Injured on the Run

What a weekend!

I tracked his return.
Making sure no pitstops. lol

Started with picking up my sweety on Friday evening from the airport.

He was amazed at what an easy time he had with Immigration. Honestly. Having a PR card (Permanent Residency) made a world of difference. According to Furman, on his return he was able to use a kiosk for Self Checkout. The machine just scanned his PR Card, his Immigration Form and asked him a few questions. Bingo Bango..he was done. Said it took him maybe 10 minutes. The time he spent was waiting for his luggage. So if he had only carry-on, he would have been out in a jiffy. Quite a difference from all the other times he's traveled here. lol So, those new with PR Cards.....be happy, travelling with it is easy peasy.

Saturday, I was scheduled to run a 10k with my dear friend Catie. 

It was to be her first, which is why I signed up. No bling. No chip time. Just a race for her to finish. Us to finish. At least, that was the plan. Luckily for us, an expected rainy day held off for our run. The route was actually quite beautiful along the water. Furman came with me of course. Thank God.

We started off great!

 But my ending....not so great!  

Yup....you see it. I'm not running (on the right). Actually, I was barely walking. After approximately 9.5kms, I felt a "pop" in my left hip when Catie and I were running the last stretch. I knew instantly that it couldn't be good. Almost took me to the ground. Catie reached back to help me but I told her to go ahead! She had to finish her race.

BAHAHAHAHA!!!  The song of the day!!

I hobbled the rest of the way. The Finish wasn't that far away after running damn near the entire race. lol  The thing too is that while running, I told Catie I felt an ache in my hip (which i've had a couple times in the past). So, I slowed my pace a tad. But close to the Finish...that's when you are supposed to push yourself a bit harder. Furman always says I need help in that department because I am usually out of steam and getting that second wind is a tough one. Now, I think i'm traumatized. lol That last push made me pop! hahaha A few people checked on me as I was hobbling and even offered me a wheelchair. But no, I was determined to cross the Finish on my feet. After finishing, Catie ran back to find me. God Bless her!  

I was in pain, but I wasn't dying. lol

Painful Finish!

She had given the news to Furman. But Furman already knew something was wrong when he saw Catie and didn't see me. She finished the race about 1:03, which is around my usual time. He came to find me too and I told him what happened. I insisted to him, I wasn't going to make a B-line for the parking lot...I was going to cross that Finish Line. lol At the Finish Line, a medic checked on me, asked me a few questions and we were on our way - Home. Furman had me sprawl along the back seat and drove us out of there. I didn't even grab a banana at the Finish. Smh. lol

So, the rest of my weekend was R.I.C.E - Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation. Furman has been taking care of me very well. He said i'm officially a runner with my first running injury. lol Oh, and like we all do that we shouldn't do, I consulted Dr Google for self diagnosis. hahaha This sounds about right, Hip Bursitis. Then again, someone else thought it sounded like an injury to my IT Band. Whatever it is, it's painful in the hip. lol I can't even sleep on that side. No, I haven't consulted a real Dr. It's actually started to feel a bit better slowly with some rest. And, with Furman's assistance, I've been not only icing it but also applying heat to promote healing and taking Aleve or Advil. (something anti-inflammatory).

Sunday, I hobbled to church as usual. Probably shouldn't have worn heels, but I did. Wasn't thinking. Then after church we shared in a celebration of a special friend's birthday. Sushi! Her favorite! It was a great afternoon. Then, back to the couch!

Now, i'm back to work. Got here early as usual but this time, I couldn't go to the gym. That would have been absolutely stupid. So, I started blogging. I will be staying away from the gym pretty much all week. After all, that's what rest is. Good thing too....I have no dance classes this week either. Worked out perfectly. Thank goodness, my next race is not until the August A Midsummer Nights Run. So....I can't stay on my ass for too long. I got training to do. I'm just lucky I have such a wonderful husband to train with me and keep me in check! Look forward to being back on the pavement. Furman did say that if I start to feel much better I can start off with some light bicycling or walk, not run, walk on the treadmill at a slight incline to get some movement. We'll see how the week goes. Definitely, not doing anything today. I'm still hobbling. lol

Have an awesome week everyone.
Thanks for reading.

If Only I'd Thought Of It Myself

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I was Prime for a Spring Food Drive being held in my office building.

Well, that is over. It had been over for a few weeks actually. But, I'm still waiting for delivery/pick up of our donations. We didn't do too bad, thanks to a guy I don't even know that works in a different department. lol He had a different way of going about collecting. He collected Money!! Cha Ching! Yup....instead of him placing a box like I did for people to bring in donations, he went around the office and collected CASH. Then, he took himself to Costco and made a purchase of most of what you see in this panoramic photo I took.

