No rest for the weary…

Ok, here is my 101st Post Party, only on my 102nd post.

So…PARTY it up ya’ll!

Today was a rest day so of course, I didn’t rest. The Hubs and I got to go for another bike ride! We set out with nary a plan or route, only the intention to ride. We ended up riding around T-Town and across the Narrow Bridge:

It’s about 1 mile across and the cross winds can be ferocious. But it is a beautiful ride and view! In all we rode 11.29 miles in 1 hour and 6 min. And now my bottom hurts. RED informed me that she has a seat designed for women. WELL, LA te DA. Maybe I should invest in something like that for my dear rear.

It was a great day of rest….at least running rest. Now tomorrow is 10 miles! Woo who!!

Thanks to all of you for your advice on my Serious Case of the Cranks! You all had some seriously helpful hints, like eat some stinkn’ chocolate before you bite your kid's head off... But I have to say, hands down, Tressa, the Adorable wife from Training w/ a Track Coach and His Adorable Wife, had the best advice:

”I have a finely honed system for getting rid of the cranks. Me+couch+remote+blanket+dvr, find a good show (Gilmore Girls, The Office, Project Runway, etc), then insert spoon into carton of Half-Baked Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Then procede to remain this way for at least an hour. Usually my cranks are better, if not, repeat process all night if necessary!”

Advice taken. Cranks gone. Crisis diverted.

Happy weekend everyone!!!

Severe case of the cranks…

and it is not relieved by exercise.

Today I have nothing clever to blog about. 

I feel exhausted. I think I am still catching up from my whirl wind of a weekend.  I just want to crawl into my bed and stay there until I feel like getting up. And my throat hurts, not bad but scratchy, the kind of scratchy I get when I haven’t had enough sleep. 

Today I considered running 4 miles to make up for yesterday’s cut-short run but I was happy with my (S…L…O…W….) 3 miles.  I was babying my Hot Spot and ran at about a 9:24 pace.  I hate Thursday’s runs because I usually get going right after I have spent an hour teaching water aerobics and I feel so tired right from the get go.  But I had AN the RB by my side so we ran together, side by side on dreadmills.

This evening I had a severe, and I mean SEVERE, case of the cranks.  I have no idea why.  Maybe I need chocolate. I haven’t had chocolate in like 3 days.  What do you do when you get a case of the cranks? How do you not take it out on those you love (i.e. small kids with mohawks, husbands who are all of a sudden THERE, and dogs who drool and slobber)?

Tomorrow is a rest day then 10 on Saturday! I think I have suckered a friend into running with me! She is training for her first half (the You Go Girl) here in September and it works out perfectly that she needs 10 miles on Saturday too! So we will see what happens!!!

Oh and this was post 101!  WOW!  I feel like I should have done something fun, like throw a party!  I’ll see what I can come up with for a party post!

I have a hot spot…

…on the bottom of my foot.  What’s up with THAT?  The ball of my right foot felt like it was on fire today during my 6 5.22 mile run.

I had to teach Deep Water Aerobics this morning so my running schedule was thrown all off.  After that I had to get some work done because two part-time, work-from-home-and-some-in-an-office, jobs requires, well…work.  Imagine THAT.  It actually is pretty hard to manage but I am figuring it out, slowly.  And then throw in the Hubs who has been away, marathon training and a mohawk, and I don’t know right from left, up from down, good from evil, light from dark, old from new…you get the point.  I’m ALL over the place.

ANYWAYS, back to my run and the hot spot.  I didn’t get to set out for my 6 miler until 4 o’clock.  NOT my favorite time of day to run. Not by a long shot.  The Hubs got home in time to go with me so I didn’t whine, too much.  We set out with a plan to do 3 and then I would run him home and he would go get LB from daycare while I finished up the last 3.  Good plan, in theory, but not really in actuality.  At about 2.6 miles we decided he would head home and I would turn and go on.  I was jogging along at a slower-than-I-would-like-to-mention pace in the opposite direction of home.  The bottom of my foot felt like it was on fire. I tried to ignore it but it was nagging. So I mentally defeated myself and turned to hit the street that I knew the Hubs would have to drive on to get LB.  It was also  happens to be the road we live on, 1.5 miles from home.

