Surprise!

Surprise! Nice to see you. Been a while. Despite what you think I have actually been running. Not as much as I'd like to or as much as I should be, but I still managed to get out. At least a few times...

In a nutshell, the past few weeks of my life have included several work trips, two weddings, birthdays, bridal shower, stag and doe, a few friend visits and just thinking of it all again is exhausting. Luckily, I have this week and most of next with no events and I'm looking forward to getting into a routine again. Also, I am happy to say that I ran this morning. Yep, not at the end of the day or midway, but legitimately in the AM. This is some serious progress. Mind you, I still needed my coffee before I even opened my eyes but nonetheless, I'm happy I did it. 

While I haven't hit my half marathon goal yet (sadly), I'm happy to still stick with my overall goal and continue to work on being healthy. And really enjoy some cheesecake and merlot along the way :)

Just do it.

I can't lie. I did not want to workout today. At all. Nope not one bit. And yet, here I am, with a sweaty ponytail stub feeling so happy that I actually went. No more excuses, right?

It's been two days since my last run. Saturday provided another glorious atmosphere to head outside. I eyeballed what I thought would be a decent, safe route and away I went. A whopping 6 km by my watch certainly looked to be a much greater distance by car. However, the good news was that I didn't get run over.

Despite my complete and total lack of enthusiasm to run today (I really wanted to go out as I had a pretty sweet outfit) I got into a good groove off the bat and had a solid 8 km run. And you know what, it was easier than I anticipated.

So, lesson learned and I applied the Nike slogan "just do it" today. Tomorrow is another day with greater odds to head to the gym with a smile. And the balance of my days? Well, I'll just have to create them them the way I see fit.

Run with me later?

I. Love. Long. Weekends. And even more so when the sun is shining and its a glorious temperature outside to run in without risk of hypothermia or heat exhaustion.

Today started out just right...with a sleep in. I had an early night last night but really looked forward to a few extra hours of sleeping in. Plus, after an intense weight session on Tuesday, my body really thanked me. A few rounds of coffee in, I felt really motivated to start on some spring cleaning. Problem is, it was the kind of cleaning that led to more cleaning. And now I have a house in disarray which will likely take the balance of the weekend to find a home for all my accrued treasures.

One of the greatest things about where I live is the beautiful countryside and proximity to conservations and trails. There came a point today when I looked a the clock and realized my window of opportunity to head outside before attending a family function, was shrinking. What a perfect day to run on a quiet road. Traffic should be minimal, everyone is busy with family. Wrong. Who knew there would be a traffic jam on a back road. Why didn't I think about all the city folk and their desire to see how maple syrup is made? A good portion of my run was explaining to the line up of cars where the park entrance was and that no, despite my fluorescent orange shirt I was not an employee directing traffic. I was simply wearing it so they didn't run me over in their excitement to see the sugar bush.

So, I had a lovely run of just over 5.5 kms and felt good about actually running outside again after many, many months. It inspired me to stick with it and I'm pretty pumped to go again this weekend. Okay so it was clearly more difficult than a treadmill but I know with some persistence it too will get easier and better.

Hi, you might remember me from...

So, it's been a while. While I received a few notes of concern from people thinking I disappeared or died, I was actually up against some obstacles...

2 days after my last post, my illness came back with a vengeance. So much so, the doctor gave me multiple prescriptions to get rid of my pneumonia-wannabe germs. It was another 2 weeks of coughing, sniffles and just down right gross feeling. Luckily, this round of super pills cured what I had and I think I only contracted it to 2 people.

In addition to this, I had a solid 3 weeks of travel. California, Calgary, Edmonton and Chicago brought incredible opportunities but also early mornings, long days and late nights and different time zones to contend with. And good food....okay yes also some delicious cold beverages too. Lame-o-schmamo excuses. Especially since I packed my gym gear everywhere I went. What a good lesson in discipline and a wake up call, as reflecting I am disappointed in myself. The whole point of setting goals is to work towards them, right? Plus, there are so many shining examples around me of people balancing way more than me. No excuses. Who knows, I may even attempt an early morning wake up and get a run or workout in before my day starts. (Haha, ya, not likely but if I tell someone they may hold me accountable).

So, ten days ago I had a run in between a trip. Today I pushed through 7.5 km with some relatively decent times. I'm not going to lie, it was more difficult than I wanted it to be but I know with perseverance I can get back to a schedule, my plan, my happy place.

"Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life."
Good to Great by Jim Collins

Next steps

So, I am happy to report I no longer have cooties! Turns out I had a lung infection which required a round of antibiotics to kick it and I should have gone to the doctors sooner. Either way, I had a huge chunk of time not being active and lots of long sleeps and couch Olympics.

What a surprise to get back running yesterday and doing so with ease. I got through 7.5 kms and decided it was best to start with that this week and not over do it. Today after work I hammered out a great weight session focusing on legs and core. And I can't lie...if my soreness now is any indication of how tomorrow will feel, it will be one heck of a slow day.

The past few weeks I've been checking out upcoming half marathons. It's time to pick one for the spring so there is a commitment, a goal, to push myself every week and work towards it. Time to action it and move forward! This past weekend I had the pleasure of discussing running with extended family and I learned that someone I know was once such an elite runner. He shared advice on selecting a run, tips for a good marathon and he did so with such passion...even now as a non-runner in his 70s. The best advice was to just do it, even if I just do it once, and to not put any expectations on myself for time or speed.

So there you have it. Words from the wise. I only hope to make to his age and beyond to share mine one day :)

I'd like to go here...

While google proves to be a valuable tool for finding information on a variety of topics, diagnosing health conditions should not be one of them. Type in any symptom and you are bound to discover that you need a limb amputated or have a condition much more serious than you could ever dream possible.

This past week has been an ongoing struggle to kick a cold/flu to the curb. My days have been super tiring, my body feels exhausted and sore and I have a cough that has left me sounding like an 84 year old cigarette smoking man. Needless to say, running and workouts have been non-existent.

Waking up this past weekend, I was bound and determined to go for a run, however, this hacking cough has its death grip on me. Being stubborn as I am (tough to believe I know) I punched in "running while sick" in google and low and behold, thousands of articles telling me varying pieces of advice. The majority said if sick with a lingering cough, back off. So here I sit and wait it out until breathing is normal and I'm not a wheeze bag.

The good news is that the majority of articles also indicated that any progress will not be lost. Super, because quite frankly I'm getting ready to dive right back in. I guess every now and then your body had a way of telling you to slow down. But hopefully, next time it will tell me to go here...

Beautiful inspiration

Well, it's been two days of rest. I am getting over a cold or flu and I'm thinking its my body's way of telling me to slow down. I accept, and I welcome the additional hours of sleep!

Over time, I've learned that my parents help me feel better and encourage a faster recovery. A visit with my dad today reminded me that he is all around. A beautiful inspiration