Happy Thanksgiving

Just a few of the things I am thankful for!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

A Good Playlist

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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......

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

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

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

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...........

......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

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!

He's Here.............

I am pleased to announce the arrival of Cameron David Macdonald

Cameron made his appearance on August 12th, 2009 at 6:23pm after being induced (which was not in the original plan!) He was a healthy 9 pounds 3 ounces and 21 inches long. It was awesome and we are all home now enjoying our time together!

And if you can believe it, I already have a race lined up! I will be walking the Women's Only 5K here in Toronto on August 29th. I have an hour to complete it, which is all I am aiming for.

I also will be walking the Run4Rett on October 17th. I will have started my Learn to Run clinic by then, but I wanted to participate in this one too!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their summer, regardless of the weather so far. Some have had it too hot, some have had to deal with nothing but rain! But it looks to be shaping up to be a very nice summer for the remainder!

I'm Still Here.........

And still pregnant!

But the time is coming that soon this will be over, a new bundle of joy will be here to love........and I will have some work to do!

There isn't much of a game plan at this point, except I will be going back to the beginning in October and joining the Learn to Run at The Running Room. After that, who knows. Apparently my husband wants to "whip me into shape" so we will see how that goes. If anyone knows Colin, know I am scared LOL!

I read all of you everyday, although I don't get much time as the kiddies get older. But I am here!

Have a Happy Weekend, Fathers Day and Summer! I will update again once baby is here!

Around the Bay 30k - The Spectators Report

A RUNNING POST?

I know, what a complete shock!

Yesterday was they Around the Bay 30k Road Race in Hamilton Ontario. 115 Years young and the oldest road race in North America (older than Boston). I always had delusions of actually running this race last fall. But then I found out I was pregnant and that went out the window! But my hubby and some good friends were running, so I got to go and watch.

We were up and out of the door pretty early, as both me and hubby seem to have a chronic fear of being late!! After a quick stop for coffee and a bagel, we were off to Hamilton. The weather was rainy and windy, but it wasn't nearly as cold as it looked like it could be. We managed to snag a parking spot two blocks from Copps Coliseum and made our way into the arena.

The biggest race that I have been to besides ATB was the Scotiabank Marathon/Half Marathon last fall in Toronto. And I was participating, so I didn't get to be on the spectators side. But as I watched everyone trudge into Copps soaking wet, I was actually really relieved I wasn't out there. It was going to be a wet day.

We met up with our good friends M&M who were also running and watching respectively! I also got to meet Mel from over at 2nd Chances! And she is just as sweet in person! After some standing around.........and some more standing around, it was time for the runners to head out to the start line. Once the bulk of the runners began to trek to the start, the skies REALLY opened up! But they were off on time, all 4500+ runners. We saw hubby and friends run by and made our was back into Copps for some Hot Chocolate and snag a seat.

ATB ends inside Copps Coliseum, so all the spectators got to stay nice and dry! Since last years winner ran it in 1:33 minutes there was some time to kill. Luckily the 5k race also finished inside of Copps, so we were able to watch the conclusion of that race, which killed some time.

Once all 5k runners were finished, we patiently waited for the first 30k participant to make their way into Copps. It was a huge help to have my BBF Marlene with me, as we chatted and time went much faster! Then at the 1:33 mark, the screen showed our first runner coming home! His finishing time was 1:35:39, over two and a half minutes off pace of last years winner. Now it was raining pretty hard out there at this point. But if the elite runners were off pace, how would the other runners fare? Even though this was supposed to be a training run for hubby, I know he had a time goal in mind and that if he didn't meet it, he would be disappointed.

At around the 2:25 mark we began to look for some runner we would know, particularly the other half of BFF M! And here he comes! YAY! It was a relief to see some one I knew, as I knew that hubby would be here soon. I began to get nervous, as the crowds were starting to get thick and hubby was wearing the popular color of the day, RED. But we saw him. And he ran into Copps and finished with a chip time of 3:00:54 seconds! YAY! I knew he would be pleased.

After we headed home, as hubby was feeling tired (and wouldn't he?). But I know that while I love to participate in races, I would also love to watch another one again soon. Maybe if hubby decides to run another half or full in the fall, I can come and watch again!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Where does the time GO?

Dear Bloggers,

There is no excuse for the tardiness of this post. I am lazy, inconsiderate and just plan BAD for waiting this long to update on Baby Macdonald the 09 edition!

As I spoke of in my earlier post, I had my 18 week ultrasound a few weeks back, while in the midst of TWO tikes with ear infections and a MONDO cold on my part. But we trudged down the the ultrasound clinic and had our ultrasound. It was pretty uneventful in respects to anything serious. Everything looked to be good. When she asked if I wanted to know the sex, I of course said yes and she said "You're having a boy?"

EXCUSE ME?

I started balling my eyes out and I am sure she thought I was crazy. It was truly a surprise to me, since I was 120% convinced this was a girl! Another BOY. Awesome news

(Disclaimer: I would have been just as excited if it had been a girl, probably peppered with a lot of "I knew its" and so on!)

I had another midwives appointment this Tuesday. I am still measuring two weeks ahead, which I am not to worried about at all. Babies heartbeat was nice and strong.

BP:98/56 I think I might be dying at this point LMAO
Weight: Down two pounds. Not a surprise, since I was sick a barely eating for one let alone two.

I hope that everyone is doing good in the diet, fitness, running, walking, whatever! I try to read as often as I can!

Ta Ta for now!

First Let Me Say......

I apologize for my absentness as of late. Life seems to be going by at break neck speed right now.

Yesterday was my second Midwives appointment, and I have ANOTHER due date. This seems to be pretty common for me. My official new due date is August 4th, which will put me at 17 weeks 1 day today. Which seems unbelievable to me. It seems like only yesterday I felt like I was going to live on my bathroom floor forever!


Blood Pressure - 100 over 56
Weight - 10 pounds heavier than last time (gulp)

I am measuring 19 weeks (for those who have no idea what I mean, my uterus is 19 weeks along lol). I measured big for both Connor and Sydney as well, so this wasn't a surprise. And we easily found the baby's heart beat. 156 bpm. Berry Good!

Now, my blood pressure is a bit of a conundrum. It can explain why I feel more tired (besides the fact I chase after a 2/12 year old and a 16 month old everyday) and why I have been getting dizzy spells. I just need to be aware that it's happening.

With regards to work, nothing changes so far. I just need to take it easy if I feel tired and I can't lift the heavy benches for clinics anymore (that one I am not so upset about heehee). I have to day though, when I work more than a four hour shift and I go home, my feet and knees are killing me already. I guess it's a good thing that I decided to start my mat leave on July 1st instead of August 1st!


The best part of this appointment? I get the Ultrasound requisition for the Anatomy Ultrasound! Basically, it makes sure that everything looks good and that the baby is ok. And of course, we will be finding out the sex of the baby. Which I already know is a girl LOL!


Once I have an appointment I will let everyone know the outcome! YAY!