Apparently I'm a hot mess

So, my appointment with the chiropractor was interesting.  He found issues all up and down my legs.

• My right foot lands with my toes pointed slightly out (knew that)
• The muscles in my calves and thighs are scary tight (knew that)
• My hips do something I don't exactly remember - collapse?  rotate in?
• My glutes aren't activating (Know anything about that, Katie?)
• Because of the other issues, my ITB is messed up
• And a whole ton of other stuff that went completely over my head
• Oh, and I need to stop slouching and pull my shoulders back

He graston'd a couple of spots, did ART on my knees, used the stick on my calves (OMG, I just about screamed), and a few other things that involved pain and parts being twisted.  He would have done more, but since he knew I was racing this weekend, he said he'll wait until next week.

So, I'm sure inquiring minds want to know:

• Am I allowed to run?  Yes, he said I can run until the pain starts.
• Did the VFFs do it?  No.  His opinion was that I was a delicately balanced mess and that the VFFs may have played a role in the pain happening, but they didn't cause the mess.
• Am I allowed to run in the VFFs?  Not for the moment.  He wants to me to work on strengthening some muscles first and then I'll be allowed very short sprints in them to teach my body how to transfer that gait to running in them at a slower pace.

I'm sure I missed a lot, but holy heck, it hurt and I'm apparently screwed up from my ankles to hips LOL.  My "homework" for the next week is to practice doing squats correctly, do leg lifts that he calls Jane Fondas (makes me want to go find my leotard and leg warmers LOL), and foam roll my ITB (I think that's what I'm foam rolling.  I know how to do what he wants, just not sure what it's called.)  I'm also supposed to focus on making my right foot hit the ground straight, which is going to be super challenging.  Next week I go back for a whole lot more adjusting and a ton more exercises. 

I'm hoping to switch to the 5k this weekend and I have no idea what I'm going to do about the Philly Half in November.

But at least I have a plan.

TTT: Being a grown up

1.  I've decided I can't bury my head in the sand any longer.  I need to figure out why my ankle (and the opposite calf) keep hurting.  A local running blogger recommended a chiropractor who is walking distance to my house AND takes my insurance.  I decided that I needed to put on my big girl panties and just call.  Amazingly they could fit me in this week, so I have my first appointment this afternoon.  I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

2.  I've been on a mission lately to get this house decluttered.  To that end, I finally admitted I'll likely not work in a traditional office again anytime soon.  And that the clothes that I wore 10 years ago to work are probably not in style anymore (they weren't all that stylish to begin with LOL).  So, I cleared out the closet in Shoo's room and donated 5! boxes of clothing.  It felt so good that I'm considering purging my kitchen next LOL.

3.  This weekend I get to go to a conference for the first time since before Jones was born.  My awesome client is sending me to Shepherdstown for a forum.  I get to spend a weekend having adult conversations!  I even have real business cards!  Even better, the event is casual dress (we're talking jeans, fleece, hiking boots) AND he's cool with me running one of the Freedom's Run races on Saturday morning, even though it means missing a session.  (We are all assuming that #1 makes that possible).  Why, yes, I do have some of the coolest gigs around.

I've heard Verizon kind of sucks there (so no blogging from my phone) and I'm not sure I'll have Wi-Fi, so everyone who's running (especially those of you running the Wilson Bridge Half), have awesome races this weekend.  If you are running Freedom's run 5K or 10K, let me know.  I'll be wearing a Pacers shirt.

Rock Your Socks 5K/10K Virtual Race

We all know I can't resist a virtual race, even if I'm not actually in shape to race it.  Tonia is raising money for Grassroots Soccer and offered a chance to run if you'd donated.  (There's still time to donate!)  This year, I didn't actually rock socks.  Instead, I went with the KT Tape look.

The"race" started off well.  My ankle didn't hurt and I was easily holding a 10 minute pace.  I managed to pull out the first mile in just under 10.  So, I picked up the pace for mile 2.  I was avoiding big hills (because they bother my achilles, up or down), but there are plenty of little rollers in my neighborhood.  Second mile: 9:40.  I was cruising along nicely thinking I'd have another sub 10 minute mile and then I'd crush the .1.  What's that they say about the best laid plans?

