Messing Up Doesn't Mean Giving Up

It is Tuesday of my second week in the 21 Day Fix, and it is going so well, but I have learned that weekends are more challenging than weekdays. For me, anyway. Especially when a birthday and a wedding is involved. All was certainly not lost, though. I did my videos, I ran a little bit, and I stayed mostly on track with my diet. It was just harder and I didn't do as well with my eating as I was doing during the week.

Friday I got up and ran three miles...knowing what was in store for the morning. Jason was off, and we celebrated Eloise's 3rd birthday. I had my first cheat/processed food/sugar of the week on this occasion in the form of 6 donut holes. Heavenly. I had some scrambled eggs and some green tea with them so I wouldn't get all sugar crazy and then I moved on with my day.

Happy Birthday, sweet Eloise!

Around lunch time I went shopping with my mom to look for Eloise some flower girl shoes. She was going to be in my cousin's wedding the next day. This was not a problem, except I got hungry on my way to meet mom. I hate being hungry. Before we started shopping I got an order of grilled chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a, and that was fine, but what I got to go with them was not. A sweet tea. Yep.  I have NO idea why I did that. I should have gotten the fruit and water. Oh well. I knew it wasn't a great decision, but I moved on.

The rest of the day I did well.  I didn't let messing up lead to giving up.  I did my video for that day and we all got ready for a busy Saturday of wedding fun.

Saturday I did well, despite how badly I wanted a piece of wedding cake.  I packed fruit, seeds, and nuts so I had plenty of healthy snacks and had another order of grilled chicken nuggets (no sweet tea this time) since lunch time found us on the road to the wedding. I decided I'd allow myself a piece of wedding cake (although why I decided I could have another cheat, I don't know), but when it came down to it, I decided against it. Instead, I thought we could stop at Starbucks on the way home and THAT would be my cheat.

Let me back up to say, I was up 4 hours in the middle of the night with my kids the night before... and then I had to hold my breath and wait in utter suspense to see if my three-year-old would, in fact, walk down the aisle in a wedding!  Oh. My. Word!  (She did. It was amazing and so very sweet, even if she did poke the bride in the bum at one point).  I was so exhausted on the way home and I still had a video to do. So Starbucks just made sense. But in an act of wonderful fate, we MISSED it, and I wasn't about to go looking for it with two sleeping babies in the car. We needed to make TIME!

My sweet flower girl and her cousin and bridesmaid, Caroline

I was getting frustrated.  I was so tired. I was hungry. I had to do my video. I didn't want to miss a day of working out and I didn't want to mess up anymore with my eating.  Then I remembered... I still had my Shakeology shake to look forward to!  YES!

We got home. Jason ran, and I had one piece of Ezekiel bread with avocado on it to fuel my workout. I made dinner (turkey taco salad) and then did my video (Dirty 30). Eloise and I enjoyed our delicious shake and my day was saved. Whew!

Sunday I headed to the store to stock up once again on all the good stuff. I packed my fridge full.  I enjoyed my Yoga Fix, and then Monday I started all over again.  After the total body cardio fix, I was not NEARLY as sore as the previous Monday.  And I'm still trucking along. Feeling good.  Enjoying good food, good workouts, and Shakeology. A few hiccups this weekend didn't derail me and for that I'm thankful. 

So what I'd say to anyone doing the 21 Day Fix or going after any health and fitness goal... Don't let messing up lead to giving up. Just get back on track and keep going!

4 Days In

I am 4 days in to the 21 day fix and my overall review is, so far so good! I know 4 days may seem a bit soon to be giving a report, but I am already seeing and feeling changes and it's pretty cool. I'm going to divide my reports up into three sections: Eating, Workouts, and How I Look/Feel.

Eating
I thought this part would be the hardest. I've been eating whatever I want for a LONG time, and I thought the cravings would be pretty strong. They haven't been!  It does take some thought, effort, and prep to make sure all the good stuff is on hand when I get hungry, but eating that instead of processed food and sweets has not felt hard at all. I've felt GREAT (but more on that later)!

It has been 4 days since I've had any processed sugar or coffee. Now, before you coffee lovers freak out, you CAN have coffee during this program. You just can't include all the stuff (cream and sugar) I want to put in mine. I have made the switch to green tea with honey, and I enjoy 2 cups a day with one (very generous) tablespoon of raw honey in each. Yesterday I was craving some coffee, so I put in my coconut creamer (which is not allowed, but coconut milk is*) and one packet of stevia. I almost spit out that first sip. I'm not a fan of any sugar substitute.  I thought I could do stevia, but I can't. It is in Shakeology, but the taste is not so strong and I really like my chocolate vegan shake each day. My coffee, however, was terrible. I immediately dumped it out and made myself a cup of green tea.

I have actually enjoyed this switch, however, I will not make this switch forever.  I just want to give this 21 Day Fix 100% to get optimal results. Then I will change things up in order to maintain. I may not have a cup every day, but eventually I will return to my sugar and half and half in my coffee, but I may not indulge every day.

Workouts
I'd say day 2 and 3 are the hardest regarding workouts. This is not so much because of the workouts themselves (although they are challenging), but because of the soreness I have felt going in to each one. Wow!  The first workout was fun and fast-paced and I was able to do it. I was pouring with sweat, but it was fun and over before I realized 30 minutes had gone by. By that afternoon, however, I was feeling it.  The run I tried to do with my class was VERY hard and I stopped after 2 miles.

The next two mornings were tough, but I knew it was important to push through that initial soreness. Once I got moving it wasn't so bad, and it loosened up all those sore muscles, which I think helped in the long run. Today, day 4, was the Pilates Fix, and I was sore, but not nearly as much as I have been. The workout was challenging, but it also felt really good. I think by tomorrow's Dirty 30 (yikes!) I'll be fresh and ready to ramp it up again.

How I Look/Feel
I feel really good. I was worried I'd feel tired and draggy, but I haven't.  In fact, I've been able to push through the afternoon slump with a cup of green tea. When I finally get my two anti-nappers to nap (a workout all its own) I have done chores and other tasks on my to-do list instead of wanting a nap myself.

I did make the decision to increase my calorie bracket so I could have a few more carbs because my two runs this week have felt REALLY hard and I think that is because I didn't have enough fuel. I'm not trying to go overboard, but I still want to run 3-4 times a week, even if it is only a few miles each time. One of my main reasons for doing this program is to benefit my running, so I don't want to hurt it in the process.

I also don't want to endanger my milk supply and I'm worried if I cut calories too much, I won't be able to continue feeding Matthew (who is hitting the 7 month mark soon!).  Since I'm not trying to lose weight, I think this adjustment is ok.  Especially since allowing myself more calories isn't giving myself permission to have junk, just allowing one more portion of the good stuff.

As far as how I look, my middle is already starting to tighten up.  That is a pleasant surprise for sure!  Only 4 days in and already seeing results?  I'll take it!

So far so good! I have no idea what the Dirty 30 workout has in store for me tomorrow, but I'm looking forward to it anyway!

*Coconut milk is a "cheat" of sort and replaces a portion of the yellow container (I think).

