A Happy Ending

My boy is home for a weeks holiday making this Mommy a happy one.
However with only a week there are a few 'to do's' that must happen and one of those was Dad and Son heading out on the lake to go fishing.
With my girl off to the Stampede with a friend I was left alone with my fur kids for the day.

The 'Mum' in me decided it should be a day of baking so there could be treats for the family for the next week.

Door propped open with a rock the fur kids could come and go as they pleased while I kept busy in the kitchen.
I had purchased a couple of flower pots and was not in full trust that they would not pull them apart so I did head out a few times to see what they were up to and throw the ball for Rigby.

Dogs in and out, napping at my feet and sniffing up at the counter, it all seemed like a normal day, there was no indication to the adventure that was about to ensue.

I was just cleaning up from my latest batch of cookies and had a tray in the over with about 3 minutes left to go on the timer when Hubba popped in whining and seeming rather agitated.
Drying off my hands I threw my chore shoes on (which are loose and clumpy on my feet), stepped outside and called to the dogs... "hey puppies!!"

Nothing.

The yard was empty.
Void of dogs.

The gates were closed.

What the hey???

Walking around to the back of the yard I just about fell over.  Two fence boards had been ripped off the fence and a huge hole stood between the yard and freedom.
My guess was a cat happened to be on the other side resulting in the escape that was most likely all Penny's doing.

"Shit!!"  I stood staring at the newly created gate to the front yard frozen to the spot with my brain reeling with what I needed to do to bring all 5 dogs back by myself.

Running inside I grabbed their collars which of course they were not wearing (bloody hell), the leash and stopped to tie my shoes that were slopping about on my feet. 
Leaving the back door open I grabbed my cell phone and keys and took off outside calling all the dogs names while standing in the middle of the road.

Nothing, no sound, no sign of any dog.

I jumped into the truck and started off down the road hoping that I picked the right direction, the one we use to walk the dogs.
Nothing, no sign of them at all.

Why did this have to happen when I was at home alone?

I drove about 6 blocks or so when all of a sudden I see Hubba and Elly sniffing a backyard fence.
Leaping out of the truck (surprised I put it in park) I called to them both.  Nothing at first, but as soon as I dropped to my knees they both came over to me.
However without collars on I could only get a hold of one dog at a time.  So Elly was picked up and put into the back seat, but before I could close the door she had jumped out again.
This time I grabbed a collar and slipped it over her head and put her back in the truck.
Hubba in the meantime was running around the truck looking all pleased with himself.
Putting him in the truck was a different story.

Collar on his neck I put his front feet on the floor to the passenger side front seat then lifted his butt up into the truck.  He would not however step up so I had to lift all 90 pounds of him up onto the seat.

I flew home put the first two into the kennel in the yard, grabbed a few dog cookies and ran out once more.

I seriously didn't think I would get so lucky again, but lo and behold when I turned down the first street there was all three of my kids running back towards home (yes, this is what I am telling myself).
Jumping out of the truck and calling to them I watched in disbelief as they all ran right past me, not even glancing my way once!!
Again I dropped to my knees and called Rigby while showing him the cookie... he thought about running ahead but at the last second he changed his mind and came to me tail wagging with a big grin on his face.

One in the truck it was time to get the other two.

Rocky came to me next in the same way Rigby did.

Penny on the other hand wasn't as willing to get in the truck, but she did come to me when I called her, again squatting down to her level.

With all 5 dogs back in their kennels I went inside and dropped on the couch which was when I noticed that I was dripping in sweat.  No.  Not just dripping I was drenched.
I also had to take a few deep breaths to slow my heartbeat down to normal again.

After a calming break alone in my quiet living room (and finishing off the last couple batches of cookies) I head back outside with hammer and nails in hand to fix and make the fence escape proof once more.

I'm sure there was some form of guardian angel watching over me and the dogs this afternoon.
I feel very lucky to have all 5 of my kids back home safe and sound.

One thing is for sure. 

