Friday, December 13, 2013

easing back into the saddle

Yesterday I went to the gym.

Like I said previously, I worked a little with a personal trainer and now feel better equipped to go into the weight room and not get freaked out. Now I know that it doesn't matter what you do or how long you do it, just as long as you GET IN THERE AND DO IT. (That was motivation for myself.)

I have a "training plan" tucked away in the drawer at the gym, but yesterday I didn't bother with it. I knew I just needed to get in there and do something. Since I did something to my back a few days ago, still not sure what, and it was feeling better I didn't want to injure it so I stayed away from back and arms and concentrated on legs and cardio.

I spent 20 minutes on the elliptical and then did the machine that works the outside and inside of your thighs. After that I ran around the indoor track 5 times. The goal here was to run without stopping and see how my knee did. It seemed to do pretty good but wasn't feeling quite right near the end. I walked a lap after that to cool down. I'm sure that 5 laps is not even a quarter of a mile but the point was that I did it. I got in there and felt accomplished when I left.

Next week I'm going to go at least twice and maybe do the same thing. Maybe I'll run 6 laps ;-)

Thursday, December 5, 2013

7 month check up

I meant to post this when he turned 6 months but time totally got away from me, so here is my 7 month check up!

I can't believe my baby is 7 months old already! Time really does fly. No one lies about that.

It's been a good seven months, a bit stressful at times, but good overall. We have a really great baby. He sleeps through the night and is so amazingly happy. He has two teeth coming in and the weekend that they broke through was a little rough but it was not nearly as bad as it could have been-or so I have heard. He was just a bit more fussy than is normal for him. He chews on everything and is into everything. At restaurants he wants to sit up and look at everything and touch everything. He started crawling "army man" style-using his arms to drag his body. This week he started using a leg too. Seeing him grow and meet these little mile stones is such a joy. Being a parent is amazing.

I mean seriously, how do you get over that much cuteness??

He was a parrot for Halloween ;-)

How am I doing? I went back to work in mid-October and it has been an adjustment. Being at work is fine and it was a smooth transition since I already know all the students and most days it actually feels good to be back. The kids missed me and were so excited to see me, it made me feel pretty good :-) My body and brain can fully function with little sleep now and with the help of a cup of coffee I perk up pretty quick. Getting up early isn't so bad once you have the routine down. It is also nice to get adult interaction during the day that isn't limited to my husband or tied into baby things.



The hard part is not having time left in the day for anything else. It's a struggle to get normal things done like keep the house clean or do the laundry. And you can forget reading a book or a magazine, browsing the internet and running. I have been able to get out of work on time and head to the gym for a little bit here and there. I worked a little with a personal trainer and she gave me a good strength training routine that I can do on my own in the gym without being locked into a class time. Although I really enjoy the classes that my gym offers, I don't think I will be taking any of them anytime soon. My knee bothered me for over 2 weeks after the 8K. Of course I am thinking the worst but I really need to get to a doctor and figure out what is going on and make it better. I really want to avoid having knee surgery at any point in my life.

Speaking of the knee injury, because of it I have not been able to run. A big part of me is wondering if my running days are done and this gives me a myriad of emotions that I cannot even express. Running has become such a huge part of who I am, I cannot imagine who I would be without it. It would be like someone taking away my artistic abilities. I would be utterly lost.

So that's where I am at the moment. Gearing up for Christmas and hoping I can hit the pavement again soon. 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

HCA 8K

Warning: this is a bit ranty.

Saturday 11/16 was the Richmond Marathon. I usually run the half, but this year I decided to run the 8K since I haven't had time to train for a half. It did not go very well.

Things I currently hate:
1. my left knee.
2. my right hip flexor
3. that I have no time to run anymore

Number 1 is a new injury and I'm pretty sure it happened while I was in body pump one day. I hate squats and I think that's what did it. It did not feel right one day and now it is bothering me more and more. During the 8K yesterday it was hurting pretty bad. And although the downhill finish was a cool idea, it sucked for me because it made me land harder on my knee. Add to that the fact that it rained and I was trying not to slide down the hill.

Number 2 is an old injury that hasn't bothered me in years and has now come back to haunt me since the Wicked 10K. I really need to figure out a way to get out and run during the week. I am not race ready at all.

Number 3...I knew that going back to work would be hard, but I didn't fully understand that it would mean I would have absolutely no time for myself. I'm having a very hard time dealing with this.

