I DID IT !!!!

5:30am : alarm - breakfast (peanut butter toast with banana and glass of milk)
6:00am : outta here (I stopped at Tim Hortons for a small coffee. NEED my caffeine)
7:05 am : Arrive on marathon site
8:50 am : Start walking a bit to warm up
9:00 am : START !!!
I was at the end of the pack/hurd/peleton, here is a picture.

Route was verrrry hilly. Ouch.  Water and gatorade glasses were being given every uhm 3-4 km by vonlunteer workers, who also cheered us on. Last ... 2 km were VERY difficult.  I was exhausted. But I had read about that last stretch.

BUT I DID IT. I reached my goal. I RAN the whole thing. Uphill, downhill, you name it. I fucking RAN it baby !!.  First 2km I felt rusty, was debating whether I should stop like 30 sec to relax a bit, but I thought My goal is none other than do it without walking. So DO it and see what happens.

Well what happened is that I did it in about 1:15. (Official time : 1:15:24.3) (note : Time on monitor on the below picture says 1:18, but I was at the end of the hurd when we started so it did take me about 3 min walking to get to cross the starting line) Not a SUPER time, but I don't care.  This is a picture of me approaching the finish line. Ad & Ian were cheering me on in the crowd. At this point I was very emotional, seeing them just was sooo intense. The last 500m I gave it ALL I had, I felt like I was sprinting. LOL. Look at me on the picture, I'm not sprinting at ALL.  Ad told me that I looked very tired.

Some pictures after the race :

A lady offered to take a family picture.  I love my 2 guys, they were so proud of me.

Relaxing on marathon site after the race

This is what was waiting for me at home :-)

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." John Bingham

Pre-marathon week !

Tonight's run was great. The stretches are longer and longer. It was 5 days since my last run (had a huge hangover this weekend so didn't run), but it does my body good it seems !
I'm pretty sure I can pull off the 10k without walking. When I train I stop if my joints start to hurt too bad, I don't want to injure myself before the marathon, but on THE day, believe you me, the pain I will tolerate.

So tomorrow morning I have my first appointment with a sports-medicine doctor. My foot doesn't hurt anymore but I still want to go. I want to keep running even after the 10k on Sunday so might as well have a Dr. (don't even have a family doctor).

I will also google a good carbohydrate-rich menu for pre-marathon week. Gotta fuel up. I haven't followed any special diet during the training.  I'm sure it could have helped.

Here I am, just after my post-run shower, relaxed as can be. I am loving this journey.

Baby raccoon

For tonight's run I decided to go with no training plan like last time, i.e. let my body guide me. The start was pretty heavy. wowza.  My feet felt so heavy, like I had ski boots on.  I stopped more often that I would have liked.  After maybe 15-20 min in though, I hit my peak and did very long stretches.

Just before hitting my peak, look at what I saw moving about in the grass ! At a distance I thought it was a squirrel but as I approached and saw that it didn't run away, I thought Nah, can't be a squirrel.

And then I saw its face ! (insert cute baby voice here) A baby raccoooon !!! OMG !

He was making cooing sounds. I looked around to see if a mommy raccoon was around, but nowhere in sight. So I took out my blackberry and snapped some shots. I did wonder for a few seconds if I should bring him home and nurse him, but then thought I'd better not.  Give its mommy a chance to find him.

CUTENESS OVERLOAD !!!!!!!!!
2 teenage boys on their BMXs rode by and they stopped. They were also gaga over the baby racoon. We discussed whether we should pick him up but decided against it. In case the mommy showed up. aawwww.

So back to the running part. It went pretty well.  Around 9km again (my usual route).  Aside from the weird start, it was really wonderful.  I just need to figure out how to get my body to its peak state on Marathon day.
When I got home I sat outside and enjoyed the cool air.

Motivation level : Pretty good !

Mrs Universe

OMG I feel SOOO great. Tonight's run was by far the best one yet.

My foot has felt normal ... hmm for about maybe 2-3 days now? We're talking completely normal, not sensitive nor tender when moved up, down, sideways, you name it. Just a happy go lucky foot.

So tonight I was sitting on the couch after supper just thinking that the marathon was 2 weeks away... Debating whether I should show up or not. Wondering how my cardio would be, if I would end up walking the whole damn thing. Thinking what a shame it was that I couldn't run anymore.

