Do What You Love

On Saturday, my mom, Tom, Jack (in the jogger) and I ran a 5K fun run. It was a memorial run/walk/ride in honor of my mom's friend who died tragically in a the swim portion of a triathlon a couple of months ago. The race was untimed and we all ran together. It was a great event to honor someone who did so much for their community. I could see the positive impact he had on the lives in his town in the faces of the volunteers and participants. Steve's father spoke before the start of the race, and he said, "Steve died doing what he loved." It sounds simple, doesn't it? Do what you love.

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I love to run. And I love to run with Melissa! We ran five miles in under 50 minutes, and I was pushing J, so this is a super success in my book. I think I might have called her a bitch around mile 2. We talked about running, of course, and she asked what my goals are for the half this Sunday. I said I didn't have any goals (big lie). She pressed on, not letting me off with that answer. 2:15. I told her. That's my goal, and she promptly insisted I could do 2:10-2:13. It's so nice to have a friend who supports and pushes me. I think I was afraid to say my goal out loud, because what if I don't meet it? Four more sleeps and we'll find out!

It's Hard

Do you ever feel like the weekend just leaves you more tired? That's how I feel. I try to get so many things done in two little days and by the time Sunday night rolls around, all I want to do is watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians (works out well that it airs Sunday nights) and have a glass of wine.

Having an almost-two-year-old is hard. Jack is such a sweet little boy, but he is busy, non-stop. By the time he's ready for bed, I'm ready for bed, too. Last night I stayed up a little too late to feed my alone time craving. My friend, Becca, wrote an interesting post about "alone time," and since I read it, it's been on my mind. I haven't run much this week either, so I think that in itself is contributing to this craving.

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Jack started "school" last week. It's an infant / toddler program but I'm calling it school, I guess because it's at a school (the same school I am at). The first day went well, the second day... not so much. He didn't want to go into the classroom the moment we got there because he knew I was going to leave. I played with him for a little while but then it was time to go, I said my goodbyes and the tears started. Not just tears- sobs. It broke my heart.

I peeked in during lunch and he didn't look too happy. I held back from going in, knowing saying goodbye a second time in one day would be a bad idea. When I picked him up at the end of the day he had just woken up from a nap and seemed fine. I'm just so worried that he's not going to like it, not play with the other kids, not like me for leaving him there.

He's only been twice, so I know I need to give it more time. The only thing that bums me out is his drinking situation- both days I packed him a cup of juice and a cup of milk, and both days he hasn't had any. They are both still full, in his lunch box when I pick him up. J is a child who loves milk, loves juice, loves water. He would live off a liquid diet if we let him. On Friday when we were leaving he was crying for juice, and drank both the milk and juice within five minutes. I think next week I will leave his cup out so hopefully he can grab it when he's thirsty instead of waiting for it to be given to him.

And I know I'm just being the overprotective mother, and that he'll do fine. I'm just hoping this week goes better. Friday was a long day knowing he was only a few hundred feet away, crying for me.

This motherhood stuff is hard.

13 Years and Still Going Strong

Trains in Shoes

 Why do the weekends go by so fast? I think trains in shoes pretty much sums up our weekend!

First of all, I want to congratulate my running sister, Melissa, on completing her first ultra-relay! No big deal, a team of 10 runners covering 200 miles in 24 hours. Melissa, I am so proud of you. Next up, 26.2!

I woke up Saturday morning with 14 miles on tap before yoga. Long story short, I wimped out. I would have to be running in the dark for 1 1/2 hours at least (darn sunrise at 6:30) and with no head lamp, doing this solo scared me a little bit. I ended up pushing the run to the early evening on Saturday and completed 13.1 miles. I ran from my mom's house and headed downtown, making a pit stop at my grandparent's before heading back to Mama's.

It was a LONG run. I didn't listen to any music and tried to focus on my breath and footsteps. I ended up focusing on the drunk college kids stumbling around Burlington. It was Saturday night, after all. I thought about my runs with Melissa, and about the runs she completed during the last 24 hours. If she could run 9 miles uphill at 4 am, I could do this.

