A Tropical Storm, A Wedding and Back to Basics!!

I'm feeling a bit better about things now that I am back to basics.  I went to the gym twice and finally ran again.  Last Wednesday we hit the gym again after a month or so off.  I was so happy to be back and everything felt good.  I think I really needed the break.  Thursday and Friday my upper body was pleasantly sore and my legs were a bit tired.  Saturday morning I got up and went for my first post race run.  It was tough, I had been warned that it would be so I wasn't terribly surprised.  I kept it short and will probably push further tomorrow night.  Sunday we were back to the gym again and then went swimming at my in-laws.  That was nice after the gym.

This week is going to be a bit nutty but it will all be worth it.  Sunday is my brother's wedding and we have to finish some preparation for it, pick the kids up, clean the house and get the girls ready.  Anna and Christina are going to be flower girls for the first time and are looking forward to it.  They can both be a bit shy when it comes to new people so I was a bit worried about what they would be like walking down the aisle but Céline is the photographer and they both know her well.  She has done all of our family photography so when they see her at the front of the church they will know exactly what to do.  The wedding is going to be beautiful.  The ceremony is being held a at the historic Queenston Chapel and the pictures are being  done close by at the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum.  The cool part is that their last name (my maiden name) is MacKenzie.  This was not done on purpose it was just a happy coincidence.  The reception is being held at Joe Feta's and their food is amazing!!  The thing that I found out yesterday that I think is really cool is that Joe Feta's is being profiled on a Food Network show two days before the wedding.  It's going to be a great day and then I'm on vacation for a week.  We have several things planned for that week but it's all fun stuff. 

Before the wedding gets here though Tropical Storm Debby needs to clear out of Florida because that is where the Bride and Groom have to come from.  Everyone keep your fingers crossed!!!  It rolled in this past weekend and when I looked last it seemed to have stalled of the shore of Florida and is expected to inch its way inland through out the week.  Here's hoping it either dies or changes course quick!!!

Must. Get. Back. On. Track.

We are now two and a half weeks post race and I have completely fallen off the wagon.  I haven't run, I haven't been to the gym and I have gained 5lbs!!!  This is not a good thing.  I'm making a world of excuses and it's time to stop.  The only valid one I have isn't even really good.  We're in the middle of a nasty heat wave and right now all you have to do is step out the door and you feel damp.  It's that humid.  I just read that it is 43 degrees Celsius with the humidex.  That's insane.  I can't run when it's that hot because my lungs will not make it.  Now that being said I could get my butt out of bed early and run which is exactly what I plan to do tomorrow.  Tonight on the other hand we will be running home, changing, eating and heading back to the YMCA.  There is no excuse not to go there.  I'm going to see about getting Anna signed up for two weeks of day camp and then I am going to work my butt off.  I have a wedding to go to in two weeks and I would like to drop a couple of these extra pounds before I get there. 

It's back to basics for this gal!!  Perhaps it's time to sign up for another race to keep me motivated:)

A Super Special Little Baby!

Just over a month ago, the night before Mother's Day, Adrian and I were relaxing on the couch watching a movie when the phone rang.  Our phone rarely rings and almost never at that time of night.  Adrian got up and checked the name.  He looked a bit puzzled when he answered and then handed me the phone.  It was one of our best friends calling and she had some big news.

Rewind about 6 years, Adryanna was just a baby and that same dear friend was starting to plan a family of her own.  She had married a wonderful man the year before we got married and now they had decided it was time to start trying for a baby.  What none of us knew at that point was the crazy roller coaster they were getting on.  Infertility is an ugly beast and attacks some of the most wonderful people.  Over the next couple of years they tried everything.  They met with specialists and had lots of tests done.  She found out that there were some things causing them not to conceive and after much time and pain (both emotional and physical) they decided that it was time to look at other options.

About a year and a half ago (maybe longer but it doesn't seem like it) I got a call from her asking if Adrian and I would be references for their adoption application.  Of course we would!!!  We wanted nothing for them but happiness.  So shortly after the form came in the mail and we filled it out and sent it in.  During this process we started thinking about guardians for our kids and it just seemed right that we ask them.  Our girls love them to death and I know they would give them the life we have always wanted for them.  We asked and they said yes.  Back to the original story though:)  We filled out the forms and they did all the classes and home study stuff that they needed to do to be approved for adoption.  Then came the waiting.

Just a couple of months ago I was at the YMCA with her and we were talking about the wait.  There had been one call but it wasn't the right match.  She expressed that she just didn't think it was going to happen.  She said it was a gut feeling.  I said she was nuts!  I knew that one day they would get to be Mommy and Daddy.  Well that day came sooner than they expected.  Only just over a year after completing the application they got the call they had been waiting for.  They had been chosen to be parents of a beautiful baby.

What followed has been a crazy ride.  Most parents get 9 months to prepare for baby to come home.  They had something like 9 days.  They're amazing and have amazing family and friends.  Everyone is just so excited for them.  Last weekend another friend, her sister, mother and I threw a shower for them.  The outpouring of wonderful stuff that they got was amazing!  They are starting to settle in to their new routine and are doing amazing.  They are such natural parents and it's so great to see them with their little bundle.

