guess who we're cheering for...

done, done and not done

I had three goals for January:
1. Lose 5 pounds - DONE!! This was way harder than what I thought it would be. Lots of organization and time spent planning meals and grocery shopping for the right stuff to have on hand so when it was time to eat, the good stuff was going into the bod. To reward myself I am buying a new bathing suit. A super cool one from the Splish website!
2. Beat my 21 days of not eating out - DONE!! Today is day 28. I have a craving for sushi. But #1 and #2 are related, when I have groceries in the house, and pre-prepare stuff to eat, then it was much easier to grab something for lunch or put something together for suppers. But this whole process has been ALOT of work!!! Have really tried to make it a focus for January...was one week at a time...seriously.
3. Not buy myself any new clothes - NOT DONE!! Oops. This was not a realistic goal...but I thought I would try...could not resist this pair of black leather boots...3 inch heels, pointy toes, the ultimate b!tch boots!! Love them!! Also, purchased a really cute pair of hot pink sandals for summer...hey, never to early to start planning your spring/summer wardrobe!!!

feeling much better about the world

Yesterday. A day from hell. Sent personally to me from the devil himself.

I was supposed to do another fartlek run yesterday morning. I had not slept all night. If one kid is not up, then the other one is, and then the other one is and then the other one is...I think you get my point. I was exhausted. Which was the major contributor to my crappy mood yesterday!!

Coach Justin called. I whined to him about not getting any sleep. He said "If the motivation is not there, then do the run Wednesday morning and skip the swim. But ideally, you want to get both workouts in."

I heard him say "Aren't you motivated? Can you not handle this? You are the one who wanted to set these goals so are you not prepared to put the work in...?" OF COURSE he would never say these things but those are the words that rattled around in my head ALL AFTERNOON!!

Got home. Fed kids. Put running gear on (which included my snazzy CTS jacket...makes me look and feel so hardcore...) Called Shaun. He was almost home. Did dishes. Tidied up. Called Shaun again. He was closer to home. Started the tub. Dumped kids into tub. Shaun got home. I basically high fived him as he was coming in and GOT MY FRIGGIN RUN IN!!

Are those not the best ones??!! The ones you don't feel like doing. The ones you want so bad to skip. The ones that you just know are going to hurt.

Was another fartlek workout. I puked in my mouth. I ran so hard for a few of them I think I heard myself grunt!! Ewwww!!!

And made it to swimming this morning. I was super early so got a good 600 meters in before anyone else was there. In total, 2500 in the pool today. Pracitised some open water drills...for some reason the coach was giving tips as we were swimming in the deep end. So we would have to stop and tread water and try to listen to what he was saying. One guy, much bigger than me, started again after treading with a big whip kick that missed my nose by about an inch. I was kind of into the workout, trying to keep up to the fast boys, and was pissed that this guy didn't even look at who was coming as he went right in front of me so I swam right over top of him!! Hahahahaha!!

putting the "I" in whine

I?

Am super grumpy today. I have no reason to be bitchy but I am. Everyone is annoying me. Why are some people just so annoying? Like the guy on the elevator today...I am on there, heading up to the 9th floor, he jumps on around the 5th floor, presses the G button and then spouts out b.s. cause we are headed up instead of down.

Buddy, look at the arrow before you get on the elevator!!! WTF?

I was in a meeting today with all the advisors in the office and one of the guys just always states the obvious. I just want to say to him "Why do you say out loud what we already know? We are wasting time talking about this..." WTF?

The other guy in my office that brown noses so bad I want to smack him. Seriously. I. Want. To. Smack. Him. He takes one of the partners his coffee. WTF?

People that do not have predictable and acceptable behavior really, really annoy me. If you say one thing but do another, I cannot be around you for very long. I have dumped two people out of my life over the last few months that just brought b.s to my life and I don't want to deal with it, on any level. One more is on the verge of being punted...I have tried to be patient. I have tried to be understanding. Somedays, I don't think these traits are in me. I am trying really hard...but I feel a punt coming on!!

sunday swim and other stuff

First, the other stuff. Went to a fondue party last night! Drank and ate WAY too much...

