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. 

A Chat With My High School Self

I came across these pictures while looking through a box of old photographs the other day, and I laughed right out loud.  Back in the 10th grade, I was bored with running the mile in track and believing myself to be more an endurance runner than a sprinter, I decided (in all my youthful running wisdom) that the 300 meter hurdles were the answer.  (It's okay, you can laugh too.)

I had never run hurdles in my life... I didn't even know if I could run and jump!  And the kind, well-meaning football coach who also coached track and cross country wasn't quite sure what to do with me but to say okay and train me to run hurdles.  So when the first practice rolled around and I finally got up the nerve to actually jump over one of those things, I fell.  I fell hard and slid.  On pavement.  I had what looked like a melted jolly rancher on my hand for weeks, two skinned knees and a new found fear when I approached a hurdle.

But I did not give up. No sir. There was probably a high school boy who would be impressed by my hurdle jumping skills if I just stuck with it (and I'm sure he was after looking at that stellar form) and so Coach Newby and I kept training.  And while my form never really improved much and I still spent way too much time in the air, I started to catch up to some of the other girls on our track team who ran hurdles.  Coach Newby even suggested I start running the 100 meter hurdles (those are higher and closer together), and I finally agreed to train for those as well (while shaking in my running shoes).

The day before I was to run both the 300 meter and 100 meter hurdles in a meet, I went for a slow jog around my neighborhood because my legs were so sore.  And it wasn't jumping hurdles that put me on the ground, but a simple misstep off the curb.  I sprained my right ankle badly and was out for the rest of the season.  The next year I attended one track practice before deciding (as was my way back then) that swim team was more my thing (I had never ever ever attempted to swim fast any distance, any event... ever).

But now as I look at that picture and remember the high school girl who tried everything while never really being good at any of it and as I remember the things she used to worry about, I wish I could tell her some things.  I wish I could say, "You are capable of so much more than you realize.  In fact, you are going to do things you haven't even considered yet. You are going to run over 20 marathons and get much faster than you are now. You are going to run 50 miles and actually enjoy it. You are going to marry an amazing man. You are going to have a daughter. You are going to be comfortable in your own skin one day - yes, even with these legs you think are fat." 

And then when my high school self looked at my 34 year old self in disbelief and shook her head, I would nod and say again, "Yes, it's true. You are capable of so much more than you realize."

In high school and even college, I was chasing after something more while never really believing I'd actually catch it, and I wish wish wish I could just tell that girl, "You are going to catch it ALL and then keep going!"  I wish I could tell her to have faith, REAL faith, because God, as He has promised, will come through in ways that far surpass her hopes and imagination.

But... at the end of the day, all I can do is look at that picture and smile at my high school self.  I can try to take whatever wisdom my 34 years have granted me and continue to grow. I can try to be someone my 64 year old self will like, and I can try to impart what little I know to my daughter so maybe she'll be braver and stronger than I was.  This little chat I'd have with myself is not to say I'm some sort of amazing creature now. No, there are many who have and will do so much more than anything I've mentioned here.

I guess the point is to remember that the limits we place on ourselves don't have to stick, to take a look at who we are now and realize it's not the end of the road.  And maybe my high school self could tell me a thing or two as well.  Maybe she'd look at her 34 year old self and say, "Don't be afraid to take on those hurdles.  Even if you think you might fall and even if your form is way off, jump anyway."

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! 

My Return to the Marathon

So when I said my goal for the Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon was 4:00-4:30, what I meant was I'd like a sub 4:10 first and a 4:15 second and to finish under 4:30 third.  I managed to make that last goal, and I finished the thing in 4:21:12 (chip time).  Here's why:

1.  Lack of long runs.  This would not have saved the day but it would have helped a little.  I ran this marathon on only one 18 miler and while I do not rely solely on long runs as the key to marathon training, I know they have a big place.  Maybe it would have only helped my mind to have another 18 or 20 in there, but I still think I should have made that happen.

2.  HEAT!  I turn into a first class wimp in the heat and this race was no exception ALTHOUGH, I held my wimpiness back as long as I could.  Knowing the inner battle I had out there and how I usually react in hot races, I am actually proud of myself.  There was a strength there that is not always present.

3.  Fueling.  I made the mistake of not reading about the race beforehand and I assumed they'd have Gu or something like it along the course.  I pinned 2 packets to my shorts and those were gone by mile 13.  The aid stations had water, Gatorade and orange slices only, all of which taste delicious during a hot run, but it was not enough to fuel a 4+ hour marathon.

