Thankful Thursday!

First of all, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all my new followers. I responded just yesterday to a post by Tall Mom on the Run (http://www.tallmomontherun.com/) asking "Who are you?" to all her followers. I congratulated Mel on her followers (now over 600!) and explained about my blog, joking that I would love to have 10 followers. Suddenly, my followers have doubled in a little over a day!!! I love having so many people checking in on me, it makes me be accountable and keep pushing harder. One thing will have to change about the blog, I am going to try my best to post distances and times in both kms and miles. ;) So, WELCOME!!!



Well, today we got through the funeral ok. My dear husband was given the task of delivering the eulogy, which he did so well. It was interesting, as it was my first french, roman catholic funeral, which left me feeling a bit lost and out of place. I met quite a few new "family members" and was glad to see so many people came out to honour such a great lady.



When we got home, I wanted to go out and have a quick "tempo" run, since with the chaos at home I haven't been getting out as much as I'd like. Plus, I had a new toy I was dying to try out!


I have been doing my long runs with my quick draw holster from the Running Room, but found having to time my walk breaks to fill my bottle was tiresome and frankly annoying. I knew I had to graduate to either a full belt with race bottles, or something with a larger capacity on my back. I decided on the latter, and after researching my brands and going to about 5 different stores, I settled on the Classic 2L Camelbak Hydration Pack:





Obviously it has a 2L (70oz) capacity, it is sleek and compact on my back, and only weighs about 5 pounds (2.25kg) when completely full. It also has a small pocket big enough for ID, gel, keys, cell phone, those sorts of small items. The bite valve has an on off switch, and the mouthpiece is easy to use and provides a nice flow of water. I was a bit worried that it was going to be annoying, that it would rub or be too heavy, but was pleasantly surprised that about 2 minutes into the run, it was like the pack wasn't even there. Very good first experience! I am going to fill it to the brim on my long run this week and see how it holds up then, but for now, two big thumbs up! (Now if only I could get companies to send me this stuff for free and hold giveaways like the big running blogs...)


My run went amazingly well. I managed to do a short 6k (3.73mi) run, and my Garmin actually decided to work for once, so I have a time to report! I managed to git'er done in 35:59, which means exactly a 6:00 km (does 9:39/mi make sense here?) pace, which is GREAT in my mind, especially since it was still 23 degrees outside (74 degrees Fahrenheit) and a decent humidity level. Makes me really hopeful that I can finish a half marathon in 2:15-2:30. I would LOVE for a 2:00 half, but I don't think that is in the cards for my first.

One question to leave with you all, new and (semi) old followers - like the new design? I decided the white had to go, and played with a few other things. Anything you would like to see added? Any topics I should cover in the future to keep you all interested?

Monday Mileage!

Ok, so I haven't been around in a few days, mostly because we received some bad news about the sudden passing of a close relative, and have been busy with memorial arrangements. I did manage to get a 6k run in on Friday, which was nice and comfortable, except for the tender groin muscle that I must have pulled somewhere along the line.

Today, I woke up at 7:30 with the goal to be fed, dressed and out the door by 8:30 for my long run of the week. I am already up to 16k!!! Time has flown by, and I am still amazed at my body hanging in there for such huge distances.

I knew it was going to be a rough run from the minute I got outside unfortunately. It was about 20 degrees, but there was a lot of sunny hot places on my route, and a bunch of windy areas. Plus, mentally, I just wasn't in it. I kept thinking "I should just turn around.... I don't wanna run!!" The inner whiny, wimpy child in me was going nuts, and I was desperately trying to suppress it.

It was tough, but I found it in me to repeat some strong inner questions, like "Do you really want to run behind garbage trucks tomorrow instead?" "Do you want to fall behind in your training?" "Are you really going to wuss out for no good reason? Would you wuss out like this if it was race day?"

Those questions were the first half of my success, but I think this successful run has to be attributed to my music mix. It manages to get my mood lifted and my pace into a comfortable place.

I made it 15.6K, so rounded up it counts as 16k... :P I have decided that I should share some of my top songs with you, so you can keep on running! Here's my current Top 10 body moving, mind motivating, pace regulating songs:

10) Chumbawumba - I Get Knocked Down
9) Missy Elliot - One Minute Man
8) Kanye West - Jesus Walks
7)Nelly ft. Fergie - Party People

6)Gwen Stefani - Wind it up
5)No Doubt - Hella Good
4) Black Eyed Peas - Pump it
3) Fergie - London Bridge
2) Fatboy Slim - Drop the Hate
1) Eminem - Lose Yourself

Hope they help you as much as they have helped me!!!

