Fitness Vs. Food

Here we go again...

2012-01-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

I have a little under eight months until Ironman Canada. It's not a lot of time. Yet, it is. But, my first goal is to trim down this body a bit again (sigh!), since I put back on 20 of the 30 pounds I lost last year. So, for the next four months, I will concentrate on that. Building my fitness base and trimming the pounds. After all, if I have 20 less pounds to get up the big hills, it will be that much easier. Then, I have four months to build my endurance and put in the time for the distance stuff.

I know where I strayed. Truly. When I was on track, I was very disciplined. I exercised every single day. Some days were tough runs, others were easy walks. I incorporated weight training, biking, swimming, sometimes the elliptical or stair machine, sometimes a bootcamp style workout. I was willing to do anything to simply keep my body moving, following Newton's law of an object in motion stays in motion. And really, you almost crave exercise after doing it every day.

The other big stray, my eating. When I was on track, I used the Livestrong, MyPlate to track my eating and exercise. It's fantastic. The app on the iPhone is only $2.99 and literally, since my phone is practically an appendage these days, it's never far from me, and so it is easy to track the eating. And, the database of products is so immense that it includes breads from my local bakery even!! And, if something is not in there, you can add it! And you can add your own recipes that you make at home. It really made me accountable for what I was putting in my mouth. I mean, still I would eat things like ice cream or special treats, but I really planned for them, to make sure it worked into my program. And I was successful. I lost 30 pounds. It was pretty great. And then, I slowly stopped tracking, and then I slowly added more and more treats, and then I slowly started putting the weight back on... grrrrrrr... I saw it happening literally, right before my eyes (sigh), I knew it, and yet I did nothing to stop it.

So, here I am again. It's a new year, and my big goal is in August. I want to be successful. I know I can be. I just need to be disciplined again. So, I start again. Today's weighin, starting weight (insert sad faced kicking myself in the pants for this expression) is 192.0. Ugh. Why oh why must I be here again. It's saying I am 40.1% body fat. I am disappointed in myself. However, today is a new starting point. And today I begin again. Today is the first day. Today I can make good decisions. Will I stumble? I'm sure. But will I succeed? Of course. So, back to tracking what I eat. Trying to include more fruits and vegetables and holding myself accountable for what I put in my mouth and for putting my body in motion.

Enjoying December...

2011-12-19T15:54:00.002-07:00

So my streak continues along. It's not a lot, but it's something every day. Even on days when I don't want to do anything, I still get in, at the absolute very least, one mile. Next up we shall attack the eating a bit, but who are we kidding, we are going into the toughest time of year to stay disciplined and on a program. So, rather than start today and fail, I will concentrate on portion size and including all the food groups, with an emphasis on veggies. And keeping up my liquids, mostly water or tea.

My best find lately, is from the Edelweiss Village in Calgary. They have Strawberry Raspberry tea. This takes me back to Germany. My former roommate even sent me this tea once. Mmmmmmm. And it's really just a fruit infusion. There's no actual tea in it. It's just a super awesome way to spiff up your water. I highly recommend it. It's the best way to have a nice hot drink without adding on empty calories. It doesn't need milk. It doesn't need sugar. It's just plain awesome the way it is. So, if you have a little European store to shop at, specifically with German teas, try and see if they stock something similar. You will not be disappointed!!

Next up will be finding myself a program for ironman. It's about that time. I need to have a plan, because without a plan, I will likely not get the workouts in, and I need a strong base to carry me into my long days starting in the spring!! And I may need to pick a race or two as well... just to keep myself on task...

How is your December treating you??

2011-12-13T20:18:00.002-07:00

Life is busy. But, I truly believe Newton had it nailed. An object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest. So, far, December is starting to prove that once again, I can be in motion!! A friend told me about Strides Running Store December Streak challenge, to go one mile every day in December. Minimum. Every single day. You can do more than that, but you can't count anything above the mile as miles for the next day. To make it a streak, it has to be a mile every day. Including Christmas. No excuses. No exceptions. Find the time, to go one mile.

Well, today is December 13th, and so far, I am 13/13 for going a mile a day. Most days I go more than a mile. But every day, without fail so far, I have gone a minimum 1.6km. And funny enough, when you make it a priority, it fits in. An object in motion, stays in motion.

It's not too late to start. I mean really, there is no set date to start a streak. Today can be your day one. No excuses, just do it!! You'll be set and in a routine before the new year even hits!!

Here we go again...

2011-10-26T09:47:00.000-06:00

I feel like a broken record. Uh. Yet, Here I am, again, deciding that maybe today is the day I should get going again. Lately I have just totally been lacking in motivation and inspiration. I really do feel like a broken record (hmmmm.... does that show my age or what since a whole generation doesn't even have a clue what a record is). And really, I have no excuse for this complete lack of discipline when it comes to exercise and nutrition lately. And there are only ten months between now and the biggest goal I have ever set for myself (Ironman Canada). So what gives? Why is it, I just can't seem to stay focused and driven? I mean, I know we all go through ups and downs, but this down just seems to be lasting forever, and I'm really not happy with that.

I know I make the choices. I get that. I also get that I have chosen to make several bad choices on the eating front lately. And even as I'm making them, I know they aren't the choice I really want to make, but it's the choice I do make. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?

I feel like I'm trying to sabotage myself, when really, that's not the case, or maybe it is. Maybe I am so scared of failing, that I just sabotage enough steps along the way, then I'll have an easy out? Could that be it? I mean, I'm so excited to do Ironman next year. I watched Jeremy this year and was so incredibly proud of him!! And, it's been in the back of my mind for a few years now, so I know it's a goal, that needs to be achieved but wow, getting myself on track is proving to be much tougher than I imagined it might be. Last year I exercised every single day for ten months of the year. Now, I struggle to exercise ten days in a month. What gives??

But, I'm tired of the excuses, really tired of them. So once again, I start anew and hope that this is the time that really gets me going...Where do I start for now? Yeah, not even sure... let me go check... yeah, ain't that pretty, and long story, but can't get it to rotate... grrrrrr

Melissa's Road Race in Review

2011-09-24T18:16:00.000-06:00

So, I am becoming somewhat of a regular at Melissa's road race. I mean, I haven't done it every year, but since I began running seriously (and seriously being a fairly loose term here), back in 2001, I have run it 8 times. I did the 22km once, and it was a disaster, and every other time I've done the 10km. It's a fantastic race. Truly, the scenery is spectacular. You have mountains all around you. There is the Banff Springs Hotel, the river, Bow Falls, and Banff Avenue. It's just a gorgeous race. It's also a busy race. You are never alone!!

This year, we had the registration date marked in our calendar, but due to husband sleeping in and parenting the children, we forgot to sign up for it. No big deal, there was always next year (even though it's my favourite race!!). And besides, Jeremy ended up being busy with Ironman training etc, so it wasn't really a priority. After my training basically disappeared after the Ride to Conquer Cancer, I wasn't really in a good position to be running it anyways!! But, a friend had a race number and she didn't want to do the race. And, who was I to pass up such a wonderful opportunity?? So, with about three weeks before the race, we committed to completing the 10km. I knew it wasn't going to be a personal best, and in fact, now that I look at my time, it was actually the worst 10km I've ever done for Melissa's. Oops!! However, I have to say, it was an excellent race.

We never had a chance during the week to grab our numbers, so ended up doing this on race morning, which, thankfully, is an option. We dropped the boys off at grandma's house, and off we headed to the mountains. Parking seemed busier than usual and we ended up parking quite the distance from the starting line. If you consider doing this race, keep this in mind, as you need to arrive very EARLY to make sure you can get across the river on foot in time for the start etc. Picking up the numbers had long lines but even longer was the line to check and make sure your chip was you. I was a bit disappointed with this, but again, I could have gone earlier and the week and grabbed my number and didn't, so really, that's my own fault.

There are always tents set up with little samples, including Jugo Juice and Vitamin Water, which is a nice little pre race snack. We also had some Gu gels with us to get us going. I tried the Cherry Lime Roctane and it was fantastic (now, if you are new to gels, keep in mind, that a fantastic gel, is a relative thing, since gels in general, are a unique source of nutrition that many people have not yet developed an appreciation for, yet are a necessary part of distance events etc).

The route had to change this year because of construction at Cave and Basin, and what they did to change it was phenomenal. I loved the whole thing. It flowed so nicely and on Tunnel Mountain, even though it meant, more uphill, there was no sharp hairpin turn where runners got all caught up in each other etc. I thought the course was smooth and loved the new scenery, with a lot of the route even being in the shade, on this very warm day!! The beer signs marking the water stations were nice, and appreciated, even if it was only water at the stations, and no beer (that was for the finish line!!). The race volunteers were friendly and nice, and the race was great overall. I hope this route continues again next year as it was a wonderful and welcome change. I also appreciated the extra entertainment. There were way more bands than I recall from past years, and it was nice walking through any water station, listening to this entertainment.

The food is usually pretty okay after the race, however, the line is always so long, that as per year's past, we simply skipped it. And, although I should have enjoyed my beer, instead I gave my beer ticket to someone in the beer line. So, can't really comment.

I love the shirt. When I first moved to Calgary and ran at the Oval, I always saw all these runners in Melissa's shirts and had no clue what it was, but knew it must be something special. And, it is!! I love my Melissa's shirts. They are perfect for pre and post training. They are a nice shirt on a fall or winter day. And, if you aren't crazy about a long sleeved cotton shirt, you can pay and get a technical shirt instead, or in addition to, the cotton one.

Finally, you get a coupon for half price at Melissa's Restaurant. This is another great perk of the race. It's not valid on race weekend, and there is an expiry date, however, as someone who frequents the Banff area, it makes for a nice inexpensive dinner. As well, the menu is varied and includes fantastic deep dish pizzas, amazing burgers, and even steak and lobster if you feel so inclined. The staff is generally quite friendly, and the restaurant is great.

So, is it a race worth doing? Well, no baby joggers allowed, no pets allowed,no walkers allowed, however, as this is a busy race, I understand why in both cases. The route is busy and it could end up causing an accident. We do the Mother's Day race every year with a Chariot, and are often stopping quickly etc, so as not to clip someone's ankles. Since there are portions of this race, on narrow trails, the joggers just wouldn't fit. So, find alternate arrangements, or someone to watch your kids at the race. But, if those issues are okay for you, then go for it. This race, is well organized, and lots of fun. It truly is my favourite race. And, I've had my worst race ever at Melissa's, and it was also the race where I broke an hour in a 10km for the first time. The field of athletes is quite varied. There are definitely those who are rather fast on their feet, but there are many people also who are doing their first 10km, or who mix running with walking (10 and 1s). If you are looking for quiet solitude, this is not the race. It's busy and you are never alone. However, that makes it a race that everyone can enjoy and find support from. It's a fun race, and when you go back to Banff to enjoy your coupon, you get to remember the race and enjoy a great meal.

If you are looking for a fun race, with spectacular scenery, this is the one. The 10km is tough, but not impossible, after all, what goes up, must come down, and then down some more, but hey!! After you finish that hill, you feel great, cause you conquered it!! So, it's certainly a race I will continue to love, and even though this might not have been a stellar performance, I finished the race feeling good and strong. And at the end of the day, I know I put forth a good effort, so for that, I'm extremely proud. So, mark the date, it's usually in February sometime, and come join us. It's a great race, and you won't regret it!!

P.S. The 22km is nice as well, however, I've only done that distance once, and it was my first, and worst, half marathon, so although tons of people have great things to say, I haven't done it, in so many years, that I don't really want to comment on it, except to say, that those I know who do this distance, love it as well, and it does NOT have the big huge hill that the 10km does!! Food for thought...

The journey versus the goal

2011-09-16T09:36:00.002-06:00

Goals are important, that's true. Goals often form the basis of our training and help us formulate our plan. They give us something to work towards and something to plan for. But goals are just the finish line. We must not forget to enjoy the journey. Sometimes we might not reach our goal, despite our best efforts, so it's important that the journey along the way be fun as well. In a society that is so driven for achievement and success, often people discount the steps it takes to reach their achievements. Take for example, climbing a mountain. It is very cool, when you reach the top, you feel like you accomplished something, and as you look down on where you have been, it feels pretty good. But sometimes we forget to appreciate the journey. And, in all reality, the journey, really does matter. After all, reaching a goal can take days, weeks, months, even years of hard work. Think about earning a degree, or getting a promotion, or finishing your first 5km or marathon. Each of these goals is something where many hours are put into it, yet reaching the end takes but a moment. Therefore, it's very important to make the most of the journey. After all, it is the journey that you live day in and day out. And, if you don't enjoy the journey, then certainly, you have spent a lot of hours of your life, possibly in a state of unhappiness. Now, I don't mean that hours of studying or exercising have to be "fun", but if it's something you have to do, and want to do, to reach your goal, then make sure you take moments to appreciate the journey and what it is to you.Let's go back to the mountain for a moment. If you spend every moment climbing the mountain focused only on the top, you might miss the beautiful scenery, or the chirping birds, or the little chipmunk scurrying about, or the beautiful flowers you will pass. If ever you need to be reminded about the journey, climb a mountain with a two year old. Last weekend, I took my one son, and together we climbed Sulphur Mountain. It's not Mount Everest, it's just a basic set of switchbacks that take you to the top. You gain a lot in elevation, so certainly you are working your lungs, but it's a simple enough hike, that can be completed in a couple hours or more. Sullivan alternated between hiking and hitching a ride in the baby backpack, but he illustrates the beauty of the journey. He is too young to truly understand the goal. For him, it's about living in the moment, the hear and the now. And it's incredible to realize just how goal focused, we as adults become. Many times I heard myself telling him to keep walking, to keep moving, to hurry it up a little etc. Sully however, was concerned about the flowers he saw, and the rocks along the path, and the sticks, and the chipmunks. If I saw the forest, he saw the individual tree. He had no regard for time, just for exploring. He had fun with all the little things, and although he appreciated the reward of our goal (he LOVED the gondola ride down that we got), he really made me notice what it means to live in the moment. I think we can learn a lot from watching a youngster enjoy the journey. In this case, Sully had so much fun, collecting little rocks, trading out one for the other, making up little games with me, and truly taking in everything around us. He taught me a big lesson that day, and one I hope to carry with me. Even though we might have goals and dreams and plans, it is important to also remember that the journey matters. Don't forget to live in the moment, and not always focus on the future. Enjoy the journey, because each step of the journey takes you closer to your goal and you might as well enjoy the time it takes you to get there!!

Support when you need it most...

2011-09-13T16:07:00.002-06:00

So, it just so happens that not all women are built the same. This will come as no surprise to most of you, but when it comes to bras, there isn't always the best selection out there for those of us that have a little more to support. I have been to various sports stores over the year, and tried all sorts of different bras, and generally speaking, most of them just don't have the support I'm looking for as far as running is concerned. When I do find a bra I like, I often can't find it again the next time. It's been a frustrating run of things. Oh, and I should add, that often I am a victim of chafing on the bra line. This is not fun, and as someone who has done a variety of endurance races, this becomes quite painful, either during the race, or especially after the race. The first time I was alerted to this, was during my first ever marathon, where afterwards, I could barely shower it hurt so much to have water splashing on the raw skin on my chest. Really, it's not a pretty site. Add to this, the fact that I'm a fairly sweaty person when I'm exercising, and you can see why a properly fitting sports bra can make a huge difference (that and some body glide of course!!). A few years ago, I discovered www.sportsbras.ca and this was huge. It is an online retailer specializing in sports bras, but also, has a shop in Calgary, open by appointment only. The first time I went there, I tried out the Enell bra. This is the bra that Oprah raved about at one point. And, although very supportive, I ran into the same issue with chafing with the Enell, and this was simply not acceptable. So although I do use that bra sometimes, it really only helps for shorter events, lasting no longer than an hour. And on these events, it's great, but I just can't depend on it for my long runs like I would have liked. Then, I had a baby, and back to the sportsbras.ca I went, only this time it was to find nursing bras. They had awesome options and I ended up with a bra, that was super supportive, but also able to help me with my little one. To this day, it's one of my favourite bras, simply because it actually takes what I was given, and makes me look good!! What I need to do, is go back and find another supportive bra, that is good for every day, but that's for another time.Bring on my favourite sports bra. The Shock Absorber. This is a bra that comes from the United Kingdom. And I have to say wow. It looks stylish, it's supportive, and chafing, although still an issue, sets in much later, making it the perfect choice for some of the longer training days, or even for hikes and such, where my body is in motion for hours at a time. It's almost time to get some new sports bras, and this is at the top of my list. It's a fantastic bra, and has done well for me, for well over two years now!! Of course I'm pretty careful with washing and hanging to dry and all that stuff, but all in all, it's been an amazing addition to my sporting wardrobe!!And as for sportsbras.ca, well, they are fantastic. They take the time to fit you, and give you options that fit with your needs and different sporting options. They have bras that cover more than just sports, and they are super friendly and knowledgable. They take the time you need, to make sure you end up with products that you can use and match what you are looking for. And, they have choices for all shapes. They often will recommend different products to different people, so even if you are at an appointment with a friend or group, likely everyone will come out with slightly different bras, matching the needs and sizes of the individuals. Although some of the bras definitely are on the pricey side, I can tell you first hand, that the Shock Absorber was worth every cent I paid in terms of its support and comfort!! So, if you are a runner, and can't seem to find the right bra, check out the website, you'll be glad you did!!

Weigh in Wednesday

2011-09-07T22:04:00.000-06:00

Okay, so it isn't really pretty. I was doing pretty good in the earlier part of 2011, however, all of that progress has disappeared and here we are again, back at 188. Seriously? I can attribute almost entirely to my horrid eating over the summer. Basically, after the ride to conquer cancer, I have been in some sort of funk. Exercise has been so-so, but eating has been terrible!! I'm ashamed really!! What the heck!! I know what I want, yet I sabotage myself. I keep saying I'll start tomorrow or next week, or whatever. I used Jeremy's ironman as an excuse for me to eat. That makes no sense, but it worked for me. Terrible terrible terrible. So, here we go again. I will try and be more disciplined and pay better attention to my eating and work harder at including exercise on a more frequent basis. After all, I'm set to do ironman next year, and at this weight, I'm carrying around way more than I should. Grrrrrrrrr... Oh well, at least I'm aware of what I need to do, and will focus on my eating and trying to develop better habits again before the new year starts (read: I'm starting now, NOT in the new year). My plan? Well, I'm going to use MyPlate from the livestrong site. It's got a truly amazing database, and with the app for the iPhone, there is no excuse not to watch my eating. Try and include many more vegetables and fruits. Get back to 8 glasses of water a day. And most important? Portion Control. So that's my focus for the next little while, and we shall see if it works...

Ironman from a spectator/volunteer point of view...

2011-09-03T13:55:00.002-06:00

Now that I'm all signed up for Ironman Canada 2012 (which, is already sold out!!), I thought perhaps I'd reflect on my experience this year with ironman. Of course this is entirely from the point of view of a spectator and volunteer, since, I most certainly was not one of the over 2800 athletes that started out on the race on Sunday morning.

They played the national anthem. It was quite incredible really, listening to that, while all the hustle and bustle came to a virtual standstill. And, there were athletes running around everywhere trying to get all their last minute stuff done. Dropping off special needs bags, pumping up tires, saying goodbye to loved ones, getting wetsuits on, bodygliding those spots that just are troublesome, applying sunscreen, since the weather was hot and sunny and being out there for multiple hours would make the importance of sunscreen that much more so. First off went the pros. Professional triathletes. People who swim, bike and run for a living. How cool is that really!! It was neat seeing them enter the water and head off in search of the Ogopogo, or at least the first corner buoy anyhow!! Next up came the masses. The age-groupers. Just regular people out there to try this amazing feat. And there were a lot of them!! The anthem was played again, and then the original founder of ironman Canada was there to start the race. I should also point out, he runs the twitter handle for ironman Canada and was instrumental in creating a group of athletes that supported other via social media (Jeremy included). When the age-groupers started, it was quite incredible. There were arms flapping everywhere, really, they looked like salmon or something. It was a sea of flapping arms among the pink and blue swim caps. Pretty much everyone wears a wetsuit. Jeremy was in goggles and ear plugs as well. Off they went.

Next, was the epic battle of the tri-supporter. I wanted a coffee, and not just any coffee. I wanted a Starbucks. After all, I had been up since before 5am, and it was only just after 7am. And I didn't sleep well either, tossing and turning and worrying that Jeremy might sleep in or something (he, on the other hand, slept great!!... I like to think I took away those woes for him!!). So, I headed to the Starbucks on Main Street. The streets were busy, with people trickling over from the swim start to secure a spot to watch the first bikers go by. I found the Starbucks, and no kidding, there were probably about 40-50 people in line already. For a coffee. And, crazy as it may seem, I joined the line. In moments, there were about 20 people behind me. Oh, I will also point out that the Tim Horton's just up the block, was equally as busy!! I waited, I chatted, I waited some more. People walked past in disbelief at where the end of the line was. I waited more, slowly moving on. Soon, the pros started going by on their bikes. It was incredible. Truly. I was in awe. Lots of cowbells, cheering, and just a great spirit and energy in the air. I secured my mocha, and found myself a spot where I could watch the athletes pass. I was fortunate that my mom was watching the boys, so I was able to wait around and see Jeremy go past on the bike.

I should also mention that we were planning to go to Penticton for the weekend even before Jeremy won an entry because I wanted to volunteer and sign up for 2012. But, as Jeremy won an entry, it was even more exciting as there was a live person to cheer for that I actually knew. Sugoi actually gave away two entries, and the two winners both got a kit of Sugoi apparel to wear for the race, and it so happened to be the brand new, brand champion gear. It is very stylish and looked great. Anyhow, both Jeremy and JR (the other Sugoi winner), were wearing their brand champion clothes, so as the age groupers started wheeling past, it was very cool to see JR wheeling past.

The other thing, smart phones. Changes your whole outlook on the race. You can watch for splits and know when someone has crossed the mat for the swim into transition, the halfway point on the bike, the bike finish, the halfway on the run etc. So, between watching people go past, I was also checking for Jeremy's swim time, and a few other twitter folks I was rooting for. So, I had known that JR was out of the water, and a couple other people. And then, Jeremy's swim time came up, and I knew he was out of the water. Was SOOOOOOO excited as he was a wee bit nervous about the sheer enormity of the swim. And, his swim time was excellent for him also!! So, then, it was just waiting for him to get through transition and wheeling past on Main Street. And, then I saw his race kit, looking mighty fine. I cheered as loud as I could and my eyes were filled tears. I was in total awe at what he was doing and so proud of him finishing his swim. After he passed by, it was time to head back to the hotel.

I will point out that there was a lot of downtime for us in the afternoon. I had two little boys to entertain, and as awesome and amazing as Ironman is, for their attention span, I didn't want to push it and have them dreading going to races etc, so the afternoon was mostly about watching for splits on the various athletes I was rooting for. The favourite pro had an amazing nearly tragic story and it was awesome for him to win the whole thing!! And, the female pro winner broke the course record for the first time in over 25 years as well, so that was pretty awesome as well.

