[talk: Reality.]

Well.  It's been a few days ... where am I at?

BUSY.

I've redone my RHP site (launching April 1, 2012) ... pretty excited about that.  Why?  Oh, just because it's fun *grin* ... and because I feel like it really represents me well.  I like it ... so yeah, I'm excited.    I'm also in the process of redoing my RHP blog ... I've hummed and hawed about doing this for over a year ... but when Blogger is FREE, why would I pay??

Well ... I decided to put up the coin and buy a template that I can manipulate into what I want.  Why?  Because I wanted my blog to flow with my site - and for it to appear more professional.  Plus, my new blogsite allows me to do far more than my current Blogger one.  

And when I bought it, it gave me the option of using the template for another site (that being, this one).   But then I'd have to register Homemakingirl ... yadayadayada. I don't know ... this doesn't get near the traffic that I think it would need to, to do that.

Beh.  

Not worried about that today ... 

Instead, I've been getting dinner ready all day.  We're having both sets of parents over - and every thing I've made is right from my Make By Homemakingirl blog.  And I see that I've had over 900+ hits??  Crazy ... 

What else?  Well - I haven't been running.  Or exercising, for that matter.  Hmmm ... that's not entirely true.  For some reason if I haven't exercised intentionally in the last 2 days, I feel like I haven't done it ever.  So, yes.  I have exercised - like only three times in the last 7 days.  I've been riding the stationary bike ... (yuck).

And I've made an appointment with my doctor.

Why?

I've decided it's time to look into orthodics for my running shoes.  I haven't run much at all lately, and for some reason it feels like my shins are getting worse??  So sad, as I feel like everything goes a bit downhill for me when I don't run.  I know that I should be having a more diverse exercise schedule, but I just love running so much ... I hate that my ankles and shins are causing me so much grief.

I get down ... stop working out ... start eating nutella out of the jar ... get mad at myself ... eat another scoop *grin*.  Feel worse ... you know how it goes *laughing* ... 

So I have an appointment next week with my doctor, who will hopefully recommend a good place to go to get my legs/ankles FIXED.  I've talked to so many people, and they've all said that orthodics changed everything for them.

I hope it will for me too.

Have a great one ...

[digiscrap: And More Than That.]

Oh wow ... somehow this got lost amongst all of my "to-be-posted-posts".  Another set of digiscrap pages ... double click images to enlarge and view.

I'm currently working on last year's Santa Monica trip ... I've only got a few more pages left to do - I'm so excited to get that done.  My plan is to put it into a book, this time.  Like the ones I make for my mom & mom-in-law every Christmas.

I'm also getting excited for my Las Vegas trip coming up in a couple of weeks.  I'm heading to the WPPI Convention (wedding photographers) - and will be gone three nights.  EEK.  And my roomie is the lovely Melody Davis Photography ... well.  Melody Davis ... but you get the idea.

Yesterday she came over and as our kiddies played, we dreamed of locations and ideas ... scanned the internet, made notes, dreamed some more.

Yup.  Can't wait.

I've got a few other things on the go too ... like my first race since my 1/2 Marathon last September.  I'll be doing a 10km on the 19th ... but I'm nervous that I've got shin splints after running 20km total last week.  Beh ... if it's not one thing, it's another.

I must be getting old.

**tear**

Oh man ... don't get me started on that now.  I'm feeling the suffocation of not being able to stop time, as of late.

But that's another post *grin*.

Have a great one!!

[talk: My Fave Posts This Year ... ]

First off - thank you so much for voting HERE  for my image of Katia at the "I Heart Faces" contest.  Voting closes today ... so thank you!

Secondly ... I have failed to keep this blog up-to-date with what's going on at my RedHanded Photography blog HERE ... There are THREE posts on "Mat & Angela's" wedding ... would love to have you check them out, leave a comment - let me know you were there *grin*.

Here's a preview ... 

Ok ... I think that's it.  Now, onto the post *grin*.

So.  It's fall ... and I'm turning into a squirrel.  I actually went out yesterday and bought cold and flu medicine for the family, a half dozen hand soap dispensers, a new cozy blanket for the family room and ... a kettle ball.  *grin*.  For my inside workouts.

I cleaned out two freezers and sorted the pantry ... so now I actually know WHAT I have in there.  Honestly ... I found stuff from 2009 in there.  Blech.