Ash and Carmen getting it all togetherSome of the gang, we went to grade school together!! Ash, me, Carmen and Chris.

Ash's "Man Room".

My BFF...CK. Gorgeous...simply gorgeous, inside and out!! She needs a good guy that appreciates this...but BEWARE...I am her gatekeeper!!!

And then there was swimming today. I was so tired and a bit foggy from last night. We did a set of "beat the clock". The jist is you leave 5 seconds later every 100 and you have to be back by the top. So you are swimming 5 seconds faster every time but with a bit more rest. I was telling my legs the entire time "I don't CARE that you have been pedalling like mad this weekend!! And I DON'T CARE that you ran for an hour on the tready yesterday!! How DARE you complain about too much alcohol last night!! Get back there and kick!!"

Holy hell. That was a tough one!! Got down to 1:20 and missed the 1:15 by just a couple of seconds. I could not breathe! I didn't check, but I bet my HR was over 200!! Was a good workout even with a foggy head...

what to say

I am so busy I cannot adequately tell you how busy I am. Work is gearing up for our busy time...and then let's throw in the new TFSAs, the 25% RRIF repayments and general market stuff...my blogging might be sportatic the next several weeks.
Missed my swim on Wednesday as Shaun had to go to work early. So jumped on my bike and did an hour...4 sets of 10 minutes in my steady state heart rate.
Yesterday afternoon was rough. Just started to feel really tired and down after lunch. Skipped out of work went home to lay down and ended up sleeping for 2.5 hours!! A rare evening as Shaun got tickets to a hockey game and took the boys...all by himself...this NEVER happens!
I?
Laid on the couch.
All evening.
Flipping channels (I thought I should go rent a movie but that would have meant I had to get off the couch...)
This NEVER happens! It was a beautiful thing...silence...in my house...for a few hours...beautiful...
A rest day today and then another bike ride tomorrow.

who's that runner?

Me!!
On the schedule today were some more of those fartlek intervals. Okay, so I am kind of enjoying doing those! It's true!
So here are the details...and I share this with you absolutely NOT to brag...I feel like my running has really improved the past year and if there are any other 37 year old mom's of two with full time careers that think they had their prime way back in the day...they just have not met ME yet!!! The best is yet to come...

The goal here was to run at a faster pace for 2 minutes than my 5km last week. On the edge of control (I love that term....!!) My 5km average pace was 5:32.
#1: 2:14.13 – it was hard to see my watch in the dark and by the time I realized, the two minutes had come up!! average pace 5:19 HR: 154
#2: 2:36.58; 5:27; HR: 158
#3: 2:03.45; 5:23; HR: 154
#4: 2:05.96; 5:23; HR: 156
#5: 2:13.55; 5:08 – wtf? HR: 160 - Justin said I must have been going downhill for this one!
#6: 2:09.48; 5:22; HR: 160
And…I did not count properly and did two extras…ooops…
#7: 2:11.30; 5:42; 159 -and he figured uphill for this one...much slower pace with way high HR
#8: 2:20.17; 5:03; 172 – rock and rolla!! This one signals that is as many as I can do.

people

Are pissing me off today.

I need my shirt that a friend bought me a few year ago:

I will try to be nicer
If you try to be smarter

saturday run and coffee

Up and at it super early today as I needed to get my run in. Needed...as in my head needed to get cleared today. On the schedule was just 30 minutes and that was all I did. Was a struggle to get those in...got as far as the Broadway bridge from my house, walked up those super steep steps to the top, into the Roastery for a coffee. All the gang was just coming in at the same time so sat down and got caught up with a few of them. Convinced CoryF to give me a ride home.

