Disco Fever

And people wonder why I love run club?! It was Disco Night, baby, and we rocked da' house!! There were some great outfits, awesome dance moves and some serious good times going on. Oh, and then we all went out and ran hills or did speed work, or whatever was scheduled for our Wednesday night run. Because that's what you do on Wednesdays...

I did not run in the wig (way too windy) but did manage to go out and run 4 of the 7 hills scheduled. Why only 4 you ask? Well, I finally hobbled over to my chiropractor today and let Dr. Jay do his magic on my back. It is loosening up, but still really painful. Of course, he had me move for him, to see what's up, and his first comment was "wow, that's tight". So, maybe not so loose then, huh??? After some awesome snapping and cracking (I totally LOVE getting my back and hips cracked), I walked back to work, grabbed some lunch and spent the afternoon puttering away at reports.

Home, had a dinner of cereal and a banana with UVAB (really not creative tonight), then got ready for the night of fun. The things I manage to find in my "tickle trunk" continue to amaze me...the fuzzy sweater was especially awesome.

After the run, we had a little social in the Running Room before us regulars went off to the bar for beer and dinner (others ate, I did not). I did change (wigs are hot) and after a couple of pints and many laughs, just got home. Late night tonight.

I think one of these treats, from my Aussie friend who flew them back with her last week, may have to be consumed before I go to bed though...OMG! Now, the Original Tim Tams are available here (at least in Calgary they are, along with a dark and caramel variety) but the Mint ones were just a myth to me. They are quite fabulous (love the Originals more though), if you like dark chocolate (and I do) but the Mint Slices??? HEAVEN!!!! Don't know what I'm going to do when they're gone. But that may be a good thing.

Okay, heading to bed. I am beat and my back just wants to lay out flat. Maybe mint will make it feel better.

Later,

This is new...

My lower back is still really tight. It's fine when I'm sitting, standing, walking, laying down. It's just when I TRY to sit, or stand, or lay down that everything seizes tight and hurts. Once I'm up (or down) it's fine. Intriguing, to say the least. I did take a couple of Robaxicet when I got to work, and after spending the morning feeling rather loopy, I decided it is now a night-time only pill!! I did skip boot camp tonight and I am moving better now than I was earlier, so I'm hopeful it's working itself out. But I am looking forward to the solid, drug-induced sleep I'll be having soon!! Other than the back, I feel awesome. This training stuff really pays off, as my legs are not the least bit sore from Saturday's race. I can still remember how I felt after the Vancouver marathon and how I couldn't walk for a week. After Toronto, it was a few days, and I could walk, just not prettily! Keep this up and I'll be dancing after Calgary this year! My running peeps are still trying to convince me to switch to an Ultra this May instead of Calgary, but I'm going to hold firm. I'll make next year the "ultra, trail runs" year....this year, I continue my quest for Boston. Had a lovely dinner of noodles and shrimp rolls with H-woman, getting caught up after our weekend apart (she in Hamilton, me here). Great fun and always good conversation. And, of course, the best Vietnamese this side of Vietnam (I boldly say it is!). I could swim in a bowl of their Pho, and you all know how much I hate swimming!!! That's it for me...time to medicate and sleep. Tempo run beckons tomorrow, and I'm hoping the back cooperates. Later,

No run Sunday

It felt odd, but at the same time rather glorious, to sleep in this morning. After all, I did my long run, at a much faster pace, yesterday and went 2.1km further to boot, so I deserved a little lay-in. The more I think about yesterday's conditions, the happier I am with my time. Oh, I'm always happy with my time, but given the snow, wind and cool weather, coming in 5 seconds slower than my previous best time is amazing. Imagine what I'll do when the weather is good! After a cup of coffee and some painkillers for my aching back (right above the hips across the lower back...either shovelling has caught up with me or my cold has settled in those muscles), I decided I needed to go for a walk to loosen things up. And where ever should I go? Why, down to Eau Claire to meet up with all the runners for coffee, of course!!!! All in all, I walked just under 7km today, after checking in on Miss Nermal, walking to Eau Claire and to the office briefly to pick something up. Had a nice visit with the gang, and was extra happy I ran yesterday, as the snowfall from last night made the paths even worse than they were. Came home and decided it's now or never to get the walks cleaned up. Try that with a really sore lower back and shovels/scrapers that were built for people a foot shorter than I am. I did pick up some Robaxicet, and took one, praying for instant relief. It did not happen, but I did get the walks done (with some tears, I will admit) and came in and took another. The pain is easing, and I can move, but man, am I sleepy!!! Had a wee nap on the couch watching the news, but I think it was more to avoid the weather forecast, as it appears it will continue to snow here until Tuesday. In fact, while I was finishing up the walks, the flakes were gently making their way to earth...AGAIN!!! Maybe if I just go to sleep until August, the snow will be gone. Of course, I'll miss a lot of races that way...crap. Took all my Chinese leftovers and made a big bowl of Sweet & Sour Palace Style Fried Vegetable Noodles. And made it a tad healthier (hahahahahahaha) by peeling the fried dough off the chicken, and just putting the meat in the mix. Turned out to be one rather tasty little dish. I am hungry again though, so need to forage around for something. I think these back pills work better when you've got something in your belly to cushion the blow. Weekend over and back to work in the am. But only 10 more sleeps and I am in Montreal! Wahoo!!!! Later,

Apology

A few posts ago, I referenced someone from my past, and my comment was spiteful and inappropriate. It has been removed, and going forward I will do my utmost to remember that words do hurt. I apologize for my mindless blunder. Later,

L'Arche Half

Up at 7:30, had coffee and breakfast, and then spent the rest of the time trying to decide what to wear. It was foggy and sort of snowing out, with a temp of -6C and a windchill of -9C. But running for a half, the last thing I want to do is overheat. Finally settled on my usual of long tech shirt with tech T over top, long (but lightweight) pants, running jacket and toque. I decided to swing by H-woman's to feed Miss Nermal before the race, and because I received an 8am phone call from Mom stating she was out of cat food, I swung by the vet's which is on the way to Eau Claire from H's. Big mistake...seriously, I'm buying cat food. Why are you type, type, typing like you are filling out my cat's history...no cat here...just want the cat food...in a bit of a hurry...can't tell I'm decked out in running gear?! Anyway, after finally seeking help from someone else, I finally got the food paid for, loaded up and rushed to Eau Claire. I was still early, but I wanted to relax before the start gun. Pulled into the parkade, found a spot and as I was walking to the meter to pay I realized I FORGOT MY FREAKING BIB/TIMING CHIP AT HOME!!!!! OMG!!!!! Jumped back in the car (good thing I do live close) and rushed home, grabbed said bib (which was conveniently right at the front door...) and made it back to Eau Claire by 9:45. Had to park outside by this point, and wait for people who have never used these meters before to pay for their time. Not that difficult, really. Pick time, insert credit card, take ticket. That's it...flat fee for a Saturday...what is taking so long?! Between the fog, forgetting my bib, stupid girl at the vets, the snow...I am really losing my good mood that I woke up with, and am looking forward to the run, if for nothing else than to sweat out some stress.

