What a weekend that was!
Last Friday I said that, if all goes well, I will get 63.5k worth of exercise done before the weekend was over.
Well, I got'er done.
I cycled 28k on Friday morning. It went well and I was grateful for the chance to move and get my heart rate up before a long day at the office that involved much more sitting than I would ever want.
After work, Doug and I enjoyed a wonderful evening on the golf course with friends we haven't seen in over a month.
Things have been going well on the golf course lately and every game I have played in the last two weeks has been better than the last.
I logged a 105 which, for someone who has been struggling to break 120 for months, felt pretty wicked.
Saturday morning, we got up early and I headed out for 14k. I was not sure what to expect because a) my shoes are probably 200km too old for long runs but the new ones I ordered weeks ago are in running shoe neverland so I had no other option but to try it b) the humidity was pretty oppressive and c) when I tried 12k the weekend before, I had to quit after 11k due to a pesky plugged ear low blood pressure drop like the ones that plagued me last spring.
All that being said, I headed out with a water belt full of Nuun, back up salt tablets and a goal to run at a pace that kept my heart rate down. I did, my shoes didn't cause too much discomfort, my ears didn't start plugging until 12k and I ran 14k without much of a problem.
A quick shower, coffee and lunch later we were back on the golf course for the afternoon.
The golf gods much have been feeling generous because I had an even better game than the day before. At the end of the game, the golf pro drove by and said "I heard you played a 105 yesterday". "That's nothing" I replied. "I just shot a 102 today".
That got me a big grin and a fist bump.
Sunday morning, we were up before the sun and en route to Toronto. I met up with my sister and we headed to Toronto Island for the Lake Swim event.
The lake looked as flat as a pane of glass and was 20C. I pulled on my wetsuit expecting a fun, easy, fast race. Which it was for the first 100m or so. Until I ran into the rolling waves that were not noticeable from shore but were surprisingly high and rolling when you were face down swimming in them. As someone who trains in very flat and calm open water, this was when things got a little hairy.
I quickly developed some swimming skills I didn't have before. After a few mouthfuls of water, I learned to breath only on one side so that I never turned into the wave to breathe. The were a few times when I turned to breathe and a wave rolled over my open mouth but, for the most part, my trick worked. I also discovered that I get rather nauseated in that kind of environment. Who knew seasickness was a concern in open water swims? I sure didn't. I learned that every time I raised my head to sight, the dizziness got much worse so I cut down on my sighting. I usually sight every six strokes. I was doing it every 9-12 instead, trying to space out the stomach lurching.
At one point I debated turning around to see how my sister was holding up and make sure that she was ok. I figured that, if I was struggling, she certainly was too. In the end, I couldn't stomach the thought and just kept moving with the goal to finish as quickly as possible. I just hoped she was doing ok.
All that being said, I finished 1,500m in 31:25 and, after stumbling over to a log and sitting with my head down for a few minutes, I felt much better. My sister finished a few minutes later and announced with a smile that it was the easiest open water race that she had ever done.
Guess there was no need for me to go back for her eh?
The weekend was over in a flash and roared by at a pace that I couldn't sustain for too long. But it sure was fun!
Monday, in case anyone was wondering, is most definitely a rest day.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Monday, August 17, 2015
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Carrots and Hiccups
Anyone else out there get hiccups every time they eat raw carrots?
This has happened to me ever since I was a very young child. Carrot sticks = hiccups is just part of my routine. Celery sticks do not cause hiccups. Nor do any other fresh veggies. Grated carrots don't either. Nor do cooked ones. But one bite of a raw carrot has me reaching for the water for my get rid of hiccups quick trick that I mastered decades ago.
Most people think the whole carrot hiccup thing is odd.
My mother does not.
Because she has the exact same issue with them and has as long as she can remember too.
No one else in the family does. Just the two of us. So we laugh and take comfort in the fact that, if we're crazy, at least we're crazy together.
The other day I cut myself some carrot sticks and celery sticks for an afternoon snack. One bite of the carrot stick and the hiccups started. I got rid of them with my drinking water trick and then headed off to the couch with the rest of my snack. It occurred to me as I reached for my iPad to continue my magazine that perhaps I should do some internet research to see what's up with this whole carrot hiccup thing.
Guess what I learned?
1. I learned that there are a whole bunch of people out there who get hiccups from eating raw carrots. No other veggies. Just raw carrots. And by a bunch I mean like a whole bunch.
2. I learned that there is no obvious answer as to why this happens. It is not a carrot allergy - that much I concluded. A few websites said that we are eating the carrots too quickly but I know that, for myself anyway, even when I pay attention and chew slowly, I still get the hiccups on the first bite. I know I am only an n of one but there were others who seemed to think that this hypothesis was horsepoop too.
3. I also learned that one woman started a website as a support group for people who get hiccups from raw carrots so that they could feel less alone. I read through the comments and every single person wrote something along the lines of "Omigod I thought I was the only one".
So guess what I did?
I called my mom of course.
And told her that we were not crazy.
This has happened to me ever since I was a very young child. Carrot sticks = hiccups is just part of my routine. Celery sticks do not cause hiccups. Nor do any other fresh veggies. Grated carrots don't either. Nor do cooked ones. But one bite of a raw carrot has me reaching for the water for my get rid of hiccups quick trick that I mastered decades ago.
Most people think the whole carrot hiccup thing is odd.
My mother does not.
Because she has the exact same issue with them and has as long as she can remember too.
No one else in the family does. Just the two of us. So we laugh and take comfort in the fact that, if we're crazy, at least we're crazy together.
The other day I cut myself some carrot sticks and celery sticks for an afternoon snack. One bite of the carrot stick and the hiccups started. I got rid of them with my drinking water trick and then headed off to the couch with the rest of my snack. It occurred to me as I reached for my iPad to continue my magazine that perhaps I should do some internet research to see what's up with this whole carrot hiccup thing.
Guess what I learned?
1. I learned that there are a whole bunch of people out there who get hiccups from eating raw carrots. No other veggies. Just raw carrots. And by a bunch I mean like a whole bunch.
2. I learned that there is no obvious answer as to why this happens. It is not a carrot allergy - that much I concluded. A few websites said that we are eating the carrots too quickly but I know that, for myself anyway, even when I pay attention and chew slowly, I still get the hiccups on the first bite. I know I am only an n of one but there were others who seemed to think that this hypothesis was horsepoop too.
3. I also learned that one woman started a website as a support group for people who get hiccups from raw carrots so that they could feel less alone. I read through the comments and every single person wrote something along the lines of "Omigod I thought I was the only one".
So guess what I did?
I called my mom of course.
And told her that we were not crazy.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Decisions
Hi folks,
I was missing in action for a bit there but I'm back now. I am fine and so is Doug but, due to a rather difficult loss in the family, we ended up with an unexpected week off at home which gave us lots to time together and gave me lots of time to think.
Think about health and fitness and family and priorities.
And I made some decisions.
I decided that I not going to run the Niagara Falls half marathon at the end of October. Yes, I had built myself back up to 20k and was running well. Yes, it's already taper time so technically the hardest runs are already behind me. But I decided that I didn't want to make this run a priority over the next few weekends. It made more sense to commit a bit more time to family right now.
I also decided that I don't have to blog every week from Monday to Friday. I have been doing that for a few years now and I love it. But last week I simply stopped doing it because we had more important things to focus on. I missed it but I was glad that I didn't have to make time to write every day on days when it would have been hard to do that. So I plan to continue with Running on Carbs. I love writing it. I love knowing that other people out there read it and get something from it, but I won't worry so much if I can't write something every single day.
I decided that I really like golf. Doug and I had several hours free every day so we managed to get on the golf course almost every day last week. I logged a lot of kilometres in my golf shoes, I topped up my vitamin D levels and I might have even improved my game a bit in the process. Some people find golf frustrating. I discovered that the golf course is one of the most healing places to be.
I decided to sign up for curling again. Partly for the joy of playing a sport that I love. Mostly for the friendships that come with it.
I decided to try to call my parents more often. I decided to take a bit of time to make healthy meals with lots of leftovers for lunches and those hectic days when it's tough to cook for dinner. I decided to initiate more get togethers with friends. I decided to do a lot of things, most of them small, most of them not even noticeable to others, because I was reminded once again how fragile and how fleeting life can be.
I was missing in action for a bit there but I'm back now. I am fine and so is Doug but, due to a rather difficult loss in the family, we ended up with an unexpected week off at home which gave us lots to time together and gave me lots of time to think.
Think about health and fitness and family and priorities.
And I made some decisions.
I decided that I not going to run the Niagara Falls half marathon at the end of October. Yes, I had built myself back up to 20k and was running well. Yes, it's already taper time so technically the hardest runs are already behind me. But I decided that I didn't want to make this run a priority over the next few weekends. It made more sense to commit a bit more time to family right now.
I also decided that I don't have to blog every week from Monday to Friday. I have been doing that for a few years now and I love it. But last week I simply stopped doing it because we had more important things to focus on. I missed it but I was glad that I didn't have to make time to write every day on days when it would have been hard to do that. So I plan to continue with Running on Carbs. I love writing it. I love knowing that other people out there read it and get something from it, but I won't worry so much if I can't write something every single day.
I decided that I really like golf. Doug and I had several hours free every day so we managed to get on the golf course almost every day last week. I logged a lot of kilometres in my golf shoes, I topped up my vitamin D levels and I might have even improved my game a bit in the process. Some people find golf frustrating. I discovered that the golf course is one of the most healing places to be.
I decided to sign up for curling again. Partly for the joy of playing a sport that I love. Mostly for the friendships that come with it.
I decided to try to call my parents more often. I decided to take a bit of time to make healthy meals with lots of leftovers for lunches and those hectic days when it's tough to cook for dinner. I decided to initiate more get togethers with friends. I decided to do a lot of things, most of them small, most of them not even noticeable to others, because I was reminded once again how fragile and how fleeting life can be.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Priorities
Guess what I didn't do last weekend?
I did not run the Chili half marathon that I had trained for all winter. The race that had me running 18k in -25C weather with winds that seemed to come straight from the North Pole. The race that had me running 20k in Florida to make sure I got the distance in. The race that I clearly listed as the first of my 2014 goals.
I'm not one to take goals lightly and I love putting a big check mark next to each big goal that I set.
So why did I skip out?
The weather?
Nope. It was a cold winter's day to be sure but it was nothing out of the ordinary and nothing I could not have run in.
Injury?
Nope. Thank goodness. My training runs went well. My body feels ok. Things are tight and sore from running in the snow for so many months but there are no problems going on that would keep me from the start line.
To be honest, I don't have one good reason for not running. I do however, have a few pretty good reasons that added up to be enough for me to feel that not running was better than running.
I had not signed up before we left for our trip. I wanted to make sure I would get the last few longs in run during our trip before I paid for the race. I did get them in but, when we came back from our two-week adventure, I did not think that adding another $100 to my credit card was a particularly sensible idea.
Right before we left for our trip I received an invitation to my cousin's baby shower. On the same day as the race but too early in the day for me to run, shower and get there before everyone left. While we were in Florida visiting New Smyrna Beach, the place where my family, including my cousins, had spent our summers, it suddenly seemed silly (and selfish) for me to say that I couldn't celebrate with her because I had to run. Plus, there are so few opportunities for family time these days...and so many races I can run.
