Things Thursday

2010-04-22T13:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Connor went to school for the very first time! He was very excited! And he seemed to like it. Hopefully when he starts in the fall he will still be as enthusiastic.
We are moving onto 6 & 1's tonight. Holy cow, where has the time gone? I cannot believe we are in week six already. The race is just over three weeks away! I am actually really excited!
Yesterday was the appointment with my neurologist. We decided that a second MRI wasn't necessary. Thank you for that! She has given me a presciption that I began taking yesterday. With time, I will be taking it everyday. Hopefully it will help rid me of my headaches!

Tuesday Bullets

2010-04-20T15:26:00.002-04:00

So a friend from work is going to look at my food diary and try to help me make an affordable "healthy eating" meal plan that we can incorporate into our daily life. We all need to start eating more good and less CRAP!
So the plan was to run home from work tonight, but my surgery site is infected and OPENED this morning. Not too badly, but running 4+k might make it worse. So I am going to try and squeeze in a run tomorrow morning while my Mom is here with the kids during my neurology appointment.
Connor's first race is coming up this weekend (along with a 1/2 marathon for dad)! He is pretty excited about it actually. It should be a blast!
Colin has decided NOT to run the Mississauga Marathon after all. Won't get into it, as it is his business, but he is focusing on a Fall Marathon. He thinks he has settled on this one!
Thanks for all the ideas for my Hubby's birthday. The kids are already asking to go and get the cake lol!

Tomorrow is Wednesday! YAY!

I am nuts!

2010-04-19T09:58:00.003-04:00

So since my 5 & 1's on Thursday night went so well, I thought I would run to work on Sunday morning, since I was working.

First, the good news: it went ok, considering it was mostly uphill. 4.1k in 41 minutes. And it felt really good, except my glutes. They hurt. Lots. But I will be running HOME from work tomorrow night which means: All downhill. Ah woohoo!

Now the bad news: did I mention it was all UPHILL. I mean seriously, who decided to live here? Who? Oh right, we did! I guess it means Mississauga will be a cake walk right?

And the ugly: Killer migraine yesterday. One of the WORST that I have had in YEARS. There was nausea, aura, dizziness and the worst pain. I left work a half hour before my shift ended, I couldn't even make it one half hour. Came home and went straight to bed until about seven. Yuck. I have my next neurologist appointment on Wednesday and I am looking forward to finally working on making these more manageable. But you know 25+ years of these things, I am a little skeptical.

Okay guys, I need some help. Hubby's birthday is this weekend and money is tight. I want to do something special for him. Any ideas? He is the best husband and father in the world and I really want him to know how important he is to us! Thanks guys!

Cheater Post Workout Brownies

2010-04-17T18:51:00.011-04:00

So I have been trying hard not to eat "too" much processed crap. Easier said than done. I also wanted to find some sort of Power Bar/Luna Bar/ Clif Bar that doesn't cost three dollars a piece and taste like garbage. This quarters Running Room Magazine had a recipe that I just had to try:

Cheater Post Workout Brownies

The Cast of Characters:
1 Box of Brownie Mix (I used Low Fat, but it doesn't discriminate)
1/4 Cup of Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup of Chocolate or Vanilla Whey Protein Powder (I used a 1/4 cup of each)
1/4 Cup of Ground Flax Seed
2 4.5 oz Jars Sweet Potato Baby Food
1 4.5 oz Jar Strained Prune Baby Food
1 Cup Cashews (Chopped)

1) Throw everything into a bowl and mix until well moistened (about 50 strokes)
2) Pour the batter into a 8 inch square pan and bake in a 325 degree oven for about 50 minutes

3) Cool completely on wire rack in pan
Cut into twelve bars. At this point I now will freeze ten of them and package them individually to eat at a later date. They should be good for up to a month in the freezer
Mmmmmm chocolate brownie goodness!
The details

304 Calories
10g Protein
35 grams carbs
3 grams fibre
14 g fat
121 mg sodium

Enjoy!

Friday Thoughts

2010-04-16T09:02:00.002-04:00

So Friday is here. Friday April 16th. Where is April going? Time is flying by!

So I have to admit, even though it is my fourth time around the block, I am finally feeling good in my current clinic. Sure, it helps that I LOVE my instructor. But for some reason, everything is really clicking this time.

Wednesday night we went out for our last set of 4 & 1's and it really BLEW. I did it and it felt great to finish. But it felt so crappy. I really can't explain it any other way. I hadn't eaten all that great during the day. And I don't think I drank enough water.

So I was pleasantly surprised last night when we moved onto our first set of 5 & 1's. Starting out I was cautious, but I kicked it up and finished up at 28:17 for 3k! WOOHOO! I know it isn't about how fast we run, but I really want to get a PB at the end of this clinic. It may or may not happen. But I want to try!

For anyone who is, has, or is thinking about running, we can all agree on one thing: those first four weeks, you have to stick with it. Because, quite frankly, it isn't all that fun. Your body is getting used to this new activity. You feel like someone is sucking the life out of you with every set. But then something happens. You run one day and everything just "clicks" into place. It is worth the effort, I promise!

Comings and Goings

2010-04-13T14:00:00.002-04:00

Wow, time flies when your having fun!

We are SO BUSY right now. So very busy. I am back to work, and working an average of 20 hours a week. Between that and running, and doing stuff with the kids, we are swamped.

My two sets of 4 & 1's have gone alright. My second set yesterday was not too good, but I finished it. I am looking forward to moving on to the 5 & 1's on Thursday. So that means we are already on to week FIVE. Wow.

I have been thinking a lot about what my goals are going to be this year. I do want to keep running, of course.

Since I am going to be teaching the next Women's Only clinic in May (!) I am going to be keeping it slow. I will then probably go into 5k training and depending on how that goes, go into 10k training. But no Half Marathon training this year. Which I am fine with.

I feel a bit discombobulated today.......I think I need some sleep.

4 & 1's

2010-04-09T13:01:00.001-04:00

Started!

So now it's on to 4 & 1's. Hrmmmmmm. I gotta say, this is where it get tough. Really tough. At this point I think a lot of people want to quit. But not me! I have a goal race that I want to finish in under 45 minutes!

I signed up yesterday and I am really looking forward to it. The only thing I can't figure out is if it has a medal. Anyone know?

I will be heading out early tomorrow morning to do my next run at the store. Since we can't find a sitter for Sunday mornings, Colin runs with his group. I did have some company last week though. Maybe they will join me again!

Wet Wednesday

2010-04-07T11:59:00.001-04:00

It looks like its going to be a wet one around here. We have been spoiled with beautiful weather the past week, so we were bound to get some awful rain in our future. Well, the future is now!

I will be heading out tonight on my own for my last set of 3 & 1's. Tomorrow we move onto: 4 & 1's! I can't put anything by you guys! So far so good, hopefully I make 4 & 1's rock too!

We seem to have another runner in the family. Connor will be running in his very first race on April 25th here in Aurora! It is the Kids Mini Mile at the Run for Southlake (Daddy is running the 1/2 marathon)! He gets his own race kit and medal for finishing! He is very excited! And no, it isn't an actual mile, it is the last 500 Metres of the race course!

