Category Archives: Uncategorized

Feb24

The Moral of the Story is…Don’t Attempt a 12-Mile Run When Hopped Up on Cold Medication!

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So, interestingly enough, my Sunday post for today ties into my last post. But it is a 180 in a sense, since this post shows how much of an idiot I can be. Since taking that “unplanned day off“, I ended becoming more sick. On Friday morning of our SWATCA Teacher’s Convention, I woke up feeling like a bus had run over my body after running a full marathon. My head was pounding, my sinuses were clogged. My throat burned when I coughed. I was just feeling oh-so-lovely. I half-ass got ready for convention, and made my way to the University of Lethbridge at 7:30 am. If this had been a regular school day, I would have strongly considered calling in sick-and I don’t call in sick. I went to the chairperson’s breakfast (I was chairing a secondary mathematics assessment session at 10:30) and forced down some tea and watermelon. I apologize to anyone I came in contact with that day because I either a) looked like death b) ignored looking at you c) ignored talking to you, or d) all of the above.

As soon as I dropped off the evaluations for my session, I drove straight to Shoppers Drug Mart and did a rare thing for me-bought some OTC medicine. I wanted to cure this thing fast. After talking to one of the techs, I decided to go big or go home. I bought a box of Tylenol Complete-Cold, Cough & Flu PLUS mucus relief! The bullet points on the package were made for me–nasal congestion, dry cough, headache, sore throat pain, aches, pains & chills…this would save me.

I religiously took my two capsules every six hours. I took a nap with Snoopy (the beagle is truly the best medicine!). I also made my “I am sick, feel sorry for me” dinner-two packs of ramen noodles with only half a packet of the sodium blast. I was going to these CRAZY extremes because I had a goal-to run 12 miles with marathon club Saturday.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling a ton better. My body didn’t ache (but I didn’t take into account the mass amount of drugs in my system causing this revelation). I got up at 6:30. Had some oatmeal. Hydrated. Dressed in appropriate layers. Bid my husband ‘adieu!’ and drove to Runner’s Soul. I could do this.

I had the wise idea to run with the marathon trainers today instead of the half. While I am only doing half marathons this year (my full won’t be until the Goofy Challenge in January 2014) I wanted to get 12 miles in, as my first half of the year is next Saturday-The Hypothermic Half in Lethbridge. . So, I set out with it in my head that I would do a 10-minute mile pace, drink lots of water from my Osprey water backpack, and I’d be good. It’d be that easy.

OK…any of you in Lethbridge or Alberta know how windy it can get down here. Saturday was, excuse my French, fucking ridonkulous. Any direction you turned, the wind was against you. I tried thinking positive, thinking it would get better...but that never happened. Anyway, I ran the first 5 miles pretty solid. I was feeling great. I was on pace, going slower than normal, but sticking with the plan. Honestly, after the first 4, I think I said out loud all theatrical and such “I’m a third way done!” I really had it in my head that running cures the common cold.

Then, I hit Bridge Drive. Please take a second to look at this map, though it doesn’t do justice:
http://www.runnersoul.com/admin/resources/49-1.pdf

The wind was piling in, the incline was steep, my throat was starting to burn, and my chest was hurting. I kept my head up and lifted my knees, taking smaller steps. But I had to walk. My chest was pounding so much and I started panicking. I didn’t want to quit. I basically power walked straight into the wind for 3/4 of a mile up Bridge Drive. Once I got to the top, I was going to start running again-I didn’t want to quit. So I started a slow jog, but then almost burst into tears. My body was giving up-Tylenol Complete can only do so much.

I smartly had brought my cell phone in my backpack and called my husband. I asked him to pick me up from the westside Tim Hortons. I felt defeated. When he got there to get me, I apologetically said “I’m Sorry” for no reason. What was I sorry for? Making him come get me? Being an idiot? Oh yeah-I was sorry for not listening to him….because before I left this morning, I forgot to add he said “I really don’t think you should be running.”

