Another Weekend, another Long Run...

Whenever I run my long runs (which have now become for real...any run that takes more than 2 hours  is very real to me!) I have lots of time to reflect on everything going on in my head, from lesson-planning for school, to menu ideas for dinner, to lots of philosophical questions that don't necessarily have an answer.

Here's a list of things I like, and, other things that I don't love about being out there, just me and the road, for hours at a time:

- taking it easy. Some of my long runs include tempo and speed work, but most of them are just an easy pace. It is nice to slow down to 8:30-9min/mile pace and relax!

- music. I am not big on listening to music while I run. Only when I'm alone for a long run do I pull out the playlist. But I only have one playlist. With only about 30 songs. None of the songs are particularly good for running, but they are all songs I like, so that's fine by me.  (I have actuall contemplated books-on-cd from the library, but that might be odd?)

- knowing that I am doing something just a tiny but crazy. I rarely ever wish I had a more lazy hobby.

- accomplishing a really long run feels so great.  The feeling never gets old. Taking for granted the fact that I can run 28 + kms, up and down a very hilly route is something I am proud of. Every single time.

- recovery food. Mmmm, putting calories back into one's body after a good workout is so satisfying!

- getting a tummy ache after recovery food, on the other hand, is not so pleasant. You would think I would learn these lessons after all of these years...

- I'm gone long enough for my kids to actually miss me a little while I'm gone.  It is a nice feeling to return home to their smiling faces.

-  unfortunately, I am gone long enough for the house to become a lot messier than when I left :( not always, but sometimes. I love you, Papa, but these boys make a mess when you're in charge ;)

- watching the miles rack up on the garmin.  I don't usually wear the garmin when I do my daily runs, as I know my distances/pace (generally). It is crazy to look down at my watch and see just how long I've been out there, and how far I've actually gone (one step at a time).

- seeing other runners. Because the longer runs usually take me into 'town' I usually see a few other folks out for their long runs too.

- I really do prefer doing long runs with a partner or group. It is so nice to chat the miles away. Sometimes, though, it just isn't meant to be, and I get to spend some time actually paying attention to my thoughts...

I am happy that I won't have to do any route-planning for a whole week now, and I can relax knowing I put in the miles for yet another week. Hopefully my swim Monday morning will make my body feel recovered :)

happy (long) running!

Snow Day!!

Around these parts, winter is long, and a regular part of doing business. Some winters are mild (last year) and some winters are all over the map (this year).  In the past three weeks, we have had super-cold winds (when I actually went on the dreadmill) then rain (I ran in Capri pants with my sleeves rolled up at 6am) and now, a real, live winter storm (!!)

The neighbourhood was quiet and so, so snowy!

The snow started last night. I didn't have a whole lot of hope though. With school the next morning, it always feels like a long shot when they are talking (praying, hoping) about a possible snow day (!).  As a teacher, I am just as eager as the kids to hear those two wonderful words at 6am, "school's cancelled!"

When my alarm went off, I got up with little thought to the snow. Then I looked out, and decided I had better check the news 'just in case'. I was going in early to swim before work, so I really would have hated to drive all the way there before a snow day was declared :/

After a bit of back-and-forth (texts, website checking) it actually happened!  Yippee! Snow Day for my entire family!! (Hubs happened to have the day off anyway.  In his line of work they don't actually declare snow days. Ever.)

So. Much. Snow.

Papa and the boys should open a shovelling company. It's kind of a one-man-with-two-cute-snow-angels kind of deal though. But guaranteed laughs.

I decided that I should take advantage of being home for the day, and get a run in.  Boston doesn't wait on the weather (as I learned last year) so I should just suck it up and be happy for the experience (I'm not gonna lie here...if I had actually been at school today, I would have mustered up the gumption to get on the treadmill for sure...).

So, off I ran.  I wore my yak trax, but really should have worn snow shoes. Woah. Some areas were good workouts of "high-knees" (my calves will be screaming by morning) due to the foot and a half of snow I had to trudge through. I did feel like I was running in quick sand at some points.  It wasn't bad once I found my groove, literally (the lonesome tracks, or 'grooves' left by the one or two cars that braved going out today).  It was nice to be out in the middle of the street without worrying about any cars (which did make me question why I had bothered).  I saw lots of kids toting sleds down the streets, teenagers shovelling away, and all of those luxury people with their snow blowers (ah, money).

I came home after 10km (in an hour.  Snow=Slow!) and I looked like a snow man...

Even my eyebrows were full of snow!

Here's hoping we can keep the driveway clear for more than 15 minutes at a time for the rest of the day...


p.s.  I take full credit for this snow day, by the way.  I was up late making 2 dozen cupcakes for Elliott's class.  I figured that if I didn't bake them (on the off-chance that there was a snow day) I would look like a bad mom, and if I did, the effort would balance out into some sort of planning-karma that would end in this lovely day!  It worked!!