Three Things Thursday

2010-04-01T08:34:00.002-04:00

I really need to NOT only post twice a week:

Last night at Run Club we completed our last round of 2 & 1's! Woohoo! This time around I really felt like I didn't do as poorly, and last night I ran my best so far! I always treat any run pretty much like a race. I hate leaving anything out there. So I run my little heart out.
This weekend is Easter. I cannot believe it. It feels like only yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas. Now that April is here, the rest of the year is going to fly by. We are having brunch tomorrow with our family, then Easter Dinner on Sunday at my Mom and Dad's. We also have tomorrow off here in Canada, so that means LONG WEEKEND!
I started back at work on Tuesday night and it was great to be back. I missed working, and I missed my co-workers. And April looks like I will be getting lots of great shifts, so I am very excited!

I hope everyone has an amazing Easter.

Tuesdays Gone Away

2010-03-30T09:01:00.002-04:00

I managed to squeeze in a run this weekend while I was away and it felt pretty good. I decided to take a few days off and will be doing my last set of 2 & 1's tomorrow night at Run Club. Then it's 3 & 1's. Wow. Time flies when you're in pain.......I plan on running at least twice more over this weekend. So hopefully I will be where I want to be sooner rather than later.

Also, I head back to work tonight. Thank God. Not getting paid does not equal good times. And I have a lot of shifts coming up, so I will be back to a regular schedule in no time!

The weather this week is going to be BEAUTIFUL. So I am going to be taking the kids to the zoo tomorrow, which they always enjoy. Plus we have a membership, which is totally worth it.

Happy Tuesday everyone

Three Things Thursday

2010-03-25T13:51:00.003-04:00

1) Well we are moving on to 2 & 1's tonight at clinic. I always get a little nervous when we move on to the next level. So far so good for me. I feel good, I feel really good! Lets hope that it keeps up! It is also Bring a Buddy night and THE SHOE TALK. Oh lord, between a half dozen clinics and working at the store, I could give the shoe clinic myself!

2) The kids have spent the last week at their Grandmother's place, so I have had a nice break. It has been really good! But I miss them and I will be looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow! With spring coming, it means that we can do more outside! So I am hoping we can make it out to the park in the next few weeks!

3) April is already looking to be a VERY busy month for us! I return to work on March 30th and EVERY weekend is booked from now till the end of the month! Another sign the year is moving forward. Less REST DAYS!

Last 1 & 1's

2010-03-24T16:57:00.000-04:00

So with the rain disappearing after a few days, me and Cam Man made our way out for my last set of 1 & 1's this week! Did 2.5 k in 25 minutes, which is right on track. The longer you run, the faster you go, so I am not going to worry too much about my time right now! On to 2 & 1's tomorrow!

Everything feels nice and loose. I find on days that I exercise I am never really hungry. I think I might try to do something everyday, so as to make sure I don't eat myself to death!

And I was down 7 pounds this first week back at it! I love the first week of Weight Watchers. All the crap comes out of your system. Lets hope I can keep it up!

A Goal Race

2010-03-22T16:26:00.002-04:00

So my hubby has talked me into running the Hazel 5k in May as a goal race for the end of this clinic. I wasn't going to run in a race, but I figured why the heck not. We all know that having a race in mind keeps us going out there (most of the time). And with the weather beginning to get nicer, it is going to make it easier to get out and run.

So far so good. The clinic started on Thursday night, and like most Learn to Run clinics, is HUGE! I think that everyone is going to have a lot of fun. Once we are able to leave the parking lot that is :)

And on the Weight Loss side of things I was down 6 pounds this week! YAY! Being back on Weight Watchers always makes me feel more focused. But please, I have to find something else to eat besides SALAD. I am turning into a rabbit over here!

I've Been Cleared - Three Things Thursday

2010-03-18T08:40:00.002-04:00

The title says it all. I have been cleared to run! My appointment went great yesterday! All my tests came back ok, so they didn't find anything in the tissue that needs exploring further. And apparently (turn away if you think you will be embarrassed) the tissue they did remove was 95% mammary tissue. It was all boob baby lol! He told me not to play any contact sports for another month, but that I could return to my regular activity as soon as I feel comfortable. I was just so pleased with the initial outcome of this. It has changed my life already. And there is still a bit of healing left to go!
I went running again last night. 2k in 20 minutes exactly! So yeah, a 10 minute kilometre pace, but hey, I am just starting again right? Hopefully as I get better and things start clicking I will get a bit faster. I would LOVE to be able to run a 7:30 k by the end of the year. Is that too lofty a goal?
I had our niece with us this week for March Break. My sister is due to have her second child in May, but this pregnancy has been difficult for her. So to give her some much needed rest, I have been taking our niece during the day. Let me just say it has been a lot of fun. But there is not way in HELL I could have another child. Three is the PERFECT number!

If you have the time please head over to my BFF's page and take a moment to donate to Nolan's Dream Chasers. It is an amazing cause, one that helps a lot of children enjoy their life during it's most difficult time. Thanks again!

Doing it Right

2010-03-15T18:37:00.005-04:00

In an effort to get back in the saddle, I decided it was time for a new pair of running shoes. My solid, but incredibly worn out Adidas Control 10's needed to be retired.

Any runner out there can attest that when you find a shoe you love, you really should try to stick with it. I have always been an Asics girl (my first two pairs of running shoes were 2120's and 2130's). But then I tried the Control 10's and fell in love. But guess what? That's right, they don't make them anymore. Boo. So, I went to The Running Room here in Aurora (my store, the GREATEST STORE IN THE WORLD!) and had my manager do another gait analysis on my feet. Luckily, my gait was the same. But guess what? The 2140's and 2150's have changed.

WTF.

So, after trying several shoes, I found my new pair:

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10

At first, I have to admit, I was hesitant. They felt great on, but they needed a test drive. So off to the gym I trudged tonight for my first POST OPERATION workout. And guess what?

They are incredible. My feet never felt like this was the first time I had on these shoes. They felt nice and snug and there was a ton of room in the toe box. Plus, my left foot, which has been bothering me for some time, didn't hurt at all. I did 7 sets of 1 and 1's plus ten minutes on the bike.

As for "the girls"? Well, this operation will be changing my life. I was EXHAUSTED by the end of the 15 minutes, but I could breathe. I could breathe. I am pretty sure everyone in the gym thought I was crazy, because I actually burst into tears!

Cross Those Fingers

2010-03-14T16:23:00.002-04:00

After a long week of recuperating and rest I "think" my back is back to normal. I really don't want to go through this again if I can help it.

Man is my fitness struggling though. Back to some light exercises tomorrow. I have a final appointment with my plastic surgeon on Wednesday. If he gives me the OK, I will begin running again on Thursday with the new Learn to Run clinic starting here in Aurora! And I hear the instructor is awesome*! So I am really looking forward to it :) I know that starting over for the....1......2.....3......4th time is going to be daunting, but I am looking forward to the challenge.

I forgot to mention a few months ago I planned out this very intricate running calendar for this year. And next. I am WAY off now. But, I still want to try and up my distance to at least a 10k by the fall. Maybe I can. Maybe I can't. We'll see. Keep your fingers crossed!

* It's my husband LOL!

