Weekends

Whenever the weekend rolls around, I have a hard time finding the right balance between being lazy and productive. The "getting stuff done" includes the ambition to actually leave the house.

With several activities planned this weekend I knew I would need to pace myself so I wouldn't be tempted to skip and stay home in yoga pants. The weekend started off right yesterday with a seven mile run with Jack and Alice. Thanks to a great run the entire day felt so much more calm and manageable. It's amazing the power of a run. But the day still ended with yoga pants.

First Run Post Daylight

Last year for Christmas, my mom gave me a headlamp for early morning and evening runs. It's actually a surprising gift since the thought of me running alone in the dark makes her very nervous. Up until today, I had never used it! I decided to test it out today on a late afternoon run. Because it gets dark so early, it was perfect. I had daylight for the first half and by the time I was finished it was pitch black. I ran 6 miles with an average pace of 9:40. Miles in the 9s have become the norm which makes me very happy! (Did I tell you I PRd in the half a few weeks ago?!? 2:04!) I have actually gained ten pounds, and no it's not muscle, since the marathon. I know once that comes off I will see more progress.

The kiddos are doing great! We're on Day 3 of putting them both to bed at the same time, which is amazing (they share a room). I miss the one-on-one time with Jack that we'd have after Alice goes to bed, but we'll save that for the weekends now.

They are so damn cute. And I can't stop buying Alice clothes. The choices at babyGap are unbelievable! Better than the women's selection.

Staycation Week

Core Barre

I tried a new-to-me class at work today, Core Barre. I've really been wanting to try this style class since they've become popular but haven't wanted to shell out the dough. They added it to our schedule at work and I finally got in! There's a 6 participant per class so it often has a waitlist. It was a ton of leg and core work with tiny pulses that really burned. The classes at work are 50 minutes instead of an hour so I wished the teacher went a little quicker without so much downtime between exercises to get the most out of the shortened time. It was a really fun class and definitely want to do another one. But maybe not with this same instructor. At the end of class she asked me when I was due. I was like, huh? Me? Then I got teary and stormed out. I was actually really offended especially after just admiring myself in the mirror thinking that things were looking like they were getting back to normal ha. I'm excited to keep experimenting with different classes during this downtime between official race training. Spoiler alert, I have a spring full marathon on my mind!

Fall Shelburne Half Marathon

It's been really hard to try and find the time to sit down and write when I stare at the computer all day for work. But, when I do, it feels really good and I love having this little space for dialogue.
Alice is doing really well and heads to meet with her cardiologist next week which will give us a better picture of what we can expect going forward. Fingers crossed all goes well.

A few weeks ago, while I was riding high on my 4:34 marathon finish, I registered for the Shelburne Half Marathon. I have run this race twice before and the 2011 one held my half marathon PR of 2:07:15. You might remember that I narrowly missed beating this number last spring at Unplugged (don't mind my overly dramatic non-recap) with a time of 2:07:50.

So, I registered for the race this year with every intention to PR but then life got in the way. I ran a total of about 15 miles between the October 6 marathon and November 3, with one 5 mile run and the rest 3-4. I knew I could cover the distance but didn't know how fast. I made a plan for the race to listen to music the entire time, run as fast as felt comfortable and if I bonked at mile 10, oh well, I could walk.

The gun went off and I began my plan. The course was hilly and the wind at times was really strong.
Mile 1: 9:31
Mile 2: 9:30
Mile 3: 10:00
Mile 4: 9:28
Mile 5: 9:14
Mile 6: 10:00
Mile 7: 9:19
Mile 8: 9:31
Mile 9: 9:35
Mile 10: 10:00
Mile 11: 9:52
Mile 12: 9:33
Mile 13: 9:37

Giving me a new PR of 2:04:10!!! My Garmin actually measured the distance short giving me a total of 12.91 miles, but I figure if I had run the same pace for .2 more miles I would still PR, so it counts :) It was such an awesome day with my amazing running friends racing and cheering as well. Now I really want to break 2:00:00!

Last Weekend

The week after the marathon I was riding high on bliss and still in awe that I actually completed the marathon. The weekend after the marathon was so relaxing and nice, especially not having to head out to run for four hours.

