Officially registered and a thanks from Lance

I officially signed up for the Around the Bay 30km race yesterday. 2010 is the 115th anniversary of the race. I did the 2 person relay with the husband last year (as part of the Two Tickets to the Gun Show team) but this year will be solo and the longest race I have ever done.
No turning back now - I squealed like a little girl when I hit enter on my registration. Well, I may have cried but whatever... This is currently my goal race for our next clinic from a distance perspective. If it goes well (i.e. I survive) I may consider doing the Mississauga Marathon in May but I am not committing to the marathon distance just yet.
Last night was a great run at the gym. I really did not want to go but of course enjoyed it once there. I was going to hit up the spin class but it started at 5:30, I was there at 4:30 and really just wanted to run so off I went for 45 minutes. I had my Nike+ on for the first time in ages and Lance Armstrong scared the crap out of me at the end of the run when he told me it was my fast run to date. Thanks Lance! Don't scare me though.

Crazy neighborhood count of people with their Christmas lights already on: 3

A Weekend of yoga, running, sun and food

And yet another weekend gone but what a weekend! Note to winter - feel free to be like the weather we had on Sat/Sun. I would then love you.
I finally hit up a hot yoga class on Saturday. It was a new instructor class so it was only $5.00 which I figured was fine for a 'tryout'. It was 60 min and overall, I enjoyed it. I sweat like no one's business and got a good stretch. The place was very clean and nice and didn't smell like I thought it would with all those sweaty bodies in it. I don't think I would pay for a regular pass or anything like that as I wasn't over the moon about the experience. From the looks of the schedule, there is at least one 'cheap' class per week I can go to if I really wanted to.
All in all, 3 yogis out of 5.
Sunday was a great 10km group run - I loved every minute of it. No wind, sun and great company. Later that day, we went to Hillebrand Winery for a surprise birthday lunch for our coach. It ended up being a 3 course amazing lunch and we were all in need of a serious nap after. Needless to say, dinner was a very light fare of soup.

This morning on the way to work, there was a house in our neighborhood that already had its Christmas lights up and on......Seriously? I am so not ready for that yet....

I lost weight

'cause I lost a bunch o hair yesterday:

A cut and colour was way overdue so we went a bit nuts but I like my retro do. I wish I has taken a before pic as it just looked like ass when I got there. I was a bit upset actually but my awesome stylist took control and made me feel better. She is a triathlete and is amazing. (a few Boston's under her belt as well) so we chatted about the upcoming race season - can't wait.

Today I am hitting up the cheap class in hot yoga - finally after months of saying I would go. Review to come later...providing I don't pass out.

Happy to see you again Mojo

My mojo was waned over the last bit ever since the Husband's hospitlization but it looks like it it back. Phew..
Wednesday was our 'unofficial' group run as we aren't in clinic now but you can still show up and run with whoever is there. This week we were a small group of 3 and again, the speedies were there so it turned into a 45 min tempo run for me. It is so fun to run with people who have done a ton of races or are triathletes as well. Makes me feel all Sporty Spice.
Thursday I went to the gym after work and hit up the treadmill. I love running outside but like every once in a while to mix it up as well. I ended up having a great 60 min run and felt like I could have ran forever. I also did weights which I find boring but a necessary evil. (too much flab for my liking.)
This morning I finally made good on my promise to go to spin at my gym. I love spin with my coaches as we do road drills and while they kill us, they also make sure we are keeping good form and they don't do any unsafe spin things (like jumps - so bad). Since that doesn't start until Dec, I headed out at the ungodly hour of 5:30 to make the 6am class. Overall, it was pretty good. The instructor was good and while she did do some non-good spin stuff I just stuck to what I knew and had a great workout.
So on a Friday I have done:
50 min spin class
20 min weights
picked up a few groceries
hit up Starbucks
had breakfast
dealt with some emergency work issues
tackled some laundry

all before 8:30am. I think I need a nap..

TIaRT - Nobel Prize for Running

For this week's TIART, Chelsea of Early Runner is the sponsor and she offers this question to ponder and respond to: You’re on the selection Committee for the Nobel Prize for Running. Who would you nominate for the winner and why?
It could be an elite or a beginning runner....a courageous ordinary runner in your community who inspires you.... or the local running club leader, race director, or running store owner who gives tirelessly back to running. It could be the senior runner in your community who knows no age limitations. You decide. Who do you think deserves to be recognized for enriching and advancing the experience of running for others.

