5 days

Because my race is five days away and I'm extremely nervous, I decided to post my list of required items for race day instead of writing about how I feel (TERRIFIED).  Also, if anyone sees any huge gaps in the list, you can help me out!

Swim:

• wetsuit
• goggles x 2
• swim cap
• race issued swim cap
• ear plugs
• watch
• tri shorts
• sports bra
• tank top
• body glide
• towel

Bike:

• bike (though it will already be there, so I shouldn't have to remember it)
• bike shoes
• socks
• helmet
• sunglasses
• race number belt
• 1 package of gu chomps
• 3 gu gels (plus 1 that I'll take as soon as I get to my transition station)
• 5 salt pills
• aero bottle filled with sports drink
• regular bottle filled with water
• extra water bottle to rinse my feet
• bike pump (a big one to pump my tires before I swim)
• co2 gun thingy
• 2 co2 cartreges
• 2 spare tubes
• tools
• sunscreen

Run:

• runners
• socks
• hat
• hydration belt with sports drink
• 2 gu gels
• body glide

Post Race:

• sports bra
• tank top
• shorts
• compression socks
• new runners
• FOOD (though I will rely on my race supporters to provide that for me!)

So most of that stuff I'll bring with me as I'm racing, though a few items will be left in transition (like body glide, sunscreen etc.)  I'm wondering if I should have two sunscreens, one for each transition, or rely on the sunscreen "station" that I've heard will be in the transitions.  Because this is a point A to B race, I won't have access to the things in my T1 bag for T2, so anything I'll need twice I'll have to have two of.  Kind of a pain, but no big deal.  Luckily there were a few body glide samples kicking around the shop, so I snagged one for my T2 so I won't need to buy another body glide (since I JUST bought a new one).  I'm bringing mainly sports drink with me since I like to have what I'm used to drinking, and I'll get my water from the aid stations along the way.  I'm really not sure how I'll do with the aid stations on the bike, but I'll try my best, and bring lots with me so if I'm too uncoordinated to use them, I won't be stuck without nutrition.

I hope that about covers it.  Definitely let me know if you see something missing!! 


AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Getting uncomfortably close

I haven't blogged in a while, one reason being I was busy, one being I didn't know what to say except I'm getting extremely scared. 

First, the half marathon.  It went well.  I came in at 1:59:4something.  I barely squeaked by and achieved my goal of coming in under 2 hours.  It was a very challenging run.  First, I had forgotten how long we had to stand around and wait for the start.  I don't like that anticipation too much, and the fact that it was pouring rain didn't help.  Secondly, IT WAS POURING RAIN.  I was soaked.  Thirdly, it was hillier than I remembered.  I hoped it would be the opposite, and that the course wouldn't be as hard as I remembered the first time I ran it, but no, it was hilly.  Just when you think you've hit the hardest hill, a harder one comes along.  And then people tell you "it's flat from here on in!!" from the sidelines, just in time for you to turn a corner and see an enormous hill.  Honestly, spectators, don't ever yell it's flat unless you are 100% positive that there are no more hills.  It's just not nice.  While we're at it, don't you dare yell "you're almost done" unless I can see the finish line.  Telling me I'm almost done with 3 miles to go is just plain false.  Sorry, just had to get that off my chest.  The fact that I was soaked mixed with the hills made the race really tough on my feet.  I have been dealing with some forefoot tenderness that I thought I had under control, but the up and down and the soaking feet and shoes full of puddles made me feel like I was running on cheese graters.  Ouch.  It was mentally tough, physically tough, but I remembered I was running for my grandma and for alzheimer's, and I pushed through to sneak in under 2 hours.  Great!  Everyone else who ran with me did amazing, and I was so happy for everyone. 

Next up, the 70.3.  Just writing that gave me butterflies.  I'm scared.  Really really scared.  I don't know what else I can say but holy freaking crap why am I doing this?!?!?!?!?!  I feel like I'm a 5 year old going in to take the SATs.  Ahhhhhhhh!

And that's that!  Sorry I've been absent!

The home stretch!

Life has been a whole bunch of working and training!!

I swam lots this month, and it really improved my speed and technique.  I'm feeling great, and hoping I'll make my swim well within the time cutoff for the race.  Biking has been another story... Not too many rides on the real roads so I'm really going to focus on that after my half marathon.

Speaking of the half on the 6th, I'm getting really excited for the race!  Matt and I are heading out early and taking my gramps to a red sox game, and we'll have a little time in Vermont to relax before the race.  I'm told there's a little lake nearby, so I plan on doing a few swims there for training.  My running hasn't been exactly where I want it for the race, but I feel confident that I'll do well, and if I don't get under 2 hours, which is my goal, it's not the end of the world.  I know I have it in me, but if the weather is too hot, I think I may fade a little.  I went for a training run in the heat a couple of weeks ago, and it was BRUTAL.  It's very hot in Vermont right now, so it's not looking amazing, but I'll wait and see.  I'll do my best, and that's as well as I can do!  This race is about Team Alzheimer's, family, and enjoying myself, so if I can't perform the way I want, I will still get lots out of it.

After the race, it will be ALL about the bike.  I will have my ass attached to that seat as much as I possibly can.  I am slightly worried about the bike time cutoff for the half ironman.  I am not allowed to continue racing if I finish the bike over 5 hours after I start the race, which means the swim plus the bike can't equal more than 5 hours.  I really don't have an accurate estimate of what I'm capable of, but I just feel like I could take 4 plus hours to bike 94 km.  I guess once I get out for a few long training rides, I'll know a little more what kind of time I'm looking at.  I am a little nervous though, I'm not going to lie. 

That's about that!  Next week will involve a lot of flying and driving, but then fun and relaxing with the fam!  Wahoo!

I'm a fish.

Today was a great day for workouts!  I got up this morning, went swimming, and had such a confidence boosting swim!  I did a warm-up of 600m, with some kicking, pulling and regular swimming, then I did 1650m of continuous swimming.  Instead of just swimming and counting up to 1650, I started with 275, then I did 250, then I did 225 etc. until I got to 25 and I was done!  I didn't stop between my sets (except a few goggle readjustments), so I still did 1650 continuous, but it helped make it a little more do-able for me, and also helped me not loose count.  My biggest problem swimming is that I loose count of my laps and end up doing too few. (funny how I never do too many...)  I then did a 200m cool down and called it a day.  I just felt amazing having finished such a long swim in about an hour.  The 70.3 swim leg is 1900m, so I was only 250 shy of the total.  It made me feel so much more confident that I will actually be able to finish the swim part, and within the time cutoff too.  My whole workout took an hour, so I know I'll be able to do 1900 within the one hour cutoff.  I felt so good leaving the pool.  I started to feel a little tight in my shoulders during the last 200m, but with time I know I'll be ok.

I worked all day at the shop, mostly taking returns from the big sale we had this weekend, but the time flew by and before I knew it, I went home and got ready for my run.  I really didn't want to, but I sucked it up and went.  I did 14km around the river, and I definitely overdressed.  I got dressed, and even thought to myself "I think I'm going to be too hot", but went out anyway.  I was wearing full length tights, a tank top, a long sleeve (I almost wore a thermal long sleeve instead, thank goodness I didn't), gloves and a thermal headband.  I definitely didn't need all those clothes, but I wasn't BOILING and I survived.  It tends to get windy around the river, so I think that's why I thought I should wear everything, but I could have at least worn capri pants, no gloves, and a normal head band.  My head was very sweaty!

This week is all swimming all the time, so I'll smell like pool and have super dry skin.  Fun!

Feeling a little guilty

I have so much to say, but not enough time to say it!  I've been working and out of town for what seems like forever.  Every time I see my blog I think about how much I want to post, but I haven't had any time on the computer! 

