Well, I am ashamed. Yes - ashamed! I have not posted anything new in *gasp* three weeks. The problem is that I always aim to do it after my longrun on Saturdays, then I get busy, then I claim I'll do it Saturday night... and the next thing I know it's Sunday and I'm sort of "over it." Oh well - onward and upward! But first let's do a quick review...
Week 1: I went on strike from running (yes, I did) because it was just too dang cold. I logged 2.77 miles for the week pre-longrun. Then came a cold, yet speedy 12 miler. I averaged 12:32 per mile (that's right on target for my current "dream" marathon pace). Funny... two weeks later I don't recall it being that stellar. This is why doing a "review" is sometimes a good thing.
Week 2: I had a nice recovery run and then did an 8 mile pace workout... and then apparently I went back on strike. Yeesh - not good. In hindsight, Isaac and other things had me completely stressed out. And we've been battling snow showers about once per week nearly all of January and just let me say that we are soooooo over it. Come on, spring! That Saturday I trekked to Shelby Farms (a first for me) to attempt a 20 miler (the first one this season for me). Um... err... I failed. I logged 8.05 miles and threw in the towel. I won't even bore you with my list of excuses.
Week 3: Redemption time! Oh what a week I had! It started off with a bang as I had a very speedy recovery run (hey - it just happened, people). Next I had a decent pace workout on the treadmill (it was raining) as Isaac was back at Mother's Day Out for the first time in SEVEN WEEKS. Aye aye aye! Then I had an awesome easy run during his naptime (again, treadmill + baby monitor). And then - I burned up the streets with a spectacular 8 mile speed session! I really did. And then came my longrun... you're on the edge of your seat, aren't you? I plotted a NEW course so as to avoid the typical out-and-back on the main drag. I did that to avoid boredom AND to attemt to avoid having fifty people at church on Sunday say "Hey, I saw you out running!" Well, I failed in that department. But then I thought about it a bit and realized that if I am so visible out there, it's a good thing. I am setting a good example, I hope! So - back to the longrun. Man oh man - it was H-I-L-L-Y. The first five miles (of the 15) were in the 13's, which is FINE, especially considering the hills. The second five miles were in the mid-to-high 12's. Whaaaaa? And the final five miles got a tiny bit faster. Holy moly! And that was with hills! I was shocked. My average pace was 12:54, which is ideal for training, especially with hills. Go me! I logged 37.89 miles last week. :)
The Cowtown Marathon is four weeks form today and I am ready to show Texas how this transplanted Arkansan does things!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Oh Poop!
The highlight of my week was... um... err... gross. Even though our schedule has not changed one bit, Isaac has been off his napping schedule ever since Christmas. He naps super late now, which throws off my typical running routine (which is about to change, anyway, since Mother's Day Out starts back up this week, thank God). Some days I am not sure he naps at all. He just thrashes about in his crib. Well... on Thursday I was running on the treadmill with the baby monitor right beside me. Isaac never went to sleep, exactly, but he was playing upstairs in his crib. With 3/4 of a mile to go, he started to really fuss, so I cut it short and came inside. Grrr! The next thing I knew he was fast asleep. Figures! But silence at last! So I sat down to have so lunch (albeit late).
Within ten minutes the smell of a dirty diaper permeated the ceiling and was all around me. "Well great," I thought, "I'm going to have to wake him and change him. As I walked up the stairs the smell got worse and worse and I heard him. He was awake. I walked in to see a horrific sight. That little devil had taken OFF his diaper and had rubbed it everywhere. Ugghhhhh! I was horrified. It was all over his hands and he had mild poop breath (he had at least wiped it on his nose, anyway). I immediately called Chasen, in a mild state of panic, and demanded that he come home. I called the pediatrician and left an awkward message "My son may have eaten poop... please call me back." And we both went straight to the shower.
As we were getting out and getting dressed, Chasen arrived, claiming that Isaac is now the hit of his workplace. Ha! He went upstairs and cleaned it ALL up (God bless him). And the nurse who called me back said that as long as it was HIS poop, we'd be OK. Odd, but good to hear.
