I think I can!

For the first time since I started this journey, I am beginning to believe in myself.

For most seasoned runners, running 4k is nothing. But today, I went out and again managed 5 & 1's and did pretty good. It was a beautiful day and it would have been a real waste to not take advantage of Nana and get out there for a half hour or so!

While I was running, I realized that it wasn't so hard. There was discomfort, but I managed to push through it and realized it was stiff and tired, not pain. Once I got going, it felt good. And my cardio has also improved.

I am looking forward to the Sporting Life 10k. It should be fun. And being able to say I ran it at my own pace is awesome.

Enough Already

This has been a horrible winter. End of story. And it's snowing again. And the kids are sick AGAIN.

I was going to go running tonight, but the snow is coming fast and I can't leave Colin alone with the two kids as sick as they are.......so that means the gym is out. Plus running on the treadmill. GAH!

I will be more than glad when it is June and I can relax after work, or even go for a run.

Is it summer yet?

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Seeing as this was the first week we were open, we decided that we would have Running Club at the store this morning. Everyone in the community would come out and run like every Sunday morning.

This morning's Run Club consisted of myself, Bev, Pete, Carol and Doug. All employees! No one came out for run club. But I did 5 and 1's and ran my first 5k. I am VERY proud of myself.

On April 7th I will be once again taking the Learn to Run, this time in Aurora. Bev is teaching, and she is SO motivating. This feels good.

In A Word......

That was the most amazing night that I have ever had!

I got to work just after four and the whole place was buzzing. We were actually open for business as of ten yesterday, so there were already customers in the store. Most were buying shoes, so I was able to test out my gait analysis knowledge!

Once five came along, runners began to show up to pre-register for the race. Over 200 people pre-registered online! So we were expecting quite the turnout! The news showed and interviewed John Stanton, our founder and CEO. He's an amazing guy, and it is going to be awesome to work with him.

Colin showed up at six, and it was just great to see a friendly face. And the store was getting a little full. He picked up his number and I managed to introduce him to some of my co-workers just before the Newmarket bus arrived. By that point, I would say about 100-150 people were in the store. Louise Smith, the founder of SMA came, along with Rebecca's cousins. The president of Mizuno Canada was also there, along with the president of The Canadian Cancer Society. Once the Richmond Hill bus arrived, the place went mad!

At seven, with nine of us bunched in the counter, the store COMPLETELY FILLED from front to back, side to side and the doors WIDE OPEN with about 150 more people outside, we officially opened! John presented a cheque to the Canadian Cancer Society for over 116,000 dollars raised and then Louise Smith said a touching word.

Unfortunately, due to the fact that the place was WAY busier than they thought, I wasn't able to run. It was a bummer, but it didn't make the experience any less for me.

Colin came in after he ran and grabbed a bite, then headed home. By nine o'clock the buses were gone, the store was closed and we were officially the most successful opening in The Running Rooms history!

I knew that this was going to be more than a job for me, but I never thought it would already be so rewarding! Thank you to everyone that came out, especially my Learn to Run Clinic! That was awesome of you!

Today I am only better than yesterday! And I have taken with me an experience of a lifetime!

It's HERE!

We're Opening Tonight!

YAY!

I am so pumped for this, I could barely sleep last night. Let's get it started!

I will update as soon as I can with the details!

No Harm No Foul

So I went running this morning for the first time since my wicked winter fall on Wednesday! I am happy to report that the knee is working fine! Thank God. I have a tendency to fall all the time, and the last thing I wanted was to hurt myself. Especially since this week I will be running the Rebecca Bunny Hop for SMA at work! That is my new Frosty 5K since we couldn't run that this month!

Work is getting exciting. We are spending the weekend putting the store together and I am really looking forward to getting back there today. Tonight it's off to Mom and Dad's to relax with the kiddies.

Busy times ahead! Hope everyone is getting out there and getting active!

The Perils of Winter Running!

I got my first "running" injury! But I fell, so don't get too excited!

The Running Room

Ah, my new home away from home. Well, actually for the next few weeks, it will be my home!