But once the sun sets earlier and the rain clouds become all-to-common, I find myself reading a lot.  Maybe you do too ... maybe that's why you're here *grin*.

So here are a few of my fave posts from 2011.  Grabba java ... or a tea, if you're like me.  Settle in, and enjoy.

I hope.  *grin*.

1. "Saying Goodbye, Saying Hello" : In January, I attended the funeral of a past friend ... his death affected so many of us.

2. "Sliding Doors" : This was a fun post to write ... I'm sure we've all thought of it at one moment  or another; what would've happened "if" ... ??

3. "Little Einstein Rocket Ship Birthday Cake" : pretty self-explanatory.

4. "My Name" : ... a look at nicknames and all that they mean.

5. "She Fell Through the Ceiling" :  Oh, you didn't read this one??  You're missing out *grin*!

6. "It Buds" : After writing a post, and getting some harsh words written back to me ... I wrote this reply.

7.  "Happy Birthday to Me" : Honestly?  It was one of the best birthdays ... ever.

8.  "Words Of Life" : Our pastor challenged me to the absolute core with his message.

9.  "101 Hairstyles" : A walk down memory lane *grin*, regardless of how humiliating it was.

10. "My First Half Marathon" :  So.  This just happened ... and was one of the biggest personal milestones for me.  Definitely in my top 10 posts.  

Ok ... so there you have it.

Did I miss any??

Have a great one!

[running: Half Marathon Playlist.]

Hey ... ok.  Yup.  Another post ... 

I had some friends ask about my "playlist" for the run tomorrow, and here it is.  It's a mix of pop to get me going, and spiritual to keep me there ... some motivational songs, some songs that have meaning for me.  I have music from relatives, from friends (Geneva, Ben Cantelon, The Left, Ryan McAllister ...) ...  For me, it's a good mix.  And I'm hoping that I've timed it right  ... 

Whatever the case, I intend on making my final km set to "White Ribbon Day".  It's my personal "power song".

Have a great one!

[running: Half Marathon]

Tomorrow, I run my first half marathon.

With the kids filled up with pancakes and my hubby sipping coffee and catching up on the news, I thought that I should take a minute and write about how I'm feeling - as I may want to look back on today and see how I felt.

So.  How am I feeling??

Eek.

Excited.  Nervous.  Scared.

I'm not sure what to expect.  Am I afraid that I can't do it?  Um.  Yes - yes, I am.  But not for my lack of wanting to.  I just know what it's like to have my body say "enough" and the pain of a pulled muscle or shin splints.  I feel that my mind is ready - which, from what I understand, is half the battle.

I've had the "thumbs up" from my massage therapist ... everything seems to be in perfect working order.  I ran almost 11km on Monday, and cycled on the stationary bike at home for almost 1.5 hours on Thursday.  No pain.  So today - I'll be stretching, stretching, stretching.

My intention is to just push through, although I know that some think that a possible injury from that isn't worth it.  But somehow, I need to just DO it.  Push it.  Go for it.

Will I do this again?

Honestly - at how I'm feeling today ... no.  It takes SO much time to prepare, and I've been missing out on all of the other different kind of exercising I like.  I'm looking forward to doing a simple 5km once a week, maybe a 7 or 10km ... a Jillian DVD when it's raining - and maybe even joining a friend for a cardio class in the evenings.  I want to continue to tone, to get stronger ... 

But who knows?  Maybe I'll finish tomorrow and think, "man - I REALLY did it.  I can do that again ... "

Right now, I'm working on a playlist for the run.  Trying to balance the spiritual with the motivational.  Sometimes I just need a plain ol' rockin' tune ... and sometimes I need the emotional and spiritual filling of a good Christian song.

I also have to go pick up my race package today ... and tomorrow I'll be getting my timer chip.  That's going to be interesting - to see how it matches/doesn't match with my own Nike chip.  And apparently there may be a medal for all those who finish.  I've never gotten an athletic medal before.  I just may never take it off *wink*.  But first ... I just need to finish it.

Gosh ... my heart is literally pounding as I write all of this.  Eek.

Have a great one!

[running: Five Things Running Has Taught Me]

It was about this time last year when I decided that I would lace up my running shoes and give running a try.  I remember the first run I ever did ... and how I literally ran a block and a half and had to stop ... running 1.5km was the limit for me.

