finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A GOOD VERY GOOD RUN!!!

I entered in the Mogathon today...this is a great event...they have all sorts of distances and they stager the starts so everyone is finishing at the same time. Yeah...it still sucks getting passed by someone finishing up their 30km run in the last few kilometers...but this blog is about ME and my runs!!

I entered the 10km. It was hot. I don't usually do well in the heat. The course was so well supported with spray towers. I ran under all of them. My three main goals were: Do not stop running....ever. Do not look at your garmin...ever...this was supposed to be my get back to running run. I wore it b/c Coach Justin's advice was that this run would be a good measure of where I am and where we start from...again. Lastly, run by myself. And by that I mean, run for me. Don't get discouraged or even notice when you get passed or dropped or it starts to hurt. Its SUPPOSED to hurt!! A tri-guy who has given me lots of advice told me a few weeks ago that I have to learn to be okay with it hurting....for the short time that my legs are tired. Just KNOW that your legs will be tired for about an hour in a 10km. I want to learn this. I am not very good at it!!! For these shorter races, go to a happy place and just run. And I really tried it this time.

My finish time was not all that shit hot...no where near a personal best (surprisingly close to one....) but I can't expect that either given my running has been hit and miss all spring....but dang I felt good. I can't say that I have EVER just gone within myself and ran. Someone asked me if I saw the funny costumes at one of the aid stations....no...I did not even notice!!! I was HAPPY about this!!! I did not even notice the popsicles they were handing out!!! Yey!!!

Hello Running...I have missed you!! C'mon over here and give me a big hug!!!

happiness is this right here

That's what Tony from P90X says now and again when he is getting you to hold some crazy pose and your legs are burning and the sweat is coming off your face...he says "Take your mind to another place and happiness is this right here..." It kind of makes me laugh. He is so goofy but he is so funny.

I held a chair pose for 30 seconds last night. And then a small break. And then another 30 seconds. I did!! I could not do the wall squats if my life depended on them....and the one leg wall squats? Forget it. BUT....was a good little P90X workout in my basement last night. My body moved in ways I did not think it could move and it is letting me know today.

This morning was a run. My main goal today, was to just....keep....running. Even if it is slow. Just run and do not stop, even when you feel like it. I ran almost 7kms!! Was a very good run. Starting to feel better about the running. I am entering in the 10km race this weekend and the instructions are "Run hard and run fast, redline, the whole way and this will give us a great idea of where you are at." Because honestly, I have had to start all over again with this running business. So here I go to a hard 10kms.....eek!

Next up is a swim tomorrow...I am going in early and going to try to get 4000 meters in....just keep swimming....

still coughing...

DAMN!! This cold is hanging on to my chest! What a bugger! But feeling much, much better...sent the munchkins off to grandma's house for one night over the weekend and slept 10 hours...TEN HOURS!!! In ONE night!!! Was effing awesome.
The deck is coming along nicely. My husband is obsessed with it and it was a great weekend to get a very good chunk of it done. I LOVE IT!! I laid out there for a bit yesterday while he was pounding in nails and it was fantastic. We will be spending alot of time out there I imagine. Next up is shopping for a BBQ and some deck furniture....yey!! Anyone who wants to stop in for a beer on the new deck....c'mon over!! But bring bug spray. eeek!
On the workout front....have done nothing. As in nothing. I tried to run on Sunday morning as the local triathlon was happening out at Pike Lake and I was feeling a wee bit motivated but the run went like this....run 10 minutes...cough...cough...coughcoughcough....run a bit more....stop and cough...run a few blocks...coughcoughcoughcoughcough....nice. And I tried to climb over a big pile of dirt under the freeway bridge to get to the other side and cut my arm on the fence. Who knew running could be that dangerous? I get home all sweaty, can't stop coughing with blood running down my right arm. Looked like I had been in a battle!!

Anyway, it's a new week and I have my workouts for the week and I intend to get them in. Coach Justin is over in France for the next couple of weeks...do you you know what major event is happening in France next month? That's right....The Tour De France!! And I don't really understand what he is doing (because sometimes he talks to me in cycling-code-talk) but it sounds like each cycling team has some guys that do some of the course before the Tour to give feedback and tips etc. Justin is on the support crew for one of those guys. I don't really understand, however, he was super excited and told me all about it and basically said, talk to you in a few weeks....get your workouts in!!!

And I found this....since Canada does not have a team at the World Cup, the next best thing is our neighbors to the south. I thought this was a cool video. Those? Are some super tough "good ole boys"!!! Check out "the look" at about 1:45...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBlpzVSOCQ&feature=related

my weekend continued

It seems as though by trying to get everything in over the last couple of weeks, my body has told me enough....and I am sick...sick...sick at home and should be in bed.

But I get bored in bed so here I am surfing the net and updating my blog.

The question I do have from the weekend is why does Canada not have a team at the world cup of soccer? Is this a naive question? Because let me tell you...I was at our local festival of soccer all weekend as my kids each had 3 games and there are more kids in soccer in this city than in hockey. Maybe we just need 20 more years of supporting and tending to our young soccer players? I loved watching them play! And the sunshine helped.

