Happy Birthday to Shoo and Withdrawal symptoms

Then:

Now:

Happy birthday to my crazy little Halloween baby!!!

On an unrelated front:

I haven't run in two days and I'm starting to get the shakes.  ;o)  OK, not really, but I can definitely tell I need the endorphin boost.  I spent from 8-5 on Friday and Saturday learning the very basics of coaching.  It was a fabulous class and I learned a ton.  A huge amount of information was thrown at us (the instructor likened it to trying to take a sip from a fire hose), so it's going to take me a while to absorb and re-read everything I learned.  The hardest part, though, was that the class took up all of my "discretionary" time for those two days and then some.  The kids were on me like white on rice when I got home and then once I got them to bed, I had paid work and volunteer work to complete.  So, such necessary things as running, laundry, and sleeping were relegated to fairly low status.

One of the things I finally understand, now that I've taken this class, is the running slow to go fast concept.  She actually explained the physiology behind it and why it's more important (from an injury avoidance standpoint) to run more miles, but run them slower.  I had a whole lot of "AHA" moments over the last two days.

The biggest "AHA" moment?  I am not in a good place to run another marathon.  I don't have the time in my life right now to put in enough mileage and still juggle the 5,000 balls I have in the air and still sleep.  Oh, I could finish another marathon.  I've already proved I can finish one on lesser mileage and my long run hitting near 50% of my running.  But I saw an overall degredation in speed and was likely tiptoeing just *this* side of getting injured.  So, what does that mean to my training for the forseeable future?  Half marathons, baby!

I noticed in my recent 10 miler that the 25-30 miles per week that I've been touching upon allowed me to run that 10 miler almost a minute and a half faster than most of my recent runs.  This, despite only doing speedwork three times since the marathon.  Makes me wonder what I could do at that distance with a base of 30-35 miles per week.  I'll be taking the plan we created for "Joe", tweaking it a bit (although I really like the plan we came up with) and being my own guinea pig.  Let's see what kind of half marathon PR I manage in the spring.

Flashback Friday: 6 Word Running Memoir

Back in 2008, in the days of Take it and Run Thursday, I wrote a six word running memoir.  At the time, my running fell into four "time periods" in my life.  I hadn't run my first marathon at that point, I'd only been blogging for a short while, and the running path ahead of me was unmarked.

Here are the four that I wrote then:

Running off the beer and wine.

Yeah, that was my college running. It was all about running on the weekdays so I could drink what I wanted on the weekends. It sort of worked LOL.

Running to wear my skinny clothes.

Once I was out in the real world, I just wanted to stay in my small suits. I like the way I looked and I ran purely to stay that way. I ran 30 minutes, 3 maybe 4 times a week. I have no idea how fast and never noticed distances. It was all about weight maintenance.

Running out of darkness into light.

After I had my first son, I experienced postpartum depression. At the six week point, I called my doctor to get a prescription for an anti-depressant. They couldn't fit me in for a few days and I needed something RIGHT AWAY, so I jumped on the treadmill. I never ended up going in to the doctor as I felt improvement that very first day and after a few weeks, felt like I was able to cope again. With my second son, I started running as soon as the midwives gave me the o.k. and stopped the slide downwards before it got too bad. Even now, Beer Geek can tell when I need to get out there and run.

Late to the party. As usual.

I didn't start running in races until Shoo was 18 months old. I had never run more than 4 miles at a time. A friend talked me into an 8K race. It was REALLY cold. I wasn't sure I could finish it. I LOVED it and I was hooked. I can't believe I missed the fun all these years! Now I've run a couple of 10Ks, a five miler, a ten miler, a half marathon and I'm training for the Marine Corps Marathon. Maybe I'll actually place in my age bracket when I move up in a couple of years. LOL

And now I feel like I've added a fifth segment:

Running as a way of life.

Today, I am attending the RRCA running coach certification class.  I've already taken care of my CPR requirement.  I have a friend who coaches who wants me to coach with him.  I've been volunteering and running with a local running store for almost a year.  This week marks the two year anniversary of my first marathon.  Running is no longer what I do to stay sane (ok, it does still do that).  Now it is an integral part of my life and I'm taking my first steps towards making it my career.

Three things Thursday

1.  Jones has always been kind of studious.  From an early age, he's said he wanted to be a paleontologist.  And yes, he's known that word since he was three.  Lately, he's said he wants to be an engineer and an inventor.  Oh, and a zoologist because he wants to invent things for animals.  OK then.  Shoo?  He informed me today he wants to be a soldier.  When questioned further, he informed us that he wants to be a soldier astronaut ninja.  Hmm...

