Running Adventures: Update

It's been more than a month since I started running and today seems like a good time for an update. Good news: I'm still running! I've been generally going out at least 3 times a week since I started with the exception of a 2 week rest period (too eager + too soon = overused knee complete with knee pain). I'm still going through the C25K thing and so far things have been good (tiring, but good). I completed the first workout of week 4 on Tuesday and I'm super happy to report that I can now jog for 5 minutes straight! (I know this is nothing for a lot of people, but for someone who had no endurance and was barely able to run 60 seconds straight back in April, this is a big deal, lol.) Now this is progress.

Book Nook: Tell The Wolves I'm Home

Tell The Wolves I'm Home
Carol Rifka Brunt

Prior to this book, I had started two other books but didn't finish either of them because I couldn't get into their stories and then I got too bored to continue. Luckily, third time's a charm because this one got my attention from the first chapter until the very end and beyond. (Yup, I kept thinking about this one after I had finished it. It was like when I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and all I could think about for the next three weeks was Sirius Black. True story.)

This novel is coming of age story that deals with grief, loneliness, insecurity, jealousy, relationships, family, and love. It centres around June, the protagonist, who loses her favourite uncle who was her best friend. This loss is central to the story but is not the whole story thanks to the introduction of other relationships that continually develop and evolve throughout the book. I was taken in by the characters and thought the storyline was well-crafted and thought out. The content itself is pretty heavy at times and covers a lot of ground, but it's done in a way where the reader isn't completely depressed and deflated after reading it. Instead, it's really touching and almost hopeful at times.

Overall, I'd give it a 4.5/5. Great read! I definitely recommend it, just maybe have some kleenex on hand...it'll likely make you teary.

Sew, Sew, Sew

I got my hands on a sewing machine (it used to belonged to J's mom) and now I've found a new hobby. Up until last week I hadn't touched a sewing machine for almost 20 years, but I was somehow able to remember how to thread it (my grade 8 home ec teacher would be so proud) and haven't looked back since! I started off by making a few bibs for O and then decided to up the ante and made a pair of pyjama pants for K. I never thought I'd be able to sew a pair of pants. I made a lot of mistakes, but they are pants through and through...and now I'll be able to do better next time. You live, you learn. (Thanks, Alanis.)

The Beauty of Womanhood

"Yet the vision [of womanhood] our culture offers is a sad consolation that exchanges the glory of feminine strength for a treadmill race to nowhere.  It squanders the kind of influence that is found primary in the soil of the home...And what does it offer in return? Women who strive against themselves, at war with the seeming redundancy of two X chromosomes, in a competition we were never made for, and in our hearts, don't really want to win. For when a women sets herself up alongside a man - as made for the same things and without distinction - the result is not uniformity, but rather, a reverse order. Indeed, in order for her to become like a man, he becomes less and less like one. And that's someone that most women, even the most ardent feminists, recoil at in their heart."

Excerpt taken from here.

Us For Them

"May our judgment be love." May You keep changing my heart to be more like Yours.

Running Adventures

I went for another run yesterday (who am I?!). I made sure to be more prepared compared to my first time around when I didn't even put on a hat and ended up coming home with a huge headache. I've been running in the evenings after putting my kids to sleep so by the time I get out it's actually quite chilly out. Yesterday I layered on another turtleneck and put on a toque...and was headache free when I came home (it's all about the little victories over here).

I went a little farther and my time was a bit better (although still slow by most people's standards, but whatever) so I'm quite happy about that. Overall, I'm feeling pretty good about things and I'm actually looking forward to my next run!

Run Sharon Run

I took my running shoes out for a run this weekend! Ok fine, it was more like a walk/jog combo if anything and according to my phone my time was terrible so maybe my jogging was actually more of a glorified walk, lol. Oh well, it's only up from here right?

Sneaker up!

I bought a pair of runners yesterday and I'm excited to put them to good use (and I hope this isn't just the novelty of the new shoes talking!). I'm not a runner by any means, but hey you've got to start somewhere. Unfortunately (or maybe conveniently) it snowed last night (what the heck, April?) so I'm going to wait for the stuff to melt and temperatures to warm up a bit before I take my shoes out for their inaugural run. (Ok, realistically I know it will be more walking than running and possibly more stopping to catch my breath than walking post trying-to-run; I'm more than a little out of shape, but that's ok...this is why I bought the shoes!)

Anyway, get your sneaks on. Let's do this!

Book Nook: The Martian

The Martian
Andy Weir

I watched the movie based on this book earlier this year and really liked it so I thought I'd give the book a try. Glad I did - turns out the book was even better (they usually are, no?)!

The Martian centres around the protagonist, Mark Watney, an astronaut who gets left behind on Mars after what can only be a described as the most unfortunate freak accident with the most unfortunate repercussions.  Watney proves to be clever and resourceful (and did I mention he was smart?) and the book basically describes how he (spoiler alert!) survives on his own until he is rescued.

This book was well-paced, action-packed, and so funny (Watney is such a smart ass, I loved it). Aside from the parts where it got a bit too technical and science-y for me (I initially tried to follow along, but eventually started just skimming over those sections trusting that whatever they were saying made sense to somebody), it was an overall entertaining and enjoyable read. 5/5.

Book Nook: When Breath Becomes Air

When Breath Becomes Air
Paul Kalanithi

I'm generally more of a fiction reader, but every so often a non-fiction book comes along and takes my breath away. Like this one.

I first heard about this book through a blog I follow and after reading her post (she was Kalanithi's sister-in-law) I immediately put a hold on a copy at the library. (Thankfully I got in before 'the masses' and was third in line - there's now a 70+ person wait!) It was worth the wait.

This memoir was written by an MD in his thirties who, during the final stages of his neurosurgery residency, was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer; he eventually died in March 2015 at the age of 37. It deals with really tough topics and he takes you through his thoughts about living and dying among other things, but everything is done so gracefully it's almost poetic at times. It's a well-written book which I thoroughly enjoyed reading from start to finish (the last paragraph and parts of the epilogue - written by his wife - literally made me weep). I whole heartedly recommend this book and I'm grateful that Kalanithi was able to write as much as he did. 5/5 for sure.