** I just realized that I had MODERATE ON on my blog and didn't see ANY COMMENTS from the past THREE MONTHS! Thank you everyone for all you kind words and support. I love and appreciate you all VERY. VERY MUCH! And I turned moderate off ROTFLMAO!

Best Laid Plans

2010-03-08T09:35:00.002-05:00

My intended run did not happen. I woke up on Friday morning with a tweak in my back. As the day progressed, it became full on spasms. And I have been having then every day since. I am not going to the doctor because I already know what it happened. I have been doing more than I should have been and the muscles around my back and ribcage can't seem to handle it. Now I can't walk upright and feel like I vice is squeezing my right around the middle.

So now I am depressed that I STILL can't get out there and get going. I am so FRUSTRATED. And the weather is gorgeous this week. I wanted to take the kids out to do some stuff. Now it doesn't look like that will be happening either :(

Yesterday many of my friends and family including my hubby ran the first real "race" of the season here in Southern Ontario. I haven't tried The Chilly Half Marathon yet, but hopefully someday I will! Small Steps! Hubby was 4 SECONDS off his personal best, but he was happy with his time! My BFF got a personal best by more than five minutes. Congrats to everyone that ran and I hope to join you in the future!

I'm Back

2010-03-05T08:52:00.001-05:00

Hello to anyone still out there!

My surgery was, for the most part, a success! Not being able to do any real physical activity is causing me some issues (ie weight gain) but overall I am really pleased. It can take a yeah for everything to settle into place, but I am really happy with the results already.

Tomorrow I will be going out with my Personal Trainer (my husband!) and going for a 3k run. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. He is being so supportive during all of this. I am pretty lucky.

I will be returning to work at the end of the month and going full tilt then. I am hoping to teach the Womens Only Clinic in May, as hubby is teaching the Learn to Run and 5k back to back starting at the end of March. I am also hoping to run a few races into the summer and fall, but I am not so sure how that is going to work out.

Wish me luck on my continued recovery!

This I Know For Sure

2010-02-09T08:53:00.000-05:00

That regardless of what happens, I am already the person I want to be!

Wish me luck everyone!

One Week

2010-02-02T11:50:00.002-05:00

All my ducks are in a row so to speak. Just waiting now for the big day to come.

I had my pre op appointment at the hospital and it went well. Just all the pre stuff and the flow of the operation. It is apparently going to be a painful month and a half after. But the pain isn't really what I am scared of.

Besides that, my world is just fine! I may not get the chance to write on your blogs often but I read them every update. Take care my bloggy friends ;)

Ummmm....So........Hmmmmm

2010-01-21T16:57:00.002-05:00

BOOBS BREASTS KNOCKERS

Ok now that I got that out of the way:

On February 10th I am having a Breast Reduction Surgery. To any and all people that are not into knowing the details, TURN AWAY NOW!

I was basically born with breasts. I'm not kidding. I had my first "training bra" when I was 8 years old. Yes 8. By the time I was ten, if memory serves, I was wearing a 34B.

I am so not kidding.

During high school, I was a 36C, which on my 5'5 135 pound frame looked huge. But I was in high school. I LOVED the attention. Sure, my back hurt ALL THE TIME. Sure I was subconscious and hated buying new clothes. But I dealt with it.

When I put on weight, well you can guess what happened. At my heaviest I was a 44DDD which seems small now. But I was heavy and really didn't notice them since there was weight everywhere.

Before I began having kids, and at my smallest since high school, I became a 40D, which also seems small now. Then I had baby #1. Shortly baby#2 followed. Then baby #3. I am now a 46F. The last straw came this fall, when I was trying to get back into running. I can barely breathe while I run. There is so much WEIGHT on my chest. It is so hard to explain. Forget about the back pain, knee pain and sciatic pain. And the HEADACHES. Literally. It was agony.

So after speaking to my family, my doctor and myself, I decided it was time. Time to change my life for the better.

So that is my news. My big change coming. I hope that it gets me on the path to a better self. Both inside and out.

January Blues

2010-01-14T10:50:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone!

I was down FIVE POUNDS last week! I wish I could say that means I lost 15 pounds overall, but really all it means is that I am back to where I was before Christmas LOL!

Well, is it February yet? Since New Years Day, things just have been so stressful around here. I think that January is like that for a lot of people. Which is why they go away! It seems at every corner there is something else weighing on me, us, our family. Stress is a real trigger of emotional eating for me.

Yesterday was probably the icing on the proverbial cake. Our porcelain stove top CRACKED right down the middle.

FML

I mean really? REALLY?

Work is extremely busy which is good for me, so I have been working a lot too! When February comes I will be off for a few weeks for a surgery. I will talk a bit about that next time though.

In the meantime, I am reading all you blogs and thanks if you've left a comment. It means a lot that people out there are listening.

OH! I totally forgot. So, if you recall, my Garmin busted. So not cool. I sent it back to Garmin's electronics division and apparently the whole unit needed to be replaced. So, I got a brand new Garmin. Score!

Have a great day everyone!

Ugh

2010-01-06T09:34:00.002-05:00

So this past week has not been a pleasant one AT ALL.

Firstly, I did not go to WI this week. I will be going back next week, but I knew I was up and I totally didn't want to pay 17 bucks to know it. I have a free pass to miss a week, so I will use it then.

Moving on from my up, I am having a better week this week. There is hardly a drop of wine or junk in the house, so that is making things a little easier. Tonight I am heading out with the hubby to run hills with his 1/2 marathon group. We'll see how that goes!

I also had a bit of an incident here on the weekend involving a serrated knife. Long story short, always use a cutting board. Managed to cut myself pretty badly and required a tetanus shot. Emergency on a Saturday night =not so much fun!

I am also going to another Yoga class this Friday night. Hopefully it will be as good as the first one!

This is a 1st

2009-12-29T09:36:00.002-05:00

I was down .2 pounds at WI last night. It is the first time in history I lost weight during Christmas!

Tonight I am off to work. Tomorrow I might try to get to the gym to do a class. We'll see. New Years is going to be quiet.

Nothing new to report. Everyone BUT me is sick with a cold. Not too pleasant. When I am the only one that isn't sick, you know it's serious lol!

Enjoy the rest of your week everyone! Be safe!

So no to Bodypump

2009-12-18T11:50:00.005-05:00

But yes to Body Step!

With the help of these little babies I have begun taking classes at Goodlife here in Aurora!

Last night I decided to go to the 5:45 class and see how I liked BodyStep:

Bodystep is the energizing step workout that makes you feel liberated and alive. Using a height-adjusted step and simple movements on, over and around the step, you get huge motivation from sing-along music and approachable instructors. Cardio tracks push fat-burning systems into high gear followed by muscle conditioning tracks that shape and tone your body!

It was so much fun. And challenging. But with some modifications and looking like a real "winner" I got through the ONE HOUR class. At the 15 minute mark I remember thinking I should just leave. But I purposely put myself at the front, so I couldn't sneak out if it became hard! I felt so good when I was done!

Tonight I have decided to take a Bodyflow (yoga) class. I hope I enjoy it just as much!

(I do plan on trying a Bodypump class, but it will have to wait until the new schedule comes out in January!)

So Many Specialists

2009-12-17T15:02:00.002-05:00

So little time!

