Okay, Okay..... I didn't get a chance to post yesterday :( I usually post after the kids have gone to bed, but yesterday was Ari's school concert. It was supposed to be from 6:30-8:30pm, but we didn't get home until after 10pm. Seriously, once we got there, the program said the show was going to go until 10:30! Can you imagine a bunch of 2-4 year olds trying to perform until 10:30pm? While it was cute to see the kids singing and dancing... the only word that comes to mind when describing the organization of the show is the hebrew word "Balagan." The closest definition of Balagan I can come up with is a chaotic mess of a circus... So, needless to say, by the time we finally got home and got the kids to bed, I was waaaay too tired to blog.
BUT...... to the run. As I was about to go upstairs to change into my running clothes my father in law showed up. At first I thought my run was going to have to be scrapped because I couldn't possibly ask my 80 year old Father In Law to watch the kids while I run out - right? But then I started thinking about it and realized the kids liked him a a lot and I was only going for a 2 mile run - so really, he would only have to keep Ari & Lilah alive for like 20 minutes! Since Ari was watching a TV show and Lilah was occupied in the toy closet, I decided to try it out. EEEK! I'm wild and crazy!
I literally stood outside my front door waiting for Lilah to start screaming for about 5 minutes. Since she never started screaming, I took off on my run :) The knowledge that my two young children were being kept alive by my 80 year old FIL (who also has a bad hip and shoulder) actually made me hussle much more. I really ran as fast as I could w/o wearing myself out too bad. Although, one of these days I really am going to have to start keeping track of my running times. I was very happy to hear upon running THROUGH the threshold of my home, that the kdis apparently didn't even know I was gone!
Tomorrow is the 4.5 mile run which I'll be going on with my friend Marie (hi Marie!). We're considering running the Shamrock run 15K in mid March. The first 4.5 miles of the 15K is uphill. From mile 2 to mile 4, there is a 300 foot ascent - YIKES! So, tomorrow Marie and I will charge the Terwilliger hill :) Tonight's goal is to stay away from too much boxed wine.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Week 6, Day 3 - Love Me Some Endorphines.
Today was a nice easy 3 miler. I have to admit I started off in a particularly horrid mood :( For some reason, Lilah woke up at 5ish, my gas light went when I was already running late, I had a comedy of errors for a playdate which ended with me being wet & frustrated, and then the Pièce de résistance was an idiot driver parking SO close to my car that I couldn't even open the door, so Lilah and I had to enter through the passenger door and climb over the middle compartment :( I was very thankful to have a pen, paper and sealable plastic sand which bag in which to store my foul language laced note to the other driver. (The note began: "Dear Asshole, Learn to park your boat of a car....") By the time I got home I was in such a bad mood, I was looking forward my run JUST so I could burn off some of the bad morning energy.
I was also excited because it was my first run with my fancy schmancy new iPhone and i had even purchased one of those snazzy arm band things to put my iPhone in. My mom came over to watch Lilah so I could run alone in the VERY rainy afternoon. The weather was akin to a torrential downpour with the temps being near 50. I dressed in Capri pants, my Warrior Dash T-shirt and my rain coat, but within 10 minutes I was SOOOOO hot I didn't know what to do with myself. I think I'll need to look into getting a different rain coat for running. The one I have certainly keeps the rain out, but it also keeps the heat in.
Between the music on my awesome iPhone and the cool rain rain on my face, the run went by nice and fast (if not very wet). I did the Popeye route backwards which was mostly nice except for running by Popeye's of course! It's supposed to be incredibly wet all week which should make running with both the kids interesting tomorrow. I'm still looking forward to my 4.5 mile run this Saturday and am excited to potentially find a new route.
I was also excited because it was my first run with my fancy schmancy new iPhone and i had even purchased one of those snazzy arm band things to put my iPhone in. My mom came over to watch Lilah so I could run alone in the VERY rainy afternoon. The weather was akin to a torrential downpour with the temps being near 50. I dressed in Capri pants, my Warrior Dash T-shirt and my rain coat, but within 10 minutes I was SOOOOO hot I didn't know what to do with myself. I think I'll need to look into getting a different rain coat for running. The one I have certainly keeps the rain out, but it also keeps the heat in.
Between the music on my awesome iPhone and the cool rain rain on my face, the run went by nice and fast (if not very wet). I did the Popeye route backwards which was mostly nice except for running by Popeye's of course! It's supposed to be incredibly wet all week which should make running with both the kids interesting tomorrow. I'm still looking forward to my 4.5 mile run this Saturday and am excited to potentially find a new route.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Week 6, Day 2 - iPhone mania
YAY! I made it to Week 6! I think this in itself is definitely something to be proud of. I'm officially 1/5 of the way through my training.... go me :)
I completed my 2 mile run uneventfully this morning with Lilah in tow. It was a temperately cool day with just enough of a schpritzing of rain to cool me down, yet not get Lilah wet. Really the only thing to note about today's run is for the first time in a long time, my running endorphins didn't zonk me out of the bad mood I was in. Maybe now that I'm used to running a little more, it requires more mileage? I don't know.
In other news, I finally got an iPhone and it's already consuming my life. I've loaded 6 hours worth of music onto it and purchased a sport type thing to wear as a status symbol upon the arm of my jacket. However, I'm perplexed as to weather or not I really need one of those GPS apps (did I spell that right?) which will tell me my distance, running time, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera....? I feel like it's kind of my duty as an American to download an ap(?) or 5 on my iPhone.... but which one? I'm not planning on answering calls while I run, but I would like to control my music while running. So...... any suggestions?
Hasta Manana
I completed my 2 mile run uneventfully this morning with Lilah in tow. It was a temperately cool day with just enough of a schpritzing of rain to cool me down, yet not get Lilah wet. Really the only thing to note about today's run is for the first time in a long time, my running endorphins didn't zonk me out of the bad mood I was in. Maybe now that I'm used to running a little more, it requires more mileage? I don't know.
In other news, I finally got an iPhone and it's already consuming my life. I've loaded 6 hours worth of music onto it and purchased a sport type thing to wear as a status symbol upon the arm of my jacket. However, I'm perplexed as to weather or not I really need one of those GPS apps (did I spell that right?) which will tell me my distance, running time, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera....? I feel like it's kind of my duty as an American to download an ap(?) or 5 on my iPhone.... but which one? I'm not planning on answering calls while I run, but I would like to control my music while running. So...... any suggestions?
Hasta Manana
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Week 5, Days 5 & 6 - Double Down
Oops! I forgot to blog yesterday! I know you all probably thought I skipped my 2 mile run which I had put off on Thursday, but I'm happy to report that I DID do the run :)
Day 5 - 2 miles
Lawrence was home, so I was lucky enough to run w/o the kiddos! It was only 37 degrees, but it actually felt warmer than Tuesdays 43 degree run. Thursday had been such an exhausting day with the EEG and all, that I finally couldn't stay awake any longer and finally fell into bed at 9:30 and slept for 11 hours! (Not to say I slept 11 hours straight - there were plenty of interruptions, but being in bed for 11 hours was amazing!) At this point I should give a shout out to my husband for putting the kids to bed on Thursday and waking up with them on Friday. 11 hours of rest made a huge difference and I felt like I really pushed hard and fast for my 2 mile run :)
Day 6 - 3 miles
Today I went 3 miles again without the kids! It was a really lovely 40-something degrees outside with the sun shining. I had a good run listening to some good music.... Is there a song out there which makes you want to run harder and faster than Outkast's B.O.B.? I don't think so! The one problem was that I had gone to Winco around lunch time and found myself unable to resist the fried chicken. I know.... terrible :( But trust me... I paid the price by spending 3 miles burping up fried chicken, which wasn't the most pleasant experience.
It's been a crazy week and I'm looking forward to after the holidays when I can finally get back to a somewhat normal schedule. I'm also looking forward to one week from today when I get to run 4.5 miles! Wow... I never thought I would ever be looking forward to running longer distances, but I am :)
So, goodnight and a very Merry Christmas to all my good friends out there :)
Day 5 - 2 miles
Lawrence was home, so I was lucky enough to run w/o the kiddos! It was only 37 degrees, but it actually felt warmer than Tuesdays 43 degree run. Thursday had been such an exhausting day with the EEG and all, that I finally couldn't stay awake any longer and finally fell into bed at 9:30 and slept for 11 hours! (Not to say I slept 11 hours straight - there were plenty of interruptions, but being in bed for 11 hours was amazing!) At this point I should give a shout out to my husband for putting the kids to bed on Thursday and waking up with them on Friday. 11 hours of rest made a huge difference and I felt like I really pushed hard and fast for my 2 mile run :)
Day 6 - 3 miles
Today I went 3 miles again without the kids! It was a really lovely 40-something degrees outside with the sun shining. I had a good run listening to some good music.... Is there a song out there which makes you want to run harder and faster than Outkast's B.O.B.? I don't think so! The one problem was that I had gone to Winco around lunch time and found myself unable to resist the fried chicken. I know.... terrible :( But trust me... I paid the price by spending 3 miles burping up fried chicken, which wasn't the most pleasant experience.
It's been a crazy week and I'm looking forward to after the holidays when I can finally get back to a somewhat normal schedule. I'm also looking forward to one week from today when I get to run 4.5 miles! Wow... I never thought I would ever be looking forward to running longer distances, but I am :)
So, goodnight and a very Merry Christmas to all my good friends out there :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Week 5, Day 4 - Again a Slacker
I didn't do my run today.
We had Lilah's EEG this morning and it was crazy as expected. I'm very thankful to my parents for taking Ari overnight, b/c it would have been really difficult to have had him at the appointment too. Since Lilah's seizures seem to generally be around an hour after she goes to sleep, it suggests that she has them between sleep cycles. Therefore, when she has her EEGs performed, they like her to start off awake, then fall asleep, then be woken up 20 minutes later so it can record all the brain patterns of a sleep cycle. So for those of you who have even had an 'almost' two year old, just imagine how your toddler would react when they are woken up at 5am to ensure they are VERY tired by 10am, then to have someone they don't know put about 30 electrodes on their heads with tape, then try to get them to go fall sleep (HA!) and once they are FINALLY in a deep sleep (from exhaustion and screaming) to wake them up 20 minutes into the nap. As you might imagine, Lilah was not a happy camper.
After the appointment it took about 10 minutes in the car for her to fall asleep again. So when I got to my parents' house to pick up Ari, I ended up putting her in the pack & play so she could nap a bit longer. I had NO idea she would sleep for 3 1/2 hrs!!
Ultimately, by the time I got home, it was well after 4pm, starting to get dark and I was personally flippin exhausted. Rest assure, I won't be skipping this run - I promise to do it tomorrow after I've gotten some sleep. However, for now it's off to bed I go...... after I drink this glass of Chardonnay :)
We had Lilah's EEG this morning and it was crazy as expected. I'm very thankful to my parents for taking Ari overnight, b/c it would have been really difficult to have had him at the appointment too. Since Lilah's seizures seem to generally be around an hour after she goes to sleep, it suggests that she has them between sleep cycles. Therefore, when she has her EEGs performed, they like her to start off awake, then fall asleep, then be woken up 20 minutes later so it can record all the brain patterns of a sleep cycle. So for those of you who have even had an 'almost' two year old, just imagine how your toddler would react when they are woken up at 5am to ensure they are VERY tired by 10am, then to have someone they don't know put about 30 electrodes on their heads with tape, then try to get them to go fall sleep (HA!) and once they are FINALLY in a deep sleep (from exhaustion and screaming) to wake them up 20 minutes into the nap. As you might imagine, Lilah was not a happy camper.
After the appointment it took about 10 minutes in the car for her to fall asleep again. So when I got to my parents' house to pick up Ari, I ended up putting her in the pack & play so she could nap a bit longer. I had NO idea she would sleep for 3 1/2 hrs!!
Ultimately, by the time I got home, it was well after 4pm, starting to get dark and I was personally flippin exhausted. Rest assure, I won't be skipping this run - I promise to do it tomorrow after I've gotten some sleep. However, for now it's off to bed I go...... after I drink this glass of Chardonnay :)
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Week 5, Day 3 - Driving Miss Lilah
Today was another 3 miler with Lilah in the frigid freezing cold. Mostly it was so hard b/c I was SOOOO tired :( For whatever reason, Lilah was basically up from Midnight - 4am so I only had about 3 good hours of sleep and then I worked again today. Once again I had to wake up early, battle rush hour traffic (which actually wasn't that bad!) and then muster the energy to run in the cold afternoon while pushing a toddler in a stroller.
I was definitely tired and a little sluggy, but I totally rallied and pushed really hard. Unfortunately, I did have to stop on 4 occasions :( Once for a traffic light where I made witty banter with another runner and her dog. Then three other times for Lilah.... when she threw her cup out of the stroller, when she threw her snack thing out of the stroller, and when she managed to get her shoe off and then she threw it out of the stroller! What can I say? The girl has a good pitching arm... hopefully one day it will make us millionaires. About mid-way through, when she was done throwing things, she fussed a bit and I got worried, but then she settled down and sat nicely for the rest of the run.