An Overall Win and a Post Baby PR

Now, before you get excited, know that the two things mentioned in the title did not happen in the same race.  But both were still pretty fun and both were surprising. As I mentioned in my previous post, I had a hilly, hard 5k approaching called the Madison Skedaddle. I wasn't expecting another post baby PR, but I was aiming for something in the 25 minute range. Well, I had a great race and I felt good, but my finishing time was 26:27. I was okay with that and even more so because I was the first female to cross the finish line for the first time ever.  I think I've finished in the top 3 before, but never the first overall female. What made that even more fun was Jason won the race altogether.

My mom watched our babes so we could both run it, and it was a fun little race date.  And while I know my overall win was probably due to another more competitive 5k elsewhere and a 10k Skedaddle event, it was still really fun to win and I was pleased with my efforts on such a tough course. We concluded our race date with a trip to Starbucks for an iced mocha. Mmmmm.

This past weekend was July 4th, and I asked my sister to watch Eloise and Matthew so Jason and I could run the Firecracker 5k.  We ran this race the first time they held it and have run it every year we've been in town since then.  It is a flat and fast course and I've usually done pretty well on it. Last year I ran it with Eloise in the stroller and a teeny, tiny Matthew in my tummy.  We also announced that we were expecting on this day last year.

July 4, 2014

This year it was a rainy and cool day, which definitely worked in our favor.  I wasn't expecting much because all of my runs the previous week had been hard and I had been feeling so tired. But I was looking forward to it all the same. I started out at a reasonable pace, which is somewhat rare for me to do in a 5k.  I usually go as hard as I can for as long as I can and hope for the best.  But I decided to start at the pace I wanted to hold so I ran around 7:50-8:00 pace and stayed there throughout the race, finishing in 24:51, which was a 4 second post baby PR.  I was pretty excited about that.

The race got me out of my tired running funk and I was surprised to shave a few seconds off my current post baby PR. I enjoyed running in the cool, misty rain and I really enjoyed hanging with my guy. We ran our cool down miles and then headed home, stopping by a fireworks store to stock up on a few fun things to do with Eloise later that night.

July 4, 2015

Eloise was into it.

Brother watched from a safe distance....

TWO Sparklers!

Brother needed in on the action.

Post Baby Racing

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my strategy for running post baby is a little different this time around. Instead of focusing on adding mileage as fast as I can like I did after the birth of my daughter, I'm focusing on short, more intense runs and trying to maintain and improve my pace. My runs are usually 3-6 miles, and on days I don't run I do a weight workout or allow Jillian Michaels to beat me up a little through one of her videos.

So with my new strategy, I've participated in 5ks only since Matthew was born in January, and since then I've run three races. Each race was a little bit faster than the one before, which was a fun little goal to chase.

8 weeks post baby - the Seaside Half Marathon and 5k. I finished in 25:37 which was actually much faster than I anticipated, so I was pretty excited about my post baby starting point.  I also won 3rd place in my age group (my first time running in the 35-39 AG), but I didn't know it and didn't go to collect my award.

10 weeks post baby - the Lead me to the Cross 5k.  I finished in 25:04 and was pleasantly surprised because this course was HILLY! I would have won 3rd place in my age group again, but I didn't show up in the results. I was a little disappointed about that, but still pleased to knock a little time off my post-baby 5k.

Proof that I did, indeed, finish the race.

18 weeks post baby - the Run for a Mom 5k.  I finished in 24:56. The goal was to finish in 24 something, but I had hoped to do more than just barely make it. I didn't feel quite right while running this one, like my legs wouldn't go or something. I really had to work for it and I'm not sure I would have made it, had I not had to keep two ladies from passing me at the end. Still, I was pleased to knock off a little more time, even if mere seconds, and to win 1st place in my age group.

My next race is this weekend.  I'll be 23 weeks post baby and running the Madison Skedaddle 5k.  I'm excited to get to race, but this time I'm not hoping for another faster time. I think my time of easy improvement is over and this upcoming race has a massive hill along with some smaller ones too. While I've continued running and have gradually increased my weekly and monthly mileage, I have not done any 5k training. If the course were an easier one, I'd possibly have a shot at removing a few more seconds, but as it stands, I do not believe that will be possible.

But I still have a goal. While I am not aiming for a faster post baby 5k, I would like a 25 something and I believe that is doable.  I'll just have to work for it.  Stay tuned for the update! 

Holding Back

So my little guy is 5 months old, and what an amazing, sweet, cuddly 5 months it has been. He is so big and doing so many things already and I am thinking, "SLOW DOWN!" But of course he won't. He is a smiley, happy, roly poly boy who loves to eat, loves to jabber, loves to be tickled and attempts to crawl any time he is on his belly.

Tuesday I did my second post baby 6 miler and tackled my first post baby big hill. There are a few mean hills around my hood that I like to climb when trying to become stronger, and this was the first day since Matthew was born that I attempted one. It went wonderfully!  I felt good and strong enough to handle it.  I did a loop at the top of the hill, then ran back down and back home. Around the last half mile my calves started to feel a little tired, but that was it.

I was pretty excited about that run, but in the first few miles, as I decided what route I would take and how many miles I would tackle, I sort of had to give myself permission to push a little.  I've been holding back these past 5 months, but with good reasons.  I didn't want to become sore or injured as I started my journey back. I didn't want to wear myself out so that I was too tired to be a good mom to my little ones (what a physical job that is too!). I'm also protecting my milk supply, and so armed with these reasons, I've kept my workouts short while trying to keep them a little more intense.  No long slogs to try to add mileage, but quick 3-5 milers. And as I mentioned above, I've only bumped it up to 6 miles twice, and both times the run felt great.

As I journey back to running, my strategy and focus are both a little different than after my first child was born. I really want to savor these days with these babies, knowing and seeing already how fast they grow and change.. I don't want to be too tired to play and I don't want to be impatient if nap times or night times don't work out for me to fit in a run.  I want to be fit, sure, but I want to be a good mom, enjoy my babies, and take care of my family and home.

A perk of training this way is most of my runs feel pretty good because I am rarely worn down. I usually feel fresh going into a run unless sleep or eating hasn't been optimal. I've been doing some strength training as well, and while only making tiny strides in that department, I think it has aided me in holding on to a better pace. I know I wasn't running my current pace (sub 9:00 - 9:30) any time soon after having Eloise because I kept adding mileage, making most of my runs longer, harder, and very frustrating.

Now, however, I think I'm ready for a bit more in my daily workout.  I'm ready to push a little.  I'm thinking about adding in a once-a-week speed workout and allowing for more 6 milers. I think my current fitness level can handle an increase.  I'm also pulling out my Jillian Michaels videos and letting her kick my butt a little. Man, you really think you are in shape until Jillian gets a hold of you and wow!  Today I did a 20 minute kickboxing workout followed by a 30 minute ab workout. I was trying to avoid the outside heat and thought this was a better (easier?) option but I was pouring sweat and breathing hard!  It was GREAT!

So that's where I am now.  I'm trying to simply enjoy running while I enjoy motherhood. I'm trying to build a strong, fit, and healthy base for when I do start training for something - probably sometime in the fall. For now, I am satisfied with that plan.