Well guess what happened the very next day on my rest day from running? Yep, round two. I didn't insist that Chasen come home when I called him as, sadly, this is now old news. But I did call. And the coworkers again got a laugh. But this time his bed was MUCH worse. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Thank heaven for Clorox wipes!
I got to thinking about it, and I decided that Isaac needed an obstacle between him and his diaper. Here is my so-far-so-good solution: big boy undies.
This is also good to get him prepared for potty training sometime this year.
So, I had a "crappy" week. You can thank me later for sparing you from the photos of the poop mess. But another good discovery was made, in addition to the big boy undies (which are darn cute). My right ankle is much more fond of running on the road than the treadmill, come to find out. Since Isaac's Mother's Day Out is starting back up this week, I will have more of an opportunity to hit the asphalt.
Now onto the crappy longrun. I was to do 18 miles, which is no walk in the park, especially for someone who has not slept well all week (except the one night I had a margarita). I didn't start at 6 AM like I had anticipated on Saturday. When I woke at 5 AM, I thought "Why am I up so early? There's no need to be." And I went back to sleep. I got started just before 9 AM. I was definitely not as speedy as I have been for the past two longruns, but I knew I had a long out-and-back ahead of me. Chasen and Isaac visited me at mile 9. I was, apparently, looking "good, happy and strong." Well, that's not how I felt. But I knew I just had to get back home. I could do that, right?
At mile 12 I exchanged water bottles (they had planted one for me at our church). By mile 15 I sat down (always a mistake). It was super sunny, super windy and, thus, super cold. I was exhausted and frozen. My quads were toast. I tried to call Chasen for a rescue, but he did not answer. I figured he was putting Isaac down for his nap. Grrr! So I went on to mile 16 and kept trying to call. I was solely walking by this point and desperately wanting someone I knew to drive by. Where were all of the people who always tell me "I saw you out running on Saturday!" I didn't see a single soul I knew. I even called two different friends who also did not pick up. Ugh. I finally got Chasen and Isaac was indeed asleep. Yuck.
I walked all the way home. So, 15 miles slogged and 3 miles walked (quickly, to my surprise, as in under 18 minutes per mile each). Actually, it turned out to be 18.45 miles. The average pace was 13:53 and I hurt from the waist down. The roller ball and ice bath were beyond necessary! Today I am 100%. Gotta love the ice bath!
The Cowtown Marathon is seven weeks from today. My remaining longruns look something like this: 12, 20-22, 15, 20, 10k race, 10. Lots of miles ahead of me!
Now for a look at life after Cowtown. I aim to try my first sprint triathlon at the end of May (a local one). Then in June I plan to do the Mojo St Loco relay race in St. Louis, Missouri. In July I am going to be the MATRON OF HONOR in a wedding in Chicago! Here is a red version of my pale yellow dress modeled by a younger, slimmer gal:
Gorgeous, huh? I must work out tons between now and then!!!
There ya have it. Gotta get going! Life waits for no one, not even a poop cleaning marathoner mom.
Within ten minutes the smell of a dirty diaper permeated the ceiling and was all around me. "Well great," I thought, "I'm going to have to wake him and change him. As I walked up the stairs the smell got worse and worse and I heard him. He was awake. I walked in to see a horrific sight. That little devil had taken OFF his diaper and had rubbed it everywhere. Ugghhhhh! I was horrified. It was all over his hands and he had mild poop breath (he had at least wiped it on his nose, anyway). I immediately called Chasen, in a mild state of panic, and demanded that he come home. I called the pediatrician and left an awkward message "My son may have eaten poop... please call me back." And we both went straight to the shower.
As we were getting out and getting dressed, Chasen arrived, claiming that Isaac is now the hit of his workplace. Ha! He went upstairs and cleaned it ALL up (God bless him). And the nurse who called me back said that as long as it was HIS poop, we'd be OK. Odd, but good to hear.
Well guess what happened the very next day on my rest day from running? Yep, round two. I didn't insist that Chasen come home when I called him as, sadly, this is now old news. But I did call. And the coworkers again got a laugh. But this time his bed was MUCH worse. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Thank heaven for Clorox wipes!
I got to thinking about it, and I decided that Isaac needed an obstacle between him and his diaper. Here is my so-far-so-good solution: big boy undies.
