My disappearance!

I disappeared for a bit. Life has been hectic and I have been under the weather in one capacity or another for the past three weeks. It's completely crazy.

 

Remember this post? My lack of motivation that I was sure would pick up the following week.

It did, but I also picked up a nasty head cold that I'm still fighting almost an entire week and a half later. I didn't use a sick day, fought my way through the school day and by the time I got home I was wiped! There was no running.


By Sunday, I was feeling better, not 100%, but better. I figured I'd give it until Monday to go for a run because the boys will be back at daycare and I can go whenever I felt like it. Plus the weather was absolutely miserable.

About 4:00 on Sunday afternoon, I tweak something in my back. My younger son had decided he wanted a particular pillow and the only way to reach this pillow was by climbing on the coffee table. As I rushed over to grab him, I guess I twisted in an awkward way and ended up messing up my back enough that I had to make a trip to get Robaxacet.



Well, it's Friday and I'd say I'm back up to 80% with my back. My cold is still lingering and specific movements still make my back feel funny, but it's almost there.

Unfortunately, just as I am getting better, we're headed off on vacation. Since we're traveling with the boys, heading off for a run by myself in a foreign (to me) city doesn't seem right. My running will have to wait until we get back. Hopefully that means my back will be 100% and my cold will have disappeared.

Either way, I'll be starting my triathlon training when we get back, so come hell or high water, I'll be fighting through! The Iron Girl sprint triathlon will be a little over a month away when we return!



Have a great long weekend everyone!

One Week

*Disclaimer* This post doesn't discuss running much. More my mental health.

I have one more week of school to go.

One more week and the craziness of being a full-time working mom calms itself down and I get to spend lots of time with my munchkins as I turn into a stay-at-home mom for a couple of months.

I'm really looking forward to it more than in previous years.

Not sure if it was my crop of kids this year or the fact that life is busier as my boys are getting bigger but I just feel that I need this summer break.

I feel like it'll give me a chance to get life and myself back on track.

Things just move slower. It's no longer waking up to an alarm clock, quickly getting the boys dressed and out the door and then coming home to get dinner made and to an activity. We just go with the flow, wake up whenever, no rushing.

I'm excited to see where my running and fitness will take me.

I'm starting to look up recipes to try, exercises at the playground, those types of things.

I just need to make it through one more hot, sticky week in my classroom.

Do you take weeks off in the summer?

What are you looking forward to most?

Motivation Shmotivation

Apparently, I left my motivation to do any form of exercise on Toronto Island last weekend.

I have done nothing (except hit my step goal) this week in the form of exercise. I haven't even gone for my walks during my lunch break.

Now that I don't have anything until August, my mind is thinking, 'meh, you've got time'.

The biggest motivation killer is definitely work. We have 7 days of school left and all I can think of is what I need to do to get things finished, cleaned up, organized for September, etc. We've had our new Kindergarten orientation on Tuesday and our Celebration of Learning for our current Kinders yesterday and now I'm exhausted! Next week is all about cleaning up my class.

I've decided to just ride this wave of 'meh-ness' for today.

I've also determined that next week is going to be spent getting myself ready for summer. I'm printing off recipes, workouts, calendars to keep everything organized and just being proactive for the summer. I'm setting a goal to get down to at least 150lbs by the end of the summer and I'm completely set on getting there. I'm hoping that having more time to find and cook healthier meals will get me back on track, I just need to keep the junk out of the house.

Does your motivation ever disappear?

How do you get yourself back on track?

So..What Now?

I think I'm coming down from that post race high.

I did the tri-a-try two weekends ago and the 15K race this past weekend and I'm left thinking..

WHAT NOW?

Well, first I have to make it to the end of the school year. 9 days left to go but those 9 days can seem really long.

My next race is a sprint triathlon in Grimsby called Iron Girl. They have races all over the States, but I think this is the only one in Ontario.

