So I wake up after a few hours of sleep Thanksgiving morning and I sign on here.. I keep reading about how people are going to do 2 workouts to counter balance what they eat.. Or they’re just going to binge and feel bad and get back at it the next day.. And i was thinking, "self, for the first time in many, many years, i don’t feel like binging.. i want to eat and we’ll see what ends up making it down my gullet.. but i’m not going to feel guilty for eating stuffing.. " and you know what??? by taking that power away, i didn’t over eat.. my appetite subsided and i was able to eat my well-proportioned plate of yumminess.. and only ONE plate.. and only ONE piece of pumpkin pie.. and i was full.. but not stuffed.. i didn’t feel deprived or guilty.

and i was proud of myself for letting go

Sure hope everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving and have been able to enjoy it for what it is and what it means.. and don’t get down on yourselves if you ate an extra piece of pie or too many sweet potatoes.. in the end, it’s how you’re remembered when you’re gone that’s important.. not what you looked like

and was i flying HIGH today! Today I ran YESTERDAY’S long run of 9 miles.. Just wasn’t up for it yesterday.. CG, you TOTALLY rock for doing it! and your time was fabulosa!!! i’m so proud of you! Well today was my turn.. I got a late start out of the house but I was ready to go. I ate my usual pre-long run breakfast of toasted english muffin, gobs of peanut butter, banana and honey. and some water. It was a cold and frosty morning. AND SUNNY!! The best run weather! I chose my favorite run-around the capital and lake in town. There’s always lots of people out to enjoy and it’s vitually a flat run, expect for one hill that kills.. (fyi.. any one looking for glute assistance, there it is)..

I was in a pretty good mood, despite the day not starting out so well. So I took my cell phone and decided to have fun while on the run. I took pix and sent them to CG (but she didn’t get most of them) and we touched base (as we did during her run yesterday) to encourage each other. MAN! it soooooooo totally helped me! Even that killer hill wasn’t that killer. I just kept thinking that CG was running next to me and we were having the best convo EVER! one runner who was running the same run, only opposite, said "i’ve seen you 2 times now and both times you have a huge smile on your face." Amazing how much one can say in passing.. it’s a learned trait most runners learn =)

 So when i was finally finished, my time was 72:54. and i felt beyond AMAZING! my usual callouses were at peace. No side stitches. I was in my zone the entire time. My breathing easy. And i hit my high before it was even over!

Then I went on a feeding frenzy with my BFF and her daughter. then we went shopping and tried on silly christmas hats. Then I went to work for a few hours. Picked up my son from soccer academy.. and now i’m home, writing this blog.. trying desperately to upload the pix from todays run.. i may or may not get this accomplished..

THEN, i did some glute work (not like they weren’t already en fuego after the sprints) of 1-legged dead lifts, walking lunges and walking side lunges with the resistance band.. and then shoulders.. i was pooped and i crashed.. crashed hard.. probably should eat more than a 200 calorie bar before that training again.. UGH!!!

I had a great workout at the gym today. Chest/tris/abs. I didn’t kill ‘em or rip ‘em up, but i did my thang! then i enjoyed some sprints on the step mill.. LOVE running up revolving stairs! I also decided to start working with a trainer again. It won’t be with Janice (who just had her baby yesterday and i was honored to be one of her coaches) but this new trainer trains just like her. And I’m not really training to do MAJOR revisions cuz I can say that physically I’m really close to where i want to be.. I just want to make some tweaks to my physique while mixing up my trainings! AND (here’s the cool part) Jay the Hottie may train for the 1/2 ironman triathlon with me! haha.. the grasshoppa becomes the master! =)

And today I got a phone call from one of the girls on the college soccer team. She asked if i would be interested in helping her train abuse survivors at the college! She said she didn’t feel right training them when she had no idea what she was doing. WOW! i jumped at the chance. It won’t be a paid position but I will be training them for 4 weeks and then just come in to help mix up the routines from time to time. I’m really excited about this =)

And now i must give a shout out to all my really good friends here.. CG, LEGS, LIL MAMA, JP, GET LEAN, HOOZ, SONYA, SHAN, GRIM DADDY, STORMI, and many others for luvin’ me even during my "poor me.. feel sorry for me.. whine whine whine.. i want SUGAR.. oh look it’s a sweet commercial hence time to cry" moods! I thrive on and soak up your positive spirits! i appreciate you all being who you are!

But I don’t know that I can pass this opportunity up! It’s in June.. Right after school gets out but before summer soccer camps start, which signals the beginning of my soccer widow internship.. haha.. It’s in Victoria, BC.. COME ON! So close to home and SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO beautiful… AND I’d be training with Team In Training (the leukemia and lymphoma society).. SO I WOULDN"T BE TRAINING ALONE!!! Of course there will be fundraising involved but I’m up for the challenge.. I mean, COME ON! What’s asking for a donation to a great cause compared to swimming 1.2 miles.. biking 56 and THEN running 13.1???? Pretty much doesn’t compare…

 SO, with that said.. I’m pretty sure I’ve found my next race… CG are ya wit me??!!!???!!!

 So, quick synopsis… I AM FLYING HIGH RIGHT NOW!! and i’m running on 2 hours of sleep after my night shift.. ENDORPHINS.. AINT THEY GREAT?!?!?!?!?

After that, I picked up my son and took him to the college for the Men’s soccer game.. Awesome afternoon, but still a little warm out. I got there just as the womens practice was ending, changed into my running clothes and asked if any of them wanted to join me.. HERE IS WHERE I HAVE ISSUES WITH THEM.. but this is not a blog about THAT! haha..

So off I went.. 400 meter warm up lap arond the track… *GO SONJA* i hear from some of the gals who stayed for the game.. I did a little mental preperation and I was off.. All in all, I did it in 21:25.. I was pooped.. But in reality, when i was training for the 1/2 IRONMAN, i would do 400 M and 800 M sprints AFTER running 8 or 9 miles, so 2400 M ONLY is mentally a piece of cake for me.. and boy was I sweating and I was proud for the men and women see me do that!

And guess what the Women will be doing for Fitness tomorrow………. i LOVE my job =)

So when all was said and done, I ran 6 miles of undulating hills in 51 minutes.. I’m happy with this cuz I went farther than I usually go in the same amount of time.. And the weather was PERFECT! cool…. sunny.. with a slight breeze.. And in my head I felt like a gazelle.. and I slept like a baby when I got home.. So wednesdays are going to be my "HILL" days =)

And today was my first good day in a long time. And that feels good to say! And I celebrated it with a good back/bi day and a hard 35 minute run.. 10 minutes at 7:30 pace.. 12 minutes at 7:00 pace.. and 4×400 with 1:15 rest in between.. And I feel amazing =)

Oh, and with the help of my new fellow endurance junkies at the gym, and CG’s new found love of running, I have decided to run a 1/2 marathon on October 12th! =)