Thursday, December 31, 2009

4th race under the belt!

Ok, so Dec. 31st still, 9:22pm as I type this and... I DID IT! I completed the 5ª Sant Silvestre de Girona this afternoon, at 6. It was a 5.4k race. 1000 runners. A wonderful atmosphere. Such a lively race. Streets packed with people... really lovely. I walked 1 minute of it and now think I could have done without but it's ok, I did it and that's it. I finished in 36:38 official time, 36:28 according to my stop watch. Oh well, I'll take it either way! It's been a 6:45 min/km. And to think that only a month and 2 days ago when I run the Jean Bouin in Barcelona, my 5k time was 36:44! I did 34:59 on Sunday and if this had been a 5K my time would have been a little less than 34 minutes... woot! I did go *fast* for me and I could tell. Had to slow down as my heart was telling me to...

So, there goes 2009, 4 races under my belt only after 4 months of starting running... I think I can be proud of it and I am.

Hoping for a very runny 2010!

Last minutes of 2009. Kids are in bed. They'll wake up to a new year in the am, a wonderful year!

About being a proud mom... there's more. When I picked Paula up at camp, the headmistress and the best gymastics coach ever was there. I never have the chance of talking to her. Today I did. She told me how well Paula's doing, how much she's improving and what a hard worker she is... wow... I wasn't even touching the ground! Firs competition for her is on Feb. 6th, secons on Feb. 20th and third on March 13th. She says she wants to win, LOL! Did some talking on that. She's already a winner!

Happy New Year!

One proud mom!

It's December 31st, the last day of 2009, where on earth did time go??? Geez... time flies, I'm getting old, LOL!

Last, and 4th, race of the year today at 6pm... only started running 4 months ago and I will have 4 races under my belt this year... I'm so happy! And so proud!

Jan, my lovely, caring, sweet 4 year old is home sick with a double ear infection and strep throat. He's such a trooper though. He's not complaining or anything, a champ! So proud of him. He's so sensitive. I love him!

Pol, my, as of yesterday, 14 month old went (with me) for a blood test today about his allergies. He did soooooooooooo well. I'm so proud. He cried but never moved... he's adorable too! I then dropped him off at daycare, happy as could be!

Paula's at gym camp until 3:15pm. She loves it. Was so happy to go despite her brother not going today. She's so lively and sweet! Met one of her gym coaches at the docs where she goes. Got the chance of talking to her for a while which was nice since I never got to do it. And here's where I go even prouder... she told me how Paula's really gifted for gymnastics... I thought I'd cry. She also said she's an excellent *student*, always paying attention and doing as is told... that's my girl! First competiton coming up on Feb. 6th!!!! I'm so proud!

So, Dec. 31st, 2009 is fading away. One race to go in only 6 hours and then whatever 2010 brings. I will set a race schedule to keep me going. I can do it, I need to do it, I want to do it!

Bring 2010 on... ready or not... here it comes!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

2 days to 2010

Wow is all I can say... where on earth did time go??? Another year gone by already... geez... I'm getting old, LOL!

Had a couple peaceful days. Lots of tyding today which is great! Finally put our tree up... yes... on Dec. 29... guess better late than never... most people are bringing theirs down and we only just put ours up... ho-hum... Lots more tyding to do still, hopefull I manage!

Wanted to go for a short easy run today but can't fit it in. I'm under the weather and extremely tired I wonder if I'm coming down with something. Will try to fit it in tomorrow morning if I can... hubby's away and middle son's got a fever as I type. Hoping it's just a few hours thing. Will fit it in no matter what... will just have to wait for hubby to be back I guess :)

Kids are going to gym camp these days and loving it! Pol's going to daycare as usual. He loves it too!

Running my last and 4th race for 2009 on the 31st... it seemed so far away yet it's only around the corner, wow! A dailymile friend scheduled her races for 2010. Her race calendar looks awesome, such a motivator. I might copy the idea to keep me going!

So far I'm going to put baby in bed and I'll follow shortly, not feeling too well. Gotta be 100% for Thursday's run!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Another one down!

