My thoughts, rants, triumphs and failures with marathon training. As well as good food that I enjoy making, by trying to eat cleaner, and make informed decisions on the products I choose to eat. Also some bits and pieces about my family which includes my husband, my two daughters, three stepsons, my amazing sister, her baby girl, and the rest of my amazing family!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Turns out 89 degrees isn't much better to run in than 95 degrees...
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Not my best decision...
Monday, August 26, 2013
Do you hear me foot?
Friday, August 23, 2013
Stress Fracture
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Hi, I'm Haili & Graci's Mom **in a bikini**
This morning was a nice seven mile loop. It was dark out when I got up, which means that soon I am going to have to either start running at night or on my treadmill... School starts next Tuesday and that alone is going to put all kinds of kinks in my perfect running routine... Do I run after work when I am totally mentally drained? Will I start skipping runs because I am tired and have a million other things in my life that need my attention? How will I get long runs in when all I can think about is getting home to Bill and the girls, and the laundry, and the girls' homework, and dinner???? And then I think, if I just run on my treadmill again, will I get the benefits of running outside that I truly need for my marathon? Ugh... Double Ugh.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Mommy Guilt
I am selfish in the mornings. I mean totally selfish. When you get married, you give that other person your time, your attention, your support, your love. When you have children you give them whatever time, attention, support and love you have left to give. And you realize that your world is no longer just your world. That you cannot go to grocery store without considering how that effects everyone else in your home. Well 5am to 7am, is my time, my time alone, my time to be selfish, my time to do my thing... So my alarm goes off at 5am, and I selfishly have it across the room forcing me to get out of bed to shut it off, thus the alarm also wakes up Bill, SELFISH DEED #1. Bill never has complained about this, ever... I then kiss Bill all over his face, paying no attention to the fact that he is sleeping soundly and has no desire to wake up at that time, SELFISH DEED #2. I then change, grab my shoes, my iPod, and hat/headband from my 'running drawer', making noise which continues to keep Bill up, SELFISH DEED #3. I then kiss Bill a few more times, he tells me to be safe, and I head out the door, I do hut it behind me, because I am not done being noisy, SELFISH DEED #4. I go out and make my coffee, stretch a little, remind myself that I need to run, that the marathon is coming, and ultimately make my way out the door. I drive to wherever I have mapped my run from and park the car... I leave my cell phone in the car. No one, no emergency at home or at work will interrupt my run, this hour is all mine, so if something is going to happen that will need my immediate attention, I highly recomend that it wait until after 6:30-7am, SELFISH DEED #5. And then I run. I do not think about the chores at home I could be doing, I do not think about the work that I left undone the day before, I do not think about anyone, at all, but me, my run, my time, my pace, how my body feels, this is my time, SELFISH DEED #6. When I am done, I am back to the real world, back home, back to obligations, back to real life. But that selfish time, that is all mine, absolutely mine.
That whole giant rant just brings me to another point... Mommy Guilt. My oldest daughter is athletic, she is driven and she a ball of fiery energy. She has been asking if when I wake up in the morning to run, I will wake her up and let her go with me. This is where Mommy Guilt enters. I know it is important to encourage her desire to run, I know that I should include her in my morning runs, and I know that I should wake her up and take her with me... But I don't. I have a list of reasons, it's 5am, she's 7 years old and needs her sleep, its chilly out, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. But it really boils down to the fact that I need this time alone, I need that piece of mind. I am a better mom, a better wife, a better employee, a better all around person when I run and have something that is my own... But I struggle with telling her no, with such a request. I need to find time to run with her... But after running 30 miles a week, I just don't want to run more... Ugh, I need to figure this out...
My goal this week, take my baby girl for a run, and see her smiling face as she beams at me with the pride she does when she is doing something she knows I will be proud of her for... Cause she isn't going to want to run with me forever... Isn't she gorgeous?
