Well, What Now?

All my kids are in school 5 days a week now. All 4. Long have I awaited this day. No diapers, no naps, no whinging and crying.....I imagined my days to be soul soothing and relaxing, full of all the things I was never able to do when the kiddos were little.

Well, I have had all this "free" time for nearly a month now....it's not everything I thought it would be. I know, shocking ( insert sarcastic font).

I have my cleaning job twice a week ( more time with me, myself and I), so at least I see 4 other walls a couple times a week. I go grocery shopping ( my fridge, storage room shelves and pantry are full to bursting), and I work out a few days a week.

This probably sounds like a good deal to those of you that work full time, and wish your schedule was as wide open (like a dark, yawning chasm) as mine. In a lot of ways, I am very thankful for my lack things to do. It makes it easy for me to take the Princess to her Speech and OT appointments. If one of my children are sick, no problem getting time off to stay home with them. The ability to just decide to pack the kids up and head down to my parents' place for a long weekend is priceless.

Here's where I am though, despite all those wonderful blessings. I am lonely, and I am going to go shack wacky once the weather turns....and it will, we do live in Alberta after all.

There are a few things I'd love to do.....but one that has been circling around in my mind for years is: PHOTOGRAPHY! I love taking pictures, always have. I'd love to take fabulous pictures, maybe make it into a business, instead of just a hobby.

I don't even need to practice on other people right away....my 4 gorgeous kids will make fabulous (free) models. My little dog could have his own calendar. I could fill SD card after SD card with shots of the clouds that roll through these big, wide prairie skies! ( see, I am excited about it!)

After I went for boudoir shots ( yes, and they are beautiful!), I was so, so happy. I want to make people feel like that!

I could take a course online, learn the tricks of the trade, lighting, editing, all that jazz. I'd need a decent camera. The one I own presently is persnickety ( smile...wait....it's almost ready.....crap, missed it!). I'd also need a little $$$$$$.............nothing is free folks ( as I keep telling my kids).

Anyone willing to donate for the good of my education?????   ;)

Squeak, Squeak, Groan...How Badly do I have to Pee?

So, yesterday I shared with you all my trials and tribulations.....My woe about injuring myself.

Well, I felt worse as the day went on. My calf still hurts, but not as much as my quads!!!!!

It seems that the new Jillian DVD was a tougher workout than I thought initially. I am so, so, sore....I literally squeak when getting into a sitting position ( going pee is especially bad), and I groan when I get up ( that's where I got the witty name for my blog).

I did not workout this morning. I stayed in bed like a good girl, then went and did my 2 hour cleaning job. Did I mention the house I clean is a split level? Stairs! Stairs all the time!

When I got home, I decided I had to do some exercise, if only to loosen up my quads. I did Leslie Sansone's Muscle Mile ( I went super easy on the kicks), then I did 25 minutes of upper body ST.

I think yesterday's blog came from a place of panic, my old "All or Nothing" way of thinking. Today, I learned a new lesson....go with the flow. Just because I can't run, doesn't mean I have to stop moving. I have some photos I am getting done in a month or 2, and I want to be looking fierce and fit! ( Edmonton Boudoir Photography  )

Fluffy cried a little when she realized I was going to go ahead and get our body moving...her voice is getting quieter every day. HA!

Now I am baking banana bread ( my secret recipe, shared only with a select few), doing laundry and marinating chicken for supper.....I am the DG.

How Much Do I Owe the Swear Jar?

On the schedule this morning: C25K, Week 4, Day 2......got up at the crack o`stupid, geared up, and hit the road.
I was sore from my workout yesterday ( more on that later), but not horribly so (ie: I didn`t squeak when getting into a sitting position).
I did the 5 minute brisk walk to warm up, and was totally ready for the first interval. The chime thingy sounded, and off I went. I was being very careful, trying to stay on beat ( I ran too fast last time) and for about a minute I felt awesome! I was just thinking "I can do this!", as I stepped up from the street to the sidewalk....and felt this horrible, searing pain in my calf ( same one from a few runs back).....I'm not proud, but I cursed...ok, I let loose a string of bad words. ( It was early, no one was around).

I stopped (obviously), stretched a little, and tried to walk. Well, that hurt (insert more bad words). So, I hobbled home and stuck an ice pack on it.

I am bummed. 

 
Now, a little backtracking.....

Yesterday I did a new workout. Jillian Michael's, "Shred it: With Weights". Oh boy, how do I describe how much I LOVE this dvd! It was hard, but in a good way. Oddly, never did the urge to curse at Jillian cross, my mind ( I can't afford all this swearing!), and I was surprised at how quickly the time passed.
Now, I haven't tried the 2nd level, so, maybe, there are more curse-worthy moments in that workout.

I hope I heal up quickly....I have the ice pack on my leg, ibuprofen downrange, now the waiting begins.....and Fluffy is rubbing her hands together, hoping that this will spell the end of my exercise kick ( as she calls it).....don't hold you're breathe chick.


PS: We don't have an actual swear jar. ;)

Ways to Improve the Day

Today I did C25K again. I'm on Week 3, Day #2. I ran every interval today, the 3 minute and the 90 second ones! I am trying to change the cadence in my head to "Ga-Zelle, Ga-Zelle" instead of the previous loop of "Hip-po, Hip-po" that I usually hear each time my feet hit the ground. I mostly succeeded too. ( Might be something to this ChiRunning book I'm reading). I felt pretty comfortable, right until half way through my last 3 minute run. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a black shadow moving ( remember, I don't wear my glasses when I run), and it kind of surprised me, until it registered in my brain that is was a woman and her dog. But, in that moment of surprise, I misjudged my first step onto the foot bridge...and something twinged in my left calf. I finished the interval, albeit more slowly and gingerly. it's still tender, but not horrible. I got home in time to do 15 minutes of strength training too! Feeling the burn!
While out for my morning exercise, I had a little time to think....that must be a sign it's getting easier. I used to only have surviving on my mind, but now I can think of other things too....