I recently had to venture out into the world and away from my babies and get a job. I was glad to get out there, but my options were pretty limited. But here in Aurora, we are opening a brand spanking new Running Room Store. Mass emails were sent out and all the runners that belonged to clinics were spoken to about the opportunity. So I took a shot and got the job!

There is a lot leading up to the opening, so I am going to be working, starting tomorrow, for seven days straight! It means a lot of time for Colin and the kids to spend together!

So there you have it! I am very excited about all of this. Very, very excited! I had so much fun at training this weekend. And we learned a lot about the products we sell.

I am just so excited!

So Much To Tell

First off, congratulations to my BFF Miz Marlene Sykes! She has had a very successful week:

10% at WW! Got her pretty KEY CHAIN and looks amazing with her stylin new bob!

2:01:00! That was her finishing time this past weekend at the Burlington Chilly Half Marathon. That is almost tweleve minutes faster than her personal best! She is my number 1 inspiration.

Unfortunatly, there was a personal emergency so we were not able to run the 5k. But on March 19th, The Running Room is opening a new store in Aurora and we will be running a 5k that night instead!

It's Almost Here and I am Counting My Blessings

My first official race is six days away and I am not even remotely ready!

But that's ok. I am going to be running me heart off and I am hoping to be able to run across the finish line and not crawl.

It's been a tough week, but I am looking forward to moving on in the year and making it a successful one personally and professionally (so to speak). I have the love and support of a wonderful man, two beautiful children to tuck in every night, and an immediate family to love. We have two of the most wonderful friends in the world and we are all healthy and happy. There isn't much more that we can ask for.

So tonight before you go to sleep, kiss the one you love, kiss your kids and marvel at what you've been given. Everyday is a gift, that is why they call it the present!

Clinic Week 7

It feels so good to be able to go out and run again!

Last night was the best run I had so far. Not a personal best, but it just felt so GOOD. I managed to run my first set of six minutes then did two and one the rest of the time. Although I am pretty sure that the walking was just as fast as running!

Our race is in just eleven days. And I cannot wait. I am really starting to get excited about all of this. There are no words to describe!

Finally Back Out There

Well after a few weeks of some VERY bad luck, I was finally back out there today! And it felt great. I did it in just over 3.3k! And two weeks from tomorrow I will be running my 1st 5k race!

Now mind you, there is no WAY that I am going to be able to run the 5k the whole time. But I do think that I will be able to finish. Which I am really hoping. But I am so nervous.

Since it is Family Day here in Ontario on Monday, we have a long weekend. And there is no weigh in on Monday! I am going to wait and take the extra week. No because I think I will be up, but because I really want to see the scale go down the next time I weigh in!

Is that better Mom LOL?!?

Weigh In Week Six

I was down 3.8! YAY!

This week the weather has been awful. I just can't run in these conditions. I need to get to the gym so I can get some running in. I will also be planning on running at the Cottage over the long weekend! Hopefully it won't snow all weekend.

Is it Friday yet?

So This Is What I Signed Up For

Well, this may have been one of the worst weeks in recent memory. I finally discovered what exactly I signed up for.....when I became a Mom.

The Stomach Flu hit the Macdonald household this week in all it's glory. Oh we had everything here........Connor and Sydney both faired well (we still think Connor may have something left over). But it was my "third" child that had the worst time. That's right everyone: Colin.

Now if you knew my husband, you would know that he NEVER gets sick. I mean never. In the entires time that I have known him (over 13 years), he has had a cold maybe three times. And he has never gotten the stomach flu. But he was hit HARD. I knew it was serious when he actually got sick. ALL OVER THE PLACE (Sorry for the TMI)! So this morning was spent disinfecting the entire house. He seems better this morning. He is talking again, but he had me really frightened. I mean, the flu is serious business. And when someone as healthy as Colin can't keep water down, it worries me.

But he was a superstar. He didn't complain once, not a moan or groan came out of him, and he tried so hard to help with the kids! I am a very lucky gal.

The worst part about all this is how I feel today. I am so tired, I can't even explain it. I have no doubt I won't be out running anytime soon, and my 5K race is only three weeks away. I am totally screwed!

Weigh In Week ?

