new goals

I saw the best sign at the race on Sunday:

"I run so my goals get bigger and my belly gets smaller."

How perfect is that one?

One of the local gyms had a body composition analysis thing that you could get done for free at the race expo. All I heard was "free". So I jumped on.

Let's start with the bad news...my body fat mass is like, really high. I was a bit surprised by this...the machine is supposed to be very accurate and I stood and challenged the young gal interpreting the results for a good 20 minutes and she sounded like she knew what she was talking about and I guess numbers don't lie...

Shitty!!

My muscle mass was low-ish.

What does this mean? It means I should seriously consider eating much MUCH better...and start some resistance work so these numbers flip. Basically I can run forever, but I am not very lean. Any recent picture of me can attest to these results...I have already come up with a weight workout program...

Game on.

The good news is that this little test has totally motivated me to get my ass in gear and make some changes. Life changes. New habits. New thinking. New...New...NEW!!! And that my arms have apparently lots of muscles in them as their lean analysis went off the chart...thanks to the years in the pool...?

I'm kind of excited!!

I already have a plan and a partner in crime to make me accountable and taunt and challenge me...I WILL DO THIS!!

And...OH....I registered for the FULL MARATHON in September in Regina...time for a little marathon redemption...after the disaster last year...this time, I am doing all the work, no excuses!

Sask Half Marathon Report...and other stuff

Wow. I had a good, good run! I am very pleased. My legs are telling me tonight that they could not have given anything more...that's when you know you gave all you had for that day.

The training has been not so consistent. Have had a real problem staying motivated and I have trouble sleeping, so those nights that I don't sleep, I don't run. Makes it really hard to do any kind of training. I just never know what the week will bring and sometimes it takes me days to recover from not sleeping an entire night. I have been on melatonin for many months, it works sometimes, I have had blood tests done and we shall find out this week if those show that something else is going on.

But back to my run. Got up early today after a night of feasting at one of my Saturday run buddy's houses last night. They have a group superstition that if you eat Maryann's brownies, you will have a good race. Of course I can't be left out of that...so I had my share!! Was a very fun evening. Home to bed in good time...but woke up a 3:30 and did not sleep after that. Out of bed finally at 5:00am and had my oatmeal and got dressed and out the door shortly after 6. The plan was to meet the gang at the London Drugs and walk to the start line together. I was there early and it was freezing and I had to pee in the worst way. Michelle came next and I said I had to get to a potty...quick! So I missed the group picture...again...bummer!! Did not see them again at the start line but that was okay, saw lots of other people to chat with.

The race started and I felt really good. It was very cold and my hands were freezing but not for long. I just ran and visited and chatted and enjoyed the morning. I had also warmed up for quite awhile before this run as I did before the Policemen's Half Marathon...there is something to be said perhaps, to warming up...anyway, I felt pretty good but was running quite slow as my goal was to pace a run better than I do and not blow up at the end, like I tend to...

We got to the turn around point and its always fun to see all of the runners...my watch said exactly 1 hour at the turn around. Great. I have one hour to get back to the finish! Let's do this!

I honestly felt I could run all day. It was easy and fun and I felt awesome! I caught the 2 hour race bunny at around the 15km mark and then ran like I was being chased...there is a nasty hill in the very last km and it was all I could think about those last few kilometers. The bunny caught me at the bottom of the hill...argh! I had to take a few walk steps up the hill as by that time, my legs were really tired. Came into the finish at 2:01. I was super happy with this.

Given that when I ran my PB of 1:55...I was 10 pounds lighter...I was on my bike 2-3 times per week...swimming twice per week...runing lots and running lots of intervals (the plan I was following called for a ton of speed stuff...I got very little of that in (boo)...long runs, yes...but very little fast or hard stuff) I was seriously in very good shape. I will take this 2:01 as bit of a miracle and I don't feel like I really deserve it BUT with all the work I did a few years ago and the time that was put in for 6 minutes? I say...good for me!! That's all I had on that given day!