On a final note I tried Gu gel for the first time today - Jet Blackberry flavour. While the consistency was a bit surprising the first time around, it tasted ok, kept me feeling good and sat well in my stomach. I would definitely recommend it, and would definitely try it again.

I might not be checking in this week, I have a funeral and a wedding to attend, but I still hope to get a run or two in.

Have a great week!

Attack of the Chub Rub (and Garbage Trucks)

So this morning, I finally got out of the house (after nursing my feet post-city chase) for my long run, 14k. Finally the heat has passed, and the humidity has dropped off in the Ottawa region. I got up, had breakfast, and got my butt out the door for 8am.

The weather was perfect, it enhanced the run instead of dragging me down. I felt lighter and quicker than I have in quite some time. However, soon after the 3k mark, I started realizing my first error of the day. I decided to run on Tuesday, which in my neighbourhood is garbage day. This means piles of stinky hot trash, on my sidewalk path. And although the trash in my little ghetto (yes, I call my neighbourhood a ghetto, we did have a recent shooting, so I think it's fair!) is collected much later in the day, on every road I seemed to run down, garbage trucks were out in force. At about 4k in, I actually had to turn town a road and run about 100ft behind a garbage truck which was just steaming with stink. Thankfully, in the competition between Pamela B and garbage truck over 1km, I won! But seriously, I ran behind 4 garbage trucks and a recycling truck over an hour and a half (ok, an hour and 40 minutes).

My second error was realized at about 8k in, when my brand new shorts kept riding up and I started getting the dreaded chub rub. I knew the new shorts were shorter than my usual, but I didn't think it through far enough to put some body glide on my thighs in advance. So I spent the rest of the race doing a weird shake thing to try and get the legs to stop bunching, and writhing in pain from the rub, rub, rub! OUCH! But, lesson learned. Never try new shorts/shirts/equipment on a long run!

Oh, and finally, I realized that Jelly Belly Sport Beans are not for me. Chewy, overly sweet, and gross in my stomach. So I have bought some of these:

Hopefully I will be able to work out which fuel works best for me over the next couple of weeks. I can't believe I am already half way through my training program, and 2/3 of the way to running a half marathon! And you know what? It feels GREAT. Yeah me! :D

Ottawa City Chase 2010 Report!!!!!

Ok, here's a my report from this weekend's City Chase in Ottawa, Ontario. I hope that this will be updated soon to include some photos once I can get them from my chase partner!

First of all, we were a bit worried with being able to run this thing, as we were running in a foursome, and three days before the race one of our runners twisted his ankle playing ultimate Frisbee. We were scrambling to find a fourth, and it was REALLY close. We finally ended up with a friend's hubby, who is a Brit and provided lots of entertainment all day.

Onto the race - so we got there and picked up our kit - simple and easy, which was not expected. We went into one of the buildings at the University for a quick washroom break, then headed back outside. It was quite hot already considering it was only 9:30am, but it already felt like 30 degrees. Luckily they had ice cold Nestea ready, which we filled out bottles with. Nestea counts as an electrolyte, doesn't it?

Soon we were stretching and getting warmed up. At that point, I ran into a friend from a message board I frequent and we got to have a quick chat. We would meet up several other times on the course. Then the organizer started explaining the scavenger hunt we would need to go on to get our clues. I thought, ok, .... then I heard "a penny from the 1800's, a small child under two years old...." WHAT???

Quickly, she said she was kidding, and explained that we would have to move to the right or the left of the city chase vehicle behind us. Our group chose to go left. Unfortunately, that was the wrong choice, as those on the right got to get running first. We finally were let go to another area of the campus, grabbed our sheet and ran to a quiet area across the street to get our route planned. I immediately recognized a number of the challenges from previous Ottawa runs, or from the race reports of everyone else. We mapped things out, hopped on a bus and we were off.

#1 - Elbow grease - .dr dnomhciR gnola edis tsew eht no 'reaG roodtuO taerG' rof noitanitsed s'awattO ot levarT (Travel to Ottawa's destination for 'great outdoor gear' on the west side along Richmond Road)

This required us to go to a local sports store and change a bike tire. Luckily the two guys we were running with knew about bikes, and gave us some hints on how to do it faster. We were also able to watch some of the people in front. We missed getting a fast pass at this stop by 2 teams! Regardless, we got the wheel off fast, pulled out the air tube without taking off the whole tire, and got it back in and inflated FAST! We even had to wait for the guys since we beat them to finishing! Great start.

