Morning rush...

Oh my goodness.

I think my cat and I are losing a life EACH when the fire alarm goes off. It just puts us both into a panic. This morning, the fire alarm went off at 5:40am, and my cat was huddled under the dining room table. I called him to me with his harness. He came running, then ducked into my room instead of coming the last two feet towards me, and hid under my bed. We finally got all organized and together, made it to the stairwell, and the alarm stopped.

We returned to my apartment, went to the balcony to make sure my other building-mates weren't still out on the sidewalk, and then I had to decide what to do. I made my bed, laid back down on it, and after a few minutes, my cat came for some reassurance, we enjoyed the new-found peace. And then the alarm went off again. It only lasted about 30 seconds. Another peek out over the balcony confirmed, they were all packing up.

I just wish I hadn't worked out before bed last night, otherwise, I'd probably have the energy/desire to do my workout right now instead of after work... I'll just go into work early now. But - it's definitely a day for a coffee!!

Oh - and - all of this is happening on a day that I wanted to get my "beauty sleep"! I have my first date in Winnipeg tonight!

Operation Hibernation is in full effect!

Add Lasagne to the list...

I have a list of items that seem to heighten my emotions - particularly feelings of sadness... The first item, and most potent item is Lemon Pudding Cake. Today, I've added a new one to the list - the smell of lasagne.

Let me first share with you the story of the Lemon Pudding Cake.

Once upon a time, I was preparing to leave my family home to go to a university three hours away. I was really excited to go... I just didn't want to go. You know? As the time grew closer for me to leave, I became more emotional. Near the end of summer, my brother was expected home from tree planting for a two week visit before he was heading back to university in Saskatchewan. We were all looking forward to this,and one day I got home from my summer job, and one of my family members teased me and said that B1 was heading home that day. I was all excited, and in the midst of eating a piece of lemon pudding cake when they told me they were kidding - he'll be home on the weekend. For the record, it's hard to joke with me or tease me when I'm emotional. With this news, I just broke down crying. And all of us were pretty shocked with my reaction to the "joke" - but it was like my body was looking for a release, and this was it.

Then, a couple of months later, my parents sent me a care package - and they included lemon pudding cake. It brought back all the sadness of that "joke" - on top of homesickness! Honestly, when I have a piece of lemon pudding cake now - it still makes me get a little choked up. I purposely avoid it, unless I'm at a funeral, and then who can tell the difference anyway?

So, this time it's a smell... not even a taste that has spurred feelings of homesickness... Someone on my floor has made lasagne for dinner tonight, and the hallway smells just like my mom's lasagne! Although, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't TASTE like my Ma's lasagne,(she makes AWESOME lasagne) so my feelings could just be turned to disappointment instead of sadness if I just invited myself over to the lasagne makers apartment (and I'd have to knock on about four doors to find them). But, I'm not about to do that...

There's actually a book out right now that RC is reading - I was hoping to read it at the same time as she was - but I haven't even got my library card yet! It's called The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - and I'm not even the author! Maybe there is more to this than just me... I'll have to see what RC thought of the book!

In the meantime, I'll try not to breath in as I run down to get my laundry...

We did it!!!

Wahoo!

We got through race day. ...Wait, we didn't get GET through it - we CONQUERED IT!

KT, HS and I all ran better than we expected - and finished within 10 minutes of each other!

Here we are before the race:


At the start of the race, HS pulled out in front of us, not wanting to heed my warnings about slow starts = power finishes. She kept in front of us for at least the first couple of kilometers and then had a small walk break. Several times she passed us again, and then ultimately ended up running behind us.

Here are some pictures that we took while running... they're a little blurry... but are definitely action shots!






Like our practice run on Friday, my first kilometer is always the hardest for me. It takes a while for me to warm up I guess. At almost exactly the one KM mark, I always want to walk - but - I was committed to KT that we'd run the whole way - and now I KNOW it's just me warming up - I ran through it. The first lap went well. We all got settled in our places and enjoyed the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day for a run. A little cool, a lot of sun and a little wind.