So in my 30th year, I am seeing more specialists than I ever have in my entire life.

I have a MRI in January for my migraines, and seeing a neurologist. I am seeing a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon to remove some....I hate this word....moles lol! I got ANOTHER xray scheduled to my foot, just to make sure that I didn't break it.

But I discovered something interesting today while at the doctor. Apparently, with my mobility, they are 100% sure that it is all caused from my sciatic nerve. Did you know that is runs all the way down from your back to your foot! So, my foot is bothering me all because of my sciatic nerve! Its awesome! Well not really, but it means I go to physio! YAY!

I just don't want my foot to hurt like this forever. Some days it is unbearable.

And am I crazy to go to a Les Mills Bodypump class tonight? I am so excited!

Down but Not Out

2009-12-16T08:58:00.002-05:00

I was down another pound at WI on Monday night! YAY!

So that is 10.6 total since returning to meetings. I am very pleased. I don't think I have EVER lost weight over Christmas before.

On Monday we talked about Perseverance. What it means and how we use it to be successful in our journey.

One of the tools they tell us to use is to Anchor. So to take something and to use it as an "Anchor" to successful weight loss while we are losing weight.

We are all going to slip up and make bad choices once in a while. But you need to assess why it happened and make sure you know the signs, so the next time you will be prepared.

I talked about how right now being patient is helping me. My first time on this journey, I had lost about 25 pounds at this point! I know, it seems unreal, but it's true. I had two double digit weeks and lost on the high side the other weeks. My week one weight loss was 10 pounds lol!

But time and kids have changed my metabolism. So it is slower this time. And I am ok with that. I want this to be successful. I want to succeed!

Monday

2009-12-14T14:51:00.002-05:00

I am always at a constant battle with myself when it comes to WI Monday. I have my pluses and my negatives.

For one, it keeps me on track during the weekends. Weekends in our life are insane. Constantly going and coming. And now I am working again which brings it's own share of challenges (Starbucks and South Street Burger Company are RIGHT outside the back door). So having the Monday WI stops me dead in my tracks when it comes to any temptations that are put in front of me.

The negatives though........they seem huge.

Weight Watchers needs to be seen as a lifestyle change. Not a diet. The second you start telling yourself that you "can't" have this or "shouldn't" eat that, you are setting yourself up for failure. Before you know it that one cookie you shouldn't have eaten turns into the bag. Or, in my case, not enjoying my weekends with my family because I am so overly concerned with what I am or am not eating is making me miserable.

I didn't put this weight on in a month, it isn't going to come off in a month either.

But by Sunday night, I am so wound tight and dreading WI the next day, I feel horrible.

I am going to stick with Monday WI for the time being. But it has given me something to think about, that's for sure!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-11T10:52:00.004-05:00

First let me apologize for my absence again! I have been busy:

Chocolate Blossoms, Shortbread, Snickerdoodles, Coconut Swirl Brownies, Toblerone Fudge, Rocky Road Fudge and Candy Bar Bars.

Yes, those are BAGELS!

I am afraid that this is just a TOUCH of what I have been up to this week. The kids have helped and we are almost finished. Just a few more goodies, including pies for Christmas Dinner.

I was down again this week. My total weight loss since going back to meetings is 9.6 pounds! WOW! I feel good. And for anyone who is curious, I didn't touch hardly anything. And if I did, I counted it! If you follow the recipes and make sure you make the correct amount, each one is only worth two points. And for some of these, it is worth it. Like the SHORTBREAD. So good.

I also got my Garmin back, all fixed up. I was going to go out and run, but it was way too cold. It was one of those nights I wish we had a treadmill or elliptical. Hopefully it get a but warmer so I can get out a few more times before the New Year!

Something BIG on the Horizon

2009-11-27T16:04:00.002-05:00

Wow wow wow.

A lot has been going on here in my little part of the world. It's always an exciting time around here.

I am heading back to work in December! My first shift is on December 6th. I am VERY excited. I will also be working on Boxing Day so extra money there!

My second week on WW has been interesting. I do not expect a loss nearly as good as last week, but that is to be expected.

In February, there is a big change a coming to me! No I am absolutely NOT PREGNANT again (and if you did the math, you'd know that was true). I may or may not post about it at all here, it is very personal, but it is a HUGE part of who I am now. So wait and see!

Week 1 WI

2009-11-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

Down 5.4 YAY!

I want to lose 2 pounds this week! Wish me luck!

Nothing really new to report here. I am still waiting on my work schedule so I have no idea when I will be working next week. Hopefully I will know soon enough!

Have a great day everyone!

Doing what is right for me vs. what is right for US

2009-11-19T09:41:00.003-05:00

Maybe it isn't the best name for this post, but something has to give.

I am going back to work in December because well, I just can't stay at home with the crappy benefits I am getting. I am also excited though, because it will get me out of the house for some me time!

On the other side of things, I feel so GUILTY going back to work early. I had to do the same with Sydney, because I didn't qualify for benefits. And I don't remember alot of her between three months and a year, because I worked so much. Even though I stay home during the day with them, we are always so busy!

Then there is Weight Watchers. In 2005 when we first started our journey, it was so much easier. I tried to do the online Weight Watchers, and it didn't work. You have to be accountable to someone other than yourself. So I took the very last of my birthday money and went back to meetings on Monday. My starting weight is horrible, and it's exactly 20 pounds heavier than I was when I went back after Sydney was born. But so far this week, it has been great. Even with having to go to a work event on Tuesday evening.

So in the grand scheme of things I look at it like this:

Going back to work early, although not ideal, will help to provide for our family
Spending some little extra on the Weight Watchers meetings instead of online will help with my health and well being in the long run. Which means I will be around longer to be with my kids.

Does any of that make any sense lol? Who knows. Sometimes you just have to say it out loud!

Not Much New To Report

2009-11-16T14:27:00.003-05:00

We had a quiet week last week with the kids away at Grandma's. Which was probably a good thing because we were both so SICK!

So really running and almost all activity has taken a downward spin. Which I find odd since I was on such a roll. I will try to get back into things this week.

Some that know me IRL know how much I like photocards. Basically I take any info for a party/birth announcement/holidays and send them to Lindsay at Grace Announcements. We went to high school together and she is a Momtreprenuer, so I am always happy to send her my things and she send back some really amazing product. I entered into a contest on her website and WON! Which is awesome lol! So I will be able to choose any design from the 2009-2010 holiday collection and I will be getting 50 cards for free! How awesome is that?

YAY ME!

2009-11-09T10:29:00.004-05:00

My very very bestie Marlene and hubby Colin threw me a "surprise" 30th birthday party this past weekend. And it was an amazing time. Dancing, singing, partying down, copious amounts of food and drink. And a good time was had by all. The people I love most in the world were there and it was incredible.

So thank you so much everyone! Here is to at least 30 more years lol!

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In other news, my two oldest are spending the week at their Grandma's place. So that means it is just me and the littlest dude. Which is a good thing because I am sick :(

Just a cold, but I am still feeling under the weather, so it will be nice to relax a little, and not have to chase little ones around the neighborhood. The weather is BEAUTIFUL so I may venture out for a walk later.

Garmin is still dead as dinner. I tried calling the Garmin technical support. I think I am going to have to "write a letter" lol. Nah, I am calling Customer Service this afternoon. Wish me luck!

