First Tri!

Well, its done. I conquered my first triathlon, and I have to say it was a blast!! I mean, I like running...but add some biking before that and a swim before that and you have a good time! :)

Today's race report I'll make short and sweet since I'm tired and need to go to bed. Anyhow, my first tri was a sprint...maybe technically a super sprint as it was a 400 yd swim, 11 mile bike and 5k run. It was the Women's Only Triathlon in Sylvania OH and is geared towards beginners who want to try out a tri, or women who are intimidated by larger co-ed races. This was a perfect race for me!

Today started at 3:30 a.m. The race started at 7:30 a.m. but we needed to get there by 6 a.m. for packet pickup (didn't do it the night before since it was an hr. drive). I needed time to get up, have my coffee, banana, yogurt and get ready to roll. Then I picked up my gal pals Ruth and Krystin and we were on our way! Oh yeah, it was also COLD! 50 degrees actually this morning. no good! Seriously...is it July!? So, I wore my warm-ups over my outfit as we were milling about getting our packets and set up in transition.

So, we made it just before 6 a.m. and had lots of time to spare which is good for me mentally so I could check out how things looked on my path from the swim and from bike to run, so I know what to look for to find my spot. Also of note, they had random bike racking, only by age group. So, I grabbed a spot on the end and faced my bike toward the bike out. I heard somewhere the end spots are the easiest to access....'they' were right. :)

At about 7:15 we were told to line up near the swim start. You start on this terrace and are seeded by time you think you'll finish the swim in. I was hoping for a 10 min....so seeded myself appropriately. It was also a time trial start. So, everyone started at 4 second intervals. That was nice as I was freaked out by the prospect of swimming with lots of people at the beginning. Before I knew it, people were in the water and my turn was up! I took off ( albeit slowly). Then I mentally messed up. I got close to some swimmers who were faster and didn't have 'space', so I tried to find some and instead ended up killing my rhythm and that was that. The rest of my swim was long.....and slow....and well, not 10 min. :( Ended up being 14:30. Ouch! OH well, as soon as I had my land legs back I bounded up the quarry stairs(yes there were steep concrete stairs coming out, did I mention? And my body was tired! But, I shook it off and focused on T1. I passed a bunch of ladies on my way into transition, so that felt good. :) I did the first transition in 1:08. No wet suit, but I'll take it! I found my bike easily and did my change(though I forgot to dry my feet and my bike shoes are now wet) and ran my bike outta there!

On to the bike! This is the fun part! I love riding bikes! :) I picked up some speed and started passing lots of people. I 'caught' a lot of the faster swimmers which felt good, and even some of the dri tri-ers. I'm still not sure about this drafting thing, so I tried to keep my distance until I was sure I could stay in front of someone. The ride was FLAT! It was basically a huge square around cornfields. So much fun! I only had 2 complaints about the ride. 1 was it was really windy going 1 direction...so I struggled to maintain a decent speed. 2, was that at 1 intersection, one of the traffic directors motioned for me to stop, as they were stopping a vehicle, but then said to go! I was so annoyed, I lost a bunch of momentum and had to get it back. Sigh. On the up side I found a new hammer gel flavor I love. Raspberry! I had just 1 on the bike to hopefully stave off the stupid side cramps I've been getting as of late on the run after I bike(thinking electrolyte issue with the heat maybe?). Oh well, it was over before I knew it and I was on to T2. I managed a decent time in that one 45 seconds....and I was off.

Ugh! I hate that first mile running after the bike. My legs feel like lead, but I just kept them going....1st mile was slow, but then I got my rhythm and pace back and started to look for signs of other age groupers I might actually be running with. Didn't see many (none actually). So, I figured I was way behind. As I was passing the final water stop, I heard someone shout "you can catch her!"....I realized it was one of the volunteers telling me.....there was someone just in front of me that was my group. And yes, I was on her heels. With only a mile or less to go, I thought I had enough in reserve to pick it up a little. So, I did. And I passed her. Then I kept going at that slightly increased pace....then I came up on another one in my group...and passed her. That was kind of a fun game, but I figured they'd catch back up at some point....but never did. Before I knew it I saw the end and my family and friend cheering. I saw that last 100M and gave the rest of what I had. It was awesome! I finished strong and I cannot wait to do another!

I finished in 1:18...I was hoping for 1:14..which would've happened had it not been for my horrible swim. Well, I guess I know what I need to work on for next time. I hope to find 1 more to squeeze in this year sometime. :)

I definitely am hooked!

Cheers!
Jess

Tri Jitters

I really don't know what's wrong with me. I've been training for this tri on Sunday for a while, I know how to swim(mostly), know how to bike (decently), and I can run ok. So, why can I not shake this feeling of anxiety? I am normally pretty relaxed before a race. But this started like Monday this week. I can literally feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins any time I think about the darn race. Maybe its the swim doing it to me, since that's my biggest unknown....I'm doing my final swim tonight hoping to just calm my nerves a little.

I think maybe its because in the back of my mind, I'd really love to do well (like top 5 AG) for my first one. I know that's probably unlikely, but still. How cool would it be to do good first time out? So, there's that. Maybe if I let go of that I'll calm down. But, I have a hard time not thinking about a race as competitive. I mean that's why they call it a race right? Sigh. Everyone tells me a 1/2 marathon is harder than a sprint tri....somehow I feel like that's not true.

Well, hopefully I'll find a healthy way to shake these nerves before Sunday.

Cheers,
J

Early Riser

While its still February and most people probably aren't even thinking about summer yet, I on the other hand am, since I have several summer races planned this year as my 'get back into shape' program after having baby #2 last summer. As such, I have a 1/2 marathon, my first actual tri (hopefully), a couple 5K's for fun and a du all planned for the spring/summer time frame. So I've had to get my derriere in gear NOW.

 My challenge is getting back into decent running shape while its still cold before 'real' training begins. I've run now and then since Sawyer was born, but nothing consistent like I used to since I can never seem to find the time or energy once the boys are both in bed....well sometimes I do, but I'd also like to use that time to spend with the hubs or get ready for the next day, etc.

So, I decided in order to get my exercise on during the week, I needed to get up at (gasp), 4:30 a.m.! Ugh! I already get up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for work and get the boys up and ready for daycare to be out the door by 7 a.m. I really thought I would NEVER get up an extra hour earlier than that! That's crazy! BUT, I did it 2 times 2 weeks ago, a couple times last week and so far once this week(but also plan on Friday). Then at least I can get in 2 runs during the week in the am and 1 some other time during the weekend at a minimum.

My plan is to stick to this and once I'm at a month consistently, I'll reevaluate and fit in another run and or other cross training. Its a start anyway. I also gave myself an out. If the baby gets up in the night and I have a 4:30 workout planned, I get to skip it and do it that night or try again the next morning. I can't be too tired to go to work and function, nor is that safe. So, trying to program some structure while being flexible into my schedule to reach my fitness goals this year. Let see how it goes.

