What I left out: my sore foot is doing much better. Hooray for proper shoes!
What I said a lot: "anyway" and "you know" (I am not a broadcaster!)
What a did a lot: sigh
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Five Months Old!
Here are the FREE photos we had made by Kelli Bergstrom when Isaac was 5 months old (a few weeks ago).
Chasen says this should be Garmin's new commercial. Ha!
I just looooooove this little guy!
This is my favorite shot.
Weeeeeeee!
Not too shabby!
Mommy's fingers taste GREAT.
For posterity; we might not live here 20 years from now.
What foot pain??? Life is perfect.
Chasen says this should be Garmin's new commercial. Ha! 
I just looooooove this little guy!
This is my favorite shot.
Weeeeeeee!
Not too shabby!
Mommy's fingers taste GREAT. 
For posterity; we might not live here 20 years from now.
What foot pain??? Life is perfect.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
A Teaser!
I am waiting to receive my CD of photos from my free photo shoot... but here is a cute one! :)
Monday, July 20, 2009
Major Bonk & First Picnic
Hey there! I had a big BONK this morning. Inspired by duffrunner, I decided to make a video about it. You'll probably have to turn your volume up pretty loud. Today was the first time I ever used my in-computer camera. Any videocasting suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Today as a whole was not bad. Isaac and I got invited to a picnic (his first!) in nearby Cordova, Tennessee. So off we went!
Isaac, all greased up with baby sunscreen, chills in the shade.
Heaven forbid I wear a non-running t-shirt these days! LOL
Sometimes it is good to get out of your comfort zone. At first I thought "I am NOT getting out in the heat." But it was under 80 degrees (a cold snap!) and I had a great time. Yay!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
What A Week
What a week. It has been a doozy. Due to a work project deadline AND Isaac wanting more and more attention these days, I had a babysitter Monday - Thursday. "K" was here on Monday and Tuesday for 7 hours each day. Isaac whined all day Monday. That is tough to endure from the next room when I know he just wants his mommy (at least I think so). Tuesday went lots better, thankfully. My early morning run was excellent, so the day was started with a bang! I have been running through a nearby neighborhood for a little diversity.
Isaac now rolls over all the time. He's my big boy!
Wednesday was a rest day, but I did have to be up and at 'em for when sitter "A" arrived at 7:45 AM. She really had a way with Isaac, and she is an athlete, so we hit it off. As I drove her to her volleyball pool party, I discovered that her dad ran the Marine Corps Marathon a few years ago and is an avid cyclist. Awesome! That afternoon sitter "E" came over and literally did not make a peep. Both "A" and "E" were wonderful and very engaging with Isaac. Couldn't ask for more!
It's a miracle - I captured a little smile.
On Thursday it was raining with thunder and lightning, so I couldn't get out for my 5-ish AM run. I had to pick up sitter "A" at 8 AM, so I did manage to get a bit of much needed extra sleep. She again did wonderfully with Isaac. On this day I had to drop her off at pre-volleyball weight lifting at her school. That was no problem as it was right on the way to my "mommy and me" group, where I was determined to go after spending what felt like every minute of the day for 6 straight days working and NOT spending time with Isaac. That is a bad feeling!
Late afternoon I headed out to the sauna of a garage to try to make up my run on Teddy Tready. Even with the door up, it was so incredibly hot. Isaac let me get .9 of a mile before he started getting very upset, so I bagged it. Chasen was working late so waiting until later really wasn't an option. Sorry, schedule!
Isaac woke up at 3:30 AM on Friday, which is extremely rare, and both Chasen and I woke up to go comfort him. I got him back to sleep at about 4 AM and then just couldn't bring myself to get up early to run. Aack! I knew Chasen would have to work late again, so knowing how Isaac responded to the hot garage I figured we'd go out in the jogging stroller and get the job done. Well, a tire was flat! The air compressor was not working properly... and I couldn't get Chasen on the phone for an ETA. Yuck - another run down the drain.
Today I got to the city park before 6 AM for 3 easy miles. Afterwards I was to do eight 10-second hill repeats (which is why I chose to run at the park, where there is a good hill). My splits for the hill were all over the map, but they sure felt fast! And I set my Garmin for a 30-second break between each hill run, which was barely enough time to get down the hill before it was time to hustle back up it. It was challenging; I felt like my legs were about to give out right before I reached the top each time.
When I got home we realized (with a little fear) that Isaac had slept like this:
On his tummy! That is his diaper pattern showing through his white onesie, FYI.
