Overly ambitious?

10K run
Farmer's market
1.5 hour drive
8K hike
1.5 hour drive
BBQ--have I mentioned that I am a good cooker? S thinks so too! =P

And now I must medicate and sleep!

Photos from Elbow Falls and today's hike later...

Saturday night update

Well, poor S. sat in a freaking walk in clinic for over 5 and a half hours! Needless to say, he was (a) not amused and (b) STARVING! Since he was so weak with hunger (=P), I picked him up and we went to the mall for a quick meal. We decided on this Thai place and while his chicken and veg green curry was good, my Pad Thai was less than stellar. Didn't eat much.

We hopped in the car and headed to Elbow Falls before we lost what little daylight was left. Wandered around and then headed home through Cochrane to sample some famous Mackay's ice cream. Mmmm...spotted cow (chocolate and vanilla swirl with chocolate chips inside) is a new favourite!

Dropped S. off at his place so he can rest up for our hike tomorrow and I came home and made a pot of KD with hot dogs (buffalo from Valta Bison at the farmer's market) and broccoli (that's how I rationalize it--there's veggies in it!) Besides, I need to carb load for my run in the morning! =P

So here's how I spent my afternoon waiting for S, basking in the sunshine, watching the breeze in my Tibetan prayer flags and listening to the gentle chime of my wind chimes:

Waiting....

for S. He's sitting (finally--he was standing) in the waiting room at a medicentre (nothing serious, just getting some test results). But in the meantime, my kitchen is tidied (dishwasher unloaded and reloaded, compostables composted), the bed is made, I've had lunch and am waiting for the call for us to head west!

p.s. WI rocked! Down 3.8 from two weeks ago on the WW scale! Apparently this journalling thing works...

TGIF

Evening shifts suck. Short shifting so I don't have to work the weekend seemed like a good idea at the time...and to top it all off, work was a gong show all week. Whew! Glad that's over!

I've been a journalling fool this week. I don't like it, but I know that it works.

Yoga has taken a back burner, unfortunately. I'm going to practice for a bit now and then hit the hay.

Tomorrow is WI then coffee with the girls. Then S. & I are heading back out to Lower Kananaskis Lake to hike. A patio will probably also be in our future. =)

I need to do a farmer's market run, too. And laundry. I think I'm doing pretty good to have unloaded the dishwasher, reloaded it with the dirties and hand washed what didn't fit. That's enough housework for this girl!

Happy Friday! Another Goat Creek photo just 'cause:

Goat Creek

This is why I love Alberta: it's peaceful, beautiful, natural and breathtaking.


Me and S at the river:


Me and my fabulous, fit, artist friend, A:


The whole gang midway:


At the end!


Who knew we could get five bikes in the back of a truck with a topper on it? If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it!


18.5 K, ending up in the parking lot of the Banff Springs Hotel. Ended the day with a pint in Canmore. *sigh* It really was a fabulous weekend!

p.s.
Note to self: do NOT bring the following into your house: spreadable cheeses (think Boursin light, Laughing Cow Light, Philadelphia Cream Cheese), fancy schmancy ciders (oh, but how yummy they are!) or crunchy cracker things (have you tried Finn Crisps? No? You really should! They are the food of my people (apparently). Doesn't fit into the 100 mile diet thingy, but my maternal great grandparents left Finland for a better life in Canada, so by me eating the crackers, I honour them, right?). Back to the point. Cheese + crackers + cider = yummy but bad for weightloss. I shall speak of this no more.

Oh my

Is this stuff good!

If you like Strongbow or Rock Creek cider, give this a try.

While in Canmore this weekend, I also tried this one (apple, not pear). Yummy!

And now I've got wheels, too! My cousin, Dougie, is off being a pilot in Africa and I'm driving his wheels while he's gone.



It's so much fun to drive, too! I forgot how much I loved the freedom of the open road and a 5 speed.

One-derland!

Whoo hoo! Check out Carol's story! Congratulations, runner girl.

H =)

Garmin says:

11.29 km
6.4 km/h
1:45:50
809 cal

C & I have discovered the differences in our Garmins is because I have mine set for an interval workout, so it doesn't count the speed of the rest periods. I'm sure she'll post the more accurate speed soon.

