Birthday Week!

This was a short week following Thanksgiving, but we packed a lot in - including birthdays for my husband, my sister, my sister-in-law...and me! This was a week of daily cake and pie and a few big dinners, but I also stayed fairly busy -

The dog and I got in our three runs for C25K week 3, we went on a couple of trips to dog park, I got through Day 15 of the 30-day ab challenge, and we got out of town to see my family for birthday dinner. A few pics -

Tuesday - It's raining, it's dark - and we're running. Woah.

Wednesday - amazing moon over the dog park tonight

Saturday morning Fall colours

Spotted on a roof during our run on Saturday afternoon. Any birders out there recognize what this is?

My parents' puppy is 17n weeks old and getting bigger - but he's still quite a bit smaller than Stella :-)

In other news - today was the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. A number my friends were spectating and volunteering, and I was disappointed that I couldn't be a part of it. It's made me realize that I haven't volunteered at a race for well over a year...and also reopened my secret urge to do a half one day. I am training for the ATB 15K in March, so a half in May seems like good timing. On paper at least.

Two things to think about while I'm planning next year's goals.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This has been a good week - lots of stuffing, mashed potatoes and pie this weekend, but otherwise it has been a good week.

There were a few walks at High Park with the dog -

Blurry. Running.

Fall colours

 

 The dog and I finished weeks 1 AND 2 of Couch to 5K -

 

Walk breaks are for stopping to sniff, right?

 

My favourite part of every run

I made it through Day 11 of the Ab Challenge -

We cleaned like mad and had the family over for Thanksgiving Dinner, then spent today over at the Brickworks for a walk in the fall colours. 



 

Tried to take a family picture, but belly rubs were more important

Perfect way to end a long weekend

A good week.  



Alright, alright - I'll get off the couch

Can you tell that I've been struggling with starting to get back on track? Sporadic blogging and almost complete lack of exercise are big clues.

I stopped running somewhere around February. Stopped going to my gym in late spring, then juuuuust started going regularly again when it closed abruptly. Haven't been working out at home. Have been quite indulgent with the treats. The worst part is not particularly caring. Being lazy is so easy. But my pants are getting tight and I feel uncomfortable.

So - it's time to either slide into absolute laziness and let exercise become something that I used to do - or decide to recommit. I was dangerously close to option A when Island Girl (half marathon relay) rolled around 2 weeks ago. I signed up in the spring, didn't train, and would have bailed if it hadn't been a relay event.

Gorgeous morning to be up and heading to a starting line

I got to thinking on the ferry over - despite being so sedentary this year, I've done a 15K (March), a 10K (May), a 75K bike ride (June), a 5K (June) and I was on my way to a 10.5K. Every single one was harder and slower than it needed to be, but I did them. Going over this list was a huge morale booster.

During the race - my time at the 5K mark was 3 minutes slower than my PR, my legs really stiffened up in the last kilometer, and it took me 90 minutes to cross that 10.5K finish line - but I loved the adrenaline rush and the fun of being part of the crowd.

Halfway done!

Tagged Lynda in, walked off the jelly legs, then joined the cheering section until it was time to meet Lynda and run her the last 150 metres into her finish line. She put the pedal to the metal and SPRINTED in!


Medals, ferry, brunch and run chats. Lynda has set out some aggressive goals for herself for 2013 and expects me to be along at the start line for a few of those with her. I think that means I'm recommitting.

I was kinda surly about the idea of starting actual regular running again through. It took me a solid 10 days after Island Girl to actually lace up, hit start on my C25K app and head out the door with my furry running partner.  She's absolutely thrilled, so there's that.


C25K Week 1, Run 1. Pics or it didn't happen.

And with that one run, I found myself slipping back into some good habits. I started the 30-day ab challenge at home -

I got surprisingly sweaty playing ping pong at a work event -

Who knew ping pong was such a workout?

 Did a second C25K run -

C25K w1r2

 Got out for a walk to see some fall colours -

And went to a family yoga class with my husband and daughter this morning. That's something new. So was the almost-handstand that I did up against a wall. Wow.

So. One day at a time.

The Thing About Rest Days

I love Rest Day. That day with a big blank on the calendar where a workout would ordinarily be. No scheduled workout, run or swim.

Occasionally, one rest day isn't enough, even if I ended up having a completely lazy day. Sometimes a second day is needed to rest a weary muscle, rest a weary body, take a mental break from the busy-ness of the active lifestyle, spend a bit of extra time with the family. 