Started the race inside the building...the start/finish line was so close to the front door that everyone crammed in, and I couldn't get a signal on Mr. Garmin until after we started. Add that to list of things pissing me off today. Oh, and add the walkers that insist on starting in front of everyone who's running it...because that's not going to get in any one's way. It's going to be a long run! Speaking of...if you sign up for a race, be polite and learn the common courtesy...like stepping out in front of a lead runner on his way back in, just because you want to pass the people in front of you is the quickest way to get yourself killed. And if you're not part of the race, but while on the paths notice a whole bunch of people with numbers pinned to their chests, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! Wow...frustrating today.

We crossed Prince's Island (slippery bridge #1) right away, and ran west on the north side of the river. I understand the race organizers wanting to avoid the construction area on the south side, but there's just as painful a spot on the north side, if not more so do to the mud and puddles and splashing from all the traffic along side. And the path is very narrow for one section, which considering over 200 runners hitting it at once, it could become a little tight. Once we got to 10th Street, we crossed over the river (slippery bridge #2) to the south side and ran west to Crowchild, where we crossed the river again (slippery bridge #3), continuing west to Shouldice Park. For the most part, the path was way better than I expected, considering the constant falling snow, the rain earlier this week, the melt, the freeze and the fact that none of it was cleared at all. Shouldice proved to be a bit of a challenge, when we had to avoid potholes large enough to eat a Smart car, as well as the dog walkers driving their pets to the park (ironic, I know...). Turning around at the halfway point (return the exact same way we came out, which when the one woman questioned me about what direction we were supposed to be going...um, didn't you start where I did???), we also discovered the east wind blowing...oh boy, a head wind for 10+ km. Really having trouble finding my happy place today! Photos taken by my friend Dave show just how snowy it really was...these are running into the finish line! March 26th, people...

Played some serious leap frog with a few people too, today. I was running 3:1's today...that is running 3km, walking for 1 minute (I did a fast count to 60) as that's closed to what I run when I do marathons (walk at water stations). So a couple would pass me, then walk at their 10 minutes. I would then pass them...a while later, they would pass me and start walking. I would pass them...on and on and on it went. Lost one couple back at around the 15km mark (they were seriously annoying me!) and caught and finally permanently passed another couple at about the 19km mark. Steady was the name of the game today, and I ended on a 'not so nice' course, on a 'not so nice' day about 5 seconds off my personal best time (2:42:31). Imagine what I could do with good conditions? What made this race though was the volunteer corp. They were OUTSTANDING...enthusiastic (despite sitting outside in the cold and snow for 4+ hours - at least we were moving the whole time), encouraging and only one told me the dreaded "you're almost there". They even had chocolate milk at the end! I heart any race that has chocolate milk at the end!!!

Hung out with the group (knew quite a few runners today), enjoying coffee and a snack of egg wrap and fruit salad. Lots of chatting, laughing, them trying to convince me to bail on Calgary and run an ultra with them instead the same weekend, before we all decided to head for home. After all, it was around 3pm by this time! I decided to head to Mom's with the cat food and stop for some groceries for her at the same time, to avoid having to drive tomorrow (it's really snowing now). Once I got to Mom's and unloaded the car, she decided that she wanted to eat dinner out tonight, so off we went to John Wong's for some Chinese. We shared some pork dumplings, spicy shrimp, sweet & sour chicken balls and vegetable noodles (the fat ones). Well, by shared I mean I ate like I just ran a half marathon and Mom had a little bite of everything. Packed everything up, took it back to Mom's, split up the leftovers (again, Mom has a sample of everything, I get the rest...) and I braved the roads, heading for home. You could see that the snow was actually turning into sheets of ice on the roads (and nary a gravel truck to be seen), so I am happy that I decided to take the groceries down today. Stopped in again on Miss Nerm, got a cuddle, and came home, experiencing a minor meltdown trying to get into my parking spot, as my neighbour must have a new man in her life, who doesn't know how to properly park his big, shiny pick-up truck. Seriously dude...it's not a Kenworth. Learn to park. I had to go around the block and come at my spot from a different direction in order to shimmy and shake my little sports car into place. I am seething by now, as I left my home at 8:45am and it's now 6:30pm and I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!!!! I am still in my wet running gear, my head hurts, I'm tired...GRRRRRRRR...

Finally, the sanctity of my home. I sat in the dark (Earth Hour) watching some Criminal Minds, trying to convince myself that my hip didn't hurt. Didn't work, but the Advil I took now is! And I'll roll before I go to bed. Looking forward to the sleep in tomorrow (no Sunday run for me) but I will head down for coffee with the gang around 11. Just wouldn't be a Sunday without it.

Later,

Race #4

Not sure how this Half is going to go. It is currently -7C with "snow grains", whatever the hell those are supposed to be. It's the end of March, for crying out loud, and it looks like the week before Christmas around here!! The fog never lifted all day, it's windy and cold. To top it off, despite all my efforts and Emergen-C intake, I have a cold. That'll make the 21.1km go faster!!! Right now it's only in my sinuses, so with clear lungs, I'll head out in the morning. I can never breathe through my nose when I run anyway, so it won't be that much different than usual. Worse case, and I'm not feeling it, I turn it into a long, slow training run. I am not trying to win or qualify for the Olympics, for goodness sake. I really do run these because I like to run.

Because it is a March race, it has a nice late start (10am) and is down at the usual spot, Eau Claire. In fact, we'll be running what I run.every.single.day/week/month. Getting a little bored with the Bow River Valley. I am seriously looking forward to the Policeman's Half in April, despite it being the weekend I return from Montreal, just because I know it'll be a different route, finally. Of course, the way Mother Nature is treating us these days, I'm sure the weather is going to be exactly the same! Sorry...but it's really, really starting to get to me. Ironically, I had to go to the doctor's this morning to deal with some sun damage on my nose (that's what she said - "schlerma-something, blah, blah...here's a referral to a dermatologist") yet can't really remember when I last saw said ball of fire in the sky.

Dropped H-woman off at the airport after work. She's off to run the Around the Bay in Hamilton, of which she'll do awesome. Came home and made a recipe that was in this month's Running Room magazine. I really liked it, but next time will pump it up with even more veggies. Kind of like a warm salad really, but tasty. And with all the quinoa, loads of protein. I already have my oatmeal cooked and waiting for breakfast, so I guess all that's left for me is to go to bed and get some zzz's.

Race recap tomorrow.