2. My hair is looking a little too Mrs. Brady these days, except without bangs.

It's not pretty. I really need a haircut, but I won't have time for at least another week.  And I'm not sure how to not suddenly have really short hair again.

3. Yesterday, I ran 10 miles.  My friend and I ran 8 miles and then I was going to do just a little more.  Before I knew it, I'd hit 10.  The amazing thing was it was a rainy morning, but stopped right before our run.  It was a gross, sticky kind of run (seriously, I could have won a wet t-shirt contest with how wet my shirt was from running.  If I had something bigger than an A cup).  Not 20 minutes after I got home, the heavens opened again.    Despite the nearly sideways rain, I think I would have enjoyed that better than 100% humidity and no actual rain.  This morning I played it safe and ran 3 barefoot miles on the treadmill.  Only 3.5 more miles needed to hit 100 in October!

Did you write a Three Things Thursday post this week?  Feel free to link up!

Poor planning

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to run 100 miles a month for the entire year.  Most months that's slightly less than 25 miles a week.  This is not a super high number for me.  I've managed 20+ mile weeks for probably 90% of the weeks in the last two years.

So, why is it that I've found myself packing in miles in the last week of each month?   The last two months have required major mileage right up until the last days of the month.  In September, I had to run 21 miles in the last three days.  For October, I'm in a little better shape with only 16.5 miles left (I ran 9.5 miles in the last two days to get to that), but I have two days this week when I won't be able to run at all and two days that will require short (4 miles if I'm lucky) runs.  Good thing I'm meeting my friend to run for 8 today (in the wind, rain, and lightning apparently).  Why is this happening?  Because I'm not planning my running.  Life is crazy busy right now.  If I don't make a plan at the beginning of the week, my mileage suffers.

My goals for November?  First, to surpass 100 miles by at least a few miles and second, to at least  tentatively plan my month so that half the miles are run in the first half of the month and the other half are run in the second half.   Otherwise, Thanksgiving will totally blow my running out of the water.

Do you have plans to keep your running on track through the holidays?

(More info on the Reston Zoo up on Metro DC Mom)

Wild Kratts!

This past weekend, while I was running my heart out at the Army 10 Miler, the boys (and my mom and Beer Geek) were out at the Reston Zoo.  They'd been invited by PBS to participate in the taping of the promo materials for the new "Wild Kratts" show that will begin airing in January.

The Kratt brothers allowed the kids to touch a pet and interact with a number of different animals, including a baby alligator and a llama. 

Shoo lost interest before he got a chance to be in a shoot, but Jones may end up on tv in one of the ads.  (Jones was thrilled to be included, the llama was not so thrilled.)

My dad and I drove out there after the race (which had actually delayed the shooting because the Kratt brothers got stuck in race related traffic LOL), so we got to see the tail end.  Once the boys were done, we had some time to wander the zoo before we headed home. 

A huge thank you to PBS for letting the boys be involved!

Army 10 miler race report

Short story:  1:32ish and I had so much fun!

Long story:  My dad and I headed over to the race around 7am.   We went the back way because of potential lane closures, but got super lucky and found a great parking place.  A short walk later, we were at the starting area.  With 30 minutes to go, we got in the portapotty line and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  When we were down to 5 minutes to the Wave 1 start, we decided we just had to head to the start line, even though my dad was in Wave 2 and I was planning to run with him.  We got partway to the line and realized that we both REALLY needed the potty.  So, back to the lines we went.  Best.decision.ever.

At that point, we found a section where the lines were only 2 deep.  We got in quickly and then headed back to the start line, getting there with a couple of minutes to spare before Wave 2 started walking to the start line.   I've never started in Wave 2 before and was dreading it, but it actually turned out well.  I'm usually way at the back of Wave 1 and spend the first mile trying not to trip on anyone.  We were only about 10-15 feet back from the start of Wave 2, so we were able to get moving pretty much right from the beginning.

We did a pretty good job of taking it easy for the first five miles.  I actually saw the Washington Monument this time!  (Yes, in past races, I've been too focused on running to notice WHERE I'm running.  My goal this year was to see the course.)  We walked the first two water stops and at one point ended up in a construction area where we were running on gravel.  That was interesting.  At mile 8, we picked it up (just as we hit the "hills" AKA bridges).  That was exhausting.  I kept wanting to slow down, but I kept repeating "suck it up, buttercup" and "leave it all on the course" in my head.  Over and over.  In the end, we managed negative splits and I was only a minute or so off of my PR and I had a lot more fun than previous years.  Win/win!

