Thursday, November 25, 2010

Three Things Thursday

1. As promised, here are some of the most random, but coolest things I have come up with for gift ideas, not just for the runners in your life, but for the others who deal with my (or your) runsanity!

Thanksgiving art can be found in different sizes here:http://www.etsy.com/shop/Raceytay




These pieces, and more can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/missashleylu


A great clutch, and other purses, cup cozies, yoga bags, guitar straps can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/people/obleek


Lovely trinket boxes for you or the little girls in your life here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/funkyart08

And for the person who commented about a unique cuff/bracelet, this lovely can be found here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MarchelloArt?ref=pr_profile

2. My running and general activity has been knocked down due to an unfortunate incident during go karting. It was my first time, and I don't know if I'd ever go back. Being 5'4", and seeing that the go karts don't have adjustable seats, I had to be propped forward with a pillow, and I was still never 100% able to press down the gas or brake. As a result, I got jostled by others quite a bit, ran into the wall HARD at least twice, and have massive bruises on the insides of my thighs from the thrashing around. Every time the thigh chub rubs or even touches, it kills me. It looks so indecent, and hurts like crazy!
3. Happy Thanksgiving (albeit late) to all the Americans celebrating Thanksgiving. Good luck to all those going shopping for Black Friday tomorrow!
Night!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Demotivated....

So my life has been revolving around my work these days, and I really haven't been keeping up here. While I have been at work for over 6 weeks, my first court date is quickly approaching on Friday, and despite being told to not worry about it, I am FREAKING out. I feel like I still don't have a clue what I am doing, and that no one should trust me with their legal affairs.

That, on top of having an out of town conference this weekend, a sick family, a long and tedious drive that is getting harder, and a general feeling of social isolation/not fitting in with the older and tight knit crowd at work and in the small town that I work in, has me off my game completely. I knew this job would have its ups and downs, and I hit a major rut this weekend.

The one great thing I managed to do on Saturday was to haul my ass to the pool, a gorgeous, 75m heated pool at my conference and got some serious swimming in. Best exercise I have admittedly had in ages, and refreshed my mind and soul. I can't wait until my gym opens up and I can get my butt totally in gear.

On a positive note, about 2/3 of my Christmas shopping is already done, and I am also managing to pay for some things with money I have earned via doing surveys online, which is AWESOME.

So here's my question for today: What is the best, most unique thing you'd love to get as a novel gift under say $30?

I'll show some of my favourites the next time I check in (which I promise, will be soon!) Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Goodies!!!!

So, I was so excited yesterday when my second prize from the 10-10-10 runs finally arrived at my door!!! As mentioned before, I ran the Jog for Joubert Syndrome 10-10-10 run and Marcia's run for Lupus, and I was lucky enough to win prizes from both, while supporting some GREAT causes.


So I decided to try out the two new additions to my running wardrobe ASAP, and finally live up to my title as the running lawyer:


Suit and all, I think the Ryder Glasses and Moving Comfort hat are both great, and I am super excited to try them out on the road soon.


So this week hasn't been successful in the way of runs. I have been keeping myself accountable with food, but with the time change, I feel exhausted. It is pitch dark on my drive home, and I feel like all I can manage to do is eat and sleep once I get here. Looking forward to the gym membership, and to establishing a winter routine.


My friend (the same one who killed me in my first half marathon, going on to get a PB by 13 minutes!) is trying to convince me to train in the winter for another half. Not sure if I have agreed yet, as I still don't feel 100% sure I want to do it again, and my toes are still agreeing with me on that point! That being said, it is kind of like having a child or getting a tattoo - after a while, you forget the pain that you endured and start refocusing on the positive rush you get, and the satisfaction of being able to say you conquered the situation. It's a badge of honour that you definitely earn. There is a race here in Ottawa in May, probably one of the largest in Canada, so I am considering it, with two stipulations: 1) we don't start at the pace we did the first time - it killed me going out so fast and 2) I need her to stick with me throughout the whole race. Mental training is key for me, so having someone there between kilometers 16-21 is crucial to my success.


Am I crazy to be thinking about doing it all again and trying for my original sub 2:30 goal?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

No Excuses...

I haven't been here, because I haven't been doing anything interesting. After I blogged last, the weather here took a turn for the worst, and it started SNOWING! I kid you not, we got 2 inches of snow overnight, and it was a very chilly halloween! The kids had to bundle up super well, and we were only able to stay out for an hour an a half before we all lost feeling in our toes. I will try to get the photo from my friend, but we even saw a snow jack-o-lantern! Someone made a big snowball, carved out the middle and carved a face into it before lighting up the inside with a candle. Coolest thing I have ever seen!

I did start my November goals, and have been diligently trying to avoid the donuts that come into the office, and all the leftover and discounted halloween chocolate. Not doing too bad. Thankfully, I have just found added motivation in the form of Run to the Finish's 2010 HolidayBootie Buster Challenge!

The system is similar to what I am following, a value for certain activities, and the person with the most points wins a prize, along with some random winners. I will not win top place, but I am game to try and be more accountable. Anyone interested in joining (or just stalking my progress and calling me out when I am failing) can check out the spreadsheet and sign themselves up.

K, will check in soon, promise! I have photos of my new Ryder sunglasses to share!