We are never going through that again!!

MY Perfect Life

I am full.

Happy.

Not everything is perfect... show me a perfect life and you'll see boring.
Oh yes there are times I would love to live boring... who doesn't?

I am surrounded by family who supports and loves me.. although there are times I wish they lived closer.
My world is filled with doggy love, which is the best kind ever... full of adventure and naughtiness.
A perfect job with awesome co-workers... and amazing kids.
A roof over my head... even though it leaks in places it's mine.

As I sat here writing this my two younger pups came running up to me and knocked me down to kiss me tails wagging.  Laughing as I sat up Rigby started singing to me in his rather loud voice with a big smile on his face.
Now if that doesn't add to my perfect life I don't know what would?

I cannot wait to begin full fledged training with these two.  They love me unconditionally and would do anything for me.  I sense an amazing adventure awaiting for us.

Working hard at getting myself into shape, and having completed my first ever 5K race, it is becoming clear that this 100 mile undertaking on skis is a dream turning into reality.

If you want something bad enough, and you're willing to make sacrifices, you can do it.

But first

You have to believe in yourself.

One Week to Go!!!

Met up with the 'Wonder Woman', AKA, leader of the running group and her husband this morning.

Sunday morning and no one else ventured out to join us.. at least not at the time we ran.  Sundays are suppose to be for staying snuggled under the blankets enjoying the comfort of a soft warm bed.

I wish.

Even if I didn't have dogs that needed to be loved and cuddled and fed.
Even if I didn't have plans to run.
I just cannot sleep in.   Sadly it is not in my genetic makeup... nor is it wired in my brain properly to allow me such pleasures.

So, I might as well head out and go for a run... why not?

I ran 5K again this morning, however I decided that I would continue to run 10 minutes with a 1 minute break in between.  Figured I might as well get used to this before moving on.. .makes sense right?    I thought so too....

That is until my hubby asked me what we had planned for next weekend...

I saunter over to the calendar, thinking there were no plans that I could remember.... slowly my finger moves to Saturday June 23rd.... uh... no.. wait.. that was yesterday!! 
Next weekend is the 5K road race that I've entered!!!

Yikes!!!

Panic sets in.
My heart rate rises and I'm standing still!
Butterflies come alive deep down in my stomach.

How did July 1st come so quickly???

Breathe

I can do this.

Piece of cake... I have 4 more days that I can run before Sunday..

I can and I will run the entire route without stopping..

I can

                                    I can

                  I can

                                                                                      I can!!!

Good Day Sunshine

The longest day of the year has come and gone having left us with 18 hours and 44 minutes of light. (although if you consider the nautical sunrise and sunset it was more like 21 hours)
I have a love hate relationship with the length of daylight that spills in though my window.  It's not the warmth or soul lifting that it brings into my life.  I crave sunshine no matter what day in the year.   I Love the way it warms my face on a cold winters day, or how it brings out the diamonds that lay on a field of snow.
No, it's the fact that I am already an early riser and don't really need the extra prodding to open my eyes at 4:30 in the morning that leaves me with a hint of displeasure.  
This could be fixed with darker blinds in my room.. but for those who know me, that'll never happen.

I will admit however that this last week of early rising has been a gift as I sit watching the sky change into the most magnificant colours to announce the coming of a new day.
Having to watch it through my living room window covered in the art of doggy nose prints added to my happiness as I was reminded of what a wonderful and full life I have.

Has it been aging that has finally let me see the joy in life?
Or can it be as I physically become healthier my mental health too has improved?

I have now run 5K more than once and have been so proud of myself.
I'm not quite ready to do the entire distance in one shot, however I do have to remind myself the location I am training on is all hills.   With my running group last night I did 10 minute runs 3 times.. it ended at the bottom of the long hill that is a killer everytime I run it... At the top of this hill is the 5K mark and it would have taken me all of 5 minutes to finish it..
I just couldn't find the energy to do it last night.