emotions

I got my long run in yesterday. If I could pick a fave run of the week, its the long one. Pure Kelly time. Pure thinking time. What a gorgeous day it was. I love our river bank. It was calm and sunny and warm. How lucky am I to be able to do that??!
I did do some "speed" work last week. Have been very loosely following a training plan...so I put speed in quotes as I am not very fast...nor will I ever be. But it does feel good to push this body every now and again to see how fast it can go...I did 4 miles...each under 8 minutes...JUST under 8 minutes...so I am happy with that! And yes...I know...that's not really speed work, but it was all I had time for, so its my version of speed work.
My sister's buddy lost his battle with cancer. Such a shame. He was 38. His birthday was last week...he made it 3 days past his 37th birthday. He really was a great person. One we did not need to loose so young. I read the obit before I went for my run and cried several times over the next 16-ish kms. I hate you, cancer!
I am volunteering at a beginner's triathlon race today. My job is the bike dismount line. Hopefully I have a voice when the morning is over! These gals have been so keen and motivated and its been fun being around them. Kind of almost makes me want to do another triathlon. But not quite yet. I am enjoying my running and not being scheduled out of my asshole to get the training in for a triathlon.
In other news, we took the kids to see "THOR" last night. Some dude kept checking his phone for texts. How annoying. Movies are alot of money these days and we went to the special 3D version...where the seats vibrate and move around to the action on the movie screen...which was extra dough..so I was not so happy with this loser. And dude...I could read your texts! You are totally cheating! DUMBASS!!! At least I didn't miss the scene with Thor and his shirt off...wowzers...

gone for a run

Keeping up with my runs...for the most part. My last long run was on Sunday...18km...and I swear it took me 4 days to recover. It was cold and rainy and miserable and windy. Thanks to the Universe for sending me Maryann and Michelle to run with me! They bailed at 10.66km...but at least I got that out of them.

I had flown to Calgary on Saturday...just for the day...so that 4:00am wake up call and busy day of meetings and trying to find my way around Calgary and then home again by suppertime...was really tiring! But got up Sunday...and pounded out my 18km...and had a 2.5 hour nap afterwards...It WAS Mother's Day afterall!!

Tonight I will get another hour in with the Just Tri It group. I have volunteered for a new triathlon in town on Sunday....a childhood buddy of mine lost her Mom to cancer a bit ago and asked for my help as the race is in honour of her Mom. Busy with that this weekend...along with Luke's 5th b-day party and general errands that have to get done on the weekends.

We are busy...busy...busy with soccer season right now. Luke had his first game this week. He is very aggressive on the soccer field! Lil bugger scored 5 goals. (We aren't supposed to keep track...but I can only be me...) Some kid told him he "sucked" so at one point he came off the field in tears. On the way home he says "Mom...I just kept running and scoring goals!" Ha! He was really bothered about it. Dad had to give him the "don't worry about what others think" talk. But do they get it at age 4? Cause last night at yet another soccer game we saw the kid that was mean and Luke pointed him out again and says "Can't wait to play him again Mom...he was easy to beat!!" Maybe they do get it...

Shaun is coaching Matthew's team. We had the first game last night. They got creamed and I had a hubby in a very bad mood last night. "Every time they don't listen, I am going to make them run a mile!" But of course the rule book says you can't single the kids out...blah blah blah.

And some parents just don't get it...yes...at age 8, they have practices. Please try to make it. "He only wants to play the games." Wha..? I guess that's why hockey is so expensive vs soccer, they want to make sure cheap parents like me get my kids to the rink after all the money we have spent!

Police Half Marathon Report

It was a gorgeous day out there! Sunny and a bit warm at the start. Lots of wind and the route took us through some hilly parts in Toon Town. Who knew I would have flashbacks of that little marathon I did down east exactly a year ago with the hills? Up, down, up, down, down, down, up. I am changing my running routes as I had no idea we could tackle those hills in this town!! The bottoms of my feet were sore from running some of the downhills...specifically Pembina and the Broadway Bridge. Omgosh...

The first 5kms were fun. It was warm, and chatty, I felt like I was at a cocktail party. Lots of people to talk to and some good laughs about this and that. The route started and ended at the Police station so we got to run through downtown...and my downtown parking spot was a block away from the start/finish...bonus.

The second 5km were also fun. I love running along the river in this town. There was no wind (yet) the 5 and 10km runners had turned off so it was just me for most of the rest of the route. I would like to thank the girl in the light blue top with pigtails...I chased you the entire way. She did not stop once. I made it my mission to stare at her back and if she stopped, I would take a walk break...but darn it...she ran the entire way!

