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!!

so...i ran...

Getting back at things. I ran today. It was a slow, dark run, but it is 45 minutes in the books. We have been so busy. I am beginning to hate that word...busy. I am being pulled in 100 different directions and it really does stress me out at times.
This has been my week:
Last Friday: Work late....go to meeting for Gold Medal Plates Gala. Get home at 10pm. Miss my kid's taekwondo and bathtime/bedtime. Feel guilty.
Saturday: Up early...like 5:00am early...make cupcakes and pack food and necessities for the day as we are in the budding metropolis of DUNDURN for a hockey tournament. I just want to say that you can smell the rink from up the block...apparently the folks in Dundurn have not read up on healthy eating habits and still fry EVERYTHING! Gross. Hence the packed lunch... Hang in Dundurn all day...take the entire hockey team out for a walk as it was a gorgeous day and bright and sunny and I just wanted to be outside. Was disappointed that not one other parent wanted to come with us...so me and Shaun and 12 little boys ages 7 and 8...oh the good times! Good thing my husband is super immature...he actually brought his ski gloves out to Dundurn in the anticipation of a snowball fight...yes...he had PLANNED for it...was super funny to watch. Left Dundurn in the middle of the 2nd game (missed the last game) and headed back to town for the Gold Medal Plates Gala. Very fun night. But feel guilty again.
Picture taken with lots of Olympic athletes. Met Alex Bilodeau...super nice and humble and polite kid. First gold medal ever on Canadian soil in Vancouver, in case you did not know. Met Catriona...only double gold medalist ever in Canada at a winter Olympics....and she is a home grown Saskatoon gal...and let me tell you...her ass and legs were STILL rock hard!!! She is a teeny girl but holy moly, just looks strong!! She was super intense...like really, really intense...And our men's 8 gold medal rowing team was there...three words...FUN...HOT...& FUN!!!
Sunday: Swimming for me...okay but very tired workout...skating for Luke....Halloween. Apparently the Halloween candy diet works for me as I have lost 2 pounds this week...I know...I know...let's see what the scale says in a few weeks from now...but f*ck it...one of the reasons for having children is the halloween candy...
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday: Work...hockey...work...run kids around...hockey...work...I am afraid this is my life...oh...made a phone call I have been wanting to make for many months...to a real estate agent!! Not sure where this is going, but we have grown out of our house...I think it is time to move...but shall see what the Universe brings us...
Which brings me to Friday: Do you see any other workouts this week, other than the swim? No? So it is a really big deal that I got my ass out of bed, got my gear on, got out the door and ran....hoping to do better next week!!

bad things good things

Have had an up and down week. Monday was a dentist appointment for my 7 year old and he had to have his tooth taken out entirely! It was decayed to the root. wtf? Poor kid. He was in pretty rough shape after the appointment and said "Mom...I wanted to cry because it hurt, but I just let tears run down my cheeks. I toughed it out." My heart is melting...my dad had bad teeth, I have bad teeth, sorry, Matthew, looks like you are going to have the same troubles we did...f-ing genetics.
Right after the dentist appointment, I get back to work and the first phone call I get for the day is that one of my fave clients had died over the weekend. It made me very sad and I was on a downer day after that. Called a buddy, we went for lunch and we laughed and laughed about the stupid stuff we used to do so the spirits came up a bit, but still, I was sad.
THEN....on Tuesday, I got an e-mail. From one of the guys I work with...our office was sent TWO tickets to the Grey Cup. For our American friends, this is our version of the Super Bowl, but think Canadian...the office had a little draw...guess who won the tickets...ME!!!! And not only that but in box seats with HEAT. Because the stupid thing that we Canadians do is have our football championship at the end of November, in an outdoor stadium. Duh. So!! Off to Edmonton we go to watch the game! I am very excited, we are leaving our kids with relatives and just me and the hubby are taking a little couple trip....we have never done this...hopefully we can stand each other for a few days just the two of us...will be interesting...hahahahaa!!
THEN...I was informed by said hubby to "keep the last week of February open...as in tell work you are leaving town." Hmmmmm...what could this mean?!! He has a secret and it is driving me NUTS! And that last week coincides with my 40th b-day...so hmmmmm x 2....
I am going to my pilates classes and LOVING them. I have to say I was NOT loving them at the start...they were kind of boring...but have learned that the studio is very, very good in that the instructor was taking her time in showing us the moves and how to do them properly. Monday and Wednesday were real, one hour pilates workouts where we flowed from exercise to exercise and holy hell my body is letting my know I have moved it in different ways!! My abs are on fire.
Sunday was a swim day for me. We did a timed, all out 100 meters to see where we were at for the year...it is what it was but one of the guys reeled me in, which pissed me off...so something to work on!!
Next up is a run tomorrow. And an old high school buddy keeps bugging me to run with her...she is just starting back at it...so I am going to call her and hopefully we can meet up on Saturday morning and go for a little visit...I mean run...she is an awesome gal and wants to start working out for real, so looking forward to that. And then Sunday swim again...
We are hockey, hockey, hockey this year...holy cow....bottle drives, selling poinsettas (if you want one, let me know...) gym workouts...2 tournaments coming up...he is really liking it so we will continue to take him. But honestly....