If only i'd though of it myself!

Something i'll definitely try next year.
My group, we collected the two white boxes full on the right. Then, I received two boxes beside those from another department. Collecting had been difficult for them because they had just gotten finished fundraising for the Walk So Kids Can Talk 2013. People don't really want to give if they have already given to something. lol Unless they've got something in their cupboards at home that they just want to get rid of. Speaking of getting rid of, that is another problem. When it comes to donating to a food drive people, please don't donate stuff that has been sitting in your cupboards EXPIRED! Come on now!! If you aren't going to eat it yourself, why would you want someone else to? I never noticed it. My good friend did. God Bless Her! She brought it to my attention which had me go looking for this can of expired peaches she was talking about. Found it!!

You are reading correctly!
20090825
Seriously!

Yes, I was able to locate it because as I mentioned, I am still waiting for someone to claim the donations. But, I'm now going to take care of that myself. Usually, our Community Affairs Group that I help out with has these things pre-arranged. However, since the end date of the Food Drive, the Charity that was supposed to claim these donations hasn't been responding. So, I thought I would take matters into my own hands. After all, I know for a fact that churches often have food pantry's. I figured I could just take them to church. Then, when I mentioned it to a friend from church I was reminded - Church in the City. Well duh! If only I thought of it myself!

I've mentioned in several previous posts how myself and my husband, sometimes daughter, travel into the city every few months with others from our church to feed the homeless. We walk right through a food pantry into the kitchen when we are down there to serve - TCRC. They could certainly use our donations. They feed everyone! So, I sent the head of our Community Affairs Group an email to let her know and she was happy with the idea. "Consider it done!" I told her. Next weekend on the way down, I will make a pit stop and collect these donations on behalf of my fellow employees. And, I will certainly know better for next year! Smh. At least I know we wont run into a problem like this when I start getting backpacks filled in August. The company we donated them to last year is Already Making Plans and made contact to ask if we would consider them again this year. lol Proactive or what? Love it!

Anyways.......FURMAN COMES HOME TODAY!! Yay. lol


No more having to FaceTime each other. lol
Although I enjoyed watching the Miami Heat Game with him.

Wish me luck on my 10k run tomorrow.
Actually, let's just pray it doesn't rain until AFTER my run. lol I'm not trying to look like a wet dog.

And all of you....Have an awesome weekend!!!

What I'm Missing

I miss my husband!
But, I know that he is working hard where he is. That's just what he does!
He is perfect for his job.
He's been soo nice to post some photos on Facebook of what he's been upto, where he is. Gotta love him!
Rub it in, rub it in. lmao
So...I thought I would steal a few to share with my readers.

I'll assume from this photo he is not missing me too too much.
He's getting some love from Zoe!

 

Sandals/Beaches Resorts

We got married at Beaches Negril in 2011. Oh how I miss the beach. These photos were taken by my wonderful husband at various Sandals/Beaches locations in Ocho Rios. Looks like he is in Montego Bay today, according to his check in on Facebook. I'll look forward to his new photos.

For those not familiar with the Sandals Resorts, Beaches Resorts are for families whereas Sandals is adults only. So yeah, if you are reading this and are in need of a vacation, Sandals and Beaches are absolutely breathtaking. Get there! There are many that can help with your booking, or, if you are in Canada...I'm sure my husband would be happy to assist too. Just sayin!

Delirious without hubby! lol

But yeah, I think when I get home tonight i'll have to spread my beach towel on the living room floor with an open umbrella, and put on my bikini in front of a heater (the tan effect, gotta feel the heat) with a drink in hand so I can pretend i'm there. lmao Can you imagine? I know, i've lost my mind.

I've been imagining that my husband has been roaming the resort with Big Bird. lol Oh wait a minute, that is not part of my imagination, it's a True Story. haha                                


Anyways...while I await further updates from my husband on what he is upto, I just thought I'd blog since I had the time. After all, it's been a busy week for me. Dance class on Monday, then I went to a Fundraising Event/Dinner for the Gideons (supporting the Gideons makes it possible for others to have their own copy of God's Word in their own language) last evening followed by a late movie with my lovely daughter. That's actually where the delirious photo above came from. We were fooling around in the theater and had to snap a photo. I just cropped her out because I haven't shared any photos of my daughter in my blog. Oh, and let me go ahead and post the trailer for the movie we saw because I swear that before last evening I had never even heard of it. lol Big part of the reason for that is probably because I usually fast forward through commercials on the PVR. It wasn't too bad. Was worth some laughs.

Tonight, like I said, it's all about me! And, taking myself to the beach! hahaha You never know, I just might really do it! Then, dance class tomorrow and voila....my hubby is back home Friday and will be ready to support me (and Catie) on a run this weekend - Running4Home - 10k.

