soccer

February Freeze

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 1 Comment

It’s a wee bit cold here in Nova Scotia but not unlikely temps for February. Yesterday was -17°C (1.4°F) but felt like -22°C ( -7.6°F) and we snowshoed in the morning and skied all afternoon.

Normally, the girls would have had school but it was day three of snow days. I don’t think it was necessary but apparently the roads where bad enough to cancel school three days in a row. Meh….we got around just fine in our car.

January was a busy month of a little running, lots of soccer, skiing and some skating and snowshoeing. Each year come January I tend to run less and take advantage of our winter weather and get outside with my family more. #notjustarunner

I logged 38.67km running, downhill skied 4 days, cross country skied 3 days, snowshoed once, played 5 soccer games, hiked once with Carmacks , and went skating twice.

February hasn’t seen as much activity but I’ve been walking my dog 2k Tuesday- Friday and sometimes on the weekend (my husband walks him other times)…..so at least I was moving. Not going to lie, if we didn’t have a dog I wouldn’t walk at all….not my favourite activity to choose to do. Unless I have our four legging friend, its work related (walking meetings) or family hiking, I’m not going for a walk.

I had a week where I planned to cycle but every night when the time came I just couldn’t do it. Exhaustion is real! Time to figure out a new evening plan cause my mornings are for hibernating or walking my dog. Funny how last summer and fall I was living for #5kat5am runs.

I really need to get my butt into running again as I’ve registered for a half marathon this spring and excited about that distance as it’s been two years since I’ve ran it.

As winter progresses, I’ll continue to ski, skate and snowshoe as our schedules permit and soccer games as I can make them. I need to find a good (for me) half marathon training plan and have always use Hal Higdon’s plans….but open to others as well.

What’s your favourite half marathon training plan?

Anyone else judging snow days?

What’s your favourite way to stay active in the winter?

2019 Running Stats!

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 20 Comments

I’m so far behind! It’s the middle of January and I’m still living in the past. Fingers cross this will be my last post about 2019.

I finally sat down and tallied up my running stats (and cycling, soccer games, yoga classes etc.) a little while ago but just posting about it now. It’s something I like to do every year and track it each month in a bullet journal. Yeah, yeah, I could just use my Garmin or Strava – which I do but I really like the visual of my bullet journal.

This is what my 2019 year looked like:

Running 431.30 km, Cycling: 609.79 km, 40 Soccer Games (injuries: 1), 18 Yoga classes, 8 days of skiing, 4 times skating with my daughters, 1 Gran Fondo and paced 1 race!

The other thing I was counting last year was books! I’m really not a big reader, I never really loved it until last year. I finally found a great app (some of you likely use it) called Goodreads and that’s what helped kick start my reading habit…oh and my calf strain injury in April.

My plan was to read 12 books: 1 per month. Which really isn’t a lot but to me, that was a lot of reading that I honestly didn’t think I’d achieve. However, I did. I actually finished 18 books! I think my favourite book was Daisy Jones which I wanted to give up on a few times but kept with it and loved it in the end.

2020

Well it’s going to look the same as last year: run, ride my bike, play soccer, be active with my kids, hike, swim, lay on the beach in PEI, complete another Gran Fondo, ski and snowshoe more, read more and lots of family adventures. I’m returning as an ambassador for Endurance Tap, Nuun Hydration and Tiux Compression Socks; all products I love and use religiously.

But for real….I’m aiming for 1000 km running, 1000 km cycling and 2020 km between all my activities (run, cycle, swim, soccer). Anything that I can count distance in, I’m aiming for a collective 2020 km.

Oh and last, a big goal for me will be to NOT fall off my bike as I recently got new cycling shoes that clip in. It’s a whole knew cycling world!

This should be fun!

Follow along with my adventures on Instagram!

Do you record all your training in a book or an app?

What are you 2020 goals?

What’s your number one race for 2020?

August Adventures

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 1 Comment

Oh, I think August is my favourite month of the year. It’s hot, vacation time, soccer season, stupid HOT, perfect beach weather, watermelon heaven and hot. I’m not a fan of the muggy heat we’ve been having (who has) but I love the heat when I’m in the water – beach, lake, pool….sprinkler too!

I started two weeks of vacation late July and into August and have done so for the last number of years. It’s kinda the perfect timing of almost being burnt out from work but we can still enjoy the summer days with our kids.

We hit up PEI for a short trip due to some car troubles (BIG SAD FACE). We got to visit with family, spend time at our favourite beach and had a lot of car time together (not always fun with young kids).

We spent a lot of time at my parents place swimming in their pool, took an unexpected trip to Peggy’s Cove (again, due to the same car troubles) and had tones of ice cream. I’m pretty sure we ate ice cream twice a day for 3-4 days….I’m not complaining.