I'm Not Done Writing

Well it has been a while! In my last post I was 22 weeks pregnant and now I have a sweet, precious, adorable baby boy! And you mamas know there are simply no words to describe the joy, the brightness, the amazing blessing it is to have a baby boy. A second child. Two precious amazing creations. My heart bursts on a daily basis. I know it is cheese Louise but there it is. My cup overflows. My bucket overflows!

My little guy (Matthew) was born on January 3, three days passed his due date. ACK! I had convinced myself I'd have him even earlier than Eloise who showed up at 39 weeks. So come Christmas Day, I expected a baby in hand... but it wasn't to be. I went a little crazy at first, but eventually made peace that God had a reason for the wait. I almost had a birthday baby, but instead I took my bundle home on my birthday, January 5. You can't beat that birthday present!

He's 12 weeks now and a smiley, talkative, squooshy little ball of fun. He sleeps like a champ (don't hate, but I've been spoiled by his sleep habits from our first night home).  He's a good eater and he doesn't fuss unless he's tired or hungry. Eloise loves him. She kisses him, talks to him, wants to hold him and gets anxious when I suck the snot out of his nose and he screams.

Eloise... she is an amazing, spitfire of a 2 year old. She's every bit of 2. Wonderful and horrible all at the same time. I love it all, though. Every stage, every challenge, every hilarious thing she says and does. She is such a bright, happy, funny girl and she brings me immeasurable joy.

So I guess you can see we are doing well.

And I'm running! Without a passenger and every time I set out I am so grateful! I remember LONGING for the moments I'm living today. Feet moving, heart pounding, lungs pumping, arms swinging, wind behind my ears... all of it. I raced quite a bit this pregnancy, my last race being my last real run on Thanksgiving Day - around 35 weeks pregnant. I began speed walking with wild abandon after that. I had to have caused a few grins from any neighbors who spotted me... had to. I made myself grin. But it kept me sane so on I walked.

Running post pregnancy this time around is different too. I have a better pace and I got it much sooner. I'm limiting mileage this time... taking my time in the building of it. I'm up to 5 miles but I've only done that once. I run 3-4 times a week, 3-5 miles. I do weights twice a week and that has made a huge difference I believe. My first 5k I ran 8 weeks post baby and my time was 25:37. Two weeks later I did another at 25:05. I was both surprised and excited about this. I'm hoping my next 5k has a 24 in front of my time. We shall see. I can't expect them all to be faster, but I'm going to work on that this summer.

I'm keeping my mileage short for a few reasons. I don't want to spend a lot of time doing it. I have two babies, after all, and I'm nursing one of them. I want to hang on to my milk supply and my energy. My little guy seems to have a milk allergy so I'm off dairy. That has been an aggravating challenge, but no matter how fed up I get with my food restrictions, I press on. It's worth it to me.

I also don't want to get injured. I've had a few new-runner-body issues and I've eased up a few times to let them work themselves out or heal. Mostly just an angry IT band. I'm enjoying my journey back so far and that is what matters the most. I plan to stick with 5ks and maybe a 10k or two for most of 2015. Jason and I sort of made a pact to do so, although we may throw in a 10 miler or two as well. I want to build pace before I cram in a lot of mileage. I focused solely on mileage after Eloise was born and I want a different strategy this time around.

For now, that's what's up! I've got to hurry off and get in my weight workout now, but I'll post pictures of Mr. Cuteness soon.  I made a New Year's Resolution to write at least once a week this year. I gave myself permission to get used to two kids for a while, and I think I'm there now.  So here we go...  a brand new adventure as a family of four, a mom of two, a full heart and a body ready to run!

22 Weeks and Definitely Counting

I'm 22 weeks pregnant tomorrow and I'm already impatient with this whole pregnancy thing.  Which is horrible and ungrateful and I'm working on changing my attitude from one of complaining to one of gratefulness and joy.  Is it all just hormones?  I have no idea how much they play into this. Supposedly a lot, but I don't like using hormones as an excuse for bad behavior or bad thinking.

I'm tired of being tired. I wish I could stop fixating on it and just be.  I'm working on that too.  I have no idea if I'm bigger or smaller or just the same as my last pregnancy, I'm not sure how my exercise and running is stacking up, and I'm not sure why I have to fixate on that either. I am slowly (but hopefully surely) letting go of mileage goals and turning them into time goals. I'm trying to focus on time spent exercising instead of reaching a certain amount of miles and being content with what I get. That's hard when my workouts have always been mileage driven. Watching my weekly totals dwindle (even for a really good reason) is not always easy.

I don't like gaining weight. I wish I could do it all gracefully, but I hate it.  Friends and family tell me I'm small and cute, but it is so hard to hear what they say and believe it.  When I look in the mirror I do NOT see small and cute. I see a tired old chubby lady. An ungrateful one, at that (which certainly doesn't add beauty to the current situation).

So. Deep breath.  I'm changing my mind about all of this. Starting now. Remember that song by Sister Hazel, "If you wanna be somebody else, change your mind.  oooooo yeeeeaaaah..."  That's what I'm doing and I know I can count on my amazing God to help me. He has given me so much and I don't want to be a sour old pregnant lady. I want to be a joyful old pregnant lady who looks forward to another precious little one. And I do. When I start to really think about what I'm getting out of all of this, it really is quite amazing and quite worth it. And when I take my eyes off myself and look around, I see women wanting to be pregnant who can't. I see women having much harder pregnancies than I can imagine. And I am reminded to be grateful to be healthy and happy and having another little one to add to our family.

I've started another 1000 Gifts list to help me focus on my blessings. I want spend more time in prayer about the things that are bothering me than whining about them to Jason or my mom and sister. They are great listeners and supporters, but lack the power to help the situation like God can. I saw something on Facebook the other day that read, "Have you prayed about it as much as you've talked about it?" and I thought, "Nope. Not at all."

Other than the usual pregnancy fun, I'm doing great. And Eloise is so much fun and such a hoot.  I love being her mama. There are, of course, hard parenting days where I wonder if I'm doing any good at all, but then I see the little proofs that a difference is being made. And it is quite wonderful.  As is pregnancy if I look for it.

Spring, Summer, and Big News

Good morning, friends!  It has been a while!  I have intended to sit down and write a spell a thousand times and every time (until now) I've spent those moments doing something else. Back when I was a working woman, I used to think when I stayed home with my kids I'd have SO much more time to write. I'd be a writing fiend. And now... now I laugh.  I had lunch breaks at work!  Now I have nap breaks but I usually use those to clean, workout or nap.

Let's do a little recapping.  Spring leading into summer was wonderful.  Many fun races, good half-marathon times, planting flowers and veggies outside with my girl, trying new recipes, hanging out with family and friends, discovering the local splash pads, building a new swing set, raising butterflies, making cookies, and the list of fun goes on.  Everything seems exciting with a 1.5 year old who is doing so much of it for the first time and who is so very curious and interested in it all. It makes me feel like a kid too as I watch her play, explore, discover, make huge messes, laugh, run, jump, and learn.

Splash pad love. This girl can ROCK the splash pad!