I will start with a bike ride.  My third attempt on the bike went well.  I went on a path that was technically closed, which worked very well with me because it wasn't busy, and I had to stop, unclip, and walk my bike over parts that were under construction, and so I got all sorts of practice getting on and off my bike!  I even went in and out of aero position lots!  Yay for me!

Next was the Glencoe Icebreaker 10km race.  I saw Leana at the shop for package pick up, and she introduced herself and then we talked about how terrible my fall was.  It was nice to meet her!  Then Saturday before the race I went to a wedding reception, had more drinks than I intended, wore 4 inch stilettos, and had three hours of sleep.  I wasn't super excited to get up and race the next morning, but I gave it a go!  I took it a little easy during the first 5 km because I wasn't sure what my body would do.  I have a sensitive stomach, so cramps and stitches were definite possibilities.  Luckily, I felt pretty good and even powered up a hill and passed a bunch of people.  (Nothing feels better than being strong on hills!!)  I saw Leana at the top of the hill and again  little later, which was nice!  At half way, when I was still feeling good, I decided I would pick it up a notch.  Then, at 6km, I grabbed a quick sip of water and picked it up again.  Since I was feeling good still, I decided I would pick it up more at each of the remaining kms and hope for the best.  I got to 9km and just powered through to the end and ended up finishing with a time of 51:23!  A new PR!  Wahoo!  Normally I take walk breaks when I run, but for this race I didn't, with the exception of my quick water stop.  I can't run and drink since my stomach is so sensitive and I end up swallowing so much air.  I don't think I've ever run 10km without walking, so this was a new experience and it ended up working.  I couldn't have run 10 more km at that speed or without a break, but it was nice to know I could do it this time.  I really liked that race, and though it wasn't my "A" race, I am very happy to have a new PR.

What next?  Oh, my brother in law ran a stupid ridiculous boston marathon time!!!  I yelled out in the middle of the mall when I saw his finishing time on my iPhone tracker thingy!  Under 3 hours is just unimaginable to me!  Go Jordan!

Matt and I went to Toronto for a very weddingy weekend!  Kristen came too, and we had a big family shower in the afternoon and a Jack and Jill party in the evening.  It was strange for me, since I didn't know many people there, but it was fun and I was very grateful to have Kristen there with me!  She's such a good big sister.

I've been getting tortured by my chiropractor lately since I've had a few shin and calf issues on my left leg.  I really don't like how much he hurts me, but it's supposed to help in the end, so I'll suffer.  I've had a few bruises down my shin, on my left butt cheek, left hip, and both feet though.  He's so mean.

I've been working lots and lots, and thankfully I'm home now for about two weeks!  I'll have to hit the pool in a major way, since I've been slacking.  I luckily missed the blizzard in Calgary while I was working, so now that I'm home and the weather is nicer, I'll have to head out for bike rides too.  It's getting a lot closer to the 70.3 and I'm getting really scared.  My Vermont race is coming up really quickly too, and I need to pick my mileage up again.  I was up to 18km a month ago, but then I got had some issues and my life got in the way, so I'll have to get back up there so I can have a good, strong race on June 6th.

I think that's about all I can think of right now.  I'm sure I'll have more soon! 

OH, anyone in the Calgary area, there is a nice big Tech Shop sale this Friday and Saturday at Mount Royal College on the track.  I'll be there on Friday, and I can't wait to see what's all on sale!  I plan to pick up a few pairs of shoes to do me through the year.  I can't wait!

Second Attempt = Better and dryer

As I said in my last post, I was going to get a pro bike fit done after I picked up my aerobars and go out for a second try at riding.  I couldn't believe how much I didn't want to go.  As I was loading my bike into the car, I just wanted to run back upstairs to my condo and never looking at it again!  I bit the bullet (as Matt so lovingly said "It's not called a half-let's-go-for-a-leisurely-stroll, it's called a half IRONMAN Heather, suck it up!") and packed it in, drove down to Ridley's Cycle (where they have a cheapest bike fits) and got the fit done.  I was worried they'd tell me that I needed a new bike, and that nothing was workable with what I had, but luckily there were only a few suggestions.  I think ideally I need a new stem (I barely know what that is), but it's not imperative, so I held off (since I just bought aerobars and a bike fit!) and got one of those water bottles with the big giant straw so that I can drink without having to grab my bottle from under me. 

After the fit, I drove down the street a little and parked by the little overpass over memorial drive and set off to cycle on the PATH around the bow river.  I'm amazed at how physically, I could do a lot more than I could last year.  I could ride in tougher gears, I could ride up little hills in those tough gears, and I didn't get tired in my legs nearly as much.  That being said, every time I got a little speed I would brake to slow down!  I'm such a chicken.  I rode past the shouldice (I think) soccer field, so I decided that on my way back, I would try to get into aero position in that field.  What scares me about it is that I have no access to my brakes in that position, so if I have to stop suddenly, I need to get out of aero, brake, AND unclip my feet.  Lots of things to remember when panicking.  I managed to get in and out of it a few times in the field but once I was back on the path, I was too chicken again!  Oh well.  I'll get used to it, I hope.  When I got back to my car, I actually almost fell again!  Luckily I was on an overpass when I decided to stop (so I wouldn't have to go down the overpass and make a sharp turn) and so I used the railing to keep me up.  I think I need to unclip my left foot first all the time, because I tend to lean that way.  I'll have to keep reminding myself to do that.  

Anyway, I feel a little better about the whole thing, though I'm going to have to log some major hours on the bike to feel more comfortable.  I'm going to try to to cycle a little bit outside every day that I'm home.  I was VERY thankful I got my ride in early in the day because the weather turned from nice to blizzard in about 20 minutes!  I was supposed to lead the run group out of the store last night because my boss was at his rehearsal dinner, but they canceled the run and I was off the hook!  Phewf.

It really is funny that my water poured on me when I fell.  It wasn't that funny at the time, but it's as if my bike was saying "Oh you think you can just hop on a ride?  Think again!!" and stuck it to me.  I'm glad you all enjoyed that part! 

Bike Fail

Yesterday I was super pumped to take my bike out for the first time with my shoe/pedal combo, where my shoes are attached to the pedal.  I know it's a little late considering the weather, but I've been waiting on some aerobars and wanted to take the bike in to get fit etc. with the bars, but the bars have been delayed, blah blah blah I'm scared so I didn't go.

Anyway, I bit the bullet, put some air in my tires, and set out.  I walked my bike through the street, over to the path, and got on, clipped in, and started riding.  I was thinking "oh this isn't that bad", rode, rode, rode, then noticed that my front tire was pretty low and I was almost riding on my rim.  I didn't want to wreck my tire or bike, so I weighed my options, toying between going home, putting air in, and going back out, or stopping at the gas station that was just a couple of streets over, and putting some air in my tire.  At this point, I hadn't tried stopping yet.  I decided to go get air at the gas station, so I left the path, went on to a ROAD, and freaked out.  I thought "I'm so not ready for this" and rode up on to the sidewalk, stopped, (still panicking), and then forgot to unclip my feet, panicked, unclipped the foot that was on the opposite side as the side I was falling towards, and fell.  Fell onto a truck, then down the truck, then onto a cement block, then on to the sidewalk, then my water bottle popped open and poured all over me.  Then a group of men walking on the other side of the road called over to see if I was ok.  I yelled back "um, yeah?" but was thinking in my head "how to I get my foot out??"  I figured it out, got up, started walking towards the gas station.  When I got there, I realized the air said "NOT FOR BIKE TIRES".  Awesome.  Then I walked home. 