The third 5km were starting to get a bit hard as the route took us all the way out to Whiteswan Drive and turned back and then up a nasty, long, windy and winding path. I knew this path existed, but had no idea how tough it was to get up. Or maybe it was the 15km in my legs this morning...hmmm... Through some residential areas in River Heights and then down, down, down Pembina...wow, the bottoms of my feet hurt!!

Finally back onto the riverbank, the bridge coundown started. We have several bridges in this town so whenever I am on a tough run, I just count them down...Circle Drive...Train bridge...through some more residential North Park areas...more friggin hills...UP the College Drive bridge (frack I hate running up that bridge...its long and slow and a nasty sharp uphill just as you get off at the top)...UP to the Broadway Bridge...and back DOWN Broadway to the Police station. That last bridge was ridiculously windy...like gusts of that Saskatchewan wind...with all the dust from the prairies included. Yak. The nice thing about the Police organizing a run event is that they just close streets down...so we had one lane of each the College Drive bridge AND Broadway Bridge...kind of cool...I chased a white van in traffic the entire way down the Broadway Bridge...hahahahah!

Anyway, it was a great run for me! I was in a super mood the whole way, chatted most of the first 10km...never felt bad or tired...my legs loved running today. Finished in 2:06 which is a bit off my personal best, but I will take it! Considering I only started training for this in early March (had ran only a handful of times between September and March...) when we were on our trip to Disney and Phoenix...I had no cold weather excuses...took my run gear and ran nearly every second day...with this race in mind...so I am super happy and a bit proud that I toughed those hills out and ran most of the entire way!!

Happy Easter weekend to everyone!

Today...

...I run a half marathon!
I signed up at the very last minute, as in 10:00pm before the midnight cut off, to run the Police Half Marathon. Am I ready? Short answer...NO!!
Long answer....I have been running, I have been getting long runs in, I have found some great gals to run with on Saturday mornings, they will be running too...I will rack this one up to peer pressure....
And I want to run because I can.
My sister called me this week with very devasting news about her 37 year old friend battling cancer. Its very upsetting and my heart aches for them and their family.
Its going to be a gorgeous morning, I will put my iPod on, I have downloaded some aweseome new tunes and I am looking forward to a couple of hours to myself running along the river bank here in Saskatoon.
What better way to spend a Saturday morning?

didn't think I could do it...

Sunday swim day today. Filled my truck up with gas on the way out to the pool...$72...today was the last time I drive to the pool...on my bike...every sunday from now on!!! I have even googled mapped a route...all set!

Today's workout was a warm up...and then 5 x 300s. First, third and fifth one at your 1500 meter race pace...numbers 2 and 4 at your 400 meter pace. The repeat times for my lane were on the board as 5:30 minutes per 500...okay...no problem!

Yeah right.

I swim with boys and their testosterone...so they decide to make our repeat times 5 minutes. Okay...now we have a problem.

We did the first one in about 4:16....holy....mother....of....god. I could not breathe, my arms were dead, 4 more of those? Thank goodness I had brought my legs with me to the pool...yesterday was only a 12 km run...my goal after that first one was to hang on for dear life. I considered moving down a lane...we had lost one dude...but I made my mind up to just try.

Let's call it a pride thing.

Throw out the goal pace. I was just trying to keep up and not embarrass myself.

A little guts goes along way!

Kept up with all my runs this past week...My hip hurt like a bitch after the 18 km run last Saturday so opted for some less intense stuff and just run for the hell of running. Have decided to run the Policeman's Half next weekend (Sat) AND the big daddy...Queen City Marathon in September. The full 42km. My run in Boston has not sat well with me all year. I can do a much better job of a marathon. And I have a training partner this time around so it should be a good time until those last 5km next September....

Sunday morning swim

I must have really wanted to swim today. I had gotten an e-mail from our swim director reminding me the Sunday swim was at HBAC this week rather than out at the Shaw Center.

However, I missed that the time had changed!