Later,

600

I cannot believe that I have posted 600 times...well, I can because I am a bit of a talker, but still, I wasn't sure what to expect of this "blog" thing I started. You see, years ago someone suggested that we start a blog together, as a way to lose weight. After all, someone else did it (maybe referring to Angie at the time) and had lost 100 pounds. I was suspect, however, as I could not figure out how you lost weight sitting on your butt in front of a computer - what did I know? It wasn't until I heard about the Biggest Loser challenge through H-woman who had a blog, that I finally joined up. Have I lost a hundred pounds? Nope. Have I lost anything at all since starting this? Not really, but life continues to step up and get in the way of things. Do I appreciate the blog and blogland for support, ideas and a place to vent? Absolutely!!! Yes, I try to blog my food (not quite the photographer that Jaime is), it's been a great place to track my training (although not as hardcore as Laura), and while I may not have the following of some of these ladies, I'm slowly building you folks up...12 at last count! But it's not about that either...I guess it's a place for me to rant, to ponder and to get my thoughts down. I've never been good at journalling in the traditional sense, so am rather surprised that this has hit the number it has. Here's to the next 600. After getting our Success Sharing cheques on Tuesday, we learned of a really harsh decision the company had to make when they announced a 4% reduction of our workforce across Canada yesterday and a hiring freeze! Wow...big shock as some really good people are no longer working with us. But that's the way my company does it...it's not based on seniority or hiring date...they look at the redundancy of jobs, the quality of work and your fit. Still very sad for 500+ people. It continued to snow all day again yesterday - seriously at the end of my patience with this weather - and it was a tad cooler than the day before. Granted, not the -30's we had in February, but there was a definite bite to that wind last night that made hills training a tad miserable. That and Bad Uncle Doug (we heart Good Uncle Garrath!) made us run Centre Street light to light rather than lion to lion, or about a 800m hill by the time you reached the top!!! At tempo effort, oh, and times 7 please: I thought I was going to hurl. Good thing I didn't eat before I went out, or my dinner could have very well been on the side of the road. I did 5 and at my usual hard pace (saw numbers starting with 6 - crap, too fast), before I realized I have a Half on Saturday and should probably slow it down a bit. So I only did one more, to the 2nd lion before calling it a night. Overall, average pace with the 1km warm-up run was 7:16, a mere 10 seconds slower than Tuesday night's tempo run! None too shabby. Went for our usual beer (must get those carbs back, right?) and I actually ordered dinner. I tried the tomato, avocado melt (tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms, sprouts, grainy mustard and mozzarella cheese on multigrain) with a side of fresh fruit. It was light and very tasty, despite being a little on the dark side (not quite burned, but darn close). Got home, watched the tail end of Survivor (even though I don't watch the show, I do participate in the pool and as of last week was in 4th place), read through some mags and finally went to bed. You see, I took an unplanned emergency day today (we don't call them sick days anymore) as I have to take Mom to the "meet & greet" with the doctor - who we already met, but there's nothing wrong with our healthcare system - and just decided a little lay-in today would be in order. That and I really am fighting a bit of a cold, so technically I am sick! Don't worry...it's all on the up and up, as I gave my boss the head's up. Besides, in the 11 years I've been with the company, I've used sick days about 4 times. I try to arrange my illnesses to hit on the weekends or when I'm on holidays. Much more convenient that way! LOL! Okay...going to have another cup of coffee, and then head down to weight watchers. I also have to clean up the walks from yesterday's snow, and then go get Mom. Later and thanks for being here,

Kicking butt and taking names

It finally stopped snowing today, but just in case you were scared by that, rest assured it has started up again! Phew...I know that had us all panicked that we might actually get to enjoy spring in Calgary this year.

Work was same old, but we did get a little surprise today. Success sharing, meaning I'm going to look for at some new luggage I had my eye on, in time for the trip to Montreal. Money rocks!

Worked a little later, and came home to finally shovel the walks. Oy, what a workout it was. The snow was wet and heavy and totally packed down, but I got it all cleaned off. I can only hope it doesn't accumulate again overnight. I would really rather put the shovel away for the year and pull out the mower, but hope springs eternal.

After a quick discussion about races (nutrition, why we only run 32k on a training run, pre-race eats, etc) we went out to do our usual 6k tempo run. It was just E. and I again tonight, and we totally ROCKED DA HOUSE!!! After warming up, we hit our stride and at one point I actually slowed us down as we were kicking a 6:37 (tempo pace should be 7:07) and we ended up with an average of 7:05 for the whole run, including warm up and cool down. Hips, quads and hammies all feel good. A little stretching, catching up with some past clinic buddies, getting tempted to do other races (say, a 50km, anyone?!) and drinking back some water. Skipping the usual coffee tonight, as last week I was up all night (uh-oh) and didn't enjoy that so much.

Finally home and changed and realized that technically I haven't had supper yet! I had a big lunch, and some lovely fresh fruit at 3ish, but am feeling a little peckish right now. I did wolf down some kind of energy bar that I grabbed before clinic (m-eh) but am thinking that I should have something else, but then again it's past 10pm...maybe just a glass of milk to get me through the night and then focus on breakfast in the morning.

Yeah...that's what I'll do. Hills tomorrow...yahoo!

Later,

Spring 2011, day 2

Still snowing...and is forecast to do so for.the.next.two.days!!! Le sigh... Fingers crossed that it's gone by Saturday, as the next Half looms.

I am feeling the nagging of a cold (darn coworkers, spreading germs) so I'm hopping up on Emergen-C and L-Glutimen and hoping to nip it in the bud. A cold will just screw up my "race every other weekend" schedule I've got going on. I was also supposed to donate blood tonight, but I won't ever risk passing on germs to those that need clean blood, so I postponed till the end of next week. Did have a good walk through the +15's downtown with a friend today. We did a whole circular loop, that took about 50 minutes all told. And we were going at a pretty good clip, despite the meanderers, strollers, dead-stoppers and crowds in general! I actually had my sweat going on.

Came home and vegged. Dinner was a toasted English muffin and the carrot/ginger/coconut soup I bought at the farmer's market on Saturday. It was good, but it needed a little something more. Like protein!! So I threw in a bunch of cashews that I had leftover from nut's & bolts (Chex Mix, as it's sometimes referred to)...after I eat all my favourites, in order: pretzel, corn chips, chex, almonds, hazelnuts, cheese nibs and cheerios, I bag up the cashews and use them in other meals. They're already garlicky, spicy goodness, and are great additions to stir fries or soups. They added what I needed, but I was still feeling a little peckish, so had another English muffin with some nutella for "dessert".

Other than this, I got nuthin... Maybe tomorrow's tempo run in the snow will be different...oh, wait. That's EVERY Tuesday it seems.

Sad face...

Later,

The First Day of Spring

And this is what we woke up to. We were the lucky ones, apparently, as we did not get the 25+cm that were predicted. But it's also supposed to snow off and on for the next 3 days...

I'm getting extra specially weary of running in snow and cold and through ice and puddles. Just sayin', Mama Nature. 'nuf already.

Today was going to be an odd training day for me. Schedule says 26km, but I am also registered for the Commonwealth Games for Life 10km this morning at 10am. What to do, what to do? I decided I would break up the long, slow distances into 2 8k's and do the 10k race pace. Good thing I'm an accountant and figure numbers out, huh???

Got up, tried not to cry when I looked outside, and made some breakfast of steel-cut oats (made them last night, so all I had to do was heat-up and add some Saskatoon berries), a glass of milk and a coffee, and mixed up my running fuel of OJ, water and sea salt.