Mile 1: 9:17
Mile 2: 8:52
Mile 3: 9:27 (water stop)
Mile 4: 8:42
Mile 5: 9:26 (water stop)
Mile 6: 9:05
Mile 7: 9:02 (water stop)
Mile 8: 9:00
Mile 9: 8:42
Mile 10: 8:45
(Garmin says I ran 10.25 miles, so numbers may not add up correctly LOL)

All in all, it was a great race.  It's unlikely that I will run it again, so I was happy I enjoyed it this time.

My new bling

Yesterday, my parents and I headed over to pick up our packets for the Army 10 miler.  The expo for this event is pretty extensive and I knew from facebook that Lift Your Sole was going to be there.  LYS had offered a code for facebook fans and I had every intention of using it.  I've wanted one of the LYS necklaces for ages, but I needed to see them in person to figure out what charms and what sizes I wanted.

I ended up deciding to create my own trio.   I chose "Run Happy" with a smiley face on the back, 26.2 with courage on the back, and a "mom" charm.   I wanted "Runner Mom", but it wasn't available.  However, I got talking to Jill when I was checking out (she's super friendly) and she thought that Runner Mom was a good one to make, so that may be available soon.  Even better, she offered to make an "MCM Mama" charm for me.   Guess what I'll be ordering soon...  ;o) 

Today is a crazy busy day with two soccer games, a brunch, and Shoo's birthday party (yes, I'm decorating another crazy cake, sigh).  Tomorrow is the Army 10 miler, while the boys and my mom head out to a really cool event.  One more weekend after this and then life slows down a bit.  I.Can.Not.Wait.

A new reason to run

I've pretty much always been a solo runner.  I didn't listen to music.  I'd just enjoy the solitude and listen to my own breathing.   The only person I ran with was my dad.  Running with him has always been my favorite kind of running, but I never really had any urge to run with anyone else.

This spring one of my friends joined me for part of my long runs.  That was pretty cool.  Then I ran a race with a friend and, since I wasn't actually "racing" it, I enjoyed chatting during the run.  This fall I ran a half marathon with an online friend and had a blast. 

Now I've started running once a week with someone and hope to add another day a week with another friend.  And I'm loving it, which surprised me.   Today I finally figured out what has changed.

Before kids and during the early years with kids, I used running as a stress release.  I needed it to survive the sensory overload that was my life.   Now, the kids are in school for significant chunks of the day and we are no longer meeting up with friends on a regular basis.  Suddenly, I'm running by myself, working at home by myself, running errands by myself...  The extrovert in me has been begging for an outlet.   And once again, running has saved the day, this time by providing a social outlet.

(I will, however, continue to do my speed work by myself.  There's something about running near "puke speed" that doesn't scream "share with friends" LOL.)

So, who wants to come visit and go for a run?

Three Things Thursday

1.  This weekend my dad and I are running the Army 10 miler.  I'm not in good enough shape to break 1:30, so I think I'm going to try to convince him to just run it for fun.  It's my last year running it, so I'd kind of like to enjoy the sights rather than pushing myself hard for 10 miles.  I'm also excited about the expo because it's huge and I actually have time to look around this year.

2.  Remember that 6-8 miles I wanted to do on Tuesday?  I ended up doing 10.1, most of it with my neighbor.  I'm pretty sure I talked non-stop the whole time.  I think he might have to start running with an ipod so he can't hear me.   On the bright side,  I've discovered is that if I'm talking, I'm running a pace I can run for a really long time.  I had to make myself stop running on Tuesday.

3.   Since I only have two more races left in 2010 (Army 10 miler and a Turkey Trot), I'm starting to put my calendar together for 2011.  Looks like Montana and Kansas will be the distant states next year.  Now to figure out which nearby states I'm going to try to hit.  I refuse to comment on what my longest race next year will be.  ;o) Got a race you think I should do?  Or a brewery you think I should hit?  Input welcome during the planning process.

Sort of Wordless Wednesday: Baby steps

This morning Shoo's preschool is holding a "coffee fundraiser".  All the moms who sell stuff or provide services are setting up tables at the monthly Parents' Coffee.  Some percentage of each person's sales will be donated back to the school.  Even though I'm not quite ready yet, I decided to start getting my name out there...

