Lengthy update!

Hello dear friends!

It has been sometime, no? Well I am going to give you a little run down on everything. Holidays were nice. People always say holidays bring stress and honestly, I never really understood that until this year. To say the least there were a few disagreements here and there which left me pretty emotional and stressed out. But considering such, I controlled my exercise and food intake pretty darn well. Over the holidays I practiced the simply filling technique. I had been feeling a tad overwhelmed and stressed with other things in my life, that tracking TOTALLY didn't excite me. So I listened to my hunger signals, make good decisions, yadda yadda yadda. I maintained over the holiday, which was my goal.

Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg was great! I honestly expected to be permanently frost bitten or something. But the weather wasn't as terrifying as I thought it would be. I met most of Matt's family, and had such a blast with them. We went to visit some of my ancestry as well, which is one thing I am VERY connected to. I have always had a fascination with family history, especially my own.  Names such as Louis Riel, Jean-Baptiste Lagimodière, Anne-Marie Gaboury. I am very proud of my roots and love learning about the entire Red River Rebellion and what not. This comes from my Mothers side. My Grandmother was from a community pretty closed to where Matt is from, actually!


We went to the forks, which was adorable. Reminded me a lot of Vancouver's Granville Island. We went shopping, I got out to Goodlife Fitness a few times, I cooked my vegetable-barley casserole for the family. For New Years Eve, we went to a wedding social (which is a brand new concept to me, very fascinating really for a west coaster :P). Matt, Laura, Stephanie, Justin and myself all went to this event all dressed up.

We danced the night away. Glad I decided that high HIGH heels would have been a bad idea! I think it was the ice and snow the persuaded me to stick to a heel less then an inch high!I wore my massive parka over this lacy dress and I was still chilly. But like I said, weather wasn't as bad as I expected. -16 Celsius sounds WAY worse then it actually is. Also the air is a lot drier there then it is here on the west coast. (I find anyway.) I was proud of myself, getting to the gym a few times. On New Years Eve, I didn't get to the gym. So I did a 20 minute circuit in front of the TV while Matt and I were watching the Jets game. I discovered that I can now do more then 2 pushups from my toes! I can do at least 10 (this is a HUGE victory for me!).


Then the last few weeks I haven't really felt myself. I have felt loads of random anxiety, where more often then not, I cannot pinpoint what the anxiety is about or from. I have not wanted to do any of the things I KNOW I love. Running included. I have felt very blue and down. I don't want to blame it on the season as usually this time of year I am raring to go! High on the motivation scale. But nope. Barely even wanted to get out of bed for that matter. I had a pep talk with myself the other day and told myself I can't sit about and make how I am feeling an excuse. An excuse to eat poorly, an excuse to not exercise, an excuse to not go and socialize. It has been extra tough doing all these things and I will be honest, I didn't care the week of my birthday. I just ate what ever I wanted, sat on my butt when ever I wanted, and felt sorry for myself. Which is SO not me. But now? Things are changing. I have planned my meals past few days. Planned my workouts. Planned my time. I am determined to get out of my funk!

YouTube
On my youtube channel, I am conducting a series of videos in which I go over some of the basics of training for a half marathon. Many of these things can sprout into marathon training as well. It gives me something to plan for and get my creative side out. I know that there are SO many of you (on youtube and in real life.. or as the cool kids say.. IRL) have the goal of achieving your first half marathon. So the things in these videos are simply my opinion and somethings I have picked up through my experiences. It is totally cool if people disagree with anything I say on them, as I said they are my opinion.. and hey! free speech yo.

Goals
This year my biggest goal for myself is not weight orientated. It is personal but I will share it. Majority of my life I have taken poor treatment from others. I have a pretty soft personality in which I like to avoid any major confrontations, especially pointless ones. Or what I like to call, picking and choosing my battles. This often comes off as being passive in many peoples eyes, but I just honestly do not see the point of creating unnecessary conflict. I am coming to a point in my life that I do not feel the need to deal with people who don't respect a rule I hold close to me.  "Treat others the way you want to be treated."To say the least, Aretha had it right! R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me!

So I have come to the point where if I feel I am not receiving any kind of respect I will most likely move on. I do not need to have people or conflicts in my life that leave me worrying and questioning. Somehow I am always the first to apologize and this is something I am working on as well because I usually am not the one at fault and I will be apologizing. I rather have a smaller group of quality friends then a large group of "friends" that may have a negative influence on me. I have finally reached my breaking point of taking BS to put it frankly.

On a lighter note, 2012 is the year I get my personal training certification underway. I have so much going on this year but seeing as the gym and running is already such a large part of my life, it isn't that difficult to study how to teach these things to other like minded individuals. I have been wanting to do this for years, and I feel like I am confident with my fitness now. This will lead into what I want to make a future career.

Running Plans for 2012
I am doing a little traveling. I will be running the Goodlife Fitness Toronto marathon May 6. I was unsure at first, as my Mother was going to come with me. But now plans have changed. It will just be me! I will be staying and hangout with my lovely friend Truly Jess, her boyfriend and puppy. I am so excited!!

I will also keep my fundraising up. I am fundraising with Team Diabetes to run the marathon in Reykjavik, Iceland in August of this year. So far I am 33% there and I am setting out to reach $6100 for the Canadian Diabetes Association. Click here to donate to my cause! It is one that is close to my heart.

I will also be running the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon yet again. I love that course, I train on that course, and I know it like the back of my hand. Matt's goal is to run this one with me :), which will be his very first marathon! So proud of him.

As for half marathons, I am not sure what races I will be able to do. I may be able to run the McNeil Bay half again, but it will definitely be at LSD pace (long slow distance), not race pace. It is far too close to Victoria to risk anything for a PB. Oak bay is too close to Toronto so that will be a no.

10 and 5 km's? I am hoping to do the Vancouver Sun Run like I always do. This was, after all, the race that set me off onto the running train! That is all that I have planned for that.

As for PB's? Well I want to sub 4 hours on the marathon. I think that will be Victoria most likely. I don't run as fast on destination races as I like to see the route and what not, but hey! you never know! Half marathons, if I get a chance to do one at race pace, I would like to do it in 1:50:00. And the 10 km? would LOVE a 45 min finish.

Anyway, I am sure that was A LOT of reading for you guys. Just wanted to do a little "run down" if you will (har har, no pun intended). I will get back on the blogging thing more when I can. It won't be every day at this point. Ciao for now!