Goals Unmet

At the beginning of May, I set a goal of getting back up to 100 miles a month and running at least one double digit run.

Neither happened.

And, surprisingly, I'm ok with that.  There are plenty of reasons/excuses for it not happening:  heat, sick kids, work picking up, volunteering...

But, when it comes right down to it, it happened for two reasons.  1) I'm human and 2) Sometimes running can't be the priority. 

I had some great runs this month including a speed session that included 4 quarter mile repeats at a 7:30 pace and a few random miles here and there where I hit low 8s again.  I had some awful runs.  I'm having my usual trouble adapting to the heat.  But, with no race on the immediate horizon, I'm ok with that.  I'll run when I can, how I can and do my best to enter my official half marathon training strong, fast, and uninjured.

Today, I'm playing hooky from all the things I really need to get done and heading south.  I'm going to spend a few hours with T and G.  And I can't wait!

I get knocked down, but I get up again...

(Got the song stuck in your head now?)

Yesterday was a better day.  We started the day with Rolling Thunder.  Every year, we stand on a bridge over 66 to watch the motorcycles drive from Fairfax to the Pentagon parking lot.   This year, I ran from our house to the viewing spot to get my run done before it got hot.  Most amusing things we saw:  a three wheeled motorcycle that was as big as my Civic, a motorcycle with a side car with two kids, and another three wheeler with the front two wheels super close together.  Judging by the sheer number of three wheeled motorcycles, the participants of Rolling Thunder are aging (and broadening).

Afterwards, we played at a nearby playground for a while and then headed home to wash the cars.  We got most of the nasty sticky pollen off the cars, but we're still going to need to take them for a professional wash soon.  Our oak trees were not kind to the cars this year.

The remainder of the day was spent hanging out with friends and drinking good beer.  It seemed like a fitting goodbye to Pete's Wicked Kitty since he was chosen at the North Carolina SPCA 16 years ago after we spent a day drinking at a brewpub.  It's weird not tripping over him when I'm making dinner (he was convinced he was a dog and would eat anything that dropped), but the new normal is beginning to feel, well, normal.  Thank you, everyone for your kind words.  They really did mean a lot.

Thank you also for all of your votes for my blog over at Circle of Moms.  I really do appreciate it.  It's nearly over, so you will soon not be hearing about it any more.  If you could go over and vote today and tomorrow yet, that would be awesome.  Vote for me and any of your favorite blogs.  And then when you are done voting, go over and check out Amanda's hilarious rendition of the competition.

Sometimes life throws you curveballs

Or in the case of this weekend, a frisbee.

Friday night we got a call from the doctor's office with the results of all of Jones' tests.  We weren't surprised to hear that the long strep test was positive.  Disappointed, as this likely means a tonsillectomy this summer, but not surprised.  What caught us off guard though was that the food allergy test showed positive for nuts, sesame, and wheat.  Huh?  He'd been tested as a young child and was only positive for eggs (which he has since outgrown), so this is new and surprising.  Interestingly, his recent stomach aches do seem to coincide with taking nuts for lunch at school and would also explain why he had fewer tummy aches on the weekends.  We'll find out more later this week when we consult with our regular pediatrician.

Saturday, our elderly cat went from not great shape to unable to walk across the room.  When our very interventionist vet (seriously, they've offered everything from IV to acupuncture in the past) said that the only thing they could offer us was some pain meds so we could have a few days to say goodbye, we decided it was time.  While it was a life lesson I wasn't quite ready to teach my boys, I was glad that they were actually able to say goodbye.   Losing a pet is always hard, but trying to deal with my grief as well as that of two little boys was one of the hardest things I've ever dealt with and I know it'll be a while before we are all on an even keel again.

After I returned from the vet, we decided to take the boys walking on Roosevelt Island to take everyone's minds off the past day.  The weather was perfect and we saw a ton of turtles.  The boys climbed some rocks and ran around and then played hide and seek near the statue in the middle.  Beer Geek and I sat in the shade to wait, when suddenly I got hit in the mouth with an errant frisbee. Thankfully, the only damage was to the inside of my lips where my teeth cut them, which was a pretty bloody mess.

Life can go back to its boring normal any time soon.  I'd really like to go for a run that didn't involve crying.  And I'm really over the puffy eyes and the lips that look like Tammy Faye on a bad day...

TGIF, no really, T.G.I.F!!

This week basically chewed me up and spit me out.  I'm used to being busy and juggling a lot of stuff, but Wow! was this a rough one.  Unfortunately, much of what is running me ragged is still going on.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a wee little pinpoint right now.

And you know what suffered most this week?  Running.

