Running pains

I am still running, but I'm not doing a great job at this half-marathon training. I only ran a total of 16k last week. I ran a 6k and a 10k and both went really well. Unfortunately I've had a lot of shoulder pain and when I reach 7k its unbearable and I nearly died finishing my 10k. My neck actually fizzed for the last 3k and I had to take two advil and lie on the floor for an hour before I could move after that run. I have ran two 6k's this week and they went well, but at 6k my shoulder starts to feel as though its carrying bricks, so painful I can barely stand it! I have booked a massage therapy appointment and I'm hoping right after I will be relaxed enough to run 12k with no pain. Next week I need to do a long run of 14k and then 16k the following week and so on. I only have 3.5 weeks left to train, so I have to keep at it. I figure if I can run a 16k comfortably, then I can push it for the last 5k. This is my hope.

Janice has totally surprised me. She is actually kicking my ass at her training. But I'm afraid she is doing too much too soon, she ran 17k one day after not much training and I'm worried she is going to injure herself, she does have a history of knee problems. Still, I'm really proud she ran 17k and she is kicking my ass with the running, which has pushed me to be more dedicated to my runs. However, we have both decided never to run a half-marathon again. Just 8k and 10ks on a regular basis, something that is challenging enough to keep us running, but not too much to make us want to quit (like I'm kind of feeling now...).

The Wedding

What a summer, its been hot with so many fires! We are pretty lucky here on the island, its not bad for us like others.

Tomorrow I'm attending a wedding, no wait, I'm in the wedding, lol. I am a bridesmaid for the first time and really, it brings little responsibility. I have to give a toast to the groomsmen, no biggie. I am doing the bride's nails and helping the flower girls get ready. It's a small backyard wedding, so it's not a stressful event. My cousin Meg is coming over from the mainland, and we get along really well, so I'm more excited about that, lol. I hope the weather holds out.

I have finally gotten back to running on a normal schedule. I was running once or twice a week but this week I put in a full schedule although I'm only up to 8k. I almost died running 8k this morning, I am so out of shape! But I will keep at it until the half marathon. It sounds like Janice wants to back out, but no way will I let her, she talked me into this! Shannon has backed out but she has a good reason...she's pregnant (oops).

I suppose the wedding will be our last enjoyment of the summer, next week fall begins, along with school. So goodbye summer, see you next year, in the meantime...bring on the fall fashion!

It's so bloody hot here! This is very unusual for Victoria, as we islanders are not prepared for this heat. It's been an average of 33 degrees since the weekend and I don't have air conditioning. Work does, thankfully, but Uvic doesn't. I thought I would melt in my final, I think I rushed through the last essay just so that I could leave the room and breathe again.

I finished my first two summer courses, I really enjoyed them. I started my new courses today and, luckily, most of my friends from my first two classes are also in this one. The prof only kept us an hour today because he thinks its ridiculous that we dont have a break between courses. I completely agree.

No, I haven't ran in over 2 weeks. Between the heat, my insomnia and school, I haven't had the time or energy to do so. I will have to kick back into gear next week as it will signify the start of my two month countdown to my half marathon. I think Shannon has backed out, but it's not official yet. Janice is still gun-ho. We'll see what happens.

I'd like to send a shout out to my dear friend (and faithful blogger) Wayne on his recent marriage. Congrats!

Crazy weekend

I am so busy and I love it! I am crazy with homework and I’m slightly behind at work. I came in on Saturday for a few hours of catch-up. I spent the entire weekend at home, other than those few hours at work. I baked cookies and muffins, but other than that, it was homework, homework, homework. Oh yeah, and running!

For the first time in almost two weeks I went for a run Sat night just before nine. It was the perfect temp and I decided to shoot for 6km. I ended up running 7km and I maintained a really excellent pace. I wasn’t winded or sore and the next day I felt fine. I guess taking two weeks off didn’t really affect me. I have learned that when I’m not in the mood to run-then I don’t. It’s just not worth it because in the end it will be a shitty run. Your heart has to be in it. I ran again Sunday night around 8pm (after finishing an essay that took me most of the day to create). I ran 9km and my pace was 5:47, which is fairly decent for me. I’m trying to stay under 6mins and I’m slowly but surely getting there. I actually run a 4:47 pace for all but two km’s, but I stopped at one point, so that kills the overall time.

The most interesting part of my weekend was the at-home-surgery I performed on my poor cat. Riley got into a fight Saturday morning and by Sunday it was obvious he had an abscess because his forehead was beginning to swell. I felt bad but I just couldn’t afford a huge vet bill. So I opened the abscess myself (gross, but manageable) and disinfected it the best I could. Riley was extremely patient, he didn’t move a muscle but he did cry a few times, my poor babe. Anyway, I kept re-opening it throughout the day and he looked much better by Sunday evening. However, my maternal instincts were in panic mode and when I came home sick on Monday afternoon, he was acting lethargic. I panicked and took him to the vet, who said he was lucky the abscess had opened on its own (like hell I would admit I did it-I’m sure there is a ‘kitty abuse ministry’ out there somewhere). Anyway, she gave him antibiotics and we escaped surgery. I really should have held on, he would have been fine otherwise but it’s a small price to pay for relief. I slept well last night. I’m not sure Riley did, they partly shaved his head to clean the wound and he looks so funny, I can’t help but laugh at him. Can they not at least to attempt to shave him evenly? One part comes down over the eye, looks so funny. Needless to say he won’t leave the house for a few days.