I thought a lot about it. I agonized during last week's taper and went back and forth between running and not running.
Ultimately, I decided that the reasons not to run were bigger than the reason to run. And the only reason I could come up with to run was so that I could meet all of my goals for 2014. That, I finally decided, was not a good enough reason.
I did all the training. I ran all the long runs. I kept running all winter despite the never-ending cold and snow. I know I could have run the Chili half and added another medal to my collection. And sometimes the knowledge is all I need. So I didn't get the medal. Or the race photos.
Instead I got to spend a great day with my sisters, my mother, grandmother, aunts and cousins - celebrating our growing family and the ties that hold strong through the decades.
I did not run the Chili half marathon that I had trained for all winter. The race that had me running 18k in -25C weather with winds that seemed to come straight from the North Pole. The race that had me running 20k in Florida to make sure I got the distance in. The race that I clearly listed as the first of my 2014 goals.
I'm not one to take goals lightly and I love putting a big check mark next to each big goal that I set.
So why did I skip out?
The weather?
Nope. It was a cold winter's day to be sure but it was nothing out of the ordinary and nothing I could not have run in.
Injury?
Nope. Thank goodness. My training runs went well. My body feels ok. Things are tight and sore from running in the snow for so many months but there are no problems going on that would keep me from the start line.
To be honest, I don't have one good reason for not running. I do however, have a few pretty good reasons that added up to be enough for me to feel that not running was better than running.
I had not signed up before we left for our trip. I wanted to make sure I would get the last few longs in run during our trip before I paid for the race. I did get them in but, when we came back from our two-week adventure, I did not think that adding another $100 to my credit card was a particularly sensible idea.
Right before we left for our trip I received an invitation to my cousin's baby shower. On the same day as the race but too early in the day for me to run, shower and get there before everyone left. While we were in Florida visiting New Smyrna Beach, the place where my family, including my cousins, had spent our summers, it suddenly seemed silly (and selfish) for me to say that I couldn't celebrate with her because I had to run. Plus, there are so few opportunities for family time these days...and so many races I can run.
I thought a lot about it. I agonized during last week's taper and went back and forth between running and not running.
Ultimately, I decided that the reasons not to run were bigger than the reason to run. And the only reason I could come up with to run was so that I could meet all of my goals for 2014. That, I finally decided, was not a good enough reason.
I did all the training. I ran all the long runs. I kept running all winter despite the never-ending cold and snow. I know I could have run the Chili half and added another medal to my collection. And sometimes the knowledge is all I need. So I didn't get the medal. Or the race photos.
Instead I got to spend a great day with my sisters, my mother, grandmother, aunts and cousins - celebrating our growing family and the ties that hold strong through the decades.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Running on Carbs Returns
Hi folks! Happy New Year and welcome back after a two week hiatus.
It feels like a lot longer than that in some ways and yet, as vacations often do, it sped by much too quickly. Ready or not, it's Monday January 6th and I'm back to blogging, back to work and back to my pre-work, 5:30am swim workout.
All after having stayed up way too late last night watching the first episode of Downton Abbey Season Four.
Actually, let's be honest. There is no way I'll be able to survive a 4:50am wakeup call after going to bed at 11pm. So my swimming career resumes on Wednesday.
Actually, let's be honest. There is no way I'll be able to survive a 4:50am wakeup call after going to bed at 11pm. So my swimming career resumes on Wednesday.
Even with a bit of a sleep-in, heading back to work on less than 8 hours sleep after two weeks off should guarantee an interesting day full of misplaced pens, dropped books and forgotten details. Thank goodness for green tea.
The last two weeks were a wonderful mishmash of quiet time with Doug, family gatherings, friends new and old, delicious meals, red wine, television shows, leisurely magazine reading, trying new recipes and, despite all odds, getting in almost daily workouts.
For those of you who know what Coles Notes actually are, here are the Coles Notes version of the holidays.
In the Kitchen
We hosted my family for a pre-Christmas dinner and tried our hand at blue cheese scalloped potatoes, stuffed tomatoes and a ham. We rocked it all. Thankfully we had a lot of leftovers because they descended again the next evening after their power went out.
The ham bone was then transformed into a very delicious French Canadian split pea soup that kept us warm during the oh so cold days after Christmas.
On another cold night we attempted a shrimp jambalaya from my Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook which was tasty but a little too labour-intensive for my liking. Way too much standing by the stove and stirring to make sure the rice didn't stick.
We then made a homemade pasta sauce using an army of oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and a wee bit of cream. The roasting tomatoes smelled fabulous and the sauce was assembled in minutes. It was delicious and went very well with the steak Doug made. The only problem was that Bubba Gump's idea of four servings looks a lot like our idea of eight servings so we ended up with a lot of pasta and sauce.
Keeping Fit
Over the holidays we started almost every day with a bike or a run. It was nice not to set the alarm and to get up whenever the sun started shining into the bedroom. We ran a lot - on warm days with clean streets, through snowstorms and on snow and ice-covered roads.
I also happily headed down to the basement several times to ride the bike and even managed to bend those crank arms twice. In those two workout alone I did 580 squats. Insane.
We ran the Boxing Day ten mile race in Hamilton. I went into it not expecting to do anything other than run the thing and have fun doing it. Little did I know what was about to happen. It turned out that changing up my running route back in November and adding a few hills to every run made a difference. I ran stronger than I have in a long time. As I approached the 9k mark of the race and easily ran to the top of the nastiest hill of the route, I began to think I could actually PB. I had run the race twice before and did it in 1:45:something and then last year I did it in 1:42:42. I did some quick math and figured that, if I did not stop at all AND if I managed to keep each of the last 7 kilometres under 6:20 min/k, I could finish the race in under 1:40:00. I pushed hard. I ran into the wind and refused to yield. I ran up and down the smaller hills and refused to slow. The closer I got to the finish, and as each kilometre's time beeped on my watch, the more realistic my goal became and the more I refused to give in. I hated the thought of backing off and then seeing a 1:40:something on the clock at the finish.
As I ran the last kilometre up a gentle but tiring uphill, I spotted the finish line and then, as I got closer, I spotted the time clock. I saw it change to 1:39:00 and I picked it up a bit. I crossed the line at 1:39:25 and, for the first time in my life, knew what it felt like to dig deep and pull off a time that didn't even look like an option when the gun went off. It's been over a week and I'm still grinning about it!
I also headed back to the pool twice last week after a month of dry land work. I swam 1700m the first day back and felt it in my arms, back and abs for two days afterwards. I rested up and then went back last Thursday and did 2000m, feeling stronger already. I signed up for the next Masters class on the way out, knowing full well that the first few sessions are going to be rough. I'm rested now and ready for another few months of tough workouts. Triathlon season is fast approaching and I want to be at my best. Which means sucking it up for a few weeks and finding my swimming fitness again.
Other Bits and Pieces
I had an appointment for a hair cut and colour a few days ago. I was looking through my magazines for a photo of a hair colour I liked. I found this one and brought it in with me.
In the Kitchen
We hosted my family for a pre-Christmas dinner and tried our hand at blue cheese scalloped potatoes, stuffed tomatoes and a ham. We rocked it all. Thankfully we had a lot of leftovers because they descended again the next evening after their power went out.
The ham bone was then transformed into a very delicious French Canadian split pea soup that kept us warm during the oh so cold days after Christmas.
On another cold night we attempted a shrimp jambalaya from my Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook which was tasty but a little too labour-intensive for my liking. Way too much standing by the stove and stirring to make sure the rice didn't stick.
We then made a homemade pasta sauce using an army of oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and a wee bit of cream. The roasting tomatoes smelled fabulous and the sauce was assembled in minutes. It was delicious and went very well with the steak Doug made. The only problem was that Bubba Gump's idea of four servings looks a lot like our idea of eight servings so we ended up with a lot of pasta and sauce.
Keeping Fit
Over the holidays we started almost every day with a bike or a run. It was nice not to set the alarm and to get up whenever the sun started shining into the bedroom. We ran a lot - on warm days with clean streets, through snowstorms and on snow and ice-covered roads.
I also happily headed down to the basement several times to ride the bike and even managed to bend those crank arms twice. In those two workout alone I did 580 squats. Insane.
We ran the Boxing Day ten mile race in Hamilton. I went into it not expecting to do anything other than run the thing and have fun doing it. Little did I know what was about to happen. It turned out that changing up my running route back in November and adding a few hills to every run made a difference. I ran stronger than I have in a long time. As I approached the 9k mark of the race and easily ran to the top of the nastiest hill of the route, I began to think I could actually PB. I had run the race twice before and did it in 1:45:something and then last year I did it in 1:42:42. I did some quick math and figured that, if I did not stop at all AND if I managed to keep each of the last 7 kilometres under 6:20 min/k, I could finish the race in under 1:40:00. I pushed hard. I ran into the wind and refused to yield. I ran up and down the smaller hills and refused to slow. The closer I got to the finish, and as each kilometre's time beeped on my watch, the more realistic my goal became and the more I refused to give in. I hated the thought of backing off and then seeing a 1:40:something on the clock at the finish.
As I ran the last kilometre up a gentle but tiring uphill, I spotted the finish line and then, as I got closer, I spotted the time clock. I saw it change to 1:39:00 and I picked it up a bit. I crossed the line at 1:39:25 and, for the first time in my life, knew what it felt like to dig deep and pull off a time that didn't even look like an option when the gun went off. It's been over a week and I'm still grinning about it!
I'm not exactly grinning here but I'm pretty happy and very proud!
I also headed back to the pool twice last week after a month of dry land work. I swam 1700m the first day back and felt it in my arms, back and abs for two days afterwards. I rested up and then went back last Thursday and did 2000m, feeling stronger already. I signed up for the next Masters class on the way out, knowing full well that the first few sessions are going to be rough. I'm rested now and ready for another few months of tough workouts. Triathlon season is fast approaching and I want to be at my best. Which means sucking it up for a few weeks and finding my swimming fitness again.
Other Bits and Pieces
I had an appointment for a hair cut and colour a few days ago. I was looking through my magazines for a photo of a hair colour I liked. I found this one and brought it in with me.
The colourist and my hair dresser liked the photo so much they convinced me to try the cut as well as the colour.
So for the first time since Grade Nine, I have bangs! And my hair turned out a lot redder than it looks in the photo. A tribute to my Irish 'roots'.
I also took advantage of the Boxing Week sales and bought some boots that are pretty fun, a few sweaters...and may have splurged at the Coach Boxing Week sale.
Dexter and I came through all the holiday feasts and are still friends. He kept me in line and helped me prevent highs and lows before they happened. In fact I am proud to say that I had several 'no hitters' during the holidays. No hitters are days when I don't hit the high or the low line on my Dexcom graph (high is set at 12.0 and low is set at 4.0). I've also figured out an overnight basal rate that seems to be working well. Once I settle in and my dinner insulin has left my system, I flatline until the morning (which sounds awful but, in blood sugar speak, it's not - trust me).
Other than that, I have a bunch of goals set for 2014 and a few more in the works.