I've had three "rest" days so far this week.  Mind you, my life has been anything but restful, but dude, three days of no running!   The most amazing part is that so far I have not hurt anyone.

Guess what I plan to do this weekend?  ;o) No, not hurt anyone.  ;o)

Have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!  We'll be cooking out with friends, working on the house, checking out Rolling Thunder, voting (don't you love how I worked that in there - you can vote too!) and Beer Geek and I will be going on a date lunch.  And there will be running, lots and lots of running.

How 'bout you?

3 times 3 Thursday: Jobs, illnesses, and beer.

1.  I've been calling myself a stay at home mom for about 7 years now.   But, it occurred to me the other day that I've become more of a work at home mom over the last year.   I'm currently juggling two occupations and hope to add a third on Friday.  I am basically the operations manager for a friend's company.  He's been getting more work than he can handle on his own, so I'm taking over making sure that some of the work gets done by his contractors.  I've had to learn a bunch of new software systems and create whole new processes.  I love it and it uses my brain in ways it hasn't been used in a while.  I'm also coaching two women to fall marathons, complete with occasional accompanied runs.  On Friday, I'm meeting about taking on the role of organizing a new race in the DC area. (You'll be hearing a ton about this if it works out.)

And yet, moms at Jones' school keep predicting I'll be bored next year when Shoo starts Kindergarten.   Really?  I was thinking I might actually have time to breathe.  Or finish painting the basement walls that are currently a mess of different trial colors.

2.  In the last week and a half, both boys and Beer Geek have had various stomach issues.  Shoo's was definitely a virus and he's bounce back and Beer Geek didn't feel too bad.  Jones, on the other hand, can't seem to kick the stomach pain and keeps coming up with new symptoms.  He had a strep test the other day (negative) plus a bunch of blood taken for a number of tests.  I really hope we can find some answers soon.  As a bonus, my elderly cat continues to not use his litter box.  We've tried setting up a new box (which he used once and then reverted back to using the carpet) and we are waiting on blood and urine test results.  Quite frankly though, I'm not happy with the fact that he's treating my finished basement as one giant litter box.

3.  Thankfully, there is some fun in my future.   Savor is coming up!!  Those of you who've been around for a while know how much I love this event.  If you are new here, you can see pictures of the fun from last year here. Once again we scored tickets to a pre-Savor salon.  This year it's with Lazy Magnolia brewery, which we got to tour one year when we visited Beer Geek's mom.  We've also got tickets to the Lupulin Reunulin, where I'll start my annual stalking of the Beer Gods brewers.   And the best part of all this is that my parents are coming for a long weekend to kid watch and spend time with us.  I love it when they visit (really, the only thing I'd change about my life is to live closer to my parents...)

So, what's happenin' in your world?  I'm currently listening to the sounds of windows being broken out of my basement bedroom.  Judging by the mess, it's actually a good thing I never found time to paint...

Oh, and don't forget to vote.  I've been doing my best to keep all my favorite blogs in the top 25.  Can you help a girl out and keep me there too?

Top 10 reasons to vote for MCM Mama

Here's why you should vote to keep me in the Top 25 Health and Fitness Mom Blogs at Circle of Moms...




10.  I frequently laugh at myself.  And my kids.  And you guys.  I believe that most things in life have an element of humor and it's important to find that as often as possible.

9.  I really don't feel the need to run another marathon (at this point), but I love the idea of a 12 or 24 hour run.  I think it's because I'm exited at the thought of running slowly and eating a lot.  ;o)

8.  I'm willing to share less than flattering pictures, purely for your amusement.

7.  I'm just shallow enough that my favorite part of my Fitfluential video is the fact that I had good hair when I ran up in the beginning.

6.  I can find a beer to go with any occasion.  Rocked a marathon?  I got your beer.  Finished a tri?  Got it.  DNF'd?  Yeah, I got that for you.  Don't like beer?  Let's just say I've converted a few non-beer drinkers to the dark side... 

5. People have found my blog using some really awesome terms : hot sweaty mamas, pool giveaway, peed myself, and chubby naked running  Even better is that I've been found by people looking for Jamoosh, Run Emz, and Angie B.

4.  If you run a 24 hour run, I will drunk text you until really late and then wake up early and whine about my hang over.  Right, Emz?

3.  My children have accused me of being a streetwalker with a pimp and a boyfriend.  Thankfully, they are wrong.

2. Some running bloggers have BFFs like Bart Yasso.  My BFFs?  Make good beer.

1.  Because, hopefully, you actually enjoy reading what I say and find me at entertaining.  If I can make you laugh or inspire you to go out for a run (or better, both), my blog is doing its job.

Vote for me HERE! And you can vote once a day until June 1!