#2 Tissue? Around Renu Spa you'll need to dig deep, Before you leave you'll possibly weep

This one was admittedly lame. By the time we got there, onion bits were everywhere on the sidewalk. We had to grab a piece and make ourselves cry. There was only one volunteer at this station, and about 20 chasers trying to get his attention at the exact moment a tear ran down our cheek, or else he wouldn't let us go. The onions were weak, so I just looked up without blinking until my eyes watered. The guys actually put onion juice in their eyes! It was a slow station, and the most poorly organized.

#3 tasty stranger - During the first part, you will need some success, or the second part will lead to plenty of stress. If you're feeling hungry, go to the pavilion where the queen meets the prince on her driveway.

We headed to the Dow's lake pavilion on Prince of Wales, to Lago Bar and grill. This was another long line. We knew we were going to taste test, and I was hoping it would be the same foods that Marlene faced, since I had memorized them! We got to the front after about 20 minutes, and explained to them that we both had food allergies that had to be cleared. Sure enough, the separated us and specifically laid out each plate to ensure allergies weren't an issue. We stood blindfolded and had to identify the ingredients in an hors d'oeuvre. They were really mean, and wouldn't let us guess the obvious ones, like the whole cherry tomatoes in my skewer. I guessed mine fairly quickly (tomato, green pepper, onion and boccini cheese) but my partner was stuck on her third ingredient (feta cheese). I finally was coaxing her, asking her what it tasted like, and what kind of cheese was salty. She got it, thank goodness, as the crickets were live! The guys however, were not that lucky, and one of them had to eat two. He killed them by smashing them with a water glass, then downed them like pills. Crazy!

#4 - Urban Rat - PNEYGBA HAVIREFVGL ORGJRRA YRRQF NAQ FGBEZBAG UNYY (translated - carleton university between leeds and stormont hall)

Carleton university is known for it's underground tunnels, which are used by students to cover the large campus during the winter months. Each year, students from the various residences paint murals to represent their floor. Some are kept, and others are painted over in following years. This challenge had us answering trivia about the different paintings, which were in no logical order whatsoever! This was a very difficult challenge to a non-Carleton grad, as you had to find the correct building, floor and year to answer the task. My friends were both Carleton grads, so they were solely responsible for getting us through this challenge. We were delayed a bit because one of the paintings was based on the persistence of memory by Salvador Dali (melting clocks anyone?) and we were fighting over what time the clock read. Finally, we got through.

#5 EZAM - ewrber akrp (unscramble = brewer park)

In the process of running from the last challenge to this one, mother nature decided to have a hissy fit, because it POURED. Lighting, downpour, drenched electronics kind of weather. One shoes squished and I actually resorted to putting my cell phone in the unused doggie poop bag I happened to have in my pocket.

We got to the challenge to find a mini maze made of stakes and twine. We were told to go through it and then we would be asked a trivia question. The maze itself was small, and easy to complete, but when we were at the end, we were surprised when we were asked what the maze spelled. With some overview (one pair actually piggybacked to get an aerial view!) we figured out it spelled "city chase" Point received!

There was another checkpoint right beside this one, which involved a volleyball game and then catching balls in a bucket attached to our heads while getting hit by dodge balls. We took one look at it, decided we would have gotten sand stuck to us everywhere (since we were still wet) and that it would take too long (there were only two volleyball courts), so we hightailed it to another stop.

#6 ring toss - my clue sheet is so soggy and ripped, I can't read this clue anymore, but we ended up at the Works, a local burger place that serves a tower of onion rings as one of their specialties. The had a huge model of their onion ring stand made, and we and to throw 2 rings onto the tower to get the point. We both had 9 rings. Sounds easy, but this was definitely harder than it looked. It took us 4 tries (we had to go to the back of the line each time we missed) but we finally got it, and my partner won a tower of rings from the restaurant for getting 3 rings on the tower! She was my superstar at that moment, because ring toss is not my forte. 0/36 rings for me!


#7 The Hunt - At Rogers Plus near Glebe's Car Wash you will check in, Armed with a Blackberry, "The Hunt" will begin.

We got here to find a blackberry and a list of challenges waiting for us. We had to complete 6 of 8 tasks to get our chase point. We had to get a non-Ontario licence plate (easy in Ottawa) a group of 10 non-participants in a line from smallest to largest, a group of 5 people posing with a blackberry, make a video of us doing a good deed, a video of one of us proposing to someone on the street, and a before and after shot of one of us changing shirts with someone. We were soaked from the rain and sweaty, but luckily for us, we found a guy riding his bike shirtless who was willing to play along. So he took my shirt, and I posed on the street, in my sports bra. A bit embarrassing, but we got our point and ran.

