Spring.

March is almost over, hard to believe but it was a busy crazy month and I am just finding some time to write about the things I have been up to. It has been a great month and we have been pretty busy... classes are intense but fun and I am just a few weeks out from final exams..andthen a nice 2 week break!

I headed to Florida with SV and his kidlets and we were lucky to have some great weather, blue skies every day. We went with the MUSAC swim team who were doing a swimming training camp (along with a group from LAC, Guelph, and Cambridge)...it was great to see the LAC kids again, they all looked fit and were training hard! SV and I had decided to swim once per day and we were going to run a few times while we were there and then spend the rest of the time doing touristy things.

Our first swim workout was long course and sunny, I couldn't have been happier. I was feeling a little sluggish and it was a long swim of 5500m but it was a good start. Through the week I started to feel stronger in the water and I loved getting in the pool with the kids and pushing hard again. I have swam for so long but in recent years I have just swam and put in the distance never really doing challenging sets...mostly because I haven't had anyone to train with...Swimming with SV has been great and we challenge each other, and being in the pool with these competitive teenagers was great. I loved being a swimmer again and I actually did some IM sets...man it has been years, lol. While we were there I did some yoga with the swimmers and we even had the Guelph varsity swimmers join us on deck. The kids all liked it and attempted new things.

On Wednesday SV and I headed out for a killer run. We had found a great running path around the pool area and we decided to do loops...the first loop was strong but controlled and then the next 2 were at a pretty intense pace...and then SV decided we would do one final km at all out effort...By this point I was not thinking clearly, the sub I had for lunch was not liking being in my stomach and I just wanted to be done..so I did as I was told and ran as hard as I could. SVpulled ahead of me and I kept my eyes on his back, wishing he would stop running hard...when he finally did, I ran up beside him and slowed down..and then about a minute later threw up my lunch...lol, that is a first!! SV was proud of me but I was mortified, lol...we ran back slightly easier to the hotel and I was ready to melt...what a run. It was hard and horrible but I loved it at the same time!

By the Saturday, our last swim workout...my shoulders and lats and triceps were sore and fatigued but it was so great. We finished with a great 2 hour long course workout and I even managed to pull off a 50m free with no breath. Feeling strong but tired in the water and loving feeling like a swimmer again...realize that swimming is such a part of who I am that I like to do the training, even though in recent years I have brushed it aside because it was my strength in the triathlon and having someone to swim with regularly is so motivating. SV and I ended up swimming 30km in 5 workouts and we ran 43km while we were down there...

The rest of the time we toured around Ft. Lauderdale, shopping, enjoyed days at the beach with the kids, attempted surfing...SV did awesome and G was a natural... all in all a great trip and many laughs...

Being away is nice but coming home is always so great. I missed my girlies so much while they were gone and seeing their smiles and getting lots of hugs was so great. We enjoyed putting away the winter boots and wearing shoes to school! The weather continues to be nice and we have the promise of a wonderful weekend. I am hoping to head out for my first outdoor ride this weekend and have a feeling the trainer rides are going to pay off.

Finally, I had a killer swim workout this past Saturday morning. I was tired and it was tempting to stay in bed but we all got up and I was expecting to do a hard 50 set and Mark surprised us with a hard 800's set...I didn't think it was going to go so well but I managed to pull a 10:19 out on my last one. It didn't feel great but man was I happy with that effort made me feel like me again!! Best feeling in the world!

Sore

This camp of mine is getting painful, lol... I can't complain because it is self inflicted but wow is my body getting a wake up call this week!

I have been "working out" these past few months, but really since Ultraman, and even before Ultraman, my workouts were just that, doing something and dealing with stress. However, I have gotten my butt in gear and rather than just working out, I am "training" again and it feels great.

I headed out for a run on Wednesday, the sun was bright and the temperature was pretty mild, a perfect day for a run...this is the part of winter I like to run in and I felt great. I headed down a road I haven't been on yet and it turned out to be a new favourite, quiet, smooth and no dogs! I felt pretty relaxed and really enjoyed the 12.5 km. I finished up the day with a good yoga session...I am trying to keep yoga at the top of my to do list as I want to stay injury free and my new mat is awesome and has me wanting to do more!