Those, my friends, will have to wait until tomorrow.
It's good to be back - I've missed you.
Friday, November 15, 2013
The Week Without Bullet Points
What happened this week?
I rediscovered my love for Margaret Atwood. I am rereading Oryx and Crake (which is just as good the second time) and have the next two books in the trilogy lined up and ready to go. I am endlessly fascinated with the way she writes - the language, the undertones of irony, the societal warnings, the humour. Such a Canadian treasure.
I showed up to work on Thursday wearing purple. It was World Diabetes Day which means I should have worn blue but I only have two blue tops and neither were really warm enough for the day. I figured no one I worked with would really care since I'm the only pancreatically-challenged one of the bunch. I arrived to discover that one of them had discovered the importance of blue on November 14th and sent an email out to the rest of them. Almost everyone showed up at the staff meeting in blue. So nice!
I renewed my Canadian passport. It expires in early 2014 and we are already planning a winter escape so I figured I'd better get on it. I got my photo taken and application submitted within 40 minutes. The new one arrives in 10 days. And won't expire until I'm, wait for it, 49 years old. Eeep!
I discovered that regular nail polish can survive two swims in the pool before it really starts chipping. Metallic ones, as pretty as they are, don't survive one chlorine dip. I put on a pretty copper colour on Sunday evening. I went swimming on Monday morning and every nail has chipped or worse by the end of the swim. Sad day. Guess I'll have to save that colour for weeks when the pool is closed.
I was reminded what happens when we close up the house and turn the heat on. I wake up every single morning convinced I am getting sick. My throat is dry, my lips feel cracked. Then I have a few sips of water and remember, again, that it's the dry heat that kills me. Instead of grumbling about the heat, I thank the gods I'm not getting sick fix the problem with a few extra gulps of water.
I run in the dark now, like a vampire, with my red light flashing on my toque and my reflective vest warning cars that, yes indeed, that is a human approaching. Tuesday morning there was a light dusting of snow on the rooftops, the sky was clear and the stars were twinkling. On Thursday morning the wind was howling and the sky was full of clouds. Both mornings I dragged myself out of bed and spent the next 30 minutes trying to convince myself not to crawl back in...until I walked out the door. The wild, unpredictable and beautiful weather this time of year is my favourite. Funny how I forget every time the alarm goes off and yet NEVER regret forcing myself out of bed once I get out into it.
I realized that Christmas is in something crazy like 42 days and I haven't even thought about Christmas gifts. For anyone. I'm just so excited for my family to be together, to meet my new nephew who I have yet to actually see in real life, to spend time giggling with my sisters - I don't care one whit about the presents. Bring on the hugs!!
I only got one swim in this week. I missed two due to early morning commitments that I could not escape from. I dislike missing one swim. I hate missing two. I'm already looking forward to Monday morning so I can slip back into the water again. I hope I remember how to do that body roll I'm working on...
I did, however, have two wonderful runs (see above) and am looking forward to squeezing in a quick 12k run before Doug and I head to Toronto for a day of family visits, friends and trips to fountain pen stores.
For those of you who care about such things, did you see what is coming out very soon?
I rediscovered my love for Margaret Atwood. I am rereading Oryx and Crake (which is just as good the second time) and have the next two books in the trilogy lined up and ready to go. I am endlessly fascinated with the way she writes - the language, the undertones of irony, the societal warnings, the humour. Such a Canadian treasure.
I showed up to work on Thursday wearing purple. It was World Diabetes Day which means I should have worn blue but I only have two blue tops and neither were really warm enough for the day. I figured no one I worked with would really care since I'm the only pancreatically-challenged one of the bunch. I arrived to discover that one of them had discovered the importance of blue on November 14th and sent an email out to the rest of them. Almost everyone showed up at the staff meeting in blue. So nice!
I renewed my Canadian passport. It expires in early 2014 and we are already planning a winter escape so I figured I'd better get on it. I got my photo taken and application submitted within 40 minutes. The new one arrives in 10 days. And won't expire until I'm, wait for it, 49 years old. Eeep!
I discovered that regular nail polish can survive two swims in the pool before it really starts chipping. Metallic ones, as pretty as they are, don't survive one chlorine dip. I put on a pretty copper colour on Sunday evening. I went swimming on Monday morning and every nail has chipped or worse by the end of the swim. Sad day. Guess I'll have to save that colour for weeks when the pool is closed.
I was reminded what happens when we close up the house and turn the heat on. I wake up every single morning convinced I am getting sick. My throat is dry, my lips feel cracked. Then I have a few sips of water and remember, again, that it's the dry heat that kills me. Instead of grumbling about the heat, I thank the gods I'm not getting sick fix the problem with a few extra gulps of water.
I run in the dark now, like a vampire, with my red light flashing on my toque and my reflective vest warning cars that, yes indeed, that is a human approaching. Tuesday morning there was a light dusting of snow on the rooftops, the sky was clear and the stars were twinkling. On Thursday morning the wind was howling and the sky was full of clouds. Both mornings I dragged myself out of bed and spent the next 30 minutes trying to convince myself not to crawl back in...until I walked out the door. The wild, unpredictable and beautiful weather this time of year is my favourite. Funny how I forget every time the alarm goes off and yet NEVER regret forcing myself out of bed once I get out into it.
I realized that Christmas is in something crazy like 42 days and I haven't even thought about Christmas gifts. For anyone. I'm just so excited for my family to be together, to meet my new nephew who I have yet to actually see in real life, to spend time giggling with my sisters - I don't care one whit about the presents. Bring on the hugs!!
I only got one swim in this week. I missed two due to early morning commitments that I could not escape from. I dislike missing one swim. I hate missing two. I'm already looking forward to Monday morning so I can slip back into the water again. I hope I remember how to do that body roll I'm working on...
I did, however, have two wonderful runs (see above) and am looking forward to squeezing in a quick 12k run before Doug and I head to Toronto for a day of family visits, friends and trips to fountain pen stores.
For those of you who care about such things, did you see what is coming out very soon?
Pretty! Soooooo pretty!!!
And this week I made a date with three fabulous ladies to go see the second Hunger Games movie. Dinner first. Then wicked movie. We're all so excited that it's almost funny.
Except it's not.
Because we're just so excited.
Talk to you all on Monday eh?
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Holiday Mondays
Long summer weekends didn't mean much when we were kids and already had the summer off. They didn't really mean much to my parents either who were both teachers with several weeks holidays during the summer.
Only now, as an adult who spends a good part of my summers working rather than playing can I finally appreciate the wonderful gift that is a long weekend.
Yesterday was a holiday. We slept in until 7am and woke to find the sun shining and the birds singing. Yes, just like in a Disney movie. We had our breakfast, grabbed our coffee and headed to a local golf course where we were scheduled to meet two friends for 9-hole game. We got there early to hit some balls, for me to straighten out my swing and for the sun to warm up enough that we took our coats off.
At tee time, we headed out to enjoy a beautiful and just challenging enough golf course. We hit good balls, we hit horrifyingly bad ones. We laughed and tried not to kill any of the geese who were roaming the course in flocks.
After our game we headed to our club (the one we curl at in the winter) for lunch. A lovely outdoor table at the 18th green made us feel like we were on holidays in some very expensive and fancy country. We lingered over coffee, chatting about books and golf etiquette.
After lunch Doug and I spent a few quiet hours at home before we headed downtown with my parents for Ribfest festivities. Music, ribs, fries and fun.
We squeezed in one more episode of Homeland before heading to bed.
As a child, a day like that would have sounded rather boring and tedious.
As a working adult, it was heaven.
Only now, as an adult who spends a good part of my summers working rather than playing can I finally appreciate the wonderful gift that is a long weekend.
Yesterday was a holiday. We slept in until 7am and woke to find the sun shining and the birds singing. Yes, just like in a Disney movie. We had our breakfast, grabbed our coffee and headed to a local golf course where we were scheduled to meet two friends for 9-hole game. We got there early to hit some balls, for me to straighten out my swing and for the sun to warm up enough that we took our coats off.
At tee time, we headed out to enjoy a beautiful and just challenging enough golf course. We hit good balls, we hit horrifyingly bad ones. We laughed and tried not to kill any of the geese who were roaming the course in flocks.
After our game we headed to our club (the one we curl at in the winter) for lunch. A lovely outdoor table at the 18th green made us feel like we were on holidays in some very expensive and fancy country. We lingered over coffee, chatting about books and golf etiquette.
After lunch Doug and I spent a few quiet hours at home before we headed downtown with my parents for Ribfest festivities. Music, ribs, fries and fun.
We squeezed in one more episode of Homeland before heading to bed.
As a child, a day like that would have sounded rather boring and tedious.
As a working adult, it was heaven.
Friday, April 26, 2013
I learned...
Things I learned this week.
1. I learned that communication, no matter how hard or awkward it is at the time, it better than no communication. As you know, I decided to go with Animas for my new pump. Talking to them was easy and fun. Talking to Medtronic was not but I did it anyway. I could have just disappeared from their radar, quietly mailed back my pump in a few weeks and gone about my business.
I chose the high road and emailed the local Medtronic rep to tell her about my choice. She called me. I saw her number on my call display and agonized for a few seconds about whether or not to answer. I answered. I told her why I made my choice and she was wonderfully supportive about it. No hard feelings and she's even willing to keep my name on her list of presenters in case she organizes a panel discussion and can include me. It might never happen but, still, I'm glad we chatted.
2. I learned that a decision made that is immediately followed by a feeling of relief is probably the right decision. I made two decisions this week. One was about my pump. I signed on for five years and felt immediate relief. The other was about whether or not I want to take University courses to upgrade in order to apply for a Masters. A decision to do this would have meant me starting classes next week and being in school part-time for five years. I decided, for a variety of reasons, that this is not a good idea and felt immediate relief.
3. That being said, no decision, no matter how positive, happens without regret. I will miss my Medtronic pump. And I am sad that I won't be adding Masters student to my list of pursuits (at least for now).
4. I learned that homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are really tasty. So is homemade curried celery soup.
5. I learned that I follow baking recipes to the letter. I use cooking recipes as guidelines and scribble all over them so I remember the changes I made for next time.
6. I learned that people make the weirdest cakes for baby showers. Check this out if you need a laugh.
7. I learned, again, that diabetes is crazy. Like possessed. I swam on Wednesday like I always do. I hopped in the pool with a blood sugar of 5.8 AND I bolused 0.3 units just to keep me in line. I left the pool to discover that I was 14.4 instead of my usual 7.0. I changed my site, bolused for breakfast, waited 20 minutes and was 18.9. I bolused again (the full amount for a second time), waited 20 minutes and was 16. It took an hour for it to drop low enough to eat and then it shot right back up again to 18.
By lunch, I was fine and have been ever since. Crazytown.
8. I learned that I can indeed master the super tough Bending Crank Arms cycling workout. It's rated a 9.5/10 for difficulty (which I only noticed on my fourth time doing it thank goodness). I now finish the workout feeling energized instead of wanting to die and I no longer walk around for two days afterwards with aching muscles. Only took four times.