I kept waiting to see the Hubs drive by, speedy as ever with the radio blaring and windows down.  I imagined myself sticking my thumb up and hitching a ride, jumping in at a red light and making all those who witness wonder.  I was daydreaming.  I was willing him to drive by.  But he didn’t.  I got to thinking about it and doing the math/time in my head, there is NO way he already had time to get home and get in his car and drive to and from daycare. No way. NO WAY!!!  Crud!  Dang!  Nope, there is no way BECAUSE I HAVE THE HOUSE KEY IN MY AWESOME HAT POCKET (I still love that hat by the way HERE).  Poor LB, I knew he was going to be close to the last one to leave. I never leave him there that late, especially in the summer.

My daydream of jumping in the Hub’s car after only running 4.5 miles came to a screeching halt.  My second daydream of walking home straight up hit a brick freakin wall. I had to run. I had to get home so I could let the Hubs in the house.  I was thinking of all the resourceful ways a man of his ingenuity could come up with to get into the house…but alas, as I got closer to home I saw him walking towards me.

I ended my run half because I was tired, half because I was hot, half because I had a hot spot on my foot, and half because my Hubs was locked out of the house and needed to go pick up LB.  That’s a lot of halves. I know, I never said I was good at math.

Today I ran 5.22 miles at 8:55 pace.  I guess I’ll shoot for 4 tomorrow instead of 3. 

And because it is starting to grow on me, here is Lazy Dog, LB and the Mohawk:

I will embrace the hawk.  I will hope that it will grow out and he will never ask for another one again. I would much rather him have it now, at 5 than 16.  Either way, he’s still a good boy, I just get some looks at the grocery store, or anywhere for that matter.  People judge.  Oh well…. =)

Dear July:

Um, where did you go?

I can’t believe it is already nearing the end of July. I can’t really say much about July. It has been a blur. I can’t even begin to fill you in on the past three weeks.

I had a quick trip to Oklahoma to see my dad and attend my Grandma’s 90th birthday party as a bonus this past weekend. Since Jessica (AKA My Official Race Crew) is pretty much amazing she was able to get me on a standby list (because her boyfriend works for the airlines) to fly to and from OKC for dirt cheap. The only problem? Standby. Getting into OKC was a breeze. Coming home, not so much. It seems everyone and their dog (literally, I have no idea how many dogs I saw) wanted to come to Seattle. I got bumped from 5 flights on Monday. I got the last seat on the last flight last night to get me home by midnight.

It was such a quick trip I didn’t even take my running shoes. My plan was to spend as much quality time with my dad as I could and not worry about running. I left LB home with the Hubs for some MAN time while I made the quick trip. This is the first time since my son was born that I have been to see my family alone, without him. It was weird.

And now, because I care and I hope that some of you may learn from my mistake, this is what happens when you leave your Hubs, who has been in a 3rd world country for 7 months, in charge of your LB (who has his 5 year old birthday pics this week) for + or – 72 hours:

I came home to find (when I went up to kiss him hello and goodnight at midnight) my sweet little boy with THIS atop his head.

Good thing it is summer. It will grow? Right?

****sigh****

Today was the beginning of week 8 of Portland Marathon training. I went out for an easy three miles in the sun! Since July has been pretty much crazy (and I’m not sure things will get much better any time soon) and I have skipped more runs than completed I have decided to step back to Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 plan instead of Novice 2. I may switch back in a few weeks if I feel I haven’t lost a lot of my base. So tomorrow is 6, Thursday 3 and this weekends long run is 13. Oh boy….maybe I should climb back under my rock.

Today’s run felt great.

And can I just say, I can’t wait to get my new Yurbuds! Headphones have been a pain in my…. EAR. Seriously, for the last year, or so. They never stay in my ears. They slip and slide. They short out when I sweat and they just all around make me angry. I was super pumped when Hank contacted me and asked me if I was interested in testing a pair. Um…Yeah! So I am checking the mail every day like Ralphie on a Christmas Story, waiting for his Decoder (…Eat more Ovaltine). So hopefully they come soon and I can give them a try! Stay tuned for that!

