In Canada we complain about the weather a lot, like a lot a lot! Truth be told it’s not really that bad but it is super unpredictable. That is until our spring on the East coast this year, there basically wasn’t one. Which means it was cold and wet, wet and snowy up until pretty much the middle of June. That didn’t mean we got to hang out next to the wood stove though we’ve been out in the crappy weather pretty much everyday since March 10th! Or inside and witchy with a B because we’ve been super busy. I have been running through all of that but even though I’d usually be paddling and swimming at this point there has been none of that. I haven’t even got my bikes out yet since this girl can’t stay out of a puddle and they are THICK let me tell you! So there are a few fitness-y things but I’ve padded it with life stuff. So here goes:
Crest white strips
I tried crest white strips when they first came out like everybody else and they did work but they were gross and slimy and made me really drool-y. That grossed me out and made my tummy sore but they did work. I used to drink red wine and smoke and my mom was slipping a pack in every Christmas stocking for a while there. But since they were yucky I never used them and a mouse ate them. A girl mouse with really white teeth because she also ate beauty blenders, tampons and the bottom out of a dry shampoo container. She’s in a better or at least different place now. In the last few race photos I noticed my teeth could use some help so I whitened them in photoshop as one does these days. Guilty! And then I headed to the drug store. These new ones aren’t like the strips of years ago, they stay stuck, don’t get grimy or make you drool. Maybe I’m the last one to know this but, game changed!
Soap berries
I overuse products and have really dirty laundry, there I said it! That’s the first step right? Which means I go through a lot of laundry detergent, the liquid kind because we have a septic system. That’s not so nice to the environment with all that plastic plus I’m always out and it adds up cost wise. On my last trip to the bulk food store I saw soapberries next to the checkout and I picked some up. I knew about them from my favorite environmental youtuber Shelbizze. Basically they are these little plant pods that naturally get soaked with soap as they grow. Throw some in a lightweight bag and toss in that’s it. Plus they can be reused a few times and cost pennies. They work great plus they’re nicer to the environment and super cheap, I love it when that happens! Pro tip for super clean laundry if you have a top-loader. Fill it up with clothes and water but leave the top open for a few hours. That will pause the cycle and let them soak for a while after the first agitation and they come out super clean. The only caveat though your clothes will be missing that fresh washed scent with these berries as they are unscented. Another pro tip pick or make a bag that’s a very different color from most of your clothes so it’s easier to find at the end.
Other styles of running undies
Let’s be real here at this point almost all of my undies are run-able. There are some disused cotton ones shoved off to the side somewhere. Many years ago my mom got me three ‘real pairs’ and my favorite other ones are stored in my workout closet. I picked up a few pairs of different styles since it was time for a refresh of the collection and I’m loving them. Want to get excited about running again, buy some new undies!
New iPhone battery
You ever reach that point with a phone where you’re like it’s time. It sucks but being without a decent phone is really not an option. Honey is more the has to have the most up to date thing and usually gets every second iPhone and I am more than happy to have the cast offs. So I’m still rocking a 6s with a morphie charging case and I had the battery replaced at apple last year. It was better but not as good as I was expecting after that. Since then its been through half marathon training and olympic triathlon training. Less than a year later it was shot and turning off randomly again. So I took it to an aftermarket place this time, Geebo and they mentioned that the sort of thing I put my phone through is tough on it. Also that the batteries they use might last longer. It was $65 and now the battery lasts most of the day, like into the evening. Also it takes longer to recharge it too so that’s a good sign! If you’re thinking about it go aftermarket if you’re out of apple care and it’s worth it!
‘Racing’ with my niece
Everyone says my little niece takes after me in weirdly strong ways even when you consider genetics! Things like she and I both liked to play with worms when we were three, climbed things for the big kids and were stinkingly strong willed. She and I are the only ones who want to run around the yard after supper or poke strange things we find in the mud. Also we both really like playing in the mud, just wait until auntie introduces her to mountain biking! She did a very wet 100m dash with me and her grandma at sole sisters last month. She wasn’t sure about it in the moment being her first time and all but as I suspected she was REALLY into the medal which says ‘I don’t chase boys I pass them!’ I want to make sure to do a few kids races with her every year because if she is just like me as everyone says it would be a shame for her to have to wait until she was 30 to discover her love of racing on her own! This coming week we’re doing a kids triathlon together in matching swimsuits from the kids department of Joe Fresh. Maybe Santa will bring her a medal holder this year!
Owning a pickup truck
Last year for my birthday I got all sorts of gear moving solutions, cross members for the SUV that can hold a bike rack, J’s for the paddle board, two bike shelf hangers and a paddle board trolly. Super generous right? This year I got a pick up truck which pretty much made all of that obsolete. Throwing my board in the back is so easy and the way my truck looks I could pretty much leave the keys in it while I’m out paddling! Ditto for the mountain bike. For the road bike on short drives an old quilt will do the trick. Last year my mom, stepdad, honey and me all packed my mom’s wagon full of triathlon stuff and headed to Melmerby for my to accomplish my olympic dreams and there may or may not have been chain grease on the roof of her car when we were done. My truck won’t last forever or probably all of 2020 but I imagine that scenario going differently next time. All four of us comfortably in the cab, bike standing in a special stand honey builds me in the bed and no one has to put their feet on the cooler in the back seat! This summer I have a couple of weeks honey and work free coming up and I’m excited to take Taylor (the truck), my bikes and board on some adventures!
Thrifted fitness haul
I need more workout clothes like I need a hole in the head. But I still WANT them! It’s a great way to keep yourself excited about working out through another cycle of half training. It’s no secret that I love a good thrifted find. This year the anniversary 47% off sale at my favorite Frenchy’s coincided with a very, very rainy day so I got to go and buy all sorts of stuff. Bras that match bottoms I already have a few new shirts, some dress clothes too and at 6 things for honey. I paid about $25 for all my fitness stuff which would have cost me at least $300. It makes things fresh again for a new season. Even tough I really don’t need it I think I’ll make this sale a have-to spring tradition because that spring sale comes at the perfect time!
What are you’re favorite finds this spring? I love to hear about things you discovered too!
Sweat Sweetly 
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