Will I never learn?

I've lived in the DC area for 16 years.  Before that, I lived in the DC burbs, went to a Virginia university and then a North Carolina school for grad school.  So, I've basically lived in this same area since I was 15.  That's 25 years.

Every spring, the weather in this a bit, umm, erratic.  We'll have a few days of beautiful spring weather, then it will be cool and rainy for a week, then we'll have a nice spring day, and then an almost summer temperature day.  Then it will be cool again, then warm, then rainy...  And then, one day, you wake up and it's summer.  It's not just that it suddenly gets warm - it's that all of a sudden the humidity hits like an 800 pound gorilla.

And yet, just like every year, yesterday I went for a run on the first really warm day of the year and it sucked.  Just like every.other. year.  Of course, being the brilliant running coach that I am {sarcasm}, I didn't eat much before my run and I drank only coffee.  And I ran at noon.

Seriously, isn't the definition of insanity "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?"  Sigh...

Today is going to be a true Monday - Shoo needs a cavity filled and a tooth pulled (yes, again) and I need to figure out if my elderly cat is no longer using his litter box because he's sick or if he's just old.  I heart Mondays. Not.

Washington DC Fitfluential Ambassador Application: Part 2

I think my video speaks for itself...

Thank you to:

• my friends who were willing to be quoted
• my friend who stood in the middle of the street taping me
• Fitfluential for providing the opportunity and for giving me a reason to learn some of the cool software on my computer.

It's been a fun project and I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I have.

Cutting room floor

There were a few pictures that didn't quite make the cut for the video that I thought I'd share with you...

Really, is there a person under that huge shirt?

Excuse me while I "chic" you...

Thanks for the flower, I'll try not to puke on you...

Do you have pictures that you love that are incredibly unflattering? Do you share them anyways? If you have, leave a link so we can all go check them out. ;o)

And if you have a moment, please go vote for me for the Top 25 Health and Fitness Mom blogs! You can vote once a day (and I've heard a rumor you can vote from your phones too. Not that I'd know anything about that since my phone technology is soo 2005.)

Hat meet ring - Fitfluential Ambassador

I am officially and publicly throwing my hat in the ring to be the Fitfluential Ambassador for Washington, DC.  Fitfluential, Inc is a relatively new network that connects brands and influencers who share a passion for fitness.  It was started by Kelly Olexa and Jennifer Edwards, aka "She's a fit chick."  I'd really love to work with them and help connnect them to the Washington DC fit community.

They really want to know why I'm "all that and more", so here's part 1 of the answer.  Part 2, my first every vlog will be hitting the blog sometime this weekend.

So, why is MCM Mama all that and more?

• I'm a mom. A wife. A coach. A runner. A volunteer. A free-lance operations/contracts manager. A beer connoisseur.  And I balance it all with a smile on my face (and a whole lot of coffee.)
• I LOVE DC.  It's one of the awesomest places in the U.S. to live and I want to share my insider's knowledge of the city with anyone I can.
• "Bringing out the Runner in every Mama."  I live this mantra every day, on my blog and in my real life.
• I'm outgoing and full of energy and have a lot to offer Fitfluential.
• Most importantly, I love to run and I have a passion for fitness and I welcome every opportunity to share that passion.

So, without further ado, here's Part 1 of my application - a photo collage of my fitness life.

So, Fitfluential, pick me!  You won't be disappointed.  Stay tuned for my vlog this weekend!

TTT: Paint, insomnia, and end of the preschool era

1.  The ceilings in our basement are done and I've cleaned up most of the dust.  Now comes the part I really suck at: picking paint colors.  I spent a ridiculous amount of time at the local Benjamin Moore paint store and came home with a color I hated LOL.  Yesterday, I took Jones back and let him pick two colors for me to try.  Guess what?  They rock.  One color we'll use for the big, light filled room, the other we'll use for the small bedroom and the hallway that gets very little natural light.    Note to self: take the artist in the family for color related decisions.  (Now comes the next part I hate: the actual painting, sigh.)

 (It's hard tell the difference on the computer, but the

color on the left is the color for the big room, the middle color

is too peachy, and the color on the right will go in the small room)

2.  I know I've mentioned lately that I have a lot on my plate.  Much of it is winding down, but sometimes just getting through the last few days is killer.  I've been staying up until midnight most nights and back up at 6 am most mornings.  I could survive like that, except for, you guessed it, insomnia.  I fall asleep fine, but if anything wakes me up, I can.not. go back to sleep.  I really need a brain with an on/off switch or a mute button or something!  On the bright side, preschool council meetings are over, there's only one more PTA meeting and then I'm done with my gig as secretary, I only have two more articles to write for the neighborhood newsletters before the summer hiatus, and one half of the big project I'm working on will go live today or tomorrow and the other half will be done Sunday!  Light at the end of the tunnel, baby!