Got dressed, and let me tell you how hard it was to figure out what to wear! Yes, it was snowy, but it really wasn't that cold, until you looked at the windchill. I settled on long pants, a long-sleeved tech shirt with a tech t over top (my new favourite quote). Over top of that will go my running jacket (shell, not fleece) and the Runner Girl) toque for my head. No gloves, because of my hot hands. Wonder if that means I have a cold heart?? I also packed a complete change of clothes, right down to socks, just in case I needed something dry to run in later.

Made it to the Running Room in time to see everyone from the various groups, and therefore beating most of the race runners to precious underground parking! Confirming that there weren't any 5-hour runners there today (would have been fun, having to pace myself) and took off for my first 8km LSD run. I decided that the simple Eau Claire to Crowchild loop would do, and was happy to see that the City was out with the sweepers, cleaning the pathways. That's until we reached 10th St. Then for some reason, they stopped. Oh boy! Loose snow over ice patches for a whole 2+ kms....happy, happy knees! While everyone else was running out west, I turned back towards downtown, and after a little loop through Prince's Island, I finished my 8km LSD with a nice pace of 8:07/km. Hip/hamstring acted up a little throughout the run, but I think it had more to do with running on the snow than an actual injury. Time will tell.

After a quick stretch out and some water, I went back outside with the group as the race was set to start in a few minutes. Big mistake to go inside as I got COLD. But start it did, and now I was trying to run race pace...or the closest I could get to it. Most of the pathway was clear by this time, and the sun even did an awesome job of coming out and trying to melt stuff, but that 2km stretch stayed stubbornly snowy. We ran out to Crowchild (wait, deja vu), going west to the turn-around point, which sadly was about 200m past where it should have been! Mr. Garmin and the markers were dead on until the halfway mark, and mine was not the only one "out". I think who ever measured the course this morning got it a little wrong. But whatever....turn around, and run back the the same way. So, just over a km of clear path, 2 kms of snow, 4 kms clear, 2 kms snow and then home free. My ankles seemed to take the brunt this time, as they both feel stiff and sore right now. I will ice and roll them later, to try and work the kinks out. We actually received a medal at the end of this race (rare for 10k's) which will go with the collection in the hall.

Finished in 1:19, which was not race pace, but was faster than the LSD pace. Did some more stretching, ate some banana and yogurt, desperately waited for coffee to be made (should have just gone and bought a cup) and then hung around for the door prizes, top finishers, etc. John Stanton of the Running Room was in town for this race, so had a nice chat with him too, before hooking up with some of the marathoners that actually did 26km today. I got permission from my clinic instructor, John Stanton and the race director to take the rest of the day off and not worry about getting in that last 8km. Um...okay!!! Went for egg wrap and fresh fruit salad instead! And a real cup of coffee!!

Now the question is what to do with the rest of my day?? Someone feels like cuddling and is telling me the saddest tales of woe about her day thus far. I don't need to shovel, as Mr. Sunshine did it for me! Maybe a wee nap is in order...time will tell.

Later,

Yay Spring

We are less than 12 hours from the official first day of spring, and the City of Calgary and most of southern Alberta is under a Heavy Snowfall Warning! Seriously?! My 10k race is going to be so.much.fun! As is the other 16k I need to get in, to keep in line with marathon training. Getting so weary of running in the snow and cold. At least it won't be "that" cold tomorrow (-4C) but still...it'd be nice to run in some sunshine and worry about other things besides slipping and falling on ice.

Had a great boot camp last night, which is what I needed after my fries craving fiasco of Thursday, and lunch yesterday. My sort-of boss (I am in accounting, but do reporting and such for him, as he's the Director of Technical Operations) took me for lunch, to thank me for the massive, complex and really quickly pulled together reports he needed for meetings with all the VP's. We went to the local Chinese place that does a wicked lunch buffet. Oh, how I heart their salt & pepper squid and ginger beef. I did indulge, but also made sure that there were as many pieces of broccoli and carrots and other vegs on my plate as there were fried things. And I had fresh watermelon for dessert. Full and satisfied. Boot camp involved a mini-barfy trail, as we ran with our weights, stopping at various stations to mix in lunges, squats, shoulder presses, curls, skaters, etc. Finished the day on the mats, where we got to watch another boot camp show up, making me ever so thankful for Trainer Josh, as the others were all dressed up (um...St. Paddy's day was THURSDAY) and sang songs and clapped to get warmed up. Seriously, I hugged Trainer Josh for his no-nonsense approach to fitness!!!!

Today's Zumba class was fun, fun, fun. I am sad because I will miss next week (Half marathon instead) and the next round won't start until April 16th. But I shook what my mama gave me, and tried to make my hips look less Irish and more Latin. Not sure how successful that was, but in my mind, I looked awesome! I have signed up for the next 6 weeks and for the next round of boot camp as well, which will return to the great outdoors!!! No more circles in the community hall...bring on the pathways, trails and grassy fields. It's about time.

Went to the Farmer's market today, where I stocked up on steel cut oats (such a deal there) and some quinoa, yellow carrots, Saskatoon berries, fresh tomatoes, basil and two fresh soups, Carrot/Ginger and a Tomato/Spinach. They look really good, and I can't decide which one to have for supper tonight. Then off to the electronics store to try and find a USB port that will fit my phone (fail - he recommended another store, but I just didn't have it in me to fight more people/traffic) and came home with a multi-USB port for my hard-drive (turns 1 port into 4) and a carry case for my notebook, but I think it's too small. Had a nap and am now trying to figure out what else beside soup for supper. I need to fuel up for tomorrow, after all.

Okay...I'm watching the skies (so far, clear and blue) and keeping my fingers crossed that the snow holds off till noon tomorrow. Then most of the runners will be done with their day.

Later,

True Confessions

Tonight I threw out food. But let me back-track first.

Started as any typical Thursday does, with a 6-shot, non-fat latte (hate wasting the shot) and a glass of milk at home. That usually holds me over, but I will admit to being hungry today! I held out though (so stupid-stitious) and didn't eat until I returned from Weight Watchers.

Weigh-in was another week down, so I think I may finally have a grasp of the new program. While I haven't been Miss Foodie at home, I have made healthy choices when I do "grab and go" and while I do eat my activity points, I'm trying not to eat them all (earned over a hundred for the week, between long Sunday runs, hills training and boot camps) and really try not to chip into the weekly allowance at all. I use it when I actually need it. But it was on the walk to WW that tonight's problems started. I have to walk through a food court to get to WW - well, I don't have to, but it's on the +15 level which is how I get to meeting this time of year. Today, just as I walked by, one of the shops pulled out the freshest, yummiest french fries I have ever smelled, EVER!!! OMG, it took all my strength to keep walking (remember, this is before meeting, and therefore before food!) on by. Meeting passes (and oddly enough, topic was about restraint and indulging!) and I head back to the office, still ignoring said fries and picked up my usual salad buffet at Marcello's, along with a container of fresh fruit.

But I could not get those fries out of my mind...ate lunch, thinking about fries. Had a quick meeting, thinking about fries. Finished up a report, thinking about fries...you get the picture. Came home, changed and headed off to boot camp, hoping getting my sweat on would help with the whole fry craving.