Next, the neatest thing ever happened. A friend of a friend was wanting to get more into photography so she was offering FREE photo sessions of children. So Isaac and I met her at a nearby picturesque spot for some more photos. You can NOT have too many photos of your baby, I assure you. The coolest part was that she agreed to do some stroller shots of the two of us, i.e. runner mommy and runner baby in action. I can't wait to see how they turn out! I am sure I'll soon have a new profile pic. Stay tuned!
Isaac now rolls over all the time. He's my big boy!Wednesday was a rest day, but I did have to be up and at 'em for when sitter "A" arrived at 7:45 AM. She really had a way with Isaac, and she is an athlete, so we hit it off. As I drove her to her volleyball pool party, I discovered that her dad ran the Marine Corps Marathon a few years ago and is an avid cyclist. Awesome! That afternoon sitter "E" came over and literally did not make a peep. Both "A" and "E" were wonderful and very engaging with Isaac. Couldn't ask for more!
It's a miracle - I captured a little smile.On Thursday it was raining with thunder and lightning, so I couldn't get out for my 5-ish AM run. I had to pick up sitter "A" at 8 AM, so I did manage to get a bit of much needed extra sleep. She again did wonderfully with Isaac. On this day I had to drop her off at pre-volleyball weight lifting at her school. That was no problem as it was right on the way to my "mommy and me" group, where I was determined to go after spending what felt like every minute of the day for 6 straight days working and NOT spending time with Isaac. That is a bad feeling!
Late afternoon I headed out to the sauna of a garage to try to make up my run on Teddy Tready. Even with the door up, it was so incredibly hot. Isaac let me get .9 of a mile before he started getting very upset, so I bagged it. Chasen was working late so waiting until later really wasn't an option. Sorry, schedule!
Isaac woke up at 3:30 AM on Friday, which is extremely rare, and both Chasen and I woke up to go comfort him. I got him back to sleep at about 4 AM and then just couldn't bring myself to get up early to run. Aack! I knew Chasen would have to work late again, so knowing how Isaac responded to the hot garage I figured we'd go out in the jogging stroller and get the job done. Well, a tire was flat! The air compressor was not working properly... and I couldn't get Chasen on the phone for an ETA. Yuck - another run down the drain.
Today I got to the city park before 6 AM for 3 easy miles. Afterwards I was to do eight 10-second hill repeats (which is why I chose to run at the park, where there is a good hill). My splits for the hill were all over the map, but they sure felt fast! And I set my Garmin for a 30-second break between each hill run, which was barely enough time to get down the hill before it was time to hustle back up it. It was challenging; I felt like my legs were about to give out right before I reached the top each time.
When I got home we realized (with a little fear) that Isaac had slept like this:
On his tummy! That is his diaper pattern showing through his white onesie, FYI.Next, the neatest thing ever happened. A friend of a friend was wanting to get more into photography so she was offering FREE photo sessions of children. So Isaac and I met her at a nearby picturesque spot for some more photos. You can NOT have too many photos of your baby, I assure you. The coolest part was that she agreed to do some stroller shots of the two of us, i.e. runner mommy and runner baby in action. I can't wait to see how they turn out! I am sure I'll soon have a new profile pic. Stay tuned!
Monday, July 13, 2009
This Is How We Roll
Rather than recap each run I've completed since the end of last week, I'll give you the short version: Saturday - good, Sunday - bad, Monday - good. Now you're all caught up!
I have been working like a madwoman. I have another pesky deadline. It has been tough because Isaac is wanting more and more attention. Chasen stayed home on Friday so I could get some uninterrupted work time. And I worked 8 hours over the weekend, also. Such is life!
On Saturday, one day after Isaac began to roll halfway over, a little of this started happening:
I have been working like a madwoman. I have another pesky deadline. It has been tough because Isaac is wanting more and more attention. Chasen stayed home on Friday so I could get some uninterrupted work time. And I worked 8 hours over the weekend, also. Such is life!
On Saturday, one day after Isaac began to roll halfway over, a little of this started happening:
Yay! How exciting! He has done it only a few times since then, which is fine by me. I don't want him to grow up too quickly.
"Mommy, I am still your little baby boy. Now go run!"
I have another week's worth of training lined up. No more heart rate runs, thankfully. Those require a lot of attention. Just simple mileage with some speedwork built in. Hooray!
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Just As Planned
I don't think I have EVER been so happy to see Chasen coming through the door as I was yesterday when he finally returned from his business trip. Return to normal!