I show up at HBAC...there is nobody there. So I start thinking, maybe it was a different day that the location had changed? I jump in my truck and head out to the Shaw Center. Gotta love Saskatoon, one end of the city to the other in minutes....obviously we were not swimming at Shaw...there were 1000 cars in the parking lot, 2000 people in the pool for some age group swim meet. So I drive back to HBAC. Sure enough, our swim actually started at 9:00am. Duh. But I was in the water at 9:03-ish...again, gotta love living in a small-ish city!!!

Here was our workout:

20 minutes continous swim - so basically, swim a few 100 meters, stop and visit, swim some more, stop and pretend to stretch, swim a bit more. Oh LOOK! The 20 minutes are done.

8 x 50 meters alternate kick and swim...build through the 50. My legs hurt like a mother-f*cker. I sort of forgot that I ran 18km yesterday...I had no legs to speak of for swimming. Bummer.

Main Set: 15 x 100 meters. On your pace time, leaving in about 3-5 seconds. So a touch and go set. I led the lane for about half. We had decided as a group to start at 1:45s and work our way down to 1:35s. Holy hell...I led the for 7 of these things but could not get down to the 1:40s. Bummer. On a normal day without that big run the day before....quite possibly....but not today!!

Saturday morning run

Last night was the wine and cheeze night with the Just Tri It gals at our locally owned running store, Brainsport. Was a good time. I spent far too much money BUT I will blame it on the wine! Saucony came back with their Omni shoe and let's just say I shouldn't need running shoes for a very long time! I LOVED that shoe...but they took it away for one year and now its BACK! Hello Future PBs!!! maybe...

Got home at a decent time but was reading on the Just Tri It site some had their cars sleep over on Broadway...hmmm... I guess I missed the after party!?

Since I am such a focused athlete (ha!), I had to get my shit together for an 18km run this morning.

Up in lots of time as I like to eat (lots) and get organized and have my visit from the poop-fairy. The Saturday am run group was meeting at the Farmer's Market and I started from the weir and ran back to them. Dear Husband gave me strict instructions to be home by 9:00 as he had to get to a job today...aye aye Captain! The run started tired and slow and just super heavy legs. I was hating the first 10 minutes. But the beauty of meeting up with others is you know they will be looking for you and there is no way you can bail. So I told myself, to run to them and figure it out from there. Found them and they were doing their pre-run walk and....they have this ritual of walking for a good 5 or so minutes before they start running. Some visiting and some laughs and some plans made for the run. After that I felt pretty good! Was a gorgeous morning. Dumped my jacket and mitts in the truck at the weir...this was a huge mistake...on the way back, about 4km left, we turned back into the wind and holy hell...my body and hands got so cold. I ended up leaving my Saturday am group and busted a gut, ran my ass off to get back to the truck. I was THAT cold! Could not feel my hands and ran a few minutes alternating them down my pants at the back...I am sure that was a sight. You do what ya gotta do! A long hot bath felt great at home!! (At least I did not stop and pee on them as one local Ironman dude did last year...he got a flat, his hands were cold so he peed on them to get them warm enough to change his flat...this is a rumour but he is also super competitive so I do not doubt it!)

All in all, got 18km done! I am ready for that half marathon in two weeks! I know it ain't going to be a fast one, but at least I know I can get the distance in. Yey!!

Next up is a bike ride to swim practice tomorrow.

Did I mention I want to get 2000km in on my bike this summer? I have given myself until September 30th. I know, I know....some put this in on a long weekend...I, however would be super pleased if I get that kind of mileage on a bike!! So far I have 20 in from my ride to and from the Just Tri It group ride...only 1980 to go!!!

having a ton of fun

I have started working out again. Like, really working out.

Here has been my week...we will start with Saturday....a 15km run with my Saturday am run gang. I really enjoy these ladies! But 15km? Really? It was a steady, slow, average HR 143 kind of a run. They do 10 and 1s and we had to walk a bit with the city paths being crazy slippery in the mornings but I felt really good about the morning, the run and myself.

Sunday brought a swim with the tri-club. About 3500 meters. Was kind of a boring swim. Not many coming out to the tri-club in my lane anymore. Not sure what the deal is. And its either move down and swim in a full lane or swim in a lane with just me and some dude who SHOULD move down a lane. So my goal was to see how many times I could lap him...for the record it was 5. And I left early as I got the workout done, so if I had kept going, maybe 6 or 7?