I'm excited to get back to it! Also, of note I am competing with some friends and family in a weight loss challenge...which I'm definitely not winning, but I have lost 1 lb. a week average for the last 6 weeks, so it could be worse. I am just 1 lb, away from pre-baby weight! woot! Next up, toning this mess up! :)

Cheers!
Jess

Ode to a Treadmill

After just having completed yet another treadmill workout while its freezing outside, I'm once again reminded of my love hate relationship with my treadmill. On the one hand, yes I know I'm VERY fortunate to even have this piece of equipment IN MY HOUSE no less, so I CAN run when I'm too wimpy to brave the cold, or its just too dark. On the other hand, I can hardly stand being on it...its SO BOOOORING!

I've tried music, I've tried movies,but generally the treadmill is too loud to hear anything from the tv in the basement unless I turn it up to hearing loss levels, but yet I still find it mentally difficult not only to actually do a treadmill workout, but to PUSH myself on it. I always seem to fall into...well as long as I get the mileage in, that's ok right? No speed intervals, no hills, just flat, monotonous running...

So, I guess I need to make a plan to get more out of my workouts. I do want to actually improve my running speed, so I need to start on that. Now to just find a training plan to do that.....its seems like everything I find is "couch to 5k", "how to run your 1st 5k", not "how do I kill a 5K"? I guess that's my own challenge I need to work through. I almost wish I had run in my younger days so I would have some coaching info to draw from, but alas, its just me and the Internet I fear. Maybe the local running store geeks can help come to think of it.....

Happy running!

Competition

Competition is healthy right? Well, in my case, I need some to get my butt back in gear this year.
After September's Warrior Dash, I have not done 1 single solitary race and only a handful of actual workout runs.

Why? Well, turns out going back to work full time with 2 kids to get out the door to daycare in the morning is more than a lot of work. To make it more complicated, add in trying to get dinner on the table, both kids happy, and the house somewhat in order each night makes it exceedingly difficult to find any time for me to actually exercise.

BUT, there is hope. I do feel like now that the holidays are over, that I am getting into a good routine...with that and Sawyer now about done nursing, I can actually separate from him once in a while which adds up to.....me getting in some solid treadmill time! Well, that plus an awesome husband who will put our 3 yr. old down after I get the baby to bed so I can do so about 3 times a week.

In addition, the hubs came up with a little friendly FB friend competition to get us all back to ideal training weight sooner rather than later. We've all pitched in about 50 bucks and between now and May, whoever loses the most %-wise takes the pot. Woot! And yes, I am looking forward to winning and getting an awesome new post-baby running wardrobe this spring. :) That is until I saw my sis rocking her weight loss this week. Nothing like a little competition to kick it into high gear for me! cannot wait to get the last few baby lbs. off along with some extra so I have no extra on me going into the running season.

I would LOVE to actually RACE a race this year rather than just complete a race. I've been middle of the pack generally speaking, so I'm excited to earn my new physique and put the hurt on the racing competition. Hmmm....that sounded a little mean and braggy...well, we'll see what actually happens. But I would love
to take home some AG medals this year. No time like to present to set my goals right?

Now, to just find some training plans to get back in shape and FAST at the same time.

Here's to a new year and a new, hopefully faster ME!

Warrior Dash

So life has been pretty crazy this year. With adding little Sawyer to our family life has certainly become busier but also more fulfilling. There is nothing quite like seeing your 2 boys together. I think E is finally taking a liking to the little guy. :)

However with all of this business, running has taken a backseat again. During maternity leave I did get back out running by about 4 weeks pp. Yay me! I was up to 3-4 times a week at about 3 miles. Not too bad at all considering. Then I decided I needed a race in my life to liven things up. So, when my sis said she was doing Warrior Dash, I thought what the heck?  A fun goofy race to start me back! Mind you this was the last weekend before my return to work, so it was perfect! Um, yeah I completely underestimated this race.

I thought, oh a 5k with some fun obstacles thrown in, should be fun/relatively easy. Yeah, so the run was easy..the obstacles...not so much. But, lets rewind a little. I was supposed to do this race originally with my sis and a friend of hers....but she ended up with strep so that didn't happen. But, luckily a dear friend of mine, her husband and another friend of hers were doing it as well. So, I glommed onto their group instead. :)

And my husband being the supportive guy he is wanted to watch and bring the kids....awesome! I was stoked! Having never done one of these types of races before I really didn't know what to expect....but it is definitely not kid friendly! This place was nothing but dust and dirt and NO shade on a VERY sunny day. In addition there was REALLY LOUD music(which is awesome for racing, but not for little ones' ears), and people drinking everywhere.....yup, drunks at a race...go figure. So, needless to say one we arrived and found our friends, the hubs took the kiddos to a friend's house where we met up after. Good plan!

So, that just left me with a race to do! Our group of 4 got to the corral and got ready to go about 30 min ahead of time I'd guess.There were waves about every 30 minutes and everyone was assigned to a specific wave, but if you missed yours it didn't seem to be a big deal to get into another one. They certainly didn't check.

After few minutes the race horn blew and fireballs flew into the air to mark the start of our wave. The first 1 mile or so was uneventful. Mostly dirt or pavement and pretty flat. Then we got to the first obstacle where there was..wait for it...a LINE! yup, literally stopped and had to wait your turn to do it. ummm...hello...isn't this a race I thought? But, I am glad to have had a little time to size this thing up. It was a large wooden structure you climb up, have to maneuver over and then on the other side just let go and drop. I'd say this was maybe 15-20 feet tall. Eeek! We all made it over and then were off again. About another 1/10th of a mile and the next obstacle was upon us. A cool one where you had to pull yourself over wooden fences about 4-5 feet tall and then crawl under barbed wire alternately about 4-5 times. FUN! We stopped for a quick photo op on the course and then continued. WE barely got to a job again and the next obstacle was in our way. This was a horizontal cargo net about 4-5 feet in the air your had to bear-walk over(hands and feet). A little trickier than you'd think but not too bad. Also, it turns out I can run faster than I can do obstacles....I was the last one in our group done on almost every one except a couple. eesh. need to work on that.

Anyway, we ran maybe a quarter mile more and we made it to the first water obstacle. This one sucked! The water was over your head in most places and you had to haul your self out of the water onto these floating plastic containers strung together in a  line......there were about 4 rows of these with space in between.Did I mention I have NO upper body strength. Thank goodness for team members. WE helped each other over these stupid things and others behind us as well. We all made it but geez. I think this was the toughest one of all!

That was kind of how it went though...a little running(read: less than 1/4 mile) then an obstacle and repeat. Besides the water ones(there were two), the hardest thing for me was a giant wall you had to scale with a knotted rope to hang onto and little more that foot holds on the way up. Oh yeah and it was about 30 ft. high I think. I never knew I was really afraid of heights until this obstacle. I made it, but yeah, pretty sure I don't like heights. Also, real barbed wire was used a lot through this whole course like a fun decorating(but could hurt you). It all ended with a leap over fire and a crawl through mud. Blech! But we all made it, the whole team!