*There is a $1,000 (return) seat sale to Sydney right now so I've included a picture of the Sydney Opera House and Bridge (as viewed from the Royal Botanical Gardens).

Summer Holidays

I havent written in awhile because I spent a week in the Okanagan at my parent's house. I managed to run just over 20km before going, I knew I probably wouldnt get a lot of running in while I was in Vernon...so true. I managed to run just over 9k on the Monday but I never ran again the entire week. I did run from the house down the huge hill to Kin Beach at the end of Tronson Road. That's a tough run because I was in the heat of the sun for 90% of the run (it was about 24 degrees when I ran, even though it was only 8:30am). I had to run through construction but I cant complain too much because I had a view of Lake Okanagan the entire time. It was a good run.

I went swimming even though the water was quite cold. It was so hot that it was refreshing to get in...and then get out a short while later. Mom and I did get out in the kayaks and it was fun as I've never been kayaking in this lake before (just the ocean). We saw a ton of fish and it was (of course), beautiful out. I found that kayaking kills my back, I just couldnt do it again the next day, I was in too much pain.

We went boating of course, but no wakeboarding because I dont have a wetsuit and the water is still fairly cold. It's usually 21, 22 degrees when I wakeboard and at this time of year, its only 17-18 degrees, much too cold to sit in the water that long. It wouldnt be much fun. Hopefully I get another chance to wakeboard later this summer.

So I'm back to school tomorrow...I feel too old to be going back to school. I'm nervous and excited at the same time. I know it will be just fine, I just have to get back into the groove.

Sean's Visit

Weekend's are too short, they really are. Saturday morning I volunteered at the Gordon Head Summer Kick off Carnival. It was two really boring hours of greeting people at the door and giving them map, directions and other various info. It was chilly out too, which sucked as I was mostly outside. I met some cool people though and the kids had a blast. There was arts and crafts, a bouncy castle, a bbq, obstacle course, there were lots of things for them to do.

Sean showed up at 1:30 and I took him to the office, Uvic and then the scenic drive, as he really hasn't seen much of Victoria. We ended up at the breakwater, where Pete, Kristi and Jamie joined us. We had a nice visit with them on the walk and then went to Starbucks for some tea and more chat. Of course I took him to see the family in Langford and the girls played shy for about 5 mins and then decided they loved him. It was pretty cute. We didnt get up to too much, we rented 'Defiance,' which is pretty good and on Sunday morning we walked around Thetis, where it rained on us for a bit but it was warm and beautiful. I got some great shots, which are posted on this blog.

I hardly ran last week, it was a very tiresome week as I just couldnt sleep. I think Thursday night I was in bed before nine and just crashed. The girls ran Sunday morning at 7:30am but I Just couldnt bring myself to get up that early, especially after sleeping on the couch. So I just got back from a run on the Galloping Goose. I only meant to run 10k but the next thing I knew, I was at Vic General Hospital...so I turned around and headed back to my car. I decided not to run my hill tonight, it was brutal on my back last week. So I ran a fairly decent, if not slow, 13km tonight. Shannon is on holidays tomorrow, she will be in Ontario visiting her family for the next week, so it will just be Jan and I this week.

TGIF

Thank goodness it's Friday! It's been a long week. Despite the fact that the screen on my Nike sportband started to break Tuesday, I went for a run last night. I was supposed to run on Wednesday but I haven't been sleeping well so I skipped it and just read and relaxed. The run was good, I only went just over 5k, however I made it halfway up my hill! I'm so proud and it actually wasnt that bad. Helps that it was after a 5k run and not a 12k. The weather was warm but there was no sun, so that helped too. I really hope Nike starts the sportsband swap soon, my band isnt going to last much longer. I can only read the first half of the screen. I might have to call them today to find out what is going on. My back is terribly sore today from the run, I could feel the pain in my lower back as I hoofed it up the hill, so I will skip the hill on my run tonight.

I baked cookies for Georgia and Paige last night after my run. Today is Paige's last day of school so I will take them to her as a celebration treat in a bit. Sean is in Nanaimo tonight visiting friends, but he will come to Victoria tomorrow afternoon. I'm volunteering at the Gordon Head fair tomorrow morning, I hope it doesnt rain. I also hope they dont give me the job of face-painting. I cannot do that!

I talked to Janice last night and we're planning a long run on Sunday. We've decided to run the Galloping Goose again because I think her and Shannon run too much on the concrete and they need to run more paths. It's easier on your body. So that is the plan, I'm so glad its the weekend! I have to run, clean my house and then I can relax. I'm looking forward to Sean's visit, although it will be very short.

