Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Testing... 1, 2, 3

Next week H is taking the kids to see his parents for Spring Break. I'm sure I'll have a lot to say about that later. Meanwhile, it's not my Spring Break, I have class, and attendance is mandatory for an A. (and we all know how I feel about A's) He'll go, and I'll stay.

So first off, I did a little celebration and made some plans. I'm going to spend all day Saturday running and cleaning my house. Yup. Hours (or, 1.2 hours) running, and HOURS deep cleaning my house. I have a nifty little aged toothbrush that is just waiting to dig in to the nitty gritty creases on my stove. I figure, once it's all cleaned on Saturday, I can chill out ALL day Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday doing nothing but running, staring at paint chips, and considering the DVR versus the On DEMAND buttons on the remote. RIGHT?

Yea! No one will go behind me and pull everything out, pile their clothes on the floor, leave wet towels where they don't belong, steal the pot holders to make "ice skates" out of for the newly cleaned hardwoods... Nope, it will stay clean and I will sit back and enjoy it. I might even take PINK for a ride without the kiddos one afternoon, and hit the gym in the middle of the day when it's not crowded and I can perfect my flip turns....

Wait... is next week the first week of April?

Well crud. It would seem that I have 6-9 hours of placement tests to take next week. Oh well, so much for the "chill out" plan. I guess I'll spend ALL DAY CLEANING on Saturday (after my RUN), Sunday is Easter (and I have no idea where I'm going to be after 11am) and then... all day Monday cramming for a Math Exam (it exempts me from a math class if I get a high enough score), all day Tuesday doing a little writing review for my actual NURSING Entrance Exam, and all day Wednesday fretting about an Exam that exempts me from a "mandatory" computer class. Depending on how hard or easy I find the tests, it should take me between 2 - 3 hours to complete each one.

The tests cost about $30 total, and if I have to take the classes, they'll cost me about $650. No pressure, but I don't want to spend $650, and I don't want to have to take those classes this summer.

BUT at least for Saturday and Sunday, I have a non-kid, non-husband, non-thinking plan that sounds blissfully "non".

Monday, March 29, 2010

Lasting Impressions

On the side of the Facebook Bar that reflects who you are,
where you're from,
what you're interested in,
if you're married...

why isn't there a tab with your Marathon Status? You know, it would read,

Marathoner:
yes

or

Marathoner:
11/13/2010 RIC

What? I'm just sayin'. And don't act like you've never thought it...

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Unexpected Race Results

Here are the results from the 2010 Monument Ave 10K.

Unexpectedly, I didn't go out too fast, instead cruising out at a comfortable 8:40 pace.

Unexpectedly, I enjoyed every step of the race pain free.

Unexpectedly, I enjoyed every step of the race.

Unexpectedly, at mile 4 I slowed down (I'm not THAT fit), and thought, "hey, if you need a break, you can take a break at mile 6.3. But to be safe, let's just keep it under a 9m/mi". That mile was 8:59.

Unexpectedly, I realized at mile 5 that I was really close to my PR pace, but held steady because it would be really sad if I broke my knee.

Unexpectedly, at mile 6, I realized I could match my previous PR if I ran really hard the last .2... and when I say really hard, I'm talking a 7 minute mile pace... so that's what I did. And crossed the line when my watch read 54:54.. or 54:55... or was that 54:56? I don't know, I forgot to stop it on the line! But knew it was really close.

Later that day, a very very dear friend of mine looked up my results and told me, you did it in 54:54! Alright, that's great. I matched my PR. And then that same friend said, let's look up your old PR and check... and it was 54:55.

Unexpectedly, I achieved a 1 second PR.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Because, I'm a Friend, OK?

Don't say I "never did anything for you". I'm willing to take one for the team, and to prove that, I will share the most hellish experience I've ever, uh, experienced.

Because I'm just a good friend like that, OK?

Here are some words to live by... if you're at a ghetto race expo and the opportunity to step on an "accurate" body fat scale comes along, do not, under any circumstances, step on the scale.

I do not care HOW confident you are that it will read a number you're able to live with, it is not a good move. Because if the number does not reflect one that you can live with, if it instead says you are ONE body fat point away from OBESITY, you will now be living your worst nightmare:

Trapped, in a cavernous sports hall, at the back of a poorly lit race expo, surrounded by 2000 runners, who are, with your luck, probably thin and DO have a body fat percentage in the acceptable range, with no escape in sight.

I mean seriously, having lived this nightmare, I would NEVER wish this on anyone. If you're lucky, you can go your entire life without knowing your body fat percentage. I promise, living in denial will be ten thousand times better than the scenario I just described.

You're just going to have to take my word for it. OK?

And sadly, this is a 100% true story, ghetto and all, as I now have discovered that my slightly snug size 8 jeans are holding a woman who's body fat index is 1.4% away from an obese persons body fat percentage points. My size 8 jeans are on me right now, so that must mean that I'm the overweight almost obese person in question. Pardon me while I go step in front of a bus....

Thursday, March 25, 2010

REALIZED FEARS

So we all know I'm afraid of PINK.