3.  Yesterday was Shoo's last singalong at preschool.  It's hard to believe that in 1.5 weeks, he'll be done.  My baby is heading to kindergarten.  It seems like just yesterday that I was fighting postpartum depression with Jones and suddenly I have a 9 year old and a 5 year old.  In less than four months, they'll both be at the same school.  I'm excited and sad at the same time.

Where did my baby go?

Rock on, my friends.  It's Thursday, which means it's the day before Friday.  Woot!

Wordless Wednesday: He's obviously my child

Yes, Shoo did wear this to school today.  Think he got his sense of style from me?

Don't forget your daily vote!

Clean? What's that?

Lack of cleanliness could refer to a whole lot in my life right now:

• me - I haven't showered in longer than I care to admit
• my living room - it looks like our basement threw up in it
• my hallway - it currently has more battle droids than the Star Wars movies
• my bedroom - the laundry monster has taken over because the laundry baskets are full of basement stuff
• my treadmill - despite being covered in plastic, it's got a nice layer of drywall dust on it

In fact, this morning I felt so surrounded by dust and chaos that I didn't even know where to start.  I found myself just sitting in my dining room staring at my computer screen, knowing I had to do something, but not knowing what that something was.

So, I did what any smart mom would do. 

I went for a run.

It was just a little three miler without any electronics, but it cleared my head of all the internal clutter.   

Up next?  Cleaning up the living room and winning the war with the battle droids.

And maybe, just maybe, I'll find five minutes to shower before I pick Shoo up from preschool...

Girls on the Run 5K Volunteer report

Sunday I had the pleasure of getting to volunteer for Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia.  One of my friends convinced me to be a Team Leader and I was assigned to the start/finish line.  My goal?  To keep the girls moving after they crossed the finish line and to keep the parents from jumping over the barricade.  I was mostly successful.

I woke up super early on Sunday morning (thanks, Shoo) and headed out to George Mason University by 5:15am.  There was no one else on the highway AT ALL for the first couple of miles.  You have to understand.  I live right.outside.DC.  There's always traffic.  Always.  I think this may have been the first time in more than 15 years living here that I've been on the road alone.  (I actually had a moment of panic, wondering if the road was closed for some reason LOL.)

I got to the race venue, picked up my t-shirt, and my walkie talkie and headed to the start line.  It was about two hours until the start, so I hung out with my buddy Kathy from Pacers.   As per usual, they were playing lots of roles in the race.

I ended up chatting with the medic.  When she realized I had CPR and first aid training (thank you, RRCA), she drafted me as her backup and I was given a backpack with medical supplies.    (This is where I said a little prayer that I'd not have to see if I actually remember those skills.)

Finally, they started bringing the first corral to the start line for the beginning of the race.  Most of the girls and their buddies were jogging to the line, not realizing they had to stop for the National Anthem and the official start.  Imagine standing on a start line as the first wave of 7000 people heads toward you and you (and one other person) have to stop them.  Yeah, sort of freaky, but they did stop LOL.  After a lovely National Anthem and a ready, set, go by a young lady, I tucked myself in a corner and just let them all run by.

As soon as the start cleared, the real work began.  There was only a few minutes before the first girl came back and that time was spent getting volunteers to police the barricades (parents at these events are just a LITTLE excited), getting the cop to the far end to keep people from coming back into the chute, and generally panicking.  Then I spent the next I have no idea how long keeping girls and their buddies from stopping right at the finish line to take pictures or along the barricades.  I found responsible adults for two lost girls, narrowly missed getting my feet puked on, and avoided trampling a few times as I ran along the finish line keeping the flow going.  Thankfully, the only medical need I encountered was bandaids.

I have never been so tired from a race I didn't run!  I'm not sure I've ever had so much fun either.  Best part?  The medic asked me to be her backup at the finish line at the Dash for Dad race in June.   I won't be able to run the race now, but I came to an interesting realization today:

I'd rather work a race than run it.

(And I'll be studying my CPR manual and my first aid book over the next few weeks.)

State of my feet

I've now been running in minimalist shoes for about 6 weeks.  In that time, almost all my my miles have been run in my Vibram Sprints (one of these days I'll write a review...), with a much smaller number run in my Merrell Pace Gloves and an even smaller number run completely barefoot on the treadmill.

