i'm having a REALLY good time!

Coach Justin always says "Well, you have a LIFE! So do what you can do."

Yes. I have a life and it is a pretty good one at that. I am very lucky. Or as my buddy says;

"Just keep living in your little bubble." And honestly, what is wrong with that? If you don't open yourself up to the negative shit of the world and what others seem to like to throw at you, then the bubble is pretty nice little place to be. Yea. I have been called naive. But let me tell you something.

I have very little CRAP and energy wasting people in my life. And I am HAVING A BLAST!!!

Friday was sleep in day. Since my goal race is not until like, the end of August....why not sleep in a couple days before then? Landed an account at work that I have been working on for 2 years....TWO YEARS!!! Yeah. I am persistent. Or annoying. Not sure which but the account is over 7 figures so you kinda have to try with those. AND we have organized things so many, LOCAL charities will be supported in the very near future. I love it when it all works out and I look like a genius. It kind of helps my ego.

Saturday brought rain and wind and more rain and wind. We have no television right now as the hubs has not braved the weather to climb up onto the roof and put our satellite back up after he finished the shingles. I was kind of bored (no hockey playoffs!) after getting ALL the errands done, so I had a nap...first one since about 2004....AND I did a bike workout. Yeah. A bike workout!! And we exposed the little boys to the movie "Top Gun".

Hell Yeah!

Is that not THE BEST cinematic effort....EVVA!!?? Here are just a few quotes that you may remember:

"Do some of that pilot shit Maverick!!"

"Great Balls of FIRE!!"

"Tower, this is Ghost Rider requesting a flyby."

"That's a negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full."

"I feel the need for speed!!"

Frick I love that show.

Sunday morning brought the local marathon. I was hoping to sneak out of the house to watch but Luke woke up and I promised him pancakes if he would come with me. It was windy and cold out there watching but he was a little trooper. Saw Jenn snag a PB on her half and Chuck land his Boston Q time!! I had walked aways down the course before the finishing shoot and I told Jenn I would call her when I saw Chuck coming up the hill.

I saw him and I started dialing her cell phone and then I heard her HOLLERING her lungs out for Chuck!! It was GREAT! He had a couple of buddies with him and I checked my watch and knew he had his time! It was really awesome to see someone who has worked very hard and has been so focused acheive their goal. Super Duper job Chuck!

The rest of Sunday brought the couch at my Mom's place for Sunday dinner. My step-sister and bros were there and we always have such a good time. The boys played and played and we set up and obstacle course for them in the basement and I almost peed myself laughing at them. Kids are so much fun!

Today was my power class and a 30 minute run. I was so excited for Jenn and Chuck and others out there yesterday, I was floating on the treadmill this morning!

Have a fantastic week, everyone!!

Dear Running,

The local marathon is this weekend. The events available to enter are the usual 10km...half marathon...full marathon. It has always been an exciting weekend with all sorts of stuff happening and our largest local running race. I have always entered something for about the past decade. But not this year.

I hate running right now.

I am awkward and goofy and I went for a run today and thought maybe my funk was over with but when I checked in with Gary Garmin...my pace was ridiculously slow. And I was trying. Really hard. Then I got frustrated and just walked home. The story every run so far in about a month.

F*ck off Running!!!!!!!!

Justin's advice is to run at least the 10km for a measure of where my fitness is for the beginning of summer. That's a great idea. BUT I know where my running fitness is, its in the fucking toilet!!! And the weather is supposed to be crappy so do I really want to get up early, go out to the start line, hang around in the rain and try to pull a 10km out of my ass??!! I seriously do not want to be disappointed and frustrated (and cold) after Sunday. More of Justin's advice is that this will not be my fastest run ever so don't set it up to be. Just see where you are at.

I KNOW where I am at...slow, awkward, with lead in my legs.

