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 :)
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