At mile 2.5, my ankle started hurting.  I focused on form and was able to keep up the pace for a little bit, but I slowly fell completely apart.  I didn't walk and I didn't limp, but I'm pretty sure I got passed by an ant carrying a peanut as big as it was. 

End time: 31:03 (which is still way faster than most of my running lately).

Thanks, T for a fun virtual race! 

Blog? What blog?

Every fall I'm amazed at how overwhelmed I get.  We just have so much going on as all the school/extracurricular activities start + both boys have October birthdays.  Oy.  I kept meaning to sit down this weekend and write a blog post, but every time I did, something took my attention away.

So what's going on in my life?

This past weekend I worked (yes, for pay) at Pacers for five hours at packet pickup on Friday.  Pay for something I'd do for free?  Yes, please.  Then I raced to pick up my boys, and we all headed out for dinner.  I fell asleep at 8:30pm!  Saturday morning, I got up bright and early and was at the Clarendon Day 5K/10K day of packet pickup by 6:45 am.  I volunteered there for 2.5 hours (see, I will do it for free) and then headed home to get the kids so we could have fun at the Clarendon Day festivities.  The rest of the weekend was just a blur of church, soccer, chores...  Oh and a run.

About that run...  I ran 3 miles.  Yes, only 3.  Why?  Because it seems that regardless of the speed, pain starts in my ankle at the 2.5 mile point.  Grrr. 

I have until packet pickup on Friday to decide if I'm running the 10k or the 5k, but really it's looking like the 5k unless I can get in to the chiro this week and he fixes something.  And then I have to make a decision about training for Philly.

I miss my run. 

Is today really only Thursday? TTT

I swear this has been the longest week known to man.  I've been super busy AND in a less than stellar mood.  Not great.

1.  Today I was going to take a "me day".  This whole year of me thing has been a bust so far.  I constantly feel like I'm falling behind on stuff.  Of course, some of that is normal fall busy stuff.  I complain every year about September and October and then things calm down.  Not sure exactly why I thought this year would be different.  Oh yeah, two kids in school should equal free time, right?  Anyways, I was going to go to the gym, read a book, chill out, maybe do a little baking, maybe sort some of my business paper work.  Instead, Jones was home sick from school.  Sigh.

2.  I didn't run yesterday because work ended up sucking up my kid free time (they get out early on Wednesdays).  By the time I had the opportunity to run, I wasn't in the mood and we had "Back to School" night last night, so showering was pretty high on the list of things I needed to do.  I figured skipping that in order to run would not really win me any friends at the school.  So, I needed to run today.  Because of Jones, I had some constraints.  I could have hit the treadmill, but that seems to aggravate my calf.  So, I ran a quarter mile away from my house and then back, so that I could check on Jones every 5 minutes.  Talk about a boring run (and my achilles is not down with speedwork, so it was also a slow run.)  Oh well, I got the miles in.

3.  And since I can't think of anything happy to say ;o), I'll just announce the winner of the socks.

 Suz and Allan!  When you guys finish fighting over who gets them ;o), shoot me an email at mom2shoo at gmail.com.

If anyone is running the Clarendon Days 5K/10K race this weekend, I'll be working packet pickup tomorrow from 10-3ish and then I'll be at day of registration on Saturday.  Stop by and say hi!

When you want it least...

is probably when you need it most.

I was in a crappy mood this morning.  Some of that was hormonal, some was the rainy weather, some was just random little annoyances.  I took the boys to school where Shoo once again did not want to stay.  Then I had to deliver the neighborhood newsletters (which normally is not an issue, but usually they come on the weekend.)  In the process, I got yelled at because I had to slam on my brakes to not hit someone.  Nevermind that HE was driving on the wrong side of the road.  (Why is it that people in the wrong feel the need to take the offensive?  It would have just been a mild annoyance if he hadn't yelled at me.  Instead, he pissed me off.)

Anyways, I was in a "I'm going to go sit on the couch and eat chocolate and read a book" mood.  I called Beer Geek to whine, expecting him to commiserate.  He told me to go to the gym.  I whined about feeling guilty if the spin class guy saw me.  He told me to take the class.