#8 - burn it off - Chewy, gooey and oh-so-sweet, chocolate can be a really nice treat. Work hard at Queens Goodlife and don't despair, a yummy surprise waits at the front stairs.

So this was the challenge where you picked a chocolate bar, and had to burn off the calories between the two of you. There were lots of double sized bars, so we went with the crispy crunch, which was 240 calories. My partner and I hopped on treadmills, jacked up the inclines and speed, and got the calories burned off in less than 10 minutes. We were depressed when we got off and found we didn't get any free chocolate after!!! By that time, we could have used it.

#9 - Electric Avenue - this challenge will not have you creating a spark, but it just might be located on one.

We headed down Sparks street, where two chase points were supposed to be located, and found three guys standing in front of three cars. We were given trivia questions about the electric cars in front of us, and had to get the answers from information sheets on the cars, or the Internet. The more questions you missed, the more bricks you had to carry back and forth between two pallets, which were to simulate the weight of different car parts I think. We got all 5 right, so only had to carry 3 - 5 pound blocks. This was a quick point at a time where we were quickly approaching the 6 hour deadline.

We went to find the second chase point on sparks street, but it was not located where the clue said it would be. We found another team, with one member in a wheelchair, and chatted with them about the point. We were informed it was far out of the way, and difficult to get to, so we decided to point them in the direction of the chasepoint we had just completed (as they could complete it easily) and headed back to the finish. We were forced to stop at the Rideau centre as one of our members was suffering with major blisters 5 hours in, and had some fun being questioned by people about what we were doing.

We ran to the finish where chasepoint #10 was located:

#10 - Zoolander - one pick of a marble, and you could be in tears, or this could be the time you tackle your fears. Close your eyes at the start line for 30 minutes and this chase point will appear.

I was TOTALLY psyched about this one, I wanted to do it SO bad. Unfortunately, because of the heat and the time that had passed, they closed this checkpoint down to keep the animals safe. We got our point and dashed about 100m to the finish, for a time of 5:35 (we think)

It was a great experience, and one I would do over. You need to know the city well, and the transit. I think next time my goal would be to finish in time, but focus on the most intense and fun checkpoints. I would have changed some of the challenges we did if I could do it again. At least now I will have 2-3 dog tag medals this year, as my half marathon is doing dog tags as well.

I'll post pictures when I get them!!

Depressed Thursday....

Today is not a good day. Yesterday was actually worse. Yesterday was one of those Murphy's law is spiting me days. I have been frustrated as it is with the job search and waiting on hearing back for the one job I interviewed with. I also have been facing problems with voting on the contest I am a finalist in (vote for me! Pamela B - link posted in blog below!).

So the buildup of these things has been pressing on me, and running has been my sole solace. I did some hills yesterday, equating to a short and sweet workout that pushed me. I felt better when it was done, but still had that feeling of dread like my bad day wasn't fixed. So it wasn't that surprising when later my computer decided to be suddenly overrun by viruses, which my husband had a hissy at me for (why?) and then I waited for almost two hours for him to "fix" it. I got back on the computer to find it wasn't fixed, but it allowed me to use it long enough to get a very short email from the only job prospect I had saying "thanks, but no thanks" to hiring me.

I was going to go swim it off in our community pool which was oddly empty, but found that my swimsuit was worn out so bad you could see my butt crack through it. I compromised and went to go dip my legs in, and found the pool now seething with kids, who weren't even from my neighbourhood!

FML.

Why can't I get a break? Better yet, why can't I get a job? I have a great work history, credentials and skills, and yet the simplest retail or food services jobs aren't even calling me back. I can't help but feel that my inability to get something is a reflection of people's opinions on me personally. And it hurts.

Running is honestly the only thing that is keeping me sane and allowing me to believe I have ability to push through and meet my goals. I can easily listen to the little voice in my head telling me to keep going when I am doing a long run on my own, but for this job search is like a marathon I am not prepared for.

What do you do when you are fighting a battle and don't think you can keep going?

I'm late, I'm late... for a update!!!

Ok, pathetic title, I know. Forgive me. Not only was I corny, but I haven't updated this blog in over a WEEK!!!! That is very bad for me. I'm sorry, and I will try not to do it again. At least this week I have some exciting things to say!