Yesterday was hot, another gorgeous day in Victoria. I came home determined to do my promised long run. I wasn't sure if the girls had run in the morning and if they hadnt, whether they actually would in the evening. So I made a guess that they wouldnt and I really wanted to go, so I did. Good thing too, when I talked to Janice later, she confessed her and Shannon bailed.

I left just before 7 and it was still hot out, but the route I picked was really shaded, it was perfect. I ran down my ridiculous hill and towards Colwood and the Galloping Goose trail. I love the crunch of gravel under my feet when I run, its a good rhythm. I ran just past Thetis lake before turning around to start back home. It was a good run, I had a great pace and I only stopped a couple of times for no more than 30 seconds (cramps). I ran with water, it doesnt bother me but I did struggle with cramps this time. There were quite a few bikers on the trail, but they were polite (for once) and didnt try to run me over or skim by me. I have a serious issue with biker attitudes towards runners. They are very arrogant and think they own the road, even with vehicles! I have been almost run over by a biker, I've been skimmed by a biker (not clipped but close enough that I could have been seriously hurt as I cant hear them approaching) and I've been snotted on by a passing biker. Yes, bastards the lot of them! Anyway, so I ran 12k and passed some sweet peas, flowers I havent seen in a few years. I remembered their location because I am determined to go back and pick some. At the end of my run, at the bottom of my stupid hill, I usually stop the clock and walk up as part of my cool-down. Well, I hesitated and looked up my hill to see a bunch of boot camp girls hoofin it up the hill. I thought, "if they can do it, so can I." So I gave it a go. I made it almost half way up my hill when I had to stop. Hey, I had run 11.5k by this point! I think its great though, last time I never even made it to the first street lamp! I stretched a bit and then walked the rest of the way up. I'm hoping next time I will make it to the half way mark. I don't feel any pain from the run last night (or the hill), but then I didnt expect too. I did have a very terrible sleep last night. I feel like a zombie today. Stupid nightmares.

Here for your entertainment

Man I love summer. I love that it is light out past 9pm, which is a good thing. I ran with Janice and Shannon late Friday night. Janice really wanted to go to DQ, but I pushed her into running with us. Shannon lead the way for the majority of the run while I kept pace with Janice. It was freakin cold down the hill to downtown Langford, but coming up the other side we were protected from the wind and managed to work up a bit of a sweat. We turned down Peatt Road off Goldstream and ran back to the house along Veterans Memorial. About .5 km from the house, I gave Janice the signal that we should sprint to the finish. FLASH, she was gone. I was shocked but sprinted after her. We startled Shannon as we sped past her, I have no idea if she joined the sprint or not, I was totally amazed at the speed Janice had in her, especially since we had already run 5.5km. Like she said, "I'm a short-distance runner." I am not, I could barely managed that distance at a sprint, something I obviously need to work on.

I'm afraid I never did participate in the 1km race on Saturday. I didn't run at all that day. Instead, I spent 3 hours putting together a microwave stand. It was easy to see that the directions had been created by men...they were just pictures. Luckily, everything was labelled according to the steps an the pictures weren't that hard to understand (IKEA could learn a thing or two from Canadian Tire). Anyway, I'm very proud that I put it together properly and that it actually does hold up my microwave. I went to a bbq at my cousins house later that night, for a well deserved glass of wine, and my uncle lectured me for not bringing the microwave stand to the house, where he and my cousin would have put it together for me. Yes, true, but I'm so proud of myself. My parents would best understand how terrible I am at assembling things. I have actually never assembled anything on my own. Even Jyo once chased me away from her nightstand because I was trying to help her assemble it and I ended up causing some major damage...

We were supposed to run 10k on Sun and none of us did. Shannon and Janice went golfing with the boys and I read a book in the sun (and slightly burned my right shoulder). So we will be going tonight to make up for it.

Jyo, her fiance Harj and her parents were in Victoria last night and we all went to dinner on the Harbour at the Wharfside eatery. We walked around the parliament buildings as Jyo's mom has never done that before and we took her inside the Empress as well. It was bloody cold out. Anwyay, Jyo is in town because today she graduates from Law School. Congrats Jyo!

Just another mountain

So I'm at a stage in my life where I must climb another mountain...or maybe several. I won't go into details just yet, but I will soon. I found this gorgeous picture of some mountains in Scotland and I just had to post it. I wonder what awaits on the other side? I asked my friends and I had one say "happiness" and another say "downhill" but downhill is over with so much sooner than uphill. It doesnt always seem worth it, the rush is overwith so quickly.

I've ran twice since Sunday, both just leisurely 5km runs. I discovered that my nikeplus needs to be calibrated. It's clocking me at 1km more than the run actually is. This is actually not a good thing. I knew the Elk/Beaver lake run was not 12kms! So I've been trying to calibrate the sport band (I forgot to when I got my new shoes), but for some reason it's not letting me, which is frustrating.

I'm taking today off running and I skipped lacrosse last night because I hadn't spent an evening at home in over a week and I had things to do. Phone calls to make, emails to answer and a mountain of laundry (see, another mountain). Anyway, I got it all done. I am planning an 8k run tomorrow night and on Saturday I joined a Nike online competition to see who can run the fastest 1km. I dont know why I joined because I won't win, but I do like to challenge myself.