WTF?  He's supposed to be all "I'm sorry, honey, you're right.  It is a crappy day."  Not all "suck it up, buttercup."

He was right.

The spin guy nearly killed me.  Then (because I got to the gym late) I did upper body weights afterwards.  Apparently, instead of sweating with the oldies at 8:30, I was lifting with the steroids at 10.  Seriously, some of these guys had arms as big as my thighs and I don't have small thighs.  So, of course, I couldn't go light on the weights LOL.

Will someone feed me if I can't lift my arms tomorrow?

It's Monday

Therefore, I have a ton of unrelated random stuff to say.

File under: Miscellaneous

• I ran 4 miles this morning.  It was my longest run in a month.  I've run a marathon at a faster pace than I went this morning (and 26.2 may have felt easier.)  
• I have less than two weeks until my 10K in West Virginia.
• I already chose to DNS my 10K this weekend because it's got a huge downhill at the start and that seems to seriously aggravate the achilles.  Luckily, I'd also chosen to not actually register.
• This will be the first time I won't run the Clarendon Day race since it first started.  I'm sad.
• Last year, I PR'd in it wearing Vibrams and a running skirt.  

• I'm pretty sure that's when I first hurt my achilles.  Wish I'd admitted it right away and taken some time off then.
• This year, I'm volunteering instead.  You'll find me at Packet Pickup during the day on Friday and Registration on race day.
• Last week, Jones had his fitness assessment for Cub Scouts.
• He made me do some of it too.
• I can't do a pull up.  
• I can only do 3 pushups if I'm required to touch my nose to the ground.
• Is touching your nose to the ground really part of doing a pushup or is that some weird Scout thing?
• Beer Geek and Shoo biked from our house to Mad Fox Brewpub on Sunday for brunch.
• I drove because I'm lazy so that Shoo wouldn't have to bike home.

Don't forget to comment on my sock giveaway.  All you have to do is be a follower!

New Balance COOLMAX Socks Giveaway!!

Win 6 pairs of New Balance socks engineered with COOLMAX® fabric technology! This should be enough to last you a week of running, right? I mean, everyone needs a rest day (unless of course you are Shelly LOL).

According to New Balance:

The socks are great for running and for  all sports because they feature COOLMAX® Moisture Management. 

The New Balance socks engineered with COOLMAX® fabric technology are the smart choice for keeping you comfortable.  They are designed to wick moisture away quickly, so your feet stay cool and dry.

I haven't actually run in these socks myself, but I do have some other COOLMAX socks and love them.

Want more information about the socks?  Check out the COOLMAX website.

Don't want to wait to win? You can buy some for yourself at Academy Sports and Outdoors.

Want to win?  Become a follower of MCM Mama and leave a comment.  That's it.  We're going for simple this time.  ;o)

Small print:  Giveaway ends Wednesday, September 21st at midnight.  Giveaway socks were provided to me free of charge.

TTT: the bike edition

1. Yesterday, I did my first real brick. I biked the kids to school and then biked about another mile and a half. Then I dropped the bike off at home and went for a two mile run. Sadly, my bike speed was about the same as my run speed. And my run speed wasn't much faster than a walk. I'm pretty sure I got passed by a granny with a walker while I was biking. ;o)

2. Today I took my first spin class. (I know, look at me all cross training and such.) Holy crap! I'm not sure I've ever worked so hard in my life. It was only a 35 minute beginner class, but there was a HUGE puddle of sweat under my bike when I was done. I'm also not sure I'll be able to walk tomorrow.

3. Biking the kids to and from school is kind of an exercise in herding cats. Oh my. It doesn't help that I'm not a confident bike rider. Staying upright on the bike is a challenge. Staying upright while keeping track of two kids and all the cars in our neighborhood is almost impossible. And it's kind of embarrassing showing up at school on my rusty Huffy with all the mom's on their beautiful Treks and other higher end bikes. I admit I'm getting a bit of bike envy. ;o)

And no, there is not a tri in my future. That would require putting my face in the water.

Priorities

XLMIC asked me a while back how I planned on "juggling kids and workouts and preserving sanity".

