Thank You Notes

I have started a new trend after visitors have left us or we have left someplace. I send picture Thank You Notes using Shutterfly.com's mailing service. It's really slick to drop pictures from the visit into a card, write/type a personal message on the inside, input the recipients address and click send! After our visit to Minnesota I had 4 Thank You Notes to send. During nap time today I uploaded the pictures from my phone, created the cards, and for less than $15 they will be created, stamped, and mailed for me! Each time I do this it gets easier and easier since I have most addresses saved now in my account so I'm not spending time looking up or inputting them.

I really like the way pictures from the visit personalize the card and I know the Grandparents love seeing pictures of the grandkids! My parents are good about keeping things like this and so I imagine us all looking back on them one day as a great archival piece!

Here are a few of the cards I sent for this trip.

This cute card is for my nieces! I don't get much girly time being the Mom of only boys and being an only sister to brothers so I took advantage of some mani/pedi time when we went to Wisconsin for the Hubby's 20 year Class Reunion!

Our time with Nana & Papa included so many fun things: wild blueberry picking, Sea Life @ the Mall of America, hanging out at the cottage on the Lake, USA Hockey Hall of Fame, and a visit to the World's Largest Hockey Stick!

When spending time with Grandma & Grandpa it's all about BOYS! My Dad built the boys an amazing tree house in his back yard! They were able to ride in a big Caterpillar truck at his work and hang out with a professional fisherman a/k/a Uncle Bill and his boat! What more could two little boys ask for?!?!

July = Hot & Humid Running

I'm a Minnesota gal, period. There's a lot about Minnesota in me and one of those things is my toleration for cold weather. It's summer days like the ones we have been having that remind me that I really prefer to train for spring races so that I can train during the cold winter months. I would MUCH rather warm my body up by running than stepping outside and start sweating without having put one foot in front of the other.

Minnesota had a terribly long winter this year. There was recordable snowfall up until May 3rd!! I'm happy to have not gone through that - but the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) didn't have an "April Showers, Bring May Flowers" kind of spring either. We went from cold & dreary to hot and humid! No nice spring in-between.

Northfield, MN - May 2, 2013
photo credit: Emily Spoden

I've been running this month despite the heat & humidity. I have to. . . Chicago is less than 3 months away. I run outside in this heat because I really can't stand the treadmill! I just run shorter distances, stop to walk and take on liquids more, and try to stick to shaded trails. 

Tonight my group cancelled the organized group run because of the heat index being in a dangerous zone. I wasn't planning on joining the group any way - I'll be waking two toddlers up at 5:30 in the morning to catch a flight to Minnesota! I needed the night to pack and prepare for our trip!

Here are some great tips for running in the heat. I would add trying to run in the early morning or late evening when the sun isn't so high in the sky.

www.ericadhouse.com

I'm following the Haus of Girls monthly miles challenge again and so far I'm at 26 miles for #50milesinjuly! Not too bad for a hot and humid July so far! 

26 miles for #50milesinjuly

I'm off to Minnesota tomorrow for a little over 2 week vacation. I will be missing 3 Saturday long runs with my group. Since my Mom is training for Chicago as well I don't see too much troubles in getting my long runs in.

Stay cool!

Stair Climbing

For something different a met two of my running group buddies on Canada Day morning for a stair climbing workout. I have never done one before but have heard of other people incorporating it into their training.

We met at the Chedoke Golf Course in Hamilton, ON. We did a short warm up and then headed up the stairs! The first set we did had approximately 325 steps! Whew! At first you think, "this isn't so bad" and then you climb higher and higher and just getting one foot in front of the other feels like a feat! We walked up the stairs - I can't even imagine running up them.

After a nice light jog down the first step of stairs we ran a bit to the next set to go up and down those twice. This set of stairs had accurate numbering every 5 steps so I know we went 289 steps each time!

Chedoke Stairs

According to the Hamilton Public Library local history site there are currently 5 city built stairs up the escarpment. Might be a fun challenge for me before we move to have done them all! 

I did a quick search for stairs around the Toronto area and the Baldwin Steps appear to be another popular spot for fitness stair climbing.

Baldwin Steps Toronto, ON

There are also 5 sets of stairs in my home state of Minnesota that I have heard friends talk about in Stillwater. 

Stillwater, MN stairs

What stairs have you climbed for fitness? Do you do it regularly?

Hello

Me & the Mr at the Around the Bay 30K Race in Hamilton Ontario Canada

Hello, My Name is Katie. I'm starting this blog as a way to archive the next 26 weeks of my life. 

Why the next 26 weeks? Well because that is how many weeks it is until the 2013 Chicago Marathon.  

Here are a few things about me you may want to know - or that may help explain the things posted on this blog:

- I was born and raised in Minnesota. Yes, I have a very distinguishable Minnesoooootan accent! :-)

- I'm a wife to a man from Wisconsin. He loves U.S. College & Professional Sports. Notably the Green Bay Packers, University of Wisconsin Badgers, & the Minnesota Twins (more on the not-so-random Minnesota team later)

- I'm a wife to a chocolate salesman. Yes I have an endless supply of chocolate at my disposal! Yum!

- We live temporarily in the Toronto area of Canada for my husband's job.

- I'm hold a Masters degree in Elementary Education. I taught elementary school for several years prior to moving to Canada.

- I'm a mother to Twin 3 year old Boys. You will hear a lot about them. They are the reason I wake up in the morning and the reason I run.

- I love to travel. Having the twins has slowed that down a bit, but thankfully we have grandparents that love them to pieces and are willing to stay with them so we can travel. 

- I love to cook & eat good food and I really enjoy a good glass of red wine or an ice cold margarita! I will post often about my cooking, but don't expect professional pictures of my creations. My camera of choice is my iPhone these days and that's what you will get! :-)

- I run. I'll chat more about that in the next post. 

So for now, thank you for reading. I'm not sure how many will, as this blog is mostly meant as a way for me to get my thoughts out about training for the marathon. But, if you have stumbled upon me. . .Welcome, I'm happy you're here!