Hit the farmer's market for some fruit and veg and falafel. Mmmmm....falafel! It was yummy and I'm still full, hours later. I've got steaks marinating in the fridge and a mojito (unleaded version) will be mine soon! It's a gorgeous day here in Calgary and my patio awaits.

Big shout out to C (again). It's her news to share, so I won't spoil the surprise. Let's just say I'm doing a big ol' happy dance for her!

fabulous weekend

and it's not even over yet!

Friday night C. & I went to see the Lion King. Oh. My. Freaking. God! I would go and see it again, it was so good! Hakuna Matata. Makes me want to go back to Africa.

Yesterday a gaggle of us loaded up our bikes and piled into trucks and headed west. We dropped two cars off in Banff, just past the Banff Springs Hotel where our trail was going to dump us out. Then we loaded all our gear and selves into one truck (it was tres cozy) and drove back to Canmore and into K-Country. 18.5K on our bikes, mostly downhill but with enough hills to make me realize just how important cross training is! I think I rock: I kept up to everyone even though (a) I had slicks (commuting tires) on my bike and they all had knobbies (mountain biking tires) and (b) I had no suspension whatsoever! Of course, every bone, muscle, joint, tendon...in my body can feel the bumpy ride today, but that's nothing a few Advils can't take care of. =P

S. took some great photos, I'll post 'em later. Then we went for a quick beer and back to the city for dinner reservations at Laurier Lounge. Best. Fondue. EVER. So yummy!

And now I'm off for 13K in preparation for Melissa's. Probably a quick trip to the market after. A bientot!

Is it Wednesday already?

How did that happen?!

Mom and I spent all day (7 am - 8pm) cleaning, organizing and unpacking. It's done!! Whoo hoo! Finally, my space is organized and clean and calm. I have a box of art (that I'm going to ask a professional stager about when I book her) and one small box left to unpack and that's it. There's also the shelving unit in my kitchen that needs some work, but it functions well enough right now.

Anyways, all that organizing was draining, both physically and mentally. I'm still knackered today, but that could have more to do with our killer Boot Camp workout tonight! We went today because we've got tickets to see the Lion King on Friday and we need/want some time to eat and look purdy!

Breakfast/Coffee break (no photo, sorry):
-1/2 cup All Bran
-1/2 cup Activia Balkan yogurt
-1/2 cup homemade applesauce
-1 TBSP almond butter

Lunch:
Vietnamese sub (beef)

Pre-boot camp snack:
1 slice toast and Gruyere

Dinner:


Trout fillet (bbq'd in foil with lemon slice and fresh dill from the garden) and swiss chard sauteed with garlic, half an onion and finished with a splash of apple cider vinegar.

Oh, and there was a peach, too, put it was gone before I remembered to take a picture!

And now, I'm off to catch up with my peeps in Weatherfield (Coronation Street, for those who don't know).

lazy monday morning

I loooooove days off during the week!

I slept in (till 8:30) and feel great. Not sure what was up on Saturday night and the no sleeping thing, but whatever. It's all good now.

Had a quick peek at the scale (I know, I know, WI is on Saturdays!) which confirmed Saturday's number was the result of salt and general bloating.

Breakfast was super yummy and I ate it all before I realized I didn't take a picture.
1/2 cup All Bran
1/2 cup Astro Balkan style plain yogurt (thick and creamy)
1/2 cup homemade apple sauce (transparents, 2 TB brown sugar, ginger, cardamom, apple pie spice-->simmer till cooked)
1 TB almond butter
drizzle maple syrup

On the agenda for today:
-cardio of some sort (I didn't run yesterday, remember)
-yoga
-Mom arrives!
-vacuum (still haven't done that)
-Nerm's dr. appointment
-laundry


Nothing too exciting, which is just the way I like it!

Weekend Review

Saturday:

Early morning WI: let's just say I didn't drink nearly enough water to flush the sodium from my wonderful dinner at the Keg. Oh well, I know exactly what caused the small blip: I ate out every night last week.

Coffee with the girls: lovely, as always!