He’s sitting on the other couch right now as I type this. He told me yesterday he wanted me to title this blog as “Always Listen to Your Husband.” I won’t do that, but I will say that he was right. And I was an idiot to try to do otherwise yesterday. I came home, took a shower, and drugged myself up more. I made my same lovely “feel sorry for me I am sick” dinner, and went to bed by 8:30 pm. Yes, I even feel better today than I did yesterday, but that’s the power of these drugs-it’s hiding the fact I am still sick.
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I ran 6 miles yesterday. 6 miles sick. 6 miles I shouldn’t have even run. But, in my mind, I was supposed to run 12 miles. Initially, I was pissed I quit. This is only the second time in the past 9 years I had to stop and call someone to pick me up. . I still need to learn when it is more important to take a day off, and that it isn’t the end of the world. My legs and my body have been conditioned to this type of running over the years, so I will be fine this coming Saturday for my race–as long as I take care of myself first. It’s not like I am going out there trying to win a title or get my personal best. I am going out there to run for my dad–which is why I think I put the pressure on myself to run too soon. But, please note–if I had been able to call my dad to pick me up at the top of Bridge Drive on Saturday, I would have gotten in the car and his first words would have been “You’re a ::insert swear here:: idiot Andrea. You should have just stayed home.” And I would have responded-“You would have tried to do the same ::insert swear word here:: thing!”

In my medicated mind, this picture exemplifies how I wish my drive home from Bridge Drive had been.

In my medicated mind, this picture exemplifies how I wish my drive home from Bridge Drive had been.

Feb15

So I just joined #Twitter…let the hashtags begin

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I joined Twitter this morning during my prep period with the help of a fellow co-worker. I had a Twitter account once before-but it was only used to Re-tweet that I was at La Cava del Tequilla at EPCOT so I could get free chips and salsa.

This will be a ‘modified’ account, in the sense that our school has started an ‘initiative’ of sorts—#WClove. (Not W CLOVE, but it stands for Winston Churchill LOVE). It’s a hashtag for staff and students to tweet out acts of kindness and things that are great about the school. It’s in the test mode and the student council found out about another school that had done it.

So I use the term ‘modified’ in that I will be following teachers, disney-related items, running-related sources, heart disease research information, and educational items. I’ll leave all my craziness to my Facebook. But I figure this will be a great tool for me to learn and utilize within this web page to get the word out more for what I am doing.

Follow me @Wisc07

That’s Wisc ZERO 7, not OOOOOHHHHH 7.

Feb6

What does heart disease look like?

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You can be a man or a woman. Short or tall. Old or young. Fit or out of shape. It may sneak out of no where, to surprise you when you least expect it. It cannot be vanished, just diminished. It does not get cured, just healed. The scar hides the internal pain-on the surface, you may not be able to recognize there is an issue.

You may be in shape, you may watch your diet, you may follow the rules. But you still may be at risk. Know your risk factors including family history. You owe it to your self.
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Five months after triple bypass surgery….43 years old…the surgery gave him 9 more years. Made every moment count.

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Feb3

My thighs will always touch…..and that’s the way it is

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This is not a diet blog. This is not a food blog. I will not be telling you how YOU can lose weight and look better. I will not be preaching on how YOU must eat.  I am not trained in those areas and do not have the proper knowledge that makes me a professional in the field.  I do have my own personal experience.  So, I may reflect on past experiences that made me feel better, or worse, and why.  You can take it as food for thought. 

As part of the marathon club through Runners Soul, I had the chance to try the “Bod Pod Composition System” at the Sports Science Institute in Lethbridge, Alberta.  It is basically one of the most accurate ways to measure your BMI and all that jazz.  I now am the proud owner of a printout that lists my percent fat, percent fat-free mass, fat mass in pounds, fat-free mass in pounds, body mass, body volume, body density, and my estimated resting metabolic rate.  There is no silly water submerging or caliper pinching. Just sit in the “Bod Pod” for 50 seconds, twice, and its all measured.