At the end we got a free beer (though not really free since its an expensive race fee). And of course a medal. All in all it was a good time, but don't expect to make good time and just have fun is how I chalked it up. I also decided I think I'm more of a road race kind of girl. Not sure if I'll really do another one, but I'm glad to have done something fun with friends and try something new! :)

And oh yeah, almost forgot....this race was back in mid-September...talk about not keeping up on the 'ole blog! lol! Better late than never right?

Cheers!

CSA

The title of this blog is actually an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture.

After a girls weekend with a couple long time friends, I found that they are each participating in a CSA this upcoming summer. I think its something people have thought about but don't usually do, though I think its gaining in popularity. I have just heard about it from a few people in the past from work but not much else outside of it.

But basically how it works is that local farmers let the community buy shares for a a fixed price for either a period of time(18-20 weeks is common), or for the whole year if they are able to offer year round produce. This is paid usually in a lump sum at the beginning of the year when farmers most need help buying supplies for the growing season. Then when the farm produces, each member gets their 'share' of what is grown.

Cool idea huh?

So, you basically support local agriculture, get fresh produce every week, you know where it comes from and how it is grown, and you reduce your carbon footprint. Plus the produce is so much better than the stuff shipped from who knows where, where its in season. Yes it takes some getting used to, in preparing just the produce that is in season at that time instead of us being accustomed to having whatever produce we want at any given time of year, but I personally think its worth at least an experiment.

So, I started looking into local CSA's. Things that are important to me are cost,convenience,variety and whether or not its organic. I haven't bought a lot of organic produce in the past, but I like the idea and if I can get it local for not a huge increase in cost its worth it to me.

I did find a website called localharvest.org where I was able to hunt down some local CSA's.

The first was called Stone Coop Farm, was organic and the pickup location is directly on my drive home. The downfall I saw was that it was a little pricey compared to some others and the offerings seemed
a little limited compared to others. On the upside it would be super convenient to stop on my way home each week to pick it up. They offered produce for 18 weeks.

The next one was a larger operation located in Howell called JT Todosciuk Farms and Greenhouse LLC. They used traditional farming methods(aka non-organic), but was priced a little more reasonably with quite a wide variety. They offer produce for about 20 weeks which included melons...yum, and had a pickup in Howell, which is a little bit of a drive, but not too bad.

The last one I'm really interested in. Its a small operation(family started and owned) that began just in 2009 in Pinckney called Portage River Farm. This is only their 3rd season doing CSA I think. However, they offer full, half and individual shares(based on size of your family),so there are a couple pricing options which would be great for us! They also raise chickens organically for eggs(bonus!), and have bee hives for honey and maple trees for syrup that they make as well on a limited basis. They also provide year-round produce(with the exception of 2 weeks), and each share receives eggs, honey and syrup as a bonus as well. They also have plans to expand into fruit(they planted 30 some odd fruit trees last year and are installing berry patches this year).

Portage River Farm also practices sustainable and organic growing practices(though they are not officially organic yet as they are in the process of certification). Good enough for me though. And they also have a pick up point in Ann Arbor(where I work), and also have several other families from Brighton where we could potentially take turns driving out to get the produce for everyone else.

In addition they are all about the community aspect of it all and have bonfires, taffy pulls, sugaring parties, picnics etc to get members to check out the farm, kids can see the animals and you can feel a real community connection with where your food comes from. Cool huh?
Maybe I'm a bit idealistic in all of this, but it seems like the next best thing to having a garden of my own (which I doubt will happen with all the shade we have in our yard and a new baby on the way), and hopefully it'll get us into a more local mind set to reduce our carbon footprint.

Also, who doesn't like farm-fresh veggies? I know I do! Its always a treat getting fresh produce from my mom and step-dad's garden each year. Too bad they just didn't live closer. :)
Anyhow, that's it for now, but I hope to update on this after we secure a membership with a farm.
Cheers!

Preggo on the Run!

So, I probably already put most of this on FB...but whatever, I'm proud, so I'm blogging about it. :) Anyhow, most know that I've been keeping up with running except for a brief hiatus in the 1st trimester when nausea and fatigue got the best of me. I've been doing short 3 milers about 3-4 times a week on average...on the treadmill......since its been either too dark when I have time or too cold(ie treacherously slick outside for this preggy). I had planned to keep running until the very end of this pregnancy as long as the doc gave the go ahead and I remained healthy. Lots of women do it, plus its my therapy....I NEED to run! However, I think yesterday may have ended my preggo running career.

I've been gradually becoming more and more sore after my running sessions....not to mention its sooo annoying feeling like I have to tinkle every 5 min. whilst running. But after last Sunday's run and now yesterday's, my body is definitely telling me its time to take a break. Plus, at my last dr. appt. she told me it wouldn't be a bad idea if  I stopped soon...just because its so hard on the body with all of the pregnancy hormones making your body way more susceptible to injury. She also wanted to make sure I wasn't 'racing' this race and took plenty of water etc. I assured her I was doing it for fun and I would drink tons per usual.

So....yesterday I did a 5k St. Patty's day run with my awesome hubby! I did better than I expected for being so far along, but am I feeling it today! After yesterday's race, I was a little sore...then very sore by bedtime. This morning, getting out of bed was a little tough. My back hurts, my hips hurt, my belly ligaments hurt...and its hard to walk after sitting for long. So....yeah. I think I need a break.

But alas, yesterday's race was awesome! Its been a while since I've done any races...last summer maybe? I can't remember my last one....and I've missed it! The music that pumps you up at the starting line, people cheering you on, and then of course seeing if you measured up at the finish. This race was much different than any I've ever done for the sheer reason that I had NO goal in mind in terms of finish time. I just wanted to say "yeah, I ran a race when I was pregnant"...silly right?

Well, Chris and I started together...bless his heart he wanted to give me moral support. :) Plus, I think he secretly wanted to make sure I wasn't pushing it....which is sweet I think. But, after a mile or so, I could tell he was holding back so I told him to go ahead and run his pace. After some reassurance I wouldn't get all preggy hormonal on him at the finish if he did so, he took off. So, I finished the last 2.1 by myself....and smiled the whole way! I not only didn't need to walk at all(it was a pretty flat race), but it was fun as everyone was dressed for the occasion in green galore, and I got to pass a fair amount of people! woot! I so wish I would've had the foresight to have gotten a shirt that said something on the back like "you just got passed by a pregnant woman".....I told Chris as much and he said it was funny, but mean....so probably better off I didn't.

Oh well, I did have my 'I run to be fierce' shirt on that said 'MommaPea' on the back, courtesy of my gf Kel! she rocks! It made me feel tough. :p So, I did finish with my slowest 5K time ever(32:42), but I did still manage to beat out 60% of my ag competition. I got 53 out of 131 women in my ag, I'll take it for almost 26 weeks pregnant! :) And I then of course proceeded directly to the bagels and bananas. Hey...this preggy wanted some food! lol!

That's about it. Ethan loved going to the race too. Grandma met us there so he got to hang with her instead of racing in the BOB with us as originally planned. Though in the ride home he said 'I didn't get to win the race'....so maybe he would've enjoyed it more than we thought? I felt bad we deprived him. It also makes me hopeful he'll want to run races someday soon too! Cannot wait for him to do a kids 1/2 mile race or something soon. :) Time will tell I guess.