My buddy that is in town from the states took her mom to a dental appointment on Friday. Her mom collapsed in the dentist's office and has suffered two major heart attacks since then. She is apparently unresponsive and the prognosis is not good. So the cougar night out tonight is for sure on hold...my thoughts and prayers are going out to Carmel and her family today.

i have a new team mate

Yep. Using the word "team mate" very loosely. Simon Whitfield has chosen Carmichael Training Systems as his new coach! Wow. AND my tri-buddy Shannon's coach, Nick White, the person who coached Craig Alexander to a little win in Hawaii last year....THAT is Simon's new coach. Eeeeee!!! We tried to get Whitfield up here for a training camp for the local club but he is a busy, busy guy, as you can imagine. So now we have Simon Lessing on his way to the Canadian tundra. I am a looo-zer and had to look up who Lessing was...duh.

Today I shopped for a new washer and dryer. The dryer was making a funny sound the last few weeks and I chose to ignore it. And we ALL know how well things work out when you ignore the tiny problems...well, it smelt like something was burning the other day. I had the repair guy come today and for $80 he told me "The dryer is done." So off I go to an appliance store and the nice little sales guy, just doing his job, was trying to tell me all about the way the drum was tilted, and the way the water was shot through the holes, the power it used...blah, blah, blah. I very politely said "Thank-you for trying to share with me all your knowledge about this washer and dryer but the reality is, I have two kids, a husband who works with metal for a living...just tell me what to buy..." And then I nearly shit right there in the showroom when he told me the price. Sigh.

Speaking of shit, last night Matthew announces at the supper table that Luke can "Fart when you tell him to." Niiice...as I shot my husband a dirty look. So Luke, very excited, jumps down off his chair and makes the most intense, funny, cute, concentrated face you have ever seen...he got all the muscles mixed up "down there" and peed his pants!!!

OMG...both Shaun and I had to leave the room we were laughing so hard...cause you don't DARE laugh at him as this will be his new thing to get attention. Boys.

today, another rest day

Yippee! I made it to another rest day! I am convinced that my body needs these days just like it needs to swim, bike and run. I slept so hard last night it was awesome!! I learned in my talk with Coach Justin this week that I am doing "block training". Three days of hard, intense workouts and then a rest. Then, start it all over again.

I finally got my entry into the Brainsport Brainfreeze 10km....the deadline was today...I raced up there yesterday after work and before Taekwondo, parked very illegally, ran into the store, gave the entry to the first person I saw and ran out...hopefully it lands on the right desk!!

Speaking of Taekwondo, Matthew learned a new move last night. They have been working on this pattern the last few weeks and finally put it all together last night. It is so great to see your kids figure stuff out and learn and grow! I am loving every single stage right now. Luke is still into his puzzles and cars and The Wiggles. My experience has been every stage is more fun than the last. Have really tried not to look too far ahead cause it just goes by so quickly.

UPDATE: I just read Jenna's blog and really.... THAT is what I was trying to say....

Financial Planning 101:

one more day of cold

The weather network says one more day. I really hope so. That was a tough one today getting out of bed to go for my swim. Talked to Justin yesterday and his advice was to get some extra meters in today as I had told him it was unlikely I would be at Sunday swim. Did not have the guts to tell him that a buddy is coming to town and there will be cougar sightings in downtown Saskatoon Saturday night. The likelyhood of me spending time with a hangover is quite good Sunday morning.

So. I got up a bit early today and headed to the pool a bit early. Being the swim co-ordinator for the local club has an advantage now and again as I learned this fall that we have the pool booked for 6:15am. We could have had it booked from 5:30am but there was no interest from the people in the club. The local competitive swim team is there at 5:30am so I showed up 6:00am...don't have to wait for anyone to unlock the door...the life guards are there already...the lanes are empty...got about 500 meters in before the others and the coach showed up.

