From Aggressive Deer to Barking Birds??

So, anyone who lives in my little city knows full well that we've had a little issue with deer who have decided they are quite comfortable hanging out in town with the rest of us.  For the most part, they are just a bit of a nuisance - eating all the flowers out of gardens, eating trees/bushes, strolling ever so slowly across busy streets...but on occasion, when their babies are quite little - they can act like any other momma acts and will do anything to protect their fawns.  A couple of people have been hurt...and one video of a dog getting it's ass kicked went viral on YouTube (put your dogs on a leash, people, and you don't have to worry about it!).

For obvious reasons, however, our folks at City Hall decided that warning signs were in order.  So....a certain husband of a certain friend of mine ordered up and had signs posted reminding us to be on the lookout for the deer.

And....whaddya know!  The signs work!  Who knew we have the smartest deer around in our little ole city?  But apparently we DO!  I think they can read!  SERIOUSLY!  I have not seen ONE deer when out walking/running/biking (which you may have noticed I do a fair amount of) since the signs went up!  I can just hear them now...at a town hall type gathering of deer... "Oh shit!  Those humans are on to us now!  First these signs...then what??  A cull??  Yikes!  Let's get our little white tails out of here"!  Seems like the most logical explanation for the sudden decline in deer sightings to me!  Well played, Mr. Z, well played!

HOWEVER!  On our walk today, I heard the strangest noise come out of a bird's beak...  I looked at Colleen and said "Did that bird just BARK at us?".  She agreed that it had.  So, just a heads up to the fine folks at City Hall (and that includes you Mr Z!), you might want to think about some signage for barking birds before long.  We can't be expected to tolerate THAT type of behaviour, can we?

Why, why, why.....?

Getting up at 5:45 tomorrow morning again (still on my holidays!!) to meet the girls for a pre-work run.  Should "pre-work runs" not only happen when I am actually working?  Ugghh....  I mean, I know....I can go back to bed when I get home....but I'm soooo tired today.  Had a stupid big chai tea latte at 7:30 last night...spent a good chunk of the night wide awake...and another, larger chunk, in the bathroom peeing.  STOOPID!  Then I did another version of a "Schmidt Tri-athlon" today.  Biked to COTR, did a kettlebell workout followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical, then biked home...then I went for a walk with Kyla... Hmm...maybe that's more than a tri-athlon?  Isn't that 4 things?  Oh...and then there is the idiotic #plankaday challenge I decided was a great idea...  So...5 things...  What's that called?  A cinq-athlon?  Gah!  Is it bed time yet?

Looking forward to the bike trip to Idaho....should be a bit of a rest for me :)

A Schmidt Triathlon?

Busy training day today.  Got up early (5:45am) to meet the girls for a pre-work run....even though I am on holidays.  Who does that?  (need to have head examined)  Then I met my lunch-time workout partner for a circuit training kinda workout thing (uggh, I HATE t-pushups!) and then a 6k walk with Colleen to round out the day.  Since I can't swim..and I have lost the keys to my bike lock...that's my version of a triathlon!

Because I had a busy day...and because it's Tuesday (weigh-in/cheat day) I rewarded myself with a Ty-cooked meal and the most ginormous chai tea latte I've ever seen (even with skim milk I hate to think how many calories were in that puppy!)  On the way home I bought a new bike lock...so plan (weather permitting) to bike to the College for my gym workout (kettlebells tomorrow).  Kinda hoping the facilities guys have something to cut my old lock off my bike...and then tomorrow night is a Kyla walk....which of course means a good ab workout from laughing.

Speaking of abs....almost forgot my plank-a-day challenge.  One 60 second plank followed by a 30 second plank.  Hoping it gets easier as time goes...

Now I'm beat...Heading to bed to watch Chelsea Lately...

What the Hawk??