Then - I started doing 3 and 1s (run 3minutes, walk 1minute), to 5 and 1s to 10 and 1s.  I went from 1.5km to 3km to 5km.  I dreamed of doing 10km as my long run ... and now, I just run; ... although I was talking to a runner friend last night and she advised that after 12km to do the 10 and 1s to give my body the necessary recovery time.  I told her, " ... but when cars drive by I'll want to yell, 'I've already gone 12km - I'm not walking, I'm pushing myself,'"   I'm such a competitive freak *grin*.

So ... what have I learned in the last year of running?

1.  Being accountable makes all the difference for me.  Not everyone works this way, but posting my runs/times/distances/goals on FB and on my blog have really helped me.  People are watching ... some are maybe even seeing if I'll fail.  This motivates me ... again ... I'm a competitive freak *grin*.

2.  My body is a machine.  And I can't believe how it can do so much with some effort - and by the same token, how much it can disappoint me when I don't put in the effort.  I only cheat myself when I don't give it my all ... 

3.  Good shoes.  Yeah, I love my bright orange runners ... but more than how they look, I LOVE how they have prevented me from injuries.  I want to be super careful ... an injury can really knock a runner right out of the game ...  So - I don't pay monthly gym memberships, BUT I do buy runners fairly often - like every 5 or 6 months ... it's worked for me.

4.  Calibrating ... didn't even know what this word MEANT until I ran (what I thought) was 17km, and soon realized it wasn't.  The chip in my runner had to be calibrated - that is - I needed to run a distance that I KNEW what it was exactly, and tell the chip THAT distance.  Once I did that - my runs have all been very accurate.  And I check them now too ... I don't just assume the numbers are correct.  Satellite transmission can cut in an out - and make for wonky times and distances.

5. Changing it up ... running a 5km as a speed run, and then a 10km seawall run, and a 12km hill run ... doing Jillian DVDs for strength training in between, making sure that I have 15minutes of stretching at the end of the day ... it's all helped.  My body is NOT where I want it to be, mainly because of my crazy love for sugar (it is my worst enemy) ... 

I look back over the last year, and am happy with how far I've come.  I've lost inches ... and although I still have a "baby-tire" around my waist, my legs and butt are strong.  My cardio is crazy ... I don't get tired (unless it's 30min on the tramp ... THAT still kills me).  All in all - I think I've done well.

So ... that's what I've learned.

Yup.

So will I run today?  Honestly?  Probably not ... even after writing this, I feel completely unmotivated *grin*.  How's THAT for honesty??  Truth is - the weather takes a beating on me ... I opened my eyes this morning, and my muscles ached and my head was pounding.  I knew the weather had changed suddenly ... my body is a barometer.  I ran over 8km yesterday in the glorious sun ... and having to run in the grey misery of today ... boo.  I'd rather have Jillian yell at me.

Hopefully I'll snap out of it ... and maybe this weather will burn off.  I have an engagement shoot tonight to look forward to, and ... there's Jon and Patti's Part III on my RedHanded Photography blog HERE.

Have a great one!!  

[running: What I Learned Today.]

I hate feeling like a liar.  I mean, I didn't know ... I wasn't trying to be dishonest ... I just didn't know.  Truly.

What am I talking about?  My runs ... my distances ... my times.

UGH.

So ... here's what happened.

As you well know, I have an app on my IPhone called "runmeter".  It was a $4.99 app and I have LOVED using it.  It gave me a ton of info, documented my stats, GPSed my routes ... But then - after using it for almost a year *duh* - I started noticing small things.  Like if an email came through while I was running - and I didn't dismiss it - it messed up the time stat.  Or sometimes the GPS would cut out ... and I would run the same exact route, and it was less - or more distance than the last time I ran it.

So ... my hubby bought me the Nike chip for Mother's Day and I slipped it into my bright orange Nikes, started up the app on my IPhone and was done.  Or so I thought.

I couldn't believe how much of a better runner I was *grin*.  I took off 6 minutes on my 5km.  The 10km I was running was now 12km and so on ... How wonderful to think that I was actually doing MORE than I thought ... it was obvious that the IPhone app was a joke.