So a little motivation lightbulb turned on and I decided to throw on my running gear and give it a try.  Since it was hard to evaluate where to pick up with my training, as I had stopped for 10 days, I decided to listen to my body and run as far as I could.  Turned on my Rammstein playlist on shuffle, and hit the road

WELL.... I was on FIRE !!!!!!!!!!!!

Total run : 9km

I must have stopped maybe 4 times, to walk for 30 sec... So do the math.  A good 15 min run each interval.

And even when I got back home, I still had gas. 

But the best part is, I didn't focus on RUNNING itself.  My legs just kept going and I was just enjoying the music and feeling on top of the world.  I also think that the fact that I didn't have to wait until the "Walk now" cue allowed me to just let go. 

I am so curious to see how I will do on Marathon day.

I hope my body will be as resilient as it was tonight.

Crawlathon ?

Yesterday’s run was really painful. Sharp acute pain on the top of my right foot. I ran on it regardless… I know very stupid of me.  After 40 minutes though I decided to walk the rest.  When I walk it’s really ok. It hurts when I move my foot certain ways, mainly sideways  Also of course the impact caused by running is pretty painful.

Today the high heels have been kicked to da curb.  

I need to see a doctor.  Maybe some orthotics are in order ?  My foot is pretty arched (oversupinated)

If I press on the area of 1st and 2nd metatarsusssess, where it meets the ankle, it hurts, and there is slight swelling as well. .

I do not like the treatment: REST. Ugh ! Marathon is less than a month away !! I'm gonna crawl my way to the finish line if I have to.

I. AM. DOING. THIS. 10K.

Google search result : Metatarsal Stress Fracture.

• Foot metatarsal pain which comes on gradually.
• Pain is located towards the mid/front of the foot.
• Pain is aggravated by weight bearing activities such as walking, running or dancing.
• Pain to touch the bone at the point it is broken.
• Swelling is often present.
• An X-ray will often not show the fracture until two or three weeks after it has started to heal.

What causes stress fractures?

• Over use!
• Too much training, too soon without enough rest!
• Oversupination  (very arched foot)
• They are common in army recruits (often called a march fracture), runners, ballet dancers and gymnasts.

Treatment

• Rest from weight bearing activities as much as possible.
• For those whose job requires them to weight bear, a walking boot may be used.
• The rest period should normally be around 4 weeks to allow sufficient healing.
• Recommence activities only once all pain on touch and walking have cleared.
• Start with a very slow return to activity and a gradual build of duration and intensity.
• If the stress fracture may have been caused by abnormal foot mechanics such as overpronation or oversupination then orthotics may be required to correct this.

The twins got quite a ride tonight !

5 min running and 1 min walking.

After a 4-day self-imposed break from running, I decided to hit the road even if I was scared. Yep you read right: I was scared about this run. After last run where my body couldn't keep up, I actually thought that I'd hit my wall and that I wouldn't be able to improve anymore. I even had thoughts of quitting this whole thing. I know I know, I can deflate pretty quick - and I don't mean gas.  Luckily this 3-day weekend was lovely and relaxing and I just worked outside around the house and took a break from everything.

So tonight I decided to get back to my first route, i.e. the neighbourhood one.  I associate this route with "starting", with square one.  Went for the late-evening run, so fresh air, no traffic, it got dark outside while I ran.

Went like a CHARM !!

I don't know what's up with my cardio but it's never been this good. In. my. LIFE. The 5 minute runs didn't get me out of breath at all ! I could have went on, but stick to the plan I choose to. 

I'm so happy and proud of myself.
Nothing is ever perfect so tonight, the thing that was less than perfect was the a-hem... support part. remember how I mentioned earlier in this post that I was so relaxed all weekend ? Well I forgot to put on a bra when I went running. Ouch, my poor boobies. Needless to say that the twins got quite a ride !

Queen of the Lake

Tonight's run was hard on me. Cardio was ok, legs felt semi-ok (but quite heavy). But the worst thing was : the heat !!

Sun directly hitting my head was NOT good. I became SO hot and dizzy, I had to stop. My head felt like it was gonna explode, I felt my heart beat through the skin of my face and in my ears.

I tried walking a little longer than 1 min between the 5 min runs, but the heat got the best of me. So I decided to listen to my body and walk the rest of the route.  This all sums up to 30-40 minutes training and 20 min walking. 