Well, that's about it for my race report. Probably the last until the fall or so. Until then, guess I'll be walking.... A LOT!

Oh, and a link to a 'finish' photo. :p

http://photos.runmichigan.com/2012/March/5K-and-10K-Finish-Gallery-3/22018795_zW4WQg/2/1756869260_SZsPN7w/Medium


Cheers!

25 1/2 Weeks!

Well, I have less than 15 weeks of the life-changing (again!), journey they call pregnancy. And, I have to say its going pretty well. I have been running,walking, feeling great with only some fatigue....of course this is all with the exception of weeks 7-16  where you couldn't get me to move if my life depended on it for feeling so nasueasus, exhausted etc. However, I think running is going to take a brief hiatus for a while. I have a 5k this weeknd(which I'll report on after), that I'm doing with Chris and Ethan. But, that will be it I think. My back, hips, tummy etc are just telling me its time. Oh yeah, and the part where I have tinkle about every mile from the jolting is pretty annoying. I came to the realization when I was hobbling around Monday after a glorious run in the park on Sunday afternoon. I felt about 80 yrs. old....

So, back to walking, walking and more walking. And oh yeah, so happy that darn 1 hr. glucose test is done. hope I pass!

In other news, we had a tornado hit about 20 miles from our house last night. We were fine, but it touched down where a friend from work lives. Thankfully they are o.k. However, their house seems to have suffered considerable damage. Its so strange to see this sort of weather in MI....and near wehre we live! Crazy! Wasn't it just winter like a minute ago?Well, that's all for now. I'll try to update once I make it through my first(and last probaby) pregger 5k!

Potty Training Weekend!

Well, potty training is upon us...and it really wasn't/isn't so bad! I really dreaded this stage in our darling little boy's development.....but wished I hadn't so much. However, with his weight ever increasing, (so its hard to get him on a changing table), and little brother on the way....we thought it was getting to be about time.

So,our little dude is about 31 months....a little over

'The' Potty chair.

2 1/2 yrs. old, and to this past weekend showed little to no interest in using the potty instead of his diaper. At about 18 months we did what the pediatrician's literature suggested and took Ethan to pick out his very own potty chair(pictured at right), and let him play with it and sit on it in front of the t.v. fully clothed etc to get him used to it.....well, the interest lasted about a couple days like with any new toy....and no interest was shown since.

We have read not to 'Push It' with potty training as it will just take longer...so we decided to be passive and just let him decide to start showing signs he was ready. Well, that really never happened. We've been reading the 'Potty Book' for months, tried to get him excited that his friends at daycare were starting to do it etc....but nothing really got him motivated. So, mommy did some research and with dad's help we declared this past weekend to be 'Potty Training Weekend'!

I found a method I thought would work and put our own twists on it and so far it has been successful. For you curious moms out there...continue reading....others skip to the end. :)  This could get boring. 

First, dad and I decided to try a weekend at home potty training method based on my research and suggestion. We cleared our schedules and picked a  weekend where we were only focusing on potty training and not doing errands/outings etc. Then, the week or so leading up to 'Potty Training Weekend', we read the 'Potty Book' lots, made a special trip to get 'big boy' underwear that E got to pick out himself(bought quite a few just in case) and in general psyched him up to get ready for the weekend using examples of other kids using the potty at school, telling him he was a big boy etc. Then....Saturday came....

Friday night we had a particularly rough night with him. For whatever reason he decided to be up most of the night and not go back to sleep after 3 a.m. or so. :( Not a good way to start the day. No matter. He crashed on the couch around 6 and by 8 was awake. Potty Training Weekend commenced! 

Day 1: Saturday - As soon as he was awake, we switched out his diaper for undies and let him play/run around in just those with a shirt and socks on. Bonus about this....quite adorable in my opinion seeing your kid in little character undies for the first time. Too stinkin cute!  But I digress.....we then encourage him to drink lots of diluted juice or water or milk and have a talk about how to use the potty chair when he has to go. The potty chair was strategically situated in whichever room he was in. Because when he had to go, he had to go NOW! 

We encouraged extra drinking by giving salty snacks(yes....we gave him popcorn and crackers in the a.m.). The idea is to give him lots of opportunities to have to 'go' so he has lots of opportunities to be successful on the potty. The only caveat...be prepared for a few accidents and to not get upset about it. So...after an hour and a half or so....he stopped in his tracks and said 'uh oh'.....I noticed some wetness starting to appear and whisked him to his potty chair...with undies still on. I told him that it was o.k. and we'd get it next time. We praised him for sitting on the potty chair, and gave him a gummi bear for trying.  This happened about 3-4 more times over the next couple of hours. HOWEVER, just before lunch time he actually ran over to the potty, pulled down his undies and went himself! And no accident! With such a big victory he got a gummi AND a super ball and high fives and potty dances!  He continued this a couple of more times until nap time. It seemed he even needed no prompting. He never seemed to need to go when I asked, but he knew where the potty was, and what he had to do and did it in his own time! I was thrilled! 

After lunch, we tried one more time, then we put on a diaper for nap time. He woke up dry so we 'tried' again and then put on his big boy undies for the remainder of the day. He had NO MORE accidents that day. He received a gummi each time he got something in there and then we explained he'd get an extra special treat if he had a BM in the potty.....since he hadn't all day. By bedtime...still no BM..but lots of success in the peeing department. So, we put on a diaper for overnight. He did wake us in the middle of the night because he had BM'd in his diaper. I think he must've been a little afraid of doing it in the potty chair? Anyway, no big deal. 

Day 2: Sunday - As soon as he woke up we put on his big boy undies...about 5 minutes later he was off to the potty on his own. He hadn't forgotten...yay! This day I decided not to push the salty snacks and extra fluids since he seemed to get the hang of it the day before. He continued with no more accidents and after a few hours even BM'd on the potty!  We had actually moved his potty to the bathroom on our first floor, because he was doing so well....and I told him where it was.....I thought maybe he needed some privacy to do the 'big deed'. Seemed to work, because shortly after he had! This was call for a special treat...ice cream! The rest of the day went the same...he went on his own when he had to and got his gummi, high five and praise. He also seemed to like to empty his potty into the big one and flush it. Go figure....kids.  We also worked on hand-washing after every time and explaining why its important. And...no accidents the whole day! Diaper at naptime (he did wake up wet this day) and diaper at bedtime. And...that was it. The next challenge....knowledge transfer to daycare.

First Day at Daycare after 'Potty Training Weekend' - So after our unexpected success this weekend, we just decided to say no more diapers except at naptime and overnight....including daycare. I explained to him he needed to do the same thing at 'school' as at home and it would be fun to tell his friends about his new undies and how he goes on the potty now. 

I also wrote out a sheet(with bullet-points) to give to daycare so they could do the same things there as we did at home...to keep it as consistent as possible. I know...probably a little persnickety....but I wanted to ensure his continued success! It was received well by daycare and I have received 3 updates so far that he has used the potty 3 times and stayed dry! So far so good. I hate to jinx it by even writing this post...but I am just so gosh-darn proud of my little guy! If this continues to go so well.....I really don't know what I worried about in the first place! Now to just tackle the nap and overnight thing once we make sure he's got this day-time thing mastered. 