Nope. Didn't matter that Trainer Josh made most of us cry Uncle tonight...I still wanted fries. Okay, I've been doing this long enough to know that it's no good to eat around the craving. If I am still thinking about it 4+ hours later, then just eat the damn fries already!!! And I also knew I didn't want any mamsy-pamsy baked fries...I wanted the real thing.

So, after a killer boot camp, and on the drive home, I had time to decide where I wanted to get said fries, and therefore dinner. McD's...naw. A&W...nope. Wendy's...not really. For whatever reason, I settled on KFC. I think part of me was thinking "mmmm...chicken is good for you, and I can peel the skin off (hahahahahahahahahaha...sorry, got away from me there). I picked up said mixture of deep-fried "goodness" -fries, side gravy, original recipe, a side of popcorn chicken and their hot wings.

This is where the confession comes in...I got home, I had some of the popcorn (um...where's the 'chicken' exactly???), and a couple of the wings - again, once you manage to get through all the batter and coating, seriously, where's the chicken?! I ate some of the fries, sadly soggy and not the crispy I was looking for and a piece of the original recipe chicken (white meat...that counts, right???). That was almost 3 hours ago, and I still feel like I'm going to hurl!!! So, I stared at all the leftovers for awhile, threw my "starving children" guilt out of my head, and THREW.IT.ALL.AWAY! Walked it down to the dumpster (kind of hoping for one of my usual homeless dudes to wander by, but of course, tonight it's a ghost town!) and threw it away. I feel bad for wasting money and food, but I just could not justify saving it and eating it later. Gagging thinking about it, truth be told.

So, lesson learned here...next time I crave the fries, I will dig deep for this exact feeling here and now and will hold on tight, and make sure I WALK.ON.BY.

Later,

I Heart Hills!

It's weird...if I'm doing a long run or a race and there's a hill, I curse, mutter under my breath, walk it (if it's early in the run/race) or just generally don't enjoy it all. However, on Wednesdays, when it's hill training and we're doing 5 repeats...I LOVE it!!! I push myself harder with each repeat, trying to be as good/or better than the previous lap. I open it up on the run down, letting gravity do all the work. I let my heart pump and push myself to that point of no return. AWESOME! Tonight, including the 3km warm-up and a half k. cool down, we went FASTER than yesterday's tempo run! I swear I saw a 5-something on one of the lap's times...most were 6's. I rock hills!

Dinner was a fast bowl of cereal because I got all of 2 hours sleep last night, so came home from work and crawled into bed before run club. Then it was run (5.41km, 5 hills, 7:09 average pace) and beer. I heart beer...is that bad?! At least this year, our timing is better, as last year we tried to compete with all the St. Paddy Day's revelers...the bar was mostly ours tonight. Still had a pint (or two) as I am Irish 365 days a year, not just once.

Home now and after this post, and sending some birthday wishes to my older bro, it is bedtime.

Later,

Still catching up

It's only one hour, but man, I feel like I'm still chasing it from Sunday. I ended up having two 1-hour naps yesterday after work, before doing some running around, for crying out loud. And I'm still feeling off today.

Leg was still a little naggy after Sunday's run, but for the most part feeling better. Funny thing is the pain is moving down the leg, settling around my knee now, so I'm hopeful it'll keep heading south, and right out my foot! I rolled it good tonight, and will continue to do some stretching and kneading to get it better. If need be, I'll head over to the chiros and let them have a go at it.

Got slammed with a major project today, which was good and bad. Good, because I do enjoy being busy, but bad when I get the "oh, the meeting I need this all for is tomorrow at 1pm, and I need the last 3 years worth of data for absolutely everything, but broken down into specific snippets". Oh, okay, no problem! I am amazing, after all.

It was a pleasure to run tonight in sunshine (the bonus of daylight savings) and warmth...finally. The downside was the lakes we had to skirt around on the running paths, and if it wasn't water we were avoiding, it was mud. Or having to get out of the way of marauding vehicles, aiming for said puddles, because apparently it's fun to splash people running along in fresh air!! I was not so fortunate to get out of the way in time!!

Discussed long runs with the clinic instructor - it's interesting to hear a different perspective, and something we're going to explore...time vs. distance, and the impact on your body. As long as I continue to improve in my race times, I'm up for anything. We'll see what comes of it. Hills tomorrow night, in the meantime. Yay!

Ran 6km, stretched, enjoyed a latte and a chat with a friend, home to Glee and now I am ready for bed. Going to find the missing hour of sleep somewhere!

Later,

Springing ahead

Normally I am very good about things. You see, I actually hate daylight savings this time of year. Fall back...I'm all over that! But spring ahead and lose an hours sleep??? Hate it. For whatever reason, I went to bed last night and forgot to set my clock ahead. Maybe I'm getting too used to everything doing it automatically (cell phones, Garmins, PVR's, computers). Alarm went off at 7, and I sat there trying to decide whether I was going running or not. Hamstring/hip was still sore, and I just couldn't see me pushing another 23km on it. Then I received a text from one of the other pacers, to say he was sick and not going. But I stared at the time, wondering how on earth he could send me a text at 7:47am, while I was reading it at 7:09am. Took a second, and then the "holy crap, I'm late!" set in! I got dressed, wolfed down 3 spoonfuls of oatmeal (which I had cooked yesterday...not bad cold), a glass of milk and a banana and was out the door by 8:25. Running club starts at 8:30!!! Got downtown (after hitting pretty much every.single.red.light on the way), parked, paid, and raced upstairs only to see the whole group was running a little late and I didn't miss the gang leaving without me. Hooked up with my 5-hour peeps (E. and K.) and warned them I was going to have a slow run, due to the sore hip/hamstring. It was still a tad chilly too, but in a hurry I grabbed my capris and a long tech shirt under my running coat. No hat, no gloves...did remember water and gel, thank goodness.

We took off, heading west like usual, but we were at least going to mix it up this morning. The warmth of yesterday caused some serious melting on the pathways, and we spent a lot of the time avoiding small skating rinks and puddles covered with a thin layer of ice. Rule #1 was no one fall! I did not have the strength to carry anyone back!! After heading west, crossing the river at Crowchild, we crossed back at Edworthy, to run up the hill. The very long, rather steep, windy, effing hill!! I walked it, which did appear to help my hamstring/hip thing a bit. After reaching the top, we went east along Spruce Drive, with the intention of linking up at the top of the Douglas Fir trail, taking it back down to the river and Crowchild. Sadly, after seeing the other pace groups come back towards us, we found out the trail was impassable, and after looping around a crescent, we went back up Spruce Drive (which has a very low grade to it, but up hill all the same), and ran back down Edworthy road. Normally I love to run down this hill, opening up the legs and letting gravity do all the work, but with a sore body, loose gravel and thin layers of ice/water all over it, I took it very easy this time. Now we were returning east, along the same boring route we do every.single.weekend (including yesterday's 10km race). We were told to continue on the Langevin, but the turn-around on Spruce must have added some km's, as we ended up crossing at Prince's Island, doing a short loop through it and finishing at 23.02km, as planned, in just over 3 hours. Perfect long-slow pace for a Sunday, and my hip/hamstring actually feels okay. I will roll it again tonight, and keep up the ibuprofen until I am sure it's fine.