I think all of those factors slowed me down more than I would have liked but on the bright side, I can remedy them fairly easily.  And despite getting tired and worn down toward the end, I had a great time out there.  It was my first marathon in two years, my first since pregnancy and having Eloise.  I was so excited the night before I could hardly calm down to sleep. When race day dawned, I already knew what kind of race it would be but I intended to get out there and do my best, and that goal was accomplished.

This is really a great event.  The course is hilly - nothing steep, but very rolling.  The first 13 miles are along a highway but it is very well marked off so traffic doesn't get too close.  Once runners turn off the highway it is gorgeous country roads until the end when they enter the highway again and then run through neighborhood streets back to downtown Winchester where the race began.  The neighborhood streets can get a little busy with traffic but there was plenty of police/fireman workers along the course to keep it safe for runners. 

At mile 14 I was full of the joy of the run.  There were shady spots and moments of cloud cover, and for a while I believed I could hold on to that feeling.  Not having a Gu soon took its toll though, and it wasn't until mile 20 that a friendly runner offered me his when he heard me ask about it at an aid station.  I fought the bonk until mile 24 and then I had very little fight left.  At that point I coached myself to keeping moving forward and to keep my head up (no slouching or folding in as I am prone to do when tired).  I took walk breaks often in those two miles even though I did not want to.  I was hot and my legs ached.  My Garmin had died at mile 21.93 so it was just me and the mile markers.  No clock, not mileage, no other souls around to commiserate with. 

According to my Garmin, I ran a consistent 9:20-9:30 pace until mile 19.  I slowed to a 10 minute pace for two miles and then an 11 minute pace for two miles and that is all the information I have.  I'm sure I kept slowing and I do not like to finish a marathon that way.  I like to finish strong, picking up my pace as I go, but this day was not going to be like that.

Some other runners from Huntsville who had finished before me cheered me through the finish line and that was nice.  I was so very glad to be done.  Jason and Eloise had also come and it was so good to see them.  I downed two bottles of water and then an iced mocha from a coffee company on the square.  I felt better except for a dull ache in my legs.  We waited for my mom who was also having a rough day out there and once she finished we all headed back to my parents' house for hamburgers, showers and ice cream. 

So there it is.  My first marathon in two years in the books.  It isn't really how I wanted my return to the race to be, but it wasn't all bad either.  It was great, in fact and I was filled with gratefulness to be out there, to be able to finish, and to have such a great family supporting me through my training. Lord willing there will be more marathons to come and more... cooler opportunities to improve upon this performance.

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!!??!

50 Mile Training

I'm in the thick of my training for the Nashville Ultra 50 Mile and so far, so good.  I completed my first post-baby 18 miler last Saturday and it went well, although I might have done a fair amount of whining for the first 11 miles.  I just could not get my head in to the run.  Overall I felt fine though, and I wasn't overly tired the rest of the day.  I was a little creaky Sunday morning but not too bad, so I did an easy 3 miler to keep things loose.

What I know about my training is that I'll be ready for the marathon October 5.  It probably won't be speedy because I haven't worked on pace at all, but I will be able to complete it just fine. What I don't know about my training is if it is enough for a 50 Mile.  I've only done one 50 mile race and it was on trails (the one I'm training for now is on the road).  I can look back and see how I trained for the first one, but I'm pretty sure I didn't often exceed 50 miles per week.  Part of me thinks the key is consistent mileage each week with some longer runs back-to-back, reaching 50-60 mile totals as I can.  I'm trying to balance that with not getting injured and a little weight training.  Enough?  I'm really not sure. 

I'm also balancing my training with being a good mom to Eloise.  I don't want to run myself into the ground and feel too tired to play and sing and read and do all the things we do each day.  I don't want to get too tired and become impatient with her if she gets fussy.  I find myself holding back in my training sometimes because of this. I've tried to very gradually increase my mileage so my body is always ready for it, and I've also tried to stay well fed so I'm not grouchy or running out of energy before its time to lounge on the couch (when Eloise goes to bed each evening, that is where I go!).