My Poor Garmin

2009-11-05T07:27:00.002-05:00

So last Wednesday while on the way to Run Club, the mode button on my Garmin 305 seemed to be empty i.e. there was nothing to push. But I did manage to get it working and went on my way.

Fast forward to Sunday. It didn't work. At all.

Le Sigh. I live and BREATH by this thing. Why oh why is it broken NOW.

I need a new Garmin if I can't get it working. I'll add it to "my list".

But you read that right, I ran on Wednesday, Sunday and again last night. Tonight I am going back to start 4 & 1'S! Wow. I never thought I would make it this far.

The Naughty List

2009-11-03T12:53:00.002-05:00

I've been a bad girl.

So not only has my fitness been lacking in the past few weeks, but I have also been slipping up in the food department. Big time.

I have a list of things that I can never bring into the house. Ever. And they have been plentiful in the past few weeks.

Baked Goods, including brownies, cakes, fresh breads, bars, scones and biscuits. I can eat three tea biscuits without even flinching. If I see it there, I will eat it. Easy to grab.
Regular Soda. While I do drink Diet Coke, my preferred poison is actually good old Coca Cola. So good. And oh so bad.
Chocolate, of any kind. I mean, anything. Even those 100 calorie packs and bars are bad for you when you eat six at a time.
Kraft Dinner. It's basically the devil. I can eat one box no problem. In fact, I just did.

But there are things that I can keep in the house and it really doesn't bother me all that much.

Peanut Butter/Nutella. This is a real problem for a lot of people. But we have a 2 pound tub of PB in the cupboard that I don't even look at. While I do eat it, I have never really cared for it all that much. Same with Nutella I am afraid. Just doesn't float my boat.
Candy. You know things like jujubes, jelly beans, Sour Keys etc. Anything WITHOUT chocolate. I cannot stand the stuff.
Alcohol. Now don't get me wrong, I can get my drink on. And I have. But once I got my post pregnancy binging out of the way, I have had a bottle of my favorite wine on the wine rack that I haven't touched.

I need to get back on track. Once I go back to work in December, I am going to be seriously lacking in free time.

Sigh...................

Thursday Randomness

2009-10-29T08:06:00.002-04:00

Went for a run last night at the Running Room. Did six set of 2 & 1's and it was hard. Moving on to 3 & 1's on Friday!
While I was there, I tried on the Resolution Run Jacket. So nice. So pretty. So signing up and getting one!
Speaking of The Running Room, I will be going back to work in December now. First I was going to wait until March, then January. But it has become clear, I need to go back ASAP. I am actually really looking forward to it. Plus, you know, working makes you money!
I cannot stop watching Twilight. I am obsessed with these films and books. Is there something wrong with me?
I cannot believe it is the end of October. Where did 2009 go?
I will be 30 on Sunday. Holla!

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Good News

2009-10-27T13:10:00.003-04:00

NOT A STRESS FRACTURE!

Although they can't say for sure, I just bruised a bone. So I can resume running immediately. Since I want to do it right, I will be going to Run Club tomorrow night to resume the 2 & 1's properly with a clinic group. Then on Friday it is onto 3 & 1's. Gulp!

In other news, I have really been giving our Wii Fit a run for it's money. And I found the Wii Fit Plus I bought earlier in the summer, while I was pregnant and have been doing even better. I even turned my Wii Bank BRONZE. It means I have done 1o hours of exercise on the Wii Fit! Woohoo. I am determined to do at least 30 minutes a day! My only complaint is that with new Wii Plus, it is taking my weight in kilos instead of pounds. Which is a pain.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week. Take care everyone!

Awwwww Man

2009-10-25T18:12:00.002-04:00

As some may have noticed, my running has come to a bitter stand still this past week.

I felt really good on Monday and decided to head out on Wednesday. I barely got to the end of my drive way when I felt a twinge in my left foot.

Damn.

I decided not to risk even trying, since I had come pretty far quick and didn't want to injure myself if I had indeed done something.

I have been working out on our Wii Fit and the top left hand side of my left foot is VERY SORE.

I think I might have a stress fracture.

Damn Damn.

Now money being what it is, I don't want to go to a sports clinic. Just don't have the available funds right now. So I guess I could go to emergency. But it really isn't an emergency. Don't get me wrong. My foot hurts all the time. But it is more nagging than painful. And it only hurts after I exercise. Or walk. Or run.

Damn Damn Damn

Do we have clinics in the GTA that also do x-rays? And when on earth would I find the time to go and get it done. And the last place I want to be right now is anywhere NEAR an emergency room (H1N1 anyone?).

Now I wait and see what happens. I just don't know what the answer is?

Mom's Worst Nightmare

2009-10-23T11:02:00.003-04:00

Let me just start by saying this post has nothing to do with running or weight loss. So I warned you.

If you are reading, and you know me in real life, you know I have a fear of........wait for it.......vomit.

Yes, I said it. I know most of you think I am nuts, but it is a real fear. I am afraid of it like some are afraid of spider, of water, of FLYING. It is so far reaching and so strange. I can trace it back to a nasty preschool incident, but I digress.

Myself, besides morning sickness (which DOESN'T BOTHER ME, yes weird I know), I have had the stomach flu maybe a dozen times in my entire life. And since I was 18 I have been sick three times. But once it was food poisoning, so that doesn't count.

The most recent time was this summer. A nasty little bug made its rounds in our family, extended and all. It lasted from one to another about FIVE weeks and it was not pleasant. Like it ever is.

Anyways, this morning my oldest gets up and seems a ok. He sits in his highchair, eats his yogurt.............

you can guess what happened next.

I cleaned him and his chair up, gave him some juice and away he went. Almost three hours later, he seems just fine.

And in the meantime I am having a full on anxiety attack. I knew when I had kids that I would be dealing with this. And especially now since they are SO CLOSE in age. But I am still feeling incredibly anxious that it is going to happen again. And again. And so on.

I think I need a psychiatrist.

If you made it this far, thanks for listening.

Happy Hump Day

2009-10-21T12:29:00.002-04:00

Wednesday is here. Things are good.

While it looks like the skies may open at ANY moment, I am going out to do my last (gulp) set of 2 & 1's this evening. I didn't think I would be able to do 2&1's but I am! While Saturday was hard, I am still really pleased with how everything went. So I felt comfortable to go out Monday and do 9 sets of 2 & 1's. While I was slower, I still managed to do it and feel great!

So tonight I am going to do 10 sets. Then on Friday it is on to 3 & 1's. Can I do it? We'll see I guess.

In other news, my Mom was getting sick of all my complaining, so she went out and bought me an ELECTRIC CAN OPENER! Yay Mom! Thank you so much. Now it shouldn't take me five years to make anything anymore!

Speaking of can openers, opening cans means lots of sodium in our foods, which mean water retention. Eating on a budget doesn't leave much wiggle room for fresh beans and homemade soups! Any ideas out there?

And finally I made this and this last night for dinner. So good, and so bad!

Run4Rett Race Report

2009-10-17T22:05:00.004-04:00

I love the local races. They are always manned by some amazing volunteers. They are usually on the smaller side, so there isn't a lot of congestion at the start. And most of all, they are just plain FUN!