I wasn't hurt, but I was shaken up, and of course, any confidence I had just went right out the window.  I'm a big ole chicken on the bike.  Now I'm worse.  I know I just panicked, and I forgot to remind myself I was clipped in, even though when I was riding I kept saying "remember your feet are attached to your bike".  I just had my mind on my tire, not my feet, and forgot.  But I really don't want to ride anymore.

Today I think I am getting the aerobars, so I'll take my bike in to get fit with the bars, then they can make sure it's all road ready, and then I can drive to a path where I won't have to ride on any road at any time and try again.  I need to try again soon, otherwise I'll get more and more scared.

I'm lucky I just walked away with a bump on my knee and a sore shoulder.  Oh and I was super embarrassed, since I then walked along the road at the same time as all the men who saw me fall.

Amazing Day

Yesterday was a day I was really looking forward to.  First thing in the morning, I planned on waking up and heading to the pool.  Well, I didn't do that.  (Ooops.)  Instead, I stayed in bed and read a riveting book, Into thin Air, which is about the Mt. Everest disaster of 1996.  It was written by the same guy who wrote Into the Wild (I guess he likes titles starting with "into"), Jon Krakauer.  Anyway, I'm hooked and really want to finish it.

After about an hour, I hopped up, and started making breakfast for my two friends (and bridesmaids), Katie and Kaitlin, who were due to come over around 10:00 to do some weddingy stuff.  I realized that I was out of a lot of things like milk, almond milk, fruit etc. which would put a damper on my breakfast.  So I walked the block to safeway and picked up what I needed (including cream for our coffee, which I NEVER get since I normally use milk, but it made the morning extra decadent) and finished up cooking breaky, made coffee, cleaned off the coffee table, compiled all that we needed to finish off our tasks, and waited for them to arrive!  (I got dressed somewhere in the too!)

We spent the morning eating, chatting, laughing, and ended up being VERY productive!  My method for the wedding is to get things done early so I don't have to freak out about them later.  I know it seems crazy to have the invitations all done and ready almost 6 months before the wedding, but I'm happier knowing it's one less thing on my to do list!  I would like to enjoy the month leading up to the wedding since we'll have family in town and I'd rather have time to have coffee dates instead of running around trying to find a guestbook. 

Anyway, we had a great morning, but I really missed my other two bridesmaids... Kristen, of course, is in Ottawa, and my other friend Vanessa is in Africa working at an orphanage, so they have missed a few of our crafty days.  I hope there will be other things for us all to do together!  (Though, I'm sure neither is complaining that they didn't get to lick envelopes and will be perfectly satisfied with coffee dates instead!) 

Then, I headed downtown to meet Matt, and then the two of us met with the minister who will be officiating our wedding to go over some details.  It was an awesome meeting, and he and Matt hit it off right away.  The minister is a long time family friend of ours, and I was really happy he could do our wedding.  I really liked his ideas and wording and flow and all that, so I left feeling really happy with the way our ceremony would "go". 

Then, we headed home, I had a quick bite to eat, and I went off to see my other friend Katie who was going to cut and highlight my hair for the last time since she's moving back to Nova Scotia!  It was a bittersweet visit, since we knew we wouldn't see too much of each other in the near future, but we had fun chatting and eating some chips and guacamole (and doing hair).

I ended my fabulous day with some vietnamese food and more book!  And visiting with Matt of course.  I felt so satisfied and happy with my day and fell asleep feeling amazing.

I just love great days!  And visiting with friends!  Amazing.

Tender Tootsies

One of the great things about working at a running shop is that sometimes, I get free stuff.  As an "athlete", it's awesome, because I go through gear, especially shoes, pretty quickly. 

Last year, I got a pair of Saucony Triumphs because of a selling competition, which were awesome.  I loved those shoes, even though I'm a Mizuno girl normally.  I just really liked them.  Saucony is known for changing their shoes, and this year's triumphs are quite different, and not really my cup of tea, so unfortunately, the relationship between me and the triumphs is over.  At the staff christmas party this year, I got a free pair of Asics Nimbus, which I was was stoked about since they're pretty pricey shoes, and I love them every time I wear them around the store.  (Another great thing about working at a running shop, I can wear different shoes around while I'm on shift to test them out, see how they fit, check for different aspects of them etc. which helps me when customers come in for specific complaints or requests).  I was saving those shiny new asics in the back of my closet for when my triumphs bit the dust.  A couple of weeks ago, I decided that it was time to bust em' out, and even though I know better, I took them out on a 16 km run.  I know you really aren't supposed to wear new shoes on a long run, but since they were free, it wasn't like I was going to return them, so why not take the plunge and just go.  They felt really good, except the ball of my right foot felt a little tender near the end.  I haven't felt that since I ran my first half in Vermont.  I remember near the end of the race feeling like the balls of my feet were raw.  I kind of put that feeling in the back of my mind, and persevered through a few more runs.  Last week in Maui I went on an 18km run (which was more of a 16km run in the end, oops) and again, I got that tenderness, this time in BOTH feet.  I brought it a little more forward in my mind, taking note of distance, terrain, and socks.  (I wore different socks on purpose, thinking perhaps it was that, not the shoes).  I also have been running on my forefoot, so I thought maybe just high mileage combined with forefoot running was just making my feet tender.

This Sunday, I went on a real 18km run, and the balls of both feet were BURNING after about 8 km.  Man o man I wanted to saw off my feet and just clomp the last kms out.  (a little drastic, I know).  I felt as though I had been running on cheese graters, and they felt just raw raw raw.  I knew it had to be the shoes, and while I was wallowing in pain around the bow river, I remembered that I was wearing asics shoes when I ran the vermont half and felt the rawness.  Not the same model mind you, because I couldn't afford the nimbus then, but still, the same brand.  I decided to pop into the shop on my way home (which is conveniently a block from my house) and ask my manager what he thought.  He immediately said "they're too wide and your feet are moving around too much".  Funny, I felt tonnes of movement every time I ran in them, I just didn't really think much of it.  He said compared to my Mizuno wave riders, these were WAY wider.  Lucky for me, I can make due with the other three pairs I have kicking around until the mother's days sale in May, when I can buy a new pair of riders.  Or maybe something else!  Who knows.  (Funny side note, my feet were so swollen after the run, I tried to put on my Mizuno wave riders and they didn't even fit!  Yikes!)

Something else I noted after my long run on Sunday is that because of running mid to fore foot, my body is much less stiff.  This time last year, I had a hard time walking up and down stairs, and felt stiff and sore all the time.  This year after changing my running style, I'm fine!  I have stiff calves from time to time, and sure I feel fatigued on Sundays, but comparatively, it's like night and day!  This also could have something to do with my skipping runs left right and centre, but lets just say it is from running style, ok??

Last night I went to the swim conditioning class at Killarney pool for the first time in probably 8 months.  I have been swimming, but not as much as I probably should be, so I was a little worried about the class.  Normally, I'm the slow one in this class for sure.  When the class started, right away I moved one lane faster because I could just tell I was faster than the people in the slow lane.  After one lane, I was told by the instructor to move to the faster one again!  I stayed in that lane for the whole class, but I was the fastest in it!  Just to be clear, I really don't care if I'm faster than people, but this was a great reinforcement to me that my swimming is improving, and that my work is paying off.  It feels good to have people say "oh you go ahead" when we're at the end of the pool.  Anyway, I was really happy with the way I was swimming and it felt awesome to see improvement.

That's that!

Wowie

What is with our weather?  It's so nice out these days.  I feel like we are in for a terrible surprise soon (in the form of a blizzard) but I'll take it while it's here!

Life is great here, with the exception of me working ALL THE TIME.  I know normal people are used to having only two days off a week, but I am not.  I've been working like a dog trying to make some cash, and I feel like a zombie.