This race will be a stretch since it's distances are longer than the try-a-tri. I'm definitely going to start my swim training too. Time to really get to the pool for laps and when we head to the cottage I'll be doing a lot of open water swimming as well.

My training was supposed to start yesterday, but I'm still dealing with sore legs from the 15K and my left hip is acting up a bit. I'm getting some good stabbing pains every so often and they catch me completely off guard. I'm hoping to get in a light 5k tomorrow after work to see how everything feels and then we'll either relax some more or get into training depending on how it goes. Plus, I'll get an opportunity to play with my new watch a little more.

I'm really fighting the urge to sign up for a race every weekend. It's amazing the high that comes from 'racing' and really pushing yourself.

What races do you have coming up?



Nike Women's Run 15K race recap

This race can be summed up in one word:

CONGESTION!

When getting ready the night before, I jammed my bag check bag with an entire change of clothes, dry shoes, my rain jacket and my umbrella. The forecast stated rain for most of the day and I hate, hate, hate being in wet clothes.

I made it down to Toronto with plenty of time, got parked nice and close (paid a ridiculous fee, but oh well, the convenience was nice in the end) and managed to get over to the ferry line. I got there as the 7:00am ferry line was leaving (even though it was after 7) and got into the 8:00 am line up. I chatted with a few other ladies that were waiting in line as well and we were sharing stories of other Nike races. We hopped onto the ferry, rode over to the island and things were going smooth.

Where the race took place...Toronto Island

I dropped my bag at the bag check station and went wandering to find my friend, Lisa. I also ran into a mother from the school I teach at (who is way faster than me) and was heading into corral number 2 (I mean crazy fast). I then decided to hop into the bathroom line. It was long, but it was either waiting in line for the washroom or waiting in the corral. Figured I'd use the washroom. While waiting, it started raining. I decided to hang out in the washroom for a bit since our corral wasn't actually running until 10:00am (I got into the washroom at 9:00). Eventually, I headed out and waited in the corral until it was time to go.

It took a lot of time to get into a stride. There were soooo many people! I looked at my fancy new watch and my pace was around 8:00! WHAT!? You couldn't even weave in and out amongst people it was that jammed. Plus, we walked at some points to avoid puddles. Just run through them!

We continued through kilometer after kilometer (which weren't spaced out properly either as my watch vibrated about 0.14 before each marker) being tightly bunched. There was one part where we ran on a runway at Billy Bishop airport. At that point, it was wide enough that we had our own space to move. Unfortunately, it didn't last long so we were all bunched up again pretty quick.

Running the runway was pretty cool!

After that, it was just a big blur of arms, legs, swerving, slowing down, speeding up, passing, being passed, etc. I did hit my 10k mark with a better time than my last 10K. I passed that mark at 1:09 (Oakville 10K I did 1:10). After the 10K, I needed some walking time. I was just so frustrated with the number of people that I needed a little break. Luckily, there was a bridge that I was able to walk up. I had a couple more walk breaks. Once I hit the 2.5km mark left I told myself, 'no more walking'. Of course, we hit the boardwalk. On top of being congested, we added slippery wood to the growing issues. Once we got off the boardwalk, it was about 0.75km to the finish. I pushed as hard as my legs would go at that point.

I finished in 1:47:55, a 16 minute PR from the last time I did a 15K (two years ago but still). I quickly made my way through the finisher area, grabbed my food, pendant and bag check and headed for the ferry line. I had promised my boys (and my husband) that I would take them to a movie in the afternoon because I hadn't been home all day. Luckily, the ferry line went a lot faster than I expected, I got back to my car as fast as my legs would go and got back on the highway quickly too! I was thankful for my dry clothes because I was warm on the ferry on the way back and everyone else was freezing! I made it home in plenty of time to shower and have some tea before heading to the movie. 