I'm not sure whether I actually ran faster or not today. I felt like I was pushing really hard, but it might have just felt that way from pushing the stroller. There was a few times I wanted to stop, but kept trudging along. I have to say I get pretty darn tootin proud of myself every time I get to the end of a run without stopping :)
However, at one point towards the end of the run, I ran past a store front window and was kind of disappointed at how I looked running in the reflection. I definitely need to stand up straighter.... I looked kind of like a tired, flabby Quasimodo trotting down the sidewalk. Then there's the whole post-baby belly flab which overflows my running pants. It was a little depressing and embarrassing, but I keep telling myself that the belly flab doesn't matter... it's my health and fitness which far outweighs my store-front window appearance - right?
I guess it doesn't matter anyway... I only have like 5 more years and 2 babies until I'm getting a tummy tuck and a boob job :)
I was definitely tired and a little sluggy, but I totally rallied and pushed really hard. Unfortunately, I did have to stop on 4 occasions :( Once for a traffic light where I made witty banter with another runner and her dog. Then three other times for Lilah.... when she threw her cup out of the stroller, when she threw her snack thing out of the stroller, and when she managed to get her shoe off and then she threw it out of the stroller! What can I say? The girl has a good pitching arm... hopefully one day it will make us millionaires. About mid-way through, when she was done throwing things, she fussed a bit and I got worried, but then she settled down and sat nicely for the rest of the run.
I'm not sure whether I actually ran faster or not today. I felt like I was pushing really hard, but it might have just felt that way from pushing the stroller. There was a few times I wanted to stop, but kept trudging along. I have to say I get pretty darn tootin proud of myself every time I get to the end of a run without stopping :)
However, at one point towards the end of the run, I ran past a store front window and was kind of disappointed at how I looked running in the reflection. I definitely need to stand up straighter.... I looked kind of like a tired, flabby Quasimodo trotting down the sidewalk. Then there's the whole post-baby belly flab which overflows my running pants. It was a little depressing and embarrassing, but I keep telling myself that the belly flab doesn't matter... it's my health and fitness which far outweighs my store-front window appearance - right?
I guess it doesn't matter anyway... I only have like 5 more years and 2 babies until I'm getting a tummy tuck and a boob job :)
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Week 5, Day 2 - Workin Mamma
Today's 2 mile run was made much more difficult actually having to work today! ARGH! I had to wake up early (GASP!) and battle rush hour traffic (NOOO!). I worked for a lovely family today doing Post-Partum support for about 4 hours and was totally zonked afterwards! I don't know how you working momma's do it! When I was done working I stopped at Fred Meyers for gas, but was SO hungry I actually parked the car and went inside for some chicken cutlets :( By the time I got home, I was tired and my belly was full... which both made me not want to run. However, since I really had no reasonable excuse to skip my run I went anyway. I was really happy to have made that decision because JUST as I was about to exit my 'warm up' and start running I received a phone call from a friend. I would have been very embarrassed had she called and I had skipped my run! So, thanks for keepin' me on point Rebecca :)
I have a bunch of 1.5 mile runs and 3 miles runs around my neighborhood, but I hadn't really thought about 2 mile runs! Since this particular training schedule ramps up by 0.5 miles every other week, I'm going to have to be creative about how to add on little amounts of extra mileage. For today's run, I ended up running my normal 1.5 route and then doubling back into my own neighborhood.
Tomorrow I'll be working again and then will have some extra errands to run. Hopefully, Lilah will sit as happily in the stroller tomorrow for our 3 miler as she was today!
I have a bunch of 1.5 mile runs and 3 miles runs around my neighborhood, but I hadn't really thought about 2 mile runs! Since this particular training schedule ramps up by 0.5 miles every other week, I'm going to have to be creative about how to add on little amounts of extra mileage. For today's run, I ended up running my normal 1.5 route and then doubling back into my own neighborhood.
Tomorrow I'll be working again and then will have some extra errands to run. Hopefully, Lilah will sit as happily in the stroller tomorrow for our 3 miler as she was today!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Week 4, Day 6 - Rounding Out the Curves
4 miles today. It's a 'milestone' (yuk yuk yuk) in three ways: 1) It's a new 'farthest distance' for my running, 2) It's the first time I've combined 2 different runs (most of my 1.5 mile run plus my 3 mile Popeye's run), and 3) I've now officially finished the 1st of my 7 months of training (Even though in reality I've been running around 6 weeks).
The run started out well enough in the freezing 37 degree temperature outside. I dressed in only some running capris and a long T-shirt. Aside from the very beginning of the run, I felt perfectly temperate nearly the whole time. However, in the beginning, my ankles were feeling really tight which is annoying. Today I suddenly remembered the 6 year old ankle injury I sustained while snowboarding in Breckenridge, CO. It's funny because in all the reading up on marathon trainings I've been doing, I had completely forgotten about it until today! It wasn't a terrible injury - just a bad sprain, but I did get to rock a set of crutches for a few weeks and one of those fashionable air cast boot things for nearly 2 months until it healed. Let me tell you... it was pretty cool. In remembering my old injury, I realized I'll have to be even a little more cognisant of my body while I'm training to ensure I don't reinjure myself. I'm also going to have to do some research on ankle exercises, both stretching and strengthening.
I've been having a little problem which maybe some of my more experienced runner friends can help me with? It seems like no matter how many times I use the restroom before I leave for a run, I STILL have to go pee about 1/2 mile into my runs. Since I'm still running lower mileage I can make it home before it gets really bad, but I know this won't do once I start running 6-7 miles. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to have to plan bathrooms into my long runs or rack up my time for the marathon because I have to hit the porto-potties! Ugh!
The other running-related issue I'm having is my earphones :( I really love my earphones because they are pink (yes, it's vain and I know it), but for some reason they're constantly falling out of my ears. It seems as though I spend 1/2 my runs sticking them back in and it's getting annoying. I have some extra styrofoam cover thingies from a previous pair of earphones, so I'll see if that helps the situation.
In the end, I ran the whole 4 miles very slowly, but I felt really good the entire time. There really was not a single moment I considered stopping or turning home early. By the end of the run, I really felt as though I could have kept going for at least another mile or two. I'm actually a little bummed that this coming week is a step down in the long run mileage and I'm going to have to wait 2 weeks to run 4.5 miles.
The run started out well enough in the freezing 37 degree temperature outside. I dressed in only some running capris and a long T-shirt. Aside from the very beginning of the run, I felt perfectly temperate nearly the whole time. However, in the beginning, my ankles were feeling really tight which is annoying. Today I suddenly remembered the 6 year old ankle injury I sustained while snowboarding in Breckenridge, CO. It's funny because in all the reading up on marathon trainings I've been doing, I had completely forgotten about it until today! It wasn't a terrible injury - just a bad sprain, but I did get to rock a set of crutches for a few weeks and one of those fashionable air cast boot things for nearly 2 months until it healed. Let me tell you... it was pretty cool. In remembering my old injury, I realized I'll have to be even a little more cognisant of my body while I'm training to ensure I don't reinjure myself. I'm also going to have to do some research on ankle exercises, both stretching and strengthening.
I've been having a little problem which maybe some of my more experienced runner friends can help me with? It seems like no matter how many times I use the restroom before I leave for a run, I STILL have to go pee about 1/2 mile into my runs. Since I'm still running lower mileage I can make it home before it gets really bad, but I know this won't do once I start running 6-7 miles. Does anyone have any suggestions? I don't want to have to plan bathrooms into my long runs or rack up my time for the marathon because I have to hit the porto-potties! Ugh!
The other running-related issue I'm having is my earphones :( I really love my earphones because they are pink (yes, it's vain and I know it), but for some reason they're constantly falling out of my ears. It seems as though I spend 1/2 my runs sticking them back in and it's getting annoying. I have some extra styrofoam cover thingies from a previous pair of earphones, so I'll see if that helps the situation.
In the end, I ran the whole 4 miles very slowly, but I felt really good the entire time. There really was not a single moment I considered stopping or turning home early. By the end of the run, I really felt as though I could have kept going for at least another mile or two. I'm actually a little bummed that this coming week is a step down in the long run mileage and I'm going to have to wait 2 weeks to run 4.5 miles.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Week 4, Day 4 - Just an Extra 100 Lbs? No Problem!
Did I mention running with both kids adds an extra 100 pounds to my workout? Since it's been a while since I took both kids out, I had forgotten about that extra 100 pound thing until.... um...20 feet into my run!!!
Yes, right from the get-go, I was reminded of how difficult it was to push both kids in the double jogger. I made it a little more than 1/2 way through my run when Lilah threw her blanket overboard and I had to turn around to get it. Something about stopping even just once for a few seconds killed the rest of the run for me. It was literally about 5 seconds during which I picked the blanket off the ground, put it back on her and tucked it around her feet. However, after the initial stop I ended up having to stop twice more.... each time for a little longer.
I remember over the summer when I was running all the time with both kids and getting really frustrated because even though I had been running for weeks, I still couldn't make it 2 miles without stopping. Then I had a single morning which I was able to take a run by myself and I able to run 5 miles and still felt great. In truth, I felt so good at the end of the run, I probably could have run farther. So, while it was a real disappointment being unable to go a full mile without stopping, I keep reminding myself pushing an extra hundred pounds will make give me more strength, speed and endurance on the day of the actual marathon.
On a positive note, it was a little warmer today (mid 40's!) and both kids sat happily in the stroller for the duration of the run. Additionally, we went to an event here in Portland called "Zoolights" in which the Portland Zoo fills the whole Zoo with Christmas Lights. It's REALLY an amazing event! We ended up staying for only 1 1/2 hrs, but it was like a whole extra workout running around in the cold with the kids in the double jogger! Here are some pics:
Yes, right from the get-go, I was reminded of how difficult it was to push both kids in the double jogger. I made it a little more than 1/2 way through my run when Lilah threw her blanket overboard and I had to turn around to get it. Something about stopping even just once for a few seconds killed the rest of the run for me. It was literally about 5 seconds during which I picked the blanket off the ground, put it back on her and tucked it around her feet. However, after the initial stop I ended up having to stop twice more.... each time for a little longer.
I remember over the summer when I was running all the time with both kids and getting really frustrated because even though I had been running for weeks, I still couldn't make it 2 miles without stopping. Then I had a single morning which I was able to take a run by myself and I able to run 5 miles and still felt great. In truth, I felt so good at the end of the run, I probably could have run farther. So, while it was a real disappointment being unable to go a full mile without stopping, I keep reminding myself pushing an extra hundred pounds will make give me more strength, speed and endurance on the day of the actual marathon.
On a positive note, it was a little warmer today (mid 40's!) and both kids sat happily in the stroller for the duration of the run. Additionally, we went to an event here in Portland called "Zoolights" in which the Portland Zoo fills the whole Zoo with Christmas Lights. It's REALLY an amazing event! We ended up staying for only 1 1/2 hrs, but it was like a whole extra workout running around in the cold with the kids in the double jogger! Here are some pics:
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Week 4, Day 3
Went on my 3 mile run today with my friend from last week. Same as last week, it's a darned tootin good thing she had her son in the stroller b/c once again I don't think I would have been able to keep up with her otherwise! It was really cold again, but we faced the weather and won! YAY! I have a couple of 3 mile runs around my neighborhood depending on my mood. Today we decided to go down by Costco, around the school, and through an older neighborhood. They say smell is the sense most connected to memory and somehow running through this old, wooded neighborhood made me a little homesick for Yorktown Heights. My house growing up backed to a little forest which was actually land owned by the Power and Gas companies. Somehow, the smells of pine, fallen leaves, frost and dampness brought me back to being a little kid trudging through the yard near our little forest.
Adding to the feeling of homesickness from the smells of the little forest was the brisk sunny day which reminded me of a perfect NY winter day. Really the thing I miss the most about where I grew up is the weather. We had 4 distinct seasons which really epitomized what the seasons were supposed to be about. Fall was cool with beautiful leaves of red, yellow and orange. Winter had a smattering of snow, and especially on the coldest days of the year the sun always seemed to be shining with ferocity over a piercing blue sky with hardly a cloud in sight. In Oregon, by contrast, there's really only 2 seasons - Summer and Winter. The rain usually starts in mid September and doesn't break until July 5th. We have an amazing 2 1/2 months of sun, but then it's straight back to wetness for the other 9 1/2 months :( Sometimes, I find the months of gray skies and relentlessly steady showers to be depressing and oppressive. However, the last few months have been really more of NY weather than Oregon.... which I have no complaints about :) For whatever reason, we had a really lovely fall with lots of bright colors and now the winter has been filled with lots of cold, sunny days. If the winter continues this way, I'll be very happy transforming into a winter runner.