If you’ve been following me on Instagram, you’ll know that I bought a new bike!!!! I’ve been wanting a new bike for a few years now and finally broke down and bought the Liv (Giant) Avail 1. It’s awesome and I love it.

I’ve still yet to name her so if you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments. I’m feeling Besty or Blue, I dunno. Hit me up some some suggestions. Though I seem to be getting in some nice rides (44km long ride with my husband), I’ve only managed a few runs.

As I mentioned on IG, I’ve been struggling with my interest with running mainly since I got injured in April but even before that as I barely ran any km this year. I’m trying hard to get in 2-3 runs a week and that’s beyond any soccer games (which yes, is running), riding (once, maybe twice a week) and yoga randomly.

Summer has been busy for our girls with soccer practices twice a week for L and games EVERY SATURDAY! Actually, make that TWO GAMES EVERY SATURDAY. We are exhausted from all the soccer but she’s loving it. H is has been doing some private swim lessons which have been amazing for her. My girls and I went on a trail ride last week (8.61 km), lots of visits to the library, the beach, a friends cottage and even the dentist! Who plans dental appointments during vacation? That was clearly a VERY BAD idea.

Any…way. Summer vacation was good to us and it’s back to work now (BIG SAD FACE AGAIN). Only three more weeks from today and SCHOOL STARTS!!!!!!!!!!!! And one more week of vacation for me 🙂

How’s your summer going?

Anyone exhausted from their kids summer sporting commitments?

Loving running lately or not?

Bike name suggestions?

POP, Goes The…..

/ Anna @ Piper's Run / 4 Comments

Calf Muscle.

I’m just going to jump right into this one (not literally though)…I’m injured. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on the injured list and boy am I thankful for all those uninjured months. Sometimes it takes an injury to really appreciate what your body will allow you to do. I’ll back it up a bit and share what happened.

I was playing soccer a week ago (yeah, another soccer injury) and we were about 45 minutes into the game and I stepped with my left leg and felt and heard a POP in my left calf with instant pain. I hobbled off the field and everyone thought I got a charlie-horse. You know, those painful cramps in your calf muscle that EVERYONE dreads. And they are even worse when pregnant (talking from experience years back…not pregnant now). No, it wasn’t a charlie-horse. So, I sat on the bench the furthest away from my team’s bench because I couldn’t even walk. Eventually, I got some ice on it and was chauffeured off to the hospital by a team mate (and her family). So thankful for nice people out there.

I arrived at the hospital after 11 pm as it was a 10 pm soccer game and waited for hours. It wasn’t life threatening, so you gotta wait your turn, right. Eventually I saw the ER doctor who said I tore my left calf muscle. I can’t say I was a happy camper at that time but that was my new reality. The worst part – I couldn’t drive my car which is a standard for 4 weeks. And yeah, no running/soccer/yoga for 6-8 while it recovers with physio.

Note – this was Thursday night of Easter weekend…..so nothing is open. Certainly, not my physio guy. I took a cab home because I couldn’t drive my car and my husband was home with our girls….sleeping. No need to wake kids up at 4 am to go pick Mom up at the hospital. I crawled into bed, waking my husband and told him that we’d have to put off our planned weekend run together for a while.

Since I couldn’t drive, my husband has had to run around for me: picking up my car, crutches, groceries (which isn’t unusual) etc. Friday and Saturday were a bit of a right off and I became one with my crutches. Sunday rolled around and we had Easter dinner with my family in the city which was great.

It’s been a challenging few days as I can’t drive myself to work or for work meetings. Nor, can I get the girls from the sitters or to their soccer practices etc. I kinda feel helpless in the family department. And, 3 out of 4 of us are sick with a head cold in our house. We all just kinda feel like shit.

Enter good news: I got into physio Tuesday morning and my amazing neighbour drove me there and I cabbed it back. After a second physio session on Thursday (a friend drove me there AND back!), my physiotherapist determined I have a grade 2 sprain which is WAY better then a torn muscle. Agreed! I’m walking with the aid of crutches now and can ditch them by Monday! As for driving my car….it might be a while off.

I know all you runners are thinking…..it’s time to give up playing soccer as you get too injured playing it. I’ve actually had a few people tell me that to my face. (Which is really frustrating). Sure, I can get injured playing soccer, running or heck – cycling on the road or walking down the trail – but I’m not about to give them up because I get injured everyone once in a while.

So no….I don’t regret playing the sport I love the most. I am disappointed that this injury has other plans for me right now. And, that it won’t allow me to be a pace bunny at Bluenose this year (I was the 1:20 -10k bunny). This injury has definitely given me a greater appreciation for when I’m healthy and strong to not be lazy and waste my time doing nothing.

Life’s too short to not enjoy playing soccer, running in a race, hiking a trail or trying to break my fear of riding next to cars on the main road in town.

Has anyone ever told you to stop playing the sport you love the most?

Anyone else on the injured list right now?

What’s your favourite non-weight bearing workout to do at home?