9. I learned that it's really hard to describe things in words sometimes. I was writing a basic iPad user manual for work and couldn't believe how hard it was to describe all the different gestures we use when using an iPad (like pinching two fingers together to shrink a page). Try it for yourself. Do a specific gesture with your hands and then try to figure out how to describe in words what you did. Hard.
10. I learned that it is really nice to sit after work with a glass of wine and chat with a good friend, or with my parents, or with Doug. This week I had the chance to do all three and each conversation was stimulating, hilarious and wonderful.
1. I learned that communication, no matter how hard or awkward it is at the time, it better than no communication. As you know, I decided to go with Animas for my new pump. Talking to them was easy and fun. Talking to Medtronic was not but I did it anyway. I could have just disappeared from their radar, quietly mailed back my pump in a few weeks and gone about my business.
I chose the high road and emailed the local Medtronic rep to tell her about my choice. She called me. I saw her number on my call display and agonized for a few seconds about whether or not to answer. I answered. I told her why I made my choice and she was wonderfully supportive about it. No hard feelings and she's even willing to keep my name on her list of presenters in case she organizes a panel discussion and can include me. It might never happen but, still, I'm glad we chatted.
2. I learned that a decision made that is immediately followed by a feeling of relief is probably the right decision. I made two decisions this week. One was about my pump. I signed on for five years and felt immediate relief. The other was about whether or not I want to take University courses to upgrade in order to apply for a Masters. A decision to do this would have meant me starting classes next week and being in school part-time for five years. I decided, for a variety of reasons, that this is not a good idea and felt immediate relief.
3. That being said, no decision, no matter how positive, happens without regret. I will miss my Medtronic pump. And I am sad that I won't be adding Masters student to my list of pursuits (at least for now).
4. I learned that homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are really tasty. So is homemade curried celery soup.
5. I learned that I follow baking recipes to the letter. I use cooking recipes as guidelines and scribble all over them so I remember the changes I made for next time.
6. I learned that people make the weirdest cakes for baby showers. Check this out if you need a laugh.
7. I learned, again, that diabetes is crazy. Like possessed. I swam on Wednesday like I always do. I hopped in the pool with a blood sugar of 5.8 AND I bolused 0.3 units just to keep me in line. I left the pool to discover that I was 14.4 instead of my usual 7.0. I changed my site, bolused for breakfast, waited 20 minutes and was 18.9. I bolused again (the full amount for a second time), waited 20 minutes and was 16. It took an hour for it to drop low enough to eat and then it shot right back up again to 18.
By lunch, I was fine and have been ever since. Crazytown.
8. I learned that I can indeed master the super tough Bending Crank Arms cycling workout. It's rated a 9.5/10 for difficulty (which I only noticed on my fourth time doing it thank goodness). I now finish the workout feeling energized instead of wanting to die and I no longer walk around for two days afterwards with aching muscles. Only took four times.
9. I learned that it's really hard to describe things in words sometimes. I was writing a basic iPad user manual for work and couldn't believe how hard it was to describe all the different gestures we use when using an iPad (like pinching two fingers together to shrink a page). Try it for yourself. Do a specific gesture with your hands and then try to figure out how to describe in words what you did. Hard.
10. I learned that it is really nice to sit after work with a glass of wine and chat with a good friend, or with my parents, or with Doug. This week I had the chance to do all three and each conversation was stimulating, hilarious and wonderful.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Taper time
Saturday morning, I headed out for a run at 8:50am. I didn't stop moving until 11:15am.
Two hours, 25 minutes and 18 seconds later, I had clocked 22 kilometres, had seen two coyotes, four deer and a groundhog and had arrived home with the same blood sugar I left with (5.0).
It was a pretty spectacular morning and, after a good stretch and shower, didn't even feel like I had run 10k, never mind 22.
The longest run of my half marathon training behind me, I started looking ahead at the next few long runs. This is easy week so I'll be clocking a relatively short 10k run on Saturday. The following Saturday I'll be running 16k and then the next Saturday I'll be running 12k.
Oh, and then I'll be getting on a plane and flying to Israel for two weeks.
Omigod.
Three weeks today I'll be at the Buffalo airport, bright red suitcase and orange carry-on in tow. I'll be leaving my winter boots and coat behind and arriving in Tel Aviv to spend two weeks with my sister and her husband - exploring Israel, sampling all the food, and running the Tel Aviv half marathon.
This trip has been booked and planned for a while but there were too many variables in play for me to really get excited until I knew for sure I would be going. Well, I'm going and, now that the pre-race taper has begun, it is starting to feel really real.
Two hours, 25 minutes and 18 seconds later, I had clocked 22 kilometres, had seen two coyotes, four deer and a groundhog and had arrived home with the same blood sugar I left with (5.0).
It was a pretty spectacular morning and, after a good stretch and shower, didn't even feel like I had run 10k, never mind 22.
The longest run of my half marathon training behind me, I started looking ahead at the next few long runs. This is easy week so I'll be clocking a relatively short 10k run on Saturday. The following Saturday I'll be running 16k and then the next Saturday I'll be running 12k.
Oh, and then I'll be getting on a plane and flying to Israel for two weeks.
Omigod.
Three weeks today I'll be at the Buffalo airport, bright red suitcase and orange carry-on in tow. I'll be leaving my winter boots and coat behind and arriving in Tel Aviv to spend two weeks with my sister and her husband - exploring Israel, sampling all the food, and running the Tel Aviv half marathon.
This trip has been booked and planned for a while but there were too many variables in play for me to really get excited until I knew for sure I would be going. Well, I'm going and, now that the pre-race taper has begun, it is starting to feel really real.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Happy Where I Am
There are plenty of pretty incredible places on this planet of ours and more than a handful of spots where I would happily set up camp. Each spot on my list is on the list for a different reason.
The East Coast of Canada I would move to for the pace of life, the people, the delightful accents, the scenery, the ever-changing weather and the seafood.
Northern Ontario I would move to for the rugged, wild, untamed wilderness, the fact that bears, moose and wolves roam free, the starry nights and the just begging to be swum in lakes.
Ireland and Scotland I would move to because just the though of it stirs my ancestral blood. Because of how I feel at home the minute I arrive. Because I actually understand what everyone is saying despite their crazy accents. Because it's rugged, it's beautiful, it's ancient and they have delicious whisky to boot.
Instead I live in Southern Ontario. And I was reminded on the weekend why that is such a wonderful place in which to live.
On Saturday morning we headed out. We stopped at a roadside market to pick up a basket of local peaches, a basket of local tomatoes, a flatbread pizza covered in local spinach, peaches and asiago cheese. And, because we couldn't resist, we grabbed a few treats - cherry, butter and lemon meringue tarts.
Then we headed a little further down the road, past vineyards, corn fields, peach and apple orchards and wineries. We made our way to Jordan to pick up a gift for my parents. Off to their house we went, driving down backroads, up the escarpment, past fields of horses and cows that made me feel like we were driving through Europe. We joined them for a spontaneous lunch that consisted of the treats we picked up at the market.
On the way out, my father handed us some local corn on the cob (yellow corn, not peaches and cream he pointed out) and a pint of local strawberries.
We stopped at the world's best meat market to pick up so local sausage and some peameal bacon. The sausage was part of our traditional pre-race dinner and the peameal bacon was for post-race toasted tomato, bacon sandwiches.
Maybe one day I will spend an extended period of time on the East Coast of Canada, in Northern Ontario or in Ireland.
In the meantime, I have found my own little happy oasis right here.
The East Coast of Canada I would move to for the pace of life, the people, the delightful accents, the scenery, the ever-changing weather and the seafood.
Northern Ontario I would move to for the rugged, wild, untamed wilderness, the fact that bears, moose and wolves roam free, the starry nights and the just begging to be swum in lakes.
Ireland and Scotland I would move to because just the though of it stirs my ancestral blood. Because of how I feel at home the minute I arrive. Because I actually understand what everyone is saying despite their crazy accents. Because it's rugged, it's beautiful, it's ancient and they have delicious whisky to boot.
Instead I live in Southern Ontario. And I was reminded on the weekend why that is such a wonderful place in which to live.
On Saturday morning we headed out. We stopped at a roadside market to pick up a basket of local peaches, a basket of local tomatoes, a flatbread pizza covered in local spinach, peaches and asiago cheese. And, because we couldn't resist, we grabbed a few treats - cherry, butter and lemon meringue tarts.
Then we headed a little further down the road, past vineyards, corn fields, peach and apple orchards and wineries. We made our way to Jordan to pick up a gift for my parents. Off to their house we went, driving down backroads, up the escarpment, past fields of horses and cows that made me feel like we were driving through Europe. We joined them for a spontaneous lunch that consisted of the treats we picked up at the market.
On the way out, my father handed us some local corn on the cob (yellow corn, not peaches and cream he pointed out) and a pint of local strawberries.
We stopped at the world's best meat market to pick up so local sausage and some peameal bacon. The sausage was part of our traditional pre-race dinner and the peameal bacon was for post-race toasted tomato, bacon sandwiches.
Maybe one day I will spend an extended period of time on the East Coast of Canada, in Northern Ontario or in Ireland.
In the meantime, I have found my own little happy oasis right here.
Monday, June 25, 2012
I am Triathlete
Hear me roar!
I really enjoy running.
I like cycling a lot but wouldn't say I love it.
Swimming is my favourite form of physical activity.
Put them all together and what did I learn? I. LOVE. TRIATHLONS!
I think my sister and I approached Saturday's race the right way. We signed up for the super sprint triathlon which is the shortest triathlon option. It's kinda like signing up for a 5k race before doing a 10k - which makes sense. We were able to try it out, and get the hang of it, without killing ourselves in the attempt.
Of course we're now talking about doing the sprint tri (the next longest distance) and the Olympic tri and I've half convinced Janice and Doug to join me in a half-ironman relay next year - yep, I'm hooked!
The day leading up to the event was a little hairy. My sister (Gabrielle) was flying here from Israel and was scheduled to land on Thursday evening. Thanks to a freak storm in Toronto, she was rerouted to Ottawa where she sat on the plane for 4+ hours, spent another 3+ hours waiting in line for a hotel room, got 2 1/2 hours of sleep and then flew to Toronto. She finally arrived at my parents' house on Friday afternoon, a mere 16 hours before the race. She had spent most of the previous day without sleep, food or water.
I showed up Friday evening armed with printouts of transition zones as well as swim, bike and run routes so I could go over the race with her. We went over what she needed to pack, we parted ways, she had an early dinner and went to bed.
Saturday morning dawned and it was beautiful. It was a hot day but the humidity had broken (thanks to the freak storm that kept Gabrielle's plane from landing) so the breathing was good. Race day was busy. Doug was doing the duathlon and his race started at 8:30am. The super sprint tri started at 10:30am. So we arrived at 7:30am, set up our bikes and then I watched him start his race before I turned my full attention to the sprint triathlon. I figured I'd watch their swim and learn lots of tips in time for mine. I learned that I really like how they do the swim in Welland - they do a very dignified staggered start and one swimmer takes off every five seconds. This helps avoid the craziness that accompanies a regular mass start.
Gabrielle showed up and we went to the transition zone to set her up. We got there in time to watch Doug come sailing in from his first run and grab his bike.
