Recent adventures

Last night, Little Fox and I went to buy some school supplies. I was hoping it would be a fun outing, but he was being a stinker in the store. But we got some indoor sneakers, his backpack and lunch bag. I also picked up some pencils and such, mainly for homework, since the school just asks parents to pay a small fee and they get the supplies for the classroom. I'm pretty sure that fee was due in June, but I just realized that 2 days ago.  I feel really bad... because my brother is a teacher, I know how much time/effort/money goes into getting a classroom ready for the new school year... and I'm obviously not making this poor teacher's job any easier!

Today, Little Fox and I went into Kensington to get his hair cut... but the "haircutters" wasn't open today. So we went for lunch instead.

 Honestly, I was trying to take a photo of the rock wall. He stuck his head in at the last second. *not kidding*

After lunch, we walked over to the library, got a few books and a movie and then headed home. We headed down to the beach, and played in the sand for about an hour.

After the beach, we relaxed with a movie, and then about 6 library books. Tomorrow, I think we're going to Burlington Amusement Park. :)

Hugh A Campbell Memorial 8kRun Race Recap!

From PEI RoadRunners website:

"This run is a Memorial run in remembrance of Hugh Campbell who was a runner back in the thirties and forties on PEI and throughout the Maritimes. His specialty was 5 mile races where he competed and won several races. "

This evening's 8k run fit perfectly into my training schedule (which has admittedly gone off-track since my knee "injury" a few weeks ago). Not only did it fit in the schedule well, it was really close to home, which was a nice change from driving 45 mins to Charlottetown for a 30 minute race! 

The guests staying in Cottage 2 are runners from Ottawa, so I told them about the run and they were pretty excited to give it a try. It was great to go to a race here and have someone to talk to; usually I just wander around smiling awkwardly at people who look kinda maybe familiar!

Some of you will note that I'm wearing Kipper colours. Turquoise shirt, navy shorts, yellow socks.Not intentional.

The race was along the Princetown "Road" for about 2k, and then turned onto another paved road for 2k and then back. I put "road" in quotation marks because it was more like an almost-washed-out clay trail. Beautiful, but hard to run on. The last km of this dirt road was a huge downhill... which was awesome... going in that direction! Not so much on the way back.

I started out feeling pretty good, but I went out too fast (arg, as usual!) and was panting by the end of the first km. I used gravity to get me down the big hill so I could catch my breath and felt ok after that. The 2k from the corner to the turn-around seemed to last for-ev-er. I waved at Jenny from Cottage 2 as she passed on her way back, paused for water at the 4k mark, and headed back. Not long after I turned, I passed Jenny's husband Marco headed toward the water station. 

I was SO relieved when I saw people walking up that hill. This hill is like the mother of all hills. I'm glad I wasn't the only one walking it! There was one little downhill and then another up. And then the glorious finish line! My Garmin finish time was 50:04, but the official time will be a few seconds more (50:24 I think) because I paused my garmin at the water station. After the race, they had hot dogs, bananas, granola bars and ice cream with strawberries. I had a banana and water, but I REALLY wanted some ice cream. Didn't have any lactose pills so I skipped it. 

My toes are absolutely killing me. They look normal, but my toenails feel bruised. Especially on my second toe.

Distance: 8.12 km
Time: 50.04 Garmin time
Average Pace: 6:10/km

Splits

1 - 5:24 - too fast!
2 - 5:33 - Downhill
3 - 5:54
4 - 6:18 
5 - 5:58
6 - 6:07
7 - 7:56 - LOL! That hill was HUGE
8 - 6:17
Last 0.12 - 0:37

Janet (RunMan's mom) was there taking photos, so when she posts them, I'll put one on here, as well as the official result. 

Rough Day

I didn't have a great day today. I felt anxious all day... the heart pounding, no appetite, can't concentrate kind of anxious. I'm not sure of the reason, other than "life in general" right now.

After work, I took Molly for a little walk, and then took Little Fox into Summerside with me.  We went to the grocery store for dog food, and I got a few thing for a picnic. We sat on the grass beside the superstore parking lot and had some chicken, water melon, pineapple, cheese and croissants.

Looks like Alex in this pic, with one eye closed!

After a quick stop at the bank, I went to Source for Sports to get a mouth guard. I'll try it out tonight to see if it will maybe help with the jaw pain. If nothing else, it will make me conscious of what my teeth and jaw are doing, and ti was only 10 dollars. This jaw pain is getting old, and I'm 99% sure I'm not clenching my teeth. Hopefully the dentist will have some help for me in September.

When we got home, it was about 1.5 hours past Little Fox's bed time, so I put him to bed quickly, and then took Molly outside for some play time. I bought her a small kong that we can use for fetch, and she loved it. I also got her a chew bone, which she hasn't had in a long time, so she is a happy girl now. 