Lately, I've been listening to LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (Thanks RG) pretty much non-stop. I really love running with music and I think it's time I creating my marathon playlist. Feel free to give me some suggestions! Some of my playlist wishlist for now(in no particular order):
American Woman (Kravitz OR Guess Who)
Anticipate (Ani D.)
BOB, So Fresh & So Clean, Ms. Jackson, Hey Yah (Outkast)
Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)
To Hard To Handle (Black Crowes)
You Don't Know Me (Ben Folds)
No Rain (Blind Melon)
Run Around & Hook (Blues Traveler)
Shut Up & Where is the Love (BEP)
Almost anything from Manu Chao
King of Spain & Spiderman (Moxy Fruvous)
Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (Nina Simone)
Family Affair & Rainy Dayz (Mary J. Blige)
Izzo & All I Need & Empire State of Mind & Hard Knock Life (Jay Z.)
Whatcha Say (Jason Derulo)
Rudy Can't Fail (The Clash)
A Girl Like You (Edwyn Collins)
Mirror In the Bathroom (The English Beat)
My Name is Jonas & In the Garage (Weezer)
Seven Nation Army & Black Math & The Hardest Button To Button (White Stripes)
Water Falls (TLC),
Under Pressure (David Bowie & Queen)
New Slang (The Shins)
Low Rider (War)
Human, Mr. Brightside (Killers)
Allison Road (Gin Blossoms)
Two of Us (Aimee Mann & Michael Penn)
Two Step (Dave Matthews)
Jolene (Dolly Parton)
Save Tonight (Eagle Eye Cherry)
La Tortura (Shakira)
Spiderwebs, Just a Girl, Excuse Me Mr, Sunday Morning (No Doubt)
Lose Yourself (Eminem)
Ramitas De Violet (David Broza)
Daria, Perhaps, I Will Survive (Cake)
Black Horse & The Cherry Tree (KT Tunstall)
Poker Face, Just Dance & Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
ET, Waking Up In Vegas (Katy Perry)
Turn Of the Lights (Nelly Furtado)
Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson)
Crazy In Love, Single Ladies (Beyonce)
Say My Name, Jumpin Jumpin (Destiny's Child)
Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People), ANDDDDD.....
Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO)
Adding to the feeling of homesickness from the smells of the little forest was the brisk sunny day which reminded me of a perfect NY winter day. Really the thing I miss the most about where I grew up is the weather. We had 4 distinct seasons which really epitomized what the seasons were supposed to be about. Fall was cool with beautiful leaves of red, yellow and orange. Winter had a smattering of snow, and especially on the coldest days of the year the sun always seemed to be shining with ferocity over a piercing blue sky with hardly a cloud in sight. In Oregon, by contrast, there's really only 2 seasons - Summer and Winter. The rain usually starts in mid September and doesn't break until July 5th. We have an amazing 2 1/2 months of sun, but then it's straight back to wetness for the other 9 1/2 months :( Sometimes, I find the months of gray skies and relentlessly steady showers to be depressing and oppressive. However, the last few months have been really more of NY weather than Oregon.... which I have no complaints about :) For whatever reason, we had a really lovely fall with lots of bright colors and now the winter has been filled with lots of cold, sunny days. If the winter continues this way, I'll be very happy transforming into a winter runner.
Lately, I've been listening to LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem (Thanks RG) pretty much non-stop. I really love running with music and I think it's time I creating my marathon playlist. Feel free to give me some suggestions! Some of my playlist wishlist for now(in no particular order):
American Woman (Kravitz OR Guess Who)
Anticipate (Ani D.)
BOB, So Fresh & So Clean, Ms. Jackson, Hey Yah (Outkast)
Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)
To Hard To Handle (Black Crowes)
You Don't Know Me (Ben Folds)
No Rain (Blind Melon)
Run Around & Hook (Blues Traveler)
Shut Up & Where is the Love (BEP)
Almost anything from Manu Chao
King of Spain & Spiderman (Moxy Fruvous)
Funkier Than a Mosquito's Tweeter (Nina Simone)
Family Affair & Rainy Dayz (Mary J. Blige)
Izzo & All I Need & Empire State of Mind & Hard Knock Life (Jay Z.)
Whatcha Say (Jason Derulo)
Rudy Can't Fail (The Clash)
A Girl Like You (Edwyn Collins)
Mirror In the Bathroom (The English Beat)
My Name is Jonas & In the Garage (Weezer)
Seven Nation Army & Black Math & The Hardest Button To Button (White Stripes)
Water Falls (TLC),
Under Pressure (David Bowie & Queen)
New Slang (The Shins)
Low Rider (War)
Human, Mr. Brightside (Killers)
Allison Road (Gin Blossoms)
Two of Us (Aimee Mann & Michael Penn)
Two Step (Dave Matthews)
Jolene (Dolly Parton)
Save Tonight (Eagle Eye Cherry)
La Tortura (Shakira)
Spiderwebs, Just a Girl, Excuse Me Mr, Sunday Morning (No Doubt)
Lose Yourself (Eminem)
Ramitas De Violet (David Broza)
Daria, Perhaps, I Will Survive (Cake)
Black Horse & The Cherry Tree (KT Tunstall)
Poker Face, Just Dance & Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
ET, Waking Up In Vegas (Katy Perry)
Turn Of the Lights (Nelly Furtado)
Walk Away (Kelly Clarkson)
Crazy In Love, Single Ladies (Beyonce)
Say My Name, Jumpin Jumpin (Destiny's Child)
Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People), ANDDDDD.....
Party Rock Anthem (LMFAO)
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Week 4 (FINALLY!), Day 2
After 6 days of coughing my brains out, I finally got back on the road today for a crisp 1.5 mile run! YAY!!!! However... I was just about to hit "Publish" on today's blog when I glanced up at my schedule and realized I was SUPPOSED to run 2 miles today! BOOO!!!!! Oh well. This is one of the many reasons I decided on a 30 week training schedule (not to mention a extra week thrown in here and there) - right?
It was a very cold 27 degrees this morning, but I since I had a lot of things to do this afternoon, the choice was either to run at 9am in the below freezing cold or not at all.... so I chose 9am in the below freezing cold. I knew my body would warm up a bit from running, but I was concerned about Lilah staying warm in the stroller. Little Lilah was all dressed up in her fleece PJs, fleece sweatshirt, winter hoodie coat, scarf, and two thick blankets. She seriously looked like she was wearing a Peptol Bismal colored birqa, with only her eyes and bridge of her nose visable. The poor kid was under so many layers I'm not sure if she could move, but since she stayed quiet, I'm guessing she was happy :)
The sun was shining and I had Monique's words echoing in my head that once I started running I would feel 20 degrees warmer, so I dress myself lightly for 47 degree weather! I wore running pants, a long sleeve T-shirt, a light weight rain jacket, stretchy gloves and my usual Ani Difranco "Car Tires & Chicken Wire" baseball hat. At first the cold was absolutely biting and I completely second guessed whether I should have run at all. Now, Hilary's words were echoing in my head about being so cold I couldn't feel my butt! However, I was pretty surprised around 1/3 through the run when I ended up taking off the gloves and unzipping my jacket because I was too warm! Wonders never do cease to amaze me :)
After 5 days of not running, still being slightly sick, and the frigid temperatures, it was certainly not the easy 1.5 mile run I had been hoping for. There were several times I considered turning towards home or stopping to walk, but I perservered and made it to the end of the run w/o stopping. It was a hard run, but a good one nonetheless.
Tomorrow is my 3 mile run which should also be interesting considering the cold.... but at least I won't have Lilah with me which should lighten the load.
Also, hopefully tonight I'll be able to make it through the night withought coughing my head off, Lilah tossing around too much (did I mention since her seizure she's been sleeping with us again?), or staying up too late reading my new book (I started the Hunger Games trilogy, finished the first book in less than 2 days and I can't put the friggin thing down!!).
Finally, I've decided I'm not going to post EVERY day... just every running day. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances or simply a need to purge my brain into cyberspace, I will only be posting 5 days a week. Now that we're in full swing of the training, I've realized the idiocy of posting, "So... um.... it's a rest day! That's all folks!" I love you all dearly, but this is simply the way it needs to be. I hope you can all make it through your days without reading my blathering about myself :)
It was a very cold 27 degrees this morning, but I since I had a lot of things to do this afternoon, the choice was either to run at 9am in the below freezing cold or not at all.... so I chose 9am in the below freezing cold. I knew my body would warm up a bit from running, but I was concerned about Lilah staying warm in the stroller. Little Lilah was all dressed up in her fleece PJs, fleece sweatshirt, winter hoodie coat, scarf, and two thick blankets. She seriously looked like she was wearing a Peptol Bismal colored birqa, with only her eyes and bridge of her nose visable. The poor kid was under so many layers I'm not sure if she could move, but since she stayed quiet, I'm guessing she was happy :)
The sun was shining and I had Monique's words echoing in my head that once I started running I would feel 20 degrees warmer, so I dress myself lightly for 47 degree weather! I wore running pants, a long sleeve T-shirt, a light weight rain jacket, stretchy gloves and my usual Ani Difranco "Car Tires & Chicken Wire" baseball hat. At first the cold was absolutely biting and I completely second guessed whether I should have run at all. Now, Hilary's words were echoing in my head about being so cold I couldn't feel my butt! However, I was pretty surprised around 1/3 through the run when I ended up taking off the gloves and unzipping my jacket because I was too warm! Wonders never do cease to amaze me :)
After 5 days of not running, still being slightly sick, and the frigid temperatures, it was certainly not the easy 1.5 mile run I had been hoping for. There were several times I considered turning towards home or stopping to walk, but I perservered and made it to the end of the run w/o stopping. It was a hard run, but a good one nonetheless.
Tomorrow is my 3 mile run which should also be interesting considering the cold.... but at least I won't have Lilah with me which should lighten the load.
Also, hopefully tonight I'll be able to make it through the night withought coughing my head off, Lilah tossing around too much (did I mention since her seizure she's been sleeping with us again?), or staying up too late reading my new book (I started the Hunger Games trilogy, finished the first book in less than 2 days and I can't put the friggin thing down!!).
Finally, I've decided I'm not going to post EVERY day... just every running day. So, barring any unforeseen circumstances or simply a need to purge my brain into cyberspace, I will only be posting 5 days a week. Now that we're in full swing of the training, I've realized the idiocy of posting, "So... um.... it's a rest day! That's all folks!" I love you all dearly, but this is simply the way it needs to be. I hope you can all make it through your days without reading my blathering about myself :)
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Week 3b, Day 5 - Mommy Sick Day
Ughh. I'm glad I stayed in on Thursday because the full bulk of this cold hit me on Friday. I think if I had run Thursday it would have hit me much worse, so I'm glad to have had the good sense to stay in. However, last night I was feeling bad enough that I fell alseep on the couch, the Husband made dinner and I went to bed early w/o blogging. Today is Saturday morning so I'll blog twice today. I'm already feeling better today than yesterday, but I'm still not so sure running 3 miles today will be the smartest thing to get over this cold. We'll see how I feel this afternoon.... maybe I'll just walk the 3 miles instead. I was so upset with myself for messing up my training schedule, but now I'm glad for this 're-do' week so I won't have to feel too guilty for skipping my runs.... I suppose this falls into the "everything happens for a reason" category.
It's really tough to be sick as an adult. I still remember when I was 18 living in Israel and got sick for the first time w/o my Mommy. I longed for some chicken soup, TV and TLC, but got none. For the first time in my life I realized being an 'adult' had a downside!! There was no one to take care of me when I wasn't feeling good :(
Now as a Mommy, it's a whole new level of adulthood. When you're a mom, there are no 'Sick Days' so you can sit in bed, drink tea and get better. As a sick mommy, not only is there no one to take care of you, but you have to take care of other people!!!!! WTF!! Despite feeling like crap, you still have to wake up at the crack of dawn, brush teeth, make meals, ensure naps, take the kids to soccer & dance, clean the house, do the grocery shopping, and give baths & be in charge of bedtimes. Only after everyone else is taken care of, you can finally crash into your own bed and pray everyone will sleep through the night.... which is generally when they don't.
I think someone out there needs to start a "Mommy Sick Day" business. Basically you call a service to send over a 'Grandmotherly' woman to take care of your kids, make you some some soup & tea, clean your house and start dinner in the crock pot, so I (or some other hypothetical Mommy) can finally take an uninterrupted nap and feel better. There... I just gave someone out there a million dollar idea and all I ask is to use the service for free when I need it :)
It's really tough to be sick as an adult. I still remember when I was 18 living in Israel and got sick for the first time w/o my Mommy. I longed for some chicken soup, TV and TLC, but got none. For the first time in my life I realized being an 'adult' had a downside!! There was no one to take care of me when I wasn't feeling good :(
Now as a Mommy, it's a whole new level of adulthood. When you're a mom, there are no 'Sick Days' so you can sit in bed, drink tea and get better. As a sick mommy, not only is there no one to take care of you, but you have to take care of other people!!!!! WTF!! Despite feeling like crap, you still have to wake up at the crack of dawn, brush teeth, make meals, ensure naps, take the kids to soccer & dance, clean the house, do the grocery shopping, and give baths & be in charge of bedtimes. Only after everyone else is taken care of, you can finally crash into your own bed and pray everyone will sleep through the night.... which is generally when they don't.