And now... taper. I'm ready for it!

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Adam, Jack and I were able to spend some time with my {best} friend {forever} Caitlin, her husband Josh, and their two little boys, Sawyer and Shamus. It was so nice to get all of us together, even if just for a couple of hours. We definitely need to do this more often.

I have a feeling Caitlin and I are going get some payback from these two during their teenage years. They already look like they're up to something.

Caitlin and I have been best friends since we met in 1998 and now, it's so fun to see our boys together. I'm so lucky to have her in my life, and to share this motherhood ride with. And even when the boys are older and don't want to hang with their mamas anymore, I know she'll be there, ready to tear up the dance floor with me (not that we don't still do that now).

'Noons

I have a new schedule, and it's working out well. I'm out of the house earlier in the morning, but am home by 3 pm, which is great. It leaves plenty of time to hang with J in the afternoon and get things done around the house. It will be nice when the days get shorter because I'll actually see a few minutes of daylight. It's a bummer that Adam and I don't have any of the same days off, but because I do get home earlier it gives us plenty of family time in the afternoons on the days Adam is off.

I've gotten three afternoon runs in this week, all with J: five, six and seven (today) miles. Yesterday we took a new route by the airport and J loved seeing the planes overhead. I went by the airport again today but he fell asleep.. Hence the longer run.

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In the past couple of weeks, Jack's speech has exploded! He's mimicking most words (sometimes audibly, sometimes not.. I understand him, though!) and it's so exciting! He has the sweetest little voice and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that soon "Di," turns into "Mama."

A New Kind Of Sore

J has been hyper today. Really hyper. Right now he's in his crib, not wanted to sleep and thisclose to climbing out. He didn't want to nap today so putting him in the car and then stroller was the way to success in that department. While he napped in the stroller, my mom and I relaxed at Breakwaters, enjoying the fleeting days of summer.

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I ran this morning- solo- four miles. I know for many of you, 18 miles is a doable run, but for me, 18 miles in 36 hours is A LOT. My quads haven't been this sore in a long time! I'm getting really excited for Leaf Peepers in a couple weeks. I'm feeling ready - much more prepared than when I ran it three years ago.

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Never forget

Double Header

Melissa and I had a long run of 10 miles scheduled for Saturday morning. I was kind of bummed because I had to send my defective Garmin back to Amazon (but props to Amazon- they overnighted a new one before receiving my old one), but Melissa would be prepared so we could map out our route as we went. We ended up taking a new path as we headed towards the Burlington waterfront. It was really fun to do a new run. I've run downtown before- but never run downtown from my house.

We've really got the whole negative splits thing down. Now let's just see if I can do this on race day (or on next week's solo 14 mile run-eek!).

We were back from our run by 7:30- I love that. Sometimes long runs interfere with family time but it's nice to be done without anyone noticing that I was gone. After the run, I taught yoga at the gym. I'm teaching at a different location now and it's more of a "yoga" studio, which is nice. No bodypump equipment lingering around, and hopefully I can figure out how to work the heating system so I can make it nice and toasty in there.

I came back from yoga and my new Garmin was on my doorstep! Hmmm.. I was really tempted to do a short run to test it out. After J's nap, it was so beautiful out, so we headed to our favorite spot in Shelburne. We did an "easy" (hardest four miles of my life) run on the Ti Path, stopped at the park and had a picnic. It was such a nice afternoon, but I was beat!

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J and I have been getting into the routine at night of reading books in our (mine and Adam's) bed, then hanging for a little while before I bring him to his crib. Lately we've been both falling asleep and although it's so sweet, it's not a habit I want to get into. Especially since Jack now climbs onto our bed and says "nigh, nigh." But Adam took a pic the other night of the scene when he came home from work and I thought I'd share.

