The Midlife Reframe

Category: cold

  • Rearranging My Room, The Head Cold, and Why is My Cat Being an Asshole?

    I decided (on Boxing Day) that I needed to rearrange my room.

    It is only the second time I’ve done this since living in this apartment because my room is an L shaped room. It stresses me out to rearrange it.

    I really wanted to move my stuff from one end to the other, but then I wouldn’t be able to open my door. Sigh.

    So, my bed is against a side wall, facing my windows. Not sure if this will last. But my brain wanted change, so this is it for now.

    (If I make it more than a month, I’ll consider it a win. My anxiety will determine juuuuust how long it stays that way.)

    Day after Boxing Day: wake up with boogerhead. Do some shopping. Get home and sit down. The plague arrives.

    Not really what I wanted, especially with the Resolution Run coming up on January 1st.

    I pretty much lived in bed with sinus meds on the 28th. Today (the 29th), I am out of bed and downstairs (woooooo). Still congested, but not dying!

    During all of this, my oldest cat (Nala, pictured above) decided to become a gigantic asshole and meow through the night…in my room…on my bed. Sometimes she just sits by my dresser and meows at the wall.

    I am thinking she may not like my room rearranging. (It’s better than thinking my room is haunted.)

    It hasn’t helped with me getting my rest, and when she’s had enough, she just saunters out at around 3am to go downstairs to her bed.

    She is old. Maybe she’s just being cranky to change. Maybe she’s trying to tell me I was wrong to change my room around. What does she know that I don’t?

    Maybe I need to take more meds and have a nap, lol.

    I am going to win this cold war, one nose blow at a time.

    Not sure about the Nala war. She may win that one, lol.

    Stay tuned to see if my brain decides to rearrange my room, again.

  • Those 10 Days I Didn’t Run

    Yes, 10 Days…

    I came down with what is being called “The Plague”.  Chest/head cold and lethargic.  Just downright GROSS.


    It all started with my Mom….then TeenThing…..then ME.
    Kicked my ass. 
    There was no way I was running.  None.  Especially with the chest cold.  So there really isn’t much more to say about the week that wasn’t 😉  I stayed home for the worst and then introduced myself back into the work environment.
    I am lucky that I started my training in January, and that my base has been built.  My training plan has afforded me the opportunity to run easy for a week after The Plague and then jump back into my schedule.
    Don’t get me wrong, I was anxiety filled the whole time.  I mean it’s MARCH.  I run my half in MAY.  It may seem like a lot of time, but it really isn’t.
    I am still not 100% heading into week 2, but feeling so much better.  Since I was done with the coughing and the hacking, I designated today as “get back to it day”.  I ran approximately 3kms.  A little too fast, but I was glad to lace back up, especially in my NEW KICKS!


    *Insert Angelic Music Here*
    I picked up my Brooks Glycerin13 sneakers on Friday during my long lunch.  I also picked up some Smartwool and Balega socks 🙂  I have run in Swiftwick socks before, but needed to try out some other options.

    Today I ran in my Smartwool socks (and capris!) and really enjoyed that my feet were not cold, nor did they get super hot.  Will try out the Balega socks later.
    That’s really it for this week my friends.  Come back next week for something a little more exciting!

    Run Happy 🙂

  • Crazy Mama RAN!!!!!!!!!! The First Race in 2 YEARS!

    Yes, you read right.  I RAN on October 24th!

    A while back I signed up for the BLT 5km Fun Run/Walk out in Timberlea, Nova Scotia.  I needed to sign up for something to keep me going, and decided 5km was a good start.
    This run is an out and back from the BLT Elementary School and most of the run is on a gravel trail.  This trail is super familiar to me because I have done many runs on this trail prepping for races in the past.
    I did my mini carb load the night before (hello PIZZA!) and carried myself off to bed after midnight (oops).
    I had no problem waking up.  None.  Excitement/Adrenaline had me awake well before my alarm went off!
    Got myself some oatmeal, coffee and sat down to plan the race outfit de jour 🙂
    It was chilly, so layers were in order.  Not too many though.  Pants for sure.
    I dressed right away so I had no time to overthink anything.
    I arrived early enough to pick up my race kit and ran into some of my friends, including Peter, who was volunteering 🙂  I also ran into my PT from knee surgery recovery, lol.  What are the odds??

    Peter was excited to see me running again!**

    I stayed inside the school and waited with some of the other runners until it was close to “go time” because it was chilly.

    Then, out I went.

    And stood mid pack.

    Talked to my Twitter FitFam friend Myles and his lovely wife for a minute, just to shake the growing anxiety and remind myself that I AM A RUNNER, lol.
    Then, the voice from the loudspeaker made the announcements, I was surrounded by runners, heard the word “GO” and off we went!
    There I am – Top Far Right!  GO AMY GO!!!!!!!!!!
    Now, previous races, I would have shot out of there like a cheetah.  But, having learned from this lesson (during the Valley Harvest 10km where I went out like a cheetah and wanted to barf my guts out halfway), I just kept a nice slowish pace to get myself warm.
    I caught up to Myles’ lovely wife just after 1km and we ran for a bit until her walk break.
    Then, I was SOLO.
    I picked up my pace a bit and passed a few people.  Stopped for a minute because I picked it up a little more than I should, lol.  Then I decided to find someone that had a decent pace (by feel) and stayed a bit behind them for the next couple of kms.
    I reached the turnaround point feeling good.
    Then I saw the 3km marker and lost it.