I'm a little concerned that she might have a UTI...  she's been acting very similar to the way she acted the last time she had an infection. Maybe she's just lacking attention and outside time lately. Come home "daddy", Molly misses you! 

I'm feeling better after my walk/run with Molly and the trip to Summerside with Little Fox. I'm pretty lucky to have such a great little boy. 

After last nights "sleep" on the floor of Little Fox's room, I'm really looking forward to getting caught up with Jamie and Claire and sleeping in my comfy bed! 

For those of you wondering, Sea Fox has been either chugging along well, or bobbing around on weather, but either way, he's doing alright! Six days down, 22 to go... but who's counting! ;) 

Happy Day!

Happy Birthday Red Fox! 

We miss you, and wish you were home with us to celebrate. When you get home, I'll make shepherds pie and chocolate cake for you.

Training Recap: Week 6

Tuesday July 30

I planned to run today, but life and such got in the way. Red Fox leaves today for a month, and we had things to do. In the evening, we went to see my niece play soccer, and I planned to run when we got home... but it was dark out by that time!

Wednesday July 31

Ugh. A terrible awful no-good run today. Red Fox left last night and will be gone for the month. My mom-in-law is going out for dinner tonight, so I knew I wouldn't be able to fit a run in tonight before dark without her being here to look after the boy. So I decided I'd sneak one in during my workday... I can't RUN after dark or without a babysitter, but I can work. And it's only about 30 minutes. I made up the time this evening after bed time. :)

Anyway, it started out awesome, I ran down toward the beach, and felt good and speedy. Then I turned around and headed back and I just couldn't catch my breath. It was almost a wheeze. Then I started feeling sick. I think it's cause I didn't hydrate very well at all. I had planned to do 5k, but I was lucky to get 4k. I almost stopped at 3, but the big hill was right there, so I figured I could at least run down the hill! 

Distance: 4 km
Time: 25:48
Average Pace: 5:41/km

Splits

1 - 5:39
2 - 5:59
3 - 5:49
4 - 5:19 - I don't believe this one. I mean, sure it was downhill but I felt like a zombie. 

Thursday August 1

Thanks to Mom-in-law, I got to go to Yoga tonight! I needed a good stretch, and I think I'm going to need the mental break that yoga provides this month!

A 5k is on the schedule for tomorrow. Tomorrow evening looks like it'll be cool-ish. 

Friday August 2


I had a great run this evening. Thank goodness. The terrible-no-good-awful run on Wednesday had me discouraged. But tonight was a perfect night for running. Overcast, cool, and very quiet; while I was waiting for my Garmin to lock, I could hear something moving in the woods across the road. Most likely a fox. I really tried to concentrate on the great things about the run... the water, the wild flowers lining all the roads, the birds singing and swooping (not AT me this time!) and even the marsh-at-low-tide smell, which most people think is a bad smell, but I kinda like it. Reminds me of summers at the beach with my family.

I thought about how running is going to be my escape this month while Sea Fox is away. It will be the only time that I'm not responsible for anything but the run. No phone calls, no cottages, no demands. I felt like throwing my head back and my arms wide, to revel in the freedom. I didn't though, because then I'd look REALLY crazy.

I also thought about how I was taken aback by a conversation I had with the Cottage 3 guests the other day. I said "Well... I run"... but I didn't say "I'm a runner". I mean, I'm training for a half marathon... that makes me a runner, I'd say. I wonder why did I make it seem like "oh, you know... I dabble in running now and then". La-di-da.

Distance: 5 km
Time: 28:24
Average Pace: 5:40/km

Splits

1 - 5:41
2 - 5:48
3 - 5:43
4 - 6:02 - TDH
5 - 5:09 - I really felt like I was "in the groove" for this last km, after getting up TDH. But I'm doubting this time. 

Sunday August 4

Today was my long run. 11 km... the furthest I've ever run. I did not prepare properly, and I paid for it! I had to go to Summerside today and treated Little Fox to McDonalds. I was halfway through my McChicken when I remembered I had to run. Well, crap. I finished the burger and had about 1/3 of the fries. 

I got dressed and got the logistics of "babysitting" sorted out, and off I went. I felt ok the first 2 km, and then hit the big uphill on the "highway" at km 3, and that drained me. My legs were... tired. I paused a few times (paused my garmin too, so the times shown below are the times I was actually moving), and walked a little bit. I got a stitch at the end of km 4, which lasted a long time... I ran 6 km out, and 5 km back, which helped me avoid TDH. The way back was actually better... but all the downhills on the way back helped.

By the 9th km, I ran out of water/gatorade, and my right leg felt like collapsing each time I took a step. My calves were super tight, too. 

Lesson learned. I did it though! Wasn't pretty, but it's done!