And one thing I fear is falling while B is on the back in the seat.

I'm going to just say this, THANK GOD for 5 POINT HARNESS AND BIKE HELMETS. EVERYONE is fine. Well. I might (bodily harm) to my oldest child.... but that's another story for another day.

This afternoon, we went for a bike ride. Me & my kids. About 1.5 miles into a 3.5 mile ride G's chain came off his bike. So frustrating that this keeps happening to him. So we all stop and get off our bikes.

"C. Park your bike and come over here and hold my bike. It's heavy. You must use 2 hands and be super careful."

"OK Mom."

"Do you have it?"

"Yup."

So I step away, flip G's bike over so I can pop the chain back into place, which takes all of 4 seconds, and in that 4 seconds, C got distracted, started playing with my brakes and... I heard a HUGE CRUNCH accompanied by a terrified SCREAM... C dropped my bike. With B. In the seat on the back.

Anyway, after much screaming, a grounding, a very tense ride home, a punishment, some ice, and what now seems to be a permanent eye twitch, things are pretty much back to normal. I'm still afraid of Pink, only now, B is afraid of Pink too.

3 Things Thursday

Another edition of 3:
Not wordy today. Too much going on.

1) Yesterday I would have sworn that I was coming down with the plague. Pain + tired + headache + weakness. Today I still feel a little "ick", but not nearly as bad. My professor, got to love him, overheard me talking to my peeps last night at class and injected a little insight. According to him, my body has not enough salt. Only, of course, when he said it, it was "youra bode-ey has ah no enusssawt." Took me a minute, but OK Then, I'll have a little G2 or soup today.

2) The other thing that's bothering me is a lack of full breath feeling. I'm not going to dwell on that. I'm sure it's allergy related, and denial isn't just a city in Arizona... with a bridge or something...

3) The 10K is upon us. Today is my last run before the "race". And, since I'm not racing, exactly, I'm going out for 4 miles. *recap on that was that the 4 miles was pain free, so that's bonus.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

Sunday's run, The Nickel Bridge, Richmond VA
g. & Kate, photography by TMB

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Under The Influence

Being overly hungry is like being overly drunk.

Seriously, when a person is overly hungry and in a houseful of food, they're as vulnerable as an intoxicated driver holding a set of keys. They are in NO condition to make a good decision.

Case In Point:

Sunday afternoon, around 4:30, I had a nice reasonable dinner planned. I would serve a side salad next to my dinner, go easy on the rice, and manage to keep my take out Chinese Food splurge under 500 calories. But I knew it was going to be tough to manage, so as double insurance against going over my daily allowance, I made sure I ate a light lunch and laid off the snacks.

By 6:20 I was pigging out on Chinese Food. Lightheaded and shaking with hunger I actually thought to myself, "I feel DRUNK right now".

But why g, why did you let yourself go that far? I don't think I meant to, but that's what happened. I think I would have been better served to have risked going over on my daily calorie intake by eating an apple a half hour before dinner, rather than "waiting". Just goes to show, I am a person who NEEDS a plan.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Spring Break

Spring Break has come to an end. For me at least. We're still 2 weeks away from my kids Spring Break. I DO wish they had over lapped.

It was a good week for me, and I didn't really know how badly I needed a break until I got it. I got a lot done this week really. I was able to do this because I didn't have class absorbing 5 hours a week, plus 15 hours of homework. I also did some things I've "been meaning to do" for a while. Here's a quick re-cap.

I wrote a rough term paper (if you're dying to know, it's on microbiology, pathogens, normal flora) on Monday and polished and finished it on Friday. Beyond that, I did NO homework. It is rare for me to slack like that, but now I am rested and ready to return to my schooling.

I upped my fitness milage and intensity this week, alternating swimming, walking, running and ~Gasp~ one whole bike ride. Pink and I went for a ride (with the kids and B in tow). That means it wasn't an intense ride, but at least it was a ride. Right? Total milage for the week was an astounding 28 miles!

Also this week I spent a few extra minutes logging food "info" in my food diary. Wow, when you have to write it down, you sure do think twice about putting a handful of loose chocolate chips in your mouth. Or, at least that's the case for me!

Finally, I took 10 minutes and wrote my Congressmen and Senators to be sure that they know my opinion on the Health Care Reform Bill. I did that because I have a strong opinion about it, and it's concerning to me that the Rep's being quoted are saying things like "Millions of Americans don't want..." or "Millions of Americans are concerned..." or "Millions of Americans are desperate...", and I wanted to make sure that my opinion was being counted in that "millions". I sometimes question if the people in Washington actually KNOW what their constituents want, so, if you're a US citizen, write your congressman or senator to let him/her know your opinion on the bill. If you don't, and it doesn't pan out the way you'd like... well, you don't really have any room to complain. Hmmm. Was that preachy? Sorry, I didn't mean to lecture.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

6 Miles

I finally ran 6 miles today. Nothing like scraping in under the wire, since the 10K is next week. Here's a few bullet points on that run...