Monday brought a run. A nice steady, let the legs recover from the weekend run. What gorgeous weather we are having! I love the mornings. I love being outside. I love this time of year. I love running. Lots of love on Monday!

THEN....I have volunteered for the Just Tri It Ladies Triathlon group. I have never done this and every year, I say, I wish I would take the time to help out. Two of my Saturday morning run group gals are the head organizers...I had agreed to help out on the bike and then also saw my name on the run group...thank-you Michelle!! Monday night brought our first ride outside. I grabbed my mountain bike, pedalled aaaaaalllll the way to the Meewasin bathrooms (26 minutes!!) and my job is a trailer for the intermediate group. So I am at the back of the pack making sure everyone is a-okay. What a riot! These ladies are so keen and so motivated and trying so hard.

I LOVE IT!!! I have gotten all motivated myself now as I think Cindy from my Sat am Run Group has talked me into a marathon....that's another blog entry.

The bike was lots of fun. The most fun I have had on a bike in a long time. We pedalled about 30 minutes that included the Pembina hill...and then I pedalled home...another 30-ish minutes. See? I was not joking...I am starting to come back to the land of fitness!!

NEXT...was a rest day Tuesday...cause I kind of needed it.

Then was another rest day Wednesday as I did not sleep at all Tuesday night.

Thursday morning brought a hard run. I have been following a half marathon training plan and it called for 9 time 400 meters at my 5km run pace. Since I don't really know what my 5km run pace is, I took a guess. Managed to do all of them below that goal....so now I know a little bit more of what I can do! I am thinking of entering the Policeman's Half Marathon in two weeks. I ran a ton when we were on our trip (Shaun surprised me (40th b-day in February) and kids with a trip to DisneyLand for a week and then over to Phoenix for a week) I ran lots and I ran long lots. It was so nice there!! So I am feeling pretty darn confident I could pull a half marathon out of my ass it two weeks...it won't be my best time or anything, but all of the Sat am Run Group will be there and I am not doing anything that morning anyways...

Thursday night brought a run with the Just Tri It ladies. I am a leader for the 30 minute continous run group. Lots of different paces so lots of circling back. Again...fun...fun...FUN!! My legs were tired and did not have fun...but they are not in charge here.

Next up is another long run on Saturday morning. We are going for 18km...then a swim on Sunday. I need to swim all summer as I just got put on a team for Frank Dunn (thanks Mom!). Her partner is 67 years old and has taken up cycling. He has biked all winter in AZ!! I am doing the swim, he is biking and his daughter is doing the run. I need a team name....suggestions welcome!

This is going to be a GREAT summer!!

don't know what I want to do

Been a bad blogger.

Been a bad trathlete.

Been a bad runner.

I have not been doing much of anything athletic wise. I sort of feel I have so many options but I can't decide what to do. So I do nothing! BOO!

Here they are:

1. I AM still registered for Stony Plain in July. Everytime I think about this event, I want to throw up in my mouth. The thought of training for this bitch makes my stomach turn. AND I have not been on my bike since August...nope...not even on the trainer...so come spring, it is just going to be a whole lot of work to get anywhere near fit to do that race properly. Boo for me!!

2. There is a couple on the hockey team signed up for the half marathon in May. Hmmmm. I ran 11km today and thought my heart was going to beat out onto the sidewalk and my legs felt like hell and it was f-cking cold and I kept thinking....I actually do not have to do this. I am not enjoying this. Then why in the hell am I doing it? I looked at my watch thinking FOR SURE I had ran AT LEAST 8km....it was 5...BUT I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and kept moving forward and had to criss-cross through our neighborhood to keep out of the wind to get home and in the end it was 11km!! so that was a good thing?

3. Someone who shall remain nameless put an idea in my head that I cannot get rid of. The Master's World Swim Championships!! OMG. How FUN would that be? I will tell you since they are in Italy...divertimento!! (I googled fun in italian...I probably just let you all know how un-travelled I am...)

4. Another marathon. I can do a better job at a marathon, I just know it. Maybe a fall marathon?

5. Some shorter, faster, more intense triathlons. You know...those you puke at the finish line!

6. Roller Derby! I shit you not. A client is really involved... i can skate...sort of...they give lessons...they need girls...lots of make-up and fun clothes!!