After some quick stretching, I wolfed down an egg wrap (two eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and sprouts on a wrap...so freaking good!!!), a bowl of fresh fruit salad and chocolate milk in about 2.5 seconds!! Not even certain that I chewed!!! Never, ever again will I go for such a long run on such little food. My OJ/water mix helped, and I did use the gel (Vanilla Gingerbread Gu - ewwww) as I was feeling sluggish around the halfway mark. Felt much better after I ate, and then went for a much needed coffee - could not believe I had gone so long without a cup!

After finishing up with the running gang, I met up with another friend B. and had another coffee and a visit with her, before heading to Mom's to visit and pick up my new notebook and external hard-drive that I ordered from Dell earlier last week. I decided I wanted something that I could take on my travels (like to Montreal in April) and that was small and portable. Will let you know what I think, once I figure out how to get it all set up and running. Finally got home just before 5, still in most of my running gear (I changed my top) and feeling most sweaty and icky. Cleaned up, did a load of laundry, ate some more and am now trying to keep my eyes open long enough to watch the Amazing Race. Not sure how I'll do. Happy Daylight Savings!

Later,

Race #2

Two down, 11 (so far) to go. Sorry, earlier I said 14 booked, but it's officially thirteen booked, with another 3 in October on the radar and one last half in November. Oh, and the New Year's Resolution run, but of course!

Dawned bright and sunny, although the temps seemed to want to stick around -10C (14F) which made it really hard to decide what to wear. I sweat so bad at the best of times (hence, jacket collars firmly frozen to my neck!) that the last thing I want is to be too hot while running. I ended up with a pair of capris, long-sleeved tech shirt with a t-shirt over top, and at the last minute, a running jacket over top. There was a bit of a wind, and I thought just the shirts would be a bit too cool.

My hamstring was still nagging me this morning, and it so did not enjoy being out on a 10km (6.2mile) run. I had hoped it would relax and loosen up into the run, but it just kept nagging me pretty much the whole way. It was an out and back, same old route as always since it started and finished at Eau Claire, where I take running clinic. In fact, there were a few people I knew from the store, but no other marathoners that I could see. Trouble is many of the races this year have been switched to Saturdays, and a lot of people I know work. But there were still probably a good 500-800 out for the nice day.

I managed to maintain a reasonable 7.18/km pace, even showing a negative split, with a surprising 6:46 for the last km. Now, if only I can manage to keep that up for the whole 42.2 in a few months. Next race is next weekend, and that'll be fun, as it's on Sunday. So I'll head out and do 10 LSD, come back in and run the 10km race and then, to round out the day, another 6 LSD. Trouble of squeezing marathon training in and around races. When I race a Half, I will take the Sunday run off, but 10 km is usually on schedule for Thursday and/or Saturday, which I usually miss due to boot camp or Zumba.

After hanging out, and winning a door prize of a Running Room gift card (how did they know I needed to buy a new beat stick

- that should make the old one reappear from where ever it is hiding!), and eating the after race hamburger (...better than a dry bagel, but some fresh fruit might have been nice), I swung by H-woman`s to check up on Miss Nermal, who actually let me have a cuddle with her, then home where I worked on my leg a bit and then crashed, hard, on the couch. Woke up, dealt with a tenant issue, walked to Safeway to pick up some munchies and then back home where I`ve been since (save for another quick trip over to H`s).

Must think about heading to bed, as run club is at 8:30. That`s providing my leg wants to play tomorrow, of course. 23km on a bum hamstring would be just downright stupid!

Later,

Saturday morning race

#2 of 14 (to date...I have another 5 or so in mind that I will sign up for before the end of the year!)

Diakonos St Paddy's Day 10k.

Just finishing breakfast (corn bread, cream cheese and Saskatoon berries...not my usual oatmeal concoction, but it is "only" a 10k) and then it's time to change and head out.

Love races that start at 10am...in fact I've signed up for one that starts at 9pm in August that should be a blast! That's my kind of race.

Details to follow.

Later,

Banana soft serve

Or apparent lack thereof...I suppose to make this simple, yet delicious looking treat that has floated around blogland forever, you need the top of the line, why haven't I won the lottery Kitchenaid food processor. The personal "Elite" piece.of.crap blender/chopper that I have didn't do anything to said frozen banana pieces other than to swirl them around, blitz about a teaspoon full and made a whole hell of a lot of noise! I am not amused.

On to better things! Pretty sure I pulled my ass in the tempo run on Tuesday!!! Or the very top of my left hamstring was feeling the extra push and decided to let me know that it really was still in charge. I can still walk, but after sitting, standing up involved usually a sound like "oy" and me standing very still for a minute waiting for the pain the stop and the leg to swing in a forward motion. Must remember where the hell my beat stick is. I need to roll the hammy as well as my ankle - I think yesterday's 3km walk in the Vibrams is being felt as well. I just keep stretching them both, and already the leg feels better. Granted, I kicked it's ass tonight in boot camp. Quite literally...

Knew it was going to be a rough night when Trainer Josh mused that he should "really kick our butts tonight"...uh-oh. We warmed up as usual, and then moved on to circuits of 50. Yes...FIVE.ZERO!!! Here's the deal...50 reps of a mat work, then 50 reps of some band work. If you fail (read, stop to catch your breath or stretch) then you must run suicides to make up the difference. So if you only got to 41, then you had to run 3 suicide laps (each lap counted as 3, as the stations were set up all over the hall) to make up the difference. All sets would be 5 minutes in total, so as many reps as you could do in that time. Let the happy, good times begin. We started with push-ups (OMG!) and lat pulls. Set 2 was drop-leg flies and triceps dips. Set 3 was full body bike and squats. Set 4 was bicep curls and bent over rows. Set 5 was lunges and cheek to cheeks. We rounded out the class with extensions, butt kicks, high-knees, side shuffles, banana to v-sit and back, toe touches, oblique crunches, full sit ups and negatives. Happy, happy good times! I'll be lucky if I can lift my coffee to my lips in the morning!

Told everyone at weight watchers of my recent vow renewals, so they are now all interested in hearing them next week (printed them off, then forgot where I put them!). Must have worked, as I was down another .8 this week.

Home from boot camp, hungry and desperate for food, fast. So while a piece of basa cooked in the frying pan with Korean BBQ sauce, I tossed a bag of Asian salad (greens, sugar snap peas, dried cherries, fried won ton pieces and dressing) and then topped it with the fish. Quick (whole dinner was done in about 10 minutes from freezer to plate) and delish. In fact, it was so good and I was rather famished, so it's all gone before the paparazzi could snap a shot!

Would have been nice to finish the evening off with some banana, but nooooooo. Not for me.
:(

Later,

Hills

Very tired, although the Guinness isn't likely helping that at all, so short post.

