Getting back into the swing of things

So I ran 5km yesterday; my first run since getting the flu. It was tough but I got through it. I'm going to work hard this week to get back to where I was...running at least 11km. Then I'll be back on track with my training schedule. I can't believe there's less than a month left. I'm so excited that I will be able to accomplish this goal in less than a month.

A minor glitch in training...

I came down with the flu on Sunday and it's really wiped me out. Fever, chills, aches and pains, shortness of breath, the whole nine yards. I don't know how long it will be before I get my energy back and I don't know how this will affect my training. Do I jump right back into the schedule or will I have to ease back into running? I'm too weak to worry about it now. Blegh....

Week 8, Wednesday

• Ran 5 km along the Canal during lunch with a co-worker
• I forgot to set my timer but it's safe to say we did it in about 30 min.
• Need to do something about sore calf muscles after running though...stretching doesn't do too much to prevent it from being sore.

The best friends a girl could ask for

(the title includes my husband because he's my very best friend)

Yesterday was my official 30th birthday party. I think it may have begun as a surprise birthday party but I ended up finding out because a person-who-will-remain-nameless in her exhausted stupor accidentally spilled the beans.

Regardless, Sheldon, Angelina, Jennifer and Nina did a great job preparing for it. From inviting people, to cleaning Nina's house, making sushi from scratch (that was the guys' job), and to preparing a slide show of my life, I thank you all for loving me enough to go to such great lengths to give me the best birthday party ever. We ate sushi galore and laughed all night.

Nina may have scared off Jon's new girlfriend within the first few moments they met though when she turns to her and says in the Nina-on-meds way "You're a really nice person." And for some reason, I'm still smiling from Eric's casual reply to Angelina when she was frustrated with hunters when we were talking about one story of a hunter who kills lions for sport "You go ahead and talk to him about that." You had to be there. Or when Barb tried sushi that had fish in it AND an actual piece of tuna sashimi for the first time! Oh I got pictures of that, my friends. But best of all (and I'm going to crack up every time when I see the picture) is when Sheldon was lying down on the floor and Paul sitting nearby lifts up his shirt and actually blows on his tummy! It happened so fast that I wasn't sure what the picture I took would look like, but it turned out good. The picture could leave a lot to the imagination too. I'll be nice for now and not post the picture until I need a really good bargaining chip.

The chocolate birthday cake that Jon made was delicious. However, when Jon asked Sheldon during the week what my favorite cake was, Sheldon didn't know. You think he would know after being together for over a dozen years because almost every birthday we have in this family is celebrated with an ice-cream cake from Dairy Queen. I'll have to hold that one over Sheldon's head for something good.

When I get a moment, I'll post some pictures up from the party. So many good friends came to share it with me and a few couldn't make it, which was too bad. I'm glad Sharlene and her new baby boy could make it. It's sad that she lives so far away now. Thanks to the guys who made sushi all night in the kitchen. It was SO yummy. Thanks to Angelina for taking the lead on organizing, especially when she's short a husband and pregnant too! Thanks to Jen for putting together that slide show of my life (that was a really good pic of Colin Firth, by the way). And thanks to Nina for letting us mess up her house after it took her a couple of days to clean it.

I love you all! Here's to our next milestone birthday which Angelina says we'll celebrate by taking a fabulous girls-only vacation! But if it's a road trip, Angelina, you are NOT driving ;)

Week 7, Sunday

• Ran 7 miles (just over 11 km)
• Total time to complete: 1 hr. 7 min. 56 sec

I couldn't believe the time I ran today. I know that on the treadmill, I ran 6 miles in 1 hr. 15 min. so this is a BIG difference in time; an extra mile in even less time! I find when I'm running outside now that I can go a little faster. The route I took was two laps around the perimeter of my neighborhood. The second time around, I took to running faster and it felt good. My hands and arms were freezing though. Before I went out, I looked at the thermometer just outside my kitchen window and it read just under 10 degrees. I thought I would be fine in my t-shirt and long pants. Boy was I wrong. There was a cold wind and it even started blowing a few snowflakes during my run at one point. When I got inside, my hands and arms started killing me because they were starting to thaw out. I think I need to invest in a long-sleeved shirt to run in.

Anyways, I'm ecstatic at my run today. I've now run over half of a half marathon now and after today's run, I really believe I can do it and somewhat comfortably as well...as long as my arms and hands aren't freezing.

I took my time stretching after my run today but found the my calf muscles on the inner side of my legs were aching. How the heck do you stretch the calf muscles there? If anybody knows, please enlighten me. I soaked my legs in a hot Epsom salt bath because I didn't want them to get worse. Seriously though, if you know how to stretch out that part of the calf muscle, let me know. And maybe if you know what I'm doing wrong that it's making it sore in the first place, let me know.