Beh.  Here's the thing ... when it seems too good to be true - it probably is *wink*.

So after posting a pic of my latest run and it's stats, a friend of mine commented asked if I had calibrated my chip. 

Cali-what?

I read the article she had posted ... she said how much she knew I loved accuracy *boy, does she know me well* - and thought that I would want to make sure the chip was doing what it was supposed to.

Well.  That depends ... *grin*.  Is it gonna burst my bubble?  Ignorance is bliss, you know *wink*.  

I wasn't sure how to calibrate ... I've run a few times, tried to calibrate - only to realize that when they say, "how far did you actually run" and to enter the info in - I didn't know the answer.  I mean, that's why I HAVE the silly chip, no?  I want IT to tell me, not me to tell IT *rolling my eyes*.

Instead, I did my homework.  I went to google maps and went through all of my regular routes to see what their actual distances are.  And the short routes were almost exact, but the longer routes got more and more out-of-whack.

What does all this mean?

It means that I haven't run as far or as fast as I have thought.  It's frustrating - in the same way one would be frustrated if they thought they were only 2lbs from their goal weight, only to find that the scale was actually 7lbs off ... And honestly?  It's a bit embarrassing - because the exhilaration I was feeling - it was false.

So ... today I ran the google-maped route of 5km, ran it with the chip, calibrated - and now, hopefully, all of my runs will be accurate.

Beh.

A small glitch, but a glitch, none-the-less.

The truth is, when it said that I ran 5km in 25min last week - I was rather stunned.  Today - after calibrating - I ran 5km in 00:29:32.  And honestly?  All I have EVER really wanted was to do it in under 30min.  And I did.  So I need to be proud of myself for that ... taking off 5min from my 5km run over the last 4 months is a big accomplishment for me.  And I'm not done ... I can still try to increase my speed.

And the 17km that I ran?  Well ... I can't be 100% accurate on that, but I'm GUESSING it was closer to 15km, based on my google map measurements.  So.  15km.  Not too shabby ... and honestly?  I can do 17km next time, right?

We'll see *grin*.

So ... I learned a lot about fancy schmancy watches and chips and iPhone apps and reality.  I learned that I need to make sure I know what I'm doing, before I start - and especially if I'm going to share it with others.

And again ... if it sounds too good to be true, if it makes you so much better than you actually thought ... you should get a second opinion - unless you're like me and think living in a bubble is actually fun *grin*.

Tomorrow?  I'm heading to the seawall to run 10km with a friend ... the sun will be out, and I am so excited ... but nervous about running with someone.  She and I are both pretty competitive.   I think I might just not time this run - and let myself enjoy it, instead of attack it.  We'll see ... maybe not.  I'm much more of an "attack it" kinda person *wink* ... 

AND ... there's another post on my RedHanded Photography blog HERE ... a little preview ... 

Have a great one! 

[talk: Sittin' in Bucks.]

I'm sitting in 'Bucks ... having a shaken green tea and sorting through Saturday's wedding pics.  Ok.  Well ... that's not entirely true now ... 'cause I'm doing this now.  Right.

I helped out in Tias' class this morning, and instead of heading all the way home, I thought I'd do some pics and then head back to pick up Siah at 11am.  I hate Tuesdays and Thursdays.  There's not enough time in between drop offs and pick ups to do anything.

And next year it'll be Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  Yuck.

All in all things are going well ... yup - I weighed myself this morning (please refrain from attacking me on this one ... *grin*).   Numbers are up - but I'm really trying to learn that the numbers just don't matter ... because I'm now wearing size 2 jeans.  If I'm kicking it on the pavement and getting to wear the clothes that I'd like to wear, then I just might be cool with that.  

And that's been a strange thing - coming up with what I'd like to dress like.  I've never really had a "style", I think.  When I look over my life, it kinda depended on who I dated with how I dressed *laughing*.  True.  So, choosing how I want to present myself now has been an interesting thing.  My girlfriends have been commenting on it ... even my bday presents represented the edgy-ness that I like.  I'm really starting to feel like "me".

Then there's running.  After I told him about my 17km, my neighbour told me about a 1/2 marathon in June.  He thinks I can do it ... "if you're doing 17km, you can do the half.  No problem.  Especially in the time you're doing ... ".  I want to look around, over my shoulder, just to see who he's really talking to.  *grin*.