Ways to Improve the Day


~ A way to be able to wear my glasses while running ( or otherwise exerting myself) when it's cool outside. Between the sweat making them slip down my nose, and the heat from my face fogging them up, it's very frustrating.

~ Stopping for a coffee, and sitting down in the shop to drink it, even though you're alone. It's nice to see 4 different walls and a few different faces.

~ A hot shower and some super sudsy, awesome smelling bodywash.  Dark Kiss is my new favourite treat. I know I should be responsible and use a water saver and turn the flow to a trickle while washing...but, let's face it folks, it's not nearly as relaxing that way.


OK, so, these things aren't Earth shattering, but they do make my day a little better.....and, in the interest of full disclosure, I had a lot more great ideas while I was running in the dark. Problem is, that was 6 hours agao, and I didn't write them down, Maybe next time.

Graduating from a Shuffler to a Jogger

Still doing the Couch to 5 K running program. It's the beginning of my 4th week, but today was Day 1 of Week 3 for me. I opted to do week 2 twice, just to be sure I was strong enough to move on. It wouldn't be cool if I pushed too hard and fell on my face....I mean, literally, on my face. Explaining to everyone how I ended up with road rash on my nose and forehead is not my idea of a good time.
I've also been reading a book called "ChiRunning" by Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer. Since I have no previous running style to change or correct, I am finding this book to be immensely helpful. Very much in-tune with the whole "Fiverfingers" barefoot running philosophy I'm in to.

I'm not sure if I'll ever run a marathon, but I am still hoping to do the 5K "Run for the Cure" in Edmonton on October 3rd. Now, saying that, actually running the whole thing might be a little far-fetched.... but running some of it seems doable.

It's very odd, but I find myself wanting to go out and do the runs.  The night before, getting into bed, I can  nearly talk myself out of doing it....it's so early to roll out of bed, it's cold, it's damp, I'm tired. Then I set my alarm anyway ( 5:45 am), and when it goes off in the morning, I hit snooze once, then I'm off and going. Sometime my hubby comes with me ( and our little dog too), sometimes I go on my own.

I've downloaded the Podrunner C25K podcast, a free download at ITunes. It takes all the guesswork out of this C25K thing. I just pop my earbuds in, and turn on the music. I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of starting out, or to people like me, the ones who hate running. ..... I am the woman who said the only way I'd run is if I had a bucket of water and my kids were on fire.  :o)

Here's a link to the post I wrote about my run today on Sparkpeople , fresh after I got in the door. (I've read the book, but I don't own it)

I got a feeling....

I'm feeling an insane urge to write a blog post about religion ( or my lack of)....the things I learned while reading  The Faith Club .............. I"m not sure where to begin.  ;) So, I'll post this, and see if I come up with anything...or if anyone else does.
If you have a chosen Faith or Path that you follow, I'd love to hear about it.

School, Shopping and Dustbunnies.....

Every year I think that the new year should begin when school starts again. I guess that wouldn't work world-wide, or even province wide, so no one seems to begin at the same time. A massive over-haul of the educations system would be needed, for this reason, and so many others. If I ran the world.....

So, the kids are back in school. 2 are very happy about it, the Oldest is a little more wary (he started Junior High), and 2nd Born is reserving judgment  after his bad year with Mrs. Gr.3.

The first week ( well, 4 days) went well for all. Smiles were seen on every face at the end of the day, each one competing to tell us all about their day. We were eaten out of house and home.  It seems learning increases the appetites of young ones ten-fold!

Hubby was on leave this past week as well,, so I wasn't left to my own devices. It was nice to have him home, since he worked so hard all summer. He helped with the kids in the morning, took me out for lunch, and he sent me into the city for some shopping and quality time with a buddy.

The shopping was fun. Got me some great workout gear, since a lot of mine is falling off my (painfully) slowly shrinking bod. Tracked down a pair of "winter" Fivefingers Flows, not at MEC, but another store in Edmonton. When real winter hits, I'm sure I'll be moving the workouts indoor, but until it gets too cold, I'm going to keep on with learning to run. I also found some warmer running pants at Lululemon, and some gloves. So, no excuses, I'll keep on with the whole thing.
I'd like to say right here how absolutely lovely all the women at the Lululemon store in Kingsway Garden Mall ( Edmonton) were. No one was too busy to give me information or product recommendations, to tell me when they thought that something else would be better for my needs than what I was thinking of. So, THANK YOU to all the folks that were working on Friday.

I spent the night with my buddy, and her two little girls. My buddy ordered pizza and a salad for us from our favourite joint, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. ( Thanks buddy, it was just what I needed.) We also watched "Death at a Funeral" , which was nearly as funny as the  2007 version.

The remainder of the weekend is for sorting through the kids' dressers ( done), finding the back-to-school clothes that I stashed over the summer ( check), bake for breakfasts and lunches for the week, and try to knock back Mt. Washmore a bit.

I often wonder if there's more to life, if somehow I am missing out on some big spiritual element of my being....but then I look at what I do have to do, and wonder how I'd ever find the time to discover the right path. So, I shall ponder the rumbling of the washing machine, and try to find some insight in the dustbunnies I will be vacuuming up later.