I've been asked not to post pictures or names at this time but I can assure you that it is the most beautiful baby and will be so loved by everyone around.  This truly is a blessing:)

Post Race Lazy Pants:(

It's almost two weeks post race and I have yet to get my butt back out running.  I realize that last week we were to take it easy and recover and this week was just meant to be short runs but I just haven't gotten to them yet.  I'm full of excuses and none of them all that good since I was really only supposed run 20 or 30 minutes so far.  I've just been lazy.  I have been busy in the evenings but that's not really a good excuse when you're only supposed to run a short time.  I must get out of bed Saturday morning and get out there. Then next week I need to get my butt back to the gym.

I have also totally fallen off the wagon in the food department.  I've been lazy about making lunch and have spent far too much time snacking and eating junk.  I haven't even taken a picture of the scale this week because I'm so frustrated with myself.  Every day I've said that this is it, tomorrow morning will be better and I will eat properly.  I really need to get back on track.  I need to go out and buy a bunch of super healthy, super tasty food to get a kick start going.  I also need to drink more water again.  I had a tragedy the day before my race and broke the top of my favorite water bottle.  I wrote to the company to find out if I could get a new one but haven't heard back so I'm assuming it's a no go.  I'll have to go buy a new one soon but until then I need to find one of the old ones to use.

So here's to another new beginning and getting back on track.  The upside to all of this is that I've gotten better at catching myself before I get really out of control and gain a bunch of weight back.

Drinking in the Dirt 13

This past weekend we went camping with my brother in law and a group of friends.  It's a trip that they started back in 2000 and it has grown over the years.  We have been 6 times now and have a great time each year.  The girls have a great time and get to meet and spend time with other kids.  We get to spend time with adults and not worry so much about what the kids are doing. 

We arrived later on Thursday evening and quickly set up.  The girls were very happy to see Uncle Marc and to see that there were already a couple of other kids there.  Anna made friends with Molly and Christina just followed them around.  They were both tired and asked to go to bed shortly after we arrived.  We stayed up and had some drinks with the rest of the adults.  I went to bed too late but it was a fun night.

The signs that were made for the kids area

Friday started too early with the girls wide awake as soon as the sun came up.  After we realized that they just weren't going back to sleep we goofed around in the tent for a bit watching silly videos that I have taken of them with my phone.  Once other people started getting up we went out and had some breakfast.  We hiked our way to the showers and played at the funky playground.  The equipment is very old school fun.  By the time we got back to the site Aunt Zuzi had arrived and the girls were happy to see her too.  We had lunch, played for the afternoon.  The kids were excited to go back to the playground after dinner then to roast marshmallows.  The fun part of camping is that we usually let them stay up until they ask to go to bed which usually is way later than bedtime but not too late.  I think they were in bed about 10pm each night which I don't think is terrible.

Playing on the swings

Saturday morning we woke up to rain but it didn't last long.  Adrian took the girls out of the tent and let me sleep until breakfast was ready.  There is nothing better than bacon and eggs for breakfast when you're camping.  Once the rain cleared up it was a beautiful day.  We stayed at the site for most of the day and spent time chatting and playing.  The girls hung out in "Fun Towne" playing with the other kids.  After dinner they did a scavenger hunt and the prizes were fun glow necklaces that they very much loved.  Again there was a fire and marshmallows. 

Yummy marshmallow!!

Sunday we packed up first thing and headed out.  The girls are already talking about next year and I'm planning how to keep them better protected from the bugs.  The poor kids both have horrible allergic reactions to mosquito bites.  Christina's eye swelled shut from one on her cheek and she couldn't walk last night because her leg was so swollen.  Anna's ankle got the worst of it but they are both getting regular doses of benadryl and should be back to normal quick.  I took them in to the doctor today just to make sure it's nothing more.  He gave us a good plan of attack for the future so hopefully it will all work out well.

I didn't weigh myself this morning because honestly I was a bit afraid.  I didn't eat much this weekend other than my meals and a couple of snacks but I wasn't very active aside from the hikes through the forest to the showers and the playing at the park.  I also drank way too much alcohol and not nearly enough water.  Tomorrow is another day though and I'll face the scale in the morning:)

This week I also get to start running again.  Just short distances but it will be nice to be back out there.  I've enjoyed my rest week and enjoy the fact that I'm not really planning to train for anything this summer.  I think for now I will just run for the fun of it and worry about training for a race in a couple of months. 

All Back To Normal

I am on day four of Half Marathon recovery and everything is totally back to normal.  My legs feel great and I'm ready to run.  That will have to wait a few days though.  We're heading out for our annual camping trip at Turkey Point.  We meet a few other families and have a weekend of relaxing and fun.  I'll make sure to get myself moving though.  The kids are all getting big enough now that we can go for some good long walks around the campgrounds.  There is a playground there that is a bit of a hike for us but since the kids are bigger we can walk to it now.  I'm looking forward to this weekend!