Crazy as it sounds, I'm actually beginning to feel a little like an athlete ... not just a runner.  "Just'.  Whatever - you know what I mean ... When I was at 14km yesterday, I closed my mouth and realized I wasn't even huffing.  At.  All.  It's like I hit 8km and it was ... easy??  What my body can do now is crazy ... my grade 12 PE teacher wouldn't believe the change in me *grin* ... I think I can actually achieve my goals.  And just a few months ago they seemed impossible ... 

SO.   Maybe a half in June.

What else ... well I had the opportunity of leading worship at Recovery this past Sunday ... love being involved there.  Love the people, love the atmosphere ... love what God does there.  I get to lead there this Sunday night too ... such a privilege.  I think I could survive on a diet strictly of running and worship ... feeds my body, feeds my soul.

I'm totally rambling here ... no rhyme or reason to what I'm writing ... and looking at the clock - time for me to head back to the school.  

Hmmm ... well.  At least I got a few pics edited.  *wink*.

Have a great one!!

[running: Mother's Day Chip.]

Some moms get flowers, some get lovely blue boxes with sentimental treats inside.  Some moms get homemade glass jars with a tealight in the bottom (yup - my grade one-er did just that), some get a poem or breakfast in bed.

My hubby is not a sentimental man ... in fact, yesterday at the Mother's Day lunch we held at our place, some of my sis-in-laws were talking about renewing their vows.  My hubby looked at them and said, "I promised God once, why do I have to do it again?"

Such a romantic *rolling eyes*.

BUT when it comes to gift giving, he knows me well.  And I got spoiled.   Maybe you won't think so - but that's probably why I married him, and you didn't *grin*.  He got me a Nike running chip for my runners.  The perfect gift for me. 

And today ... I ran.  17.14km in 1:36:02.  

I am CRAZY excited about that ... I will totally kick the 1/2 marathon in September.  And I'm hoping to kick it in less than 2hrs.  Looks like that's gonna be possible ... 

Ok ... so the chip was a hit - as was the Canucks hockey jersey.  He got me a blue one - which are a hot commodity right now ... and it saves me from having to shimmy myself into Mattias' jersey at the next game *grin*.  I actually prefer the retro jersey ... but he couldn't find one anywhere ... and I'm just hoping that me getting one of these guarantees me a spot at one of the upcoming playoff games *wink*.  

I've also posted some pics of my friend Nicole (and a few of her and I) at my RedHanded Photography blog HERE.  Can't believe that we've been back from almost a week already ... seems like a dream.

Hmm ... I think I need to shower *grin*.  Seventeen km kinda ... stinks *laughing*.  

Have a great one!

[talk: Some Things Are Unsaid.]

I found this digiscrap post in my filing drawer - and realized that I had failed to post it.  Oops.  Oh well - here are some pages that I did a while back, in all of their glory *wink*.  Double click the images to enlarge.

So ... it's been a few days since I posted.  I've had a lot on my mind ... and although my blog is a place where I like to put my thoughts down, sometimes I need to just keep things to myself *grin*.  You know what I mean?  Sure - maybe the invisible blogging world would be highly entertained by my battles, my disappointment in people, my ridiculous tales of conversations with friends.  But I just don't think that's the wisest thing for me *smile* ... 

But - here's the thing.  I think it is so important to be careful what you write.  Oh sure - I tell a little here and there - but I certainly don't tell everything.  There are some things - a lot of things - that are really no one's business.  Just because I choose to blog, doesn't mean that I can't use my brain and omit things.    I guess that although I want to be fairly transparent here - you need to know that you don't know everything *wink*.  Sometimes, I actually have things in code *evil smirk* ... really.   So when I look back and read, it'll trigger what was actually going on in my life.

I remember my mom saying something to me many years ago, when she found out I journaled.  She told me to be careful what I put pen to paper about ... because if something should ever happen to me and someone read those words - I wouldn't be there to explain or interpret what I wrote.   It could be really damaging - even if it was done completely unintentionally.   Even if what I wrote was truth ... sometimes it's better to just not write things down.

The last thing you'd want your child to read after you passed, is what you really thought of your husband when he forgot your anniversary for the third time *wink*.