My saving grace is that my next three pairings have Maui overnights.  I'll get a little rest and relaxation on the beach.  I'm also hoping to get some nice hot runs in around the island.  I just need to make sure I don't get lost.  I have the worst sense of direction and I've tried to run in Maui before and turned around because I was scared I wouldn't find my way back to the hotel.  Funny side note, I also signed up for some free yoga on the beach last year in Maui, and the man running it actually did something close to tai chi, and he was batshit crazy while telling us all about the history of china.  He kept saying "now I bet you're all wondering what I'm talking about and what I'm doing" and we would look at each other and I'm sure we were all thinking "we're actually wondering why this isn't yoga and who the hell you are".  Funny stuff.

Have a great week, and wish me luck.

Tagged

I was tagged by Leana as a "gorgeous blogger" and in turn, I have to share six random things about me, and then tag other bloggers to do it too.  I figured, hey, why not play!

• I don't leave the house without make-up, unless I'm going to the gym.  I just can't do it. 
• I don't really consider myself a "real athlete", even though I've raced quite a bit and am training for a big event.
• I feel like I should be more stressed out about my upcoming wedding, but I'm really not.  I guess I still have lots of time to get stressed out!
• I really love coffee.  
• I love cooking, and I'm getting better and better every day.  
• The thought of being a parent intrigues me.  I flip flop all the time between being sure and unsure I want to be one.

And I'll tag Kirsten, K, lu, and Evey. 

I'll leave you with a terrible quality photo of me in front of the Olympic cauldron!  

Time to grovel

Most of you read my sister's blog, so you know that she is running the Vermont Covered Bridges Half Marathon for team Alzheimer's.  Well, I am too!

She is all over the fundraising thing, and I'm, well, not as much.  I figure now is the time to ask for your help.  I'm no good at asking people for money, especially when I have a hard time donating to things myself.  I'm saving for a wedding and have little to spare.  I know most of you don't have money to throw around, but every little bit counts. There are lots of ways to donate even a little!

1$ per mile = $13.10
1$ per kilometer = $21.30
5$ per mile = $65.50
5$ per kilometer = $106.50

Or any other lump sum.  You have $5 to spare?  Awesome.  10?  Great!  I really do appreciate anything you can give.

Not only is this going to a great cause, but you would also be supporting an "active lifestyle" for our family.  While Kristen and I are pretty active, some people in our family aren't.  This race has given them a reason to exercise, and it will be the start of their new, active life.  Kristen really was the brains behind this operation, but I'm just happy to be part of it. 

Again, I know it's not easy to spare some cashola, but I appreciate anything you can do!  You can e-mail me at moulton(dot)heather(at)gmail(dot)com.

If you'd like to visit the team Alzheimer's website to see where the money goes, here's the link.   There should be some bios on that website in the next couple of days.  Kristen also wrote a nice post about it, and you can read that here.

Thank you for your help!

Too much sitting

Tuesday morning I woke up to my phone ringing at 4:50 am, with work telling me I needed to fly to Moncton, NB in order to work a flight the next day.  I had to get all dressed up in my uniform just to sit in a seat allllll the way to Moncton.  When I got there, I was definitely in need of some activity!  I changed went down to the hotel gym right away.  Luckily, there were a few TVs in there, so I biked and ran my way through the women's boarder cross and watched Canada get the first ever gold medal in that sport!  I had so much fun and actually cheered in the packed gym when we won!  Other people were watching too, so it wasn't too out of place.  I watched some more Olympics that night, and then fell asleep with the TV on!

Yesterday I had the entire day in Toronto, so I spent it at Matt's parents house.  I had such a nice time seeing them (since it had been August since the last time I saw them) and his brothers.  I had almost every minute scheduled and didn't get to watch the hockey game, but I got some updates via text message and we caught a few minutes of it on TV when we were picking up his brother from hockey practice.  I also went to an AMAZING gluten free restaurant with his mum and grandma.  The food was out of this world delicious.  The bread was light and fluffy (not usually something that goes hand in hand with gluten free), and they had a great variety of food.  I wish we had a restaurant like that here!  I got to fill them in on all things wedding and we chatted about the shower coming up in April.  good times.  When I finally got back to my hotel I caught the last 5 minutes of the hockey, and our two medals in bobsleigh!  What a great day for Canada.  I'm just so proud of our athletes.

I've got a run scheduled for today, but my head is currently pounding, so I'll pop some advil and see what happens.  Running and headaches don't really mix too well, so I'll have to wait and see if it goes away.

I wish the time would go by slower; I'm not ready for the Olympics to be over!!

Lead Legs

Yesterday I set out for another 14km run.  This time, instead of it just being a long, slow distance run, it was a "progression run", which meant I had to hammer out the last 2km at speed 2 instead of speed 1.  My training program focuses on three speeds: long distance speed, or speed 1, middle distance speed, speed 2, and then sprinting speed, speed 3.  So even though I was flipping tired, I had to push the last 2 km and run FASTER.  It's as much a mental exercise as a physical one, since after 12 km I wasn't really in the mood to push it, especially since I had a bad run (but more on that later).  I decided that my strategy would be "the faster you run now, the sooner you get to stop", instead of the whole "train to get stronger and this will help me later" idea.  I just wanted to stop running.  I'm not really sure HOW much faster I really ran those last 2 km, but it felt horrible and agonizing, so I figure I pushed it enough.

As soon as I set out for my run, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be my best.  My legs have been feeling like bricks lately, I think having something to do with the whole cycling thing, and I just felt fatigued before I even started.  I didn't run very quickly, and I didn't feel "in the zone" like I often do on my long runs.  Normally my shorter speed runs are the worst for me, and my long runs being a little easier and energizing.  Yesterday, my only saving grace was a great podcast called "Running to Disney", which always makes me laugh because of Gordon's accent and sayings.  He was doing a little q & a episode and he kept saying "dawggone" and wishing he was watching American Idol.  Anyway, I pushed through my agony and finished strong.  A memory of my first half marathon came back during yesterday's run, a memory of me chanting "keep going keep going" and I'm pretty sure "I'm never running again" was thrown in there a few times as well.  Funny enough, I'm training for that very same race, so we'll see how my mental exercises help me!  My speed was SLOW yesterday, which brought me down a lot.  It's funny to think that after a 14km run I felt like I had accomplished nothing, and felt lazy because I hadn't run fast enough.  Crazy, I know, but true.  I really need to work on my attitude!

This morning I set out to the pool, but had a lackluster swim.  I got through my workout, but didn't feel in any zone at all.  I was struggling with my breathing which made me fade quite quickly.  I'll just have to try to relax and improve next time.  On a positive note, I finally remembered my ear plugs and they worked SO well.  No water in my ears for the rest of the day, thankfully!  I can't think of anything as annoying as water in the ear, except maybe chaffed thighs. 

After my swim, I took back my recycling, which has piled up way past what it should have.  I REALLY miss curbside recycling.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics.  There are just way too many things to mention, but I'm loving AND hating them right now!

The best time of the year(s)

The Olympics are here, and I am SO excited.  I love every single aspect of them, and I am glued to the TV.  I actually don't want to leave the house in case I miss something. 

I was extremely lucky on Friday as I was passing through Vancouver.  I went out into the airport terminal looking for some coffee, and I got to hold the Olympic torch!!!  I saw it, and I immediately ran over, asked if I could have my picture with it, and they agreed to let me use my own camera (so I didn't have to pay).  I was SO happy.  The only downfall is that I was in uniform, so I can't really plaster the picture all over the internet.  I'll just keep it and look at it every once in a while.  It was so thrilling.