I sprang out of bed, after an odd dream, at 5 AM today to get the [running] party started. I was to do another 60 minute run at a target heart rate of 160 bpm. I must admit that I am feeling so much better... stronger... more fit... than last week! It is amazing. John is right; consistency is key. And you know what else? I feel that I am getting my "distance runner's mindset" back. You name the [reasonable at this point] distance; I am not afraid!
On Monday 60 minutes of running netted me 4.07 miles. Today I made it 4.27 miles in the same time. Go me! My average heart rate was precisely 160 bpm. The miles were all over the map: 155, 160, 164, 161. But my overall average was right on target.
At the completion of the run I was supposed to do 8 10-second fast runs on a flat surface. I kind of dreaded that, in all honesty. Speed and I don't really get along. I set my Garmin to give me a one minute break in between each 10 second sprint. In hindsight one minute was probably WAY too long. Oh well. My paces went like this: 7:44, 7:47, 8:17, 9:00, 7:42, 8:56, 8:16, 10:57. With the exception of the last one, you'd think someone was chasing this turtle with a snake!
Isaac is trying to roll over! Oh my - next thing I know, he'll be asking for the keys to the car.
I sprang out of bed, after an odd dream, at 5 AM today to get the [running] party started. I was to do another 60 minute run at a target heart rate of 160 bpm. I must admit that I am feeling so much better... stronger... more fit... than last week! It is amazing. John is right; consistency is key. And you know what else? I feel that I am getting my "distance runner's mindset" back. You name the [reasonable at this point] distance; I am not afraid!
On Monday 60 minutes of running netted me 4.07 miles. Today I made it 4.27 miles in the same time. Go me! My average heart rate was precisely 160 bpm. The miles were all over the map: 155, 160, 164, 161. But my overall average was right on target.
At the completion of the run I was supposed to do 8 10-second fast runs on a flat surface. I kind of dreaded that, in all honesty. Speed and I don't really get along. I set my Garmin to give me a one minute break in between each 10 second sprint. In hindsight one minute was probably WAY too long. Oh well. My paces went like this: 7:44, 7:47, 8:17, 9:00, 7:42, 8:56, 8:16, 10:57. With the exception of the last one, you'd think someone was chasing this turtle with a snake!
Isaac is trying to roll over! Oh my - next thing I know, he'll be asking for the keys to the car.Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Not Exactly What I Planned
Well, my treadmill run in the wee hours yesterday morning did NOT happen. You know what they say... sometimes life gets in the way. With Chasen traveling for work (yuck) it's just Isaac and I here. I was about at my wit's end my mid-evening Monday (yes, already on night #1). I realized how much relief Chasen brings to my mommy duties when he comes home from work. Without him here I get zero relief, and Isaac has NOT been happy for various reasons. Not fun! He has turned into one of those babies who wants to be held ALL the time. He used to be quite the independent little man.
Anyway, I awoke to a noise on Tuesday morning at 1 AM and couldn't get back to sleep until well after 3 AM. That totally reminded me of my pregnant life. Needless to say, I couldn't will myself out of bed at 6 AM. I just slept until Isaac woke up. There was no treadmilling after that, either, because I just felt weak all day. It was very strange; I had a bad belly and almost didn't feel strong enough to walk with Isaac in my arms! So I just chalked Tuesday up to another day of rest.
Tuesday night came and Mr. Pre-Teething was inconsolable. Just like Monday night I "cheated" and let him sleep on his changing pad in his crib. For some reason he likes that. Chasen thinks it makes him feel more comforted, as it sort of wraps around him a little bit:
I got a fantastic night's sleep last night. I only woke once for about 1 minute! And now I am counting down the minutes until Chasen comes home after work. Yes, he had to go straight back to work after his plane landed. Not fair!
"Hurry up, Daddy. All this waiting for you to come home is wearing me out."
Anyway, I awoke to a noise on Tuesday morning at 1 AM and couldn't get back to sleep until well after 3 AM. That totally reminded me of my pregnant life. Needless to say, I couldn't will myself out of bed at 6 AM. I just slept until Isaac woke up. There was no treadmilling after that, either, because I just felt weak all day. It was very strange; I had a bad belly and almost didn't feel strong enough to walk with Isaac in my arms! So I just chalked Tuesday up to another day of rest.
Tuesday night came and Mr. Pre-Teething was inconsolable. Just like Monday night I "cheated" and let him sleep on his changing pad in his crib. For some reason he likes that. Chasen thinks it makes him feel more comforted, as it sort of wraps around him a little bit:
I got a fantastic night's sleep last night. I only woke once for about 1 minute! And now I am counting down the minutes until Chasen comes home after work. Yes, he had to go straight back to work after his plane landed. Not fair!