Farmer's Market run: wowsers, CROWDED. And seriously, who thinks babies enjoy the Farmer's Market? From the wailing and screaming, I'd say nine out of ten babies agree: it's NOT fun! Leave them at HOME. But I did stock up on cheese (I tried to break up with cheese, I really did. But it's sooooo goood...) and fresh fruit. I've got a huge fruit salad (strawberries, blueberries, crushed pineapple, peaches, nectarine) in the fridge that's amazing with a sliced 'nana.

NAP. Pure bliss. S. called and woke me up, but an hour and a half was heavenly! We went to see the Time Traveler's Wife. I don't remember the book being that sad! It was good, though. Went for pizza for dinner and I didn't choose healthy. But it was darn good pizza! Stopped for a chai and perused the video store with no luck. Headed back to his place to watch Harry Potter #3.

Wide awake all night. Seriously. I think I saw every single number on the clock. Managed to get a few hours (no more than 3) between 7:30 & 10:30 and feel remarkably well, considering. We got up and got ready to meet his family for lunch at the Taj Mahal. Their buffet is really, really, really good. Went for a walk (regular loop, about 4.3K) and then since the sun made a brief appearance, had some ice cream. All in all, a pretty good day, I'd say!

Just finished up an easy, grounding yoga practice and am starting to think about a light dinner before bed.

Hope you had a delightful weekend, too!

Friday update

My co-worker, Marnie, is a god-send! We're trading the Thursday night shaft shift so that instead of working, I'll be OFF completely! Ha ha! That'll show 'em. I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent.

=)

Happy Friday!

This is me blogging instead of getting ready to go to work. Procrastination at it's finest!

After a good night's sleep, I feel a bit better about my work schedule. I've fired off an email to another part timer to see if she'll switch with me. Before I hand in my shift exchange form, I think I'll ask why my evening shifts are split up as the rotation is supposed to be a week at a time...what the hell, why bother?! I'll just get some run around answer or a stupid look looking back at me. I'll just switch my shift and plot world domination while on vacation!

Had noodles for dinner last night (too tired, lazy and cranky to cook and pizza wasn't a very healthy option). I'm going to be chugging water today in an effort to rid my body of the excess sodium!

Dinner out with S. tonight (using one of our many Keg gift cards we received for bad service) and then a lazy weekend planned. The weather here is crappy again--rainy and cold. My fingers are swollen to twice their normal size and every joint in my body screams when I move. Gah. Arthritis is a bitch, people. I've bailed on boot camp and running because anything more than a slow walk hurts. As long as I keep moving, I'll be OK, but my body doth protest to the vigorous workouts in weather like this. I only have the one, so I'll respect it's decision in this matter.

And now, I've got just over 15 minutes to shower, dress, eat brekkie, pack a lunch and get out the door. Go!

Happy Friday!

Thursday Rant

OY!

I love my job. I hated my old one, so I left it. I have a great job. What I do ensures that every time someone in Canada gets a blood transfusion, it's safe. What I really dislike about my job: the f&$*ing schedule.

Case in point:
October 23-November 13 is my vacation. Remember how I got shafted for summer vacation? Anyways, I'm taking time off in a non-peak season now. So the October schedule comes out today. October 20 & 21, I work day shift (yay!). October 22 (day before vacay starts) EVENING shift (BOO!). Good thing I didn't book that flight to Hawaii last night like I was this close to doing!

ARRRRRRGH!

Rant over.

=)

Insert witty title here

I'm too tired to think of one!

Went to Bolero last night for Brazilian BBQ. It was time for S & L to meet S. The interrogation was brief, so I take that as a good sign!

Tonight is Boot Camp session 2 fit test. Should be interesting--I didn't make last week's classes due to work (stupid evening shift). I'm having a skinny day though, so that's a good thing.

No breakfast food in the house (and still kind of full from last night) so a cuppa will do me for now. I've got fruit (peach and cherries) packed with grilled chicken and veggies for lunch. Noodles with G. after boot camp and run.

Whew! I'm tired already--if only I could crawl back into bed for a wee nap. Nerm's already back in bed! To have her life....

Saw this on the WW boards this morning!