Since then, I've been so happy and excited as I watch each event.  I tend to get pretty emotional when I watch them, and this year has been no different.  I shed a few tears during the women's moguls event when our sweet little canadians won a silver medal and placed fifth.  I was so proud of them both.  I also really enjoyed the men's short track speed skating, where even though our medal hopeful didn't qualify for the final, another Canadian made it through and placed 4th!  Right now I'm watching Cindy Klassen compete in the 3000m long track speed skating and the crowd is on their feet cheering her on.  I just can't imagine how it feels to be a Canadian Olympian in Vancouver, and I'm really disappointed that I won't be there during the games.  I do have one overnight, but it's pretty quick, so I'm not sure I'll be able to make it downtown.

My training is going alright... though I'm struggling a little with the cycling.  I just don't want to stay on the bike as long as I need to.  Today I had a nice 14km run on Valentine's day, and came home to some delicious coffee and crepes.  There's nothing like food to motivate me!

I hope everyone is enjoying the games!

Pool logistics

I normally swim at a city of Calgary pool; Killarney pool more specifically.  It's not REALLY that close to my house, but it's close enough, it's cheap, there is a gym if I feel like a change of scenery, and that's just where I go.  It's not the nicest pool around, but it will do.  One of my issues is the schedule, since there are very few hours for lane swim after 9:00 am, and even though I set my alarm almost every day so that I can get up and swim, it's rare that I actually get there.  Also, I don't LOVE the other people who swim there.  Now, I have no problems whatsoever with people going to the pool who aren't great swimmers.  That was me one year ago.  It's just that I never know where I fit in with these people.  On Monday nights during swim conditioning class, I am a definite SLOW laner.  Everyone is faster than I am.  During lane swim, however, the slow lane is full of people who are just walking back and forth in the pool, so I go to the medium lane.  This is where it gets tricky.  I'm not fast.  Not at all.  But I swim with my face in the water and I do a real stroke.  Sometimes, there are the "I'm just going to hop in the pool for a change but I don't want to get my hair wet" people in the medium lane.  They're faster than the walkers, but they aren't medium.  Over in the fast lane, people are one second away from qualifying for the olympics, so where do I go?  I usually suck it up, go in the medium lane and just pass people (which isn't terrible for the ego for a second). 

Last night I went to the Talisman Centre for a change.  These issues don't really exist there.  There are WAY more lanes, the people are generally a lot more "serious", and I can get away with slow, maybe medium, with no issues at all.  Also, if you go in the last 90 minutes, it's only a 5$ drop in fee, which is the same as the city of Calgary pools.  Last night, I psyched myself up for a great swim, and when I got there, I realized that their main pools were under renovation.  SO, in the last remaining pool I found two water polo teams, three lanes of swimming, and a lot of people with dry hair.  I felt foiled!  I didn't give up, but I spent my time passing people and getting hit in the face by crazy sporadic arms.  Hey, on the bright side, it simulated the tri race experience!

A little bone to pick

As much as I LOVE my new phone, I feel a little mislead.

I do not get service in the entire province of Saskatchewan, and some parts on Ontario. 

What?!?!  Seriously??  No service on the iPhone. 

When I called Bell and asked them "WTF?!?!?" they just said "we haven't expanded our network there yet, but we will, sometime.  And yes, you still have to pay for continuous coverage even though you won't receive continuous coverage.  And even though you said you traveled for a living, it isn't standard to let our customers know that there isn't service in all of Canada when purchasing the iPhone." 

Well crap.

iPhone blogging

I've been keeping my latest purchase on the downlow out of guilt, since I'm supposed to be saving money for the wedding, but in a few ways, I've let the cat out of the bag, do I might as well admit it: I got an iPhone.

It's incredible. There is another love letter to the iPhone on my blogroll, which I completely agree with. Anyway, I'm blogging from my little baby now, and it's a bit challenging. Texting in a touch screen isn't easy. I'm getting better and better, but it's so easy to write the wrong letter!

This Friday I ended up moving my bike trainer inside because my toes were just too cold! I got an hour and a half done which satisfied me. On Saturday, the tech shop was moving, so I went over around noon to help out. Let me tell you, even though it was a move across the street, it was HARD. I stayed until about 330, then we had to wait until 530 for the shop to close, so I went home and went for a run. I had a lot of guilt because I hadn't woken up early and run, so I thought it would be nice to fit one in. I ended up talking to my sis during it, on my headphones with the little microphone in them, so the time passes pretty easily. She said I sounded like a podcaster with all the breathiness! When I got back to the shop, I was in for a world of pain. I spent the evening squatting, picking up 12 shoeboxes off the floor, and passing them to people taller than I. When I got a break from that, I got to go in the truck and stack them. We basically formed an assembly line to load the truck, then drove the truck across the street, the "assembly line" unpacked it. We litterally moved running shoes from 530 until midnight with a one hour break. I have bruises on my arms, a scratch on my face, (from carting piles of boxes that were taller than I was) and I am stiff all over! Ah! Even though it was hellish, the new store is ridiculously beautiful. Anyone in the Calgary area should definitely check it out!

Sunday was a very bridal day. I went to the bridal fair (woah is all I have to say about that) and suit shopping for matt.

Now I'm in Ottawa, and despite the nice weather yesterday, it wasn't nice enough today for short shorts today, so I did 10km on the treadmill in the hotel gym. Now I'm at the greatest coffee shop in the world waiting for my sis to get off work!

Sorry if this is choppy and weird, I'm new to phone posting! Also, I can't figure out the links, so you can figure out where I would have put links and google them yourself!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Steve Nash Sports Club

On Tuesday, I was in Vancouver for the day, and the hotel I was at was close to the Steve Nash Sports Club.  I didn't know he had opened a chain of gyms, but he did, and I thought I would go try it out.  Because I was a guest of a nearby hotel, I got a discount of my drop in fee, so it was only 8.50$.  Normally, we get free entry to near by gyms, but I splurged because I had a lot of working out to do!

I started out in the 2 lane swimming pool, did about 40 minutes of laps and various drills with my new earplugs, which worked out SO well.  They didn't fall out, and they kept the water out.  I was very happy about that.  I then got changed in the super nice locker room (with individual showers with doors!), took a new grapefruit carb-boom gel, and hopped on the bike.  As I've mentioned, the bike and I don't get along at ALL, so I originally was going to cut my workout to 40 minutes, but I felt guilty, so I did 60 (which isn't too much better).  I was on the random hill program on there, so some of it was really hard and some was a bit easier.  By that time, I was completely drenched in sweat.  I did a thorough wipe down of the bike, and then got on the treadmill.  I did 45 minutes (with two one minute walk breaks) and then a fifteen minute quick walking cool down.  I went back into the locker room, with a little trail of sweat following me, wished I had brought shower stuff with me, and begrudgingly put on my sweater and ran back to the hotel to shower. 

I was so impressed with the facility.  There were classes that were included in the fee as well, but I didn't do any of them since I had a pretty good workout under my belt.  The locker rooms were immaculate, with people cleaning them every time I was in there.  There were lots of cardio machines, lots of weights, lots of bare space... It was really nice.  There were a lot of different TVs as well to keep your mind off the pain.  If I lived in the area, I would definitely get a membership (if I could afford it!)  They also have a 7 day free trial that you can sign up for online.  AND, there was a lululemon and a jugo juice in it!  Crazy!

I was planning on another great workout the next day in Edmonton, but when I put on my gym clothes, there were still wet from the day before!  I was so disgusted.  I went down to the gym anyway, which was a far, far cry from the steve nash club, went on the bike, found it was broken, went on the treadmill, found IT was broken, did about 15 minutes of ab work and called it a day.  Ooops.  At least because my clothes were still sweaty, it LOOKED like I had done a good workout.  I sure smelled like it.