Oh, and being the main point of contact for Jeremy's fan club, meant that I had to update his progress on facebook, twitter, email etc, and really, that's a lot of work, not the same kind of work obviously as the athletes, but still!! And, of course, I just wanted to know that he'd made it. It was a brutally hot day, truly scorching. And the ride is not an easy ride. So, I was anxious to watch the splits!! Saw him get through the first split on the bike, and then it was a long wait until he finished the bike. In the meantime, I took the boys on a little hike, we had lots of fun. We also played a little Lego Pirates of the Caribbean. It was fun!! All the while, all those ironman athletes were pushing and working and you know what I mean!!

Next up we were heading out. I packed all our noisemakers, glowsticks, diaper bag, snacks, drinks and away we went. Part way down (we were at Apex Mountain about 30km from Penticton up a winding mountain road), I realized I had forgotten Jeremy's post race recovery drink. It was the one thing he had asked of me, and I didn't want to let him down. So back up I went. Then, I get to the halfway point and realize I have the diaper bag, but not the glowsticks, cowbells and other noisemakers. I was in tears. And, up again I went and got those. In the end, we parked, loaded up the stroller and headed to the intersection where I was volunteering traffic control. There wasn't quite as much time as I was hoping, so didn't get to grab Jeremy's stuff. Cheered on athletes for a few minutes and then took up my posting for the next hours.

Pretty soon, saw JR run past. That brand champion gear is really good looking and with only two people in the world wearing it that day, it was pretty distinct!! I was amazed at the absolute variety of people. There were fat people, skinny people, muscular people, ordinary looking people, young people, old people and everything in between. It was incredible really. And all of them, with only 2km left to go before being declared an ironman!! Oh, and also interesting was the variety of expressions on the athletes. Some were smiling, some were focused, some were in obvious pain, some were exhausted, some looked like they could go on forever. It was very interesting. Some were walking, some were running, some were shuffling, again, pretty much anything goes there!! I continued to check the phone as I wanted to see that Jeremy had reached the halfway point of the marathon (yeah, don't forget, it's 3.86km swim, 180km bike and 42km run). The thing about ironman, is you are kind of chasing the clock, at least the first time. You know you have 17 hours to finish and that's it. There are various checkpoints that if you don't make it past, you get pulled. And one of those checkpoints was the halfway point of the run, you have to reach it by 9pm or you get pulled. Luckily, at about 8:11pm, Jeremy had reached the halfway point. At this point, I knew, without any doubt, barring some medical emergency, he would finish. He had almost 4 hours left, and only 21km to do it!!

I finished up my volunteer time, and then decided to get Jeremy's bike and gear. This would save us extra work later and then when Jeremy was done, we could celebrate his victory without having to worry about all his stuff, and when I say all his stuff, I'm not kidding, it was a lot!! There were 3 bags full of stuff, everything from a wetsuit, to all sorts of clothes, a bike pump, bike shoes, helmet, various bottles of drinks and food. The guy sure didn't pack light!! He kept his options open cause wow, it was a lot of stuff!! So, I was balancing his bike, 3 bags of stuff, that didn't really make it easy to get the bike quickly to the car!! Oh well, I also started kind of freaking out that I might miss him go past. I mean, rationally, I knew I had the time, but every moment away from the course was a moment he could have gotten past and we'd have missed him. Bike went into the car, along with all the bags, and then I moved the car a little closer, since we were parked so far away!!

Met up again with mom and the boys, and cheered on all the people going past. Fielded messages, texts etc updating people who were curious how it was going. And then, off in the distance, I spotted that awesome SUGOI Brand Champion gear. Seriously, he was a way's away, but it looked like it could be him. The only thing that threw me off was his white compression socks. I knew he had compression socks, just didn't realize they were white. He was power walking and looked great. He was one of the people who seemed to be in good spirits. He stopped very briefly to give us hugs, we cheered him on, and off he went for his final 2km.

Oh, and I should mention, brutal!! The athletes turn a corner, and they can see the finish, but instead of going to the finish, turn the opposite direction and finish off their 2km along the shore and then turn around and come back to the finish. It might not seem like much, but after all the kilometres they've already logged, to be that close to the finish, it's one of those salt on the wound kind of moments. We moved closer to the finish, saw him go past, watched his finish on the big screen and then met up with him. It was actually pretty neat, the group he'd done most of his long rides with, and the camp in July with, and open water swimming with, the coach was one of the finish line catchers, so he was able to congratulate him and stuff. I was totally impressed. What amazing dedication to the people you worked with all year!! I'd use Vitalize in a heartbeat based on that alone!!

So, there you have it. My amazing husband, is now an ironman. He has had a passion for ironman most of his life, never truly believing he'd do it, since up until last year, he couldn't even swim. But, he put in the time, the effort, the energy and On August 28th, 2011, he became an ironman. I am married to an ironman. So proud. So amazed. So in awe at what he did!! Great job!! It sounds especially cool when it's Sebastian saying, "My dad is an ironman!" Or ask Sully, what is dad, and he says "eyeman". You've made us proud Jeremy!! Great job!!

It's really real!!

2011-09-02T00:05:00.002-06:00

So, of course I said I had signed up, and I had. I filled out the application form and handed it in, but never got anything more than a purple bracelet to confirm I had. That is, until today... Yes, today, I got an email confirmation that I was, in fact, registered for Ironman Canada 2012. I go online next week and add more details to my registration, but I have a confirmation email saying I'm on the list. So now, it's really real, there is no turning back. It's funny, even though it's the plan, seeing the email really makes it more apparent what's in store.

But, the good news is, I'm starting to realize there's other people out there that I know that are signed up as well!! So, I won't be alone!! There's a guy a work with who is signed up, of course he already is an ironman!! And another friend who has been doing all sorts of triathlons with her eye on the big event and took the plunge and signed up. And the other brand champion for Sugoi at this year's race is signed up. And a friend in Washington has put me in touch with someone else chasing their first ironman... and I'm certain the list will continue to grow... so exciting!! Still scary, but mostly exciting!!

And so it begins...

2011-08-31T21:21:00.002-06:00

On Sunday, I was a volunteer at Ironman Canada. It was incredible. I got to watch athletes reach the 40km mark of their final stage of their journey... less than 2km and they'd be declared "IRONMAN". It was amazing. There were young people, old people, skinny people, fat people, literally people of all shapes and sizes. Some looked like they were ready to collapse, others had the biggest smiles on and a bounce in their step... I loved every minute of it. It solidified the fact that completing an ironman was definitely something on my list of things I must do in my lifetime!! I also got to watch my amazing husband as he became an Ironman. I am so incredibly proud of him!! He did great. He looked great. He finished strong and had a smile on his face. It was awesome. Truly.

And so, the very next day, it was time to stand in line and sign up for 2012. And now, I am starting my journey for ironman. I am excited. I am nervous. I am scared. But most of all, I am ready to embark on the same journey I watched my husband take over the last five months. It's going to be fun. It's going to be a lot of work. But it's going to be worth it!!

And I'm going to share my journey. The good, the bad, the ugly. I'm certain there will be lots to learn and lots to share. I'm breaking the year up into some phases. First up, I will try and overhaul my eating. It's kind of gotten worse lately, and it's time to work at eating properly and in the proportion my body needs. I will also concentrate on building up some muscle strength in my legs especially. The hills of ironman Canada are tough and I want to build up the strength now, so I'm ready when the dedicated training and rides start up in the new year!! I also want to try and trim some of the fat off my body... the lighter I am, the easier it will be to haul this body up said hills!!

So, between now and Christmas, I will focus on improved eating and muscle conditioning. It's a start, and it's the area of focus for now...

Training for Spartan...

2011-08-01T20:54:00.002-06:00

The first Spartan Race in Calgary, is coming up in a few short weeks. Less than three to be exact. I am entered. I am excited, but am I ready? Well, not really... I mean, my mind is there, but exercise has been a bit sparce lately. I mean, I am still getting in some runs and rides, but not with quite the volume as I was earlier this year. Part of the reason for that is I want to make sure my husband is getting in his rides/runs/swims for his ironman. But part of the reason is also just not quite the same commitment as early. Some days I'm just feeling lazy. It's no excuse really, but I could use with a few more workouts. After the Ride To Conquer Cancer, I just haven't been as motivated to be active and haven't been going out of my way to exercise every day. I know this will change again soon, but in the mean time, I really could use with a few more upper body workouts (I hear burpees are pretty common on the Spartan Race!!).

I feel like I'm a broken record... The motivation just hasn't been there, but it will be. Yeah yeah, but what am I going to do to make sure that happens? Here is my plan:

1. Write it down. Make yourself a little list of maybe 3 to 5 things you want to get done in a day, and keep that list close at hand so that you get those things ticked off. And make sure that your workout is one of the items!! Having a list and checking things off really can help.

2. Find some inspiration. For me, my biggest inspiration this week was a youtube video that I saw incorporating one of my favourite exercise songs with one of my big picture goals. Check it out... it may scare you, or it may inspire you... possibly both, but for me it was inspiring!!

3. Figure out what your goal is. Sometimes, without any sort of goal, we just sort of float along. This is especially true after you've done something spectacular. In my case, it was the Ride to Conquer Cancer. That was an amazing experience and I loved it, but since completing that, I haven't really focused on any new goal, and as a result, I haven't really been putting in any kind of effort. So now, I will focus on my Spartan Race as my next goal, and with less than three weeks to go... it's time to kick it into high gear!!

4. Share your goal. Tell other people what you are planning to do. Then, you are more likely to work towards it, since others may ask you about how things went!!

5. Just get out there and do something!! It seems minor but sometimes, it's so easy to come up with every excuse not to do something rather than just taking the time and getting out there!! You will be glad you did...

And with that... I'm off to go run...

Feeling worthy...

2011-07-28T01:37:00.000-06:00

It's funny, I don't always feel as though I'm good enough. I mean, I know lots of people that think I'm crazy because I have done the occasional running race or triathlon (okay, maybe more than a few, but still). These people seem to think I'm active and almost athletic like. If I try and find someone who will run with me, these same people tell me about how they could never keep up, they are too slow, they are just starting to run etc. But here's the thing, I wouldn't ask, if I didn't want the company!!

Yet, when the shoe is on the other foot, and someone who is much faster than me wants to go running, I'm always quick to opt out apologizing for my snail's pace and inability to keep up with such an athlete. But, they wouldn't be asking if they didn't want the company!!

So why is it that we always under estimate our potential or someone's desire for our company. Why is it we aren't worthy? My husband just got back from a weekend of training for ironman, and despite the fact that he swam over 2km, biked over 170km and ran over 30km, he still told me he felt like he was a fat overweight guy with no athletic abilities. How is it society has allowed us to feel this way? How is okay that we feel this way? It might seem silly, but it's very real!!

If someone wants your company, it's because they don't want to run alone, or bike alone. So, join them!! They wouldn't ask otherwise, and they will go your pace because it's the company they crave, not the speed!! Just believe in yourself, and what you are doing. At the end of the day, you are out there doing, and that alone, makes you worthy!! It's not about the speed, but about the journey. So, get out there, with whomever it is that wants your company. You will be glad you did. And hey, at the end of the day, you'll have been out there doing, rather than on the sidelines just watching. It's in you!! Now go out and be the amazing athlete that you are, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!!

And here we are in July!!

2011-07-25T20:00:00.003-06:00

Life is so busy... always... it's crazy. I mean, I know I cause half the busy parts and it's my choice, and I love it, but wow, the time just flies by!! And hours fill up. I try and stay organized and that helps, but sometimes I think it would be nice to just take a vacation from being busy!! I need a weekend on a deserted island or something!!

I love blogging but hardly ever seem to find the time for it. It's always as though something else is more important or has a higher urgency. So, I just need to figure out a way to make it a priority as well. With so many things competing for my time, it never seems to be the priority...

So where are we? Well, my plans changed drastically after Jeremy won his ironman entry. Suddenly, all training was about him, and I am totally fine with that. It's important to him and needed!!

But what's happened? I did the police half (was not a stellar performance), then the Mother's Day 5km with my little 5 year old!! Next up was the Ride to Conquer Cancer. I'd been signed up for several months, but the fundraising didn't really go so well, so wasn't sure if I'd actually do it, never mind the part where I hadn't trained a whole lot specifically for it. However in the end, took a leap of faith and did the ride with more than $1000 left to raise. Luckily, I have since managed to get that money raised... and will hopefully start sooner to raise money for the 2012 ride!! If you want to donate to that, click here. And if you want to read more about the 2011, ride, I blogged about it on my family blog here. Suffice it to say, it was an amazing experience. I loved it, and I am so glad I decided to do it!! Ended up riding my mountain bike for it, and despite some horrible weather on the second day, got all 200km done (actually more but we'll round down to that nice number). Some great hills and some great moments. But check out the blog post because really, it says it all!! And thanks so much to every person who supported me along the way with donations, bottles for the bottle drive, well wishes and stuff. It's a great ride and if you are even remotely thinking about doing it, I say go for it!! You won't regret it for a moment!!

Next up is my boys (husband and 5yr old), doing the Lake Chaparral triathlon. The little guy will do the kids of steel event on the Saturday, and then the husband will do either the sprint or olympic distance on the Sunday. I find it almost funny, that in our family, the first person to complete an open water triathlon will be our 5-yr-old. Really? I mean, really? Go Sebastian.

After that is the Spartan Race. Hmmmmm.... what was I thinking... more on that another day!!

Meandering along

2011-06-10T14:00:00.002-06:00

So, my training has been there, but nothing super stellar. I've officially taken a backseat to Jeremy's training, and that's fine. However, I still need my own goals. I think I have that goal figured out now. I want to be a Spartan. I am going to tap into my inner warrior and try a race totally outside my element. I am willingly choosing to get muddy and dirty and do obstacles that could include barbed wire and fire. Totally new, totally different and something I can train easily for while Jeremy works towards his ironman... So he might become an ironman, but I'll be a Spartan, so there!! hahaha

The best laid plans...

2011-04-11T14:38:00.002-06:00

So imagine for a moment, if you will, the rough long range plan for our triathlon goals. Both Jeremy and I always had it in the back of our minds that we might some day like to do an ironman. I mean hey, we've done a marathon, and have been starting down the triathlon road, so really, it's a natural progression, right?

Since I am slowly getting on in my years, I was kind of thinking it might be something I'd like to do when I'm 40 or before I turn 40. I was figuring aiming for 39, but Jeremy suggested perhaps I might want to plan for a year earlier, just in case injury or something else happened and it wasn't possible. So, with that in mind, we had loosely planned that this year we would go out to Penticton for Ironman Canada, and I would volunteer. That way, I could sign up in the volunteer line the day after the big race. Then, he would volunteer the year I was doing it, and do his ironman the year after, since, realistically, with 2 young kids, both of us training for such a big event would be too much and a little unfair to them.

Last week, Jeremy was busy retweeting a Sugoi tweet to win an entry into Ironman Canada. Once a day he entered and was convinced he was going to win. He reasoned that odds were pretty good and he truly believed he was going to win it. And then... he did!! He was all excited and simultaneously super nervous. I mean, seriously, it's a pretty big task. Swimming 4 kilometres, biking 180 kilometres and then running 42 kilometres. Just something to do one day, hahaha.

So life has changed in our house. A lot. It's now all about Jeremy for the next 139 days. However, and he better realize this, it's not only about Jeremy. We still have our family and I still have my training. My races might be taking a bit of a backseat right now, but I'm not packing things in because of this, but I am willing to help find the time to let him train etc. It will be a big commitment on his part, but hey, it's not every day you get the opportunity of a lifetime like this, so we have to make it work!! And besides, he only has about the best running partners ever (between his wife and his dog!!).

So good luck Jeremy, train hard and do your best to balance training, family and our household!!

If you want to follow his journey, check out his blog!!

http://www.triplesportdad.blogspot.com/

My love affair with Eminem

2011-01-19T02:01:00.002-07:00

So, I should probably start by saying I've never met Eminem, don't even neccessarily like him, and listening to too much of his music in a row is a bit much for me, but wow, he has some very powerful songs.

For many years now, my all time favourite has been "Lose Yourself". There is just a certain amount of anger and rage in that song that just makes me run harder and faster than I normally ever would. I love it. When the song comes on, I just give it my all. It's fantastic.

Next up was "Love the Way You Lie", which features Rhianna along with Eminem. I've never really looked into the meaning of the song, but it seems very domestic violence like in its words. Since I am often running on my lunch breaks at work, it somewhat fits in with my job and I just power through my runs along with it.

After that, one day while running at work, someone was playing their exercise playlist and "Not Afraid" came along. I instantly recognized it was Eminem and the song just clicked with me. Had a nice beat, all that good stuff, so looked it up and it became part of my running playlist.

And most recently, I was reading the Healthy Tipping Point blog and came across a post where Caitlin was talking about a song she played that kept her going. I liked that she played it over and over again (I often do this, especially when a song just keeps my motivation up), and so I felt compelled to check it out. It's "Till I Collapse" and once again, Eminem has delivered another song that just really works for running. It truly is perfect, with a great beat, great lyrics and just enough heart to keep you working. I love it.

So, thank you Eminem, for the incredible beat of your songs. Thanks for the anger and the rage you put into your lyrics. Thanks for phrases that just fit in with a running mantra and make me want to push just a little bit more. I will continue to look out for more songs that you create that fit into my needs, because you are good at it, and I like that sort of music when I run!!

Swimming with music

2011-01-09T03:47:00.003-07:00

So, my husband got me a very cool Christmas present this year, a waterproof ipod shuffle from H2O Audio. Life has been busy and it wasn't until Friday that I finally got to try it. And, well, it was amazing. I mean, truly amazing. It was such a different feeling being in the water with the music I chose and actually hearing it with every stroke. It made the workout truly amazing!! I loved it. I can hardly wait to swim again. How far am I going? Doesn't matter, as long as there is music, I'll keep on swimming. It was just plain awesome.

That's all I really have to say. I can hardly wait to go swimming again!! Just so I can listen to music in the water!! Whoever thought that up is just a genius!!

Little change, big difference

2011-01-08T05:07:00.003-07:00

So tonight, when I was doing some strength exercises, I changed things up a bit. The biggest change, was on the squats I do. I have a barbell resting on my shoulders and basically do your typical squat. Today however, each time a squatted down, I paused for a second. It might have been less, but it felt like forever. This difference really made my legs ignite. It was incredible. I was actually breathing heavy even. I couldn't believe how such a small change could make such a big impact. I'm guessing my legs will be a little stiff tomorrow. But in a good way!!

2010 year in review...

2010-12-31T10:51:00.000-07:00

So, it's been an interesting year on the fitness front. My biggest goal for the year was to do the Calgary Ironman 70.3 and that did not happen. There are a variety of reasons for this, injury being first and foremost amoung them. After the Okanagan Half Marathon in 2009, it became rather apparent that I definitely had some problem with my foot. It turns out I had plantar fasciitis and a heel spur to go with it. This was very devastating to me as it elimated running from my repetoire for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately that killed any real motivation I had to keep at the fitness and things crumbled from there. I managed to gain about 25 pounds and just didn't care a whole lot.

In May, we ran the Mother's Day Run, only extra special for this year, my 4 year old son also ran the race. This is especially special as he's a preemie and the money raised was being donated to the NICU units in our city, to buy specific equipment that they needed or wanted. My sister-in-law and her fiance also ran with us. This is the first time that any family has participated with us!! And, how incredible to watch our 4-year-old finish his first ever 5km race. I was so proud of him and how he'd gone from this tiny baby fighting for his life to a spunky little 4-year old running serious races!!

I also did the Tri Diva Tri Triathlon in May. It was super chilly, but managed to finish my 250m swim, 9km bike and 2.5km bike despite minimal training. It was a fun event as I knew a few other people doing it and for many it was their first triathlon. I also did the Strathmore Women's Triathlon in August and it was a lot of fun. Again, I knew some people doing it, and it gave me the chance to continue to explore triathlon. I was not trained very well for the race, as I had done very little in the way of exercise leading up to it. The day before the race, I decided to use Jeremy's triathlon bike. It was a good decision on my part and I managed to do a nice good race in all three disciplines. Now if only I'd trained harder...

August was also Sebastian's second 5km race. And he even managed to shave a couple minutes off his time from his first race. It was fun, but running at a 4-year-old's pace does not exactly create a personal best. Perhaps I was using him as an excuse to not have to try harder? Hmmmmmm....

Well, something changed in me in August. After doing the Triathlon in Strathmore, I wanted to do better. I knew I could do better. I truly reached a turning point. I no longer wanted excuses and things began to change. First was exercise. It became a priority. I was not going to let any excuse prevent me from working out. I managed to exercise every day for the rest of the month. That made me happy. And, I started watching my eating. I used the Livestrong MyPlate to do this. It kept me very disciplined.

September brought on Melissa's Road Race. This was a 10km and one of my favourite races of the year. I knew I wasn't going to be as fast as I was the year before, but I put forth a good effort, and it was one of my better times at that race!! And for one of the first times ever, my husband beat me in a race, totally fair and square. I was very proud of him!! My reward that day for having exercised for a month every day, was to eat at the bison, and it was so worth every calorie!!

October was next with the Ambulance Chaser Run. This time, I ran with my sister and my son. Jeremy set out to do a personal best, and achieved that. Sebastian, Kim and I set out to finish a 5km. It was fun and we had glow sticks and enjoyed the race. Afterwards, there was Spolumbo's sausages to enjoy along with a playground for the little guys to play on (indoors). Sebastian was not the youngest to participate, another four year old claimed that honour, but there's a good chance he was the youngest one to have done the entire race on his own (no stroller rides for him!!).

The eating and exercise continued through November. At some point, the eating sort of drifted from it's discipline (I blame the holiday season for that!!). I've still kept at the exercise with complete dedication. It's now been more than four months of exercise every day and I have no plans to stop that anytime soon!!

The resolution run will be the way I finish off 2010. It's my plan to go run my little heart out... not sure that it will be a personal best (weather forecast is snow, and cold, and likely the route could be icy), but I know I'll finish strong!! And, what better way to send off 2010 and welcome 2011!!

Oh, and I almost forgot!! I completed my first AFLCA course, and I got accepted into Mount Royal University for the personal trainer certificate. Bring on the credentials to help others achieve their goals too!! Looking forward to that course starting in January!!

Looking back at my goals for 2010...

2010-12-28T23:32:00.002-07:00

So, I really can't believe it's the end of 2010 already, but here it is and it's time to look back and see if I managed to accomplish anything I set out to do at the beginning of the year.

1. I did NOT complete the Calgary half Ironman. Sad about this, but was still coming off an injury and just did not put in the time needed to train properly. The Mother's Day run however, I did complete and we raised over $1500 for Neonatal Intensive Care. And, it was my little NICU baby's first ever 5km run. I can't believe he finished it all on his own!! He was amazing!! And if a four-year-old can complete a five kilometre than really, what's my excuse!!

