It Was a PB Day!

Sunday May31st was a PB (Personal Best) day for me! It was the HSBC Marathon, and I decided to sign up for the 10Km race. As you can see from an earlier post, I was freaking out the night before, as per usual. And as per usual, I had a great time! I was in awe of the over 7000 people that came down to race. Watching the half-marathon and marathon start was pretty fascinating. It took about 10 minutes to get everybody over the start line...over 5000 people! Unbelieveable! It got me revved up for the 10, and when it started it took me about 4 minutes to get over the start line and about 2.5Km for the race to spread out. I really enjoyed watching all of the people in front of me, but I had a bit of trouble with the lack of race etiquette some people had. Constantly stopping in the middle of the road and not walking on the right hand side. Very frustrating. However, once things got moving, it went really well. I loved the steel drum band and the Elvis impersonator along the way. I chose to not stop for water at all. I think that saved me about a minute of time. I kept using my friend's Garmin to know where I was, what my pace was, and how much longer I had. My goal time was 1 hour, but I finished in 1hour1minute26seconds. That's 3minutes25seconds faster than my Canmore run last year which had about 1/4 of the amount of people running it. I placed 470/1165 females, which made me extremely happy. I beat more than half of them! I feel I could have finished in my hour if I had more room to weave at the beginning. The ending was great! Monique was waiting for me and cheering "Greenberg"! Nothing makes me happier than someone waiting for me at the finish line! Curtis was there to take pictures! Our friend Nathan finished the half Marathon about 12 minutes later! He had a great run too, but again, problems with weaving around and spreading out. We had our traditional post race breakfast at Diner Deluxe! I look forward to running this race again next year. I'm not a fan of the start time, but it's a great way to get the day going. I don't think I'll ever do the HSBC half. There are just too many people! Thank you Chad for having me sign up and making me believe in myself! I can't wait to hit Canmore in September!

Pre-Race Anxiety!

So here I am the night before my 10KM race. This is a time when I should be feeling excited and relaxed, but of course, I'm choking on my anxiety instead. I haven't quite figured out why it is that I get so nervous before race day. Even a few weeks before. I know I can do it. I've done it before, but instead I question my own ability to run. I run for the enjoyment of it. I don't run to compete with anybody except myself. My goal is always to beat my previous time, and so far, I've been successful at doing that. So, why the struggle? Is it common for most people to feel nervous? Is it common for people care as much as I do? It's not as though others are judging me. People are nothing but supportive when you're racing. Strangers are cheering you on and clapping for you. It's truly a great feeling! So my goal is to be in bed in the next hour, and try to sleep peacefully. I want to feel great about tomorrow, and I'd love to finish in an hour! That would be a dream come true!

Spring Fever

As a teacher, I especially know when Spring Fever hits! The only problem for me, is when it hits ME so hard that I don't want to go to work anymore! We suffered through a long drawn out winter and the beautiful weather has finally arrived (let's just hope it's here to stay and mother nature doesn't decide to give us another white surprise!). There are many ways of knowing that you have spring fever. The first one being that work is not a priority! Nothing tastes better than food fresh off the grill. You actually WANT to stay outside because the weather is gorgeous and the air smells so fresh. The birds wake you up at 5 in the morning and you actually don't care! You have a bunch of races lined up because you're able to run outside now (I don't run when there's any snow on the ground)! The days are longer and the nights are brighter. All you do is keep working for that bikini body! Summer plans are lined up and you're just counting the days. Life doesn't seem to bother you as much and your always in a pretty good mood. These are just some of the signs of spring fever for me! I absolutely love this time of year, however, I'm itching for it all to be over! Bring on the Riders and the Shuswaps! This summer will be one to remember!

Personal Trainers

Alright, so a personal trainer is every girls' dream! In the way that we want to be worked out by one... On a serious note though, and especially after watching the Biggest Loser, who wouldn't want somebody "yelling" at them to push themselves? I know that when I go to the gym, I'm totally on my agenda, and do whatever I want and however many I want. With a trainer you don't have that option. You hear the encouragement constantly at my gym. Even when the people being trained feel as though they can't do it. My big issue though is the fact that these gentlemen intimidate me! Yes Chad, even you! When I'm working out near a trainer, I feel inadequate and as though I'm doing everything wrong (and as much as I complain, yes, I love when I'm corrected!) I have found that on Thursdays though, it's like a gang-up of trainers in the Women's Only! Every Thursday, all 3 trainers are working upstairs when I'm there to do my weights. I feel as though I'm doing everything wrong and cut my workouts short! It's ridiculous! The upside of all this though is the entertainment value of being surrounded by 3 trainers! First of all, you can see that they have a good relationship. Secondly, the stuff that they make their clients do is hilarious! I'm sure if I tried it, I'd notice a much larger difference in myself, but I would feel ridiculous! :) This one lady is embarrassed the whole time she is working out and you can see it written all over her face. It's hilarious. I feel her pain as I watch her, but envy the work she's doing on her thighs! So, this is a rant and rave and a little proclamation of jealousy! To sum it up, I wish I had what they have (the encouragement and the push), however, I don't envy the "goofy" things they have to do! How do you overcome the embarrassment of actually having a great workout? How do you push yourself without the trainer?