  • The first mile was slow for me (10:30ish), and the rest of the miles ranged from a 9:15 - 9:55. I know for certain that I could not have run any faster than I ran.
  • The weather was PERFECT today, maybe a touch on the warm side, but we would all be lucky if there was a break in tradition and we were able to enjoy THIS weather next weekend. Typically it rains on Monument 10K Race Day.
  • DeNiece & Melis lapped me. Yes, they started at the same time & place as me, finished at the same time & place as me - only they did 8 miles in the time it took me to do 6. They're going to crush this race.
  • I was really enjoying my run, even when I almost ran into a parked car trying to avoid a moving car. Thank You random runner guy who grabbed my arm from behind and steadied me so I didn't wipe out.
  • Speaking of - I saw a woman take a bad spill, and I'm proud to say that I stopped to ask if she was OK before I went on. She was fine, embarrassed, but fine.
  • There were about 200 runners out on the road today, the last training long run before the race. So cool.
  • At mile 5.5 I planned to run 6.2 (which is how far the run would have been if I'd just run all the way to my car), but at mile 5.8 or so my legs felt "weak" and "unstable", so I decided that was a sign that I should walk at 6.
  • Finally - on todays run I really pushed my limits. And because of this, I know, without doubt, that I cannot even touch my 10K PR. To be blunt, I will miss it by about 6.2 minutes. I'm going to just have to keep that in the forefront of my mind, and run easy, no matter what temptations come my way. This 10K will have to be about the experience, and not the PR. The PR will hold, and I'll get it eventually.
B is sick, so I did not sleep well last night, though I believe that I would have made it through the night without waking. Instead I did what all mothers do, which is listen to every noise, wondering if that's the 3 year old calling for me.

Friday, March 19, 2010

insomnia is NOT for moms

I, apparently, am not only neurotic, but I also seem to have developed insomnia. It's been slowing coming on the last few weeks, and I don't know why. It's a frustrating cycle.

At the end of the day I'm exhausted, and I fall into bed around 10:30. Then, I crank myself back into wakefulness at 3am. And I mean that too - COMPLETELY WIDE AWAKE. A mere 4.5 hours in bed.

It usually takes me another hour or two of clock watching to fall back to sleep.

As I lay there I know that this lack of sleep is going to be a problem in the oncoming day. I KNOW I'm going to struggle with my workouts, my chores, my job, because less than 6 hours is just not enough, and I do best on 8 hours. The more I know this, the harder it is not to stress about it.

In an effort to self "medicate", I decided that I would experiment with different tactics. The one I tried last night was 3/4 mile easy swim at 8pm. It used to be that if I swam at night, followed by a hot shower, I was sure to sleep like the dead. At 8pm I went to the gym, swam my prescribed distance, practiced flip turns for about another 10 minutes (FAIL), took my hot shower, home by 9:15.... in bed at 10.... Still awake at 11.... And then WIDE AWAKE at 4AM. Uhg.

What's it going to take for me to break the cycle?

Today I'm changing my sheets back to my favorites and remaking the bed. I'm also going to clean my room and air it out, in the hopes that the new fresh room will be more relaxing. Its the only thing I can think of, as I cannot continue in a sleep deprived state for very much longer.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Three Things Thursday

1) Lenten bag collection is crazy. I cannot believe how much (junk) I have removed from my house without any effort at all. No really, every week I think, "Its going to be harder this week"... and every week I am appalled at how much we have over STUFFED this house.

2) I had a date last night. It was so nice to go out with someone who I didn't feel the need to impress (because I'm just that impressive). As I was saying, it was nice to go out and relax for a bit. Extra nice because we both had gift certificates and there was no anxiety over how much anything was. Extra EXTRA nice because our server ID'd me. LOL, that's ridiculous - I do not look 21. But I have noticed that the long hair throws people a bit, and I WAS with TMB, and lets be honest, she DOES look 21.

3) Since Sunday I have been back to weighing myself every day, tracking calories (just calories for now, not grams of anything), and logging workouts. These are the tools in my toolbox. It's hard work, but so far, worth the effort. I have set a goal for 10 pounds in 10 weeks. At first, I didn't think I could possibly make this - I live with a FOOD PUSHER. But then I looked at my pusher (aka - H) and said, "I've decided I'm not getting a (strategically placed) WAX until I lose 10 lbs." My food pusher is suddenly taking things away, putting them up high, and encouraging me to go to the gym. Frankly, I think I need to only get a "base wax" at 10 pounds and tell him "No, only 4 more pounds until the INTERNATIONAL WAX" to see if he will continue his good habits. He's hilariously helpful as he casually mentions that it's "only 10:30pm and the pool at the 24 hour gym is still open". Calling all ladies who live with a FOOD PUSHER - I may have found the BEST tool yet for our "tool boxes".

Always looking for more ideas:
What's the best tool in YOUR weight loss/weight maintenance tool box?

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Psst...

"Psst - you wanna buy some crAcK?"

Yea, that happened to me yesterday. True Story.

Almost.

What actually happened was I got offered a bib number at a sold out 10 mile race that I'd like to run. A lot.