I really enjoy running.
I like cycling a lot but wouldn't say I love it.
Swimming is my favourite form of physical activity.
Put them all together and what did I learn? I. LOVE. TRIATHLONS!
I think my sister and I approached Saturday's race the right way. We signed up for the super sprint triathlon which is the shortest triathlon option. It's kinda like signing up for a 5k race before doing a 10k - which makes sense. We were able to try it out, and get the hang of it, without killing ourselves in the attempt.
Of course we're now talking about doing the sprint tri (the next longest distance) and the Olympic tri and I've half convinced Janice and Doug to join me in a half-ironman relay next year - yep, I'm hooked!
The day leading up to the event was a little hairy. My sister (Gabrielle) was flying here from Israel and was scheduled to land on Thursday evening. Thanks to a freak storm in Toronto, she was rerouted to Ottawa where she sat on the plane for 4+ hours, spent another 3+ hours waiting in line for a hotel room, got 2 1/2 hours of sleep and then flew to Toronto. She finally arrived at my parents' house on Friday afternoon, a mere 16 hours before the race. She had spent most of the previous day without sleep, food or water.
I showed up Friday evening armed with printouts of transition zones as well as swim, bike and run routes so I could go over the race with her. We went over what she needed to pack, we parted ways, she had an early dinner and went to bed.
Saturday morning dawned and it was beautiful. It was a hot day but the humidity had broken (thanks to the freak storm that kept Gabrielle's plane from landing) so the breathing was good. Race day was busy. Doug was doing the duathlon and his race started at 8:30am. The super sprint tri started at 10:30am. So we arrived at 7:30am, set up our bikes and then I watched him start his race before I turned my full attention to the sprint triathlon. I figured I'd watch their swim and learn lots of tips in time for mine. I learned that I really like how they do the swim in Welland - they do a very dignified staggered start and one swimmer takes off every five seconds. This helps avoid the craziness that accompanies a regular mass start.
Gabrielle showed up and we went to the transition zone to set her up. We got there in time to watch Doug come sailing in from his first run and grab his bike.
Running man...
...turned into cycling man
After cheering Doug on, Gabrielle and I got ourselves ready and then made our way down to the water. We wanted to get some warm-up swimming in before the race. It's a good thing we did - it helped calm the pre-race jitters and helped us get our breathing sorted out before the race started. By the time we got out of the water we were ready to go.
Waiting in line for our turn to swim.
The swim was by far my favourite part of the race. When it came my turn, I just put my head in and started. I had imagined being part of a line of swimmers and me just following along. I had hoped not to get passed. Well, no one passed me but I sure as hell passed a lot of people. Gabrielle, who started right after I did was near me the entire swim and we came out of the water one after the other. Apparently we share some sort of family swimming gene because we both swam the 400m in exactly 8 minutes and 51 seconds (3/28 in our age group and top third overall!).
We then had to run 400+m to the transition zone. That was my first ever barefoot run and my poor shins who love supportive, orthotic-filled shoes, were not impressed. But I did the distance in just over 2 minutes which surprised me because I felt like I was gingerly making my way.
I got to the transition zone just after Gabrielle did (she managed the run in 1:40) and she was out of there a good minute before I was (which I blame on the time spent hooking up my insulin pump and stuffing more gels into my pockets just in case).
Insulin pump re-attachment
I hopped on the bike and set off to chase her down. I had her in my sights by 5k and I had closed the 1+ minute gap to about 20 seconds by the end of the ride. Another kilometre or two and I would have had her!!
The end of the bike ride (20k in 22 minutes)
The biggest lesson I learned was during the second transition. I got in just in time to see my sister park her bike, yank off her helmet and start running. She was in and out in 55 seconds. I parked my bike, yanked off my helmet, changed from cycling to running shoes, pulled on my running hat and ran out in 2:07. That's a HUGE time difference in a race. I learned that, unless you're cycling longer distances (30+k) or cycling up a lot of hills, don't wear cycling shoes. The time I lost changing my shoes was not made up for by the time I saved wearing cycling shoes.
I took off after her but she was out of sight and well on her way through the 2.5k. I saw her near the turnaround point and she was flying. So was I, comparatively speaking, but I was not going to catch her without a jet pack.
Gabrielle came blazing in having finished the 2.5k run in 11:19.
She finished with an overall time of 47:28 and placed 7th in our age group (of 28 competitors). Not bad for a jet-lagged, dehydrated, exhausted little sister eh?
I finished my 5k run in 12:31 (5:01min/k) and finished the race in 50:13 - putting me 9/28 in my age group.
Blood sugar-wise, it went well but I learned some important lessons. I lowered my basal rate to 60% an hour and a half before because I figured the swim would not affect me much if at all but the run and bike would. I then removed my pump 30 minutes before the swim (because we had to leave the transition zone) so the pump was off for about 45 minutes (waiting patiently in my cycling shoe - thanks for that tip Jeff!). My blood sugar was 5.2 before the start and I had a pack of fruit chews and a gel right before getting into the water. I did not test during the race but I was 10.2 immediately afterward. I bolused for the finish line chocolate milk and my blood sugar an hour later was 21 and climbing. I'm guessing that spike was mostly due to my being disconnected from the pump for so long. An extra bolus took care of the high but it would have been nice not to have had it in the first place. I'll have to figure out what to do about that for next time.
Because there will indeed be a next time. Holy bananas that was fun!!
The proud father of two triathletes.
Other race reports:
Doug did his 5k run / 30k ride and 5k run in 1 hour and 53 minutes. The exact same time as last year. That man is a metronome.
Janice did her first super sprint with us and placed first in our age category with a time of 44:10.
Klari completely bypassed the super sprint and leapt right into the sprint tri. She finished third in her age group - despite some wetsuit removal struggles that were kinda fun to watch!
We're all coming back next year!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Raw Food
My parents have a dog named Kodiak. She's a beautiful dog with a ridiculously docile personality. The kind of dog that even cat lovers can't help but say hello to.
A few years ago, Kody wasn't doing that well. She was lethargic. She had skin problems. Her coat didn't look very healthy. My sister, who had worked at a veterinary clinic years earlier, suggested that my parents put her on a raw food diet.
By her I mean the dog, not my sister.
So my parents decided to give it a try.
At first, it was kinda crazy. It took them a while to figure out what to feed her, how much to feed her, where to buy the stuff etc etc. And poor Kody didn't know what to make of the whole thing. She went from getting cans of dog food plopped on top of dry dog food to being handed a chicken back and some kidneys for dinner. Apparently the first time they handed her a chicken back, she ran around the back yard with it in her mouth yelping. Then she dropped it and ran away. Repeated the process a few times and finally ate it.
After that rather awkward start, they developed a system together and now Kodiak looks fabulous, has regained her energy and loves her new diet. And my parents have a freezer full of single serving dog meals.
Kodiak now eats better than the humans do.
I've gone to my parents' house on several occasions to find my mother roasting sweet potatoes in the toaster oven. "Don't eat those! They're for the dog." The bag of spinach on the counter? "For the dog." The freezer full of meat? You guessed it.
For the dog.
I have house sat for my parents a few times and have had to feed poor Kody her dinner. The instruction list is, as follows:
- take one container of raw animal products out of the freezer first thing in the morning and leave it out to thaw
- at dinner time, open container
- add some spinach. Kody likes it broken up and mixed into the food. Don't just dump it on top.
- add another vegetable (roasted sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin whatever). Mix it in - she likes it better that way
- serve with a glass of chilled white wine. She prefers Riesling.
Last night, I came home from my run and popped two sweet potatoes in the toaster oven. I steamed some broccoli and cooked up some quinoa. I was making one of my favourite creations - a big bowl full of yummy stuff with a bit of olive oil and tamari drizzled on top. As I piled everything in, tossed an avocado and some goat cheese on for good measure and drizzled on my toppings...this twisted little voice in my head said "I bet this would be perfect with some chicken feet."
Monday, May 7, 2012
Kale Chips
I'm pretty adventurous when it comes to food. Other than cod tongue - there isn't much I don't enjoy and there's even less that I just plain won't eat.
And, for the record, cod tongue is pretty freakin' disgusting. Trust me, you don't want to eat it either.
I spent the entire day on Saturday in Toronto with my little sis. We did our usual thing which means we walked all over the place, we ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we laughed and talked and we checked out all sorts of cool stores.
Stores that sold only Hello Kitty stuff. Stores that had paid male models standing outside looking unrealistically beautiful. Pen stores, makeup stores, hand cream stores and stores where we went in simply because we knew they had the nicest bathrooms.
Our favourite moment was when we were in Sephora and a cute little blonde girl had obviously been trying out the makeup samples. And her parents were obviously not watching her while she did it. She ran by us with lipstick that rivalled the Joker's and eye shadow that went up over her eyebrows. She was looking very proud of her artistry skills. We doubled over in laughter and figured her parents should be grateful she didn't paint her face with waterproof mascara or nail polish.
Then there was our spontaneous purchase in the health food store. We found a great place that had a pretty good price on Vega as well as blueberry-flavoured Larabars so I was stocking up. On the way out, we noticed bags of kale chips. Kale chips, if you read blogs written by the health-conscious folks out there, are all the rage. They are apparently so tasty that people actually go to the trouble of buying dehydrators, mixing chopped kale with various toppings (cheese etc) and dehydrating them overnight. One blogger I read last week said it was impossible to keep them in the house for more than a day because her vegetable-hating husband kept eating them.
Bags of kale chips sat by the counter and we decided to join the growing number of kale chip fans. We discussed flavour options and settled on salted kale with pumpkin seeds. We forked over $6.99 for the bag but we knew it would be totally worth it. Everyone is talking about them AND we would get 400% of our daily vitamin C just by nibbling on them as we walked down Bloor Street. We had barely walked out of the store before I had the bag ripped open.
Pay attention folks because this next part is really important.
Kale chips. Are. Disgusting.
Like cod tongue disgusting.
We ate one and it tasted like seaweed. We both like kale and we both like nori and other seaweed-tasting stuff so we decided that the first one was gross simply because we weren't expecting the taste. I shook up the bag to disperse the salt and pumpkin seeds a bit and we tried another one. Nope, still really gross. A few more just to make sure and then we closed the bag as the nausea set in. "Omigod they are SO gross" complained my little sis. "Omigod your teeth are completely green" I replied. Green bits of dried kale stuck between every tooth. She looked like something in a horror movie.
Mine were no better.
Seriously, who are the crazy people out there who think eating dehydrated kale and then spending the next 20 minutes flossing is worth it?
We parked ourselves on a bench in downtown Toronto and took turns sharing the one tiny mirror we had between us, picking green stuff out of our teeth. We must have been quite a sight to behold as we used the hard plastic edge of the kale chip bag to remove particularly stubborn pieces. Every time we thought we were done, more would appear. Even an hour later. Bah!
We made our way to Fresh for dinner, a great place that serves super healthy food. I ordered a delicious-sounding Healthy Bowl with soba noodles, grilled veggies, sprouts, avocado and goat cheese. I also ordered a bowl of steamed green on the side because I was craving spinach and broccoli so I figured my iron must be on the low side again.
Dinner appeared and I was handed a fabulous looking bowl of noodles...