The sunshine that I crave and love was beating down upon me making it hard to breath as my sweat soaked through the t-shirt trying to cool me.  
We haven't had much heat as of late and I found it hard to complain, but it was the main reason I could not find the reserves that are usually buried deep down to run that hill one more time.

Knowing what I have accomplished in just 2 months time has led me to believe that I WILL be able to prepare for 100 miles on skis with my dogs.
And thinking ahead about the training season with my dogs I can only smile and feel a bolt of excitment rush through me.  What fun we are going to have!! 

Here I am not even 24 hours away from the longest day of the year and the first day of summer and I'm already longing for winter!

My motivation for the day....

Oh, why not.... the song of the day...

Natures Therapy

I've missed almost a week of running.  Either because of travel or from that stupid flu bug that decided to hit me out of nowhere.

Sitting here on my couch wrapped up in a fleece blanket in the wee hours of the morning I was starting to feel sorry for myself.  Wondering if I would be able to catch up with the group tonight as they have now surpassed what I have done.  
Questioning if I would be able to in fact make it through the entire 5K with how much I've missed.... My mind is a rotten tool when the negative worms bite in....

.... and that is when I looked up.

My camera did not do the colours justice.  There were bright oranges and deep blues, and it looked as though it been hand painted.  Breath taking.

And just like that I forgot about the negative thoughts floating around inside my head.  I may not be feeling top dog yet, but I can at least get off my butt and run some.

This morning the 'powers that be' gave me a simple nudge.  

Darkness is always followed by beauty.



I LOVE MY LIFE

I've been planning my upcoming racing season so that I can sort out the training side of things.
I know, I know it is only June.  Summer has yet to begin.  What am I doing thinking snow??!!??

Hey... I didn't say I wasn't crazy.
Although in my eyes I seem perfectly normal.

I'm so excited about the upcoming training season.  It is all about getting ready for the Percy now.
Race dates without the training are exciting themselves..
Dec. 8th..
Jan. 18th..
Feb. 2nd..
Feb. 15th ....
*claps hands!!!*

This past weekend I met with some of the team members... Brenda, Becky and Raija whom I spent the most time with.
I came away feeling so incredibly excited about our upcoming adventure.

Nothing is going to stop us now!

Nothing.

Hanging with the ladies, talking about the race, and our gear, and the training for us and dogs I felt as if I could bounce in my seat.
Not only were we starting the whole adventure, I also had others who wouldn't get bored talking about dogs.. what they eat, how they poop, training tips,  puppy talk.

Speaking of puppy talk.

We also had 7, 5 week old pups to occupy our time.. it was wonderful... surprised I didn't come home with one... oh, right, they are too young yet.. wonder if I should be visiting in 3 weeks time???

It was great to meet with the others.  I feel so confident now.  We can do this... all of us! 

The only downside to my weekend was coming home with the flu.  So sick, no energy for even standing and eating anything is a challenge, it actually hurts to put food in my stomach.  A major pain to me as I missed my run with the running club tonight, and it was the harder one. 
Harder is all relative I suppose, so not harder... just longer... but I missed it, and I'm so bummed.

That's okay, in a couple days I will be right as rain and ready to carry on... because I have a goal now... a GOAL.. and no longer a DREAM.

I really do have an awesome life... a supportive hubby.. the best kids ever.. my entire family is actually a great inspiration to me... the best job... the greatest hobby with pups that love me unconditionally.  AND adventure. 

*Smile*

I need to share one of my favorite songs now

Edwin, Alive

I Can and I Will, Just Watch Me!

What our minds do to us it amazing.

I have advanced in how far I can run and am just about ready for the 5K run in 3 weeks.  I cannot believe how far I've come in such a short time.

On my run last night it started off easy and there wasn't even a thought of what I was doing, I just did.  At about the half way mark my mind started playing games with me.... "hey, feel those legs? Yeah they are getting tired, you should walk a bit"... Then, after berating 'mind' for it's negative thought, it was as if it went into a trance, almost like it was pouting and went to the corner to sulk.  Thoughts were empty and my body a machine that was turned on and forgotten.