I think it goes back to "intention" for me.  I actually reread my post on that last night ... and it was a good reminder for me.  I actually had forgotten about that word (oops) ... and as I continue to blog and post and do the things that I do in the day ... I'm going to try and remember to ask myself WHY I'm doing what I'm doing, why I'm writing what I'm writing, why I'm thinking what I'm thinking ... 

I'm going to take time to mull this over some more as I go for my long run today ... which - I have to say - is going to be a big mental thing for me.  My legs are aching to run (literally) - but it looks so cold and icky ... I'd rather sit on the couch and drink tea.   I'm glad that I have a little network of friends that I've been trying to be accountable to ... they know that I'm wanting to go 14km today.  Eek.  14km.  I'm sure they'll ask ... and I don't like to say something and not follow through.

Better start stretching ... 

Have a great one *smile*.

Xx.

[biggest loser: I'm A Runner.]

The sun came out yesterday ... and my legs were itching for a run.  

As of late, I've been concentrating on improving my 5km.  I've always averaged around 00:34:00/00:35:00 minutes - and then as of late, I've been knocking down the time to around 00:32:00.  Taking off a couple of minutes is huge in running ... and I've felt like getting it to under 00:30:00 is a pretty much near-impossibility.

Then this week I ran it in 00:31:00 (even.  :00.  seriously).  I was soooo pleased with that.  A few seconds quicker and I'm running it within 30minutes.  That's a big feat for me and my little limbs ...

Yesterday I took a friend's advice and decided to run for time, rather than distance.  He suggested that I run for at least an hour - after hearing me complain about the tire that I feel is sitting on my waist.  He said that for the first 30minutes of a workout (with your heart-rate at a specific level), your body only burns sugar.  After the 30minutes, it begins to burn fat.  So - with me working on getting my 5km in under 30min, although great for cardio and my legs/butt (seriously.  can't believe the change ...), it's not burning the fat.

So, with his suggestion of an hour in mind, I stretched, set my Itunes to shuffle, and went for it.  And for those of you who have done any kind of workout for a consistent amount of time, you'll know what I'm saying when I say it's AMAZING how your body conforms.  It's like it WANTS to change, it's excited to.  It becomes so much more capable, efficient.  I mean, once I found my pace (I use an iphone app to watch that ...) I didn't even need to breathe out of my mouth.  It was actually ... easy.

I'm no longer doing 10 and 1s (running 10, walking 1) ... although if I up the distance to 15km or so, I will implement that I think.  It's in the Running Room Bible -  it's to allow time for muscles to recover ... 

As I approached 55minutes, I realized that I was almost at 10km.  Oh MY.  I was giddy - which is kind of a strange feeling when you're running - but I couldn't believe it.  My last 10km that I measured was 1:16:12.  And although I DID run 12km this past Saturday at 1:33:16 .... still.  My time was killing it ... 

So - with the thought that I could actually, maybe, possibly, do 10km in under an hour - I began to sprint ... and it was intense and easy all at the same time.  Euphoric.  I could've kept going ... I was actually a fair ways from our home but I decided to mark the 10km rather than just go for the hour for the sake of it ... my final time?  00:58:48.  And that was for 10.20km.  

I started crying.

Now, more than ever, I'm hungry for what I can push my body to do.  Yes, there is definitely a "runners high" that happens ... and I'm addicted.  I wake up in the morning, wondering if I'll get a chance to get my legs moving ... I wake up wondering how I can continue to change my body. It's a really, really insane thing.  Especially for me.

My only problem is that I'm so competitive, even with just myself.  I always want to do better ... and that's just not possible - I know.  I'm going to have days when I'm totally defeated and discouraged by the numbers ...  But as I was running and thinking about this yesterday, it made me think of golfers.  They can have an incredible round one day, and blow the whole thing the next day - just with one bad shot.  That kind of mental focus, to be able to regroup for the next round and just keep going - is what I want for myself.

A couple of nights ago I was waiting for some of the guys in the worship band to show up, and my girlfriend stopped by the church to deliver some Herbal Life (this is not a weight loss program, but rather a vitamin supplement program that promotes a healthier lifestyle.  But I have definitely seen a change since starting this ...).  I was talking to one of the guys about running, and as my friend was walking out of the room I said to the other guy, "... well, I'm not really a runner ... "  and she yelled from behind the wall, "YES YOU ARE!!  YOU RUN, YOU'RE A RUNNER."

