Much to my surprise...

... it is still snowing, why this surprises me, I'm not sure! After all it is fall in Canada! Not even winter yet!!

Instead of running outside this week I've been taking advantage of the gym that I've being making donations to for the past year.

The Twenty Minute torture test is starting to become a little easier, it surprises me how unfit I actually am. Even though I have thighs similar to the T-Rex, my upper body is sadly lacking in any semblance of strength....so on to the torture mill I go, whoot I'm up to 25 pounds on some of the machines and 55 pounds on others, guess what I'm working out at 55 pounds? .... yes, my legs. I'm actually having a blast at the gym Mr. Muscle is there lifting some godforsaken weight and grunting and shouting as he does it....mild entertainment to say the least.

The mindless time on the dreadmill is actually helping me prioritise my life and it allows me to reflect on my "other business".

Which by the way is going swimmingly, and much to my surprise, I stopped on my way home from the gym and picked up the latest copy of " O " magazine....(believe me, I never watch Oprah), but for some reason like the siren's song, I picked up a copy and yes, there on the inside back cover.....yes ladies, is an advertisement for the product of my home based business! I must say the selection looks stunning on the model!! Check it out!

This will not be a long post, but Lily and I would like very much to wish our "south of the border" friends and fellow bloggers a very Happy Thanksgiving. Please take the time to give thanks and blessings to those who are in far away lands, serving to protect our countries, they too would love to be home surrounded by family and friends.




Have a great day everybody!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Wordless Wednesday

And so it is back...

About 03:00, I'm lying in bed listening to the rhythmic rumbling of a deep noise, when it came from the recesses of my memory....

Snowplow!!!

Oh crap!! What am I going to face in the morning! Not quite the amount of snow showing in the photo, that photo was from last winter, a few short months ago and now it is back.

After braving the cold and wind for both Saturday and Sunday's runs, snow means that the temperatures are warming up. Okay, I'm trying to rationalise this .... humour me!

It was wicked cold on Saturday, the wind was blowing straight off the river, it was bitterly cold. Sunday's run was a little warmer, I drove into town to run with the group. I always find great motivation when the weather is appalling to go into town to get some moral support from the other crazies who are training for either the Winterman Marathon in February or like me, training for the Hypothermic Half Marathon in January. It was a nice easy 12K along the Trans Canada Trail.

The Hypothermic Half is not going to be one of my most favourite races, it'll be more like a training run really, as it consists of four loops around the Arboretum, in snow, hopefully not ice, and not too cold. Since I'm all about the bling I signed up for it because the medal is a super cool Snowflake, plus, we will receive a really nice winter running toque and gloves and if that wasn't enough to feed my running palate, we will be supplied with a nice hot luncheon afterwards! Perks, I'm all about perks & bling!!

Speaking of perks, I am truly excited to mention that I have the great opportunity to be part of "The Shirt That Races", Nikemom came up with this brilliant idea back in October, where the shirt is worn in a race, washed, the race documented on the back (or somewhere) and then it is passed along to the next participant. I am truly honoured, although I might not be fast, I'll certainly be wearing the shirt that races proudly on January 25, 2009.

As I look out my office window to the winter wonderland of snow and drifting snow, I suppose I should get back to work. Luckily I got a really great workout at the gym yesterday, so today, I'll just dogsled it home and have a nice cozy evening with a nice warm veggie dinner along with red wine and be stalking all of you!

Run safe!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

The "F" word ..... FREEZING!

EY CA RUMBA!!!

This morning's temps were freaking COLD! In Canada it was -15C, in the USA it was 7F, Holy Freaking COLD....

I layered up and headed out for a nice crisp, cold, windy 8K run. Honestly I had forgotten what it was like to run on frozen shoes, icy pavement and snow covered roadsides....but it all came back to me quickly:

• take shorter steps


• run at a slower pace until you warm up


• put your sports drink UNDER your jacket


• dig out your thermal drink bottle from the closet


• plaster your face & hands with Vaseline to prevent frostbite


• wear your gators to keep your ankles and the tops of your feet warmer


• carry you cell phone ~ just in case


• head into the wind at the start of your run


• loop your run route, again, just in case


• wear something to cover your mouth, breath through your nose to avoid rapid dehydration


• tell someone where you are going and how long you expect to be out for


• layer, layer, layer, it is easier to remove clothes than to be too cold


• have a wind jacket that can fold up into a pouch with an waist belt attached that can be added or removed as necessary


• cover your head, even if its a vented running hat and cover your ears


• run safe, be smart and take it easy!
  

