Til I collapse

I use to think building a base for endurance training really took it out of me.  I remember almost ten years ago when I was training for my very first marathon coming home from one of my longest training runs after stopping for 2 breakfast burritos and falling asleep on the couch with a half eaten burrito still in my hand.  I woke up that way 5 hours later!!  Of course eventually your body gets use to that kind of training and the second time around I didn't need a nap. 

Now having a son I feel that way at the end of each day even though I haven't done anything particularly straining or out of the ordinary.  My theory on this is that it's emotionally and physically draining because when you have a child you give them your all.  Every little bit of what's left you give to them by the end of each day.  As I'm trying to cook dinner, literally sing and dance for my son to show him I'm paying attention to him, keep the dog from licking his face off (because turns out the dog likes milk too), and replay everything I did wrong earlier that day at work while racking my brain to remember where the heck my ring could be hoping the dog didn't eat it after my son may have snatched it and dropped it...DEEP INHALE, I remember to catch my breath!

But the two are alike in that as you sit there exhausted you are still content because you know you did good and in the end it will all be worth it.

So on Sunday I did my long run, only 1 more training weekend left until my next half marathon.  I had it in the books as a 12 mile run but in the end it turned into an 11 mile run.  I am going to call that a win!!  To start my head wasn't in the game.  I wanted to go for a hike with hubs, little man and the dog instead and was really having to dig deep for motivation to go do a solo run with hills.  The first 2.5 miles were mostly uphill and tough.  I had to replay Til I collapse 3 times to make it through this.  I played this song a lot when I needed to remember I'm tough during my last IM training.  The whole time I was thinking I was just going to turn around at the top and call it good with 5 miles.  Then I thought no because I didn't want to depend on my last training weekend to also be my last long run I wanted it to be a recovery week.  So as the road flattened a little and I realized the overcast skies were helping me stay cool I convinced myself to keep going even if I was getting cramps in the weirdest spots in my legs.  I did a negative split which rarely happens (the downhill on the way back helped).  I was dead tired by the end.  Then I saw my sons smiling face coming back from his hike and a tired dog and new that I just needed to take a shower and spend the rest of the day with my family.  We went to the library and park and ate out and I reminded myself I stay in shape not only to challenge myself but for my son because he's going to want a mom that can keep up with him! 

I'm pretty sure he still had a piece of spaghetti stuck in his nostril!

Now eating out is a whole nother challenge!!  Our son will scream when I don't let him splash around
in my cup of water, or throw ice cubes at the waitress, or grab the knife to carve the table.  So unless he's eating he wants something he shouldn't have.  Even when we eat my husband and I trade off who gives him a bite while the other one of us takes a bite of our food.  So for now unless anyone knows of any wonderful tactics we are sticking to cooking at home or take out.  See he's already watching out for us and keeping us healthy! :-)

Now this song will not only be there to prep me for my long training but to tackle the day ahead with a 1 yo.   Happy Training!!

Apologies are sometimes overrated and when did "I'm sorry" become part of most sentences?

Guilt - I really have no use for it but for some reason it is a huge part of my life.  No I don't always voice or show these guilty feelings I entertain but I am sometimes so consumed with it, it actually alters my daily activities.  For example, if I manage to get away for a little while to get a workout in I'm so preoccupied the whole time I'm exercising about needing to get back quickly so that I can take care of my son that I will cut it short and hurry back.

My post workout hairdo... no longer care

And when did I start saying sorry for things I have no control over or apologizing for something that is not necessary to apologize for?  If I worked out a flex schedule with my boss so I can workout at lunch then I don't need to apologize to anyone for returning ahead of schedule.  Here's the funny thing I have yet to actually use my flex schedule.  So I'll sometimes get to work early and still only workout for 1 hour because I have this overwhelming feeling that people will think I'm not doing my job if I take more than my hour lunch.  A co-worker actually said to me "I don't get how some people take a lunch every day, they must not be busy enough.  I'm always on the clock"  When did we take pride in not taking care of ourselves and working so much that it becomes quantity not quality?

When someone is talking to me about something, usually complaining, and I don't know what to say I usually just say "I'm sorry" even though I have nothing to do with it.  It's almost like admitting guilt to something you didn't do.  I'm not really sorry and there's nothing I can do to change it.  But then what is the better response?

That being said no more excuses.  My biggest excuse is guilt and I need to stop using it.  I'm not sorry for taking 5 minutes longer than anticipated for a workout or having a bad hair day because I couldn't get my hair under control after my lunch workout or deciding last minute as I head out the door to run 5 miles instead of 3.3.  My son doesn't resent me for it so no one else should either.  Am I wrong?  Does guilt ever take over your workout?

Ok mini-rant finished thank you for obliging.  