What a difference!

Last week, I was all gloom and doom and running sucks.  This week, I feel like running is all rainbows and unicorns.  Despite a horrid night's sleep on Sunday night (went to bed at midnight, Jones woke me at 2, Shoo woke me at 3, the coffee pot turned on at 4:30, Beer Geek got up at 5:30, my alarm went off at 6:30), I couldn't wait to run on Monday.  I thought about it all day long.  Shoo and I had a busy day.  We hit Cox Farms, we did a little grocery shopping, we picked Jones up from school...  but I spent the whole day jonesing for a run.

I know some of the difference is hormonal, but just as much has to do with running just feeling really good on Friday and Sunday.  It was LOVELY out on Monday and I just couldn't wait to lace up and head out.  I planned to do an easy four miles.  I ended up doing five miles at an average pace of 9:28.  I wanted to keep running, but I needed to get home to fix dinner.  I swear, if a good run and an open afternoon ever coincide, I'll end up running a half marathon just for fun LOL.

I spent Monday evening fueling myself with leftover birthday cake, so today I'm planning to do at least 6 miles, but have time to do at least 8.  I'm dragging my friend with me again, which means I can actually run on one of the paths near here.  I'm looking forward to getting out there, even though my legs are tired and I got next to no sleep last night.  I'm just hoping this sudden returned love for running lasts through the race on Sunday.  ;o)

( And you guys are a bunch of pushers.  Well over half of you said I should run another marathon.  Guess the kool-aid is making the rounds.  LOL)

Not drinking the kool-aid

Friday morning was day three in a row of not wanting to run.  Seriously, I wanted to go home from school drop offs and help myself to a cup of coffee with a little something extra *cough*Frangelico*cough* and a donut.  Luckily, I had a running date planned.  My twitter buddy from down the street and I were planning to do 4-5 miles.  I didn't want to and I may have given some attitude and whined a whole lot at the beginning (sorry, Bill), but I wasn't going to stand up a friend.  The first three miles involved a lot of complaining were mostly downhill and weren't so bad. Unfortunately, it was not possible to stay at the bottom of the hill. So, we trudged (ok, he ran, I trudged) our way back up. Somewhere around mile 5, the endorphins kicked in and suddenly I wanted to run.  So, we kept going.  And going.  Finally, at just over 7 miles, I ran out of time, so we sprinted back to my house.  We ended up with 7.4 miles in about 1:15 and I could have easily run another few miles.

After our run, I started thinking that maybe it was time to train for a half marathon again.  And that maybe my new friend should train with me.  (I probably ought to ask his opinion of that).   Then I really wanted to run on Sunday.  I even squeezed it in, despite my cake making adventures for Jones' birthday party that evening.  I had an awesome 4.5 mile run.  I did some quarter mile intervals at a 7:45 pace and about a mile at 8:45, with all the rest coming in at about 9:45. 

Then Sunday at Jones' party, one of my close mommy running friends mentioned a possible spring marathon.  She has always run Boston and has decided not to in 2011.  So, she was telling me about this laid back marathon in NJ that she might do in March.  And how she might just run it easy and have fun.  And somehow the words "would you want to pace me to a sub-4:30?" came out of my mouth.

No.  I am not going there again.  I'm not.  Seriously.  But is this how women manage to have big families?  You forget the pain of childbirth and suddenly the hormones hit and you want another kid?  Have I ALREADY forgotten how much I don't like marathon training?  Already?  Seems like that memory really ought to last a bit longer.

Beer! It's what's for dinner.

OK, maybe it wasn't the actual meal, but since I like really dark, heavy beers, they are like a meal in a glass.

On our trip to Vermont and New Hampshire, we made sure to hit as many local brewpubs and breweries as we could.   In fact, we actually drank enough beer last weekend to prompt Beer Geek to suggest skipping a brewpub because he was "brewpubbed out".  Sadly, I actually felt the same way.  Not because we had drunk that heavily (we didn't) or because the food wasn't good (it was).  We were just tired and wanted to get home.  ;o)

Our first stop (Thursday) on the trip was Brown's Brewing in Troy, NY.  We shared a sampler of their beers and I fell in love with their Whiskey Porter.  It tasted a lot like my beloved Dragon's Milk, but had a lower alcohol content.  This is a good thing.  ;o)  (Tip:  If you visit a brewpub, always ask if they offer a sampler.  This gives you the opportunity to try a small amount of a variety of beers for a small amount of money.)  Brown's actually bottles, so we left with a six pack of Oatmeal Stout and a big bottle of the Whiskey Porter.  Yum!