Monday, August 19, 2013
Skipping Right to Monday :)
Thursday Morning...
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Dragging Ass on Tuesday but Killing It On Wednesday!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Running in Washington is like running in an animal reserve...
Friday, August 9, 2013
Ending the week...
Thursday… Wow. Long, long day…
Started the morning with a seven mile tempo run on the levee. Bill’s mom joined me, she started walking at the beginning of where I was running, and when she saw that I had turned around she did too. Bill’s mom is about the neatest lady I’ve ever met, she is this super cute, active, ball of energy with so much love for the people around her. The girls have already started calling her grandma, it speaks immensely about what kind of person she is. And I just love visiting with her. After our little workout, we sat and drank coffee until the nanny showed up, which is when I usually leave for work!
Work was long yesterday, there are days that I just feel like my job consumes every ounce of what I have available. It can be so mentally taxing, and wanting to take such good care of these people, sometimes when it is out of my control… Anyways, a very unhappy family and an investigation, both in one day, on top of families coming in to the facility and two admissions… Stress…
Thursday night is gymnastics for the girls, they are getting so good. It impresses me their dedication and improvement since they started. My brother, who is an Arm Private that just graduated from EOD training was there last night too, he is still home through next week. His girlfriend that I had never met was with him too, really sweet girl. The boys, Bill and his mom all also came and watched the girls. It was nice for them to have a crowd and show off their abilities. J
We had the boys’ second birthday party Thursday night too, had my sister and her boyfriend over as well as everyone from gymnastics. The boys shared Bill’s oldest sons birthday a few weeks ago and this week they shared Bill’s middle son’s birthday. It is always nice to have a full house, everyone talking and laughing and playing… By the time the night ended, it was after ten and I was exhausted.
Friday… Last early morning of the week… Last day of the work week. Soooooo ready, and so glad it is Friday. Ran this morning on the levee, an easy four miles, honestly, a very slow one, it was after 11:30 before I made it to bed, so 5am came too soon. I was thinking the whole time how much peace my runs bring me. It gives me every bit of calm I need to make it through the day. And it was a long rough day...
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Marathon Called Life...
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Bathroom Break Mistake
This morning's run was scheduled to be a 5 mile Tempo run. Had my Preworkout and my Preworkout snack. I can't run with much in my stomach without "losing" it, so I usually leave it to a half of a whole wheat sandwich thin and 1T of peanut butter, a cup of black tea and 16 oz of water. This is literally the perfect combo for my stomach, always making for an excellent run. I allow my stomach 20 minutes to start digesting before heading down to the levee. Parked on the end by the bathroom this morning... EPIC mistake. I always, and I mean ALWAYS have to go to the bathroom halfway through my run, so it makes more sense to park at the other end of my run, run to the bathroom and run back to the car... Today I take off from the car, get close to my turn around point, and realize I HAVE to go to the bathroom, HAVE TO. So I look around for cars, runners, walkers, bikers... The path and road is clear. I hop down the rocks to the edge of the river, and go to the bathroom. I happily climb back to the levee, feeling relieved, lighter and happy with my pace to the halfway point, at the halfway point I realize... I don't have my key fob in my hand... and with horror realize I set it on the rock next to where I went to the bathroom... I look back down the levee and think, I am never gonna find that key... Ever... I run back to where I THINK I went to the bathroom... Pause my Nike+ tracking, and walk along the rocks, for a quarter of a mile, then I walk back... NO KEY. I start back down the rocks, thinking I am going to have to run home, have Bill drive me to the Acura and explain why I lost his Acura car key (mind you these keys cost $200-$300 for the key fob and the programming, according to acurazine.com)... I make it down the rocks the third time... No key. I climb my way back to the top and think sadly about my run time, my ruined run and the damn key... I look down the rocks, and there, sitting on a rock, right in front of my face, is the key. HALLELUJAH!!! So, grabbed the key and finished my run, in good time and thinking how funny the whole experience was. :)