Hubby and I trekked out to pick up our amazing race kits on Friday night. I cannot stress enough, they were spectacular! Then we got home, got our things together for our race and headed to bed!

Since the event didn't begin until 10:30 and our own race wasn't until 11:15, we didn't have to race out of the house too early. We arrived at the site around 10 and met up with framerly (Friends that I consider family. I think I am going to trademark that!). It was COLD. REALLY COLD. But at 10:30, the 1k family run started, and it was nice to see some of the kids that the event was helping, along with their parents and families.

By the time 11:15 came, I thought my hands would fall off. But I immediately got into a comfortable pace and set off. The race was through a local community park, and there was some nice scenery to see while we went.

Usually the first 1k in any race for me is tough. But this time, it almost seemed impossible. I was so tired from being sick this week that I really wasn't sure if I could do it. I really had to treat this as "just another run" and not a race.

By the time I had hit 3k, I was comfortable and just wanting to finish. It was a hard run, and I know now why The Running Room's Learn to Run program starts so slow (24 minute runs per set of). 5k at 2 & 1's was TOUGH.

The last 500 metres was actually really great. Colin had finished and was with Sydney who gave me a high five as I passed, then ran with me where I ran it in to all my family waiting. Especially my Mom and Dad, who came out for the 1ST TIME EVER. I hope they can make it to more races in the future!

So now the results:

43:56
8:48 per kilometer

New PR baby! I was so pleased and SO SHOCKED. It was such a tough run. But I did it.

Not only did I have a good day but one half of our BFF placed FIRST in his age group! Woohoo. And COLIN also placed first in his age group! AWESOME. I was so PROUD of him. And another couple placed second in THEIR age groups! All around, it was an incredibly successful day for all of us.

I know I said that this would probably be my last race before New Year's. But I think I am going to try and run 1 more. Stay tuned to see what I decide!

It has not been a good week

2009-10-15T16:40:00.002-04:00

All around, this one was a write off.

I have been so sick this week. Belly aching, not being able to move ten feet from the toilet awful. Luckily, no one else seems to be suffering the same fate as I. Unluckily, it has wiped me out.

I had the best intention of running today. I got up this morning and felt.........ok. But as the day progressed, I started feeling weaker. I cannot believe how tired I feel.

Anyways, I need to get a little better. But since I have a race on Saturday, I need to have some goals. I have three:

C Goal - Just finishing. No personal best time, no upright, crawling if I have to. But JUST FINISH.

B Goal - Running 2 and 1's finishing around the same time as I did at Scotia 48:11 or so.

A Goal - Running 2 and 1's and finishing in 45 minutes.

Whatever happens, I just want to finish.

Now I just want to go to bed.

Ugh

2009-10-13T20:18:00.002-04:00

So too much merryment and food this weekend.

I feel really sick today. I couldn't get put of bed and spent three hours sleeping after Colin came home.

So I am eating a bit and hoping for a good nights sleep. I am going to try and make my way out tomorrow morning.

Best laid plans......................

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T11:57:00.011-04:00

Just a few of the things I am thankful for!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

A Good Playlist

2009-10-11T11:11:00.003-04:00

I have become aware that I just cannot run without some music. That may change in the future, but right now it is sometimes the only motivation that I have to get going. I have tried to make my own play lists, but I just end up loading my iPod with songs that I love. Before I know it my play list is 200+ songs (yes, we have a lot of music). And then I end up skipping through them while running. It slows me down and it is such a pain in the butt!

I finally caved and asked hubby to build me a play list. C is also a music runner. He has only run 1 race without it. He is just a lonely runner lol. So he went to work and made me an AMAZING play list for this last week of 1 & 1's:

1979 - The Smashing Pumpkins
I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
Lazy Eye (Jason Bentley Remix) - Silversun Pickups
Everlong - Foo Fighters
LoveGame - Lady GaGa
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce
Waking Up In Vegas - Katy Perry
4 Minutes - Madonna
If You Seek Amy - Britney Spears
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon
Dare - Gorillaz

This play list is about 45 minutes long and it is AWESOME. First of all, he knows me way to well. I couldn't even put a play list like this together and it is perfect. When Lazy Eye came on, I actually started laughing because it is my FAVORITE song and it came in at the hardest part of the run for me (at about 1k I always want to quit).

Today I even caught myself singing along OUT LOUD. I am not sure what the 70 year old lady I ran by thought a "Disco Stick" was lol!

Thanks baby!

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So 1 & 1's are done. Wow. I didn't think I would be able to do it. But I did! Now it is on to 2 & 1's. And I don't think I can do it!?! Can I? We'll see I guess.

Adventures in Low Fat Cooking and My First 1 & 1's

2009-10-06T19:53:00.006-04:00

While making Couscous Salad this evening, I had one of many battles with our manual can opener. It did not want to give me my chick peas. I begged and pleaded. I had no choice, the can needed to be destroyed.........

Needless to say, I think I want an electric can opener for Christmas!

I have also come up with an incredibly appropriate breakfast. I love pumpkin, but have yet to find a pumpkin recipe that wasn't high in fat and calories (Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake anyone). And they no longer make the sugar free Pumpkin Spice Latte syrup at Starbucks (BOOOOO!) So in desperation for my pumpkin fix, I mixed a quarter of a cup of Pumpkin pie filling into my morning oatmeal. The result? Yummy Pumpkin goodness, that's what! I eat it often and I love it. I find it very filling. Unfortunately if you aren't a oatmeal lover, it may not be for you!

I also tried my hand at making Baked Beans. They didn't turn out too bad either, just a little on the dark side. I said dark, not burnt!

If anyone has any low cal/cheap/low budget recipes they want to share, please do! I especially need to keep it on the down low this month, money is VERY tight.

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I ran my first set of 1 & 1's tonight and it felt great. My ankles are sore while I run, but I need a new pair of shoes. Hoping to get to the beginning of November when hubby's Running Room discount kicks back in for his clinic (I lose my discount while I am on Mat Leave. Nice eh?). I didn't feel too tired, but I took it slow. Next time out is Thursday!

Monday Blahs

2009-10-05T15:35:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the great comments ladies! Your confidence in me will get me out the door tomorrow. Is it hard somedays? Yes. But it is worth it in the end.

I have the Monday blahs. You all know them. You feel like you got no rest all weekend. You are expected to take on the week head on, with no real idea how. All you want to do is stay in bed. Or go back to bed. And no matter how hard you try, there is no amount of coffee in the world that is going to keep you awake past 7:00pm!

Weigh in was this morning......and we're moving on.............

Tomorrow I have my 1 & 1's to look forward to. I am kinda nervous actually. I ran fast out of the gate on Sunday, so I have to keep myself slow and steady. I just want to GO NOW LOL!

Hopefully making dinner (homemade turkey burger and sweet potato with broccoli) will wake me up a bit. If anyone is in the neighbourhood, I take my coffee with two cream and one sweetener! THANKS!

Small Steps

2009-10-04T14:01:00.002-04:00

After what I felt was a successful second race, I decided that maybe it was time to see if I could start running again.