So in my last post, I wasn't running due to the CRAZY heat around here. Luckily, that did start to break on the next day, and I got out there for a 5k run which felt more like swimming than running. I don't envy anyone who is in the southern states who runs in such high humidity and heat all the time. I am not made for that!

On Saturday, we had a nice change of pace when a friend from Toronto came into town and invited us to go for a nice long bike ride. This was interesting since I hadn't been on a bike in at least 8 years, but thankfully, it is something that you can pick up again fairly quickly. My butt was not happy with the ride, but it felt good to actually cross train for once.

I managed to get my long run in on Monday, when my husband and friend convinced me that it wasn't that hot or humid at 11am. It was a bit more humid than I would like, but not like the week before. I finally hit a distance I had never done before, 12k! This time I mapped my run out properly (!) and set out with my water and fuel. It felt pretty great, even though it was definitely slow. I am definitely needing to get my Garmin up and functioning properly, because I have no idea about my pace right now, except by plopping in my overall time in cool runnings pace calculator afterward. I did 12k, with some considerable walk breaks in 1:25, which is a bit off where I want to be (7:05 per km, I'd like closer to 6:00 per km) but considering the heat and humidity, I'll take it and work on my speed in shorter runs.

After my run, I had a moment where I realized I have crossed over from just a regular runner to one of those dedicated runners. Why?

1) I am doing long runs of over 10k. That for me is the tipping point on distance
2) I am getting into some serious running gear to ensure my runs are comfortable and successful. This run has finally caused me to invest in some Body Glide. Why? Because apparently despite having good running clothing, things still rub. Specifically, two body parts that are measured by numbers and letters combined. Yup, I got raw spots on my breast, and OMG does that hurt. I have officially joined the crazy runner club, with stories of chaffing, peeing and vomiting on the run, ice baths and stomachs/bowels in turmoil. I think once you cross that boundary, there's no going back. And I kind of like it!

Ok, now that I have properly updated on the running, I'll take a moment to update the law part:


....

Nada.
Nothing.
Zip.
Zero.

Grrr... That still frustrates me so much, but I have resigned myself to start working on finding a part time or temporary job. I still haven't heard about the job I interviewed for, but my life won't be on hold because of it. Trying not to go crazy being in the house so much.

Ok, I'm off to do a hill run, then a 5-6k run on Friday. Watch this weekend for a race report, as I am participating in the Ottawa version of Mitsubishi City Chase. It is my first year running it, and I am sure it will be a blast! Hopefully I will still be up for my 14k on Sunday or Monday as well.

Have a good week!!!

Running Update (or lack thereof)

Hey all,

Well, it would be nice if I could give you an update on my running, but unfortunately I don't have one. Ontario has been facing a serious heat wave, and I haven't gotten my running in, at all. I did my long run on Monday in some serious heat, and since then it has only gotten worse. With 30 degree heat and humidity driving the temperature into the 40's, I just can't put my body under that kind of stres.

So, I've opted to cross train and wait until tomorrow to try and get any running in for this week. Hopefully I can go out tomorrow morning, sometime Saturday and get my long run in Sunday or Monday. The temperature is supposed to drop about 8 degrees starting tomorrow, so I am just crossing my fingers.

Job updates have been minimal, that one job possibility is still out there (Should get an answer next week) but at this point, I'm not hopeful. No progress on the part time job yet, because I didn't want to start anything and then have to leave suddenly.

Ok, so hopefully this blog will get jumping again later in the week! Until then, I wanted to post again on a great giveaway being offered by a fellow blogger, Marcia! Check it out here:

http://teamarcia-runningmouth.blogspot.com/2010/07/power-of-10-giveaway-2-new-chances-to.html

Check in later!!!

VOTE FOR ME!!!!

Poll: Who should win Canada's family with S'more?

I should!!!!

Ok, this is a shameless posting here, I am hoping that I might have some sneaky stalkers who don't follow, and some followers who are nice enough to take some time and help me out by voting for me in the "Family with S'more contest"

Back story (short version) is: When my dear husband and I got married, we decided to have a s'mores buffet at the wedding, with a variety of flavours of chocolate and marshmallows. It was a great hit, and a great way to combine our family traditions, and do something special for my stepdaughter at our wedding. So when I heard of this contest, I knew I HAD to enter, and sure enough, I am one of three finalists! I am praying to win this contest, as clearly, we have had some financial restraints and a free vacation would be wonderful for myself and my family.