Oh, the other thing that made me hate this race even more? Rain. The weather guys called for sprinkles and they were waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay off. I felt like a drowned rat as I stood there waiting for the race to start and just got poured down on.

I was so not mentally ready to run. I haven't been in awhile. Races have not been exciting me as they used to. So it is time for a break. I hope that if I take some time off, work on time management, and get my knee and hip better I can get back to a place where I enjoy running and it fulfills me like it once did.

At least the medal was cool.

Monday, November 11, 2013

Wicked 10K 2013

Happy Fall! My favorite time of year to run :-)


The other weekend was the Wicked 10K in Virginia Beach. After 2 very hectic weeks I was totally not ready for this race and I made a lot of rookie mistakes.

1. I haven't run in 2 weeks. This used to not be that big of a deal for me, but I now realize that I am starting from scratch. I cannot run as far or as fast as I used to and I am certainly not 10K ready at the drop of a hat. Back in 2008 I injured my hip flexor when I fell on some stairs. It hasn't bothered me in years but at the end of the race I couldn't put any weight on my right leg for awhile. This didn't do well with my left knee which was hurting and has been giving me trouble as well.

2. No stretching or warm up. We had B with us so we left the hotel a little late and the convention center parking lots were full....C eventually had to drop me off with 10 minutes till the start of the race. I jogged over to the corral and stretched a little but not enough.

3. I forgot to cut my toe nails.

4. I ate too much breakfast. We stayed at Hampton Inn so at least it was included in our stay.

This race a good lesson for me. I learned that I really need to make time to run during the week even if it is one mile, and get that long run in on the weekends. It is going to take some serious work to get me back to where I was and ready for a marathon next fall.



Aside from my mistakes, it was a good race. Virginia Beach was doing something with the sand so they couldn't have the post party on the beach this year. So the powers that be changed the race course and the finish was at the convention center instead of the boardwalk. I actually really liked the course this year. In the past you went south first and then north, and this year they switched it so you went north first. It was nice for it to be a little different.



The first year I ran this race the weather was gorgeous. The past two years it has been awful with downpours at the end and then super storm Sandy last year. This year it was gorgeous again. It was cold when it started but bright and sunny and beautiful when I finished. We didn't go in the post race party but we hung out outside while I stretched and recovered.

Half of my race support team!





The other half. He didn't last very long but he did really good!

We got great swag this year too! I love my travel mug since I am now a coffee drinker and actually use these every single morning.

We had a great little overnight trip and got the experience of having a baby in a hotel room. It actually wasn't too bad. He slept all night but I was super tired. Running perked me up for a bit but then I slept hard on the way home. 

Next up: HCA 8K. Also need to post the 6 month check up.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Sometimes there just aren't enough rocks

"Sometimes I guess there just aren't enough rocks."-Forrest Gump

I watched this movie on Saturday. It is one of my all time favorites and I've loved it since I first saw it back in the 90's. I love how Forrest runs to ease his pain over Jenny and then when he feels better, he just runs for the sake of running. I used the quote that I did for this post because it comes from the scene where Jenny is throwing rocks at her father's old house because she is so mad. She throws them until there are no more and all she can do is fall down on the ground and cry. That is where I felt like I have been all week.

My grandmother passed away last Friday. She was 91 and had been in pain for some time so I am glad that she is at peace and in a better place. I've tried to be a support system for my family. It hasn't been easy and stress has been high. By Saturday night I had run out of rocks to throw. Relationships, any type of relationship in life, is hard. God never promised us life would be easy.

Tomorrow I have the Wicked 10K. I am looking forward to getting out of town with my husband and son and to running a race again. I have not trained, I'm not ready for it, but I know that I can do it. I'm hoping that by taking Forrest's approach I can let some of this stress and anger go, because it is only eating away at me. Just being happy and calm is what I enjoy in life so I hope that after tomorrow I can feel a little bit of mental freedom.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

exercise, work and life

These past few weeks have been all about getting in a groove for me. After B came along in May I did a lot of sitting and a lot mommy duties, but as we got closer to my maternity leave ending, I needed some kind of routine. B started daycare so I would drop him off for a few hours and take some time for me. It was great. The house got cleaned, groceries were purchased, dinner was made and I made it to the gym 3 times a week. THREE TIMES!!