My son's "not impressed" look and our first attempt at a selfie

Totally unrelated but isn't this bear birthday cake the cutest?  We went to his little friend's birthday last weekend. I spent the whole birthday party chasing my son because he wanted to go straight to the pool or the coy pond.  One day he'll just sit and chill right? :-) I never sit still with that kid which is why I love him he keeps me on my toes!

Chips and Salsa Half Marathon

Ok so I had been jumping over some hurdles to be able to train for this one especially when hubs was out of town or couldn't help watch the kiddo for some of my longer runs on the weekends.  I had a wonderful training partner that helped get me through some of this!  One run she actually came over to my house and let me run while she watched our two kiddos then when I got back we switched spots ( I think this was for the 10 mile run).  Now that is a dedicated training partner!  I can't believe we didn't manage to get a photo of the two of us on race day or during any of our training!  But that's what happens when you're in a hurry to get back to the kids you left at home with the dads :-)

To start off the morning I drove to the wrong starting point!  I had done this race director's last race in April and in my head just went on autopilot to the start of the last race.  I'm thinking where is everyone.  Luckily I pulled it up on my phone and saw it was a totally different race start and made it there just in time to give my training partner her bib and chip, hit the port a potty and go to the start.  Whew!!!  So with some adrenaline we started the race.  She was in the middle of tying her shoe when the start gun went off so she had to maneuver her way to the side line to get it tied.  Ok now we're really started!  We ran the first 6 miles together which was great because we kept each other distracted and we were running somewhere around 9 min. miles I think.  Then when I noticed I started getting side splints trying to keep up with her I told her this is where we part.  I felt good until around mile 10.  I could feel dehydration kicking in and for some reason my hips were hurting.  Either way I pushed through and finished feeling tired but good.  Finished 13.21 in 2:12 which I was happy with.  The last half I did was similar flat course and about 5 months earlier and I had finished it in 2:18.  So it's progress!!!

I got two medals the regular finishers medal and one for doing their 13.1 x 2 challenge because I did their two half marathons in the same year.  Didn't even plan that one!

My next half marathon is in about 4 weeks so I have 3 weekend training runs in between.  I'm having a hard time deciding what I want those to look like.  I was thinking a recovery short run this weekend then a 12 and a 7 but not sure I need all that...  It's going to be at sea level so I should be a little faster.  Anyone have ideas on mileage with this amount of time in between halves?

Happy Training!

Happy as a clam!

I've always wondered why that expression came around because there isn't much to clams other than sucking in dirt and waiting to be dug up and eaten so why the heck would they be so happy right? So Urban dictionary says: The full phrase is "happy as a clam at high tide." Clams can only be dug up at low tides, so at high tide a clam is safer and secure, so therefore, happy.

Also what the heck does slow your roll mean right?  I mean I know what they mean by it but why would you say that?  My boss says it all the time and I found: According to Urban Dictionary "slow your roll" means:
Term used to inform a homie that he's getting outta control and he might want to shut the hell up before he gets beat the hell up. "Yo dawg, you better slow your roll fool."

Haa!!! Gave me a totally different impression of him! :-)  Somehow I think Urban dictionary uses different editors than Websters. 

Anyway the whole point of that educational moment is that I'm happy as a clam because I am back to having found a solution to my exercise problem that might make everyone happy!  It's going to take some playing around with schedules and some testing but I think I can manage to be able to get all my work done so I don't get fired, be home as soon as possible as to not impose anymore on the wonderful caregivers for my son (you know who you are), not wake my son up by leaving at the ass crack of dawn, whoops sorry Urban dictionary started influencing my vocabulary, cook dinner, maybe shower from time to time, eventually be able to get back into triathlons and best of all keep my sanity without the help of a therapist!!  So here goes nothing let's see how long this lasts.

I have a half marathon coming up this Sunday and for some reason I'm not that nervous.  I know I've trained enough but I'm not really sure I can beat my time from the first one I did post pregnancy.  Let's face it my PRs will now be listed as PPPR(post pregnancy PR) and  PrePregPR because speed doesn't seem to be anywhere in my dictionary these days Urban or Suburban.  It will be the same course as the first one I did PP so it will be interesting to see if I improved at all I did it in 2:18, 5 months ago and it was a rough one for me!  So the only problems I've had this training cycle is tummy problems and if I don't SMP during this race I'll consider it a success, I'll give you a minute on that one...   Also one other thing different on this training cycle is that I didn't have to do near as many long runs with the stroller so I wander if that will make a difference.  What do you thing?  Will I do about the same?

Happy Training!

Back to the drawing board and 1st birthdays!!