Overall, the experience was the same as DC. Lots and lots of people that started out running and ended up walking. I was passing people that started out in Wave 4! Clearly they were either unprepared, injured or just way too confident in their abilities when they signed up. I love the finished necklace, t-shirt and sweater, but they almost need to cut down on the number of people. 

My newest necklace! Never thought I'd own anything from Tiffany's!

Even though I complain about it, if another Nike event comes up,  I'll still probably do it. Just for the bling of course!

 

Nike Women's 15K in Toronto

I'm running again this weekend.

After this, I'm taking a break until August!

On Sunday, I'm doing the Nike Women's 15K race on the Toronto Island.

I'm kind of looking forward to it, but the idea of all the logistics to get there are kind of dampening my spirits.

The race takes place on the Toronto Island, which is great in itself, except that you need to take a ferry to get across. The ferry is fine as well, once you get to it. I'm taking the 8:00am ferry across (according to my ticket), but I'm not set to run until 10:00. The ferry takes 20 minutes at most! What do I do there for an hour and a half?! I figure I'll bring my book and catch up on a few chapters while I have the chance!

Also, getting there is going to be a pain. One of the main streets into the city to get to the ferry is closed off due to the Toronto Honda Indy that is held at the exhibition. I was looking at taking the train and then grabbing a cab to the ferry terminal, but the first train running won't get in until my ferry has already left! I'm just going to drive in and wing it from there.

Oh and we're only given a plastic bag to hold our belongings for bag check. Usually, I don't even use the bag check, but since I'm going to be leaving early and hanging around for awhile I figured I'd bring some stuff to keep me occupied. Then I remembered the little bag. So I guess I'll have to see how much I can fit into my bag before hand. I'll wear my warm clothes, shove them in my plastic bag with my keys and hope they'll all come back to me.

I am looking forward to running for two reasons. One, the necklace! Not sure what it looks like until race day, but I'm really excited to get another necklace. And two, I get to use my new Garmin Forerunner 220. I got it for my birthday last weekend and haven't had a chance to use it between the weather, other commitments and knee pain. I'm hoping that knowing my pace while I'm running will help me keep going.

In my previous (and only other) 15K, I set a time for myself of 2:03. I'm seriously hoping to PB on this race and unless something crazy happens I should be able to. I finished my last 10K race at 1:10 so adding another 5K in shouldn't take me too long.

Anyway, I'm hoping that everything works out and that my race report next week is a positive one (on both the getting there end and the racing end)!

Five Favourite Summer Activities!

Summer is a fantastic time! I love that you can spend most of your time outdoors. For me, work is done (I teach Kindergarten) so I get to take some time to spend with my boys who go to daycare all day. I find lots of ways to keep them busy or else I lose my mind. Luckily, they're pretty good, just love being active.





I'm linking up at Eat, Run, Pray DC , Mar on the Run and You Signed up for What? to share five of my favourite summer activities! Here they go!


#1. Run outside!

Fairly obvious I'm sure. I don't mind running on the treadmill, but I definitely don't push myself on there like I do when I'm running outside. The fresh air, lots of things to look at, people to 'race'. It's fantastic!


#2. Splashpads and parks
My boys love going to the splash pads. They're perfect because I can bring a blanket and a book or magazine and let them run around. They have blast! I usually bring lunch as well so we make an entire morning of it. Then we drive home, both boys sleep and I hit up the $1 drinks at McDonalds!


#3. Beach

I love going to the beach. We don't go much because there aren't many decent beaches that are really, really close, but as long as there is sand and water I'm happy. Our favourite beach to go to, that is about 20 minutes away and is on a man-made lake in a conservation area is called Kelso (also where my try-a-tri took place). The water is fairly shallow, there is lots of beach space and lifeguards!! There is also a concession stand and BBQs. We often go with our friends who have kids as well. It makes for a great day!