And by the end of that second day, I'm refreshed and looking forward to getting back at it. That is, as long as I've been active in some way, like going for a family walk or hike or generally goofing around with the kids - skipping contests, playing catch, going skating, that sort of thing. Or even just taking the dog for a good, long walk. I think getting the heart rate up in some way every day generally helps with keeping the momentum going. 

But two lazy days in a row can be pretty dangerous, for me at least. Slippery slope territory.

See, I have noticed that the nagging voice in the back of my head pipes up on the morning of day 3. Who needs exercise when the bed is soooo soft. Gee, it's pretty chilly outside. Wouldn't it be great to just sit around the house in PJs again? Isn't it fabulous to have so much free time? Who needs exercise when you can reeeeeeelax?

And it's really, really tempting to listen to that voice. Expecially when it starts telling me that triple helpings of pizza, double chocolate cookies and a bowl of ice cream would go really well with a third day on the couch.

Why is that a problem? Because I know from my old life on the couch, and past experiences trying to change out of it, that three days can easily turn into four...into a week...and back into a sedentary lifestyle that's hard to break out of.

All of this is to say that I needed, and took, two rest days in a row at the end of last week. Didn't hear a peep from that little voice until it started whispering to me this morning. It took a heck of a lot of commitment and discipline to pull on sneakers and head out the door.

Funny how that little voice quieted down as soon as I made it to the front porch.

Lesson learned, I think - rest days should be playful, not slothful. For me at least.

Here's this week's recap -

Saturday - C25K week 6, run 2 (run 10 minutes, walk 3, run 10). Covered 3.1K. And man - it was windy! So windy that I was completely dry (not sweaty) when I finished.

Made a rather delicious vegetable-lentil stew this weekend. It's about the only way that I like sweet potatoes.

Sunday - 2K dog park walk. Saw the first robin of the season - and my husband came home from his trip!

Monday - Curves circuit + boot camp (200 squats, 350 crunches, 320 arm curls w/5lb weights)

Tuesday - C25K week 6, run 3 = 23 mins running in 10s and 1s. Covered 3.25K

Wednesday - Glorious weather today. Hit a park after school and another after dinner.  Before bed, ran C25K week 7, run 1 = 25 mins running in 10s and 1s. Covered 3.35K.

At the park/dog park on a stunningly beautiful evening.
Daughter was pretending she was Dorothy NOT falling into the pig pen from the start of The Wizard of Oz

Thursday - Fell asleep on the couch after dinner and missed Zumba. Decided to make today a rest day.

Friday - Still tired so took a second rest day. Crazy windy, cold and a lot of blowing snow. Took Stella to the dog park (2K round trip walk) for an hour. Brrrrrrrr.

A Topsy-Turvy Week (and I Didn't Stress Out)

Our family routine was completely thrown off this week. Mostly because my husband has been away on a (rare) work trip so I've been running the show solo here. But also because my daughter's trip to emerg for stitches last Friday turned into her missing four days of school this week, which in turn meant that I worked from home in order to look after her.

My husband is very, very hands on with the kids, house and dog and it was a real change to not have him here.

This is the kind of change in routine that would ordinarily cause me a fair bit of stress. Thank goodness it was just for one week. And it was a huge help that my son is old enough to help out with dog and sister.

Still, I had to get a bit creative with how to keep all the balls in the air - parenting, running the house, work, making sure that the dog got enough exercise, fitting in my workouts and staying on track with my C25K runs.

I used some of the standards that we're all supposed to do to make life run more smoothly (but we never seem to do around here) - such as making sure lunches and backpacks are packed and coffee maker is filled every evening, picking up little messes before they turn into big ones, that sort of thing  - but I came up with a few of my own to make it through the week.  

For example - I skipped my Monday night laps at the pool, but took the kids to family swim time on Friday. So fun.

I had to miss Zumba, but got in some extra lunchtime walks with the dog & daughter while working from home.

I also turned one of the walk-the-dog-before-breakfast walks (which my husband usually does) into a C25K run.  And I'm going to admit that I slept in my running clothes the night before so there'd be no bleary-eyed attempts to get dressed early in the morning. You have to understand that I am NOT an early riser, so it was either this or run in my PJs. Which I also have done in the past.

I should probably be embarrassed about that. Ha.

Anyway, I also made sure that I ate well, drank a lot of water and got adequate sleep. Can't cut corners when it comes to that.

Looking forward to my husband coming home this weekend. We miss him!