I was anxious in the pod, not knowing what to expect.  I really despise weighing myself, as I do not think that number accurately depicts my body.   Like most young women, body appearance and numbers have always been a stressful point. You want to look and feel perfect.  I realize now that since I workout, I gain muscle, and this weighs more than fat. When I was a more intense high school athletic participant, and hadn’t gone through any body maturity, this didn’t go through my thick head.  We had pom pon practice four days a week for three hours a day in the summer.  Track season started with captains practices in February.  Why was I never skinny?  Why did my thighs still touch?  I was solid, lean, muscle, working out more than most kids my age, but I didn’t feel ‘thin.’  I’ll admit-I tried to change it.  From November 2002-February 2003 of my senior year I went on a unhealhty mission.  I didn’t see it as a bad thing.  I just intensified my workouts, limited my food intake, and cut out foods which I had no need to ignore.  I got addicted.  I saw results.  But i put my body and my well-being at danger.  In late January I distinctly remember feeling so weak at the WACPC State Pom championships.  I had lost weight, but in the process lost that muscle which kept me strong and going.  Thankfully, people close to me intervened and got me on track.

I realized that if I tried to change and alter my body type, it would have to be under extreme and unhealthy measures.  I have always lead a healthy active lifestyle.  I generally eat healthy, always eating breakfast to start off my day.  But…I’m 5’3″.  I have a mixture of my mom and dad’s build. There’s no way I would ever be a stick.  I have come to accept that.  Throughout the years, the number on the scale sometimes still gets me down.  But I remember back to my 18-year-old self at my lowest adult weight.  That number can mean so many things, and at that point it meant weakness.

What does my typical week day look like, food consumption wise?  Well, I have a cup or two of coffee and either a bowl of oatmeal or a cereal like Cheerios.  I pack a lunch for work, and it usually includes a sandwich with free-range ham, cheese, onions, and lettuce.  Oh, and hot sauce.  I LOVE hot sauce.  I also have fruit and veggies.  I drink as much water as possible during the school day, but not too much, since the staff bathroom is inconveniently located what feels like MILES away from my classroom down in skid row.  I’ll snack on triscuits or tostitos after school (tortilla chips are my downfall).  Dinner is something usually homemade with free-range beef, a starch and veggies.  I have a beer or two or a glass of wine each night.  I feel like I eat healthy, but allow vices in moderation.  And this is important.  I recognize the effects too much cheese has on your body.  It’s bad for me!!!!  But, I’m from Wisconsin and if I was lactose intolerant, I might cry.  I am trying to cut back-cheese is my drug.  But, will I ever cut it out completely?  NO.  Moderation….mod-er-a-tion.  Craft beers and wine tasting are a pastime and hobby for my husband and I.  Yes, my body would overall be healthier if I cut these out completely.  That dreaded weight number would possibly decrease.  But it’s something we enjoy.  With proper moderation and exercise, my body can still be healthy while enjoying these things.

Back to the Bod Pod.  What did it say?  I’ll admit the key details all right here:

Resting Metabolic Rate-1287 cals/day

% Fat-25.8%

Body Fat Rating-Moderately Lean

Fat Mass-36.331 lb

Body Mass-140.625 lb

Do I feel 140?  No.  Do I feel like I look 140?  I don’t think so.  I was surprised this was the result.  I’ll admit that this ‘weight number’ hit me like a rock.  It always does.  But, I took a step back and breathed.  This isn’t the end of the world.  I am older than I was when I was 18 (duh).  My body has changed.  And all my clothes still fit.  If I tried to make myself any less than 140 it would have to be under extreme measures.  And is this worth it?  Hell no.  As long as I keep running and doing what I do in the kitchen, and even enjoy my pints of beer, I have accepted that it’s OK if my thighs touch.

Lead an active, healthy lifestyle and be proud of who YOU are.