Our weather is still really good. It's been 22-24 degrees all week, which is perfect for me. I ran during lunch at work this week, but no one joined me. The bosses are all in Ottawa for the next week, for the CAUBO conference, so I will be running alone next week too. That's ok though, I dont mind.

The new version of the Nike Sports Band has been released. I saw it and it looks exactly the same as the old one, however I'm rather pissed that Nike is dragging its heels on informing current recalled nike band owners how to replace their old sport bands. Mine works just fine but I want the new one!

That's all for now, cheers.

Elk/Beaver Lake

Yesterday was a gorgeous day, 24 with a slight breeze by the water. I spent the majority of the day at Jamie’s horse show, where she did very well. At 5pm, I met up with Janice, Shannon, Colin and the girls at the Elk side of the lake. The girls and I were going to run the lake and Colin was going to stay with the kids at the park. Janice and Shannon have never run the lake before and I was really excited for them because it’s such a beautiful trail.

Shannon and I were trying out our new water bottles, which attach to your hand when you run and you don’t have to worry about dropping it. We really need to learn to run with water because it’s necessary for the longer runs, especially in hot weather. Shannon said running with the water sloshing around really irritated her but I had no problems with mine. I almost forgot about it in my hand, and when I did remember it, I liked the rhythm of the water sloshing around in it. I took small sips throughout the run and had no problem with cramps.

The run was long, longer than anticipated. I’ve done the run several times and it is always approx 10k, but for some reason we clocked 12k. The run went really well for me, I wasn’t exhausted at the end of it nor was I winded. My calves hurt a bit and I felt like I was getting a splint in my left leg but today I’m fine. In fact, I felt like I could have kept going. This is probable because I ran at a slower pace than usual, which is good for me to do on the longer runs (at least until I get better). Janice had a tough go of it as her knee started to bug her around 5k but she’s a trooper and she ran through it. Shannon appeared to do great, although she said she was feeling some pain. However, at the end of it she said she was rethinking the half marathon. I think they both did terrific and I hope they want to run the lakes again next Sunday. I might be running alone…

For those of you who are not aware, Janice, Shannon and I have registered for the half marathon (21k) that takes place October 11th, 2009 in Victoria, BC. Yes, that is the day before Thanksgiving. It was Janice who talked me into it but I was the first of us gals to register. I’m nervous about it but I’m also confident that I can do it. That is why we are running together as often as we can, we are in training. We are also trying to motivate one another to keep up with our runs. It will be hard over the summer when the weather is hot and the beaches are calling. Not to mention keeping up with our runs when we are all on our respected holidays. However, I know we can do it. Four months and counting!

27 degree run

I love 27 degree weather; I would love everyday if it was 27 degrees. However…it makes it tough to run. I’m not at all conditioned to running in heat. I’ve read about people who run through deserts and the Grand Canyon and all that kind of stuff and I know I would never do that. But I had to run last night and I was in the mood to do a long run, well, long for me. So I ran from my house, down to Colwood and then back up on Goldstream Ave, past BP’s and back home. It’s about 8.5km and it was so hot! I’m very glad I drank 8 cups water at work yesterday; otherwise I would have died from dehydration. I need to learn to run with water. Janice said she saw an ad for a water bottle that attaches to your hand when you run and we’ve decided we’d like to try it out. I’m glad I went for the run though, I felt good after I got home and I can take today off.

I have to share my dream with you guys because it was so weird! I dreamed that I ran into Lance, Emma and Nicholas (Australian friends) at the airport. I have no idea why they were at the airport or why I was, but there we were. Anyway, they were heading back to Australia and I really wanted to go with them. So I did. I didn’t have my passport with me, just my purse, but the airlines let me buy a ticket. It wasn’t until I was on the flight that I started to panic. Oh my God, my parents are going to be upset and what about Millennium? It wasn’t very nice of me to leave and not give them any notice. That’s when I decided I would just go to Australia for a couple of weeks and then come back home. That’s when I woke up. I’m posting an aerial picture of the Great Ocean Road, south of Melbourne. It’s gorgeous and one of my favourite memories of Australia.

Lower Thetis Lake

So I bought my new shoes Friday night, size 10 Asics 2140. I decided to hike Thetis lake on Saturday to try them out and see how they went. I have never hiked Thetis lake before, but I have gone swimming there a few times. The weather yesterday was gorgeous, 23 and not a cloud in site. So I grabbed my iPod, camera and went for a hike. There are several trails on Thetis lake, the main ones Upper and Lower. I decided to take the lower trail, which ended up being a 30 min walk. It was quiet and I hardly ran into anyone. I got some nice pictures and scoped out the trails for running. It's not a bad running trail, a little hilly on one side but you just have to be cautious running down (loose gravel). There were actually some people swimming, which I think is brave.