So this is how I rolled for a few weeks:
Monday-cycling
Tuesday-Body Pump
Wednesday-off
Thursday-off
Friday-Body Pump
Saturday/Sunday-try to get a run in.

It was amazing.

First off, my gym is more like a spa than a gym, so when I finished my workout I went down to the locker room and took a shower in a shower that made me feel like I was in a resort in the Riveria Maya. Then I would take my time getting dressed and drying my hair in front of the Dyson fan that dried my hair better than the hair dryer. It was so relaxing and in a very short amount of time I started to get my strength back and I felt so much better.

I even met with a personal trainer. She said I need to be doing 3 days of cardio and 2 of strength training per week to lose the baby weight and get back in shape. After several months of that we are going to change up the routine and get me marathon ready since my body will need different things at that point.

I am so ready for this. I'm not centering my life around losing weight and obsessing over calories, I hate that. I am focusing on getting in shape and being fit. It's going to take time, it's not going to happen over night, but it would be nice to be able to run a mile in under 10 minutes again and to wear regular pants to work instead of maternity pants.

Then this week I started back at work and my awesome gym routine flew out the window. This has been one tough week. It's been a lot of tears, feelings of guilt and a whole lot of exhaustion. It's been good to see my coworkers again and the kids but I miss my little guy and to make matters worse my grandmother is in the hospital and she's dying. I've been leaving work and going straight over there so I don't even see B until 6:30PM or later. It's making me feel like a terrible mother and I feel stretched incredibly thin emotionally and physically. I'm trying to be there for my dad, my job and my son and I feel like I'm losing myself in the process. Not to mention I've had like no time for my husband who has been amazing and has grabbed the ball I've dropped and just runs with it. I seriously don't know what I would do without him. Lord help me, this is only day 4.

Yesterday afternoon Dad said I didn't have to go to the hospital and since C had taken B to work with him, I just went straight home and went for a run. It's so amazing how much better I felt after that.

Alright, enough with the heavy. I hope that my next post will be much lighter and happier and will involve me getting some exercise and some sleep.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

guest blogging!

I know I know....I said I would post and I haven't. It's coming, I promise.

Although this is over a week old at this point, I did a guest post for my friend while she is in Europe! You can read it here.

More to come later about my now dead gym routine and returning work.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

new header

Do you like my new header?? I love that I am finally figuring out how to use this new photoshop! I'm not 100% in love with the header, so it may change again soon, we'll see. 

I don't have much time to make a real post other than this because my son is crying for no reason. The evenings are fussy...this is seriously how I blog these days:

 
I just took this picture with my phone. I have to work mostly one handed.
Anyways I will be back soon with a real post I promise. I've got a recipe I want to upload as well as a new workout routine. Also going back to work in a week and you'll get my thoughts on that as well. See you soon!

Friday, September 27, 2013

OBX Family Vacay

For the first time in nine years of teaching and seventeen years of being a student, I did not start the school year this fall! Some people might feel odd not going back to work with everyone else-not me. It felt great to stay home and not rush back and away from my baby. I have two more weeks of maternity leave and then it's time to find a new routine for the family which involves me getting up way earlier than I am used to. The only time I've ever gotten up that early is when I needed to catch a flight and that involved taking a nap on a plane, not working with children all day and then coming home to a baby. I'll let you know how that goes...

In the mean time we decided to take advantage of the off season rates and go to the Outer Banks for a week. I loved it. It wasn't crowded at all and the weather was beautiful. It could have been a tad bit warmer for my taste, but the fall feeling in the air was refreshing and relaxing.

C would get up early in the mornings and go fishing on the pier that was next to our cottage. I stayed with B and watched the Today show and hung out in my pj's.

Jeanette's Pier

A few mornings we did go over to the pier to say hi to C. The little guy never lasted long in the Ergo though. One morning I let him fuss and went for a walk on the beach anyways with him strapped in and he ended up falling asleep in it.

After a storm came through on Monday it was too windy to sit on the beach so we over to Manteo and visited the aquarium. That was fun. B slept through the first part and then woke up half way through. It was fun seeing him watch the fish swimming around.

 
He seemed to like it :-)

 
We had a few good beach days, although my idea of what going to the beach means is going to be very different now. I am quite happy to set a chair down in the sand, read a book, work on my tan and take a dip in the water. This doesn't exactly happen with a baby. You have to keep them out of the sun but you can't put lotion on them. When he wants to be held you have to hide under the shade with him where it is cold. It was a fair amount of work. One day he crashed hard and took a nap in his little tent. I actually got to read an entire Runner's World magazine without interruption! It was amazing!