Jan30

I did not get this tattoo to promote my website…

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…but it does tie nicely into what I made my web address!

http://www.jemesouviens2004.com

A lot easier than the http://www.jemesouviens2004.wordpress.com. I registered the updated address through WordPress today. I figured since this is a year-long journey of running and reflecting, I might as well have a shorter web address.

The old address will still work, but send you automatically to the new and improved address!

I still plan on always updating a new post every Sunday. Periodically, I will write updated posts throughout the week.

What’s new? Check out the Race List link, as new races have been added! Spartan Race Red Deer on September 7th! Also, the dates for Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 2014 have been confirmed.

Check the Charities tab and follow the links the to American Heart Association and Heart & Stroke Foundation personal fundraiser pages. We are just short of $1000 total between both foundations! The US fundraising page is in the lead with $500, but the Canadian counterpart is close behind! Thank you to everyone who has donated-you have made a positive impact on heart disease research in North America!

Jan27

You have to take a look back in order to take a look forward…

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My dad was born on June 7th, 1952. That is according to his Quebec birth certificate. But according to Sister Janis Philip, my dad was born on June 8th, 1952. And his name was Luke.

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Handwritten letter for my grandparents from one of the Sisters at the orphanage

We can make a safe assumption that my dad was most likely born from an unwed Catholic girl. She was probably sent away from home after finding out she was with child, had my dad, and went back home like nothing happened. That seems to be the trend in this era and location. My dad spent his early years at La Creche St-Vincent de Paul. 680, Chemin Ste Foy, Quebec City, Quebec. It no longer exists, though I have found information regarding the orphanage online, through a museum located in Quebec City. http://museebonpasteur.com/Anglais/5_1_exhibitionandactivities.html

On May 24, 1954, my grandparents received a letter from the Catholic Home Bureau. “Dear Mr. And Mrs. Lammers: La Sauvegarde De L’Enfance has informed us by mail that they have selected a child for adoptive placement in your home. The child is a boy, born June 7, 1952….” My grandparents picked up my dad somewhere around the beginning of July 1954, as the next telling document I have in my possession is the “Application to File Petition for Naturalization in Behalf of Child.” This document was filed when my grandparents were able to legally have my dad become a naturalized US citizen.

NaturalizationPaper[1]

The “…seal of the court is hereunto affixed this 25th day of April in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-eight…”
My dad died 46 years to the date, on April 25th, 2004.

My grandpa says in the “Statement of Facts for Petition for Naturalization” (11) Said chid was lawfully admitted to the United States at Port Huron Michigan on July 4, 1954, on the automobile. (12) Said child is now and has been in my (our) legal custody for at least 2 years, since July 2, 1954 and has resided in the United States continuously immediately preceding the date of this application since July 4, 1954. It is very cool to see that my dad was not only taken from the orphanage shortly after turning 2 years old, but that he officially moved to the United States on the 4th of July!

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Images and articles from my dad’s naturalization ceremony in Beloit, Wisconsin.

I find all this history of my dad’s first 5 years hard to fully grasp. He never really remembered much of his early years, so he wasn’t ever one to have things to share with me. The newspapers, letters and photos we have were found at my Grandpa’s house after he passed away in 1995. My Uncle Ed, my dad’s brother, also had some important documents that have since been passed down to me. He is the only one who has the stories to tell, as he was there with my dad from the start. All of these priceless documents link together the young life of an orphan, whose life may have been very different if my grandparents had not adopted him.

I have dabbled with trying to find out information regarding my dad’s birth parents…it seems next to impossible. I have spoken to some people in Quebec—people involved with the Church, government, workers at the Good Shepherd Museum...It seems that the adoption records in Quebec are under lock and key. I am a bit selfish, as I wish to find this information so badly now. My dad never wanted or cared to know about his birth family. With his heart disease being explained by doctors as simply ‘genetics’ I wish I could know about his family history. Maybe someday something will come to surface. Until then, I have these documents to cherish as they are an important piece of my dad’s past.

