Monday, January 4, 2010. I stayed up till 3am last night and thought I'd be sleep in a little today. Well, it was 11am when I woke up, which was too early! I tried to nap in the afternoon, but Jake turned the XM radio on to see if the new satellite placement worked. It did. We went for our run, another day of 3 min walk, 2 min run x 4 sets. It was dusk. Home for a shower and a meal. Now I have a few moments before I head out to my clinical practicum. I'm not sure if I've simulated "morning" well enough, as I can foresee that this, my first 12 hour night shift, is going to be tough!

Saturday, January 2, 2010. I am back. In many ways. I can't believe how little I've blogged over the past year. Sorry for that. I'm sure I've lost my following... all three of you! Well, today, Jake and I dressed and went out to begin our training - right from scratch. We walked for 3 minutes then ran for 2 minutes. Did this four times for a full 20 minutes. It felt great. For a bit of background: Carla, has been out with a hip flexor injury since November 28th's 27km run. Jake has been out with hip, knee, neck, and back issues since the end of October. So it is with great sadness that we are no longer running Goofy 2010 (which would be next weekend). But we felt okay today and are committed to rebuild. Committed to do more cross training, more strength work, more stretching, and use more ice! We hope to join Brooke at the Manitoba Marathon / Half Marathon on June 20th. Anyone else want to come? Should be a good time!

Sunday, May 24. Happy Birthday to me!
42.2k ... a hard run ... 4:07:38.
Not bad at all!

Saturday, January 31. A day off from homework. I finally have a tiny opportunity to take a break, so I've taken it! The forecast today included some nasty winds, though they are warm winds. Jake decided to run at work before he came home from his midnight shift. 3k for him, I believe. By the time I woke up (read 10:30am!) the winds were on there way down so I went out side for 6k. It was still a challenge, and the super soft snow wasn't much fun.
Week totals: Carla 30.5 Jake 12
January totals: Carla 197.6 Jake 65.2

As for a few highlights from the last bunch of days:

Jan 13: Carla learned a lesson. Not eating much food the day before sure makes a run near impossible. I cannot remember a time when I was so exhausted for so little.
Jan 17 & 18: Carla and Jake went running together. I have missed our runs. It's been so great that he's back out there!
Jan 25: Carla missed her long run. First run missed in a long time. Too much on the go, and a crummy day, added up to procrastination that lasted till bedtime! Jake subsequently missed his run too. Saskatoon Marathon training was to start today!

And for Jake:
He's been sticking to his running plan really well. It is a huge help for him to have a treadmill at work. He has progressed from 3s and 1s to steady running. He had a few knee aches at the beginning but they seem to have subsided. He also went to see an orthopedic surgeon who was able to put his name on a list for an MRI.

Oh, and somewhere in there we registered for the Goofy Race and a Half in January 2010!

Sunday, January 11. A gorgeous day, so I went out, and went long. The coolest thing today was the ice depositing fog. My eyelashes were super thick in frost! I found a new route that travels along the outskirts of the city and loved it. There was little traffic, abundant long stretches of openness, and the roads were more clear than the city ones! I was grateful for the mild wind, otherwise the open stretches could have been quite cold. It was between -12 and -10 and my behind was only cool (not frozen!). I covered 25 kilometers in 2 hours and 30 minutes. I enjoyed a nice long walk home to stretch my legs, and a warm soak in the tub to take away the chill that set in once I was home. I believe Jake ran at work today - and he had 5k on schedule.

Saturday, January 10. Happy Birthday MomP! We had a few errands and things to do today and so my day was a little messed up. I really did not feel like going for a run at 4pm when I finally had time to head out. Only 6k covered, and I was a bit nauseous. I had not waited long enough after my late lunch! But I did it. Jake had a day off.
Week totals: Carla 51.1, Jake 15.2
Year totals: Carla 66.1, Jake 22.2

Friday, January 9. Rest day for Carla. Good thing cause I really enjoyed the sleeping in! Jake ran on the treadmill at Lakewood for 3k and then did 20 min on a bike while he waited for me to finish my shift at work.

Thursday, January 8. I did not sleep at all last night. I remember tossing and turning and checking the time, all hours! My 8k run was really hard. Sleep sure makes a difference. Jake had the running day off.

Wednesday, January 7.I decided to take it easy on the paces this week. I figured I didn't need to be tired out! I did manage 10k before school and Jake did 4k at work.

Tuesday, January 6. Oh my, what an early day. I remember to get up today though! I did a sleepy 6k around the hood and Jake did 3k at work.

Monday, January 5. University started. School is back on. I am now a third year nursing student. This academic term is only five weeks long and with three classes. Many essays and projects due, so blogging time will be hard to find! No running today for either Jake or myself. (Good thing, cause I couldn't even get myself out of bed for my alarm, and missed my bus!!!)

Sunday, January 4. I woke up to -40 (-53 with wind) this morning. I think the arctic has followed me. Exercising my intelligence, I drove to the university and was on the treadmill by 8:00 am. I had to be home by 10:30 to drive Jake to work, so time was my limiting factor today. I played with the incline and speed quite a bit more than I did two weeks ago when I did another long treadmill run. Hopefully, my legs won't be so sore. So in 2 hours and 4 minutes I ran a half marathon, and felt great doing so! The slippery snow has been making me stronger. Jake will be doing his run later today after his shift tonight. It's a blessing we both have access to treadmills!