But, through the incredible will power that comes with being a MARATHONER I managed to say NO. And do you know WHY I said NO? Well, "because I made a goal to train for a 5K, and by golly, I made that goal for a reason".

OK. So that's HALF the truth.

The other half of the truth is that I did some quick math, didn't like the numbers, talked to the Witch Dr to get his take on it *note to self, do not ask a coke dealer his opinion about doing crack, for a few minutes there his eyes glazed over and he very clearly thought about doing the race himself, and ultimately he agreed that it would REALLY be tight on milage/time to train & that it might be too much too soon.

So I ran my 5K plan past him, and that made him super happy. (again, I think he's wondering if he can join team Run Like A Mother for the 10 miler in April) And guess what else? He released me from my weekly therapy! I'm going back in 2 weeks after my 10K, but he thinks I'm good to go! At this point I should only have to come back after that if I'm in pain!

YEAH! I've graduated and resisted crack all in ONE week!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The BIG NEW distance

I know you all know I've been struggling in more than one way these past few months. I am pleased to report that I finally had a GREAT run on Saturday, which I tried to run with my friend & her training team.

I know, I said "trying" to run with my friend's intermediate training team, but what I ended up doing was running alone with a group. Because my runs are so weird. I run for a few minutes, stop and stretch. Then I run for a few minutes, and do a few minutes of planks. And no matter what I'm doing, I have to find a good pace that works for me. Some days, that's a slow 11 minute mile. Some days, that's a 9:40's mile, but no matter what I think when I wake up, the ultimate truth is that I don't know what kind of day it is until I start to run. My hip flexors set my pace, and that's all there is to it.

On Saturday I ran a comfortable pace and finished my 5 miles with a smile. So, since it was a great feeling and my friend TMB showed up to run with R's beginner training team, I hopped in to run another "mile or so, whatever feels good". I ended up doing another .75. I nearly hit 6 PAIN FREE miles, and I know I could have easily reached and surpassed it. This coming weekend I look forward to a long run of 6 whole pain free miles. YEAH!

BUT, the 10K that I was using to motivate me will be here in two weeks. So, what should I do next? I thought about training up to half marathon distance, but ultimately I decided to really listen to myself on "what I want this spring".

I think what would please me most is to regain my speed. On that note, I am going to do something I have never really done before: Train for a 5K.

I'm going to train a 6 week training plan, starting today, that's going to get me to a 5K at a race pace that I like (around an 8min/mi). I will have 3 quality runs per week: 1 tempo, 1 interval, 1 long; and 3 cross training days. I will lift on 2 days & swim on 2 days (1 short swim is a double day). And, if I'm lucky, I will even get a bike ride with Pink on a day in there too. The idea is that no matter what I'm doing, I'm not doing TOO much of anything.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Scary Pink Things

I'm having NIGHTMARES about Pink.

NO, not the rock star... but I suppose THAT opens up a whole new mess of comments, huh.

I'm having nightmares about the PINK Power Triathlon. Seriously, last night in my dreams it took me 6 minutes to swim 400 meters, and... 3 hours to ride my PINK bike 13 miles because I kept wiping out, and when I finally got back on my feet to run... it took me 50 minutes to run a 5K. No, seriously, I was watching the race clock reach 4 hours and thinking, "I'm running as fast as I can... but I'm still not any closer to the end of the race."

I woke up, out of breath, my legs twitching, and I half expected to be covered in Road Rash.

I thought I had come to terms with my foray into TRIstuff. I was sort of externally excited about the event and have started easing myself into a training routine. I guess the idea that I signed up for the Tri is lingering in my subconscious. Or, maybe "haunting" would have been a better word there....

I seem to recall that I swore I was never going to do a TRIATHLON... because I'm AFRAID of my bike. It's just silly to say that, no one who has run 26.2 miles in a row should have a fear of anything except Volcanos, Man Eating Sharks, and Anthony Bourdain, but, that said, I have an irrational fear of my pink Schwinn.

How does one develop a fear of a bike? My mom owned a bike shop. Heck, I used to race BMX bikes. I've mentioned it before. It was hard core, we practically wore body armor, and we tore around a dirt track with our back tires skidding and sliding into each other all the time. In fact, finishing a heat without a crash was an unusual event. If you weren't crashing once a week, you certainly weren't going fast enough or hard enough. But I wasn't that competitive, or fast . No really, I was best because there were very few girls and I was better than them. Really. I'm not competitive. except with myself. and all the students in my class. and anyone who's ever worked commission with me. and any runner who lines up at a 5K who I think I can beat. well, maybe I'm a tiny bit competitive...

Still, I suffered some seriously wicked crashes during that time in my life. One was so bad I distinctly remember that I stood up trying to figure out whose bike was whose. It was the kind of crash where you pat yourself down thinking, WOW! I'M OK!

In all that time BMXing and Bike Store Owning, we had a thing against SCHWINN bikes. We didn't sell them in "our" bike store. We were above them. By WE, I mean the collective we that kids assign to their families. I'm certain that it was my mother's prejudice, driven by the SCHWINN store that was across the street.