On Tuesday I went out in the pouring rain and ran 1 minute/walked 2 minutes for 30 minutes (10 sets). It felt good. So I also did the same on Thursday and today. I am pleased to report that besides some minor aches it felt REALLY GOOD.

So, that being said, it's on to 12 sets of 1 & 1's on Tuesday. I even have hubby making me a play list that will get me through.

I won't lie to you. I have HUGE long term goals in mind here. But I don't want to get ahead of myself and I don't want to push my luck. So, my first long term goal is to actually RUN the Resolution Run on December 31st. I have no speed goals or another PR in mind. I just want to do 10 & 1's and feel good once I finish!

I hope everyone wore their jeans on Friday!

Lee Denim Day

2009-10-01T10:11:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take today and make everyone out there aware of a cause that is close to my heart. It is actually a cause close to EVERYONE’S HEART!

Right now, Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian Women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer). In 2009 an estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Of those, 5400 will not survive their battle. That is an estimated 437 cases a week, 104 of which will be fatal.

1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In 1996 Lee National Denim designed Lee Denim Day. It is a simple philosophy: 1 day 1 cure. On October 2nd, I would like to encourage all the women out there reading this to wear their favourite pair of jeans and think about someone who is fighting their battle with breast cancer.

But it isn’t only women. Men also are encouraged to participate and to get involved.
Someday I hope that we can all live in a world where ALL cancer has been eliminated. That would be my greatest wish!

Scotiabank 5k Race Report

2009-09-29T19:45:00.004-04:00

After a raucous night of partying (and WAYYYYYY too much wine on my part), we headed down to the Race Expo first thing Saturday morning. We quickly found a parking spot and headed into the EXPO. We were promised a much larger expo than last year, but I have to say, I was disappointed. The SPACE was larger, but the expo was about the same size. I also didn’t see a lot of familiar faces, even at The Running Room booth.

We headed home and I slept off the night before for a few hours. Then I made a yummy pasta bake for hubby, since he would be running the Half Marathon. Then we got our gear organized and off to bed we went!

We woke up several times during the night with little Cam Man, so our wakeup call was not necessary. We rolled out of bed, hoped in the car and made it to our parking spot by 6am. After checking our bags in what seemed like the world’s longest lines (1-7000 and 7001+) we roamed around Nathan Phillips until hubby went to his starting corral. I snagged a spot and watched the start. I love watching the beginning of races. It is so cool. Once I spotted hubby, I ran to the shuttle bus that would take the 5ker’s to Exhibition Place, where our race would be starting from.

I quickly ran off the bus and ran out to the race course to see if I could see my BFF Marlene, and of course, hubby. I did see hubby, but not M L I guess she was just too fast for me! I ran to the OTHERSIDE of the course and managed to see M’s hubby, who was so in the zone (he finished the half in 1:33). I saw my hubby and gave him a high five before heading to the start corrals.

As much as I appreciate that they wanted to give the 5ker’s their own race experience, I did not like the start of this race. There were 4252 participants. Of those, I am sure half we walkers. And I am going to use the term WALKERS loosely here. It took me 7 minutes to cross the finish line. The Elites had finished the first kilometre before I even began to MOVE down the chute. And once I did cross, it took me until at least 2k to get into my groove. Most people were strolling, not walking. Everyone races their own race. I understand that of course. But a lot of these walkers weren’t racing. Some seemed to be strolling, almost leisurely. It was frustrating to get out of that type of crowd. But I managed!

I had a goal in mind of 45:00 minutes, but the congestion at the beginning really hindered that goal. So, I changed it to 48:00 minutes and pushed as hard as I could. I did find the race difficult, especially the last 500 metres. Coming in with the marathoners was a real rush. I pushed and managed to finish upright and smiling:

Gun Time: 55:38.9
Chip Time: 48:11.6
Pace: 11:08
Category: W25-29
Category Place: 380/473
Gender Place: 1898/2771

A HUGE IMPROVEMENT over my 5k time in August and a new PR! I felt good after, but was sore all day Monday. But some stretching did a body good.

Today I actually went out and did eight sets of walking 2 minutes and running 1 minute! And it felt great. I am not going to push myself too hard, but I have to say. It feels great to be getting back to my old self!

I also wanted to mention my new personal hero (who am I kidding, she has always been a hero of mine!) Marlene. She worked her ass off this summer and shaved over 16 MINUTES off her Marathon finish last year. It was so rewarding for me, as her friend, to see her cross the finish line. She looked great and I could tell she felt better. I am so incredibly proud of her accomplishment and cannot wait to see what she has planned next. She will continue to inspire me, I am sure of it!

I would also be remiss in not mentioning hubby, who also finished his third half a strong 2:03. While it was not a PR for him, he was happy to finish well and will be running one more half this fall to see about a new PR before he begins his Half Marathon clinic in November in Aurora (at The Running Room, so come on down and register people!)

Something to Talk About

2009-09-21T09:50:00.002-04:00

Cause I got nothing......well that isn't true.

I managed to find a dress in Buffalo, although I am not entirely pleased with it. It's nice, but I had an idea of what I wanted and I couldn't find it down there. The selection wasn't as great as I thought it would be!

My next 5k is this Sunday, but I don't think I am going to find the time to worry too much about it. With the wedding Friday, brunch and picking up our race kits Saturday it will be here before we know it.

Notice I said "our" race kits! Hubby decided to run the half marathon. He is teaching the Half Marathon Clinic at our Running Room this November which is HUGE! He is so excited, and he wanted to get another half under his belt.

I wish I could say things are going to be calming down, but with OCTOBER on the horizon (where did 2009 go?) things are only going to get busier from here on out!

Getting Carried Away

2009-09-15T13:13:00.002-04:00

Our first social function since the baby was born is coming up and I think I am getting a little excited about it.

First is the dress, which I will be purchasing this weekend in Buffalo. Why Buffalo you ask? Ahhh, cross boarder shopping! The price is right, as even with gas, I found some great dresses in my size online for over half the price it would cost here in Canada. And I also get to spend a day with my Mom and sister, which I don't think we have done in years. If ever.

Next is the "maintenance". All the waxing and plucking. Then is the hair. I am excited about it all. I felt so crappy the last few months that I am looking forward to having some work done and partying my butt off!

But it will be fun. And how often do we get dressed up with good friends and have fun nowadays. Not often enough!

The Sun Comes Up......

2009-09-10T09:19:00.002-04:00

On another day.

Firstly, let me apologize for the blatant pity post from yesterday. But I am sure that anyone that has ever had a baby knows that 4+ hours of crying can really drive you mad.

But that was it and he was a doll for the rest of the night! He was cranky, but in much better spirits.

Secondly a friend was having a much harder day then I could ever imagine, and reached out to me. Thank you for that. I hope that you are waking up with the sun this morning too.

I didn't go for my walk last night. Laundry piled up and the kiddies needed baths so we did that instead. But tonight, I will be walking at least 4k, if time allows!

My feet are still in pretty bad shape. I haven't been able to tape them yet, so I am not sure if that is going to work. I am going to try the Vaseline/body glide trick tonight. Hopefully it will help a little. I have never experienced blisters this bad!

Good Day Bad Day

2009-09-09T16:20:00.002-04:00

Some days are good days. Some days are bad days.

Today is one of my very bad days.

