Update and gratitude

My apologies, I have been MIA for quite awhile now.  My husband and I just bought and moved into our first house, it happened quite by accident, but after adding some new flooring and fresh paint, we are finally moved in and life is becoming "normal".  Or, as normal as it can be leading up to Christmas amidst boxes!  I wanted to provide you with a few updates on running and the runs.

In terms of running, this has been a rollercoaster for me.  I may not be made for running, which I am finding hard to absorb after reading Born to Run (amazing book, read it even if you are not a runner).  I cannot not get injured.  Call me clumsy, but I cannot seem to get on track and go two weeks without something happening.  Ever since I received the go-ahead to start running again I am plagued with a bum knee after each run that essentially prevents me from running for approximately one week.  I promise this is not me wimping out, it involves not being able to walk up or down stairs (off and on I am that girl in the office tower who takes the elevator up or down one floor - how very embarrassing).  So, my chiropractor and I have come up with a new game plan that is essentially one last kick at the can; she very diplomatically stated that if this does not work I should find something else to occupy my time.  The plan is to walk/run (or run as things progress) 2 km approximately 3-4 times a week for two months.  The reason why we chose 2 km is because my knee starts throbbing around 3 km, so the theory is that if I stop before then and master that distance I might just build up enough muscle to increase my distance after the two month mark.  If not, at least I have a cute lulu running skirt that I can wear around the house...  So have I been doing this?  Ha!  Once.  I told myself that over the next couple of weeks I should do what I can as we try to get the house somewhat organized before Christmas and in January I will commit to at minimum three runs per week. 

Now let's talk about the runs - I had a few days in the middle of the move where I hit around 15, but aside from that I am hovering in around five, which I can deal with.  My husband and I are re-introducing vegetables after a moving hiatus filled with garlic knots, slices of pizza, wine and beer.  For anyone with IBS you can understand how unpleasant it can be to convince your body to digest fruits and vegetables, but, I seem to be doing all right at the moment.  I certainly have not added in any whole wheat items at this juncture, that would have disaster written all over it. 

In the Christmas spirit, I thought I would share with you a little list of what I am grateful for in relation to the new house:

1. I have stairs.
2. Two sets to be precise.
3. I adore the wall colours and flooring we chose and it makes me feel happy.
4. It is fun living in a neighbourhood and it feels safer when I go for a walk at night.
5. The house has more than one floor which enables me to feel decidedly un-hampster-like compared to the apartment.
6. I cannot hear every move my husband makes.
7. I have a propane fireplace and I turn it on even though I know it costs me money every time I use it.
8. There are built-in bookshelves in the basement which allows me to partially live out my dream of a home library.
9. My husband was comfortable with me taking up the whole closet in our bedroom, the downside being he has his own dressing room of sorts - my closet is bigger though!
10. My closet has a tower for my shoes.
11. We have a backyard! 
12. Our barbecue is no longer sitting in our living room, it is on the deck and we are using it!
13. We finally caved and bought a microwave after three years because there was a space for one in the kitchen.  I did not think I would like this as much as I do - I no longer have to heat my Magic Bag up in the oven.
14. No fire alarms have gone off while making toast.
15. No fire alarms have gone off period.
16. No one is smoking in the building.
17. My husband thinks he is Mike Holmes and is quite busy as a result.  I call him Tim Taylor.
18. I am super excited to be in before Christmas - we are setting up our first tree ever!
19. We have a dryer that dries our clothes in less than four cycles.
20. We can hang our clothes to dry out-of-site in the utility room.
21. I really feel married now, it felt kind of pretend before and I am excited to share this milestone with my husband.

Oh my goodness - I had to come back and add one last item - I forgot the most important item of all - two toilets!  This should have been at the top of my list!

Calling all multi-taskers ...

Let's talk about butts, specifically, let's talk about the ever-larger cushion attaching itself to my ass.  I am at a very precarious point here where my ass is so sore from being sat on, but I am oh-so exhausted from all that sitting, that all I really want to do is sit.  Feel me dawg?

I recently had the brilliant idea to go back to school, thinking I could coast through yet another class with targeted, yet minimal efforts.  The problem is, I actually care about what I am taking and I have officially enrolled in a distance PR program instead of the one-off business courses I was taking at the university (all very helpful, logical and above all boring).  The only drawback is that the class is very labour-intensive - thank goodness I only decided to take one course this semester! Someone hold me back if I ever suggest two again!