Wish I had pictures for today's blog post.  Due to maintenance on Rails to Trails, we were forced to go to Wasa for our 10k run this week.  A good incentive to keep running was the swarms of mosquitoes that would go crazy on us as soon as we stopped.  Had about 2.5k walk back to the car after we finished running - and even though I put my jacket back on and zipped it up to my chin, I wasn't entirely sure we'd have any blood left by the time we found refuge.  Crazy! 

The 10k went pretty well.  My hips are giving me a little trouble (need to stretch?  from planks?  who knows!) so they hurt a little.  My time was slower than the past couple of 10k's for sure.  Colleen had a good run she was happy about, though....

So, we finish the run, took refuge in Colleen's lovely Dodge Charger for the trip back to town... We're cruising along the highway and Colleen and I both spy a hawk flying on along the side of the highway...then it flew over the highway, and then it was coming toward the car, closer and closer....right at the windshield!  Colleen's holding tight to the steering wheel, bracing for impact.  I'm ducking and squealing and holding my hands in front of me - visualizing this damn hawk coming THROUGH the windshield and landing on my lap.  Me - who is terrified of a robin!!  Sheesh!  I kind of wish I could have seen a speech bubble above the hawk's head too...I can imagine it was also thinking "oh shit!".  Thankfully it finally pulled up and flew OVER the car instead of through it.  Something about us and freaky bird incidents (first we were dive-bombed by a grouse who then came along with us for a run for a bit!). 

After that, the rest of the trip was uneventful.  Headed up to Colleen's when we hit town for a blissful soak in the hot tub before heading home to eat.  Then it was plank-a-day time.  Did one 60 second plank and one 30 second.  Decided to give my lower back a break and not push for a second 60 second.

Now must finally go shower!

New Challenge

Ahhh...gotta love Twitter.  So much information coming in - all in short little bursts of 140 characters or less.  Got up today to multiple tweets about Amy Winehouse's untimely demise (a little surreal that she now joins Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Kobain and Janis Joplin in the "died at 27" club).

Anyway, another thing that has entered my consciousness through Twitter is what some folks I am following have started doing.  They are tagging their tweets with #plankaday and giving details as to the number of planks and their duration that they complete each day.

So, somewhere in my less-than-brilliant mind a little voice said "what a great idea!"...  When I will learn to NOT listen to that voice, I don't know...but apparently now is not the time.  I have officially thrown my hat in the ring for the plank-a-day challenge (competing only against myself, of course).  My initial goal is to do at least one 60 second plank every single day between now and the end of my holidays (August 14).  Started off with a bang today.  Completed TWO 60 second planks.  Good thing no one was around during the second one.  Not sure those grunting and groaning sounds were really human-sounding.  But..I did it.  Now, however, I have a pretty tender lower back...Perhaps starting with one and working toward 2 is a better idea?

Tomorrow....10k and day two of #plankaday!

Why I Run

Someone recently tweeted out the message "Why do you run?".  In response I said (somewhat) facetiously "I run in hopes that boys will chase me".  Well, in fact, there is some level of truth to that, I suppose...

However, this past week I've rediscovered yet another reason to run.  It keeps me from committing homicide, being locked away in a psych ward or from simply lying in the corner in the fetal position.  It's been a stressful time at work.  Events that have transpired have done an amazing job of beating me up emotionally and making me doubt relationships I had built over many years.  There were days that getting out of bed seemed like far more than I could handle...facing it (mostly) alone made it that much tougher. When I could barely function because it was feeling like too much, though, a run always helped.  I would arrive at the starting point feeling like I had been beaten up and had nothing left.  The first km or so is always tough....but somewhere along the way I would realize the feelings of pain, disappointment and emotional exhaustion were being left farther and farther behind with every step I took.  Soon I felt free, rejuvenated and like I could face not only what was happening at work - but that I could take on the world.  The feeling doesn't last forever (if only I could bottle it and take a hit whenever needed) but it provides enough of a break that I can face all that is happening again.  It is like with each run I get just a little bit stronger - not just physically but emotionally as well.