On Sunday the 13th, we went to a parade and enjoyed the wonderful weather. We went grocery shopping, had dinner, did the normal Sunday night things. When I was putting Alice to bed I noticed she felt a little warm. Took her temperature and sure enough, hovering around 104 so gave her a dose of ibuprofen and put her to bed. She slept awful that night and got up on Monday morning still burning up. The first thing I noticed that was strange about the fever was that it was not brought down by Tylenol or ibuprofen. In the past, a dose of either would bring her temp down and she would promptly resume normal activity. She was acting really off, not wanting to do anything but snuggle froggy-style on mine or Adam's chest.

On Tuesday, called the pediatrician and she was checked out and diagnosed with a double ear infection. No biggie, she's had this before.

On Wednesday she developed an awful rash which was determined to be an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. By now, her condition was getting worse and in my heart I knew there was something else going on. She hadn't eaten since Sunday, hadn't walked since then either, and spent all her time moaning and crying, even while she was asleep.

Thursday she started vomiting, which meant the medicine wouldn't be able to help her ear infection. Called the doctor and they weren't concerned, but I couldn't help to notice her appearance. She was looking very pale and her eyes were puffy and bloodshot. I stayed home both Wednesday and Thursday afternoons to be with her.

Friday I went to work with the feeling this would be the day she got better. Fever was still as high as it was five days ago and hadn't come down at all. Around noon, Adam and his mom called and told me to come home because something wasn't right. Her crying and moaning will still going on and she was completely uncomfortable and noticeably in pain.

We went back to the doctor, and after waiting for way too long they sent us to the ER. The ped gave me a rundown of what to expect, and that included staying there for a while. After what felt like forever, Alice was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. She fit each and every symptom to a T and it felt good to know what was wrong.

We spent the weekend on the children's floor at Fletcher Allen while Alice received treatment. So far so good. She had an echo of her heart to be used as a baseline for her cardio monitoring in the next weeks, months, and years to come. Bloodwork showed high white blood cell count and high liver enzymes but the doctors weren't concerned. It was a long weekend but by Sunday she was starting to show signs of herself again. The weekend was eventful, they started treatment at midnight but realized at 6 am (not sure how since they took her vitals every 15 minutes all night) and there was an error with the transfusion so she didn't get the treatment. Started over. Saturday night she fell out of the hospital bed around 1 am and my heart sunk. Poor girl couldn't catch a break. We think she woke up and tried to crawl out of bed, but either way, it sucked.

They sent us home with her treatment plan for the next 60 days and I hate to wish time to pass fast, but I can't wait for the 60 days to conclude. By then we will know if she has had any of the heart conditions found with the disease and how her blood counts look. We got the results of her urine sample back and it turns out she has a urinary tract infection on top of everything else. Back on a new antibiotic (which happens to be one I am allergic to - ha) which she fights us while taking, her appetite is back, and her feisty little personality has reappeared.

It's amazing what going through something like this does to your consciousness. I became hyper-focused on Alice getting better and had an amazing support system surround me. My mom and Tom took Jack for the weekend and brought him up to visit. My aunt Peggy came up to see us. My aunt Mary stopped by. My cousin, who was in labor, was texting me all weekend checking in. My grandparents. My amazing friends,  sending the positive vibes and asking for updates and how we were doing. It felt amazing to feel so much love. At the same time, it makes me sort of sad that I did not and still have not heard a single word from some of my family. Typing it now sounds utterly selfish and I'm not sure why it bothers me so I guess I'll drop it and focus on the good.

Alice is getter better.
Her pain is gone.
She's eating again.
She's walking again!
She's back to tormenting her brother.
She easily takes her aspirin therapy.
She's going to kick some Kawasaki butt.

Let's all say a collective prayer that symptoms don't return. That bloodwork and heart echo tests in the coming weeks come back free and clear. Then let's celebrate!

I did it!!!

I did it!!! After four months of training and 533 miles, I ran my first marathon. It was one of the most exciting and happiest days to date and I am excited to share the details with you. Hopefully this weekend I can put the pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and put into words how the weekend went down. For now, I'll fill you in on my finishing time - 4:34:30!

