Fun Run!

So this morning was my very first run - the "Start to Sweat to Stop the Traffic" run to raise money and awareness for human trafficking. I had so much fun! I am definitely doing another run sometime. I felt so good afterward, part of which was the gorgeous blue sky and the other part was the adrenaline my body has been lacking from not getting exercise lately. Another part was that it was such a great cause and just amazing seeing all the people there to do their part.
I love the ladies in my "Stopping Traffick" group - there was 4 of us from the group, plus one friend of one of the girls - interesting fact was that Y (the friend) lived across the street from a lady who they busted last fall for running a brothel out of her home. That lady has been charged with human trafficking as well as running a bawdy house. Y said she felt naive about not having had a clue about this going on right across the street from her. We don't think about such things going on here in Canada, but they do, and we need to be aware so that we can fight it, together. But that is another post, which I am going to be doing. Just not today. :)
So I ran my 3 km loop with Y and T - they were so fun to run with, encouraging, slowed down a bit when I needed it. I had popped a rib out of place a couple of weeks ago and my intercostals had been giving me some grief, so the deep breathing needed for running was not happening. 3 kms was just the length I needed and the last 10:1 we did was awesome. Y and T continued and did good. My good friend, A as well as J did amazing - they ran the 6 km really fast. I was so proud of us all.
I found out this evening that the run raised $12,693.50 with over 50 people on the course - that included kids and adults. My friends who organized the run had their 6 year old run and raise his own money - he apparently raised more than his Dad, who raised over $500. Awesome!

I did it!

I made it to my goal! Except the one day that I forgot to post and posted twice on the following day - I posted everyday between October 28 and November 30. And then I forgot to post yesterday :), but I had this niggling feeling that I forgot something when I went to bed. Then remembered at midnight that it was to post. Oops! I feel like I am back in the groove with blogging and I am liking it. Though I rarely get comments, I know that some people are keeping up with my blog and it does feel a bit like community. It's kind of funny to me how some of my blogging friends are still going gung ho and others are extremely sporadic now. We'll see if I can keep it up. I did have dreams of doing a "twelve days of Christmas" giveaway on my blog, but I just can't afford the items plus postage that would require. I am seriously thinking about doing a giveaway blog, but haven't figured out all that would entail/require of me, so we will see about that.
Last night was my last running class. Even though I had missed the last two classes due to not feeling so great two weeks ago and R getting an ear infection last week and getting the joy of sitting in the waiting room at the walk in with a screaming preschooler. I was pretty proud of myself this week though. We did 10:1 (10 minutes running and 1 minute walking), 2 sets and I did good, didn't feel like I was going to die or pass out, so yeah me! And over the past 10 weeks I have discovered that I enjoy running, especially by myself - getting out and doing something all for me, getting away from the chaos that is sometimes my house and figuring things out a bit, or just listening to my heartbeat, concentrating on my stride, trying to go further with less effort. It's a good hobby/fitness thing to do for myself. I always hated running before, probably for the reason that I sucked at gym - I was really, really awful. My sister and I were talking about it on Saturday even, how my gym teacher in grades 7 and 8, who was and is still a close friend of my parents, used to tell my dad that if anyone was going to get hit by a ball in gym, it would be me, even if I was standing right next to him. I was always last picked and last across the finish line. I think the fact that every week of this running class that I was there I was consistently in the middle helped with my confidence. It was good for me, especially since I plan to continue with it.
Today, I get to go get a haircut and color of some sorts. I am so excited! I love haircuts! Since chopping off ALL my hair 2 months ago - I needed a change, but it was a pretty drastic one - I have been just letting it grow, but it desperately needs some shaping. The twincesses are getting their hair cut too - my mom said she would pay for their "first in the salon" cut. I have cut their hair before, but just bangs for K and bangs and evening out the back of A's. We are making it a family affair and meeting my mom at her hair stylist's. Who is also my sister and aunt's hairstylist. My first time to see her, so we'll see how she does with my hair. Maybe with all of us getting our hair cut, R will want to too. Ha - who am I kidding, the day that boy asks for a haircut or even consents to one without much bribery and coercion I will fall over in surprise. I have been cutting his hair for the past year and a half and every time it is a struggle, though now at least he doesn't cower and cry anymore. He is in desperate need of a cleanup around the ears and neck - so gotta do that before Christmas.
Well, I should get to cleaning my house... TTYL.