Woo! Yeah! Uh huh, I am a scientist.

Yesterday was the longest annoyingist (is that a word? ) day ever...and when I finally got home 2 hours late, ate and sat down to relax a bit I promptly fell asleep! Sooo I just went to bed early.

I'm glad I did...I feel loads better today.

I got up and ran my 2 minutes walk + 5 minutes run 6 times and stretched out a lot, and had a nice bowl of cereal for breakfast. I even biked to work, and altho I'm a bit stiff (I seem to have to fight off side stitches when I run if I've done lots of situps the day before) I feel good. I'm not tired, and today looks a lot more sane. I listened to another old favourite album while running: Welcome to the Monkey House by the Dandy Warhols. I forgot how much I liked it...they even have a song about how cool it is to be a scientist...need I say more?

I'm glad I'm rested and feeling more warm and fuzzy, as tonight is when I have to pack up all my living room and start what I've started to call "Operation Pimpmyhouse". I plan on painting my whole living room and hall starting sunday, so I have a day to pack up all the little stuff, and then tomorrow is move the furniture and plants (we have a LOT of plants so this will take some time). Then I can start filling holes and painting...I've taken off all week as it'll be a lot of work for little old me. I'll have arms the size of fire extinguishers when I'm done I think :)

Cranky Cranky Cranky starts with C

I was woken up at stupid o'clock to help my husband look for something he needed for work (he leaves for work just after 5) and could not get back to sleep after. I also walked to work with a hole in my sock...so my foot is sore. And I have lots to do at work. For all these reasons, at the moment I am crank incarnate.
BUT I did do my ball DVD and walk 30 minutes briskly to work, so I got my exercise in. I had breakfast too...and I'm sure that once I get going I'll be fine. It's just a bunch of little things all in a row that have made be a bit of a cranky little thing this morning - don't come too close unless you have snacks...

Running - Chemical #1

It was a beauuuuuuutiful morning to run today. Lots of other happy people out there and a bunch of birds I've never seen before (tiny yellow ones...neato). I did 2 minutes walk + 5 minutes run 6 times and I kept a pretty brisk pace thanks to an old favourite album - Already by Jesus Jones...there's a few songs on it that capture how I felt about things this morning. I'm sure it's about the good things in life, but this morning, it was about how I felt as I ran...

It’s adrenalin for me that is waiting patiently,
For when push comes to shove which it usually does for me...
No time here to explain all the many ways to gain-
They sneak-up-behind you, jump start your mind for free.
And here it comes!
It’s a little bit sad, but isn’t it fun?
To spend your life chasing chemical #1
The romantics out there say that emotions aren’t this way,
But whatever the name, it feels the same to me.
And here it comes! Isn’t it fun?

I have been listening to old albums lately and thought I'd dig up an old favourite album on the iPod. Sometimes great music makes all the difference. For me sometimes the music fills me up and I run and breathe and honestly feel like I'm in the best place on earth. This morning was one of those times...I ran and sang out loud like a fool (and was heard and seen by a passerby who giggled at me...heh oops) and seemed to go further and faster than I have recently. I pushed myself but the little voices in my head that tell me what to do were helpful today...dare I say encouraging. They made me smile. It was a hard workout...but I loved every minute of it.

I have to find motion - I get release in motion,
If I move I'll be fine.
I've gotta find the right speed to shake off what I don't need,
So I can leave it all behind.
Motion takes me...

I was thinking as I ran, about just how much my whole attitude has changed over the years. Back when I started this whole fitness thing I had such a negative attitude towards myself and my body. When I needed to push myself I'd insult myself...egg myself on and dare myself to do more and prove myself wrong.
How twisted is that?
This morning, without really noticing it at first, I came to realise that now the voices were juxtaposed to the old ones. Things like "Hey you did it! Ah- you can totally do this, come on lets roll!" were more along the lines of how it went today. Even a full out cheesy arms in the air if I occasionally sprint the last few metres to the bridge at the end of my run is not out of the question these days :)

I know a lot of it is just the odds of having a good day, but it really brings it home to me how much we can make ourselves better or worse with all the little things in life and how we approach them. It makes me wonder just what other things I do or don't do in other parts of my life that I can work on.
Who'd a thought a sweaty run would get my mind going?