On the positive side of my life....went to a fantastic dinner last night...YWCA's Women of Distinction Award Dinner. How motivating!! You hang out in that room for a bit and you feel like a bit of an underachiever. There is lots and lots of great things happening in this city and in this province, it is a very exciting time.

my first two hour bike ride!

But let's start at the beginning of the weekend...

Friday morning I went to my power class at the new gym. I LOVE my power classes!! I find them fun and challenging and the instructors have been different so different workouts and excercises. I am gonna look hot in a tank top if we ever get summer....

Saturday morning was a nice but super cool morning and if I had my life organized a bit better, I should have been out on my bike. But...no...I was up way early baking cupcakes and putting the treat bags together and getting things ready for Smidge's 4th birthday party. By the time the party was over, which was well into the afternoon as we had the school gym rented and ended up playing floor hockey for a couple of hours afterwards...the weather had gone bad. No bike ride Saturday afternoon.

Sunday came and I went for a swim. Was a decent swim. Not many people there due to the long weekend I imagine. The main set was 10 x 150 meters...100 hard, 50 meters easy. My arms and legs and abs were sore from my weight workout and I felt uncoordinated, but got it done anyway.

Holiday Monday came and was a beautiful day. Got over an hour run in....still felt akward and slow and just goofy when I run. I have not yet made peace with running. I had forgotten our local bike race was going on so stopped to watch and visit at the end of my run on Broadway. Went home after about an hour of hanging out and showered, got my kids together and took them down to the bike race.

They were fascinated.

There was an Olympian in the race (Paul Tichelaar) and my 7 year old is fascinated with everything Olympics. He still thinks he is playing for Team Canada someday....I kid you not. But after watching the cyclists, his new goal is to get to the Olympics in cycling....who's kid is this? Imagine how impressive those bikes and outfis and speed are when you are 7 years old!! And my hubby was even impressed as we were standing at a corner and the trash talk and mouths on those cyclists...oi! Lots of bumps and near crashes and even a near fist fight between a spectator and pedestrian...who knew that cycling was a contact sport!!

Last summer, we had taken the training wheels off of M's bike and forced him to ride without them. There were plenty of tears and harsh words from his father and just an overall bad afternoon. If you are a parent, you know how well forcing your kid to do something works out...it doesn't!! He would have NOTHING to do with his bike all summer. Would not ride it at all, not even with the training wheels...it was really frustrating as he just made his mind up that he would not ride his bike. And we never pushed it after that day, because you just can't make them do something they absolutely will not do.

After the race yesterday, he brings his bike out to the yard and asks me to raise the seat. So we clean it off, fix the seat, check the brakes etc. Find his helmet and off we go! 90 MINUTES we were out biking around the neighborhood!! It was alot of fun and only 2 wipe outs. He picked up riding his bike without the training wheels like he has been doing it for years...we stopped in for some supper and then went out for ANOTHER hour!!!

I am not sure if this counts as my 3 hour ride I missed on Saturday but it was way more fun!!

My baby turned 4 this week

Look who came to the party...

My sponge bob creation...

bleh

I am really blah right now when it comes to any training.

My heart is just not into it.

Did a run last Tuesday and that was the last thing I have done....oops. I missed all sorts of workouts on the schedule last week. I just am not that interested...

Had thought about doing the half marathon at the end of the month but I don't think I could run that and do a good job of it so will be either at the lake if the weather is good OR on the sidelines cheering. We have had so much going on the last few weeks...work is very busy...I am taking a course, in a few months I will be a Financial Divorce Analyst...yes...there is an Academy and courses and you get a "designation" to put behind your name at the end of it!! Not that I care about the letters, but it is very interesting and a critical time in people's lives to be helping them with their finances. The financial decisions they make, usually under emotional distress, are often times not great ones.

Matthew has been invited to the Black Belt Club at TKD. This means one more night per week. yikes...not so sure I am into that...he has really excelled and this is basically a fast track to his black belt but he IS only 7 years old...Luke's birthday party this weekend...I have booked a real Jedi Knight and Darth Vader to come by and hang out with all the 4 year olds...am I the coolest mom EVER??!!!