#4. Patios

I love eating outside. It's kind of a sad situation at our house because we don't have a table on our deck in the backyard. The one we had was a mess and we just haven't replaced it. I love sitting outside and eating dinner. It also cuts down on having to sweep and clean up once we are done eating (which can be a big mess after feeding a two year old rice).


#5. Afternoons outside
Last summer, my boys would still nap (not sure that's happening this year). After their nap, we'd usually spend the entire afternoon outside playing in our 'pool', their playhouse and with their water table. Again, I grab a book, sit in my lawn chair and watch them play. No wonder I'm able to get lots of reading done!


What are your favourite things to do in the summer?

I'm a triathlete...Part 2!

If you didn't get a chance to read Part 1 of my try-a-tri recap you can find it here.

Anyway, I finished my bike, hopped off and somehow ran it back to the transition area to re-rack it. Boy, did my legs not work properly. I now understand the importance of brick workouts! I got back to my spot and put my bike in the wrong way and I couldn't get the handlebars under the rack. I should have gone in backwards and clearly didn't. I ended up tipping my bike sideways and got it under. I had already clipped my number on so all that was left was to take off my helmet and adjust my hair. This was easy to do because I still couldn't run. My legs were not under me yet!

The 2.5k run course for the try-a-tri started out with a steep uphill. There was no way I was running that. I got myself to the top, still walked for a couple more seconds to make sure everything was still working and then started running. The run course was on trails and clearly there were some rainy days with vehicles driving over the trails because there were many places where the trail was torn up a bit and I had to watch my footing.

This is what that hill felt like after the bike ride!

I hit up the water station, grabbed a water and a gatorade and felt much better after that. I hadn't had much to drink and definitely needed that fluid. I hit the turn-around point that was in the nice shady woods and then hit the water station again on the way back. After that my legs were good to go and I managed to get myself running a what I assumed was a decent pace the rest of the way back. I finished the running portion in 17:24 which isn't the greatest time for me, but I'm happy with it!

My overall race time was 1:05:54.9!

I ended coming in near the end of the race because about 5 minutes after I finished they blew the whistle to re-open the transition zone for us to get our stuff. Even though I was near the end, I'm not disappointed. It was my first try-a-tri, I hadn't trained well at all and I was just hoping to finish, which I did! However, I did learn a lot along the way.

Here's what I learned:

*I need a better bike (looking for one in the fall when prices drop)

* I need to practice my swim (both in the pool and open water)

*I need more brick training from the bike to running

* I need to place a water bottle on my towel for in between

* I need a tri-suit or at least something that will wick away the water better

* I need to challenge myself each year on my birthday

and lastly...

I loved every minute of it and can't wait to do another one!

I will definitely be doing Ironman Muskoka 70.3 at some point in my life (I'm thinking two years).

I am registered for IronGirl Sprint in August so until then I will be training, training, training!



I'm a triathlete!

I've decided to break this race recap into two separate posts because there is so much I want to share! So be sure to check back tomorrow for the run and what I learned portion!

Honestly, this was the most nervous for a race I have ever been. I had loads of trouble sleeping Friday and Saturday night and had lots of dreams of drowning, falling off my bike, getting lost, not doing things properly in the transition zone, being late, etc. The list goes on and on. I also was fighting some sort of throat and stomach issues and the lack of sleep that comes with having two busy boys.

I went looking for a wetsuit on Friday after work, got to the store an hour away and found out that I had left my wallet at work. So, I ended up turning around and driving home without a wetsuit. I'd just have to suck up and deal with the cold temperatures. Saturday evening I spent getting myself ready to go and loaded my bike into my car (need to get a bike rack).

I got up at 6:30 Sunday morning and managed to sneak out without waking the boys. I stopped at a Tim Hortons along the way and grabbed a plain bagel with herb and garlic cream cheese, but I could only get half of it down. It wasn't tasting good at all. I got to the conservation area, parked and started the walk with my bike to the transition and race area.