I'm a runner.

Have a great one!! 

[running: Trail Blazing.]

So .., I'm still away.  The sun is glorious, the family time has been incredible - the shopping not half bad either *wink* - and running ... well - I've run close to every day since I've been here.

That's kind of a strange thing ... but with such incredible weather, it's all I want to do first thing in the morning.  When I'm at home, the rain and cold can defeat me.  Here ... outside beckons me.

I've been running 5km mostly ... so no really looong runs.  And I've been switching runners with my new Nike Airs - and doing what they recommend ... short runs in those for now.  But today ... today was different.

We're here with some friends ... and it's almost comical how much my hubby is like my friend, and how much her hubby is like me.  NR's hubby is a runner too ... and he's 6.2" tall with long legs.   I'm not 6.2". Close, but not quite *wink*.   I've never run with him.  He could jog to my sprint, probably ... I haven't tried.  

ANYways, JR wanted to check out some of the terrain around where we're staying.  "Sure," I said.  And we headed out this morning and found the perfect spot.  I brought my IPhone to document the time/distance ... and to take pics *grin*.

Oh, come on ... you KNEW I would!

The trial started out going up.  My calves were burning within minutes.  Then, we had to climb over shale rock.  

"Um.  JR,"  I said.  "This isn't a run.  This is a hike ... "

"I know!!! Isn't it GREAT???"  he smiled.

Ugh.

We could see the church below ... we had parked in the parking lot.  A pretty famous church.  Ever heard of Tommy Barnett?   Yeah.  His church ... seats 4500.  But I'll get to that later ... 

When we got to the first peak - it was incredible.  But we were far from done.  "Let's head over there," he said.

Um.  OK ... gimme a sec.  I'm taking a pic ... 

I've never done trail running.  And again - it really wasn't RUNNING.  My heart was pounding, though.  My legs were burning ... all while holding my IPhone.

So silly. 

I will say, that part of the reason I was behind JR was because I really was busy snapping pics *grin*.  How could I not?  ... and I think that I caught a pretty cool shot of him at the other peak ... 

And then he snapped a few of me ...

 

So.  That was our warm up.  The next plan was to head down - without spraining an ankle or sliding down on my butt - and then take some trails around ...

So this is where the running happened.  And it was really, really awesome.  I loved it ... no music playing, just being aware of the outdoors, enjoying the heat, concentrating on my footing ... exploring a place I'd never been before.

Without sounding hyper-dramatic, it truly felt great to be alive. 

And we headed back to the church to the parking lot ... we sprinted - full tilt - to the front of the church, stretched and I checked our stats on my running app.  We had gone 2.56km and over 150meters in elevation.  Our time was weak - a lot of chatting and pic taking - so it was about 35minutes.

After we cooled down a bit, we headed into the church.  And we happened to get let in by a nice lady who had seen us sprint in the parking lot - and as we entered, we realized we were on the stage.  4500 seats, three levels and balconies ... and the lady said, "would you like me to turn on a few lights?"

Um.  Yes??

Lights came on.  We stood there, sweaty and gross ... on Tommy Barrnett's stage.

How awesome is that? *GRIN*

So ... that's my story of my first trail run.  And I really, really liked it.  I'm sore now, but want to do it again tomorrow ... we're heading home on Friday.  Not much time left, and I'm a little sad that we didn't do this earlier ... 

Now ... to find a friend to trail run with back at home?  

Have a great one :-)!!!

[running: IPHONE Running Playlist]

Hey *grin*!

I've been busy ... last week was just out-of-control.  Good, but out-of-control.  I had four (one, two, three and four) photoshoots.  Two lovely newborn shoots, one 70th birthday celebration that was so fantastic, and a family shoot with a great family.

Friday night my hubby and I spent the night lazing on the couch, catching up on "Survivor" and the "Big Brother" finale.  And my Mac and I bonded over the bazillion images I had to sort through.

ANYway ... I'm almost caught up - I'm getting into a rhythm.