Today I am grateful:

For the chance to go home last weekend and see my dad and celebrate my grandma’s 90th birthday!

Friday Fun...

what more can I say?

Things have been crazy around here for a week (or so) now. I think next week things will start to come to some sort of new normalcy. I am heading out tonight on a red eye to OKC to see my dad. I'm flying solo....which means the Hubs and LB will be left with only Lazy dog to keep them in line. Oh boy...I am sure they will have a great time. On the weekend agenda: Loose the training wheels! I'm actually kind of glad I wont be here for that. It sounds like a great dad/son activity. I just hope I don't come home to one (or two boys) with broken bones.

This past week the Hubs got a new mountain bike! We enjoyed a fun ride around T-Town this morning. I was on my road bike and he was jumping curbs and popping wheelies like he was 12 year old on his mountain bike! We had a great time!

Here we are down on Ruston waterfront:




I look like a biker (minus the running shoes and cages instead of clip ins, I'm not too fond of the idea of falling over at a red light, thanks though. But I did almost die TWICE when my laces got tangled in my gears. Rock. Hard place.)....I am seriously lacking in my biking skilzs! BUT with my tri only weeks away I have to get my rear in gear and BE READY!

I like how I am all BIKED out and Hubs is wearing his normal clothes...what's up with that?

We even rode UP the Spawn of Satan! Let me tell you, I would much rather RUN up that stupid hill that ride my bike! Man, I was toasted at the top. At one point I was catching my breath and the walking mail man (poor guy got that route, he must be low on the totum pole) siad, "Be careful!" I must have looked wobbly...he then pointed out that Hubs was "Showing off." Just I looked up the hill to see him stunting his way up...

We had a great morning riding around like kids skipping school but now I am off to spend the last couple of hours with the fam before my flight!

Have a great weekend everyone!

No...

I have NOT exploded. YET.

The Hubs made it home!

Yipee!!!

So I have taken this time to step away from the electronics: iPhone and computer. It feels SO good to be relieved from my shackles and not be tied to Skype, google chat, and my iPhone. And we took advantage of our time together to take a small family hike on a nearby trail/mountain.

Here is our first family portrait! Of course Lazy Dog is loving life these days, as is LB, and well myself too.

This is me and The Hubs at the top of Little Si. Too bad it was pretty overcast and the view was not as great and beautiful as it could have been, but still gorgeous. The summit is about 2.2 miles up. I grabbed G. Money at the last minute but he was dead...but, as luck would have it...

...we saw Tall Mom and her Muscle Man at the top! How cool is that?! We didn't plan the trip for the same time, it just kind of worked out that we both decided to do the hike on the same day! Her Garmin said 3.44 miles total...so who knows how these things register with hills, well actually it was a mountain!

It was a fun, fun day hike and there are more to come! The Hubs and I are gearing up to attempt to summit Mt. Rainier. How does THAT fit in with marathon training? Just curious. =)

Today I went for a 1.5 mile run (8:37 pace) with The Hubs. He is working on building his base and getting back in cardio shape...and my knee hurts. I'm a little worried and hoping it is only strained from the mountain climb this past weekend. I was happy with my short, fast run with The Hubs!!

I may just EXPLODE

….and that could be gross.

Cause of explosion: Pent up energy.

So, I have been so busy this past week! I don’t even know what is going on, which way is up, down, right, left…I keep asking “Is today Wednesday?” “What is today? Thursday?” My whole world has been turned upside down! My new job is AMAZING and I love it but I have a TON of things to learn and get organized. My new job title is Pregnancy Counselor and I work with an adoption agency. I think this is going to be such a wonderful job!! I am just getting things lined up and doing a lot of training. On top of that I am still seeing clients from my first job, so I have two jobs. And to further complicate life (because that is what I do, I complicate my own life) I have two work cell phones plus my own personal cell phone. Having THREE cell phones alone is driving me INSANE!