Our second brewpub of the trip (Friday) was Norwich Inn's Brewpub in Norwich, VT.  We stopped there on our crazy day hitting all the fun things to do in Vermont.  Again, we did a sampler and ended up buying a bottle to go.  Even better was my hamburger made from local beef with vermont cheddar and homemade ketchup.  (I love eating and drinking "local"!) (Another tip:  brewpubs have really good food 'cause not everyone comes for the beer.  Many also try to think local when it comes to the food they prepare.)

 Our third stop (Saturday) was at the Flying Goose Brew Pub in New London, NH.  This was right after the five mile race and I was STARVING.  I had a really good vegetarian chili, a huge salad, and another sampler.  ;o)

Finally, we hit the place that inspired the trip: Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT.  I love Harpoon.  Their Winter Warmer (not out yet) is one of my favorite winter beers every year.  When I found out that they had a fall race at their brewery that coincided with an Octoberfest, I knew I had to run it.  I couldn't pull it off last year, but this year the stars aligned and I managed to talk Beer Geek AND my parents into a super long road trip to run and drink.  (Or in our case, drink and run).  We got there mid-afternoon on Saturday, grabbed our first beer, and then got in line for a tour.  Nevermind that we've toured more breweries than I can count!  We had to do it.

Because of the festival, we got a shortened tour and a beer at the end. On their regular tours, you actually get to taste some of the young beer right off the tanks and compare it to finished beer. I was really bummed we didn't get to do that, but it was still fun. Beer Geek and I then hung out in the sun, drinking a few more beers while my parents took the boys hiking. (Yes, I do have my priorities straight. LOL)

The next day we hit the brewery again, but not for the beer. Sunday was the race, where I came home with the best swag I've ever gotten from a race.

5 + Rain = 10, right?

It's been a rainy morning here.  The grey skies and rain didn't help my very tired self wake up.  When it was time to leave for school, it was barely sprinkling, so I decided we'd walk to school in hopes that it would get me motivated to start my day.  Halfway to school, the skies opened.  We were prepared with rain coats and umbrellas, so Jones was delivered to school relatively dry.  Shoo was a different story entirely.  He refused a rain coat and insisted on frequently spinning his umbrella.  Between the two schools, he opted for no umbrella at all.   When we got to school, I had to completely change his clothes.  Unfortunately, that means he's wearing shorts today because that's what he had in his spare clothes cubby.  Bad mommy moment or natural consequences?  Maybe a little of both.

After I got home, I needed to run but just could not get on the treadmill.  So, I waited for the very worst of the rain to stop.  It was still raining pretty good when I headed out, but I went anyways.  Five miles later, my tummy was growling, I was sopping wet, and I decided I was done for the day.  I'm just happy I got the five in.

I'll let you in on a secret.  Sometimes I don't like running.  Some days I just want to do anything but get myself out there and do what I need to do.  I'm not driven like some people.    I may never run another marathon.  I may never break 150 miles for the month.  Heck, this month I may throw out my 100 mile goal.  Running is not a big focus in my life right now.  But, I will keep running.  The thought of going back to the depresssion/anxiety I experienced when Jones was a baby scares the pants off of me.  The thought of trying to handle my current stress level without the endorphins from running is just too scary.  So, I'll keep getting out there.  I'll keep putting one foot in front of the other.  One day running will take center stage again, but for now, it's doing a fabulous job in its support role.

Tomorrow, we talk beer.  (And if you want to hear about the fun stuff we did in Vermont,  check out my other blog.)

Hello, Depression. Let's go for a run.

The last few months have been really challenging for me.  I'm overcommitted and stressed out.  I'm finding the transition to the kids being in school more hours a lot more difficult than I expected.  Not because I wish the kids were with me more (don't get me wrong, I love them, but we get along a lot better when I get a break), but because I'm finding myself a lot more isolated.  When I have the kids, we get out of the house a lot, usually with friends.  When they are at school, I find myself at home by myself for the majority of the time.  I'm either working, running, or doing chores, not getting out and meeting up with other moms.  The extrovert in my is not enjoying that.

Add in lack of sleep, a cold, and hormones and you get a mom on the edge.  When I get like that, the last thing I *want* to do and the thing I *need* to do most is go for a run.  I didn't run Monday or Tuesday and really didn't want to run today.  I used the excuse that the cold was going to make it hard to breathe.   After all, this weekend proved that, right?