I was so excited about getting to work out in the early a.m. and I felt so good going in to work every morning after a good workout.  Then I went to go to my first day of Master's swim a group I found near by so that I could swim 5-6 am and still make it back in time to the house to spend 1 hour with my little guy before heading to work and I thought that way hubs won't even complain that it's too hard for him to get ready in the mornings and take care of "A" but I showed up and it was pitch dark.  Apparently the pool was closed for a few days something had gone wrong.  I guess that was a sign!  Because when I got home that day hubs ever so kindly told me that my leaving and coming from workouts was waking our son up and that I should "figure something else out"  I was so completely bummed for the rest of the day! :-(  I guess it's a good thing I didn't pay the monthly fee.

I built up the courage and crafted a very nicely worded email to my boss asking for possible flex time to be able to get exercise in (which makes me a more productive worker) while still meeting my childcare and work obligations.  I figured ideally I could come in at 7:30 take half hour lunch and leave to they gym by 4 and still be home by 5:30 to take care of the kiddo, voila!  If that doesn't meet his fancy I offered to also consider coming in at 7:30 and taking a 1 1/2 lunch and working out then, but this would mean I'd come back to work gross and stinky, and still leaving at 5.  Of course being an exempt employee means these things can change if a deadline needs to be met or a meeting comes up.  I haven't heard back from him yet! :-( 

So if I get turned down there my only option left will be to go back to exercising at 7pm after I've put "A" down for the night.  We all know my track record with that has been dismal!!  I'm either starving because I haven't eating or stuffed because I did eat and I'm so tired by then it's very hard to be motivated to push myself and do anything other than the minimum!  It would also mean I probably wouldn't be eating much of a dinner just a snack to hold me through the exercise and another snack to hold me through the night when I got back and this means hubs is on his own for dinner and would probably go back to eating (ummm not as healthy) but that's on him.  But if it's my only option it's my only option and I need to find a way to make it work!  I know, I know first world problems!  I refuse to give up my exercise and ideally I'd like to still exercise enough to get back to doing triathlons.  Anyone out there that has tips on late evening exercise I'm all ears.

Ok for the fun stuff.  It was my son's 1st birthday this last weekend and we had so much fun!  I know this one is mainly for the parents but he got to have his very own cake and very first taste of sugar.  We're back to fruits for dessert but he

enjoyed everyone clapping for him when he took his first bite so much that every bite after that he'd look at everyone and start clapping so that they would clap again.  It was so cute!!!  He's such a trooper I love this kid!!!

Boobs and....

running.  Boobs and running, what did you think I was going to say?  Ok so anyone who ended up here accidentally by Googling naughty words sorry to disappoint but you might as well just move on because there is nothing here to see! ;-)

This weekend was my son's 1st birthday and I will post photos of that in a couple of days but before I was able to celebrate I had to get a 12 mile run in on Sunday.  I was already dreading it I just woke up feeling tired and not into it.  But I made myself get out there because I knew I'd regret it if I didn't and I knew I wouldn't get it in the next day because I'd probably be suffering from a sugar hangover. :-)  So out the door I went and I could tell it was going to be a warm day but luckily there was an ever so slight breeze the whole way.  But I couldn't get past the fact that I was in pain before I even started and the entire run.   I also hadn't had a good nights sleep from the pain and was so tired!  I had forgotten that I could now take medications if I wanted since I was no longer nursing and my MIL was so kind to remind me of that so I popped 2 Advil right before the run to help but I could still feel it.  Why was I in pain? 

Well my boobs hurt!  That is one thing that they don't prepare you for is once you wean your little one it can take quite a while for your body to get the message and stop producing milk.  You are so programmed to do everything in your power to keep your supply up that you don't think the end would be a problem.  It's been about 2 weeks now and I thought I did it the smart way cutting out 1 feeding per week thinking by the time I quit my body would just know it's time to stop!  More power to those of you who quit cold turkey I don't know how you do it!  But man the things are like two solid baseballs and my sports bra was about to burst at the seems.  I was small to begin with before having a baby and was never one of those that had to wear 3 sports bras to keep from getting a black eye, I won't name any names, but this hurt and if I thought taping them down would help I would have.  Normally I look forward to the downhill part of my run but not this time!!!  I tried to prance lightly on my toes but that never works well towards the end of a long run.

Luckily I saw some lovely ladies around mile 5 that greeted me with very enthusiastic hellos and that helped distract me for a while and give me a boost.  I tried as much as possible to remove myself from my body and for the most part it worked.  Oh man and when you're done and you release the pressure from the sports bra, watch out, you don't want to be in the line of fire.  Hopefully this soreness and sensitivity goes away soon!  I even went as far as for 2 days trying to dehydrate myself by barely drinking water and having extra caffeine, don't try this at home kids, and that didn't help!!!

There you have it more then you ever wanted to know about running post nursing but at least you can say I warned you!  Hopefully it doesn't take much longer to go back to normal.  This mornings 3 mile 5 am run was no picnic either I sure was awake though.