Well, of course, the first thing I did was give up on sanity.  ;o)

But the main thing I did was make myself a priority.  I'm a better mom if I'm working out.  I have more energy to play with my kids.  I have more patience when they are not at their best.  I have the stamina to survive a multi-hour meltdown.  (Yes, my kids have skillz.)

I know you are thinking, but you are the mom of two school aged kids and you don't work full-time.  Yes, I do realize I've hit the sweet spot.  I have no idea how long this will last, so I'm savoring every moment.  But I got here through the same years of pregnancy, infancy, and crazy juggling that every mother goes through.

So, how do you make yourself a priority?

• Schedule your workouts - look at your calendar each week and each day and figure out when you can fit in a work out.
• Do it whenever you can.
• Do it however you can.  Run on a treadmill.  Run with a stroller.  Put your bike on a trainer.  Do it in small pieces.  Take a walk with your baby in a carrier. Workout at the playground while your kids play around you.  Take advantage of any offer that comes your way for time to workout.
•  Accept where you are.  Maybe you aren't in a place physically or timewise to train for a marathon or get a real workout every day.  That's ok.  As I tell my clients, every minute of movement you add to your life, every healthy food choice you make, is a money in the "bank of you."  

As an older mom and a mom to older kids, I've been there.  I've survived the years of complete dependency and come out the other side.  (I'm not saying being a mom is easier now, mostly it's just different,  but I have found that finding time to workout has gotten a bit easier as they've gotten older.)  Every woman's path from a positive pregnancy test to older children is different.  Every woman's situation is different.  But we all have one thing in common:  Our health is just as important as our kids.

Make yourself a priority today.

A snake in the shower (and a winner)

No, that's not some sort of sexual euphemism.  That's how Beer Geek started his day - by finding a snake in the shower.  We were all thankful it was him and not me (even though it was apparently quite small.)  I would have screamed like a girl and made Jones or Shoo deal with it.  What?  There have to be SOME benefits to having only boys...


And so begins my usual Monday Miscellany...


9/11
 
I tried to write a deep post about 9/11, but realized my emotions were all over the place.  I was 36 weeks pregnant with Jones at the time, I worked for an organization whose NY office was housed in 7 World Trade (the building that fell with no casualties), I live a few miles from the Pentagon, my husband was on a work trip in the middle of the country when it happened.  As I sat here yesterday, listening to various aircraft going over my house, I was unable to wrap my head around my feelings. So, I opted for a moment of silence in honor of those who lost their lives then and for those who continue to fight for our freedoms.

Biking
On the lighter side of things, we did a practice bike yesterday with the boys.  Today we will do our bike commute to school.  Wish me luck.  It's a bit like trying to herd cats and our streets have a fair amount of traffic.

Speaking of bikes, I have a ton of questions.  Any locals able to recommend a great bike shop to work with? I've not been impressed with the ones near my house as they pretty much won't give me the time of day.  Beer Geek rode to Mad Fox and back yesterday while I took the boys to Sunday school.  I think he needs a real bike (he and I both have hand me down, not in great shape bikes.)  I'd like one as well, but need to see if I continue riding once I can run again.  Also, is there such a thing as a helmet I can put a pony tail in?

Running
I bought some KT tape last week and tried that out yesterday.  The jury is still out on what it did for my run (all one mile of it), but I can tell a difference when I'm walking.  I wore it overnight and for the first time in what feels like forever, I woke up without my ankle being stiff and sore.  Hmm...

I also plan to make an appointment with a chiro ASAP.  Several of my running friends swear by the same guy, so I want to see what he has to say.

Speaking of running, I did run one mile yesterday.  It was mostly pain free, but my achilles was tender afterwards.  I returned to my "roots" and ran in my Mizuno Wave Riders, which were what I wore for my entire training for MCM with zero injuries.  Not sure if that's the answer, but they felt good yesterday.

And is it considered a brick if the bike and the run are three hours apart? LOL

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner

And the winner of the YMX giveaway is...

The Jesse!  Check out her blog when you get a chance.  (And Jesse, shoot me an email at mom2shoo at gmail.com so I can get the shirt sent to you.)

Next giveaway coming up tomorrow - socks!!

Now I need to make some lunches, get the bikes out of the garage, and wake up some little boys....

Am I a runner?