So...after this little venture into potty training I guess here are my top things I've learned...

1) Don't dread it. Approach it with a fun and excited attitude and your toddler will follow suit. Make it a fun atmosphere with lots of positive reinforcement....whether your kid likes stickers,candy( I know I know), little toys and accompany with lots of praise of course.

2) Expect that your child will be successful. No reason not to think so at this point.

3) There WILL be accidents. Deal with it, accept it and move on. Do not get upset in front of your child over it. It won't make them feel good...they DO want to please you. 

4) Once you make the commitment to 'undies' (or bare-bottomed) don't go back to diapers(with the exception of sleeping)....they are better able to tell if they're going and need to head to the potty if they can feel/see it....not so easy with an absorbent diaper. 

5) Like everything else with kids...be consistent. 

Well, that's about it so far for our adventures in potty training. 

Cheers!

Renewed Energy and a New Babysitter!

After my 'woe is me, I'm so lazy' rant on my last post, I thought it fitting to now celebrate how great I'm feeling lately! So since then, I have managed to get in about 2-3 runs a week, plus walking as often as I find myself having time AND doing a prenatal yoga class last week and this week!

I think I am back in a good place finally! I am 17 weeks, and for the most part feeling pretty darn good with the whole getting tired and nauseous thing creeping in later at night usually, but I can't complain!

It makes me feel like maybe just maybe I'll do a 5k for the heck on it come Feb 5th. :) We'll see. Is it silly I want to be able to say I raced when I was preggers? I think it would make me sound tough! LOL!

On another note, we found a little gem living next door to us! Yes, another babysitter to throw into the mix! Her parents had come over and introduced themselves when we first moved in and mentioned their daughter wanted to 'get into' babysitting. I wasn't really sure what that meant, and we hadn't thought too much more about it. Then just a week or so ago, she actually distributed flyers to the local neighbors stating her qualification, age etc. and that she was looking for babysitting jobs! Sweet! I didn't think I would be utilizing her services so soon, but when Chris couldn't be home in time for my yoga class this week (yes, I think I'm hooked), I had the brilliant idea of seeing if she could watch Ethan for just an hour or two so I could go. She was available and that was that.

She is such a nice girl and she lives right next door! She has also babysat at church lots in the last year in the nursery and so has no problem with 2 yr olds. Plus her mom is home when she'll be sitting, which helps me feel a little more secure as well....'just in case'. Anyway, the experiment worked and Ethan seemed to love her.He was asking this morning where she was. :) So, I think he had fun and it was a success! So yay! Another one to throw into the mix of babysitting resources! You can never have enough for that last minute date or class you want to go to.

Also, the new baby is doing just great! He/she (we find out in 2 weeks if we'll be team blue or pink this time), had a checkup yesterday and had a strong heartbeat and was really active! The doc said 'Hear that? That's the distortion on the doppler from the baby moving around so much'. She finally was able to get the heartbeat after some chasing the kid around my belly for several minutes. LOL :)

And that's a wrap for now. Looking forward to the weekend and spending some family time!

Who Stole my Motivation?

Its been 4 weeks since my last post according to Blogger. ugh! Where does time go?

You know, I'm noticing a pattern here.....that most of my blogs of late include an "Oh My Gosh its Been Sooo Long since my Last Post Line". How annoying. But whatevs, such is life I guess. I'm just as predictable as the next guy I suppose.

Well, I guess this post is sort of an "I'm so annoyed at myself post". I am annoyed that I was feeling great over break and thought my preggo symptoms were about gone. Enter this week at work. Its all I can do to get out of bed in the morning, put in a full day and then get home to make dinner. Thanks goodness for Chris. He's been so good at getting Ethan in bed every night so I can just go to bed myself or have a little down time before bed.

Note: this down time this week has not consisted of one iota of running, walking, yoga or anything remotely resembling exercise. This is why I'm so annoyed.

No, I had planned to go to prenatal Yoga on Wed, but felt too nauseous by the time I got home...so I made dinner and then made a last minute trip to Kohls to actually buy something to wear the next day for work. Annoyance number 2.....all of my clothes are either too small(my non-preggo clothes)...or too big(previous preggo clothes). Either that or I'm just way more picky about fashion this time around than I was before. Who knows?

My kryptonite.

Then last night I was planning to get on the treadmill no matter how I felt once Ethan went to bed. Yeah,that didn't happen. By the time he got to bed...I felt Chris and I needed some time. So, instead I plopped on the couch to watch the first episode of Biggest Loser for this season with...wait for it.... Haagen Dazs! Yes, my awesome husband got me ice cream(unsolicited) when he went out for diapers.Something feels so deliciously devious about watching people sweat their butts off while I indulge in my awesome snack....is that wrong?

Anyway, I am hoping to make up for my moments of weakness this week tonight and this weekend with some serious sessions on the treadmill.
After all, I don't want to dread getting on the doc's scale in 2 weeks. Plus, I feel so much better when I make myself just do it.

So, I'm feeling essentially like a fashion-less lump this week. Really good for my self esteem..can you tell?
But, much like this season's biggest loser episode's motto.....no more excuses! So, with that I'm going to get my preggo butt moving! And hey, at least I'm logging all of my indulgences in 'MyFitnessPal", so that's gotta count for something right?

Until next time.

Running And Expecting

It has been too long again since I have posted, but what else is new? So today I am writing on a sorta new topic.

Running while pregnant. Chris and I decided this past summer to add one more to our little family. This in the midst of training for my supposed 2nd marathon in Detroit. I figured if I didn't wind up preggo, I'd run it and if I did I wouldn't. And wouldn't ya know I ended up with a little bean after all. So, no marathon. I did keep running until about 7 weeks when nausea and fatigue got the best of me. I gave myself a bye for the

E and I right after my Du this past summer.

last month or so.....just too tired and yucky feeling to do much. Chris has been amazing in picking up the slack at home though. However, I decided last night to get back on the horse so to speak. I am tired of being tired and sick and decided laying around wasn't helping.

So, after E went to bed, I forced myself on the treadmill. And it wasn't so bad. My cardiovascular endurance has suffered a lot, so I did have to take it slower than usual, but when I was done with my 3 miler I felt fantastic! Why did I let myself take a month off again? Ugh!
Anyway, I realize not doing anything doesn't help, so back to running I go. Doc said it was fine as long as I kept an eye on heart rate blah blah blah. I've also been doing research on it since there are so many women who run through pregnancy. I plan to one of them this time! Hopefully I won't get so huge that I have to quit. I need my running therapy!

I also decided to try to find some type of running club because I do need a little motivation at times and I would love to meet some other like-minded folks. So, I did find a local club that meets once or twice a week and has dinner after. Sounds great to me! Hopefully there are some who are slower like me though...that's my only issue. I really wish there was a mom's running club or something similar local. I would feel a little less intimidated then. But, I'll give it a shot and see what happens. That's all for now....but I haven't ruled out races this next spring either. I would love to be one of those fit preggo moms passing people! lol!