Was a really good workout! The coach is fantastic in that he gave me all sorts of tips today. AND he said he was impressed that I could do the breath every 7 strokes drill!! Others in the lane were complaining but I have always been able to do this drill. I think the secret is that I take my time breathing out under the water, don't hold my breath, and really concentrate on long, steady strokes...make sure my thumb hits my thigh, every single stroke. I think that if you panic and shorten up your strokes and your breathing, it gets hard to do.

If you pull your hand out of the water at your hip, measure the distance between your hip and your thigh, or where your thumb hits your thigh while standing. Now count your strokes per length. That little bit extra of pushing your hand from your hip to your thigh will get your stroke count down and you won't be using as much energy. Now just imagine this over the course of a half or full Ironman swim!! There!! That is the swimming advice for today!!

my first 5km run

Weird. That is the first time I have ever ran 5km as an event. And what an event it was! Does "km" mean "kill me"? Cause I could not feel my fingers or toes for the first 2km. It was cold...minus 20; minus 30 with the wind. The footing was good, a few places where I had to slow up as I wasn't sure, but I have to say the city does a fantastic job clearing the paths after a snow fall. The cold was a good enough reason to run fast to get the darn thing done!

First kilometer was to just find a groove and get by some of the people who were running side by side (?) I was keen to see what I could pull off on this 5km so I dodged around most of them. The second km was good. Felt really strong and fit and was using my big swimming arms and shoulders to get a rythm. Saw a gal up ahead of me and just focused on her and tried to pull her in. Got to the half way mark and they had said there were two orange stakes that were half way...she ran by them, about 10 meters, I turned around at the stakes!! So now I was ahead of her...running into the wind. Duh. Anyway, I heard her behind me the entire way and it kind of motivated me to stay ahead of her. If she hadn't of been there, I know I would have just slowed down or started daydreaming about something but I was really trying to run hard!! At the 4km mark, I still felt really good. I was waiting and waiting for the wheels to fall off but they never did. This was good news!! AND I out sprinted the gal to the end! ME!! Sprinted!!! All in all I was pleased with this effort. I ran back out a ways to run in with Jenna and Alex. Alex was so very cute...the effort and concentration on his face was priceless!! Loved. It. He gave er hell the last few meters and all the gang was cheering for him which was super cool.

My end time was 27 minutes 23 seconds. It is what it is and something to improve on.

a pretty darn good swim

Not many peeps at the pool today. Only 4 in my lane which was nice. These guys are so funny...the trash talking that goes on is hilarious. I? Just listen. I am a total NFL junkie so could add a bit when they start in on the playoffs but it is more fun to listen!! The workout was 20 times 50 meters warmup - some of them swim, some of them drill, some of them kick. Then the main set was 5 times 400 meters. It all went down like this:

#1 - 150 swim; 50 kick x 2

#2 - 2 x 200 IM - wtf?

#3 - 50 swim/50kick/50drill/50 kick on your side

#4 - 4x100 build

#5 - hard, steady 400 swim...I slammed hands with one of the guys at about the 250 mark, so did not finish it off as well as I had hoped. My arms were beat after this! One of the guys was dogging it for the entire workout up until the last 400...swimming right up my ass...I asked him several times to go ahead of me but he wouldn't...THEN he storms the last 400...I knew he was going to do that and tried for the life of me to keep up!! But darn it felt good to do something longer/harder in the pool!

Then some warm down...which I did not do much of.

Off to the races tomorrow night!

one hour and ten minutes

The build up to the half marathon in February has started. I ran for an hour and ten minutes today...this is 20 minutes more than I have ran for a very long time. My legs feel awesome!! Could have ran further but had strict instructions to be home by 7:30 this morning. Tomorrow is a swim and then Monday is my very first 5km race!

The local running club is starting up a 5km race series, the second Monday of every month. Coach Justin has been bugging me to find something like this for awhile so, here I go!! He says "Make lots and lots of mistakes. Go out too hard. HURT that last kilometer!! This is going to be great learning."