This weekend I'm going to dial down the long run just a tad, so I'm going to try to increase my daily mileage a little.  I'm aiming for a longer run of 13-15 miles Saturday, so I may try for some 8-10 milers this week.  If I need to improve an area of my training, I think my weekly runs could use a few more miles.  On Mondays and Wednesdays I usually get in a light double because those evenings I run with my UAH students.  I take walk breaks with them, but it is still time on my feet and energy spent running so I'm counting it in with my training (although I'm not shortening my morning runs with those runs in mind). 

I also plan to do a little reading online - see what else is out there on this whole 50 mile training thing.  I discuss it with Jason, and while he doesn't care for that kind of race himself, he knows a good bit about training, he knows me, and he knows my goal.

Speaking of goal, that is another big question mark.  I'd like to finish around 8:45 (10:30 pace average), but that may be too ambitious for where I am and where I can be by November.  It looks ambitious based on the results of last year's 50 mile finishes, but I have no idea who these other runners are, how they trained, or what they wanted from their 50 mile race, so around 10 hours may be a better goal for me.

So onward I run!  Maybe a little blindly or maybe I'm right on track.  If you have any thoughts, please share!  One thing I really enjoy along with all this running is talking about it!  I like hearing other runner's thoughts on the subject, what they are doing, their training theories and experiences, etc.  For a complete look at how I'm training, visit my Daily Mile profile.

Long Runs, Humidity, and a Good Movie

Three weekends ago I did my first 14 miler in AGES and it was GREAT!  Absolutely perfect!  I had done 8 fast miles the day before and I was a tad nervous, but the weather was absolutely glorious, free of humidity, tasting of fall... glorious.  My friend, Shannon ran most of it with me and I ran the rest solo.

The next weekend I was to run 16.  I was nervous again.  This would be my longest run since finding out Eloise was a teeny tiny little person in my belly.  Two years or more.  But it went well!  The lovely fall weather had left, but it wasn't bad and I finished really strong with my fastest mile of that run being my last (I was giddy over making it and ready to squeeze my baby girl... and for coffee).

This weekend I wanted to do 16 again before I bump up to 18 next weekend.  I was not so nervous since I'd already done it, and my running girls joined me for bits and pieces of it, with my friend, Julia staying with me the entire way.  Never underestimate the power of good company on a long run!  I wanted to quit around mile 14 but Julia and Jan got me through.  It was SO HOT and HUMID!  I felt it more during this run than I have in any of the others and it was tough!  One of the other girls told me next weekend should be better weather-wise and I am hopeful.  Because today was tough and next weekend is 18!

Despite the humidity and a tough finish today, my mind is in a good place with these long runs.  It has been a LONG time since I've run long and I don't know about you, but when it has been so long I start to wonder if I can still do it.  It sounds impossible!  It seems too far!  But somehow it is getting done and I love it.  I'm thrilled and relieved and I feel like I'm returning to the runner I used to be.  Nothing overly impressive, mind you, but a good place for me.

With my marathon approaching October 5, I find myself wondering what goal is reasonable to have for it.  It is being couched into my 50 mile training so I'm not going to do much tapering for it.  I think my B goal will be to finish under 4:30 and my A goal will be the low 4s (4:05ish) and my A++++ goal would be under 4... but I haven't been running like that so its a long shot. 

And let's just say, in the meantime I am LONGING for fall.

In other news, we watched a really good movie last night.  I wasn't so sure at the beginning if I would like it or not, but once it got going, I started to.  It was Silver Linings Playbook and I think it won some awards or something.  Anyway, one of my favorite parts is when they are running and she runs out at him a few times and says, "HEY!" and scares him or startles him.  Then in one scene they argue about the running route and who should be running there and who needed to find another route.  Cracked me up.  It has some language and a few scenes I could do without, but I liked the overall storyline.  Especially the running parts.

My baby is awake and I must go snuggle!  Happy Labor Day weekend, friends!

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. 

How Badly Do You Want It?

I've had to ask myself this question a lot this month as I begin my endurance building phase of marathon/50 mile training.  The goal I set for myself for June was to run 42 miles a week - an average of 6 miles a day.  This was/is doable but challenging.  If I take a rest day I really have to scramble to get in the miles, but having this goal ensures I do whatever it takes (most of the time).