I felt really disappointed in myself at first and Aunt Guilt pulled in the driveway "Is THAT how you want to do it ? Is that REALLY how you want to do it ? Then you can just forget about this whole marathon thing".  But then as I cooled down a bit, my sanity settled back in slowly and forgave me ;-).

I'm really super tired. It's 8:27 PM and I'm hitting the sack soon. Just have to wait for my son to go to bed.

The heat also made me SO irritable; so not enjoying the run at ALL. You know that feeling of freedom and empowerment that comes with running and reaching higher mental ground ? You know the one ? Well I didn't feel it.

All I could focus on was counting the seconds until the damn 5 minutes would be over, hoping that my giant purple head wouldn't explode, all the while trying to make my way through all those people walking around the lake and being startled by cyclists, rollerbladers and other runners passing me.

People just do NOT get out of the way !! Can't they see that *I* have priority coz *I* am training for a marathon and *I* am Queen of the Lake?? ggrrrr. Beep beep !!! Coming through !!! Stop enjoying yourselves and make room will ya ?? Even my music kinda started to irritate me.  Rammstein, just shove it.

Bottom line : when it's sunny outside let's opt for the late-evening run, which offers cool air, less people and no direct sunrays on my head.  Then I shall be a better person.

Self-control 101

Tonight after a light supper, my son had his swimming lesson and it was super nice weather outside so he asked for a caramel sundae from McDonalds.

So we went there.  And I actually bought only ONE. And even better, I didn't accept the few gooey bites that Ian offered me. *sigh*.

Pretty happy with myself. Kicking that nasty sugar binging habit is a hard one.

Here's Ian super satisfied with his delightful desert

Rain, rain, rain

Tonight's run was great.   My last 4/2 run/walk interval. Next run will be 5/1.

I can really handle this, my body is adjusting SO good.

I had my music, so time really flew !!

Only thing is... Where do I need to sign up for nice weather ? I mean really.  Joke's over, kay ? 

Running Socks

Followed advice and bought myself 3 pairs of Asics running socks.  I love the support.  Never knew that socks could be so comfy and adapted.
However since the blister on my left foot is not healed, well you guessed it, my beautiful Asic sock was drenched with blood.  It's in the washer now and I used Stain-away stuff on it, hopefully it will vanish. If not then Ah well.

At the runner store I also bought myself some Adidas shorts (believe it or not I did not own a pair of sports shorts) and an Asics cami with built-in bra. Not that I have much to wobble around, but still, I felt the difference.  Bought on the liquidation rack so I spent even less than I would have at Zellers or WalMart.

Pouring rain for today's run.

Oh and my husband helped me figure out how to play music while using my couch-2-10k Blackberry application. It wasn't very complicated but his help helped. :-)  Something went wrong though coz I ran 1h00 with the same song looping over and over. lol. At least it was Rammstein so it didn't matter so much and I didn't dare take out my BB in the pouring rain, so I just went with the flow.
Figured it out when I got home.
So next run : Music variety !! I already can't wait to go ! Makes a world of difference.
I have 3 Rammstein albums on there. Love their raw energy.

Legs are a bit sore.

Food for thought

I was thinking while running "I really need to watch what I eat".

When I started the journey at the very beginning I started to eat healthy (i.e. LOTS of fruits and veggies, no evening snack), then when I had to stop for 10 days to let knees heal, I fell off the wagon. And never jumped back on...

I did not loose one single pound these past 3 weeks so the math is quite simple here. Calorie intake = too high.
If I'm gonna do this, might as well do it right.
Food for thought !

I'm too sexy for my socks

Tonight my training partner went to his friend's house. Busy socialite that kid.
I, on the other hand, don't have a social life. So I focused on my training. Beats the hell out of staying at home cleaning or watching tv or Facebooking !
 I went back to the Lac des Nations to burn some rubber. 4 min running, 2 min walking. 10 times. Finished my training at the middle of the route, so had to walk back to car.Total distance this evening (including walking) = 10,5km.

Why is it that the first 15-20 min are always difficult ? Maybe I don't warm up long enough ? Anyways. The first stretch was so hard ! I was thinking The batteries on my BB must be dead ! Four minutes my ass !!! This feels like 10 !!! But 4 minutes it was... and, as usual, I reached my peak 20 minutes in.
It was pretty warm outside so I became lobster-faced.
Here's me looking annoyed with my own self for taking a pic while running

This is the Lac des Nations, so flags of different coutries hanging about on poles around the lake. I took time to stop by the Dutch flag for a high five ! Next to Sveeeden ! Yaaaa ! (Arnold accent even if he's not Swedish)

Oh and last, here is the surprise I got when I took off the runners. I say surprise coz I felt no blister pain ? Weird shit - let me mention that this is a pic of my heel + achilles tendon. Sock looks really weird with the grey heel all bunched up (hubby's socks, so too big).

