Self Defence

Last night was our ladies night, and this time it was Kyla's turn to host. She chose a self defence course, and it was awesome! We had a team of martial Arts experts come and teach us a private lesson on how to defend yourself. It was pretty basic as it was our first time. They told us they do offer more advanced classes though, like how to defend yourself against a  weapon such as a knife or other more advanced situations. For us last night we stuck with basic moves that would help us to get out of being choked, grabbed from behind or grabbed by the hair, you know, standard attacker moves. It was a three and a half hour course but it was a lot of fun! We didn't get to take any pictures during the class so we decided to demonstrate some moves in the locker room for your viewing pleasure. 

the pony tail grab

eye jab

choke hold eye jab

surprise attack

not part of the training 

grab from behind

Naturally when I got home Sandy wanted to test out my defence techniques. I felt pretty confident leaving the course, so no problem I can take him I thought. Wrong! My techniques weren't so great put into actual combat but Im just hoping my fight or flight juices would kick in and I would ward off any such attacker. All in all it was a great ladies night and hopefully the class was only for piece of mind and never has to be used! 

Back on Track

I've been stuck at a plateau on the scale since we returned home from Mexico( Yes almost 4 months ago). Part of it was due to a lack of motivation because I was satisfied with my body. I wouldn't say I was overjoyed but I had reached a point that was "good enough". The other part was that I was enjoying having a break from being super strict with my diet. I wasn't gaining any weight but I wasn't losing any either. I had climbed up about 5 pounds from Christmas to the return of our trip to Mexico and I just really wanted to see that number on the scale 5 pounds less. Crazy that I had lost 57 pounds but just couldn't commit to 5 more. But, a friend at bootcamp had shared a little secret with me and it got me inspired again. She has been on an incredible weight-loss journey and I really admire her for the hard work she has put in! She told me that she had been stuck a certain number on the scale and had even gained a few pounds when she told her self enough is enough time to get back on track! And she did, she beat that plateau and is continuing to lose weight! What was I waiting for? I can do this, and she pushed me to get back on track.


I have been training so hard for my ultra marathon in July and putting exponential demands on my body, how can I expect it to perform under this kind of stress without fuelling it properly?! So I decided to seek out nutritional services (even though I have done it without the help before) and get some accountability for my diet*. I found out there were some things I needed to focus on to get back on track. To help me with these healthy choices I planned  ahead. I packed all kinds of snacks and pre made to-go bags of healthy choices for on the run and even when I am at home. It is so easy to grab a bag of chips or candies while you are sitting at home with the little one playing. Before you know it the entire bag is gone and you now have 300+ calories to burn off. Yikes! So I packed carrots, pre cut apples, cheese strings, containers of cottage cheese, hard boiled eggs (shelled and sliced), rice cakes, rice crackers, bell peppers and more.  It has only been 4 days and already I find I am not craving the sugary treats, and now reaching for the bell peppers and hummus or apples and peanut butter. Now that Alexander is eating more and more, why would I not want to model good eating habits for him to pick up on?! I am just so excited about eating right and feeling great! Ive also increased my water consumption (which has also increased my bathroom trips) and started a food journal to keep track of what I am eating. Until I can be honest with myself and make responsible decisions I am going to write down what I eat to show myself how to stay on track! 

Carrot sticks and Apples

Rice cakes, Rice crackers and 90 cal granola bars

Premade fruit & yogurt smoothies
(with protein powder and ground flax seed)

On top of the eating, I have been going hard with the training to prepare for the race in July. We are 8 weeks out from race weekend and have started alot of extra training. We are running hills and stairs to prepare for the moutain-ess terrain we will be running in. I love this kind of training because it is something so foreign to the body and brings the pain! I love it! On top of that we have registered for the Mud Hero obstacle race in Calgary at the end of July and i cannot wait! It is a 6km route with 14 obstacles along the way! It should be a blast!

Anyway just wanted to share my food journey with you all and let you know you can do it! Wether it is 50 pounds or 5 it really is a lifestyle you must adapt. Why wouldn't you want to eat right?

* When I say diet I do not mean a Body by Vi or Atkins type of diet, I am talking about my overall food intake and what I choose to put in my body for fuel. Not a temporary thing but my permanent way of eating. 

Alex is a NO-NO

Warning: this is just a small rant about professionals addressing clients/ customers using nicknames. 


