If I am going to continue to be honest here on my blog, then I will admit it right now.  Last week I did nothing.

Ok, I walked J to school, dragging my feet the whole way, feeling like I had been hit by a truck.   I told you I was in a funk last week and I truly had no motivation to do anything.  I managed to read a couple of books, drink a lot of hot chocolate and sulk.  Yes, I sulked.

Then, Tuesday night the skies opened up, and the clouds dispersed, as the sun was setting, I could almost feel the warmth moving in on me.  I went to bed with a plan to run the next morning.

Wednesday, the day I should have posted this but got sidetracked, I awoke to sunshine and happiness.  I strapped on my running shoes, walked J to school and turned on my MP3 player in my phone.  Within two minutes I was running and feeling better.  Not a word of a lie, with every step I felt better and better.  I ran for 3km only stopping to clean up after the dog.  It was one of those runs that I could have just kept on going.

Whether it was the sun, warmth, happy people everywhere or the music on my phone something just connected.  And hooray it has carried through to today.  And to celebrate this, I wanted to have another little giveaway.  I want to share with you all the music that makes me run.  And not just a jog, but a run.

This is what I listened to last Fall when I ran the CIBC Run for the Cure, this is what I pipe through the basement speakers when I am running on the treadmill and this is what pumps through my phone when I am out running with Apple and Mickey (the dog).

Cardio Grooves.  This three CD set is full of blood pumping, feet moving music that dates (me) back to the mid to late 1980’s.  I simply cannot walk when I have this music pumping, I just can’t.

I will be giving away one set to one lucky reader.  Simply leave me a comment and tell me what you like listening to when you are working out and if you don’t work out tell me what you listen to in  your car, guaranteed if you played this you would start working out after.

I will randomly draw a number on Saturday morning (June 6th) and post the winner.

p.s. I am sitting in my backyard enjoying the sunshine as I type.  Sunshine truly is an awesome thing.

Is it really Wednesday?  If it is then I did very badly this week.  I started off well with a 3k run, but everything else fell to pot with the wedding in Montréal.

First of all, my left hip is killing me.  I am not sure if it is from running on uneven sidewalks or from carrying Apple on my hip for almost 21 months.  Second of all, nobody told me shooting a wedding was going to be a full day workout.

Friday I was hoping to get in some strength training, but by the time I got everyone packed and the house ready for A and his buddies it was time to leave. We did walk around for an hour and a half Friday night.  Then on Saturday, I walked uphill to the Chapel (10 minutes, not bad) but then things started happening.  I had to move furniture that was dirty to make room for the Bride and her gorgeous dress.  I had to do closed knee squats all day because I was also a guest so I was wearing a dress instead of my usual slacks. And well, my camera weighs a ton.  By the time we got in the truck to come home I felt like I had been working out all day long.

Sunday was my day of recovery and rest. It was needed and I felt like I had been hit by a truck, so there was no way I was working out.  Monday all I got in was the walk to and from school, until J decide he needed a racing partner.  That is when I got the idea of sprints.  If I didn’t have the energy to run, power walk or workout, I would get it in while playing outside with the kids.  J started yelling, “ready, set, go!” and we were off.

Our backyard spans two and a half houses, so I am guessing it is at least 100ft wide, it is probably more, but Hubby isn’t here to ask right now.  We sprinted back and forth for a good half hour. It was great.

Now, I did let J win quite a few times.  I also let him tie as well as lose.  There was no way I was going to let him win every single time, if I did that he would be shocked when he got beat by a friend at school.  Either that or he was going to start telling people he ran faster than me.

Tuesday rolled around and J wanted to race again.  So I thought we should add some extra exercises to the mix.  We ran backwards. And we did side shuffles in addition to straight running back and forth.  The races lasted about 45 minutes.

This was my week.  Not the best, but not entirely shot as the sprints really got our hearts pumping and made me break a sweat.

Next time you are outside with the kids wishing you were working out instead, try it.  Kids love foot races and you can easily get in a short workout.

**disclaimer: I am in no way a Doctor or Physical Trainer. I am going to share with you my thoughts and ideas about how to get into shape again. I strongly advise consulting a medical professional prior to starting any workout routine as well as a professional trainer. I am in no way responsible for any injury you may sustain from trying any of my suggestions.