Picking strawberries...okay, I was picking, she was sampling.

Jason and my dad built Eloise this swing set in our backyard. It has been a HIT ever since!

The last time I wrote in April, we were in the midst of all of it. I had just run the Seaside Half-marathon, finishing in 1:48 and I was on to Scottsboro in April and then Bridgestreet in May.  I had planned to take a minute off of each race and I succeeded in Scottsboro. It was hilly and rained on us the entire time, but I had a good run, finishing in 1:47 and winning first place in my age group.  Bridge street was in May and I was on target for my 1:46.  My PR was a 1:44, but I thought it too soon to make that big of a leap. Well, not only did I not leap to my PR, I leaped 9 minutes backward, finishing in 1:53.  I was so aggravated!  I knew I was trained, I knew I was ready!  The course was flat, the day was warm, but not too bad...  And it was in my hometown!  I knew it was all just a part of running and racing, and I knew I needed to let it go, but it took me a while.

And that seemed odd. Not only had I fallen apart in a race where I should have done well, I was overly upset about it.  The next day I made myself run sub 8 pace on the treadmill as a sort of... punishment...?  Now, I love running, training, setting and reaching goals as much as the next runner, but I'm usually able to have a moment of disappointment, shrug my shoulders and move on.  But this time I was frustrated!  Angry!  And I couldn't understand why I hadn't been able to make my 1:46 time.

Well. I got my answer a few weeks later when I took a little pregnancy tests.  Positive!  Of course, in the half marathon it was just a wee little tiny spec, but it was there. Or should I say HE was there.  Yep.  We are expecting a baby boy in December. I AM SO EXCITED!  I can hardly stand myself, I am so excited.  Secretly I had hoped the reason for my slow half marathon would be a baby, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I actually took a pregnancy test too early and it was negative. But all the symptoms were there. Not only was the half marathon slow and hard, ALL of my runs were. Maybe once a week I'd have a good run, but most were slogs.  I was hoping, but not daring to hope too much.

Jason knew all along. He even knew when the first test was negative.

We succeeded in keeping it a secret until that first 8 week appointment (where I was actually 9 weeks). After that we told our families and once I reached the second trimester, we told close friends and then anyone.  I'm almost 18 weeks now and I'm starting to show a little. I feel good mostly, and I'm glad the morning yuckies are gone. I never really got sick, but I usually felt yucky after eating breakfast each day.

Beach trip/work trip with Jason at 13.5 weeks preg

I had some good runs though!  We ran several races in which I did well and it was fun being the only one to know I was running with a little passenger. We ran a 4 mile race in Fayetteville, which was so gorgeous and fun.  I pushed Eloise in the stroller and it was HILLY!  Crazy hilly.  But I managed 4th female overall and 1st in my age group (it wasn't a super big race, but still.  A pregnant, stroller pushing win is a win!).

We ran two 10 milers, both in June.  The RC Cola Moonpie in Bell Buckle and the Firecracker Chase in Fayetteville. I won first in my age group in the Firecracker Chase, which was a huge surprise. I was taking it super easy in the heat, just enjoying being able to run 10 miles and feel good doing it. We ran the Firecracker 5k here in Huntsville on July 4th and I pushed Eloise in the stroller. We announced that day we were pregnant.

Just a family of 4 having fun on the 4th!

These races would be fun to recap, but for now I'll have to settle with a few pictures and a brief summary.  I can't believe it is almost August.  My girl will be turning 2 on the first and we are planning a little family cookout to celebrate. I'm looking forward to summer ending and cooler temps arriving so I don't have to get up so early to get in the miles (that is getting harder!), but I also don't want to wish away these golden summer days with just me and my girl. She is a hoot, and she brings me joy and laughter every day.  I'm pretty sure I have never done anything so satisfyingly wondering in this life as be her mama. And to be blessed with another little one of our own...well, I am so hugely grateful every day for such a gift.

That's all for now, my friends!  I'm going to try to be a bit more regular with my writing, but we shall see how that goes. Have a GREAT day!

Spring is Here!

Spring has always been my favorite.  I love all the green coming back into the world, the warmth after so much cold, shopping at local nurseries for all the plants and flowers I'm going to enjoy all spring and summer.  And these days, spring seems even sweeter now that I have Eloise. That girl LOVES to be outside and LOVES to explore nature, and with these warmer days finally upon us, we do just that every day.  Whether we play in my sadly naked (for now) back yard, go for walks in the neighborhood, play at a park, visit my sister's... we spend a good portion of the day outside and she loves it.

Playing outside in shorts for the first time!

I've been eying our raised bed, day dreaming of vegetables we will plant.  I've been envisioning hanging pots overflowing with flowers, and planting parsley and cilantro to welcome the caterpillars back so we can watch them cocoon and become butterflies.  My knock-out roses are showing new growth, my pansies have finally had a chance to bloom after all the snow and ice this winter.  My naked front porch begs for geraniums and marigolds...

Yes, this girl is ready for spring!  And Easter... just don't get me started!  I LOVE Easter!  It is my favorite of all the holidays and I always want a baby bunny around this time of year. Seems like everyone should celebrate with a baby bunny... but few seem to share my view, although I bet Eloise would be on board. 

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let me update you on the previous blog post... 40 Bags in 40 Days was a fail by day 2.  Ha!  However!  I HAVE been cleaning out drawers and getting my nicer things ready to give away to a local Helping Hands. The not nice things (like Jason's shirts with holes in them that he tries to wear to work), went into the trash.  I can successfully open and close my winter and summer running drawers.  My closet... it still needs some time, but I'm getting there.  It may sound odd, but I like everything inside my home to be neat and tidy when I start working outside.  So while I have not done a bag a day, I have been working on that project since I mentioned it.

Operation Hot Body is still going, albeit slowly.  I had to take a few days after the first "Ripped in 30" workouts to recover because I was soooooo sore.  I can't decide if the point is to do the workout the very next day anyway, or if it is smarter to let sore muscles heal before tearing them up again... so I went with the latter.  I'd prefer to err on the more conservative side and live to workout/run/wrestle Eloise another day.  I have gotten to the point now, though, where I can do the workouts consecutive days... but that's just week 1.

It has taken me a week and a half to get through Week 1 of her 4 week workout series... and I'll admit, I'm comfortable now with Week 1 and I'd kind of like to stay there.  But week 2 is next!  Possibly today!  I'm afraid!

Training is going well!  I'm still hanging in with my speed workouts and I feel stronger on my runs.  I'm doing less mileage, but it is all a bit faster except for my easier days with my girls.  I'm training for a 1:46 half in April but... that is the reasonable goal.  But who likes to stay reasonable all the time?

Until next time, my friends!  And Happy Spring!

Decluttering, Simplifying, and Operation Hot Body

Now that the Seaside Half Marathon is behind me (amazing weekend, 1:48:52 finish, wonderful family time, my girl loves the beach, etc.), I am ready for the next thing and that is what I have (somewhat jokingly) named Operation Hot Body.  What that means is I'm going to quit being a mileage junkie.  It is time to improve my fitness by doing other things.  And this time I'm serious.  Seriously serious.