So, the link is above, I am Pamela B. and you can vote once a day until July 27th. ANY vote is appreciated!

Here are some photos for fun:

EPIC FAIL!!!

So I had to come and do a quick note about this, just because I have been trying to be SO good, and have been so proud of myself for being so tough on my long runs. This morning I got up at 7 (early for me these days, since I generally have no place to go at that time) in order to do my long run. I knew I had 12 kms to go in pretty high heat (24 degrees, feeling like 30 with the humidex by 7am).

I got up, I got ready, and I was out of the door by 7:30. The run took me along an older training route that I have incorporated into my long runs in the past 2 weeks or so. It was tough, but I was so proud that I kept going and pushed through. I made a slight change in my route from last week to go from 10k to 12k, and I wanted to make sure that I had added enough distance, so I hopped on mapmyrun.com (my best friend right now since my Garmin is acting funky). I laid out my run, hit calculate, and came up with a grand total distance:

9.7KM!!!

CRAP!!! I was supposed to be doing 12!!! I guess my "old" 5k route was a bit short (like 1k short somehow) and so not only have my distances been off for the past two weeks, my amazing times are, well, not so amazing. Luckily, I had actually sped up my training a bit from the beginning, so I am still on track with the distances I should be running. I will have to get 12k done this weekend, and move on up from there.

Oh well, c'est la vie! :P

Finally!! Hills!!!

Ok, so I will start this off by saying, no, I am not one of those strange people who live for hills. I dreaded them from the beginning, as my only experience with a hill was after 6 km into my first (and only) 10k race, and it was a HUGE hill. I made it up without walking, but I honestly never wanted to do it again.

I have finally reached week 6 of my training, which incorporated hills for the first time. I don't know if I truly know how to do hills; my approach was to try and keep a consistent and decent pace both up and down them. I thought it was the best way to tackle them. Unfortunately, I don't have many hill options around my house. The only "hills" that were close enough are two highway overpasses on a busy road. I try to keep my running off the main streets, solely because I don't think I am a visually impressive runner: I move decently, but I'm not speedy Gonzales. Anyways, I finally went out for a 3 k run that included an out and back over these two overpasses. I was nervous approaching them, I hesitated starting, and then I was off. I was honestly shocked that they really weren't as deadly as I expected. I didn't even feel like I was hitting any physical or mental wall. Does this mean I was doing them wrong? Do I need to push harder?

I am looking forward to my 12k run tomorrow, but I am a bit concerned since we came home tonight to find 6(!) police cars that had cordoned off the park that is on my running route about two blocks from our home. With that many police cars, we figure that it was a murder or attempted murder. Guess I better get on that RoadID, eh? Gotta love livin' in the ghetto...

As for life, no word from the law office about my interview, but I care to believe that due to the holiday, people might be out of town. I have to face reality tomorrow and call them to get a straight answer. At least I am finally getting some money from the government, so we aren't scraping the bottom of the barrel anymore. I think that if this job prospect falls through, I will start looking for 3 different job options:

1) a lawyer job: this is the ideal, but most places don't hire over the summer, and I am a new call, so insignificant to most firms. Counter intuitive, but they want you to have experience and yet won't hire you on as a new call to get the experience you need.

2) a part time job to supplement EI: Yes, this is legal. I didn't know that either until this streak of unemployment, but I can work almost 2 days a week at minimum wage to bring in more money, which would pre-occupy my time a bit more (I'm losing my mind being home and so broke) and still give me some time to job-search and run.

3) a full time job that pays more than EI and part time combined: If I can find it, this would be great. more money plus less boredom. The problem is finding something with pay that high in this economy. An agency I called told me these days, most people are better off on EI, because they earn more. OUCH. Plus, people look at me and go "overqualified - she'll never stay."

Life goes well, I might be a finalist in a nation-wide contest which would give us a shot at a family trip this summer. I will share more details soon, but it has to do with my awesome s'mores buffet that we had at our wedding:

Ok, I'm going to wrap up this post with my goals for July (something I have seen on other people's blogs and am totally stealing:

1) stay on track with half training, getting 3+ runs in every single week.

2) find A job, something that falls in the above 3 categories

3) I really would like to be more careful with my eating, I was hoping to lose some weight in the past month, and I really didn't despite all efforts. I need to say no to the cookies, and yes to water and carrots. I have a bridesmaid dress to look fabulous in for September! I would love to lose at least 3 pounds this month (seems small, but I only want to lose max 10 in 2.5 months)

Ok, will check in over the next couple of days!