This morning Janice, Shannon and I ran 8km along the Galloping Goose Trail, which is a trail that runs all over Victoria and out to Sooke. Some parts of it are paved, most are not, so it makes for a good running trail. We started at 9 and already it was smokin but there were some shaded parts and it was a good run. The last km was a long hill and we decided to push it and we all did really well. The best part? My runners are fantastic!

New Runners

The time has come for me to buy new runners. I ran at lunch with Pete yesterday and my feet were so sore at the end of the run. I recently read in running magazine the tests you should apply to your shoes to check how they are holding up. My shoes failed ever test. The general rule is that you should replace your shoes every 500km. These shoes have 400km of running and who knows how much of walking on them. They are trashed. So I’ve been researching some new shoes. I asked some friends what they run in, some people get really devoted to a brand but I'm open to trying a new shoe. Pete and Janice love Asics and my friend Matt loves Saucony and Misunos. I went to Penninsula Runners last night and tried on a bunch of different shoes. I tried the Mizunos and hated them on the spot, they didnt fit well with my feet. Apparently I have a slight pronation (meaning my ankles turn in slightly when I run), so I need a shoe with a bit more support. I love the Nike Voomeros but they just don’t have the support I need. So I’ve decided to go with the Asic 2140’s (refer to picture). They are new on the market and they have great support and gel cushioning and they are the lightest shoe I have ever worn. This is good for me because I actually hate wearing shoes. As pretty as they are, if I could spend every day barefoot…I would. That’s why I love summer so much.

I like Peninsula Runners but they are a bit overpriced. The girl was pissed I wasn’t buying the shoes on the spot but I wasn’t going on my first whim, I like to research things first and think them over. And, to be honest, I wanted to see where else had the shoes cheaper. If she wasn’t such a bitch on discovering I wasn’t going to earn her a commission on the spot, I might have gone back to purchase them from her. But she walked away from me without a word and ignored me after that. Whatever. So I found out that Sportcheck has the shoes for $10 cheaper ($150) plus they offer air miles (I’m all about the air miles). Then my friend Randi pointed out that I should check the air miles website to see if they have a coupon special. She is so smart, I found a 3x the air miles (when a min $120 is spent), so after work today I’m getting my new shoes! I’m so excited. I’m hoping to get in a short run before I meet friends for dinner. I hope they don’t give me a lot of problems, I have a hard time breaking shoes in so no doubt in the next couple of blogs you will hear me complaining of shin splints or blisters, etc.

Champagne Birthday

Well, it is May 27 and I am 27 years old. Like most (I assume), I am not where I thought I would be at this age. When I was a little girl, I always thought I would graduate at 24, marry at 25 and have kids at 27. Well, I got the graduation part down.

But I can’t be totally bummed…

I’ve travelled across Europe, the UK, Australia and I’ve been to Hawaii, Las Vegas, Disneyland, Fiji, and New Zealand.

I’ve attended great concerts such as Celine Dion (x2), Aerosmith, Shania Twain, Cher and Van Morrison.

I’ve seen great entertainment such as Stars on Ice in Vancouver, CATS in London and Cirque du Soleil KA in Las Vegas.

I’ve gotten to experience the most amazing things, such as learning to scuba dive, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, sand boarding, river tubing and mud baths in Fiji, castle tours in Europe, and a bridge climb in Sydney. I've toured a concentration camp in Germany, been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, visited the catacombs and Coliseum in Rome, saw the David, lit a candle in Notre Dame, saw Buckingham Palace and viewed the Vatican. I’ve seen the real Mona Lisa in the famous Louvre museum, I’ve wrestled goats and I’ve driven 4WD (standard/ wrong-side) on the worst road conditions on the largest sand island in the world. I’ve held a koala, swam in one of the most remote lakes in the world, learned to surf and wakeboard, held a baby crocodile, python, cockatoo and lizard. I’ve participated in a real kava ceremony in a village in Fiji, I’ve drank Guinness in Ireland, I’ve travelled the Great Ocean Road, I touched a 500lb fish, swam with a sea turtle, I've sailed to Whitehaven Beach and I managed to experience all of this with the best of my friends and family!

I’m a pretty lucky girl. Maybe I should be worried because my bucket list is almost complete! I only have a couple of things left on it…such as getting married, having babies, owning a pair of Jimmy Choos and going to New York. Gosh life is fun!

If today is your birthday: A positive realization is dawning on you. This year, you'll discover a way to seize the advantage, terminate some long-standing problems and get yourself on the road to success.

