Two Steps Forward...One Step Back

Not a dance routine, just how I feel. After feeling like I was pretty much better, I ran and swam yesterday and today woke up feeling rough again. I am sure it was the pool, it was tough enough to swim not able to breathe through my nose, and flip turns were out. I wanted to complete it though and in hindsight, should have just pulled the plug and cut my losses. 

Anyway, back on the sinutab wagon and taking a solid rest day. Hopefully tomorrow is better as I want to get out for a ski. I am going to forego the swim and make up the spin I am missing today. 

The weather is great here today! +7 and raining- bizarre, but a nice change and it is melting some of the snow. I am taking my evening bootcamp outdoors today to tackle the stairs. Should be a good time for all.....

Thankfully it is almost the weekend, D is home tomorrow and I am looking forward to hanging with the boys this weekend. We are planning our annual Superbowl festivities- which involve the two of us, many beers and too many chips. It is always a good time, and sometimes I even watch some of the game ;-)

On a completely unrelated note, here is a shot of my hubby at the dog park, beautiful man, beautiful sunset.

and a shot of Harley with his new ear covers...

Oh the Joy...

...of training again. Especially after a week off completely. It is like when you stop drinking for a long time and then half way through a glass of wine you realize you are smashed. I did a full body strength workout and a 40min spin, and holy jeebus I feel like I did a 3hr training session. I love it. Just like I love being a cheap drunk..haha.

But I am also looking forward to getting back to where I was before I got sick. I know it will only take a week, and I will just enjoy the easy week. Soon enough it will be ramping back up. 

I am pining for summer though...and D and I agreed that if we are going to live this far up we definitely need to plan a winter getaway...at least one! This year is out but for sure next year. Until then I am dreaming of beaches and palm trees and sand...sigh...as I look out the window at a 12f foot snowdrift, compliments of the plow that finally cleared our streets.

I am feeling more in the groove with my schedule and really the 5am wake up is not all that bad. Especially when I schedule in a nap later in the day. Naps rule.

I am waiting for my 5:30pm class and watching Oprah as I write this. It is about obesity in young people and is quite alarming. They are talking about how the obesity changes how hormones function and boys are becoming more like girls and vice versa. On top of all the other health risks this has all kinds of implications about reproduction later in life.  I have seen it myself, every time I am at the pool and there are school groups there. I remember as a kid there was always one or two overweight kids, but now there are only a handful of kids that aren't overweight. Our society is evolving in a way that is going to shorten our life expectancy, which I get would be the opposite of evolution...

Anyway, big issues with lots of factors, which makes it a tough problem to 'fix'.

Time to go...

My Husband Rocks.

It has been a hell week for me. Sick with a sinus cold/ flu and up and no way to call in sick when I have people who are counting on me..and showing up at my door starting at 6am!  I don't think I would have got through this week without D, he really pulled the lion's share of the weight around here so that all I had to do was teach and rest. Lucky for Harley too, as I was too sick to really walk him very much. 

I am finally feeling on the mend, and today was the first semi training like activity I have done all week. 30 whopping mins on the trainer and my legs were shaking. I shit you not. 

I will bounce back though, and this week I'll be easing myself back into the SBR routine.

Not much else to blog about. I love my husband, the best man I've ever known. Thanks babe.

Adventures at the dog park, part deux

Well yesterday's trip went a lot better, Harley was less rambunctious thanks to the 90min run D took him on. I did my 1hr45 run and met them there. The park was packed! And H-dog did really well, playing well with the others. He was so happy, he ran around like a kid with ADD, tongue hanging out and a big doggy smile on his face. We will take him again today after our spin. Which I have no idea how I am going to do btw, as great as my run was yesterday, my legs are tiiiiired. We have 8 others coming over to share the pain though, so I am sure I will gut it out and get through. Updates to come later....

Scrappy Doo

Some pics of the results of Harley's first trip to the doggy park. He had sooo much fun, but he likes to be the boss, and a couple of other dogs challenged him. I think it was good for him, and the wounds are all surface scrapes, no long term damage. No real fights even, just some rough housing and nips. He loved every second of it, and we will be back!