So, today was La Sansi de Lloret de Mar, a 5k in Lloret (how surprising, right, LOL!). We got up and we all went over... we almost didn't make it... it was very foggy and missed the turn but we did make it! Hubby dropped me off and I run to get my bib and my chip and run back to the start. Had just enough time to put the chip on my shoe and the gun went off... perfect!

I set off slow as there were lots of people. Almost 2000 and we were all packed together but picked up my pace later (my own pace). It was a very nice day. The sun was shining, awesome atmosphere, lots of people... just great! After having run a little over 5 minutes (that's my guess) I saw hubby and the kids waving at me... it was such a booster to see them! Hubby took photos and the kids cheered along! I was full of energy. By the time I got to the roundabout, 12 minutes into the race, the leaders were coming back. They had about 800 meters to go (another guess). The winner finished in 14:23 and the second, just a second after (he's the organizer of the race!). People kept coming in, it was great!

We run along the seaside... it was just so nice and peaceful despite all the people, I loved it! I run all the race although my brain was telling me that walking a little would be ok... I ignored it and I run... I'm so happy. At the bend right as I was entering the stadium, I spotted my family again... what a boost of energy! The kids seemed so proud of mommy! I didn't know but I still had to run a lap at the stadium... it was neverending, but in the end, I did cross that finish line, happy as could be! I figured my time would be around 35 minutes... and I clocked it... 34:59, even better, LOL! I was 1804 out of 1902, the 408 woman out of 471... not bad for having started running with C25K only 4 months ago... I'm happy, I'm proud, I'm satisfied... great accomplishment. Lots to improve but lots done already!

So I got my Powerade which was delicious and came in really handy and went to get my back of goodies. Came back, fed Pol his lunch (he was starving, poor soul!). Went back for another pack of goodies since I still had my slip for it :p (it wasn't picked up the first time around...), got Pol walking, stopped at the park for the kids to play a little and headed back home with a smile on my face!

Upon arriving, Pol went straight down for his nap, we had our lunch and will have a nice quiet afternoon at home!

One more to go on Dec. 31st... just can't wait! Is this addictive or what???

Kids were great and keep saying they had a blast... gotta love them!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

One down... two to go!

So... it is Boxing Day. My first race of the 3 planned was this am... I did it!

I arrived in Riudellots about only 15 minutes before the race was starting. I got my bib number: 265 and headed to the start. It started raining as the gun shot. The start was uphill, ho-hum. I could tell I wasn't in my best shape but still I got going. I took some little walk breaks. Walked about 7 minutes total. I did the 7ks in a slow 52:18. I think that if I had run it all I would have obviously been slightly faster. Still I'm proud. I got out there and I did it... yay me!

As I had just 1k to go I saw my family... that was a booster... I was so happy to have them there although I knew they wouldn't make it to the finish line. The kids were happy and proud of their mom... they're such sweethearts! We stayed and played a little in a park. They loved it. Came back home, I fed Pol, showered, put Pol down for his nap, got lunch ready, ate, took a nap... it's been great so far! Last night was great! Little Pol slept from 8pm until 9:45am... almost 14 hours... what a wonderful Xmas gift, the best ever!

La Sansi de Lloret tomorrow, 5k awaiting me... am I ready? You bet... Lloret... here I come... and my family is coming too, woohoo!!!!

Happy Boxing Day!

Friday, December 25, 2009

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

December 25th... the year is coming to an end! Merry Christmas!!!!

Had Christmas dinner last night at mom's. Didn't feel like I was eating that much but was stuffed and still am 24 hours later, sigh... the kids had a great time! We did the "tió" and they had a blast... they were so happy with what they got even if it was only a few "cagades" and mostly candy, chocs, a book and a little token. So nice to see how happy they were with little stuff. They're adorable! They were all very well behaved!

The dinner was lovely as usual. Mom's Christmas dinner is always worth waiting for throughout the year. Despite always being the same we can't wait for it! No major gifts for the grownups as usual, just a little something, only that I was forgotten, ho-hum, fixed in the end, but the fact is that I was forgotten...