Jan26

On a group run, you can’t avoid the hill…

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In my years of running, I will admit to not doing much, if any, hill runs. I hate hills. I try to avoid them. If I go out on a training run, I usually stay on as flat of a path as possible. Maybe once a year I get the wise idea to go do a steep hill. It usually ends up with me swearing out loud to myself during it. Grandad’s Bluff in La Crosse, Wisconsin…that was a hill I did maybe three times. It sucked every time. You get to the top, feel such a relief, then going down is almost as painful, since you feel like you are basically rolling down the bluff as you decline. Whoop-Up Drive in Lethbridge is comparable in pain, due to the fact EVERYONE driving sees you and thinks you are a complete idiot. It feels like that hill never ends!

My dad gives us his opinion of being on top of Grandad’s Bluff in LaCrosse, WI…this was his famous ‘finger pose’ when he didn’t want his picture taken.

Then, there is the trail from the river bottom up to Scenic Drive in Lethbridge. I always saw it when I’d drive down Scenic Drive, but since its on the south side, I never ran it. I live on the West side of town. Lethbridge is split into two pieces by the Oldman River, so anything on the South/North side is more of a pain to get to. I usually just do my runs in the neighborhoods and parks close to my house, so I don’t have to drive anywhere. This allows me to avoid this hill.

My first time up this hill was this past October, 2012, when I did the Bare Bones Half Marathon. I didn’t train for this run ahead of time, stupidly registering for it a few weeks prior after hearing about it from some teachers at school. The run was put on by Runner’s Soul and it benefited the Lethbridge SPCA. The race started in Softball Valley, heading south along the river, and at about mile 4 or 5 we hit the hill up to Scenic Drive.

Since I was at race pace, I really did not want to slow down. It was extra tough to keep moving since there were not many half marathon runners in this race to keep you pushing. You start with an incline that looks roughly 60 degrees, then it flattens out. You hit the last incline of about 45 degrees, then you are on Scenic Drive. Your legs burn like hell, but at least you’ve made it.

Today, with marathon club, we did this hill. I realized the hill was part of the run when looking at the Runners Soul webpage last night. http://www.runnersoul.com/admin/resources/4.5mile-7.2km.pdf  I almost missed the run today too, because I’m an idiot and set my alarm for 6:45 am…only to then realize at 7:35 am it was set for ‘weekdays only’. I bolted out of bed, got ready in ten minutes, and made it to Runners Soul on time for the run. If I had just stayed in bed and tried to tackle the 6.5 miles on my own today, I wouldn’t have gone and done that hill. This forced me to do some hill training.

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The sign greeting runners before descending down into the river bottom

It was my second meeting with this monster. For the training run today, we headed down 10th Ave to the top of the hill, descended into the river bottom, only to immediately turn around and head back up. I now know that this hill is 0.6 miles, at least according to my Nike+ SportWatch GPS.  Also, in looking at the elevation map after uploading my run, it looks like the river bottom elevation is 2742 feet above sea level, and Scenic Drive is 2962 feet ASL. That makes it a 220 foot climb in elevation in the 0.6 miles. And it burns the whole way.

The whole route today was 4.5 miles.  I needed to do 6.5 for my own training calendar, so after getting back to Runners Soul and having a water break, I made the lonley trek to Henderson Lake and did a 2-mile loop.  It was flat.  But it was boring.  I kind of wished I had been back at Grandad’s Bluff for revenge….kind of….

Jan21

Charity updates, webpage updates, etc…

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Just a quick update for everyone out there!

I have made some updates to my charity tab at the top of this page. You will now find all the information and links needed in order to donate to either the American Heart Association or the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut. I will let you know in advance that if you are someone who I have an email address for, you will be receving a general email from me in the next month or so as I attempt to make more family and friends aware of my fundraising activities!

I have also been working on updating graphics and images on each page. I am only able to do this when I am at work since my ipad is a lot more difficult to use when I want to upload images…so being a high school teacher during exam week is awesome, because I can work on this during lunch! Let me know what you think of the layout and if I have made any glaring mistake.

