Sun Runnin' Fool

Sun run season is almost upon us. It's coming up April 27. I signed up on a whim and was hoping I could convince nick to join me. Apparently that was wishful thinking. I believe he gave me an "absolutely not" when I asked him. Im not too concerned on finding a running buddy as I do enjoy running solo.

I started training in March, committing myself to one "long" run every weekend as I have Bootcamp Monday Tuesday Thursday during the week. I started out with a five km run and have been upping it by one km every week. Tomorrow should be 8km but I'm in whistler and am going to substitute a treadmill run for a real one, so we will see. I have a way harder time running that type of distance ona a treadmill, I always want to just up the speed and get it done with sooner but then I get a side Cramp and end up dying.

I don't have Bootcamp for the second half of March so I'll be able to get in a few extra runs and will do some speed work at the track too! Wanna race? Meet me at LSS! :)

I'm aiming for a sun run finish time of under an hour and hopefully under 55 minutes. Last week I ran  my 7 k in 41 min and it was sub zero temperatures. I think in milder weather I'll be able to pick up the pace and hit my goal!

Check it out, I got a new iPhone arm band. I'm sure this will also make me faster. Hiding my phone in my sports bra has gotta be slowing me down :/

Bootcamp aka death camp pt2

Bootcamp day 2. I spent most of my day trying not to move too much. Nearly every muscle in my body is sore.... Read all about Bootcamp day 1 here! I have been trying not to think too much about how much worse tonight's session is going to be.

Just put on my workout clothes. These ones also have shrunk since I last wore them. I think I need some laundry lessons.

I'm hoping tonight is a whole new set of exercises. I might cry if I have to do another burpee.

Leaving for class now. If I don't die of muscle failure, I will finish this post later tonight.

Survived class 2. Lots of running probably saved me, since it meant less burpies and push-ups. Worked with weights but Manda was kind enough to let me use her five lb weights and she used my 8s!

Once again I realized (slash Manda pointed out) how uncoordinated I am! So many of the stretches and sets were multi-movement exercises that my brain and body parts just don't know how to deal with. Luckily everyone is too busy to notice that my super lunge jump looks more like a mix between a seizure and a dance move!

No fainting spells this time around, however acid reflux kicked in about half way through. Still suffering from it now. Will have to google the cause and figure out how to prevent it.

Tomorrow is our break day so I have some time to recuperate my traumatized muscles. Stay tuned for more!

Xo Shelly.

A Case of the Grumps

The Michelle Health Organization (MHO for short) reports that there's been a case of the grumps going around lately. This organization, which is neither very organized nor very healthy, would like to help you diagnose yourself. Not sure if you are suffering from the grumps? Here's a few things that might be a tip off:

• People leave the room when you walk in because they dread being around you and your bad attitude (badittude, if you will).
• You spend extended periods of time wallowing in self-loathing and, alternatively, self-pity.
• The usual good mood-inspiring things do not even bring a semi smile to your face. An adorable puppy in a cute outfit makes you roll your eyes instead of the normal giggle and clap.
• Even eating delicious treats do not make you happy.

Now, drinking excessively may seem like a good idea to dull the pain of your grumptastic mood, but it will not help. Let me repeat: Do Not try to drink the grumps away. It is cause for disaster and you will then be hungover AND grumpy. Please do not fret though, I have some helpful suggestions (that worked for me) to bring you back to Happy Land.

1. You need to go overboard on the things that make you happy. For me, it's baking. This weekend I baked a batch of deliciously low fat cookies, chocolate mousse (not technically baking, but still counts) and mini chocolate cupcakes with peppermint chocolate icing. The delicious end results, combined with the pleasure it brought to those who devoured the treats nearly pulled me out my funk. [see below for photos]
2. Exercise. Again, I suggest going overboard. Get out and work your butt off doing whatever it is you do to stay in shape. Yesterday I spent an hour at the gym and then hit the track with my iPod on the loudest it could go. By the time I was done, I was so frozen, deaf, hungry and tired that I had no room to be grumpy. Pure bliss.
3. Shopping therapy. Simple. Go out and buy things. You don't need to spend a million dollars, feel free to hit the dollar store, walmart or even go to the grocery store and hit the bulk bins real hard. Don't get me wrong, if you have the money and the inclination to make a big purchase, by all means do so. A new TV or car would certainly make your grumps disappear twice or even three times as fast.
4. Go tanning. I hear the WHO (world health organisation- who is actually a real organisation, unlike the MHO) declared tanning a carcinogenic, so maybe this option isn't for everyone...but if you aren't opposed to tanning and your skin could use some colour- jump on in to your nearest cancer box. Not only will you feel better because you will look prettier- you will feel better from that dose of vitamin D that you can only get from the sun, which we probably won't seeing much of for the next few months.
5. If you have completed suggestions 1-4 and are still feeling down then you have no choice but to go to Disney Land. It is the happiest place on earth. If a dose of the magic kingdom, mickey mouse and frozen lemonade can't cure you then you are pretty much out of luck. You can try repeating the above steps, perhaps in reverse order, but unfortunately and most likely, you will need to move onto #5.
6. Strong meds are officially in order. Prozak or some other anti-depressant. It will make you feel like you are living your life in a hazy cloud, not to mention the long list of negative side effects, but hey, it will likely kill the grumps. Murder at its finest. Visit a doctor near you for treatment.

Wishing you all a grump-free afternoon. Good day to you.