If I had not been with the running group I think I could have gone on in that same pace for a lot longer.  However if  I had not been with the group it would have been too easy to listen to the whining of the mind when it wanted me to stop.

I love that I'm getting my body into shape.  I feel fit and healthy in my body... but I also feel fit and healthy in my mind, it has become stronger.
The depression that I struggle with has been easy to walk to the door and told to leave. 
I've been much happier.

AND tomorrow I head to BC for the weekend with part of the group that is working toward the same goal as me, the Percy DeWolfe Memorial Race. 
This dream will become a little more real in this crazy mind of mine and that excites and terrifies me all at the same time.

 Dreams come a size too big so we can grow into them.

My motivation for the day



My Job, yes, You Should be Jealous

Lately I've been obsessed with my running and training for the Percy... it's all I think about (or so it seems).
And why not?  What an adventure!  I tingle deep down with excitement just thinking about it.  After all the dogs and I will be running a small section of the Yukon Quest trail... *squeal!!*

As for my running, that also has me excited.   I never thought I could be a runner... and here I am in less than a month almost ready to run a 5K without stopping.

Who woulda figured at this point in my life at 48 years old I would be heading for an incredible adventure and in the best shape ever.

However that is not all that is happening in my life.
It is as if everything is falling into place.   The jigsaw puzzle of who I am is filling in nicely, the picture is clear now, and it makes me smile.
The section that is finally crystal is my job.
I LOVE my job.   It is one that I am re-hired for yearly and I cross my fingers that I will return for many more to come.

The staff, my co-workers, are an amazing group of people that take their work seriously.  It makes me feel so incredibly overwhelmed to think that my kids were educated in this atmosphere, but also opened my eyes to how and why they ended up where they have today.... I've got to say that we are incredibly lucky in this small town to have a fabulous group of dedicated teachers from K to 12.

My job. 
I go to work daily knowing that I will smile often.  I enjoy the children I work with, they are able to baffle me and some will challenge me, yet they all amaze me. 
I get to be a mentor yet at the same time am able to act silly and be goofy if the situation allows for it.  It's like being paid to be a Girl Guide leader and I LOVE it!!

Speaking of which... I'm off to get ready for a super, wonderful incredible day now... and it begins with a run which means it will be a perfect one.

Soon You'll Bounce a Dime off it

I ran last night.
It started off hard and I remember thinking, "when will this get easier?"

When I finished, the thoughts running through my head were, "wow that was easy!"

Today my butt muscles are re-living the run.... now THAT is a great reason to keep running... hard gluteus maximus muscles!!

The biggest problem I can see that has come from this running 'thing' is that it is highly addictive... I can't wait to go out again tonight!

I'm Just Singing in the Rain

My ankle is feeling 100% better... my phantom injury has healed itself.  Seriously I have no idea why it was hurting or what I even did to hurt it in the first place.... it all  happened while I was sleeping.

While I was sleeping.. sounds like a good name for a horror movie.

I ran last night... not far... with my 1 minute walks in between it worked out to about 2.5 K.

The plan was to run tonight.  I wasn't going to go to the same place I've been training for my run July 1st.  Instead I was thinking of heading out into the country to see how far I could go without stopping to walk.
It would be awesome if I was close to the 5k mark... but if I can only do 2.5 then that is better than I did yesterday... so all would be good.

BUT, it is raining... I would get wet.... my feet would be wet.... then I could get cold....

whine, whine, whine....

Honestly, these thoughts only ran through my head for all of 5 seconds..

I'm actually looking forward to my run tonight.... maybe I will sing the entire time... should I bring an umbrella?  I'll look for lamp posts to swing around on in any case.

Doubt

Doubt starts creeping in.

The door has been kept closed for the longest time, keeping this unwelcome guest out.
It's been a laid back kinda time as the belief in myself has been rockin' high on adrenaline.