Our pipes at the cabin froze last fall. Nice. A very expensive and stupid mistake we will NOT make again...as in we will be up there earlier in the fall to get them looked after. So have had to find and organize a plumber to go up there and do all that work.

We pulled all of the shingles off our house this weekend and are about 90% done putting the new ones on. Holy. Hell. That is alot of work. Being out there in the hot sun and heat makes me come to work today and hug my desk. And the air conditioning!! My poor hubby up there sweatin it out but it looks fantastic and he does an immaculate job but those were some long hot days up there!

The hockey wind up was on Saturday night....and I drank like it was 1988!! So no Sunday swim for this hung over gal...omgosh we were so lucky to have such a great group of families in our first year of hockey. My guts hurt from laughing and my head hurt from drinking. Was a very good night.

Today I thought I could possibly go to the gym for my power class....but I slept through the alarm...how lame is that? I can remember about 3 times in my entire life I have slept through an alarm...I ALWAYS wake up before that damn thing goes off!! But I think carrying 1000 garbage cans worth of shingles and other crap to the bin should count for something....

Mini-Marathon

Today at preschool, the teacher organized a mini-marathon. Essentially it was a run around the edge of the school park. Each preschooler had a grade 3 care partner...Luke was so excited!! His "very own marathon"!! He insisted on wearing one of my old race numbers with my race belt.

Here they are all lined up at the start line!!

And look who came into the finish in first place!! OMG he was so happy he ran the entire way and says "Mom...I wanted to stop but I just kept running!!" Sound familiar??

The Warm Down

So proud of you Luke!!!

multi taskin it

My busy busy life. Last week we were at the TKD gym three times...soccer three times....hockey one night...Shaun plays ball, and hockey. I do what I can to get workouts done. I have often thought of lobbying race directors for coming up with a category called "Working Mom's/Wives With Limited Time To Train" We would have our own group, no age groups...we would high five each other on the run and be ultra supportive because we all know what it took to get there and not have our families fall apart in the process.

I know...I'm totally dreaming.

Sunday brought my Mother's Day Sunday swim. I snuck out of the house while everyone was still cozy in their beds. And felt no guilt. Sometimes I feel guilty leaving on Sundays knowing that I might be missing something fun that the boys say or do or I am missing their sleepy eyed stumble out of the bedroom with their crazy hair.

Was a good swim...not one of my best but not my worst either. Was a fun swim with Jenna and Tisha there. They both like my bum as Tisha grabbed it full on and Jenna smacked it with a flutter board...The first part of the main set was 4 x 200 meters doing them "gearbox". So the first 50 of the first 200 is hard then the second 50 of the second 200 is hard...and so on. I led those 200s and was starting to fade at the end. Then we had 100 meters easy, and then 4 more 200s...decending pace with the last one all out.

I said to Jenna "YOU are leading this b*tch!!" And sure enough we did them just a second or two faster every time!! For the last one we lined up head to head, little bit of trash talk and a dive into the pool, and I was out touched by Jenn!!! My strategy was to stay just behind her the whole way and then catch and pass her the last 50....but as we all know, she is much tougher than me and we were an all out sprint the last 25 meters!!! Was FUN!!! And I could hardly breathe afterwards...for several minutes...hahahahaha!!!

The rest of the day brought some Mother's Day activities, hanging out with the boys...milking it for everything...We had a date at my Mom's place for supper and I thought that it would be a great opportunity to get a ride in. It was cold and windy. Yak. Like really cold and really windy. My mom came and picked up the munchkins and took them to her house and I jumped on my mountain bike and it took me one hour and 45 minutes to pedal out to her acreage. Was very happy I was not on my tri-bike as the traffic was crazy and there were many times I had to hit the side of the road in the gravel. However, I phantom clipped in and out of my pedals more that a couple of times!! I hit the wind for the last 5 km and oh my god...I geared down...down...down and just spun my way all the way to her house. I was hardly moving for much of it and luckily there were no crosswinds...just a nasty full on head wind. Oh the fun of living in Sask!!!

