Run Christy Run!

I've run 2 half marathons in 2 years.

The first was at the Lululemon Seawheeze race in 2017 and I finished the whole thing and was so proud of myself.  It was such a memorable weekend with friends supporting friends and goal crushing.  It's pretty easy to get a personal best time when it is your first!

In 2018, we switched up the location and ran the Banff Marathon.  I was injured and I had a tough training journey and in the end walked across the finish line.

in 2019, we are headed back to Vancouver for our second Seawheeze, and my THIRD half marathon!  

We were lucky to win the group lottery on the first round yesterday.  I didn't realize how much I wanted to do until the email dropped in my inbox at exactly 11am.

You see, I turn 40 this year.  Everyone is making such a big deal of it and honestly, it's just another day for me.  So many are planning special outings and trips and I feel like I stuck trying to figure out how I want to celebrate this milestone birthday.

When this email arrived it was like, yes, this is what I want to do.  I want to spend my 40th birthday (give or take a month) doing the one thing I do just for me.  I want to crush my previous record of 2:15 and feel strong doing it.  I want to remain uninjured and remember to listen to my body.  I want to give myself the gift of time as I train for 3 months leading up to the run.  

I may be turning 40, but my body refuses to believe it.  I refuse to believe it. 

But, for now, I'm just going to enjoy being 39.

Can't Stop the Feeling

Sometimes the universe lines itself up and knows exactly what you need.  I didn't know how much i needed these gals until I arrived in Edmonton late Thursday afternoon.

You see, we planned to see Justin Timberlake in November on our annual Edmonton meet up.  Then he cancelled.  When I saw the new date was in Feb I was hesitant to commit.  It's my busy time at work and the weather could be shit.  But because of my extreme case of FOMO when all the other gals committed, I couldn't miss out.

The Pink Ladies!

I've been having a rough go this month.  Maybe it is the January blues, or maybe it is my anxiety getting the best of me.  Either way, this one night (less than 24 hours) had revived me.

As I type this I am still in my sweatshirt from last night and I am listening to my favorite JT song that you can barely read on my Christy blue shirt, Can't Stop the Feeling!  (Thanks for making the shirts Dee!)

The pink ladies clearly have a better selfie game than us true blues.

On a side note... i didn't know I liked JT so much.  I put his song set on my spotify play list this week and I've had it on non stop since.  If you haven't checked out Man in the Woods it may be my new favorite song of his.... almost.  I love that now when I hear these songs it will bring me back to this night and how much fun we had.

Who brought the jello shooters??  Right, that was me!

These girls... where do I begin.  Just the other day I was telling Grady about how when I am with them I laughed until I cried. He wanted to know what we laughed about it and when I told him he didn't get it and it didn't even sound funny, but in the moment I had tears running down my cheeks and my stomach heard from laughing too hard.  Everyone needs friends that make you laugh until you cry.  I've found mine and I'm keeping them.

Documenting the concert!

Today i have a bounce in my step and a smile on my face when I think not only about the concert but about the friends that made it the perfect night.  A mid week break full of wine, pizza, stories, laugh until you cry moments, songs, and memory making moments.

Rock your body!

Finally, thank you to JT who cancelled his concert in the fall.  At the time I was pissed that your vocal chords were bruised, but now I am so happy that you brought us back for a bonus night to revive our Mom souls that were suffering from the mid winter blues. If you go on tour again, count on us to be there.  Its a promise.

TBB Asks: Relationships

Valentine's day is quickly approaching so the TBB Asks for February is focused on relationships.

1.  Deena and I met the first day of Kindergarten at the rype 'ol age of 5.  Almost 35 years ago.  Wow.  She walked up to me and another girl and asked us to play.  We've been besties every since.    Well almost... we all know how mean pre teen girls can be.

To this day Deena will still try to lift me up!

2.  I am very lucky to have a great support network.  Outside of my family, I have my high school friends that stood up for me in my wedding 13 years ago and are all still my people all these years later.  I have my accounting friends that I met and have known since I moved to Calgary 15 years ago.  We were all away from our friends and family and developed a fast bond in a new city.  Then there are my Mom friends.  The ones that have kids the same age as yours and are your go to people when you need to know that it is normal to hide in the bathroom to get away from your kids.  My newest friends are my hockey mom friends.  The ones that get your busy schedule and bring you a coffee to early morning practice.  I love that I have a big circle to turn to when I am looking for advice, a listening ear, or a glass of wine.  I never take this for granted.

I'm pretty sure Deena just grabbed my butt....

3.  How did James and I meet?  This is a story I don't know that I have ever told on my blog.  I was a summer student in Calgary about to go back to Saskatoon for my last semester and we met through one of the other summer students.  Her boyfriend was James' friend, they didn't last, but we did.  We emailed a few times from the computer lab (wow, that ages me!) and he sent me a hard copy Xmas card which i still have all these years later.  When I moved back in January we started dating immediately.

Our very first picture together, circa 2002

Oh, another funny story is that the first time he asked me out was for lunch.  I told him i couldn't take lunch at my job.  Which was true.  He thought I was sloughing him off and was done with me.  Then I called him later and asked if we could do dinner instead.  So if I hadn't called him back we never would have gone on that first date.  Does that mean i asked him out??

4.  I can't say we really celebrate Valentines day anymore.  I always get the kids a little something and I usually have a glass of wine to celebrate.  Other than that, no big celebration happening in our house. 

5.  I don't know my love language.  I've even read the book and I just can't pin it down.  It is possible to be a little of each.  I am not gifts for sure, if I had to guess I would say words of affirmation or acts of service.

6. I prefer chocolate.  Obviously.  It goes better with wine!

7. Most meaningful gift....is it bad that I can't think of one?

Mommin' ain't Easy

Today's post is coming straight from the heart.  I had planned to write about the great weekend I had with my new hockey Mom friends but instead I decided to just right about how I am feeling right now.

This Mom life is hard.

This week I am feeling overwhelmed.  My job is busy and I've lost my extra day off for most of January.  I am in the middle of planning a hockey tournament for Cooper's team.  We are doing some house renos, and to top it off I've been out of town for the last 2 weekends.

I am too busy.

My thoughts this week just keep coming back to when it will be time for me.  When do I get to read the uncracked book on my nightstand, or take a bubble bath.  When will I find time to paint my nails or catch up on The Bachelor.

When will I learn to say no.

The trouble is, I want to do it all.  I want to go away on the weekend to Edmonton and Panarama.  I want to manage Cooper's hockey team.  And I certainly want to read books and watch trashy TV.

So what do you do when you feel stretched thin?  When you feel like you just need some time to yourself?  Schedule it in? But where?  

It's hard for me to imagine my life before kids when I thought I was busy.  That the eff was I doing?  I wish I could go back to my younger self and tell her to do all the things and go all the places.  Because once you have a family there ain't no more time for that.

Tomorrow I will probably wake up and read this post and think about what a drama queen I was being.  But right now, at this exact moment, the feels are real.

You know what always makes it better?  A giant glass of wine and a little trash TV.

Don't mind if I do.