Someone left the door open after the last party.
I'm pretty sure it was when self loathing tried to make an appearance and was kicked out for bad behaviour.
With the door open even the tiniest crack it wouldn't take much for doubt to slither it's way inside.

It hasn't helped that my ankle has been giving me grief for reasons I cannot explain.  Did I sleep on it wrong?  Perhaps it was the way I stood up out of bed? 
Whatever happened.... for whatever reason... I've pulled a ligament or muscle or who knows what.   Just when I think it's feeling better that sharp little stabbing pain hits to remind me that, not just yet should I be running on it.

Then in walks, no, what did I say? Slither.  Yes that sounds more true to it's nature.  In slithered doubt.

I've tried my best to ignore the negative things it has to say... turning my back on it, spending quality time with sloth (well I can't run so I may as well take advantage) this slow lazy weekend.
But darn it all, that doubt is sneaky.

So here I am again... working hard to cheer myself on.

100 miles is still almost 2 years away.
5K isn't really all that bad... you are up to15 minutes ... and it does work out to only another 15 minutes... you are almost there... sore ankle or not... you can do this.

Then there is doubt once again... "what if it takes longer than a few days to start running again"  "Maybe you're not running because you're using this as an excuse"  "what if you get hurt closer to the event"  "who are you kidding?  you're an old lady you know" "what were you thinking?"

I'm still working hard at doing my best to ignore this enemy of mine.... and it's hard.... I just need to try and keep my head up and remember it wont always be easy.... I guess I just thought it would be further into my training before this would happen.
IF it had to happen at all.

Set Back #1

I run three times a week with a running club and have been so proud of myself.

Even on Thursday when I wasn't feeling all that great I slugged through and got it done... if I had been alone I'm sure I would have quit before I was finished.

I have a mantra that I repeat when it gets hard.

"March 2014, March 2014, March 2014...."

Simply translated ...

"I can do this, I will do this, I can do this, I will do this...."

Sadly I have to report that I have hit my first hurdle.
At least that is what I think happened.
I awoke last night to a nagging pain in my left ankle.
It hurts like a son of a... but I don't know what I did...
hence the hurdle hitting....
 in my dreams....
 
I was suppose to run this morning... but I cannot, I will not.
Not wanting to do further damage to whatever it is that has been done...
So ice and rest it is.
Hopefully tomorrow I will be back out on the road again.
In the meantime.  I hate this.  I WANT to run!

How to handle a set back,

Ice
In a large glass
slowly pour bailey's over top
sip
enjoy

Running toward my Goal

I've joined a running club.

A club for those who love pain.

Somethings happened to me in the last week.... I LOVE running.
I never thought I would think this way.  Over the years I have tried to push myself to become a runner... and every time I hated it.

It hurts.

It's hard.

Either my motivation is perfect (100 mile skijour race in 2 years), or the right person has come along to show me how it's done properly.

Oh it still hurts.

And it's still hard.

I haven't run far yet.... it's all about baby steps, remember?  But what I have done I am very proud of.
Just you wait... July 1st I will be entered in and complete my first ever 5K run.

CAN

A very wise friend of mine once said that CAN'T stands for Certainly Are Not Trying.
I've quoted this phrase many times since as I completely believe it.

This morning I saw this photo up on facebook

My first thought was.... this is great, here is my inspiration for today.

Then I got thinking about it a little more and CAN'T popped into my head.   What exactly can I not do?  I suppose if my thought process was, "geez if I cannot fly to space today then I suppose I am not gonna go for my run tonight"

However if I look at it in the form of WHERE I am right now then I suppose I could say, "I am unable to run 5K at this time in my life so why bother running at all tonight"

But I WILL run 5K..... maybe not today, or even tomorrow..... but I WILL run 5K by the end of June.
I won't even talk about my future goal... it is too big right now and scares me too much to think about it... instead I will focus on the 5K race July 1st.

This quote is more appropriate.

Take baby steps along the way and in the end you will have reached your goal