Anyway, there you have it. Some decisions to be made. I have volunteered to help out at the Just Tri It Women's Only triathlon this year. Get this...I said I would help on the BIKE!! Yeah. I put my name down to be the rounder upper of the bike group...so I round up the stragglers and make sure everyone is okay at the back of the pack!! How fun! At least that's how I understand the role....good times...

THESE are the kids I feel sorry or...

Sports are GOOD for kids.
And sometimes they need a little push or fire under their ass to get them going. And sometimes you have to let them fail and NOT make everything okay all of the time.

Check this out...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/01/20/making.of.sports.superstar/index.html

lazy swim

Yesterdy was a loooong day. Hockey tournament out in Dalmeny for the day. Of course, we pull one of the early games...have to be out there (about 45 minutes from our door) by 8:30-ish...so the math on gettting kids up and fed and gear packed and into the truck...is that I (not so much WE) have to be up by about 6:00am. No time for a run...or really anything.

I really do love hockey tournaments! They are fun and small town Saskatchewan do them up right. They have programs with the teams and all the kid's numbers and coaches...there is a 50/50 draw...a prize table...greasy food...there is just that excitement in the air of lots of people with a common interest getting together and having fun.

Well, most of us were having fun. Matthew's team lost the first two games...should likely NOT have lost the second game as one of our guys had a brain fart and let the puck go right in front of our net...and well...I don't need to tell you the rest!!! Let's remember they are 7 & 8 years old. Learning a ton about hockey!! They ended up winning their "C" Final in a shoot out!! OMG my throat was sore from cheering and I took my heartrate when it was all done and it was up around 100!!! They were SO EXCITED and they finally got a win...

Its been a long winter in that this team has had a heck of a time winning any games. Sometimes they play really well together, other times they are lazy little shits. Let's remember they are 7 & 8 years old!!! After one of the games on the weekend, I overheard myself asking my husband (assistant coach) "Why are you not telling them to hussle back down the ice to go with their center and capitalize on the rebounds?" And my husband turns to me and says "Why do you think I have no voice right now...I have been yelling at them all morning!!" Hahahahahaaaa!!! What we take for granted watching hockey our entire lives, it is kind of fun watching these little guys figure it out.

Today was Sunday swim day! I could not get up for Sunday swim....I changed my alarm twice until finally I just could not lay there anymore. Dragged my arse to the pool...I was tired from a long day yesterday and Luke in his Luke ways, was up a million times the night before. I am going on a business trip this week and I swear...4 nights of uninterupted sleep...YAHOOO!!!!!!

The swim was kind of boring and slow and lazy. Still got in about 3000 meters...so not a total waste, but just was not really mentally into it.

And I think I have a goal. I am thinking about entering the Police Half Marathon in April!! We are about 13 weeks away....It won't be fast and it won't be pretty but I want to see how it goes and enter the Sask Half Marathon in May....And then it is the summer of Shaun...I got him a membership to the Southern California Timing Association for Christmas and he is going to enter the races at Speed Week down in Utah and race his motorcycle!! I might do a few running things, I have made the definite decision NOT to do Stony Plain...I am looking forward to a fun and relaxing and summer of just doing whatever...!!!

PS: But I would totally do the SWIM or even the RUN for a team...???

weights--run--swim

Crossfit. Raise your hand if you have heard of this...wow...because of a crossfit workout or two, I can barely lift my arms...even more cult that triathletes!! But how bad does your body HURT after one of their workouts?
I will tell you.
A WHOLE HELL OF A LOT!!!!!!!!!!
I looked into a membership but a)the torture chamber (gym) does not have any times that suit my schedule and b)they post the work out of the day on their website every morning by 5:00am.
A little bit of YouTube research on the excercises and voila...I have a (sometimes modified) Crossfit workout!!
Yesterday was a 30 minute run and a 20 minute strength workout. Let's just say it hurts to lift my arms today. I reached over to turn the alarm off beside the bed and holy hell... But today was a Wednesday swim, so I went to the leisure center, ran on the treadmill for about 30 minutes and then swam a whopping 1000 meters. Tired, tired, tired was my upper body but I made them go round and round.
Ready for bed tonight!!