Now we have 2 dozen (kind of unfortunately-decorated) cupcakes to take to a party tomorrow night! Win, Win.

Brrrrrrr

I am a very proud Canadian. I love the change of seasons we experience throughout the year, and it is lovely to watch the snow fall in the winter especially. Of course, there is a "but" to insert here...

As much as winter is a pretty time, it is also so, so cold occasionally. Just over a week ago, we were running in mild temperatures, watching the snow melt.  This week all of that came to an abrupt halt.  I ran in huge fluffy flakes on Saturday (with high winds, ugh) and by Monday, I questioned whether my nose was still attached to my face, as I couldn't feel it anymore after the first five miles.

I do think I am good at dressing for the weather, as I have been running in the cold (with no alternate option) for many years now. It is just that I enjoy feeling my cheeks (all of them!) when I return home, especially returning from longer runs.

So. With the cold getting colder by Tuesday, I decided to take my runs inside for a bit. My school has a gym, equipped with a couple of treadmills (thank goodness I am not into 'bells and whistles' because these machines are very basic) so I decided to utilize my lunch hour to get my runs in. Running at lunch, combined with my before-school-swimming, means TWO public showers each day.  I feel like I am packing for a small vacation every morning when I leave the house, as that is a lot of gear to haul around!

I have always disliked running on the treadmill. It is sooooo boring, running along, going absolutely nowhere. I decided to glance at the time occasionally, and imagine where I would be at that point on my usual route. Worked like a charm. I distracted myself by playing with the incline, trying to mimic the hills I usually encounter when outside.   Before I knew it, I had finished my run, and I was warm (ok, hot) and I didn't have to worry about taking off many layers, drying out mittens, and scraping snow and ice off of my shoes!

So I went back for the rest of the week!  Indoor pool.  Indoor run. I am simulating my very own summer!  Except no sunburns. Or Mosquitos. Or vacation.

My two oldest monkeys decided to try on some of my swimming gear before bath time, and they chose their poses...

look, Mama, I'm swimming!

I guess this is a 'chilling by the pool' pose?

By tomorrow, the weather should be a bit less brutal, and I will return to the slush roads.

Happy Running...bundle up!!

Tales from the Slow Lane

I can't believe how quickly time flies these days.  It must be all of he fun I am having.  Or the three kids and a hubs that works crazy shifts?  I am so glad I wouldn't have it any other way. Fitting in two extra activities into the day, instead of just one, is part of the chaos, I am sure.

But I am loving swimming so much that I am trying to get to the pool to practice as much as I can. I have a long way to go before I am out of the "slow lane" but it won't be due to a lack of determination, I can say that much at least.

Some observations from my new swimming life:

1.  Goggles kind of suck. I love how great they are at keeping the water out of my eyes, yes. But I hate that they fog up, (I've tried *spit* ewwww, baby soap, etc. and they're a tiny bit better) and I hate having stuff on my face (I wear contacts almost exclusively for that reason).

2.  One-piece "real" bathing suits are just as hard to remove when wet as I remember from being a kid. Seriously. Wiggling out of a soaking wet clingy tube at 6am in a locker room is not what I imagine is my most cute and graceful moment of the day.

3.  "shower before entering the pool" is definitely their way of making sure everyone is good and awake before heading into the water.

4.  Speaking of showers.  Taking showers in locker rooms is kind of a drag. But showers with motion sensors are just mean. Keeping the water going for the entire length of my shower (and NOT having it blast water on me while I am trying to towel-off) is a skill that I am hoping I will pick up along with the ability to front crawl!

5.  Other swimmers are so great. Lots of friendly people at pools early in the morning. I am assuming they are just like all of the other runners I know. Happy to nod and say hello, and encouraging of my baby steps toward progress. (I also hope they will throw me a flutter board if I look distressed in the middle of the pool)

6.  I really love being in the water. Especially if I've had a long run or a hard speed session.  It is such a comforting feeling to be enveloped in the water.

No, I am not going to be re-naming my blog to reflect this new fun thing I'm doing...I still quite enjoy all of my runs too. Except yesterday's treadmill run. As much as I enjoy the novelty of wearing shorts and a tank top to run in January, I find it so hard to push my runs any longer than 40mins on the treadmill (and that is even when I have a great co-worker running along on the treadmill beside me!).

Today I enjoyed a nice 9km outdoor run and the sun was shining and it was great. More sunshine, less wind/rainy snow, please!   Am happy to have snow, just not the melty slushy variety. That gets all up in my shoes.

Happy swimming/running!

Report from the Pool

Well.  I know everyone is on edge as to whether I sank in the pool today.

Nope.

And, as an added bonus,  I actually really think I could get into this swimming thing.  I was fearing my lack of coordination would have me flailing about like I didn't have a hope in a bathtub, but I tried to keep an open mind and listen to everything the instructor was asking me to do.

