Monday Musings: The Best Birthday Ever

I'm sitting here writing this in an eerily quiet house.  24 hours ago it was filled with the chatter and laughter of 3 fabulous women that I am lucky to have in my life.  This weekend was exactly what all of us needed.  Some time together and some time away.   The shenanigans started on Thursday night and went through the entire weekend.  I honestly don't remember the last time I went to bed at 4:00 am only to get up 3 hours later so we could hit the road.  I don't know how I made the two hour drive to Clearwater without falling asleep at the wheel but I did.  I'm 99.9% sure it was the company.

En Route to Clearwater after 3 hours of sleep.  

While I'm sad that G wasn't here for my birthday, it was really special to share it with my girlfriends.  They all have young kids so getting together is challenging.  Weekends away are even more so but, when a girlfriend is going to be solo for her birthday, well, that's not going to happen on their watch.  And thanks to G, we all got treated to some awesome down time at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater.

Charlie's Angels ain't got nothin on us!  Afternoon beach walk....

I honestly didn't think I'd do much in the way of workouts this weekend but, the girls wanted to get out and enjoy the weather so I managed 2 runs in 2 days, which I normally wouldn't do but they were both short and one was nice and easy.   Two of the girls I trained with all the time during my Ironman days and one of them I currently train with from time to time in the summer.   We are all at different levels of ability now but we still love to get out and move and the fact that we got to do it together was awesome.

The girls flew in on Thursday night and we stayed up until 4:00 am drinking and talking.  The only reason we actually went to bed is because we wanted to get to the beach before noon, ha ha.  That didn't end up happening as we were all moving a little slowly the next morning.  40+ year olds need more than 3 hours sleep to function properly.  But we made it to Clearwater around 12:30 and went straight to the hotel.  We couldn't check in yet but they let us go to the pool.  We had all put our bathing suits on before we left the house so we were pretty much ready to get our lounge on.   I haven't spent a day lounging by a pool in a very long time.  It was divine.  Add to that, the conversation, the laughter and the cocktails and it was a perfect way to spend my birthday.  We had big plans for the evening but, the previous nights shenanigans killed us all.  We like to think we can still party with the best of them but alas, we can't at least not two nights in a row, ha ha.  I was sitting at dinner and I could feel the wind leaving my sails.  It had also gotten very cold and we were all underprepared for that.  So we were back in the room by 10:30 pm and I think we were all in bed asleep by 11:30, ha ha.  But not after I had my "cake".

Ice Cream Sandwich for the WIN!!!

Saturday morning we all wanted to get out and do something so 3 of us went for a run and one of us went for a walk.  Sue and I didn't want to run on the beach so we opted to run together.  She was my training buddy when we did Ironman together and we had matching everything.  So it stood to reason that we'd match today.

Team Awesome out for a run in Clearwater

We spent a large part of Saturday lounging by the pool.  The girls really wanted to go to Target so we said we'd do that on our way home.  Apparently we treat shopping like any other endurance sport ha ha.  We were in Target for over 2 hours.  We went in when it was light, came out and it was dark.  The drive home was good until we got closer to Clermont and the street lights disappeared.  Nothing like driving on a pitch black two lane highway.  I missed one turn but the GPS corrected itself and we were back in business.  We got back to Clermont and made it to 12:30 am before we all pulled the pin.  G got home about 30 minutes later so I saw him for about a minute before I fell back asleep.  I slept for about 7 hours.  G was up when I got up so we got to hang out together for a bit before the girls got up.  The plan was to go down to Waterfront Park and The Energy Lab so we could go for a little run and have a coffee.  It was a cooler day and the wind was brutal.  But that didn't dampen our spirits.

Then it was another trip to Target to pick up things that they opted not to get the day before, ha ha. We hit up Panera for a late lunch then it was back to the house so the girls could pack up.  Then we all hung out on the couch with G and chatted.   There was so much snacking and drinking this weekend, I think I put on all the weight I lost after I got here, ha ha.  But, it was worth every sip and every bite.  I had SO much fun.  It was exactly what my heart and soul needed.

To top it all off, I got a text from one of my athletes telling me she nailed her race at the Chilly Half this weekend.   That was a great way to cap off an already amazing weekend.

I knew that this weekend would be all about the hang time, not the training time so I tried to make sure I got most of my volume earlier in the week.  We had a lot of humidity earlier in the week so I got totally killed with most of my workouts.  I was also due for a recovery week so the timing was pretty much perfect.  This is how my week rolled out:

Monday:  2286m swim

Tuesday:  2544m swim, 90km bike at pretty much tempo effort in the wind and humidity, then a 5km run off the bike at noon in 32 degree temps.  Yup, I died.  My Garmin said it was going to take me 48 hours to recover from those workouts.