i swam & i ran

Seriously....I did!
But first things first....who watched that Ironman Hawaii on Saturday? That was very exciting! I was bummed that Chrissie was out but that really opened up the race to see what others had for the day, didn't it? And what about Mccormack...is he the hottest triathlete? Or what!!!?? DAMN those guys and girls can RUN!! Justin has told me that to get to Ironman Hawaii, you need to be a really good swimmer...a really good cyclist...and a really good runner....so basically, I have one out of the three...but no desire to do that ever...would take too much time out of my regular scheduled life...so that's that!! I have been following a blog for awhile now of a gal out of California and she started triathlons 2 years ago. Sounds like she did not really know she was all that athletic...never did much as a kid etc, but picked it up (easily) and CRUSHED it in Hawaii!! Ran a 3:10 marathon!!! But damn she works hard...I will give her that...she really works hard at it all and deserves all the success.
So about my swim...nearly 3000 meters in the pool on Sunday. A long, building fitness type of a swim...some pull, some drill, some kick, some swim. I was kind of bored by it all, but was good to stretch these arms and legs and go nice and steady. I need someone FUN to swim with...all those boys are just too damn serious...I am only swiming once per week this year. Dumped my Wednesday swims for pilates. Due to the holiday, the Monday pilates was cancelled so I got my butt out the door and ran. For over an hour!! It actually felt really good. Was nice and cool and a bit breezy and I just ran and ran and ran until I got back home. Nothing very exciting to tell y'all, but I RAN!!!
Coming up is pilates on Wednesday, another run on Thursday and a swim on Sunday. That's it for the week. Coach Justin sent me a very kind e-mail last week that he is taking some space and all of my workouts are optional...yeah...I was THAT stressed out a few weeks back with everything going on...the week I bailed on the half marathon. We are going to ease back into some training after kids' schedules are sorted out. Work is crazy busy...I have been selected to be the lead volunteer the night of the Gold Medal Plates Gala...will be super cool and exciting to have dinner with some of our Canadian Olympians!! Hockey is in full swing...frick...no one said we had to fundraise for this level of hockey...that SUCKS!!! I am going to keep track of what we spend this year (already over $1000...and he has not even played a game yet...) post the income statement and then we can all barf together...

life...in general

Where does the time go? Everyone is so busy...we are so busy!! I am enrolled in Dan Sullivan's Coach Program through work and I am finding it super interesting with lots of ideas and tools to get my life sorted out and block time for everything.
And its goal setting time! Don't you love goal setting time? What is in your wildest dreams that you would LOVE to try? I have so many things I want to do...sport related AND life related.
Coach Justin told me to take a break. Thank-you! I found myself totally overwhelmed, stressed out and not sleeping and I just need this break to get my feet back on the ground, get my head sorted out. But feeling 100% better this week. Almost like I could start back to some training...
On that note, I signed up for a 16 week pilates class. Loving it! I have no range of motion...at all...such simple moves and I can barely do them. But getting better everytime. I missed Monday because I was up too late due to my Netflix addiction. Yeah...we have Netflix in Canada now...I am addicted to the show "Mad Men". Next up is "Heroes".
Sunday swims start again this weekend. I am feeling ready to hit the water again.
I am going to get a couple of runs in over the long weekend. Not long and not fast but I will get out and move this body!
My kids are into their activities. Matthew is LOVING hockey again. Thank goodness...I was worried but the coach is a great guy, we had our first parent get together and we are meeting some really nice and good people. My new social group...the hockey rink!! However, the tier one folk are a bit more serious that what we are used to. Matthew continues to do well at taekwondo...he was invited into the "black belt club" at his TKD school. We declined the invite at first and then he begged, and begged, and begged to join...so what do you do? You sign him up, come up with the money and take him. TKD is his passion. And Luke is sporting a brand new belt that he earned on the weekend!
Luke started skating lessons on Sunday. He fell on his ass 100 times. Hurt his elbow...almost got another's skate to the forehead...I could not watch the last 10 minutes...he came off the ice and said "That was the MOST fun I've EVER had!!" Jeepers. In fact I have video I need to post, because he is so damn cute and if you or I fell on our butts that many times, we would be in traction at the hospital.
So that's all that is new...