First Swim

1st week of Triathalon training felt pretty good! Last week I mostly got my diet under control, ran a couple times and planned out a rough training schedule. Today is Monday of Week 2 and I started it off by going for a 1/4 mile swim. 

I have never swam lengths in a public pool before. I felt like a huge newbie and was sure I was breaking some rule or code of conduct but no one yelled at me or gave me dirty looks so I think I was ok. It took me roughly 1/2 an hour and I didn't really know what to do so I just swam back and forth 2 lengths easy then pushed myself for 2 lengths...til I had done 21 lengths. I was really tired at the end and almost inhaled water a couple times trying to catch my breath. Apparently swimming is the part of the Triathalon they recommend getting a coach for and I can see why. 

Just going there and swimming felt like a triumph! I walked out of there with goggle imprints on my face, wet hair freezing in the cold air and a smile on my face. Then I went to Starbucks and got a breakfast sandwich and a cappucino to celebrate. First swim done!

Tryin' a Tri

Well, we're about 1/2 a month into 2016 so I thought I'd get cracka-lackin on my New Years' resolution to train for and do a Triathalon. Every year for the past probably 4 years I've resolved to do one only to find an excuse not to do one. But not this year! It's gonna happen. To help keep me on track I've decided to blog about my successes, failures, and feelings during the whole training process.

Why am I training for a Triathalon?

For the shear fact that it's hard. 

I love running, I somewhat enjoy leisurely swimming, and I really don't like biking. So training for all 3 at the same time should require a lot of mental toughness and discipline.

I've found that being disciplined physically results in other areas of my life becoming more disciplined.

This is probably just me, but I need to exercise in order to be organized in all other areas of my life. I have spiritual goals and family oriented goals and in order to achieve them I need to exercise. 

I want to live a healthier lifestyle.

This is to value the life and body God created and to praise Him. 'When I run I feel His pleasure.' Is what Eric Liddel said in Chariots of Fire and I would say that too. When I run, I feel like I'm using what God gave me, finding joy in it and serving Him by serving others with the new energy I get from exercise. 

When I exercise I want to eat better..I crave pure water and veggies and fruit. Better diet has all sorts of advantages and now that we have a daughter there's an added incentive to looking after myself. 

So now what?

First - I gotta get a plan.

I have 7 months approximately until the Triathalon. It's been 7 months since I gave birth to our baby girl so I'm still not 100% where I was before my pregnancy. I'm going to start out by building habits.

Plan to work out.

I'm going to start out by running 3 times a week, swimming 1 time a week and doing home workout videos 2 times a week. Sunday is rest day. 

(Biking will be added to the regimen next month)

Plan to eat better and drink better.

I'm going on a sugar purge. Sugar is my addiction that I need to get rid of. It's ruining my life I just know it. So this week I'm cooking and baking sugar-free substitutes for my favourite goodies that will give me energy as well as kill my cravings. I baked sugar free pumpkin cream cheese muffins and sugar free chocolate chip cookies today. They taste great and I don't miss the guilt from eating real cookies full of sugar.

Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. 

Here are the recipe links to the baked goodies I tried:

Pumpkin - Cream cheese muffins:

http://www.veggiebalance.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-cream-cheese-muffins/

Sugar and Egg-free Chocolate chip cookies:

http://deliciouslyyum.com/unbelievably-healthy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

I'll check in later to tell you all how it's going! I'm excited! Can't wait to get in Triathalon shape!

Fixer Upper

           I've been on a homemaking kick lately. Or a nesting kick..there are many terms people use for it. This came as a result of watching many many episodes of the show 'Fixer Upper' on HGTV. I've been just mesmerized by how Joanna and Chip Gaines take homes that are seriously falling apart and make them into the most gorgeous, personalized homes for families. It inspired me, what can I say?

BEFORE:

AFTER:

      'The beauty is in the details' is a true saying. When Solomon built the Temple he didn't just erect a building filled with only the bare minimum practical necessities. He poured his time, his best resources and artistic creativity into designing and building a house for the Lord. How much attention we give to our creations reflects how much we truly care about them or who we're creating them for. It's a way to reflect Christ who has 'gone to prepare a place' for us, and who created a beautiful world out of chaos.

