But I'm not tired Mom...

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Christmas Goodies

OK, I'll be totally honest, this post has nothing (well almost nothing) to do with running. I'm being a domestic Goddess today and making-baking the Christmas gifts I give to : teachers, teachers-aide, bus driver, doorman, after school lady and a bunch of other people who I wish to thank during this festive season.

I think it's important to tell people who take care of us in so many ways that we appreciate there presence, at least once a year. And, in my personal opinion, nothing says "Thank you" quite like home made candies, cookies and other goodies.

So the peppermint bark is done, the peanut butter swirl bark is almost ready, I'm working on the white chocolate, pistachio and cranberry bark (this one is lovely) and a little later, I'll be making chocolate and raspberry thumb cookies, gingery snaps, and cutout cookies that my son will decorate when he comes back from school.

After being laid off, I felt into somewhat of a "gloom" and wasn't sure I wanted to celebrate Christmas... after all, if I didn't have a job, who was I? Well, (and this is where the running comes in) when you're out there running, thoughts come through your mind like little bubbles, they form on the bottom and make their way to the clear sky and then POP! One of those bubbles reminded me that work is only part of who I am and of what I do on this little planet. I'll get another job but I won't get the chance to experience today again anytime soon. Might as well make the best of it. So this is what I'm doing today.

If I get a chance later on, I'll take the gurls running as the weather has been quite nice these past 2 days.

I'll post pictures of how the goodies turned out tomorrow (or maybe tonight).

Let me introduce myself

Well hello there. I've been pondering this project for a while now. I have always wanted to run a marathon but for some reason or another it didn't get on my bucket list. I must say that the idea is daunting, to say the least. I thought, when I turned 48 (last February)that 2 years to train for a Goofy would be fine... and then life got in the way. So, here I am, almost 49 now, and still not closer to my goal. Maybe it's because I don't set goals very well. I didn't set goals very well.

So, in November, I decided to register for some races so that I would have a good goal setting base. My first race will be on December 31 of this year, Montreal's Resolution Run- doesn't it seem fitting for a year of races? Then the Scotia Bank half marathon on April 17, 2011, Ottawa MARATHON on May 29, Montreal MARATHON on September 11 and last but not least the MARATHON AND A HALF in Disney on January 7-8, 2012. Less that a month after that I hit the big 50 (and I can start another set of goals like maybe running faster).

Now, I've registered for most races before I learned that my job was terminated. So now, I'm feeling pretty guilty about having spent all this money when Christmas is right around the corner and I don't see another position for me in the near future. Besides, going back to job interviews seems even more daunting than running a marathon. I don't even know if I get unemployment yet...

But enough of that. On the bright side, I have lots of time to train and have been doing so pretty much every day now. I try to run 6 days a week and cross-train at least 3. Since I don't go for very long distances yet, the6 day a week thing is just right for me and for my 2 running partners, Luna the Lab and Bella the Border Collie mix. It's great to run with dogs because, unlike humans, they're always ready, always happy to get out there and never, never let you slack.

So this blog is going to be a journal of my training, my thoughts and anything that I might see or hear that sounds interesting.

I'll try to post often, at least once a week, and I will be upgrading my blog as soon as I find out how to link things like my training log, etc...