I think someone out there needs to start a "Mommy Sick Day" business. Basically you call a service to send over a 'Grandmotherly' woman to take care of your kids, make you some some soup & tea, clean your house and start dinner in the crock pot, so I (or some other hypothetical Mommy) can finally take an uninterrupted nap and feel better. There... I just gave someone out there a million dollar idea and all I ask is to use the service for free when I need it :)
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Week 3b, Day 4 - I'm lame... I know it...
I bailed on my run again today. I'm in the place where I'm on the fringe of sick... you know what I mean? If I take a day and rest, I'll get over it in a day or so, but if I push myself, I'm sure I'll only get worse. To be honest, I was feeling kind of crumy yesterday and I went for the 3 miles anyway. I felt great... until it was time to go to sleep. Additionally, I haven't been sleeping very well and it's been adding to my 'on-the-verge-of-sick'-ness. So I'll rest today, tomorrow is another rest day, then Saturday will be a 3 miler. I figured because of my adding mistake, this will be one of the few times in the next 6 months that I kind of can take a day or two off. Don't worry.... I'm going to run this marathon.... I just want to be somewhat healthy!
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Week 3b, Day 3 - Changin' It Up.
Today was a good 3 mile run with lots of changes from my usual MO.
1) I went into SW Portland in the area around Alpenrose Dairy with a friend. It was a different kind of run for me b/c this particular area is much 'hillier' than what I'm used to. Around my home where I usually run the hills are much more of rolling hills which gradually go up over about 1/2 mile or so, then gradually down over 1/2 mile or so. However, today's hills hills were fast & furious!!! UP UP UP followed by DOWN DOWN DOWN. I actually kind of liked the hills and was pleasantly surprised how they didn't seem particularly challenging. It was hard work, but only took a minute or so to climb, then they either went down or evened out. Also, being able to see the top of the hill was only 50 feet away rather than 1/4 mile really helped with my motivation to GET THERE!
2) Today's run was running with some friendly faces. I've never really liked running with other people b/c it always felt like there was more pressure to run faster AND chat at the same time... which I generally find to be extremely difficult and usually just burn myself out quicker and then feel embarrassed. However, my friend was pushing her toddler in the stroller while I just had myself, so we ended up running a nice easy pace!! (Lilah was home napping with Grandma watching over her - Thanks MOM!) It was a good thing my friend had her son in the stroller or I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with her, but being sans Lilah allowed me to feel independent and powerful.
3) The last difference with today's run was that I had absolutely no idea where we were going and most of the time was completely lost and turned around. It was fun being in a new location where I didn't know where the mile markers were or how far we had run. It was like a little adventure around every turn :)
Somewhere between the hills, good conversation and constant adventure, the run really flew by. I could hardly believe we finished so quickly and when we looked at the clock, we had done the 3 miles in about 32 minutes - with stroller, hills and all :)
So, in conclusion:
Good adventurous run with good friend at nice pace with good conversation and non-threatening hills. YAY!
1) I went into SW Portland in the area around Alpenrose Dairy with a friend. It was a different kind of run for me b/c this particular area is much 'hillier' than what I'm used to. Around my home where I usually run the hills are much more of rolling hills which gradually go up over about 1/2 mile or so, then gradually down over 1/2 mile or so. However, today's hills hills were fast & furious!!! UP UP UP followed by DOWN DOWN DOWN. I actually kind of liked the hills and was pleasantly surprised how they didn't seem particularly challenging. It was hard work, but only took a minute or so to climb, then they either went down or evened out. Also, being able to see the top of the hill was only 50 feet away rather than 1/4 mile really helped with my motivation to GET THERE!
2) Today's run was running with some friendly faces. I've never really liked running with other people b/c it always felt like there was more pressure to run faster AND chat at the same time... which I generally find to be extremely difficult and usually just burn myself out quicker and then feel embarrassed. However, my friend was pushing her toddler in the stroller while I just had myself, so we ended up running a nice easy pace!! (Lilah was home napping with Grandma watching over her - Thanks MOM!) It was a good thing my friend had her son in the stroller or I probably wouldn't have been able to keep up with her, but being sans Lilah allowed me to feel independent and powerful.
3) The last difference with today's run was that I had absolutely no idea where we were going and most of the time was completely lost and turned around. It was fun being in a new location where I didn't know where the mile markers were or how far we had run. It was like a little adventure around every turn :)
Somewhere between the hills, good conversation and constant adventure, the run really flew by. I could hardly believe we finished so quickly and when we looked at the clock, we had done the 3 miles in about 32 minutes - with stroller, hills and all :)
So, in conclusion:
Good adventurous run with good friend at nice pace with good conversation and non-threatening hills. YAY!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Week 3b, Day 2
Today was the first run I've skipped. Part of me says not to worry about it b/c this is technically Week 3 Part Deux anyway and I already did this last week. The other part of myself says I should have just gone out there and run the piddly 1.5 miles because I've now had 3 days of non-running in a row and this might snowball.
But I just couldn't do it... I was too tired.
Today we had our appointment with Lilah's Neurologist about her seizure 12 days ago. The appointment went well, but my motivation was squashed by some post-appointment burnout. I tend to build a lot of anxiety and pressure into the appointments with her Neurologist because we only see him twice a year... usually after a seizure. It's amazing how 45 minutes of asking/answering questions leaves me emotionally and physically drained.
He was very happy with her progress and development, but I still walked away from the appointment feeling queasy. I want him to say, "Lilah is going to grow out of this seizure crap and live a completely normal life. Her brain size will catch up with her peers and she'll be able to run, talk, read, tap dance, drive on her 16th birthday and drink on her 21st birthday. A regular education, college, marriage and children are all in her future." However, her Neurologist can't say that because there's no way to know what her future will hold. There's no way to know that about anyone - even the normal kids. But, I still wanted him to say it...
There is always a piece of my heart which thinks the seizure is killing her. The EMTs buzz busily around her and all I can do is watch helplessly... while my heart thinks my baby girl is dying in my arms. On four occasions now, my heart has gone into the precipice only to be pulled back from the edge of grief by my head's realization that she's going to be ok. The next morning she is typically herself again... smiling, playing and laughing. Conversly, it seems to take me much longer to recover .
In my head, I know we are very lucky. We have a little girl who has already faced death, battled disability and surpassed all medical expectations in her short little life of 20 months. We are lucky because we have a loving, beautiful and HAPPY little girl. Lucky because she only has a few measly seizures a few times a year. I find myself thinking about how lucky we really are...thinking about all the children who die every day either by accident or illness. All the children newly diagnosed with physical, mental and developmental conditions on a daily basis. I know my family is lucky because while none of us is promised tomorrow, we DO have one, and I know it will be filled with laughter and love.
I'll run my 3 miles tomorrow and I know my body will probably be a bit sore. Today, my head and my heart both needed a break.
But I just couldn't do it... I was too tired.
Today we had our appointment with Lilah's Neurologist about her seizure 12 days ago. The appointment went well, but my motivation was squashed by some post-appointment burnout. I tend to build a lot of anxiety and pressure into the appointments with her Neurologist because we only see him twice a year... usually after a seizure. It's amazing how 45 minutes of asking/answering questions leaves me emotionally and physically drained.
He was very happy with her progress and development, but I still walked away from the appointment feeling queasy. I want him to say, "Lilah is going to grow out of this seizure crap and live a completely normal life. Her brain size will catch up with her peers and she'll be able to run, talk, read, tap dance, drive on her 16th birthday and drink on her 21st birthday. A regular education, college, marriage and children are all in her future." However, her Neurologist can't say that because there's no way to know what her future will hold. There's no way to know that about anyone - even the normal kids. But, I still wanted him to say it...
There is always a piece of my heart which thinks the seizure is killing her. The EMTs buzz busily around her and all I can do is watch helplessly... while my heart thinks my baby girl is dying in my arms. On four occasions now, my heart has gone into the precipice only to be pulled back from the edge of grief by my head's realization that she's going to be ok. The next morning she is typically herself again... smiling, playing and laughing. Conversly, it seems to take me much longer to recover .
In my head, I know we are very lucky. We have a little girl who has already faced death, battled disability and surpassed all medical expectations in her short little life of 20 months. We are lucky because we have a loving, beautiful and HAPPY little girl. Lucky because she only has a few measly seizures a few times a year. I find myself thinking about how lucky we really are...thinking about all the children who die every day either by accident or illness. All the children newly diagnosed with physical, mental and developmental conditions on a daily basis. I know my family is lucky because while none of us is promised tomorrow, we DO have one, and I know it will be filled with laughter and love.
I'll run my 3 miles tomorrow and I know my body will probably be a bit sore. Today, my head and my heart both needed a break.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Week 3a, Day 7
Nothing much to write today. Once again, I did the rounds in Costco instead of actually 'walking' for 45 minutes. Went to a nice baby shower too :) That's all I gots for now. Until manana!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Week 3a, Day 6 - Charging the Hill
Today was a 3 mile run and I decided to go up by the Nike campus. It's a 1.5 mile straight shot up to Murray Blvd and again back again to make an even 3 miles. For some reason I always get a little intimidated by the hill up to Murray. According to Mapmyrun.com, it's only a 40 foot climb and doesn't actually count as a hill at all, but for some reason it really intimidates me! I've run up it probably 100 times and have conquered much larger and scarier hills, but this one always fills me with a little anxiety... Kind of like the ramp up from the water on the Vera Katz Esplanade in downtown Portland. No one in the world would consider it a hill except me, but every time I make it to the top w/o stopping I feel as though I've really accomplished something. However, since I didn't feel like running past Popeye's today, nor did I feel creative enough to make up a new route.... up the hill I went.
It was around 30 degrees this morning when we woke up, so I waited to go until Noonish when Lilah went down for her nap. Even though it was still around 40ish degrees it was still incredibly cold. I only wore some long long pants and a T-shirt thinking it would be enough, but I was still freezing for the first 1/2 mile or so. Like I couldn't help wondering if maybe I should wearing some gloves or a hat or something, but since I'm still a newbie to all this running stuff I really don't know any better. So.... if there's someone out there reading this who is more experienced, please let me know what gear I should we wearing for cold weather running!!
It was a really nice run in the crisp, cool air with the sun shining and it did a lot to improve my mood. I won't go into it, but I wasn't exactly in the best of moods before I left.
Well folks, I think that's all I got for tonight. Tomorrow is my Sunday 'walking' day, which I really will try to do for a change :)
The hill:
It was around 30 degrees this morning when we woke up, so I waited to go until Noonish when Lilah went down for her nap. Even though it was still around 40ish degrees it was still incredibly cold. I only wore some long long pants and a T-shirt thinking it would be enough, but I was still freezing for the first 1/2 mile or so. Like I couldn't help wondering if maybe I should wearing some gloves or a hat or something, but since I'm still a newbie to all this running stuff I really don't know any better. So.... if there's someone out there reading this who is more experienced, please let me know what gear I should we wearing for cold weather running!!
It was a really nice run in the crisp, cool air with the sun shining and it did a lot to improve my mood. I won't go into it, but I wasn't exactly in the best of moods before I left.
Well folks, I think that's all I got for tonight. Tomorrow is my Sunday 'walking' day, which I really will try to do for a change :)
The hill:
Friday, December 2, 2011
Week 3a, Day 5
Keeping it short and sweet today since it was a rest day. After Lilah kept us up for most of the night (not medical reasons, just normal Lilah wanting to play all night), I actually did try to take it easy for the whole morning. Then I threw the kids in the car and went to the zoo to meet up with a friend and his son. It was a perfectly sunny, crisply cool day and we ended up walking around for 3 hours. It was a nice rest day.
I guess tomorrow I'll be running 3 miles, so my goal for tonight will be not to drink too much wine :)
I guess tomorrow I'll be running 3 miles, so my goal for tonight will be not to drink too much wine :)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Week 3a, Day 4 - Gettin' It Done on the Treadmill
Today I ran on a treadmill for the first time in a long time. I had forgotten how boring it is to run on a treadmill. You're running fast, but going nowhere. Instead of the wind on your face, you have recirculated gym air blown onto your face from the treadmill fan. Instead of pushing yourself to keep running until the next streetlight, you push yourself to make it for another 30 seconds.