Holding on for the weekend

What a week. I have been going full tilt all week and have one more crazy day before I get to relax. Training has been great, despite how busy I am I have been fitting it in. I have surprised even myself a couple of times this week completing workouts that were daunting to look at, and despite feeling tired I was able to do it. I have been getting up at 5am, and D continues to be impressed at how I hop out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off. I don't feel like I have the option of sleeping in- I have people coming to my house expecting a great workout! My classes are going fantastic, I am so happy with the women I am working with. I am done the training programs and have only a few more days of appointments to meet with everyone. Once this is done I will have a lot less on my plate and feel a bit less pressured for time.
Workout wise, Tuesday was a bike and weights, Wed was a swim (I can't believe I completed the workout,it was crazy)and a short run, Today was an hour run with H-dog and more weights. I have been doing so much strength work, between classes and my own, that I am getting seriously ripped. Even I am surprised and the changes that are happening in my body. I love it, it is making being so tired worth it...haha.
Tomorrow is back to back meetings, I am not sure I will get to swim, the lane swim times are so limited. Sat is a long run and Sun is a spin with the gang. I am hoping we have enough energy to go for a ski Sunday too. The weather has been outstanding!

Sun.Run.Fun

Today was an absolute treat. The temps here have been -25 to -35 for weeks and today some crazy weather force came through and it came up to -1! Not only that, but the sun was out full force, which rarely happens in the winter up here.
We had planned to meet the group in the morning, but I decided I really just wanted to run by myself. I have been training people all week, and have been squeezing in my own training, and today I really just wanted to do my own thing. D woke up with a sore neck and also decided to bail on the group run. I spent the morning doing work on client programs and D headed into the bank to work on his project from hell. I got a lot done but D was home not long after he left as the system was down at work. As much as I want him to finish that thing, I was also happy to have him with us for the day.
After working my magic massage on D, he felt better and we decided to head out for our run. It was sooo nice not to have to bundle up in 44 layers and cover every inch of skin. It was also really nice that D took Harley and I didn't have to worry about anything and could just run.
I had one of the most pleasurable runs I've had in a really long time. I felt great physically and it felt almost effortless to run along at a good pace. I felt so free without all the layers and I loved the sun on my face. I thought about my week, my clients, what I am grateful for and some of my goals for this year. I also thought about how much I love living here, and how lucky we are to have so much love in our home, and in our families. I also enjoyed just admiring the sparkling snow on the trees, the feeling of it under my feet and seeing all the other people and their dogs out enjoying the day. I had my favorite music in my ears and was so in the zone that I reached my normal 45min turn around without having looked at my watch once. When I did look I saw that I was only at 41mins so not only was the run effortless, it was faster than usual. I ran on another 9 minutes because I was feeling so good and then headed back. I felt strong all the way and picked up the pace for the last bit. I got home at 1hr36 and decided that I wanted to run 1:40. I headed back out to see if I could pick up the boys, and after getting to the end of our street I found them and we finished together.
Today reminded me of why I love sport. The fact that I can use the words Run and Pleasurable in the same sentence. There was a time when I would have never believed that possible. The fact that I felt renewed, replenished, invigorated and relaxed and it didn't cost a cent or require any chemical substances..haha. The fact that I have worked over 40 hours this week being in service to other people, and in 100mins I was able to completely re-fill my cup.

Now if I could just get to the place where I could use the words IM swim and just for fun in the same sentence like Kelly...

TFTD: Run 100 glorious mins

And just for fun... a shot of Harley. I was working in my office talking on the phone with my dad and he asked how Harley was. I turned around to look at him and he was cuddling his teddy. Too cute.