First Time's a Charm? - My First Duathlon

Well, here it is......my very first multisport race run down. I really didn't think I would ever say that. I have been running for years....and always said I wouldn't do multisport until I got good at running or bored of it. Neither has happened, but I did one anyway. My very first duathlon, which consisted of a
1 mi run/11 mi cycle/5K run. It was the 'Women's Only Tri/Dri Tri' in Sylvania,OH.

It started a few months ago when a dear friend of mine wanted to train for her first tri and asked me to join.....I declined as I was training for a marathon...and for a bike ride this year......so I wouldn't have time to train to swim as well. However, about 6 weeks ago or so she mentioned this race also had a 'dri tri'.....or duathlon along side of the tri. Bingo! I was in after some deliberation about timing and such with other events. I am so glad I decided to! It was so much fun! I definitely have 'the bug' now. uh oh! So, now I need to learn to swim so I can do a tri next year hopefully.

Ruth and I before the race....you can tell because we're not disgustingly sweaty yet.lol!

Anyhow, I digress.....here is how the day went down.
Rolled out of bed at 4 a.m. and did my usual coffee, clif bar, banana and water to get fueled for the day. Then Chris joined me and we finished packing the car that we had mostly packed the night before....btw, a husband who will get up at 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday to drive you to a race an hr. away is money! He is the best! Then we got Ethan in the car and headed out by about 4:50 a.m. The race started at 7:30 a.m. and we had to drive an hour. Plus I still had to get my packet, set up my first transition area ever and giving myself plenty of time helps my nerves.

So, we arrived at the parking lot around 6 a.m. after a quick rest stop on the way. Then Chris got my bike off the rack for me while I got E set up in his stroller with a blanket and snack. Then the whole fam went to go check in and get things ready. The only negative thing I have to say about the race was that there was consistently conflicting information. We received email updates stating to rack your bike before getting your packet, chip etc....but as the bikes were racked according to race number, you couldn't very well know which was yours until you picked up your packet! Sheesh!
Anyway, so we made our way around(another reason to get to a race early...in case of hiccups!), got the packet, chip and ankle strap, etc and headed to the transition area.

Luckily it was early enough that no one said anything when Chris and E came to help me set up. As I hadn't done this before, Chris helped a ton! He got my number on my bike, made sure my tire pressure was o.k. and showed me how to rack it by the seat properly. Seriously this guy has been there so much for me with all the little details its amazing!

So, after getting all set up we found the restrooms again and then went to find our friends doing the race as well. After a couple quick hugs and words of encouragement, we milled about a bit while they got set up. Then I decided to check out the first leg of the run to see what it was like....I just jogged out maybe .15 miles? As I was coming back I saw Chris shouting at me! What the heck? So I got back and turns out people were assembling for the start! what? way early! Well, turns out it still wasn't for a few, but someone made it sound like it was going to soon....phew, didn't want to miss that!

Anyhow, there ended up being only about 40 ladies or so doing the du....so it was a different experience as far as getting ready to run...there was lots of space and so I headed to the front! I always start in the middle and always end up having to go around people....so I decided to go the other way and start toward the front! It worked! I was on the outside so I wouldn't get in the way of the fastest ladies, but I wouldn't have to struggle to go around either. Perfect! Anyway, we were off before I knew and I was flying! I hit a 6:50 pace quickly but reeled it in...um hello! I had a bike and another longer run after! So, I backed it off depsite wanting badly to chase down the leaders and settled into a more 'jessie-like' pace. Then I headed into T1. My bike was one of the furthest from the run out, so I had a way to go while walking with it...yes I said walking....the volunteers yelled at me for trying to run with my bike in transition...is that a rule? note to self to look that one up. Anyway, I was off on the bike as quickly as I could.

Toeing the line for the start of the du!

The first couple of miles went fast and smooth..until I went for sip #2 out of my water bottle and it literally slipped right out of my hand like a bar of soap! Yeah.....condensating water bottle since I had a ton of ice in it so it would be cold by the time I got to it. It completely hit the ground and rolled away. I debated stopping to get it, but I decided to keep going instead....I'd only be on the bike 30 min or so and I could wait for water on the run. So, I did. If it were any longer of a bike it wouldn't have been good though. The rest of the bike went great. It was about as flat of a course as you could ask for amongst corn fields in northern ohio. I also found 3rd gear today, yeah I never trained in that gear...why? who knows? But, it helped with my speed. The only down fall was that there was a decent headwind for over 1/2 the ride.....and I was just using my hybrid as it was my first race and I couldn't seem to get low enough to become as aero dynamic as I needed to be. I got passed by tri ladies a few times that seemed to be exerting the same effort by just effortlessly passing me. ugh! Next time, I'll be getting a road bike!

So as I rode back into the park for T2, I was approaching dismount when I saw a lady completely fallen down with her bike! The volunteers were on it though and it didn't appear too serious. So, I kept going and got my bike racked with minial difficulty and did remember to take off my helmet before heading out for the final run. Chris and E were cheering and it was great! They gave me that boost to get out there and get my running legs under me. It took a little bit...and I was so thirsty at this point. I thought in the race instruction they said there would be fluids in the transition area, but I saw none. So, I hoped it would be soon on in the run. It was.....less than a mile in and there was an aid station! Thank goodness! I downed a large cup of water and kept going.....the run was on beautiful park paved trails and around a soccer field. It was pretty, but hot! There was no shade on the entire course...bike or run!About 1.5 miles in I started to get a big side stitch (similar to waht happened in a 5K not 2 weeks ago where I had to stop it was so bad)....so instead of pushing my pace like I wanted to I backed off hoping the cramp would go away so I at least wouldn't have to stop. Seriously...is it how I drink water that triggers this?  The last time it happend was right after a water stop as well...may need to research that.

Anyway, so my pace slowed, but my garmin said I was still doing an 8:40 min/mile. I'll take it. Before I knew it I saw the finish! Chris, E and the Nelsons were all cheering for me! I tried to pick it up in that last .1...but it wasn't much. I finished my first du! It was a blast! I finish in 1:16:16. I was shooting for 1:15, but I'll take it. It was good enough for 3rd place in my ag and about 11/44 overall....from my calculations as the official overall times still aren't posted. :(

My awesome family after the race!

The last thing I have to say about this race is that my garmin tells me I actually went 3.3 miles, not 3.1  on the run.....and my pace was never more than 8:50....but my 'official' results have my average pace for the run as 9:06? wth? I seriously think they may have mismarked the course? My 2 cents for what its worth.

AG 3rd place!

Anyway, I had a great time, and will likely be doing another event if not this year then next! There's just something about it that is so appealing! Love it! Thanks to my family for supporting me so much! And to my friends for the encouragement and hugs! Love you all! Until next time!

Cheers!

Squish Squish Squish

My fabulous shirt!

Well, I started back into running for the season rather seriously again. The plan is to run a fall marathon and a few fun races before then. This is the story of once such race.

