So I went to the gym this morning for the first time in over 5 months! I was very excited. I have been told to take it slowly, so all I did was walk on the treadmill, do triceps and biceps (super low weight and only one set of 15). Then I managed a 1 min plank!!! I am sore now though. In a good way though!
Given that I was running when I stopped working out, it was a bit shocking how much fitness I have lost. My heart rate was through the roof and all I did was walk! I am just so happy to be back at it though, and hope to start running in about 6 weeks or so, was I have built a good base of walking miles under me!!!

Source: fitsugar.com via Ebony on Pinterest

Back to reality :D

So it has been a year since I blogged. 2012 was quite a challenge health wise and it affected my whole life. They say that without your health you have nothing, and truer words were never spoken.
After many, many months (about 16) of appointments, and waiting, I had a hysterectomy in November. Despite the fact that I had severe complications which has set me back, I finally feel like I am on the road to getting my life back!!!
I saw the doctor this morning and he has said that I can SLOWLY get back to yoga (can't wait), and ease my way into the gym and back to RUNNING!!!!!! By the end of March he said I should be better than new. I am so very excited. I have been off for 5 months from all physical activity, and spent a month where I was pretty much in bed the whole time, so I think it will be quite the journey back. Not quite sure how to go about it, so off to do some research, and to take it a step at a time!!!

What a CRAZY two weeks!!!!

I've been housebound with sick kids, and hadn't worked out or ran in three THREE weeks (save for an hour of hot yoga for which I am thankful)!! To top it off I have been on my own with the kids for two weeks. Needless to say I have been going absolutely crazy from cabin fever. The weather has been grey and miserable to boot, and with the lack of exercise I could really feel my mood slipping.
Yesterday I finally had all three kids in school, and I got to go the gym!!! Had a terrible run on the treadmill, but all - in - all it was a good workout, and I went this morning and had a great workout, and I cannot believe the change in my mood. I feel like a brand new woman!

Hopefully next week will see back into some sort of proper routine running wise. My 5 km race is in 8 weeks, and I really want to get my time down to 30 minutes!!!

So it's been a little nuts around here.  When isn't it - I know!
I didn't get to the gym at all last week. I wasn't feeling well at the beginning of the week so missed the gym, then had a meeting Wednesday night, I usually go on Thursday mornings but I had another meeting and Friday was a write-off as well. I did make it to a hot yoga class on Sunday. I know I am feeling off though because I usually feel great at the end of yoga and I didn't this time. I'm hoping I can get to the gym Thurs and Fri of this week. Kev is out of town this week and next so it is going to be a challenge!! I can't go in the mornings at the moment on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays which really limits me when Kev is away.


Kids had a hard time getting back into the swing of things last week. They are all night owls and tend to stay up later than they should when school is out. Always makes the first week back fun.
The most drastic thing that happened last week was that Paige had a HUGE haircut and it looks awesome!

Here is a before pic :

And here are the finished result, which actually took place over a week. She had it cut a bit longer the first time and then decided that she wanted it shorter.....

I think it looks FABULOUS, and so grown-up!!!

Not much else to report, poor Paige is home today with a tummy bug, and I let Ella stay with her. Ella went into school crying yesterday because she didn't want to go, so I figured we would just lay low today and have lots of snuggles........

I went for a run outside on Saturday morning and it was absolutely fabulous! It was mild out, and sunny and just really nice to be outside. I have been running on the treadmill at the gym, and really not enjoying it very much!
I wasn't feeling very well yesterday so I skipped the gym last night but if I am feeling ok tonight I will go.
Nothing much really going on here. We had a busy weekend, and the kids went back to school yesterday so we are all trying to get back into routine and are kind of tired!!!!
I've started reading The Hunger Games trilogy and cannot put it down. I'm already part way through the second book!
Lots of organizing to do this week, kids rooms are a disaster so trying to get on top of that should be fun!!!

I'm going to post the link to my old blog, just in case anyone is interested, lots from when the kids were younger and tons about Ella's first years!!!!


http://thedoodlebugz.blogspot.com/

So, I had no car yesterday, (Kev's was in the shop, same today - only it's my van in) and I was feeling a bit cooped up. I had five kids yesterday, actually at one point it was up to seven!! The kids were all good, it's just that sometimes I find it's a lot of bodies in the house!!! So by the time I got to the gym last night I bit off more than I could chew. Started out fine, did a 10 min warm-up on the elliptical (which I didn't hate quite as much yesterday - I find each minute painful but am determined to not let it get the better of me), then did the weight circuit but only my upper body as I was going to run. Forgot to do my abs though :( Then in my infinite wisdom I plugged a 5km run into the treadmill... I am new to running period and have only run on the treadmill a few times now and find it hard. About half way through I was really struggling but there was no way I was giving up. Can you say stubborn?? I got through it, but it took 38 minutes. I think next time I want to do a run like that, I won't do anything else that day and see if that works better.

Next week is going to be a challenge as far as working out goes. The kids are back to school and Kevin is away for the first part of the week. I also have a couple of school meetings I think, so I don't think I will get to the gym until Thursday, although I may see if I can sneak out Monday night after karate if our awesome babysitter is around!

House is still quiet this morning! The boys are here but only Ella is up. Have to get the girls going though because I need to give Honey (our Standard Poodle) a bath. Her allergies are flaring up again and her skin is bad. I'm hoping to get it under control without a visit to the vet since both cars have been in the shop this week ($$$$), and Jaxie (greyhound) and Lucy (bad kitty) are due (last month) for needles. I'll let them sleep a but longer though - this sleeping in thing is new, and it is back to the grindstone on Monday so they might as well enjoy it while they can :)

I'll start putting some pictures up soon as well!

Since it is the beginning of a new year, I thought that it would be a good time to start blogging again. It's been about five years since I kept a regular blog and I think it is time. Life is moving so quickly around here, that I think it's time we document some of it!

I started running in August, and my goal for 2011 (actually it was a new years resolution) was to be able to run 5km. I've never run before, and I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to do it. When I started in August I used an app on my phone called "Couch to 5km" and the first week it has you run for 90 seconds and walk for 2 mins. I didn't think I was going to make it that first week. The 90 seconds of running was quite a struggle. I kept with it though, and on New Year's eve, my running partner and I ran our first 5km race. We finished in 33:51 which was not a bad time - we were in the middle of the pack. The last half of the race was all uphill, and we really hadn't done any hill training - something we will have to start doing. It was an awesome experience, and I can't wait to do it again, and it is so good to have something to work towards. Next race will be the 5km Fun race in the Around-the-Bay race. Hoping to finish in 30 mins which I think it completely attainable.

I have joined a gym and am going to start adding weights into my routine, and hope to try some spinning classes as well. I tried hot yoga for the first time this spring and I LOVE it, so I hoping to be able to get to that once a week as well.

I'm still not sure how this is all going to work, since I have three lovely girls, that are very active in karate - we are there five days a week, and Miss M does violin as well.  I'm at home with the kids, but I babysit and volunteer in both of the kid's schools. We also have a house full of pets (two dogs, two cats, hamster, and a fish - can you say zoo??), and a husband who works crazy hours and travels a lot. It is a crazy busy life but not one that I would trade for anything. I am also learning how important it is for me to take time for myself so that I can be the best possible mum I can be. Somehow with lots of teamwork, it will just work. It always does!!!!