BRACES!

Alright, so this blog is going to be a bit of a pity party for me. It took me 7 years to finally make the decision to get braces. This is a huge life changing decision. As well as a ridiculous financial investment with no coverage from my benefits. I've been nervous since the time I finally decided to go ahead with it. I was fine at the consult, and then again when I got the photos and moulds of my mouth done. I was fine up until the night before. That night I cried myself to sleep. I woke up and cried. I cried on the way there and even in the chair getting them put on. And then I cried for the rest of the day. It was so traumatic and emotional for me. The only thing that was running through my head really was the fact that I was 25 and single and getting braces. I've had them for almost a week now, and although I've gotten more comfortable with my appearance, it's still been pretty traumatic. If you've never had braces I can't really explain what it feels like to have tender teeth, or metal constantly rubbing up against your cheeks. Not to mention the wires cutting into my cheek constantly. I have honestly never hated brushing my teeth more than I do now. It's an actual 10 minute process including spraying toothpaste all over the mirror and drooling into the sink. It is hard to see the final picture right now, when in two years, I will have PERFECT teeth! Two years doesn't sound like a long time, but this has absolutely been one of the longest weeks of my life. At this moment, I'm a very sad girl. However, the next time I post on this ridiculous topic, I hope I will have better news. So, yes, this was a pity party for me. Every once in awhile we're allowed to have them. I'm in the adjustment phase, and hope I will be feeling better soon...

The Gym

Nothing is more important to me than getting in my daily physical activity. I have been going to the gym for over 7 years, and it is truly a passion and addiction of mine. In my eyes, even if I only have time for a 30 minute workout, it's 30 minutes of physical activity I wouldn't have had otherwise. I have fortunately had the opportunity to get there earlier than normal twice this week. And with all of the resolutioners taking ALL of the cardio equipment from around 4 PM until 6 PM, it's been a nice break for me! I can get the treadmill I want, and use the weights that I want without having to wait! To think I just wrote a blog on patience.... :) I have always loved going to the gym around 10:30 in the morning. It's usually dead around that time, and The View starts at 11, which makes for a better workout! I have recently started the workout routine that made me see success back in "the day". I do cardio Monday - Friday, with hopes of doing at least 40 minutes. Wednesday's are devoted entirely to cardio, with hopes of doing at least 60 minutes. On top of the cardio, I do 4 days of weight training. Mondays are for legs (so Chad, if you see me on the machines...leave me be!), Tuesdays are for chest, Thursdays for back and shoulders and Fridays are for arms. Other than my diet, which I'm beginning to battle, I feel great about having started this. In no way is this a resolution for myself. It's forcing myself to feel comfortable and get back into the groove. The best way to create change for yourself, is to believe in yourself. I feel 2009 is the year! I'll keep you posted!

Patience

Patience is defined on dictionary.com as "the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like." We are NOT born with patience. Patience is a learned quality that many people lack. When I was heading into my internship, my cooperating teacher asked me what my biggest goal was for myself during this time. Rather than speak of educational goals, I informed her that I was most interested in patience. Keep in mind that I am the oldest of 3 children. You learn to have that only child syndrome before a sibling is brought into the world, and even then, it's not like you become a patient person. You still believe you will get everything you ask for, or that all of the good things in life will happen to you before it does to any of your siblings. Well, it doesn't necessarily go that way! I don't know at exactly what point I learned to become a patient person. I think it started around the end of my first serious relationship. I FINALLY figured out that if I gave my boyfriend a chance to answer questions without prodding, he would come around. Then I turned 19 though and once again my life became all about me. Deciding to become a teacher was a huge decision. It was going to force me to put others before myself. This would mean working with a classroom full of children! Anywhere from 5-18 years old or even older! As a teacher your patience gets tested everyday. Many teachers don't have the ability to deal with certain issues that pertain to being a patient person. I on the other hand, have made it a personal goal to remain patient the majority of the time, which, it my eyes, almost defines their ability to be effective teachers. That is not to say that my patience doesn't get tested on a daily basis. I had a moment yesterday when one of my students sat down to work beside me. Daily he tests my patience. As a matter of fact, I don't believe we've had a good day since he started in my class. Lack of drive and motivation in students really bothers me, and I have had a hard time working with him for these reasons. Well, I decided to be patient and kind (I am kind to him everyday- don't read into that wrong) and work directly with him for a half hour. The amount of work he completed and his positive attitude honestly made my day! I mean, he is just a child! It was a great moment for me and moments like this remind me that I AM supposed to be a teacher. When they said "Patience is a virtue", they were not joking, and I feel that is a virtue that I possess.