So i didn't weigh in this week. We had an awesome weekend, full of good food and not a lot of exsercise. I was all ready to go and weigh in......and I didn't. But I have a good excuse. THE FLU!

I woke up on Monday feeling great. But as the day wore on, I started to feel crappier and crappier. By Monday night I was done. I spent most of Tuesday in the bathroom. And of course, I am the only one that got it!

I don't think I was up, but I am trying to be very good for the rest of this week, since I could barley stomach anything and I am sure my weight will be all over the place!

I ran for about a Kilometre today, but I turned around. In case you don't live in southern ontario, we got hit by a huge snowstorm and we have fifty feet of snow. Well not really fifty feet, but a lot!

Reality Check

I am having a bit of a hard time. I had actually convinced myself that running wouldn't be this hard. My good friend Mark told me "Sarah, the first four weeks will be so hard, you'll want to quit". And he was right.

I have a laundry list of "excuses" as to why I shouldn't run. It's too cold out, so I find it hard to breath. My knee hurts. My back hurts. It's snowing, or raining, or the sidewalks are icy. My running pants are dirty (lol)!

I made a commitment to myself that I was going to do this. That I could do this. But everytime I try to run, it feels like I am suffocating, like I can't catch my breath.

And then their is the otherside. The weight loss side. The first time I tried Weight Watchers, I rocked it! I lost eighty pounds in eight months. This time, it just seems so much harder. And I really didn't let myself go that badly while I was pregnant (both times). And of course, there is a lot on my mind right now, so I turn to food. I have eaten this week: A box of KD, a cinnamon bun, half of a brownie mountain, Wendy's. The list is continuous. I am in a funk, and all I want is to get out of it.............

WI Week Three

I had my first real bump in the road this time around. I was UP 2.2 pounds. It's disappointing, but it comes with the territory. I need to figure out if eating all my activity points is going to work out. Right now I am not, and it looks like I should be. So we will see. It is so hard some days to eat every point. I know that some people think that is silly, but there are just some days that I am not hungry. So I need to start eating those points.

Tonight we talked about how to prepare for parties. That is HUGE in my life, since it seems that EVERYDAY we are celebrating something. This weekend is our annual Superbowl Party. It should be a good time, but there is always so much food. I am hoping to keep my fingers crossed and make a good showing, since WI is the next day.

On a completely different note, I have applied for a job that I can do from home. So wish me luck! I hope I get it!

Wardrobe Malfunction

There is something to be said about wearing the right pants when you go out running. Instead of wearing my running pants, I decided to wear a pair that were warmer, but much looser. I spent the entire run holding my pants up. I am sure the neighborhood loved it! But I managed to get my best time for a KM (7:14)! So I was pretty pleased!

How does one get a battery for their Nike+ Receiver? Anyone know? Apparently, mine is going dead. Should I be turning it off or something?

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

Thursday Blues

Last night was a bust! Mom & Dad were supposed to babysit the kids, but that fell through. So I had to head out on my own and ended up wiping out on the snowing sidewalk. I know that if you can run through the winter, you can run through anything. But COME ON. This weather is brutal, and my groin is sore to prove it. I ended up taking tonight off to run some errands and I am back at it tomorrow!

I am up right now. I know I shouldn't be weighing myself during the week. It's bad luck, and the scale can be deceiving, both ways. But still, it is sad to see the numbers going up instead of down.

So we are going into the weekend. I plan on watching some movies and getting some small stuff done around the house! I hope that everyone is having a great week. Let's all get out there and do something active, like skating or snow shoeing. Or even a nice run!

Running Clinic - Week Three

I am more convinced now that running is all in your head. I never realized just how hard this was going to be.

Last night we needed to do two minutes running, one minute walking. I did it, but it was so difficult. My cardio is nowhere near where it needs to be, so that is something that I am going to have to work on.

Tonight, Colin is going to come with me. I am really excited about that. He is going to find it pretty tame, but I know that he will get me to run my butt off. I wish I could run with him EVERYDAY!

Starting today, I will be updating "The Daily Five". These are five things I would like to share, such as pop culture, tips etc. My inaugural list is the Five Episodes of Lost that I think you should watch before next Thursdays 2 hour premier! I am so excited!