Wednesday:  31.9km ride.  10 minutes into this ride my Garmin recovery advisor beeped to tell me that my recovery was only "Fair".  Ha.  No kidding.  I could feel it in my legs.  I had hoped to ride 50km but realized that was ambitious so I cut it short.

Thursday: 10.77km run.  I was up super late on Wednesday so I skipped my swim (again!).  I at least managed to get another run in with Shannon.

Friday:  OFF

Saturday:  7.5km run with 3km at tempo pace.  This felt pretty freaking awesome other than the wind.

Sunday:  Easy 6.5km run with the girls.

I didn't manage a single strength training session which is disappointing but this week I'll get back on track.  On Tuesday I'm planning to ride with the same group I rode with last week, this time I'm going to take my tri bike out so we'll see how that goes.  And I need to get back to swimming.  I also need to get some more open water swims in as we have a race coming up in a couple of weeks and I know that water can get really choppy so I need to practice.

Swim:  4830m

Bike:  122km

Run:  24.77km

Total time:  8h 33 minutes

How was your week of training?  What was one of your most memorable birthday celebrations?  I think this one will go down as one of the best ever.

This quote perfectly sums up my weekend:

"Best friends are people you don't need to talk to every single day.   You don't need to talk to each other for weeks but when you do, it's like you've never stopped talking...."

Have an awesome Monday!  

Coach PK

A New Start + Another Trip Around the Sun

Remember my sneak peak from Monday?  Well, I'm happy to say that my new website is LIVE.  You can check it out here.   You may also notice a slight change in the header of my blog as well to tie in with my coaching website.

Everything was done by Chick and Owl Design.  They are a brother and sister duo and the sister, Katie, happens to be friends with my little sister for what seems like forever.  They were great to work with and I am thrilled with the end result.   I highly recommend them.  

The original plan was to launch on my birthday but they delivered early so I launched yesterday (happy early birthday to me!).  Quite frankly it's just as well because I spent a lot of time on social media yesterday and given that my girlfriends are coming in tonight, I don't think I would have been able to devote the time to do much if I was playing hostess. 

Tomorrow is my 46th birthday.  Forty Six.  WTH.   I still feel like I'm 30 something.  My body tells me otherwise every damn day but that's part of getting older, right?  Normally I'd have something clever to post like last year but alas, I do not.   Perhaps later on next week so I can reflect on turing 46.  

I did get a second early birthday present in the form of a meeting (along with an actual present - yay!).  It's not every day you get to meet Instagram / Facebook friends from another country but today I got that chance.  I finally got to meet my IG friend Shannon.  Today was an absolutely fabulous day.  We went for a run (as you do!) and she took me around her neighbourhood.  The conversation was easy.  I felt like I've known her for years.   It's funny how social media makes you feel that way about people.  And of course, as social media runners do, we had to document it.  You can see Shannon's post here.  So much laughing.  It was a lovely way to spend a morning and I'm grateful I got the opportunity.   I also can't believe that I got that much air!  ha ha ha.

Happy Almost Friday!

Coach PK

45 Lessons I've Learned from Running & Triathlon

Today's the day.  The day I officially change age groups.  WOOHOO!  You know you're a triathlete when this is a good thing, ha ha.  It's going to be nice to be the young one in the age group again.  Not that it's going to make things any easier but it's helpful, ha ha.

Mentally I still feel like I'm 25 but lately my body has been telling me otherwise.  There are a lot more aches and pains and it doesn't seem to take much to tweak something.  Every week there seems to be a bit more grey in my hair.  Sleep is becoming a precious commodity at certain times of the month.  Things are definitely a-changing.  That's life.


via GIPHY

In honor of my "aging up' to 45 years young, I'm going to share 45 things I've learned over my many years of running and triathlon.

1.  Miles go by faster with friends.

2.  Really long bike rides always lead to really interesting conversations.

3.  I'm stronger than I give myself credit for.

4.  There's nothing like a race to truly test one's limits

5.  You CAN teach an old dog new tricks

6.  Boob chafing is a real and painful thing.

7.  Forget diamonds, body glide and chamois cream are a woman's best friend.  See #6

8.  Shame is a word that has ceased to exist in my vocabulary and in my behaviour. This becomes more apparent with every passing year.

9.  I've become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

10.  Never trust a fart in an Ironman.

11.  Don't forget to breathe.

12.  Some workouts are going to be awesome, some workouts are going to suck.  Sometimes you just don't know what you're going to get until you start moving.