Whenever I think I want something, this question arises.  Just how badly do I want it?  The answer is found in what I'm willing to do to get it.  I've wanted to write a book for most of my life but I've never done it.  I've started a thousand times (good stuff, too) but never finished.  My conclusion: I must not really want to write a book.  If I did, I'd do it.  When it comes to running, however, I'm usually game.  As spring gave way to summer I ran some races and wanted to get faster.  How badly did I want that?  Well, I trained and eventually ran a 23:42 5k.  Not my best, but fast for this new mom and I was satisfied.  I wasn't overly happy with my 10k performances and for a while I thought I wanted to do something about that, but in the end, I really just wanted to focus on the miles, the running, fitting it in and starting to train for my #1 goals. 

Answering this question has meant running with the jogging stroller, something I have grown to LOVE.  As the days got hotter this has gotten harder, but I hung in there until it was too hot to get many quality miles.  I was then willing to hop on the treadmill during Eloise's morning nap time.  I'm not a huge fan of the treadmill at all, but I could gut out 6 miles because I had a goal and I wanted it. 

Now I answer the question by getting up early in the mornings.  I'm falling in love with these early morning runs once again and I am so relieved/happy about that!  I sort of thought for a while I'd never get that back.  With a baby girl who doesn't always sleep the whole night, and who is now teething so its really hit or miss these days, it was so hard to manage even one early morning a week.  But once it got hot I knew something had to happen.  I asked how badly I wanted to train through June, how badly did I want my 42 miles a week, how badly did I want to run a good marathon and 50 mile in the fall... and my answer was I WANT IT! 

I think being a mom has made me tougher in that I have to work harder for my miles.  I share my time with Eloise and Jason, and in truth I want them to have the best of me.  I want to run well, but in the end, more important than running is that I am a good wife and mother.  I think running makes me better and so I'm willing to make it work, but the moment it starts to take away from the two people who hold my heart, I pull back and take stock of my goals. 

Now I'm having to ask myself how badly I want to get fit in other ways. I want some strength in other areas and I believe it will make me a better runner (and also able to tote a 20 lb baby around!). My goal here is 3 times a week.  It only takes about 25 minutes in my living room with my weights, and I can do it any time!  Eloise likes watching me, tackling me when I lie down to do sit ups, giggling when I do push ups, so she isn't an excuse on this one.  We shall see how badly I want this one.  I am on week 1... for maybe the 5th time. 

In other news tomorrow we are running the Firecracker Chase 10 Mile in Fayetteville, TN and I am so pumped!  I had the best time at the RC Cola Moonpie 10 mile two weeks ago and I am looking forward to another longer run through the beautiful Tennessee country side.  Have a great weekend, my friends and don't be afraid to go out and get after it!

Speed Work Husband Style

After the Run Through the Roses 10k and a little whining on my part about my pace and how I thought I should be stronger by now, Jason offered to help.  He has this old Runner's World magazine from 2004 that has a 10k training plan in it.  He uses this every time he wants to get serious about training (and I think he uses it for more than just the 10k distance). Well, this time he is using it on me!  He talked to me about the pace I'm running and the pace I want to run and uploaded 6 weeks of workouts onto my Garmin. 

I glanced at them in the magazine, my eyes got wide, and then I put it aside.  I put it ALL aside.  My doubt, my questions, my excuses.  I focused on one thing and that was improving my pace.  No more, "I just had a baby," or "I might not have gotten enough sleep," or "I'm just not that kind of runner."  I am going to train with no excuses.

There are two workouts each week and Tuesday was my first go.  I started my watch and decided that whatever it told me to do, I was going to do.  Even if I didn't make the pace, I was going to attempt it.  My "warm-up" was 3 miles at 8:30-8:40 pace.  I laughed to myself thinking, "Jason is a little optimistic about my warm-up pace," but I went for it anyway.  And I did it.  Would I be able to do the actual workout after that?  I wasn't sure but I was still game to go for it.  Here is the workout:

3 mile warm-up, 8:30-8:40 pace
2 x 1200, 7:30-7:45 pace with 800 rest in between
2 x 800, 7:30-7:45 pace with 400 rest in between
4 x 400, 7:30-7:45 pace with 400 rest in between
6 x 200...

I had to stop after the 400s due to a Republican Women's Lunch but I got 8.25 miles out of it and that is probably enough for the mileage I am running right now.  For the most part I was on pace for each one although I could tell I was running out of steam by the end.  When I talked to Jason about it that evening he said it might be a little long for me and to shorten the warm-up a bit. 

