I'm going to start this post by saying I love being a mom. Usually a statement like this follows up with a giant but. But no but.
I love watching them forming their own thoughts about the world around them. I love watching them playing their games and trying their best.
I love watching my kids in their activities when it is warm, but not hot, freezing cold, crowded, raining or snowing.
Here is the way I'll be spending my Tuesday and Friday evenings for the next 3 months... by the way it was quite chilly last evening.
So as much as I love my children and right now I'm attempting to savour as much growth and development as I can there are times where I just don't want to hear Farily Odd Parents first thing in the morning or step over toys in every single room of my house. I know this won't last for ever and its my mantra at times.
So here is my saving grace, it's cheesy and I'll admit it. Running. In preparation for training for the Road2Hope half I have been pre-training. I'm working on one 5k run a week at my race pace and gradually building myself up to running 10k. Through this training I realized how much running helped me not need my 'not lasting forever' mantra.
But despite how much running saves my sanity and helps me be a better mother sometimes a girl just needs something nice. Check out my new purse.
I decided to treat myself to this. I had a rather subdued birthday this year. Not like this or this from years past. Mother`s day was cold and not as relaxing as I would have liked. So a little retail therapy helped out.
I celebrated the unofficial start to summer in typical hardy Canadian style this year... yes people - I went camping. Way back in the day pre-mother days I used to go away every Victoria Day weekend. There was the typical mix of wonderful weather, soggy tents, mosquitoes the size of humming birds with the sprinkling of snow. All of my long weekend 'hardiness' ended one sad trip...the final straw for going away on the May long weekend was a freezing cold weekend we went away with another couple - and their two year old and crying screaming new born. We were trapping in the middle of nowhere for 3 TORTUOUS days. After that fiasco I decided to pack it in and stay put doing something useful - like gardening on the long weekend.
That is until this year, I really just wanted to get away. So we packed up and headed to Killarney. I've posted about staying in Killarney before - it is my favourite provincial park. So how did it rate this year - well not as busy at this time of year. It was still beautiful as always- quartz and granite rock faces gorgeous lakes..... crazy long weekend traffic to get there and hair full of black flies.
I hiked the Granite Ridge trail for and hung out for a while staring at Georgian Bay.
Practised yoga - yes the self gratuitous yoga shots are back.....
.... look I have followers.
My girls bravely swam to the buoys and back on a $5 bet.
Sadly we had rain the day of our planned hike on The Crack - so an old photo.
Instead we headed to Science North in Sudbury for the day. I actually think the kiddos had more fun there instead.
This morning we packed up early leaving before 8am avoiding most of the major traffic. The trailer is unpacked, my sixth load of laundry is almost done, I'm wearing clean clothes and I no longer smell like bug spray or a campfire. I'm glad we went away - happy we had warm weather but I think I'm good to stay put for a few Victoria Day weekends.
OK - so my first post title in over 6 months is kinda lame... but I am finally waking up from what feels like a bit of a hibernation. Nonetheless - I'm back
So what has happened since October...
I took the kiddo's to St. Augustine FL right after Christmas and of course you want to see pictures of that trip.
One freezing day - it was 13 degrees. I don't know what that is in Fahrenheit - but chilly.
The rest of the weather was warm. Swimming in the ocean and New Year's at the beach, it doesn't get much better than that!
Following that trip - I got a new job. Still working at the same place but new role. Who really wants to hear about work though - boo.
In addition to that excitement, I was also teaching a lot of classes - spin, trx and yoga. Sometimes as much as 14 classes a week. It was way too much and guess what I got - fat!! I didn't have a huge weight gain, but a muffin top over my workout capris. So I decided to scale things back. I'm teaching 3-4 times a week now and this summer only once a week. I love teaching and have met some amazing people through my classes, but I need to focus on my own fitness for a bit. Hence why I'm back.
Over the past 6 months I also scaled way back on my running sometimes not running for two weeks at a time. But I was very lucky to have a wonderful friend who would drive over to my house and drag my butt outside for a run. Thank you Tracey! I haven't raced in over a year - and not seriously for much longer than that.
So its time for a goal, or three. I'm stating it, putting it out there and releasing my intention to the universe.....
This year I am going to compete in:
- The Wellington Warrior Challenge
- A duathalon - either Wasaga Beach or Toronto Island
- And finally..... I'm getting retribution on this bad boy
That being said... I have some training to do... its good to be back!