Marathon Training Weeks 16 & 17

Clearly all this running has left me spent but, yes, I did complete weeks 16 and 17 of marathon training. They looked a little something like this:

Week 16
Monday: 5 miles with Mom - 50:10
Tuesday: 5 miles - 52:30
Wednesday: 6 miles - 1:00:28
Thursday: Reformer Pilates, 5 miles with Alice in the jogger - 54:50
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 12 ridiculously windy miles - 2:05
Sunday: 1/2 mile Jack for his first race!!! Then 4 miles with Jack and Alice in the jogger - 44:07.

This gave me 38 miles for the week, which was slightly more than the schedule called for because of the five miler thrown in on Monday left over from the weekend.

Week 17
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4.15 miles - 41:13
Wednesday: 5 miles - 52:02
Thursday: 4 miles - 38:25
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 3 miles - 31:15
Sunday: 8 miles - 1:24

24 miles total! I was so ready for taper time and am pretty impressed with myself that I made it through this training cycle. I guess it's not actually complete until I cross the finish line.

Most of my recent runs have been alone in preparation for the five hours I'll be running solo on Sunday. And now, the week of the marathon is here and my nerves are starting to get the best of me. I know I'm well prepared and want to make sure I enjoy all of the journey, but really I just can't wait to have that medal around my neck.

This closes out the month with 154 miles! Again, it's all relative, but that's a lot for me.

Marathon Training Weeks 14 and 15

Weeks 14 and 15 are wrapped up the high mileage weeks of marathon training and now I am in taper mode. Here's a look at what the past couple of weeks have looked like:

Week 14
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 6 miles in 59:09 with Melissa and Sirius. We explored a part of our town that we'd never seen before knowing full well it was private. Well, barely a mile in and we got kicked out by who turned out to be the homeowner. Our guess was that it was a rehab center.
Wednesday: 5 miles (solo I think?) in 48:31
Thursday: 5 miles (solo again?) in 51:47
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 8 miles in 1:18. Cool temps helped my quick pace for this one. Finished with a 9:16 mile which made me really happy.
Sunday: 11 miles instead of the planned 12 because I ran out of time and Adam needed to get to work. Total running time 1:57 and the pace was super comfortable and the run was nice and easy.






As a step down week I ran 35 total miles and felt pretty good.

Week 15
Monday: Rest, illness approaching, loaded up on Zicam and Airborne
Tuesday: 5 mile run after work in 53:31
Wednesday: 8 mile run which involved 5 miles from hell on the treadmill and finishing with 3 miles outside. It was thundering and lightning so I brought my run indoors but it cleared up so I headed outside. Never ever again will I run on the treadmill. Awful.
Thursday: 5 miles in 51:51
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 20 miles!!! I was running a half marathon today, so I did 4 miles at an 11:15 pace before, did the race in 2:12 then closed the day with 3 more miles at a 10:10 pace. I ran the race with my amazing running family. There were five of us running the race and Melissa, Kim, and I ended up running the entire thing together. I am so blessed to have these amazing running friends in my life. The race pace felt really good and we even finished with an 8:47 mile!
Sunday: Rest instead of scheduled 5. I was feeling my cold coming back on so I decided I'd rather skip a short run than not be 100% healthy on October 6. (I ended up doing the 5 the next day.)


I was 5 miles short of mileage for the week with 38 miles but with the extra effort put in thanks to the half marathon, I think it's okay it worked out this way. I know I can't "make up" lost runs, but mentally, fitting in the missed 5 miler the next day helped knowing I got it done.

Taper has begun and of course I'm started to doubt myself, but I know I've put in the work. Aside from missing one 9 mile run early on and two or three short runs, I've done the work. Running 20 miles averaging a 10:20 pace after a week of hard running and not feeling great was a huge confidence booster and with proper taper, rest, and nutrition, I think I'll be equipped to cover 26.2 miles - in less than 5 hours :).

Marathon Training Week 13

This week of marathon training was all about balance. I struggled at times to fit all of the runs in, but managed to do it (and not go crazy). I've been keeping track of my times in my training log so I'm going to start posting them here for your enjoyment. I know I should only be worried about one or the other - distance or speed - and obviously with marathon training it's distance. But, honestly I'd like to get just a little faster. I like seeing paces that begin with a 9 and am hoping someday I'll even see some 8's. I don't, however, worry about pace at all with the jogger (unless of course I whip out some super speedy numbers) and go by distance. Perceived effort with that beast is really high, especially with all of the hills where we live. I usually hover around 11:15 with it.