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

.. the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

.. the taxes I pay because it means that I'm employed.

.. the clothes that fit a little too snug because it means I have enough to eat.

.. my shadow who watches me work because it means that I am out in the sunshine.

.. a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.

.. the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I am capable of walking.

.. all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of speech.

.. my huge heating bill because it means I am warm.

.. the lady behind me in church who sings off key because it means that I can hear.

.. the alarm that goes off in the early morning because it means that I'm alive.

.. the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.

.. weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been productive.


-Nancie J Carmody: Family Circle

To Do List:

-vacuum
-tidy living room DONE
-clean kitchen DONE
-freeze apples (bought a case yesterday at the market)

How & why, you ask: they're transparents and the most fabulous baking apples ever. Wash, core and slice. Put 'em in a zip loc and ta da! Ready for apple sauce (to go with the oatmeal) or apple crisp. Yum!

-laundry (yuck) but I do love clean sheet day! DONE
-weed garden DONE
-bank DONE
-lunches for work this week DONE

If I don't write it down, it isn't likely to happen. Already crossed off the list:
-scrubbed bathroom floor
-yoga
-made Nermal's doctor appointment

Le Garmin parle:

1:24:13
6.6 km/h
9.25 km
661 cal

One of my worst runs ever! My legs felt like lead and I just had nothing in the tank to give. I tried really hard to tell myself that I was having fun and a great run, but it wasn't really working. However, even though we walked the last bit (let's say that C's ankle was the reason =P) and stopped for a few saskatoon berries along the way, I still ran today.

And that's what counts.

Off to the farmer's market and then home to enjoy a mojito on my patio. I think dinner will be a chicken souvlaki of sorts: I bought whole wheat pita and tzatziki at the market and I've got leftover grilled chicken and veggies from earlier in the week.

Happy weekend!

Should've checked the schedule...

so last weekend we ran too far! Today I thought we had to do 6K, but NO! I need to gear up for another 3 on top of that.

Brekkie is in me and now I just need to get the running clothes on, contacts in, sunscreen applied.

Farmer's Market apres. What could be better?

Oooooh, I know (frantically waving hand in air)! A NEW running hat! I promised myself that when my WW weigh in got me into the next decade, I would retire my tired and true red hat for a new one. I just have to go find the perfect replacement!

saturday musings

Worked uber late last night due to one instrument crapping out on me. It's a lemon! Oh well, cha ching! Overtime pour moi! I bank it so that I can have more time off later. Didn't get home till 0130h, though. *yawn*

I was up at 0645h for C. to pick me up to go to the new WW meeting at Dalhousie. I think I'm officially certifiable, now, btw. =P

Have I mentioned how I love the morning WI? I think I have. Here's the proof: down 3.6 from last Thursday evening's WI. Of course, my scale says only 0.6, but that's because I'm a morning weigh-er in-ner! Regardless, the scale is moving in the right direction. I'm going to give credit to the yoga/meditation--I've been practicing daily (a la Shirls' 30 day challenge) since the rain and shift work equaled no exercise for me this week. It's gotta be the mind/body connection. But the sun is back and I'm taking advantage!

Waiting for S. We're heading to the mountains for a little hike. Both of us are feeling somewhat claustrophobic after being cooped up for a week. Thank you, Mother Nature. We won't take you for granted again!

I also convinced S. to sign up for Winterstart with me. It's a 5 mile run in Banff in November. And really, who cares what your time is if it gives you a reason to be in Banff for the weekend?!

Fit test for Boot Camp is Tuesday and I intend to rock it! Already I can see that the bra fat roll (you know what I'm talking about) is smaller. I like it! And the collar bones have made a reappearance, too!

Food today has been slightly erratic due to the late night, early morning, back to bed...but here it is:

0830h: grande non-fat, no water Tazo chai & Egg & Sausage muffin @ S'bucks
0938h: crawled back into bed
1130h: alarm (not pretty)
1300h: chai (equivalent to above but made at home) 1 cup blueberries

That's all for now. If you've made it this far, you deserve a reward!
H =)

Late Day Edit:

1600h: Peanut Butter Cookie Lara bar. OH. MY. FREAKING. GOD. WAS. THIS. GOOD!
1700h: Rained on in mountains, mad dash back to car
1745h: trail mix for the road home
1845h: Pasta dinner (cheese ravioli with artichoke, capers, olives, spinach, red pepper, EVOO and lemon with one piece of bread dipped in oil and vinegar
1945h: long walk through Confederation park!

now (2145h): bit of yoga and off to catch some zzzz's!