Second lap, we got to pass by MT, KT's husband (former slurpee provider), and he did a great job cheering us on! He's usually quite quiet, but he was loud and proud on Monday! Thanks MT! Here's a shot MT took as we passed by:


During the second lap, I really started talking. I guess since it was a loop and I knew where I was going the second time, I was free to chat more. And interestingly enough, it slowed my heart rate down, without slowing my pace down. Talking = breathing for me. :) I got to tell some inspirational stories, like we were in a Disney film version of our run... I told her all about my friend Theresa's 100K run in June: www.onerun.ca And then we got to the 7KM mark (or so we think) and KT started to lose steam, and I got my second wind! Maybe after all of my running experiences of trying to be a regular 5K runner... maybe I prefer longer distances...? Could it be possible?

Here we are running just past the 8KM mark:


By the time we got to the 9KM mark, we were ready to strategize our big finish. Go big or go home... We were going to do a power sprint to the end. We finally came around the final turn, aimed for a green post about 1/2 way down the stretch and then took off towards the finish! (In my mind - the finish line was 10M before it actually was - so it was quite a surprise for me - and it threw me and my body off a bit - but I survived!)



Our goal time was 1:15 (based on our rough math from Friday night's 5.7km run) - and we finished in 1:09!!

And then shortly after we arrived - HS arrived too! Now, I need to call attention to something... Dear HS, who had just decided just 4 days before to join us, and who had never ran outside before Friday...was also in the midst of observing Ramadan... so, she had gotten up at 4 am to eat, and wouldn't be eating until sundown! What a great job!!



What a memorable day! I still can't get over our accomplishments - KT training and running the race balancing her blood sugars through it all, HS having very little training and fasting, and me, believing I'm not a runner for years now, and accepting that running a 10K was a blip that happened years ago, and wouldn't happen again.

Wow. We're awesome. :)

p.s. this photo didn't really fit into the story - but I think it's a really cute one of KT and MT!

One more day...then RACE DAY!

KT and I went to pick up our "race kits" on Thursday night... It was an interesting experience. KT is diabetic. KT is a great fundraiser. She's like Kenny Rogers in "The Gambler" - you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run... She doesn't fundraise a lot - but when she does - her "network" knows that she's really asking for support. This time is no different - she's surpassed her fundraising goal - which is WELL beyond what they're expecting her to raise at the Canadian Diabetes Association. Another note - this is the first time KT has raised funds for them - she has Type 1 diabetes, and CDA only devotes 10% of their support/research/awareness on Type 1 and 90% on Type 2. Anyway... I told the CDA guy who was organizing the race - you need to woo her. If you woo her - you can set NEW fundraising goals... He wasn't really listening to me. Just nodding. And then... we started unraveling details... about mine and KT's history of raising funds for diabetes (hello? over $20,000) and about how this race, she's already raised over $2,500... Then he started to pay more attention... It was kind of funny. Anyway, in the end they asked us to focus on getting 50 more runners signed up... I laughed with KT on the way out - "Could you imagine if we did??"

Part 2 of Thursday night... we went to an outdoors-y store in the same plaza so I could try on my dream coat... My friend AG lives in Ottawa and got this coat to survive the winters - protecting her warm Singaporian blood - and I've always loved it - but living in "warmer" London, didn't really provide enough of a reason to get it... So, I've figured that NOW is my chance! (Ok, I moved to Winnipeg JUST so I could get this coat...)

We went into the store and met Heather, salesperson extraordinaire. (We learned that she was moving back to Kenora at the end of the week - otherwise, she would have been added to our friend list). She walked us through the new jackets and the ones that I should consider...since they don't even have the Triple C in the store right now... They order them in. :( So, we tried on some coats...

The new favourite... The Arctic Parka in Moonlight


The shorter version to the Triple C - The Metropolis


Even KT got into the swing of things...


Here we are with Heather -


So, after all of our time in the store... I am now a little less set on my coat - especially since we measured it... and the coat on me would hit my ankles. For real. So, in order to walk, I'd probably have to have it unzipped to my knees anyway... I've written away to AG for her review and I'll try it on in person at another store before any decisions are made...