 
I'm cool and chilling on the beach!
 
One windy afternoon, the boys took a nap, so I snuck out and practiced my photography skills. I think I've come a long way from where I was. I love knowing how to use my camera properly.




 
The trip was a lot of fun though and a relaxing time. I wish I could always go in early September, but sadly it isn't so. Being a teacher you are locked in to taking vacation when school is out, rates are high, and places are crowded, but that's alright because I will get a large amount of time every year to spend with my son that I wouldn't get if I had a 9 to 5 desk job. It all evens out in the end.

 
On the beach with Mom and Dad!

 
How can you not want to squeeze that cuteness??



On another note, although I did not run at the beach like I had planned (I made sure to take my shoes but they never got used) I did get to the gym three times this week and went for a run today! This week was cycling and body pump and today I ran one mile in 10:50! It didn't even feel like a lot of effort either! The Wicked 10K is only a few short weeks away so I really need to get the training back in gear.

I have some other things I have gotten into lately, but more on them later!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

All those bibs

Ah race bibs. Those nifty pieces of paper that tag along for the ride with you as you sweat out however many miles are printed on them. They look funny in photos when not pinned on straight, they get put on your leg if you are running a winter race and wearing layers, and sometimes they are just plain annoying. No matter what, we just can't seem to part with these papers that identify us during a race.

What to do with your race bibs seems to be a hot topic these days. I feel like I keep seeing it pop up in blogs, tweets and other social media. Not wanting to throw them away, this is a question I asked myself about two years ago. My answer was pretty simple and straight forward-Scrap 'Em!
My running scrapbook!

I have a whole scrap book dedicated to my bibs. It started out simple with trying to stick 2 bibs on one page along with a little info about the race that it was from.



After awhile I realized that this was kind of boring so I started making it more "scrapbookish".




You really don't need a lot to make a cool scrapbook out of your bibs. Here's what I tend to look for when scraping a bib page:
1. Some nifty paper matching the theme of the race or a color that goes with it.
2. Photos from the race.
3. A graphic or stickers that can go with that race's theme. A good place to find cool running theme stickers is Scrap Your Trip.
4. Glue, scissors, markers, etc.

Put these elements together and you've got something pretty cool. I've whipped out my bib book a few times to show off how many races I have run and it is always a hit. I have a lot of fun putting each page together and they can usually be put together fairly quickly because the bib takes up most of the page.

Some other fun ideas (and not all serious):
1. Wallpaper
2. Placemats
3. Shower curtain

What do you do with your old race bibs?  


Thursday, August 22, 2013

3 month check up


This post is a little late, but better late than never right?

With B before going for a quick 2 mile run.
I'm 3+ months out from having a baby and things are going well! There are still several pounds left of baby weight but it takes time and honestly I haven't really been trying to lose it or worrying much about it. I'm just taking my time and am mainly concerned with just being happy. I think that's a good way to be a few months after having a baby.

I did join a gym again and I have been enjoying it but not using it as much as I thought/hoped I would. My mom has been helpful with Brody but it is hard to schedule time to go to a morning class when you don't know if you will be getting enough sleep the night before. We also move pretty slow in the morning. I'm lucky to get out of the house by 11AM.

That will change next month though. B starts daycare and even though I am still on maternity leave until mid October, we have to pay for it so I might as well use it. My plan to get our butts up and moving early so I can drop him off at daycare and make it to the gym classes on time, then run a few errands and go pick him up. I get a little break, use of the gym and use of daycare. This will also get me back into a routine for work...which is a subject I really don't want to talk about.

My little man at 3 months! It has gone by SO FAST. I want to spend every minute with him and that adorable smile.

Crabby butt :-)

The other thing I have been up to is photography. In 2010 I purchased my Nikon SLR but never really knew how to use it. I hate reading directions and although I love the camera, I've been frustrated with it. A Groupon popped up in my email one day for online photo classes so I started taking them. They have been great and so helpful! Especially the one I am taking now which is teaching me about the basics of the camera. Things I knew when I was in high school but forgot over the years and never knew how to do on the digital camera. Here's an example of what I did this weekend:

We were in PA and I went out on the four wheeler alone with my camera. There is a trail through the woods, so I took the picture above with the regular settings on the camera. It was taken at dusk.