Monday: Rest. It actually wasn't that tough going back to work after a week off.
Tuesday: 5 mile run (50:06) with two coworkers
Wednesday: 3 mile run (28:31) with coworkers, then 3.5 miles with Jack and Alice with the jogger after work.
Thursday: 5 miles with Jack and Alice.
Friday: 8 miles - 6 with Alice, left her at my mom's and ran two miles home (mile 7: 10:16 and mile 8: 9:30).
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: 20 miles!!! Eek! It was a long run (duh) but felt totally manageable averaging 11:00 minute miles. One more twenty miler the weekend after next then it's taper time!

I feel like what I thought was going to be a washout week actually turned into a solid training week with 44 total miles. It's sort of crazy to me that I ran 44 miles in one week and I can't believe I hit 147 last month. I by no means consider myself an inspiration, but it is proof that anyone can run - and make time to run. People often ask how I train with a full-time job outside of the home, two kids, and a husband who works nights. I always give the same answer - I make it a priority. Whether it's pushing them in the jogger, getting up at 5 am, breaking a run into two parts, squeezing in a couple of miles during lunch, so be it. I make it work.

20 miles is far. Really far.

Sunday morning started off around 6 with a set running time of 7. Melissa met me at home, and humored me while I finished my coffee and ate a piece of toast. Finally we headed out around 7:15 with 20 miles on tap. The first couple of miles were slow and I was a little disappointed when my Garmin said we were running a 12:05 pace.

Around mile 3 my bean burrito (bad choice) from the night before caught up with me and I had to make a pit stop at a gas station. We did two loops, the first being 12 miles. I started fueling early but I think I might have over-fueled and used too many gels with caffeine. I took a Gu at miles 5, 9, and then 13 before starting the second loop. Our miles hovered between 10:30 and 11:00 on the super-hilly route. We stopped to stretch at mile 10 and continued on. When we hit the planned stopped point to get more water at mile 13, Melissa made the tough decision that her run for the day was ending there. I kept telling her that I knew she could finish but at the same time I didn't want to push her too far if she wasn't feeling it.

After saying our goodbyes, I took off (with her Garmin since mine died) to finish. I went a different route than planned because there was a race going on where I was going to run and I didn't feel like getting passed for the next few miles by tons of runners haha. I did a mismatch of miles through main roads and neighborhoods, refueling one more time at mile 17.

The final stretch was tough but I was able to continue running the entire time, which was my goal. Overall pace averaged 11:00 which I am okay with. It was hot and long and I'm really glad I was able to get this under my belt.

I refueled with a giant egg burrito, chocolate milk, and a strong IPA. I feel pretty good today, other than the 360 degrees of chafing around my rib cage from my bra. Ouch. Long runs from here on out include 12, 20, 12, and 8 miles. I can't believe the marathon is so soon!

And just because, here's a pic for you :)

Lately

I know, I know, it's a massive photo overload, but here's a little bit of what we've been up to lately.

 

 

Back to School

Wow, running with the jogger is hard! It's no secret that I've had a long-term love affair with this thing, but as my work situation has become more flexible I'm able to complete so many more runs by myself - without it. Although I used it often last week, we were ocean side and there were zero hills. Makes a big difference.

This week has been a testament to maintaining my marathon schedule. Between coming back from vacay and therefor being crazy at work, Jack starting school, and Alice starting daycare (eek!), it's been busy to say the least.

I finally managed to get all my miles needed in for the week (minus long run on Sunday - 20 miles, no big deal haha) with some serious adjustments. It involved running four days in a row (not ideal), a two-a-days, three jogger runs, and eight miles tonight.

Tomorrow is all about stretching and some core work if I'm feeling ambitious. Bring on the rest day.

Marathon Training Weeks 11 & 12

Weeks 11 and 12 of marathon training have been a complete whirlwind! I pretty much stuck to the plan, aside from a few minor scheduling adjustments, I was able to stay on track. 

Week 11:

• Monday: 5 mile run with friends from work. I have an awesome running group at work and even though we all around the same pace, whenever we run together we pick it up. I'm so thankful to have them.