In another week I will begin my "official" training schedule....but before that I am building up speed and endurance as well as core so I can ward off injury(hopefully) this year. As such I decided to sign up for my first ever 10K and first ever trail run. I don't know why I thought it would be good idea to combine them into one run. However, I learned a LOT today....and I had a LOT of fun!

Today was the Flirt with Dirt race. Its one of 3 in the Serious Series hosted by the local running store Running Fit. They put together great races! Its also sort of a taste of their Dances with Dirt run which is a 50K/50 M/100K crazy trail run later on in the year.....eesh. Anyway, I digress.

So, race morning started off the same as always. I woke up before anyone else in the house and had my coffee, water, banana and slim bagel(btw, these things rock!). Got dressed, grabbed my directions and I was out the door before 7 a.m. I arrived at the park a little early as it was a sold out race and had limited parking. There were only about 600 people total between the 2 races (5K and 10K), however the park only had so much space.

Regardless, the whole affair was smoothly run, and there were plenty of traffic coordinators to get you parked without issue. So, I made it there(didn't even get lost!) and found my parking spot by 7:15 a.m. The 5K started at 7:30 a.m. and the 10K started at 8 a.m. I was happy I got there early to ensure adequate time to...errr take care of business before the run. You runners know what I mean. Anyway, I wanted to check out the trail and see the 5K start too. I could only see part of the trail as the trail head was essentially on a soccer field....but everything looked relatively dry considering it had poured buckets the night before.

So, the 5K was off and now I had 1/2 hour to kill by myself, so I stretched and took a little jog around.....yeah...so turns out the grass was wet and my shoes were now a little soggy. Ergh. Oh well...so were everyone else's too I guess! lol!

Running Fit truck and folks. They put on a good race!

Before long people were beginning to mill about the start line and get ready for the start....it so happens the end of the 5K was near the start so we actually got to see the first finishers before we took off. 2 guys were fighting for first and the younger of the two was covered in mud! Head to toe! Hmmm....this can't be good I thought. Not sure which did win the thing.No matter, time to go!

The start was slow as most race starts are, and began going down a sledding hill and around a soccer field and through a dirt parking lot before heading into the woods. This shouldn't be so bad I thought. I was SO WRONG! The first part of the trail in the woods was o.k. and had enough space for someone to get around if you needed to pass. That quickly ended. Before long we were on 1 person wide trails...and that's not all! When I first signed up for this and I thought 'Trail' I thought of where I used to run in Ohio....the towpath I think it was. Nice fairly level, meadnering long trails through the woods.....yeah, not this race! Trail takes on a whole new meaning! Here,there were a few things.

First of all if you didn't seed yourself according to pace correctly you would either be holding someone up(luckily I didn't do that) or get stuck behind someone slower than you(yea,this happened). A guy actually stopped and he finally pulled off the trail so I could keep going. It also meant that uphills where people tend to naturally slow, things get backed up. This was frustrating as I have learned to pass on hills! But, after a while I passed where I could(there were occasional breaks) and otherwise tried to remember this was for fun! Plus, it was beautiful in the woods eary in the morning.

So, beyond that the trail itself was well...tough. As it had rained the night before it was pretty wet and had some major all out mud pits! It also boasted many face slapper branches(also leg,arm and body slappers too!)....I have never ducked so many times during a race! Seriously! That was a workout itself! Then you had logs to literally jump over, big rocks to traverse, gullys to essentially run on opposing banks of(the cut wasn't big enough to get a shoe in), big hills, TONS of large tree roots(happy I got out without a twisted ankle), some very switchbcak-y turns( I was getting dizzy at one point) and oh yeah ipod girl...a few of those who seeemd oblivious that they were running on a potentially treacherous trail and no idea someone needed to pass. Ugh!

Sledding hill from the top you had to run UP to finish.
 It looks unassuming as there's no point of comparison
, but it was steep!

However, overall it was good time! Yes, it was tough, yes some parts sucked.....but it was fun! I really don't know how to explain it. Chris still seems baffled that I chose to do this and would again! Next year baby! I think its because it was a different sort of challenge. Granted it made me about a min/mile slower than my goal....but I quickly realized that I wasn't going to make it simply for being 'stuck' behind a lot of people and not being able to make it up. So, lesson learned...not as slow as I thought I was. That's great! Next year, I'll know! Oh and to be fair I did end up with a wicked side stich about a mile from the end....weird! So that slowed me down a bit. But, when I saw the end I powered through and up (yes up a sledding hill) and finished strong. It was one of those races that was so tough that at the end I nearly was in tears. With the exception of my marathon this was the toughest race I've done. And I'd do it again!

Anyone wanna come with next year? There's a cap so you have to sign up early! Like May 2012. :)

So, the other cool things.....the shirt is awesome! Bright green tech shirt that I adore! Most fave race shirt ever! Also,  the race was well put together and directed. You totally get bragging rights after too and get to tell all your friends how fun it is to get dirty running! :) And plus, how else can you better spend a Saturday morning in June?

And last but not least..the results. I finished 10th/27 in my AG. With a time of 1:03:51. Like I said, a little diappointing as I expected going in to finish in about 57 min....but, for the course I'll take it. So, hopefully I  remember the main lesson for next year. Don't think I'm slower than I actually am and run more on oneven ground. Oh, which reminds me...now I know why they make trail shoes! I think I need to get a pair! lol!

That's about it. First 10K and trail run in one!

Epic Fail!

So, tonight was an interesting one. It started off innocently enough. Chris and I were celebrating our 9 yrs. of marriage and all I wanted was a dinner I didn't have to think up and a bike ride. I got half of that.

I picked up E from daycare and made it home by about 5:20. Chris was already home and had gotten items to make dinner! YES! Awesome!  A healthy home-cooked meal I didn't have to make! He made butternut squash ravioli, corn on the cob and garlic bread! I ate light since directly after we were heading to the park for our family training night out.

The plan was for Chris to swim while I played with E on the toys and then after I would get my loop around the park in on my bike(8.5 miles) and test out my new speedometer and oh so padded bike shorts! So, Chris loaded up the bike while I grabbed the swimming stuff and we were off! Not 2 minutes down the road did I realize I forgot the diaper bag, but no worries....we wouldn't be gone too long...so we decided to live dangerously and keep going. As we entered the park, Chris inquired as to whether I grabbed my helmet...looking,looking....drat! I completely forgot it. So, no bike ride for me as the park has a strict helmet ordinance. That's o.k. I might be dressed for a bike ride but I did have an old pair of running shoes on, so I could run instead. But, oh wait....I didn't bring my water belt or my watch...since I was planning to bike! Ergh! O.K. I could still work with this....I would still play with E while Chris swam. When we got home Chris could put E to bed and I would ride from home.

So, we get to the parking spot and head to the beach for Chris to swim.....no one else was around at this particular spot...awesome! Well....almost......he donned the wetsuit and was off! Not a minute later did he come back.....for good. Apparently the spot we picked, despite being on a nice sandy beach was exactly 3 feet deep, full of weeds and quite stinky. So.....that plan was out. We let E play for a bit before heading back to the car.