Saturday, January 3. Jake missed his run yesterday as he was unexpectedly called into work a midnight shift. He ran on the treadmill there early Saturday morning before coming home. He is still on 3s and 1s, and ran 4k. As for me, I too went for a treadmill run. I went to work early to find a machine in the gym. It was packed and I almost did not get my 30 minute time slot. The new year is always busy for, oh, about a week! I did squeeze in a quick 6k, after a 10 minute bike warm up.
Carla week total: 51 km Jake week total: 11 km
Carla 2009 total: 15 km Jake 2009 total: 7 km

Friday, January 2. Jake missed his run due to changes in work schedules. Carla had a day off.

Thursday, January 1. "Great way to start the new year: first thing out of bed, put on the running gear and hit the street. OK, it was 12:30pm but it was first thing out of bed!" It took a little while for Jake to find his winter running clothes but it was nice that we headed out together. His plan today was 3k with 3s and 1s. I tagged along, and quite liked the walking breaks! It was so nice to have a running partner again. He returned home and got the snow blower working for the first time. We had quite a dump of snow last night! I went back out an ran another 6k steady. I was quite exhausted. I cannot wait until the roads have been plowed. I keep chalking up this hard running as something that will make me stronger! Once home, I grabbed the shovel and helped clean the drive way. It's a great way to get some strength training done. During the late afternoon Jake spent a bit of time icing his knee. Crummy that it hurts, but I'm glad he's doing something about it. Oh- wait. He went for bike ride yesterday! Yes, a bike ride outside. He says it helps his knee and he's going to do some building up of the muscles around it. Later in the evening, we went for a drive. I've been curious where the road from the Willows goes, westward past Lorne Ave. We found a great "country road" and I may have to add it to my running routes. I like a long, empty road. My days in Rankin developed my appreciation for nothingness! I find it so much more relaxing than running along the trucking routes and houses around here!

And the resolution is: run 2009km in 2009! Here is to staying healthy enough to do so.

Wednesday, December 31. It has been another great year. It is fun to reflect back on all the wonderful things that have gone on in life! We've been most fortunate. My resolution, well, my goal, was to run 2008km in 2008. I did not make it, but I'm good with that! I figure if you add in all the spin classes, the bit of swimming and water running, bike riding, weight room time, that's got to count. It was great that I was even able to cross-train. And, my foot is mostly better. So no complaints here. Today, I snuck out early before our "blizzard" brewed and I ran 8km. Jake and I spent the afternoon hanging around the house, went to his parents for dinner, then out to a co-workers to ring in the new year.
December Total: 183.1 km
2008 Total: 1062.55 km

Tuesday, December 30. It was time to get back into the tempo runs. I've plotted out my running plan with the S'toon marathon training starting near the end of Janauary. I've got to be able to run 10k tempo runs... so today I re-started with 5k. It was an exhausting little run in all the loose snow. I'd say that would be the one real thing I dislike about running in the winter. The energy lost on slippery footing. I did still manage to run 5k in 26:21 minutes! OH - and Jake hit the treadmill! He's calling himself a professional runner. There is a machine at work and he is able to run there, while getting paid. Perfect. He is beginning with 3 minutes of running, and 1 minute of walking - going 3-4km each time.

Monday, December 29. Off

Sunday, December 28. It was -9 with a warm windchill of -16 when I started my run today. I was so glad to have a nice day. The run was hard as there had been quite a bit of snow during the early morning. Every foot step was met with some slipping and sliding! Needless to say I was a little extra tired and had to run slower than I usually do. I did manage 23 kilometers in about 2 hours and 25 minutes, which is still amazing. I was in my new red Running Room jacket today, and a new running bra. Both worked wonderfully. I love Christmas prezzies!

Saturday, December 27. Jake and I hit the Meewasin Trail for a nice walk during the late morning. It was great to be down by the river with the sun beams hitting our face. It's been grey and gloomy the last few days. After I drove him to work, I went to Harry Bailey for a swim before my life guarding shift. I did not count my laps, but managed to keep moving for an hour. It was nice to have some new activities today.
Carla's Week total: 31k running, 1 hour swimming, 45 min walk

Friday, December 26. Happy Boxing Day! I slept amazingly well after all that turkey! I drove Jake to work in the afternoon then came home for a run. I tackled 8 km around the neighbourhood. I went to mom and dads for some cheer and to mooch some yummy soup for supper.

Thursday, December 25. Merry Christmas. And merry it certainly was. We had an amazing day with family and friends. And Santa was good too!

Wednesday, revisited - I never did go for a run or a swim. Oh well.