I'm not there yet...
Not weak enough yet.
I'll keep paying my bills
If this is as hard as it gets
On top of the world!
On top of the world...

Lazy Saturday

Well I'm tired today, but not stiff. Nifty.
I've done little today besides pick weeds, prep for bottling my beer and drink coffee.
I've been obscenely busy as of late, so it's been nice to relax this weekend. I have not exercised today, but I plan on a nice relaxing weekend. I saw the Neville Brothers last night and tomorrow is the Pink Martinis. I love the Jazz Festival...
Music feeds the soul...it'll help me run on monday :)

Stiff but happy.

My body is starting to wonder what I'm up to. This morning I was a bit stiff from the muscle toning DVD, mostly my abs and shoulders, but after my run (2 min walk + 5 min run 6 times) my legs were jello. It's odd to think I would do all this and not bat an eye a few months ago...guess I have some work to do.
After riding my bike to work my legs are quite lacking in energy, but I feel really good, so I just have to watch myself. It's OK to push myself, but I don't want to over do it. I"ll just ambulate at whatever pace I need to ang get on with the day
It is nice to be running again...if only I could get my cats distracted while I stretch after it'd be perfect :)

On the ball

This morning I got up and did my exercise ball DVD. It's been a while now...and I don't remember it being that hard!
Guess I've been away too long. I can feel some aches in my shoulders and butt, so I know it was good for me. It's a good solid overall workout for your major muscle groups and only takes 20 minutes...I'd recommend it.
Now I just have to keep at it!

Back at it with a shameless cereal promotion

This morning I got up and went for a run...it was much easier than last time.
I was able to do 2 minutes walk + 5 minutes run 6 times and, thanks to biking to work, have lots of time to stretch out well and have a yummy breakfast. I even did some situps for good measure. I had a nice 20 minute bike to work, so I'm feeling all fit and healthy today. I feel like I'm back at it...now I just have to *keep* at it!

I have to take a second and put in a plug for a yummy new cereal we bought on a whim and had some of this morning: Nature Harvest. It's got 5 or 6 types of flakes AND these little oat granola bar things that taste like little cookies dipped in milk. I have the new Maple flavour and can't vouch for the others yet...but MAN - delicious cereal.
Cereal is a favourite food of mine and I'm always looking for something to help supplement my Mini Wheats addiction. I'm getting some Oat and Honey stuff next. 1 cup of it with some skim milk is less than 300 calories...so hey! Cereal all around :)

Biking again

OK...I feel a bit less lazy.
I finally remembered how to work the wierdass valve on my bike tires to refill them and drove my AWESOME bike to work today (don't laugh, it was a tire tube generously given to me by a stranger to get me home when I had a flat long ago, but it has a wierd valve that has to be unscrewed to fill up the tire...and every spring I forget how it works!). I had to bike around to find a gas station with an air hose this morning before work (nobody has them anymore...why?) as I couldn't get it pumped up enough with my hand pump, but still made it to work in about 20 minutes, once the tires were full up. Not too shabby.

Hopefully biking to work from now on will help me and my ass avoid critical mass.
I got myself a new bike 2 years ago and I love it - it has a low girly style bar, with mountain tires, 21 gears and a big ass seat, with handlebars designed to sit up more than lean over...a great cruiser bike. I can take the trails to work with on ly 1 or 2 blocks of actual street, so it's a perfect bike ride to start and end the day. My home city is really a biking city...lots of lanes on major roadways and trails all over. It's nice to have another option besides the bus.

ANYways...Gotta go...time to put on my helmet and head home.

muffintop

Heh...I feel like I am really slacking off. I'm going to develop this if I'm not careful :)
I did dance for 4 hours on thursday night and saturday night, but this morning I slept in instead of running, as I was exhausted. I had a busy busy weekend and stayed up most of saturday night dancing(beautiful sunrise!) and then had family obligations al sunday. Exhausted and stiff all friday and sunday with achy muscles, but it was fun. This morning I just couldn't get up to run...I stayed in my comfy bed another hour.
Bad. I know.
Tomorrow I *will* be up and running.
Otherwise me and the cat will have a lot in common :)

Porridge day

It's odd...Some days you work out or run and it's fantastic and wonderful and you feel as though you could take on the world...like it's not even hard and you could have gone even further than you did, and feel all smarmy and good about yourself after. Other days it's like running uphill through porridge and you have to force yourself to finish as you know it's good for you...if it doesn't kill you first.