Some random observations from my experience:

• I am still stiffer and more sore after short runs than I used to be when I ran in regular running shoes.  I think my ankles and calves are still adapting.
• Sometimes, when I start running, the stiffness makes good form difficult, but once I loosen up a bit, running with minimal shoes feels great.
• Once I warm up, I can run more comfortably at a faster pace than when I wore regular shoes, mostly because of my form, but now warming up is an absolute necessity.
• I really need to be better about stretching and rolling my muscles.
• At this point, the Merrell's feel like cushioned running shoes.
• 6 miles in minimalist shoes is a walk in the park now.  I LOVE that.  Hopefully by next fall, I'll feel that way about 13.1 miles.
• My toenail that always goes black in running shoes is actually finally healing!!!

Yesterday I went for about a four mile run.  It was my absolute least favorite running weather.  It wasn't hot, but the humidity was nearly 100%.  It felt like I was trying to breathe liquid air.  Bleh.  I actually would have preferred to be poured on.  Garmin couldn't hold a signal and told me that I ran my first mile in 29:57 LOL.  Pretty sure I could have crawled a mile in that speed.

Today, I'm heading off to volunteer at the Norther Virginia Girls on the Run race.  I'm working the finish line, where apparently my main goal is too keep zealous parents from jumping over the barrier LOL.  Fun times!  Report on that tomorrow!

TTT: Coaching, chaos, running and a bonus

Edited to add:  this is the post that should have come out on Thursday.  I've decided to let it go without editing any of the actual content...

1.  Yesterday I got an offer to help coach a marathon training group.  I jumped on it and was all excited that I was "living the dream."  Then reality hit.  I woke up in the middle of the night with an anxiety attack.  When I sat down and looked at a calendar and realized just how much time it was going to take away from everything else and how little time I actually had, I turned it down.  My "career goal" right now is to do work that fulfills me AND allows me to keep the boys as my priority.  If I really wanted to be away from them for four hours on a Saturday, I'd train for my own marathon.  Or go to a spa.

2.  This has been a rough week.  As Robin so aptly put it, my living room looks like I belong on Hoarders: Buried Alive.  The noise, dust, and chaos has me kind of on edge.  I don't generally think of myself as having sensory issues, but holy cow am I having a hard time functioning this week.  And it certainly doesn't help that my treadmill is standing on end under plastic in the dusty basement.

3. The runs I've managed this week have gone well for the most part.  I've been trying to listen to my body and not push the mileage or the speed.  I'm just worn out from everything and I'm worried that I'll ignore signs that my body is giving me.  Today, for some reason, I just really wanted to run in shoes.  Not sure why, but it was like my body was craving running shoes like I craved soup when I was pregnant with Jones.  Made no sense, but I compromised and ran in my Merrells and that worked for me.  It was a great run until the 2.75 mile mark when my stomach turned on me.  Gotta remember that running after lunch is never the best time for me to run.  ;o)

Bonus:  Like many of the running blogs I read, yesterday I found out I was nominated as one of the Top 25 Health and Fitness Mom blogs over at Circle of Moms.  I am incredibly flattered that anyone thought I deserved to be on that list.  Knowing I've inspired even one mom to take care of herself and be fit makes me happy.  Even better, you aren't limited to voting for just one mom.  I mean, obviously, *I* think *I'm* awesome, but I love that I could vote for myself and some of the awesome mom bloggers who are part of my life.  Want to vote?  Go to Circle of Moms.  Vote for all the mom bloggers you know and love.  (And do it again, 24 hours later...)

16 years and counting!!!

16 years ago, I married my best friend.  16 years later, he's still my favorite person to drink a beer with.  We have a lovely relationship where he drags me places for weird geographical stuff and I drag him places so I can race.  Along the way, we drink at every brewpub and brewery that we can manage to visit.  (Yes, my kids have been on enough brewery tours to GIVE a brewery tour LOL!)

16 years (17 years since our first date on Friday the 13th) later, you're still the one!

In totally unrelated administrative news:

• I nearly went batshit crazy without blogger the last two days.  Apologies to all my Facebook and Twitter friends.
• I also didn't have access to my treadmill and Beer Geek was out of town.  Yeah, it wasn't pretty up in here...
• Huge thank you to whoever nominated me for the Top 25 Health and Fitness Mom blogs at Circle of Moms.   I am incredibly flattered that anyone thought I deserved to be on that list.  Knowing I've inspired even one mom to take care of herself and be fit makes me happy.  Even better, you aren't limited to voting for just one mom.  I mean, obviously, *I* think *I'm* awesome, but I love that I could vote for myself and some of the awesome mom bloggers who are part of my life.  Want to vote?  Go to Circle of Moms.  Vote for all the mom bloggers you know and love.  (And do it again, 24 hours later...)
• If you are a new reader from Circle of Moms, welcome! Pull up a treadmill (or a beer) and join the chit chat!