Yoga brain

I love the feeling I get after a yoga/meditation practice! Grounded, centered and calm.

Namaste.

It's a new day!

Rainy and cold, but still new!

Having a yummy breakfast of oatmeal to stick to my bones, fill me up, keep me warm, all those things. Washed down with a cuppa watah and a chai. Mmmm...chai....

Lunch is leftover salad from the other day (grilled veggies, chicken, homemade caesar dressing). I have some cherries for dessert.

Massage at 3 and then home for a yoga practice, I think. Then I'll curl up on the couch with a book and maybe even finish catching up on Coronation Street. It's going to be a great day!

Now I'd better get moving. Have to leave the house in 15 and I'm nowhere near ready!

H =)

oy

-small run in with a bag of nachos (full of fibre, if that counts)
-work was crazy, especially since we had a fraction of the samples to test (62 today versus 1100 on Sunday)
-saw G-Force: talking rodents were cute!
-lunch was vending machine supplied--cheezies. Yummy but zero nutrition. Tomorrow is a new day! Thank goodness!
-time for bed--Nerm's been telling me for the past half hour so I guess I should shut down the computer and go snuggle. She's so silly--she doesn't like to sleep alone. How she manages all day, I have no idea! Maybe she's scared of the dark...

H =)

Rain, rain, go away

What is with the weather this summer? Extreme seems to be the only way Mother Nature knows. It looks like Calgary is socked into a rainy spell for the week. I'm working evenings (or variations thereof) this week, so I can have lazy mornings. =)

Meeting one of the girls from work this morning to see G-Force. Talking guinea pigs in 3-D? What's not to love?! S. has absolutely no desire to go and neither does N's man. It's perfect! She'll drop me off at work afterwards and hopefully the overtime gods shine down on me (my boss doesn't want to give me unpaid leave with my vacation time in the fall, so I'll take paid, thank you very much! Mwahaha--there's more than one way to get what you want!)

Close to goal!

So two of my fitness goals are to run a 5K in under 30 minutes and a 10K in under 60. Here's the official results from the race I did a few weeks ago. Needless to say, I'm impressed! And Jo and I walked most of it!!

Rank: 113
Clock Time: 1:02:42
Pace: 6:17 /km
Distance: 10 km
Gender Rank: 60/136
Division: Female 30-39
Division Rank: 29/58

Edit:

OK, just checked my friend's time and here's her deets:
Clock Time: 1:32:30
Pace: 9:15

Apparently it did make a difference that I was scheduled to race in the run that started a half hour later...SHOOT!

Oh well, c'est la vie. It's still a good goal!

Day Off

Happy Heritage Day!

I got a bit of a lie-in this morning, till Nerm decided that she was famished and could not go on without a wee bit of food!

Had a one hour yoga practice that was divine. A great way to start the day--slow and grounding with a bit of zen meditation thrown in for good measure.

Had my leftover bowl of oatmeal from yesterday and two cups of chai. Then a late lunch:

Romaine from the garden
Grilled red, orange and yellow peppers
Grilled onion from the garden
Grilled zuke
Grilled chicken
Topped with parmesan & homemade Caesar dressing: lemon juice & zest, EVOO, grainy mustard, roasted garlic, anchovy paste, capers, Tabasco and Worchestershire

Served with Allie's iced tea & a piece of French bread (no photo, sorry!)


So now I'm catching up on Corrie and waiting for S. We're going for dinner with his brothers. Mmmm...Indian...hope you've all had a great day!

Garmin says...

10.91 km
1:34:16
6.9 km/h @ 85% max hr
770 calories

Hot and sweaty and feeling great! Having some leftover veggie frittata and then off to shower and get ready for work.

Happy Sunday!

Weigh In

-2.4!!

Whoo hoo!