Hill training rocks...I really do like it. The pushing yourself up the hill, thinking you're going to hurl, and then the glorious run back down, letting gravity do all the work! I know I saw a few laps where I was in the 6's, rather than the 7's where my training time should be. Had a good long run there, did the 4 repeats and then returned for beer. I do need a technical shirt that says will run for beer. It's funny, because it's true!

Dinner was really quick, as I was beat when I got home, but was too tired to nap. Weird. So I boiled up some gnocchi and tossed it with a tsp of butter and some shredded parm. I knew my lunch was a little light on veggies, so I did grab an Asian salad downstairs, sans noodles and picking out most of the beef - the chef think fat tastes good...it does not! But tons of tomatoes, cucumber, greens, peppers, jicama. I got in my daily allotment between the salad and apple on my pancakes. Which were awesome the next day, by the way. I think I'll make a batch one weekend and freeze them.

Stopped for a couple of pints after run club and am home now. Need to shut of Mr. Computer and GO.TO.BED. Odds on that happening?? Oooo...even though I'm not Catholic or Anglican, can I choose going to bed before 10:30 as my lent?? Is it too late?!

Later,

Fat Pancake Tuesday

The funny thing is I'm not Catholic...not even Anglican...can hardly even be called 'religious'. Yet, every year growing up, we had pancakes for supper on Fat Tuesday. Must be the British heritage of my parents. Or we just really like pancakes and any excuse to have them for supper is all right with us.

I thought I'd try something new this year...Sweet Potato Pancakes. And really simple! Boil a sweet potato and mash (I used my ricer - best kitchen gadgets ever), and then add 1 c buttermilk, 2 eggs, 1 c pancake mix and some nutmeg.


Fried up in real buttah...


Topped with a touch of buttah and honey.


And the good news is the rest are waiting to cool for breakfast and lunch tomorrow. As a non-Catholic, I haven't exactly committed to Lent, so I'm going to eat pancakes all day! Tomorrow's will be topped with Honeyed Cinnamon Apples (just invented the title)...apples, walnuts, buttah, honey and cinnamon. Let them all get happy together...they look and smell amazing.

We watched a video in run clinic tonight Running to the Limits. Really interesting, and I think it released the inner Kenyon/Ethiopian in myself and E. tonight as we totally rocked out our Tempo training run tonight!!! Up until now, we've been averaging anywhere from 7:39 to 7:50...however tonight, we hit 7:01 for 2 kms and averaged 7:11 for the whole run. Wicked good run!

Had a cup of coffee, came home and made up the rest of the pancake dough (made 6 fair sized pancakes), which are now cooling for tomorrow. Watching Glee (good thing I'm PVRing it, as I'm only half paying attention) and then heading for bed. Hills start tomorrow! Yay!!!!

Later,

Mmmmm...noodles

Had a last minute invite from H-woman to hook up for noodles, after meeting her at a mall nearby. Yay! Haven't been in FOR-EVER, and I so love the noodles at Vietnam Fortune. After a quick trip to the mall (I came away empty handed - so don't like the spring look, colours or styles so far...that doesn't bode well), we had an awesome dinner of shrimp salad rolls, the best dipping sauce EVER and chicken satay pho for me (beef for H). I could swim in their broth...seriously good stuff.

We gabbed about family and life and work and such, and it was good to get it out. It's nice to have someone to spill to. Very important for maintaining a sane mind.

We got all the way up to -12C today (but I think I was inside at the time) and we're being teased with plus temperatures for Wednesday AND Thursday. Time will tell...oh, and just in time for the St. Paddy's 10k on Saturday?? A dump of snow Friday night! Awesome, happy good times. I think it may get to the point that I won't remember how to run when it's flat, dry, ice-free, rock-free, no windchill and warm. I really wonder what that will be like. Doesn't stop me though, huh?

Well, my belly is full of warm pho and my eyes are at half-mast. Time to sleep.

Later,

Update

Can't believe I haven't posted since Thursday, but it seems every time I sat down at the computer, I was too exhausted to think.

Friday - the visit with the Seniors Centre was good and bad. We were there for over 3 hours, and while the doctor and nurses also saw the decline in Mom, they weren't completely convinced it was all Alzheimer's. We have to go back in 3 months, and while some things are supposed to change (Mom's daily habits) I don't know how much will change, and what kind of affect it will have. All I know is I'm stuck in the middle and feel like crap about it. And no, cookies will not make me feel better (at least that's what I've been chanting all weekend!). I did do some serious sweating at boot camp, trying to get rid of some of my frustration. No boss lady this time, so I really enjoyed the whole class. We had a "squat-off" and the team I was on won. Not sure what our prize was, besides extra sore butts, but we did have a good workout and even did some core/booty work at the end to round the evening off. Good times!

Saturday - after a slight sleep-in, it was Zumba time! Have I mentioned that I love, love, love this class?! Actually, I really love the instructor, as she is sweet and fun and gets some serious sweat out of all of us. The class was bigger, which is good, because I would hate for the 6 weeks to end and then no more, because of low interest. Fingers crossed it continues into the summer. Came home and had a wee nap-a-thon...seems like every time I sat down, I woke up an hour later wondering what the heck just happened. Maybe Friday's stress caught up with me. Or it was cold outside and a perfect day for a nap...or two...or three. Dinner was quick and simple and tasty. I poached a piece of salmon in vegetable broth, and then ate it on brown rice with wasabi mayo and roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots. Nom, nom, nom...

Today - woke up to snow and -20C temps. Oh boy...and we get to run 19km in it. Fought the urge to just go back to bed, ate some steel cut oats and roasted walnuts, a cup of coffee and milk, mixed up the last of my OJ with boiling water (still had a slushy by the time I finished the run) and went out to start the car and head to the Running Room. Actually quite surprised by the turn-out. I think everyone just figures it's never going away, so may as well get used to it! We went west, as the snow threw off the plans for a different route (too dangerous), turning around at the 9.75km mark. That's when we discovered the wind! In our face and unrelenting the entire way back...and blowing over the frozen river for that extra special punch of cold!! And to top off my mood, Mr. Garmin decided to take a break. As in it was frozen at 11:32pm, Saturday, March 5th THE.ENTIRE.RUN! That left it to my co-runner (also a "pacer") to set the pace and times...oh, but she doesn't know how to set that on her Garmin, so she'll just guess when we should walk. And she guessed at what pace we were going, because, again, she didn't know how to get that data. Grrr...I did take our time (2:33.56) and entered it into the pace calculator on the RR website, and figured out that we ran a rather quick 7:54 LSD....we should be closer to 8, in order for it to be a good slow run. But that's okay...we actually finished just a few minutes behind the 4:30 group, so I at least had someone to have coffee with. Most of the other groups were already gone for the day. Joy of the long runs - takes up a serious chunk of your day.

Came home, shoveled the walks and had a bite to eat. Now I think I'll walk over to Safeway for something for dinner. It may still be -17C out there, but the sun is shining and actually melting things a bit, so I'll enjoy it while I can.