13.  Never be afraid to try.

14.  Getting to the start line is half the battle.

15.  Sleep is NOT overrated.

16.  Neither is crying.  Sometimes it's necessary.

17.  Nothing worth doing is going to be easy.

18.  The smallest things can make the biggest difference.

19.  Your mind can be your best asset or your worst enemy.  Train it well.

20.  Bad workouts happen, it's not the end of the world.

21.  Tomorrow is another day to try again.

22. Comparison is the thief of joy.  Do your own thing!

23.  Sometimes you need to think less and just do it.

24.  It's ok to fail.

25.  You can't control everything, especially the weather.  Learn to go with the flow.

26.  No one looks good in race photos.

27.  Smile when you're hurting.  You'll feel better!

28.  Always have a back up plan.

29.  Don't be afraid to dream big.

30.  Things could always be worse.

31.  Always wear sunscreen.

32.  Shit happens.  Literally and figuratively.

33.  ABYOTP - always bring your own toilet paper - see #32

34.  A good run will solve almost any problem.

35.  Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

36.  Pain is temporary but the pride of your accomplishment lasts forever.

37.  There's no such thing as a worthwhile short cut.  Except maybe one that gets you to a bathroom faster.

38.  Never underestimate the power of a good warm up.  Especially as you get older.

39.  When you pass another runner or cyclist, wave hello.  It's the nice thing to do.

40.  Peeing in your wetsuit is a right of passage.  Everybody does it.

41.  Pay attention.  You may miss something wonderful.

42.  Rest is part of the program.

43.  Treat your body with respect.  It's the only one you've got.

44.  Don't dwell on your failures.  Learn from them and move on.

45.  Age really is just a number written on the back of my calf.


What lessons have you learned through running or triathlon?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for 40% off at Momentum Jewelry! 

Reflections on 43 Years

Today's post would usually be reserved for my #Mingsanity update but you'll have to wait another day for that.  Instead I'm going to take the opportunity to reflect on my life thus far.  Because that's what you do when you turn a year older, right? 

Yes folks, today is my birthday.  Birthday number 43.   It feels weird to see that written down because I still feel like I'm in my late 20's.  My body would say otherwise for sure, although the dude at Starbucks this morning said he thought I was 26.  My latte was free, but still I left a nice tip, because moves like that need to be appreciated, ha ha.  These days, I have aches and pains that I didn't have 5 years ago.  It takes me longer to recover from hard workouts.  I can't indulge in too many treats like I used to without my pants getting too tight.  All that aside, I still feel young and that's a good thing.  I've always thought that age was just a number and the older I get, the more that rings true for me.  I guess it also helps when people tell you that you don't look your age, like the dude at Starbucks this morning.  I think I can thank my parents and their good genes for that one, although I do think that running and living an active / healthy lifestyle plays a major part in that as well. 

When I was in my early 20's I often wondered what kind of "grown up" I'd be.  What kind of job would I have? Would I be married?  How many kids would I have?  I knew that marriage was something I wanted but not right away.  The same with kids.  As for my job / career, I originally went to University with the desire to be a teacher, which then changed to wanting to get into Art Therapy.   My 4 year bachelor program took me 5 years to complete (dropped a course first year so I could keep part time hours at my cushy government job and pay my rent) so by the time I got to year 5, any desire to stay in school and continue my education had gone by the wayside.  I wanted out.  I wanted to start working and stop living like a student. 

When I graduated from University, I had no idea jobs like mine existed.  By luck and a series of happy accidents, I fell into what I'm doing now.   I remember my photography professor telling us that very few folks actually went on to either become professional photographers or actually work in the field so I feel very lucky to have at least ended up working in my chosen field of study.  I may not be behind the lens but I'm behind the scenes and that's just the way I like it.   I've been a producer for close to 17 years now, with almost 14 of them at the same place.  Guess you could say I like my job, ha ha. 

My job wasn't what has brought me the most amount of happiness though.  It was and is, running.  If it wasn't for running, I wouldn't have met G, period.  I knew within the first 3 months of dating G that he was going to be the man I married.  2 years after we started dating, we were married.  We assumed that kids would follow.  Unfortunately that was a chapter in our life that never came to be.  We struggled with infertility and we went through 2 very dark and emotional years before we gave up.  We did contemplate adoption but after everything we had been through over the previous two years, we decided that we had enough emotional upheaval in our lives.  The adoption process is a stressful and lengthy process here so after much discussion and soul searching we came to the very emotional conclusion to move on.  Do I feel that I am missing out on something by not being a mom?  Sometimes.  It's taken me a while to make peace with that.  I can honestly say that I wouldn't trade our current life for anything.  I think we made the right decision for us. 

Sure my life isn't what I thought it might be when I was in my 20's.  It's better....better than I ever thought it would be and I'm looking forward to the next 43 years.   Hopefully I make it that far and I really hope that if I do, I'll still be swimming, biking and running.