What's up Wednesday!

 Wednesday - we have arrived! Linking into What's up Wednesday

 

What we're eating this week:

 

Well, I've been going a little pasta crazy. So far we've had shrimp pad thai and an old fave - hamburger casserole. Tonight I'm thinking something light like fish or chicken. Choices choices choices

 

What I'm reminiscing about:

 

Honestly, I'm still thinking about my Irongirl.

It. Was. Awesome!

 

Sometimes a good race experience will just carry you along for ages. This one will have to carry me right into next season, but while I'm still doing at least one last OWS, tri season is finito for me. Next year I'll probably register for more than one :)

What I'm Loving:

I am digging these cooler temperatures. I love that I can still run in shorts and be warm, but not be pouring sweat and wishing I could lay down in the grass somewhere. I sweat enough on a regular day. I really don't like the heat or summer making it worse! I'm also loving the faint scent of Fall in the air. I'm just waiting eagerly for September 1st so that people stop giving me cut-eye when I say it smells like Fall.

 

What we've been up to:

Well, it's no secret that we've been getting our place ready to go up for sale. It's been tough accepting that our weekends and evenings are basically dedicated to working on the condo. We still have things to do, but the list is shrinking and I think *fingers crossed* it should be ready to go up in about a week and a half.

 

What I'm dreading:

Figuring out what to do with our cats while the place is up for sale. Seriously.

 

 

 

 

What I'm working on:

See -- What we've been up to. Let's face it. Getting the condo ready has taken over our lives. Now I just need to figure out how to paint behind a toilet without actually having to remove it.

 

What I'm excited about:

All things fall! Pumpkins, hot chocolate, pumpkin spice lattes, sweaters, pea coats, tall boots, scarves, the first light snow fall.

Picture found here

I'm also excited for all of the great friends we will be seeing this weekend!

 

What I'm watching/reading:

We are just finishing up season 10 of the original 90210. Last time we watched the series, I got so irritated by Gina in season 9 that I just ditched it. Didn't even buy season 10. A few months ago the nostalgia hit and this time I was able to keep my gina-anger under wraps so I can see how this series unfolded. My parents wouldn't let me watch this when I was younger, so I am seeing this all through fresh eyes!

 

 

 

I am currently re-reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Yes. I have a problem with re-watching and re-reading things.

 

A great book that I recently finished was "The Reinvention of Mimi Finnegan" by Whitney Dineen. The main character annoyed me for a few pages and then I couldn't put it down. It's a quick fun beach read and definitely has some laugh out loud moments. There is a second book, but it's not quite as funny. I have so many books waiting to be read and there are a ton of books that I've had recommended to me for September that I'm looking forward to!

 

What I'm listening to:

Friends, I'm old. I listen to talk radio while I drive.

I have been really loving the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis google play station while I run though. I went for a short 3k yesterday (yep -- that's me easing into things) and it basically just went back and forth between Eminem and Macklemore. It was awesome!

 

 

Picture found here

 

What I'm wearing:

I'm already in Fall colours and warm sweaters. I bought this sweater back in August and I love it. I bought it a bit big because I like to be cozy but I'd say it's relatively true to size. It's called the Cocoon sweater from RW&CO

I've got my eye on some tall boots now that just need to happen for this fall!

 

What I'm doing this weekend:

With the wonderful long weekend ahead (almost there!!) we have lots of things going on. Let's just say there's going to be friends, family, bbqs, fire pits, and continuing to fill my parents basement with our stuff!

 

What I'm looking forward to next month:

 

 

It being socially acceptable to be excited about fall and finally getting my cheer essential oil!

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Tell me about it, Tuesday

Busy busy day yesterday. I had so many stops to make after work (boring stuff like gas and cat food) but I still got my run in. I did a 5.1k and it was just the most lovely evening for a run. Still shorts and t-shirt weather thankfully, the weather was warm but not too hot, the sun was fading so it wasn't too bright and a few leaves were even falling from the trees. I love a good evening run! I kept my pace pretty slow - I'm mostly testing my knee right now and seeing how it holds up. Unfortunately while it holds up well during speed work, it's usually after that I have the most problems. But with my slow and steady pace (around 6:30) I was able to cruise the neighbourhood pain-free.