So, when I "grew up" I didn't have a lot of money to buy a bike or space to keep a bike, and for a long time I had no bike at all. Finally I decided that if I had a bike, my life would better. I wanted to ride with my husband and kids (they all had bikes). So, we went and bought what we could afford. And guess what that was?

A PINK SCHWINN.

Yup. So here I am, it's 2010, and I am afraid of my pink schwinn. There's just something inherently wrong with that idea... Maybe if I took her on a few dates we could learn to like each other a little more. Perhaps I need to find someone who's willing to go on a double date.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

I made a list

I made a LIST. Not a ToDo list, but it's related... a friend of mine reminded me that when she makes a list it helps her know where to start her chores. So I thought, "Hey now, That might work with food too."

I made a list of foods that were good choices for lunch, filling and things I like, so that when I come in from my morning all hungry and knoshy feeling, I can just choose something off the list. When I made the list I chose mostly foods that were in my food diary from about a year ago when I was really eating well, and always satisfied. I was living with the idea at the time that I wasn't a girl scout, so I shouldn't be fueling up on girl scout cookies, hot dogs and tortilla chips.

So the first phase of my "recovery" begins with the food over haul. The good news is that I've already done the work & research. I know what should work for me. I do best on a High Protein, High Carb, Low Fat & mostly vegetarian diet. And by DIET I don't mean "fad", I mean, "lifestyle eating". By the way, there are lots of people who do better on a more moderate approach with more carbs, less protein, etc. Just sayin'. What works for me might not work for you, everyone has to do their own research. And lucky for me, my most favorite foods generally fall into that list, and are just about in season. In a month I'll be high on fruit.

I now have (~gasp~) 14 pounds to lose. O.M.G. That's 10% (or so...) of my current body weight! I don't think just trimming my calories IN is going to cut it. I think it's time to bring in the big guns. I think... no, I know, it's time to rejoin Stroller Strides so I can add some calories BURNED to my list, as well as build some lean muscle.

When I first joined Stroller Strides I dropped a bunch of weight, gained a bunch of muscle, and felt so empowered that I took up running. The running even took off a few more pounds of fat and low and behold, you could SEE those muscles. I had a beautiful back, arms and chest for that entire summer... fall... winter, year really. Seriously, I can post a photo to prove it, I allowed a bikini photograph & then (brace yourselves) I sent that photo out on my Christmas Cards... CRAZY talk, but totally a true story. I think I'm going to change my screen saver back to that photo too because THAT woman is the one I want to look like.

It's never too late to start.
TODAY is a NEW DAY.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Liar

I hate liars. They irritate me. Because to be a convincing liar, you have to lie to yourself first.

I am a liar. I am irritated with me. I have been so convincing to myself that I have convinced others that I'm NOT a liar. So we're on the same page, I AM A LIAR.

I did not gain 7 pounds in 4 months because I have been carefully watching what I eat. I have not gained 7 pounds because I quit running due to an injury (oh, to be clear, the injury is very real, that's not the lie). I gained 7 pounds because I was angry about my injury, and while I didn't set out to nurse my wounded ego with food, I found myself slipping into the old habits, and old habits are the habits of a woman who is a lot heavier than I am.

I'll have an oreo when I'm getting the kids their OREO for dessert. "No kids, you can only have 2, see, I'm only having 2". But, by now, I've already had 1, and then another 2. It's OK I tell myself, I have only had 1 serving. But later that same night, I wander into the kitchen and have 2 more.

Before lunch I'm a NAZI. I eat a regimented breakfast. A regimented snack if I'm hungry (have we met? I'm always hungry). Aaaaaaaand then, I can't ever decide what to have for lunch. What if THAT doesn't satisfy me? What if I eat THAT and still want something later? Ok, OK, I'll just have ... whatever I choose is a smallish lunch portion, knowing I'm going to want something later.

So, I'm not satisfied. I set myself up to be not satisfied. And then instead of having a pear later, I end up eating (fill in the blank with a few cookies, a handful of wheat thins, a cheese stick, a tablespoon of guacamole, a few tortilla chips, a spoonful of salsa right out of the jar, a cup of popcorn... oh, no, NOT ONE of these things, on any given day I might eat 5 of the above!). Then I make a sensible healthy dinner for my family with 2 vegetables, a meat and a starch. And... then we have 2 cookies for dessert if it's a dessert night.

What? What is that? That's not a healthy eating plan.

I am a liar.

Today is a NEW DAY. 7 Pounds is the price I have to pay, but I will have to get rid of them this time the same way I got rid of them last time. It's not the end of the world. 7 pounds isn't a lost cause. There is no such thing as a lost cause. Run DMZ had the best quote recently about self discipline and disappointment in life... and it is SO true. I feel terrible about myself, my self esteem is slipping, I've even let my homework habits slide in the past week, all because I've let self discipline go to the curb. I'm not proud of myself any more, and that irritates me.

Today is the day that I reacquaint myself with g., the marathoner, and try to remind g., the fat girl, that she doesn't need to eat junk to be happy.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

3 Things Thursday

1) I cleaned out the coat closet and found 3 full bags of stuff that we're dying to give away w/o even trying. That said, the coat closet looks really nice right now.