Paula and Jan stayed behind and slept and my sister's with all the other cousins, 6 kids total with 1 adult... she's a trooper! They had a whale of a time. Went back this am to collect them. They had all been good and loved staying! We came back home with little Pol. He was an angel all night at mom's, in the car on the way back and at night... he slept through till 9:45 when the phone woke us up! That was a lovely Christmas present! Pol had lunch at mom's we drove back and Pol went straight down for his nap. We had lunch and then Toni took the other two over to his sister's and I followed when Pol woke up. He took a 3 hour nap and I managed to get an over 1 hour one after the eldest were gone! It was nice at SIL's. Kids had a great time too. Everyone was very well behaved... lovely!

Came back home. Put Pol straight in bed, we had so many late nights lately... Kids had a little dinner and in bed too. Hopefully they'll sleep long tomorrow and make up for all these last late nights!

On Wednesday Paula had her gymnastics festival and it was great! She did really well. I'm so proud! She's lovely and could tell she knew what to do all the time! So that was a late night, then Xmas eve, then Xmas night at my sister's and then today so hopefully everyone sleeps in tomorrow am!

It is 11:18pm and I'm exhausted. I am racing tomorrow at 11... I am not fit nor ready for it... but I'm doing it no matter what. I am also racing, well, I run, but in a race, LOL, the day after tomorrow. And... my family might come! It would be so nice!

I need to get some rest. I really do... I look so tired and puffed... time to be good. Tomorrow looks like the perfect day for a new beginning, doens't it?

Good night and a very Merry Christmas!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Geez... update needed!

Oh well... here I am. December 23rd and haven't blogged in a while... shame on me! I wonder if it's got anything to do with my bad habits lately... ho-hum...

I'll be clear... I haven't been good this past week. Actually I've been very bad. I wonder how I mess up so easily when it's so hard to get there... why is it so easy to fall off the wagon? After all the effort I've made... as I've stated before, in other posts, I do need to get my eating under control, but... how??? That's the question!

Ok, so I went running last Wednesday and didn't get a run in again until today, again... shame on me. Plus with all the excess food I've eaten and not precisely healthy stuff... my run was slow, short and horrible, ho-hum... Well... I paid my price... I can't expect to keep things going if i don't work for them, so there... hope I've learnt my lesson!

Other than that, Pol's been quite sick with a very bad bronchitis. Had to go to hospital and all but he's a champ and is finally recovering well. We've had 3 great nights in a row... I know... I shouldn't state it but... I had to wake him up at 8:30 today, felt so bad, he was sleeping sooooooo soundly... he's a cookie! Paula and Jan are at gym camp now that school is off for the Holidays. Hoping all's going well. I know it is for Paula. It's Jan I'm most worried about but I'm sure he's having fun! Swimming, theater, crafts, gym... sounds like a blast! They're doing great. Both brought their school albums home and we couldn't be more proud! Paula's report is excellent! I love my kids, in case someone didn't know, LOL, they're my life. I'm so thankful for them!

Also, had 2 work dinners... one last Friday where we paid our own food and one on Monday, offered by the school... oh my... I'm speechless... it was so nice. I feel so prou of working there. People are soooooooooooooo nice, so human, so lovely! We had a lovely meal (standing up) and then we sang a bit, we laughed a lot and... we got a Christmas present... yes! Never had one from work and I'm sooooooooooooo excited... a ham in a lovely little reusable bag and a hand made brooch... absolutely adorable! A Christmas card with a little Christmas angel signed by all the members of the management comission... amazing... with something written from everyone, a personalized card... amazing... they had to do 160 of them... amazing!

So... Christmas is here... I wonder where time's gone... I'm getting old!

Oh, it's raining... Paula's gym show is tonight. Can't wait. She was recently moved to an upper group called competition 1 and is loving it and learning lots despite having a nasty girl in the group that bosses and bullies her about. She's learning to ignore her, WTG Paula!

Ok, off to to some work! Will try updating sooner!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Staying on track

Woohoo for me!