Anyways, I had put on my running clothes when I first woke up and I had on my Vibrams from taking the kids to school, so I told myself I had to run a mile.  I would just run (at whatever pace felt good) down to the half mile point and then turn around and come home.  I'm sure you all know me well enough now to realize I didn't stop at a mile.  ;o)

I ended up doing some hill repeats to work on my downhill running in the Vibrams and then I wandered around my neighborhood until I hit 4.2 miles.  As it turns out, my "happy pace" today was a ten minute mile.  And that happy pace took me back to my happy place.

I haven't resolved any of my problems, nor have I moved any of my responsibilities off of my plate, but at least now I feel like I have the energy and focus to work on them, instead of sitting here feeling sorry for myself.

And that, my friends, is why I run.  Not for speed or distance or so I can drink beer.  I run to make the rest of my life easier to handle.

State #12:New Hampshire and State #13: Vermont

First off, let me just say I have even more respect than before for those of you who have raced marathons (or really any races) on two consecutive days!

State #12 : New Hampshire

I already wrote my report of the Warner Fall Foliage Festival this weekend, but here are some pictures from the race.

Waiting to start

My incentive to run fast

(she was on my heels for the last .1 mile or so)

Pushing hard to the finish

State #12:  Vermont

This race was the real reason we were in the area.  We found the NH race just so we could knock out two states, but we drove 10+ hours each way so we could run the Harpoon Brewery's Octoberfest Race.  When I heard it was only 3.6 miles, I figured it was going to be an easy one for me.  I was wrong.  After I looked at the course elevation, I told my dad I was going to take it easy for the first mile and then pick it up at the end.  Why?  Because there was a 4% incline for a large part of the first mile and then an even steeper downhill at the end.  The first mile went as planned.  Due to the packed crowd of runners and running the uphill at a nice steady pace, we hit mile 1 around 9:30.  The second mile was a nice mix of up, down and flat and we came in around 8:30.  I expected mile 3 to be more of the same.  I was wrong.  

Mile 3 started with flat and then went into a nice downhill.  The only problem with that was we were looping through a neighborhood and to get back to the main road, well, what went down had to go back up.  It actually was not a long uphill, but it was really steep.  No way was I walking that uphill, so I just took it at a nice steady pace.  I was feeling ok when I got to the top, but then started wheezing.  WTF?  I have plenty of issues when running, but this was a new one!  I told my dad to go on and I slowed down until I could get my breathing back to normal.  Mile 3 ended up being 9:03.    The last .6 mile had a small incline and then a huge downhill.  I picked up my pace as much as I could without actually rolling down the hill.  With less than a tenth of a mile to go, I thought I was going to puke, but convinced myself I could make it one more minute before I threw up. 

I ended up finishing with an average pace of about 8:52.  For the first time in my life, I nearly passed out after a race. I ended up lying down on my back on the grass for a few minutes until I caught my breath. Needless to say, I was a bit worried about what was going on with my breathing.

My breathing finally got back to normal and my dad and I picked up our commemorative mugs, grabbed a few brats, and then got back to the finish line in time to see my mom finish.  I have to say I'm incredibly proud of my mom.  She run/walks these races with us and manages to do them at a pretty darn impressive pace.   In fact, I can't *walk* as fast as she walks!  Guess that's why she often places in her age group.  I'm really enjoying our travels around the country doing races together.  I really hope before too long that one of the boys will decide that running is fun and join us.

Oh, and the breathing?  Well, Monday morning I woke up with the stuffy nose/cough/sore throat thing that Beer Geek and Jones had last week.  I'm guessing that coming down with that + cooler, drier air + hills = breathing issues.

Let's call that hell and move on.

Yesterday I ran a 5 mile race.  The description said it was a fast start, then through a covered bridge, up a hill and a fast finish.  Yes, we went through a covered bridge.  The rest?  All lies.

It was really chilly and windy at the start, so I was pretty tense at the beginning.  This translated to difficulty regulating my breathing once we started running.  The first mile was 8:23, but it felt way harder than that.  Mile 2 was around 8:30 and I was wheezing like a pack a day smoker.

We went through a lovely covered bridge and then we hit the "hill".  Just for the record, I'm not intimidated by hills.  For those of you in the know, I run up the hill from Rosslyn on a regular basis.  This hill was like the steepest part of the Rosslyn hill, but that same steepness for over a half mile.  I walked it.  Mile 3 was around 12:20 something (Garmin was giving me fits).