Then I changed the settings, using what I have learned, and took the picture below. Whoa! Same shot, Big difference!
This is another one I took overlooking the property with the farmhouse and the barn. I'm enjoying taking better pictures.

Things are going good. Life is getting back to "normal" for us after surviving the first months with a newborn. They get SO much easier as they get older, and a lot more enjoyable.

My body is definitely better than it was just a few weeks ago although my lower abdomen is still sensitive when it comes to working it. We'll get there. Earlier today I was looking at some pictures from my bachelorette party 2 years ago and that was some good motivation. I was in the best shape of my life. I'm ready to get back to that, and back to running.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Glow Run RVA 5K at Maymont

This past Saturday was the first ever Glow Run RVA at Maymont. It was a 5K. It kind of kicked my butt.

I haven't run anything since last October and I thought this would be a good way to break back into races. It was a good way to start after being out of the game for so long, but I had forgotten exactly what makes a "fun run". Fun run means lots of walkers...and kids. Now I have no problem with kids, but they kind of get in the way when you are trying to actually run. The first mistake I made was to start near the back of the pack. There were no corrals since this race was so small, so everyone just clumped together and I actually had to walk to the start line and then past it before I could start running. The "glow" part of it was kind of fun too. We got glow sticks to wear and they had colored lights on the trees and along some of the paths.  Here's what I figured out during this race:

The good stuff:
-running through Maymont
-running in the evening
-it was short

The bad stuff:
-lots of kids
-lots of walkers
-kids stopping in front of you to pick up dropped glow sticks
-HILLS.

Walking through the start!

Overall it was a fun race but not one that you would try to set a new PR during. The hills in Maymont are killer and the paths are pretty narrow so you cannot pass people very easily. On the upside, if you are from RVA you know how this city loves Maymont and what it means to us and it was cool to see it in a different way. Also, one good thing is that you did not have to run down to the Japanese gardens and back up. That might have killed me.

My favorite thing about this race was my new fan! B came to his first race to see his mommy run! It was awesome to see B & C on the sidelines and it will be even more fun when he can see and understand what is going on around him.
My littlest fan!

I already signed up for the HCA 8K in the fall that goes with the marathon. After this past weekend I know I won't be ready to start training for a half in the fall so that will have to wait for the spring. I'm excited to take it easy though and to be running again!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Back in the saddle!

I just got back from my first post-baby run! Literally, the sweat is still running down my spine. Damn that felt good!

The weather is awesome tonight. I took B for a walk and couldn't resist leaving him with C after that and hitting the pavement.

I ran down the street as fast as I could and a huge smile spread across my face as I raced downhill. After months of giving up my body to B while he grew inside me, I've never felt so free. It was magical in it's own way.
I'm FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

I ran one mile in 11:52. I've never been super fast. The fastest I've ever gone was 8 something, so to run this mile in under 12 after not running for nearly 6 months was pretty good.

First post baby race: Glow Run RVA!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Photo Shoot

Little Man had his big photo shoot at 9 days old (hard to believe he is already 3 weeks!) and the pictures turned out so cute!! I need to go picture frame shopping so I know what size to order! Also got a code for a free 8x8 hardback photo book in an email today!

The photographer was Kelly of 11 Sixteen Photography and she was awesome. I used the watermarked pictures for the blog.






Thursday, May 16, 2013

A New Chapter

My life has been one crazy, exhausting, fantastic roller coaster ride for the past week or so. At exactly 38 weeks my son decided it was time to greet the world!

Introducing Brody Robert! Born at 12:42AM on May 5th, 7lbs 9oz & 20 inches long!
 It all started last Saturday morning at 4:30AM. I had a dream that I had the baby and woke up suddenly to discover that my water had broken! I jumped out of bed and said to C, "My water broke!" Needless to say he jolted upright half asleep and confused. The contractions started within half an hour and we made it to the hospital by 6AM. I had no idea what I was in for...

Not only did I have to struggle just to get pregnant with my son, we all know I like to be difficult and do things the hard way and getting him into this world was no different. I should have known...