Thank God it's FRIDAY

Well first week back in the swing went really well. My classes are all full, and I am running all of them out of the home studio. This rocks. I love not leaving the house to work! I have been starting my day at 5:10 am. A pretty big stretch for me, but I surprised myself all week by being up before the alarm. Pre programming the coffee pot helps...alot. Thanks to Heidi for that gem of a suggestion :-)
I am really excited about the next 3 months. I am working with some amazing women who are committed to their own self care for the next three months, and I get to be their fearless leader. I love it. This is the stuff that I live for, seriously. I love seeing people commit to taking care of themselves- body mind and spirit, and realize how much they can be, do and have.
Monday I will be doing an Inner Strength Workshop titled "Do one thing you can't everyday": Expand your comfort zone and improve your life. This is the seminar I was giving in June of 2006 to a group of bankers. It was where I first met my hubby, so needless to say, it is one of my favorite seminars to give :-)
Training this week went well also, although I was once again reminded of how much physical output my job requires. Tuesday I did a spin, it was a big gear grind, alternating sitting and standing. It was a gooder and I was sweating like a farm animal by the end. I also had a strength workout on the books, but I led 2 bootcamps that involved a lot of strength work, so I skipped the weights.
Wednesday was a day of 2s. I taught 2 classes, had 2 PT clients, did 2hrs of my own training and shoveled snow for 2 hrs. no shit. Oh and of course Harley dog got his 80 mins on the trails. I was pretty sure that my coach was trying to kill me that day. The swim workout was insane. The main set involved a ridiculous number butterfly, breast and back strokes. I only made it through half and my arms were about to fall off. I finished with some kicking. The second workout of the day was a circuit that involved skipping, crunches, lunges and running. I ended up doing 240 crunches, 600 skips, 600 lunges and 30 mins of running in an hour. I still had 2 sets to go, but I was out of time. And out of energy. That night after the final class of the day (in which I did more lunges) I was absolutely spent. I felt this deep aching tired in every cell of my body. I wanted a bath but was too tired. So I just crawled into bed at 9:15 and didn't move until 5am the next morning.
Thursday I was scheduled for a 60min easy spin. I taught 3 classes, shoveled snow for an hour walked Harley and had exactly one hour in my day for me time. I could have got on the bike, but decided I really wanted a bath. So that is what I did. :)
D came home Thursday night, a night early which was a great surprise!
Today I have about 20 programs to write, and one PT meeting. I also need to get in the pool and have a 45 min run which I can incorporate into a Harley run. But it still feels like a day off because I have no classes.
Tomorrow we are meeting the gang for the morning run, in what is supposed to be balmy weather. In the afternoon I am going to meet my friend Kelly to do some Skijorning I am totally pumped to try this with Harley! There are actually races that we can compete in, how cool would that be? I just have to train him not to jump on every dog he sees and try to wrestle...
Sunday is our first group spin of 09 and it sounds like it will be a full house! Sunday afternoon will be more x-c skiing, I am meeting another friend and depending on how tired he is, maybe Harley.
Oh and the snow around here is CRAZY! It snowed for 3 days straight and the drifts are higher than my head! There is literally no where else to put it. Last time I shoveled I had to put it into the street because I can no longer lift the shovel up high enough to get it off the side. It is beautiful though, and makes for some fun outdoor adventures :-)
Happy Weekend!

So.Much.FUN!

Well Sunday was an odd day, D and I were working away on the trainers, spinning with Coach Troy's "Have Mercy" when 45mins in the power went out. Originally, we thought that we blew a breaker, so we checked but the whole house was out! So we kept spinning, sans fan, tv or lights. It was tough because I was having a hard time keeping my legs turning with all of the 'comforts' afforded by electricity. A half hour later I was done and had a dark shower, followed by a cold lunch, and with nothing we could do- the garage door is electric, we took a nap ;-) About an hour later the power came back on and life resumed. D went off to work, and I took Harley to the Wapiti Trails for a ski. It was a beautiful day, mild temperatures for a change! We did the only loop that dogs are allowed on...4 times to make the 90mins I had on my schedule. In all fairness I was going a lot faster with my little sled dog than I normally would. He was really good on the leash with me. Each time we got a little downhill we picked up speed and Harley would sprint and pull me along until we ran out of steam and I had to ski. We FLEW! It was so fun! When we got home D was home too, and we had a nice relaxing evening. Harley crashed on the floor and didn't move. I did the same on the couch, we were both BEAT!
Next weekend D will be able to come with us and I am looking forward to having him there to share in the fun.
Oh and here is a what we needed Sunday...