I was on the lookout for my friends from work that were racing. One has done Ironman Muskoka 70.3 so I was hoping to grab a few last tips from here, but I was on my own. I asked a couple of people around for help too and they were fantastic. I grabbed my race kit and headed over to rack my bike. As I was unloading everything, I was listening to the announcement and heard that blue caps were in the first wave. Um, no. I had a blue cap and was not supposed to be in that wave. I checked my envelope and they had me listed as a 16 female. I quickly headed over to the registration table and had it switched for a white cap. Phewf!


Eventually, it was time to get into the water. I decided to dunk myself in the 68 degree weather, then get out with only my feet in so that my body would feel the water as warm when I went back in. Of course, I happen to get bit by a fish. This is the main reason I'm not a huge fan of open water swimming. Fish and other creatures that I can't see.

The lake. We were closer to the left hand side of the picture.
Anyway, the swim started and I managed to front crawl for a grand total of a minute. I suck. Clearly, I need more to work more on my swimming. I managed to get around two of the three buoys before the third wave of swimmers (that started 3 minutes after me) caught us and then I got clunked in the head. The 350m swim took me a total of 10:39.


I finished the rest of the swim, wobbled my way out of the water and back into the transition zone to start the bike. First, I quickly changed my top, dried my feet and got my shoes tied and helmet on. I grabbed my bike and off I went.


The bike was brutal. As I mentioned before, I have a hybrid bike. It's heavy, hasn't been overly well-maintained and according to another athlete isn't properly fitted for me. The bike route seemed relatively easy, especially since we were bypassing the giant hill the sprint athletes had to do, but there were still hills. They were more gradual rollers but they never seemed to end! My giant, clunky bike was no match for them (nor for the 20-30 riders that passed me on their road bikes). By the end I was pushing with everything I had in me. I was so happy to get off my bike! I finished the 10K bike portion in 32:35.







I'll post the run and round out my thoughts tomorrow.

National Running Day!

I'm linking up at Eat, Run, Pray DC , Mar on the Run and You Signed up for What? to share my love for National Running Day!




I celebrated this special day by running 4 miles after work. I had noticed from my run on Monday that my posture was really off and that I spent a lot of time looking at the ground and my shoes and that I was really shuffling by the end of the run. I decided that I was really going to focus on my posture and making sure that I was upright so I forced myself to not look at my shoes.


Wednesday's run!
I think it was pretty successful given that my time was faster and I didn't have a kilometer over 7:00.


I've decided to embrace that fact that I'm always going to be a slow runner. There are no if's and's and but's about it. I might be able to get my time down a bit, but I'll most likely never place. I was very frustrated with this at first, because everything I tried, my times were never getting much better. My goal now is to have fun, get healthy and try to set PBs for myself, which is still a very difficult challenge for me.


The big question on National Running Day was, Why do you run? Here are the reasons I run:


*Me time
* Setting a positive example for my boys
* The extra calories for treats
*The community
*The comfy clothes
*The medals
*The sense of accomplishment


There are so many reasons that people run but this is my list. I think my favourite benefit of running is definitely the community. The comradery at races and events is amazing. The support of everyone, whether you're fast, slow or in between is so fun and inspiring. I can't wait to see what the triathlon community is like! I'm thinking it's the same as the running community and if it is, I'm excited to be a part of such special things.



What do you run for?  

My upcoming try-a-tri!

So panic is really starting to set in.

On Sunday, I'm starting to plant my foot into the world of triathlons.

I'm participating in a try-a-tri at a local conservation area.

I haven't gone swimming since March and even that was just parent and tot swimming with my youngest son. I've taken my bike for a spin here and there but not very far or very long.

Luckily, the event is short. It is a 350m swim, a 10k bike ride and a 2.5k run.