For those of you who don't know, my husbands name is Alexander. He goes by Sandy, as it is a family tradition and a family nickname. Legally it is Alexander, though, so on forms, accounts, cards etc it shows up as Alexander. When we go into banks, doctors offices, registries or anything of the sort I am constantly annoyed at how the professionals refer to him as Alex*. Im sure you are thinking, "harmless, don't be so uptight" but why it bothers me is that he doesn't even go by Alexander, so please don't shorten the name further and use a nickname. Nicknames are reserved for close friends and family and have usually been agreed upon by the person being called that nickname. It irritates me because if they are trying to create a friendly, comfortable  atmosphere they would know to call him Sandy, the nickname he has chosen to go by, not Alex,  something a distant acquaintance  has chosen for him. By calling him Alex, it makes the professional exchange feel even less personal because it is such an inaccurate reference to my husband. 

Tell me this, if your name was Richard and you commonly went by Rich, and you went to a bank teller and they addressed you as Dick, would you not feel slightly offended? It's just weird. Don't shorten my name, if anything address me as Mrs. or Mr. McLaren. Alexander is even fine, I just cringe every time I hear them say to me "Alex". Lets leave name shortening and nicknaming to family and friends. Full name , Mr. or Mrs., or even sir or madam can be reserved for professionals in the work place. 


To top it all off, we have named our son Alexander as well. We, his family and some friends, have come up with little nicknames for him, but to make very very clear, Alex is NOT one of them. Please refer to our beautiful little boy as Alexander, or Al or any other nickname that you know we are ok with (Billy as Daddy calls him, McDuff as Grandma McLaren calls him). When he is old enough he will decide what he is comfortable with as well. ALEX is out of the question as it just gives me that cringey car salesman, trying to chum you up and be buddies with you, kind of feeling.


End Rant


* Please note that I don't have any problem with the actual name Alex, I think it is a lovely name I just don't prefer to call my husband or child by this. Please take no offence if your name is Alex as my feelings about the name are based purely on emotional response to situations described above. 

Crawling!

Well he finally figured it out. And just like that he is tearing up the house. From plugged in cords to furnace vents he is into everything. I can't take my eyes off him for a second. He has only been crawling for  two weeks now but man can he motor around. On top of that he has popped out a tooth! I have a feeling (based on his grumpy disposition) that he is working on another one as well. But who knows with these little guys, its enough of a challenge to try to get your fingers in there to see what's going on. On Sunday he had another first, and that was getting his hair cut.  I was getting all kinds of flack from people, "he needs a haircut it's getting too long" and "don't cut his hair, it's his baby hair". Blah blah blah but ultimately we ended up giving him a little trim around the ears so he doesn't look homeless anymore. Lucky for us Aunty is a hair stylist so we were able to book him in with her for his first trim. I cannot believe how much he is growing up it is just so crazy! I see people with new babies and it feels so long ago that Alexander was an eating pooping sleeping machine. Now I see him as a little boy, full of charm and personality and a lot of stubborns! I am seeing how fast everything is happening and changing and I am so grateful that I don't have to return to work this summer. I know for some it is not an option but I just couldn't imagine having to leave him in the hands of someone else. I am really blessed that I get to stay home with my kids and watch them grow up. I'll take it all, the good and the bad! Yesterday was one of those good days, as we got to spend it outside in the sunshine at the park with some friends. Anyway have a great week all!

chillen my gums on a can of pepsi

Aunty, cutting my hair

How do I look?

At the park with my girlfriend Jaelyn

Finish Line

Last week I completed one of my goals that I set for myself last fall. I completed a 20km run! It wasn't a race and didn't count for any special recognition but it was a goal I had set and I am happy to say I completed it. I started running because it was something I could do with Alexander to get back in shape after having him. It can be hard to find time to work out but I found that since I could bring him with me it wasn't as hard to get a quick 30 min run in. That turned into an hour and it just kept progressing from there. Now my training is focused toward my ultra marathon in July where I will be running a 16km leg of the race, through the mountains. It's really amazing to see how far I have come.


My very dear friend has also completed a goal and a huge achievement that I am so proud of her for! She ran her first half marathon last weekend!  I think it is so cool that she was able to do this race, because last September the two of us could barley huff through 5km without having to stop and walk and catch our breath. Its a true testament to how far we have come! So proud of her!

The cheer squad 

Crossing the finish line

The Superstar herself!