 Tomorrow if the weather cooperates I will do a 6-7km run with some friends after the gym. The weather app has changed from sunny to storms and back to sunny, so who really knows what's happening. I'm just happy that for the first time in a really long time, I feel motivated to run. I don't know if it's the cooler weather, the happy essential oils, or the feng shui of our newly decluttered condo-life ... but something is working out! I have definitely been in a fitness slump lately- hard to accomplish in the throes of triathlon training, but there it is. With a slump comes the ickiness of not feeling your best physically or mentally.

Three cheers for getting back into the swing of things.

I also happen to love running through the Fall -- especially when it gets a little chilly. So refreshing!

 

Today will likely be a day devoted to more packing (sigh). I don't want to throw myself back in to running at 110% and crash and burn. I've never been good at taking things slow either so we'll see how that goes.

 

Dinner last night was shrimp pad thai. I'm in love. Former shrimp-hater turned addict right here. We went for less rice noodles which resulted in a excellent shrimp-noodle ratio. It also turned the meal from around 5 servings into 3 which is much better because the fifth one was usually shrimp-less and basically just noodles with green onions, egg and maybe half a peanut. Honestly - issues.

 

Happy Tuesday -- the long weekend draws another day closer. I can almost feel the good times and taste the gluten free s'mores already!

 

 

Irongirl 2017 and other weekend things

This weekend was a doozy! It was definitely not restful, but was full of fun and good times (I've already ear-marked this coming Saturday as the day to sleep in ... it's been so long!!)

Saturday was a flurry of renovations. We are starting to do the final touches on our condo, so it was just boring stuff like door knobs, baseboards, constant trips to home depot and hearing my bank account crying.

Sunday ... Sunday was a day of action. I woke up bright and early for my irongirl after pressing snooze 15 times. I was so nervous but focused on getting my gear together and getting on the road. It was about an hour drive, which always makes things a little more stressful. Luckily our drive was quick and we made it there in ample time. I left my husband with my piles of bags so that I could set up my transition area, signed in, grabbed my wetsuit and we headed down to the water. The swim was a straight line down the beach, so we actually had to walk to the start line since the transition area was at the finish line. I squeezed myself into my wetsuit which was still a little bit wet from Saturday's OWS (damp wetsuit = most uncomfortable thing ever) and proceeded to warily glare at the water as the announcer reminded us all that the swim would be starting in 11 minutes. At this point I was reunited with some of my swim friends/supporters and with their encouragement along with my husbands I went down to the water and did a few minutes of back and forth swimming to warm up. Best idea ever by the way!

About a minute before my start time I realized my age group was wayyyy up front, so I managed to get there in time and we were off! The nice thing about this swim course is that it is along the beach so if you really wanted to, you could stand. Heck you could walk the entire course if you wanted to (which some people did and it looked exhausting). Now 500 m may not seem like much of a swim to all those seasoned triathletes out there, but for me to actually swim the entire course and not freak out, well it was huge! The last time I did a triathlon I mainly doggy paddled/panicked and was the very last out of the water. This time I was about half through my age group. Unfortunately no one expected me to finish so quickly, so they all missed me at the swim exit. My husband kept saying "but you told me it would take you half an hour". Yes dear husband, but that was actually just dramatic over-estimating (I was thinking more like 20).



I clearly like my space.

 

I'm the one swimming

So I was off to the transition area where I struggled out of my wetsuit and upended my entire transition area because I needed my towel to dry my feet. My nice organized area was basically just a pile of tri stuff now, so I grabbed what I needed and was off. The bike portion was by far my favourite, and not just because for the first time I was the one passing people and shouting out "on your left", which by the way, very few people actually do. I coasted along at a steady 27/28kmph on the way out, and on the way back the headwind kept me around 25-27 depending on the gusts. I saw my husband as the bike exit (finally!) and headed off to change shoes. The running leg was by far the most painful and dreaded piece for me. As someone who used to love running with every fibre of my being, I've struggled with being injured making running a (sometimes) painful experience. I don't look forward to it anymore because who looks forward to pain? Thankfully my run was pain-free but omg was it ever challenging! My only real goal in the running piece was to keep moving. I knew that if I stopped, I wouldn't start again. I did a brisk walk through each aid station, sipped some water and poured a cupful over my head each time. It was incredibly hot and sunny, without a single cloud in the sky. Soaking myself helped immensely!