What about you - what strategies help you make it through a particularly busy time?

Here's this week's recap -

Saturday - rest day.

Sunday - Started with a headache that I couldn't shake so headed to the couch for a nap. Woke up and noticed that someone else thought that a nap was a good idea too -

Hey! No dogs on the furniture - you know better than that!

...and then felt rejuvinated enough to do C25K week 5, run 2 (run 8 mins, walk 5, run 8). New record for me. Actually, everything over "run for 1 minute" is a record for me.

Monday - 2.6K dog walk; Curves + boot camp (360 arm reps w/5lb weights, 100 leg lifts on each side, 250 crunches. 2x30sec planks)

Tuesday - Husband left for the airport. 2K dog walk.

Wednesday - Up at 5:45am for Stella's morning walk and did C25K week 5 run 3. This was the first long run - I was supposed to run for 20 minutes, and was delighted to manage to go 14 minutes, walk 1, run 5. Later, 1K dog walk; boot camp (360 crunches, 300 arm reps w/5lb weights, 30s side planks, 20 pushups).

Get the ball, Stella!

Thursday - 1.8K dog walk, 1K dog walk, then C25K week 6 run 1 (run 5mins, walk 3, run 8, walk 3, run 5). With the dog.

Sweaty. Happy. And check it out - it's a photo of me, not my dog.

Friday - Overslept. Whoops. Made up for it by driving the dog to the dog park, which confused her greatly but allowed her to get her off-leash running time in before we left for work/school. Figured that was more important than just going for a quick walk. Later; 1.8K dog walk followed by family swim with the kids and one of my son's friends. We played volleyball, monkey in the middle, raced a few lengths, and I tossed my daughter around. Can't believe we don't do this more often in the wintertime. So fun.

How Clean Is Your House?

I have a dog.

As you know.

A dog, two kids, two cats, a husband. (Not listed in order of importance)

And every single one of us sheds and/or tracks dirt in the house. Our not-large house.

I don't know about you, but between work, homework, workouts and enjoying life, we don't have a lot of time - or interest - left over for housework.

The kids are generally helpful - when urged - and we try to keep up with the general clutter, the dishes & laundry and try to keep the floors reasonably clean, but maaaaannnnn. This house is not as clean as it was back before I started working out and had more time. Or as clean as it was when I had started working out, but before I added bootcamps, running and swimming to the mix.

And now that we've got the dog, it's full-time shedding and muddy pawprints around here. As well as the never-ending kid clutter, laundry and dishes.

An aside - did I tell you that we've burned out TWO vacuums since Stella joined us five months ago?

We made time this past weekend to catch up on the chores, which led to a lot of marvelling (or was it yelling?) over how untidy, cluttered and dusty things had gotten since our last deep clean, back in...um...I can't remember.

I'm not about to scale back on training in order to have a cleaner house. I'm also not prepared to reduce the number of pets (or people!) who live here. And as much as I'd love to hire a cleaning service, it's not going to happen.

So.

Obviously the solution is for us to do a bit more, and perhaps for me to care about the state of things bit less.

But I have to wonder - how clean is YOUR house? How do you balance training with managing your home?

Here's this week's recap -

Yes, that is a birthday doughnut. Her pick. We're having cake tomorrow.

Saturday - Happy Birthday to my daughter! 2K walk to buy treats for dessert.

Sunday - Ran C25K week 4 run 3, then had the extended family over to celebrate the birthday girl. Hence this week's cleaning frenzy. Walked kids and cousins and dogs down to the dog park later in the day (2K).

Boy and dog ran sprints up these stairs a few times. This is about 20% of the full staircase.

Monday - Family Day holiday and a day off! Took the kids and the dog to High Park - we walked the trails, checked out the zoo (bison and emus and llamas, oh my!), hit the climbers and took Stella to the forested dog park. All in all, about a 2.5K walk.

Tuesday - C25K Week 5, Run 1: run 5 mins, walk 3, run 5, walk 3, run 5. Was very worried about this over the weekend but it ended up to be OK. Phew. Now I can worry about W5 R2 and R3...

Wednesday - Had a flat tire after work but happily was able to get it fixed in time to hit the gym. Curves workout + bootcamp (100 squats, 30 lunges w/8lb weights, 210 arm reps w/ 8lb weights, 400 assorted crunches, 2 mins speed skating, 1 min skipping, 35second side planks, 35sec standard plank).