____________________________________________________________
For me, this was an easy one. My choice would be Terry Fox.

Terry Fox was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 19 and had his right leg amputated above the knee. At age 21 in an effort to raise funds and awareness for cancer research, he embarked on His Marathon of Hope. The journey started his letter to the Canadian Cancer Society which read in part:

"... as I went through the sixteen months of the physically and emotionally draining ordeal of chemotheraphy, I was rudely awakened by the feelings that surrounded and coursed through the cancer clinic. There were the faces with the brave smiles, and the ones who had given up smiling. There were the feelings of hopeful denial, and the feelings of despair. My quest would not be a selfish one. I could not leave knowing these faces and feelings would still exist, even though I would be set free from mine. Somewhere the hurting must stop...and I was determined to take myself to the limit for this cause. "

The ultimate goal was to get $1 from every Canadian - 25 million in total. In order to do so, he ran across Canada started in Newfoundland the equivalent of 42.2 km per day. I still remember my mom seeing him run through Guelph Ontario and remarking on not only on how inspiring it was to see him but also the fact that he was so young - only 22 at this point and giving so much of himself for no personal glory. His run brought him through Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Ontario where he had to stop as his cancer had spread. He died June 28th 1981 at 4:35 a.m., which was his favourite hour of running, a year after his legendary run, and exactly one month shy of his twenty-third birthday. (source: CBC)

His example of a 'normal' person doing great things for others is so inspiring and every year, people across Canada and the world have raised over 340 million dollars for research as part of the annual Terry Fox run.

For me, his words below are a perfect mantra for both running and life:

"...everybody seems to have given up hope of trying. I haven't. It isn't easy and it isn't supposed to be, but I'm accomplishing something. How many people give up a lot to do something good?"

Winner - Lift your Sole and online shopping

In random style, the winner of the Lift Your sole giveaway is:
True Random Number Generator Result: 17
The winner is: Marlene!
Congrats! I will send the info to Jill @ Lift Your Sole so you can cash in on some cool bling.

I am hoping tomorrow to show off some online purchases I did this week as a "Happy almost Christmas" to me that I did. (1 dress and a bunch of sweaters/tops) I don't usually buy stuff online but I found some really sweet discount codes so I have my fingers crossed that everything fits. (and of course I look just like the Victoria's Secret models which I am sure will happen)

Tonight is run night and I can't wait. For some reason, Daylight Savings is kicking me in the butt this week. I could have easily gone to bed by 9pm and in the case of Monday actually did. I am looking forward to an easy run with some tunes, friends and apparently some winter running gear as it is going to be chilly tonight...but warm up again for the weekend. Weehoo!

Barley and Mushroom Risotto stew

As I mentioned here, I made extra casserole for our coaches so they could have a post workout treat..When I say 'extra' I thought it would be a small dish each for them but instead is turned out to be a full casserole dish each for them as well as one for me and the husband. The recipe says is serves 6 but unless your friends include Paul Bunyan and his ox Babe, it is more like it serves 10 hungry people.
The recipe is not online yet but if you are in Ontario, it is adapted from the LCBO's Food and Drink magazine. (the Autumn issue has some amazing comfort food recipes which I plan to try out)

Barley and Mushroom 'Risotto' stew
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 15g pkg dried porcini mushrooms
1.5 cups chopped cooking onions - approx 3 (I blitzed the hell out of mine in the food processor)
1 cup chopped celery (ditto)
1 clove garlic - chopped
2 tsp rosemary, preferably fresh
3 cups chopped mushrooms (non blitzed)
1 1/4 c pearl barley (I used the whole package that I bought)
4 cups beef stock (I used Wolfgang Puck's organic stock)
1 cup dark ale (I used Mill Street's Coffee Porter which was awesome..and all I had on hand)
Grated parmesan - to taste
Pepper - to taste

The deets:
Soak the dried porcini in 1 cup very hot water to rehydrate.
Heat olive oil in a (very) large pot. Add onions, celery, rosemary and garlic. Heat approx 5 min and add chopped mushrooms. Add barley and cook another 5 min. Add ale, porcini mushrooms and the liquid they soaked in. Add in the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover. Make sure to stir as needed so the barley doesn't stick.
Stew is done when the barley is tender. Add more stock if the barley is still tough. Stir in parmesan to taste.

This was a great dish. I added quite a bit of black pepper to punch it up a bit. I did not add any salt as the stock has a lot of sodium in it and parmesan is pretty salty.
The husband really liked it as well, which is a good thing as the huge amount of leftovers make a return apperance this week.