...with a side of steamed kale.
And, for the record, cod tongue is pretty freakin' disgusting. Trust me, you don't want to eat it either.
I spent the entire day on Saturday in Toronto with my little sis. We did our usual thing which means we walked all over the place, we ate out for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we laughed and talked and we checked out all sorts of cool stores.
Stores that sold only Hello Kitty stuff. Stores that had paid male models standing outside looking unrealistically beautiful. Pen stores, makeup stores, hand cream stores and stores where we went in simply because we knew they had the nicest bathrooms.
Our favourite moment was when we were in Sephora and a cute little blonde girl had obviously been trying out the makeup samples. And her parents were obviously not watching her while she did it. She ran by us with lipstick that rivalled the Joker's and eye shadow that went up over her eyebrows. She was looking very proud of her artistry skills. We doubled over in laughter and figured her parents should be grateful she didn't paint her face with waterproof mascara or nail polish.
Then there was our spontaneous purchase in the health food store. We found a great place that had a pretty good price on Vega as well as blueberry-flavoured Larabars so I was stocking up. On the way out, we noticed bags of kale chips. Kale chips, if you read blogs written by the health-conscious folks out there, are all the rage. They are apparently so tasty that people actually go to the trouble of buying dehydrators, mixing chopped kale with various toppings (cheese etc) and dehydrating them overnight. One blogger I read last week said it was impossible to keep them in the house for more than a day because her vegetable-hating husband kept eating them.
Bags of kale chips sat by the counter and we decided to join the growing number of kale chip fans. We discussed flavour options and settled on salted kale with pumpkin seeds. We forked over $6.99 for the bag but we knew it would be totally worth it. Everyone is talking about them AND we would get 400% of our daily vitamin C just by nibbling on them as we walked down Bloor Street. We had barely walked out of the store before I had the bag ripped open.
Pay attention folks because this next part is really important.
Kale chips. Are. Disgusting.
Like cod tongue disgusting.
We ate one and it tasted like seaweed. We both like kale and we both like nori and other seaweed-tasting stuff so we decided that the first one was gross simply because we weren't expecting the taste. I shook up the bag to disperse the salt and pumpkin seeds a bit and we tried another one. Nope, still really gross. A few more just to make sure and then we closed the bag as the nausea set in. "Omigod they are SO gross" complained my little sis. "Omigod your teeth are completely green" I replied. Green bits of dried kale stuck between every tooth. She looked like something in a horror movie.
Mine were no better.
Seriously, who are the crazy people out there who think eating dehydrated kale and then spending the next 20 minutes flossing is worth it?
We parked ourselves on a bench in downtown Toronto and took turns sharing the one tiny mirror we had between us, picking green stuff out of our teeth. We must have been quite a sight to behold as we used the hard plastic edge of the kale chip bag to remove particularly stubborn pieces. Every time we thought we were done, more would appear. Even an hour later. Bah!
We made our way to Fresh for dinner, a great place that serves super healthy food. I ordered a delicious-sounding Healthy Bowl with soba noodles, grilled veggies, sprouts, avocado and goat cheese. I also ordered a bowl of steamed green on the side because I was craving spinach and broccoli so I figured my iron must be on the low side again.
Dinner appeared and I was handed a fabulous looking bowl of noodles...
...with a side of steamed kale.
Friday, April 27, 2012
The Week Ahead, The Month Ahead
Happy Friday folks!
Time to wrap up a week, settle into the weekend and look ahead at what's on the horizon. And it's looking like a pretty cluttered horizon.
Today after work, Doug and I are hopping on the highway and heading to Toronto to meet up with my cousin and her fiancé. They are getting married in July and asked the two of us to be their wedding photographers. So we're scouting out the church and the reception hall and planning out the details for the big day. Doug and I love any kind of photography and we have worked together on things before but never a wedding. I'm looking forward to seeing how we do as tag-team wedding photographers.
Saturday morning means a 20k run. To be honest, when I created my training schedule for the Niagara Falls Women's half marathon, I wasn't sure how far I would get. When I entered 20k into the schedule, I was still only running 30 minutes. The thought of running for over two hours seemed completely foreign. I might as well have been planning out the details for a trip to the moon. An ambitious goal to dream about but not feel defeated if I didn't attain it. A mere two months later, here I am sitting at my laptop laying out a 20k running route for myself. On one hand it's pretty unbelievable. On the other, it feels perfectly natural. I think that's the part that makes me happiest. Running 20k tomorrow almost feels like no big deal.
Almost.
Two months ago, I announced that I would be working from home for the month of March. I would be sitting at my kitchen table updating our agency's entire policy and procedure manual. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men...often go awry. So I sat at my kitchen table for two months - and got them half done. Policy writing - as it turns out - is a ridiculously slow process. Particularly when there are many cooks...
On Monday, for better or for worse, I'm headed back to the office. There are other responsibilities on my plate and policy-writing will no longer be my only priority. Heading back to the office, to constant noise and people and interruptions and distractions will be a shock to my system after two months of absolute quiet, homemade coffee...and yoga pants.
In other news, on Monday night I will be meeting some new friends. A bunch of people in Niagara have formed an online type 1 diabetes group. Monday night will be our first live meeting. Nothing major - just a Starbucks date to introduce ourselves and plan a potluck dinner. Still though - it will be pretty neat to meet some local T1s and sit at a table where everyone just 'gets it'.
Wednesday night, I'm meeting up with a friend I never see enough of. We'll sip wine, laugh our heads off, catch up on all the gossip and I'll feel so much better for it. Wednesday cannot come fast enough.
I'm finding it a little shocking that it's May next week. Wasn't it just Christmas a few days ago? May, according to the calendar means lots of running, outdoor cycling, sister dates in Toronto (we're going out for octopus salad!) and the Cabot Trail Relay Race. It's going to a busy four weeks - full of things that make me happy, motivate me and inspire me.
The Cabot Trail Relay Race is four weeks away. I'm looking forward to the race but, even more, I'm looking forward to seeing the ocean again. I'm an ocean girl and I never get enough of it. I cannot wait to smell the salty air, perhaps spot a whale tail on the horizon and feast on lobster and scallops. For those of you who know me - being by the ocean is as close to heaven as is possible for me to get.
Four more weeks...
Time to wrap up a week, settle into the weekend and look ahead at what's on the horizon. And it's looking like a pretty cluttered horizon.
Today after work, Doug and I are hopping on the highway and heading to Toronto to meet up with my cousin and her fiancé. They are getting married in July and asked the two of us to be their wedding photographers. So we're scouting out the church and the reception hall and planning out the details for the big day. Doug and I love any kind of photography and we have worked together on things before but never a wedding. I'm looking forward to seeing how we do as tag-team wedding photographers.
Saturday morning means a 20k run. To be honest, when I created my training schedule for the Niagara Falls Women's half marathon, I wasn't sure how far I would get. When I entered 20k into the schedule, I was still only running 30 minutes. The thought of running for over two hours seemed completely foreign. I might as well have been planning out the details for a trip to the moon. An ambitious goal to dream about but not feel defeated if I didn't attain it. A mere two months later, here I am sitting at my laptop laying out a 20k running route for myself. On one hand it's pretty unbelievable. On the other, it feels perfectly natural. I think that's the part that makes me happiest. Running 20k tomorrow almost feels like no big deal.
Almost.
Two months ago, I announced that I would be working from home for the month of March. I would be sitting at my kitchen table updating our agency's entire policy and procedure manual. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men...often go awry. So I sat at my kitchen table for two months - and got them half done. Policy writing - as it turns out - is a ridiculously slow process. Particularly when there are many cooks...
On Monday, for better or for worse, I'm headed back to the office. There are other responsibilities on my plate and policy-writing will no longer be my only priority. Heading back to the office, to constant noise and people and interruptions and distractions will be a shock to my system after two months of absolute quiet, homemade coffee...and yoga pants.
In other news, on Monday night I will be meeting some new friends. A bunch of people in Niagara have formed an online type 1 diabetes group. Monday night will be our first live meeting. Nothing major - just a Starbucks date to introduce ourselves and plan a potluck dinner. Still though - it will be pretty neat to meet some local T1s and sit at a table where everyone just 'gets it'.
Wednesday night, I'm meeting up with a friend I never see enough of. We'll sip wine, laugh our heads off, catch up on all the gossip and I'll feel so much better for it. Wednesday cannot come fast enough.
I'm finding it a little shocking that it's May next week. Wasn't it just Christmas a few days ago? May, according to the calendar means lots of running, outdoor cycling, sister dates in Toronto (we're going out for octopus salad!) and the Cabot Trail Relay Race. It's going to a busy four weeks - full of things that make me happy, motivate me and inspire me.
The Cabot Trail Relay Race is four weeks away. I'm looking forward to the race but, even more, I'm looking forward to seeing the ocean again. I'm an ocean girl and I never get enough of it. I cannot wait to smell the salty air, perhaps spot a whale tail on the horizon and feast on lobster and scallops. For those of you who know me - being by the ocean is as close to heaven as is possible for me to get.
Four more weeks...
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Super Sprint
So I'm just going to come right out and say it.
I went on line, did some research, texted Erin and then decided to sign up for the Triathlon in Welland this June.
I can see you grinning from here Jeff!
The first thing I had to do was figure out my options. Turns out if you want to swim, bike and run you can do one of the following:
Super sprint Triathlon (or Try-a-tri)
Sprint Triathlon
Half Ironman
Ironman
I quickly eliminated two of the options and won't even waste your time by asking you to guess which two.
That left me with the super sprint and the sprint.
The super sprint distances are:
400m swim
10k bike
2.5k run
The sprint distances are:
750m swim
30k bike
7.5k run
I've done the duathlon a few times so I've run and then cycled 30k and then run again. So I figured I'd do the sprint (aka, the regular triathlon).
I texted Erin to confirm (she knows these things) and she suggested I start with a super sprint. "Don't let the name fool you" she said. "It's still hard. It's a good distance for your first try (tri?)."
Having exactly zero experience with these things, I will rely on the wisdom of those who have gone before. Super Sprint it is then.
I have three months to get back on the bike and remind my legs how to pedal and I have three months to get into open water and flail about until I'm quasi-comfortable. The distances on their own are all quite manageable. Put them together and I'll get a pretty good workout.
If all goes well, I'll cross the finish line in good shape and be ready for my first full triathlon!
The other fun part of this story has to do with my lovely little sis. She's coming home for a month this summer and just happens to be around that weekend. She knows how to swim, she knows how to cycle and she can probably pull off 2.5k.
So I asked if she wanted to join me at the start line.
I could hear the excitement from here. She's never done anything like it before and loved the idea. I've never raced with anyone in my family before so I'm excited to share that part of my life with someone.
It's in our home town so my parents, our youngest sis, our grandmother and heck, even the dog, can come out and cheer.
How fun will that be??
And, for the record, if my little sis kicks my ass on the course, I'll kick hers right back to Israel again.
I went on line, did some research, texted Erin and then decided to sign up for the Triathlon in Welland this June.
I can see you grinning from here Jeff!
