SO MUCH TO WRITE ABOUT SO LITTLE TIME TO DO IT!

I'm beat, the new job+commute is kicking my ass!! No time/motivation for anything computer related once I come back home on week nights and week-ends concist of trying to prepare all the meals, laundry etc. for the week to come.

The new job is great so far. I'm enjoying the projects I've been assigned to. Since there is no lab work involved I do not feel like a 'real' chemist right now but I think it's more an adaptation period to go through. I'm looking forward to my first pay cheque this week!! My first big purchase will be a new saddle for my bike. I want to get an ISM Adamo Women's saddle as recommended by my friend Jordan.

Training is going really well. I hit all my training last week. This week was harder, missed both strenght workouts (insert shameful expression) and the swim. I have a really hard time getting to the pool ay 9PM. I get up pretty early to avoid traffic and 9PM is almost my bed time. Not sure I'll do lots of swimming in the next few weeks.

Running is going well, my LSD is up to 6.25 miles (the Race is 15K or 9.4miles), train ticket is bought so I am going! PF is not back but I've been suffering from achilles tendonitis... which is NOT cool. Sometimes, I just feel like I should give up and get back to my old 'Couch potato' self... but gotta keep on trucking... right?

At least, there is my bike trainer which I still love, it's a blessing to be able to do intense workouts since running is not more than 2 times a week for me...

That's most news from me. I'm going to try and read all (gulp 156) messages you guys have written while I was sleeping LOL

BTW Happy Single Awareness Day! (aka Valentine's Day)

WORKING LADY!

Yep that's me! Survived my first week of work (well it was only 3 days but that was a good thing). Commuting is insane... I never hated more living in the 'suburb' more than now. Think big snowstorm on my first day and 2h45 commute to get back home (should take 1h15!) The job is very interesting so far. I'm working on a project that is getting lots of media attention and that's quite exciting! On my first day, the Director of my Section was interviewed for CBC news. As I take up on projects that will be me =)

It's been rough to keep up with the training as I am totally wiped when I get back home. It will take some time to get use to the new routine.

Here's last week in Review (Week 6)

Monday: off, resting the ankle
Tuesday: Swim 2K in 43 mins
Wednesday: 45 mins shoveling
Thursday: 45 mins shoveling
Friday: off
Saturday: 45 mins long ride (10 W-U, 10 mins 15s out of saddle every 2 mins, 10 mins 30s out of saddle every 2 mins, 10 mins 30s out of saddle every 1 min, 5 mins CD)
Sunday: LSD 4.5 miles at 11:59 min/mile pace. On the treadmill, hated every minute of it but that's pretty fast for a LSD for me so that made me happy!

Here's the Review from the week before that I forgot to report... (Week 5)

Monday: off
Tuesday: Bike trainer speed session (10 W-U, 15 mins 30/30 hard/easy, 10 CD) +short strenght
Wednesday: 2.5 miles at race pace (11:47 min/mile)
Thursday: 10 mins bike warm-up + Long strenght training, 1K swim 23:30 (fastest time so far!)
Friday: off
Saturday: 60 mins long ride (30 W-U, 10 mins 15s out of saddle every 2 mins, 10 mins 15s out of saddle every 1 min, 10 mins CD)
Sunday: 4.1 miles at 12:30 min/mile pace. Outside and hard!

Hoping to do a little better this week!!! Imagine that, we're expecting more snow on Tuesday/Wednesday.... yay.....

TRAINING WITH A STUPID FOOT ~ WEEK 4~

I went back to the Doc today. I went shopping with my Mom on Friday (for 9h!!!) and my foot was really sore at the end of the day. I thought this was a very bad sign and wanted to get it checked before I start the new job (Date is set! January 28 is my first day at my REAL job!).

Anyhow, I have no pain where the PF usually was. I can now stand on my heels and walk (which I hadn't been able to do for the past 15 months... ). It's a slow process, it is normal for my foot to be sore and feel 'weird' as I changed my way of walking to not feel too much pain when the PF was there.

Since the pain is not constant and it comes after a long day of walking or an intense run in the snow. She suggests RICE and not pushing it. Which is what I am going to do. Overall a positive meeting. I am still on the waiting list for the MRI but she thinks nothing will come out of it.

Here's last week in Review

Monday: Long strenght training following the lovely Carrie's program

Tuesday: Bike speed session . I ramped-up the 'speed' intervals this week from 10 mins to 15 mins. So includind warm up and cool down 35 mins on the bike

Wednesday: 25 mins run in Minus Mental (-34°C/29F)

Thursday: Short strength training and the first swim since November! 1.25K in a very respectable 29 mins I wasn't as rusty as I thought!

Friday: Rest = 9h of shoping!!

Saturday: Long ride on the trainer with some 'hills'.

30 mins @ Ride easy

10 mins @ 15 sec climbing out of the saddle every 2 mins (hard)

10 mins @ 30 sec climbing out of the saddle every 2 mins (really hard)

10 mins @ 45 sec climbing out of the saddle every 2 mins (holy f'ck hard!!)