Thursday - 2K dog park walk, then Zumba #5 for the year + Curves circuit + bootcamp #16 (50 squats, 30 lunges w/10lb weights, 430 crunches, 2 mins speed skating, 35s side planks, 50 pushups).

Friday - Quite a day. My daughter got hurt at school and needed a few stitches - but under a general anesthetic, so we spent many, many hours at the hospital getting her taken care of. Happily, she will be absolutely fine. And the hospital took excellent care of her.  This is a week for me to be particularly grateful for the kindness of teachers, doctors, nurses, tow truck drivers and mechanics.

Winter Showed Up! Well, Briefly

Is anyone else disappointed at the mild winter we're having? The conditions have been excellent for outdoor running, but it's been pretty lousy for sledding and such.

We were very pleased to get a decent snowfall at the beginning of this week and made sure we took advantage of it before it melted away.

Here's how the week went:

All dog parks should be so fabulous and forested

Saturday - Curves workout followed by a trip to the forest dog park...

Very, very happy girl

 ...and the sledding hills...

C'mon, let's go!

...and then an evening out with my son to cross something off The List:

Hey! Get down from there!

The Harlem Globetrotters! Seeing them live has been on my wishlist since I was a little kid back in the mid-1970s. So you can imagine how excited I was to pick up a couple of tickets on a Groupon deal for this game. And it was just as silly as I expected it would be. Even better that I had a 12-year-old boy to enjoy the show with :-)

Sunday - 1.4K dog walk, a ton of housework, 2K dog park walk...

Walking home from the dog park. Stella loves to stop and play in the snow.
I love to take pictures of her. But you knew that already.

...then later had to use all of my self-discipline to head out the door for C25K week3 run3 (2.4K). I came really close to putting this off until another day, but Stella shamed me into it. Well, actually, she was fast asleep on the floor - all 4 legs twitching in a doggy dream, drooling - but jumped up like a shot when I happened to walk near the front hall. I figured that if she could be raring to go so quickly after being so heavily asleep, then I could put a little effort into my evening. Whatever gets you out the door, I guess.

And that led me to my first experience with running on snowy sidewalks. What a workout!

Believe it or not, I am glad that I am doing this run

Post run. Had to wake her up to go to bed.

Monday - Curves + boot camp #13 (2 mins speed skating, 1 min jumping jacks, 60 leg lifts each side, 200 crunches, 30 squats + 90 arm curls with 8 lb weights, 2 x 35s planks). Followed by a slow 250m in the pool.

Tired. Very tired. But just remembered that tomorrow is REST DAY and managed a small smile.

Tuesday - Ow, my butt. Hobbling around like an old woman after last night's boot camp.

Wednesday - My butt is still tight, but I got in my C25K run - Week 4, Run 1: run 3mins, walk 90sec, run 5 mins, walk 2-1/2 mins, repeat. Covered 2.9K. I have never, ever run 5 continuous minutes before in my life. So, I am spending tonight patting myself on the back. Repeatedly.

Thursday - 2.8km walk during the day. Zumba + Curves workout + boot camp (2 mins speed skating, 110 leg lifts each side, 100 situps with 8lb medicine ball, 200 crunches, 50 squats, 100 arm curls with 8 lb weights). Holy moly.

Friday - PA Day for the kids and I took the day off work. Spent a verrrrry lazzzzzzy day but did get them to the park for a couple of hours, and did C25K week 4 run 2 before bed. Not a bad way to spend a day.

How was your week?

My Week in Salads

After the stress-eating debacle of last week, I decided that I should make an effort to pack myself with nutrition. One of my favourite ways to do this is via a big salad filled with chopped up bits of everything that catches my eye. I love how nourished but light and and energetic I feel after eating a meal-sized salad, especially when I have it for dinner before an evening workout.

However, I frequently fall out of the habit of having a salad for dinner or lunch, so this week is dedicated  to reestablishing a good habit. And I thought I'd better take a daily picture to encourage myself to actually do this, but also make sure that I have enough variety in my bowl, rather than throwing together the same mix every day as I tend to do...I'm a pretty lazy cook, unfortunately. 

So - here's this week's exercise and salad recap:

Saturday - Stella and I reran C25K W2 Day 2 (2.4K), and later went for a walk to the dog park (2K round trip).

Sunday - Reran C25K W2 Day 3. Salad for lunch:

Sunday: 4 packed cups of baby greens, brocolli stalk, cucumber, tomatoes, dried cranberries, almonds, apples and a wee bit of cheese

Later - out to my inlaw's for dinner and a 2.4K dog walk down by the lake.