As I crested the hill, I was greeted by alternating scary steep downhill and flats.  I was finally feeling good.  I guess the walking finally got my breathing under control?  I raced down.  Mile 4 was 7:55.

After a bit more downhill, there was one more surpise - an uphill to the finish.  Fast finish, my a$$.  I was planning to just trot it in, but a woman was coming up behind me.  She made a move to pass me and I thought "oh, hell no!"  So we booked it to the finish.  I beat her by a few steps and nearly threw up.

Final time: 45:50.  Not a PR, but a damn good time for a hellacious course!  (I overheard one of the fast kids comment beforehand that he could not come within two minutes of his five mile PR on this course, so not bad.)

On tap today?  A hilly 3.5 mile race.  I really need to start looking at course elevation before signing up for races.  Just saying.

Carbo Loading

So, today, I made sure to carbo load for my race tomorrow.  I ate a lot sweet potato fries, a hamburger with bun, a grilled cheese sandwich, a pumpkin and cream cheese whoopie pie,... I drank too much a few really good beers (all the Octoberfests and darker beers are coming out. Woot!) I sat on my a$$ gave my leg an additional rest day and did NOT sit on the dining room chair to work. So, I'm ready for my race tomorrow.

Did I mention it's only 5 miles? Umm, yeah. I'm not aiming for a PR, I just want to enjoy it and not have my leg bother me. Fingers crossed.

And your daily dose of Jones. Don't worry, his birthday is Monday, so you only have to survive a few more days... Did I mention Shoo has an October birthday too? ;o)

2007 - Where's Jones?

2008 - Look, Ma!  No training wheels!

Tired of Jones yet?

2005 - Hey, cutie, can I buy you an apple?

2006- Joe Cool...

I spent too much time sitting today and my leg and I are officially not on speaking terms.  I really need to find a more comfortable chair.  I sit at my dining room table to work and our dining room chairs are a flat wooden surface.  I'm beginning to think that might be the cause of my twinges while running, not the actual running.

Thanks for the "ask mama" questions so far!  I plan to start answering them next week.  Feel free to ask me something here or email me at mom2shoo at gmail.com

Three things Thursday: More Jones (and a little Shoo)

(Jones' birthday isn't actually until October 11th. I'm just feeling nostalgic as my first baby turns 9. Don't feel you have to wish him happy birthday every day LOL).

1. 2003 - What? YOU don't do your reading in the laundry basket? Although, judging by his expression, it may be a bill...

2. 2004 - Apparently the kid has a thing for small spaces...

3.   And then there's Shoo...  We went to his parent-teacher conference on Wednesday.  Apparently, he is quite the ladies' man.  The teacher was telling us that he has at least two "girl friends" in his class and that all the girls love to follow him around.   Then, when I picked him up from school today, another mom asked if he could come over for a playdate.  Apparently her daughter talks about nothing but Shoo.  Oy!

Running?  What running?  I did manage a quickish three miles on Wednesday, but I was running old school and I'm not sure how fast I really was.  Something is off with my left leg - every time I run, a different part is aching.  Not pain yet, but definitely something isn't right.  I'm taking today off and maybe tomorrow to see if whatever it is can work itself out.  So, more jones comin' your way for a few more days.  ;o)

Just about Jones

Nine years ago

I wanted to include a picture that was taken on this day 9 years ago, but we didn't have a digital camera back then and I don't have skillz when it comes to our scanner.  We went to a beer festival mere days before Jones joined us.  I drank *mostly* root beer, but it looked an awful lot like a hugely preggo woman was chugging dark beers.  I got a lot of weird looks.  ;o)

Eight years ago

For Jones' first birthday, we took him to Colorado.  Actually, Beer Geek was officiating at a friend's wedding, so we all went.  It was a lovely time and Jones' first steps occurred while we were out there.

It's hard to believe that in a few days, I'll have been a mom for 9 years.

In running new, nothing exciting.  4.2 miles yesterday in shoes.  Not fast, not slow, just got it done.

3 barefoot miles and "Ask Mama"

Running the hilly 5k in my Vibram Five Fingers took a lot out of me.  I'm not sure if it was because I've really only run longer than that in them a few times or if it had to do with the speed.  I didn't run in them at all last week.