Have I ever even told you all what I do, professionally? I am a therapist. That's right, I am a Mental Health Professional and I feel funny saying that “Running is my therapy” but it is! But I truly believe that and for those who suffer from mild to moderate depression (and anxiety and other mental health issues) I believe they can benefit greatly from exercise. I will stand by that and back it with research if you want. And I agree when people say, “Running is cheaper than therapy” unless you have insurance that covers mental health, in which case you should just do both! =) Either way, I am an advocate for good health, physical and mental!

In grad school one of my professors was AMAZING. She did her entire PhD on yoga and mental health. She tied it together and at the time I was completely confused by the concept. But these days with my running I know I can have a future in my mental health profession by tying it in with running. I just need to live in one place long enough to get it put together.

So, for all you peeps out there, from your therapist (if I may call myself that?) keep on keeping on…run like the wind! Feel the pavement (or treadmill track:EMZ) beneath your feet…run for your health both physical and mental!

I have not had a good run in over a week and I am not sure when I will get one in. I am feeling the effects of NOT running and I know my friends and son are feeling the (negative) affects of me NOT running! But for now I have a new job and a house to clean…and a hubs with a definite return time!!! Hip hip hoooooray!!! So if I go absent for a while please don't give up on me…just know that I am taking time with my family and to reunite with my husband. While it is always an exciting time it is also difficult to reintegrate into being a family again (i.e. make a little bit of room in the bathroom for his things in the medicine cabinet). We will most likely also be taking a trip to OK to see my dad soon too…

At this point Portland Marathon is still on…it may not be pretty but it is ON! It may not be a Boston Qualifier but oh well! After all, I have Rock n Roll Vegas 8 weeks after Portland!

And because my LB is the coolest kid on the block I leave you with this: Rock out!!

Whirlwind…

I know, maybe I have been a bump a log lately…..

Sorta like this little bump on a log:

I have not lost track of my goal (10/10/10 Portland Marathon) but I have a lot, and I mean a LOT, going on right now. To name a few: A new job is underway and I am learning a new company, manual, computer system, setting up a home office…making decisions about the job I already have (i.e. do I stick with a dying company that I could totally dog on right now?), wrapping up case files from that old job so I can say sayonara, getting signatures so I can transfer licenses from WA to NC (eventually)…see?

AND last but not least the return of The Hubs! Yes, you read that right, Hubs will be returning home finally and for OPSEC (or Operation Security) I cannot tell you exactly WHEN he will be here, nor do I actually know exactly when. So I have been a little nutty lately.

But let me tell you, a good sweat would do wonders right now. You know the kind of sweat that runs down your face and gets in your eyes and burns like the dickens?

Like this:

I NEED that.

Soon. Soon! SOOOON!!!!

Today I am grateful for:

The American Red Cross

Friends who have helped me beyond what I ever imagined this past week!

Beautiful PINK daises from AN the RB.

My dad may be able to start chemo next week…yes, still having complications. So I am grateful for all of you who have expressed concern for me and my family and who have been praying for my dad. It is much needed and appreciated.

New Kicks: Somnio

…make me run FAST!!!

You know how when you were a kid a new pair of shoes made you “Run real fast!”? Well, I felt like a kid putting on my new kicks this past week!

The nice people at Somnio (check them out HERE) contacted me and asked if I would be interested in giving their shoe a test run. My Asics have a good couple hundred miles left to them but I am always up for trying something new, as long as it is quality. As most of you recall I have had some pretty significant hip pain, which the cause was recently identified by a chiropractor. But I have also noticed that it worsens as my shoes break down. So I decided to give this new shoe a try and go from there…you know, see just how fast I could run!

So with Kara’s help (the awesome rep from Somnio) I figured out which shoe would best fit me and my stride.

What Kara says about Somnio shoes:

“We’ve developed shoes that are completely customizable and help support correct alignment…leaving runners less susceptible to injury. We can even customize your left shoe differently from your right! We focus on supporting the foot INSIDE the shoe, instead of adding extra weight to outsoles. As a long-time runner myself, I was able to transition from a bulky stability shoe, into a lightweight trainer (perfect for racing a marathon).”