The time is right...to run

Okay, so I haven’t written in my blog in a very long time. There are two very good reasons for it. The first is that my life really isn’t that interesting. The second is that no one reads it. However, at the request of my dad (who still religiously checks it for updates), I have decided to use my blog to narrate my new interest in running.
To begin with, I will give you a little history about my running experience. I have always enjoyed running. I was part of track and field and cross-country in elementary school, where I ranked the highest at my school among the girls and the boys of my age. In high school, my devotion to figure skating made it impossible for me to join any track team; however I ‘jogged’ for 30 mins, 4 days a week. I did this off and on for many years, until my early twenties when I quit running altogether.
This all changed the summer of 2008. I returned to Canada in July from spending the previous 5 months living/travelling in Australia. It was the best time of my life-hands down! I came home with new experiences, stories, great memories and, unfortunately, 15lbs of extra weight. I enjoyed myself in Australia, no doubt about it. I drank lots of wine, ate out at lots of nice restaurants and got very little exercise. I have never had a problem with my weight, but I am 26 (27 tomorrow) and like everyone promises, it does catch up with you. I knew the fastest way for me to lose the weight was to start running again. So I did.
I did it properly this time. I invested in a (very expensive) pair of shoes, which any runner will tell is the MOST important thing about running. [picture: My NIKE zoom vomero 3 runners]NIKE had just recently released a running chip/program called NIKE PLUS, which I used as my trainer and motivation for continuing to run. It was my life saver that is for sure. I like being able to track progress and I’m very competitive, so the online aspect of it intrigued me. I was also lucky enough to have supportive friends who ran with me. My managers, Pete and Peter, run almost every day during noon hour at work. Our office is set up with a shower, which is tremendously convenient. They helped me get started, reassuring me that I was doing well, even though I was the slowest one and generally lost sight of them 10 mins into our run (which varied from 35-45 mins). It was agony.
Fortunately, I stuck with it and after 4 months of running (combined with healthier eating habits), I shed the acquired weight. What a difference. Tracking my progress really helped as I watched myself go from a 7:20min/km pace to where I currently run at a 5:40min/km pace. It’s a huge improvement and I’m very proud of myself.

Kristin AND Celine

At the beginning of October (I'm aware it's now Nov, I'm a bit behind), Kristin called me up and asked me if I would like to join her in Edmonton to see Celine Dion. Uh...hell yes! Kris and I have been friends since Grade 12, and although we've kept in touch, we havent actually seen each other since (sound familiar Wayne?) October was a really shitty month for me and I needed a break so I accepted. I mean, I love Kristin and I'm a HUGE fan of Celine Dion. It was very nice of Kristin to offer and two weeks later...I was in Edmonton!

It was so great to see Kristin again, it was like we had just saw each other the day before-nothing had changed. Kristin has the cutest pixie cut and it suits her really well (as you can see from the pictures). Her friends Kim and Michelle were nice enough to pick me up from the airport and Kim drove us everywhere on the weekend-thank you Kim!

We went to West Ed the Fri night and met up with some friends of theirs from Ft. Mac, Jeff, Jerry and ...forget his name. ha ha, but they were nice and we did some shopping afterward. then we went to the hotel and got ready and went to a bar called Cook County. Man, I was in Alberta again. I forgot how cute cowboys can be. We danced and drank and Kristin rode the mechanical bull-she rocked! We had a lot of fun but it was 4am before we got home and we wanted to get up early to go shopping the next day.

Goddamn, windy and cold Edmonton. We nearly got blown away in the parking lot of the West Edmonton Mall, there were twisters! It was sooo cold there, it was awful. Luckily the mall was just as I remembered it. Oh, except they have a seal show instead of a dolphin show...I didnt ask what happened to the dolphins. I didnt buy anything (I'm broke) but I did try to find some new shoes as mine blew out while I was there. I didnt find any.

After the mall we headed back to the hotel and played some drinking games (Kristin introduced me to Boone...a whole bottle!) and then got ready to go to Celine. We dressed up, to a point where we wouldnt freeze, it did snow when we were getting ready-and off we went to Celine! The traffic was insane but Kim let Kris and I jump out as we had FLOOR seats (Kristin-you kick ass)! After paying $8 for a shot of wine, we found our seats and got our cameras ready (Kim and Michelle had seats elsewhere).

The show was amazing. Celine is a true performer and she was magnificent. I saw her in Vegas last year with my mom and she was just as amazing. The stage was really well done and she worked it! That woman is sooo skinny and has amazing legs that she rocks with great shoes...man I would kill for just 5 mins in her shoe closet, eh mom? Kristin and I both cried during several different songs. We got amazing photos and it was a great night to remember.

The next day I flew home but I have new friends, great memories and I had an amazing time with an amazing friend. Kristin is a sweetheart, luv you girl, thanks for a great weekend!

10km, 10km, 10km!

Whooo, huge accomplishment for me this week. I started running 10k on Monday and I managed to follow-up with 2 more 10km runs. I'm pumped because I didnt stop on any of them and each run was faster than the previous. I don't know what's come over me but I have discoverd I'm a much better runner with a challenge. I wasn't sure if I could do it but I did and I think its what I need to keep doing. Of course its brutal on my body. Kudos to the people who run marathons and such...its painful thinking about it.
Lets sum it up...shoulder pain, which my lovely masseuse Monique managed to fix, blisters (6 in total), my left foot needs to be cracked and my left hip takes two days to stretch out. I have no idea what's going on there. I feel pain at some point around 3km but I push on and then it either goes away or I dont notice it again until I stop.
I normally run around Beaver and Thetis lake. It's beautiful, shaded (thank goodness) and its a 10km run. Pete paced me Wed night and I did much, much better. I find I usually have to fight 4-5 km but then I'm fine the rest of the way. Today was much harder, maybe because it's Saturday? It was a struggle from 6km on. But I did it. So lets hope I can continue to do so, starting again on Mon...