Life's fun if you don't weaken!

Lily

(your other Mother)

So, another Blogland game, 4th photo...

Yes, here we are after the very first ever Canada Army Run Half Marathon. We have collected out dog tag medals, which by the way are totally awesome and we are headed off to lunch and to have a few adult BEvERages. It was an amazing day, with perfect weather, good friends and a really well organised group of volunteers.

Today I am starting to get a wicked cold, but I'm sucking back vitamins, orange juice and I have just received the Canadian equivalent of a Dunk'n Donuts Coffee, our world famous Tim Horton's coffee. So I am happily sipping my way through the morning.

True half marathon training is in full swing, this weekend I'll jam in a 12K run on Sunday and tomorrow will be a nice easy 8 or 10K around the area where I live...

I am going to really concentrate on working my core area this winter at the gym, I'm hoping for a little faster results with my races in 2009. I'm no speed demon but it would be nice to see some improvement!!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Finding balance

TWO HOURS OR MORE OF THIS

PLUS

SEVEN OR MORE HOURS OF THIS PER DAY

Does not make a good balance in ones' life.

After almost two months of hit and miss workouts at the gym and totally unable to get to swimming, I'm back at it. And it feels GREAT!!!

Over the weekend I was able to get a few short runs in and Monday I went to the gym. I have now lost my treadmill virginity by spending a half an hour on the damn thing. It is mind numbing! I also spent time on the elliptical and stationary bike, also all mind numbing.

As I was winding down my work out I found a "Twenty Minute" workout area, all heavy equipment based on working out the various body parts in a well thought out succession. I finally bought the bullet and got over my extreme shyness and started the process of going from machine to machine. Luckily, I was following a young woman who seemed to know what she was doing and at the same relative weight I was comfortable with, anywhere between 25 and 40 pounds.

Unbeknown to me, there was a "muscle" guy on the other side of this workout grid. The young lady found her boyfriend and bailed on the rest of the machines, again without me seeing any of this until I got to the "god forsaken" piece of machinery, that would put any torture device found in the Tower of London to shame. As I straddled the seat and leaned a long way forward to grab onto the hand bars, I gave a mighty tug and just about went ass over teakettle. Fortunately I didn't shatter my elbows nor launch myself through the plate glass windows, Mr. Muscle had been on the machine before me and it was plugged into 140 pounds of dead weight!!!

I have an appointment with the Chiropractor tomorrow!

Since I have now committed myself to the Hypothermic Half Marathon in January, I'm back to pavement or should I say snow and ice covered pavement! Yesterday I took a mental health day and hit the roads for a nice simple 5K. It was long underwear cold and we had snow the day before. It was a fabulous run...very invigorating!!! Click here to see what my surroundings look like in winter!

• Now for some trivia, my Wordless Wednesday was in tribute to Mickey Mouse who indeed launched his career in 1928, in the cartoon Steamboat Willie.
  
  
• Way back in the stone age when I was a flight attendant, many of us were also part time models (mostly runway) and "booth babes" at trade shows and we were often asked to "model" for various products....need I say more. No, there was no porn involved.....now stop that!!! Well, there was no porn in my life anyway......................................

Back to work today, so I'd better get ready! Have a great day everyone!

Life's fun if you don't weaken

Lily

Wordless Wednesday

Happy 80th Birthday!!!

MICKEY MOUSE!!!

The Sloth returns

Even though I took a well deserved break and gave all of you a break from me and my little spin into my winter blahs, I came back to fill your heads with nothing important and drivel of life in outer Ottawa as we head into the winter months of cold and snow...now how cheery is that?

It is always amazing to me that it takes month and months of running, going to the gym, biking and swimming to get my mid-fifties body into some semblance of fitness and yet here we are, not quiet two months of rest and relaxation and I feel as though I'm starting from scratch again.