First the nurse had to stick me 3 times with the IV before she got it in. If you've ever had an IV you know that it hurts a lot worse than a needle. I still have bruises all over my arms.
Proud Papa
Then I got my epidural as soon as I could. C had to leave the room because he doesn't do well with needles and things like that but he said he could hear me yelling "ow" all the way out by the doors to Labor and Delivery. I was MUCH happier after the epidural kicked in. Contractions are no joke.
As the day went on I labored for 20 hours. Then pushed for 2 hours. After awhile it became apparent that part of my cervix wasn't dilating the way it should and his head was turned in a weird way that was preventing him from coming out. After all that time and effort I ended up having a c-section.

It was one of the hardest and most amazing experiences of my life. I just wish that the c-section had been at 3 in the afternoon instead of midnight the next day after all that work.

Whatever way that your child comes into this world, you still get a great prize in the end.

We stayed in the hospital for four days and got to go home on Wednesday. I've never been so stiff and sore in my whole life. My legs were swollen before I delivered but they were 10 times worse after. Yesterday was the first day that I finally have my legs back, and man am I so HAPPY to have them back! The first thing I plan on doing after my 6 week check up is to go for a RUN.

Some tummy time with Dad, the night we brought him home.
Brody has been such a blessing. He is adorable (I'm a little biased but this is what everyone keeps telling me) and having a newborn isn't as scary as I thought it would be. Things are different when it's your own child and you get to do things the way you want to.

Mommy did this to me!
We've been learning. C and I have both had our moments but for the most part we have fallen into a rhythm pretty quickly. He has been so amazingly supportive while I have recovered from the c-section and struggled with breastfeeding and also been blown away by how fast I have recovered from the surgery as well as going through labor and delivery. He calls me his "rock star mama". :-)

We even had our first walk 2 days after getting home!
 After this experience I know I can run a marathon. Richmond 2014 here I come. Can't wait to have C and Brody cheering me on from the sidelines :-)
He's gonna be preppy!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Thank You

This post is dedicated to my husband.

I've mentioned several times before that he is my rock. He's proven that over and over before and during this pregnancy, and especially in the last few weeks. 

He was at my side for every fertility appointment and procedure.

He's been at every ultrasound and at the important doctor appointments-there's a lot so I gave him a pass on the boring ones :-)

I haven't had many insane cravings but on the nights that I've been like, "I need to have this" he's had no complaints.

In the last 2 weeks when my feet blew up and I can no longer reach them, he's helped me get on my socks and shoes and willingly helps me get on the awesome compression socks in the morning before work.

The poor guy has even been sleeping on the couch because my pregnancy induced snoring keeps him awake. :-( I feel really bad about this one. I've tried nose strips and humidifiers but nothing seems to help reduce the snoring and I hate it when he sleeps on the couch. Hopefully the snoring will go away once the baby is here...and yes I am aware that neither of us will be getting any sleep when he is here anyways but at least it won't be me keeping him awake any more.

I can't begin to imagine how women do this on their own or with a non-supportive partner. You feel awful in the beginning, decent in the middle and the end completely sucks. I am so thankful that I have a husband that is so helpful and caring. It really makes a huge difference and makes the experience so much more enjoyable.

So thank you C, for everything. I know we will make a great parenting team. :-)


Monday, April 29, 2013

accountability

With only a few weeks left of this pregnancy, I've been thinking a lot about how I will get back in shape after he is born. I've also been thinking about my long term goal and how I will achieve it-to run a full marathon.

I've had some major issues lately with fluid collecting in my feet and legs and I am hoping that it all clears up quickly after I give birth. Ultimately I don't know how that and the fact I haven't been running in 5-6 months, will affect my running again.

But I do have a plan.

The end goal is to run the Richmond Marathon in 2014.

Until then, I am going to slowly rebuild my mileage and participate in races that will help me build that mileage as I go. Will I be running the half in Richmond next fall? No. But I do hope to run the 8K and then a half in the spring and then join the marathon training team in June 2014.

I had a whole list of races prepared but as I start to look at dates, I'm not sure if I will get to them all. No matter what, I have my sites set on my first marathon in 2014. 

Friday, April 19, 2013

good advice

Was browsing my other blog and found this old post. Such great advice and something the hubby and I need to keep in mind in the years to come.

From allprodad.com

"True love is not a feeling. It is a decision. It's an act of the will to be patient, kind, humble, hopeful, giving, faithful and trusting. When you commit to loving your wife this way, your feelings for her and hers for you will follow. Actively loving your wife will radically strengthen your marriage and will also be incredibly beneficial to your children. The number one source of security for kids is to know that their dad loves their mother and is steadfastly committed to her well-being."