The biggest question I have been asking myself all week is if I need a wetsuit. Since the temperatures have been really warm, the lake temperature has been on the warmer side but the temperatures aren't supposed to be overly warm on Sunday. The downside is that I don't own a wetsuit. I'd have to rent one and the idea of renting one for a 350m swim isn't favourable. Plus, it's a 45 minute drive to pick it up on Friday afternoon (one way) and then another drive on Monday to return it. Decisions, decisions. I'm going to call the store today and see if they have any left. If not, my decision is made!
I'm actually really nervous about the transitions.

This might be the scariest part (an open water swim)


I spent a lot of time looking at Phaedra's post on Tuesday, which was all about streamlining transitions. I'm using all of her tips to get myself set up on Sunday. Granted, I don't have the fancy cycling shoes or tri suit so I'm going to have to put on shorts and a tank as well as socks and take the time to do up my running shoes. Also, I'll be riding a hybrid bike, so I'm not expecting to burn it up on the bike.



I figure this is my starting point. I'm already signed up for a sprint triathlon in August (Iron Girl) so I have to figure it out all pretty quick. Beginning June 14th, I'm hoping to follow an 8 week sprint triathlon training program that I've found online. It'll be tricky because we do have a family trip planned to Philadelphia as well as a trip to the cottage (good for open water swimming) but the biking might suffer a bit.


Either way, I'm looking to have fun trying out a new sport. I have a couple friends doing the sprint triathlon and a friend trying the duathlon so I figure it'll be fun morning if anything!


Anyone else done a try-a-tri? How did it go?

A re-introduction since I'm starting over

I just realized that I haven't really re-introduced myself after re-starting this blog.

My name is Victoria and I'm currently 32 years old (my birthday is on Sunday, but I'm holding onto the 32 as long as I can!). I have two little boys, a 4.5 year old and 2 year old who turns 3 in October.

I live just outside of Toronto in Ontario, Canada and teach 28 lovely munchkins in a full-day Kindergarten program.


I started running in January 2012 (in the dead of winter) as a way to lose the baby weight that I had gained with both boys (since I didn't lose any from the first one in between my two pregnancies). It was easy, relatively cheap and I had a friend who did the Couch to 5K program with me.


I ran my first 5k in May of 2012 and was instantly bit by the running bug. Since then, I've done numerous races. I'm definitely not fast by any definition but I've never come last, so I consider that a win!


This blog is named after my first pair of real running shoes, a pair of Saucony Ride 5's, that were bright pink. I was definitely not a pink girl until I started wearing these.


I'm becoming more interested in triathlons and am registered for two this summer (one try-a-tri and one sprint). I'm also hoping to get more into road biking, but I have a hybrid right now and daycare payments don't allow for a new road bike currently. Hopefully, when things go on sale in the fall I'll find a good deal.


On my downtime, other than running, I love being crafty and reading. I love to make things for my boys, my family and my friends (especially babies)! The sense of accomplishment from finishing a project is the same as finishing a race for me! Reading is my other passion that gets pushed aside a lot. There isn't much time to read other than a bed time and I'm usually too tired to read more than a page or two.


I have two big goals for my running this season. First, consistently run a sub 30:00 5k (I've done it twice so far) and run a sub 2:30 half marathon at the Road 2 Hope Half Marathon in Hamilton in November.



I hope you enjoy what you read from this completely amateur, never in real contention for anything,  athlete and that I can inspire someone (or maybe two people)!


Thanks for reading and hopefully you'll come back again!

June Goals

In one of my Facebook groups that I'm a part of I was asked to list my fitness goals for the month of June. I've written them down in a note on my iPad but I've decided that I'm going to share them here as well since whatever is on the blog is law, right?

So without further ado, here are my goals for the month:

* Run at least 35 miles

* Finish my June Ab Challenge that was posted yesterday

* 3 run days/3 strength days each week

* 6 week strength challenge (which runs into July)

* at least 11, 000 steps each day

* Track my food each day

So far, day 1 went well! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

We'll have to see how the rest of the month goes when all the craziness begins!