Happy Hump Day!
Furman, if you are reading this.......MISS YOU BABY!!

Home Alone

Well, Furman is off on his first business trip (Jamaica) since getting employed with the Canadian office.
I couldn't fit in his suitcase.
I tried, although not literally. Lol

Soo, I'll be here keeping everything warm for his return. 

We ran together on Saturday.
It was awesome!
I was able to actually show my husband my progress.
My training program required me to run for an hour and a half this weekend, so Furman set his Garmin (1st Anniversary Gift) and we were off. Hit the trails nearby. Total run was 7.86 miles (12.65kms). Pretty much the same as I ran the previous weekend by myself. 8 Miles.  But this time, everything felt better, thanks to Furman. THANK YOU MY LOVE!! He helped me keep pace so I didn't tire myself out.  As a result I pretty much ran the entire distance without walking or stopping with the exception of a streetlight or two. I'm sure it was a switch for him from the previous times he used to run with me, hearing me complain that I was tired. lmao Not this time!!

En route I even got paid. Lol While on the way back, running against the wind, I saw something slowly trying to fly away. As I tried to grab a quick look as I was passing, I made a quick stop and drop. lmao It was a $20 bill. Woowee. Talk about luck!! That put a little more pep in my step! :) There was nobody around to claim it other than me, so not sure how long it had been crawling on the pavement.

Well, Furman's Garmin alarm went off to let him know that we had hit the hour and a half mark. Thing is, I probably could have run farther. I was feeling damn good compared to my previous run. If anything, my run with Furman confirmed for me that I will certainly be ok to run A MidSummer Night's Run. When the alarm goes off the watch stops keeping track, otherwise Furman probably would have had us keep going a bit farther, just because. Oh, and one thing we did, that I didn't do, that made a whole world of difference.......Last week I finished my run at home, no cool down, which probably explains why I was so heated and full of salt. With Furman, we finished our run a distance from home which gave us time to walk the last bit of distance to cool down. A no brainer, I know! lol So, when I was home, I felt great...wasn't crazy salty or anything! I really did. Look forward to running with my husband again when he returns. Oh, don't get me wrong, I was sore...but it was a good sore. lol All around my hips and stuff. But that didn't stop me from getting back at it this morning. After all, after dropping Furman to the airport to catch his flight, I was wayyyy too early for work. So, the gym it was. Just means that I'll get to relax on my lunch break.

I'll have a busy week while Furman is gone.
So time will fly i'm sure. lol

In my Spinbuddies gear

This is the last week for my dance classes (Second Class)....that is, until I start the Beginner/Intermediate Group. Yes, yes, yes.....I've decided to continue on with it for a while longer. The instructor feels I am ready to advance and well, I'm certainly curious to learn more tricks. It has been quite the workout especially with me doing it twice a week. So, why stop a good thing? lol My husband is supportive so i'll keep at it.


Anyways......Here's wishing everyone an awesome last week of May.
June is right around the corner.
Imagine that!
Time really is flying. lol

Headway

I'm starting to make some headway on my Fundraising. Whew!

Let me tell you, Fundraising can be damn discouraging.
I don't know if I am just not pushy enough?
Too shy?
Smell? lol
...Or what.
Today has been a good day though. Pay Day! lol
It's been a bit easier to approach my colleagues with my desperate face. Pitiful. lol

LMAO! Tryna be funny!
I can hear my momma now, complaining about the wrinkles in my forehead!
Stress!!
What an ugly photo! lol

                                                       
They're awesome though. I work with some great people.

I still hate it though. Always have. (I remember the days I had to pull mom duty and sell chocolates or cookies for the kids at school. Oh...or for my daughter's baton club. Ugh)
Even if it's for a good cause, I still hate it! (Obviously because i'm not good at it. lol)
In this case, the Hospital for Sick Children which is definitely a great cause.
A Midsummer Night's Run

Other than the fundraising, i'm doing my part. I'm training. 8 Miles.
15k will be within my reach soon enough.
I have another long training run to do this weekend. Push myself a bit farther. Just hope the weather will be decent because it has totally sucked the last few days. In fact, I know I saw SNOW coming down this morning on my way to work. Mother Nature just doesn't realize it's almost June. She must be finally getting old!! lol

Furman, well, he'll be in Jamaica next week - on business. (Already!) He'll get to flash his PR Card. lol Hope he brings some decent weather back home with him. I'm clearly in the wrong line of work. lol
Almost left my job once to be a flight attendant though. hahahaha True Story!
Whatever will I do while he is gone? PARTAY!!!  jk jk He knows me! I wont be doing jack! Nada! Other than my dance classes and my training. After all, I've gotta do a 10k with Catie next weekend. (Her first). Gotta be ready.
No Bling though.