Another Runner

Hi friends! Hope you all are having a good week. I've been having a great week, thanks in part to my new addiction: white chocolate (dreams? I think) peanut butter. OMG.. Amazing. Adam was giving me a hard time about the fat and calories.. Well I looked it up: it actually has less fat and calories than most peanut butters, so I'm good to go (not that fat and calories ever stopped me before). The other night I mixed a scoopful with chocolate gelato. A-maz-ing.

I've been trying to keep my milage up this week, and have had a six mile solo run, and five and four milers with J in the jogger. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow so I think J and I might celebrate the weekend by going on a longer run on our favorite path. Today's run, the four mile with J, was tough. I felt like I started strong but was definitely struggling by the end. I guess it was just one of those days. I'm glad I ran though- never regretted a run. Another runner today applauded me for running with the jogger- he said he used to run with his daughter and misses it. Even though it's so much harder running while pushing 60+ pounds, I know when he's bigger I'll miss it. I just get so sentimental thinking about how we can share running- it's time that we spend that's devoted to just us. I hope J will look back fondly on his miles spent with me. Hopefully, though, by the time he's too big to be pushed, he'll be running alongside me instead.

The Sand Castle Destroyer

Adam's dad, Robie, recently sent me more pics that he took while we were in Maine, and I really love these ones!

Jack was a sandcastle destroyer- none were safe in his path.

12 Miles in the Bag

When my alarm went off at 5:00 am yesterday, I did not want to get out of bed. But after pressing snooze only once, I got up, made coffee (getting the coffee pot all set the night before so I only have to turn it on is key), got dressed and I was good to go.

Melissa arrived at 5:30 and we were off. I honestly don't remember what I said to her over those first few miles, I was in such a sleepy haze.



Yup, look at mile 1. Clearly still asleep. We started off planning to do the same out and back as last week, just tacking on extra mileage, but after heading through a neighborhood and getting semi-lost, then realizing where we were, it turned into a loop. We ran along roads that neither of us had ever run on before, which always makes for a good run.

I am so glad to have gotten 12 miles in. The run felt good, but hard. My legs were tired and the wind was blowing pretty hard at some points. I also had an urgent porta potty stop (I know you fellow runners know what I'm talking about- I know, TMI) at mile eight.

When we were finishing up the last mile, Melissa said, "I bet we can do this one in 8." I told her okay- but if I don't say anything, it's not because I don't like her. It's because I love her. That last mile was tough but I couldn't be happier that we finished with such a speedy split.

Thank you to GMR for another great long run. You rock!

Week Update

Happy Friday everyone! I have no excuse for my lack of posting this week other than I'm still adjusting to my new schedule. So please excuse my randomness of this post!

We went to another fair this week and now I think I'm all set on fairs until next summer. I managed to leave only having eaten a steak and cheese sandwich, hot dog and fried dough. Jack loved the animals and rides, especially the train ride. He didn't want to get off.

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August came to a close and I'm feeling good so far with my training for the Leaf Peepers Half Marathon. I closed the month with five, six and four mile runs, closing the month with a 117 mile total. It felt good to have my mileage back up after last month's low.

Melissa and I have another early morning long run planned for tomorrow (leaving a tad earlier this time because my yoga class has moved to 8:45 instead of 9:10). After a long week I'm ready to run long!

Looking forward through September, I'm hoping to get 2 or 3 more good long runs in and then taper before the half. I started the month yesterday with a five mile run with my mom, Tom and Jack along the Ti Path in Shelburne and it was such a nice, relaxing run.

Side note, my Garmin has been seriously acting up. Grrr. Sometimes the buttons and/or bezel are unresponsive and I can't seem to find any sort of solution. One minute the bezel is working, and the next minute it's not- same with the buttons. Ugh! Have any of you Garmin users had any sort of problem like this?

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On Wednesday night I tried a new yoga class. It wasn't the instructor I was expecting to have, but it was a nice, realizing class. I was ready for a more vigorous session but the gentle movements were a welcome change. I definitely plan to go back to this studio- they have a beautiful space.

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