(start music here)

I'm too sexy for my socks.

Best training buddy EVER

So last night I went running around the Lac des Nations, a 3,5km route around a lake in the town where I live. I ran around it twice.

3/2 run/walk interval again.

But the BEST part is that I found a training buddy. He is a cyclist and he is my son. We first went to his swimming lesson, then went training. It was end of the evening so it was dark when we finished and the view was awesome.

Beautiful weather with beautiful company for 7km. Who could ask for more ?

I had 10 min left on my training plan so I could have done 8km but Ian was tired, complaining that his bum hurt from the bike seat.

We are going again Friday.

Then the run/walk interval will increase from 3/2 to 4/2.

I can totally handle it.

Last night my right shins were giving me a hard time but 30 min in, they were better.  Iced them up good when we got home and I'm fine today.

Is it a bird ? Is it a plane ?

No it's a gazelle !

I can not even BEGIN to say how stoked I am with myself. :-)

I ran last night, and it went so well. Ran 1 hour@ 3min/2min run/walk intervals. Total of approx. 9km.

Today, NO pain. AT-ALL.

None whatsoever.

Woot woot !!!

9,15 km !!

Since Tuesday's run went so well, I skipped to week 5 training right away. No time to loose !
So 3 min running/2 min walking intervals.
I did 9,15 km that way... and I feel GREAT.
This is crazy. No knee pain, no shin pain.
Also no picture.
G'nite !

Ice Ice Baby !!

Today's late-evening run (9:20PM to 10:30PM) was very good.  Cardio was up to what it should be, knees were a BIT uncomfortable but really and totally bearable, and shins ?? They kept quiet !!

It was dark and raining a bit (hence the runny mascara), but I actually liked it, I felt like I was invisible.

I think the secret to my success will be : being anal about my post-run stretching and also icing up my knees (or any sore part) right after running.

I'm still not sure if I will reach my goal of running through the whole 10k on marathon-day, considering time is running short now, but I'm still motivated.



ICE, ICE BABY !!! (yes the song)

Here is a random pic of some retro-Pepsi bottles I saw at the supermarket while waiting at the cash.  I love them !! Retro stuff makes me feel all warm inside.



Knee replacement surgery ??

I was dreading the getting-up part this morning !
But I feel GREAT ! Have I gotten knee replacement surgery while sleeping ?? They are oiled up and purring like a kitten.
The muscles behind the knee (you know the "leg pit"... (the leg equivalent of the armpit) are a bit sore, but my oh my, this is NOTHING !
Last night after my run I stretched big time and then iced up my knees for 15 min, and popped an Advil.
This feels like a miracle, I was certain that my knees would refuse to cooperate during this journey.
Motivation : 10/10 !!

I'm back to Square One.

It feels a bit ridiculous to have a blog now. I feel like I'm back at square one. What am I gonna talk about ?
Let's see.
Today was my first run after 10 days off to let my knees heal.
Wow. I got the works : shins, knees and terrible cardio. Oh oh BUT the weather was aaawesome.
So anyways I still did my hour but decided to turn off that training-app on my BB (actually just wanted to shut that stupid computer ladie's voice up).  "run nooow.  Walk nooow"
Shut up !! I can't even breathe  !!!
So I decided to follow my body and it went "ok" considering that I had stopped for so long.
The journey is really not turning out into what I had foreseen, i.e. a nice gradual eventless training where my body would beautifully develop muscle fiber and red blood cells packed with oxygen...NOT !!
Lol, I am still going to that marathon if it's the last thing I do, but let's just say that my motivation is pretty moderate now.
We'll see what this week brings.
I feel like an old lady.

So for the mandatory picture.
Here I am, bloated face and all, in front of the cemetary that is part of my route.  It's "that" time of the month... well of the year for me since I never have my period but still. I'm a regular Humpty Dumpty!!! Oh... *blush* and let's not forget all the fat I've ingested during my time off. *sigh*. 
LIke I said... back to square one !!

The motivation's connected to the KNEE BONE !