2. Decluttering our house. I did get lots done on this front. I boxed up all the baby clothes through size 18 months. We donated tons of toys and kitchen items, and a whole bunch of books. Both my husband and I also went through our closets and got rid of a bunch of clothes. We also removed all the books from our office, with a plan to only keep the ones we want to see in the next six months. Have only needed one or two, so that plan is working!! And we also put all our cookbooks on probation. They each have a sticker on them, and once we have cooked from them, the sticker comes off, after a year, we'll see which ones we really use or not!! But, I still feel like I could do so much more. More with kitchen stuff and toys especially!!

3. Using my Starbucks mug. I can say this was one of the easy challenges. Now, I almost never leave the house without my mug (or my kids for that matter), if I plan to visit Starbucks. It's fantastic!! Even my husband is mostly onboard with this one. Early in the year, I took my son for a hot chocolate and brought his cup. He nearly had a meltdown when he realized he wasn't getting a paper cup. But, we chatted about it and eventually he came around. Now he brings his own cup even!! And for Christmas this year, we got cold reusable cups, so next summer, passion tea lemonades and chai fraps will be in reusable cups too!!

4. Trying to pay down debt. Well, failed miserably on this one. Ended up owing on taxes, so that didn't help, and then my husband lost his job, so we never really got to work on this much. I'm hoping for 2011!!

5. Hmmm... something that scares me, never really tried anything this year. In part because there just wasn't the cash to devote to it. I know it's probably an excuse more than anything, but hey!!

6. Reading. I read a lot more this year than some years, which was awesome. I even started reading the Harry Potter series again lately. I still love O Magazine and read every issue cover to cover. And I've been reading a bunch of blogs as well as novels even. Still wish I read more, but every bit is more than not!!

7. I really need to make the journals for my boys a priority. It was not this year. I took them to work several times, but just never got around to doing much.

8. Never really volunteered at any races. We cheered on athletes at the Calgary Police Half Marathon, and a couple of triathlons, but that is about it. Didn't even get to volunteer at the Calgary Marathon this year!! Oh well, can try harder for 2011!!

9. I took my first fitness course this year, and was accepted at Mount Royal University into their Personal Trainer Certificate which starts in less than 3 weeks!! I'm very excited for this. It's the first step into a new career direction, and I couldn't be happier!!

10. And watch less TV, I definitely did this!! I taped the shows I loved, and hardly watched anything else. Sometimes I didn't even watch the ones I taped!! Being primarily nightshifts for my worklife has definitely assisted in that. Furthermore, I started taping some of my shows only in our basement so that if I want to watch them, I have to be on the treadmill or trainer to do it!!

So, all in all, I succeeded on at least half of them, and some are sort of half successes, so really I guess I should be proud of those efforts. Next up I'll have to see what's in store for 2011!!

Other people working out...

2010-12-24T01:49:00.000-07:00

So tonight I tried to see if anyone would run outside with me. Almost had a running buddy, but she didn't have outdoor gear, but might bring it tomorrow...

However, I went down to the gym, thinking maybe weights, maybe running, and settled on the treadmill. There are three treadmills in our work gym. And in a matter of minutes, all three were being used in full force. It was great. Three women, all in a row, using their break from work, to exercise. I was very impressed. It's so nice seeing people be active like that. Especially before the new year even!!

So we will see, if tomorrow, I do, in fact, having a running buddy... it's only supposed to be -11!!

The side benefit of a gastro bug...

2010-12-23T00:39:00.000-07:00

So, I had decided to make my goal for December to simply be "staying the course". In other words, I didn't want my weight to go over 175lbs. I just wanted to stay happily where I was. I knew there would be lots of temptations over the month with holiday treats and fancy dinners etc, and figured staying where I was would better than trying to lose more, and not, because of the temptations around me.

But then a nasty gastro bug went through our house. First my oldest son, then the baby, then the husband, and finally me. I tried so hard to not get sick, but inevitably, that was not to be the case. So, instead of staying the course, I ended up with two days of hardly any eating. It was not pleasant. I hate feeling like that. I still managed to get in some exercise, simply for the timing of it all, with one day simply walking on the treadmill, and the next day, doing a short run, which felt about a hundred times harder than it should have!!

The end result was, the weight continued to drop. So rather than stay the course, I dropped an extra five pounds. Suddenly, I've been weighing in, just under 170lbs. This is huge!! I couldn't be happier. I know there are still a bunch of days left for December, but there's more hope now, and my new "stay the course" is about 5 pounds less than I imagined. So, I still doubt I'll lose much for weight for the rest of December, but I'm happy that I'm likely going to be about 5 pounds less than I thought I would be!!

I'd still have rather not had the bug in the first place though!!

A streak continues... 128 days and counting...

2010-12-21T00:16:00.003-07:00

I haven't been blogging a whole lot lately, but I can assure you, I am still out there, being active and trying to eat well. As a matter of fact, my resolve to exercise every day is still in full force. Today was day 128. Last week, I even did stuff through a nasty little flu (granted I was only walking on the treadmill, but it was still something!!). I wonder if it is considered a habit yet, or at what point it would be. I really make an effort every day to find a little time to devote to exercise. And I aim for a half an hour. A few days have been more like 20 minutes, but the vast majority are at least a half hour, sometimes longer.

And, I've varied the activities immensely. The majority of days are still running, but because I don't want to injure my foot again, I'm very aware of including a variety of activities. So far this has included running (outside and on the treadmill), cycling (on the trainer and outside), swimming (laps and laps and laps), walking, weight lifting, resistance bands and ball workout, the rowing machine, and maybe even the occasional workout dvd (although that might have been before I started this streak). I continually update my wall calendar at home and it's fun to see all the green marker on there for each day of exercise.

I'm not sure when the streak will end, but I love it. I love that I take some time every day to be active. I think it sets a good example for my kids about being active. Plus, just this month I was reading in Oprah Magazine about the importance of taking time for yourself, and that in order to be the best person I can be, I need to take time for myself every day. So, that's what the exercise has been. And I love it. I crave it. So, how many more days will this streak last...

Change is in the air...

2010-11-18T19:53:00.001-07:00

So I got a fantastic letter in the mail. I have been accepted into the Personal Fitness Trainer program at Mount Royal University. I am so excited!! I really want to live my life in the best way possible and want to follow my dreams and goals. One of those goals is to become a personal trainer, and suddenly now, that seems like an actual real possibility!! By taking this certificate, I'll have an educational background to go along with the experience I already have. I want to have some sort of training so that I know I am offering people the right kinds of advice and programs as far as exercise and training goes. I can hardly wait to get started!! It will take a minimum of two years to finish, so really, there is no time like the present to get working on it... except it doesn't start until January!! Oh well, there's lots to do before than with Christmas and everything else anyways!!

But, come the new year, I really am taking steps to try and live the life I truly want... to help others realize their goals and dreams as far as distance events go. That's right. You want to do a marathon or triathlon or even just a 5km? Ask me about it, and I'll be able to help you. Right now, just as someone who has been there, but soon, as someone with knowledge and expertise in the fitness industry!!

Falling off the wagon, well, sort of...

2010-11-17T19:28:00.002-07:00

So, on the weekend, I had the closest I've been to falling off the wagon. And really, I have not entirely gotten back on. I am still exercising every day (up to 94 days now!!), and I'm still watching what I eat, but I haven't been religiously documenting my eating. On the weekend, we had a couple of family functions and that entailed Chinese food, and treats from the Avenue Cakery and Bakeshoppe in Airdrie (oh so yummy!!). And, although I did fine with portion control for the most part, I know I had a few more treats than I should have. And, then, we had lots of leftovers from the cakery. Needless to say, I didn't want those to go to waste, so over the next few days, I continued having more treats. This is a little counterproductive for weightloss. I even managed to be 2 pounds heavier. This is not so good!! Now, all the treats are gone, but I am still craving sugar big time. This is not so good!!

Worse though, I haven't been tracking my calories. This is not a good move on my part. And for the most part, the weight has been unchanged, I'm sure, in part because I'm eating more to maintain my weight rather than lose weight. So, I need to get back to tracking my eating again. It's so easy to do and with the iPhone, I really have no excuse not to. And if I want to continue to lose weight, then it is something I must do. I'm less than 10 pounds away from being a "normal" weight for my height. My journey won't end there, but I at least want to get there!!

Jeremy figures we need to finally get the swimsuits that were our reward for losing the weight we already had. So yesterday, he went and got his, and today had an awesome swim in his new suit. I still need to get mine!! So perhaps that will be the goal for this weekend... go and try swimsuits on... hmmmmm... not seeing that as truly feeling rewarding...

What have you been eating...

2010-10-30T21:53:00.002-06:00

So, some of the things I've eaten lately: Starbucks peppermint white mocha, Marble Slab chocolate mint ice cream with chocolate chips, crave cupcakes, cream filled cupcakes, Mcdonalds thai chicken mcmini crispy with fries, 4chip chocolate chip cookies (homemade of course with vanilla bean), aztec cheesecake, boston pizza bandera bread and hawaiian pizza, eggs benedict, steak, sloppy joes, Reese's peanut butter cups.

Yes, all these items have been included in my diet. My point? Just because you are trying to lose weight, doesn't mean you have to give up on the foods you love. I have been extremely disciplined in tracking my calories and the end result has been that I have lost about 22 pounds now. And yes, I do include treats. Now do I eat these items every day? Of course not!! But the point is, that I work around special events or eating out or wanting a treat and make it work within the parameters I have set. If I know I'm going to be eating out, then I make choices for the earlier meals of the day that are lower in calories, so that there are extra calories to spare later on for that special occasion. Most importantly though, I don't skip meals because of special events. I simply make different choices, or I add in an extra workout. I want to continue losing weight and in order to do so, will continue to monitor what I eat. For me, that's been key. I'm a little less rigid than I was in the beginning, but I am still careful to keep track. Weightloss doesn't happen overnight, and takes work to achieve.

So, know that if you are starting out on your weightloss journey, you can include treats, but it's important to have an adequate portion only. Maybe try a Halloween size candy if you are really wanting chocolate. Portion control is especially important when it comes to treats!! I am succeeding so far, because I don't deprive myself of treats and eat acceptable portions. It's a balancing act but in order to have a net loss in weight, the calories in, needs to be lower than the calories out. Figure out how much you want to lose (remember 1 to 2 pounds a week is reasonable), and work from there. It can be done!!

Vanilla cream filled cupcakes!!

2010-10-30T20:04:00.002-06:00

Okay, so what does that have to do with my eating and exercise plans? It is my latest reward!! And I've decided today, to share that reward structure with you.

I sort of have two reward systems going. One is tied to weightloss. These rewards are things like, a new bathing suit, an entry into a race, a new shirt to run in. Basically, gear. The other system is tied to exercise. Basically, I decided in August, that if I exercised every day until the Melissa's race in Banff, we'd go and eat at the Bison. This is my favourite restaurant. It was so worth every workout that I did. So, for the next month, I decided if I exercised every day, I would have a treat from the Avenue Cakery and Bake Shoppe in Airdrie. And today, we went there and the treats were purchased (at half price too on Saturday afternoon, yay for good deals!!). I went home and did a run, so that every day in October was full. Okay, I know there is still one more day in October, but I know tomorrow I will do something!! And really, on my chart, the reward day was today!! Which, coincidently was day 77... that's eleven weeks in a row of doing some sort of exercise every single day. So, is it a habit yet? I sure hope so!!

I love that for the past eleven weeks, I have had no excuses for not exercising. I have to of course, thank my husband for that. He is awesome to make sure I fit it in and I hope I'm giving him the time he needs as well. I've also been using my work lunch hours to help with that. No more tv, no more eating out, just pure old fashioned exercise. And, it's been great. I have gone running with a variety of people from my workplace. It's great!! We get outside, get some fresh air, and run. Truly awesome!! And, I'm getting to know some people I might not otherwise have gotten the chance to know (including one girl who is super fast and ran Boston this year only cause she qualified at her first ever marathon and figured she might as well!!). I hope the trend continues, and I still find the time to exercise every day. Sometimes with my husband, sometimes with my boys, sometimes with work friends, and sometimes on my own!! And I hope it continues to be varied in nature. So far it's included running, biking, swimming, hiking, weights, walking and even a ball/band routine. I am very aware of my body these days and trying to avoid injuries so figure the variety can only help with that!!

So there you have it. Today was exercise reward day. Next up will be weight reward day when I finally get a new bathing suit, because the one I am using now is old and slowly getting to a point where it really needs replacing. But, it will be exciting to get a new one, since it will definitely be smaller than the last one was (since it is actually baggy now!!). Stay tuned!!

How to stay motivated...

2010-10-26T05:28:00.004-06:00

When it comes to weight loss, it can sometimes be very tricky to keep yourself motivated. This is especially true when temptations are around you or you have come to a standstill. This past week, my husband and I both hit a plateau at the same time. It was tough, and at moments I didn't really care anymore about the long term gain, but I still stayed the course. Here's a few things that helped me...

1. Have a visual reminder of your accomplishments. One of my goals back in August was to exercise every day. It didn't matter what I did, as long as I did something every day, be it running, hiking, swimming, biking, weights or whatever. I've been keeping track on a calendar and highlight in green, every time I exercise. Looking at the poster is pretty motivating since it has green highlights on every day of the month so far. I don't want to break this streak so that has been helping a lot!!

2. Talk to someone who understands what you are going through. In this case, Jeremy was awesome, since he's basically going through the same thing. We chatted about all the ways we wanted to cheat or give up, but then encouraged each other to stay on track, since there's been accomplishments already and there is sure to be more.

3. Read an inspiring book or blog. Find someone else out there who has succeeded in their goals and has words of inspiration to share. This has been instrumental to my success. By reading about others who have reached their goals, I am inspired to reach mine!!

4. Celebrate how far you've come. In my case, I've lost 20 pounds so far. That's pretty significant. No wonder my body slowed down for a bit. It's adjusting to a lot less of me!! And any moment you want to pack it in and give up, remember how far you've already come. Nobody said it would be easy, but true change requires a commitment and it's important to honour what you have set out to do.

5. Sign up for a race. When all else fails, sign up to run a race. The atmosphere at races is truly inspiring. And it's fun to get excited about a goal down the road, so pick something that's only a couple months away so you have time to prepare but it's still close enough that you have to start working towards it. Sometimes all the exercise can feel pointless without something to work towards. By having an event in your future, you put all those hours at the gym, on the treadmill, etc to good use and will feel the results of that effort on race day. And really, nothing is more motivating than the energy at a race. If you could bottle that energy, people could be motivated forever!!

So, when you are feeling lost and need some motivation, look around, there's things you can do to help you stay the course...

The art of the plateau...

2010-10-24T18:24:00.002-06:00

So, this last week hasn't been the most exciting as far as weight loss goes. As a matter of fact, it's been more of a plateau. I don't like the plateau. It's not so inspiring. It's actually more frustrating than anything. Part of the reason for this, is even though you are still putting in the effort, it feels like the results aren't there. Then, inevitably, since you are having a plateau anyway, you start making some bad choices. Take for example my week. I was still applying myself fairly well, but a few things happened outside of my control. We went hiking on Thursday and someone else brought lunch. Not too big a deal, but we'd already had Starbucks, and smokie plus bun plus wine gums, plus cookies, plus juice, and well, you get the picture. Thursday was the first day I actually went over on my calories. It was the first time I had a bright red line highlighting the fact that I had eaten more than I was supposed to, and more than I was supposed to even when adding in the exercise. It was a little depressing.

And that led to Friday. On Friday we had people over. This time, I was in charge of the menu, and we were having cheesecake. Because we were having cheesecake, dinner was a soup and salad, so that the calories wouldn't be crazy. And, although I wasn't over after exercise was factored in, it was still a higher calorie day than usual.

And bring on Saturday, in the morning I gave blood, so ate cookies and juice more than I normally would have, however, the benefit, far outweighed the extra calories. Lunch was leftover pumpkin spice soup (super healthy, full of veggies and pretty low in calories too!!). And, once again, another meal outside my control. And darn it anyway, there were chips and dip. I did a good job with portions. Although I confess, chips and dips were included in that (I tried to resist but it didn't work). Dinner consisted of well portioned steak, potatoes and salad. But dessert, mmmmmm... it was a cranberry upside down cake, and it was so incredibly good!! I did great only having a small bit of ice cream with it, and I truly savoured every single bite, so that I didn't need to have seconds, since that would have blown me out of the water on calories!! Saturday night I fit in my exercise as a run. I did a treadmill route and it went well. I had to take it a little bit easy since I was down on fluids and blood. So, I didn't push too hard, but had a great run.

And, the end result, this morning I weighed less again. Back in the 175 area. So, really, it's still plateau like, but after 8 days at 176 or higher, it's nice to know there is hope again!! And, now that it's Sunday night, there is hope for the rest of the week!! And as for exercise, well, I'll be running again tonight... and today is day 71 of exercise...

There is no quick fix...

2010-10-17T18:55:00.000-06:00

So, I was reflecting on the Biggest Loser season and how this time around they have at least a couple of contestants that have previously had surgeries to help with their weight loss. I wondered why they would choose them, and it suddenly occured to me. The surgeries are a quick fix. Most people who have gastric bypass or similar surgeries achieve dramatic results in a very short period of time.

The problem is, although the results are quick, often, those people don't actually address the issues that caused the weight gain in the first place, so slowly, the weight begins to creep on again. And, in the case of these contestants, they are battling the same issues they had to deal with many years previously. In one instance, the contestant had the surgery as a teenager. It's sad that people (or parents), are so desparate for a quick fix, that they really don't take the time to learn about proper nutrition or exercise or anything.

People wanting to make changes, need to realize that results will not be instant. It takes time, dedication and hard work to get the results they are desparately seeking. However, time does pass, and regardless of if you make an effort or not, the same time will pass. For example, in January of this year, I signed up for a weight loss challenge. I lost nothing. Zilch. Zip. I also put in no effort. Nothing. So, after two or three months, when the challenge ended, I was no further ahead. However, in August, I started putting forth some serious effort at weight loss after my work pants got too tight. Again, two months has passed, however, this time, I am down twenty pounds. The same time passed, yet this time, I've been making an effort. And, although the results are slow, now, when I look back two months, it seems almost dramatic, and that's fun.

So, if you have a goal you are working towards, and willing to put forth the effort you need to reach it, the same time will pass regardless of what you do. Think about it. There's about two and a half months until the end of the year. Is there a goal you want to start working towards? The resolution run perhaps (you get a jacket for running it!!)? Lose ten pounds perhaps? Learn some Spanish? Whatever the goal, start working towards it. You have a little over two months to make some steps towards it. And, at the end of the year, you can look back and see the progress you made over this time period. Because, regardless of what you do, in two and half months, it will be December 31st. So, it's your choice to make the most of the time until then...

Five easy steps to help your weight loss journey...

2010-10-16T20:03:00.001-06:00

So, I've chatted with a few people lately who have talked about how hard it can be to lose weight. I know it seems that way sometime, but if you truly apply yourself, it really can be done. Take me, for example. I've been tracking my eating for 2 months now. In the beginning it took a bit of work, but now it has become almost second nature. I know how many calories I should be eating, and need to work towards that number. Of course, the challenge starts when I make the choices I do for eating.

1. Figure out how many calories you need to be eating. It's hard to stick to your program when you don't know what your program is. You can use all kinds of programs out there to find this out. Personally, I used the MyPlate application on the Livestrong website. It's fantastic. You can input your current height and weight, and then plan your calorie goal based on whether you want to maintain your current weight, lose weight, or even gain weight. I set my goal to be losing 2 pounds a week. It also asks for your activity level. I have a moderately active lifestyle (walking our son to preschool, walking to get groceries, playing outside with the kids etc), outside of specific exercise like cardio and weights, so I labelled it accordingly and then I add exercise that I do over and above that. From there, if you do the math, and your calories in matches that, then you will lose the weight. It's been 2 months now, and I'm losing an average of two pounds a week, so it has to be working!! Of course as you lose the weight, you also have to recheck your calorie goal every now and then since it will change as your weight changes!!

2. Portion control is everything!! One of the biggest challenges we faced at the beginning of this journey was getting more in check with the portions we should be eating. More often than not, we'd take what we thought we should be eating rather than what a real portion should be. This can be very tough to take at the beginning, especially with things like pasta, where a portion is much smaller than anything you might expect after eating at a popular pasta restaurant etc. We were very careful at the start, and anytime we ate at home, we would measure and weigh things out. I still do this with many things, just so I don't give myself more than I should. I'm a sauce person, so I love ketchup, bbq sauce, sour cream, dips, gravy or anything along those lines. Since they are huge calorie consumers, measuring out an appropriate portion makes a huge difference in keeping me in line.

3. Watch what you drink. Drinks are a huge source of calories and some people consume upwards of 30% or more of their calories each day in drinks. So, be very aware of what you are drinking. I still include treats like Starbucks, but the vast majority of my drinks consist of green tea, and water flavoured with fruit infusions. I often find water just too plain and boring, but if I make up some tea with a fruit infusion, then ice it, I get essentially pure water but with a little more taste. My favourites are wild cherry, sangria and pina colada from Teaopia.

4. Plan for those special events. One of the easiest ways to derail your efforts is to take special dinners and not count them. Rather, what you should be doing is planning ahead at how you can make the best choices and still keep yourself on track. The very first weekend we started tracking calories, my parents came to visit and wanted to go for chinese food. Well, first off, I tend to always make bad choices when my parents visit, but I was determined it would be different this time. I decided ahead of time, I would only have one plate and be reasonable in my portions at that. We ordered a dish that matched with our needs better and were just careful to eat reasonably while we were there. We also added in an extra workout that day so there were calories to spare if we went over what we should have been eating. It worked out great and we stayed the program despite a challenging meal.

5. Don't beat yourself up. The best part of tracking your calories, is, even if you mess up, you have an account of what you ate. It's easy to go back later and figure out what happened that day and find strategies for the next time you are in a similar circumstance. So, rather than erase the incident and pretend like it didn't happen, record it. Note what you ate, so that if it happens again, you can figure out what triggered the eating etc. The beauty of these online programs, is you can create graphs and stats and have total knowledge of the days you were ontrack, and the ones that maybe messed up. And then, if the same thing is happening every month, maybe you'll realize what it is that causes changes, allowing you to address them, rather than just trying to forget them. If you go to all the trouble of tracking your eating, don't let a setback hold you back, track it and work with the information you have.

When it comes to weight loss, the formula is very simple. In order to lose weight calories in must be less than calories out. In other words, you need to eat less calories than your body requires, but at a rate that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. And even though the formula is simple, it doesn't take into account emotions, and parties, and cravings and all the other things that can derail your efforts. So, although the formula is simple, applying it, can sometimes be complicated. But it can be done. You just have to make a very strong effort at applying it.

Twenty pounds down...

2010-10-15T13:38:00.003-06:00

So, as you can see from the photo, I now weigh 175.4lbs. That is 20 pounds down from when I started using the www.livestrong.com application MyPlate in August. I have the iphone version and it's been fantastic!! Jeremy uses the desktop version. It's been two months of disciplined eating and exercise and the work is truly paying off. So exciting!! This scale is fun because it has the body fat, hydration,and muscle percentages, which of course will vary, but hey!!