The NEXT day I was going to have a great workout in Victoria, where we get a free pass to a HUGE YMCA type facility, but fog rolled into Calgary and affected my day of flying, so I ended up somewhere else that night and missed my workout.  So, with two days of non workouts, I need to get something done today!!!  As soon as my breaky digests, I'm on it!

Bricks

Today, I hopped on my trainer on my porch with an audio book and a bike workout and started pedaling.  I didn't really want to, because I pretty much can't stand biking, but I forced myself into it.  If anyone has ridden on a trainer, you know it's a little awkward and LOUD.  I like seeing the people walking on the street below me looking around them, wondering where the loud engine like sound is coming from.  Today someone actually saw me and figured it out, which is rare.  (If you don't know what a trainer is, it's a little doohicky that you attach your regular bike into which transforms it into a stationary bike.)  I pedaled very slowly at first to let my bike warm up a bit, and then started into the workout I had written down.  It had a few single leg drills, a few high cadence drills, a hill climbing drill, and some consistent pedaling.  I suffered through about an hour and fifteen minutes and then stopped, even though I was supposed to do a little closer to 2 hours.  I just didn't have it in me, since I had to go for a run as well. 

Before I got on my bike, I set up my water belt and shoes so that I could quickly get ready for my run and re-create the race scenario as much as I could.  Triathlons are challenging because you're going from sport to sport to sport without any rest.  After getting off the bike, it's pretty hard to walk, let alone run, hence the term "brick" was coined to represent the bike to run workout, because your legs feel like bricks!  Today was no different... I could barely get OFF the bike, and it wasn't even moving!  I think my biggest fear is falling right off when trying to dismount.  Anyway I set out on my run and was instantly uncomfortable for a couple of reasons.  One, I was wearing a pretty thin long sleeve shirt, and because I was all sweaty from the bike, I got cold immediately.  Two, I was wearing a sports bra that isn't too supportive, which works just fine for the bike, but for a run, not so much.  Coupled with the thin, loose shirt, I was not happy.  I actually decided to cut my run short by 10 minutes because I was THAT uncomfortable.  Lesson learned, don't wear that sports bra again when planning a run. 

I got home, ate, showered, and then officially signed up for the 70.3!  I have been avoiding the actual registration, in case I want to change my mind and not do it, but today something just clicked and I thought "ok, I'm doing it, and that's that."  So I did. 

In other news, I realized that I won't be able to race the Calgary Police Half after all.  I'm going to be in Toronto for a wedding shower and a "jack and jill" party thing (it's an Ontario thing apparently) so I'll have to try to sell my registration.  Kind of a bummer, but maybe for the better.

Where have I been?

I'm not too sure what to blog about these days, hence why I haven't been blogging.  I really like reading people's blogs, but I don't really feel like I have much to say that hasn't already been said by others!  I really like reading sporty blogs, which helps me stay motivated and also teaches me, so maybe I'll spin my blog into something a little more like that.  For some, that means bo-ring, but for some others it might be more interesting than staring at the same post for over a month.  I've also considered just not blogging anymore, so we'll see how it goes.

I've been running, swimming and biking lots lately, which feels great and makes me feel a little better about my upcoming "year in sports".  I, like my sis, am running the Vermont Covered Bridges Half Marathon for team alzheimers (so if you want to give money to ME instead, I won't say no!), and of course the Calgary 70.3, and I've also signed up for the Calgary Police Half Marathon as a little teaser before the Vermont half.  Last year I ran that race and had the greatest support group which made my race so much better.  I felt good about it, even though I didn't make my goal of a sub 2 hour race. This year, I won't put too much importance on that race since my priorities lie in Vermont, but I'll give it a go and do my best, and hopefully learn for the next one.

I'm having a hard time on the bike these days, mainly out of boredom (since I'm riding on a trainer) and wussiness (since I just gear down when I'm tired).  Also my toes get pretty cold.  I've downloaded a couple of workouts to do on the trainer which will make it harder for me to just quit halfway through, and also some audio books to keep my mind off the toughness.  Cycling is my major weakness so it definitely needs my attention.

Swimming is going pretty well.  Again, I've got a few workouts, both technique and endurance, which help me stay on track and prevent me from just stopping when I'm tired.  Unlike running, where if I stop, I have to still walk home, swimming and biking (at the moment) are done in one spot so if I want to stop, I can.  This means I need extra motivation to keep going.  My main issue with swimming right now is the water in the ears.  Yesterday, I swam at noon, and at 4:30 I still had the ocean sound in both ears.  Terrible.  I have actually given myself whiplash trying to get the water out of my ears!  It's not the HUGEST deal, except when I go from the swim to bike, I get discombobulated and off balance because of the water splashing around in my head.  I have purchased some wax ear plugs, so stay tuned to see if they work.

OK, that's what I've got going on.  Any feedback, advice, or comments, feel free!

Back at it.

Lately, I've been having some motivation issues with running, cycling and swimming.  I've set a very lofty goal for 2010, which is completing a half ironman on August 1st, and I will also run one, if not two half marathons before that.  I've got all my training schedules, all my gear, a bike, a bike trainer, new bike shoes, fancy running tights, and all sorts of other things, but I'm finding it hard to just START!!  I've gone for runs, a couple of bikes, but nothing serious at all.  I know I need to get serious if I want to be able to set some PRs in the runs and acutally be physically able to finish the 70.3, I just can't find it in me to get going.

Today, that changes.  Starting today, I have officially begun my training for my 2010 races.  I went for a great swim this morning (I believe it's my first since my sprint triathlon WAY back in July) and a nice long bike ride at Killarney.  I felt good.  I was happy and was looking forward to the rest of my training.  I need to adjust my bike a little so that I can use my trainer on the porch, so until then, I'll try to do my cycling at the hotel gyms.  The swimming part will be a bit tougher to fit in on the road, but I can at least do the other workouts and then get the swims in at home.  I'll figure it out.  I think my life will revolve a bit around my training, but I'm ok with that.  It will be a great distraction from all the wedding stress!

So there you have it.  I've published it to the world.  Now I really have to do it.

Matt's Beard + Bathroom Sink = Doesn't Worky

For the last week or so, our bathroom sink has been clogged.  It took about 10 minutes for anything to fully drain and it was majorly annoying.  Normally, I would use something like Drain-o to fix any clog, but since I'm trying to be a little less chemically (and there's nothing worse than Drain-o out there... if you're in the vicinity of it,  it gets hard to breathe) and I left it at the old apartment, I decided to try something else. 

Thanks to this little post over at a super awesome website that my sister showed me, my drain is totally clear of Matt's beard. 

I poured in some baking soda, then some white vinegar, and then five minutes later I dumped in a pot of boiling water.  Ta da!!!!

The sink is fully functional, my lungs and throat are free of corrosion, and our little sewer system is happy with this natural non poisonous drain cleaner!

If you are looking for some home made natural cleaners, that post is incredible.  Most of the recipes on the site include things I already have, and the castile soap they mention using (Dr. Bronner's) is awesome.  A bottle costs around 14$ and it will last you a year.  You can clean pretty much anything with it.  We use it as hand soap in the bathroom (diluted with tonnes of water) and it's not drying or scented.  A great purchase.

So there you have it:  Our drain is beard and chemical free!

A little product review

I was very excited to get home from this pairing (not that I didn't have a fabulous one, one that included a sleepover at Kristen's and a lunch time run with her and her coworker) because I had a new pair of running tights waiting for me at my store!  I had ordered a pair of CW-X compression running tights and I was just itching to get out and try them.

