Some variety

Tomorrow is February. Are you kidding me! Where did January go? I'm not quite ready to tackle a new month and have a birthday at the end of it! Why is looking forward to birthdays now as comfortable as looking forward to a visit at the dentist?

I had a good day off the gym on Tuesday, and Wednesday was a solid full body weight session. My weights and reps are increasing and I'm noticing my body becoming stronger and even signs of definition. Bonus! My fitness app is amazing and I've discovered how to make my own routines, discovered video tutorials and an amazing listing of all foods and nutritional information. Today was a cardio day and while I went with the intention to run, after about 1.5 kms, I opted on an hour spin class for some variety and to work different muscle groups. It was refreshing to mix up the routine and to be honest, I think my body thanked me for the change of pace.

Looking forward to tomorrow being Friday and all the wonderful things weekends bring. (Sleeping in, pyjama lounging, hangouts with friends, etc.) But most of, looking forward to some quality N time to recharge, relax and reflect on all that was and all that can and will be.

I've got a feeling...

Well, today started out with a big ice storm which meant it was the perfect day to work from home! I must admit, I'm a big fan of having a house to myself and found that the day flew by. Plus, homemade soup was in the crockpot by the time I would have been at work and all laundry remnants from the weekend were finally done and put away. And...I cleaned my oven.

I stuck to my schedule and took off to the gym after work with the intention to have a small run and a weight session. Once I got going however I figured it was as good as any day to keep going and I managed to cover 14 kms in about an hour and a half. So my time wasn't the greatest but It felt good to be able to ramp up a bit and I was proud that I did so without an injury.

Looking forward to an early morning presentation for work to a major potential account. Feeling like it will be one of those weeks when hard work all round will start paying off.

Runday Sunday

This morning I woke up looking forward to lacing up, grabbing my Nike+ watch, plugging in my headphones and having a solid run. It was an early start to the day as I had an extensive and labour intense dinner menu planned so a little bit of N time was totally welcome.

The past couple of days ended up being "off" days, sadly, not by choice. My last jaunt at the gym was on Wednesday - a quick 5 km plus a full body weight session. Thursday and Friday were pretty packed after work so I was looking forward to a longer run on Saturday. Well, a dinner out on Friday made sure that wasn't happening. Woke up early on Saturday AM and was sick as a dog. Not sure if I ate something bad but it threw my stomach off all weekend. Total loss of appetitive on Saturday left me pretty tired and weak and definitely not up to a run which would burn more calories than I had consumed. Anyways, had a great night out with some friends and played pool for the first time in years and got some rest for today.

I was pretty pumped to have covered 12.5 kms today and also shave off 30 seconds per kilometre. Every movement felt strong, every step was done with ease and every breath was with passion. I finished off with push-ups and planks and felt very satisfied with today's run.

Having a few days off definitely bummed me out, as being away from what you are so passionate about is brutal. But the moment you have it again, makes you feel so alive, so electric, that the wait is worth it.

Jan 21

Apparently today is supposed to be the most depressing year of the day. Bills from overspending at Christmas are stuffed in mailboxes, new years resolutions given up, lack of daylight and of course crummy weather would all contribute to it. Determined to not support this statistic, I made sure there was no shortage of smiles in my day.

On Friday I had a great run after work. After finishing just over 11 kms, I started my cool down but as soon as I slowed to a walk I experienced some pretty terrible pain...in my groin. No amount of stretching seemed to help so I hobbled home to put my feet up. In addition, I dropped my iPod on the treadmill which then launched it across the gym to hit an elliptical and the girl on the elliptical. Smooth. Luckily, she thought it was funny and walked it over instead of whipping it back at me. Saturday was a long day from lack of sleep and lack of motion. I took the day off working out to rest and luckily it worked. I was still sore on Sunday, but a definite improvement. I was feeling good enough to get a good weight session in and focused on strengthening my weak muscles.

I wasn't too sure what to expect with today's run but was happy when I realized there was no pain or problems! I eased into a good pace quickly and was feeling really good. I covered another 11 kms but felt like I could have run for hours.