I woke up Saturday with a very sore throat. The plan was to get a 90 minute bike ride in before the soccer games but that was just not happening. So I slept. I felt okay for the day and managed to sneak out of the house to get a power class in. Was beat by the end of the day and had another horrible sleep. I thought maybe a run would get he bugs out so headed out for a steady, slowish 60. minute run before my swim. Felt better after the run, the morning was gorgeous and with all the rain we have had, the trees and flowers and smells out there were awesome!! I was in a great mood and not even a little sore throat and cloudy head was going to damper my spirit!

Went to the pool and was determined to get my 4000 meter swim in. Did the workout on the board and then Jenn and I added another 1000 meters of pull with paddles and that brought us to about 3500 meters. I was tired. My head felt like a truck ran over it. I knew when I walked out of the pool I was going to be sick....just a matter of when. Shitty.

Sat at the soccer center in the sun for a couple of hours on Sunday....helped Shaun in the yard get ready for the next stage of our NEW DECK (this is a whole other post that I will share sometime as I swear...it has been quite the job...old house...uneven yard...nosy neighbors...) But my role in the deck has been minimal and I felt I should help with some stuff. So between watching Matthew go up and down the alley on his bike, I hauled cement blocks. Not feeling good. In the sun. Not smart!! I woke up today and my body was telling me "Forget it...no work...no deck...no nothing!! You are DONE!"

Sigh.

my weekend

Includes the following:

6 soccer games
1 x 2 hour bike ride
1 taekwondo practice
1 4000 meter swim....this is the one I am excited about!! I want to see what I feel like after 4000 meters in the pool....been a loooong time...
1 x 60 minute run
1 power class
1 trip to the grocery store
10 loads of laundry
1 lawn that needs to be cut
1 house that needs to be cleaned and tidied up
1 bag of hockey equipment that needs to be washed...he is only 7 and he already stinks
1 bathroom that desperately needs to be cleaned...I live with boys...need I say more...
1 truck that needs to be vaccuumed....seriously, it is disgusting
1 trip to Walmart - some hate Walmart, but the genious behind Sam Walton's vision was that he wanted a place for families to shop where they could pick everything up. So they did not have to make several trips to several different stores. Genius. And if you have a weekends like mine, you really LOVE Walmart!!!

lazy....blogger!

I am a lazy blogger. I think that is the longest I have gone for an update. hmmmmm.

Have had a super crazy busy week.

Starting from the middle of last week:

Wednesday brought a swim in the am. Was a boring swim. No coach and I had to come up with a workout on the spot and I was just bored. Did not get alot of meters in. But had a good visit with a couple of the gals.

Thursday was a run....a short, slow run but I got it in and I am proud of myself for just getting one foot in front of the other and getting it done! Coach Justin says to just keep going until you feel that "click" again and then it will feel like the old days.

Friday was my strength class. More squats and lunges and core work. I am happy to report I can now hold a plank for ONE MINUTE!!! This is a small miracle. And it is the full plank, my friends, no knees on the ground. My arms were shaking horrible and the sweat was dripping off my nose, but I held that sucker for one minute!!

Saturday was a gorgeous day in SaskLand. I told Jenn I would meet her out for a bike ride...maybe. She had 3:40 hours to do...I had...well...just get out there and ride your bike to do!! Matthew and I had been on our bikes for about 2 hours Friday night so my butt was sore. Like really sore. And the little shit has named his bike!! He calls it "Zerks". (???) I have no idea where it comes from but that is the name of his new bike. I broke down and took him to the bike shop and bought him a brand new bike as he just loves biking and I thought what the hell...so he tried them all and settled on a dark blue rocket and has named it Zerks.

I L-O-V-E that!!! We went up and down the hill at the school playground about 100 times...and I impressed all the 7 year olds on the playground that I could peddle to the top...I am SO counting those as hill intervals....

Back to the ride with Jenn....I was out there for a bit and then called her cell and she had about 45 min left so I hustled to meet her and we visited for a bit and I escorted her right to her front door. She had a 2 hour run to do the next day so I bullied her into it....telling her I would meet her any time, any place.

Sunday rolls around and I am out the door at 5:15am to meet Jenn. We had a good run. I enjoyed the day, my legs were a bit fresher than hers and we walked a good chunk of the last half hour, but I was happy, and running and the sun was shining....was a very good morning!!

Monday was a rest day...Tuesday was a short 40 minute run that I floated through...I felt the CLICK!!! I think I may finally have my run legs back...we have made peace and I really, really enjoyed yesterday, even though it was in the pouring rain.

Today was a swim and was a good swim. I have to start getting some serious meters in the pool done as I am going to enter that 5km swim challenge in August. I have made up my mind and now I just have to convince the husband he wants to come and stay with his in-laws and watch the kids while I am at, yet, another, race....hmmmmm. Wish me luck!!