Again, thank you for viewing my page! Keep following and sharing!

-Andrea

I guess I've always been dad's little grouch!

I guess I’ve always been a little grouch!

Jan20

Joined a marathon club…got up at 7:00 am on a Sunday…what am I thinking?!?

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I usually run, train, and race alone. Is this the way to go? Should I try something new?

I usually run, train, and race alone. Is this the way to go? Should I try something new?

Alright. I’m officially starting to fall off the crazy wagon of intensity. Not only did I register for the Millarville Race to the Farmer’s Market Half Marathon last night (err, this morning) at 12:30 am, but I set my alarm for 7:00 am on a Sunday. All so I could get up and head to Runner’s Soul on the south side of Lethbridge to participate in my first ever marathon club run.

A running club may not be for everyone. I don’t even know if it is for me. I’ve been running and training and racing alone since 2004. I haven’t trained with people since high school track & field. Oh, those were the days when we’d be sent on the two-mile loop and cut it short when Bollis wasn’t looking. Senior year we didn’t do such a thing with Thorpe, but sorry Bollio….we use to cut it short when we could!

So the marathon club…found out about it back in December when I went to Runner’s Soul to buy my new Nike Air Peagusus 29 shoes…Wrote down the kick-off date….went to the sign-up last Monday…and today I was running with a group of die-hards at 8:00 am, in 8 degree Fahrenheit weather. Age range seemed to be from 23-60ish. Men and women. Dogs too! (With owners, duh). Sean, the owner, went through the route for the day—those training for a half would be going 4 miles. The weekend runs are designed to be the “long runs” for a training calendar, with the goal to be able to complete a half or full marathon on May 26. (I will be doing the Calgary half that day). He also gave us a nutrition tip, training tip, and quote. The training tip was interesting, as it had to do with pacing on long runs. He suggested running 60-90 seconds slower that your goal race-pace on these long run days. I am proud to say I have been doing this unintentionally for quite some time, though some long days I sluf off.

I ran with a girl I met named Whitney-about my age, going to the University of Lethbridge, has run a half and a bunch of 10km races before-but she was probably about 5’11”. I’m 5’3″. I have been since 6th grade. So my stride length is ‘special’ to say the least. It was great talking with her during the run and it went by super fast. We stuck together the whole time and we did 4.22 miles in 39 minutes 12 seconds. If I had ran this alone on a freezing cold Sunday I probably would have been swearing and running a whole lot slower.

The camaraderie that is part of these clubs is what I am most interested in experiencing. As important as running is in my life, I really haven’t found people to share it with. It has always been a personal hobby or activity. Not saying I am going to be having a running buddy for every day I train (that is next to impossible given schedules, work, etc), but participating in these weekend runs will be good for me. It definitely can’t hurt!

To visit the Runner’s Soul website, click here:
Runner’s Soul

Jan17

Running without music…the anti-playlist

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I know there are many people who run dependent on their iPods. I don’t hold anything against you for that, and I am not trying to say that if you do this, you are a bad, bad person. I am just reflecting on why I don’t run with music. Yes, I admit I have, but 92% of the time, I don’t. Why not? Well, for starters, I hate carrying my iPod or using a strap on my arm. It’s annoying, gets in the way, and I always am worried I’m going to ruin it somehow while outside. Secondly, and most important, is I’d rather use my runs as times where my mind wanders and reflects. Take in the scenery. Play out a scenario in my mind.

I daydream.  Often about an upcoming trip, things I have to get done that evening, a past event…Sometimes about nothing in particular.  Lots of times I daydream and think about my dad and past memories.  I reach that ‘runner’s high’ and fall into a trance where I don’t realize where I am, my body involuntarily moving and turning as needed on a route. I don’t need my iPod as my fuel, as my motivation tool.  I don’t need a playlist of my favorite music.   My personal playlist is my mind and memories. 

 

I may not use music when I run, but my dad chose to use a classy-looking headset!

I may not use music when I run, but my dad chose to use a classy-looking headset!