Even though I cut it short I was pretty excited about being able to hang in for the bit I did.  I have another workout today and I'll admit I don't want to look until I'm outside, shoes laced up, ready to run.  It was soooo tempting to take Eloise on a stroller jog this morning.  I may regret it later when I'm running in 80 degrees, but for now it is eye-on-the-goal. 

So on with the Jason-style old Runner's World magazine speed work and out with the excuses and reasons I can't. 

A Little 10k Disappointment

This weekend I ran the Run Through the Roses 10k.  I finished in 51:53, which is around 8:22 pace.  This is a tough 10k with some serious hills when runners reach mile 4 and a big, nasty one near the end of mile 5.  All of it, however, is in my area and along many routes I run.  Since signing up for this race I've been targeting hills, especially the big nasty at least twice a week and when I wasn't doing that I was pushing Eloise in the stroller.  I figured while I wasn't doing anything overly speedy, surely all of these hills and all the stroller pushing would count for something.  My stroller pace had even gone down quite a bit so my goal for the Roses was around an 8:00-8:10 pace throughout.  Even with the big nasty. 

Race day arrived and it was pouring rain and 43 degrees.  This was kind of funny to me because I'd also been working on getting acclimated to the heat.  Not only for all the hot summer races I was planning, but so I could continue running with Eloise at 9:00 a.m. even in the midst of a southern summer.  I've just been working on getting tough!  But the rain seemed to make it more adventurous and I didn't really mind it.  I left my house around 6:30 and ran to the race getting a 2 mile warm-up.  I wanted 10 miles for the day, but I wasn't sure how things would go after the race.  Jason was planning to run the 5k and he would drive to pick me up and I would take Eloise back home letting Jason run home. 

The race started and my first mile was an 8:14.  That was fine with me.  I didn't start in front of the pack, but that is usually my way of keeping myself from starting out too fast.  My second mile was an 8:10 and I felt good.  I felt that I would drive my pace down, maybe even getting a sub 8:00 for a few miles.

Well, I didn't do that.  I got slower.  My third mile was 8:19 and my fourth was 8:11.  My fifth and sixth were 8:44 and 8:52.  That was to be expected because I did slow down on those hills.  My legs burned so bad on the big nasty that I desperately wanted to walk, but just over the rise I'd be able to see the finish line and I would be done.  Despite the burning in my quads and the bursting of my lungs, I did push hard and I am proud of that.  As Jason says, I am not one to be overly uncomfortable when racing so I've been trying to push myself past the comfortable level and hang out there when I train and when I race.  I was definitely uncomfortable near the top of that hill. 

I ran down the big nasty as fast as I dared in the pouring rain.  The rain did not let up the entire race, but it didn't really bother me until I stopped.  I finished, congratulated those around me and walked back toward the hill to cheer for my mom.  She came speeding down, looking like a little girl.  As I waited for her, the cold set in.  I was planning to run around a bit before going to meet Jason in the church parking lot, but my wet hands were frozen and aching by that point.  Mom was planning to run the 5k but she too was frozen.  Her car was in the school parking lot and it was blocked off so we found Jason and I took her home with me.

A hot shower never felt so good.  It even burned my hands and feet which were numb.  I put Eloise in her bassinet in front of the shower and talked to her as the warm water washed over me.  When I got out I made a fresh pot of coffee for Mom and I, and scrambled some cheesy eggs for us as well.  We finally warmed up, sipping coffee and waiting for my soaked husband to return.  He won the 5k, finishing in 18 minutes and change.  Slower for him, but he'd just run a marathon and he too had to conquer the big nasty.

All in all,  it was a fun day and a fun race.  I haven't raced a 10k since pregnancy and I wouldn't really call that racing, so I have lots of room for improvement.  Hills and jogging with the stroller aren't going to cut it if I want to get faster.  I was a little disappointed at not being a bit stronger than I thought I'd be, but my response to that is to keep training.  Jason uploaded some workouts onto my watch and I will start doing those on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I have another 10k at the end of this month and while that is only a short time away, I am still hoping to improve upon Saturday's performance.