When I was pregnant with Lilah, I took a "Natural Birthing Techniques" class and we were all given a cup with ice cubes and were told to stick our hand into it for 1 minute and deal with the pain in whatever way feels most natural. This was supposed to be a VERY basic introduction of pain coping techniques and the ice was supposed to 'simulate' a contraction. My 'natural' coping method has always been to stare up at a clock and count the seconds until it's over. I had always passed time this way when pumping gas, waiting for the copier, running to the bathroom, etc... when time needed to pass faster, I would count it. Then the instructor introduced several other methods of dealing with pain coping so by the end we had simulated about 10 different contractions using different methods such as massage, conversation, meditation, looking at pictures, story telling, smelling things, etc. What I found through this "Class" was this counting thing I've always done was actually the most ineffective way of passing the time and pain for me. It actually made the 'contraction' feel longer and more painful than any of the other methods introduced to us. Rather than going into all the possible underlying psychological ramifications of this discovery, we'll simply state this epiphany was a tremendous eye opener and ever since the class, I have tried not to count along with the microwave when I'm waiting for my lunch.
So what's the moral of the story? The moral is that I had forgotten how when you're trying to run on a treadmill there are no distractions from the digital red workout summary strip showing how long you've run, how fast you're running, how many calories you've burned and your distance..... and it's painful to stare at. Instead of being out on the road, feeling empowered with the knowledge you're watching the world go past by the sheer power of your own two feet to move it,... you're locked in a competition against the treadmill itself. Granted it DID make me want to run faster!! I was running 6-7 mph nearly the whole time and ran my 1.5 miles in 14:30 which I'm satisfied with. I was running really hard for me and had sweat dripping down my brow the whole time. Although right after I wrote the previous sentence, I was bummed out a little when I looked up the training calculator on Runner's World and it said at the pace I ran today it would still take me around 5 hours to finish the marathon.
I guess I need to return to what my original intentions are for this project and this blog. My intentions are to finish the marathon with no set time limit, injury free and to also enjoy the process overall even though I know there will be difficult parts and there will be times I want to quit. So that being said, for the next 27 weeks I'll be staying away from treadmills and anything else which will force me to count anything.
I mean seriously.... which would you prefer?
and on another note, when I sat down to write, I really thought I was going to write about the unfortunate choice of either falling off the treadmill or accidentally hitting the 'Emergency Off" button with your belly.... I guess my fingers have a mind of their own :)
When I was pregnant with Lilah, I took a "Natural Birthing Techniques" class and we were all given a cup with ice cubes and were told to stick our hand into it for 1 minute and deal with the pain in whatever way feels most natural. This was supposed to be a VERY basic introduction of pain coping techniques and the ice was supposed to 'simulate' a contraction. My 'natural' coping method has always been to stare up at a clock and count the seconds until it's over. I had always passed time this way when pumping gas, waiting for the copier, running to the bathroom, etc... when time needed to pass faster, I would count it. Then the instructor introduced several other methods of dealing with pain coping so by the end we had simulated about 10 different contractions using different methods such as massage, conversation, meditation, looking at pictures, story telling, smelling things, etc. What I found through this "Class" was this counting thing I've always done was actually the most ineffective way of passing the time and pain for me. It actually made the 'contraction' feel longer and more painful than any of the other methods introduced to us. Rather than going into all the possible underlying psychological ramifications of this discovery, we'll simply state this epiphany was a tremendous eye opener and ever since the class, I have tried not to count along with the microwave when I'm waiting for my lunch.
So what's the moral of the story? The moral is that I had forgotten how when you're trying to run on a treadmill there are no distractions from the digital red workout summary strip showing how long you've run, how fast you're running, how many calories you've burned and your distance..... and it's painful to stare at. Instead of being out on the road, feeling empowered with the knowledge you're watching the world go past by the sheer power of your own two feet to move it,... you're locked in a competition against the treadmill itself. Granted it DID make me want to run faster!! I was running 6-7 mph nearly the whole time and ran my 1.5 miles in 14:30 which I'm satisfied with. I was running really hard for me and had sweat dripping down my brow the whole time. Although right after I wrote the previous sentence, I was bummed out a little when I looked up the training calculator on Runner's World and it said at the pace I ran today it would still take me around 5 hours to finish the marathon.
I guess I need to return to what my original intentions are for this project and this blog. My intentions are to finish the marathon with no set time limit, injury free and to also enjoy the process overall even though I know there will be difficult parts and there will be times I want to quit. So that being said, for the next 27 weeks I'll be staying away from treadmills and anything else which will force me to count anything.
I mean seriously.... which would you prefer?
and on another note, when I sat down to write, I really thought I was going to write about the unfortunate choice of either falling off the treadmill or accidentally hitting the 'Emergency Off" button with your belly.... I guess my fingers have a mind of their own :)
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Week 3, Day 3 - Rant against Popeye's and pre-mature Memory loss
Let's just jump into it, shall we?
Running:
Today I was not a rock star or a champion....Before I even left the house, I knew it was going to be a tough day for me. I drank too much coffee, hadn't eaten a good breakfast (just the scraps of Ari's breakfast), and was just feeling a little sluggish. Lilah on the other hand was a rock star AND a champion in the stroller today. She had a little fuss in the beginning, but then sat back to enjoy the rest of the ride. She was all tucked in with blankets, had some yummy juice and a snack thing filled with Pirate's Booty which seemed to keep her occupied. The genius of these snack cup things is that it's actually HARD to actually get the snack out...I mean it's seriously hard for me, let alone a toddler! In fact, it requires such a fete of dexterity, the kids can only really take out one piece food at a time, so it really keeps them occupied for a nice long while :)
SO, back to the run....Right out of the gates I had a little bit of knee pain and it kind of freaked me out. Maybe it was b/c I already felt sluggy, but I got nervous my slight knee pain would instantly turn into patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner's knee) and I would maimed for life. I was mad at myself for getting last year's $100 shoes on sale for $60 instead of splurging for the Portland Running Company recommended $135 shoes and now I was developing a major knee injury which was eventually going to require surgery, not to mention I was obviously going to have to drop out of the damned Marathon training only 3 weeks in!! ARGHHH!!!!!! Luckily, it resolved itself in less than a block....so, crisis averted this time :)
SO, back to the run....Once my knee felt better, I suddenly had to pee. To stop or not to stop?... that was the question! The Quick Stop? Biscuits? Fred Meyer's? McDonald's? Squat behind a bush? I really didn't want to stop because it would basically ruin the sanctity of the 3 mile run. In the end, I figured it would be easier to suck it up (or 'hold it in'?) than try to negotiate a public restroom with Lilah in the stroller and not buy something.
SO... back to the run...There I was trotting down the road feelin' sluggy and holding in pee, when I approached the Popeye's... I hate the flippin Popeye's. Somehow when I'm planning my route, I always seem to forget about it and then..... I.... SMELL....IT.... and part of me wants to wretch. I have no idea what kind of oil they use at Popeye's but I swear you can smell it from 1/2 mile away and it smells putrid! The unmistakable wafting scent of Popeye's conjures images of trying to eat some delicious chicken only to have the taste of never-changed-deep-fryer-oil in my mouth and oily disgustingness dripping down my chin. Not that I was ever a huge Popeye's fan (I'm more of a KFC girl), but now I'm convinced Popeye's is a serious afront to chicken lovers everywhere. I seriously have been unable to eat Popeye's since the first time I ran past it a long, long time ago. Maybe it has something to do with running in the fresh air one second and being olfactorily assaulted by the smell of deep fry out of nowhere a moment later??? Maybe today it was so much worse because it was actually sunny and there was no rain to drown out the smell?? I don't know... but I also pass a Subway, IHOP and McDonald's, and none of them have the horrible oil/fry smell of Popeye's. Ickers...
SO, back to the run.... I managed to finally get away from the Popeye's stench and was about half way through my 3 miles when I realized I might have forgotten to turn off the stove!! I like to eat a hard boiled egg when I get home from my runs, so I put the egg on the stove, bring it to a boil, then turn the burner off to let the egg cook while I'm gone. Today, I remembered the pot boiling, but I couldn't remember turning the burner off..... CRAP. So I took off like a speeding bullet down the road as fast as I could, only to burn myself out within 1/4 mile. I spent the whole last 1/2 of my run alternating between sprinting and power-walking. I'm glad I didn't give Lilah whiplash. On the bright side, I technically ran/walked more than 3 miles because I was so fearful over the stupid eggs that I didn't actually 'cool down'... oh... and I had turned the eggs off afterall.
SO, there's my detailed report on my whopping 3 miles of running today.
In other news, I realized I accidentally skipped a week on the calendar when I was creating my training schedule! DOUBLE CRAP! Really I should have started my training on 11/21 rather than 11/14 and I should only be in Week 2 right now. Sigh.... So I guess I'll just do this week of training again next week and I'll be training for 31 weeks. Are you convinced I'm losing my mind yet?
and lastly:
Food:
I kept up my food journal until around 2pm when it all fell apart. I'm embarrased to even tell how many cookies I ate today :( They're just SOOOO good! Lucky for me, tomorrow is another day :)
Running:
Today I was not a rock star or a champion....Before I even left the house, I knew it was going to be a tough day for me. I drank too much coffee, hadn't eaten a good breakfast (just the scraps of Ari's breakfast), and was just feeling a little sluggish. Lilah on the other hand was a rock star AND a champion in the stroller today. She had a little fuss in the beginning, but then sat back to enjoy the rest of the ride. She was all tucked in with blankets, had some yummy juice and a snack thing filled with Pirate's Booty which seemed to keep her occupied. The genius of these snack cup things is that it's actually HARD to actually get the snack out...I mean it's seriously hard for me, let alone a toddler! In fact, it requires such a fete of dexterity, the kids can only really take out one piece food at a time, so it really keeps them occupied for a nice long while :)
SO, back to the run....Right out of the gates I had a little bit of knee pain and it kind of freaked me out. Maybe it was b/c I already felt sluggy, but I got nervous my slight knee pain would instantly turn into patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner's knee) and I would maimed for life. I was mad at myself for getting last year's $100 shoes on sale for $60 instead of splurging for the Portland Running Company recommended $135 shoes and now I was developing a major knee injury which was eventually going to require surgery, not to mention I was obviously going to have to drop out of the damned Marathon training only 3 weeks in!! ARGHHH!!!!!! Luckily, it resolved itself in less than a block....so, crisis averted this time :)
SO, back to the run....Once my knee felt better, I suddenly had to pee. To stop or not to stop?... that was the question! The Quick Stop? Biscuits? Fred Meyer's? McDonald's? Squat behind a bush? I really didn't want to stop because it would basically ruin the sanctity of the 3 mile run. In the end, I figured it would be easier to suck it up (or 'hold it in'?) than try to negotiate a public restroom with Lilah in the stroller and not buy something.
SO... back to the run...There I was trotting down the road feelin' sluggy and holding in pee, when I approached the Popeye's... I hate the flippin Popeye's. Somehow when I'm planning my route, I always seem to forget about it and then..... I.... SMELL....IT.... and part of me wants to wretch. I have no idea what kind of oil they use at Popeye's but I swear you can smell it from 1/2 mile away and it smells putrid! The unmistakable wafting scent of Popeye's conjures images of trying to eat some delicious chicken only to have the taste of never-changed-deep-fryer-oil in my mouth and oily disgustingness dripping down my chin. Not that I was ever a huge Popeye's fan (I'm more of a KFC girl), but now I'm convinced Popeye's is a serious afront to chicken lovers everywhere. I seriously have been unable to eat Popeye's since the first time I ran past it a long, long time ago. Maybe it has something to do with running in the fresh air one second and being olfactorily assaulted by the smell of deep fry out of nowhere a moment later??? Maybe today it was so much worse because it was actually sunny and there was no rain to drown out the smell?? I don't know... but I also pass a Subway, IHOP and McDonald's, and none of them have the horrible oil/fry smell of Popeye's. Ickers...
SO, back to the run.... I managed to finally get away from the Popeye's stench and was about half way through my 3 miles when I realized I might have forgotten to turn off the stove!! I like to eat a hard boiled egg when I get home from my runs, so I put the egg on the stove, bring it to a boil, then turn the burner off to let the egg cook while I'm gone. Today, I remembered the pot boiling, but I couldn't remember turning the burner off..... CRAP. So I took off like a speeding bullet down the road as fast as I could, only to burn myself out within 1/4 mile. I spent the whole last 1/2 of my run alternating between sprinting and power-walking. I'm glad I didn't give Lilah whiplash. On the bright side, I technically ran/walked more than 3 miles because I was so fearful over the stupid eggs that I didn't actually 'cool down'... oh... and I had turned the eggs off afterall.
SO, there's my detailed report on my whopping 3 miles of running today.