2) I've had a terrible running week. Every time I try to go out my entire body feels weak. Like, if all the mitochondria in my skeletal muscular cells just quit producing ATP, this is what I would feel like. (sorry, always trying to use what I know so it stays in my brain) I can't figure out if I'm lazy & not running through to hit the sweet spot, or if I'm fighting a little bug, or if it's just a place in my cycle (training and otherwise) where I'm needing some down time, or if I'm off running all together because it hates me, or what? I just know that the GODS seem to be against me and all things running. I'm really, REALLY, afraid I'm not going to make the 10K distance in 2 weeks. This is impossible to imagine on one hand, and totally realistic on the other. Why am I attempting to race a 10K, one that I'm really fond of, when I am completely untrained and my body hurts whenever I try to train? AND all that said, I'm going to stop writing about my ____ injury. It's gotten too much press time. For 4 months it's all I've had to write about. Surely, now, I can find something more interesting to blog about.... I can.... My blog might be filled with some holes for the next few weeks while I come up with new material.

3) I would like to give a SHOUT OUT to CHELE at FURRY DEVIANTS for saving a man's life yesterday. Yup. That's what I said. So how many people do you know (who aren't EMT's) who can say that? Well, I'm sure she's still in shock from it all, and I'm sure she could use a hug, so drop over if you have 5 minutes and read about how great she is and make sure she knows that she's great. I grew up with Chele, and I always knew she could do amazing things, and here's the proof SHE needed to believe.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Passed At and Passed Up

On Sunday it was another Scouting Adventure, as C and I set up with her GirlScout troop at a local WAWA Gas Station to sell Girl Scout Cookies. Booth Sales are a great way to boost sales and also a great help to people who either missed their local scout, or who don't know a scout personally. Before children H & I used to panic every year when we realized that we didn't know a scout and had missed out on an opportunity for cookies for an entire year! So, while it is most definitely a boon to our sales, it is also a great way for the troop to experience a little bit of the life that is outside our immediate neighborhood.

I am the first to admit - I shelter my children a little too much. I am also the first to admit that I do my best to compensate for that when I see an opportunity. For example my children go to a school that is completely representative of... well, pretty much ONE class and race. We were unaware of how monochromatic it was when we moved into the area. So, to compensate, we go to an eclectic church filled with diversity from all walks of life.

The cookie booth sale was definitely a sampling of all types, most noted by the flavor of cars we saw displayed. There were Bubba Trucks, shiny Lexus's, Subarus caked in mud with bikes racked on top, BMWs, SUV's, compact cars and JEEPS with their tops down and dogs barking. The people were representative of every race of man, woman and child, and about 80 of them stopped by our sale and bought a box of cookies or two. We sold 148 boxes, that's a lot of cookies for a few hours.

The most notable group of people who came up to us were the group of darkly dressed goth individuals wearing baggy jeans, collars, chains and black t-shirts with white lettering that read "Devil DOG Derby". They arrived at the station, purchased cookies, and when the one individual placed "their" order, I referred to "them" as a "she" to motivate the girls to get moving on the sale. I think my girls were scared to respond to this pierced, chained, collared, head shaved, large individual. I credit all those years of stranger danger videos shown at the public schools.

"She'd like 3 boxes of Thin Mints".

My initial thought was female, but after I said she, I looked up to check. And found her looking me in the eye with a curious expression, as though I had revealed a secret. She was clearly a woman who enjoys the benefits in life that would come from dressing and acting male. She wore nondescript clothing that disguised her feminine attributes, and her weight was enough that it was hard to tell if she is a heavy male with the curves that come alone with obesity, or a female with enough weight that her curves are lost. But I know she was a woman. With a an aggressive stance, shaved head and face piercings.

I'm not intimidated by lesbians who feel the need to be aggressive. Once they're out of their 20's and realize that they don't need to be mean, many grow into lovely women. So following my example the girls handled her sale as they would any other sale, politely & gracefully thanking her for her support.

Admittedly, our girls were OBSERVANT and got a little giggly as the group went into the service station to make their other purchases. To which I simply said, very quietly, "Girls - resist the urge and rise above expectations."

MY girl knows what that means. Interestingly, the troop leader addressed her own child with, "Child of mine, Listen to Mrs Finn and think about what she is saying." The third child, without the participation of her peers, ceased all naughtiness.

Well, when the group came out they didn't return immediately to their car. Instead they came back to, uh, linger at the Girl Scout table. The woman came all the way up to us, while her friends hung back a little. And guess what? You'll never guess: I now have a phone number. And an open invitation for SKATING lessons so I can join the roller Derby Team.

So here's my gripe of the day. Why, when I get hit on by lesbians, is it always by someone who isn't my type, at all? I mean, seriously - a shaved head and a face stud?

Friday, March 5, 2010

5 Things Friday

Five Things Friday

1) I am cheating on Running with Swimming. Oh, but I love it! It's so awesome. I've gone twice in 3 days and frankly, I could have gone another time if my prof hadn't lectured until 9:00 PM. I mean, I love it and all, but starting a swim at 9:20 seems like a recipe for disaster. I decided that for every run I cut short I'm going to swim the remaining minutes that day's workout. So, if I am aiming to run 5 miles, but the knee fails and I only run 3, I know I owe the pool about 20 minutes. This way I'm still getting 50 minutes of cardio.