"Hurry up, Daddy. All this waiting for you to come home is wearing me out."Monday, July 06, 2009
Alone
Hold on to your hats - I ran six miles on Sunday! I knew I had to get it done in the wee hours to avoid the heat and to have it done by the time I had my Team Point Two conference call that afternoon. It rained the night before, so the temp was actually below 80 degrees. I had humidity to contend with, but that's normal. I set out right at 6 AM. I did an out-and-back course to "ensure" success. I took my largest water bottle.
I was allowed to walk one minute per mile, which always helps. I ran what I believe to be the slowest miles in history... but I never cheated and walked more than I was supposed to. When I felt fatigued I just ran even slower. Mission accomplished!
After an encouraging talk with John Ellis on the teleconference, I was pumped for a repeat of last week, schedule-wise. Chasen has to travel for two days for work (curses!!!) so today's anticipated 6-miler needed to be accomplished before he left for work. I was up at 5 AM to make it happen. On a whim, I checked my e-mail. The program had changed! Today was to be 60 minutes at a target heart rate of 160 bpm. Aaack! I could have slept an hour longer! Oh well - such is life. I set my Garmin to beep at me when I got too high or too low of a heart rate. I thought I'd be walking. Um... no. I ended up running (mostly) 4.07 miles. If nothing else I can say that I feel a little more "hard core" than I did a few days ago.
Tomorrow I have another target heart rate to accomplish (a much higher one - yikes!) but will have to use my treadmill due to Chasen being gone. I am not sure how I'll accomplish that, since I'll be running in place, Garmin-wise. I'll figure something out.
Today, the last day before my work project comes back to life, Isaac and I had our mommy and baby friends over. But first we had to do some last-minute shopping.
Personal Shopper Isaac, here, at your service!
Isaac and his new friend Emma. At one time they were holding hands!
I was allowed to walk one minute per mile, which always helps. I ran what I believe to be the slowest miles in history... but I never cheated and walked more than I was supposed to. When I felt fatigued I just ran even slower. Mission accomplished!
After an encouraging talk with John Ellis on the teleconference, I was pumped for a repeat of last week, schedule-wise. Chasen has to travel for two days for work (curses!!!) so today's anticipated 6-miler needed to be accomplished before he left for work. I was up at 5 AM to make it happen. On a whim, I checked my e-mail. The program had changed! Today was to be 60 minutes at a target heart rate of 160 bpm. Aaack! I could have slept an hour longer! Oh well - such is life. I set my Garmin to beep at me when I got too high or too low of a heart rate. I thought I'd be walking. Um... no. I ended up running (mostly) 4.07 miles. If nothing else I can say that I feel a little more "hard core" than I did a few days ago.
Tomorrow I have another target heart rate to accomplish (a much higher one - yikes!) but will have to use my treadmill due to Chasen being gone. I am not sure how I'll accomplish that, since I'll be running in place, Garmin-wise. I'll figure something out.
Today, the last day before my work project comes back to life, Isaac and I had our mommy and baby friends over. But first we had to do some last-minute shopping.
Personal Shopper Isaac, here, at your service!
Isaac and his new friend Emma. At one time they were holding hands!After the moms and babies left, I realized that I am now a single parent (for about 48 hours) and I DO NOT like it. Not one bit. So we took a quick "I hate Chasen being gone" stroll around our 'hood.
Isaac sports his new hat that his friend Konrad gave him. So cute!
Isaac sports his new hat that his friend Konrad gave him. So cute!Stay tuned for more running reports and lonesome whines!
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Independence Day 5K
What a HOT week! I was so thankful for my rest day on Wednesday. Then on Thursday I was supposed to run another 3 miles. Faced with either the heat and sunshine of my neighborhood or the heat of my garage (treadmill), I opted for the garage. In hindsight I should have opted for the roads. It was just roasting hot in the garage (Isaac was in the house with Chasen). Yes, the door was up. I admit that I walked a bit during the final mile. I just didn't know if I could go on!
On Friday I got to walk 6 miles. Yay! I was tired afterward, but it was quite enjoyable. I did it on the roads as I listened to podcasts. What could be better?
Today I had a 3 mile walk on the docket (tomorrow is a 6 mile run - yikes!) I must get that 6 mile run done in the wee hours of the morning, so I knew that I must do my 3 mile walk early today. The weather is quite nice today (90 degrees and breezy) so Isaac and I did a joyous walk on the treadmill in the garage as Chasen went to help a friend move. I had a spring in my step! I even bumped it up to a full-on 5K since I skipped last night's Firecracker 5k (which I did last year at about 7 weeks pregnant!) So today's walk was dubbed "Independence Day 5k."