Just got back from a great run! And it didn't start that great... that's even better! Well... I did my long walk to the starting point, all uphill. Got there and started running after redoing my shoe laces and turning my music on. At first I felt really light and great but about 300 meters later at the most, I started feeling really heavy and thought I might have to cut it short. But, I kept going. It was going good and by the end of the run I had the runner's high... it was amazing. I think I was running in the best running form I've ever had (I think). I just loved it!

I have been good with my food also all week so I'm really proud! I am going out to dinner tomorrow night with my friends and will have regular food, but I think I can afford it after today's run! Also going for lunch with friends and kids on Sunday but will have run before so I think I can eat *normal* too! I've just got to be careful and not overdo it!

So, on Sunday, TV3 has "la marató" on. In Girona, 2 guys from a running club will be running marathon distance by doing loops around the city. Anyone can join and cooperate. I've decided I'll go joing them at the beginning so I'll have someone to run with. The loop is about 1.1k. I'll do about 5 laps (if I can), I'll get my run in and I'll cooperate with the cause... couldn't get any better! Well, at least that's the plan!

Only 16 days until de Sant Silvestre Riudellotenca... wow... time flies! Can't wait!

Kids are good. Paula and Pol are full of a cold but doing ok. Paula's very excited because she's doing a new *dance* at gym since she's in the new group, for the *festival* on the 23rd. She's loving it! Jan's lovely, he's such a sweet little boy. I love my kids!!!!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Uh oh...

Geez... I walked away from temptation, I managed to do it twice but the third time... damn! I did it... I had some bread with chocolate spread, and then a few nuts, just a couple and some chocolate... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh... why can't I have control??????

Oh well... onto a healthy afternoon and a run in the evening, hopefully!

Morning

Yet another sleepless night... well... I mean Pol woke up at 4 and I didn't fall asleep again unti 6, sigh... There's something we can see about this child... he's great and fine during the day... there's something we're missing. We'll get there eventually, sooner than later I hope, it's just a matter of finding what it is! Anyway, he fed, as usual and went straight back to sleep. He's such a good kid! Restless but great!

It is cloudy and it looks cold. I'd really like to go do some Christmas shopping (to get the odds and ends I still have to get) to get it over and done with. But of course, I can't bring the children along... I might take Pol and have Toni take the kids to the park, that might work!

I am hoping for a run later on although my energy level right now is closer to 0 than anything else. I'm sure running will wake me up, LOL!

Have lost another kg so I'm happy with that. I'm really working hard at it. Very little dinner at night and quality food during the day. I just hope not to gain any during the holidays. I'd be ok with keeping the weight! My plan's not to eat a lot, then again when I get them anxiety attacks, who knows what I can do, sigh.

Only 18 days until the Sant Silvestre Riudellotenca (www.riudellots.com/acer/ss_2009.html)... wow... need to get out there and do all my runs. I run a 10K the other day, surely I can run this 7K, can't I?

And, only 19 days for the Sansi in Lloret de Mar (www.santsilvestredelloret.com). My only concern is running 2 days in a row but I'm sure I can manage.

And then, a few days of rest... just little easy runs here and there, because... only 23 days until the 5ª Sant Silvestre de Girona (www.championchip.cat/inscripcions/inscripcion.asp?carrera=106). We'll see what I do from there. But I'm really excited to have all these races ahead. Will help with the Xmas eating for sure, LOL!

Kids are doing good. Pol's a little fussy. He's got a cold but he's a trooper, he'll do great!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Another week ahead

Well... Monday again... time just seems to fly these days... I must be getting old, LOL!