It didn't start out bad. Not at all. Hubby made me coffee before shuffling off to work, the kiddies slept in until almost eight, and woke up delightful and eager to start the day. They ate ALL their breakfast and played outside.

But then it was nap time.

Sydney went down fine. Connor did not. At all. Screaming, throwing things. I want this. No I want that. But he finally settled.

And the real fun began.

Cameron, my sweet, quiet, well behaved four week old has not. stopped. screaming. He is crying as I type in fact. He thinks he's hungry, but isn't. He thinks he needs his bum changed, but he does not. He wants to be put down. Nope, he wants to be picked up. Connor and Syd are doing there best to help me out, but even they seem upset that he is so upset.

Ahhhhh the joys of motherhood.

Needless to say, we were supposed to go for a walk after dinner. All I want to do is sit on my butt and eat. Stress is such a trigger for me.

Wait. Silence finally. He is asleep!

Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day.

Small Changes

2009-09-07T09:28:00.003-04:00

I have been getting some flack in real life over the fact that, only four weeks postpartum, I am watching what I eat and drink and am exercising.

I can understand some peoples worries and that they don't want me to push myself too hard in the beginning. And I can promise them, I am not. There are a lot of factors that went into my decision to jump right back into my old routine:

1. Bad habits die hard: While I can proudly say I only gained 19 pounds this pregnancy, I was heavier when I found out I was pregnant. So I had some extra weight on my frame to begin with. And for me, pregnancy is like a switch. Off goes the healthy eating switch and on goes the "eat whatever the hell I want switch". And I didn't want to continue that frame of mind for the six weeks prior to having the baby.

2. My pregnancy was rough. Especially the last five weeks. I was practically bed ridden (who am I kidding, I WAS bed ridden). I couldn't even look after my kids properly. I felt out of sorts and nothing like myself. I felt defeated and guilty because I didn't want the baby to come so I could meet him, I wanted him to come because I was miserable and wanted it all to be over with. Which leads me to.........

3. I felt fantastic after he came. Truly. Within 3 days I was at a baby shower and I was able to walk 5k only after two weeks. I was already starting to feel like me again. And that is exactly what I needed.

4. It goes with out saying, but my kids are probably the biggest reason I decided to jump back into the deep end so soon. I want to be a good role model and I want to live to see them get married and have kids of their own. I know, it sounds so cliche. But it's true. I have been reminded to frequently in the past few months and years how short life is, and how taking it for granted could be the biggest mistake you will ever make.

So while in the grand scheme of things, these seem like big changes to the people around me, to me they are small. And totally worth it!

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Speaking of changes, there is one to my fall schedule. I am no longer going to be able to do the November Whitby race. My hubby is going to be teaching the 1/2 marathon clinic starting November 20th (yay). But their first "long" run is on the same Sunday. He is also running the Road2Hope 1/2 marathon on November 1st (my 30th birthday!) so Angus Glen is out as well. It's not so bad though. I still have the rest of the races to look forward too.

Toronto Women's 5K Race Report

2009-08-31T08:42:00.007-04:00

We woke up a little late on Saturday morning, due to the fact the off button on the alarm got hit instead of the snooze button. Luckily both hubby and I are always organized the night before. So we were able to just get up and go!

After a quick stop to get some coffee, we drove down to Eglington/Leslie and to Sunnybrook Park, where the event was taking place. We made our way to the start and managed to find my BFF Marlene and a friend, who she was pacing. After some pictures, a quick potty break and a good luck kiss from hubby, I headed to the back of the start line. Since I was walking the race, and there were at least 500+ ladies, I didn't want to get in the way

The gun (or horn) sounded promptly at 8 and we were off! Here I am crossing the start line:I had no real goals going into the race except to finish.......but as I got going, I felt great. And I thought that maybe I could possible beat my personal best in a 5k. My first 2k felt good. I passed a few of my fellow walkers, as the runner were also making their way back around to finish their own races. I saw some familiar faces on my way back, which felt great.

We continued onto the turn around and soon came to the only water station on the course, manned by firefighters! While they weren't in full uniform (bummer) they were still not so hard on the eyes! I managed to stop for a photo at their request (very cool) and began to make my way back to the start (or finish?).

A familiar problem made itself known at about 3k. No matter what distance, around the halfway point of EVERY race I have participated in, it rears it's ugly head.

Blisters.

I have two "hot spots" and both were up to their usual tricks. And it started to slow me down. But when I hit 4k and saw I was quickly being gained on, I really began to pick up the pace. With just a few hundred metres to go, I rounded the corner and saw the finish line. I was joined by M, and began to run a few metres with her. She brought me in and I finished a strong 51:07:04 (chip time 50:19:01). I DESTROYED my previous personal best by over 4 minutes.

I grabbed some grub (including chocolate....yummy) and got a celebratory photo:

Overall, I was really happy with my finish. I think I could have been under 50 minutes if I hadn't had my feet flare up. I really need to find a way to stop blisters. Anyone?

Up next, The Scotiabank 5K on September 27th. Again, I have no real goals except to finish. But we'll see what happens!

Another Crazy Idea...........

2009-08-26T11:43:00.002-04:00

......from the mind of Sarah!

So I have decided, after talking with hubby, that I will not be running again until at least January. There are many reasons why, but mostly, I don't want to risk injuring myself right now. Especially with three little babes to look after. But I do want to get my walking back to where it was. I was able to walk a half marathon the fall before I found out I was pregnant with Cameron.

So in an effort to keep myself accountable (at least in the exercise department) I have decided to walk in a "race" for every month the rest of the year!

Now before everyone gets excited I have no real intention of racing these races. They are simply there as a reminder that I cannot sit on my butt every night when Colin comes home from work. So, the races are as follows:

Toronto Women's 5k
Scotia Waterfront Marathon 5K
Run4Rett
Whitby Waterfront Races 5k
Resolution Run

All are 5k races and my only goal is to complete them BEFORE they close the course!

I was also pleasantly surprised to discover I have returned to my pre-pregnancy weight before Cam! At only 2 weeks post partum that is nice. It's nice to fit into my old clothes already!

Getting back to my "old" self and some INSPIRATION

2009-08-21T11:20:00.002-04:00

Well, only little over a week later and I "think" things are starting to fall back into place. The kids are acting a little strange, but otherwise they have enjoyed having their Dad around this week. And so have I. But he is back to work on Monday. Boo.

I am starting to worry about my sanity concerning the race next weekend. When I signed up I thought that I would be much further along in my recovery so it wouldn't be a problem. Alas, the little man decided to wait it out, I was induced (which presents a whole set of other issues) and I am still not feeling great. I wanted to get out and walk at least one 5k route before the race, but I don't think I will be able to accomplish that. Plus, in looking to the race rules, it appears that they are not allowing iPods............ugh. I know, I know, you can use them, but I always feel like I will be the one that gets a DQ because I didn't follow the rules.

Bottom line, I have an hour to finish and I am determined to do at least that. Finish.

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I could use some help from the few of you that are still out there reading. I need some inspiration.........most of you follow so many blogs, it is pretty hard to decide which to follow myself. So what I want to know is, what are your favs? I read from my blog roll everyday, but I would love to read some more! Let me know in comments which blogs you can't live without!