• Tuesday: 3 mile run in the morning, solo, then bodypump at lunch time.

• Wednesday: 3.6 miles. Our group headed out with the intention of doing 5 miles but a serious storm came through and we cute it short.

• Thursday: My best friend flew in unexpectedly on Wednesday night and we had a sleepover, just like old times. Needless to say, I was feeling the after-effects of too much wine today. I wanted to get some miles in because my 8 on Tuesday turning into 3 and a class, and 5 turned into 3.6, but oh well.

• Friday: 8 miles solo in the early morning before work.

• Saturday: Rest - day of travel to Kennebunkport.

• Sunday: Day 1 of vacation included an 8 mile run with Alice in the jogger along the ocean. Yes, please. My schedule called for a step-back week in terms of long run, with 13 on tap, but I'm pleased that I did 8.

Total: 27 miles

Week 12:
This week (minus Sunday) was spent on vacation, which can prove difficult to fit in runs. Getting up early (which was easy with Miss Alice as my alarm clock) and bringing the jogger proved a good choice in terms of marathon training.

• Monday: 9 mile run (no baby) with my sister-in-law. It was a tough run, and she ended up tacking on a couple extra miles but I just didn't have it in me.

• Tuesday: Rest - fried seafood and local beer, all day.

• Wednesday: 6 mile run with Alice and Jack

• Thursday: 5 mile run with Alice

• Friday: 5 mile run solo and I managed to average 9:29. I'll take it.

• Saturday: Rest - day of travel back to the real world.

• Sunday: 18 freakin miles!!! It was an awesome run and averaged 10:29. I felt really strong throughout the 3 hours and 8 minutes I was on my feet. I fueled with water and Gu, which worked out really well. Mentally, I was prepared for the run which made a huge difference. I didn't go into it thinking, ugh, I have to run 18 miles. I went in ready because I knew completion would mean I'm that much more ready for 26.2. Bring it.

Total: 43 miles (!!!)

Marathon Training Week 10

Here's a quick little update on last week's (almost two weeks ago now, oops) marathon training:

• Monday: I had the day off from work but was fighting a cold that came on after Saturday's long run so I took the day off from running. Much needed.
• Tuesday: Still not feeling so hot at all, took another needed rest day.
• Wednesday: Went back at it with a 4 mile run at lunch with work friends then did another 4 that night with Alice in the jogger.
• Thursday: Reformer Pilates
• Friday: 6.5 miles solo before work. It was POURING and I contemplated using the treadmill but when I got to work they were all in use so I was forced to go outside. I had 8 scheduled but got a late start so I needed to get back to the office. But then I was mad at myself for not at least just making it 7.
• Saturday: 17 miles!!! It was awesome and gave me a major confidence boost.
• Sunday: Rest

So there's week 10. The Highs: An awesome long run, successful two-a-day. The Lows: Getting sick (but feeling better by the end of the week was a high) and a lower mileage week than I would have liked. Here's to week 11!

New distance record.

17 miles with an average pace of 10:41 and pretty much even splits, except for a 11:30 first mile and 9:30 last mile.  Felt really strong during the run and helped mentally after a few days if struggling to get out the door to run. I was able to do 8 of the miles with my mom which was a great way to break up the run. I did 6 solo, 8 with Mama, and the rest on my own. 

Marathon Training Weeks 8 and 9

Hi friends! I need to fill you in on my marathon training. It's going, well... going! Nine weeks until the day is here and I'm starting to think I'm crazy to have signed up to run 26.2 miles. But, I'm so freakin' excited! Without further ado, here are weeks 8 and 9 of training:
Week 8

• Monday: "Rest." We actually moved this day so resting was replaced with hauling boxes and hoisting furniture.
• Tuesday: 7 miles. I don't remember if this was before or after work, but I'm going to say before :) *edited: It was not solo and not before work. It was with Melissa after work and was so hard! It was really hot by the time we headed out and pulled out a time of 1:11.
• Wednesday: 4 miles... Again, don't remember the time of day.
• Thursday: 4 miles... When? Who knows.
• Friday: 7 miles before work. I ran 4 with a coworker then finished the last 3 solo.
• Saturday: 14 miles. Long, slow, painful miles. I ran put the kiddos in the jogger and ran the mile to Melissa's, then did 6 with her and Julia, probably too fast for my legs that had already run 4 days in a row that week and with several still to go. After a break at the Peabody residence, I headed home to drop off Jack and Alice to finish the run solo. I had a really hard time getting back out the door and the last 6 miles were a run/walk. I had 15 scheduled but called it quits at 14.