I am actually kind of excited. I don't think I have ever ran a 5km race. Too short. But I think that's the point. Run it hard and run it fast! Fast for me. And Jenna and Alex are going to be there so good times all around on Monday night!

And for PJ Susi:

short bike ride

On tap today was a bike ride. One hour. With some fun intervals stuck in there for good measure. I got on. Everything was going good. I then started thinking about the busy, crazy day I have today and all the stuff I have to do. I kinda panicked and only got half of the ride in...guilty!! It is noon and here is my day...

• sorta got the bike ride in
• made my lunch - I went 18 days in Sept without buying my lunch...want to beat that for January
• made a stew and put it into the slow cooker
• did laundry...folded and put away
• made my breakfast - fruit smoothie..yummy!
• showered and dressed
• my husband is the best dad in the entire world and he gets the boys up, fed, dressed (right down into their winter coats, hats, mits, ski pants...they are very often waiting at the door for me when I am ready to leave...I am so lucky...lucky...lucky...OR I am spoiled...can't decide)
• piled the boys and gear into the NEW-TO-ME Subaru
• dropped Luke off at daycare
• drove Matthew to school as he wanted to go for a short ride in the new wheels...he normally walks the 4 blocks to school with a group of kids...and yeah...in ANY kind of weather...we grow them tough here!
• went to the bank
• went across town to check out a dresser I found on kijiji...bought it!!
• back downtown to work

And THAT is only the first quarter of my day....

rest day thursday

Today? Rest Day.

I made it to a rest day!! Yey! I slept so hard last night that when I woke up this morning, my arms were above my head and I could not feel them cause they were asleep. It was really weird and freaky. You know how you come out of a really deep sleep and you are trying to remember what day it is? do I work today? am I supposed to run? bike? swim? But then I could not feel my arms! I was telling my fingers to move but could not feel them. I thought this may be what a person with no arms feels like. Then the tingling started as all the blood was making its way back. I am telling you, it was really weird!!!

And I dug out my juicer last night. I bought a kick ass juicer about 12 years ago. Have used it on and off but not for a few years now. I actually thought it was broken but then I remembered I did get it fixed and was annoyed I hadn't dug it out long ago!! But today I juiced two apples, a huge carrot and a beet. SO GOOD!! And so good for you. Luke drank a good bunch as well... I am going to try to juice a few times a week. Everyday is just too much for me as the thing is a b*tch to clean.

I was reading a blog yesterday about a gal that did not buy any new clothes for 3 months. Oh...my...god... How is this possible? I buy a new something about once a week!! A purse or a skirt or a sweater or a piece of jewellery....I also heard on the radio today that one of the new things for 2009 is to by fashions for cheap. Wha? This is new? As my dear husband puts it "Just cause you find it on sale, does not mean you need it..." Ta!!

far from 3000 meters

The showers are awesome at the YWCA.
And that is the only positive thing I am taking away from this morning's swim! Got up in good time, got to the pool ready to roll as I really wanted to get in my 3000 meters. The pool? A FRIGGING BATH TUB!!! Omg it was SO warm! It is normally warm but it was stupidly warm today. Did my warm up...300 swim easy; 300 pull easy; 300 kick; 200 swim.
The main set was 5 x 200 on 10 seconds rest. I alternated freestyle and IM just for kicks. Got that done and did a 200 meter warm down and was outta there. Slightly disappointed but I was getting a head ache from working sorta hard in that water. Called her quits (but 2200 meters in about 45 minutes...or so....) and enjoyed a very long HOT shower and listened to two older ladies describe a friend's heart surgery, the drugs they are on and how best to color in their eye brows....

let's do some...