A Little Speed

So last week was my first speed work in... oh dear... who knows how long.  I've never been a huge fan of speed work, but I have stuck with it on occasion when I wanted certain results.  Usually in the summer on a local high school track with Jason.  In preparing for a marathon April 27, I've been focusing on mileage more than pace since the half marathon March 3.  I felt that I needed to slow down a little in order to increase the mileage - at least in the beginning so that my body could handle it.  For the half I trained pretty hard, giving a good bit to every run.  I was averaging 30-40 miles a week with a rest day or two mixed in.  Now I'm not allowing rest days because I want the high mileage, so I'm doing what I ask my clients to do and trying to have easy days.

I was talking this over with Jason one evening and he suggested throwing in one intense run each week.  We looked at what Jason considers to be the training pace bible (Daniels' Running Formula) and used my most recent 5k time of 24 minutes.  According to my VDOT score in one of his charts my 200 and 400 pace should be around 52 seconds and 1:46 (which I believe is around a 7:00 pace per mile).  With that information we settled on a speed workout that would be 200, 200, 400 with equal rest in between each one repeated 3 times.  This sounded doable to me so I built the workout and uploaded it to my Garmin since I wouldn't be running it on a track.  I decided to do my speed work on Wednesday evenings when I meet my Just Run It training group on campus.

This past Wednesday was my first go and it went pretty well.  It was harder than I thought it would be and I couldn't remember what pace I was supposed to be running so I was about 10 seconds off on the 200s and about 7-8 seconds off for the 400s.  The surprising thing about it was that I actually enjoyed it.  Sure it was more challenging and uncomfortable (talk about jello legs!), but there was also something nice about turning off my brain and simply following the beeping of my watch telling me when to run hard and when to rest.

My second speed workout will be tonight and I'm actually looking forward to it!  What?  I'm going to do the same workout as last Wednesday one more time, focusing on getting those splits where they need to be and staying consistent.  Then I may change it up a little for next week.  It's small, but it is a start, and it will do for now. 

My Motivational Speech to Myself

About a week after the Seaside Half-marathon, I realized I was going to have to be truly dedicated if I wanted to train for a marathon by April 27th.  My plan, since I didn't have loads of time for long runs, was to increase the weekly mileage and be somewhat gradual (somewhat not) with my long runs.  I wanted my mileage each week to reach 50 miles or more and I knew in order to do that I would have to run every day.  That would mean getting on the treadmill during Eloise's nap time.  It would mean getting outside on nice warm days with the jogging stroller.  It would mean getting up at 4:45a.m. and meeting the girls for a few miles, getting home by 6:00 a.m. so Jason could go for his run.

Commitment and dedication.  That is what it was going to mean to marathon train.  So I gave myself a motivation speech (a.k.a stern talking to) one Sunday afternoon while I was running. 

"You have to get serious about this if you don't want to be miserable April 27th. You've got to make yourself a training plan and really stick to it this time.  You just ran a half marathon so you can no longer look at yourself as a woman who just had a baby.  You must now look at yourself as a woman training for a marathon and go from there.  It is going to be hard, but you can handle hard.  You are going to be tired, sleep deprived, and you are not going to want to get on that treadmill.  But you have to.  You have to be committed.  You can do this."

So I came home and wrote out my training plan.  I kept it simple, writing the mileage I wanted in the top corner of each day on my calendar.  I took it one day at a time.  I tried not to focus on the 50 miles I wanted for the week, but only on that day's mileage.  Sunday I ran 6 slow and easy miles around my neighborhood.  Monday I got on the treadmill for 1.5 and then 3.5 as Eloise's naps allowed.  Tuesday I ran 8 while Mom babysat Eloise.  Wednesday I ran with my UAH 5k training group and I did a speed workout that Jason helped me create.  I ran 200, 200, 400 with equal rest 3 times with 1 mile warm-up and 0.2 cool down (I was hungry) for a total of 4.5 miles.  Thursday I did another 8 miles with Shannon.  Friday I forced myself to get in 5 miles at 5a.m. with my running girls.  I thought they were going to kill me.  Saturday I ran the Rocket Run 10 miler, with 2 miles warm-up and 2 miles cool down for 14 total miles, finishing a 50.5 mile week.

I did it.  I had to slow my pace so my body could withstand the 10+ mile increase for the week, but that was okay with me.

Yesterday started my second week of marathon training and I have 49 miles planned for the week, although it may end up being 50 because my speed workout on Wednesday bumps up the mileage.  Today I need 5 miles and I had planned to go with the girls this morning at 5:00, but I was up from 2:45-4:00 with Eloise.  Ha!  It is like she KNOWS when I need the sleep.  So I didn't go and, as always, I wish I had, but that is okay.  I am getting on that treadmill and getting it done.  I keep my motivational speech in my pocket and pull it out when my motivation wanes.  One day at a time...I will train for this marathon.