Pretty. Extra points if you can spot the CN Tower.

Monday: Curves workout + boot camp #11 for the year (230 assorted crunches + 100 side leg lifts + 50 pushups) + 300m in the pool + walk the dog 1K. A very slow & tired 1K. Today's lunch:

Monday: baby greens, chick peas, carrots, celery, tomatoes, almonds and a wee bit of cheese.

Tuesday: Rest day! Very short dog walk. Today's lunch:

Tuesday: baby greens, veggie chick'n strips, celery, brocolli, apple, orange and peanuts. No cheese today.

Wednesday: Dog park (2K round trip), C25K week 3 run 1. Run 90s, walk 90s, run 3 min, walk 3 min, repeat. Oh my. Running for 3 minutes non-stop was OK. Doing it a second time a few minutes later was tough. Doesn't help that I'm still fighing the tail end of my cold and that breathing in cold air was uncomfortable. Today's lunch:

Wednesday: baby greens, strawberries, chickpeas, almonds, cucumbers

And today's sunset. Which pleasantly was happening after 6pm. Days are getting longer!

Thursday: Dog park walk (2K), Zumba + Curves + boot camp (300 crunches, 40 leg lifts, 3 mins on stairstepper, 50 pushups, 35s plank). Tonight's dinner:

Thursday: baby greens, tomatoes, cucumber, veggie chick'n strips, pumpkin seeds

Friday: C25K week 3 run 2. Haha - I didn't even need to tell Stella that we were going out - she flew to the front door as soon as she hear me zip up my running jacket. Good news - this was a much better run than two days ago. My cold must be getting better! Tonight's dinner:

Friday: baby greens, apples, celery, blueberries, beets, pecans and pumpkin seeds

I have to say - I did find that committing to having a salad for a meal every single day felt a bit restrictive in terms of meal planning.

But I feel fantastic - I lost the donut weight that I put on last week, I have a ton of energy, and I really enjoyed the challenge of seeking out more variety than I typically put in my salad bowl. And this was just with what I had on hand. It's got me thinking about what I can put on my grocery list this weekend to make next week's salads even more varied.

I also feel like this was the first time in a long while that I consisently achieved 7-10 servings of fruit & veg every day. Good all around.

Anyone have favourite (vegetarian) combinations to recommend? How is your nutrition these days?

Exercise not Doughnuts

This has been a difficult week. We received some very sad news at work. Stella got a nail embedded in her paw and needed an emergency trip to the vet's. I came down with a cold. The week has been a bit of a blur.

And my reaction to all of this has been very uneven. Don't get me wrong - I compeletely understand the need to rest when rest is needed, but I've been all over the map this week.

I skipped my Monday night training swim and Zumba. Partly busy with some after-hours work tasks, partly because I was generally tired/sick and partly because I was sad and felt like cocooning.

I did go to Curves twice - skipped the circuit (too hard to breathe), but hit a couple of boot camps hard to work out some of my emotions.

Stella and I had to keep our runs super short earlier in the week when it was hard to breathe and her paw was sore. Fortunately we're both getting back into things now.

But I've also been hitting the comfort food HARD.

I've got news for you - going for a run is way, way more therapeutic than hourly doughnuts. I don't think I'd ever properly appreciated how much of a depressant sugar is until this week.

Towards the end of the week, someone mentioned that next week will be a fresh start. But that's a few days away and I no longer want or need to wait that long. Besides, it seems kind of arbitrary to wait for a new week to try to get back to normal.

So - the last couple of days have been about doing just that: slowly getting back to normal. Stella & I are redoing C25K week 2, I've been doughnut-free for two days and the gym is beckoning.

On a happier note - we had a great weekend before all of this started. The kids and I left my husband at home to work on a home repair, and had a weekend away with my fav cousin and her 4 kids. Did a lot of laughing, took the kids skating and went to an indoor/outdoor waterpark:

Me with my eyes closed, my daughter & my cousin

 Six very happy kids. Check out the steam coming off the water. It's also snowing.

My son

And me. Yes, those are ski hills in the background. And no, I didn't catch my cold from going swimming outside in late January.

Here's this week's exercise:

Friday evening - swimming.

Saturday - skating and swimming.

Sunday - 1K dog walk

Monday - 400 misc crunches, 100 leg lifts, 50 pushups, 3 x 35s planks

Wednesday - 1K dog walk

Thursday - 400 crunches, 50 leg lifts, 50 pushups, 3 x 35x planks, 100 arm lifts with 10lb weights.