I have a long long way to go before I would consider myself less of a spaz in the water, but I can actually see that happening! Yay!

No photos to document the event...strategically photos of me in a bathing suit in January are rare to find, and I would like to keep it that way ;)

I should note that my friend Jay did well in the pool too.  He did well in not making me feel bad about my swim skills (or lack of) as well!

Happy running...and swimming, whatever the case may be ;)

Run like a...fish?

I know I said I would post about New Year's Resolutions.  The thing is, I am not really one for resolutions, especially in January.  It is the middle of the school year, and things don't really feel "fresh and new" even.
When I think about resolving to do anything, I realize that I am already doing a lot of stuff that I am really happy with, and proud of. I am already doing things that I know I will continue. Getting up at 5:30am to shiver through the neighbourhood run is kind of a habit. It would feel strange not to do it.  Spending as much time as I can enjoying my family is something I would love to do more, but I do it as often as I can, and I couldn't possible resolve to do it more.

So.  Back to the fact that it's January, and the fact that I am not making any actual resolutions. I do, of course, have goal races, deadlines in my work, and hopes and dreams for 2013. Boston marathon is a big race I am looking forward to once again, and if I could resolve for it to be beautiful weather on race day, I would. I am hoping it will be a fun race, and I am working and training hard already in preparation for it. I have another few races in mind for this year, and I am excited to train for them.

I do, however, have a huge milestone coming up. Tomorrow.

Wednesday is the day I will learn to swim.

Or at least jump into a pool with an instructor that will start the process with me.

It will may take more than one (or ten) lesson for me to feel as though I have actually learned, but, through pure determination alone, I will find success.

Why now, you ask?

Well.  I have always said I would like to "learn to swim". This should not be confused with floating, blowing bubbles under water, getting 'comfortable' in a pool. I loved getting in the water as a kid, I would float, doggie paddle around, and play and play until my skin shriveled. I just never took lessons, so I have never done lane swims, and, let's be honest here...I always think it is pure magic when I watch competitive swimming meets. The kicking, breathing, paddling, Oy. Seems like a lot of coordination to me!!

I said once that I would like to try one  triathlon at some point, before I am 40 (I said this before I even turned 30...it seemed so far away).  Every season, I ponder carving out the time to learn the swimming part (which, to me, seems like a good part of a triathlon to invest some time/training in, as it seems like the part that has higher chance on injury/possible death if you just try to 'fake it').  I usually find some reason to put off lessons. Then. I mentioned it casually at work. Then the snowball started to roll.  Then, it was sink or swim, so to speak, when my colleague/friend Jay said, "I'm in, let's do it.". Jay made some calls, and that was that.
Jay is leaps and bounds ahead of me, as he is looking to perfect his stroke and would like some coaching, so we are going to share an instructor (read: Amy will hog the instructor while he is too distracted by swimming to notice).

Tomorrow is the bathing suit day. Flip flops not runners. Goggles not sunglasses.  Every Wednesday I will learn more for the next 10 weeks or so.

I Am excited to get started. Now if only I could find my water wings...


Stay tuned...

2012 recap...in photos!

Well, 2012 is coming to an end. In a matter of hours, it will be a brand new year, and in a lot of ways, I am happy about that!

It was a busy year...I became an aunt two more times, with two nephews born in January...

Papa's twin bro's baby

My bro and his baby

Papa and I ran the Disney Half marathon together:

...followed by my Goofy full marathon the very next day, and some Disney fun that (we hope) the kids will remember for years to come!

I trained my butt off with Nicole Stevenson while blogging for iRun (a definite highlight of the year). I managed to muster up the courage to return to work when Olly turned one...which made me realize my house would probably never be clean again :(
That wasn't completely true, but close to it!

Me and Olly after a long run together while training for Boston

My family endured the overwhelming shock of my dad's heart attack, and subsequent surgery...so hard, but he is doing very well these days!


We traveled to Boston for the hottest (almost) PW (personal worst) marathon!  But it was so worth it.  I had a major sunburn, but the medal will hang on my wall forever!

I ran a PB at the Goodlife marathon a couple of weeks later...

Check out that giant medal!

Then another PB when I won the CHOK Bridge race!

Summer took us on a road trip to the maritimes, and before I knew it, it was time to return to school in September :(

Olly and Papa at the Shediac Lobster

We survived the long haul from September until December...without too many bumps and bruises...(only one trip to the ER isn't all that bad, eh?)

All of that Halloween candy must have kept our immune systems up (?)

I feel so lucky to have amazing friends and family in my life.  I thank my parents for being the most awesome couple, having raised three great kids (if I do say so) who love and care for each other and their families.
Here's to 2013...resolutions to come!!

Chaos is our family name!