Before Jones was born, I ran sometimes.  Usually it was just a few miles on the treadmill or a quick run around what I now know is not quite a three mile loop.  Most of the time, I did the elliptical or the bikes in the gym.  Two to three days a week I lifted weights.  I was slender.  I was fit.  But I was not a runner.

Jones was born and forced me to run.  I had to run for my mental health.  I discovered it was something I  could squeeze in between marathon nursing sessions.  As I settled into motherhood though, I stopped running as much.  I just hit the road when my jeans got tight or I needed a little mental boost.  I suppose I was a runner, but I didn't really call myself one.

Then Shoo was born.  I hit the road as soon as I could.  Then I ran my first race.  Then I trained for and ran my first marathon.  And more races.  And running 5 days a week and double digit runs became my norm.  And I ran another marathon.  Running became a necessary part of my life.

I had become a runner.  And it was a title I wore proudly.

I've been fighting injury for nearly a year now.  For the first time in four years, I may not hit 1000 miles for the year.  My race participation is down.  I have run exactly one mile in September so far.  I keep thinking I'm healed, but I keep having issues.  Last night, Beer Geek (who is not the type to run to the dr.) actually suggested I might need to get help. 

But, I'm a runner who's lost her run.  I refuse to believe that it won't come back to me.

TTT: My new normal

1.  Yesterday, I rejoined the county fitness center.  I spent 30 minutes on the elliptical and 20 on the recumbent bike.  My feet were cramping during the biking.  Not sure if that was because of the VFFs or if I have something going on.  Then I did a lower body weight workout, which went well until I tried to do some leg curls (don't know what the machine is called - you lie on your stomach and the weight is at your ankles and you curl your feet toward your butt).  Anyways, I did the first one and my bad calf cramped so bad I had to jump off the machine and stand up.  I adjusted where the weights hit (and lowered the amount of weight) and the same thing happened.  WTH?

2.  So far, having a big chunk of day to myself has really improved my evenings.  I'm much more present with my kids, instead of wanting to run away by dinner time.  I'm also finding I have a lot more energy, so I'm getting a lot done while they are gone and stuff done in the evening too.  I wonder how long that will last LOL.  Spending the last two weeks basically stuck at home with my arguing boys while Jones recovered really sapped me, so it's pretty nice to be bouncing back quickly.  And I didn't even have champagne yesterday.  ;o)

3.  Oddly, the one thing that seems to have fallen off the radar is blogging.  I'm barely finding time to write anything and having a heck of a time finding time to comment and read.  And twitter seems to have completely fallen off my radar.  I just have so many things I can do and nobody to interrupt me or get in the way (or prevent me from throwing stuff away)!    I have a long way to go, but I'm totally reveling in getting my house back in order.  Of course, not running hasn't helped.  I'm running out of things to talk about. ;o)

Don't forget - less than two more days for my YMX Shirt giveaway!  Make sure you get your entry in!

Not so Wordless Wednesday: Free Time

What free time looks like:

(Not sure what happened to Shoo's picture and I don't have time to fix it right now.)

Yesterday was a day that was 10 years in coming.  Both boys were in all day school.  That is now my new "normal."  It was a weird day.  It was both too long and too short.  I didn't accomplish as much as I'd like because the "I only have 12 hours ALL week to accomplish EVERYTHING" urgency was gone.  The house was too quiet.  I'm not used to being by myself in my house for 5 hours (I went to a couple of mom get togethers in the morning). Apparently I blog better in chaos because I could come up with nothing to say yesterday.  I need to come up with a routine.

On the bright side:

• Both boys loved their teachers
• I got a very short run in that didn't hurt much
• I reorganized our storage room
• I had champagne at 9 am

Shoo came home with way too much excess energy.  Despite the rain, I sent him outside to run laps around the house. Oy.  I think it's going to be a very good thing that we plan to bike to and from school starting next week!

How was your first day of school?  (Or day after Labor Day back to reality?)

Definition of Insanity

"They" say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

By that definition, I am either insane or very, very stupid.

Some examples of my recent behavior:

Friday night I couldn't sleep, so I got up to read.  Instead of grabbing a magazine, I sat down with my phone and a new book.  Not only did this not put me to sleep, I stayed up until 2:00 am reading because I can.not.put.down a good book.  (And I KNOW this about myself.)