Sunday Swim

Count 'em kids...thatta be 2 days and two workouts!

I'm on a roll.

Today's swim was a killer..for me, anyway, who ran 17 fricking kms yesterday basically on a whim and who is kinda crappy shape with extra poundage hangin around. Putting one foot in front of the other...I WILL be back to that fit, strong and tough gal I was!! I just know it!!

The swim was a warm-up that I don't remember...who cares about the warm up anyway? Nine times out of ten the coach literally pushes me in the water as I am usually chatting with someone and do very little warm up. Today I got about half of it in, ended up cutting the lane a few times as I saw something on the bottom that looked like a piece of jewellery and just had to dive down to have a look...but it was just a hair tie that had some glitter in it...

The Main Event was 3 sets of 3 x 200 meters (this is long course swimming folks). Decending time for each 200...and then between the sets. So the first 200 is the slowest...the 2nd a bit faster...the 3rd is the fastest. In the 2nd set...the first one should be about the same pace as the 2nd 200 in the first set...etc...etc. Get it?? The very last 200 out of the 9 should be the fastest of the day.

We did a similar set a few weeks ago and I had to keep taking breaks and ended up just leaving I was THAT out of shape. Shitty. Today, there were no excuses...I really mean it. I led the lane and just kept hammering out those 200s. I saw some of the guys fall out and leave...I was quietly satisfied...I am not by any means anywhere as fast as I have been in the past...but I think that I am off to a great start!!! And my kick was utterly useless...all I could manage was a wimpy 2 beat kick just to keep my legs floating...so all in all a very good swim!!!

Saturday run

Got a few runs in this week. Tuesday I went out with the 555 Gals...this is my name for them as we meet at 5:55am Tues/Thurs. Had a pretty good run. Tried to do 3 x 8 min intervals..holy, I was all over the map with pace and HR!!! I have some work to do in that department.

Saturday rolls around and most of the gals are doing the Hypo Half Marathon in February. They had planned a 14km run today. I have not ran further than about 7km in the past 3 months...yikes!! I had my exit strategy all worked out...we were meeting at the Farmer's Market and running along the river. We have many bridges in this city so I was planning to fake cold hands or a sore foot or just plain tired...take off across a bridge and make my way back to my vehicle. We get running and they start talking about coffee/breakfast after the run...we are running pretty good and it turns out to be a gorgeous morning...we take many walk breaks to circle back for a few and we get chatting and the time just flies by!!

Lo and behold, back at the Market, I check Garmin and I ran/walked 16.6km!!

Holy Shit.

And I felt amazing afterwards.

I love running again!!

Hello 2011!!!!

Welcome.

To my crazy life. Have not really been into blogging for awhile. Nothing really to tell you about...unless you want to hear me gripe about hockey parents...my work (financial professionals are not exactly the most exciting people on the planet...), or my lunatic relatives.

The long and the short, we have had a lot going on, things in general have been awesome. Busy. Crazy Busy. But with a new year....some new goals and a time to regroup and get organized on getting at those goals.

I have done no training. None. I really mean that. I have been to the pool a few times, but I never think that counts as I normally use swimming to RELAX. Or think. Or recover from a big workout. No one can talk to me when my head is under the water so I swim mainly to have some ME time.

Now that I think a bit more...I have done a few social runs. Do those count as training? I have met some awesome ladies who run on Tues/Thurs/Sat mornings. I just showed up a few weeks ago as they were kind enough to invite me to their private facebook page several months ago...I followed them all summer/fall...laughed at their advenures...finally I just showed up at one of their runs. They are a hoot! Lots of talking, walking, pee breaks, general bitching and giggling about this and that...its awesome!!

I have no race goals. This is really different for me. I have a TON of life goals and my world has only room for so much. I am signed up for the Great White Half...I can't decide if I want to do it. That's alot of work. I get so tired when I am training. I have really enjoyed NOT being tired. I have NOT enjoyed the weight I have gained....holy hell!!! THIS will be my motivation....to say GOOD BYE to the pounds who have come to live on my butt, chest and hips...

I said good bye to coach Justin. I just cannot justify the time OR money I was spending. I am leaning towards doing something really different athletically...I just don't know what...yet...talk to me Universe...I am open for suggestions!!