Thursday was an early day and SV and I put in a tough time trial effort ride on the trainers. What a ride. I am not used to pushing myself at this way or doing efforts like this one but I have to admit that I really liked the challenge, it hurt and there was some burning going on but I pushed hard. This workout and the other one I have done a couple of times are definitely going to make me a better cyclist. After our bike ride we headed to the gym to lift weights. I have fallen off the weight lifting wagon and I can't even remember when I did it last, I keep up with my core workouts but I always enjoy lifting. It was fun to be in the weight room with SV and we had a good time but I was already feeling it in the muscles as we were leaving the gym. I did more yoga that evening and sat down to watch Survivor totally spent. I woke up this morning feeling muscles that I haven't felt in awhile and I am pretty tired today, but I'm getting back on the trainer to see if I can loosen up these legs and hope to head out for another run in the sun!

Week off....

It is reading week and I am finding myself with an unusual amount of time on my hands. I have already done my pre-reading for next week and am happy with how my mid-terms went. I am enjoying the break from school but I miss class at the same time. With all of this extra time I have decided to work on "the becoming a triathlete again" goal and since SV and I have been discussing our race plans for the summer, I figured that I should get going and am doing a reading week "camp".

I started with a good ride on Sunday, it was an aerobic effort but with the excitement of the gold medal game I ended up working a little harder than I had planned. It felt great and I loved the ride. Legs are remembering what it is like to be a cyclist again, slowly, but I'm on my way. Monday, SV and I headed out for a run, we did 10km and I can promise you it wasn't pretty, there was wheezing and spitting and I thought my lungs might burst. Several times I wondered why in the world I was running so hard when it was only March 1st..but I couldn't bring myself to back off..SV kicked my butt on this run and I loved it even though on several hills I wanted to kick him, lol...We followed the hard run with a swim. Not sure if you have ever tried to go swimming after a run, especially a hard run...well there is a reason they put the swim first in a triathlon. I was spent and struggled with some calf cramps during this swim, but we were able to get in some distance in a short time and I was happy that we were able to do both these workouts. We had a yummy lunch after and in the end it was a great day. I was beat by the time I got home and enjoyed a quiet night with the girls.

Tuesday I got on the trainer and did a solid aerobic bike workout. The sun was streaming in through the windows and it made me wish I was biking outside. I know it won't be long until we can be riding outside and I can't wait, biking on the trainer can't even come close to being outdoors, but it was a solid ride. I am feeling stronger on the bike, so hopefully when it comes time to hit the roads I will be where I was last summer. I finished up the day with a yoga session and was feeling nice and relaxed afterwards.

Today the sun is shining once again and I am heading out to do a run and follow that up with a nice long yoga session. So enjoy your day, I know I will!

Truly Canadian!

I Can't believe the Olympics are over. What an amazing 2 weeks. I was brought to tears by many Olympic moments and so inspired by all the courage these athletes showed.

Like many I am proud to be Canadian and very proud of all of our athletes for putting on such a great display of athletic ability, incredible moments and sportsmanship.

Today is a little bit of a let down, not being able to turn on the tv and get swept away by the highs and lows, determination and motivation that have filled the last 2 weeks. I have become hooked on some new winter events (ski cross...awesome!!) and I do not think that I have ever watched this much Winter Olympics coverage ever and I can't wait for 2014!

Until this week I haven't truly been Canadian...I have a confession to make... I have never sat and watched a hockey game before.. I can't even skate.... I know, I know...I grew up in a hockey town but I was the "swimmer." I have never understood people's obsession with hockey and have never even wanted to watch the "play offs" and I had never tuned into any Olympic hockey coverage. When the worlds juniors were on I innocently asked SV what a "power play was...does that mean that they get more points?" which was met with a silent stare (even my sister knew what it was) I realized I really should know more about hockey but just didn't find it all that exciting....Well this past week changed that for me. I watched one of the semi-final games and was happy that Canada made it to the gold medal round. Then last night I watched the Canada/USA game and thought it was awesome. I had planned to ride the trainer and watch the game but had no expectations of enjoying it, but wow what a game. It was awesome and our trainer ride turned out to be tough because we were so pumped by all the action on the screen and rode hard...I loved it and was so excited when Canada won gold. I was glad that I gave hockey a chance and that I was able to witness such an exciting moment in Canada's Olympic history.....can't say that I will be tuning in to watch hockey on a regular basis but I will at least once every 4 years!