So, this is why I run...Because life throws us unfair curve balls and some times it is hard to deal with them...but running gives me the strength to get through them all.  (Though it would be nice on those rough days to have someone around to hold me in his arms and help to block out the world for a little while...so I will also continue to run in hopes boys will chase me!).

Some are great running days....and then there was today...

Today's run felt like a struggle from start to finish.  My iPod died at the 20 minute mark.  I had made ok time at the half-way point but needed to pick it up if I was going to make it in under an hour....but rather than have a faster second half, I slowed down a little and finished in 1:02:07.  Six seconds faster than last week...but still over 2 minutes slower than I'd like.

Oh well...will keep plugging away at it...  It will come eventually. 

Even though every part of me protested mightily....I still completed 10 sprints as well...

Now I think I might have a nap before heading to Fernie.  Seems like a great plan to me!

Where I'm At

Ok...after that last post I am going to avoid the use of the word "cute" for the rest of this post.

This is the end of the first week with both of my regular running/exercise buddies gone on vacation.  I've heard from Colleen.  Hoping Gerilee is having a great trip and is staying safe.  I did my first 10k alone.  It was uneventful and I was happy with my time.  Then I had my first morning run alone.  Came across a few deer but was a pretty good run anyway.  Had a new partner join me for my other two runs this week.  Was nice to have company but found myself backing off to her slower pace.  Not horribly slow but frustrating enough that I'm hoping for another 10k alone tomorrow. 

Managed to get out for a walk (6k) most days this week.  Took Wednesday off.  Thursday Lana and her friend Tammy joined me so it was a little bit slower.  Friday Heather and I walked from work downtown for beer and dinner and then back.  Does that count?  I bought a running magazine along the way - that HAS TO count for something, right??  lol...

Today, did the 22k bike ride from my house to the bridge and back.  Waited too long in the day so it was quite windy...  Wind has picked up a lot again now so I am glad to be done.

Now off to find some grub :)

Shopping, Shopping, Shopping!

One of the best parts of running has to be the cute running clothes you can buy!  In addition to my Nuu-Muu (which I still LOVE), I recently bought three new running shirts from the best company - One More Mile.  I've never had such great customer service!  They rock!  I'll definitely buy more from them.  The shirts I got have cute sayings on them:

1)  If you see me collapse pause my Garmin.

2)  I am only doing this so I can post a picture on Facebook.

3)  If found on ground, please drag across finish line.

LOVE THEM!!

I also have a running skort coming from Run Girl Run.  I got one with attached tights - to avoid the dreaded chub rub!  So much for running being an inexpensive sport!  After spending a good chunk of the day scouring this town for a regular skort, however, I have definitely determined Cranbrook is in need of a running/biking/yoga shop.  The selection in town is horrible!

One Down....

I did it!  First 10k of the season and it is done, done, DONE!  And it was pretty great too.  I thought briefly that I might be able to make it in under an hour - but it wasn't to be.  Still pretty darn happy with the 1:02:13 time I got though.  A sub-hour 10k definitely seems possible....down the road.  I gave it all I had today, though.  Ankle gave me a little trouble and at one point my left hamstring had a couple moments of seizing up...but otherwise it was a great run in the sunshine.  Oh...still having iPod trouble too.  Checked last night and it said battery was at 75% so didn't bother re-charging it.  About 15 minutes into my run, it died....  Would have been nice to have had music the rest of the way but was fine without it. 

Tons of people on Rails to Trails today.  Not sure if that is because it is a rare nice weekend, a long weekend, or the combination of the two.  Finished off my 10k with running 10 sprints and then some stretching.  A group that seemed to have biked from Kimberley came while I was stretching.  One of the guys told me when I was done that I "look pretty limber".  Not quite sure what that meant...

Almost tempted to do a bike ride today too...but think perhaps I'll sit in the sunshine with a book and a beer instead :)  I <3 Summer!