This is also good to get him prepared for potty training sometime this year.So, I had a "crappy" week. You can thank me later for sparing you from the photos of the poop mess. But another good discovery was made, in addition to the big boy undies (which are darn cute). My right ankle is much more fond of running on the road than the treadmill, come to find out. Since Isaac's Mother's Day Out is starting back up this week, I will have more of an opportunity to hit the asphalt.
Now onto the crappy longrun. I was to do 18 miles, which is no walk in the park, especially for someone who has not slept well all week (except the one night I had a margarita). I didn't start at 6 AM like I had anticipated on Saturday. When I woke at 5 AM, I thought "Why am I up so early? There's no need to be." And I went back to sleep. I got started just before 9 AM. I was definitely not as speedy as I have been for the past two longruns, but I knew I had a long out-and-back ahead of me. Chasen and Isaac visited me at mile 9. I was, apparently, looking "good, happy and strong." Well, that's not how I felt. But I knew I just had to get back home. I could do that, right?
At mile 12 I exchanged water bottles (they had planted one for me at our church). By mile 15 I sat down (always a mistake). It was super sunny, super windy and, thus, super cold. I was exhausted and frozen. My quads were toast. I tried to call Chasen for a rescue, but he did not answer. I figured he was putting Isaac down for his nap. Grrr! So I went on to mile 16 and kept trying to call. I was solely walking by this point and desperately wanting someone I knew to drive by. Where were all of the people who always tell me "I saw you out running on Saturday!" I didn't see a single soul I knew. I even called two different friends who also did not pick up. Ugh. I finally got Chasen and Isaac was indeed asleep. Yuck.
I walked all the way home. So, 15 miles slogged and 3 miles walked (quickly, to my surprise, as in under 18 minutes per mile each). Actually, it turned out to be 18.45 miles. The average pace was 13:53 and I hurt from the waist down. The roller ball and ice bath were beyond necessary! Today I am 100%. Gotta love the ice bath!
The Cowtown Marathon is seven weeks from today. My remaining longruns look something like this: 12, 20-22, 15, 20, 10k race, 10. Lots of miles ahead of me!
Now for a look at life after Cowtown. I aim to try my first sprint triathlon at the end of May (a local one). Then in June I plan to do the Mojo St Loco relay race in St. Louis, Missouri. In July I am going to be the MATRON OF HONOR in a wedding in Chicago! Here is a red version of my pale yellow dress modeled by a younger, slimmer gal:
Gorgeous, huh? I must work out tons between now and then!!!There ya have it. Gotta get going! Life waits for no one, not even a poop cleaning marathoner mom.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
New Year's Day 2011
Neither my New Year's Eve nor my New Year's Day turned out how I predicted. Nor my 2010. All, in the grand scheme of things, turned out better!
2010 was the year that my sweet little baby transformed into a very, very active toddler. Oh well - whatcha gonna do? Ha. It was also the year that Chasen started the best job of his life (in my opinion, at least) that afforded us much, much more time together as a family and a more stable future. And he got to literally circle the globe in October! And speaking of better futures, two words come to mind: Dave Ramsey. I am immensely thankful that his "Financial Peace University" program was offered at our church this year. It has changed our present lives, our immediate futures AND our long-term futures, I think. And I mustn't forget our new house and the saga involved with selling the old one. Aaaaah - we are super relived that it is all done and we are so happy in our new house. I never would have been able to predict all of the change that came our way, but I'm surely glad it did.
On the running front, unless I am forgetting something, I believe I only ran ONE official race this year: the Chicago Marathon. It was a hard year for running in the sense that I chose the hottest time of year to train for a marathon (summer). I won't be doing that again! As as for non-official races, I had the time of my life going to Florida to do the Mojo Loco relay. I am already planning to participate in the Mojo St Loco in St. Louis, Missouri six months from now. Viva el Mojo!
As for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, as I said before, both surprised me. Our new neighbors invited us to their house last night. Chasen was glued to the bowl games, plus someone needed to be home with Isaac, obviously, so I went alone. I had THE BEST TIME! We played a very, very fun team card game called Sequence and I probably laughed more than the previous six months combined! And I met some new, fun people. Considering that I planned to just sit at home, I'd call that a red letter night.