Canadia

I miss Australia. There's not a day that goes by that I dont think of all the things I love about that country. But, I have great memories and friends that I still keep in touch with.

So I suffered a bit of culture shock coming home. Just trying to remember which way to look when crossing the street, that you must pay for gas before filling up and that you must dial 250 at the beginning of any number, was a hard enough adjustment believe it or not. But then all the good things about coming home: family, friends, a decent bed, my car, decent food. So it evens out and got easier as time went by.

So you're probably wondering what is up with the Canadia? Canadia is what people from around the world call our country. I was the "Canadia girl." I dont know why they do but they do. I was from "Canadia."

I just got back from two weeks in the Okanagan. It was the first time I saw my family in 6 months, the longest seperation ever. I didn't think my mom was ever going to stop hugging me. We had a really good time and holidays with the boat were fantastic as usual. P&K&Jamie made it up for a week and it was like old times again.

I have Riley back and happy about that! He appears happy as well, and adjusted well from the transfer from Vernon to Victoria. I cannot thank my parents enough for taking such good care of him while I was gone. I know it wasn't easy.

I've started running and so far so good. It was a tough start let me tell you, I hated running the first few times, but now I love it. It gives me good energy for the day and I sleep better at night (because I'm totally exhausted). It took me a month but I'm running 6k now. I suffer from back pain and shin splints a lot, but its part of the package. The back pain will follow me around for the rest of my life, I've learned to deal with it and some days are better than others.

Anyway, Riley is trying to walk on the keys, he's demanding some playtime so I should sign off. Just thought I'd write a little update, it's been awhile since I wrote on here. Cheers!

Fraser Island

Hello, hello everyone I'm back from Fraser Island and I had the time of my life!!! I'm not sure how in-tuned you are with what is happening in this part of the world so I will give you a briefing. Weather-wise terrible things are happening: Australia has been suffering their worst drought in 10 years and the year I come they get record breaking rain! I kid you not, we have serious flooding and cyclones down here, its not good at all as lots of buses and tours have been cancelled as the roads are closed. Luckily nothing has affected me too bad yet. I was due to go to Fraser Island on Sunday and on the way down I was told all the tours were being cancelled because there was a cyclone in the area. I just found out yesterday that this weather cost Fraser Island $300,000! Anyway, when I got to my hostel they said the weather was going to clear up and I could still go on the trip. I didnt really have a choice as they wouldnt give me my money back. So at the briefing on the day of there were 4 other people and me and we all agreed to go together.

We reached the island about noon after grocery shopping and packing up the vehicle. We drove a 4WD and I never had before so it was real cool, I never realized how much power you have. Anyway, it was pouring rain, never ending and we headed into the woods to visit some lake. I drove first, there was only one other girl who could drive as Nico (german) was under 21 and not allowed to drive and Joanne and Esther (americans) didnt know how to drive Manual. So the driving was split between Victoria (Brit) and myself. The roads were terrible. Uphill we had mud, moguls, roots, wash-outs, puddles so big we made Nico get out of the car and wade through them to judge how deep they were. We were terrified. None of us had ever experienced anything like that before. Our windshield sucked and our windows fogged up so bad (broken de-fogger) that Esther sat beside me and continuously wiped the window for me. My right foot was soaked because rain was coming in somewhere and the windshiled leaked rain onto my passengers. We had two in the front with me and two in the back. it was so scary driving in the woods but we made it through and I was the preferred driver (Victoria scared the shit out of us with her speed). We never made it to the lake the first day because of the road conditions and the fact that we got lost at one point. The roads are one lane and two-way! Luckily we were the only ones on the island (self-guided tour) that day, only one other vehicle was with us on the ferry.

We were thrilled when we finally reached the beach but we didnt have much time to drive on it as we had to find our campsite before the tide came up. We were limited everyday to the tide. We had until 3pm the first day to drive on the beach before it was unsafe. But let me tell you how cool it is to be driving on the beach with ocean waves washing up 3m to your right! we found our campsite no problem, it was actually just an area on the beach and we picked a spot on the other side of the dune beside the ocean. literally 15 steps from our tent to the ocean. There wasa never anyone camped near us. we set up tent in the pouring rain, we were drenched right through but it was really warm. I had a blast. We weren't allowed to start a fire so we cooked some dinner and ate in the van, drinking. It was dark by 4 so when we finished dinner by 5:30 we were shocked as it felt like 9. Needless to say we were in bed by 9! We drank to stay warm and to give us something to do and we had to dig holes to pee in and we had to take a "dingo-spotter" buddy with us. That person held the torch and kept a look out for dingos while the other person peed. It was hilarious.