Distance: 11 km
Time: 1:08:42
Average Pace: 6:14/km

Splits

1 - 5:56
2 - 6:19
3 - 6:16
4 - 6:01
5 - 6:32
6 - 6:30
7 - 5:43 (nice downhill!!)
8 - 6:42
9 - 6:42
10 - 5:43 (another downhill)
11 - 6:16

Like I said before, the times shown are the times I was actually moving. I stopped a few times to fix my fuel belt (it's hard for me to get used to it), stretch out the stitch or my legs, and just breathe, and paused my Garmin when I did so. But I kept it going whenever I walked. 

There's an 8k race this week, on Wednesday evening I think, which I might go to. It was on my schedule, so we'll see how the week goes. 

Bump in the night

Last night, I was JUST drifting off to sleep (pseudo-dreaming that I had gold leaf on my hair) when I heard a thump. And then a bump. And then lots more thumps and bumps. I think there was a raccoon either in the attic or on the roof. Luckily, our friend Andy showed up, just as I was discussing the thumps with mom-in-law. Andy wasted no time getting up into the attic, but didn't see any signs of life up there, thank goodness. There's a big hole on one side (a man-made hole) that he couldn't see all the way into, but like I said, no visible signs of life. Dr. Spooner at Acadia taught us that "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence", so I'll keep listening and if I hear anything else I'll get a trap.

I checked the ship tracking site this morning, and Sea Fox is now at the work site, and was anchored for a bit this morning. They seem to be underway again. He emailed me some pretty nice "scenery" photos, and I can't wait to get more!

One of the best parts of my day today was when I realized that Monday is a holiday. YES. Also, it's Sea Fox's birthday that day, so although he's not home to celebrate, we'll be wishing he was.

This evening, Little Fox and I had a nachos-and-a-movie night. Really, I just baked some cut-up tortillas with cheese, tomato and green pepper on top. Little Fox helped me put the toppings on, and then he got the movie ready (we watched the Smurfs). I poured some apple juice into some fancy wine glasses just for fun, and when the nachos were ready we cheers-ed and settled in for dinner and entertainment.

 Mine is apple juice too... unfortunately! haha

After the movie, we read some books, emailed Daddy, and then he went to bed. I went for a run, talked to my dad on the phone, and now here I am blogging and watching the track-plot update. Here's to a thump-less night!

Sea Fox

Well, today is day one of Red Fox's stint offshore. He'll be referred to as Sea Fox until he gets home. I can't take credit for that one, he came up with it.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you where he's going, what ship he's on, or what he's doing. However, he is NOT halfway around the world in pirate-infested waters and he's NOT busting his ass on the deck. He's on a decent ship, with a decent job, and is relatively close to home. I can track his ship online and I'm looking forward to watching their progress!

But this leaves me here at Foxfield, working full time, with Little Fox at home, and 3 cottages and one big house to clean/maintain. I have to remember to take the garbage out (which I forgot today), and pay the bills (no calls today!). I'm a little scared, but... I'm sure it will be ok.

This is the eye-opener that I think all people need. I think everyone should spend a month at home, with ALL responsibilities and in minimal communication with their partner. We always think "I do everything around here"... yeah? Well, let your spouse leave for a month and you'll find out what he/she REALLY does!

Thankfully, I have Sea Fox's mom here to help. She's been looking after Little Fox while I work, and helping me clean the cottages. It helps to have adult conversation now and then too! Silver Fox (been a while since I mentioned him... that's Sea Fox's dad) is coming to mow the lawn, and I've had a lot of offers of help from so many others. I'm thankful for the offers, but I hope I won't have to take them up on it!

I'm trying to not let my mind get carried away with all the what-ifs. What if our POS kitchen faucet finally breaks? What if that possible double-booking shows up? What if I get sick or hurt? And of course, there's always finances to worry about. I know there's always a solution... but I like having Sea Fox to help find the solution.

So, to help the time pass more quickly, and to have something to look forward to each day, I planned a daily activity for Little Fox and me. Most of them are simple, at home things, like bake cookies, walk Molly together, and movie nights. There are some free/cheap things we can do in Kensington, such as the library, the community pool (free!), the Harvest Festival parade and car show, the school playgrounds, ice cream, and mini golf. I am also planning to take him to Shining Waters again, and to Burlington Amusement Park, where they have go karts and other fun stuff.

Today, we had a picnic lunch on the lawn by the orchard (how many trees do you need before you can call it an orchard?). We had peanut butter and nutella sandwiches (I wish I had planned this better, cause that's what we had for breakfast too!), cucumber, cheese, crackers, and apple juice. Marshmallows for dessert. I even packed a treat for Molly.

Also, our first pink lilies of the season. The rest of them don't look even close to opening. I hope they do, because I love them!