I'll tell you - the finish line has never looked so inviting as it did yesterday! I had my friends cheering and my husband taking thousands of pictures, while the announcer said my name wrong and I saw a glistening cold water bottle being handed to me. And the medal ... so lovely! I (naturally) immediately began to contemplate which race to do next. I swear triathlons have the same amnesia effect as birth. You forgot the pain, the ugliness, the trauma and just remember the happy parts; the medal, the finish line, the awesome splits.

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't train as hard for this tri as I did for others, but I focused instead on overcoming the barriers that were slowing me down. I cycled fairly regularly with my group and I think I missed two open water swims over the entire season. I also swam often at the gym. I had to work really hard to get past my issues with swimming. Forcing myself into the water every week was part of that, but I also can't forget the incredibly amazing and patient people I had on my side. My swim coach had no problem telling me I was being irrational and he learned very quickly the best way to push me. I went into his class not even being able to breathe properly and so tense in the water that I could barely move. He basically just constantly yelled breathe and relax at me (after teaching me the correct way to breathe that is) and it somehow worked its way into my brain. I'll never forget the day when I was bobbing around with the rest of the class in the middle of the quarry and realized that here I was, in the middle of a huge expanse of deep water with no rapid escape possible and I didn't care. At all. I wasn't even vaguely concerned. This is from the girl who used to swim 10 strokes and then flail her way back to solid ground. To say I've made progress is an understatement. This is my 3rd triathlon (would have been 4th, but one was changed to a du at the last minute), and it is the first one I have actually swam for. I class this as my first real triathlon, because I finally have the experience of what it is to swim, get out of the water, bike and then run. It's hard, it's ugly and it is so much fun!

\

 

And friends, look at this medal!!

Worth it! It sparkles!

I should add, that if you haven't heard of/done an Irongirl race, I would highly recommend it. It's a great sprint for people new to the sport. They are very determined to keep people safe and make sure they have a good time. There were tons of boats and rafts in the water for people who needed help, the swim was along the shore for those afraid of deep water, they had aid stations at every km during the run and the course was relatively flat for both the ride and run. The run had two semi-steep hills, but not terrible and the ride had a few rolling hills but was a nice road overall. This was the perfect race for me to get back into triathlon and be excited about it!
My only complaint was the lack of port-a-potties. We couldn't find them anywhere, and when my husband finally did find them, there were only 2. Regardless, this is a race that will likely become annual for me!

So you may think that after such a tiring morning, I would be heading home to a nice long nap. Well, not this time. I drove an hour home, showered and ate while I drove an hour in the other direction to my brother's girlfriend's baby shower. My nephew is due in December and I couldn't be more excited! Unfortunately I didn't take any photos, but I can assure you that it was a lovely afternoon filled with sweet little baby clothes, and lots of "oohs and awwwwws" over tiny baby boy outfits. Because seriously, baby clothes are just the cutest. This reason alone is why I can't stop buying things for him.

Well, this has been a super long post, but such an excellent race deserves it!
If you made it to the end, I commend you!
Today will be a well-deserved rest-day with pasta with homemade Bolognese sauce on the menu for tonight!

Happy Monday!

 

What? Two days in a row?!

This must be a miracle. I'm actually blogging two days in a row. I told you this time I was going to make it work. I'm going to aim for day three!

 

So last night I accomplished three things that made me happy. I got my steps in (8300). That damn carrot app. I was so close that I literally danced around my bedroom to hit my goal before bed.

I made a new (healthy) meal. I made Cajun haddock with rice and green beans.

I went to spin class and despite reallllllly not wanting to go, I dragged my butt there and sweated up a storm. I love the Tuesday coach - he's the kind of coach you see on youtube. He screams and yells and sings along with the music. He actually makes you want to push harder and work till you can't pedal anymore. If there's any class I can drag myself to, it's his.