Just two short months of inconsistant workouts and I'm back to square one! Now I'm not going to get all gloomy and doomy here, nope that is why I took some time off. Life was busy with work, my new business venture and I did have a little event that unnerved me a tad, but I have never been one to live in fear.

So after a week of "kicking back" I now need to start "kicking butt".


Perusing through many blogsites, the general mood is that of "yuck, winter months are ahead and no motivation for running". Try something new, go to spin classes, head to the gym, run with a group, hit the trails in your area! This has been a life saver for me.

I have been running our trails lately and find it truly inspiring although I now carry a bell with me since my little fright last month, but all in all, it has really been awesome. Beats pounding the pavement for the time being and it lets you get your head into the wonders of Mother Nature.

Last weekend some of the Wooo Hooo's headed off into Fitzroy Provincial Park for a really nice 8K run, which is just short of a five mile run if I am not mistaken.

It was fabulous.


Even with the shorter days, darker skies and snowfalls, yes, right now it is snowing...after my little hiatus, the world does not seem as threatening as it did.

Isn't it amazing what some downtime can do for your soul?

It is hard to soar with the eagles if you let the turkeys get you down....trust me!!!

I'm glad to be back!!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Now, back to our former schedule of....

Lest We Forget...In Flanders fields,

Just for now....

And the lucky recipient

of the Travelling Book, 50 / 50 is Marci, from Ramblings of a Running Addict. Many of the first of my blog reader's had already read or already have the book, so Marci, just to clarify, that is how you were the winner.

Just to enlighten some of you who may not know or remember, Ted, from Ted's Running Journal, (who has apparently "Gone Fishing" for the moment, graciously donated his book 50 / 50 written by Dean Karnazes to other bloggers to read, then pass along to others to enjoy and we would follow its adventures across the globe.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to receive the book and read through it (in my spare time). Although, I must admit, Dean is not that well known in the "Great White North" as he is in the "South of the Border", but because we are all family in this crazy running world, it was a pleasure and an honour to be able to read about this incredible human and all the good he has done for children with his running and his time.

So, now the book is "on the road again", Marci, you will need to contact me with your coordinates so I can send this book on its journey.

As for the running front for me, well, I get a few runs in right now when I can. Life is extremely busy at work, (sigh), and as with starting any new business, well, lets just say that is very busy too!

Since I'm robbing company time right now, I'd be go....

Have a great week everybody!!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily

Wordless Wednesday

Stay Tuned....

for a very exciting Wordless Wednesday!

Could you be next

?

?

?

?

Life's fun if you don't weaken

Lily

Nothing

Man servant required, apply here!

This weekend the weather is gorgeous! Unbelievably so.

While everyone else is out and about, running, Halloween partying or relaxing in the sunshine with an adult BEvERage, I'm cross training with a mulcher and leaf bags.

Not that I'm complaining (well, yes, just a little), I'm just so lucky to have my little cottage! But, and yes there is always a but, I'm surrounded by Oak trees. After our heavy snowfall most of the leaves tumbled their way down onto my property.

Saturday while I was stalking Wes, who was Ironing his way through his first Iron Man, Florida!!

congratulations Wes.....you ARE Iron!!

I was doing my own Iron by fighting with my mulcher lawnmower and all things fall.


Three and half hours later, the leaves were mulched and bagged and so was I.

In between was the usual to-ing and fro-ing, putting things in the shed, cleaning out rain barrels and oh, yes, finding the hole in the siding where Mr. & Mrs. Smith Chipmunk tried to set up residency.

Friday night they kept me awake most of the night chewing on insulation board and scurrying around, so tough love guys, FoamIT, is now in place...

Today, Sunday, while the gang are out running, I'll be up the ladder cleaning gutters and removing crapola from the roof. Since it is so nice out today maybe I'll hang out my Large Christmas Wreath might as well while the weather is nice....I know it is early, but, with our crazy weather, I'd sooner have it hung out early than trying to do it on a freezing cold day.

But before I do all of that, I'm headed out for a run along the beach and into the bush! No time this weekend for my other business, but for the rest of the time up until Christmas I'm booking up and will be super busy!



Hope everyone remembered to turn your clocks back!

Life's fun if you don't weaken,

Lily