Wednesday, December 24. I'm up early to go for a run... but I think I need to wait a little bit longer. My calves are really sore from Sunday's run. It wasn't the distance, or the pace, that was hard or new for me. It has got to be the repetitiveness of the treadmill that has made me stiff. I tried to move the pace a little, but I didn't touch it much. I have not run since that day, and don't like that I'm missing another one. And today is even a balmy -25 with no wind! Perhaps after a morning of warming up my muscles I'll see if I can go out for a short easy run later today. Maybe I'll hop in the pool after my shift at work and go for a bit of a swim too.

Tuesday, December 23 - No run. But there was a bit of a work out while shopping! No, not presents. Groceries!

Monday, December 22 - No run.

Sunday, December 21. It was -36 with a windchill of -50. I just could not go out in that today! I drove to the university and found a comfortable treadmill. I ran for 2 hours and 18 minutes to accomplish 23 kilometers. Challenges included the treadmill shutting down every 30 minutes as it had a maximum time. I hate those. But the worst challenge was having to watch the Brittney Spears show on MTV. I should find out if I am allowed to change the channel. They use closed captioning, so I could read along as I ran and look away when I wanted. I tackled the malls after and finished up my Christmas shopping. I even had some time to stop in at my in-laws for a visit. It's been a nice day, but I could sure use an early night to bed!

Saturday, December 20. I spent all day waiting for the wind to die down, and it never did. I just wasn't feeling up to it, and so, for the first time in a long time, I missed my run. I kept busy working on my Christmas letter. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, but I'm glad I was able to get one out this year!

Friday, December 19. No run day. I did manage to get Jake outside and we did some snow shoveling and tobogganing! We had a great time at the Diefenbaker hill. I can't wait until I have my old wooden toboggan from my parents - perhaps I'll get that this week!

Thursday, December 18. I have realized that the best part of having holidays right now is that I can wait for daylight before I go running. The challenge though is that my motivation to run lessens as the day wears on. I did put on my shoes today at around 12:30 when it finally warmed up to -23. I ventured out a little and plotted a new route through The Willows and found a nice 10k loop. I ran it in 56:32 which is fast for me these days. I was most impressed that I felt pretty good too. I've realized that this is week 8 of doing five runs per week, so perhaps I'm starting to feel back in shape.

Wednesday, December 17. 10k. I'm not sure what remarkable things I can say. I must have zonned out! That being said, I did get 10k done. I thought about doing the extra 2k that I missed yesterday, but then thought "what for". Okay - my butt was cold at 10k, and it was time to go in!

Tuesday, December 16. So much for my plan to run 10k these next three days, because today I only did 8k. I lazed around in bed a little too long and I was going to be late for the dentist, so I had to cut it short. It was a very frosty run and my eyelashes were caked, and I was dripping when I arrived back in the house. I love runs like that.

Monday, December 15. A nothing day.

Sunday, December 14. I'm not sure what I used to do in Rankin to keep my butt warm... perhaps the extra insulation on it these days is actually to it's detriment! It was -33 with wind WNW 13 km/hr for a windchill of -44. Happy that I ran a little extra long last week, I decided that this week: one: I'd take a cut back week and run less today and two: maybe I could just run a few 10ks all week to make up the kilometers I'd miss today. So I went out, with thicker layers than yesterday, with the intention of doing 10k... but if I stayed warm enough I'd do maybe 14 or 16. Well, at 13k I decided I better come in and warm up. So I guess, I will call it a win!

Saturday, December 13. Sorry about the lag in postings. I was doing so well there for a little while. I will blame the 12 hour shifts of clinical, the 12 hour days of assignments, the death of our main computer, and sleepiness for my lack of updates! I've still been running five times a week and accumulating the kilometers well. Once we get our new computer up and running (maybe this weekend), and update it properly with my Garmin running data, I will come back to this post to add my blurbs. I like having a record of things here! Now, as for today. I slept in until 10am and it took me until about 1130 to muster up the courage to head out. Today has been the coldest day yet. It was -27 with the wind north 30 gusting 39 for a windchill of -42. I know that still sounds a little wimpy after my years of running in Rankin. And for it to be Dec 13 for this my first cold day.... I consider myself lucky! Nevertheless, I had to track down my jar of vaseline so I could smear up my eyes/face. And so, out I went and ran 6 kilometers around the neighbourhood. I choose a route that had cross winds more than head on wind. I was wise. My behind and upper legs were frozen when I got home. I wonder if there is such a thing as fleece capris. Maybe I'll have to see if Santa can bring me a pair.

Saturday, November 15. I slept in; a whole 10 hours of the glorious stuff! It was quite odd to have such an exhausting run today. I ran my regular 6k at my regular pace and my heart rate averaged about 10 beats higher. I hope I am not getting sick.
Carla's week total: 37k
Year total: 785.45k

Friday, November 14. Happy Birthday to Warren and Paula!
Good thing there was no running today as my feet are still killing me. It's hard to go from long days sitting in a classroom to 12 hours on your feet!

Thursday, November 13. I planned a small run today as I had my first 12 hour shift at the hospital! I was up at 4:45am to get the 4 kilometers in. The run felt great and I did a few surges at the end - some fast running for 100m or so with a bit of rest between.

Wednesday, November 12. I went out for a 6k steady run. Jake left for Vegas today. His porn star mustache is quite funny though I can't wait for him to come home all clean shaven!