I did my first strength workout this morning (the first in a long time) and man do I suck! I could barely keep up the exercises for the full minute required! It'll definitely be a push.

I did a 4 mile run yesterday. I've determined that I'm just going to be slow for the rest of my life and that my sub 2:30 half marathon time is going to take everything I have! Also, I'm not sure why I decided to take the last week of May off, but apparently that was dumb. We're not doing that again. A week is just too long to take off. My legs felt horrible at first and I have a massive cramp in my left calf that I just can't work out (hello, massage time!). I guess my foam roller will be my best friend until I can work it out!


What goals do you have for the month?

Motivation Monday - June 1st edition

A new month, a new plan and a new me!


I decided that I'm starting a new strength routine that I found at Women's Health and I'm beginning it today with Week 1.


My new schedule is going to look something like this


Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Strength Training
Wednesday: Run
Thursday: Strength Training
Friday: Run
Saturday: Strength Training
Sunday: Long Run


This schedule is going to change once school is out (June 26th) since the boys will be home with me and I'll have to adjust my running times most likely to the morning before they get up but we'll have to see what that looks like too since they get up fairly early. I'm hoping to log at least 35 miles this month.


I'm also going to do this challenge:





I'm hoping that this will set me on the right track to getting into the shape that I want. Just focusing on my running wasn't cutting it anymore.


What are your goals for June?


Any exciting races coming up?




Friday Free for all!

I've decided to switch my blog. I loved my blog, Smiles 'n' Snuggles, but now that the boys are getting older, I've decided that I don't really want them out on the Internet as much and I'd prefer to focus on my running anyway. Instead, I've decided to revive this blog and focus more on myself! So I figured why not introduce my newish blog by joining the Friday Five!


I'm linking up at Eat, Run, Pray DC , Mar on the Run and You Signed up for What? ! This week, the Friday Five is a free one! So, for this free Friday, I've decided to share with you my plans for the next 5 weekends because they're absolutely insane. I can't believe I've scheduled this much! Lots of running!

1. May 30/31

My niece's birthday and the entire family is participating in a fun zoo run. My niece is really getting into running and is starting to participate in a lot of the fun runs in her area. So we're all heading to my in-laws for the weekend to run along with her. Not sure if I'm going to do the 5k or the 1k with everyone else. It'll depend on the weather.

I'm also excited to hit up the Farmer's Market! It's the first one of the season and I'm excited to start getting some of my fresh produce and other goodies from there instead of the grocery store!

2. June 6/7

I have a wedding shower to attend for my husband's cousin which I'm really looking forward to. I do need to get a dress now that I think about it though! I completely forgot about that part!

June 7th is my birthday! It's also the day of my try-a-triathlon! I'm very excited and slightly nervous! After that, we have a family reunion for another of my husband's cousins who is visiting from Japan. I've only met her once before so it'll be nice to see her again.

3. June 13/14

It's the Nike Women's 15K race on Toronto Island. I'm half looking forward to this race. I haven't been running many long distances lately so I need to get my mileage back up, but I'm looking forward to another amazing finisher medal. I'm hoping it's another Tiffany Necklace like the beautiful one I got when I ran the Nike DC Women's race. I'm not really looking forward to the gigantic pain in the neck it is to get to the Island but oh well.

4. June 20/21

Father's Day! We usually head over to my parent's for a BBQ with all my siblings. We might try to head back to see my in-laws as well (so my husband can see his dad), since we always make the grandfathers a present on Father's Day. Of course, my husband will get his gifts and a gigantic chance to relax!

5. June 27/28

The last day of school is June 26, so June 27 I'll be starting my first weekend of the summer! I can't believe how quickly time flies and that another school year is done!

So the next few weekends are crazy busy! Add soccer and gymnastics to that and life is a mess! However, I enjoy being busy and as long as the weather holds up I'll be a happy camper!


Anyway, thanks for visiting my 'new' blog! I hope you come back soon to visit!