Plus, Mattias was diagnosed with bronchitis after battling a fever and lethargic behaviour for 7 days.  Good thing we took him in, because the Dr. said that if we had waited even 24 more hours, it would've progressed to pneumonia.   Man.  Did I feel like the worst mother ever ... here, I thought he was just trying to avoid going to school.  I thought maybe he wasn't adjusting well to grade one, that maybe he was lonely, or didn't like his teacher.  Nope.  Just like he kept telling me, "No, Mommy.  I'm sick."  And man, was he right.

Thank goodness there's a learning curve with being a mom *smile*.  

Ok.  Onto my Monday "Biggest Loser" post.  I only ran one 10km on Monday ... and then was too afraid to run again with my bummed ankle until Saturday.  BUT on Saturday, I ran TWELVE KM.  Man, it felt good ... and I took 2 advil that night, JUST in case *grin*.  So I decided to weigh in on Sunday morning - curious about the run and what it did to my body.

Weight:  134.8lbs.

So.  Not a big jump.  I guess now that I'm gaining muscle, and approaching my goal weight (well, 10lbs), things will slow down.  I'd like to be "wedding weight" by my anniversary in November.  124lbs.  We'll see ... 

People have asked me what I listen to on my IPhone while running ... so - here's my set.  It's always on "shuffle" because I can't handle listening to things in the same order over and over again ... I'm weird that way.

IPhone Set, in the order it's on my phone - but again, it's always on shuffle:

Whisper His Name - Deluge

Jericho - Ben Cantelon

God of All - Ben Cantelon

Sing Sing Sing - Chris Tomlin

White Ribbon Day - Delirious

You Never Let Go - Matt Redman

Hosanna - Starfield 

The Highest and the Greatest - Tim Hughes

No Not One - Christy Nockels

Deeper - Delirious

Mighty to Save - Hillsong

Desert Song - Hillsong

Revelation Song - Kari Jobe

I Have Found - Kim Walker-Smith

How He Loves - Kim Walker-Smith

Gloria - Matt Redman

Saviour of the World - Ben Cantelon

All For You - Reuben Morgan

How Can I Keep from Singing - Chris Tomlin

History Maker - Delirious

Reign in Us - Starfield

Love Never Fails - Brandon Heath

God of Wonders - Third Day

Hallelujah - Ben Cantelon

My Soul Sings - Delirious

Forever Reign - Hillsong Live

Heaven Is Here - Kim Walker-Smith

Holy - Kim Walker-Smith

You are Faithful - Kim Walker-Smith

We Shall Not Be Shaken - Matt Redman

Our God Is Love - Hillsong Live

Running is my "God Time" ... so I tend to just listen to worship as apposed to just "inspirational" music.  There is a lot of great Christian music out there - but I like to listen to songs that are either sung in my home church, or could be.   And I also listen to new albums that I haven't had a chance to already check out.  I LOVE the new Deluge album called "Unshakable".  Even the worship tunes are "run-able".    I think that's an important thing to think about ... when I'm running, I have to have music that isn't too laid back - otherwise I find myself running to the beat ... and too slow.

Ok - that's it.  Hope this post inspires you to get your running shoes on!!

Have a great one!

[running: New Shoes.]

A new category.  Did you notice?

Running ... me.  Who'd of thunk (I love that word ... leave me alone *grin*)?  Well - after yesterday's 5km, I realized that my arches just ain't what they used to be.  I noticed that I could feel the ground on that soft part under my foot ... a place that used to be high up and out of the way.

SO.  Apparently, I am suffering from another icky result of having a baby.  Like the weight gain, sleepless nights, raging hormones, falling-out-hair and crappy skin wasn't enough (oh, doesn't it make you want to have another??  HA!).  So seems as though my rapid weight gain with Katia has flattened my feet.  Yay.  

The solution?  Oh, a shiny new pair of runners.

Ok.  So maybe not the colour I would've picked .., but here's what I learned today:  You don't walk into the Running Room and ask for pretty runners.  Nope.  You choose the ones that work ... and man, do these feel GREAT.  Kinda makes my old runners feel like flip flops.  And I can't WAIT to try these Sauconys out on my next morning run.

And ... did you see my camera water mark on the image?  Pretty nifty, eh?  Well, maybe not for THIS image, but I was just trying out my new Lightroom 3.0 and it'll let me watermark my images in one simple step.  Pretty pumped about that too ... 

Enough already ... tons to do, gotta run.

HA!

Have a good one ...