Eating wise, let's see... I had some bread with chocolate spread yesterday as a snack, so that wasn't *allowed*, after that I've been very good though... so easy to spoil things, so hard to be a good girl :p But I do have to say I'm really proud of today... we went out to a Xmas tree fair in Espinelves, a town nearby. We got there late and ended up having lunch there. There was a menu and we could choose from different things. As starters there was "fideua" and thought I'd have it since I just simply love it. But, when I actually came to the food court... I took a salad... yes, say what???? Yes, a salad! I had some lamb to follow and was about to have a chocolate and cream desert but... no... I took mandarins... I still can't belive I was that good, I'm so proud :)

And... I went for a run last night. Decided to do a long warmup walk all the up to the top of the mountain and take it from there. And that's what I did. It was a great run... always tired at the beginning... I wonder if that feeling will ever go away... it lasts a while... but I kept going until I went into "auto mode" as I call it. I'm still slow... still carrying lots of extra weight... it's actually like carrying a backpack with 5 gallons of water or milk... it is a heavy backpack after all. Anyway, I'm doing it and I couldn't be prouder! I run 5.254K in 37:57. Yes, slow, but yes, better 5 than 0!!!!

Kids are doing great... Pol never napped while out there, but he did when we got home at 3:30 pm... woke him up by 5:30 or else... he woke up happy and has been running around as usual. Paula and I went grocery shopping for some little odds and ends we needed to get. It's a holiday tomorrow but everything's open still it's nice to have things already! We also went to the greengrocer's, the chemist and the paper shop to get a little toy for Jan and a book for Paula (she prefered that to a toy!).

Feeling extremely tired... my eyes are puffed and this today after Pol slept all night... what's wrong with me?

Hoping for another run tomorrow. Might try 2 split runs, one in the am and one in the pm... we'll see if it can happen! Organization is the key, organization is the key, organization is the key (that's a note to self)

Only 19 days until my 7k... time flies! And 20 days unitl my 5K, oh dear... can I do 2 runs back to back? Of course I can!!!!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Fell off the wagon again but...

Only a little... had McDonald's for dinner... oops... that was last night. Back on track today. No run yesterday either... I'm sooooooooo tired... Pol wakes up twice a night now and I don't get proper rest... haven't had for over a year now :

Other than that... it's a 4 day weekend and it's going to be great!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Just marking my spot

It's been a few days so I thought I'd write something...

The week's good so far... I've been able to control my eating wich is my biggest effort so I'm happy about it. Saw the nutritionist on Tuesday. I've lost 2 more kg and all fat so that's good too! If after doing all I've done with the food I still lost, imagine if I'd been good... better not, LOL! Not seing him again until Jan 12th... after the holidays... thank goodness for those races in between to make all the food go down!

I'm a very proud mom, proud of all my 3 kids... Pol, the youngest is walking better and better each day... something clicked in the last 24 hours and now he's on his feet 90% of the time... amazing! He's really lively and communicates great! Jan, my middle man is my love... he's such a sweet little boy. He's reading and writing really well, behaves well at school and teacher says he's very smart. Paula, my eldest and only girl has just been moved up at gymnastics... and... they've put her in COMPETITION 1... that's her group... she only started on March 1st. Her flexibility then was 0, so was the strength on her arms and look at her now... I'm so proud... she loved it today, she's the youngest in her group too!

Went for a run yesterday and used my GPS! It was great... a lovely run, my fastest yet, LOL... as slow as I was, it was my fastest, hahahahaha... can't help it. But it was great... I felt really "light". Nothing was hurting anymore, after being very sore Monday and Tuesday so that's why I headed out. Hoping to go again tomorrow and hoping for a daylight run on Sunday... we'll see!

I had a *down* moment on Monday or Tuesday... I saw the finish line video from the 10K race on Sunday... geez... I hated what I saw but then again, I turned it around and I know think of it as something to look at as I improve. Hopefully I'll see a difference in time and that will remind me of how far I've come... also... that video would be unthinkable of only 2 months ago so... jsut staying with the bright side of it!

There's no point in looking back. What's been done's been done, so why cry or waste time over it... move ahead, head up!

I realised on Sunday that running isn't about age, or sex, or weight really, it's just about getting out there and doing it, training and you can do it no matter how old, how fat or anything else!

So... I have a dinner next Friday with friends, then we're going away the weekend after and then it's Xmas... I need to control my eating... I can do it... just do it!!!!!! (that's a note to self...)