Ahh, I feel better now...

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

The best part of Mother's Day? Child labor...

As of last night, we have ceilings!!!

And I'm sure many of you have seen this request by now:


"Dress to impress! Runner's World Magazine is looking for the photos for a feature SBS has written for upcoming August issue. For your chance to appear in the mag, email a jpeg of you wearing your most stand-out-from-the-crowd running outfit (think: loud colors, sparkles, accessories, knee-high socks, the works!) to: fastinistas at gmail dot com. Deadline is this FRIDAY!"

With pictures like this, is there any wonder why I won't be applying?

Good luck on your surgery today, TMB!  Keeping you in my thoughts!  Maybe I'll even dress in matching running clothes in your honor.

Too much Tuesday + Mondetta Winner

I debated calling this post "Thankful Tuesday" as many of the things that are too much in my life right now, I'm actually quite thankful for.  I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed by all those things.  Doesn't help that yesterday's mad clean out of the basement + an absolutely mentally necessary 3 mile run just plain wore me out.

What's going on in my life?

• Mini-basement renovation - we've had a sagging ceiling for quite some time.  I'm happy we are taking care of it because I was worried that it would fall on my treadmill or worse, a person sleeping in that room.  Right now though, having the contents of my basement strewn around my already full living room and dining room is stressing me out.  Thankfully, the construction crew is wicked fast and in one day they ripped down both ceilings, installed the recessed lights in one room and put in two new outlets and a light switch.  
• A little promo project I'm working on for my running/coaching - it's a really cool idea and could be a lot of fun, but quite frankly my level of creativity is pretty much zero right now
• Operations management work for a friend - some really interesting and challenging work that is both fun and financially rewarding has come my way and has the potential to become a lot more once Shoo is in elementary school.  I'm struggling right now though with juggling my return to work with all the other things I have going on.
• Two new running clients - so excited to be working with some more moms, as well as continuing with my usual group, but really how many hours are there in the day?
• Volunteering for GOTR- looking forward to it, but so glad it's really only a one day commitment.
• Running - Beer Geek really wants me to run the Hatfield and McCoy half marathon in June so that he can drive on the road that goes back and forth between two states.  Yes, it is all about him and yes, there's a reason he's called Beer GEEK.  ;o)  I'm wondering if I can be ready to do 13.1 in Vibrams by then!

 So, if you see me face down in my cup of coffee today, please just make sure I don't drown...

And the Winner is...

And number 29 is...

Shelly, shoot me a quick email with your address at mom2shoo at gmail.com  (And if you don't know Shelly, go check out her awesome blog and her amazing 365+ days of running!)

Functional Cross Training

Remember that basement renovation I've mentioned?  Well,  I got a call from my contractor this morning saying they'd be here in an hour!!  Holy Crap!!

I quickly dropped Jones off at school and then got one of Shoo's friends to take him to their house.  I spent the next 1.5 hours dumping stuff in laundry baskets and the few remaining boxes I have.  I moved furniture (I am woman, hear me roar!).  I carried boxes.  I went up and down my stairs at least 50 times.  I got so warm, I actually was down to shorts and a running bra at one point.

But, I did it!  The basement was ready when they arrived.

My living room?  It's seen better days...

(Mondetta winner will be announced after I manage to clear a path through my living room and kitchen...)

My crazy awesome weekend

I knew this weekend was going to be a little crazy, but we added in a wild card on Friday night that made it just a touch more so.

Friday we went out to dinner at my favorite brewpub aka Mad Fox.  While we were there, the owner mentioned that he was going to put my favorite beer on tap as the "stealth" beer (as in you have to know to ask for it).  I went from "I'm just going to have one beer tonight" to "Let's take home a growler" in a matter of seconds.  Let's just say that Emz may have gotten some slightly less than sober texts late that evening.  Good thing she was running all night and I wasn't disturbing her sleep.  ;o)

Saturday dawned too early and way too bright.  Thankfully, a big bottle of nuun got me pulled together because I had to head out to Fairfax for a meeting for the Girls on the Run race.  It was a good meeting, but the more I volunteer with races, the more I see just how much goes into them!  If it wasn't for the fact that it would take up many of my weekends and make my own races difficult, I'd be all over looking for a job with one of the local race management companies!

I love that we are all wearing different

versions of minimalist shoes!