Then it got good. A friend from back home in Arkansas arrived to spend the day with us. Fast forward to after lunch: as I was cleaning up I flipped off the light switch in the dining room. I heard a noise as I was walking away. The light was flickering... the noise was still happening.. I looked in the direction of the noise (a dimmer switch on an adjacent wall) and saw SMOKE! Oh my! My friend was in the nursery playing with Isaac and Chasen was 'indisposed' in the locked bathroom. I practically banged the door down yelling "FIRE IN THE DINING ROOM!!!!!" My handy husband came flying out, assessed the situation, turned off the breaker as us ladies (and Isaac!) went out the front door for some fresh air, and proceeded the fix it in about 15 minutes. Wiring redone, switch replaced, problem solved, electricity back on.
Dang I married a good man!
On Friday I got to walk 6 miles. Yay! I was tired afterward, but it was quite enjoyable. I did it on the roads as I listened to podcasts. What could be better?
Today I had a 3 mile walk on the docket (tomorrow is a 6 mile run - yikes!) I must get that 6 mile run done in the wee hours of the morning, so I knew that I must do my 3 mile walk early today. The weather is quite nice today (90 degrees and breezy) so Isaac and I did a joyous walk on the treadmill in the garage as Chasen went to help a friend move. I had a spring in my step! I even bumped it up to a full-on 5K since I skipped last night's Firecracker 5k (which I did last year at about 7 weeks pregnant!) So today's walk was dubbed "Independence Day 5k."
Then it got good. A friend from back home in Arkansas arrived to spend the day with us. Fast forward to after lunch: as I was cleaning up I flipped off the light switch in the dining room. I heard a noise as I was walking away. The light was flickering... the noise was still happening.. I looked in the direction of the noise (a dimmer switch on an adjacent wall) and saw SMOKE! Oh my! My friend was in the nursery playing with Isaac and Chasen was 'indisposed' in the locked bathroom. I practically banged the door down yelling "FIRE IN THE DINING ROOM!!!!!" My handy husband came flying out, assessed the situation, turned off the breaker as us ladies (and Isaac!) went out the front door for some fresh air, and proceeded the fix it in about 15 minutes. Wiring redone, switch replaced, problem solved, electricity back on.
Dang I married a good man!
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Running and Reading
Yesterday I had to actually run three miles. Eeek! The temp plummeted to only 90 degrees, as it appeared we were about to get some rain (we did not). The first mile went pretty smoothly. Then I walked the quickest one minute of my life. Back to running! The second mile went smoother than I anticipated. After another lightning-fast minute I was back at it to finish up the third mile. It seemed to take forever, and I sooooo wanted to walk. But I didn't let myself. I couldn't let down Team Point Two! I just kept focusing on the fact that today is a rest day. Hooray!
I have been reading to Isaac. What have I been reading to him, you ask? Runner's World, Women's Running and the Memphis Runners Track Club newsletter ("The Roadrunner"). He is captivated, I tell you! He just hangs on every word; I love it!
In other news, this is my 29th day with water as my only liquid. Yep - no more Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc. Just water. OK, I've had one glass of wine and one martini... but those were special occasions. My point in doing this is to stay as hydrated as possible. I noticed shortly after Isaac was born that I was drinking a lot of the aforementioned soft drinks and less water than ever. This is a good way to attempt to get enough water, plus I am sure my body will thank me for it. Additionally, I no longer crave sweets! And FYI, I have never been a coffee drinker. Bring on the hydration!
Tomorrow I have to do another 3-mile run. Please send me some good vibes!
I have been reading to Isaac. What have I been reading to him, you ask? Runner's World, Women's Running and the Memphis Runners Track Club newsletter ("The Roadrunner"). He is captivated, I tell you! He just hangs on every word; I love it!
In other news, this is my 29th day with water as my only liquid. Yep - no more Diet Coke, Coke Zero, etc. Just water. OK, I've had one glass of wine and one martini... but those were special occasions. My point in doing this is to stay as hydrated as possible. I noticed shortly after Isaac was born that I was drinking a lot of the aforementioned soft drinks and less water than ever. This is a good way to attempt to get enough water, plus I am sure my body will thank me for it. Additionally, I no longer crave sweets! And FYI, I have never been a coffee drinker. Bring on the hydration!
Tomorrow I have to do another 3-mile run. Please send me some good vibes!
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