2) I am admittedly very nervous for the 10K that is coming up at the end of this month. For one thing, my cardiovascular fitness is a little wimpy. Another is that I've yet to pass 3 miles without having my knee at least check in with me. It doesn't always stop me, but I've never really gone past 4 miles of actual running because of it. How humiliating will it be to fail at a 10K? I mean, if the option was to swim the last 2 miles, I'd be golden, but....

3) When H and I had only been married for about 3 years the center stone of my engagement band was knocked loose. Not lost, but just loose in the setting. So I set it aside as something I didn't have money or time to fix, and went about my life living without it.... "I'll get to it next year". 8+ years later.... EIGHT, almost NINE.... I finally got it reset and picked it up from the jeweler late last night. WOW, it was crazy to walk around in it all day. I feel newly engaged. Remember that feeling, when you would catch yourself looking at your engagement ring? That was me today, 13 years after our engagement.

4) Blogger has been freaking out on me this week. I've tried to post on three or four separate sites, unsuccessfully. On that note, JEN is NOT a NERD... evidence of that can be found in her giveaway, which you can find at Setting You Free. I tried to post something really clever, but I couldn't get it to happen. I also had a clever post for Wannabe, as well as MCM and Anne, but no luck. I reset my Safari and updated my software. Hopefully the gremlins are gone.

5) This weekend my H & I are going to splurge on some family time. Yea, not splurging on money, though I am in the process of selling him on a Disney vacation for next summer. Instead of fretting about our unpainted family room, our uncleaned coat closet, and a dining room that looks like a dirty bomb exploded within, WE are going to tour community center and take our kids for an indoor swim. We are also probably going to join the CC, but, first we want to test it out, I don't want that to sound like we're only taking the tour to get in the building. Simply put, we are not going to fret about "things", we're going to try to savor some time together. Next week I'm going to clean out the coat closet, and I bet you another $10 that I could get next week's 7 bags (well, 6 really) out of that closet alone.


Thursday, March 4, 2010

GEEK vs. NERD

While TMB is off in FL doing all things Princess, I'm still home toiling over my books.

Last night I got a shockingly low grade on my 2nd First Aid test: a 96%!!! I guess I'm OK with it, technically I only missed 2 qu's. One was a stupid mistake, and one I genuinely didn't know the answer to the question. But you only need a 90% to get an A.... OK g? a 90%, so relax.

After my test I had about an hour to kill before A&P, so my study group and I had loosely scheduled a "if you make it to the school a few minutes early, I'll be here studying" kind of arrangement. We all made it, yes some were late, but the study group was 100% present. The group consists of 5 people.

FELLOW MOM (FM) is another Mom in the nursing program who's dealing with the same kind of juggling I'm dealing with PLUS a husband in school. She's a trooper & a Chemistry Alum.
ROZ is also a Mom, and I liked her the first time she spoke. When we were separating into groups, I simply insisted that she join us.
The next person I've been struggling with a name. Without a doubt, the prettiest girl in our group is Young Mary Kay Rep with Giant Fashionable Bag. She needs a shorter name than that though... I might just call her PRETTY GIRL, because she's worthy of the name.
NICE GUY you all may remember from class last semester, another Chemistry Alum.

During group last night we cranked through our work books and at the end of our session we were chatting. I discovered that TTP (Texting Teacher's Pet) annoys everyone, it's not just me, and the conversation turned from others onto ourselves... we had no room to talk about anyone else, as we have sunk far down the social ladder:

There we were, sitting in the college cafeteria having fun, while studying.

Nice Guy suggested that we might be GEEKS, and 'round the table it went, were we GEEKS? Did we meet the requirements? No, we are NOT geeks, because if we were GEEKS we'd be upstairs where the "Tech boys" who hang out on the couches with their lap tops playing computer games.

"So that must make us NERDS" says NG, and I thought, ME? A NERD? Heck no, I might be an over achiever, but not a nerd. I'm an O.A.N.SAHM (over achieving neurotic SAHmom), not a nerd. Nerds are socially awkward. They don't even fit in with the GEEKS. They study to the extent of NOT having other activities where I balance my life. BUT ultimately, in my head, I know that I am too pretty to be a NERD.

So, I said, in a flat voice with no hint of a smile, "No way, my breasts are too large to be a nerd."

~cue the collective gasp~ at the study table.

Followed by hysterical laughter all around. Gosh it's good to be in a good group that gets the humor of this O.A.N.SAHM

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

40 Bags: 8-14

LENT offerings, CONTINUED Bags..

Here's the recap: 40 days of LENT, 40 bags of items donated.

I foraged in my own closet for some of this week's offering, as well as my son's drawers and my daughter C's room. C has grown 1 solid inch since 12/09. It's really only March, and that inch means that anything that was on the fringe of being long enough, is NOT going to cut it as far as I'm concerned.