After the meeting, I raced home, caught a cab and headed into the city to meet up with none other than AngieB and Miss Zippy!  It was too cool to get to spend an afternoon with two of my favorite bloggers.  We walked around the Mall. (best quote all day - said by a Union Station employee to a clueless tourist who asked if Union station was the National Mall, "Sir, you do realized the National Mall is not a shopping mall, right?" I wonder how many times a day he says that...)  After a little walk in the sunshine, we stopped at a brewpub for a light lunch and some drinks.  Then it was time for Angie to catch her train, so we said goodbye and I grabbed a taxi home.

This morning my boys woke me up with hugs and attempted to make me breakfast.   After a lovely breakfast of coffee and cereal (I obviously need to spend the next year teaching my boys how to actually cook LOL), I'm chillin' with my computer for a bit.  Later today I'll get a nice little run in while the boys ride their bikes.

Happy Mother's Day to all my mommy friends and happy Sunday to everyone else!

Random thoughts on a Friday

• I just ran 7.4 miles in my VFFs!  Longest run to date.
• I have a dumb phone and texting is difficult.  However, I am currently texting Emz during her 24 mile run.  'Cause what's a little texting difficulty compared to 24 hours on a treadmill?  I'm thinking the 3 hour time difference will work in my favor when I get up at 6 to give her some more text love during the last few hours of her run.  Don't know what I'm talkin' about?  Go over to RunEmz for details and donate while you are at it.
• Conversation with Shoo last night - 

                    S: Mom, did they shoot off fireworks when I was born?
                    Me: No.
                    S:  Well, why not?
                 

• Tomorrow I get to meet up with Barefoot AngieB and Miss Zippy in DC.  Trying to decide if we'll go for a barefoot/minimalist run or go for a drink.  Maybe both!
• My Vibrams smell so bad I need to keep them outside.  I guess it's time for a soak in the efferdent.  I always wanted minty fresh feet!
• I wear the VFF sprints, which is a mary jane style.  I keep forgetting to put sunblock on my feet.  I have wicked tan lines already and I'm sure there's a nasty sunburn in my future.
• I am currently coaching a client to her first marathon (NYC) and I've been approached by another first timer about training for MCM.  It's incredibly hard not to get caught up in the excitement and want to run one myself.  I think I may just end up really well trained for my half in November.
• Tomorrow I'm going for a meeting to learn about being a Lead Volunteer for the NoVa Girls on the Run race next weekend.  Are you local and want to volunteer?  Email me at mom2shoo at gmail.com or leave me your email in a comment and I can hook you up.
• Tomorrow Jones has a soccer game and two birthday parties.  It scares me to think about what my life will be like next year when Shoo starts playing.   I'm going to do nothing but drive people around!
• I'm so glad it's Friday.  I need a beer.  Mad Fox, here I come...

TTT: Run EMZ, Rainy run, packing

I feel almost like this should be a "One Thing Thursday" because #1 is so important.  If you read nothing else, read that and then go donate and give EMZ some support.

1.  Tomorrow one of my favorite bloggers, Emz, is running a 24 hour treadmill run to support the Sojourner Center, an organization that provides shelter and support services for victims of domestic violence.  This is an incredibly important service as one out of every four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.  That's a huge number!  And it's awesome that Emz is using her amazing ability to run on a treadmill to help support this cause.  So, hop over there, give Emz some love, and drop some money in the donation box.

2.  Yesterday was a client run day, so I had to run at a specific time.  Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain.  Most of my clients cancelled, but one showed up.  She just got into the NYC marathon and is totally motivated to run.  She's a newbie runner, but has already realized that you can't control the weather on race day, so you might as well train in whatever Mother Nature hands you.  As it turns out, we had a wonderful 4 mile run and I discovered that the Merrells are PERFECT for chilly wet runs.

3.  We are approximately a week out from demolition of our basement ceilings.  I've been spending every spare moment packing the contents of our bookcases.   I've packed up a ton of stuff (and donated a bunch too) and yet my basement seems full still.   I currently have stuff stuck everywhere and I'm quickly running out of space!  Seriously, this is what my house looks like right now...

Goalz? I can haz dem?

Source

I've been running with very general goals since I injured my achilles back in November.  My main "goal" after that was just to get back up and running without reinjuring myself.  I accomplished that and then some when I trained for and ran the National Half Marathon this past March. 

My goal for April was to become a barefoot/minimalist runner.  I feel like I've accomplished that.  I ran 72.5 miles in April - all of them in VFFs, Merrell Barefoot Pace Gloves, or completely barefoot on the treadmill.  I've felt my calves, ankles, and feet become stronger (who knew that running barefoot would make it easier to rock the 4 inch heels!)

Now it's time to get serious!

So, here are my short term and my long term goals for now (will add more as the year progresses)

1. Hit 100 miles for the month of May
2. Run at least one double digit run in May

And the big goal for the year?