Walking into a home that has clearly had a lot of love and thought put into it is so comforting. I've been reminded lately that homemaking is a skill. It requires study, organization, coordination and creativity...it's a big responsibility! But an exciting one. What kind of job is there that can have such a loving, personal influence on someone? Whatever stage of life you're in, you can create a space where people can be welcomed, and fed both physically and spiritually. It can be tempting to think there's no point in decorating but there is! We've been created by a very creative God - as Christians we can point others to Him through our creativity. We can love others through our thought to detail. 

images courtesy of http://magnoliahomes.net

Birthday

My birthday recently passed as did one of my best friend's. She has a cool tradition of looking back over the last year and listing off all the things she's learned. So this year I want to do the same!

Since I spent most of my 27th year pregnant or with a newborn a lot of my learning experiences are related to that. So here's some things I learned and am thankful for:

1. Being handed your new baby is the most intense, wonderful, and heavy experience ever.

2. Certain experiences will awaken emotions inside you you never knew you were capable of.

3. God gives the grace you need.

4. Hold onto things with an open hand and be ready to roll with whatever big life changes God blesses you with. 

5. Momma's need encouragement!

6. Exercise and eating healthy are disciplines you'll thank yourself for later 

7. Canada's raw landscape is beautiful

8. I love living by the water

9. I'm such a sucker for surfing...love watching it..following the WSL... everything about it

10. I love being married and who I'm married to! Our differences are crucial.

11. Labour is as bad as people say. (I feel like they need to debrief you more after labour...that's a crazy experience! Some women must get PTSD from labour!)

12. But nevermind labour...the 1st month after your baby's born is hard! They should make epidurals for the whole first month post partum haha but seriously...

13. Don't be defeated by your short comings and failures. Learn from them, trust God, be thankful and continue to go for it. 

Now on to learning some more, can't wait to see what my 28th year will bring!

Baby Girl

June felt like the longest month I've had in a long time. It felt extremely full and busy, but in reality it probably wasn't. Steve and I welcomed our first child, Corrie Faith, into the world June 2nd. She entered the world quite dramatically, after 12 hours of labour via emergency c-section. Since my epidural stopped working I went under general anesthesia for the c-section so my first meeting with Corrie is very dream-like. I remember it though...and the intense and immediate love I had for her.

Since that day little Corrie has occupied all my time and thoughts. It's been an exhausting intro to parenthood but so good! When I feel like I'm so tired I can't move I just see her little face and suddenly I can do whatever she needs. I definitely appreciate my parents in a new way. It's hard caring for a little human! Speaking of my family...they were such an amazing support this month, God's gift of grace to us. They loved on us and especially Corrie like crazy and now that they've gone home we miss them so much.

A new chapter of life, and I can already tell its going to be the best.

It never stops

When we initially told my Dad and Step-mom that we were expecting they congratulated us, then my Dad said something along the lines of: "and now let the worrying begin".

I didn't understand exactly what he meant but gradually I started to get it. At first I was worried about miscarrying, then if baby was still alive in there and then after she started kicking I'd worry if I hadn't felt her in like 1/2 an hour. Did you know babies sleep in the womb too? 

Lately, I've started thinking about how much I just like her being in there. I just carry her around and she's safe, sheltered, and fed. I can't wait to finally be able to see her and hold her, but I can't help but be more aware than ever just how unsafe and impure the world is that she's entering. It's a beautiful world created by God, one that I'm excited to show her...but one I'm also afraid of her experiencing due to its imperfections. 

I want her to have a perfect world. Wouldn't that be nice? These thoughts have been stirring in me a more intense desire to be closer to God. Sooner or later my baby is going to discover her Momma is as flawed as this world is. I just also want her to discover Christ and the hope of He gives to her and all of us. I want her to see purity in me because of Him. 

I definitely can't protect her from everything, but when the worrying starts I can pray to the one who can. Who already knows all the hairs on her head..and who loves her more than me.

I never anticipated how motherhood would ignite a new passion and appreciation for my Saviour. I'll have to thank Baby later.

Psalm 103

Lotsa love

Valentines Day just passed. I was working for the majority of the day, and it was a cold, looooong day. Steve and I hadn't made any plans for V-day other than we'd celebrate the next week when I was off. So when I arrived home after work and felt heat streaming out of our living room I wondered if  there was a fire. Technically, just many little fires. Candles! Everywhere!

Steve really out did himself this year! Such a sweet guy. :)

In other news, I'm now 26 weeks preggers! Things have gone relatively smoothly thus far. Baby is extremely active and shares her Momma's love for chocolate judging by the excited kicks I get.

Lotsa love :)