running. day 3. i'm not dead yet.

so today was Run Day 3. and seriously, i can't believe that i've made it this far. i thought i'd be dead, or at least finding reasons NOT to run. today was pretty good - i ran almost a full kilometer before slowing to a walk! and the mini still loves being in the stroller while we tour the neighbourhood... i actually think that being outside with her is my biggest motivator. i really hope that one day, she and i will run together! and note to self - stretching and warming up really DOES help keep you from injuring yourself!

after the run, we went to the grocery store and the park and i drove our little route to map the distance - it's about 3 kms in total. i'm aiming to run at least 2.5 kms of that within the next couple of weeks. (or maybe a month.) if i don't croak before then!

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stamping my feet...

... well, not really. i've been experimenting with some fantastic stamps that i purchased from my friend romazone on etsy - thank you, roma! i had tried stamping about a year and a half ago but quickly stopped when i couldn't "get" it. yes, stamping SEEMS simple, but it is really hard to get all the letters lined up and imprinted perfectly. needless to say, after having to scrap a bunch of copper and sterling blanks and smashing my thumb about three times, i gave up.

fast forward to now - i decided i was going to expand my creative horizons and try my hand at stamping again. and i didn't do too badly - check out the picture! not bad for a former stamping failure! and NO injuries! (yet.)

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running & the art of jogging stroller maintenance

today was my first official stroller run. i haven't run RUN since probably about 20 months ago. i think about it at least several times a day, but there were always excuses - there's too much traffic, the baby won't let me go, the treadmills at the gym are broken, my boobs hurt. (well, they really DID hurt! YOU try breastfeeding!)

but like i posted before, today was going to be D-day. i put on my old black nike running shorts and yesterday's hot pink tank top, loaded the mini into the stroller with a toy, and tied up my purple and orange running shoes. i pumped up the tires of the stroller and made sure the handle was at a good height.

we stepped outside and it couldn't have been more of a perfect morning. slightly overcast, warm, with a cool breeze. and off we went. i kind of adapted the "couch to 5K" program since i can't find my watch (it's in a box somewhere, i swear) plus keeping an eye on the time is kind of hard while you're pushing a kid in a stroller. i started with about 5 minutes of brisk walking then ran for about 1-2 minutes. then we'd slow down and i'd walk again, then run for about 1-2 minutes. i did notice that if i went too quickly, the front wheel of the stroller (we have a Valco) would wobble (not that the mini cared - she just loved it that we were going FAST) - which was solved by putting it in "locked" mode instead of "swivel".

it felt GREAT. not only because i wasn't in as bad shape as i thought i was, but because running with my daughter was really, really nice. she was like my own personal cheering section, making happy noises, barking at dogs, pointing at trees. we even had two bunnies run alongside us for about 30 seconds - and you don't see THAT in the city! before i knew it, 30 minutes had passed, we were done and i definitely was feeling that old runner's high. as i sit here, 12 hours later, with my muscles still feeling slightly sore, i am so glad that i did it. hopefully, it will become part of our routine - at least till the snow comes!!!!!!

now i just gotta get myself some decent running gear...

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running.

i seriously used to be a gym rat. almost 9 years ago, i was diagnosed with extremely high cholesterol and fatty liver. yeah, YUCK. when i write that, i am kind of disgusted with myself, for letting myself go, for the folly of youth, the siren call of Ronald McDonald, and that at 28 years old, my doctor told me that i was at risk for a "coronary event". that does NOT sound like a party, let me tell you. and getting better was also no easy task! a healthy diet, medication and a gym membership - courtesy of my loving husband - was the cure. now, i'm doing pretty well health-wise, and my cholesterol is within normal levels. YAY ME! (insert cheesy commercial smile here)

however, the last time i set foot in our gym was probably sometime in april. and i know that since the mini was born, i've been to the gym a total of 10 times. maybe. it's not about the weight - i'm about 20 pounds lighter than i was pre-pregnancy - but i'm flabby. i am surprised that i still have muscle tone. my muffin top has several muffin top friends. i miss exercising. i miss lifting weights. and most of all, i miss running. before i got too pregnant to run, i was pounding out a good 2 - 3K every second day on the treadmill, then jumping on the stationary bike and doing another 2 - 3K. i loved the way it made me feel. as i got bigger, i downgraded the running to a brisk walk - i saw it as training for labor. (yeah. as if you can train to give birth, LOL! but i am convinced it helped make it easier!) fitness-wise, i am so determined to get back to where i was before! so, i think i am going to try the "Couch to 5K" program (thank you, @kristinglas!) to try to get back into running. and this time, i am going to try to take the mini along for the ride in the stroller. it is really important to me that she learn how crucial exercise is. because it saved my life.

(thanks to the surlymermaid for such a gorgeous photo. and yes, i will be running in proper running shoes.)

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