Granted, this weight was after swimming and likely I was missing a bit of liquid in my body (since I was famished and thirsty). It's hard work chasing after preschoolers and then swimming laps, but hey, the scale is what it is!!

Something to train for...

2010-10-13T02:18:00.002-06:00

So Jeremy got us signed up for the Resolution Run yesterday. I'm excited, because it means we actually have something we are training for now. And I love the whole idea of the run. Finishing off the year with a run, or starting off the new year being active, whichever way you look at it. It makes a good statement and really encourages being healthy and active. I love it!! Last year we tried to sign up too late and it was sold out, but this year we got in, yay!! It's nice because it's early enough that you still have time to go out and bring in the new year in style, but knowing you already got a run in.

I'm happy. It's a 5km, but it's a start. Now, to figure out what the race goals are for 2011... well, I still have time to figure that out... but might as well start getting hopeful... question is, how far do I want to race...

A year ago...

2010-10-12T00:31:00.002-06:00

So, last year on Thanksgiving weekend, I was in Kelowna for the Okanagan Marathon. Our family drove up with my friend Cindy's family. It was a fantastic weekend. We had spent the entire summer training for the race, and finally the big event was here. My son did his race (he had spent the summer accumulating kilometers so that for the kids race, he was doing the last kilometer of 42km, to complete the marathon distance, at 3 years old). Sebastian totally rocked, even if he needed a little encouragement at times!!

My race was amazing. I was hoping to finish around 2:15:00 or so. I figured I'd put in all the work needed for that. I'd run a 10km just under an hour, twice. So finishing in 2:15:00 seemed very possible. In the end it took me 2:04:44. I was shocked. This meant I'd run the whole race averaging just over 10km/hr for my pace. Since only the month before had I ever had a race at that speed, and that was for a 10km, I never imagined in a million years that I could maintain that pace for 21km. Yet, there I was, finishing at that pace. I was so proud and amazed at what I had accomplished. Of course it was right after this race that I was stopped in my tracks with an injury. It was very hard to go from training to nothing. On that weekend though, I experienced such a high. It was so awesome to know that I had become more competitive in my running. We celebrated that night with a turkey dinner, made at the hotel. It was so much fun!!

So, now, I'm looking back at last year, and also looking forward to next year. I officially weigh less now, than I did last year (only by a pound or two, but still!!). So, I look back knowing I had potential to improve, and I look forward, wondering just what that improvement will be. Is it possible to break an hour again in a 10km? Could I ever break 2 hours in a half marathon? And what might a future marathon look like? And then there is triathlon... and all the potential goals associated with it... all the way up to an ironman...

The cross training has been a huge part of my fitness regime. I am mixing all kinds of exercise in, because I don't want to deal with an injury like that again. That pattern of exercise has been huge. I have yet to get sick of it and I'm now onto 58 days in a row. Most recently it was the stair stepper and some weights. My dog ran into my leg yesterday and my calf muscle is sore, so I didn't want to aggravate that. I've been doing some icing and compression in a hope to get it repaired rather quickly. We'll see what tomorrow feels like. I'm thinking maybe tomorrow is a swimming sort of day...

Sticking to the plan...

2010-10-09T21:02:00.002-06:00

So, we spent the day in Medicine Hat today. It went well. I've managed to stay on track. My calories are okay, and I even managed to fit in exercise. We went to the leisure centre and I got the time to swim 775 meters. It was the first time we had ever gone, and it was fantastic. There is a wave pool which was a little smaller than I would have imagined, but there was also a lazy river, and a toddler pool.

And then there was the lane pool. This is actually divided into three sections. There is a diving board section with swing rope and nearby water slide, the traditional lanes of 25m in the middle part and then an open pool area in the shallow part. So really, the pool could be a 50 meter pool when required. It was great. It was almost intimidating at first. Jeremy went so far as to say that had we gone six months ago, he wouldn't even have swam in it, as the lanes were probably at least 2 meters deep throughout. At one point I even lost the hair elastic I had in my hair and noticed it floating on the bottom of the lane I was in. I braved it, and dived down to get it. I was glad to be back on the surface again after that!! And it was a little different having the ends be in the middle of the pool . Jeremy said he almost ran straight into it, because when you are looking down, you don't realize where it is since it's only in the top meter.

Needless to say, it was a nice place and I'd definitely go back again. The boys had a blast and didn't want to leave. The toddler pool was full of toys and they just went to town. Plus, that pool was slightly warmer than the wave pool so poor little Sebastian with no fat was more than happy to not be freezing anymore!!

Only one more day and I will have officially survived and stayed on the program while being away...

How to stick to your plan in the face of temptation...

2010-10-08T15:52:00.001-06:00

So, this weekend we are going to visit my parents. I am excited but also a little worried about falling off my plan and going over in calories every day. I know that whenever I'm around my parents, it's harder to stick to my plan. There are thousands of opportunities to eat more calories than I need, and all sorts of temptations everywhere. So I need to work hard to make sure I don't overindulge and sabotage all the work I've done. I also need to make sure I still find the time to exercise each day. So what will my strategy be? Something like this:

1) Remind yourself each morning about your goal and what you are trying to achieve. Take note of what you have already done and try and use your past success to give you the discipline you need to stick to your plan
2) Make space for a treat or two. If you know that temptations will be there, allow yourself the occasional treat, but try and still keep it close to the program. If having a special treat keeps you in check, that's better than realizing you've given in to temptation and then being gluttonous and sabotaging the work you've done.
3) Make exercise a priority. It's important and it helps keep you on the right track. Even in a new setting, try and find a way to exercise. Bring along your runners, or your bathing suit, and find at least a little time to get active. Being active will usually help keep the eating in check as well.
4) Have some meal ideas and plans. Even though you are away, you can still follow your typical eating. If you usually eat toast, make sure there's bread to eat toast. If you usually have cereal, bring it along, and get some milk. Have snacks ready to go, so you stay the course of your program.
5) And if you do slip up, don't beat yourself up. Just accept it and move on. One or two indulgencies is no reason to give up. You have a goal, and sometimes the path to reach it is not always easy, that's okay, there's more than one way to get there, some ways just might be a little bit longer!!

An easy day...

2010-10-08T03:43:00.003-06:00

So yesterday I had an easy exercise day. My intention was to take the boys to the park and do a bunch of exercises sort of like a circuit style. I even took my sheet that I got from the trainer last year. And, I managed to get in the pushups, tricep dips, lunges, squats, long extended squats, and some running with Sebastian playing tag. It wasn't as much as I'd planned, but it was still a bunch, so I decided it was still good enough to be considered exercise for the day, especially since my legs and arms were quite tired after those exercises, and really it probably took me about 20 minutes. So even though it wasn't much, it was still something!!

Then, on my lunch hour at work today, I ran on the treadmill. It went well, I went for forty minutes all together, finishing 5km in about 27:04 and 6km in about 32:49, and went a total of 6.7km. It was a sort of selfmade interval program, I sped up every thirty seconds and once I got to six minutes, I slowed down and started building again. My heart rate came down nicely at the end so I was happy about that.

A unit brought up coffees for us tonight, and given that I felt quite tired, I gave in and got a small tims iced cappuccino. Might not have been the best choice, but it sure tasted good!!

Part fish (or perhaps mermaid?)

2010-10-07T05:05:00.002-06:00

So, for whatever reason, swimming comes fairly natural to me. Ever since I can remember, I have always done quite well in the water. As a kid I got to skip orange. And as a kid, I loved to swim. As an adult, I'm not quite as excited about being in the water. Mostly though, it's because I don't like the chlorine, and getting into cold water. Yet, once I start swimming, I just go. I can knock off 80 laps like it's nothing. But I think it's time to train smarter. It's time to do some actual swim workouts. Something where it's more than just getting in the water and covering a distance. Maybe it's time to work on speed, or power, or time. Maybe I should do more than just the front crawl. I'm going to start looking for other options and maybe one of these days I'll go to the pool with a workout plan... could be exciting!!

The Biggest Loser... And a tainted look at blogging...

2010-10-05T23:43:00.003-06:00

I am inspired by the Biggest Loser. I really love watching the transformations that people go through. It's the one reality show where really, everyone is a winner because almost every always makes a positive change in their lives. Now, it is a little extreme in that some of the people on the show are much larger than most, yet, anyone who has struggled with weight loss can relate. We didn't get there eating carrots. So, as I go along on my journey, I sometimes think that maybe I have it easy. Maybe I don't deserve to be blogging about the changes I'm seeing or the plan that I'm following. But for me, my journey matters, and I might not have a hundred pounds to lose, but I do have fifty. And for me, it's been a battle for a few years now. When I met my husband, eleven years ago, I was in awesome shape. I was running every day, and watching the portions I ate and I looked great. Funny thing was, at the time, I thought I still had work to do. If only the me of today could have told the me of last decade a few things.

Which brings me to another blog that I've been enjoying lately. The Healthy Tipping Point has been interesting. Lots of neat recipe ideas, and training ideas rolled into a blog. The whole point of that blog is to get some ideas and things that have worked for someone else. And then there was an article published that totally ripped apart a bunch of bloggers who blog about health and fitness. None of them claim to be experts, but each has written about things they have done over the years to get in shape and eat better. The article fails to mention that these blogs are only a part of who these people are. Many people have more than one blog and try to be specific to a key area of interest. So, rather than blogging about all the details of their lives, they blog about eating well and exercise. And maybe they don't have it perfect, but they are trying. I found the article really took away from what the blogs are there for. Inspiration. Ideas. Motivation. And it really made it feel like people who try and be healthy and watch what they eat are obsessive etc, rather than pointing out that they are aware. It took what should have been a celebration of their achievements and tried to turn it into something nasty and mean. Granted, I only have been following one of the blogs, but I was a little mortified by the article, since these are the types of blogs I look to for inspiration and ideas (like pumpkin yogurt, yum!!).

And then I wonder about this blog. Am I obsessed over exercise? Am I obsessed over eating? I like to think that I'm aware of what I am putting in my body, and staying within healthy limits to help shed the weight I put on. And on the exercise front, I like to think that I'm living an active lifestyle, by trying to do something every day. I don't go hardcore every day, but I do something. But now I wonder, will someone eventually criticize my methods? I'm just trying to get to a healthy weight for me, to set a good example for my boys. I don't think that's too much to ask. And in the process I'm trying to share some of the things that worked for me. Oh well, I will keep plugging away!!

Checking in...

2010-10-05T23:29:00.000-06:00

So, the exercise has been consistent, but what about the eating you might be asking. Well, I have been consistently tracking that since the middle of August as well, and have been very good about staying within my goals as far as eating the right amount of calories for me etc. And, the results have been fairly impressive to date.

Most recently, I weighed in at 178.2 pounds. I'm not quite sure how this is possible, yet I'm so excited by it. This means I'm now down more than 17 pounds since I reached my breaking point. But even more significant, I now weigh less than I have in I couldn't even tell you how long. Definitely since before I had children. Last year, when I was in my best running shape ever, I reached 179 pounds, and that was the lowest I got, and then I was sidelined with my stupid foot injury. I was excited last year, as that had been the lowest I'd been in forever. But now, I've bested that!! It's quite an exciting feeling to know that changes are being made, and that all this effort at eating proper portions and exercising is actually paying off.

It's becoming noticable as well. My favourite part is my arms and shoulders. There is actually some definition there, lines that show where the muscle is. I like it. My husband also says my waist is changing (maybe he could tell my stomach about that, hahahaha). And really, the clothes are fitting better, so there has to be a difference!! It's exciting and I like it, and it just makes me want to continue.

Will I lose more weight? Will I fall off the wagon? Nobody knows for sure, but based on how things are going, I welcome the changes and look forward to more in the future!! I'm trying, and it's paying off!! Calories in, calories out. Such a simple concept but it's true, and paying attention to it, has made all the difference in the world!!

50 days...well 51 days...

2010-10-05T06:20:00.002-06:00

So, back in August, I actually reached my breaking point as far as eating and exercise goes. And I started exercising. And every day I did something. And that continues. Up until yesterday, it's been 51 days. It's included weights, running, spinning, biking, swimming, hiking, rowing, and even the Jacobs ladder. Is it a habit now? I like to think so. Do I still worry I'll stop and not start again? Definitely. Well, I know I will start again, but I just worry if I pause, I may for longer than I'd like. So, I keep going. I try and keep it varied so that my body gets a chance to recover from certain exercise specific fatigue. And, it's been going well. I try and space out the running days so that I don't do too many in a row as I don't want to sustain another injury and be sidelined because of it.

Is it easy? Surprisingly, yes. I have to wonder about all the excuses I had before, and what I did with the time. Making exercise a priority has been awesome. I know that every day, I have some time devoted to it, and I look forward to it. If it's at home, I will watch a show while I'm on the trainer or the treadmill. So, then, I not only get exercise in, I also see a show I've been looking forward to... it's a win win. And sometimes, exercise involves the whole family, like for a hike, or the Ambulance Chasers run on Friday. It's awesome!!

So, 51 days done, how long will this streak continue? Only time will tell, but I have my sights set on 100 days now!!

The ride to conquer cancer...

2010-09-25T02:57:00.000-06:00

Cancer sucks, there is no two ways about it. Anyone who has had cancer, or watched someone with cancer go through treatments will attest to this. There is really nothing fun about it. The outcome is unknown, and the process is sickening (literally). I have watched a variety of people in my life go through cancer, and have heard stories of many more. It's not a fun thing. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.

My first real encounter with this disease was when my grandpa was diagnosed with brain cancer. I remember going to Foothills with my grandma when he was getting treatments. I remember when he lost all his hair. And I remember when he died. He was young and something he obviously didn't plan on. It was terrible. I remember (I was just a young kid at the time), wondering why it happened. Why did my grandpa have to get cancer and why did he die. It was obvious that he was trying to fight it, but the cancer was too much for him to fight.

Jeremy's dad had cancer. It was very aggressive. It was a digestive cancer. Again, here was someone who tried to fight it, but less than a year after getting sick and being diagnosed, he died. It was horrible to watch my inlaws going through this.

As I was being reaqainted with my biological dad, I learned that my uncle (my godfather), was fighting brain cancer. We went for lunch at his place, and again, there was someone trying hard to fight it, but not succeeding.

Cancer is terrible. Statistics say that in the province I live, 1 out of 2 people will hear the words "you have cancer" at some point in their lives. I have two kids. The idea that one of them might hear those words devastates me. So I want to do something about it. I want to take steps to help irradicate this terrible disease. I am not a scientist, or a doctor, but I do care, and I know I can help.

This is why I am doing the Enbridge Ride To Conquer Cancer. It's a 200km bike ride that raises money to fund valuable research that is looking to find a cure or a better treatment for those that have to face this devastating disease. Everyone knows someone that's been affected. But together, we can make a difference.

Biking is a new frontier for me. I've done lots of running races, and raised funds for all sorts of different causes, but now I am challenging myself in a new way, and raising money for something that has affected people in my life personally. I am doing this for my grandpa, my father-in-law, my uncle, and for all the others out there that have been diagnosed with cancer. Together we really can help make a difference. So, if you'd like, please, join me on the ride, and if that's not really your thing, then make a donation, it really will help make a difference. Together, we really can make a difference!! Thanks for your time. I will be updating my progress over the next few months...

Very inspiring video

2010-09-23T02:19:00.002-06:00

So, a friend posted a link to this video last week. I loved it. I reposted it on facebook, but thought I better take the time to put it on this blog. It's about a guy who lost 120 pounds and in the process became quite the athlete. And, it's really got me thinking. What are my goals. And the goal I keep coming back to is Ironman. I really really really really really, want to do be an ironman finisher. And I'm starting to formulate a plan in my brain. I think I will volunteer next year at Ironman Canada, and then sign up for the year after. It's still just in it's infancy, but I think this is really what my goal is. I was chatting with Jeremy about it, since obviously having his support would be key, and he knows I want to do it by the time I'm forty. But he says to me, "what if you get injured, why wait until you are forty, if you do it before then, and something happens, then you still have a couple more chances". That was so awesome!! And now I really see that it might happen.

Which brings me to tonight. I went running at work with a couple of my coworkers. Keep in mind, one of these coworkers ran Boston this year, so she's fast!! The kind of fast that can pass you running up a hill pushing two kids in a stroller fast. Anyhow, she ran with me, and another girl, and tonight we kept going, and didn't even stop for a single walking break. That was a first (I've run with these ladies a few times previously, and about halfway through we usually stop). It was an awesome run!! I loved it!! We were running at a really good pace too.

At the end of the run, the Boston girl starts talking about ironman and about how she really wanted to do an ironman for her 40th (which is in 2012). Ironically, that matches exactly with the rough plan I'd laid out, and suddenly she's talking about carpooling to Penticton for Ironman Canada next year, and it was such a great conversation. Bottom line, we both have a similar goal, and although she'd likely finish hours ahead of me, we'd both still likely finish with the right amount of training etc.

And then later in the evening, another guy at work stopped by my desk and bought a cookie (which I was selling to raise money for cancer), and he's one of the few people I know who has completed Ironman. And he was talking about bike rides and charity events and it was so great to be in the company of other people who care to do something...

I think that's one of my favourite parts about races. Most of the time you are surrounded by like minded people who want to make a difference. And at those events, you see the power of putting all those like minded people together in one place and what can be accomplished... it's awe inspriring... but more on that next time...

Finding motivation...

2010-09-15T12:59:00.004-06:00

So, things are still progressing nicely. I've been dedicated to exercising, in some form or another every day, and I've been keeping track of my eating every day as well. I'm happy with the progress I've made, and want to keep making progress, but am feeling very unmotivated. I think part of my lack of motivation comes from my work life and the stress it has caused lately. I try hard not to bring my work home with me, but every now and and then I think that it brings me down.

However, I'm still keeping at it, so I must be finding the inspiration from somewhere!! Maybe it is seeing the results. I'm happy with the results I've been seeing, from shirts that fit a little bit looser, to pants that aren't so tight. And even definition in my arms and legs. How did that happen??? I mean, I know how it happened, but it sure is nice to see, and it makes me want to keep at it so I don't lose any momentum.

My next reward is lunch at my all time favourite restaurant in Banff, in the rocky mountains. It's called the bison. It's incredible. And it will be my reward for exercising so consistently. And, it will be my reward after I finsh my 10km race!! So, I'll be hungry and craving their food and it will be so fantastic... I just know it!! If you are ever in the Banff area, you have to check it out!! For now, I'm dreaming of all the incredible choices they have...

Staying the course...

2010-09-10T02:32:00.002-06:00

Some days, it is really hard to stay motivated. So, it's important to have strategies to stay on course. Take tonight for example, at work, the guy beside me kept offering me cookies. Super nice of him, but I didn't want to add calories to my day!! And then another girl brought in three bags of chips. Seriously people, do you know how hard it is, at 2 in the morning to not eat chips and cookies?? It has taken an extreme amount of willpower to stay away from these things. So what can you do when it seems like everyone around you is trying to get you off course. How do you keep on the path you are trying to follow. Here are a few ideas:

- bring along your own snacks. If you are at a workplace with temptation all around you, bring some things that fit into your eating plan that are tasty and full of nutrition. That way, when someone walks buy with chips or cookies, you can turn them down.

-exercise. Take a walk or run or something when you get a break. Just being active and getting your heart beating reminds you of what your goal is and helps reframe your mind again so that temptations are easier to refuse.

-surround yourself with like minded people. Try and find people in a similar boat or with similar goals. Then, when there's temptation, you can band together and make a healthier choice.

-remind yourself of what your goals are. Ask yourself honestly if the temptation will help you get there faster. Does it match with the kind of life you are trying to create. If not, then pass. Short term pleasure just makes the long term goal a little longer.

-if all else fails, and you know you simply must give in to the temptation, then allow yourself a small portion. If everyone is having cake and you don't want to miss out, have half a piece, that way, you still got the treat, but kept your portions in check. Nobody is perfect and sometimes allowing yourself to have the treat in a reasonable way will prevent you from overindulging later!!

So tonight, I have been successful, I brought in snacks, I stayed away from the cookies, and instead of grabbing chips, I went and ran on my lunch, came back and had my snack I had brought in, and now, I'm just reminding myself of why I don't need the chips since they aren't going to help me get where I want to be!! So I just have to last three more hours...

So, where are we now??

2010-09-08T12:45:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been well over three weeks now, since I started tracking my calories on myplate at livestrong.com. And it's definitely making a difference. In pounds, I started at 195.4 and have since gone down to 187. That's a big difference in a relatively short amount of time. Eight pounds is pretty close to two pounds a week. So, it's a healthy amount to lose at a time. And, it sure is motivating!! We have a scale that approximates how much of your body is fat vs water vs muscle and I'm now measuring around 38%. That's over 2% of body fat that is hopefully gone forever.

On the food front, I've been doing well. I still find room to have the occasional treat, but I make sure that there are calories to spare. The biggest challenge was when my parents visited. For some reason, the choices just aren't always that healthy. Jeremy did a great job though making a meal with lots of choices when we made supper, and when we went out for Chinese food, we had exercised earlier in the day to make sure we made up for any calorie surplus that might exist. We also made a point of drinking lots of tea, and tried hard not to fill our plates too full. All in all it was a success and although those might not have been our biggest days of losing, we still stayed within our net calories for the days.

As for exercise, I've really made it a point to include it in my day every day. It doesn't have to be much. A half hour here, a half hour there. But it does have to be there. And it's been quite varied. I have run, walked, biked, spun, swam, done weights and even the Jacob's ladder. I've made a point of using my lunches at work to do something. Even though there's really only half an hour of active time, it's still a half hour. Plus, by not being in the lunchroom, I am not tempted to buy foods that aren't healthy or sit and watch tv only. It really is a mindset to get out and be active and it's working. I've even run with a bunch of different people at work. So, not only am I being active, I'm encouraging others to be as well!! And maybe some of them would have gone anyways, but others have made a point of bringing their shoes etc.

So all in all, things are changing for the better. There's a little less of me now, and I'm already noticing that my pants aren't bursting at the seams anymore (thank goodness!!). So now, just have to stay motivated and keep going...

Oh, and in case you are wondering about the husband, well, Jeremy is now down 12 pounds and doing great as well. I think having him on board and working for similar results has really helped both of us stay on course working towards our goals!!

Swimming etiquette?

2010-09-05T19:09:00.002-06:00

So, I swam today. Trying to swim a bit more often, just to stay regular and get stronger in this discipline. Swimming comes fairly natural to me, for that I am grateful. I can get in the water and swim. Not much thought needs to go into it. It's nice that way. Mostly all I do is the front crawl. Boring I suppose. But, the backstroke is just annoying since I can't tell where I'm going, and the breaststroke is just too slow. Which brings me to my question...

