It's been a while....

I seemingly abandoned this blog months ago. And really, for no good reason. I enjoy(ed) writing here, even though nobody read it. Somehow, I find writing my thoughts down and posting it in outer internet space for anybody and nobody to read a cathartic experience. I got busy this past year and lost track of it. I'm back now.

Maybe I should catch my invisible readers up to speed on my life since my last post (and when was that... December maybe?).

I think I'll start with New Years... I spent it with Kim and Cassie at Kim's house in Georgetown. It was the BEST New Years Eve I've had in my life. No ridiculous dance to spend tons of money on a dress and hair for. No spending $150 a couple (or in my case $75 for a uncoupled single) to watch other people kiss at midnight. It was just good old fashioned girl fun. We drank wine, sat in the hot tub, and laughed. It was perfect and there was no drama or puking.

The following stats are those which explain the three races I have run in 2010 to date:
Grimsby Half-Marthon (Feb. 28/10) --> 2hrs 3mins
Around the Bay 30k (March 28.10) --> 3hrs 17mins
Mississauga Half-Marathon (May 11/10) --> 1hr 58mins(!!!this is my best race to date)

In terms of running, I am really working and doing well at increasing my speed and base pace. I have recently been introduced to trail running, and consider it to be the best thing that could have happened to me at this moment in my life. I.LOVE.TRAIL.RUNNING. Truly, nothing is more beautiful than running however far early on a Saturday morning, among the lush green leaves and plants, beside streams, up killer mountains of hills, through mud, and beside deer. It is the most peaceful challenge I could name. It's also the hardest kind of run imaginable (ultra's and iron man's excluded of course). It is the most perfect outlet for physical and emotional venting. I highly recommend it.

Anyway, I don't plan on racing throughout the summer. I am going to maintain my 20k long run base and head into some intense training for the Road to Hope Hamilton Marathon, which is on November 7th this year. The goal will be a 4:05:00 marathon. I feel totally capable of this (even IF last year's marathon was 4:54:00. I have worked extremely hard in the past year and, if I follow my ATB schedule, I'll pull off a 4hr 5min marathon no problem. My second goal is 4:15:00. Third goal 4:30:00 [but that's the absolute WORST case, "I almost died", scenario ;)])

Since the first day I started, work has been unbelievably amazing. I absolutely love my work x 5trillion%. I was meant to teach, this I know is true. Furthermore, I have met some of the most inspiring, challenging, inquisitive, talented kids I've ever met in my life. I had a 2 month LTO at Parkview in the fall (home sweet home ;), and the very next day walked into a 4 month LTO at Glenwood. In April I walked into a third LTO at R.L. Hyslop and supplied at Parkview on alternative days until I concluded the year there last week. It was a dream year of work that taught me SO much more than I could have learned in a text book. I am extremely lucky to be able to do this work. And I'll probably do it until I am 80.

Camp starts in two weeks. I'm really looking forward to it, to seeing the kids again. They grow and develop so much during the school year that, what may have been the most challenging kid I worked with last summer (*coughs* WILSON! *coughs*) can be more collected and compliant the next. I have a ton of fun and skill testing ideas for my kids this year. And I need to get my ass back from Wilson.

A couple notes of minimal importance to you but great significance to me in 2010 so far:
1. February = got a nose piercing
2. March 8th = saw MUSE!
3. March 20th = bought a car
4. May 11th = broke 2hrs in the Mississauga Half-Marathon (1:58:12, YO!)
5. June 1st, = saw DMB!
6. August 6th = seeing Michael Buble
7. August 29th = seeing STP.
(I am living the year of concerts and an edgy'er appearance)

I'm currently reading the book "In Praise of SLOW: How a worldwide movement is changing the cult of speed". It's amazing so far.

I think I'm going to stop here because I can tell that even my invisible readers are getting bored. Next time I'll make it more interesting, promise.

Hot day today. I hate the heat. Summer's great and all, but I'd be ok without it.

Hey, new layout :)