2009 Week One: The Highlight Reel

Well so far, 2009 is off to a smashing good start. I have nailed all of my workouts, filled my classes and made a very big business decision/ investment that is going to dramatically change my business and allow me to grow without increasing the amount of time I am working.
NYE was pretty low key for us, we had a great dinner, prepared by moi, and hit the hay by 10:30. My cousin Heidi was in town and stayed up for the ball drop, too bad we are too lame to stay up that late ;-)
New Year's day D was working and after having lunch with him I got to work too. We did an hour spin and some weights in the evening.
Friday I was dreading my swim. The workout was a 400m warm up followed by 4x500m descending 1-4, followed by 300m backstroke to c/d. I was dreading it because it has been a really long time since I've done that much in the pool, and getting faster every 500m seemed impossible- do I even have more than one speed right now? But I surprised myself and completed the workout to the letter, getting from 10mins down to 9:12 for my 500's. Even while dodging all the breaststroking folks in the fastlane. I also had a short circuit style strength workout to do which was mild.
Saturday I opted for the treadmill for my 75min run. I tried to keep it in the high end of the comfort zone/ low end of the not so comfortable zone. I ran between 7.5mph-8.0mph while watching the 1998 IM World Championships. I actually like running on the treadmill. I guess it helps that it is in the comfort of my own home, I can sing as loud as I want to and watch inspiring TV.
Saturday afternoon I went for the inevitable post wedding hair chop. I have been dying to get my hair cut off, it was just too long. I got everything below the shoulders whacked off and after a few low lights to blend my roots into the bleached out mess, I am feeling fresh and fabulous! Now I just need a big purse to fit the post wedding cliche...
Today I am going to hop onto the bike for 90mins and then head out for a ski! It is finally warming up (-25 instead of -35 is balmy!) and I can hardly wait!
Thursday TFTD: Bike 60
Weights
Friday: Swim 60mins
Strength
Saturday: Run 75mins
Sunday: Bike 75mins
X-C Ski 90mins

Happy New Year!

It is 2009! I love the new year, it is such a great time of new beginnings and celebrations of a year of success. I have been a bit behind on the blog, but yesterday I got my NEW macbook, so I am happy to be back on the computer.
Well we had a great Christmas in Cowtown, it was different as I am used to Christmas on the farm, but it was nice to spend time with D's family and experience their Christmas traditions. Harley did really well with it all, including living in a hotel for a few days. He was a bit skittish of the elevator at first, but he learned as time went on. The Sheraton was really pricy but it was nice to be able to have him there, they even had a doggy bed and bowls for him. It was also great to have the trails just out the door, so we could go out running along the Bow in the mornings.
We went to the movie "Marley and me" on Christmas night, it was so good, but so sad. I bawled, as did every other person in the theatre. I had some popcorn with butter which I guess does not digest well for me and spent most of the night awake, with terrible stomach cramps. As a result, we did not get out for our trail run boxing day morning. I was bummed as I was really looking forward to seeing everyone and getting out in the mountains, but we ended up having a really nice quiet day, just the 3 of us.
Our trip home went smoothly, although it was a looong day. It was a great trip, but I was soooooooo happy to be home! After almost 2 weeks away it was the best feeling to be in our own home, our own bed...and while we were away Santa came! We now have a 42inch flat screen plasma tv! It is something we probably never would have bought for ourselves, but it is sure nice to have! Thanks to my parents :-)
Workouts while on holidays were all running and skiing. Now that we are home I have been right back on track with the program and yesterday hit the pool for my first swim in a long time. It was a tough workout, but I felt really good. I was late getting to the pool and only had 45mins so didn't get to finish, but I felt really happy with what I did do. I also had a 50min outdoor run on the books and I did go out with Harley, even though it was -34 with the windchill. We got through 30mins before my goggles iced up so bad I couldn't see, so we called it a day.
I am so excited for the year ahead. We have some awesome goals and plans ahead and we are both committed to a very productive and successful year. I know that this will be our last year 'kid-less' so we both need to remember that and live it up before life changes BIG time and we have to stop being all about us ;-)
2008 has most definitely been the best year of my life so far- full of changes, challenges and new beginnings. I know that with D as my husband and partner life will continue to get better and more fulfilling.
Cheers to everyone in blog land and here's to making 2009 the best year yet!
Tuesday TFTD: Bike 1hr
Weights
Wednesday: Run 30mins outside
Swim 45mins