I had a conversation with myself the other day.  I asked myself, "What do you REALLY WANT out of all this?"  So I thought about it.  And here is the honest truth.  I like running. In fact, I love it.  But more than a personal record in some distance, more than winning my age group, more than running another ultra, I want to FEEL GOOD and LOOK GOOD.  That's it.  Being a mom and homemaker and wife is what I'm in to these days. I want to feel good enough to crawl around on the floor, wrestle and tickle my baby girl, hunt for toys under the furniture, keep a clean house (more on that in a sec), read 25 books in a row, play in the backyard for hours, chase butterflies and baby bunnies, and do yard work.  Sure, running gives me energy for all those things, but on days when I am stiff and sore and creaky I have to ask myself if it is giving me what I REALLY WANT? 

So I'm going after what I really want, which is a hot and happy body.

Now for the decluttering.  I'm going to try this thing I saw on the White House, Black Shutters blog.  It is called 40 Bags in 40 Days and it is a way to declutter (my spell check says that is not a word) and simplify one's home.  I don't think mine is super out of hand, but that doesn't mean it couldn't use this treatment.  And I probably won't take pictures every day and document everything like the blogger who came up with it, but I want to give the 40 day challenge a shot.  Want to join me?  I'll try to status here how its going.

And now to the simplifying. I haven't given this much thought, but then again I have.  Today my last active client with Running Start, LLC finished her training. She's working with a personal trainer and wants to continue that route.  And I must admit, getting to workout and train with someone in person is probably better than what I'm currently offering.

When I started my business, I was working full time and I wasn't a mom. I didn't want to sit behind a desk anymore, I wanted to work in the fitness industry.  Now that I am a full time mom, it has at times been hard to be there for my clients in the way I wanted to be.  I also continue to doubt my knowledge, to change my mind, to experiment with running and training theories and what I think about it... and I'm not sure that makes for a good coach. Seems like most of the coaches I know, know where they stand on all (or most) things running and coach accordingly. I just feel I still have so much left to learn.

I would consider my coaching a success in that all the runners I trained who followed their plans achieved their goals and then some.  They continue to run and they love it.  That was my purpose.  Those who didn't try or who quit were frustrating to me and I felt I had somehow failed them.  I just couldn't figure out what more I could have done, but thankfully there weren't very many of those.

All that said, I'm pretty sure I've decided to dissolve Running Start.  I'm a little sad about that, but not much.  Maybe one day when my kids are grown I can return to it, but now is not that time.  I want to focus on my family and growing it.  I want to focus on my own running and fitness.  I want to continue to learn about it, and experiment.  In the mean time, I am still teaching the Walk/Jog/Run course at UAH which I LOVE, and I think I will work on my ACE certifications so maybe I can teach a few classes at the local YMCA.

Once I acknowledged the desire to dissolve, I felt content with it.  This is all from today, so I haven't taken any action yet, but I'm pretty sure I will.  I like the thought of simplifying my life a little, taking out what doesn't fit right now and keeping all the things that do.  I have tried to take the words "Know thyself" seriously the past few years and to let myself be who I really am.  To let myself like what I like, to let myself do what I love and to really acknowledge what that is.  I'd like to let God do His thing too.  I have a feeling I've been in the way of that as well.  But enough for now.  I've got to go fill my 1st bag. 

Overcomer

Back in November I went to a Toby Mac concert with my sister and my niece.  I'm not really a concert person, but when I saw who all would be performing, I was pumped.  I love Toby Mac and I LOVE Mandisa. Before the concert I only knew a few of her songs and that she was on American Idol at some point.  Now I follow her on Facebook and I am regularly encouraged by what she has to say and by who she is.

My favorite favorite favorite song of hers was/is Overcomer and I listened to it often while training for and running the 50 miler in November.  God has been so good to me (why, I'm not sure) and I have not had to really overcome much in my 34 years of life so far.  But as many of you running moms know, getting back into running after having a child is not easy. I enjoyed the challenge, but it was tough and I wondered (and still do) if I'd ever be the runner I was before having Eloise.  Not that I was amazing or anything, but I'd worked hard to get where I was, and after pregnancy, recovery and motherhood... I just wasn't sure how in the world I'd get back there.  I still wonder.

So I approached the 50 miler never really believing I was trained, never being quite sure I could do it, doubting and telling myself untruths like, "You just aren't that kind of runner anymore, Jane."  But I did it.  And I didn't do half bad!

Then a month later came the Rocket City Marathon.  I signed up to run this race with my friend, Shannon, who was aiming for a 4:15.  Well... I was not recovered and Shannon had trained for a much faster marathon than what she'd first predicted.  But I wanted to be true to my word so on race day, I showed up ready to run with my friend.  At mile 16 she left me, as I told her she must if I couldn't keep up.  And then I had 10 lonely miles of tired legs and that little voice telling me, "You haven't trained for this.  You shouldn't be doing it.  You aren't this kind of runner anymore.  You are slow."  Etc. Etc. Etc.

So I replaced that little voice with the words of Mandisa's song, Overcomer.

"The same man, the Great I AM, the One who overcame death - He's living inside of you.  So just hold tight, fix your eyes on the one who holds your life. There's nothing He can't do..."

"Don't quit, don't give in, you're an overcomer.  Don't quit don't give in, you're an overcomer."  

"You're an overcomer.  Stay in the fight till the final round.  You're not going under..."

Sometimes I shake my head and think, "God doesn't care about your silly marathon time.  He's got starving, abused children to take care of!"  But His word tells me that He does and to bring it all to Him.  So I quieted all the doubt with this wonderful song and I finished that marathon strong.  It wasn't an impressive time and it wasn't a personal record, but because I knew how I felt out there and what I'd overcome, I was very happy with it.  And grateful.

That song was my theme for those months of training and racing and doubting and striving.  And any time those voices show up again, I play that song in my head or in my ears.  Being an overcomer isn't always about running, but because I am a runner I have seen that I can overcome.  I can overcome physical discomfort and distress, I can overcome the weather, I can overcome the desire to quit, I can overcome weariness.  So when those voices tell me other things like, "You aren't a very good friend.  You probably shouldn't have another child because you are too selfish.  You are so uninteresting, what could you possibly have to say?  You aren't devoted enough.  Go ahead and have another brownie. You are too tired today...."  I remind myself that I am an overcomer, with the Spirit of the One who overcame the world living in me.   And there's NOTHING He can't do!

I don't know Mandisa personally, but I love that girl.  Here's her song if you haven't heard it.  I guarantee you'll feel like conquering something if you give it a listen (or dancing or both).  Even if that something is just the dishes or the laundry or forgiving someone or being patient in traffic.  You're an overcomer too.

Bits and Pieces - the Lazy Edition

1. Blogging, running stay-at-home moms, how do you keep up with everything AND write?  As you can see from my pitiful blog here, that is what gets kicked off the to-do list when there is too much to do.  IF I have time to write anything about being a mom or running or training, I think I should be cleaning or organizing or cooking.  And if I'm not doing that, I'm resting when Eloise does because wooo weee!  She's a busy little 18 month old! I think about all these things I'd liked to say... but I never write them down.  I just think about them in the shower or while I'm running.