Sorry I didn't post a picture this week.  I fixed the scale and all is well once again.  I don't have a good picture to post but I'll tell you it would have shown 233.4 which is down almost a pound.  I think I gained a little bit in that one week in between weigh ins but I'm back on track this week.  That's the good part to running my first half. I want to do it again and I want to do it faster.  To do that I need to shed some of this extra weight.

Recovery Day One

I woke up this morning feeling very refreshed.  After the race yesterday we came home and rested for a bit then we were off to a post race dinner with the group.  What a wonderful group of people!!   It was an amazing meal and so much fun.  We came home and put the kids to bed then relaxed a bit before heading to bed ourselves. 

I was worried when I woke up.  My body felt good!!  I half expected to wake up in the night and not be able to move but I was pleasantly surprised.  I'm stiff and a bit sore but nothing terrible.  Things got a bit tighter as the day went on and I sat at my desk but when things started to feel uncomfortable I got up and wandered around the office for a minute. Right now my right leg is more sore than anything else.  The sad part was that I couldn't wear regular shoes today because my big toes hurt, rather my big toenails hurt.  I'm currently wearing blue nail polish so I can't tell but I'm afraid my nails might still be blue if they weren't polished.  Hopefully they will feel better tomorrow.

I expected the pain and stiffness, I expected to be tired, what I didn't expect was the outpouring of support I have received.  The amount of facebook comments and the amount of people who have read here today has blown me away.  I knew that the Runners' Edge gang was amazing but just how amazing was beyond what I could ever imagine.  I checked in here today to find that my "pageviews" had more than quadrupled from what my normal daily views are.  I then found that it was because someone had posted a link to my blog on the Runners' Edge homepage!!!  WOW!!  Now of course not everyone to comment or to read is from running but probably 3/4 of them are.  So to all the people who have shown me support over the last few days Thank You!!  I can never express how much it means to me to know that there are so many people rooting for me to succeed!

My First Half Marathon:)

I woke up bright and early this morning to some yucky weather.  It was cool, cloudy and a little bit rainy but I had to get up anyway.  Today was the big race!!!  I was out the door at 6:15am and on my way to an amazing day.  I got to Niagara Falls at about 6:45am and wondered how I was going to find the Runners' Edge gang in the huge parking lot.  I then had a little giggle when I got out of the car and saw Benny parked two cars over.  That was easy, probably the last easy thing I would do today.  We hung around chatting for a few minutes then it was time to warm up.  Once we were all warmed up it was time to head to the starting line and get ready.  I got into the area that was designated for my pace and chatted with a couple of the other ladies from our group.  Next thing we knew it was just about time to start.  Before we could start though the Laura Secord Drum Line parted the group and lead us off.  Now it was really time to start.  The timer started and we were off!

I felt really good from the beginning and was a bit faster than usual.  I knew this was a bad thing but it was a slight downhill and it felt right.  At about 2.5k or so I saw the ever familiar blue jackets of the Runners' Edge support people.  I said it was like a beacon of safety throughout the race and I don't know what I would have done without them out there.  I was able to run my fastest 5k and still felt strong.  At about 7k I was getting a bit tired and it was time for a GU.  I walked a minute to eat that and have some water then it was off and running again.  Things were pretty uneventful until about 11k when I got a rock in my shoe and had to stop.  I got the rock out but tied my shoe to tight so I had to stop again.  I still felt okay but was starting to fade.  I made it to almost 14k and decided it was time for another GU.  All this time the blue jackets were popping up all over the place.  Just around 14k I started to have a pain in the outside bottom of my foot and had to walk off and on for a while.  At about 16k along came Benny on his bike.  He stayed with me until almost 18k and chatted away.  It made the time go quicker and I was just thankful to have the support.   At 19k I ate the most delicious orange slice of my life, at 20k I found Benny and Geoff encouraging me along the last 1k and next thing I knew I was rounding the corner and could see the finish line. 

Everyone was there waiting for me and it was so awesome!!  Adrian, Meaghan, Celine and the little girls were on one side of the road and the rest of the Runners' Edge group was on the other.  It was very hard not to cry at this point but I managed.  I had just enough steam left for a sort of sprint to the finish. 

The end was full of hugs and tears but it was one of the happiest moments of my running life so far.  I was so honoured that so many people waited just to see me cross that line.  It really means the world to me that so many people care about me and want to see me do well.   Here are a few pictures of my wonderful day:)

Almost to the finish:)

All done!!!

Race Bib

The beautiful medal:)

Tomorrow is the big day!!!

Sixteen weeks ago I started training for this half marathon and now it's here.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone!!!  I have trained, learned and grown over the last four months and tomorrow will be the real test of all that hard work.  Right now I feel a strange sense of calm.  I know that there is nothing I can do now to change the outcome tomorrow.  I have gotten everything together, my ipod and garmin are charged and ready to go, the plan for the family is as ready as it can be and I'm just calm.  I'm sure all of that will change when I try to go to bed tonight but for now I feel confident that I can do this.  I won't be fast, I won't win any medals but I will finish and that's all that matters.  So check back tomorrow night or Monday for a race recap.  I'm sure it will be exciting:)