Today was another power class at the gym. Was a good one with yet, more new excerises and there were about 12 gals there today. My legs are feelin the love I have given them the last 24 hours...

ouch

New gal + new workout + better music + more weights = sore body!
Got up at 4:50AM today. That is early. Even for me. I wanted to hit the gym and make my power workout. Grabbed clothes, iPod, water and towel and ran to the truck and made my way to the gym. I know I said I could walk there but there is a rumour around our area of some break ins...with a knife...(Jenna...did you know this...?) and

a) I don't want to be walking by myself at that time of day

b) time to get a gun...?

Anyway, get to gym by 5:05AM and oh shit...forgot my running shoes!! The plan was to run for 30-40 minutes before the power workout. Race home...sneak into my house...because my friggin spouse in on HIGH ALERT with the knife rumours...race back to the gym...get on the treadmill.

Every treadmill has a television at this place. I could go to my office gym and that would be fine, but boy, oh boy....this new place is spoiling me! Took me 25 of the 35 minutes to figure out the television and choose a channel. We have peasant vision at home...as in about 5 channels...what to watch...WHAT TO WATCH!!?? And there was no hockey on this morning...

Got to the power class and had alot of fun. The new gal was more interactive and had some different workouts. We do seriously about 700 squats and 500 lunges...okay...I am kidding...but can't wait to see what the legs feel like tomorrow!!

The only thing I am missing is my wardrobe from lululemon....

I get home just after 7:00AM and my kids are UP. And running around the house with their hockey sticks. They have moved all of the living room furniture and set up "nets" and shooting balls against the wall....another reason to live in a small old house....how many times should we re-paint before they leave home??!! All the while my spouse is snoring and still asleep...I don't think he would hear an intruder...do you??

i love my couch

My couch rocks. It has sleeping powder in it as if you dare lay your head down, off to sleep you go. And then there is hockey on television day and night. Lay on the couch. Watch hockey. This has been my existence. I do have to wander upstairs every now and again, to make sure my children and fed are alive but I have been enjoying my time of leisure.

I decided that today would be my day of getting back at something. What? I am not sure yet but I want to do something fun and new. I am seriously considering the 5km swim challenge in Kelowna in August. Why not?

Yesterday was Sunday swim. I wasn't going to swim but my hubby's golf plans were cancelled and I was feeling restlless so off to the pool I went. Was an okay swim. Can sure feel I have not been in the water for a month!! Sucking wind. Big Time. Turned out to be more of a visit but my "back at it plan" did not officially start until today so I had no guilt hanging on the wall for the majority of my time there.

There is a beautiful new gym built just up the street from us. I could walk there if I wanted to. The joys of living in an older neighborhood where the houses are small and cheap (relatively) and now everyone wants to be in that area. We are getting all sorts of stuff built just around the corner. I bought a pass! To a GYM!!! OMG what has become of me?? I went to my first power workout today. Or as in some circles, they call it a workout with weights. To loud music. Okay, so I did not really appreciate the loud music and there were only three of us there and I thought that with a workout like that, is not form and technique ultra important? So you don't get injured? Maybe I am naive but I thought the instructor would be showing us more one on one technique stuff? Anyway, besides that very insignificant critique....I really enjoyed it!! We did enough weight stuff in my swimming days that I know the basics. And how many squats can a human body do before 6:00am?

Well, I will tell you.

About 200!!

And if you think you are fit...try to keep up to that instructor gal who friggin grinned the ENTIRE time!! I did not so much appreciate that either.

But the facility is gorgeous. Brand new and has absolutely everthing. Even a steam room that I will be taking in. I won't be totally giving up my swim/bike/run as I do enjoy that, I just need a change of scenery and pace and atmosphere.