Is there such a thing as etiquette in the water? I know at triathlon races, if you touch someone's toes, they are supposed to let you pass them at the end. But I can't ever imagine touching someone's toes at just plain public swimming. At our pool, there are only two lanes to swim in. Most of the time, it's not a big deal, but sometimes it gets a bit busy. Like today for instance. It was crazy. Funny enough, the lanes for swimming weren't too bad, at least at first. Twice, I nearly ran into someone trying to cross through the lanes. I'm guessing they don't have a clue since they went right through the swimmers to get to the deep end. So to them, I don't worry too much. Annoying however, are the pesky breaststrokers. I mean, please, it's not a very fast swimming skill. Some people are quick, but the vast majority are slow, slow slow. And since there are only two lanes, I don't understand how someone can think they are fast and choose to swim in the fast lane. Really, you might be faster than one other person, but you are slower than anyone else!! So swim where you belong!!

I managed to swim 28 laps (there and back, or 56 lengths), before it became an issue. But at that point, it was just too much. There were three people going uber slow in the fast lane. I ended up moving to the slow lane just so I could get in a couple more laps, but then I gave up. at 30 laps, I was done. I wasn't playing dodge the breaststroker, just not worth my time. So, at 1.5km of swimming, I called it, and stopped. It was a great swim, up until the last two laps. I just wish people understood why there are signs for fast and slow. I know I'm not super fast, but I am considerably faster than the leisurely breaststrokers that decided to drive me crazy!!

Oh well, there's always next time... stay tuned for an update on where I stand as far as eating, exercise and trimming down a bit...

My poster...My vision board...

2010-09-01T02:15:00.002-06:00

I have to say, I am definitely motivated by posters. I bought a bulletin board awhile back, and kept bugging my husband to hang it up for me. I suppose I could have done it myself, but I eventually got him to do it. The first thing I put up was a poster of the month of August I had made. It had a running program written on it, but never did follow that. However, what I did do, was start working out. August was an amazing month for working out. I swam about 4 times. I biked about 5 times, I ran about 18 times, and I did weights about 3 times and also played around on the wii a bunch.

Every time I worked out, I wrote it onto the calendar. And then I highlighted it in green. The desire to have green stripes on my calendar was huge. I'm not quite sure why it was so huge, but it was. And as a result, there were enough workouts in August that I exercised every single day (well, a few days were double workouts). But, the bottom line is, I have gotten back in the groove. Was it the poster? Or the motivation to lose weight? Probably both, but I certainly am motivated by the poster!!

Next I will be putting up September. I hope that it carries the same number of stripes as August did. I think it will. This past month has been so motivating that I'm already looking ahead to courses I can take to keep on this fitness train and someday maybe help others in a similar circumstance!!

Are you thinking of putting up a poster? It will help. There's something about colouring in those stripes, or squares that just makes you feel great. Looking at August, it's a sea of green. And I earned every one of those. Last summer I created a poster based on weeks until a half marathon. And it was a colourful one. And each square that was coloured represented a workout. Life is better when you get to colour a little, so I highly recommend it!!

There's an app for that...

2010-08-30T21:01:00.002-06:00

So, the book talked about counting calories, and food journaling and figuring out how many calories you need to eat in order to lose, gain or maintain weight. Knowing that I would be needing to count calories, I wondered if there were any apps for the iphone (since basically, the phone seldom leaves my side!!). So, I searched "calorie counters" and of course, a whole bunch came up. One caught my eye though, called livestrong.com. I thought this was the Lance Armstrong thing for cancer, so I checked out the reviews on it, and everything I read, was quite positive. I decided, for $3, I could download it and check it out. So I did, and I put in my data from that day. And I have put in my data every day, ever since!!

Basically, the tool is called Daily Plate, or MyPlate and can be used to input the foods you eat and the exercise you do. The database is incredible. There are over a million items in there. In the past, one of my complaints on some of these sites is the lack of Canadian content, however, in this case, the Canadian content is fantastic. Right down to the 12 grain alpine loaf from the local Bowness Bakery. It also has all sorts of restaurants including Canadian content when it is different from the US stuff (ie like blizzard flavours from the Dairy Queen, although I can happily say I have not had any sort of blizzard since I started using the app). And it bases your calories on your goals, either to maintain, lose or gain weight. It nets out so if you exercise, you have a few more calories at your disposal.

But, what if I don't have an iphone, you ask. Well, the online version is free. Yup, that's right. Totally free. It's fantastic. And the online version tracks your sources of calories, so you can check out graphs and stuff on how you are doing, and it let's you know if you are eating too many carbs, proteins, fat, sodium etc. It's great. Really. You can also add meals that you usually eat (like cereal with banana and milk), so that you don't have to input each item every time. And if you make a recipe, you can input it and it will calculate out the calories you ate etc, so even home cooking can be figured out. There is an upgrade to a version with no ads, but so far, I haven't been bothered much by the ads. I've just been so impressed at the program. They even have a diabetic version of myplate. I haven't checked it out at all, but if you are in this situation, I'm sure it's tailored more to the needs of someone tracking and dealing with blood sugars etc.

Basically, I couldn't be happier with the program. It's amazing. It's been fun to use, and now that I'm going on two weeks with it, it's nice to see the different trends emerging and seeing where I need to change my eating and what I'm doing well. My husband uses only the online version, and has been very happy with it as well. I like the iphone app, as it works for me at work, or wherever, but it's nice to get online as well to see some of the graphs and stuff. All in al, it's been a great find, and funny enough, as I got further into the book, it even suggested the exact same site. Funny, I found it before I read about it though!!

So, if you are wanting to keep track of your calories in and out, check it out. It's neat... and so far, it's keeping me in line, and my weight is down four pounds, so that is a good thing... next up, my Saturday adventure...

The book that got me going...

2010-08-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

I love books. I love exercise books. I don't really like diet books very much. I like books that inspire me to want to adopt a healthy active lifestyle. Recently, my husband found one such book. It's called Racing Weight:How to Get Lean For Peak Performance by Matt Fitzgerald.

I'll be honest, I am not even done reading it yet, but got so motivated by the first five chapters, that it was worth the money, just for the motivation!! And seriously, I'm not quite in the target market for the book. In Chapter Two, you get to do a little math to figure out what your ideal racing weight might be. This is the best weight for your body to be, to perform your best in your races.

I race, but not really for times, more for staying in shape etc. Last year was the first time I actually started racing at a level that I never thought I'd reach (under 60 minutes for a 10km). In my eyes, this was what separated the men from the boys, the casual runner from the competitor. It was the golden standard for becoming more serious and less recreational. It took a lot of work to get to that point. Getting sidelined with an injury, after my best ever 10km and half marathon was frustrating, but I knew, that there was a competitor somewhere inside me.

I might never be the fastest in my age group, but I might improve on those times. It became apparent, while reading this book, that the less I weighed, the better I would perform. I mean, of course I already knew this, but suddenly I was presented with examples from the elite world. And if it is important to the elites, then it's important to me too!!

So there's the calculations. Figuring out approximately what percentage of your body is bones and muscle and water. If there was not one stitch of fat, what would your body weigh. In my case, about 117pounds. That's crazy!! Of course that's not ideal, but it's the portion of my body that exists without adding on the fat. From there, I could do various calculations to figure out what my optimum race weight would be based on adding in a percentage of body fat. So, in doing so, I would perform best if I weighed around 139lbs. It goes on to talk about how that's not necessarily the weight I should normally be, just the weight I would race best at. And since you don't race every day or even every season, the overall best weight for me, is about 150lbs. Wow, I remember when I used to way that. I even remember weighing 141lbs. That was when I started going out with Jeremy. Oh how times have changed!!

In understanding how this book is not really designed for me, at least for where I am right now, when consulting the chart on overall body fat, I'm in the very bottom row for my age, and even off the chart really, since according to the scale, my body fat currently registers around 40.3% and the chart only goes to 40%. See what I mean? This is simply not acceptable. The book suggests you move up 5 rows. For me, that means I'm aiming to be 28.1% body fat, or 163 pounds. At the moment, I'll celebrate if I simply move up one row, to 35.7% body fat, or 182pounds. So, I certainly have my work cut out for me, but it's nice to have done some number crunching and see where I actually stand and what my goals should be, both in the short run, and over the long run.

The book is nice in that it compares a bunch of different sports, since optimal weights aren't necessarily the same for a runner as they are for a skiier or rower for example. I've learned a lot, and I'm only about half way through!!

One of the best things I've learned though, is the importance of counting calories in and out. Food journalling has never been a strong suit for me, but I understand why it is important and finally found a tool that works for me... stay tuned...

The moment of truth...

2010-08-24T01:34:00.004-06:00

So, getting injured last year really derailed my plans. And, although the exercise has been spotty at best some months, I've gotten back on track with it. The eating though, was terrible, ever since the injury. I mean, it wasn't like I stuffed my face with huge amounts of anything, I just didn't eat proper portions and never denied myself a treat. So then treats became more commonplace, and a bigger part of my eating than really they should ever have been.

In the back of my mind, I knew what I was doing. I knew I shouldn't be eating as many treats as I did, but I still did. I kept thinking I'd start working on it next week, so have a few more treats. It was totally the wrong mentality and I knew it. But I just didn't care enough to worry too much. And treats were becoming more of staple than something special to enjoy now and then. More of an expectation than a one off enjoyable treat.

But then something happened. I didn't really notice it at first, but now, my work pants are tight. They are almost too tight. I can still wear them, but if I continue on the road I'm on, I'll need to get new pants, and that is simply not an option. In part, I'm too lazy to go down to the place I would be required to get them, then go to another place to get them altered, only to go back again a week later to pick them up. But mostly, because I don't want to need bigger pants. I'm happy in the pants I have now. I'd be happier if I needed to get smaller ones (although the lazy factor might again prevent me from caring so much!!).

Needless to say, my weight, which was down to about 179, slowly started creeping up, and most recently was back at 195.4lbs. I was angry at myself for letting this happen. Especially because I have been monitoring it, and know that it's a result primarily because of bad eating choices.

So, I have decided to do something about it. I was encouraged, in part, by my husband, who is basically in the exact same boat as I am. He decided to order a couple books on the subject to get us moving. And so we're on our way. I know it won't be a fast process but I am willing to do the work and take the time needed to work on it.

So, here I am, back in the saddle again. Yeah, yeah, I've said it before, but hey, maybe this time really will be different. I can hope and I can try, and if I fall down, well, that's okay, because I can always try again. I know I won't be perfect, but at least I'll be more aware of those imperfections...

Next up... the book that got me (well, us) inspired...

The Strathmore Triathlon

2010-08-17T15:43:00.003-06:00

So, initially I was telling a few friends about the Strathmore Triathlon as a perfect race for someone who wanted to give this sport a try in a friendly race atmosphere with like minded women. And then, registration opened, and a couple people I knew even registered. I tried registering one night at work, but it didn't work, and then I sort of forgot, and by the time I remembered, it was sold out. So there I was, convincing other people to do the race, but didn't even get signed up myself. I tried winning an entry at the tri diva tri event by bringing in old bras, but my ten, was nothing compared to the girl who brought in 200. And then, I also tried winning an entry, and even emailed the race director, but nothing. Finally, in about May, there was a chance to sign up again, once they knew who had dropped from the race. And so, my awesome husband got me all signed up. Yippee!!

Fast forward to Sunday, August 15th. Race day had arrived. I was ready, I was excited and although I might have trained a little harder, I knew I would finish. Two days before, I bought clip shoes and pedals. I didn't like the shoes and clips Jeremy had, and knew I wanted something different, something more rugged. Jeremy installed the new pedals and also changed out the water bottle holder as I didn't really want to use his fancy aerodynamic one. The day before, I decided that it wasn't clip shoes I wanted, but clip sandals. So, I went to MEC and bought the Keen biking sandals. The souls were a lot stiffer than regular keens, but they fit, and I knew it was the right choice for me. Of course I had to return the shoes, and then I actually needed to try them out. So I did, in the backyard. Oh, and keep in mind, I was deciding between using my mountain bike, and borrowing my husband's triathlon bike. The shifters are all different on a triathlon bike, so if I wanted to use it, I needed to make sure I could go between gears. So, I headed out into the neighbourhood, and rode about 2km, practicing shifting and getting the pedals clipped in and released. And, it went okay, so I made the decision to use Jeremy's bike for the race.

I got all my stuff together the night before. There's a lot of stuff you need. It's not nearly as simple as running. You need an outfit for the pool, ideally something you'd also bike and run in. You need goggles. And a towel to dry your feet off before putting on your bike shoes (or sandals in my case), a helmet, sunglasses (have no desire to get a rock in the eye), bike jersey, bike gloves (yes, I'm a bit of a princess), and of course your race number and belt. Then, there's the running shoes, and a hat, and let's not forget some fuel. For me, it was some gels (clif ones I think), and some water with Jeremy's magical nuun stuff or whatever it was. Here's what my transition area sort of looked like:

Race morning, Jody picked me up and off we went to Strathmore. First hurdle was the bike rack. The bars were too far apart on the bike rack for the bike to fit, so it got thrown inside (and Jeremy, if you are reading this, by thrown, I mean very gently placed with loving care inside the back of the vehicle). We get there and get our stuff set up in transition. It's a bit of a process. You lay everything out, thinking of how you can do so, so that you are in and out of transition as quickly as possible. After that, it was time to get body marked. This is the process where they use a permanent marker to write your number on your arms and legs, thus ensuring that nobody else could secretly take your place or do a part of the race for you. Then, the race meeting and finally things got underway.

One of the interesting things about pool triathlons is how athletes are ranked for their position. It's all based on swim time. And the slowest swimmers are first. This is nice for them as it is reassuring to know that you likely won't finish last. Faster swimmers, on the other hand swim last. This is a bit daunting to those people who are proficient at swimming, yet not as good at biking or running. Because now, you start last, and the feeling is that everyone around you is even faster, and you just might finish last. Jody was in the first heat, I was in heat J, so it took over two hours before I even started the race!! You really are on your own, with no idea of where you stand because of this. You might be near someone on the bike, or pass someone on the run, but they may have been faster elsewhere, and unless you know them personally, you likely won't remember their number to know how you placed in relation to them.

My swim went well. I was happy with it. I passed a person twice, and another person once. But, for the most part, was totally on my own. In transition I got to give my boys a kiss and then headed out on the bike. I worked hard. I pedalled hard, and passed about 7 people over the course of my bike. Then back to transition, chatted with Jody, who by this time, was done. Then off on the run. It was slow. I felt sluggish and I was hot and tired. Even though I had an energy gel at both transitions, I just wasn't all there for the run. And, I got passed by about 5 people. I hate getting passed. I had managed to avoid it on the swim and the bike, but was just too tired on the run. Plus, the people who started swimming after me were faster and it made sense that at some point some of them should catch up to me!! I did run the whole thing though, only breaking at the water stations.

And, how did I do, you might be wondering? Well, it goes a little something like this. My finishing time was 1hour 37minutes and 56seconds. What did that time get me? Well 1:37:56.4 was good enough for 131st place out of 281. In my age group, I was 25th out of 52. And to break it down a little further, my swim time was 13:26 (ranked 128th in the swim), my bike time with both transitions was 50:03 (ranked 122nd in the bike), and my sluggish run was 34:29 (ranked 159th in the run). So, my run wasn't my strong suit that day!! Guess those clip sandals and triathlon bike really helped (last year in my first triathlon, my bike was the weakest of the three disciplines, on the mountain bike). So, I am a solid middle of the pack triathlete. I'm happy with that.

Super Team Awesome... we both finished!! Here's us showing off our body marking... cause that's what it's all about ya know!!

I'd like to get better, but I need to put more time into training and eating better. And that is next up... stay tuned, for the moment of truth, part 2, since I've taken a few steps back since last fall....

The beginning...

2010-08-11T01:02:00.002-06:00

So, I think I might finally be making changes to my eating. I ate well today. As in, no crappy yucky stuff for me. I had decent portions and even though I went to Starbucks twice, I asked for light whip. I know I should have said no whip, but hey, it was a step. And the running, although short, has been going well. I ran 4 times last week, and so far 2 times this week. I meant to swim today, but it just didn't happen. Mostly though, I'm just really glad the eating went well today. Especially the night time snacking. I had some grapefruit, and that was it. Well, and some water. And instead of watching television, we played on the wii fit plus. It was fun. There's some silly yet really fun games on that one!! It's not too fun though being on the cusp of being obese. When I look back, last year I was weighing close to 179, and now I'm up to almost 196. It's not pleasant at all. And it will slow down the running, quite obviously. But hey. It's coming together again and I'm even encouraging people at work to run with me!!

Is this healthy mom?

2010-08-03T02:09:00.002-06:00

So, I have a four-year-old. And somewhere along the way, he has learned about eating healthy. Part of this he learned at home, but I think it was reinforced at preschool. As a result of all this, I hear, daily, several times a day, "mom, is this healthy?". He will ask this about everything, and he is now well aware of what is healthy and what is not. He will still want some cookies, but knows he needs to eat healthy meals if he wants to have a treat sometimes.

He also asks to exercise quite often. Usually, he wants to go running, but sometimes it's biking or swimming. He says it's important to move your body and that exercise is healthy for your body. He's four. These concepts are very elementary. Somehow though, as adults, we try to complicate the issues. I don't know why. There's no reason to make things more complicated than they are. I will simplify it just like he does.

Eating healthy is important. Include in your diet, a variety of foods. Fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, proteins. Basically, follow the Canada Food Guide. It's actually quite amazing how the body will eat what it needs to, when the mind doesn't get involved. I watch my kids and am blown away with how they eat. Granted, their eating is not always perfect, but it's amazing how if you put a variety of foods in front of your child, they will eat to fill their needs. Some days my kids pack away the protein, but other days it's red fruit they crave, and the next time, it's grains. Left to their own devices, they eat what they need. They have yet to develop a psychological relationship to food. So far, they are driven purely by need!!

And exercise. The body needs to move. It's good for us. It feels good. And it keeps us healthy.

It's time to apply his principles to my daily life. And to add in the extra bit of math that applies to weight loss. Eat less calories than you burn, and your body will have to find the calories it needs internally. So, I need to eat less calories than I currently am and exercise more than I currently do, and weight loss should follow.

My husband bought a scale this weekend that measures body fat as well as weight etc. The results aren't so pretty. Currently I am sitting around 193.2lbs, and my body fat is approximately 40.3% of my body weight. Less than ideal. I have about 40 pounds to lose. Compared to this time last year, I'm about 15 pounds heavier than I was. This is very not so good. But, I have some events coming up and a plan for them, so hopefully I can get things in motion.

To start that effort, I've been running on my night shifts. And, not only running, trying to find people to run with... and the other night, I ran with two people!! Tonight though, nobody wanted to run. I nearly skipped it, but decided to go out and run laps of our parking lot. And, I did. I got in 5km in just under 33 minutes. So, there is hope.

Where is the motivation??

2010-07-15T01:36:00.003-06:00

So, where does the motivation go? I'm trying to find it. I think it's hiding. I feel as though I'm sabatoging myself. I know I want to change. I know I need to lose some weight. It's been creeping up, yet I've had no motivation to do anything about it. Furthermore, my eating has been total crap. Bad choices as often as I can. It's terrible. I know better. So what gives? Why is tomorrow always the starting day, when tomorrow doesn't ever really arrive?

Sad thing is, I'm starting to get down on myself about it. I look in the mirror and I feel fat. I look at my reflection and the only thing I see is how I seem to be ever expanding at the waistline. It's not fun. I don't like feeling this way, yet seem to be having a hard time doing anything about it. I want to change yet I don't actually know what my first step will be.

Today I sent my husband off with my 4 year old to ride his bike (he's learning), and then I put my baby down for a nap, and I went down and ran on the treadmill. I just did a quick workout. Picked the mixed intervals and ran 4.21km with some hills and some speed work in there. Of course I found my ipod first. It felt so good. It always does. And really, exercise is easy to get back into. Yet I always seem to make excuses these days to not bother. Yet, if I really want to make a difference, I know that I need to work on this. Tonight, I came into work, and used my lunch hour to work out. I did 20 minutes on the bike and another 15 minutes of weight. So, there is progress. It's a start, but I need to keep that momentum going.

Even more so though, is food. I need to get serious about the choices I'm making. I'm pretty sure the best thing I could do is keep a food journal. So, perhaps I'll start doing that. It's definitely my downfall, the whole calories in part of the equation, and with not doing much to expend those calories, obviously the calories out is mostly being stored in the form of fat on my body. Grrrrrr... maybe by blogging about it I can be more accountable. I want to set a good example for my kids. I want them to be active and eat well, so I must lead by example... but some days it just seems so hard...

Back in the saddle...

2010-04-12T13:43:00.002-06:00

The last couple months have been fairly disasterous on the exercise front. I'm still battling this stupid plantar fasciitis. It's terrible. I hate it. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. However, enough is enough already. There's more to life than a stupid foot injury. So, it's time to get with the program and get moving again.

And today, I found inspiration in my friend Jody. She is doing her first ever triathlon on May 2nd. So is Jill. It's going to be fun. Really fun!! I'm so excited. So, I signed up. I missed the opening on the Strathmore Triathlon, but not this one. I'm still hoping that somehow I get into the Strathmore one, but I'll worry about that later!! For now, I'm signed up for Tri Diva Tri and excited to be doing it with other people I know. It will be great!! And the person that runs it is the same one that does the Strathmore Triathlon, so the race atmosphere should be supportive and fun. Again, I'm signed up. Yes, yes yes!!

And to improve things even more, today I am going swimming with Jody. That's what got the whole thing rolling. We're meeting up to work on swimming a bit. The Tri Diva Tri is only 10 laps of swimming, so I am almost thinking transition will take longer than actual swimming. But either way, it's just going to be fun, and now I need to get working on things again. It's sometimes tough to fit in workouts with the kids, but I just need to make sure I pick working out above tv or other mind wasters. I can, I know I can. No more lazy lady!! Time to get back on track (gee, I know I've said that before, but hey, every time I get out there, is one more time I'm not just sitting at home...)

The runner's perspective on carrying the Olympic Flame...

2010-01-29T23:58:00.004-07:00

So, I already wrote all about my torch experience on The Evolution of Me, but there are a few other things I wanted to write about that are more appropriate to this blog.

I remember the torch relay from 1988. I remember it coming through Medicine Hat and thinking that the coolest thing ever would be to be a torchbearer. It was even cooler that I had an uncle who got to run with the torch. And, if memory serves me correctly, he ran with it a few times in more remote areas. He worked for Petro Canada, and he was a runner, so it was a perfect fit. But that was his life, not mine.

When the Olympics were announced as coming to Canada, I knew there would be a torch relay, and I just knew I wanted to be a part of it. After seeing the torch in 1988 and celebrating with those red mini torch candles, I just wanted to someday be a part of that. So, when it was announced you had to apply for it by committing to improving your community, being active, helping the environment etc, I knew it was only natural that I would write an essay about being a good example to my boys, and trying to inspire others. I think I managed to do both. Personally, in the last year, I went from having a baby, to becoming a better runner than I ever have been. It took a lot of training and dedication, but it paid off on race days. And, I got someone else inspired and running as well. Cindy, went from being a running drop out, to finishing three 5km races, two 10km races and a half marathon. And she's now planning out her race calendar for this year, and inspiring others as well. It's amazing the power we can have on one another when we support and encourage each other. I look forward to watching more friends become active and want to run.