Um, SOLD! And she is not kidding about customizing the shoes…I have a size 8.5 on my left foot and a 9 on my right! What in the world? The last time I got fit for a pair of shoes this was not pointed out to me…I have two different size feet, nice. News to me! Oh well, Somnio worked with me!

Also, another cool thing is that you can go to a retailer (found on their website HERE) to get fit or use their awesome and easy guide to fit yourself! That is what I did and it worked awesome. I found I am a very neutral runner and Kara said, “I think that you’ll be interested to know that a lot of brands actually put varus wedges inside their NEUTRAL shoes…but no one knows about it. So when a brand says their neutral shoe can also be worn by mild pronators, that’s usually because they’ve stuck a varus wedge inside, meaning that the shoe is not actually 100% neutral”. Well, I don’t know a lot about the science behind building a running shoe but I do know that what she told me does NOT sound good in regards to those other shoe companies and me wearing a true neutral shoe.

Once I got the shoes and took them for a spin I could immediately tell a difference. It was hard to pin—point exactly what I felt but I felt like I was working differently. When I talked to Kara about the different feeling she said, “the reason for that is that the shoes were built with your particular alignment in mind. When you have better alignment, your body doesn’t have to work as hard to self-correct, leaving your muscles less fatigued overall. You might also notice that you might not be striking the ground as hard with your heel in your Somnios.”

So do I think this shoe will make me run real fast, as in the same way I believed when I was 8? No. Not exactly. But I did notice that in both runs of 3 mile my pace was a good 8 seconds faster per mile. That is pretty darn good! I do believe that this shoe will help me train for TWO more marathon’s in 2010 and do so injury free. So, take my review for what it’s worth! They sent me the shoes the review is mine and mine alone! And did I mention that that my shoes came is a sweet biodegradable box! Hello GREEN company! Awesome!

Today I am grateful:

Gorgeous weather!

Awesome friends, and yes, i know I said that last post but really, my friends are awesome! Everyone should have friends like mine! =)

Since When?

For real~!? Since when is 4th of July a serious rival to Christmas and Thanksgiving in the FOOD department? I tried hard to reign in the appetite and the eating but there were BBQs, cookies with red, white, and blue stars sprinkled on top of white icing, huge, I mean HUGE corn dogs (see below):

I truly don’t remember this being a problem in the years past. Thank goodness I was able to get 6 treadmill miles in on Saturday. I took Sunday off and Monday hit the gym hard. I was able to do a 20 min swim, one hour deep water aerobics class then an easy three miles on the treadmill.

At one point, the sun was shining and I headed to my backyard and …

…got in some good reading about Marathon running!

Photo courtesy of Little Buddy

Today I headed out my door with G.Money set to 10 miles. It was beautiful and sunny, a direct contrast to the weekend’s cloudy, cold weather. I wasn’t sure if I would actually get in 10 miles but I just ran and didn’t really pay attention to my stats. At around 5 miles I fond myself in front of the YMCA so I darted in for some water and decided to head for home. I was straight up BORED. That doesn’t happen too often, thank goodness. I even took a new route running on streets I haven’t really ran before. So why the heck was I bored? I also had a lot to do today so I was just thinking about getting home and getting stuff done.

So today’s stats:

I’m ok with my 6.26 miles today. It was a good solid run in the sun!

Stay tuned this week for a book review and a review of my new kicks! That’s right! I’ve got some new digs that make me run real fast! Yipeee!!

Today I am grateful for:

A fun-filled holiday weekend!

My most amazing friends who are there for me no matter what! You guys know who you are! Love you my girls! I am also grateful that all of you will be moving with me to NC in the fall! yep, that’s right girlies, better start packing! =)

I Love 4th of July!

…it truly is my favorite holiday!  It beats my birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving…it is just awesome!  Back when I lived where it was WARM and SUNSHINY we would head to the lake for a day on the boat, water skiing, jet skiing, fire crackers!  And my Best Friend who now lives in Italy, check out her blog HERE, and I would hit up the Steve Miller Band concert!  Ah the memories of 4th of July.