Friday - C25K W2D1 (2.4K). Followed by a funeral. But then we ended the day on a high note with an early birthday party for my daughter and some of her friends at a trampoline centre:

My daughter in bright pink catching serious air. Her brother to her right.

How Much Does This All Cost?

It's time to retire my beloved New Balance cross-trainers. They got me to the finish line of every event I did in 2011 (except the muddy, muddy Warrior Dash - I wore some ancient, back-of-the-closet shoes for that), as well as went on every bike ride I took. They came on daily dog walks, all workouts after Stella chewed my indoor gym shoes a couple of months ago, and every time that I just felt like wearing sneakers. Definitely time to give them a rest.

Wasn't able to get a replacement pair in my size, so went for a spiffy pair of on-sale Sauconys:

...which prompted both a friend to ask just how much money all of this is costing me.

I don't *feel* like it's a lot, but let's actually take a look.

Wait - before we do, try to think about what you consider reasonable for fees, gear and equipment. Got a number? OK, now let's take a look at my list:

Workouts:

Monthly gym fees: $45

Lane Swim: $30 for 10-visit punch card, which should last me 10 weeks. Can swim for free from May - August.

Couch to 5K: free

Biking: Free.

Tracking workouts in My Fitness Pal: free

Gear:

Shoes: I've been lucky with sales but also make them last longer that I should. Averages $100/year.

Bike: Paid for a few years ago.

Bike maintenance: Roughly $40 for an annual tuneup.

Bike accessories: I need a new helmet this year.

Workout shirts: Free. Sort of. I wear the ones that I earned at races, and bought two others with gift certificates.

Workout tights: Free. Bought them with gift certificates and take super good care of them so they'll last!

Light weight exercise jacket: Free. Bought in 2010 with gift certificates.

Warm exercise jacket: Free. Sort of. I've earned two at races.

Light weight winter gloves: Free. Christmas present.

Biking gloves. Free. I borrow my husband's...but should buy a pair this year.

Swim suits: I think this is about $90 to buy a good new one (or 2-3 cheaper ones) every year.

Garmin: For now, I'm not using one, but can borrow my husband's if I need.

Entry fees:

This is where is gets a bit more expensive. Fees are typically $40-50 per event, and I try to sign up early before the price increases as the race date gets closer. In 2010, I did 3 free events + 8 with a fee, so that's about $360. Hmm. That averages $30 per month, which doesn't seem so bad to me.

This year, I've already signed up for 6 races ($270). Ouch - OK, that's a lot to spend in one month, but it will keep me going until August. I have 3-4 more to sign up for later in the year, but at least one of them is free.

Travel fees:

I tend to do races in my city, so just have to pay a subway token or for parking. I had one race in my hometown last year and was able to stay with my parents. This year, I have 3 out of town races; two are close to my parents, one is not. I'm splitting a cheap hotel room for that one, and will keep overall costs low.

Grand total:

That adds up to just over $100 per month if I were to spread costs out over a year. Remember - that includes my monthly gym fees.

I think that's reasonable, especially since I don't tend to spend a lot of money on myself in other areas.

What about you - is your active lifestyle breaking the bank, or is it reasonably affordable?

Here's this week's  recap -

Saturday - 2K dog walk, then had to go in to work for a special project.

My running partner likes to stop suddenly and make dog angels on the front lawns of the neighbourhood.

Sunday - Couch to 5K Week 1 Day 3 (about 2.5K), followed by a trip to the fenced dog park/forest. We walked the 1.5K forest trails, then took Stella sledding for the first time. Have to say - sledding with a dog is a pile of fun!

Monday - Curves + 2x35s plank + 45 pushups + 100 assorted killer crunches, then 300m swim followed by 1.5K dog walk.

Tuesday - Rest day. Happy, happy rest day.

Wednesday - C25K Week 2, Day 1 (2.7K).

Thursday - Ended up being an other rest day. Couldn't keep my eyes open past 7pm, and my throat is sore.

Friday - Kids are on a PA day and I've taken the day off with them :-)  Did an at-home boot camp with my daughter - she pushed me into 40 pushups and 240 assorted crunches, then did C25K W2D2 with Stella and I. She's obviously been taking lessons from my trainer.

Dog is not happy to be on a walk break, let alone a 'let's take a picture' break. Can we get back to running please?