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.