Later,

Renewal of Vows

Meeting topic this week was "The Honeymoon is over"...that got me to thinking that I needed to renew my vows with Weight Watchers, as it has been a very long journey. With the help of Google, here goes:

On the day I joined Weight Watchers, I made a choice. It was the most important and significant choice of my life and I made it only after a great deal of consideration. On that day, I chose you to be my weight loss plan. I thought then that such a decision, once made, as final and irrevocable. Now I know that the selection of a lifestyle change is not a one-time decision but an on-going process. Many times in the years since then, I have chosen you again and again. Faced with changes and alternatives, I have become keenly aware that a journey like this lasts only so long as the desire to live a healthy life remains above all others. When my life have been affected by the ebb and flow of other events, there have been many times when I could have chosen to go in a different direction. I did not. The reason is simple: when we work together, it works. I elect to stay with you not because I feel obligated to meet your needs but because you continue to meet mine. Together we will make it to the end. This I vow.

My Friday

Today was my last day of work for the week, as Mom has another doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, so I decided to take the whole day off. Don't I plan awesomely fun vacation days?! I am so looking forward to Montreal in April. I don't even care what the weather is like...I'm just going to be away in a city I've never been to and can't wait! Even found out that there is a Running Room right across the street from the hotel, so I can squeeze in the Wednesday and Sunday run, if I so choose...I do have a half to complete the Sunday I return...and a hard Half at that. Weaslehead hill...need I say more?? So I may choose to run with a bunch of complete strangers in a city I've never run in, speaking a language I don't speak. Could be fun!!

Managed to get a lot done today, so I don't feel bad about not being there tomorrow. It's my time to build reports and charts and such, so I'm not under time restraints really, but I do get a lot of questions thrown my way as a result of the data sent out. They're just going to have to go it alone one day.

Came home, changed, dealt with the frozen washer (again) and rushed out for boot camp. The groups keep getting smaller, yet Weight Watchers gets busier and busier. I swear there were zero empty chairs today at lunch (down .4, BTW). The talk today was about the honeymoon period being over, so I sat there and thought long and hard and decided it's time for me to renew my vows and go back on a honeymoon! I want to run Calgary lower than I weighed last year (hauling 20+ pounds is slowing me down) and have three months to do it. I'll write up some vows this weekend and let you all know how they work out.

Back to boot camp...I love wearing the Vibrams during class. I like the slapping sound my feet make when we run! Silly, but it entertains me... We did major circuits today, and I swear my shoulder actually dislocated at one point, but then it popped back in right away! No pain, but wow, what a surprise when you're holding a weight above your head!!! And we focused on everything...no body part was left ignored today...shoulders, triceps, biceps, abs, core, legs. Left exhausted but satisfied with the hard work I did. My goal is to also be back with the 10lb weights by the start of the next clinic too...need to keep switching things up. Left the hall, back into the freezing cold...it was supposed to "warm" up today. They (the evil weather people, who don't know squat) said a Chinook was blowing in...well, it must have blown over us, because it's still -17C with a windchill, and only getting colder. Rumours are that this will be around for the next 3 months, so maybe we will be running Calgary in real snow this year. Yuck!

Home, after swinging into Walmart to pick up a few things, and ate dinner. It was simple, but effective. Chicken nuggets and some baked french fries. Eaten dipped into BBQ sauce. I loaded up on salads at lunch, since my favourite deli is open again, and I also grab their fruit bowl, because it is full of grapes, blueberries, melon (water, cantaloupe and honeydew), oranges and grapefruit. Nary a syrup or sugar molecule to be seen. Glorious, zero-point fresh fruit.

Can't believe it's only 9pm! It feels like midnight. I'm going to wind down and maybe even hit the sack before 10. Up early, just not as early as usual, and in for what could be a long day.

Later,

Stempo Pace

So, when you run a bit faster than the steady pace of 7:52 and not nearly fast enough for the tempo pace of 7:07, I hereby call it Stempo Pace. That's what we did tonight.

I cannot believe I went back out into this suck-fest of a winter and ran 10km. Seriously...there is something quite wrong with me!! Others felt it was fine to bail, but there were us die-hards there, layered upon layers to prove we are stronger then the weather. Or something like that. Sadly, because it snowed off and on, and was super windy out (-29C windchill) the paths sucked tonight. I think what the City did was actually move the snow that they removed yesterday and put it BACK ON the pathway, and then added some chunks of ice, bits of rock and other things just to make it fun! The run west wasn't so bad, as the wind was at our back, but as soon as we crossed the river...well, to say it took our breath away was an understatement. I actually had trouble catching mine, and found myself hyperventilating a couple of times. But I just wanted this to end, so I sucked it up (quite literally) and pounded on. The path on this side was in even worse shape, as a lot of the ice/snow/rocks/whatever from the road somehow ended up on the pathway. Footing was loose and just plain nasty. Add to that the bridge deck that hasn't been shovelled, but did have a ton of salt poured on it, so it was wet, loose sand to run in. Sadly, my toes got wet, which does not make for a good run. Luckily there was only about a km left to the end.

I found it hard being pleasant as well tonight...I really am at the end of my rope here. Yet my running partner seemed to want to chat. I just wanted to run, lost in my own nasty, bitter thoughts! Is that so wrong???

Finished up, and had a beer with a really small group tonight. Think there were 5 of us. I didn't even enjoy the Guinness as much as I normally do, but it was too dang cold! Home now, sipping a hot cup of French Vanilla coffee, and thinking it is bedtime.

I did make an amazing fish taco for supper tonight. So good in fact, that I failed to take any pictures (took 15 minutes from frying pan to plate to mouth to belly!) so I must try to recreate it soon. I did schmear a whole wheat tortilla with lite cream cheese, some sour cream, a couple of thin slices of marble cheese, shredded lettuce, salsa and the fish (which I tossed with Epicure taco seasoning & salt before frying up and topping with lime juice), rolled it up and inhaled. Next time, needs cilantro, but still very good.

Okay...starting to chill up again, so it's time to snuggle in some jammies with the furchildren.

Later,

Brrrrrr

Cold facts of winter (from the Calgary Herald today)
* -9.6° C February's average temperature. Normal is -6.1 C.
* 23.4 February's snowfall in centimetres. Normal is 13.4 cm

There...I'm not crazy!! And we've received 40% more snow this year to date than average. 40%!!!

And March is supposed to continue the weather suck-fest. Good times...awesome, happy good times.

Later,

So cold

Cannot believe I still went to running clinic tonight AND ran 6km, along the river, in -24C BEFORE the windchill. I am so on the edge to just freaking losing it! Did maintain a good pace (7:42) but still not at tempo pace yet, and since I couldn't get the feeling to come back into my fingers for about the half the run, I didn't really care!

Busy day...work, home, change, gas, vet, mom's (to drop off cat food), running clinic, groceries, home. Tomorrow won't be as bad, as I only have to whip by the pharmacy before clinic, but I seem to like to pack everything together.

Hoping it warms up soon. I do not want to run 19km in these temps on Sunday.

I really don't have anything nice to say, so I think I'll wisely sign off. Mother always said...

Later,