I did NOT get up at the crack of dawn to do my 12 miler today. And any time I have to postpone a run, it never seems to go so well (read: early or bust!) I made it out at about 3 PM figuring I could finish up right at dusk. Since last week's 16 miler went so surprisingly well, I thought today's run would be far less spectacular (because that's how it usually works for me). Well... get this... I did GREAT! Seriously, folks, I am managing to get faster. Check out these cold weather splits:
12:04, 12:02, 12:09, 12:07, 12:10, 12:12, 11:48, 11:55, 12:07, 12:14, 12:08, 11:41
Average: 12:04
Man oh man! My goal marathon pace (which I am bravely going to just "put out there") is *gulp* 12:30, so I aim to do longruns at 13:30-14:30. But when I get out to run, I just coast along after walking the first .05 of each mile and these splits turn up. Holy moly! My mid week speedwork and pacework sessions must be doing the trick. They ought to do something, since they are 6-8 miles each.
As long as my body holds up, I think the Cowtown Marathon is going to be a good one for me. I put it that was because recently my right ankle/foot has been bugging me a little. Yes, that ankle/foot of 2008 torn tendon fame. So I am trying to be as cautious as I possibly can be. Ice, ice baths, you name it. And I massage my soreness-prone hips with a roller ball thing after each run now. They are improving!
So there ya have it. Bring on 2011!
2010 was the year that my sweet little baby transformed into a very, very active toddler. Oh well - whatcha gonna do? Ha. It was also the year that Chasen started the best job of his life (in my opinion, at least) that afforded us much, much more time together as a family and a more stable future. And he got to literally circle the globe in October! And speaking of better futures, two words come to mind: Dave Ramsey. I am immensely thankful that his "Financial Peace University" program was offered at our church this year. It has changed our present lives, our immediate futures AND our long-term futures, I think. And I mustn't forget our new house and the saga involved with selling the old one. Aaaaah - we are super relived that it is all done and we are so happy in our new house. I never would have been able to predict all of the change that came our way, but I'm surely glad it did.
On the running front, unless I am forgetting something, I believe I only ran ONE official race this year: the Chicago Marathon. It was a hard year for running in the sense that I chose the hottest time of year to train for a marathon (summer). I won't be doing that again! As as for non-official races, I had the time of my life going to Florida to do the Mojo Loco relay. I am already planning to participate in the Mojo St Loco in St. Louis, Missouri six months from now. Viva el Mojo!
As for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, as I said before, both surprised me. Our new neighbors invited us to their house last night. Chasen was glued to the bowl games, plus someone needed to be home with Isaac, obviously, so I went alone. I had THE BEST TIME! We played a very, very fun team card game called Sequence and I probably laughed more than the previous six months combined! And I met some new, fun people. Considering that I planned to just sit at home, I'd call that a red letter night.
I did NOT get up at the crack of dawn to do my 12 miler today. And any time I have to postpone a run, it never seems to go so well (read: early or bust!) I made it out at about 3 PM figuring I could finish up right at dusk. Since last week's 16 miler went so surprisingly well, I thought today's run would be far less spectacular (because that's how it usually works for me). Well... get this... I did GREAT! Seriously, folks, I am managing to get faster. Check out these cold weather splits:
12:04, 12:02, 12:09, 12:07, 12:10, 12:12, 11:48, 11:55, 12:07, 12:14, 12:08, 11:41
Average: 12:04
Man oh man! My goal marathon pace (which I am bravely going to just "put out there") is *gulp* 12:30, so I aim to do longruns at 13:30-14:30. But when I get out to run, I just coast along after walking the first .05 of each mile and these splits turn up. Holy moly! My mid week speedwork and pacework sessions must be doing the trick. They ought to do something, since they are 6-8 miles each.
As long as my body holds up, I think the Cowtown Marathon is going to be a good one for me. I put it that was because recently my right ankle/foot has been bugging me a little. Yes, that ankle/foot of 2008 torn tendon fame. So I am trying to be as cautious as I possibly can be. Ice, ice baths, you name it. And I massage my soreness-prone hips with a roller ball thing after each run now. They are improving!
So there ya have it. Bring on 2011!
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