    Tears.

    I had the moment I though I would have at the end.  The “HOLY CRAP I AM RUNNING IN AN EVENT” moment.
    3km.
    But crying and running don’t really mix, mostly because you can’t see, so I stopped for a minute, wiped my eyes and kept going.
    The last km has a hill.  BLECH.
    I walked up that hill.
    Because ME.
    And then, the last 500m I put the pedal to medal and came in like a FREAKING GAZELLE:


    SEE HOW HAPPY I AM?!?!?!??!

    Super happy.

    I was lucky to get a photo with my peeps afterward who were there to see my first race in forever!



    Time:  30mins 47secs.

    CRUSHED IT.

    Now, I am attempting to plan out what my 2016 Race Calendar will look like.

    And how to get that 30 mins to 25 or under, lol.

    Look out world.  I’M BACK!!!!


    **Thanks to Paul Wesson Photography for taking the wicked awesome Race pics!

  • Wet and Wild Lucky 7 Relay! (Bucket List Run – Canadian Running Magazine!!)

    So I volunteered for the Lucky 7 Relay Race

    And got myself down to the Atlantica Hotel on Saturday to pick up my awesome Race Crew T!

    Woohoo!  Go Race Crew!

    Of course, we ARE on the East Coast of Canada, so the weather is always unpredictable.  I got up on Sunday, ate my breakfast and gathered my gear to wear.  Needless to say, I was not exactly thrilled with the temperatures…

    This called for My Soxy Feet long socks!  They were feet layer #1 😉

    When I arrived at the top of Citadel Hill, it was misty, cold and kinda blah.  Actually a little colder than I thought (note to self – more layerage when NOT running!)  I met up with Stacy (Runner and Race Director) in the “Don’t Park Here” Parking Lot (oops!) and my job at that moment was given to me.  I was the “Don’t Park Here” Girl.  I was given a fabulous helper and we directed folks to the other entrance for parking. 

    It IS as cold as it looks!  lol (Yay rain coat and pants!)

    The “Don’t Park Here” Parking Lot

    The TNT Purple People setting up their water station 🙂

    So, once all the volunteers and sponsors made their way in, our job at that station was done.  

    I was then assigned down by the Finish Line with a couple of other awesome volunteers to make sure runners did not walk back over the Atlantic Chip finish line with their bibs on!  This was harder than you might think! Being a relay, everyone wanted to head over to cheer on the next leg.  (The race started inside the Fort and you are to run 7 times around the Citadel to complete your leg.)

    (To check out some awesome photos of those folks running – head on over here: Photo Stream )


    I was as vigilent as I could be, holding my “Keep Right to Finish” sign and trying to cheer on the runners in the off and on torrential downpours with super wind that was going on – trying to stop those from crossing that finish line!  A couple runners got past me and totally wonked their finish time 😦  Bib numbers were taken so they could fix up the times of those who literally walked back over the sensors.  Eeeeeep!  Trying to steer runners away is NOT an easy job!  We are some determined people!  (By the second and third leg, this was much easier as folks were given the info before they ran out.)

    So we cheered and blocked 😉  I was given relief about halfway through Leg 3 and headed back inside the Fort to stay dry and have snacks.


    Watching the rain from INSIDE…snack time!
    Cold and wet hands….brrrrr
    Attempting to warm said hands.

    I was there when the winner from the Third Leg made it in to get his bag and change.  What a rock star!

    Third Leg Winner!  He was shaking like a leaf…

    This was my fabulous helper’s tower – he made it out of counter popsicle sticks 😉

    I ran this race last year (it was around the Halifax Commons) and absolutely loved it!  It is so much fun, and I ran a super awesome 38 min 7k….I was over the moon 🙂

    This race also provides a warm breakfast afterwards at the lovely Atlantica Hotel (their Sunday breakfast buffet in the regular restaurant is also TO DIE FOR).  The oatmeal was amazing, as well as the croissants and muffins, juice and coffee!!  I was able to boot it over and warm up my belly, thereby warming up everything else, as my gloves were soaked and my body temp had regulated back to “Holy Crap It’s Cold” after moving and bopping around to keep warm on the Hill. 

    I highly recommend this race as a must do!  The fun, the costumes and the atmosphere….well it just rocks!  When the Race Director is cheering you on at the finish line – well, I am wondering if Stacy has a voice today!!  We had so much fun.

    Oh Starbees….how happy I was to see you.
    These puppies were left to dry in the Van!!

    To close out – I have to give MEGA shout outs to those who ran in those conditions (especially those in costume!!).  Cold wet rain sucks!  I also give a HUGE shout out to my fellow volunteers who cheered and stuck it out for the whole morning!  We are awesome!

    And thank you so much to Stacy.  You run a good race girl 🙂

    #crazymamaruns