Still here !
It's been 4 days since my last run and my knees are still pretty painful.
Doesn't seem to get better. I HATE this, there are no words. First 2 days I did the ice and the heat... no use.
So I'm keeping a low profile, waiting for the pain to subside.

Well we did have a fun Easter. Ate a lot of chocolate and I can't even run the calories off . *sigh*

Motivation : very low
I remember 2 years ago I had started running too intensely and my knees had hurt pretty bad for 1 month.

Oh well, I can't do much about this.
Wait it off I guess.

Week 2 / Day 4 : Crappy weather, crappy run

Since my last run 2 days ago I have sensitive knees.  At work I wear high heels so that didn't help of course.
I decided to get my workout done anyways...
Wow. Sometimes I come up with the smartest ideas. pffff.
So I ran so slowly and weird that I looked like I was constipated.  You know butt sticking out a bit, thighs close together, very small steps.
Half way through the session I decided to walk for the rest.  What good is it gonna do me if I really injure my knees ?
It was humid, cold and raining.

Oh and when I got home and took off the runners, I saw blood. My left foot's blister is obviously not healed. Ah well. Just one more crappy thing to finish off this crappy run.

Motivation : Huh ? What does that mean ?

Week 2 / Day 2 : The Sedated Jogger

Yesterday (Sunday) was a day off. It did a whooole lot of good to my leg muscles, as this evening's run went SO SO well.

So after work I had a dentist appointment... Came out of there with half of my skull numbed.

Here's my smile in the car right after. I'm not forcing it !
Reminds me of Kramer in "The Jimmy" episode of Seinfeld when he's mistaken for an "Able Mentally Challenged Adult".

Well anyways. Cooked a light supper, lots of veggies, waited 30 min and then hit the road.  It went so well.... I can't believe it. After Saturday's shin pain I thought it would be difficult, but not at all !! Some minor discomfort in the first half hour, but no more no less.,

Plus my cardio has already improved !!! After one week !!!
This week's interval run : 2,5 min run, 2,5 min walk.  Today I did 10x of that, for a total of 9km !!!

I feel grrreeeat ! (like Tony the Tiger)
Motivation level : wayyy high !

Week 1 / Last day - One down, nine to go !

Yesterday was supposed to be a training day but I worked and then picked up Ian and his friend came over, so no time to myself and Ian is too young to be left alone for an hour. 

So I took a day off yesterday...

Must not take 2 days off in a row !!

Wow this morning was verrry heavy duty.

I drove to my sister's place so she could watch over Ian while I ran.

My feet felt super heavy and I had a hard time getting really into it. 30 min in, I was feeling better though.

Only thing : my shins were really burning like crazy!! Wow... I. do. not.  want. shin splits !!! Gonna do my research on that. Any tips from other runners ? Even 1,5 hours after running, the area is still very warm to the touch.

I did manage a smile for all my fans out there. ;-)

Week 1 / Day 5 : Day off

Day off today. It will give the blisters on my achilles tendons time to heal.
Motivation level : Feeling easy going today.

Week 1 / Day 4 - Rain or shine !

6,5 km in 50 min. Intervals of 2 min. running and 3 min. walking. It went pretty well. I love my shoes ! I had to wear bandaids to cover my blisters but I made sure I padded it all nice with 3-thick.

I am loving this interval training.  I really feel like I'm gonna reach this goal.

It was pouring when I left, then it stopped after about 30 min.

My son was at his friend's house, and I called the mom to say that I would leave the house for a bit to go jogging, so she could reach me on my cell phone. She said "Jogging ? Are you kidding ? It's raining !". I said "Yep I know" and felt so proud of myself.

No excuses !

Tomorrow is a day off from training. Friday, same route/intervals but for 1 hour instead of 50 min. Next week, we kick it up a notch, intervals of 2:30/2:30. Woo hoo
Motivation level : high !

Week 1 / Day 3

So I gave it a try. The early morning run.

Kind of expected to see the sun rise, to hear the birds singing. To have an out of body experience. You know, "I'm Alive" by Celine Dion ?

Hell NO

What a pain in the ass it was !

The city is dirty, my neighbourhoor is not nice to look at ... and what's up with all this traffic ? Plus the wind !! What's with the damn wind ? I had to wear my hoodie. 

I think I'm gonna have blisters on my achilles tendons. From the new shoes.

Motivation level : mwaaah.

