Monday, we meet again

Well, what a whirlwind of a weekend. Saturday I had a planned open water swim and let me tell you -- if there wasn't any accountability, I would have stayed in bed. Mornings are always hard for me - 4 hours of sleep is even harder to get up from. However, I know myself, and so I had people that were waiting on me and that got my butt out the door. It was only 9.5 degrees when we arrived and we quickly put our wetsuits on just for the warmth. I don't think any of us were keen on actually getting into the water. Thankfully the water was significantly warmer than the air and it was just gorgeous to swim in. Mary and I did a 1km loop together, and our friend Krista did 2 loops in preparation for her half ironman coming up. Then we met up with our 3x Ironman Cathy and went for breakfast where we all talked about past races, upcoming races and what 2018 holds. Even though they ran out of gluten free pancakes, we still had a great time! There's not much time left for open water swims, so we will definitely be going this week and that might be it. Then it'll be back to the pool.

 

 

Would have missed this gorgeous view if I slept in

 

 

After I was home and changed I packed up a few more boxes and husband and I headed to my parents house where we had a wake for Molly. My dad spread her ashes around the backyard that morning. The backyard was her favourite place to chase rabbits and squirrels, bird watch and just be nutty, so it was the perfect place to let her go. We talked about some funny/happy memories and how sad we all were that she is gone. I brought over some pictures that I'd taken over the years and my dad took one to keep in his locker at work. We all miss her terribly. My dad has decided to wait until January to get another dog - in his words "2017 is Molly's year". Can't argue with that.

Sunday was a productive day. I volunteered in the morning while husband worked and then we got into full "gotta get out of this condo" mode. He finally finished putting the bed together (which is too big -- sigh) and I cleared out our bedroom, and vacuumed in places that I'm fairly certain have never seen the vacuum since we moved in. So much dust! Our room just needs the curtains to be changed (which means I need to iron the new ones) and for me to wash and put the new bedding on and it's ready to go. The second bedroom will be a little more work. With the bigger bed, we need to re-evaluate the furniture choices so it doesn't appear too cramped, and I need to iron those curtains as well. I wish they just came flat.

While I was clearing out our room, I used the doTERRA easy air in my diffuser and it was such a pleasant smell (and really kept it smelling fresh and clean. Obsessed friends -- Obsessed!! I'm putting in an order this month for a few more scents (that I've been dying to get) -- can't wait!

 

 

Today I'm going to go on a run after work (and after picking up some necessities) and see what my knee feels like doing. That 10k is looming closer and closer and I've heard it's a hilly one!

 

One day closer to the long weekend! It's going to be a busy one, but I'm ear-marking that Monday as a (hopefully) big ol' day of NOTHING. I can't even imagine the delicious-ness of a "nothing" day. Fingers crossed!

 

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!