This was a tough week, and the bad long run was draining mentally. But, as you can see, I made a lot of mistakes and it's not surprising the 36 miles total were tough.
Week 9:

• Monday: 4.25 miles with coworkers at lunch
• Tuesday: Bodypump at lunch and 4 miles at the end of the day solo.
• Wednesday: 5 miles at lunch with work friends
• Thursday: Reformer Pilates
• Friday: 7 miles in the morning with work friends. I'm calling this a pace run because we averaged 9:54 a mile, which I'm happy about.
• Saturday: 15 miles! 5 with Melissa, Chris, and Kim then M and I headed out for the rest. I felt strong and we had an overall average pace around 10:25. I read an article in Runners World about doing a 16 mile long run at marathon pace about halfway through training, and since I'm hoping to run 10:30, I'm calling this a win. That being said, I still don't want to set time goals, I just want to finish - under 5 hours :).
• Sunday: Rest.

So there's my 35 miles of Week 9. I veered a little off the plan because this week had more rest days built in to prep for a half marathon race, which clearly I didn't do. I guess it works because I've been sick this week and had extra unplanned rest days. Here's to finishing this week strong! With a little sneak peak... 17 miles on deck this weekend.

First One Down

When I came back from my seven mile run this morning, I had a nice little surprise waiting for me. A painful, bruised toenail that I'm sure I will lose soon. I'm also sure this won't be the only toenail casualty of marathon training. On the plus side, the run today was awesome! 7 miles in 1:09 - a little speedy for me :).

Marathon Training Week 7

Week 7 Marathon training completed! This was a high mileage week and I struggled through many of the runs. We went through a heat wave where it was 90+ degrees almost everyday and even hot in the early morning hours.

• Monday: 4 miles before work
• Tuesday: 7 miles before work
• Wednesday: 4 miles before work
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: 7 miles before work {super slow and really wanted to quit several times but happy I didn't}
• Saturday: 14 miles! Went late in the day and it was really hot but was prepared with a hat and fuel belt. I took it slow and stopped to refill water two times. I struggle with long runs for the first half, but once I got to mile 7, my mind was finally in it. I finished feeling like I could have kept going, which was a good ego boost.
• Sunday: Rest

After several difficult runs during the week, I'm happy with how the long run went. I had a busy week and weekend (worked all day Sunday) and was dreading the long run, not knowing how I would fit it in. Once it was done, I felt like a rockstar, haha.

Marathon Training Week 6

Week 6 of Marathon training served as a mini recovery week from the Half Marathon on Sunday.

• Monday: Rest
  I was so sore from the race the previous day!
• Tuesday: 3.11 mile run before work. I've been coming in early to get my runs in because it's been so hot and it has been working out pretty well.
• Wednesday: 5 mile run before work
• Thursday: Taught yoga in the am and 3 miles at the end of the day. Damn it was hot a five o'clock.
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 6 miles in the morning with Alice in the jogger
• Sunday: Taught yoga in the am and skipped my scheduled 9 mile run because it had gotten way too hot by the time I could head out.

It was definitely a low mileage week, reaching only 17 miles. It's probably best, though to get that proper recovery time from the half. I had planned to move the run from Sunday to Monday, but spoiler alert, it didn't happen. I was beating myself up about it but I need to remember missing one run is okay. It's not like it was one of the 20 milers. I've shifted my schedule starting this week (7) so that my running days are now Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. This way I don't have to try to fit two runs in on the weekend, and can do an easy run with the kiddos one day if I feel like it. It was really good to get two days of yoga in this week and it reminded me how much I needed it. Here's to week 7 (as of now I only have one more run of the week left - a 14 miler - eek)!

Birthday Girl

Baby girl turned one yesterday! We ran six miles together in the am and had a little celebration with family. 

Birth Day

As Alice's first birthday tomorrow approaches closer and closer, I can't help but look back and reflect on this past year and last almost (!) four years with littles. 