The day I got the email saying I had been chosen I will never forget. It was an email from Coca Cola and my heart started racing. Then, I opened the email and it clicked to a link that played the Open Happiness song and said "Congratulations, you've been selected as a torchbearer" or something similar. I couldn't believe it. I was absolutely shocked and so super excited. And when I got the uniform in the mail, I immediately had to try it on. It really was real. We travelled to BC and soon I was in a room full of torchbearers. Looking around, everyone was so happy. It was a diverse group of young and old, men and women. And everyone was smiling. We were briefed and soon headed out to be dropped off at our part of the relay. There were huge stickers with our number on them. I was running along Island Road in Oliver BC.

After watching various videos and hearing stories, it was my turn to meet up with my family. I was so nervous. I think the last time I was nervous like that I was in a job interview or speaking in front of people. I was a bit surprised actually. The outfits are white because that is the colour of peace, and we wore the red mittens as a symbol of winter in Canada. I chatted with my family and then I began my part of the journey.

I remember the silence. We were on a scenic road in the middle of interior BC. And it was away from the highway and very quiet. When the RBC and Coke trucks went by, there was music but soon they passed, and then the media vehicle passed, and then I could see the runner who was passing off to me. My torch was turned on, and then I went into the middle of the road to meet him. You could hear the noise coming from the fuel burning in the torch. The torches don't even have to touch each other. Once they were close enough, the flame from his torch lit up my torch. And I could hear this, and the silence around me and no other sounds. I mean, my family cheered me on, but once I was on my way, I was struck by how quiet it actually was. It was so peaceful. I had my escort runner with me, but even he was in behind at first. So, it was just me, on this quiet Island Road. I was just awestruck. Eventually I chatted a bit with the escort runner. When it came time to meet up with the next runner, it was again such a special moment, as the flame was passed on. And then, he was on his way, and my torch was turned off and once again, there was that silence. It was so peaceful.

There are several moments in my running career that have blown me away. The energy at the start of any race. Finishing any race. But especially, finishing my first ever marathon (totally teared up). Finishing a marathon pregnant with my first child. Finishing a half marathon under two and a half hours. Finishing the Goofy Race (half marathon one day, full marathon the next). Finishing a 10km on Mother's Day in support of Neonatal Intensive Care while listening to the songs that mattered when my son was critically ill (totally cried at that finish line). Finishing a half marathon while pregnant with my second child with only 18 seconds to spare. Finishing a 10km under an hour (this actually made me cry!!), and then doing it again two weeks later (no fluke there!!). Finishing a half marathon in under 2:05. And each of these moments was incredible, yet none nearly as amazing as being a torchbearer and actually carrying the Olympic Flame. Even as I type this I am teary eyed. I can't believe I was able to be part of something so big and so much more than any one person. I just remember looking at my torch, all lit up and being in complete awe of the whole experience. This is by far the best moment I have ever had in my running career. I don't know that it can be topped. I don't know that I would want to top this. I can't stop thinking about it. And it is just inspiring me to want to do more. To inspire others. To help people who want to be active but don't know where to begin.

For now, I will continue to relive this experience and allow it to keep me inspired and excited about what the future holds. And I will keep on listening to that Cold Play song, Fix You, "lights will guide you home and ignite your bones". The world hasn't seen the best of me yet. And I think this experience can only push me to better myself and inspire others.

Next up I'm gearing up for the Mother's Day run. This will be my fifth year doing it. I have done it ever since I became a mom, even though the first year, I shouldn't have been a mom yet. The money they raise always goes to help Neonatal Intensive Care. It is a very emotional race for me. And this year, Cindy and I are inspiring some other moms to do it with us. I'm so excited to watch these ladies stretch their limits and try something new.

What inspires you?

A broken record...

2010-01-11T12:13:00.002-07:00

So, I feel like a broken record. I'm just trying to find some motivation again. I have my big goal race in August, but not much more before that figured out yet. And, sometimes, when the big goal is just too big, it's important to break it down into smaller steps so things don't seem so overwhelming. By choosing some shorter races leading up to the big race, I have more immediate goals that seem more achievable. However, my lack of motivation hasn't been for nothing...

My husband is in the midst of his training, and for the first time since we've met, he's actually been consistent in working out and quite motivated. I think part of his motivation lies in the fact that he's getting ahead of me. So, in some ways I don't want to wreck that. I won't stop working out just so he can feel good, but I think being ahead of me, is really good for his psyche!!

However, the time has come to once again, get back on that proverbial horse and get exercising. I'm excited. Today I go to the trainer and that will certainly be a good catalyst to get moving again. And, with my first race possibly only a couple months away, I will get a plan down on paper, and once that happens, the world is mine. I'll take a picture of the poster I make and get to work on filling in the squares!!

The one good thing is, it doesn't matter how many times you have to get back on that horse, as long as you do. There's always tomorrow. And as long as you are willing to get moving, it's worth it. It doesn't matter if you miss a day, a week or a month, just get back to working out. Your body will thank you for it!!

It's in you to give...

2010-01-09T09:42:00.001-07:00

Over the years, I have had a turbulant relationship with donating blood. I tried for the first time at age 16, and got all lightheaded part way through, so had to stop, being only a half successful donor. When I lived in Florida, I twice did well at the blood mobile, and got turned away once for low iron, and another time had to stop part way through for lightheadness again. Back in Canada, I went and again had the lightheaded fainting issue. So at that point they banned me for life. I was very sad about this, as it was a simple thing I could do, but for some reason, my body was just not cooperating.

I know why it wasn't though. I was deathly afraid of needles. Hated them. Didn't like the site of them, or anything. Not good. And anytime I had to have a needle, my heart would be racing in nervousness and anxiousness. So, as a result, anytime I tried to give blood, my body was on high alert.

In 2006, I was pregnant, and trying to figure out how on earth I was going to survive labour and delivery (back to that sort of fear of needles and really just pain in general). Those fears had to take a backseat when, on March 24th, I had to have an emergency c-section as my unborn child was very sick and likely not going to survive. So, I sucked it up, and somehow made it through the needle in the spine etc. He was born and immediately rushed to Neonatal Intensive care. Over the course of his hospital stay, he received several blood transfusions. In all, 12, from 9 different people. That's a lot of blood products for a baby that weighed only 1 pound 13ounces at birth. And it really sunk in, how important it is that people donate blood. I was determined once again to try.

I called up Canadian Blood Services and asked if I could try again, and they said sure. I went in, and was refused because I was breastfeeding. Subsequently, I chickened out, and soon was pregnant again. Needless to say, I only recently became eligible again, and started checking out dates and times of clinics. I really wanted to go to the one at Cardel, by our house though, and knew the date was fast approaching. I told my husband about it, and that I really wanted to try. He was supportive, but figured I'd pass out or something. I drank extra juice and made sure I was well hydrated before walking over there. I took along a book to read that was all feel good (The Book Of Awesome). I filled in the paperwork, got the finger poke, figuring I'd fail the iron test, but passed (yikes!!), went on to the questionaire and before I knew it, I was waiting to be poked. The nurse spent a bit finding my vein (they can be tricky sometimes), and soon enough, I was donating. I read my book, and was just giddy with happiness.

And a funny thing happened, I succeeded. I nearly started crying when they pulled the needle out. Not out of pain or anything, just so happy that I was able to do this. I was a bit nervous, but mostly over what might happen, not about the needle or anything. I wanted so badly to succeed. And I will go again. I'm excited. I will be successful again. Because it's important.

One donation can help up to three different people. That's three people who might not survive for one reason or another if they don't get a blood transfusion. As a parent of a child that was critically ill and the recipient of several blood transfusions, I will always be grateful to the strangers who took time out of their day to donate. Without them, he wouldn't be with us, and he's great. He's an incredible little four-year-old who is curious about everything and gives the best hugs. Thanks so much for donating. I will continue to donate so that others in the same situation will get what they need. If you can, please take the time to try, it's so worth it...

New year, new resolution?

2010-01-03T12:15:00.002-07:00

So, it's that time of year again when people make up their resolutions. Many seem to revolve around weight loss, fitness, eating etc. And it's a great time to do that sort of thing. I'm a bit slow on the resolution thing this year. My motivation has been lacking and haven't really thought too much about it. Part of this stems from my stupid heel constantly hurting, but that's not a real excuse. So now I will think about it, because really, now is the time to work on personal development and improvement. So what do I want to change or resolve to do this year?

1. I know I have a couple races to concentrate on, including the big one, the Calgary Ironman 70.3. And really, most of my training will focus on preparing for that, while doing a few other triathlons and running races in the build up to it. I am excited for the Mother's Day Run. The money raised at that event buys specific equipment needed at the Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Calgary. So, that run, is challenging but also very personal since obviously we wouldn't have our son with us, had it not been for the doctors and nurses of the NICU!!

2. Aside from exercise, I am hoping to put in some serious effort decluttering our house. The biggest area to tackle is becoming kids toys. The amount we have seems to grow exponentially!! As well, if there's less clutter then perhaps cleaning won't be such a challenge!!

3. I am also hoping to only use my mug any time I go to Starbucks this year. I have a fantastic new mug (thanks Ryan and Kim), and hope that anytime I choose to get a Starbucks, that I bring it along, so that I'm not constantly adding to the landfill with papercups.

4. Paying down some debt. This past year was great, but the income was a little bit small since I was at home with the kids. So we managed to rack up some debt. Time to pay some of that off!!

5. Do something that scares me. Not exactly sure what that is. Maybe paragliding. Maybe open water swimming. Maybe taking a scuba course for the next time we are in a scuba diving area!! I'm not exactly sure what it might be, but something that makes me expand my mind and push my limits.

6. Make time for reading. I love to read but it always seems like everything else comes before reading. I barely get through an O Magazine before the next two issues have come out. And novels, I'm lucky if I read five in a year. I'm going back to work now though, and I know I will have some downtime, so hopefully the reading challenge will be an easy enough one to fit in!!

7. Work on journals for my boys. I have a beautiful one started for Sebastian, but aside from getting one for Sullivan, have put nothing in it. I want them to have a special book from their mom someday. With little bits of wisdom, songs to listen to, movies to watch, conversations to read through, fortunes etc, these books are an insight for them, into who their mom is, but they won't get much of an insight if I don't get working on them!!

8. Volunteer at some races. Every year we have been volunteering for the Calgary Marathon, but I would like to volunteer for at least one other race this year!! It's fun cheering on athletes while offering them water or gatorade or whatever!!

9. Complete a personal training course. I want to get some training so that I can properly help others. I have tons of experience with running, but now I need the credentials to back that up. So many people out there have dreams but are just lost on the steps to take to fulfill them. I want to help others take those steps and become the people they are striving to be.

10. watch less tv. I mean, I don't watch huge amounts of it, and I record the shows I want to watch, but I think it's time to cut out a few shows maybe and spend that time reading or playing with the boys!!

Wow, so I have a few ideas of things to improve upon. Good thing is, it's only the start of the year!! I have lots of time to work on them. Hopefully this inspires someone on the types of things they want to improve. Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you are hoping to accomplish. Support from others goes a long way towards helping you achieve your goals, and I would certainly be a cheerleader rooting you on!!

Your own cheering section...

2009-12-29T23:34:00.002-07:00

Sometimes finding motivation to get out there and exercise can be hard. You know you should, you know it's good for you, yet you just don't always feel like it. You've signed up for a race, but it just isn't in you to get out there and do it. The weather sucks, your kids are wanting your attention, there are dishes to do, and haven't you been meaning to paint the bathroom. There are more excuses than you can think of, so what do you do when you are just not feeling the oomph to get out there and do something.

Find your own cheering section. Once you have your goal, find someone else to go on the journey with you. In my case, I'm planning a year with a few triathlons in it. To date, I have only ever completed one triathlon. It was great, I loved it. I loved the variety of training it had to offer. Now though, I'm hoping to do a few more. But, I'd like to find some other people to do them too. I want to surround myself with others who have the goal of completing a triathlon. I want other people to be there cheering me on, while I cheer them on. I want to reach this goal with some friends. I want someone to chat with about the type of shorts I might wear in the water that also work for the bike and the run. I want to get another opinion from a big chested girl on whether or not it's worth it to have the sportsbra with me and if I should wear it in the water or put in on in transition. I want to be nervous about swimming in open water with someone else who is nervous about it too.

So, I'm looking for other people ready to face the challenge. There are a few people who have expressed an interest and I'm looking forward to learning with them. I'm excited to get to know them better as we train for similar goals. And if I'm surrounded by other people that also want to give this crazy triathlon stuff a try, then I should be more motivated to get moving myself. And, if not, then, at least I've got new year's resolutions to fall back on, and it's almost time to come up with a few of them for the year... but more on that in a couple of days...

Time to get back in the saddle...

2009-12-21T23:24:00.002-07:00

To say that I have fallen off the exercise wagon would be a fairly true statement at the moment. I haven't stopped all together, but the frequency with which I exercise has been paltry at best. I am only averaging about 1 day a week and that is simply not acceptable in my books. I know my foot injury hasn't helped matters, but really, that is no excuse. So, I really need to get focused again and get at it. I have big goals for this next year, and without training, those goals won't happen, so I have to get working again. Running, biking, swimming. It's time to get back in gear and working towards things!!

New shoes

2009-11-22T23:41:00.002-07:00

So I have been on the sidelines a lot lately because of my stupid heel spur. It hasn't been much fun. I got rid of my old running shoes now and today finally bought a new pair along with a heel insert. I want to try running again on the treadmill just to see how it goes. I really miss running a lot!! Plus, with big goals for next year, I don't want to be on the sidelines forever!! I have decided though, that this injury will not consume me and I will run again and run well. I have been reading up on running technique and I am hoping to apply what I've been reading to my return to running and hopefully become a better runner in the process. Only time will tell of course...

Stopped by an injury...

2009-10-23T13:26:00.002-06:00

Staying active is important and in almost everything you read, there is some type of reference to the importance of exercise. It helps you stay healthy, it helps fight off colds, flu, and other illness, it keeps your heart happy, it helps you maintain your weight, it helps you lose weight, it keeps you positive, it relieves stress. But sometimes, the very exercise you do can lead to injury, and when that happens it can be hard to figure out what to do.

I have been on a running kick and recently managed to improve my performance to a level, that for me, is amazing. Breaking an hour in a 10km race was a major accomplishment, and running that same pace for an entire half marathon made me so proud!! However, after my stunning performance in the Okanagan Half Marathon (2:04:44), my heel pain caught up to me. My heel pain had been bothering me for about a month, but it was off and on and always seemed to go away. After the big race however, it was more constant, to the point where I went to the doctor, after some careful research on the internet. It turns out I have plantar fasciitis. It's a common running injury so I wasn't shocked, but I was quite surprised that there are not a lot of very effective ways to treat it. And I was truly dismayed when the doctor told me not to run for at least a month. Running is my outlet. It's what I do to stay in shape and whenever I'm stressed, running makes me feel better. I can sort through my issues on a run and nearly always come back with renewed focus and ideas. But what now that I'm not supposed to run?

There are lots of things you can do when you are sidelined from running. In this case, a high impact sport can be traded for a lower impact sport. I can include cycling classes now, and concentrate on improving my swimming. There are still lots of exercises I can do to increase strength, and stretches that can help with the injury. Rather than lose momentum because my favourite activity has been sidelined, I can embrace these new activities. Perhaps this is God's way of saying it's time to improve at other things. Life is busy and if you only do one thing, then you could be missing out. Because of this injury, I went to my first spinning class in several years. I also took my family swimming. So, when an injury tries to slow you down, work your way around it. I'm also looking for other treatment options like active release. I value my body and plan to use it in many more races, but for the time being, I must respect it, and realize that it's tired of running and needs a chance to heal itself. So I will try and do the best I can to keep active through other avenues...

What happens after the big race...

2009-10-13T23:03:00.003-06:00

So, you've spent all this time preparing to run your first 5km or 10km or half marathon or marathon or whatever, and then you completed your race. It felt good. The cheering family and friends. Conquering the self doubt. Telling all the naysayers about how great it felt to cross the finish line. Realizing that you actually accomplished what you set out to do. Knowing that all the training runs you put in ahead of time were worth it because you reached the end. You got your medal, you got your time, you got your tshirt. But now that the race is over, what do you do?

One of the most common feelings is a bit of sadness. Once the goal is achieved and life can return to normal, you miss the training. You miss having something to work towards and this can manifest itself by causing you to feel a bit blue. It's very common so do not fear. Rather, pick a new goal. It doesn't have to be as huge as the first goal, but you should pick something. Usually it's another race. It could be a different distance, either shorter or longer than what you just achieved. Maybe you want to improve your time in a certain distance. Maybe you want to do a run in a cool place. Maybe you want to try a new sport. It doesn't really matter what you do, but it's important that you find something else to work on so that you don't fall off the exercise bandwagon all together.

It's easy to think you'll keep on exercising just because you can and because it's what you've been doing. The truth however, seems to be, that without a goal to work towards, it can be so much easier to just skip a workout. After all, it's not like you have a goal you need to reach, right? By signing up for another race, you are more likely to continue on with your workouts and put meaning into them.

So, after the big race. Celebrate your accomplishment. Show off your new bling. Take a few rest days to recover. And then, find something else to set your sights on... you'll be glad you did!!

Less than a week...

2009-10-04T23:01:00.002-06:00

Time goes by so fast these days. Training has been going pretty good. September has been busy but we have still managed to get most of the workouts in. I can't believe though that next week at this time I will be done the half marathon. It seems so long ago that we signed up for it. And, already I am looking for new races and things to get excited about and I have found something. More about that another day though. For now, I will focus on the race I'm about to run, in BC next Sunday...

I did it!! 10km in less than an hour!!

2009-09-27T23:28:00.005-06:00

So, I've been hoping to complete a 10km race in under an hour. I mean, it's been a goal of mine for quite some time now. I'm not sure what it is about being an under an hour that seemed important to me, but I know that it's a milestone I wanted to, and needed to reach. I tried in August, but it was just not to be. I was disappointed, yet it didn't surprise me. Yesterday, when I did the Melissa's 10km though, I was truly amazed at myself. In part, because Melissa's is a race that has a huge hill in it. When I say huge, I mean huge. It's part way up a mountain for goodness sakes. So, here's my recap...

We arrived with lots of time to spare, parked in the parkade where I nursed Sullivan. We set up the Chariot and headed to the washrooms. Of course the lineup was huge for the flush toilets so we elected to cross over the river and try the porta potties. Well, by the time we get there, the lineups for them were huge, but no choice. Waited about 15 minutes and by the time I was through, it was only about 15 minutes until the race. Then, Sebastian had to pee, so we got someone to let us in the front of the line at the porta potties. Now why didn't I think of that earlier, haha...

Anyhow, got my good luck kisses from my boys and headed to the starting line. It's a fairly big race (with 2959 people running the 10km), so I tried to seed myself in and around the 10 minute mile sign. I found my work friend Cathy and wished her luck. Then, it was time to start. This of course is always a nonevent since you don't actually get to run right away but rather walk to the start line (took over 3 and a half minutes to get there). I started my watch just as I was crossing over the mat that checks your chip at the starting line.

I spent the first kilometre weaving in and out of people. Passed the drummers and headed over the bridge. As I hit the 1km mark, I was just around 6 minutes. Headed down Banff Avenue, turned the corner and began the very long hill. It was long and by the time I got the water station, I was ready for a break. I had a drink of water and then continued on running. By 2 and 3km I was behind my pace (darn hill!!) by almost two minutes. I gained some time back on the way down the hill. I continued to run at a pretty decent pace, still behind my goal of finishing in under an hour. The route changed this year and rather than crossing the bridge again right when we got back to it, we continued to run along the river with that beautiful turquoise colour and the trees and mountains as a backdrop. I was breathtaking to say the least. At the 7km mark, I was at about 43 and a half minutes, still too slow. Then one of my favourite songs came on "Sandstorm" by Darude. Well, that got me moving a little faster and I kept listening to that song for the last two and a half kilometres. At 8km I was at about 49:15 and at 9km, I was at about 54:30. If I was going to get under an hour, I had to keep a fast (for me anyhow) pace for the rest of the race. And a funny thing happened... I did!! I ran my little heart out. I didn't stop, I just kept going, passing people all over the place. I saw my boys about 100 metres before the finish, smiled, waved, but didn't slow down for one second. I looked at my watch and had about 25 seconds to go, so I kept it up and ran as fast as I could across the finish. I stopped my watch just after crossing and was rewarded with my first ever 10km under an hour 59:56 according to my watch (later I would see the official results and my chip time was 59:53). My closest before this was 1:01:45 (in August at Ronald McDonald House Rock the House Run), and the fastest I have ever done Melissa's before is 1:06:32. So really, this was a huge!! Granted the change in the course helped a bit (no hill coming out of Cave and Basin that's over congested and hard to get around people), but still, Tunnel Mountain was still there and not only did it not beat me, it helped me I think. I ended up with a slower first half and a faster second half (quite the opposite for the Ronald McDonald House, where I was under 30 minutes for the first five kilometres and then slowed down).

So, I believe that negative splits are a beautiful thing. I also believe that all the training I put in paid off. I mean, I always train, but this time around, I have been more consistent than almost ever before. I have to thank my husband for that. He was great in encouraging me to go out and run, follow my chart (which is nearly all filled in as I actually did almost all the runs I planned to do!!) and watched the boys anytime I did. Not to mention even came along on a couple of runs. I also have to thank Cindy. She got me all inspired to run a half this fall, and it's been great getting in long runs with her to get ready for that (less than two weeks for that race!!). Tamara has also been an awesome running buddy. We've been going out once a week now for about 6 weeks and I think we get faster and faster every time. And my boys. I do this for you guys. I want you to always be active and have a love for that. I feel like I crossed some kind of invisible barrier on Saturday and now I look forward to planning more races and training for not only runs, but a few more triathlons too. But next up it's time for the Ambulance Chasers, and then the Okanagan Half

The last long run...

2009-09-21T07:05:00.004-06:00

So yesterday, we went out for the last of our long runs before the Okanagan Half Marathon. We had to do it a week early because next weekend we are doing the Melissa's 10km in Banff. Things didn't start out too smooth though. We decided to cancel after it was pouring rain at 7:30am. Then, we reconsidered and went out again around 10 and on the way to the start, it started pouring again. And, it was still raining when we started (and windy and cold and sort of all around yucky). Well, lucky for us we never gave in and kept plugging along and after about fifteen minutes, the weather smartened up and we were on our way.

The run was set around the Glenmore Reservoir and it was beautiful with the leaves changing colour, the water, the mountains in the background, and I loved it. There's even a huge hill thrown in that we made it to the top of without stopping!! A bit of a mistake in navigation had us go a little further than originally planned (19kms instead of 18kms), but all in all the run was great. I loved it. I haven't run that far in over a year!! Of course my knees were a little tired after and my heel is a bit sore, but that's what building distance will do for you!! Now, though, we're ready for the race, no more long runs for us!