In other news, I realized I accidentally skipped a week on the calendar when I was creating my training schedule! DOUBLE CRAP! Really I should have started my training on 11/21 rather than 11/14 and I should only be in Week 2 right now. Sigh.... So I guess I'll just do this week of training again next week and I'll be training for 31 weeks. Are you convinced I'm losing my mind yet?
and lastly:
Food:
I kept up my food journal until around 2pm when it all fell apart. I'm embarrased to even tell how many cookies I ate today :( They're just SOOOO good! Lucky for me, tomorrow is another day :)
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Week 3, Day 2
Had another rough night due to Lilah being up crying ALL night. We think her new medication is hurting her tummy, so after 4 whole days we'll be discontinuing the new stuff until we see her Neurologist next week.
Running:
After being up all night followed by the continuing Lilah still being really fussy all morning, I was understandably hesitant about taking her out for a run. However, once she woke up from her afternoon nap she was in a much better mood and I decided to chance it and put her in the stroller. I figured it would only be a 1.5 mile loop around my neighborhood and I would have no fewer than 5 oportunities to cut it short if necessary. Luckily, Lilah did great again :) I'm really hoping she's getting used to the jogging stroller and I'll really be able to take her on my longer runs!!
Also, since I was so nervous about Lilah, I decided to run as fast as I could! I know it may not be overly impressive, but I was really proud of myself for running in just under 15 minutes :) I think running a steady 6 mph while pushing 24 lbs of Lilah plus 25 lbs of stroller is pretty darn tootin good!
Food:
I was pleasantly suprised with the scale this morning and only gained 0.6 lbs through the whole Thanksgiving weekend :) I was cetainly better with my eating today (despite the cookies!), but haven't written anything down in a few days. I'll start again tomorrow and hopefully start seeing the scale sneaking downwards again.
Running:
After being up all night followed by the continuing Lilah still being really fussy all morning, I was understandably hesitant about taking her out for a run. However, once she woke up from her afternoon nap she was in a much better mood and I decided to chance it and put her in the stroller. I figured it would only be a 1.5 mile loop around my neighborhood and I would have no fewer than 5 oportunities to cut it short if necessary. Luckily, Lilah did great again :) I'm really hoping she's getting used to the jogging stroller and I'll really be able to take her on my longer runs!!
Also, since I was so nervous about Lilah, I decided to run as fast as I could! I know it may not be overly impressive, but I was really proud of myself for running in just under 15 minutes :) I think running a steady 6 mph while pushing 24 lbs of Lilah plus 25 lbs of stroller is pretty darn tootin good!
Food:
I was pleasantly suprised with the scale this morning and only gained 0.6 lbs through the whole Thanksgiving weekend :) I was cetainly better with my eating today (despite the cookies!), but haven't written anything down in a few days. I'll start again tomorrow and hopefully start seeing the scale sneaking downwards again.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Week 2, Day 4 - Week 3, Day 1: It's been one hell of a week
I know I haven't posted in 5 whole days, but as you may have guessed from the title, it's been one hell of a week. Last Thursday, after we cleaned up from Thanksgiving dinner (right as I finished my first/last beer and was about to start blogging) we heard a little cry from Lilah and when we went up to check on her she was in the midst of a nasty seizure. It was a terribly scary experience which resulted in a full night stay at the hospital, followed by several days of recover for all of us. So, unfortunately, my blogging fell by the waist side for a few days.... however, luckily my training didn't:
Running -
Week 2, Day 4: Despite it being Thanksgiving Day with us hosting I still managed to get out for my run :) After an evening and morning of non-stop cooking, I decided to take a breather and go for a leisurely 1.5 mile run in the early afternoon. It was a nice little calm before the storm, but upon approaching my house, I realized 5 of our 8 guests had arrived while I was gone!!! OOPS! They were all super cool and actually congratulated me on making time for running which made me feel really great and even more committed :)
Week 2, Day 5: A rest day - THANK THE LORD ABOVE!!!! Due to Lilah's seizure, we ended up being admitted to the hospital in order to stay overnight for observation. Lawrence went home around midnight to look after Ari and I stayed with Lilah (Much thanks to Kelly and Lenin for leaving their own Thanksgiving dinner early so both Lawrence and I could go to the hospital). The chair/bed contraption in Lilah's hospital room was not only broken and terribly uncomfortable and I was only able to get about 2 1/2 hours of sleep. So, I was very thankful for an emotional and physical rest day.
Week 2, Day 6: I was still pretty tired and shaken from the events of the previous days, but nonetheless decided to keep with my training schedule and get out for a 3.5 miler. I promised myself not to overdo it and to stop if needed, but ultimately I felt pretty good throughout the run and managed to do the entire length without pausing. It felt really wonderful to get out of the house, away from the pressures and anxieties, and just watch my feet fly across the pavement. It really helped clear my head and recharge my batteries.
Week 2, Day 7: Once again, I skipped my "35 minute walk." I can't help it... I feel like walking is kind of superfluous. I barely sit for most of my days, and I really don't see how forcing the kids into the stroller for a 35 minute 'walking adventure' is going to make a dent in my marathon pipe dream. Next week I'll make more concerted effort .... really...
Week 3, Day 1: Today was another rest day, but once again, I hardly did any real resting. Lilah is still a little out of sorts and up at 5am, Lawrence was sick and spent most of the day working from the bed, and I was running (figuratively) like crazy all day getting the kids up, Ari fed & to school, cleaning all the bathrooms, fixing up the house from a crazy long weekend, hanging up our new "video baby monitor," taking Lilah to the Ophthalmologist, cooking dinner, and now finally sitting down to write the blog... I'm tired! I'm still a little nervous about tomorrow's run with Lilah, but I'm hoping she'll just be a trooper and enjoy it.... we'll see.....
Food:
Between Thanksgiving food goodness and being an emotional eater, I know I've done some serious damage and haven't even looked at the scale in days. I guess tomorrow I'll bite the bullet and jump on the scale. Hopefully, it won't be too disappointing.
And now a quick shot from our T-day. At one point we realized all the Dads were holding their beautiful little girls and it was adorable, so we managed to get an actual picture of it for posterity (not to mention an Ari running in the background trying to steal a lollipop out of grandma's purse!)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Week 2, Day 3 - We like all KINDS of music
Holy Mama, what a day. I've been running(figuratively) since the second I woke up this morning and I'm exhausted. Family visits, schlepping cross town, picking up stuff from friends, visiting with out of town guests, and 2 pumpkin pies, 3 challahs and the stuffing. I'm going to attempt to make this short and sweet... we'll see how that goes.
Running:
I didn't get a chance to run until after 4pm this afternoon and worried about how I would feel so late in an already hectic day. Since Lawrence was home this afternoon, I had the good fortune of being able to run all 3 miles alone in the rain and it felt grrrrreat. Because I was alone, I was able to bring my MP3 player along for the run for the first time in a long time.... man I LOVE running to music!! Also, I didn't really time myself, but I think it only took me about 30-ish minutes which I'm proud of. I felt like I ran really strong and hard with the pavement flying under my feet. I think the music helped me along... here's my playlist (minus a few skips):
1) Nina Simone - Funkier than a mosquito's tweeter (5:19)
2) Moxy Fruvous - Spiderman (2:37)
3) Cake - I will survive (5:19) - Twice :)
4) White stripes - Black Math (3:04)
5) Dire Straits - Sulton of Swing (4:24)
Food:
The scale was down another 0.6 lbs this morning which made me really happy, but after checking the scale, I barely had a moment to breathe! I was so busy today, it felt like I aredly ate and when I did I didn't make the best choices. My healthy choices were a hard boiled egg, tomato soup, a bowl of salsa, 2 apples and a banana, but I my unhealthy choices included 2 mini muffins, tomato soup (I had 4 bowls and made it with 2% milk!), the tostitos which went with the salsa, AAAND a Carl's Jr. Single Steakhouse burger (hold the cheese please!). Not to mention the non-boxed glass of wine sitting next to me while I type.... oh well.
I'm going to
Running:
I didn't get a chance to run until after 4pm this afternoon and worried about how I would feel so late in an already hectic day. Since Lawrence was home this afternoon, I had the good fortune of being able to run all 3 miles alone in the rain and it felt grrrrreat. Because I was alone, I was able to bring my MP3 player along for the run for the first time in a long time.... man I LOVE running to music!! Also, I didn't really time myself, but I think it only took me about 30-ish minutes which I'm proud of. I felt like I ran really strong and hard with the pavement flying under my feet. I think the music helped me along... here's my playlist (minus a few skips):
1) Nina Simone - Funkier than a mosquito's tweeter (5:19)
2) Moxy Fruvous - Spiderman (2:37)
3) Cake - I will survive (5:19) - Twice :)
4) White stripes - Black Math (3:04)
5) Dire Straits - Sulton of Swing (4:24)
Food:
The scale was down another 0.6 lbs this morning which made me really happy, but after checking the scale, I barely had a moment to breathe! I was so busy today, it felt like I aredly ate and when I did I didn't make the best choices. My healthy choices were a hard boiled egg, tomato soup, a bowl of salsa, 2 apples and a banana, but I my unhealthy choices included 2 mini muffins, tomato soup (I had 4 bowls and made it with 2% milk!), the tostitos which went with the salsa, AAAND a Carl's Jr. Single Steakhouse burger (hold the cheese please!). Not to mention the non-boxed glass of wine sitting next to me while I type.... oh well.
I'm going to
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Week 2, Day 2 - Yesterday Take 2
Running:
Today was AWESOME!! For years, people have been telling me that one day I'll start to enjoy running, but I always thought they were complete lunatics. But lo & behold, I do believe I've finally started to love running :) I re-ran my 1.5 miles from yesterday and had a really great time doing it. The rain was pounding all night long and all I could think about was how miserable Lilah would be in the stroller in the pouring rain. So as soon as we were all officially awake, I threw on my running gear and ran out the door (thereby leaving the kids at home with Husband). It was practically a monsoon outside and it was raining so hard and my shoes were soaked before I even finished with my warm-up. Lucky for me I like running in the cold rain :) I think it speaks to the kid inside me who still loves jumping in puddles, not to mention it made be feel so bonifide to be out running in that kind of weather.
Since I didn't have to run with Lilah, I really felt like I could ramp up the speed. Every time I started slowing down, I said to myself, "KNOCK IT OFF! I have no kids with me and therefore no excuse to run slowly, so STOP messing around and RUN FASTER!" At one point I saw another runner along the way and I was like, "YEAH!! WE'RE SO AWESOME FOR BEING OUT HERE IN THE RAIN!!" but, she just nodded and looked at me like I was a crazy person.
It also helped me to run during rush hour b/c my route is on a pretty high traffic area and I always feel like such a loser if some one sees me walking. I have been guilty on several runs of only actually running when a car was near, then stopping to walk as soon as they passed me :( Today there wasn't a single break in the onslaught of cars and therefore not even an opportunity to stop. Sometimes, I thought I could just hear all the people in their cars looking at me and thinking, "Wow.... look at that totally committed runner who is running so fast in this monsoon like downpour! She must be a really bonifide running person... YOU GO GIRL!"
Food:
As expected, my weight was down another pound today putting me back to pre-weekend weight.....stupid salt. Grrrrr. I started the day pretty well with eating, but I seem to have this mid-afternoon need to eat. I keep reading all these studies which say people report losing more weight when they eat a small meal every three hours. I've had success doing this in the past, but then I always seem to fall right back into the pattern of grazing all afternoon until I finally binge on something fattening b/c I had never actually satiated my hunger. Tomorrow I'll attempt to combat my afternoon snacking with a yogurt or maybe some Tostitos and salsa. So there!
Tomorrow I'll hopefully get to do my 3 miler alone! Husband will be coming home around noonish to watch the kiddos so I can start cooking for T-day.... but there ain't nothing wrong with throwing a 3 mile run in there :) I think I'll also spend part of tomorrow working on my Thanksgiving diet game plan. There will be lots and lots of yummy food and I don't want to deprive myself, but I also don't want to gorge myself.
Today was AWESOME!! For years, people have been telling me that one day I'll start to enjoy running, but I always thought they were complete lunatics. But lo & behold, I do believe I've finally started to love running :) I re-ran my 1.5 miles from yesterday and had a really great time doing it. The rain was pounding all night long and all I could think about was how miserable Lilah would be in the stroller in the pouring rain. So as soon as we were all officially awake, I threw on my running gear and ran out the door (thereby leaving the kids at home with Husband). It was practically a monsoon outside and it was raining so hard and my shoes were soaked before I even finished with my warm-up. Lucky for me I like running in the cold rain :) I think it speaks to the kid inside me who still loves jumping in puddles, not to mention it made be feel so bonifide to be out running in that kind of weather.
Since I didn't have to run with Lilah, I really felt like I could ramp up the speed. Every time I started slowing down, I said to myself, "KNOCK IT OFF! I have no kids with me and therefore no excuse to run slowly, so STOP messing around and RUN FASTER!" At one point I saw another runner along the way and I was like, "YEAH!! WE'RE SO AWESOME FOR BEING OUT HERE IN THE RAIN!!" but, she just nodded and looked at me like I was a crazy person.