2.  I'm training for a PR half-marathon. I have two shots lined up so far.  One is a bit soon - the Seaside Half-Marathon March 2 and the other is a brand new marathon in my stomping grounds, the Bridge Street Towne Centre Half Marathon in April.  I'd like the PR in Seaside but I've waited a little late to start speed work so I'm not sure I can get there by then.  But I'm gonna try anyway!

3.  Every night for the last 3 weeks, all I want to do (and all I end up doing) after I read to Eloise and get her to bed is make myself a single serve brownie in a cup (oooooh my word, do yourself a favor and DON'T learn that recipe) and plop down on the couch next to Jason and watch a TV show.  Right now it is Revenge on Netflix unless one of our other shows are on Hulu.  It is the thing I look forward to every single night.  I'm hoping this will end soon.  I've let myself purposefully run out of ingredients for the brownie although I have not yet gained any weight from my new addiction. I guess you could say it is "all natural" and therefore not a bad dessert, but when you put a few scoops of all natural vanilla ice cream on top of your all natural brownie made with butter and sugar... the calories add up!  If you want the recipe, it is here but I warn you... you are opening Pandora's box if you look!

4.  Being a mom has taken on a whole new phase as we get closer to the age of two.  My baby girl is 18 months now and she is a spitfire!  She is not afraid of anything except on occasion the vacuum cleaner.  She likes to jump off of things, she likes to bounce, she likes to climb, she likes to run fast, she likes to be upside down... she's wild.  Occasionally she falls or bumps her head, but only sometimes does that bother her.  I like this and I fear this.  Ha!  But that's not the new phase part.  The new phase is she's finally realized she has her own will and she's starting to exert it.  That means I have to show her that I'm, in fact, the boss and it is my will that will win.  This is hard because I want rainbows and sunshine and baby laughter and tickles all the time.  But if I say the word, "No," all of that goes away.   My head knows she must be taught to obey but my heart still wants to avoid tears at all costs.  I thought I was tougher, but I am not.  However, I will learn to be.  It isn't easy though.

5.  It is the Sacred Month of Love!  I love this month!  I have no idea why except that it is just fun.  I love red and pink and purple and white and flowers and chocolate assortments and stuffed animals and sweet words.  So, I've decided to do a little something sweet/goofy/funny for Jason the first 14 days of this month to say, "I love you."  I might include them on this blog if he doesn't mind.  None of it would be considered an over share at this point... but we are only on day 3.

6.  And now that I've written, I feel that I must get back to my to-do list.  My house is in a sad state - partly because of my wild child and partly because I love sitting on the couch under a blanket so much. This cold winter is doing me in! I usually like it just fine but with a little one who loves going outside to play and doing all the things I mentioned in # 4... I've got spring fever BAD! I did sign her up for swim lessons that start this week and I'm super excited about that. I'm going to try to write a little more, and I do have some things I want to share, but for now you (my two BFFs who read my blog) will have to settle with a few bits and pieces. 

Bits and Pieces - the Training Edition

1.  This week pretty much wraps up my 50 mile training.  And part of me is glad because my body is tired, and part of me thinks, "I NEED MORE TIME!"  But I've chosen my race, I've signed up, and I'm doing it.  So I'm going to give myself until Tuesday or Wednesday to make it count and then it is taper time.  I've had 2 months of 50+ mile weeks, reaching up to 60 a time or two.  That's big for me.  Maybe I should have done more for 50 mile training, but for this running mama that's all I could give.  I gave what I could - I know that much, so that's what I'm going with.  It is time to stop doubting and to start telling myself I'm prepared.  So I'm prepared.

I didn't follow my plan at all, but I did leave it on the fridge and write the actual totals each week.

 2.  Race photos are so... attractive!  Not really.  When I approach the finish line or a camera man, I try to perk up a little, I always smile, I try to look strong and steady and fast... and when the photo comes out, there's my grandmother running down the road!  Now, I LOVE my grandma.  She was/is one of my all time favorite people. But I was hoping to look like her a little later in life.

3.  My child!  She is a wild woman!  And I love it.  She is in to everything and that keeps me moving.  She wants to touch and hold and inspect and taste everything.  She has bypassed walking and is running/bounding/prancing all over the place.  And she's fast!  She climbs on anything that looks like it could be climbed.  Sometimes she falls off and cries for a second and then she climbs back up once she's over it.  The other day I was tickling her on the couch and she dove behind me and bumped her head on the arm.  She cried and I hugged and when she was okay I noticed there was blood on her face.  She had a little cut just above her eye!  It freaked me out a little, but she was fine.  And she didn't care.  She skins her knees all the time and never even notices.  She's too interested in whatever she was running towards (a leaf, the neighborhood cat, a wide open field).  I love that she is rough and tumble.  I love that it only takes her a second before she's over it.  I only react if she does and then I scoop her up and hug her close and enjoy the 10 seconds of snuggle before she's off again.

Hanging out on my parents' front porch.

On our front porch in her jeans!

Picking a pumpkin

 4.  My child went to Bible class!  For the first time ever, I might add.  That could be partly my fault and partly her moving from two naps to one, and partly her just growing up.  I am just not of the opinion that she needs to "work it out" or "cry it out" when it comes to nursery/Sunday school.  Sure, there is a time to show her that she is fine and to not answer her cry right away - like when I was helping her sleep through the night.  But I'm not sure what is gained by leaving her with people she doesn't know who have 10 other babies to watch, and let her scream and disrupt any semblance of peace and order the teachers and other kids might have.  So after the Lord's Supper in church service, she and I go to the nursery and I stay in there with her until she's comfortable. 

I will say it was LOVELY to sit next to Jason in Bible class and hold his hand and listen to a great lesson by Doug Smith.  It has been a long time since I've just soaked up a lesson...in peace...without a wild monkey climbing over me.  And while I loved it, I'm not going to do it if Eloise isn't ready to do it.  I go to church to worship, but it is not my only opportunity to do so, and certainly not the only time that I do.  I've had people make comments about my hovering outside the nursery to make sure she's okay... but I don't care.  I'm the mama so I get to decide.  And when my baby girl is ready, she will sit through and enjoy her Bible class and I will be happy to let her.  And this Sunday was so fun and I was so proud of her!

Eating goldfish (for the first time) in Bible class (for the first time).

5.  My class at UAH is coming to an end Oct 30.  It has been SO FUN.  I wasn't sure how it would be and if I would mind going at the end of a busy day with Eloise, but I have really enjoyed it! I love talking about running, helping my students reach whatever fitness and running goals they have, getting to know them, and getting to run with them.  My next class starts in April and with some lessons learned in my pocket, I hope to make it even better!

6.  I think that's it.  I guess this issue of Bits and Pieces should have been called the Eloise Edition.  But for now I'll close with HOW ABOUT THIS FALL WEATHER! 

Merry-thon Time!

This weekend, in the midst of my 50 mile training, brings my first marathon in two years.  I am picking up where I left off EXACTLY two years ago by running what was my last marathon before a little pea-sized Eloise showed up a month later.  I ran the Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon in 2011 and it was also training for a 50 mile race that I did not end up running because of the above mentioned pea.