Get back to the car and put the stinky lake clothes in the back and make it back home without event. I proceed to get E a snack so Chris can shower off the stink. Afterwards I still plan to get that ride in! By now its 8:30 p.m. E has been fed, Chris is in the shower...time for pj's, stories and bed...then ride! However, as soon as I pull E out of his high chair and put him on my hip to carry him upstairs...I realize he is all wet! And I'm all wet! What the heck??!?!Well, I failed to remember before we left for the park, I had put his swimmer diaper on in case we decided to go in as well. As we didn't have the diaper bag to change into a regular diaper he was still in the swimmer one....turns out they're not real absorbent. Even the highchair was wet...sheesh...so yes...now we are both covered in pee....awesome.

So, change of plans again. They are now to get E a quick bath and wait for Chris to get out of the shower so I can take one. He was sweet enough to get E to bed while I showered off.....and so ends the evening. 9:00 p.m. its dark out and we're both showered. No training, but we did have some good family time together and we split some cake and now I'm enjoying a glass of wine. There's always tomorrow right?

If nothing else, the whole remembering to be flexible thing came back to mind....and just rolling with it sometimes...because after all..sometimes life just happens. Tomorrow however should be a better training day!

Cheers!

Back on the Horse

So, needles to say, I have had no time to blog anything since oh I dunno some months ago I guess. Well with buying a new house, packing, moving, work, home, etc there has been no time...especially if I'd like to get to bed at a decent time And no, blogging at 10:30 p.m. is not decent bed time material. Anyway, I have also had little time to train for anything. We essentially have been packing/moving and doing fix up the new house work since the end of March. So, lets just say my 25K did NOT happen in May! That's twice now I've missed it! ugh!

Oh well, so the last few weeks I've made a point to get out and start my pre-race training schedule. Which means building up my base mileage again, remembering my mistakes of the past and how to eat right and shed my 'not in marathon training any more lbs'. Its amazing how quick that 'one extra bite' translates into lbs. quick if you're not moving. Lesson learned!

I have so far now committed to a 10K on Jun 11...first ever 10K distance and also first ever trail race...so it should be fun...though I hear the beginning and end is a huge hill....awesome! I have also committed to a 30 mile bike ride in Aug., and possibly an adventure 5K at the end of Jul and of course I plan to begin training for my fall marathon(still have to decide GR or Detroit) in the fall. They're on the same day. We are also making the trek to Copper Harbor for Chris' Copperman triathlon in Early Aug and there's a sprint tri at the end of Jul I'm tossing around the idea of doing....on my hybrid....which I am in no way pepared for...so doubt that will happen.

Regardless, we seem to have quite the summer coming up, so I am excited! Well mostly. My back and hip still feel tweaked so I need to put in some serious core work in all my free time(note heavy sarcasm) to get me through this year hopefully injury free. At least now I know the signs...but seriously I wish I had more time for yoga to stretch out this tightness. Ugh. I think I may be living on my foam roller in the near future.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. Flirt with Dirt on Jun 11 should be fun! Any and all come join me!

Cheers!
Jess

Super 5K!

There are a lot of things I never thought I would do in this life....just a couple are......running more than a mile, enjoying running and running in the winter. O.K. so I guess some tend to revolve around running. Oh well, such is my life these days.

Anyway, to mark the end of my recovery month after the marathon(my schedule called for a whole month of recovery running if you can believe it!), I decided to run a fun 5K for the heck of it. I decided on Thurs. for sure. :o) It was so much fun!It was great to be amongst a group of like minded people.....yup people silly enough to crawl out of bed on a wintry morning to go run..for fun! I even talked to a guy who ran the Disney marathon!

My first goal was to have fun, my second goal was just to see if my marathon training had any impact on my shorter racing speed...since my goal this season is to get faster.

Well, goal #1 check. It was fun! There was a large indoor area to gather(since it was in the 20's), get your last minute packet pick up if you chose, stretch and they even had superbowl decorations and previous year's highlights on a big t.v. in the middle. Also, after the race you received a pint glass instead of a medal, and they had football food! Hotdogs, meatballs, cookies, brownies, and the ever popular race must haves of bananas and water.Since I'm veggie and also the thought of savory food at 10 in the morning sounded repulsive....I stuck to a banana and a brownie...hey, I earned it right? :o)

Goal #2...well, I'm a little faster...but not a lot. It was my fastest 5K to date, but nothing crazy fast. My time was 26:01:6...for a pace of 8:23...good for me, but not good enough to be a front runner for sure..this girl is still a strong middle-packer. Oh well. I finished 24/144 for my AG, 436/1574 overall....eh, I'll take it. One of these days I'll actually place! Just not today. :o)

Anyway, looking forward to making some yummy football food and enjoying the game with friends tonight...even if the Lions didn't make it this year. lol!

Cheers!
Jess

Winter Wonderland!

Wow, I cannot beleive it has been 3 weeks since my race already. We have been busy! Fighting off colds, working, seeing friends, family etc. Life is soo good!

Today I got outside to get a nice run in. It was so weird. I went out without a goal...just to run on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon! And it was glorious! Yes it was 22 degrees, but it was fun! I LOVE running outside. I haven't had a chance to hardly at all lately. My schedule, weather etc has kept me on the treadmill. Gag! I can't wait for better weather to get out more. Did I mention I love running outside?

Just something about stepping out your door and experiencing nature on your own two feet. Granted I probably could've used some spikes in a few spots, and there were plenty of potholes...but it was awesome! It gave my soul such a lift! Plus, a little vitamin D. :o) Who doesn't love that?

So, that aside, we had a  great family weekend at home. I got my runs in, Chris took Ethan sledding, we went shopping, to church, out for dinner with grandma, made cookies, got pizza, and tonight to top it off, Chris and E made a ginormous fort in the basement! We all had fun playing in it for a while. Kids are great...they keep you young in spirit if nothing else. I haven't 'played fort' since I was about 8 I think.

All in all we had a great weekend. I look forward to more!

Where to go from here? The marathon let down

Well, a week ago, I finally hit my target of completing my first marathon. I trained, I prepared and I trained some more. However, I didn't really prepare for after.....the recovery, the lack of runnng etc. I have been so focused on achieving that goal and training for better than 6 months, I've kind of forgotten what life is like without it. No long run this weekend? What? Its weird and I feel off. I can't explain it. Yes, I'm happy with my accompishment, but already I find myself anticipating races this coming spring and planning for them...I think I don't know how not to be on some kind of running schedule.

My plan has become to focus on core, core, core for the next couple of months with doing just some average length runs with a long run thrown in for spice. Hopefully this will keep me injury free this next running season. Then I need to read up on how to get faster. I've had a taste of races...and they're fun to run....but I would like to actually race one once....and see what its like to be more than middle-back of the pack. We'll see.....I've never been fast....but people can change right?

So, anyway now my inital week of recovery is over, I'm excited to get back to a routine again...this sitting around thing is killing me! I've already made plans to do the riverbank run(25K) this May...missed it last year.....I think injury or sickness kept me out...can't remember which.....and then Detroit this fall...and some shorter ones just for fun I think. Yes, I think I've found my addiction....running it is!