Run the Philly Half Marathon in November in VFFs (Merrells if it's cold and wet) AND PR, which means sub-2 hour.

Yes, it's time to stop training to be a minimalist runner and start being a minimalist runner in training!

Jonesin' for a new state

This has not been a good race year for me.  Between my achilles issue, family commitments, and travel, I've only run 3 non-virtual races so far in 2011.  All of them have been within 5-10 miles of my house.

I'm starting to go through withdrawal.  I need a race and I need to travel to race.  My map has been static way too long.

Are you within four hours of DC?  Got a cool race coming up?  Got a brewpub nearby? (hey, gotta get Beer Geek on board, you know)

Help a girl out and find me a race before I get the shakes.  ;o)

Virtual Barefoot/Minimalist (Ultra?) Marathon

aka Minimalist Running Week #4 in Review

When I signed up for Barefoot Neill's Virtual Race, I set a goal of running all 26.2 miles barefoot or in minimalist shoes.  His rules were that we needed to complete the mileage over the course of two weeks, with at least 1 K on May 1st.  I was pretty sure I could manage that barefoot/minimalist, but then I decided to go "all minimalist all the time" and blew that goal out of the water.

Total miles over the two weeks: 37.8 (my first virtual ultra LOL)
Barefoot miles: 8.7
VFF miles: 26.1
Merrell Pace Gloves: 3

(See Week #3 for the first half).

This week I ran 18.6 miles over the course of five runs.

Run #1: 3.1 miles barefoot on the treadmill.  No problems at all.  My treadmill got panned as an option for barefoot running, but I have no issues with it.

Run #2: 6.7 miles in Vibrams.  I ran the first 3.6 miles at an easy pace with clients, then I ran 3.1 by myself.  My final mile was at a 9:21 pace and I had zero foot pain or fatigue!!!  Longest minimalist run to date.

Run#3: 3.2 easy miles around the 'hood in Vibrams.  I'm comfortable enough with minimalist shoes now that 3 miles is just a casual run.

Run#4:  5 miles in Vibrams with clients.  Feet felt great, no other issues.   I seem to have hit a sweet spot of my mileage and my body's ability being in sync.

Run#5:  .61 miles barefoot on the treadmill at a ridiculously slow pace.  Everything ached and I was super tired from our camping trip, so I ran the required May 1st 1K in pajama bottoms and a running bra  (I tried pajama bottoms and top, but the "girls" were unhappy with the lack of support, ahem.)

So, there you go, Neill, 37.8 miles in your honor and all without traditional running shoes!

I also bought myself a gift for finishing...

What can I say?  They're cute.

Camping with the Princess

Jones is a bit, umm, high maintenance.  He's been that way since day 1.  I will say we've seen improvements every year and he's way easier than he was when he was little, but he's still a much more demanding child than Shoo.  He also has some sensory issues and can feel microscopic rocks in his shoes, under his mattress, etc.  Hence, the princess reference.

Yesterday, we went camping with his cub scout pack.  It was a fun day of hiking, orienteering, skits, and s'mores by the fire.  Oh, and a "man meal" - hot dogs, hamburgers, and chips.  All in all, it was a well organized, fun event.

Then we went to bed.  Or should I say "to foam mattress on the hard ground."  The cold hard ground. With a mattress that felt sufficient when I went to bed, but felt just like ground by the time I got up.

Notice how I didn't mention any sleeping in there?   Shoo's head hit the pillow and we didn't hear from him until morning.  In fact, at one point in the middle of the night, I poked him to make sure he was breathing.  Jones, unfortunately, was not so lucky.  He had an allergy attack that took us a while to get under control.  Then, I was too cold to sleep and unwilling to get even colder by getting out of my sleeping bag to find more clothes.  Jones woke up cold and put on a sweatshirt, at which point I grabbed Beer Geek's sweatshirt as well.  Then he woke up hot.  Then he couldn't fall back to sleep.  Then he was cold again.  Then he needed to pee at 5:15am, so Beer Geek took him to the bathroom (and I had to give up his sweatshirt.)  I got up at 6:15 because I'd never been able to fall back to sleep.  I think I may have gotten an hour of sleep last night.

Jones?  He fell back to sleep at 5:15 and slept so soundly we basically had to pull him out of the tent as I was dismantling it at 7:30, sigh.

I was planning to run 6 miles today.  Between allergies, dizziness from lack of sleep, and sore hips from sleeping on the hard ground curled up in the fetal position trying to stay warm, I'm not betting on it.

On the bright side, my Merrell Barefoot Pace Gloves ROCKED as a trail shoe!

(Don't forget to comment on my giveaway!  One awesome piece of clothing (your choice) from Mondetta!)