So can I just say I am SO EXCITED to be running a marathon again!  I have no idea how I'm going to do. I think I'm trained even though I didn't get in the last long run I wanted, but I have no idea what to expect or what pace I should start out with, and I don't care because I'm just EXCITED!  I'm not sure I realized how much I missed it until this week when it hit me.  I AM PUMPED!

That said, I'd like to run between a 4:00-4:30.  I figure that gives me a big enough swath of time to play with, while still being reasonable about where I am now.  Before Eloise, I'd been running a LONG time and I had a BIG base built.  I have no idea how quickly that base returns after having a child, if it takes years or just consistent training.  So Saturday we shall see what I've got.

Because this marathon is part of my training, I don't really want to taper, but it is also a marathon so I should probably scale back just a little.  Finding the balance there is tricky.  I don't want to excuse myself from thorough 50 mile training, but I want to be smart too.  Shoot... let's just tell it like it is. I want to have fun, run forever, and feel good doing it.

Having Eloise has really reshuffled how I look at running and how important it all ranks in my mind.  Sure, I still have goals.  I'd like to win a 50 miler one day, I want a marathon PR (sub 3:45), I might even want a half marathon or a 10k PR in there somewhere too.  But more than that, I want to be fit, strong, healthy and look good.  And I want to do that while not taking one ounce of energy away from raising my little girl, and taking care of my home.  That right there is the goal.   I feel that I am better at those things when I've gotten in my run, but if any of that begins to suffer because of the run, I will have to pull up and take stock of things.

So far, so good.  My taper will consist of running every day, but the miles will be smaller.  Today (Wednesday) I will run with my Walk/Jog/Run class, probably about 4 miles.  Tomorrow I plan to go mid-morning when my mom arrives for an easy 5-6 miler.  Friday I'll do a slow and simple 3 and then Saturday I will race!  If I follow that plan, I'll have about 57-58 miles for the week and that fits in with my 50 mile training.

Did I mention I'm EXCITED!!??!

For Real

It's for real!  I am officially training for a marathon and an ultra.  And none too soon either.  My training plan is a doozie but I think I can manage it.  I have a strong base built with consistent running, so I think my body is ready to increase the mileage.  Each week I have one long run and one short, quicker run planned.  The other days are just running (usually 6 miles) with some planking, yoga and a little strength training mixed in.  I'm pretty pumped about it. 

I know I've been talking about it for a while, but I wasn't sure if I could do it and I wasn't sure how Jason would feel about it, so this weekend I wrote out the training plan to see if it was feasible (because I'm a little late to the party) and discussed it with Jason.  I also ran a great 10 miler with my running girls just to get a feel for where I was.  It felt GREAT and that was a good sign.  When I talked to Jason he was on board, so I made a few adjustments to my training plan and here we go!

I am so excited!  Maybe not at 4:30 a.m. when my alarm goes off, but give me a few minutes to wake up and I am ready.  I have begun really looking forward to my morning runs.  They are so peaceful, and I am free to let my thoughts wander as I run whatever pace I feel like running.  This morning the sky was so clear and the stars were so bright.  I saw the big dipper and the little dipper and many other constellations I can't name.  The morning air was a humid 70 degrees, but it still felt nice on my bare shoulders as I started running.  I love seeing the world wake up as the sky slowly begins to lighten and a few other walkers and joggers venture out onto our neighborhood streets.  I love finishing with a cool shower and a hot cup of coffee as I send Jason out the door for his run and wait for my little one to wake up.

There is nothing in this world like a sweet-smelling, snuggly baby first thing in the morning. Eloise is growing and changing and learning so fast, it just amazes me!  She is walking everywhere and I can tell she loves it.  Sometimes she does a lap around the living room and kitchen just because.  No real destination, she just likes it.  She's about to cut tooth number 2 and she is doing okay with that process.  She sometimes grabs at her mouth or taps her cheek, but most of the time she doesn't seem to notice.  She's really good about playing by herself and I let her watch a little Baby Einstein in the morning after breakfast and in the late afternoon while I'm making dinner.  Other than that we play, read books, take naps, make messes, clean them up, and run an errand or two.  We also visit friends' pools and go to the park for a swim when it is not too hot.

She LOVES bath time and starts laughing and kicking her feet when I turn the water on.  When she hugs me, she also pats me on the shoulder and it is the cutest thing in the world.  I have so much fun being her mama and I feel like my heart will overflow to bursting on a regular basis.  I probably kiss her 3000 times a day.

So as summer gives way to fall (eventually), I'll be TRAINING (whoop!) and loving on my growing baby girl (whoop whoop!).

A Deep Breath

I'm floundering a little.  It feels so hypocritical to write about how badly I want something and how I'm going after it, only to fizzle out after a month of training/base building.  July has kind of been all over the place with my mileage.  Last week was a bust.  I took 2 days off, and with no long runs, there is no way to make a 42 mile quota on 2 days off.  I will say on the days I did run, my legs were a little fresher and stronger, and I had a fantastic hilly 8 miler (with 14 bunny sightings), but I'm still feeling a bit discouraged.

We've entered the teething phase of baby-hood and there is nothing I can do but snuggle my little girl and be patient with her through it.  Really, she's doing quite well, she's just a little more fussy and irritable than usual and from time to time we have a bad night.  But overall she is still my funny, playful, happy girl only now she's got a snaggly grin with one tooth out and one making its way. 

Watching Eloise grow and change brings me joy every day.  She's a great baby and I am so blessed to have her.  So I feel really bad when I'm down and disappointed in my running when I've got Eloise and Jason and this wonderful life.  Talk about being ungrateful.  What bothers me is that I'm not seeing any improvement.  None!  Most runs are difficult and slow.  My legs feel heavy and a lot like jello most of the time.  Surely it can't be over-training with 42 miles a week - mostly 6 miles a day.  Can it?  Burnout already?  Jason says it is the hot, humid summer and it is always like this for both of us.  We slow down, we get through it, we focus on holding on until the temps improve.  Part of me knows this and part of me says I should be able to make it otherwise.  I should be able to tough it out.  I should be improving anyway. 

And part of me says, "GET OVER IT!"  It's just running after all, and as I always tell Jason, it is supposed to make life better, it is supposed to take stress away, not add to it.  I guess it is time to listen to what I know, not what I feel. 

In other, happier news, Eloise is approaching her first birthday and I am so excited!  I can't believe it is already here, and I'm planning a farm themed birthday party.  I have become the mother I've made fun of in my head - planning a big shindig for a baby who won't remember. However, now that I'm a mom I see that it is not only for her, but for her parents and family too.  It is a celebration of Eloise, not just for her.  I have had so much fun in the planning and getting ready for it. And I have no idea how we planned birthday parties before Pinterest. 

I'm also getting ready to teach a class at UAH!  I'll be the Walk/Jog/Run instructor this fall and I am so pumped!  I've got my syllabus finished and now I must work on the content. It may make our schedule a little crazy but I think it is worth it!  I love the Health and Physical Ed department at UAH and I am so thrilled to be a part of it!  Things are also going wonderfully with my clients.  They are reaching goals, training for new distances, running PR races... it is so exciting to see!  Even if it isn't me, it is an honor to help others get there! 