10 mins @ cool down

Sunday: The worst run in the history of runs. 3.9 miles outside, streets and sidewalks were not plowed. I couldn't find my yak trax so this was like torture would feel. It was the worst run ever. Slow and bad footing. I hate winter.

Today I took a rest day, the mix of intense spin on Saturday and the bad footing of yesterday's run made my legs very tired and sore. Back to regular programming tomorrow. As much as I am excited to start the new job, I am also super scared of the real world. Hopefully, I won't suck too much LOL

Have a good week everyone!

JOYEUX NOËL ~ MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

I've been a bad blogger and haven't updated my blog since I came back from Windsor on Sunday. I haven't been doing much exercice wise so I felt I had nothing to report...

But I FINALLY fixed my bike trainer (well my Dad fixed it!) so I will be able to hop back on tomorrow! I will be doing one of Leana short speed training from her coach's training schedule as she kindly sent me the info.

I will be doing my first run in 2 months tomorrow to celebrate Christmas and see where my foot is at. I don't have any plantar fasciitis pain anymore. I do feel my ankle is weird but as the doctor told me this is a normal healing process after suffering from PF for more than a year and changing my walking to put less pressure on my heel.

I won't be starting back full force, I learned my lesson with the first cortisone injection. I have a plan.... I will get back to running with 2 easy runs per week maximum, the rest will be done on the bike and back in the pool (which is close for Christmas right now).

My goal is to participate in my favorite event of the year as a relay participant (I'm not that insane, 30K is way too much coming back from an injury!). I will be doing the first 15K while my friend Pat will be doing the last 15K. I am thinking that even if I am not at a 15K long run by the end of March, I can still run as far as I can and walk the rest. This will be my comeback race!! WOOHOO!! =) Our team name will be "Footloose and fancy feet" as she also had a foot problem (stress fracture).

I've also had some great news on the job front!!! The interview where I thought I did so horribly.... well I GOT THE JOB!!!!!! I couldn't believe it when the women from the City of Montreal called me yesterday! I went to meet some of the people I would work with this morning and everyone was really nice and welcoming to me. I did tell them, I had another job offer on the table so I needed time to decide. And she told me I have until January 12 to make a decision. This is a totally different job than the post-doc in Ottawa. I would not be in the laboratory doing research, I would be working on analysing atmospheric and aquatic pollutants and changing laws accordingly. Seems very interesting but also very different than what I know (change is scary!) while the post-doc would be lab research which I have done for the last 5 years.

The position at the City of Montreal is a unionized position as a chemist at the City of Montreal. It is well paid, very flexible hours and a permanent position.... it will be very hard to decide. Very thankful this is Christmas time and I have more time to think about it.... Anyhow, I will stop here, it is 5AM and I'Ve been up since 3AM. Thinking about my job dilemma LOL Time to go back to bed!!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, enjoy the time with your families, they are what Holidays are all about =)

POST OF REPORTS

1-JOB REPORT!

My interview for Health Canada went really well. I'm very happy. Remember a few weeks ago, Health Canada put the Bisphenol A on the list of dangerous chemicals? I talked about this issue at my interview and that I wanted to work on projects with that sort of impact for Canadians and their health. I think I really impressed one of the interviewer! As the women interviewing me proceeded to say that she was a researcher on that project! After that she was more that friendly with me, I tought I was in a meeting with a friend. =) If I make the cut, they will keep my name in a list of people and any employer from Health Canada could call me. They have jobs opening now so I'm hoping since I am done they will offer me a job first... They told me I should know within 1-2 months... just gotta wait now.

2-FOOT REPORT!

I meet my podiatrist on Wed (the 14) and he suggested I go for the cortisone injection for my very bad PF. I've been dealing with this issue since last November, I have tried so many thing and spent a LOT of money with no results. I haven't been running much in the past 2 months and even that didn't help reduce the pain, plus lots of stretching when I wake up. Apparently, this injection is the last resort and should clear the PF completely...

However, the good news is that I still have access to 300$ of physiotherapy coverage! My insurance coverage is long gone for chiropractic care and I had completely forgot about the physiotherapy money. And, a running maniac friend suggested the cold laser therapy whic can be done by a physiotherapist. So, I will try this in the meantime (of waiting for the injection). Hopefully, it will help me solve my problem and I could just cancel the cortisone shot. I also got the Strassburg sock and I'm trying to get use to it. Since I sleep on my front it is very hard to have the foot in that position! But after one day, I didn'T wake up limping.

I also got my orthotics fixed on Thursday and I am wearing them consistentely. I ran with them this morning and it went really well. I am hoping that this adapted orthotics (longer and heel gel) will make a difference. I had stopped wearing them as they were half lenght and causing blisters when I ran. Hope all these changes will be good for this Freakin foot!!

3-RUNNING REPORT!

Run it forward: So, I've started a LTR program with my aunt and my dad, who are both overweight. We're aiming for 20 mins of consistent running. Since I'm at home and can't run for long, its the best time to get them started! I will be there to motivate them and we can all do it for fun. We will celebrate with a 5K race at the end of the 9 weeks. So far, so good =)

With getting ready for the interview and taking the bus to my brother's place (Ste-Luce-Sur-Mer) I hadn't run in 3 days.