Saturday I stopped at McDonald's to get Jones a shake.  I was hungry, but didn't eat the granola bar I had because I figured I'd eat lunch at home.  When we stopped at McD's, I couldn't resist buying myself a quarter pounder with cheese.  (Yes, I KNOW I have no willpower when hungry.)

I scarfed that baby down in record time and then spent the rest of the day sick to my stomach.  (Yes, I KNOW that their hamburgers make me ill.)

I ran 6 miles last Sunday, despite the fact that my ankle was tweaking.  I also ran on Monday.  And Tuesday. And now I'm sidelined again because pushing through the ankle issue hurt my calf again. (Yes, I KNOW I need rest days and I KNOW I need to listen to my body).

After five days of no exercise, I'm starting to get cranky.  It's a good thing I'll be able to hit the gym tomorrow once the boys go back to school.  Wonder what "insane" thing I'll do this week...

What things do you do that you know always have the same negative result, but you do it anyways?  Or am I all alone on this path?

Random Friday Facts

Almost called this "Random Friday Sh$t", but thought that was kind of rude.

Shoo has been biking a LOT lately.  Like hours every day.  He's hella skinny, but suddenly he's got QUADS like Whoa!

I'm not usually a TGIF kind of girl - I like the routine of weekdays, but I swear the last two weeks have been 500 days long.  So glad it's Friday and that the kids start school Tuesday.

Jones is still having a rough time with his throat.  He's tired of all the usual soft stuff and I'm running out of things to suggest.  I'd like this to be over now. (I'm sure he's even more tired of it.)

I hate fake sugar.  I'd rather work off the real stuff. I bought a bunch of individual serving jellos and puddings for Jones' recovery (something I don't usually buy).  Half of what I bought turned out to be sugar free, which was not what I wanted.  Does no one eat real sugar anymore?

In less than a month, I have my two weekends of 10ks. Yesterday I tried and failed to run on my treadmill.  I'm kind of over this running races undertrained thing.

Shoo's Godfather and my boss friend stayed with us for a few days.  He and I spent part of each day working together on some projects.  I'd forgotten how much I like working with talking to adults during the day. I will definitely have to ponder this during my "year of me" while I try to figure out what I want to be when I my kids grow up.

I never take off my watch or wedding ring.  Ever.  After 16+ years of wearing the ring, I have a permanent "skinny" spot on my finger.  My engagement ring, on the other hand, spends most of its time on my dresser.  I just can't be trusted with expensive things.

I need at least an hour in the morning before I go running.  Getting up at 4am to go for a 5am run does not appeal to me at all, so it's unlikely I'll ever become a morning runner.

 When I was super poor in grad school, I refused to use the air conditioning.  In the summer.  In North Carolina.  I told Beer Geek that if he wanted me to turn on the air when he visited, he had to pay the electric bill.  We did and he did and surprise, he married me anyways.

Thanks to Katie for giving my a blog topic when I really have nothing to say since I'm not actually running (or anything else) right now!

Three Things Thursday

1.  My kids don't start school until Tuesday.  Most of their friends are either on vacation or back in school this week.  This may have been the longest week ever in my life. Of course, going back to school is going to rock all of our worlds.  None of us got up before 9am this morning.  Oops.

2.  I am very frustrated with my running lately.  My ankle is being consistently inconsistent.  Some days it feels great.  Some days it bothers me the whole run.  Even more annoying is that the pain is never in.the.same.place.  WTF?  I need to start training for the Philadelphia Half and I can't seem to get past 6 miles.  And it sucks when the thing that gives you stress release and makes you happy is making you miserable.

3.  On the bright side, the "year of me" starts Tuesday.  The year I've been dreaming of for almost 10 years.  Don't get me wrong.  I love my boys and I have enjoyed being home with them, but a whole lot of things have been set aside for "when the boys are both in school."  I have a ton of house projects to do, but there will also be time each day to work out and actually do my paid work at a time other than midnight.  I plan to focus on getting my feet back under me.  Next year I'll volunteer again and possibly look for more hours of work, but for right now?  It's all me.  And I can't wait.