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!!