Today, I wanted to get back into them, but right now there are so many acorns EVERYWHERE that I just couldn't into the idea.  The thought of stepping on one in the Five Fingers just made me cringe.  I stepped on one on Saturday night in my ballet flats and it hurt like hell, I could only imagine how much it would hurt if I hit one wrong while running.

Instead of compromising and wearing shoes, I opted to run barefoot on the treadmill.  I did a mile warm up and then a fast mile and a half.  At that point, I started getting tired and my form went to pieces, so I backed off the pace and ran one more mile.  Judging by my experience, I think I need to run shorter barefoot runs more frequently instead of pushing so hard to manage a four mile run.  Or maybe I just need to run 2-3 four mile runs barefoot or in Vibrams each week.  Any of my barefoot readers got thoughts on that?  Going totally barefoot/minimalist is not an option yet.  I don't want to cut my running back that drastically (and honestly, I'm not sure I'll ever be 100% barefoot/minimal).

On an unrelated note, I'd like to start a new feature on this blog.  I wrote one "Ask Mama" post a while back and really enjoyed writing it.  I'm also writing a series of blog posts called "Moms' Help Desk" over at Metro DC Mom.  As most of you know, in my pre-kids life, I was a research librarian.  While I don't miss working, I do miss having a chance to research topics.  I look forward to researching and writing some posts that are less fluffy than my usual.  The only problem is I need help from my loyal readers.  I need topics.  I need questions.  So, I challenge you to ask me a question.  I promise to try to answer it.  So, hit me with your best shot!  (And if you can't think of a research question, feel free to ask me an "inquiring minds want to know" type of question.)  Leave a comment or email me at mom2shoo at gmail.com

Rolling with it

Most Sunday nights I sit down with my calendar and figure out my plan for the week.  I figure out which days I can run after Beer Geek gets home and which days I need to try and run while the kids are at school.  When I'm working with a training plan, I shuffle the prescribed runs to fit into my schedule that week, which means sometimes my long runs end up closer together than planned.  When I'm not actually following a plan, I just figure out how many miles I can run on a given day at a given time and makes sure that my planned mileage for the week is as close to 30 as I can get.  This gives me a little wiggle room if I need to cut a run short or skip a run.

This week is a little weird.  I have some evening meetings, the boys have a couple of days off of school, Beer Geek had a dentist appointment, but he's sick so I rescheduled it...

So, this week, I'm just rolling with it.  I'm planning to run 6 of the 7 days, but I'll decide each morning when the best time will be and how many miles I'm going to do.  I'm aiming for 30 miles.  Guess we'll see how this little experiment works.

Oh, and here's my first ever Age Group hardware! (Sorry for the crappy picture quality.)

I heart fall running!

Yesterday, I got the bright idea to run home from Jones' soccer game.  It's just short of 4.5 miles from the field to our house.  4.5 REALLY hilly miles.

As soon as the game ended (a game in which they played SOOO well and even won!), I headed towards home.   Despite major hills and too many stop lights (I don't stop Garmin), I managed 10:00, 9:21, 9:26, 8:58 + a cool down.  Woo hoo for negative splits!  It just felt so good to be out running and not leaving a trail of sweat. 

Today I should have gone running, but Beer Geek and I went out last night and I'm just plain tired.  Jones is sick, so he's been whiny all day, which I find extremely draining.  I also did enough (girlie) pushups yesterday that it hurts to move my arms.  Long story short, I decided there was nothing wrong with an extra rest day.  ;o)

Tomorrow, I'm jumping back on the horse.  I can't waste the perfect running days!

Weather happens...

The east coast got pounded Wednesday night and Thursday by tropical storm Nicole.  We had flood warnings and a tornado watch.  There were accidents everywhere and the major roads were basically a parking lot.  This was definitely one of those times when I was glad I have a treadmill.

Except I wasn't.  I really had no desire to run six miles on the treadmill.  I procrastinated for as long as I could.  Finally (after the tornado watch was over), I decided to run outside.  If it were raining on race day, I'd run it.  I've run two half marathons in torrential rain and survived.  Why exactly did I think it was too awful out for a run?  As it turns out, the rain let up while I was running and it was a fairly pleasant run.  Even with not stopping Garmin at the ridiculous number of red lights I hit, I ran the six miles at slightly under a ten minute pace.

So, another 100 mile month.  Only three more to go and I'll have hit 100 every month in  2010!

And Beer Geek asked, when I told him about running outside in the rain, "if a tornado picks you up and then drops you a couple of miles away, do those miles count in your running total?"  General consensus seems to be "Hell, Yes!"