The first thing I had to do was figure out my options. Turns out if you want to swim, bike and run you can do one of the following:
Super sprint Triathlon (or Try-a-tri)
Sprint Triathlon
Half Ironman
Ironman
I quickly eliminated two of the options and won't even waste your time by asking you to guess which two.
That left me with the super sprint and the sprint.
The super sprint distances are:
400m swim
10k bike
2.5k run
The sprint distances are:
750m swim
30k bike
7.5k run
I've done the duathlon a few times so I've run and then cycled 30k and then run again. So I figured I'd do the sprint (aka, the regular triathlon).
I texted Erin to confirm (she knows these things) and she suggested I start with a super sprint. "Don't let the name fool you" she said. "It's still hard. It's a good distance for your first try (tri?)."
Having exactly zero experience with these things, I will rely on the wisdom of those who have gone before. Super Sprint it is then.
I have three months to get back on the bike and remind my legs how to pedal and I have three months to get into open water and flail about until I'm quasi-comfortable. The distances on their own are all quite manageable. Put them together and I'll get a pretty good workout.
If all goes well, I'll cross the finish line in good shape and be ready for my first full triathlon!
The other fun part of this story has to do with my lovely little sis. She's coming home for a month this summer and just happens to be around that weekend. She knows how to swim, she knows how to cycle and she can probably pull off 2.5k.
So I asked if she wanted to join me at the start line.
I could hear the excitement from here. She's never done anything like it before and loved the idea. I've never raced with anyone in my family before so I'm excited to share that part of my life with someone.
It's in our home town so my parents, our youngest sis, our grandmother and heck, even the dog, can come out and cheer.
How fun will that be??
And, for the record, if my little sis kicks my ass on the course, I'll kick hers right back to Israel again.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Sister Dates
Happily holiday weekend folks. In the US of A it's President's Day today. In Canada it's Family Day - our newest statutory holiday. Either way, I hope you're enjoying a little extra fun this weekend.
My little sister and I had a sister date on Saturday. Ten hours in Toronto with my little sis always means a lot of coffee, a lot of yummy food, a lot of fun stores and a LOT of walking. This time though, he entire day revolved around my Christmas present: a 3-hour makeup class at the Asha School of Makeup.
After brunch and lunch, my sister and I showed up at the address listed on the Groupon. She had been told to call a phone number once we got there. It felt a little sketchy as we stood on the steps of a Queen Street building but, after several minutes, a beautifully made-up woman came down to let us in. Apparently make-up schools are high security areas. Must be all those brushes...
We were not sure what to expect. I pictured a classroom setting with lots of lights and mirrors where we would all get to practice on ourselves. Geneviève just hoped we could sit at the back so she wouldn't be singled out to answer questions.
Neither of us expected to be taken into a tiny room with a desk littered with makeup supplies and five stools in a circle for the students to sit on. We were given a piece of paper and a pen to take notes and a magazine to provide something to write on. Within a few minutes we were a room full of strangers sitting in a circle, all without makeup and too embarrassed to say what they did and did not know.
Awkward...
The instructor asked one lady to be her model for the five-minute 'going out to the grocery store' look. It took about twenty minutes to do because she was explaining so much but I couldn't believe how much a little blush and sheer eye shadow could transform a person. We sat there in awe.
The next look was the 'evening' look which was all about eye shadows. I was selected as the model for that one because I apparently have a lot of room around my eyes which really shows off the colours. So I perched on the stool and tried not to let my eyes water too much as I was 'painted'. Metallic browns and golds were applied and blended and, within a few minutes, I was ready for the red carpet...
..well, except for my purple vest, jeans and runners.
It did look pretty cool. We tried to take a picture but it just didn't do it justice. Apparently it's all about the subtleties - which are lovely in person but don't show up well on camera.
A third girl was the model for some pretty impressive eye liner tricks.
Once the demonstrations were over, the room of five quiet girls bombarded the instructor with questions. About brushes and textures and tricks. It was crazy. I feel like I've been given the secret password into a brave new world.
Once we were done, we headed back out to Queen Street. We walked to the Eaton Centre to the new Sephora store (I experienced my first Sephora in New York - omigod!). Then we went to M.A.C. where apparently their newest colours are crazy because all the sales ladies were sporting kermit green eye shadow. We finished at Shoppers where we asked a few questions of the very helpful drag queen working the makeup counter.
So, despite our fears of turning out looking like this:
My little sister and I had a sister date on Saturday. Ten hours in Toronto with my little sis always means a lot of coffee, a lot of yummy food, a lot of fun stores and a LOT of walking. This time though, he entire day revolved around my Christmas present: a 3-hour makeup class at the Asha School of Makeup.
After brunch and lunch, my sister and I showed up at the address listed on the Groupon. She had been told to call a phone number once we got there. It felt a little sketchy as we stood on the steps of a Queen Street building but, after several minutes, a beautifully made-up woman came down to let us in. Apparently make-up schools are high security areas. Must be all those brushes...
We were not sure what to expect. I pictured a classroom setting with lots of lights and mirrors where we would all get to practice on ourselves. Geneviève just hoped we could sit at the back so she wouldn't be singled out to answer questions.
Neither of us expected to be taken into a tiny room with a desk littered with makeup supplies and five stools in a circle for the students to sit on. We were given a piece of paper and a pen to take notes and a magazine to provide something to write on. Within a few minutes we were a room full of strangers sitting in a circle, all without makeup and too embarrassed to say what they did and did not know.
Awkward...
The instructor asked one lady to be her model for the five-minute 'going out to the grocery store' look. It took about twenty minutes to do because she was explaining so much but I couldn't believe how much a little blush and sheer eye shadow could transform a person. We sat there in awe.
The next look was the 'evening' look which was all about eye shadows. I was selected as the model for that one because I apparently have a lot of room around my eyes which really shows off the colours. So I perched on the stool and tried not to let my eyes water too much as I was 'painted'. Metallic browns and golds were applied and blended and, within a few minutes, I was ready for the red carpet...
..well, except for my purple vest, jeans and runners.
It did look pretty cool. We tried to take a picture but it just didn't do it justice. Apparently it's all about the subtleties - which are lovely in person but don't show up well on camera.
A third girl was the model for some pretty impressive eye liner tricks.
Once the demonstrations were over, the room of five quiet girls bombarded the instructor with questions. About brushes and textures and tricks. It was crazy. I feel like I've been given the secret password into a brave new world.
Once we were done, we headed back out to Queen Street. We walked to the Eaton Centre to the new Sephora store (I experienced my first Sephora in New York - omigod!). Then we went to M.A.C. where apparently their newest colours are crazy because all the sales ladies were sporting kermit green eye shadow. We finished at Shoppers where we asked a few questions of the very helpful drag queen working the makeup counter.
So, despite our fears of turning out looking like this:
...we came out looking pretty much like ourselves - with a little bit of je ne sais quoi.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The First Day
I love even numbers so the year 2012 looks, in my humble opinion, much prettier than 2011.
2011 had some redeeming qualities - if you add up all the numbers (2+1+1) you get four which is the best number going.
2012 is pretty cool because if you take the 12 and multiply it by the 2 you get 24. I love 24.
Anyway, happy new year folks!
I hope you all enjoyed the transition from 2011 to 2012 - whether you sat in your pyjamas and watched Sex and the City reruns with your cat or whether you crawled home at 4am with tinsel in your hair and a new friend named Raoul.
January first always feels like a fresh start. A clean slate.
I don't make resolutions today because I feel like I spend plenty of time during the rest of the year setting lofty goals for myself thank you very much. No need to make a new list just because everyone else is doing it.
Twenty-twelve holds plenty of promise and is already shaping up to be a year of fun times and memorable moments.
In a mere four days, the adventure begins. You see, I opened one of my presents on Christmas morning and discovered tickets to Billy Elliot. Pretty exciting! I love the theatre and Toronto is always fun to visit.
Doug suggested I read the tickets a little more closely.
Ok, tickets to Billy Elliot on January 6th. At the Imperial Theatre. Where's that?!?
...New York!!??
OMIGOD!
We're off to NYC for three days next week. Shopping, running (17 whole minutes!) in Central Park, theatres, art galleries and restaurants. I'm so excited!
February, my little sister and I are going on a makeup adventure. She is taking me to a half-day workshop in Toronto that teaches you all kinds of fun tricks. We figure we'll be the worst students in the class since we have no idea what the hell we're doing but it should be fun. February is also the month where I run a trivia night for a great group of people so I'll be spending all of my free time gathering 100 awesome questions. On top of that, I will hopefully have completed my return to running program and should be running 40 minutes to an hour by then. Right on time for minus 30 + windchill.
March is Around the Bay. I won't be running it this year since I won't be able to do that kind of distance yet but I'll be there. Doug's running it. So is Scully (I think? Are you running it Scully??). And so is Jeff - all the way from Boston.
April seems pretty quiet so far but I may try to run the Chocolate 10-miler - depending on how my legs are doing.
May is the Cabot Trail relay. Klari, our fearless Simcoe Shores organizer has set her sights on the Cabot Trail race - a 298km, 17 stage relay that takes runners through the Cape Breton highlands. It may take some convincing to get enough runners to sign on but I have a pretty good feeling that I'll be driving a van full of sweaty athletes around Cape Breton island.
June begins triathlon season and, with all the swimming I've been doing, I think I may give it a try. I'm not sure if I'll like open water swimming in large groups but there really is only one way to find out.
July is the first of two family weddings this year and Doug and I have been asked to be the photographers.
August is birthday month but beyond that bit of trivia we haven't got anything going on...yet.
September and October look pretty tame at the moment but I would like to run a 1/2 marathon at some point this year so that may be the time to do it. I also have a goal of getting to Israel within the next 15 months. Either September of 2012 or, even more fun, March of 2013 to run the Tel Aviv 1/2 marathon.
November is the New York Marathon. Doug has a guaranteed entry into the race thanks to his superb time at the Hamilton marathon. If I can convince him that he really does want to go to NYC twice in one year...we may be back there again. November is also my ten year diaversary. Anyone up for a celebratory party??
December is family wedding number two and the return of the Israelis for Christmas. Speaking of those two lovebirds - here is a link to Afterglow's blog if you want to see some of the wedding photos.
Life, as I know well enough, never goes as planned but the road ahead looks pretty appealing.
Welcome to 2012 folks. I hope the year is good to you and that, most importantly, it's full of good health and happiness.
2011 had some redeeming qualities - if you add up all the numbers (2+1+1) you get four which is the best number going.
2012 is pretty cool because if you take the 12 and multiply it by the 2 you get 24. I love 24.
Anyway, happy new year folks!
I hope you all enjoyed the transition from 2011 to 2012 - whether you sat in your pyjamas and watched Sex and the City reruns with your cat or whether you crawled home at 4am with tinsel in your hair and a new friend named Raoul.
January first always feels like a fresh start. A clean slate.
I don't make resolutions today because I feel like I spend plenty of time during the rest of the year setting lofty goals for myself thank you very much. No need to make a new list just because everyone else is doing it.
Twenty-twelve holds plenty of promise and is already shaping up to be a year of fun times and memorable moments.
In a mere four days, the adventure begins. You see, I opened one of my presents on Christmas morning and discovered tickets to Billy Elliot. Pretty exciting! I love the theatre and Toronto is always fun to visit.