It also helped me to run during rush hour b/c my route is on a pretty high traffic area and I always feel like such a loser if some one sees me walking. I have been guilty on several runs of only actually running when a car was near, then stopping to walk as soon as they passed me :( Today there wasn't a single break in the onslaught of cars and therefore not even an opportunity to stop. Sometimes, I thought I could just hear all the people in their cars looking at me and thinking, "Wow.... look at that totally committed runner who is running so fast in this monsoon like downpour! She must be a really bonifide running person... YOU GO GIRL!"
Food:
As expected, my weight was down another pound today putting me back to pre-weekend weight.....stupid salt. Grrrrr. I started the day pretty well with eating, but I seem to have this mid-afternoon need to eat. I keep reading all these studies which say people report losing more weight when they eat a small meal every three hours. I've had success doing this in the past, but then I always seem to fall right back into the pattern of grazing all afternoon until I finally binge on something fattening b/c I had never actually satiated my hunger. Tomorrow I'll attempt to combat my afternoon snacking with a yogurt or maybe some Tostitos and salsa. So there!
Tomorrow I'll hopefully get to do my 3 miler alone! Husband will be coming home around noonish to watch the kiddos so I can start cooking for T-day.... but there ain't nothing wrong with throwing a 3 mile run in there :) I think I'll also spend part of tomorrow working on my Thanksgiving diet game plan. There will be lots and lots of yummy food and I don't want to deprive myself, but I also don't want to gorge myself.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Week 2, Day 1 - Getting Ahead of Myself for a Change
Running:
I woke up this morning in a grouchy mood. I don't know why exactly..... I didn't feel rested from my night's sleep, I knew the scale would be up from last week, Husband had an early meeting so I'd be on my own to get the kids up & Ari to school. So when it came time to go running, I just plain didn't feel like it - especially in the cold cold rain. However, I made a commitment to do this running thing and I just couldn't bail on the first day of the second week - especially on a measly 1.5 miler. So, I dressed Lilah really warm, threw her in the stroller and went anyway. Then, about 1/2 way through my run, I realized that today is Monday and therefore a rest day?!?!? GWWWARR....WTF - I think I'm definitely losing my mind....you know, as opposed to normal when I simply can't remember anything...
At first I was annoyed at myself for making such a dumb mistake and figured I should just stop where I was and walk home the quick way. Part of me was a little worried about running more than what was on my training schedule and accidently injuring myself. But, then logic kicked in and I realized running an extra 1.5 measly miles literally won't hurt me. I also realized how Lilah was sitting so happily in the stroller AND I was feeling really strong and powerful on my run - it would be silly to stop!!! In the end, I'm really glad I finished my measly 1.5 miles because it really turned my whole day around. After all, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands." RIIGHT?!?!?? (Don't worry husband, I have no plans to shoot you!) So, I'm looking forward to picking up again tomorrow and getting right back on schedule.
Food:
As expected, I was up .6 pounds from last week :( But I really do think it was all the salt. I did pretty well today with the food. I almost blew it by eating an entire bag of popcorn this afternoon, but at least it was the Weight Watchers popcorn so there wasn't too much damage. Of my 32 allotted points for the day, I've used approximately 31.5 :) Hopefully tomorrow's scale will be nicer to me.
Finally, I want to give a shout out to my niece Miranda who completed the Brooklyn Marathon yesterday in an amazing 4:07! I'm SOOOOOO proud of you! Got any tips for your dear old Auntie?
I woke up this morning in a grouchy mood. I don't know why exactly..... I didn't feel rested from my night's sleep, I knew the scale would be up from last week, Husband had an early meeting so I'd be on my own to get the kids up & Ari to school. So when it came time to go running, I just plain didn't feel like it - especially in the cold cold rain. However, I made a commitment to do this running thing and I just couldn't bail on the first day of the second week - especially on a measly 1.5 miler. So, I dressed Lilah really warm, threw her in the stroller and went anyway. Then, about 1/2 way through my run, I realized that today is Monday and therefore a rest day?!?!? GWWWARR....WTF - I think I'm definitely losing my mind....you know, as opposed to normal when I simply can't remember anything...
At first I was annoyed at myself for making such a dumb mistake and figured I should just stop where I was and walk home the quick way. Part of me was a little worried about running more than what was on my training schedule and accidently injuring myself. But, then logic kicked in and I realized running an extra 1.5 measly miles literally won't hurt me. I also realized how Lilah was sitting so happily in the stroller AND I was feeling really strong and powerful on my run - it would be silly to stop!!! In the end, I'm really glad I finished my measly 1.5 miles because it really turned my whole day around. After all, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands." RIIGHT?!?!?? (Don't worry husband, I have no plans to shoot you!) So, I'm looking forward to picking up again tomorrow and getting right back on schedule.
Food:
As expected, I was up .6 pounds from last week :( But I really do think it was all the salt. I did pretty well today with the food. I almost blew it by eating an entire bag of popcorn this afternoon, but at least it was the Weight Watchers popcorn so there wasn't too much damage. Of my 32 allotted points for the day, I've used approximately 31.5 :) Hopefully tomorrow's scale will be nicer to me.
Finally, I want to give a shout out to my niece Miranda who completed the Brooklyn Marathon yesterday in an amazing 4:07! I'm SOOOOOO proud of you! Got any tips for your dear old Auntie?
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Week 1, Day 6 - Can I get a Mulligan?
Today was a null day.... no running and barely dieting.
Running: Not a running day, but it wasn't supposed to be a rest day either. I was supposed to "walk" for 30 minutes...... Does walking around Costco for about 30 minutes count?.... I'm not so sure. Alas, one of the reasons I've elected to do the 30 week training program is because I'm a busy lady with two little kids and if I miss a 30 minute walk here and there, I don't believe it will be the end of the world. Tomorrow is another 1.5 miler with Miss Lilah and I'm hoping it goes well. I realized the loop I had been running was actually a little short of 1.5, which was dissapointing :( So, tomorrow will be the real deal.
Food:
If you can believe it, I was 2.5 pounds UP this morning!?!?!?!?!??! How does one gain 2.5 pounds overnight you may ask? Well, I have no F-ing idea. I'm hoping that due to the very salty steak on Friday and the Corned Beef yesterday, it's simply an issue of retaining water from too much salt and all the water will leave my body very soon. I know tomorrow's scale will probably go up from last week which really dissapoints me. So, instead of jumping back on the horse immediately, I'm having a glass of 'non-boxed-&-not-so-terrible' wine :) Don't worry... I'm not throwing in the towel, I'm just taking a day. Next week will be better - right?
Running: Not a running day, but it wasn't supposed to be a rest day either. I was supposed to "walk" for 30 minutes...... Does walking around Costco for about 30 minutes count?.... I'm not so sure. Alas, one of the reasons I've elected to do the 30 week training program is because I'm a busy lady with two little kids and if I miss a 30 minute walk here and there, I don't believe it will be the end of the world. Tomorrow is another 1.5 miler with Miss Lilah and I'm hoping it goes well. I realized the loop I had been running was actually a little short of 1.5, which was dissapointing :( So, tomorrow will be the real deal.
Food:
If you can believe it, I was 2.5 pounds UP this morning!?!?!?!?!??! How does one gain 2.5 pounds overnight you may ask? Well, I have no F-ing idea. I'm hoping that due to the very salty steak on Friday and the Corned Beef yesterday, it's simply an issue of retaining water from too much salt and all the water will leave my body very soon. I know tomorrow's scale will probably go up from last week which really dissapoints me. So, instead of jumping back on the horse immediately, I'm having a glass of 'non-boxed-&-not-so-terrible' wine :) Don't worry... I'm not throwing in the towel, I'm just taking a day. Next week will be better - right?
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Week 1, Day 6 - Tired.
I'm going to start this off by saying I'm tired.... very, very tired. Last night the husband and I decided to stream some movies in bed. Movie #1 was "You Kill Me" which was cute. Movie #2 was "Shelter Island" which was the kind of movie I HATE - suspenseful and violent with an incredibly sad twist at the end :( So we didn't end up going to bed until after 1am and then I laid there in the dark thinking about the stupid movie, even though I knew perfectly well I had to wake up early to run. So here I am writing and tired......
Running
Much to my happiness, the "Running Mamas" people were NOT axe murderers and our 'group run' was really fun! There was only the group organizer and her sister who was visiting for Thanksgiving, but 3 was definitely good company. Both ladies were really fit (which was obvious because they were wearing those running shoes that look like feet), but they were super cool and we ran and chatted with ease. I know they were definitely slowing down their pace for me (b/c I'm well aware I run like molasses), but they pretended very politely. When I run on my own, I generally feel like I'm gasping for air and wouldn't be able to shout for help if someone jumped out at me. However, when I was actually faced with being forced to converse with other people, I was completely able to. In fact, I guess I was so nervous about running with other people that I started doing that rambling thing I do where I go on and on about G-d knows what topics until I end up feeling stupid for talking so darned tootin much! There's even a slight chance they now think I'm an axe-murderer..... oh well.
Food:
Despite my valiant battle against the cheap boxed wine last night, the scale was up 0.5 lbs :( I was bummed, but I shook it off, made some coffee, ran and ate really well until about 1:30pm, then it all went to hell. We ended up going to my MILs this afternoon and she made a little feast: Corned beef & cabbage w/potatoes, Chicken & noodles w/peanut sauce, peanut brittle, and an awesome Swedish blueberry cake thing with whipped cream. I tried really hard not to overeat, but I'm only human and ended up gorging myself :( I didn't even try to capture my points :( So...... It's now 7:45 pm and I've had nothing to eat for a few hours. I think I'm going to put the little man to bed, have a glass of cheap boxed wine, and go to sleep myself. I'm scared of what the scale will read tomorrow, but hopefully it will all work out.
I feel myself getting into that too tired to write zone which is what produced the "awesome" statement the other night. So before I create yet another 'Nomi-ism,' I think I'm going to sign off for the night.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Week 1, Day 5 - I think I'm being watched.....
Running:
No running today! Today was a very nice rest day which was much needed :)
I've never experienced Internet dating, but I did something with I think is pretty similar... I went on Meetup.com to find a running group. It turns out we have a group in the Portland Metro-area called "Running Mamas" which is apparently just a group of moms like myself looking for other moms like myself to run with. Some want to run with kids and some without, but they're from all over town including out here in Beaverton. So, tomorrow I'm going to my first 'Meet-up' with other running moms sans kiddos!! I'm filled with all the same questions and insecurities I would probably have going on my first internet date.....Are these people ax murderers? Am I a big loser because I can't seem to find people to do stuff with on my own? Am I fit enough to run with other people? Well, maybe not the last one, but you get my jist which is that I'm kind of nervous about tomorrow..... not to mention they're meeting at 8am, which I think is slightly ridiculously early. Also, it doesn't help that the cheap boxed wine is sitting 2 feet away and taunting me with it's non-delicious alcoholic goodness :(
Food:
I was down another 0.2 lbs this morning which makes me happy! My friend Sarah (Hi Sarah!!) came over this morning and we made friggin delicious challah. I was SO good about my eating all day until Lawrence came home and broke into the amazingly delicious challah. The two of us pretty much devoured an entire loaf long before we actually sat down for shabbos dinner. So here it is now 7:36 and I've already used up 34 of my 32 points for the day which means I'm 2 points over. Also, it doesn't help that the cheap boxed wine is sitting 2 feet away and taunting me with it's non-delicious alcoholic goodness :( Did I mention it?
DUN, DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN........ To be continued.....
No running today! Today was a very nice rest day which was much needed :)
I've never experienced Internet dating, but I did something with I think is pretty similar... I went on Meetup.com to find a running group. It turns out we have a group in the Portland Metro-area called "Running Mamas" which is apparently just a group of moms like myself looking for other moms like myself to run with. Some want to run with kids and some without, but they're from all over town including out here in Beaverton. So, tomorrow I'm going to my first 'Meet-up' with other running moms sans kiddos!! I'm filled with all the same questions and insecurities I would probably have going on my first internet date.....Are these people ax murderers? Am I a big loser because I can't seem to find people to do stuff with on my own? Am I fit enough to run with other people? Well, maybe not the last one, but you get my jist which is that I'm kind of nervous about tomorrow..... not to mention they're meeting at 8am, which I think is slightly ridiculously early. Also, it doesn't help that the cheap boxed wine is sitting 2 feet away and taunting me with it's non-delicious alcoholic goodness :(
Food:
I was down another 0.2 lbs this morning which makes me happy! My friend Sarah (Hi Sarah!!) came over this morning and we made friggin delicious challah. I was SO good about my eating all day until Lawrence came home and broke into the amazingly delicious challah. The two of us pretty much devoured an entire loaf long before we actually sat down for shabbos dinner. So here it is now 7:36 and I've already used up 34 of my 32 points for the day which means I'm 2 points over. Also, it doesn't help that the cheap boxed wine is sitting 2 feet away and taunting me with it's non-delicious alcoholic goodness :( Did I mention it?