Half marathon is just over a month away and I'm going to be totally ready for it. Maybe I'll see some of you running too ;)

Week 7, Wednesday

• Ran 5km along the Canal during lunch time with a co-worker.
• Total time to complete: approx. 33 min.

Week 7, Tuesday

• Ran 4 miles
• Total time to complete: 42 min.

This is a huge jump in my time to complete. I think the last time I ran 4 miles it was in almost 50 min. I know I did push myself a little harder to run a little faster. It wasn't too bad. And I can listen to music while I run now. I find I can do it comfortably if it's not really loud and it's just there for background noise; I'm not really listening to the music.

Week 6, Sunday

• 5 km race
• Total time to complete: 33 min. 07 sec.

OK so today I didn't actually participate in a 5 km race like the training schedule said I should but I did run 5 km and did it outside for the first time! What a beautiful couple of days we have had. Friday it snowed but on Saturday and Sunday it was over 10 degrees! I even went out without a coat on. It was marvellous!

The run was good too. I had a nice cool wind blowing on me. It was a little harder the last half because I was running into the wind; but at least I know what it feels like to run outside now. I was worried that it would be too hard. Let's see what the long 7 mile run will feel like outside next week (if weather permits).

I used a running calculator online to see what my projected time to finish the half marathon is: 2 hrs. 32 min. 04 sec. My goal is to run it in 2 hr. 30 min. so I have a couple minutes to shave off. Considering this was my first time running outside though, I'd say I didn't do too bad. I still have about a month and a half left of training. I can do it!

Here comes a new decade!

So I've finally joined the 30-year old club. The "baby" of the group has finally arrived. The company I work for lets you take your birthday off but since this was the last weekend before a HUGE project is due, I knew there was no way I could take the day off and totally enjoy it. It's a good thing I did too because I ended up having to stay an extra hour because something came up that if it wasn't caught, it would have totally screwed the project up and made us totally miss the due date. I did celebrate by having Sheldon join me for a sushi lunch and then the family, Jen and her boys joined me for a sushi dinner. That's right folks, I had sushi for lunch AND dinner! YUM!!

For some reason, people get teased about turning 30. I know I defintely bugged Sheldon about it. Actually I still bug Sheldon every year. But me, I'm embracing 30. I'm really excited about it because it's like a new chapter in my life. I've entered 30 in good physical shape (especially with all this running I've been doing) I am spritually on the right track, I'm working on improving some areas of my life, and I have a wonderful family and great friends who love me. How can I complain about turning 30 when it can only get better! Well, maybe tickets for the whole family to see all 3 musicals coming to town this year would top it off, but I'm not going to push my luck ;)

Anyways, my mother says I'm entering the "summer" of my life. I think that's what makes me so excited about what's to come because I LOVE the summer. However, I have observed that for the last 5 years, it has snowed near or on my birthday. Yesterday was not an exception to that rule. I don't know what it is? We could be having spring-like tempurtures and then BAM! it snows on April 4. Go figure. Like I've said before, Mother Nature has a cruel sense of humour. Look at all the snow we got this year. I don't think it will melt until May!

Anyways, I will take my birthday day off from work on Mon. Apr. 21. My friend at work was really smart and suggested I take a Monday off and not a Friday because knowing me, I would spend my Friday running errands and not actually relaxing and enjoying the day off. What a smart girl she is!

Well, I just want to end by saying I had a wonderful birthday and totally felt the love from everyone. Thank you for all the birthday wishes and cards. I'm going to go enjoy the new Sarah Slean CD Sheldon gave me for my birthday now. That was just one of the things he bought me...none of the other gifts were musical tickets though. Darn!

**Sheldon, I'm just being silly about the musical tickets. I know we can't afford them so don't go running out to buy them please or else I'll feel guilty. Yes, I know. Me and my guilt.

Week 6, Thursday

• Ran 4 miles
• Treadmill speed: 5 miles/hr
• Total time to complete: 49 min.

A call interupted my run with only 1/4 mile to go but instead of walking away after my call, I finished the last bit of my run. However, I upped my speed to get it over and done with and I think I pulled a calf muscle. Darn it!

On another note, what do you do when you really like your clients but absolutely hate their process in getting things to you late? I'm trying to break them of that habit, explaining what the process should be in order to get these projects done, but it doesn't seem to be working all the time. Any advice?

Week 6, Wednesday

• Ran 2 miles
• Treadmill speed: 5.5 miles/hr
• Total time to complete: just over 22 min.

Why has running 10 min. intervals become so hard?

Week 6, Tuesday

• Ran 4 miles
• Treadmill speed: 5.2 miles/hr; last 1/4 mile upped it to 6.5 miles/hr
• Total time to complete: just over 47 min.

My mp3 player battery died with over 1.5 miles to go. It wasn't too bad running without distraction but I definitely don't want that to happen again. I started to look at the time every minute which was torture. I'm looking forward to my 2 mile run tomorrow though. That won't take up so much of my evening.