And, to top it off, we got to have a Starbucks at the end. Let me tell you, that Extra Hot Raspberry Mocha hit the spot!! It amazes me sometimes how much better things taste after some serious work, and that Mocha was a shining example. Mmmmmmm....

Now, it's time to taper, however, the tapering will take the form of racing, since I have two more races coming up before the big race in three weeks...

Intervals, or how to improve your overall speed

2009-09-17T23:26:00.002-06:00

As training progresses, it's important to add different elements to your runs. Things like hills and intervals. It's easy to go out and knock off a few kilometres, but if you always go out and run about the same pace, your body will get used to this pace and that will be all that your body will want to do on race day. Now, if that's your whole goal, that's fine, but if you want to have a little extra "oomph" in your engine, then your body needs to know what that "oomph" should feel like.

What exactly is "oomph"? Why, it's that bit of speed that you find to sprint towards the finish. Or the bit of speed you find to pass someone. Or it's the bit of speed you find when you see a bear and know that you need to get out of where you are really really quickly. Or it's the bit of speed you find when you've just soaked your husband with the hose and know he's about to come after you. Basically, it's the speed you don't usually find yourself running on a day to day basis.

So, how does one practice this extra bit of speed? Why, through intervals of course. If it's your first time doing intervals, it's important that you have been running for a few weeks. You want to have a good base so that you know your muscles and joints can handle the speed. Speed is hard work and puts lots of stress on the body, so you want to know your body is in a condition to take it. Best thing to do is warm up a bit, about five or ten minutes of walking, slower running etc. Then, you begin some sort of regimen of repeats. What this means is that you will be running fast for a short amount of time or short amount of distance. Some programs go in seconds and minutes while others are in metres and yards. It's up to you really. At first you might do 5 sets of running one minute, recovering two minutes (so you would run harder than you usually do for one minute and then spend the next two minutes walking or running at a slower pace to recover). Then, you do this again until you've done it five times, then make sure you warm down at the end. If you prefer to do this in distance, you could run at a track, or mark out a run ahead of time, and run 200 meters, then walk 200 meters and do 5 laps. It doesn't really matter what you base your intervals on, just that the running portion makes you work harder than you normally do. By the end of the running portion, you want to be going hard enough that even though you could talk, you probably wouldn't want to. Then, use your recovery time to bring your heartrate back down.

By practicing speed, you will be ready for the moments in the race when you feel like going faster. They won't tire you out completely, because your body has done them before. And, a surprising thing might happen, you just might end up running faster overall!!

Run with a friend...

2009-09-15T23:29:00.003-06:00

So, the last few days I have felt completely unmotivated when it comes to my running. Not really sure why or what's up that way. However, my saving grace has been having someone to run with. On Sunday, we went to cheer on a friend doing a race, and ended up doing the kids 1km with our son (who finished very last... he didn't want to run and kept asking me to carry him... however, once he was near the finish and heard all these people cheering for him, he started running again!!). It was fun, but I knew I needed to run 10km that day. So, later in the afternoon, I suggested to my husband that we should go running as a family and take the boys to a playground. Well, after several grumbles about not wanting to go, a few reminders about how he really does want to be active, and out the door we went. I kept asking him how far he wanted to go, him knowing that I really wanted to do 10km, and me knowing he really didn't. Well, we went 6km, then stopped at a playground, while I proceeded to get in a few extra kilometres. Then, we went and bought some groceries, and then we headed home. So, not only did we run, we also got in some play time and chores... score one for being an active family!!

Then, today, I was totally unmotivated. I was at home with a sick baby who was all clingy and burning up with a fever. Again, no desire to run, yet Tuesday nights I am running with another mom friend from the neighbourhood, and I showed up just like we planned, and she showed up, and we both said we wouldn't have run if we weren't meeting up to run. So, another day of exercise complete, thanks to the plan of running with someone.

So, running with a friend really can make a huge difference. In my case, I probably wouldn't have run at all this week if I wasn't running with people. So much for the solitude of running... having running buddies was actually what got me out the door!!

Do normal people do ironman?

2009-09-13T09:18:00.002-06:00

My mind is racing. I was watching some motivational little clips from Ironman Canada and I was wondering if there are any normal people out there that do ironman events. I mean, how elite do you have to be? I get that it's a lot of work, but take backpacking for example. As in camping in the mountains with your food, clothes and shelter on your back. There are a lot of hard core backpackers out there that are out every weekend. But there are also people who only get out a couple times of year and do big scary trails and still do fine. Does the same sort of thing apply to ironman? From what I can gather, it will take about 5 months of some pretty serious training. I am not sure what the minimum time per week would be. But could I do it? Or is this a goal that I should just shelf for another decade? Or does it just get harder to do the older you get? My mind is racing at the mere possibility of it... and hey, you only live once, if it's something I want to do, why not get to it?? Like I said, my mind is racing...

I will sing about it on the mountain top...

2009-09-11T15:57:00.003-06:00

Ever wonder where you find the will to keep going when you really don't feel like getting out there and exercising? Just post about it. Change your facebook status. Tweet about it. Doesn't matter how, just let the people in your life know what you are doing, and an amazing thing will happen. You will inspire those around you. And, by doing so, it keeps you going. Friends and family are, generally speaking, very supportive. Because of this, when you tell someone you are going to do a race, they will cheer you on and make you feel that what you are doing is inspiring. And, you might even get them going too. Then, next time you are at a race, you will know someone and that will keep you both going!!

So go ahead, shout it from the rooftop, let everyone know exactly what you are doing. Then, you have lots of people who will want to hear about your successes!!

Oh, and Cindy, all the best for your 10km on Sunday. You are going to rock!!

My first tri...

2009-09-04T11:54:00.004-06:00

So, the time has come and gone and I can now say that I have completed a sprint triathlon. It was an awesome experience and I look forward to learning more and doing more triathlons in the future. It was fantastic. I completed the triathlon in Leduc and was one of 174 people to finish. I finished 117th overall. I was 122nd in the swim, 134th in the bike and 86th in the run. So, running was definitely my strongest area, and surprisingly biking was my worst!!

My favourite part of the day was body marking. They draw your number on your arm and leg so you are numbered in the water. I have seen all the ironman athletes all marked up and getting drawn on gave me a glimpse into what it might be like to be an ironman. Not now, but someday...

Anyhow, so I was wearing my outfit for the day: a tank top, a sports bra and tri shorts. I swam in this outfit, biked in this outfit and ran in this outfit. It was weird but it felt right. I was in the first heat of swimmers (the slowest swimmers). I was the fastest in my lane and actually got to pass people. It's funny because if you want to pass someone, you touch their toes, so they know they are going to be passed. I swam my thirty laps and was grateful to the lap counters because I lost track early on. As I was swimming, I was amazed that I was actually doing this. I remember thinking that it was unbelievable that I was actually part of a triathlon and swimming against the clock. I got out of the water and crossed the timing mat in 18:51.

Next up, I headed into transition where my bike and shoes and stuff were waiting for me. I took off my swim cap and goggles and proceeded to dry my feet, put on my socks, shoes, and a cycling jersey (it was cold and I'm a bit of a wimp), oh and my bike helmet. Then, I unracked my bike and headed for the mount line where I was allowed to get onto my bike. The bike was two loops of an out and back route. My bike is a mountain bike, and I made the decision two days before the race that I should probably change out the tires to at least bald tires so it would be a little easier. It was a good experience because I had to actually change both tires on my bike so I can now say that I am capable of changing a tire on my bike (front and rear). Only problem I ran into on the bike was I could hear my front brake rubbing a little, so obviously giving me a bit more resistance than I really needed. The way out out was soooooo strong of a head wind. That made it tough and I am convinced I need to learn more about the gears on my bike because I really had no clue what gear I should be riding in. Coming back was great with a tail wind and all. But then you had to repeat the whole thing. I drank my gatorade as I went. On the way back into transition when the bike was over, I was able to stop and get a hug from Sebastian and that was so fantastic!! He was such a sweetheart saying I was doing so good. Then in transition, I changed my helmet and sunglasses for a cap and almost forgot to take off the cycling jersey (actually went back to do that). Then, I was across the next timing mat and the run was on. I finished the biking portion (including both transitions), in 54:51. I'm sure I have work to do on the transitions but I know for sure I need to improve my biking!!

The run felt really heavy at the beginning. My arms were so heavy as were my quads. However, after a bit, that feeling passed and I got into my groove. I didn't have a Garmin with me, or any watch for that matter, so I really had no clue how I was doing. I just ran. I got passed by a couple people, but I also got to do a bit of passing, so that was nice!! The run was also an out and back that had to be repeated twice. I got to see my boys again and Sebastian wanted so desperately to run with me and was not too impressed with Jeremy for not letting him!! I got another hug and high five from my little guy on both loops, and then it was into the finish. I sprinted just a bit toward the end and finishing felt wonderful. I was so amazed at myself that I had actually just completed a triathlon. I have been meaning to "tri" one for several years, and only just now could I say I finally did. The shock for me came when I learned my running time for the 5km was 29:25. I was absolutely blown away that I finished under thirty minutes after swimming and biking beforehand. Only one other time have I ever finished a 5km race in under 30 minutes. So, that sure did make me happy!!

My overall time was 1:43:06. In my age category, I finished 44th out of 66 (although, in my age category, someone ahead of me was disqualified for ipod use so really that would be 43rd I guess!!). And, overall, I was 117th, but with two DQs ahead of me, it was more like 115th!!

So, it was a fun race and I'm so glad I've tried a triathlon. As soon as I finished, my mind was already racing trying to figure out what's next. Where would I do my first triathlon in open water? When would I do my first Olympic distance? Was my husband going to "try a tri" next year? Should I put my name in for Escape from Alcatraz since it's chosen by lottery? Would I have enough training to do a half ironman next year? When will I do an ironman? Should I get a road bike sometime? Should I do the death race or Calgary Ironman 70.3 next August long weekend? Should I do the Canmore triathlon in July? Do I need a swim coach? What about a bike coach? Should I take my personal training certificate? Can I coach kids of steel sometime? My mind was racing, and still is really...

It was fun. I look forward to doing another one, and after chatting with Jessica and Scott, maybe even doing an event where a few of us are competing... I love it!!

But next up, it's back to running as there's a 10km or two coming up and of course the half in October... I can hardly wait for these races!! Of course I won't have to swim and bike before them, but I still have to be trained and ready...

A new running list...

2009-09-01T23:45:00.002-06:00

I love finding new songs to run to. I love knowing the songs people are running to. And recently, I asked around and got a bunch of new song ideas. So the other day, when I finally had some free time (doesn't seem to happen much with two kids), I sat down and bought some new songs on itunes and also did some exploring and found some more new songs. It's great. I created the new playlist and even downloaded it onto my ipod. Problem is, I haven't gone running yet and been able to use it. Because, if I am running with other people, then obviously I don't listen to music, and the last two runs I did, were with others. And with cross training on the bike and in the pool, obviously music doesn't match those scenarios either. So, it's been several days now since I downloaded this new list, and I still haven't had the chance to check it out... soon though (because, truth be told, I'd much rather run with someone than simply with just music!!). Please feel free to let me know your favourite running songs, again, I'm always looking for new ideas...

You know you've been running a while when...

2009-08-31T22:55:00.002-06:00

- your wardrobe is mostly made up of race shirts. Some long sleeve, some short sleeve, some cotton, some technical fabric.
-you notice other people's race shirts and recognize the races you see (or find a new one you want to run!!)
-you've been on more vacations based on races than vacations based on anything else
-you gauge how far something is based on how long it would take you to run it
-you start noticing things that other runners could do to improve their form
-you've tried more than 10 different gels
-you are no longer afraid of hills or intervals
-you know what negative splits are and actually try to do them
-you get a chariot stroller so when all else fails, you can still run even if you have to take the kids
-you own more pairs of running shoes than dress shoes
-your sock drawer is full of anti blister, moisture wicking exercise socks
-you own a belt specifically designed to carry a water bottle so your hands stay free
-you have a dedicated list (or several) on your mp3/ipod just for running

A Challenge

2009-08-30T22:36:00.003-06:00

One of the neatest parts about running is how there is always some new challenge you can find for yourself. Maybe it's a faster time, maybe it's a longer distance. One way or another though, there is always something to work towards. My running started up again after having my second child and I have had lots of challenges put into running. Part of it is about losing some weight, and getting back to where I was before having kids, and then trying to lose the "happy fat" that I put on since meeting and marrying my husband. The next part for me, is trying to beat an hour in a ten kilometre race. I tried once and was unsuccessful, although I did get a personal best, so really, that was a huge accomplishment. I will try again in September, however, I am not holding my breath since that race has a really nasty hill (with a beautiful view at the end to make it worthwhile though!!). But, I just might try another one in October, before the half, and maybe third time is the one that will work, we'll see... And then there is the half, maybe I will get a personal best in that race too. I hope so. It would make me really happy, but it's been awhile since I've done a half, so mostly I just want to enjoy it.

So, if you find you are not sure why you are running, figure something out. Do you want to improve your form, your time, run further, run longer? There are so many different ways to challenge yourself, so pick one and breath new life back into your running...

Why do I run...

2009-08-28T08:08:00.003-06:00

I run because it's the fastest way to get in some good cardiovascular exercise. Also because I like races. Also because you see some pretty neat scenery sometimes. I run because you can even run in other cities, and all you really need is a pair of shoes. I run because it gives me alone time. I run because it's a nice way to bond with other people. I run to sort out all the thoughts in my brain. I run so I have an excuse to buy cool exercise clothes. I run so I can use technology like GPS. I run so I can listen to music on my ipod. I run so I can listen to techno and dance stuff that just only seems best when running. I run so I can justify the Chariot (well, since we use several times a week, even for groceries, don't really need to justify it, but when I have to take the kids, it's sure nice to have!!). I run to set an example for my sons. I run so someday I'll hopefully spend less time in a nursing home. I run so I can lose a few pounds. I run to help my train for my triathlon. I run to make it easier to climb mountains. I run so if I was ever being chased, I might win. I run just because...

Unplugged...

2009-08-27T07:09:00.003-06:00

Every now and then, it's nice to go for a run just for the sake of running. In other words, leave all the tech gadgets at home. That's right, no watch, no Garmin, no heart rate monitor, no ipod. Before the panic sets in, let me assure you, that it can actually change your whole perspective of running. Suddenly, instead of concentrating on the beat of the song or the pace you are running, you actually concentrate on your breathing and running form. Instead of getting all excited because your favourite song came on, you get all excited because you notice a huge tree that you've run past hundreds of times but only today saw that the leaves are starting to change colour. I'll be honest, seldom do I run without any sort of technology, as I love music while I run, but when I do leave the devices at home, I actually enjoy running for the sake of running. On race day now, seldom do I take my ipod with me (well, for shorter distances anyhow!!). Then I can enjoy the race for what it is!!

6 ways to combat laziness...

2009-08-26T08:42:00.000-06:00

So sometimes you just don't feel like going out there and running or doing whatever exercise you had planned. How can you keep yourself motivated so you still go?

1. Plan to run with someone. If you have a plan to meet someone and run, you are more likely to show up and actually do the running. Nobody wants to let down a friend so generally if you have a running date planned, you will probably stick to it.

2. Get dressed. Put on your running clothes, your running socks, your running shoes and your ipod. Once you are dressed up to run, chances are a lot better that you will actually get out there and run, I mean, since you put in all that effort to get dressed and all. This works for me, but more often what I will do is put on running socks. Once I have my running socks on, I almost always end up running later in the day. Not sure what it is, but already wearing the right socks gets me every time!!

3. Go out for ten minutes. If you really still don't want to be out running, then go home, but at least you gave it a shot (and if you ran 10 minutes in one direction, it will take 10 minutes to get back, so at the very least you got in 20 minutes). More likely however, once you get past that first 10 minutes, you'll keep on running whatever plan you had for the day.

4. Make a new playlist for your ipod or mp3 player. Knowing you have a whole new set of songs to run to can be motivating because it's usually music that keeps a good beat and gets you moving. Plus, you want to actually hear the songs you chose, so you might even run longer just to get them all in!!

5. Run first thing in the morning. Then, it's over and done with and you don't spend your whole day trying to figure out ways of getting out of your run. Life gets busy and sometimes running gets put to the side in pursuit of other things that pop up throughout the day. But, if you ran first thing, then nothing can get in the way!!

6. Cross train. When all else fails, do something else. Go for a walk, or a swim or a bike ride. Just be active. Or, if you have a treadmill, hop on that and get the run in while watching your favourite reality show. I use the treadmill most often for intervals and watch food tv while listening to my ipod. Strange maybe, but it works for me!!

No matter how you do it, if you got out and did it, then when you get home, you always feel better!!

What should I wear...

2009-08-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Running is great because really, all you need is a pair of shoes and you can be out the door. And, for a quick run of 30 or 60 minutes, it doesn't really matter what you wear. Of course the longer you run for, the more consideration you might want to give to what you are wearing. Here's a few things to think about when choosing the outfits you run in.

1. How long will you be running for. Again, the longer you run, the more important it is to choose your clothes carefully. Technical fabrics that wick away moisture are definitely the way to go for long runs. With cotton, when you start sweating, the lovely sweat stains just remain. This can lead to all sorts of nastiness in the form of chaffing and such, which you will feel for days after the run, so better to just start out with the moisture wicking fabrics. Most races now give out technical shirts so it's definitely a sign of runner preferences.

2. Make sure the clothes are comfortable. If you are constantly pulling up your shorts, or your shirt is rubbing, you may end up with some nasty chaffing. This is not fun in any way. Plus, if you are constantly fretting over your clothes, then probably you aren't putting any thought into your form or technique, because your clothes are becoming front and centre.

3. Wear clothes that fit. If you wear huge clothes in hopes of covering up your "problem areas", you will likely only create more problems for yourself. If clothes are loose, they will rub and this is not good. Personally, I wear tight fitting spandex type shorts. I might not have the perfect body for them, but they are comfortable and they stay in place.

4. Try things out ahead of time. I bought a running skirt, and although I quite like it, if I am running longer than about 40 minutes, the shorts underneath start to creep up and lead to chaffing. As a result, I know this is likely not going to be what I wear for the half marathon in October. It's important to try the outfit you plan to wear for your race on some of your longer training runs. You don't want to find out on race day that the new shirt you bought has a seam in a place that starts rubbing after three kilometres when you still have seven more to go.

5. Consider the temperature. If it's warm out, make sure you wear a hat (preferably a wicking one). If it's cold, you might need gloves or even something to cover your face. It all depends on the temperature and your comfort level. Layering is a good way to go, and always remember that you will warm up, so be sure not to overdress.

6. And all you ladies, make sure you get a bra with good support if you know you require it. Check out sportsbras.ca for a huge selection of bras. I most recently bought the shock absorber, and am so happy with it!! It's done me well on so many runs already.

There's lots to think about, this is just a few things. There are so many neat and stylish running pieces out there these days that finding them is half the fun!! At the end of the day, just make sure you are comfortable in whatever you are wearing and can concentrate on the scenery and the run, rather than your wardrobe!! And if you are washing your wicking fabrics, make sure you don't use any static sheets or fabric softener as this takes away from the wicking feature of the technical clothes.

5 considerations when choosing a race...

2009-08-24T08:20:00.000-06:00

So, you've been running for a little while now and need a goal. You know you want to race, but you just aren't sure what you are looking for. Here's some things to consider when you are picking a race...

1. Go for the bling. Pick a race that offers a medal or other unique memento of the event. There's all sorts of things out there from t-shirts to Tiffany necklaces to chocolate. And the medals themselves are a reason to pick a race, such as a Mickey Medal, Flying Pig Medal, Pick a race that offers something fun as an incentive.

2. How about the munchies. Some races are known for their post race feasts. There is the typical fare of yogurt and bananas and cookies, but then other races go all out on food. You can find Spolumbo's sausages or ice cream or chocolate or even turkey dinners or beers and wines. It's up to you to ask around and figure out which ones have the food or drinks you are after.

3. Go the distance. You might choose a race based on distance. Start out with a 5km, then move onto 10km, then a half marathon, then a full marathon and then even an ultra. Or maybe you want more than one sport and are looking for something like a triathlon. How much training do you want to commit to and how far do you want to go. And maybe you are using the race to qualify for Boston, in which case you are doing a marathon and might want to look at the race course itself. What types of challenges are along the race? Any big hills to think about? Do you get to run past cool stuff?

4. Location, location, location. For short races, I generally stick close to home, yet if I'm doing a half or full marathon, I start looking for places I want to go (combined with the bling of course). You can race pretty much anywhere in the world these days so figure out if you are after sun destination, or somewhere more historic, or maybe you want to be in the mountains, or perhaps a big city. Nothing is more fun than planning a race and getting a vacation out of it!!

5. Cause. A lot of races out there support different charities and organizations. Is there a particular cause that is close to your heart? Some races simply donate to charities while others encourage you to raise pledges. It's up to you which race you choose. As well, you can join groups like Team In Training, Joints In Motion, Team Diabetes or many others where you train as a group while raising money for a particular charity, and then on race day you get to wear a special jersey and run the race in honour of someone facing one of these illnesses. It gives special meaning to the race and makes it so much more meaningful when you cross the finish line.

So, there's lots to think about when you pick a race. And maybe you will combine several of these when you make a decision. Races are usually on a weekend and most marathons offer fitness fairs, pasta dinners, speakers and celebrations to go along with their race. Races are my main motivation and I always like having something coming up on the horizon, like right now I have a sprint triathlon, a 10km and a half coming up this fall... what are you training for?

Change things up...

2009-08-23T08:31:00.000-06:00

A lot of times as people are busy training for their races, they get a bit bored with the training. It seems as though running starts to become everything and doing the same thing all the time can be a bit boring. So, if you are running 5 or 6 days a week, why not change things up a bit and make one or two of those days something else. Do a boot camp (these are seriously tough stuff, but soooooo good for you!!), add some strength training, go for a bike ride or a swim (non-impact is a really nice break for those joints that work so hard for you with running), do a spin class or another aerobics type class. Try a yoga session. Go for a hike. It doesn't matter what the activity is, the change will use your muscles differently and likely actually help your training in the long run. And, the added bonus is, you won't get to a point where running becomes a chore because that is your exercise. Rather, exercise is something you look forward to because it's varied and always something different.

Tomorrow I am going hiking, and I can hardly wait. I know I will get an incredibly good workout and yet my legs will have a break from the pounding that running puts them through. I love cross training. I've added swimming to my workouts as well, and it is such a welcome change. I still work hard, but it's a different kind of work and my body likes that change.

So, if ever your running becomes a bit boring and tedious, it's probably time to substitute one of your runs for another sport. Your body will thank you for it!!

Running in the evening...

2009-08-22T08:24:00.000-06:00

Tonight I was running hills, just three, but still hills. And there were fireworks. I like to think the fireworks were there to celebrate the fact that I was running. I'm sure they were on for something much more important, but either way, it was my special little fireworks show.