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Boston Marathon

What happened at the Boston Marathon yesterday was unbelievable. When I turned on the TV and saw it, it shook me to the core. Not only did I have a friend running the race and a friend cheering him on, I was supposed to be out there this year. If I hadn't gotten pregnant, I was going to run it as a charity runner with my friend. Luckily both of my friends are fine, although the one that ran it posted to Facebook yesterday that he had just finished and was close enough to feel the blasts. Terrifying.

A year and half ago when we were visiting Beave in Boston, I stood and looked at the finish line which is painted on Boylston Street. I went in that Marathon Sports. 

This one really hit close to home for me. We can't even have fun events anymore without someone ruining it for everyone else.

What kind of world do we live in? I'm sad that this is the world that I am bringing my child into. I hope they find whoever did this, whoever hurt all those innocent people, and bring them to justice.

But in the darkness there is always light. I'm glad there were policemen and EMS all over the place and right there able to help. Runners are resilient. This won't end the Boston Marathon. And I still plan on being out there running it one day. Terrorists and acts of violence will never win.

"By love we'll beat back the pain we've found."-Dave Matthews Band

Thursday, April 11, 2013

swollen

Whoa.

The weather has been GREAT the last couple of days...I love heat with no humidity and even when there is humidity I do good (I think I was a lizard in a past life)...but with the heat comes a little something I wasn't aware of...preggo swelling. Otherwise known as edema.

Well, I take that back. I knew swelling was normal when pregnant, but haven't experienced it thus far. I guess it helps that I have been living in running sneakers and gone through most of this pregnancy in cold weather.

Now the weather gets super hot and I get a new pair of sandals I think are going to be OK for work (I'm on my feet a lot during the day). Monday they worked out well and my feet were only slightly sore that evening. Tuesday I woke up and the bottoms of my feet felt slightly bruised. I put the sandals back on and went about my day. Well, I overdid it and when I got home and actually SAW my feet, I shrieked!

WARNING: This is not for the faint of heart...

!!!!!!

I warned you!!! It was not pretty. I love my feet. They do a lot of great things for me and I try to take good care of them...but damn. I put them up for the rest of the evening and began drinking a lot of water. They looked better after a few hours and were not as bad today. I went back to the running shoes and loose socks. Much better today. They felt like they were getting a massage compared to having the sandals on. 

I'm a little worried since this hit me out of no where and can be a sign of preeclampsia, but I'm sure it's fine. Go back to the doctor next week so I'll ask her then. Plus it is hopeful that the swelling went down overnight and isn't as bad today. My rings were a little tight this morning too.

Almost 35 weeks, so I'm in the homestretch with 6 or less weeks to go. After this, running a marathon is going to be a breeze!


Monday, April 8, 2013

Spring Break!

Last week was spring break and it was great! It was so nice to be off for a week with no worries and decent weather. I have on sandals today which is soooo nice. Never again will I take putting on socks and tying my own shoes for granted.

I spent my week meeting up with friends and staying busy in general. Monday I had lunch with Rebecca and her daughter and then we walked around the mall for a bit. Little H got her first pair of sunglasses! So cute! I think I might have to get my little man a pair if I can find them. Do they make baby Ray Bans??


That night I finally got to go visit my good friend who just had her first baby! She was so cute and I got to hold her till my back ached and I had to give her back. My bump made the perfect baby support! No Boppy necessary.

Wednesday I met up with Rachel from Lou Lou Belle and we had lunch. I love being able to meet friends for lunch during the week like a regular working professional! That's one of the downsides to teaching, you're pretty much stuck in the building from beginning to end of the work day. Teachers get over excited about going out to lunch.

Thursday I had lunch with my parents. Like I said, it was a lunch week.

Friday I had no car because C had his truck getting worked on. I was able to get a ride from Dad though and go get it. Driving C's giant truck is always an experience since I don't do it very often. The thing is a beast but I love it. Trucks make life so much easier.

The weekend involved yard clean up and more visiting with friends. We also bought some trees for the yard! You know you are over thirty when you get excited about buying trees...

Awhile back I purchased a Groupon for online photography classes and they started last week as well. This week starts week 2 and I am already amazed at what I am learning! I can't wait to see what else I can do in Photoshop...more on that later though.

Hope everyone is having a happy spring!

Less than 6 weeks to go till baby arrives!!!