Doug suggested I read the tickets a little more closely.
Ok, tickets to Billy Elliot on January 6th. At the Imperial Theatre. Where's that?!?
...New York!!??
OMIGOD!
We're off to NYC for three days next week. Shopping, running (17 whole minutes!) in Central Park, theatres, art galleries and restaurants. I'm so excited!
February, my little sister and I are going on a makeup adventure. She is taking me to a half-day workshop in Toronto that teaches you all kinds of fun tricks. We figure we'll be the worst students in the class since we have no idea what the hell we're doing but it should be fun. February is also the month where I run a trivia night for a great group of people so I'll be spending all of my free time gathering 100 awesome questions. On top of that, I will hopefully have completed my return to running program and should be running 40 minutes to an hour by then. Right on time for minus 30 + windchill.
March is Around the Bay. I won't be running it this year since I won't be able to do that kind of distance yet but I'll be there. Doug's running it. So is Scully (I think? Are you running it Scully??). And so is Jeff - all the way from Boston.
April seems pretty quiet so far but I may try to run the Chocolate 10-miler - depending on how my legs are doing.
May is the Cabot Trail relay. Klari, our fearless Simcoe Shores organizer has set her sights on the Cabot Trail race - a 298km, 17 stage relay that takes runners through the Cape Breton highlands. It may take some convincing to get enough runners to sign on but I have a pretty good feeling that I'll be driving a van full of sweaty athletes around Cape Breton island.
June begins triathlon season and, with all the swimming I've been doing, I think I may give it a try. I'm not sure if I'll like open water swimming in large groups but there really is only one way to find out.
July is the first of two family weddings this year and Doug and I have been asked to be the photographers.
August is birthday month but beyond that bit of trivia we haven't got anything going on...yet.
September and October look pretty tame at the moment but I would like to run a 1/2 marathon at some point this year so that may be the time to do it. I also have a goal of getting to Israel within the next 15 months. Either September of 2012 or, even more fun, March of 2013 to run the Tel Aviv 1/2 marathon.
November is the New York Marathon. Doug has a guaranteed entry into the race thanks to his superb time at the Hamilton marathon. If I can convince him that he really does want to go to NYC twice in one year...we may be back there again. November is also my ten year diaversary. Anyone up for a celebratory party??
December is family wedding number two and the return of the Israelis for Christmas. Speaking of those two lovebirds - here is a link to Afterglow's blog if you want to see some of the wedding photos.
Life, as I know well enough, never goes as planned but the road ahead looks pretty appealing.
Welcome to 2012 folks. I hope the year is good to you and that, most importantly, it's full of good health and happiness.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Priorities
It's hard to believe that it's only been ten days since my sister's wedding.
It's a little shocking how much of an emotional roller coaster life can be sometimes.
I spent a lot of time with my family last week. My mom and I had several long talks and we spent a lot of time talking about health. How precarious is can be. How ridiculous it seems that some people take so little care of themselves and seem to live forever while others try very hard and are felled by seemingly random illnesses or events.
We decided that, even though there are no guarantees in life, we're never going to stop trying to take care of ourselves. I'd rather be fit and healthy and feeling good for a shorter period of time than live a long time feeling awful.
So, despite the roller coaster that last week was, I kept up my swimming, my back to running schedule and my healthy eating.
It's a new week. By the time friday comes, I will have graduated to running 8 minutes, three times in a half hour. That's 24 minutes!! Pretty impressive non?
Now if only I can find the time to get my Christmas shopping done.
It's a little shocking how much of an emotional roller coaster life can be sometimes.
I spent a lot of time with my family last week. My mom and I had several long talks and we spent a lot of time talking about health. How precarious is can be. How ridiculous it seems that some people take so little care of themselves and seem to live forever while others try very hard and are felled by seemingly random illnesses or events.
We decided that, even though there are no guarantees in life, we're never going to stop trying to take care of ourselves. I'd rather be fit and healthy and feeling good for a shorter period of time than live a long time feeling awful.
So, despite the roller coaster that last week was, I kept up my swimming, my back to running schedule and my healthy eating.
It's a new week. By the time friday comes, I will have graduated to running 8 minutes, three times in a half hour. That's 24 minutes!! Pretty impressive non?
Now if only I can find the time to get my Christmas shopping done.
Friday, December 9, 2011
The Big Day
My sister is getting married today.
Our blessing are chosen.
Our speeches are ready.
Our dresses are bought.
Our shoes are broken in (sort of).
The secret tasks we've been assigned are accomplished.
Our nails are done.
Hairstyles are still up in the air.
Makeup - well, let's hope it all works out.
Timing - not sure if we can pull it all off but we'll try.
I have larabars, cliff bars and bananas ready to go.
Comfy shoes to pull on when my feet start to cry.
I'm switching from the insulin pump to the needle 'cause my dress won't hide a pump and, just for one day, I don't want to have to think about it.
My sister will be beautiful.
Her groom will be perfectly perfect.
And it will be over much too soon.
Stay tuned for pictures!
Our blessing are chosen.
Our speeches are ready.
Our dresses are bought.
Our shoes are broken in (sort of).
The secret tasks we've been assigned are accomplished.
Our nails are done.
Hairstyles are still up in the air.
Makeup - well, let's hope it all works out.
Timing - not sure if we can pull it all off but we'll try.
I have larabars, cliff bars and bananas ready to go.
Comfy shoes to pull on when my feet start to cry.
I'm switching from the insulin pump to the needle 'cause my dress won't hide a pump and, just for one day, I don't want to have to think about it.
My sister will be beautiful.
Her groom will be perfectly perfect.
And it will be over much too soon.
Stay tuned for pictures!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
A Love Story
I started writing Running on Carbs back in January - kind of on a whim.
One early January morning, I was checking email at work and I received an email from another agency that encouraged me to read David Hingsburger's blog. I had heard of Dave but had never read his blog. Until that day I had, to be honest, never read anyone's blog. I clicked on the link, read, was inspired and started thinking...
I like to write.
I have lots of things in my life that would provide some writing inspiration.
Why the hell not?
Dave was on Blogger so I copied him and signed up. I picked a standard template (remember the red?), created a tagline and Running on Carbs was born.
The whole process probably took less than an hour.
When I started, I figured I would write mostly about diabetes and running because those were two things that were pretty significant in my life. They were also topics that allowed me to share a lot of thoughts and struggles without delving too much into my personal life. Because, believe it or not, I'm a pretty private person.
I choose carefully who I share things with and I keep my cards close to my chest. I have a public side and a private side. And they don't often meet.
I am also conscious about sharing information about other people. I could write all sorts of blogs about what happens at home but that would be completely disrespectful to Doug who is also a very private person. So I write about things that are fairly benign and I respect, as much as I can, his privacy too.
How's that for a long winded introduction to today's blog?
Today's blog is about a wedding.
My sister's wedding to be exact.
The middle sister is supposed to be rebellious, adventurous, courageous, and independent. She is all of those. She is also beautiful, talented, hilarious, strong, vulnerable and wonderful in more ways than I can possibly describe.
She has had quite the journey in her 33 years. Her journey to find happiness and love has not been an easy one. She has travelled the world, learned several foreign languages, studied in schools across Canada and the world, tried more scary foods than most of us will ever try and filled her passports with more stamps than I can count.
She is an adventurer - full of passion, independence, love, kindness, talent and strength. And she is also an emotional woman who needed to find someone who could love her independence and stubborn streak while also nurturing her gentle heart, encouraging her endeavours, and supporting her when she needs support.
Finding someone to fill those shoes has taken her all over the world and it ended, eventually, in Israel.
It was quite a journey but she found him.
And, in a few short weeks, she will marry the love of her life.
Folks, I have watched a lot of movies in my time and have read a lot of books. Love stories are everywhere and many of them melt our hearts, inspire us and have us leaving the theatre with tears in our eyes.
My sister has lived that love story. Tears have been shed, hearts have been stretched, broken, and healed again. I watched her struggle, hope, despair, hope again and finally, love.
Two people, from different countries, cultures, customs have found each other. It has not been easy but they made it work. Not only did they make it work - they taught us all that love really can conquer everything.
She comes home this weekend. He arrives a week later. His family arrives a few days afterwards.
And then, in front of everyone who loves them almost more than they can bear, they will marry.
I will stand behind her. Her proud older sister with tears in her eyes.
Love is different for everyone. It is often private. It is often personal.
But sometimes it inspires the world.
One early January morning, I was checking email at work and I received an email from another agency that encouraged me to read David Hingsburger's blog. I had heard of Dave but had never read his blog. Until that day I had, to be honest, never read anyone's blog. I clicked on the link, read, was inspired and started thinking...
I like to write.
I have lots of things in my life that would provide some writing inspiration.
Why the hell not?
Dave was on Blogger so I copied him and signed up. I picked a standard template (remember the red?), created a tagline and Running on Carbs was born.
The whole process probably took less than an hour.
When I started, I figured I would write mostly about diabetes and running because those were two things that were pretty significant in my life. They were also topics that allowed me to share a lot of thoughts and struggles without delving too much into my personal life. Because, believe it or not, I'm a pretty private person.
I choose carefully who I share things with and I keep my cards close to my chest. I have a public side and a private side. And they don't often meet.
I am also conscious about sharing information about other people. I could write all sorts of blogs about what happens at home but that would be completely disrespectful to Doug who is also a very private person. So I write about things that are fairly benign and I respect, as much as I can, his privacy too.
How's that for a long winded introduction to today's blog?
Today's blog is about a wedding.
My sister's wedding to be exact.
The middle sister is supposed to be rebellious, adventurous, courageous, and independent. She is all of those. She is also beautiful, talented, hilarious, strong, vulnerable and wonderful in more ways than I can possibly describe.
She has had quite the journey in her 33 years. Her journey to find happiness and love has not been an easy one. She has travelled the world, learned several foreign languages, studied in schools across Canada and the world, tried more scary foods than most of us will ever try and filled her passports with more stamps than I can count.
She is an adventurer - full of passion, independence, love, kindness, talent and strength. And she is also an emotional woman who needed to find someone who could love her independence and stubborn streak while also nurturing her gentle heart, encouraging her endeavours, and supporting her when she needs support.
Finding someone to fill those shoes has taken her all over the world and it ended, eventually, in Israel.
It was quite a journey but she found him.
And, in a few short weeks, she will marry the love of her life.
Folks, I have watched a lot of movies in my time and have read a lot of books. Love stories are everywhere and many of them melt our hearts, inspire us and have us leaving the theatre with tears in our eyes.
My sister has lived that love story. Tears have been shed, hearts have been stretched, broken, and healed again. I watched her struggle, hope, despair, hope again and finally, love.
Two people, from different countries, cultures, customs have found each other. It has not been easy but they made it work. Not only did they make it work - they taught us all that love really can conquer everything.
She comes home this weekend. He arrives a week later. His family arrives a few days afterwards.
And then, in front of everyone who loves them almost more than they can bear, they will marry.
I will stand behind her. Her proud older sister with tears in her eyes.
Love is different for everyone. It is often private. It is often personal.
But sometimes it inspires the world.
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