                                                 

Anyways....here's wishing everyone an awesome weekend.
TGIF!

Thanks again to all that have sponsored me and those that are still thinking about it.
You Rock!
It may not seem like it, but i'm actually about half way to my goal. Yay!
Help me get there if you can.
Pledge Me

8 Miles

Almost made it!
This weekend I reached a milestone in my training.
I almost ran a full 8 Miles!!  Woo Hoo.


I was definitely the "Little Engine That Could" on Saturday. lol Furman was working his first Saturday shift and well, I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself other than RELAX. (Something that he keeps telling me to do).

I knew in My Training Program that I had to do an 80 minute run to complete my week. So, Saturday afternoon I hit the roads.

I took a route other than I usually do. Figured that I needed different scenery to keep me motivated. (And new music, so I used Songza for part of the way) But, when I reached a point in my run where I thought I'd had enough, my tracker indicated that I had only run about 5k. Ugh! I had to keep going! So I did! I swear, I don't remember ever feeling so dehydrated. lol My lips were dry as dry could be. Man it was hot outside. (I certainly understand the reasoning behind early morning or evening runs).

Maybe not the best choice of running drink.

I had to cheat at a certain point because I couldn't take it anymore. When I say cheat, I just mean that I made a quick stop at a local convenience store I was passing so that I could buy a drink. After all, even in a race you get water stations. lol Man, did that drink ever hit the spot. Then, I convinced myself to run the opposite way from where I needed to go just so that I could add some more time and mileage to my run. Good thing I did!
If only I had paid more attention to my tracker towards the end. I would have pushed myself to keep going just to reach that 8 Mile mark. lol But hey....I got close to it. And...like I posted on Facebook....It was the farthest I've ever run.

Sore? Oh yeah, I surely was. And my eyes were stinging from the sweat that tasted like a bag of salt. Salt & Runners Now I understand why Furman used to get so salty from running so far. I mean you could literally brush the salt off his skin. I get it now!

Yup....I was damn proud of myself on Saturday!

Took a day or so to recuperate before I decided to get active again. This time, rollerblading with my husband and some friends. After watching some Victoria Day Fireworks with our friends up by the Lake on Sunday night, we made a plan to return on Monday to hang out and get some rollerblading in. The idea belonged to my friends daughter. Furman loves to rollerblade so he was definitely game. I was being the tag along. Wanted to see what I could do on rollerblades. (Hence, the protective gear. lmao) Of course, not until after she finished a school project she was working on. Don't you just hate when teachers give big projects to be completed over a long weekend? Like really! lol It got done though.

Wish I could have captured some photos of Furman. Smh. Rollerblading is not something that I really do, soooo....I had to leave my phone behind. I figured that if I took it with me that i'd fall on my ass and break it for sure. But, Furman had his camera since he is such a great skater. (Smile) So he captured a few pics of me....oh, and video. Check it out!

All in all, it was a lovely weekend - a weekend to remember.
And yay.....it's a short week.

Have an awesome week everyone!!!

Prayer.

A Midsummer Night's Run

Well, we are at it again!
What is wrong with me? lmao
It's Catie's fault...I totally blame her.
She sent me an IM at work about another run. This time, 15k.
Keep in mind, she still hasn't run her first 10k (that's scheduled for June 1st. I'll run it too), and we've both already signed up for our 1st 1/2.
So....when she saw this one she figured it would be a great warm up for the 1/2. I get it! I get it! She's kind of right though. This one is August 17 and the half is September 22nd. Oh...and it's got BLING! lol (I was getting after her for signing up for a 10k that didn't give any bling. lol)

I'm not sure what year these are from, but they are awfully nice! 
I want one! lol

I'm supposed to run a 1/2 in September. So yeah, if I can't run a 15k by August, then something is definitely wrong with my training. So, i'm all in! Gonna do it! Just hoping Furman will be able to either run with me, train with me, or both! We'll see. Gotta check his schedule.

The Chocolate Race   A Mother's Day

Oh, and there is fundraising involved too. For SickKids. An awesome cause. Proceeds go to support the research and care for the Department of Rheumatology at the Hospital for Sick Kids. Donation Page. Your support would be greatly appreciated as every dollar counts. Please see video for Jessica's story, which is just one of many I am sure.

Thanking you for your support in advance.

And....thanks to YouTube and GetOutThere Magazine, here is a summary of what I am in for.

                                     

So yeah, what do ya think? lol

Thanks Catie....for pushing me girl....but if you decide to bungee off the CN Tower, you are on your own. lol