Week 1 / Day 2 : Achy Breaky Legs

My leg muscles are sore today. I like feeling all my muscles.
And when I walk I also feel my BUTTOCK muscles !!! Woo-hoo ! Could it be that I am gonna finish this challenge with a nice ass ?

For now it's a flat-pancake-butt with a dash of cellulite. Lovely ! (I'll spare you the picture)

Couch to 10K app on Blackberry

So I'd heard about this cool iPhone app "Couch to 10K". 
Googled it, and saw that it was available on Blackberry. Of course the graphics suck in comparison to Apple's, but the idea is the same. Plus, who cares about graphics when you're running, right.
So I get to run with my BB on my belt and the vibrations tell me when to run or jog. Pretty cool app for $2.99.
Check it out.
The program is made for a 3-days-a-week training, but I will do it 4 times a week. This girl needs all the training she can get !!
Motivation level : High !

Week 1 / Day 1

I've officially begun this journey.

Here I am. With the wrong runners, but I have to start. I'll deal with the runners later. No more excuses. Husband and son making fun of me. hahaha. I'll show them !!

Did my first run.

5 min walking

Then 8 times : 1 min running, 2 min walking.

It went well !

Motivation level : Waaay high !!!

This afternoon I went to buy some runners, at Le Coureur.  They had me run on a treadmill, filmed my feet while running to see what type of shoes/support I needed. I love the service there !!!

So I went back home with my own pair of Asics GT-2160.

Can't wait to try them out.

How it all began

I went to eat lunch with a colleague on Friday.  We were discussing physical activity... Read :  SHE was discusssing her own physical activities, as I have NONE. Nada, zilch. I have never been the sporty type, I don't like to watch sports on tv, the mere thought of sporting makes me want to faint.  You know the type.
So after listening to her talk about badminton, bicycling, running, I think to myself "Please insert interesting bit here".  After swallowing my bite :
"Of all the sports out there, running has always attracted me and it's something I would like to try one day ." (Notice the bolded out words. Would/One Day.  Yep ! Procrastination Queen)

Colleague : "Oh ? Well lots of us at the Bank have signed up for the Tour du Lac Brome ! Why don't you sign up with us !"
Me : Well... I've never ran before ! Mumbling : Well save for 2 years ago when I decided to run... a career that lasted 2 weeks because I started too strong with a 5k run every day the first week, and ruined my knees for 2 months
Colleague : (laughter) But Karine, you have to train for this, and start with a smaller goal ! I signed up for the 10k, you could even sign up for the 5K !! It would be so fun !
Me : Sounds like fun indeed... When is it ?
Colleague : June 19th. Father's Day weekend !
Me : Wow, that gives me roughly 2 months to train... is this realistic you think ?
Colleague : Of course !!
Me : (half-brave, half-chicken-shit). Well I might just sign up.

So we finish our lunch.
A seed had been planted.

Fast forward to last night, cocktail party for our clients. I run into another colleague from the Bank.
- Sooo, Karine, I hear you are signing up for the Tour du Lac Brome ?
- eeehhh... well... (interruption)
- It's gonna be SO fun ! You're going for the 10k right ? I signed up for the 20k, ah man i think I overdid it, and  blah blah blah
My thoughts as I am listening to her : "Wow. This girl is just ordinary. Not your typical sporty type. She is a mom to young kids, she is my age (late 30s), and she's doing this ? And the 20k for that matter !!"
The fact that she got me laughing (read : nearly pissing myself), that I saw myself in her, just this akward unsporty person who is just out for a personal challenge - made me take the leap right then and there.
- Yeah I am going for the 10k

Peer pressure ? hmm. Yes maybe some. Not the main reason though.
Wanting to prove that I can do this ? Yes definitely. To myself mostly. I am stubborn in that way.
But let's be honest, also to my friends and family. This time I want to show them that the Karine who starts things too intensely and never finishes them (I won't even start with the clothes rack exercise bike story !) is really minded this time.
The main reason ? Feeling that I've procrastinated long enough, that I've lead an unbalanced life long enough. I've reached lots of goals, most of them academic-related. So I do know that I have the capacity to reach a goal.
The abuse that I've given my body by not training it, by feeding it unealthy foods, has been shadowed out all these years by youth.
But now I'm 36.  These past few years I've definitely felt the lack of energy big time. Stronger mood swings, and that general feeling that I'm missing out on something. You know ?
Youth is not on my side anymore. It's starting to become a memory. 

So what now ? I think it's a no-brainer !

Let's do it