...fartlek intervals!!
Today's workout was some steady running and then 5 sets of 1 minute fartlek intervals with 2 minutes easy jogging in between. I asked if I could do them on the treadmill (cause it is still too cold out for me to do this outside) and this was the response:

• The easy/moderate part of your running should be comfortable the "intervals" should be easy to ramp up the speed until you are running faster than normally and just on the edge of control and good form. If your form falls off, you are running too fast. In between, return back to that comfortable pace and try to catch your breath to get ready for the next effort. I like to think of these as surges in pace. The nice thing about the treadmill is that you can see your progress as you will know exactly how fast you are running the efforts, so you can build on prior workouts and try to have a slow but steady increase in your interval pace....

The funny thing is that during one of the intervals I was running super hard (in my opinion), on the "edge of control", I look in the mirror to check out my form....and I just...looked...so...slow! And a bit dorky in my super old Huskies shirt (circa 1994) and my adidas shorts with the hem completely gone...maybe I should invest in some cool workout clothes then I will feel cool? Felt fast, looked slow. Aw well, they are done and in the bank so that's what counts! Next up is a swim tomorrow. The workout he sent me is some crazy meters in the pool...3000 meters in one hour. Think I can do it? Should be able to as the main set is a bunch of 200s. But NO chatting tomorrow!!

the last few days

I totally forgot to log/blog about my suckmill run on Friday. Too excited about my new ride!! It was minus 8000 out with the wind so I printed off a week pass for one of the local gyms up the street and went in for an hour run on their suckmill. I am so not a gym person. I do however love to people watch and I just don't know how some of them get a workout in by standing around for the majority of the hour!! I guess it is their social time but I don't have that option so I do my workout and get outta there. And I have been spoiled at my little office gym...with the huge tv cause the little tv's hung up above the treadmills were...well...really little!!

On the schedule yesterday was a bike ride. I waited and I waited and got a ton of stuff done around the house and several errands done throughout the day and had intended to get on the bike after supper. My buddy called in a very low state (the one who recently found out her date of many years has been fooling around on the side...) and we talked for a good 90 minutes. Wow. We have all been there and I want to tell her she will be fine, but she just doesn't want to hear about it right now. She just needs a listening ear and I'm good at that so we talked and cried and laughed and swore for the hour and a half. I think she felt better as another friend of ours has invited her to Mexico for a week and I encouraged her to go. She couldn't give me any solid reasons as to why she shouldn't go. Get some plans together, get out of town, try not to sit at home...this was my advice...it's what I did when I got dumped flat on my ass many, many years ago. But not without my Dad picking me up first. So it's my turn to help someone else up off their butt. And I totally stole Jenna's quote "when you pick these pieces up and try to put them back together, they won't fit like they did before...but you have to pick them up, put one foot in front of the other and get moving." Thanks Jenna for being so wise!!!!

So back to me. I ended up getting the ride in this morning before my swim. Was a good bike workout and an even better swim. I jumped in with the top lane and struggled to keep up, but managed. All said about 3000 meters.

On the plan this week is all sorts of stuff. Coach Justin had e-mailed me last week to let me know my January was up so I called him all excited about the new year and new goals and getting started on things...he says "Have you really looked at the workouts?" I say "Well, no. I am just excited!" Justin says "Get your head in the battle cause the next two weeks are going to hurt."

Gulp.

let's start it out right...

With a NEW CAR!!!!
Whoop!! Whoop!!
That's right, super excited to introduce my new-to-me Subaru Tribeca! (it's silver...how cool is THAT...?)
Loaded.
Power everything.
Heated seats.
Sunroof.
Tinted windows.
Room, room and more room!!
WARRANTY!!!!
Let's put it into perspective...I currently drive a 1995 Chev Cavalier...two doors...it is only the second car I have every owned, I have NEVER had a car payment (gulp)...I don't trust it anymore (sigh)....it was just time.
BUT The Cav has a new career....ICE RACING!!!!!!!! Shaun wants to put a roll cage on it, some studded tires and zoom zoom...he has himself an ice racing bullet!!!
Only in Saskatchewan.