All of this would be fine if only I was not working full-time, if I had not decided to buy a house and have it renovated and if I did not do any volunteer work.

The result of the above is that I have been spending 16+ hours a day on my butt either doing my job, doing my homework, changing my address, booking contractors, participating in conference calls and frig, I forgot to pack!  I have also been eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly - and yes, I fully support the hydrogenated PB, none of that natural stuff for me!  (I have tried, I have failed). The Halloween candy at work is plaguing me and every day I bring my gym gear.  At the end of each work day I debate whether or not I should push through until the lights go out, or head to the gym and then go back to the office to continue working.  Well, everyone knows that if you leave, you definitely are not coming back, so I go with option A.  Which then leads me to doing quick cardio before I pick up my husband (average twice per week) or heading home to recover from the "exhaustion" of sitting.

Both the apartment and the house should now be listed as hazard zones, between the boxes, laundry and suitcases it is unsafe to be in either location.  I see sunlight on the drive to work, but otherwise, perhaps some vitamins are in order.  Occasionally when the mood takes me I do the token five or six flights of stairs so that I can say that I took a break and exercised!  Ha!  To top it all off, I have the lamest injury every - I injured my rib from too much sitting!  This is not even embellishment for comic effect. I injured my rib while sitting.  Specifically, my back has been going crazy (I have back issues and therefore have memorized my chiropractor and massage therapists' numbers), which put pressure somehow on my rib.  It no longer hurts to breathe and I no longer hyperventilate when lying on my stomach, but there is a definite dull ache that will not go away (likely because I am still literally sitting on my butt as I type this post).

So, my question to all of you multi-taskers (yes, all you mothers out there), how do you do it?  How do you fit in exercise when it seems impossible?  More importantly, where do you get the energy - without coffee (I am not a coffee drinker) and chocolate!  Au secours, I need help!

Close Calls

Not sure I should feel flattered, but it appears as though I am the unofficial office/friend guru relating to all things butt.  This was proven again last week when a friend shared this article (she thought of me immediately!) about the public washroom situation in Halifax. I felt the need to briefly comment on this article.  I agree with the statement that public washrooms are hard to come by in certain areas of the city and that in Point Pleasant Park the signage is lackluster.  Indeed, there is nothing worse than going for a run only to be overtaken by a sense of impending doom as you are trying to not-quite-walk and not-quite-run to the nearest washroom - and you have no idea where they are!  And when I say not-quite-walk and not-quite-run - I am referring to one of life's great dilemmas: is it better to run in the hopes of arriving faster - or will that only hasten the runs?  Or, do you walk to try to slow things down, but potentially not arrive fast enough?  I am stumped, someone please tell me the right answer!

For any of you with IBS, or perhaps even a bout of the flu, you can likely relate to that sinking feeling, knowing that the runs are on their way, whether you like it or not.  This often happens to me in transit (car, bus), at work, walking, running and travelling.  One of my closest calls ever was in the heat of summer, I went for a run, was feeling confident, so ran a little further, only to realize that I was in trouble.  I was near the junior high school where I grew up, so I turned in, dashing for the door, sweaty, crying and banging for someone to please open up.  Luckily, the janitor was there (which was a pure miracle considering it was summer), I yelled EMERGENCY and ran past him to the washroom.  He was kind enough to ensure he was not around when I finally surfaced.  Needless to say I walked the rest of the way home, but, ever since then, I always carry a cell phone when running, because you never know when the wave will hit you.  This may seem trivial, but, it was a traumatic event for me.  Let's be honest - no one really has a burning desire to crap their pants, let alone in public.  This is probably one of the worst things about having IBS, not knowing when it will hit and whether or not you will be prepared.  There is always the sense of dread that today will be "the day" that you do not make it.

Moments like these certainly make for funny stories after the fact ... "do you remember when I was late for our wedding?" "do you remember when you had to spend a half our in the stall with me holding up my wedding dress?" ..."remember that time on our honeymoon when..."... interesting how the big events in my life are all framed with toilet tales!  At the end of the day, all you can really do is laugh and hope that someone in urban planning has the foresight to strategically place washrooms and that Europe will someday embrace the idea of not having to pay for the toilet!