Well, I Did It….

…I've signed up for another marathon.

Yup, I'm running the Disney Marathon (again) in January!  My running has been going really well lately and I have missed the longer distances.  I had dropped the hint to Michelle few weeks ago that I was thinking about signing up, and she didn't run away screaming, so I took that as permission to proceed   Truth be told, she was just happy to have an excuse to go back to Disney for a few days!

We lucked out pretty well as we were able to book flights with points and get our room at Disney with our Disney Vacation Club points as well…we will fly in the day before the race and then have the next 3 days to just relax and enjoy some time together.

I was able to get out on our holiday Monday for my long run…25K, which is a little over 15 miles, making it my longest run since Around the Bay 30K way back in March.  It was a little warmer than it has been lately, but there was a light mist in the air (along with a really strong headwind)…I set on on the country roads that I ran all last summer when I was marathon training and despite some less than perfect weather (and muddy roads), I really enjoyed it.  I love running long and I had forgotten that…after the run my decision was made.  I signed up later that day.

I had mentioned the other day that it was time to replace my shoes, you know, since they had holes in them.  I have pretty much settled on the Saucony Kinvara 5's as I have been running in the 3's and 4's the last couple years and really like them.  Now only the most important decision remains…which colour to buy?  I'm digging these ones (I wear a LOT of blue…)

Have a great day folks!

Anyone else running Disney Marathon Weekend in January?

Time to go be Awesome

Good Tuesday morning friends! It was a great long weekend, and while everyone else is back to the grind today, I still have today. One of the benefits of working on Saturdays is that I get a day off during the week - and my day off is typically a Tuesday...which always comes as a bonus on a long weekend!

A few weekends ago my MIL got a membership to the YMCA. One of the great things about the Y is that they have locations almost everywhere you go. Which just so happens to mean that there is one about 10min from the cottage. When she was there signing up the other week, they told her that they were going to start having "group power" (aka BodyPump) on Saturday mornings, so although my MIL and a fellow neighbour were able to make it to class on Saturday...I was off to work - but then with yesterday being a holiday - they had a class yesterday morning too...so we loaded up and headed off to class. I've gotta say, instructors really make or break a class...and yesterday morning we happened to have 2 instructors. The girl did the 1st half of the class and the boy finished teaching the 2nd half. The whole thing felt very choppy right from the very beginning. They would start and stop the music with each track, and the girl talked waaaay too much, didn't know how to count the reps properly and actually didn't have the new release memorized as well as she should have. I would say on at least 3 of the 5 tracks that she taught - the boy was having to correct her...a little annoying is an understatement. Once the boy took over the class flowed a little better, but by then I think it was a little too late. I guess I've just always been pretty spoiled and had REALLY good instructors for BodyPump/group power before, so this one just felt very amateur...hopefully it's just not a small town thing...I'll definitely go back - as I still had a really good workout, and that's what it's all about! ...my body is certainly feeling it today - so I guess in the end they did their jobs - and gave me a workout.

It's just so amazing to me though how much the instructor really makes to the class...I will gladly get out of bed at an un forsaken hour to go to my spin class on Wednesdays or  Fridays (of any other day she is subbing) 'cause she is an AWESOME instructor. She pushes you, encourages you - and keeps the class fun and exciting, but there is an instructor that teaches at the closest gym to me on Tuesday and Thursday...and I just can't bring myself to go back to one of her classes - she's boring, her music sucks, and more importantly - I don't feel like I get the same "good" workout that I get with a better instructor.

Anyhoo...I'm off to the gym now...I still have some thanksgiving dinner to work off

Do you prefer a "good" instructor or does it not matter to you?

Any stories to tell about a "poor/bad" experience with an instructor?

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

It is Thanksgiving up here in Canada today, so a happy Thanksgiving to all our fellow Canadians!  Michelle jokes about her cooking, so here's a peek at her turkey prep for our feast…

Well, maybe not quite…but close enough   The meal turned out great though…we had dinner with my parents up at the cottage and of course I ate way too much.

Note Michelle's Heinz Ketchup…yup, that goes on her turkey.

We knew that there would be a lot of eating going down, so despite being more than ready for a running rest day, I told Michelle that I would go for a run with her.  It was nice to get in some time together…a nice easy 5K that took us down to the beach.

Jackson had a surprise on Saturday afternoon…when we were up for Lobsterfest on Labour Day weekend, he took a bunch of lobster over to the neighbours across the road.  She asked Jackson what his favourite pie was, and on Saturday she came over with a warm apple pie just for him!  Well, I may have helped him out with it…it was as good as it looks (well, looked…that sucker is long gone).

That's it for today…I'm getting ready to head out and try a turkey-fuelled long run.  Do they make gravy GU's???

Canadian friends, how was your Thanksgiving?

American friends, what do you actually do for Columbus Day??