I WON!!!

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frozen

Did a bike ride today.
Yeah.
You read that correctly. A BIKE RIDE!
In the morning, when it was cold, I was out on the highway doing intervals, my toes were frozen when I got home. Frozen. Could not face my trainer. And I would have had to change my back tire and I just wasn't up for that so out I go into the cool morning. Wasn't that bad, but was glad to see the end today!!
I have a big BIG workout coming up on Saturday. A 90 minute run. But get this...Coach Justin wants to see how far I can run in 90 minutes. oooOOOooo...a challenge!! I LOVE IT!! Last time I did 15km in 90minutes, it felt good, I could have ran it faster but how much faster?
Practise, practise, practise that half marathon goal pace...
In other news (because many family and friends read this darn blog...) Matthew has his first soccer game tonight. We were supposed to be at a practise last night but darn it all if I am going to sit out there in the cold and the wind...and besides he had TKD as well and my rule is only one activity per day. He could be up for his next belt at the end of the month so we ditched soccer for TKD!! Luke starts his soccer next week and is SO excited. This is his first activity for just him and he asks every single day "When is my soccer, Mom?" He was the official ball gatherer at the practise on Monday...whenever the ball went out of bounds, there was Luke running for it to give to the older kids.

trying to take the high road

Really trying. But boy oh boy was I annoyed at swimming today. So I shall start with two funny stories about my kids before I vent about getting yelled at.

I had bought some cute little pj's for Luke with soccer balls on them and the soccer balls have flames coming out of them. He runs out the bedroom last night and says "Dad!! My BALLS ARE ON FIRE!!!" OMG...funny.

Matthew made me something for Mother's Day at school. It is all wrapped with a ribbon and bow etc. He is so proud of whatever is in that gift but has to wait til Mother's Day to officially give it to me. Today he asks "Mom, how many more days now till St. Mother's Day?" So CUTE!! And we ARE Saints, are we not?

Back to my swim. First we must rewind to about week or so ago when we were doing a set of 400 meters. I can't remember the exact set but the last 400 was an all out effort. I was feeling great so I swam my butt off and managed to post a bit faster swim that a couple of the guys. One of those guys says "Must be a rest week for you!! And you can't pace, you went out way too fast!!" Really? Cause I was checking the clock and yeah...my first 100 was a bit faster than the rest but the last 3 were pretty even...

Fast forward to this morning. We are doing a set of 10 x 100s on 1:45 but aiming for 1:30s. I was swimming fourth in the lane. Mr. Intense was second. Near the middle of the set, he says to me..."Try leaving 15 seconds!! You're swimming right up his ass!!" Wow. I guess I should be flattered he is so interested in what I am doing at the back of the lane. And by the way, I was leaving 10 seconds behind the guy and catching him, he would not let me by, I wasn't about to sprint for 100 meters to pass him, waste all my energy. We were holding the pace, everything was going well. Not sure what the problem was...

At the end of the set he says to me again "You need to leave 15 seconds!! You are going to get to a race someday and get dropped and then what??!! Are you going to WAIT for the next pack to come so you can swim off of them?" Keep in mind, he is saying this to me in a very loud and annoyed voice, in front of the whole group. I think he even cursed.

My response was a shoulder shrug and "What's it to you?" Which I think pissed him off even more.....

Here's to you Mr. Intense.

I have two words for ya and one of them is OFF.

Spring Fun Run Report

Let's put the emphasis on FUN!! Does anybody else hate it when you set some goals for an event...all is going well...and then you show up AT the event and you have to throw all of those goals out the window? I find this disheartening. And I have to learn to adjust on the day for whatever comes my way. I find this difficult...i want everything to go as planned, and sometimes it just doesn't.

In the pre-announcements, it is said, "We had to change the course due to road construction. The new course is very technical. We are sorry for the hills, but remember this is a FUN RUN!!!" Hills? In Saskatoon? Nah...he's LYING!!

Ummmmm....no he was not. I mean, they weren't that bad, but I was not prepared for the trail running. 80% of the course was on the trails. So different than anything I am used to!! Jumping over rocks, stepping over mud puddles, leaping over a creek...then we get to Diefenbaker Park and we have to climb a hill to the park...I mean climb...as in I am using my hands to steady myself so I don't fall or sprain an ankle or knee...I just kept telling myself...do not hurt anything, this is a FUN RUN!!

But what a beautiful day...we were against the wind on the way out and then the wind was at our backs on the way home. It was hot and even though I was a bit discouraged as i KNOW I can run faster...my finish time, according to the clock they had at the finish, (I did not wear Garmin or a watch of any kind..I tossed it in my truck after I heard the announcements...) was 55 minutes. This equals my stand alone 10km time, so I know I should be happy, but I just want that breakthrough run!! You know? The encouraging part is that I WAS up there with all of the fast(er) runners...the ones that used to kick my butt...I was still far behind them, but at least I could SEE them today!! I was excited about this and it actually motivated me. I counted at the turnaround, and I was about the 8th female...out of over 100 people...i know that is totally nerdy and sounds competitive, but i felt like i was running well, even given the course, I just wanted to know!!!

i was tagged!!!

I was tagged by Keith

The rules are:

1. Fill it out

2. Change one question with one of your own

3. Add an additional question

4. Tag 3 other people to do the same

1. What are your current obsessions?
Running a fast for me half marathon at the end of the month; Michelle Obama; I get hooked on a news story and then read and learn everything about it.
2. Which item from your closet are you wearing most often? Nylons
3. Last thing you bought for yourself? A new to me wesuit!!
4. What’s for dinner? Whatever my mom is making as she has the offspring today and we will have supper at her place before we head home
5. Say something to the person who tagged you: Does it have to be nice?? Ha Ha!! I have never met Keith . I love his sense of humour and I appreciate all the support he has given over the past year. I can tell he is a solid person.
6. What is your motivation for continuing to work out? It started out to help me sleep and then I wanted to loose some poundage but since neither of those things seem to be happening, I am loving the challenge of trying to get better and faster...
7. What are you listening to right now? The admin staff gossip in the coffee room.
8. What is your most immediate short term goal? I want to run a fast 10km on Sunday and then a fast half on May 24.
9. What are you reading right now? Just finished "The Shack". Next up is "Marley and Me"
10. What is the last movie you saw and enjoyed? Last saw "The Wrestler"...was just okay...
11. What’s your guilty pleasure? Life is too short to have any guilt.
12. What’s your favorite smell? My kids after bathtime
13. Whats something you look forward to? My 10 km run this weekend
14. Favorite Quote? It ain't the man in the fight, it's the fight in the man.
16. Whats one thing you can't go a day with out doing? Reading blogs.
17. What do you have an addiction to? I am addicted to cocaine...I mean caffeine!! I get that aweful headache when I do not have a coffee in the am.
18. Whats your favorite holiday? Hands down Christmas. I don't like the whole commercial part of it, but the family time and the excitement for my kids is so much fun!!
19. How many pairs of shoes (not just running) do you have?? I am guessing here, but probably 25.
20. Tell us one random thing about you. Hmmmm....people often recognize me from my laugh...it is apparently distinct and goofy...they will say "I knew it was you! I could hear your laugh!!"
21. Why did you start your blog? I was following Jen's blog a few years ago when she did a marathon...and I thought it was such a great idea to keep track of my workouts...then it has kind of evolved into an online social gathering every morning!!!


Everyone who's blog I follow has been tagged!!