Calgary Marathon Jugo Juice 10K Training Plan

Well, that's a mouthful, isn't it? A few months ago I decided I needed a fitness goal, something to train for and something to motivate me to train. I really wanted to sign up for another 10K run (my first and last 10K was several years ago), and The Calgary Marathon on May 31 seemed like a great race to make this happen. Plus, it doesn't hurt that an amazing group of Alberta bloggers will be running this race as well.  That was really all the motivation I needed to sign up!

But, as life would have it, my training has been pretty non-existent, despite the run being less than 5 weeks away now. Part of the problem lies in the fact that we don't own a treadmill and I didn't own a jogging stroller, so day-time runs were literally out of the question. But I've recently remedied that by purchasing a chariot with a jogging kit, so I now have no excuse to not get outside with Sully during the day.

{first run outside since last fall! pushing a chariot is no joke!!}

At this point, my goal is to just show up for the run, meet some wonderful women, have fun and complete the 10K, even if that means walking some of it. My training for my last 10K wasn't that great either, but I was in a different state physically and a lot more active leading up to it. My only goal for that run was to run the entire 10K with no walking breaks and I was able to do that. I'm not sure if that's    a realistic goal this time around, but we shall see!

Talking a lead from Becky's recent post on training for the same 10K (also, I've maybe kind of begged her to be my running partner for this run), I decided to create a 5 week visual training plan for myself. I just want to get my legs used to moving and running without over doing it or possibly injuring myself. I would hate to miss out on this run! I'm aiming for three runs a week. Week one of the plan is this current week, which really only leaves a little over 4 weeks left to train. Week two I will be in New York for, so I tried to make the runs doable and easy, considering I will be on vacation and will also need to convince my best friend to run them with me. I'll be sure to make at least one of those runs be through Central Park though!

I'll be sharing my training updates on Instagram and my Facebook page if you want to follow along! Wish me luck!

My Love/Hate Relationship with Breastfeeding

Last week, I hit my breaking point with breastfeeding. Or at least, in the moment, I had. (A week later, and we're still nursing). But last week, Sully was having a particularly cranky day and seemed extra needy and boob-demanding. And then he started biting me. I was so upset, so insulted, so hurt (physically and emotionally), that I swore I was done nursing right then and there. I called my mom in tears and she rushed over.

I needed to vent and I needed a shoulder to cry on. I wasn't really ready to be done nursing, but at the same time, the thought of being free from it was a little bit exciting. But then there was also the guilt. Oh the guilt. I didn't want our nursing journey to end just because I had "had enough". Ultimately, I want Sully to be the one to make the call.

I know breastfeeding is such an individual experience, but for me, I wanted to succeed, and I'm so proud that we've made it this far. When I started out on my breastfeeding journey, I had no goal in mind. All I knew was that I was going to breastfeed and I was going to do whatever it took to make it work. I made mini-goals as I went along, the first goal being to make it to six months. If we could make it to six months with just nursing, I would be more than satisfied.

When we hit six months, we were still nursing strong, so I aimed for nine months. Nine months came, and Sully showed no signs of weening, so I kept going, hoping at that point that we could hit the one year milestone. And from there, I told myself and my husband that I would just follow Sully's cues. If he wanted to keep nursing, we would, and if he was done with it, then I would forever be thankful that we got a full year in. 

Here we are at 14 months, and most days, I still nurse Sully three to four times a day. And most days, I love it, but some days I hate it. 

I have a love/hate relationship with nursing.

I love that I've been able to nourish my baby for the first year of his life with my own body.

I hate that there are people who judge moms for extended breastfeeding and that I have let their judgement get to me.

I love when my baby's eyes roll in the back of his head and he becomes sleepy from nursing.
I hate when he bites me.

I love the extra time in bed in the morning, where we cuddle and side nurse.
I hate having to lay on my one arm. 

I love that nursing is just easy, especially in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning.

I hate that my husband can't just get up and nurse my son in my place some days.

I love that I can comfort my son when he's hurt, or after immunizations, or when he's not feeling well, or when he's just having a meltdown.

I hate that my husband can't offer him this same immediate sense of comfort.

I love when my son's hand caresses the top of my chest while nursing.

I hate when I have forgotten to cut his nails and he leaves scratch marks all over my chest instead.

I love when my son is getting tired and he slips his hand down the front of my shirt ever so gently.

I hate when he takes it too far and pinches my nipple.

I love nursing tanks and nursing bras that make breastfeeding so much easier.

I hate that I still have to wear a nursing bra.

I love that breastfeeding is said to burn extra calories every day.

I hate that it just increases my appetite at the same time.

Obviously I'm using the word hate here very loosely. I wouldn't change our breastfeeding journey for anything. But that doesn't mean that some days aren't hard, or that there aren't moments where I wish we were done breastfeeding altogether. It's a complicated relationship, but one that I know has an inevitable end date. So for now, we trudge on, and I'm choosing to cherish each nursing session because I know it will be a sad day, bittersweet at the least, when my son refuses to nurse.

It would be fair to address my upcoming trip here, as it's very likely that such a long absence may ween Sully completely. This was a decision I didn't make lightly, but seeing as Sully is now 14 months old, I've come to terms with this. I do plan to keep up my supply while I'm gone by pumping, and when I return, should he want to continue to nurse, I will be ready. 

New York May 2015

So this is happening in, oh, ten days! That's right, in ten days I'm getting on a plane with my best friend and we are flying to New York! No babies, no husbands. I don't think the reality of this has truly set in yet.

A few months ago, when I caught wind of the Rocky Mountain Soap Women's Run in Canmore, I asked my best friend Karen if she thought there would be any way she could sneak away for the weekend with her youngest baby and join me and Sully for the stroller run. She responded with "I have a better idea". A better idea than a night or two away in beautiful Canmore?! I really had no idea what she was going to come up with. New York in May. That was her better idea. She wins.

My heart sped up when I heard her say the words. New York City?! She must be crazy, I thought. Here we were, sitting on her couch breastfeeding our two babies (Karen has three kids by the way), and she's proposing we go to New York in May?! I think these thoughts of doubt crossed my mind for all of five seconds before I said "OK!"

And now, in a little over a week, a life-long dream of mine is going to come true! Seeing NYC has always been on my bucket list, but, like many things on said list, it hasn't been crossed off yet. And getting to go with my best friend is a once in a life time opportunity. Especially when you're at this stage of our lives, where you have a husband, and kids, and dogs, and a whole slew of responsibilities. it's not easy to go away with a friend. Especially not for a whole week.

Luckily, we both have awesome husbands and amazing family who didn't hesitate at all to make this trip a reality for us. Don't get me wrong, it will be super hard for me to leave Sully, but I know, without a doubt that he will be fine without me and in the best of hands. My mom will be moving in to help look after him and I'm also flying my sister out to help babysit. She hasn't seen Sully since September and I'm so, so excited for her to get a whole week with him to bond. They are going to have so much fun together! (And I'm secretly hoping that after she spends a whole week with Sully, she'll want to move back to Alberta to be closer :))

So! New York! Someone pinch me.

But, because Karen and I are both so busy, we haven't had any time to sit down and plan what we want to do or what we want to see when we are in New York yet. And so I bring this to all of you reading this: if you've been to New York, what are a few things/places/sights we have to see? And if you haven't been to New York, what's something you would definitely do if you went?