From the website:  

The CW-X Pro Tights unite the major joints of the leg to offer optimum muscular support for activities with linear movement, such as running and Nordic skiing. The patented Support Web™ brings the hips, knees and ankles into proper alignment, reducing impact and load to the legs. The Support Web also creates a suspension system for the hamstrings and quadriceps, reducing workload in both the pull and push phase of the running motion. Combined with targeted variable compression to increase circulation and reduce fatigue, your muscles don’t have to work as hard over time and your legs will feel fresher. 

So I set out today to test them out.  First of all, these puppies are TIGHT.  To put them on, you have to gather the whole leg up in your hand like you would if you were putting on nylons.  If you just pull them on like normal pants, the crotch of the tight will never get high enough.  I'm not sure about anyone else, but I HATE it when my pants sag a bit at the crotch and I always feel like I'm struggling to get a full range of motion when I run.  So after quite a struggle to get them just right (not to mention the banding around the tights is supposed to contour your muscles so I had to shift them around a bit) I ended up having to yank them up pretty flipping high on my waist.  Because they are supposed to be like a second skin, obviously the waist is tight too.  I would have taken a picture but I didn't want to put you through that.  Muffin top-o-rama. 

Anyway, I got ready, chose a shirt that wasn't tight so I wouldn't show the world my muffin top, and set off on my run.  I sort of hoped that I would be able to run forever without being tired or sore, but alas, no miracles.  I had a bit of knee pain, but I'm pretty sure that's unrelated to the pants.  I ran about 12 k and my knee only hurt a bit at the end, so I'm quite certain it wasn't the tights.  My muscles aren't really too sore right now, which is good, but my muscles don't get super super sore after this kind of distance normally.  I think I'll really be able to see a difference (if there is one) after longer distances, since it's been a while since I've gone over 12-14k.  I liked the way they felt while I was running... It was almost like I had more support (which I guess I did) and I liked the tight feeling.  I felt a little more aware of my muscles because of the banding, which I can't decide if I like or not.  They were just there. 


All in all, so far so good.  We will see how it helps later on with the longer distances and higher frequency of my training.  I hope! 

Things are coming along

We've settled in even more, re-arranged a few things, and finally started tackling the 2nd bedroom.  We bought a whimsical shelf that looks kind of weird and terrible in the picture, but when put in an otherwise plain jane room, I think it adds a little excitement.  We just need to find a futon of some sort so that we have a functional bedroom for guests.  Anyone have an extra one??

In other news, I bought a wedding dress.  Exciting.

I haven't had a lot of motivation for running lately, but I did buy some cycling shoes so as soon as I get my pedals I'll go take those for a spin.  It will be scary I'm sure.  I think I should bring a buddy in case I fall and get hurt. 

I never ended up getting to Ottawa last pairing so hopefully next week I'll make it.  I haven't seen Kristen in eons so I'm getting a little ansy.

Alright, off to shower and have some lunch with Vanessa.  We may look around for bridesmaid dresses or something like that.  Oh weddings.

Worky worky

I just got home from work, and I have to leave again tomorrow morning! What a drag. I love my job, but sometimes I just get tired. Really, I'm just a wuss because I had a bazillion days off and I don't want to go to work. BUT, I will hopefully see my sister so that's a good thing.

We got a new machine on the airplane. You can now use a credit card to buy sandwiches and snacks and booze on board. Isn't it what you always dreamed of? Anyway we have to ring every purchase, cash and credit, through the machine. It will ultimately be faster, but while I'm learning, it's a little tough. I didn't get much experience on it this past few days because people were just doing it for me instead of teaching me. Hopefully the next few days will be a little better.

I don't have much else to report.

Off to worky!

More homey than before.

We are definitely getting closer! I didn't include pictures of the second room because it's still in shambles. But we have a home! I also made a carrot cake. It was alright. It tasted good, but could have had a bit more spice. And the cream cheese icing was very rich.

longest week ever!

Our place is looking a little better. Mum has come over a couple of times to help out and today we made a lot of progress. Unfortunately, I forgot that all of the hangars are in the bedroom and since Matt is sleeping in there, I couldn't grab them to hang up what needs to go in the front closet. I'm not sure that there's a subtle and quiet way to grab hangars from a pile on the floor, and I didn't think he would appreciate my attempt.

We've hung two pictures on the wall, and have one more to go. We unpacked and put away most of the books, kitchen stuff, random paper crap, and all sorts of other things. The main thing that needs to be done is the bedroom, but that is a tough one since I can't work on it in the day (when Matt is sleeping), but I sort of need two people to help me move the furniture so that I can get it all organized. I'll have to catch Matt when he is either getting ready for work or just getting home from work (but at that time, I'm the one in a heap in the bed). Or maybe I'll just wait until the weekend. I think I can suffer until then. Before you call me a wuss for needing him to help me move furniture, it's because one of our dressers is quite fragile. Last year, I came home from Nashville North on the Stampede grounds, had perhaps had a drink or two, and fell on an open drawer and broke the crap out of myself and the dresser. We managed to fix it, but then when we moved it here, it all kind of went down the tubes and it is barely holding together. I can't really drag it across the carpet because it will probably crumble to the ground. Hopefully if we lift it, it will survive.

I'm really happy to be here, and it's strange to think that this is OURS. How fun is that??

Our new digs

I'm tired. Moving sucked. Here are some pictures of my life as of today.

Matt is somewhere in that heap sleeping. He starts working nights tonight. Boo.

Canmore!

I had a glorious weekend!

On Friday, Matt and I went to Canmore with Kaitlin and Jordan (his cousin and her husband) to stay at my dad's condo out there. We all ran the Canmore Rocky Mountain 10k on Sunday, but we decided a weekend away would be nice. We had such a nice, relaxing Saturday, (and we had the most delicious savory crepes from "divine cravings" ever!) and then we were all up and ready to run for Sunday morning.

None of us had really put in the training we had hoped, but we were excited nonetheless. This was Matt's first race ever, so he was nervous. His goal was to beat Kaitlin. Kaitlin and Jordan had run the HSBC 10k in the spring, so they were just hoping for some PRs on this race. I, well, didn't take my training as seriously as I could or should have, but I was hoping for a PR since the last 10k I ran was my first race ever!! I finished that one in 1:01 and I just hoped that I would be faster. I didn't have high hopes, that's for sure.

First off, the race course was amazing. It was partly around the neighbourhoods, and partly along the river and on this cute little forest path. I felt so relaxed and so peaceful throughout the race, which is a first for me! I usually suffer most of the way. I did get a stomach cramp as soon as the race started, and I struggled with it the whole time, but it wasn't crippling like some of the ones I've had while running. I'm not sure why I had it, so I'm going to have to investigate, since it seems to be a pattern. I also haven't ever run a part road/part trail race, and it was quite nice on the legs, I must say.

As for the results, they were also amazing. When I went to put my watch on the morning of, I realized it was dead!! I wasn't planning on bringing my iPod since I wanted to be "one with nature", so I was a choked about my watch. I decided to just wing it and go without anything. I do take little walk breaks when I run so I decided to break for about 30 seconds every 2 k ish or at the water stations and hope for the best. Well, it worked! I had no clue what kind of pace I was holding or how long I had been running, and I crossed the finish line in 52:14!! I couldn't believe it! I haven't run that fast (or so I thought) ever!! I may be underestimating my skills because my nike iPod plus isn't calibrated properly, so I'll have to check on that.

Anyway, back to the results. Matt crossed in 58:53, which he was happy with, especially for a first race. Kaitlin finished in 1:00 on the nose, and Jordan crossed in 1:16. Both of them got significant PRs, and they were very happy. The course itself was very conducive to PRs, since there was no trace of even a slight incline anywhere. It was SO flat. I suggest to anyone if they're looking to run a first 10k or half marathon, this one would be a great one to do. Unlike Kristen and my first half marathon that was full of hills, this would be a little less challenging.