The second day we woke up to rain and took down camp (we were up at 6am). We didn't sleep at all the night before because I shared my tent with the americans and they were terrified of dingos. whatever. Also, the ground was really uncomfortable to sleep on and the wind and rain was so loud with the ocean crashing just over the dune. We wanted to reach Lake Wabby though, as we missed it the first day. We were there by 9 and it poured rain on us on the 30 min walk to the lake. Was it ever worth it. The lake is fantastic. Look at the pic attached, its a sand-dune right on the lake. We were the only ones there. The sand dune is actually quite steep and I felt like I was in the movie "DUNE." We rolled down the sand dune and straight into the water, which was cool but not too cold. It was still raining on us. the water was sand and light green and then a foot later it was dark green and lots of sand but DEEP water instantly. Its the deepest lake on Fraser Island. There were giant black fish swimming with us, no fear. We ran down the hill and jumped in the water, we yelled "ECHO" and listened to it bounce off the forest wall. No one was there, it was amazing and serene and quiet. I bet no one has ever been there like we were. It was the highlight of the trip. We took crazy pictures on the sand dunes and ran around yelling and played games, it was so much fun. We left around 11am.


We hit the beach the rest of the day and we let Nico drive. Joanne wanted to learn how to drive manual so I said I would teach her. She was doing really well until she crashed us into Eli Creek. As you drive the beach you must be near the water but not in it and when you approach wash-outs you must slow down as you don't know how deep they are. Joanne saw the shipwreck in the distance and didn't pay attention to what was in front of us until I saw it and started freaking out. We went right over the edge and dropped PLOP into the creek. We were screaming but she managed to get us out of the water and we came out and just looked at the drop, it was amazing. We got back in the vehicle and I drove us to the shipwreck up ahead. About two mins later a bus guide came up to us and told us to check our vehicle out (Nico already did and we were fine, lucky) and said he made his tour group stop and watch us because he saw us coming. Thanks buddy, thats awesome. I dont know why they dont put up signs. Poor Joanne, I dont think she will ever drive a manual again. Like she said, "100 km of beach and the two kilometres she gets has Eli Creek! we laughed and laughed about it, funny after it happens and a great story. We drove all the way up to Indian Head where we climbed the cliff to look down to look for sharks or dolphins. Indian Head is a breeding ground for Tiger Sharks (which is why you're not allowed to swim ANYWHERE in the ocean on Fraser Island. We didnt see any. We wanted to go to the Chapagne Pools around the corner but were stopped short but the largest puddle we had ever come across. It was up to Nico's knees. after much debating we decided "to just do it," got in, strapped ourselves and turned our cameras to 'video' and gunned the engine. We let Nico navigate this one as he had a lot of beach driving experience and he was the only one not afraid to drive through it. He never once lost his nerve on the trip, what would we have done without him? ANyway, we went through the puddle, lost visibility as the water engulfed us and screamed through the whole thing. When we made it safely to the other side we cheered and proceeded to the pools. It was great. However, I refused to go through it again on the way back (my nerves can only take so much) and so voted to stand on the other side and video from the outside. It was hilarious. My friend has the videos and she will post them in the next month (she's going to school in Sydney) for us to see. You will laugh and think we are stupid and crazy. We were. We only had until 3:30 that day with the tides and it was coming up fast so we found an area to camp in and watched the sunset while we ate giant bowls of pasta and mince with veggies. It was delicious. As soon as its dark you cant do anything but sit around playing drinking games with goon. We did do some star-gazing as its amazing how many are out there. We saw mars, jupiter and the southern cross. There was a lightening storm in the distance so Joanne, Esther and I decided to sleep in the van. Wayyy better than the tent, let me tell you. I think I actually got sleep that night.

It rained on the last day but not too much. We went to Lake MacKenzie and by this point there were so many people. The lake is light blue, blue and dark blue as you go deeper and quite cold. We still rain screaming into the waters and swam for an hour in the rain. It was great. It had white sand. The trip was amazing, every part of it was sooo cool. I'm leaving out so much but only because you guys have read so much already. We did see dingos and at one point a huge hawk flew in front of a car with a giant snake in its grasp, I actually have ap icture of that. Oh yeah, and the incident when Nico was driving and Vicki was up front with him. Joanne, Esther and I were talking in the back when a grasshopper the size of my hand appeared out of nowhere. Screams of "stop the car, stop the car" filled the vehicle. Of course Nico is going 80km/hour and cant just stop and the grasshopper meanwhile is hopping throughout the car scaring the shit out of us. He stopped and we ran out of the vehicle as fast as we could while he caught it and shooed it out. I'm sure my hair will turn grey after the past three days.

IT was so nice last night to actually shower and get the sand out of my body. I had to do laundry as everything was wet, stinky and covered in sand. We had such an awesome time. Lucky we only had 5 in our van, most have 10 and we have no idea how they do it, we were strapped for space as it was. Also, amazingly we got our $1000 deposit back. We put a dent in the hood, lost a mudflap, scratched the back and the guy at the shop just cleared us no problemo. He did get the dent out of the hood though, not sure how it got there. If you know anyone going to Australia, tell them Fraser Island is a MUST. They best time ever, honestly I am thrilled with every aspect of that experience.