To be blunt, Jack was a surprise, and honestly I was scared for maybe a day. I always thought I would wait until my thirties to have kids, and here I am, at twenty-nine, with two.

Because of Adam's work schedule, I'm forced to be pretty independent five nights out of the week (thank heaven for my mom). Before Alice came along, Jack and I would do everything and anything. We would go everywhere together and I'm not ashamed to say that most nights of his three-and-a-half years he's stated up until ten o'clock. 

Then Alice came along. Obviously I loved her, but things we different. I couldn't just take off on a whim and going anywhere needed ample preparation. Tonight, in the eve of her first birthday, I'm realizing I can do it with two. The overwhelming feeling I had for quite a while this last year has faded and confidence grown. 

As I tucked then into bed way too late tonight, I realized it doesn't matter what time they go to bed sometimes. Jack can have ice cream for dinner once in a while.  They are the sweetest little devils and I seriously can't imagine life any other way.

Week 5 Marathon Training

Week 5 was a tough one. I had a super short work-week and was in vacation mode. With a half marathon planned for Sunday, I was going to continue to follow my training plan as scheduled and run the race as a training run. I think I was in denial about the race. I had run the Mad Half before, and knew the hills were killer, but ultimately I think I was in denial because all week I wasn't nervous at all for the race. So with that, here's how the week went.

• Monday: Rest
• Tuesday: 3 solo miles before work and bodypump at lunch
• Wednesday: I was off and ended up being lazy all morning and put off running until noontime and it was so hot! Alice and I made it 6 miles.
• Thursday: 4th of July. No running but I did drink more than my share of beer
• Friday: I was off again and again waited too long. I ended up running 3 miles solo in 28 minutes, which I'm proud of. My training plan doesn't have specific speed work besides "pace" runs on Saturdays so I'm throwing it in here and there. I followed a 1 min hard, 1 min easy, 2,2,3,3,etc. plan for this run. It actually made the time fly by (I know it was only 3 miles but it was 90+ degrees).
• Saturday: 5 miles with Alice, again way too late in the day. It was so freaking hot.
• Sunday: The Mad Half! It ended up being a really (really, really) tough race. At mile 6 I thought I was going to have my first DNF. At this point, Melissa and I were on par to have a 2:45 (eek) finish. We ended up pulling a 2:17, which I was thrilled with. This race is so challenging and the hills in the beginning eat you up.

Waiting for the gun to go off

So happy to be done and shocked I finished

So there it is, week 5 with a total of 30 miles. This is a step down week and I'm happy to have shorter runs on tap all week. Here's to week 6!

Marathon Training Week 4

While I'm trying to get my domain issues figured out, I'll share with you week 4 of marathon training:

• Monday: Rest. Skipped pilates, wasn't really feeling it.
• Tuesday: 4 miles before work with an old friend, coworker, and awesome running mama. Did a Bodypump class at lunchtime. Alice helped me get ready that morning

• Wednesday: 6 miles before work with this pretty lady:

• Thursday: 3 miles in the am as soon as I got to work
• Friday: Rest
• Saturday: 7 hard-ass noontime miles with the kiddos. We took a pit stop at my mom's new house at mile 4 for some Nuun

• Sunday: 11 miles with Melissa. Felt really awesome and she helped push the jogger!

I closed out the week with 31 miles, and closed the month with 117 miles! Definitely my highest mileage month in quite some time.

I'm Back!

Feeling pretty tech savvy right now! Runfitmama.com is back!

Domain

Hi readers! Not sure how this happened, but I lost my domain. I'm trying to get it figured out but you can still find me at www.runningmamavt.blogspot.com. Thanks and I hope you keep reading!

Update: issue resolved!

Sunday Run

 Today's run was 11 miles weaving through the neighborhoods of South Burlington, doing everything in my power to avoid hills. For some reason when it was Melissa's turn to push she managed to get some inclines. Sorry about that. Overall, the pace was comfortable and it was so much fun! Alice was a diva for a couple of miles but did a good job for the most part. Sometimes after longer runs I experience stomach problems throughout the remainder of the day but today had none of that. It felt awesome to feel so good after a double digit run. I'm not so nervous for the Mad Half after all.