Time to Blog, Half-marathons, and a Little Note for Spammers

So I'm falling a little behind on this blogging thing. I guess there is no hard and fast rule on how often one should blog BUT I do believe if you want your readers to hang in, you have to write somewhat regularly on somewhat interesting topics or they stop coming by.  The funny thing is, as a woman of the workforce, I used to think when I became a stay-at-home mom I'd have much more time to write.  ha ha ha.  ha.  And one more ha.

When Eloise sleeps the conversation starts:  "Do I put in a Jillian Michael's video or clean up the kitchen or make another batch of baby food or check on all my Running Start clients or dust or do laundry or write a blog... And if the previous night was a wakeful one, I debate napping with her.  Needless to say, blogging takes a back seat to all that other stuff.  It just feels wasteful to use an entire nap time sitting at the computer!  I check e-mail and peruse Facebook while rocking a sleeping baby or... okay, often times on the toilet.  But it saves time. 

This week, however, I've gotten a good bit accomplished so I told myself today during Eloise's nap time I would do a little writing.  And I put her down.  Twice.  But she woke up both times so now she's playing in her little play yard forest thing on the floor behind me.  Sort of.

In other news, the Seaside Half Marathon is upon us!  Ten days.  That's what I have.  And I don't really "have" them because as far as training goes, I'm as trained as I will be for this event.  I'm not tapering until a few days before the race, however, because I might do the Scottsboro half-marathon at the end of March and there is the Kentucky Derby Marathon at the end of April... oh dear.  So I can't exactly relax for two weeks.  I may throw in some shorter, faster workouts in place of a longer one or two in order to sharpen my pace just a tad, but I will still do my longer runs this weekend even though I'm one week out.  And in reality, I don't think that will hurt my half-marathon performance.

I'm aiming for a 1:50-1:53 time.  I think that is reasonable given where I currently am in my training and what I have done before.  My current best (at Seaside two years ago) is 1:44:45.  I was at my peak training then, so I do not hope to achieve that this time.  Most of my half times are around 1:48-1:50, so that is where I'd like to be.  Shooting for a 1:53 gives me a little cushion and I guess you could say a "C" goal would be to beat 2 hours.  We shall see in ten days.

Now, I don't know about you other bloggers, but I'm getting a lot more nonsense comments on my blog posts lately.  This is why I like to read them first before allowing them to show up on my blog.  The English is terrible and there is always a link that I do not click included as well.  Annoying.  So, Spammers, if you are reading this, don't waste your time.  I am going to filter you out of my comments. 

That probably won't help, but there it is.  As for the rest of you real people and friends, thank you for stopping by!  Have a great day and happy running!

To Do Lists Etc.

Do you make these?  I used to make a ton, but I think it was because I was working a desk job and needed something to do in meetings (see previous post for how I feel about meetings).  Now I just tick off what I need to do each day in my head, but I find at the end of the day I've forgotten some of the things I wanted to do.  When there is a spare moment with a sleeping child I stand around aimlessly wondering what to do next.  ha! 

So yesterday I made a list.  I did several of the items on the list - mostly the errands.  We went by the bank, and the YMCA to cancel membership for now.  Then we went to Babies R Us to buy a baby gift for a friend and then to the grocery store.  By the end of that trip Eloise and I were both a little tired.  We came home, I fed her a bottle and put her down for a nap and then had my lunch before getting to the rest of the things on my list... except I never got to them. 

Today I shall tackle the rest of that list.  This morning Eloise got up at 5:40 (after sleeping ALL NIGHT! Whoop!) and I fed her a bottle, made coffee, cleaned the kitchen, mashed up a banana and fed it to her, folded the load of clothes on the couch and read her 6 books before Jason returned from his run.  Then we kept him company while he got ready for work.  When he left I had toast and coffee, talked to Mom briefly on the phone and now Eloise is napping. 

It is now time to... deep breath... fold another load of laundry and put the washed load in the dryer.  Make some baby food, dust...and who knows what else before Eloise wakes up and we go to my sister's to run.  My nephew, Caleb, wants to train for a 1 mile fun run coming up in April, so he has asked his Aunt Jane (me) to help.  And Eloise loves love loves her cousins, so it is a fun trip for her.  AND the SUN IS OUT!  You can't beat that.