This week I also acknowledged my own addiction, and have offered up 3 pairs of running shoes to Soles for Souls. A local running store here in Richmond collects shoes that are sent to Africa. I don't know what is done to the shoes before they go, I don't know where exactly they go, but I know that the idea behind it is that there are people with no running shoes at all, when we have tons (and I mean tons) of shoes in our landfills. "Be Free, Brooks Adrenaline! Go with Love Asics!"

The last haul for this weeks offering comes from the darkest area of our home, the place I never go... the 3rd floor playroom. "To bravely go where no mom has gone before"... truly the case. I am embarrassed to admit that we have TWO playrooms in this house. One for the 3 year old and under set, and one for the over 3 set. It makes some things easier, but it spreads the mess twice as far, and because of this spread, I think we have twice the toys that I'd like to have. My down stairs playroom purge netted a few little people items (a ZOO). The upstairs playroom netted ... 2 bags in 2 minutes. Not even kidding, I actually timed it.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Stats: New Adventures

Today's Stats: Boldly Going Where No Mom Has Gone Before...

Run: Zero Miles
Walk: Zero Miles
SWIM: 1.5+ Miles!!! What? (yes, you read that right) for 51 minutes, aprox 1.5 MILES I swam. swum?

Seriously. Did you know I can swim? I had no idea either, but apparently it's true! I don't suck at swimming. You know what's super neat about not sucking at swimming today? This was the first time I've swum (swam?) since 2005. I think that I can get faster and more efficient through swimming once a week.

I needed to know how fast I can swim 400M so I can put in a seed time for my Tri in August. That's 16 lengths of the pool.

I timed my first 4 laps (8 lengths) - 4 minutes breast stroke; easy warm up.
I timed my next 4 laps (8 lengths) - sub 4 minutes free style; slightly harder.
I timed my next 4 (back), and my next 4 (breast), and my next 4(free), and finally, my next 4... all 4 minutes or better. Then at some point I decided to add 2 to make a nice even 30 minutes.

End of Swim. Or. Not. I could swim for a little longer.

Once I got into the zone, I decided I would just swim until I was in danger of drowning. I had originally planned to do 30 minutes swim & 30 minutes on the bike, but at some point I was afraid to get out of the pool. I thought I might lose my momentum in the transition through the locker room, where they have showers.... SO, I just swam 10 minutes more, and took a 1 minute break. And then another 10 minutes, and another 1 minute break. And then, I eeked out another few laps. And then I decided to time myself for just 4 more to see what my speed at my current exertion was... and, 30 seconds down, 30 seconds back, after almost an hour of swimming.

You know how much I hate my pink schwinn? You know the passion I feel about it, the "negative" emotional response I get when I look at it?

Well, that is so not how I feel about my black Speedo!

$10 says tomorrow I can't move... any takers?

Monday, March 1, 2010

Scouting for Fun

On Saturday morning C & I got up at O'dark Thirty and went to Girl Scout Thinking Day. This is a day where every troop in the service unit makes a booth that reflects their ideas on the "topic" du jour. This year's topic was WORLD HUNGER. Heavy stuff for a bunch of 5 - 12 year olds. Our booth was all about the Heifer Project. It's such an amazing concept: If you give a man an egg you feed him for a day, give him a flock of chicks, and you feed his entire village. No really, did you know that a hen can lay 200 eggs a year? And chickens survive on practically nothing to eat. Crazy. So the idea is that you donate a set amount of money to Heifer and they send a flock of chicks, or a pair of bunnies, or a goat or cow, etc and so forth to some part of the world that has a need for these items. This lowers village birth rates (nursing mamas are better able to care for their existing babies), childhood death rates, etc. I was just amazed by this organization that swears by their chinney chin chins that a $20 donation can save a village one flock of chicks at a time. We had a neat educational day learning about different world charities (including some local food banks), and then we did lunch at an all you can eat salad bar. No, the irony of that was not lost on me either. There are no photos from Thinking Day, because I was in charge of reading to the 5 year olds & that is not a multitasking kind of activity.

BUT, On Sunday.... My Son G had his cub scout Pinewood Derby.

He wanted to build an EARTH CAR. Uh. OK, sure. So that's what we set out to do, and it turned out wicked cute. Here he is with his earth car.
Then, since his car was so slow last year he wanted to make it fast. After the earth was painted, H screwed a little weight to the bottom. The car had to weigh less than 5 oz. It weighed 4.98 oz. The pinewood Derby is very boring. Imagine watching 50 little model cars repeatedly roll down a little ramp.
But the kids enjoyed it.

I was there from the first heat all the way to the awards ceremony, which turned out to be a good thing because....

Here is G, after winning the Pinewood Derby for Fastest WOLF Den Car AND the contest for the "Coolest Paint Job/Best Car Concept".
GO G!!! He's so cute, I could eat him up! And I DON'T only say that because he's my kid. Well...

Stats:
Walk 1.9 miles (I had a dr's apt, I had to cut the walk short)
Today is a Dr. mandated Rest Day - this means PT tomorrow, fun times.