Oh my gosh...we haven't even gotten to Part 3 of the evening yet! I'm long-winded today!
We got back to my building to workout together... I let KT get a head start, I was only going to workout for about 1/3 of the time she was going to... And when I joined up with her - she had made friends with someone in my building.

When I've been in the gym - I have only worked out along side ONE person - and he did not want to make conversation. And here KT is, her first time in the gym, making friends! So, we started to get to know HS better - she's a Orthodontics Masters student from Saudi Arabia. She's really nice and wants to get out to see more of Winnipeg. (She met the right people!) The best part was - she told us that there is a 10K run going on Monday at Assiniboine Park. :) We almost dropped our weights. It was too funny that she chose that specific event to bring up! So - we recruited her! She's now going to run the race with us tomorrow!

See...?? If we'd tried, KT and I probably could have found 50 more people... ;) He should have wooed us...

Bee story continues...

So... I told my homeopath about my bee incident the other day... (yes, even the part about how I was drinking a slurpee - even though she's the one who has asked me to remove sugar from my diet...I'm an honest person.) Anyway... She told me that she was going to send me a little note in my next package of remedies...

She sent me a photocopy of a page from a book (page 31 to be exact). Here's what it says:
If a bee shows up, it means:
It's time to get organized and get to work on that idea that you want to implement and develop.
Approach your projects with commitment, diligence, and dedication, and you'll succeed beyond your wildest expectations.
Involve several others in a a cooperative and life-affirming venture, one in which everyone who participates will benefit - and if possible, one that includes the entire community.
Take the time to appreciate and enjoy the sweetness of life.
This is a very fertile time for you physically and creatively, one where you can bring your ideas into fruition.
This is a very productive cycle for you, so stay with whatever you're working on, and there will be a favourable outcome.

I think it's interesting that the bee appeared the same day I decided to run the 10K with KT... Here's to a favourable outcome! :)

Walking in the rain...

This morning - it was beautiful out. Bright. Sunny. Fairly warm. It was one of those mornings that made me want to dance and sing on the way to work..."Good morning Winnipeg...." (if you don't know the song "Good morning Baltimore" from Hairspray, that reference is going to be lost on you... sorry.)

Seeing as it's the start of September - but NOT the start to fall - I decided to wear white capris, a white blouse, a black/pinstripe vest and my yellow leather shoes. It was a great day to celebrate white clothes.

After work, I had a massage appointment. On the way there it was bright and sunny and I felt like I was stepping out of a JCrew catalogue...

On the way out of my massage appointment I was hit with a huge surprise: it was raining. No, it was pouring.

I ran across the street to the grocery store - I had to grab a couple of things anyway... Why not go in and let it all blow over?

Only it didn't. It got worse.

I was standing in line, and the girl behind me says - it's really pouring out there now! Me: Ha. It's the perfect day to wear white - and walk home in a downpour. She tells me that she lives a block away and drove there... then asked if I lived in her direction, I sadly shook my head no. And she goes, Oh, too bad, you don't look like a killer so I totally would have given you a lift...

Apparently I didn't look pathetic enough with my sad nod for her to feel bad enough to drive six blocks out of her way... I'll have to work on that.

I got to the doors, saw the rain REALLY coming down, and decided to take advantage of the convenience of the Starbucks located inside the grocery store (just for reference, there's a "full" Starbucks at the edge of the parking lot as well - but it was raining - and I didn't even want to run across there!). I grabbed myself a drink, sipped and watched the rain fall. Until I saw the rain slow down. Not stop, just slow. And I made a run for it. Ok, there was no running.

One of the things you have to learn to love about Winnipeg: the puddles. There are puddles the size of turtle pools out here. And cars drive through them. And pedestrians do not survive them. It was like running through a landmine on the way home. Protecting my yellow leather shoes, maintaining enough dryness to my pants so I wasn't revealing anything... It was a tough walk home.

And for most of it - I just laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Until I noticed my shoes again... If it was safer to walk down the street barefoot - I totally would have today. Oh, what a girl will do to protect her cute shoes...that cleverly matched her umbrella...!