This time last year I was actually flying in from three glorious weeks in Italy.  One of the perks of the Hubs being gone is the excuse to treat myself (and Little Buddy of course) to a trip like that.  This time of year makes me miss my friend…so Em, here’s to you friend! Happy 4th!!

This weekend I have taken in an extra kiddo.  She is 4, same as my LB so needless to say things have been nonstop around here.  knowing myself I knew I HAD to make it to the Y to get my run in or these kids didn’t stand a chance.  This morning I got them loaded up and we headed to the YMCA so I could get 6 miles in on a treadmill in the Family Wellness Center, a room with equipment and a small wall partition to keep the kids in a play area where we can see each other.  I wasn’t in 2 miles before I started hearing, “I’m hungry.”  “I need a snack.” “I gotta go potty” “I’m super hungry.” “I’m thirsty.”   So I upped the speed and got my 6 miles done in 52:12/8:41 pace. I could have gone faster but I was trying to enjoy myself and buy some ME-TIME too.  I’m just glad I got it done.  This week’s mileage is a bit low but I’m not worried.  Week 4 of Marathon #2 Training D.O.N.E.

I hope you all enjoy your holiday!!!

Hungry Muscles and Rockin’ Refuel Review

I wanted to thank all of you for your helpful input regarding the chiropractor. It seems that most of you have had a pretty great experience with it. Some expressed concern that simply popping my back would not be enough, I agree and so does the chiropractor. He actually explained that my intensive treatment of 3 x week would consist of exercises to build the muscles evenly and help me stay in alignment. As for right now, I’m still pretty sore. It is crazy what simply popping one’s back can do!

Today was supposed to be a short 3 miler. I was super busy: taught my water X class, hit up the morning matinee of Eclipse (priorities people!), then I had to go to work. So I passed on my 3 today. Not to mention my legs are S.O.R.E. My Hammy’s are KILLING me and my back and neck are sore. Just the thought of running today made my body ache so I decided to rest today and do my 3 tomorrow which will leave me in a bind for my long run this weekend, as in it may just not happen. I’m not worried about it, maybe I could do 6 on a treadmill Sat. Or I could just have a serious step-back week. Flexibility. Yep, that’s my middle name.

On a side note, Adam from Shamrock Farms sent me some AWESOME Rock in’ Refuel to test out!

He sent me three flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry. What Shamrock Farms say about this recovery drink:

Shamrock Farms is introducing Rockin’ Refuel, a first-of-its-kind protein-fortified, low-fat chocolate milk that helps your body recover after exercise. With the delicious goodness of real milk, Rockin’ Refuel provides 20 grams of protein, naturally-occurring electrolytes and an excellent source of calcium.
Refueling is a hot fitness topic with a renewed focus on the importance of post-workout routines and how you can best help your body recover after working out. Experts suggest there’s a two-hour recovery window after exercise – the best time to refuel and rehydrate your body to keep it in top shape. In fact, a new study presented by the American College of Sports Medicine found that one of the best post-exercise recovery drinks is chocolate milk. It offers a recovery advantage to help repair and rebuild muscles.

Rockin’ Refuel™ is especially formulated to maximize post-exercise recovery – hydration, muscle repair and refueling - by way of its unique, balanced nutrient composition.

I must say that I have used this on three separate (workout) occasions and it worked wonders!!! While I drank the last of the three he sent me more than two hours after my half on Saturday I still feel that the protein did help in my recovery. I was NOT sore at all come Sunday. I even went for my run on Monday which is something I rarely do two days post race. I am a believer in and user of protein drinks post workout. However, this one in particular- Rockin’ Refuel-is way more convenient than what I currently do, mix some thick powder with milk and water and stir it like crazy, drink it up and choke down some chunks and get it over with. This on the other hand, is already mixed together and VERY tasty! There is no gross texture or chunks to deal with; only grab, shake, open and drink! So if you are in the market for a new protein drink I highly recommend you give Shamrock Farms Rockin Refuel a try! Look in your local grocers dairy section!

Do you currently feed your muscles post workout???