I'm nervous about my triathlon this weekend. While I've focused heavily on swimming - my weakest sport, I haven't done nearly as much running as I should have. I know the bike will be fine - I really enjoy cycling and I'm pretty decent at it, but running has been sorely neglected this past year. Ever since I injured my knee I don't see running the same as I used to. It also doesn't help that the pain is random -- sometimes it hurts at 3k, sometimes 6k ... I even went up to 8k without pain. Without knowing, it's hard to set out on a route where I might need to stop halfway through and then be forced to walk home.

The trials and tribulations of a wannabe tri-athlete :)

There's also the fact that by the time I get to the run, I'm going to be exhausted. It's going to be a very long 5k. I have wanted to do this triathlon for ages though, so I am excited to have the opportunity.  The medal is HUGE.
Yes ... I do races just for the medal. I have a 10k in September that I am running simply because the medal has a panda bear on it. It will be so brutal.

No clue what's on the schedule for dinner tonight -- THIS is why meal planning is so crucial. I really need to make use of the crock pot. Eventually I will start posting pictures to go with these posts so they aren't so boring :)

Wow, I think my last post from January just proved how bad I am at keeping up with blogging. Here we will try again.

It's been on my mind for a long while to attempt to do this blog thing regularly, if only as a way to document for myself what's been going on in my life. I've also been inspired by seeing bloggers who are hitting these spectacular anniversaries and have managed to blog regularly despite their busy lives.

So here we go - again.

What do I have to offer to readers? That's a tough question. Who says my life is more interesting than anyone elses. So for now, nothing. Ha, how's that for motivation?

I want to work on a few things in life right now, which kind of goes off of my initial list from January:

1. To lose weight. I may have never gained the freshman 15, but I did gain the marriage 15 and I'm not happy with it. Dessert every night is not realistic.

2. To establish and maintain a fitness schedule. So far the only thing I done weekly without fail is my open water swimming lesson on Saturdays. I do workout at least 3 other days in the week, but it's random and sporadic and what achievements can I expect without dedication. I've learned that I need to be held accountable (thanks mom -- I think I got this from you), so here's me being accountable.

4. To meal plan. Soooo much easier said than done. Sometimes my husband and I end up either eating at 10pm or eating breakfast for dinner. Time to work on that.

5. To find balance and minimize clutter. As we are in the process of preparing our condo to sell, we are decluttering (urmm ... packing stuff to put in my parent's basement is decluttering right?). We plan to have a garage sale once we move and actually have a garage, but we are determined to declutter our lives. A two bedroom condo is small and difficult for two people who knew they'd be in a house eventually but that's still not a reason for me to collect piles of vintage furniture. I have a problem and it's name begins with antique.

On the plus side, I have been trying new recipes, and I have managed to keep up with my gratitude journal every night. So I'm getting there :)

So that's where I hope to go and where I hope to be!

 

Adios.

 

New Beginnings

Hello blog world!

I can't say this is the first time I've attempted to start a blog - but we will see if this one can actually persist!
Since it's January, I figured I would list my resolutions. I never used to believe in resolutions, but they are actually a useful way to encourage yourself to do things you otherwise might just keep assuming you'll do later. Like start a blog. So here goes:

1. Start a blog - duh - and actually update it - hmm...

• Starting a blog - Well, starting it is easy enough. It's the updating part I worry about

2. Fill up my gratitude journal each day with five things I'm grateful for

• I already love my gratitude journal so that seems like it will be easy enough to continue with 

3. Train for irongirl (mostly this means get my ass in the pool)

• Training for Irongirl will be interesting. This will be my first time tri-training solo. I've already found a cycling group I'm going to attempt to join. Apparently registering is as difficult as getting concert tickets. Fingers crossed! I've also found a running group, though their 7am start time on Sunday is fairly disconcerting. The swim part will be hard. I have a possible sometimes swimming mate, though she is far more accomplished than I am (on the way to her third ironman). I really really don't like swimming - especially in open water, but I've done it before for longer distances, so I know I can do it again. 

4. Try one new recipe every two weeks (husband  isn't bold enough for weekly - I tried)

• My Mr. recently lamented my large amount of cookbooks (what a party pooper), so here is my attempt to show him that I do in fact use them. Mind, this wouldn't need to be a resolution if I actually used them. Hmm.

Four resolutions shouldn't be challenging right? Only one way to find out!