DUN, DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNN........ To be continued.....
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Week 1, Day 4 and some random thoughts
Running:
Today was my first official day with both the kids. Luckily, Ari actually likes going on runs with me and he does wonders to help keep Lilah under control. I sincerely think that kids are like puppies and you really do need two so they can entertain each other. Oney-way.... It was a nice fall day and while it was a still cold and damp outside, thankfully it wasn't raining. The run was only 1.5 miles, but it was really tough pushing both kids in the stroller. I did really well for the first mile, but then ran out of steam and had to run/walk the last 1/2 mile. I think I need to do some more research about how to change up a marathon training if you're doing it while pushing 2 kids in a stroller.
Food:
My weight was down another 0.2 lbs this morning which was nice, but considering how I struggled to eat all my points yesterday, I was a bit surprised my weight wasn't actually less. Today was much less of a struggle to each my points, so we'll see what happens tomorrow. It felt like I spent all afternoon getting snacks for the kids and then eating the snacks when the kids decided they didn't want it... .that's how I ended up wasting 5 of my points on a peanut butter granola bar and 1 1/2 chicken McNuggets :( But I failed to plan, so I planned to fail - as Lawrence (and the Army) says. I had an unexpected errand across town that I had to run out for and forgot to pack a few low-cal snacks for myself. Tomorrow starts the weekend again and I'm hoping my motivation won't wain with freshly baked challah and some decent non-boxed wine.
Random Thoughts by Naomi Handy:
1) Why am I blogging every day?
I'm the kind of person, who if you make tentative plans to make tentative plans, you'll never see me again, but if we set a date and time for 3 years in advance, I'll show up. I'm a list making, calendar keeping, organizationally minded person and when I attempt to engage in an activity which requires participation only when the mood hits me..... I'll never ever get hit. So, to answer my own question: I blog every day, because knowing I have to blog every day makes me more accountable to myself to follow through on my goals. As I found out over my last summer blog which I was going to blog every week, my motivation and my blog fell apart before my second blog.
2) Why don't I just embrace my post baby curves?
If it was simply an issue of curves, I wouldn't be doing this. I like the fact that I don't like like a 13 year old boy. I've always had curves and it doesn't scare me..... However, the extra fat around my belly, thighs and arms is what I'm not happy with. The truth is that my BMI is 27.63 which means I am decided overweight. I need to lose 16 pounds just to be in the "Normal" weight category!! My goal is to lose 24 pounds, but really I would be happy to lose 17 and be a 'normal' and healthy weight again. The last time I was at that weight was only 4 1/2 years ago and I see no reason why I can't get that back.
3) How did I get so awesome?
I'm not really sure how I got to be this awesome. I think it's an issue of genetics loading the gun and environment pulling the trigger.
Today was my first official day with both the kids. Luckily, Ari actually likes going on runs with me and he does wonders to help keep Lilah under control. I sincerely think that kids are like puppies and you really do need two so they can entertain each other. Oney-way.... It was a nice fall day and while it was a still cold and damp outside, thankfully it wasn't raining. The run was only 1.5 miles, but it was really tough pushing both kids in the stroller. I did really well for the first mile, but then ran out of steam and had to run/walk the last 1/2 mile. I think I need to do some more research about how to change up a marathon training if you're doing it while pushing 2 kids in a stroller.
Notice the pretty foliage which is NOT typical of a normal Oregon fall
Food:
My weight was down another 0.2 lbs this morning which was nice, but considering how I struggled to eat all my points yesterday, I was a bit surprised my weight wasn't actually less. Today was much less of a struggle to each my points, so we'll see what happens tomorrow. It felt like I spent all afternoon getting snacks for the kids and then eating the snacks when the kids decided they didn't want it... .that's how I ended up wasting 5 of my points on a peanut butter granola bar and 1 1/2 chicken McNuggets :( But I failed to plan, so I planned to fail - as Lawrence (and the Army) says. I had an unexpected errand across town that I had to run out for and forgot to pack a few low-cal snacks for myself. Tomorrow starts the weekend again and I'm hoping my motivation won't wain with freshly baked challah and some decent non-boxed wine.
Random Thoughts by Naomi Handy:
1) Why am I blogging every day?
I'm the kind of person, who if you make tentative plans to make tentative plans, you'll never see me again, but if we set a date and time for 3 years in advance, I'll show up. I'm a list making, calendar keeping, organizationally minded person and when I attempt to engage in an activity which requires participation only when the mood hits me..... I'll never ever get hit. So, to answer my own question: I blog every day, because knowing I have to blog every day makes me more accountable to myself to follow through on my goals. As I found out over my last summer blog which I was going to blog every week, my motivation and my blog fell apart before my second blog.
2) Why don't I just embrace my post baby curves?
If it was simply an issue of curves, I wouldn't be doing this. I like the fact that I don't like like a 13 year old boy. I've always had curves and it doesn't scare me..... However, the extra fat around my belly, thighs and arms is what I'm not happy with. The truth is that my BMI is 27.63 which means I am decided overweight. I need to lose 16 pounds just to be in the "Normal" weight category!! My goal is to lose 24 pounds, but really I would be happy to lose 17 and be a 'normal' and healthy weight again. The last time I was at that weight was only 4 1/2 years ago and I see no reason why I can't get that back.
3) How did I get so awesome?
I'm not really sure how I got to be this awesome. I think it's an issue of genetics loading the gun and environment pulling the trigger.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Week 1, Day 3 - Darn! Time to eat again :(
Training:
Last week when I tried my 3 mile run, Lilah wasn't having it and screamed the whole last mile home. Well despite the wind, rain and 39 degree temperature, Lilah and I made it through ALL 3 miles!! My stroller (technically Brook's stroller) has a rain guard, but Lilah REALLY didn't like it, so finally I just took it down and covered her with layers of blankets and she was pretty happy for most of the ride.
I also felt really good on my run, thus highlighting the difference between today and last Saturday when I ran after drinking too much boxed wine. At about the 2.5 mile mark, I did have to stop and walk for just a little, but I would say it was less than 1/10 mile walking. I actually timed myself and ran the whole 3 miles in 32 minutes which drops my speed to less than 11 minutes/mile.... definitely an improvement :)
Diet:
Despite my awesome Indian buffet lunch, I was still down an additional 0.4 lbs this morning. HOORAH!! I've also noticed a definite decrease in my appetite which is awesome. Usually, I would eat a huge meal, then be hungry 2 hours later. However, after my big lunch yesterday, I didn't even want dinner! I actually had to force myself to eat dinner and later a snack b/c I hadn't eaten enough points.
Today, I'm also struggling to eat enough points. It's really strange to not want to eat, or only want to eat fruits and have to stop to say to myself, "No... I gotta eat some cheese or something b/c I need more points before I go to bed!" And BELIEVE me... I'm hardly starving myself! Today I've had 2 coffees, 2 bananas, 2 apples, 2 eggs, Pot roast weight watchers lunch, corned beef sandwich, challah, a chicken strip AND a granola bar.... yet I still have another 10 points to eat!?!?!?! Maybe I'll eat ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream??? although I'd still have to eat more.
Last week when I tried my 3 mile run, Lilah wasn't having it and screamed the whole last mile home. Well despite the wind, rain and 39 degree temperature, Lilah and I made it through ALL 3 miles!! My stroller (technically Brook's stroller) has a rain guard, but Lilah REALLY didn't like it, so finally I just took it down and covered her with layers of blankets and she was pretty happy for most of the ride.
I also felt really good on my run, thus highlighting the difference between today and last Saturday when I ran after drinking too much boxed wine. At about the 2.5 mile mark, I did have to stop and walk for just a little, but I would say it was less than 1/10 mile walking. I actually timed myself and ran the whole 3 miles in 32 minutes which drops my speed to less than 11 minutes/mile.... definitely an improvement :)
Diet:
Despite my awesome Indian buffet lunch, I was still down an additional 0.4 lbs this morning. HOORAH!! I've also noticed a definite decrease in my appetite which is awesome. Usually, I would eat a huge meal, then be hungry 2 hours later. However, after my big lunch yesterday, I didn't even want dinner! I actually had to force myself to eat dinner and later a snack b/c I hadn't eaten enough points.
Today, I'm also struggling to eat enough points. It's really strange to not want to eat, or only want to eat fruits and have to stop to say to myself, "No... I gotta eat some cheese or something b/c I need more points before I go to bed!" And BELIEVE me... I'm hardly starving myself! Today I've had 2 coffees, 2 bananas, 2 apples, 2 eggs, Pot roast weight watchers lunch, corned beef sandwich, challah, a chicken strip AND a granola bar.... yet I still have another 10 points to eat!?!?!?! Maybe I'll eat ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream??? although I'd still have to eat more.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Week 1, Day 2
Running:
Today was my first official day of running and it went really well. Lilah had been pretty fussy in the morning, so I was kind of worried, but it was all for naught, since she sat so happily and quietly in the stroller that I have to admit there were moment I forgot she was there :) It was only 1.5 miles, but it felt good. Tomorrow will be a 3 miler which I'm also nervous about since her stroller limit seems to be 2 miles so far. I'll just have to say a little prayer and hope she sits as happy tomorrow as she was today.
Food:
The scale was exactly the same today as it was yesterday, which was kind of dissapointing, but I suppose staying the same is better than going up. I had given myself 34 points for today and I think I used only 31. Thank goodness I started the day good, because I pretty much blew all my points on lunch.
Today, my awesome mother took me for a belated birthday present of a Pedicure followed by Indian buffet lunch :) While it was DELICIOUS, I have no idea how many points it was. I started off by filling 1/2 my plate with cucumbers and tomatoes, then guesstimated every tablespoon I ate was about 1 point, the two pieces of tandoori chicken were 4 points each, and totally ballparked the chai tea as 2 points. So in the end, I'm thinking my lunch cost me 20 points!?!? OY VA VOY! So, I took it easy for dinner making a salad with 2 tablesppons of FF italian dressing and 2 falafel balls crumbled. Which brought me up to 28 points, then a bag of popcorn (which I gave most of to Lawrence & Ari) which brought me up to approximately 31 points depending on how accurate my lunch guessing was.
Other:
For anyone who read my over the summer blog, you know I had worked really hard to close my Diastasis Recti. Basically, my pregnancies broke my stomach muscles which made me look forever pregnant. I was really happy with my results by the end of the summer, but I've laxed on the exercises and my tummy has gone back to looking prego :( So, in addition to my Marathoning and Dieting goals, I'm also going to add back in my Diastasis goals. I'm gonna keep it simple and just do the basic exercises, but 10x per day.
So my weekly goal is as follows:
Today was my first official day of running and it went really well. Lilah had been pretty fussy in the morning, so I was kind of worried, but it was all for naught, since she sat so happily and quietly in the stroller that I have to admit there were moment I forgot she was there :) It was only 1.5 miles, but it felt good. Tomorrow will be a 3 miler which I'm also nervous about since her stroller limit seems to be 2 miles so far. I'll just have to say a little prayer and hope she sits as happy tomorrow as she was today.
Food:
The scale was exactly the same today as it was yesterday, which was kind of dissapointing, but I suppose staying the same is better than going up. I had given myself 34 points for today and I think I used only 31. Thank goodness I started the day good, because I pretty much blew all my points on lunch.
Today, my awesome mother took me for a belated birthday present of a Pedicure followed by Indian buffet lunch :) While it was DELICIOUS, I have no idea how many points it was. I started off by filling 1/2 my plate with cucumbers and tomatoes, then guesstimated every tablespoon I ate was about 1 point, the two pieces of tandoori chicken were 4 points each, and totally ballparked the chai tea as 2 points. So in the end, I'm thinking my lunch cost me 20 points!?!? OY VA VOY! So, I took it easy for dinner making a salad with 2 tablesppons of FF italian dressing and 2 falafel balls crumbled. Which brought me up to 28 points, then a bag of popcorn (which I gave most of to Lawrence & Ari) which brought me up to approximately 31 points depending on how accurate my lunch guessing was.
Other:
For anyone who read my over the summer blog, you know I had worked really hard to close my Diastasis Recti. Basically, my pregnancies broke my stomach muscles which made me look forever pregnant. I was really happy with my results by the end of the summer, but I've laxed on the exercises and my tummy has gone back to looking prego :( So, in addition to my Marathoning and Dieting goals, I'm also going to add back in my Diastasis goals. I'm gonna keep it simple and just do the basic exercises, but 10x per day.
So my weekly goal is as follows:
|
Week 1 11/14
|
Mon
|
Tue
|
Wed
|
Thu
|
Fri
|
Sat
|
Sun
|
|
Runs
|
Rest
|
1.5 m run
|
3.0m run
|
1.5 m run
|
Rest
|
3 m run
|
30 min walk
|
|
Points
|
32
|
34
|
36
|
34
|
32
|
36
|
34
|
|
Diastasis
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
10
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)