After the race, there was free beer (sad for me, double happy for Matt), kicking horse coffee, fruit and bagels. We then walked off our stiffness around Canmore, getting some more coffee, and went back to the condo for some relaxation. The rest of the afternoon was nice since we all had the post race high! You could tell we were all just so pleased with ourselves.

My mum and her friend Leah also did the race, and they also did well. My mum hoped to walk the 5k in under 50 minutes, and she ended up finishing in 38 minutes!! Leah ran it in 33! Yay for them!

All in all, it was a huge success. Matt also loved his first race experience, so we're hoping to do some more in the near future. I was so proud of him for hanging in there and doing SO well after not having run much leading up to Sunday. Good for us!

from 0-100

My life has been very eventful in the last few weeks. Here's a run down:

• I turned 25.
• On my 25th birthday, my sneaky boyfriend proposed.
• (I said yes)
• One week later, we put an offer on a condo.
• Today, we will turn the conditional sale into a firm sale, meaning we bought it. (Unless something terrible happens within the next 5 hours.)
• Matt and I opened a joint bank account.

I think that's it. More has happened to me since my 25th birthday than I ever could have imagined. I'm very happy.

OH, I also won 10$ from a scratch ticket!

Why I hate the dentist.

I have never liked the dentist. Never.

Routine cleaning? Horrifying. Fillings? Awful. Can't stand any of it.

I went for a cleaning two weeks ago and they told me I had to come back to get three fillings re-sealed. I have very weak teeth, so when I was younger I had lots of cavities. It wasn't because I didn't brush well, it was just my teeth. So now as I have aged, the fillings need to get replaced every once in a while. I was told at my cleaning that I wouldn't need freezing, they would just re seal. RE-SEAL. NO FREEZING.

I get there today, they tell me I'm in for three fillings. I asked why she said fillings when it was just re-sealing, and I also mentioned that I wouldn't need to be frozen. She told me that no, I was in for fillings and that I probably wouldn't need freezing because they would just be drilling a little. I immediately started sweating, my whole body tensed up, and I just about soiled myself. I asked what it would feel like, and she said that it just feels cold and then a small zing at the end. Dentist comes in (who, I should mention, has been my dentist my entire life and knows that I'm a wuss and that I usually take 3x the Novocain), they start drilling (as I type this I am cringing) and I hung on as long as I could, but then I got a sharp sharp pain that reverberated through my skull and I gurgled some kind of "stop!".

They put in the freezing, and continued. All of a sudden, this searing sword like feeling went up my tooth, into my brain, through my eyes, down my spine, and through my body. My whole body flinched, I yelled, my arms flew around, and they stopped, and I started crying. CRYING. Tears were just flowing out of me and I couldn't stop. I felt like SUCH an idiot, but really, who expects this awful pain AFTER they freeze?!? I can still feel it. I shuddered, squinted, my hands were clenched together. I honestly have never felt that kind of pain.

Then there were two more to go. I won't re-tell the whole story of the others, but they had to go in and put three shots of Novocain in both the bottom and the top of my right side, and two shots in the left top. I have never had a worse experience at the dentist (except that one time at the oral surgeon where they out out a cyst that was in my lip and I had stitches in my face for a week and couldn't smile... that was worse). Half way through the last tooth he switched to a larger drill, and I swear I could feel the vibrations over my whole body. When he was going to put in the 5th shot of Novocain, I apologized for needing more, and my dear old dentist said "it's alright, don't worry, though normally this happens when you're 16, not 24!" and laughed. Awesome. I'm pretty sure that was the first time I've ever cried at the dentist. I told the hygenist that on my way out and she just laughed. I just wasn't mentally prepared for drilling. And the pain. My god the pain. I was frozen until about 4:30 pm (and my appointment was at 11:00). I was just awful.

I don't think I ever want to go back. Maybe I should get that sedation dentistry. Shudder.

Lists are easier since you don't have to form complete sentences

Things as of late:

• Matt and I are looking to buying a place to live. Scary.
• We are looking into getting a puppy. A little scary.
• I am going to work tomorrow and get to spend a whole day and a half in Ottawa.
• Lobster was on sale and we got some, and for the first time ever I felt horribly guilty cooking it. It was awful (to kill it, not to eat it) and I'm not sure that I'll cook it myself again.
• It's freaking HOT out. Holy hell.
  
• Ellen Degeneres is judging on So You Think You Can Dance this week, and it's hilarious.
• I completed my Sprint Triathlon a couple of weeks ago and it went really well! I swam my little heart out and I was super stoked about the whole thing. Fun!
• Did I mention that it was really hot?
• What else? I really have enjoyed the new season of True Blood so far. It's awesome.
• I've been practicing a hairstyle for a wedding Matt and I are going to in Toronto. It's sort of a modern day finger wave. I think after three tries I may just have it. (Why did I choose a complicated hairdo? No real reason. Just because.)

How is everyone?

Kristen it's your birthday, Happy birthday Kristen

It's my big sis Kristen's birthday today! I wish I was there to celebrate with her, but alas, I'm not. I will, however, be there a bunch in the next couple of weeks so we'll have lots of opportunities to celebrate then.

I love you! Have a super fantastic wonderful birthday. It's the last one with a 2 in front of it!

This is an incredibly flattering picture of us from last year after we ran our first half marathon. I'm pretty sure I wanted to kill whoever was holding the camera.

Ya Mon!

There's something about Jamaica that makes white people say "ya mon" all the time and it's just awful. Jamaicans can say it, but if you're white, it's really not necessary.

We had a great time in Jamaica. It wasn't unbearably hot, but it was hot and humid. It wasn't TOO sunny but sunny enough. We had delicious rum creams and ate some alright food. We laid out on the beach, went swimming and drank at a swim up bar, watched crabs running around the beach, and had a few impromptu photo shoots. Here are a few photos to demonstrate.

Rum Creams!

We walked into the room and this was on our bed one night!

A little airport nap!

No pics yet

I haven't uploaded my pictures from Jamaica yet so I'm saving the post about it until I do.

Tonight I went to field hockey. Last week we had a great game and I even scored. Tonight was a different story. We were playing a team that was WAY better than us and we lost majorly. Still, I feel like we played well as a team and we communicated and we did the best we could. We couldn't ignore than the other team was running circles around us and was just flat out better. We were one person short of a full team as well, so we had no subs and had to run around like crazy for the full hour. We have people of varying skill levels as well, so as much as we try, sometimes things just don't go our way.

At the end of the game, one of our stronger players who is pretty vocal on the field (which is good, but can come across a little harsh) decided to give us a little speech. It went a little something like this: "This weekend I was in a tournament that was about 10 hours. I ran harder that entire 10 hours than most of you did tonight. You all need to run faster and harder and get the f#$%ing ball. That's where I stand right now."

We all just kind of stood there and no one said anything. No one really addressed it and we walked away. In my opinion, the message was true and valuable, but don't you think it could have been delivered a little differently?

How about "I think we need to run way harder, we aren't getting to the ball quick enough" or even "Heather you need to run harder" or "__________ you need to run harder"... But is it really necessary to talk about how well SHE did and how we are worse? I thought the delivery spelled out B-I-T-C-H in a major way.

What do you think?

Too Much

These last few weeks have been busy busy busy. I ran my first triathlon, which was crazy. I went to Jamaica with Matt for a vacation which was great. Then I went unexpectedly to Vermont from Jamaica because my grandmother died. My whole family was there, and I got to spend time with people I haven't seen in over 10 years, so that was a positive aspect of the unexpected extended vacation. Otherwise, it was very sad and hard and heartbreaking all at one time.

I'll write about my fun times at the race and the beach later.