In other news, Jason signed us up for the Kentucky Derby Marathon, April 27.  Holy Moly.  I'm going to hang around the 10-11 mile distance until the half marathon (March 3) and then it is time to run 15, 16, 18... or whatever I can fit in before April 27.  For any clients reading this... this is not how I approach marathon training.  And I have no excuse for myself except... well I can't think of one.  And crazy or not, it thrills my heart to be marathon training, even if it is the shortest training cycle I've ever done.  Actually, no, I ran the Southern Tennessee Plunge Marathon on only consistent mileage and a 16 miler... and finished in 4:03.  So, I think I'll survive. 

And finally, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  Jason and I kept it simple with cards and only a few chocolates.  I told him I didn't want any, so he got me a tiny box of my favorite brand (Whitmans) and a super sweet card.  Works for me! 

My two Valentines!

The absolute luckiest girl alive (me) holding my newest Valentine in her Valentine outfit.

Bits and Pieces

1.  So Eloise is slowly but surely getting this sleep thing down.  Most nights we only get up once, although she backslides on occasion.  I will say that being sleep deprived is MUCH easier when I don't have to sit at a desk all day.  Or in meetings.  I'm so glad I don't have to go to meetings.  There are actually no words to describe how excited I am about not going to meetings.  When I worked for NASA, the meetings could be 4 hours long.  They were shorter when I worked at UAH but still... they were meetings.  NO MORE MEETINGS!

2.  It hit me the other day that I am going to get to introduce Eloise to my favorite childhood Disney movies.  Jungle Book.  Robin Hood.  Pete's Dragon.  And such joy filled my heart at the thought that I sang "Bare (or is it bear if it is being sung by a bear?) Necessities" to Eloise.  She smiled.  That's a good sign. 

3.  This is my last big week of training before I begin to pseudo-taper for the half-marathon March 3.  I probably won't really taper until a few days before the race, but I won't actually be training for improvement in this race by next week.  I'm hopeful and excited about this race.  I don't think it will be a PR, but I think it will be good. 

4.  After the race I will be...um... sort of training for a marathon.  Ha!  Jason and I are looking at the Kentucky Derby on April 27.  He will be good and trained.  I will be merely surviving.  My plan is to hopefully get in at least one 18-miler before the race and remain consistent with my weekly mileage.  Survival and enjoyment.  Those are my goals if we do this marathon.

5.  Speaking of race plans, I've found my next 50 mile!  At first I was aiming for the one I missed last December when I found out I was pregnant.  That one is in Tallahassee, FL.  But then I found one closer and sooner in Nashville, November 3.  So now that one is my goal.  I want to run the 80k.  On the road.  And I want to run it well.  This will mean base-building and consistency through the summer... when I'll actually have to return to my early morning runs in order to survive... so let's hope Eloise cooperates with that plan! 

6.  Can I just say that making Eloise's baby food is extremely satisfying.  I've said it before, haven't I.  I taste everything I feed her and I am always a little surprised at how good it tastes.  Even all mushed up!  I made green peas for her the other day and at first she made a face, but she eventually started gobbling them up like she does her carrots and sweet potatoes.  What is odd to me is that she gets so excited about squash, which is actually quite watery and flavor-less (to me) without some salt (and cheese).  And the green peas are so much sweeter and more flavorful.  But whatever works for her works for me.  I am just thrilled she is eating her fruits and veggies and I love love love making them for her.  If you think making your baby's food is not for you, it could be!  I use the Beaba Babycook and that thing is EASY and quick!  I make a few things at one time, both fruits and veggies, freeze the veggies in an ice cube tray and then put my veggie pops in plastic bag in the freezer, getting out what I need each evening.  The fruit goes quick so I just keep it in the fridge.

AND, it takes less than a month to save the money you spend on the babycook by making the food yourself. Two containers of babyfood is two meals and costs a dollar.  A bag of frozen peas is at least 4 meals and costs a dollar.  A bag of carrots (the uncut, full-sized kind) costs a dollar and is almost 10 meals.   Two sweat potatoes are over 10 meals.  Squash... well, there just isn't much to squash, but it is more meals per $ than buying it in baby food form already. 

So there you have it.  And now I have to go because my little girl is awake and it is grocery store time!