Today was a porridge day.
It was good cool weather for running, and I woke up at 5 with no problem to spend breakfast with my husband before he left for work, which was nice, but I just couldn't find a good pace...I kept getting a side stitch and it was all I could do to run 4 minute stretches and walk 2 minutes between them 6 times. A fair workout, but I must say I didn't have a good time.

But, after a good breakfast and a hot shower and a deeeeeelicious cup of Tim Horton's coffee I feel great, so in the end, it was a good thing. Not every day is a perfect day...and it seems to be getting better and better.

A friend who is staying with us has been cooking meals occasionally and I've been loving it - last night was braised pork chops in a portabello rye cream sauce and balsamic herbed roast vegetables...so I need to be running to keep up with all the amazing food I weill be eating over the next while (and not cooking-woot!)

It's odd how you can start a day feeling mumbly and grumpy and suddenly realise you're perky and cheerful and not realise exactly when it happened. I don't mind though - it reminds me why I try and treat myself well...healthy and happy is a good way to be. It's nice to be able to exercise again... :)

Walkies

I was still a bit stiff this morning in rather odd places so I didn't want to hurt myself...soooooo, I didn't run (bad...). BUT I did speedwalk to work. It was a nice 30 minute brisk walk...so I don't feel too bad. Just a bit.
It's so hard to get back into my routine after being off...it's been just long enough that it's all goofed up.
But...tomorrow morning I will be out on the trail again. I'm determined to run even if it rains...unless it's torrential.
We shall see...

Time it was, and what a time it was, it was a time....

I just found out my 5K time from yesterday - 38 minutes and 31 seconds.
Not too shabby! That's a few minutes faster than last year!

Yay me :)

Victory is Mine!

Well I just got back from my run to a beery smelling house. It's foaming all over the place from the fruit I added...hope it dies down soon. I like beer but I don't want the house smelling of it.

I'm glad I did the Boogie fun run. I was a bit nervous what with no exercise for about a month, but I ran into an old friend there I hadn't seen in ages and it was her first real race. She wanted to run it and her husband and friends wanted to walk it, and was getting over a cold so we decided we'd encourage each other on and run together while the rest walked. We stuck together and ran, with only 2 few short walk breaks...WOHOO!
I can't wait to find out my chip time tomorrow. I was having such a grea time I didn't look at my watch, and the 5K people started after the 10K people, so the time on the race clock wasn't correct...it said 42 minutes, and so I came in a few minutes under that...I'm very proud, considering my lack of training. It was a lot of fun, with people of all ages there...walking or running 2, 5 or 10K. There was a goofy warm up and random things on the way (cheerleaders at one corner and bagpipes on another) to keep us motivated...and some great snacks at the end. My friend was so proud to have done it...seeing her face as she realised she'd run 2 K without stopping (never done it before) was worth it...I'm so proud of her.
A victory breakfast involving taters was had and I am quite content to be home watching my beer wondering if it will blow up...:)
I must go. Lots to do. Explosions to avert.
Ta! :)

Honesty Lesson

Well today I picked up my registration pack for the 5K fun run tomorrow. I was going to do 10K before I got sick, but I think trying to get through 5 will be enough at the moment...what with no serious exercise for about a month, I'll focus on staying alive :)
My friend Karen had registered for it and I was going to just be her and save the fee, as she has other commitments, but due to a computer glitch and my inability to lie to anyone convincingly, after a series of race computer registration glitches that lost her info, I just gave in and registered myself for the 5K. I was fine with being Karen, but I had no information to get her glitches fixed, and they wouldn't let me run for her once I let on that's what I was doing and not jsut picking it up for her, so I just gave in and am now (eep) registered for tomorrow.
Of course this year the 5K people get cool timing chips too...hopefully my time isn't too horrendous.
We shall see. I'll be sure to post my time...regardless of how bad it is :)
At the moment I'm making beer...gotta go check on it.
(strawberry beer...it smells yummy..)