So really, I need to step back, take a deep breath and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  While my heart and body can't feel it yet, my mind knows what I'm building and what the results will eventually be.  I need to let go of the constant striving and embrace the joy around me - both in my life and with my running.  One step at a time, mile by mile, I will get there. 

What Eloise Knows

I think my daughter knows when I am planning to get back to my early morning running routine (the one from waaaaay back before I got pregnant).  The southern summer temps are here and while I have been a bit better about running in them, I know I'd have a more quality run in the early morning hours before the sun heats up the streets.  I've been thinking tough thoughts, go-get-'em thoughts.  I've been gearing up for a week or two of a challenging new schedule before my body conforms to my new routine, and I've even been looking forward to some quiet morning running as the world wakes up.

And then Eloise returns to getting up in the night.  What?  Yes!  She's almost 10 months old and she's been sleeping through the night again just fine... until a few days ago.  She must know of her mama's plans!  And let me just say, her wakeful nights on top of some sinus aggravation on top of a squeaky glider (which means I stand and bounce her back to sleep instead of rocking) make for some looooong nights for this mama.  Whew.  I wake up feeling like somewhere between her bedroom and mine, a mac truck took me down.

BUT, we will get through this little phase as we always do, and at the very least my treadmill and I will become friends or I will get very acclimated to running with her in the heat.  Makes me feel tougher and less limited by the weather.  Maybe that is what Eloise knows. 

Running for Moms and Other Mother's Day Fun

May 12, 2013 was my very first Mother's Day and it was so much fun!  We started the weekend by traveling down to Montgomery where we ran the Agape Run for a Mom 5k.  My goal was to break my 24 minute post-baby time and I did it!  I finished in 23:40, placing send in my age group.  This was HARD but I hung in there.  Jason said I could do it and I chose to believe him.  I did a lot of visualizing and thinking about my training up to that point.  And then I ran and hung on for dear life!  My splits were 7:32, 7:35, 7:40.  I slowed with each mile but not nearly as much as I usually do!  So I'm pretty excited.

This is the third year Agape has put on this race.  My best friend of many years organizes it and I have wanted to get down there and support her efforts but every other year we've had a conflict.  This year we made it and I had such a wonderful time seeing her.  As I raced to the finish line trying to achieve my time and beat another girl who had just caught up to me, I saw her and heard her yelling my name... and I had no idea my legs could move so fast!

A hug right after I finished.

I ran for Granny, Ma, Sis and Me!

Jason won first overall, finishing in 17:58.

Jason and I headed home after the race Saturday.  We had a super sleepy baby girl and we wanted to capitalize on nap time in the car.  When we got home, I finished up my Mother's Day gifts for my mom and Jason's mom.  Eloise helped me.

We made butterfly flower pots with Eloise's feet!  I found this idea on Pinterest but all it had was a picture, no instructions.  So I got together with my sis and she talked to some more crafty friends of hers and we got the low down.  It took my sister holding Eloise, my niece distracting Eloise, and me painting her feet and sticking them on the pot, but we got it!  Not perfect, but I think that's what makes it special. 

For Mother's Day, Jason got me a blender and I cannot WAIT to start blending some smoothie/juice/salsa/homemade popsicle goodness and anything else I find to blend! 

All in all it was a WONDERFUL first Mother's Day!  It is such an honor and a blessing to be a mom and that was the feeling that permeated my very first one.

My crew on my first Mother's Day.

Two moms I love!  My own and my sis!

Oh the Places We Will Go

My little bambino and I have been busy!  We've been running (sometimes literally) around all over the place and we have had some wonderful adventures together.  If you read the previous post, you know we spent a few days at my parents' house while Jason was out of town last week.  Well, our travels did not stop there.  Jason got back into town late Thursday night, and Friday afternoon we left for Kentucky.  Our first stop was Louisville where Jason would run the Kentucky Derby Marathon.

Eloise's first race expo

This is what Eloise did while Jason was running

Jason is the tiny figure in red running around the corner across the street

The fam

 Jason did so well, finishing in 2:44:07 placing 9th over all and 2nd in his age group.  Eloise and I were proud of our fella as we collected him from the finisher's area.  We walked back to our hotel and Jason grabbed a shower before we checked out and headed to his parents' place, stopping by Cracker Barrel on the way.

We spent Saturday night at Jason's parents', went to church with them on Sunday and then headed home. Our baby girl was SUCH a trooper for this whole trip.  We didn't take the bassinet so she slept with us and while that was not the most restful, it worked out okay.  We were all three super tired by Sunday night, though, and I don't know about Eloise, but Jason and I were VERY glad we were all back in our own beds.

I will admit, when we arrived at the expo on Friday, I was a little disappointed not to be a part of the action on race day, but I knew it was the right decision for me.  We have a fun little racing streak ahead of us this summer and I get to be a part of all of it.  I know my marathoning day will come, and when it arrives I will be ready.

So after our travels to Tennessee and Kentucky, it was really nice to get back into our groove again.  Jason went back to work and Eloise and I got back on our schedule.  We resumed our jogging stroller runs and I continued the process of getting acclimated to the warmer temps and the mid-morning runs. 

On Wednesday we joined my sister, my niece and nephew, along with their homeschooling co-op at a local farm to pick strawberries.  This was SO FUN and Eloise was hilarious.  As always, she was curious about everything, wanting to be smack in the middle of it all.  And she was!

Ready to pick strawberries!

"Hmmm, what is this?"

Picking strawberries with my little strawberry.

The strawberry picking bunch!

Picking strawberries with Caleb.

EJ with her cousin Caleb.  She does love him!

Eloise gives it a try.

 

And she tries to give it a taste.  She stuck the whole thing in her mouth!

And my favorite picture, taken by my sister's mom-in-law.  My precious baby strawberry who is 9 months old!

As you can see, we had a wonderful time.  Eloise was a joy to have along, as always.  I absolutely love sharing all these new experiences with her.  She is so curious, so inquisitive, so interested in everything and I love watching her grow and learn.

I was going to take that day off of running, but the afternoon opened up before us and Eloise needed a nap.  I tried to rock her to sleep but she wasn't having it so we hopped in the stroller and rode to visit my friend Katie who had some puzzles for Eloise.  We ran 2 miles there, visited for a bit and then headed back.  Eloise fell asleep on the way home so I added in another mile and got in a total of 5 for the afternoon.  When we got home Eloise was still asleep so I sat on the porch and enjoyed the quiet, the breeze, and the sunshine on my feet and flowers while she slept.

A sleeping baby toting puzzles in her stroller.

I'm proud of my little garden this year.  I love all the colors!

My knockout roses make me smile every time I pass by.

It has been a great week being back home and back into our groove.  Eloise turned 9 months old on May 1st and I simply cannot believe how fast she has grown.  I love this simple little life with her and Jason, and I love our little trips and adventures together.  Blessed.  That is the word for the week, the month, this year... this life.