Sometimes fitting in a run can be tricky, and sometimes it doesn't fit in until the end of the day, yet that has its advantages too. Depending on where you live, waiting until the evening provides cooler running conditions. Running in the evening let's you watch the sun set. Running in the evening keeps you away from the television. Running in the evening is a great way to finish the day, after all, you can't say you didn't go then!!

Don't forget the sunscreen...

2009-08-21T08:32:00.000-06:00

On short training runs, you can get away with going outside for a bit and if you forgot the sunscreen, well, nobody minds. But, as you start training for half marathons, marathons and longer, sometimes you are out for longer than an hour and you start getting into the likelihood of getting burned. So, don't forget to wear sunscreen. And, make sure you choose a kind that will let you sweat and not fade away. Try one of the many sport varieties that are available. Because nothing is worse than getting back from a great run, only to find out you have a sun burn.

And one more thing, if you are putting the sunscreen on your arms or neck, don't forget that as you run, your clothes may shift a bit, so you might want to keep that in mind so you don't end up with a small stripe burn when your clothes shift. Take it from someone who has been burned like this, it is not very much fun!!

Check your shoes...

2009-08-20T20:32:00.001-06:00

Running takes a lot out of you. Sometimes when people start running for the first time or after a long period of inactivity, they go into their closet, find a pair of runners and go. And, they might be okay, but quite often, it is time for a new pair of shoes. Think about it... your running shoes are what's between your body and the hard surfaces you run on. They absorb the force of your feet hitting the ground multiple times in a minute. They help take the pressure off your knees and ankles. Did you suddenly start hurting? Have you got shin splints? Knee aches? There is a good possibility that something as simple as new shoes could help you out.

And, don't buy just any shoes. Go to an actual running store and have one of the staff that's trained, fit your feet and make sure you get into the shoes you need. There are many types of shoes. Some provide stability, others provide cushioning, some are designed to be super lightweight and only good for racing. It's important to have shoes that match your feet and how you run. If you pronate, then having a neutral shoe is not going to help you.

Once you know what kind of shoes you need, then go for comfort. Shoes come in all sorts of colours and shapes, but you can't buy shoes based on that. You need to buy the ones that match what you need and feel comfortable on your feet. They might not be the snazziest pair, but if they get you safely through your training and race without incident, then they are the best pair.

And shoes don't last forever either, so even if you bought a brand new pair 3 years ago, and haven't used them much, maybe it's time for a new pair. That way, you know they are offering you the support you need. If you keep a running log, you'll know how far you've gone, and then you can replace them once you've logged 500 km or more.

Shoes are expensive, but they are nothing compared to being sidelined because of an injury, so if something started hurting that never used to, or you really can't remember when you got your shoes, or if they were shoes that have done you well in six other sports, take the time to go buy new ones. You will be glad you did!!

Eating on the run...

2009-08-19T08:06:00.000-06:00

Wondering what types of food to snack on while you run? Make sure you try some things out on practice runs so you know what will work for you and your stomach on race day. Some people have iron stomachs, others get sick at merely the thought of a sugar drink. So try things out ahead of time. Here's my top 12 favourite running snacks...

1. Luna Bars. I'm a girl, and these bars were designed for the female half of the species. And, they are fantastic. They come in all sorts of flavours and they are super tasty. They are great for running and hiking too.

2. Gu Energy Gels. Okay, I know gels aren't pretty and it can take a lot to get them down, but if you can find a flavour you like, then you've won half the battle. I like the tri-berry the best but vanilla bean is great too. And really, gels are easy to digest, so you get the extra energy you need faster with little chance of upset stomach.

3. Sharkies. These are sort of like candies, but for someone with a sweet tooth like me, they definitely aren't candies. But, if you can't do the gels, this is a nice option that's more food like but still packs the same punch as a gel. They have a bonus of being organic. And, they come in cute shark shapes.

4. . Jelly Belly Sport Beans. Seriously, they taste just like jelly beans. They look like jelly beans, but they also have electrolytes in them to replace those lost while exercising. And they have lots of great flavours.

5. Gummy Bears. I love these. I know it's just candy, but hey, when I'm running, sometimes I'm just sick of the regular choices and a bunch of gummy bears is just a really nice treat for me.

5. Rice Krispie Squares. I prefer homemade ones to the store bought version, but would do either on a run. Again, I sometimes want more than the traditional choices above, and since I am more of a recreational athlete, these work for me.

6. Baked potatoes. Sounds funny but it works. Bake up a potato, cut it into little cubes, season with a bit of salt and butter, and take them along. My only complaint is they are a tiny bit messy on the hands.

7. Nutrigrain bars. They are in a nice convenient package and a good size. They don't have all the same stuff as a Luna bar, but it's still a nice snack during a run.

8. Snickers Marathon Bar. I had this once during a race and it was amazing. It has all the stuff you want from an energy bar but tastes more like a chocolate bar. It was fantastic!!

9. Clif Shot Bloks. I love everything this company makes. The Bloks are a nice way to get a shot (like a gel), but again better for those people who can't do gels (my husband is one of them).

10. Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Nut bars. Basically a granola bar that has salty nuts in it. They taste great and are a nice treat on a run. I like how the sweet and salty compliment each other so well. My favourite is the peanut one.

There's lots more you can take on a run, along with a lot of other companies that make great stuff. What works for you? Leave a comment about your favourite running or hiking snacks. I'm always looking for new ideas!!

Less than 8 weeks to the half marathon...

2009-08-18T15:45:00.002-06:00

So with less than 8 weeks until the Okanagan Half Marathon, I thought it was perhaps time for some little hints and tips to help out people who might be preparing for their first half marathon, marathon, 10km, 5km, or just for people wanting some inspiration or ideas to enjoy the rest of their training. Sometimes it helps to just get you out the door.

I am no expert. I am only a runner who tries to finish. I do have lots of experience behind me, but what works for me, might not work for you, so take these words for what they are worth and do what you need to, to get yourself to the finish line.

Over the next eight weeks I will try and offer something every day to inspire you to get to your race and finish it strong.

For today, just remember that training for a race is the journey that gets you to the end, and it's important to enjoy the journey. Make sure you are putting your runs near the top of your priorities. This is especially important for people with lots of other responsibilities (ie moms, people with lots of other commitments etc). If finishing is important to you, then putting in time ahead of the race must be important to you as well. These runs help make sure you finish strong and safely. And it's not a chore, at least it shouldn't be. Here's a new way to look at your training runs.

A training run is a chance to be out on your own, away from everything that is pulling you in a hundred different directions. Running is "me time". Running is a chance to catch up with a friend. If you are running alone, it's a chance to think. One of my favourite running quotes was from an ad, not sure what it was for, likely shoes or something similar. It was "the longer I run, the smaller my problems become". And really, as you run, suddenly all the issues in your life get jostled around and sorted and by the time you are finished, you nearly always feel okay about life. Running keeps you active. Running helps you lose weight. Running is a chance to feel your body in motion and enjoy the fact that you are helping your heart stay strong. Running is a chance to meet other like minded people. Running helps you be an active person. Running makes your body crave food that is good for it. Running let's you enjoy nature. Running on a misty rainy day is relaxing. Running in fresh fallen snow and peaceful and serene. Running on a hot day makes you truly enjoy a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade. Running gives you an excuse to buy fun clothes to run in.

Running offers so much and more than anything it keeps you active. I love that about running. I can throw on a pair of shoes, and be out the door in about five minutes (ten if I want to have my ipod too). And, I can be back in 30 minutes, having put in a decent workout. It's the most bang for your buck in terms of time. When life gets busy, that part is so important. So, make sure you find the time to put in your runs, because it's about so much more than the run itself!!

Missing my goal...

2009-08-10T12:15:00.002-06:00

So, on Sunday, I set out to run a 10km race with the hopes that the time would be under an hour. I didn't do it. I've been training well and getting in my intervals and hills and general runs, but when it came time to race day, I just didn't get the goal I was aiming for. At the halfway point, it was looking good, but by the time I got to the 8km mark, I just didn't have it in me. I'm not sure why not, but I just couldn't keep up the pace.

I was devastated, yet at the same time, I needed to remind myself that even though I didn't reach the goal I had hoped for, I did have a good race, and truth be told, it was a personal best. Before this my best 10km time was 1:04:09, and yesterday I ran it in 1:01:45. That was an improvement of more than two minutes. So, maybe my goal was a bit more than I can reach? It's funny that even though I ran faster than I ever have before for a 10km, it still seemed bittersweet because I had set my sites even higher.

Oh well, it's time to get over it and start working towards the next race. When you miss a goal you've been aiming for, it's important to remember there are still moments to be proud of. In my case, I still outperformed my previous best. I had a good run. I didn't take my ipod with me so that I would enjoy the race for what it was. I thanked the volunteers. I made sure my friend got to the end. And my favourite moment of the run? Passing my husband and son and listening to my little boy shout "go mommy, you are doing good mommy". That is worth more than my goal ever was!!

Time for some coaching...

2009-08-08T07:02:00.003-06:00

So, since I signed up for the triathlon, I've been busy trying to get organized so that I can actually have a clue. I went swimming the other night. First time in probably six years (for lane swimming). It went pretty good and I managed to knock off 42 laps. I only need to do 30 for the race, but figured doing a few extras couldn't hurt.

We got a roof rack for the car. Now I can get my bike to the race. We also got a box so we can take extra gear (will come in handy for road trips in general, since getting around with 2 kids and a huge dog doesn't leave much space for stuff).

My husband got my bike all cleaned up and last night he showed me how to get the wheel on and off.

Today, I am going to a triathlon camp. I am learning everything I need to know to complete my first triathlon. It should be interesting. I hope I am in good enough shape to keep up. There are a bunch of different sessions. The obvious three: swimming, biking and running with a coach. Then there's nutrition, how to do a transition and stuff like that.

I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed. I am amazed at how many things actually go into this whole triathlon experience. I am wondering so many different things. It seemed simple enough, you just swim a bit, then bike a bit, then run a bit, but getting from one sport to the other will be challenging. And what to wear. And what to eat. Hopefully today provides some guidance into some of those things!!

A little update...

2009-08-05T14:16:00.003-06:00

So last night, after posting about the triathlons, I decided to check out the Leduc Element Women's Triathlon that was on September 6th. I didn't see anywhere to sign up, so I figured it was sold out, but rather than simply use that as an excuse, I emailed the sponsoring shop just to see. And, wouldn't you know it, there is still space, I just never noticed the "Register Here" link on the race calendar. So, I signed up. Just like that, I am now set to do my first ever triathlon. I think it's time to go swimming, or biking, or something...

And as for my weight, well, it's still a work in progress. Today I weighed 186.4 pounds (84.55kg). So, not much has changed, but I am okay with that. I have been eating fairly decently, watching my portions, and exercising fairly regularly. I'll keep plugging away at it though!! And really, I have to remember, that in January, I topped the scales at 246 pounds (111kg) (I think that was the highest I weighed) right before my son was born, so really, I have made a lot of progress!!

Should I "tri"?

2009-08-05T00:17:00.002-06:00

So this past weekend, my husband and I volunteered at the Ironman Calgary 70.3. It was fun. We got to help set up Transition 2, where the athletes go from their bikes into the run. It was neat. I was blown away by the logistics involved in triathlons. I mean truly, it is just amazing!! It was great. On race day, we went and cheered for the athletes on the bike section. It was fun. We had posters with us: "You are my hero" and "looking mighty fine". I loved the reactions we got, from the thumbs up to the smiles to the waves, etc. It was great.

Being a part of this event though, really sparked a desire in me to do a triathlon. Don't get me wrong, that desire has always been there, but my dread of the swimming portion has always been stronger than my desire to do it. Yet, for some reason, now I'm realizing I should just go ahead and give it a shot. What do I have to lose? Time to suck it up and try.

Someday I want to do an ironman. Not sure exactly when, but was sort of thinking when I was in my forties. Now though, I am wondering why I am waiting until then. Am I using that as my reason for not starting? What if something happened and I never made it to forty or was unable to do it for some reason at forty, Would I always regret that I never went ahead with it?

I think I might try and go swimming this week, just to see. And then I will set my "tri" plans in motion. First up is a beginner race, then I will put in my name for the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. It's on my list of things I really want to do, so what is holding me back?? Time to go ahead and start putting these dreams into motion...

Climb every mountain...

2009-08-01T22:48:00.003-06:00

So, every now and then I like to change things up with my fitness and working out schedule. And this week, that involved a scramble. What is a scramble you ask? Why, a scramble is when you go to the top of a mountain, sometimes using your hands to help you in tricky spots, getting up or down. I facebooked a friend who I knew liked to hike and we got some dates together and drove out there. I brought my baby, and had him in a kid backpack, and my older child went to the dayhome for the day. We set out in the morning, Starbucks in hand and drove to Canmore. Our chosen mountain was Ha Ling, named after the first person to reach the top.

The thing about climbing mountains is, it's all up. Literally, in order to get to the top, you just keep going up until there is no more up to do. It's not like hiking along a trail through the forest with ups and downs, again, if you want to reach the top of a mountain, you have to keep going up. My friend was doing her first ever scramble and we took our time. I mean, I was, after all, carrying an extra person and all!! It was great fun. I'm sure I burned a couple thousand calories. My heart was a thumping the whole time, going up and even coming down (although coming down was a lot less effort for the lungs!!).

We did great. We made it to the top, had some snacks, took some pictures, and then headed back down. The thing with this particular hike, is it's only 3km to get to the top, but you go up somewhere between 700 and 800 meters in elevation. So, it's a very short distance to cover that amount of altitude gain. Just think about it. 800 meters is two times around a track, it's just short of a kilometre, UP.

I loved it. I loved every huffing and puffing moment of it. I loved the exercise I knew I was getting, and I loved the feeling of accomplishment when we got to the top. "So, what did you do today?", "oh not much, just climbed to the top of a MOUNTAIN!!"

I want to do more. Not sure which ones, they have to some that are easy enough to do with a kid on my back. I also want to do more hikes, and take the family. I am so fortunate that I live in a part of the world where hiking in the mountains is something I can do whenever I want. I may as well take advantage of it!!

Hungry...

2009-07-30T07:48:00.003-06:00

Last night I was really hungry. After a fairly decent supper (have you seen the cover of bon appetit this month?), of Moroccan Turkey Burgers, I spent the evening feeling super hungry. I was craving ice cream, but promised myself I would only have ice cream if I ate a bunch of fruit and still felt hungry. So, I had a bowl of rainier cherries. They were so good. The bowl was big enough that I could have shared with my husband but I ate them all. Wow, I was hungry!! And, even after that I was still feeling really hungry. So, I had some ice cream. It was just a small little bowl. It was heavenly. I loved it. And after that, I was still hungry!! So, I drank some water. I mean, I can do the math, and I knew I had put in enough calories, but wow, I can't believe how hungry I felt last night. Here's hoping my body found some of the many stores of fat and found more nourishment there.

Not just for the military...

2009-07-29T08:18:00.003-06:00

Boot camps were always known for their tough work in getting young recruits ready for the military. And in the last few years they are popping up all over the place for people trying to get in shape. I've always wondered what they were like. Recently though, I got to find out first hand.

I have been going to a trainer every two weeks. I meet with the trainer and two other ladies (makes it more affordable). Well, when the summer schedule came out for the fitness fix where we meet, they had forgotten about our sessions. So, they needed to adjust our sessions. We had the choice, come in earlier and do the session (doesn't work because I have to wait until the husband is home before I can leave), or come in at the same time, do half an hour with the trainer, then stay for another hour of boot camp. We choose the boot camp option.

Wow. I mean really, that's all there is to say. Boot camps are tough. They don't seem like it, but truly, I work harder in that hour than on most of my runs. This particular boot camp is a mix of cardio and strength exercises. The cardio portions are short, but very tough. Mostly sprints and fast types of exercise. And the strength is no walk in the park either. We're talking full body stuff, like push ups and squats and that sort of thing. By the end of the session, I am completely spent. Utterly exhausted. Having sweated buckets. And, every week, I keep thinking it will get a little easier but in fact, it gets even harder. This week for example. I used a spin bike for the cardio portions. It was a super nice change from the treadmill and running, but it was super hard. My legs were on fire!!

So, if you need to pump some new life into your exercise regime, consider a boot camp. It really is as tough as you might have heard, but the results are completely worth the effort!!

Still alive, really...

2009-07-28T11:51:00.002-06:00

I have a confession to make. My husband got me an iphone. It's fantastic. I spend way less time on the computer, because I'm now spending that time on the iphone. When I am feeding the baby, I get time to read blogs, facebook, check emails, but don't need to be on the computer to do it. So, it keeps me off the computer, but it keeps me from updating my blogs regularly as well.

Luckily, I have still managed to fit in my running and exercise most days. I am very proud of that, since I'm sure the immediate guess is that I fell off the wagon and haven't wanted to admit it. I can say that I haven't been perfect, especially on the eating side, but I am very much still on the wagon for the most part. As a matter of fact, I even just checked my weight and if you can believe it was at 187.2 (84.91kg). So, I am still headed in a downward direction.

I attribute most of my success to exercise. I made myself a poster. It is counting down the weeks until the half marathon in the Okanagan in October (less than 11 weeks now, in case you were wondering). The poster is working out pretty well for me. Most wees I am able to colour in at least 4 squares (I have up to five a week). I made it through all the hills too. Now I'm onto speed work before the 10km in two weeks. It's coming together. My hope is that I will break an hour for the 10km. I don't know if I will or not. I will try my best. That is what I am aiming for. If I don't make it, I have another race in September and I could try then as well. Maybe it's a silly goal, but it's something that's important to me and I've been putting forth a lot of effort to reach that end. So, we'll see, stay tuned... only time will tell... but next time, I'll tell you about what has been really working for me lately with exercise... aside from just plain running...

A short vacation...

2009-07-13T15:53:00.003-06:00

Sometimes life is busy. Being away from home is fun, but it can disrupt routines to no end. Just ask my son, who still seems to think going to bed at 10pm is okay. Oh well, we're working on that.

I spent 9 days travelling with my mom, and two sons. It was great. My husband was even able to join us for the weekend in Seattle. I had a lot of fun. We did a lot of driving (somewhere around 3000km I believe?). But, I did bring my running shoes with me, and I did, in fact, run. I managed to run three times while I was gone. Once in Kamloops, once in Bellevue (on a treadmill doing intervals), and once in Sun Peaks (the long run). It was fantastic. I was very grateful to my mom for watching the boys while I ran. That certainly helped me have the opportunity.

Eating however, was not so great. I made a lot of bad choices, but figured I was on holidays, so what the heck. I know that is no excuse, but I have nothing else. I indulged in some cheesecake, creme brulee, ice cream sundaes, and numerous Starbucks drinks as well. And let's not forget chips and dip, and chocolates, and sodas. However, there were a few positive moments. I drank 8 glasses of water most days. Had yogurt a few times. Ate some fresh fruit along the way. So, although my eating was not ideal, there were at least some moments that went well.

Now though, I am back home, and after a busy weekend of cake making, I am back on track. I went running this morning and I go to the trainer tonight. So, I can get back to training for my 10km and half marathon...

Less than 16 weeks!!

2009-06-26T15:08:00.002-06:00

If you can imagine, time is just flying by these days. It is now less than 16 weeks until I run the Okanagan Half Marathon in October. To get myself motivated, I created a poster for myself to countdown my workouts and hopefully have fun colouring and showing my son every time I go out running so he sees that I am an active person. I also made a poster for my friend who is running the same race as her first ever half marathon. She has been doing awesome so far, and together we manage to get out about once a week running. This week we started hills for the first time. We did two, and it was tough. It was a hot day, and we were both pushing a Chariot loaded up with two kids. So, I guess that was a bit of extra resistance, next week we'll do three, and hopefully can find the time to go without the kids, so we don't have the extra load!!

Things have been going pretty well lately. Today I took Sullivan running in the Chariot along with Cronos (the dog). I ran a route that ended up being 9.3km long. It was quite windy, so the uphill into the wind parts were definitely challenging. I had my ipod with me and was loving all the different songs that came on. It was a great run.

And, as for the weighing in... well, I just weighed myself, and was 189.4 pounds (85.91kg). Now, that might be a little low because perhaps my fluid intake should be more yet today (and it will be), but imagine the excitement when I stepped on the scale and was in the 180s!! That hasn't happened since before I was pregnant and even then, it's lower than I have been for at least a couple years now (I had been hovering around the 200 mark for quite some time). So, this was a huge accomplishment today. And this is good, because if I keep at it, the less I weigh, the easier the running will be, and since I am truly hoping to break an hour for a 10km sometime, this is extremely important!! That's it for now though...

Overcoming the temptation...

2009-06-16T11:39:00.004-06:00

So, I was at the grocery store this morning, and possibly a little hungry while I was there. I needed to buy some groceries for dinner and decided on hot dogs, with salad on the side, and corn, and celery and carrots. Oh, and some peppers and onions for the actual hot dogs. As I was choosing the buns, I was so tempted to get a pastry of some sort. Everything looked fantastic. I mean truly. I could have had one of each. Even the little cinnamon danishes looked amazing and that might not normally be my first choice. It took everything I had but managed to get through without buying any. Instead I bought a grapefruit and a bag of grapes. So, that was a small little victory in the grand scheme of things.

And things are still going well in the weight loss department. I just weighed in at 192.6pounds (87.36kg). And that is after a somewhat disastrous weekend of eating. Started out good on the Friday with salmon and salad, but things just went downhill after that. Oh well, every day is a new day and even if things don't go well one day, that doesn't mean we can't improve for the next day!!

On the exercise front, things have been rocking. The last two weeks I have done amazing. I ran several times, once even at a pace of 10.1km an hour including hills (it was a treadmill workout). Another time, I thought I was running 6km, but it turned out to be 7.8km. And, I have been getting my strength workout in as well. At least 2 workouts a week of that, which is much better than other weeks. So, we're getting somewhere. And now, with a half marathon on the horizon for the fall, I will have to keep up with the training so that maybe I can have a personal best for that race!!

The Running Socks...

2009-06-09T23:37:00.003-06:00

So, the other day, I went to see a movie, UP, with my husband, kids, and a friend and her kids. It was a great movie. As I was getting ready to go though, I chose to put on running socks. I really wanted to go running that day and figured if I was already wearing running socks it would help me be just that little bit closer to running.

Next up, we get invited to my brother's place for dinner. And, we go. I was worried that running wouldn't fit in to my day. And really, by the time we got home and got the kids to bed, it was after 9:30pm. I said to my husband that I didn't think I'd have time to run, and he said "but you already are wearing your running socks!!" He was right, and so I put on shorts and a tshirt and went to the basement to run on the treadmill. I only did a half hour program, intervals, but was so glad that I actually went down and did it, since really, I could have just stayed upstairs and watched television.

And, the moral of the story is... sometimes, doing something to give yourself the upper hand, really is the way to go. If I hadn't put on my running socks before leaving earlier in the day, there is a high probability that I wouldn't have gone running at all. But, since I already had the socks on, there was really no excuse... and so, I ran...

Now, it's been one week since I started this blog, and I now weigh 194.6pounds (88.26kg), so, we're slowly making progress.