On a day that should have been dreary and depressing, it felt so good do something with such passion and happiness. And while real life can drown you with bills and problems, remember that nobody has ever drowned in sweat...

You know me...

Sitting down to write tonight, I've realized it's been ten days since my last post. It's also made me think about how much one person can cram into ten days. It's been a productive and fun mix of work and play but it also has me looking forward to the weekend.

Last week I had another great 10 k run, along with a few smaller runs and weight sessions. My new iPad app is proving to be a great tool and helps keep my workouts fresh and still monitor my progress. The weekend was packed with good times with friends and lots of laughs.

Monday had me travelling for work and I took the opportunity to spend an extra day across the border to do some shopping. Okay so I may have splurged on a few things....but I can assure you they were needed! And...I also had the best peanut butter chocolate cheesecake of my life. In my defence, nowhere in my training program does it ban me from cheesecake. Or a long sleep in from a cheesecake coma.

Today was a tough day at the gym. I was feeling tired but was looking forward to a workout. I pushed through 5 k and followed up with a weight program designed for runners. I left the gym feeling really good. Tired, but good. This weekend I will increase my distance again and hopefully see some better times.

As much as it felt good to get back to the gym today, I can't deny how great it was to have my cake and eat it too.

These three words

Confidence - The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something.
Passion - When you put more energy into something than required to do it.
Zest - Great enthusiasm or energy.
Today - The perfect combination of the above.

Back to the grind today and having a routine felt really good again, even despite an early morning. I woke feeling rested, refreshed and ready to take on the day. The work day flew by and I was really looking forward to a good workout. Originally I planned to do a quick run and weight combo, but once I started running, it was difficult to cut it short. Everything felt just perfect - my stride, breathing, form - everything was bang on. I managed to cover 10 km in an hour and 4 minutes and it felt great.

Yes, I did increase more than I should have. Yes, I veered from my plan. But I knew I could do it, and did I ever want to hit a double digit distance. Besides, how would I know without trying?

2013 will bring a lot, but first...my confidence.

Days like these

I love days like today. My alarm was set early this morning, and after realizing it was Saturday, it was quickly dismissed and a sleep in resumed. With the day open to partake in anything, I got my domestic duties out the way so I could dedicate my afternoon to the gym.

Being a short week, there was a lot to fit in. On Thursday I had a solid weight session and followed with a quick 2 km jog in the hope it would help with any future muscle soreness. Not sure it helped much as Friday was a slow moving day for me. My week finished off with a great Friday night of hogging my beautiful nephew. He is a week old now and it's amazing how much love you can have for someone so soon. Even after being pooped on.

Today's run was easier than earlier this week. I varied my speed over the 8 kms I covered and finished feeling satisfied and stronger. Also wanting to vary my weight routine, I downloaded an app with hundreds of tutorials for weights and workouts. And there was my afternoon.

Of all my muscles, I'm happy that my smile muscles get the most exercise. No matter what the workout, they are always okay the next day.

Day 2

Well, back to work today. It felt good to get into a routine again however getting up at the crack of dawn was challenging. I relished the opportunities to sleep in and recharge over the break and may have fallen victim to overindulgence.

Yesterday was a breathtakingly beautiful day. What a great way to welcome the new year. The Christmas decorations all came down and the house was put back into order. My gym playlist was refreshed and being the OCD organizing extraordinaire I am, even my closet got some attention and was sorted by colour and style. After spending time on my humble abode, I bundled up and started trekking around the yard. My house is surrounded by conservation and farmland and the woods always seemed so magical as a child. Okay, they still seem that way even now as an adult, and it felt so refreshing to wander around and take in blankets of sparkly snow and the rays of sun through the thick trees.

After work today I mustered up enough energy to run 8 km. I'd be lying if I said it was easy, it really wasn't until just after 4 kms that I got into my groove but I still did it. 2013 will be a year that I will continue to push myself, farther than I know, on multiple levels. Little accomplishments, even just finishing a run when it's tough, will continue to help me grow and make me stronger.

Looking forward to greeting tomorrow at the crack of dawn...and seeing what else I can do in a day.